I made (and loved) this recipe last night. It is quick and easy and delicious. I made a few changes:
I put the crust in a 9 inch tart pan and baked it at 325 degrees for 8 minutes.
I used half of the amount of butter on accident. But it worked just fine. I also added a bit of salt to the crust. I think next time I'll try halving the sugar called for in the crust too.
I doubled the amount of flavor called for - the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla.
I didn't have enough whipping cream, so I used some cream and some leftover mascarpone cheese. It was awesome. Next time I'll experiement with more mascarpone cheese.
No brandy in the house (shocker) so we didn't have any brandy whipped cream. I just served it plain.
We've eaten this for dessert, breakfast and lunch. It is really good and a great way to use canned pumpkin.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Chocolate Mousse
This recipe is from James Peterson's BAKING.
6 oz chocolate (he recommends bittersweet, I do half dark half milk)
1/4 c plus 2 T unsalted butter, cubed or sliced
4 egg yolks
3 T sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 c heavy cream and possibly more if needed to unseize chocolate
Chop the chocolate and combine it with butter in a double boiler (heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water) and stir until melted and smooth. Take off heat, but keep water simmering.
Combine egg yolks and sugar in another heatproof bowl and set over saucepan of simmering water for 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until pale and slightly stiff. (It will thicken up.) Remove from heat.
Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and add the vanilla and stir until well mixed. If it becomes grainy at this point (it should be smooth and shiny) slowly add 1/4 c warmed cream, a little at a time, until it becomes shiny and smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
Whip cream to soft peaks. Stir about 1/4 of whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten. Then FOLD in the remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula.
If you are using as a layer in a cake use it right away, otherwise chill for at least 1 hour. If you are serving the mousse alone pour into individual glasses immediately and cover with plastic wrap (remember to press it against the surface) to keep a crust from forming.
This recipe makes 3 cups. The first time I made it the chocolate mixture seized, the second time it didn't. This is one of our favorite desserts.
6 oz chocolate (he recommends bittersweet, I do half dark half milk)
1/4 c plus 2 T unsalted butter, cubed or sliced
4 egg yolks
3 T sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 c heavy cream and possibly more if needed to unseize chocolate
Chop the chocolate and combine it with butter in a double boiler (heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water) and stir until melted and smooth. Take off heat, but keep water simmering.
Combine egg yolks and sugar in another heatproof bowl and set over saucepan of simmering water for 5 minutes, whisking constantly, until pale and slightly stiff. (It will thicken up.) Remove from heat.
Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and add the vanilla and stir until well mixed. If it becomes grainy at this point (it should be smooth and shiny) slowly add 1/4 c warmed cream, a little at a time, until it becomes shiny and smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
Whip cream to soft peaks. Stir about 1/4 of whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten. Then FOLD in the remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula.
If you are using as a layer in a cake use it right away, otherwise chill for at least 1 hour. If you are serving the mousse alone pour into individual glasses immediately and cover with plastic wrap (remember to press it against the surface) to keep a crust from forming.
This recipe makes 3 cups. The first time I made it the chocolate mixture seized, the second time it didn't. This is one of our favorite desserts.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Barley Stew
This is quick and delicious. A true meal in a pot. All you need to add is dessert.
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion
1 lb (give or take) of chicken, cut up into bite size pieces
2 to 3 c mushrooms, chopped
1 bunch Italian kale, stems removed and leaves cut up into bite size pieces
3 c water (or chicken stock)
***1/4 to 1/2 c barley
1/4 c cream
1 t thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large pot and saute onions until tender, add chicken (and salt) and saute until almost cooked through, add mushrooms and kale and saute until kale wilts. Add barley, water and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until barley and chicken are cooked. Stir in cream. Season to taste. Serve.
***I typed up this recipe and forgot to include the barley. And now I don't remember how much I used. Maybe to be safe just use 1/3 cup. Sorry!
