Fruit Jam Crostata

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 T sugar
1 lemon, zested, plus 1 T lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 T (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into half-inch pieces
3 T ice water
3/4 cup apricot or other fruit jam
a handful of toasted slivered/sliced almonds (toast in 350 F oven)
powdered sugar

whipping cream

Preparing the crostata:
Combine the flour, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a food processor and pulse to blend.

Add the butter and pulse until the mixture has coarse crumbs. Add the lemon juice and ice water, pulsing until a ball starts to form. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten it into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 40-60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to make an 11-inch round. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Mix the jam to loosen it and make it more spreadable (thin it with water or more lemon juice if needed), and spread over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round, pleating the crust loosely and sealing any cracks in the dough.

Bake the crostata until the crust is golden, about 30 to 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with almonds and powdered sugar.

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Fruit Crostata

Ingredients for the dough (for 2 crostatas):
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
6 tablespoons ice water

Ingredients for the filling (for 1 crostata):
2 peaches/nectarines
2 plums
1/4 pint blueberries/raspberries
1 T lemon juice
1 T all purpose flour
1 T sugar
1/4 teaspoon grated organic orange zest

whipping cream
powdered sugar
turbinado sugar

Preparing the pastry:
Put flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor with a steel blade. Pulse a few times. Add butter and pulse a few times until the butter is the size of peas. With motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep pulsing just until the dough starts to form into a ball. Divide dough in half and turn out onto 2 pieces of plastic sheets and form 2 flat disks. Wrap disks in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If making only 1 crostata, freeze the other disk of dough.

Preheat the oven to 450 F degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Roll around the rolling pin and transfer it to the baking sheet.

Preparing the filling:
Cut the peaches and plums in wedges and put in a bowl with the blueberries. Squeeze lemon juice.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, orange zest, and lemon juice. Toss the fruits gently with the flour mixture. Place the fruits on the dough circle, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the border of the pastry over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge.

Brush the top of the dough with heavy cream and sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top.

Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden at the edges.

Slide the crostata off the baking sheet onto a plate, or leave it on the parchment paper and slide on the countertop to cool for 5 minutes.

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Butternut Squash and Leek Galette

Ingredients for the crush:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 T chopped sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 to 6 T ice-cold water
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Ingredients for the filling:
1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2- by 1/4-inch slices (4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 T olive oil, divided
2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced crosswise
6 ounces soft mild goat cheese, crumbled

Optional: thyme leaves, pine nuts

Preparing the pastry:
Pulse flour, butter, sage, and sea salt in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle ice water evenly over mixture and pulse until it just forms a ball. (Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.) Gently press dough into a 5-inch disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Note: Pastry dough can be chilled up to 1 day. Filling can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

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Preparing the filling:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F with rack in middle.

Toss squash with sea salt and 1 tablespoon oil and arrange in 1 layer in a 17-by 12-inch shallow baking pan. Roast, stirring once halfway through roasting, until golden brown on edges and undersides, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove squash from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Meanwhile, wash leeks, then cook in remaining 2 tablespoons oil with a pinch of sea salt in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly. Add squash, goat cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and toss gently.

Preparing the galette:
Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Transfer to a baking sheet. Arrange filling in an even layer in center of dough, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border. Fold dough in on itself to cover outer rim of filling, pleating dough as necessary. Brush pastry with beaten egg and bake galette until crust is cooked through and golden on edges, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 (as an entree) to 8 (as a side dish)

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Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette

Ingredients for the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

Ingredients for the filling:
1 small butternut squash (about one pound)
2 T olive oil
1 to 2 T butter (if you have only non-stick, the smaller amount will do)
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
3/4 cup fontina cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces), grated or cut into small bits
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

Preparing the pastry:
In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preparing the squash:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on foil lined (for neatness sake) sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preparing the caramelized onions:
While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.

Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.

Assembling the galette:
On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round.
Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.

Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6

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Lemon Curd

Ingredients:
4 large organic lemons
4 eggs
1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
7-8 T butter

Preparing the lemon curd:
Have ready some clean, warm jars (wash and dry them, in the oven at 212 degrees F while making the curd).

Finely grate the lemon rind into a heatproof bowl. Squeeze the lemons. Beat the eggs, add the lemon juice to them, and strain them into the bowl with the zest. Add the sugar and the butter cut into small pieces.

