HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
In keeping with Valentines Day, I’m pairing the classic duo of strawberry & chocolate today. At some point, in the many years I spent in the commercial food service industry, I learned the history of the iconic Danish Rum Balls or ‘Romkugler’. These legendary little sweets came about due to leftovers and day old cake that Danish bakers couldn’t sell. Even though they did their best to make the right amount of baked goods so that it would all be sold during the day, they always had leftovers which would not be fresh enough to be sold the day after. They came up with an idea to add jam & rum extract to the day old chocolate cake and the classic rum ball was created.
Today, the rum ball is not considered an unwanted leftover or solely made to avoid food waste. Instead, these little ‘cakes’ continue to appear on the present day bakery shelves.
I think these mini rum balls are the perfect compliment to the strawberry cheesecakes. Sweet, but heh …. its Valentines!!
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Strawberry Cheesecake w/ Danish Rum Balls
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Ingredients
Danish Rum Balls - Makes about 39 mini size
Ingredients
Danish Rum Balls - Makes about 39 mini size
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Instructions
Crumb Base
In a small bowl, combine Oreo crumbs, sugar & melted butter (mixture should have the consistency of wet sand). Place 1 1/2 tablespoons in the bottom of each 'cup' of an individual cheesecake pan. Press the mixture down firmly to form the crust.
Cheesecake Batter
Dice 150 gm strawberries. Reserve several strawberries for garnish.
Process strawberries in a food processor slightly; add softened cream cheese, sugar, orange & lemon juices. Continue to process until very smooth.
Soften gelatin in cold water; stir over low heat until dissolved. Beat into cheese mixture.
Divide cheesecake batter between 14 individual 'cups' in cheesecake pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Carefully remove cheesecakes from molds.
Mini Rum Balls
In a food processor, process cake until crumbly. Add jam & rum then process until the dough has a uniform consistency.
Roll dough into 1/2 oz. size balls. Refrigerate until chilled for about an hour..
In a double boiler, melt chocolate with shortening, stirring until smooth. Roll balls in chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a piece of dry wax paper until set.
When ready to serve, top each cheesecake with a rosette of whipped cream & a slice of strawberry garnished with a mint leaf. Serve with a Danish rum ball on the side.
Recipe Notes
- If you're cheesecake pan only has 12 cups, use a mini muffin pan for the extra two cheesecakes.
- If you want to increase the strawberry flavor in the cheesecakes add 1/2 tsp Lor Ann strawberry flavor to the batter and for some extra color, a bit of red GEL food coloring.
- If you wish, don't hesitate to add finely chopped nuts to the rum balls or roll them in chocolate sprinkles.
HAPPY NEW YEAR’S DAY!
New Year’s celebrations bring thoughts of new beginnings. People all over the world are preparing traditional foods in hopes of bringing good luck and fortune in 2025. On the list for many: seafood, especially fish. Many believe fish to be a lucky New Year’s food because fish scales resemble coins. Fish also swim in schools, which for many can inspire feelings of abundance. Finally, fish travel forward, representing progress.
In North America the most common type of fish often served on New Year’s is salmon, as the color pink is often used to signify luck.
For our New Year’s meal, we are having a stuffed salmon paupiette.
A paupiette is a French dish made from a thin piece of meat, poultry or fish that is stuffed with additional ingredients. The base of the dish is pounded thin and covered with a filling of finely chopped vegetables, meats, fruits, breadcrumbs and tightly formed into a roll. Once the stuffed fish, poultry or meat is cooked through, it is generally cut into small rounds prior to serving. Paupiettes are also commonly referred to as roulades, a word based on the French word meaning ‘to roll’.
BEST WISHES FOR HEALTH & HAPPINESS TO EVERYONE IN 2025!
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Shrimp Stuffed Salmon Paupiettes
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Instructions
Slice salmon fillet into 2 or 4 long strips. Flatten GENTLY with a meat mallet. Rub fillets with olive oil then season with salt & pepper.
Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add garlic & onion; sauté until onions are translucent. Add shrimp, salt & Old Bay seasoning.
