Deglazing

BLAT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Salad is one of our favorite quick lunches.  Sometimes a nice hearty salad is all you need. Today I knew we were looking for a quick, yet delicious lunch.  The first thing that came to mind was a BLT salad from the Everyday Food cookbook, Fresh Flavor Fast.  I am big fan of all of the Everyday Food cookbooks.  The recipes are quick, easy, and most importantly delicious.  This recipe is quite easy to adapt to a variety of different tastes and diets.  The bacon can be swapped out for veggie bacon.  We like avocado, so I add a little of that too.  The real beauty of this recipe lies in the dressing.  It might sound odd a first, but trust me it works and it works perfectly.  The flavors balance out amazingly well.  Be sure to use a flavorful apple cider vinegar.  Trust me, it's the one thing that really matters in the dressing.   A poor flavored vinegar is going to stand out and not in a good way.  Speaking of good quality flavorful vinegars, I am in love with the line that Williams-Sonoma carries.  I particularly love the red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar that they carry.  I buy another brand for my balsamic, so I haven't tried their balsamic yet, but I am sure it's yummy. 

This salad packs a lot of flavor punch for relatively few calories.  Without the avocado and using non vegetarian bacon, it comes in around 375 calories per serving.  Now that's a BLT you can get behind. 

BLT Salad with Buttermilk Dressing (Everyday Food Fresh Flavor Fast)

Serves 4 as a main course

• 8 slices of veggie or regular bacon
• 1/2 baguette, sliced into 3/4 inch cubes
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. apple-cider vinegar
• 1 scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 pound romaine hearts, coarsely chopped
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 avocados, thinly sliced (optional, not included in the calorie count)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Arrange bacon in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake until browned and crisp, about 15 minutes.  (This is the method for standard bacon.  If you are using veggie bacon, I suggest pan frying it.)  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  Cool, then crumble into large pieces.
2. Meanwhile, make croutons:  Toss baguetter cubes into oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Spread into a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheets (or divide among two smaller ones).  Bake until golden brown, rotating sheets and tossing croutons halfway through, 15 to 20 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, and scallions; season with salt and pepper.  Add romaine, tomatoes, and croutons; toss to coat with dressing.  Sprinkle with bacon and serve immediately. 

A few bonus photos of the cat and the famous Bo pillow pet.

 

Old Fashioned Lunch Box Brownies

Brownies come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles.  Fudgy, cakey, dense, light, dark, sweet, bitter, you name it and there's a brownie recipe suited to your taste.  I am an equal opportunity brownie sampler.  I like it pretty much all.  I do, however, love the brownies with real melted chocolate the best.  There's something so much richer about the melted chocolate variety, that's not to say that cocoa powder brownies can't be amazing, but for the most bang for the buck you can't go wrong with melted chocolate.  These brownies have melted chocolate and chocolate chips.  Double the chocolate, double the fun.  I love walnuts in my brownies, so I added them.  If you love them too, then add 1 cup of chopped walnuts to your batter when you add the chocolate chips.  If you don't like walnuts, then feel free to omit them.  This recipe is the quintessential recipe for classic lunch box brownies.  You know the type your grandma probably made.  The tops get a nice crust and the middles are still nice and chewy.  The recipe makes a nice 13x9x2 pan of brownies, enough to feed a crowd.  I love to serve my brownies with a few fresh strawberries and a little whipped cream, although they are equally amazing with a little coffee or strawberry ice cream.

This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks.  I continually go back to this cookbook and find new inspiration.  It's the Bon Appetit Cookbook, the big orange one.  It has so many wonderful, classic recipes.  Some of my favorites include the chocolate chip-orange scones, the banana cream pancakes, and these brownies.  This cookbook has everything from appetizers to breakfast to lunch and dinner.  It's a wonderful book to have in your collection.  The other great thing about it is the price.  Since this ones been on the market for a few years now you can pick up a copy at many bookstores for $15 or less in the discount cookbook section.  

