Fudge Puppies (or Maybe Fudge Buddys?) from "Sprinkles" for Food 'N Flix's December Pick: "Elf"

If Elf can't get you at least slightly into the holiday spirit, few things will. So, despite it not being exactly a 'foodie' movie, I was excited to see it as our Food 'N Flix December selection, hosted by Elizabeth at The Law Student's Cookbook.   

It's the story of Buddy, accidentally brought home by Santa, raised by Papa Elf at the North Pole and never quite fitting in with the other elves because he actually is human. Finding out that he is adopted and his birth father is (HORRORS!) on Santa's "Naughty List"--Buddy sets off for New York City to meet him. Buddy's naive and very exuberant spirit and excess of holiday cheer make him not quite a fit for the human world either and he causes all kinds of funny chaos. 

Elf is one of my very favorite holiday movies and I watch it at least once each holiday season. Directed by Jon Favreau, in addition to Ferrell (at his joyful, child-like best as Buddy), it has a stellar cast including Bob Newhart, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Edward Asner, Peter Dinklage, and even Amy Sedaris. It's the reason that whenever I see a mall Santa, I have to stop myself from going up to him and saying "You sit on a throne of lies!" If you don't know that quote, don't be a Cotton-Headed Ninny Muggins and just watch the movie already!  

For my dish inspired by the film, I looked to a cookbook that I received for review: Sprinkles: Recipes and Ideas for Rainbowlicious Desserts by Jackie Alpers. Since Sprinkles has all manner of candy, sprinkles and sparkling sugar over anything everything you can imagine and, as Buddy says, "We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup"--it seemed like a cookbook he would enjoy.  

Paperback: 144 Pages 

Quirk Books / October 2013

Author Jackie Alpers, photographer, cook and food stylist from Jackie's Happy Plate blog, has created a colorful cookbook full of interesting and tasty uses for different types of sprinkles--sure to please children and the 'inner child' of any candy lover. Besides the assorted cookies and cakes toppings, you can add them to drinks and cocktails rimming glasses with Mix-and-Match Cocktail Rims or making Sparkling Stone Fruit White Sangria. Create swizzle sticks for hot and cold beverages like Rock Candy Garnishes or Hot Chocolate Stir Sticks coated in crushed candy canes. You can also top your own Gingersnap Cookie Butter or Homemade Pop Tarts. Alpers even teaches you how to make your own homemade Sprinkles, Fondant Pearls, Rock Candy and different sugars. 
  

I wanted to pick something sort of breakfasty for Elf and found Sprinkles-Stuffed French Toast, Belgian Pearl Sugar Waffles, Fancified Donuts and Happy Day Pancakes served with I ❤ Sprinkles Butter and Sparkling Syrup (Buddy would love the syrup.) In the end, I went with Fudge Puppies--which according to the book are a popular state fair food. I have not been to a fair in ages but from a little research, I guess they usually consist of Belgian waffles on a stick dipped in chocolate and then dipped or rolled in all manner of toppings. Alpers says she likes to make her fudge puppies in miniature and serve them in cupcake liners. Rather than the hassle of making waffles, I went the easy route and bought some Van's Minis--little chocolate chip waffles than can be popped into the toaster. I think these treats are something Buddy would enjoy for breakfast or any time--probably with a generous dousing of his beloved syrup. ;-)

Fudge Puppies
Adapted from Sprinkles by Jackie Alpers
(Makes 24)

6 Belgian waffles or 24 mini waffles
8 to 16 oz chocolate (dark, milk, semi-sweet or white)
1/2 cup sprinkles of choice (or crushed peanuts or candy canes or other fun toppings)
whipped cream
maraschino cherries or large candies for topping if desired

Toast waffles. If using larger Belgian waffles, cut into fourths. Melt chocolate in microwave or a glass or metal bowl set over simmering water, stirring frequently.

Line work surface with parchment paper and using a fork or tongs dip each waffle in chocolate to coat in a smooth, even layer. Then dip in sprinkles, peanuts or other toppings of choice. Place on parchment paper to cool and set.

