Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Gingerbread


Yield: 3 dozen men
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 8-12 minutes


Ingredients

3 C AP flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves (optional)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 TB butter, room temperature
1/2 C dark brown sugar, packed
1 egg
3/4 C molasses

Instructions
  1. In large bowl, whisk together flour, spices, leaveners and salt; set aside.
  2. Using electric mixer beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in egg and molasses.
  4. With mixer on slow, gradually add drys until just combined.
  5. Divide dough, flatten into discs wrapped in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours (or freeze).
  6. Thaw before rolling.
  7. Roll to 1/8" thick, cut into shapes, and in a preheated oven bake 8-10 minutes for soft or 11-12 min for crunchy cookies.
Ah, a seasonal recipe at last. I ended up giving away most of these little guys as a gift, which was well recieved (yay). I frosted mine using the frosting recipe from Sugar Cookies, partly just to see how they would come out, but frosting is totally optional. It's not hard, so don't limit yourself, but it doesn't really add a whole lot of flavor, just sweetness. The most important thing to note was how easy it was to roll these out. I tried a different recipe first and it was a huge struggle. This recipe is easy to roll! This makes a lot of gingerbread men so I cut them all out at once and put them on parchment paper for easy switching in and out of the oven.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Baklava Recipe



Here is a real crowd pleaser of a recipe. Good nuts and honey are expensive, but one batch can easily turn into three gifts or more. I don't know whether to call this "easy." Mostly it is assembly and requires minimal skills. But unlike my other "easy" recipes it is by no means quick. One thing it definitely is, is different. Give it a try this holiday season!


Baklava

Yield: 36 slices
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

16 oz phyllo dough, thawed
1 C unsalted butter, melted
16 oz blanched almonds, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)
1/4 C white sugar

Syrup Ingredients

1 C sugar
1 C water
8 oz honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. One day before baking thaw the dough.
  2. Two hours before baking bring dough to room temperature.
  3. Preheat oven to 350°F
  4. Butter bottom and sides of a 9x13" pan, glass recommended.
  5. Chop nuts (food processor recommended) and toss with spices and 1/4 C sugar.
  6. Unroll phyllo dough and with a sharp knife cut the stack in half to fit pan size. Cover dough with a dampended cloth to prevent it drying out while you work.
  7. Place two sheets of dough in pan.
  8. Butter surface of dough thoroughly.
  9. Repeat steps 7 & 8 three more times.
  10. Sprinkle 2-3 TB of nut mixture on top.
  11. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, and nuts, layering as you go. You will lay down nuts about 14 times.
  12. Make the top layer 6-8 sheets deep and butter but do not nut the top.
  13. Using a sharp knife, cut down, half an inch shy of the bottom, first columns then crosscutting to make diamond shapes.
  14. Bake 50 min until dough is golden and crisp (this is where the glass pan helps).
  15. While the baklava is baking, make sauce.
  16. Begin by making simple syrup (boil sugar and water until sugar is dissolved) then add vanilla and honey. Don't add cool honey to hot sauce.
  17. Simmer 20 mins, stirring occasionally, cool sauce to room temperature then refrigerate.
  18. Remove baklava from oven when done and after a few minutes pour cooled sauce over hot baklava. Alternately you can cool the baklava down and pour hot sauce over cool baklava; the temperature difference prevents sog.
  19. Cut all the way through when completely cool.
  20. Use cupcake papers or doilies to serve.

Tips

  • Phyllo/Fillo/Filo dough is available in the freezer section near the pies and desserts and comes in one pound boxes.
  • Use a pastry brush to spread the melted butter on the pan and dough. Silicone pastry brushes are durable and easy to clean.
  • I use blanched almonds that I chopped further in a food processor. Some people like chunky nuts or powdery nuts, you decide. Almonds are a good bet being locally grown but you could try mixing with hazelnuts or walnuts. Always use nuts without skins as the skins are bitter. Skins are removed by a simple process called blanching.
  • Don't forget the top layer of butter as it is responsible for the brown color you'll be observing for doneness.
  • Before you start to cut think out how to get diamond shapes: straight cuts the length of the pan with cross cuts at a certain angle for the diamond.
  •  Will last a long time in the fridge (uncovered!) as honey is a preservative.
  • The history of baklava is contested with both the Turks and the Greeks claiming invention!