Chocolate Chip Fudge Brownies (From The Bon Appetit Cookbook)

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 4 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (about 6 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.  Butter 13x9x2 metal baking pan.  Stir 3/4 cup butter and unsweetened chocolate in heavy medium saucepan over medium low heat until melted and smooth.  Remove from the heat.  Whisk eggs and 1 3/4 cups sugar in large bowl until pale yellow and thick, about 3 minutes.  Gradually whisk in warm chocolate mixture.  Whisk in vanilla, then flour.  If necessary, cool batter to room temperature.  Mix in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake brownies until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs still attached, about 25 minutes.  Cool brownies completely in pan or rack.  (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.  Cover tightly and store at room temperature.)   Cut into squares.  Serve.

Baked Donuts–Great theory, Poor Practice

I have had a mini donut baking pan for sometime now.  It was something Tim saw and wanted to try, so I purchased it as a gift for him for Christmas one year.  And in my pantry it has sat for a long time until now.  It’s not that I haven’t thought about it, but, in all honesty, I love fried donuts.  I love trying fried donut recipes.  I am all for traditional techniques.  So what made me bring out the donut pan you wonder?  Well, it has nothing to do with wanting to be healthier or any of that.  It has everything to do with a little cookbook I got recently called So Sweet from the folks at Sur La Table.  I can’t tell you how much I love that title.  Isn’t that a cute title for a baking book?  Well, while I was perusing through the recipes I can across the donut section.  Much to my surprise this section was all baked recipes, not one of them fried.  Although I am pretty sure you could easily convert any of the recipes to fried with very little effort.  The recipe itself was quite standard for a cake donut.  The flavors were all there.  These could have been delicious little donuts, but the end result in the little nonstick pan were less than spectacular.  One of the things I love most about cake donuts is the browned outer shell.  These donuts did not even get close to that.  The flavors were excellent, but the little, flimsy nonstick pan just didn’t have the get up and go to bake the donuts properly.  I have been rethinking the technique and will probably try something new.  I will let you know if I find a way to make the pan work better or not.  Curiosity always gets the better of me. I am also going to see if I can’t find a cast iron version of this pan.  I think the cast irons ability to hold heat well may be the key to a nice browned crust.  I am still researching this one.  I will get back to you if I find anything interesting.

You could easily take this dough and do fried donuts.  Just allow the mixture to set in the fridge for 1 hour or so before you roll and cut the donuts and then fry as usual.  The dough itself has wonderful old-fashioned flavors.  I would skip the glaze in the recipe.  It’s simply not what I would consider a donut glaze.  You may want to try a more standard recipe glaze like the ones you can find in the Top Pot doughnut cookbook.  That seems like a lot of rambling, but here are the main points:

1. Skip the Norpro doughnut pan.  It’s flimsy and doesn’t have the get up and go to produce doughnuts that pass the test.
2. Use the dough recipe from the So Sweet Cookbook, but skip the glaze.  (I am going to give you the full recipe at the end of the post, but trust me on this one.)
3. If you want a really wonderful book with great recipes try the Top Pot book that just came out or Daniel Leader’s Simply Great Breads.
4. If you want to try this recipe consider doing a variation and making these doughnuts fried or be sure to have a nice heavy donut pan. 

Old Fashioned Spice Doughnuts (makes 9 large or 36 mini)

From So Sweet!

