With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, heart shaped everything has been dancing in my head. You’re in for it now! To start the insanity, here is a recipe for heart shaped shortbread cookies with a dark chocolate ganache filling and a dollop of raspberry jam.
Depending on the size of your cookie cutters and the thickness of your dough, this recipe will make approximately 36 cookies.
Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups butter, softened
2 teaspoons milk or half & half
2 egg yolks
4 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup cornstarch
4 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy whipping cream
raspberry jam
Instructions
Heat oven to 325 F
In a sturdy bowl (preferably using a stand mixer) cream the butter and powdered sugar together.
Add the milk and egg yolks and blend well.
Add the flour, salt, and cornstarch. The dough will be very stiff - you may need to use a dough hook at this point. Mix until combined
On a floured surface, working with half of the dough at a time, roll thinly (picture a thick pie crust.) Cut with a large heart-shaped cookie cutter. Using a small cutter, cut out a hole in the center of half of the cookies.
Place close together on a cookie sheet (they won't spread) and bake for 10-12 minutes, until you just barely see a little golden around the bottom edges. Cool on a rack.
Once all of the cookies are baked, make the ganache: In a small pan, heat the cream. You don't want it to boil, you just want it hot and steamy (you know you do!)
Remove the cream from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let it sit a minute or two, then stir gently.
Spread a thin layer of ganache on the solid cookies, then gently set a top (with the hole) cookie over the ganache. Drop a small amount of jam into each hole, being careful not to get it on the cookie.
Allow the cookies to sit until the ganache is firm, or refrigerate for an hour if you wish.
Use quality ingredients – this is SO important, especially when it comes to butter and sugar.
Cutting heart shapes.
Baked to perfection!
…and a dollop of jam!
I (for once) kept it simple, but there are so many ways you could decorate these cookies! The top half could be glazed, then drizzled with chocolate. You could skip the jam entirely, and just let the chocolate peek through, maybe dusting the top half with powdered sugar before placing it on the ganache. Sprinkles, white chocolate drizzles, colored sugar…so many options.
One month until V-Day, and Im feeeeelin’ the love!
Now, don’t turn your nose up at this. I promised you something healthy, and I’m delivering! Here is a very easy recipe that is incredibly good for you and unspeakably addicting. The hardest thing you will have to do is go to the grocery (or natural foods) store and buy the four types of seeds. No gluten, no nuts. You will eat it and you will like it, damn it!
Sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, and chia seeds
If you have never heard of Endurance Crackers, you absolutely must try them. Here is a link to Oh She Glows, where you’ll find Angela’s wonderful recipe. You will be amazed at how much flavor these savory little crackers have. I literally have to try to hide them from myself, because I can’t stop at one or two. Or three or four.
Here’s what an Endurance Cracker looks like when it isn’t being gussied up with chocolate!
I discovered this recipe when I read the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall and was inspired to write an article about chia for Yummy Northwest. If you’re curious about the health benefits of chia, or just want to try my yummy apple chia muffin recipe, here’s a link to the column: Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia
For fun, I adapted the recipe for Endurance Crackers, removing the garlic and onions and adding a dark chocolate layer. I added just a little extra kosher salt, too, for more contrast between the seeds and the chocolate, and love the results! Then, because I JUST.CAN’T.STOP, I added raisins. Oh, yum!
When a craving for “something sweet – no, something salty – no, something sweet” comes along, grab a couple of these. Eating them will feel sinful, but they are actually very good for you. We’ve all heard the hype about dark chocolate and how it’s full of antioxidants, right? The experts all agree dark chocolate is healthful, but can’t agree on how MUCH is good for you, so they hedge by recommending an ounce a day. This recipe uses 5 ounces of chocolate, so if you eat a few crackers as a snack, it’s well within the chocolate “limit.”
That pretty much makes me blow coffee out my nose; “chocolate” and “limit” shouldn’t even be used in the same sentence! What? Oh, fine – you busted me…substitute “wine” for “coffee.” Nitpickers.
The original recipe calls for parchment. My crackers always stick to it, even if I grease it first. Maybe I just own inferior parchment (a distinct possibility) but I find it easier to lightly grease a cookie sheet instead, and skip the parchment. And rather than cutting the crackers after the first 30 minute baking time, I tried to keep it all in one big piece to make it easier to “frost” with chocolate. Either way would work.
Here’s my version of Angela’s recipe. Do pop over to her blog, though, and try the original version!
5 ounces dark (at least 70% cocoa) chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup raisins (optional)
Instructions
Heat oven to 325 F.
Lightly grease a cookie sheet (or use parchment) and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the seeds and salt.
Add the water, stirring well.
Press the mixture onto a cookie sheet, using a spatula or (best choice) a damp hand. Aim for a thickness somewhere between ¼-inch and ⅓-inch.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven. Loosen with a long flat spatula, cover with another greased cookie sheet, and invert. If it doesn't all flip over in one piece, don't worry. The crackers will be broken up eventually!