Thursday, November 11, 2010

Muffins



Felicia's Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins
Baking Temperature: 400°F
Baking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 C AP flour
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
grated zest of one lemon
2 eggs
1 C milk or cream
2/3 C packed brown, or white sugar
4-8 TB melted butter
1 tsp orange blossom water (optional)
1 1/2 C blueberries (fresh or frozen)
or 12 oz chocolate chips

Instructions


  1. In secondary bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and zest.
  2. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, butter and blossom water.
  3. Add dry ingredients to wet but do not overmix.
  4. Fold in berries or chips.
  5. Pour into greased muffin tins (or lined with paper cups)
  6. Sprinkle with a little extra sugar (maybe demerara).
  7. Bake 15 mins or until stick comes out clean.


Tip: Use lesser quantity of butter for muffins that will be eaten right way; more butter means longer life.
Tip: In absence of lemon zest and orange water, substitute 2-3 tsp of vanilla essence.
Source: Felicia Bock.





Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Yield:  about 24 cupcakes
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 20 min 

Ingredients

2 ½ C AP flour
2 C sugar
½ C powdered baking cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 sticks butter (room temperature)
5 eggs
1 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1-4 tsp red food coloring

Instructions


  1. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift dry ingredients three times.
  2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add eggs on eat a time, beating well after each egg.
  4. Add 1/4 of dry ingredients and 1/4 of the buttermilk and mix well. Continue in this way.
  5. Mix in vanilla, add food coloring to desired redness.
  6. Line cupcake tin with paper cups, fill them halfway with batter.
  7. Bake for 20 min at 350°F.
  8. Cool for at least 5 min in pan before transferring to wire rack.
  9. Cool completely before frosting.
  10. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Notes: You can make a buttermilk substitute. For each cup, put in 1 TB lemon juice or white vinegar and fill with milk to 1 C, let stand 5 min. However buttermilk has a flavor and lightness that is worth buying a carton. Try buttermilk pancakes or fried chicken to use the rest of the buttermilk.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Yield:  a double layer cake or full batch of cupcakes

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
½ stick butter (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 C powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Sift or at least whisk lumps from sugar.
  2. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until blended.
  3. Add sugar gradually, beating until well blended after each addition.
  4. Use right away or refrigerate and bring back to room temp before using.

Notes: Try pink frosting: add a few drops of red food coloring and 1 tsp rasberry essence in place of vanilla.
Used On:  Red Velvet and Carrot cake.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies



Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Yield:  3-4 dozen cookies
Baking Temperature:350°F
Baking Time:  12 min

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, softenened
1 C firmly packed soft brown sugar
½ C white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ C AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
3 C old fashioned oats
1 C raisins
1 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions


  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
  3. In large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy.
  4. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.
  5. Add in flour mixture, beat well.
  6. Stir in oats, raisins, and nuts using wooden spoon, mix well.
  7. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto silpat cookie sheet.
  8. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
  9. Cool one minute on sheet and move gently (using frosting spatula) to wire rack to finish cooling.
  10. Serve warm with a glass of milk.


Notes: Refrigerated and frozen cookies can be briefly microwaved for a warm-up, but refrigerated cookies are also good. Perfect for a quick morning snack.
Occasions Used:  Serve these cookies in colder months.
Source: Quaker Oats



Friday, November 5, 2010

Rolled Sugar Cookies

From Sweet Things: Food Pics!
Sugar Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

3 C sifted cake flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1C unsalted butter, slightly firm
3/4 C superfine sugar
1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Instructions
  1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
  2. In large bowl cream together butter and sugar.
  3. In small bowl, beat egg and vanilla together with a fork.
  4. Beat egg/vanilla into butter/sugar.
  5. Add half of dry ingredients, mix, then other half mixing only until it begins to form a mass.
  6. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until just smooth.
  7. Divide into quarters and press into 4 discs.
  8. Dust each disc lightly with flour and wrap in plastic.
  9. Chill 15 min; heat oven to 350°F.
  10. On a lightly floured surface working with one disc at a time, roll the dough out very thinly (1/16").
  11. Cut with cookie cutters and transfer to silpat on cookie sheet.
  12. Bake 10-14 min or until edges begin to brown, rotating sheet within oven at least once.
  13. Let stand 2 min then transfer to wire racks to continue cooling.
  14. Let cool before decorating.
Sugar Cookie Icing - Ingredients

1 C confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 tsp milk
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp almond (or other) extract
food coloring

Sugar Cookie Icing - Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, stir sugar and milk until smooth.
  2. Beat in corn syrup and extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If too thick, add more corn syrup.
  3. Divide out to color.
  4. Dip or paint cookies.
Tip: go to the Polvorones de Naranja recipe for some rolled cookie tips.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Snickerdoodles



I wanted to make cookies but wanted something easy. Snickerdoodles were suggested by my partner. I made them right away and they were gobbled up like popcorn!