Doughnuts

• 6 Tbsps. (3/4 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 buttermilk

Glaze

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. salted butter melted
• 6 Tbsp. whole milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position an oven rack in the center.  Lightly coat the doughnut pans with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Make the doughnuts.  Put the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cram on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  With the machine running on low speed, add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice with a whisk.  With the machine running on low speed, add half the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Add the buttermilk and mix in, then add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Using a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round tip, divide the batter equally between the pans, filling approximately halfway full.  Alternatively, you can use a gallon sized resealable plastic storage bag.  Fill the bag and using scissors, remove 1/2 inch from on of the bottom corners and proceed filling the pans as described.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the doughnuts spring back when lightly touched.  Remove from the oven, invert the doughnuts onto a rack and allow to cool completely.
5. Warning, Warning, Warning ********** If you want to make this glaze I suggest cutting the liquid back to half the original recipe try 3 Tbsp. or less, that should make it more glaze like and less liquid like.  Make the glaze.  In a medium bowl combine the powdered sugar (I suggest sifting it before you use it, to remove any lumps), melted butter, and milk with a whisk, mixing until smooth; set aside.  Place the vanilla bean on a cutting board and spilt it in half lengthwise with a small paring knife. Using the dull side of the knife, gently scrape out the vanilla seeds from each half and add them to the glaze mixture, whisking until completely incorporated. 
6. Glaze the doughnuts.  Dip the top of each doughnut into the glaze and lift, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl.  Whisk the glaze from time to time to prevent a crust from forming.  Place the doughnuts on a platter and serve. 

Cranberries in Your Crisp? Most Definitely

I am a huge fan of crisps.  That’s probably pretty clear if you read my blog regularly.  In the fall it’s apple and pear, in the summer it’s peach/raspberry and mixed berry.  There’s something so comforting about a nice warm bowl of cooked fruit and a crunchy, crisp topping.  Crisps are a wonderful thing to learn if you are new to baking.  With a few simple modifications you can add a ton of recipes to your collection.  I hadn’t really thought much about cranberries in my apple crisp until I was looking through one of my favorite cookbooks, The Art and Soul of Baking.  For many years I have used the crisp topping in the apple cranberry crisp recipe, but not the filling.  Now that I have tried the filling I would definitely say it’s worth making.  The cranberries have a pleasant tartness that balances nicely with the sweet apple filling.  I love what Cindy Mushet said about crisp, I quote, “If this crisp were a person, it would be your best friend.”  That’s so very true.  Warm and comforting, just like a best friend.  I think that’s how I will refer to crisp from now on, your best friend dessert.  This recipe is super simple and serves 6 – 8 people, so it’s great for a dinner party or event. 

Apple Cranberry Crisp with Oatmeal Topping

(from The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet)

I absolutely love this cookbook.  If you love to bake, then I beg you to go and add it to your collection.  You won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned (or quick oats – don’t use instant though)
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup pecans (or walnuts), toasted and chopped

Filling

• 1 1/2 pounds firm, tart baking apples (like Granny Smith), peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
• 1 bag (12 ounces)cranberries, picked through, rinsed and patted dry
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch or tapioca flour, or 2 Tbsp. unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position oven rack in the center.
2. Make the topping:  Place the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of the stand mixer and mix on low speed until blended evenly, about 10 seconds.  Add the cold butter pieces and mix on low speed for 3 to 4 minutes.  At first the mixture will look dry, but eventually it will begin to look like wet sand, and finally it will form small clumps about the size of peas.  Add the nuts, if using, and mix for a few more seconds to evenly disperse them.
3. Make the filling:  In the large bowl, use the spatula to toss together the apple slices, cranberries, brown sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon until all the fruit is evenly coated.  Scrape into the baking dish (6 cup baking dish or 9 inch ceramic pie plate) and spread into an even layer.  Sprinkle the topping in an even layer over the fruit (do not press down).
4. Bake and Serve the Crisp:  You may want to place a baking sheet or a piece of foil under the crisp to catch any juices that may bubble over.  Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the topping is nicely browned and the fruit is bubbling and soft (the tip of a paring knife should easily slide in and out of the apple slices). 

 

Speaking of best friends, here’s a really cute photo of John.  She didn’t want me to move her tail out of the photo.  You should see the look I got from her when I tried to reshoot the photo.  She’s quite a little character.

