Oven Proofing Cookie Fillings?

[phone3434]

Hello to everyone here. I have been following this terrific forum, lurking for many many months, and have finally decided to ask a question of my own. I am trying to get some information on how to oven proof fillings for baking (fruit fillings, jams, preserves, etc) so that the fillings won't run or spread so much during the cooking process, and have been unable to find any information at all on the internet. Most of my unsuccessful searches have yielded advice on how to oven proof equipment rather than the food ingredients themselves that I am interested in oven proofing. So how is this done? And will the techniques used compromise the flavor of the pre-proofed ingredients?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Barb L.]

Welcome to DC, nice to have you join us. Can't help ya out, but there are many on here that can - good luck.

 

[Andy M.]

Welcome to DC.

What kinds of baked goods are you filling and what are you filling them with?

Sometimes the fillings are added after the baking is done.

 

[Loprraine]

Welcome to DC, Phone! Im with andy, what are you baking? I like doing stuffed filo, empanadas, anything stuffed and baked!

 

[phone3434]

Thanks for all the hellos. I asked this oven-proofing question to help with my cookies. In some of the cookies I am thinking about, the dough folds over the fillings, or surrounds it in one way or another. Therefore, adding the filling after the cookie is baked is not an option.

I guess I am talking about fruit flavored fillings (any kind, I like to experiment here - either making my own from scratch or in combo with off the shelf products) with a jam or marmalade or preserve type of texture. Usually however, these fillings tend to run during the cooking process, oozing out out the cookie much more than is tolerable.

I understand that commercial oven-proof fillings are available, but often in quantitites that are too large for my needs. I think that it is the existence of commercial oven proof fillings that prompted me to begin this thread. If these fillings are available in larger quantities, how can I make them for myself in smaller amounts?

Thanks again.

 

[miniman]

I have found this works well - my 10 year loves making them.
Fruity Buns

Ingredients

225g / 8oz self raising flour
100g / 4oz margarine
100g / 4 oz sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
50g / 2 oz jam

Method

1 Set the oven to 200°C / 400 °F / Gas mark 6. Grease 2 baking sheets and sprinkle with flour.

2 Cut the margarine into small chunks, and put in a bowl with the self-raising flour. Rub in until it looks like breadcrumbs.

3 Stir in the sugar

4 Whisk the egg in a small bowl with the milk. Stir this into the mixture, and work it into a ball.

5 Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour, then put the mixture onto the surface and cut it into half, then each half into thirds, then each piece in half again. You should have 12 pieces.

6 Shape each piece into a round shape, make a dent in the middle and put in a teaspoon of jam.

7 Bake for 10 minutes, and allow to cool before eating!

 

[archiduc]

fillings

Hello to everyone here. I have been following this terrific forum, lurking for many many months, and have finally decided to ask a question of my own. I am trying to get some information on how to oven proof fillings for baking (fruit fillings, jams, preserves, etc) so that the fillings won't run or spread so much during the cooking process, and have been unable to find any information at all on the internet. Most of my unsuccessful searches have yielded advice on how to oven proof equipment rather than the food ingredients themselves that I am interested in oven proofing. So how is this done? And will the techniques used compromise the flavor of the pre-proofed ingredients?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Phone3434,

A lot depends upon the type of filling. In some cases, like a fruit crumble, the fact that the juices show on top of the crumble are part of the charm and integrity of the dish.

When making simple jam tarts one of the problems is that the sugar in the jam will reach boiling point in the oven and expand before the pastry is cooked. The only solution for this is to half fill the tarts and have some jam in a saucepan, very hot, ready to top up the tarts as you remove them from the oven.

Fruit fillings - add a little cornflour to the sugar and mix this with the fruit. The juices expelled by the fruit will have to mix and work with the sugar to thicken the juices and shouldn`t "erupt" quite so quickly. Also, when you have placed a fruit filling in a pie dish and covered it with pastry, make sure that you place a small cross in the centre of the pastry and through the pastry to allow steam to escape. Again, this will help prevent or reduce eruptions of juices over the pastry. Use any pastry trimmings to make pastry leaves to place at the point of the cross.

Hope this helps,
Archiduc

 

[Michael in FtW]

Archiduc just about covered everything I was thinking - it could be a problem with the filling, but it could also be how much you are using and how you are forming the cookies (without a way to vent the steam that will build up inside the cookie).

You might find some help at my goto-when-I-have-a-baking-question site: Baking911.com - Filled and Sandwich Cookies page.