A Tale of French Sables

Somewhere, at some time, I was aware of French cookies called "Sables." I have no idea when or where I heard of them, but they were stashed in the dusty files in my brain. If asked what, exactly, they are, I would have to say "a French cookie" but without any real details. So, while watching one of the myriad TV shows, I heard mention of French Sables and was curious. I am not French, not do I have any French in my background, so I cannot give any reason except 3 years of high school French classes, for hearing the person on TV pronounce the word as SAH-blays and just "knowing" that this was incorrect. I did more research online and indeed, there is just about every pronunciation under the sun - all of them different. Written in French, the "e" on the end of the word has an accent mark above it, which indicates it is pronounced. All I can assume is that this happened just like with the Spanish word Queso and pronounced in the US as KAY-so (also incorrect). The actual pronunciation of that work is softer; KEH-so. Anyway, back to my windy irritation at mispronounced words, I believe, coming from 3 years of high school French, that Sables is pronounced SAH-blehs; the second syllable soft. I read online of someone saying that a French chef pronounced them SAH-blees, but again, just as American ears hear KAY-so, they may have heard SAH-blees. You say tomato, I say SAH-blehs.

Green Tea Lime Sables

Okay, enough on that subject. My next beef is that in so many places I have read that Sables are a type of "shortbread" cookie. Again, my knowledge of shortbread is that it is crumbly, mainly due to the complete lack of egg in the dough. Shortbread tends to "poof" apart when trying to cut or bite. "Mexican Wedding Cakes" or Guatemalan Polvorosas are shortbread type cookies. And they really let you know it when biting into one. Every recipe for Sables I searched online and the one I saw on TV used egg yolks in the dough. Ergo: not shortbread.

Okay, so I have established (in my mind) what these cookies are not. So, what are Sables? Sables are a French cookie and according to Wikipedia, originally from Caen, in Lower Normandy. The word "sable" means "sand" in French, and the cookies given this name for their sandy texture and golden color. Outside of that, there seems to be every which way to make them, similar to all the pronunciations. Some of the recipes roll out the cookie dough and cut them into rounds. Some leave them as single wafers. Some dust with powdered sugar. Some roll in a log and chill, then slice to bake. Some roll into a brick shape, chill and slice to bake. Some slice the chilled dough very thinly, some slice it very thick, or anywhere in between. Some sandwich them with jam in the middle. Some brush the edges of the chilled dough with egg yolk before cutting and roll in large-crystal sugar. Others slice the chilled dough and brush egg yolk on the tops and sprinkle with large crystal sugar. This large crystal sugar is often called "Sanding Sugar". Turbinado sugar works, too.

So, with all this in mind, and having read about 10 different methods for making Sables, I created a recipe of my own. I wanted interesting flavor, and had just bought a new bag of Matcha Green Tea powder. This new bag of tea is far, far darker green than my previous bag. Now I can understand why some of the baked goods in photos on the web are that deep, rich green color. My green tea baked goods were always very pale. I wanted to combine lemon zest with the green tea powder, thinking that lemon and tea always go well together. Unfortunately, I had no lemons left in the fridge. So, limes. At least the the tea powder and the lime zest were both green. I would have green cookies. They turned out with a beautiful tender texture, tending to easily break into little sandy bits. The cookies are not fragile, just have that sandy texture they talked about.

Most recipes for Sables have a large amount of butter. This contributes to the cookies' texture. The egg yolks that seem to be in almost all the recipes are a binding agent. While the cookies are a little crumbly, they do have a nice tender crispness to them. Most recipes used no leavening (though some do), so they do not grow much in the oven. The most important thing to remember if you want nice tender cookies is not to overwork the dough, particularly after the flour is added. And, after all that, here is my recipe for how to bake Sables.

Green Tea Lime Sables

¼ cup confectioners' sugar

Steps 1 and 2

3 - 4 tablespoons fresh lime zest (about 2 limes)
2 teaspoons Matcha green tea powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
2 cups, minus 2 tablespoons flour
----------------------------
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
large crystal sugar, for sprinkling (about ¼ cup)

Step One: In a small bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients. Use fingers to work the zest into the mixture and release the oils.