Transfer cooled fudge puppies to cupcake wrappers. Top with whipped cream and more sprinkles and toppings if desired. You can decorate them further by placing a maraschino cherry or piece of candy on top. (Note: You can also insert skewers into the waffles, then freeze for 30 minutes to help waffles stay on their sticks. Remove from freezer when ready to dip into chocolate and decorate.)  

Notes/Results: Obviously I need to hang out at fairs because fudge puppies are quite tasty with their crisp little waffles coated in thick chocolate. I used up my random partial bags of chocolate chips so these are a combination of dark and semi-sweet vegan and regular chocolate. I half-dipped them as that was shown it the picture in the cookbook and I think dousing the entire waffle in chocolate would be overkill. If you live in a warm and humid climate like me, they may need to spend a bit of time in the fridge to set up and, I would also forgo the whipped cream--especially if I was serving them outside. (As you can see in some of the pictures, it doesn't hold up that well and gets *blobby*--even when going on the cold dipped waffles straight from the refrigerator. Ah well... it didn't hurt the taste at all.) I did sprinkle a few of my fudge puppies with crushed candy canes and although not quite as *pretty'* as the sprinkles, they were my favorites to eat. Quick to make and fun to eat, I think these are worthy of being called "Fudge Buddys"--I would make them again. And, I look forward to trying more sprinkle-laden recipes from Sprinkles.

Thanks to Elizabeth for hosting this holiday round! If you missed this month's Food 'N Flix deadline (12/29) and you love food, films and foodie films, join us in January for one of my favorite 80's movies--The Breakfast Club, hosted by Eliot's Eats.

Note: A review copy of "Sprinkles" was provided by the publisher in return for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts, opinions and experiences cooking from it are my own.
 
Whatever way you celebrate, have the happiest of holidays! 

Sesame and Soy Butternut Bites {#12WksWinterSquash}

Here's a tasty little Donna Hay appetizer that is perfect for your holiday pupu platters. These little squash bites have a sweet and salty sesame flavor and would go well with a glass of something bubbly for the New Year.  

Sesame and Soy Butternut Bites 
From Entertaining by Donna Hay 
(Makes about 24 pieces) 

1/2 small sweet pumpkin or winter squash
olive oil
sea salt
3 Tbsp honey
2 tsp sesame oil
1Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine (shao hsing) or sherry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F./200 degrees C.

Peel squash, cut it into bite-sized pieces and toss with olive oil and salt. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until they are tender.

In a large frying pan, combine honey, sesame oil, sesame seeds, ginger, soy sauce and wine or sherry. Allow mixture to simmer until it is quite syrupy. Add pumpkin to fry pan, a few pieces at a time and toss to coat. Remove the pumpkin from pan and place pieces on a baking tray line with parchment. Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees F./150 degrees C. Return pumpkin to oven and bake for 5 minutes.

Serve warm with toothpicks.

Notes/Results: These little warm-from-the-oven bites of butternut squash pop with flavor. The sesame, ginger, honey and soy are an excellent compliment to the sweetness of the squash. You could use any winter squash--I am think kabocha would be nice. Because I am lazy, I used already peeled and cut butternut from the grocery store which made these a snap to make. If planning on several pupus, you could get these ready to go--roasted, coated in the sesame-soy mixture and sitting on the lined tray--then pop them into the oven until warm when you are ready to serve. I will make these again.

Tis' the Season for holiday-friendly party foods at I Heart Cooking Clubs. You can check out the Donna Hay recipes everyone made by going to the post and checking out the picture links. 

This is also my Week 8 dish for the 12 Weeks of Winter Squash Event hosted by my friends Heather and Joanne. Feel free to link up your winter squash dishes during the week at the linky below or on any one of the other participating blogs.   
 

Potato and Chickpea Soup with Roasted Garlic & Saffron for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

I had a lentil and barley soup all planned out for this week. Then I saw the two potatoes and three heads of garlic that needed to be used up soon. I decided to roast up the garlic and add some of it to a potato soup with chickpeas, paprika and saffron along with what veggies I had in the refrigerator crisper drawer. The result--a simple, tossed together soup with a sunny color and lots of flavor.

