Ingredient: sugar

Rice Krispie & Ricotta Strawberry Tart

Crunchy and soft, tasty and light: sweets with rice krispies are easy and quick to make. Rice krispie cereal is an extremely versatile ingredient but it’s in snack and dessert recipes that its taste and texture is most successfully enhanced. There is something about those original crispy, buttery bars that is almost irresistible – especially when they’re freshly made and still slightly warm – and I can see the appeal of trying to translate it into other dishes. That is exactly what I tried to do when I came up with this Rice Krispie & Ricotta Strawberry Tart. The base includes mini marshmallows and rice krispie cereal for a cereal treat-like flavor.

Whether you spell it as rice krispie treats, rice krispy treats, or rice crispy treats, one thing is for sure, whatever you chose to create with them, it will be good.

This dessert is a real winner when it comes to something special that’s easy to prepare, tastes great and has eye appeal all in one.

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 Rice Krispie & Ricotta Strawberry Tart
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Keyword rice krispie & ricotta strawberry tart
Servings
Ingredients
Glaze
Rice Krispie Base
Filling
Fruit
Keyword rice krispie & ricotta strawberry tart
Servings
Ingredients
Glaze
Rice Krispie Base
Filling
Fruit
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Glaze
  1. Place the crushed strawberries, sugar & gel coloring (if using) in a small saucepan. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water & stir in as well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Once boiling, cook 3 minutes more, stirring, then remove to a glass measuring cup to cool completely.
Base
  1. Generously spray a 9-inch pie or springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, marshmallows, vanilla extract & salt, stirring frequently until completely smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat & gently fold in the crispy rice cereal until the pieces are evenly coated.
  3. Let the mixture cool for 2–3 minutes so it's safe to handle. Lightly butter your hands or a rubber spatula & press the mixture firmly but GENTLY into the bottom of the springform pan. DO NOT OVER-COMPACT THE CRUST, or it will become too hard to slice later.
  4. Place the crust in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to fully set.
Filling
  1. In a food processor, pulse ricotta to become more of a creamy texture, add powdered sugar. Add vanilla extract & blend well. Set aside.
Fruit
  1. Hull then wash & dry strawberries. Slice about 1/8" thick. Add strawberries to cooled glaze & gently stir with a rubber spatula to completely coat berries.
Assembly
  1. Evenly top crispy rice base with ricotta filling the carefully spoon glazed strawberries over all. Garnish with a few fresh strawberry leaves. Slice & serve.

Strawberry Focaccia Cheese Danish

There is something irresistible about both focaccia and a cheese Danish. Focaccia is a magnificently versatile bread that can be enjoyed in a myriad of ways. Today’s blog recipe is a new take on an old favorite, this modern riff on the cheese Danish skips the complicated layered dough of the original for a simple focaccia dough. And rather than forming individual pastries, it’s baked in a 14 x 4-inch pan and cut into rectangles. 

Some say the key to a great Danish is the dough and filling, and that even if the dough isn’t fancy, it should be light, sweet, and fluffy. Others say that the filling is what sets a great Danish apart, and that adding a little lemon juice and vanilla can make a big difference.

The history of the cheese Danish is a mix of multiple theories and events that took place in various European countries: 

  • French origins

According to one story, the pastry was invented by a French baker named Claudius Gelee who accidentally left out butter while making dough. To hide his mistake, he folded butter into the dough, resulting in a light and successful pastry. 

  • Austrian influence

In the mid-1800s, Danish bakery owners hired Austrian bakers to replace striking workers. The Austrian bakers brought with them their own recipes, including the Viennese lamination technique, which is used to create the pastry’s layers. The Danes called the pastry ‘wienerbrø’ (Vienna bread). 

  • Danish adoption

Danish bakers adapted the Austrian recipes to their own tastes by adding more egg and fat. The pastry became popular in Denmark and is now known as the Danish pastry. 

Focaccia dough is typically made with flour, yeast, water, salt, and olive oil. Some recipes add eggs to make the dough richer as I’m doing here today. Sweet focaccia can be made with a variety of flavors, such as cinnamon, apple, or rhubarb. This strawberry version has the characteristic soft, chewy interior of focaccia with a sweet ‘Danish’ pastry topping.

