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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Mini Treats for NYE

Happy Tuesday everyone! It's been a hectic "vacation" here in the Lizzy Bee workshop, with lots of holiday meals to prepare. FINALLY, we are seeing the end of the holiday season with the great celebration of New Year's Eve! If you're like me, you're waiting until the last minute to make a fresh and delicious dessert (or maybe you've been putting it off), I've got a few mini - and not to challenging - desserts to try!

Ringing in a sweet new year filled with good fortune...
Green-Tea Fortune Cookies
Joanne Chang

Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon matcha green-tea powder
  • 18 small paper fortunes
Directions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar with the egg whites, butter, flour and green-tea powder until smooth. Cover the batter and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325° and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat. Have a coffee mug and standard-size muffin tin handy. Spoon two 2-tablespoon-size mounds of batter onto the baking sheet, 6 inches apart. Using an offset spatula, spread the batter to make two 6-inch rounds.
  3. Bake in the center of the oven for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are browned and the centers are still light. Let cool for 10 seconds, then using a spatula, invert one tuile and place a paper fortune in the center. Fold the tuile in half and then bring the ends together, using the rim of the coffee mug to make the crease. Set the fortune cookie in a muffin cup to hold its shape. Repeat with the second tuile. If the tuile hardens, return it to the oven for a few seconds. Repeat with the remaining batter and fortunes. Let the cookies cool completely before serving.

If you had doughnuts at Channukah and STILL weren't satisfied...
Mini Cake Doughnuts
Lara Ferroni, Real Snacks

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup (60 grams) white spelt or all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (30 grams) rye flour or whole-wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup (30 grams) barley flour or all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 cup (66 grams) cane sugar
  • Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • Semisweet chocolate, tempered or melted, or powdered sugar, for coating
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a mini doughnut pan.
  2. Sift the white spelt, rye, barley, and baking powder together. Whisk in the sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, milk, vanilla, and egg. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix or your doughnuts may be rubbery.
  4. Fill each doughnut cup 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full with the batter. You can do this with a spoon, but I prefer using a piping bag to fill each cup evenly and cleanly. It's important not to overfill or as the doughnuts rise, you'll lose the hole. Bake until the doughnuts spring back when touched, 6 to 10 minutes depending on the size of your doughnut pan. Let cool completely on a wire rack; then dip in melted chocolate or dust with powdered sugar.

For a little French flair (the cheater version)...
Petits Pains au Chocolat
Bon Appetit, April 2004

Ingredients

  • 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (one 17.3-ounce package), thawed, each sheet cut into 12 squares
  • 1 large egg beaten to blend with 1 tablespoon water (for glaze)
  • 4 3.5-ounce bars imported bittersweet or milk chocolate, each cut into six 2x3/4-inch pieces
  • Sugar
Directions

  1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush top of each puff pastry square with egg glaze. Place 1 chocolate piece on edge of 1 pastry square. Roll up dough tightly, enclosing chocolate. Repeat with remaining pastry and chocolate. Place pastry rolls on baking sheet, seam side down. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover pastries with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Cover and refrigerate remaining egg glaze.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush tops of pastry rolls with remaining egg glaze. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake until pastries are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Happy baking and Happy New Year!

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