Last Bite of Summer - Olive Oil Blackberry Lemon Shortbread

 

 

It's been a very warm summer in San Diego. The AC in my tiny red kitchen often read in the high 80s, low 90s and the few times I did dare to turn on the oven, it would slowly approach the 100s. Even after the oven was off, it would take hours for my house to "cool" down. I started baking at night but then I wouldn't have the light to take pictures to share with all of you. I missed out on making quite a few summery treats because I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

 

A few weekends ago, I couldn't resist the urge anymore. The oven was just calling to me! If I was going to brave the heat, I was going to make something summery. Last Spring, I tried a shortbread recipe that used olive oil rather than butter. Isn't that what makes shortbread so tasty....all that buttery goodness? This couldn't possibly be as good but to my surprise, although it tasted pretty different from traditional shortbread, I enjoyed it. But what could I do to the recipe to bring it up another level, still stay a little healthier, and remind me of summer. When I saw the fresh blackberries in the market, I knew I wanted to make something reminiscent of a berry lemonade with fresh mint.



Olive Oil Blackberry Lemon Shortbread

Shortbread
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup Stevia)
1/3 cup light olive oil
1 large egg
2 1/2  tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 cup blackberries, sliced in half

Glaze
3/4 cups Stevia
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
3-5 mint leaves, crushed

 

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine baking soda, flour, salt (Do not sift) on a large piece of parchment paper.

Separately, beat sugar, egg, olive oil, and honey until combined. Add lemon zest and using the parchment paper, gradually add the dry ingredients. Incorporate the blackberries.

Place dough on the parchment paper. Press the dough together with the parchment paper and make into a log. Twists the ends and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.

Cut the log into 1 inch thick rounds. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

In a saucepan on low heat, combine all ingredients for the glaze. Simmer for 5 minutes or until it bubbles. Remove from heat. Brush glaze onto cooled shortbread. Allow the glaze to cool on the shortbread before serving.

Sueshine Notes

Measurements and ingredients have been changed from the original recipe to make it my own and to bring up the sweetness level.

After you add the flour mixture, the dough will be very dry. Do not panic. The blackberries will moisten the dough and will help bring it together in the parchment paper.

Another option for the cookies it to roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter to make different shapes rather than the log.

The color of the dough and finished cookies will be a little shocking and maybe not so appetizing when you first take them out of the oven. I wondered how on earth I could make this look good for you guys but after I brushed on the glaze and let the cookies sit for a bit, the lovely purple color came out.

Sometimes I wonder if I really am a San Diego native because I'm glad summer (at least this miserably humid summer) is drawing to a close. I cannot wait for Fall (my favorite season) to start! I have the next 3 months planned so I hope you're ready to see my oven finally go into overdrive!

Hello Autumn! - Spiced Apple French Macaroons

Fall has always been my favorite season because I've created so many great memories during this time of year:

When I was little, seeing all my friends after a long summer break from school.

The start of football season...both professional and getting to see my younger brother play for his
 high school team.

Going to Julian for a slice of apple pie.

Getting ready for the holidays with my giant Filipino family.

A much needed relief from the Southern California heat.

Added a little beagle to our family 7 years ago

Called Scott my husband for the first time.

This year, my first real vacation in over 15+ years.

Fall also means being able to bake some of my favorite comfort items and adding new favorites to my recipe box. I wanted to start Fall out right by trying to make something I have never made before but with a traditional Fall flavor.

Ever since my cousin got engaged, she's been showing me all kinds of treats that she would love for her wedding. I did notice the one item that she really wanted were French macaroons. French macaroons are extremely popular wedding favors because they come in a variety of colors to match your wedding and also come in a variety of flavors. I wanted to surprise her and see if I could make macaroons. The problem was that I knew what the taste and texture of a traditional macaroon was (you know...like a coconut haystack) but I've never had the chance to try a French macaroon. Heck, I'm not even sure of the correct spelling. Is it macaroon or macaron? Do I have to say it with a French accent? So when in question, what do I do?

Moooooooom!!!

I was at my parents house a couple of weeks ago and showing my mom pictures of macaroons on the Internet. I told her I wasn't sure how to make it and what the consistency should be with the meringue then the batter or even the size of the cookies. Talk about scary. "I remember making something like these," she said. "We have something like these in the Philippines that I really like." Oh yeah....she's falling into my trap. "It'll be easy to make the meringue on my stand mixer." Score! "Can I come over on Saturday and make macaroons?" "Sure." Okay, so I kinda tricked my mom into helping me make macaroons but who better to have a learning experience with than with your own mom? With lots of guidance and tips from my mom, I made a batch of macaroons, dyed them a really pale pink, and filled them with Nutella. I shared them with my cousin the next day and she loved them.