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 Strawberry Focaccia Cheese Danish
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Course dessert
Keyword strawberry focaccia cheese Danish
Servings
Ingredients
Strawberry Topping
Cream Cheese Topping
Focaccia
Course dessert
Keyword strawberry focaccia cheese Danish
Servings
Ingredients
Strawberry Topping
Cream Cheese Topping
Focaccia
Votes: 1
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Instructions
Strawberry Topping
  1. In a saucepan, combine strawberries & sugar & place them over medium heat. Cook while stirring until the sugar has melted into a thin strawberry syrup & berries still have some shape. Remove from heat & allow to cool.
Cream Cheese Filling
  1. In a small bowl, place cream cheese, sugar, milk & lemon zest & beat together until smooth. Set aside.
Focaccia
  1. In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup lukewarm water with the pinch of sugar. Sprinkle with yeast & let stand for about 5 minutes until foamy.
  2. In another bowl, combine flour, salt & 1 tsp sugar. When yeast is foamy, whisk in 2 Tbsp olive oil then add flour mixture combining with a fork. Place shaggy dough on a work surface & knead for about 3 minutes until soft & elastic.
  3. Oil bowl & place dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap & a tea towel & let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk,
Assembly
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. On an OILED work surface, roll out dough to about a 15 x 5-inch size. Transfer to a 14 x 4-inch baking pan. Press gently into pan.
  3. Using a spatula, cover dough with cream cheese filling. Next, top with strawberry filing, slightly swirling into cream cheese.
  4. Bake until sides are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for about 5-10 minutes then remove from pan with a long metal spatula. Transfer to a wire rack to cool further. Slice & serve.
Recipe Notes
  •  

Raspberry Cheesecakes

I realize raspberry season in our part of the country is still a number of months away. I still see nothing wrong with using some of those frozen ones from last year’s crop. If there’s one thing I love, it’s an easy dessert that is still totally delicious. Combining raspberries and cream cheese is a match made in heaven. 

Vividly pink and exquisitely perfumed makes raspberries so hard to resist. I think I’ve tried to use them in everything imaginable. For one company event some years ago, I was trying to come up with a sauce that would take my cream puffs to the ‘next level’. I decided to put some Chambord raspberry liqueur in it. Chambord is created using black and red raspberries, vanilla, citrus peel, honey and hints of fragrant herbs. I definitely could say I think I ‘nailed it’ with that raspberry drizzle.

Although the red raspberries seem to be the most popular and well known, I have tasted the gold ones as well. Fall Gold raspberries ripen in the late part of the season, becoming very large and sweet. If you get a chance, they are certainly worth trying.

It seems strange that raspberries are actually a member of the rose ‘family’ and not considered a true berry. Regardless, they are certainly delicious to eat and always give such great eye appeal to everything they are used in. Cheesecake has become such a global favorite, you might say, it’s a work of art that comes easily.

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 Raspberry Cheesecakes
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MINIS
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Base
Filling
Toppings
Keyword raspberry cheesecakes
Servings
MINIS
Ingredients
Base
Filling
Toppings
Votes: 1
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Instructions
Base
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Have 2 mini 12-cup cheesecake pans available (the ones with the removable bottoms) OR use a 12 count cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar & melted butter. Mix until a crumby mixture forms. Evenly distribute the mixture into either 24 mini cheesecake pan cups or 12 regular paper lined cupcake cups & press firmly into an even layer.
  3. Bake the graham cracker crusts for 5 minutes. Remove the baked crusts from the oven & let cool while you make the filling.
Filling
  1. Add the frozen raspberries to a medium saucepan. Let the berries simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries break & begin to dissolve into a syrup.
  2. Remove from the heat & strain the berries to remove the seeds. Allow the syrup to chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese & sugar until smooth. Add the sour cream, vanilla & raspberry syrup (reserve a small amount to use when decorating baked cheesecakes if you wish). Mix until completely combined.
  4. Add the eggs & mix again just until combined.
  5. Evenly distribute the cheesecake filling into pans of choice. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the centers are still slightly jiggly but not runny.
  6. Remove from the oven & allow to cool at room temperature. Move to the fridge & let them chill for at least 2 hours before removing from pans & papers.
  7. If desired, top with whipped cream, some reserved syrup & fresh raspberries before serving.

Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches w/ Onion Jam

CELEBRATING MAY LONG WEEK-END!

This distinctly Canadian holiday serves as the official marker to end winter. Even if the date marks the informal start of summer, you could be planning for a backyard barbecue or an impromptu indoor shut-in due to an array of snow, sleet, rain or hail.

But for Canadians, it is a good excuse to celebrate the beginning of the summer season. Canadians jokingly refer to ‘Victoria Day’ as May ‘two-four’ day. This is an inside joke which refers to a case of beer, containing 24 cans. For most Canadians, this is the first warm-ish long weekend since Easter, so they head to campsites armed with a 24 case of beer. Although we hang on to the Victoria Day name for old times’ sake, somehow it seems we are really celebrating the beginning of the summer season.  May ‘two-four’ is probably the more accurate moniker.

Hot roast beef sandwiches with onion jam are perfect for today. They will work if you are outside or indoors. Layers of shaved roast beef are piled on top of garlic rolls and topped with melted mozzarella and a homemade sticky-sweet onion jam. The onion jam used for this roast beef sandwich just takes it to the next level!

Onion jam is an extremely versatile condiment that can be used in many ways such as a spread on crackers or crostini, as a pizza topping, in salad dressings, or as a complement to roasted vegetables. You can also add it to mini tarts and puff pastry appetizers, your favorite burger patty, a cheese board, or as a topping for both a tart and focaccia or swirl it into macaroni and cheese. 

Its unique flavor can be sweet and savory and can include a variety of flavors like red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, lemon juice, and lemon zest. In terms of consistency, it is not unlike a fruit preserve, as the pieces of diced onion are intact and still look like an onion and it is spoon able just like a fruit preserve.

Enjoy your holiday weekend to the fullest!

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 Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches w/ Onion Jam
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Course Lunch
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword hot roast beef buns w/ onion jam
Servings
Ingredients
For the Garlic 'Bread'
Onion Jam
For the Sandwiches
Course Lunch
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword hot roast beef buns w/ onion jam
Servings
Ingredients
For the Garlic 'Bread'
Onion Jam
For the Sandwiches
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Garlic/Cheese 'Bread'
  1. Sauté the garlic in the butter & oil for 2-3 minutes over medium-low heat or until fragrant. Turn off the heat & add in the crushed red pepper flakes & parsley along with a pinch of salt (to taste).
  2. Lay bread slices out on work surface & distribute the garlic butter over all. Sprinkle with the Pecorino. Set aside.
Onion Jam
  1. Sauté the onions in olive oil over medium heat until golden (about 15 minutes). Add the salt, sugar, balsamic vinegar & thyme. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the jam has thickened. Taste & adjust salt, pepper & sugar levels to taste. Pour the jam into a bowl & set aside.
Sandwich Assembly
  1. Preheat panini grill to 350 F.
  2. Divide roast beef into 4 portions & place on 4 of the slices of garlic bread then top with mozzarella, dividing evenly.
  3. Spread the onion jam on top of the mozzarella then place the remaining 4 slices of garlic bread on top of the sandwich. Grill on a panini grill until golden & slightly crispy.
Recipe Notes

• 3/4 cup of sugar will yield a moderately sweet onion jam. Feel free to use more or less sugar to taste.

Poor Man’s Lobster

I’m not sure about you, but lobster is a rare treat in our household because it’s so expensive. ‘Poor Mans Lobster’ with melted butter is a dish that is made with white fish, so it tastes just like lobster, but it doesn’t cost a fortune. 

When the first European settlers reached North America, lobsters were so plentiful that they would reportedly wash ashore in piles up to 2 feet high. Their bounty made them a precious source of sustenance during hard times—and gave them a lowbrow reputation as the poor man’s protein. Instead of this leading to seafood festivals and celebrations like the clambake, colonists were just super embarrassed by all of, what they called ‘the ‘cockroaches of the sea’. These hard-shelled creatures were even used as fertilizer and fish bait because there were just so many around. Dirt-cheap because they were so copious, lobsters were routinely fed to prisoners, apprentices, slaves and children during the colonial era and beyond.

