Brioche Veneziana

For those of us who like to cook and bake, trying new dishes and recipes keep it fun and interesting even if we rely on family favorites most of the time. Recently, I tried my hand at making Brioche Veneziana, an Italian brioche that's usually filled with custard cream and covered with coarse sugar grains.  These buns are usually enjoyed at breakfast with coffee, like you would do with croissant (or a cornetto if we're staying on the Italian pastry theme).

Brioche Veneziana filled with chestnut cream (left) and Nutella (right)

My fascination with these buns, or brioche Veneziana, started a few months ago on a breakfast outing with my husband.  The mall near our home opened up an Italian food hall not long ago.  I like the coffee there and we stopped by for coffee and a pastry before starting our day one morning.  Somehow the puffy round brioche bun coated in coarse sugar (shown below) - which I'd come to find out are known as brioche Veneziana -  captivated me.

Not only did they look good, they tasted good...sweet and buttery but not overly so, with a tasty vanilla custard middle.  They were light and airy - perfect with a cappuccino in the morning.  

The buns kept swirling in my mind and I found myself looking up information on them online.  I found a seemingly simple recipe in English that I just had to try.  Since it wasn't particularly demanding (mainly wait/proof time), I didn't think I had a lot to lose.

Brioche Veneziana filled with Nutella after baking

Based on family preference and also since I was not confident how they would turn out, I took another shortcut by filling the baked brioche with chestnut cream (which I have left over from holiday baking) and Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread, rather than custard.  I think they're both Italian pastry-appropriate fillings and delicious alternatives to custard. 

Filled with Chestnut Cream

The homemade brioche I've made thus far were not nearly as light and airy as the ones we can pick up at the Italian market.  I've attempted these buns twice.  After they turned out on the dense side during the first go, I did a little more research and thought maybe a longer knead time would help.  My family and I all agree that the second batch did turn out better (a bit lighter) but, in fairness, still not as puffed and lofty as the model I had in mind.  

Despite not being "perfect", both batches of these brioches were quickly polished off.  They freeze quite well.  I froze leftovers (unfilled) and when I was ready to serve them again, I left them out on the counter overnight, then warmed them up in the oven.  I cut a small hole in the middle of these buns and fill them with their filling right before serving.  While they're certainly not the best brioche Veneziana you can get, I like them so much that I just might keep on trying to get them better and better...wish me luck!

Fortnum & Mason's scone recipe

After the holidays, it's nice to have a lighter schedule.  I'm enjoying the slower pace and having time to do things, like read, again.  That said, I'm happily staying busy in the kitchen in the new year.  In fact, I've been paying attention to satisfying all my random food cravings!

These cravings run the gamut, from steel cut oatmeal to veggie stews, to, of course, chocolate.  One recent craving I've been having was for scones.  I think it may have something to do with my vague idea for a Christmas afternoon tea of sorts during the holidays that I couldn't manage to make happen.  So with more time to cook more random things, it was time to make another batch of scones!

I have developed a preference for British-style scones (which are lighter, more cake-like than the American counterpart), particularly after having an amazing afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason in London a couple of years ago.  I came home from that trip to London and wrote about making Battenberg cake and jammy dodgers and I realized I never posted about Fortnum's scones, which I've made a few times as well.  

I started making them after Fortnum published their scone recipe in their cookbook published in 2017.  I had to get my hands on some '00' flour first.  This superfine flour is common in Italian cooking, for making things like pasta; I'm happy to note that it's a lot easier to find this flour now and I can pick up a bag at my local Whole Foods.

I am admittedly quite shaky (i.e., bad) at making things like scones, biscuits, and pie dough.  But, somehow, I keep trying.  So my Fortnum scones don't come out quite as lofty, or uniform, or nearly as beautiful as the real deal.  However, they still taste wonderful!  These scones are delicate in a way - light and soft in texture, and sweet.  They are less buttery and heavy than American scones and more cake-like; they almost melt in your mouth.  After eating the latest batch this past weekend, I realize why I've been craving them! 

When I make British scones, I always get the urge to make a small batch of lemon curd to go with it.  I did just that this past weekend.  It felt so nice to sit down, split open a freshly-baked scone, and slather it with a little homemade lemon curd.  As much as I was enjoying the combination, I couldn't help but think how much I like these scones all by themselves, just enjoying the taste and texture of them.  Needless to say, I was really happy I paid attention to this particular craving and wanted to put down the recipe here.

Cream scones

Sometimes, I buy cream for a particular recipe and find myself with some leftover that I'd like to use up.  This last time, I thought I'd make some cream scones.

