PISTACHIO CREME BRULLEE

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

ÉA couple of months ago I invited you for a tour of our kitchen, and talked about a very special ingredient: pistachio paste. Pause for swoon. At the time I promised to share my first experiment with it, one that involved macarons, but I’m not quite ready to reveal that. Instead, I must tell you about my second adventure because I am feeling on top of the world about it. Pistachio Crème Brûllée. It resulted in a heartfelt O.M.G., with a Happy Dance to boot!

PISTACHIO CRÈME BRûLLÉE
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

2 cups heavy cream (about 460 g)
2 tsp pistachio paste
pinch of salt
5 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar (65 g)
1 tsp vanilla extract
turbinado sugar for the surface

Heat the cream in a saucepan until bubbles start to form at the edge. Add the pistachio paste, whisk to fully dissolve it. Heat in low heat for a couple of minutes, then remove from the heat and cover the pan. Allow it to steep for 20 minutes.

Transfer the infused cream to a bowl, add the salt, egg yolks, and vanilla. Whisk to combine all ingredients. Add the sugar and mix until fully dissolved. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a large measuring glass, preferably with a spout.

Divide the mixture into four ramekins, 6-ounce size.

Pour 1 cup of water inside a crock pot. Place the ramekins inside, and turn it on low. Cook for 2 to 3 hours, checking the temperature after 2 hours with an instant thermometer. It should read 185 F for perfect texture. If you don’t have a thermometer, stop cooking when the custard is still a bit jiggly in the very center.

Remove the ramekins to a drying rack. When fully cooled, transfer to the refrigerator, covered with aluminum foil. Before serving, sprinkle turbinado sugar over the surface and burn it with a torch.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Cooking the custard in the crock pot is simply brilliant. Granted, it takes longer than in a regular oven, but the texture turns out perfect. The instant thermometer is a must to get it exactly right, though. Your cooking time may vary a little. Mine hit 185 F after 2 hours and 20 minutes. Overcooked crème brûllée would be a shame, but the crock pot considerably reduces that risk.

When serving this delicacy, you’ll have two options: burning the top right before serving, or doing it earlier and placing the custards back in the fridge. The former allows you to show your skills with the culinary torch in front of your guests, for that wow moment… The latter lacks the awe factor, but results in a homogeneously firmer texture. When you burn the top, the custard right beneath it will be a bit soft. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me. So I always go for the awe factor. I realize that pistachio paste is not a common ingredient, and pretty pricey, but a little bit goes a long way, and it freezes well, in small, teaspoon size portions. Of course, you could infuse your heavy cream with other ingredients, make a maple, coconut, chocolate version. Whatever you do, try the crock pot if you have a chance. I can only fit four ramekins in mine, but I rather not have too many brûllées around anyway. Four is a perfect number…

ONE YEAR AGO: Fast and Furious Bison Chili

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, December 2014

THREE YEARS AGO: Braised Fennel with Saffron and Tomato

FOUR YEARS AGO: Revenge of the Two Derelicts

FIVE YEARS AGO: Grilling Ribbons

SIX YEARS AGO: Peppery Cashew Crunch

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta

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1Dec2016

PUMPKIN BROWNIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

It’s that time of the year, everything pumpkin showing up to say hello… I shall add my humble contribution to the party with this batch of delicious brownies that I made for our department a few weeks ago. The original recipe called them bars but in my mind, brownies fit them quite well. They are moist, sweet, with all the mandatory spices that warm your body from the inside. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. Perfect as a little pick me up mid-morning. A shower of colorful sprinkles is optional. I found the recipe through a google search in the blog Sugar Apron. Such a cute name!

PUMPKIN BROWNIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
(from Sugar Apron)

for the brownies:
1(15 oz) can pumpkin
2 eggs
2 cups flour (250 g)
1 cup sugar (225 g)
1/2 cup oil (112 g)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

for the frosting:
4 oz cream cheese (115 g)
3 tbsp butter,softened
1 tsp milk, if needed
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar (110 g)
colorful sprinkles (optional)

Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, ground ginger, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cloves and cinnamon. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the eggs, vanilla, oil and pumpkin on medium speed until light and fluffy. Pour in the center of the dry ingredients, then stir gently, just until combined. Ladle the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. When completely cooled, frost.

Make the frosting by combining the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl beating an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low-speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. You may need to add a little milk to make it spreadable if your butter wasn’t soft enough. Spread frosting evenly on top of cake, add sprinkles if you like. Cut the brownies into any size you like.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These were another huge hit with our department, judging from the enthusiastic feedback and how fast they disappeared from the mail room. I of course loved them, with all those spices it could not be different. If you have homemade pumpkin puree, use it. I recently learned that most canned pumpkin products are actually made from types of squash. It doesn’t bother me at all, but if you are a serious pumpkin purist, consider making the veggie mash from scratch. The frosting was a lot of fun to make, I did not need to include milk. It doesn’t get hard, so I kept the whole pan in the fridge overnight, sliced and took to work early next morning. Sprinkles of course make it very festive. My bottle of sprinkles is pretty big, so I need more reasons to use them before we get into the horrific, depressing, devastating, catastrophic dead of winter.

