I keep thinking fall started months ago.  I blame the mornings for being gray since August because one month of gray skies has me thinking about stews and cider and cinnamon.  Actually, I have been thinking about cinnamon a lot lately, but it felt unfair to think about cinnamon when I had five-pound zucchinis and heirloom tomatoes sitting on my kitchen counter.

Okay, I still have one last five-pound zucchini on the counter, but it just feels like fall.  Maybe it’s the fact that I just read a book that gushed about things like apple cider.  Maybe it’s the fact that I have started work and the emphasis is on a “fall start date.”  I don’t know.  I guess the slight newness of routine finally nudged me towards believing the seasons have changed ;)

In the name of trying things new, I decided a cinnamon fig walnut bread would be in the works.  A toast studded with figs and walnuts and swirled with cinnamon sugar sounded like a good breakfast on-the-go.  Probably even better with cinnamon honey butter.  Mmm…

Or even better yet: future French toast!  Oh the possibilities :)

For now, I think I will settle on that slice of toast with cinnamon honey butter.  It’s still gray out this morning and I am still struggling with the Sunday-ness of it all–the end of the weekend and the start of the workweek.  Of course, Sundays get better with time, but it’s made slightly better by hot coffee and spiced toast.

Cinnamon Fig Walnut Bread

Slight adaptation of Bella Eats’s adaptation of Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice (via Bella Eats)

Printable Recipe

1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

2 tbsp honey

3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour, plus extra

1 1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp active dry yeast

1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, slightly beaten and separated (1 for inclusion in the dough; another for egg wash)

2 tbsp vegetable shortening, at room temperature

3/4 cup warm water (at approximately 105 degrees)

1 cup dried figs, chopped

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup granulated sugar (for cinnamon sugar swirl)

2 tbsp ground cinnamon (for cinnamon sugar swirl)

2 tbsp butter, melted

Dissolve the honey in the buttermilk by heating both over low heat.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  Meanwhile, add the yeast to the water and a small spoonful of sugar.  Allow the yeast to sit and activate.

Sift together the flour, salt, yeast and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.  Add 1 egg, shortening, and buttermilk mixture. Stir together with a large spoon (or mix on low speed in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment).  Add the yeast water mixture until the ingredients come together and form a ball.  Adjust with flour and water if the dough seems too sticky or too dry and stiff.

Sprinkle flour on a counter and transfer the dough to the counter.  Knead (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook).  The dough should be soft and pliable, tacky but not sticky.  Add flour as you knead (or mix), if necessary to achieve this texture. Knead by hand for approximately 10 minutes (or by machine for 6 to 8 minutes). Sprinkle in the figs and walnuts during the final 2 minutes of kneading (or mixing) to distribute them evenly. If you are kneading with a mixer, you’ll want to finish kneading by hand to avoid crushing the figs and walnuts, and to be sure to distribute them evenly.

Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

Mix together the 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tbsp ground cinnamon.  Set aside.

Butter two 4×8 loaf pans.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.  On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece into a 5×8 rectangle.  Brush one side with beaten egg to help bind the layers together.  Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the dough, leaving a small border around the edge of the dough.

Starting at the short end, carefully roll the dough into a tight log, sealing the seam as best you can. Tuck the ends up towards the seam, sealing as best you can. Place the log in a buttered loaf pan, seam-side down. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Spray the tops of the loaves with spray oil and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Place in a warm, draft-free location to proof for 60 to 90 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350* with the rack in the middle of the oven. Uncover the loaves and brush the tops with melted butter.  Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

Bake the loaves for 20 minutes. Rotate the loaf pans 180 degrees and continue baking for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the loaves are golden brown on top and lightly golden on the sides and bottom. They should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.

Immediately remove the loaves from their pans and cool on a rack for at least an hour before slicing and serving.

