THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB: BLUEBERRY GALETTE

The Secret Recipe Club is a fun monthly event in which bloggers are assigned in secret to make a recipe from another blog, and then post about it at exactly the same time on reveal day. The group is now so popular that new members must wait in a long line for a chance to join. This popularity also explains one of the rules: if you mess up and don’t post on reveal day, you are out of the game, leaving an opening for someone else to take your place. It’s only fair, after all: it’s very disappointing to have your blog “orphaned” on reveal day.

This month was a bit of a stretch to participate, but I’m sure glad I did. My assigned blog was Baking and Creating with Avril. Did you notice the “Baking” in the title? I have a slight suspicion that the SRC organizers like to have a little fun at my expense… How else could it be that I’ve been matched with serious bakers for months in a row? 😉 Still, I love a challenge, and as soon as I got the assignment I jumped into Avril’s cool site, in full “blog stalking mode”. After narrowing a long list of tasty options, I could not decide between the blueberry galette or the white chocolate cranberry bars. You see, she’s got some seriously delicious stuff posted. Phil, the blueberry-addict, made the choice for me. Blueberry galette it would be.

RUSTIC BLUEBERRY GALETTE
(from Baking and Creating with Avril)

for the crust
1 + 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 + 1/2 sticks unsalted butter {ice cold}
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons apricot preserves, warmed

for the filling:
3 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
a pinch of salt

Make the crust: In a bowl of a food processor add the flour, sugar and salt, process to combine. Drop the cold butter pieces and pulse until small pea size crumbles appear. In a small bowl combine egg yolk and milk. Pour into food processor and pulse just until combined. Take dough mixture out of food processor and put onto a piece of parchment paper. Form dough into a large disk, wrap parchment paper around it and place in refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Make the filling by mixing in a large bowl the blueberries, flour, brown sugar, pinch of salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface roll out the chilled pie crust to about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to a parchment lined large baking sheet. Place the filling in the center of the pie crust, then fold up the sides pleating every now and then. Brush with warmed apricot preserves. Place in preheated oven to bake for 50-60 minutes. Rotating the pan halfway through. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: As far as taste goes, I hit the nail in the head. I could eat the filling of the galette by the spoonful over some nice, thick yogurt. But, let’s be honest: my product wouldn’t make the finals of the 2012 Galette Beauty Pageant. In my defense, I made this recipe in one of the busiest weekends ever, preceded by a full day flying back to OK and a lab move that began the next morning (Friday) at 5am! That weekend found me like a zombie trying to finish countless tasks at the same time.

But, I won’t sugar-coat the pill: frantic times or not, pie crust is always tricky for me. Usually Phil comes to the rescue, but the poor guy had enough on his plate. My pie dough was not as smooth as I hoped for, so I couldn’t make the beautiful pleats, trademarks of a nice galette. Oh, well… It gives me the opportunity to improve my baking skills, right? Alternatively, I can stand by the title and profess my galette as the most rustic ever! 😉

Don’t let my boo-boos prevent you from making it. Avril is right, the galette is incredibly tasty, and you should also consider making the original recipe (link is in Avril’s blog), that includes a mixture of fresh peaches and blueberries. Oh, my….

Avril, it was nice to “meet” you through The Secret Recipe Club! I hope you had a lot of fun finding your assigned blog and cooking from it!

ONE YEAR AGO: In My Kitchen, August 2011

TWO YEARS AGO: Journey to a New Home

THREE YEARS AGO: Friday Night Dinner (very tasty pork medallions)

30Jul2012

THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB: MASCARPONE BROWNIES

Posted in Desserts, Sweets, Secret Recipe Club by sallybr

The last Monday of the month is here again, and with it comes the much anticipated reveal day for the members of Group D in The Secret Recipe Club. For those who don’t know, each month we are assigned (in secret) a blog to cook from. We “stalk” the blog, pick a recipe, cook it, write a blog about it, and set it to go live at exactly the same time on reveal day. This month my blog was Sweetly Serendipity, hosted by the beautiful Taryn, a baking goddess who lives in Boston and dreams of opening her own bakery some day. Yeap, that’s how serious she is. Once I started browsing her site and noticing the profusion of cakes, some extremely involved, I felt a bit uneasy. For instance, I was smitten by this cake, but it will have to wait for a less chaotic time in my life. I kept on browsing her recipes, until I got to “mascarpone brownies”. Simply scrumptious. This is what she had to say about them:

It’s kind of like eating a dense chocolate souffle — their texture is light and airy, but the flavors are deep and delicious. They satisfy every feeling, and shower your mouth with a tantalizing array of sensations. They are smooth and creamy and absolutely perfect.