ONE YEAR AGO: Anne Burrell’s Focaccia

TWO YEARS AGO: Double Chocolate and Mint Cookies

THREE YEARS AGO: Cappuccino Panna Cotta

FOUR YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana, the Thriller

FIVE YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

SIX YEARS AGO: Tartine Bread: Basic Country Loaf

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

22Nov2016

CIDER MINI-CHEESECAKES WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Posted in Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

One of the blogs I follow is Karen’s Kitchen Stories, and more than once I’ve featured recipes from her site, independently of the assignment from The Secret Recipe Club (pause to dry a furtive tear). We are also friends on Facebook and for some odd reason keep tempting each other with very important things such as new cookbooks (preferably related to bread, but not necessarily so), new cooking gadgets or ingredients. Our friendship certainly has a positive impact on the economy of the US of A. Not too long ago, Karen blogged about impossibly adorable mini-cheesecakes. To make them, she used an equally adorable mini-cheesecake pan. I performed some quick calculations. We live 1,513 miles apart. It would be downright impossible to go borrow her pan on a whim. Corollarium #1: I had to order my own. Reluctantly, that’s what I did. Corollarium #2: I can now share with you my first batch of mini-cheesecakes. Corollarium #3: my readers shall be thrilled.

CIDER MINI-CHEESECAKES WITH CARAMEL SAUCE
(adapted from Karen Kitchen’s Stories)

9 sheets of Graham crackers, crushed (about 1 1/8 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup boiled cider
1/4 cup heavy cream

caramel sauce for topping (home-made is best, I sinned)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cavity muffin pan with paper liners, or spray a mini cheesecake pan with spray oil. In a small bowl or the bowl of a mini food processor, mix together the crushed graham crackers, 1 1/2 T sugar, and melted butter. Divide the mixture among the cavities of the pan, and tamp it down into an even layer with some of the Graham cracker mixture coming up the sides. Bake the crust in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the pan and let cool while you make the filling.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and sugar with a mixer on low-speed until smooth. Stir in the flour. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just combined. Add the vanilla, boiled cider, and heavy cream, and mix until combined. Tap the mixing bowl on the counter about 30 times to release any air bubbles.

If you are using a mini cheesecake pan, fill each one up to the top. You will have extra batter. If you are using a muffin pan, Divide the batter among the cavities to about 2/3 full.

If you are using a mini cheesecake pan, bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the centers are slightly jiggly. If you are using a muffin pan, bake for 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for an hour. Once they are cooled, refrigerate, covered loosely with wax paper and plastic wrap, for at least 2 hours. They can also be frozen after chilling.

Right before serving, top with a small amount of caramel sauce, either homemade or purchased.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I adapted Karen’s recipe using another recipe for boiled cider cheesecake found at Food52. My friend Gary, patissier extraordinaire gave me some pointers, because as you know, I am a bit of a wimp for departing from recipes when it comes to baking. Interestingly enough, I ordered boiled cider after reading another post by Karen, so this is an example of virtual gastronomic convergence.

We took the cheesecakes to our lab meeting, because having only 12 in the batch would make it hard to take to our whole department. They turned out absolutely delicious! Cheesecakes can be a bit bland, perhaps that’s why they normally have some type of topping. The boiled cider made them taste a lot more complex. I wish I had the energy to make the caramel sauce myself, but maybe next time. These will definitely go to my top 5 favorite desserts to make and enjoy. Perfect size, beautiful to look at, and fun to eat. I can hardly wait to try other uses for my cute pan. Mini-quiches, for instance, mini-mousses… so many possibilities… Small is definitely beautiful (wink, wink).

As I finished composing this post, I went to add the links to recipes in previous years, and to my amazement, exactly one year ago I posted not one, but two recipes from Karen’s blog, as her blog was my assignment in The Secret Recipe Club. And I made MINI-meatloaves… Can you imagine the odds of this? Too cool for words.