Snickerdoodles

Yield: 2 dozen cookies
Baking Temp: 375°F
Baking Time: 10 min

Ingredients: Dough

1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
1 C white sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C all purpose flour

Ingredients: Cinnamon Sugar

4 TBsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine 4 TBsp sugar and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon then transfer mixture to shallow dish.
  2. In (the same) mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds.
  3. Add the 1 cup sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
  4. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended.
  5. Whisk together bakind soda, cream of tartar and flour.
  6. Add the flour mixture to your bowl and beat until smooth.
  7. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
  8. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls.
  9. Roll balls in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.
  10. Place balls of dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  11. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges are beautifully golden.
  12. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Note: This recipe is from PopularCookieRecipes.Com

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Fig Bars

From Sweet Things: Food Pics!

Earlier this summer a friend of mine took us out to a fig tree and we came home with quite a few. I've never cooked with them before so this recipe was a shot in the dark... and it was delicious! I tried it once with the rum, which has a grown-up flavor, and I tried it on the remaining figs a week later with just orange juice and dressed the top with sweetened, shredded coconut instead. Both were a hit :)

Fig Bars

Yield: 36 small bars
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

16-ounces figs: stems trimmed, figs coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup rum or orange juice
2 tablespoons hot water
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/4 cups old-fashioned oats

Ingredients: Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 to 4 teaspoons rum or orange juice


Instructions
  1. PREHEAT oven to 350º F.
  2. COAT a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  3. COMBINE figs, walnuts, sugar, rum (or orange juice) and hot water; set aside.
  4. BEAT together butter and sugar in a large bowl.
  5. ADD egg and mix until creamy.
  6. STIR in flour and baking soda; blend in oats to make a soft dough.
  7. RESERVE 1 cup dough.
  8. With floured fingertips, PRESS thin layer of remaining dough in bottom of prepared pan.
  9. SPREAD fig mixture evenly and pat firmly over dough.
  10. CRUMBLE reserved dough by teaspoonfuls over top, allowing figs to show through.
  11. BAKE 30 minutes or until golden brown.
  12. COOL completely in pan.
  13. STIR together powdered sugar and rum or orange juice.
  14. DRIZZLE over top; let stand until glaze is set.
  15. CUT into bars.
Note: This recipe is from SunMaid.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The Science of Cake | Andy Connelly | The Guardian

The Science of Cake

As Britain tightens its belt for a new era of austerity, Andy Connelly takes solace in the science and magic of cake

"I am inclined to think that cakes and ale prevail most freely in times that are perilous and when sources of sorrow abound." Anthony Trollope

There's nothing quite like sharing generous slices of mouthwatering homemade cake with family or friends. In making a cake you are taking advantage of some magical scientific transformations to create something sugary, delicate and delicious that everyone will love – and love you for.

Like many people, I was inducted into cake making at the apron of my mother. Some of my most treasured memories are of scooping fairy cake mixture into little paper cases, dipping my fingers into the melted chocolate icing, and the satisfaction of eating the misshapen creations for tea.

Making cakes like these might seem like an ageless tradition, but actually this type of light, airy cake is a relatively new invention.

The first skilled bakers were probably the ancient Egyptians. At this time cakes were basically breads, with egg, fat and honey added to create the recognisable essence of cake: richness and sweetness. The earliest English cakes were still essentially bread, their main distinguishing characteristics being their shape – round and flat – and that they were hard on both sides as a result of being turned during baking.

Cakes as we know them today only came on the scene during the 18th and 19th centuries when the lightness created by the leavening power of yeast was replaced, first by eggs, and then by chemical raising agents such as bicarbonate of soda. Raising agents provided a greater leavening power than yeast with much less time and effort.

A classic of risen cakes is the English pound cake, on which the Victoria sponge is based. These cakes generally contain equal weights of the four major ingredients: structure-building flour and eggs; and structure-weakening fat and sugar. This recipe provides the perfect balance of these ingredients. With any more fat or sugar the delicate scaffold of egg and flour collapses, making a dense, heavy cake (like a fruit cake).

Recipe

250 g (10oz) of self raising flour
250g (10oz) of caster sugar
250g (10oz) of butter (at a cool room temperature) or margarine
Five lightly beaten eggs (assuming each egg weighs about 50g (2oz))
Pinch of salt

Take the sugar and fat and beat together until the mixture reaches a fluffy consistency similar to whipped cream. This can be done either by hand if you are feeling strong, otherwise use an electric whisk.

Much of the tender, melt-in-the-mouth texture of cake comes from gas bubbles, which subdivide the batter into fragile sheets. The majority of this air is added in this initial stage by vigorous mixing of the fat and sugar – a process called "creaming". Air is carried along on the rough surfaces of the sugar crystals. This is why we use caster sugar, as the smaller the crystals, the more air is incorporated. These bubbles of air are encased by a film of fat, creating a foam.

