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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Instructions
Shortbread
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.
Remove dough from bowl, form into a disk & wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at least an hour or overnight.
Lemon Curd
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.
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
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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.
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
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.
Baking a variety pack of four different cinnamon roll flavors transforms a single-flavor tray into a versatile, gourmet experience. A visually appealing experience that blends the comfort of a homemade dessert with the excitement of modern flavor experimentation. It caters to different tastes within a single batch, making it an ideal choice for brunch, gifts, or, as some suggest, sharing.
Moving beyond the classic brown sugar and cinnamon, you can incorporate modern, diverse fillings and toppings. Examples include raspberry-lemon, apple pie, salted caramel, chocolate-hazelnut, orange zest, carrot cake, cardamom, pumpkin or even cream cheese icing variations.
Use one consistent, high-quality yeasted dough for all four variations to ensure even baking times. By packing them together in a small pan, they stay soft and pillowy, a common goal in high-quality homemade baking.
Who doesn’t love a tray of warm, gooey rolls? If you’re a fan of the variety pack, you’re likely drawn to the balance of textures and the social, flexible nature of the format.
It caters to different palates. While some people crave the classic ‘ooey-gooey’ cinnamon, others might prefer more adventurous toppings.
Including plain rolls in a variety pack ensures that even if you don’t love the experimental flavors, you still have the ‘good ole plain’ ones to fall back on.
Recently, Brion & I had to make a trip out to BC. While waiting in the airport I picked up a magazine to look at and came across a great looking cinnamon roll recipe I thought I should try. For something different I thought it would be nice to do a variety pack instead of just one filling. This is what developed from that idea.
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Cinnamon Roll Variety Pack
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Instructions
In a small bowl, combine lukewarm milk, & 2 Tbsp of the sugar; stir until sugar is dissolved. Add in the yeast & allow to sit until frothy.
In a large bowl, combine mashed potatoes, eggs, salt & butter. When yeast mixture is proofed, add to potato mixture, combining well.
In another bowl, whisk together flour & remaining sugar. Combine with wet mixture until dough forms a ball. Knead on a work surface for about 10 minutes then place in a greased bowl.
Cover with plastic wrap & a towel. Allow to rise in a draft-free place for about 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
While the dough rises, make fillings so they have time to chill before using them. IF YOU FEEL THEY WILL NOT BE CHILLED ENOUGH, PREPARE THEM A DAY AHEAD & KEEP IN THE REFRIGERATOR. TAKE FILLINGS OUT WHILE THE DOUGH IS RISING.
RASPBERRY & BLUEBERRY FILLING: Add the raspberries (or blueberries), sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest & salt to a saucepan over low heat. Keep stirring until they begin to break down. Once the berries have broken down & released their juices, turn the heat to medium & allow the mixture to boil, stirring for around 4-5 minutes. As the mixture boils, it will thicken & become jelly-like. Make sure to keep stirring so it doesn't burn. Once thick, remove it from the heat, scrape it into a bowl & allow to cool.
CINNAMON FILLING: In a small bowl stir together brown sugar & cinnamon. Measure out 1/4 cup softened butter for spreading.
LEMON CURD FILLING: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cornstarch, if using, lemon juice, zest, & salt until smooth. Place the pan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, making sure to scrape the corners of the pan to prevent scrambling. Cook for 5–8 minutes until the mixture thickens & coats the back of the spoon. It should just begin to bubble. Remove from heat immediately. Stir in the cold, cubed butter one piece at a time until completely melted and smooth. Pour the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a jar or bowl to remove any bits of zest or egg. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until completely cold and firm.
Lightly grease a 9 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan; set aside. Punch down the dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into an 18 x 12-inch rectangle & cut into four sections. Apply the 4 different fillings, tightly roll up filled rectangles into spirals. Pinch dough to seal seams.
Cut each roll into 3 slices; arrange in prepared baking pan. Cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (30 minutes).
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Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown & done in center. While rolls are baking prepare cream cheese drizzle.
CREAM CHEESE DRIZZLE: In a bowl, beat softened cream cheese, softened butter & vanilla with a mixer on medium until combined. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in enough milk, 1 tsp at a time, to reach drizzle consistency.
Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Using a small spatula, loosen rolls from pan. Place a wire rack on top of pan; place one hand on top of rack & other hand under pan & carefully invert pan with rack (use pot holders to protect your hands). Lift pan off rolls.
Drizzle as many of the rolls as you wish. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
For the mashed potato, prick a 10-ounce unpeeled potato all over with a fork. Microwave on 100% power (high) for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Halve potato and scoop pulp out of skin into a small bowl; discard skin. Mash the potato pulp with a potato masher or an electric mixer on low speed.
The other day I was thinking of how I could pair two food groups that I have enjoyed using over the years. One being the Japanese red adzuki beans and the other was the persimmon fruit.
The intriguing world of azuki beans has strong roots in Japanese culinary traditions as well, playing a versatile role in sweet and savory dishes.
Likewise, persimmons are a cherished aspect of the Japanese culinary culture. With their vibrant orange hue and sweet, honey-like flavor, they are a favorite autumn and winter fruit. Persimmons have been cultivated in Japan for over a thousand years and are celebrated in art, poetry, and cuisine.
Combining the two in a dessert seems only logical as the red bean paste complements persimmons so nicely, it works out real well. The red bean paste, also known as ‘anko’ in Japanese, is made from adzuki beans that are boiled with sugar. Its flavor is sweet and savory at the same time, with notes of chocolate and walnuts.
Red Bean paste comes in many shapes and forms, but one thing is constant: the ingredient is a special and meaningful component of different East Asian cultures. You can find red bean paste in many different dishes out of Japan, China, Korea and in recipes used all over the world.
Today, my recipe development is centered around two kinds of thumbprint cookies:
- Adzuki Bean Oatmeal Flax Cookies w/ Persimmon Compote
- Persimmon Oatmeal Cookies w/ Adzuki Red Bean Paste
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Adzuki Bean & Persimmon Thumbprint Cookies
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Ingredients
Persimmon Compote for Adzuki Bean Cookies
Coarse Adzuki Bean Paste for Persimmon Cookies
Topping to Roll Adzuki Cookies In
Persimmon Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
Persimmon Compote for Adzuki Bean Cookies
Coarse Adzuki Bean Paste for Persimmon Cookies
Topping to Roll Adzuki Cookies In
Persimmon Oatmeal Cookies
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Instructions
Persimmon Compote
Peel persimmon, dice & puree in a cup processor. Place persimmon, sugar & lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over a medium high heat, stirring constantly for about 5-8 minutes until mixture becomes sticky & jam like. Set aside to cool.
Adzuki Bean Cookies
Place the oats in the bowl of a food processor & pulse until it resembles coarse flour. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon & salt & process until combined. Transfer to a large bowl.
Place the bean paste in another bowl along with the butter, 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolk & vanilla. Mix with an electric hand mixer until combined, scraping down sides of bowl.
Pour bean mixture into the oat mixture & stir by hand until almost combined; add the nuts & flaxseed & stir until just blended.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place egg white in a small dish. Combine 1/4 cup each of ground flaxseed & brown sugar in a shallow dish. Roll slightly rounded Tbsp of dough into balls. Dip one ball at a time into egg white & then in the sugar mixture. Place 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Press your thumb or index finger into the middle of each cookie. Divide persimmon compote between cookies filling each indentation.
Bake for about 16 minutes until set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield is about 32 cookies depending on the size you prefer to make them.
Persimmon Oatmeal Cookies
Place the oats in the bowl of a food processor & pulse until it resembles coarse flour. Add flour, 5-spice, baking powder, salt & ground flaxseeds & process until combined. Transfer to a large bowl.
Peel persimmon, dice & puree in a cup processor. In a separate bowl, place the persimmon puree, sugar, oil & vanilla & mix until smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing with a wide spatula just until batter begins to come together, being careful not to overwork it. Add walnuts, folding to distribute them evenly throughout.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheet. Make a well or thumbprint shaped indent in the center of each ball of dough. Divide reserved adzuki bean paste between cookies filling each indentation.
Bake for 11-12 minutes. Don't overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Yield is about 30 cookies depending on the size you prefer to make them.