Steps 3 and 4

Step Two: In a mixing bowl, or stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add in the granulated sugar with the confectioners' sugar mixture and mix just to combine. Add the 2 egg yolks and again, mix just to combine. If using a mixer, remove the bowl and set the mixer aside. I wrote in the ingredient list "minus 2 tablespoons" of the flour as my dough was difficult to make come together; a little less may work better. Add in the flour and work quickly with a spoon or spatula until it is in large crumbs.
 
Step Three: Turn the dough out onto a surface and using a bench scraper, bring the dough together, fold, turn and scrape.

Steps 5 and 6

Step Four: Once the dough mostly holds shape, divide into 2 portions.
 
Step Five: Form each portion into a log shape or a small brick, as desired.
 
Step Six: Roll the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours. You want the dough to be nicely hardened so it holds its shape when slicing. At this point the dough can be left in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days or even frozen for a month, if needed.
 
Step Seven: When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 on Convection). Remove one of the portions of dough from the refrigerator at a time. Unwrap from the plastic and using a very sharp knife, slice the dough into 1/4-inch thick slices. Lay the slices onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment. This makes the removal of the cookies far easier. If removing from a dry baking sheet, they could break, crumble of become deformed. Use the parchment.

Steps 7 and 8

Step Eight: Mix together the remaining egg yolk with the water and brush onto the tops of the cookies. Sprinkle sugar onto the egg-brushed cookies.
 
Bake them for 18 to 20 minutes, or until just turning golden at the edges. Slide the whole parchment with cookies on to a rack or counter to cool before removing from the parchment. This made 28 (2½ x 2½-inch) cookies.




My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Making Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

Making bagels is a little bit of a production. They need to be boiled and then baked, making them more time consuming, but the flavors more than make up for it. The bagels I made are Cinnamon Raisin flavored, but the cinnamon and raisins could be omitted, substituting other things as desired. Think of adding things like walnuts or pecans or other nuts of choice. How about date pieces instead of raisins? Using dried blueberries would mimic another store type of bagel, but why stop there? How about using dried cherries, dried cranberries or even chopped dried apricots?

Fresh Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

There are also savory additions to take into consideration. I love grains and seeds in my bagels. Cook some wheat or rye berries or barley until soft and add them to the bagel dough. Add in sesame seeds and sunflower seeds to make the bagels more nutritious and provide texture. Leave the bagels plain and instead use toppings to provide flavors. Brush on an egg wash and sprinkle on some sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Slowly sauté some onions until well caramelized and brush them onto the top of the bagels before baking. These ideas are nothing new, so think up ideas of your own.

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

DOUGH

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

4 1/2 cups bread flour
5 teaspoons instant rise yeast, about 2 packets
2 1/4 cups lukewarm water, no more than 110 degrees
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon, reserve 1 teaspoon aside
1/3 cup raisins

WATER BATH
10 cups water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda

EGG WASH
1 egg white
1 teaspoon agave syrup or corn syrup

MAKE DOUGH. In a mixer bowl combine 1 1/2 cup of flour, yeast, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon. Heat the water in the microwave in 30 second intervals until this mixture is just lukewarm, no more than 110 degrees. Add this to the flour in the mixer bowl and turn on low to combine, then increase speed and beat for 2 - 3 minutes. If using a heavy duty mixer capable of kneading bread dough, switch to the dough hook. If not using a heavy duty mixer, continue by hand. Begin adding the 3 remaining cups of flour. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add in the last teaspoon of cinnamon for the last 15 to 30 seconds of kneading, leaving streaks of cinnamon through the bagels. Set aside to rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.

WATER BATH. In a very large pot, combine the water, sugar and the baking soda. Stir well to combine the ingredients and melt the soda. Place on stove and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

GLAZE. Mix together the glaze ingredients, have a pastry brush handy and set aside. Prepare 2 large baking sheets by lining them with parchment. Spray the parchment with cooking spray. Set aside. Have some paper toweling handy for blotting the bagels after their water bath.

Turn out the dough onto a working surface. Lightly sprinkle flour over the surface. Divide the dough into 12 or 14 portions. Take a portion of the dough and form a tight ball by continually bringing sides to top and pinching together. Poke a finger down into the center, then using gentle pressure, widen the hole until you can easily fit all 8 fingers inside. The dough will spring back down to a very small hole. Set aside and continue with all the bagels. Allow them to rest for 20 minutes.

