Bourbon-Cherry Hand Pies

How’s your 4th of July party planning coming along?  Are you like me, racking your brain for a clever and patriotic dessert sure to delight the masses?  You can never go wrong with a flag cake made of strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream, because, really, who doesn’t like (nay, love) berries ‘n cream?  However, if you’re looking for something that tackles Americana from a slightly different angle, I think that I may have a solution.

Well… seeing as Americans love pie, bourbon is a distinctly American liquor, and cherries are presently in season, hows about we make a bourbon and cherry pie?  Did you just start playing “Cherry Pie” by Warrant in your head?  I did.  To kick things up a notch, why not make them single-serve hand pies, too?  Yes, please.

I’m a fan of any cherry for the purposes of making pie, but for this go-around, I went with bing cherries.  Their deep crimson color is particularly eye-catching, and they’re not quite as sweet at Rainiers or as tart as pie cherries.  This subdued sweetness wonderfully pairs with the vanilla notes in bourbon.  This pie will turn out like the edible version of a Manhattan.  Very American, indeed.

Bourbon-Cherry Handpies

Makes 6 hand pies

Filling Ingredients:

1.5 lbs bing cherries (or the cherries of your choosing), pitted and halved

3 oz. bourbon

1/3 cup turbinado (raw) sugar

2 Tbs. flour

Crust Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

10 Tbs. (1 1/4 sticks) cold, unsalted butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

Toppings:

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup turbinado (raw) sugar

To Make the Crust:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and butter.  Using either a pastry blender or your fingers, blend the butter into the flour until it’s reduced to pea-sized pieces and the mixture resembles course oatmeal.  Create a small well in the center of the mixture, and add about half of the 1/2 cup of buttermilk.  Using a large spatula, combine the buttermilk and flour mixture.  Continue adding the buttermilk, about 1 Tbs. at a time, until the mixture comes together in a shaggy ball.  You may have to use your hands to get it all to stick together.  Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

To Make the Filling:

In a medium bowl, combine the pitted and halved cherries and the bourbon.  Allow the cherries to soak in the bourbon for at least an hour or, preferably, overnight.  Toss the cherries every once in a while to make sure that they are evenly coated in bourbon.  Just before using, add the 1/3 cup sugar and flour, stirring to combine.  Set aside until ready to use.

To Assemble the Pies:

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Roll out the chilled crust dough until about 1/4″ thin.  Using a hand pie mold (I found one for $6 at Target) or a 5″ cookie cutter, cut six circles out of the dough.  Using your finger, wet the perimeter of the circles with water; this will help the pies stay shut when you fold them over.  Fill each pie with 1/4 – 1/3 cup of the pie filling.  Fold over the pie crust, creating a semi-circle.  Use your fingers to pinch and crease the pie closed.

Transfer the hand pies to a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.  Brush each pie with buttermilk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.  Use a small knife to cut 1″ slits in the top of each pie.  Bake the pies for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.  Allow to cool on a baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Apricot Galette

If any fruit can best be described as precocious, it’s got to be the apricot, or at least that’s what its etymological roots claim.  As of late, I’m mildly obsessed with Bon Appetit‘s “Eat Your Words” series, which extrapolates the origins of the names of various foods.  The word “apricot” has the same roots as the word “precocious”, largely due to its ripening earlier in the season than other stone fruits.  In my opinion, apricots’ early maturation couldn’t come soon enough.

All spring, I’ve been taunted by my favorite food blogs, most of whom have been featuring recipes that incorporate the freshest fruits and berries of the season.  This is great, but there’s a catch: most of these bloggers are based in southern California, where fruits ripen substantially earlier that they do up here in Washington.  See my dilemma?  However, my patience has finally paid off with the appearances of the season’s first apricots and cherries at the local farmers markets.  Their most welcome debut could not come soon enough.

