Deglazing

Another Day, Another Potato Recipe

I like to think of myself as an equal opportunity vegetable eater.  I love them all.  Sprouts, sure thing.  Carrots, you bet.  Eggplant, keep it coming.  Even with all the vegetable love I notice there are certain vegetables that I make over and over again.  Potatoes, I’m talking about you.  I think it’s too bad potatoes got such a bum rap over the years.  Not all potatoes are French fries and not all starches should be banned from the planet.  Potatoes are delicious and Tim’s Irish ancestors couldn’t be wrong.  Potatoes are like a blank palette. You can flavor them in a million combinations and when you roast them in the oven the get a lovely crisp, brown exterior.  This recipe is about as easy as it gets.  We served them with a breakfast for dinner, but you could certainly use them with any variety of meat options, if you are so inclined.  These ones are flavored with garlic and shallots, but you could easily swap out the garlic oil for any flavored oil you like.  Unfortunately, potatoes aren’t the only ones with a bum rap, just look at poor garlic.  Garlic is delicious when it’s cooked down.  It goes from rough around the edges raw garlic to sweet and tender in a matter of minutes.  We could all learn something from garlic. 

I like to think of these potatoes as lazy man home fries.  No fuss, no muss.  No parboiling or pre-cooking of any sort.  It’s a chop and drop recipe and sometimes when you have a million things going at once it’s best to rely on chop and drop.  Keep in mind the oven is rocking for this recipe, so do keep an eye on the potatoes or they will go from beautiful and bronze to blackened and burnt. 

Garlic and Shallot Oven Roasted Potatoes (adapted from Cooking Light)

• 2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced or finely minced
• 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely minced (you can also use your favorite dried herbs here)
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, washed and cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
2. Combine garlic, shallots, rosemary (or dried herbs), and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook for 2 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.  Remove the garlic and shallots from the oil with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Drizzle the remaining oil over the potatoes in a large bowl, and toss to coat.  Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a nonstick aluminum foil lined sheet pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast at 475 degrees F for 30 minutes, flip the potatoes over halfway through cooking.  The potatoes should be golden brown.  Remove from the oven and toss with the remaining garlic and shallot mixture.  Makes 4 – 1 cup servings. 

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.

 

Mocha Monkey - A Different Kind of Smoothie

Tim and I love mocha drinks, desserts, snacks of any sort.  So when I went looking for interesting smoothie ideas and came across these mocha drinks at BHG I knew we had to try them.  It may just be me, but I can't in good conscience call these straight up mochas.  They have a banana in them and I can tell you bananas aren't part of the "normal" mocha equation.  So I decided I had to rename these smoothies and the name Mocha Monkey was born.  Honestly, no matter what you call them they are good.  It's a nice little dessert or a great post workout pick me up.  It's a nice way to incorporate a little chocolate into your day.  You could even call these grown up chocolate milks.  They couldn't be simpler to make.  It's a chopped, drop and blend recipe.  I think that's why most people enjoy smoothies.  Great flavor with little effort. 

Wow, I don't know about you but winter has finally set in here in Maine.  The snow certainly is beautiful.  I hear my friends in the Pacific Northwest are going to get a rare snow event this week.  If you are reading, Jay and Gretta, stay safe and enjoy the snow!  Hard to believe the first month of 2012 is half over already. 

Mocha Monkeys (Mocha Smoothies from Better Homes and Gardens)

ingredients

• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1 medium banana, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices, and frozen
• 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar or honey
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (I use a nice dark cocoa powder)
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee crystals (I like to use instant espresso powder here)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup small ice cubes or crushed ice

directions

1. In a blender combine milk, banana, sugar, cocoa powder, coffee crystals, and vanilla. Cover and blend until smooth. Add ice cubes. Cover and blend until nearly smooth.
2. Makes 2 servings

It's Like Cookies for Breakfast - Apple Oat Scones

 

If you visit this blog often you will see how much we love breakfast, especially on the weekends.  I like to make us a couple of latte drinks and something yummy to eat.  Speaking of yummy and eating here's a funny photo of John having breakfast this morning.

