makes one 9” skillet cake
For the custard sauce- 3 large egg yolks pinch of salt ½ cup whole milk ½ cup heavy cream ⅓ cup granulated sugar ½ vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped with paring knife In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and salt. In a medium saucepan, bring milk, heavy cream and sugar to a simmer over medium heat. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Transfer the milk/cream/egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook,, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer. Whisk in the vanilla bean seeds. Set the bowl of custard over a large bowl filled with ice and water, stirring occasionally until cool. Remove from over the ice bath, cover the custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate. For the crumb- 1 cup white-whole wheat flour ½ cup + 2 tablespoons rolled oats ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons sugar ½ tsp. ground ginger ½ tsp. cardamom ¼ tsp. kosher salt ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon, cool unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (cut the butter and let it sit out to soften slightly) ⅓ cup sliced almonds (or the nuts of your choice) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugars, ginger, cardamom and salt. Add the butter pieces, rubbing the mixture together with your fingers until it becomes crumbly with some large chunks. Add the nuts and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least half an hour. For the cake- 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cardamom ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon orange zest ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter 1 large egg ½ cup buttermilk ¾ pound rhubarb, leaves removed, rinsed, stems cut into ½” pieces ¼ pound strawberries, lightly rinsed, stems removed, cut into quarters 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch cast iron skillet. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt. Combine orange zest with sugar, rubbing the zest into the sugar with your fingers to release the orange oil. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Beat in the egg. Add half of the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, then the remaining dry ingredients, beating on low until the batter is smooth. Fold in the rhubarb, strawberries, and vanilla. Pour the batter into the cast iron skillet and top with the crumb. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick tests clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Allow the cake to cool for several hours before serving with the custard sauce. Any leftover cake can be covered with plastic wrap and remain at room temperature for up to two days. Cover and refrigerate any leftover custard sauce.
0 Comments
filling adapted from Michelle Polzine
makes one 12- inch tart Sour Cream Pastry ¼ cup sour cream 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice ¼ cup cold water 1 cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup fine cornmeal ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces In a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup, whisk together the sour cream, orange juice and cold water. Place this in the fridge. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal and salt. Use a bench scraper or your fingertips to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. The mixture should be crumbly and resemble coarse cornmeal. Retrieve the sour cream/orange juice/water mixture from the fridge. Gradually add it to the flour/butter mixture, using a fork to gently incorporate most of the liquid into the dry ingredients. You want the pastry to be moist but not overly wet. (You will probably be left with a tablespoon or so of liquid that does not go into the pastry.) Gather the dough together and shape it into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling out. When ready to roll out the dough, lightly dust a sheet of parchment paper with flour. Roll out the dough on the parchment paper into a circle about 13” in diameter and ⅛” thick. Place the parchment on a baking sheet and refrigerate the pastry while you prepare the filling. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. For the Sour Cherry Lekvar- 1 cup dried sour cherries ½ cup water 2 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract In a small saucepan, combine the cherries, water, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for one hour, until cherries are soft. Return the mixture to a simmer and simmer just until most of the liquid has reduced. Add the vanilla extract. Let cool, then transfer to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Puree until smooth then transfer the mixture to a container and let cool completely. Can be made one day ahead, covered and refrigerated. For the filling- 3 tablespoons fine dry cookie or cake crumbs 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 1 cup Sour Cherry Lekvar ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon brown sugar orange zest from one small orange pinch of kosher salt ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom 1 pound rhubarb, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces (frozen is fine- blot away excess ice crystals) 