BLOOD ORANGE & CRANBERRY MINI-CAKES

Posted in Cake by sallybr

Some say these would be more appropriate for winter, but I will respectfully disagree… too adorable to restrict to a single season… Very easy to make, the mini format is impossible to resist.

BLOOD ORANGE AND CRANBERRY MINI-CAKES
(adpated from several sources)

for the mini-cakes:
130g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
57g butter, softened (4 tablespoons) tablespoons
100g granulated sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon blood orange zest
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup dried cranberries, cut in pieces

for the icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons blood orange juice
sprinkles

Heat oven to 325F.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Reserve.

Cream the butter with sugar in a KitchenAid type mixer. Add egg and zest. Add 1/3 flour mixture, half of the milk, 1/3 flour, the rest of the milk, and end with the final third of the flour. Mix well to incorporate. Fold the cranberries, add batter to mini-cake pan, bake for about 13 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for minutes in pan, and invert on a rack. Make the icing by whisking all ingredients, if you want stronger color, add a tiny drop of pink food gel. Cover cooled cakes with icing, add sprinkles while still wet.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These are soft, sweet and tangy at the same time. Two little bites of heaven, covered with the blood orange icing that, together with sprinkles make them all so festive. I suppose you could use raisins instead, but cranberries are perfect in this setting.

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25Mar2023

ALMOND FLOUR SOURDOUGH

Posted in Breads by sallybr

No, this is not a gluten-free bread, it is a regular sourdough with a small amount of almond flour (natural kind, with skin on during processing). You won’t be able to tell exactly what is in it, but the almond gives it a nice flavor component.

ALMOND FLOUR SOURDOUGH
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

470g bread flour
30g almond flour
20g spelt flour
10g salt
365g water
80g sourdough starter at 100% hydration
tapioca flour for dusting dough

Make the levain mixture about 6 hours before you plan to mix the dough. It should be very bubbly and active.

When you are ready to make the final dough, place the water in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer and dissolve the starter in it, mixing with a spatula briefly, then add the three types of flour, and the salt. Turn the mixer on with the hook attachment and knead the dough for 4 minutes at low-speed all the time. If the dough is too sticky, add 1/4 cup bread flour, you want the dough to start clearing the sides of the bowl, but still be sticky at the bottom.

Remove from the machine, and transfer to a container lightly coated with oil, cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow it to ferment for 4 hours, folding every 45 minutes or so. After four hours bulk fermentation, shape the dough as a ball, and place, seam side up, in a lightly floured banetton. Leave at room temperature one hour, and then place in the fridge overnight, from 8 to 12 hours.

Next morning, heat the oven to 450F. Invert the dough over parchment paper, dust with tapioca flour and slash with a new razor blade, in any pattern you like.

Bake at 450F for 45 minutes, preferably covered for the first 30 minutes to retain steam. Cool completely over a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I went a little blade-crazy with the scoring, using my new blade, this beauty with the logo of my dear friend Elaine, Foodbod Sourdough. Click here to get yours. The square cuts I made with small scissors, the same I use for cutting piping tips, very small blade.

A delicious bread, with a slightly softer crumb, as the almond flour contributes some fat and helps retain moisture.

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20Mar2023

CHOCOLATE-COVERED OREOS

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

I am slightly obsessed with these. So. Many. Possibilities. I will have to disappoint the purists, though. I do not use high-quality chocolate to make them, I go with compound chocolate. Go ahead, twist your nose, but I have to be mindful of my baking budget. Feel free to splurge and temper chocolate if you prefer.

To make them you will need the appropriate molds. Go to online sources such as amazon or etsy and search for molds for chocolate covered Oreos. I will share links to the specific ones I used, but there are countless possibilities out there. Then, you need your choice of dark or white compound chocolate (about 250g for a mold of 6 cookies). A touch of coconut oil, maybe 1 teaspoon. And the items to decorate: oil-soluble food dye, luster powder, or chocolate transfer sheets.

VERSION #1

CHERRY BLOSSOMS ON WHITE CHOCOLATE

Mold used can be found here. To decorate this set, I used chocolate transfer sheets that I bought a couple of years ago (!!!!). Simply cut them to fit the bottom of the mold, making sure the transfer motif is up, so it will be in contact with the warm chocolate. Pour the melted white chocolate and pour about halfway up. Place an Oreo cookie inside, and add chocolate to cover. Tap a little bit to force air bubbles up, smooth the top (which will be the bottom of the enrobed cookie), and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You can also freeze for about 10 minutes. They should come out very easily.

VERSION #2

DARK CHOCOLATE ON FLOWER MOLD

Mold used for this set can be found here. Same method as the previous one, except that the gold decoration was achieved by painting the bottom of the mold with luster powder (as a powder, no vodka needed). A little bit goes a long way, next time I will use less. They also look nice left plain.

