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21st Century Evangelical Environment -- Original Sin in an Era of Inherent Originality

In the current day, the views of Original Sin have been carried over from the second half of the 20th century with some modifications to be more specific to religious spaces as women have been fully accepted into the public sphere. Women are still seen as responsible for the Fall and subjugate to men as a result, but cultural integration of women into positions of leadership in politics and business have led theological authorities such as the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) to backtrack on blanket application of Genesis to push women back into the home. In 2017, the CBMW released the Nashville Statement, stating that men and women are created equal and thus women can be accepted in the corporate sector, but as a result of their shouldering the blame for the Fall, women should ideally remain caretakers. Under this view, women should not hold positions of religious authority, especially over men. This becomes muddied when applied to women’s ministry in which women only hold religious authority over other women, usually with the support of their husbands in their endeavors. While the physical submission of women to men is less important in modern Original Sin discourse, the stress is now put on the prohibition of female theological authority over men.

In recent history, legislation entitling women to a place in the lecture hall, the rise of militant masculinity, and the Trump administration has heavily impacted the development of 21st century Original Sin discourse and women’s roles as an extension thereof. The passing of Title IX legislation entitled women to a place in higher education, which led to even further integration of women into the workplace. As a result, women began entering politics in higher numbers than they have historically, and no one is more emblematic of modern Evangelical Christian politicians than Sarah Palin. As Palin rose in the ranks, Evangelicals had to confront their views of women in power, which led to the allowance of women in secular spaces but doubling down on the prohibition of women in religious leadership. This also led to the rise of militant masculinity in the Christian Right, which culminated in the election of Donald Trump in 2016. This election emboldened conservative religious leaders to release the Nashville Statement a year later, solidifying modern views of the Edenic Fall.  

Recipes:

Fig and Pistachio Frangipane Tartlets

Ingredients:

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry:

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter, fridge-cold, cut into cubes, plus 1 tbsp, melted for brushing

finely grated zest of 1 lemon (1 tsp)

1 large egg yolk

4 tsp water

Pistachio Frangipane Cream:

2/3 cup shelled pistachio kernels, plus more, blitzed in a food processor, for sprinkling (optional)

1/3 cup almond meal

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar

finely grated zest of 1 lemon (1 tsp)

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tbsp brandy (optional)

3 large, ripe figs, quartered or 6 smaller figs, halved

To make the sweet shortcrust pastry: Sift together the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt, and place in a food processor. Add the butter and lemon zest and pulse a few times, until the mixture has the consistency of fresh bread crumbs. Lightly whisk together the egg yolk and water and add this to the mixture; the dough will feel quite wet, but this is as it should be. Process once more, just until the dough comes together, then tip onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Lightly knead the dough into a ball, cover loosely in plastic wrap and press gently to form a flattish disk. The pastry is very soft, so you need to keep it in the fridge for 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

Lightly brush the molds of a regular muffin pan with the melted butter and dust with flour, tapping away the excess.

When ready to roll out, allow the pastry to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (if it has been in the fridge for more than a few hours) and place on a lightly floured work surface. Tap all over with a rolling pin to soften slightly before rolling it out ⅛ inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles and gently ease them into the muffin molds, pressing down to fill the molds. Reroll the scraps, if necessary, until you get twelve circles. Refrigerate for 1 hour before blind-baking the shells. The remaining third of the dough can be frozen for future use.

Preheat the oven to 300F.

Line the pastry in the muffin molds with parchment paper or paper muffin liners and fill with rice or dried beans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry shells are a light golden brown around the edges. Remove the rice and paper and set the shells aside to cool in the pan.

To make the pistachio frangipane cream: Place the pistachios in the small bowl of a food processor and grind until fine but not oily. Transfer to a small bowl, mix in the almond meal, flour, and salt, and set aside.

Place the butter, sugar, and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment in place. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until light but not too fluffy. Turn the speed to low and gradually add the beaten eggs. Don't worry if the mixture curdles a bit at this stage; it will be brought back together later. Add flour mixture, beat on low speed until combined and, finally, add the brandy (if using).

