Miffy Petit Beurre

When the baby of our family was just a few years old, she had a HUGE obsession with bunnies.  If we passed a stuffed bunny in the store, she threw a hissy fit until I bought it. She had every story book that had a picture of a bunny on it.  What can I say, she was the baby of the family and I was to a point that it was just easier to give her whatever she wanted.  It worked and she actually turned out great.  

When she was three years old, we were at a church Christmas dinner and a general authority of our church asked her what she wanted for Christmas.  She replied, "I want a bunny when it hopes".  On December 23rd around 10:00 at night our door bell rang.  I opened the door to see a cage with a tiny rabbit inside.  I looked around to see who had left it there and saw the escape vehicle speeding away.  I recognized the car and knew exactly who had left it there.  Sure enough the wonderful man that asked Tiffany what she wanted for Christmas had purchased a bunny and cage to make a little girls Christmas the best ever!  The man was Elder Vaughn Featherstone.  He and his wife had hearts of gold.  Of course, we kept the bunny and fondly named her "Feather".  

Tiffany is now 23 years old and for some odd reason I still find myself being drawn towards bunnies.  When I saw this Miffy cookie cutter on Pinterest, I knew that it needed to be added to our bunny collection even if it is 20 years late.

I began to search for a Petit Beurre cookie recipe.  The dough holds it's shape and any detail of the cookie would not be lost during baking.

I turned to Amazon where I found this tiny recipe book for many flavors of dough for Petit Beurre.  It came with the darling cookie cutter to make Petit Beurre Mason (purple cutter).  I was thrilled to find this adorable collection.  I found the Miffy cookie cutters separately.  Unfortunately I have not been able to find the book and cutter on Amazon, so I don't have a link.  But the Miffy Cookie Cutter  is available and believe it or not the cost is under $2 for both of the cutters shown is this picture.

Problem.  The recipe book was written in French.  I'm pretty good and translating French menu's and do ok with cookbooks but I have to admit it took me a while to get the recipe perfect using U.S. measurements, ingredients, and my altitude.

The cookie dough is so easy and can be made in just a few minutes.

You will need:

1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) salted butter
1/3 cup (63 ml) water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour or 00 flour
1/2 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder

In a small sauce pan, add 1/2 cup butter.  I'm using salted butter.  I like the salted over unsalted.  It just works well with this recipe

Add 1/3 cup water.

Add 1/2 cup sugar.

and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Bring to a boil over low heat until butter is completely melted.

Pour mixture into a mixing bowl and let stand for 20 minutes.

Add 2 cups flour.

1/2 teaspoon baking powder.

Stir until smooth and soft.

Quickly knead the dough until soft and smooth.

I like to flatten the dough into a square or rectangular shape.

Cover with plastic wrap.

Refrigerate dough for at least 3 hours.

After 3 hours remove dough from the refrigerator and unwrap plastic wrap.  Place dough on a lightly floured surface or parchment paper.  The dough is very stiff and you will need to use some upper body strength. At first it's quite difficult to roll, but keep at it.  The dough will begin to soften up a bit and roll easier.

My biceps are so buff right now.

Using the Miffy cookie cutter, press into the rolled out dough.

The cutter has a removable center that makes cutting perfect and easy.

Cute.

Cuter.

Place on a baking sheet.  The cookies can be placed within a 1/2-inch of each other because they won't loose their shape or spread.

Bake in a preheated 350 F (180C) oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

I like to get the edges a bit brown because I love the nutty brown butter flavor that comes out.

Perfect for Easter giving.  Such a cute Easter basket treat.  Perfect for little grandkids.

Miffy Petit Beurre

1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) salted butter
1/3 cup (63 ml) water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour or 00 flour
1/2 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder

In a saucepan, add the water, sugar salt and butter.  Bring to a boil over low heat and wait until the butter is completely melted. Pour into a mixing bowl and let stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add flour and baking powder and stir with a spoon until the mixture is smooth and soft.  When the mixture is soft quickly knead by hand until smooth.  Press into flattened disc or square.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  The refrigeration will solidify the butter.  Remove from refrigerator and roll out thin.  Cut with cookie cutter.  Place on baking sheet bake in a preheated 350 F (180 C) oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Makes about 3 dozen small Miffy's.

