Herbal Dynasty Chai Scottish Shortbread

The time has come. I've infused my butter, and now I get to make tea treats!! First up: shortbread cookies. These seemed like the perfect first foray into tea-infused treats. (Don't worry, I have big plans for cupcakes too!) So, I went through my tea selection and pulled out my Herbal Dynasty Chai from Sereneteaz . This is a really delicious, light chai made with roobios tea, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon & vanilla. It's almost floral, and a good introduction for the non-chai drinkers out there.

I'm pleasantly surprised how these turned out since I've never fully adapted a recipe for myself before. But, they have an excellent, delicate texture with a sweet, tea flavor. I'm thinking over the next couple days the tea flavor will become slightly more pronounced, but it unfolds nicely in your mouth as you eat the cookie. I would like to try this with some other tea varieties.

Tea-Infused Scottish Shortbread
recipe adapted from The Joy of Cooking 75th Anniversary Cookbook

Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus time to infuse the butter with tea)
Total Time: About 1 hour
Yields: 24 - 2" x 1" bars

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup (1 1/2 sticks) tea-infused butter, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (plus 1 to 2 tsp, reserved for later)
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
• splash of good-quality vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, beat together butter, powdered sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, salt & vanilla.
3. Gently stir-in the all purpose flour.
4. Lightly knead the mixture until it is well blended.
5. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 8-inch square baking pan. Pierce the dough deeply with a fork all over in a decorative pattern. Then sprinkle with 1 to 2 tsp of sugar.
6. Bake until the shortbread is lightly browned and darker at the edges, 45 to 50 minutes.
7. Immediately cut into bars while still warm, then cool in the pan or on a rack.

Enjoy!!

Spring is in the air with Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

I love love love strawberry-rhubarb pie. If you've read other posts, you know it's hard for me to find people to eat fruit pie with. (well ... not hard, but nobody that lives in my apartment will eat a cooked fruit pie with me) But I was having a girls day the other day, and I had some rhubarb that I had picked up at the lovely and vibrant Union Square Farmer's Market. The rhubarb was just calling to me, I had to cook it.

I've never made a strawberry-rhubarb pie, but it's one of my favorites. Now, when I mentioned I was making this I got many questions asking "what exactly is rhubarb?". Basically it's a plant that is reddish green. Stalk sizes vary, the smaller the stalks the more tender. The leaves are toxic, but I've never bought it with the stalks on. Rhubarb has a nice tang to it, which is why it is usually paired with something sweeter such as strawberries. And there you have it in a nutshell. If you really want to know more, here is the Wikipedia article.

This pie is nice and light and tasty. And I forgot to take pictures. I guess you know what that means, I'll just have to make it again while rhubarb is still in season! But I wanted to share this with you now. So stay tuned. I'll get you pics.


Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Prep time: 20 minutes plus time to prepare the crust
Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes plus cooling time

Ingredients

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch lengths (5 - 6 cups) [NOTE: if the rhubarb is about the size of celery or smaller, you don't need to peel it]
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups plus 1 TBS sugar
• 1 recipe Double-Crust Pie Dough
• 1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered
  
• 2 tsp grated orange zest (optional, but really .... is it?)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 TBS arrowroot (this is a thickener ... you can get it in the spice section of the grocery store)
  
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten

Directions

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the rhubarb and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb has shed most of it's liquid but is still firm, about 5 minutes. Spread the cooked rhubarb out over a plate and refrigerate until cool.
3. Meanwhile, roll out the crust to two 12-inch circles. Place the bottom crust into the pie plate.
   
4. Toss the cooled rhubarb, strawberries, orange zest and vanilla together. Mix 3/4 cup of the sugar, the arrowroot and the salt together. Then sprinkle the sugar mixture over the fruit and toss thoroughly. Add up to 4 more tablespoons of sugar if the fruit tastes tart.
5. Spread the fruit mixture in the unbaked pie crust bottom and pack it tightly.
6. Lay the top crust over the fruit, seal and crimp the edges, and cut eight vent holes (as opposed to the usual 4). Brush the crust with the egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 1 TBS sugar.
7. Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and lower the oven temp to 425 degrees F. Bake until the top crust is golden, about 25 minutes.
8. Rotate the baking sheet and reduce the oven temp again to 375 degrees F, and continue to bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool to room temp before serving.

The pie can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil, for up to 2 days.

A NOTE ABOUT PIE CRUST:
So, I've started enjoying making pie crust. It's pretty simple (or at least I think). Though, sometimes it's difficult to get a nice crusty dough and it's really easy to overwork the dough. That, and it does take some time. Some days I just don't have the time or desire to make my own pie dough. When that happens I like to use the Pillsbury Just Unroll and Bake pie crust. You can find it in the refrigerated section. It's pretty cheap and quite good!

