Treat Yourself to Elora Khanom’s Desserts

Linzer Cookie 

Ingredients  

1 ½ cups unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 ¾ cups icing sugar (sifted, plus extra for dusting)

5 large egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 cup ground almonds

3 ½ cups cake and pastry flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup raspberry jam

Instructions 

Beat the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla, then beat in the ground almonds.  

In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder and salt and add this to the butter mixture, stirring until blended. Shape the dough into two discs (the dough will be soft), wrap, and chill until firm, at least for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 °F and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.  Knead the cookie dough a little to soften it (this will help prevent the dough from cracking when rolled). 

Roll out the first disc on a lightly floured surface. Cut out cookies using a two-inch cutter, placing them on one baking tray (the dough can be re-rolled). Roll out the second disc, cut out cookies using the same cutter, and then cut a hole in the centre of each using a cutter half-inch smaller. Place the cookies on the second tray.

Repeat with any remaining dough, keeping track so you have the same number of tops and bottoms. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, letting the cookies without holes remain in the oven for an extra two minutes. Cool the cookies on the tray before filling. 

Sift icing sugar over the cookies with the holes. Stir the jam to soften it and spread a teaspoonful over the bottom of the base cookie. Gently press a dusted cookie on top and continue to fill the others. 

Let them sit for about an hour before storing them in an airtight container or to share with family and friends.

Macaron Shells   

Ingredients  

2 ½ cups almond flour

3 cups icing sugar

6 large egg whites

6 tbsp sugar

4 tsp egg white powder

¼ tsp cream of tartar

Salt and food colour (as desired)

For cream cheese filling

2 cups cream cheese

1 cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

For jam

2 cups strawberries (chopped)

¾ cup sugar

Instructions

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Stir almond flour and powdered sugar, then sift through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside.

Beat egg whites and egg white powder with an electric mixer on low-medium speed until frothy. Gradually add sugar, beating on medium speed after each addition. Once combined, increase speed to medium-high until stiff peaks form.

Fold half of the almond flour mixture into the meringue, then fold in the rest. Smear the batter against the bowl to deflate air and fold a few times. Check the consistency by letting it ribbon off the spatula; if it falls smoothly, it is ready.

Transfer the batter to a piping bag and pipe small circles. Flick the piping tip to stop. Tap the baking sheets to bring air bubbles to the surface and pop them with a toothpick. Let the macarons rest for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 290 °F and bake the macarons one tray at a time for about 15 minutes or until the tops are just barely wobbly when pushed and the bottoms peel off the parchment cleanly. Let it cool on the baking sheet.

For the jam, heat strawberries and sugar until boiling, then mash and boil for 10 minutes until thick. Push through a sieve into a container, cool, and transfer to a piping bag, discarding any pulp.

Cream Cheese Filling

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Add vanilla extract and beat at medium-high speed until creamy. Transfer to a piping bag with a small round or star tip.

Assembling the Macarons

Pair up similarly sized macarons. Pipe a ring of cream cheese frosting around the edge of each, then add a dollop of strawberry jam in the centre. Gently press another macaron on top.

Your macarons are ready!

Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tbsp granulated sugar

⅓ cup unsalted butter melted (plus extra for greasing)

Cheesecake

250 g cream cheese (room temperature)

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

2 tbsp flour

1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste

4 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1 cup sour cream

3 tsp lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

For the crust, stir the graham crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until evenly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 10-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool. Brush the sides of the pan with melted butter. 

For the cheesecake, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and mix in flour and vanilla. On low speed, add eggs one at a time, then yolks. Finally, mix in sour cream and lemon juice. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust.

Bake at 350 °F for 10 minutes. Reduce to 225 °F and bake for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour, cracking the door after 30 minutes.

Cool completely, loosen edges with a spatula, and chill for six hours before serving.