Thumbprint Cookies

Cookies like these feel like the kindness and indulgence of my grandmother. I can't remember if she ever made cookies like these, but the story is more powerful than the reality. Browning the bottom of the cookie is really important to the flavor, otherwise the cookie just tastes like dough - in writing this, I realize that this is perhaps attractive to some people, but I prefer that toasted, browned butter flavor that seems to accentuate the buttery-ness of the cookie.

Makes about 20 x 1oz balls

¾ cup (6oz/169gr) butter, softened

½ cup (4oz/115g)white sugar

2 egg yolks

1¾ cups (245g) all-purpose flour

approximately ½ cup fruit preserves, any flavor, and/or soft caramel

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and egg yolks. Mix in flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms. 
2. Wrap and put in the refrigerator and rest for one hour or up to 72 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
4. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. If dough is too soft, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Place balls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets (do not use parchment paper which prevents, in my oven at least, for browning on the bottom). Use your thumb or an instrument of similar size to press down in the middle of the ball of dough to make a well in the center of each cookie. I use the teaspoon measuring spoon to make the indentations. Fill the hole with 1 teaspoon of preserves.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Apple Cinnamon Bread

THE BREAD

1½ cups apple sauce, drained in a sieve of extra moisture before measuring (390g)

¼ cup/4Tbsps (2oz/58gr) melted butter 

½ cup sugar (110gr)

½ cup (4.5oz/125gr) Brown Sugar (packed)

2 eggs

1 + ½ tsp ground cinnamon 

1½ cups (7.7oz/220gr) flour

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp cloves

STREUSEL TOPPING

¼ cup (32g) flour

¼ cup (62g) Brown Sugar (packed)

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

1½ Tbsps. (23g) melted butter

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. 
2. Sieve any extra moisture from the apple sauce before measuring the 1½ cup.
3. Melt the butter and whisk into the apple sauce
4. Add the sugars and then whisk in the eggs.
5. Without stirring, add the flour, cinnamon. salt, baking soda and cloves.
6. With a wooden spoon mix the batter just until combined.
7. Grease a bread pan with butter and pour in the batter.
8. In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar and and cinnamon until evenly combined. Rub in the butter.
9. Sprinkle the streusel on top of the batter.
10. Bake for 1 hour or until a knife comes out clean.

White Cake

Just a simple sponge with lots of potential. It's super moist and not too sweet. Goes well with fruit and coulis and any kind of icing you can think of.

2 2/3 (405g) cups flour

1 2/3 cups (350g) sugar

2 tsps (10g) baking soda

1 tsp (4g) baking powder

1⁄2 tsp (2g) salt

2 large eggs

2 Tbsps vanilla

2 cups cream (any liquid will do but I like the richness)

1⁄2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsps. white vinegar

1. Set oven to 325°F.
2. Generously grease two 8 inch cake rounds. The batter does tend to stick, so you may elect to cut out some parchment paper circles to lay at the bottom of your pan (grease the pan first, lay the parchment paper over the surface and press to make it stick - this will prevent batter from leaking under the parchment paper. Then grease the surface of the parchment paper).
3. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour with the sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Add in eggs, vanilla, cream oil and vinegar; mix until blended and smooth. Remember, the batter will be thin. Ta-da, all in one bowl!
5. Pour into prepared baking pans (about 740g per pan).
6. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tests done.
7. Cool completely before frosting.

Blackberry Coulis

A smooth, tart, fruit sauce that thickens on its own. I learned that blackberries thicken on their own from Dorothy Hartley's Food in England.

10oz fresh blackberries

1/4 cup (50g) white sugar

juice from ½ lemon (1 to 2 Tsbps)

1. Over medium-low heat, add the blackberries, lemon, and sugar to the saucepan. Stir to mix well.
2. Bring to a simmer and when it reaches 185°F to 212°F and cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.
3. Optionally, you can press through a sieve and strain out the juices to discard the seeds. 

Yogurt Icing

This icing is a bit like a light cream cheese icing (which is kind of weird to say since it's mostly butter). The yogurt is mostly there to add a tang to the sweetness.

4 cups (650g) icing sugar

160g butter, room temperature

115g plain full fat yogurt

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

1. In a stand mixer or by hand whisk the butter until creamy, then add the icing sugar in ½ cup increments until it's all in. 
2. While continuing to beat, add the yogurt and vanilla.
3. Continue to beat at medium speed until the sugar is completely dissolved into the yogurt and the icing looks glossy, about 10 to 20 minutes.