Bake for another 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with the chopped chocolate. Wait a few minutes and then spread with a flat spatula. Sprinkle with raisins if desired.
When the chocolate has hardened (you may refrigerate it if you wish, to hurry it along) break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Puff pastry has been calling to me lately – loudly! In my last post I used the pre-made frozen kind for Biscoff Apple Pastries, which made them very quick and easy…not to mention light and flaky! I have nothing against puff pastry in a box, and always keep some on hand, but when I have time on my hands it’s just more fun and rewarding to make it myself.
Unlike croissants or danish, the dough for puff pastry doesn’t use yeast, so if you’re a yeastophobe (yes, it’s a real word…look it up!) (oh, fine…you won’t find that word in the dictionary, but it’s a very real condition!) this dough is for you. Traditional puff pastry is made a lot like croissants, with a layer of butter over the dough and a lot of folding and rolling. The method I use is easier and results in a more uniform dough, though you will sacrifice a tiny bit of flakiness. Unless you’re a French pastry chef, you probably won’t notice.
This is PLENTY flaky!
You will, however, still be doing a LOT of rolling and folding. If you don’t spend a lot of time in the gym, expect sore abs. Look at it this way: rolling pastry is good exercise for your boobs and abs (for those male readers, make that pecs and abs) and the workout means you won’t have to feel so guilty about sampling the goods later. Yes, when it comes to goodies I’m a master of rationalization!
There are shortcuts you could take if you want to try these. For instance, the filling I made is very similar to jam. I wanted some whole berries (and a little lemon “zing”), so I made it from scratch. But once the turnovers are baked the whole berries aren’t very obvious, so jam would be fine. And of course you could use frozen puff pastry…but then you’d miss out on all the buttery fun. Your call!
Here’s how I make mine:
(pictures are at the bottom of the post)
1 cup powdered sugar and a little milk or water for a drizzle, if desired
Instructions
Using a large grater, grate the frozen butter. Return the grated butter to the freezer for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl (I used my stand mixer) combine both types of flour and salt.
On low speed with a dough hook, blend the butter and flour together just until mixed.
Slowly add the lemon juice, and then the water - a little at a time, until the dough holds together. Don't over-mix!
On a generously floured surface, roll into an 18-inch by 10-inch rectangle. Fold it like you would a letter, bringing one of the short ends over to the middle and then bringing the other end over it, always dusting off any extra flour.
Turn the dough one-quarter turn and roll out again into an 18-inch by 10-inch rectangle. Fold into thirds.
Turn, roll, and fold one more time. Wrap in heavy plastic (or put dough into a zipper bag) and refrigerate for an hour.
Remove dough from the refrigerator. Roll it out, fold it, turn. Roll it out, fold it, turn. Roll it out, fold it....and cut the dough in half. Return one half to the refrigerator for now.
Roll the dough half into a rectangle that's 12-inches by 8-inches for big, puffy turnovers or 16-inches by 8-inches if you prefer less pastry with your filling!
Put the dough on a plastic wrap covered cookie sheet, lay another piece of plastic wrap over it, and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to make sure the butter inside the dough is firm.
Heat the oven to 350 F.
Remove from the refrigerator and cut into 4-inch squares.
Beginning at an imaginary diagonal line, spread a thin layer of pastry cream over half of each square, leaving a clean edge so it can seal properly. Put about a tablespoon of filling (or jam) over the pastry cream. Don't worry if it isn't perfectly covered...it will spread as it gets warm. Barely moisten the edges around the filling with water.
Fold the dough diagonally over the cream and jam. Press the edges gently and place on a baking sheet. Press along the two edges with a fork.
Mix together the egg and water and brush lightly over pastries.
Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until a rich, golden brown.
If you want to add a drizzle, mix enough milk or water into a cup of powdered sugar to make a thick liquid and drizzle over cooled turnovers.
Repeat with the other half of the dough, or flatten it into a rectangle, wrap it well, and freeze for another use.
The pastry cream and raspberry-lemon filling may be made before you begin the puff pastry or (if you’re quick) while the dough is chilling. Make sure neither is warm when used on the pastry squares.
Lemon Pastry Cream
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups half & half
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
In a medium bowl, blend the sugar and cornstarch together. Slowly whisk in the water. Add the egg yolks and beat well.
In a medium pan over medium-low heat, bring the half & half and lemon zest to a simmer.
Pour half of the simmering half & half over the egg mixture in the bowl while whisking.
Immediately pour it back into the remaining hot half & half in the pan while whisking. Increase the heat to medium, and whisk briskly until it thickens. This should only take a few minutes.
Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and lemon juice and allow it to cool on the counter, stirring often. Keep it covered when you’re not stirring.
Once cooled, keep refrigerated until needed.
Raspberry Filling
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
12 ounces frozen raspberries (not sweetened), divided
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar
In a small cup whisk together the cornstarch and cold water. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, stir together 8 ounces of the raspberries, 1/3 cup water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar.
