Half Baked

Blue Cheese Pomergranate Bites

2009-11-21T13:19:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month I saw that fresh pomegranates were in abundance at my market. I love pomegranates, they are not only delicious, but beautiful as well. Cut into a ripe pomegranate and you are rewarded with the sweet ruby red treasure contained within. I'm not exactly sure why, but for me they herald the beginning of holiday season. Maybe it's that glorious red color. Whatever the reason, fresh pomegranates mean the holidays must be upon us! With the holiday party season in mind, I thought I use my fresh pomegranates to make some appetizers. These are easy and fairly quick to make. You can make up the pomegranate syrup ahead of time. It will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. Make extra syrup, it's so good you'll want to have some to drizzle it over ice cream, yogurt, pancakes etc.

Blue Cheese Pomegranate Bites

(Print Recipe)

1 (8-ounce) piece of blue, chilled (you can also use the crumbled blue cheese)

1 1/2 packages frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

1/3 cup pomegranate syrup (recipe below)

1/4 cup arils (seeds) from 1 large pomegranate

Preparation:
If not using the crumbled blue cheese, cut cheese into 24 cubes, and set aside.
Roll pastry into a 15- x 10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface; cut into 24 squares. Fit squares into miniature muffin pans, extending corners slightly above cup rims.
Bake pastry at 425° for 10 to 12 minutes or until it begins to brown. Remove from oven, and gently press handle of a wooden spoon into center of each pastry, forming a shell.
Spoon 1/2 teaspoon syrup into each shell; top with a piece of blue cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. Top with the fresh pomegranate arils (seeds) and serve immediately.

Pomegranate Syrup

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh pomegranate juice

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preparation:

In a saucepan, combine pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice over medium heat.
Stir until sugar has completely dissolved.
Allow to cook over medium high heat for 20-25 minutes, or until juice is the consistency of syrup.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

These appetizers are also very versatile. 24 wine-and-cheese crackers may be substituted. Top each cracker with the cheese, and drizzle with the syrup; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Top with the fresh pomegranate arils. Brie could be substituted for the blue cheese.

Pear Muffins

2009-11-10T12:32:00.000-08:00

I gone and done it again. Every time I swear to myself that this will be THE LAST TIME! But then in the heat of the moment, when my defenses are down, with such rational reasons running through my mind, I falter. I fall off the wagon, give into to the temptation. I have such good intentions how can it be wrong??? I blame it on Sam, really I can't be held responsible my actions with such temptations thrown at me around every corner. I'm way too weak! I know I've come here and confessed this many times before. I mean it each and every time. I WILL NOT buy more of a perishable item than I can use before it goes bad! I have good intentions and I reeeaally mean it at the time, but then I go into Sam's and what do they have there to taut me with, but the cutest little Seckel pears you've ever seen. I completely ignore the fact that they come in a 4 pound box. I'll make caramel dipped pears for that fruit tray I've got to make this week; is my rational. All the while ignoring the whole 4 pound thing. By the way, four pounds equals a lot of tiny pears.

Caramel dipped baby pears, adorable!

So fast forward to later in the week. I did use about 8 of the pears for the fruit tray. They were in fact adorable dipped in caramel. Like little gleaming gems on my fruit and cheese tray. The only problem, I still had about 3 pounds of tiny pears left over. So still with good intentions, I planned to make a pear and apple crisp with the rest. Yeah well, you know what they say about good intentions! So today, when I finally got the chance to do a little baking, I realize the pears are way too ripe for a crisp. At this point they'd disintegrate to a soggy pulp if baked. Not so good for a crisp. However, mushy fruit is great for muffins. So if you get one of those fruit boxes given to you over the holidays, here's a wonderful way to use up some of the pears.

Although I plan to try to be better in the future and not allow myself to be tempted by cuteness or a good bargain, I'm glad that I had to find a way to use the pears because these muffins are divine. They are very similar to a banana nut muffin, but with the delicate flavor of pear rather than the overwhelming flavor of banana.

Pear Muffins
(Printable recipe)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon finely minced crystallized ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg -- beaten
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup melted butter -- cooled
1 cup mashed pear pulp -- (2 or 3 soft regular sized pears or 6-8 Seckel pears)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, F.

Mash the pears.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Chop the pecans

Beat together milk, beaten egg, butter and lemon zest and crystallized ginger. Mix pears and nuts into flour mixture. Gently stir milk mixture into dry ingredients. Batter should be lumpy, not smooth. Do not over mix.

I used a silicon pan, but a regular muffin tin is fine.

Spray muffin pans with nonstick spray. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, until tops are browned. Remove from pan immediately, and serve warm. If you have any leftovers, which I can't imagine, they can be kept a couple of days in an airtight container, or frozen.

Gorgeous Pear Muffins

Perfect with a bit of butter and a pipping hot cup of Twinings Apple Cinnamon tea.

Salted Caramel Pots de Creme

2009-11-03T05:20:00.000-08:00

These salted caramel pots de creme were the sweet ending to Hubs birthday dinner last week. He's always a sucker for any creme brulee desserts when we go out to dinner. Caramel is his other favorite dessert flavor so caramel pots de creme seemed like the obvious dessert choice for his birthday dinner. Last summer we got hooked on Haagen Dazs fleur de sel caramel ice cream. It has the perfect balance of caramel sweet and just a hint of salt. I thought I'd try to recreate that in these pots de creme. I think that hint of salt takes this dessert from wonderful to sublime! Happy Birthday Hubs!

Salted Caramel Pots de Creme

serves 6-8

Source- Dorie Greenspan, Baking from my Home to Yours (slightly adapted)

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar (divided)

2 large eggs

5 large egg yolks

Pinch of fleur de sel or sea salt

Method

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Line a large roasting pan with a double thickness of paper towels, then place eight 4-ounce or six 6 ounce custard cups, ramekins, or pot de creme cups in the pan.

Pour cream and milk together and warm them in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat; set aside.

Measure out 1/4 cup of sugar and set aside.

