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Daring Bakers: Apple Strudel

Published
by
jillian
on May 27, 2009
in Dessert and Recipes
. 23 Comments

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

I always love when the Daring Baker’s challenge is something that I have never made.  It is even better when it is something that I know I will make again.  This dough is really fun to work with and roll out.  It didn’t fall apart even when stretched paper thin.  I stuck really close to the recipe and only changed cranberries for raisins and added extra cinnamon and orange zest.  The result wasn’t beautiful, but it was really delicious.  I look forward to experimenting with this dough in the very near future.  Check out some out the other Daring Baker creations here at the beautiful new site!

Thanks to Courtney and Linda for hosting this month’s challenge!

Continue reading ‘Daring Bakers: Apple Strudel’

Strawberry Galette

Published
by
jillian
on May 19, 2009
in Dessert and Recipes
. 7 Comments

I recently took a break from blogging, but really it was a break from cooking anything remotely interesting.  When I feel like I am being swallowed whole by work and life in general, I just want to eat peanut butter and jelly, pasta and grilled cheese.  This past weekend, I decided it was time to bake something a little special.  I love free form tarts.  They are really easy to make and take a lot less effort than a pie.  I rolled this out and baked it on floured parchment so I wouldn’t have to worry abut transferring it.  I added a little orange zest and a little sugar to bring out the flavor of the strawberries.

Ingredients

1 pie crust (I used Martha Stewart’s pate brisee)

3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp corn starch

1/2 tsp orange zest

1 egg and splash of water for egg wash

1 tbsp orange marmalade

Toss the sliced strawberries in one tsp of sugar, zest and corn starch. Set aside.  Roll out the  dough into a circle about a 1/4 thick.  Arrange the strawberries in a circle leaving a 1 inch border. Pinch the sides over to seal the edges and brush with egg wash. Top the whole tart with the remaining tsp of sugar.  Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour and raise to 375 for additional 15 minutes or until the crust has lightly browned.  Allow the tart to cool.  Heat the marmalade and brush over the top of the strawberries for a glossy finish.

Homemade Mozzarella

Published
by
jillian
on April 1, 2009
in Journal
. 15 Comments

I have been wanting to make cheese at home since…well, forever.  It has always seemed kind of impossible.   When I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingslover, her family describes making fresh mozzarella as being relatively easy.  Earlier this year I read a post over at A Good Appetite about making mozzarella with success.  I decided it was finally time to order a kit from The New England Cheesemaking Company and give it a go.  I read the directions about six times and had assistance from J and my mother in law stopped by to check it out.  It really wasn’t difficult, and it is kind of like making candy in that once you have done it and know what you are looking for things get easier.  I didn’t take pictures of the process this time.  Basically, it involves heating the milk with rennet and citric acid.  You allow it to stand, cutting the curds, heating and stretching the curds into cheese.  I heated the curds in the microwave and I think the heat was really uneven.  It was the only step that gave me a little trouble.  I plan to heat it on the stove in a water bath next time.  Next time, I will probably make it into a rounder ball.

We ate some of our precious homemade cheese plain with a bit of salt and melted the rest over some pasta with roasted red pepper tomato sauce.  The cheese was really good and tasted like something we would buy, which in this case was the idea.  I was ridiculously proud of myself for finally taking the first step in learning to make cheese.  It reminded me of a scene in the movie What about Bob?  when Bob goes sailing and can’t contain his over the top enthusiasm.  I wanted to run around town telling everyone I made cheese!

Daring Bakers:Lasagne of Emilia Romagna

Published
by
jillian
on March 29, 2009
in Dinner and Recipes
. 10 Comments

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

I was expecting something sweet for this month’s Daring Bakers, and I have to admit that I put off making this lasagna until the last possible moment.  Between being overloaded with work, going to conferences and reading the Twilight books, my free time has been  pretty limited.  I wasn’t in the mood for meat and I decided to make a mushroom ‘ragu’.  I am always in the mood for mushrooms.  Shitake mushrooms have become on of my favorite things over the last year.  I thought that the mushrooms went really well with the delicate spinach pasta.  I used a pasta machine, and found this dough to be really easy to roll out.  My husband helped, and we had long green noodles draped over the kitchen drying.  It looked a little nuts like green snakeskins…yum.  The whole project was well worth it.  In the end, this was a really delicious dish that I will make again.

Thanks so much to this month’s hosts: Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande! You can find the complete recipe for the pasta and lasagne assembling on their blogs.  Check out the other Daring Bakers’ creations on the fabulous brand new site or the blogroll!

