Ginger Cream Scones with Rhubarb Cherry and Honey Jam

I've combined two recipes in this post, Ginger Cream Scones and Rhubarb Cherry and Honey Jam.  The Ginger Cream Scones are from a traditional recipe with added ginger.  These tender golden gems have a biscuit like texture, buttery and  slightly sweet with a ginger bite.  The Rhubarb Cherry and Honey Jam is a honey sweetened jam, if your like me and love a tart versus sweet jam, this is for you.  I've used a mild tasting local raw honey to the jam, a stronger tasting honey will overpower.  Added fresh or frozen sweet bing cherries adds a little sweetness to the mix not to mention a beautiful bright color.

Ingredients

For the Scones...

2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/3 cup (5 1/3 Tbs.) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch bits

2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons heavy cream for brushing on top of scoons

extra sugar for sprinkling, optional

Preheat oven to 425° F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger, crystallized ginger and salt.  Whisk together.  Add cold butter bits and with a pastry blender, cut in the butter until it resembles coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk egg, add heavy cream and grated fresh ginger, whisk to combine.  Add to the dry mixture and stir with a spatula until combined and mixture starts to come together.

Pour out the dough onto a clean work table.  With your hands, gather together and form into a ball.  Flatten ball into a disk about 8 inches in diameter.

With a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges.

Separate wedges, place wedges on prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar if desired. 

Note: I double pan these as they tend to brown to much on the bottom.

Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes. 

Remove from the oven when golden brown on top and transfer with a spatula to a wire rack.  May be served warm or cool with your favorite jam or good quality butter.  Enjoy!

Rhubarb Cherry and Honey Jam

Ingredients

6 cups rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cups pitted bing cherries

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 cup mild tasting raw honey

2 teaspoons calcium water (see instructions)

3 teaspoons pectin

Makes 6- 8 ounce jars

Prepare your canning jars by washing thoroughly and place them in the rack of a large canning pot filled with hot water.  Bring to a boil and turn off the heat.  Let jars stand in the hot water.  

In a separate pot, bring lids and rings to a boil.  Turn off the heat and let stand in the hot water while preparing the jam.

In a medium sized kettle, (I used a 6 quart pot) combine the rhubarb and cherries with 1/2 cup of water.  Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly until rhubarb becomes very soft.  Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice.  I used a potato masher to mash the fruit for a smoother texture.

To make the calcium water, measure 1/2 teaspoon calcium powder (from the small packet in the pectin box) with 1/2 cup filtered water in a small clean jar with a lid, shake till dissolved.  Add 2 teaspoons of the calcium water to the rhubarb and mix well.  Save the rest of the calcium water for later use in the refrigerator.  
Mix together in a separate bowl the honey and the 3 teaspoons pectin (from the larger packet) Stir well.



Place the rhubarb on top of the stove and on medium high heat, bring to a boil.  Pour the honey/pectin into the boiling fruit slowly, stirring as you add.  Stir well to dissolve the pectin.  Bring the jam back to a boil, stirring continuously.  Remove from the heat.  Skim off any foam from the top.

Carefully lift the rack out of the water.  Using canning tongs, dump the water from the jar down the drain.  Using a clean canning jar funnel, ladle jam into the hot jar filling up to within an inch of the top.  With a clean paper towel, wipe off any jam that may have spilled on the rim of the jar and place the lid and ring on the jar, tighten securely.  Repeat with the remaining jars.  




Place the jars back into the canning rack and submerse into the pot, adding more water to cover the jars by 1 inch or more.  Bring the water to a boil and process for 10 minutes, turn off the heat.  Place a towel on the counter near the stove and carefully lift the rack out of the pot and place the jars on the towel to cool.  Jam will thicken when cooled completely.  Store unopened jars in a cool dark pantry for up to a year.  Store opened jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Little Rhubarb Custard Tarts

My rhubarb is finely up and ready to be picked.  I've had something in mind to make with it but couldn't find a recipe to satisfy my vision.  I came up with this recipe using a combination of two fillings from two different recipes.  I'd hoped for a layered effect inside the crust but alas, what I ended up with was a fusion of vanilla custard and sweetened rhubarb uncased in a tender flaky crust.  The result, not the layered look I was going for but the taste, is truly divine!  The recipe makes 12  3 inch tarts using a medium sized muffin pan.  I cut the recipe in 1/2 to bake for my husband and myself...now I wish I hadn't.

