Passion Fruit Tart

The weather can have an effect on baking. I guess that is why some of the best and tastiest recipes are made in the wintertime. The only damage I can think of that the cold will do is maybe cause something to seize up more quickly than needed, such as when you are making fudge or candy. The heat and humidity, however, are more difficult opponents in the kitchen. These evil offspring of nature's seasons, unfortunately, sometimes make their home in Texas.

So when they come to stay in the summer, I have to start crossing things off my baking list. The first thing to eliminate is meringue. Now, this particular tart recipe calls for a topping of meringue, so I opted to do the stabilized whipped cream for the topping. Also, like all recipes you find on the net, this one had suggestions and comments. The one I took note of was that the passion fruit flavor was very subtle, so I increased the amount used in the recipe. Even though the end result was very tangy, the whipped cream topping worked to tone it down. The toasted bits of coconut on top was another suggestion that I implemented, that added some more texture to the dessert.

I used a standard shortcrust pastry recipe to make this 9-9 1/2 inch tart. The filling has to chill for at least 8 hours, so plan on this time if you decide to make this tart. The recipe below only represents the filling and topping with some tweaks. I have included a link back to the original recipe if you are looking for the additional instructions and ingredients for a pastry shell as well as meringue topping.

Passion Fruit Tart
adapted from Epicurious 

Ingredients
1 fully baked 9- 9 1/2 tart shell
1 cup thawed passion fruit puree
1 tbs cornstarch
3/4 cup plus 2 tbs sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup or 1 stick of unsalted butter (cubed)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut (toasted)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tbs whipped cream stabilizer

Fill the bowl of a stand mixer (with the whisk attachment) with the eggs and sugar and whisk until blended. Then sift the cornstarch into the mixture, add salt, and whisk again. Set aside.

Place a saucepan over medium heat and fill with the passion fruit. Remove from heat once it reaches a simmer stage and prior to boiling. Set aside and then go back to the egg mixture and turn the mixer up to medium. As the egg mixture is whisked, pour a slow, small stream of the hot passion fruit into egg batter. Continue whisking and slowly pouring until saucepan is empty.

Then take the bowl out of the mixer stand and pour liquid back into the saucepan. Place over medium heat and let cook, whisking constantly. As it cooks, add a few butter cubes and continue to whisk. Once cubes are melted and blended, repeat the process until all butter cubes are melted and incorporated into the mixture. The batter will need to be cooked and whisked until it reaches the consistency of pudding. This should take about 6-8 minutes. Watch the heat, filling is to come to a boil but is to be removed from heat at that time.

Once the filling is the right consistency, pour into a sieve placed over a heat proof bowl. Push filling through sieve. Once sieve is empty and bowl is full, cover the surface of the filling with waxed paper. Chill the mixture for at least 8 hours. You also can chill it overnight.

After chilling time is up, beat whipped cream until soft peaks form and then add the stabilizer and beat until thick and fluffy.  Remove passion fruit curd from the refrigerator and fill the tart with the curd. Spread out with a spatula until tart shell is evenly filled. Smooth out the top. Then top with the stabilized whipped cream and sprinkle the toasted coconut over the surface.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.
                                     **LAST YEAR: Chocolate Babka** 

Pecan Coffeecake

The thing that most people enjoyed about this coffeecake was the flavor of the cake part, not the filling or the topping.  The two pecan elements were good, but the extra flavor of the cake was a delicious surprise. Usually most coffeecakes are plain, letting the filling and topping be the highlight of flavor.  We all have experienced that plain bite of coffeecake, you know, the one that has no filling or much topping with it.  So, since filling and topping in every bite is hard to guarantee, the next best thing is to make the cake taste delicious on its own.

This recipe uses lemon zest in the batter, which paired nicely with the pecan filling.  Yet if that was not enough, the icing has espresso in it. So, if your standard breakfast has reached that blah stage, change it up with this coffeecake. It will definitely make for a better morning.

Pecan Coffeecake
adapted from My Great Recipe Cards

Ingredients/ Cake
1 egg
1/2 cup warm milk (105-115 degrees)
1/4 cup butter (room temp)
5 tbs cold butter, cut into cubes
2 tbs shortening
2/3 cup bread flour
1 1/4 cups bread flour
1 pkg active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
grated zest from one lemon
1/4 tsp salt

Ingredients/ Filling
1/3 cup butter
3 tbs shortening
1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
2/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Ingredients/ Topping
1 egg mixed with 1 tbs water (egg glaze)
2 tsp hot water
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
whole pecans for placing on top

For the cake, sprinkle yeast in warm milk.  Stir with a fork until yeast has dissolved.  Fold in 2/3 cups of the flour.  Cover and set aside.

Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat together butter, sugar and shortening until fluffy.  Add the egg, salt and lemon zest and beat for 30 seconds on medium speed.  Then stir in yeast/flour mixture, set aside. Fill another bowl with the remaining 1 1/4 cups of bread flour.  Using a pastry blender, cut the butter cubes into the flour until it is crumbly and the clumps are about pea sized.  Then add the yeast/flour mixture, stirring until all is blended and it forms a dough.  Cover and let dough chill for 2 hours.

While dough is chilling, the filling can be made.  Beat the butter and shortening together until light and creamy.  Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, mix in the dark brown sugar.  Then fold in the chopped pecans.  Lastly, stir in the flour until evenly distributed.  Also, prepare 2 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

Prepare a flat surface by dusting with flour.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and knead dough on surface about 18 turns.  Divide dough in half.  Roll one piece of dough into a rectangle, measuring about 10X14 inches.  Take out 1/2 of the filling and spread down the center of the length of the dough, leaving about a 2 1/2 inch border on either side. Fold borders of dough over the top of the dough that is spread with filling.  Overlap each side by 1/4 of an inch, pinching the center of the dough together to seal.  Also, to further seal the dough, take a rolling pin and lightly roll over the top in a few strokes. Flip sealed dough over and center on a prepared baking sheet.  Repeat process with the remaining dough and filling.

Make 1/2 inch slashes on each side of the length of each coffeecake.  Use a knife and prick the top of the dough.  Brush with the egg glaze and place pecans decoratively on top.  Let cakes rise on baking sheets for 30 minutes.  During the rising time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Once rise time is completed, bake cakes for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.  Remove and let cool for 15 minutes before icing.  Let cakes stay on baking sheet until completely cool.

The icing can be started by dissolving the espresso powder in the hot water.  Then stir in powdered sugar until smooth.  Drizzle over the top of each cake.

Tips and Notes:
1. This coffeecake can be made thinner by rolling out to a wider shape after the dough has been folded over the filling. This will create a thinner type of pastry that will be more crispy as compared to the one in the above picture.
2. Watch the hue of the dough while baking.  The first one I baked came out too dark.  The one in the picture was covered in foil halfway through baking so it would not get too brown. 
                                    **TWO YEARS AGO: Berry Meringue Slices**

Raspberry Cream Cheese Braid

Outside of the wonderful taste of this breakfast treat, I really do like the ease of the recipe.  The appearance of this pastry gives the impression that this took a lot of effort.

The recipe makes two pastries, which means you can keep one and give another to the neighbors.  In my case I brought it to my co-workers.  Another good thing about the recipe is that it can be changed up, depending on your preference of fruit.


