Scotland: Shortbread

Scotland is known for many things, their Shortbread being one of them. While Shortbread was traditionally made with fine oat flour and butter, the recipe has been updated to use wheat flour, sometimes mixed with rice flour.

The importance of butter in this recipe has never changed, however, and the flavor of the finished product absolutely relies on it. You would never see a Scot substituting margarine in this recipe. And there's never any salt in genuine Scottish Shortbread, so be sure to use sweet, unsalted butter.

The word "short" in Shortbread means that it contains a lot of shortening (butter), which makes it break and crumble easily. This is the sign of a good Shortbread.


Scottish Shortbread

1/2 cup (1 stick) sweet butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup rice flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter in a mixing bowl until soft. Add sugar gradually and mix well. Soft or whisk together the flours. Gradually add to the butter mixture, mixing well.

Spoon the dough into a 9-inch, ungreased pie pan and use the back of a spoon to press it down smoothly and evenly over the bottom of the pan. With the tines of a fork, make rows of fork pricks on the dough approximately every 1/2 inch.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a light golden-brown. Remove from the pan and cut into 8 wedges. Remove from the pie pan and cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 8 pieces

Spain: Almendrados

Almendrados, almond-lemon macaroons, which date from the 15th century or earlier, are cookies made of ground blanched almonds, lemon zest, egg and sugar and are left out to dry for a day before baking.

“We have found examples of these cookies from 1491,” said David M. Gitlitz, professor of Hispanic culture at the University of Rhode Island. After the expulsion of Jews from Spain, he said, a Jew who was passing as a Christian “was accused by the Inquisition of buying almond cookies from the Jewish quarter in Barbastri in Aragón.”

Almendrados

2 cups whole blanched almonds, plus about 30 almonds for decoration
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Using a food processor equipped with a metal blade, grind 2 cups almonds very finely. Add 3/4 cup sugar, the egg and lemon zest, and pulse to make a cohesive dough. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick liner. Place remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.

Pinching off pieces of dough about the size of a walnut, roll them first into balls, then into sugar. Gently press an almond point first into top of each cookie, so that half the almond can be seen. Arrange cookies one inch apart on baking sheet.

Bake until cookies have barest hint of color but still remain soft, 8 to 10 minutes. (Cookies must be soft when removed from oven to avoid excess hardening when they cool.)

Cool completely, and store in an airtight container.

Yield: About 30 cookies.

Egypt: Zalabia

Zalabia are puffy fritters soaked in syrup that are popular in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries. The dough is usually colored red or yellow to express joy and happiness, and the fritters are sometimes sprinkled with sugar or cinnamon.

In Lebanon, it is preferred to dip their Zalabia in halvah, a mixture of ground sesame seeds and honey. In some places, Zalabia is still called by its medieval name, Luqmat el Qadi, which means "judge's mouthfuls".


Zalabia

For the fritters:
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 cup water
1-1/4 cups milk
3-1/2 cups flour
vegetable oil

For the syrup:
2-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/4 cups water
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp rose water
1 tsp orange flower water

For the top:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water (110 degrees) and stir until yeast is dissolved. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Place in a warm spot for about 20 minutes or until the mixture becomes frothy. While the yeast is activating, heat the 1 cup water and the milk until it is warm -- not hot. Remove from heat. When the yeast mixture is ready, stir the milk mixture in to the yeast mixture.

Sift or whisk the flour into a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture to the flour, stirring constantly. Cover the bowl with a warm, damp cloth and set it in a warm place for one hour.

To make the syrup, combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar is dissolved. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the rose water and orange flower water. Allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate.

After one hour, the dough should have risen and will be bubbly. Stir the dough until the bubbles are gone. Cover again with a warm, damp cloth and set it back in a warm place for one more hour.

Pour enough oil into a heavy saucepan or wok until the oil is at least 1-1/2" deep or heat a deep fryer. Place over medium heat until the oil is hot but not smoking. Drop the dough into the hot oil in teaspoonfuls, making about four fritters at a time. When they become golden brown on one side, turn them over to brown on the other side. Remove with tongs and drain on paper towels.

When you are finished frying the fritters, dip each fritter into the cold syrup.

In a small bowl, mix the topping sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the fritters.

Israel: Hamantaschen (Haman's Pockets)

Hamantaschen are a traditional sweet of the Purim holiday. Purim takes place in the early springtime and celebrates the deliverance of the Jews long ago in Persia from the plotting of the Persian prime minister, Haman. The cookies represent Haman's triangular-shaped pockets which were filled with silver coins given him to massacre the Jews.

