Jamaretti Cookies

I love anything with almond paste in it, especially amaretti cookies, and any baked good made with jam.  This bar cookie combines the flavor of an amaretti with a jam filling, thus the name, jamaretti! I've had the recipe from Martha Stewart ear-marked to try for a while now.  I ran across a version that had orange zest in the cookie dough and orange juice and zest in the glaze and knew I would be baking them soon!  It's crazy tax season time in my office and I put a platter of these by the coffee pot, they didn't last long! They make a nice little treat with your morning coffee!

I made the dough the night before and got up a little early to roll out the dough and bake them. They baked while I showered, it was a great use of time! Any kind of jam can be used, I used apricot and boysenberry for this batch.  Raspberry would be good, too. They are a little chewy, not too sweet, and very tasty!

Jamaretti Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 oz. almond paste, cubed
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
2/3 cup jam (apricot, boysenberry/blackberry, raspberry)

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest
2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons milk

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Combine almond paste, orange zest, and sugar in a food processor and pulse until blended. Add butter, eggs, and almond extract, and blend until smooth. Add flour mixture and pulse just until a soft dough forms. Divide dough in half, scrape out onto two pieces of plastic wrap (dough will be sticky), shape into a disk, and wrap well.  Chill dough until firm, 45 minutes to 1 hour (dough can be made ahead).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured board, shape dough into two 14 x 3-inch logs; transfer to baking sheet. Bake logs for 15 minutes, until just set. Remove from oven and make an indentation down the center of each log with the back of a tablespoon.  Place jam in a small bowl and warm briefly in the microwave (about 10 seconds). Stir jam to loosen, then fill the center of each log with jam. Return logs to oven and continue baking 12 to 14 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and place baking sheet on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, salt, orange zest, orange juice, and milk in a small bowl.  Drizzle glaze over logs, and let set before using a serrated knife to cut logs on the diagonal (like biscotti). Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Adapted from Martha Stewart and Tutti-Dolci.

Apricot-Pineapple Thumbprint Cookies

Last month I was gifted a box of local just-picked apricots.  For days I made pies, crisps, and multiple batches of apricot and apricot-pineapple jam. By the time I had gone through that box we were pretty much over apricots! Of course, now I'm missing them!

I give a lot of jam away to friends and family.  In my household, jam isn't just used for toast or PBJ's.  I use jam a lot in baking and in cooking. It's a great addition to most baked items and is easily incorporated into marinades and sauces for meat. I probably use apricot jam the most.

One of my favorite baked treats that include jam are thumbprint cookies.  It's basically a shortbread, rolled into a ball, with an indention made on top to hold some jam. Obviously, any flavor of jam will work. They are easy to make and very delicious.  My favorite thumbprint cookie recipe comes from the Barefoot Contessa.

On this evening I decided to use some of the apricot-pineapple jam I had made.  The recipe calls for the dough balls to be rolled in an egg wash followed by coconut. I was doing a million other things at the same time that night, so decided to make the process a little easier by incorporating the coconut into the dough. It worked out wonderfully and, to be honest, was a lot easier and less messy! The combination of the pineapple in the jam, and the coconut, gave the cookies a little tropical flair.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Stir in coconut. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (I used a small ice cream scoop). Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut (see note below). Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bottoms are a golden brown. Remove to cooling rack.

My notes:

Finally chopped nuts can be substituted for the coconut.  I omitted the coconut-rolling step and stirred in 1 cup coconut into the dough.

I had a helper for one of my jam-making sessions!

Apricot, Almond & Orange Biscotti

When the weather is nice, every Saturday morning finds my granddaughter and I sitting on the back steps enjoying some cinnamon toast, hot chocolate, and a latte. It's the tail-end to our Friday night sleepovers, before I deposit her back with her parents.  She jabbers non-stop, we enjoy watching the birds and Harley play.  It's special time, I hope when I'm long gone from this world, she looks back fondly on these moments with her Nana. But I don't just spend  Saturday mornings out there.  On many mornings you can find me out back, sipping on a latte and enjoying a quiet start to my day. This week I've enjoyed  a few of these biscotti with my latte.