I recall my mother’s rice pudding with much fondness. It was a creamy pudding with raisins and a nice cinnamon flavor. Although, as a kid, raisins didn’t really appeal to me, they seemed to belong in this pudding. My father was a ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of man with an inherited love of sweets. I rarely ever remember my mother preparing a meal that didn’t end with some kind of dessert. It didn’t have to be anything elaborate. To this day, I still think a meal isn’t complete without a little sweetness at the end. Not a good thing as we get older.
Rice puddings are found in nearly every corner of the world. Milchreis is the German version, made by cooking short grain rice on the stove top in milk with sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
Due to the mildness of this pudding, you can change the flavor significantly by just making a few changes such as nutmeg or cardamom instead of cinnamon, adding fresh or dried fruits and/or nuts.
That brings me to rhubarb — I love everything about the plant — how good it tastes, the beautiful huge foliage in the garden and how it can keep on producing all season long. The uses of rhubarb are endless, both sweet and savory.
Bordering one side of my mother’s large country garden grew six or eight rhubarb plants. I can’t even remember all the things she made with it but one thing still remains and that’s my love for it.
Today, January 22, our family celebrates the birthday of my sister, Marilyn. Birthdays were always made to be special as we were growing up. Not so much as to gifts but in regard to the family acknowledgement of ‘your’ day especially food wise.
For something I think holds a special nostalgic memory and to mark the occasion even if we can’t be together, I have prepared a German rhubarb crumble rice pudding.
BRION & I ARE THINKING OF YOU MARILYN & SEND OUR LOVE & BIRTHDAY WISHES.
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German Rhubarb Crumble Rice Pudding
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Instructions
Rice
Place the milk, rice & sugar in a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat & bring to a simmer. Cook 45-55 minutes on medium low, stirring occasionally so bottom doesn't scorch, until it reduces by about half.
When thickened, remove from the heat, let it cool. Pour into a bowl or 4-6 individual custard cups you will serve from. Pudding can be served warm or cover & refrigerate.
Rhubarb Compote
Add rhubarb, sugar & ginger to a small pot. Over medium heat, cover & bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes at a simmer until rhubarb has softened but still keeps its shape. Set aside to cool.
Crumble
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In a bowl mix all the ingredients & bring it together with your fingers or a fork. When fully mixed, spread it on a lined baking sheet & bake for 15-20 minutes, until browned & crispy. Remove & cool.
Serving
Spoon a generous portion of the rhubarb compote on top of the pudding, followed by a generous portion of the crumble mixture.
The combination of mincemeat with pancakes and orange sauce is typically enjoyed as a festive twist on traditional breakfast fare during the Christmas holidays. The orange flavor is a natural fit, as many modern mincemeat recipes incorporate orange as a key flavor.
Mincemeat originated in medieval England and the Middle East as a method for preserving meat using a mixture of minced meat, suet, fruits, and expensive spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. The spices helped to show off wealth and disguise the flavor of older meat. Over centuries, the meat content in mincemeat gradually decreased, replaced by more fruit and suet. By the end of the 19th century, meat was a rare inclusion, and the dish fully transitioned from a savory main course to the sweet Christmas dessert we know today.
You might wonder what mincemeat is good for besides mince pies (or just eating with a spoon). You can stir it into a cobbler; add a cup to a muffin recipe; heat it up and spread it on your weekend pancakes or waffles; or use it in place of dates in a date square recipe. You could even serve it on a cheese plate as a very seasonal chutney.
I realize mincemeat isn’t for everyone but if you do care for it, these pancakes with orange butter sauce are well worth a try.
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Mincemeat Pancakes w/ Orange Butter Sauce
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Instructions
Orange Butter Sauce
Place the sugar, water & orange zest in a pan & bring to the boil, let it bubble & froth for 1 minute on a medium heat, then turn down the heat to low & stir in the butter until melted. Leave on a very low heat until ready to serve.
Pancakes
Place the milk and mincemeat in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Add flour, baking powder, sugar, egg, vanilla extract & salt. Use a whisk to mix until combined.
Pour ¼ tbsp. oil in a large skillet, then wipe around with a kitchen towel to cover the pan. Heat the pan on a medium heat until hot. Pour in enough mixture to make three pancakes (approx. ¼ cup of mix per pancake). Turn the pancakes over when bubbles form on top & then burst, & the edges start to look firm (about 1-2 minutes). Cook on the other side for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the mixture - oiling the pan each time - until all the pancakes are cooked (keep the pancakes warm in a very low oven while you’re making each batch).