However, all this started to change in the mid 1800’s because of canned food and trains. Lobster actually became one of the most popular canned products on the market. Later, during World War II, canned lobster was used to feed soldiers. 

Once railroad transportation began to make travel easier, more and more people began to experience the taste for lobster. Thanks to the cheap price tag and the copious quantities, lobster was served on passenger trains. Passengers were intrigued by the dish and word began to spread about the rediscovered cuisine.

Before long, demand and prices for lobster both increased, as the crustacean was ultimately rebranded by the North American population from a food for the poor to a far more decadent dish.

Today, poor man’s lobster refers to a dish made of white fish, cooked in the style of lobster, mimicking many of the similar flavors. Once simmered in boiling water, dipped in butter, with a squeeze of lemon, it takes on a taste like cooked lobster.

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 Poor Man's Lobster
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine North American
Keyword poor man's lobster
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Cuisine North American
Keyword poor man's lobster
Servings
Ingredients
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
  1. Preheat broiler.
  2. In a bowl, mix together water, sugar & salt then add to a large skillet.
  3. Place fish filets in the skillet & bring to a gentle simmer. Cook the cod by avoiding a hard boil during the poaching step. Keep the water at a gentle simmer & watch the cooking time closely ... overcooking is the main cause of rubbery fish.
  4. After poaching, transfer the cod to a baking sheet, brush with some melted butter & season with paprika.
  5. Broil for about 7 minutes on low until fish flakes easily with a fork.
  6. Brush with more butter & juice from the lemon & serve.
  7. This meal is nice served with broccoli or green beans & roasted potatoes or rice. We added some 'Cheddar Bay Bread' as well.

Rhubarb Carrot Cake

CELEBRATING MOTHER’S DAY!

Here in Canada, we set aside the second Sunday in May to honor our mother’s with expressions of love and gratitude.

As I grow older, I realize how many ways I unconsciously emulate my mother. I loved everything about her and as a kid I could never imagine life without her. But in the natural sequence of events, that’s not how it works. I guess along with many other things, I’m grateful for the fact that she was there through my childhood. She passed away at the age of sixty and although she is no longer on this earth, her wonderful memory will live on in our hearts forever.

We are fortunate to still have Brion’s mother, Dolores. We have been able to spend a bit of time with her recently, which was so precious.

This blog is especially to honor: the special memories of my mother for her endless giving of selfless love – my mother-in-law, Dolores, for her kind ways and raising that ‘special’ man I love sharing my life with –my sister Loretta who passed away 3 years ago and to my sisters, Marilyn & Rita, who give so much of themselves to be the great mom’s they are.

In honor of these special women, I’d like to post something to ‘celebrate’ this day. My choice this year is a rhubarb carrot cake with rhubarb cream cheese frosting.

Rhubarb has been a staple in Canadian history since the days of early European settlement, valued for its hardiness, versatility, and medicinal properties. Rhubarb was a reliable perennial for homesteaders and pioneers due to its ability to thrive in Canada’s cold climate. When the homesteaders moved on, and their farms crumbled back into the ground, the rhubarb patch often persisted. The same is true of modern-day cities; every time a house in an older neighborhood is demolished, the rhubarb often remains. The distinctive plants that remain on abandoned farmsteads across the country are a testament to this hardy heritage.

I recall with fond memory, my mother having at least six huge rhubarb plants that bordered her large produce garden on our family farm. At that time I really didn’t take a lot of interest in them, they were just always there and grew huge without anything more than rain and sunshine. Now, of course I love using rhubarb in everything I can think of, sweet or savory.

Vegetable cakes are great for making the most of the seasons. This recipe for rhubarb carrot cake is a recent, modern fusion of two older dessert traditions: carrot cake and rhubarb cake. The combination likely emerged in the late 20th or early 21st century as bakers experimented with popular seasonal flavors. What makes this rhubarb carrot cake so appealing is how the sweet, earthy carrots balance out the sharp tartness of fresh rhubarb. The carrots add this incredible moisture and natural sweetness, while the rhubarb provides these amazing tangy bursts that keep every bite interesting.

This ‘sophisticated’ cake features winter carrots and the first rhubarb of the year in a marvelous merging of two seasons. Of course, the rhubarb cream cheese frosting is truly ‘the icing on the cake’.