Heat a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over med-high heat and sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of sugar from the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar.As soon as the sugar melts and starts to caramelize, stir. When the color is uniform, stir in another 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue to stir until it is melted and colored. Continue adding the sugar 2 tablespoons at a time. When the sugar is a deep amber, almost a mahogany color, standing away from the pan, so you don't get splattered, add the warmed cream/milk. The mixture will bubble furiously and may seize, but don't panic, just keep stirring until it smooths out. Remove pan from the heat.

Put the eggs, yolks, pinch of fleur de sel, and the reserved 1/4 cup of sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk until pale and slightly thick. While still whisking, drizzle in a little of the caramel liquid. This will temper the eggs so you don't end up with scrambled eggs. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. If there is any foam on top of the custard, skim off with a spoon. The foam will cause craters on the top of the custard as it bakes.

Arrange custard cups in a small roasting pan, leaving an even amount of space between the cups, and fill each cup nearly to the top with the custard mixture. Carefully slide the pan into the oven; then, using a pitcher, fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Cover the pan with plastic wrap (don’t worry—it can stand the heat) and poke two holes in two diagonally opposite corners. Bake the custards for about 35-40 minutes, or until the edges darken ever so slightly and the custards are set but still jiggle a little in the center when you shake them gently.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the custards sit in the water bath for 10 minutes. Peel off the plastic wrap, lift the cups out of the water and cool the custards in the refrigerator. (The pots de creme can be prepared a day ahead and, when cool, covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator.)

To serve: The pots de creme are at their best at room temperature, so remove them from the refrigerator and keep them on the counter for about 20 minutes before serving. Sprinkle a little fleur de sel or sea salt on the tops of the custard.

(Print Recipe)

Unexpected packages...

2009-10-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

Look what arrived on my doorstep a few days ago. The great folks at POM Wonderful sent me a sample of the two new flavors that they've developed. Kiwi and Nectarine pomegranate juice will be coming soon to a grocery store near you. Both of the flavors are very tasty but I really like the Kiwi.

This is the second time I've gotten a box from POM. The first box contained 6 small regular bottles of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice. I used some of that to make Pomegranate gelato. I just went basic and simple with this juice and added a big splash to some sparkling water. Very refreshing!

Thanks POM it's always fun to get an unexpected package containing a wonderful surprise!

Pumpkin Latte

2009-10-19T06:31:00.000-07:00

I will be the first to admit that I've got a ~~slight~~ ummm make that a major addiction. My drug of choice?? Coffee. The idea of starting the day without a mug of steaming hot coffee makes me shudder. Most days, just the thought of that mug of coffee is what motivates me to rise from the warm nest of my bed. Waiting for the pot to brew is the longest ten minutes of my day, but ohhh it's so worth the wait! That first sip aaahhh, nothing like it. Bring on the day!
I love the smell, taste, pretty much everything, about coffee. No love isn't to the right word, I adore it. Really coffee holds a special place in my heart.Generally I'm not a fan of flavored coffee. I want it straight with a splash of milk/cream. No sugar or flavored creamers, just plain ole coffee for me. This is still true in the morning. DO NOT mess around with that first cup of the day.
A couple of years ago I discovered (along with millions of others) Starbuck's pumpkin latte....oh my... Wow! Pumpkin and coffee ingenious! This was a flavored coffee that I could get into. However at five bucks a pop and more calories than I want to know, I didn't indulge very often. I decided to try to duplicate the flavors of the pumpkin latte at home. While not this is not quite a coffee shop style coffee, it's a pretty good knock off that is easily made at home, with no special equipment required. Drink up!!

1 cup very strong coffee or espresso
2/3 cup evaporated milk(regular or fat free evaporated milk)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 to 2 Tbl maple syrup (or use granulated sugar, if you prefer)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon

Combine coffee, evaporated milk, pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a small saucepan. Heat until very hot over medium-low heat and stir occasionally. To make a foamy top to your latte. Carefully transfer hot mixture into blender container; cover with lid and then hold down lid with folded towel or potholder. Blend for 1 minute.Take care when blending hot liquids! I used an immersion stick blender. It made a nice foamy top.Carefully pour into mugs and sprinkle with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.

Carrot Soup with Rosemary Apple Bread

2009-10-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

Yet another reason to love Autumn...the return of soup! Unless it's served cold, not much soup gets eaten around here during the summer month's. So I always look forward to cooler temps because I enjoy making soup, all kinds, almost as much as I enjoy eating them. The pot of goodness gently simmering on the stove. The whole house scented with the smell of its promise of warmth and comfort. It's like curling up in a warm blanket.
In the last week or so we've had temps that dropped into the 40's at night and I started craving a good bowl of soup. Carrot soup has long been a favorite of mine. As with most soups, carrot soup is open to your interpretation. A variety of herbs and spice can be used to flavor carrot soup. Use you imagination. This is my favorite way to make carrot soup. The secret to this soup is the apple, it lends a wonderful hint of sweetness to the carrots. This soup is wonderful the day you make it but even better a day or two later. It holds up to a week when kept refrigerated, so make a little extra!
Looking back at my past few posts, I guess you could say I've been on a bit of an apple roll! I've had a plethora of apples as of late and have been looking for ways to use them all. I came across this recipe for rosemary apple bread and thought it would be the perfect companion to my carrot soup. They were so good together, I decided to post both the recipes. This bread delicious, the hint of rosemary is wonderful with the apples. Don't be scared away because it's a yeast dough. You won't believe how simple it is to make, it's almost disaster proof.

Carrot Soup

Ingredients

1Tbl. butter
1 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1onion, peeled and chopped
1sm clove garlic chopped
1 small green apple, peeled and chopped
1 small russet or other starchy potato, peeled and chopped
1 1/4 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander
6 cups water
dash of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup (or more if you want it richer),whipping cream
Salt and pepper

Directions

In a 6-quart pan, over medium high heat, add butter, garlic and onions sprinkle with a little salt and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft. Add water, carrots, apple, potato coriander and ginger (I add a little salt and pepper here too. This helps you to achieve great layers of flavor). Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced 20- 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer to a blender or using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Be careful when blending hot liquids as the mixture can spurt out of the blender. Return to the pan and add cream, stir over high heat until hot. Add salt and pepper and nutmeg, to taste.

