Cinnamon Pecan Biscuits with Peaches and Cream

Peaches are showing their sunny faces in the markets at the moment. They are very juicy and full of bright summer flavor. I think this dessert is a great way to salute them.

This is a sort of Southern take on shortcake. The biscuits are made with ground pecans and cinnamon. This produces a really delicious biscuit with a nice crunchy crust. The peaches are blanketed with brown sugar and a spritz of lemon and left to sit and develop some very delicious caramel-like juices. The cream is flavored with a little splash of brandy that provides the perfect warm note in combination with all the other ingredients. All we need is a cool breeze and a nice veranda to sit together and enjoy every bite.



Bench notes:
- I used a 2 3/4” cutter for the shortcakes and I got 6 biscuits. You could make smaller ones for tea service. Another way to serve is to make layers of crumbled biscuit, fruit, juices and whipped cream in parfait glasses.
- To toast pecans, place them on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Be careful not to overdo it or they will taste bitter. They should brown slightly and give off a lovely toasty fragrance.
- Once you add the buttermilk, do your best not to handle the dough too much. It will toughen the finished product. Gently press the dough into a mass, but do not knead it.
- The brandy in the whipped cream adds a great subtle note to the whole dessert, but if you don’t wish to use it, substitute 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. You can also add a pinch of cinnamon.
- There’s a lot of sugar on the peaches because you will want lots of the juices to spoon over the fruit.
- These would be really, really good with fresh fig slices steeped in a mixture of honey and a bit of water and cinnamon or apples or pears sauteed with brown sugar and cinnamon.



Cinnamon Pecan Biscuits with Peaches and Cream
Serves 6

5 fresh ripe peaches
1/2 C dark brown sugar
1 t fresh lemon juice, to taste

2 C flour
1/2 t salt
1/3 C sugar
1 T + 1 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
2/3 C toasted pecans (about 2 oz)
4 oz (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 C buttermilk

To coat the tops of the biscuits:
1/3 C toasted pecans (about 1 oz), chopped fine
2 T sugar
pinch cinnamon
1 T butter, melted

1 C heavy cream
1 T sugar
2 t brandy

Cut peaches in half and remove pits. Slice them thinly and toss with lemon juice and brown sugar. Set aside to macerate, stirring every now and then to distribute the juices.

Preheat the oven to 425°. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment.

Finely chop 1/3 cup of the toasted pecans and toss with 2 tablespoons of sugar and a good pinch of cinnamon. Set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and set aside.

Place the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and 2/3 cup of the toasted pecans in the bowl of a food processor and process until the pecans are finely ground. Pour the dry mixture into a bowl. Add the butter pieces and toss to coat them. Using your fingers, pinch each piece of butter flat, then into pieces the size of a pea and keep tossing the mixture. You can also use a pastry blender if you prefer. Stop when the mixture looks like coarse meal. Work quickly so the butter stays cold and firm. Add the buttermilk all at once and fold everything together gently with a spatula just until it starts to come together, the mixture is moist and there are no patches of dry flour.

Gather the dough and place it on a clean work surface or a piece of parchment and gently pat it together with your hands. Do not knead. Shape it into a round about 3/4” thick. Use a round cutter dipped in flour to cut out the biscuits. Place them on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with the pecan cinnamon sugar mixture, pressing down gently to secure the nuts. Bake about 13-15 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly golden.

Whip the cream, sugar and brandy to a very soft peak. It should be fairly loose and creamy.

Cut the biscuits in half horizontally. Dollop each half with some whipped cream and then layer on some peaches with plenty of juices.

Blueberry Jalousie

One of the things you learn in pastry school is how to make all kinds of French pastries using laminated doughs like puff pastry. This type of pastry is known as Viennoiserie and there is a whole line of things that are fairly simple but really delicious. One such pastry is the Jalousie, the French term for slatted or louvered windows. The name applies because several slats are cut into the surface of the top to create steam vents.

Although the Jalousie is traditionally made with puff pastry, I make it with a Sour Cream Pastry dough that is fast and not as fussy to produce. It doesn’t replicate the texture of all that great puff pastry flakiness, but is more like a simple turnover. Puff pastry certainly has its virtues, but it’s quite rich and is a fairly big project that takes quite a bit of time to prepare.

I absolutely love blueberries. I love the taste and bright beautiful color that splashes like a spectacular ink on the plate. So I stuff this Jalousie with lots of blueberries. The filling is prepared by simmering some of the berries with sugar and a cornstarch slurry for just a few minutes to create some gorgeous juices. Fresh berries and lemon juice are then added to the juicy mixture to keep it tasting like pure fresh blueberry goodness. If you're a blueberry fiend like me, this pastry is very simple to make and even simpler to enjoy.


Bench notes:
- The dough and/or the filling can be made and held separately and refrigerated overnight.
- I roll the dough out on parchment paper so it can be lifted onto a baking sheet and placed in the refrigerator without stretching or tearing it. Once the dough is sufficiently chilled, it is much easier to handle and can be cut and lifted off the sheet very easily.
- Fill with any fresh fruit you wish. Just be sure to adjust the sugar level and whether or not you need cornstarch based on your fruit of choice.
- This pastry should be eaten the same day it is baked.


Blueberry Jalousie
Makes about 4 servings

Sour Cream Pastry

1 C flour
1 T sugar
1/8 t salt
4 oz (1 stick) of cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 yolk
1/3 C sour cream

Blueberry Filling

3 C fresh blueberries
1 T water
1/4 C sugar
1 T cornstarch dissolved in 1 T water
2 t lemon juice

1 egg + 1 T water for egg wash

For the pastry, combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and process until the butter is reduced to smallish pieces and the mixture resembles coarse meal for the most part. Add sour cream and yolk and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Be careful not to overmix. Gather the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and seal it. Chill thoroughly.

Place 1 1/2 C of blueberries in a saucepan. Add 1 T water and 1/4 C sugar and cook over low heat until the juices start to bubble, about 2 –3 minutes. Combine the cornstarch with 1 T water and add to the bubbling fruit. Cook for just a couple of minutes until thickened. Take off heat and add lemon juice. Cool completely. Fold in the remaining 1 1/2 C fresh blueberries.

