Category: Desserts
Blueberry Cornmeal Tart, Sweet Enough

Blueberry Cornmeal Tart, Sweet Enough

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Yikes!  Before blueberry season ends, make this Blueberry Cornmeal Tart.  From Alison Roman’s Sweet Enough, an easy, absolutely delicious way to take advantage of fresh blueberries. But before we get into the recipe and my notes…I need to address the elephant in the room.  Yes at one time I was ready to burn my Alison Roman cookbooks.  In an interview, she decided to DIS Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo as “sell-outs” for hawking products, while encouraging folks to buy her stuff. LOL  Interestingly enough she called out two POC women.  Backlash ensued, she lost her column in the New York Times, had a Twitter squirmish with Chrissy, which she lost, and felt the ire of many POC foodies.  She laid low for a while, started back, and is now back in the good graces of most.

She recovered, but will probably always be under the microscope. Occasionally, controversy rears its head in a damned if you do, damned if you don’t way.  She made a dish, called it Gentle Lentils (LOL), and got called out for Appropriating Daal, an Indian staple. What are you going to do? 🤷🏻‍♀️.  Her personality is up my alley, a bit tongue-in-cheek, snarky, funny AND she is fond of expletives, just like me.

Yes, Another Cookbook

She came out with a dessert book and I caved.  I have made her dessert recipes and they are pretty darn good.  I believe she originally worked in pastry.  Her Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Cookies went viral one year (pre-fallout) and are really good. They’re buttery, sandy, chocolatey, and sweet with a surprise pop of salt.  It hits every taste bud, and has a crispy edge from the demerara sugar finish.

This Blueberry Cornmeal Tart couldn’t be easier.  The crust and crumble topping are made from the same dough.  Butter, flour, and powdered sugar go into the dough. The powdered sugar lowers the flour’s protein content to help with tenderness.  Cornmeal adds that characteristic cornmeal crunch to the crust and crumble.  I am not a fan of the grittiness of stone-ground cornmeal.  Luckily, cornmeal comes in a wide range of textures and grinds.  I love the cornmeal from a local family farm in the Bay Area, Tierra Vegetables.  They have an array of heirloom cornmeals that are amazing.  My favorite is the Hopi Pink Cornmeal which is finely textured and adds just a tiny bit of crunch.  It’s perfect in Christina Tosi’s Corn Cookies where you can see the reddish pink flecks in the cookies, so cool.  Use the cornmeal you like.

The Steps

Betcha think the next instruction is to roll the dough out.  Nope, there is no rolling involved in the making of this tart.  Yay.  Reserve a quarter of the dough for the crumble and put it in the fridge to chill. Press the remaining dough into a 9-inch tart pan.  How easy is that?

The blueberries are mixed with a bit of sugar and either vinegar or lemon juice, I prefer lemon juice, I am a citrus kinda gal.   Flour rounds out the filling to act as a thickener and that’s it.

Pour your blueberry mixture into the tart pan and spread evenly over crust.  Press little bits of the dough to form little clumps and sprinkle these over the blueberries.  Bake on a sheet to save yourself from oven cleaning.

Bake until the crumble and crust are a nice golden brown and the blueberries bubbling.  Remove to a rack and let it cool completely before removing.  Serve with a generous scoop of vanilla…cause that’s how we roll!  Enjoy!

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Blueberry Cornmeal TartI

From Alison Roman's Sweet Enough, a simple, absolutely delicious Blueberry Cronmeal Tart
Course Dessert, Pie, Tart
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberry, cornmeal, tart

Ingredients

For the Crust & Topping

  • 1 ½ cups /225g all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup /55 grams cornmeal
  • ⅓ cup /50 grams confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼ cup /55 grams light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon / 4 grams baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon / 3 grams kosher salt
  • ¾ cup /170 grams unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, melted and cooled slightly

For the Filling

  • 1 pound /455 grams blueberries or combination of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries
  • ½ cup /110 grams light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons / 28 grams apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon or lime juice I prefer lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons / 18 grams all-purpose flour
  • Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Make the crust and topping: Preheat oven to 350°.

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add melted butter, then use your hands or a wooden spoon to combine ingredients until a coarse dough comes together, with a few dry spots.
  • Press 3/4 of the cornmeal mixture into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom making sure the mixture is evenly pressed on the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides. (Using something large and flat, like the bottom of a measuring cup, will be helpful.) Place the shell on a rimmed baking sheet; pop the tart shell and remaining mixture into the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Make the filling:

  • Toss blueberries, brown sugar, lemon juice, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Pour the fruit into the crust.
  • Crumble the remaining cornmeal mixture over the blueberries, pressing bits of the mixture together into large clumps as you go, as you would with a crisp or coffee-cake topping (note that it won’t cover the top entirely, more just create a nice sporadic covering, still allowing the blueberries and their juices to poke through).
  • Bake tart until the blueberry filling is bubbly and thickened, and both the crust and top are nicely browned, 50–55 minutes.
  • Let tart cool completely before slicing into triangles and serving. The tart can be baked up to 2 days ahead and stored tightly wrapped at room temperature or refrigerated (especially if your kitchen is hot or humid).
  • EAT WITH: vanilla ice cream would be too obvious, but I don’t care.