VERSION #3

WHITE CHOCOLATE WITH PINK AND GOLD

For the molds, follow this and this link. A small portion of melted chocolate-coconut oil was dyed with fat-soluble red dye (a very small amount, to get a pink tone), and used to paint the bottom of the mold. Then the rest of the melted chocolate was poured normally on top, cookie added, and topped to close with more chocolate. Details with gold were painted after unfolding. The White poinsettias were dusted with dry gold powder, the heart was painted with gold + vodka.

Since there is not need to temper chocolate, these are incredibly easy and quick to make. You can make a batch of 6 or 12 in 45 minutes, including cooling time. They would be a ton of fun to make with kids too, so consider that option for a fun weekend…

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16Mar2023

AIR-FRYER CORN RIBS

Posted in Air-Frying, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Note added after publication: I now tried the air-frying with whole corn cobs, and it worked great also! So if you are afraid to cut the cobs (I don’t blame you), go ahead and try it this way. I rubbed the cobs with the seasoned oil, placed at 390F for 16 minutes, turning them around every once in a while. Perfect! Not as cute as the ribs, but definitely safer.

Apparently this recipe went viral on TikTok. I can understand why – it is unusual, cute, and dangerously addictive. However, in my humble opinion, the videos showing how they prep the corn are misleading. It is a dangerous maneuver, and not at all easy to do. I modified the technique by microwaving the corn before cutting it into “ribs”. It did not harm the final product and made a very tricky step a little more user-friendly.

AIR-FRYER CORN RIBS
(adapted from several online sources)

3 ears of corn
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp Southwest spices
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
salt to taste
squirt of lemon juice
grated Parmigiano to serve

Wrap the corn cobs in plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes. Allow it to cool until you can handle.

Cut the corn cob lengthwise in ribs – you will still need a large knife and maybe use something to bang on the top of it to make it slice through. I have a lower-quality knife with a large blade that can take that abuse.

Whisk the oil, spices and lemon juice in a small bowl, then drizzle all over the ribs of corn in a large bowl. Make sure to rub the mixture well. Place in the air-fryer and set at 400F (or as high as your machine will go) for 10 minutes, moving them around half-way through frying time. Season with more salt if you like, and sprinkle cheese on top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is a real keeper of a recipe! The corn gets a perfect texture, and you can vary the spice mix to take it in any direction you like. Many versions will serve it with a sauce, often mayo-based, but we liked it plain. I don’t think you can pull the exact same quality without the air-fryer, but maybe if you roast it at 450F it might get close. Super delicious. Trust me. Prepping the corn is not fun but once you bite into these little morsels you will feel it was all worth it.

I cannot express how much I love them! I ate four, and went back for two more, which was pretty much half the amount prepared. We had no leftovers. I don’t think I ever consumed as much corn in a single sitting. Plus, I smiled and oohed and aaahed all the way through it.

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13Mar2023

SHRIMP TACOS WITH JICAMA-MANGO SALSA

Posted in Pizzas & Small Dishes, Seafood by sallybr

We’ve had quite a few days with warm temperatures and that undeniable vibe of spring. This is a perfect light meal for the upcoming season. Simple, refreshing, full of flavors and textures. Make the salsa a few hours ahead if you have a chance.

SHRIMP TACOS WITH JICAMA-MANGO SALSA
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

for the salsa:
1 mango, peeled and cut into cubes
half a jicama, peeled and cut into small dice
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 large jalapeños, seeded, deveined and finely minced
juice of half a lime
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

for the shrimp:
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 quart water
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
juice of half a lime
1 tablespoon grape seed oil
2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste (go easy on salt, as the shrimp will be brined)

to serve:
tortillas, taco shells, guacamole, Cotija cheese

For mango salsa, combine mango, jicama, tomatoes, and jalapeño in a bowl. Add the lime juice, olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for a couple of yours if you have the time.

Prepare a mild brining solution mixing 1 quart water with 1/4 cup kosher salt and 1/4 cup sugar, plus the juice of half a lemon. Submerge the shrimp in the solution for about 20 minutes. Remove shrimp from brine, rinse briefly and dry on paper towels.

In a small bowl, mix together chipotle, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper until evenly mixed. Sprinkle over shrimp, rubbing on both sides. Heat the oil on a large nonstick skillet, when really hot add the seasoned shrimp in a single layer. Cook until shrimp are opaque and sides are browned. Cut the cooked shrimp into pieces for serving, if you like, or leave them whole.

Arrange the shrimp inside tacos or over tortillas, spoon the salsa, and if desired, add guacamole and Cotija cheese.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This salsa is a winner. Make it, serve it with any kind of protein you like. I admit that prepping jicama is not my favorite pass time, but it was worth it. As always, most important thing is to not overcook the shrimp, but the brining step helps with the texture, and will allow a little more room for error in that step. I can hardly wait to bring this back to our table!