Linzer Sandwich Cookies

I found some Wilton Linzer Cookie Cutters at A.C. Moore when I was looking for Valentine baking ideas.  We don't always give each other gifts that we buy.   Sometimes a dinner out or a fancy dessert prepared by moi suffices.  I made a cake for Lee, but he also had been mentioning a decided lack of baked goods available in our pantry, related to my low carb diet that he does not follow.    So I also baked some cookies.  I think this wins in the gift giving race and I am ahead by one!  Not eating carbs reduces his gift choices for me, but we may take a trip for our anniversary, so that bumps him up again.

Good thing I'm not keeping score.

 

The Linzer cookie recipe was on the packaging for the cutter.  It is a sandwich cookie.  You cut out one shape, in this case a heart.  Then you use one of the supplied smaller cutters inside the heart shape and cut out a heart with a tiny window in it.  Spread the whole heart with a topping and lay the heart with the cutout on top and you have a wee window to the topping of your choice.

I chose a heart within the heart.  The skull and cross bones didn't fit my Valentine's Day theme.  grin 
I also chose red raspberry jam, also in keeping with the theme.  Although I did make one with Nutella and another with the leftover Hazelnut Buttercream frosting I made for the cake.

 

Linzer Sandwich Cookies

2 cups flour
2/3 finely ground almonds  I use almond meal from Trader Joe's
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup (approx.) seedless red raspberry jam   I took the jar out for the picture.  Keep yours cold until ready to use.
powdered sugar for dusting

 

Combine the flour, almond meal, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir with a fork to mix and set aside.

 

Use a stand mixer to beat the softened butter.  You want it light and fluffy and this takes muscle.  Let a Kitchen Aid do it for you!  Beat the butter for about 2 minutes.  Scrape it down and add the sugar.  Beat for two more minutes.

 

Add the egg and the vanilla and mix for about another 30 seconds.  Add about half of the flour and mix and then the rest of the flour and mix until combined.  Don't over mix.  You may need to stir by hand to get it all combined.

 

Divide the dough into two pieces. 

 

Shape into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap.  Chill for about 2 hours, or until firm enough to roll out.

 

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a Silpat. 

 

On a floured surface, roll out half of one of the disks to 1/8 inch.  Keep the other disk in the refrigerator until you finish with this one.  I found these great bands that you put on the rolling pin to roll dough out to the proper thickness.  The whole disk was too big to use with them, so I just did half at a time.  It helped to knead the disk a bit to warm it just a tad.  You will need to flour the rolling pin frequently, also.

 

Make sure the dough isn't sticking to the surface before you start to cut.  Otherwise you will distort the shapes getting them up.  I used my pastry cutter to loosen any stuck bits.  Keep plenty of flour handy to dust things often.  Knead, reroll the scraps and cut as many shapes as you can.

Cut half with the insert of your choice and half without.  I kept count on a piece of floury paper to make sure they came out even.  You won't get the same number from each disk.  I had one bottom left over, but it found a home,  Lee or Tara, can't remember which.  I also baked a few of the wee hearts from the center cutouts.  I baked these with the bigger cookies, same time and temperature and they were so cute.  Lee popped about 6 before I could spread some of the jam in between two and make mini sandwich cookies!

Bake for 10 -12 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.  Mine took 11 minutes.  Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.  Let cool completely.

 

I put paper towels under the cooling rack with all the top cookies, those with the cutout.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

 

Now get the jam out of the refrigerator.  Turn over one of the bottom cookies (no cutout) and spread about a teaspoon of the jam.

 

Don't go all the way to the edge or it may ooze a bit and make a mess.  Place a powdered top on the cookie and set aside.  I placed mine in a large container with a lid.  

 

If you made some of the mini hearts, drop a small dollop of jam on one and top it with another, bottoms facing.  Cute little treat!



I am not ashamed to say I did try one.  One.  It was delicious.  I sent some home with Tara and the rest are for Lee. 

So far he has eaten them when I am not looking.  I think it is because he already has the dog's eyes  following his hand to his mouth and back to the plate during every meal he eats.  He doesn't need me eyeing his every bite, too.  Hey, at least I don't drool.  Much.

Mixed Berry Pie with Almonds

I am not normally a pie aficionado.  I don't know why.  But lately I am loving fresh fruit pies, crisps and cobblers.  I saw a Rustic Berry Pie recipe I wanted to try.  It called for a 14 inch circle of pie crust. I didn't want to make the crust because you can buy wonderful pie crusts at the grocery store.  That makes for a quicker dessert!  But they don't come in 14 inch circles and smooshing them together and then rolling them out is not always successful. 

I decided to make a two crust pie and started looking for variations on a theme.  You can use tapioca or corn starch or flour for a thickener.  There are lots of different flavorings.  I liked this combination very much, so you might, too.

 

Mixed Berry Pie with Almonds

2  9-inch pie crusts
3 cups frozen blueberries, thawed and drained
2 cups frozen blackberries, thawed and drained
2/3 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
zest of one lemon
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided use
2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg,
2 Tablespoons Turbinado or raw sugar

 

Measure out the berries and let them drain while you get everything else ready.  Or do it before lunch and make the pie after lunch!

 

Set out the pie crusts, if you purchased them, so they will come to room temperature and be easier to use.

Preheat the oven to 375°.