Biscotti basically means a twice-baked biscuit.  The dough is formed into an oblong log and baked. Once cooled, it is cut into slices and each side baked a little longer.  The result is a slightly crispy treat.  This one is filled with some of the bounty from my agricultural region, apricots and almonds. A little bit of orange enhances the flavor of them. It is a great combination!

For best results, use California dried apricots.  I grew up in Apricot Country and California "cots" are the best!

Apricot, Almond & Orange Biscotti

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cups almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, sliced
Juice & zest of 1/2 orange

Heat oven to 325 degrees and line a cookie tray with parchment paper.

Sift the flour and baking powder in a bowl, then stir in the sugar. Add the almonds and apricots.

Lightly beat the eggs and add to the mixture along with the orange juice and zest; mix until combined.

On a well floured surface, roll the mixture out onto a log about 3 ½ inches wide. The  biscotti mixture is quite wet you can be really liberal with the flour here to avoid sticking. Keep your hands well floured to roll and shape the log. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a slight golden crust has formed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray completely.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Once cooled, transfer the log to a cutting board and, with a sharp kitchen knife or serrated bread knife, diagonally cut the log into biscotti about ½ an inch in thickness.

Place the biscotti back on the baking sheet, with cut side exposed.  Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes on each side until lightly golden.  Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cutting the baked biscotti loaf into diagonal slices leaves more surface area to toast.

 

Little Apricot Cakes

 The apricot harvest is almost done in my area, it goes so fast!  I love apricots, whether they be fresh, canned, or in baked goods. These little apricot cakes are an easy treat, not too sweet. They have characteristics of both a muffin and cake.  They are wonderful as an afternoon snack or a breakfast nibble. If apricots have come and gone in your area, you can easily substitute plums.

Little Apricot Cakes
    

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature    
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk
4 apricots, halved, pitted, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
2 tablespoons raw sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat muffin cups with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in another medium bowl, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat until combined.

With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Divide batter among muffin cups (cups will be only 1/3 full) and smooth tops. Top with apricot slices and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake until cakes are golden and a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 20–25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let pan cool 5 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack and let cool completely.

Cakes can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

I love to use silicone molds, it is so easy to get the baked goods out of the pan!

Apricot Galette

By the time you are reading this I will be cruising the Hawaiian islands, being pampered and spoiled.  In between my packing I was also going through the refrigerator, using up things so they wouldn't spoil or taking extras to Mom (who is babysitting Harley!)  I still had some apricots left over but I didn't have time to make anything elaborate and didn't need the leftovers.  So I made a galette.  A galette is basically a free-form pie.  No pie pan, no top crust, they are very rustic, much easier than making a traditional pie. They aren't as fussy as a pie, there is much more room for error.

I whipped up the galette, shared some with the friends who will be handling some of our yard duties while we're gone.  No leftover galette, no apricots in the fridge. I didn't even put it on a serving plate so one less dish to wash. It all worked out quite well!


Roll out the dough to a 12-inch (rough) circle.



Arrange apricots on dough.

Fold over the dough, overlapping if need be, to keep the circle shape.

Apricot Galette

Pastry for 10-inch pie round
12 apricots, pits removed and cut into quarters
2 tablespoons sugar (more or less, depending on the sweetness of your fruit)
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the fruit in a bowl with the sugar and cornstarch and set aside as you shape the dough.

Place the dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper.  Roll out into a disk about 12 inches wide and 1/8 inch thick.  It doesn't have to be a perfect circle! Transfer dough and parchment paper to a baking sheet.

Arrange the fruit in the center of the disk.  Gently bring up the edges of the dough, folding and overlapping, as necessary.  If desired, lightly brush the exposed dough with heavy cream. Sprinkle the washed dough with sugar.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the center is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving, either plain or with ice cream.

Apricot Nectar Cake

It's that time of year again, the last weekend in May. For my hometown of Patterson, California, this means it's time for the annual Apricot Fiesta. This year marks the 45th annual rendition.  I was chosen as Miss Apricot 1975, 40 years ago!  Yikes, where has the time gone?

