Cranberry Crumble (Recipe Included)

I have made cranberry crumble a few times in the past couple of weeks. It is a simple, delicious dessert that is always a crowd pleaser!

I love any kind of fruit cobblers, crumbles, buckles, or crisps. Some of these vary slightly, but are all essentially the same. Fall is the perfect time of the year for these types of desserts in my opinion. I love a warm bowl of this cranberry crumble with a hot cup of coffee. I use Granny Smith apples along with cranberries. This combination is pretty sour. However, the topping is very sweet to contrast the tartness of the fruit. This is another recipe that you can play around with a lot. If you don't like cranberries, omit them. You could do a lovely variety of stone fruits or berries in the summer when they are in season. Just use whatever kind of fruit that you like or whatever is available seasonally.

Crumbles originated in Britain during World War II. Because of the strict rationing of ingredients necessary to make a pie, crumbles were invented. They were so popular, though, that they stuck around. The term crisp is the American term for a crumble. A crumble is also similar to a cobbler. However, a cobbler typically has a smoother, more cake-like topping. A buckle is made with a yellow batter almost like cake batter. However, the filling is mixed in with the batter in this dish.

Cranberry Crumble

3 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped

2 cups raw cranberries

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

In a shallow, 2 qt casserole dish, combine cranberries and apples. Mix together lemon juice and sugar. Sprinkle over apple mixture and stir together.

Topping:

1 1/3 cup quick oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 stick butter, melted

Combine all these ingredients and sprinkle over apple/cranberry mixture. Bake at 350º for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Tiramisu

I had Tiramisu to make for someone. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about this. I have not made Tirsamisu since I was in culinary school, which was about 7 years ago. I certainly hadn't made anything this complicated in a long time. It turned out not to be too difficult with just a few classic techniques. And it was quite delicious!

Tiramisu really only has two major components. First is the ladyfingers or Savoiardi in Italian. A lot of recipes call for store bought ladyfingers. I would NEVER buy ladyfingers in a store to make this luscious dessert. Firstly, I think that they would be much too hard to absorb the liquid in

which you soak them. Secondly, obviously they are not as delicious as homemade ladyfingers. Ladyfingers are a fairly complicated cookie to make. They are not just a straightforward mix and scoop cookie. I was a little intimidated when I looked at my recipe for these simple little cookies. I actually had to go back in my baking book from school and refresh myself on the mixing technique. I use a lot of the recipes in my baking book, but rarely do I need to go back and read up on techniques. It is a variation on what is called the sponge mixing method. First you must heat the egg yolks and sugar over a double boiler. Then they are whipped for quite some time. Then, in a separate bowl, you whip egg whites. They are then folded into the egg yolk mixture along with some flour. The batter is piped onto parchment lined baking sheets and baked. Ladyfingers are a rather involved cookie, but they turned out beautifully and tasted delicious.

The next step is not really a major component, but it is an important step. The ladyfingers must be soaked in syrup. There are a few options. A classic recipe would call for a mixture of simple syrup and espresso and often a sweet liquor. I chose to use straight Kahlua in this particular recipe. I chose Kahlua mainly because my espresso machine is packed away, but also because I knew that the person that I was making this for liked it with Kahlua. It obviously is not kid friendly if you use Kahlua though.

The second major component is a delicious light mixture of mascarpone cheese, eggs, and whipped cream. My arm was very tired from folding in cream after making it. I chose a method that you cook the eggs slowly for a bit of time over a water bath on the stove. Many classic

recipes for Tiramisu call for raw eggs, but I prefer to cook them. They must be stirred constantly though so that they do not scramble. Mascarpone cheese is then stirred in. Then, whipped cream is folded in. You layer the ladyfingers that have been soaked with the syrup with the mascarpone mixture. Top that with some cocoa powder. Voila! You have Tiramisu! This is definitely not a beginner's dessert, but don't be afraid to try it! The first time you try it, use store bought ladyfingers and try to perfect your mascarpone cream. You can only learn if you try!

