Featured Recipes
Please enjoy these recipes compliments of Houlton Bakery in St. Helens.
NORWEGIAN CREAM FILLED COOKIES
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
8 oz. unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/3-cup heavy cream
Here's How:
In a mixer bowl, cream the butter well with the salt.
Now add the cream, alternating with the 2 cups of flour.
Beat well. Scrape mixture onto saran wrap or parchment. Wrap and chill overnight.
Before rolling out the cream cookie dough, have ready: flour, sugar, a fork, and a cookie cutter. (We use a round shape, but any will do) This dough is very tender and you may need to use a bit of flour and chill it if it becomes too warm. Work in small sections, i.e. divide your dough into about three portions before you start. This will help.
When you have rolled the dough fairly *thin, sprinkle it generously with sugar, and prick with a fork. Now cut and place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. These bake quickly!!! About 5-8 minutes at 350 degrees. They should puff slightly, but not get brown.
- About a 1/8 of an inch… they will taste more crumbly if they are the thinner side, and a bit richer on the thicker side.
Buttercream filling:
8 oz. unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
Vanilla or other flavor of choice*
Beat these ingredients until they are light and fluffy. Take the baked and cooled
Cookies, and turn ½ of them over. Pipe the butter cream on the “inside” of these, and then gently place the other halves on top. Press lightly, but don’t crack them!
Chill to set the butter cream. But serve at room temp.
- I made the pumpkin spice butter cream by adding pumpkin puree, (that I “dried out” in a low oven for several hours) cinnamon, ginger, cloves and a splash of rum.
- The chocolate butter cream is just good quality chocolate (about 4 oz.) melted and added to the butter cream.
SWEET AND SAVORY SCONES
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
½ cup sugar
4 oz. unsalted butter (cut into about 6-8 pieces)
½ - ¾ cup heavy cream (buttermilk can be substituted)
*1 cup fresh fruit, cut into “cranberry-sized” pieces *
Here's How:
Sift together, or blend dry ingredients in a good-sized bowl
(NOTE: if you are making savory scones, omit the sugar)
Cut- in the 4 oz. un-salted butter (slightly firmer than room-temp)
Use your fingers to distribute the butter through the flour, until you have a mixture resembling coarse corn meal. Do not overwork. A pastry blender or mixer with a paddle attachment will work too.
Now you can toss in the fruit, etc., of your choice. Gently distribute it into the mixture using a rubber spatula. If you even think you got all this stuff too warm while blending,
Put the bowl in the fridge for a ½ hour.
Now add the cream, starting with a ½ cup and only adding more if the mixture is too dry to hold together. Remember all that butter and cream will work into the mix as you pat it out on the table…so be careful to not get it too wet.
Pat into a rectangle or circle shape, on a floured surface, until it is about 1 inch thick.
Now cut into 8 breakfast sized or 16 snack sized wedges.
Bake in a hot 375-400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Scones should only be slightly brown. They should also pass the spring back test for doneness. You will have to experiment with tour oven to achieve a golden, yet tender product.
*O.K. So here is where I start you out with some ideas and tips for what to put in these things.
Any type of fresh fruit Cheese and herbs
Dried fruits and nuts Fresh cherry tomato and black pepper
Lemon zest and poppy seeds Smoked salmon and dill
Orange zest and chocolate shavings Cornmeal and chilies (sub ½ the flour with
Banana and coconut cornmeal and roll out in cornmeal)
Frozen berries (add frozen) Bacon and white cheddar
I hope you enjoy both of these recipes!
Gainor Riker, Houlton Bakery
