Hungarian Custard Slice

https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Hungarian-Custard-Slice-Kremes-2639440?prm-v1#directions

Haven't tried yet, but looked good.

Ingredients

VANILLA INFUSED MILK
2 cups milk
1 vanilla pod
***
FLAKY PASTRY
1- ½ cup + 1 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup chilled hard margarine
1 pinch of salt
4 Tbsp cold water
4 tsp vinegar
***
CUSTARD LAYER
8 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp flour
2 pkg. or 2 Tbsp real vanilla sugar
3 pkg. gelatine [21 g]
¼ cup unsalted butter
8 egg whites
½ cup sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
candy thermometer is essential
***
TOPPING
¼ cup icing sugar
Instructions

Make the vanilla infused milk first.
• Heat the milk in a saucepan.
• Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk with a paring knife, and add the bean pod to the milk.
• Cover, remove from heat, and infuse for one hour.
• Next make the flaky pastry.
• In a large bowl crumble the flour and the chilled margarine to fine crumbs.
• Mix in the salt.
• Place the cold water and the vinegar in a small dish.
• Pour the liquid over the pastry crumbs.
• Stir to combine and gradually form a rough ball.
• Generously flour a board and roll out the pastry into a thin rectangle.
• Roll up the pastry and divide into 4 parts.
• Roll each division into a thin rectangle.
• Stack the four rectangles on top of one another.
• Chill for twenty minutes.
• Divide the chilled pastry into two equal halves.
• Roll out the first pastry very thin.
• Fold it in half and place the folded edge in the middle of the 9X13 baking pan.
• Unfold and arrange the pastry with deep folds as in the photo.
• Let the dough go up the sides halfway, pastry will shrink during baking.
• Place in a preheated 400F oven for 14-18 minutes.
• Keep a watch, pastry burns easily.
• When the pastry is golden brown, remove pan from the oven.
• Immediately cut pastry into twelve squares.
• Divide the long side by 4 and the short side by 3.
• Wait a few minutes and very carefully remove the squares and set them aside in the same order as they were in the pan. These will go on the top later.
• Roll out the remaining dough and arrange it in the baking pan as before.
• Bake the second pastry sheet and set it aside. This will be the bottom of the krémes.
• Next make the custard layer.
• In a medium sized bowl beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar for 8 minutes
• In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, gelatine and the vanilla sugar.
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the beaten egg yolks and beat until smooth.
• Remove the vanilla pods from the vanilla infused milk.
• Gradually add the vanilla infused milk to the bowl with the eggs and the flour.
• Transfer custard to a medium sized pot.
• Attach the candy thermometer to the side of the pot so you can keep an eye on the temperature.
• Over medium heat and continually stirring heat the custard.
• Do not let custard heat beyond 80C [176F] for this recipe.
• When the custard reached 80C remove from heat.
• Stir in the butter and set aside.
• While the custard is cooling whip the egg whites.
• With clean beaters beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Add the lemon juice and beat until almost stiff.
• Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until very stiff and shiny.
• Very slowly and gradually, gently fold the custard into the stiff egg whites.
• Pour on top of the bottom pastry layer and place in the fridge.
• Make sure the pan is level on the shelf.
• When the gelatine is beginning to set, place the pastry squares on the top.
• Let the krémes chill thoroughly.
• Before serving generously sift icing sugar on the top.
• Cut the slices between the pastry squares.

Huckleberry Buckle

Huckleberries are hard to get, but they're delicious when you can get them and afford them.  The first time I got to try them was because a friend picked some up at a farmer's market in July in eastern Washington.  I don't know how much he was exagerating but he said each serving of the buckle ought to cost $5.  That implies perhaps $20 for a 3 c. bag of berries.

The optional lemon juice works best on blueberries.  Huckleberries are like very potent-tasting blueberries and their a fair bit tarter. 

For those that don't want to bother or can't get huckleberries, blueberries work wonderfully.

1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. white sugar
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 c. milk
2 1/2 c. huckleberries
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
optional: 1 tbsp lemon juice

Oven @ 375° F
Butter a 9x9 baking pan.

Cream the butter and 1/3 c. of sugar.  Mix in the dry ingredients.  The mixture should be crumbly.  Blend in the sour cream.  Gradually add the milk until you have a smooth batter.

Spread the batter evenly into baking pan.

