Wish Fulfillment, The Blog

Photos and recipe courtesy of pastry studio

Before you leave behind the flip flops and backyard barbecues, here’s one final huzzah! Figs, like many fruit, have two growing seasons. You might have noticed them popping up again in stores and farmers’ markets, because they bear fruit both during late spring and in late summer. Fold up all the goodies of summer, like figs and berries, into a rustic galette. Summer isn’t over yet, and this sweet, flaky dessert proves it!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 oz butter, cold and cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup chilled water

• 1 1/2 lb fresh mission figs, sliced in quarters
• 1 pint raspberries
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar, to taste
• melted butter and sugar for finishing

Directions

1. Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until you have some small pieces and some a bit larger. Be sure to coat each piece with flour. Add the cold water and mix gently, using a pastry scraper to fold the dough onto itself two or three times.
2. Gather the dough without mixing too much or applying a lot of pressure or squishing it too much. It will look a bit of a mess and you will wonder how it will ever transform into anything useful, but resist the temptation to overwork it.
3. Place the dough on a piece of plastic wrap. Gather tightly and chill thoroughly.
4. When the dough is ready to roll, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Let the chilled dough rest on a lightly floured board for a few minutes so it can soften just a bit to prevent cracking. Then roll the dough out to a 14” circle about 1/8”thick, moving the dough and keeping the board lightly floured as needed. When you have the desired shape, lift the pastry onto a parchment covered pizza sheet pan. Chill for about a half hour.
5. Place the figs in a bowl and toss with sugar. Gently incorporate the raspberries and place the fruit onto the surface of the pastry, leaving about a 2” border all the way around. Neaten up your pile so the fruit is evenly distributed. (Alternatively, you can carefully arrange a pattern of figs and add the raspberries last.)
6. Now start to lift and gather the dough up and on top of the fruit, being careful not to create any cracks. Work with both hands, one keeping the folded dough in place and the other doing the pleating. Brush the border of dough with butter and dust the dough and the fruit with a last sprinkle of sugar.
7. Bake for about 40 – 50 minutes, until the dough is crisp and browned. Cool on a wire rack to keep the bottom crunchy.

Photos and recipe courtesy of Framed

They provide companionship, entertainment, assistance, and are loyal to the very end. Let’s hear it for the canines in our lives on August 26th! We’ve heard of some grrreat ways to celebrate, such as adopting a new pup, holding a costume contest, staging a photo shoot, or pampering your pooch and then having a lazy nap day! Whatever you choose, don’t forget snack time! Here are two dog-gone tasty recipes for both of you to enjoy – just make sure to keep the chocolate chips away from your furry friends!

Puppy Chow (for humans!)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 9 cups Chex cereal (Any variety. I used Wheat Chex)
• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Place peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave for one minute, then stir to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Microwave an additional 30 seconds if not fully melted. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla and stir well.
3. Put the Chex into a large bowl and pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal. Mix it up throughly, making sure all the cereal gets coated.
4. Divide the cereal mixture into two gallon-sized plastic zip-lock bags. Add one cup of powdered sugar to each bag and shake the bag gently until the cereal is well-dusted with sugar.
5. Spread the cereal on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and refrigerate for one hour. Store in refrigerator in between servings.

Photos and recipe courtesy of Pennies on a Platter

Puppy Chow (for dogs!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup margarine
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 cups whole wheat flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine, and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Grease cookie sheets.
2. Thoroughly stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, Cheddar cheese, and egg. Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until a stiff dough has formed.
3. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface (I just kneaded with the hook attachment in my KitchenAid), mixing in additional flour as necessary until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2″ thickness. Cut with cookie cutter and place 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
4. Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool before serving. Store in a loosely covered container.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Confessions of a Cookbook Queen

Not that we could ever get tired of ice cream, but the cleverness of these rice krispie treat cones are too good not to share. Make them for a party or snack and watch the kids delight in the secrets they hold inside!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups mini marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies
• Cones
• Candy melts in the colors of your choice
• Sprinkles
• Small candies to put inside the cones

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large pan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in Rice Krispies. I usually let this sit long enough to cool off a bit, it sticks together better and is easier to work with. Spray an ice cream scoop and your hands with Pam.  Using the scoop, form ice cream scoops out of the Krispie treat mixture. Set scoops on a waxed paper lined baking sheet and stick in the freezer for several minutes to set up.
2. While the Krispie scoops are setting up, melt the candy melts in a bowl according to the instructions on the bag. Remove scoops from freezer and dip in the melted candy. You may have to roll the scoop around to completely cover it. Place scoops on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with toppings while still wet. Place tray in freezer until candy coating has hardened.
3. Fill cones with candy. Spread melted candy on the tops of the cones and place a finished scoop on top. Press down and place in the refrigerator or freezer until set. This will stick the scoop to the cone and prevent it from falling off.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Choosy Beggars

Pancake: a thin, flat cake prepared from a batter and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan.

