Category Archives: Sweets and Treats

Meyer Lemon & Poppy Seed Slice-and-Bakes

15 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by in Recipes, Sweets and Treats

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DSCF3138After a holiday hiatus to focus on time with family and friends, it’s been tough to get back in the swing of things!  As much as I love the food surrounding me over Thanksgiving and Christmas, it does seem to envelop one with an extra layer of (eh-em) insulation that lends to a somewhat lackadaisical attitude when attempting to deliver anything impressive in the kitchen.

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My answer to the post-holiday laze: slice-and-bake cookies. Have the energy to make the dough, but don’t quite get around to actually baking all in one go-around?

Have no fear.  These are the perfect cookies for you.

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You can make them up to 3 days before you are ready to bake (or 4 weeks! if you freeze instead).

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I wanted to work with a recipe that wasn’t too sweet or overbearing.  The recipe here is a simple sugar cookie slice-and-bake with meyer lemon zest and a very gentle glaze on the exterior that the poppy seeds can attach to.  In addition to being a nice light alternative to all of the heavy winter treats, the presentation will wow your guests.

Meyer Lemon & Poppy Seed Slice-and-Bakes

Dough
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp meyer lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup flour

Glaze
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup meyer lemon juice
1.5 oz poppy seeds

Using a mixer, mix the egg yolks, sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and lemon zest vigorously for about 3 minutes.

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If you are using a stand mixer, be sure to scrape the sides intermittently while mixing.

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When finished, gather up the dough in a ball, wrap in saran wrap and place in the fridge for 20 minutes or overnight.

Remove the dough from the fridge and divide into four smaller balls.  Using a well-floured surface, form each ball into a roll or log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Set aside.

Then, whisk confectioners sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until you reach the desired consistency.  I left mine very thin, but you could make a thicker glaze if you would prefer.

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Prep your counter by spreading out poppy seeds on parchment paper.

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Using a small brush, paint the glaze on the exterior of the dough log.  Then, roll the log in poppy seeds until the entire exterior is covered.

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Then, using the parchment paper, you’ll want to wrap the log up tightly in a small package.  Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours or the fridge for up to 3 days.  You can also place in the freezer for up to 4 weeks.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.  Remove the roll from its packaging.  Use a knife to very thinly slice the log.  The thicker you slice, the more the cookies will taste like shortbread.  The thinner you slice, the more the cookies will resemble wafers.  I recommend about 1/8 of an inch thick.

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Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

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Allow to cool completely before serving.

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Enjoy!

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Fig, Prosciutto and Cardamom Croissants

21 Wednesday Aug 2013

Posted by in Recipes, Snacks and Apps, Sweets and Treats

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Let’s be honest.  I’m no stellar baker.  I do, however, like to play with flavors.  Let’s also be honest that croissants are the number one – not to mention more socially acceptable – way to indulge in about a pound of butter second only to eating it right out of the container.

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I’ve been searching for an easy and new take on croissants that would also give me some protein (prosciutto is healthy – right?) and allow me to justify my craving.  On a recent trip to a very good friend’s wedding and in search of a quick breakfast, I stumbled upon Alice Bakery & Confectionery in North Whales, Pennsylvania.  Sitting just behind the counter, I spotted an enormous and beautiful prosciutto and gruyère breakfast pastry – the kind you just can’t say no to.  With only a single one left in the case and 3 people ahead of me in line, I went through the typically foodie anxiety that every person in line might dash my hope of the perfect morning meal before I even got my coffee. But lo and behold, the stars aligned, and the croissant was mine.  After weeks of recalling the flavor, Alice Bakery inspired this sweetened twist on prosciutto croissants with fig preserves and a cardamom butter glaze.

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Another point of honesty: people rarely have 2+ hours to make puff pastry dough from scratch.  I bought a box of Dufour pastry dough from Whole Foods.  It’s a perfect and easy-to-use solution for the busy baker. You can also usually purchase dough from a local bakery if you order in advance.

Ingredients:

1 package (approx. 14 ounces) of puff pastry, defrosted or fresh
8-10 thin slices of prosciutto
6 tablespoons fig spread
3 tbsp butter
1 tsbp ground cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon

Yields 8 servings.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease cookie sheets and set aside.

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Flour a clean surface and unpack or roll out the puff pastry dough.  Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry dough into triangles (isosceles) that are approximately 5 inches in width and 7 inches in height.

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Spread a generous amount of fig preserves onto the triangles of pastry dough.  Place prosciutto on top of fig spread.  Gently roll the dough up to the point and tuck the sides to form a croissant.  Place on the cookie sheet.  Allow room between pastries for the dough to expand.  Set aside.

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Heat butter in a small saucepan.  Once melted, add cardamom and cinnamon.  After heating a few more minutes, allow the butter to cool.  (I prefer softer croissants, but if you’d like a shinier pastry with a slightly crunchy outer layer, only melt and infuse 1 tbsp of butter with spices.  Once it is cool enough not to scramble the egg, replace the other 2 tbsp butter with 2 egg yolks and whisk thoroughly.)

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Heat the butter again to encourage the cardamom flavor to infuse in the butter.  Generously brush the butter on the croissants.