So back to breakfast.  This week I got my issue of Martha Stewart Living and I knew immediately we would be eating the apple and oat scones on page 26.  I love scones.  I love them all.  I also love oatmeal, so it only makes sense I would love these apple and oat scones.  I am not going to tell you these are overly healthy for you, but compared to a cream scone they are absolutely virtuous.  It's funny how comparisons can help human to rationalize and justify anything.  These scones are like having an apple cinnamon oatmeal cookie for breakfast.  A big warm and chewy breakfast cookie.  Now that's something I can get behind.  If you aren't bent on being virtuous for breakfast, then you could drizzle a little maple syrup glaze over them before serving. This recipe uses a standard scone making method.  Cut the butter into the dry ingredients and then mix in the buttermilk and apples into the dough.  Be sure to leave plenty of room between the scones.  They look quite small when you first cut them (2x2 inches) and the expand quite a bit.  In fact, it may surprise you how much they expand.  The other suggestion I have is to make sure you use a really sharp floured knife to cut the scones. 

Here's to cookies for breakfast and pretending to be virtuous even with 1 1/2 sticks of butter in 12 scones.

Apple and Oat Scones with Cinnamon and Nutmeg

(From Martha Stewart Living - Feb 2012 issue)

Makes 12 scones

• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 1/3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, pluse more for topping
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apple (2 apples cut into 1/4 inch cubes)
• 2/3 cup cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or rub in with your fingers. (The largest pieces should be the size of small peas.)  With your fingertips, flatten butter pieces into small disks.  Add apples and buttermilk, stirring until dough just comes together.
2. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface.  Pat dough into a 6 by 8 inch rectangle, and cut into twelve 2 by 2 inch squares with a floured knife.  Place about 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets.  Brush tops with buttermilk, and sprinkle with raw turbinado sugar and oats.  Bake until golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.  Let cool on sheets for 15 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  (Scones keep, wrapped in plastic, for 1 day)

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.

Chewy Molasses Cookies

I have never been considered superstitious.  I am not one to acknowledge lucky numbers or days or any of those sorts of things, but for some reason I have always loved repeating numbers.  Particularly 1’s.  I often look at the clock at the exact time of 11:11.  I am sure it’s some coincidence, but I can still appreciate the specialness of a day with all 1’s in it, like today.  11/11/11 – I love that!  This little rant has absolutely nothing to do with today’s post, but that’s okay not everything needs to be linked together even if the human mind tends toward links.  It’s one of the beautiful things about being human, the need to find patterns and connections.  I am sure it has to do with survival and speed and accuracy.  It’s easier to make snap assessments if you have a rapid connection.  But beyond that it speaks to the wonderfully strange and mysterious human mind. 

My mind often takes off with the slightest hint of a suggestion, especially when it comes to food.  I often find myself thinking about recipes for a long time after I see them.  It’s one of the reasons I have so many food magazines. I get tons and tons of ideas for them.  My mind reworks them over and over until I finally find myself standing in the kitchen next to my stand mixer.  It’s like the X-Files I am not sure how I got there, but there’s a pound of butter on the counter and the flour bucket is open and until the recipe is complete I can’t leave.  It’s a strange and magical connection.  Some days when I am in an absolute funk it’s the only thing I can do to work out of it. 

The other day I found myself in the cooking X-Files working out my molasses cookie demons.  I picked up a copy of Southern Lady Holidays 2011 and I couldn’t wait to try one of the recipes.  Years ago  I found an amazing recipe for chewy molasses cookies at the website of the now defunct Chow magazine.  I wrote it up on the now defunct deglazing and I summarily lost it when the hackers attacked.  I searched and searched for a counterpart for that recipe with little avail.  That is until I saw this recipe.  I knew if I slightly modified it I may be on to something.  So that’s just what I did.  The original recipe calls for all butter flavored shortening, but I knew I wanted my cookies to spread out so I used half butter and half shortening.  It allowed the cookies to spread out more and lead to a fantastically thin and chewy cookie, my favorite kind.  I love this recipe.  The slightly sugary exterior, the fantastically chewy centers, the heavy spices, what’s not to love.  These cookies are wonderful with a nice full pot of freshly brewed tea.  Be careful with this one, you may just find yourself in the middle of an X-Files like bake off.  If you wake up on the kitchen floor covered in flour with a nice stack of delicious, chewy molasses cookies, don’t blame me. 