Put the berries into a saucepot, and add the 1/2 c. of water and the 1/2 c. of sugar.  A tbsp of lemon juice works well here if you want the fruit tarter.  Cook on stove until the berries have burst and it's got a deep red color and foamy consistency.  Pour this over the batter in the pan. 

Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Banana Fritters

1 c. chopped, packed ripe bananas (approximately 2 medium)
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. cornstarch or potato starch
1/4 c. sweetened shredded coconut (or up to 1/2 cup, if desired)
2 tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup buttermilk, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients. 
Deep fry in peanut or corn oil.  Heat oil to 375°.  Fry for 2 minutes, turn in oil, fry another 1 minute.

These are good by themselves, or could be dusted with sugar and cinnamon.

Alex's Egg Custard Tarts

Ingredients

1 recipe pate-sablee-french-shortcrust
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp (80g) white sugar
1/3 cup (150g) warm water
2/3 cup (75g) evaporated milk
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla

top with mandarin oranges

Preheat oven to 400° F and position rack in lower third of oven.

Completely dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Roll out the pastry dough to 12 x 12 inches and cut out 9 circles using a 4 inch cookie cutter. Gently press onto tart tins or ramekins and place on baking sheet.

Whisk the eggs, egg yolk, evaporated milk and vanilla together. Stir in the room temperature sugar solution. Strain the egg mixture into a large measuring cup through a fine sieve. Carefully pour into tart shells, filling to just below the rim.

Bake at 400° F for 10-15 minutes until the edges are lightly brown. Please keep an eye on the tarts as they are baking. As soon as the custard starts to puff, you need to open the oven door 2-3 inches to prevent the filling from puffing up too much and collapsing when cooled. (Alex found this wasn't necessary.)

Once the edges start to brown, reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the custard is done. You can test the filling by inserting a toothpick into the custard, if it can stand on its own, it’s done.

Linne Tart & Pastry Crust

This is a fantastic, buttery crust.  Not quite suitable for quiche's, but great for a tart or pie.  Not flaky, more granular, shortbread-like.

Ingredients

1 cups (130 g) all purpose flour
1 small egg
1/2 tsp. salt (skip if using salted butter)
1 tsp. sugar (for sweet recipes, otherwise skip)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup (~60 ml) sour cream (full fat, NOT light sour cream)

Method

Oven @ 350° F.  It doesn't need pre-baking and works fine baking all at once.  Put all the ingredients for the crust into a bowl and mix with a pastry blender until you have a firm, doughy consistency.  You can chill for 20 minutes, but its not really necessary.  Roll out and press into either a 10 inch spring-form cake pan or a equal sized tart pan.  If you use smaller than 10 inches, you'll get a thicker crust.

Linne Butter Tart

Ingredients

Pastry crust

Filling

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 pinches of salt
1 egg
3 tbsp sour cream
3 tbsp flour

Top with pitted cherries, or nuts, raisins, etc.

Method

Cream butter and sugar and salt, blend in the egg, sour cream and sift in the flour.

Bake at 375° F for 24 minutes.  

Pear and Cream Cheese Tart

This is light, fruity and wonderful.  I tried making it with apples and it didn't come quite as nice.  I think its because 60 minutes wasn't enough to cook the apples all the way through.  Pears and apples have different densities.  If doing apples, I'd turn the over down to 325°F or 300°F and cook for 90 minutes

Crust:
1 cups (130 g) all purpose flour
1 small egg
1/2 tsp. salt (skip if using salted butter)
1 tsp. sugar (for sweet recipes, otherwise skip)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup (~60 ml) sour cream (full fat, NOT light sour cream)

Filling:
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sour cream
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp orange juice

3 ripe pears, cored, sliced thin

orange marmalade or apricot jam

Method:
Oven @ 350 F.  Make the crust first.  It doesn't need pre-baking and works fine baking all at once.  Put all the ingredients for the crust into a bowl and mix with a pastry blender until you have a firm, doughy consistency.  You can chill for 20 minutes, but its not really necessary.  Roll out and press into either a 10 inch spring-form cake pan or a equal sized tart pan.  If you use smaller than 10 inches, you'll get a thicker crust.

Whip the cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer first, then blend in the sour cream, while sifting in the flour.  Once that's smooth, add the eggs, sugar, vanilla and orange juice.  The batter should be pourable but not extremely loose.

