pies are square

So, I wanted to try that shortbread crust again, but I didn't have any pears. I did manage to find my 1/3 c dry measure though. It was in the container of oatmeal mix. Nice to find, but I didn't need it, since I'm tripling the recipe for the crust this time.

I've been trying to come up with cookies that are like other desserts, along the lines of the epic creamsicle cookies, and the extremely labour intensive black forest cookies. A new acquaintance suggested "raspberry tarts."

The pear tart had a bit of an issue with moisture, so I need to be careful with these. And since I want them to be portable, I'm not going to make them open faced.

I know this is going to pose a bit of a challenge because the shortbread dough is soft. So, I decided to chill it first for a bit. If all else fails, I'll cover the berries in a patchwork peicemeal fashion.

So, if you're ready, I have a counter devoid of dishes that needs to get dirty...

Raspberry Tart Cookies

What you need:

• 1 c butter
• 1 c sugar
• 2 c flour
• 1 c fresh raspberries

What you gotta do:

Make sure your butter is nice and soft.

Cream in the sugar until it's pale and fluffy.

Add the flour 1/2 c at a time mixing until just combined. I cut back the flour a bit this time, since it seemed a little on the dry side when I made the pear tart. **Which was a total mistake, so I've adjusted the amount in the ingredient list above. Use 2c flour. I only used 1 1/2 and it was definitely not enough**

This is going to be a very soft and slightly sticky dough. Since I knew I was going to need to handle it quite a bit in the rolling, I decided to chill it.

Separate the dough in half and wrap two floured discs in floured plastic wrap. You need the flour. It will stick if you don't have it. **you may not need as much flour on the wrap if you use the right amount. may not need to chill it either.**

Chill the dough for at least 10 minutes. Half an hour probably would have worked better, but I was impatient and it was getting late.

Now, I didn't follow the best method initially (welcome to my understatement), so, here's what I should have done.

Preheat the oven to 375 **the 400 that I used for the pear tart is too hot for these mini-pies**.

On a large piece of floured parchment, roll out one of the disks to about 1/4 inch thick.

** I did this on the counter, then realized I had to move it onto parchment. Dangerous, but I managed.** I was aiming for something somewhat rectangular, but it ended a little more rounded.

Put that piece of dough aside.

On another large piece of floured parchment, roll the other disc into a shape and size similar to the first.

One of these is going to be slightly larger than the other: that one is the top.

Flatten the raspberries by tearing them open and lay them on the bottom sheet of crust.

Try not to burst any of the arils as you do this; you want them dry. Too much juice here and the middle won't cook completely.

Once you've got the bottom covered in berries, figure out some way to cover them with the top crust. I lined mine up side by side and really quickly flipped the top onto the bottom. I'm pretty sure I'd never be able to to it again.

Good luck.

Patch the edges and broken peices gently. These will not be visible in the final product. Don't worry about how it looks right now.

With the point of a sharp knife, cut the giant covered tart into 1 inch squares. And I mean 1 inch. They are going to spread.

Gently transfer a dozen of the squares to the cookie sheet. Make sure it's covered in parchment (reuse the piece that the "top" was rolled on).

Bake these at...  400 seemd a little hot, or maybe I should pay more attention and watch the cookies instead of writing a blog post about them? 8 minutes at 375 seemed the best batch.

They're going to spread, but you want to get them out before they get too brown on the edges. And they are buttery.

A little too much so. Definitey need to increase the flour. Well, this is tagged as a "kitchen experiment," right?

They're tasty though, and really do have the flavour of a raspberry tart. Kinda look like them too.

Sorta.

Maybe?

Next time they might.

I hope.

Damn my kitchen is a mess.

I hope you're happy, Denisearoni. ;)

Ham and Beans

Last week I told you I’d show you a fabulous way to use your leftover ham from the holiday weekend. My favorite way to make use of it is ham and beans.  Heck, I’ve even been known to make a ham with the driving motivation being the subsequent pot o’ beans.  Although, I’ve also been known to make a roast just for the ‘leftovers’ French dip, so it’s possible my judgment is a little faulty.  Regardless, these beans are to die for.  In fact, my house smelled so good while making them that Otto was sure to keep his nose unobstructed so he wouldn’t miss one whiff.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Beans
Celery
Onion
Garlic
Ham stock
Ham bone
Ham
Salt & Pepper
Water

I know there are no measurements listed there.  This is one thing where measurements just don’t really apply, but don’t be scared, I’ll show you how it’s done.  The first thing you need to do is sort through your beans and make sure there aren’t any pebbles or anything in there. 

You can use any kind of bean you like.  I decided to go with this lovely 13 bean mix, my thought being, ‘Look at all those pretty colors.  That will make a beautiful soup!’.

After checking them over, rinse them and cover them with plenty of water, then leave them overnight. 

The next day, drain and rinse them.

Then put them into a pan and cover with about 1 inch of water. Bring them to a boil, stirring occasionally.  After about an hour, I was starting to question my logic in choosing colorful beans.  The whole pot had just turned a kind of grayish brown color. 

When they’ve simmered for about an hour, they should be mostly tender.  This is a good time to add your ham bone.  If you haven’t recently made a ham, you could use a couple of ham hocks instead. 

Simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally to make sure the beans don’t start to stick to the bottom of the pan.  Add the celery, onion, and garlic to the mix and continue stirring and simmering.  If it gets too thick at any point, go ahead and add more water. 

After another hour, it should be getting thick, and the beans should be starting to fall apart. 

Time for the secret ingredient that makes these absolutely amazing.  Ham stock. 

What is ham stock?  It’s the liquid that cooks off of your ham.  In my case, that usually also includes pineapple juice, brown sugar, and spices.  Anytime you make a ham, always save the liquid and bone.  If you’re not going to use them right away, freeze them.  So, once the ham stock is in, dice up some ham. 

Stir it into the pot and cook it for about 20 minutes. At this point, the beans should be thick, creamy, and delicious.  Check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. 

So much for my theory of colorful beans being pretty. 

The whole pot ended up brown, but oh well.  After smelling these all day, color hardly matters.  I still like the bean mix anyway.  It brings different sizes and textures to the mix, and the lentils and split peas totally break down and help thicken it. 

I don’t really have any serving suggestions… perhaps pair it with bread?  Personally, just give me a bowlful and a spoon, and I’m happy. 

What food do you make just for the leftovers?