Peach Shortcake Cookies

I had lots of peaches that had finally ripened and, only being able to eat so many in one day, I set about on a quest to find a recipe to use them up. I didn't want to do a pie or crumble or crisp or anything else predictable. I came across a recipe for strawberry shortcake cookies. Like the classic dessert, but in portable to-go cookie form. Genius! I substituted my peaches for strawberries, made a couple of adjustments to the recipe, and I was rockin' and rollin'.

You should not confuse shortcake with the sponge cake often used (incorrectly) in "strawberry shortcake." Shortcake is more like a sweet biscuit and is leavened with baking powder. The dough is really easy to make; in fact, just as easy as any other cookie dough. You can use almost any fruit in this recipe: peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, apricots, etc, so get creative!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups chopped peaches (leave skin on) or any other fruit you want to use
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 2 cups pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375F. 
2. Toss fruit with 2 tablespoons of sugar and set aside.
3. Combine the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add in butter and mix with hands until it resembles course crumbs. Then stir in cream and vanilla. Finally, add fruit and mix together. 
5. Drop dough (about 2 tablespoons) onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or use silmats, leaving 2 inches between cookies. 
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and edges are slightly crispy. 

Sticky Buns

Fluffy clouds of ooey-gooey deliciousness is the best way to describe these! The dough itself is rich, soft, and moist. But the highlight of the sticky buns, is the glaze: sweet carmelized sugar and slightly salty, it finds its way into all the crevices between layers of dough so every bite is like party that melts in your mouth. This is a sure way to impress so make these for on a special occasion or holiday for breakfast or dessert. I'm usually not a big fan of sweets, but these sticky buns are amazing. And when fresh out of the oven, they are to die for!

Sticky buns are rolled pieces of rich, leavened dough that are compressed together into a baking loaf or pan which is lined with a sticky glaze. As it is baked, the glaze bubbles up and is absorbed into the buns, getting all in between the layers of dough. After cooling, the pan is turned upside-down so the glaze ends up on the top of the buns. You have to scale ingredients and there are many steps, but it is not hard. The final product will be well worth it!

Ingredients- Dough:

• 4 oz butter (you can substitute 1-2 oz of butter for shortening to make dough easier to handle)
• 4 oz sugar
• 0.4 oz salt
• 1 oz non-fat milk solids (dried milk)
• 3 oz eggs
• 8 oz water
• 0.525 oz dry instant yeast (fast acting or rapid rise)
• 1 lb bread flour
• 4 oz cake flour
• cinnamon-sugar

Ingredients- Glaze:

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup toasted pecans (optional)

1. Start by making the dough. Using a paddle in an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, and non fat milk solids. Then slowly add in the eggs, allowing them to incorporate before adding more. Next, add in the water. In a separate bowl, combine the yeast ad flours. Then add in the flour to form a dough. You can add a little more cake flour if dough is too loose. Switch to a dough hook and knead for 4 minutes.
2. The dough will need to ferment for 1.5 to 2 hours at 75F. Be sure to cover it so it doesn’t dry out. While the dough is fermenting, make the glaze. Cream together all ingredients using a paddle in an electric mixer. Spread the glaze onto the bottom of a pan with tall sides (and sprinkle with pecans if using), such as a roasting pan, and cover.
3. Once the dough is done fermenting, transfer it to a floured surface. Fold the dough 2-3 times. Then roll out into a rectangle. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll dough into log and cut into 8 even pieces. Place the rolls into the pan, resting on top of the glaze. Cover and let proof for 30-45 minutes.
4. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes. Glaze will be bubbly and buns will be browned.
5. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then turn pan over onto parchment paper.

Croxetti Con Sugo Blanco

You may have noticed that I haven't blogged much. I haven't given it up, but I've been focusing on find myself, culinarily speaking. I've spent a lot of time learning about regional Italian cooking and, in particular, researching the cuisine from the area where my great-grandmother, Gram, is from. I've got family from all over Italy, but I was close to Gram and when I think of comfort food, it's her cooking that comes to mind. Gram came from Grondola, which is a village within the commune of Pontremoli. It lies in the northeast corner of Tuscany (land of the peasant bean-eaters), near the borders of Liguria (where pesto hails from) and Emilia-Romagna (a gastronomic nirvana). Additionally, Pontremoli is where many trade routes over the Appenine mountains converged and it lies on the Via Francigena, an important pilgrimage route in medieval times. The cuisine of Grondola is centered around local ingredients, but is influenced by the heavy interaction with its neighbors throughout history.

Croxetti con sugo blanco is a simple, but delicious dish that makes me feel close to Gram. Croxetti is pasta shaped like large flat coins and have a coat of arms or ornate image stamped onto them. You probably won't find these at a supermarket, but can easily find them at an Italian specialty shop (like I did) or on the Internet. Croxetti cook up just like any other dried pasta and then the white sauce is made in a matter of seconds in a food possessor. It's similar to a creamy pesto, but uses marjoram rather than basil and not so much of it. 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried croxetti pasta
• salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup chopped marjoram
• freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish

1. Melt butter over low heat and then remove to cool. 
2. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, but do not overcook. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and then drain. 
3. Place into food processor the pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, milk, and marjoram. Add pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse to combine. Then slowly add the butter to prevent the sauce from creating a foam, continuing to blend. Season to taste. Sauce should be thick at this point.
4. Thin the sauce with a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and then toss with the drained pasta. 
5. Serve immediately, garnished with grated Parmesan.