Creaming can be hard work. In 1857 Miss Leslie (an American author of popular cookbooks) described a technique that would allow cooks to beat eggs "for an hour without fatigue" but then advised: "to stir butter and sugar is the hardest part of cake making. Have this done by a manservant."

Take a break from beating and collect some of the mixture on your finger to taste. Notice how the smooth buttery flavour hits your mouth first, and then the sweetness comes in as the gritty sugar dissolves in your saliva. Notice that the mixture is lighter and softer than butter on its own: this is all the air you have incorporated.

Also notice how the fat coats the inside of your mouth. It is this coating ability that allows the fat to play another crucial role, that of a "shortener". The fat coats the starch and protein of the flour with an oily film, and in so doing reduces the formation of tough (bready) gluten. Fruit purees can also take on this role. This leads to a cake that has a tender and "short" crumb.

In factory cake-making, creating a fat that is plastic enough to spread over a large surface area of flour grains but soft enough to form globules requires the application of much science. Companies spend a lot of time mixing blends of various vegetable oils to get the perfect properties. At home, however, the third role of fat for me takes precedence: flavour. That's why I use butter. Although the fluidity isn't carefully controlled it always makes great cakes, and has done for hundreds of years.

As a child, the overriding characteristic of cakes was the sweetness of refined sugar. However, the role of sugar in cake is much more complex. Initially it carries air bubbles into the mixture. It has a tenderising effect, as it softens flour proteins. It also lowers the caramelisation point of the batter, allowing the cake crust to colour at a lower temperature. Finally, it helps to keep the cake moist and edible for several days after baking.

Salt is another vital ingredient as it acts both as a taste enhancer and to strengthen the gluten network.

Beat the eggs into the mixture and then gently fold in the flour, preferably with a metal spoon.

Beaten egg is added to the mixture to stop the fat-coated air bubbles, created by creaming, from collapsing when heated. The egg proteins conveniently form a layer around each air bubble. As the temperature of the cake rises in the heat of the oven this layer coagulates to form a rigid wall around each bubble, preventing it from bursting and ruining the cake's texture.

The eggs also provide the majority of the liquid (water) for the cake mixture. You will know the water provided by the eggs is sufficient – it usually is – if the mixture forms a thin coat on the back of a metal spoon. If it doesn't, add a little water or milk to loosen up the mixture.

Tasting is vital at every step of cake making, and I love tasting this stage, despite the raw eggs. For me the very buttery, sugary taste is the taste of childhood – the treat of cleaning the bowl out with a spoon. It you concentrate you can taste the eggs and flour as gentle background flavours. The flour gives the mixture a slightly pasty texture, which makes it stick to the inside of your mouth.

It was during the 17th century that eggs became the dominant ingredient for raising cakes, gradually replacing yeast. This was before chemical raising agents, so all of the air in the cake had to be added by vigorous beating. One early recipe states that four eggs should be "beaten together for two hours" to lighten a fine biscuit bread. These air bubbles were then trapped during the baking, a little like in a soufflé, to produce a light and fluffy cake.

This all changed with the discovery of chemical leavening agents such as those in self-raising flour. The chemical leavening agent is essentially baking powder: a blend of a dried acid (for example cream of tartar and sodium aluminium sulphate) and an alkali (sodium bicarbonate known commonly as baking soda). Adding water (and heat) to this mixture allows the acid to react with the alkali to produce carbon dioxide gas. This is trapped in the tiny air pockets of the batter that were made when you creamed the fat and sugar.

This means you don't have to add as much air in your mixing because the chemical leavening agent will do some of the work for you. In fact, the quality of modern leaveners and other ingredients (and equipment like the electric whisk) means that mixing all the ingredients together all at once can still produce a light cake. However, I think the traditional method of beating the butter and sugar first is the most satisfying.

Flour takes the role of structure-builder within the cake. The starch in the flour is a reinforcing agent that stiffens and helps strengthen the egg foam. Some of the proteins in the flour join together to create an extensive network of coiled proteins, known as gluten. It is this gluten that holds the cake together. Its elastic nature allows the batter to expand during baking (to incorporate gases) and then it coagulates into a strong network that supports the heavy weight of sugar and shortening.

The gentle folding action used to incorporate the flour avoids breaking the bubbles you have worked so hard to put into the mixture. It also reduces gluten formation because although this is vital to the structure of the cake, excessive beating creates too much gluten, resulting in a cake with a heavy, bready texture. Modern cake flour is made from "soft" wheats with a low protein content, as opposed to bread flour which is "hard" with a high protein content.

Divide the mixture between two greased 20cm cake tins.