Boules de Noël - Chocolate wrapped peanut butter balls

Holidays are filled with family recipes. I have many favorites, but few that I actually make. This is one that I love to make. The peanut butter center has a lovely consistency, and the soft walnuts and chewy dates complement each other very well. No fancy chocolate - it melts in your fingers so you're forced to lick it off

Centre

1/2 cup icing sugar (75g)

1 cup peanut butter (250g)

1 cup finely chopped cooking dates (140g)

1 cup finely chopped walnuts (110g)

1 Tbsp butter (15g)

1 tsp vanilla

1. Mix ingredients together until uniform. 
2. Roll into small balls and put on wax or parchment paper and let set in the refrigerator. Makes about 30.

Chocolate covering

250 grams semi-sweet chocolate

1. Melt together in bain marie, allow to cool slightly, then dip balls to cover. Set on wax or parchment paper and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate to avoid sticking.

Classic Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles appear to be much like peanut butter cookies in that there appears to be near universal agreement on the recipe. I was searching because this is not food of my people, but food of Ben's people. For years I thought it was a Christmas tradition for him to have snickerdoodles, but apparently I was mistaken and you can have them anytime. Therefore, I shall!

Cookie

1 cup (8oz/225gr) butter at room temperature

1½ cups (11oz/315g) sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsps. vanilla

2¾ cup (13oz/365g) flour

1½ tsps. cream of Tartar

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

¼ cup sugar (2 Tbsps.)

1½ Tbsps. cinnamon (3½ tsps.)

1. Place oven rack in the top ⅓ of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar for 4 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla. Cream for 1 to 2 minutes longer until you feel that it has fluffed up enough. 
3. Stir in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, just until combined. 
4. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. 
5. If time allows, wrap the dough and let refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.  
6. Roll into small balls (½ oz to 1 oz) until round and smooth. 
7. Drop into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll to cover either half or the whole ball of dough. 
8. Place on the parchment paper lined baking sheet, cinnamon sugar-coated face up, and gently flatten to a thick 1¼" disc. 
9. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges just start to brown.  Let cool for several minutes on the baking sheet before removing from the pan. 

NOTE: Do not freeze, or freezing is not recommended - it changes the texture.

Spiced Porridge Cake with Caramel Icing

This recipe came together so quickly! The spicing complements the caramel icing so well. It is so very strongly recommended that you wait at least 1 day, preferably 2 days before eating it. The flavors mature slowly and the result is well worth the wait.

Optional to the recommended spicing is to add one or two tsps. of cinnamon. This would be good, but honestly, for a superlative cake, use the Ayurvedic Oatmeal.

1⁄2 cup (4oz/114gr) butter

2 cups (15oz/420g)white sugar

2 eggs

2 cups (520g) cooked Ayurvedic Porridge (about 1 recipe)

2½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1¼ cup (185g) flour

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar. 
3. Mix in the eggs and cooked porridge. 
4. In sequence, add the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour.
5. Pour into a greased and floured spring form pan.
6. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick or knife.
7. Once baked, allow it to cool completely, and refrigerate, preferably for a full day. A cold cake will be key to making the icing stick to the cake. The other upside to this is that the flavour of the cake complexifies the longer it sits.

For the Icing: 

¾ cup (169 g) butter

1 cup (200 g) packed brown sugar

2 tsp (15 g) golden syrup

⅝ cup (150 g) milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp fine salt

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Add the brown sugar, golden syrup, salt, and milk. Stir continuously until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth, about 4–5 minutes. Avoid letting it boil vigorously during this stage.
3. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Once it reaches a steady boil, cook for 2½–3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until a candy thermometer reads 230°F.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Set aside to cool. The longer it cools, the thicker it becomes. If it's too hot, it will be too liquid and just pour right off the cake, but completely cold and it will be difficult to apply. Be patient and wait. When it’s at your desired consistency, remove the cake from its mold and drizzle the icing over the cooled cake, pooling it on top until small dribbles come down the sides.
5. Wait at least one more full day before serving for the best flavour and texture.