Remove the dough and place on a lightly floured piece of parchment. Roll out a square measuring a bit bigger than 11” x 11”, then trim the edges to make a clean square. Cut the dough in half to make two equal pieces measuring 11” x 5 1/2 “. Stack on a baking sheet with parchment in between and chill for another few minutes to make the pieces easier to handle.

Combine the egg and water to make an egg wash.

Place one of the rectangles on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush about a 1” border of egg wash. Mound the filling evenly down the middle and flatten just to the edge of the egg wash, within 1” of the edge of the pastry on all sides. Take the second rectangle and cut about 8 or so slats across to form steam vents. Place it on top of the blueberry mixture and press down tightly around the edge of the fruit to seal the border. Trim the dough if necessary to keep the edges neat. Refrigerate until the oven is ready.

Place an oven rack in the top third of the oven and a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Brush the pastry with egg wash, being careful to avoid the vents.

Bake on the top rack for 10 minutes, then rotate the baking sheet from front to back and move to the bottom rack. Continue baking for another 10 – 15 minutes until golden brown. Cool before handling.

Coco au Miel

This time of year makes me think of coconut and these mini coconut cakes are every bit as light as spring. They take no time to make and provide a plateful of simple and delicious little bites.

My version of Coco au Miel is based on a recipe from Parisian bakery Moulin de la Vierge. I’ve added salt and vanilla, more honey and less sugar, and I bake them at a much lower temperature to keep them moist and to prevent the coconut from scorching. They have lots of coconut flavor without any oversaturated sweetness.

These mini French cakes are very much in the same tradition as Financiers and Madeleines - soft and chewy little nuggets of superb flavor, perfect any day of the week.

Bench notes:
- This batter is very liquid in texture, so make sure you keep stirring to distribute the coconut evenly as you scoop out the portions.
- You can add additional flavor to the batter, such as a tiny splash of almond extract, Grand Marnier or kirsch. Or drizzle some melted chocolate on top or dip half of each cake in melted bittersweet chocolate.
- Baking them without cupcake paper liners allows them to form crunchy chewy edges and develop more flavor.


Coco au Miel
based on a recipe from Paris Boulangerie-Patisserie: Recipes from Thirteen Outstanding French Bakeries by Linda Dannenberg
Makes 48 mini cakes

1 1/4 C milk
2 T honey
1/4 t salt
3 C sweetened shredded coconut
1/3 C sugar
1/2 C flour
2 t baking powder
1 t vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini muffin pans with individual wells that are 1 3/4" diameter and 1/2" deep.

Bring the milk, honey and salt to a simmer over medium low heat, stirring to dissolve the honey. Remove from heat and cool.

Whisk together the coconut, sugar, flour and baking powder.
Add the vanilla and the eggs to the cooled milk and whisk until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Scoop into mini muffin pans, filling to the top edge. (Note: If your mini muffin pan has individual wells that measure a bit larger than 1 3/4" diameter and 1/2" deep, fill each well with only 1 tablespoon of batter and watch them closely as they bake.) Keep the batter stirred so you are sure to distribute the coconut evenly. Place the mini muffin tins on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 - 18 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched.

Chocolate Caramel Tamales

Tamale making is a Christmas tradition in Latin America and in many areas of the West and Southwest, but I’d eat them any time of the year. There are so many versions of tamales from different regions and among different sub-cultures and each are delectable in their own way.

Since I’ve never made tamales before, I thought I’d get into the spirit and put together a dessert tamale that has all the wonderful flavors of Latin America. I've tucked a ganache of earthy rich chocolate, cinnamon, almond and chile powder into a lightly sweetened corn dough or “masa.” The tamales are served with a drizzle of light caramel sauce to finish the plate with a final note of allure.

These tidy little packages deliver a festive combination of flavors from both the New and the Old World. 'Tis the season. ¡Felicidades!


Bench notes:
- I’ve used Maseca brand masa instantanea de maiz since it seems to be widely available.
- To make the ganache, chop the chocolate into very fine bits so the melting process is thorough and even. Once you pour the hot cream onto the chocolate, let it sit for about 2 or 3 minutes, then stir very slowly so you don't cool down the mixture too quickly before all the chocolate has a chance to melt.
- You can make the chocolate filling ahead and refrigerate. The caramel sauce can also be made ahead or while the tamales are steaming.
- For the purposes of planning ahead, it takes about 15 minutes to make the ganache and an hour or so to chill; an hour for the corn husks to soak; about 20-25 minutes to mix the dough; about 45 minutes to 1 hour to assemble; and approximately 2 hours to steam.


Chocolate Caramel Tamales
Makes about 2 dozen tamales

Spicy Chocolate Filling

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 C heavy cream
1/2 t ancho chile powder
1/4 t chipotle chile powder
pinch of cayenne
1 t cinnamon
2 T + 2 t honey
3/4 t almond extract
1/2 t vanilla extract

Chop the chocolate into very small fine pieces and place in a bowl.
Gently heat the cream, spices and honey until just before it comes to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in the extracts and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for a couple of minutes.

Using a rubber spatula, gently and slowly stir the center and then slowly work out in concentric circles. Blend until there are no streaks and the mixture is smooth. Pour into a clean container and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two until firm.

Corn “Masa” (Dough)

24 corn husks

1 C water
1 C milk
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t freshly ground nutmeg
1 t vanilla
2 C Maseca masa instantanea de maiz
7 oz (14 T) butter @ room temp
1/3 C brown sugar
1 t baking powder

Soak the corn husks in large bowl of very hot water for 30 minutes. Weight them down with a heavy bowl or saucepan to keep them submerged. Once they are softened, separate the husks carefully to avoid tearing. Continue to soak in hot water until pliable, up to 30 minutes more. Drain and pat dry.

Bring the water, milk, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to a slow simmer. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Gradually stir in the masa harina until it forms a very thick dough.