Potato and Chickpea Soup with Roasted Garlic and Saffron
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes 4 Servings)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 medium-large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 head garlic, roasted, garlic squeezed out (see Notes/Results below)
4 cups good veggie broth + 2 cups water
1 large pinch saffron
1/2 (heaping) tsp smoked paprika
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 
salt and black pepper to taste 

Add olive oil to soup pot and heat over medium. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook for about 6-7 minutes, stirring as needed until onion has softened. Add potatoes, roasted garlic 'paste' and veggie broth, then stir in smoked paprika and saffron (Break up the saffron 'stigmas' with your fingers slightly.) Add canned chickpeas and bring soup to a boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes--until vegetables are tender. If desired, puree a cup or so of the soup and stir it back into the pot or use and immersion blender to slightly thicken the soup.

Taste and add sea salt and freshly ground pepper as needed. 
 

Notes/Results: Soups like this are my favorite--healthy and satisfying and a great way to clear out the leftovers. The roasted garlic is the superstar in this dish--with its mellow not sharp flavor so don't skip that step. (I do mine in foil packets with the top cut off slightly and drizzled with olive oil--425 degrees for about 35 minutes. Then I squeeze the garlic paste into a container for the freezer or fridge if I think I am going to use it up quickly. It's perfect spread on bread or mixed into mashed potatoes.) I love saffron and smoked paprika with potatoes and chickpeas-they make it rich and 'dress up' a plain, basic soup. This one satisfies the belly and the soul--I will make it again.

We have some spectacular soups and a couple of delectable salads waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week--let's take a look.  

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes shares warming Spicy Chicken and Tortilla Soup and says, "Even though food bloggers are loathe to repeat recipes, chicken tortilla soup is just something that I have to have over and over again.  It’s probably one of my favorite soups.  It’s the perfect combination of soup and toppings.  I always top all my tortilla soups with sour cream, avocado, shredded cheese and cilantro and then serve with tortilla chips.  Some people like to break up their tortilla chips and drop in the soup, others like to just eat them along side – so I never add them ahead of time." 

Heather of girlichef brings a spicy bowl of Menudo (Red Chile Tripe Soup) and says, "Menudo is touted for it's ability to help cure a hangover.  This is due to its high Vitamin B content.  I'm guessing that the chile-laden broth probably aids in helping you sweat it out a bit, too. Whether that's a Mexican urban legend or not, I don't know.  But ask any Mexican you know how to cure a hangover, and menudo will be the answer.  Alongside a big glass of water for hydration, it definitely couldn't hurt. Or you could choose to go hair of the dog.  You know, if that's more your style." 

Tigerfish of Teczcape - An Escape to Food has Chicken Barley Soup on the menu this week and says, "Cook (more of) this on Sunday, and there will be leftovers for another easy weeknight dinner the week ahead. Soup or light stew, a comforting and satisfying dish to have, especially during the cold winter months. ... In this dish, barley adds the magical touch of thickening the soup quite a bit, turning it to a stew." 

Mireille of Chef Mireille's Global Creations has both a soup and a salad to share this week. About her Triple Corn Rasam she says, "Rasam is a traditional South Indian soup, flavored with a souring agent - usually tamarind and/or tomato. It can be made in a variety of flavors - everything from pineapple to lemon to fenugreek. The soup is usually very thin with few whole ingredients often served in a glass - in fact the English translation is usually referred to as pepper water, however I used cream style corn for a slightly thicker rasam."

 Mireille's second entry is an Indian-American mash up, Paneer Potato Salad. She says, "This started out as a stuffed potato recipe I was following from a cookbook, however none of my potatoes could be utilized for the recipe. ... It was an Indian recipe I had been following so I already had grated the paneer and needed to utilize it as well. Therefore, this Indian spiced potato salad was created. I guarantee you've never had a potato salad like this before...combining Indian spices with an American classic!"

Janet of The Taste Space is here with a Holiday Salad with Cranberry-Orange Vinaigrette. She says, "We have made this holiday-inspired ruby red dressing a few times after Emma suggested it. It adds a gorgeous colour to your salad and the delicious sweet-tart cranberries in the dressing is balanced by orange juice and maple syrup. ... Pictures here with lettuce, dried cranberries, pecans and pumpkin seeds, I find it pairs amazing with brown rice or curried chickpeas to make a complete meal. Apples and cucumbers make a nice contrast, too."