Now that the long-awaited apricots are here, what to do with them?  I’m all for snacking on them as-is, though that would likely result in their disappearing in a startling short amount of time.  So as to maximize everyone’s enjoyment of them (and prevent my own raw apricot binge), let’s bake those precocious little treasures up.  Because the lazy days of summer are upon us, what better vessel for a couple of pounds of fresh apricots than a good ol’ lazy pie AKA a galette?  This will be the apricots’ time to shine, so other than a couple of spices and a nice, flaky buttermilk crust, we’ll not be doing much for them, and that’s OK.  Being the early-in-the-season overachievers that they are, I’m sure the apricots can handle it.

Apricot Galette

Serves 8

Crust Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (optional: substitute 1/2 cup all-purpose for 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)

1/4 tsp. salt

10 Tbs. (1 1/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes

1/2 cup + 2 Tbs. buttermilk, separated

1 Tbs. raw or granulated sugar

Filling Ingredients:

2 lbs. apricots, pitted and halved

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 Tbs. pure maple syrup

1/3 cup rolled oats

To Make the Crust:

In a large bowl, combine the flour(s), salt, and butter.  Using either a pastry blender or your fingers, blend the butter into the flour until it’s reduced to pea-sized pieces and the mixture resembles course oatmeal.  Create a small well in the center of the mixture, and add about half of the 1/2 cup of buttermilk.  Using a large spatula, combine the buttermilk and flour mixture.  Continue adding the buttermilk, about 1 Tbs. at a time, until the mixture comes together in a shaggy ball.  You may have to use your hands to get it all to stick together.  Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

To Make the Filling:

In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, oats, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and cinnamon.  Using a fork, mix all of the ingredients until well-combined.  In a large mixing bowl, add the halved apricots.  Pour the brown sugar mixture into the apricots, and gently stir to coat the apricots in the sugar mixture.  Allow to sit for about ten minutes before filling proceeding.

To Bake the Galette:

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Roll out the chilled dough into a rough circle about 12″-14″ in diameter.  Transfer the rolled-out dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  I suggest using a baking sheet with raised edges that will trap any apricot juices that escape your galette.  Pour the apricot mixture into the center of the dough.  Fold the edges of the dough over the apricots, pinching the creases of the dough and leaving the center of the galette open.  Brush 2 Tbs. over the crust, then sprinkle with either raw or granulated sugar.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the crust is golden-brown and the apricots are tender.  Allow the galette to cool on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Cafe Frangelico

My grandparents are all about being European.  My grandfather, whom my cousins and I call “Opa” (German for “grandfather”) is from Germany, and his wife is from Austria.  Now that they’re retired, they make annual trips to Europe to tour new places and visit familiar ones.  Afternoon cake and coffee is a daily occurrence, not only when they’re abroad, but here in the States, too.  While this routine does mean that any and all afternoon visits are fairly lengthy due to the whole process (table setting, coffee, cake, some more coffee, etc.), the idea itself is a lovely notion.  (Also, Tante, if you happen to read this, I’d like to put in a request for your Black Forest Cake for my birthday.  I’m positive that 23 is not too old for birthday cake.)

The fast pace of everyday American life doesn’t often allow time for such luxuries as afternoon coffee, but, thankfully, that’s what weekends are for.  There are few things I love more than an afternoon gab session with a ladyfriends, and introducing a bit of European-ism to the equation could only serve to improve it.  Just to mix things up, why not invite a friend over for an afternoon get-together, and, rather than the usual beer or glass of wine on the couch, why not try spiked coffee and a slice of cake on the deck?  It’d be a good excuse to be fancy for a while, and what girl doesn’t like to be fancy?

Cafe Frangelico is way, way too simple to make (coffee + liqueur + liqueur + whipped cream) and takes virtually no effort to enjoy.  The additions of Frangelico (an Italian hazelnut liqueur) adds a bit of nutty sweetness, and a topping of real whipped cream (it takes all of 5 minutes to make) curbs some of the bitterness from the coffee.  No need for creamer here!  So chic and so European!  Feel free to bust out your fancy dishes and favorite floral dress for this occasion, too.

