san francisco mornings.
waking up to the sweltering midwest.
and no one to make me coffee.
my mind is still in california. eating, drinking, wandering.
soaking in the sights and sounds of places less familiar.
amongst the treasures of my travel was a wonderful but rarely used kitchen. i love unfamiliar kitchens- the curiosity, the challenge. the perfect place to try new recipes. including the following pop tarts- so portable, so tasty!
my adventure also included an apple boy and an apple pie. both sweet and bettered by bourbon,
yet one is worth keeping, the other not.
should you find yourself with a fantastic pie recipe and only fuji apples to fill it, i suggest you saute the apples first. or just skip the pie and drink the bourbon.
should you find yourself with an apple boy, hang on to him.
he's one of a kind.
thank you, d.
for your kindness.
and your kitchen.
blackberry pop tarts
(adapted from smitten kitchen)
pastry
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
jam filling
3/4 cup blackberry jam
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. cut in the butter. whisk one egg together with the milk and stir them into the dough, just until it comes together.
divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until workable (up to two days).
make the filling. mix the jam with the cornstarch water mixture in a small saucepan. bring to a boil, and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. remove from the heat, and set aside to cool.
preheat oven to 350f.
if the dough has been chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to soften and become workable, about 15 to 30 minutes. place one piece on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8″ thick. while smitten kitchen makes a perfect 9x12 rectangle and then 3x4 smaller rectangles, i just used a pizza cutter to make irregular but equally tasty rectangles.
repeat with remaining dough. re roll if you have extra trimmings.
fill a lined (or lightly greased) baking sheet with one layer of rectangles. beat the remaining egg and brush it over these 'tangles. place a heaping tablespoon of filling on each. spread the filling slightly, leaving at least 1/2 inch of space around the perimeter. place a dough rectangle on each of the filled rectangles. gently press to remove any air pockets and seal the edges. use a a fork to seal the edges entirely. repeat until all of your 'tangles have been used.
prick the tops of each tart with a fork. brush entirely with egg. place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are light golden brown.
cool in pan on rack.