Thanks to everyone for joining in this week. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy holiday week! 
 

Giada's Creamy Tomato-Basil Dip with Lavash Crackers

I am a dip fan. Give me bowl of something delicious to scoop up with a chip or cracker and I am happy. Make it a warm dip and I am happier still. this simple Creamy Tomato-Basil Dip from Giada's Feel Good Food is right up my alley. Savory and cheesy on the crisp lavash crackers, it's perfect for a holiday pupu platter. 

Giada says, "Lavash is an unleavened Mediterranean bread that's super flat, even flatter than pita. It makes great chips. The dip evolved from a pasta sauce I used to like as a kid: in a pinch one time, with guests on their way. I repurposed the ingredients as a dip and everyone loved it! Leftovers make a nice accompaniment to chicken." 

Note: I made a few small changes in red below--adding powdered garlic and fresh basil to my dip and some Italian seasoning and black pepper to my crackers. I used some of my leftovers on pasta and it makes for an excellent sauce too. 

 Creamy Tomato-Basil Dip with Lavash Crackers
Adapted from Giada's Feel Good Food by Giada De Laurentiis
(Serves 6)

1 (9 x 12-inch) piece of whole wheat lavash bread (I couldn't find whole wheat & used the regular sandwich flat breads at my local supermarket)
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
(For my chips, I added about 1 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning, a light sprinkle of sea salt & a few turns of freshly ground black pepper)
1 cup tomato-basil sauce
(To my sauce I added 1 tsp garlic powder and 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil)
1/4 cup (2 oz) crumbled creamy Gorgonzola cheese, at room temp
1/4 cup (2 oz) mascarpone cheese, at room temp
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

Cut the lavash into 1 x 4-inch strips. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet in a sangle layer. Drizzle with olive oil. (I then sprinkled the chips with my seasonings.) Bake until crisp, 5-6 minutes. Set aside to cool. 

In a medium saucepan, bring the tomato sauce (+ garlic powder and fresh basil) to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the Gorgonzola and mascarpone until incorporated.

Pour the dip into a serving bowl and serve the chips alongside

Nutritionals: Per Serving: Calories: 159, Protein: 5g, Carbs: 12g, Fiber: 2g, Total Fat: 10g, Sat. Fat: 4g, Sodium 327 mg

Notes/Results: This is a great winter party dip--warm and full of flavor. The mascarpone mellows the Gorgonzola and the result is just a rich cheesy flavor so this would be a good one to sneak by your blue cheese haters. ;-) The jarred sauce I had on hand was not particularly chunky--I will choose a chunkier sauce next time. I wanted to add some extra flavor so I added the powdered garlic and fresh basil to the sauce which I liked. The lavash crackers were perfectly crisp and I liked their thinner texture more than homemade pita chips--I will definitely make them again.

After I filled my dip bowl, I had some left in the cooking pot and I cooked up a couple of servings of spaghetti and stirred it into the dip with just a bit of the pasta boiling water--yum! I would make it just to eat with pasta. 

It's Potluck week at I Heart Cooking Clubs and a chance to make any Donna Hay dish or a dish from any of the previous IHCC chefs. Check the linkys on the post to see the different dishes everyone made.  

Happy Aloha Friday!
 

Miso-Grilled Salmon with Brown Rice and a Simple Sesame-Cucumber Salad

There is almost always a container of white miso paste sitting in my refrigerator, ready for a quick soup,  to be mixxed into a sauce or dressing, or added to a marinade/paste for fish. This Miso-Grilled Salmon is an easy recipe from Simple Dinners by Donna Hay. It calls for firm white fish but since I had salmon fillets in the freezer that's what I used. 

Donna recommends serving it with jasmine rice and a simple cucumber salad with a toasted sesame seed dressing. I switched my rice to brown for a little extra fiber and tossed together a cucumber salad of my own. The salmon turned out tender and succulent and it made for a satisfying but not heavy dinner.  

