For a New Year's Eve party tonight I decided to use the surplus smoked salmon we've been eating with cream cheese and DH's hearty homemade rye bread.
I used 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese brought to room temp and mixed in about 1/2 cup sour cream, then added 1.5 tablespoons of dried dill since I had no fresh and squeezed in a 1/4 lemon as well as a heaping teaspoon of prepared horseradish, with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and some ground pepper as well. Below is the result!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Pine nut almond macaroons
Very sticky when rolling in hand but so yummy!
They started with the egg whites reserved from the custard I made with their associated yolks. Then I ground some almonds in the food processor and added sugar and almond extract. I then got to make sticky mud pies :) and roll them in beaten egg whites then pine nuts. This is the final result. DH says the flavour reminds him of marzipan. I will definitely make these again!
They started with the egg whites reserved from the custard I made with their associated yolks. Then I ground some almonds in the food processor and added sugar and almond extract. I then got to make sticky mud pies :) and roll them in beaten egg whites then pine nuts. This is the final result. DH says the flavour reminds him of marzipan. I will definitely make these again!
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Chocolate Thumbprints, Pecan Almond Crescents, and Almond Sables |
Coffee pots de creme |
I spent some time this Christmas baking some new cookies and trying out a few new things. These are what I took pictures of. They are not perfected yet, but I will endeavour to do so next year because they were good enough to encourage me to continue!
The cookies above were all made from one almond cookie dough, found in Fine Cooking. I made it from the magazine, but here is a link to the recipe on their site.
Almond Cookie Dough
The Coffee Pots de Creme were found in Wine Spectator magazine (December 15, 2012, p. 88). They are very rich and use a LOT of coffee beans, so it is not an everyday dessert. However, I thought spending Christmas settled and quietly deserved a treat! And I will plan to make it again - the custard is yummy! Let's see if I can find a link to the recipe...Nope, you must be a subscriber. There are other online recipes, however, and I'm sure they are yummy, too.
(Another I really want to try: Pioneer Woman's Pots de Creme)
I am so glad I have a kitchen scale since it was written all in grams. In this recipe, one leaves the coffee beans (120 g) to soak in a mixture of whole milk (225 g) and heavy cream (225 g of whipping cream for me) for at least 12 hours (I left it longer). Then mix in sugar (75 g), salt (0.5 g) and egg yolks (7 - technically 120 grams but I left my scale too long and it turned off, so I guessed, using the recommendation for 7 1/2 yolks) and cook in a water bath, covered by aluminum foil for and hour at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Chill in fridge until cool. The pic above is the result - minus 2 ramekins which DH and I quickly consumed.
Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Torta di Riso e Zucchine
DH brought home a cookbook titled, "Lidia's favourite recipes" by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and I decided to try her Rice & Zucchini Crostata. Here is the link online: http://www.lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/1024
You will need a baking stone, if you
have one; a 12-by- 18- inch rimmed baking sheet (a half-sheet pan).
To make the dough: Put the 2 cups flour and the salt in the food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse a few seconds to aerate. Mix the oil and water together in a spouted measuring cup. With the processor running, pour the liquid through the feed tube and process about 30 seconds, until a soft dough forms and gathers on the blade. If it doesn't, it is probably too dry. Add more water, in small amounts, until you have a smooth, very soft dough. a Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a minute, until it's smooth and soft. Pat into a rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for 1/2 hour. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to a day, or frozen for a month or more. Defrost in the refrigerator, and return to room temperature before rolling.) To make the filling: Shred the zucchini on the coarse holes of a box grater into a large bowl. Toss the rice and shredded zucchini together, and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour, so the grains absorb the vegetable liquid. Fold in the ricotta (breaking up any lumps), then the grated cheese, scallions, beaten eggs, milk, and salt, stirring until thoroughly mixed. When you're ready to bake the torta, set a rack in the bottom half of the oven-with a baking stone on it, if you have one-and heat the oven to 375ยบ. Spread the butter on the bottom and sides of the pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a rectangle that's at least 4 inches longer and wider than the baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the pan, either by folding it in quarters and lifting it onto the sheet, or by rolling it up around the floured rolling pin and then unfurling it over the baking sheet. When the dough is centered over the pan, then gently press it flat against the bottom and rim of the pan, leaving even flaps of overhanging dough on all sides. (If the dough tears as you are moving it, patch it with a bit of dough from the edges.) Pour and scrape the rice-zucchini filling into the dough-lined pan, and spread it to fill the crust in an even layer. Fold the dough flaps over the top of the filling, pleating the corners, to form a top crust border that looks like a picture frame, with the filling exposed in the middle. Set the pan in the oven (on the heated stone), and bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is set, 45 minutes to an hour. About halfway through the baking time, turn the pan in the oven, back to front, for even color and cooking. Cool the torta on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes to set the filling before slicing. The torta can be served warm or at room temperature, cut into appetizer or bite-sized pieces in any shape you like- squares, rectangles, triangles, or diamonds.