Notes

DO AHEAD: tart can be baked 4 days ahead, stored wrapped in plastic at room temperature, or refrigerated. 
Blue-tifulberry Muffins from Zoe Bakes

Blue-tifulberry Muffins from Zoe Bakes

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I know, I know…I already have a few showstopper blueberry muffin recipes on 3Jamigos but I just found another one!  From Zoe Bakes, her Blueberry Muffin with Crumble Topping.  The crumble and a touch of lemon sets this muffin apart.  They’re delicious and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.  During blueberry season, which happens to be right now, I head to our farmer’s market to load up on the tiny blue orbs.  First, I eat some out of hand when I return from the market.  Then I save some for fruit salads or a favorite spinach salad with hazelnuts, and avocado dressed in a honey mustard vinaigrette.  A portion gets frozen to be enjoyed later in the year.  But ultimately, the berries end up in baked goodies- there’s Blueberry Boy Bait Cake, Blueberry Hand Pies, Blueberry Cornmeal Cobbler,  Blueberry Cornmeal Mochi Cake… I feel like Bubba Gump, you get the picture.  I’m blue without blueberries.  Search blueberries on 3jamigos.com and a plethora of recipes will pop up.

 Zoe of All Trades

If by chance you aren’t familiar with Zoe Francois, let me fangirl about her for a moment.  Zoe is based out of Minneapolis.  She started in a different career but ultimately pivoted to food, working as a pastry chef and co-writing cookbooks.  Her easy, friendly, personable style , million-dollar smile and great dessert recipes have given rise to cookbooks, videos, and a TV show.  I love her show, which is filled with great tips, techniques, and ideas.  It also highlights the folks and local businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul.  I have a soft spot for the Twin Cities having visited often (even in the winter) when Jamie lived there.  Her book, Zoe Bakes, sits on my frequent flyer bookshelf on my island and I can’t wait until her next book, Zoe’s Cookies, comes out in September.

How the Muffin Crumbles

As much as I love Hummingbird High’s Levain Bakery Blueberry Muffins, my family is crumble-crazy.  There was never a question if we would make Zoe’s muffins, the question was when.  With blueberry season in full swing, the time was now.  I brought home a quart of blueberries from my favorite purveyor, Triple Delight, and set upon making these muffins.

Make the crumble first as it needs to chill a bit, toss it in the fridge while making the batter.  The crumble is a little on the sweet side, maybe I’ll add nuts next time and a pinch of salt. It’s a classic crumble topping, butter, and brown sugar with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon.  Work the butter in with a pastry blender or your fingers, it should look like coarse lumpy sand.  Stash it in the fridge.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and yolk along with the vanilla and combine well.  It may look slightly curdled but will smooth out after adding the dry ingredients.  Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl a couple of times during the process.  It makes a difference.

Add flour mixture with sour cream or buttermilk in two portions.  Do not overmix.  The batter will be fairly thick and stiff.   Finally, fold the blueberries into the batter by hand to avoid crushing the berries.

I love these tulip-shaped muffin tin liners but traditional cupcake papers will work too. Use an ice cream scoop (#20) to portion the batter into a muffin tin.  Sprinkle the chilled crumble equally over the batter.

Bake the muffins until golden brown on the edges.  The middle will be lighter than the edges.  Remove from oven, serve warm.  Enjoy!

While blueberries are in season make these muffins.  They can also be made with frozen blueberries.  Do not thaw, fold the frozen berries into the batter.

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Blueberry Muffins

A tender, fine crumb muffin studded with sweet blueberries and topped with a buttery crumble topping. Perfection from Zoe Bakes
Course Breakfast, Muffins, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberries, Blueberry Muffins, muffins, streusel, zoe bakes
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Topping

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour bleached or unbleached will work 60g
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar well packed 125g
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature 57g

Muffins

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups spoon and sweep 240g all-purpose flour (bleached or unbleached)* Use 210gm if using KA flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/8 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt

Cream Mixture

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature 86g
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar 30g
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 whole egg room temperature
  • 1 yolk room temperature