Miso-Grilled Fish (Salmon)
Adapted from Simple Dinners by Donna Hay
(Serves 4)

4 (200 g / 7 oz) firm white fish fillets, skin off
1/4 cup white miso paste
2 Tbsp caster (superfine) sugar (I reduced to 1 1/2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp finely grated ginger (I used 1 1/2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp water
steamed jasmine rice and lemon wedges to serve

Place fish on a baking tray lined with parchment. Combine miso, sugar, ginger, oil and water and spread over the fish. Allow to marinate 10-15 minutes.

Preheat grill or broiler and  over high heat and broil fish for 6-8 minutes or until just cooked through. Serve fish with steamed rice and lemon wedges and a simple cucumber salad with toasted sesame seed dressing, if desired. 

Simple Sesame-Cucumber Salad: I used my mandoline to slice a local cucumber very thinly, then marinated the slices in a mixture of olive oil, rice vinegar, a touch of sesame oil, a small drizzle of honey and a generous sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. I also added some fresh cilantro when I placed it on the plate. No real measurements--everything to taste. 

Notes/Results: Excellent! The miso paste really locks in the moistness of the fish and gives it a great savory-sweet flavor with warmth from the ginger. I did reduce the sugar slightly and upped the amount of ginger that I used in the marinade (noted in red above). I would have liked to have my salmon a little more blackened on top but my oven has been a bit *funny* lately so I moved the rack down one notch as I had visions of my gas broiler element flame catching my salmon on fire. ;-) Still, the salmon ended up cooked to my liking on the inside and still had that nice slightly crispy miso crust. Yum! It was perfect with the nutty, slightly chewy brown rice and crisp, tangy cucumber salad. I will make this again.
 

It's Potluck week at I Heart Cooking Clubs and a chance to make any Donna Hay dish or a dish from any previous IHCC chef. Check the linkys on the post to see the different dishes everyone made.

***Book Giveaway!***

Do you like to read? Do you like well-written mystery/thrillers with strong female leads? There's still a chance to enter my giveaway for a copy of The Seduction of Miriam Cross by W. A. Tyson, to one U.S./Canada-based blog reader. It's easy to enter--just go to my review post here, and leave a comment by this Thursday, Dec. 19th on that post telling me about one of your childhood career dreams. ;-)  
 

Mulligatawny with Kabocha: Rich and Warming for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays {#12WksWinterSquash}

It's a good bloggy kind of Sunday. The rain is coming down with occasional bursts of thunder and flashes of lightening.  A tea press full of Hazelnut Honeybush tea, "Bringing Up Baby" with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant on AMC, and a big pot of aromatic Mulligatawny Soup is bubbling away on the stove.

This is my third foray into making rich and creamy Mulligatawny for Souper Sundays. (Here are the links to the The Daily Soup Cookbook's and Madhur Jaffrey's versions with their requisite Seinfeld 'Soup Nazi' references.) ;-) This version is adapted from the big, gorgeous, newish Moosewood Restaurant Favorites: The 250 Most-Requested, Naturally Delicious Recipes From One of the World's Best-Loved Restaurants. This is a huge book full of mouthwatering recipes--mostly vegetarian but with some fish. The Mulligatawny is the recipe that cried out first to be made. I adapted the recipe a bit to what I had on hand including adding cubes of kabocha based on my love of the pairing of squash and curry. A perfect soup for a gray rainy day. 

Mulligatawny with Kabocha
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Favorites by The Moosewood Collective
(Yields 9 Cups)

2 Tbsp vegetable or coconut oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
fresh minced hot pepper, cayenne or red pepper flakes to taste
4 cups water or low-sodium veggie broth
1 large carrot, diced
1 cup potato, diced
1 cup kabocha squash, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes (or 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes)
1/2 cup cooked rice, optional (I omitted)
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice to taste
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (I used to garnish)

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-low. Add onions and salt and saute until onions are softened, about 10 minutes. Add ginger, turmeric, coriander and hot pepper and cook for another minute. Add water/broth, carrots, potato and squash and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add bell pepper and tomatoes and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes--until all vegetables are tender. Stir in coconut milk and lime juice to taste and heat through. Taste and add additional seasoning or lime juice if needed.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or naan. 

