One of many perfect desserts for today.

INGREDIENTS

Filling
5 peaches sliced into thin wedges
1 cup raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Biscuit Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water

PREPARATION

Peaches and Raspberries. Preheat oven to 425°F.  Toss peaches and raspberries with sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a glass pie dish and bake for 10 minutes.

While fruit is baking, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.

Remove fruit from oven and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Bake in middle of oven until topping is golden, about 25 minutes.

Who doesn’t want to wake up to freshly baked scones?

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter , cold
1/2 cup golden raisins
⅔ c milk
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp milk (to glaze)

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter. Rub the mixture together with your fingers to break up the butter, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the raisins, then add the milk and mix with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together and no lumps remain. Dust the dough with flour and place it on a lightly floured counter top. Press the dough into a round that is roughly 1 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into 2 inch circles. Place the rounds onto a greased and floured baking sheet.
Let the scones rest on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 425 F. Just before putting the scones into the oven, brush them with the egg yolk and milk mixture. Bake the scones for 12-15 minutes, until golden and firm. Remove the baked scones from the oven and let them cool for 30 minutes.

I worked with this recipe.

One bite and they instantly melt in your mouth.

INGREDIENTS

Lemon Curd

3 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound butter at room temperature
4 large eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)

Marshmallow Creme

1/3 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup honey
3 egg whites at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla

Lemon Shortbread

1 cup butter at room temperature
Zest of one lemon, finely chopped
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 cups flour

DIRECTIONS

Lemon Curd
Using a peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, avoiding the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

Marshmallow Creme
In a medium-sized saucepan combine the water, sugar and honey. Stir gently to combine. Heat over medium-high flame using candy thermometer until it gets to 240°F. Do not stir the sugar water or it will form crystals.

When the thermometer reads about 225°F to 230°F, place the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer and beat the whites to soft peaks. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes.

By the time the whites are whipped, the sugar syrup should be at 240°F. Remove from the heat and with the mixer running, carefully pour the syrup in a thin, steady stream into the whites.

Continue to whip the fluffy spread for 7 to 8 minutes, or until very thick and glossy. Add the vanilla and whip for another minute.

Scoop the spread into an airtight container. Will last up to 2 weeks at room temperature.

Lemon Shortbread
In a large bowl cream together the soft butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light inf fluffy. Add in the flour and mix until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a counter dusted with powdered sugar and gently roll the dough into a long two by two inch log. Wrap the log of cookie dough in plastic wrap and allow to firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350o F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Once the dough is firm slice the cookies into ¾ inch thick rounds. Place each round on your baking trey and bake for 16-18 minutes or until just golden.

Assemble cookies as needed. Once cookies are cooled, place a dollop of chilled lemon curd and then pipe on marshmallow creme.  Toast using kitchen torch.

Angie wanted more brownies.

INGREDIENTS
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ¹⁄₂ cups flour
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk chocolate chips
³⁄₄ cup raspberry jam

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, melt together butter and chocolate in a microwave; With a wire whisk, beat in sugar, eggs, and vanilla – Let cool slightly; Gradually stir in flour and baking powder just to combine; Fold in almonds and chocolate chips.

Spread about 3/4 of the batter evenly in a 13″ x 9″ x 2″ pan that has been coated with a non stick spray; Carefully spread raspberry preserves on top of the batter; Drizzle remaining batter evenly over preserves swirling top lightly with a spoon; Gently smooth top.

Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes at 350° or until the top is slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely in the pan on a rack before cutting and enjoying.

I got the recipe here.

 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
¹⁄ ₂ teaspoon salt
³⁄₄ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
¹⁄₄ cup melted and cooled butter
1 cup fresh raspberries
zest and juice of one lemon (split)
2 cups of powdered sugar for glaze

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, poppy seeds, lemon zest, and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. In a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup, beat egg with a fork. Stir in milk and butter. Pour all at once into the well in the flour mixture. Mix quickly and lightly with a fork until moistened, but do not beat. The batter will be lumpy. DO NOT OVERMIX. This will create tough/heavy muffins. Pour the batter into paper lined muffin pan cups.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden. Once. cooled, mix the rest of the lemon juice and two cups of powdered sugar until smooth.  Add milk to get desired consistency.

