BROWN BUTTER DULCE DE LECHE COOKIE CUPS

Posted in Cookies by

Once again I regret not having included the OMG FILES when I set up this virtual site of mine. I will admit that these are not the most beautiful cookies to look at, but I dare you eat one and stop. I baked a batch to donate and made the mistake of trying one. You know how it is, new recipe, I was curious to find out if all the hype was justified. Yes, it was. And in one particular week, a group of homeless people had two cookies less than expected. Sorry, really sorry.

BROWN BUTTER DULCE DE LECHE COOKIE CUPS
(from Tessa Arias’ Handle the Heat)

95g all-purpose flour
95g bread flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
113g butter (1 stick) unsalted butter
50g granulated sugar
125g dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large eggs, plus 1/2 egg yolk at room temperature
canned Dulce de Leche

Flaked sea salt, for finishing

Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray one 24 mini-muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a small saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter. It should become foamy with audible cracking and popping noises. Once the crackling stops, continue to swirl the pan until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom. Once the bits are amber in color, about 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops, remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl.

While the butter is still hot, stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Let cool before adding in the vanilla and the egg and yolk, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.

Press a 1-tablespoon sized ball of dough into each muffin cup (about 20g per mini-muffin). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and using the end of a wooden spoon, make 1-inch wide indentations into the center of each cookie.

Spoon a teaspoon of dulce de leche into each indentation. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool completely before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The recipe is available in Tessa’s book “The Ultimate Cookie Handbook“, which I own and love. However, it is also available online, so I felt ok to share here. I halved the recipe, that is why you’ll see 1/2 egg yolk as ingredient, I simply eye-balled it. I did not want to make 48 little cookies, plus I only have one tray of 24 mini-muffins.

My only modification for next time would be to use a piping bag to add the dulce de leche, I think it will look more polished, but I swear, these are AMAZING. And yes, I am using all caps. They look rustic, but don’t let the humble look prevent you from trying this recipe. One of the tastiest cookies I’ve made in a while.

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PECAN SOURDOUGH DRESSED UP FOR PARTY

Posted in Breads by

I’ve been having a lot of fun coupling the air-brush with sourdough baking. It is fast, simple and efficient to add a little bling to your bread. I used pecan flour in a small amount, because since it lacks gluten, I don’t want to risk compromising the structure of the bread.

PECAN SOURDOUGH
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

385g white bread flour
20g pecan flour
20g whole-wheat flour
8g salt
280g water
65g sourdough starter at 100% hydration

optional: gold air-brush dye

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 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, rub gently white flour on the surface. Score with the pattern of your choice and air-brush any region you want to highlight.

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: The golden tone was a little lost during baking, so I air-brushed it again once it came out of the oven. In the composite picture above you see it exactly as it came out of the oven, and below after the second round of air-brushing. A red color would have stayed better, or perhaps I could have used luster powder in copper and mixed with alcohol to use in the air-brush. Something fun to try next time. We love the flavor of this bread, the pecan flour contributes a lot and gives a little more moisture.

There is no flavor associated with the dye, at least not with the brand I use, which is this one. I buy it in the large bottle because it is a favorite that I tend to use all the time, especially in cookies.

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ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH CHICKPEAS AND QUINOA

Posted in Rice and Grains, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by

This goes to the OMG FILES – if I had one, that is… Great recipe brought to my attention by my friend Eha. You can find the original jumping here. I modified it quite a bit, turning it from salad into warm side dish, as at the present time we endure temperatures that have the potential to make Brazilians weep.


ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH CHICKPEAS AND QUINOA
(slightly modified from Cook Republic)

for the roasted component:
1 medium-sized head of cauliflower, cut in florets
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
2 – 3 tbsps olive oil
½ tsp salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 can of chickpeas, drained and well-rinsed

for the dressing:
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsps olive oil

to assemble the dish:
1 cup cooked quinoa, still warm
handful of raisins
handful of sliced almonds
fresh parsley, chopped, amount to taste

Heat oven to 400F. . Line a large, rimmed baking tray with non-stick aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Mix cauliflower florets, smoked paprika, ground cumin, olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Spread cauliflower on the prepared tray and roast in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes until golden and tender. Add the drained chickpeas, a little more olive oil and roast everything together for 5 to 10 additional minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Prepare the dressing by mixing balsamic vinegar, grain mustard, lemon juice and zest and olive oil in a small bowl. Mix well.
To assemble the salad, add warm quinoa quinoa to a large bowl. Add spring onion, raisins, toasted almond flakes and roasted cauliflower. Top with parsley and salad dressing. Mix well to ensure the dressing coats everything evenly. Serve with your main dish of choice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Amazing combination of flavors and textures, I do think it is much better warm than it would be cold, but as I always say, your kitchen, your rules. Make it as a salad if you prefer, or if perhaps you are living the height of the summer right now. The balsamic vinegar is quite prominent so I advise you to choose a brand you love. The original recipe called for grainy mustard, which I did not have, so I went with regular, smooth mustard. Everything worked great, from the raisins to the almonds, and leftovers were delicious two days later. This one is a keeper all the way, and we will be enjoying it regularly. Thank you, Eha!

