MISO CARAMEL CRACKER COOKIES

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

If you like salty-sweet things, these are for you. If you are not into baking, or – dare I say – if you describe yourself as a total bake-o-phobe, these are for you. No baking involved. A little stirring, a little melting, a lot of fun. Beware: they are addictive!

MISO CARAMEL CRACKER COOKIES
(from Molly Yeh)

11 ounces store-bought caramels (Like these)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 + 1/2 tablespoons miso paste
About 2 1/2 sleeves butter crackers, such as Ritz (about 72 crackers)
8 ounces chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips (see my comments)
Sprinkles, for topping

In a medium pot, combine the caramels and heavy cream. Heat over medium low, stirring, until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth, about 7 minutes. Stir in the miso and remove from the heat. Let cool for a few minutes, so the caramel can thicken slightly.

Arrange half of the crackers salty-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment and drop about 1 teaspoon caramel per cracker. Top each with another cracker salty-side up. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
In a double boiler or a microwave in 30-second increments, melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth. Let cool slightly.

Dip the crackers halfway into the chocolate and place back on the baking sheet. Add sprinkles. Let set in the refrigerator or at room temperature until the chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These got super nice reviews from our departmental colleagues. You can change the caramel by omitting the miso, adding orange, or anything you might fancy. Maybe use white chocolate to coat and different types of sprinkles. But the combination of miso caramel with the dark chocolate and the crackers is hard to beat. To coat, I used a 50:50 mixture of bittersweet chocolate with compound chocolate, which gives a little more smoothness to the coating and also tends to dry harder than untempered chocolate would. Feel free to temper chocolate if you prefer, or use any coating you like. The soft caramel with a hint of salt from the miso goes very well with the cracker and the intense chocolate coating. Truly delicious!

If you are looking for something to take for a potluck party, or to serve to friends watching a football game, or to sweeten up your book club reading, consider making a batch.

ONE YEAR AGO: Mooncakes for Mid-Autumn Festival

TWO YEARS AGO: Almond-Raspberry Triangles and a Special Cookbook Review

THREE YEARS AGO: Sweet and Spicy Roasted Cauliflower

FOUR YEARS AGO: Roasted Cauliflower Salad over Hummus

FIVE YEARS AGO: Queen of Sheba

SIX YEAR AGO: Brunch Burger

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Mango Salsa with Verjus

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Raspberry Bittersweet Chocolate Chunk Brownies

NINE YEARS AGO: Scary Good Pork Burgers

TEN YEARS AGO: Review of exercise program Focus25

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Celebrate Wednesday with a Thai Seafood Curry

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Post-workout Breakfast

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Semolina Barbecue Buns

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Lavash Crackers

5Sep2023

TOMATO AND FRESH PEACH SALAD

Posted in Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

You cannot go much simpler than this… Two main ingredients, juicy tomatoes and fresh yellow peaches, a simple dressing, and you are done. Not to mention the presentation that makes it all shine. You definitely need this salad in your life…

TOMATO AND FRESH PEACH SALAD
(very slightly modified from Mother Would Know)

2 Large fresh tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices, each slice halved in half-moons
2 Large peaches, cut into half, then cut each half into 1/2-inch half-moons
1 tablespoon Olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Pomegranate molasses to taste
Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn or cut in half if large
2-3 Large pinches Maldon sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

I used yellow and red tomatoes, alternating colors. Arrange the slices of tomatoes and peaches in a circular pattern around a dinner plate (mine was 8 inch in diameter), and place basil leaves in between some of the slices, any amount you like.

Whisk the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together in a small bowl, add to the tomato-peach mixture. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle a little pomegranate molasses all over. If you have time, allow it to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I love peaches but do not care for the texture of the skin when I eat the fresh fruit, however in this preparation the dressing takes care of my “issues” and I enjoyed it without reservation. Peaches and tomatoes are yet another match made in heaven, this one new to me. Huge thanks to Laura for bringing this into my cooking world!

