Baking with Less Sugar (23 page)

5.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cornstarch, and pecans. In three or four increments, blend the flour mixture into the butter-date mixture on low speed. Mix until the flour is totally blended in and the dough is homogenous. Make sure to scrape the bowl down again with a rubber spatula during mixing to ensure that all the flour is thoroughly incorporated.

6.
Scrape the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Press the dough together and, using your hands, form it into a rough rectangle. Switch to a rolling pin, sprinkle the pin and the dough with flour to keep it from sticking, and roll the dough into a rectangle about 8 by 12 in [20 by 30 cm] and
¹
/
₄
in [6 mm] thick. Transfer the dough and parchment paper to a baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough in half lengthwise, and then cut each half into six pieces, so you end up with twelve rectangular cookies. With a fork, poke a few decorative holes in a line down the middle of each cookie.

7.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the shortbread is pale golden brown and baked through. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet on a wire rack. Cut along the knife marks to separate the cookies and serve. Shortbread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

If you are nervous about making puff pastry, don't be. These turnovers use an easy and straightforward variation of traditional puff pastry called quick puff. The pear compote is gently sweetened with dates and spices, and they infuse the turnovers with their heady scent; the puff bakes flaky and buttery, and you'll not only impress your family and friends but also yourself at how divine these pastries are.

MAKES
10
TURNOVERS

• 1 recipe Quick Puff Pastry
  (page 164)
  
• 1 recipe Spiced Pear Compote
  (page 165)
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream
  

1.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F [175°C]. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.
On a well-floured work surface, roll the puff pastry into a rectangle about 31 by 13 in [79 by 33 cm]. The dough may seem pretty tough and difficult to roll out at first. Don't be afraid to be firm with the dough: flip it upside down, turn it side to side, and pound it with the rolling pin to flatten it as you roll it into a long rectangle. Using a sharp knife, trim the edges of the rectangle to get rid of any rough edges so your final rectangle is 30 by 12 in [76 by 30 cm]. Now, cut the dough into 10 equal squares: First, halve the dough lengthwise into two strips, each 6 by 30 in [15 by 76 cm], and then cut each strip into five 6-in [15-cm] squares. Use a ruler or a straight edge to measure the squares exactly so that the turnovers are easier to fill and the final pastry is uniform in size and appearance.

3.
Place about
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/
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cup [80 g] of the pear compote on one side of each square and spread the compote a little so it fills half of the square diagonally. Use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly and leave a little bit of a lip around the filling to allow for the sealing of the dough triangle. Break the egg into a small bowl and whisk it with a fork; using a pastry brush, brush the exposed pastry dough with the egg wash. Carefully fold the egg-washed dough over the compote, and use your fingers to pinch the turnover triangle together. Use the tines of the fork to firmly press the edges of the turnover together and make sure the turnover is well sealed. Continue with all of the dough squares and compote.

4.
At this point the unbaked turnovers can be stored in the freezer, individually wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 2 weeks. You can bake them directly from the freezer; add 5 to 8 minutes to the baking time and proceed as directed.

5.
Transfer the turnovers to the prepared baking sheet. Add the cream to the remaining egg wash and whisk with a fork. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the turnovers with the egg-cream mixture. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the dough is entirely browned and baked through. Look at the sides of the turnovers where the puff pastry has poofed up to make sure this part of the turnover is golden brown as well. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the filling to cool. The turnovers are best enjoyed the same day you bake them, but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; refresh them in a 300°F [150°C] oven for 6 to 8 minutes.

MAKES ABOUT 1
¹
/
₂
LB [680 G] DOUGH

• 280 g/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tsp kosher salt
  
• 340 g/1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cups cold unsalted butter, cut into
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  -in [1-cm] cubes
  
• 80 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₃
  cup ice water
  

1.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with an electric hand mixer), combine the flour and salt. Toss in the cubes of butter and pulse the mixer on and off on the lowest speed for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until the butter is broken down into pieces the size of small marbles. Pour in the ice water and mix for 10 to 15 seconds, or just until everything comes together in a shaggy and rough-looking dough. It will start out looking like crumbs and floury butter, and then turn into more of a rough and shaggy dough as you beat it.

2.
Dump out the dough onto a generously floured work surface and pat it into a rough 8-in [20-cm] square. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough from left to right as well as you can into a rectangle about 18 by 8 in [46 by 20 cm] and
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/
₂
in [1 cm] thick. Flour the dough as needed to prevent the rolling pin from sticking. Don't worry if it seems really messy and not at all smooth. Just do your best to roll the square shape into a rectangle.

