Homemade Puffy Pastry for Baking Partners & APRICOT RUM RAISINS

This month we’re trying our hand at homemade puff pastry.  Gotta tell you I’ve done this before and everyone should try it at least once, but I now have no problem spending the extra money for Pepperidge Farm to do it for me.

This recipe is suggested by Sangeetha Priya of Nitha Kitchen. She made homemade spinach pinwheels, but I am just not into spinach that much so I changed mine to a sweet pastry – APRICOT PINEAPPLE DANISH.
 

HOMEMADE PUFF PASTRY    Recipe Source :- BBCFood 
You can make the pastry a day before and store in refrigerator or freeze it for longer use!!!

2 cups strong plain flour (I use King Arthur)
1 cup butter at room temperature, but not soft
1 teaspoon sea salt (I used Makrut Lime Sea Salt from Savory Spice Shop
2/3 cup cold water
  • Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the flour and pour in about two-thirds of the cold water, mixing until you have a firm rough dough adding extra water if needed.
  • You can use food processor/blender at this time.
  • Turn out onto a lightly floured board, knead gently and form into a smooth rectangle.
  • Cover with cling film and leave to rest for at least 20 mins in the fridge. Overnight works too.
  • Roughly break the butter in small chunks, use two parchment paper and chunk them loosely. You need to see bits of butter.
  • Using Knife or scale and bring it to shape and store in refrigerator with the same parchment paper till use.
  • Now roll the dough with thick center, place the butter at center and seal it properly.
  • Roll the dough in one direction only, until 3 times the width, about 20 x 50cm.
  • Keep edges straight and even.
    DON’T OVERWORK THE BUTTER STREAKS – YOU SHOULD HAVE A MARBLED EFFECT.
  • Fold the top third down to the center, then the bottom third up and over that.
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  • Give the dough a quarter turn (to the left or right) and roll out again to three times the length.
  • Fold as before, cover with cling film and chill for at least 20 mins before rolling to use.
  • Roll and fold four more times, chilling after two.
  • You can fold 4 times the previous day and then next day you can fold two times.
  • In the whole process brush off the excess flour over the pastry dough.
  • Chill the dough for an hour or more before using.
NOTE:
  1. When you feel the dough is sticky just chill in refrigerator before the next fold.
  2. You can check out this video for making the puff pastry.

 

I tried a design and wasn’t totally thrilled with it, but I’ll go back to a rope design next time.

APRICOT RUM RAISINS

1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons yeast
4 eggs, beaten
7 1/2 cups flour
  • In a saucepan melt butter.
  • Add milk and water whisking until smooth consistency and JUST boiling.
  • Cool 5-10 minutes so you don’t kill the yeast.
  • Add the sugar, salt and yeast to form a sponge like blob.
  • Add the eggs until uniform consistency.
  • In a mixer with a dough hook attached, combine flour and yeast mixture.
  • Knead well. Put in refrigerator for at least several hours, but overnight is better.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Roll a ball of dough the size of a golf ball into a rope and coil into a circle. Make sure the center is thinner than the outer edges to hold the filling in. Sometimes I prefer squares, but you just have to work with your dough after you have it coiled.
  • Fill with a heaping tablespoon of filling per danish (recipe below).
  • Let rise an hour in a warm place.
  • Bake 15 minutes.
  • Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting (see below). If you prefer a drizzle thin out this frosting with a couple extra tablespoons of milk until desired consistency.
Cream cheese apricot raisin filling
1 bag large dried apricots, chopped

1/2 cup golden raisins, chopped
1/4 cup golden rum

  • Soak apricots and raisins in rum for an hour or overnight.
  • Drain off rum.
  • Set aside.
8oz pkg cream cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoons grated orange peel
  • Blend cream cheese, egg, powdered sugar and orange peel together until smooth.
  • Fold in apricots and raisins into the cream cheese mixture. Or my favorite is to fill them as 2 separate fillings with the cream cheese first and the apricot in the center of that.