Liquid Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sour cream or buttermilk crème fraîche or yogurt work too! 135g
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries** 175g
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare the topping by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl until it turns into uniform clumps. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Prepare regular muffin tins with 7 LARGE liners. (You can bake regular sized muffins by dividing it into 12)
  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl, set aside.
  • Cream the butter, sugars and zest together on medium speed, in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla. Add the egg and yolk, one at a time, mixing on low just until combined. It may seem a bit curdled, because it is a lot of liquid to add to that amount of butter. It will all come together in the end.
  • Add half the flour and half the sour cream. Mix on low until combined. Add the remaining flour and sour cream.
  • Toss the blueberries with flour and if using frozen berries immediately fold them into the batter with two or three gentle stirs. If you over mix, the batter will turn purple and then gray. Scoop into the muffin liners.
  • Sprinkle the topping over the muffins. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and a tester comes out with moist, but not wet, crumbs. If you are baking smaller muffins, bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

*If you use King Arthur Baking all-purpose flour, your muffins will not be as soft and fluffy, because it has more protein, so use a few tablespoons less.**If you use frozen blueberries, keep them frozen until the last minute.
These muffins can be frozen. Thaw them out and reheat in a warm oven for about 10 minutes to serve.
Kolasnittar-Caramel Slices from Kantine

Kolasnittar-Caramel Slices from Kantine

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Okay, I cannot tell a lie, my geography knowledge sucks.  I sat down to write this post on one of my favorite bakeries in San Francisco, Kantine, and on the cookbook, Scandinavian From Scratch, by owner, Nichole Accettola.  Tap, tap, tap on my keyboard, “Heavenly Scandinavian pastries inspired by her time in Copenhagen”, WAIT.  Isn’t Copenhagen in Denmark? Didn’t she live in Scandinavia?  Is that a country?  But her Jam Caves are Swedish.  I quickly Googled Scandinavia. Holey Moley, Scandinavia refers to Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.  Nordic refers to the Scandinavian countries PLUS Finland and Iceland.  Uh, where does Switzerland fit in, all those ⛰️ and 🏞️?  My bad, it doesn’t.  🤦🏻‍♀️  It took a cookbook and delicious pastries for me to learn my geography..sheesh.

I DIGRESS

I stopped by Kantine to get coffee and a treat. Lucky for me, Nichole was there (I’m a cookbook groupie) for a couple of questions, a photo-op, and a quick conversation.  She recommended the Kolasnittar, a simple, unassuming flat, rhombus-shaped cookie.  One bite and I knew I was going home and baking those bad boys. They’re buttery, caramel-forward, with crispy edges, and a slightly chewy center. What a cookie.

Get this Cookie Party Started

I gathered the ingredients for Kolasnittar or Caramel Slices and realized I didn’t have corn syrup.  So I rummaged through my pantry and pulled out the Golden Syrup.  Golden Syrup is made from sugar cane and has caramel undertones due to the manufacturing process.  It worked like a charm.

The process for making these cookies is “kinda” like making biscotti without twice baking.  The dough is shaped into logs and then flattened into a strip.  If you have a scale, weigh the dough and divide it into 4 equal portions or just eyeball it.  Roll each piece into a 12-inch log and transfer the log to a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Place two rolls on each cookie sheet, be sure to space them out (min. 2.5 inches in between).  Flatten each log into a 1/2-inch thick, 1.5-inches wide strip, keeping each around 12-inch length.  The dough will spread quite a bit while baking.

Take the cookies out when the edges are darker brown and the middle golden brown. Remove from oven and slide cookies and parchment onto a cutting board.  While the cookies are still warm, slice each loaf diagonally into 1-1/2 inch wide strips.

Let them cool completely.

Enjoy!

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KOLASNITTAR (Caramel Slice Cookie)

A delightful, buttery, crispy-edge, chewy-middle, caramel-flavored cookie from Scandinavian bakery, Kantine. The recipe is also in their book, Scandinavian from Scratch by author-owner Nichole Accettola
Course cookies, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American, European, scandinavian, Swedish
Keyword cookies, Kantine, scandinavian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes

Ingredients

Butter Mixture

  • 7 ounces 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 200g
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup. 100g Substitute Golden Syrup 1:1
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 300g King Arthur preferred
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or flaky sea salt I use Diamond Kosher, for table salt, use 1/2 teaspoon