It's probably inevitable that I love apricots and anything made with them. Growing up in a town that proclaimed itself the Apricot Capital of the World means I grew up surrounded by the golden fruit. I even survived a few days working in an apricot cutting yard! Sadly, the apricots aren't as plentiful as they were during my youth; less demand for the canned product, high labor costs, the demand for almonds, and urban growth has pushed many of the apricot orchards out. Supplies are limited so when the first varieties of the fruit begin arriving at the local fruit stands I make sure to grab some!  A bite of a fresh apricot always takes me back in time, to a simpler time. Ah, the memories!


A cup and saucer makes the perfect cake pedestal for a mini-bundt or cupcake!
 

My Mom used to get a monthly (quarterly?) baking magazine called Mailbox News. This recipe is from February 1967! It's very easy to put together, most recipes that start with a cake mix are. It's got a nice citrusy-sweet taste to it, stores well and is great to take to a gathering. Using apricot nectar means this cake can be made anytime of the year. Whipping the egg whites makes the cake not as dense as most bundt cakes. It's been a family favorite since Mom started baking it way back when!  Though the original recipe called for it to be baked in a regular-sized bundt pan I opted to make it in smaller bundt shapes (you know my obsession with specialty cake pans!) This made it much easier to pass out cake to friends and family, our empty-nest household doesn't need a whole bundt cake laying around!

I enjoyed some cake, iced tea and my latest book in the courtyard.

Apricot Nectar Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

1 3 oz. pkg. lemon jello

¾ cup salad oil

¾ cup apricot nectar

4 eggs, separated

2 teaspoons lemon extract

Combine cake mix, jello, oil and nectar in bowl and blend well.  Add the yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the lemon extract.  Beat the egg whites until they hold their peaks and fold in.  Bake in greased bundt pan for 50-60 minutes at 350º (20-30 minutes if using mini-bundt pan).

If desired, glaze with mixture of powdered sugar, apricot nectar and small amount of lemon juice.

Another one of my specialty pans.  Can a girl have too many cake pans?

Apricot Pepper Jelly

The first of this year's crop of apricots are starting to hit the fruit stands near us.  I grew up in apricot country  and love anything baked or made with apricots.

One of my favorite apricot recipes is Apricot Pepper Jelly.  It is a derivative of the standard green jalapeno jelly.  This one is much more colorful and the apricots provide a nice flavor.  The great thing about this recipe is that it uses dried apricots so it can be made any time of year. Make sure to buy California dried apricots.  They are sun-dried and have a more intense flavor than some of the imported apricots.  I usually get mine from local growers, however, Trader Joe's always has packaged California dried apricot on their shelves.

Of course, this jelly is great with cream cheese and crackers or bagels.  It's also nice in a glaze for ham or chicken.  Combine some with your favorite BBQ sauce and use on ribs. For an easy appetizer I like to put small squares of puff pastry in a mini-muffin pan and a cube of brie cheese.  Bake then top with a dollop of this jelly.  They never last long!

This is a very simple jelly to put together.  A little chopping, a little blender action, throw it in the pan and cook for 5 minutes.

Apricot Pepper Jelly

2 cups red pepper strips
2 cups cider vinegar
¼ cup (or more, depending on taste) chopped fresh jalapeno peppers (seeded)
1 cup dried apricot halves, slivered
6 cups sugar
3 oz. liquid pectin

Combine pepper strips, vinegar and jalapeno peppers in a blender or food processor.  Pulse until small chunks remain.  Combine with apricot slivers and sugar in saucepan; bring to a boil.  Boil and stir 5 minutes.  Remove from heat; skim off any foam.  Cool 2 minutes; stir in pectin.  Pour into sterilized jars; seal at once.  (If desired, process in boiling water bath 15 minutes).  Makes 6 ½ cups.

So pretty and so tasty!

 

Apricot Pie ( and no more apricots in my house!)