If the pot with the simmering liquid is large enough, place 2 or 3 of the bagels at a time into the pot. Time them for 1 minute. Flip and time for one minute more. Remove to the paper toweling with a large slotted spoon or spatula and blot well. Gently place onto the prepared baking sheets. Repeat until all the bagels are on the baking sheets. Brush the bagels with the prepared glaze. Have the oven racks set at the lower and middle positions. Place the two pans in the oven and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

NOTE: If using different flavorings than cinnamon and raisins, eliminate these two ingredients and substitute about a half cup of some other nut, seed or grain for flavor and texture. If making plain or savory bagels, eliminate the syrup in the final glaze and substitute egg yolk for the glaze. These are quick to make when using instant rise yeast and so worthwhile. Do give them a try.

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Caraway Rye Bread; a Favorite

I love bread. I guess too much of anything is not great, but it is difficult to live without bread. When I started delving into the concept of Gluten Free baking, what I read everywhere is the lament about good bread being a scarce commodity on that kind of diet. I did find lots and lots of recipes for gluten-free breads. I was just afraid to try them out. My best and longest friend decided to go gluten-free long ago and told me how, despite that she is an excellent baker, her GF breads came out like bricks.

Well, being me, and having been making bread for over 40 years, this seemed like a challenge. I tried a recipe from Gluten Free Girl's website, going on the concept of a no-knead bread, and while it made two exceptionally tiny loaves, the bread was just to-die-for good. Ever since, I have been meaning to go back and try some others, just so I can say I CAN do it, but so far other things have gotten in the way.

Three loaves of Caraway Rye Bread

Meanwhile, I still make all our bread in the house. Regular bread with wheat flours, of course. To my knowledge I am not gluten intolerant, so it has not been a priority. When I discovered Mark Bittman's adaptation of Jim Lahey's No-Knead bread recipe, I totally fell in love. I have been making that bread nearly constantly for almost 2 years now (hard to believe). In a recent blog post I talked about the different variations I have tried of this bread, but mainly I just love the plain no-knead bread. It is marvelous. Why mess with such a great thing?

However, despite how  much I love that bread, I still make my Mom and Grandma's rich egg bread that was made only for Easter and other holidays. I loved that bread so much when growing up that I began making it at age 21 and continued on through my whole life. Almost 42 years later I still make it as our daily bread. The other breads are just extras. One of those extras is Caraway Rye bread, which I love. I have tried various recipes, and have distilled down the things I like best about them all. I made it yesterday again, though it has been a few years since I made it last. This time I was curious whether it could be baked in the enameled cast iron pot I use for my No-Knead bread. The recipe can make two large loaves or 3 slightly smaller ones. I decided to go with the three, and make one of them in the enameled cast iron pot.

Caraway Rye Bread made in the enameled cast iron pot

Making it in there worked like a charm, and I wish I had divided the dough into only 2 loaves to work with, but that's hindsight. Meanwhile, that is one gorgeous loaf of bread. Not that the others are anything to sneeze at, mind you. I made the other two in long narrow loaves and placed them on a parchment and cornmeal lined baking sheet. They are lovely. The crust is soft though, where the one from the pot turned out crusty. It doesn't stay crusty, if the bread is stored in plastic, but it does stay chewy, and I think that is one of my biggest cravings - chewy things. Chewy, gooey caramels. Really chewy bagels. Ice cream with chewy, gooey bits in it. Cinnamon buns with thick gooey caramel. You get the picture, I am sure. I think I may have to invest in a second enameled cast iron pot to keep up with this bread making thing I have going. But if you love bread, give this recipe a try. Add or leave out things as desired. Use more or less caraway, or none. Use dill or dill seed, if desired. The bread is delicious.

Caraway Rye Bread

Caraway Rye Bread

Makes 2 or 3 loaves

SPONGE:
2½ teaspoons (1 packet) instant/quick-rise yeast
3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 cup medium rye flour
2 cups warm water, 110 degrees
1 cup bread flour
½ cup Sir Lancelot high-protein flour (or all bread flour)

DOUGH:
½ cup medium rye flour
½ cup dry milk powder
3 heaping teaspoons caraway seeds, or to taste
2½ teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons Rye Bread Enhancer, optional
3 tablespoons cooking oil (olive, canola, walnut, other)
2 - 2½ cups Sir Lancelot high-protein flour, or bread flour

MAKE SPONGE: If using the instant yeast and high-protein flour, use the bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer. Otherwise, use a large plastic or glass bowl. Pour the warm water into a large bowl. Add in the brown sugar, rye flour, instant yeast and flour(s). With whisk attachment or regular whisk, combine ingredients well. Allow the sponge to rest for at least an hour. If using regular yeast and just bread flour, this mixture may be allowed to rest for 4 hours or up to overnight.

