Raspberry Bakewell Flapjacks

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Raspberry Bakewell Flapjacks

Adapted from Lyle’s Golden Syrup by My Little Blue Heron Kitchen

Dedicated to Leon Pozniakow 

Flapjacks have become my obsession. In the U.S., flapjacks are ‘pancakes’, but to the British, they’re sweet treats made from oats. British oats, porridge oats, seem to be different than our "American" oats (like Bob's Red Mill or Trader Joe's). They seem much softer, so I recommend using them. I like Flahavan's porridge oats. You can, of course, find them on Amazon. Try to get to a local shop that carries imports from the UK or Ireland. Also, so wonderful and special: Lyle’s Golden Syrup (or light treacle syrup that has this remarkable and addictive butterscotch taste), and Demerara sugar, a sugar that is different in taste: it’s richly caramel (originally from Guyana and more often now from Mauritius, Africa).  I recommend getting these ingredients for your pantry. You'll need Lyle's Golden Syrup to make this confection. You can probably noodle your way around the oats and Demerara sugar, but I wouldn't.

Maybe you know what a Bakewell Tart or Pudding is, but I didn't until I read about it. Here's what I found out: “Bakewell” refers to the infamous Bakewell Tart. Wikipedia: “A Bakewell tart is an English confection consisting of a shortcrust pastry shell beneath layers of jam, frangipane, and a topping of flaked almonds. It is a variant of the Bakewell pudding, closely associated with the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire.” So to make a mock Bakewell Tart, we have oats, butter, and caramel sweeteners for our shortcrust pastry, raspberry jam, and ground and extract of almonds as stand-ins for frangipane. And our topping is, of course, almonds.  

If you're nut-free or don't like or tolerate almonds, try coconut and vanilla extract. (There's always chocolate, but if you do opt for chocolate, give unsweetened chocolate chips a try. Pascha makes them and they're amazing. You can buy them directly, or from other places like Vitacost and some markets and of course the "A" word). Fool around with different fillings and jams. You're the boss.

 

Raspberry Bakewell Flapjacks

Ingredients:

225 g unsalted butter  

6 Tbsp. Lyle’s Golden Syrup

110 g. brown or Demerara sugar 

375 g. Irish porridge oats (I use Flahavan’s)

24 g. ground almonds 

generous pinch of kosher salt

1/2 tsp. almond extract (if using vanilla, use 1 tsp.)

5 Tbsp. raspberry jam at room temperature

Sliced or chopped slivered almonds to cover the flapjacks

Procedure:

• Heat the oven to 350º F.

• Grease and line an 8 x 8 baking tin with parchment.  I spray my baking tin with ghee spray before lining it. N.B.: These bars are soft and chewy. So, if you prefer a crispier product, opt for a 9 x 11 pan. Bake time will be shorter, and your flapjacks won't be soft. It's personal .. like chocolate chip cookies.

• In a medium bowl, measure porridge oats. Whisk in salt and either ground almonds or coconut. Set aside. 

• Place the butter, golden syrup and soft brown or Demerara sugar in a large heavy-based pan. (A non-stick wok or large saucier will work well.) mlbh truc: if you're pouring from a jar rather than scooping from a tin (I do) your Lyle's syrup, coat the measuring spoon with some butter (I use ghee spray.) Less to lick, but it literally slides off the spoon with no waste or mess!

• Heat gently, stirring occassionally, until the butter and sugar have just melted. This should take a few minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and dump in the porridge oats mixture. Add extract and stir until well combined.

• Spread half the mixture into the prepared baking tin, (a silicone spatula or large silicone spoon works beautifully!) to smooth and level the surface. Be sure the bottom is covered completely and make sure you leave enough mixture to completely cover the jam.

• After you've dolloped the raspberry jam, with a light touch, spread evenly over the surface. A small spatula or even the back of a spoon will work.

• Next, gently spread the remaining oat mixture over the layer of jam, smoothing the surface, taking care to cover the jam surface completely. 

• Sprinkle the sliced or chopped slivered almonds or coconut on top.

Bake in center of preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and place pan on rack, leaving flapjacks in the pan until cooled. (If you remove from the tin before cooled, you’ll be left with a hot mess.)

• When completely cooled, lift flapjacks from pan, and place on surface where you can carefully remove from parchment. A flat spatula or large icing spatula works well. Using a sharp knife, cut into squares. The flapjacks will be soft and chewy.

• Cool completely before wrapping. Store at room temperature, wrapped well in an airtight container for a couple of days. You can keep them in the fridge and bring them to room temperature before serving. Flapjacks may be frozen. 