Cream the butter, sugar and baking powder until very light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the masa harina dough in small walnut-sized pieces, one or two at a time. When all the dough has been added, continue beating until it is smooth, fluffy and light, about 6 to 8 minutes. You can test to see if it’s ready by taking about a tablespoon of the dough and placing it in a glass of warm water. It should float.

Place a dry corn husk on a clean work surface. Spread about a 1/4 C of the dough into the center lower half of the corn husk, leaving the upper half with the pointed tip free of any ingredients. Take about a tablespoon of the chocolate ganache, elongate it and place on top. Fold the long sides of the corn husk over filling, then fold the pointed tip over the filled half. Lay seam side down. Repeat the process until all the corn husks are filled.

Arrange a steamer rack in large stockpot and add water to just below bottom of the steamer rack. Cover and bring water to boil.

Place the tamales upright in the steamer, loosely leaning against one another. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and steam until dough is firm to touch and separates easily from the husk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Keep a close eye on the water level to be sure there is enough throughout the steaming process.

Brown Sugar Caramel Sauce

3 oz (6 T) butter
1 C firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C + 2 T heavy cream @ room temperature
1/4 t salt, to taste
1 t vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the sugar. Cook without stirring for about 2 minutes to dissolve and caramelize. Then, whisking constantly, add the cream and salt and continue cooking and for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Add more salt to taste.

Julia’s Apple Turnover

I think my first memory of Julia Child was her voice. And her arms. A strong husky voice and long animated arms that punctuated nearly all of her sentences. Oh, and the pearls worn with her shirtwaist dresses. The way she swayed when she was delighted, each word pronounced with exaggerated flair. I’d never seen or heard anyone like her. Every episode, every dish was an imaginative voyage across cultures and habits.

Although Julia is now gone, her legacy surely endures. We still celebrate her birthday and still ponder her recipes. The release of Nora Ephron’s film this year had everyone waiting in anticipation of how Meryl Streep might act out this great woman’s bigger-than-life ambition. There is still so much fun that surrounds her extraordinary life.

When I received a review copy of award-winning writer Laura Shapiro's Julia Child: A Life from Penguin, I was definitely curious to know more about how she spent her time in Paris and what she thought about how her life unfolded in the limelight. What was her real relationship to food and how did she reflect on her training? How did she handle her fame? Why do we feel so much affection for her?

The book follows Julia’s life from her early days to the end of her life. It chronicles her many trials and tribulations and reveals all the exciting developments that eventually spawned an industry. Although the publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking was what possessed her for so many years, it wasn’t until Julia began her cooking shows on PBS that she came into her own in the public eye. She started with an omelette on the Today show and wound up with several television series, nearly all acclaimed for their own unique sense of exciting yet accessible adventure. Her audience flocked to her precisely because she was natural and unpolished. Julia's insatiable desire for good food was boundless and it was infectious.

As I turned the pages, what I found interesting about Julia’s robust life was her journey from absolute devotion to French cuisine to an eventual embrace of other ingredients and techniques. But she remained very opinionated about food and how food culture evolved over the course of her lifetime. Although some of her views are quite puzzling, in the end, what mattered most to her was that cooking should be taken seriously and the appropriate preparation time taken to honor the integrity of the ingredients. She shifted the American emphasis from time to taste, from convenience food to long hours over the stove. For her, it was never about opening a box, but about touch, taste and smell.

Since I had the great opportunity of working behind the scenes on a PBS food series a few years ago, one little aspect of the book I especially appreciated was the sense of detail that goes into preparing for a TV show. Shapiro captures the endless planning and production processes that go into successful food programming and it brought back some of my own memories of the intensity of that experience. And Julia’s penchant for her brand of perfection are on full display.

Julia’s legacy is about expanding our idea of what it means to be in the kitchen and to share the fruits of our labor. If the film piqued your interest in Julia’s life, this book unpacks the phenomenal story of how Julia pursued what every cook in the kitchen dreams of: proficiency and style. Shapiro carefully unfolds Julia’s rather pivotal journey and its overarching theme - that along with good instincts, it takes discipline, passion, love and time to produce soul-soothing results. The book also reveals some interesting secrets about her personal life. And one thing is certain - her strong sense of pride just about leaps off of every page. Julia’s work reminds us how we think about the consummate enjoyment of food and why we read and write cookbooks and, at this interesting moment in time, blogs.

This is Julia's Apple Turnover. It’s the one she’s holding on the cover of Julia Child and Company. It begins with a pâte brisée dough that is simply folded over a tidy bundle of thinly sliced apples. It's rustic yet elegant, a true and delicious harbinger of fall.

Bench notes:
- Use your favorite baking apple. I happened to have fujis.
- I omitted the shortening. If you don’t have cake flour, you can go with all-purpose.
- Another version of an apple turnover is the magnificent Chausson aux Pommes.



Julia’s Apple Turnover
adapted from Julia Child and Company

Pâte Brisée

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C cake flour
1/4 t salt
2 T sugar
6 oz cold butter
2 T chilled vegetable shortening
1/2 C ice water

2 – 3 large apples
3 T sugar
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 T melted butter
1 egg + 1 t water for egg wash

Chop the cold butter into small cubes.

Put the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and blend. Add cubes of butter and pulse a few times to break up the butter. Add the shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1/2 C ice water and pulse 2 or 3 times. The dough should be soft, pliable and will just hold together when you press a clump between your fingers. Be careful not to overmix.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and form a press it into a disc. Wrap tightly and chill thoroughly.

Let the chilled dough rest on a lightly floured piece of parchment for a few minutes so it can soften just a bit to prevent cracking. Then roll the dough out to about 18” by 10” rectangle, moving the dough and keeping the parchment lightly floured as needed. When you have the desired rectangle shape, trim the edges with a sharp knife. Save the scraps if you’d like to make a design on top of the turnover. Lift and slide the parchment and pastry onto a sheet pan. Chill while you prepare the apples.