Notes/Results: Rich, creamy and full of flavor. I like my mulligatawny to be lightly-spiced, with a little kick of heat at the end so I used small pinches of both cayenne and some red pepper flakes. The recipe called for fresh tomatoes but they weren't looking so hot this week so I used a can of diced fire-roasted instead. I also didn't add the rice to the soup as I prefer to have it on the side if I want it. Filling and colorful, this made a hearty but not heavy lunch served with warm garlic naan. I would make it again.

This is my Week 7 dish for the 12 Weeks of Winter Squash Event hosted by my friends Heather and Joanne. Feel free to link up your winter squash dishes during the week at the linky below when it goes live at midnight--or on any one of the other participating blogs.    

Just a couple of friends with soup hanging out in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week--let's take a look.
 

Janet from The Taste Space is here with Brazilian Black Bean Soup and says, "... lots of colourful vegetables superimposed on top of jet black black beans (Rancho Gordo’s Negro de Arbol beans). Bell pepper, carrots and corn with a dash of orange juice, cloves and liquid smoke for a Brazilian flare. The original soup was no-oil, but I opted for the oil-sautéed onion variation."

Tigerfish of Teczcape-An Escape to Food shares this Collard, Pumpkin Bean Soup and says, "I have cooked this bean soup (Tuscan Bean Soup) before, but this time replacing the "greens" from kale to collard. I enjoy making such bean-style soups - warm and wholesome especially towards the last few months of the year when it is typically colder; and this is also the time when I bring in the Immersion Hand Blender to better use - making pureed soups e.g Asparagus Soup, Pumpkin Soup or simply to make soups thicker."

Finally, this was a soupy kind of week for me here at Kahakai Kitchen. In addition to the Mulligatawny, I made this "What's in the Pantry" Garam Masala Red Lentil Stew inspired by the book: "The Seduction of Miriam Cross." Quick, savory and filling. (BTW--You can enter to win a copy of this great mystery/thriller by leaving a comment on the review post.)

Thanks to Janet and Tigerfish for joining in this week. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo for all of the details. 

 12 Weeks of Winter Squash!

Have a happy, healthy week!
 

Donna Hay's Raspberry Jam Slice

I have a *thing* for raspberry jam bars. Soft, a bit chewy, and sweet with a little tangy bite from the raspberry jam. Heaven! Perfect with a cup of tea. This time of year they also make for a nice pop of color on a cookie plate. I usually make jam bars with oats in the crust and topping but I came across Donna Hay's Jam Slices and liked the look of the toasty coconut on top. 

Raspberry Jam Slice 
Modern Classics Book 2 by Donna Hay
(Makes 24 slices)

4 oz / 125g butter, softened
1/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar
1 cup plain (all purpose) flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup raspberry jam / preserves

Topping:
1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar (I used 1/3 cup)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup dessicated coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (180 degrees C.)

Process the butter, sugar, flour and baking powder in a food processor until combined. Add the egg yolk and continue to process until the mixture forms a soft dough.

Press dough into a 8 x 12-inch (20 -30 cm) baking tin lined with parchment. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the base is lightly golden brown. Allow to cool then spread with the jam.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, egg and coconut. Sprinkle over the jam. Bake 25 minutes or until golden. Cool in the pan. Cut into slices.

Notes/Results: Yum! Rich and buttery crust, good jam to crust ratio, sweet and love that  chewy coconutty topping. They are easy to make--something I prefer in my deserts/baked goods. I did reduce the sugar in my topping to 1/3 cup and I think it could have even been less because the dessicated / shredded coconut I had on hand turned out to be sweetened. These are soft so probably best to single layer them on a plate for giving--if you don't eat all of them before you do. ;-) I have a cranberry black holiday tea that these were a pretty perfect match with. I would definitely make them again. 

It's time to Fill the Tins and load up those holiday cookie plates this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs. You can check out the sweet Donna Hay treats everyone made by going to the post and checking out the picture links. 

STOP!!! ;-)
***Book Giveaway!***

Do you like to read? Do you like well-written mystery/thrillers with strong female leads? I am giving away a copy of a book I just reviewed and really enjoyed: The Seduction of Miriam Cross by W. A. Tyson, to one U.S./Canada-based blog reader. It's easy to enter--just go to my review post here, and leave a comment on that post telling me about one of your childhood career dreams. ;-) 

 Happy Aloha Friday!