When I was a freshman in high school the summer job, for most of us that age, was working in the apricot drying yard. We would stand all day, in the heat, cutting, pitting and laying out on drying trays, boxes and boxes of apricots. I lasted two days. Right then and there I knew I wasn't cut out for a life of manual labor. I got me an office job at the local frozen food plant and I've not worked without air conditioning since!

I had recollections of my brief dry yard experience this week.  One of our clients gave us a box of just-picked apricots.  I've been cutting and processing the orange fruit all week now. Earlier in the week I made 24 jars of apricot jam. Today I baked an apricot pie and made pie filling for the freezer. I had a small bowl of apricots left over which I gave to my next-door neighbor.  I'm tired of looking at apricots right now!

Apricot pies are rather easy, don't require many ingredients. But don't let the simplicity fool you, they are so good. A little tart, a little sweet and really good with a scoop of  vanilla ice cream!

Fresh Apricot Pie

Pastry for 2-crust pie
5 1/2 cups sliced fresh apricots (about 2 pounds)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line pie plate with pie dough.

In a large bowl, combine apricots, sugar and flour (and lemon juice, if using); toss gently then spoon into crust and dot with butter.

Cover with top pie dough, seal, crimp edges and make slits in crust.

Place pie on foil-lined baking sheet and bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until crust is golden and juices are bubbling.

Tip:  For added flavor, sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over the pie crust just before baking.

I keep a container of cinnamon sugar in my pantry at all times.  Sprinkling over a pie crust is just one of its uses!

When making fruit pies I often make an extra batch or two of filling to freeze.  I already have a mess in the kitchen so it just involves a little more cutting. The reward is going to the freezer in the middle of winter, getting the pie filling and baking a fresh fruit pie!

To do so I put the fruit filling in a freezer ziploc bag, getting as much air out as possible (a Food Saver works great for this, too!) This is when I usually use lemon juice as it helps to keep the fruit from browning.  I then arrange in a pie pan (the same size you will use to bake the pie in) and freeze.  Once frozen, I remove the pie pan and stack the pie filling "discs" in the freezer.  When I'm ready to bake a pie I insert the frozen pie disc into the prepared pie dough.  Because they are frozen it may take a little longer for the pie to bake.

I'm linking up at Foodie Friday!

Caribbean Chicken Salad on a Busy Night!

We have a very busy week going on here. We leave this weekend for vacation so lots of last minute things to do. But when a client brings you a box of apricots you just have to put things aside and get to work!

After going to Pilates at 5:30 a.m. and working a full day it's overwhelming to think of making jam and dinner. So, on nights like this, dinner must be easy. We love a good chicken salad. My hubby could eat a chicken caesar salad every day of the week but I am quickly bored by repetitive meals. Chili's restaurant has a grilled chicken Caribbean salad on their menu. It's changed over the years but the basic salad is the same as this copycat recipe I've been using for a while now. It's easy to put together and my hubby grilled the chicken while I cleaned my kitchen of the apricot jam mess. I especially like the dressing, the addition of the sesame oil gives it such a nice flavor. It was a dinner without much fuss, hardly any mess to clean up and one that was pretty healthy for us!

CHILI’S GRILLED CARIBBEAN CHICKEN SALAD
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
½ cup teriyaki marinade (store bought or homemade)
4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce **
4 cups chopped green leaf lettuce **
1 cup chopped red cabbage **
5.5 oz. can pineapple tidbits in juice, drained
10.4 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
Tortilla chips, broken into small pieces

PICO DE GALLO:
2 medium tomatoes, diced
½ cup diced onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and de-ribbed
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh cilantro
Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

HONEY LIME DRESSING:
¼ cup Grey Poupon dijon mustard
¼ cup honey
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons lime juice

Blend all the ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk; cover and chill.

Marinate the chicken in the teriyaki for at least two hours. Preheat outdoor or indoor grill. Grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side or until done.

Toss the lettuces and cabbage together.

To serve, pour pico de gallo over the bowl of greens. Sprinkle pineapple and oranges on salad. Sprinkle broken tortilla chips on salad. Slice the grilled chicken into thin strips and place on salad. Serve salad with dressing. (Note: salad may be divided into individual servings.)