Raspberry Cream Cheese Braid
adapted from King Arthur's Bakers Companion

Ingredients/ Dough
3 cups regular or pastry flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp instant yeast
6 tbs sour cream or yogurt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
6 tbs butter (room temp)
1 tsp lemon zest

Ingredients/Filling
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup of raspberry jam mixed with 2 tbs flour
2 tbs butter
1- 8oz package of cream cheese
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbs flour
1/4 cup coarse sugar (optional for topping)

For the dough, mix together the yeast, warm water and 1 tsp of sugar (take from 1/4 cup measurement).  Then add 1/2 cup of the flour (take from 3 cup measurement).  Blend until the mixture forms a dough.  Shape into a ball and place back in bowl and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside until the yeast becomes very active, about 10-15 minutes.

Once active, stir in all the remaining dough ingredients.  After all is blended into a dough, knead dough until it becomes soft and is no longer sticky.  You can do this by hand or with a dough hook in a stand mixer.  Grease the interior of a medium size bowl.  Shape the dough into a ball.  Put dough ball into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Place bowl in a warm, draft free place and let dough rise for about 45 minutes or until doubled.

While the dough is rising, you can prepare the filling.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in the salt and vanilla extract. Take the cream cheese and cut into 8 portions. While the mixer is still running, add pieces of cream cheese at 15 second intervals. Scrape down sides of bowl and then beat in egg and flour.  Scrape down sides of bowl again and beat until all is incorporated.  Set aside.

Divide dough into 2 equal pieces.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Take 1 piece of the dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle measuring 15 X10 inches.  Place sheet of dough on the center of the parchment lined baking sheet.  Repeat with second piece of dough.

Spread half of the jam in a 2 1/2 inch wide strip down the center of each piece of dough.  There should be a 1 inch border left at the top and bottom of the dough.  Then spoon and smooth 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture on top of the jam for each piece of dough.

On each 15 inch side of the dough, make strips by cutting 2 1/2 inches in length which are 3/4 inches wide. The strips should be at a 15 degree angle downward.  The end result is that the strips make like an upside down "V" with the filling in the center.

Fold in the 1 inch border dough on the top and bottom.  Then crisscross dough strips over top of filling, placing one left strip over the filling and then alternating with the right. Repeat the cutting and folding process for second piece of dough. Cover both braids with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until they puff up, about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Once the braids have risen, you can top according to preference.  An egg wash (one egg blended with 1 tbs water) will add shine and a deeper color to the braid.  Spritzing the dough with water was the method I used.  After that process, sprinkle the dough with the coarse sugar.

Bake the braids until they reach a golden hue, which should take about 32-36 minutes.  Once baked, let cool for about 15 minutes and then slice and serve.

Tips and notes:
1. Pastry flour will make the braids more tender.  If using regular flour, add 2 extra tbs of water.
2. You can use a product called Clear Gel in place of the flour in the filling.  Use 2 tbs to mix in with the raspberry jam instead of the flour and use 2 tbs to add with the egg instead of 3 tbs of flour.
3. This dough can be used for many sweet breads such as monkey bread and hot cross buns.
                                **LAST YEAR:Black Pond Cupcakes**
  

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookie Pie

The name "cookie pie" makes me think of those big chocolate chip cookies at the mall that you can have decorated.  However, this particular recipe does not fall into that category.

As you can tell by the picture, it looks to have a closer resemblance to pie rather than cookie.  There is a pie crust layer with melted butterscotch chips, pecans and a brown sugar filling.  As far as the oatmeal, it has enough to give it some chewy texture but is not overwhelming.

I have always considered butterscotch one of the forgotten flavors,  It was a nice change of pace and well liked by the crowd of eaters.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookie Pie
adapted from Pie by Ken Haedrich

Ingredients
1 basic single crust pie pastry, refrigerated
1/4 cup whole milk or light cream
3 eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup or one stick of butter
1/3 cup cake or regular flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/3 cup rolled oats

Roll the pastry on a floured surface into a 13 inch circle.   Place the pastry evenly into a 9 1/2 inch deep dish pie pan.  Press the pastry into the pan, taking care not to stretch it.  Shape the top edge of the dough as desired.  Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.  In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To make the filling, use a mixer and cream the butter until smooth.  Then add the brown sugar in 1/2 cup increments, beating 30 seconds after each addition.  Then scrape down the sides and add one egg and beat for 30 seconds.  A the rest of the eggs, one at a time, and beat each for 30 seconds or until completely blended.

Beat in the vanilla extract.  Then fold in the flour, oats and salt until no dry streaks remain.  Mix in the milk until blended.  Lastly, add the pecans and butterscotch chips.

Place pie in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Then rotate back to front and bake for 30 minutes more.  Once the time is up, the pie should not jiggle when moved and should have a brown filling. Transfer to rack and let cool.  You can either serve warm or refrigerate for 2 hours and then serve cold.

Tips and Notes:
1. Feel free to mix up the type of chips in the batter.  The recipe also suggests 1/2 butterscotch and 1/2 chocolate chips.
2. For people with nut allergies, add an extra 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips and eliminate the pecans.

                                          **LAST YEAR: Jade and Suede Cheesecake**                    

Rum Raisin Almond Tart

The other day I had a craving for Rum Raisin ice cream.  I am not a big fan of raisins but for some reason I really like the ice cream.  Off I went to the store to get some to squelch the craving. Nowhere to be found, so I asked around.  No one had ever heard of the stuff.  You would have thought I was asking for a piece of the moon with sprinkles on top!

Now I had to head back home, still carrying the same craving as I had started with.  Well, that just would not do.  So I went about looking for recipes and landed on this particular one.  It was not ice cream, but it sure did get rid of the craving.  Also, it had just enough raisins to add some flavor but not be overwhelming.

To me, the recipe is really something unique.  It is almost like a almond pie but with an occasional pop of flavor from the rum soaked raisins.  Also, the sweet pastry dough could just as well be sugar cookie batter.  The recipe does have a few components. Yet once those are made, the dessert comes together quickly and easily. The first component does require that this recipe should be started the night before to serve the next day.

Rum Raisin Almond Tart
adapted from Simply Sensational Desserts

Sweet Tart Dough (actually enough for two tarts)
9 tbs butter, softened
1 3/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
1 cup plus 1 tbs powdered sugar
1 large egg

Almond Cream Filling
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dark rum
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 cups slivered almonds
1 cup and 1 tbs butter, softened
1 egg yolk
2 large eggs
1 tbs flour

Topping
1/3 cup apricot preserves
2 tbs rum
3 tbs powdered sugar
1 tsp water

Place the raisins and 1/4 cup rum in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let soak overnight.

The next day, start on the dough by placing sugar, flour and salt in a sifter.  Sift ingredients into a medium size bowl and set aside.  Take out a food processor and fill with the butter.  Process butter for about 20 seconds or until smooth.  Pour in the sifted ingredients and add the egg.  Process mixture again until it turns into a dough and lumps up into a ball inside the bowl.  Divide the dough in half and flatten each into a disk.  Cover in plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill for 2 hours.

During the chilling time, the filling can be prepared.  Use the food processor again, grind the almonds with 1/4 cup of sugar.  It should take about a minute to grind the almonds into fine bits. Set aside.