1 cup frozen tart cherries, pitted 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling In a small bowl, combine crumbs and 1 teaspoon of flour. Retrieve chilled pastry from the fridge, leaving the dough on the parchment. Spread the cooled cherry lekvar over the dough, leaving a ½” border. Sprinkle the crumb/flour mixture evenly over the lekvar. Slide the pastry (still on the parchment) back onto a baking sheet, and return to the refrigerator. Be sure to preheat your oven to 425° In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour, ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, brown sugar, the orange zest, salt, and cardamom. Set aside. Retrieve the pastry circle from the fridge. Place the rhubarb and the frozen, tart cherries in a large bowl. Toss with the sugar mixture, stirring to coat. Spread the rhubarb/cherry mixture evenly over the dough, just up to the edges of the lekvar and crumbs. (Work quickly so the rhubarb and cherries don’t give off too much liquid.) Fold the edges of the dough up and over, twisting them to form an edge. Brush the edge with the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Refrigerate the tart for 20 minutes. Retrieve the tart from the fridge and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar. Transfer the tart (on the parchment) to a baking sheet (or preferably to a pizza stone) and bake on the lowest rack of the oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°, cut a parchment paper circle (around 11”) with a few holes to allow steam to escape, and cover the tart with the parchment circle. Bake until the rhubarb and cherries bubble and the crust is deeply golden, about 35 to 40 minutes. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes before transferring the tart to a wire rack. To release the tart from the parchment paper, use the removable bottom from a tart pan or a large icing spatula. (The tart will be fragile, so be gentle.) Best served warm or at room temperature. Yield: One 9-inch pie
Manner Neapolitaner Wafers and hazelnuts form the crust for a tart raspberry filling topped with honey-sweetened mascarpone cream and fresh raspberries. Perfect with strong coffee or a nightcap of Manner Neapolitaner liqueur. (* Note: Recipe uses a total of ½ cup roasted, skinned hazelnuts- half are used in the crust, the other half is folded into the mascarpone cream.) For the crust: Nonstick spray or canola oil, for greasing 3 packages (2.65 oz. each) ‘The Original’ Manner Hazelnut Wafer Cookies to yield 2 cups (240 g) Manner Wafer crumbs 4 Tbsp. (57 g) unsalted butter, melted ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ cup (40 g) roasted, skinned, hazelnuts* To the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add one package of Manner Wafer Cookies, pulsing just until medium crumbs form, being careful not to over process. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl; repeat with the remaining two packages of wafers. Add the hazelnuts to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped. Transfer the nuts to the bowl of wafer crumbs, add the melted butter and the salt, then use a fork to blend until the mixture is thoroughly moistened and holds together when squeezed in the palm of your hand. Lightly grease the bottom, not the sides, of a 9-inch aluminum or glass pie plate with nonstick spray or canola oil. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the bottom of the pie plate, then place a piece of plastic wrap over the crumbs, and press them into an even layer working the mixture into the corners of the plate and evenly up the sides. Use the bottom of a ¼ cup measuring cup or glass to smooth the crumbs into place. Transfer to the freezer until the crust is firm and set, at least 30 minutes or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat the oven, with one rack positioned in the center, to 325 degrees F. Retrieve the pie shell from the freezer, place it on a large baking sheet, remove the plastic film, then transfer to the oven. Bake until set and lightly browned, checking it towards the end, 12-15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. For the raspberry filling: 12 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed briefly at room temperature ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar pinch salt 1½ tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon cold water ½ teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoons raspberry preserves Prepare the filling: To a heavy bottomed saucepan, place raspberries with their juice; add the sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Combine the cornstarch and cold water and stir it into the boiling fruit. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the raspberry preserves and vanilla. Set aside to cool. When cool, pour the filling into the pie shell and smooth using an offset spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the mascarpone cream. For the mascarpone cream: ⅔ cup (160 g) mascarpone ½ cup (120 g) full fat sour cream ⅓ cup (115 g) clover honey ¼ cup (40 g) skinned, toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped* To a large bowl, place the mascarpone and sour cream. Use a silicone spatula to fold the sour cream into the mascarpone, then slowly drizzle in the honey, folding just until combined, then fold in the finely chopped hazelnuts. To garnish: ½ pint fresh raspberries, lightly rinsed, picked over for stems/leaves, dried flat on a paper towel Finish the pie: Retrieve the pie from the fridge and remove and discard the plastic wrap. Place spoonfuls of the mascarpone cream over the raspberry filling then use an offset spatula to smooth the cream. Drape a sheet of plastic wrap over the pie and refrigerate for several hours until the mascarpone cream is firm. Just before serving, remove the plastic wrap and garnish the pie with fresh raspberries. Serve cold; cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Manner Wafer Cookies, Manner liqueur and Manner sweets are available in specialty shops and online at: https://onlinefromaustria.com/Manner-Wafers adapted from Michelle Wojtowicz and The Big Sur Bakery
Makes 12 three inch scones For the fruit: (You will need 1 cup total of Meyer lemon slices and kumquat slices) 1 medium Meyer lemon, rinsed, ends removed, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced, seeds removed (to yield ½ cup) ½ cup thinly sliced kumquats, (rinsed, seeds removed) 3 tablespoons granulated sugar In a medium bowl, toss the lemon slices and kumquat slices with the sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and set on the counter to macerate for at least two hours or up to several hours, until they soften and give off some liquid. When ready to assemble the scones, transfer the fruit to a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl and strain off the liquid; you can save the liquid for beverages, if you wish. Line a small baking sheet with a paper towel and spread the fruit out in a single layer on the towel lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet with the fruit into the freezer while you prepare the scones. For the scone dough: 3 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup fine cornmeal 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon lemon zest (Meyer or Eureka) 1 teaspoon orange zest 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cubed 1 tablespoon vanilla ¾ cup buttermilk egg wash and coarse sanding sugar (see below) In a small bowl, whisk together the vanilla and buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, lemon and orange zests, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Place the flour/butter mixture in the freezer for 15 minutes. Retrieve the bowl from the freezer; make a well in the center of the flour/butter mixture and drizzle in the vanilla/buttermilk, tossing with a fork until you have a shaggy dough. Gently fold the frozen lemon/kumquat slices into the dough. Line one half sheet baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust a 3” biscuit cutter with flour. For each 3” scone, you will need 3 oz. of dough; lightly pack the dough inside the biscuit cutter, smooth the top so it is flat, then slide the dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough; you will have a total of 12 scones. Cover the scones with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for two hours or overnight. To Bake the Scones: Prepare an egg wash made from 1 whole egg whisked together with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. Have some coarse sanding sugar on hand for sprinkling. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Transfer six of the scones directly from the freezer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 18-20 minutes, just until golden around the edges. You can bake off the second round of scones or wrap the frozen scones in plastic wrap, slide them into a ziploc bag and keep frozen; I’ve kept them frozen for a month and they baked up beautifully. Serve the scones warm with your choice of butter, cream, or marmalade. Wrap any leftovers. makes 6 cornsticks
6 oz. oven roasted sweet potato, skin removed, halved; one half mashed, the other half diced (you should have a generous ¼ cup of the mash) 2 tablespoons melted butter for greasing the pan ½ cup stoneground cornmeal ½ cup all-purpose flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ cup unsalted butter at cool room temperature, cut into ½” cubes 1 Tablespoon good quality maple syrup ¼ cup buttermilk 1 large egg, room temperature additional maple syrup for brushing the corn sticks 1 cup coarsely crushed Cape Cod Pink Himalayan Salt & Red Wine Vinegar chips Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the buttered corn stick pan on a baking sheet. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together maple syrup, ¼ cup sweet potato mash, buttermilk, and the egg until smooth. Place the baking sheet with the corn stick pan in the oven to heat- set the timer for 6 minutes. Cut the butter cubes into the dry ingredients until crumbly with just a few larger pieces. Add the wet ingredients (maple syrup, sweet potato mash, buttermilk, and egg) to the dry ingredients/butter mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixtures together then fold in the diced sweet potatoes. Retrieve the baking sheet with the corn stick pan from the oven. Fill each cavity with equal amounts of batter (approx. 2.5 oz. of batter each). The batter will fill the molds completely. Bake for 12-15 minutes until corn sticks test clean with a toothpick. Let cool for 5 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of each corn stick with some of the maple syrup then sprinkle crushed potato chips over each. Serve warm with additional maple syrup, if you wish. serves 6-8