I always use my little finger to scrape the excess mixture from the spoon into the tins. My mother used to say that the little finger is the cleanest. While I doubt this, the habit has been passed down to me through her genes. As I pour the mixture into the tins I love to watch its gloopy consistency, its slightly grainy texture and marvel at its rich yellow colour. The beautiful yellow comes from the eggs and from carotene in the butter, the same chemical that makes carrots orange. It originates in the grass on which the cows have grazed.

Place in a pre-heated over at 180C for around 25-30 minutes.

There are few things better than sitting in a kitchen as it fills with the smell of baking. So make a cup of tea and relax for the next 30 minutes, letting the warm smells emanating from the oven envelope you. The smell of warm butter; the slightly sulphury smell of the eggs as they coagulate; the dark caramelising smell of the browning reactions (and, if you get distracted, the acrid smell of burning).

Over time the smells get darker, richer, more caramelised. Baking a cake on a cold, drizzly, miserable day can't help but make you feel better about the world.

Baking can be broken into three stages: expansion, setting and browning. As the batter temperature rises, the gases in the air cells expand the stretchy gluten from the flour, then the chemical leavening agents release carbon dioxide. As the batter reaches 60C, water vapour begins to form and expand the air cells even further. Carbon dioxide and water vapour account for approximately 90% of the subsequent expansion of the batter, the remaining 10% being due to thermal expansion.

At around 80C, the risen batter adopts its permanent shape as the egg proteins coagulate, the starch granules absorb water, swell and form a gel, and the gluten loses its elasticity. The texture produced at this point is then held until the cake is set by the coagulation of the egg and flour proteins, producing the familiar porous structure of the cake crumb.

Finally, flavour-enhancing browning (Maillard) reactions take place on the now dried surface. It is at this point you have to decide whether the cake is ready – one of the most critical points in the whole process. The cake will shrink slightly away from the walls of the tin and the crust will spring back when touched with a finger. Because the batter has coagulated, a wire or thin knife poked into the cake should come back clean.

After removing the cake from the oven, let it stand in the tin for about 10 minutes, then loosen and turn out gently onto a wire rack to cool. Avoid excessive handling while hot.

Something not quite right? If the oven temperature was too low then the batter will have set too slowly, and expanding gas cells will have coagulated to produce a coarse, heavy texture, making the upper surface sink. If the oven was too hot then the outer portions of the batter will have set before the inside has finished expanding, which produces a peaked, volcano-like surface with excessive browning.

While the cake cools, make some of your favourite icing and apply generously. Mine is butter icing – 2:1 icing sugar to butter by weight, beaten together with a little lemon juice or milk.

At last, you can cut a lovely thick slice, sit down with another cup of tea in a comfy chair and enjoy a quiet moment with your beautiful creation. It might not be as good as your mum's but it will taste great and everyone will want a slice.

Dr Andy Connelly is a cookery writer and researcher in glass science at the University of Sheffield

Photograph: Colin Campbell for the Guardian

Baking a cake makes you feel better about the world, and understanding the science puts the icing on it.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Orange Ice Cream


Orange Ice Cream with Chocolate Syrup


Felicia's Orange Ice Cream

3C cream
1C milk
1C sugar (or less to taste)
7 egg yolks
zest of 2-3 oranges

Instructions (short version)

Steep zest in dairy with 1/2C sugar. Temper into eggs with other 1/2C sugar. Cool over ice bath. Strain. Churn.


I am adding the following recipe not because I've tried it but because it seems to be a basic flavored ice cream. As you can see the back-and-forth with the heat can be applied to any ice cream recipe. My version of orange ice cream involved heating the dairy before steeping the orange zest but not reheating it once the eggs were in. I suspect it would have had a creamier or fuller texture if I had. Try it?

KitchenAid Pumpkin Ice Cream Recipe Instructions (for reference)

Scald light cream in a heavy saucepan. Whisk yolks, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the cream, add the spice. Return to saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat. Whisk in heavy cream and pumpkin. Strain into bowl. Refrigerate until well chilled. Churn.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Rice Crispie Treats




Rice Crispy Treats


Yield: 9-12 squares




Ingredients




6 C Rice bubble cereal

3 TB unsalted butter or regular margarine
 (use margarine for no-dairy option)
40 regular marshmallows (10 oz, or 4 cups mini mallows)




Instructions

  1. Stove directions: Over low heat, melt butter in large pot. Add marshmallows and melt down, stirring until completely melted. Take off heat. (Microwave directions: In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes.)
  2. Add rice bubbles, fold in until fully incorporated.
  3. Grease 13x9 or 9x9 pan (with Pam or butter). Using greased spatula, press mixture into pan.
  4. Cool (preferably at room temperature).
  5. Cut into squares.