Olde English Blacke Berrie Pie

Adapted from a recipe in the classic Food in England by Dorothy Hartley, this is a surprising pie with a very thin crust. The apple thickens the filling so that when it is completely cooled, it creates a lovely silky loose jammy texture. If you've made Blackberry Liqueur, try cutting in about a cup of the boozy fruit with regular fresh berries for a little kick. If you pick your own blackberries, there is a difference in flavor depending at what time of the season you pick them. According to Hartley's research, the first berries should be eaten fresh, the mid-season berries used to cook with, the late season berries used to cook with and augmented by spices, such as ginger or lemon zest (brief notes in the recipe on this).

2 medium apples (364gr) peeled, cooked and mashed

1 Sweet pie dough recipe, rolled extra thin and the edges rolled up to be a bit thicker

A little oil

½ cup sugar

3 cups (432gr) blackberries (or substitute 1 cup with leftover blackberries from making liqueur)

¼ cup (2oz/58gr) butter

For Late Season Berries

- 2 tsps fresh grated ginger

- zest from ½ lemon

1. Peel and core the apples. Steam with a little water to get perfectly soft, then mash fine. Mix in the sugar and allow the sauce to cool completely before mixing with the blackberries and before putting in the pie shell to avoid melting the butter in the shell. 
2. If you have late season berries, now is the time to add the ginger and lemon to the apple.
3. As the apple sauce cools, roll out the dough quite thin, ¹⁄₁₆" or about the thickness of a nickel. 
4. Put in the pie plate and, to avoid soggy crust syndrome, brush the bottom with a little oil or melted butter to help seal it against the liquid of the blackberries. 
5. Do not trim the crust. 
6. With a wooden spoon, very gently combine the blackberries and the applesauce. Spoon the mixture into the pie shell, then dot the top with bits of butter. 
7. Instead of cutting away the excess, fold over the crust, wet the edges and pinch together.  The extra crust should fold over the pie leaving an open center with irregular edges. Pop in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 15 minutes.
8. When you're ready to bake, turn on the oven to 400°F. Brush the top of the pie with a little more oil and put it on a parchment-lined baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown.
9. Allow to cool completely before serving to allow for the juices to set.

Pouding Chômeur (transl. "Tramp's pudding")

This is a traditional French-Canadian recipe that is very common in Quebec. I continue to be amazed at the strange summersault kind of effect of pouring the boiling sauce on top before baking, and it ends up on the bottom after baking. Oh, and what lovely, taffy-like gooeyness ends up on the bottom!

 

CAKE

¼ cup (2oz/58gr) butter

⅔ cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup milk

1½ cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

MAPLE SAUCE

1 cup maple Syrup

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup water

¼ cup (2oz/58gr) butter

1. Cream the butter until it becomes pale, then gradually add the sugar. Continue beating until you get a smooth consistency.
2. Alternately add the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
3. Grease a square baking dish with a little oil and dust with flour. Pour in the batter and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F while making the sauce.
5. To make the sauce, mix together all the maple sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Keep an eye on it! You're boiling sugar, so it will want to boil over. Boil for a less then a minute (I've boiled it for exactly a minute once, and the effect of the sauce was more of a taffy than a sauce. A tasty variation).
6. Pour the sauce over the batter. DO NOT mix. As the cake bakes, the batter will swell and float to the top.
7. Bake for 45 minutes.

Pouding chaude au chocolat ou Fudge a Marie-Thérèse

I feel so much pride in being able to share family recipes. This is from the collection of my maternal Grandmother, Marie-Thérèse Noël-de-Tilly/Lambert. It is in a similar vein as the Québecois dessert Pouding Chômeur (to come to this cooking page, soon) and is singularly bizarre in my mind. With the help of family, I think I've mostly worked out the chemistry behind it. It's best served lukewarm instead of hot, so that the sauce has a chance to thicken, so let it rest at least a half hour before serving. It's equally good cold the next day.

1 cup flour (135g)
½ tsp baking soda (2g)
Pinch of salt (2g)
¾ cup sugar (152g)
2 Tbsps cocoa (11g)
Milk (see instruction #3)
2 Tbsps white vinegar 
2 Tbsps (1oz/28gr) melted butter
1 cup chopped nuts

THE SAUCE
1 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsps cocoa (22g)
OPTIONAL ½ tsp cinnamon
1¾ cups boiling water

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar and cocoa. Make a well in the center.
3. In a half-cup measure, put in 2 Tbsps of white vinegar and fill to the ½ cup mark with milk. Add to the well.
4. Add the melted butter, along with the nuts. 
5. Mix well and place in a greased, square baking dish. Set aside.
6. In a separate bowl combine the brown sugar and second measure of cocoa (optional cinnamon at this point as well). Whisk in the boiling water until perfectly uniform.
7. Pour the sauce over the batter and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes.
8. Serve lukewarm. (my grandmother indicates to serve it hot with the sauce ladled on top. Ultimately, it's your choice.)