Note: the blog noted some difficulties in getting the layers to stay together, so I followed The Kitchn’s tip in using beaten egg as a binder.  Did the job perfectly :)

So far, that has kept me very busy and dirty. Don’t believe me? Just ask the guy who kept chuckling at how I managed to walk out the door with a little bit of chocolate peanut butter ice cream at the corner of my mouth. I was testing the “product” and swear I wiped it all off, but peanut butter is sticky so there! :(

In other words, there has been a lot of trial and error that has been undocumented. Some things turned out more fabulous than I imagined. Other things were incredibly disappointing, but you don’t need to know that.

Nope.

All you need to know is that…

1. If plain mushy oatmeal isn’t your cup of tea, maybe chewy steel cut oats is. It’s so easy too :)

2. If I had more time in the world, I would be making lots and lots of yeast breads (both sweet and savory).

3. My dear old oven has a temper–it runs hot.

4. I think booze really makes ice cream taste better and creamier.

5. If you chop garlic or onions, touch stainless steel (i.e. a chef’s knife) to get rid of the smell, but don’t ever run your hands or dishes in hot water to get rid of the smell. [Reason? It'll just get worse and never leave. (Courtesy of my lovely brother who works in a restaurant kitchen.)]

6. I found my new work lunch buddy–a tomato and feta frittata sandwich with homemade aioli from this book.

7. Eric Ripert’s show is now my new favorite food show. Sorry Bourdain!

8. All things whimsical are not always well-received.

9. First this, then that. I sometimes forget how satisfying Marcela Hazan’s simple pasta recipes are.

10. Air-chilled chicken makes for delectable fried chicken.

I stopped across this recipe many times–a couple times here, and another few times here.  Each time, it never occurred to me to bookmark it because it looked strange and… healthy.  It’s as though someone decided to toss a whole bunch of healthy ingredients together and called that a dish.  Hey, that’s what the whole wheat pasta thing does to anything ;)

A year after I first saw the recipe, I bookmarked it, so something must have happened between now and then.  I am pretty sure I haven’t been bought by the health factor because clearly, I have no problem with baking up a storm.  Not only that, the ingredients looked like they didn’t belong together.

At least, at first glance, and a few more glances.

After a while, I saw that perhaps, they do fit together in the nutty theme of things.  Whole wheat adds nuttiness, as does slightly browned cauliflower.  Walnuts are umm, self-explanatory.

Plus, the colors of the pasta look pretty.  I am always bought by visually-pleasing things ;)

As Deb of Smitten Kitchen noted, it’s a joy reading the instructions in Alice Waters’ recipes.  The steps are written as though she’s right next to you, and walking you through from start to finish down to the suggestion of enjoying the pasta with a glass of dry white wine.  I always welcome a friend in the kitchen :)

In any case, I wasn’t expecting too much of this pasta, but wow, haha, I really enjoyed it.  Even as leftovers for lunch!  The best part, of course, is the feta, which adds a salty creamy counterpoint to the lemon and vinegar, so make sure you pick a good feta.  Pre-crumbled feta is drier and lacks that characteristic creaminess, which is important in a pasta that has no real sauce.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Cauliflower, Walnuts and Feta

Printable Recipe

Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables (via Smitten Kitchen and Eats Well with Others)

1 head cauliflower
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1/2 lb whole wheat pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes, to taste
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 oz feta (Waters also recommended ricotta salata)

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Peel the onion and slice it very thin. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Put the pasta on to cook.

Saute the cauliflower in olive oil in a large saute pan. When the cauliflower begins to soften, season with salt and pepper and add the sliced onion and red pepper flakes. Saute over medium to high heat until the vegetables are brown and tender. The cauliflower should still be slightly crunchy and should not taste steamed.

Add the garlic and remove from the heat, tossing and stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn; if it starts to brown, add a splash of water. Add a few drops each of vinegar and lemon juice and the toasted walnuts and parsley. Taste and correct the seasoning.  (For example, if the pasta becomes too acidic, toss in a little more olive oil to dilute the acidity.)  When the pasta is done, drain and add to the cauliflower, adding enough extra-virgin olive oil to coat the pasta thoroughly, toss together and serve, with the cheese crumbled over the dish.