Pour the batter onto the unbaked crust.  Carefully layer all of the pears onto the crust.  Use them all.  Make multiple layers if necessary and overlap heavily.

Melt the jam/marmalade in the microwave and brush over the pears.

Bake the pastry in the over at 350°F for 60 minutes.

Sour Cream Pie & Pastry Crust

Prep time: 20 minutes; Dough chilling time: 1 hour

Yield: Makes dough for 2 single crusts, or 1 double crust

This recipe makes enough dough for a top and bottom crust for a 9-inch pie.

The dough ratio is 1 cup flour: 1 stick butter: 1/4 cup sour cream: 1/2 teaspoon salt: 1 teaspoon sugar. These are the amounts for a single-crust 9-inch pie.

If you are making a 10-inch pie, use 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces, 1  1/4 cup) butter, 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sour cream for a double crust, or 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 1/4 sticks (5 ounces) butter, 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp sour cream for a single crust.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (260 g) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of salt (skip if using salted butter)

2 teaspoons of sugar (for sweet recipes, otherwise skip)

2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup, 8 ounces, 225 g) cubed

1/2 cup (115 ml) sour cream (full fat, NOT light sour cream)

METHOD

Soften butter, cut into cubes.  Whisk together flour, salt, sugar. In a large bowl.

With a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until it resembles a coarse meal with some chunks of butter. Add sour cream to the flour-butter mixture and blend with pastry blender. 

Gather the pastry dough together into a large ball. Use a knife to cut the ball in half. Form into two disks.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes before forming into a pie crust.

 

When it's time to bake, remove dough from fridge, let sit for a few minutes, then roll out.  

You can use this pastry dough for unstructured rustic pies or galettes, or single or double crusted traditional pies. It can also be used for a savory pot pie.

Whether you use the dough for a galette or a double crust pie, it will be prettier with a light egg wash. Just whisk one egg in a small bowl, add a teaspoon of water, and brush lightly over the exposed crust with a pastry brush, right before baking.

 

This pie crust recipe is difficult to pre-bake. There is more fat in it than a regular crust, which can cause the sides to slump if you bake it without a filling. That said, I have successfully pre-baked this crust by freezing it for at least 30 minutes first, lining it with heavy foil, filling it 3/4 of the way with dry beans, then baking it at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Popovers

(requires popover cups for baking)

Popovers are a pastry that is crunchy on the outside, and chewy on the inside.  Alton Brown has a good eats episode that discusses this and how the steam from the milk puffs up the inside due to the unique shape of the popover cup.

This recipe is a good one for plain popovers or turning into a sweet treat with sugar and cinammon on the outside

1 1/4 c. flour
1 1/4 c. milk
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3 eggs

Optional sugar coating:
4 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinammon
1/4 tsp allspice
2 tbsp melted butter for brushing

Oven @ 450 F
Whisk the milk, eggs, butter, sugar and salt until light and frothy.  Add the flour and blend well until you have a loose batter.  Pour into 6 popover cups.  Bake for 15 minutes. 
After first 15 minutes, turn over down to 350.  Do not open oven.  Bake for additional 25 minutes.

If making the sugared variation, mix the sugar and put in a zip-lock bag for tossing.  Brush each popover thoroughly with melted butter.  Toss each popover in the bag of sugar and spice until thoroughly covered.  Eat.

Pate Sablee - French Shortcrust

This is a great crust for Tarts and certain Pie types.  It's and lightly sweet, and crumbly, not flaky.  First used it in making a blackberry and rhubarb tart

Quantity:
Makes enough dough for a thick crust in an 11-inch tart pan.  If thinner, there will be leftover that is great for making small tarts or even a galette (an unshaped pie with the dough rolled out and folded over the filling)

250 g flour
180 g. butter, salted
3/4 tsp salt
1 lg egg
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/3 c. powdered sugar

Start by whipping the granulated sugar and butter together.  This is a bit different than normal pie crusts that want the butter cut into the flour.  This gets the crust to be more crisp and crumbly.  Add the egg, and powdered sugar, and beat in the flour.

Chill the dough for 30 minutes and then roll out on floured surface.  This makes great thin crusts for tarts of various sizes, or thicker.  Roll at 1/4 inch for a thicker crust.