Place the lemon juice and zest in a bowl big enough to hold the apples. Peel and core the apples. Slice them fairly thin and toss them in the lemon juice as you go to prevent browning. Add sugar and toss thoroughly. Set aside.

Take the rolled out dough from the refrigerator and place it in front of you so the short side is closest to you. Make a slight mark at the halfway point on the long side so you know where the fold will be. Line up about 3 – 4 vertical rows of sliced apples on the lower half of the rectangle, leaving a 3/4” border along the 3 sides. Brush the apples with melted butter. Brush the borders of the dough with water. Fold the upper half of the rectangle over the apples and press to seal. Turn up the edges to make a small border and press again to seal. You can decorate with the tines of a fork or pastry scraps. Cut some air vents (along the sides of the pastry scraps, if using). Chill the finished turnover for 1/2 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the turnover with egg wash and bake for 35 – 40 minutes, checking at 20 minutes to be sure it isn’t browning too fast. Cool on a wire rack.

Bon Appetit!

Cherry Roll

I love the pleasure of working with yeast doughs. There is so much satisfaction in mixing and kneading and the smell of yeast always brings an incredible sense of anticipation. Watching the yeast work its magic and then experiencing the aromas that emanate during the baking process fully explain why we love pastry making.

Here is a yeast dough tucked with fresh cherries of the season and an almond frangipane. Although it’s a simple recipe, it does have a few stages. You can certainly make the cherry filling and frangipane a day or two ahead and keep them refrigerated. Once you have your dough proofed, it all comes together quickly and easily. Bake for about half an hour and you have a delicious sweet bread fit for a lovely brunch or as an afternoon treat with tea or coffee.


Bench notes:
- I always roll my dough out and finish the pastry on top of a piece of parchment paper. This eliminates having to lift the pastry itself onto a baking sheet and having it lose its shape. Instead, simply lift or slide the parchment onto the baking sheet.
- I left the pitted cherries whole for a bit of texture, but puree them if you want a smoother filling.
- Substitute your favorite fresh fruit in season. Or soak some dried fruits and spices in the winter.
- Leave out the frangipane or replace it with pastry cream or lemon curd.
- Garnish with your favorite glaze or a crumb streusel for a sweeter version. I keep extra streusel in an airtight container in my freezer.
- You might also enjoy creating a Gâteau Basque this cherry season.


Cherry Roll

1 pkg active dry yeast (not instant)
1/2 C warm milk, divided
3 oz butter @ room temperature, cut into small pieces
1/4 C sugar
3/4 t salt
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 – 3 C flour

1 beaten egg + 1/2 t water for egg glaze
coarse sugar

Heat the 1/2 C of milk just until it's warm. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 C warm milk with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Place the pieces of butter in the remaining 1/4 C of warm milk. When butter has melted, stir in the sugar, salt, vanilla and yeast mixture. Add the eggs and blend thoroughly. Slowly stir in about 2 1/2 C of flour. If necessary, add more flour by the tablespoon until you have a dough that is ready to handle.

Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.

Press down on the dough and turn out onto a clean work surface or piece of parchment lightly dusted with flour. Roll out the dough to an approximate 15” x 10 1/2” rectangle. Spread a thin layer of frangipane, leaving a 1“ border on all sides. Top this with a layer of cherry compote.

Starting at the shorter end, pick up the dough gently and begin to form a flat roll. Keep folding over a couple of times. You should wind up with a pastry about 11” long and 4” wide. Place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Tuck the ends under and pinch gently to seal.

Let rise for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the pastry with egg glaze and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for about 35 – 40 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer to a rack and let cool.

Cherry Compote

1/2 C water
1/2 C sugar
2 T fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 1/2 lbs fresh cherries, pitted

Bring the sugar and water to a boil to dissolve. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil for just a minute or two and then reduce heat. Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes until the liquid is syrupy and has reduced and the cherries are tender, tasting and adjusting for sugar and/or lemon juice as necessary. Cool. Can be made and stored in your refrigerator for a couple of days. Remove the vanilla bean and drain the syrup from the cherries before using.

Frangipane

1 C almonds
1/2 C sugar, divided
3 oz butter @ room temperature
2 eggs
1/4 t almond extract
1/2 t vanilla
2 T flour

Place the almonds and 1/4 C sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Grind until fine. Add the flour and pulse to combine.

Cream the butter and remaining 1/4 C sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Add the extracts and nut mixture and process until smooth. Can be made and stored in your refrigerator up to 2 days. Let sit at room temperature until it is spreadable.

Oatmeal Shortcake with Plums

My obsession with oatmeal continues. And it can only be matched by my current obsession with plums. Until figs arrive (I’m hearing perhaps next week!), I have been buying lots of plums along with all the other wonderful stone fruit available now. And since shortcake seems to be the fun and fast dessert of the moment, it’s time to give this great combination a try.

As with the Cornmeal Shortcake with Peaches I posted a couple of weeks ago, this comes together fairly quickly but you do have to be gentle when mixing the dough for the shortcake. The thing that makes them so delicious is very little handling so as not to develop the gluten in the flour. The result is a tender and delicious base for some lightly spiced plums and billows of whipped cream.

The brown sugar in the shortcakes adds a rich flavor that goes so well with the toasty oatmeal. I’ve added some cinnamon to both the shortcake and the fruit and cooked some of the plums to create a jammy sauce for the fresh fruit and cream. I love the beautiful colors and the simple yet irresistible way to enjoy all these natural ingredients. Set this plate on your table and see what happens.



Bench notes:
- The butter and buttermilk must be very cold. Work fast so they stay cold.
- The dough is very sticky, but you won’t be handling it much more than a few seconds, only gently patting it into shape. Just be sure you dust your hands and the work surface very lightly with flour. Keep the flour and the mixing to a minimum to avoid toughening the end product.
- You can add lemon or orange zest or finely chopped nuts to the shortcake dough for more variation.
- This shortcake would also taste great with peaches, blackberries, figs, cherries or caramelized apples or bananas. Add a touch of light caramel syrup to the fruit or a syrup steeped with herbs. Top with yogurt for a lighter and tangier garnish.