Spiced Molasses Cookie (adapted from Southern Lady Holidays 2011)

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 Tbsp. shortening, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 finely ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat shortening, butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and light brown sugar at medium-high speed with an electric mixer for 4 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add molasses and vanilla, beating until combined.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. In  a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, allspice, pepper, and cinnamon.
4. Turn mixer speed to low; add flour mixture to molasses mixture in three batches, mixing well after each batch.  Remove dough from bowl; flatten into a disk.  Wrap with plastic wrap, and freeze for 20 minutes. 
5. Remove from freezer.  Divide the dough into 24 (1 inch balls).
6. Place remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl.  Roll the balls in sugar, coating completely.  Place the balls on prepared baking sheets at least 3 inches apart.  Using the bottom of a glass, flatten the cookies into 2 inch rounds.  Sprinkle with any remaining sugar.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Cool on pan for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

Pumpkin, Gingerbread Trifle

Yesterday I made gingerbread and I knew today I would make another dessert using it up.  I call this a trifle, although one could question if it actually classifies as one or not.  The traditional definition of trifle includes fruit.  So then the question is scientifically is pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable.  Most classify it as a fruit.  So, I guess I am within the guidelines on this one.  Anyway you look at it these are delicious.  The mixture of pumpkin, gingerbread, and maple whipped cream is a holiday triumvirate.  These would make a lovely addition to any holiday buffet.  You could assemble them a little early and have time to work on other things.  They look adorable in the small size, but this recipe could easily be made into a larger trifle.  From previous experience I know trifles impress.  People always love the combination of cake, pudding, and whipped cream.  Trifle is a homey desert.  The steps aren’t difficult and can be done ahead and assembled last minute.  The gingerbread cake can be made in advance like 1 or 2 days.  The pumpkin mousse can be made the day ahead.  Whipped cream is always best made last minute.  The pumpkin mousse is interesting.  It actually comes from an epicurious recipe that freezes it.  I figured it would work fine in the unfrozen state and it does.  It reminds me of pumpkin pie minus the crust.  The original recipe also has a few toffee pieces.  I think toffee pieces (or a little drizzle of caramel syrup) would be a great garnish on these little guys.  The mousse like most mousse recipes relies on a lot of whipping cream, so these little beauties are not low calorie by any means, but making them in the small serving sizes will make you feel better.(Just be sure not to eat  5 or 6.)  I used miniature dessert parfait glasses like these to assemble them.  To keep the mousse from making a mess as I assembled the parfaits I put it in a pastry bag with a round tip.  It was super easy to just squeeze out a little filling with the pastry bag and not make a mess. 

Here’s the recipe for the original pumpkin mousse over at Epicurious.  I prepared mine this way, but skipped the freezing step.  One note on the custard base for the recipe – it takes a little while to get the whipped cream, eggs, and sugar to thicken enough for this dessert.  The recipe says to not boil the base, so be sure to keep the temperature low.  My base actually took 15 minutes or so on medium low heat. 

Frozen Pumpkin Mousse with Walnut-Toffee Crunch

Bon Appétit | November 2004

Ingredients

Crunch

• Vegetable oil
• 1 cup walnut pieces (about 4 ounces)
• 2/3 cup toffee bits (such as Skor; about 3 1/2 ounces)
• 4 teaspoons (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Mousse

• 2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1 1/4 cups canned pure pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

• 4 cinnamon sticks

Preparation

For crunch:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil; brush generously with vegetable oil. Toss nuts, toffee bits, sugar, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add butter and toss to coat. Place mixture in center of prepared sheet; pat to single layer. Bake until toffee bits are soft (but retain shape), about 15 minutes. Cool crunch completely on sheet. Transfer to work surface; chop coarsely.

