Carrie's Grandma's Sour Cream Raisin Bars

I first met Carrie when we worked together at a little café in downtown San Diego. I had recently returned from New York, defeated by the city, but full of hope and a passion for all things baked. She was smoking a cigarette out by the dumpsters, still sweaty from her morning bike ride to work, and I was taking out the recycling. We bonded instantly over our mutual dislike for our naturally curly hair, and the fact that we had both graduated from the CIA’s culinary arts program, but had now crossed over to the world of flour and sugar. She had been hired to make all of the croissants, muffins, and scones. Being a recent convert to pastry-ism, I was instantly smitten.

We became fast friends, and spent a long, not so lazy summer baking stuffed croissants from scratch in my tiny galley kitchen and going on “cake binges”, as she called them, for days at a time. When her sister asked her over the phone “So, what? Is Rachel, like, your new BFF or something?” She replied with, “She’s more like a sister.”

Carrie is the daughter of the founders of The Seed Savers Exchange, a non profit organization that collects and distributes heirloom seeds from all over the world. She grew up on a huge farm in Decorah, Iowa. While most of us were busy dressing our baby dolls, Carrie and her siblings were picking massive zucchinis that had gone to seed, drawing faces on them, and swaddling them like a baby. On long walks through our neighborhood that summer, she could provide the Latin names of just about any plant I pointed out. We walked aimlessly for hours, trying to figure out how we could raise some money for butter and flour, and planning the rest of our lives.

She was preternaturally talented and not worried about the future. I admired her ability to be relaxed about what may come, for it is a trait I do not possess. This isn’t something I’m proud of. It’s something that is just so. I’m working on it though; it’s on my things to do list.

Carrie had the most fascinating stack of recipes written on the backs of receipts and brownish index cards, smeared with a little jam. Most of them had come from newspapers or had been recited to her over the phone from her mother, whom is rumored to make the best pie dough that I’ve never tasted. I’ve gained many things from my friendship with Carrie, the most tangible of which is the recipe for her grandmother’s Sour Cream Raisin Bars. Made from a few simple ingredients that I almost always have on hand, they are the most delicious and decadent bar cookie around. Studded with plump raisins, laden with rich, tangy custard and topped with a salty-sweet oat streusel, these bars are sure to take you back to your childhood…or someone else’s. I’ve made these with various other dried fruit, and you can too, but I find them most satisfying made with a mixture of black and golden raisins.



Sour Cream Raisin Bars
Carrie’s Grandma

I recommend baking these on an 11” x 17” half sheet pan. If you don’t have one (then go get one, you won’t be sorry), you can also bake them in a 13” x 9” baking pan, just cut the recipe in half. They freeze famously and as long as you ignore the FDA, can be stored at room temperature wrapped tightly for a few days. They are best enjoyed at room temperature.

Crust and Topping

3 ½ cups instant oats
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups (1#) butter, melted

Filling

8 egg yolks
1 1/3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp cornstarch
4 cups sour cream
4 cups raisins, preferably a mix of golden and black

For the crust/topping:

Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix with a fork. Add butter, and mix to form a crumbly mess. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of a lined half sheet pan, or baking dish. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Meanwhile, make the custard.

Combine all ingredients in a large, heavy bottomed pan. Using a whisk, and paying close attention to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan, mix and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the starchy mouth-feel of the cornstarch is gone. Pour over pre-baked crust and spread evenly. Top with reserved oat mix. Bake at 350 20 minutes. Cool completely (preferably overnight) before cutting into 24 bars.

Peach and/or Fig Mascarpone Tartlettes

So last week my Grandma called me and told me that she had read my entire blog and that all of the recipes were too long. Because they were so long, she said, no one was going to try any of the recipes. I have to admit that at first I was a little offended. Then I started thinking about it and realized that A) that wasn't neccessarily true, I would try these kinds of recipes and B)if no one tries them then whatever, I guess it's the general public's loss, for these recipes are fantastic, tried and true and come from a place of love.

