the pie lady

Brittany (as in France) Butter Cookies

2008-06-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

I have this ghetto cookie cookbook that materialized in my collection. I have no idea where is came from, and it certainly isn't one I would make a point in purchasing. It is simply titled "Cookies", and is one of a series of books from The Cook's Encyclopedia. I was dusting my bookshelf today (yes! DUSTING. I was shocked too.) when I stumbled upon it. I started flipping through the book and came to the decision that it was a piece of crap and it needed to be donated. Then I saw Brittany Butter Cookies.

My name is Brittany and I like butter. I am also ardent supporter of cookies. I put down my dust rag and took off the protective bandana wrapped around my face like a gas mask (yeah, it's been that long since I last dusted) and wondered into the kitchen to bake these.

side note- as I type this post, it is 50 degrees and pouring down rain. I need cookies to counteract the seasonal depression that is rapidly setting in. Any one thinking of moving to Seattle should keep that in mind.

This is a really simple recipe for what turned out to be a beautiful little cookie. Similar to shortbread, but much richer- and a great canvas for showing off a good quality European butter. Sadly, all I had was plugra, a butter that is made in the US (Wisconsin, I believe), but snootily parades around like Euro butter. The "Madonna" of butter, if you will. If you have a kick ass Normandy or Irish butter sitting around I suggest you put it to work and make these. They're especially good with a dollop of jam and a cup of tea.

And such a breathtakingly beautiful name.

Butter. Sweet, glorious butter.

Brittany Butter Cookies
adapted from The Cook's Encyclopedia of Cookies
makes about 18 cookies

3 egg yolks
1 1/2 Tb milk
1 cup + 2 Tb all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
4 oz butter*
healthy pinch of kosher salt (my addition)

*recipe did not state the temperature of the butter. I suggest cold from the refrigerator, but sightly softened (let stand at room temp, cut into cubes for 10 minutes or so)

Mix about 1/2 Tb of the egg yolks with the milk in a small bowl to make a glaze. Set aside.

Sift the flour and sugar into a bowl. Add the salt and mix together with a whisk. Add the egg yolks and butter (in the center of the bowl) and work the two together with your hand until it becomes creamy.
Gradually bring the flour into the middle of the bowl until it all forms a slightly sticky dough*

*This takes a while and I don't see why it couldn't be done in the food processor. But these are "folksy cookies"- enjoy the zenfulness of kneading.*

"OM"
Achieve baking nirvana. Get up in there and knead

Stop kneading when you have a lovely yellow blob like this.

Using floured hands, pat out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick** and cut out using a
2-1/2 inch cutter.

Transfer to parchment lined sheet pans and brush each cookie with the egg-milk glaze. Using a steak knife (or whatever), score to create a lattice pattern.

**They're really taking the whole rustic farm cookie thing a step too far with this. The cookies will turn out much better if you behave like upright man and use a rolling pin**

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes (Mine took 17 minutes. but I despise under baked, anemic looking, shithole pastries).

with last year's strawberry freezer jam. The odds of my being able to make a batch this year diminish one blustery day after another.
Sniffle.

Cool on a wire rack, then enjoy on their own. Or if you are living in an area that summer forgot about, have some tea and jam as well.

Percy got into some butter and is now wondering why the fuck he has to eat kibble while humans lavishly smear everything with this delicacy.

Banana Ice Cream for Beautiful Bones

2008-05-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

I ate this whole cup after the photo shoot.
It was 9:30 am.

I am addicted to this ice cream. It's the type of thing that is so good, it makes you want to cry.
Lately I have been fussing around with a roasted banana ice cream for a brownie sundae that will be making it's debut on my menu next week (with hot fudge, rum soaked golden raisins, and salted walnuts.... a single tear of joy rolls down my cheek). There are a plethora of banana ice cream recipes out there, but I couldn't find a single one that appealed to me. That's OK, nothing pumps me up like a good challenge. I wont go into the various different methods I fiddled with, for they will bore you. All you should care about is the final victory (which was my fourth attempt for those who are counting....and for those who are counting- get a fucking life.), which may be my finest ice cream achievement to date.... Please note that I say that a lot.

This recipe is also high in calcium, which makes it a prudent entry for Susan's blog event, beautiful bones- once again, I am submitting ice cream for a blog event. I promise you all more creativity in the future....

No I don't. I love ice cream and relish any chance I can get to eat too much of it.
But seriously, osteoporosis is something we should all try to avoid- especially us ladies, so our beloved Food Blogga is a champ for coming up with this event to promote awareness. There will be all kinds of bone strengthening recipes posted around the first of the month, so be sure to check out her blog for the round up.

start with ripe, yet not mushy naners

macerate with rum and lemon juice

Roast the bananas
...this is probably the ugliest picture ever to be seen on this blog
*hanging my head in shame*

Roasted Banana Ice Cream (recipe can be scaled down. I like to make a shitload)

Roasted Bananas:
6 ripe bananas
2 T Meyers dark rum
1 tsp lemon juice
1 T sugar

Peel and slice the bananas. Toss with the remaining ingredients and let macerate for 20 minutes. Turn on the broiler and lay the bananas out onto a silpat lined sheet pan (or spray a piece of parchment paper with pam) Roast until they begin to caramelize- about 5-10 minutes.

Ice cream base:
3 cups whole milk
6 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
roasted bananas (see recipe above)

18 egg yolks
1 tsp salt

1 1/2 oz. Meyer's dark rum

Scrape the roasted bananas into a pot. add the sugar, milk, and cream. Bring mixture to a boil, then remove from heat, cover, and let infuse for 2 hours.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the bananas and transfer to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, then whisk together with the egg yolks and salt.

Bring infused dairy to a boil and slowly temper the hot liquid into the yolks. Return to the pot and cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly with a heat proof spatula, until thickened (custard should be about 165 degrees). Strain custard into a container and chill. Once completely cold, stir in the rum and churn in a ice cream machine.

Next on The Pie Lady:
Food with colors!

A PS for my Mother: I only swore ONCE in this post.

Petis Fours- want some?

2008-05-20T23:24:00.000-07:00

I have a refrigerator full of these things and a husband who hates cake...
Sigh.

Jenn, our anointed sovereign's monthly joust is here again. Do you guys realize that the winner now gets an apron with their blog name on it AND free Tupperware? Not to mention being able to brag to all their friends and a sweet logo for their blog.

At home in my kitchen, I wear a nappy, apron that I stole from a now defunct vegan hipster restaurant where I was once a cook. Complete with stains from curried tofu scrambles and textured vegetable protein sausage of yore.
Just sayin' is all.