These days, I bake to get out of my head.  It’s easy to get so far into your head when you’re studying that I think a good way to unwind is to do something with your hands.  Anything that is tangible and quiet to get away from the noise in your head is a welcomed pause in the chaos of modern living.

I had a choice between a Chez Panisse fruit crisp or a Melissa Clark cobbler.  Both equally sounded like a fabulous place for a set of over-ripe nectarines to rest in peace.  I ended choosing the Melissa Clark one because it was different and it had browned butter.  End of story.

This was probably the most appropriate study break ever.  Thirty minutes tops to create a mess and wipe up, and back to studying I go.  Most of the time study breaks stretch out to an hour or an hour and half because of the number of steps involved.  Shh :P

This is probably the first cobbler I really enjoyed in recent memory.  It has so many nice textural components from the crunchy bits of sliced almonds to the chewy bits of the barely-formed buttery cake.  Then, there is the custardy middle, and the subtle tang of buttermilk.  Oh, and it’s fast to put together.  That’s always a plus.  What’s there not to like? :)

Brown Butter Nectarine Cobbler/ Cake

Printable Recipe

Adapted from the Melissa Clark Brown Butter Nectarine Cobbler/ Cake (via New York Times)

3 cups of nectarines or peaches, sliced in 1 inch thick pieces

3 ounces granulated sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 ounces flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 c buttermilk

1/4 c sliced almonds

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons Demerara sugar

1.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the fruit slices, 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a simmer, then take the pan off the heat.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until it smells very nutty, turns golden, and flecks of dark brown appear, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the brown butter into an 8-inch-by-8-inch baking dish.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour the buttermilk into the dry ingredients and mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the batter on top of the brown butter, use a spatula to even out the batter but be careful not to mix it into the butter. Scatter the nectarine slices and juice on top of the batter without stirring. Sprinkle with the almonds, nutmeg and Demerara sugar. Bake until golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm.

Courtesy of Miss Chien

Right now, I am stuck with too many cookies.  All I can say is that I bake when I am stressed.  You know, the CPA exam studying will do that to you, and there is only so much of “share the love” you can do when you’re virtually pounding out 3 dozen cookies every other day.

I have stopped baking so much partially because of this, but more so because I have hit that point where I learned as much as I can as an amateur baker that baking another brownie doesn’t really excite me anymore.  That’s why, I posit, I have to make so many darn cookies–that batch just doesn’t excite me the way it used to a few years ago!

I have tried the cake decorating route.  I threw my hands over the straight-up cooking route.  I am starting to dabble a little more in food photography.  Nothing has quite found ground yet, so where do I go from here?

For now, I am just spending time with friends and showing them how to bake things like these chocolate sables.  My friend had chosen to make them because they were so beautifully elegant.  Then again, what of Pierre Herme’s is not beautiful or elegant?

While these aren’t exactly the beginner’s cookies since they require patience and skill in piping, they are lovely, delicate, and crumbly–the kind of cookies your girl friends would love you a thousand times over if you gave them a box of them :)

P.S. If you do decide to make these for a chocoholic, do forewarn them that these taste lightly of chocolate otherwise, they might be very very sad.

Viennese Chocolate Sables

Printable Recipe

From Pierre Herme’s Chocolate Desserts

1 3/4 cups + 1 1/2 tablespoons (260 g) all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons (30 g) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona

2 sticks plus 1 1/2 tablespoons (250 g) unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (100 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Pinch of salt

3 tablespoons lightly beaten egg whites (lightly beat 2 large egg whites, then measure out 3 tablespoons)

Position the racks to divide the ovens into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.  Fit a pastry bag with a medium-sized open star tip and keep it close at hand.  Note: the tip should be crenelated, but its piping hole should be open and somewhat straight, rather than curved and tightly rounded.  (I wanted larger cookies, so I chose a Wilton 1M.)