Oatmeal Shortcakes with Plums
Serves 6

2 C flour
1/2 C old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 t cinnamon
3 oz cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 C cold buttermilk
Coarse sugar (I use turbinado raw)

9 ripe plums
3 – 4 T sugar, to taste
2 t fresh lemon juice, to taste
1/8 t cinnamon

1 C cold heavy cream
2 t sugar, to taste
1/2 t vanilla

Cut plums in half and remove pits. Slice 6 plums thinly and toss with a splash of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Set aside.

Coarsely chop the remaining 3 plums and place in a saucepan with about 3 tablespoons of water. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon and simmer over low heat until the plums begin to soften and release their juices. Taste for sugar and add more if needed. When the plums look saucy, remove from heat and add lemon juice to taste. Cool. You can either puree the sauce or leave it chunky.

Preheat the oven to 425°. Prepare a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment.

Whisk together the flour, oatmeal, baking powder, salt, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the pieces of butter and use a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Work quickly so the butter stays firm and cold. Add the buttermilk all at once and stir gently with a fork just until it begins to come together in clumps. Do not overmix. The dough will be sticky.

Dust your hands lightly with flour and gather the dough clumps in your hand. Place any unincorporated flour on a clean work surface or a piece of parchment and set the dough on top of that. Gently pat the dough together with your hands. Shape it into an 8” round and either cut into 6 wedges or use a round cutter dipped in flour and cut out 6 biscuits.

Place the shortcakes on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with some cream or milk and sprinkle the tops generously with coarse sugar.

Bake about 10 - 12 minutes, until the shortcakes are lightly golden. Cool on a rack.

Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla just until soft peaks form.

Slice shortcakes in half. Transfer biscuit bottoms to plates. Spoon some whipped cream on each shortcake, then some of the plum compote. Top with some fresh sliced plums. Place biscuit tops over plum mixture. Serve immediately.

Cornmeal Shortcake with Peaches

The transition to summer is in full swing and peaches couldn’t be more plentiful, juicy and fragrant. They are in such great abundance at every market, so let’s make the best of the moment while we have these gorgeous gems in our sights.

Nothing says summer like shortcake! And since peaches and cornmeal are such a natural pairing, I couldn’t resist adding a bit of cornmeal to the traditional shortcake dessert. These are spectacular: light, tender, slightly sweet with just enough cornmeal to create a slight crunch and really wonderful flavor. The cream adds the requisite indulgent lusciousness and the peaches bring that fresh spark of natural seasonal beauty and color, reminding us so profoundly how very fortunate we are to be in the company of Mother Nature.


Bench notes:
- Make sure the butter and buttermilk are cold. When blending with the flour mixture, work quickly so they don’t warm up.
- Take care not to overmix the shortcake dough to keep the final product light and delicate. Be gentle to avoid toughening, treating the dough much like you would a scone. They bake quickly, so check them at 10 minutes.
- This is the kind of dessert that is perfect for a trip to the farmer’s market to find the best peaches of the season. Give them a taste to determine how much sugar they’ll need.
- This shortcake would also be fantastic with apricots, blackberries, raspberries and cherries. It's also really delicious to use a light caramel syrup with the peaches or add a bit of mascarpone or crème fraîche to the whipped cream.


Cornmeal Shortcake with Peaches
Serves 6

1 1/2 C flour
1/2 C cornmeal
1 T + 1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3 T + 1 t sugar
2 oz (4 T) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 C cold buttermilk
zest of 1 small orange
zest of 1 lemon

5 – 6 fresh ripe peaches
splash of lemon juice
1 T sugar, to taste

1 C cold heavy cream
2 - 3 t sugar, to taste
1/2 t vanilla

Preheat the oven to 425°. Prepare a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment.

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, sugar and citrus zest in a bowl. Add the butter and use a pastry blender or your fingers to blend until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Work quickly so the butter stays firm. Add the buttermilk all at once and stir gently with a fork just until it starts to come together. Do not overmix.

Gather the dough and place it on a clean work surface or a piece of parchment and gently pat it together with your hands. Shape it into an 8” round and either cut into 6 wedges or use a round cutter. Place the shortcakes on the baking sheet. Brush them with some cream or milk and sprinkle the tops generously with coarse sugar. Bake about 10 - 13 minutes, until the shortcakes are lightly golden.

For the peaches, gently blanch for just a few seconds in simmering water. You should see some give when you tug at the skins. Remove immediately to a bowl of cold water. Dry the peaches and peel off the skins. Slice and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with a splash of lemon juice and toss with the sugar. Let the peaches sit for about 15 minutes to bring out the juices, gently tossing once or twice.

Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla to a very soft peak.

Cut the shortcakes in half horizontally. Place the bottom halves on 6 plates. Dollop with whipped cream and layer some juicy peaches. Top with remaining shortcake half.

Strawberry Rhubarb Napoleon

At long last, strawberries have arrived and along with them, their trusty partner, rhubarb. I love tart desserts, so strawberries and rhubarb are among my favorite combinations. There are so many fabulous desserts to concoct with these two ingredients but this time around I’m going with a very simple and quick Napoleon.

I’ve used a shortcut Sour Cream Pastry instead of the traditional mille feuilles or puff pastry because I don’t want too much butter or fat on the palate in addition to the whipped cream. I want the fruit to shine. I roast the rhubarb with sugar and vanilla until tender. I then add fresh strawberries and sandwich them with whipped cream. An easy and delicious dessert that is definitely in the mode of the first sign of a beautiful spring.


Bench notes:
- I roll the dough out on parchment paper so it can be lifted onto a baking sheet and placed in the refrigerator without stretching or tearing it. Once the dough is sufficiently chilled, it can be cut and lifted off the sheet very easily.
- This pastry dough should be eaten the same day it is baked.



