Raspberry Brambles

Raspberry Brambles (makes approximately 2 dozen)

Filling Ingredients:

• 12 oz. frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice from 1/2 lemon)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 1 tablespoon corn starch

Pastry Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick(1/2 cup) COLD butter
• 4 oz. COLD cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons COLD shortening
• 1/3 cup COLD water
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

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.