Apple Squares

Out of all the recipes I have on this blog, I’d have to say that this recipe is probably the most loved by my family. It’s special for a lot of reasons. It was made by Dave’s Great Aunt Bunny for the holidays as long as he can remember, before she passed away. Luckily, Dave’s sister Kristy carried on the tradition and makes them every Thanksgiving! It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without them! As soon as we’re done our Thanksgiving meal, everyone grabs an apple square because they know that they’ll disappear fast! Whenever I eat them, I think of Bunny and how much she influenced me in the kitchen. She always went “all out” when it came to food! She always made a variety of desserts on special occasions so everyone had their favorite! And she made the best Birthday cakes for everyone!

If you asked anyone in our family, they would agree that these apple squares taste like apple pie, but are much better! The crust is nice and flaky and the apple filling doesn’t get runny like some apple pies do. This recipe has a special ingredient…corn flake crumbs! Trust me, it’s awesome!

Dough:

• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups shortening
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups crushed cornflakes

Filling:

• 6 Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Icing:

• 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and cut in the shortening. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and milk. Reserve the egg whites for later. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixure. Mix the dough until combined, form into a ball, and cut in half. Refrigerate for an hour or so.

3. In the meantime, crush your cornflakes into very fine pieces. Roll out the dough and place it on a 15 x10 sheet pan. Sprinkle all of the corn flake crumbs over the dough evenly.

4. Peel and slice the apples. Toss them with the sugar and cinnamon. Place the apples in a flat layer on top of cornflake crumbs.

5. Roll out the remaining dough, place on top of the apples layer, cut some slits to let the steam escape and seal the edges (tuck the top crust under the bottom if you need to). Beat the egg whites until foamy and brush all over the top of the crust.

6. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, until the crust is golden. Cool slightly.

7. Combine the icing ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle the icing evenly over the crust. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Recipe Source: http://www.makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com/the-best-apple-squares-ever/

Sarina’s Rum and Raisin Hamantaschen

Mmm hamantaschen. In this part of the hemisphere, hamantaschen is probably the most recognizable symbol of Purim. These three-cornered pastries are usually stuffed with jams and sweet pastes of various flavours. My favourite base recipe comes from Joan Nathan’s Jewish Cooking in America ,however my own twist is to use a filling of traditional ‘set fruit‘, combined with some chopped apples. This gives the hamantaschen a lovely rummy aroma, with the intense taste of Black Cake that is so familiar of Trinis of all ages, shapes and sizes.

Adapted from a recipe in Jewish Cooking in America
Yield: 36

INGREDIENTS:

Fruit Filling:
1 1/2 cups ‘set fruit‘ (Recipe follows)
1/4 apple with peel
Juice and rind of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp. sugar

Pastry:
2/3 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 to 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Dash of salt

METHOD:

Pulse the set fruit and apple in a food processor. Add the lemon juice and rind and sugar and mix well.

Make Pastry:
Cream the margarine or butter with the sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and continue creaming until smooth. A food processor is great for this.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Process until a ball of dough is formed.

Chill for 2 to 3 hours, or overnight.

Assembly:
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Take one fourth of the dough and roll out on a lightly floured board to a thickness of 1/8″. Cut into 2-1/2″ circles. With your finger, brush water around the rim of the circle. Drop 1 tsp. of filling in the center. Then bring the dough around the filling and press 3 ends together.

Bake in a 375°F oven on a well-greased cookie sheet for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tops are golden.

 Setting the Fruit: “Set Fruit”

Whenever I buy dried fruits I set aside half of what is leftover into the jar and top it up with rum or cherry brandy (depending on what I have on hand). The fruits are so macerated that they almost melt on my tongue upon contact. This is the first time that I am soaking my fruits this far in advance and I’m already finding it a rewarding (and economical) experience.

Comments:

Wonderful "set fruit" looks like the source of German "rumptopf." To create: at the beginning of summer, choose in one-lb. increments fresh ripe colorful "stone fruits" (e.g., cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, apricots; fuits that have one central pit or "stone") in a large jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add equal amount of sugar (e.g., for one pound of fruit, add one pound of sugar). Cover with rum. Store jar in a cool, dark place (I put mine in the basement). Keep adding fruit throughout the summer, adding equivalent amount of sugar and keeping fruit covered with rum (fruit may float to top of rum; that's OK). At Christmas, I pack this in sterilized jars (I use half-pint jars and their lids run through the dishwasher rinse cycle). Decorate jars with ribbon and a pretty label directing giftee to use rumtopf as a sauce over ice cream, pound cake, etc. This should be refrigerated. I'm not sure how long it should last because mine is always gone within a week! 

