Apricot Fried Pies

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Ingredients:

1/2 recipe rough puff pastry

5 apricots

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preparation:

Remove stones from apricots and dice.  Sprinkle with granulated sugar and stir.  Let set.

Roll out pastry to 1/8 inch thick.  Cut out 4" or 5" rounds.  Roll rounds paper thin.  Place a tablespoon of apricots in center of round.  Moisten edges and fold in half.  Press with fingers or fork to seal well.  Chill pies for at least 30 minutes.

Place an inch of oil in heavy bottomed pan (i.e. cast iron).  Heat oil to 365 degrees.  Place a few pies in oil and fry until golden brown turning as necessary.  Drain on rack and dust with confectioner's sugar.  Serve while still warm.

Variation:

Pies may be baked in a 400 degree oven on a parchment lined baking sheet until puffed and golden brown.  Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar while warm.

History:

As a child my grandmother made apricot fried pies when my uncle's tree over produced apricots.  While searching for a recipe for these pies, I was surprised to find that "fried pies" are a Texan specialty.  My grandmother and mother were from Texas.

Baklava

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Ingredients:

Sugar Syrup

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup honey

1 Tbs. lemon juice

3 large strips lemon zest

1 cinnamon stick

5 whole cloves

1/8 tsp. salt

            Nut Filling

8 ounces blanched slivered almonds

4 ounces walnuts
2 Tbs. sugar

1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/8 tsp. salt

            Pastry and Butter

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks),

  clarified and cooled slightly

1 pound frozen phyllo, thawed (13" x 18" sheets)

Preparation:

Use a straight-sided traditional (not non-stick) metal baking pan.  Make sure phyllo is fully thawed before use; leave it in the refrigerator overnight or on the countertop for four to five hours.

1. For the Sugar Syrup: Bring all ingredients to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Transfer syrup to 2-cup liquid measuring cup and let cool completely. Discard spices and zest; set aside.

2. For the nut filling: Pulse almonds in food processor until very finely chopped, about 20 pulses; transfer to bowl. Pulse walnuts in food processor until very finely chopped, about 15 pulses; transfer to bowl with almonds and toss to combine. Measure out 1 tablespoon nuts and set aside for garnish. Add sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt to nut mixture and toss well to combine.

3. For the pastry: Brush 13 by 9 inch traditional pan with butter.  Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. unwrap and unfold phyllo on large cutting board; carefully smooth with hands to flatten.  Cut phyllo in half to make13" x 9" sheets and trip ends to fit pan.  Lay 1 phyllo sheet in bottom of buttered 13 by 9-inch baking pan and brush thoroughly with butter. Repeat with 7 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter (you should have total of 8 layers of phyllo).

4. Sprinkle 1 cup nut filling evenly over phyllo. Cover nut filling with 7 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter, then sprinkle with 1 cup nut filling. Repeat with 7 phyllo sheets, butter, and remaining 1 cup nut filling.

5. Cover nut filling with 8 more phyllo sheets, brushing each layer, except final layer, with butter. Working from center outward, use palms of your hands to compress layers and press out any air pockets. Spoon remaining butter (about 2 tablespoons) on top layer and brush to cover surface.

6. Using serrated knife with pointed tip, cut baklava into diamonds. Cut on bias into eighths on both diagonals. Bake until golden and crisp, about 1½ hours, rotating pan halfway through baking. Immediately pour all but 2 tablespoons cooled syrup over cut lines (syrup will sizzle when it hits hot pan). Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons syrup over surface. Garnish center of each piece with pinch reserved ground nuts. Let baklava cool completely in pan, about 3 hours, then cover with aluminum foil and let sit at room temperature for 8 hours before serving.

History:

This recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen.

French Apple Cake

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Ingredients:

3/4 cup Whole Grain Flour (Sonora, Spelt)

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

4 large apples, a mix of varieties

2 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar (or raw sugar)

3 Tbs. Calvados (or dark rum)

1/2  tsp. vanilla

8 Tbs. (4 oz.) butter, melted & cooled

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 and adjust oven rack to center position.

Butter an 8 or 9 inch springform pan and place it on a baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Peel and core the apples, then dice them into 1 inch pieces.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy then whisk in sugar, then calvados and vanilla.  Whisk in half of the flour mixture, then gently stir in half of butter.  Stir in the remaining flour mixture, then the rest of the butter.