Turn heat to medium and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Turn temperature down to medium-low and continue to cook and stir for 5 minutes.
Add the cornstarch mixture and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes.
Add the remaining berries and fold gently to incorporate. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool thoroughly. Once cooled, keep refrigerated until needed.
Here are some visuals for you – trust me, you’ll get the hang of it quickly!
Adding the grated butter to the flour mixture.
Don’t over-mix the dough…it’s supposed to look like this!
Fold the dough like a letter!
Spread with pastry cream and filling, and fold diagonally.
Brush with an egg wash and bake.
Although I love the combination of raspberries and lemon, don’t limit yourself to my favorites! Try chopped apples tossed in cinnamon sugar, or apple butter, peach preserves, or finely chopped chocolate and walnuts. Please, if you come up with any unique combinations, leave a comment and tell me about it!
I promise a healthy recipe next. It’s going to be a stretch, but I’ll try.
Today is the last day of the year, and I thought I was so sick of sweets that it would be easy to slip into better baking habits. Until I had this brainstorm that involved the box of puff pastry lurking in my freezer. And the unopened jar of Biscoff in the pantry. Oh, and the lone apple languishing in my refrigerator.
The pastry of my dreams!
It’s a good thing that my goal is to eat everything that’s tempting now so that I can start the new year on the right foot. I have exactly 6 hours to clean these babies up (with help from The Man) and I believe I will be able to do that. Yes, indeed.
Biscoff is a spread that tastes just like Biscoff cookies, primarily because it is made from Biscoff cookies! The closest flavor I can compare it to is cinnamony graham crackers. Yummy stuff – especially as a dip for apples.
In a very short amount of time you can make a flaky, not-too-sweet sweet roll that will knock your socks off! Here’s the recipe:
Sprinkling diced apples over the Biscoff covered pastry.
Add cinnamon sugar and roll it up snugly.
Slice them 1″ thick.
Place the rolls on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Baked and ready for tasting. And more tasting.
Do try this one. It’s simple, flaky, and full of melt-in-your-mouth delight. You won’t be sorry! I, however, will probably be regretting this tomorrow, when I wake up with a puff pastry hangover.
As the holidays approach there is the urge to re-create wonderful childhood memories. I was fortunate to have parents who made the holidays picture perfect for my two sisters and me. My parents set the bar high, and though I never managed to capture that serene, calm, carefree ambience, my children certainly benefited from my eternal love of Christmas.
One of my favorite traditions was our Christmas Eve dinner. My father would lay the fire (with some magical substance that turned the flames into wisps of blue and green), and my mother would set the “table,” which was one of her best tablecloths spread on the floor in front of the fireplace. There were full place settings, with the best china. No everyday dishes for this dinner!
There would be a bowl of fresh crab with my father’s special dip (I can identify it now as a homemade Thousand Island dressing), crusty French rolls, and a salad. Dessert was a rarity in our household, but on Christmas Eve my mother served an angel food cake with big, fluffy mounds of whipping cream mixed with crushed candy canes and marshmallows. Mom was a good cook, but rarely baked, so the rolls were store bought and the cake was from a box. We ate both with great enthusiasm.
The food was wonderful, but it was the effect of the fire and the flickering bayberry candles—and the anticipation of gifts and the arrival of our grandparents—that made the evening magical. Later there would be Bing Crosby on the record player, eggnogs carefully mixed by my father (plain for us, and certainly spiked for the adults, dusted with just the perfect amount of nutmeg), and Aunt Patte’s big tin of assorted homemade candies. When it was nearly bedtime my father would play the violin, and we would go upstairs to bed, falling asleep to his carols.
Christmas Day could find us anywhere. Sometimes we went to my grandparents’ house and had turkey. My grandfather would sit at the head of a mile-long table and serve each person, beginning with the youngest. As one of the youngsters, I usually had a plate of cold food by the time we were allowed to eat.
When we were hosting dinner, we would usually have a turkey or a big beef roast. If we expected a lot of people throughout the day, my mother would make her special “Company Casserole,” a wickedly rich mixture of crab and olives and eggs.
Nuts in their shells were poured into large bowls, stubbornly resisting our attacks with nutcrackers and picks. Satsuma oranges, each in their paper wrapper, were a seasonal delicacy that we found irresistible. The pretty candy dishes with foil-wrapped chocolate balls were for “looking at,” not eating. This still makes me laugh. From experience I can assure you there is no way of rearranging chocolate balls to make them look untouched.
When company arrived, my mother made it all look effortless, though I remember well being put to work before the big day—washing windows, polishing silver, dusting, and waxing. We stuffed dates with walnuts and cream cheese, mixed the punch, and arranged crackers on platters. When my parents weren’t looking, we picked all of the Cheerios out of the Chex Mix and ate them. We picked the cashews out of the mixed nut dishes and ate them. We sneaked black olives from their bowls and ate them. I’m certain this didn’t go unnoticed, but it usually went unremarked.
My Christmas Eve menu is different, though crab still holds the place of honor at my table, cooked in a steaming pot of crab and corn chowder.
