Tender Apple Pastries / Mürbe Apfelschnitten

These are, quite simply, the best I have ever tasted in a long and varied career of enjoying apple pastries! The pastry is unlike any other I know. An Austrian woman I knew over 20 years ago gave me the recipe after I raved over it; it can be used to make all sorts of things but my favorite is this apple version. I made them today and my husband is still swooning...
Don't freak out because there is yeast in the recipe. You don't really allow it to rise much, if at all, but it adds something irreplaceable to the flavor and texture. Best eaten still warm, but wonderful at room temperature as well. Chilling does the flavor no favors.


Ingredients for pastry:
400g / 14 ounces plain flour
Pinch of salt
200g / 7 ounces cold, unsalted butter
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 TBS warm milk
2 TBS sugar
2 tsp. dry yeast OR 1/2 cube live baker's yeast cake

How to make it:
In a small bowl, whisk together warm milk and sugar. Crumble 1/2 the yeast cake into this, or sprinkle the dry yeast over, and stir well. Set aside in a warm place to proof (it should foam up a bit) while doing the next step.
In a larger bowl, stir together the flour and salt.
Grate the cold butter into this mixture using the large holes of a cheese grater, tossing so each bit gets coated. (This is a fabulous Austrian trick for incorporating butter into dough.) Alternatively, cut it in finely with a pastry cutter or 2 knives.
When the yeast mixture has proofed, whisk the 2 egg yolks lightly and stir them into the yeast mixture.
Dump all this over the flour mixture and, with your hands, quickly work into a smooth dough.
Divide dough in half and press 1/2 of it evenly into a shallow 9"x14" (25cm x 35cm) baking pan.
Set aside the other half.

Ingredients for the apple filling:
3 large apples (preferably a firmish sort)
2 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 TBS dry breadcrumbs
(1 1/2 TBS cream + 1 tsp. sugar) - near the end of baking

How to make it:
Sprinkle bottom crust evenly with breadcrumbs.
Peel, core and grate the apples.
Toss them with the sugar and cinnamon and spread evenly over the breadcrumbs, right to the edges of the pastry.
Roll out remaining half of pastry and cut off any overlapping edges. Tuck the pastry in to seal the apple juices inside.
Prick top layer all over evenly with a fork.
Now start to preheat your oven to 170°C / 325°F, and let the pastry stand in a warm place for 15 minutes. It may rise just a bit.
Whisk together the cream and sugar but don't use it yet.
Bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes or until light golden brown.
Remove from oven and brush with cream and sugar mixture.
Return to oven for another 10 minutes or until dry and richly golden brown.
Cool for at least 20 minutes before eating, with or without whipped cream.
You can also sprinkle powdered sugar over the top for a "company" effect. Do this just before serving.

Moroccan Lamb, Almond & Apricot Tagine

This is a really lovely meal-- truly delicious and very little work. After browning things in a pan, you whack it in the oven and forget about it. Serve with couscous, bulgur or the simple rice recipe included here. Serves 4 if you have a nice vegetable dish on the side.


Ingredients for tagine:
2 TBS olive oil
500g/1 lb., 2 oz. lamb neck or shoulder, cut into chunks (not too small; 1 1/2-2" is good)
1 large onion, peeled and chopped coarsely
1 clove garlic, pressed or chopped finely
1 tsp. ground ginger, or grate some fresh
1 cinnamon stick or 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
8-10 oz. lamb, beef or chicken broth
75g/2 1/4 oz. blanched whole almonds
100g/3 1/2 oz. dried apricots, halved or quartered
1 TBS thick dark honey

How to make it:
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
Heat the oil hot in a large frying pan and brown the lamb, in 2 batches to prevent crowding, for 2-3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and place in an ovenproof casserole with a tight-fitting lid.
Turn the heat to medium and add onion to pan. Cook 2-3 minutes or until softened but not browned.
Add garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf and and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
Pour this over the lamb, stir, and add the almonds and apricots.
Add just enough broth to barely cover the lamb. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hr., or until lamb is fork-tender. Drizzle honey over tagine and serve over turmeric rice or the other options above.

Ingredients for turmeric rice:
200g/7 oz. long-grain rice
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. turmeric
Juice of 1 lemon

How to make it:
Cook rice according to usual directions, adding salt and turmeric powder to the cooking water.
Drain well and stir in the lemon juice just before serving.
Sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro or parsley leaves, if desired.