Assembly
Stack 3 pancakes on each plate. Top each stack with orange segments, butter sauce & whipped cream.
Many cultures have embraced the apple pie and put their own spin on it, so why is it known as the quintessential American dessert. German immigrants brought over the modern hamburger and Italians were the first to combine cheese with macaroni. Apple pie—a dish that commonly follows the words ‘American as’ —has a reputation for being one of the rare dishes the country can fully claim. But as it turns out, the history of the iconic American dessert isn’t so simple.
The phrase ‘as American as apple pie’ emerged in the early 20th century. It gained widespread popularity during World War II, when soldiers were asked what they were fighting for. The response often included apple pie, alongside other symbols of American life like mom and baseball. This association cemented apple pie’s status as a quintessential American food.
For some cooks, grated apple pie was a practical alternative to the traditional sliced version. Grating or shredding the apples creates a pie with a tender, uniform, and almost custard-like filling, unlike the chunkier texture of a standard pie. Shredding the fruit reduces the cooking time required to soften the apples, which was an advantage for home bakers. As shown in some historic recipes, eggs and melted butter were often mixed into the grated apples, creating a richer filling.
This pie reminds me of an experience I had that seems quite comical when I think of it now. Before I had ever studied in the commercial food industry or made any number of pies, a friend gave me a recipe for a ‘Swiss’ apple pie. Her instructions were to place the shredded apple in a pastry lined pie pan. Next, pour vanilla pudding over the apples and bake. It sounded great! I purchased a box of Jell-O brand vanilla pudding & pie filling, made a crust and filled it with shredded apples. I assumed you were supposed to cook the pudding before covering the apples with it for some reason. Wrong!! What resulted was apples baked in a pastry shell with a ‘rubber top’. I guess we all have to start somewhere, right?!
Today, I wanted to revisit the grated apple pie idea being fall with all the wonderful apples that are in season right now.
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Grated Apple Pie w/ Salted Carmel Topping
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Instructions
Pastry
Sift flour, sugar & baking powder into a bowl. Add salt & rub butter into flour with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar & water. Sprinkle the egg/water mixture over the flour mixture & combine ONLY until dough comes together. DO NOT OVERMIX. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap & refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Apple Pie
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Grate apples & combine with lemon juice.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with chilled pastry. In a bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Sprinkle 3 Tbsp evenly in the bottom of the crust & set the rest aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the remaining sugar mixture & beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla & eggs. Beat until mixed well & the mixture turns lighter. Stir in the apples.
Pour the filling mixture into the crust & spread out evenly. Place a pie ring or one made out of aluminum foil around the edges of the crust.
Bake at 450 F. for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 F. & bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. If the crust is not brown enough, remove the pie ring for the last 10 minutes of the cooking time.
Salted Caramel Sauce
Place the sugar & water into a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook, stirring, over a low heat until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat & bring to a boil for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get a deep amber color.
Remove from heat & immediately add the heavy cream & stir. Be careful as it will bubble up quite a lot. Once the caramel has dissolved into the cream, add the butter & salt. Place in a small blender & blend for a few seconds until mixture comes together nicely. Place into a small container & cool.
Finish
Once pie is at room temperature, brush or drizzle sauce over the apple filling. Chill further & serve.
Recipe Notes
The purpose of putting some of the sugar mixture into the bottom of the pie crust is to absorb some of the liquid that forms when sugar & fruit are mixed together.
If the apples produce a lot of juice, drain them BEFORE adding them to the batter. If you pour off the juice after adding the apples to the batter, you will lose a lot of the spice flavor.
Using a deep dish will help avoid it from running over in the oven.
We’re entering the in between… that time when some days are super nice and the sun is shining and if you don’t look at the date on the calendar, you’d swear it’s the middle of July, and some days you need a jacket and it’s gloomy and you can feel the season changing in the air?
The time when the flowers are still blooming and the leaves are starting to change. Fall food is popping up in the stores and it’s more than just pumpkin spice everything.