Place pastries in the oven and bake for about 14 minutes or until slightly golden. Allow them to cool before serving.  Yum.

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Cocoa Pistachio Shortbread

10 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by in Recipes, Sweets and Treats

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DSCF2619You’ll learn quickly that I have two obsessions in the kitchen: shortbread and tarts.  The Tarte Tatin was one very small peek into my love affair…but more on that later.  I’ve been trying for several weeks now to come up with the perfect base recipe to make all sorts of shortbread.  There was the dangerously salty, the too bitter, the too healthy-tasting, the too crumbly.  Thank goodness for roommates and co-workers who faithfully tasted and rated each batch.

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Now that I’ve finally landed on a good base, I thought I’d get a little more creative.  I’m a sucker for chocolate.  Mostly chocolate chunks.  When all was said and done, what came out of the oven wasn’t quite the pistachio chocolate chunk shortbread I had imagined.  I got a little overzealous with my grinder and much to my chagrin, they suddenly became cocoa pistachio shortbread.

Turns out, the mistake wasn’t so bad.

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1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup turbinado Sugar plus some for finishing
1 ⅔ cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
8 oz unsalted pistachio
10 oz dark chocolate (72% or more)

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Grind the pistachios and the chocolate using a food processor.  The size should be small and the texture coarse, but not powdery.  Set aside.

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Set aside 1 tbsp butter.  In a medium mixing bowl, cream the remaining butter and sugar.  Add sea salt and vanilla to the bowl and add flour in parts.  Once the dough starts showing the first signs of holding together, fold in chocolate and pistachio.  I found that mixing this by hand was easiest.  Take care not to handle the dough too much.  Continuing to mix the dough can result in a stiff or crumbly end result.

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Turn dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in wax paper or saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

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Preheat over to 350 degrees F.  Roll dough out to ¼ inch thick, using plenty of flour on a counter surface and rolling pin to avoid pieces pulling apart.  Cut cookies with a cutter and place on a cookie sheet greased with remaining tablespoon of butter.  Before placing in oven, generously sprinkle turbinado on top of each cookie.

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Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Remove from pan immediately and allow to cool completely before serving.

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Tarte Tatin

23 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by in Recipes, Sweets and Treats

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I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Tarte Tatin.  But when I dined at Chez Georges, I didn’t know what I was in for.  This traditional French bistro located in the heart of Paris does it right.  While I can’t claim to have replicated their superior dish, I’ve tried my best to come up with a substitute that will tide me over until my next Parisian adventure.

Tarte Tatin

Most recipes call for a mixer to make the crust.  Instead, I use a simple crust mixed by hand.  The trick is to use the coldest ingredients possible (without being fully frozen) and to only use your fingertips when mixing.  Palms are too warm and will cause the dough to stay separated.   

I prefer the taste and consistency of Turbinado sugar and whole wheat pastry flour, but white sugar and all-purpose flour will do. 

Crust

9 tbsp unsalted butter
1 ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour
1tsp Turbinado sugar
¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp ice water (up to 2 more tbsp if needed)

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Start by cutting the butter into cubes.  Separate and place in freezer for about 20 minutes.

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Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.  Remove butter from the freezer and place in the bowl with the flour mixture.  Use your fingertips to pull the butter and flour together until pea-sized pieces have formed.  Add the water in small parts until the dough begins to form together.  As soon as it holds together, mold into a ball and flatten into a round disk.  Do not handle dough too much, otherwise it will begin to fall apart.  Place in the fridge until ready to use.

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Apple filling

8 apples, firmer variety such as Granny Smith
1 cup Turbinado sugar
1 stick butter
1 tbsp almond extract
1 tbsp cinnamon

Be sure to use an ovenproof skillet – either nonstick or cast iron.

Peel and core the apples.  I chose Granny Smith in this case, but when apples are in season, try any firmer variety from your local farmers market.  Cut into pieces, no smaller than 2 inches in diameter.

Melt the butter in the skillet.  Spread sugar over melted butter and stir over low heat as the butter and sugar begin to caramelize.  Allow the butter and sugar to bubble, but do not bring to a full boil.  Continue stirring until the mixture appears smooth and slightly thickened.

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Spread the apples into the skillet.  You’ll want to arrange the apples with as few gaps as possible.  Tarte Tatin is a rustic dish, so embrace the imperfections.  I found that while pressing the apples together layer by layer with a spatula worked well.

Turn the heat up to medium.  Allow the caramelized sugar and butter to boil up through the apples.  This should take 10-15 minutes.  Drizzle almond extract over the apples and sprinkle cinnamon over the apples.  Remove from heat.

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Remove the crust from the fridge and roll out to a thin disk that will fit over the skillet.

Cover the skillet with the dough.  Use a spoon or knife to tuck the edges into the skillet.  Be careful!  The pan is hot.  Poke a few holes in the surface with a fork.

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Place in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes or until dough is golden brown.  Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.  Use a knife to free the edges from the rim of the skillet.  Place a heat-safe plate on the top of the skillet and flip the tarte onto the plate.  Serve with ice cream or Chantilly Cream. Enjoy!

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