When ready to bake, use a piping bag or two tablespoons to fill the baked tart shells (still in the muffin pan) with the frangipane; it should rise about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the shells. Place a quarter (or half) of a fig in the middle of each tart, cut side facing up, pressing down very lightly so that it's slightly embedded in the mixture. Bake the tarts for about 25 minutes, until the frangipane starts to brown at the edges but the middle remains slightly soft.

Set aside to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before easing the tarts out of the molds and placing on a wire rack. The tarts can either be served warm or left to come to room temperature and sprinkled with blitzed pistachios, if desired. 

Never on Sunday

Ingredients:

2 oz metaxa

1 oz ouzo

3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

dash of angostura bitters

3 oz chilled champagne

3 oz ginger beer

lemon wedge

Assembly: Pour the Metaxa, ouzo, lemon juice, and bitters into an ice-filled highball glass. Slowly add the champagne and ginger beer, stirring gently. Garnish with the lemon wedge.

Citations:

Hellmich, M., & Mount, A. (2006). Ultimate Bar Book: The comprehensive guide to over 1,000 cocktails. Chronicle Books.

Ottolenghi, Y., Goh, H., & Wigley, T. (2017). Sweet: Desserts from London's Ottolenghi. Ten Speed Press.

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Attempted Return to Post-WWII Prosperity and Biblical Submission -- Original Sin in an Era of Deviation and Submission

The latter half of the 20th century signaled both a continuation in the way that American Evangelicals thought about Original Sin – in that women are responsible for the introduction of sin, and thus their roles reflect that responsibility – and a shift toward the use of Original Sin to justify the social subjugation of women. This primarily took the form of “first to fall” rhetoric, which makes heavy use of Genesis 2 and 4.

Genesis 2 was used to assign women the God-ordained role of servant in creation. This chapter details a second narrative of the creation of humanity in which women are created after men from the rib of Adam; this story of humanities genesis is the most well-known amongst Americans likely because of its use in the justification of biblical submission. Genesis 2 is most prevalently featured in this time period because women were stepping out of the house and into the public sphere more openly, moving mostly into the business sector, and thus men during this period attempted to push women back into the home by appealing to Evangelicalism’s tendency toward using the Bible as an instruction manual for earthly life.

 Genesis 4 – which contains the Fall itself – was used mostly to reinforce the previously detailed “cosmic submission” of women in American life. While women were allegedly last to be created, they were the “first to fall” and thus were viewed as not only responsible for the introduction of sin to the human consciousness but also used as an infantilization tactic where women cannot be trusted to hold higher leadership positions. In this characterization of the Edenic Fall, women should stay in the home and serve their more intelligent husband in order to stay safe from their own sinful tendencies and fulfilled in their theological responsibilities.

 Historically, the movement to reshape women’s role in Original Sin to push women back into the domestic sphere was motivated primarily by second wave feminism, Cold War nationalism, and the looming economic anxiety of the 1970s. These cultural and economic struggles sparked a desire to return to the post-WWII prosperity of the White suburban 1950s and 1960s.

Recipes:

Double-Apple Crumble Cake

Ingredients

3 tbsp unsalted butter

4 medium pink lady apples, peeled, halved, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

butter for the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup apple butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

1/4 cup neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

all-purpose crumble topping

Precook the apples: In a medium Skillet, heat the 3 tbsp butter over medium heat. When the butter starts to foam, add the apples and cook, tossing often, just until the slices have begun to soften and turn slightly translucent, 10 to 15 minutes (it's okay if some of them start to brown, which could happen if you're using dryer, cold-storage apples). Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven and prepare the pan: Meanwhile, arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of the springform pan with room temperature butter, then line the bottom with a round of parchment paper, smoothing to eliminate air bubbles. Set the pan aside.

Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine. Set aside.

Mix the wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the apple butter, sugar, creme fraiche, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry: Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the apple butter mixture. Whisking from the center of the bowl outward, incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet just until you have an evenly mixed batter.

Fold in the apples: Using a large flexible spatula, fold the cooled apples into the batter, leaving any liquid behind in the skillet and mixing thoroughly to distribute the apples evenly.