Strawberry Rhubarb Napoleons
Serves 4

Sour Cream Pastry

2 C flour
2 T sugar
1/4 t salt
8 oz (1 C) of cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 yolk
2/3 C sour cream

1 egg + 1/2 t water for egg wash

Strawberry and Rhubarb Filling

1 lb fresh rhubarb
3/4 C sugar
2 t flour
1/2 vanilla bean
2 pints fresh strawberries

1 C heavy cream or crème fraîche
sugar to taste
powdered sugar for dusting

For the pastry, combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and process until the butter is reduced to small pieces and the mixture resembles course cornmeal for the most part. Add sour cream and yolk and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Be careful not to overmix. Gather the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and seal it. Chill thoroughly.

Remove the dough and let it warm at room temperature for a couple of minutes. Divide the dough in half and place on a lightly floured piece of parchment. Roll each half out to a very thin 1/8”. Using the tip of a sharp knife, score the dough into 4 1/2” x 2 1/2 “ rectangles. Chill the dough thoroughly.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Using a sharp knife, cut out the pastry rectangles, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with egg wash. Bake for about 13 minutes until golden brown. Cool.

Cut the rhubarb into 1” pieces. Toss with the sugar and flour.
Place in a shallow roasting dish or pan. Scrape the vanilla seeds onto the rhubarb and add the vanilla bean.
Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until tender, stirring once to distribute the juices. Cool.

Slice the strawberries and fold into the rhubarb. Taste and adjust for sugar.
Whip the cream to a soft peak with sugar to taste.
Dust the top of the pastry rectangles with powdered sugar.
Assemble the Napoleons using 3 pastry rectangles per serving. Layer with cream, fruit and pastry. Serve immediately.

Tarte Tropézienne

Tarte Tropézienne is not really a tart at all, but rather a disc of brioche that is sliced and filled with cream. It takes its name from Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera, where it is said to have originated in the mid 1940s and popularized in the 60s when St. Tropez became a tourist paradise.

Recipes for the filling vary considerably and include buttercream, mousseline (buttercream made from pastry cream and butter), pastry cream and cream diplomat (pastry cream lightened with whipped cream). Almost always the cream is flavored with kirsch. I’ve used a pastry cream flavored with kirsch and orange flower water and lightened with whipped cream sweetened with honey. The brioche is usually topped with pearl sugar, but I use a recipe for a crumb topping from Pierre Hermé that is easy and delicious.

Due to the abundance of butter, brioche is a very, very sticky dough. It should be made a day in advance to allow for overnight refrigeration that retards the proofing while the buttery dough firms up enough to make it easier to handle and shape. The pastry cream and crumb topping should also be made ahead and refrigerated so the Tropézienne can be assembled fairly easily the day you plan to serve it. Once the brioche is baked, fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream and assemble.

If you are a custard fan, you’ll love this pastry. Once you slice into it, you’ll find yourself with a rich buttery brioche that oozes a soft and luscious cream perfumed with the culinary riches of Saint Tropez.


Bench notes:
- This recipe for brioche makes just a tad more than needed for this pastry. You can either make additional Brioche à tête rolls in fluted tins or Brioche Nanterre in a loaf pan (bake @ 350 for about half an hour) or freeze the remainder for later use.
- The butter for brioche should be softened but not oily, pliable but not greasy.
- Be sure you do not let the brioche get too browned or it will taste bitter. Because of the butter content, it tends to brown quickly, so watch closely. You can also bake at a lower temperature of 350 degrees for a bit longer time.
- Tropézienne should be eaten fresh the same day. It can be chilled for a couple of hours to firm up the cream.
- I must confess that I’ve never made brioche by machine, but have presented those conventional instructions here. This requires a sturdy machine that can withstand a rather long process of beating to develop the dough and produce a good texture and crumb. I always make brioche by hand using the slapping method because I love the process. But it is very, very sticky dough and requires a couple of bench scrapers and a lot of patience with getting your hands dirty. It’s a fun process for anyone who likes to dive into the mixing and experience how the whole thing comes together. Good fun but extremely messy.


Tarte Tropézienne
8 to 10 servings

2 C flour
3/4 t salt
2 T sugar
1 1/2 t yeast
3 T warm milk
3 eggs
5 oz butter, softened and cut into several pieces

1 egg + 1/2 t water for egg wash

Cream Filling

1 C milk
1/4 C sugar
3 yolks
1 T cornstarch
1 T flour
1 1/2 t kirsch
1 1/2 t orange blossom water
2 oz (4 T) butter @ room temperature

3/4 C heavy cream
2 T honey

Crumb Topping
adapted from Desserts by Pierre Herme

1 generous T butter @ room temp
2 T sugar
3 T + 2 t flour

Combine the warm milk and yeast in a small bowl. Let stand for a few minutes, then stir until the yeast is completely dissolved.

Sift together the flours, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the eggs and beat for 1 minute at low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the dissolved yeast and continue beating at low speed for 5 minutes. Stop the machine, scrape dough off the hook, and beat for another 5 minutes.

Add the butter a few pieces at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition. Once all the butter has been added, beat for 10 minutes more.

Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 to 3 hours.

Deflate the dough gently. Working your way around the bowl, take the edges of the dough, lift up and gently drop inward. Either cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or place the dough in a large plastic bag that has been very lightly oiled and refrigerate overnight. The brioche will continue to proof.

For the crumb topping, place the softened butter in a small bowl and mix the sugar in with a fork. Add the flour and mix with your hand, pinching the mixture together to form large and small crumbs. Refrigerate.

Once the dough is ready, cut 2/3 of it and place on a baking sheet pan lined with parchment. Pat it gently into a 9” circle about 3/4” tall. Let the dough rise uncovered in a warm place for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Gently brush the top of the brioche with egg wash and sprinkle with the streusel. Bake the brioche in the center of the oven for about 12 to 15 minutes. Start checking at 12 minutes; the brioche should be soft, puffed and golden. Remove the brioche from the oven and immediately take the brioche off the baking sheet and place onto a wire rack to cool.