And one final closing photo.  The fall tulips were in at the Whole Foods I just couldn’t resist them.  Aren’t they a beautiful color?  Gotta love fall!

Top Pot–Hand Forged Doughnuts, Oh Yeah!

 

Fall = Doughnuts.  That’s how I feel about it, anyway.  Doughnuts and Fall go together like candy and Halloween.  As soon as the temperature starts to cool down I can’t wait to start making doughnuts.  This week I came across a new doughnut cookbook from the Top Pot bakers.  Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts is going to be a treasure in my recipe collection, no doubt about that.  The first recipe we tried was a glazed pumpkin cake doughnut and it was nothing short of spectacular.  Lightly spiced, slightly sweet, with an incredible tender crumb, these doughnuts are excellent.  I know pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin -  is probably what you are thinking.  Is pumpkin the only thing I think about?  I do love pumpkin this time of the year and I am not afraid to use it in all sorts of baked goods.  I am also pretty sure that lots of people are interested in pumpkin baked goods this time of the year.  So, these doughnuts are for all the pumpkin freaks out there. (I am sure most of us are in the Northeast. ) The recipe says it makes 1 dozen doughnuts and holes.  I made a half batch without any trouble.  I wound up getting 9 doughnuts and holes. Cake doughnut dough tends to be quite sticky.  So don’t worry if your dough seems sticky, it’s all a part of the process.  Be sure to use quite a bit of flour when you work with these guys.  I find the easiest way to cut doughnuts is to spray my counter with a little vegetable spray and place a sheet of parchment on it.  I heavily flour the parchment and the cutter.  It helps with the clean up and it keeps the doughnuts from sticking to your sideboard, your hands, and everything else.  I noticed this recipe calls for a cooler oil temperature than I have seen in most other doughnut recipes.  The oil temperature is only 325 degrees F.  I found the temperature worked out beautifully.  The doughnuts browned slowly and had a nice even brown when all was said and done. 

I can’t wait to try the rest of the recipes.  I am pretty sure my next round is going to either be the Apple Fritters or the Boston Crème Doughnuts.  I have a long term love affair with all things Boston Crème or yeasted, so that might be the next one. 

Pumpkin Old-Fashioned Doughnuts (from Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts)

Makes 12 doughnuts and holes

For the Doughnuts

• 3 cups cake flour, plus more for rolling and cutting
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. iodized salt
• 3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. shortening/vegetable lard
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• Canola oil, for frying

For the Pumpkin Glaze

• 4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 tsp. light corn syrup
• 1/4 iodized salt
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup hot water

1. To make the doughnut dough:  Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice together into a medium bowl, and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the sugar and shortening for 1 minute on low speed, until sandy.  Add the egg yolks, then mix for 1 minute on medium speed, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary, until the mixture is light colored and thick.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three separate additions, alternating with the sour cream and pumpkin, mixing until just combined on low speed and scraping the sides of the bowl each time.  The dough will be sticky, like wet cookie/biscuit dough.
4. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap/cling film, for 45 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
5. Meanwhile, make the pumpkin glaze:  Place the confectioners sugar, corn syrup, salt, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin and vanilla in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  With the machine on medium speed, add the water in a slow, steady stream, and blend until all the sugar has been incorporated, scraping the bowl a few times if necessary.  Set aside.
6. Using a candy thermometer to measure the temperature, heat oil (at least 2 inches deep) in a deep fryer, large pot, or high-sided frying pan to 325 degrees F.  Roll out the chilled dough on a generously floured counter or cutting board to 1/2 inch thick, or about 8 inch in diameter, flouring the top of the dough and the rolling pin as necessary to prevent sticking.  Cut into as many doughnuts and holes as possible, dipping the cutter into the flour between each cut.  Fold and gently reroll the dough to make extra holes (working with floured hands makes the dough less sticky), and cut again.
7. Shake any excess flour off the doughnuts before carefully adding them to hot oil a few at a time, taking care not to crowd them.  Once the doughnuts float, fry for 15 seconds, then gently flip them.  Fry for 75 to 90 seconds, until golden brown and cracked, then flip and fry the first side again for 60 to 75 seconds, until golden.  Transfer to a rack set over paper towels/absorbent paper.
8. While the doughnuts are still quite hot, dip the side with the deepest cracks on each into the warm Pumpkin glaze.  Let dry on cooling racks, glazed side up for about 15 minutes. 

