High Desert Table

Your everyday guide to Southwestern cooking

dessert recipes

Mesa Shortbread Cookies

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This week I’ve had cookies on my mind. This is not a normal thing for me. I’m more inclined to think about bread and butter or cheese and fruit. But in preparing for an upcoming cookie exchange, I’ve been thinking a lot about cookies. I wanted to make a cookie that would be sweet (of course), but have a hint of salt and herbs. I decided on a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread. I gave some to a couple of friends this week and funny enough both of them called the cookies “dangerous”. I took this as a compliment.

For this recipe, the size of the pan is important. This recipe is for a quarter sheet tray (9×13” inches). This is also the size of many ceramic baking dishes so this is up to you. Lining the sheet tray or baking dish with parchment paper (enough to come up the sides) is extremely helpful when it comes to cutting the cookies, which happens after baking.

For my first batch, I cut them into small 1-inch by 1-inch squares for a little bite of delight, even though they are typically cut into 3-inch by 1-inch rectangles. The truth is, you can cut these into whatever size you want. This is a delicate cookie that is easy to make and requires a gentle touch, especially when cutting.

When they come out of the oven, I sprinkle them with a dusting of sugar in the raw, High Desert Salt and High Desert Herbs. Alternatively, you could sprinkle them with flakey sea salt, sugar in the raw, and minced dried rosemary or another dried herb of your choice. 

These are a beautiful cookie to share, fitting snugly in a tin or box. One batch made 40 small cookies, but each cookie is so decadently rich, a little goes a long way.

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Mesa Shortbread Cookies - stacked on plate

Mesa Shortbread Cookies

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These buttery herb shortbread cookies are delicately sweet with a hint of salt and herbs. Baked in a sheet pan and finished with flaky sea salt and sugar, they’re melt-in-your-mouth rich, easy to make, and perfect for gifting or cookie exchanges.

  • Total Time: 1.5 hours
  • Yield: 20-40 cookies, depending on size

Ingredients

  • 3 sticks, unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 t. kosher salt
  • 1 c. (120 g.) powdered sugar
  • 2 t. vanilla paste or extract
  • 2 c. (240 g.) all-purpose flour
  • flakey salt, dried herbs, sugar in the raw for sprinkling

Instructions

Line a 9”x13” sheet tray or baking pan with parchment paper, letting the paper come up two sides of the pan for ease of transferring to a cutting board after baking.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or by hand), mix together the butter, salt, powdered sugar and vanilla until combined. Add the flour and continue to mix until the dough comes together into a cohesive dough.

Turn dough out onto the prepared pan and spread as evenly as possible with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

 

Mesa Shortbread Cookies - sheet tray prep

The next day, preheat the oven to 300 F. Take the sheet tray out of the fridge and using a fork, score the entire surface of the dough about 1-inch apart, pressing the fork not quite to the bottom of the pan. Bake for around 1 hour, or until the shortbread is a light golden brown.

When the shortbread comes out of the oven, immediately sprinkle the top with a flakey sea salt, sugar in the raw, and herbs. Let cool for 15 minutes. Cut the shortbread into your desired shape and size (square or rectangle) and let it completely cool in the pan. Once the shortbread has cooled completely, you can lift the parchment paper out of the pan and transfer the cookies to a large cutting board for easy handling.

Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.

Homemade Danish Apple Kringle

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This week’s recipe is a special one because I get to introduce you to the Pastry Bandit, aka my husband Hans, who comes from a Swedish family in Minnesota and has been enjoying kringles since he was a child. Being that flour makes him sneeze, he wears a bandana whenever baking and inevitably we all gather to see what creations this masked character is mixing, rolling, and shaping. The kringle he grew up eating the most is the one his mom still makes to this day, filled with an almond filling. Here, because we had exactly six granny smith apples in the fridge, we decided to try a fruit filling this year instead. It was a great decision!

What is a Kringle?

Kringles are known for their flakey, buttery pastry and almond or fruit fillings, often glazed and sprinkled with nuts or sugar. This classic Danish dough is incredibly easy to make (only four ingredients) and is a dream to work with, especially after resting in the fridge overnight. In this recipe, we skip the glaze but if you want to add a boost of sweetness, simply whisk together one cup of powdered sugar with two tablespoons of milk and you are ready to drizzle away until your heart’s content.

If you want to get creative with the fruit filling, go for it! You could add blueberries, dried fruits like cherries or currants, or chopped nuts. We love to make the dough and the filling the day before we plan on rolling it out and baking. This is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or a mid-day snack break and is wonderful with tea and coffee.