I hope anyone trying this recipe enjoys it as much as Brion & I did.

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 Rhubarb Carrot Cake
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Course dessert
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword rhubarb carrot cake
Servings
Ingredients
Cake
Rhubarb Cream Cheese Frosting
Course dessert
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword rhubarb carrot cake
Servings
Ingredients
Cake
Rhubarb Cream Cheese Frosting
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Rhubarb Frosting
  1. Combine chopped rhubarb, sugar & a splash of water in a saucepan on medium low heat. Stir regularly until rhubarb reduces. Adjust heat to low & continue stirring for 20 minutes until rhubarb thickens into a jam. Transfer rhubarb jam to a glass bowl & cool in the refrigerator.
  2. Whip butter & cream cheese on high until creamy. Add the rhubarb jam & vanilla to cream cheese mixture. Beat until combined. Add powdered sugar 1/2 a cup at a time & beat until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter either a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or 2 round 8-inch cake pans.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted butter, sugar, brown sugar & buttermilk.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger & salt. Add to the egg mixture & blend well. Add the carrots & rhubarb, gently fold until evenly incorporated into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) & bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
Assembly
  1. If baking cake in the 2 layer version, spread the bottom of one cake with a bit of the frosting then top it with the other layer. Frost entire cake with remaining rhubarb frosting & decorate as you wish.
Recipe Notes

• Since there is only the two of us, I only used one layer & froze the other one for another time.

Red Lobster Copycat Cheddar Bay (Biscuit) Bread

Copycat recipes have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly among amateur cooks looking to recreate the flavors and presentation of their favorite restaurant dishes. A copycat recipe can be an excellent way to enjoy a favorite dish without the hassle of dining out or ordering in. By blending precision and creative ingenuity, a knowledgeable cook can craft a perfect facsimile of any beloved dish to impress even the most discriminating palate.

When Red Lobster’s cheddar bay biscuits first hit tables in the early 1990s, the biscuits were called ‘freshly baked, hot cheese garlic bread’. By 1996, they had stepped into their proper name: Cheddar Bay Biscuits. In 1992, Kurt Hankins, then-head of Red Lobster’s culinary development team, created these delectable biscuits. Inspired by Texas Toast and French bread, he adapted a traditional biscuit recipe by substituting sugar with garlic and adding cheese. 

Contrary to what the name suggests, Cheddar Bay isn’t an actual location. Red Lobster used this whimsical name ‘to reflect the seaside atmosphere of Red Lobster restaurants.’ Initially, the biscuits were served on trays in the waiting area as an appetizer while guests waited for their tables. The marketing tactic worked, but it became too successful. Demand for Cheddar Bay Biscuits overwhelmed the servers in the lobby, so Red Lobster moved the biscuit-dining experience to the tables.

Red Lobster’s cheddar bay biscuits are top tier bread sides, so why not make it into loaf form? This bread is oozing with cheesy flavor and the garlic butter topping is the icing on the quick bread you might say!

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 Red Lobster Copycat Cheddar Bay (Biscuit) Bread
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Course side dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Red Lobster copycat cheddar bay biscuit bread
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Bread
Topping
Course side dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Red Lobster copycat cheddar bay biscuit bread
Servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
Bread
Topping
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Bread
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray or grease a 12 x 4-inch loaf pan.
  2. Combine yeast, lukewarm water & 1 tsp sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes or until thick & foamy.
  3. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar & Old Bay seasoning.
  4. Using a pastry blender, cut cold butter into dry ingredients until butter is the size of peas. Add buttermilk then yeast mixture. Stir in cheddar cheese & dill. Do not over mix.
  5. Place batter in greased baking pan & lightly level out.
  6. Bake for 25 minutes or until bread tests done with a wooden pick.
Topping
  1. In a small dish, whisk together melted butter & garlic powder. Brush with garlic butter.
  2. Serve warm.

Apple Maple Boursin Crescents

Boursin’s story began in 1957, in a small Normandy village, located in France, when cheese maker François Boursin set up a factory producing soft cheese. At that time, he had no idea his name would become internationally famous.