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sources:  Petits-Beurre cookbook, Ya a la Venta, Trattoria da Martina

Rustic Strawberry Rhubarb Tarts

I remember the day in early spring when grandma's rhubarb was perfect for the picking.  Breaking off a stem of rhubarb and eating it raw could pucker you more than a sour patch kid can these days.  I remember my dad boiling cut rhubarb with sugar and making a pudding.  I didn't like it.  It was stringy and pasty.  But oh how I loved my grandma's strawberry rhubarb jam and strawberry rhubarb crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I love the tastes as smells of my childhood.  I wish I would have appreciated them more when I was young. I didn't realize how wonderful my life was and how wonderful my grandparents were.  Who knew that such simple things would bring back so many great memories of my grandma's home in Lindon, Utah.  I loved the beautiful peonies that would be sprouting from the ground about this time every year.  Her rose garden would be starting to show signs of life after a long, cold winter.  She knew the name of every single rose in her garden.  Columbine and Hollyhocks would be sprouting up soon along with apple blossoms on the trees in her orchard.  If only I could go back to those wonderful days.

Note to self:  Call Aunt Stella and see if she has a rhubarb plant from grandma.

When I saw thin tender rhubarb stalks in the market, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them.

I hope you enjoy these rustic strawberry rhubarb tarts.  They are quite divine!

Look for thin stalks of rhubarb.  Thick ones can be quite stringy.  Pick out the reddest strawberries you can find.  Try to avoid buying strawberries that are white and flavorless.  My strawberries and rhubarb are organically grown.  Remember:  Garbage in.  Garbage out!!  Purchase the best available.

For this simple tart filling you will need:

2 cups (230 g) rhubarb, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups (230 g) strawberries, sliced.
1/4 cup (60 ml)honey or to taste
2 teaspoons instant tapioca
pinch of sea salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

(Scroll down to the bottom for Gluten Free and Paleo options)

Begin by washing and slicing the rhubarb into 1/-2 inch slices.

Wash, and slice strawberries.

Place the rhubarb and strawberries into a medium size bowl.

Add the tapioca.





A pinch of sea salt.

Drizzle in 1/4 cup honey.

I'm using vanilla bean paste, which is so easy.  1 vanilla bean scraped would work as well as a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.

Stir the mixture.  Set aside.

For the tarts you will need:

1 recipe for 1 pie crust divided into fourths (you can use my recipe because it's quite wonderful)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) cream
1 tablespoon sugar (I'm using evaporated cane juice sugar)
1 tablespoon butter

Roll out each fourth of dough into an 8-inch circle.

Add approximately 1/2 cup of the strawberry rhubarb mixture.

Bring the dough up around the filling and create pleats around the filling.  If you're a sewer, much like a knife pleat.

Divide the butter into fourths and place a piece on top of each tart.  The butter can be optional.  My grandma's always dotted their fruit pies with butter.  It gives the filling a bit of richness.

Brush with cream.

Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes.

Bake until golden brown and the filling is bubbling a bit.

I'm thinking a scoop of strawberry or vanilla ice cream.

I'm pretty sure grandma would approve.

Rustic Strawberry Rhubarb Tarts

2 cups (230 g) rhubarb, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups (230 g) strawberries, sliced.
1/4 cup (60 ml) honey or to taste
2 teaspoons instant tapioca
pinch of sea salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 recipe for 1 pie crust divided into fourths (you can use my recipe because it's quite wonderful)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) cream
1 tablespoon sugar (I'm using evaporated cane juice sugar)
1 tablespoon butter, cut into fourths

Wash and chop rhubarb and strawberries.  Place in a medium size bowl and add honey, tapioca, sea salt and vanilla.  Stir.  Set aside.  Roll each portion of pie dough into a 8-inch round.  Place 1/2 cup of the strawberry mixture into the center.  Bring the sides of the dough up around the filling and make pleats going around each tart.  Brush with cream and sprinkle with sugar.  Dot with butter.  Bake in a preheat 400 F oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Makes 4 6-inch tarts.

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Gluten Free or Paleo options:

•  This can be easily made into a crisp using Against All Grain Paleo Granola  Top with whipped coconut cream.  I think this would be an amazing dessert.
• Substitute 1 teaspoon coconut flour for the tapioca
• Substitute coconut oil for butter