ONE YEAR AGO: Chicken and Zucchini Stir-fry

TWO YEARS AGO: The Never Again Folder

THREE YEARS AGO: Chai-Butterfly Macarons

FOUR YEARS AGO: Roasted Cauliflower Salad over Hummus

FIVE YEARS AGO: Sous-vide Egg Bites

SIX YEARS AGO: Paul Hollywood, The Weekend Baker

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Texas Sheet Cake

EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, September 2015

NINE YEARS AGO: Sour Cherry Sorbet: A Labor of Love

TEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen – September 2013

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Raspberry Sorbet at Summer’s End

TWELVE YEARS AGO: When three is better than two (four years with Buck!)

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Grating Tomatoes (and loving it!)

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: A Peachy Salad for a Sunny Day

1Sep2023

GRUYERE CHEESE BISCUITS

Posted in Appetizers by sallybr

This is a totally different take on biscuits, first because they are savory, and second because they are made with one of those gadgets that press the dough out through a little disc with all sorts of cute patterns (mine is this one). I picked a simple one that results in a flower shape. The recipe comes from a blog I love, The View From Great Island, and you can check out her detailed post about it (with a video included) clicking here.

GRUYERE CHEESE BISCUITS
(from The View From Great Island)

8 ounces Gruyere cheese, finely shredded
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (12 tablespoons)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
215g all purpose flour

Heat oven to 350F.

Put the shredded cheese, soft butter, egg, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse and then process until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.

Add the flour in two batches, and process just until a soft dough comes together. Fill your cookie press according to your model’s instructions and insert the shape disk of your choice. Stamp the crackers onto a clean dry baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 15-19 minutes, or until starting to turn golden on the surface. Let them rest on the pan for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I’ve had that cookie press for a while, but had not yet used it. There is a learning curve in there, and I must confess I made a royal mess in the kitchen, even though no royal icing was involved. But I intend to use the press again in the very near future so that I get better at it. These biscuits have a melt in your mouth feeling, that’s why I decided to call them biscuits rather than crackers. I really liked them a lot, we offered them for guests at a get together in our place, they are perfect for appetizers with a glass of wine. Or for those so inclined La Croix, tangerine flavor (I am partial to that flavor, in case you want to know).

ONE YEAR AGO: Incredibly Simple Korean Chicken Thighs

TWO YEARS AGO: Zucchini with Quick-Pickled Vegetables and Peanut Sauce

THREE YEARS AGO: Nha Benta (Brazilian candy)

FOUR YEARS AGO: The Best, The Very Best Hummus

FIVE YEARS AGO: Chicken Katsu

SIX YEARS AGO: Whole-Lemon Marinade: Long Overdue

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Almond Vinaigrette

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Eggplant Tomato Stacks

NINE YEARS AGO: The Couscous that Wasn’t

TEN YEARS AGO: Apple-Cinnamon Bread

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Blueberry Galette

TWELVE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, August 2011

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Journey to a New Home

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Friday Night Dinner

28Aug2023

WAFER PAPER AND SOURDOUGH BAKING

Posted in Breads by sallybr

This post is dedicated to Eha, a lover of butterflies…

I am so excited to share this new technique with you today! I first saw it on Instagram (check this page) and decided to give it a try. The possibilities are simply endless, of course. Basically, you make a design using wafer paper painted by hand or with a stencil, add that to the shaped, fully proofed dough right before baking, score around it with a razor blade. Isn’t that the coolest thing since….. sliced bread?

You can use any sourdough formula you want, in this particular loaf I re-visited the Ras-El-Hanout of my past, because I love that combination of flavors. Below you see the preparation of the wafer paper and the way I scored it (using my Sonic blade).

I used a stencil and painted the black portion with a food safe pen. Then I sprayed the whole surface with air-brush gold. That has to dry completely, so I advise you to make the wafer paper decoration the day before you intend to bake the bread. Or even several days in advance, it stays perfect, no issues.

My dough had enough moisture for the paper to stick to the surface without problem, if your dough is too dry, spray it lightly with water. VERY lightly. After the paper is on the surface, dust the surface of the loaf lightly with tapioca or all-purpose flour. In my case, I mixed tapioca flour with a little turmeric to re-inforce the golden color and the taste of the bread. Slash around the paper and all over the bread with the pattern of your choice.