Yield 16 - 2" squares. Fewer, if you prefer larger bars.

Masala Chai Ginger Scones

Masala Chai Ginger Scones

with ginger glaze

Adapted from Joanne Chang by Blue Heron Kitchen

If you live in America, you’ve been battling a severe winter. It’s cold and it won’t stop snowing. 

Today, forget snow and sleet and ice and that you can’t remember the last time you went for a walk. Add these ingredients to your Fresh Direct delivery. Warm your kitchen and make your weary friends, fam and snow blower angels happy with masala (that means ‘spice’) chai (that means ‘tea’) scones.

Ahead of time note: You will have to infuse your cream and buttermilk with the chai (tea) by heating and then re-chilling the liquids. (Go out and shovel.)

Truc: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, to make it: Emeril Lagasse (!) published this on the Food Network. Easy, You’ll need milk and white vinegar or lemon juice.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/homemade-buttermilk-recipe.html

Chai: The chai that you use will flavor your scones. I'm a fan of UptonTeas. I buy my tea from these nice people online and their masala chai is lovely. I’ve had some masala chai teas that have a too much black pepper in them (ugh). If yours does, your scone will bite you. Fortnum and Mason’s masala chai is also gorgeous. But whatever chai you choose, DON’T use a sweetened chai.

It's important that the butter is cold and firm - that way when you mix it into your dry ingredients, some of the butter remains unmixed and is recognizable. This is the same technique when putting together a pate brisée (flakey pie crust). These unmixed little pieces of butter melt while baking, creating steam and air pockets! Result: (as long as you don't overdue it with mixing, which will also toughen your scones) light and flakey.

Adapted from Joanne Chang’s gorgeous book, Flour, I’m so happy to share this with you. (Pick up a copy of her book. It’s spectacular!)

The glaze for these scones can be refrigerated for about a week. If you want to freeze some of the unbaked scones (also, for about a week), you’ll have glaze on hand.

Let it snow rain in California!

peace and love,

jane

Masala Chai Ginger Scones

Ingredients for the scones:

2 ¾ cup (400 grams) all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 Tbsp. Masala Chai tea  (Do not use sweetened tea!)
1/3 cup (70 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup (80 grams) finely chopped crystallized ginger
14 tablespoons (7 ounces; 200 grams) unsalted butter
½ cup (120 grams) buttermilk
½ cup (120 grams) heavy cream
1 egg, size large (cold)

  

Procedure:

Ahead of time note for Masala Chai Scones:

For masala chai scones: place ½ c. cream and ½ c. buttermilk in a small saucepan. Add 1 Tbsp. masala chai tea (Upton Tea), cover and bring to a simmer and turn to low. In the lowest heat, cook the chai for approx. 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat, strain into a measuring cup, replacing any evaporated liquid to measure 1 cup with buttermilk or cream or a combination. Place in fridge and chill.

Preheat oven to 350º F. and position rack in center of the oven. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, briefly mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, sugar, and crystallized ginger until combined.

Cut the butter into 8-10 pieces and add to the flour mixture; paddle for about 30 seconds on medium low speed until the butter is somewhat broken down but there are still pieces that are obvious and visible (about ½”).

Whisk together the chilled buttermilk/heavy cream and egg until thoroughly combined.

With the mixer running on low speed, pour in the liquid and continue to paddle for another 20-30 seconds until the dough comes together. There may be a little loose flour mixture at the bottom of the bowl. This is good.

Remove the bowl from the mixer. Gather and lift the dough in your hands and turn it over in the bowl so that it starts to pick up the loose flour at the bottom. Turn the dough over in the bowl several times until all of the loose flour is mixed in.

Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently roll (pat) out the dough about an inch thick.

Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles of scone dough, rerolling the scraps as necessary until they are all used up. (Truc: If you like, you can shape the dough into a long rectangle and cut on the angle, forming triangular scone.)

Truc: At this point the scones can be frozen, wrapped well, unbaked for up to a week. Add 5-10 minutes to baking time and proceed as
directed.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes until the scones are a light golden brown.

Cool on a cooling rack and when slightly cooled, spoon warm ginger glaze over each scone. The ginger glaze will set.

Scones are (always) best served the day they are baked; you may store them tightly wrapped for one day.