Sauté until shrimp is barely pink. Transfer to a bowl & allow to cool. When cooled, add parsley, bread crumbs & cream cheese to shrimp mixture & gently stir to blend ingredients.
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Divide stuffing mixture between the 4 strips of salmon fillet. Spread stuffing out evenly & roll each one up, jelly-roll style. Tie each one with some kitchen twine to ensure they will stay rolled.
Place the stuffed fillets in a shallow baking dish. Bake salmon for 45 minutes or until salmon is JUST cooked. Place grape tomatoes in a small baking dish, toss with either some Golden Italian dressing or olive oil & roast until skins are slightly popping open.
Serve with roasted tomatoes & guacamole on the side.
Originating from Linz, Austria, the Linzer torte is one of the oldest tortes in the world, found in an Austrian abbey in the early 1700s.
It is made with a buttery pastry dough with a significant amount of ground nuts, typically hazelnuts, but often with almonds or walnuts. With a lattice design on the top, it is traditionally filled with red currant jam; but raspberry, apricot and plum are quite popular too.
Linzer cookies employ the same recipe as the Linzer torte but instead the dough is cut into cookies and two of them form a sandwich around the preserves. Moreover, the top cookie has a small cutout in its center (known as Linzer eyes), thus exposing the underlying jam and adding to the visual appeal.
When Linzer torte was brought to North America in the 19th century, it became very popular. Today the Linzer cookie is still very commonly used in celebrating Christmas and other holidays as well.
There are countless versions of Linzer tortes around showcasing different nuts, different preserves, and so on such as tahini and sesame Linzer, beets Linzer, a lemon curd Linzer and a chestnut apple Linzer just to name a few.
With my passion for ‘recipe development’, I wanted to come up with a ‘Linzer torte’ that showcased persimmons and cranberries for Christmas. This is what developed!
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Spiced Persimmon & Cranberry Linzer Torte
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Instructions
Crust
In a bowl, sift together flour & salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar & vanilla until light & fluffy. Beat in as much flour mixture as possible. Mix in the rest & gently knead till dough comes together. Form into a disk & wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Cranberries
In a saucepan, combine whole berry sauce, raspberries, sugar, orange zest & cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sauce thickens & is bubbly. Remove from heat & allow to cool. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
Persimmons
Place the melted butter in a large bowl & stir in the honey & spices. Stir well, then add persimmon slices. Toss to coat each slice well.
Cheesecake Filling
Using a mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth then add sugar & blend well. Add eggs & vanilla, beat until smooth.
Baking
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Between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll out 2/3 of pastry into a 10-inch circle. Place in an 8-inch springform pan. From the remaining 1/3 of the pastry cut a 5-inch circle. In the center of this circle cut a 3-inch circle (this should resemble a Linzer cookie). If you wish you can cut out a few 'stars' for decorations. Lay pastry ring & stars on parchment paper & place on a baking sheet. Blind bake pastry in the springform pan for 8 minutes or until barely set. Bake the ring & stars until golden.
Remove springform pan from oven & pour cream cheese mixture over warm crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is lightly golden & cheesecake tests done. Set aside to cool.
Assembly
When cheesecake has cooled, place the slices of persimmon, overlapping each other to form 2 circles around the outer edge. Spoon spiced cranberries in the middle of the persimmons.
Sprinkle baked pastry ring & stars with powdered sugar & place on top of cranberries. Press down slightly. Your torte should resemble a large Linzer cookie when finished.
Recipe Notes
- You will have extra cranberry sauce which can be easily used over the holiday season I found. Brion & I liked them so much we added extra to our slices of torte.
December is just around the corner and when I was growing up, that was officially ‘baking season’ for my mom. Many of the ingredients for the special things she would bake at this time of year were just too expensive to have on hand all the time. While we were at school, over the weeks prior to Christmas, she would bake many different kinds of cookies and squares. When we would arrive home in the late afternoon, there was no trace of what she had baked. Every cookie tin and various other containers were being filled with these glorious goodies. It all became part of the mystery and suspense of the season.