Another important point – do not forget this – after the bread has been in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, go back and slash AGAIN only around the design. That will make it lift and look much better. Try not to forget this step.

My first attempt making this type of decoration did not work as well for two reasons: I was too focused on the paper and did not plan carefully the scoring, so it did not turn out very good. Second, I forgot to go back and slash the design again after 5 minutes into the bake. That made the paper stay glued to the bread and the design did not have the right impact. Anyway, it is the type of thing that you learn the more you do it.

I know I will be playing with this quite often in the future, and I hope you consider this fun technique also. The paper does not darken in the oven, which surprised me a bit, and the air-brush colors also seem to hold up well. If you are the artistic type, you can paint flowers, landscapes, whatever your imagination desires!

ONE YEAR AGO: Banana Bread from the Experts

TWO YEARS AGO: Shrimp Stir-Fry with Snow Peas and Cashews

THREE YEARS AGO: Pickled-Roasted Chickpeas with Cashew Cream

FOUR YEARS AGO: Twice-Baked Goat Cheese Souffle

FIVE YEARS AGO: A Star from England in the Bewitching Kitchen

SIX YEARS AGO: Hommage to the Sun

SEVEN YEARS AGO:The Fabulous Three
.
EIGHT YEARS AGO: Turkey-Chorizo Burger with Green Chile Dressing
.
NINE YEARS AGO:Taco Salad
.
TEN YEARS AGO: Semolina Sourdough Boule
.
ELEVEN YEARS AGO:Forgive me, for I have sinned
.
TWELVE YEARS AGO: Cracked Wheat Sandwich Bread
.
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Au Revoir, my Bewitching Kitchen
.
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO:French Bread

25Aug2023

THREE DELICIOUS BAKES

Posted in Cake, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

These three recipes are absolutely delicious, I cannot pick the top favorite, no matter how much thought I put into it. I will list them in the order they materialized in my kitchen, over the past couple of months. Each recipe has some interesting twist that makes it special. They are available online, so I provide you the links to the original author, because giving credit matters!

BAKE #1
HERMIT BARS WITH LEMON GLAZE

RECIPE AVAILABLE HERE

If you are into spiced cookies, this is THE most delicious bar concoction you will ever taste. Period. I have made Hermit cookies in the past, but this bar format with the lemon glaze on top is infinitely better. I urge you to try it. As usual, Helen’s instructions are absolutely spot on. The bar component bakes beautifully, it will end up with the perfect height to welcome the luscious lemony topping.

All flavors go together beautifully and the texture is also wonderful. I cannot recommend this recipe enough! Please make it…

BAKE #2
STRAWBERRY CURD BROWNIE BITES WITH MERINGUE

RECIPE AVAILABLE HERE

Look at those cutie pies! Or should I say cutie-brownies instead? The twist in this recipe is the topping, a strawberry curd… OMG that is to die for! I advise you to make the curd the day before, then the recipe is super easy. The brownie component calls for almond flour, which gives it a very nice texture and slightly more complex taste. Adding the meringues on top is a cute detail that you can skip if you like to simplify it. My only change from the recipe as published by Amisha, was to make the meringues separately – I used a Swiss meringue recipe for that, and just placed them on top of the brownies while they were still a tad warm.

Above you see some of the steps involved to make this delicious concoction…

To make them, I used this silicone pan, which was also used for the other brownie in this post. It makes for a super polished final look.

BAKE #3
ANNA OLSON’S FUDGE BROWNIES WITH SALTED PECANS

RECIPE AVAILABLE HERE

What makes this recipe special is definitely the addition of the pecans, both in the brownie batter and to top each little square. Do not omit the flake salt, it definitely works a special kind of magic here. I have made this recipe years ago, but now I found it available online and feel it is ok to share. It is from one of her great cookbooks, Bake with Anna Olson, which I bought in 2018 (according to my amazon records!).