Gooseberry Preserve Scones

1 1/2 cup flour (whole wheat, white whole wheat, or whole wheat pastry)
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg
1/2 cup gooseberry jam
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
Spiced sugar to garnish

Preheat oven to 375°.

Stir together the flour, almond meal, salt, and baking powder.

Cut in the butter until it  thoroughly mixed, no chunks of butter.

Stir in the buttermilk, egg, and jam. It will be a very soft and wet dough. Turn it out onto a floured counter and knead it, very gently, adding in enough flour to make the dough cohesive. Roll it out to about 1/2"-3/4" thick and cut out rounds.

Sprinkle spiced sugar on the top of each round, place them on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, and bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown.

Peaches & Cream Crumb Cake

4 cups peaches, sliced thin and pit removed
1 1/2 Tbls sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbls unflavored gelatin or collagen
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup corn meal or masa harina
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup cream or half & half
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8" square or circular cake pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together the peaches, 1 1/2 Tbls sugar, gelatin, and ground ginger. If the fruit is frozen, it needs to be thawed.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into small cubes, then cut it into the flour mixture until the butter is all small pieces. Stir in the eggs and cream to make a thick, clumpy dough. Add more liquid if necessary, so there is no loose powder in the dough.

Put 1/2 of the crumb mixture into the bottom on the cake pan, in an even layer. Put the peach mixture in an even layer over the crumbs. Top with a layer of the remaining crumb mixture, sprinkling it in large clumps.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until lightly golden on top.

Spiced Almond Biscuits

1/2 cup cold butter

1/4 cup coconut oil or lard

1/2 cup raw sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

3 cups almond meal

about 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease it.

Cut the butter into small cubes. In a medium bowl, put in the butter, coconut oil/lard, and sugars. Use a pastry cutter to mix the butter and shortening into the sugar. When it is somewhat creamy, a beater can be used to mix it to a smooth, creamy texture. 

Beat in the vanilla and eggs until creamy again. Then stir in the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Stir in the almond meal one cup at a time. It will create a very soft, sticky dough.

Form the dough into small balls, the volume of about 2 tablespoons. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar until they are completely coated. Place the balls on the baking sheet at least 2" apart, as they spread quite a bit while baking. Gently compress the top of each ball, so it is just barely flat.

Bake for 11-13 minutes, until they are golden-brown around the edges.

Makes about 20 cookies.

Variations:

Use other spices or a mixture of spices.

Use other nut flours or a mixture of nut flours. I can sometimes find a mix of almond, coconut, pecan, and walnut, which is delicious.

Raspberry Seedcake

1/2 cup cream
8 oz. butter (1/2 cup)
6 Tbls. honey
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground mace
1 Tbls. caraway seeds
3 eggs
1/4 cup elderflower cordial (or 1 Tbls. elderflower syrup + 3 Tbls. water or carbonated water)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup raspberries

Put the cream in a small pan over med-high heat. Stir it every 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat when it reaches a boil, turn the heat to med-low, and return the cream to heat. Stir gently but constantly until it scrapes clean from the bottom of the pan and is thickened--about 15 minutes from the start. Remove from heat and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream together the butter, honey, and cream. Stir in the spices and seeds. Add the eggs and cordial, beating to combine. Gently break the raspberries into several pieces, and coat them all with flour.  Add the 2 cups flour gradually to the batter, mixing it in completely before adding more. Add the baking powder with the flour. Then gently stir in the raspberries.  The batter will be very thick.

Line a bread pan with buttered baking paper. Pour in the batter and spread to smooth. Bake it for 1 hour, or until it tests done (probe comes out clean).

Moroccan Harchas

Period: 1200s, Spain, Morocco
Sources: About Morrocan Food, Medieval Spanish Chef

2 cups fine semola flour
3 tablespoons coarse raw sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup soft or melted butter
1/2 - 3/4 cup milk

In a mixing bowl, stir together the semola, sugar, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is like damp sand. Stir in 1/2 cup milk. The dough needs to be very soft, like very wet cookie dough. Add more milk if necessary. It will look too wet to a baker's eye.

