Guys, I'm making pins. I'm trying not to wear them both at all times. Because really. A little felt face on my coat is basically my favourite thing. I'm hoping to have them in the shop next week. So yeah. BADGER FACES FOR EVERYONE.
Crostata, Apple
Washington, DC got off lightly compared to what the Polar Vortex did to the Midwest but it's still pretty chilly here. The only acceptable attire for the commute was coats that look like sleeping bags and duckboots with goretex AND thinsulate AND those Lithuanian wool socks you stole from your mother (am I the only one stealing Lithuanian socks from their mother?). After bundling myself into work and back again it seemed like the sort of day for potatoes. Potatoes and roast carrots and maybe brussel sprouts and definitely, definitely apple crustada and caramel sauce.
My baby brother has descended once again for a round of job interviews in DC and so we roasted a chicken, mashed some potatoes, and ate dessert. Apple crostata, vanilla ice cream and cardamom caramel sauce. Give it a go, it's so easy and perfect for this week. Warming and lovely.
Apple Crostata with Walnuts
For crust:
1.5 cups flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into wee pieces
5ish tablespoons of ice water
For filling:
4 apples (I used a variety, whatever you have on hand), peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmug
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1 egg yoke
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Combine the flour sugar and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Add a bit of water at a time, pulsing after each addition, until the mixture starts to hold together. Turn out the mixture on to a clean surface and form it into a 1 inch round, wrap it in parchment paper and pop it in the fridge for half an hour.
Preheat the oven to 425°. Combine all the filling ingredients except the egg and cream.
Roll the dough out to a 13 inch round, about 1/4 inch thickness (you really don't want to roll it too thin, it has a tendancy to leak delicious juices out the bottom). Move the dough to a cookie sheet. Load all the lovely filling in the middle of the crust and bring the dough up around the filling. Mix the egg yoke and cream and brush it all over the crust.
Bake until it's all lovely and brown and delicious, about 40 minutes.
Cardamom Caramel Sauce
1 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of water
3/4 cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Place the sugar and water in a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, it takes about five minutes, swirling occasionally. Once you can't see anymore sugar, increase the heat to high and cook without stirring until the mixture turns a medium brown. Don't walk away. Seriously, don't. It will magically burn as soon as you turn away. Once it turns brown, pull it from the heat and stir in the cream. It will foam and bubble all over but just whisk until it looks all smooth and yummy. Then add your cardamom and vanilla and whisk until incorporated. YUM.
January Sale
After the hustle and bustle of the holidays and frantically sewing tiny buttons on tiny jackets last week, there are new wee animals in the shop this morning. There is a ballerina fox named after my cousin and a badger dressed in pink and sequins. And to relieve the January Blues, I'm offering 10% off the shop now through January 11th with the coupon code WELCOME2014.
Snow Day
Last night we took the dog for a walk in the snow and the sky was so light and gorgeous and there was so much snow. The trees were unbelievable, all covered in white. While we don't have a snow day from work, it's 17 degrees in Washington this morning and I'm using the snowy roads and unsalted sidewalks as a good reason to take the morning off and finish up some rabbit skirts and catch up on my Showtime.
I hope the trees are as glistening and gorgeous where you are.