Pineapple, Coconut, Lemon Bars

I knew it was an eventful week and that I've had a ton on my mind, but when I found myself curled up in a little ball under the blankets at 2 o'clock this afternoon I had to accept the fact I was indeed wore out.  I think work, prepping for Easter, getting ready for vacation, and too much stress in general finally got the better of me.  We had a lovely Easter and I hope all my guests enjoyed themselves, but each year it seems to get harder and harder to do what I've done in the previous years.  

There were goodies galore and savories to spare.  If I must come clean here you should know the dessert menu always gets written first and the savories are just an afterthought.  I felt a Lemon-Blueberry Flan Bundt Cake was in order, and that Brownie-Chocolate Mousse Trifles couldn't hurt, it wouldn't be the same without Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream.  The little ones would probably love some chocolate dipped Krispie Treats covered in sprinkles.  Hopefully you are beginning to sense my affliction here.  Only when I've fully engrossed myself in pounds of butter, bars of chocolate, and bags of sugar do I start to ponder that people may actually want some food to go with their dessert.  Folks tend to show up over here like starved animals and expect the full spectrum, you know real people food like ham, quiche, lasagna, stuffed chicken breasts, salads, etc. and I usually oblige.

I used my meditation session this afternoon to contemplate the fact that I may indeed need to make some contingency plans for the years to come.  Why can't I just be one of those folks who grabs the boxed ham dinner at the supermarket and goes on her merry little way?  Why not, indeed?

On to some much lighter and lovelier happenings; my sweet friend Becky of Baking and Cooking a tale of two loves celebrated a birthday last week and after us discussing some great uses for freeze dried fruit, I thought I'd hook her up with some packs of the stuff and some of these Pineapple, Coconut, Lemon Bars to go with.  I found a lovely recipe over on Averie Cooks and adapted it to highlight the dried fruit I've been eating by the shovel full these days.

Pineapple, Coconut, Lemon Bars

Crust:

½ cup unsalted butter, (1 stick) – cut into 1-inch pieces

1-cup all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Filling:

1 large egg

½ cup granulated sugar

1/3-cup sour cream

2 ounces fresh lemon juice (Meyer lemons preferably) (2 juicy lemons should do)

Zest from 1 lemon

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Also need:

6 ounces dried baby pineapple, cut in ½-inch sized pieces

2 ounces roasted coconut chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line an 8-inch x 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor add ½ cup butter, 1-cup flour, ½ cup sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt and pulse to combine until the mixture is the size of large crumbs.  Or you can use a bowl and two knives cutting the butter to achieve the same result.  Reserve ¾ cup of the crumbs and put the rest in the baking pan and pat down.  Bake crust 10 minutes.

Combine in mixing bowl 1 egg, ½ cup sugar, 1/3-cup sour cream, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and flour.  Mix well to combine. 

On top of cooked crust layer the dried pineapple and coconut.  Pour the filling over the top and evenly spread rest of crumbs over the top.

Return to oven and bake 35 minutes longer.  Let cool completely before removing from pan and cutting.

I'm not sure which I enjoyed more the nap or these bars, but I think it's a very close competition.

Enjoy,

Gina

soffioni di ricotta or Fresh Ricotta Pastries

I’ve been carrying around a heavy burden for the last week. What I did was truly awful. Let me back up for a second. I’ve always had this curse of saying the candid things that pop into my head. Believe me I’ve worked hard over the years to put a lid on the lip leakage. Every once in a while though I slip up and in a big way I might add.

Last weekend I was in the mall looking for a pair of shoes. I’m standing there in the shoe store (probably should note it was a comfortable shoe store) and there is an older woman busy trying on and modeling (sorry I can’t sugar coat this) the ugliest most practical sandals I’ve ever seen complete with her toes hanging off the end. The sweet little thing was as proud as one could be of her decision to purchase the world’s worst sandals. She looked over at me and beamed, “Dear you must try these on!”

I could have just smiled and nodded, but no I had to look at her with the “really” lady look and blurt out, “Uhm, no thanks!” You see I’ve felt like pond scum ever since, I mean I probably ruined comfortable sandals for this woman for like ever. I can only imagine that every time she goes to try on sandals my face will pop in her head. Not in a good way either. 

I’ve been going round and round trying to figure out the best approach to rid myself of the guilt. What does one do in such a predicament? I considered confession but I was afraid while I was in the confessional my loose lips would sink ships. 

I had no choice you see, I had to go to the kitchen confessional and bake something.

Dough
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

Pinch salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling

1/2 pound whole ricotta

2 eggs separated

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Zest of one blood orange or lemon

Optional 

Fresh blackberries

Confectioners' sugar

1)  Make dough:  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and pinch of salt.  Mound flour mixture, then form a well in center.  Add eggs and butter to the well.  Using a fork, gently break up yolks and slowly incorporate flour from the inside rim of the well until liquid is absorbed, then knead in bowl until dough forms a complete mass.

2)  Transfer dough to a clean work surface to knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.  Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and let firm up in fridge at least one hour.

Traditionally these call for olive oil in the dough, but since I can't tell any more lies, they dough is much more flakey and tender this way.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

3)  Make filling:  In a large bowl, whisk together cheese, egg yolks, granulated sugar and zest until smooth.

4)  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  In two additions, fold whites into cheese mixture.

5)  Grease 8 muffin cups with butter or no-stick spray.

6)  Roll out dough to a 18-inch x 10-inch rectangle, 1/4" thick.  Use a fluted pastry wheel or pizza cutter and cut out 8 (4-inch) squares; discard extra dough.  Fit squares into prepared muffin cups, let the corners of the pastry overlap edges of pan.  Place a couple fresh blackberries if you'd like at the bottom of some or all of the cups and cover with the filling.

Fold the dough corners over the filling.

Bake, rotating once, until pastries are puffed and golden, 25-30 minutes.  Cool in pan 10 minutes and then remove and cool on rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners sugar just prior to serving.  I served mine with more fresh blackberries on the side.

I'm headed back to the mall to hand these goodies off to a woman with questionable footwear and tell her, “Please forgive me!” One has to correct their wrongs in this lifetime, no matter the extreme measure that have to be taken.

Enjoy your weekend,

Gina