Last month's winner and now proud owner of said apron and Tupperware was Elle who chose raspberries, lime, and almonds for our battling ingredients.
The Pacific Northwest is berry country. People in Michigan or wherever can argue this all they want (I have arguments about this all the time with our Michigan-born sous chef. Somehow when the first flat of local strawberries arrives, he sings a different tune.), but it's true. The berries up here are the shit..
....In July.
Needless to say, I was wary of planning a recipe around a sucky California berry. Luckily for me, I'm a genius. Last year, I was able to get my hands on a flat of local black raspberries. I turned them into a seedless compoty-freezer jam type concoction that I still have several jars of.
The Jousting wheels were turning.....

Garnished with the snubbed California raspberries that actually turned out to be really good. Not Washington good, but good.

I had announced on the forum that I would think outside the box and come up with a savory entry.
Lies.
The compote was wanting to be made into a dessert of some sort. So I entered Petis Fours country- not a zone for pastry pussies. After glazing your 112th teensy little cake, the urge to stab someone can come on pretty strong. I decided to scale down my recipe to a meager 24 petis fours. I ate one- they turned out delicious, and now I have 23 of them sitting in the fridge. Trevor wont touch them with a ten foot pole. They are a pastry- which he hates, and painfully girly. He wont admit to that being a factor in his disdain for dainty little tea cakes like this, but he's not kidding anyone but himself.

Heres how I made the little bastards:

Almond butter cake- sliced horizontally into 4 layers (makes 2 separate cakes)

Shmear with lime swiss buttercream and black raspberry compote

Sammich it together

Cut into quaint little squares, then glaze with lime fondant. Prepare to be doing this activity for a good hour. An episode of Deadwood makes for excellent company while performing this task. Hearing the word cocksucker coming out of my TV makes it so I don't have to shout the profanities myself

I am completely out of steam and cannot type this nonsense anymore. If you want the recipe for these ingredients, here is the link to my post on the forum.
I'm going to bed.

Shameless Plug

2008-05-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

Mexican Chocolate Flan with Spicy Mango and Pepita Brittle

Readers who do not live in the Seattle area will find this post to be pretty boring. Sorry. You can just look at the pictures- which, lets face it, suck. I am just never going to be one of *those blogs* where every shot looks like it came straight out of a cookbook, complete with tea towels to match the food and theme appropriate dishes.
I'm busy.
One of these days I'll get around to reading the information booklet that came with the camera. But until then, the stuck up panel of judges at tastespotting can just bite me.

Unless they take bribes(?)....

I guess that little diatribe has been building up since I started this whole blogging thing. Thanks for listening.

But I did not sign on to be bitter. I come here today to give New Urban Eats a shout out, or "NUE" as the cool kids call it, which I most certainly am. This is the third installment of the Seattle restaurant program, the second go 'round for Betty, which would explain why my back hurts, my elbows are throbbing (my future arthritic sweet spot- looking forward to those good times), and when I close my eyes, all I can see are these flans.

You can't afford NOT to eat this

Allow me to further explain the NUE concept. For one month, 20 Seattle restaurants participate by featuring a prix fixe menu of 3 courses for 30 dollars. It's a ridiculously good deal, and it's not just some shitty sub-par plate of gruel the chef threw together to sell at a discount. At Betty, every choice presented to you for the prix fixe dinner can be found on our regular menu- same goes for my dessert options. I guarantee you will walk out of the place uncomfortably stuffed with delicious food.

But I am not going to shove just Betty down your throats, There are other really good places playing along with NUE.
I recently ate at Red Fin, a sushi joint downtown also participating in the event. I had grilled crab legs to start, the chef sushi platter for an entree (fucking huge plate of sashimi and sushi), and honey cardamom creme brulee (oh yeah, a bottle or 2 of warm sake, sadly not included in the discount). It was enough food for 2 people, and a 30 dollar tab at red fin is usually unheard of.

painfully addicting pepita brittle. I get my daily sugar intake 15 minutes after I get to work and start testing this stuff for "quality control"

So in short, Seattleites- get out there and eat! You have exactly 10 days left- well, 8 days- it is not offered on Fridays or Saturdays. We are already having our asses handed to us on weekends. I think we would very likely go insane if we were also offering a prix fixe.
But seriously, times are tough. We all know that. It seems like dining out is one of the first sacrifices one makes when faced with 4$/gallon gas (insert "fuck you dubya" comment here) and a housing crisis, and all the other fretful things going on in the world. But for a brief period, there is some relief from your restaurant bill, should you chose to take advantage of it.

Looking for a recipe?
Sorry. I kind of have to protect myself when it comes to items on my dessert menu. Especially when it comes to this flan, which took me almost the entire month of April to perfect. I will tell you about it though. I infuse the dairy with orange zest, ancho chile, coco nibs, and cinnamon. Later I add good bittersweet chocolate and kahlua. The mango is simply dowsed in chile infused simple syrup. Pepita brittle is nothing more than cooked sugar and pumpkin seeds.
There. Feel better?

SHF #43- citrus therapy

2008-05-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

I must start this post with the caveat that I am having quite the craptacular week. Nothing major or life threatening- just a lot of little annoyances that have been piling on steadily....One highlight I am willing to share includes the tearing of the seat of my pants while I was at work. Nothing like showing your ass to your male co-workers to bring you down off your high horse. Good times.
People with real problems should feel free to tell me to fuck off. Or as my dear husband says after listening to me piss and moan for a day or two- "get over yourself and quit being so pms-ey." God I love that man.

Anyway- I was going to put off my contribution to Sugar High Friday, for a few more weeks so I could focus on some recipes for work. Then I found out Helene, aka Tartlette, aka blogging superstar (I dare you to find a food blog without her included in the blog roll. Yeah, she rocks), was hosting this month and chose citrus as the theme. Citrus is so bright and cheerful. How could it not pull me out of my self-indulgent funk?

My recipe this month is definitely a little ray of sunshine. I morphed a Pierre Herme (also known as God) lemon cream into a citrus brulee tart served with caramel syrup and sugared pine nuts. Those who are unfamiliar with Pierre, or his lemon cream should be ashamed of themselves. Those who are, know that it's basically lemon curd with a pound of butter whooped into it. The final product sets up to a creamy custard-like consistency. I am almost always using it in some form on my menu. Fold in a little whipped cream and becomes a pillowy filling for strawberry shortcake. Sandwich it between layers of lemon chiffon cake, or mix it with mascarpone to dollop on top of gingerbread...It will sexify any thing. I promise.

A pound of butter will make it all okay

This version of the recipe uses the zest of lemons, limes, and grapefruit, and the juice of just lemons and limes. Including the grapefruit juice made it too sweet, so I had to reduce the sugar, but then it wouldn't set up properly....You know a recipe is good when it's been fiddled with about half a dozen times. The final product is the perfect happy medium. It's not too sweet and the three citrus flavors are well pronounced. I served mine in a lemon-cornmeal crust, and the sugared pine nuts are a nice balance to the tang.(I said tang) Now add a crackly brulee top crust, and you have attitude adjustment on a plate.