Fold in the apples until they are well coated with the batter then scrape into prepared cake pan and smooth the top a little with a spatula.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and release from pan.  Serve warm with Crème Fraîche.

History:

I purchased some fresh ground wheat flour from Grist & Toll.  This French Apple Cake recipe came with the flour.

Petit Beurre

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Ingredients:

300 grams all-purpose flour

100 grams almond flour

200 grams French butter (82% fat)

150 grams granulated sugar

3 grams French sea salt (Maldon)

40 grams whole egg

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour with almond flour.  Set aside.

Place butter, sugar and sea salt in bowl of stand mixer.  With flat beater, mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add the egg and mix for another 2 minutes.

Add dry ingredients and mix just until the dough comes together.  Do Not over-mix.  Scrape dough out of mixer and place onto a sheet of plastic wrap.  Wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least two hours and preferably overnight to allow dough to rest.

When ready to roll out the dough, take dough out of the refrigerator and let rest 15 minutes at room temperature.  Heat oven to 320 degrees and line two sheet pans with parchment paper. 

Lightly dust work surface with flour and roll out dough to 1/6 inch thickness.  Dough should be even thickness.  Use rolling pin with rings to assist getting an even thickness.  Using a cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place on baking sheet.

Bake cookies for 20 to 25 minutes.  The low oven temperature will allow all of the water to evaporate, resulting in a very flaky cookie.  Cookie should be evenly golden brown.

History:

I tested 4 different recipes from the internet and tweeked this recipe to produce a Petit Beurre that would be acceptable for Chef Teri to use at her Chef Tech Culiinary School.

Kouign Amann

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Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups water at room temperature

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, such   

  as Maldon

1 pound cool room-temperature French

  unsalted butter such as Vital Farms

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

2 1/2 to 3 cups granulated sugar

Preparation:

In a small bowl, combine water and yeast. Stir until yeast dissolves.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons melted butter on low speed. Add yeast mixture, and mix until well combined, about 2 minutes.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch dough down, shape into a rectangle, cover in plastic wrap, and place on a baking sheet. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, draw an 8" square on parchment paper.  Roll the remaining pound of butter into the 8-inch square on parchment, between 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick.  Fold corners of  parchment paper towards center, and let rest at cool room temperature about 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough into a 12-inch square. Center butter square over the dough so that each side of the butter faces a corner of the dough. Fold the corners of the dough over the butter to enclose. Seal the edges by pinching together. Turn over dough, seam-side down. Roll into a 24-by-8-inch rectangle. Fold dough into thirds, aligning edges carefully and brushing off excess flour. (The object is to ensure that the butter is distributed evenly throughout so that the pastry will puff evenly when baked.) This completes one turn.

For rolling and folding I place masking tape on the countertop so I don't need to use rulers to measure each time I roll out the dough.

                                 Tape 8 inches by 24 inches and 14 inches by 21 inches.

Refrigerate 20 minutes. Repeat the process of rolling and folding twice more on work surface dusted with flour. Chill for 20 minutes after each, just until cold but not firm. Then repeat the rolling and folding process once more but dusting work surface and dough generously with sugar, about 1 to 2 cups sugar on the fourth turn. You will now have completed 4 turns. Refrigerate dough 20 minutes.  (It's easier to use sugar only on turn 4 and when rolling out to form pastry.)

If using 3 1/4 inch rings, brush 24 rings  generously with butter (but not too much) and set in a light silver colored cookie sheet. Dark cookie sheets burn bottoms of pastry.  Lightly butter cookie sheet under the rings.  If using muffin tins, using a pastry brush, brush 32 3-inch muffin tins generously with melted butter. Pastries tend to stick to bottom if you don't use enough butter.  Set aside.

On a sugared surface, roll chilled dough 14" by 21" and cut into 3 1/2 inch squares for 3 1/4 inch rings, about 1/2-inch-thick. Roll out 12" by 24" and cut into 3-inch squares for muffin tins or roll out 16" by 20" and cut out 4 1/2 inch squares for 4 inch rings. Fold the corners of one square toward center. Lightly press to adhere. Turn square over onto sugared surface, gently coat bottom with sugar then turn back over and place in a prepared muffin tin or ring. Repeat with remaining squares. Cover pastries with plastic wrap sprayed with Pam to prevent sticking.  Let dough rise, covered, in a warm place or proofing oven until puffed, 60 to 75 minutes. Dough should slowly spring back when touched with a finger.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees non-convection.  Watch pastries and turn down oven temp if browning too much. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, on lower middle shelf of oven, until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 205 degrees. Immediately remove from rings or muffin tins, and place on a wire rack, upside down, to cool completely.