Fill the pan and top with the crumble: Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the batter, breaking up any pieces larger than a marble.

Bake and cool: Bake until the crumble is browned and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake slides easily through the apple slices and comes out clean, 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Serve: Cut around the cake with a paring knife, then remove the ring. Use a serrated knife to cut the cake into slices.

Brandy Sour

Ingredients:

2 oz brandy

3/4 oz fresh orange juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

maraschino cherry

orange slice

Shake the liquid ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled sour glass. Garnish with the cherry and orange slice.

Citations:

Hellmich, M., & Mount, A. (2006). Ultimate Bar Book: The comprehensive guide to over 1,000 cocktails. Chronicle

Saffitz, C. (2020). Dessert person: Recipes and guidance for baking with confidence. Crown.

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Temperance and The Cult of True Womanhood/New Womanhood -- Original Sin in an Era of Vices and Virtues

Evangelical thought makes a turn toward more modern conceptions of Original Sin – i.e., the idea that women are responsible for the introduction of sin into the world – in the late 19th and early 20th century. In pushing the idea of the separate spheres of women and men, the Cult of True Womanhood, temperance movement, and first wave feminism began to assign levels of responsibility to Adam and Eve in the Fall. Men and women were in agreement that Eve was responsible for the introduction of sin into the world, but men and women deviated in the implications of these actions for the roles of contemporary women.

The idea of True Womanhood assigned four qualities to ideal women during this period: piety, purity, domesticity, and submission. We will be focusing on the former two. Men argued that women are more pure and thus, while they are responsible for the Fall, they are not fit to participate in sinful industries like politics, where inherently sinful men were better fit to prevail. Women, on the other hand, often argued that men are more likely to sin and sin again, and thus must be saved by the more pious and pure women, even if they were the ones that introduced men to sin in the first place through the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Elizabeth Cady Stanton also presents a fringe view of Original Sin, where women are inherently more intelligent than men and thus were targeted in the garden as a more challenging victim to trick.

Recipes:

Apricot and Amaretto Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Base: 1. 6 ½ oz graham crackers (about 12 sheets), roughly broken 2. ⅔ cup sliced almonds, toasted 3. 7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 4. 12 oz fresh apricots, halved and pitted

Filling: 1. 1lb 14 oz cream cheese, at room temperature 2. ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar 3. Scraped seeds of ½ vanilla pod 4. Finely grated zest of 1 large orange (1 tbsp) 5. 5 large eggs 6. ⅓ cup sour cream 7. ⅓ cup Amaretto

Topping: 1. 14 oz fresh apricots, halved and pitted 2. 1 tbsp granulated sugar 3. 1 tbsp water 4. 1 tbsp Amaretto 5. 3 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

To make the base: preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly grease the base and sides of a 9-inch round springform pan and line with parchment paper.

Place the graham crackers in a food processor and process to form fine crumbs; the consistency should be that of dried breadcrumbs. Tip into a medium bowl and add the almonds and melted butter. Use your hands or a large spoon to combine: the mixture should be the consistency of wet sand. Spoon the crumbs into the pan, using your hands to press them into the base. Even out the crust with the back of a spoon or the bottom of a glass and set aside in the fridge. Set the apricots for the base out on a baking sheet, cut side up, and roast in the oven for 25 minutes (or a little longer, if they were very firm to begin with), until they are soft but still holding their shape. Set aside to cool.

Lower the oven temperature to 325F.

To make the filling: place the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla seeds and orange zest in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment in place. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the eggs, followed by the sour cream, and beat until combined; you might need to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Finally, add the amaretto and mix until combined.

Remove the base from the fridge and arrange the roasted apricots evenly over the bottom, cut side down. The apricots should fit quite snugly without overlapping or leaving any gaps. Gently pour the filling over the apricots and then place on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, or until the sides of the cheesecake are set but the middle has a wobble when shaken very gently. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for another hour, with the door propped open with a wooden spoon, before placing in the fridge for at least 3 hours or up to overnight to chill and set completely.