Like many traditions, the origin of the Christmas baking ‘bonanza’ comes from medieval times. Winter solstice rituals were conducted long before Christmas became the huge commercial holiday it is today. Celebrations revolved around food. By the Middle Ages, the Christmas holiday had overtaken solstice rituals and the pastry world was experiencing some big changes. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper as well as dried exotic fruits were becoming available. Expensive delicacies like sugar, lard and butter all became treasured ingredients that could only be afforded on this most important holiday.
Unlike pies and cakes, cookies could easily be shared and given to friends and neighbors. Our modern-day Christmas cookies are baked for similar reasons. They’re given as hostess gifts in festive tins, used on giant dessert trays and of course they make for wonderful family baking traditions.
I realize ‘mincemeat’ doesn’t appeal to everyone’s pallet. These days the ‘all-fruit’ varieties have made it much more appealing. Since Brion and I both enjoy the all-fruit mincemeat, I thought I’d do a Christmas version. Pairing the flavors of anise, apple, mincemeat and lemon was really nice.
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Mincemeat Filled Cookies
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Instructions
Mincemeat
In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Over a medium-low heat bring to a simmer. Turn heat to low & continue to simmer, stirring often, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat & cool until ready to use.
Cookies
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese & butter until fluffy & smooth; 1-2 minutes. Add sugar; beat another 1-2 minutes then add eggs & anise extract & continue beating 1 more minute.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, anise seed & salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture & stir just until incorporated. Do NOT over mix. Divide dough in half.
Between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll each half of the dough to a 1/8"-1/4" thickness. Remove top sheet & using a 2 1/2" (6 cm) round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Using the top sheet of parchment, lay rounds about 2" apart. Slide a plastic cutting board under parchment paper & transfer to freezer for about 30 minutes. (I found this made it much easier to continue the procedure).
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Remove cookies from freezer. Spoon about a teaspoon of COLD mincemeat filling onto center of each circle. Wet edges a bit with water or beaten egg. Fold cookies in half & using a fork, press edges to seal. (If your mincemeat filling is well chilled, I found it didn't run out of the cookies while being baked).
Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes. Cookies should be light in color, not browned & just starting to brown on bottom. * Length of baking time may vary from oven to oven. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemon Glaze
In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients & beat to a drizzle consistency. When cookies are cooled, drizzle with glaze.
Recipe Notes
- SPICE COMBO
- 2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- Combine well & store in a spice bottle.
- PREPARED MINCEMEAT FILLING
- 700 ml 5-fruit mincemeat (suet-free)
- 1 1/2 cups apple, cored & finely chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- Combine mincemeat filling ingredients & refrigerate until needed.
It’s the fall season, so bring on the chai flavored recipes! Fall can encompass many different flavors including apple, pumpkin, maple, cranberry and ginger just to name a few. To me, baked goods and chai spices are a no-brainer. Traditionally, chai is made into a tea which consists of milk, spices, sweetener, and black tea. Chai spices can be used for so much more than just tea. Once you make your basic chai spice recipe, there are so many ways to utilize it.
Chai can include several different spices. Cardamom is the most common ingredient, followed by a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, star anise and cloves. Pepper and coriander, nutmeg and fennel are also used but they are slightly less common.
In the winter of 2011, Brion and I traveled Turkey for a month. We were meeting with the Trafalgar tour group in Istanbul. Arriving a day early gave us time to ‘snoop’ around a bit. Next to our hotel was a ‘Starbucks’, so we went in. When Brion ordered my coffee, they gave me a ‘Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte’ by mistake. That (pumpkin) chai flavor was just incredible. I have been addicted to it ever since.
A stay in Istanbul would not be complete without a traditional and unforgettable boat excursion up the Bosphorus, that winding strait that separates Europe and Asia. Its shores are a mixture of past and present, grand splendor and simple beauty. Modern hotels stand next to shore-front wooden villas, marble palaces in contrast to rustic stone fortresses and elegant compounds neighboring small fishing villages. Since Turkey actually straddles two separate continents, its culture features strong elements and traditions from both east and west. At that point in time, we found Turkey a relaxed country to travel in which made our time there very enjoyable.