These cream scones are made with butter, egg, and cream - these are rich, crumbly, somewhat flaky, biscuit-like American-style scones.  They're a bit like shortbread cookies with a soft interior.  (In contrast, British-style scones are more cake-like, fluffier and softer - well-suited for splitting and topping with things like clotted cream and jam.)

Once in a while, I'll make a batch of scones and pop them in the freezer so we can have them freshly baked and warm for breakfast.  It's very easy to take them straight from the freezer and into the oven.  So this is what I had in mind and what I did.  That said, it's a struggle for me to work with this kind of American-style scone dough (so it's good to have more practice)...I find the dough generally dry and it's tricky to bring it together to shape and cut without over-handling it.

Frankly, I muddle through and do the best I can.  And while British-style scones might be better suited for splitting and slathering with jam and whatnot, I still sliced these and spread them with things like lemon curd (I use this small-batch recipe) and strawberry jam.  

That way, no one really notices if my scones aren't quite as light and tender as they could be!  

Before baking, I brushed the tops of the scones with cream and showered them with sanding sugar for a little extra color and even more texture.  As you can see, these scones are quite biscuit-like with a flaky, crunchy top and sides.  I didn't manage to slice them without breakage - be ready for lots of crumbs while eating these!

Lemon curd biscuits

Let's not stop the tea party just yet...and extend it just a teensy bit longer, shall we? I need to put the little tea cups and china I bought on our recent trip to London to good use.

So let's sit a spell and have another cup of tea.  Nothing fancy, but we need something to nibble on.  I know!  How about some lemon curd biscuits to go with our cuppa?  Doesn't that sound good?  A traditional crisp, buttery, British-style biscuit with a refreshing taste of lemon is just the thing to go with a cup of tea on a spring afternoon.  

After we braced the long lines and gawked at the crown jewels at the Tower of London, I bought a couple of souvenirs...the tea cup I'm using here and a little book full of recipes for afternoon tea.  This biscuit recipe in that book called out to me because I adore lemon (and other citrus flavors in desserts) and these biscuits actually have a bit of homemade lemon curd stirred into the dough itself to give it a nice strong lemon flavor.

The dough is a bit dry and I likely handled it a little more than I should have.  I found these biscuits best eaten the day they're made and I really enjoyed the flavor of them...a lovely blend of sweet-and-tart from the lemon curd.  The neat thing is you start the recipe by making a small batch of lemon curd.  After using a portion of it for the biscuits, you end up with a little extra lemon curd as an added bonus!

These lemon curd biscuits are great on their own.  But you know me...I dipped some in chocolate.  Absolutely not necessary but it's a near reflexive move that I can't control at times.  Either way, with or without chocolate, it's just about taking a break and enjoying simple things.  Even if it's a tea party for one sometimes, it's nice to take a moment to treat yourself.  

After the biscuits are made, you still have a small bonus amount of homemade lemon curd leftover.  It's an excellent excuse to bake a fresh batch of (British-style) scones, which is just what I did!  Maybe we have a renewed appreciation for British-style scones now because my family and I enjoyed these immensely over Sunday breakfast.  Lemon curd is simply delicious with scones! 

Use the extra lemon curd from this recipe as a spread for scones

Jammy Dodgers

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I had a wonderful vacation in London.  So while I know most of you see cookies, we're actually talking about biscuits today.  British biscuits, that is.  In general, British biscuits are what we call cookies in America, with the distinction that biscuits are of the crunchy, drier variety that's so perfect with a cup of tea! 

Tea and biscuits go hand in hand. Think of the history and tradition of taking tea and you can understand the natural pairing of sweet crunchy biscuits such as shortbread. I naturally gravitate towards soft, chewy, gooey cookies but it never ceases to amaze me how good a simple biscuit is when I do have it.  Tins of Royal Dansk butter cookies are part of my earliest childhood biscuit/cookie memories and growing up during the first handful of my years in Hong Kong, British foods, including biscuits, have a special place in my heart.

It's always fun to pay homage to something by making something to eat!  Our trip to London was such fun - we were lucky to enjoy great weather and we soaked up the beautiful city, friendly people, and classic eats.  From Sunday roast to afternoon tea, it was wonderful to be in a place so familiar, yet so different from home.  

One of the best experiences I had in London was afternoon tea.  My fellas and I enjoyed all the comfort and deliciousness of a true English tea experience at Fortnum & Mason (which, incidentally, is now my favorite shop in the world). Honestly, I had modest expectations (because, so often, afternoon tea looks appealing but doesn't quite match up taste-wise) but I walked away realizing that afternoon tea can not only look beautiful but also taste incredible. Everything - from savory to sweet - was delectable, enjoyed leisurely in a beautiful and comfortable setting.   