 Ingredients

Makes 12 3 inch tarts

For the Rhubarb filling...
1 cup of diced fresh rhubarb
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons corn starch, sifted

For the custard filling...
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch, sifted
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg yolk, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the dough...
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cold cut into 1/2 inch dice
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup milk

Egg wash...
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk

Rhubarb filling...
1.  Combine the rhubarb, sugar and lemon juice in a small heavy bottomed sauce pan.  Set aside for 30 minutes to allow juices to emerge. 

 2.  On medium heat, cook the rhubarb, stirring with a wooden spoon until it begins to soften.  Add the cornstarch and quickly stir it into the rhubarb.  Continue to stir and cook until thickened.  Remove from heat and pour in a small bowl, set aside to cool.

Custard filling...
1.  In a small heavy bottomed sauce pan, whisk together cornstarch and sugar.  Gradually whisk in milk.  Add the butter.  Place on medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thickened.  Temper the beaten egg yolk with a little of the hot custard stirring as you pour.  Combine the remaining custard to the tempered egg and stir well.  Add the vanilla.  Set aside and allow to cool.

The dough...
1.  In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar baking powder, salt, lemon zest and butter bits.  With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles course crumbs.

2.  Add the milk to the flour mixture and mix together with a fork until the dough starts to come together.  With your hands gather together the dough and form it into a ball, flatten it into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To assemble and bake the tarts...
1.  Divide the dough in half and roll out on a lightly floured work surface, into an 11 inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick.  Using a 3 inch fluted cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and press them centered into the bottoms and up the sides of the muffin pan, rolling the scraps and cutting and filling all 12 sections.

2.  Spoon a small amount of rhubarb filling in the bottom of each shell, just covering the bottom, then with a clean spoon, spoon the custard filling over the top of the rhubarb being careful to fill just below the rim of the shell.

3.  Roll the second half of dough out as before and cut 12 pieces of dough with the 3 inch cutter.  Using a pastry brush, one circle at a time, brush egg wash on the back side of of the edge of the circle and place the egg wash side down onto the tart and press the edges together carefully.  Egg wash the tops of each tart.  Refrigerate the tarts for 30 minutes.

4.  10 minutes before the tarts are ready to come out of the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 425° F.  When the oven is ready, transfer the tarts to the oven and bake for 6 minutes.  Turn the pan and bake another 6 minutes or until a golden brown.  Remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack to cool completely.  When completely cooled, run a small sharp knife around the tart shell between the shell and the pan to loosen the tarts.  Enjoy!  

 

Little Goats Cheese Cakes with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

I found this recipe while blog hunting, I came across a beautiful blog called Kitchen at Camont written by Kate Hill.  I was fascinated by her picture of the little cakes all puffed up and golden and the fact that they were made from goats cheese.  I had to give them a try.  Having read through the recipe, I realized these little golden cakes were really souffle's, I loved that she spooned the batter in little paper cake pans.  I didn't have any cute little paper cake pans on hand, so I used ramekin cups instead.  My little goats cheese cakes didn't puff as nice as Kate's cakes but I think I'll attribute that little irregularity to the fact that I also don't own a copper bowl as Kate does, so my egg whites didn't get that special treatment.  This was a super easy recipe to make and even though, as souffle's go, they do deflate, that only provides a nice little place to fill with a Strawberry Rhubarb Compote. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1 pound fresh rhubarb, cut into 1" pieces

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters

juice of 1/2 a small lemon 

1.   Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar and water in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan.  Set on high heat and bring to a boil. lower heat to med. high, add rhubarb and stir, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

2.   Add strawberries and stir, bring back to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until strawberries are soft and syrup has thickened.  Add the lemon juice, stir and remove from heat.