Instructions

  • Line two baking sheets (approximately 13x17 inches, 33x46cm) with parchment paper. Preferably sheets without a lip.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla on medium speed, beating until it’s soft and creamy, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer midway to scrape down the sides.
  • With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mix until it’s well combined. Do not overbeat.
  • Lightly flour the countertop and scrape the dough onto the counter, kneading it gently until it’s smooth. Divide the dough into four equal parts. A scale really helps here.
  • Roll each portion into a log that’s 12 inches (30cm) long. If the dough cracks lengthwise while you’re rolling it, roll the dough a little toward you and use your thumbs to coerce the dough into the crack, then finish rolling the log, easing dough back into the crack as you go. Don’t worry if the logs are not perfectly smooth. They’re going to spread quite a bit when baked.
  • Place each dough log, evenly spaced on the baking sheet, (2 logs per sheet) then press the logs down to flatten them so they’re about 1/2-inch (1cm) thick and 1 1/2 inches (3,5cm) wide. Make sure there’s at least 2 inches (5cm) of space between each log and at least an inch (2,5cm) away from the edges of the pan.
  • Refrigerate the dough on the baking sheets for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and adjust the racks in the oven to the top and bottom third of the oven. Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets and switching them on the racks, from top to bottom, midway during baking.
  • I usually bake one sheet at a time. Halfway through rotate the sheet. (If you want to bake them later, cover them with kitchen towels and keep them in the refrigerator.) Bake until the dough is golden brown across the top with browned edges, 16 to 18 minutes.
  • Slide parchment paper with cookie logs onto a cutting board.
  • Cut the flat, former cookie logs diagonally and crosswise each cookie should be 1.5 inches in width. Transfer the cookies from the baking sheets to a cooling rack. Cool completely.
Glazed Butter Cake, Found

Glazed Butter Cake, Found

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I excitedly headed to the city a couple of months ago to pick up my copy of Erin French’s new book, Big Heart Little Stove. I became a fan after reading her biography and watching her show, The Lost Kitchen.  Her food is simple and beautiful.  She focuses on sourcing amazing locally-grown products from small farms.  If you watch her show, you know the setting for The Lost Kitchen is a historic, gorgeous stone grist mill set next to a waterfall.  The dining room exudes rustic charm and gives guests a birdseye view of the kitchen area.  In short, the setting is breathtaking.

On one episode she served a Glazed Butter Pound Cake with a poached donut peach and creme anglaise.  I adore a pound cake and knew I would be looking for the recipe.  Growing up, I loved pound cake, especially Sara Lee’s or Ping Yuen Bakery’s Pound Cake.  Many of you are familiar with the iconic Sara Lee version (HERE is a love letter & recipe to that very cake by Eric Kim, his version is SPOT ON), however, only folks around my age or older who lived or frequented San Francisco Chinatown, will be familiar with Ping Yuen Bakery & Cafe version. Conveniently, located downstairs from my parent’s office, we often stopped there to buy deli items and baked goods to bring home.  I always lobbied for their buttery, fine-crumb pound cake.

Pound Cake Groupie

The cake is in her new book and in my book, you can never have too many butter-pound cake recipes.  First, cream butter and sugar, then add eggs and follow with alternating the dry ingredients with the buttermilk into the batter.  Finish the cake with the butter and confectioner’s sugar glaze.

Vanilla paste with its seeds also works well in this cake.

There’s my postcard! Iykyk

Bake in a 9×5 loaf pan until golden brown.  It took approximately 45 minutes instead of the 25 minutes listed in the directions.  Start testing for doneness at 20 minutes. If the top gets too dark, cover it with foil.

Icing, Icing, Baby

Glaze cake with the butter-powdered sugar icing.  The addition of vanilla and almond extracts adds a ton of flavor.  Feel free to substitute rum or Bourbon for the almond extract.  The glaze gives the cake a shiny donut-like finish.

Serve with fresh berries, whipped cream, creme anglaise, or by itself.  Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.  Enjoy!

 

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Glazed Butter Cake

Delicious, simple but elegant butter cake, flavored with vanilla and almond. From Erin French's newest book, Big Heart, Little Stove
Course Cake, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword erin french, Glazed butter cake, loaf cake, lost kitchen
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 8

Equipment

  • 1 9x5 loaf pan

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt or 1/4 tsp reg salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter 8 tbsp or 4oz.
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk shake well before measuring
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste

Butter Glaze

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter 8 T or 4 oz
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract substitute rum extract or rum or bourbon
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch loaf pan, line with parchment, set aside.
  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
  • Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy ~ 5 minutes
  • Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating the first egg before adding the next egg.
  • With the mixer on low, add approximately 1/3 of the flour mixture to butter, mix until combined then add 1/2 of buttermilk, again mix until well combined. Repeat this process, ending with the flour mixture. Add vanilla and mix just until combined.
  • Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until cake is golden brown and a cake tester in the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Note, my cake took about 45 minutes. Begin testing at 20 minutes. Remove cake and place it on a rack to cool. Meanwhile, make the glaze.