For the pastry cream, whisk the sugar with the egg yolks until pale. Add the flour and cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Bring the milk to a simmer on low heat. Gradually add 1/2 of the hot milk to the sugar-yolk mixture, whisking vigorously to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Take off the heat and cool a bit. Add softened butter, orange water, and kirsch. Pour into a bowl and cool slightly. Press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface and refrigerate until chill thoroughly.

Whip the cream with the honey until soft peaks form. Fold half the whipped cream into the pastry cream to loosen it up. Fold in remaining cream until smooth.

To assemble, cut brioche in half horizontally. Smooth cream mixture over bottom layer, and place second layer gently on top. Serve.

Chaussons aux Pommes

I have to confess I discovered Chaussons aux Pommes not along the romantic boulevards of Paris, but in the steamy production kitchen of a French boulangerie-patisserie in northern California.

In the inner sanctum of a French bakery, there are the three departments of patisserie (pastry), viennoiserie (laminated doughs) and boulangerie (bread). I always marveled at the work of all three – the ballet of the master bread baker and his loyal crew flying through the air in clouds of flour; the pastry kitchen humming at 150 mph with the efficiency of a European bullet train - but the Viennoisier always seemed the most zen. Every human move in a bakery or fine dining restaurant is excruciatingly efficient. Everyone has their well orchestrated rhythms but there is also the daily dealing with the unexpected. Maybe the deliveries are late, maybe the oven is cranky, maybe there is an overnight special order from a prominent client. The Viennoisier worked fast but not furiously and the fruits of his labor were astonishing. He was the best. The products of the quiet universe of viennoiserie are croissants, pain au chocolat, pain aux raisins and the prayer that is brioche. These are always the most delicate and yet the most reliable of pastries in the distinctly French tradition.

I love the way pastries from all cultural traditions have such curious names. Chausson means "slipper." Chausson aux Pommes, or apple slipper, is a buttery flaky pastry enveloping an only slightly sweet and smoothly soft compote of apple. The contrast between crunchy rich goodness and the simple velvety pureness of fruit is part of what makes this pastry so sublime.

The version I fell in love with was filled with a thick apple puree full of robust flavor and only a whisper of sugar. It was supremely delicious and my memory of it is the stuff of dreams. The pastry is of course puff pastry, the specialty of the Viennoisier. Hard to argue with an occasional bite of buttery shards of flakiness that fill your mouth with an unending sensation of pleasure. But incredibly rich and laborious to produce, I rarely have fresh puff pastry on hand. Since I was in need of a quick but still luxurious substitute, I turned to Dorie Greenspan’s flaky Turnover dough. In a rare fit of irreverence, I decided to see if I could still produce even a mild memory to bring to the table. So these are actually Faux Chaussons Aux Pommes. Not exactly as buttery or flaky, but delicious in their own right on a California afternoon.



Bench notes:
- The apple compote can be made in varying textures. Here I kept some of it a bit chunky, although I think I still favor a smoother puree.
- Each of these components can be made and refrigerated overnight.
- I decided to try out Dorie Greenspan’s Turnover dough instead of my usual Sour Cream Pastry dough, which has an additional 2 oz butter, 2 egg yolks and half as much sugar. Dorie's dough is very delicious - light and crisp and slightly sweet. I’ll also have to try my version to see if it approximates puff in this application.
- When rolling out the dough, pick it up after each roll to be sure it is not getting stuck to the work surface. If it's sticking, rather than trying to pull it up, use a bench scraper to gently pry it loose. Rotate the dough 90 degrees after each roll to ensure that it is getting rolled out evenly.
- I admit that I am obsessive about chilling dough. Initially it is to give the gluten a chance to relax. As I begin to form the dough I chill it so it is easier to handle. Before baking I chill the pastries so they hold their form when baking. It's definitely an obsession (most likely rooted in the fact that I have warm hands) and you are most welcome to work at your own comfort level.
- To allow for varying oven efficiencies, check the pastries at 20 minutes.
- As with any flaky pastry, these are best eaten the same day.



Chaussons aux Pommes
Makes 8 turnovers

Flaky Dough (half recipe)
adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
2 C flour
1/2 t salt
6 oz cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 C sour cream
1/4 C sugar

1 egg for egg wash

Combine the sour cream and sugar.
Whisk together flour and salt.
Add the butter pieces to the flour and salt with a pastry cutter or your fingertips and work it in until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal.
Add the sour cream/sugar mixture and gently mix with a fork or your hands.
The dough should come together into a ball. Do not overmix or overwork the dough.
Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.

After it has chilled, remove one package of the dough and let it sit for a couple of minutes at room temperature. Flour a piece of parchment and roll the dough out on the parchment into a rectangle shape about 1/4” thick. Brush off excess flour with a clean pastry brush. Fold the dough in thirds (like a letter), again brushing off excess flour. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Repeat with the other package of dough.

When the dough has been chilled, roll out each piece of dough on a piece of lightly floured parchment to an 1/8” thickness. Brush off excess flour. Cut out 8 equal pieces of dough in the desired shape of your pastries and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment, layering them with parchment as needed. Chill for about an hour.

Apple Compote

zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of one lemon
5 - 6 apples
2 T butter
1/2 vanilla bean
4 T sugar, to taste

Place the lemon juice and lemon zest in a bowl big enough to hold the apples.
Peel, core and slice the apples and toss them in the lemon juice and zest.

Melt the butter is a large skillet and add the apples. Scrape the half vanilla bean into the apples, cover and cook over medium low heat for about 20 minutes until the apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove the cover and add the sugar. Cook, stirring continuously until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and mash or puree as desired. Set aside to cool completely.

When ready to assemble, make an egg wash by whisking 1 egg with about a tablespoon of water to thin it out. Line a cookie sheet with parchment.

Place a heaping tablespoon of apple compote on half of a piece of pastry. Brush the edges with the egg wash, fold the dough over the compote and seal. Place each completed pastry on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. When all 8 pastries have been formed, refrigerate for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place an oven rack in the top third of the oven and a rack in the lower third of the oven.

Remove pastries and brush each surface with egg wash. Take a very sharp knife and create a few slashes to form vents.