So with my new found talent for making macaroons, I decided to blog about them. But I wanted to make special ones for Fall. Luckily, the macaroon cookbook I bought had a recipe for spiced apple macaroons and here's how you make them:

Spiced Apple Macaroons

Ingredients

3/4 cup almond flour (available in bulk at Sprouts or made by Red Mill)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 extra large egg whites

1/4 cup superfine sugar

Filling

1 lb granny smith apples (cored, peeled, and chopped)

3 tbsp superfine sugar

1 tbsp water

Sift powdered sugar, almond flour, and cinnamon on a large piece of parchment paper. Set aside.

Place egg whites in a bowl and whip until holding soft peaks. Gradually beat in sugar to make a firm, glossy meringue. (This step is much easier if you have a stand mixer)

Using a spatula, fold in dry ingredients one-third at a time. (If using a stand mixer, change to a paddle and set on the lowest speed) Fold until the mixture forms a shiny batter and forms a thick, ribbon like consistency.

Pour batter into a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch tip. Pipe 24 circles onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Tap the baking sheet to remove air bubbles.

Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375*F

Bake for 10-15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then carefully peel the macaroons off the parchment paper. Cool completely on a cooling rack.

To make the filling, place apples, sugar, and water in a small pan. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes until soft, careful to stir occasionally so the sugar does not burn. Mash with a fork to make a puree. Cool and use to sandwich two cookies together.

Adapted from Macaroons: 30 recipes for perfect bite-sized treats

Sueshine notes to making successful macaroons:

1) There are a few items you're going to need other than the ingredients to make macaroons: piping bag, Wilton tip #12 (or similar round), baking sheet, parchment paper, and a stand mixer is helpful when making the meringue but by no means a requirement. You will need some kind of mixer with several speed settings.

2) Use my template. I designed this to make mini macaroons and regular sized macaroons for myself but I thought I would share because sharing is caring. Place the printed sheet under the parchment paper, using as a guide to pipe the batter (stay inside the circle or your macaroons will be too close) then carefully slip the paper out from under the parchment paper. This will help you make equally sized macaroons.

3) If you are going to color your macaroons with liquid, gel, or paste food coloring, don't be shy to use a lot when you are mixing it into the meringue. Although your batter may look really dark, the color of your macaroons will lighten up as they bake.

Macaroons are not the easiest cookies to make because there are a lot of steps. When people tell you that measurements need to be exact in baking, macaroons are one cookie you do not want to stray from that rule. I found that the the macaroon cookbook I bought had very clear instructions and had a whole section on helpful tips. I did not list their tips but only list my observations while making the cookies.

I brought these bite-sized Fall treats to work and they were a big hit. I plan on making more macaroons in the future (maybe my cousin's wedding?) because I had so much fun making them and they rank right up there with my chocolate chip cookies! Another Fall memory created: Made my first French Macaroon!

Here Comes the Cookie

Love seems to be in the air in 2011. A few of my friends and family members have either just got engaged or just got married. My eldest cousin got engaged in February, one of my close high school friends got married last month, and one of my old co-workers also got married last month. Several old friends, classmates, and acquaintances on Facebook have also announced they were planning weddings this year.When my second cousin got engaged this past weekend, I decided to look for a recipe that would be wedding themed. Apparently, the recipe has been staring me in the face for several months. I love making my own frosting so I go through A LOT of powdered sugar. On the back of the 2lb C&H powdered sugar bag is a recipe for Mexican Wedding cookies.

According  to http://www.ehow.com/: "The ingredients of a wedding cookie traditionally are the richest butters, sugars and oils to signify blessings for a rich and full married life. The powdered sugars are said to have at one time represented purity." These cookies are also known as Italian Wedding cookies or Russian teacakes.

I didn't follow the recipe on the back of the powdered sugar bag because it said it makes 5 dozen cookies. Yikes, I didn't think I need that many cookies, especially since it was my first time making them. I looked all over the Internet and the majority of recipes have the same ingredients and preparation...all very easy. Since this cookie has everything that isn't good for me, I made a variation of several recipes using ingredients that would cut back on the fat but not the flavor.

Mexican (or Italian) Wedding Cookies

3/4 cup butter or 3/4 margarine, unsalted, room temperature (I used Smart Balance 50/50 butter blend)

1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1/2 cup for dusting

(to make your own: 3/4 cup Splenda granular, 2 tbsp cornstarch. Grind in blender to fine texture. Makes 1 cup of powdered sugar) 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup almonds, ground (this is traditional but you can also use pecans)

1 tbsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

Preheat oven to 325F.