Hot Artichoke-Parmesan Dip

Don't let the name put you off; this dip is wonderful. I consider it a full meal, though in the USA it's usually served as an appetizer. An excellent party food, too.


Ingredients:
2 green onions
2 jars artichoke hearts in oil (about 1 1/2 cups drained)
1 clove fresh garlic
1 8-oz. package softened cream cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise, sour cream, or a combination of the two
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling on top
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Optional additions:
chopped pimiento
small capers

How to make it:
Preheat oven to 350° F / 175°C.
Chop the green onions, not too finely.
Drain the artichoke hearts and chop them as well, not too finely.
Peel and crush the garlic clove.
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream/mayo and grated Parmesan until creamy and smooth.
Add the vegetables and any additions you wish; stir well.
Taste, and add S&P to your taste.

Turn into a shallow overproof dish. Sprinkle with more Parmesan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until hot through, bubbly and starting to brown on top.
Serve with crackers, toasted Pita triangles, or any sturdy conveyor.

Serve lots of cold beer or chilled white wine and enjoy this treat!

Danish Puff

This is a delicious dessert which was popular in the 70s. Is it a strudel? A Danish pastry? A tart? Yes. It combines the best of each of those, with far less work than you might think. Very impressive to serve to guests.
The tender yet crispy base is the simplest of hand-formed butter pastries (no rolling out) and the topping is a basic chou recipe, the same dough used for cream puffs and eclairs. Though loaded with butter, the only sugar in the whole recipe is in the glaze. And you won't miss it!
DO NOT try substituting margarine for this-- it's butter or nothing!


Ingredients:
For the crust:
1/2 cup cold butter
1 cup flour
2-3 TBS cold water
Dash salt (ONLY if you are using unsalted butter)

For the topping:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 tsp. almond extract or 5-6 drops concentrated almond oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
Dash salt (again, only if using unsalted butter)
3 large eggs, at room temperature

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 TBS soft butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. each almond and lemon extracts (or less almond oil, and 1 tsp. lemon juice)
Up to 2 TBS milk to thin as necessary
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts OR toasted slivered almonds

How to make it:
In a small bowl (or in food processor), cut the butter into the flour until butter is the size of small peas. Add salt if using.
Bind with just enough cold water to make a malleable dough.
Handling dough as gently as possible, halve it and with your hands, form each into about a 12"x4" rectangle on a baking sheet. Pinch up the edges so the crust has a rim all around.
Chill this, or store in a cool place, while making the topping.

Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
In a saucepan, melt butter (cut into chunks) together with water, stirring, until all the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a full, rolling boil, climbing the sides of the saucepan.
Remove from heat and turn the heat to LO.
Immediately dump all the flour (and salt if using) into the butter/water mixture at once, return to low heat, and beat furiously with a wooden spoon until it is all absorbed and smooth. It will clean the sides of the pan when mixed properly.
Remove from heat and beat in the almond extract and the eggs, one at a time. You can either do this by hand or, to get added volume, with an electric beater.
Beat until smooth and shiny.

Spread this mixture evenly onto the 2 crusts, spreading all the way to the raised edges.
Bake for at least 1 hour or until crust is browned and topping is high, puffy and browned.
Cool on the baking pan for half an hour before glazing.

To make glaze, beat the powdered sugar with the rest of the ingredients until you get a smooth and drippy glaze, adding more sugar or milk as necessary.
Glaze the Puffs evenly and, while still wet, sprinkle with chopped walnuts or slivered almonds.
Let set at room temperature for an hour at least, half a day at most, before slicing and serving.
Serves 10-12, depending on the size of your slices and the greed of your consumers.

(Also absolutely heavenly the next day with your mid-morning coffee!)

Green Goddess Dressing

This is a delicious and versatile dressing, good on all sorts of salads but also on crab or salmon patties or as a dip for raw veggies. It was popular in the 70s and 80s when I still lived in the States. It has a pleasing green color due to the parsley, chives and tarragon.
I find it best prepared in a food processor to save yourself chopping, but equally tasty if you do it by hand; it will just be a little chunkier and therefore less green in color.
This recipe is adapted from several "original" recipes I have tried and tweaked to my taste.