3.
Lightly score the rectangle into thirds with a bench scraper or knife. Each third should be roughly 6 in [13 cm] wide and still 8 in [20 cm] from top to bottom. Brush off any loose flour from the dough. Take the right third of the dough and, as best you can, flip it over onto the middle third. Then take the left third of the dough and, again as best you can, flip that third on top of the middle and right third. You should now have a messy pile of dough about 6 by 8 in [13 by 20 cm] and about 2 in [5 cm] thick. Turn the entire dough pile as best as you can 90 degrees clockwise so that now it is 8 in [20 cm] side to side and 6 in [13 cm] up and down. (This process—folding the dough in thirds and then rotating it 90 degrees—is called turning the dough.) The dough should still be rough looking and you'll see bits of butter throughout.

4.
Once again, roll this out into a rectangle about 18 by 8 in [46 by 20 cm]. This time the dough should be a little more cohesive, and you should find it a little easier to roll it out. Make sure your work surface and dough are well floured. Do your best to roll the dough into as even a rectangle as you can with sharp corners.

5.
When rolling out laminated dough like puff pastry, your goal is to keep the layers directly on top of one another and even, to preserve the layering. In between turns you have three layers of dough, one on top of another. Rather than immediately rolling these out with a back-and-forth motion, first flatten the dough with your rolling pin by firmly pressing down on the dough and then moving your rolling pin up and down and pounding along the length of the dough—use your rolling pin to create ridges as it compacts the dough. Once the dough is pressed down all over, then use the pin to roll back and forth, smoothing out the ridges while flattening and rolling the dough into the shape you want. By pressing down first before rolling, you preserve the layers. If you were to start rolling immediately after folding the dough, the very top layer would take all the pressure from the rolling pin and stretch out way over the very bottom layer. Using this technique to compress the dough first helps to keep the layers even, making for a flakier end product.

6.
Again, give the dough a turn by dividing it into thirds, flipping the right third into the middle, and then the left third on top of that (it's like folding a business letter), and then turning the entire piece of dough 90 degrees. Dust off any loose flour in between folds.

7.
Repeat this process twice more, for a total of four turns. By the time you get to the fourth turn, the dough should be completely cohesive and almost smooth. There may be small chunks of butter in it, but it should no longer be shaggy and difficult to work with.

8.
Place the dough on a baking sheet and cover it completely with plastic wrap, tucking the plastic under the dough as if you're tucking it into bed. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

9.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a work surface with the long side of the rectangle close to you. Turn the dough as described (roll it out into a long rectangle, fold it in thirds, then rotate it 90 degrees) twice more. Flip the dough over occasionally during the rolling process to make sure the top and bottom layers are getting equal attention from the rolling pin. When you are finished, the dough will have gone through six turns total—four initially and then two more after resting in the refrigerator.

10.
The puff pastry dough is now finished but needs to rest before you can use it. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Or store in the freezer, well wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 1 month. Pull the dough out the night before you plan to use it and thaw in the refrigerator.

MAKES ABOUT 3
¹
/
₂
CUPS [840 G],
ENOUGH FOR ABOUT 10 TURNOVERS

• 120 g/
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup pitted and finely chopped Medjool dates
  
• ¹
  /
  ₄
  tsp baking soda
  
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  
• 5 or 6 ripe medium Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and chopped into small dice
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp ground ginger
  
• ¹
  /
  ₄
  tsp ground allspice
  
• Pinch of ground cloves
  
• ¹
  /
  ₄
  tsp kosher salt
  

Put the dates and baking soda in a small bowl and add enough hot water to cover the dates. Stir to dissolve the baking soda; it will soften the skins of the dates allowing them to blend more easily into the pears. Let the dates soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the dates and, using a spoon, mash them until they are smooth and soft. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the dates, pears, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and salt. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the dates and pears are starting to soften and the spices are well distributed. Add up to
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cup [60 ml] water if the pears seem dry and cook for 5 to 6 minutes more. You want the dates to dissolve into the pears and the pears to soften somewhat, so keep cooking for another few minutes, adding a bit more water if needed, until you have a soft pear compote. Remove from the heat and let cool. The compote can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Christopher never met a dessert that he didn't like. Neither have I, for that matter. But I knew he must have tried something really special when he came home one night and raved about a blueberry fool that he had at our friend Esti's restaurant, Sam's. Rich, creamy cream cheese, jammy sweet blueberries, wedges of shortbread. It was like the best blueberry pie you'd ever eaten, deconstructed. I finally made my way over to Sam's to taste it and agreed with him that it was divine. I knew I'd love it more if I could create a less-sweet version. This fool uses reduced apple juice to sweeten the fluffy cream cheese, and fresh strawberries are folded in at the last minute to make a delightful creamy, easy dessert.