Recipe Source: http://www.trinigourmet.com/index.php/sarinas-rum-and-raisin-hamantaschen-recipe/

Prune and Raisin Filled Cookies

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"This is a prune and raisin filled cookie with chopped walnuts added if desired. The cookies are made into loaves approx. 3 1/2 to 4 inches wide and 8 to 10 inches long. After baking the loaves are cut into slices crosswise approx. 1 inch wide. Cookies are glazed on top and decorated with colored sprinkles. Prepare the fruit filling the night before baking."

Yield: 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups pitted prunes
• 3 cups raisins
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Directions

1. To Make Filling: Boil prunes until plump. Put raisins in pan, cover with water and heat until water steams. Strain and add 1/2 cup of sugar to raisins, mix well and heat again until almost dry. Remove from heat and set aside. Pit the cooked prunes, if not already pitted, chop and add to raisins. Add chopped nuts, if desired. Set fruit mix aside overnight.
2. The next day make the dough. In large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, sugar and salt. Make a well in the center. Add the eggs, milk, grated lemon rind and oil and mix to form dough. Knead the dough to the consistency for rolling.
3. Divide the dough into 6 parts. Roll each part into a rectangle of 1/8 inch thickness. Put 1/6 of the fruit mix onto the dough rectangle and spread evenly.
4. Fold the dough lengthwise into the center. Fold the other side in slightly past center, and press seam lightly. Pinch ends to close. Lift the loaf with a spatula and place on lightly greased cookie sheet with seam under.
5. Bake in 400 degree F (205 degrees C) oven for 18 - 20 minutes (top should be lightly brown). Allow to cool then cut crosswise slices about 1 inch thick.
6. To Make Glaze: Use juice of 1 lemon and enough confectioners' sugar to obtain consistency for brushing top of cookie. Drop sprinkles onto glaze and allow glaze to set. Enjoy!

Recipe Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Prune-and-Raisin-Filled-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Rugalech with Prune Filling

Makes 32 small pastries

For the pastry:
200 g (13T) butter, softened
200 g (13T) full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
2 tsp caster sugar (superfine sugar or regular sugar)
200 g (3/4 c) all-purpose flour, sifted
a pinch of salt

For the filling:
200 g (3/4 c) dried plums/prunes
100 ml (3 ½ oz. or 7T) brandy or cognac

Breadcrumb mixture:
4 Tbsp breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp caster sugar
½ tsp cinnamon

For glazing:
1 egg white, beaten with a little water

On the night before:

Pour brandy over the prunes and let soak for up to 24 hours.

Cream the warm butter and cream cheese until well blended. Beat in the sugar, then stir in the flour and salt. Mix until the dough begins to hold together, press into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill overnight in the fridge.

On the day of baking:
Combine the breadcrumbs, sugar and cinnamon.

Puree the prunes with the brandy until smooth.

Divide the dough ball into two and return the other half into the fridge. Roll out the pastry on a slightly floured surface into a thin circle about 25 cm /10 inches in diameter. Using a sharp knife or a pizza-wheel, cut into 16 equal wedges.

Brush the surface of the wedges with half of the prune puree, then sprinkle half of the breadcrumb mixture on top, spreading evenly as you go. Using your hand or a rolling pin, press the filling tightly down into the dough (there seems to be a lot of filling, but it'll make the pastries only nicer!).

Carefully roll up each wedge tightly, starting from the wider, outside end. You'll end up with 16 mini croissants. Brush with egg white wash.

Cover a baking tray with parchment paper and bake at the middle of a preheated 180 C/350 F oven for 20-30 minutes, until the rugelach are golden brown.

Leave to cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack.

Repeat with the second half of the pastry - even straight away or on the following day.