So why not make a ‘root vegetable cake’? I know, you’re thinking you don’t really want anything called root vegetable cake. But keep an open mind because it’s just a cake with carrots, parsnips and some beets. They’re all shredded and combined with warm spices to make a hearty cake, dotted with dried apricots and pepita seeds. The spice and earthiness of the cake are complemented by the rich sweetness and subtle tang of the ginger cream cheese frosting. Altogether, it’s pretty much the perfect bite – while the root veggies keep this cake soft and add a subtly sweet, earthy flavor; the apricots and pepita seeds add texture. Then it’s topped off with the luxurious creaminess of the ginger frosting. What’s not to love!
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Root Vegetable Apricot Cake
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Ingredients
Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting
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Instructions
Cake
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease the base & sides of a 8-inch round cake pan with a little oil. Line the base with parchment paper.
Peel & grate the carrots, beets & parsnips into a large bowl. Zest an orange & add to the vegetables.
Pour in the syrup, eggs & olive oil, then mix to combine. Next, fold in the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
Finely dice the apricots, then add them to the bowl along with the seeds, then mix everything until just combined but DO NOT OVERMIX.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan & bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the tin after 20 minutes, until the top is a light pink-golden tone. The cake should bounce back when pressed lightly, & a skewer inserted into the center will come out clean when fully cooked. Remove from the oven & leave to cool in the pan.
Ginger Frosting
Place room temperature cream cheese, ginger & butter into a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer. beat until creamy & smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar until all is incorporated.
Assembly
When the cake is completely cool, transfer to a plate, then finish with the icing, smoothing it over the sides & top of the cake. Decorate as you wish slice & serve.
Recipe Notes
If you are like me, maple syrup is not something I usually have on hand. Here's a good substitute ... 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup water & 1/4 tsp maple extract. Place the sugar & water in a small saucepan. Simmer on low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved & mixture thickens slightly, 3-5 minutes. Stir in maple extract (adjust to taste). Allow to cool before using (mixture thickens as it cools).
Is it a crostata or a galette? There’re actually two different names for the same thing. A galette and a crostata are essentially the same type of dessert (one comes from France and one comes from Italy). Crostatas and galettes are typically free-form and rustic, with the dough edges folded up around the filling.
When it comes to pastries and cakes, the French have given the world more techniques, recipes and methods than anyone else. No other country has taken the simple combination of flour, dairy and heat to create such a varied range of delicious dishes, both sweet and savory.
Blackberries are sometimes forgotten, unlike their more popular cousins’ strawberries and blueberries. Even if you don’t love them raw, baked blackberries are something special.
Blackberries are cherished for their enticing flavor, nutritional value, and versatility in recipes. Whether enjoyed as a fresh snack or incorporated into mouthwatering dishes, blackberries remain a beloved fruit that connects us to a rich tapestry of history and nature.
Today I’m making a blackberry cheesecake galette. The combination of buttery pastry and juicy, plump blackberries with cream cheese is simply heavenly.
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Blackberry Cheesecake Galette
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Instructions
Pastry
In a small bowl, combine sour cream & ice water; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar & salt. Using a pastry blender or finger tips, cut in the butter until mixture resembles BOTH coarse crumbs & small peas. Sprinkle the cold sour cream mixture over dough, 1 Tbsp at a time, tossing with a fork to evenly distribute it. After you have added all the sour cream mixture, dough should be moist enough to stick together when pressed; if not, add additional cold water, 1 tsp at a time. Do not overwork dough.
Press dough into a disk shape & wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for a day or two or it can be wrapped airtight & frozen for a month. Thaw, still wrapped in refrigerator.
Filling
In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp sugar with 1 Tbsp cornstarch. Sprinkle over blackberries with a squeeze of lime juice. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese with whole egg & egg white until light & fluffy. Beat in 7 Tbsp sugar, zest, vanilla & a pinch of salt.
Assembly
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Remove pastry from refrigerator. On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll out pastry dough into a 12-inch circle. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Spoon the blackberry mixture over cream cheese, leaving any excess juice in bowl. Gently fold outside edges of pastry over, pleating to hold filling in. Brush with egg wash & sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake 45 minutes or until filling bubbles up & crust is golden. test with knife to see that the cream cheese is set. Cool for at least 20 minutes on a wire rack before serving.
