Pebbly beach fruit squares - and a lovely friend

I’ve “met” great people since starting this blog back in 2006, and there are a few that became part of my days, despite the fact that in some cases we’re half a planet apart. :)

I know that she lives miles and miles away from here, but I would certainly love having the lovely Susan as my neighbor: I absolutely adore her (even though we haven’t met personally), I crave the yummy food she makes and sometimes I wish I could “borrow” her adorable little helpers. ;)
I’ve always wanted to bake with her and we’ve decided not to let distance get in our way: a recipe from Alice Medrich’s new book is the start of our little baking project.

I am a huge fan of Medrich’s recipes – they work and taste great – but these cookies disappointed me: the pastry is too soft and almost impossible to work with (even after several trips to the fridge); the cookies were delicious, but I would definitely go for this recipe next time I make these.

Click here to see Susan’s beautiful take on this recipe – her filling choice is fabulous!

Pebbly beach fruit squares
from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich

1 ¾ cups (245g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons/113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 cup (110g) dried cranberries
¼ cup (50g) demerara sugar

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and mix together thoroughly. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until smooth but not fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and lemon zest and mix until smooth. Add the flour mixture and mix until completely incorporated. Divide the dough in half and form each into a rectangle. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for 15 minutes to soften slightly. On a sheet of parchment paper, roll one piece of dough into a rectangle (21x42cm/8½x16½in). With the short side facing you, scatter half of the cranberries on the bottom half of the rectangle. Fold the top half over the fruit, using the paper as a handle. Peel the paper from the top of the dough, scatter with the demerara sugar, pressing to make sure the sugar adheres. Freeze for 10 minutes, then trim the edges and cut into 16 squares. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Place the cookies onto the prepared sheets and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden. Slide the paper out of the pan and let cool completely.

Makes 32 – I halved the recipe above and got only 10 squares