Let the dough rest for a few minutes. It will stiffen as the semolina absorbs moisture.

Meanwhile, preheat the frying pan over high heat, then turn heat to medium-low.

Prepare a pressing folder by cutting open 3 edges of a plastic storage bag, or cutting a rectangle of baking parchment and folding in half into a square.

Form a small ball of dough, place on one half of the pressing folder, fold over the other half, and use a flat-bottomed plate to press the dough into a circle about 1/4" thick. Peel off the top half, flip the dough onto one hand and peel off the other half of the folder.

Cook them over medium-low heat for several minutes on each side until each side has patches of deep golden brown. try to flip it only once.

Serve with toppings as with pancakes or scones, such as butter, syrup, jam, cream, or savory with cheese and meat.

Cecina (Farinata de Ceci)

Period: 1200s Italy
Sources: Chickpea Flour on Wikipedia, A Tuscan Foodie in America

1 1/2 cup chickpea flour
2 1/2 cup water
6 Tbls. olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Stir together the chickpea flour and water. Put in a covered container and let sit for 2-6 hours. It will start out very lumpy, but as it sits, the lumps will absorb water and dissolve.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Coat a 9"x13" baking pan with 2 Tbls. olive oil.

Stir the batter and mix in the salt and pepper. Pour the batter into the pan. Fold 4 Tbls. olive oil into the batter.

Bake for 15 minutes, then broil the top for 5 minutes.

Grape Scones

3 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat flour)
6 Tbls. butter
3 Tbls. honey
1 cup grapes, halved
2 eggs
5 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Put the flour into a large bowl and add the butter and honey. Mix with a pastry cutter to create a breadcrumb-like mixture. Gently stir in the grape halves. Add the eggs and baking powder and use a wooden spoon to turn the mixture gently. Add half of the milk and keep turning the mixture gently with the spoon to combine. Then add the remaining milk a little at a time and bring everything together to form a very soft, wet dough. 

Sprinkle flour onto a clean counter. Put the soft dough onto the floured counter and sprinkle some flour on top. Chaff the dough by folding the dough in half, then turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat. Do this a few times until you’ve formed a smooth dough. Sprinkle more flour onto the work surface and on top of the dough if necessary. Roll the dough out to about 1" thick. 

Use a cookie cutter to cut out scones. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking parchment paper. Leftover dough can be rolled again for more scones. Just don't work the dough too much. Let the scones rest for a few minutes. You can glaze the top with egg, milk, or sugar, or leave them plain. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the scones are risen and golden-brown.

I got 32 small scones from this recipe.

Apple and Cinnamon Pie

1 double pie crust 

Cinnamon sugar 

 

Filling: 

1 Tbls. arrowroot powder 

6 cups apples, chopped small (not peeled) 

3 tsp. ground cinnamon 

1/4 cup honey 

 

 Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix the filling ingredients in a pot over med-low heat, stirring occasionally. The apples will get a little soft, but this is more about melting the honey and creating a thick cinnamon syrup. Pour the filling into the crust. Cover with a top crust, you can make it decorative or whatever. Make sure it has slits or holes. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Toffee Apples / Honey Toffee Pears

This makes enough honey toffee to cover 6 smallish apples

1/4 cup water
1 cup honey
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbls. butter

First prepare your apples and pears by removing the wax. Dip them in steaming hot water for about 30 seconds each, then rub with a rough cloth until the skin is smooth and not tacky. It may change the color of the skin, but the toffee will stick better. Remove the stems, and push a stick/large skewer into the top down to the center (or plastic forks, in my case). Place out a piece of foil and smear butter on it. Get a deep bowl of cold water ready.