Cream Cheese Frosting
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

  • In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  • Add lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until blended.
  • Add powdered sugar gradually until well blended and smooth.
  • Ice first layer and then add 2nd cake top and ice again including sides of cake.
  • Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing before serving.

 

 

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LEMON APPLE CRISP

LEMON APPLE CRISP

CRISP
2-3 large Granny Smith apples (4 Cups)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup apple juice

TOPPING
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 small box Cook & Serve Lemon Pudding (NOT instant)

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large mixing bowl combine all CRISP ingredients and mix well. Pour into an un-greased stoneware pan.
In a mixing bowl combine the topping ingredients and mix until crumbly.
Sprinkle topping over apple mixture.
Bake 45-60 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is crisp and golden.
Serve warm with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream.

BLUEBERRY COBBLER

Remember this recipe for Banana Cobbler?  We loved it.  But what I personally loved was the basic template of the recipe.  So tonight I tried the same base recipe, but traded out bananas for blueberries and you know what? It was awesome.  But what was really awesome was that even though the base was the same, the flavor was unique!

BLUEBERRY COBBLER    Author: 

1 cup self rising flour
¾ cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick butter, melted
1 bag frozen blueberries or 2 boxes of fresh

¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 stick butter, softened (next time I’ll use 6 tablespoons)
½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon (I added)
½ cup self rising flour
1 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I added)

  • In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and milk until smooth.
  • Add the melted butter.
  • Spread the batter into a greased 11X7 pan.
  • Slice bananas evenly over batter.
  • In another bowl, combine remaining ingredients.
  • Sprinkle over bananas.
  • Bake at 375 ˚ for 40 minutes or until filling bubbles.
  • Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

COCONUT ALMOND PEAR TART

COCONUT ALMOND PEAR TART
Adapted from BAKING FROM MY HOME TO YOURS by Dorie Greenspan

3 medium pears, firm but ripe
1 lemon
4 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup ground blanched almonds
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 large egg

2 teaspoons coconut rum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 partially-baked 9-inch tart shell, made with Sweet Tart Dough (see below), at room temperature
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting, or apple jelly for glazing
whipped cream
toasted coconut

  • Make the sweet dough recipe below first!
  • Peel pears, but leave them whole.
  • Bring the 4 cups water, the 1 1/4 cups sugar and the juice of the lemon to a boil in a saucepan just large enough to hold the pears.
  • Add the pears to the boiling syrup, lower the heat so the syrup simmers and gently poach the pears until they are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.
  • Cool the pears to room temperature in the syrup.
To make the almond cream:
  • Cream the butter and sugar in the food processor until the mixture is smooth and satiny.
  • Add the ground almonds and continue to process until well blended.
  • Add the flour and cornstarch, process, and then add the egg. Process until almond cream is smooth and consistent.
  • Add the rum and vanilla and process just to blend.
  • Place the almond cream in a container and refrigerate it until firm.

  • Center rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line a jelly roll pan with a silicone mat.
  • Cut the pears in half from blossom to stem and core them; make sure to pat the pears dry – really dry – so that their liquid won’t keep the almond cream from baking.
  • Fill the baked crust with the almond cream, spreading it even with a spatula.
  • Thinly slice each pear half crosswise, lift each half on a spatula, press down on the pear to fan it slightly and place it, wide-end toward the edge of the crust, over the almond cream. The halves will form spokes.
  • Put the crust on the lined baking sheet.
  • Bake the tart 50 to 60 minutes, or until the almond cream puffs up around the pears and browns.
  • Transfer the tart to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature before unmolding.
Right before serving, dust the tart with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream sprinkled with toasted coconut.