3.   Allow the compote to cool slightly and use warm or cold.

 Little Goats Cheese Cakes

Ingredients

400 gr fresh goat cheese, soft like cream cheese

200 gr white sugar, divided

4 Tablespoons milk

4 eggs, separated

50 gr flour

1 teaspoon pure vanilla 

Preheat oven to 425°

Recipe makes 1 dozen muffin tin sized cakes or 7-8 ramekins.

 

1.   Pass the goats cheese through a food mill or ricer.  You can also use a mesh strainer.

2.   Beat the egg yolks into the strained goats cheese, using a wire whisk.  Add the flour, vanilla and milk and mix until well combined. 

3.   Whisk egg whites with remainder of the sugar on high speed of electric mixer, until stiff peaks form.

 4.   Fold a large spoonful of whites into the egg/cheese mixture.  Combine carefully with a large rubber spatula.  Add remainder of the whites and fold gently but thoroughly.   

                                                            

5.   Spoon into ramekins or muffin tins that have been brushed with softened butter.

6.   Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, turn down the oven to 390° and bake another 10 minutes.  Don't worry if the tops puff up and brown, that's as it should be.  

These little golden wonders will fall as all souffle's do. so don't be shy with the Strawberry Rhubarb Compote!  Enjoy!

Rhubarb Filled Ginger Shortbread

I've been wanting to feature these shortbreads since I started thinking about recipe blogging and waiting in anticipation for those little green rhubarb sprouts to come shooting through the ground.  When we moved to this old farm house 13 years ago, I was happy to find a beautiful patch of rhubarb growing near the stone foundation behind the barn.  Who knows how long this sturdy plant has been thriving in this warm and sunny location.  The long wait is finally here, my rhubarb is ready to be cut and this recipe is ready to be revealed.  The inspiration for my Rhubarb Filled Ginger Shortbread, came from Julia Child's  Baking with Julia  Her recipe for Hungarian Shortbread is what started it all.  This recipe requires a little arm muscle, I hope your up for it!

 Ingredients

For the filling...

1 lbs. fresh rhubarb cut into 1" pieces

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup of water

grated peel of 1 lemon 

1.   Place the rhubarb, sugar and water in a medium sized saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook stirring often, until the rhubarb softens and the rhubarb seems to melt.  Continue cooking until some of the juices evaporate about 10 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the lemon zest and cool completely. 

For the shortbread...

4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, room temperature

4 large egg yolks

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup crystallized ginger, very finely minced

confectioners sugar, for dusting

1.   Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

2.   In a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until it is pale in color and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks and sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Reduce the speed to low, add the crystallized ginger and mix in well.  Add the dry ingredients, mixing only until the ingredients are incorporated.

3.   Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gather it into a ball.  Cut in half and shape each half into a short fat log.  Wrap each half in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30-40 minutes.

 4.   Set oven temperature to 350°.  Grease a 9X12 inch baking pan with butter.  Remove one of the logs from the freezer, and using the side of a box grater with the largest holes, (now mind you this is where it gets fun) grate the dough onto a piece of parchment paper.  This technique is unusual but results in a light textured buttery shortbread. 

Turn out the grated dough into the greased baking pan and gently spread the dough throughout the pan evenly.  Don't press on the dough, you want to keep it light.

5.   Spoon the cooled rhubarb evenly over the top of the dough.  Grate the remaining dough and distribute evenly over the rhubarb.  

6.   Bake the shortbread for about 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.  Dust heavily with confectioners sugar.  Cut into 12 or 24 pieces.  

 

By now your arms have recovered from all that grating, you can sit down with a nice hot cup of tea, and contemplate your workout while enjoying your Rhubarb Filled Ginger Shortbread.  Enjoy!