I have a new list of upcoming delicacies in the bakery.\
Sally’s Challenge for July 2026 is a chiffon cake. This will be later this month .
I had a marvelous blackberry tart with whipped cream while on vacation this month. I thought the tart crust was a bit too hard so I will try my hand.
The BlackBerry Tart and a Raspberry Limeade – Fantastic
Peach season is here and I saw a peach cobbler As I write this, GBBO mentioned pairing peaches with blueberries (also in season) so watch for a peach/blueberry cobbler soon.
Sally also posted an Ultimate Muffin Recipe, so… She also posted an easy pastry crust Danish Pastry recipe, and I my backyard has blackberries and figs, plus with the “berry scare” in the news right now, well cooked raspberries is another good choice, although my raspberry crop is on a par with my veggie garden, but luckily the market has a good supply of raspberries.
Can you image Chocolate Pan de Cristal? It’s real, still on my list and while I can’t wait, I must.
I now make my own puff pastry and want to make Vol Au Vants filled with home made fig preserves paired with a nice sharp cheese.
I know, I know… I need to be baking a chiffon cake for Sally’s July Baking Challenge, but these pastries were on my list for so long, and I have a surplus of blackberries and figs, so how could I not make these pastries.
The pastry is straight from Sally’s website but the fruit fillings are mine. A base of whipped cream cheese and sugar was applied to each pastry, then they were topped with a layer of berry or fig preserves. Vanilla Icing was drizzled on the cooled berry pastry and shards of smoked Gouda were added to the fig pastry.
QC and the QC Cadre seemed to like them all,
Danish Pastry – Sally
INGREDIENTS Pastry Dough • 60 g ( ¼ c) warm water (between 100-110°F, 38-43°C) • 2 and ¼ TSP • 50 g ( ¼ C) sugar • 120 g ( ½ c) RT whole milk • 1 large RT egg • 1 tsp salt • 196 g (14 Tbl) unsalted butter, cold • 313 g (2 ½ c) AP flour Filling • 2/3 cup filling (see recipe notes for options & cheese filling) Egg Wash • 1 large egg • 30g (2 Tbl) milk Vanilla Icing (Optional) • 120 g (1 c) confectioners’ sugar • 30 g (2 Tbl) milk or heavy cream • 1 tsp vanilla extract
METHOD Make the Pastry Dough:
Whisk the warm water, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon (6g) of sugar together in a large bowl. Cover and allow to rest until foamy on top, about 5 minutes. If the surface doesn’t have bubbles on top or look foamy after 15 minutes (it should if the yeast isn’t expired), start over with a fresh packet of yeast. Whisk in remaining sugar, the milk, egg, and salt. Once these wet ingredients are mixed together, lightly cover and set the bowl aside as you work on the next step.
Cut the cold butter into 1/4 inch slices and add to a food processor or blender. Top with 2 and 1/2 cups flour. Pulse the mixture 12-15 times, until butter is crumbled into pea-size bits. See photo below for a visual. Using a food processor or blender is best for this dough. Keeping that in mind, if you don’t have one, you can use a pastry cutter to work in the butter.
Pour the flour mixture into the wet yeast mixture. Very gently fold everything together using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Fold just until the dry ingredients are moistened. The butter must remain in pieces and crumbles, which creates a flaky pastry. Turn the sticky dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and form into a rough rectangle.
Wrap the dough/cover up tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 48 hours.
Roll & Fold:
Take the dough out of the refrigerator to begin the “rolling and folding” process. If the dough sat for more than 4 hours, it may have slightly puffed up and that’s ok. (It will deflate as you shape it, which is also ok.) Very generously flour a work surface. The dough is very sticky, so make sure you have more flour nearby as you roll and fold. Using the palm of your hands, gently flatten the dough into a small square. Flour the top of the dough and roll into a 15×8” rectangle. As needed, flour the work surface and dough as you are rolling. Fold the dough into thirds as if it were a business letter. Turn it clockwise and roll it out into a 15 inch long rectangle again. Then, fold into thirds again. Turn it clockwise. You’ll repeat rolling and folding 1 more time for a total of 3 times.