Fill a bowl of a stand mixer with the remaining cup of sugar and add the butter.  Beat for about one minute on high.  Pour in the ground almonds and beat for another minute on low.  Then add the egg yolk and beat for 30 seconds.  Repeat the same process for each egg.  After this, beat the mixture for 3 more minutes and scrape down sides of bowl at one minute intervals.   Lastly, sprinkle the flour on top of the batter and use a wooden spoon to fold it in.  Once all is blended, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  After the dough has chilled, take out one disc and roll out on a floured surface. You can seal and freeze the other dough disk for future use. The rolled disk should be 1/8 inch thick and the size of a 10X20 inch rectangle. Using a 9 inch tart ring or 9 inch ring from a springform pan, place on the dough and cut around to form a circle.  Make two circles.  Place one on a baking sheet by itself.  Place the ring on the other baking sheet and put the dough circle inside the bottom.

Take the almond cream mixture from the fridge.  Then drain the raisins from the rum and fold the raisins into the almond cream batter. Spoon the mixture into the dough lined ring and smooth the top so all is even.

Place baking sheet with dough disk on top rack in oven and tart filled one on the next lower rack.  Once the dough disk has a golden brown edge, it is done baking.  This should take about 15-17 minutes.  Remove and place pan on cooling rack.  The tart round should continue to bake until tester comes out clean.  This should take 18-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and place it on a cooling rack as well.

Brush the two tablespoons of rum over the top with a pastry brush while still hot out of the oven.  Then take the apricot preserves and microwave for 20-30 seconds.  Remove and pour into a sieve placed over a small bowl.  Use the pastry brush again and brush the strained apricot over the top of the tart.

Place the plain tart round over the top.  Should it not fit correctly into the pan, shave the edges with a paring knife until it fits inside the pan on top of the tart.

Sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl and add the water, mixing until all is smooth.  In order to get the correct consistency, you may have to add additional water.  Pour glaze over the top of the tart and smooth out evenly by using the back of a spoon.  Then  place back in the oven for about 5 minutes.  This should result in an opaque center and clear edges on the top.

Cool and remove the tart ring when ready to cut and serve.
                                  **LAST YEAR: B52 Cookies***

Peach Tarte Tatin & Lemon Ice Cream

Recently I was struck by the fact that I have nearly missed out on peach season.  They are almost gone at the market and I have not made a thing with them.  That is until now.

Thumbing through some magazines I landed on a recipe for Peach Tarte Tatins.  What really got my interest was the fact that the recipe was so easy to put together and that they were made in individual servings.

These little desserts are a great alternative to a big pie.  The layers all come together for something tasty and unique.  The base is puff pastry, then it has a caramelized peach sitting atop of it. To create t those layers, the assembly is the opposite in a ramekin because the dessert is inverted onto a plate.

While they are satisfying enough by themselves, a dollop of ice cream makes them even better.  Vanilla a la mode may be tradition, but the dessert really pops with a homemade lemon ice cream topping.  The complimentary flavor blend really does make you question the traditional.

The equipment needed to make the complete dessert  is 8 ramekins that hold 3/4 cup and an ice cream maker. It is best to prepare the ice cream the day before, the recipe makes about 6 cups.

Lemon Ice Cream
adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients
8 egg yolks
5 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tbs lemon zest (packed)
1 cup whole milk
1 1/4 cup sugar (divided)
3 cups heavy whipping cream

Fill a large saucepan with 1 cup sugar, whipping cream, lemon zest and milk.  Place over medium heat and stir.  The mixture should come to a simmer and the sugar dissolve. One it reaches that point, remove from heat.

In a medium heatproof bowl add egg yolks, remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and lemon juice.  Whisk until blended.  Take the saucepan of warm cream mixture and pour a slow stream into the egg yolks and stir together.

Pour custard back into saucepan and place over medium heat.  Let mixture cook, while stirring constantly.  The custard should become thicker and reach a temperature of about 170 to 175 degrees. This process should take about 5 minutes.  Take caution to make sure the mixture does not boil.

Pour custard into a heat proof bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Chill in refrigerator for 3 hours. Then pour into a ice cream maker and follow manufacturers instructions.  Place ice cream in a bowl and cover and freeze until firm.

Peach Tarte Tatins
adapted from Bon Appetit
Ingredients
1 17.3  oz package of puff pastry (thawed)
1 cup sugar, plus 2 tbs
4 ripe peaches, peeled, halved and pitted
1/4 cup water
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp water for glaze
6 tbs butter

Put sugar and water in a saucepan and place over medium heat.  Stir mixture until all the sugar has dissolved.  Prepare a cup of water along with a pastry brush to occasionally wash down the sides of the mixture from the pan while it cooks.  Increase the heat and let mixture boil without stirring.  In about 7-10 minutes, it will turn a deep amber color.  Remove from heat and add the butter. Wait a few minutes for the butter to melt.

Place pan back on low heat and stir, making sure all the caramel chunks dissolve.  Once the correct consistency, pour caramel in equal increments into each of the 8 ramekins.  The place 1 peach half on top of the caramel, with cut side facing up. Complete the process until all peach halves are in the ramekins.  Set ramekins aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Then take out puff pastry and cut into 8 rounds that are the same diameter as the ramekins.  Put one round on top of each of the peach halves and tuck in the edges.

Brush the dough tops with egg glaze and sprinkle some sugar on top.  Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet, spacing evenly.  Put in oven and bake about 25 minutes.  Pastry should have a golden color when done. 

Remove pan from oven when done. Using oven mitts, invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate.  Let cool for about 10 minutes.  Then top with a scoop of ice cream and serve.
                         **LAST YEAR: Cranberry Invasion Cake**

Croissant Pockets with Apricots and Brie

It has been some time since I have posted any bread type of recipe, so I decided I would try my hand at making croissants.  Since croissants do require some time, I wanted to make something out of the ordinary instead of the standard.

Since the details of the whole process is lengthy, I have done one post for the dough and this post here for the filling baking and assembly.  The dough in the ingredients is linked back to the original process of making it.

The filling is what really puts these over the top. Brie and walnuts are a pretty tasty blend.  However, this recipe does not stop there, it also includes brandied apricots.  These do have a way of really making your taste buds come alive.  In one bite you get buttery pastry, melted brie, apricots,walnuts and brown sugar.

A perfect treat for brunch, special occasion or just to brighten up any morning.

Croissants Pockets with Apricots and Brie
adapted from Great Coffee Cakes

Ingredients
1 batch croissant dough
8 oz ripe Brie Cheese, cut into 16 slices, 1/4 inch thick and 3 inches long
9 oz dried apricots, each piece cut into 1/4ths
1-2 tbs brandy
1 cup water
2 tbs sugar
4 tbs butter (softened)
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup and 2 tbs light brown sugar
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water (egg wash)
1/4 cup milk
powdered sugar (for dusting)

Put the apricots and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes.  Your apricots will turn soft and some of the water will evaporate.  Drain the apricots and reserve the liquid.

Pour the liquid back into the saucepan and add the brandy and sugar.  Cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved and brandy has evaporated, which should take about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Put the apricot pieces back into the liquid and stir to coat.  Transfer mixture to a heatproof bowl and let cool.   Once cooled, stir in the walnuts and set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in a small bowl and blend with a fork until the mixture has a paste like consistency.  Set this item aside also.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Take out the dough and cut it in half and return one piece to the fridge.  Place the other piece on a flat, floured surface.  Roll the dough into a rectangle, measuring 10x12 inches with the 12 inches horizontal to the counter.  Then cut the dough into 8 rectangles, measuring 3x5.

