Dessert

Hibiscus-Vanilla Bean Shortbread

Heart Shaped Shortbread
By jgreghenry Published February 1, 2012
Prep time: 120
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 1 c unsalted butter at room temperature

  • 0.5 c plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 0.5 t kosher salt
  • 2 T dried hibiscus petals
  • 0.5 t vanilla extract
  • 0.25 vanilla bean, scraped

  • 2 c cups all-purpose flour
  • 0.25 c raw demerara sugar (if choosing the log option)
  • 1 egg white mixed with one tablespoon water for wash (optional)

Directions

In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and salt and cream a bit further, just until combined.


Using a mortar and pestle, grind the dried hibiscus into a rough, not too uniform powder. Mix it in to the butter mixture followed by, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds, each seperately. At a low speed, mix in the flour until the dough is uniform. It will be quite crumbly. Wrap the dough as a flat disc and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.



Roll the dough to 1/2 inch thick between two pieces of parchment. Move to a large, flat tray. Alternatively, roll the dough into a 1 1/2 to 2-inch log and roll the log in demerara sugar, wrap the log in plastic wrap. Freeze the rolled out dough on the tray or wrapped log for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Remove the dough from the freezer and peel off the top layer of parchment. Cut into desired shapes using cookie 1 to 2-inch cutters such (stars for the Holidays, hearts for Valentines day etc).  Or slice the demerara crusted log into 1/2-inch slices. While still frozen, space the cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving about 1/2 an inch of space between cookies. Lightly brush the cookies with the well-mixed egg wash for a shiny look, optional.

Bake the cookies for 15 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets and bake the cookies for an additional 8 to 12 minutes, until evenly golden brown.

Notes:

Dried hibiscus can be found in some Latin and Asian specialty markets. Dried rose petals (or hibiscus) from your own garden could be substituted.

Source: Adapted from Peels Restaurant & Bakery NYC

Sippity Sup is Dark (Chocolate Truffle) Today

17 Jan 2012
chocolate truffle

I'm sorry. I know you came here today expecting something. After all, I'm a pretty regular blogger. I sorta stress out if I go more than two days without a new post.

But Sippity Sup is dark today. Very dark. That's right. There is nothing here and you are not reading these words.

Because starting midnight tonight (tomorrow? oh that's so confusing) you won't find any of the usual gorgeous photos or genius recipes on Sippity Sup, for 24 whole hours.

Instead, you'll be greeted with a message about anti-piracy bills (which you are reading now) that are topics of heated debate in the U.S. Congress– stirring opposition from tech companies in Silicon Valley and support from media companies in Hollywood.

Wikipedia, one of the highest-traffic sites on the Internet, will also shut down for 24 hours (copy cats) in protest of these laws. Their website says it would make it very difficult– maybe impossible– for community websites (such as Sippity Sup) to continue to operate.

The blackout starts at 12 a.m. ET on Wednesday. So you're probably not reading this now...

But I hate to leave you hungry so how about some deeply chocolate totally DARK truffles to hold you over? GREG

Thanks to CNN for all the facts I quoted here, practically word for word...

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How to Jam Italian Crostate Style

06 Jan 2012
Fig Jam Crostate

Jam-Filled Italian Crostate (or crostata if you prefer). It's hard to walk into any bakery or pasticceria in Italy and not notice these little hand-pies right away. They are usually lattice-topped. But the lattice is typically a bit different in appearance than what we North American's might expect on a lattice-topped pie.

That's because Italians roll out thin strands of dough for the tops of these sweet pastries. They're typically among the most rustic and humble of all the treats these shops offer. But there's a mighty wallop of flavor packed into them.

The crust is often just as sweet as the jam, making this little tart seem more like a big cookie than a pie. In general these sweet doughs are called pasta frolla and they are rich and buttery. I use a recipe adapted from Dominica Marchetti that's enhanced with a little lemon and orange zest. It has a crumbly, shortbread texture when baked, and should not be handled too much in the preparation as it can get rather tough with too much work.