SWEET TART DOUGH
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (4 1/2 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup sweet flaked toasted coconut

To make the dough:

  • Put the flour, powdered sugar and salt in the food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine.
  • Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut in coarsely – you’ll have pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pea-size pieces and that’s just fine.
  • Beat the egg slightly, and gradually add it, pulsing after each addition.
  • When all of the egg has been added, process in long pulses – about 10 seconds each – until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds.
  • Turn the dough out onto a work surface.
  • Very lightly and sparingly – make that very, very lightly and sparingly – knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.
  • Butter the tart pan and press the dough evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
  • Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

APPLE RHUBARB BROWN BETTY

2 to 3 stalks rhubarb, trimmed well (3 Cups)
1 small loaf white bread (6 ounces), crusts removed (3+ cups)
1 stick butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons sliced thin
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into thin wedges
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cut rhubarb into 1/4-inch-thick cubes.
  • Tear bread into 1/2-inch pieces.
  • Spray a shallow 1-quart baking dish with PURE.
  • In medium bowl, combine melted butter and bread pieces; cover bottom of dish with 1 to 1 1/2 cups bread pieces.
  • In another bowl, combine rhubarb, apple, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice.   Grate zest; add to mixture.
  • Let sit until juices begin to run, about 5 minutes.
  • Spread half of rhubarb mixture over bread pieces.
  • Sprinkle with 1 cup more bread pieces.
  • Add remaining rhubarb mixture and juices; cover with remaining bread pieces.
  • Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar.
  • Dot with 2 tablespoons butter slices.
  • Cover; bake 25 to 35 minutes on the middle rack, until rhubarb is tender.
  • Increase heat to 400 degrees; uncover, and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until rhubarb is soft, top is crusty, and juices begin to bubble at edges of baking dish.
  • Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

ANGEL WINGS with BANANA DROPS & STRAWBERRY KISSES

I had something similar in a restaurant in Carmel a few years back, well by similar I mean that it had the angel food cake and strawberries. I embellished a bit by adding the bananas, mocha hot fudge and caramel sauce, but I think a little decadence is good. All in all the hot fudge and caramel are the only caloric portions of this dessert. It LOOKS more decadent than it is!

What do you get when you use these ingredients?

ANGEL WINGS with BANANA DROPS & STRAWBERRY KISSES
1 slice angel food cake per person*
3 strawberries per person
1/2 banana per person
2 tablespoons Mocha Hot Fudge Sauce per person
2 tablespoons Caramel Sauce per person
whipped cream

  • Slice cake in half diagonally and arrange on plate.
  • Sprinkle banana slices and strawberry slices randomly around angel food cake pieces.
  • Pour

*I like to make loaf angel food cakes for this recipe

STRAWBERRY KIWI BUTTERMILK SHORTCAKE

This is even better when you take the time to make fresh whipped cream or homemade vanilla ice cream to go with it.

GLAZE
2 baskets fresh strawberries, sliced
2 kiwis, chopped
1 cup pureed strawberries*
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons KARO light corn syrup
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup water

BUTTERMILK SHORTCAKE
2 cups flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
dash of salt
4 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup butter, softened, but not melted
¾ cup buttermilk**

  • Mix together 1 cup sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch and water in a 2 quart sauce pan, cover and bring to a slow boil. 
  • When you reach a boil remove the lid. Add the 1 cup pureed strawberries and boil a few minutes more.  Chill 10-15 minutes.  After the sauce is chilled, pour over the fruit and toss gently.  Return to the refrigerator to continue chilling. 
  • Sift the dry ingredients together. Add the milk and butter and mix well into a soft dough. DO NOT over knead – it will become tough. 
  • Grease an 8 inch pie pan really well. Gently arrange dough into an even mound and pre-cut into your serving portions before baking. 
  • Bake at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick done and golden brown. 
  • Slice each shortcake open, dot with a thin layer of honey, arrange on plate and top with a scoop of the  strawberry kiwi glaze and vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

*I use the less than pretty berries for the puree.

**As a substitute, Buttermilk can be made by adding 2 tablespoons of vinegar to regular milk.

STRAWBERRY PIZZA

STRAWBERRY PIZZA
1 package Pillsbury pie dough (or homemade if you have time)

2 eggs
8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar + 3-4 tablespoons

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pound strawberries, cleaned and sliced
whipped cream

  • In a medium mixing bowl sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of sugar over sliced strawberries and toss. Set aside.
  • Cut out 4 – 5 inch rounds.
  • Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
  • Cool.
  • In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese, eggs, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla. Beat until well blended.
  • Bake cream cheese mixture 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
  • Spread over “pizza” rounds.
  • Top with spoonfuls of strawberries.
  • Add whipped cream and top with Caramel Sauce and Mocha Hot Fudge Sauce.