I had to bake a batch! 😉

MASCARPONE BROWNIES
(from Sweetly Serendipity)

for the brownies
1 cup unsalted butter
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder (sifted)
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
3 large eggs, at room-temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

for the ganache
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 tablespoons whipping cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 325F and cover a 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper.

In glass mixing bowl melt butter in microwave on full power. Stir in chocolate and mix until combined. If the chocolate doesn’t fully melt, place it in the microwave again for a few seconds at a time.

Add sugar to the chocolate/butter mixture and mix until combined. Heat for an additional 30 seconds on high, remove and stir until it looks shiny. Don’t worry if it still seems a bit grainy. Add marscarpone cheese, vanilla, eggs and mix until smooth.

Sift flour, salt and cocoa into the chocolate mixture and stir just until combined, making sure to scrape all sides of the bowl. The batter will be rather light in texture, instead of dense and heavy like many brownie batters.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth top to ensure even baking. Bake for 40-50 minutes until tester comes out clean. If the surface seems uneven, use the flat end of a potato masher to lightly tamp down the surface of the brownies while they are still warm. This will help the ganache coat evenly. Leave in pan and set on wire rack to cool.

While brownies are cooling, make the ganache to pour over the top, a step you should do before the brownies are cold. Heat butter and cream on medium power (taking care not to boil) in the microwave and add chocolate. Stir until all lumps disappear. Immediately pour over brownies. Let cool completely. It is a good idea to place the pan in the fridge to allow the ganache to set. Once chilled a knife will cut through the brownies quite cleanly. Make sure to clean your blade for each cut for a more polished look.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

These brownies were simply spectacular! I never had a brownie with ganache on top, but it’s never too late to find new forms of decadence in life. One piece of brownie will satisfy your chocolate craving for a while, so be the best person you can be and share! 😉
Taryn’s description for these brownies was perfect, I’ve got nothing to add! They will be a hit at any party you take them to, and they are very easy to make, ganache included. I actually made them in our almost completely bare kitchen in Oklahoma, using a couple of bowls, a baking dish, and a cheap whisk (bought for the occasion, as mine was 312 miles away, in Manhattan).

Taryn, thanks for a great recipe!

Please visit my virtual buddies from Group D following the links provided by the blue frog at the end of the post, and have fun!

ONE YEAR AGO: Salmon Tacos

TWO YEARS AGO: Cinnamon Turban Bread

THREE YEARS AGO: Summertime Gratin

25Jun2012

THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB: GRANOLA BARS

Posted in Breakfast & Brunch, Secret Recipe Club by sallybr

I knew the last Monday of this month would arrive at a particularly busy time, when we would be barely moved into our new home, trying to adjust to the new environment. I didn’t want to miss the party, so I had my contribution to “The Secret Recipe Club” taken care as soon as I got my assignment. This month I was matched with the blog “Life and Kitchen”, hosted by Lindsay, a super-busy young mom with a full-time job and a master’s thesis under way. In other words, she struggles with a gazillion commitments, but still finds time to keep a great blog going! Her writing is quite refreshing, I caught myself smiling all the way through reading many of her posts. I finally settled on a recipe I’ve always wanted to make: granola bars. They were a major hit in the Bewitching household, as I married a former-hippie. Hope you try and like them too! 😉

GRANOLA BARS
(from Life and Kitchen, originally adapted from Ina Garten)

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8 x 12 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Toss the oatmeal and almonds together and then toast them on a sheet pan by baking them for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When you take the toasted mixture out, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the toasted wheat germ. Then add in the honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt while it is still warm and mix it all together. Add the raisins and dried cranberries and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours at room temperature before cutting into squares.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: No matter how frantic your life might be, it’s good practice to read a recipe carefully before attacking the preparation. It’s called common sense. Otherwise, you may set yourself up for trouble, like some people.