Glaze

  • In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, and 1/4 cup water. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Remove pan from heat and let glaze cool a little. Whisk in vanilla and almond extracts. As the glaze cools it will thicken slightly.
  • Allow cake to cool and remove from pan. Brush the bottom, sides and the top generously with the glaze.
  • Slice and serve. Feel free to add berries, whipped cream or a creme anglaise.
Cream Cheese Frosting-Luscious, Creamy & Lump-Free

Cream Cheese Frosting-Luscious, Creamy & Lump-Free

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I LOVE Cream Cheese Frosting,.  It deserves its own post, and should not be an afterthought tacked onto a Carrot Cake or Banana Cake recipe.

TBH…it needs its own post because I was today years old when I learned how to make a creamy, luscious, LUMP-FREE Cream Cheese Frosting.  Yep, all those years I struggled to achieve a smooth and creamy frosting.  I tried cream cheese and butter at room temp before combining. I tried smooshing the cream cheese first that didn’t work. Sometimes, I resorted to using a hand blender to get rid of lumps which worked but added an extra step.  Then… on an episode of Zoe Bakes, I learned the secret to making lump-free, voluptuous, thick frosting.  Hallelujah.

COLD Cream Cheese Meets SOFTIE Butter

Cream Cheese- Start with cold cream cheese, beat it until it is smooth. Cold cream cheese prevents the frosting from becoming too thin as it is whipped.

Butter- Use unsalted butter at room temperature (~68 degrees).  It should be soft enough that it gives with little finger pressure but should not be melty.  Gradually add softened butter, approximately 2 tablespoons at a time to the cream cheese. Adding soft butter to the cold cream cheese minimizes lumps in your finished frosting.

Powdered Sugar- MY OPINION:  Cream cheese frostings have too much sugar.  Add powdered sugar to the level of sweetness you want. I add about 1-1/2 cups of powdered sugar to this recipe.  If I add sour cream or creme fraiche I bump it up to 1-3/4 cups.  Add sugar in 2-3 parts beating at medium-low speed and scraping the bowl after each addition (mandatory).  Be careful not to beat too much which can cause the frosting to break and become too thin.  If the frosting seems a little soft, chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or until it reaches a thick, creamy, consistency then frost your cake.

Creme Fraiche- A touch of creme fraiche adds a hint of tanginess and creaminess to the frosting.  Feel free to substitute with sour cream or mascarpone.

I made Zoe’s Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake and followed her frosting directions.  It worked like a charm.  Cream cheese frosting being my favorite frosting, it’s also featured in Hubby’s Carrot Cake, Smitten Kitchen’s delightful Carrot Graham Cake, my favorite banana cake from Clementine Bakery, and Sally’s Baking Addiction Banana Snacking Cake.  YUM!

Enjoy!

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Cream Cheese Frosting

The secret to making delicious, and decadent, cream cheese frosting
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Chocolate Devil's Food Cake, cream cheese frosting, zoe bakes
Prep Time 20 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 Mixer

Ingredients

  • 2 8- ounce packages cream cheese softened 455 grams total
  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature 2 sticks, 8 ounces or 230 grams
  • 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted if lumpy 240 grams, or to taste
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract to taste, can use less
  • 2 tbsp sour cream or creme fraiche or mascarpone

Instructions

Making the Frosting

  • Start with cold cream cheese and room temperature softened butter.
  • With an electric mixer, beat cold cream cheese until smooth. With mixer running (medium speed), add room temp butter a couple of tablespoons at a time, blend each add in completely. SCRAPE BOWL with every couple of additions of butter. This helps to minimize lumps. Beat until smooth and creamy.
  • Add vanilla and creme fraiche (sour cream), then add powdered sugar half at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Scrape down bowl after each addition. Don't overbeat which will cause mixture to get runny.
  • If frosting seems too soft, chill for about 30 minutes to thicken before frosting cake.
  • Arrange first cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread with frosting; place top layer on it. For 8 -inch cake top each layer with approximately 3/4 cup of frosting.

Frosting the Cake

  • For the top and sides of the cake. Spread a thin layer of frosting on sides, called the crumb coat. This keeps the final frosting layer free of crumbs. If you have time, chill the cake to lock the crumbs in the crumb coat.
  • Remove chilled cake and finish frosting. To create the horizontal lines on the sides. Place cake on turntable. Place offset spatula parallel to side of cake in frosting and rotate turntable while keeping constant pressure on your spatula. Gradually lower your spatula towards the base of the cake creating a ripple effect on the sides,
  • Optional: Shower perimeter of cake with chocolate or multi-colored sprinkles.
Nubby Granola Shortbread…More Than Cookies

Nubby Granola Shortbread…More Than Cookies

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Me.  The cookbook addict missed a book signing at Omnivore Books.  Literally, took my eye off the book and completely missed Natasha Pickowicz’s More Than Cake book signing event.

In my effort to curtail my cookbook acquisitions, I have limited my cookbook buying to books by POC authors.  There are exceptions of course, anything by Dorie Greenspan and if you own a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, Maine, and pub a new book, iykyk 😉, I’m all in.

