Easy Nectarine and Easy Plum Jams
September 9, 2009 at 3:46 pm | Posted in jams & preserves, sweet things | 18 Comments
Before I really get into this, I want you to know that I do realize I’m basically recycling my Easy Apricot Jam post from back in July. But we’re all for recycling, right? Look– I even recycled these old jars…
In a lot of ways I’m ready for fall, but I want nothing to do with apples and pears quite yet…I’m still clinging for dear life onto the summer fruit and veg. Just this morning I went to the Union Square Greenmarket to restock my supply of peaches, raspberries and tristar strawberries, afraid that maybe by next week they’ll have disappeared. I find some consolation in the fact that, if I cook my fruit down with a little sugar and lemon juice, I can trap a piece of summer in a Mason jar and keep it for a few more weeks.
Easy Nectarine and Easy Plum Jams— makes 2 1/2 cups
adapted from Cooks Illustrated (July/August 1998)
Note: To prep your stonefruit, wash (and peel the nectarines…for the plums, you can leave the skins on), halve and pit them. Then slice them very thin. You want to wind up with 1 pound of fruit after prepping.
The jam will continue to thicken as it cools, so err on the side of undercooking. Because of its reduced sugar amounts, this jam cannot be canned.
1 pound prepared fruit, about 3 cups
1 cup plus 2 T sugar for plum jam/1 ¼ cups sugar for nectarine jam
2 T juice from 1 lemon
– Set a bowl over a larger bowl of ice water; set aside.
– In 10- or 12-inch skillet, bring fruit, sugar, and lemon juice to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly and skimming foam as necessary, until mixture begins to look syrupy and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes; remove from heat. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon fruit mixture into bowl over ice water; allow to set for 30 seconds. Tip bowl 45 degrees to one side; jam should be a soft gel that moves slightly. If mixture is liquid and runs to side of bowl, return skillet to heat and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes longer; then repeat test. Save the ice bath to cool the finished product.
-Cool jam to room temperature (over the ice bath) before serving or transferring to a clean glass jar or airtight container (you can sterilize first with boiling water, if you are so inclined). It will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to two weeks (I’ve kept mine for up to a month…but that’s just me).
Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Soufflé
September 8, 2009 at 1:57 am | Posted in groups, pudding/mousse, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 42 Comments
I wonder if the bankers in the building across the street ever notice me taking photos of my food on the windowsill. I can see them clearly, so maybe they see me, too? If they do, I’m sure they were jealous that on a Wednesday afternoon, while they were sitting in their offices or in the conference room with the red walls and heinous artwork, I was enjoying a chocolate soufflé with hazelnut crème anglaise. This is all thanks to Susan of She’s Becoming DoughMessTic, who chose chocolate soufflés for TWD this week.
At every restaurant I’ve worked in, there’s been a soufflé on the menu at some point. Every pastry chef seems to make them a little differently, but I’ve picked up a few universal tips along the way. Use soft butter to coat your ramekins well (one chef had us do two coats). Use room temperature whites and whip them until they “look like shaving cream.” (I prefer to whip my whites by hand, if the amount is manageable.) Fill individual molds right to the top, level them off, and clean off any batter that may have slopped on the rims. Most importantly, get your soufflés to the table straight away (in a restaurant, this is actually the hardest part, because when a soufflé comes out of the oven, inevitably there are no waiters to be found!).
I made a few individual soufflés, rather than the larger one Dorie suggests. The principles are the same, but the baking time is shorter. I had mine in the oven for somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes…I like them a little puddingy and creamy inside. They were really very chocolatey, light and delicious….and a little pot of chilled hazelnut crème anglaise served alongside didn’t hurt matters any.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read She’s Becoming DoughMessTic. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Late summer…on a plate
September 4, 2009 at 3:53 am | Posted in savory things, veggies | 12 Comments
Tuesdays with Dorie: Espresso Cheesecake Brownies
September 1, 2009 at 1:15 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 49 Comments
My taste in brownies is usually pretty plain. Lots of chocolate and some walnuts– that’s pretty much all I need. I’ve never even had a cheesecake brownie…at least not until Melissa of Life in a Peanut Shell chose Espresso Cheesecake Brownies for TWD. Espresso and chocolate are a winning combo, so I was game to give the recipe a shot (in half-recipe form, baked in a loaf pan).
