This month Sallys Challenge was Maple Oat Pecan Scones. I am not a fan of pecans so substituted macadamia nuts.
I am a little embarrassed by the look of these scones, but not by the flavor, they are wonderful. The nuts add a nice crunch and the maple syrup yields the perfect sweetness,
The first scone crumbled when I dipped it in the maple icing. Normally this isn’t a bad this for a short crust pastry, but I did have to spread the icing with mixed in deconstructed scone on the rest of them,
Despite chilling the scones prior to baking they spread during the first 10 minutes of baking. I straightened them up at the half way point of baking which helped, but a real scone pan would be best.
I volunteered to make something to sell at a charity bake sale and as luck would have it King Arthur Baking send me an email with this recipe, Apple Cider Doughnut Holes.
I made them pretty much as the recipe specified and decided next time I would omit the cardamom. Maybe there was too much, but it overpowered the sugar/cinnamon coating. Live and learn. (They were pretty darn good anyway.)
I reduced a half gallon of apple cider to make the boiled cider and mixed my own apple pie spice using the ratio of 4::2::1 cinnamon::nutmeg::allspice.
Apple Cider Donut Holes – KAB
INGREDIENTS Batter • 100g ( ½ c) granulated sugar • 71g ( ⅓ c ) light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed • 57g (4 Tbl) unsalted butter, softened • 50g ( ¼ c) vegetable oil • ¾ tsp table salt • 2 large eggs • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 320g (2 ⅔ c) AP Flour • 2 tsp apple pie spice (see below) • 1 ½ tsp baking powder • ¼ tsp baking soda • 227g (1 c) milk • 64g (3 Tbl) boiled cider (see below) Topping • 141g (10 Tbl) unsalted butter • 85g ( ¼ c) boiled cider (see below) • 248g (1 ¼ c) granulated sugar • 11g (4 ¼ tsp) apple pie spice (see below)
METHOD
Lightly grease a mini muffin pan.
In a large bowl, use a flexible spatula to vigorously mix the sugars, butter, oil, and salt until smooth.
Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring between each. Stir in the vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spice, baking powder, and baking soda.
In a liquid measuring cup, whisk to combine the milk and boiled cider.
Add one-third of the dry ingredients to the bowl with the butter mixture, mixing gently to combine. Gently mix in half the liquid. Stir in another third of the dry ingredients, then the remaining liquid. Stir in the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then gently mix until the batter is mostly smooth; a few small lumps are OK.
Portion the batter into the wells of the prepared pan, using a heaping tablespoon for each well (about 22 grams); a tablespoon scoop works well here. (You’ll use about half the batter to fill 24 wells of a mini muffin pan; set the remaining batter aside.)
Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until just golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. While the doughnut holes bake, prepare the topping.
To make the topping: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and boiled cider and heat in 30-second increments until the butter is melted, then whisk to fully combine.
In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the sugar and spice.
Remove the doughnut holes from the oven and, as soon as they’re cool enough to handle, turn them out of the pan. Working with one piece at a time, dip each doughnut hole into the butter-cider mixture, shake slightly over the bowl to remove any excess, and then immediately transfer to the sugar mixture; toss to coat.
Transfer the coated doughnut holes to a wire rack, and repeat baking and topping process with the remaining batter. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended.
BOILED CIDER
Add ½ gallon of apple cider to a heavy duty 4-6 qt stock pot.
Heat cider to boiling and continue with occasional stirring until the cider has thickened to the consistency of maple syrup. There should be about 2 cups of boiled cider,
APPLE PIE SPICE • 4 parts cinnamon • 2 parts nutmeg • 1 part all spice
Sally posted a number of recipes lately and her Apple Turnovers caught my eye, plus it is apple season! I followed her recipes for the turnovers and caramel topping. (The topping should have been cooler but I was under a time limit.
I saw how to make (I think it was on a FB Reel) mini pie shells by folding disks of rolled pie dough over the back side of a muffin pan and I had some frozen pie dough that I needed to use so….
