Lemon Curd Puff Pastry

These are so easy, quick and delicious.....and don't they look yummy. They are!
You'll need to make lemon curd the add some whip cream, cool whip or creme fraiche. Then drizzle chocolate on top. Like I said easy peasy.
Printable
Lemon Curd:
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon zest

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, about 2 min. Slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat for 1 min. Mix in the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will smooth out as it cooks.

In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth. (The curdled appearance disappears as the butter in the mixture melts.) Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Don't let the mixture boil.
Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.

For lime curd, substitute fresh lime juice and zest for lemon. Wonder if there such a thing as orange curd....hmmmmm well guess I go surfing and find out.
Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to do ALL the things YOU love.
Donna

Very Quick Apple Strudel

 
The other night I made a crock pot chicken recipe I found at Coleen's site.  Crock pot cooking is new for me.  Don't think I've ever owned one and just before Christmas I was in Walmart and they were one sale so I thought what the hey! The recipe was good and really no fuss.  I seem to be rambling so back to the apple strudel.  I wanted to have a dessert with this meal that was just as easy, and this was it.

Ingredients
5 Jonathan apples cored and sliced
2 Tbl butter
1/2 tsp salt
juice from 1/2 small lemon
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 TBL cinnamon
1/4 cup fine chopped pecans
1/3 white wine
I sheet puff pastry defrosted
Melt butter in a skillet and add apples, sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon and salt over apples, stir so apples are coated, cook for about 4-5 minutes.  Add wine and reduce and cook until apples are tender.  *my apples were tart so I added a bit more sugar to my liking.
Roll out the dough to a good size rectangle put filling on dough and spread to about 1 inch from all sides, top with nuts.   From short side start rolling dough like a jelly roll.  Seal ends and cut slits in top for steam to escape.  Bake at 400 for about 20-25 minutes until crust is golden brown.  Sprinkle powdered sugar on top and serve.
*I think this would be good with some raisins added too.

 I think you could put any type of filling you wanted in this and it would be just yummy.
Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to do ALL the thing YOU love.
Donna 

Apple Turnover

Saturday we celebrated my daughters 37th birthday. (wow)  Her birthday was on the 9th but she wanted to have her birthday dinner on Saturday.  Every year she wants me to make her one of her favorites, which is Corned Beef, cabbage and mashed potatoes.  (I must say one of my favorites too, well really it's the whole family's except for my Son Danny...won't repeat what he said about cabbage...LOL)  Well Alan, my son-in-law wanted to help cook something for his wife so she said she wanted Apple Turnovers for dessert.  I made the apple mixture and Alan put them all together.  Don't they look yummy.  They sure were good.
This is the apple mixture, very simple
Slice apples about 6, put into skillet with 3/4 stick of butter, 3-4TBL cinnamon, 1 TBL nutmeg, 1/3 cup sugar, pinch of salt, 1/4 cup white drinking sweet wine.  Cook until reduced.  Then put into puff pastry, with a dab of butter.

I had the puff pastry thawed and cut into 6 pieces, then Alan cut them in half, put this mixture in a sealed the edges.  Baked them at 400 degrees for about 20 mintues. Then dust with powdered sugar or you could make the powdered sugar icing.                                                                                                                             

Give these a try, a quick easy dessert or a nice treat for a Sunday Brunch.  Even the man in your life  (if you   have one) can do these.   ;)                                                                                                                                                                            

 Have a wonderful week, and please try to Find the Time to Do all the Things you Love.

Donna    
PS here is a picture of Alan and Mirna. (she had a taste too)

                                                                                                                  

Pineapple Coconut Galette

This was an experiment.  When I was in Maine I made several desserts and found out that Orm (who I stayed with) loves pineapple so of course I had to make him some yummies with pineapple.  I had first made apple galette from apples I had picked from one of his trees.  Those were yummy also.  I didn't want to make the same recipe just changing the fruit to I decided to add some coconut and  finely chopped nuts.  I cooked the pineapple with about 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4- cup white wine.
I let it cook until it was reduced and the sauce seemed to be a bit thickened.