2 cups bell peppers, chopped (I use red and green)
2 cups fresh corn cut from cobs (about 4 ears)
2 medium potatoes, cut in small cubes
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ to 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
4 tablespoons flour
Crab (NOT imitation) I usually add at least 8 ounces—more if my budget allows
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Melt butter in large skillet.
Add onion, peppers, and corn. Sauté gently for about 3 minutes. Add potatoes and garlic, sauté for 3 more minutes. Peppers should be crisp/tender.
Add pepper flakes and chicken broth. Bring to simmer. Whisk flour into whipping cream, adding slowly, stirring constantly until thickened.
At this point, you can add milk if you want to make it thinner, or a little more flour in milk or cream to thicken. Simmer very gently until potatoes are tender.
Add crab, heat through.
Variations: You can add prawns if you wish, and serve with small bowls of green onions and bacon bits to sprinkle over the top. This is also wonderful when served in crusty french bread bowls. If you must use frozen corn, add it with the potatoes since it won't need to cook long.
My rolls are homemade, as is the angel food cake. I have all of Aunt Patte’s candy recipes and make them faithfully each year. We don’t have a fireplace, but I make sure the bayberry candles are lit. And if I close my eyes and listen hard, I can hear my father’s violin.
My warmest wishes to each and every one of you. Have a wonderful holiday!
Lorinda
A sweet orange bread with festive chocolate morsels!
After a frustrating day in the kitchen yesterday (which involved overfilling a pan with cake batter, battling a small oven fire, and wasting two beautiful cake batters) I needed to shake it off and try something very simple today. These sweet little slices of orange bread are very easy to make, and perfect for entertaining. Don’t expect a cake-like texture; it’s more of a moist, dense bread. The batter is jazzed up a little with Tuaca – a vanilla and orange liqueur, and colored chocolate morsels. You can make this bread ahead and freeze (just thaw and slice) for convenience.
For this recipe I used two vertical star pans (also known as canapé bread tubes) which were about half filled. Whatever you do, don’t fill the pan more than half full! If you only have one pan, the remaining batter can be baked in cupcake tins. If you don’t own one of these fun pans, this bread can also be baked in a loaf pan for about an hour.
Expect some oozing. The pan fits into a round cap, which I lined with parchment. It still blurped out of there a little. I love crunchy stuff, so the crispy pieces were a bonus for me! I didn’t put a cap on the top of the pans; just covered them with a loose piece of foil. You will need something long to poke in the pan to test the bread. I use a wooden skewer, but a piece of a straw broom (does anyone use those anymore?) would work too. Lacking either of those options, if you’ve baked them for 50 minutes and the tops are brown, it’s a pretty safe bet that the bread is done!
During the holidays I bake this bread in vertical star-shaped bread tubes.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest (or ½ teaspoon orange extract)
¼ cup Tuaca (a liqueur flavored with vanilla and orange)
3 tablespoons canola oil
½ cups chocolate chips (or nuts, raisins, or berries)
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350 F.
Prepare two vertical tube pans by spraying with a flour/oil mixture like Baker's Joy. Put a piece of parchment or foil between the bottom of the pans and their round caps. Stand both pans up in a cake pan in case batter leaks from the bottom.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, orange juice, orange zest (or extract), Tuaca, and oil. If you prefer not to use Tuaca, put one teaspoon of vanilla and ½ teaspoon of orange extract in a ¼ cup measuring cup and fill it with water.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. This is a very thick batter.
Divide the mixture evenly between the two pans, and tap the bottoms on the counter to settle the dough.
Bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the bread.
Remove from the oven and allow the pans to cool for at least a half hour. Remove the bottom of the pan and gently press to push the bread out of the pan.
When completely cool, slice thinly. It may be easier to slice if you chill it briefly.
Now, I’m pretty sure you could use more orange liqueur and less orange juice (just sayin’) without a problem, but I haven’t tested that yet. Grand Marnier and a dash of vanilla would work beautifully. Of course, if my budget allowed Grand Marnier, I’d be gently warming a little in a snifter and sipping appreciatively, not mixing it into a bread batter! Did you hear that, Santa? I’ve been VERY good this year. Bwahahaha.
I’ve put off posting a blog about my favorite pastry of all time, because I keep telling you that baking is easy–that rules are meant to be broken. Please don’t look at this recipe and bail on me. Croissants aren’t what I would consider difficult, but they are time consuming and no matter how I tried to condense my instructions, the recipe seems to go on forever!
Believe me when I tell you that the time spent mixing, rolling, aging, and baking these rolls is totally worth it. Learn to make them, and you will be known as the person who bakes the most heavenly croissants!
Buttery, flaky, delicate, decadent…how could you resist?
There are more complicated recipes (I’ve tried them) but I think this recipe makes a very nice croissant with the least effort. For the best flavor, start them at least a day before you want to serve them. Two days is even better! When the dough is kept chilled for a day or two before baking, it acquires a better flavor. It also makes sense to get the hard work out of the way before your special meal, to leave you time for other things.