Use a medium saucepan--larger than you think you need, because it foams up a lot when it boils. Cook the water, honey, vinegar, and butter over high heat. Let it boil until it reaches about 280 F. Honey cooks faster than cane sugar so be really careful; this is as hot as it gets before burning. Remove from heat and dip the apples/pears immediately and quickly once it reaches this temperature. Tilt the pan to make a pool, then stick in one apple at a time, twirling it around to cover with toffee. Then quickly plunge the apple into the cold water, then set down to harden on the buttered foil.

Plum Wine

*Not actually wine.

1 pound of plums, pitted
1 Tbls. honey
1 1/2 to 2 cups water

Cook the plums and honey over medium heat, stirring, until the plums are dark, the honey is melted, and the plums have only started to get mushy.

Put the plums in a blender. Use 1/2 cup water to deglaze the pan and add that to the blender. Blend until liquefied. Strain the liquid into a bowl or pitcher through a cloth bag, You have to really squeeze out as much juice as possible--it will be thick--and remaining in the bag will basically be plum mush.

Dilute the juice with about 1 1/2 cups water. At this point it is still somewhat thick, but it has a strong, sweet flavor. Adding more water to change the consistency, even just a little like 1/2 cup, will lessen the flavor, more than I like, but you can do it to taste.

Plum and Apple Pudding

2 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs*

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 Tbls. butter

1 pound of apples
1/2 pound of plums
1 tsp. ground ginger

3 Tbls. Honey

1 cup whipping cream

2 Tbls. brown sugar

Cut the butter into smaller pieces. Place breadcrumbs, butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a non-stick pan on low heat. Cook gently while constantly stirring until the butter has all melted and it’s dark golden. Transfer into a bowl and set aside.

Core and slice the apples. Combine the apples and honey. Cook, covered, over medium heat until the apples are soft enough to easily poke through with a knife, but before they get mushy. Add the ginger. Mash the apples, or put them in a food processor on a low setting, until it is have pureed and half chunks of apple. Basically make a chunky applesauce.

Pit the plums and cut into fourths. Mash/process them in the same way. 

Divide each of those ingredients into thirds.

In a glass dish, layer the ingredients. Starting at bottom: apples, plums, crumbs. Repeat to have 3 sets of layers.

Chill in the fridge until cool, even overnight.

Before serving, whip the cream with the 2 Tbls. brown sugar, and spread that over the top. Garnish with plum jam, if available.


*I made bread crumbs with a mixture of whole wheat bread and white potato bread. Basically any plain bread, biscuits, rolls, etc. will work. The easiest way to make bread crumbs is to tear up pieces of bread and process in a blender/food processor until it is all crumbs.

Grumm's Experiment

From Martin the Warrior.  Grumm mixes together wheat flour, wild oats, wild plums, wild honey, and apples chopped small, then shapes the dough into cakes and cooks on a stone over a fire.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup apple, minced
1 cup plums, stones removed, and cut into quarters

 Preheat oven to 425 F.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the honey and fruit.

Warm the plum pieces to soften them (30 seconds in microwave), then mash them, focusing on separating the flesh from the skin and liquefying the flesh. Stir into the flour mixture. The dough should be very sticky and wet.

Drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet that is greased or lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are golden-brown.

Apple Almond Cake

Sort of a medieval recipe. An alteration of a recipe that claimed to be medieval, but had no documentation.

2 cups apples, grated
1/2 cup honey
3 eggs
3/4 cup almond meal
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt 

Preheat oven to 350° F. Put the grated apple in water with lemon juice until ready to use. Let the eggs come to room temperature. (Putting them in warm water helps.)

Beat the eggs on high speed until pale yellow, a thick foam, small bubbles. Meanwhile gently heat the honey until it is thin and runny. Reduce the eggs to a medium beating speed and slowly pour the honey in as it beats. After the honey is added, beat on high speed for about a minute. Reduce to a low speed and slowly add the almond meal, cinnamon, and salt. Then fold in the grated apple.

Pour batter into a well-buttered 8" baking pan. Cover with foil.