Boursin Garlic & Herbs was launched in 1963 and quickly became a household name across France. Sixty years later, the original recipe remains unchanged and food lovers in more than 35 countries have spread their passion for Boursin all around the world. Perfect on bread, as appetizers or in a creamy sauce for main or side dishes. Since 2011, Boursin has been made in Canada in St. Hyacinthe, Québec, by Agropur, the Canadian dairy co-operative, for Bel Cheese Canada, the Canadian arm of Bel Group, the France-based multinational. 

There are seven flavors of Boursin Cheese sold in Canada: Garlic & Fine Herbs, Shallot & Chive, Bouquet of Basil & Chive, Cranberry & Pepper, Cracked Black Pepper, Fig & Balsamic, Apple & Maple.

Boursin is sometimes dubbed a Gournay cheese, Gournay being the name of the region in Normandy where Boursin was first made. The cheesemaker used the name when he was first asked to classify the cheese for customs purposes.

Today, I’m making a simple little dessert using some crescent dough with some Apple Maple Boursin. The apple flavor and the silkiness of maple syrup perfectly complement Boursin’s incomparable texture along with some apples, dates and pepita seeds. The whole combination creates an exceptional sweet and savory cheese pairing with minimal effort.

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 Apple Maple Boursin Crescents
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Course Brunch
Keyword apple maple Boursin crescents
Servings
Ingredients
Pastry
Filling
Topping
Course Brunch
Keyword apple maple Boursin crescents
Servings
Ingredients
Pastry
Filling
Topping
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Filling
  1. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add prepared apples & sauté until they start to soften, about 10 minutes. Add spices, honey & dates. Combine & cook for another minute. Remove from heat & allow to cool to lukewarm.
Topping
  1. In a small dish combine pepitas, sugar & cinnamon. Set aside.
Pastry
  1. In a medium bowl, stir 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 20 times.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  3. Roll out dough into a 12 X 8-INCH rectangle. Cut into 8 triangles. Crumble Boursin in a dish then divide into 8 equal portions.
  4. Top each triangle with a portion of the Boursin. Divide apple filling into 8 equal amounts then top each triangle with a portion of apple filling.
  5. Roll each triangle up 'croissant" style. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  6. Combine egg & water to make egg wash & brush some over each roll. Sprinkle with prepared topping.
  7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven & place on a wire rack to cool.
Recipe Notes

• Alternately you could use refrigerated crescent rolls to speed up the process if you wish.

Lemon Poppy Seed Linzer Butterflies

Who says you can’t have a Linzer cookie in April? Add some lemon-y zing and a butterfly shape and what’s not to love! A descendent of the famous Linzer torte, it’s hard to go wrong with a shortbread-like dough that melts in your mouth and a sweet/tart filling that glues it all together. Linzer cookies employ the same basic recipe as a Linzer torte, but the dough is cut into cookies and form a sandwich around the filling. The top cookie has a small cutout in its center to show off the filling underneath.  

The Linzer Torte, the Austrian mother of the Linzer Cookie, is the oldest known written recipe in history. A copy of the recipe was found in the Veronese Admont Abbey’s journals, dated 1653!  The tart was baked like a pie with a buttery almond crust, filled with black currant preserves and topped with a latticework crust. The recipe was developed using a crust made of nuts since they were easier to come by at times than wheat for flour. While a black currant tart is a perfect way to end a meal, bakers came up with a cookie version they could stock in their shops.

When the Linzer torte was bought to North America in the 19th century, it became very popular. Today, the Linzer cookie is still very commonly used not only for the holidays but anytime of the year in different applications.

This cookie is crisp if served on the same day it is assembled but becomes soft when stored with filling.