While it might be fun to recreate afternoon tea at home one day, I started with a small inspiration to pay homage to afternoon tea.  My son had the children's array of afternoon tea eats and among the treats on the top of his 3-tier cake stand was a Jammy (or "Jammie") Dodger, or so we were told.  It was a simple shortbread sandwich biscuit (cookie) filled with jam; they're much like linzer torte cookies, minus the almond meal. Jammie Dodgers are apparently a very popular children (and adult) biscuit in the UK, made by Burton's Biscuit Co. for over 50 years. If you're wondering about the "Dodgers" part of the name, it was named after a comic strip character.

Maybe it's the catchy name but the little biscuit stuck with me and I made a small batch of them at home to enjoy with my family.  These shortbread biscuits are tender and buttery, plus they melt in your mouth thanks to the powdered sugar used in the dough.  Jammy Dodgers are usually filled with strawberry or raspberry jam; I filled mine with strawberry and apricot jam and breaking away with the "rules", I also sandwiched a few with Nutella for my son.

Much to everyone's surprise (particularly his own), the 11-year old truly enjoyed the formal afternoon tea experience and while he wasn't eager to attack his Jammy Dodger there (he's not a fan of fruit jams unless it's in a tri-color cookie), he was a huge fan of my at-home Nutella version.  He's asked me to make more again for him soon - now I call that a successful bake!  

Mini lemon phyllo tarts

Aside from all things chocolate, another dessert I often crave is a lemon tart.  There is something great about the balance of tart and sweet, the crispness of the crust versus the creaminess of the filling.   

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and don't mind jumping right back into talking about food and desserts!  Continuing the theme of mini desserts and small bites, and to satisfy my all-too-frequent craving, I recently made a small batch of these easy mini lemon tarts using prepared phyllo cups.  It's a simpler, faster - not to mention, lighter - way to satisfy that lemon tart craving.  And it's the holiday season when party foods, small bites, and variety is the name of the game.  A mini dessert like this brightens up the table and taste-wise, it's light and fresh, packed with a strong lemon punch that provides so much flavor in each small bite.  

These mini phyllo cups from the supermarket are very handy.  I usually use them for savory fillings (I'm thinking of a spin on crab cakes at my Christmas party this year) but they're naturally great for many kinds of sweet filling, including lemon curd.  

I was inspired to make these after watching a cooking show.  From it, I picked up the tip of lightly spraying the phyllo shells with cooking spray and sprinkling them with some granulated sugar before baking for them for a few minutes to help make and keep the shells really crunchy.  I made a small batch of lemon curd for the filling and topped the little tartlets with a little bit of whipped cream, to which I added some fresh lemon zest. You can leave out the whipped cream if you like but I think they make them look extra special.

These phyllo cups are so incredibly crispy, shattering in your mouth, and cushioning all that lovely tart yet sweet flavor of the lemon curd.  It's easy to eat many of these! 

I can't help but think I'd love to make some chocolate mousse tartlets and set them alternating with these lemon ones on a big platter for a holiday party. Don't you love all the food and variety we conjure up during the holiday season? Here's to many, many tasty small bites and lots and lots of celebrations to go with it in the month ahead!  

Biscuit sandwich cookies with chocolate fudge filling (and other possibilities)

I got the notion to make some sandwich cookies the other day.  It's still not my favorite thing to do but I'm a little less reluctant to make roll-out cookies now that I've had a bit more experience and practice.  These biscuit sandwich cookies (one of Martha's recipes) have been on my list of things to bake for a while.  So armed with some extra heavy cream in the fridge, I thought it was time to make it happen.

No doubt, making roll-out and sandwich cookies take a little extra effort.  But I hauled out my food processor and dusted off my rolling pin to give these a go.  The dough comes together quickly and is fairly easy to roll out.  But in typical form, I didn't roll my cookies as thin as they should be (rolling dough to 1/16th of an inch thickness is beyond my ability and patience level) and since the dough was sticking to my parchment paper, I needed to chill the rolled dough before I could remove the cut-outs from the sheet. 

 

I don't know about you but whenever I'm make anything that involves cookie cutters, I can't resist the heart shape...

My sandwich cookies aren't nearly as thin or as chic as Martha's but I fully expected that.  And even though my favorite kinds of cookies are generally the chewy, soft, gooey kind, I like a nice crispy one once in a while too.  And the best part about a sandwich cookie must be the promise of a rich filling to be discovered within.  I may have wanted to make these for the filling alone.