Okay...enjoy this pie! You can have it plain, with a nice vanilla ice cream, or perhaps some whipped cream. It's really amazing just slightly warm.

Almond Spritz Cookies

These may not sound like a lot ... but they are like crack. And incredibly easy to make. But mostly like crack. It's hard to eat just one!

This is a simple cookie press recipe that you can whip out in a very short amount of time. Don't have a cookie press? I'm sure you could find a way to make these anyhow, but the dough is incredibly soft and sticky. I'd reckon that these would be perfect for a nice afternoon tea, or with a dollop of sorbet for a light summer desert!

Almond Spritz Cookies
adapted from my Cookie Press Cookbook

Prep Time: 10 - 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yields: 3 dzn cookies

Ingredients

• 8 TBS (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 TBS granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the flat beater (or with a hand mixer), beat together the butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extract on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour a little at a time, beating until well blended.
3. Fill the cookie press with dough according to the instructions and fit with the desired-shaped disk. Press the dough out onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing the cooking about 1 inch apart.
4. Bake until the cookies are firm to the touch, about 10 minutes.
5. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. Cookies may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Yum!!

Heaven = Nutella Cake

Okay, for those of you out there that love chocolate & hazelnuts...this is the cake for you!! It's a flourless chocolate cake that incorporates, you guessed it, Nutella. It is the perfect cake - not too heavy, delicate, and delicious. It's also not that difficult but very impressive sounding, so a good cake to take with you to a holiday party. The other beauty about this cake is it doesn't have very many ingredients! And...I'm not an expert, but I believe that it's flour-less status by default makes this gluten-free? Though I think the Nutella may make it not-so. If your really interested, you should Google it.

So here you have it:

Nutella Cake

Ingredients - For the Cake

• 6 large eggs, separated
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 - 13-oz container of Nutella
• 1 TBS rum
• 1/2 cup finely ground hazelnuts
• 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted & cooled

For the Ganache:

• 4 oz whole hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 TBS rum
• 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Getting down to baking:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; butter a 9-inch springform pan.
2. In a large bowl (preferably metal, but I use glass and it works out just fine), whisk the egg whites and salt until stiff. In another bowl, cream the butter & Nutella, then add the rum, egg yolks, and ground hazelnuts. Fold in the melted chocolate.
3. Add a blob of beaten egg whites to the chocolate batter, and mix gently until well-combined. Fold in the remaining eggs whites, one-third at a time, very gently but thoroughly. Pour into springform pan and bake for 40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a tester, which should come out mostly clean; lightly pressing a finger into the top to check for a slight bouncing-back; and observing edges beginning to separate from the pan. Let cool completely, in the pan, on a rack.
4. Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet, shaking them around frequently, for about 5 minutes or until they are lightly browned, then let cool completely. If the hazelnuts came with the skins on, put them in a kitchen towel after toasting and rub around; this will remove the skins, if you are diligent. I never have the patience, so just get as much skin off as I can and have partially-skinned hazelnuts crowning my cake.
5. Chop the chocolate, and add to a sauce pan with cream and rum over medium-low heat. Once the chocolate is melted and components are combined, whisk until the mixture reaches its desired thickness, then cool.
6. Remove the rim of the cake pan and pour cooled ganache over, spreading lightly to create a smooth, shiny surface, and apply hazelnuts all over. Let the ganache settle and meld with the top of the cake, resting for about an hour, before serving. Goes well with a nice cup of coffee!

Enjoy!!

Gingersnaps

I wasn't really thinking when I was baking, so I apologize for the lack of photos on this one...

The gingersnap is one of my favorite cookies - and I think it's perfect for this time of year! Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of gingerbread men. I do love me some gingerbread, and gingersnaps. But it's something about the texture with those little men and a lack of ... pop with the flavor.

I made these for a little cookie swap I went to over the weekend. It's a simple cookie with pizazz, and easy to make to boot. So, without further ado...

Gingersnaps
(Courtesy of the Betty Crocker Cookbook)
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake time: 8 to 10 mins per sheet
Yield: About 4 dozen

Ingredients
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
Granulated Sugar

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Beat the brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. (These can also be mixed with a spoon) Stir in the remaining ingredients except for the granulated sugar.
3. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
4. Shape the dough by the rounded teaspoonfuls into balls. Dip tops into granulated sugar. Place balls, sugared sides up, about 3 inches apart on cookie sheet.
5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until just set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

These cookies are best the next day after the flavors have had time to meld...