The brownie layer was pretty standard. My cheesecake batter was super-loose, though, and I was a little nervous that it wouldn’t set-up. I wasn’t able to swirl the extra brownie batter into it, so I just plopped bits on (hence the leopard-print spots) and crossed my fingers as it went into the oven. Success! The heat did it’s trick, and everything cooked up fine.
I decided at first to go without Dorie’s suggested sour cream topping for the brownies, but after eating them the first night, I thought they needed more chocolate pop. So the second night, I topped the remaining pieces with a chocolate sour cream topping. Not bad, not bat at all.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Life in a Peanut Shell. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Bircher Muesli
August 29, 2009 at 6:09 pm | Posted in around sydney, breakfast things, cereals | 19 Comments
Despite my love of oats, muesli has always had bit of a negative connotation for me. Why would I ever want that dry, sawdusty stuff when I could have deliciously toasted granola instead? It wasn’t until we were living in Sydney, where it’s a café breakfast staple, that I finally discovered Bircher muesli. Oh, Bircher muesli…where had you been all my life? Better late than never, I guess.
With Bircher muesli, dry oats are soaked for at least a couple hours (overnight’s best), eliminating the whole sawdust thing. While you could use any number of liquids (such as OJ, milk or water) as your soaking medium, I prefer the light, neutral sweetness of apple juice. Next you add in lots of tasty bits…yogurt, fruit and nuts. Here I used grated red apple, along with strawberries, blackberries, sliced almonds, hazelnuts and unsweetened coconut flakes, but it’s really anything goes with the fruit and nuts. (Sliced peaches are incredible in this, as is rhubarb compote!) To me, the grated apple is the only really essential fruit, both for moisture and texture, so I would definitely not omit that. I’ve used all types of apples in the past, though, red or green..whatever you have…grate them skin-on.
This is such an easy and and satisfying breakfast, and a great way for oat lovers to get our fix when it’s hot outside. Thank you Maximilian Bircher-Benner!
Bircher Muesli– makes 2 large or 3 small servings
1 cup rolled oats (the “old-fashioned” kind)
½ cup + 2 T unsweetened apple juice
½ of a coarsely grated apple
5 oz plain yogurt
pinch of ground cinnamon
handful of toasted nuts and/or coconut flakes
handful of fresh berries and/or sliced stonefruit
honey or maple syrup for drizzling
-Put the oats and apple juice in a lidded container and leave in the refrigerator to soak overnight.
-The next morning, stir the grated apple, cinnamon, yogurt and half of the toasted nuts and/or coconut into the soaked oats. Spoon into bowls and top with fruit and remaining nuts. Drizzle with honey or maple syrup.
Tuesdays with Dorie: Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie
August 25, 2009 at 1:42 am | Posted in groups, pies & tarts, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 31 Comments
The brilliant baker Linda of Tender Crumb picked this cool and refreshing Lime Cream Meringue Pie for TWD this week. Lots of lime and grated ginger made for a snappy combination…just right for a hot and muggy summer’s day. I went with a crumb crust, and used waaaay less butter in my lime cream (I don’t know anymore just how much, but I didn’t measure anyway). The lime cream was, well, creamy, and far better in taste and texture than some heavily cornstarched giggly-wiggly meringue pie fillings I’ve had in the past.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Tender Crumb. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Fresh Corn Pancakes
August 22, 2009 at 4:58 pm | Posted in breakfast things, pancakes/waffles | 21 Comments
I usually have three days off from work each week (ahh, the luxury!), and you can bet that on one of those mornings I will be making pancakes. I do love them so, and as much as I like to go out to eat, when it comes to pancakes, homemade rules. I have a go-to buttermilk recipe that is the standard (and I will share with you one day soon), but I keep my eyes peeled for something different every once and awhile. You know, no need to be boring, even if you are still in your PJs.
A recipe for fresh corn pancakes the July issue of Gourmet was whispering to me from the pages. It didn’t have to say much, though– the corn is so good and sweet right now, that I felt like this was kind of time-sensitive. I rushed to make them the first time, and have whipped them up two more times since! Pureed corn gives them an overall sunshine-yellow tint, and whole kernels are little bursts of sweetness. Even though I drastically reduced the butter when I made them, they browned gorgeously.