These crescent rolls are a shortcut to making the classic cinnamon rolls using cream cheese pastry and that incredible flavor of the chai spice. Yum!
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Chai Cinnamon Crescents
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Instructions
Chai Spice Filling
Whisk together all chai spices with brown sugar. Set aside.
Crescents
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. With a pastry blender, cut in cream cheese & shortening until mixture resembles coarse peas. Stir in milk. On a lightly floured work surface, knead dough gently about 20 times.
Form dough in a ball then roll out into a 14-inch circumference. Spread butter over the surface of dough then spread spice/sugar combo (all but 1 tsp needed for drizzle) evenly over the butter.
Cut circle into 12-14 equal wedges. Roll each wedge from the outside edge to form a crescent shape. Slightly curve each one & place on baking sheet.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until pastry is baked. Remove from oven & place on wire cooling rack.
Drizzle
In a small bowl, beat together cream cheese & butter until smooth. Add 1/2 tsp chai spice mix, powdered sugar, salt & vanilla. Beat until well combined then add enough milk to make a drizzle consistency. When crescents are cool, drizzle & serve.
Cheese might not be the first thing that comes to mind if you’re looking for a satisfying, easy, elegant way to end your meal, but it makes for a fabulous dessert. Europeans have long served dessert cheese, either after the salad or after the main course.
While a sweet cheesecake can be a thing of great joy and incredibly versatile; there are various regional styles, easy no-bake versions for when you don’t want to turn on the oven, and many ways to make it suited to all seasons by switching up the flavor. But there’s a whole other avenue to explore too: savory cheesecakes, a great appetizer option for any party, or even weekday dinner for your family. If it sounds a little weird, think of it like a cheesier, less eggy version of quiche.
As with sweet cheesecakes, there are both baked and no-bake versions of savory cheesecake, some with crusts and some without, but crusted and baked seems to be the most prevalent sort, and the vast majority of those follow a similar formula.
Brion & I have never been much for ‘blue cheese’ but when it comes to Gorgonzola, that’s a whole different story. Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese produced in Northern Italy. It’s creamy and crumbly and has streaks of blue mold that give it a strong, piquant flavor. This savory Gorgonzola cheesecake could be served as a cheese or dessert course with fresh fruit to end a nice summer evening meal. A simple recipe with a taste that lingers long in the memory.
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Savory Gorgonzola Cheesecake w/ Peaches & Hemp Heart Granola Crust
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Instructions
Base
Line 2 - 5-inch springform pans with parchment paper. Place granola in a food processor; process until fine crumbs form.
In a bowl, mix crumbs & melted butter until well combined. Divide crumb mixture between the two lined pans; press into the bottom to form the crust. Set aside.
Peach Topping
Add peaches to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; stir in lemon juice, water & cornstarch. Bring mixture to a rolling boil. Stir in sugar. Return to a gentle boil for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until peaches thicken slightly. Remove from heat & cool completely. This can be prepared after you bake the cheesecake if you wish.
Cheesecake
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Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese & Gorgonzola in a bowl until light & fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add sour cream, honey, salt & pepper; beat until blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Divide cheesecake batter, pouring over the granola base in each of the springform pans.
Bake for 1 hour & 20 minutes or until set & lightly browned.
Remove cheesecake from oven & cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Spoon peach topping over cheesecake, slice & serve.
Recipe Notes
- If you wish to make one 9-inch cheesecake, double ingredients but only use 3 large eggs. You should have enough peach topping for a 9-inch without having to double that recipe.
- For this recipe I chose not to prebake the hemp heart base but If you wish to do so there is no problem in with that.
As popular as it was, I know that Jell-O is not everyone’s ‘cup of tea’. Jell-O was synonymous with most, if not all, of the major holiday’s years ago but not so much anymore. It seems there are certain culinary traditions that accompany each holiday. Some are near universally enjoyed amongst those who celebrate those special days, others are more along the lines of a specific family tradition and some fall squarely into the middle.