ONE YEAR AGO: Rustic Ciabatta and Mini-Meatloaves

TWO YEARS AGO: Green Rice

THREE YEARS AGO: Potato-Crusted Italian Mini-Quiches

FOUR YEARS AGO: Beetroot Sourdough for the Holidays

FIVE YEARS AGO: Cod Filet with Mustard Tarragon Crust

SIX YEARS AGO: Soba Noodles: Light and Healthy

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Potato-Rosemary Bread

28Oct2016

ZUCCHINI LEMON & WALNUT CAKE + COOKBOOK REVIEW

Posted in Cookbook Reviews, Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

A while ago I was browsing cookbook suggestions in amazon.com and spotted one called “French Desserts“, by Hillary Davis. I simply had to investigate it further. C’mon, French Desserts, how could I possibly let that slide? The book was published just last month, so not very many readers posted reviews yet. However, whereas all gave it 5 stars, one person ranked it with 2 stars only. Her criticism was the use of store-bought items like puff pastry to make some of the recipes. Hillary herself replied to that reviewer and she did so with such class and gentleness, it really impressed me. I browsed through the index, and ordered the Kindle version, which always makes me feel a bit less guilty. Very glad I did not let that review mess with me. The book is a delight, great photography, just the right amount of prose with the recipes. I bookmarked many to try, but the first one I made to share with you today was part of her chapter called Homey Cakes.

ZUCCHINI, LEMON & WALNUT CAKE
(ever so slightly modified from French Desserts)
printed with permission from Hillary Davis

for cake:
1-1/ 2 cups (192 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/ 4 teaspoon baking soda
1/ 4 teaspoon salt
1-1/ 2 cups (220 g) coarsely grated zucchini, squeezed very dry
(about 170 g after squeezing dry)
1 cup (135 g) chopped walnuts
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1/ 2 cup (110 g) olive oil
3 large eggs
1/ 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon extract (I omitted)
1/ 4 cup (60 g) lemon juice

for icing:
1 + 1/2 cup (188 g) confectioner’s (icing) sugar
a little over 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 9 x 5 inches loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the zucchini and walnuts and stir to coat. In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, olive oil, eggs, vanilla, lemon extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined. Do not overwork the batter. Scoop batter into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate. If desired, make an icing with the powdered sugar and lemon juice, drizzle all over the cake. Cut in slices and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This was one delicious cake! The picture doesn’t do it justice, not even slightly. There is no obvious zucchini taste, it simply gives it moisture and a lovely texture even after sitting at room temperature overnight. It is very lemony and the flavor and crunch of the walnuts a perfect match for the citric tone. I did not have enough walnuts, so I added just a little bit of diced pecans to reach the required amount. I think the combination of nuts worked well too. I made the loaf on a Sunday afternoon and took to our department next morning. I had tried a very small piece when the cake cooled (quality control), and hoped to get a slice mid-morning. That did not work, because around 10am, I found the platter clean. Oh, well. The best laid plans…

So lemony!
Not too sweet, just right!
Love the walnuts!
It made my Monday so much better!
(some comments from our colleagues that made this baker very happy)

Now, let’s have a little tour of Hillary’s book. I will go straight to the recipes, although she does include a comprehensive section on Essentials of Baking. You can look at the full index in amazon.com, I will simply list the recipes from each chapter that made my heart miss a beat. Or two…

Homey Cakes: Great collection of cakes that are simple to prepare in a loaf type pan or as a single layer round cake. The one I featured comes from this chapter, but I was tempted by many others, like Plenty of Pears Salted Caramel Loaf Cake, described as invisible cake. Invisible cakes indicate that very little batter is used to hold the fruit together. I love this type of cake, very much like Doris Greenspan’s Apple Cake which happens to be the most popular recipe in my blog. From this chapter I quickly bookmarked her Whole Wheat Nutella Loaf Cake (need I say anything more?), a Hazelnut Cake with Nutella Drizzle (O.M.G.), a Walnut Cake with Warm Honey Glaze, and a Fabulous Butter Cake from Brittany.

Cookies: Perfect for the season are Pumpkin Seed Tuiles, I must save some pumpkin seeds to try them, because tuiles have been on my list of culinary projects forever! Sablés au Chocolat are her take on a classic, buttery cookie from Normandy. Another very tempting choice for me would be Orange Madeleines with Orange Glaze. Together with tuiles, madeleines are part of my list of projects (I even own a madeleine pan, feel guilty every time I look at it).

Baked: I cannot stop thinking of her Roasted Peaches in a Pool of Crème Anglaise… I will give you a moment to think about it. Wonderful, right? But how about Individual Berry Gratin with Yogurt Whipped Cream? Or maybe you would rather have Puffs with Warm Chocolate Sauce? I must also include a very exotic concoction (unknown to me) called Far Breton Prune Custard Cake, a specialty from Brittany. Made me think of the many things I could have tried while I lived in France, but had no idea existed. Such is life.

Verrines: I simply adore verrines. Stunning presentation, in small portions. Perfect. I can tell you one thing, there are 10 recipes in this chapter and I would love to make and enjoy each and every one of them. Just to give you some examples, the first one is called quite simply A Cloud of Lemon Vermouth Mousse. I am officially in love. Chocolate Ginger Pots de Crème.. Grand Marnier Mousse… Lemon Rice Pudding with Blackberry Caramel Sauce… One tempting sweet after another….