RUSTIC APPLE DUMPLINGS with MOCHA CARAMEL SAUCE

I made a less than appetizing dinner the other night trying to clean out the refrigerator and while hubby was as diplomatic as possible, I felt bad. He has always been a wonderful guinea pig. So I had 2 apples and a can of refrigerator biscuits that all still needed to be used. Here is what I made:


RUSTIC APPLE DUMPLINGS with MOCHA CARAMEL SAUCE

I peeled, cored and chopped the apples. Next time I’ll add rum soaked raisins.
Then I sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar and tossed them well.

I flattened each of the biscuits with a little additional flour.
Topped 5 of them with the apple mixture.

Then draped the apple mixture with another flattened biscuit.
I brushed each one with butter, sprinkled with a little cinnamon sugar and baked 10-12 minutes.

After they were baked I topped them with Mocha Caramel sauce and voile’ my family loved me again. Next time I will also add a creme chantilly sauce.

CREME CHANTILLY SAUCE
1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon apple brandy 
1 1/2 to 3 teaspoons sugar

  • Beat cream in medium sized chilled bowl with chilled beaters until soft peaks form.
  • Ad brandy and sugar to taste, beating until stiff peaks form. DO NOT OVER BEAT!
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve.

MOCHA CARAMEL SAUCE

1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

  • Combine the cream and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Remove from the heat.
  • In a medium saucepan cook the corn syrup over a medium heat until bubbly. Fold in 1/4 cup of the sugar and continue to cook until the edges begin to turn a light amber color. Add in 1/4 cup sugar more and repeat until all the sugar is blended in. Continue cooking until amber color darkens stirring constantly.
  • Remove from the heat and carefully fold in the cream mixture.
  • Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until caramel is bubbling.
  • Toss in the milk chocolate chips and blend until smooth.
  • Serve warm.

MAGIC MARSHMALLOW CRESCENT PUFFS with a TWIST

The original recipe that won the Pillsbury Grand Prize Winner of $25,000 in 1969 seems to be surfacing everywhere lately. I have finally decided to give it a try by adding my own signature twist.
This recipe was the Pillsbury Grand Prize Winner of $25,000 in 1969 for a very good reason, it really is magical. The cinnamon-sugar marshmallows melt away during the baking, leaving an ooey-gooey caramel center behind. And while they are delicious warm from the oven I defy anyone seeing a baked one for the first time to identify the inigredients that made the whole or to resist even a cold one especially now that they leave an ooey gooey caramel chocolate center behind. The BIG trick is making sure that the marshmallow is wrapped really well inside and sealed tight.

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon
2-8 ounce cans Pillsbury Refrigerated Quick Crescent Dinner Rolls
16 large marshmallows
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped nuts
16 cherry HERSHEY’S KISSES*
crushed walnuts, optional
  • Combine sugar with cinnamon.
  • Separate crescent dough into 16 triangles.
  • Push a cherry Kiss into the center of each marshmallow
  • Dip marshmallow in melted butter and then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  • Wrap a dough triangle around each marshmallow, completely covering marshmallow and squeezing edges of dough tightly to seal.
  • Dip in melted butter and place in regular sized muffin cups.
  • Roll in crushed walnuts.
  • Repeat with remaining marshmallows.
  • Place pan on foil or on a cookie sheet during baking to guard against spill-overs in the oven.
  • Bake puffs at 375 degrees for 10 – 14 minutes until golden brown.
  • Wait a minute or two, then remove from pans and drizzle with glaze and sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.

GLAZE PREP

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 teaspoons milk
  • combine powdered sugar, vanilla and milk, and mix well.
  • drizzle
*Also good with other flavor HERSHEY kisses.

KITCHEN UTENSILS ~ COOKING TOOLS OR GADGETS?

