VALENTINE'S DAY LINZER PIE
All purpose flour, for work surface
1 recipe Pate Brisee (recipe follows)
1 large egg yolk or egg substitute
2 T. heavy cream
1 recipe Almond Filling (recipe follows)
1 recipe Linzer Pie Filling (recipe follows)
1. on a lightly floured surface, roll two-thirds of pate brisse 1/8 inch thick. Press into tart pan. Roll rolling pin over top of pan to trim crust flush with edge. Prick bottom with fork. Freeze for 30 minutes.
2. On lightly floured surface, roll remaining dough 1/16 inch thick. Cut out with 3/4 to 2 1/2 inch heart cookie cutters. Transfer to baking sheet; refrigerate for 30 minutes. whisk together egg yolk and cream for an egg wash.
3. Heat oven to 400 deg. with rack in center. Line crust in pan with parchment paper;fill with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer to a baking sheet;bake for 10 minutes. As soon as it has cooled enough to touch, carefully remove beans and paper.
4. Spread almond filling evenly in bottom of tart. Bake for 10 minute, just until set and slightly golden. Reduce oven to 350. Spread linzer fillingover almond filling. Arranged chilled hearts of dough over filling. Place pan on baking sheet. Bake for 20 mintues. Brush crust and hearts with egg wash. continue to bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes more. serve at room temp.
ALMOND FILLING
inspired by traditional frangipane filling, which is usually made with egg yolks, this light filling is the perfect complement to the linzer filling.
4 ounces (2/3) cup whole blanched almonds
1/2 cup plus 2 T. sugar
2 large egg whites
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1 T. all-purpose flour
1. Place almonds and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process until almond mixture is a very fine powder. Transfer mixture to a large saucepan. Set aside.
2. In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy;increase speed to medium, and beat until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar, and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Place the pan with reserved almond mixture over very low heat, and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in the egg whites. When dissolved, stir in four, and cook 1 minute. Transfer filling to a clean bowl, and set aside to cool. Mixture may be made 1 day ahead and kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
PATE BRISEE
this can be made ahead and kept up to three days in the refrigerator, securely wrapped in plastic film, or up to one monthe in the freezer.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces
1. Combine four, salt, and butter in food processor. Process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 8 seconds. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube with machine running, just until dough holds together.
2. Turn out the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Press the dough down into a disk with your hands. Wrap tightly in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.
LINZER PIE FILLING
1 ten-ounce package frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
8 ounces (3/4 cup) raspberry preserves
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1. Place the frozen raspberries and sugar in a medium, heavy saucepan, and cook over low heat until the sugar begins to dissolve and the berries release their liquid, stirring often. Increase heat, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, and simmer mixture to thicken, stirring occasinally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Do not let the mixture scorch.
2. Transfer mixture to a large glass measuring cup. Add enough raspberry perserves to bring mixture to 1 1/3 cups of filling. Stir in the lemon juice. Set aside to cool. May be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.
THIS RECIPE IS SURE TO PLEASE!!!!!!!
MY LIST OF GUEST ROOM MUST-HAVES
here are a few things i like to do when expecting a guest... everyone who has ever visited me has noticed at least a couple of these things.
* always, always, ALWAYS clean, fresh bedding! i was utterly sick to my stomach one time when i visited my friend and the pillow case smelled dirty! also, the bedding must not have a "busy" print. i like one solid color.
* take out the lightbulb in the ceiling light! blick. that kind of light is too depressing and when a person is in a strange place, they need warm light. i have four lamps in the guest bedroom, and when the guest arrives, i have candles burning.
* flowers. i go to the supermarket or the farmers market and get some pretty fresh flowers. it's so cheap, but it looks like you really want them to enjoy themselves. they smell nice and they look nice. i usually like to get some carnations and put a couple of small buds on the bedside table. speaking of bedside table.....
* the bedside table is very important. the alarm clock and lamp need to be there, but i also like to find some books (i have a TON of books on just about every subject) that i think the guest will enjoy thumbing through. If the person is not much of a reader, i usually choose books with short chapters and alot of fluff. For example, my brother doesn't read, but i placed a Chicken Soup for the Soul and a big photo coffee table book about the Titanic. he loved them.
for readers, one good book that is perfect for any occasion is A YEAR IN PROVENCE. i even give that book to people who are in the hospital b/c it's just a nice read by a guy who decided to move to france for a year! it's cool. but i also try to find out what type of subject matter they prefer, whether it's fiction, biographies, etc. here's a pic of the cover of AYIP. great book!!!!
if the guest is close to me, i place a framed picture of us together on the bedside table too. UR and i met in Atlanta a couple years ago and spent the weekend having fun. we went to some very nice restaurants and spent a good part of the time at an irish bar called fado's. i kept a matchbook. when we were leaving fado's, a guy came up and asked if we wanted our picture taken. UR paid him 5 bucks and i got the polaroid... this was the picture i placed on the bedside table this time. and the matchbook!
how did i keep all this stuff? well, here is my other secret. i have little plastic storage boxes in the basement, each with the name of a close friend or family member. when i get cards from them, or little mementos, i store them in their boxes! it's a great system, and it really meant alot to UR to see the picture and the matchbook.
* on the dresser, i have two baskets. in one basket, i have two towels and a wash cloth, along with an eye mask, shower toiletries, and lotion. in the other basket, i have more sample-sized toiletries like deodorant, new toothbrushes, toothpaste, lotion, hand wipes, disposable razors, etc. - things people like ME tend to forget! btw, when my sister came to visit, the girl TOOK all the stuff! sheesh, amie, you are supposed to USE them, not STEAL them! but it was funny.
oh no, i think i've lost track of everything, so i will post this and edit as i remember more things.
POST ANY AND ALL GUEST ROOM IDEAS AND I WILL MOVE THEM OVER TO THIS POST FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
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