For mousse:
Whisk 3/4 cup whipping cream, sugar, and egg yolks in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Stir over medium-low heat until thickened to pudding consistency, about 10 minutes (do not boil). Transfer mixture to large bowl. Mix in pumpkin, rum, vanilla, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and allspice. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.

Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in another large bowl until cream holds peaks. Transfer 1/2 cup whipped cream to medium bowl for garnish; cover and chill. Fold remaining whipped cream into pumpkin mixture. Cover and refrigerate mousse at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

In each of 4 medium (10-ounce) goblets, layer 1/3 cup mousse and generous tablespoon crunch. Repeat 2 more times (some crunch may be left). If necessary, whisk reserved 1/2 cup whipped cream to soft peaks. Pipe or drop dollop of cream onto mousse in each goblet. Cover; freeze overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.) Garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Wonderful, Fluffy, Glazed Donuts–Top Pot Rocks!

A very wise person once told me to look at the donut and not the hole.  It was a delightfully, sweet way of telling me to focus on the good stuff.  Every time I make donuts I think of Tim’s grandpa and I smile.  He’s no longer with us, but his generous, sweet personality still is.  I see it every day in Tim.  This opening really doesn’t have much to do with my post today, but I implore you to look at the donut and not the hole.  It’s a nice little phrase to carry with you.

Food is love is another statement I always come back to.  Food isn’t about a recipe in particular, it’s about a memory.  It’s like a polaroid of a specific place or time in your life.  I have spent the better part of my adult life searching for recipes that remind me of my childhood.  My Dad’s favorite yeast rolls, Tim’s favorite cinnamon roll, Everyone’s favorite donuts.  Donuts are the one thing we could all agree on.  Big, pillowy, yeasty donuts with a light vanilla glaze.  It’s like magic when you finally find it.  The search is over and you have found that specific place and time.  It’s a delightful way to connect with your past.  Recently I have been searching for this donut recipe.  The one you see right at the top.  I tried a couple of different sources, but I couldn’t find it.  It stuck in my brain, like a splinter.  Over and over I played out this recipe.  When I made a sample batch I thought well, what’s missing here?  Many of the recipes I tried simply didn’t have enough rise.  The donuts didn’t puff up as nicely as the Top Pot ones.  I tried many decent recipes, but none that were the one.  This recipe was elusive and mysterious.  But Top Pot did it.  Maybe it was the ridiculously large amount of yeast that goes into the dough – 3 Tbsp. of yeast.  Yowza, that’s a lot of yeast, but it works and it works perfectly.  The Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts cookbook is something else.  Honestly, if you love donuts, then do yourself a favor and get this book.  I am so glad I did.  It’s a beautiful little tome of all things donut.  These guys certainly cracked the code on so many of the donuts from my childhood.  It’s an amazing little walk through nostalgia. 

The recipe is pretty straightforward, but be sure to be gentle with the donuts when you fry them.  They donuts puff up nicely in the final rise, but you can easily deflate them by man handling them.  I know you can see a few of my fingerprints in the final product.  I found using a thin metal spatula to move the donuts to the fry oil solved the problem.  The frying time was exactly as stated.  350 degrees F for 30 seconds per side was exactly right.  The glaze came together quickly.  The only thing I changed was adding a little vanilla bean to the glaze and a little cinnamon to the dough. 

These donuts are beyond amazing.  You won’t be disappointed if you like yeast donuts.  This recipe is a thing of beauty, no doubt about that!