Variation:

Using 4 inch rings produce 18 large or 12 large and 12 small Kouign Amann.  Using 3 1/4 inch rings produces 22 pastries. 

History:

Recipe comes from Florian Bellager, Patisserie Chef for Fauchon in Paris, France.  Calories each for 4 inch size is 400.

Parisian Macaroons

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(Makes 24)
Macaron Ingredients:

3/4 cup (100 gr.) confectioners' sugar

1 cup (100 gr.) white almond flour

6 tablespoons (80 gr.) egg whites, at room temperature

  (from about 3 extra-large eggs)

Pinch of salt
Pinch of Cream of Tartar

1/4 cup superfine Baker's sugar

Macaron Filling Ingredients:

1 1/2 large egg whites (40 gr.), at room temperature

1/2 cup superfine Baker's sugar

1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces

Macaron Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325º  In medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and ground almonds.  Place almond sugar in food processor and process 15 seconds.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites with salt and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy.  Increase speed to high and gradually add superfine sugar.  Add food coloring for desired color.  Add flavoring if desired.  Continue to whip until stiff glossy peaks form.  With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the almond/confectioners' sugar mixture until completely incorporated (65 cut and folds). Over mixing will make the batter too loose. It should slowly fall off the spatula like molten lava. 

Line baking sheets with parchment paper, lightly sprayed with non-stick spray and wiped with a paper towel; set aside.  Fit a pastry bag with a #4 round tip, and fill with batter.  Pipe 1-inch disks onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies.  The batter will spread a little.  Let stand at room temperature until dry, and a soft skin forms on the tops of the macarons and the shiny surface turns dull, about 20 to 60 minutes.

Place macarons on shelf in bottom third of oven.  Bake until the surface of the macarons is completely dry, about 15 minutes rotating pan half way through. Check bottom of one macaron.  If bottom is still soft, return to oven until bottom is dry. Remove baking sheet to a wire rack and let the macarons cool completely on the baking sheet. Gently peel off the parchment.  Their tops are easily crushed, so take care when removing the macarons from the parchment.  Use immediately or store in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

Macaron Filling Preparation:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg whites and sugar.  Set mixer bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and heat mixture, whisking often, until it feels warm to the touch and sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer bowl to the mixer, and fit with the whisk attachment.  Whip on high speed until mixture is stiff and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add butter, one piece at a time, and continue mixing until butter is thoroughly incorporated.  Add desired flavoring and food color and mix well.  The filling can be kept, covered and refrigerated, up to 1 week.  Bring to room temperature before using.

Final Preparation:

To fill the macarons;  fill a pastry bag with the filling.  Turn macarons so their bottoms face up.  On half of them, pipe about 1 teaspoon filling.  Sandwich these with the remaining macarons, flat-side down, pressing slightly to spread the filling to the edges.  Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Flavorings and Colors:

Chambord:  We used red food coloring to make the macarons and filling pink then added two teaspoons of Chambord to the filling.  No flavoring was added to the macarons.

Lemon:  Add zest of one lemon plus 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and lemon coloring to filling.

Coffee:  We used brown food coloring for the macarons and filling.  We added instant espresso powder to the macarons and filling to flavor them both.

Wintergreen:  We added green food coloring to the macarons and filling.  We added a couple drops of wintergreen oil to the filling only to flavor it.

Variation:

Vanilla: Use vanilla flavoring for the filling and leave macarons and filling white. 

Hazelnut:  Combine 1/2 cup macaron filling with 1/3 cup finely ground hazelnuts and 2 tablespoons honey.

Try any combination of flavors and colors you desire - be creative. 

History:

Ellen's favorite pastry when traveling in France was the Parisian Macarons so she found a recipe on the internet and we adapted it to our tastes.  These cookies definitely taste better when made with a Granddaughter or a close loved one.  Enjoy.