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion
1 lb (give or take) of chicken, cut up into bite size pieces
2 to 3 c mushrooms, chopped
1 bunch Italian kale, stems removed and leaves cut up into bite size pieces
3 c water (or chicken stock)
***1/4 to 1/2 c barley
1/4 c cream
1 t thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large pot and saute onions until tender, add chicken (and salt) and saute until almost cooked through, add mushrooms and kale and saute until kale wilts. Add barley, water and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until barley and chicken are cooked. Stir in cream. Season to taste. Serve.
***I typed up this recipe and forgot to include the barley. And now I don't remember how much I used. Maybe to be safe just use 1/3 cup. Sorry!
Peter & Heather's Wedding Cake
Recipes needed:
Roasted Pears (see below)
Caramel Sauce (scroll down to the bottom of post for recipe)
Caramel Mousse (see below)
Vanilla Butter Cake
Mascarpone Frosting (see below)
Roasted Pears
5 barely ripe pears
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter, sliced
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel pears and remove stem, core, and cut in half lengthwise. Place pear halves, flat side up, in a heavy bottomed saucepan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Sprinkle butter and sugar over them. Roast for 25 minutes to 1 hour, until butter sugar mixture is golden brown and pears are soft when you poke them with a knife. Remove pears, cool, and dice. (You can continue to caramelize the butter sugar mixture and toss a bit to coat the pears and use the rest for ice cream topping.) Fold the pears into the Vanilla Butter Cake batter just before pouring into the cake pans to bake.
Caramel Mousse
*This recipe was saved in my favorites before our luggage was lost/stolen and our laptop seemingly forever lost. I think I just folded the caramel sauce referenced above into stabilized whipped cream. This is then immediately poured in between the layers (you need to use a cake ring for this) and then refrigerated until set.
1 1/2 c caramel sauce
3 T water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 c chilled whipping cream
Pour 3 T water into a ramekin or small glass cup and sprinkle with gelatin. Let soften. Place ramekin in a small skillet of simmering water and stir until gelatin dissolves and mixture is clear. Mix into 1 1/2 c hot caramel. Cool just to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Beat chilled whipping cream in a large howl to medium-firm peaks. Gradually pour cooled caramel/gelatin mixture over cream, folding constantly but gently. Use immediately.
Mascarpone Frosting
12 oz mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
3 T sugar (or more to taste)
1 T vanilla extract
Beat all ingredients in a large bowl until it holds soft peaks. You will probably want to add more sugar, so be sure to taste the mixture at the beginning so you can add more if desired. You can used granulated or powdered sugar. This is a lovely, lovely frosting.
Doughnuts for Halloween
I used a new (and simpler) recipe this year and they ended up being fantastic. I halved the recipe on Sunday morning and made them for breakfast as a practice run, and then I doubled the recipe for Halloween. I only made holes because they fry up so much faster.
This recipe is adapted from Donna Hay.
2 t active dry yeast
1 1/2 T warm water
1/2 c lukewarm milk
4 T sugar
50 g butter, melted (I used my scale, sorry, this is from a British magazine)
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
2 eggs
Place yeast, water, milk, and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a large bowl and set in a warm place for 10 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Add butter, eggs, flour and remaining sugar and stir with a large spoon until a sticky dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in a large oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and set in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Roll out to 1cm thick and cut out holes or donuts. (I used a glass baby bottle which made the perfect size). Place rounds on a lined baking tray and let rise for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat to 350 degrees. Cook in batches, turning frequently, until lightly golden. Drain on absorbent paper. Toss in sugar or glaze.
Maple Glaze (proportions are purely approximations)
1 to 1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 c melted butter
1/4 to 1/3 c pure maple syrup
1/4 to 1/3 c heavy whipping cream
Combine and whisk until smooth.
Chocolate Glaze (proportions are purely approximations)
4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 c butter
1/4 to 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract
Melt chocolate with butter and cream in a double boiler until smooth. Whisk with sugar and vanilla. Add more cream or sugar to get desired consistency.
This recipe is adapted from Donna Hay.
