Category Archives: 11. Fruit delights

Dec24

Calvados Apple Cake

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Calvados Apple Cake—serves 6- 8

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened or room temperature
  • 1 -1/3 cups
  • 1/8  teaspoon salt (I used sea salt)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (I whisked flour and baking powder in separate bowl before putting in mixture)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 4 Gala or other flavorful apples, peeled, cored and each cut into 8 slices (2 huge Honey Crisp is more than enough and it’ll probably grant you extras for a smaller cake for yourself. I used the 8 slice apple corer and then sliced the apples slices in 1/2 again.)
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Calvados or apple brandy. (I used regular brandy but rum might be good as well)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon Turbinado Sugar for the top sprinkling (can be regular sugar as well)

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Slice the apples and place in a large bowl.
  3. Mix the ginger, cinnamon, lemon zest and juice, and brandy in a separate small bowl and then place this into the apple slices carefully turning the slices over to get them all coated.
  4. Butter a 9-inch spring form pan, and set aside. (I used parchment paper and put the spring form on a pizza pan which was lined with parchment paper.)
  5. In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (I used regular beater attachment), combine the 8 ounces (2 cubes) softened butter, 1 1/3 cups regular sugar and the sea salt. Mix until blended.
  6. Add the eggs and whisk/beat until smooth.
  7. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the pre-whisked flour and baking powder until thoroughly mixed.
  8. Fold into the mixture a few of the apple slices or bits, and spread the batter evenly in pan. The mixture will be very stiff so spread it around with a rubber spatula.
  9. On the top of the batter, lay the remainder of the apple slices (make sure these are quite thinly sliced) in a concentric pattern.  Sprinkle the top with the Turbinado (can be regular sugar or even brown as well) sugar. The cake will rise.
  10. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of cake dough comes out clean and apples are golden and tender, about 65 minutes.
  11. Serve warm or at room temperature.

More Hints or descriptions:

  • This is a dense East European kind of cake.
  • Think about putting apricot jam glaze on top.
  • I made a lemon sauce to go with it
  • You can make this a day ahead, but don’t put a bowl over it; just leave it out and place some saran on it.
  • You can use a diversity of apples—sweet, sour etc.

Easy Lemon sauce

1 tsp. grated lemon, 1/2 C. lemon juice, 1/2 C. sugar, 1 Tblsp. cornstarch in a small pan; bring to a boil, turn to simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened.  Add 1 tsp. fresh OJ.  Serve warm.

 

 

 

 

Nov23

Cranberry and Apple Cake 6-8 servings

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Cranberry and Apple Cake 6-8 servings

cranberry-apple-cake

This is an easy and fairly healthy dish to make when the holidays are here.  Actually, it’s good for anytime of the year.  You can vary it as to how you think that you want to enjoy it.  I personally like less cake so I cut the cake ingredients in half (shown in my picture).  There are other options as well.  It’s all up to you.  I like versatile recipes like that.  So, bon appétit and Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.

 

Step # 1Ingredients for the filling:

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems if necessary
  • 1 Granny Smith or other good kind of cooking apple you like, cored and diced (I diced mine in the food processor).
  • 4 ounces Sun Dried Cherries (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon of grated orange rind/zest (about 1/2 of 1 large orange)
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice from that 1 large orange you just used
  • Orange segments from that 1 orange after you’ve juiced it. I put the segments in with the apple and diced it all together.
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or some other similar spice that you enjoy
  • Some ground black pepper if you wish or even some pepper corns

Step #2 Ingredients for the cake (for more cake like, use the amounts I have listed; if you wish more of a topping like effect, as in my picture, use half of the amounts of these ingredients which also means less calories. )

  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla or any other extract you like or even brandy (I used brandy)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Step # 3 Topping ingredients for the end result:

  • Some Turbinado Sugar to lightly sprinkle over all before placing in the oven
  • Some more cinnamon, whatever also to sprinkle over all before placing in oven

Directions:

  • Pre-heat oven to 325F
  • Slightly oil or butter a 10-inch glass pie plate.
  • Step #1: Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Let sit while you do Step #2.
  • Step #2: In another bowl, on medium-high, beat with an electric beater the eggs for 2 minutes. Then, on medium, add the remainder of the ingredients except for the flour and beat until just combined.  On low speed, slowly add the flour and salt till well combined.
  • Step #3: Pour the cranberry mixture into the pie dish. Spread the batter with a spatula over the fruit covering it as completely as you wish.  Top with ingredients listed in Step #3.
  • Bake in oven for about 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature. Cool Whip, whipped cream or ice cream makes for a nice accompaniment.

 cranberry-apple-cake

Nov12

Apples Sauteed serves up to 4

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Sautéed Apples—serves up to 4

apples-in-sauce just-apples pancake-w-apples-sauce-1

I served this often to my B&B guests and they loved it.  It’s so easy to make and is so much better than store bought syrup to use for pancakes or waffles and you get the apples as well.  But don’t stop there, it’s great over ice cream as well.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (or a bit more if you wish) butter
  • 2-3  large tart apples cored and sliced in large segments
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 to 1 cup hot water
  • 1/4 -1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or another flavor if you wish
  • Raisins (optional)

Directions

  • In a large skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add apples. Cook, stirring constantly, until apples are almost tender, about 6 to 7 minutes.
  • Dissolve the cornstarch, brown sugar and cinnamon In hot water in a microwaveable dish. Place in micro for 1 or more minutes.
  • When apples are just about tender, pour heated liquid into the pan along with the optional raisins if you wish and cook for 2 more minutes.
  • Hints: I started out with the lesser amounts of the hot water and brown sugar. After micro-heating and placing in pan with apples, you can always add more hot water.  If you wish to have more sugar, dissolve the sugar first in hot water and then add to pan.  But truthfully, I found that 1/4 C. brown sugar was plenty sweet enough.

 

Bon Appetit

Margot Van Horn

Blog: http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com

 

Aug18

Chocolate Pear Custard Tart

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hb tart lois decortart crust forked tart w.no decor

Above on your left is the tart decorated for Lois A. 90th B-D. Besides the bought decorations I used some violets from my garden.

The middle picture shows the crust, pierced and ready to go in the oven briefly.

The right picture shows the tart undecorated.

Chocolate Pear Custard Tart

This is truly DELICIOUS. It’s hard to stop eating it. It’s somewhat time intensive to make, but truly worth it. If you don’t decorate it, it looks a little bland so I do suggest placing some little eatable flowers on top or something else to make it look a bit more appealing. I have doubled this recipe and used a 13X9 Pyrex dish; it worked out just fine but I did bake it somewhere between 45 to 60 minutes. Remember, I am in altitude so for your first baking it’s a watch and see mode.

HINT: Poach the pears first; then do the custard; then make your crust; then put the whole deal together and bake; then cool. Told you it’s a bit time intensive but believe me it’s worth it.

Ingredients and hints for the pears:

For the pears that will go on top of the crust please do the following and do this before making the crust:

  1. 6 (or more) UNPEELED Bartlet pears, halved, cored and sliced into half-inch slices. The pears can be semi-ripe but not mushy!
  2. Poach 4 of the pears according to my recipe on this blog. Use the method on top of the stove and I did put in currents.
  3. Save the extra 2 sliced unpeeled and un-poached pears for the last topping to go on top of the poached pears before you pour the chocolate custard sauce over all.
  4. Also, what I did was to buy extra pears and I poached them as well. So, when I served the tart, I also served a separate bowl of poached pears for those who are gluten intolerant. Of course I also served my no-churn homemade ice cream. YUM!!!!!
  5. Mix some sugar and cinnamon together to sprinkle on the extra 2 pears you will be placing on top of the poached pears before you pour the chocolate custard sauce over all.