To make the topping: On the day of serving, preheat the oven to 400F. Spread the apricots out on a baking sheet, cut side up, and roast for 25 minutes (or a little longer, if they were very firm to begin with), until they are soft but still holding their shape. Sprinkle the apricots with the sugar, water and amaretto. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, until the apricots are moist and syrupy. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

When ready to serve, release the springform pan, remove the parchment paper and transfer to a cake platter. Spoon the roasted syrupy apricots into the center of the cake and sprinkle over the toasted almonds before slicing.

Apricot Mocktail

Ingredients:

2 oz apricot nectar

3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

3/4 oz fresh orange juice

lemon twist

Shake the liquid ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist the lemon peel over the drink, and drop it in.

Citations:

Hellmich, M., & Mount, A. (2006). Ultimate Bar Book: The comprehensive guide to over 1,000 cocktails. Chronicle Books.

Ottolenghi, Y., Goh, H., & Wigley, T. (2017). Sweet: Desserts from London's Ottolenghi. Ten Speed Press.

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Antebellum Period and Early Missionary Era - Original Sin in an Era Where "Living in Sin" Was More Disastrous than Being Born in It

The Antebellum era of Evangelicalism in the United States was characterized by two main things: debate over the “original sin” of slavery and escape from this debate by way of foreign missions. Once again, the Edenic Fall as a concept focuses heavily on issues that are – while not devoid of influence on women – not framed as a question of the effect on women during this period. In this case, the most common topic to come up in the imagination of American evangelicals when contemplating original sin was the role of slavery in the fledgling country. 

Original Sin discourse in Antebellum America was heavily characterized by abolitionist rhetoric. This has carried into the current day, where movements like the 1619 Project carry on a long-standing tradition of calling slavery America’s Original Sin. The secular use of the Edenic fall from grace was thoroughly steeped in the Calvinist understanding of the concept previously explored in this blog’s post on colonial America’s rhetoric over the Edenic fall, namely that the actions of Adam in the garden implicate all of humanity. Following this reasoning, contemporaries argued that the perpetuation of slavery implicated every American that lived in the country, even if they did not set up the system, and thus it must be abolished and Americans redeemed in a similar fashion to Christian ideas of the crucifixion. 

During this time, Black religious leaders, both free and enslaved, especially those who were women, did not participate in this conversation as much as their White peers, whether that be because they saw the sin of slavery as a given or because they were busier justifying their authority in the religious sphere in the first place – as is the case of Jarena Lee. Lee was more concerned with her personal sanctification and justification for preaching than the abolition movement specifically. Ironically, she speaks often in her memoir about her inherent sinfulness and her anxieties surrounding her own salvation, but this is not characterized in a way that is specific to her position as a woman, but as a human (Lee). 

More broadly, American exceptionalism heavily influenced ideas of the implications of Original Sin. This takes the form of Manifest Destiny on the home-front, but takes the form of missions abroad. While women do take a more active role in this space during this time, it is not because Evangelicalism links women to explicit responsibility for the theological fall of humanity yet. Instead, the focus is on remedying the sinfulness of “savages” in mostly southeast Asian countries, which required American proselytization.

Furthermore, women were very active in missionary spaces, which led to several women attempting to go on missions by themselves; however, women were seen as unfit to go on their own missions, and must be accompanied by a male companion. Unfortunately, women also could not travel with these male partners unmarried, so many missionary boards purposely paired young male missionaries with women eager to enter into missionary spaces, married them, and shipped them off to spread the good word (Fanning 17). During this time, the threats of foreign sinners and "living in sin" took precedence in the debate abroad surrounding Original Sin over women’s responsibilities and roles as a result of the Fall.

Recipes:

Blood Orange and Olive Oil Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:

10-inch springform pan, stand or hand mixer

Extra-virgin olive oil for the pan

4 medium blood oranges

1 ⅓ cups sugar

1 ⅓ cups cake flour

½ cup semolina flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier 

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1 teaspoon orange blossom water or vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 ¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil

Plain whole-milk yogurt, lightly sweetened, for serving

Preheat the oven and prepare the pan: arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 400F. Coat the bottom and sides of the springform pan with oil. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and smooth it

to eliminate air bubbles. Coat the parchment with more oil and set the pan aside. 

