Good Things Cookies

 

This recipe is based on one from Fine Cooking magazine, adapted to our tastes. The combination of ingredients makes for a rich, delicious cookie that is perfect with a cup of tea. 

Good Things Cookies 

(makes 2 dozen cookies)

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl regularly. Add the egg, corn syrup, and vanilla; beat well. 

Add the flour, salt, and baking soda and mix until thoroughly combined. Scrape the bowl to ensure that all is well-mixed.

Add the oats, cranberries, pecans, and white chocolate chips. You may have to stir them in by hand, but my Kitchen Aid mixer did a fine job on slow speed. 

Spoon dough in heaping teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheets. 

Bake at 325 degrees for 13 minutes, or until edges and bottoms are golden. The middle may look soft. Let sit on the cookie sheets for a minute or two to set, then transfer to a cooling rack. 

Fond Farewell Cherry Almond Tart

 

Cherry season is a highlight of summer for me. I love the sweet rich taste of cherries and enjoy them for as long as I can. However, the day comes when cherries are no longer in the markets. I bought what might be the last cherries for this year, and decided to make a cherry tart with them. 

This recipe is a combination of two from Laura Calder's book Paris Express. I will warn you that this is not a very sweet concoction. It's also a thin tart, and quite light to eat. I took it to dinner with friends and we all agreed that it would also be wonderful as breakfast. 

Let's start with the crust. It's an easy one, for the "pastry-phobic" as Laura Calder puts it. 

Pastry:

1 cup (125 g) flour

1/3 cup (70 g) butter, cut into pieces

1 Tablespoon icing sugar (I might increase this to 2 T)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Put all of the ingredients into a food processor, pulse to fine crumbs that are barely beginning to hold together, and place in a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the crumbs evenly to line the bottom and sides of the pan. You want a good amount on the sides, and really press the dough into the fluted sides. Chill for 15 minutes while you make the filling.

Frangipane Filling:

1/2 cup (70 g) ground almonds

1/4 cup (55 g) butter

1/4 cup (55 g) sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Put the almonds, butter, sugar, and flour in a food processor and pulse until a paste forms. Add the egg yolk and almond extract; pulse until combined. 

Cherries:

2 cups (375 g) fresh sweet cherries, pitted and halved

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the frangipane filling gently over the crust. The crust is fragile and I found it easiest to dot the frangipane over, then place it in the oven for 5 minutes to soften and make it easier to spread. 

Arrange the cherry halves over top of the filling. 

Bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before removing from the pan. Dust with a little sifted icing sugar, if desired. 

Panna Cotta with Summer Fruit

 

The ideal summer dessert, to me, is cool and light, and definitely something that can be made ahead. We're in the midst of our third heat wave this summer. Guests are coming for dinner and last night I put 8 lovely ramekins of Panna Cotta in the fridge where they will lounge about, coolly waiting for dinner. 

Yes, I unmolded one ahead of time to take the photo. 

The fruit is a cooked cherry compote to which I added fresh blackberries and the very last of our garden's blueberries. Any fruit would be good and I'll leave that part up to your imagination. 

Panna Cotta (for 6) 

1 cup whole milk

1 cup whipping cream (unwhipped)

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons good vanilla

2 1/2 teaspoons unflavoured gelatin

2 Tablespoons cold water

1 cup plain yogurt (I used 3.5% fat)

Heat the whole milk and whipping cream along with the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it steams. Do not let it boil. 

Meanwhile, soften the gelatin in the cold water. 

When the milk is steaming, add the gelatin and stir until completely dissolved. Whisk in the vanilla and yogurt. 

Pour into individual ramekins which have been very lightly oiled. 

Place into the fridge for several hours. Unmold, or serve in the ramekins with a fresh fruit sauce, or simply a handful of summer berries.