A NOD TO CANADA & ALZHEIMER'S IDAHO SUPPORT GROUP DINNER

If you follow this blog you know that one of the things I do is make the dessert for the Alzheimer's Idaho (local grassroots organization) monthly support group meeting which meets on the last Friday of the month.  Since  I am still filled with warm, fuzzy feelings from my recent vacation (Alaska & beautiful BC) I thought I would make them tea treats for dessert.  Inasmuch as this is dessert and not afternoon tea, I just made a selections of four sweet items, no savories they will have just eaten dinner.
*A BIG THANK YOU AGAIN TO BUTCHART GARDENS FOR FEATURING THIS POST ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE!
 

Butchart Gardens Ginger Scone (makes 10)
1½ cups All purpose flour
1tsp Baking powder
1tbsp White sugar
¼ cup Crystallized ginger (chopped)
1/3 cup Unsalted butter (cubed)
2 Medium eggs (fork beaten)
½ cup 2% Milk

Method
Set oven to 350°F
Blend flour, baking powder, sugar and crystallized ginger together.

Use hand cutter to blend in butter cubes until crumbly.
Add eggs and milk until all ingredients are combined (being careful not to over mix).

Drop by large tablespoon on parchment lined baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the scones with an egg wash and then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 15-18 minutes until light brown

Tip: I chop the ginger with a mezzaluna and then take some of the flour and sprinkle on the ginger and move it around so it all gets some flour - this will keep the pieces from sticking together in a lump and ensure good distribution in your dough.

A very simple way to make little tarts is to make your favorite pie crust recipe (in my case I only needed a few so I just made 1/2 a recipe), cut out little circles, bush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar and bake.

They puff up beautifully when they bake and then using a piping bag top each with your choice of item, I choose Meyer lemon curd.

After putting the little tart bites in the fridge to set the curd, pipe them with some sweetened whipped cream.  Here we have the tarts and the scones. The little tarts are good with a myriad of toppings.

To go with the scones some Butchart Gardens strawberry jam and some clotted cream. Real clotted cream is very easy to make if you remember 8 hours before you need it to put the cream in a low and slow oven.  If not a good substitute is "faux" clotted cream.

Only three ingredients needed for the faux clotted cream - sugar, whipping cream and sour cream. 

Recipe:
 Substitute for Clotted Cream 
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream 
Directions: Using a whisk attachment for your mixer, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form.  Remove from mixer and hand whisk in the sour cream and confectioners' sugar until just combined.  Store in fridge.   
Sugar cookie crust fruit tarts were next. After making the dough press into your molds.  I only needed (8) so I also made a big square one to give to my son and his family for their dessert last night.

 I find it easier (much) to use a pastry bag to fill the tarts.

 Here are the little ones.

And the big tart shown as I am in the process of "painting" the fruit with the apricot jam mixture.  Not only keeps the fruit looking fresh but give it a glossy, professional, finished look.

Recipe:
Ingredients for Sugar Cookie Crust
 3/4 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cornstarch

Cheesecake Filling
16 oz cream cheese, room temp
8 oz mascarpone (or faux, see recipe below) 
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 small pkg Jello instant cheesecake pudding mix
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Fruit
Seedless grapes
Sliced strawberries
Sliced kiwi fruit
Blackberries

For Glaze - 1/3-1/2 apricot jam plus 1T water or more depending on the thickness of your jam.

Spray individual tart pans with the non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in the middle. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of your mixer and use the paddle attachment and cream together butter and sugar for 5-7 minutes - it really needs to be 5-7 minutes.  Then add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.

Add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and cornstarch. On low speed incorporate dry ingredients. Mix until smooth, the dough will be thick.

Scoop up about 2T of dough and roll into a ball in your hand.

Press the cookie dough in the bottom of the tin (spray them with non stick spray) way up the sides of each tin. Be sure to have the dough uniform in thickness, it is better to be a little thicker than too thin.

Bake 10-12 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.  While still hot if the dough has baked up too high to allow a good well for the filling, take the end of a wooden spoon and tamp down the dough.

Remove the cookies from the tins and set on a rack to cool.

Cheese Cake Filling
Place the cream cheese and mascarpone in a bowl and blend until creamy using your mixer.

Add in the sugar and pudding mix and whip until combined.

Add in the cream until desired consistency.

Pipe or scoop cheesecake filling into cookie tart.

Top with assorted fresh fruit.

Place the apricot jam & water into a pan and heat just until melted and stir to make it smooth.

Let the apricot solution cool just a little and then paint fruit with a pastry brush.

Store in the fridge until ready to eat.

  Tip #1: I have a love/hate relationship with mascarpone cheese because invariably even though my local store carries it just seems like every time I need it they are out and so I just make a "faux" mascarpone and save myself some grief.
Mascarpone Cheese Substitute 
Ingredients: 

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (I use the softened) 

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

 2 1/2 tablespoons sour cream

Directions: Combine well and use in recipes calling for Mascarpone cheese.

Tip #2: NO NOT substitute low fat cream cheese or sour cream in this recipe DOES NOT WORK!

Tip#3: Grab your little bowl of apricot jam and water and your brush and sit down and take your time brushing the fruit.  This is not hard but you don't want the jam mixture to drip onto the tart filling so I find sitting down while doing this makes it so much easier and you get a little time off your feet too!

Ah, last but not least the wonderful Butchart Gardens tea trifle.  This is not a published recipe but I did drop a little hint in my first photo.

Resource

Candied ginger, online, specialty stores and Trader Joe's
Wilton round tip #2A used to fill the tarts
Wilton star tip #2D for whipped cream
Wilton tips and bags, Walmart
Mrs. Earls Meyer Lemon Curd, specialty stores and online
Tea pot, Leeds pottery creamware, specialty stores and online
Cake stand for tea trifle, Home Goods
Tea Tray basket, Target
Individual cups for trifle, Walmart
Tart pans, Williams Sonoma
Butchart Gardens strawberry jam, at their store in BC
Butchart Gardens Link
Two tiered stand and red plates, HomeGoods
Birds Custard Powder, Available at Cost Plus and other stores that carry international products and online.
Ginger scone recipe, Published by Butchart Gardens 
Battenberg lace napkin, Marshall's  
Alzheimer's Idaho Link 



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