MAKING DOUGH: In a small bowl, combine the medium rye flour, dry milk powder, caraway seed, salt and Rye Bread Enhancer, if using. Stir well to combine these dry ingredients, then add to the sponge, along with the oil of choice. With dough hook or wooden spoon if by hand, combine these ingredients well, then begin kneading in the Sir Lancelot high-protein flour, or bread flour, ½ cup at a time. until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Remove dough hook and allow dough to rest for about 1 hour (2 - 2½ hours if using regular dry yeast), or until doubled in bulk.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 2 or 3 portions. Form into loaves of your choosing. These can be long loaves, round loaves, braided or placed into loaf pans, as desired. If making long or round loaves, place parchment onto a large baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cornmeal. If making in loaf pans, spray with cooking spray. Allow loaves to rise until doubled in bulk.

This bread may also be made in a heavy enameled cast iron Dutch oven. Unless you have two of these Dutch ovens, the loaves will have to be made sequentially. To prepare the dough, make a tight round loaf and place onto a towel (not terrycloth) strewn with cornmeal. Cover with another towel and allow to rise.

To bake loaves on baking sheet or in loaf pans, Preheat oven to 450 and bake the loaves for 10 minutes. Lower heat to 350 and bake for a further 5 or more minutes, until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. If baking in the Dutch oven, preheat the pot in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove pot from oven, remove lid and set aside. Place hand under the towel holding the bread and quickly invert the loaf into the extremely hot pot. Replace lid and place in oven. Time for 20 minutes. Depending on how dark you like your crust, remove the lid and bake for a further 5 or more minutes.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Caramelized Sugar Cake, Regular or Gluten Free

The other day I was making cupcakes to decorate with Super Bowl contestant logos. I wanted to make a cake I hadn't made in ages, called Caramelized Sugar Cake. It is a scrumptious recipe, for sure. I made part of the recipe into cupcakes, and the rest I poured into an 8-inch cake pan and made one layer. I cut the layer in half and iced it prettily. It was as delicious as I remembered. The cake requires first taking the time to caramelize the sugar, then add boiling water and cook it down to a syrup. A little tedious, but no big deal really. 

Caramelized Sugar Cake

Caramelized Sugar Cake

Makes one (2-layer) cake, or one (13 x 9) pan

½ cup shortening
1½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2½ cups cake flour, sifted
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup water
3 tablespoons Caramelized Sugar Syrup (recipe below)


Cream shortening and sugar till light. Add vanilla, then eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture alternatively with the water, beating smooth after each addition. Add the sugar syrup and beat thoroughly for 4 minutes at medium speed with an electric mixer.

Bake in 2 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans at 350 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely before frosting.

CARAMELIZED SUGAR SYRUP
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup boiling water

Melt (caramelize) the sugar in a heavy saucepan, stirring constantly. When a deep golden brown, remove from heat and SLOWLY add the boiling water. It will splutter alarmingly - keep your distance. Back on heat, stir constantly until all dissolved. Recuce to about ½ cup. Cool. This is enough syrup for both this cake and some left to make a caramel flavored frosting.

NOTES: This recipe can be made substituting your favorite gluten-free flour mixture for the wheat flour. Add 1 teaspoon Xanthan gum and one extra egg yolk to the recipe.

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These days though, most times I make a cake I am also curious how it would turn out if gluten-free? I am not gluten-intolerant (that I know of), but have friends who are, and I am always on the lookout for recipes that turn out well if made with gluten-free flours. I do use xanthan gum in the recipes, though I am now hearing that some have difficulty with that ingredient, also. If so, I will say this cake comes out great with the xanthan gum added, so if you have a substitute that has worked for you, go for it and make that substitution.

Today I got up with the intent of trying this recipe with a gluten free flour mix. I have used Namaste Flour blend for other cakes before, with perfect results. Today I had my own mix on hand: 

GF All-Purpose Flour

Caramelized Sugar Cake, gluten-free flour

6 cups of brown rice flour
2 cups potato starch
1 cup tapioca starch

Combine thoroughly in a tightly sealed container.