Wrap up/seal tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. You can also freeze the dough at this point. See freezing instructions.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Rimmed baking sheets are best because butter may leak from the dough as it bakes. If you don’t have rimmed baking sheets, when it’s time to preheat the oven, place another baking sheet on the oven rack below to catch any butter that may drip.
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and cut it in half. Wrap 1 half up and keep refrigerated as you work with the first half. (You can freeze half of the dough at this point, use the freezing instructions below.)
Cut the first half of dough into 8 even pieces. This will be about 1/4 cup of dough per pastry. Roll each into balls. Flatten each into a 2.5 inch circle. Use your fingers to create a lip around the edges. See photos and video tutorial if needed. Press the center down to flatten the center as much as you can so you can fit the filling inside. (Center puffs up as it bakes.) Arrange pastries 3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet. Repeat with second half of dough.
Spoon 2 teaspoons of fruity filling or 1 Tablespoon of cheese filling inside each.
Whisk the egg wash ingredients together. Brush on the edges of each shaped pastry.
Chill the shaped pastries in the refrigerator, covered or uncovered, for up to 1 hour. You can preheat the oven as they finish up chilling.
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
Bake for 19-22 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Some butter may leak from the dough, that’s completely normal and expected. Feel free to remove the baking sheets from the oven halfway through baking and brush the dough with any of the leaking butter, then place back in the oven to finish baking.
Remove baked pastries from the oven. Cool for at least 5 minutes before icing/serving.
Whisk the icing ingredients together. If you want a thicker icing, whisk in more confectioners’ sugar. If you want a thinner icing, whisk in more milk or cream. Drizzle over warm pastries and serve.
Cover leftover iced or un-iced pastries and store at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving. Before enjoying, feel free to reheat leftover iced or un-iced pastries in the microwave for a few seconds until warmed. Notes
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the dough as instructed in steps 2-4. At this point the dough can be refrigerated up to 48 hours. You can also prepare the dough through step 6. At this point the dough can be refrigerated up to 24 hours. During or after this second chilling time, you could also freeze the dough for up to 1 month. (I don’t recommend freezing the dough before the rolling and folding step.) Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 8. You can also freeze the unfilled pastries after shaping them in step 10. Thaw in the refrigerator, then continue with step 11.
Fruity Fillings: You need around 2/3 cup (about 200g) of filling for the entire recipe (16 pastries). Use jam or fruit preserves, pumpkin butter, apple butter, lemon curd, cherry pie filling, etc. Or even Nutella! You need 2 heaping teaspoons per pastry. Feel free to mix and match, making different flavors in your batch.
Cheese Filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed, beat one 8 ounce block (224g) of full-fat cream cheese that is softened at room temperature in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in 1 large egg yolk, 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract until smooth. Use 1 scant Tablespoon per pastry. Feel free to dot the cream cheese filling with fresh berries before baking or mix fruit preserves in with the cream cheese filling (still using 2-3 teaspoons of filling per pastry).
Optional Step (step 13): Chilling the shaped pastries in the refrigerator helps them maintain their shape in the oven. Remember, cold pastry dough is best. I usually refrigerate them for 15 minutes as the oven preheats. If you’re nervous to chill the baking sheets in the refrigerator then bake them (which can cause warping), you have two other options. You can simply assemble the pastries on parchment paper or silicone baking mats, lift the parchment/baking mat as a whole and place on another baking sheet or directly onto a shelf in the refrigerator. After chilling, carefully lift up and place the entire parchment/baking mat onto the baking sheets for baking. Or you can use a thin spatula and very carefully transfer the assembled unbaked pastries to a large plate to chill.
Raspberry Jam
INGREDIENTS • 356g raspberries (fresh or frozen) rinsed and dried if fresh • 312g cups granulated sugar • 65g lemon juice
METHOD
Put the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice into a sauce pan or similar.
Place pan over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar crystals have dissolved.
Bring the pan to a rolling boil until the temperature reaches 118-220℉.
If there is foam on the surface of the jam mix it vigorously with a wooden spoon to mix it in to the jam.
Use a ladle funnel transfer the jam to sterilized jars and seal with lids immediately – makes 2 half pint canning jars
Once cool store in a cool, dry, dark place and refrigerate on opening.
