Winter delights

Winter Delights; Winter Tea-Treats Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth.

On the one hand where winters are all about layering and wrapping clothes around you, winters more importantly about filling up your stomach with lots of sweet baked and blended treats. Just make the right use of kitchen appliances to make a warm feast for your tummy baby.

Food in winters is like a hug from the inside. Hence, here is a treat for all the winter foodies out there, we are here to give you some winter delight recipes that will cuddle your taste buds in this cold season.

Chocolate breakfast rolls (Makes 6 rolls)     

1 (14 oz.) package frozen all-butter puff pastry, defrosted overnight in the fridge 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (at least 60 or 70% -- I used Ghirardelli's) 1 egg 1 tablespoon water a sprinkle of sea salt

Procedure 1. Preheat the baking oven to 400 (F).

2. Cut your readymade puff pastry into 6 x 3 inch rectangles.

3. Add chocolate in one half of the rectangle, in two lines with the chocolate chips.

4. Fold the side of the puff pastry over the half containing the chocolate, and flip the roll so that the seam is on the bottom facing the pan. If you leave the seam up, the puff pastry will burst open and you'll end up with a pastry that looks more like a gallette than a roll.

5. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Use a pastry brush to brush the beaten egg and water mixture on top of the rolls. Sprinkle with a dash of sea salt.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or, until puffed and golden. The rolls should have doubled in size during the baking process. When ready, cool for 5-10 minutes on a cooling rack and serve immediately -- the rolls are best when served fresh. Enjoy!

Stone Fruit Tea Cake (Makes one 10-inch pan, enough for 10 - 12 people)         

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 3 eggs, at room temperature 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped mixed stone fruit 1 tablespoon sugar

Procedure 1. Whisk 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl.

2. Use mixer to cream together 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup butter together on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, or, until light and fluffy.

3. Add 3 eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition, then stir in 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.

4. Add the flour mixture (from the first step) and use a rubber spatula to stir until a smooth dough forms.

5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a 1-inch thick disk, and freeze for 30 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 375 (F). Butter (or, use cooking spray) a shallow 10-inch round baking pan or tart pan.

7. Divide the dough into two equal portions and pat one portion evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

8. Spread 2 1/2 cups of fruit evenly over the dough.

9. Break the remainder of the dough into tablespoon-sized pieces (I used a 1-tablespoon sized cookie scoop for this part) and distribute atop the fruit.

10. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over the dessert.

11. Bake for 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly golden and firm. Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack before serving.

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