Prepare the blood oranges: Position a blood orange on the cutting board so the “poles” are to your left and right and the fruit is resting on its side rather than upright. Use a sharp knife to cut off one of the poles, exposing a colorful round of fruit. Then slice the fruit as thinly as possible through the widest part, shaving off rounds that are no thicker than ⅛ inch. Reserve the ends for squeezing juice. Remove and discard any seeds from the slices and repeat until all the oranges are sliced (you should have 25 to 30 slices total). Squeeze the reserved ends of the blood oranges into a medium bowl until you have 2 tablespoons of juice (save any remaining fruit for juicing or another use). 

Build the upside-down layer in the pan: Add ⅓ cup of sugar (2.3 oz/66g) to the bowl with the juice and whisk until you have a smooth slurry. Pour the slurry into the bottom of the prepared pan and tilt in all directions to spread across the parchment. Arrange the orange slices in an overlapping pattern across the bottom of the pan and set aside. 

Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the cake flour, semolina, baking powder, and salt to combine and eliminate any lumps. 

Mix the wet ingredients: In a small bowl, stir together the Grand Marnier, orange zest, and orange blossom water and set aside. 

Beat the eggs and sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), beat the eggs and the remaining 1 cup sugar (7 oz/200g), starting on low to break up the eggs and gradually increasing to high, until the mixture is very light, thick, and pale, and until it falls off the whisk or beaters back into the bowl in a slowly dissolving ribbon, about 5 minutes (with a hand mixer, this will take several minutes longer). 

Beat in the oil: With the mixer still on high speed, gradually stream in the oil and beat until fully incorporated and the mixture is even thicker (it will be slightly reduced in volume). 

Alternate adding wet ingredients and dry: Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the Grand Marnier mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. After the final addition of flour, stop the mixer and use a large flexible spatula to fold the batter several times, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure it’s evenly mixed. 

Fill the pan and bake: Gently pour the batter over the blood orange slices, making sure not to disturb them, and smooth the top. Transfer the cake to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 350F. Bake until the top is golden brown, the center is firm to the touch, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. 

Cool and unmold the cake: Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges of the cake and remove the outer ring (be careful, as some of the juices from the cake might run). Invert the cake onto a wire rack and remove the circular base. Carefully peel away the parchment and let the cake cool completely. For the best flavor and texture, wrap the cake in plastic and let it sit at room temperature for at least a day before serving. 

Serve: Slice and serve with sweetened yogurt. 

Bishop

Ingredients:

1 ounce fresh lemon juice

1 ounce fresh orange juice

½ ounce simple syrup

4 ounces chilled light, dry red wine

Orange slice

Assembly: Shake the citrus juice and simple syrup vigorously with ice. Strain into an ice-filled wineglass. Pour in the wine and stir. Garnish with the orange slice. 

Citations:

Altman, M. J. (2020). Church in the Wild: Evangelicals in Antebellum America. The Journal of Civil War Era, 10(3), 409+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A632854304/AONE?u=txshracd2488&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=ad1a9e62

Hellmich, M., & Mount, A. (2006). Ultimate Bar Book: The comprehensive guide to over 1,000 cocktails. Chronicle Books.

Saffitz, C. (2020). Dessert person: Recipes and guidance for baking with confidence. Crown.

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The Purpose of This Blog

The purpose of this blog is to examine the way that Americans have thought about the concept of Original Sin or the Edenic Fall in a tongue-in-cheek reference to gendered expectations for women in the post World War II era of the United States. Namely, this blog should give the well-bred female viewer everything she would need to host a tasteful dinner party, including talking points, a tasty dessert (of course incorporating fruit in the recipe), and a cocktail pairing for five eras of Evangelicalism in the United States. These eras are as follows:

Colonial United States and the Great Awakening

Antebellum Period and Early Missionary Era

Temperance and the Cult of True Womanhood/New Womanhood

Attempted Return to Post-WWII Prosperity and Biblical Submission

21st Century Evangelical Environment 

All of the recipes and sources for historical and theological information are cited at the end of every post.