Yield 6-8 large scones

Ginger glaze

 

Ingredients:

2 ½  oz. (5 Tbsp./ 75g) butter, salted or unsalted (if you use unsalted, sprinkle in ¾ tsp. salt)

2 Tbsp. Lyle’s Golden Syrup (If you’re in the U.S., available at most supermarkets, markets with “International” aisles (it’s British) or online at Amazon.com)

3/4 c. (90g) 10X (powdered) sugar, sifted

1 Tbsp. powdered dried ginger

Procedure:

In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt butter, Golden Syrup together.

Add powder sugar and ginger and whisk together until glaze is smooth and liquid.

Glazed Ginger Shortbread

Glazed Ginger Shortbread
Adapted from David Lebovitz by Blue Heron Kitchen

David Lebovitz writes that these cookies were inspired by the Ginger Crunch recipe from a cookbook called “The Edmonds Cookery Book”, first published in 1908. Edmonds is a company in New Zealand that produces baking powder. Please check out David's blog (you can link to it under "The Mother Blogs"). You'll want to subscribe.

If you love ginger and butter (or with options to further enhance flaor with cardamom or rose), you’ll adore these. And Ginger Rogers?  Yuz honors, I rest my case:

The glaze calls for Lyle’s (or other brand) golden syrup. Most U.S. markets are growing up and are selling this wonderful syrup from the U.K. If you can’t find it, try some dark corn syrup. If you’re opposed or don’t have any, you can fool around with honey or rice syrup. Agave’s okay, but it’s kind of runny and thin. If you’re committed to Agave, use the darker one.

Use a 13- by 4-inch (34cm x 10cm) rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom. If you don’t have this size, use one that renders similar area. You can use an 8-inch (20cm) square cake pan or a 20 x 30 centimeter rectangular pan, but if you do, line the bottom with a wide piece of foil leaving an overhang over the sides of the pan, then smoothing the sides and buttering the inside. Once the bars are finished, you should be able to lift the foil (and the bars) from the pan easily.

If the dough is giving you a hard time and won't come together, dampen your hands and knead the dough until it does. (It doesn’t need to be perfect.) Transfer the dough to the pan and use the heel of your hand to press it evenly into the bottom. Remember, you're the boss.

Ingredients:

Cookie base
4 1/2 ounces (9 tablespoons, 125g) unsalted butter, room temperature [it should be very soft - truc: to hasten this process, cut butter into slices.]
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g) [I used sugar infused and perfumed with cardamom ... see below*]
1 1/2 cup (210g) unbleached all-purpose flour [I use King Arthur brand]
1 teaspoon baking powder [Rumford brand - aluminum free. Be sure it's fresh.]
1 1/2 teaspoons ground dried ginger [Be sure it's fresh. In the U.S., Penzey's is a good resource.]

Icing
2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons, 75g) butter, salted or unsalted [if you use unsalted, add a pinch of salt; it’s better with some salt.]
2 tablespoons Lyle’s Golden Syrup [available at better markets, markets with “International” aisles (it’s European!) or online at Amazon.com]
3/4 cup (90g) powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon ground dried ginger

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC.) Butter a 13-inch rectangular tart pan or another pan (see above).

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or by hand in a large bowl, make the cookie base by creaming the butter with the sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger.

3. Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture until well-combined. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead it until the dough is relatively smooth. (If the dough is dry, dampen your hands to add a bit of moisture.)

4. Press the dough into the prepared pan and flatten the surface.

5. Bake the dough for 15-20 minutes, until it’s light golden brown.

6. Five to ten minutes before the dough is done, making the icing by heating the 2 1/2 ounces of butter and golden syrup in a small pan, then mix in the sifted (ALWAYS sifted!) powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon ginger, stirring until smooth.

7. When you take the shortbread out of the oven, pour the warm icing over the cookie base. Let sit for about 20 to 30 minutes, then remove from the pan and slice while still slightly warm.

I sliced them in accordance with the pan’s fluting, so with this tart pan, the recipe yielded about two dozen fairly thin cookies. You can slice them thicker if you want to, say, sell them in an independent coffee shop.

 * To make cardamom sugar: use a glass jar and pour about 1/3 of the way up with granulated sugar, add whole green cardamom (about one heaping tablespoon), pour another 1/3 of the way up and add another heaping tablespoon. Close the jar and in a few days, your sugar will be infused! The sugar will ‘keep’ for six months to a year. It’s great in recipes like this one, or sprinkled on top of scones or biscuits. 
For rose sugar: follow directions above, replacing cardamom with edible, dried rose buds. Rose sugar is gorgeous. You'll use it in butter cookies, buttercream, meringue and la vie en..xo