Raspberry Brambles (makes approximately 2 dozen)
Filling Ingredients:
Pastry Ingredients:
also needed: 1 egg, separated
extra-fine sugar, for sprinkling
Day 1: Make the raspberry filling
-Place berries, sugar, lemon juice and honey in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
-Stirring frequently, cook until the berries lose their liquid and resemble a berry soup.
-Set a mesh strainer over a medium bowl and pour the berry mixture into the strainer.
-Stir and press the berries to extract all of the liquid.
-When you think you've extracted all of the liquid, pour in 1/4 cup of water and stir and press some more!
-In a small bowl or cup, stir the 2 tablespoons of water, tapioca flour and cornstarch together until smooth.
-Return the strained raspberry juice into the same saucepan. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture.
-Over medium heat, whisk constantly until the mixture starts to boil and thicken.
-Remove the mixture from the heat when it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without dripping. Allow to cool
and then place in your refrigerator to thicken to a gel consistency--this will take about 6 hours--I suggest leaving it in
the fridge overnight!
Day 2: Preparing the pastry and assembling the brambles:
-Place the flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
-Cut the butter, cream cheese and shortening into small pieces. Add them to the bowl.
-Using a pastry blender or the two-knife method, cut into the butter, cream cheese and shortening until the mixture
resembles coarse crumbs.
-Stir the egg into the cold water with a fork. Add the vinegar. Stir this liquid, a little at a time, into the flour mixture.
The mixture will still be dry, yet start to hold together.
-Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.
-In the meantime, separate the remaining egg. Stir one tablespoon of water into the egg white and one tablespoon of
water into the egg yolk.
-Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
-Remove the pastry dough from your refrigerator. Cut in half and return one half to the fridge to stay cold.
-Make sure your work surface is well-floured. Roll out the dough to an even thickness, approximately 1/8" thick.
-Cut shapes with the cookie cutter.
-Remove the dough scraps and roll into a ball.
-Repeat with the remaining half of dough in the refrigerator. Roll, cut, remove scraps.
-Then roll the scraps one last time and cut.
-Place the bottom crusts onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Using a pastry brush, lightly cover the bottom crusts with
the egg yolk wash.
-Place a teaspoon of the raspberry filling onto the center of the pastry.
-Cover with a top pastry crust, being careful not to allow the filling to ooze out. Use your fingers to press and seal the
edges.
-Flip the cookie cutter and use the thicker edge (off center) to additionally crimp the edges.
-Lightly brush the tops with the egg white wash. Lightly sprinkle some extra-fine sugar on the tops.
-Bake in your preheated 375-degree oven for 18 to 21 minutes, the dough will be puffy and flaky and slightly browned
around the edges.