Apple Crumble

I can't resist a simple, oldfashioned recipe. Easy and quick to make, this is such a comfort food, baked using our lovely mystery apples growing up on the hill at our old farm. I don't use store-bought quick cook oats but oats I roll myself from whole groats - the texture is just different enough that I prefer this to store-bought but, otherwise, they work well! With the Poudre Douce, it adds a little Mideaval flavor that does not go amiss. If you prefer things more simple, just an equal amount of cinnamon will do.

2 lbs apples, diced (weight before peeling and coring)
1 Tbsp flour
¼ cup white sugar
¾ tsp ground Poudre Douce
¼ cup water
--
1¼ cup quick cook rolled oats 
1¼ cup flour
¾ cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp Poudre Douce
½ tsp salt
¾ cup (6oz/169gr) melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl toss the cut apples with the flour, sugar and cinnamon, then pour over the water. Toss again before spreading out evenly in a 2 quart baking dish. 
3. Mix together all the dry ingredients for the topping, then pour in the melted butter and mix until it takes on an evenly crumbly consistency.
4. Spread this over the apples, but don't pack down. Try to maintain the crumbly texture.
5. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown and some of the filling is bubbling around the edges. Remove, cover loosely with foil to keep warm and let stand for 10 minutes before serving (let's the apple filling come together). Just as good at room temperature.
6. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Custard Pie - for the clowns in your life

I live in a household that loves custard. To eat, that is, not to throw in someone's face - we're not clowns. But that was part of the inspiration: how does one make a custard pie worthy of throwing in someone's face that would be welcomed by the receiver. I don't know if I got it right, but we sure like this version.

1 recipe blind-baked Cookie Pie Crust, completely cooled
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ cup (2oz/58gr) butter 
⅓ cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 egg

1. Heat the oven to 325°F.
2. Bring the cream and milk to a very slow boil in a saucepan.
3. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla and the nutmeg. 
4. Cut the butter into small chunks and slowly whisk them into the hot dairy until it all dissolves. This part is important to do thoroughly otherwise the butter will separate and rise to the top as the pie bakes creating a weird crust.
5. In a bowl, whisk together the yolk and sugar until the yolk turns a pale yellow. Whisk in the extra whole egg.
6. Very slowly whisk the flavored dairy into the egg mixture. Do this slowly; this is to gradually increase the temperature of the egg and avoid making scrambled eggs with the hot liquid.
7. Strain the mixture into the baked tart shell.
8. Bake about 35 to 40 minutes or until set. The pie will puff up a bit when it is cooked, and will settle again as it cools.
9. Let it cool completely, which can take several hours.
10. Delicious accompanied by a fresh sprig of currants or other tart fruit.

Crème Caramel Flan

Making this dessert is a mindfulness exercise. When making the caramel, paying close attention to the process is a must or the danger of burning it is very real. I by far prefer to use the dry method of making caramel over the wet method - adding water just seems to make it harder to get a good caramel.

This can be made in a cake pan or pie plate, or it can be made in 6 ramekins.

Note that the more egg yolk to egg white there is, the more creamy and tender the custard will be, and the more it will be difficult to serve in pretty slices. For the high yolk custards, I recommend using the individual ramekins.

Caramel

½ cup (3.8oz/110g) sugar

Custard

2 cup whole milk

2 tsps vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean

6 eggs (or 4 eggs and 1 yolk, OR 2 eggs and 3 yolks)

½ cup (3.8oz/110g) sugar

pinch nutmeg (optional)