Citrus Brulee Tart
adapted from Pierre Herme

1- 12" pre baked tart shell

1# good quality butter, cut into small pieces and softened
zest of 1 grapefruit, 2 lemons, and 2 limes
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 oz lime juice
5 oz lemon juice
7 eggs
1 egg yolk

A very useful toy

Place the sugar in a bowl (large enough to fit over a pan of simmering water). Zest all citrus fruits into the sugar. Using gloved hands, rub the zest into the sugar until it is moist and fragrant. Add citrus juice to the sugar as well as the eggs. Whisk to combine.
Place mixture over a pot of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly until it reaches 180-182 degrees on a thermometer. Immediately remove from water bath and strain into a bowl (this both removes any curdled egg and zest and also cools the mixture slightly).
Transfer mixture to a food processor and add the butter, a few pieces at a time with the machine running. Once all of the butter is added, continue processing for 1-2 minutes.
Pour mixture into a bowl. Fold gently with a spatula and tap against the counter to pop air bubbles. Finally, slowly pour into the pre baked tart shell. Carefully place tart in the refrigerator and chill uncovered for several hours or over night before slicing into 14 pieces. To serve, sprinkle each slice evenly with sugar, then brulee it with a blow torch or under a broiler.

It would have been better with nuts....

2008-05-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

It was still delicious, but my sister is anti-nut unless it's an almond or a hazelnut. Both of which were conveniently absent from her pantry shelf. We were going to the store for buttermilk, where nuts are easily obtained. But, no. She was determined to have this rhubarb bread come out nut free. Her kitchen, her rules....fascist.

Lonely lonely rhubarb
That's okay. Lucky for her, this is the most versatile and forgiving quick bread recipe of all time. Plus, she had just given me a really cool rug and a bunch of clothes (my sister Brooke is a clothes whore. Seriously. She was trying to give me stuff that still had the tags on it. Every time I see her, she has bags full of items to unload on me so that she can clear space in her closet for more f'ing clothes. I would suggest an intervention if her illness were not so beneficial to yours truly....is that bad? But honestly- In 8 years, the only articles I've had to buy for myself are chef pants and birkenstocks. Pretty much everything else comes from her. And she has good taste to boot.) so I wasn't going to throw down over something as petty as a nut. But walnut fans will be pleased to know that I did voice my opinion...several times.

You have no idea how good this smells. See the scented steam a-wafting out the top? Oh yeah.
Despite all that, I had such a delightful day with the sibling. She and her boyfriend, CK, just bought a house in the ridiculously quaint, historic downtown area of Everett. It's about 30 miles north of the less quaint, more crowded, and much snootier queen anne neighborhood of Seattle, where I live (I still love you Sea-town, you just piss me off sometimes). Everett is the type of town where everybody knows each other. We had brunch at an adorable cafe, where the owner is Brooke's new neighbor. Later, we had pints and salads at the Irish pub where she and CK attend(and sometimes win, cuz CK be all smart and stuff) trivia night once a week. The small town vibe has become foreign to me, so it almost felt like a mini vacation. I also fell in love with Brooke's new, enormous and light-filled kitchen. Complete with a dishwasher (also foreign to me) and a breakfast nook. Like her mother before her, Brooke's whole house is beautifully decorated, one of the umpteen reasons why I refer to her as the "talented one"- but the kitchen and I hit it right off. I refused to go home with out baking something in there for her boyfriend, who would be returning from teaching rock climbing lessons (or something environmental and hippi-ish like that) that night, tired and hungry. I would have found any excuse to play in there, but CK's weary return with a rumbling tummy immediately tugged at her heartstrings.

So, we made rhubarb bread. Here is the recipe. Please note that it is better with 3/4cup of toasted, chopped walnuts. If you are smart, and are adding the nuts, reduce the flour to 2 3/4 cups.

Rhubarb Bread adapted from Kate's mom (for inquiring minds, Kate is my old boss)

1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar (we have discovered that dark brown makes it noticeably superior. But use light if you must)
1 egg
6oz. melted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour
2 cups sliced rhubarb

Topping:
2 T butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Sugary-buttery topping.This stuff is basically crack.
Pre heat oven to 350. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, and butter. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk salt and baking soda, then add to brown sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Add the flour and mix until just combined, then fold in the rhubarb. Pour into a greased loaf pan and set aside while you make the topping. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar with the 2 T butter. Mash with a fork until crumbly, then sprinkle over the batter. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, then turn oven down to 325 and continue baking for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely (overnight if possible- it's never possible...) before slicing and wolfing down.

Brookey Likey.

Pie #5- Little Mango Pies with Brown Sugar-Grand Marnier Ice Cream

2008-04-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

It's been waaay too long since I royal foodie jousted. I just have to say this- don't hate me- but the term "foodie" kind of grates on my nerves. I don't blame people who use the word. It's whoever came up with it who'd ass I'd like to kick. I know I'll probably receive hate-mail for that, but it's my blog and I can say whatever I want.

You know what I love though? I LOVE Jenn, the Leftover Queen (who is recently married to the leftover King, Roberto- they are such a gorgeous couple. Their kids will be so hot) and her forum, where the monthly royal foodie joust occurs.

Last month's winning entry, submitted by the hilarious and fowl Michelle at Thursday night smackdown will be hard to follow. But she picked some pretty awesome ingredients for us to work with this month: Mango, Cardamom, and Brown Sugar- as well as the instructions "I want to see your mad pastry skillz".

Here ya go Michelle. I have submitted a very pie lady entry:

Little Mango Pies with Brown Sugar-Grand Marnier Ice Cream

The hands-down best part of this dessert was the ice cream. I must try it with chocolate cake some time. Making new discoveries for my dessert menu is one of the main reasons why I participate with these events. I'm thinking a scoop of this atop a warm flour less chocolate cake would be pretty orgasmic. Don't you?

Pie Dough:

1 cup pastry flour
4 oz cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 T vodka
2 T ice water

In a food processor, pulse up the butter with the flour and salt until butter is the size of peas. Add the water and vodka and pulse briefly until flour is moistened. Dump contents out onto a work surface and frisage into a disc. Chill overnight, or for at least 3 hours.
Roll chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut into 6 4 inch circles (I used a cookie cutter). Chill dough circles until ready to use.

Mango Filling:
2 ripe mangoes
1 T fresh lime juice
3 T sugar
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp cornstarch

Cube up the mangoes and toss with the remaining ingredients.

don't forget to gnaw on your mango pit. And don't forget to floss afterwards

Assembly/Baking:
Ease the dough circles into small muffin tins (no need for pan spray- there is enough butter in the dough for it to release on it's own). Divide mango filling amongst the dough-lined compartments. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 and continue baking for 35 minutes.

Ice Cream:

2 cups whole milk
1 quart heavy cream
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
12 egg yolks
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 oz grand marnier

Whisk together the yolks and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
In a large pot, combine the brown sugar with the milk and cream. Heat slowly, stirring occasionally to dissolve the brown sugar. Once sugar is dissolved, turn heat up and bring to a boil. Slowly temper into the yolks. Return mixture to the pot and continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula, until mixture thickens. Strain into a container and place in an ice bath to chill. Once cold, stir in the grand marnier and churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.

It's snowing in April

2008-04-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

I am in a snit today. Exactly one week ago, Seattle had it's first 80 degree day of the year. I was basking in it- sitting on the deck with Trevor drinking my own incarnation of a mint julep, eating sunflower seeds, and wearing funny looking sunglasses. I can't recall a time that I was so happy to be in the sun.

The very next day, it was cold and rainy. Fine. I'm a Seattle native. I have learned to deal with that. What I refuse to accept, is snow in fucking April. I call bullshit. It has been snowing off and on since Friday. And no, it's not the fun kind of snow that piles up so we can all be confined to our homes making snowmen and snuggling by the fire. It's the wet stuff- mixed with rain and melting the second it hits the ground.
Not to mention, every couple of hours, it stops and the sun comes out for about ten minutes. Just to fuck with us.
Being that I plan my dessert menu around the seasons, all I can do it cringe at what this must be doing to the poor rhubarb that I depend on. It gets me through until the local strawberries and cherries arrive. That feels like a lifetime from now.

Anyway- I'm making the best of it. I've been sitting under a blankie with my book and a cup of the best black tea known to man.

Market Spice is this little shop in the Pike Place Market that sells honey, tea, spices, and whatnot. Their original blend is a dark and spicy orange tea, which rocks the house when infused into a creme brulee base. But the huckleberry tea has become a nightly ritual. I am not much of a "berry" tea girl, but there is something about this one. With a splash of milk, and if I am feeling lavish- a twist of orange rind, I have my dessert in a cup. I am tasting desserts all day, so when the after dinner urge for sweetness comes, I reach for a hot drink. Caffeine has very little effect on me (unless there is an absence of it), so rather than keeping me up, it actually puts me to sleep. I sip on this while Trevor eats his fudgesicle- this man married a pastry chef and all I can make for him is ice cream or chocolate chip cookies, and still, he is just as happy with his fat free fudgesicle (yes, he prefers the fat free ones)...but that is the subject of another rant.....

SHF #42- Asian Invasion!

2008-04-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Coconut-Jasmine Ice Cream

It's Sugar High Friday time again....yaaaaay! These days, it seems to be the only blog event I can get my shit together for. This month's host, Amrita at La Petite Boulangette chose the theme "Asian Invasion".
This had to be providence; just hours before I read the announcement, I happened to be at World Spice and picked up some pearl jasmine. It was begging to be used for this.

Pearl Jasmine, which is mostly used for tea, can also be used for infusions. Pairing it with another Thai ingredient- coconut, seemed like a damn fine idea to me.

Southeast Asian persuasion: pearl jasmine and coconut

I had thought of doing a panna cotta or a creme brulee, but it the end, ice cream was what I (husband's constant bitching about how I never make him homemade ice cream anymore had nothing to do with it. I swear.) really wanted. Coconut milk served as a replacement for most of the whole milk, I also used some unsweetened flaked coconut in the infusion to help pronounce the flavor. Jasmine can be a very assertive ingredient, and I didn't want it to over power everything.

Final verdict? OH.MY.SWEET.LORD. Sooooo good. The two flavors were balanced together in perfect ying-yang harmony. Not included in this post are the lime sugar cookies I made to go with them, but they are certainly worth mentioning.

You want to know what else is worth mentioning? The Dali Lama is in town! This very day, he is literally blocks from my home at the Key Arena. He's been here all weekend- how kick ass is that?

Coconut-Jasmine Ice Cream

1 can coconut milk
1/4 cup whole milk
4 cups heavy cream
3 T pearl jasmine
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
12 egg yolks
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Combine both milks, cream, sugar, and coconut flakes in a pot. Bring to a boil, then add the jasmine. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour. Whisk together the eggs and salt in a large bowl. Return the infused dairy to a boil, then slowly temper it into the eggs, about 1 cup at a time. Return mixture to low heat and stir constantly with a heatproof spatula until it thickens (make sure you are scraping the bottom of the pot with the spatula). Immediately remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer. Place custard over an ice water bath. Once custard is very cold, churn in an ice cream maker following manufacturer's instructions.

Milk 'n Cookies

2008-04-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

For your inner "skinned knee"

Who likes chocolate?
My hand is raised too. I'm not like, weird about it though. I have known some people who shall remain nameless who have a freakish addiction to it. If I had to desert-island it, I'd go for some sort of pie over chocolate. But I have nothing but love in my heart for the balls-out chocoholics. They make my job so easy. Molding good quality chocolate into an exquisite dessert is a breeze. Flavor-wise, most of the work has already been done.

For the last year or so, Scharffen Berger has been my chocolate of choice. It has a brightness to it that seems to make it stand out from others I have tried. I'm sure there are many pastry chefs out there that would both agree and disagree with that. I really think that amongst the top few contenders of really good stuff out there, it becomes a personal matter of taste. Really they're all pretty damn tasty. But I stand by my choice.

Last year, I picked up John Scharffen Berger and Robert Steinberg's The Essence of chocolate. I love it when I drop 40 bucks on a cook book and it turns out to be worth EVERY G.D. PENNY. Every recipe I've tried out of here has turned out to be a winner. Plus there is added information about the origins of chocolate. It's also beautiful. Pretty cookbooks are like my dollies.

Worth it's weight in delicious chocolaty goodness

Here is a recipe from the book that I find myself making all the time- Chocolate shortbread with cacao nibs and salt. They are perfect for grown-up milk and cookies. I keep a log in the freezer for when one of us has had a no good, rotten old day. The salty-sweet factor is kind of like crack for me, and it's well represented in these cookies. This is a great one to try if you have one of those 50 dollar jars of fancy pants salt that you're scared to even open sitting in your cupboard. It will shine like Elvis in these.

Chocolate Shortbread with Cacao Nibs
adapted from The Essence of Chocolate

6 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
3/4 cup Scharffen Berger natural cocoa powder
3/4 tsp good quality salt (or 1/2 tsp kosher salt)
3/4 cup cacao nibs

Crush the nibs using a rolling pin, or bottom of an iron skillet. Set aside. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment until fluffy and smooth (scrape bowl as needed).
Add the vanilla and salt and mix until combined.
add half of the sifted dry ingredients and mix until barely absorbed. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add nibs and mix just until they are evenly dispersed through out the dough.
Either roll the dough out and cut out shapes, or form it into a log and slice off cookies (about 1/4 ").
Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Rotate halfway through baking time.

Pass it on....

2008-04-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here on a lazy Sunday afternoon drinking vodka and listening to Soundgarden.....a lot of vodka. I am probably on my 4th or 5th shot of Luksusowa, plus a few mixed drinks thrown in there- which is a lot for me. Advanced apologies if this post is bloated with drunken ramblings and early 90's Seattle nostalgia. It's my f'ing day off, alright?
Anyway- I'm blogsurfing while Trevor is changing his guitar strings. He's at least 2 shots ahead of me. I don't know why that needs to be public information....this will all come together in the end- I promise.
So like I said, I'm cruising down my blog roll when I get to the very last one- wrightfood, which I must say is one of my favorite blogs out there. His most recent post is a crispy skinned salmon with purple potatoes and Dijon broth. I was drooling all over my keyboard when I remembered the droolworthy blogger award bestowed upon me by Marye a way long time ago for my sweet potato flan, and my promise to pass it on. "It is time", my inner jedi told me.

Let me tell you, dear readers, some of the many reasons why Matt's blog is one that I visit almost daily. First of all- the friggin' amazing recipes. Matt's take on food is completely in sync with mine: simple, local, seasonal. He is also a Seattleite, so it's fun to chat with him about restaurants, the weather, etc. Shameless plug- it's also super cool that he is an ardent supporter of my own place of employment: Crow- Hell yeeeah! Though he has yet to visit our sister restaurant, Betty. (Don't think I haven't forgotten that, Matt.) However, he and his wife do have a toddler toddling around, so his delay in making it over to Queen Anne to dine can be forgiven.
Every time I visit wrightfood, I am blown away. The food, the photography, the writing- this guy should have a cookbook. Oh wait, I forgot! He is currently working on one! I don't know exactly where he is at with that right now- last I heard, he was "publisher shopping", but I have seen advanced previews of it and it is definitely one every home cook should have- particularly those living in the northwest, as his recipes reflect a love for seafood. Having said that, he does give meat and veggies their due props with posts such as grilled leeks, and braised pork spare rib and belly.Another thing I love- Matt is British. Being the total yank that I am, and not knowing many Brits personally, I never get to hear terms such as "bloody" and "bloke" used regularly. I don't know why, but I get kind of a thrill out of it. I am SO. PAINFULLY. AMERICAN.
So, Matt- this shot of Polish vodka is for you. Snag this award and pass it on. You deserve it and then some. Readers- add Wrightfood to your blogroll. Cook up some of his recipes. You can thank me later.

My favorite vegetable tart for the picky quiche hater

2008-03-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of quiche. I won't go so far as to say that I hate it. I have had some very good quiches in my day- one of the jewels of this city, Le Pichet makes fabulous quiche. They do it right- lots of yummy meats and veggies, a light hand with the custard, and a quality buttery crust. Come to think of it, Le Pichet is pretty much one of the most awesome French restaurants in Seattle and there is little that their tiny kitchen produces that doesn't transport me to Paris with one bite.....actually, I could go for some oeufs plats and chicken liver pate right about now- with that amazing baguette of theirs....mmmmm....
What was I talking about again?
Oh yeah- quiche. And how I don't really like it that much.
So here is my beef with most quiches- they are often way too eggy with a store bought crust which no love was put into at all, and the classic spinach/mushroom/etcetera filling has me yawning at the thought of it.
Now that I have let out my little rant, I will say that I like the idea of quiche and/or a really good quiche (see above Le Pichet love-fest).

So here is my answer to the doldrums of quiche lorrainesville. A vegetable tart loaded with lots of veggies and just enough custard to hold the thing together.
At work, when I am feeling super nice, I save my scraps from that day's pie, pillage the walk-in for whatever veg is staring back at me, and whip up one of these babies for the boys. Three hungry line cooks will polish off a 12 inch vegetable tart in about 20 minutes... It really is an impressive sight to behold.

I am giving you a "rough outline" recipe here. Really, all you need to know is the custard base. This tart is a canvas for whatever your imagination or your refrigerator has to offer. I have made this recipe with cherry tomatoes, basil, and feta- or asparagus and fontina, or caramelized onions and Roquefort, or wild mushrooms, thyme, and gruyere....the possibilities are endless- and they're making me hungry.

Leek and mushroom tart

3-4 medium leeks, washed thoroughly and sliced (use only the white and pale green part)
3 shallots, sliced
4 oz crimini mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
butter and olive oil (or flavor infused oil- I used garlic) for sauteing
chopped thyme and chives
2 oz goat cheese
custard base:
2 eggs
1/3 cup half and half
1/3 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper

enough of your favorite pie dough to line a 10-12 inch tart pan (or, try a half recipe of my all butter pie dough)

Step 1-
For god's sake WASH your leeks! These innocent little things pack a lot of dirt along with them. Slice em first, then soak them in water. Drain and repeat until clean. Dry the leeks on a tea towel while gathering the rest of your ingredients.

Step 2-
Saute your veggies in a little butter and olive oil. They had some reserved oil leftover from the roasted garlic hanging around, so I used that. The tart was all the better for it. Because of the different cooking times, I did the leeks/shallots in one pan, and the mushrooms in another. I don't think the world will come to an end If you just used one pan. Oh yeah- don't forget to season the vegetables with a little salt and pepper.

Step 3-
Pour the sauteed veggies out onto a plate to cool, then move onto the crust. Line your tart shell with the dough, then place a large piece of foil inside the dough (leave enough overhang of foil to be able to lift it out later). Fill the shell the pie weight of your choice- rice, dried beans, etc- and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights, prick the bottom of the crust a few times with a fork, turn the oven down to 350, and continue baking for 5-7 minutes. The shell should be pale in color, but not raw.

Step 4-
Put it all together. In a small bowl, whisk your eggs, cream, half and half, a pinch of pepper and about a teaspoon of salt until combined. Place your veggies inside the prebaked shell, crumble the goat cheese over the whole thing, then slowly pour in the custard. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees, until eggs are set and the tart is slightly puffy.

Cool the tart for a few minutes, then slice and enjoy. Safety note: when feeding hungry boys, keep your limbs out of the way. They could be consumed in the feeding frenzy.

Tart!

2008-03-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

Seville Oranges...a love story

Citrus season is winding down. For the next 2 months, until local strawberries are available, rhubarb will be the only gift from the earth I have to work with (and thank you for that dearest, reliable rhubarb. You are always there for me when I am antsy for summer fruit).

Around January or February, apples and pears begin to SUCK. Cranberries are gone, and if you were lucky enough to get your hands on a quince, it has long since been devoured. The next local fruit crop feels like a lifetime away.
Here comes citrus to save the day.
Oh bright, sunny citrus. I just heart you oh so much. Meyer lemons, cara cara oranges, heirloom navels, Texas grapefruit, and my hands-down absolute effing favorite: The super sexy seville orange. Grrrrrawl! They just get me all twitterpated.
Is it a coincidence that my favorite Elvis Costello song is "tart", where he paints a lyrical picture with this very orange? Or that I am literally depressed to be down to my last case of them in the walk-in, with no hope to see another one again until next winter?
No, I think I am in love. With an orange.

Here is some back story on my sad obsession: Seville oranges come from- you guessed it- Seville, Spain. They have more seeds than any citrus fruit I've ever seen, they are REALLY bitter (I would never eat one out of hand), they have a thick bright orange skin- gorgeous when candied- and are typically used for marmalade.

The bitterness of it's juice is more of a pleasant sharpness that enhances food- sort of like a lemon. I love it paired with chocolate, vanilla bean, caramel, or all three- which is how it is currently being showcased on my menu:

Bittersweet Chocolate Pate with Vanilla Bean Cream, Seville Orange Caramel, and Coco- nib Toffee

Unfortunately, I have never seen a seville orange at the grocery store. If you have a year round farmer's market in your area, you may see them there. Otherwise, you'll just have to take my word for it. These guys are worthy of poetry.

Seville Orange Caramel
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice

2 cups heavy cream

2 seville oranges
1/4 tsp sea salt

Zest and juice the oranges. Reserve the juice and set aside. Bring the zest and cream to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour.
Return steeped cream to the heat, bring to a boil, then strain into a measuring pitcher.
Combine the lemon juice, water, and sugar in a heavy saucepan. Cook until mixture is amber-colored and is just beginning to smoke (don't burn it!...it's a fine line- you don't want to walk away from the stove when caramelizing sugar!)
Remove pan from heat and slowly whisk in the hot cream (stand back- it will hiss and spatter!)
Stir until sugar is dissolved, then stir in the reserved juice and salt.

SHF# 41, sweet gifts for my sis

2008-03-21T16:26:00.000-07:00

Almond Butter Cake with Lemon Thyme Cream

Heres your almond cake Brookie, now get off my ass about it, K?

It seems like forever since the last time I participated in Sugar High Friday (or any blog event for that matter), but I am starting to get my act together- dontchya think? I mean jeez, this is my second post in one week. Kudos to me.
Habeas Brulee is hosting SHF this month (follow that link. Now. Seriously, it's worth it to see the freakishly adorable little girl with marshmallow all over her face), and she picked "sweet gifts" as her theme, which gives me the chance to show some love for my sister Brooke. Which I have not yet had a chance to do on this blog.
In a nutshell, Brooke is the most hilarious person I know. I am so glad my parents decided to have another kid right after having me (she is barely a year younger than I, and I don't know that I should use the term "decided", as I'm pretty sure we were both accidents...happy accidents). Some of my most treasured childhood memories include Brooke and I lying on our tummies watching "Anne of Green Gables", making fun of the way they danced on "Kids Incorporated" (children of the 80's who had the disney channel will get the reference- it's where Fergie of the Black eyed Peas got her start in showbiz), or stuffing pillows under our clothers and running down the hallway and colliding into eachother (member that Brooke?). We were always entertained as long as we were together. We didn't require much in the way of toys, as we had our sence of humor to keep us busy. Good lord, could the two of us giggle.

"The Brookester"

Fast forward twenty some odd years, and not much has changed. We're still total dorks when we get together, cracking up at whatever gross or self-depricating joke the other has to tell. In my sister's presence, I somehow become twelve again- which is a pretty awesome state of mind.

Anywho (B- are you sobbing yet? You are. Just admit it.), now on to this cake. This is a cake that was on my menu when Betty first opened, and Brooke and my mom came in for dinner. At that time, it was served alongside a dollop of greek yogurt and a fragrant raspberry-rose geranium sauce. Brooke dubbed it a "mouth-gasm" and has been begging for the recipe ever since.
Being the neglectful beeotch that I am, I kept forgetting to give it to her.
I made this cake for her, but she is an accomplished baker in her own right, so even if she does not have a chance to zip down to Seattle (she live a few towns north of here), she now has the recipe- which is what she really wanted.

This cake is delicious with just about anything, or on it's own. Today, it's sandwiching a schmear of lemon-thyme pastry cream (lightened to a spreadable consistency with heavy cream). I'll be putting it back on my dessert menu in May with a tangy balsamic-sour cherry compote and toasted almond creme anglaise. Brooke is now drooling.
Almond Butter Cake
This recipe will produce enough batter for 1 half sheet pan, 2 10" round pans, or 1 terrine loaf pan (my personal favorite).

9 oz (1 1/3 cup) sugar
7 oz almond paste
8 oz butter, softened
6 eggs, at room temp.
1 tsp vanilla
5 oz (1 cup) flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray desired pan with baking release, line the bottom with parchment paper, and spray again.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attatchment, mix the sugar and almond paste together until fine textured (it will have a sandy look). Add the butter and mix until well combined. Stop mixer and scrape the bowl with a spatula. return to med-high.
Whisk the eggs and vanilla together and dribble into the bowl (do this slowly with the machine running). Scrape bowl again and mix until batter looks homogenous.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Spread batter into desired pan and bake until a cake tester comes out clean

Loaf pan: 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes
Round pans: 35-40 minutes
Sheet pan: 25-30 minutes

Welcoming Spring with a Rhubarb Crumble

2008-03-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

Okay. I'm done hibernating now.
My last post was on New years eve. I'd say it's time for me to quit neglecting my blog. I hope my small group of readers can forgive my absence. I promised the hiatus was over and I guess I kind of lied. I swear it was not intentional. Can we kiss and make up now?

It's been an eventful year so far. I was offered a great opportunity at work, so that is where my head has been for while. The pie lady would just have to wait. I was asked if I would be interested in taking over the pastry department for our sister restaurant Crow, as well as running the helm at Betty (for those who are interested, here is our website).
I accepted, of course, because I would be an idiot to turn down such an incredible proposal. But truth be told, I was terrified. In a good way. The thought of wrapping my brain around two restaurants was a bit scary, but I have found that I work best under pressure, so carpe diem, right?
I am pleased to announce that it's going great. I am starting to get comfy in my new position and am ready to start devoting more free time to this here blog.
So without further ado, hows about a recipe?

Can I just say hooray for Rhubarb? It showed up early here in the Northwest. Just when I was starting to think "If I have to look at another crappy pear, I will just die" that beautiful red vegetable (yes, rhubarb is a vegetable) mosied it's way into the produce selection looking more crimson and vibrant than ever. Don't get me wrong, I love pears, quinces, and apples, but by February I start to disdain them.

I have already posted Rhubarb pie in this blog's infancy (the pictures make me cringe), so here is another one of my favorite ways to celebrate fruit- a crumble. I make crumbles at home all the time, as they are ridiculously easy. You will most likely have everything you need (sans the fruit) sitting on your pantry shelf. It takes minutes to put together and you can make a huge batch of the topping and freeze it for a last minute dessert.

There is a special ingredient in my filling. I am not usually a fan of rhubarb muddied with strawberries. This is strictly a personal taste thing. I can't STAND baking strawberries. They turn a kind of milky pink color and the texture just bothers me. I think baking a strawberry is sacrilegious.
HOWEVER, a little strawberry puree- just a smidge now- really pumps up the flavor of this filling. It adds sweetness which is nice, so you can reduce the sugar (rhubarb usually needs a lot of sugar), and it adds a little pectin and color. I use a brand available only by mail to the public (I think) called perfect puree. Those who work in kitchens know that it's easily found at many of our produce purveyors. If you like, you can make your own using frozen strawberries, a blender, and a teensy pinch of sugar. Or, you can omit the puree and add a few more tablespoons of sugar. Either way, it will be delicious.

The cherry blossoms are blooming in Seattle, it's been sunny almost as much as it's been rainy, and today I didn't need a coat.
So cozy up with a warm bowl of this crumble (because it's still pretty damn cold out there!), a cup of coffee, and join me in my elation. Spring is just a few days away! Yay!

Rhubarb Crumble
makes 12 individual ramekins or 1 large pan

Topping:
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
4 oz butter, melted and cooled

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the butter and mix with your hands until you have chunky crumbs. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
Filling:
2# 4 oz cleaned rhubarb, ends trimmed and sliced into 1" pieces (give or take-depending on width of the stalks)
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup strawberry puree*
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 oz melted butter, plus more for brushing pan

Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter 12 ramekins, or a 13" by 9" pyrex baking dish and set aside.
In a large bowl, toss rhubarb with the puree (if using) and lemon juice. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the salt, sugar and cornstarch. Sprinkle over the fruit and toss until absorbed. Stir in the melted butter and pour into the baking dish or ramekins. Evenly sprinkle the crumble topping over the rhubarb.
Bake for 25 minutes at 375, then turn oven down to 350 and continue baking for an additional 20-25 minutes. Topping will be golden brown and juices will be bubbly.

*if you are omitting the puree, increase the sugar to 1 1/2 cups

Perfecting Butterscotch

2007-12-31T09:47:00.000-08:00

There are few sauces in this world that I love more than butterscotch. It has the gooey richness of caramel, but with a little more moxie. Even the name butterscotch has an allure to it. "butter" and "scotch"- of course it's gonna be good.
But, this innocent little dessert condiment has been irking me since last summer when I had a burnt sugar banana split on my menu.

This was no ordinary banana split. For weeks before the restaurant opened, I had a vision in my head of this glorious dessert, and glorious it was; A banana bruleed with a blow torch, scoops of homemade chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice creams-
topped with strawberry sauce, bittersweet fudge sauce, butterscotch, chopped almond praline, sliced strawberries, and a fresh bing cherry. Each order took almost 10 minutes to assemble and to this day, it could very well be one of my finest achievements...with the exception of one thing- I could never get that damn butterscotch right.

I started with a recipe from one of my heroes, Emily Luchetti. Her butterscotch contained all of the usual suspects: brown sugar, butter, cream, salt, etc.
Right off the stove it was quite delicious. After the sauce bottle sat overnight in the fridge however, it was grainy. Still yummy- but the texture simply wouldn't do. Graininess is one of my biggest pet peeves.

Not ready to give up, I tried a recipe given to me by a fellow pastry chef. As I was cooking it, I realized her recipe was pretty much the same as Luchetti's, and I knew I was probably going to have the same problem. So, I cooked it a bit longer to see if that would help dissolve the brown sugar, then I added a shot of whiskey while it cooled. The extra cooking time did nothing for the grainy issue, but the whiskey worked wonders on it's flavor. I had one of those no-duh moments. Why would I even consider making a butterscotch with out any booze in the first place?

With the restaurant in it's infancy at this time, I obviously had a million other things on my plate. I certainly could not linger here in this quagmire. The flavor was very good, and if it were made daily, in small amounts, I could sideswipe the grainy issue. I vowed that I would pick this butterscotch thing back up when I had time to catch my breath.

Fast forward to December, and I have gingerbread on my menu. A dark and spicy wedge with a dollop of Meyer lemon-mascarpone whip (a pillowy blend of Meyer lemon curd, mascarpone, and heavy cream. I will post about it in the future- it's too good not to share), rose poached quince, and a glaze of the infamous butterscotch. Here was my chance to re-visit the texture.

Butterscotch is made in the same procedure as caramel- but you use brown sugar and butter instead of white sugar and water, and you don't caramelize it. Instead, they are melted together, then the cream is added and the sauce boils for a few minutes... It's like "lawyer-ball" caramel.

Brown sugar was not only was it the key to butterscotch's flavor, but it was also my roadblock. Brown sugar is basically white sugar with molasses added to it. What if I made a basic creamy caramel sauce, then added molasses, whiskey and salt while it cooled? First time was a charm. I would go so far as to call it perfect. I was pissed off that my brain didn't make that connection back in the banana split days.

The hubby and I have been enjoying homemade cinnamon stick ice cream and butterscotch sundaes for dessert over the holidays. Luckily, we polished off the last of it last night- just in time for my new years resolution to decrease the size of my bum!

Butterscotch
This sauce can be refrigerated in a sealed container for at least 2 weeks. To bring it back to it's original saucy lustre, re heat it slowly over the stove, or in the microwave.
Makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water

3/4 cup cream
1 oz unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 T molasses
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 T whiskey (I like Yukon Jack for it's sweetness)

In a small sauce pan, combine sugar and water. Cook over high heat until it' caramelizes. This takes a while longer due to the extra amount of water.
Meanwhile, in a separate sauce pan, combine the butter and cream. Bring to a simmer and let sit until the sugar has caramelized.
Off the heat, slowly and carefully whisk in the hot cream. The pot will spatter and spit- look out!
Whisk over gentle heat until sauce is smooth and lump-free. Strain into a heat proof container, then stir in molasses, whiskey, and salt.

Happy New Year!

Multigrain Sandwich Bread (The Pie Lady Returns!)

2007-12-27T15:41:00.000-08:00

Something has been missing from The Pie Lady. Blog posts!
December has been a strange month. More like a comedy of errors. In a matter of a few days the alternator went out on our car, my wallet was stolen, our refrigerator broke, and our computer both caught some sort of virus and the hard drive crashed. Needless to say, I have not had the opportunity to blog as much as I would like to. It's been such a chapper to have to put it aside just when it's just getting off the ground- and I miss my new blogging buddies!