Enjoy with some sorbet or a nice cup of tea!!

Fall is in the Air! Pumpkin Spice Scones

You may not know this about me...but I love fall. It's my favorite season, followed very closely by spring. Something about the transitions..I just love it!

This fall I've embraced the various seasonal foods. I'll take the next couple of days to catch you up to what's been in my kitchen. But let's start with what I made most recently. We just had a house-guest. I feel that whenever possible, fresh baked goods should await a house-guest. It's just how I was raised. And this was a special house-guest, it was Matt's best friend Richard. He was in town so the boys could attend WhiskyFest NYC. (side note...if any of you are interested in whisky check out Matt's blog http://whiskeyapostle.com)

So...in honor of fall, and Richard, I made some pumpkin scones. Now, I'm not really a scone girl. I don't know if it's the taste or the texture or if it's just a mental block. There's something about the word scone that sets me a bit on edge. But we were just at a fantastic b&b upstate (Creek Locks Bed & Breakfast) that had scones one morning for breakfast, so I guess scones were on the brain. And I've been eating as much pumpkin and butternut squash as I can get my hands on lately, so...I decided to scone it up. I think part of the reasoning for this was a somewhat sub-par pumpkin bread I made last week.

I'm totally scavenging this recipe from another cooking blog, so think what you will of me. But below you will find the recipe for Pumpkin Spice Scones. If you want a more thorough accounting of the process went to to make these scones, then please feel free to visit the other blog - it's quite interesting! I somewhat followed the recipe. I added a little more pumpkin then called for, and that was about it. As previously stated...I love pumpkin.


Courtesy of Pinch My Salt
(This recipe takes about 15 minutes to come together and 15-20 minutes to bake)
(Makes 8 scones)

Pumpkin Spice Scones
* 1 C. all purpose flour
* 1 C. cake flour
* 1 1/2 t. baking powder
* 1/2 t. salt
* 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
* 1/2 t. ground nutmeg
* 1/4 t. ground allspice
* 1/4 t. ground ginger
* 6 T. unsalted butter
* 1/2 C. raisins (optional)
* 1/3 C. pumpkin puree
* 1/3 C. heavy cream
* 6 T. brown sugar
* 1 t. vanilla

Plus ingredients for icing (see below)

* 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Get out a baking sheet and line with parchment paper (not required but makes cleanup easy!).

1a. Cut the butter into small pieces, put it in a small bowl and put it back in the refrigerator.

1b. In a medium bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, salt, and all spices. Whisk together well. Place bowl in freezer (refrigerator is fine if you have no room in freezer).

* 2. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, heavy cream, brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk together well. Put this bowl in freezer (or refrigerator) and take the other bowl back out.

2a. Get the butter pieces out of the fridge and dump them into the bowl with the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or rub it in with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the raisins if you are using them.

* 3. Get the liquid mixture out of the freezer and pour into the flour mixture all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is just moistened. The dough will be very crumbly, this is the way it should be.

3a. Turn the mixture out onto the counter and push the pile together with your hands. It should stick together fairly well. Knead it just a couple of times until everything is together. Don’t knead it too much or the dough will get too sticky.

* 4. Pat the dough out into a rough circle, 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Cut it like a pie into 8 pieces. Place pieces on the baking sheet so that they are not touching.

4a. Bake scones for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees. They should be light brown on the bottom, the tops will darken as they cool.

* Icing:
- For ginger molasses icing:
*Stir together 1 C. powdered sugar, 1 T. molasses, 1-2 T. milk, and 1/4 – 1/2 t. ground ginger (to taste). Adjust the
amount of sugar or milk to make the icing the consistency you want. It should be pretty thick.
- For cinnamon icing:
*Stir together 1 C. powdered sugar, 2 T. milk, 1/4 – 1/2 t. cinnamon (to taste). Again, adjust amounts to change
consistency. Icing can be brushed on or drizzled.

Now, this recipe has two options: with raisins & without, and thus two frosting options. I went sans fruit (the ill-fated pumpkin bread last week had dried cranberries and I just wasn't having it) and the suggested molasses-ginger icing. The icing was divine. I made the scones/frosting the night before and I feel like the ginger flavor intensified slightly overnight, but not in a way that made it overpowering. It would make me nervous to go too heavy on the ginger however. I may or may not have overmixed my scones slightly, as the dough was somewhat sticky when I got to transferring it to the baking pan. However, this gave it a surprisingly nice muffin texture.

So there you have it...perfect for any fall morning sunny and warm or dreary and drizzly.



Enjoy!!