Here is my weak defense.  Pickowicz, at first glance, is not an Asian last name, so the fact that she is part Chinese escaped me.  The title, More Than Cake also threw me off.  I’m not a big cake person, more of a cookies and pies gal.  As soon as I saw the word Cake…I tuned out, the MORE THAN got by me.

When I realized she was Asian and that her book contained WAY more than just cake, her book landed on my radar.  Then I found out she organizes amazing BAKE Sales for Planned Parenthood and Brigid Alliance and has raised thousands of dollars (lots of thousands), so I ordered a copy immediately.  It now has a spot on my cookbook shelf.

Holiday Traditions

Thanksgiving is in the books (no pun intended) which means a couple of things in our house.  First, I play Patrick Stewart’s version of A Christmas Carol which also kicks off 24-7 holiday music in our house, I am so stoked.  Second, time to plan those holiday cookie boxes!  I pulled out More Than Cake and found her recipe for Nubby Granola Shortbread.  Shortbread, y’all know I LOVE shortbread.  Time for a test run.

These crispy, buttery bites are made in a food processor.  A little pulse magic and the dough is done. How easy is that?  Plus, shortbread cookies travel well and keep longer than most cookies. These are delicious, lighter, and crunchier than traditional shortbread, perfect with a cuppa coffee or tea.  I made a batch of Jule’s Granola which worked perfectly in these cookies.  Flecks of dried fruit from the granola added a bit of color and sweetness to the shortbread, an unanticipated bonus.

PLUS, I’ll fill cute canning jars with the remaining granola to give away.  Oh this cookie is definitely going in the holiday cookie box.

Tips

  • Use your favorite granola, store-bought or homemade. You don’t have to make your own.  I love making granola so NBD.
  • Using a food processor makes quick work of the dough.  It starts with chilled butter (yay no waiting for butter to soften).

  • Rice flour makes for a fine texture, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth-cookie. Bob’s Red Mill has rice flour and can be found at larger supermarkets, Whole Foods, and online.
  • No rolling out dough, the dough is pressed into the pan.  The recipe can be cut in half and baked in an 8×8 pan.

  • The tricky part of this recipe is the baking time.  Rice flour produces a drier cookie than AP flour therefore try not to overbake these cookies.  After removing the pan from the oven, lightly score the dough and allow to cool.  Once cooled, cut through the score marks.  Sprinkle with flaky salt and dust generously with powdered sugar to finish cookies.

A buttery, crunchy, gluten-free shortbread cookie that keeps and travels well.  This is a keeper.

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Nubby Granola Shortbread

This breakfast-inspired shortbread is a great way to use your favorite granola. It adds a nice crunch to the buttery cookie. Sandy ultrafine rice flour makes a melt-in-your-mouth fine texture. It's delicious!
Course cookies, granola, shortbread
Cuisine American, Asian-American
Keyword granola, Shortbread
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 27 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups your favorite granola
  • 3/4 cup walnut pieces pecans or almonds would work but lack that characteristic tannic edge of walnuts
  • 2 cups white rice flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks) cut into 1/2-inch cubes, well chilled

Finish

  • flaky sea salt
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Fit a sheet of parchment paper into a quarter-sheet pan (9 by 13 inches). Lightly mist the parchment with cooking spray.
  • In a food processor, combine the granola, nut pieces, white rice flour, granulated sugar, and kosher salt, and pulse until the mixture is pebbly and fine.
  • Add the butter and pulse another 8 to 10 times, until the mixture feels like damp, coarse breadcrumbs. The butter should almost disappear into the dry ingredients but not be taken so far that the dough is clumping and gathering around the blade.
  • Scatter the dough evenly in the prepared sheet pan. Use your knuckles to lightly press the crumb into an even layer. It should be about 1/2 inch thick. Do not apply too much pressure, as this would make the shortbread dense and gummy.
  • Bake until the edges of the shortbread are lightly browned, and the center feels soft but cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes (see tip).
  • Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the surface with flaky sea salt. While the shortbread is still hot, use a small knife to score it into 24 squares.
  • Let cool completely, then cut the cookies, still in the pan, along the scored lines and dust with powdered sugar.

