Cranberry Shortbread / Happy New Year

Believe it or not, these plain shortbread biscuits are my favorites. I have to have them at the end of each year as holiday treats; sometimes I mix in some nuts, sometimes pieces of dried fruit. This year I made them with cranberries.

With this recipe, I want to finish posting for 2014 and wish a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2015 to all of you! Cheers!

Ingredients:

125 g butter, soft

125 gr ghee (clarified butter), soft

2 cups flour

1/2 cup rice flour

1/2 cup icing sugar 

vanilla or lemon zest as flavouring

1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries

Method:

Beat butter, ghee and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add other ingredients and mix well. Knead until smooth. Shape into 2 logs, refrigerate until hard. Cut discs, place them onto baking paper, prick with a fork and bake for 15-20 minutes at 160 *C (should stay pale). Alternatively, shape dough traditionally into 2 circles and cut into wedges; or, make any shape you want (I use measuring spoon to shape them).

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'Shortbread' sa Brusnicama

Vjerovali ili ne, kraj svih divnih kolacica, ovo su meni najdrazi. Uvijek ih pravim na kraju godine; ponekad umijesam komadice orasastih plodova, ponekad sjeckano suho voce. Ovoga puta sam ih napravila sa brusnicama.

Sa ovim receptom zelim da zavrsim 2014 i pozelim vam veoma sretnu, zdravu i 'berićetnu' 2015. U zdravlje!

Potrebno:

125 gr maslaca, omeksalog

125 gr masla, omeksalog

2 solje brasna

1/2 solje rizinog brasna

1/2 solje secera u prahu

vanila ili korica limuna kao aroma

1/2 solje sjeckanih suhih brusnica

Nacin:

Mutite maslac, maslo i secer dok ne postane pjenasto. Dodajte ostale sastojke i dobro izmijesajte. Umijesite rukama dok ne postane glatko. Oblikujte 2 cilindra ('kobasice') i ostavite u frizider da se stegne. Isjecite na diskove, nabodite viljuskom i pecite preko papira na 160*C oko 15-20 minuta (treba da ostanu blijede). Eventulano, tijesto mozete tradicionalno oblikovati u 2 kruga, i isjeci na 'kriske'. Ja koristim mjericu (kasiku) da ih oblikujem.

Jewels in White Chocolate

My baking for upcoming festive season(s) has begun. A lot of biscuits and other home made gifts will be prepared in my kitchen. Let me start with recipes...

Ingredients:
255 g white chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 cup (60 ml) double cream (45% fat)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup (or glucose)
3/4 cup (75 g) pistachios, chopped
3/4 cup (80 g) dried cranberries, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup (80 g) dried apricots, cut into small pieces
Method:
Line the bottom and sides of an 20 x 20 cm square baking tin with aluminum foil.
Process white chocolate (food processor, or grate it) until the chocolate is in small pieces. Add the orange zest and pulse just a few seconds.
In a small saucepan, over medium heat, bring the cream and corn syrup just to a boil. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate in the food processor and pulse until the mixture is smooth and the white chocolate has completely melted.
Transfer this mixture to a large bowl and stir in the chopped cranberries, apricots, and pistachios. Spread the mixture into your prepared pan and let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until firm. Cut into fingers. Store (covered) in the refrigerator.



Dragulji u Bijeloj Čokoladi

Vrijeme pripreme i pecenja za nastupajucu slavljenicku sezonu je otpocela. Mnogo kolacica, keksa i drugih domacih proizvoda ce biti proizvedeno u mojoj kuhinji i poklonjeno. Pustite me da otpocnem sa receptima...

Potrebno:
255 gr bijele cokolade, sjeckane
1,5 k korice narandze
60 ml 'duplog' slatkog vrhnja (45% masnoce)
1 K glukoze (ili 'corn sirupa')
75 gr pistaca, sjeckanih
80 gr susenih brusnica (drenjka), sjeckanih
80 gr susenih kajsija / marelica, sjeckanih sitno
Nacin:
Stavite al-foliju preko pleha 20 X 20 cm. Izrendajte cokoladu (ili upotrijebite sjeckalicu), umijesjte koricu narandze.
Pomijesajte glukozu sa kremom (vrhnjem), zagrijte do vrenja. Prelijte preko cokolade, mijesajte dok se ne istopi. Umijesajte suseno voce i pistace. Uspite u kalup, pritisnite kasikom i ostavite prohladiti. Stavite zatim, u frizider dok se sasvim ne stegne. Rezite na duguljaste i uske prutice. Cuvajte (pokriveno) u frizideru.