( Print Recipe)

Rosemary Apple Bread

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 package quick-rise yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 cup diced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 small)
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons butter, melted

Preparation
Combine 2 3/4 cups flour, salt, rosemary, and yeast in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add water, stirring until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Knead in apple. Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Shape dough into a loaf; place dough in an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Gently press dough into pan; cover. Let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped. Brush top with butter. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack. source: Cooking Light, Nov. 2003

(Print Recipe)

rumbly in the tummy..time for some sweet potato chips

2009-10-03T06:24:00.000-07:00

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"
"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully.
"It's the same thing," he said.

Pooh is very wise for a "Bear of Very Little Brains" but much like Hubs, food is never too far from his thoughts. I recently came across this quote from Pooh and laughed at how much it sounds like a conversation between Hubs and me. It usually starts out with something like "what do you want to do, have planned for today", and ends with "what do you want to do for lunch or dinner"(whichever meal is next).

I can't tell you how many times I've walked in the kitchen only to find hubs searching through the cupboards. When I ask what he's looking for, his usual response is "looking for a snack. I'm a little hungry." Much like Pooh, Hubs gets a little rumbly in the tummy and needs a snack! In an effort not be become "all stuffed with fluff" I haven't been buying very many snack foods. Potato chips in particular have become somewhat of treat in our home.So recently, since the cupboards were bare, (just of junk foods) I decided to make sweet potato chips to ward off the inevitable "rumbly in my tummy."

Sweet Potato Chips

Vegetable oil, for frying

2 large sweet potatoes, washed (peeled or not whichever you prefer)

Directions

In a large heavy bottom pan or skillet, heat oil to 350 degrees F.

Thinly slice potatoes into round disks, about 1/4-inch thick. Fry for 1 1/2 to 3 minutes, turning frequently. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel.

I sprinkled them with a spicy mixture of cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper while they where still hot and then squeezed a little fresh lime juice over the top. However you could top these with just salt and pepper, or add almost any herb that you had on hand. Rosemary would be especially tasty!

* note- I cut my sweet potatoes very thin with a mandoline slicer. I did mine length wise but decided after I started frying them that they would have cooked more evenly if they were cut into thin rounds, so that's what I put in the recipe.

Great for husbands with a rumbly tumbly

Bama Blues

2009-09-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

A few days ago Jennifer of Chez Loulou tagged my for this game: find seven blue objects in your house and do a little show and tell. Jennifer lives in southern France. Every time I visit her blog I just want to move to there. The cheese, the wine, the beautiful scenery... I did get the opportunity to visit her part of the world over the summer and it is every bit as wonderful as I'd imagined.

Anyway here's a little show and tell in blue from my part of the world, southern Alabama...Enjoy!

Daisies in blue glass

Blue eggs from our local Farmers Market

Blue window on a shed at Waterberry Farm

Polish pottery hanging on my kitchen wall that I bought while living in Germany.

I couldn't do a post on blue with out including my "Tiffany" cupcakes!

Maisy on a blue float in our pool

and finally...a blue enamel milk jug that I picked up at a flea market in Germany. It's my favorite "vase". I just adore it!

Now it's my turn to tag seven people. Tag you're it: Grace of A Southern Grace, How to eat a cupcake, Apparently Jessy, Elyse's Confectionery Creation, Jamie of Life's a Feast, WhistleStop Cafe, and Rowena of Rubber Slippers in Italy. Find seven blue things in your home, life, community, whatever and give us a little show and tell into your world then tag 7 other bloggers. Can't wait to see your blues!

Daring Baker's Challenge: Puff Pastry...get out your rolling pin!

2009-09-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I was a little nervous about this month's challenge. I've never made puff pastry before and assumed it was going to be very time consuming and probably difficult. Once I got started making the pastry I found that it was fairly easy and although it does take several hours to complete the puff pastry, most of that time is just chilling the dough so that it can be rolled. I enjoyed making the puff pastry and it tastes so amazing I know I'll be making it again!

The second part of our challenge was to make our pastry in what the French call vols-au-vents, which are basically little pastry shells that can hold a filling. They can be either savory or sweet. I choose to go with a sweet vols-au-vent. I filled mine with apples in a caramel sauce and topped them with ice cream...they were to die for! I made them for a dinner party I only had one left to photograph

The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

Michel Richard’s Puff Pastry Dough

From: Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan
Yield: 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups (12.2 oz/ 354 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups (5.0 oz/ 142 g) cake flour
1 tbsp. salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations)
1-1/4 cups (10 fl oz/ 300 ml) ice water
1 pound (16 oz/ 454 g) very cold unsalted butter
plus extra flour for dusting work surface

Mixing the Dough:
Check the capacity of your food processor before you start. If it cannot hold the full quantity of ingredients, make the dough into two batches and combine them.
Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add the water all at once, pulsing until the dough forms a ball on the blade. The dough will be very moist and pliable and will hold together when squeezed between your fingers. (Actually, it will feel like Play-Doh.)
Remove the dough from the machine, form it into a ball, with a small sharp knife, slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap the dough in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin until it flattens into a square that's about 1" thick. Take care that the butter remains cool and firm: if it has softened or become oily, chill it before continuing.
Incorporating the Butter:
Unwrap the dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour (A cool piece of marble is the ideal surface for puff pastry) with your rolling pin (preferably a French rolling pin without handles), press on the dough to flatten it and then roll it into a 10" square. Keep the top and bottom of the dough well floured to prevent sticking and lift the dough and move it around frequently. Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with "ears," or flaps.
Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold the ears over the butter, stretching them as needed so that they overlap slightly and encase the butter completely. (If you have to stretch the dough, stretch it from all over; don't just pull the ends) you should now have a package that is 8" square.
To make great puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough cold at all times. There are specified times for chilling the dough, but if your room is warm, or you work slowly, or you find that for no particular reason the butter starts to ooze out of the pastry, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it . You can stop at any point in the process and continue at your convenience or when the dough is properly chilled.