Blueberry Jam – Preppy Kitchen
INGREDIENTS • 280g (2 c) blueberries, washed and picked over, divided • 100g ( ½ c) sugar • ½ Tbl lemon juice
METHOD
In a large pot over medium heat, add about 210g (1 ½c) of the berries and mash.
Add in the remaining berries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil. If necessary, skim off excess foam.
Heat the jam to 218-220o F
Carefully ladle the hot berry mixture into the prepared jars, or use a funnel, leaving enough headroom—1/4 inch is recommended. Be mindful that the jars and jam are very hot.
With a clean dampened cloth, wipe the rims of the jars, and gently tap the jars to release any air bubbles.
Place the flat lids on the jars. Firmly close the caps with screw-on rings.
Fig Jam – The Food Network
INGREDIENTS • 6 lbs fresh figs. • 7 cups sugar • 1/3 cup lemon juice • ½+ tsp vanilla
METHOD
Chop the figs coarsely, and add them to a large stainless steel saucepan
Add 7 cups of granulated white sugar, then toss to combine.
Cover and let stand, refrigerated, for at least a few hours or overnight. The figs will naturally release some of their juices.
Place the pot on the stove and place on medium-low heat. Bring the figs to a boil slowly, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar and prevent scorching on the bottom.
Raise the heat and cook briskly until the jam thickens and cascades from a spatula in sheets.
Add 1/3 cup bottled lemon juice.
½+ teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir to combine, and cook another minute longer.
Ladle the jam into hot sterilized jars. At this point the jam can be left to cool, then covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to one month. It can also be canned using the standard water bath canning method.
I need a variety of summery cookies for QC’s Mah Jongg group who will meet at our house. Some people do not like chocolate (philistines), some do not like tart and unbelievably, some do not like sweet. I dredged cookies in tempered 54% chocolate, hard setting key lime and raspberry icing to try to satisfy most of them.
Shortbread Cookies
INGREDIENTS (Half Recipe) • 336 g = 3 sticks, 36 Tbl (170g = 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at RT • 200 g = 1 c (100g = ½ c) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling • 1 tsp (½ tsp) pure vanilla extract • 420 g = 3 ½ c (210g = 1¾ c) all-purpose flour • ¼ tsp (⅛ tsp) salt • 175-200 g semisweet chocolate, finely chopped • Optional: 3 Tbl fresh orange zest
METHOD
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla, (and zest if using.)
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into two flat rectangles ~ ¾ inch thick each. Do not overwork it and the flour will hydrate some in the freezer. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough ~1/2-inch thick and cut into desired shapes. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet dock with a fork (and optionally sprinkle with sugar.)
Preheat the oven to 350⁰F. Refrigerate cut cookies while the oven heats. (~ 15 minutes)
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
If chocolate coating, when the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. a. Temper the chocolate as described below b. Drag ½ of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it. c. Optional: dust still warm chocolate lightly with zest
Melt chocolate to 122-126°F (microwave or bain-marie). Leave the chocolate to cool to 93-95° F (or 91-93° F for milk, white or colored chocolate) at ambient temperature.
When cooled, sprinkle the 1% Mycryo® cocoa butter as per table above and wait a few seconds as it melts then stir in to combine.
Use a rubber spatula to scrape the chocolate off the sides and fold into the middle.
Stir well and continue to stir well frequently
Use immediately. To keep the chocolate in temper, maintain it within working temperatures: 88°F–91°F for dark chocolate, and 82°F–84°F for milk/white/colored chocolate.
If the chocolate starts hardening, then heat it up and stir well until it warms back up to working temperature and the chocolate is smooth again. (Do this carefully, putting it in the microwave in 5 second bursts, stir vigorously and repeat until desired temperature is achieved.)
Key Lime Icing – Hardening Sets Firm/Shiny This creates a classic, hardened sugar glaze, which is perfect for bundt cakes and cookies. INGREDIENTS • 113 g (1 c) powdered sugar, • 1 -2 Tbl fresh key lime juice • ½ – 1 tsp meringue powder (optional, but helps it dry faster and harder). • Zest from 1 small lime METHOD
Add ingredients to a small bowl
Beat until completely smooth. The icing should be thick enough to slowly drip in a ribbon.