Notes

The pan of shortbread can be held in the freezer for up to 1 month and baked from frozen.
The shortbread can be stored, tightly wrapped at room temperature, for up to 1 week.
TECHNIQUE TIP: It's tricky to tell when an unfamiliar recipe is done in your oven. Never throw away a seemingly botched batch of anything — there's always another purpose for it. If the baked shortbread tastes undercooked or feels gummy, invert the shortbread onto a clean sheet pan, so the crumbs spill out. Break it up with your fingers and bake again at 325 F for 10 minutes. Now you have instant streusel. Is the shortbread overbaked and dry? Tip the crumbs into a food processor and blend until fine and add big handfuls to your next layer cake.
Marbled Ube Cookies (Star Powered)

Marbled Ube Cookies (Star Powered)

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I wanted to include an ube dessert or cookie in my “Maui Strong” box for Lahaina.  Since I had made Ube Mochi Muffins for the Ukraine Cookie Box I opted for Constellation Inspiration’s Marbled Ube Cookie.  I have been eyeing her recipe for quite a while, and here was my chance to try it.  I baked the first sheet of cookies, and waited patiently (not really) for the cookies to cool.  With that first bite, I knew this cookie was going in the box. Not only are they delicious but they are so eye-catching.  A great addition to the cookie box.  In fact, I think…

Prince Would Love This COOKIE

Adding Ube extract and powder creates this gorgeous purple color that just POPS.  Ube, or purple yam or potato is popular in Southeast Asia, in particular the Philippines.  It has a vanilla, kind of nutty flavor, and “coconutty” aroma that lends itself well to desserts, bread, and pastries.  It’s definitely having a moment right now with the rising popularity of Filipino food.

Making the Cookie

The cookie dough is essentially a vanilla sugar cookie.  Start by creaming softened butter and sugar until smooth, not fluffy (to avoid a cakey cookie).  Add the egg and vanilla extract, beat to combine, and stir in the flour mixture.

Here comes the hard part, well, actually the hard part comes before making the dough.  Where to find ube powder and extract.  If you live in the Bay Area, you can find ube powder and extract by Butterfly or McCormick at most Asian grocery stores.  If not, there is always Amazon 🤷🏻‍♀️

Divide the dough in half (this is where a scale comes in handy).  Put half of the dough back in the mixing bowl and add ube extract and powder to it.  On the lowest speed of your mixer, blend the ube into the dough being careful not to overmix. You can do this by hand to avoid overworking the dough if you like.

.Using a tablespoon scoop, form dough balls with each dough and place them on a cookie sheet.  It is like having all your ducks in a row before the next step.

Smoosh together a dough ball of each color. Try to wrap one of the dough around the other to create the marble effect.  Then roll each in granulated sugar.  Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, 2 inches apart, and bake 11-14 minutes, rotating the sheet at the halfway mark.  Remove when the edges are just golden.

If you like ridges on the edge (all the rage right now) tap the cookie sheet 2-3 minutes before they come out of the oven.  This causes the cookie to deflate and make a ripple effect.  Sometimes the cookies are wonky in shape, if so, place a cookie cutter or glass (slightly bigger) over the cookie and swirl it to shape them into circles.  Or don’t, they’ll be delicious either way.

These Marbled Ube Cookies are a showstopper.  A lovely ube-flavored vanilla cookie with crispy edges, a chewy center, with a nice crunch from the sugar.  I’ll be making these again, and again…and again.

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Marbled Ube Cookies

Ube Marbled Cookies, a gorgeous cookie that tastes as good as it looks.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword drop cookie, marbled ube cookie, sugar cookie, ube
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 270gm
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Creamed Mixture

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 227gm
  • 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and more for rolling 250gm
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Additions to Dough

  • 2 tbsp ube purple yam powder, see note
  • 1 tsp ube extract

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and 1-1⁄4 cups (250 g) of the sugar on medium speed until they are smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
  • Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just until combined and no more streaks of the flour mixture remain, about 45 seconds.
  • Divide the dough into two equal portions (a scale comes in handy here) and leave one portion in the mixer. Add ube powder and extract to the mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until combined. The combination of ube powder and extract makes a nice purple color, no need for food coloring.
  • Take a heaping tablespoon of each dough and combine the dough by rolling between the palms of your hands to create a ball. I used a #40 ice cream scoop.
  • Toss the dough balls in a bowl of granulated sugar until each is coated.
  • Place dough balls on baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each ball. Bake cookies for 11 to 14 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are light golden brown. Right before the cookies are ready to come out of the oven, tap the baking sheet on the oven rack a few times to create the ripple edges. Do not overbake.
  • Remove cookies from oven. If the cookies aren't round, place a circular cookie cutter or glass over the warm cookie and gently swirl the cookie to reshape. Then allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Ube powder and extract can be found in most Asian markets or online.
Nuts for Macadamia Shortbread (Cookies for Lahaina)

Nuts for Macadamia Shortbread (Cookies for Lahaina)

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It sucks to feel helpless which is exactly how I felt while watching the coverage of the wildfires in Maui.  In a twisted way, it brought back memories of a family trip to Maui right before COVID to celebrate hubby’s birthday and retirement.  We spent his b-day in Lahaina.  We grabbed shaved ice at Ululani, strolled down Front Street, and took in the majesty and beauty of the ancient Banyan Tree in the heart of town.  We finished the day with a scrumptious dinner at Lahaina Grill and a stroll on the beach.  The stark reality of the devastation in Lahaina jolted me out of my memories and morphed into a voice in my head, “How are you going to help, Deb”.