Whisk together the flour and cocoa and keep close at hand.  In a large bowl, beat the butter with a whisk until it is light and creamy–for the recipe to be successful, the butter must be very soft.  Whisk in the sugar and the salt, then stir in  the egg whites.  Don’t be concerned when the mixture separates; it will come together when you add in the dry ingredients.  Gradually add the flour-cocoa and blend only until it is incorporated.  You don’t want to work the mixture too much once the flour is added, a light touch is what gives these cookies their characteristic crumbliness.

Because the dough is thick and somewhat heavy, it’s best to work with it in batches.  Spoon about 1/3 of the dough into the pastry bag.  Pipe the dough into W-shaped cookies, each about 2 inches long and 1 1/4 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.  In reality, the W is closer to the letter’s name than its look–it’s best to pipe two attached U’s, so that you have a kind of wave.  But don’t worry too much about this–the cookies will taste fine regardless.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes–no more–or until they are set but neither brown or hard.  Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to room temperature.  Repeat with the remaining dough, making sure that you don’t put the to-be-baked cookies on hot baking sheets.

Before serving you can dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar.

Additional Piping Advice

1.  Pressure control is key.  You want to apply pressure consistently, so that you can move the bag in a free and easy glide.  This will require some practice.

2.  Lightly touch the surface of the parchment with the tip, and glide the tip along the surface in and up-and-down motion.

3.  Move your whole arm, not your wrist, as you pipe.

4.  Stop squeezing, and lift the tip away before you begin your next cookie.

Haha, I am not sure what thoughts other people think of in these long lines waiting to see the flavors, but I usually try to imagine why people pick the ice cream that they do.  I think that the combination of choices is slightly telling of the personality they have or the mood they are in.

Some marry the tried and true flavor combinations together like coffee and chocolate.  They seem simply satisfied with something they know will be good, or maybe they need that jostle of caffeine because they are caffeine fiends.  Hey, this is spoken from a recovering caffeine addict ;)

Then, there are those ice cream flavors we try on a dare or a whim.  If you asked us a few hours later, we may not pick that flavor again.  I mean, who would try eating the herbaceous basil ice cream if you had other more delectable and normal choices?  FYI: basil ice cream is delicious with its delicate anise notes and works great as a palate cleanser.  Who knew?

And then there are other flavors that lie somewhere in between that spectrum of weird and boring.  For the curious but not ambitious, it’s the perfect harmony of trying something new without fretting whether that flavor would be the unsavory scoop of ice cream that will have to be swallowed down fast.

At least, that’s where I stood with the idea of toasted coconut ice cream.  What is toasted coconut ice cream supposed to taste like anyway?  Is it more toasty or coconut-like?  Is it like a fabulous coconut cream pie in ice cream form?  Well, if it even resembles Tom Douglas’ coconut cream pie, I am sold.

I guess I was not expected the toasted coconut to really shine through–all these little caramel notes and coconut oils churned into this lovely creamy concoction.  Normally, I am greedy for other flavors to mix and match, but I think I can do with a scoop of toasted coconut.  Hey, make that two ;)

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

Printable Recipe

From David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop

1 cup dried shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
Big pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
5 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1 teaspoon rum

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring it frequently so it toasts evenly. Remove it from the oven when it’s nice and fragrant and golden brown.

2. In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, 1 cup of the heavy cream, sugar, and salt and add the toasted coconut. Use a paring knife and scrape all the vanilla seeds into the warm milk, then add the pod as well. Cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

3. Rewarm the coconut-infused mixture. Set a mesh strainer over another medium saucepan and strain the coconut-infused liquid through the strainer into the saucepan. Press down on the coconut very firmly with a flexible rubber spatula to extract as much of the flavor from it as possible. Remove the vanilla bean halves (rinse and reserve them for another use), and discard the coconut.

4. Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into a large bowl and set the mesh strainer on top. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm coconut-infused mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

5. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Mix in the vanilla or rum and stir over an ice bath until cool.

6. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Whenever I am at the cusp of taking on greater (and exciting) responsibility, I tend to briefly fall back to all things that are small, cute and colorful.  Perhaps, it’s my own little ritual of sorts to delve into the memories that define myself.  I am not entirely sure.  As much as I am wholly ready to embrace the challenges ahead of me, I still find parts of me drifting in carefree nostalgia of yesteryear.  Perhaps my friends don’t share that kind of odd nostalgia for all things colorful and sweet, and instead, they look for things bigger, better, and brighter.   However, I think there is a small part of us that wistfully pines for cotton candy, sour belts, and rainbow sprinkles.

We may not all pine for those things specifically after all, some of us believe sprinkles taste like chalk.  Me?  I think sprinkles are the stuff of colorful magic–they may not taste good, but they have this powerful draw of whim and fancy.  I still think that sprinkles are the fairy dust of childhood, and that is an equally powerful sensory experience!

I am thinking about this more lately since most of my high school friends have finally left my hometown.  It’s sort of like the end of an era that was filled with the collector’s obsession with charm bracelets and giggly mini-high school reunions.  I am cognizant of all of this since I can’t conveniently dispose of my extra pint of homemade ice cream or overload of cake and cookies at a friend’s place five minutes away.  Oh, the troubles of being a compulsive baker…

This weekend was kind of a project to sum up all things magical about growing up.  At least, I thought that is what a funfetti cake personified.

I was pulling so hard for this cake to be this balanced, tangible piece of childhood whim. Instead, it came out looking like it was from the supermarket aisle, and in an odd way, I am totally okay with that.  I argue that it’s kind of retro in a sterile white and fabulously artificial kind of way; of course, I have friends who think otherwise x]

Yes, this weekend I presented a sweet, fluffy white cake with lots of sprinkles instead of my normal flair of airy genoise cakes with Chantilly cream or decadent flourless chocolate cake.  That was probably the most confusing visual: to see someone with a so-called sophisticated palate and eye for all things beautiful and delicate to churn out a fluff piece.

Friends, I assure you that this is just a phase.  That’s all ;)

Funfetti Cake

Printable Recipe

Adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum (via TheKitchn)

4 egg whites from large eggs
1 cup milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
8 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening
1 bottle of multi-colored rainbow sprinkles

Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans and add a parchment circle to the bottom of each cake pan. In a small bowl mix the egg whites, 1/4 cup milk, vanilla and almond extract. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer mix the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix for 30 seconds or until well-combined. Add the butter and shortening and mix for another 30 seconds, or until well-combined with the flour mixture. Pour in the remaining 3/4 cup milk and continue mixing on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Gradually pour in the egg white mixture, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition. Mix for one more minute. Gently fold in the multi-colored jimmies.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. If baking four layers, bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden and spring back when pressed.

Remove from the oven and place the pans on baking racks to cool for about 10 minutes. Turn the pans over onto the rack. Flip the cake layers over and let them cool completely before icing*.

* Note: I was not quite satisfied with the icing recipe I had used, but please feel free to use your favorite vanilla buttercream recipe :)

As a child, I mused that people were ashamed to let the bananas turn black.  That’s why I rationalized banana bread was so gosh-darn-awful because people buried bananas with sugar and spices.  If the banana bread itself wasn’t overly sweet, it is often dry and dense.  It didn’t help that mother told me it was a last resort to squeeze another week of life for the poor banana before it hit the trash.  Most variations of banana bread tasted that way, which is why I turned my nose on banana bread for a long time.

However, I have a lot to be thankful for the banana.  When I started working, the occasional banana was the perfect mid-morning snack to keep me alert and functioning through lunch.  Sometimes, when the crazy really got going during busy season, it helped me stay focused before dinner.   In a way, I wanted to do bananas justice even when they turned black.  That is why after busy season, I decided to test another banana bread recipe to see if I can bring peace to the banana’s final resting spot.

Here, with Chang’s recipe, the banana flavor is front and center.  Gone are the bothersome spices and excess sugar that mask the banana’s flavor.    Instead, there is a lovely flavorful and moist loaf studded with walnuts.  Chang credits the tender crumb to Payard’s technique with genoise cakes, where you beat the eggs and oil together.  I think she is just thoughtful and intelligent in the way she brings out the best qualities of banana bread through her recipe, as she is with all of her recipes in Flour.