This is a fairly large recipe, making 28 jumbo croissants. The beauty of this is you can bake some now and freeze the rest for later. When you get to the final step of rolling up the pastries, pop some on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer. When they’re hard, move them to a freezer bag or airtight container. To use them, simply put them on a cookie sheet, cover lightly, and allow them to thaw and rise until doubled in size, (this can take a while – at least 6 hours) then bake. If you bring them out before you go to bed and leave them on the counter they should be ready to bake for breakfast!
Things I’ve learned about baking croissants:
Each time you roll and fold the dough it gets harder to do. The dough gets a little tougher and more elastic. Don’t be afraid to use your hands to stretch and shape the dough a little.
If your dough isn’t exactly 8-inches by 12-inches, the world won’t end. Get it as close as you can, but don’t lose any sleep over it!
When you’ve rolled each piece into a crescent shape and are letting them rise, don’t keep them in a really warm spot. Room temperature is fine, but if your house is toasty, try to find a cooler spot or the butter might melt out of the pastry, which doesn’t make for a very pretty finished product.
These rolls are best when freshly baked, so pig out on them immediately! They’re fine the next day (especially for turkey sandwiches!) but not quite as light and tender, so seize the moment. When I bake croissants with a turkey dinner, I try to time it so they can go in the oven when the turkey comes out, so they are hot and crispy. Sometimes I even manage to do this!
A good way to serve them the next day is to split them toast them lightly under a broiler. Do NOT get distracted. Stand right there by the oven and watch them closely. Otherwise, you will end up with this:
Yeah. You really don’t want to do this to your beautiful creations!
Here’s the printable recipe. Look below for lots of helpful photos.
In a large bowl (a stand mixer works best), mix the yeast and warm milk together. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Using a dough hook, mix in 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, and the salt. Stir well and add the remaining flour gradually. It should come cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. Cover with a dishtowel or plastic wrap, and let the dough rise for about an hour.
Split the dough in half and on a floured surface, form each half into a ball. Put each half into a heavy plastic bag and put in the refrigerator.
Bring one stick of butter out of the refrigerator at a time, and cut lengthwise into 4 equal slices. Place them snugly together with two pieces end to end on top, and two pieces end to end directly below the first two on a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper, forming a rectangle approximately 6-1/2 inches by 3 inches. Cover with plastic wrap and roll gently to make a solid rectangle, 6-1/2 by 4 inches. (If your butter comes in the long, skinny sticks, you'll have to improvise!) Place it back in the refrigerator, and repeat with the other 3 sticks of butter. Let everything rest in the refrigerator for 15 more minutes while you grab a cup of coffee!
Working with one piece of dough (leave the other one in the fridge), roll it out on a floured surface until it is approximately 12 inches by 8 inches, with the long side facing you. You may have to do a little stretching to get a nice rectangular shape.
Bring out two rectangles of butter and put one directly in the middle of the dough, with the short side facing you. Fold the right side over the butter and press all around it gently to seal the butter in. Put the other piece of butter on top, and fold the left side over it, pinching well to seal. So...your layers at this point are: dough, butter, dough, butter, dough.
The short side should be facing you, and it should be like a book - with the open edge to the right. Now roll it gently, being careful not to squeeze butter out of the dough, until it again measures 12 inches by 8 inches. Fold it in thirds again (you now have 15 layers!) and put it back in the plastic bag in the refrigerator. Repeat with the other bag of dough.
Let them both rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then bring them out, roll each one to 12 inches by 8 inches, fold, and return to the refrigerator for 30 more minutes.
Do this one more time! (I'm not counting layers anymore) and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but at this point you can let the dough sit in the refrigerator for several days if you wish. The flavor just gets better.
To form the croissants, work with one piece of dough at a time. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out to about 12 inches wide and 20 inches long, trimming the edges to make them neat and tidy. Cut in half, lengthwise, using a sharp knife or (my favorite) pizza cutter. Working with one half, mark the edges every 5 inches on one long side. Cut into triangles. This will give you 4 triangles on one side, and 3 full-size ones on the other, plus 2 halves. Repeat with the other half. You should have 14 triangles, and 4 half triangles.
Roll each piece up, starting at the wide end, and stretching lightly as you go. I find it helps to lightly roll each triangle with a rolling pin so it is thinner and sticks to the counter a bit. It helps with the rolling process. Place each croissant on the baking sheet, tip down, curving the ends to the middle. You can make them "hold hands" if you want. They'll come apart when they rise, but it helps them retain their crescent shape. Repeat with the other piece of dough, or save it for later.
Allow the croissants to rise at room temperature. Depending on the temperature of your home, this can be anywhere from 1-1/2 hours to 3 hours. They're ready to bake when they're plump and feel like marshmallows when you poke them.
Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Brush the croissants lightly with the egg wash, and bake for approximately 12 minutes.