Variation: Chocolate Rice Crispie Treats


Reduce butter a little. Melt in six ounces of milk chocolate such as Hershey's Symphony. Continue with marshmallows and the rest as normal.


Tips: Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic, individually, and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days. Use a glass or casserole pan as you will be cutting the squares while still in pan. Can freeze but I always eat them too fast to have to bother.

Friday, July 9, 2010

SUMMER!

Yes summer is obviously here in Northern California - it's been over 90°F for a week and is about to get hotter. Considering my house is not air conditioned, this presents a problem.
It's too hot to bake. Yes even at night. It's too hot all the time to turn the oven on and heat up the whole house just for a sweet treat.
So far the only solution has been to make ice cream (will make a new batch - with photos - pretty soon!), or to not make anything at all :(
But hang in there, I will rustle up some kind of no bake recipe... or something. And as soon as it cools off I'll be baking just to heat up the house :)

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Cherry Turnovers


Note I photographed this guy while it was cold, they look a little more "alive" when they are piping hot! Also this is obviously a cutaway, to show you the filling.
Enjoy!


Cherry Turnovers


Yield: 8 turnovers
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 20-25 min

Ingredients: Dough

One box of "puff pastry" dough
One egg white
Pinch of salt
3 TB turbinado or white sugar

Ingredients: Filling

About a pound of cherries, pitted and halved
sugar to taste (1/4 C)
1/2 tsp almond essence

Instructions
  1. Cooking the filling first reduces its water content, reducing sogginess in the turnover. In a saucepan over medium heat, place cherries in a little water (1/2C).
  2. Heat until it is bubbling then cook down until volume is reduced.
  3. Add sugar to taste (some cherries are sweet and some are tart).
  4. Add almond essence to enhance flavor (not to impart an almond flavor) if you wish.
  5. Defrost the pastry according to its directions.
  6. Cut each sheet into quarters for a total of eight squares.
  7. On your work surface lay out a square and put a few spoonfuls of fruit in the center.
  8. Fold one corner over to the opposite corner making a triangle.
  9. Using tepid water trace a line along the edge to "glue" the pastry into a triangle.
  10. Tamp down edges using a fork.
  11. Using a sharp knife make a one inch slit in the top of the pastry to vent steam.
  12. Transfer to baking sheet/silpat and repeat for remaining pastries.
  13. In a small bowl, whisk an egg white and a pinch of salt well until mixture has an even texture.
  14. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg white onto the top (cut top) of each pastry. This just browns the pastry and can be omitted.
  15. Using a spoon, sprinkle some turbinado (or white) sugar evenly over the egg white. This adds crunch and sweetness and can be omitted.
  16. Bake at 350°F-375°F for 15-25 min, until tops are brown and fruit is bubbling.
  17. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
  18. Serve hot or warm, best when fresh.
For the first time in this blog I am using an improvised recipe. The cherry turnover thing all started with getting over a pound of cherries from a business contact. I imagine the guy got them from a dude at the side of the road because there's a lot of those fruit stands around this time of year with cherries and strawberries. I had to use these cherries fast and I've never made a successful pie before, so the idea was to try turnovers. Not in a mood to ruin the dough (which is similar to pie dough), and considering it was at least 80° and dough is hard enough to deal with in winter, I decided to "cheat." Then I improvised on the filling.
The baking time and temperature is vague because my oven can't regulate it's own temperature properly. Basically when your house starts to smell delicious, it's done. See what's on the box of puff pastry and use that as your guide.
Yes you can make your own puff pastry, don't let me stop you. This is an "abundance of fruit" recipe and is a quick and easy way to use up fruit.
Look forward to more "abundance of fruit" recipes because this is a farm town and fruit season is here!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Brownies

Brownies

This all-American is definitely one of the easiest things you can "whip up" when you have company. The frosting is totally optional (no frosting in picture); also it is a good idea to let the frosting set before serving. To make cutting the brownies easier, line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving some hanging over opposite edges. When cooling, lift the brownie cake out of the pan by the paper/foil and then cut on a cutting board, leaving the pan scratch free, to fight another day.
If you omit frosting, dress the brownie squares with a dusting of icing sugar, if you wish.
One other great thing about this recipe is you don't need an electric mixer, the batter is probably better beaten by hand.



Ingredients

Yield: one pan of brownies
Baking Temperature: 350°F
Baking Time: 20-25 minutes


1/2 C (1 stick) butter melted
1 C sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C chopped nuts (optional)

Ingredients: Frosting

3 TB butter, softened
3 TB cocoa
1 TB light corn syrup or honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C powdered sugar, sifted
1 to 2 TB milk

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl.
3. Add eggs; beat well with spoon.
4. In second bowl stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
5. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, beating until well blended.
6. Stir in nuts, if desired.
7. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
8. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
9. For frosting: Beat butter, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Over this sift sugar and cocoa. Add milk. Beat to spreading consistency, removing all lumps.
10. Spread frosting over brownies, cut into squares.