 

Ingredients for the chocolate custard:

  1. 1/3 C. semisweet chocolate chips
  2. 2 Tblsp. unsalted butter, melted
  3. 1/4 C. plus 2 Tblsp. whole milk
  4. 1 Tsp. almond extract
  5. 1/2 Tsp. salt
  6. 1 egg and 1 egg yolk
  7. 3 Tblsp. granulated white sugar
  8. 3 Tblsp. all purpose flour
  9. 2 Tblsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (I always buy the best for this)

Directions for the custard:

  1. Combine the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low hear, stirring until totally melted. Sir in the milk, almond and salt. Set aside.
  2. Combine the egg, yolk, sugar, flour and cocoa powder in the food processor or mixer bowl and process for about 2 minutes. Pour in the milk and chocolate mixture and continue to process until smooth and completely incorporated. Set aside for a bit.

 

Ingredients for the Crust:

  1. 1 package of Walker’s plain shortbread cookies
  2. 1 large egg
  3. 4 Tblsp. butter, melted and cooled
  4. 1/2 C. all purpose flour
  5. 1/3 C. granulated white sugar
  6. 1 Tsp. almond extract

 

 

Directions:

  1. Prepare the crust:
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  3. Place shortbread cookies in food processor and process until finely ground.
  4. Add the egg, melted butter, flour, sugar, salt and extract and process again until a soft, buttery dough forms.
  5. Remove dough, roll into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill in frig. for 20 minutes.
  6. Press the chilled dough into a greased 13” by 4” or a 9” round tart pan and score all over with a fork.
  7. Place tart pan on a cookie sheet and blind bake in the oven for 7 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven and let cool.
  9. Now you can place the poached pears on top of the crust and after you have done that, place the last 2 sliced unpeeled pears skin side up in a nice pattern. Sprinkle those with a bit of your mixed cinnamon/sugar.
  10. Pour the custard over all.
  11. Bake in your still heated 350 degree oven on the cookie sheet for 25 minutes or till the custard is set, firm and the crust is slightly golden.
  12. Let cool completely before serving.

 

Jun9

Bruschetta with Strawberries, Balsamic and ONE Mint Leaf

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Bruschetta with Strawberries, Balsamic and One Mint Leaf

 

strawberries only

Strawberries for an appetizer? Yes indeed and I tell you, this is a really delightfully light and delicious treat to offer your guests for a hot summer day. Best of all, it’s a breeze to make. The only thing I have found that it’s best served when the strawberries are heated so that’s a last minute thing but not necessarily so because you can make the sauce ahead of time, refrigerate it for a day or 2 or even freeze it and then reheat it briefly in the micro (about 1 minute and I put the micro at 1/2 temp just to check that it’s not getting too hot and syrupy).

 

Ingredients

  1. One box of Melba Snacks Whole Grain Crackers or something similar
  2. 6 Tbsp. brown sugar (I use the light brown variety)
  3. 1 Tsp. grated lemon zest
  4. 2 Tsp. lemon juice
  5. One quick tiny squirt of Balsamic (CAREFUL—not too much)
  6. 3 C. cleaned, hulled sliced strawberries (you can also dice them if you prefer)
  7. 4-6 Tbsp. mascarpone
  8. A bunch of washed whole mint leaves

 

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, combine and whisk well the sugar, zest, juice and balsamic together.
  2. Heat a large Teflon skillet over medium-high heat and add the above mixture. When it begins to bubble (30 seconds to 1 minute) add the strawberries and stir until the juices begin to release their flavor and the berries are heated through (30 seconds to 1 minute more)

stawberries in pan

3.  If you are serving this immediately, I would recommend spreading the mascarpone on the crackers before you have made the sauce and have the crackers all ready on a pretty platter to finish off and serve.