Let it sit at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours to set completely dry and crisp.
Raspberry Icing – Hardening
INGREDIENTS • 113 g (1 c) Powdered Sugar • 40 g (⅛ c) Seedless Raspberry Jam • 2 – 3 ½ Tbl Milk or Heavy Cream • ¼ tsp Vanilla Extract • Pinch of salt • ½ – 1 tsp freeze dried raspberry powder
METHOD
In a medium bowl, beat the ingredients, and 1 tablespoon of milk.
Beat until completely smooth. If the icing is too thick and difficult to pour or drizzle, add the remaining milk ½ teaspoon at a time until you reach a pourable yet thick consistency.
If you want a perfectly leveled, mirror-like “melted” glaze that hardens quickly, gently warm the mixture in a double boiler or microwave for 10–15 seconds before pouring.
Pour, dip or drizzle over your cookies, cakes, or pastries. Let it sit at room temperature for 1–2 hours to harden into a firm crust
You can do this easy, or hard. It’s your choice. I decided to do it somewhere in the middle, the “Easier Way.”
Making pugliese can be a long, involved process. It can also be as easy as any artisan bread. I chose to use mostly traditional ingredients, but shorten the method. I didn’t have any fine semolina flour on hand so used only bread flour. Some pugliese recipes use mash potatoes, I did not.
I followed the method pretty closely but I used a stand mixer and like to do the second rise in a parchment paper lined banneton. This makes it easier to transfer from the banneton to the dutch oven. Remember to put the dough in the banneton seam side down so you can score the smooth side..
The final result is a tasty loaf with good crumb and very chewy crust, very much like a traditional pugliese.
Pugliese – Easier
INGREDIENTS For the Biga: • 260 g (2 cups) Bread flour • 155 ml (2/3 cup) Water (room temperature)\ • ¼ tsp Instant yeast For the Final Dough: • All of the fermented Biga • 260 g (1 ¾ c) Fine semolina flour (or additional bread flour if semolina isn’t available) • 235 ml (1 c) Water (lukewarm) • 15 g (1 Tbl) Fine sea salt • 1 tsp Instant yeast
METHOD
In a bowl, mix the flour, water, and yeast for the biga until a shaggy dough forms. Cover tightly and let rest at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours (or in the fridge for up to 2 days).
In a stand mixer bowl, dissolve the biga and the yeast in the lukewarm water and beat on low for 5 minutes.. Add the semolina flour and salt. Mix thoroughly until you have a very wet, sticky dough.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it proof at room temperature for 90 minutes (or until tripled in size).
Generously dust your work surface with semolina flour. Gently turn out the dough and shape it into a loose oval (batard) or round boule. Place it seam-side down into a parchment paper lined banneton.
Cover and let it proof for another 90 minutes until it has grown significantly.
Preheat your oven and a Dutch oven to 450°F for 30 minutes.
Score the top with a sharp blade, and bake covered with the lid on for 25 minutes.
Remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes until the crust is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
Cool: Let it cool on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes before slicing.
My neighbors went to Hawaii as the peaches on their tree were ripening, so they gave me a dozen peaches. It’s a shame they are missing some of their peach season but they are in Hawaii after all. I can’t feel too bad for them.
I studied several recipes to pick and choose the parts I wanted to create this pastry which would taste of fresh peach but not be soggy from all the peach juice.
I succeeded.
I made one with simple peach filling and a second one with a cream cheese/sugar paste and fresh blueberries along with the peach filling.
They were both delicious, crisp, and not soggy. The lemon/sugar drizzle added a touch of tartness to the sweet peaches.
Double Click to see full template
I created a template to remember how to cut and fold the pastry. After filling the ends fold up and over the filling.
I am sorry I didn’t include weights in the measurements but I didn’t take notes as I was creating/inventing. The weights of everything are well known except the peaches. I also hope I didn’t miss anything. I don’t think so.
