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    raw cane sugar

    Almond Pear Cardamom Scones

    October 18, 2017

    As I sit here watching The Great British Baking Show I’m reminded of several things:

    1. One is significantly cooler with a British accent (why don’t have I have a British accent??? I suppose I’m not that cool. )
    2. How are the judges on the show not 300 pounds? Have you seen how many desserts they eat??
    3. This show is really very zen, I can watch it on repeat and be lulled to sleep. (I’m almost asleep writing this.)
    4. It’s almost Christmas which means I can watch Love Actually on repeat (Best movie EVER!!!)
    5. I really don’t know a whole know a lot about British desserts. 
    6. I am no where near brave enough to be on a competitive cooking show! 

    But I digress, the reason I’m talking about British baking is because scones, yes, scones! The perfect British afternoon tea snack. The thing about scones is that they are not overly sweet and so perfectly delicate. They really are a perfect accompaniment with tea or your morning coffee (as we like to do here in the good old United States!) There are so many variations of scones: sweet, savory, butter, cream, fresh fruit, dried fruit, the possibilities are really endless. 

    As we are fully immersed into autumn, fall flavors are running rampant on Instagram: pumpkin, apple, squash, caramel, cinnamon. But there is one underdog, the under represented flavor: pear. Apple tends to be the star of fall, which don’t get me wrong, I LOVE APPLE! But I also love pear and pear treats are equally delicious. So I wanted to bring this special, beautiful fruit into the light and my first is with these delicious scones. 

    I present to you, Almond Pear Cardamom Scones. Cardamom because well, cinnamon is clearly already paired with apple. I think the cardamom is such a sultry spice that lends itself so well in baked goods, especially with pears. And I love almonds in just about everything. One of my favorite ways to make scones is by using heavy cream versus butter. The heavy cream serves the same purpose as butter and doesn’t require any cutting or grating into your flour, just pour and mix! These are a perfect Thanksgiving breakfast treat as well, check out my tip below about preparing ahead. I hope you enjoy, as always, I love to see your creations, tag me on Instagram @CosettesKitchen or post on my Facebook Page.

     

     

    Print Recipe
    Almond Pear Cardamom Scones
    Course Baked Good, Breakfast
    Prep Time 15
    Cook Time 16 minutes
    Servings
    Ingredients
    • 3 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 tbsp baking powder
    • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 heaping tsp cardamom
    • 1/2 tsp all spice
    • 1 tsp kosher salt
    • 3/4 cup peeled and chopped pears 1/2" pieces
    • 1 1/3 cup heavy cream additional as needed
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 3/4 cup slivered almonds
    • 2-3 tbsp raw cane sugar
    Course Baked Good, Breakfast
    Prep Time 15
    Cook Time 16 minutes
    Servings
    Ingredients
    • 3 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 tbsp baking powder
    • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 heaping tsp cardamom
    • 1/2 tsp all spice
    • 1 tsp kosher salt
    • 3/4 cup peeled and chopped pears 1/2" pieces
    • 1 1/3 cup heavy cream additional as needed
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 3/4 cup slivered almonds
    • 2-3 tbsp raw cane sugar
    Instructions
    1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper and set aside.
    2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cardamom and all-spice.
    3. Peel and chop pears into 1/2 inch pieces and add to flour mixture. Gently toss together to coat.
    4. In a liquid measuring cup, mix together the vanilla extract and 1 1/3 cups cream. Drizzle the cream mixture into the flour mixture, tossing gently until a cohesive dough forms. Add 2-3 more tablespoons of cream if necessary to create a moist, cohesive, but not sticky dough.
    5. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, I also like to work on a slipat or parchment paper. Gently gather and knead the dough into 4 disks using your hands, gently form into 1" thick cohesive rounds.
    6. Cut each disk into 4 even triangles.
    7. Place 1-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet and pop into freezer for 10-15 minutes*. Remove from freezer and brush the tops with heavy cream and place slivered almonds, brush one more top on top of the almonds and sprinkle with some raw sugar.
    8. Place in preheated oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown on tops and bottoms.
    9. Remove from the oven and transfer to cooling rack. Enjoy your delicious treats!
    Recipe Notes

    **Make ahead. Go through all the steps, except brushing with heavy cream & raw sugar tops. Once you have cut scones and placed almonds on top, you can freeze on the baking sheet until firm then toss them into a zip lock bag. Anytime you want a fresh scone, brush tops with heavy cream and raw sugar, pop into the oven and enjoy! Great before the holidays!

    Share this Recipe

    Filed Under: Baked Goods, Breakfast, Brunch, Scones

    Peaches & Cream Tart

    September 3, 2017

    It’s been a while friends, I’ve been back east spending time with my family and celebrating my sister as she recently got married. Many of you probably saw the million desserts and some pictures of her special day. Besides my own wedding (coming up on 13 years ago) this was one of the most special days of my life. My sister is my everything! She is my other half and seeing her so happy made me happy. But, after a month away from my own home, it was time to get back and into my normal routine. 

    As the start of school is upon us and I have ALL 3 of my kiddos in school full-time, I hope to spend more time with all of you creating recipes and sharing with you. 

    So here we are, beginning of September and for some bizarre reason unknown to me it’s 100 degrees in Portland!?!?! Yes, you heard that right, Portland, OR is 100 degrees in SEPTEMBER! What is wrong with this picture???? While it feels like summer (like really feels like it) I thought bringing in some peaches to a dessert was very appropriate.