Spicy Cheddar Drop Biscuits

Tim and I are quite similar in our interests and tastes.  We both love being outside.  We love dessert.  We love the color blue.  We love to read.  We love museums and coffee shops.  There are very few things we don’t see eye to eye on.  Hot peppers is one of those things.  I absolutely love anything hot and spicy.  Tim, not so much.  When we first started dating he thought cracked black pepper was hot, but over the years his palate has come to accept some heat, but not too much.  I have to say I was bit surprised when I made a recipe for Spicy Cheddar Biscuits and Tim not only ate them, but kept going back for more.  He just loves these little beauties.  Maybe it has something to do with the 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese.  Who doesn’t love cheddar cheese?  The recipe comes from the original Baked cookbook.  The Baked folks call them Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits, if you want to look them up in the cookbook.  We’ve been eating them for a couple of years now.  It’s a nice little twist on a classic recipe.  This time of the year they are wonderful with soups and stews.  I particularly love them with corn chowder.  The heat balances out of the sweetness of the soup.  I make them with different variations now like cayenne pepper and smoked paprika (sometimes it’s hard to find dried chipotle powder).  I know Whole Foods carries chipotle powder, if you have trouble finding it.   

These biscuits cook up fast, but with the cheese and butter they can tend to leach out a little liquid.  Have no fear, it doesn’t affect the final product.  These biscuits are pretty quick and easy to put together and bake in a short 20 minutes.  The best thing about them is they don’t need to be rolled out.  They are drop biscuits. 

Chipotle Cheddar Biscuits (from Baked – New Frontiers in Baking)

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon chipotle powder
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 cups grated and tightly packed sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• Kosher salt for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pepper, chipotle powder, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and the 1 teaspoon of salt.

Add the butter and, using your hands or the back of a wooden spoon, work the butter into the dough.  The mixture should look like coarse sand.  Add the cheese and stir to thoroughly incorporate it into the dough.

In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg.  Add to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated.  Do not overmix.

Use a small ice cream scoop or a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the dough and drop it in mounds onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out clean.

Transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack.  The biscuits can be served slightly warm or at room temperature. 

Store biscuits in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Martha’s Cookies Cookbook – A Review and A Recipe

 

The Cookie cookbook is one I go to regularly for ideas and inspiration.  I really love the cookbooks from the folks at Martha Stewart.  Three of my favorite cookbooks in my collection are the Cookies, Cupcakes, and Pies & Tarts cookbooks from Martha.  These cookbooks are amazing resources for the those of us who love desserts.  Today I am going to talk in particular about the Cookies cookbook.  It’s the first of the series that I picked up quite some time ago and it’s an amazing resource.  The thing I like most about it is the layout.  There is a full color picture chart of each of the cookies at the beginning of the book.  Seeing the photos really helps in choosing the right cookie.(On a side note – if you have an Ipad, then you may want to check out the Cookie app from Martha.  It’s a beautiful version of this cookbook.)  The other thing I love is how the cookies are divided into categories including light and delicate, soft and chewy, crumbly and sandy, chunky and nutty, cakey and tender, crisp and crunchy, and rich and dense.  I think that breakdown covers all the varieties of cookie eaters there are in the world.  If you know you are making cookies for a soft and chewy freak, then hit that category when you pick out your recipe.  I have made a ton of the cookies in this book.  I love the rugelach, cappucino-chocolate bites, gingersnap-raspberry sandwiches, and the soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies, the beautiful little cookies you see at the top.  These cookies are the cookies you remember from childhood.  Soft, chewy, and rich with chocolate flavor.  The best thing about these cookies is you can freeze the extra cookies to bake off later.  Considering the recipe makes 3 dozen, it’s a good idea to freeze a few dozen for another time.  They can be baked straight from the freezer.  Just be sure to add a few extra minutes to the bake time to compensate for the freezing.  I prefer chopped chocolate chunks to chocolate chips, so I used 12 ounces of bar chocolate and chopped it myself.   I also can’t eat a chocolate chip cookie without walnuts, so I added a cup to the recipe. If you are one of those nuts in baking hating types, then first my apologies for including nuts in all sorts of my recipes and second, get over it, just omit them from the recipe if they make your skin crawl.  How’s that for being PC? Of course, you know I am joking.  I never understand why people complain about nuts being included in a recipe.  They are almost always optional.(You know minus walnut cake and things like that)