I heartily recommend it! The dough felt wonderful to knead and was easy to work, especially for a novice like myself. I forgot to drain the ricotta overnight and just did it while I made the dough and it turned out just fine. The cookbook shows her using an eggwash after the dough is folded over the filling, but the recipe does not list that. I may try that along with other variations in the future, since I fully intend to make it again.
For the Dough
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for working
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup cold water, plus more as needed
For the Filling
1 pound small zucchini
½ cup Italian short-grain rice, such as Arborio or Carnaroli
2 cups ricotta, preferably fresh, drained overnight
1 cup Grana Padano, or Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
2 bunches scallions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Butter for the baking pan - See more at: http://www.lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/1024#sthash.0WZWR8Wc.dpuf
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for working
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup cold water, plus more as needed
For the Filling
1 pound small zucchini
½ cup Italian short-grain rice, such as Arborio or Carnaroli
2 cups ricotta, preferably fresh, drained overnight
1 cup Grana Padano, or Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
2 bunches scallions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Butter for the baking pan - See more at: http://www.lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/1024#sthash.0WZWR8Wc.dpuf
To make the dough: Put the 2 cups flour and the salt in the food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse a few seconds to aerate. Mix the oil and water together in a spouted measuring cup. With the processor running, pour the liquid through the feed tube and process about 30 seconds, until a soft dough forms and gathers on the blade. If it doesn't, it is probably too dry. Add more water, in small amounts, until you have a smooth, very soft dough. a Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a minute, until it's smooth and soft. Pat into a rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for 1/2 hour. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to a day, or frozen for a month or more. Defrost in the refrigerator, and return to room temperature before rolling.) To make the filling: Shred the zucchini on the coarse holes of a box grater into a large bowl. Toss the rice and shredded zucchini together, and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour, so the grains absorb the vegetable liquid. Fold in the ricotta (breaking up any lumps), then the grated cheese, scallions, beaten eggs, milk, and salt, stirring until thoroughly mixed. When you're ready to bake the torta, set a rack in the bottom half of the oven-with a baking stone on it, if you have one-and heat the oven to 375ยบ. Spread the butter on the bottom and sides of the pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a rectangle that's at least 4 inches longer and wider than the baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the pan, either by folding it in quarters and lifting it onto the sheet, or by rolling it up around the floured rolling pin and then unfurling it over the baking sheet. When the dough is centered over the pan, then gently press it flat against the bottom and rim of the pan, leaving even flaps of overhanging dough on all sides. (If the dough tears as you are moving it, patch it with a bit of dough from the edges.) Pour and scrape the rice-zucchini filling into the dough-lined pan, and spread it to fill the crust in an even layer. Fold the dough flaps over the top of the filling, pleating the corners, to form a top crust border that looks like a picture frame, with the filling exposed in the middle. Set the pan in the oven (on the heated stone), and bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is set, 45 minutes to an hour. About halfway through the baking time, turn the pan in the oven, back to front, for even color and cooking. Cool the torta on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes to set the filling before slicing. The torta can be served warm or at room temperature, cut into appetizer or bite-sized pieces in any shape you like- squares, rectangles, triangles, or diamonds.
I heartily recommend it! The dough felt wonderful to knead and was easy to work, especially for a novice like myself. I forgot to drain the ricotta overnight and just did it while I made the dough and it turned out just fine. The cookbook shows her using an eggwash after the dough is folded over the filling, but the recipe does not list that. I may try that along with other variations in the future, since I fully intend to make it again.
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