for the pastry- (this makes a generous amount; usually enough for a mini galette made out of the scraps) 3 cups all-purpose or white/whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese 1½ sticks (6 oz.) cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces ¾ cup ice cold water + 1 teaspoon vinegar In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and parmesan cheese. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Drizzle in the ice water/vinegar, tossing the mixture with a fork until it just holds together. Gather the dough into a disc, flatten it slightly, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out. for the filling- ¾ cup ricotta cheese 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, finely chopped (basil/thyme/chives/rosemary- any/all) 3-4 heirloom tomatoes, about 1½ pounds, rinsed, cored, sliced ¼” thick, drained on double thickness of paper towels 1 cup fresh cut corn kernels salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving herbs to garnish egg wash made from 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water To assemble- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Retrieve the pastry dough from the refrigerator. Roll out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper into an oblong about 16” long by 12” wide and ⅛” thick. Spread the ricotta cheese evenly over the center of the dough, leaving a 1½” border. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the herbs over the ricotta. Cover the ricotta with the tomato slices, letting the tomatoes overlap slightly. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of herbs and the corn kernels. Fold the outer ½” of dough over itself to form an even edge, pleating as you go. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the galette for 20 minutes. Brush the edge of the galette with egg wash. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until golden, about 45 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Cool the galette for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional parmesan and herbs. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. (adapted from Aunt Chick’s Pies)
makes one 10” pie one 10” classic pie shell, frozen then blind-baked* (see the recipe index) *Note- (The first thing I do when making this pie is to taste the blueberries. If they are very tart, I use the full amount of sugar; if they are sweet, I reduce the sugar by 1-2 tablespoons so you can really taste the lemon and the berries. To blind-bake the pie shell, line the frozen, unbaked shell with parchment paper and dried beans then place it on a baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and beans, prick the bottom of the pie shell with a fork so it doesn’t puff up, and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes until the bottom of the pie shell is golden and no longer raw. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling.) For the filling- 1½ cups granulated sugar 1 teaspoon lemon zest 2 tablespoons cornmeal 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour pinch of kosher salt 4 oz. (one stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled ½ cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 4 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten with a whisk 2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed, picked over for stems, dried on paper towels Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, place the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar. Whisk in the cornmeal, flour and salt until combined. Gradually add the melted/cooled butter, whisking until incorporated then add the buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon juice, whisking until smooth. Add the beaten eggs to the mix, stirring until well blended. Scatter the blueberries over the bottom of the pie shell. Slowly pour the buttermilk mixture over the berries; they will float to the top. Carefully transfer the pie to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35-40 minutes, covering the edges of the pie with strips of aluminum foil half way through baking. Bake until the edges are set, the top is golden and puffs slightly, and the middle of the pie jiggles a bit. It will continue to set as it cools. (You can also judge for doneness by using a small paring knife to see if it tests ‘clean’ in the middle.) Transfer to a rack and cool for several hours before slicing. Any leftovers should be covered and refrigerated. Makes six doughnuts