I used the puff pastry for this as I did with the other Galettes

Frangipane (Almond Cream):
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (42 grams) almond meal (flour)
1 tablespoon (12 grams) all purpose flour
Crust:
1 pound (454 grams) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
Filling:
1 large can pineapple chunks (could use fresh)
2 tablespoons  granulated white sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Garnish:
Confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar
Softly whipped cream (optional)
Frangipane:  In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the sugar.

and butter until creamy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.  Add the almond meal

and flour and beat until it forms a smooth paste. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate. 

Puff Pastry: Once the puff pastry has been defrosted, as per manufacturer's instructions: Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface and cut the sheet into thirds with a sharp knife. Then cut each third in half. Repeat with the second layer of puff pastry. Place the  pastries (you will have 12 altogether) on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, with an offset spatula or large knife, spread a thin layer of frangipane (about 1 heaping TBL on each pastry, leaving about a 1/4 inch (1 cm) border. Cover and refrigerate the pastries for about 15 minutes. 


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven   Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator and lay the pineapple, coconut and nuts on top of the frangipane. 
Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the pineapples are tender and the puff pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. 
Preheat the oven broiler and move the rack to the top shelf of the oven. Lightly dust the tops of the pineapple with confectioners sugar (powdered or icing) and place under the broiler until the tips of the pineapple start to caramelize.  Watch closely and move the pan as needed.  Serve warm or cold with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Makes 12 galettes.
 If you like the Galette's you can really make them with any fruit.  So now I've done 3 versions, peach, apple and pineapple.  Gee what could be next....I'm sure I'll find something.

Have a wonderful day, and Remember to Find the Time to Do All the Things you love.
Donna

Peach Galette

Saturday my daughter and I went to a small town southeast of us to go to some of the local farms there  We went for corn, black cherry tomatoes, some slicing tomatoes, (we only have a few from our garden) and peaches.  My daughter also bought some blueberries.  This recipe is very simple and quick and the family just loved them.  They asked that I make more.  :-)  So they were a big hit.    Peach Galette from the Joy of Baking Frangipane (Almond Cream): 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter 1 large  egg 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup (42 grams) almond meal (flour) 1 tablespoon (12 grams) all purpose flour Printable recipe this is the paste Crust: 1 pound (454 grams) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

Frangipane:  In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until creamy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.  Add the almond meal and flour and beat until it forms a smooth paste. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate. (you can make your own almond meal by putting almonds in a food grinder/processor and pulse until you have a very fine meal.  Be careful not to make it too fine or you will have a paste.  If you do it this way add the flour from the recipe above and pulse it with the almonds....picture  on right)

Puff Pastry: Once the puff pastry has been defrosted, as per manufacturer's instructions: Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface and cut the sheet into thirds with a sharp knife. Then cut each third in half. Repeat with the second layer of puff pastry. Place the  pastries (you will have 12 altogether) on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, with an offset spatula or large knife, spread a thin layer of frangipane (about 1 heaping tablespoon) on each pastry, leaving about a 1/4 inch (1 cm) border. Cover and refrigerate the pastries for about 15 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven

Meanwhile, dip the peaches  into a large pot of boiling water for about 30 - 60 seconds, depending on the ripeness of each peach. Transfer the fruit to a large bowl of ice water (this stops the cooking process). The skins should now slip easily off the peaches. Cut the peaches in half, remove the stones, and cut the fruit into slices. Place the peach slices in a large bowl and toss with the sugar and ground cinnamon (if using). Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator and lay the sugar coated peach slices on top of the frangipane.  

Bake  for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the peaches are tender and the puff pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. 

Preheat the oven broiler and move the rack to 

the top shelf of the oven. Lightly dust the tops of the peaches with confectioners sugar (powdered or icing) and place under the broiler until the tips of the peaches start to caramelize.  Watch closely and move the pan as needed.  Serve warm or cold with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream .

This is the peaches sliced and the sugar and cinnamon added.

This is them all mixed up, see all the yummy juices?

 Here is the Frangepane on the puff pastry ready to rest in the the refrigerator.

 And here they are out of the oven.  The next step would be to let them cool then when you're ready to serve is when you would pop them in the broiler with the powdered sugar.  Hope you'll try this recipe.  I would think it would be good with other fruits that are in season, give it a try and let me know if you make them.

Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to do All the Things you Love.

Donna