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!

Hazelnut Macchiato Cookies

I love hearing what people’s Sunday morning rituals are, how they prepare for the week ahead and wrap up the weekend that was.  Some people like to begin their days by going for runs or their favorite exercise classes.  Some people put on their bath robes, grab a cup of coffee, and watch the local news for a while.  Some people head straight to church for their weekly mass.  Everyone has a different routine.

Like everyone else, I have a Sunday morning tradition: I like to be up and about by the time the opening jingle of CBS Sunday Morning rings, cup o’ joe in hand, and recipe in mind.  Today started much the same as every other Sunday morning, which was absolutely fine by me.  Regarding the “recipe in mind”, I took some inspiration from my parents’ Sunday protocol: attending a church service with my aunts, then heading out for coffee and a weekly recap.  Though they change up their post-mass meeting place almost every week, it’s not uncommon that Starbucks ends up playing host to their weekly coffee date.  Being a proud Starbucks Gold Card-holder for the past couple of years, I was aware the the most recent drink du jour was the hazelnut macchiato.  Very similar to the traditional caramel macchiato, this beverage swaps out vanilla syrup for hazelnut flavoring to create a most excellent espresso treat.  As it turns out, the flavor combination translates spectacularly well to a cookie.

Hazelnut Macchiato Cookies

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 egg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbs. instant coffee crystals

1 cup caramel bits

1 1/2 cups roasted hazelnuts, chopped

2 Tbs. milk

1-2 cups powdered sugar

Equipment

stand mixer

small mixing bowl

medium mixing bowl

cookie scoop

spatula

cookie sheet

cooling rack

To Roast the Hazelnuts:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

On a cookies sheet, spread the hazelnuts.  Roast the hazelnuts for 7-9 minutes, tossing the nuts half-way through to ensure even roasting.  Immediately after removing the hazelnuts from the oven, transfer to a damp kitchen towel, covering all of the nuts.  Leave the warm hazelnuts in the towel for about 5 minutes.  Next, gently rub the hazelnuts with the towel to remove the skins.  Chop the nuts, then set-aside until ready to use.

To Make the Icing:

In a small bowl, combine the milk with 1 cup of powdered sugar.  Thoroughly stir with a fork, incorporating all of the powdered sugar.  If the icing is still to thin, add additional powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time.  Continue to add and incorporate powdered sugar until consistency is slightly thicker than that of honey.  Set aside until ready to use.

To Make the Cookies:

Preheat the oven to 300F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter on medium speed for about a minute.  Add the granulated sugar, and mix until the combination is light and fluffy.  Next, add the egg and mix in.  Add the brown sugar, and mix until smooth.  Finally, add the vanilla extract and instant coffee crystals until the crystals have dissolved, about a minute.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir the wet mixture on medium speed.  With the mixer running, in two parts, add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.  Add the caramel bits and chopped hazelnuts, and stir a bit more until evenly distributed in the dough.

Using the cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough, about 2-inches in diameter, and spread them about 2-inches apart on the cookie sheet.  Bake for about 18 minutes, until golden brown on top.  Transfer the cookie sheet to the cooling rack, and allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for about five minutes before transfering them from the cookies sheet to the cooling rack.  Allow the cookies to cool for five more minutes.  Using a small spoon, drizzle icing over each cookie.  Serve warm with a cup of coffee, and enjoy!

Strawberry Arugula Pizza

Happy Summer!  Aren’t you glad that the sun is finally out, the flower are in bloom, and the market are becoming infinitely more colorful with the addition of new produce?!  I certainly am.  Let’s celebrate the season with an altogether unconventional but surprisingly delightful pizza!

Truth be told, this isn’t so much a pizza as it is my favorite salad baked onto a pizza crust.  Nonetheless, I threw it together and called it dinner.  I thought it seemed like a good idea (and was later proven correct), but my sister, being somewhat of a skeptic when it comes to mixing sweet and savory flavors in unusual manners, was not so convinced.  However, she had the good grace to try it, and told me that it tasted more like dessert.  All the better!  I love eating dessert first.

For all of its crazy colors, this is actually a rather healthful (not to mention exceptionally colorful) pizza.  Not only are there strawberries, which are, of course, bombshells of nutrients, there’s also arugula (gotta get those leafy greens in somehow), olive oil, balsamic vinegar, goat cheese, almonds, and a bit of spinach to give it just a little more substance.  As more and more fruits come into season, I think it’d be fun to try this with some other flavors, say peaches or something of the like?  Sadly, Washington state’s stone fruits have kind of a late season, so I may have to wait a while to test that theory.  In the mean time, let’s enjoy a pizza with strawberries on it!