I have seen other interesting versions too. Nancy Silverton uses sesame seeds in the pasta frolla dough in her new book, The Mozza Cookbook with Matt Molina & Carolyn Carreno. I have never seen sesame seeds in the crusts during my travels, but there's something about the idea that just feels right to me. So I have added her version to my must make list.

However, as an introduction to crostate I have decided to bring you a style as close in feeling to the the version I first experienced in Italy. That means the simplest of crumbly, sweet dough filled with the very best jam I can get my hands on.

I don't usually make the jam specifically for crostate. Crostate are often made on a whim, so I use what ever I have on hand– straight from the jar. My advice is always have some good jam around the house. Or better yet, put aside some of your own homemade jam, as I do every summer with the figs from my neighborhood. GREG

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Jam-Filled Italian Crostate

jam-filled crostate
By jgreghenry Published January 5, 2012
Prep time: 120
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 3 c unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
  • 1 c confectioners sugar
  • 1 pn kosher salt
  • 0.125 t baking soda
  • 0.125 t baking powder
  • 1 t lemon zest
  • 1 t orange zest
  • 1 c cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 oz large egg
  • 2 oz large egg yolks
  • 8 heaping tablespoons jam. i used fig

Directions

Make the crust: Put the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda,  baking powder and lemon and orange zests in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse briefly to combine the ingredients. Distribute the butter pieces around the bowl and pulse until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Add the egg and egg yolks and process until the dough just begins to come together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather it together. Knead it briefly and shape it into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until well chilled (overnight is fine, as is frozen up to 1 month).

Form the crostates: Thaw dough in the refrigerator if frozen. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for 30 to 45 minutes, or until it is just pliable enough to roll, but not too soft to work with.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.

Dust a cool flat working surface with flour. Dust a rolling pin with flour. Cut the dough in half then roll half to about 1/4-inch thickness. Set it aside in the refrigerator as you roll out the other half. Use a plate about 6-inches in diameter as a stencil and cut out four rounds. Save the scraps for the lattice. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough. You should get eight 6-inch rounds. Place four on each prepared baking sheet. Chill the scraps.

Roll the edges of each round inward forming a 1/2-inch rim. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of jam into the center of each round, then smooth the jam right up to the edge of the rim. Repat with all the rounds.

Remove the scraps from the refrigerator. Then pinch of a ping pong ball sized piece and roll it out with your fingertips to create a long, thin noodle like strand about 1/4-inch in diameter. Continue to roll the remaining dough then cut the strands into forty-eight 6-inch pieces.

Lay three strands evenly spaced across each jam-topped dough round. Then lay three more at an angle, creating a diamond-shaped lattice on each jam-topped dough round. Trim the strands with your fingertips, pinching them into place to stick.

Cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to one day.

To bake: Adjust the oven racks so that one is on the top third and the other is on the bottom third of the oven. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove the baking sheets from the refrigerator, take off the plastic wrap and bake about 25-30 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until golden. Remove the sheets to cool on a rack to room temperature.

It's No Sin To Steal a Cinnamon Snap Cookie Every Now & Then

15 Dec 2011
cinnamon cookies

It's Christmas cookie time. A time that makes everyone smile, right? But you know what? I am not a big fan of making cookies. So fussy and repetitive. Especially when decoration is required. Sticky icing used to glue on sparkly candies that under non-holiday circumstances I would never eat. Which is why I like these Cinnamon Snap Cookies. Simple to make but so full of holiday spirit.

In fact I was invited to a blogger Christmas cookie exchange. Full of bloggers I love and bloggers I know are great cooks. But I showed up empty handed. No cookies from me. I had intended to make these cookies. But I didn't. I felt a little bad. But I was busy. Busy reading blogs...

I read all kinds of blogs, and it takes up all kinds of time. Time I could (better??) spend wrapping ribbons around cookies, right? Instead I read blogs with great photos. I read blogs that make me laugh. I read blogs from people I like, and I read the train wreck blogs too. In fact those are some of my favorites!

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