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Whole Wheat Biscuits

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 Tbls. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Beat together the milk and 1 1/2 eggs (or 1 extra large egg). (Start with 1 egg and the milk, then beat the second egg separately and add half of it to the milk.)

Roughly cut the butter into the flour mix, leaving some largish chunks of butter. Stir in the milk mixture until just mixed.

Gently knead the dough on a floured surface until it holds together. Gently shape into a large, flat rectangle. Fold the rectangle into thirds (like folding a letter) and gently press down. Cut into 8 equal pieces, or however many biscuits you want. You can leave them in this shape, or gently reshape them by tucking the edges.

Place on a baking sheet that is greased, or lined with parchment. Use the remaining beaten egg to glaze the tops. Sprinkle seasonings on top if desired. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Potato, Mushroom and Carrot Pasties

1 batch of pie crust dough
3/4 cup carrot, grated
2 Tbls. oil
1 1/2 cup potato, chopped small
1 clove garlic
1 cup mushrooms, chopped small
2 Tbls. fresh parsley leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Chill the pie dough until ready to use.

Cook the potato and garlic with the oil, over medium-low heat until the potatoes are softened (they don't have to be completely cooked). Add the mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes, until the mushrooms are soft. Remove from heat. Add the carrots, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Divide pie dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a circle. Spoon a quarter of the filling onto each circle. Fold over the dough and press the edges together. Make a couple of steam vents on the top and place them on a baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Mushroom, Potato, and Onion Pasties

Makes 4 pasties.

Ingredients:
1 batch of pie crust dough

1/2 cup onion, chopped small

2 tablespoons oil

1 3/4 cup potato, chopped small

1 clove garlic

1 cup mushrooms, chopped small
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves

salt and pepper

Chill the pie dough until ready to use.

Fry the onion in the oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the potato and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat until the potatoes are softened.  Add the mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes, until the mushrooms are soft.  Remove from heat. Add the parsley, salt, and pepper.  

Preheat oven to 400F.

Divide pie dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a circle. Spoon a quarter of the filling on to each circle.  Fold over the pastry and press edges together. Make a couple of small steam-holes in each pasty and place them on a baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Wheat Scones with Candied Pear

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup butter, chopped into little pieces
1/2 cup candied pear pieces
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

ground nutmeg

sugar

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Stir together flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in butter and honey until crumbly and there's no more dry powder. Stir in pear pieces, milk, sour cream and egg until combined.

Knead the dough on a floured surface until it holds together and is not so sticky. It's okay to knead flour into it.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Press the ball of dough into a large circle on the baking sheet. Cut it into 8 wedges. Sprinkle with sugar and nutmeg.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until they are golden and the middle is firm. 

Candied Pear

Candying fruit is a very long and involved process, so here's my relatively fast and easy version. I used canned pears for this because they are already soaked in sugar from being canned in syrup.

Get some canned pears. Chop them up into smallish pieces. Line a baking sheet with foil, then dust with powdered sugar. Spread the pear pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet. Put in the oven at 200° F for 4-6 hours. I honestly don't know how long it took me. I just kept coming back to check it. They need to be not wet anymore, only slightly sticky, and with a gummy texture like raisins or other dried fruits.

Buttermilk Jam Scones

This makes a soft, tender pastry with delicious sweet globs inside.

 

3/4 cup cold buttermilk
1/4 cup jam or jelly
1 egg
2 cups flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)
1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
spiced sugar

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in chilled butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk, jam, and egg, stirring just until moist.

Place dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly until the dough is all together. Place on a baking sheet that is either greased, or lined with parchment. Form dough into an approximately 3/4" thick, 9-inch circle. Cut dough into wedges all the way through.

Sprinkle spiced sugar on top. Bake until golden and firm in the middle, 20-30 minutes. Serve warm.

Cilantro Guacamole

6 avocados
2 limes
 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, stems removed as convenient, chopped

Peel avocados and remove seed. Juice the limes. Combine all ingredients and mash.