I used a half recipe of Sally’s Chocolate Mousse as the filling and some stabilized whipped cream for the topping.
Sally’s post for these muffins looked sooooo good!
Blueberry Muffins – Sally
INGREDIENTS Streusel Topping • ½ cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Muffins • 1¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1 teaspoon baking powder • ½ teaspoon salt • ½ cup (115g) room temperature unsalted butter • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar • ¼ cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar • 2 large room temperature eggs • ½ cup (120g) room temperature sour cream or plain/vanilla yogurt • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract • ¼ cup (60ml) room temperature milk • 1½ cups (250g) fresh or frozen blueberries METHOD
Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners. Grease/line a second pan with 2 liners because this recipe yields about 14 muffins. Set aside.
Mix all of the streusel ingredients together. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. By hand, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and stir gently, no more than 4 stirs. Gently, fold in the blueberries.(Optional: Transfer batter to a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.)
Spray release spray on the muffin pan before putting cupcake papers in to reduce berries from sticking if they overflow the papers. Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Top each with streusel, gently pressing it down into the surface so it sticks. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 18-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205-210 °F or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 23-25 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes:
This recipe made 7 muffins using tulip cups. Put the cups into something to help them stand. I used a 12 well entremet pan which was perfect.
Doubling this recipe should be fine and if each tulip cup was filled to the top should make 12 muffins
Baking time was extended to 45-55 minutes, checking the inside temperature every 5 minutes. I used my ThermoPro being sure to poke it all the way to the bottom, which cooks last, but be sure not to touch the metal of the entremet pan.
I had an idea for making sandwich meringue cookies filled with raspberry curd folded into cream cheese whipped cream. I did not consider the effect of putting wet filling between to layers of meringue. (Bring a spoon.)
Making meringue cookies requires many egg whites. So what do you to with a bunch of egg yolks? Make creme patisserie, of course. What do you do with a bowl of creme patisserie? Make eclairs of course.
I did all of the above.
Choux Pastry
INGREDIENTS • 250g Water • 80g Butter cut into small pieces • 150g Bread Flour • 6 or 7 Eggs • 1/8 tsp Salt
METHOD
In a saucepan that can hold four times the quantity of liquid to be used, add the water, salt and the butter.
Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, stirring from time to time. Be sure the butter is completely melted before the water comes to a boil ; if not, a portion of the water will evaporate, rendering the batter too dry.
Remove the boiling water/butter mixture from the heat and add the flour (this is done off the heat to avoid excessive evaporation of the liquid). Make sure the flour is added all at once to avoid lumps.
Work the mixture with a spatula, moving slowly at first to avoid splashing the water or spilling out any of the flour. Work with the spatula at an angle to the mixture, to avoid splashing and ensure a smoother mixture. Once the mixture begins to stiffen, work it rapidly until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
Put the saucepan back on a high heat while working the batter rapidly with the spatula. Continue stirring until the mixture coats the bottom of the pan with a heavy film.
When working the batter over the heat, it is preferable to stop the process early rather than overworking.
Transfer the batter to a stand mixer bowl and beat at medium speed until it cools to 115 deg
Add one third of the eggs and mix until fully absorbed, then incorporate the remaining eggs carefully, one beaten egg at a time, until the desired consistency is obtained
The batter should form a ‘ribbon’. Take a small quantity of the batter on the end of the spatula and hold it 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) above the surface of the bowl, at a 45 degree angle. The batter should fall off slowly without breaking or running off as a liquid.
Run a finger through the batter at about 1 cm (1/2 in) depth. The indentation left in the batter should slowly close in on itself.
Take a small quantity of the pastry on the tip of the finger and hold the finger upright. The pastry should form a small hook at the end.
For large pastries and for individual-sizes, a #12 pastry tip should be used. For ‘petits fours’ pastries, use a #7 tip.
