Terra Americana

I am in China.  It is another world and I am loving the experience.  I have been h ere a little more than 1 week  and am just starting to feel grounded.  One thing that is helping and I am cooking up a storm in my little galley kitchen.  The Navarin Printainier, that should have been mastered last week and then this shortbread.

The savory stew was far less a challenge than the jam filled cookies.  It would have been a little easier had I not needed to go gluten free.  I have yet to investing a mortar and pestle to make the almond flour that is a must for me.  I  may have found arrowroot or tapioca - but the names on some of the packages are all foreign to me.  So I settled for something I have been eyeing at the Korean market at home - sweet potato flour.  The sugar I picked up is coarsely granulated and butter had to be imported from Australia.  I failed to bring a jar of the raspberry jam I would have preferred to use.  So I made use of an orange and the dates I picked up (thinking they were calamata olives - that picture was very misleading).  To top it off, I do not have an oven.  So in a pan on the stove top it is - I figure my firstly grandmother Rocci Cecchini made wonderful cakes on the grill so I should be able to make something happen with this...  I also don't think these little challenges would have held Julia back!

Using your hands, forks or a pastry cutter, combine;

• 1 cup Brown Rice Flour
• 1 cup Sweet Potato Flour / starch
• 1/2 cup coarse granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp water
  
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

Divide the dough in two and wrap in plastic.  Freeze for atleast 2 hours. 

Grate or crumble the dough. Layer your favorite jam on top. Grate or crumble the 2nd piece of dough and layer it on top, pat gently.

Bake for 60 min in a preheated oven on 350 f until light golden color.  If like me, cook on medium to low heat in an uncovered skillet.  Use a spatula to make sure the bottom does not burn.

Cool to room temperature before cutting an serving.  Cut into squares or triangles when cool.

More from Baking with Julia:

• Chocolate Truffle Tartlets -
• Rugelach
• Irish Soda Bread
• Pizza Rustica
• Lemon Loaf Cake

Listen to - Talk of the Nation - Dorie Greenspan - 011712