If you’re scratching your head over some of my instructions, hopefully these pictures will help:
Slice the butter lengthwise in 4 equal pieces.
Put the 4 slices of butter together snugly.
Roll the butter a little to make a 4″x6-1/2″ rectangle.
Peel off the plastic wrap (in this case, I used the butter wrapper)
Put the butter in the middle and fold the right side over.
Put another rectangle of butter on top, and fold left over right.
Cutting out triangles. No, they don’t have to be perfect. (Press the half pieces together or just make little croissants!)
Formed and ready to rise.
Brush on the egg wash. You can use a pastry brush, but I prefer a paper towel. It’s more gentle.
Bake ’em and just TRY to wait until they cool down a bit.
Since my budget doesn’t allow me a quick jaunt to Paris, where I’m certain the pastry is far superior to anything I can make, I’ll just make some super-strong coffee, nibble on a warm croissant, close my eyes, and dream.
And by the way, I happen to know that THIS is what Santa prefers:
Ooooooh. The challenge was issued in a perfectly friendly, non-snarky manner (she’s a doll!) by this month’s hostess of the book club I attend. She commented that she was making a yummy entree, so we could be as creative or pedestrian as we chose with our potluck offerings.
Pedestrian? I think not! I totally took the bait on this one, and ran with it. Here’s what I’m taking to club tonight. Pedestrian. Pfffft.
Peppermint marshmallow puffs with chocolate ganache, and spiked eggnog puffs with a caramel drizzle.
If you’ve ever wanted to make cream puffs but thought they were difficult, let me tell you a secret. They are easier than baking cookies! They’re wonderful stuffed with chicken or tuna salad, ice cream, berries and cream, or instant pudding mixed with non-dairy topping. (I don’t use that stuff anymore, but I have to admit, it’s great to use in desserts because it stays fluffy.)
You can bake the cream puffs ahead and freeze them if you like. If you’re going to do this, don’t cut their little tops off – just pop them in a freezer bag. You can also bake them, behead them, and pull their doughy innards out. Mmmmm…making this sound real appetizing, aren’t I? Put them in an airtight container and store for up to 24 hours.
I can’t do anything the easy way, so I make them just in time to fill them and dash. Adrenaline is my friend.
½ teaspoon salt (if you use salted butter, reduce this to ¼ teaspoon)
1 cup water
1 cup bread flour (all-purpose is okay, too)
4 eggs
Instructions
Heat oven to 425 F.
Put the butter and water in a medium pan on high heat and bring to a boil.
Stir in the flour and salt. Turn down to medium and stir until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Don't agonize over this...if it's sticking together in a shape that's even close to a ball, it's done! It won't take long.
Put the dough into a large bowl. If you're using a stand mixer, use your flat beater or sturdy whips. If you're mixing by hand, a wooden spoon is perfect. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after adding each egg.
On a large ungreased cookie sheet, drop by heaping tablespoons. You should be able to get them all on one pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the puffs are a medium golden color. You want them to be nice and dry, so if in doubt, give them another minute.
Move the puffs onto a rack to cool.
When cool, cut the tops off, pull out any doughy pieces, and fill.
Drop the dough onto the cookie sheet. (I use a scoop. Love my scoops!)
Baked, ready to move to a cooling rack.
I’m all about eggnog right now, so a spiked eggnog filling was a must. I also made a peppermint filling for non-imbibers.
Eggnog Filling
1 package (3.4 ounces) Cook & Serve Vanilla pudding mix
2 cups eggnog (don’t go low calorie here – it sets better with the real thing!)
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon spiced rum (optional)
In a medium pan, whisk pudding mix into eggnog. Add nutmeg. Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Pour into a large bowl to cool.
Multi-tasking! Whisking pudding and reading at the same time.
When cool, stir the rum into the pudding. Whip the cream until it holds its shape, and fold it into the pudding. Keep refrigerated until just before you want to serve the cream puffs.
Using a spoon or pastry bag, fill the puffs. Put the pastry top back on, and drizzle with caramel sauce if desired. Yes, I used sauce from a jar, warmed slightly so it would drizzle instead of glob!
Drizzling a filled eggnog puff.
Peppermint Marshmallow Filling
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 cup mini marshmallows
3 average candy canes, crushed (about 1/3 cup)
Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks.
Add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until the cream holds its shape.
Add the marshmallows and crushed candy canes, and refrigerate for at least an hour. (Two or three hours is even better. The cream turns a deep pink color and the bits and pieces of candy are softened.)
Fill the puffs and drizzle with chocolate sauce or ganache.
To make ganache, use equal amounts of a good dark chocolate and heavy cream. I used 4 ounces of chocolate and 1/2 cup cream. Chop the chocolate into tiny pieces and put in a bowl. Heat the cream to a simmer and pour it over the chocolate. Stir gently. Let it sit on the counter, stirring occasionally, until it’s the consistency you want.
Pouring chocolate ganache over a filled peppermint marshmallow cream puff.