Cafe Frangelico

Adapted from Cocktail Mixer

Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

1 oz. Frangelico (or other hazelnut liqueur)

1 oz. Kahlua (or other coffee liqueur)

0.5 oz. whipped cream vodka (optional)

strong, hot coffee

whipped cream (for topping)

To Make Cafe Frangelico:

In a mug, combine the Frangelico, Kahlua, and whipped cream vodka (if using).  Top with hot coffee, leaving 1/2″ for the whipped cream.  Top with whipped cream.  Enjoy!

To Make Whipped Cream:

In a large mixing bowl, combine one cup of heavy whipping cream, 2 Tbs. of granulated sugar, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.  Using an electric mixer, whip the cream on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until you notice bubbles starting to form and the cream beginning to whip up.  Gradually, increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and continue to whip the cream just until stiff peaks form and it holds its shape.  Don’t whip it too much, or you’ll end up with butter.  Enjoy!

Baked Rum-Raisin Doughnuts

Happy Belated National Doughnut Day!

In case you missed it, last Friday was National Doughnut Day.  Krispy Kreme gave away free doughnuts, as did a number of other doughnut bakeries across the country.  I didn’t get around to claiming my free doughnut, so I settled for baking my own, instead.

I didn’t realize that it was Doughnut Day until it was announced on the Today Show that morning.  “It’s fate!” I thought, for only days before, my new favorite show, Unique Sweets, featured a number of LA doughnut destinations and their off-the-wall creations.  Two thoughts: 1) I did not know that LA was the doughnut Mecca of the west coast, and 2) why have I not gotten more adventurous in my doughnut baking?  So, here we are.

Rum raisin ice cream is the cat’s pajamas and a dynamite grown-up treat.  Lest you have to wait all day just to enjoy it for dessert in the evening, I vote that a morning incarnation of this flavor make an appearance.  The raisins soak up the spiced rum in a matter of hours, and additions of cloves and cinnamon add an extra hit of flavor to these morning glories.  These doughnuts are nice and light and are made extra tender by the use of pastry flour.  I suggest enjoying these fresh out of the oven with a hot cup of coffee and at a leisurely pace.

Baked Rum-Raisin Doughnuts

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Makes 6 Doughnuts

Ingredients:

1 scant cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

2 Tbs. buttermilk or plain yogurt

3 Tbs. canola, vegetable, or safflower oil

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup raisins

1/3-1/2 cup spiced rum

2 Tbs. powdered sugar (for dusting)

To Soak the Raisins:

Place the raisins in a small bowl and break apart any raisins that may be stuck together.  Add just enough spiced rum to cover all of the raisins, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup.  Allow the raisins to soak for at least eight hours or, preferably, overnight.  When ready to use, scoop the raisins out of the rum with a fork or slatted spoon.

To Make the Doughnuts:

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Butter or grease a doughnut pan, and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients except for the powdered sugar.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk or yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and well-combined.  Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour the wet ingredients into the well.  Use a spatula to mix just until all of the dry ingredients are moist.  Add 1/4 cup of the rum soaked raisins, and mix until evenly distributed.  Transfer the batter to a pastry bag.  Note: this transfer is easiest if you set the bag in a glass, rolling the edges of the bag over the sides of the cup to keep it open and upright.  Be sure to cut the opening of the bag wide enough for the raisins to move through.

Pipe the batter into the greased doughnut pan, filling each space about halfway full.  Bake the doughnuts for 11-13 minutes, until golden brown and slightly springy to the touch.  Allow the doughnuts to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for five minutes before inverting the pan.  Allow the doughnuts to cool for at least another five minutes before removing the pan.  If necessary, gently slap the pan to shake the doughnuts out.  To finish, dust the doughnuts with a bit of powdered sugar.  Enjoy!