1. Fill a dish or roasting pan (larger than what you have the creme caramel in) and fill with just enough water that it will be about a half inch below the creme caramel dish. Put this in the oven and pre-heat the oven to 325°F.
2. In a small stainless steel (for the light colour) saucepan, pour in the sugar. Shake the pan to evenly distribute the sugar - it shouldn't be too thick to allow for the sugar to heat evenly.
3. Without any stirring (!) heat the sugar over low to medium heat until it starts to melt. This will begin at the edges - because this is where it starts to melt it also means this is where caramelization starts. 
4. Be patient! DON'T turn up the heat - sugar can burn very quickly.
5. Once the sugar starts to melt around the edges, use a rubber spatula to bring the melted sugar into the middle of the pan.
6. Gently stir, just enough make sure all the sugar is dissolving.
7. Once everything has dissolved, continue to slowly cook, watching constantly and closely ('cause it can burn quickly), until you get the colour you want - light caramel colour = sweeter; dark caramel colour is more complex with bitter notes. 
8. Immediately pour the hot caramel into the cake tin or pie plate or in the individual ramekins and swirl to coat the bottom evenly. Set aside.
9. Pour the milk into the same saucepan, so that it dissolves and absorbs the remaining caramel on the bottom and sides for extra flavour. (If using the whole bean, split the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the milk, and add the pod.)
10. Heat the milk just to the boiling point, turn off the heat, add the vanilla, cover, and set aside to infuse for at least 10 minutes. 
11. Meanwhile beat the eggs with the sugar. Add the nutmeg, if using. Once the milk has infused, whisk it into the egg mixture.
12. Strain the custard over the hardened caramel and set the pan in a larger dish or roasting pan which has been heating in the oven. (655/6=109g)
13. Bake until set, 45 minutes to an hour (20-30 minutes for individual serving dishes).
14. Remove the flan from the oven and from the water bath. Run a knife around the outside edge to loosen the it. Cool completely – even chill, if you like. To serve, flip the flan onto a plate, pour over any caramel remaining in the pan. Serve in wedges if in a cake tin or pie plate.

Galettes de Memère (Ginger Molasses Cookies)

Every day after school I would cross the single road that ran through my home village from the school yard to my grandmother's house - an apartment built on the top floor of an old house owned by a second cousin. She would always have a snack (une collation) for me, usually a glass of milk and some cookies. Most often, these were the cookies she made. As is common with so many grandmothers of my generation, her recipe was "a smidgeon of this" and "mix in the usual way" kind of instructions. It took me a while to figure out how to make them, and now I make them regularly, usually for special occasions.

1 cup (260g) Blackstrap molasses or Black Treacle

1 cup (200g) brown sugar
1 cup (8oz/225gr) lard or butter

3¾ cup flour (450g)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp salt
½ cup boiling water

1. In a mixer bowl, whip together the molasses, brown sugar and butter until it turns pale.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda, the dry ginger, salt and flour.
3. When the butter mixture starts to go pale, slow the speed to the slowest! It suddenly and unexpectedly splashes everywhere as soon as you add the the boiling water if the beaters are going too fast. 
4. Mix thoroughly, then slowly add the dry mixture until combined.
5. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
6. Roll into balls (1 oz each), set on cookie sheets and flatten slightly.
7. Cook in 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

Cinnamon Plum Torte

A quick and wonderful cake, it takes a lot of fresh plums. If you have a glut of the fruit, this is a good recipe to use them all up! The juices of the plums create a centre to the cake that has a custard-like texture.

¾ cup sugar (165g) (PLUS 1 Tbsp to sprinkle on top)
½ cup (4oz/114gr) butter

2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
12 Italian prune plums, cut in half and pitted
1 tsp ground cinnamon (or more, to taste)
Vanilla ice cream, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle position.
2. Cream the sugar and butter until it becomes pale, almost white. 
3. Add the flour, baking powder, eggs, and salt and beat to mix well. 
4. Dump in a 9" or 10" ungreased springform pan (you can line with parchment paper if you like); the dough will be quite thick, so spread it evenly along the bottom with a spatula or wooden spoon.
5. 24 plum halves is a lot of material to stuff into a 9" or 10" springform pan; I stand them on end and arrange them in a spiral.
6. NOTE on aesthetics: While cooking, the dough puffs up significantly. Therefore, if you want the plum spiral design to show on top, do not press the plums down into the batter. Conversely, if you want a smooth top to the cake, do press the plums down, but not quite to the bottom to allow a layer of dough to remain between the plum and the bottom of the pan. 
7. In a small bowl combine the cinnamon and the remaining tablespoon of sugar to sprinkle over the plums.
8. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the center tests done with a toothpick. 
9. Goes very nicely with vanilla ice cream.

