Raspberry White Chocolate Blondies

 

One evening, while I was escaping the doom-and-gloom news during the pandemic by streaming a British mystery series (I think it was Shakespeare and Hathaway), my ears perked up when someone was offered a Jammie Dodger. What a cool name! But what is it? 

I immediately Googled the term on my phone and discovered it’s a cookie—or biscuit in the U.K. Specifically, it’s a vanilla sandwich cookie filled with raspberry jam. I ordered some from a nearby British goods shop (Brits in Lawrence) and liked them very much, though I will admit the “jam” in the middle was more “gummy” than “jammie.” 

Then in a recent email newsletter from The Happy Foodie (put out by Penguin Books in the U.K.), there was a recipe for Jammie Dodger Blondies from the cookbook Finch Bakery by Lauren and Rachel Finch. Of course, I had to make them! 

Amazon provided me with the mini Jammie Dodgers called for in the recipe. I followed the Finch version precisely, which involved under baking the blondies. The recipe said to bake “until the edges are golden brown and the middle still wobbles.” Once cooled, the blondies are chilled in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before serving, I assumed to firm up the middle. 

I learned a few lessons from that first try. One, the blondies were more flavorful at room temperature than chilled. By adding 5 minutes to the baking time on my next attempt, the bars cooked through but were not too over-done—no chilling necessary.  Also, while the mini Jammie Dodgers on top were cute, they didn’t add to the flavor. Since most of us here in the U.S. don’t keep these cookies in the pantry, I left them off. I also added almond extract to the batter to enhance the white chocolate flavor.

Trust me when I say these blondies are addictive! Mom and I went through a pan in just a few days! The raspberry jam helps to balance the sweetness of the dense, chewy bar. 

Raspberry White Chocolate Blondies will fit right in on a holiday dessert table or as a lovely sweet any time of the year.

Have you ever tried a Jammie Dodger? What did you think? 

Yield: Makes 15 to 18 squares

Author: Linda Ditch

Raspberry White Chocolate Blondies

A dense, chewy cookie bar with swirls of raspberry jam and filled with white chocolate chips. The recipe was inspired by Jammie Dodger cookies (biscuits) found in the U.K. and a recipe by Lauren and Rachel Finch.

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3 1/2 ounces white chocolate (I use Ghirardelli)
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons golden syrup (or honey)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 heaped tablespoon (15 g) cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 ounces (150 g) white chocolate chips (Again, I use Ghirardelli)
• Topping:
• 5 ounces (150 g) raspberry jam (I used Bonne Maman)
• 1 3/4 ounces (50 g) white chocolate chips
• 12-15 mini Jammie Dodgers (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 12-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. (An 11x7-inch pan would work, though you may need to adjust the cooking tip a bit.)
2. In a small microwave-safe dish, melt the butter and chocolate. (Mine took 60 seconds) Stir together to combine, and then set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
4. Pour the granular and brown sugars into a mixer bowl, and then add the melted butter/chocolate combination. Mix at medium speed for about 1 minute until well combined and smooth. In a separate dish, whisk together the eggs and egg yolk, and then add to the mixer, along with the golden syrup (or honey), vanilla, and almond extract, and mix into the sugar mixture at low speed until combined.
5. With the mixer still at low speed, slowly pour in the flour mixture. Stir in until just combined (don’t over mix), and then mix in the white chocolate chips.
6. Pour the mixture into the baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Spoon the jam into a piping bag (or plastic zippered bag). Pipe 6 vertical, evenly-spaced lines on top of the batter. Then using the tip of a knife or a skewer, swirl the jam into the top of the batter. Sprinkle the white chocolate chips over the top, and place the mini Jammie Dodgers over the top (if using.)
7. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the middle seems just set. (The middle may seem slightly underdone.) Place on a rack to cool completely before cutting.

Coronation Chicken from the New Key West Food Critic Mystery

 

What I love most when a cozy mystery series I follow comes out with a new edition is getting to return to a setting I enjoy and catching up with characters who feel like friends. That’s why I was a bit nervous when I learned Lucy Burdette set her new Key West Food Critic Mystery in Scotland instead of the southern-most point of the United States. I enjoyed my visit to Key West a few years ago, and her books allowed me to make return trips without the airfare. I also visited Scotland many, many years ago and enjoyed my time there as well, so I was hopeful. Still, would her characters be as appealing adventuring through the northern United Kingdom as in southern Florida?

I shouldn’t have worried. 

A Scone of Contention was an excellent read. Food critic Hayley Snow brings her love of food, quirky nature, new husband Nathan, her mother-in-law, and her beloved 80-year-old friend Miss Gloria along to Scotland. Oh, did I mention she and Nathan are on their honeymoon? Though it’s crowded for romance, it makes perfect sense with this group of characters.

“The truth is, this vacation can’t come soon enough. I don’t care how many kooky relatives are cramming themselves into our honeymoon or how bad the weather is, or how much golf you have to play. I need a change of scenery. And some time with my new husband.” (Haley said the night before they departed.)

Hayley and her loved ones connect with Nathan’s sister Vera, her husband, and her co-workers. The plan is to explore some of Scotland’s iconic mystic places. These spots are said to be where the veil thins between Heaven and Earth. Some are also the setting for the series Outlander and Game of Thrones. (How Key West-like is that!) 

At a dinner party, one of Vera’s friends claims someone tried to poison her. Then the group witnesses a tourist fall to his death. None of the friends admit to knowing the dead man, but Hayley thinks they’re not telling the whole truth. Soon she’s on the hunt for a killer before he (or she) strikes again. 

Of course, with Hayley being a tried and true foodie, lots of delicious meals and recipes are featured in the book. At first, I wanted to make one of the scone recipes, but the outside temperature near 100 degrees discouraged me from turning on the oven. Instead, I made the recipe for Coronation Chicken. 

Being a dedicated anglophile, I’d heard of this recipe before. Le Cordon Bleu cooking school founder Rosemary Hume created the dish in 1953 to serve at a banquet celebrating the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Since the UK was still dealing with post-WWII rationing at that time, this salad features easy-to-get ingredients with an exotic touch of curry. Most recipes for this dish call for mango chutney and diced dried apricots. Burdette switches it up by using apricot jam and diced fresh mango, which to me made it seem more Key West friendly. Also, I’m more likely to have apricot jam in the pantry and mango in my freezer. (The frozen mango worked perfectly. Just let it thaw first.) 

Like the book, the recipe didn’t disappoint either. It made a refreshing chicken salad with an exotic taste from the curry powder, a slight sweetness from the fruit and jam, and some crunch from the almonds. I enjoyed it on its own with crackers on the side and as a sandwich made with hearty multi-grain bread. (In the book's recipe, Burdette serves it on baked potatoes.) 

If you love cozy mysteries, especially ones filled with tasty food, then I highly recommend you jump into this series. I’m already anticipating the next edition! 

Yield: 6 to 8

Author: Linda Ditch

Coronation Chicken

This recipe is adapted from one in the book A Scone of Contention by Lucy Burdette. The dish was originally served at a banquet for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. This version has a Key West twist with the use of fresh mango.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder (I used McCormick)
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used 2 poached boneless-skinless chicken breasts)
• Diced fresh mango
• Slivered almonds
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. In a non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the curry powder and onion and cook until the onion starts to soften. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, water, and lemon juice. Allow the mixture to simmer until it has thickened and reduced by about half. Stir in the apricot jam and then set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, whip the cream until stiff. Whisk in the mayonnaise and the cooled curry mixture. Fold in the chicken and however much mango and almonds you desire. Season with salt, if necessary.
3. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It tastes great on top of a green salad, served with crackers, or as a sandwich.

Ginger Carrot Tea Cake with Orange Glaze

I miss traveling. Since the Covid pandemic started last year, I've daydreamed about all the places I will visit once things get better. Top on my list is a return to the United Kingdom. My last trip there was in 1992. 

Mom and I have spent the past year streaming a variety of British television programs like Great British Baking Show, Land Girls, Midsomer Murders, Shakespeare and Hathaway, Call the Midwife, Inspector Lewis, Death in Paradise, and Father Brown. (We're also fans of Australian shows My Life if Murder, 800 Words, and Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.) Add to that numerous PBS Masterpiece shows, such as the current All Creatures Great and Small and Miss Scarlett and the Duke, and it’s easy to understand how we’ve become proper anglophiles in this house.

I find myself drinking a lot more tea. Maybe because anytime a crisis happens in these programs, someone always says, “I’ll put the kettle on.” A pandemic is a crisis, right? 

I’ve always enjoyed the occasional cuppa, but now it’s an almost daily ritual. However, my tea time is a cup in the evening after dinner, with just a random cup in the late afternoon. 

Tea cuisine is also a favorite of mine. I love scones loaded with strawberry jam and clotted cream, buttery shortbread cookies, and crisp cucumber or watercress sandwiches. 

However, tea cakes are my number one selection. Also known as loaf cakes, these sweet treats are just the right size for my small household, and they aren’t loaded with frosting. In the past, I’ve posted recipes for Walnut Apricot Tea Bread, Honey Spice Loaf, and Orange Marmalade Teacake. 

This recipe for Ginger Carrot Tea Cake is now my favorite. Moist and flavorful, with a hint of ginger and the brightness of orange—perfect!  You’ll notice I’ve listed the measurements for the ingredients by weight first, then volume. Paul Hollywood and Mary Barry have made me a food scale convert. Trust me, using a scale is soooo easy, more accurate, and with less clean-up! 

I’ve also posted in the past instructions on how to make a proper pot of tea. You’ll find them here.

Are you a tea fan? What kind do you like most? And are you streaming shows from across the pond? I’d love to hear about your favorites so I can get some new ideas for my next binge-watching venture.

Cheers!

 

Yield: 1 9 x 5-inch loaf

Author: Linda Ditch

Ginger Carrot Tea Cake with Orange Glaze

A flavorful tea cake, with just a hint of warm ginger and a bright orange glaze.

Ingredients

• For the cake:
• 225 grams (1 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 225 grams (1 cup packed) light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 medium carrots, grated (165 grams/1 1/2 cups packed)
• For the glaze:
• Zest and juice from 1 medium orange
• 100 grams (1 cup) confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs by hand for two minutes until light an and silky. Add the oil, cinnamon, ginger and salt, and whisk until smooth and combined. Add the dry ingredients and combine together with a rubber spatula until smooth. Fold in the grated carrots.
4. Pour the now thick batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top. Bang the pan on the countertop a couple of times to allow any air bubbles to rise to the surface. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake is golden and a tester comes out clean.
5. Remove the loaf pan from the oven and set it on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan onto the rack and allow it to cool completely.
6. To make the glaze, place the confectioners’ sugar and orange zest into a small bowl. Wisk in the orange juice a bit at a time until the glaze ins pourable but still thick. Place the cooling rack on top of a piece of waxed paper or foil. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, allowing it to ooze down the sides. All the glaze to set for a few minutes before slicing the cake.
7. Store cake wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature.

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