Fresh Peach Braided Puff Pastry
INGREDIENTS Pastry & Filling: • 1 sheet Sally’s puff pastry, thawed • 3–4 (1 c) fresh peaches, peeled and sliced • 1/3 c granulated sugar • 1/3 c brown sugar • 1 Tbl cornstarch • 1/8 tsp nutmeg • 1/2 tsp cinnamon Egg Wash & Glaze: • 1 whole egg + 1 tbsp water (whisked for egg wash) • 2 tsp coarse sugar (or turbinado/granulated) • 1/3 c powdered sugar + 3-4 tsp lemon juice (whisked for drizzle)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. (It’s important to use a rimmed baking sheet or you will have to clean the oven as I did.)
In a small bowl mix the granulated sugar and cornstarch
In a medium saucepan , mix the sliced fresh peaches, brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon, heat on low.
Add sugar and cornstarch mixture stirring to thoroughly combine, and continue heating until syrup thickens,
Remove from heat and drain in a fine mesh sieve to remove excess juice.
Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured counter. Roll to 12″ x 14″.
(If including the cream cheese/sugar and blueberries spread the cream cheese mixture down the center of the pastry and place blueberries sparsely on top of it.)
Spoon the peach mixture down the center third of the pastry. Using a pizza cutter, make 1-inch diagonal cuts along both long sides of the dough (up to the edge of the peach filling).
Fold the strips over the filling, alternating left and right to create a crisscross braid effect. Pinch the top and bottom ends tightly to seal.
Transfer to a parchment paper lined, rimmed baking sheet
Brush the entire braid with your egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown.
Mix 1/3 cup of powdered sugar and 4 teaspoons of lemon juice. Adjust the amount of lemon juice
Let the braid cool for 15 minutes, then drizzle with the powdered sugar and lemon juice glaze.
The artisan bread was still a bit warm at lunch time. I decided to make a PB&J sandwich with it. I know artisan bread should sandwich piles of lettuce, tomato, cucumbers and either meat or other veggies of your choice, but c’mon, I am talking FRESH bread with PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY. It doesn’t get any better for me!
It’s only a “sandwich” after you add the two slices together.
In the background is Mr Arnold Palmer made with freshly squeezed lemons and sun tea and in the middle is one of the few surviving mini key lime pies. A lunch fit for… me!
This bread hadn’t made an appearance in a while and to find out why, I made a loaf this morning. Unfortunately (?) it was very good which didn’t help me remember why I hadn’t made it in a year or so.
It has a nice crust and tight crumb, perfect for sandwiches. It’s similar to my go-to artisan bread with the exceptions of using AP flour plus a little brown sugar and olive oil. It can be mixed and kneaded in a stand mixer and has minimal fermentation and rise times.
The resulting bread is tasty, firm and worth making more often,
Crusty Italian Bread
INGREDIENTS • 314 g (1⅓ cups) warm water • 7 g (2¼ tsp) yeast • 16 g (1 Tbl) brown sugar • 18 g (1 Tbl) salt • 21 g (1½ tsp) olive oil • 500 g (~4 c) AP flour • 1 egg yolk for wash • 1 Tbl sesame seeds
METHOD
Combine warm water, yeast, and brown sugar in a stand mixer bowl, stir and let stand ~8-10 minutes until it begins activate
Add olive oil and salt, mix well. (Mixing and kneading can also be done in a stand mixer.)
Gradually add the flour and mix with a danish dough whisk until the sides and bottom of the bowl come clean.
Knead knead by hand for ~8 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth and not sticky. The dough should weigh ~865g
Cover the dough and let rise until doubled, ~30 minutes.
Punch it down, shape into an oval and book-fold into a boule
Tension by rolling back and forth with a cupped hand. Pinch seams and roll to smooth out.
Cover the loaf with a damp cloth and let it rise until doubled. ~20 min. Over-proofing will cause the loaves to flatten.
Preheat oven to 375ᵒF degrees.
Brush top of loaf with an egg wash (1 egg yolk and 1 Tbl water)
Sprinkle top of loaf with sesame seeds (if desired)
Score with a few, quick, cuts diagonally across the loaf.
Pour 1 cup of hot water in a shallow pan on the rack underneath the bread in the oven.
After 20 minutes put an oven-safe digital thermometer into the loaf.
Continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes (internal temp reaches 190ᵒF) or until the loaf turn golden brown and produces a hollow sound when tapped.
It was a busy weekend. I made Mini Key LIme Pies for a party/luncheon today and with made some Chocolate Frosting filled Graham Cracker Cookies with the leftover graham cracker. Did I mention we also went to a wine tasting south of Sacramento?