Working with one small rectangle at a time, even out the shape to an even 3x5 size with the 3 inches horizontal to the counter.  Spread one teaspoon of the sugar/butter blend over the center of each piece, leaving a 1/4 inch border around the edges.  Then cover with one tablespoon of the walnut/apricot blend.  Take a slice of brie and place in center of dough so each end touches the edges of the 3 inch width. The folding with be much like a letter.  Fold the bottom of the dough up and over, with the end covering the brie.  Then brush the top dough edge not covered by the filling with the egg wash.  Fold this end of the dough so it overlaps the other and pinch to seal.  Place seam side down on prepared baking sheet.

Continue with the process for the additional 7 pieces of dough and the remaining dough in the fridge.  The end result should be 16 filled croissants, 8 placed on each sheet.  Brush the tops and sides with milk and let rise 20 minutes.  Repeat the brushing and rise time for 1 more time and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Brush again with the milk and let rise for another 20 minutes.

Brush pastries with egg wash from bottom to top, being careful not to get any on the parchment or baking sheet.  Place pans in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake for 5 minutes and turn.  Bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove and place pan on racks to cool for about 20 minutes.  Dust with powdered sugar prior to serving.

Tips and Notes:
-after filling and folding you can freeze for later baking, just be sure to thaw it at room temperature before baking
-sides are not to be sealed, however, if you see that some cheese has melted out, you can take a spatula and push it back inside.  Just do it right after removing from oven.
-The Brie might not measure out perfectly to 3 inches for every piece, so you can put pieces together to make the strip the right size.
-try not to flatten your croissants when assembling, it impedes the rising.
-do not over fill.  Too much butter/sugar will cause pools to run out and make your croissants soggy 
                           **LAST YEAR:Honey Bee Cookies**

Croissant Dough

This is the first part of a recipe for filled croissants.  Since the dough requires a long chilling time, I have made a separate entry here, just to create the dough.  There is another post on this day which completes the full recipe for the filled pockets. This makes 16 croissants.


Dough For Croissant Pockets
adapted from Great Coffee Cakes

Ingredients/Croissant Dough
For Sponge
1 1/8 tsp yeast or 1/2 package
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup milk

For dough
2 cups flour
2 tbs plus 2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt 
1 tbs soft butter

For butter blend
2 sticks of butter
2 tbs flour

For the sponge, warm the milk in a saucepan over low heat until it reaches a temperature of 110 to 115 degrees.  Mix in the sugar and remove from heat.  Sprinkle the yeast over the top and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes.  Mix with a fork.  Then cover and let sit for another 5 minutes. By this time, the yeast should be dissolved and foamy.

Stir in the flour.  It may be lumpy, but thats ok.  Cover the mixture and let stand for 25-30 minutes.

To prepare the butter, take out a piece of wax paper and place it on a flat surface.  Dust the wax paper with 1 tbs flour.  Then place the sticks of butter on top and press together.  Sprinkle more flour on top and then pat it into the butter.  Using a rolling pin, roll the butter into one big 4 inch square, using additional flour as needed.  Cover with plastic wrap, place on plate and put in refrigerator.

For the dough,  sift together the flour sugar and salt.  Then pour the dry mix into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Then add the tablespoon of the soft butter and blend on low for 30 seconds.  Turn off the mixer.  Pour in the sponge and mix on low until no dry streaks remain.  Be careful not to over mix.

Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for six turns.  Pat it into a 4 inch rectangle and let rest for a few minutes.  Then, using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 6X8 inch square.  The six inch side should be horizontal with the counter.  Take out and place the butter in the center of the square of dough.  Fold the bottom portion of the dough over the butter, then fold down the top portion of the dough and pinch the seam together.  Also, seal the side edges of the dough together.

This dough will require 4 quarter turns and a roll out as follows:

Going in the clockwise direction, give the dough a quarter of a turn. Roll it out to a 10x6 rectangle with the 6 inch side horizontal to the counter top.  Any butter that seeps through should be coated with flour to seal.  Flip the dough over and fold the dough into thirds, letter style. Make sure all your edges are even.  Cover in plastic and place on cookie sheet in refrigerator.  Let chill for 20 minutes.

Take the dough out and start with having the open seam to your right.  Repeat the above process 3 times.   Chill for at least 6 hours or up to 3 days before moving on to the filling and baking stage.

Banana Boston Cream Pie

Firstly, I want to give my Foodbuzz friends a big thank you for voting the Amadeus Cookies into the top 9!  Your kindness, talent and knowledge are what drives me to strive to do better every day.  Not sure where I would be without the Foodbuzz community! 
 
I have been wanting to make something with bananas recently, but I wanted something different from bread or ice cream.  Then after reviewing several recipes, I decided on this particular one.  It is a version of the Boston Cream Pie, but created with banana cake instead of the standard yellow cake.

Some people do not like banana because they say it has too strong of a flavor.  However, this particular recipe, even though it has 6 mashed bananas, has a light flavor which does well with the chocolate ganache and vanilla pastry.  You can still taste the distinct flavors in the cake which makes it well balanced. I do not want to be eating chocolate and only tasting bananas!

The cake here is a little tall. The recipe calls for 10 inch cake pans and I used 9 inch pans.  Normally I photograph my layered cake slices laying down, but I decided to save some of the ganache and drizzle it over one slice. I had to move this several times during the photo session and I was worried about it toppling over. Luckily it survived the moving around!

There is an upcoming BBQ I have been invited to that I am deliberating on attending.  However, since there is a big difference between the number of people in an army squad and squadron, I will have to clarify that.  This cake certainly will not feed a whole squadron!

Banana Boston Cream Pie
adapted from From Emerils Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients/Cake
4 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tbs vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 cups mashed ripe (not over ripe) bananas (about 6 bananas)
1 1/4 sticks plus 2 tbs butter (room temp)

Ingredients/Pastry Cream
1/2 cup plus 3 tbs sugar
2 cups plus 2 tbs cream
3 tbs and 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1/2 a vanilla bean, split lengthwise with seeds scraped out and all reserved

Ingredients/Chocolate Ganache
1 1/4 lbs or 3 1/4 cups chopped semisweet chocolate
2 cups heavy cream

Due to chilling time, the pastry cream will need to be made first.  Pour 2 cups of the cream into a small saucepan and add 1/2 cup and 1 tbs of the sugar and stir.  Then add all reserved vanilla bean ingredients.   Place saucepan over medium heat and let come to a simmer.  Stir while cooking to make sure all the sugar gets dissolved.  Then remove from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, add the rest of the cream ingredients (2 tbs sugar, 2 tbs cream, cornstarch, egg yolks).  Blend all together with a whisk until mixture turns pale yellow.  Take 1/2 cup of the hot cream and whisk into egg mixture until blended.  Then pour back into the saucepan of the remaining cream mixture.  Place pan over medium heat and let cook, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon.  Once the mixture can coat the back of the spoon, it is done cooking.  Remove from heat and pour into heatproof bowl.  Cover the surface of the cream with plastic wrap.  Then refrigerate for about 4 hours.  I sped up the process and did 2 hours, one in the fridge and one in the freezer.

To make the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the 2 tbs of butter and then generously grease the interior of 2 ten inch cake pans.  Line the bottom of the pans with parchment and use the rest of the melted butter to grease the face up sides of the parchment.

Sift the baking powder, baking soda, flour, 3/4 cup of sugar and salt in a medium size bowl.  Set aside.

