Fruit Fluden Food

ASHKENAZIC LAYERED PASTRY (FLUDEN)

Steps:

• To make the pastry: Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix in the sugar. Cut in the shortening to resemble coarse crumbs. Combine the eggs, water, and vinegar. Stir into the flour mixture until the dough just holds together. Form into a ball. To make the pastry in a food processor: In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and pulse 4 times. Add the shortening and pulse until the consistency of coarse crumbs, about 4 pulses. Combine the eggs, water and vinegar. Add to the flour mixture and pulse until the dough begins to hold together. If the dough is too dry, pulse a little additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Form into a ball.
• 2. On a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap or on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle with the narrow end facing you. Fold the top third of the dough toward you, then fold the bottom third upward. Turn the dough so that a narrow end faces front and roll into a rectangle. Fold in thirds again. Press to hold together. (If the pastry is made without the rolling and folding, it does not turn out as flaky.) Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 4 days, or store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let stand at room temperature until malleable but not soft, about 30 minutes.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (325°F if using a glass pan). Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.
• 4. Divide the dough into thirds. On a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap or on a floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a 13-by-9-inch rectangle. Fit a rectangle into the prepared pan and spread with half of the filling. Repeat the layering with the remaining pastry and filling, ending with pastry.
• 5. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325°F (300°F if using a glass pan) and bake until golden brown, about 40 additional minutes. Place on a rack and let cool for at least 1 hour. Cover and store at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
• To make the filling: Combine the nuts and sugar. Spread the jam over the dough and sprinkle with the nut mixture and, if desired, the coconut and/or currants.
• VARIATION
• Sour Cream Flaky Fluden: Omit the vinegar and egg yolks and add 6 tablespoons sour cream.

FIG FLUDEN

Steps:

• Place the butter or margarine (or butter and vegetable shortening), flour, and salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until crumbly and gradually add the water, continuing to process until a ball is formed. Wrap the dough in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and add the tea bags, the lemon peel and juice, and the cinnamon sticks. Steep for 1-2 minutes and remove the tea bags. Place the figs in the water and poach for about 5 minutes.
• Drain the figs and the lemon peel, reserving the poaching liquid. Then place the figs, the lemon peel, the sugar, the liqueur in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process but do not purée; you want the figs to have texture. Add a tablespoon or so of poaching liquid if the filling is too dry.
• Preheat the oven to 400° and grease a 9-inch-square pan.
• Roll out half the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Put it in the bottom of the pan (it should not go up the sides), and trim off excess dough. Prick the dough with a fork. Spoon in the fig mixture.
• Roll out the second half of the dough and cover the fig mixture. Prick a few holes in the top and brush with the egg.
• Bake the fluden for about 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden.
• When done, cut the fluden into 16 squares. It is wonderful served warm, with whipped cream or ice cream. Or you can let it cool and eat it as you would a fig bar.

FIG FLUDEN

Steps:

• Place the butter or margarine (or butter and vegetable shortening), flour, and salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until crumbly and gradually add the water, continuing to process until a ball is formed. Wrap the dough in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and add the tea bags, the lemon peel and juice, and the cinnamon sticks. Steep for 2 minutes and remove the tea bags. Place the figs in the water and poach for about 5 minutes. Drain the figs and the lemon peel, reserving the poaching liquid.
• Place the figs, the lemon peel, the sugar, the liqueur in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process but do not purée; you want the figs to have texture. Add a tablespoon or so of poaching liquid if the filling is too dry.
• Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a 9-inch-square pan. Roll out half the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Put it in the bottom of the pan (it should not go up the sides), and trim off excess dough. Prick the dough with a fork. Spoon in the fig mixture.
• Roll out the second half of the dough and cover the fig mixture. Prick a few holes in the top and brush with the egg. Bake the fluden for about 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden. When done, cut the fluden into 16 squares.
• It is wonderful served warm, with whipped cream or ice cream or you can let it cool and eat it as you would a fig bar.

BUTTERHORNS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine flour, butter, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut butter into flour, until the butter is the size of small peas.
• In a medium bowl, stir the yeast into the lukewarm milk, then add beaten egg yolks and almond extract. Pour yeast mixture into the flour mixture and stir lightly, handling as gently as pie crust, until the shaggy mass comes together in a sticky ball. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight.
• Make the filling: The day you plan to bake the butterhorns, combine the sugar, almonds, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, flour and almond extract in a separate medium bowl. It should resemble a wet sand with bits of nuts. If the filling is dry, add another tablespoon of cream. Set aside.
• Assemble the butterhorns: Lightly grease 3 baking sheets. Remove pastry dough from the refrigerator and divide dough into three equal rounds (about 13 ounces/365 grams each). Keep the other rounds refrigerated while you work with one piece. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 16-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Cut each circle into 12 wedges, like you're cutting a pizza. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of filling just inside the curved edge of the wedge, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
• Fold the closest two corners over the filling to avoid leakage, then roll tightly all the way up to the point. (It should look like a little croissant.) Arrange pieces on a greased pan 2 inches apart, 12 butterhorns per pan, making sure that the point is tucked under to prevent it from unrolling while rising. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds. Let horns rise, uncovered, in a warm location until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• About 30 minutes before you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 365 degrees and make the frosting: Combine confectioners' sugar, melted butter, heavy cream and almond extract in a large bowl, and mix until creamy and spreadable. Cover and set aside.
• Bake butterhorns for 12 to 15 minutes, until a light brown. Frost while still warm, and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.