One or two bites of heaven.

INGREDIENTS

Crust
1 cup softened butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Filling
2 cups of mixed berries
1 cup of sugar
Juice of half a lemon + zest of whole lemon

Meringue Frosting
4 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

For Jam: Place the berries if a blender or food processor until pulse until smooth. Pour into a medium, heavy pot and stir in sugar and lemon juice and zest.  Bring to a slow boil and let it cook for about 20 minutes until it starts to thicken.  Pour into jar, cover and refrigerate when cool.

Crust: Preheat oven to 350º F. Mix together butter, flour, and confectioner’s sugar. Press into mini tart molds. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Take out and fill with jam.  Cook for 5 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool while making frosting.

Frosting: on Fill a saucepan with about 2-3 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Find a bowl that will fit on top of the pan without touching the water. Whisk the egg whites and the sugar in the bowl. Place it on top of the pan that’s over the boiling water (over medium-high heat). Whisk constantly for about 5-7 minutes, until the mixture reaches about 140°F. Immediately transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat at high speed for until stiff peaks form, about five minutes depending on your mixer. Fill pastry bag and pipe. Use torch to brown edges of frosting.

It is so much easier than you think.

INGREDIENTS

This is what being a grown-up kid is all about.

Pastry
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 additional large egg (to brush on pastry)

Jam
2 cups of mixed berries
1 cup of sugar
Juice of half a lemon + zest of whole lemon

DIRECTIONS

For Jam: Place the berries if a blender or food processor until pulse until smooth. Pour into a medium, heavy pot and stir in sugar and lemon juice and zest.  Bring to a slow boil and let it cook for about 20 minutes until it starts to thicken.  Pour into jar, cover and refrigerate when cool.

For the pastry, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter with a pastry blender until pea-sized lumps of butter are still visible, and the mixture holds together when you squeeze it.  Whisk the first egg and milk together and stir them into the dough, mixing just until everything it stays together.  If needed, knead briefly on a floured counter.

Roll out dough to 1/8″ thick. Use large biscuit cutter to cut out circles. You can do any shape you want, just make them big enough to fill halfway (leaving 1 inch perimeter), fold in half, and crimp.  Use some of the 2nd egg to help seal the pie.

Gently place the tarts on a lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Prick the top of each tart a few times with a fork so steam can escape. Refrigerate the tarts for 30 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 350°F. Remove the tarts from the fridge and use the rest of the egg to brush on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until they’re a light golden brown. Cool in pan on rack and glaze or frost as you like.

My nephew: I could go for some peanut brittle.

Me: Hold my beer.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups dry roasted peanuts
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda

Not sure which came first, the brioche or the jam.

Brioche
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
Zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon cold water

Jam
2 cups of mixed berries
1 cup of sugar
Juice of half a lemon

Directions

For Jam: Place the berries if a blender or food processor until pulse until smooth. Pour into a medium, heavy pot and stir in sugar and lemon juice.  Bring to a slow boil and let it cook for about 20 minutes until it starts to thicken.  Pour into jar, cover and refrigerate when cool.

Brioche: in a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Make a well in center of the bowl and mix in the eggs and yeast mixture. Beat well until the dough has pulled together, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.

Flatten the dough and spread it with one third of the butter. Knead this well. Repeat this twice to incorporate the remaining butter. Allow the dough to rest for a few minutes between additions of butter. This process may take 20 minutes or so. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Deflate the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. It needs time to chill in order to become more workable.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease brioche tins. Beat the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water to make a glaze.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, form into balls and place into prepared pans. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in volume, about 60 minutes.

Brush with the egg wash. Bake in preheated oven until a deep golden brown. Start checking the loaves for doneness after 10 minutes. Let the loaves cool in the pans for 10 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool completely.

INGREDIENTS

Quick Bread:
2eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter melted and browned

Honey Butter:
1 quart of heavy cream
2 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon coarse salt

DIRECTIONS

Follow these instructions for making butter.  Once done, mix in honey and salt and set aside in a bowl in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Heat oven to 350° F. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Add sugar and stir to mix. Make a well in the center, and pour in egg mixture. Gradually mix with dry ingredients until just combined. Add melted and browned butter, and stir until smooth. Try not to over-mix.

Line an 8 1/2- by 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.  Pour batter into pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 60-75 minutes.  Cool in pan 5 minutes, remove bread from pan, and finish cooling on a rack.

Lots going on here and that’s a good thing.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 large egg, at room temperature, plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, coconut, baking soda, and salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed fluffy

Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition for 30 seconds.

Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the flour mixture in three parts, beating for about 10 seconds after each addition. Add the chocolate chips and mix until just combined.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a lined cookie sheet.

Scoop out portions of dough the size of golf balls, roll them between your palms loosely, and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. It is best to make these in batches. Bake for 14 minutes, or until the cookies are set around the edges. Halfway through baking, remove the pan from the oven and drop it onto a heat-safe flat surface, such as the open oven door to defeat the cookies and help make them chewy.  Immediately return the cookies to the oven, rotating the pan 180 degrees, and complete baking, until the center resists light pressure but is still somewhat soft.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat to make the rest of the cookies.

I got the recipe here.