Tiramisu's origin is debated. It may be a variation of the zuppa inglese which is the Italian take on a classic English trifle. One might think of it as a very traditional Italian dessert. It is a very popular dessert, but it does not date back that far. Some claim that the first documented mention of Tiramisu in a published work appears in a 1971 article by Giuseppe Di Clemente. It was mentioned in a 1983 cookbook by Giovanni Capnist called I Dolci Del Veneto. Merriam- Webster's online dictionary gives 1982 as the first mention of the dessert.

Russian Tea Cakes (Recipe Included)

I recently made a batch of these tasty little cookies. I have not made them since my last job as a pastry chef, and that was before I had kids, so almost 4 years ago.

I like to change things up when I make cookies. I often tweak things according to my own likes and dislikes. This is a great recipe to switch up. The recipe calls for chopped nuts, but I substituted toasted coconut this time. You can choose any nuts that you like. They are super delicious when made with macadamia nuts! A lot of people also put chopped maraschino cherries in their Russian Tea Cakes. These cookies pair very well with coffee or tea. So, if you want a tasty little cookie for the holidays or to go with coffee when your friend is visiting, these cookies are a great one for you to try.

Russian Tea Cakes appeared in Russia in the 18th century. They were used as a confection in tea-sharing ceremonies. They became quite popular in the US during the 20th century, appearing at weddings and included in Christmas cookie trays. They later became known as "Mexican Wedding Cookies" possibly due to the strained relations with the Soviet Union.

Russian Tea Cakes

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup finely chopped nuts

powdered sugar

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Beat the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add flour and salt. Stir in nuts. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes or until set. Do not let them get brown. Immediately roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely. Roll in powdered sugar again when cool.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I love muffins. If you are a loyal reader of my blog, you probably realize by now that I love most baked goods. Muffins are tasty, and I don't feel too guilty when I eat them.

I like to buy the bags of bananas filled with unwanted bananas at the grocery store that are super cheap. It is a bag of at least 3 pounds of bananas for .99. You cannot beat that! They often have a little bruising or are a single banana that no one is going to buy. This is the perfect time to make banana bread or muffins. Also, you can peel and freeze them. Then you have bananas to use for baking any time you need them. I always make some mini muffins and some regular size muffins. Mini muffins are the perfect size snack for my older daughter. I make half with chocolate chips, Ghirardelli bittersweet chips of course ;) And I also make some with chocolate chips and walnuts. As I have mentioned in the past, quick bread recipes are super easy to tweak to your liking. You could put peanut butter chips in instead of chocolate chips. Just tailor the recipe to your liking!

Cavendish is the variety of banana that is most common as an export. That is the variety that we get in our grocery stores. This cultivar gained popularity in the 1950s after the previous mass-produced cultivar, Gros Michel, became commercially inviable due to a fungus that attacks the roots of the banana plant called Panama Disease. Ease of transport and shelf life rather than superior taste make the Cavendish the main export banana.

Shortbread Logs

I made a few new kinds of cookies recently. I am always trying to find new favorite recipes. I especially like finding new cookie recipes that I can add to my list of Christmas cookies!!! I liked this recipe especially because of it's versatility.

Shortbread cookies are an easy cookie that you can do lots of fun things with. I rolled my dough into logs, but you could roll them into any shape that you like. You could roll them into a wreath shape and decorate them for Christmas. You could shape them into a pretzel. Any shape that you could think of, you can do with shortbread dough. I dipped some into melted semi-sweet chocolate. And I also drizzled chocolate over some of them. You could sprinkle ground nuts or sprinkles on the chocolate before it dries. You could use white chocolate and sprinkle them with crushed peppermint candies. Because shortbread cookies are so mild in flavor, you can really do whatever you want with them. They are definitely a fun cookie to experiment with.