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Colonial United States and the Great Awakening -- Cherry Cream Cheese Danishes and Alexander

The Evangelical tradition in the United States is generally thought of as having kicked off with the Great Awakening, when American Christianity became heavily influenced by the emotional tendencies of Methodism. Although Evangelicalism has garnered a reputation for strict gender roles justified by Eve’s actions in the Garden of Eden in the modern day -- to be explored in a later post -- this era is characterized by a distinct lack of the role of women in conversation debating the concept of original sin. Instead the debate focused on the idea of the “federal doctrine of native depravity,” which stated that Adam was appointed as a representative of humanity, and the competing concept of ego dei, or the idea that Adam was gifted with higher reasoning apart from the necessity of special revelation (Smith 3, 22). 

So where exactly is Eve in this story, and is she held responsible for the Fall? Well, the modern conception of gender that we are familiar with the in United States today where each gender expression has its own identity, language surrounding it, and expectations for behavior was not a consideration in the early Colonial period. This period instead followed more closely the ancient Greek conception of gender, commonly termed the “one-sex model.” This model essentially saw men as men and women as not-men. In other words, the only people that really had language surrounding their personhood as independent their roles were men, and the concept of women beyond the role of wife, mother, daughter, or sister was not important or developed enough to warrant its own language. 

This tendency led to an ironically egalitarian view of original sin. As evidenced by the iconic Great Awakening sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” all of humanity was implicated in the actions of Adam in the Garden, and thus women and men both must work diligently at both their Earthly responsibilities and their salvation in the often Puritan, often Calvinist society of the early Colonial United States. 

Recipes:

Cherry Cream Cheese Danishes

Ingredients 

Cherry Compote

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 pound fresh or frozen pitted sweet cherries

¼ cup sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Assembly

6 ounces full-fat cream cheese, preferably Philadelphia, at room temperature 

1 large egg yolk

Kouign-amann dough, cut into 24 squares as directed and unbaked

Make the cherry compote: In a small bowl, use a fork to stir together the lemon juice and cornstarch and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar, lemon zest, and ¼ cup water (2 oz/57g) and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the cherries have released their juices and the mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook, stirring, until the cherries are soft and tender and the juices have started to thicken, about 5 minutes. 

Stir the cornstarch mixture to recombine, then add it to the saucepan with the cherries. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring, and cook for about 30 seconds to activate the cornstarch so it thickens the liquid. Remove the compote from the heat and let it cool completely. Transfer the compote to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the Danishes. 

Make the cream cheese mixture: In a small bowl, mash together the cream cheese and egg yolk until you have a smooth mixture. Set aside. 

Strain the cherry mixture: Set a sieve over a bowl. Drain the cooled cherries in the sieve and reserve the juices and cherries separately.

Assemble and proof the Danishes: 

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the 24 squares of unbaked kouign-amann dough between the baking sheets, spacing them evenly. Use the tines of a fork to prick the centers of each square in three places. Dollop a scant tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of each square of pastry (you can also pipe it using a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag with a corner cut off), then press 3 or so drained cherries over the top of the cream cheese. Cover the baking sheets with plastic wrap and let the Danishes sit at room temperature until the dough is puffed and the layers of dough and butter have visibly separated on the sides, 30 to 40 minutes. 

Preheat the oven:

Meanwhile, arrange two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400F. 

Bake the Danishes and drizzle with juices: Uncover the pans and transfer to the oven, placing one on the lower rack and one on the upper. Immediately reduce the temperature to 350F and bake until the pastries are deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, switching racks and rotating the pans front to back after 15 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and let the Danishes cool completely on the baking sheets. Drizzle some of the reserved cherry juices over the warm pastries and serve warm or at room temperature. 

Alexander

Ingredients:

1 ounce gin

3/4 ounce white crème de cacao

3/4 ounce heavy cream

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Assembly: Shake the liquid ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Citations:

Hellmich, M., & Mount, A. (2006). Ultimate Bar Book: The comprehensive guide to over 1,000 cocktails. Chronicle Books. 

Saffitz, C. (2020). Dessert person: Recipes and guidance for baking with confidence. Crown.

Smith. (1955). Changing conceptions of original sin; a study in American theology since 1750. Scribner.