Strawberry Linzertortlet

One might assume that time would extend as they sleep less and less. But no. Working 40 hour weeks and schooling full time as well seems to have sped time up. I feel old. This made me feel better though....

I invented this recipe as a way to use old stale cinnamon buns without having to make strudel dough. It does, however, require linzer dough:

Ingredients:

• 200 g butter
• 150 g sugar
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
  
• ½ tsp salt
• 60 g finely ground walnuts*
• 70 g finely ground almonds
• 1 egg
• ¼ tsp vanilla, kirsch, or other liqueur
• 250 g all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

*Traditional linzer dough uses hazelnuts here, but I find walnuts or pecans work nicely too.

Method:

1. blend sugar, salt, butter, and spices until well mixed (not creamed until light!!)
2. add almonds and walnuts and blend in
3. add egg and flavorings. Mix until just absorbed
4. Sift flour and baking powder, add, and mix just until evenly blended

That's really all there is to the dough. Remember, it is like a short dough, so handle as little as possible, refrigerate for easier handling and don't over-mix!

For the tortlets I photographed above, divide the dough into 12 portions and press into tart tins. This should create shells about 5mm thick. Fill with the following:

Strawberry Strudel Filling

Ingredients:

• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
• 150 mL strawberry dessert topping (as for waffles or ice cream)
• 1 - 2 finely ground cinnamon buns
  

Method:

1. Mix it all together.

Fill each unbaked tart shell to the brim with filling and bake @ about 350° F for 20 - 30 minutes.

I love the taste of these things. It reminds me of the strawberry shortcake ice cream bars that Dickie Dee used to carry when I was a kid, waaaaay back when kids played outside (allowing Dickie Dee ice cream vendors the potential to make a profit, you see). Scrumptious strawberry nostalgia right there.

But I digress. I'm old.

Leftovers

I know I'm in the right profession because I was all excited to finish my baking requisitions at work early today so I could come home and... do more baking.

A while back I made cinnamon buns for the neighbor, but as it turned out he wasn't home to receive them and as a result they went stale. As the buns sat on their plate turning into wonderful cinnamon sugar croutons, I pondered on what I could do with them (other than bread pudding).

Strudel it is! (my first time!!)


Austria and many other central European countries enjoy fresh breads and pastries. A lot. I'm told the reason strudel contains bread crumbs is in part because of this reason; to reduce the waste of breads that have gone stale. I did a quick bit of research on the interwebs and can't seem to find any supporting document to this claim. Allow me to simply cite and/or thank "The Yodeling German" for that one.

So, I chopped up some very ripe apples I had on hand and tossed them with some nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, and walnuts (walnuts compliments of my mother in law)


I didn't go too crazy on seasoning the apples because my bread crumbs were already seasoned from being cinnamon buns.


And here I have to confess.... I did not go through the trials of making traditional strudel dough. I instead thawed a box of filo pastry leaves, layering five sheets with melted butter spread inbetween. Next time, I will do it all from scratch... mark my words. If anything, the real fresh dough might be easier to work with than the frail, dry, break-apartyness of the filo.


After baking @ 350° F until golden brown, I brushed generously with a slurry of simple syrup, cornstarch, and cinnamon.


Finally, I iced the thing with flat icing and promptly delivered it to the neighbors who were home this time. It could very well be that they saw me coming with cinnamon buns last time and decided to hold out for something better....

They did indeed get something better. Mmmmmmmmm. Serve with vanilla pastry cream, pudding, custard, or ice cream!

The Good Neighbor

The position of "baker" is very enviable. Everybody likes the baker, as most people like some sort of baked goods. Aside from good old fashioned money, I've received no end of compliments, coffees, bacon, caramel machiattos, etc... in trade for my baking or the hopes that something will be baked in the near future.

What happened today though surprised me a little. Just before supper there was a knock at my door. I answered it to greet my neighbor, no doubt there to complain about the excessive dog poo, I surmised. But no! He had been out shopping and witnessed some guy saw through the head of a hammer with this fancy knife and had been so impressed that he had to buy one for his baker-cook-neighbor.

I wouldn't have considered this neighbor to be a friend, and to be honest, I can't even say I know his name. I see him on occasion when I take the dogs out and perhaps once a month when we pass in the halls of the college. What does one do in return for such a gesture as a random knife gifting?

Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients:

• white bread recipe
• ½ cup soft butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• raisins*, pecans, walnuts, orange zest, etc... (optional)

Method:


1. After dough has rested, roll into a 12" x 15" rectangle

2. Cream sugar, butter, and cinnamon together

3. Spread mixture evenly over dough and sprinkle with nuts, raisins, or whatever else your heart desires.

4. Roll from a short end of the rectangle and cut 2" slices.

5. Pan into medium/large muffin tins (lightly greased)

6. Let proof for about an hour

7. Bake @ 350° until tops are golden brown (about 25 minutes)

8. Let cool for 10 minutes and then plate for delivery to your neighbor who's name you don't know/can't remember.

I personally enjoy a little flat icing drizzled over the tops of these, but this is strictly optional and certainly doesn't make them any healthier. As it is, it's like eating candied bread. Mmmmmm.

*Raisins and other dried fruit should be plumped in boiling water before use

The way it crumbles....

Today was my first day back at school in a new semester of culinary management. Tomorrow I'll be in the land of cookies as my class and I undertake the arduous task of baking some 2000 cookies for charity. Maybe. Tomorrow also happens to be a scheduled province-wide student walkout protesting a pending teacher strike that has the potential to set students back a full year in their programs.

It's a pretty crap decision to have to make. I love baking cookies, and doubly so for charity; but I also want to voice my opinion on this strike issue, especially if a yes vote on the strike means another year before I graduate.

I already know I'm going to school tomorrow, but I'm not going to learn or even have my attendance taken. I'm going to help make cookies, and that is all. Now, as my title suggested; a cookie recipe (my favorite):

Mayan Chocolate Sparklers

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup shortening
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 eggs
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cups cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 cup chocolate chips
  

Method:

1. Beat shortening, butter and sugars until creamy.
2. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
3. Add next 6 ingredients, mixing until incorporated.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Roll in 1” balls, don’t flatten.
6. Roll into cinnamon and sugar topping.
7. Place on prepared cookie sheets, about 2” apart.
8. Bake @ 350° F for about 10 minutes (should still be soft in center)

I made these for the first time this past Christmas and I see no reason why they shouldn't make it into the regular rotation. Despite the title of this post, these cookies are exceptionally soft and moist with no crumbling tendency at all. The pepper gives them a nice little unexpected kick. Truly good food for a picket line. :-)




FRR47AHUVW7N