Be sure to arrange the pastries in staggered rows, to allow the heat of the oven to circulate among the individual pieces. – Brushing these pastries with egg wash improves their appearance. Be sure to use a very little egg wash. If too much is used, it drips down the sides, hardens during the cooking, and prevents the pastries from rising. Once the egg wash has been applied, lightly streak each pastry with the back of a fork that has been deep in cold water (to prevent sticking). That will even out the shapes of the pastries and break up the bubbles that may be trapped in the pastries, Wich would distort their shape during the cooking.
Places the pastries in a very hot oven preheated at 500 F. Turn it off and leave the pastries 15 min. Turn on the oven at 160 C (320 F) and bake the pastries for 15-20 more minutes. The choux must be golden brown and not light
The cooking of the pate å choux is complete when it is firm enough to not fall when taken from the oven. The pastries should have a golden brown color on all their surface and should be slightly paler on the sides. As soon as they come out the oven, it is best to remove them to a cake rack to cool. Otherwise, moisture is likely to accumulate on the bases and cause them to dampen and become soft. If, however, they seem too dry, it is best to cover them with a towel after transferring them onto cooling racks.
Meringue Raspberry and Cream Cheese Filled Cookies
INGREDIENTS
• 4 (120g) large RT egg whites
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 200g (1 c) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
METHOD
Preheat oven to 225F (105C) and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Combine egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large, completely clean, grease-free bowl.
Using a stand mixer with the whisk, stir on low speed until mixture becomes foamy then Increase speed to high.
With mixer on high, gradually add sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition until sugar is dissolved (about 15-20 seconds between each addition).
Beat until mixture is thick, shiny, and has increased in volume. Mixture should have stiff peaks and sugar should be completely dissolved (you can test this by rubbing a small bit of the mixture between your fingers, if it feels gritty, the sugar isn’t dissolved).
Stir in vanilla extract and any other extract you may like to use. If using food coloring, add the food coloring at this stage, too.
Fit a large disposable piping bag with a large tip and transfer meringue to prepared piping bag and pipe onto prepared cookie sheet. The meringue cookies can be pretty close to each other as they won’t spread, and you will want to bake all of the cookies at the same time, so make sure you make enough space.
Bake on 225F for 1 hour. Turn off the oven once the baking time has passed, and do not open the oven. Leave the oven door closed and allow cookies to cool completely in the oven (1-2 hours) before removing.
Meringue cookies should be crisp and can be stored in an airtight container. Keep away from heat and moisture as it can soften your meringues.
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
INGREDIENTS • 85g (3 oz) full-fat block RT cream cheese • 240g (1 c ) heavy cream, cold • 23g (3 Tbl) confectioners’ sugar • ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
METHOD
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and beat until completely smooth (absolutely no lumps!).
Add a few Tablespoons of the cold heavy cream, and beat until the mixture loosens and smooths out.
With the mixer running on low speed, slowly stream in the remaining heavy cream.
Increase to medium high speed and whip until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Spread or pipe as desired
I saw a recipe for an easy peach cobbler and used it as the basis of my version. As claimed, it was easy to make with minimal pans used, hence quick clean up. Not to mention it is delicious, but it’s peaches… so no surprise.
Peach Cobbler
INGREDIENTS • 4 Tbl unsalted butter • 400g (3 c) peeled and sliced peaches • 90g ( ¾ c all-purpose flour • 100g ( ½ c granulated sugar • 1 ½ tsp baking powder • ¾ tsp kosher salt • ¾ tsp ground cinnamon • 2/3 cup whole milk (I use a Tbl heavy cream and fill with 2% to 2/3 cup • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 100 g blueberries (optional)
METHOD
Line an 8×8” baking pan with parchment paper leaving a couple of inches extending over all four edges of the pan to make lifting the crumble out of the pan easier.
Add the butter on top of the parchment paper and set the baking dish in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Once the butter is melted, remove the baking dish from the oven (4-6 minutes.) Set the baking dish aside while preparing the batter.
In a medium sized bowl whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until completely mixed. Add the milk and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
Pour the batter into the baking dish with the melted butter. There is no need to stir. Add the sliced peaches (and optional blueberries) directly on top of the batter.