Ingredients:
3/4 cup good-quality mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup snipped chives
1/3 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
Scant 1/4 cup fresh tarragon, or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 small clove crushed garlic
3 anchovy fillets OR 1 TBS anchovy paste
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 TBS white or rice vinegar
Salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste (do not add until taste testing afterward; anchovies vary greatly in salt content and you may not need any added salt)

How to make it:
If making by hand:
Snip the chives very finely. Chop the parsley (and tarragon leaves, if using fresh) very finely. If using anchovy fillets, pound until pasty; remove any visible bones.
Stir together all ingredients until well-combined. Taste and add S&P if needed.

If using a food processor:
Place chives, parsley and tarragon leaves (or dried tarragon) and garlic in processor bowl. Whirl until herbs are finely chopped.
Add all the rest except S&P and process until smooth and green in color.
Taste and add S&P if needed.

Store, covered, in refrigerator until using. Serve chilled. Will keep up to 2 weeks if stored covered in fridge.

Best Baked Potato

I don't know about you, but I like a baked potato to have a crispy skin, because I eat the skin. It's the best part, really; not only does it have the most flavor, but it is loaded nutritionally.
However, I am also a person who doesn't like waiting for an hour to have a proper baked potato, so I often just do them in the microwave and forgo the crispy skin.
Recently I discovered a method whereby I can have a both fast and crispy-skinned baked potato, and I'm sharing it with you here, along with my usual microwave recipe.
Whichever type person you are, here are tips for the best baked potato in the least amount of time:

Directions are for 1 good-sized baking potato. Depending on your microwave, for each additional potato add 3-4 minutes (my oven's HI is 900W, use your discretion!).

Wash potato thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel.
Rub lightly all over with olive oil.
(If you eat the skins, you may also lightly salt and pepper them at this point.)
Pierce with a fork in at least 6 places (this will keep it from exploding in your microwave!).

Now, you have 2 options.

For a good standard microwave-baked potato:
Place the potato in the center of the revolving plate and cook at HI for 3-4 minutes.
Turn and repeat.
Remove potato (which should NOT yet be completely soft) and wrap in aluminum foil. The potato continues to cook after removing it from the microwave, so to avoid a mealy, overcooked interior, you want to let it stand and finish the job.
Once wrapped in foil, they stay hot for half an hour, so this is also a good do-ahead option; just pile them, still wrapped, in a bowl for dinner guests.
Let stand for at least 5 minutes before opening and eating.

For a quicker-than-standard crispy-skinned baked potato:
Preheat your oven to 425°F / 210° C.
Prepare potato as above.
While the oven is heating up, bake the potato in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes only, each side.
Remove and place in center of heated oven, directly on rack, and bake for only 20 minutes.
Voilá! A faster, more efficient potato with all the benefits of oven-baking.

My favorite toppings include:
lots of salted butter, and fresh-ground black pepper
chopped green onion /spring onion, or snipped chives
cooked and crumbled bacon
sour cream
shredded sharp cheddar cheese, when I can get it

Mom's Cherry Cheese Pie

Another family favorite; essentially no-bake, always delicious and simple too. A lovely idea for Valentine's Day.
In the USA you can simply buy a can of sour-cherry pie filling for the topping (though I still think homemade is better). Can't do that where I live, so I've included the instructions for making your own.


Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers, vanilla wafers, or other plain butter cooky
2 TBS sugar
1/4 cup melted and cooled butter

For the cream layer:
4 oz. softened cream cheese (Philadelphia or plain Exquisa)
Scant 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp, salt
Few drops almond extract
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

For the cherry glaze:
1 lb. canned sour cherries (Weichseln), packed in water
Scant 1/4 cup sugar
Dash salt
1 heaping TBS cornstarch (Maizena)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
(Red food coloring only if needed)

How to make it:
Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
Mix all crust ingredients together well and press into and up the sides of an 8" pie pan.
Bake for 10 minutes or until golden; remove to a rack and cool.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, salt and extract together until well blended.
In a separate small bowl, beat cream until stiff.
Fold cream evenly into cheese mixture.
Spread evenly to edges of cooled pie crust and chill while making the glaze.

Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup canning liquid. Set aside.
In saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt; add reserved juice and whisk until smooth.
Bring to a boil, stirring over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice (and coloring if needed).
Stir in cherries and cool, stirring occasionally.
When glaze is room temperature, spread it evenly over the cream filling, leaving 1/2" of the cream filling showing on the edges.
Chill until serving and serve cold.
Serves 6-8 depending upon greediness.