Indeed, I started by toasting 2 cups of rolled oats instead of oatmeal. Once everything was nicely toasted, I realized my mistake, and did the only sensible thing to do: frantically ran around the house screaming at myself “I am SUCH an idiot”; “I am THE QUEEN of the idiots”! Where’s George Costanza, my long lost brother?

Crucial decisions had to be made. I had no time to start all over, and found only about one cup of oatmeal in our pantry. I grabbed the baking sheet and scooped the mixture with one of those handy Chinese type tools, that kept the almonds and allowed the oats to fall back in the baking sheet. By the way, oats that fly and fall on the kitchen floor will cool enough during their journey so they won’t pose a risk to your pets. Quite the opposite, they will be happy to do the cleaning for you.

Once I got toasted rolled oats separated from toasted almonds, I saved 1 cup for the recipe, and mixed with 1 cup of oatmeal. Proceeded without toasting the oatmeal, as the clock was ticking, and we had tickets to go see Prometheus at the IMAX. No way we could miss that.

As a result, the bars were a bit more crumbly than they should, as oats don’t bind as well as oatmeal, for obvious reasons. But, you know what? The crumbled pieces made FANTASTIC granola!

I ended up with enough squares to last us for a while, nicely wrapped (just make sure to let them dry well for a full day before wrapping).

Lindsay, it was great to “meet” you through this month’s Secret Recipe adventure!

And a reminder for my readers: if you click on the crazy looking frog at the bottom of this post, you’ll see the contributions of all other members of Group D for this reveal day. Make sure to check them out!

ONE YEAR AGO: Awesome Broccolini

TWO YEARS AGO: A Twist on Pesto

THREE YEARS AGO: Ciabatta: Judging a bread by its holes

28May2012

THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB: ASPARAGUS QUICHE

Posted in Breakfast & Brunch, Secret Recipe Club, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

The last Monday of each month arrives faster and faster, proving that Einstein got it right with his Theory of Relativity of time and space. How else could we explain that I joined the SRC just a little while ago, blinked my eyes twice, and here I am, on my seventh post?

I had a complete blast with this month’s assignment: The Culinary Enthusiast! A catchy blog name, by the way. Kelley lives in Chicago with her husband and a dog-child called Maddy, who gets to enjoy the many treats she cooks. See similarities between our households? 😉 Kelley has very creative recipes, and it took me a few days of “stalking” before I settled on my choice. Asparagus Quiche. Perfect for the season, perfect to remember Paris, perfect for a romantic weekend dinner.

SPRING ASPARAGUS QUICHE
(adapted from The Culinary Enthusiast)

1 recipe for pie crust (I used this one)
1 leek (white and light green parts only), halved and thinly sliced
salt and ground black pepper
1/2 bunch (about 1/2 pound) asparagus, tough ends removed, thinly sliced
3 asparagus stalks, trimmed and left whole (optional)
4 slices bacon, cut in large dice
4 large eggs
1 + 1/4 cups half-and-half
Ground nutmeg
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (4 ounces)

Prepare the crust of your quiche, using the recipe of your choice. Roll it out to cover your pie plate. Prick the surface with a fork a few times, cover the bottom with aluminum foil, and place dried beans to keep the crust down during pre-baking. Bake in a 400 F oven for 15 minutes, carefully remove the foil, place it back in the oven for 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven, and reserve.

Bring the oven temperature down to 325 F, placing a rack in the lowest position. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate, allow it to cool, and crumble into smaller pieces. Reserve bacon grease in pan and add the leeks, cook for a few minutes, until softened. Add the asparagus pieces, season with salt and pepper. Cook until the asparagus is crisp/tender, maximum 6 minutes. Let the mixture cool down.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Place pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with half of the cheese; add the asparagus/leek mixture, top with crumbled bacon. Pour egg mixture on top, add the remainder of the cheese.

If you want to decorate the quiche with asparagus stalks, cook them slightly in a microwave for a minute, then place carefully on top.

Bake until center of quiche is just set, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

My main modification of the recipe was to pre-bake the crust, because I’ve had problems with the crust getting too soggy when I omitted that step. I also did not use potatoes in the filling, but I know it would be awesome with them too!

