Orange Blossom Honey Syrup
1/4 cup orange blossom honey
1/2 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 whole vanilla bean, split lengthwise
In a medium saucepan, combine honey, water, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla bean over med-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool uncovered.
Blueberry-Almond Baklava
1 cup Plugrá® Unsalted Butter, softened, plus extra for buttering pan
3/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups dried blueberries
2 ½ cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1 (16oz.) package phyllo dough, thawed
Preheat oven to 350°
Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with Plugrá butter.
In a medium bowl, combine warm water, almond extract, lemon zest, and dried blueberries. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain well.
In a food processor, pulse the almonds 3-4 times until coarsely ground.
In a large bowl, combine blueberries, almonds, sugar, and spices. Set aside.
Unroll the phyllo dough and cover with a damp kitchen towel, this will keep the dough soft and pliable.
Place one sheet of dough in bottom of a baking pan. Lightly brush with softened Plugrá butter. Continue to layer and brush the dough repeating 8 times.
Sprinkle half of the fruit-nut mixture over dough evenly. Repeat 8 sheet processes again and top with remaining fruit-nut mixture. Top with remaining 8 sheets of dough and brush with softened Plugrá butter.
With a very sharp knife, cut only halfway through the pastry in 4 equal sections, turn the pan and cut 4 more equal sections in the opposite direction making 16 squares. Cut an X in each square.
Bake for 45 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and cool in the pan on a cooling rack.
Remove vanilla bean from syrup, and drizzle over warm pastry
Prep-Time: Under 30 minutes
1/4 cup Plugrá® Butter
2/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup sour cream
1-1/4 pound salmon fillet
Garnish with asparagus spears and sprigs of tarragon
In small skillet, melt Plugrá Butter. Add chives and tarragon and sauté.
Add wine and simmer 1 minute.
In blender or food processor, blend chive mixture with sour cream. Set sauce aside.
Grill salmon fillet over low flame until flakes easily, cut into four equal strips and topped with tender-crisp asparagus spears (about 4 per serving).
Garnish with additional sprigs of tarragon.
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Prep-Time: Over 30 minutes
Yield: 8 (3 ounce) serving(s)
Basket 1/4 cup Plugrá® Unsalted Butter softened, plus extra for buttering pan
1 cup walnuts halves, toasted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling out the dough
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
16 oz. loaf of frozen white bread dough, thawed according to package directions
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
In a food processor, pulse walnuts to the texture of coarse cornmeal.
In a medium bowl, combine softened ¼ cup Plugrá butter, sugar, salt, flour, pomegranate molasses and chopped walnuts.
Cut bread dough in half. On a floured surface, roll one dough half into a 12-inch square.
Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of an 8- inch pie pan. Then grease the pan as well as the parchment.
Place rolled dough in greased pie pan allowing the dough to drape over sides.
Cut the remaining dough half into 16 equal pieces. In a medium bowl, combine dough pieces with the Plugrá butter mixture, gently tossing until dough is evenly coated.
Place dough pieces in pie pan and sprinkle blueberries over the top. Draw up corners of rolled dough, enclosing blueberry filling inside, resembling a picnic basket with a cloth tied over the top.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight
Day 2
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, combine melted 2 tablespoons Plugrá butter and pomegranate molasses, brush exterior of bread basket and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. If necessary, tent with foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent over browning
Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before cutting into 8 wedges. Serve warm