Chestnut Shortbread

Buttery and perfectly tender, this classic shortbread is further enhanced by the addition of chestnuts giving it just a subtle hint of sweet nuttiness.

I used this inherited thistle mold but you can pick up a shortbread mold on ... you guessed it, Amazon! Alternatively, the dough can be pressed into a greased square or round pan. Just score with a knife and prick with a fork before baking.

Ingredients:

1 cup semi salted butter, at room temperature

2 cups flour

3/4 cup icing sugar

1 tsp coarse sugar

3.5 oz (100 g bag) cooked, chopped chestnuts

Cream the butter and set aside for a minute.

Sift the flour, icing sugar and salt together, then add in 4 or 5 additions to the butter. Once incorporated, add the chestnuts.

The dough will be a bit crumbly.

Just knead it a couple of times with your hands and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 10 minutes.

If using a mold make a little powder puff with a piece of cheesecloth, an elastic and some icing sugar. Tap the mold with the puff to give it a little dusting. Take a portion of the cookie dough (I divided mine in 7 because it makes 7 or these 4" molds) and keep the rest refrigerated.

Gently press the dough into the mold then slice off the excess with a knife. Turn it over onto a parchment lined sheet and carefully start to release the edges with the point of a knife. The rest should fall onto the baking sheet. Dust the mold again and continue until all the dough is used.

Put the pan with the cookies in the fridge between fussing with each one so they keep their details. I just formed a rectangle cookie with the leftover dough.

Bake at 300°F for 20-25 minutes or until just barely golden.

Keep for yourself or wrap as gifts!

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Queen Elizabeth Cake

To commemorate Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her passing I decided to finally make a Queen Elizabeth Cake. It has been on my radar for several years but somehow I never baked one. Today seemed a fitting time.

On researching the Queen Elizabeth cake I found a few differing stories of it's origin. One is that it was first made in 1937 to recognize the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Another suggests it was invented in 1953 to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. And while it has been made in both the U.K. and U.S.A. it has been most popular in Canada since the 1950s which would lead one to believe it's association with Queen Elizabeth's coronation. Whatever story is correct there's one thing for sure, this cake is tender and delicately sweet like I imagine the Queen was 👸

This is the picture of the Queen that hung in my elementary school classrooms, (many years ago).

Ingredients:

1 cup packed, chopped dates

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup boiling water 

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Topping:

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

3 tbsps 10% cream

Start by chopping the dates. Personally I prefer to snip them with scissors. Toss them with the baking soda and add the boiling water. Let sit until cooled.

Take the walnuts and toss them in a frying pan to toast 2-3 minutes or until slightly fragrant. Set aside.

Once you are ready to bake beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Then add the egg and vanilla. 

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Take 1 tbsp of this and toss with the walnuts. Now mix 1/3 of the dry mix and 1/3 of the dates (including the liquid) into the butter mix. Continue adding thirds until fully combined then add the walnuts.

Pour into an oiled 9" square pan and bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes.

In a small saucepan combine the brown sugar, butter and 10% cream for the topping. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute then remove from heat and stir in the coconut. Pour the topping over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. It can be left like this to cool or you can place it 6" under the broiler for 2 minutes then cool completely on a rack before cutting.

Queen Elizabeth... may she rest in peace. Long live the King.

Makes 16 squares

Follow hotandcoldrunningmom on Pinterest. You can scan the pincode seen here with your phone if you're on a desktop. If you're on a phone just screenshot it, go to the Pinterest app, click camera. Then instead of taking a pic use the option to use one of your photos. Click on the screenshot you just took and go right to my Pinterest profile where you can follow me 🙂

Two Bite Sweet Mincemeat Tarts

Mincetarts are a must-have in our house for Christmas! They're Santa's favourite 🎅

Ingredients:

All you need is a pound or so of pie dough and a jar of sweet mincemeat.

Buy your favourite sweet mincemeat or in the fall cook up some green tomatoes and make your own sweet mincemeat with this recipe ⬇️ which includes both regular and slow cooker methods.

https://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2015/10/slow-cooker-sweet-mincemeat.html

I must say I have been making tarts for years (decades) and have always struggled with how to make them and keep the edges crimped and not have the filling all ooze out through baking. I was just never really happy with them. This year... success!

Usually I would use either a tart pan, placing the bottom in, filling then awkwardly pinching the edges together. Or the hand pie method, place the bottom on a baking sheet, filling and crimping. I even tried making them like Chinese dumplings one year! (They were actually pretty cute!) But this year I did it this way.

Place a circle of pie dough the size of the tart pan on the work surface, spoon just enough mincemeat to mound in the middle. Take a slightly larger circle of dough, use a finger to wet the edge with water and lay on top. Gently press the edges, try not to have air bubbles, then crimp all around with a fork. Take a glass and place it over the tart and press down to cut the edges evenly again because they will be a little jagged after the fork crimping. With a thin spatula, lift the little pie off the counter and into the tart pan where it will drop into the space. Poke the top with a fork.

Bake the tarts at 375°F for 16-18 minutes or until golden.

Not traditional, but if you want to be a little extra, whisk 3/4 cup icing sugar and 1 1/2 tbsps fresh lemon juice together and drizzle some glaze on top of each tart....and spr!nkles. Can't forget the spr!nkles 😊

Baked Nian Gao

Nian Gao means "higher year", a good wish for Chinese New Year. This recipe is non-traditional as a proper New Year's cake is steamed not baked. But I thought the baked version would be easier for my first attempt.

1 heaping tbsp shredded coconut
2 large eggs
1/2 lb white rice flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsps melted butter
1/2 tsp coconut or vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt 
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped dates

Butter an 8 X 8" baking pan.

Toast the coconut in a frying pan and set aside.

In a large mixer bowl whisk eggs, milk and sugars together, then add the milk, melted butter and extract. Finally add the rice flour and salt and whisk for 2 minutes.

Pour into the prepared pan 

and sprinkle with coconut and chopped dates. 

Place pan on the middle rack in a 350 F oven for 45-50 minutes, until the edges are browned and the middle bubbles up a little.

Let cool 1 hour, run a knife under hot water and dry, then cut your Nian Gao into squares.

Look at that golden edge! 

And the creamy top!

Let's just admire that crusty golden edge again...

Original recipe from Chowhound - Baked Chinese New Year Cake

Chinese Almond Cookies

Gong Hei Fat Choy!
Congratulations and be prosperous! Celebrating the year of the rooster with these classic Chinese almond cookies!

1 egg
40 whole blanched almonds
pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp almond extract

Put 20 almonds in a food processor and chop until fine, then transfer to a medium bowl.

Add baking powder, flour and salt and set aside. Separate the egg. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Blend well. Add egg white and almond extract and beat until smooth.
Gradually add the flour mixture to form a light dough.
Roll rounded tablespoons of dough and place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet spacing 2" apart. 

Use fingertips to flatten to 1/3 thickness. Beat egg yolk with a fork then brush the top of each cookie and place a whole almond in the center.

Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes

This recipe makes 12 cookies but may, and should be doubled.