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Martha Stewart’s Cookies Cookbook

• Yield Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

2. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

3. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Oyster Crackers – Nothing Better in Chowder

There are very few famous people I secretly would love to meet.  The ones I tend to think of aren’t famous in the big celebrity way, but are famous for the amazing work they do.  If I told you most of them are chefs you probably wouldn’t be surprised.  There is one chef who stands out above all others for me.  I love his dedication to the craft.  I love his quest to simply do the best work with the best ingredients.  I love how relatable he is, even to us home cooks.  I love how humble he always comes across even though he’s a rock star.  Thomas Keller is not a mere mortal, he’s a god among chefs.  He’s my food hero.  I adore him for his work. His latest book Ad Hoc was an absolute must have in my collection.  When it came out you couldn’t get your hands on it, but now it’s pretty easy to find.  If you add it to your collection you won’t be disappointed.  It’s filled with wonderful down home style recipes and beautiful photos. 

One of my favorite recipes in this book is the “soup crackers” also known as oyster crackers in my neck of the woods.  Oyster crackers for chowder are a must have.  These delightful, little buttery, slightly saltly crackers are handed out with pretty much any soup you see at a restaurant in New England.  And it’s with good reason, they are the perfect match to a hot a bowl of soup.  A little burst of crunchy flavor with each spoonful of soup.  If you haven’t made crackers at home, you will be surprised at how quickly they come together.  It may just start you on a road to making all sorts of other crackers.  Crackers made at home are amazing.  The flavors are so much stronger.  The texture is so crispy.  If you are interested in trying crackers with a little stronger flavor, then I suggest giving ice box crackers a shot.  Here’s a link to an example.  You can change out the cheese to fit any flavors you like.  Parmesan and cheddar work nicely.  The cheddar tastes really good with a little cayenne mixed in.     

This recipe calls for a 3/4 inch fluted cutter.  It’s not something I have in either of my biscuit cutting sets, so I improvise.  The cap of a small water bottle works just fine.  I rinse and dry it and use it just like a cutter.  The toughest thing about these crackers is rolling them out.  If they aren’t thin enough, then the won’t be crunchy.  Too thin and the brown to quickly, so be sure to roll the dough out just as the recipe says.  A ruler helps out with measuring the thickness of the dough.  I also find the cooking time in the recipe is a little short, so it usually takes 12 minutes or so, but that may just be my oven, so be sure to check on them often.

Soup Crackers (from Ad Hoc at Home)

Makes about 200 crackers

• 1/4 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
• 3/4 tsp. active dry yeast (not quick rising)
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. unsalted butter (1 2/3 ounces), at room temperature
• ground fine fleur de sel or fine sea salt

Position the oven racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment or Silpat.