I’m going to make these again next week for our Homemaker’s Club Christmas luncheon. (Stop snickering. We still have clubs like that here in the country!) Think I’ll try making “poppers” so they aren’t as messy. I’ll let you know how they turn out. In the meantime, make the puffs and use your imagination when it comes to the filling…and please let me know what you come up with!
I have so many things (and people) to be thankful for, I don’t know where to begin. So in keeping with my personal philosophy, dessert should come first! There will be a flurry of posts with Thanksgiving ideas, but nothing is as important as “Humble Pie!”
Dancing around this pumpkin pie are little pie crust figures that represent the things I am most grateful for. In the picture above, starting at 12 o’clock and going clockwise, you will see my cats, gardening, Granddaughter #1, my chickens, our new grandson that will be born in February, warm clothes, food, Granddaughter #2, our dogs, warmth, sunshine, and family and friends. In the center is our cozy house. There is more – so much more that it would probably take three pies to even come close to naming all of the wonderful things in my life – but this covers the big stuff.
Your pie would look different, so I can’t tell you what to put on it, but I can give you instructions for creating your own humble pie. It’s time-consuming, but if you consider it a labor of love (and possibly a work of art) it is totally worth it. And if you opt for pre-made pie crusts or decide not to bother with the leaves around the edge, I promise I won’t tell.
Here’s my basic recipe for pumpkin pie. Instructions for the dough bling are below. Spend some time in reflection, list the things that are important to you, and have fun with this!
The best pie crust recipe I’ve ever tried is one that’s been around forever, sometimes called “Never Fail Pie Crust.” I love this recipe because even if you mess up and (gasp!) have to re-roll it, it still turns out flaky. I have substituted lard with great results, and today I used part lard, part shortening, and part butter, and it was perfect. Here’s the original version:
Never Fail Pie Crust
(makes 2 crusts)
1 cup chilled shortening
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup milk
Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in the shortening until it looks like coarse crumbs.
Mix vinegar into milk. Combine all at once into flour mixture.
Cutting the shortening into the flour.
This can be rolled into crusts immediately, or flattened into disks and placed between sheets of plastic wrap and chilled first in the refrigerator. If you chill it for more than an hour, let it warm up a little before rolling it out.
Here’s how I first envisioned the pie (things are always so much more beautiful in my imagination), but I learned that the little cutouts don’t stay on the edge of the pie. They sort of dive into the filling or fall over the side, or just curl up in a manner that is very painful to see. The concept is the same with the leaves, though…brush on an egg wash and place the cutouts where you want them.
Okay, this didn’t work very well. See? I mess up a LOT!
If you’re game, here are the instructions for humble pie:
On card stock (or paper, if that’s all you have) draw the shapes you want for the center of the pie. I took some of my shapes from pictures on the Internet, some from clip art, and drew some. Cut them out neatly. For the leaves, cookie cutters are the easiest, but you can draw or trace a few onto card stock and hand cut them. It’s fun to cut them freestyle, too.
If you’re going all out and putting the leaves around the edge of the pie, you probably should make a double batch of pie crust, because you’ll be making a bottom crust, leaves, and little cutouts of things you’re thankful for. You won’t need it all, but it’s better to have too much than too little. You can always put any extra in a zipper bag and freeze it for another time.
If you are doubling the recipe, after you blend the shortening into the flour mixture, divide the mixture in half and put into two bowls. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh the dough to get the amounts as even as possible. Now, add approximately 1/4 cup of the milk/vinegar mixture to one of the bowls. Toss with a fork until blended. Using your hands, form two balls of dough. Flatten them each on a piece of plastic wrap, cover, and put in the refrigerator.
Divide the mixture in the other bowl and put half into the empty bowl. Add half of the remaining liquid to the ingredients in one bowl, form into a ball, and set aside. Add orange or red food coloring to the remaining liquid, and mix into the remaining dough. Don’t try to blend it thoroughly – it looks better when it’s marbled.
If you’re only making a single batch of pie crust, separate the flour and shortening mixture in half. Add half the liquids to one bowl, form a ball, and refrigerate it. Split the other mixture into two parts. Add half of the liquid into one part and form into a ball, and put food color into the remaining liquid and add to the other part and form a ball. The refrigerated dough is for the crust, and the two small balls of dough are for the cutouts and the leaves.
Form colored dough into a ball and place on a well floured board. Roll out a fairly thick dough – almost 1/4 inch. With cookie cutters or a sharp paring knife, cut out out as many leaves as you can, re-rolling as necessary. (To give the leaves a serrated edge, use a large serrated bread knife and cut at an angle.) Put plastic wrap on a plate and lay the leaves flat, not letting them overlap. If necessary, put another sheet of plastic wrap over them and start another layer. Make big leaves and small leaves. If you want to get crazy, you can even “paint” them with an egg wash with food coloring mixed in. Put in the refrigerator until needed.
Cutting out pie crust leaves.
Using a serrated knife to put a pretty edge around a leaf.