    Despite the fact it reached about 90 degrees today, I was not afraid to turn the oven on. We also just got central air this year so I’m living large!!!! One of my nearest and dearest friends invited the family to dinner and her request, every time is dessert. I guess that’s my thing. I thought about peach cobbler but was in the mood for something a little less American and a little more decadent. Why not a tart?? Delicious crust, pastry cream and topped with luscious peaches, what’s not to love! Winner Winner!!

    Even though there are several steps to assemble the tart, it comes together quite quickly. You’ll first want to score and blanch your peaches very quickly to remove the skins. The pastry dough is made up of sugar, flour and butter…yeah, a little bit of heaven! The brown sugar gives it a hint of caramel flavor which I am a sucker for! And pastry cream, is there anything better? Who would have thought that eggs bring such joy in sweet treats. The custard is so luscious, I have a hard time not taking a huge spoonful!  After some bake time, fridge time and bake time again, you’ll have your special dessert to enjoy! Follow the detailed instructions below. 

    This is a perfect dessert for a dinner party, it’s lovely on it’s own, doesn’t need any accompaniments and tastes AMAZING! You will make your guests swoon and begging for more. Not to mention it is very photogenic! I hope you enjoy this special treat. I would love to see your creations! Tag me on Instagram @CosettesKitchen or post on my Facebook Page.


    Print Recipe
    Peaches & Cream Tart
    This tart is amazingly decadent! Enjoy!!
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Dessert
    Prep Time 45 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour
    Servings
    Ingredients
    Pastry Shell
    • 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1/4 cup brown sugar
    • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 1 pinch kosher salt
    Pastry Cream
    • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
    • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
    • 4 egg yolks
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1/3 cup corn starch
    • 1 pinch kosher salt
    • 1 tsp vanilla paste/extract
    Additional Ingredients
    • 4-5 large peaches
    • 2 tbsp raw cane sugar
    • 1/4 cup apricot jam
    • 1 tsp warm water
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Dessert
    Prep Time 45 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour
    Servings
    Ingredients
    Pastry Shell
    • 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1/4 cup brown sugar
    • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    • 1 pinch kosher salt
    Pastry Cream
    • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
    • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
    • 4 egg yolks
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1/3 cup corn starch
    • 1 pinch kosher salt
    • 1 tsp vanilla paste/extract
    Additional Ingredients
    • 4-5 large peaches
    • 2 tbsp raw cane sugar
    • 1/4 cup apricot jam
    • 1 tsp warm water
    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a round 11" tart pan.
    Peaches
    1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
    2. Using a sharp knife, cut a shallow "X" on the bottom of each peach.
    3. Add the peaches to the pot and allow to boil for 1-4 minutes. Peaches that are riper won't need quite as long, while firmer peaches could stay in a bit longer. You'll start to see the skin pull back after a few minutes.
    4. Remove with a slotted spoon and remove skin.
    5. Cut into 1/4" slices and set aside.
    Pastry Shell
    1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add your butter, sugars, salt and flour to make your pastry shell.
    2. Mix until a soft dough forms, it may be a bit crumbly.
    3. Remove from bowl and wrap in plastic wrap, place in fridge.
    Pastry Cream
    1. Combine your milk, heavy cream and egg yolks in a bowl, whisk until combined.
    2. In a medium-sized pot, add your sugar and cornstarch over medium heat.
    3. Slowly add in about 1/2 cup of your milk/egg mixture and whisk until smooth.
    4. Once smooth and combined, slowly add your remaining milk/egg mixture and continue to whisk on medium heat until the mixture thickens.
    5. Once thick, remove from heat add your vanilla and salt. Whisk until combined.
    6. Pour mixture into a bowl and cover with saran wrap, be sure the wrap touches the top of your pastry cream so a film doesn't form. Place in fridge.
    Assembly
    1. Remove dough from fridge and roll into a large circle to fit your prepared tart pan. If your dough is still a bit soft, just place pieces of dough in pan and press together.
    2. Press your dough into the pan. Using the bottom of a smooth glass, go around and be sure the edges of the dough are pressed into the sides evenly. Also go around the bottom of the crust to ensure it is even all the way around.
    3. Bake tart shell for 15 minutes empty.
    4. Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
    5. Pour your pastry cream into par-baked shell, it should fill your shell almost to the top.
    6. Begin layering your sliced peaches in a circular fashion.
    7. Sprinkle your raw cane sugar over the peaches and bake for 40-45 minutes.
    8. Microwave your apricot jam and water for about 30 seconds. Brush the mixture onto the hot tart once cooked through.
    9. Let cool, remove outer ring of tart pan and enjoy!
    Recipe Notes

    **If your peaches are very ripe, they will take much less time to peel, just watch as you place them in the water.

    **Store tart in fridge up to 3 days.

    Recipe adapted from: https://foodnessgracious.com/peaches-and-cream-custard-tart/

    Share this Recipe

    Filed Under: Baked Goods, Dessert, Summer Tagged With: dessert, Peaches, summer, Tart

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    My name is Cosette Posko and I reside in Portland, Oregon with my family of five. Originally from Pennsylvania, I moved to the great Pacific Northwest about 15 years ago and have been here ever since.

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