When my siblings and I were growing up, a lime Jell-O salad with crushed pineapple, marshmallows and cottage cheese was always made to complement our Christmas dinner. One year, family friends that had been invited to dinner, asked if this salad had something to do with our German heritage because it always appeared on special occasions. To me this salad was like having a little dish of ice cream as it tasted so good.
Jell-O brand powder might seem as commonplace as sliced bread and pasteurized milk nowadays, but when it first emerged on the scene in 1897, it was a truly revolutionary food.
Gelatin itself had been around for many centuries, but the act of making it – a process done by extracting the gelatin protein produced when animal bones, connective tissues and other similar products are boiled and then using that product as a setting agent/ingredient in a sweet or savory dish – was a very labor intensive one and something that many home cooks saved for only the most special of occasions/fanciest dinner parties, if they even bothered at all. The French were the first to use gelatin in cooking.
Jell-O became available in Canada in 1904.The first Canadian Jell-O factory was located in Bridgeburg (now Fort Erie). As part of an advertising campaign, recipe booklets were sent to households across North America. These contained suggestions for how to use Jell-O in desserts, salads and main courses.
Initially jellied salads rose to fame in the 1950s and 60s. This recipe came from a magazine years ago. It is somewhere between a Jell-O salad and a dessert.
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1950's Tart Cherry/Lemon Jell-O Dessert
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Instructions
In a small saucepan, bring cherries with juice & sugar to a boil then add the package of cherry Jell-O powder. Stir to dissolve then pour into serving dishes. Refrigerate until firm. After cherry mixture has had time to start setting up begin the next step.
Rinse saucepan & add 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil then stir in lemon Jell-O powder until it is dissolved. Refrigerate until slightly setting up.
While lemon Jell-O sets up, whip cream until stiff & fluffy. Beat in cream cheese & whip together. Add lemon Jell-O which is just starting to become firm. Whip the mixture to combine.
Pour lemon Jell-O mixture over the cherry Jell-O in the serving dishes. Refrigerate until firm. Serve with a dollop of whip cream if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Its so nice to be able to use cherries from our own tree in the back yard.
CELEBRATING CANADA DAY!
In Canada, July 1st marks the day for Canadians to show pride in their nations history, culture and achievements. From coast to coast the country’s birthday is marked with various events.
On July 1st, from coast to coast, the country’s birthday is highlighted with colorful parades, concerts, carnivals, festivals and firework displays.
Food and drink are almost as synonymous with Canada Day as the colors of red and white. More importantly this date celebrates the historical event in which Canada gained its independence from Great Britain in 1867.
Pizza is one of those foods that works for just about everyone. From meat eaters to vegetarians, kids, adults and everyone in between. Year-round, it’s the perfect entree for family or party events.
Although avocado on pizza may sound weird, to me it’s glorious. When you think about it, tomato or tomato sauce is a big part of pizza most of the time. Often guacamole is made with tomato, so that avocado flavor compliments pizza well.
Pizza is one of the easiest meals you can make at home. I most always prefer to make my own crust but nothing wrong with a purchased one or some naan or focaccia bread for the crust. Once that crust part has been taken care of, it’s really just a matter of topping the pie with all your favorite ingredients and waiting for it to come out of the oven.
It’s always interesting to me what develops when you ‘step out of the box’ so today our Canada Day meal is a smoked salmon & avocado pizza.
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Avocado & Smoked Salmon Pizza
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Instructions
Pizza Spread
In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese with the dill & minced garlic. Mix well.
Caramelized Onion
Heat oil in a skillet until hot. Add sliced onion & sprinkle with salt. Cook & stir about 15 minutes or until moisture is evaporated & onion is soft. Reduce heat; sprinkle with cider vinegar & brown sugar. Cook & stir until caramel brown in color. Remove from skillet & set aside.
Toppings
Grate cheese. Flake smoked salmon. Peel avocado & remove pit. Slice in 1/8-inch slices.
Assembly/Baking
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Drizzle garlic olive oil onto the Naan breads & spread with cream cheese mixture. Divide onion evenly between the 6 Naan breads. Top with 1/2 of the grated cheese. Evenly distribute the smoked salmon then top with remaining cheese.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until hot & bubbly.