4. After you have placed the sauce on top of the mascarpone, top each with a mint leaf. That will make the whole deal!!!

 

Bon Appétit strawberries on crackers

Sep26

Raspberry, Lavender and Chocolate Jam

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Raspberry, Lavender and Chocolate Jam

lavender

makes enough to fill six 8 oz. jam jars

I and my B&B styled catering service “ From Margot’s Table to Yours” had a wonderful fun time participating in the Sept. 22nd Sun Valley Harvest Festival’s Grand Tasting event.  It was made even better by having Donna Anderson from her Lavender Acre’s Farm there to help along with a good artist friend of mine, Susan Snyder. As I had previously promised here is a very lovely lavender inspired recipe that I wanted to share.  I had made it to put on my lavender thumb print cookies;however, you don’t need to use this jam just for the cookies because you’ll love having it in crepes, on ice cream and with croissants. It also makes a nice hostess gift.

 

Ingredients:

  1. 8 1/2 Cups Fresh raspberries
  2. 3 Cups sugar
  3. 2 Tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  4. 1 1/2 Cups bittersweet chocolate chips
  5. 1 Tablespoon fresh culinary lavender buds
  6. 6 Sterilized, cool and dry 8 ounce jam jars

 

Instructions:
1. Stir to combine raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and let the mixture simmer, slowly stirring, for around 5 minutes. If any foam develops on the surface, skim it off. Remove the saucepan from heat and set aside.
2. Off the heat, stir chocolate and lavender into the raspberry mixture until the chocolate has melted completely. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Cover the bowl with parchment paper and refrigerate it overnight so the flavors can meld.
3. Simmer raspberry mixture in saucepan over medium heat for about 10 minutes, skimming off any foam that forms.

4. Remove from heat, let cool a bit and transfer to your clean jam jars. You can refrigerate without sealing for up to a month or you can place melted paraffin in the jars so as to be able to store for a longer period of time

 

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com  Call Margot for personal cooking help or hosting

 @ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.

 

 

 

Sep26

No-Churn Ice Cream Recipe # 2 with various fruits and/or LAVENDER culinary buds

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lavenderNo-Churn Ice Cream Recipe # 2 with various fruits and/or LAVENDER culinary buds

Makes 4 pints

Here’s another WICKED recipe.  I  have received a lot of comments and compliments on my other fast, easy and yummy no-churn ice cream recipe so I thought I’d give you all another recipe which I also like a lot.  I think that it turns out a bit softer than the other one.  It’s excellent served in a pretty glass layered with fresh fruit and this ice cream.

Ingredients:

  1. 4 egg whites
  2. 1 ¾ C. superfine sugar
  3. 2 ½ C. heavy cream
  4. 2 ripe mangoes, flesh roughly chopped into 1-inch chunks, strawberries cut in smaller pieces, whole raspberries or blueberries ; peaches, apricots, banana cut in bits; add some chocolate chips; and for Lavender, add 1/2 C. lavender simple syrup and reduce the amount of heavy cream to 2 cups.

Instructions:

  1.  In a glass or metal bowl, beat the egg whites till thick.
  2. Add the sugar and beat until stiff.
  3. Add the cream and continue beating until mixture is thick and creamy.
  4. If you wish to make the lavender version, beat everything before adding the simple syrup.  When your mixture is thick and creamy in step 3, beat in the simple syrup in several additions.
  5. Gently fold in the fruit or fruit pieces.
  6. Cover and place in freezer until almost set (3-4 hours)
  7. Take, out and beat once more.  Put in airtight containers in the freezer overnight.

Lavender Simple Syrup Recipe (Makes 2 Cups):

Ingredients:

  1. 2 C. water
  2. 1 ½ C. superfine sugar
  3. 2 Tblsp. dried culinary lavender buds

Instructions:

  1. In a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar and lavender to a boil.  Remove the pan from the heat and then cover with a lid.  Let this mixture steep for at least 1/2 hour however, I let it steep overnight for best results.
  2. Strain the syrup into a jar or bottle.  It will keep for a week or two in the fridge during which you can add it to iced tea, hot tea, hard liquor concoctions (basil flavored vodka works fabulously well), champagne, or lemonade (look for my separate recipe for that under Lavender Lemonade). I’ve heard that it will keep better if you introduce some vodka in the syrup.