Notes: This recipe is from Hershey's!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Pavlova Pictures

While I did make a Pavlova to both use up the egg whites from the orange cookies and to take pictures of, I did not get a chance to take pictures. This is probably for the best as my oven was being very uncooperative. These pictures are from previous Pavlovas.

Here is some raw meringue. You can see that once the sugar is incorporated into the eggs, it appears glossy and smooth.


Right out of the oven your pavlova may be cracked or collapsed. Nothing to worry about as we're topping it!

This one is topped with fresh blueberries, homemade berry coulis, and chocolate shavings. And cream of course.




This one is just blackberries and coulis but looks like the cream might have been overwhipped. Coulis on the serving tray or plate can add a nice touch.



Here is a slice of Pavlova. While not the most photogenic of desserts, it is a real crowd pleaser. In this photo we can see the crunchy meringue is on the bottom, top and sides, while soft meringue makes up the center.

Pavlova with Chantilly Cream



Yield: 8-10 servings
Baking Temperature: start at 400°F
Baking Time: varies on oven
Trivia: This Australian (or New Zealander) classic was named in honor of Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova.

Ingredients: Pavlova


6 egg whites
pinch of salt
2 C fine white sugar
1 ½ tsp white vinegar
1 ½ tsp vanilla essence

Ingredients: Chantilly Cream

300 mL heavy whipping cream
2-4 tsp confectioner's sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence

To Top

½ to 2 C sliced fresh fruit
confectioner's sugar
or ¼ C dark chocolate shavings
or ½ C fruit coulis

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Grease and and lightly flour 9" springform pan or grease silpat on cookie sheet.
  2. Beat egg whites and salt in an electric mixer at full speed until they stand in stiff peaks.
  3. Sprinkle in sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating on high until all sugar is incorporated.
  4. Fold in vinegar and vanilla.
  5. Spoon in large dollops in pan or on cookie sheet in a low dome.
  6. Reduce heat to 150°C (300°F), put pav in oven and bake for one hour.
  7. For electric ovens: Turn off heat and leave in oven until cold.
  8. For gas ovens: Turn heat down to 120°C (250°F) and bake 30 more minutes, then turn off oven and leave in until cold.
  9. Remove to or slide onto plate. Collapses and cracks are normal.
  10. To make chantilly cream: whip cream in an electric mixer, incorporating sugar and vanilla to taste. Don't overwhip.
  11. Top room temperature pavlova with chantilly cream.
  12. Prepare fruit topping. Rinse and slice fresh strawberries or blackberries; rinse raspberries; halve and scoop out passionfruit pulp; or peel and slice kiwi. Overly tangy berries can be sweetened with a dusting of confectioner's sugar then use once sugar has dissolved.
  13. Arrange fruits on top of cream-covered pavlova in pleasing pattern.
  14. Serve in slices like cake.
Notes: If fruits are out of season you can make a coulis with frozen berries and drizzle top of pavlova and plate, without dark chocolate shavings. Try chocolate flavored with mint for a sophisticated fruitless pav. Sprinkle shavings straight from a vessel as the heat of your hands will melt the chocolate. Use your egg yolks for another dessert such as custard, or make pasta.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Polvorones de Naranja (Orange Cookies)



Polvorones de Naranja

Yield: 4 dozen cookies
Baking Temperature: 400°F
Baking Time: 10-15 min


Ingredients

4 C AP flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ C white sugar
2 sticks butter (room remperature)
4 large egg yolks
1 can/14oz sweetened condensed milk
zest of 1 orange
¼ C orange juice

Instructions
  1. In medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda and sugar.
  2. In large bowl, cream butter and egg yolks thouroughly.
  3. Slowly add condensed milk to butter/eggs, then zest.
  4. Slowly add the drys until they are all incorporated.
  5. Finally mix in orange juice.
  6. Flour a surface and roll out small quantities dough using a rolling pin to ¼ inch thickness or less (see below).
  7. Cut 2" rounds using cookie cutter.
  8. Gently transfer to baking sheet/silpat.
  9. Bake 10-15 min at 400°F, will not brown much at all. Thin cookies take much less time to cook.
  10. Cool 2 min on sheet (if soft) before transferring to wire rack to complete cooling.