Dutch Baby: A custardy German version made by baking eggs, flour and milk in a metal pan and served with fresh squeezed lemon, butter, and powdered sugar or fruit toppings or syrup. Ten times tastier than a pancake, as far as we’re concerned.

There’s very little one can do to improve a crispy-on-the-outside, eggy-on-the-inside Dutch Baby. It takes the best of pancakes, Yorkshire pudding, and popovers and combines them into one perfect breakfast feast, large enough for two! If you can know an awesome diner that still sells these babies, we’re intensely jealous. For those who don’t, they can now be made at home! All the ingredients are at your fingertips – the oven-safe skillet might be harder to find, but we recommend it, as there’s no other easy way to get that fluffy rise. This recipe guilds the lily with a seasonal blueberry sauce – perfect if you’re craving something leaning towards pancakes.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• pinch salt
• 1 tbsp butter
• icing sugar to dust
• lemon slices, optional

• blueberries  (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 lemon (juice only)
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• pinch salt

• 6-8″ cast iron or oven safe ceramic skillet

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 475ºF with the racks in the middle.
2. Stir together the flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.  Crack in the eggs and add the milk and vanilla.
3. Whisk the mixture until it is like a thin crepe batter.  Don’t overdo it, it’s okay if there are a few wee lumps of flour left to float around, but you should get a bit of a froth on top of the batter when you stop whisking.
4. Set the batter aside to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
5. Put the blueberries in a heat proof dish with a lid, like a Corning Ware.  Sprinkle on the sugar, nutmeg and pinch of salt.  Drizzle in the water and lemon juice.
6. Put the lid on your dish and microwave on the lowest possible heat setting for 2 minutes.  Give them a stir, and microwave on very low heat for an additional 2 minutes.
7. Put the empty and dry pan in your oven to heat up for at least 10 minutes.  The key to an excellent and light popover/Yorkshire pud/Dutch Baby is to have a screaming hot pan, sizzling fat, and rested batter.
8. When the pan is well heated, carefully take it out of the oven (mind your hands and use sturdy oven mitts, please) and dab in the pat of butter.  Because the pan is so hot, the butter will start to brown quickly.  As it melts, swirl it around in the pan to coat the sides. Move quickly, because you don’t want your pan to lose it’s heat.
9. Turn the heat on the oven down to 425ºF.
10. Immediately tuck it into the oven and let it cook, undisturbed (don’t you dare open the oven door and let that glorious heat out!) for 12-15 minutes, or until the top is richly browned and you simply don’t see how it could puff any higher.

10. When the Dutch Baby deflates there will be a well in the center.  Sprinkle the pancake with icing sugar to make it all pretty-like, and then dollop the blueberry syrup into the center of the well.  Serve the additional blueberry syrup on the side.

Photo and recipe courtesy of The District Domestic

On the anniversary of France’s independence, why not make some fresh, flaky croissants? From the country that brings us foie gras, brie and macarons comes what is arguably the most recognizable gastronomical breakfast pastry! Delicious both alone or with almond or chocolate paste inside!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk, heated to warm (105°F–110°F)
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp plus 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 3 3/4 to 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) really cold unsalted butter