Top Pot’s Raised Glazed Ring Doughnuts

Makes 12 – more if rerolled (plus holes)

For Donuts

• 3 Tbsp. (four 1/4 ounce packets) dry yeast
• 1 cup very warm water (about 105 degrees F)
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 Tbsp.
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground mace
• 2 tsp. iodized salt
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling and cutting
• 1/4 cup shortening/vegetable lard
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Whisk the yeast, water, and 1 Tbsp. of the sugar together in the work bowl of a standing mixer and set aside for 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, mace, and salt, and 4 cups bread flour.  Set aside.
3. Add the shortening, egg yolks, and vanilla to the foaming yeast mixture.  Mix with the paddle attachment on low speed for 1 minute to break up the shortening.  Add about a third of the dry ingredients and mix until blended on low speed, then repeat with the second third of the dry ingredients.
4. Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until no white spots remain each time, adding additional flour as necessary, until the dough is dry enough to clean the bottom of the bowl.  Increase the speed to medium and knead for 2 more minutes. (It should be smooth like bread dough, but still a bit tacky.)
5. Transfer  the dough to a baking sheet sprinkled with 1 Tbsp. flour, shape into a flat disk 6 inches in diameter, dust lightly with flour, cover with a dish towel and set aside.
6. Create a proofing box in your oven:  Bring a large kettle of water to a boil.  Pour 8 cups of boiling water into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, and set it on the flour of the oven, close the door, and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 
7. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll into a roughly 12 inch circle, about 1/2 inch thick, with a lightly floured rolling pin.  Cut into 12 doughnuts, flouring the cutter before each cut.  (Reroll the dough for additional doughnuts.)  Gently transfer the doughnuts (and holes) to two baking sheets sprinkled with 2 Tbsp. flour each, arranging them at least 2 inches apart and let rise in the oven (with new boiling water), uncovered, for another 30 to 45 minutes, until doubled in size.
8. Using a candy thermometer to measure temperature, heat oil (at least 2 inches deep) in a deep fryer, large pot, or high sided frying pan over medium heat to 350 degrees F.  When the doughnuts have double, carefully place a few in the oil, taking care not to overcrowd them, and fry for about 30 seconds.(Note the doughnuts will look more brown when they’re done than they do in the oil.)  Carefully turn the doughnuts and fry for another 20 to 30 seconds, until golden on the second side, then transfer to a cooling rack set over a layer or paper towels, rounded side up.
9. While the doughnuts are still very warm, dip the rounded side of each into the warm glaze.  Let dry on the cooling racks, glazed side up, for 10 to 15 minutes.

For Glaze

• 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 tsp. light corn sugar
• 1/4 tsp. iodized salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. hot water, more if needed

1. Place the confectioners, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and hot water in a large mixing bowl or in the work bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Using a whisk, or with the machine on low speed, blend until the mixture is smooth and all of the sugar has been incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary.  If the glaze seems too thick, add more hot water, a teaspoon at a time.
2. To glaze, dip one side of each hot doughnut into the warm glaze, and let dry for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Life is Good–Pumpkin Whoopie Pies w/ Chocolate Filling

Recently I have been getting traffic from a random Facebook posting. I don’t use Facebook, but thanks to those of you who do and link to my stuff. The traffic has been for an apple whoopie pie recipe from BHG. It’s a wonderful recipe and a great fall treat. I hope those you who do make the recipe enjoy them. Tonight’s recipe is for those of us who can’t get enough whoopie pies. I came across a recipe for pumpkin whoopies with a chocolate filling in the latest issue of Everyday Food. These little beauties were as wonderful as they sounded. The cakes are quite thick though, so be sure to spread out the batter a little when you get them on the pan. I hadn’t ever really thought of a chocolate filling for my pumpkin whoopie pies, but I can honestly say I don’t know why the heck not. The filling was excellent. I am sure I will use it for other recipes beyond these little pies. These are certainly not low fat or all that healthy with 450 or so calories per pie, but all treats in moderation is my philosophy. Is life really worth living without dessert for the rest of your days? Besides, I recently read an article that said people who like sweets are generally “sweeter” or nicer than no sweet loving types. I am not sure how scientific these finding are, but the point is it’s okay to be a sweetie every now and again.