As far as quiche goes, Phil and I had the perfect example at a small, unassuming place in Paris, called “Bistrot du Papa”. Don’t go through the trouble of googleing it, it no longer exists. We were in considerable distress when we attempted to go back on our last visit, only to find an Italian restaurant in its place. Ever since enjoying that masterpiece, I tried to make it at home a couple of times, the traditional quiche Lorraine, but my versions had very little to do with the bistrot’s.

I must say this asparagus quiche was by far the best I’ve made! Will I ever hit “Bistrot du Papa” level? Quite unlikely. They have a different type of cream, a different type of bacon, and then there’s the Parisian aura, hard to duplicate at home. Oh, well… We should have stopped there once a week for the duration of that magical sabbatical year!

We’ll always have Paris…
(great scene from Casablanca, 1942)

Kelley, thanks for a great recipe that brought the best gastronomical memories to our table!

Check out the other recipes in this month’s roundup by clicking on the cute blue frog at the end of this post.

ONE YEAR AGO: Spring Pasta

TWO YEARS AGO: Ice Cream Melts for Mango

30Apr2012

THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB: TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

Posted in Desserts, Sweets, Secret Recipe Club by sallybr

The last Monday of the month is the much awaited Reveal Day for Group D of The Secret Recipe Club! For those who don’t know about it, The Secret Recipe is an event in which food bloggers from the same group are paired (in secret), and have about 3 weeks to choose a recipe from their assigned blog, cook it, and compose a blog. Everyone publishes their post on reveal day at the exact same time. How cool is that? If you want to become a member (beware, there is a waiting list), visit the site and get in touch with Amanda, the founder of this fun group.

For my sixth participation at the SRC I was paired with “The More than Occasional Baker”, a virtual spot hosted by a very accomplished baker from London. She defines herself as a “baking addict”, and as I browsed through her blog, it was clear she was not kidding! What is a poor cake-o-phobe blogger to do when faced with such a Herculean task? Knowing my limitations, I searched for something that wouldn’t involve creaming butter with sugar, preparing an Italian meringue, or handling icing bags. Suddenly, three beautiful words comforted my soul: triple chocolate brownies. Anything with triple chocolate makes me go weak in the knees, and I am quite fond of brownies because for the most part they are fuss-free. Plus, once I read her post about the recipe, I wanted to stop everything and go buy the three kinds of chocolate (and a little extra of the white, just because… 😉 )

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
(from The More than Occasional Baker)

200g bittersweet chocolate (1 cup)
50g milk chocolate (1/4 cup)
225g butter (1 cup or 2 sticks)
4 eggs
325g unrefined golden caster sugar (I used light brown sugar) (1 + 1/2 cups)
0.5 tbsp vanilla essence
200g white chocolate (1 cup)
150g plain flour, sifted (1 + 1/2 cup)
pinch of salt

Heat the oven to 360 F (180 C). Line a baking dish (11in x 7in x 2.5 in) with parchment paper. Break the bittersweet and milk chocolate into pieces, and melt in the microwave with the butter. Let the mixture cool slightly.

Chop the white chocolate not too finely. Reserve.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk this mixture in the cooled chocolate/butter, then fold the flour, the salt, and finally the chunks of white chocolate.

Pour the mixture in the prepared baking dish, place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is dry and cracked, and the center still moist when tested with a toothpick.

Remove from the oven, cool over a rack, and when the brownie is at room temperature, remove from the pan and cut in squares.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you are not too fond of white chocolate, MAKE THESE BROWNIES ANYWAY. They are amazing! We took them to the lab to celebrate one of our students passing his qualifying exam, and they disappeared in a few minutes! The crumbs left on the serving plate were fought over with considerable enthusiasm by two members of our group, normally quite well-mannered.

They are fudgy, dense, moist, sweet, decadent, with a nice crunchy surface that provides a perfect contrast with the creamy center. The white chocolate, kept in chunks, is a superb touch, don’t skip it. I didn’t add nuts (macadamia would be the number 1 choice), because one of our students is allergic to them.

I couldn’t be happier with this month’s adventure! Stop by “The More than Occasional Baker” to see all the goodies she makes on a regular basis. Maybe I should become a more regular baker myself 😉

Check out all other posts from bloggers in my group, by clicking on the blue frog at the very end of this post…

ONE YEAR AGO: Springtime Salad

TWO YEARS AGO: Indonesian Delight