Strawberry Crumb Bars

Shortbread is a true tea and coffee treat! Whenever I mix shortbread with strawberries, I always think of My Fair Lady... "Those strawberry tarts are first rate. I wonder where Mrs. Pierce gets them?"

Strawberry Crumb Bars

Grease a 9" x 9" baking pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper 9" wide (to fit the pan), with a few inches of overhang on the other two sides. These will be the handles you will use to lift the bar out of the pan. Smooth the paper into the pan and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together:
     2 cups flour {You can do a half-and-half mixture of freshly ground wheat flour and unbleached white flour, or all freshly ground soft (pastry) wheat flour, or all unbleached white flour}
     2/3 cup sugar
     1 tsp. baking powder
     1/2 tsp. sea salt
     2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

Whisk together. Add 3/4 cup butter, slightly softened and cut into small pieces. Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Press a little more than half of the crumb mixture in the bottom of the pan. Cover with about 1 1/4 cups of strawberry preserves; you can adjust this as you wish, more or less. I used about 1 cup of strawberry jam, but I think I will use 1 1/3 cups next time!

Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, just until the top is lightly golden brown. Don't over bake these; the lighter they are, the better.

Cool completely in the pan. Lift bar out of the pan by the parchment paper handles and cut into small squares.

I loved these bars, and they are so easy to make. I thought of some yummy substitutions to try next time!

~ Raspberry Cheesecake Bars: substitute 1/4 cup of the butter for 1/4 cup of cream cheese. Use raspberry jam instead of strawberry.

~ Chocolate Coconut Bars: add 2/3 cup of chopped toasted coconut to the crumb mixture. Sprinkle 1 cup of dark chocolate or butterscotch chips over the pressed crumb mixture. Top with the remaining crumb mixture.

Jessica

April Tea ~ lemon Cream Sandwich Cookies

High time we posted our tea recipes for April! Sweet and simple this month... 

 Lemon Sandwich Cookies

These lemon filled cookies are quick to make, tender, sweet and tangy... perfect for tea. We love the special baking ingredients available from King Arthur, and this recipe uses something they offer, lemon juice powder!  

• Directions: 

In a large bowl combine the following: 

•    1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
•    1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
•    1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
•    2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice powder (available from King Arthur Flour, here)
•    1/2 tsp sea salt
•    1 cup unbleached white flour
•    2 cups freshly ground hard white wheat flour

   1/4 cup milk

1. Cream together the butter and powdered sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix with the mixer just until flour is moist and the dough is just starting to come together. Use your fingers to finish pressing the dough together. 

2. Divide the dough into two portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a log, about 1 1/2" in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 2 hours. This dough can be made up to three days in advance, but if you would like to freeze the dough longer, wrap with additional plastic wrap and place a in a freezer bag. 

3. When ready to bake:  Let frozen logs sit out for 15 minutes. Use a sharp knife to slice dough into 1/4" slices. Place slices 1" apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until cookies are golden brown on the edges and set in the middle.

Let cookies cool completely. Time to fill them! 

Lemon Cream Filling

 In a bowl combine the following: 

   6 oz. cream cheese, softened

   2 tsp. lemon zest, finely grated

   2 tbsp. lemon juice powder

   2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

   2 tbsp. half & half

Use a hand mixer and mix on low speed until ingredients are combined. Then continue on high speed for 2 minutes, until the filling is fluffy. The filling should be thick, but if it is too stiff, add one more tablespoon of half & half.

Spread 1 1/2 tsp. of filling on the un-sugared side of the cookie, and top with another. Finished! Store cookies in the refrigerator for up to one week. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. 

Raspberry Honey Lemon Tea

The weather is warming, we are ready for cold teas again! Our family loves raspberry herbal tea, specifically the Celestial Seasonings Raspberry Zinger that we used for this recipe. 

In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add 6 Raspberry Zinger tea bags and steep for 6-7 minutes. Remove tea bags and add: 

fresh lemon juice from one lemon, strained

1/2 cup 

1/2 cup honey

Chill in a glass pitcher until cold. You can serve this with fresh leaves in glasses, and ice cubes made from fruit juice or lemonade. Enjoy! 

March Tea Time

Raspberry Cream Tarts

You'll need one recipe of our favorite butter pastry dough. In a bowl combine: 

     2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour (or 2 cups soft wheat pastry flour and 1/2 cup unbleached white flour)

     2 tbsp. sugar

     1/2 tsp. sea salt

     1 cup chilled unsalted butter

 Use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut the flour and the butter together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 1/3 cup ice cold water over the crumb mixture and bring together with a fork, pressing with the fork until the mixture is moist. Add extra ice water as needed, one tbsp. at a time. Then use your fingers to finish pressing the dough together until it's one mass. Be careful not to knead or over handle the dough, it will make it tough.

Roll the pastry out in circle, 1/4" thick. Use a 3" ramekin dish as a guide, and cut circles with a sharp knife. Set each circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill until fillings are ready. 

Prepare the raspberries: In a bowl combine 1/3 cup sugar with 3 tbsp. corn starch; whisk together until no lumps remain. Add 2 1/4 cups fresh raspberries washed and patted dry. Fold raspberries into sugar mixture until completely coated. Set aside while you make the cream cheese filling.

 In a bowl, combine the following: 

     1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

     2 tbsp. sugar

     1/2 tsp. almond extract

     1 large egg, slightly beaten

     

Whisk together until smooth; set aside. In the center of each pastry circle, place 1 tbsp. cream cheese filling and top with a spoonful of raspberries. Drizzle 1 1/2 tsp. of the juice from the raspberries over the fillings. Fold up the edges of the pastry dough around the filling free-form style.

Almost done! In a small bowl, whisk together one egg white with 1 tbsp. cold water. Use a pastry brush to brush pastry of each tart and sprinkle with sugar. This will give the tarts a shiny glaze that is sweet and crunchy! 

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-22 minutes, until golden brown. Cool to room temperature or chill completely before serving. Store leftover tarts in the refrigerator for up 3 days.                                            ~ Makes 8-10 tarts

Turkey Pear Tea Sandwiches

Oh the simplicity of a delicious tea sandwich. Use any kind of bread you prefer; we used a bakery sourdough loaf for ours. Use deli roasted turkey, and try black pepper or maple roasted turkey. 

Cut thin slices of bread. From the slices cut either 3" squares or use a cookie cutter to cut shapes. Butter each slice of bread and top with thin slices of pear, thin slices of turkey and a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves.

Vanilla Almond Tea

In a large pot brew 1 1/2 quarts of strong black tea, try Twinings Earl Grey. To this add:

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, strained

1/2 cup honey or maple syrup

Stir together until all of the sugar has dissolved. Pour into a warmed tea pot and serve with cream. 

                                                                          ~ Makes about 6 servings