Balsamic Strawberry Mini Crostadas

Fall. Winter. Spring. All these seasons I wait. I wait for strawberry season. My favorite season. After a recent trip to LA and a love-at-first-bite encounter with Huckleberry, owned by baker Zoe Nathan, I returned home with an irresistible urge to bake something. Something fruity, buttery and sweet. Not exactly nutritious, but certainly yummy.




Balsamic Strawberry Mini Crostadas
inspired by Zoe Nathan's apple crostada

6 individual crostadas
1 large crostada

The Dough

4 oz butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
1 cup flour
2 Tb sugar
1 tsp sea salt
3 Tb plus ice water
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

The Filling
20 strawberries (approximately a quart)
2 Tb sugar
1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar

• In food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder and salt
• Add the butter and pulse until pea size
• Add the water and pulse until the dough just comes together
• Wrap the dough in plastic, flatten and refrigerate for at least 2 hours
• Hull and quarter strawberries and combine with sugar and balsamic vinegar
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough in to a 12 in square. If making individual crostadas, cut in five inch circles or squares
• Arrange dough on a greased cookie sheet
• Add ~1/4 cup of strawberries in the center of the first pastry. Turn up the sides of the dough and fold it over a bit of the fruit. The center will be open. Repeat for remaining pastries. If making one large crostada, distribute the fruit evenly leaving 2 inches around the edges. Fold the edges of the dough over some of the fruit
• Add a thin pat of butter to top of each pastry and sprinkle with sugar
• Bake at 375 degrees. Individual: 30-35 min; Large: 45min-1hr
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes

view/print recipe
 
Share

Sweet Potato Cookies

Yummy, wholesome little treats. While I wouldn't dole them out for dinner, these cookies are fairly nutritious - no refined sugar, whole wheat.



Sweet Potato Cookies
adapted from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

3 dozen mini cookies

1 cup cooked sweet potato
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup raisins

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Place all ingredients expect raisins in a food processor and process until well blended
• Transfer to a bowl and mix in raisins
• At this point, I divide the dough into thirds, wrap two portions in plastic wrap, and freeze them.
• Using the remaining portion of dough, form into small balls and place on greased cookie sheets
• Bake at 325 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. After approximately 5 min baking, press cookies down lightly with a fork
• Let cool completely
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator

view/print recipe
 

Share