I decided to join these biscuit cookies with a chocolate fudge filling.  Of course, for me, it must be chocolate in some form!  Maybe I was thinking about how much I loved E.L. Fudge cookies as a kid or maybe it was the frugal side of me wanting to use up the extra condensed milk I had on hand (after making mango sago) but, either way, chocolate fudge called out to me.

Similar to ganache, the fudge filling will set up as it cools

 

The original recipe actually pairs the cookies with melted milk chocolate (a good option since the cookies themselves are not very sweet) and suggests Nutella as a quick substitute.  Both are excellent possibilities and I can't help but think of a number of other choices as far as the filling goes.  Think: smooth peanut butter, melted dark chocolate (if you want to keep the overall cookie less sweet), ganache, some kind of jam, lemon curd, or even a buttercream (though that's not my thing) or a swipe of chestnut cream.

 
The cookies by themselves are buttery but not to the degree of Punitions or shortbread cookies, with a slightly salty bite.  Not being very sweet or overwhelming in flavor, I think the cookies paired very well with the fudge filling, which is somewhat sweeter than ganache.

That's the neat thing about homemade things; you can customize it to your own liking.  Whatever you choose to fill your biscuit sandwich cookies with, who doesn't love picking up a sandwich cookie, twisting it open, and licking the center?
 

Meyer lemon tartlets

I've been craving lemon tart for months now.  Ever since I made my first last Spring, I think about it every so often.  This time, instead of a big tart, I went with mini tartlets.  I'm a big fan of things, like food, in miniature.

And I got my hands on some meyer lemons to use here.  I remembered seeing them a few months ago at Trader Joe's and hearing that they're in season, I was hoping to find them again and lucked out.  So this time around, I made meyer lemon tartlets.

I was a bit mesmerized by these meyer lemons.  I've never used them before or even gotten an up-close look at them until now.  They're smaller than your typical lemons, with a thin, bright yellow-colored skin.  They're a cross between lemons and mandarin oranges, and less tart than regular lemons.  Because of that, you can reduce the amount of sugar in your recipe when you use it.  I only used 1/3 cup of sugar to sweeten my six tartlets.  Unlike the sharp, bright smell of regular lemons, I was surprised that meyer lemons have a floral, almost pine-like, scent to them.

These meyer lemon tartlets are the individualized version of the last lemon tart I made.  I used the same press-on tart shell I've used a few times now, pressing the dough into six 4-inch tart tins like I did for the mini fruit tarts.  The lemon curd filling I used is the same as the last recipe, only using meyer lemons and with the amount of sugar dialed down to 1/3 instead of 1/2 cup.  That (intentionally) makes for a fairly tart filling.  I think if you're having lemon, it should taste that way but if you prefer it sweeter, add an extra tablespoon of sugar.

Ironically, I was concerned that my tarts wouldn't be tart enough using meyer lemons.  In all honesty, I'm not sure I'd be able to tell the difference between a "regular" lemon tart and a meyer lemon one in a blind taste-test but I am glad that this version using meyer lemons provided the same satisfying lemon flavor and zing that I've been craving.

There's something really satisfying about making your own tart crust and luckily, this recipe is quite forgiving.  This shortbread crust is buttery, crunchy, and sweet.  The lemon curd filling is tart, a good counterbalance with the sweetness from the crust.  I love that yin and yang combination.  My husband and I love to savor a lemon tart with some hot coffee, and we did just that during a recent date night at home.

Making tarts may seem demanding but it really isn't if you break up the work (and don't need to take pictures for your blog!).  On a quiet weekend afternoon, make the tart crust in advance.  Press it into the tart tins, wrap it up, and freeze it for up to a month.  On the day you want to make and serve your tart(s), bake the crust and cook the filling on the stovetop.  It's not as complicated as you might think.

My first lemon bars

I associate lemon bars/squares with school bake sales but have you ever actually seen lemon bars at a school bake sale?  I remember (fondly) that school bake sales were all about Entenmann's fudge cakes and cupcakes when I was growing up in Brooklyn.  I never once saw lemon bars and, I know this might sound unlikely, I don't think I've ever eaten one!  Until now, that is...

I've had (and love) lemon tarts but not a basic lemon bar with shortbread crust and lemon curd topping that I can pick up with my hands and devour.  Although I have to ask...is it still lemon curd when there's no butter and you add flour to it?

I've wanted to make lemon bars for a while since I love lemon but I was really motivated to bake a batch after seeing a recipe for a lighter version in Cooking Light magazine. 

But to make a long story short, I actually did not make the Cooking Light version but went with the well-known Ina Garten recipe instead, with some help from Smitten Kitchen.  Although I love the idea of lightening up these rich treats (pine nuts in the crust sounded good to me), how can I make a lighter version before making/tasting the "real" thing first?  So as a compromise, I just made a smaller version of the real thing.

