Sunday, March 23, 2014

Lemon and Rosemary Shortbread AND Feijoa Crumble

I haven't shared a recipe I've baked for ages, so will rectify that now.

Mum has gone home and, as usual, I'm sad. So, to make me feel better I baked and stewed.

First off the Lemon and rosemary shortbread.
I love shortbread, but have always gone very traditional. No flavours, just butter! But today I found this recipe and wanted to give it a go

ingredients:

2 cups plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon very finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature ( i always just use our normal salted butter)
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.

directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, salt, lemon zest, and rosemary. Set aside.
This is how fine the rosemary needs to be.

2. In the kitchen aid, beat the butter and icing sugar until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Form the dough into a disk shape and wrap in glad wrap. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour or until firm. Chilling the dough stops it spreading when it's in the oven.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silicone baking sheet ( If you've not tried these, they are FAB) and set aside.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 1/4 inch thick square. Cut into any shape you want, using a lightly floured cookie cutter. Place shortbread cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 16 (ish) minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned around the edges. ( or up to 25 minutes if you like them crispier) Remove cookies from baking sheet and cool completely on a wire rack.


It would appear that I've always over cooked my shortbread! I like it crispy, but it's also really amazing like this. And the flavours are very subtle. It's definitely one to be repeated.



Feijoa Crumble

Also today, I stewed some feijoas so that Lloyd and I could have some crumble for after dinner. 
Feijoas are very seasonal and they don't travel well so I think we're dead lucky to have 3 feijoa trees in the garden. They are laden with huge fruit this year.

They are very beautiful, and almost impossible to describe what they taste like. 


I had a whole trug full and cut them in half and scooped out the middles. Put them in a large pan with a good skelp of sugar and stewed them for about 20 minutes. Just simmer them gently. 

About a quarter of what I stewed went into a baking dish for the crumble and the rest went into the freezer in bags. 

Crumble Topping
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar 
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 3/4 cup whole rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup soft brown sugar 
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 250g butter, melted
  • (this amount would be for a large crumble, I had mine in a pie dish - it did the 2 of us 2 dinners. ( so basically it would serve 4 at one sitting!) so I halved it. 
I've never done the melted butter technique for crumble topping before and its a little odd! It sort of dollops onto the top of the stewed fruit, so I added a wee bit of sugar and oats to the top for crunchiness. Then bake in the oven at 160 for about 30-40 minutes, or until all golden and bubbly. 
Yum


And tonight we're attempting a fry pan pizza - you make dough and then do it all in a frying pan! I'll be amazed if it works, but it looks good!




5 comments:

  1. Yummo! I think I might have to make that shortbread tomorrow! We have two feijoa trees but no fruit this year, only their first year though. I thought our peach tree was peachless too until we were weeding under it yesterday and there were FIVE pips underneath!! Ruddy possums! I dare say our neighbour will turn up with a big bucket or two of feijoas at some point :D

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    1. no fruit :( I wonder if they are more prolific every second year? It did take ours about three years to get to this stage. nice neighbour!!

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  2. Once again you have made my mouth water with your wonderful food photography and tasty recipes !

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    Replies
    1. thank you :) the crumble was to die for! the melted butter in the crumble topping really did work - despite my reservations!

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  3. Wow- I'd kill for both of those right now! I cook shortbread now and then but never thought to add rosemary...will be doing this. I like feijoa but haven't eaten it much (not as available where I am). I could imagine that crumble would have been delicious :)

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Laura x