These cookies are baked using poppyseed, prune or apricot fillings and are also known as "Haman's Hats" and "Haman's Donkey Ears".


Hamantaschen (Haman's Pockets)

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
one 10-oz can poppyseed filling, lekvar (prune butter) or apricot butter


For the top:
1 egg
1 tbs cold water

In a large bowl, mix together the vegetable oil and sugar. Add the 2 eggs and mix until well blended. Add the vanilla extract and combine.

Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to the egg mixture, mixing well after each addition. Wrap dough in plastic wrap or cover bowl and place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

Sprinkle your work surface lightly with flour. Roll out the dough until it is approximately 1/8" thick. Cut out as many circles as you can using a round cookie cutter or rim of a drinking glass. With a spatula, transfer six of the circles to the baking sheet. Put a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of each circle.

Moisten the edges of the circles with cold water. Pick up the sides of the circle and bring them up and together to form a triangle or pyramid. Pinch the edges together so that there is only a very small space open at the top. Repeat with the remaining circles.

In a small bowl, beat one egg with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Use a pastry brush to brush this mixture on each cookie, coating evenly all over.

Bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

Burma (Myanmar): Mok-Si-Kyo (Coconut Fritters)

In Burma, a sweet dish is usually served in the middle of a meal because the Burmese feel that it is a nourishing way to eat. They generally end up their meal with fruit, especially mangoes. Pastries, such as Mok-Si-Kyo (Coconut Fritters), are saved for snack-time.

Burmese pastries and sweetmeats are often made with coconut, nuts, raisins and are sometimes tinted with food coloring.


Mok-Si-Kyo (Coconut Fritters)

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rice flour
pinch of salt
pinch of baking soda
1/3 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut
1/12 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1-1/4 cups water
oil for frying

In a large bowl, sift together the flours, salt and baking soda. Add the coconut and brown sugar and toss well to combine. Add the water and mix until well blended.

Pour 1 inch of oil into a wok or deep fryer and place over medium heat. Heat the oil until you can see soft movement on the surface of the oil.

Drop 1 tablespoon of the batter into the hot fat. When the fritter browns at the edges, turn it over. Fry until both sides are browned. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Note: Try not to let the oil get too hot or the fritters will fall apart as they cook.

Japan: Yokan

Most little cakes, or kashi, made in Japanese homes are mixtures of bean or potato paste and sugar, thickened with agar-agar. Agar-agar is made from seaweed and is a cross between gelatin and cornstarch in the way it makes foods thicken and firm.

In Japan, finished squares of Yokan (which look very much like our American chocolate fudge), are wrapped in cherry leaves and served as a sweet indulgence with a cup of tea.

Yokan (Sweet Azuki Squares)


First Step:
1 cup red azuki beans*
cold water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

Second Step:
1 stick agar-agar* (approx. 1" x 1" x 11")
2 cups cold water
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt

First Step: Put the red azuki beans in a bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them soak overnight.

The next day, drain the water off of the beans and put them in a deep heavy-bottomed saucepan. Fill the pan 3/4 of the way full with cold water. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower the heat. Simmer for approximately 1-1/2 hours or until the bean shells break open and the beans become soft. If too much water boils away or is absorbed by the beans, add additional boiling water. Drain the beans in a colander.

Run the beans through a food mill or push them through a coarse strainer with a wooden spoon. Put the strained beans back into the saucepan and add the salt. Add the sugar gradually and mix well.

Set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste becomes very thick and leaves the sides of the pan clean when you stir. Remove pan from the heat.

Second Step: Put the cold water into a clean saucepan. Break the agar-agar stick into the pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the agar-agar has melted, add the sugar and stir until dissolved.

Pour through a fine strainer into another clean saucepan. Add the salt and the bean paste and stir until smooth. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring every minute or two, for approximately 20 minutes or until the mixture becomes thickened and looks something like a chocolate pudding.

Pour cooked mixture into baking pan and allow to sit until completely cool. Cut into 1-1/2" squares.

*You can buy both agar-agar and red azuki beans at Asian or health stores.

Iran: Nan-e Berenji

Nan-e Berenji (Cardamom Rice Cookies)

For Syrup:
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 tablespoon rose water*

For Batter:
3 egg yolks
1 tbs sugar
1 cup clarified butter or ghee*
1/2 cup corn oil
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
3 cups rice flour
2 tbs poppy seeds or roughly chopped pistachios

Combine the sugar and water in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 4 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture boil over. Remove from the heat, add the rose water, and set aside to cool. This syrup should be room temperature and not too thick. Set aside 1 cup and bottle the remainder for future use.

In a warm mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks with 1 tablespoon sugar and beat well, until creamy.