Apparently, you can serve these pancakes with salsa and sour cream for a savory take, but I’ll have mine drenched in maple syrup!
Fresh Corn Pancakes– makes 4 servings (about 12 pancakes)
from a recipe in Gourmet (July 2009)
Note: You can reduce the butter in the recipe (I used 2T) if you’d like.
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
3 to 4 ears corn
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
-Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
-Cut enough kernels from cobs to measure 2 cups. Using back of a knife, scrape pulp from cobs and transfer to a blender with milk and 1/2 cup corn. Purée until smooth, then strain through a sieve into another medium bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Whisk in eggs, oil, and butter.
-Add to flour mixture with remaining 1 1/2 cups corn and whisk until just combined.
-Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat until hot, then lightly brush with oil.
-Working in batches, pour 1/3 cup batter per pancake onto griddle and cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden-brown, about 2 minutes. Flip with a spatula and cook until undersides are golden-brown, about 1 minute more. (Reduce heat if pancakes brown too quickly.) Lightly oil griddle between batches if necessary.
-Drizzle warm maple syrup on the pancakes for breakfast or serve them as a side dish with salsa and sour cream.
The Cake Slice: Pistachio Petit Four Cake
August 20, 2009 at 1:47 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, groups, layer cakes, sweet things, the cake slice | 26 Comments
With marzipan roses on top (however garishly colored–oops!), this Pistachio Petit Four Cake from Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes may be the ultimate ladies’ treat– something that you’ll want to eat with your pinkie curled in the air.
It’s not just for the girls though…R was completely happy to have it as his birthday cake this past week (want to see last year’s, or the year before’s?). And he’d have been crazy not to want it. Pistachio butter cake stacked with rolled marzipan, apricot jam and chocolate ganache make for a layered affair that is not just beautiful to look at, but tastes beautiful, too.
Sounds like a lot of fuss for a cake, but it’s completely worth it, and it’s not really that hard…at least not compared to stuggling through the petits fours glacés section of a French cooking school curriculum! Buy the jam, and what the hell, buy the marzipan, too. Even though there were instructions in the recipe for homemade marzipan, I confess that I just got the stuff in a log (one log worked great for the six-inch cake I made, but if you are doing a full-sized cake, I’d suggest two).
Here’s a printable link to the recipe. Better yet, get your hands on a copy of Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alicia Huntsman and Peter Wynne. Cruise through the list of The Cake Slice Bakers to check out all of our sky-high cakes this month.
Tuesdays with Dorie: Applesauce Spice Bars
August 18, 2009 at 1:23 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, cookies & bars, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 27 Comments
Apples, cinnamon and brown sugar…these are flavors that make me instantly think of fall, but, really, I enjoy them anytime of year. Karen of Something Sweet by Karen must, too, because she’s picked Dorie’s Applesauce Spice Bars for this week’s TWD.
These bars weren’t exactly what I expected, but I mean that in a good way. I was thinking they’d bake up into something chewy and kind of dense, but they were actually like a snack cake..super moist and with a cake-style crumb. A toffee-like glaze sweetly seals the deal. I couldn’t just stop at the itty-bitty bar-sized potions Dorie suggested, so we ate bigger squares. We enjoyed them so much that next time I’ll make more than just a third of a recipe (which baked up nicely in a loaf pan).
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Something Sweet by Karen. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Brownie Buttons
August 11, 2009 at 1:26 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 50 Comments
Boy, are we cruising through the brownie section of BFMHTY. Who knew there were so many types of brownies out there? The latest take on these little squares of chocolatey goodness are actually not squares at all, but Brownie Buttons, chosen by Jayma of Two Scientists Experimenting in the Kitchen.
Baking the batter in a mini-muffin tin is all it really takes to turn your brownies into “buttons.” There is some optional orange zest in this batter…I’m not usually a fan of fruit and chocolate, so I opted out. I said “yes, please” to the white chocolate topping, though.
These gave a good little chocolate pop, but I won’t lie and say that I was only able to eat one at a time! For that reason, I’ll probably stick to regular brownies (OMG– who else made these?!?), but I can see myself making these again if I need to do a cookie platter.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Two Scientists Experimenting in the Kitchen. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
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