Cream the 1 1/4 sticks of butter with the remaining 1 cup of sugar.  Then, fill the bowl of a food  processor (fitted with a metal blade) with the mashed bananas, eggs, vanilla and sour cream.  Process for about 30 seconds or until all is a thick puree.

Add 1/3 of the sifted ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture.  Beat at low speed until all is blended.  Then beat in 1/2 of the banana mixture.  Continue with the adding and beating, ending with the sifted ingredients.

Divide batter equally into the two pans.  Place in oven and bake until done.  The top of the cake will be golden and it will spring back when lightly touched.  Baking time is about 30-40 minutes.

Remove pans and place on rack for 10 minutes.  Then invert cakes onto rack to cool completely and peel off parchment paper.

To make the ganache, put chocolate in a heat proof bowl.  Then pour cream into a saucepan and place over medium high heat.  Once cream starts to simmer, pour it over the chocolate.  Let rest for 5 minutes and then whisk cream into chocolate.  Chocolate should be smooth and melted.

To assemble cake, place your rack with the cake over a baking sheet lined with wax paper.  Also, if using a cake round, cover it with foil.  The rounded tops of the cake layers should be leveled.  Then place one layer with bottom level side up on the cake board.  Cover the cake's top surface with the chilled pastry cream, smoothing it out leaving 1/2 inch border around the edge.  Place the other layer of cake on top, bottom side up, pressing lightly.  Cover the circumference of the cake with two layers of plastic and press top layer again making sure pastry comes to outer edge of the cake.

Remove plastic and scrape off any excess pastry cream.  Then pour 1 1/2 cups of ganache over the cake.  It will drip down the sides.  Allow to set up for about 5 minutes.  Then pour the remainder of the ganache on top, making sure top and sides are evenly covered.  Chill for 30 minutes before serving and then cut pieces with a serrated edge knife.
                                 **LAST YEAR: Chinese Almond Cookies**

Grapefruit/Lime Citrus Pie

I had a few re-dos to get to the final product above.  My time in the kitchen was not as smooth as expected, but I finally ended up with the results I expected.  I guess I just was having an "off" day.

The crust mix, made of a chopped macadamias and vanilla cookie crumbs turned into nut butter the first go around!  I ran the food processor for too long. I tried to salvage it, but once it gets to that point, there is no going back.  On the second try, I pulsed my nuts in with the cookie crumbs and did not pulverize them, I just did some pulses.

Also, I got in a hurry with the gelatin and assumed that one envelope was 1 tsp of gelatin instead of measuring. Ha-I found out that I created a recipe for a lime rubber ball!  The whole sprinkling thing had to be done over again.

The above pie is made with a citrus blend, but the primary citrus used is grapefruit.  The filling texture was light as air with that special tartness that only citrus can deliver. It was a nice change from the heavier key lime pies or cheesecakes.  Also, since the crust has no flour in it, the flavor and crunch of the macadamias enhanced each bite. I do have a weakness for citrus, but even those that like the occasional taste of a tart dessert will be pleased. This recipe calls for a 9 inch deep dish pie pan, but I used a 9 inch springform pan instead.

Grapefruit Citrus Pie
adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients/Crust
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup ground vanilla wafers
7 oz roasted macadamia nuts
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

Ingredients/Filling
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from about 3 limes)
2 cups fresh pink grapefruit (from about 3 grapefruits)
1/4 tsp unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup whipping cream (for first addition)
1 1/4 cup whipping cream (for second addition)
1/4 cup plus 1 tbs sugar
9 oz imported white chocolate (Lindt, Callebaut)

Ingredients/Topping
7 thin lime slices, halved
8 oz imported white chocolate curls or just 1 oz for grating on top (optional)
2 tbs sugar
1 cup whipping cream

To make the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fill a food processor with ground vanilla wafers and then add the macadamia nuts and pulse until the nuts are chopped.  You want nut chunks not powder, so do not overdo it.  Empty mixture into a small bowl and add the brown sugar and melted butter. Stir until mixture becomes clumpy and there are no dry crumbs.  Press mixture into a 9 inch springform pan or a 9 inch deep dish pan.  Bottom and sides must be evenly covered.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until it turns a golden hue.  Remove and let cool completely before filling.

For the filling, pour grapefruit juice and 1/4 cup of sugar into saucepan and place over high heat. Once mixture comes to a boil, set the timer for about 15 minutes.  The remaining amount of the mixture after cooking should be about 3/4 cup.  Remove saucepan from heat and set aside.

Take out a small bowl and fill with the lime juice.  Then sprinkle the gelatin over the top of the juice and let sit to absorb for 10 minutes.  Place the saucepan of grapefruit back on the heat, this time at a low temperature.  Add the lime/gelatin mixture, white chocolate and 1/4 cup of whipping cream.  Stir the mixture until all the white chocolate has melted.  Pour into a heatproof bowl and place in refrigerator to set up and cool. This should take about 2 hours, but stop and give the mixture a good stir after every 1/2 hour.

On the last 15 minute stirring interval,  pour the remaining 1 1/4 cup of whipping cream in a bowl and add 1 tbs of sugar.  Beat cream on high until stiff peaks form.  Then stir in chilled grapefruit mixture until all is blended.  Pour filling into prepared pan and smooth over the top, making sure everything is even.  Place in fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight to chill prior to  topping.

After the pie is completely chilled, then you can top it.  Again, beat together the cream and sugar until it has a stiff peak consistency.  Fill piping bag and pipe about 15 rosettes along the outer edge of the pie.  Then, with the rounded edge facing upward, put a lime slice between each rosette. Place the chocolate curls on top or grate white chocolate (if desired) on the top center of the pie.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.     
               **LAST YEAR: Chestnut Pound Cake**

Almond Slices

I have been waiting on the arrival of a rectangle tart pan in order to make this.  Luckily it did arrive in time for this post, otherwise I would have gone to plan B.  Now plan B is for another time.

This tart has a buttery pastry base that is spread with raspberry jam and then filled with a almond egg white mixture and topped with sliced almonds.  The picture in the book looks quite different and I think it is because they used skinned almonds.  Skinned almonds does give the filling more of a honey color and there is distinction between the almond and the jam in appearance.  However, I just had regular almonds on hand, but I will be making the change next go around on this recipe.

Once you get the pastry dough in place, the rest of the recipe comes together quite quickly.  I do like the flavor of the almonds and this was an unusual treat.  The touch of raspberry amidst all that almondy goodness is a perfect match.  The almond filling, which the author calls cake, does not have the texture of cake, considering the ingredients but it is hard to explain.  However unexplainable the texture is, there is no issue explaining that I think it tastes delicious!

If you have a weakness for almonds, then I am sure you will enjoy this recipe.

Tomorrow I am out of town for some appointments and shopping at the specialty grocers to find some inspiration-so wish me luck!

Almond Slices
adapted from Perfect Afternoon Tea Recipe Book

Ingredients
8 oz of sweet shortcrust pastry
4 egg whites
a few drops of almond extract, I used 1/8 tsp
1 1/2 cups ground almonds
1 cup sugar
flour for dusting
powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup raspberry jam

Grease an 11 X 7 inch shallow or tart pan.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly dust a flat surface with flour and roll out the pastry into a rectangle, about 14 x 10.  Lower the pastry into the pan.  Then press into the sides and bottom of the pan.  Cut off the excess pastry hanging over the top of the pan so all sides are even. 