Frozen or Refrigerated Desserts: Very interesting recipes in this chapter, starting with a child-friendly Vin Chaud Sorbet with Frosted Grapes. You cook the alcohol out, but the idea is to have the flavors of vin chaud, often served in Alsace during cold months. And in a nice parallel, back home in Brazil we have “vinho quente” traditionally served in the month of June, welcoming the first chill of the year. I would love to make her Strawberry Frozen Yogurt, with a touch of balsamic vinegar. Or her Peach Melba with Muddled Vanilla Ice Cream. She closes the chapter with a stunning retro dessert: Vanilla, Raspberry and Chocolate Ice Cream Bombe. Imagine that to awe your guests at the end of a dinner party?

Vin Chaud Sorbet with Frosted Grapes

Waffles, Crêpes and Pancakes: Tempting chapter. The recipe that impressed me the most: Farz Buen Broken Crêpes. The name indicates exactly what it is. You start with a traditional crepe batter, then break them as they cook, as if making scrambled eggs. Her description of this delicacy from Brittany made my mouth water. Must. Make. It. Crêpes Suzette is in there too, how could it not be? Such a classic!

Puff Pastry: Her recipes call for store-bought pastry. Now, I realize she was criticized for it, and I find it very unfair. I’ve lived in France several years and have never ever met a French woman who made her own puff pastry. Maybe they are out there, but in a very rare minority. Why would they make them when you can find excellent products at the store, many brands of pure butter puff pastry waiting for you? Sure, if you’d like to make it, go for it, but don’t twist your nose at the boxed product. I use it all the time, puff pastry and phyllo dough, thank you very much. Anyway, my favorite recipes in this group are Niflettes, a specialty from Provins, not only because they are impossibly cute but for the story behind them. Folklore says they were created to console orphans crying over the loss of their parents. Nowadays they are served in All Saints Day in that region of France. Alsatian Marzipan Apple Strudel would be amazing to try too. as well as – ready for this? – Sweet Vol-au-Vent with a Strawberry Tarragon Coulis. Just wow.

Niflettes

Tarts: I rarely make them but find them quite fascinating. Many options tempted me, starting with her Rustic Plum Tart in a Sweet Fennel Crust. She follows with a very interesting Medieval Custard Tart in a Clove-Scented Crust. I adore spices and find their addition to pie crusts a strike of genius. I also have my heart set on her Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese Cheesecake Tart.

Candies and Mignardises: Mignardise might be one of the cutest words in the French language. Fun to say, fun to enjoy… I would make every one of these recipes, starting with White Chocolate White Truffles with Dried Cherries, moving to Mini Pain d’Épices (I was basically addicted to those while living in Paris), and Nonnettes, a concoction made by nuns in the Middle Ages, little cakes with orange marmalade in the center. From the Middle Ages, can you wrap your mind around it? Too cool!

Special Occasion Desserts: Chocolate Soufflé, a must-make! White Chocolate Crème Brûlées with Salty Pistachios… A Precious Pear Charlotte, Baba au Rhum closes the chapter.

Hillary, thank you for allowing me to publish the recipe from your beautiful cookbook!

ONE YEAR AGO: Paleo Energy Bars

TWO YEARS AGO: Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Honey Mustard Dressing

THREE YEARS AGO: Mozzarella Stuffed Turkey Burgers

FOUR YEARS AGO: Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

FIVE YEARS AGO: Clay-pot Pork Roast

SIX YEARS AGO: Panmarino

SEVEN YEARS AGO: A Classic Roast Chicken

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11Oct2016

TWO IDEAS FOR HALLOWEEN

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

I made these treats for our Halloween party last year, and waited to blog now, so there’s plenty of time for you to make them in case you are hosting a party, or just feel like sharing something with friends on Halloween week. Very easy and fun. First, Screamingly Cute Chocolate-Covered Pretzels.

They were fun to make, even if slightly messy. But that could very well be operator-error. I am not that skilled when it comes to melted chocolate. You will need a bag of pretzels, melting chocolate (the best kind is this one, according to many sources), and eyeball candy. Sounds scary, right? Well, it’s for Halloween, it must be scary!

Second, even simpler to put together: Witch Brooms. Peanut Butter Cups with a strategically placed Pretzel stick. The flavors all work well together too. Hardest part of making them, is unwrapping the peanut butter cups. Be Zen. And enjoy the moment.

If you make the Screaming Pretzels, handle the eye-ball candy with impeccably clean hands. Any chocolate that gets to the white candy will be hard to clean once you place them on the pretzel. Tweezers help. It will be easier to glue them while the chocolate is not fully set, but then it’s best not to try to re-adjust their position. Work slowly and you’ll get the hang of it. I am sure it will surprise you that I had never had the combo of pretzel with chocolate. It works! It is really a delicious combination, a little crunch, a little salt, a lot of chocolate.