Making the Turns:
Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square (this will help keep it square). Then, keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured to prevent sticking, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24" (don't worry about the width of the rectangle: if you get the 24", everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich (use your arm-strength!).
With a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn.
Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24" and then folding it in thirds. This is the second turn.

Chilling the Dough:
If the dough is still cool and no butter is oozing out, you can give the dough another two turns now. If the condition of the dough is iffy, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you've completed by indenting the dough with your fingertips. It is best to refrigerate the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns.
The total number of turns needed is six. If you prefer, you can give the dough just four turns now, chill it overnight, and do the last two turns the next day. Puff pastry is extremely flexible in this regard. However, no matter how you arrange your schedule, you should plan to chill the dough for at least an hour before cutting or shaping it.

Steph’s extra tips:

-While this is not included in the original recipe we are using (and I did not do this in my own trials), many puff pastry recipes use a teaspoon or two of white vinegar or lemon juice, added to the ice water, in the détrempe dough. This adds acidity, which relaxes the gluten in the dough by breaking down the proteins, making rolling easier. You are welcome to try this if you wish.
-Keep things cool by using the refrigerator as your friend! If you see any butter starting to leak through the dough during the turning process, rub a little flour on the exposed dough and chill straight away. Although you should certainly chill the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns, if you feel the dough getting to soft or hard to work with at any point, pop in the fridge for a rest.
-Not to sound contradictory, but if you chill your paton longer than the recommended time between turns, the butter can firm up too much. If this seems to be the case, I advise letting it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to give it a chance to soften before proceeding to roll. You don't want the hard butter to separate into chunks or break through the dough...you want it to roll evenly, in a continuous layer.
-Roll the puff pastry gently but firmly, and don’t roll your pin over the edges, which will prevent them from rising properly. Don't roll your puff thinner than about about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick, or you will not get the rise you are looking for.
-Try to keep “neat” edges and corners during the rolling and turning process, so the layers are properly aligned. Give the edges of the paton a scooch with your rolling pin or a bench scraper to keep straight edges and 90-degree corners.
-Brush off excess flour before turning dough and after rolling.
-Make clean cuts. Don’t drag your knife through the puff or twist your cutters too much, which can inhibit rise.
-When egg washing puff pastry, try not to let extra egg wash drip down the cut edges, which can also inhibit rise.
-Extra puff pastry dough freezes beautifully. It’s best to roll it into a sheet about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick (similar to store-bought puff) and freeze firm on a lined baking sheet. Then you can easily wrap the sheet in plastic, then foil (and if you have a sealable plastic bag big enough, place the wrapped dough inside) and return to the freezer for up to a few months. Defrost in the refrigerator when ready to use.
-You can also freeze well-wrapped, unbaked cut and shaped puff pastry (i.e., unbaked vols-au-vent shells). Bake from frozen, without thawing first.
-Homemade puff pastry is precious stuff, so save any clean scraps. Stack or overlap them, rather than balling
them up, to help keep the integrity of the layers. Then give them a singe “turn” and gently re-roll. Scrap puff can be used for applications where a super-high rise is not necessary (such as palmiers, cheese straws, napoleons, or even the bottom bases for your vols-au-vent).

Forming and Baking the Vols-au-Vent

Yield: 1/3 of the puff pastry recipe below will yield about 8-10 1.5” vols-au-vent or 4 4” vols-au-vent
In addition to the equipment listed above, you will need:
-well-chilled puff pastry dough (recipe below)
-egg wash (1 egg or yolk beaten with a small amount of water)
-your filling of choice
Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Using a knife or metal bench scraper, divided your chilled puff pastry dough into three equal pieces. Work with one piece of the dough, and leave the rest wrapped and chilled. (If you are looking to make more vols-au-vent than the yield stated above, you can roll and cut the remaining two pieces of dough as well…if not, then leave refrigerated for the time being or prepare it for longer-term freezer storage. See the “Tips” section below for more storage info.)
On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting.
(This assumes you will be using round cutters, but if you do not have them, it is possible to cut square vols-au-vents using a sharp chef’s knife.) For smaller, hors d'oeuvre sized vols-au-vent, use a 1.5” round cutter to cut out 8-10 circles. For larger sized vols-au-vent, fit for a main course or dessert, use a 4” cutter to cut out about 4 circles. Make clean, sharp cuts and try not to twist your cutters back and forth or drag your knife through the dough. Half of these rounds will be for the bases, and the other half will be for the sides. (Save any scrap by stacking—not wadding up—the pieces…they can be re-rolled and used if you need extra dough. If you do need to re-roll scrap to get enough disks, be sure to use any rounds cut from it for the bases, not the ring-shaped sides.)
Using a ¾-inch cutter for small vols-au-vent, or a 2- to 2.5-inch round cutter for large, cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” for you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile.

Dock the solid bottom rounds with a fork (prick them lightly, making sure not to go all the way through the pastry) and lightly brush them with egg wash. Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” dock and egg wash them as well.
Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). (You could also cover and refrigerate them for a few hours at this point.)
Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place a silicon baking mat (preferred because of its weight) or another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC), and remove the silicon mat or parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (with no sheet on top) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.)
Remove to a rack to cool. Cool to room temperature for cold fillings or to warm for hot fillings.
Fill and serve
(Sorry I didn't get any pictures of this step but check out Seph's blog a whisk and a spoon for a step by step guide )

Pumpkin Apple Pancakes

2009-09-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

Did you feel it? Summer has slipped away and Fall is creeping in to take its place. If you're looking to enjoy the last day of summer, look elsewhere!! I'm in a autumnal state of mind. I love the change of seasons not just because of the change in weather but also because it signals a change of flavors in cooking as well. Each season brings with it new flavors and it's own seasonal produce to enjoy and savor. When I think of Fall, visions of pumpkin, apple and spice dance in my head. I've been anticipating all sorts of wonderful things; pumpkin or apple or pecan pies, or maybe roasting marshmallows over a fire while wearing a sweater.

Oh wait... I live in the deep South. Although the temps have dropped from the scorching mid 90's to the balmy low 80's, we're nowhere near sweater and fire weather. Oh well I guess it's time to crank down the air conditioning, turn on the coffee pot, grab a sweater and pretend! I couldn't wait any longer so I made these pumpkin apple pancakes as sort of a celebration of all the things I love about Fall.

Pumpkin Apple Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tbl milled flax seed

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp canola oil

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup peeled, diced apple

Preparation:

Whisk flour, sugar, flax, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Combine egg, oil, milk, apple and pumpkin in a small bowl. Stir pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients. Let stand for five minutes. While you let the batter stand make the caramelized apples.
Scoop about 1/3 cup of batter on to a hot griddle or nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Turn pancakes when bubbles appear and edges are cooked, after about 2 minutes. Cook for about 1 1/2 minutes on second side. Top with caramelized apples and warm maple syrup.

Caramelized Apples

1 apple, sliced thin
2 Tbl. butter
2 Tbl. brown sugar
Melt butter in a skillet. Add brown sugar and apple slices. Cook stirring occasionally until apples are soft and slightly golden, about 8 minutes.

(Print Recipe)

Hawk's Bars, soul food?

2009-09-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

When I came across this recipe in this month's Bon Appetit I thought, oh yeah, I"m making these babies soon! Brownie bottom, white chocolate caramel center and dark chocolate ganache on the top...heaven. Unlike the chocolate muffins in my previous post these bars are are pure decadence. No flax seed or wheat flour here, just rich chocolate and caramel. I made the bars to take along with us to the beach for our vacation and there are no calories in food eaten on vacation. Right?? Besides, as far as I'm concerned chocolate is good for the soul. I think my soul prefers chocolate to chicken soup. Chocolate makes everything better.
Anyway I was not disappointed these brownies were as good as they looked. Although they require several steps, they are fairly simple to make.

Bon Appétit | September 2009

by chef-owners Michael Fagnoni and Moly Hawks (these are so good they named the bars after their restaurant!)

Brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (54% to 60% cacao), chopped

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

White-chocolate caramel:

3 tablespoons water, divided

3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

4 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

4 ounces high-quality white chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced, room temperature

Bittersweet-chocolate ganache:

2/3 cup heavy cream

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (54% to 60% cacao), finely chopped

Brownies:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil. Butter foil. Combine 1/2 cup butter and bittersweet chocolate in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Whisk cocoa powder, flour, and salt in small bowl. Whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Pour butter mixture into sugar mixture; whisk until blended. Add cocoa mixture; whisk until blended. Transfer brownie batter to prepared baking pan; smooth top (layer will be thin).

Bake brownie until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes. Brownie will have a bumpy, uneven surface but allow brownie to cool slightly, then gently press down on edges to form flat, even layer. Cool completely in pan.

White-chocolate caramel:

Spoon 1 tablespoon water into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over and stir. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 tablespoons water, sugar, and pinch of salt in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until syrup is deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes. Slowly add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Reduce heat to low. Stir to dissolve any caramel bits. Remove from heat; let cool 5 minutes. Add gelatin mixture; stir until gelatin dissolves. Add white chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in butter. Pour caramel on top of the cooled brownie; spread evenly to cover completely. Chill uncovered until caramel firms slightly, at least 8 hours or overnight.

Bittersweet-chocolate ganache:
Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Cool until mixture is slightly thickened but still pourable, about 15 minutes. Pour ganache atop caramel on brownie; spread just to edges. Chill uncovered until ganache is firm enough to cut, about 4 hours.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

pet peeves

2009-09-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

People that don't use turn signals.
People that read over my shoulder.
People that turn every conversation into one about themselves.
Bad grammar.
People that write checks in the express line at the store.
Wal-mart-pretty much everything about Wal-mart annoys me!
Junk mail.
Slow computers
Telemarketers.
The term semi-homemade??!!??
Sandra Lee- I'm sure she's a wonderful person...she annoys me.(see previous pet peeve)
People that leave their shopping cart in the parking lot rather than walk a few steps to put it where it belongs.
Men in too short shorts.
Know-it-all's.
People with no sense of humor.
We all have them, those little things in life that just make you crazy. These are just a few things that annoy me. I could go on but I wanted to keep this post to a reasonable length.
What brought on this little rant you ask? I made chocolate muffins a couple of days ago and was reminded of one of the things that really gets under my skin. I get really annoyed me when I'm reading through recipes on websites that have reader reviews and someone writes a review of a recipe that they completely changed and then complain about how they didn't like it. I'm all for using a recipe as a guide and changing it up to suit your personal tastes. Writing a review and sharing the things you changed is fine. I find that very useful. However when someone completely changes a recipe by making substitutions, additions, etc.. that don't work out, it's not the recipes fault. You screwed it up! Please don't rate and review a recipe you didn't make.
Then there are those reviewers that start the review with "I don't like ...but I thought I'd make this anyway and I didn't like it." Okay. If you don't like ginger and make ginger bread, chance are your not going to like it. Is it really necessary to write a review? Major pet peeve! Anyway...

In my continuing effort to eat more healthful foods and sneak in fiber where possible, I bought some milled flax seeds. Flax is a great source of fiber, high in Omega 3's and helps lower cholesterol. All great things. Milled flax seeds can be used in baking and I'd seen a recipe for chocolate yogurt muffins. Mmmm chocolate muffins as health food. Perfect! As I was getting ready to make these muffins, I decided to make a few changes and substitutions to the original recipe. I used Hersey's Special Dark cocoa powder in place of regular cocoa. The darker the chocolate the better for you it is, right? That was a good substitution. The recipe called for vanilla yogurt, I used plain yogurt and added 1 tsp. vanilla. A little less sugar, also good. Everything was fine up till this point. Just as I was measuring out the dry ingredients, I saw the bag of King Arthur half white half wheat flour I'd just bought. Oh yeah a little wheat flour and these muffins are officially in the health food category. It can't hurt to add wheat flour...umm yeah, not the best baking decision. The muffins were still okay but the wheat flour made them too heavy and really changed the flavor. The flax already adds a bit of a nutty flavor but combined with the wheat flour it was just too much. I'm not saying they were throw out terrible just less good then they would have been. Totally my fault. I made a substitution that just didn't work well. Actually I made them a couple of days ago and they tasted better a day or so after later than they did straight out of the oven, or they've just grown on me. So here's the recipe as I made it but except for the flour change. Without that mistake these muffins would be quite good. And that's my review!