Remove from oven & divide avocado slices between the pizzas. Garnish with chopped sprigs of fresh dill & sprinkle with lemon pepper if you wish.
Recipe Notes
- Alternately, you can omit the garlic olive oil & the cream cheese mixture & use bottled tartar sauce for the base of the pizzas. Brion & I really enjoyed this alternative.
So many of our berries can be used to make excellent dessert sauces as their naturally tart flavor pairs so well with rich sweet desserts. Cranberry-raspberry sauce is one such sauce. It is made with a combination of whole cranberry sauce and fresh or frozen raspberries, along with a bit of sugar and a little lemon or orange zest. Everything is cooked over medium low heat until the sauce thickens with the end result being a glistening red sauce with a sweet and tangy flavor that is especially nice atop these mini cheesecake tarts. It can also be used as a filling for cakes or trifles, or for a quick dessert, it can be poured over a bowl of vanilla ice cream.
Tarts are the epitome of elegance in the world of desserts. They showcase a perfect harmony of flavors, with their flaky or crispy crust and luscious fillings. But one key factor in achieving the ultimate tart is having a crisp, clean edge on the tart shell, which not only elevates the appearance but also enhances the texture. A well-defined edge results in a satisfying contrast between the tender, flaky layers, and the smooth filling.
Since the Christmas season is upon us, I thought of using some ‘tart rings’ to give these little tarts more of an upscale look. Using rings instead of tart pans makes for such a clean look. Being perforated allows for the ring to heat up quicker (along with it being very thin), which allows for better baking. This also allows steam to escape from the crust, which keeps your crust nice and crispy.
Baking is a passion for many because of the immersion between art and science. For me, I’m always in pursuit of another way to make an old idea new again or as they say, ‘the same only different’.
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Cranberry-Raspberry Tartlets
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Ingredients
Cranberry-Raspberry Topping
Ingredients
Cranberry-Raspberry Topping
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Instructions
Pastry
Combine the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, salt, & vanilla in a large bowl. Add the butter and mix with your hands until the butter is broken down into pieces the size of peas and the ingredients are well combined. Add the egg and mix with a spatula until the dough is smooth and the egg is fully incorporated. Don’t overmix.
Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and gently shape it into a ball. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap and flatten it into a disc. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight, until cold but still pliable. It should have the texture of clay.
When the dough has chilled, unwrap the dough and place it on a silicone baking mat on your work surface. Roll it out into a rectangle about 1⁄8 inch thick, using a second silicone sheet on top. The silicone mat makes it easier to lift the rolled-out dough onto the sheet pan later. Make sure to work quickly so the dough doesn’t get too warm.
Place the silicone mat with the dough on a baking sheet.
Using the tart rings, cut out 18 circles of dough. Remove the rest of the dough from around the rings.
Reroll remaining dough between 2 sheets of parchment. Using a sharp knife, slice strips about 10 inches long & 1- inch thick. These strips will make the sides of each tartlet.
Working with one at a time, transfer a strip of dough to one of the tart rings and press it to the sides. Use your fingers to slightly push the bottom of the sides to the dough circle (to seal it). Repeat with the remaining strips of dough. Use a small knife to cut the edge to the rim of the rings.
Transfer the baking sheet containing the tartlet shells to the freezer & freeze for at least 20 minutes.
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Bake tart rings for 8 minutes or until barely set (crust will complete baking with the filling in). Remove from oven.
Filling
Using a mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth then add sugar & blend well. Add eggs & vanilla, beat until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over warm crust.
Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is firm & BARELY browned. Set aside to cool.
Topping
In a saucepan, combine whole berry sauce & 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, orange zest & sugar.
Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sauce thickens & is bubbly. Remove from heat & let cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Place a dollop of sauce over each tartlet. Decorate & serve chilled.
Recipe Notes
- I made these tartlets in 3 sizes from 2 3/4-inch to 2-inch.
- If you find the dough is to soft to work with just add a small amount of flour, just enough to make it easier to handle.
- This is a real nice crispy pastry dough. When its baked it would give the impression of being real hard but instead its crisp and so nice to bite into.