Cream butter in bowl. Slowly blend in powdered sugar and salt. Mix in almonds and vanilla.

Slowly add sifted flour and mix well until dough forms. Place in fridge for 5 minutes.

Scoop 1 tsp balls onto a greased cookie sheet. (Can also be formed into crescents)

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Do not brown.

Allow cookies to cool before rolling in powdered sugar (if rolled before cooling, the powdered sugar will become moist and make the outside doughy). Makes about 40 cookies.

I was a little worried that my choice in butter would affect the taste because this is pretty much a butter cookie and usually the real thing tastes the best. The Smart Balance butter blend was surprisingly good. According to the box, it has 28% less saturated fat, a good source of vitamin E and Omega-3, and no trans fats (I might be using this for more recipes in the future). I took a bite of the cookie and my reaction was, "wow, that was damn good." It's buttery and sweet but it's also light. The Mister kind

of gave me an odd look when I had that reaction...then I gave him one. He said the same exact words I did. At first I thought he was playing with me and imitating me (one of his favorite past times) but he said he wasn't kidding. It's good to know I can still surprise him with my baking even after almost 4 years of marriage :)

As wedding season continues, I want to congratulate a few people.

Newlyweds Tara and Andrew

Newlyweds Amy and Tyler

Recently engaged Kristeen and Aramis

Recently engaged Katherine and Joey

.....And to anyone else that is entering into a long life of married bliss!

Blog dedicated to my groom and best friend, Scott Babb <3

Bummer Baker Sueshine Makes Cookies

I have to admit....I can't always be a ray of Sueshine all the time. It's in my nature to be an optimist but we all hit a wall head on sometimes and get a little bummed. I haven't been sleeping well for the past few days due to the weird San Diego weather (yes, we have another weather setting other than 75 and sunny). My regular 9-5  job has also been stressful and stress can wear you down to the point of wanting to crawl back under the covers and hiding from the world for the rest of the day. So when I got home, I made dinner, cracked open a bottle of red wine, and parked my butt on the couch to sulk.


Me: *sigh*
Scott: It's Bummer Baker Suzy...


I hate being in a foul mood and whenever the Mister calls me Bummer Baker Suzy, it makes me hate my "poor me." attitude. What could cheer me up other than another glass of wine? Baking. But what? I certainly didn't want to go out to the grocery store to get ingredients. What did I have in the house. Ahhh the staples....everything to make my diabetic friendly chocolate chip cookies :) A long time ago, my mom started making chocolate chip cookies as holiday gifts for everyone and they always commented on how good her cookies were. I'll tell you the secret to my mom's amazing cookies....she makes it with care and patience (I'm DEAD SERIOUS)....cause really, my mom's cookie recipe is actually just the Toll House cookie recipe (Ooooh I might be getting the Filipino flip flop for revealing her secret! (O.o) hehehe!) But seriously, my mom would tell people it was the Toll House recipe and they would NEVER believe her because they were so heavy and dense and theirs would be flat and slightly burnt. So when Scott started bugging me for sugar-free chocolate chip cookies and I couldn't find a ready made cookie dough tube or mix, I decided that I had to learn to make it from scratch and why not use my mom's "secret" recipe and adjust it slightly. Believe me, it took me a couple of tries to get this right so I encourage that you experiment and adjust to make your cookies taste the way you like them. So here we go:


Filipino Mom's "Secret" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

(Sueshine Notes regarding ingredients: I usually cut back on the amount of salt to half and sometimes leave it out all together. I also cannot stress enough that you must use unsalted butter for this recipe or you WILL end up with salt cookies. I would recommend just adding the nuts to cut the sweetness of this recipe but that too is optional)

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated Splenda
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 bag of Hershey's Sugar Free chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. (Sueshine Note: I like my cookies with crispy edges and soft centers so I aim more towards 12 minutes. Adjust to your oven. Also, invest in a wire rack if you like making cookies. I use to think my mom was crazy to have wire racks...I don't get the purpose. Listen to your Filipino mom....she knows what the heck she's doing. I now know why you use wire racks for cooling)

Store your cookies in an air tight container so they stay soft and yummy.....if they even last that long. In the end, when my house smelled like sweet noms, I was still sitting on the couch but I had a warm cookie in one hand, a cup of cold milk in the other, (a VERY happy husband at the other end of the couch "You're AWESOME!"), and a smile on my face. Happy Sueshine -->  :)