The Tea Room

Recipe ~ Jam-Filled Cream Cheese Cookies

The holidays have come and gone, it's time to enjoy quiet winter moments with tea and cookies.  Jam-filled cream cheese cookies are perfect for any time of year.  Delicious!

Jam-Filled Cream Cheese Cookies

Ingredients

Makes 48

• 8 ounces bar cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 cups jam, jelly, or preserves

Directions

1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, add flour and salt; beat until combined (do not overmix).
2. Divide dough into 3 portions; flatten each into a disk. Roll each disk to an 1/8-inch thickness between sheets of parchment. Stack dough (still in parchment) on a baking sheet; refrigerate 20 minutes. (To store, wrap in plastic and freeze on sheet, up to 2 weeks. Thaw until pliable before using.)
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Mix egg yolk with 1/2 teaspoon water. Working with 1 dough sheet at a time, peel off parchment (save for baking). With a 2 1/2-inch round or 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon jam into center of each and brush exposed dough with egg wash. Shape cookies (see below); arrange, 2 inches apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets and refrigerate 20 minutes (reroll scraps).
4. Bake until cookies are light golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely on wire racks. (To store, cover and keep at room temperature, up to 4 days.)

 

Credits:  Photo and recipe from Martha Stewart.

Recipe ~ Savory Bread Pudding

 

SAVORY BREAD PUDDING

1 1/2 cups milk
3 Earl Grey tea bags or 1 Tbsp. Earl Grey tea leaves
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 cups dry French or Italian bread roughly torn
into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
6 oz. button mushrooms, sliced (2 cups)
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1 Tbsp. finely snipped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (2 oz.)

1. Bring the milk just to simmering; remove from heat. Add the tea bags or loose tea and infuse for 5 minutes. Squeeze the bags or strain the tea, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible, and discard. In a large bowl lightly beat the eggs and gradually stir in the milk. Season with the salt and pepper. Stir in the bread cubes and let them stand for 15 minutes to absorb the liquid.

2. Butter a 2-quart square baking dish; set aside.

3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and mushrooms until the onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Gently fold mushroom mixture, feta cheese, and parsley into bread cubes. Do not overmix. Spoon into the prepared baking dish. Bake in a 325° oven 30 minutes or until center is set (160°). Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano; bake 5 minutes more or until melted. Remove; let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

 

Credits:  Photo and recipe from Country Home.

 

Recipe ~ Pumpkin Cream Cheese Tort

 

PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE TORT

1/2 of a 6-oz. pkg. Zwieback, crushed (1 1/4 cups) 5 amaretti cookies, crushed (1/4 cup) 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 1/4 cup cold water Brandy 1 cup packed brown sugar 3/4 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 10 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 1 15-oz. can pumpkin Sweetened whipped cream Crystallized ginger or chopped toasted almonds 1. Preheat oven to 350°. For crust, in a medium bowl combine crushed Zwieback, amaretti cookies, and granulated sugar. Stir in melted butter. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan or removable-bottom quiche pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. 2. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine unflavored gelatin and cold water. Place cup in a small saucepan with simmering water. Cook and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Remove cup from saucepan. Add brandy to gelatin mixture to equal 2/3 cup. 3. In a medium mixing bowl stir together brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in gelatin mixture; set aside. 4. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed to soften. Gradually add whipping cream. Beat on medium speed until thickened. Add pumpkin; beat on low speed until combined. Gradually add gelatin mixture, beating on low speed until combined. 5. Transfer mixture to prepared crust, spreading evenly in pan. Chill finished torte 8 hours or until set. Serve with whipped cream and garnish with crystallized ginger or toasted almonds. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

 

Credits:  Photo and recipe from Country Home.

Recipe ~ Honey-Baked Pears

 

 

HONEY BAKED PEARS WITH ZABAGLIONE

4 pears Lime juice 1/2 cup honey 3 Tbsp. butter 8 egg yolks 1/2 cup sugar Dash salt 2/3 cup apple juice 2 Tbsp. Calvados 1 cup whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks Toasted chopped pecans 1. Start baked pears recipe by cutting unpeeled pears in half lengthwise, leaving stems on one half. Remove core and seeds using a spoon. Brush the cut side of the pears with lime juice. Place pears, cut side down, in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside. In a small saucepan combine honey and butter. Heat and stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Spoon honey mixture over pears. Bake pears, uncovered, in a 325° oven for about 45 minutes or until pears are tender. Remove from oven and let cool about 1 hour or until pears are just slightly warm. 2. Meanwhile, prepare Zabaglione. In a large heatproof mixing bowl or top pan of a double boiler, combine egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Place bowl or top pan over simmering (not boiling) water in a large saucepan or lower pan of double boiler (upper bowl or top pan should not touch water). Gradually whisk in apple juice and Calvados. Cook over simmering water, beating constantly with a wire whisk until mixture thickens and mounds slightly (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat. Place bowl or pan in a larger bowl filled with ice water and whisk constantly until mixture has cooled completely. Fold in whipped cream. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 2 hours before serving.

 

Credits: Image and recipe from Country Home.

Recipe ~ Herbed Goat Cheese Bites

 

Bite-sized savories are always perfect for tea, and children can enjoy them, too.  Here's a recipe for Herbed Goat Cheese Bites.

 

~ Herbed Goat Cheese Bites ~

Yield: Makes 12 appetizer servings

Ingredients

1  tablespoon  fresh flat-leaf thyme leaves

1  tablespoon  fresh parsley leaves

1  tablespoon  fresh tarragon leaves

1  tablespoon  fresh mint leaves

1  (8-oz.) goat cheese log

1  (8-oz.) French bread baguette, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

2  tablespoons  extra virgin olive oil

1/2  cup  sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

1/2  cup  loosely packed fresh basil leaves

Preparation

1. Combine and finely chop first 4 ingredients. Roll cheese log evenly in herb mixture; wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Drizzle baguette slices with olive oil. Gently press slices into 24 muffin cups in muffin pans.

3. Bake at 350° for 7 to 9 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned. Remove from oven; let cool in pans 5 minutes.

4. Spread goat cheese into baguette cups; top with sun-dried tomatoes and basil leaves.

* * * * *

They sound delicious, don't they?!

Credits: Photo and recipe from Southern Living.