Spread the jam over the bottom of the pastry.  I warmed the jam in the microwave for about 15 seconds to make it easier to spread.

In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until they reach a stiff peak stage.  Then fold in the almond extract, ground almonds and sugar.  Pour mixture into pan and smooth the top, making sure that filling is even.  Then sprinkle with the flaked almonds.

Place pan in oven and bake until top is firm and crisp and pastry is golden.  This should take about 30-35 minutes.  Let cool completely in pan.  Once cool, prior to slicing, you can dust with powdered sugar.
                      **LAST YEAR: PBC Doodle Cookies**

Auntie Mary's Cookies & A Feature

You probably have two thoughts running through your head.  One, you are wondering if the above is one cookie or three.  It is actually three.  The other is who is Auntie Mary?  Not any relation, just the originator of this recipe.  Apparently, she is a relative of someone associated with the Ladies Home Journal.

Do not let this picture fool you though.  These cookies do not have jam in them-they actually have a fudge-like filling with walnuts.  The best part about them is that the elements are equal.  This means that one bite gives you 50% cookie flavor and 50% nutty chocolate flavor.  In my book this does make the grade, so these will be added to my traditional cookies list. This recipe makes about 4 dozen. 

Also, I wanted to mention that Sofie from The German Foodie contacted me in regards to doing a feature on me and I agreed.  She is doing a series on why she follows certain blogs and picked mine to feature first, which made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside since there are so many wonderful blogs to choose from.  So if you are curious about the feature or if you would like to meet a special blogger who has some great tutorials on her site as well as some tasty German cuisine, be sure and pop on over to Sofie's site at The German Foodie,


Auntie Mary's Cookies
adapted from Ladies Home Journal

Ingredients/Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups flour
powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Ingredients/Filling
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

To make the dough, sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.  In another bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese and both type of sugars.  Then beat in the egg and vanilla extract until blended evenly.  Fold in the dry ingredients, making sure no dry streaks remain.

Separate dough into four equal parts and wrap with plastic wrap.  Place in fridge for a minimum of  2 hours.  I left mine in the fridge to chill overnight.

After the chilling time is complete, preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two cookie sheets.

Then you are ready to make your filling!  Place chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan placed over medium heat.  Stir and cook until all chocolate chips are melted and mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts.  Let cool to room temperature.

Lightly dust a flat surface with flour and place 1 piece of dough in the center.  Roll dough out to a 6 X 10 inch rectangle, lifting and turning to make sure dough does not stick.  Once you reach that size, take 1/4 of the chocolate mixture and smooth it down the center of the length of the dough.  Then fold sides over.  Then transfer to cookie sheet, seam side down.  I used a spatula and a bench scraper side by side underneath to transfer the log and then flipped it over.  Repeat this process with the remaining 3 logs.  You should have two  on each cookie sheet.

Place in oven and bake 20-25 minutes or until the dough is lightly browned.  Remove pans and transfer logs to a cooling rack.  Once completely cool, sprinkle with confectioners sugar.  Then slice each log into 12 equal portions. 
             **LAST YEAR: Roasted Cauliflower and Onions**

Kentucky Corkscrews

Well I am happy to say I did finally get my donut pan.  However, instead of getting one pan, I found a duo pack that had a pan for twist type donuts also.  Of course since I have been seeing recipes for the round ones, I thought I would be daring and try the twist type ones.

I did a lot of experimenting with the batter as well as the filling. Some of the donuts were too airy and some of the creams did not set up properly, so I can say the trash was well fed, until I landed on the right blend.

The name is derived from the fact that the shape reminds me of corkscrews and the recipe includes two things that you can easily find in Kentucky-sweet potatoes and bourbon!  The donut is baked and the batter is made with sweet potatoes and a touch of maple extract.  Then it is filled with a bourbon pastry cream and covered in cinnamon sugar. This recipe makes 4 twists.

Kentucky Corkscrews
by flourtrader

Ingredients/ Donut
1/4 cup cooked sweet potato, pureed
1/2 tsp maple extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
3 tbs vegetable oil
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

Ingredients/Cream Filling
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs whole milk
3 tbs sugar
1 tbs cornstarch
2 egg yolks
2 tbs bourbon

Ingredients/Topping
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tbs sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

To make the donuts, spray the pan with non stick spray.  Then preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Then make a well in the center.  Set aside. In a smaller bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil and extract and beat until there is a light foam on top.

Pour the egg batter into the dry ingredients and stir all together until no dry streaks remain.  Then fold in the sweet potato.

Then fill half of each donut cavity with the batter.  Then place in oven and bake until done, about 10-12 minutes.  Tops will spring back lightly when touched.  Remove from oven and invert donuts on a rack to cool.

To make the pastry cream, put milk in a saucepan and let come to a simmer.  Remove from heat.  Then take another bowl and whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until blended.  Take the cornstarch and sift it into the batter.  Then whisk the batter again, making sure the cornstarch is evenly distributed.

Add the egg yolk mixture into the hot milk in three increments, whisking for about 30 seconds after each addition.  Then place over medium heat, continuing to whisk constantly.  Once mixture thickens and comes to a boil, remove from heat.  Then whisk in the bourbon while the cream is still warm. Let cool for about 10 minutes before filling donuts.

For assembly, take a long knife and a cut a slit in the donut all the way through or take a core out of the donut half way down on each end.  Either way is a personal preference.  Then take a piping bag with a large pastry tip and fill with cream.  Stick tip into one end of donut and fill halfway with cream.  Then repeat on other end.  Continue this process for all of the donuts.

For the topping, mix together the cinnamon and sugar.  Then brush the top and sides of the donuts and sprinkle sugar on top and sides.  Then turn and brush the bottom with butter and do the same.  Now you are ready to enjoy some donuts!
                     **Last Year: Avocado Egg Rolls**

Sweet Pastry Project

One of the things I wanted to do different this year in blogging was to step more out of my comfort zone and try my skills at things that are more challenging.  Pastry is one of those things.

In making this recipe, I learned quite a bit.  Even though this creation is not perfect, with time it will become easier.  I am sure I will get more practice since I am committed not to buy any more pre-made pastry dough at the grocers!

Below is all the details on this project.

Sweet Pastry
adapted from Desserts by Nancy Silverton

Equipment-1 flan pan, 10 inches in diameter and 1 inch deep

Ingredients
1 1/4 plus 2 tbs flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tbs heavy cream
4 oz or one stick of cold butter, cut into cubes

Sift the flour into a medium bowl and then stir in the sugar.  Toss the butter cubes into the mixture, coating all sides.  Then using your fingertips, mash each cube into pieces and let drop back into the dry ingredients and toss.  Continue with this process until the consistency is like coarse crumbs.

In another bowl, scramble the yolk with the cream.  Then pour into batter and mix with clean hands until the dough can form a ball.  You may have to add some cream to reach the correct consistency.

Then take a sheet of wax paper and place on a flat surface.  Dust lightly with flour and place ball of dough in the middle.  Also, dust the inside of your hands with flour. Using the heel of your hand, press on the dough and smear outward.  Continue with this process until all of dough has been smeared flat on the wax paper.  This is a french process for working in the butter.

Gather the dough back into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap.  Place in fridge to chill for 2 hours.