Combine the water and yeast in a small bowl.  Let stand for 10 minutes, then stir until the yeast is completely dissolved.  Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl.  Using a fork or your hands add the butter and yeast mixture and mix until the dough comes together.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured works surface and knead until completely smooth, about 10 minutes.  Shape the dough into a ball, put on a board, cover with a towel, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Lightly dust the work surface.  Cut the dough in half.  Put 1 piece of the dough on the surface and dust it lightly with flour.  Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough to just over 1/8 inch thick.  Transfer the dough to on of the baking sheets.  Repeat with the second piece of dough.

Put about 1/4 inch of flour in a small bowl.  Dip a fluted round 3/4 inch cutter in the flour and then cut out the crackers, reflouring the cutter each time.  Once all the crackers are cut, lift the excess dough of the pans. (Any remaining trimmings can be pushed together and rerolled once.

Using a pin or a cake tester, prick the top of each cracker in 3 to 5 spots.  Sprinkle the crackers with the fleur de sel.  Bake for about 10 minutes, until the crackers are crisp and golden brown.  Let cool on the pans on a cooling rack.  Store in an airtight containers for up to 2 weeks. 

Chocolate Walnut Biscotti – The Craft of Baking

First off just let me say how horrible I am at keeping book jackets for cookbooks.  I pretty much take them off as soon as I get the book and I have no idea where they go from there.  I am not even sure why cookbooks have book jackets.  They just seem to fall off.  But I digress, that little tale has nothing to do with today’s post.  Today’s post is about a wonderful cookbook and a fantastic biscotti recipe.  This cookbook was a random surprise from Tim and I have to say I love it.  I have had it for a while now, but I am just getting into cooking from it.  With all the summer heat my baking has slowed down to what feels like a snails pace.  And I am not so happy about that, but Fall is coming and that will all change real soon.  This week has been quite a bit cooler than usual for this time of the year and I have been taking it as a sign that I need to get back to work in the kitchen. 

Let’s start by talking about the cookbook itself.  The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco & Mindy Fox.  It’s a wonderful little tome of all things sweet or baked.  There’s everything from cookies and candies to frozen desserts.  I am so looking forward to making the pumpkin ice cream and gingerbread this fall.  They look amazing.  I love that this book has many of the classics we all crave like cobbler, ice cream, truffles, and cupcakes, but with little whimsy spins.  Instead of regular plain old marshmallows it’s coconut marshmallows,  instead of apple tatin it’s banana tatin, instead of lemon meringue pie it’s key lime meringue pie, well you get the picture.  The beauty of this style of recipe writing is you have the original recipe already if you just replace one or two ingredients.  The technique is the same.  So really it’s like getting multiple recipes in one.  I love that! 

Now the recipe.  Chocolate Walnut Biscotti, wow!  The real beauty of this recipe is the coffee extract recipe hidden inside these cookies.  The coffee extract heightens the chocolate flavor and adds a lovely back note.  The recipe is quite simple and standard.  The only problem I can see is how sticky this dough is.  Honestly, I have never seen such a sticky cookie dough.  Use flour, lots of flour and when you think you have enough use more.  The best way I found to shape them is to practically roll the dough in a pile of flour on a cutting board and then place it on the sheet pan where I wanted it.  I then covered my hands in flour and kept doing so as I shaped the logs.  Trust me, it doesn’t affect the end result, but makes your life so much easier.  The rest of the process was quite straight forward.  The cooking times were definitely accurate.  The end result was a delightfully crisp cookie with a rich chocolate flavor.  I am looking forward to using some of them in parfaits with coffee ice cream and mocha whipped cream.  I will share the end result with you.  One of the great things about biscotti is the ridiculously long shelf life, 3 weeks.  So you can make a batch and keep it around for quite some time. 