 Recipe Source: http://nami-nami.blogspot.com/2009/12/holiday-baking-rugelach-with-prune.html

Grandpa's Moustaches

No, You didn't read it wrong. And yes, you are on a right page! The name of this dessert is little strange, but the dessert is fantastic: it looks great and tastes fantastic :)

Don't worry, it's not some witch potion where you need to cut off your grandpa's mustaches. The cake is named like this, because when you slice up the cake, you get pieces that looks like mustaches :)

Dough:

350 gr (1 ½ c) flour
150 g (10T) butter
7 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon sugar
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sour cream

Pour the flour and baking powder out onto a flat work surface and shape it into a well. Pour the milk, sour cream, egg yolks, margarine or butter, sugar and a pinch of salt into the center of the well and work into a ball of dough. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a square block. You will get 2 blocks out of this recipe.

Filling:

4 egg whites
200 g (3/4 c) ground walnuts
2 pack of vanilla sugar
1 - 2 tablespoons cocoa
150 gr (1/2 c) sugar

With electric mixer beat egg whites, add sugar and vanilla sugar and continue mixing until egg whites are firm enough and all sugar is dissolved. Then add ground walnuts and cocoa, and carefully mix it with spoon.

Now you will need:
Some jam
Some ground walnuts for sprinkling
Some cocoa and a little bit of cinnamon


Spread jam over the roll out dough. Sprinkle ground walnuts, cocoa and cinnamon over the jam spread,

and now roll the dough on both side (left and right) equally, so that you leave a little empty space in a middle.

Put the dough into a pan. Fill the empty space with filling and put it in a preheated oven.

Bake until lightly golden. Take out of the oven.  

(Dana’s Notes: There were no baking temperatures or times for this recipe. I would recommend baking them at 350 degrees F. For the time, “bake until lighty golden”…I would bake for 25-30 minutes, but keep checking it until it looks done. (I got these temps. and times from a basic nut roll recipe, so use this as a guide. I would check on this every 10 minutes.)

Plus:
50 g (2oz.) milk chocolate
A little icing sugar

When the cake cools, sprinkle sides with icing sugar (white whiskers) and in the middle spread the melted milk chocolate.

Recipe Source: http://tenush.blogspot.com/2010/12/grandpas-moustaches.html

Mini Cream Horns

Mini Cream horns are a very easy, popular, bite size pastry. As long as you have the cream horn molds which are available at all good kitchen stores the options are endless. These are my favorites! I recently prepared them for my nephew's 21st birthday party. Prepared with old fashioned mock cream these delicious morsels can be frozen for up to a month before the special occasion. Or keep them on hand in the freezer for when guests unexpectedly drop in. With fresh whipped cream, strawberry jam and fresh strawberries you have a beautiful dessert for you next dinner party. Or why not try chocolate mousse? Children as well as adults will love these!

You will need:

Puff pastry sheets

Icing sugar

Milk

Strawberry jam

Dulce de leche 

Mock Cream:

250g butter (1 ½ c)

3/4 cup castor sugar

1 teaspoon gelatin

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, optional

1/4 cup cold water, extra

Prepare the Mock cream first. This will make lots of cream but any left-over can be used to ice cakes or cupcakes or frozen for later use. Mix gelatin with 1/4 cup water, stand 5 minutes then heat gently to dissolve. Allow it to cool to room temperature. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Very gradually add the gelatin mixture. Once this is incorporated gradually add the cold water and cream of tartar, if using. By this stage the cream should be white and fluffy.

You can refrigerate your cream until the cream horns are ready. The cream will need to be removed from the refrigerator for a few hours to allow it to soften to a creamy consistency. The time this will take will depend on your climate.

Heat the oven to 200C. Butter your molds well .Dust a sheet of thawed puff pastry with sifted icing sugar then cut into about 1cm strips.

Fold the pastry over the end of the mold wind the pastry around the mold overlapping slightly.

Place on a baking paper lined baking tray with the end of the pastry down so that it doesn't pop up during baking. Brush lightly with milk.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until crisp and lightly browned.

Remove and cool until ready to fill.

Using a teaspoon or a piping bag place a small amount of jam or dulce de leche in the bottom of the pastry horn then fill with cream mock or fresh. I like to top the jam horns with a red glace cherry and the dulce de leche horns with a choc chip.

Dust with icing sugar and they are ready to serve.

Enjoy the crunchy, creamy sweetness! Mmmmm!

 Recipe Source: http://marcellinaincucina.blogspot.com/2010/06/mini-cream-horns.html