Place over a pan of simmering water and stir more or less constantly until it thickens and looks glossy. This will only take a few minutes. Do not overheat or the eggs will curdle.

Remove from the heat and pour into jars.

If using immediately, cover with plastic wrap adhering to surface to prevent skin from forming and refrigerate.

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Lemon Drizzle Cake

This recipe can be easily doubled for a larger cake.

The cake can also be split and have lemon curd spread between the two layers.

Ingredients for the cake:
5 ounces self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 ounces butter, softened
4 ounces golden caster sugar
2 T good quality lemon curd
1 large lemon, rind of, grated
2 eggs, whisked
1 T water or lemon juice

Ingredients for lemon syrup:
1 juice of large lemon
4 ounces granulated sugar

Preparing the cake:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and line a 2 lb loaf pan or round cake pan.

Put all the cake ingredients together into a large bowl and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon and then a hand-held mixer for a maximum of 3 minutes.

Pour into the prepared loaf or cake pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the syrup, by mixing the lemon juice and sugar together.

On removing the cake from the oven, pierce all over the top with a fine skewer or fork - keeping the cake in the pan.

While the cake is still hot, pour the syrup over the top of the cake. Leave it in the tin to cool.

The syrup will leave a crunchy residue of sugar and be sticky to touch.

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TH's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 ounces 55% chocolate, cut into chip-sized pieces (about 1 1/4 cups)
5 ounces 70 to 72% chocolate, cut into chip-sized pieces (about 1 1/4 cups)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup packed dark brown sugar, preferably molasses sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs

Preparing the dough:
Position the oven racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.

Sift the flour and baking soda into a medium bowl. Stir in the salt. Put the chips in a fine-mesh basket strainer and shake to remove any chocolate "dust" (small fragments).

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat half the butter on medium speed until fairly smooth. Add both sugars and the remaining butter, and beat until well combined, then beat for a few minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until the first one is incorporated before adding the next, and scraping the bowl as necessary. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed to combine. Mix in the chocolate.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold the dough with a spatula to be sure that the chocolate is evenly incorporated. The dough or shaped cookies can be refrigerated, well wrapped, for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 weeks. Freeze shaped cookies on the baking sheets until firm, then transfer to freezer containers. (Defrost frozen cookies overnight in the refrigerator before baking.)

Using about 2 level tablespoons per cookie, shape the dough into balls. Arrange 8 cookies on each pan, leaving about 2 inches between them, because the dough will spread. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the tops are no longer shiny, switching the position and rotating the pans halfway through baking.

Cool the cookies on the pans on cooling racks for about 2 minutes to firm up a bit, then transfer to the racks to cool completely. Repeat to bake the remaining cookies.

Makes 30 3-inch cookies

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Cook's Illustrated Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month—shaped or not.

Ingredients:
2 1/8 cups all purpose flour (2 cups plus 2 T)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (1 1/2 sticks)
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-2 cup chocolate chips (semi or bittersweet)

Preparing the dough:
Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips.

Form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Rotate halves ninety degrees and, with jagged surfaces exposed, join halves together at their base, again forming a single cookie, being careful not to smooth dough’s uneven surface. Place formed dough onto one of two parchment paper-lined 20-by-14-inch lipless cookie sheets, about nine dough balls per sheet. Smaller cookie sheets can be used, but fewer cookies can be baked at one time and baking time may need to be adjusted.

Bake, reversing cookie sheets’ positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). (Frozen dough requires an extra 1 to 2 minutes baking time.) Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.

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DL's Chocolate Chip Cookies

The dough logs can be refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month. The baked cookies will keep well in an airtight container for up to 4 days.


Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, or macadamia nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
14 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/2- to 1-inch chunks or 3 cups chocolate drops

Preparing the dough:
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed just until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, then stir in the flour mixture followed by the nuts and chocolate chunks.

On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a log about 9 inches long. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, preferably for 24 hours.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Slice the logs into disks 3/4 inch thick and place the disks 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. If the nuts or chips crumble out, simply push them back in.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through baking, until the cookies are very lightly browned in the centers, about 10 minutes. If you like soft chocolate chip cookies, err on the side of underbaking.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to handle, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack.

Makes about 48 cookies

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Pecan & Chocolate Meringue-Cradled White Cake

This recipe originated in the 1953 Pillsbury Bake-Off Collection.

Ingredients for the meringue:
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup finely chopped, toasted pecans
1/2 ounce unsweetened grated chocolate [Chill the chocolate and put it in a food processor with the pecans and a tablespoon of the sugar that goes into the meringue.]