Strawberry Arugula Pizza

Ingredients:

1 pizza crust (may be either par-baked or fresh dough)

1 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced

4 oz. crumbled goat cheese

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 cup arugula

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Equipment:

1 pizza stone or cookie sheet

1 pizza cutter

Preheat oven to 425F.  If using a pizza stone, allow the stone to warm up in the oven.

If using fresh pizza dough, stretch the dough out into a 12″ diameter circle.  If using a par-baked crust, no worries, as this has already been done for you.  Using your fingers, spread the olive oil across the top of the pizza dough.  Sprinkle the arugula and spinach across the dough, topping with the sliced strawberries, almonds, and goat cheese.  Drizzle balsamic vinegar across the top of the pizza.

Allow the pizza to bake for 14-18 minutes, or until the crust and cheese start to lightly brown.  Allow the pizza to cool for a few minutes before cutting.  Share with friends and family, or save the rest of the pizza for lunch the next day.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Pistachio Macarons with Coconut Cream Filling

Macarons, you are beautiful, no matter what they say.

Is it just me, or do macarons always seem like one of those things that are so pretty and so delightfully delicious but impossible for the layman to make?  I always thought so.  During April’s Seattle adventure, we made multiple stops into Le Panier Very French Bakery, where we scored all manner of pastries, meringues, and, of course, macarons.  Really, aren’t they just so smooth and perfect looking that you’d think they just materialized out of no where?  Can you believe someone actually made those?  I couldn’t before, but now I can, and so can you!

If only you knew the many, many, many almonds and pistachios that were sacrificed for the cause as I tried and tried to nail the making of macarons.  It took me four (4) attempts to get these right!  However, I think it was totally worth it, as my victorious cry of “Aha!” ringing through the house last night would evidence.  My first try, I was far to aggressive with the egg whites: I whipped them up, then proceeded to dump the sugar and nut mixture into them and continue whipping rather than folding (I’m sorry egg whites, you deserved better).  The next try was better: I folded rather than whipped, but still, not quite right.  The next try I got even closer: my macarons developed that coveted little “foot” at their base, but the temperature was just a tad too high and they were more toasty and crisp than I would have liked.  Finally, on attempt number four… SUCCESS!  They looked right AND tasted right!  Eureka!  If you don’t believe I was truly this excited, please see the previous reference to a very loud “Aha!”

As the myriad of available colors may indicate, macarons are extraordinarily versatile.  They’re frequently made with finely ground almonds, and adding various extracts, zests, and powders can quickly alter their flavors.  Attempt #3 of mine were raspberry flavored: I simply substituted 3 tablespoons of finely ground freeze-dried raspberries ($3 at Trader Joe’s!) for the +3 tablespoons of powdered sugar.  I also pondered doing a lavender macaron with citrus filling, but the ever-inspiring Cannelle et Vanille beat me to the punch on that one.  That said, have fun with it, and play around with flavors!  I don’t doubt that you’ll impress both your friends and yourself with these lovely little treats!

Pistachio Macarons with Coconut Cream Filling

Adapted from David Lebovitz

Makes about 20 macaron sandwiches

Macaron Ingredients:

2 egg whites

2 oz. (about 1/2 cup) pistachios

1 cup + 3 Tbs. powdered sugar

5 Tbs. granulated sugar

green food coloring (optional, but recommended)

Coconut Cream Ingredients:

2 oz. mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 Tbs. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. coconut extract

2 Tbs. + 2 tsp. sweetened coconut, finely shredded

Equipment:

3 medium mixing bowls

electric hand mixer or stand mixer

2 spatulas

food processor (a mini one will do just fine)

1 cookie sheet

parchment paper

1 pastry piping bag

To Make the Macarons:

Preheat the oven to 325F.  Allow the egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.

In a food processor, grind the pistachios to a fine meal, until there are no large chunks remaining.  Add 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar to the ground pistachios, and process until well-combined (this will only take a few seconds).  Add the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar and process until well-combined.

Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff.  Gradually, one tablespoon at a time, add the granulated sugar as you continue to whip the egg whites.  Add 4-5 drops of green food coloring if you want your macarons to be truly green.  Continue to whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Next, add about a third of the powdered sugar and pistachio mixture to the egg whites, and fold the mixture into the egg whites. Continue to do so until all of the pistachio mixture has been added and completely folded in to the egg whites.  There should be no streaks of egg whites or clumps of pistachio mixture left.