Chocolate Walnut Biscotti

From The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox

Makes about 3 dozen

• 1 cup walnut pieces, roughly chopped
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. kosher slat
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp. Coffee Extract (recipe follows)
• 3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet parchment paper.
2. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a second baking sheet.  Toast them in the oven, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and cool the sheet on a wire rack.  Keep the oven on.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, baking soda, and salt.  Beat on low speed until the ingredients are well combined and not butter pieces are visible, about 4 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, coffee extract, and vanilla.  Add the mixture to the flour mixture and beat on low speed to combine.  Add the cooled nuts and the chocolate chips, and beat just to combine.
5. Turn out the dough onto a generously floured work surface and divide it in half.  Shape each portion into a 16x2 inch log, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart.
6. Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the logs are firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.  Transfer the logs, still on the parchment paper, to a wire rack and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
7. Reduce the oven temp to 250 degrees F.
8. Transfer the warm logs to a cutting board.  Using a serrated knife, cut the logs on the diagonal into 1/3 inch thick slices.  Arrange the slices, cut side up, on the baking sheet.  Bake until the biscotti are dry and firm to the touch, about 1 hour.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the sheet of biscotti cool completely on the rack. 
9. The biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. 

 

Coffee Extract Recipe

• 1/4 cup hot water
• One 2 ounce jar instant espresso powder, like Medaglia D’Oro

Slowly stir the hot water directly into the jar of espresso powder.  Cover the jar with the lid, close the lid tightly, and shake well to combine.  Use immediately or keep in a dark cupboard at room temperature for up to 6 months.

Black Bean Salad

America’s Test Kitchen has become one of the most popular cooking shows in the last decade.  I enjoy the show, but I can see how the Chris Kimball may rub people the wrong way.  He’s a bit abrasive in ways and the militant way in which ATK guards their recipes and goes after bloggers for writing about them has created an interesting backlash against them.  I have to say I am not one of the bloggers who hates them.  I find their recipes interesting and the product testings are extremely helpful.  I figure if they don’t want me writing about their recipes that’s fine with me.  The staff at ATK has written a number of their own books beyond the show.  I particularly love Jack Bishop.  Jack has written a couple of really great cookbooks.  One of my favorites is A Year in the Vegetarian Kitchen.  Jack develops recipes that aren’t complicated and utilize the freshest ingredients.  I really love Jack’s approach to Mexican recipes.  The recipes are simple, fresh, and fast.  Case in point this Black Bean Salad.  I often use this salad as a topping on simple cheese quesadillas.  Hopefully, Jack isn’t as aggressive about his recipes.  I just don’t see that being part of his sweet demeanor. I hope that by highlighting recipes from really great cookbooks it will inspire you to go out and pick up a few to add to your collection. 

This recipe for black bean salad couldn’t be simpler.  You may even have the items on hand to make it right now.  The best thing about this recipe is how hardy it is.  Beans are a wonderful source of fiber and protein.  Using canned beans makes this recipe super quick.  I have to admit I am a sucker for anything with avocado.  I just love them.  That and hot peppers.  I seed mine for Tim (he’s not so big on the hot stuff), but feel free to leave them in if you really love the hot stuff.  Jack uses orange juice in his version of the recipe, but I really love lime, so that’s what I use.  If you like things smoky you can omit the jalapeno and mix in 1/2 to 1 whole chipotle pepper finely minced.  That will give you plenty of heat and smoke.  Feel free to mix in a little scallion or white onion finely minced. 

Black Bean Salad with Mexican Flavors

(Jack Bishop – A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen)

Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish

• 2 - 15 ounce cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium ripe tomato, cored and diced
• 1 medium avocado, halved, pitted, scooped from the skin and diced
• 2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
• 1 small jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and minced (or chipotle peppers if you prefer)
• 3 Tbsp. fresh orange juice (or lime if you prefer)
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• salt
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil (I omit the olive oil, but feel free to use it if you like)

1. Combine the beans, tomato, avocado, cilantro, and chile in a medium bowl.
2. Whisk the orange juice, cumin, and salt to taste together in a small bowl.  Whisk in oil.  Pour the dressing over the black bean salad and toss gently.  Adjust the seasonings, adding salt to taste, and serve.