Don’t believe me?  I ate 1/4 of the loaf before I remembered I needed to take a picture :3

Of all the possible ways I choose to spend my leisure time during tax busy season, I chose to stand for a few hours straight, dirty myself up with flour and butter, and wait some more only to wash off the oily stains of cookies or cakes.  Sometimes, the thought tired me because my body was so badly in need of sleep, but I found myself needing more of the exercise of thinking about the nuances to create a sweet, charming, and beautiful dessert. Something about daydreaming over ripe berries and juicy tomatoes kept me going.  Haha, to some degree, they were the colorful markers that the tax busy season would be over soon.  That’s why when it was all over, I was absolutely ready to make a fruit dessert.

Right now, it’s a bit of this funny season, where the winter fruits have left the stands, and the summer fruits have yet to arrive.  There’s not much to work with other than the heart-shaped strawberries, which I have oohed and ahhed and have eaten plain or macerated for simple desserts, but I am really pining for the other summer berries, especially blueberries.  The thought of ripe berries baking until the juices burst and stain and splatter with dark-almost violet-blue splotches over coffee cake makes me happy.  Until they appear on the stands too, I have to make do with the dried kind.

I used to not care so much for their dried counterparts but nowadays I really enjoy the intensity of the the sweet floral flavor of the berries.  It’s probably an adult thing since I used to look forward to the juices bursting in my mouth as a child.

This cookie from Alice Medrich really does justice to dried fruits, as it brings together clusters of dried fruit barely held together by the shortbread dough.  The result is a cookie that is more chewy than crumbly, fruity than cookie, and sweet than sugary–you know, the difference between eating a juicy berry versus eating sugar cubes straight up.  I think it’s especially perfect with afternoon tea out on the patio with a friend or two since the weather is getting warmer.

P.S. I am really loving the texture of coarse sugar, especially how the crystals shatter in my mouth.  I think they may possibly be the best part :)

Pebbly Beach Fruit Squares

Printable Recipe

From Alice Medrich’s Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy: Melt-In-Your-Mouth-Cookies

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest or ground cinnamon or anise

1 cup moist dried fruit (one kind or a combination); dark or golden raisins; dried sour cherries; dried cranberries; coarsely chopped dates; dried apricots, or prunes; finely chopped candied ginger

1/4 cup turbinado or other coarse sugar

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork.

With a large spoon in a medium mixing bowl or with a mixer, beat butter with the granulated sugar until smooth and well blended but not fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and lemon zest and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix until completely incorporated.

Divide the dough in half and form each into a rectangle. Wrap the patties in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and let sit for 15 minutes to soften slightly. On a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap, roll one piece of dough into a rectangle 81/2 inches by 16 1/2 inches. With a short side facing you, scatter half of the dried fruit on the bottom half of the dough. Fold top half of the dough over fruit, using the paper as a handle. Peel paper from the top of dough. (If it sticks, chill dough for a few minutes until the paper peels easily.) Dust top of dough lightly with half of the coarse sugar and pat lightly to make sure the sugar adheres. Use a heavy knife to trim the edges. Cut into 4 strips and then cut each strip into 4 pieces to make 16 squares. Place cookies 2 inches apart on lined or greased cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, fruit, and sugar.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Rotate pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. For lined pans, set the pans or just the liners on racks to cool; for unlined pans, use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to racks. Cool cookies completely before stacking or storing. May be kept in an airtight container for a week.

Apparently, I have been very busy as of late, but every so often, I pause to reminisce about the Farmers’ Markets.  I probably have been thinking of it more often since the Farmers’ Market was literally two blocks away from work, and I just started work again.

To me, the Farmers’ Market was the best part of the week after all, it signified the end of the work week and the possibility of weekend baking projects.  During that one hour lunch break, I had fun ruminating over the best way to showcase the ripest summer fruits.  Alas, it is winter now, and quite a number of them have closed up.