The pies took two attempts as the first was a disaster. I over whipped the batter and cooled the pies to quickly causing them to collapse. I made them a second time and swapped the whisk for a paddle attachment after the eggs and cream cheese were well blended. I also left them in the oven when they were at the “jiggle” stage, turned the oven off and opened the door. This allowed them to cool slower. Once I could move the pan with bare hands I let them cool on the counter until they were room temperature, then moved them to the fridge.
The Graham cracker cookies can use and chocolate frosting you like.
The left picture shows the finished mini pie in the foreground and a disaster one in the back and a “recovered” bad one in the center
Mini Key Lime Pies – Sally
INGREDIENTS Crust • 180 g (1 ½ c) graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheet graham crackers) • 85g (6 Tbl) unsalted butter, melted • 50 g ( ¼ c) granulated sugar Filling • 4 ounces (113g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature • 4 large egg yolks • 396 g (one 14-ounce can) full-fat sweetened condensed milk • 120 ml ( ½ c) key lime juice* optional: lime slices and whipped cream for garnish
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with liners and a second 12-count muffin pan with only 4 (since this recipe makes only around 16). Set pans aside.
Use a food processor or blender to grind graham crackers. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar together with a silicone spatula in a medium bowl until combined. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Press a heaping Tablespoon of mixture down into each liner, making sure the crust is tight and compact. You might have a little crust leftover. If so, press a little more into each liner—if desired! Pre-bake the crusts for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.
In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. On medium-high speed, beat in the egg yolks, scraping down the sides as needed. On high speed, beat in the sweetened condensed milk and lime juice until combined. DO NOT OVER MIX.
Pour the filling evenly into each crust. Bake for 15–16 minutes or until the centers of the pies only slightly jiggle. Turn off the oven and open the door. Allow the pies to cool until the pans can be moved with bare hands, then let them cool to room temperature. Once completely cool, place the pan in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
Once chilled, serve the key lime pies cold with whipped cream or Italian meringue and a lime slice if desired. I also drizzled some blueberry sauce over the pie.
Store leftover pies in the refrigerator (covered) for up to 1 week. If they last that long!
Sally’s June 2026 Baking Challenges was Fluffy Cornbread Biscuits with the alternate being Pretzel Rolls. Sorry, but she had me a “PRETZEL!” I am a sucker for pretzels and these rolls are exceptional. (The biscuits will wait until late this week.)
I made a two changes to the recipe. When making pretzels I use baked baking soda. This converts the sodium bicarbonate into sodium carbonate, a stronger alkaline (higher pH) compound.
I also added malt powder (the same kind I used to use when brewing beer) to increase flavor, color and larger air bubbles in the pretzels.
I made the Pretzel Rolls at 10 AM but felt uneasy opening a beer that early. I waited until after lunch to take the picture. I did not wait to eat my first roll.
Easy Pretzel Rolls – Sally
INGREDIENTS • 360ml (1 ½ c) lukewarm water • 7g (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast • 56g ( ¼ c; 4 Tbl) unsalted butter, divided • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar • 4690599g (3 ¾ to 4 ) all-purpose flour • coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Baking Soda Bath • 4 Tbl baked baking soda • 1 Tbl light malt powder • 9 cups water
METHOD
Whisk yeast and warm water together. Allow to sit for 1 minute. Meanwhile, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter (reserve the rest for step 7). Whisk in salt, brown sugar, and melted butter. Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon or dough hook attached to a stand mixer until dough is thick. Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add 1/4–1/2 cup more, as needed. Poke the dough with your finger—if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.
Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise.
Rise: Place in a large greased bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a proofing oven for 1 hour or until nearly doubled in size.
Once risen, punch down dough to release any air bubbles. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and, with a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into (900g ÷12) = 75g sections. You should have about 12 pieces. Shape into balls.
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat OR line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Bring baking soda and 9 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Drop 1–2 pretzel rolls into the boiling water for 20–30 seconds. Any longer than that and your pretzels will have a metallic taste. Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel roll out of the water and allow excess water to drip off. Place pretzel rolls onto prepared baking sheet or close together in the baking pan.