Things are starting to calm down around here- car fixed, fridge fixed, driver's licence/credit cards renewed (the punks managed to use my card at a gas station before I had a chance to cancel it. Happy holidays to you too, arshole).
The final clusterphuk to deal with is the computer. Luckily, I do have access to one for the time being. So, while posts may not be as frequent as usual- the hiatus is over.

Now that I've explained myself- I will move on to the yummiest sandwich bread that I have ever tasted. I know- my last post was bread, but trust me. I would not dare to be so redundant unless it was worth it.

I doubt I have mentioned this, but nothing tickles my fancy more than getting my Cooks Illustrated in the mail. I have subscribed for 3 years, and find myself buying less general cookbooks because of it. The recipes in Cooks Illustrated are so well tested and often offer variations, so once I've tried it, I (usually) don't feel the need to seek out other versions.

The multigrain sandwich bread caught my eye in the March/April '06 issue. The test cook had the brilliant idea to use 7 grain cereal mix, rather than hunting them down individually. This is one of the easiest bread recipes I know, so I don't mind putting it together the day after the holiday cooking marathon...(by the way- Happy Holidays everyone).

Just in time for turkey or roast beef leftovers, this sandwich bread tastes better than anything you can buy in the grocery store. Leftovers on homemade bread makes you feel like you're having a meal just as special as the night before.

Easy Multigrain Sandwich Bread- Cooks Illustrated #79, Mar/Apr '06

6 1/4 oz (1 1/4 cups) 7-grain hot cereal mix (Bob's Red Mill or Arrowhead Mills)
20 oz (2 1/2 cups) boiling water
15 oz (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
7 1/2 oz (1 1/2 cups) whole wheat flour
4 T honey
4 T butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 T fine sea salt
3/4 cup unsalted sunflower or pumpkin seeds (*I like sunflower the best)
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1. Place cereal mix in bowl of standing mixer and pour boiling water over it; let stand, stirring occasionally, until mixture cools to 100 degrees and resembles thick porridge, about 1 hour. Whisk flours together in a medium bowl.

2. Once grain mixture has cooled, add honey, melted butter, and yeast and stir to combine. Attach bowl to standing mixer fitted with dough hook. With mixer running on low speed, add flours, 1/2 cup at a time, and knead until dough forms ball, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes; cover bowl with plastic and let dough rest 20 minutes. Add salt and knead on medium-low speed until dough clears sides of bowl, 3 to 4 minutes (if it does not clear sides, add 2 to 3 T additional all-purpose flour and continue mixing); continue to knead dough for 5 minutes. Add seeds and knead another 15 seconds. Transfer dough to floured work surface and knead by hand until seeds are dispersed evenly and dough forms smooth, taut ball. Place dough into a greased container with 4-qt capacity; cover with plastic and allow to rise until doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.

3. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 9by 5- inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and pat into a 12 by 9- inch rectangle; cut in half crosswise with knife or bench scraper. Roll each portion into a log and pinch the seam closed. Spray each log with water and roll in the oats. Place in loaf pans, cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.

4. Bake until internal temperature registers 200 degrees on an instant read thermometer, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and cool on wire rack before slicing, about 3 hours.

Daring Bakers on a "diet"

2007-11-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

A pot of coffee and a daring baker challenge. My ideal day off

Yeasted delicacies are showing up on blogs everywhere, which can only mean the daring bakers are at it again with Tanna hosting this month's challenge. After October's bostini cream pie, which came in at a whopping 93 grams of fat and almost 1200 calories PER SERVING (thanks again Julius, I can't say that I really wanted to know about that. Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss), myself and several other db's had our fingers crossed for something savory, and perhaps something we could eat a serving of without having to go buy new jeans. Tanna valiantly answered the call with Tender Potato Bread. Those who are carb conscience are rolling their eyes right now because I just said "potato" and "bread." Sorry...it's not my stupid diet. I for one, was ecstatic. Tanna was giving us creative freedom with this. She provided the recipe for the dough, advised that we make a loaf with half of it, and the rest should be used as a canvas to "unleash our inner daring baker." We were allowed to do whatever we wanted with it, so long as it wasn't sweet. Another rule: the dough had to be kneaded by hand. No mixers allowed.

As the db's started making this challenge and posting their results on our private blog, the overwhelming majority warned that this was a really sticky dough.
I consider myself to be pretty comfortable with bread making. I am by no means an expert, but running the wholesale bakery forced me to become familiar with it. Cinnamon rolls and hot cross buns were two of my biggest sellers, and I was also asked to make the ciabatta for the dinner theatre that I shared the kitchen with. Ciabatta is one of the stickiest, most difficult to work with breads out there, which is why it is always in that flat rectangular blob shape. I told myself that If I can handle ciabatta, I can handle this. Here's the thing though: I made the ciabatta in an enormous 60 quart mixer, and both the rising and forming was done on a big wooden bench. I'll admit it- the idea of kneading the sticky potato bread on my tiny formica counter top had me nervous. If anything the clean up that would be required was not something I was looking forward to. But, that is the whole idea of these challenges. Step outside your comfort zone. To me, artisan style bread making is not a big deal. Doing it at home without my mixer? SCARY.

Luckily, Tanna's recipe was really straight forward- and yes, the dough was sticky at first. But once you start kneading, it becomes the most fun thing to play with EVER. Sorry if I am grossing anyone out here, but the texture of the dough can only be described as old lady arm flab. It reminded me of going to visit my great aunt Charlotte and giving her a hug. The dough picks up just enough flour to hold together, but remains very soft and "blubbery."
I have kneaded dough by hand before, but it was not quite as slack as this one. Stiffer dough means your arms tire out quickly. I could have kneaded this dough all day. I forgot how much more satisfying it is to actually feel it come together.

One third of my finished dough became a rustic free form loaf, which I baked right on my pizza stone. The crust was crisp and the inside was tender and fluffy. It was delicious the next day as garlic toast for soup.

The rest became something that I usually make with plain buttermilk dough: cheddar ham rolls with sage. The dough is rolled out into a rectangle as if you were making cinnamon rolls. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar and chopped sage. Lay out slices of good quality deli ham, then sprinkle with more cheese and sage. Roll it up and slice off medallions. Bake them just like you would a cinnamon roll. We had them for dinner with a salad. How often does a daring baker challenge become two perfectly well rounded dinners? Um, NEVER. Thank you Tanna. This was a great choice after last months heart attack cream pie. If you would like the recipe for Tender Potato Brad, Tanna has it posted on her blog. To see all of the other amazing creations that resulted from this dough, head over to our blogroll. I know that is where I'll be for the next 3 weeks, as there are (last I checked, I'm sure there's more by now) now about 300 daring bakers across the globe!! Thats alotta dough!