Pumpkin-Chocolate Whoopie Pies (Makes 10 pies) Everyday Food Nov 2011

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/4 cup room temperature
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, melted butter (1/3 cup), and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and whisk just until combined.
2. Drop dough in 2 Tbsp. mounds, 1 inch apart, onto two parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until tops of cookies spring back when gently pressed, about 14 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.
3. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat room temperature butter (1/4 cup), 1/2 cup cream, cocoa powder, and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high until fluffy, 2 minutes. Spread filling on flat side of half the cookies; sandwich with remaining cookies. To serve, dust with confectioners’ sugar.

I am still working feverishly on the REMV application. Tonight’s dinner was for the application and it was wonderful. It’s a recipe for veggie pot pie with sweet potato biscuit topping. I just love pot pies and shepherds pies, but often as a vegetarian they can be hard to find. It’s a nice thing to do for any vegetarian friends you may have coming over for the holidays. I am hoping to finish up all my REMV stuff this week some time and get back to business for the holidays. I will be blogging over at REMV during the next month or so. If you enjoy reading deglazing, you may enjoy the new space. It’s going to be a little more food geek, but that’s fun too, right?

Random Thoughts and A Recipe

Once a year in the Fall I make a run to my favorite kitchen stores in southern Maine and New Hampshire.  It’s a great time to pick up stuff for holiday entertaining.  One of my favorite places to visit is a great little store in Newington, NH called Kitchen & Company.  This place has it all.  I love going in and looking at all the great stuff they carry.  It’s the kind of place a cook could get lost in.  They carry everything including All Clad pans, Wusthof knives, a huge selection of K-cups, Stonewall Kitchen products, dishware, glasses, and serveware that will make your heart sing.  I knew on my recent trip I needed things to finish off my dining area, so I went in with a list and came out a very happy girl.  One of the best finds I picked up were these thermal pump pots for $25 each.  I love having these for parties.  It’s nice to be able to set up the drinks before hand and have everyone serve themselves.  I couldn’t resist these ones.  Here’s a link to something similar over at amazon.com.  They even have little turn dials on the top to let guest know what’s in each pot.  I am from a family of heavy coffee drinkers.  We used one of these pots just this weekend to keep coffee flowing. I am more of a tea drinker, so I also picked up a pump pot just for tea water.  I may have to get another one for cream.  I just love them.  They really do keep the coffee tasting fresh and hot for quite some time.  As you can see I am definitely gearing up for the holidays.  Can’t wait!

Yesterday was grocery day and thus time to clean out the fridge.  I usually try to use up all the old stuff when we get home from the store.  That meant making applesauce and zucchini bread this week.  Applesauce is one of my all time favorite things from childhood.  My parents joke that I would take applesauce over candy any day as a kid and I think that’s still true today.  I am partial to Macintosh apples being from New England and all.  They were my childhood favorite and still are.  I had a bag of Macs hanging out in the fridge, so applesauce was on the menu.  This applesauce is a little fancier than usual, but wonderfully different from the stuff you get at the store.  It couldn’t be simpler to make and the flavors are phenomenal.  Tim’s not an applesauce guy, but he loves this stuff.  It’s like apple pie without the crust.  The secret ingredients are half a vanilla bean split and 2 cinnamon sticks.  Vanilla bean may sound a little decadent in an applesauce, but trust me on this one, you won’t be disappointed.

Vanilla, Cinnamon Applesauce

• 5 lbs. Macintosh apples, peeled cored and chopped in quarters
• 1 cup water with the juice on two lemons (you may need up to 1 1/2 cups, if you sauce starts to stick to the pan add a little more water)
• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 1/2 a vanilla bean, split to remove the seeds, add the pod and seeds to the pot
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

1. Add the water and lemon juice to a large pot.  Drop the apple chunks in the water and turn them. (To keep them from browning as you work)  Once all of the apples are in the pot add the cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean, and granulated sugar.  Turn the stove on medium high heat.  Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 – 35 minutes or until the apples are cooked and the mixture looks like applesauce.  Remove the spent vanilla bean and the cinnamon sticks.  You can leave a few chunks in the sauce or use a potato masher to make it perfectly smooth.  Cool, cover and refrigerate.