Melt the remaining butter. Lightly brush each roll with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Using a sharp knife, score a couple slits into the top of each.
Bake for 22–26 minutes or until deep golden brown on all sides.
Remove from the oven and serve warm. Pretzel rolls may be stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to 3 days (they lose a little softness over time).
The idea for this parfait jumped into my head a couple of weeks ago. I knew I wanted the bottom to be creme patisserie, topped with fresh raspberry sauce. I was unsure of the upper layer until last week. It is creme chiboust, to add a lighter component. I considered adding a chocolate component and QC suggested crumbled graham crackers, which I did but made chocolate graham crackers to add a crunch. It is topped off with brûléed Italian meringue.
Make the chocolate graham crackers early to they have time to cool and crisp up, Make the creme patisserie early also so it has time to cool to room temperature. (To make 10 five ounce cups, as pictured, requires two recipes of creme patisserie.)
Chill the cup between adding each layer.
The raspberry sauce can be made a week in advance. Make sure it is thick enough not to run up the sides of the container when the creme chiboust is added. The viscosity of a thin jam is perfect.
Raspberry Parfait with Crème Chiboust
INGREDIENTS: Raspberry Dessert Sauce (Can make 1 week in advance) • 1 Tbl water • 2 tsp cornstarch • 375g (¾ c) fresh or frozen raspberries • 50g ( ¼ c) granulated sugar • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (do not leave out) • optional: ½ tsp vanilla extract Chocolate Graham Crackers – KAB (Can make 1 week in advance) • 60g ( ½ c) All-Purpose Flour • 85g ((¾ ca) Whole Wheat Flour • ½ tsp table salt • ½ cup (42g) Dutch-process cocoa • 1 ¼ cups (142g) confectioners’ sugar • 1 tsp baking powder • 113g (8 Tbl ) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pats • 43g (2 Tbl) honey • 28g (2 Tbl) milk, cold Creme Patisserie: • 240 mL full-fat milk 1 c • 4 egg yolks from large eggs (save the egg whites from these eggs for the meringue) • 30 g butter 2 Tbl • ¼ tsp sea salt • 25 g sugar ~ 2 generous Tbl • 30 g cornstarch – 4 Tbl • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract Italian meringue: • 4 egg whites at room temperature • 150 g white sugar – ¾ cup • 80 g water – ⅓ cup
METHOD Chocolate Graham Crackers
Preheat your oven to 325°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Have two baking sheets and parchment paper to line them at the ready.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, cocoa, sugar, and baking powder. With a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until evenly crumbly.
In a separate bowl, whisk the honey and milk, stirring until the honey dissolves. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and toss lightly with a fork until the dough comes together. Add additional milk, if necessary.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and fold it over gently 10 to 12 times, until smooth.
Divide the dough in half, about 250 grams each. Work with half the dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered.
Working with one piece at a time, transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment and shape into a flattened square. Place another piece of parchment over top and roll the dough to about 1/16″ thick; aim to roll it into a rectangle a bit larger than 10″ x 14″. Prick the dough evenly with a dough docker or fork.
Use the parchment to transfer the sheet of dough to a baking sheet, then gently peel off the top sheet. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.
Bake the crackers for 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, or until you begin to smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and immediately cut them into rectangles with a pizza wheel or knife. Transfer them to a rack to cool.
Store the cooled crackers tightly wrapped for up to a week, or freeze for up to one month.
Raspberry Dessert Sauce
Whisk the cornstarch and water together until all the cornstarch has dissolved. Combine cornstarch mixture, raspberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Using a silicone spatula, stir the mixture while lightly mashing the raspberries as they begin to heat.
Bring to a boil and let it boil for 3 full minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and—if desired for a richer flavor—stir in vanilla extract, and if desired, a few fresh raspberries.
OPTIONAL (SKIP for a thicker sauce) Press the warm sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds, if desired. I use the back of a spoon to press the liquid through the strainer, held over a bowl. It takes a couple minutes to really squeeze it all out.
Feel free to serve warm over warm desserts, but it should be cooled to really thicken up. Cool the sauce completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools, but the strained version is still liquid and perfect for drizzling.
