Breakfast, brunch, snack, party, dessert . . . these Butterfly Buns are perfect for any occasion. Start using the Gossipy Sweet Buns recipe and get shaping and baking. You’ll have these on the table in no time at all.

• 1/2 Gossipy Sweet Bun dough
• melted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Confectioners Sugar Frosting

• 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Roll the dough into 18 X 9″ rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Blend 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the dough.

Roll up from long side, as if for a jelly roll. Cut into 1″ slices.

Press pencil or chopstick almost through the roll going parallel to cut sides. Invert and turn cut surface up.

Place on greased baking sheets. Rub together remaining flour, sugar, butter and cinnamon. Sprinkle over buns.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make frosting by combining ingredients and beating until smooth. Drizzle baked buns with frosting.

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It’s been decades since I’ve enjoyed these Apricot Pinwheels (baked by Mom). Recently, I unearthed the recipe from a box that was buried deep in a cupboard at my Dad’s house. They’re pretty simple to make, and the flavor brought back childhood memories. Needless to say, they were a hit with my family!

Gossipy Sweet Bun Dough

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 butter
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4-1/2 to 5 cups all purpose flour

Scald milk; stir in sugar, salt and butter. Cool to lukewarm. Measure warm water into large warm bowl. Sprinkle with yeast, stir until dissolved.

Stir in lukewarm milk mixture, beaten eggs and 1 cup flour. Beat until smooth. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Place in greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down, and let rise again until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.

To Make Pinwheels

• 1/2 Gossipy Sweet Bun Dough (from above)
• 1/3 cup apricot preserves
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 15 maraschino cherries, halved
• melted butter

Roll the dough into 18X15″ rectangle. Cut into thirty, 3″ squares. Cut each square diagonally from each corner to about 1/2″ from center. (see diagram above)

Blend apricots and pecans. Place about 1 tsp. mixture in each center.

There are 2 points to each corner of the square. In rotation, bring the same point of each corner to the center, overlap, and seal points at the center. Top each pinwheel with a cherry half.

Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees F, or until done. Brush with melted butter.

Makes 30 pinwheels

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Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries are the perfect summer fruits to fill this galette. But don’t forget others such as apples, peaches and pears — you can use the dough as a base for a variety of delicious summer desserts.

Galette Dough

• 3 tbsp sour cream (or yogurt or buttermilk)
• 1/3 cup (approximately) ice water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 7 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 to 8 pieces

To make the dough by hand, stir the sour cream and 1/3 cup ice water together in a small bowl and set aside. Put the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a fork to mix. Drop the butter pieces into the bowl, tossing them once or twice just to coat them with flour. With a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour, aiming for pieces of butter that range in size from bread crumbs to small peas. The smaller pieces will make the dough tender, the larger ones will make it flaky.

Sprinkle the cold sour cream mixture over the dough, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork to evenly distribute it. After you’ve added all of the sour cream, the dough should be moist enough to stick together when pressed; it it’s not, add additional cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time. With your hands, gather the curds of dough together. (You’ll have a soft, malleable dough, the kind you might want to overwork.) Turn the dough out of the bowl and divide it in half. Press each piece of dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

To make the dough in a food processor, stir the sour cream and the 1/3 cup ice water together in a small bowl; set aside. Put the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in the work bowl of a processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse to combine. Drop the butter pieces into the bowl and pulse 8 to 10 times, or until the mixture is speckled with pieces of butter that vary in size from bread crumbs to peas. With the machine running, add the sour cream mixture and process just until the dough forms soft, moist curds.

Remove the dough from the processor, divide in half, and press each half into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours.

The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for a day or two, it it can be wrapped airtight and frozen for a month. Thaw, still wrapped, in the refrigerator.

The Galette

• ½ recipe Galette Dough, chilled
• 1 ½ cups mixed fresh berries (or cut-up peeled fruit)
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp honey (optional)
• 1 tbsp cold unsalted butter

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it into an 11-inch circle that’s about 1/8-inch thick. Since the dough is soft, you’ll need to lift it now and then and toss some more flour under it and over the top. Roll up the dough around your rolling pin and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet.

Spread the berries over the dough, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar over the fruit and drizzle on the honey, if you’re using it. Cut the butter into slivers and scatter it on top of the fruit. Fold the uncovered border of dough up over the filling, allowing the dough to pleat as your lift it up and work your way around the galette. (Because you’re folding a wide edge of dough onto a smaller part of the circle, it will pleat naturally – just go with it.) Dip a pastry brush in water, give the edge of the crust a light coating, and then sprinkle the crust with the remaining teaspoon of sugar.