Fill a piping bag with the macaron batter.  If you’re alone, setting the bag in a glass makes it much easier to fill.  Pipe the batter onto the parchment paper-covered cookie sheet into 1″-2″ circles.  Try to make the macarons as uniformly sized as you can.  If you like, you may use your finger or a spatula to smooth out the small peak that will be left on the top of the macaron.  When you’ve piped all of the batter onto the sheet, rap the full cookie sheet on the counter a few times.  This will help the macarons to flatten out just a bit.

Bake the macarons for 15-17 minutes.  They should rise just a bit and have nice little “feet” at their bases.  Remove from the oven, and allow them to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.  Set aside until ready to assemble.

To Make the Coconut Cream Filling:

Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat the room temperature mascarpone until it is smooth and creamy.  Gradually add the whipping cream.  Whip the two together, and continue to do so until the mixture is light and well-whipped.  Add the coconut extract and beat in.  Gently sprinkler in the powdered sugar.  Finally, mix in the shredded coconut.  Ta da!  You’ve got one crazy good coconut cream filling for your adorable macarons!

Assembly:

Grab yourself two macarons which are very close in size (they’ll tend to vary just a wee bit).  On the bottom side of one macaron, gently spread 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of the coconut cream filling.  Place the bottom side of the second macaron atop the filling.  Very gently squeeze  the two macarons together.  Bam!  You’ve just made yourself the cutest little French treat one could imagine!  Well done!

I recommend storing these in the freezer in an airtight container so as to avoid allowing them to become soggy.  That’s no bueno.  About an hour before you’re ready to serve them, set the container, still sealed, in the refrigerator, allowing the macarons to thaw.  Don’t leave the container on the counter to thaw, because some condensation will likely form in the container, and the macarons will get kind of soggy.  These will keep in the refrigerator for about two days, longer in the freezer.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Lemonade Mojito

This springtime twist on the classic mojito is made with equal parts refreshment and relief and is best enjoyed at the conclusion of a long week or a terrific weekend.

Aren’t farmer’s markets fantastic spectacles?  The farmer’s markets here have just opened for the year, and my parents and I made the rounds at a couple of them this past weekend.  My dad, especially, really got in the spirit by going to the farmer’s market dressed as… a farmer.  Yep, he was sporting his denim overalls, straw hat, and he had his sleeves rolled up to show off his farmer’s tan.  It was grand.  I definitely did take a picture of him in his farmer outfit holding all of our market spoils.  Said photograph may be posted here at a later date for your enjoyment.

Besides the aforementioned sight of my dear papa in traditional farmland attire, my mom and I stocked up all manner of terrific herbs to enjoy for the coming summer season.  I invested $12 in a thornless blackberry bush which I am sincerely hoping the deer will not take a liking to, and we scored a variety of herbs with interesting sounding names.  My favorite is the lemon verbena plant that I bought.  If the name “lemon verbena” sounds familiar, it’s probably because it’s a popular scent for lotions.  Sounds promising, yes?  I could not wait to use it, so I didn’t wait and I went ahead and used it.

Everyone loves a good mojito in the summer time, but seeing as we’d already had a bit of a lime extravaganza last weekend, I chose to go with lemon instead.  That said, it appears that Lemon-palooza has struck again.  My apologies, I thought it had passed, and I was wrong.  Anyhow, lemon and lemon verbena seemed like an obvious match.  To take things a step further, I employed some of the fresh strawberry puree I had leftover from additional splendid adventures with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home.  Not only does the addition of strawberry give this cocktail an amazing fresh flavor, it also looks very pretty.  So, by all means, feel free to get fancy and share this wee treasure with all of your pals on a sunny afternoon on the patio, for that’s what I had in mind while thinking of/making/drinking it!

Strawberry Lemonade Mojito

Adapted from $40 a Day on Food Network

Makes 1 drink

Ingredients:

6 lemon verbena leaves

2 slices of 1 large lemon or 1/2 small lemon

2 Tbs. strawberry puree

3/4 cup club soda

2 oz. rum

2 Tbs. simple syrup

1 cup cubed ice

Equipment:

1 shaker

1 muddler or wooden spoon

1 tall glass

1 knife

1 cutting board

1 spoon

In a shaker, muddle together the lemon verbena leaves and lemon slices.  Muddle until both are well crushed.  Add the simple syrup, rum, and about 1/3 cup ice.  Give it a good shake.  Drain the liquid into the tall glass.  Add the remainder of the ice, then pour club soda over the ice.  Gently stir the club soda and alcohol mixture together.  Use a spoon to gently pour the strawberry puree over the ice on the top of the glass.  Garnish with a slice of lemon and serve with a straw.  Enjoy!