** Or use packaged lettuce mix.

I've made 24 jars of jam and still have half a box of apricots to deal with. Tomorrow night I'll make apricot pie filling for the freezer!

It's Foodie Friday!

It's Apricot Fiesta Time!

The California Apricot is one of nature’s nutritional powerhouses. They are one of the healthiest and most beneficial fruits available.  They are rich in beta-carotene, Vitamin C, potassium, iron.  They are also very high in fiber and do not contain any cholesterol.  The apricot seed has a high B17 content and has been found to be effective in preventing cancer.

Over 90% of the apricots produced in the United States are grown in the central California San Joaquin Valley. One small farm town, Patterson, prides itself on being at the center of apricot production and hosts an annual Apricot Fiesta.  This weekend marks the 43^rd annual event. 

Back in 1975, an 18-year-old young woman, one week away from her high school graduation, vied for the title of Miss Apricot and won.  I was that young woman. I had the honor of representing my hometown in various festivals & parades, attending functions and giving talks on the virtues of California apricots. Besides having a lot of fun, I learned the art of public speaking and conversing with strangers that has helped me in my career as a CPA.

I’ve always loved apricots and  cook and bake with them quite frequently. The apricot season is very short but canned and dried apricots are available year-round. Each year I make 3-4 batches of apricot jam, which is not only tasty but is so pretty in the pantry.

Our area's apricots are not quite ripe yet, some early varieties are hitting the markets but the season really won't begin for a few more weeks.  Plus, we've had mild weather, the apricots need the warm weather to fully develop the sugar in the fruit. Apricots also don't ripen after picking, a great tasting apricot is picked ripe. When shopping for apricots choose an apricot that is plump and that responds to the slight pressure of your thumb. Look for apricots that are orange-gold in color.

When I crave an apricot dessert when the fresh fruit isn't available I often turn to my stash of apricot jam. These two recipes are not only easy but showcase the wonderful flavor of the apricots.

This recipe is adapted from a sourdough cookbook I have.  I never manage to keep a sourdough starter living, even though I love the flavor it gives baked goods.  My life is too hectic to be worrying about feeding the starter! So, for this recipe, I use a regular sweet dough. 

Apricot Cream Cheese Twists

1 recipe sweet yeast dough of your choice (today I made a batch in my bread machine)
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup apricot jam

Roll the yeast dough to an approximate 18" x 10" rectangle.
Spread cream cheese over dough, leaving about an inch along all sides.
Spread apricot jam over cream cheese.

Fold the dough in thirds (like an envelope).

Cut into 1" strips.  Holding each end, twist once or twice.
Put on parchment-covered baking pan.  And, yes, this is the messy part, you will have jam all over your hands! Have a piece of toast handy and indulge yourself!

Put in warm place and let rise about 1/2 hour.

Using a beaten egg, lightly brush the tops of the twists.  Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Cool on wire rack.  You can top them with a confectioners sugar glaze or, for more apricot goodness, brush with warm melted jam.

When done, put on bright paper plates and deliver to your neighbors!

I got the following recipe from a Taste of Home cookbook many years ago. It's very popular whenever I serve them and I always get a request for the recipe.  These bars are very versatile and so quick to put together. I've served them at brunch, taken to picnics, packed for an airplane snack, taken to bereaving families. Whenever I make them I try not to leave too many at home as they are very addictive for me! This batch went to a homebound family friend and her health care worker as well as my book club group!

The flavor ingredients.

Press 2/3 of the dough in pan, layer with jam, then crumble remaining dough on top.

 So yummy, they have a soft shortbread-like crust with the combination of chewy coconut and crunchy walnuts.

Apricot Bars

¾ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 jar (12 ounces) apricot preserves

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add egg; mix well.  In separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder.  Gradually add to butter mixture.  Add coconut, walnuts and vanilla; mix thoroughly.  Press two-thirds of dough into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-inch. baking pan.  Spread with preserves; crumble remaining dough over preserves.  Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool in pan on wire rack.  Cut into squares. 

Join me Friday at Foodie Friday, lots of great recipes there!