Once you've set the crust in the backing pan, prick the bottom with a fork in various places and weigh it down.  The simplest way is put a sheet of aluminum foil and then fill it with dry beans.  The beans aren't hurt by the high heat, and can be stored again after they've cooled.  Bake the crust by itself (without filling) for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Decadent Chocolate Biscotti

1 stick of butter
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
2/3 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
optional - 1 c. walnuts or 1 c. pistacios or 1 c. dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.  Either: lightly grease a baking sheet OR use a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet

Beat the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy, add eggs one at a time, mixing them in.  Sift the dry ingredients into the mixture, blending it gradually with an electric mixer or stand mixer.  Stir in the chocolate chips and any optional ingredients.

I have had success with laying a sheet of parchment paper on the counter and shaping the loaf right on it and then just sliding the sheet onto the baking tray.

Turn out batter onto a floured surface and form into a large, slightly flattened loaf.  The loaf should be approximately 16x6 inches and roughly rectangular.  The mean thickness of the loaf should be about 1 inch, with the outer edges sloping down.

Bake the loaf for 30 minutes at 350.  When done take the loaf out, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F., and let it cool for 10 min.  After 10 minutes of cooling, move it to a safe cutting surface and using a very sharp knife, cut the loaf into strips 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick.  You should be able to divide the loaf into about 20-24 slices. Place these back on the baking sheet but with a little space between them and bake for another 20 minutes until they are dry and crispy.  Once cooked, transfer to cooling rack to cool and harden.

Cinnabon Clone

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature slightly beaten
⅓ cup butter, softened
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
½ cup white sugar
2½ teaspoons bread machine yeast -regular yeast if you make the dough without a machine


Filling
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tbsp butter, melted for brushing

Frosting
4 oz cream cheese
4 tbsp butter, softened
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar

Put the yeast into the milk and let it stand.  Put all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add eggs and softened butter, mix.  Add the milk and yeast and beat with dough hooks on an electric mixer until incorporated and thick. Knead with hands into a solid ball. Let rise in warm place for 90 minutes.

Mix filling and melt the butter. Roll out dough into a 24 x 16 rectangle. Brush with butter and spread the filling across the dough. Tightly roll it. Cut into 1 inch rolls with dental floss.

Brush 12x9 oblong glass baking tray with remaining butter and place the rolls into the pan. Let rise 30 minutes in warm place. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

While cooling, make the frosting. Beat butter and cream cheese together with vanilla and milk. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar.

Spread frosting on the rolls then serve.

Pastry for a Single-Crust Pie

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup shortening

¼ cup butter, cut up, or shortening

¼ cup cold water

Directions

In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Using pastry blender, cut in shortening and butter until pieces are pea size.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the flour mixture; toss with a fork. Push moistened pastry to side of bowl. Repeat moistening flour mixture, using 1 tablespoon of the water at a time, until flour mixture is moistened. Gather flour mixture into a ball, kneading gently until it holds together.

On a lightly floured surface use your hands to slightly flatten pastry. Roll pastry from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.

Wrap pastry circle around the rolling pin. Unroll into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it.

Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry even with the plate's edge. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick pastry. Fill and bake as directed in recipes.

Deep Dish Pastry Shell

Ingredients 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup cold water

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor combine the flour and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine the egg and water in a small bowl; add to the food processor and pulse until the mixture just begins to clump together. Transfer the mixture out onto a sheet of plastic wrap; fold the wrap over and press the crumbs until they hold together; shape into a circle. Wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out to a 15-inch circle. Carefully roll the pastry around the rolling pin and transfer to a 9x2 1/2-inch springform pan, pressing it into the sides. Trim the overhanging pastry to 1 inch and press it firmly against the outside of the ring to help prevent it from shrinking. Use the trimmings to fill any cracks. Freeze the shell for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place the springform pan on a baking sheet. Line the pastry shell with a double thickness of aluminum foil long enough to overhang the sides. Bake about 20 minutes or until the edge of the dough is lightly browned. Remove the foil and continue baking the pastry shell for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until lightly browned on the bottom. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the pastry cool.

Flaky Pastry Dough Recipe

FLAKY PASTRY
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. cold butter, cut into sm. pieces
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. vegetable shortening
1 egg, lightly beaten
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips. Work in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the egg and gather the dough into a ball. Flatten the dough into a 6 inch disk, wrap well and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out. Roll the pastry into a 12 inch circle. Fit loosely into a 10 inch glass pie dish. Pour pie filling into pie shell and bake approximately 45 minutes.