And I think this is the real deal...rich, buttery (very fragrant) shortbread crust and tangy yet sweet lemon filling.  I'm glad I didn't slim down the lemon layer.  I actually figured I'd like a bit more lemon to shortbread ratio, and I was right.

I didn't know making lemon bars could be a bit of a high wire act though!  I thought I came a little too close to over baking mine.  Who knew you could over bake lemon bars!  I was worried about under baking - you read about fillings not setting and how difficult they are to cut.  And of course, since I divided the recipe in half and baked them in a 9-inch square pan instead of a 9x13 inch pan, the timing was thrown off.  And boy, I had lots of ugly air bubbles on top of my lemon bars - why hasn't anyone talked about that?

Luckily, I found that after cutting away the dried sides of my lemon bar, the center was still soft and, almost surprisingly at this point (since I'd lost confidence), very tasty!  Maybe it just goes to show you do need to bake lemon bars a bit longer than you think.  Next time, though, I'll play it safe and keep a closer eye on the oven.  I think the idea is to remove them about 5 minutes after the filling sets; directions are not very precise, for sure.

And also luckily, a generous dusting of powdered sugar does a good job of hiding those unsightly air bubbles.  The downside is that this almost-mandatory powdered sugar topping melts once covered so it's not ideal to travel with them (another point against the bake sale idea - particular during humid weather) or if you want to package them as a gift.

Now I know what the big whoop is about lemon bars.  They're a great balance between sweet and tangy, with that fresh lemon cutting through the rich buttery flavor of the crust.  And is it me or is there something a little extra special about bar desserts?  Casual yet special.  Next time you're at a bake sale, see if you find lemon bars.  They may be geared more towards adult rather than young palates but look at it this way, we all become adults eventually...

Lemon tart - inspired by Paris

You'd think that after coming home from Paris, I'd be filled with inspiration on the baking front.  That actually wasn't the case.  When I first got back, I wasn't feeling much motivation to go into the kitchen although I was craving many of those wonderful pastries we ate while we were there.  I kept wishing we were still in Paris and could walk to a pâtisserie to pick up an amazing croissant, tart or eclair.

But I'm happy to report that those initial feelings of lethargy passed fairly quickly.  Reality set in.  I do not live in Paris (but very close to New York City, which is not too shabby either) and I still love to putter around in the kitchen, playing with flour.  If anything, the trip has given me more focus - to take my time and make what I think my family and I would really like to eat and explore. 

Now, I sit here with some ideas and inspirations from Paris.  The first thing I did was make this lemon tart, or tarte au citron since we're in a French mood.  I talked about the delicious lemon tarts I tasted in Paris and I now know why the French are known for their citrus tarts.  The flavor of a lemon tart is decidedly lemon, rather than sugary sweet.  I really wanted to recapture and enjoy that flavor again so I made this lemon tart recipe from David Lebovitz, who I consider a great, approachable source on pastry and French living.

One of the things about French pastry you notice right away is the artistry.  It's not just cake but many of the creations are miniature works of art as far as flavor, textures, and the layers involved.  At the same time, though, the French excel at simplicity, using high quality ingredients, not messing around with it too much, to create something delicious.  I find that duality really interesting.  For me, I'm certainly more at home sticking with the simple but delicious, which brings me back to this tart. 

I started with what I think is the simplest tart shell there is and filled it with a fairly modest amount of lemony lemon curd.  The whole thing is quite simple to put together, especially if you do what I did and make the tart shell (up to a month) in advance, store it in the freezer, and have it ready to bake the day you plan to put the whole thing together.  The lemon curd is simply cooked over the stovetop, with an equal ratio of 1/2 cup of lemon juice to sugar so that you have a delightfully lemon result.  Most recipes call for a lot more sugar and I'm happy to report that the end result here was not too tart and the taste was very reminiscent of the tart I ate from La Maison Paul so it really brought back a happy memory for me.

When it comes to the filling, I highly recommend using organic lemons if possible.  Take a sniff of the organic variety and you'll know what I mean.  Before making this, I wrestled with whether or not to make a bit more of the lemon filling.  Ultimately, I decided to stick with the recipe and make the modest amount, which I think is perfectly suitable to everyday eating.  For me, the relatively thin layer of filling was just right.  I didn't walk away from the table feeling like I over-indulged.

Incidentally, I highly recommend a cup of hot coffee to go with a slice of this tart.  My husband and I were sharing the last slice I'd tucked away in the fridge one morning (yes, morning) and it was particularly delightful with coffee.