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I felt the batter seemed just a little bit too loose, so I added in an extra egg yolk. The cake came out great. More fluffy of texture than the one made with all purpose flour a few days ago, but equally delicious. I don't believe anyone who didn't know, would ever guess this cake was gluten free.

I made a coconut pecan filling to put between the layers, and used up the rest of the icing from the other day as the topping. This is incredibly good cake made either way, so I really encourage you all to give it a try.

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Coconut Pecan Filling

Coconut Pecan Filling

Makes about 2 cups

¾ cup evaporated milk
¾ cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut
¾ cup chopped pecans, or nuts of choice

Combine milk, sugar and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring, for about 12 minutes, or until thickened and golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool until of spreading consistency.

I used this both between layers and on top, in this photo.
 


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Maple Bacon Muffins - Hungry anyone?

This morning I was thinking of something different. I hadn't made muffins in a long time. I haven't kept bacon around either, but I happened to have some just now. I started thinking on this last night, so it played in my brain all night, and this morning I tried out making muffins with bacon and maple syrup.

I started putting things together, and frying the bacon. I was wondering if the muffins would turn out too sweet. I needn't have worried. To my taste, they are perfect. The bacon provides enough saltiness to offset the sweet. I ate two of them for breakfast. Oh were they ever good. Mmmm-mmm.

Maple Bacon Muffins

Maple Bacon Muffins

Makes 12

MUFFINS:
12 strips thin sliced bacon (or 6 slices of thick sliced bacon)
2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup maple syrup
1 stick of butter1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

STREUSEL:
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour

Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry to your desired doneness. Set on paper towels to drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray with cooking spray a 12 cup muffin tin.

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Separately, combine the milk and maple syrup. Cream together the butter and brown sugar, then blend in the eggs. Add in the flour mixture and stir, alternately with the milk mixture until just combined. Do not over beat. Fold in the bacon. Divide batter between the muffin cups.

Some might feel the streusel is too much, in which case, omit.  I love streusel, so I used it, and the muffins were great.

Make the streusel. This is easiest with fingers. Combine the 3 ingredients until they are well mixed and crumbly. Put about 2 or so teaspoons of streusel on top of each muffin in tin. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn muffins out of tins to cool.


My passion is to teach people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things weekly. Join me at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook and Pinterest.

Cookie Baking Time is Upon Us with Snowballs

Snowballs or Russian Tea Cakes

The holidays are approaching quickly, and cookie baking time is here. I started yesterday, making the little round Russian Teacakes, also known as Snowballs or Mexican Wedding Cakes. I have eaten these cookies for the better part of my 62 years, and they remain some of my most favorite. They just burst in your mouth, and the flavor is heaven. I have made some cookies all the years I have been baking and others have been left by the wayside. Some new ones have come up to take their places.

My husband loves Cherry Bon Bons, with little bits of dough wrapped around a drained maraschino cherry. They are delicious, if you love those cherries. When I was really young, I loved some that were called Snickerdoodles.  Last year about this time I was working on a family cookbook from all my mother-in-law's recipes, and found one recipe called "Crisco Cookies," that was the same recipe as the old Snickerdoodles!

I have stopped making Spritz cookies in a cookie press, as they were more trouble than they were worth no matter how decadently delicious. My Mom would make Spritz with her trusty cookie press, and then either brush them with an egg yolk wash and adorn with bits of candied cherries, or on some of the cookies, she would beat up egg whites with some sugar, then fold in finely ground walnuts and brush some of this mixture on the cookies before baking. These are also in my top three of cookie preferences.


Kifli with Apricot Filling: Ready to Bake

In Guatemala, armed with the Joy of Cooking, I made some spiced bars that turned out hard as little rocks, but with excellent flavor.  They were a hit at breakfast to dunk in coffee. The coffee softened them enough to eat, with an added dimension of flavor. Other cookies I made were little rolled cookies with ground almonds and cardamom. These are just excellent but I haven't made them for many years. Some that were always a hit with my children were thumbprints, but these were made with an exceptional amount of cinnamon added in, and with a half red or green glaceed cherry stuck on top.

When I was a teenager and dating, I went to a boyfriend's house and ate cookies his mom called Forgotten Cookies. They were meringues, baked, then left overnight in the oven.  I fell in love with them, but only just made them a few years ago for the first time.  Melt in your mouth good, and light! Others I have tried are cookies with date filling, either a two layered cookie with a section cut out of the top cookie, or made into a filling in a pie dough square.

