This recipe is my take on the amazing ice cream pie that was served at San Francisco’s Tartine Manufactory when it first opened in 2016. I posted it once and again and another time just in ice cream form. My love for Concord grapes came from eating this particular dessert. Sadly, a year or two later, they stopped making the pie. I still have such a fond food memory of it, so I decided to make my own and I’m quite pleased with how it turned out.
Continue Reading…Shortbread is my favorite kind of cookie and I was inspired to create my own recipe to celebrate the Ted Lasso series finale. There are few ingredients so each one is crucial to the outcome.
The two most important things are the butter and salt. I use half European and half American butter. I first tried a batch using all European and it was much more flavorful than American style butter but the shortbread were too rich. The 50/50 mix was the perfect balance. As for the salt, I use a generous amount because it really brings out the butter flavor.
I added a bit of rice flour to give the cookie a more crumbly sandy texture but feel free to omit and substitute for an equal amount of the all purpose flour.
I’ve seen some recipes include vanilla. I tested a batch with it but thought it took away from the butter flavor, which is what I wanted to be most prominent. If you’d like a sweeter taste, you could add 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or extract.
Ingredients:
Dough:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
3 tablespoons ice cold water
1 large egg, beaten for egg wash
Coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling
Filling:
3-4 small apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4″ slices
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Apricot jam for glazing
Directions:
For the dough:
In a food processor, add the flour, granulated sugar and salt. Pulse until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the butter pieces are the size of small peas. Drizzle in a tablespoon of water at a time, pulsing between each addition, until the dough just starts to clump together. To test, take a small portion in your hand and if the dough holds together, you’re done. If it’s still crumbly, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until it holds.
Transfer the dough to your counter and bring together to form a round disc. Let chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
For assembly:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a half sheet pan with parchment.
Let the dough rest on the counter until pliable but still cold, about 10-15 minutes, before rolling it out. Roll out into a round, pudgy triangle, about 1’4″ thick. Have the two points at the top (like a heart). At the top center, cut a 2″ slit straight down. Transfer the dough to the prepared sheet pan.
In the middle of the dough, arrange your apple slices overlapping in a heart shape, leaving a 2″ border. Then fold the dough over the apples to form the crust. See how-to video here.
Brush the border with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
Brush the apples with the melted butter. This will keep them from drying out in the oven. Then, sprinkle the granulated sugar over the apples.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are golden. Let galette cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Brush with apricot jam. Then transfer the galette to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. I like to pair with vanilla ice cream.
Serves 2.
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
3-4 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 pounds mix of baking apples (I used Granny Smith and Pink Lady), cut into 1/4″ slices
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Crumb Top:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
Directions:
For the crumb topping:
In a food processor, blend the oats, granulated and light brown sugars, until coarsely ground. If you wish, you can skip this step and leave the oats whole. Add the flour and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture clumps together. I like to use my hands to squeeze together some bigger and some smaller pebbles for textural contrast. Chill in the freezer.
For the crust:
In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the size of peas.
Add the cornstarch to the water and stir until dissolved. Drizzle the liquid into the food processor, pulsing as you go, until the dough starts to clump together. If it feels dry and crumbly, add an additional teaspoon of water until its the right moisture level. Dump the dough onto a work surface and form a disc. Place in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 hours. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.
For the filling:
In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the apple slices, light brown and granulated sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook another 5-10 minutes, until the apples are just tender. Remove from heat. Make a slurry with the lemon juice and cornstarch. Add to apples, along with the salt. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature or place in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.
To assemble:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the fridge and let thaw on the counter for 10-15 minutes or until pliable but still cold. Roll out to 1/8″ thick. Line a 9″ standard pie dish with the dough. Trim any excess and crimp the edges.
Add the cooled apple filling and spread evenly into the dish. Add the crumb topping, covering the entire surface. Transfer to the prepared sheet pan and place in the middle of the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350 F. Continue baking another 45-50 minutes, until the apple juices start bubbling and the crumb top is golden. The edges of the pie crust may darken towards the end. In that case, remove the pie and cover the edges with foil, before returning to the oven to finish baking.
Let the pie cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 8.
I’ve said it before that shortbread are my favorite holiday cookie. It’s classic and simple, but this pan makes them just a bit more special. I love the intricate design and how the result is one GIANT cookie. There is a recipe booklet included and the recipes are very simple, all 4-5 ingredients. I’ve adapted one here and added more details about how I prepared the cookies.
Giant Lemon Shortbread Cookie/Wedges
Recipe adapted from the shortbread pan packaging
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, unsifted
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 cup all-purpose flour, unsifted
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2-3 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
In a stand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until it is light, about 1-2 minutes. Cream in the confectioners’ sugar and lemon peel, until fully incorporated. Add the flour and salt all at once and mix on low until all mixed in. If it looks a little dry, add a bit of lemon juice to bind it. It also adds extra citrus flavor.
Knead the dough on an unfloured board until nice and smooth. (I did this very minimally because I didn’t want to overwork the dough.)
Spray the shortbread pan lightly with a non-stick baking spray. Use a pastry brush to make sure the spray gets into all the design details. Firmly press the dough evenly into the pan. Prick the entire surface with a fork.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until lightly browned. I placed my shortbread pan on a sheet pan which gave it a more even color because the sheet pan absorbed some of the heat. You can place the shortbread pan directly on the oven rack and that will yield crisper edges but could have a less even coloring. It tastes delicious, though!
Let the shortbread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before loosening the edges with a knife. Flip the pan over onto a wooden cutting board. If the shortbread does not come right out, gently tap one edge of the pan to loosen it. While still warm, cut the shortbread into wedges. Place on a baking rack to cool completely. Serves 8.
Let the shortbread pan cool before washing.