(Depending on the size of the peaches, the finished pastries will range between 3½” and 4” each) For the bourbon peaches- 6 ripe but firm, small donut peaches, rinsed, patted dry 1½ cups of your favorite bourbon (I used Woodford Reserve) Infuse the peaches by placing them in a large, clean glass jar. Pour the bourbon over the peaches, then seal the jar with a tight fitting lid. Place in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours, turning the jar halfway through. Remove the peaches from the bourbon, place them in a clean container with a lid and refrigerate. Transfer the bourbon to a small saucepan and cook over low heat until reduced by half. Some of the reduced bourbon will flavor the custard cream filling. The remainder can be served with the doughnuts or reserved for cocktails. For the pastry dough- 2½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes ½ cup ice water combined with 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar egg wash made from one egg beaten with two teaspoons milk or cream Place the ice water/vinegar in the refrigerator. Place the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Add the cold butter cubes and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Retrieve the ice water/vinegar from the fridge. Gradually add the liquid to the flour/butter mixture, using a fork to incorporate the liquid; the dough should just barely hold together. Gather the dough together and shape it into two discs; flatten them slightly. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes, preferably overnight. Working with one disc of dough at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface or sheet of parchment paper to about ⅛” thickness. Use a 4½” cutter to cut out a total of 12 circles of dough. (Scraps can be wrapped and frozen.) Place the circles on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. (If you don’t have a 4½” cutter, you can use a half pint plastic container turned upside down, as a cutter.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. When ready to bake the doughnuts, line a half sheet baking pan with parchment paper. Retrieve the peaches from the refrigerator. Use a small biscuit cutter (either 1¼” or 1½” in diameter) to remove the peach pits. Place one peach on one circle of dough, drape a second circle of dough over the peach and use your fingers to join the two circles together, smoothing the sides. Set the dough wrapped peaches on the baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to help the dough hold its shape in the oven. Bake on the bottom shelf of the preheated 400 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes, just until the peaches are tender (but not overly soft) and the pastry golden. Set aside on a rack to cool completely before filling and glazing. For the custard cream filling- (adapted from Stella Notte) 1 large egg 1½ tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup heavy cream (or half and half) ¼ cup sugar pinch salt 1 teaspoon unsalted butter ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoons bourbon reduction (reserved from peaches) In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and cornstarch until smooth. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream (or half and half). Place the rest of the heavy cream (or half and half) in a heavy bottomed saucepan along with the sugar and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons of the hot mixture to the egg/cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly. Return the heavy cream (or half and half) to a boil, add the egg mixture and whisk constantly, (getting into the corners of the pan) until the mixture becomes quite thick. Remove from the heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Whisk in the butter, the vanilla, and the bourbon reduction. Cover the custard cream with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Cool, then refrigerate. For the peach glaze- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 2-3 tablespoons peach puree from 1 small ripe peach, washed, peeled, pit removed, and puréed sprinkles to garnish Place confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons peach puree; the glaze should be smooth and not too runny. To assemble- Place the cold custard cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Use an offset spatula to gently remove the doughnuts from the baking sheet. Carefully turn them over onto a sheet of parchment paper. Poke a small hole into the bottom of each doughnut, then fill each doughnut with some of the custard cream. Carefully turn the doughnuts back over so they are right side up. Place them on a cooling or icing rack set over a sheet of parchment. Use an offset spatula to glaze each doughnut then garnish with sprinkles. Refrigerate until serving. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. adapted from SAVEUR makes six Note: Combining white-whole wheat flour with full strength whole wheat and cornmeal makes for a pastry that is hearty, not heavy. I used the leftover scraps for cut-outs. Hand pies have a bad reputation for unfolding in the oven, exposing their fruity selves. It’s always a good idea to refrigerate or freeze the unbaked pies before baking; at the very least for 30 minutes, better still overnight and baked fresh in the morning. For the pastry- 1½ cups white-whole wheat flour ½ cup whole wheat flour ½ cup finely ground cornmeal 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 8 oz. (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces ¼ cup ice cold water + 1 teaspoon orange juice (you may not use all of this) In a large bowl, whisk together the white-whole wheat flour, the whole wheat flour, the cornmeal, brown sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter using your fingers or a bench scraper until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle in the ice water/orange juice 1 tablespoon at a time using just enough to create a shaggy dough. Gather the dough together into two equal pieces, shaping each to form a rough rectangle. Flatten slightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling out. When ready to roll the pastry, lightly flour a sheet of parchment paper. Working with one portion of dough at a time, roll into a 12” x 14” rectangle, about 1/8 of an inch thick. Cut three rectangles, measuring 4” x 6” out of each portion of dough. You will have 6 rectangles (and extra dough scraps for cut-outs.) Cut twelve 1”x 5” strips from the scraps and your choice of decorative cut-outs. Cover the pastry rectangles, the strips, and the cut-outs with plastic wrap or parchment, and refrigerate while you prepare the filling. For the filling- 3 medium nectarines, rinsed, halved, pitted, cut into ¾” chunks (2 cups) ½ cup blueberries, rinsed, picked over for stems 2 teaspoons orange juice 2 tablespoons mild honey pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 1 tablespoon cornstarch ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon orange zest egg wash made from 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon cream or milk coarse sugar for sanding In a large bowl, combine the nectarines, blueberries, orange juice, honey, nutmeg, cornstarch, vanilla, and orange zest. Use a rubber spatula to turn the mixture making sure the cornstarch is completely incorporated. Retrieve the pastry rectangles from the refrigerator. Working with one piece at a time, place a pastry rectangle on a parchment lined half-sheet baking sheet. Place 3 tablespoons of filling in the center of each rectangle. Brush the outer edges of the rectangle with a little bit of egg wash. Place two 1”strips of dough across each pastry, creating an “X” then turn the long sides in, then the short sides, tucking the edges of the “X” inside each pie. Create a sturdy ½” border to hug the filling. Use your fingers to create a thick crimp around each filled pastry. Continue until all 6 rectangles are filled and edges folded. Brush the pies with egg wash, add the cut-outs and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate (or freeze) for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 10 minutes; move the baking sheet to the middle rack of the oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the fruit bubbles. (Oven time will depend upon how long the pies were refrigerated/frozen before baking.) Leftovers will keep covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days. makes 6
(From the LCBO) Line a standard size muffin/cupcake pan with parchment paper. (The easiest way to do this is to lightly butter six of the muffin/cupcake cups. Cut six 6” squares of parchment, fold each one on the diagonal and then again on the diagonal. Unfold each square, fitting one into each of the cups, creasing it in place with your finger. Use a pastry brush to lightly butter each parchment-lined cup.) For the crust- 2 cups Digestive Biscuit crumbs (can substitute graham cracker crumbs) pinch of salt ½ cup melted butter In a medium bowl, combine crumbs, salt, and melted butter. Place 3 tablespoons of the crumb mixture in each of the six parchment lined cups. Use your fingers to pat the crumbs in place along the bottom and up the sides. Place the crumb-lined pan in the freezer for 20 minutes while you prepare the filling. For the cherries- 8 oz. sour cherries, rinsed, stemmed, pitted, and halved ¼ cup cherry jam 2 teaspoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon bourbon In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine cherries, jam, brown sugar, and bourbon. Cook over low heat until cherries are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer cherries to a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. (You should have 6 oz. of cooked cherries. Half will be folded into the cheesecake filling, half will be added to the cherry syrup.) Return the liquid in the bowl to the saucepan and reduce over low heat; you should end up with ¼ cup of syrup. Let the syrup cool before adding it back to half of the cherries. Cover and refrigerate the cherry/syrup mixture. Reserve the remaining cherries. (The cherry/syrup mixture serves as a sauce. The plain cherries will be folded into the cheesecake mixture.) For the cheesecake- 3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar ½ teaspoon orange zest ¼ teaspoon vanilla 4½ oz. mascarpone In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, sugar, orange zest, and vanilla. When well blended, fold in the mascarpone, taking care not to over beat (this makes it grainy). Fold in the reserved cherries without the syrup. Retrieve the tart shells from the freezer. Spoon 3 tablespoons of filling into each shell. Cover with plastic wrap and return to the freezer for 1 hour or overnight. To remove the cheesecakes from the pan, use a small offset spatula or a small paring knife and run it between the crust and the pan. The cheesecakes will lift out. Carefully remove the parchment paper liners. Serve with the cherry sauce. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. |
Archives
February 2024
|