Baking the Galette: Bake the galette for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the galette rest on the sheet for 10 minutes. Slide a wide spatula or a small baking sheet under the galette and slide it onto the cooling rack. Serve warm or a t room temperature, cutting the tart with a pizza wheel or a sharp knife.

The galette is best eaten the day it is made.

Source: Baking with Julia, written by Dorie Greenspan, 1996 A La Carte Communications, Inc.

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• one 9-inch Walnut Tart Crust
• 1/2 recipe Raspberry Filling 
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces while chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 pints fresh raspberries, picked clean

Make the Walnut Tart Crust

While the crust is cooling, make the raspberry filling.

Remove the sides of the tart pan and place the crust on a serving plate. Thinly and evenly spread the Raspberry Filling over the base of the tart shell.

In a saucepan, heat the cream on medium-high heat until it begins to simmer. Immediately remove from the heat. With a rubber spatula stir in the chopped chocolate until smooth. Let cool until about 80-85 degrees F. Slowly pour over the Raspberry Filling in the tart shell, up to the rim, spreading evenly to the edges. Let set in the refrigerator about 4 hours.

When the tart is chilled, arrange fresh raspberries, pointy side up, in a circular pattern over the white chocolate filling.

Best served and eaten the day it is made.

(you can use a 9-inch square tart pan)

Walnut Tart Crust

2-1/3 cups walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds

3 Tbsp sugar

3/4 stick (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

Lightly butter a 9-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom

Plus the walnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Remove and set aside. Add the almonds and sugar. Pulse, scraping down the bowl several times, until ground into a powder.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the nut mixture and mix on low speed until the dough begins to hold together.

Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the tart pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or freeze until firm, about 1/2 hour.

To bake the empty tart shell, position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Unwrap the shell and place on a baking sheet. Prick all over with the tines of a fork. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until the crust feels dry and looks puffy. Remove from the oven and gently press the bottom down with the back of a wooden spoon. Return to the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Transfer to rack and cook completely.

Raspberry Filling

• 8 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries (thawed)
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring all ingredients to a simmer. Cook, stirring often to prevent scorching, until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

Set aside to cool.

Source: Pure Chocolate, by Fran Bigeow, Copyright 2004, Broadway Books 

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This rich nut crust is easy to make and is versatile for a variety of different occasions — fill with raspberries in the Summer, cranberries in the Fall, or a dark chocolate truffle filling for a special occasion.

• 2-1/3 cups walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 3/4 stick (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

Lightly butter a 9-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom

Plus the walnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Remove and set aside. Add the almonds and sugar. Pulse, scraping down the bowl several times, until ground into a powder.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the nut mixture and mix on low speed until the dough begins to hold together.

Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the tart pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or freeze until firm, about 1/2 hour.

To bake the empty tart shell, position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Unwrap the shell and place on a baking sheet. Prick all over with the tines of a fork. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until the crust feels dry and looks puffy. Remove from the oven and gently press the bottom down with the back of a wooden spoon. Return to the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Transfer to rack and cook completely.

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This recipe calls for black and red plums, but don’t limit yourself to those. We used a mixture of plums, peaches and nectarines, and it disappeared in about 15 minutes. The dessert is just as delicious without using the apricot jam, simply sprinkling the top with a bit of sugar prior to baking. And, when using frozen puff pastry, this recipe is easier to make than it looks. A definite hit all around.

• 2 tbsp skin on almonds, toasted
• 2 tbsp sugar, divided
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (preferably Dufour), thawed
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tbsp heavy cream
• 5 black plums, pitted and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 5 red plums, putted and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 cup apricot jam, heated until loose and strained

Pulse almonds, 1 tbsp. sugar, and the flour in a food processor until ground into a fine meal.

Roll out puff pastry into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle (1/8-inch thick) on a lightly floured work surface. Using a paring knife, score a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Place pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk together egg yolk and cream. Brush border with egg wash, then sprinkle almond mixture evenly over center of pastry. Evenly alternate rows of black and red plum slices. Freeze tart until firm, about 30 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining tablespoon sugar over top, then bake until edges are golden brown, about 40 minutes. Brush plums with warm jam; let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Marcha Stewart Living, July 2012

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Many of the recipes I dig up from my mother’s collection are copies of handwritten (or scribbled) on a sheet of tattered paper my grandmother or great aunts wrote. At times it is hard to decipher the directions, as they often only contain the bare essential instructions. Here, I include my Grandmother’s recipe for Poor Man’s Strudel – as she wrote it out many years ago. This is one of the easier recipes to read.