In another mixing bowl, combine the clarified butter, oil, cardamom, and rice flour. Mix well for a few minutes then add the egg yolk mixture and mix a few seconds. Add the 1 cup syrup from created earlier and knead well for a few seconds, or until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. This will create a snow-white dough. Allow the dough to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment.

Take a spoonful of dough, roll it into a ball the size of a hazelnut, flatten it slightly, and place it on the cookie sheet. Repeat, leaving 2 1/2 inches between each ball. With a fork or the edge of a cookie cutter, draw geometric patterns on the cookies and sprinkle them with poppy seeds or chopped pistachios. You may also use a cookie press (readily available in most cookware stores) to stamp a design in the dough.

Place the cookie sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake the cookies 10 to 15 minutes. Keep in mind that the cookies should be white when they are done.

Remove the cookies from the oven and cool. Lift the cookies off the baking paper carefully: They crumble very easily.

Arrange the cookies in a pyramid on a footed cake dish.


Recipe from Najmieh Batmanglij's A Taste of Persia,

Ireland: Oatcakes

Farms all over Ireland grow the traditional oats, so it is no wonder that it is a favorite cereal there. Irish oatmeal is a hardy breakfast dish, and Oatcakes are eaten throughout the day.

These unleavened cakes known as strones in Ulster and bannocks in Scotland were historically set to bake on little stands placed directly over glowing coals in the fireplace.

Oatcakes are hard and crunchy and will certainly give your jaws a workout! They are delicious served with some butter, jam, honey or cheese.

Oatcakes

1/2 cup flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
1-3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup boiling water
2 tsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle baking sheets lightly with flour.

Into a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, salt and baking soda. Add the rolled oats to the bowl and toss well.

Add 1/4 cup boiling water to the oatmeal mixture and mix well. Mix in the vegetable oil. If the dough is too dry and will not hold together, add 1 more tablespoon of boiling water. Divide the dough into two equal parts.

Sprinkle a pastry board lightly with some rolled oats. Working with one portion of dough, roll it out on the pastry board making it as then as you can while keeping the shape as round as you can.

Using a sharp knife, cut the round into 8 wedges like a pie. Transfer the wedges to one of the baking sheets with a spatula. Repeat with the remaining dough portion.

Bake approximately 25 minutes or until centers are dry and edges are lightly browned.

Remove from the baking sheets and eat right away. They are also good eaten cold or lightly toasted.


Makes 16.

England: Coventry Godcakes

The city of Coventry in Warwickshire is the source of a type of pastry cake called Coventry Godcakes. These cookies are given by godparents to their godchildren for good luck on New Year's Day, Easter or the child's birthday. Their triangular shape and three slits on top are said to represent the Holy Trinity. Traditionally, the Godcakes varied in size according to the wealth of the godparent.

Godcakes also have a second meaning. A god cake (or jam puff) is a Warwickshire name for the triangle of grass at a road junction - created as the road splits to go left and right.

Coventry Godcakes

Puff pastry
Mincemeat
1 egg white
Granulated or sanding sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

Roll out the well-chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface.

Cut out the pastry into squares (4 inches per side). Place a teaspoonful of mincemeat in the middle of your pastry shape. Don't be too generous, otherwise the mincemeat will squidge out when you press the pastry together.

Moisten the edges of the pastry with a little water, and fold the other half of the square over to form a triangle. Press the edges of the triangle to form a seal

Cut three slashes in the top of your Godcakes. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for approx. 15 minutes, or until golden and well puffed up. Cool on wire rack.

Recipe courtesy of Anna at Baking for Britain. Be sure to visit her blog for a lot more information on Coventry Godcakes, not to mention other delicious delights from the UK.

Jamaica: Arrowroot Cookies

There are many unusual foods grown on the tropical West Indies island of Jamaica: The "star apple" known here in the United States as "ugli fruit", cashew nuts, allspice and arrowroot.

Arrowroot is the root of a plant that grows throughout the islands and is usually ground into a powder to use in cooking and baking. It's easier to digest than other starches (which is why babies are usually given arrowroot cookies to munch on) and makes nice, light cookies.

Arrowroot Cookies

2 tbs butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup arrowroot
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Cream the butter in a mixing bowl until soft. Add the sugar and mix well. Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl and then add them to the butter mixture. Mix until well blended.

In a separate bowl or piece of waxed paper, sift together the arrowroot, flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture, mixing well until combined. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board until it is 1/4" thick. Cut out cookies with small cookie cutter and arrange on baking sheets.

Bake 6 to 7 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven. Let cookies sit for one minute and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approx. 7 dozen.