The name of today’s pastry was inspired by the round shape of the ‘taler’, a silver coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred years. Its name lives on in the currency called ‘dollar’.
Taler is a German word for ‘coin’, so the name of the dessert literally translates to ‘streusel coin’. Basically, a free form tart made with a yeast dough topped with a huge amount of streusel, sometimes filled with custard and often with a sugar glaze.
A traditional German streusel (streusel meaning something ‘strewn or scattered’ in German) bakes up into shortbread balls. It makes a crunchy, cookie-like top but is soft on the bottom where it meets the bread/cake or fruit.
Streusel was first popularized in Germany. In its simplest form, it consists of flour, sugar and butter but gets even better with the addition of oatmeal, cinnamon and nuts …. just my opinion of course!
While the origins of the black forest cake aren’t all that clear, some historians believe that its origins can be traced back to the Black Forest Region of Germany. This part of Germany is well known for its sour cherries and ‘Kirschwasser‘ … a clear cherry brandy.
This iconic creation is a layered confection of a liqueur ‘soaked’ chocolate cake with rich whipped cream and sour cherries between its layers. The liqueur and cherries give the cake an intense and unique fruity flavor. It’s these sour cherries which gave it its German name: Schwarzwald Kirsch Kuchen or Black Forest Cherry Cake.
There are many origin stories about the cake. Some sources claim that the name of the cake is inspired by the traditional custom of the women of the Black Forest region, with a characteristic hat with big red pom-poms on top called a ‘Bollenhut’. The earliest published written record of black forest cake was in 1934, by a German confectioner. Today, the cake is well known worldwide and probably one of the most popular cakes in Germany.
This black forest streuseltaler is a fusion recipe I developed combining a chocolate yeast bun with some sour cherries and streusel topping. Since we just happen to have a nice little sour cherry tree growing in our garden, why not put some of them to good use in a German dessert?!
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Black Forest Streuseltaler
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Instructions
Sour Cherry Filling
In a saucepan, place & stir together sugar, cornstarch & salt. Add the water mixture & stir to thoroughly combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, Stirring frequently, & simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Gradually fold in cherries. Set aside to cool.
Streusel
In a bowl, place COLD butter. Add flour, sugar & Kirsch if using. With your finger tips work streusel until crumbles form. Spread out on a large tray & set aside in freezer until ready to use.
Dough
In a small dish, combine yeast with lukewarm water & 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Allow to sit for a few minutes until frothy.
In a large bowl, slightly melt butter; cool a couple of minutes then whisk in egg. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, salt & remaining sugar. Add yeast mixture to butter mixture, whisking together. Add flour mixture, combine then turn on a floured work surface & knead for about 5 minutes. Dough will be soft but not sticky.
Lightly grease bowl, place dough ball in it & cover with a towel. Place in a draft-free place & allow to rise for about 20 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place dough on a work surface, & divide into 12 pieces. Form each piece into a ball & allow to rest for about 5 minutes.
Space out the balls on parchment lined baking sheet. With fingertips, press out each ball to about 3-4-inch diameter. Add about 1 Tbsp of cherry filling to the center of each dough piece, leaving a border around the outside.
Divide streusel topping evenly between the pastries & allow to rise for about 15-20 minutes.
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Bake for about 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. In the meantime, you can prepare the glaze.
Glaze
In a small dish, whisk powdered sugar & Kirsch into a thick glaze. When streuseltaler are cooled, drizzle with glaze.
Recipe Notes
- Kirschwasser is German for 'Cherry Water', and while it may be as clear as water, it packs quite a punch. This double distilled brandy made from the sour Morello cherries is, more often than not, simply referred to as Kirsch. This 'not too sweet with a subtle cherry/almond flavored' liqueur is a vitally necessary ingredient to make a traditional Black Forest Cake; for that is where both the cake and Kirschwasser hail from... The Black Forest, or Schwarzwald, in southwestern Germany.
- Pomegranate juice: A rich and slightly tangy juice can act as a kirsch substitute, particularly in recipes requiring a deep red color. It offers a unique flavor that can add complexity to your dish.