After reviewing all of the recipes contained in this little blog o' mine I realized that she was only half right. Not all of the recipes are that long. Sure, there are some 3 and 4 part ones in here, but most of the parts are staples that everyone should know anyway!

That said, I've been really wanting to find an excuse to make Claudia Flemming's cream cheese pastry cream. Have I mentioned my love affair with Claudia Flemming's book The Last Course? I first discovered Claudia and all of her glory during a brief and life changing stint at Gramercy Tavern in NYC. At the tender age of 23 I moved to Manhattan with no idea what the eff I was doing. I was lucky enough (read: knew the right people) to land a job as a frontwaiter at the aformentioned instituition which is Gramercy Tavern. Aside from all of the brilliant people I met, what really happened for me here was the beginning of the rest of my life. It was already clear to me that I loved food and restaurants, but my obsession with ingredients and technique began in the basement bakeshop of Gramercy. At this point, Ms. Flemming had already left, but had returned for a short time as a consultant. I never had much interaction with her, mostly because I was a little intimadated and star struck by here mere presence, but was good friends with all of her assistants and was able to sit and observe for hours at a time, if I so pleased. And yes, I so pleased.

Eventually, NYC got the best of me, but I returned to California with a new love and also Claudia's now out of print book. It had been a while since I picked up The Last Course, and it's so funny to me how my perception of this book has changed. When this book first came into my possession I tried so many of the recipes that I eventually got kinda sick of the book and put it on the back burner, so to speak. Just the other day, I picked it back up and haven't put it down since. It's so funny to me how now, as a way more seasoned baker/pastry chef/ cook, I look at this book. Some of the recipes that I had never even entertained trying before are yelling at me from the pages, "pick me, pick me!" All in good time, my pretties.

Take for example her recipe for this cream cheese pastry cream. In the book, it's one component of the Blueberry Cream Cheese Tarts with Graham Cracker Crust. What a gorgeous idea, Claudia! But me, I've got some sweet tart dough in the fridge and also some super ripe end of the season peaches, so I'm gonna do something a little different. Care to join me? This 3 part recipe is a little long, but is surprisingly quick to throw together.

Peach and/or Fig Mascarpone Tartlettes
Makes 8

Tart Dough:

8 oz butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 2/3 cup all purpose flour

Mascarpone Pastry Cream
adapted from Claudia Flemming's The Last Course

1 cup milk
5 Tbsp sugar
4 large egg yolks
2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup (6 oz) Mascarpone or cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

4 peahes, slices thin or 12 figs, cut into sixths

For the dough:
Combine flour and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing to incorporate. Add vanilla. Turn off mixer (to avoid a huge mess) and add flour all at once and continue mixing until just incorporated. Wrap and chill dough for at least 45 minutes.

To make individual 3" tart shells: Roll dough on floured surface to 1/8" thickness. Using a small bowl or large cutter, cut 4 1/2" circles. Shape into individual tart shells. Remove excess dough with an offset spatula. Using a fork, dock the bottom of the shells and chill in freezer for about 10 minutes. Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes, rotating half way through. Cool completley before filling.

For the pastry cream:
Combine 3/4 cup of the milk, the vanilla bean and seeds, and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining sugar. Add the remaining 1/4 milk. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and add a little of the hot milk to the yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly. Pour the yolk mixture into the hot milk. Return to the stove, whisking constantly and bring to a boil. Allow to cook for a minute or so, until the custard has thickened. Add the cheese and the vanilla and whisk until smooth. Strain through a sieve lined with cheesecloth into a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly to the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completley chilled. Whisk until smooth and fold in whipped cream.

To assemble tarts:

Pipe about 3 tablespoons of pastry cream into tart shells. Top with very thinly sliced peaches or quarted figs, shingling to create a fan. Glaze with peach vanilla jam or honey. Refrigerate.