Roll out the disk of plain pie crust and with your templates and sharp knife, cut out your chosen objects. There will be some that don’t cooperate…just shove the rejects into a pile and try again! This dough is really forgiving and will let you re-roll it several times. Move slowly, and flour the knife if you need to. Think of this as fragile play doh; you can add fun details after they’re cut out. Use a thin, flat spatula to set each finished piece onto a cookie sheet. From experience, I recommend that you make extras in case some break when you’re decorating the pie. Set this cookie sheet aside.
Cutting shapes out of pie crust. Time consuming, but satisfying!
Preheat your oven to 425 F.
Now…time to make your pie crust! Use lots of flour on the board and roll out one of the remaining crust discs at least 1 inch wider than your pie pan all the way around. It may help to put a piece of plastic wrap on the crust while you’re rolling it out. Gently roll it up with the rolling pin and lay it in the pan. Fold the edge under and flute. (If you’re adding the leaves, you could get away without fluting it.)
Make an egg wash by beating an egg with 2 teaspoons of water in a small bowl. With a pastry brush, paint the edge of the pie and lay the leaves in different directions all the way around, pressing lightly as you go. Carefully move your pie pan onto a cookie sheet so the leaves won’t get broken off when you remove the pan from the oven.
Mix up the pumpkin pie filling and pour it into the pie crust. Put it (on the cookie sheet) on the middle rack of the oven, and put the pan with the little figures on the top rack. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the little pie crust figures are a light golden color. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack. Leave the pie in the oven and turn the temperature down to 350 F.
Allow the pie to cook for 40 minutes. Carefully remove (cookie sheet and all) and set on a heat-safe surface. Place your cutouts on the pie and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Move to a rack to cool. Admire it and take some pictures, because after all the “oohs” and “ahhhhs” it will disappear before your eyes.
Pie crust leaves, flaky and warm. Yummmm.
For another (easier) option, try a “Friendship Pie”. You will need a double batch of crust because this pie has a top and bottom crust, and you’ll still need a crust to roll out and cut into little men and women. This is an apple pie – because I wanted something that would mound up well without bubbling out of the top of the pie. Use a paper template and put the people on the pie at the beginning instead of pre-cooking them and adding them later. My crust looked better in real life, honest! But I’m guessing I was a little generous with the shortening, because it didn’t hold the fluted edge well. That’s what happens when I’m slam-dunking too many things at once.
This project has put me in a reflective mood, and I can’t think of a snarky thing to say; my heart is full of gratitude. If this lasts too long, I’ll have to pull myself out of it by thinking of all the things I’m NOT thankful for. Let’s see – dog hair on my pillow, chicken poop on my shoes, dirty towels on the floor, flour everywhere…pffft!
My son loves the combination of chocolate and peanut butter (I’m pretty sure it’s genetic,) so I’m always happy to oblige by making him a chocolate birthday cake with peanut butter frosting. This year, since I was making peanut butter cookies for my niece, I upped the ante a little and got creative.
Using a jumbo cupcake pan and liners, I dropped a spoonful of “crust” made with crushed peanut butter cookies (see the previous post for a good PB cookie recipe), melted butter, and chocolate syrup in each liner. A regular sized peanut butter cup went on top of the crust, and then I added devil’s food cake batter and baked them. When the cakes were cool they were frosted with a whipped peanut butter frosting.
I admit (gasp!) that I used a cake mix. Don’t judge me! I have other pressing things on my schedule right now, and my son wouldn’t notice the difference between a boxed mix and scratch.
Line 9 cavities of a jumbo muffin pan with paper liners.
In a small bowl, mix together the crushed cookies, melted butter, and chocolate syrup. Divide between the 9 liners, pressing to cover the bottom of each.
Set one peanut butter cup in each liner on top of the cookie mixture.
Divide the cake batter evenly. This should fill each one about ⅔ full.
Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the top half of the cupcake. (If you put it down too far it will be covered with the chocolate from the peanut butter cup.)
Cool on a wire rack. Frost and serve! Make sure you refrigerate any that are left.
To make frosting:....................
Cream together the butter, shortening, peanut butter, and vanilla.
Add the powdered sugar and mix together.
On low speed, slowly add the whipping cream. Turn up the mixer to medium high and whip for 1 minute, scraping bowl often.
Adjust the thickness by adding a little powdered sugar to thicken the frosting, or a little whipping cream to thin it.
Put crumb mixture in the liners and top with peanut butter cups.
Add cake batter until 2/3 full and bake.
Whip up the icing, nice and fluffy!
Frost them and serve!
There is nothing more I can say. Not because my mouth is stuffed full of a cupcake that has, on the chart, passed “indulgent” and is hovering between “decadent” and “toxic”, but because the picture at the top of the page speaks for itself. As a dear friend used to say: “It’ll make your tongue slap your brains out!”
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, heart shaped everything has been dancing in my head. You’re in for it now! To start the insanity, here is a recipe for heart shaped shortbread cookies with a dark chocolate ganache filling and a dollop of raspberry jam.