Chocolate Yogurt Muffins

1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/3 c milled flax seeds
1/2 c cocoa (I used the Hersey's Special Dark cocoa powder) 
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt 
3/4 c sugar 
1 c yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c vegetable oil 
1/4 c milk 
1/2 c chopped nuts

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease.

In a large bowl, blend dry ingredients together. In another bowl, blend yogurt, vanilla, oil, and milk. Add nuts and chocolate chips to dry ingredients and pour in liquid stirring until just blended.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups filling about 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 18 - 20 minutes or until done.

Yields 12 muffins using a regular size 12 muffin pan.

Cantaloupe Soup

2009-08-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

It's late August. I live in the deep South. It's hot. I have no desire to cook much of anything. This is somewhat of a late summer annual event for me. Somewhere in the late part of August, I lose my desire to cook or even eat much of anything. Except for maybe ice cream...yeah I could bathe it a large bowl of cold creamy goodness right now...Oh sorry my mind is wandering! I kind of lose my appetite for much of anything else and I really don't feel much like getting in the kitchen and baking. When I was growing up my mom used to make cantaloupe soup in the late summer when she had dinner guests. She would cut the melons in half and scoop out the flesh and use the half rinds as bowls for the soup. Sometimes she used it as a first course and sometimes it was dessert. Either way it was always a hit with the company. Over the years I'd forgotten about that soup. I haven't had it since I was a teenager but was reminded of it as I flipped through an old cookbook looking at cold soup recipes recently.
There was a bumper crop of cantaloupes in our area this year. They have been really sweet and delicious. Really ripe sweet cantaloupe is nothing like the sad hard stuff you find on sliced up and served with continental breakfasts or on salad bars. As with all produce it's really only good in season, picked ripe. Anyway Hubs and I have eaten our fair share of cantaloupe this season. Just sliced and cold from the fridge...yum...

Although I have no desire to turn on the oven right now, I did muster up enough energy to whip up some cantaloupe soup. Whether you chose to eat it as a first course or dessert,this soup is perfect for these hot end of the summer days.

Cantaloupe Soup

1 large, ripe, cantaloupe

1 c. fresh orange juice

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp. lime zest

2 Tbs. lime juice.

1 Tbs. mint, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish

1 Tbs. honey (optional if you'd like your soup a little sweeter)

Cut the cantaloupe in half , remove seeds, scoop out the flesh and place in a blender along with the orange juice, yogurt, lime zest, lime, and honey if using. Blend until smooth. Chill well. Stir in sliced mint leaves and serve. Garnish with additional mint leaves if desired.

Devil's food cupcakes

2009-08-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

I recently had a birthday. At some point birthday's have gone from a highly anticipated to slightly dreaded events. I don't dread them so much because of getting older aspect but more for the fact that they mark how quickly time flies by. Every birthday I can't believe another year has slipped away and I'm another year older. Yikes when did that happen??!! The upside of course is, it's your birthday so cake and ice cream are required eating, and of course gifts are nice too. I usually get at least one cookbook for my birthday. This year I was given a copy of Martha Stewart's Cupcake cookbook. I've had a love/hate relationship with Ms. Stewart in the past. I love her ideas and she makes everything looks so easy. Remember the marshmallow peep bunnies anyone??? I was definitely not feeling the love for Martha when I was making those peeps.
This cookbook is just cupcakes. It's a beautiful cookbook filled with great recipes and drool worthy photos. It was hard to decided which cupcakes to make first. I went with the devil's food because they were frosted with a ganache frosting and looked completely decadent. The cupcakes are very tasty but the topped with the ganache they're a chocolate lovers dream. I'm loving Martha again right now!

Devil's Food Cupcakes
Source; Cupcakes by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup hot water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.
3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three- quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
4. To finish, use a small offset spatula to spread cupcakes with frosting. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers; bring to room temperature and garnish with chocolate curls just before serving.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

1 pound good-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 1/3 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup corn syrup

Directions

1. Place chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer over medium-high heat; pour mixture over chocolate. Let stand, without stirring, until chocolate begins to melt.
2. Beginning near the center and working outward, stir melted chocolate into cream until mixture is combined and smooth (do not overstir).
3. Refrigerate, stirring every 5 minutes, until frosting just barely begins to hold its shape and is slightly lighter in color. Use immediately (ganache will continue to thicken after you stop stirring).

Banana Macadamia Nut Muffins

2009-08-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

I came across this recipe when I was searching for a recipe to use up my sad old bananas. I always buy bananas with the thought that we need more fresh fruit in our diet. Despite these good intentions, we rarely eat them after I bring them home. For whatever reason we'll eat one or two and the rest just sit there. I hate to waste food so I usually try to use them in baking. So these bananas became banana macadamia nut muffins, which pretty much defeats the purpose of buying bananas so that we eat more fresh fruit. It's the thought that counts right??!!

Banana Macadamia Nut Muffins
Bon Appetit, June 1991

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1 cup unsalted macadamia nuts, toasted, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease twelve muffin cups or line with muffin papers. Sift first 4 ingredients into large bowl. Combine bananas, both sugars, butter, milk and egg in medium bowl. Mix into dry ingredients. Fold in half of nuts. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle tops of muffins with remaining macadamia nuts. Bake until muffins are golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer muffins to rack and cool.
These muffins are very tasty. I love the crunch of the nuts on top. Next time I make these I think I'll throw in a little coconut as well.
(Print Recipe)

What could make these muffins even better? Nutella!!! Now we're talking... I think I'll buying more bananas soon!