Night Out: Saranac Public House

image from Saranac Public House

Have you ever accidentally put a red shirt in a load of white laundry?  Even if you haven’t, you know what happens: the color bleeds off of the red shirt and rubs off on everything else in the load.  A similar phenomenon happens with friends: even if you’re dissimilar in so many ways, after spending time together, she’ll start to rub off on you.  I’ve noticed this happening a bit as of late: one of my good friends, the one with whom I visited the MAC and the Flying Goat earlier this spring, recently graduated from Washington State University’s interior design program.  By virtue of her field, she’s very cognizant of wherever she is, noticing the way a room is constructed, how its contents are arranged, and how lighting completely affects the feel of a space.  In our travels together, she has brought these aspects to my attention, and now, almost automatically, I find my focus shifting to them whenever I go someplace new.  This was the case last week when I made my first visit to Saranac Public House in downtown Spokane.

Saranac Public House resides in the Saranac Building, next door to the Magic Lantern Theatre and across the street from Zola and Boots Bakery.  The Saranac Building itself, recently renovated to become LEED Platinum-certified, played host to the single-room occupancy Saranac Hotel for nearly 100 years.  The exposed brick walls and abundance of natural lighting present in the modern pub are indicative of the building’s long history, though the modern artwork spread throughout the restaurant the the constant rotation of new taps suggest more concurrent affinities.  The vibe is open and relaxed, an ideal setting for a happy hour meeting after a long day or a relaxed lunchtime get-together with friends.  This particular outing was one of the former variety.

Saranac boasts a fine line-up of a dozen taps, most from northwest breweries, including a house beer brewed by Spokane’s own No-Li Brewhouse.  The day seemed like an IPA kind of day to me, so I opted for a pint of Lovely Reida from Seattle’s Georgetown Brewing Company, while my friend went with something a bit fruitier: Superfuzz Blood Orange Pale Ale from another Seattle brewery, Elysian. Other breweries of the day included Mac & Jack’s (whose African Amber is a staple around these parts), Ninkasi, and Lost Coast.  Featured on the pub’s rotating nitro tap was Pyramid Weiss Cream, an offering I found to be an nice alternative to the standard nitro option of a stout.

As we caught up over beers, my friend and I worked up an appetite.  To remedy this, we took to Saranac’s selection of happy hour appetizers, which includes one heck of a pretzel (who doesn’t love a pretzel with her beer?), a hummus plate, and some good ol’ chips and salsa.  We opted for the polenta.  Pan-seared and baked, the polenta was light and fluffy, just enough to curb your appetite before dinner, but not so much as to entirely eliminate your hunger.  Topped with a generous scoop of tomatoes, mushrooms, and caramelized onions, the warm polenta is cooled by a healthy addition of fresh basil.  In addition to being a most savory appetizer, the polenta is also one of Saranac’s many vegan and/or gluten-free offerings.  While I know many vegans and vegetarians will appreciate this, carnivores (myself included) need not worry: the restaurant also offers more traditional pub fare, such as burgers, sausages, and tacos.  See?  Something for everyone!

We were enjoying the polenta so much that we’d nearly forgotten that we ordered dinner, too, and hurriedly shuffled to make room when our meals arrived.  Fixin’ for somethin’ hearty, I had the pork verde stew: seared pork shoulder smothered in spices and seasonings, including tomatillos, cumin, and pasillo, all served over brown rice and season pinto beans.  All of that heat was blessedly countered by a topping of cilantro and sour cream.  Also feeling the need for beans, my friend went with a cup of the vegetarian (or vegan, if you wish) black bean chili, a thick, kickin’ blend of onions, peppers, and jalapenos with locally-grown black beans.  Yep, in addition to being and IPA kind of day, it was a spicy beans kind of day.  By the time I finished off my bowl of stew and sipped the last of my beer, I was full and on my way to being stuffed, though, thankfully, not quite there.  Had I wanted to (which I did, but had the restraint not to act on the impulse), I could have lingered a while to try one of the flatbreads, a small house salad, or a bite of dessert, but I elected to save such an adventure for another day.

As it’s a few blocks away from the hustle and bustle of the center of downtown, Saranac is a place to get away from it all without being too far away.  The space’s century of history is apparent all around, though its presence complements the modern accoutrements of the pub rather than detracting from them.  With the debut of summer upon us, I look forward to a few afternoons at Saranac enjoying the sun, a brew, and good company, be it in the form of a friend or a building with stories to tell.