2 cups flour

2 sticks of Imperial oleo

work like pie dough

1/2 cup buttermilk

divide in 3 balls, makes 3 strudels

put in icebox overnight

roll out and put on ungreased cookie sheet

put bread crumbs and apples sliced thin (3 large or 4 small)

sugar and cinnamon

fold

poke holes in it

bake 400 for 1/2 hour

cheese filling

1 pack small curd cottage cheese

1 large egg – 3/4 cup sugar, 2 or 3 tbsp tapioca

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

make 1 hour ahead so tapioca melts

bake 350 1 hour

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Usually made for celebrations when the family gathered, this lightly crunchy and sweet pastry is a family favorite of everyone – young and old. These days I don’t wait until there is a celebration, we enjoy listy whenever the feeling hits me.

• 1 large egg

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 4 egg yolks

• 2 ¼ cups flour

• 1/3 cup sugar

• ½ tsp. salt

• 2 tsp. vanilla

1. Mix together thoroughly.

2. Chill overnight.

3. Roll thin, then cut in triangles.

4. Make slit in each, and pull end through slit.

5. Fry in deep fat.

6. Drain on brown paper.

7. Dust with powdered sugar.

Source: Grandma Marie

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Mom’s aunt used to make this all the time, creating a light and airy puff paste from scratch to sandwich around the creamy custard filling. If you’ve the time, go ahead and make your puff paste from scratch, otherwise, you can use a store bought version.

Puff Paste

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup ice water
• 1 lb chilled, but not hard, butter

Into a medium bowl, sift flour. Add ice water in small amounts mixing thoroughly with fork to form a stiff dough. On unfloured board, knead dough 5 minutes, then flour board and set dough on it under the bowl. Let stand 15 minutes.

Then, on floured board, roll dough into a rectangle 1.4-inch thick, turning it over frequently to help keep edges straight. Quickly spread two-thirds of dough with 1 stick of butter. Fold unbuttered third of dough over top of middle third, then fold remaining third over top to form 3 laters, with all edges meeting exactly This completes the first ‘turn.’ Repeat this step, keeping folded edge toward you while rolling.

Now, wrap folded pastry dough in 1 layer of waxed paper and place it directly on freezer shelf or bottom for 10 minutes, turning at end of 5 minutes.

Then, using last 2 sticks of butter, repeat steps 2 and 3 with pastry dough, for a total of 4 ‘turns.’ Wrap this puff paste in foil and refrigerate overnight.

Remove one-fourth of puff paste from refrigerator. On floured board, roll it about 1.8 to 1/16th thick. Carefully lift off board to cookie sheet. Make a few pinches with the fork so that the dough doesn’t curl up when baking. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Start heating oven to 450 degrees. Mix 1 egg white with 2 tbsp water. Brush tops of puff paste sheet after it has been in the refrigerator. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, until puffed and light brown; then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bak another 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and carefully remove pastry to cooling rack. Repeat all with another 1/4 of dough.

Custard Filling for Cream Squares

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups milk
• 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter. Blend in corn starch, sugar and salt. Gradually add milk. Heat to boiling over direct heat. Stir in slightly beaten egg yolks. Return to heat and cook two minutes, stirring constantly. Add vanilla. Cool thoroughly. Makes 2 cups. After filling is cold, fold in approximately 1 cup of heavy cream which has been whipped.

Assembling Cream Squares

When ready to prepare cream squares, place one sheet on serving plate. Spread cooled custard filling; then, top with second sheet of pastry. To serve, pipe some whipped cream on top – or simply sprinkle with powdered sugar. Carefully cut pieces with serrated knife.

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Source: Grandma Marie

• 2 cups flour
• ½ pound margarine
• 2 ounces creamed cottage cheese
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 small can apricot filling, pineapple preserves, or any fruit filling.
• Sprinkle of powdered sugar, if desired

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

Measure all ingredients

Cut margarine into four in a large bowl

Mix in cottage cheese

From dough into a ball, add a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky

Sprinkle flour on work surface and roll out half of the dough, about ¼” thick.

With a sharp knife, cut into squares, place ½ tsp. filling in each square. Fold each like an envelope (four corners towards the center.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

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