Cassis Filling Recipes

CHOCOLATE WHOOPIE PIES WITH CASSIS FILLING

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together sugars, yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula. With the mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl again and transfer batter to refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip (such as Ateco #809) and a large coupler. Pipe 2-inch circles onto prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 1/2 inches between each. Take care to keep your pastry bag completely vertical to make nice circles. If working in batches, keep batter refrigerated between each batch.
• Transfer baking sheets to oven; bake until whoopie pies spring back when touched, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
• Fit a pastry bag with a large plain round tip (such as Ateco #809) and a large coupler; fill pastry bag with cassis filling. Turn half of the whoopies over so that they are bottom side up. Pipe a small dollop of cassis filling onto each whoopie bottom; sandwich with remaining whoopies.

FRESH BLUEBERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Mix the blueberries, the 1/2 cup of sugar, the flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cassis in a large bowl. Carefully ease one pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate, making sure not to stretch the dough at all, or it will shrink as the pie bakes. With a sharp knife, cut the excess dough off at the edge of the pie plate. Spoon the blueberry mixture into the pie shell, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula to be sure you have all the juices.
• Brush the edge of the crust with the egg wash. Carefully lay the second crust on top, again easing -- not stretching -- it onto the pie. Cut the excess dough off at the edge of the pie plate. Press the two edges together with a dinner fork. Brush the top crust with the eggs wash, cut three slits for steam to escape, and sprinkle with sugar.
• Place the pie on the prepared sheet pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until the filling is very bubbly and the crust is nicely browned. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.
• Cut the butter in 1/2-inch dice and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out onto a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle at least 1 inch larger than the pie pan, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough so it doesnt stick to the board. (You should see bits of butter in the dough.) Fold the dough in half, ease it into the pie pan without stretching at all, and unfold to fit the pan. With a small sharp paring knife, cut the dough 1 inch larger around than the pan. Fold the edge under and crimp the edge with either your fingers or the tines of a fork.
• "Barefoot Contessa Foolproof" by Ina Garten (c) Clarkson Potter 2012. Provided courtesy of Ina Garten. All rights reserved.

CASSIS CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs and creme de cassis, and mix until combined. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until smooth.
• Divide dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic; refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Working with 1 half at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick, and cut into 3-inch squares. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Reroll scraps; repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake cookies until golden brown all over, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

CREPES WITH RASPBERRY-CASSIS SAUCE

Steps:

• To make crepe batter, place milk, eggs, salt and sugar in blender. Turn on and, with the motor running, add flours, then melted butter and blend at high speed for 1 minute, until well mixed and smooth. Transfer to a bowl, stir in lime zest, cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes. If resting batter longer, refrigerate. (Whisk again before making crepes.)
• While batter is resting, make raspberry sauce. Combine 1/3 cup water and sugar in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in rose water, raspberries and cassis liqueur. Return to heat, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and strain the mixture into a bowl. Press the raspberry pulp through strainer with a spatula and discard seeds. Whisk or stir to blend pulp and syrup and set aside.
• Make the yogurt filling: In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, honey, lime zest and juice. Taste and adjust sweetness. Set aside.
• To make crepes, heat 8-inch nonstick crepe pan or skillet over medium-high heat and brush lightly with butter. Pan must be hot when you add crepe batter. Lift pan off heat and pour or ladle in a scant 1/4 cup batter, enough to thinly coat bottom of pan. Tilt and swirl pan to distribute batter in an even layer. Return pan to heat and cook crepe for about 1 minute, until edges color and bottom of crepe is lightly browned. Crepe should not stick to pan. Flip crepe over and cook for 30 seconds on the other side, until speckled. Turn out onto a plate. Continue with remaining batter, brushing pan occasionally with butter if desired.
• If you want to serve crepes at their hottest, assemble them as they come out of the pan. Spread a rounded tablespoon of the yogurt mixture over each crepe, drizzle on 1/2 teaspoon raspberry sauce, fold crepe in half and then in half again. Place on plate or platter. When all crepes are made and filled, spoon or pour sauce over, garnish with raspberries, and, if desired, dust with powdered sugar. Serve.

CASSIS FILLING

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese and butter on medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl with a spatula. Add creme de cassis, food coloring, and salt; mix on low for 30 seconds.
• With the mixer on low, slowly add 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar; beat for 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. If consistency is too soft to hold its shape, add additional confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.