Milan Cookies

2009-07-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

The July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network. We could pick either one or do both if we wanted. I have always been a huge fan of the Milan cookie so that's what I chose to make.
These cookies are very simple to make. The challenge comes in piping them out. They really spread out when cooking. My first batch of cookies were huge. Not necessarily a bad thing! The finished cookies taste just like the Milan cookies made by Pepperidge Farms, and they're so easy I can whip them up anytime.
Be sure to check out all the other Daring Bakers. The Mallows look so good I may just break down and make them soon!
Thanks to Nicole for a fun challenge!!

Milan Cookies

Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Serves: about 3 dozen cookies

• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour
• Cookie filling, recipe follows

Cookie filling:
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 orange, zested

1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.
2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.
4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.
6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.
7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.
8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).
9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.
10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

Sorry my post is a little late but Hubs got me a new camera for my birthday and I've been learning to use it. I'm in love with it! Thanks Hubs for the great gift!

Watermelon Rind Preserves

2009-07-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Watermelon is the quintessential symbol of summer for me. It brings back memories of childhood summer's past, sitting outside with a large slice, the juice running down my arms and dripping off my elbows, spitting seeds into the grass. Is there anything better on a hot summer day than a slice of sweet, juicy, ice cold watermelon? I don't think so! Although you can get watermelon year-round now, it's not the same in January. I recently got a fresh from the field watermelon at our local farmer's market. It was just an old fashioned, full of seeds, watermelon. It was everything a good watermelon should be, super sweet and juicy with a firm texture. As I ate a large slice of it (yes the juice was running down my arms!)I remembered seeing a recipe for watermelon rind preserves. The rinds are edible and have a surprising amount of uses! I've never made watermelon rind preserves before but they are very common through out the South. So this time rather than just throw out the rinds, I thought I'd give the preserves a try.
This recipe is a bit like making a sweet pickle. First the rind is soaked in a brine then cooked down in a sweet syrup.
It's great served with freshly baked bread or biscuits. These preserves have a nice gingery flavor that would be a perfect accompaniment for either chicken or pork. In the South it's most likely to be found on a relish tray and served as an appetizer.

Watermelon Rind Preserves
1/4 cup salt
4 quarts water
1 3/4 pounds (about 6 cups) prepared watermelon rind *see note
One 3/4 inch piece of ginger thinly sliced
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 small lemon thinly sliced (optional)

Combine salt with 1 quart water: stir until salt is dissolved. Place the rind in a bowl and pour the salted water over the rind. Let the rind stand at room temp for 5-6 hours.
Drain and rinse rind, and drain again. Cover it again with 1 quart of cold water. Let rind stand for 30 minutes, then drain again.
Place the rind in the preserving pan with one quart of water. Bring water to a boil and simmer over low heat until the rind is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the rind in a colander.
Tie the ginger into a spice bag, and place the bag in the preserving pan. Add in the sugar, lemon juice, remaining quart of water and the lemon slices. Heat the syrup, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the rind. Simmer, uncovered, until rind is translucent, 1-1 1/2 hours.
Ladle the rind and syrup into pint or half-pint jars. Add lids and rings, and process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath. For a complete guide to canning check out the USDA's site for guidelines.

Apricot Raspberry Pie

2009-07-07T13:17:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that it's already July! It's been a hectic summer but I'm getting back into the swing of things. Managing a new farmers market has been fun but extremely time consuming. The best part however is I get to buy freshly picked produce right from the farmer that grew it.
Here in the South, we are blessed with an abundance of fresh fruit this time of the year. This week I found apricots. I look forward to fresh apricots each year. The apricot season is short so I try to eat as many as possible while they'er available. I bought a large bag so I could use some in baking. I wanted to make an apricot pie. I've used apricots in many things but had never made a pie with them. This pie is really quick to put together and looks beautiful when finished.

Raspberries and apricots really compliment each other so I decided to use both in this pie but you could use just apricots if you prefer. If you use only apricots, you will need to use about 2 pounds of fruit.

Apricot Raspberry Pie
Adapted from Comfort Me with Apples by Ruth Reichl

(Print Recipe)

Serves 8
1 1/2 lbs fresh apricots
6 oz fresh raspberries
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/3 cup slivered almonds (optional)

One 9" unbaked pie shell. You can use your favorite pie crust recipe or use a purchased pie crust.
Preheat oven to 400ºF with rack in lower third. Cut apricots (with skins) apart into halves, discarding pits. Melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, then stir in sugar, flour, almonds, and nutmeg, and remove from heat. Cool mixture until firm enough to crumble, 10 to 15 minutes.

Put apricots and raspberries in pie shell and crumble butter mixture over them. Bake pie, with a foil-lined baking pan on rack below it (to catch drips), 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF and continue to bake until top is golden, 50 minutes to 1 hour more.
Cool pie to warm or room temperature on a rack.

Bakewell Tart..er Pudding...er Flop!

2009-06-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

No it's not the surface of the moon. It's supposed to be a tart...er pudding...It's neither!!!
Well it was bound to happen, I finally had a Daring Baker challenge that I totally failed! When I read the recipe, I didn't think I had any worries. But the life got crazy, I ended up going to Europe for most of the month of June. Then when I got home it seemed that there were millions of little things to catch up on. Oh and I'm managing a brand new Farmers Market..you get the picture. So when I remembered the challenge, I'd already missed the posting date. Aahh!! So I quickly got the recipe out and started baking. Sweet pastry crust, no problem. Then I get to the frangipane and realize I need a scale! I don't have one so I thought I'd try to wing it...ummm yeah, not a good idea! So my frangipane was a total disaster. However, I did use some jam that I brought back with me from the Saturday Farmers Market in Germany. It was strawberry rhubarb. Really tasty. Didn't make up for the frangipane however.
The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.
Thanks Jasmine and Annemarie I enjoyed it even though it didn't turn out so well!! But I learn a good lesson, if you don't have a kitchen scale don't attempt guesstimating amounts!
Bakewell tarts…er…puddings combine a number of dessert elements but still let you show off your area’s seasonal fruits. Like many regional dishes there’s no “one way” to make a Bakewell Tart…er…Pudding, but most of today’s versions fall within one of two types.

