Peach Shortbread

Shortbread is underrated. It is nearly perfect in its unadulterated state but tastes pretty amazing covered in fruit, dipped in chocolate, crunchy, soft, and even as a pre-packaged Lorna Doone cookie. This recipe is for a beautiful, slightly sweet shortbread layered with some of the most amazingly delicious peaches I have ever tasted.

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Peach Shortbread

Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray or line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, baking powder, flour, salt and spices. Using a pastry blender or your hands, blend the butter and egg into the flour mixture (it will look crumbly). 

Firmly press three quarters of the mixture in the bottom of the pan. Layer the peach slices over the base and then sprinkle the remaining crumbs evenly over the peaches. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top and sides are slightly brown. Make sure to cool completely before cutting into slices.

1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg
2 peaches, pitted and thinly sliced (could also substitute another type of rock fruit)

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Chocolate Cherry Biscotti

I am a big believer in mastering a handful of recipes that seem far more difficult to make than they really are. The key is to not divulge this fact and instead simply say "thank you" when people compliment you (which they will).

In my opinion, eclairs fall into this group of recipes as do meringues, caramels, and biscotti.  This recipe is filled with dark chocolate and cherries but if you are not a fan of those flavors, you could substitute practically any nut or dried fruit...pistachios, cranberries, white chocolate, rosemary and apricot... 

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Chocolate Cherry Biscotti
Adapted from Bon Appetit, December 1999

Make the biscotti: Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. 

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Mix sugar, melted and cooled butter, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until combined. Add flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until it is all incorporated. Mix in chocolate and cherries until combined.

Divide the dough in half and then shape each half into a 2-inch by 13-inch log (flouring your hands can make this part easier as it is a sticky dough). Place them on the baking sheet and space them apart by at least 3 inches.

Bake logs for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool completely (20-40 minutes), remove then from the baking sheet and place them on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice the logs on a diagonal into 1/2-inch wide slides. Arrange the slices cute side down on the same baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes on each side.

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/3 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips (60-70%)
1 cup dried cherries, chopped

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Cake Batter Energy Bars

Even though I have yet to taste anything that actually tastes like cake batter other than cake better itself, I felt the need to make the following recipe that I found online. While the recipe does not live up to its expectations, the bars are pretty delicious and are filled with some great ingredients. And they are pretty cute, no?

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Cake Batter Energy Bars
from Chocolate Covered Katie

Make the bars: Combine rice krispies, oat flour, and salt in a bowl and stir. In a separate large bowl, combine vanilla, cashew butter, and agave and stir to form a thin paste. Make sure that the cashew butter is room temperature, not out of the refrigerator. 

Pour dry ingredients into the wet and stir until well coated. 

Line a dish with a piece of parchment or wax paper and pour the mixture into the dish. Using an extra piece of paper, press down as hard as you can to flatten the mixture and create an even layer. According to the recipe, the mixture will fill a 7×5, or about 2/3 of an 8×8. Place the bars in the freezer to harden before cutting and eating.

1 cup Rice Krispies
1/2 cup Oat Flour (I made my own by grinding oats in the coffee/nut grinder until they turn into a fine powder)
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
3 tbsp Cashew Butter
5 tbsp Agave 

Optional:
Sprinkles

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