Mushroom Ragu
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups diced portobello mushrooms
3 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
3 cups sliced button mushrooms
1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground pepper
1/4  tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 cup whole milk

Saute the mushrooms in the olive oil.  Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Add the spices, tomatoes and milk and bring to a low simmer, partially covered for at least an hour.

Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

Published
by
jillian
on March 19, 2009
in Breakfast and Recipes
. 4 Comments

I have made many different kinds of blueberry muffins, but I think that this recipe is my new favorite.  Muffins, particularly whole grain muffins, have a tendency to disappoint.  The buttermilk really adds a lot to the flavor and texture.  They rose higher than expected and were delicate and light.  From what I understand, the acid in the buttermilk gives the baking power an extra boost.  I used frozen blueberries in these.  I usually buy organic frozen fruit, but lately I has been buying Dole.  The fruit is perfectly shaped (I’m guessing from being flash frozen) and surprisingly good.

I served these on this really cute cake stand.  Apparently, my mom got it at her bridal shower in the late seventies.  I don’t imagine  it was ever her taste.  I hadn’t seen it until we did a final cleaning of my parent’s house after it sold.  It was like finding a little gem, and I immediately put it in my ‘keep pile’.  The plate has these really cheerful spring bright spring flowers on it.  I just love it.

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins
from the Joy of Baking with my notes in parentheses

2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour (I used 2 cups white whole wheat and 1/2 AP)
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
(I added 1/4 tsp of cinnamon)
Zest of one orange (I used zest of 1/2 a lemon)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk (I used 1 cup for extra moisture with the whole wheat flour)
2/3 cup (160 ml) safflower or canola oil (I used a light olive)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups of blueberries (do not thaw if frozen)

Preheat the oven to 375. Mix the wet ingredients together, including the zest. Sift the dry ingredients together and stir in the sugar. Mix the wet and dry together and carefully fold in the blueberries. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. This will make 12 muffins.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Published
by
jillian
on March 10, 2009
in Dessert and Recipes
. 12 Comments

I just love this recipe, and I have made it many times, probably more than any other cake.  It is a surprisingly light recipe from the venerable Ina Garten.  I have made this cake into tiny muffins, loaves, and baked it in a tube pan as seen here.  Although I recently posted an orange poppy seed version, I realized I have never posted the classic lemon.  I don’t always glaze this cake as it is plenty good without it and sometimes I don’t want the extra sugar.  If I do use a glaze, I usually just use one of the two recommended.  I have found that I can use some whole grain flour in this (usually white whole wheat) and it doesn’t affect the delicate crumb.  Whenever I use whole grain flour in cakes, I try to double sift it.  I find it makes a noticeable difference in the texture.  Although it is far from raspberry season around here, I couldn’t resist these berries.  I love raspberries and lemon together, but this would be equally good with blueberries or blackberries.

Lemon Yogurt Cake
By Ina Garten, Recipe from The Food Network, My changes are noted below
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used half white whole wheat flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (I used lowfat)
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided (I usually use ¾ cup of sugar in the cake)
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I also used 1/2 tsp of vanilla bean paste)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup confectioners’ sugar (I only use about ½ a cup)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.
For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Published
by
jillian
on March 8, 2009
in Dinner and Recipes
. 9 Comments

Today was pretty much the ideal early spring day. It is hard to believe that I made this sauce when we were completely snowed in less than a week ago. I wanted to make something that could simmer on the stove for a few hours while we both worked from home. I love feeling of being snowed in and knowing that things are moving more slowly outside, if only for a day.
I had most of the ingredients, with a few changes, for a somewhat traditional Bolognese sauce. I used bison meat because I always have some in the freezer and whole grain pasta. Mario Batali’s recipe served as an inspiration. I wasn’t originally going to add bacon to this, but I only had about a tablespoon of olive oil and needed more fat. In the end, I really loved the subtle smokiness that the bacon added. This was a really great hearty sauce. Perfect for what may be the last wintery for day for awhile.

Spaghetti with Bison Bolognese
Inspired by Mario Batali’s Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 chopped carrots
4 celery stalks, chopped
4 slices of bacon. finely chopped
1 pound ground bison meat
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp oregano
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 28oz can pureed tomatoes
½ cup water
1 cup lowfat milk

Heat the olive oil and add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook for about five minutes and add the bacon. Cook until most of the bacon fat has rendered out of the meat. Add the bison meat. When the meat is almost completely cooked through add the garlic and cook for about a minute more. Add oregano, red pepper, salt and black pepper and can on tomatoes. Stir to combine and add additional ½ cup of water and cup of milk. Simmer covered on low for at least 2 hours.

festaitaliana.jpg

I am just under the wire in sending this dish over to the Second Annual Festa Italiana hosted by of the Marie of Proud Italian Cook and Mary Ann of Finding La Dolce Vida.  They have already posted some amazing Italian dishes that you can check out here and here!  