Kitchen utensils and/or gadgets is one of those subjective topics.  Each and every cook has “their” set of indispensable kitchen tools.  Let’s face it, they are tools, but in our case they are fun tools and everyone’s idea of fun is a bit different.  I’m going to give you my idea of “essential” tools, but you’ll have to develop your own list based on your own experience, perceptions and expectations.  I have been known to use many “tools” for other than their intended use with great results.  I’m a little like MacGyver in the kitchen ~ whatever works to get the job done is fine by me.   To me, gadgets are dust collectors though many other people may use their gadgets with great success.
  1. Cutting Boards ~ I have several and always use a fresh one when changing from meat to vegetable.
  2. Mortar & Pestle ~ Mortars and pestles were traditionally used in pharmacies to crush various ingredients.  Mortars are also used in cooking to prepare ingredients like grinding herbs into finer powders.
  3. Salad Spinner ~ I like my salads dry and love a good salad spinner from OXO.
  4. Juicer ~ I use a small manual juicer that works great.
  5. Colanders ~ I have 3 sizes of stainless steel colanders- small, medium and large and love having the choice!
  6. Kitchen timer ~ I’ve tried them all, but prefer my Pampered chef electronic one.  It’s the only one I seem to be able to hear all over the house.
  7. A couple of nice pairs of tongs.  I like my Williams Sonoma tongs with the locking hinge.
  8. A selection of slotted spoons in various sizes.
  9. A selection of non-slotted spoons in various aizes.
  10. A selection of flexible spatulas in various sizes.  As I replace them I select a silicone heat resistant version of what I previously had.
  11. A selection of pancake turner style spatulas.
  12. A selection of ladles in various sizes.
  13. Potato Masher.
  14. Vegetable Peeler.
  15. A good whisk and a couple of Pampered chef mini-whisks.
  16. Meat Thermometer.
  17. Candy Thermometer.
  18. Pampered chef pan scrappers.
  19. A rolling pin.
  20. Biscuit cutters.
  21. 2 sizes of hand held graters and a smaller rasp style for herb and spices.
  22. Garlic Press.
  23. Pastry Brush.
  24. Pastry Cutter/Blender.
  25. At least one set of stainless steel measuring cups.
  26. At least 2 sets of stainless steel measuring spoons.
  27. Several sizes (2, 4, 8 cup) glass measuring cups.
  28. 3 sizes sieves.
  29. Several silicone “wooden” spoons.
  30. Turkey baster.
  31. Pastry Bag and tips.
  32. Cookie Spatula.
  33. Pizza cutter.
  34. Vegetable/Steamer insert.
  35. And just for Martha K, good quality sharp knives which we will look at next week. 🙂

BLACK FOREST CUPS
1 sheet puff pastry
1 can Comstock cherries
2 tablespoons Rum
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup milk chocolate chips
3-4 tablespoons butter

  • Thaw pastry sheet for 40 minutes. 
  • Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. 
  • Combine sugar and cinnamon. 
  • Unfold pastry sheet onto lightly floured surface. 
  • Top with floured sheet of wax paper and roll slightly larger. 
  • Cut into 12-3 inch squares. 
  • Press 1 piece into each muffin cup. 
  • Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. 
  • In the microwave melt the butter and chocolate together – stir well. 
  • Place a spoonful of chocolate mixture in the center of each one, reserving enough for drizzle. 
  • Mix together the Comstock cherries and rum. 
  • Divide cherry mix in the center of each. 
  • Bake 12 minutes or until golden. 
  • Drizzle with remaining chocolate mixture. 
  • Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. 
  • Remove from pan and cool another 10 minutes.

CHEESECAKE APPLE CRISP

CHEESECAKE APPLE CRISP

CRISP
2-3 large Granny Smith apples (4 Cups)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup apple juice

TOPPING
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 small box cheesecake flavored instant pudding

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine all CRISP ingredients and mix well. Pour into an un-greased stoneware pan.
  • In a mixing bowl combine the topping ingredients and mix until crumbly.
  • Sprinkle topping over apple mixture.
  • Bake 45-60 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is crisp and golden.
  • Serve warm with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream.