Buttery Jam Cookies (TWD rewind)

I've been meaning to write about this cookie eons ago, as this recipe for Buttery Jam Cookies was a Tuesdays With Dorie selection back in December 2008. Can we say that I'm just slightly overdue?

It is a pretty simple and straightforward butter drop cookie with a bit of jam mixed into the dough. I always have several open jars of jams and preserves sitting in the fridge (what can I say, I enjoy variety with my morning toast), so this is a perfect cookie to bake in a moment's notice. For my first try, I went with apricot jam. Next time, I will have to try strawberry-rhubarb.

I really enjoyed this cookie - soft, buttery with slight hint of jammy sweetness. This is not one of the those rich, decadent in-your-face kinda cookies. The flavors are subtle, and it is the perfect accompaniament with an afternoon cup of tea.

For the complete recipe, please visit Heather's blog, Randomosity And The Girl.

Brioche Apricot Tart (TWD)

A Brioche Fruit Tart? I can say that this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe would be a first for me. A rich brioche base, layers of fruit jam and fresh fruit, and a sprinkling of sugar and chopped nuts --- all of these components sounded absolutely delicious, so I couldn't wait to try my hand at this recipe.

Instead of using plums as indicated in the original recipe, I couldn't resist using Blenheim apricots:

These scrumptious beauties are considered to be the best apricots around, and I wholeheartedly agree. These apricots are sweet with just a hint of tartness, intensely fragrant and have a luscious, velvety texture.

They have a relatively short season (June & July) and bruise easily, so it is my understanding that this fruit is hard to find outside of California.

In Los Angeles, I've only seen a few farmers market stalls carry these gems (I found mine at the Santa Monica Market at the See Canyon stall), and I've learned to pick up my share and gorge on them fresh while they are in season.

This will be my first time baking with these beauties, so I couldn't wait to see how this tart would turn out.

This recipe required a little advance planning, as the brioche dough would need a overnight rest in the fridge. When ready, the dough is rolled out and pressed into a tart pan. A layer of fruit jam (apricot in this case) is slathered on the dough and the apricot halves are arranged on top.

After letting the tart dough rise a second time, a little sugar and chopped nuts are sprinked on top, and the tart is popped into the oven for 20 minutes.

Once baked, the brioche dough transforms into a crunchy/chewy crust, and the fruit softens yet retains its shape. In my case, the brioche crust browned a bit quickly (13 minutes), so I had to get the tart out of the oven before the sugar had a chance to caramelize. I ended up bringing out my kitchen torch to finish the job.

I would consider this more of a breakfast or tea pastry instead of a dessert. Whatever you call it, it was delicious! The flavor and sweetness of the apricots intensified after baking, and the jammy texture of the fruit went wonderfully with the crunchy/chewy brioche crust.

Now, I hope I'm not insulting this dessert, but it was like having a decadent version of toast and jam.

This tart is perfect to assemble and bake on a weekend morning, and I know that I'll be making this again very soon...I'll definitely have to try this with plums next time.

Thank you Denise of Chez Us for selecting this gem of a recipe (please visit Denise's blog for the full recipe)! Also, make sure to visit the TWD blogroll to see the beautiful creations of my fellow bakers.