Then take dough out of fridge, place it back on the wax paper and cut into fourths.  Then pound each piece with rolling pin to flatten.  Then use your fingertips to work the dough into a pliable but not sticky ball.

At this time, brush melted butter on the inside base and ring of your flan pan.

Roll your dough out on the wax paper, using a little flour to keep it from sticking.  Begin rolling from the center, turning pin clockwise.  Also, use short strokes because you do not want the outer edges to get too thin.  Lift and turn the dough every so often to make sure it is not sticking.  The final size of the dough should be 12 inches in diameter and 1/8 of an inch thick.

To get the dough into the pan, you can fold it into quarters and put point in center and unfold or you can roll dough over rolling pin and unroll over flan pan.  Then use the knuckle of your index finger (dusted with flour) and go all around the pan putting some pressure to get the dough to adhere to the pan and even out.  Use your fingertips to do the same on the sides of the pan.

As a final step, use a paring knife to cut off the top excess even with the top of the pan.  After that , chill the dough in the fridge for one hour.  During this time, preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Remove pan and line the dough with parchment paper, covering all the bottom and sides.  Then fill the pan with metal pie weights or beans.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Remove pan and let cool completely.  Then spoon off beans or remove pie weights.  Take out parchment lining.  If crust looks underdone in places, preheat oven again to 325 and place back in oven for a few minutes to finish baking.  Let cool and then fill as desired.

Pitfalls to watch out for:

-uneven thickness in crust will cause uneven baking
-using too much flour will cause the dough to be dry and crumbly
-overworking the dough can cause it to be tough
-not having a 90 degree angle of even thickness where the side of the dough meets the bottom will cause shrinkage of dough when baked.
-this dough is not forgiving if you have to patch it, it has a tendency to split on patched edges when baked.

 Things that I think help:

-I did not wait for the crust to cool before removing pie weights, beans or parchment paper.  My determination of crust doneness was in a hot state so I could pop it back in the oven if needed.  You have to be careful when removing the hot items out of the pan!

-I am toying with the ideal of laying a perfectly sized dough disk in the bottom of the pan and cutting a strip of dough to go around the sides to keep the 90 degree edge.  I will have to work on making sure the edges meet and are sealed well though.

-a rolling pin with measurement rings is a great way to insure that you get your dough an even height.  This type of pin comes in handy when making cut out cookies too!

-another type of paper liner you can use is coffee filters (the flat ones). Along with laying them on the bottom, the sides can be covered with filters and overlap the pan.  I made the mistake of thinking that the parchment paper had to fit tightly against the dough on the sides.

Elsa's Apple Slices

For me, fall flavors conjure up recipes that were put in cookbooks years gone by. I imagine that on certain days, you could roll into a small town where the air would be filled with the aroma of sweet apples baking as women prepared desserts for the upcoming fair or bake sale.  Families would gather their generations together and take off to the pumpkin fields to make sure that they got the best pick that resulted in the most amazing pie baked by their mothers or grandmothers.

Even though it is an era gone by, treasured pumpkin and apple pie recipes continue to be handed down and made year after year.   This particular recipe stems from the pages of a faded brown notebook that was created around the turn of the century.  The notebook was owned by a Baroness of high society that lived in Vienna.

One of the reasons that I made this was because having a whole pie around the house is too much for our small family, so the slice is a better way to go.  I did enjoy the taste and texture of this dessert.  The outside is like a thin cookie instead of a flaky pastry.  In regards to the filling, I like it because it has very little ingredients. That short list makes for a fairly pure taste of apples, which is exactly what I was looking for.

I changed the original order in which the components are made.  Since it is important that the dough be the right temperature,  it is best that the filling is made and cooling first. If the dough spends too much time in the fridge (waiting for the filling to get cool) it will crack when you roll it out.  This recipe results in about 15-20 slices, depending how thick you cut the slices.

Elsa's Apple Slices
adapted from Viennese Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients/Filling
2 oz raisins
grated zest of one lemon
1 2/3 lb of apples (peeled cored and grated)
1/2 cup sugar

Ingredients/Dough
5 1/2 tbs unsalted butter (cubed)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour
1 egg

Ingredients/Assembly
1 beaten egg white
powdered sugar for topping
whipping cream (optional)

To make filling, place grated apples in a fry pan over medium to low heat.  Stir and let apples cook until all moisture is gone.  This took about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and place in heatproof bowl and place on trivet in fridge to cool.

Now you can start on the dough.  Firstly, make sure all your ingredients are cold.  Sift together the flour and baking powder into a food processor bowl.  Add butter cubes and pulse food processor several times, until mixture turns into coarse crumbs.  Pour sugar into the processor bowl and pulse until evenly blended.  Lastly, pulse the egg into the batter until it turns into a dough.  Remove dough and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

During this time, take out a baking sheet (approx 10X15) and cut a piece of parchment to line the sheet.  Lightly flour surface of parchment and set aside.  You will not line your pan with it just yet. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Once the dough is properly chilled, remove from fridge and place on the parchment paper. Roll dough out to a thickness of 1/4 inch.  You should have a rectangle that is about 7X16.  Take the sheet of parchment paper with the dough on top and lay it on the baking sheet.  You will have a little overhang on the length.

Remove the apples from the fridge and stir in sugar, lemon zest and raisins.  Spread the apple filling down the center of the dough, leaving a one inch border on the short ends and a 1 3/4 inch border on each side of the length.  Your filling should measure about 3 X 14.

Fold in the 1 inch border on the short ends. Then fold one long end of the dough over the center of the filling.  Brush all folded in edges with egg white.  Fold the remaining end over the first, overlapping in the center.  Press down center seam to seal.  Make sure all the filling is sealed well on the center and ends.  You do not want the filling to seep through any openings while baking.

Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 40-45 minutes.  Surface will have a golden hue when done. Remove pan and let pastry cool on baking sheet.  Once completely cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into slices with a sharp knife.  If desired, spoon a scoop of whipped cream on top when serving.
                              **LAST YEAR: Kahlua White Chocolate Brownies**

Chocolate Parthenons

Well, I decided that I would try something different, using phyllo pastry sheets.  I was nervous, so I purchased double the amount required for this recipe.  I am glad I did, because I was halfway through making these little pouches when I finally felt at ease.  The sheets are not ideal for the heavy handed or the impatient, but I did get through it and still had some left over.  There were some sheets torn in the process, but less that I expected.

Dealing with the phyllo is probably the most difficult thing in this recipe.  The rest came together really quickly.  This is a perfect recipe for first timers, since I did not have any problem except for the few sheets that were torn.  I also needed more butter than recommended when I got to the stage where the outside is brushed after the phyllo package is formed.  Now that I have dealt with phyllo sheets, I am hooked. The smell of the baked buttery sheets is so intoxicating.   

By now you are wondering what is in this phyllo package?! Simply put- it is pure, sinful indulgence.  If you can imagine, think about crunching into these buttery flakes of phyllo and reaching a brownie-like chunk of cake packed with chocolate chips and walnuts. There you have it.  For those without a vivid imagination.....

Now on to the recipe...

Chocolate Parthenons
courtesy of Bon Appetit (prior to 2005)

Ingredients
20 phyllo pastry sheets (this will make 10 pouches)
1-12oz package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped and toasted walnuts
4 eggs
1 cup and 2 tbs melted butter (2 1/4 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbs brandy
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Optional toppings:
Powdered sugar
Chocolate syrup

Prepare 10 tartlet pans (4x1 inch) by buttering all the insides.  Pans with removable bottoms are recommended but if you have the solid ones, place a parchment round in the bottom and butter it as well.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs.  Then stir in the sugar until evenly dispersed.  Add the brandy, vanilla extract and 2 tbs of butter and mix together.  Set aside.