A little rum soaked raisins and you’ve got a grown up oatmeal cookie.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raisins soaked in rum overnight
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 sticks slightly softened butter
1 cup light brown sugar
6 tablespoons sugar
2 cups old-fashioned or rolled oats
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Soak the raisins a day ahead of time.  The night before you make the cookies, prepare the dough so it can rest overnight in the refrigerator.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

Using paddle attachment, cream together butters and sugars until light and fluffy, scraping down occasionally, but don’t over mix.

Add flour mixture to creamed butter and sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Mix in oats, nuts, raisins, egg and vanilla.

Refrigerate overnight.  When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use ice cream scoop to form cookies and then flatten slightly before baking. Bake for approximately 15 minutes until golden-brown on the outside and a little soft in the middle.

I love pistachios.

INGREDIENTS

Cake

140 grams roasted, shelled, and unsalted pistachios
200 grams sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 eggs
1/4 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Slightly heaped 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
115 grams flour

Lemon Pistachio Glaze

1/3 cup (40 grams) roasted, shelled, and unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray loaf pan with nonstick spray or butter.

Using a food processor grind pistachios, sugar and salt together until as powdery as you can get them without it turning to paste. Cut butter into small chunks and blend with pistachio mixture. It’s going to be lumpy at first, and then balled for a minute, but keep running the machine until the mixture loosens up into a frosting-like consistency, i.e. smooth and shiny. Add eggs, one at time, blending briefly between each, scraping down sides as needed. Add milk, blend to combine. Add extracts and baking powder and blend to fully combine, scraping down workbowl. Add flour and pulse just until it disappears.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread top smooth. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes (see note up top by way of explanation/apology). Mine took 70, but it’s safest to check sooner. Look for a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake to come out clean and then, do a second check near the top. I find with loaf cakes that the undercooked batter likes to hover right below the top crust. It often takes 10 minutes extra (built into this baking time already) just for that to set for me.

Let cake cool in pan on rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then run a knife around cake and transfer to cooling rack. Let cool completely.

To make glaze (optional): Bring pistachios, sugar, zest, and juice to a simmer in a small saucepan; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes then pour over cooled cake.

I worked with this recipe.

There are so many types of brownies and I’m never sure which ones I like best.  These are bittersweet and chewy–perfect for me.

INGREDIENTS

90 grams of unsweetened chocolate, chopped
115 grams of butter
270 grams of sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt + sprinkle flaked salt for topping
90 grams flour

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 8″x8″ brownie pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

In a medium, microwave safe bowl, combine chopped chocolate and cubed butter. In 30 second intervals, melt butter & chocolate until smooth.  Don’t overheat the chocolate. Whisk in sugar, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and salt. Gently stir in flour and scrape batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with flaked and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Toothpick should come out clean. Let them cool and then cut in big or small pieces.

2/3 cup lukewarm water
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons quick yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Filling

1 cup toasted walnuts, very coarsely chopped
3/4 cup chopped dates
3/4 cup raisins, golden preferred

Glaze

2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon water

DIRECTIONS

To make the starter: Mix the starter ingredients in a small (about 1-quart) bowl, cover, and let rest overnight at room temperature.

To make the dough: Combine the dough ingredients, mixing and kneading to form a smooth, supple dough. It’ll be very slack; for this reason, we suggest kneading in a bread machine, or with a mixer, rather than by hand.

Place the dough in a bowl, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise for about 1 hour. It may not double in bulk; that’s OK.

Gently deflate the dough, and knead the nuts and fruit into it.

Shape the dough into a flat ball, and place it in a lightly greased 9″ round cake pan. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the loaf to rise for 60 minutes, or until it fills the pan side to side and barely crests over the top.

Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

To glaze the coffeecake: Combine the sugar, vanilla and water, and drizzle this mixture over the top of the risen cake.

Bake the coffeecake on a lower oven rack for 50 to 60 minutes, or until it’s golden brown. Tent lightly with foil for the final 20 minutes, if it appears to be browning too quickly. The internal temperature of the finished bread should be at least 190°F.

Remove the coffeecake from the oven, and after 5 minutes, carefully turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Cool completely before slicing. Serve at room temperature; or pop slices into the toaster and spread with butter, for a special treat.

Store the coffeecake at room temperature, well wrapped, for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

I got the recipe here.