Carrot Cake Cookies

Published
by
jillian
on March 4, 2009
in Cookies, Dessert and Recipes
. 14 Comments

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is definitely one of my favorite desserts of all time.  These cookies are a great variation on the classic.  The texture had a really pleasant chewiness, and they were still pretty cake-like despite being a bit flat.  I had high hopes for these, and they didn’t disappoint.  I made my cookies a little smaller than the 1/2 ounce suggested in the original Martha Stewart recipe and put a little over a teaspoon of cream cheese frosting between each cookie.  I think that bite sized mini versions of this cookie would also work well.

Carrot Cake Cookies
Adapted from this Martha Stewart Recipe
Ingredients
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¾ cup finely grated carrots
1/3 cup cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugars and butter; beat until light and fluffy, Add eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Gradually add flour to butter mixture; mix on a low speed until just blended. Mix in oats, carrots, and cranberries. Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.
Using a 2 teaspoon  scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Transfer to oven, and bake until browned and crisped, rotating pan halfway through baking to ensure even color, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat baking process with remaining dough. Once completely cooled, sandwich with desired amount of frosting. This makes about 15 sandwiches.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Daring Bakers: Chocolate Valentino and Pomegranate Ice Cream

Published
by
jillian
on February 28, 2009
in Dessert
. 36 Comments


This is one rich and chocolatety cake.  Not only does this recipe not call for flour, it doesn’t call for sugar.  The only three ingredients are semisweet chocolate, eggs and butter.  Honestly, this wasn’t really my kind of cake. The texture and the extreme chocolateyness were a bit much for my tastes.  However, other chocolate cake lovers enjoyed it just fine.  My sister-in-law doesn’t think that a ‘too chocolatey’ cake exists.  I made a pomegranate ice cream to balance the heaviness of the cake with some fruitiness.  I also made some tuiles for decoration.  Yes, I am the kind of dork who pipes her husband’s name in chocolate.  It’s okay, you can judge me. :) I enjoyed making this an over the top Valentine’s day themed dessert.

Although I thought the tuiles would be purely decorative, they were actually really delicious and stayed very crisp.  I made savory tuiles last month that didn’t hold up as well.  I asked J’s cousin, who happened to be over while I was making this, to draw me something interesting.  He chose to draw a Spring/Easter inspired dove.  Thanks Chris! I really like how they came out; although, it may look a little like there is a dead bird in my ice cream… Overall, the crisp tuiles, fruity ice cream and rich cake went quite well together.

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE’s blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

Thanks to both of you for hosting this month’s challenge! Check out the other Daring Bakers’ confections on the Blogroll.

Chocolate Valentino by Chef Wan
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

The recipe for Nigella Lawson’s No-Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream can be found here.

Continue reading ‘Daring Bakers: Chocolate Valentino and Pomegranate Ice Cream’

Pizza with Goat Cheese, Arugula and Prosciutto

Published
by
jillian
on February 22, 2009
in Dinner, Lunch and Recipes
. 6 Comments

I have made many loaves of no knead bread and decided it was time to try no knead pizza dough.  The concept and the method are pretty much the same.  Shaping a blob of wet dough into a pizza shape is a little more challenging than dropping into a pot.  I followed the great step by step instruction at Bakers Banter that advised pre-baking the dough.  I had a few air pockets that I had to pop.  J was laughing as I appeared to be beating the pizza back into the oven and into submission.  I put a lot of toppings on this, but trust me this works.

Here what’s on the pizza:
Black Mission Fig Jam
Caramelized Balsamic Onions (2 sliced onions, cook over medium low heat with a tbs of olive oil until the onions soften and darken slightly, add 1 clove chopped garlic and 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, cook for 1 minute and cool)
Goat Cheese
Arugula Salad (2 cups of arugula, 1 tbsp freh lemon juice, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 kosher salt, 1/4 tsp ground pepper)
Prosciutto di Parma (1/4 pound thinly sliced, You only need a little so buy the good stuff.)

For the first layer,  I spread the fig jam in a thin layer like a sauce.  On top of the jam, I added the balsamic caramelized onions and goat cheese.  I put a small amount of the lightly dressed arugula on each slice and draped the prosciutto over the top.  In one bite, you get the sweetness of the bottom layer, the crispy acidity of the arugula and the mellow savory prosciutto.  It’s a lot of flavor, but it’s the right flavors.

The original recipe from  Jim Lahey for No Knead Pizza Dough can be found here.  I used half white whole wheat flour without any issues.