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BRAZILIAN-STYLE BANANA CAKE

Posted in Brazilian cooking, Cake by

This is quite likely one of the easiest cakes to make, and I just know you will fall in love with it at first bite. One very unusual ingredient goes into the batter: bread crumbs instead of any type of flour. Don’t twist your nose, and please don’t run away! This is a deliciously moist, not too sweet cake, with intense banana flavor. I slightly modified the recipe my friend Alberto sent me. It is a winner!

BRAZILIAN-STYLE BANANA CAKE
(slightly modified from our friend Alberto’s recipe)

5 very ripe bananas
4 eggs
80g oil (grape seed or canola)
100g granulated sugar
100g brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups breadcrumbs (unseasoned, about
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

cinnamon + sugar to dust the top after baking

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with baking spray and cover with parchment paper coming up the sides. Reserve. Heat the oven to 350F.

Place in a blender all the ingredients up to cinnamon. Blend at full speed until the batter is smooth.

Place the bread crumbs, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, whisking to combine. Pour the blended mixture on top, and mix gently with a spatula. Pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the sides look dry and golden. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar lightly on top while the cake is still hot.

Let it cool completely before cutting in slices.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Phil fell in love with this cake, and he is a serious banana cake critic! The version we had in Brazil baked by our friend had a more intense banana flavor, but then again, it is hard to beat the flavor of a Brazilian banana in the height of the Summer… The texture of the cake is very unique, and it stays moist and tender for days. I highly recommend you give this recipe a try…

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VALENTINE’S SOURDOUGH, THREE WAYS

Posted in Breads by

You can use any formula for your sourdough bread, it is all about the scoring, or scoring & painting, if you are so inclined. I offer a simple recipe, that you can flavor with different spices or leave plain.

BE MY VALENTINE SOURDOUGH
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

475g bread flour
25g spelt flour
365g water
70g sourdough starter at 100% hydration
10g salt
1 tsp spice flavoring (Garam masala, Ras-El-Hanout, Za’atar)

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 two types of flour, and salt. Turn the mixer on with the hook attachment and knead the dough for 4 minutes at low-speed all the time. You will notice the dough will gain quite a bit of structure even with just 4 minutes in the mixer. 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. Because the dough is already a bit developed from the initial time in the mixer, you should get very good structure after 3 and a half hours, or even sooner than that.

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.

Place three strings over the dough nicely spaced, and touch the strings to glue them lightly to the bottom of the bread. Place a parchment paper on top, a flat baking sheet, and invert the dough, flipping it out of the banneton. Flour the surface of the dough, and tie the strings on top as shown in the composite picture. Score as desired, forming a heart pattern. You can paint with an air-brush, if desired.

Bake at 450F for 45 minutes, preferably covered for the first 30 minutes to retain steam. I cut the strings quickly after 30 minutes when I open the pan, and moved them gently out of the bread. Don’t worry if some parts of the string stay glued to the bread, you can remove later. Cool completely over a rack before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

The first bread is a flash-back from a couple of years ago, and you can read all the details here.

If you like to add some color to this basic scoring, here’s how to do it…

Simply tie the bread as explained in the recipe, score the heart shapes, and carefully air-brush the design with red. This particular loaf was smaller (400g total flour instead of 500g), so I did not have much space to work on additional details with the razor blade. But I still like the end result…

And the third design, might be the simplest, as you won’t need to tie strings around the shaped dough before baking.

I floured the top of the bread, placed a cookie cutter on top, air-brushed the inside with red dye, removed the cookie cutter and cut the heart with a razor blade first, then used the scissors to clip all around it. A little spiral scoring all around, and that was all!

Comments: I am not sure which design is my favorite, maybe the last one, although the bread had such strong oven spring that the spiral scoring ended up a bit removed from the heart design on top. If you don’t have an air-brush, you can paint with a regular brush, diluting the food dye with a little vodka or water, depending on how fast you want the paint to dry (vodka or any other alcohol will dry faster than water). You can also just score the heart and leave it plain.

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