the authentic nut

 Iced Fingers Idea from BBC Food 1 batch Polish Sweet Dough eggwash Icing: 2 cups icing sugar cold water Filling: 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder 1 cup whipping cream 2 tablespoons icing sugar 1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam 1. After the dough has had it’s first rise, turn it out onto a floured surface, punching down to release the gas. Divide the dough into 15 pieces, weighing about 70 grams each. 2. Form each piece of dough into a ball and then form into a 4 inch long log. Place logs onto parchment paper lined baking sheets, placing about 2 inches apart.  3. Let buns rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes. Brush buns with eggwash and then bake at 375°F for 12 minutes or until browned on top and hollow sounding when gently tapped on the bottom. 4. Let buns cool completely on a wire rack. For the icing, in a shallow bowl mix together icing sugar and enough cold water to make a smooth thick paste. Dip tops of buns into icing and let icing set. 5. While icing is setting, prepare the whipped cream.  In a bowl or stand mixer with the whip attachment, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add gelatin powder and icing sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.  6. Place whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Place jam into a piping bag with a small corner cut off. Sliced the iced fingers horizontally, leaving one long edge intact.  7. Pipe in whipped cream into the middle of each finger, followed by a piping of jam. Arrange your iced fingers on a tray and serve! Store any leftovers (yeah right), in the fridge! Makes 15.

Crumb-Inside Coffee Cake 1 box vanilla cake mix 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix 4 eggs 1 1/4 cups water 1/2 cup canola oil Crumb Topping: 1 3/4 cups flour 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed Icing: 1 cup icing sugar 2-3 tablespoons milk or whipping cream 1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease two 8x4” loaf pans or paper loaf molds. Set aside. 2. In a large bowl, prepare the crumb topping. Mix together flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Cut and rub in butter until mixture is crumbly. Set aside. 3. In another large bowl blend together cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, and oil until smooth. Divide cake batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Sprinkle the crumb mixture on top of each. 4. Bake cakes 50-55 minutes or until browned on top and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cakes cool before icing 5. Mix together the icing sugar and milk until smooth and place mixture into a piping bag. Drizzle the icing over each cooled loaf and then let the icing set. Slice & serve! Makes 2 loaves. As the cake bakes, the crumb topping falls to the middle of the cake!

Polish Sweet Dough Adapted from About.com 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) quick rise dry yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 cup warm water (110°F) 1 cup warm milk (110°F) 50 grams softened butter 40 grams sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 550 grams flour eggwash 1. In a small bowl combine the yeast with 1 teaspoon sugar and warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 5-10 minutes. 2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix warm milk, butter, sugar and pinch salt, until the sugar has dissolved. Add eggs and yeast mixture, combining well. 3. Add the flour and mix well. The dough will be very sticky. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30-40 minutes. 4. Deflate dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Knead a few minutes and add flour as needed. At this point you can divide the dough into pieces, weighing 2 ounces each. Form and fill dough as desired. 5. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, space at least 2” apart. Cover with damp towels and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. 6. Preheat oven to 375°F and brush tops of dough with eggwash. Bake until golden brown on top and browned on the bottom, about 12-14 minutes. This recipe is very versatile and can be used to make many things including, cream buns, butterhorns, blueberry crumb buns, and crescents.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie II 1 batch double crust pie dough (I used this recipe)  Filling: 3 cups chopped rhubarb (fresh or frozen) 1 cup chopped strawberries 4 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon butter Topping: 1 tablespoon cream custard, to serve 1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with tin foil. Line a 9” pie plate with bottom crust and set aside. 2. In a small bowl mix together cornstarch, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture on the bottom of the pie crust.  3. In a large bowl mix together rhubarb, strawberries, and remaining sugar mixture. Pour fruit into crust and sprinkle lemon juice over top and dot with butter. Brush the edges with cream and place over top crust. 4. Cut vent holes in the top crust and brush entire top of the pie with cream. Bake pie 45-50 minutes or until pie is golden brown and fruit is tender. If over-browning is occurring, cover with crust protector or tin foil. 5. Let pie cool completely or serve warm with hot custard! Store leftovers in the fridge. Enjoy! Makes 1 pie.

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies Adapted from here 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 1 3/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 egg  1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup coconut 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1/2 cup butterscotch chips 2/3 cup walnut pieces 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl mix together oats, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. 3. In another large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Blend egg and vanilla.  4. Blend flour mixture into butter mixture and then fold in coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and walnut pieces. 5. Scoop heaped tablespoon fulls onto baking sheet, spaced about 3” apart, and then flatten slightly. 6. Bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Let sit on pan for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. Serve & enjoy! Makes 35-40 cookies.

Pastry Cream Whether I’m in need of a quick filling for a cake or tart, or whipping up some Eclairs, Profiteroles, Bee Sting Cake or Skolebrød, this is my go-to pastry cream recipe! Adapted from Joy of Baking 3 egg yolks* 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 1/4 cups milk (whole or 2%) 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup whipped cream (optional) 1. In a heatproof bowl mix together sugar and egg yolks. Sift together the flour and cornstarch and add to the egg mixture, mixing until a smooth paste forms. 2. In a saucepan bring the milk just to a boil, until it’s foamy. Remove from heat and slowly drizzle into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. 3. Place the mixture back over medium heat and cook until boiling and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Transfer pastry cream into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, touching the surface of the cream. 4. Cool mixture to room temperature and then keep refrigerated until needed, up to 3 days. Stir before using to break up any clumps. For a lighter pastry cream fold in 1/2 cup whipped cream to cooled pastry cream. *Freeze the egg whites for a later date! Info here.