Snowballs or Russian Tea Cakes

Snowballs or Russian Tea Cakes

Makes 7 dozen

2 cups unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cup finely ground nuts (we always used walnuts)
Extra confectioners' sugar for rolling and storing

Cream together the butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Using a pastry blender cut in the flour, salt and nuts; blend in until crumbly. Chill the dough. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Form the dough into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until set, but not browned, about 15 minutes. While still warm, roll in confectioners' sugar. Allow to cool and roll in more confectioners' sugar. When storing, sprinkle more confectioners' sugar over and around the cookies, as they soak up quite a bit.


Similar to this, but far more elegant and flaky are the Kifli my Grandma used to make.  These are made with a delicate dough made with lard (for best flakiness), and cut into little circles or squares.  A filling of cooked apricots or prunes are the two I remember most, and this was placed in the center of each circle or square and then the pastry pinched together over top. After baking, they are sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

We all have favorites, and we all have different memories of our favorite cookies.  Whichever they may be, have a wonderful time baking memories!


My passion is to teach people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things weekly. Join me at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook and Pinterest.

Pies, and More Pies

Today I wanted to get a shot of a Pecan Pie. In all the years of making pecan pies at Thanksgiving (or any other time), I have never taken pictures. Even when my sister made a pecan pie one Thanksgiving, I only got a shot from a distance. This seems so absurd, to me. That I could eat a food over years and years, and never once take a decent photo. I guess my focus has been different in the past. These days, I am all about taking photos of everything I cook or bake.

My Best Pecan Pie

Okay, I will admit, the pecan pie recipe I have loved best is one that is on the inside of a ceramic pie plate I bought many long years ago. You see them now and then; pie plates with a recipe inside. The only difficulty is to follow the recipe if you forget and line the plate with the pie crust first!  Today, I didn't forget.

I mentioned I have been making this recipe for a lot of years. That said, it always pays to read the recipe! Last year I made this pie, only to have all the pecans sink right to the bottom during baking. It still tasted like a great pecan pie; you just couldn't see the pecans, which explains why I didn't bother taking a photo last year. This year as I re-read the recipe, I realized right away what I did wrong last year. I really whipped the mixture in my Kitchen-Aid, rather than folding in the butter and corn syrup. This time I paid attention to the details.

Another thing.  I realized last night as I planned to make this today - I had no dark corn syrup. Drat. What I did have is Brown Rice Syrup, and Barley Malt Syrup. I used a little of both. I haven't cut the pie yet to taste it, as it was still cooling as I sat to write.  I will report in my next post.  It sure does look good, though.  Here's the recipe, simple as it is.

My Best Pecan Pie

makes one 10-inch pie

1 pie pastry to fit in 10-inch pie plate
3 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
1 stick (4 ounces / 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown corn syrup 
1½ cups pecan halves

Prepare a pastry for a 10-inch pie; fit to a 10-inch pie plate, crimp edges and set aside.

Heat oven to 375.  Beat eggs with salt until light and lemon colored.  Do not over beat!  Add in, slowly, ¾ cup of sugar and stir to combine.  Melt 1 stick of unsalted butter.  Mix with dark corn syrup.  Fold this into the egg mixture until combined.  Pour into the prepared crust.  Place pecan halves decoratively over the top.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until set and pastry is brown.


My passion is to teach people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things weekly. Join me at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook and Pinterest.

Pumpkin Pie - 'tis the Season!

Jamboree Squash

I had some pretty squash, pumpkins and gourds for decoration over the last month, but now it was time to use them. Nice heavy winter squash make very good pumpkin pies. I had gotten a green-blue colored "Jamboree" squash, just like I had last year, and from that squash I made the best "pumpkin" pies I have ever had. The texture is silky smooth, unlike the little pumpkins that no matter what, seem to end up with too much texture. The color of the squash inside is the prettiest bright yellow orange color - something I would not have expected, by looking at the cool outer color.

Yesterday I finally baked the squash (poke a few small holes into the top to let steam escape and bake whole on baking sheet at 375 degrees for 1 hour - for an 8-lb squash) and got all the flesh removed and pureed properly.  I had a little tiny ½-cup left yesterday, so I made some Pumpkin Tapioca Pudding, which was just delicious.  