Notes: The zest and juice requirements are more or less what one orange provides. This is a big recipe and expect to do several batches. Cookies will freeze fine in an airtight container. Undecorated this cookie is sophistacated and not overly sweet but (once cooled) a dusting of confectioner's sugar or a sugar cookie frosting are fun additions. Consider having the egg whites for breakfast...


Tool notes: In addition to your usual tools you will need a fine grater, a (hand) juicer, a rolling pin, and a cookie cutter. As you can see, I used stars but a round cutter would have more evenly colored edges. See pictures of these tools here.

About Rolled Cookies

I remember the first time I rolled out sugar cookies. It was just a few years ago and I did a lot of research on how to best go about it. I have to say that this recipe, while not really a sugar cookie, is much easier for a first-time roller as the dough is a lot less sensitive to the heat of your hands.
If you've never made a rolled cookie before but you've got your rolling pin all ready to go, here are my quick hints.
  • Refrigerate dough for half an hour if it is too sticky to work with.
  • Flour your work surface and pin as necessary. Keep cup of flour nearby.
  • Find a BIG area for your work surface. I used my glass dining table. Granite, marble, or steel countertops are ideal.
  • Lay out a piece (or two) of cling film (plastic wrap) on your work surface.
  • Roll a (handful sized) ball of dough flat onto the plastic.
  • Use the cutter all over your flat dough. Flour the cutter if it sticks.
  • Peel the large pieces of scrap dough away.
  • Lift the plastic wrap and with one hand under you can peel the cookies off easily (or lift wrap right up and slap the cookie onto the silpat/cookie sheet upside-down).
  • Be careful about spilling flour on the top of your cookie because the flour will stay there despite baking.



Thursday, May 6, 2010

Chocolate Chip Cookies





Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen cookies
Baking Temperature: 375°F
Baking Time: 9-11 minutes


Ingredients

2 1/4 C AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 sticks butter (room temperature)
3/4 C white sugar
3/4 C packed soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1 C chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions
  1. In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
  2. In large bowl, cream together butter, sugars and vanilla.
  3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well.
  4. Gradually beat in dry ingredients.
  5. Stir in choc chips and nuts with a wooden spoon.
  6. Drop ping-pong size balls of dough onto ungreased baking sheet/silpat.
  7. Bake 9-11 minutes until golden brown.
  8. Cool 2 minutes on sheet before transferring to wire rack with offset spatula.
Notes: Semisweet or milk chocolate chips can be used with or without nuts; walnuts are the classic nut for this cookie. Try white chocolate chips with pecan or even macadamia for a more exotic cookie.

Tip: Chill dough overnight in the fridge or for a few hours in the freezer. Cold (defrosted) dough is easier to roll into balls plus it is claimed it ripens the flavor.

Baker's Tools

I will try to keep this as cheap and simple as possible! Here are the tools I recommend having before you begin baking from scratch.
  • electric mixer (handheld or stand)
  • set of baking tins
  • set of mixing bowls
  • set of measuring spoons
  • set of measuring cups
  • pyrex-type microwave safe measuring cup (with pour spout)
  • plastic or wooden mixing spoons
  • whisk
  • sieve/strainer
  • pinch cups
  • silpat (nonstick silicon mat for cookie sheet)
  • oven glove or pot holder
  • offset spatula
  • wire cooling rack (grid style)
I used a cheap handheld electric mixer for years before my mum treated me to a stand mixer so don't worry about spending a lot on a mixer. It's easiest to find a set of baking tins in a dark nonstick coating. These are fine but be careful to not scratch the surface with metal tools. Wooden spoons tend to take on flavors of strong foods (like garlic) so keep a separate set just for baking. Pinch cups might seem pointless but they save a lot of time being handy for keeping lots of small ingredients in order and cracking eggs. Offset spatulas look like they're just for frosting cakes but they are the best thing ever for lifting cookies from the mat because they are thin and flexible. Finally, cooling racks have to have wires pretty close together and cheap parallel bars racks just don't cut it.

So that's the list of the things I started with or wish I started with. Additional tools such as bakeware (crockery type), rolling pins, cookie cutters etc will be discussed as we come to them.



The Baker's Pantry

If you want to bake something up without a trip to the store, there are certain things you ought to keep around.
  • all purpose flour (aka AP flour or plain flour)
  • baking soda
  • baking powder
  • salt (I use iodized salt for baking)
  • white sugar (aka caster sugar)
  • soft brown sugar
  • eggs
  • unsalted butter
  • vanilla essence
  • powdered cocoa
  • powdered sugar (aka confectioners sugar or icing sugar)
  • cinnamon
I also tend to have the following handy.
  • milk
  • cupcake cups
  • chocolate chips
  • oats
  • raisins
  • food coloring
So if you want to start baking things from scratch I suggest starting here!