For easy access and printing of this and past recipes, visit Margot’s blog http://blog.tempinnkeeper.com  Call Margot for personal cooking help or hosting

 @ 721-3551.

Margot is a self-taught enthusiastic & passionate cook. Having been an inn-keeper for 5 years at her own inn, she accumulated a lot of good recipes which she loves to share.

Aug14

Free Form Fruit Tart

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free form fruit tart

Free Form Fruit Tart

Serves 4 to 8 (depending on sizes served)

 Easy as can be to make and delicious—that’s what this desert is.  Heavens, it takes no time what so ever to make (45 minutes at the most) and to bake;  everyone will for sure think that it took you all day and will ouuu and ahhhh and probably, you won’t have any left over’s—so you’ll have to make another the next day just to satisfy yourself.

Pre-Heat oven to 425F

Ingredients for the free-form pie crust:

  1. 1 ¼  C. flour
  2. 1/2 Tsp. salt
  3. 3 Tblsp. sugar
  4. 1 stick butter= 8 Tblsp. (room temp is the best, but if not, cut into small pieces)
  5. 3 Tblsp. very cold water (plus more if necessary)

Directions for making the pie crust:

  1. Whisk flour, salt and sugar in a medium sized bowl.
  2. Cut in the butter in the dry ingredients till mixture is well blended and looks like cornmeal. You can use two knives, forks or a pastry blender, but if you have a processor, do the following:  For the first 2 steps process the dry ingredients with a quick one, two pulse; then add the butter and process until blended and mixture looks like cornmeal.
  3. If you’ve used a processor, place your ingredients in a bowl. Add the water and mold with hands in order to make into a ball. Try to handle as little as possible so that the crust remains very light and flaky and will not become “heavy”.
  4. Place ball on a large piece of saran wrap; then place another sheet of saran wrap on top and flatten ball.
  5. Take a rolling pin and roll the top saran wrap sheet till your dough ball becomes a rough round of 9 or 10 inches (the dough should be about 1/4 inch thick).
  6. Remove your top saran wrap sheet, pick up the bottom saran sheet with the dough and quickly flip it out on a cookie sheet or pizza pan that has been lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Remove that saran sheet so that your dough is all by its lonesome on the prepared baking sheet. Now you are ready to place your desired filling in the middle of the dough.

Filling Ingredients for the free-form pie crust:

  1. Pitted, peeled, sliced soft fruit; thinly sliced apples, pears; crushed almonds, walnuts, raisins, currents  are all good filling choices.
  2. With fruit, you can toss them with crystallized ginger bits, cinnamon and/or sugar, honey and melted butter, lemon rind and whatever else you like.
  3. 2 Tblsp. melted butter

Final directions:

  1. Place fruit, whatever in the middle of the dough leaving a good 1 ½ inch free border all around.
  2. Fold up the edges of the crust up and around the fruit, pinching the outer edge dough together.
  3. Brush the dough with 2 Tblsp. melted butter and save some melted butter for brushing on the fruit itself.
  4. I also place a bit more sugar on the top of all.
  5. Place the free-form pie which is on the lined cookie sheet or pizza pan in your pre-heated oven until the dough is nice and brown and the fruit is bubbling (about 30 minutes but start checking after 20 minutes).
  6. Remove from oven, cool on a rack and serve warm dusted with confectioner sugar and ice cream or crème fraiche or whipped cream.
Jan28

Spiced Pear Jam with Pineapple

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5 pears

Spiced Pear Jam with Pineapple

I had some Bosc pears left over from a catering job I had where I presented my wonderful Poached Pears and I knew that I needed to make use of them quick like before they went bad.  Jam is easy to make and so nice to give for hostess gifts.  So, I looked through my old array of recipes and found this.  It turned out really good and I think that you could even use it for an appetizer by placing a dab on some cream cheese that has been placed on a baguette slice.  Then you could surround the baguette slices with slivers of fresh pears. It also would be good on some peanut buttered toast.  Oh well, up to you—————