Bake in the preheated oven until the cobbler is golden and set in the middle, 45-55 minutes. The fruit will make the base wet. You may want to tent the pan after 40 minutes and let the crumble bake a few more minutes.
Once baked, remove from the oven and cool 15 minutes before serving.
I had a blackberry tart similar to this one at KAB in Vermont and wanted to try my hand, It was a great time making the tart shells (four times) until they were acceptable. (I used the rejects for my QC Cadre as they tasted great although not perfectly formed.
I followed the tart process from Hanbit Cho on YouTube. He explains everything very well (like Sally.) The cream cheese whipped cream is from Sally and the blackberry gel base is my own concoction.
Sift in powdered sugar, almond powder and corn starch. Beat lightly.
Add the RT eggs gradually and mix.
Finally, add in the cake flour and mix well.
Using a bench knife, “Fraiser” the dough by repeated smearing portions of it on the table.
Roll it out to 2mm/3mm thickness between parchment papers. (2mm thickness for 6~8cm diameter, 3mm thickness for 14~18cm thickness. Any other sizes, you decide)
Rest in the fridge for 1~2hrs.
Cut it out into strips/discs. Disks equal to tart ring diameter, strips ~ ¾” wide and 2” longer than tart ring circumference, ~14.5” for a 4” tart ring. (4” x π + 2”)
Coat the inside of the ring with butter
Position tart ring over a disk, press down to cut the dough disk and place on a perforated mat.
If the strips are too stiff to bend, warm slightly with your hands. Line the side of the tart ring with the disk. Glue any seams by warming with your finger.
Trim top of strip with a knife
Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Bake crust at 350⁰F for 15mins. (320⁰F
If you are to bake the tart crust again after adding any filling, then bake 2-3mins less. (~12-13mins.)
Add ¼ cup of filling to par baked tart and bake for 12 minutes.
Blackberry Jelly Recipe For Baked Tarts
INGREDIENTS
• 725g mashed blackberries
• 130g granulated sugar
• 1 – 1 ½ tsp corn starch
• 2 Tbl lemon juice
METHOD
Place clean blackberries, 2 Tbl water and 30g of sugar in a large, deep pot.
Heat to break down the berries, about 10 minutes
Use an immersion blender to process the berries until they are completely broken down and juicy. Let sit 10 min.
Pour the pureed mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or a dampened cheesecloth into a large measuring cup. Press gently and scrape the bottom of the sieve with a spatula. Let the puréed berries drain for an hour, stirring occasionally, to extract as much of dark, clear juice as possible; discard the seeds. (600g whole berries yielded 337g juice.) If necessary, add water to make 1 cup.
Transfer the juice to a clean jar. Set aside to complete later, or return to a clean sauce pan and continue with step 6.
Stir in the lemon juice and butter.
Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) over high heat.
Stir in the rest of the sugar all at once. (Depending on how much juice was collected the amount of sugar may need to be adjusted.) Return the mixture to a full rolling boil.
Thicken with cornstarch (best for baked tarts) If you want to bake the filling directly inside the raw or partially baked tart shell, cornstarch will give you a glossy, stable set that does not break down under high heat.
Use 1 to 1½ tablespoons of cornstarch for every 1 cup of blackberry jelly.
Whisk the cornstarch into 1 tablespoon of cold water or lemon juice until smooth.
Stir the slurry into your jelly in a saucepan over medium heat, bring it to a boil, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until thick and clear.
Let the mixture cool slightly before pouring it into your tart shell and baking
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
INGREDIENTS • 85g (3 oz) full-fat block RT cream cheese • 240g (1 c ) heavy cream, cold • 23g (3 Tbl) confectioners’ sugar • ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract METHOD
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and beat until completely smooth (absolutely no lumps!).
Add a few Tablespoons of the cold heavy cream, and beat until the mixture loosens and smooths out.
With the mixer running on low speed, slowly stream in the remaining heavy cream. Increase to mediumhigh speed and whip until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Spread or pipe as desired.
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.
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.
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.