Today, amid the ruins, that Banyan Tree is struggling to survive.  Arborists are hopeful that the tree will survive, emblematic of the resiliency of the people of Maui.

I resorted to what I do when I am sad or stressed and feeling helpless, I baked.  For a box of homemade goodies, I asked friends and family to donate any amount to either Chef Hui Maui Relief to help feed folks displaced by the fire, and to Hawaii Community Foundation/Maui Strong to provide immediate and long-term resources for recovery.

A Big Mahalo

We raised over 1,500 dollars which was split between the two organizations ❤️❤️❤️.  Thank you for your generosity and for giving me a reason to bake!   👏👏👏.  It is greatly appreciated.

The Box

I wanted the box of cookies to feel connected to Maui.  I turned to cookbooks and blogs written by folks from Hawaii like Top Chef Sheldon Simeon and Alana Kysar. Sheldon has two restaurants on Maui, Tin Roof and Tiffany’s, and recently published his cookbook, Cook Real Hawai’i.  Alana is a blogger and the author of Aloha Kitchen Cookbook.  Her cookbook evokes the islands’ spirit and her Butter Mochi recipe is amazing.  Find these books at Bookshop.org which supports independent bookstores.  I also culled recipes that use my favorite tropical ingredients like pineapple, macadamia nuts, and coconut.  The baked goodies included in my Maui box are on 3Jamigos and can be found via the links below.

Starting at the top right:

Travel Bites

Shortbread is perfect for a box, they travel well, keep longer than drop cookies, and happen to be my favorite kind of cookie.  I found the perfect recipe in Nick Malgeri’s Modern Baker.  Using your food processor for these cookies makes it quick and easy.  This is one bowl (albeit, a food processor bowl) territory.

Process the nuts with the sugar until FINELY ground, add flour and baking powder, pulse to combine, add cold butter, and pulse until the dough is powdery then STOP.  Pour this mass into your prepared pan and press it down with a lightly floured flat glass or your hand.  Use a spray bottle to mist the dough with water which will help the nuts adhere to the dough.

Use either lightly salted or unsalted macadamia nuts.  I bought macadamias at Trader Joe’s, a bag of each, salted and unsalted. I used a 2:1 ratio of salted to unsalted nuts in the cookie and on the top.  Cut the recipe in half and bake in an 8×8 pan as I did…cause I would eat the whole damn pan if given the chance.

Grind nuts by pulsing in a food processor or chopping by hand.  You want the pieces fairly small, but not pulverized. The nuts provide both flavor and texture.  Line the pan with parchment.  The OG recipe calls for lifting the cookies out of the pan using the parchment but that’s pretty hard to do and not crack it.  I let them cool for a couple of minutes and then used a bench scraper to cut the still-warm shortbread into squares before removing them from the pan.  Easy-peasy.

The finished cookie should be crispy.  If they aren’t, return the shortbread to the oven set at 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  I love these cookies, sweet, crispy, infused with macadamia nut flavor, and just delightful.

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5 from 1 vote

MACADAMIA SHORTBREAD

Adapted from Nick Malgeri Modern Baker, an easy, delicious Macadamia Shortbread. Buttery, nutty, crispy with a crunchy top of nuts and sugar. Simply divine.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword butter, Crispy, macadamian nuts, Shortbread
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 food processor
  • 1 9x13 pan
  • parchment paper to line pan

Ingredients

Shortbread Base

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100gm
  • 1-1/2 ounces unsalted or lightly salted macadamia nuts, chopped 42gm
  • 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 270gm
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces 170gm

Topping

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar 67gm
  • 3/4 cup unsalted or lightly salted macadamia nuts, finely chopped 111gm

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9″x 13″x 2″ baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving a couple of inches hanging over each short side. Butter the lining.
  • Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 & 1/2 ounces macadamias, (I use both salted and unsalted nuts in a 2:1 ratio) in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Add the flour and baking powder. Pulse until mixed. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is combined and powdery.
  • Using a lightly floured, flat bottom glass or hands, press the dough firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top of the dough with water. Sprinkle the finely chopped macadamias and then 1/3 cup sugar on top of the dough. Press firmly into the dough.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cookies are golden and firm.
  • While the cookies are still warm, use the overhanging lining to remove the cookies from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into squares, using a sharp knife.
  • Let the cookies cool completely. They should become crisp as they cool. If they aren’t crisp after cooling, place them back in the pan and bake for 10-15 minutes at 300°F.