Bake the turnovers on the top rack for 10 minutes, then rotate the cookie sheet from front to back and move to the bottom rack. Continue baking for another 10 – 15 minutes until they are nicely browned and crisp.

Cream Scones

The very first bite of a fresh baked scone is enough to make you feel like you’ve just had a daydreamy moment in the Royal Palace. There’s something about the light and tender loveliness of homemade scones that is transformative. Sadly, not so with purchased ones.

How many times have you bought a scone and felt less than delighted? OK, most of us can’t count that high. But we keep searching anyway even though we have plenty of empirical evidence that most commercial scones are over-mixed, over baked, frozen hockey pucks that taste like not very much of anything. So hey, here’s the scoop! Scones are definitely one of those pastry items that cannot be mass produced. Great scones require very minimal, very gentle handling, something that’s not possible in a large pastry production environment. But we do love the idea of a scone, don’t we?

Here’s the answer. Inside half an hour, you will be enjoying the most remarkable scones ever. This recipe is from my lovely pastry school teacher years ago, Cathy Burgett. It is the best recipe I’ve ever tried. Truly, these Cream Scones are Dream Scones. Since all the fat comes from cream and not butter, the final product is as soft and comforting as your favorite bedtime pillow. The one you look forward to at the end of a long and harried day. Why not wake up to this little bite of heaven on a plate some lazy weekend morning? You’ll never buy another scone again. Really.

Of course the traditional way to eat a scone is to lavish it with a bit of fresh jam and a dollop of fresh whipped cream, a real jaunt to the Cotswolds. Do try this sometime when you are feeling extra indulgent and no one is looking.

Bench notes:
- Remember this! The secret to great scones is a very light touch when mixing and forming the dough. This recipe requires precious little handling. This non-technique technique is what creates a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness that is the lost memory of The Legend of the Greatness of Sconery.
- This recipe is the purist version. I’ve also tried adding a shake of lemon zest to the cream for a brighter taste. The combination of dried pear, finely chopped crystallized ginger and golden raisins is one of my favorites. And of course the classical addition is dried currants. Just add the extras to the dry mix before adding the cream.
- Due to an oversight in shopping, I once made these with a combination of 3/4 C heavy cream and 1/2 C buttermilk for the liquid with great results.
- Scones are absolutely meant to be eaten fresh out of the oven. For the optimal scone experience worthy of a spot of good Earl Grey straight from the palace, eat them right away.

Cream Scones
Makes 8 scones

2 C flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 C sugar
1 1/4 C heavy cream

1 T melted butter for brushing the tops
sugar for sprinkling the tops

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking pan with either parchment or a silpat.

Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the cream and stir gently with a fork. Stop mixing when it starts to come together and the cream seems fairly absorbed. Be careful not to overmix. The dough will look loose and lumpy and not like a finished dough.

Pour the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface. Flour your hands a bit and using a very light touch and absolute restraint, begin to gather and gently pat into a 9” circle, taking care to press the edges into a solid border. It will come together just enough to look like it might work. Do not handle very much to achieve maximum tenderness!

Using a lightly dusted bench scraper or sharp knife, cut into 8 scones. Use the bench scraper or a metal spatula to lift the scones gently onto the baking sheet. Be careful as they are very soft and delicate to handle. Brush the tops with a bit of melted butter and a light sprinkle of sugar.

Bake on the middle rack for 15 minutes or until they are golden. Serve immediately. Enjoy the true meaning of scone-iosity.

The Perfume of Pear

There are few things so subtle yet unmistakable in flavor than pears. Their juicy deliciousness is derived from both their delicate scent and more delicate taste. Even visually, they appear to be in utter repose, off in their own quiet conspiracy.

I love working with pears. The perfume that releases once you’ve peeled and cored a perfectly ripe pear is beyond description. But how do you capture their quiet essence without overwhelming it with other flavors? Because pears go so well with caramel, various spices, nuts, wine, spirits, cheese or chocolate, it’s easy to let any of those other flavors take hold. But how to balance all of these other elements so you still have that faint-whisper sensation of pure pear? How do you render that pure essence so it’s in the forefront of your palate? It’s one of the hardest things to do and something I’ve thought about for years!

While on this trail of simplicity, I’ve baked some ripe pears in a basic flaky sour cream pastry dough to highlight and exalt the fresh flavor and simplicity of the fruit. Unadorned, quiet and complete all on their own.

Bench notes:
- A few years ago I had the great fortune of sampling a plum kifli at Crixa, a terrific bakery in Berkeley that makes the most interesting Hungarian, Russian, Central European and American pastries and desserts. I searched and experimented for something approximating kifli dough. The pastry dough I use here is one version.
- Although I am in a purist mood, you can of course add your favorite spices or minced ginger or golden raisins or whatever you’d like to the fruit.
- These delicate pastries are to be eaten the same day.

Pears in Pastry
Makes 6 pastries

1 C flour
1 T sugar
1/8 t salt
4 oz cold butter cut into small pieces
1/4 C sour cream
1 egg yolk

2 pears, peeled and cored
2 T sugar, to taste
1/2 lemon
egg wash: 1 egg + 1t water

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add butter and process until the butter is reduced to small pieces and the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal for the most part. Add sour cream and yolk and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Be careful not to overmix. Gather the dough on a piece of plastic wrap and seal it. Chill thoroughly.

Remove the dough and let it warm at room temperature for a couple of minutes. Roll out to 1/8” and cut into desired shapes. Place cutouts on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes.

Place the juice of 1/2 lemon in a bowl large enough to hold the sliced pears. Prepare pears by peeling, coring and slicing or dicing them. Add the pears to the bowl and toss to coat with lemon juice. Add sugar and toss gently. Remove pastry from the refrigerator and brush the pastry edges with egg wash. Top with pear mixture and seal. Place the pastries in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Egg wash the dough and sprinkle with a bit more sugar. Bake the pastries for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown, rotating the baking sheet half way through as necessary to ensure even baking.

Take in that aroma. Cool. Stare. Consume.