2 t active dry yeast
1 1/2 T warm water
1/2 c lukewarm milk
4 T sugar
50 g butter, melted (I used my scale, sorry, this is from a British magazine)
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
2 eggs
Place yeast, water, milk, and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a large bowl and set in a warm place for 10 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Add butter, eggs, flour and remaining sugar and stir with a large spoon until a sticky dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in a large oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and set in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Roll out to 1cm thick and cut out holes or donuts. (I used a glass baby bottle which made the perfect size). Place rounds on a lined baking tray and let rise for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat to 350 degrees. Cook in batches, turning frequently, until lightly golden. Drain on absorbent paper. Toss in sugar or glaze.
Maple Glaze (proportions are purely approximations)
1 to 1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 c melted butter
1/4 to 1/3 c pure maple syrup
1/4 to 1/3 c heavy whipping cream
Combine and whisk until smooth.
Chocolate Glaze (proportions are purely approximations)
4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 c butter
1/4 to 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract
Melt chocolate with butter and cream in a double boiler until smooth. Whisk with sugar and vanilla. Add more cream or sugar to get desired consistency.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The loveliest corn chowder.
Last week we walked to a nearby greenhouse/market and came home with 8 lbs of freshly picked Honeycrisp apples (which were promptly eaten and turned into pie), and 5 ears of corn. I had a bag of small potatoes leftover from our last CSA pick up and decided to make a corn chowder. This is the perfect farewell to summer/welcome to fall soup.
5 ears corn, kernels cut off
7 or 8 small red potatoes, peeled and chopped or diced
1 small yellow onion, chopped or diced
1 to 2 T olive oil
Water
Whole milk, evaporated milk, half and half, or cream
1 to 3 t Chicken Better Than Bullion
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 huge and perfectly ripe heirloom tomato
Heat olive oil in a soup pot and saute onion with a bit of salt until tender. Add potatoes, bullion, and just cover with water and cook until potatoes are just tender. Add corn kernels and enough milk to give some creaminess and simmer until corn is warmed through. Remove a ladleful or two and puree in blender, then add back to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Serve soup topped with diced tomato. This just might be heaven in a bowl.
5 ears corn, kernels cut off
7 or 8 small red potatoes, peeled and chopped or diced
1 small yellow onion, chopped or diced
1 to 2 T olive oil
Water
Whole milk, evaporated milk, half and half, or cream
1 to 3 t Chicken Better Than Bullion
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 huge and perfectly ripe heirloom tomato
Heat olive oil in a soup pot and saute onion with a bit of salt until tender. Add potatoes, bullion, and just cover with water and cook until potatoes are just tender. Add corn kernels and enough milk to give some creaminess and simmer until corn is warmed through. Remove a ladleful or two and puree in blender, then add back to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Serve soup topped with diced tomato. This just might be heaven in a bowl.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Honey Caramel Cardamom Pears
I need to get one of the cookbooks I used from the library (or buy myself a copy) before I can post Peter and Heather's wedding cake recipe. So sorry for the delay.
In the meantime, get some pears and make these. Be sure to use the hazlenuts, all of the flavors work together perfectly.
You don't have to pay attention to the temperature. We kept our caramel at a low boil (not a simmer) and used the cold water test to gauge when it had reached soft ball stage. Just drop some caramel in a cup of ice cold water and if you can roll it into a ball with your fingers you are at the right temperature. Let the caramel cool before dipping your pears or it will slide off, make sure you used chilled pears, and after dippin roll in the crushed and toasted hazlenuts. Happy fall.
In the meantime, get some pears and make these. Be sure to use the hazlenuts, all of the flavors work together perfectly.
You don't have to pay attention to the temperature. We kept our caramel at a low boil (not a simmer) and used the cold water test to gauge when it had reached soft ball stage. Just drop some caramel in a cup of ice cold water and if you can roll it into a ball with your fingers you are at the right temperature. Let the caramel cool before dipping your pears or it will slide off, make sure you used chilled pears, and after dippin roll in the crushed and toasted hazlenuts. Happy fall.
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