Pumpkin Tapioca Pudding

Pumpkin Tapioca Pudding

Makes 4 servings

2 cups milk (or ½ milk, ½ cream)
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons instant tapioca
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ teaspoon ground cassia cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground allspice

In a saucepan combine the milk, sugar and tapioca and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to cook, stirring, for about 6 minutes until tapioca is cooked and thickened.

To prevent a skin forming over the pudding, either place a piece of plastic wrap directly covering the surface of the hot pudding, or just stir the pudding every 2 to 3 minutes as it cools. Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Today I made a pie. I was trying out a new recipe I made up.  I wanted to make a 10-inch pie, so I wanted to have enough filling.  I actually ended up using a 9½-inch pie plate, though it is exceptionally deep, so I believe it would be the same filling amount as for a 10-inch plate.  I figure it is better to have a large pie and make less of them.  Here is what I did:

Chris' "Pumpkin" Pie

Chris' Pumpkin Pie

1 single-crust 10-inch unbaked pie shell
2 cups pumpkin or squash puree
2 cups whipping cream (can substitute evaporated milk)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cassia cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons Brandy, optional

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 if using convection). With a whisk, hand held mixer or stand mixer, mix together all the ingredients until combined.  Pour into prepared pie shell and bake for about 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean.

Yum!


My passion is to teach people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things weekly. Join me at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook and Pinterest.

Pumpkin Loaf and Gluten Free

Today I was helping out my sister in law. She needed some cookies and maybe a loaf or bar dessert for a bake-sale, and just didn't have the time to get them made.  She asked if I could help; maybe some cookies?  Maybe a pumpkin loaf?  Her Mom had some fantastic dessert loaf recipes, and I have been giving the recipes a workout.  I've made her Date Loaf, Date Nut Loaf, Zucchini Bread, Banana Bread, and Pumpkin Bread.  I made the Zucchini Bread once with regular flour, and once gluten-free.  Either way it was great.  The fact of the matter is that I am finding using gluten-free flours seem to make these loaves much more moist and delicate in texture.  Not quite to the point of being like a cake, but borderline.

Pumpkin Loaf, made with dates

Pumpkin Loaf

Makes one 4 x 8-inch loaf
Easily doubles to make 2 loaves

1⅓ cups white sugar
2 eggs
⅓ cup butter
1 cup pumpkin
1½ cups flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon 
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon cloves
⅓ cup water, warm
⅓ cup nuts
⅓ cup raisins or dates

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour one 8 x 4-inch loaf pan. Cream the butter and sugar and beat in the eggs and pumpkin. Sift or whisk together the dry ingredients and add in with the water until combined. Stir in the nuts and raisins. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

This recipe is easily doubled. If using canned pumpkin, just use the whole can, then double all the other ingredients.

NOTES: These dessert loaves seem to lend themselves well to using gluten-free flours.
Substitute your favorite gluten-free flour mixture and add 1 teaspoon xanthan-gum if desired. All other ingredients and directions are the same.



I had already made the Pumpkin Loaf once before, last year around this time.  'Tis the season, you know!  I am not overfond of using raisins in recipes, as I don't like the cooked texture of them, so I substituted dates last year.  It was terrific, without a doubt.  So, now when my sister-in-law suggested Pumpkin Loaf, I couldn't even recall if I had tried that recipe yet, or not.  I checked through my photos, and sure enough, I had.  Since I am trying to test recipes using gluten-free flours, post the photos and recipes in my website, and let everyone know what I did differently, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Loaf, made with raisins

I got out one of the gluten-free flour mixtures in my cupboard, and set to work.  The recipe calls for 1 cup of pumpkin.  Now, I mean, seriously - one cup of pumpkin?  Who has one cup of pumpkin?  One can of pumpkin is nearly 2 cups.  If I am going to open a can to make this loaf, then I may as well make two, right?  That's what I did.  I made two nice loaves, plus I took just a little batter to put in a tiny loaf pan, so I could take photos, and taste it.  The larger two loaves will be for the bake sale.  Again, this Pumpkin Loaf is just divine, made gluten-free. 

There was a huge difference in the color.  I have no clue why this would be.  I used no coloring aside from the pumpkin itself.  The regular loaf was what one would expect. Denser and coarser than a cake, but moist and delicious.  The gluten-free version is just softer, more moist and tender of crumb.  I may just have to switch to GF flours routinely, for these types of loaves!    


My passion is to teach people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things weekly. Join me at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook and Pinterest.