Ten minutes to empty my head, empty my thoughts, pen-to-paper without stopping. No editing, no looking back – only moving forward. Wouldn’t it be great if we could live life this way? If I could live my life this way? Only moving forward, never looking back to edit, cross through, scribble out or rewrite the journey so it flows better, makes more sense, looks perfect?
But what does a 10-minute life look like?
Unblemished? Pure? Spotless? Pristine? Boring? Generic? Would my 10-minute life look the same as those around me? Would we all arrive at our destination simultaneously in our wrinkle-free, no-iron shirts? Would we be wearing high heels? Flats? Flip-flops? Barefoot? Do we feel joy or sorrow? Do we feel anything or are we numb simply because the road is river-pebble smooth, having been polished by constant gentle streams?
Or does a 10-minute life reveal the same knotted tapestry and when turned over, expose the ‘not-so-perfect-looking’ side?
Given how fast life appears to be speeding by, I wonder if life will always feel as if I’ve only been here 10 minutes. And though life has been far from perfect, I’m not sure I’d trade any of it. When I review my ‘not-so-perfect-looking’ side, I see knotted thread, loose thread, twists and turns, stops and starts, and variations of colored thread . . . but when I turn that tapestry over . . . just wow.
GLUTEN-FREE ROASTED RHUBARB TOASTER PASTRIES
Adapted from Home Baked Comfort, Williams-Sonoma
Makes approximately 8-10 Pastries
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE PASTRY
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour mix (315 grams)
- ¼ cup sugar (30 grams)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- zest from 1 lemon (about 2 teaspoons, give or take)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme, picked from stems and chopped
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled (155 grams)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons whole milk
FOR THE FILLING:
- 3/4 cup Roasted Rhubarb Compote
- 1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon warm water
FOR THE GLAZE:
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar (125 grams)
- 2 teaspoons whole milk
- 2 teaspoons corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
METHOD:
TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
- In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest and lemon thyme; pulse 3 or 4 times until blended
- Add the chilled butter and process until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs
- Add egg yolk and milk and process until the dough just comes together
- Dump half the dough onto 2 separate, large pieces of plastic wrap (dough will probably be crumbly). Pull sides up, squeezing dough as you go, shaping dough into a flat disc; wrap tightly and place both discs into refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight
TO ASSEMBLE THE PASTRIES
- Line 2 baking sheets with a silpat or parchment paper; keep one disc refrigerated while working with the second disc
- Lightly sprinkle one large piece of parchment with your gluten-free all-purpose flour; place disc onto floured surface and cover with a second sheet of parchment
- Roll discs into a rectangle measuring about 16 x 9 inches
- Remove top piece of parchment and using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut into rectangles into 8 to 10, 3×4-inch pieces; place rectangles in the refrigerator while rolling the second disc of dough
- Lay half of the rectangles on the work surface and lightly brush with the beaten egg mixture
- Place a tablespoon of the filling into the center of each; spread it out on the dough, leaving a border of about ½-inch; top with plain dough rectangle and press the edges together with your fingertips, being careful not to let the filling ooze out the sides
- Crimp the edges with a fork
- Place 4 or 5 tarts on each backing sheet, spacing them evenly and brush lightly with egg wash; refrigerate for 15 minutes
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees; bake pastries until golden – about 18-20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through; let cool on wire rack
TO MAKE THE GLAZE:
- Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, corn syrup and maraschino cherry liqueur; smear or drizzle over the pastries and serve.
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First of all… great video! It’s being Pinned to my Food Video board as soon as I’m done here. And this recipe… wow! These look fabulous!
Smoothing things out wears me out too. It just does.
Yummy as always Rod and Deb.
Am doing my darndest to just keep moving forward Amy; sometimes I do ok, sometimes I need to be reminded . . . sigh . . .
I love the video OMG .. do you have the rhubarb in your garden?? I am super duper jealous … I need to move where you live .. hee hee hee .. love this recipe and will definitely try it.
thank you and yes!! we have rhubarb in our garden – i actually had to buy more last year AND this year because i just can’t seem to get enough! these pastries are terrific!!