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.

Oatmeal Cookies

Mimi Sheraton/Dieter Schorner's

Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe was published fairly recently in the NY Times, but it was originally published in the paper in 1981. The recipe is from Sheraton's book “Visions of Sugarplums”, one that I picked up a couple of years ago at Kitchen Arts and Letters, an incomparable bookstore in New York that specializes in everything food and drink. If you're ever looking for a cookbook or have a question about anything to do with cooking or baking, call them.

The Times credits Mimi Sheraton with this recipe because she published it, but Mimi credits Dieter Schorner. Schorner was the pastry chef at Le Cirque in 1981 when Le Cirque wore diamonds on the soles of its shoes.

This is a simple recipe from Schorner's childhood, an extraordinary recipe of memory.

In the Times, Sheraton writes, “Dieter Schorner, the pastry chef at Le Cirque, uses the following recipe to bake the cookies he remembers from his childhood in Germany. He loves the cookies still warm from the oven.” In her book, she quotes Schorner: “When we were children at home, it was our dream to eat these simple cookies warm from the oven.” 

She suggests you try them after only a few minutes of cooling, but in her recipe writes they are “really” meant to be eaten cold. You’ll decide if they’re better warm or cold. You’re the boss.

These aren’t American-style oatmeal cookies. They're neither crispy nor chewy; and they're not "natural" or "earthy." With no spices, save for some pure vanilla extract, you'll taste pure ingredients. No to brown sugar and no to eggs. Butter, flour, oats and raisins merge to produce perfect flavor and texture. Shortbread meets oatcake – cookie nirvana. I froze the lemon sole and ate them for dinner.

I’ve converted volume to weight measure (but retained the original measurements too .. phew), opted for unbleached flour and some organic ingredients and used European style butter. I adhered to Mimi’s/Dieter’s procedure. 

Always use the best quality ingredients you can obtain. It makes a difference.

Truc: If you don’t want to bake off all 5 dozen cookies at once, scoop cookies into balls and place them on a sheet pan that you’ve lined with either parchment or waxed paper. Place in the freezer. Once frozen, wrap well and store in an airtight container or plastic bag. Bake them directly from the freezer, adding time to the bake.

There are just seven ingredients in this recipe. Measure everything out. Grow accustomed to the luxury of mise en place.

To a beautiful and peaceful fall.

peace and love,

jane

Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted by Blue Heron Kitchen from Mimi Sheraton’s "Visions of Sugarplums"

Ingredients:

340.2 g./12 oz. unsalted butter, European style is best

214 g./7.5 oz. or 1 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (I always use Baldwin's)

2 tsp. sifted baking soda (sift it, it won't be clumpy)

264 g./9.3 oz. or 2 ¾ c. Old-Fashioned oats  - don't use instant!

      (I used Bob’s Red Mill organic oats. The recipe calls for Quaker brand.)

354 g./ 12.5 oz. or 2 ⅔ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

264 g./9.3 oz. or 1 ½ c. organic raisins

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Butter a cookie sheet and line with parchment. (Do this!)

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Stir in vanilla.

Add sifted baking soda and stir in.

Add oatmeal, flour and raisins and stir in thoroughly. Mix well.

Using your hands or a small cookie scoop, form dough into balls, each just a little larger than a walnut.

Place them about one inch apart on parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until pale golden brown. (Despite the baking soda, these will not spread much at all.)

Remove from paper and cool on rack. Although delicious when warm, “these are really meant to be eaten cold.” (Mimi Sheraton)

When cookies have cooled completely, pack in airtight containers.

Yield: approximately 5 dozen

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from Gluten-Free Girl by Blue Heron Kitchen

I've been fooling around with this really great gluten-free oatmeal cookie recipe for a while. The original recipe uses coconut flour and dried cherries (and it's fantastic!). But, for St. Patrick’s Day, gimme oats and currants. These are light, crisp, buttery and the dried fruit plays a starring role. 

Ingredients are by weight. Please use your kitchen scale. If you don’t have one yet, take a look at this one (in the U.S.) It's about $11.

If your almond flour isn’t finely ground and you have a Vitamix or a similar kitchen power tool, throw your almond meal into the dry mix container and pulse until finely ground. (Similarly, you can ‘mill’ your own oat flour from oats in a Vitamix!)

Truc: Mis-en-place! Be prepared! – Measure out all your ingredients and have them ready to add, one at a time. This will make you feel like Julia Child – or if don't know what the hell I’m talking about, think your favorite hottie from the TV Food Network or any cooking show you like on television.

These are so good that people who eat wheat will like them. 

In Irish, you’ll shout, “Tá mo Celia sásta!” (“My celia are happy!”) 

In any language, you won’t find a morsel of gluten in these fianáin iontach (fantastic cookies.)

peace, love and Bon folláin!

jane

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies

            Blue Heron Kitchen

Ingredients:

160 grams almond flour

20 grams oat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

180 grams (13 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, room temperature

200 grams brown sugar (light or dark, your choice)

150 grams granulated white sugar

1 egg, size large, room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (Baldwin’s is a wonderful choice.)

250 grams gluten-free oats (use "old-fashioned" and not "quick" oats)

250 grams dried currants (or raisins) (gluten-free)

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350º F. and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and set aside.

Weigh sugars and set aside.

Weigh oats and set aside.

Weigh currants (or ‘other’ dried fruit) and set aside.

Crack egg into small cup and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, by itself, until light and fluffy.

Add the sugars and continue to mix until thoroughly combined.

Add egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Dump in flour mixture and mix on low speed until it is incorporated, scraping down the bowl, as needed.

Add oats and dried fruit and mix until incorporated.

Using a cookie scoop or two teaspoons, space the cookies about 1 ½” apart on the cookie sheet, leaving them mounded.

Bake for about 8 minutes. Open the oven, and with the back of a fork, gently flatten or “deflate” each cookie.   

Turn the sheet front-to-back and continue to bake for approximately 5-8 minutes, depending on how large your cookies, how accurate your oven; and how you like them ‘done’.

Remove and cool until firm enough to remove from sheets. Transfer to racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight tin.

Yield: approx. 5 1/2 doz. - 2 1/2" cookies








Truc: If you don't want to bake them all at once, freeze the scooped raw cookies on a sheet, lined with waxed paper. Once frozen, wrap well. When you want to bake them off, don't defrost, bake directly from the freezer, adding additional baking time.