 

I always like to spray anything I am baking something in.  Every time I don't, I am sorry.  So spray the pie baker.  I had some toasted sliced almonds and I decided to layer them on the crust.   I also had just purchased some Honey Roasted Sliced Almonds from Trader Joe's and I used them on the top of the pie.  You may use any sliced almonds, or skip the almonds entirely for a nut free pie!  They were tasty, though.

 

Place the corn starch, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Mix with a fork.  Place the drained berries on top and thoroughly mix.

 

Add the lemon zest.  Then cut the lemon in half and squeeze one half over the berries.  Make sure you don't get any seeds in the pie.  I didn't measure.  Stir.  Scrape the berry mixture into the pie crust and dot the top with the butter.

 

Place the second crust on top and crimp the edges.  Whip up the egg with a fork in a small bowl and brush over the top of the pie.  Sprinkle with raw sugar and the Honey Roasted or plain sliced almonds.

 

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Check the pie at 30 minutes.  The edges of my crust started to get too brown so I put some thin strips of foil over them for the remaining 25 minutes.  If you are the proactive type of person, you could cover them for the first 30 minutes and then take off the foil for the last 25 minutes.  You choose!

 

This pie was so good.  I loved the bite of almonds in the berry mix and the lemon was just the right amount.  A berry pie is a marvelous dessert on a summer evening.  Ice cream on top makes it even better.

 

A Visit to the Big City

There are many reasons to love living in the country.  When I hear a phone ring, I know it is MY phone.  OK.  Well, that dates me.  I have a house phone!  (When we lived in Laguna Niguel I would run in from the garden only to discover the ringing phone was not mine.)

I love the fact that neighbors are far away and I can't hear them and they can't hear me.  The views go as far as the eye can see and it is green and beautiful.  We have deer and turkey roaming freely and I don't have to follow my dog with a plastic bag and pick up behind him.

On the other hand, it takes 30 minutes to get into a decent sized city and trying to find certain items is an exercise in futility. 

My brother, Roland, and sister-in-law, Jane, live in Alexandria.  That is the definition of big city.  My daughter lives in Tyson's Corner and it is a shopping and business mecca.  There are massive stores of every variety.  And the massive traffic jams and crowds to go with that.  I love to visit family and I love to find any kind of store, but I am so grateful to leave all that congestion and come home.

While visiting, we made a side trip to an international market and Trader Joe's.  Trader Joe's is a favorite and they are everywhere.  Everywhere but HERE.  I need to start a letter writing campaign to get them to open a store in Roanoke. I can't make trips two and three hours away JUST to shop there, but I can shop when I am in a "Trader City".

 

It all started when Jane asked if I would like an almond croissant for breakfast.  Why, yes I would!  She got something out of the freezer, set it out and in the morning we had fresh baked croissants.  Who knew!  I feel like some yokel.  But now I have to have some.  Imagine fresh croissants any day you want. 

 

There are some other things I can't find in Roanoke and we decided to go to an international market

 

 AND Trader Joe's and stock up.

 
Dragon fruit.  I have no idea what it is and I didn't know if it would survive a trip home, so it will have to wait for another trip.


 

What is that? I don't know, so let's buy it and see. 

 

Look at all these things I got. 

 

I hope I don't fall in love with them, because I can't get them again for a while. 

 

Maybe that's a good thing.  I'm sure they are all fattening, so rare treats are probably for the best.

 

I also hit a Home Goods store and didn't buy any food.  But I did get some things I needed and for not a lot of money.  Remember that letter writing campaign?  Add them to the list.



RJ loved his giant sized beef pizzle.   And it was 1/3 the price at Trader Joe's of the pizzles at Petsmart.  You've never seen one?  Well, let's just say they are from steers and probably used to be something meat producers discarded, until they realized dogs love them.  They are an USA made treat and every dog I know loves them while their owners cringe just a wee bit.

Salad Kits

  

Lately I have discovered salad kits.  This doesn't mean that I have quit cooking/baking.  It means that the cooking/baking necessitate salad only meals.  So lots of times all we have for dinner is a salad from a kit.

Now, don't feel sorry for Lee.  He is frequently the instigator of these meals.  He doesn't see the point in eating three meals a day and if we eat out for one of those meals he claims he isn't hungry for hours.  Sometimes even the next morning.  I am not starving the man!

  

The nice thing about salad kits is that they have a mixture of greens, veggies, topping and dressings.  One bag is just right for the two of us.  Which is good, because they do not keep well.  Once the dressing is on you have to eat it.  They become a soggy mess overnight in the refrigerator.

  

They would also work for a family if there is a main dish.  Add a casserole or a protein and you are good to go.  We sometimes add in frozen pre-cooked chicken and then it is like a fancy restaurant salad.  Well it is no longer frozen when we add it of course.  Let it thaw and then heat it briefly.

  

These are from Walmart, but you can also buy some very nice ones at other grocery stores.  They can't compete with the salads from Trader Joe's, but they are a great idea for us.  We get a delicious salad with a lot of variety without having a bunch of produce go bad in the refrigerator bin.  They are inexpensive and not too bad on fat and calories. 

I like to add extras sometimes, onions are always good for me, cucumbers, shredded zucchini.  Use whatever you have.  You can even thinly slice a bit of leftover steak.  Let your imagination run.