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 Lemon Poppy Seed Linzer Butterflies
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Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword lemon poppy seed Linzer butterflies
Servings
Ingredients
Shortbread
Lemon Curd
Course dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword lemon poppy seed Linzer butterflies
Servings
Ingredients
Shortbread
Lemon Curd
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Shortbread
  1. In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice & lemon zest with an electric mixer until light & fluffy. Reduce speed to low & add the flour & salt. Continue to mix until well incorporated. Slowly add poppyseeds & mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
  2. Remove dough from bowl, form into a disk & wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour or overnight.
Lemon Curd
  1. Fill a medium saucepan, about halfway full with water & bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Fill a large bowl with ice water & set aside.
  2. In a glass or metal bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest & salt. Set over the saucepan of simmering water, ensuring that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches 170 F. Immediately remove the bowl from the heat, add butter & whisk until smooth. Place over the bowl of ice water. Cover with plastic wrap making sure it is touching the lemon curd surface so a 'skin' will not form. Let mixture stand at room temperature until cooled & thickened.
Baking
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
  2. Roll out shortbread dough on a large sheet of parchment paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a butterfly cookie cutter, cut out 36 cookies. Leave 18 of them as is & cut some designs in the wings of the remaining 18 cookies. At this point you may need to place the cookies in the freezer for about 10 minutes so you can remove them easily to the baking sheet without destroying their shapes.
  3. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper & transfer cookies to baking sheet. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until just baked. Place cookies on a wire rack to cool completely.
Assembly
  1. Spread desired amount of lemon curd on the bottom cookies. If desired, dust the tops with powdered sugar. Lightly press on a top cookie to sandwich the curd. Repeat with remaining tops. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes

• Don’t hesitate to speed up the process by purchasing a jar of lemon curd. There are a lot of real good ones available.

Bacon & Egg Hot Cross Buns

CELEBRATING GOOD FRIDAY!

Here’s a savory twist on the classic Easter hot cross bun you might enjoy!

One of the food items I love most about the Easter season is . . .  Hot Cross Buns!   Although they are generally available all year round now it seems, Brion & I prefer to reserve them for an Easter treat. I think when something becomes an everyday thing it loses its ‘specialness’.

The tradition of marking buns with a cross on the top goes a long way back in time. Pagon Saxons baked cross buns at this time of year to mark the beginning of spring, in honor of their god Eostre. The cross was representative of the four seasons along with the four quarters of the moon, the wheel of life and a rebirth of the earth after the long winter. Christians adapted the cross when an Anglican monk baked the buns and marked them with a cross in honor of Good Friday.  The buns were usually served on Good Friday, marking the end of Lent and the spices are said to represent the spices used to embalm the Savior after his crucifixion.

Every year at this time, I enjoy making some version of hot cross buns or bread. Generally, I stick to the sweet kinds but this year I thought I’d take it to the savory side. These avocado, bacon & egg hot cross buns are just the thing to kick off an excellent Easter brunch.

Print Recipe
 Bacon & Egg Hot Cross Buns
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Brunch
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword bacon & egg hot cross buns
Servings
Ingredients
Savory Hot Cross Buns
Flour Paste
Other Ingredients to Assemble Brunch Buns
Course Brunch
Cuisine Canadian
Keyword bacon & egg hot cross buns
Servings
Ingredients
Savory Hot Cross Buns
Flour Paste
Other Ingredients to Assemble Brunch Buns
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
Buns
  1. In a small bowl, combine warm milk, sugar & yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, garlic powder & dried herbs. Mix well.
  3. Add the yeast mixture, melted butter & beaten egg to the dry ingredients. Mix until a dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel & let it rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
  4. Punch down the dough & divide it into 8 equal portions. Flatten each portion & place a cube of cheese in the center. Fold the dough over the cheese & shape into a ball. Place the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a kitchen towel & let them rise for another 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  6. In a small bowl, mix flour & water to make a paste. Transfer the paste to a piping bag or a plastic bag with a small corner cut off. Pipe a cross shape on top of each bun with the flour paste.
  7. Bake the buns for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven & brush buns with melted butter. Allow the buns to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Assemble Bacon & Egg Buns
  1. Grate cheese & slice tomato or ready tomato sauce.
  2. On a griddle, fry bacon until it is beginning to crisp. Blot bacon on paper towels then set aside to keep warm.
  3. Slice buns in half & LIGHTLY butter cut sides. Wipe excess bacon drippings off griddle then place buns on it to toast lightly. Remove to serving platter & keep warm. Place 8 eggs on the griddle & cook just until whites are set.
  4. Top each toasted bun base with an egg, bacon, cheese, sauce (or tomato slice) & avocado slices. Season with salt & pepper. Sandwich with bun tops & serve.
Recipe Notes

• Alternately, if there is no time for making the savory hot cross buns from scratch, purchased ones will work just as well.