Ever wonder why shortening is called shortening or why shortbread is called shortbread? The term short in baking refers to a crumbly texture achieved by a high fat content. I have mentioned in the past that when you mix doughs with flour in them, the gluten develops and lengthens. A high fat content prevents the formation of long protein (gluten) strands, therefore creating a crumbly or "short" texture.

No-Roll Coconut Sugar Cookies (Recipe Included)

I have been making cookies for an order for a friend. She is working on an awesome project called Evenings in Quarantine: The Zombie Opera. Check it out here.

I tried this new recipe for a yummy no-roll sugar cookies. I made them a few nights ago. I used the regular size cookie scooper that I usually use. Unfortunately, the cookies were much too large and all ran together on the cookie sheet. The ladies in my playgroup got to enjoy these tasty, but not too attractive cookies yesterday morning at playgroup. I made them with a smaller size scoop last night, and they were just right. I am not a huge fan of the sugar cookies that you roll out and cut out with cookie cutters. I just think they are kinda boring. I thought these sounded interesting because they had coconut in them which adds a nice texture. You can't really taste the coconut, but you can definitely tell that there is coconut in them from the texture. I loved them, and it seems as though everyone who has had one has loved them too. I scooped them with a cookie scoop, then rolled them into a nice, smooth ball. After that, I dipped a glass in sugar and pressed the cookie flat. You could use colored sugar for the holidays if you like. You could use coarse sugar for added texture. You can easily tint your own sugar whatever color you like as well. Just pour some sugar into a bowl. I prefer to do this with coarse sugar. Add as much gel food coloring as you like in whatever color that you like. Just rub the sugar and gel coloring together between your palms. I always use food safe gloves to do this.

The word cookie comes from the Dutch word koekje or (informal) koekie which means little cake. Cookies seem to have been around for as long as baking has been documented. This is most likely due to the fact that they travel very well. However, they were usually not sweet enough to be considered cookies by today's standards. Cookies appear to have originated in Persia in the 7th Century AD. This was shortly after the use of sugar became common in the region. They spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14th century, they were common in all levels of society in Europe. You could find them as part of royal cuisine and being sold by street vendors.

No-Roll Coconut Sugar Cookies

1 cups sugar

1 cups butter, softened

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sugar, butter, coconut, and vanilla until well combined. Add flour, soda, and salt. Stir together. Scoop with cookie scoop, then roll into even ball. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased sheet. Use a measuring cup or the bottom of a glass to flatten each cookie. I press the bottom of the glass into the dough first to make it sticky, then dip it in sugar before flattening each cookie slightly. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden. Let them cool slightly on pan, then remove to wire rack.

Thumbprint Cookies

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I have been making cookies for a friend's wedding. Her favorite cookies are thumbprints. I made a total of 32 dozen cookies. 27 dozen of them were thumbprints.

Thumbprint cookies are one of my favorite cookies because of their versatility. You just have to find a recipe for the actual cookie that you like. I often find great recipes here. I always roll mine in walnuts, but you could really roll them in anything. My nephew is allergic to nuts, so my sister uses coconut. You could use sesame seeds or sprinkles or nothing at all. Also, you can use any kind of filling that you like. I used black raspberry jam, sweet white icing, and chocolate. Just use your imagination. If you love turtles, roll them in pecans. Then fill them with caramel and top that with chocolate icing. Just think of a combination that you like and try it. Also, if you are using jam, you should put it in while the cookies are warm. Otherwise, let the cookies cool first. (Note: You can wait to fill them with jam too if you are not serving them within a day or two. Jam will soften them over time, so if you are making the cookies ahead of time, fill them closer to serving.)

Thumbprint cookies's origins are not quite clear. Some people say they have Eastern European Jewish roots. Others claim they originated in Poland. In older cookbooks, they were called Thimble Cookies because a thimble was used to make the indentation in the cookie. They still may be called many different names including Butterballs and Polish Tea Cakes.