Ingredients for the cake:
1 cup cake flour (4 ounces) or 1 cup “measured-after-sifting” bleached flour (4 ounces)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk, room temperature

whole toasted pecans dipped in semisweet chocolate

Preparing the meringue:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and adjust the oven rack to the lower third of the oven.

Spray a 9- by 5-inch metal loaf pan with flour-added cooking spray, then line the bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper.

Measure out all ingredients, line them up and have them ready to go so the meringue doesn’t have to sit for too long.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form. Beat in vanilla, then fold in nut-chocolate mixture. Spread mixture over bottom and a little over halfway up the sides of the loaf pan, doing your best to make a nice cradle. Set aside.

Preparing the cake:
Sift the flour, then stir it together with the baking powder and salt; set aside.

Wipe out the mixing bowl, then cream the butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla and beat on high for a couple of minutes, scraping bowl often. Stir in flour mixture alternatively with milk until well blended (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour). Pour cake mixture into pan so it goes right down the center of the meringue cradle.

Bake in lower third of the oven for 45-50 minutes. Meringue will look golden. Do not invert pan yet. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then loosen with a spatula and set pan on a rack for 25 minutes. Invert on a serving plate. Peel off parchment paper; cool completely.


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Another version:

Ingredients for the meringue:
1/2 cup superfine sugar, divided
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/2 ounce fine-quality unsweetened or 99% cacao chocolate, chopped and chilled
2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

Ingredients for the cake:
2 egg yolks from above
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (or 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) cake flour (or bleached all-purpose
flour), sifted into the cup and leveled off
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (65-75 degrees F)

One 9 by 4- or 5-inch loaf pan greased and lined with parchment.

Preparing the cake:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven.

Place 1 tablespoon of the sugar in one bowl and the remaining sugar in another bowl. Toast the pecans and cool completely. Place the chocolate in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. In a food processor, process, with long pulses, the pecans, chilled chocolate, and the 1 tablespoon of sugar until finely ground.

Have the ingredients for the cake batter ready so that the meringue does not have to sit too long before baking.

In a medium bowl, place the yolks and coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray to prevent a crust from forming. Set aside for the cake batter. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, pour in the egg whites. Beat the egg whites on medium-low speed until soft peaks form when the beater is raised slowly. Raise the speed to medium-high and gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until very glossy and stiff peaks form when the beater is raised slowly. Fold in the pecan mixture until evenly incorporated. With a spatula, scrape the egg white mixture into the prepared pan. Spread it evenly in the bottom and three-quarters of the way up the sides, creating a long rectangular hollow in the center to contain the batter. Set aside briefly while mixing the batter.

In the bowl with the reserved yolks, whisk in 1 tablespoon of the buttermilk and the vanilla just until lightly combined. Cover and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining buttermilk. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for one and a half minutes. The mixture will lighten in color and texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Spoon the batter into the meringue-lined pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small metal spatula. The batter will come just to the top of the dacquoise.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a wire cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The meringue and cake batter will both rise, but toward the end of baking, the cake will dome a little above the dacquoise and split in the center.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack until the bottom is no longer warm to the touch. In the metal pan, the cake can be unmolded after 20 minutes of cooling. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the sides of the cake, pressing firmly against the pan, and invert the cake onto a serving plate. Cool completely. Uncovered, the unfrosted cake will keep for 2 days at room temperature.

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Here’s a slightly adapted version from the Pillsbury Bake-Off book:

Beat 4 large egg whites until soft mounds form. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating constantly until stiff glossy peaks form.

Fold in 1 cup pecans, finely chopped, and 1 ounce grated unsweetened chocolate.

Spread meringue evenly over bottom and about three-fourths up sides of a 10-inch tube pan which has been greased and lined with parchment paper on the bottom.

Sift together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt (may be too much; 1/2 teaspoon may be fine) and 2 1/2 teaspoons double acting baking powder.

Cream 4 ounces unsalted butter, gradually add 1 cup sugar, creaming well. Add 4 unbeaten egg yolks; beat well.

Combine 1 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add alternately with the dry ingredients. Blend well after each addition.

Turn onto the meringue-lined pan.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Do not underbake. Cool 20 minutes. Loosen cake with spatula. Cool 30 minutes longer before removing from pan. Decorate top of cakes with pecan halves dipped in chocolate.

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