food to heart magazine
SUMMER 2011
Summer Issue
cookies | crumbles | meringues | pies
Contact email: foodtoheart@gmail.com twitter: @marynikaL blog: foodtoheart.com
PHOTOGRAPHY, FOOD STYLING RECIPES Marynika Lozowska
Welcome! Hello and welcome to the first issue of Food to Heart magazine. I started my blog a bit over a year ago and have been truly enjoying the creative process that goes into creating a delicious dish, food styling, photography, the blog and its design. In this issue I have put together all the scrumptious sweet deserts of summer, from my favorite pies, tarts, cookies and crumbles. As I put this issue together I cannot be happier to find how my two passions have beautifully matched up: culinary arts and photography. I will try to keep the recipes simple but forgive me if sometimes the recipes are somewhat involving. In the next issues you will see themes as the year goes on. I will focus on the whole foods plant based diet, Paleo, Mediterranean, drinks and of course more scrumptious desserts!
I truly hope you enjoy these recipes and what I have put together for you in this issue. Make sure you come back and check what’s coming up from Food to Heart on my blog. Happy Baking!
Marynika
Lemon Meltaways
1 3/4 cup + 2 tbs flour 2 tbls cornstarch 1/4 tsp salt 12 tbs butter, room temp 1 2/3 cups confectioners sugar, divided 2 lemons, grated zest freshly squeezed lemon juice from 2 lemons 1 tbs pure vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup of sugar until fluffy. Add zest, juice, and vanilla, then beat until fluffy. Sift half of the dry ingredients over the butter and mix until combined. Sift over the second half and mix until just combined. Divide the prepared dough into 2 or 3 parts and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours until thoroughly chilled. Meanwhile, line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
sweet & tart
After chilling, roll out one portion of the dough to a thickness of 1/4" - 1/8" on a lightly-floured surface. Using a small cutter (about 1"), cut out as many rounds as possible and transfer to the lined sheets. Re-roll scraps and place cut-outs in the freezer for at least 1 hour before baking.
crispy
Preheat oven to 350F and place remaining 2/3 cup sugar in a large plastic bag. Bake cookies, spaced 1" apart, until just barely golden, 10-15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly, 8-10 minutes, then drop the cookies into the sugar-filled bag and shake to coat. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Maple Peanut
Butter Cookies
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter 3/4 cup crunchy or smooth maple peanut butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup of dark chocolate for melting
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, and white and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and mix on medium speed until well combined. In another bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture, and beat until mixed. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough, shape into a ball, flatten with your palms and place on one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat placing cookies ½ inch apart. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Melt the dark chocolate over a double broiler and dip or drizzle over the cookies. Place the cookies in the fridge to speed up the hardening process. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
Summer Cobller
Cobbler Topping: 2 cups all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 Tbsp white granulated sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter softened plus 1/4 cup melted butter 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 2 Tbsp brown sugar
Cobbler Filling: 3 cups pitted, quartered apricots 2 cups strawberries 3 peaches 1/2 cup white granulated sugar 2 Tbsp flour (for thickening) 1 tbsp orange brandy
Wash and cube the apricots, strawberries and peaches. Put in a large zip lock bag and add brandy. Seal the bag and shake the fruit until the brandy is well mixed. Leave for 5 minutes allowing the fruit to absorb the brandy. Add sugar and flour. Shake it around and leave while you prepare the dough.
Place the fruit into a large baking dish and let it heat up in the oven until it is warm. The heat from the fruit will help the topping rise.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and white sugar. Add the softened butter cut into small cubes and work the mixture with our fingers until the butter is well incorporated with the dry ingredients.
Add almond extract to the buttermilk and add to the flour and butter mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon. Preheat the oven to 425F. Using your hands, form slightly flattened rounds and place them over the warm fruit. Sprinkle with brown sugar on top and drizzle with melted butter. Let the cobbler rise for 15-20 minutes and then bake for 15 minutes until the top starts to brown. Reduce the heat to 350F and bake for an additional 35 - 40 minutes. You will see the fruit bubbling when it’s ready. If the topping becomes much to browned during baking – cover it with foil. Let cool and enjoy!
Meringue Cookies
3 large egg whites 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 3/4 cup caster sugar 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 200F degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat, on medium-high speed, until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla extract. Before placing the cookies on the cookie sheet, place a little of the meringue on the underside of each corner of the parchment paper. This will prevent the paper from sliding. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch tip. Pipe rounds of meringue in rows on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the meringues for approximately 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back (about half way through) to ensure even baking. The meringues are done when they are pale in color and fairly crisp. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying several hours or overnight. The meringues can be covered and stored at room temperature for several days.
Lemmon Blueberry Meringue
For the lemon pie dough: 3/4 cup + 1/8 cup + 1 tbs flour 1 tbls cornstarch 1/8 tsp salt 6 tbs butter, room temp ¾ cups confectioners' sugar, divided 1 lemons, grated zest Squeezed lemon juice from 1 lemon ½ tbs pure vanilla extract
For the filling: 2 cups of fresh blueberries ¼ cup of granulated sugar For the meringue: 3 large egg whites 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 3/4 cup superfine or caster sugar 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Lemon pie dough: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter and 1/2 cup of sugar until fluffy. Add zest, juice, and vanilla, beat until fluffy. Sift half of the dry ingredients over the butter and mix until combined. Sift over the second half and mix until just combined. Divide the prepared dough into 2 parts and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350F. After chilling, roll out one portion of the dough to a thickness of 1/4" - 1/8" on a lightly-floured surface. Place in a 9 inch round baking pan and bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes. Blueberry filling: Roll out the second portion of the dough and top over the blueberries. Pinch the sides of the dough to prevent leaking. Make an X on the top of the pie to let the air out as it bakes. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350F. Meringue: Beat egg whites until foamy, add cream of tartar and continue to beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add sugar in stages, or Âź cup at a time. Continue to beat on medium to high speed until you get stiff peaks. Add vanilla extract and continue beating. Spoon the meringue mixture over the baked pie.
Turn down the oven to 300F and place the pie back in the oven for another 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and let sit for another 15 minutes with the door slightly ajar to dry out the meringue until it’s crispy and golden. Remove the pie and transfer to cool on a wire rack. Serve with or without a sour cherry sauce.
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