Ingredients:

  1. 7 or 8 firm pears (about 3 lbs. worth)
  2. 1 orange
  3. 1 lemon
  4. 1 C. canned and drained crushed pineapple
  5. 4 C. sugar
  6. 3-4 whole cloves
  7. Two sticks of cinnamon
  8. One inch piece of fresh ginger

Directions:

  1. Peel and core the pears
  2. Put the pears, orange and lemon in a processor and rough chop process.
  3. Place the above mixture in a large pot and add the pineapple, sugar, cloves, cinnamon and ginger.
  4. Place pot on medium high heat and stir fairly constantly until it comes to a boil.
  5. Reduce the heat to a medium high or even a bit lower so that the mixture will  be gently simmering for at least 30 minutes but most likely around 45 minutes.  Do watch it and stir it every 10 minutes or so.
  6. When the mixture becomes thick (test it by taking a bit out, putting it in the freezer for several minutes to see if it’s the consistency you desire) take it off the heat and let it cool.
  7. Hopefully you have put out some jam jars that you have sterilized in your dishwasher so that when the jam has cooled you’ll be able to place the jam in the jars and then put your paraffin on top.
  8. Save some to put in the frig for yourself to enjoy immediately.
Jan22

Linzer Torte and an option of mini-tortes and a bonus of Meringue Kisses

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Linzer TorteLinzer Torte

Serves 8 (but don’t expect any leftovers)

Festive for anytime of the year

 

linzer torteindividual-mini-ltmeringue-kisses

 

Linzer Torte ( in a large spring form pan or mini kinds)

Serves 8 or makes 36 mini Linzer Tortes

Bonus recipe for no-waste egg white Meringue Kisses (makes 30)

Ingredients:

  1. 1 ½ C. sifted flour
  2. 1/4 Tsp. salt
  3. 1 C. sifted sugar
  4. 1 C. sweet butter, room temperature –2 cubes
  5. Grated rind of 1 lemon
  6. 3 egg yolks (keep them separated in their shell half) and save the egg whites in another bowl
  7. 1 C. slivered almonds, blanched or un-blanched (I mostly use the blanched ones); grind them in a grinder( I use my mini-Cuisinart) and then add 1/2 Tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. ground cloves and grind the nuts with these spices a bit more.  
  8. 1- 10 or 12 oz. jar jam (NOT JELLY or it will leak like mad) of your choice. If you wish, you can mix in well 1 ½ Tblsp. Brandy in it.   Traditionally the torte was made with Lingonberries but you can use your imagination for whatever you wish however makes sure that the filling is of a substantial consistency.  I use the Red Raspberry Preserve bought straight from the store.
  9. Turbinado Sugar for light dusting before baking.
  10. Confection sugar for the final dusting just before serving; Fresh berries for final décor.                                                                                                            Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375F AFTER your dough has been refrigerated for an hour or more.
  2. In a bowl, sift the flour once more with the salt.
  3. In a larger bowl, cream the sugar with the butter with electric beaters until the mixture is light and fluffy.(about 3 minutes).
  4. Add the grated rind of 1 lemon to this mixture (juice the grated lemon for the meringues) and then add the 3 egg yolks (one yolk at a time) beating well after each addition. (Save 2 of the egg whites in a separate bowl and let sit at room temp to make easy and delicious meringues. See recipe below.)
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients (in about 3 divisions for each) to the creamed mixture alternately with the 1 C. ground almonds which has been already mixed with the cinnamon and cloves.
  6. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for an hour or more. If it becomes too cold to be pliable when you remove it, leave it out for a bit and keep testing it for the right pliability.
  7. Prepare an 8”,9”,or 10” spring-form pan. This will take a bit of time so patience please. First measure the round pan pieces on parchment paper; with a pencil draw its circle and cut it out. Save the left over pieces to fit around the pan sides. Before placing the parchment paper in the pan, brush the bottom and sides with Crisco oil, then place the parchment paper pieces on the oiled bottom and around the oiled sides. Then brush the parchment side and bottom once more with Crisco oil. Then lightly dust some flour on the bottom and shake the pan all over so that the sides get flour dusted as well. Then carefully shake out any residual flour.
  8. First, before placing the dough on the bottom of the pan, save a fist full of dough for making the top decorative strips. You’ll probably want about 6-8 strips. (See picture above.)The remainder of the dough place on top of the bottom of your prepared pan. Then with your knuckles, gently spread the dough over the bottom and up the sides about one and a half inch up.
  9. Spread the dough with the jam of your preference. I use a rubber spatula to do this. If you have homemade jam, all the better—but no jelly please.
  10. Now is the time to roll with your hands several long thin strips to use as a lattice. Intertwine the strips so that it’ll look pretty when served and place each on top of your torte. If the strips break when placing them on top don’t worry—just combine them in any way to make a long strip.  Rustic is the theme here.
  11. Then, lightly sprinkle it all with Turbinado Sugar which will make the top look a little shinny.
  12. Place the torte on a pizza or cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper (not aluminum foil because of possible extra heat conducting).This is because your torte may possibly leak.
  13. Bake the torte in your preheated 375F oven on the middle rack for 30-45 minutes till it is golden brown on top and the jam is slightly bubbling. I watch it carefully so that it doesn’t get overdone and too brown because then the crust will be tough.
  14. Cool the torte thoroughly and then gently run a steel spatula or a sharp knife around the sides to make sure it’ll release properly after unlatching. Then place the torte, covered with aluminum foil or saran wrap, in the refrigerator for several hours or even overnight. It must be very cold to release properly. Then unlatch the pan and the torte should release easily. Then you can run a knife under the bottom or just under one tiny side just to make sure that it will lift. At this point, I can usually tip the torte (with the pan’s bottom still on) on its side. It should come apart easily. At this point you can tear off your bottom parchment sheet. Place the torte on whatever dish you wish to use to serve it. I many times use a Chinette plastic plate for the top and bottom which then allows me to wrap it well, store it in the refrigerator for a week or so or wrapped well in the freezer safely without fear of breakage. The torte freezes just beautifully and you’ll be hard pressed to notice it when serving it. Before last minute serving, if you wish, you can spread a little more jam in the holes and dust it all with powdered sugar. Then you can surround your torte with fresh raspberries which does present a nice look.
  15. You can also make mini-cupcake like Linzer Tortes. I use the mini-cupcake paper liners which I brush lightly with the Crisco oil and follow the same directions as for a large one. Bake them in a mini-cup cake pan from anywhere from 12 to 15 minutes in a 375F oven. Watch carefully so they won’t get overdone.  Use your middle oven rack.  One recipe will make 36 mini-cupcake-like Linzer Tortes.            

 

Meringue Kisses—makes about 30

Ingredients:

  • 2 large egg whites @ room temp
  • 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 2/3 C. granulated white sugar

 

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 225F.
  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium size bowl, with your electric beaters using the whisk attachment beat the egg whites at a medium-low speed until foamy.
  • Add the lemon juice and beat at medium speed until the whites begin to form soft peaks.
  • Add the sugar one third at a time, then increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
  • With a spatula and a small butter knife to help slip the mixture off, pick up some of this mixture and drop onto your parchment covered baking sheet. Let your drops go upwards to form the “kiss” mode (like those chocolate ones).  The size can be around 2” circumference rounds. You should be able to place all of the kisses on a 17” X 12” pan.  Also, you can place around 4 or 5 across—they don’t spread much.
  • If you wish you can sprinkle sifted good chocolate unsweetened cocoa and a dusting of fun colorful cake décor sprinkles. (see picture)
  • Bake for about 60 to 70 minutes until they are firm to the touch and seem thoroughly dry.
  • Store the “kisses” in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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