The first is the “pudding” where a layer of jam is covered by an almondy pastry cream and baked in puff pastry. The second is the “tart” where a rich shortcrust pastry holds jam and an almondy sponge cake-like filling. The version we’re daring you to make is a combination of the two: a sweet almond-flavored shortcrust pastry, frangipane and jam.

Bakewell tart
Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Jasmine’s notes:
• If you cannot have nuts, you can try substituting Victoria sponge for the frangipane. It's a pretty popular popular cake, so you shouldn't have any troubles finding one in one of your cookbooks or through a Google search. That said, our dear Natalie at Gluten a Go Go has sourced some recipes and linked to them in the related alt.db thread.
• You can use whichever jam you wish, but if you choose something with a lot of seeds, such as raspberry or blackberry, you should sieve them out.
• The jam quantity can be anywhere from 60ml (1/4 cup) to 250ml (1cup), depending upon how “damp” and strongly flavoured your preserves are. I made it with the lesser quantity of home made strawberry jam, while Annemarie made it with the greater quantity of cherry jam; we both had fabulous results. If in doubt, just split the difference and spread 150ml (2/3cup) on the crust.
Annemarie’s notes:
• The excess shortcrust can be rolled out and cut into cookie-shapes (heck, it’s pretty darned close to a shortbread dough).
Sweet shortcrust pastry

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Jasmine’s notes:
• I make this using vanilla salt and vanilla sugar.
• If you wish, you can substitute the seeds of one vanilla bean, one teaspoon of vanilla paste or one teaspoon of vanilla extract for the almond extract
Frangipane

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

Annemarie’s notes:
• Add another five minutes or more if you're grinding your own almonds or if you're mixing by hand (Heaven help you).

Home again!

2009-06-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

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After three wonderful weeks in Germany and France, I'm back home again. Hubs and I had a wonderful time but it's nice to get back home. I think finally I'm over my jet lag now and getting caught up with everything after being gone for so long.
Just before I left for Germany I entered a giveaway on Sara's blog Ms.Adventures in Italy. Sara's blog is full of food, recipes, and info on Italian living. She was giving away Pocket Coffee. It's a candy combining two of my favorite things chocolate and coffee.I entered and won!!!! The day before I left Sara sent me an email saying that she'd shipped the candy and it would arrive with in the next two weeks. My younger sister was getting my mail while I was gone. I asked her to keep an eye out for a package because it had chocolate in it and would melt. She was kind enough to get the package and even try a few of the pocket coffee's to make sure that they were still okay. Wow isn't nice to have a sister willing to do that for you. hehe Thanks sis:)
Anyway the Pocket Coffee is wonderful. They are rich chocolate candies filled with espresso syrup. Coffee you can carry in your pocket. Perfect!! Thanks Sara!

Images from our trip to France

2009-06-11T00:41:00.000-07:00

The Medieval city of Carcassonne

Pont du Gard

Gourdes

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

Where in the world is half baked??

2009-06-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

About 5 years ago my husband's job brought him to Germany for about a year. We lived in Wiesbaden during that year. When he wasn't working, we traveled all over Europe. It was great way to experience the culture and foods of the places we visited. We also made lifelong friends of our neighbors in Germany. It was an unforgettable year, full of wonderful people and experiences.
A few weeks ago Hubs got the opportunity to come back to Germany for about 3 weeks for his job...and I got to tag along! The best part is that while here, Hubs will have lots of time off.
Our first couple of days were spent catching up with our good friends in Germany. We lived next door to them during the year that we lived here. It was wonderful seeing them again. The first day I arrived we went to see them. We had cake and coffee in the afternoon(a habit that I would love to adopt!) and then took us to a wine festival in a small nearby town. Hubs and I were definitely the only Americans at this little festival. It was fun and the food and wine were terrific.

Riesling with strawberries

So for the next couple of weeks I'll be a little out of the loop but will try to keep you posted on our adventures!!

Strawberry Cake

Strawberries are in season here and they are everywhere. Our friends made this strawberry cake. We had a slice or two before heading out for the wine festival.

Key Lime Mousse

2009-05-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

One of favorite summer desserts has got to be Key lime pie. It's a wonderful combo of tangy, sweet, and cold that's just perfect on a hot summer day. This Key lime mousse is a twist on the traditional pie. It has all the elements of a key lime pie but the whipped cream is incorporated making for a very light dessert. Topped with super ripe fresh mango, this maybe the perfect summer dessert!

Mango topped Key Lime Mousse

Ingredients

For the crust
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup melted butter

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter together. Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch sprinform pan. I line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper so that I can easily remove the bottom when I serve the mousse.

For the mousse

2 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup key lime juice-if you want it a little more tart add about 1/4 cup more juice. I used Nelly and Joe's Key Lime juice but you can use freshly squeezed key lime juice if you want.
1 (1/4 ounce) envelope plain gelatin
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 ripe mango diced

In a large bowl mix together the sweetened condensed milk and the key lime juice.
In a small pot over low heat, warm 1/4 cup of the cream until it is about room temperature, warm to the touch.
Sprinkle gelatin over the warmed cream; let stand for a minute or two to soften; over low heat cook, stirring constantly, until dissolved, 1-2 minutes; cool away from the heat for five minutes.
At high speed, beat the 1/4 cup sugar with the remaining cream until soft peaks form.
Reduce the speed to medium and gradually drizzle the gelatin mixture into the cream. Beat until stiff peaks form. Mix about 1/4 of the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk. Mix until well combined, then gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream. Put the mousse into the prepared springform pan. Smooth out the top and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Remove from the sringform pan. I run a dampened knife around the edge before I open the pan. This seems to help it to release easily. Top mousse with the diced mango.

Notes
This time I wanted to make the mousse into individual servings so I made these in my silicon muffin pan. I pressed the crust into the bottom of the silicon muffin pan then filled them to the top with the mousse. I refrigerated them overnight. I ran a knife around the edge then flipped the pan upside down to release the mousse. I removed them one at a time. I haven't tried to use a regular muffin tin so I don't
know if that would work or not unless they were lined with muffin papers.