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Danish Apple Kringle - out of the oven on a cutting board

Homemade Danish Apple Kringle

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Learn how to make a delicious and easy homemade Danish Apple Kringle with this simple recipe. This classic Danish pastry is flaky, buttery, and perfect for any occasion.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

for the dough:

  • 2 c. all-purpose flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 c. cold butter, diced
  • 1 c. sour cream

for the filling:

  • 6 medium-sized firm apples, peeled, cored, and diced into ½” pieces
  • ½ c. packed brown sugar
  • 1 T. cornstarch
  • 2 t. pumpkin spice or cinnamon
  • 2 t. vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt

for building:

  • 1 egg, for egg wash
  • 2 T. decorating sugar or sugar in the raw

Instructions

The day before, make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the flour, salt, butter, and sour cream. Mix this on medium speed until the dough comes together and comes away from the side of the bowl. It will feel just slightly sticky but easily form into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least overnight.

Making the Apple Filling

To make the filling, add the apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, pumpkin spice, vanilla, and salt to a large saute pan. Let this mixture simmer over medium heat until the apples release their juice and the mixture slightly thickens, resembling apple pie filling, around 30 minutes. Let this cool completely.

Assembling the Kringle

To build and bake the kringle, preheat the oven to 375 F. and line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.  On a lightly floured, clean, and dry surface, roll out the dough to a rectangle, roughly 24” wide and 14” high. Carefully transfer this rectangle of dough to your baking sheet.

Danish Apple Kringle - rolling and prepping the dough

Make sure to leave a 12-inch wide rectangle of rolled-out dough in the middle, and cut 1-inch wide strips along both sides of the rectangle. Spread the apple filling in the center rectangle of the pastry.

Danish Apple Kringle - cutting the strips

Danish Apple Kringle - folding the strips

Then, alternating sides, fold each strip of cut dough over the apple filling until all of the apple is covered and all the strips are folded over.

Danish Apple Kringle - before baking

Baking the kringle

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and brush it over the pastry. Sprinkle the top with decorating sugar and bake for around 35-40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

Danish Apple Kringle - egg wash and decorative sugar

Transfer to a cutting board and let cool for ten minutes before slicing and serving.

Danish Apple Kringle - sliced and plated

 

  • Author: Marianne Sundquist
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 40 mins
  • Category: dessert, breakfast
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: danish

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

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Aside from the brisk fall mornings and glorious golden trees all over town, I know it’s officially pumpkin season when I start putting a pinch of pumpkin spice in my coffee. The kids have made jack-o’-lanterns and are counting the days down until Halloween. There is no better time to make these Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes frosted with a light and airy whipped cream, and cream cheese frosting. They make great gifts for neighbors and friends and turn any day into a celebration of fall.

In the photo here I garnished them with some gold sugar I had in my baking bin and thin slices of candied ginger. But honestly, the kids prefer them sans toppings and they are so delightful on their own, a garnish is for a visual pop more than anything. You could garnish with candied nuts, candied orange, and sugar in the raw or freshly grated nutmeg.

Alternative Bakes

This is also my go-to base for a pumpkin bundt cake or a layered pumpkin cake. With a bundt cake, I skip the frosting and make a maple glaze.

Whipping Up the Perfect Frosting

When making the frosting, keep in mind that this is essentially whipped cream blended with cream cheese, so it will have the temperament of a whipped cream, only slightly more stable. This means, keeping a close eye when whipping the cold cream into the cream cheese is important so that it doesn’t break from too much whipping, along with not wanting weeping frosting that is not whipped enough.

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Pumpkin Cupcake frosted and plated

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

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There is no better time to make these Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes frosted with a light and airy whipped cream, and cream cheese frosting. They make great gifts for neighbors and friends and turn any day into a celebration of fall.

  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

for the cupcakes:

  • 3 c. (360 g.) all-purpose flour
  • 1 t. baking soda
  • 1 ½ t. baking powder
  • 1 T. pumpkin spice
  • ½ t. kosher salt
  • 1 ½ c. brown sugar
  • ½ c. olive oil
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • ¾ c. sour cream
  • 1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin puree

 

for the frosting:

  • 1 c. (8-ounce brick) full-fat cream cheese, cold
  • 1 c. powdered sugar
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • 1 c. heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, cold

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin spice, and salt.

In a separate bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, add the brown sugar, olive oil, and eggs. Whisk over medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, around five minutes.

Turn off the mixer and add the sour cream and pumpkin puree. Whisk again for a couple of minutes. Turn off the mixer again and add the flour mixture. Turn on the mixture for just another minute or so, until everything comes together and the batter is smooth. Spoon batter into cupcake liners and bake 10-12 minutes for mini cupcakes and 15-20 minutes for standard-sized cupcakes. You’ll know the cupcakes are done when you insert a paring knife into the center and it comes out clean.

The secret to a better whip

Wash, dry and chill your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 30 minutes to help this whipped cream frosting whip up better.

Frosting Your Cupcakes

To make the frosting, place the cream cheese into the cold mixing bowl and whisk on medium speed until smooth. Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix on low speed until the sugar is fully incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and slowly pour in the cold heavy cream. If you need to, stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Whip the frosting until it thickens and whips up like thick whipped cream. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag or a bowl.

Let the cupcakes cool completely at room temperature before frosting.

HDT Pumpkin Cupcake plated top down view

  • Author: Marianne Sundquist
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Category: Dessert, Fall, Thanksgiving
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American