Sift together flour, salt and cinnamon.  Stir this dry mixture into the wet egg mixture.  Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.  Set the filling aside while you prepare the phyllo packages.

Place 2 phyllo sheets (one on top of another)on a work surface.  Cover the rest with a damp towel or plastic wrap so it will not dry out.  Brush the surface of the top phyllo sheet with butter.  Cut sheets in half, so you have two rectangles measuring 9X13.  The cut each half again to form 3 sections, measuring 9X4 1/2.  You should have a total of six sections.

Take one section and place the end inside one of the tart pans leaving the rest of the section to go up  over the edge of the pan and lay flat on the surface outside..  This will be like the first spoke of a wheel.  Continue the same process with the 5 strips, overlapping slightly and going around the outer edge of the pan like spokes.

Place 1/2 cup of the filling inside the pan on top of the phyllo.  Then gather all of the strips towards the center.  Carefully twist the phyllo  strips (1/4 turn) and squeeze slightly to form a top knot. Then brush with melted butter.

Preheat the oven to 350 degress. Then repeat the cutting and forming of the purses on the additional 9 tartlet pans.  Place tartlet pans on baking sheets and bake until the phyllo turns a golden color, which is about 40 minutes.  Once baked, remove from oven and cool slightly.  Carefully lift off or out of tartlet pans by holding the packages on each side, right above the pan edge.  You do not want to touch the top knot.  Place on dessert plate and if you want, dust with confectioners sugar and pour on chocolate syrup.

These purses can be prepared one day in advance and refrigerated.  Also, they are tasty both at room temperature or warmed.

Crimson Squares

I am sure that you are looking at this picture and thinking this is just another fruit crumble recipe.  Well, I have to say it does have all the makings of a fruit crumble, however, there is a little extra layer of flavor that adds a zing to these.

Don't get me wrong, fruit crumbles are good as they are, but like many foodies I wanted to make them better. After tasting the final dish, I can say that the flavors are really made for each other.   Maybe the flavor addition is not a new thing. However, the manner in which it is incorporated into these bars allows it to stand out and compliment the flavor of the fruit.

I was so pleased with this dish that I have decided to bring it to a pot luck luncheon.  Last time they had a luncheon there were only a few "store bought" desserts, so I am sure this will be a welcome treat.

Now, read on to find out what that extra layer is.


Crimson Squares
by flourtrader

Ingredients/Base & Topping
1/4 plus 2 tbs butter (cold & cut into cubes)
3/4 cup of flour
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup regular oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
3.5 oz almond paste (1/2 of standard 7 oz package)
1/8 tsp salt

Ingredients/Filling
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp of cornstarch 

Grease an 8X8 pan and line the bottom and 2 sides with parchment paper, letting excess paper hang over the two sides.  Then preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a small saucepan mix all the filling ingredients together and place over medium high heat.  Stirring constantly, let the mixture come to a boil.  Turn down to a simmer and cover pan.  Let the mixture cook about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. As it cooks, the filling will become thicker and the cranberries will pop.  This should take about 10-15 minutes.  If any cranberries remained intact after the cooking time, take a spoon and mash them.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Sift together the flour and salt in a bowl.  Whisk in the brown sugar, oats and almonds. Toss the butter cubes in the bowl.  Cut the butter into the dry mixture using a pastry blender or fork, until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Measure out 1 cup and set aside.

Empty the bowl of the remaining crumb mixture into the prepared pan.  Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom of the pan.   Then take the almond paste and place it between two sheets of waxed paper.  Pat it into a disk, then use a rolling pin to flatten it out.  It will need to be rolled into a square that fits into the 8X8 pan.  Using a methods of rolling, tearing off pieces and patching, the paste should come very close to the desired size.

Remove top layer of wax paper and wrap paste around rolling pin. Unroll paste from rolling pin and place over the crumb layer in the pan.  Then drop spoonfuls of the filling onto the almond paste layer and smooth with a knife until evenly distributed.  Lastly, take the reserved cup of the crumbs and sprinkle evenly over the filling.  Lastly, lightly pat the crumbs into the filling.

Place pan in oven and bake until the top crumbs reach a golden brown color.  This should take about 20-30 minutes. Remove pan and place on rack.  Let cool completely and then run a knife along the sides that were not lined with parchment paper.  Remove from pan by lifting the parchment over hang on the two sides.  It is now ready to cut and serve.

Austrian Apple Twists

Happy 4th everyone!  These little twists are a great way to start the day. They are filled with apples, nuts and cinnamon. While having apple pie for breakfast may not be an option, these pastry twists will give you all the same flavor.

I have made this type of pasty several times and there are many variations out there with different names.  Today, I decided to use up an apple that I had in the fridge, since it would be a change of pace from all the summer berry recipes.

The dough has an overnight chilling process, so there is minimal work for the baking process in the morning.  You can make about 16 of these, enjoy them for breakfast and then finish making the rest of them. These can be frozen after baked, but do not glaze them- the glaze will not do well in the freezer.  This recipe makes 64 twists.

Austrian Apple Twists
adapted from recipelink.com

Ingredients/Twists
3 cups flour
1 package of dry yeast
1 cup butter (room temp)
3 egg yolks ( beaten in a small bowl)
1 cup sour cream

Ingredients/Filling
1/2 cup toasted and finely chopped pecans
1 medium tart apple (I used Granny Smith)
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp produce protector (to keep apple from browning)

Ingredients/Icing
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
4 teaspoons (or more) of milk

The night before: in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and the yeast.  Then add the butter in small pieces.  Using a pastry cutter, blend the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Set aside.

Take another bowl and whisk the sour cream and the egg yolks together.  Once blended, pour into the flour mixture and combine by stirring with a wooden spoon or use clean hands.  When a dough is formed and no flour streaks remain, separate it into 4 sections.  Shape each into a ball and place in plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.

Peel, core and chop the apple into small chunks.  Then mix in the produce protector, cover and refrigerate.

The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Stir together the sugar, pecans and cinnamon in a small bowl. Then place a waxed sheet of paper on the counter and sprinkle with flour.  Take out I piece of dough from refrigerator and roll out with a floured rolling pin.  The end result should be a disc measuring 9 inches in diameter.

Leaving a 1/4 inch border on the outer edge of the dough disc, sprinkle to top evenly with 1/4 of the apple chunks and 1/4 cup of the cinnamon mixture.  Lightly press filling into dough.  Cut dough into 16 wedges.  Roll each wedge from the wide end to the opposite point, pinching to seal point.  Place on baking sheet, point side down.  Bake until lightly browned, which is about 16-20 minutes.

Remove and place on rack to cool.  Repeat this process with the other 3 remaining dough balls in the refrigerator.  If you do not plan to freeze them, follow the process below to ice the twists.

After the pastries have cooled, place a piece of wax paper under the rack to catch the drippings from the icing.  In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar, milk and extract.  Should you feel that the icing is too thick add a little milk until desired consistency is achieved.

Drizzle the icing on top of the twists and then sprinkle with pecans. Once icing is set, these are ready to serve and eat-enjoy!