Creme Patisserie
Whisk eggs and milk together and add to all other ingredients (except vanilla) to a medium saucepan.
Bring to boil whisking constantly
Cook until thickened (it will look lumpy, its ok)
Sieve lumpy mixture into a bowl and add vanilla, mix thoroughly
When incorporated, cover with plastic directly on the crème patisserie and cool about an hour. Alternatively, slide the piping tip you would use to fill the pâte à choux into the piping bag but don’t cut off the tip. Spoon the hot batter directly into the piping bag and seal the end. When the crème patisserie is cool, cut the tip off, force the bag around the piping tip and squeeze the crème pat to fill the end.
Italian meringue
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Heat over low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat to medium-high and allow the syrup to come to a boil without stirring.
In the meantime, add the egg whites to a medium-sized, heatproof bowl and mix (with a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment) until foamy and the whites are almost able to hold soft peaks.
Once the syrup is boiling, clip on a candy (or sugar) thermometer.
Cook until the syrup reaches 116°C/240°F, then take the pan off the heat and slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the bowl with the foamy egg whites, mixing continuously to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Don’t pour the syrup onto the whisk, or the syrup may splatter against the sides of the bowl (or into your face!). Instead, aim for a spot close to the whisk.
Once all the syrup has been added, keep mixing until the bottom of the bowl feels cool to the touch and the meringue has cooled down to body temperature.
Use immediately or keep in the fridge (covered) until ready to use. It’s a very stable meringue, so it won’t start weeping, leaking or collapsing.
Creme Chiboust
Add about ⅓ of the meringue mix into the room temperature custard, and mix to loosen up the custard base.
Add the rest of the meringue and fold it in until there are no more white streaks in the custard. Be gentle when you fold in the meringue because if you mix it too vigorously, you will lose the air and it may deflate too much.
It’s very important to use the creme chiboust while it’s at room temperature, since it will set in the fridge. If you do want to keep the creme chiboust in the fridge, you will need to whisk it again before using. However, keep in mind that this will deflate the mixture AND not set as well again.
I saw an online picture of Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Raspberry Hand Pies and needed an excuse to try to make covered pastry without the fork-crimp marks. (As if I ever need an excuse.)
A couple of weeks again I made some Vol au Vents and did not fork-crimp the edges to make the “boat” that would hold the fillings.
I applied the same method on these pastries. Egg wash the edges of the bottom piece, add the filling and place cover on top and press all around the edges. Because the bottom will be larger due to the cover needing to bend over the filling, Tuck any excess puff pastry back into the seam and press it down again.
The recipe specified excessive filling. Next time I will cut the cream cheese etc in half and there may still be too much. (The recipe below was modified.) The alternative, of course, is to make twice as many hand pies.
I also used two batches of Sally’s Rough Puff Pastry rather than the original baker’s source, sorry Pep.
RED RASPBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE HAND PIES
INGREDIENTS • 1 egg • 1 Tbl water • 2 Tbl all-purpose flour • 1 package puff pastry • 56 g ( 1/4 of an 8-ounce package) cream cheese, softened • 1 Tbl granulated sugar or decorating sugar • 42g ( 1/4 c) white chocolate chips • ~170 g (6 oz) raspberries • ~3 Tbl coarse white sugar or decorating sugar
METHOD
Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.
Sprinkle the flour on the work surface. Unfold 1 pastry sheet on the work surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 12-inch square. Using a round cutter, cut into 16 (3-inch) circles. I gather the scraps, squeeze them into a ball and re-roll. I know it will lose some rise, but not enough to care. I ended up with 19 circles. Enough to make 9 pastries and fold the odd one in half, fill with desired berry mixture and seat. It’s a great way to test the final bake.
Stir the cream cheese and granulated sugar in a medium bowl until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the white chocolate chips.
Brush the edges of 12 pastry circles with the egg mixture. Place about 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture in the center of each. Top each with about 3 raspberries or the equivalent amount of black or blue berries. Place the remaining pastry circles over the filling. Press the edges firmly to seal. Crimp the edges with a fork. Brush the pastries with the egg mixture and sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Using a sharp knife, cut small slits in the tops of the filled pastries. Place the pastries onto 2 baking sheets.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheets and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.
aBatteredOldSuitcase 