FREEZING

• Can be frozen after baking. To thaw, take it out of the freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator, wrapped. 
• Next day take it out of the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature.
• If you want it warm. It's best to warm it a bit by putting it in a 160°C / 325°F oven for 10–15 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookies - the United Nations of cookies

There is an amazing amount of agreement for peanut butter cookie recipes. This is not my recipe, but, apparently, a recipe from the global community. You might find variation on how the instructions are written, but the ingredients stay pretty much the same, in the vast majority of online and book sources.

1 cup (8oz/228gr) butter, room temperature
1 cup (9oz/255gr) creamy peanut butter
1 cup (7 ounces/200gr) packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar (7.5oz/215gr)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2½ cups (340g) flour

1. Cream butter, peanut butter and both sugars together.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.
3. Add baking soda, powder and vanilla.
4. Stir in flour.
5. Wrap and put in the refrigerator to rest for 1 hour and up to 72 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 375°F.
7. Roll into balls (1oz to 1.5oz), place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten, using a fork, to create a grid pattern.
8. Bake for 10 minutes (1oz balls) 15 minutes (1.5oz) depending on the size of your cookies (bottoms should just start to colour if you wanted to check).

Blackberry Slumpie

This sounds too much like a dessert from Ankh-Morpork to pass up. Turns out to be pretty tasty, too. I've made it many times and every time I feel like there is not enough butter for the dumpling dough, and every time the dumplings come out light and delicate, clouds in a sweet dark syrup.

Stewing Liquid
3 cup blackberries
⅓ cup sugar
1¼ cup water
1 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Dumplings
1 cup flour
2 Tbsps sugar
2 tsps baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) cold butter
½ cup cream (I used light 18% cream)

(optional) Cream or Whipped Cream to serve

1. In a large saucepan, combine all of the stewing liquid ingredients and bring to a boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With your fingers, mash the butter into the flour until it resembles a coarse meal. Add the milk and only stir in until it's combined, and no more, or you'll have tough dumplings!
3. Divide the dough into 6 even portions and drop into the simmering berries.
4. Cover and cook for 10 minutes and do not lift the lid until they're done. The dumplings cook by steam and won't cook as well if you let the steam out by lifting the lid.
5. To serve, spoon out into bowls and serve warm with cream or whipped cream on top.

Plum Compote

My wonderful mom and sister are visiting and it's early spring. Not a lot of fresh stuff to eat on the farm. However, I still have a bunch of frozen plums in the chest freezer. My mom likes fruits and veg and my sister likes desserts. So I made this, which we ate with plain cake and it was plate-licking good. I've also made it to eat with sweet dumplings and on toast and it's still tasty!

2 lbs Italian prune plums, pitted
½ to ¾ cup sugar (quantity depends on sweetness of plums, and personal taste)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsps vanilla extract.

1. Stew the plums in a pot with the sugar, cinnamon sticks and vanilla with the lid on, mixing occasionally for about 20 minutes.
2. When the plums have released their juices remove the lid and keep at a medium simmer until enough of the liquid has evaporated to thicken the juice into a sauce, about another 15 to 20 minutes to my taste, but maybe more or less for yours.

Pear and Chocolate Tart

It is extraordinary that there is no additional sugar added to this tart. I admit that we tend to like less sweet desserts, and if you do, I'd recommend sprinkling a tablespoon of sugar on top after the initial 10 minutes of baking.

Part 1 - the pie crust

1 cup (150g) flour
¼ tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
½ cup (4oz/114gr) butter, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp + cold water

1. Follow the instructions for the Pie Crust, but substitute the vanilla for 1 egg yolk and be careful about the amount of water you add to avoid having a wet dough. 
2. Put the crust to chill for at least 15 minutes.

Part 2 - the filling

4 oz/114g 70% dark chocolate, chopped fine
3 to 4 pears cut in half, peeled and cored
1 egg
1 egg yolk
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. After chilling the crust, sprinkle in the chopped chocolate, and arrange the pear halves, cut-side down, to fill the crust as completely as possible, most easily accomplished if arranged in an attractive flower pattern.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the egg, yolk, cream and vanilla to make a simple custard.
4. Use a spoon to pour the custard mix evenly over the pears so that they have all been wet by the liquid - this will help them brown nicely. 
5. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to 350°F and cook an additional 25 to 30 minutes.
6. If the pears have not caramelized, put under the broiler until they do.