Directions

1. Stir together warm milk, brown sugar, and yeast in bowl of standing mixer and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If it doesn’t foam, discard and start over – the yeast was dead.) Add 3 3/4 cups flour and salt and mix with dough hook at low speed until dough is smooth and very soft, about 7-9 minutes.
2. Transfer dough to a work surface and knead by hand 2 minutes, adding more flour as necessary, a little at a time, to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Form dough into a roughly 1 1/2-inch-thick rectangle and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until cold, about 1 hour.
3. After dough has chilled, arrange sticks of butter horizontally, their sides touching, on a work surface. Pound butter with a rolling pin to soften slightly (butter should be malleable but still cold). Scrape butter into a block and put on a kitchen towel (flour sack towels work best), then cover with other towel. Pound and roll out on both sides until butter forms a uniform 8- by 5-inch rectangle. Chill, wrapped in towels, while rolling out dough. (Don’t skimp on the chilling – it’s important to not let the butter “melt”)
4. Unwrap dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour as necessary and lifting and stretching dough (especially in corners), into a 16- by 10-inch rectangle. Arrange dough with a short side nearest you. Put butter in center of dough so that long sides of butter are parallel to short sides of dough. Fold as you would a letter: bottom third of dough over butter, then top third down over dough. Brush off excess flour with pastry brush.
5. Turn dough so a short side is nearest you, then flatten dough slightly by pressing down horizontally with rolling pin across dough at regular intervals, making uniform impressions. Roll out dough into a 15- by 10-inch rectangle, rolling just to but not over ends.
6. Brush off any excess flour. Fold in thirds like a letter, as above, stretching corners to square off dough, forming a 10- by 5-inch rectangle. (You have completed the first “fold.”) Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, 1 hour.
7. Make remaining “folds”: Make 3 more folds in same manner, chilling dough 1 hour after each fold, for a total of 4 folds. (If any butter oozes out while rolling, sprinkle with flour to prevent sticking.) Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours but no more than 18 (after 18 hours, dough may not rise sufficiently when baked).
8. Roll out and cut dough: Cut dough in half and chill 1 half, wrapped in plastic wrap. Roll out other half on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour as necessary and stretching corners to maintain shape, into a 16- by 12-inch rectangle. Brush off excess flour with pastry brush and trim edges with a pizza wheel or sharp knife.
9. Arrange dough with a short side nearest you. Cut in half horizontally and chill 1 half. Cut remaining half vertically into thirds, forming 3 rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally in half to make 2 triangles, for a total of 6 triangles.
10. Shape croissants: Holding short side (side opposite tip) of 1 triangle in one hand, stretch dough, tugging and sliding with other hand toward tip to elongate by about 50 percent.
11. Return to work surface with short side of triangle nearest you. Beginning with short side, roll up triangle toward tip. (Croissant should overlap 3 times, with tip sticking out from underneath; you may need to stretch dough while rolling.)
12. Put croissant, tip side down, on a parchment-lined large baking sheet. (Curve ends inward to make a crescent shape if desired.)
13. Make more croissants with remaining 5 triangles, then with remaining rolled-out dough, arranging them 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Repeat rolling, cutting, and shaping procedures with chilled piece of dough.
14. Slide each baking sheet into a garbage bag, propping up top of bag with inverted glasses to keep it from touching croissants, and tuck open end under baking sheet.
15. Let croissants rise until slightly puffy and spongy to the touch, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
16. Adjust oven racks to upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 425°F.
17. Remove baking sheets from bags. Spritz inside oven generously with spray bottle and close door. Put croissants in oven, then spritz again before closing door. Reduce temperature to 400°F and bake 10 minutes without opening door.
18. Switch position of sheets in oven and rotate sheets 180°, then reduce temperature to 375°F and bake until croissants are deep golden, about 10 minutes more.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Cupcake Project

The first and last watermelon of the summer are always a memorable occasion. If you love a refreshing slice as much as we do, you probably also always have one or two globes lying around! We’ve never seen this kind of watermelon syrup before – it’s so unique but it just makes sense! Capture the sweet essence of this seasonal fruit in an elixir that can be used even when it’s not summer! Use it on pancakes, popsicles, or oatmeal and spread the leftover watermelon “butter” on pastries! With no added ingredients, not even sugar, this is the perfect recipe for those times you’ve bought one watermelon too many!

Ingredients

1 seedless watermelon (I used a 16 lb watermelon and ended up with 3 cups of syrup)

Directions

1. Cut the watermelon into small pieces and throw it in a food processor (you’ll probably need to do this in batches unless you have a really big food processor).  Process until it’s liquified.
2. Simmer the watermelon liquid in a large, heavy-bottomed pot on medium-low heat for eight hours, stirring periodically to ensure that the syrup isn’t scorching.
3. Strain the syrup in a sieve.  Keep both parts – the smooth red watermelon syrup and the thick watermelon pulp.