However, that has not stopped me from thinking about fruits lately.  Even something as common as the apple may have some 46 odd varieties at the European-style market and co-ops that are so popular here in the Bay Area.  I am still unsure what a Jazz Apple tastes like as opposed to a Pink Lady.

That, to me, is unacceptable since both varieties are readily available, so I have been trying my best to learn more about the fruits and vegetables available to me.  What better way to learn about apple varieties than making a pie that is stacked tall with three kinds of apples.

Ordinarily, I am not fond of pie because it tends to be more about the sugar and less about the fruit.  However, I feel more comfortable lately with my baking skills enough to reverse that trend and make it more about the fruit, which is the way this particular Deborah Madison is doing with apples.

This is definitely a more dolled-up, adult version of the classic.  No need to gussy it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream–the sour cream filling adds just enough creaminess and sweetness.   I like the idea that this is a dessert perfect on its own and a gorgeous one to bring to a dinner party.

That is, of course, if you have the time and patience to deal with the fussy crust.  I will admit that it requires more work to set-up in a springform pan, especially since there isn’t much crust to work with.  However, as another commenter put it, it provides this thin, almost-invisible layer of crust that truly accentuates the amount of apples.

Deep-Dish Sour-Cream Apple Pie with Lemon Streusel

Printable Recipe

Adapted from Dede Wilson’s Unforgettable Desserts (via Leite’s Culinaria)

For the apple pie crust
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at cool room temperature, cut into small pieces
5 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

For the apple filling
9 cups peeled, cored and thinly sliced apples (about 10 or 11 apples); use a mixture of Cortland, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sour cream (not low-fat)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the streusel
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions
Make the apple pie  crust
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter with the flat paddle attachment on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar gradually and continue to beat on medium-high speed until lightened and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk until well combined. Add the flour and pulse the mixer on and off until it begins to combine, and then run the mixer on medium-low speed just until the dough begins to form. Scrape out onto plastic wrap and use the wrap to help press the dough into a flat disk shape. Wrap the dough thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. Roll out half of the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10-inch round. Use the bottom of a 9-by-3-inch round springform pan as a guide and cut out a 9-inch circle. Assemble the pan with the sides locked into place, and coat the inside with nonstick spray. Transfer the circle of crust to the bottom of the pan. Roll out the remaining dough and cut 2 long strips, each one 17 x 2 inches. Take one strip and fit it into the pan along the side; have the bottom slightly curve in over the bottom crust. Press the lower edge of the strip against the bottom crust to seal. Brush the short, vertical edges of the side strip with water and press the second strip into place, trimming to fit with about 1/2 inch of overlap. Press the overlapping edges well to seal. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Make the apple filling
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with the pie pan in the oven for a blind bake.

2. Toss together the apple slices and sugar in a large sauté pan. Cook over medium heat, occasionally stirring gently, taking care not to crush the fruit pieces. Cook for about 5 minutes, just until the mixture begins to exude juices and the apples soften just a tiny bit. Remove from the heat, cool slightly, then sprinkle the flour over, and toss gently to coat.

3. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then whisk in the sour cream, zest, and vanilla. Fold into the fruit mixture.

4. Take out the pie crust from the oven once it is done preheating, and scrape the filling into the crust. It will come right up to the top of the crust. Bake for 15 minutes while you prepare the streusel.

Make the streusel
1. Combine all the ingredients until well blended.

2. After the pie has baked for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 375°F. Squeeze the streusel between your fingers and palms to create clumps ranging in size from small to large grapes and scatter all over the top of the pie. There is a lot of streusel; use it all, gently mounding it in the center.

3. Return the apple pie to the oven and bake for 15 minutes more. Turn the heat down to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes more, or until the streusel is evenly browned and the pie feels firm when gently pressed. If you can see any filling bubbling around the edges, that is a good sign of doneness, but most likely it will be completely covered with streusel.

4. Cool the pan on a rack to allow the filling to thicken and set. Serve the apple pie at room temperature. Store at room temperature for up 1 day.