Adapted from a recipe in Mollie Katzen's The Enchanted Broccoli Forest.
This is a naturally sweet dessert or brunch dish. Use the best ingredients you can muster: this is all about the taste of the ricotta, the cherries, and the subtle hints of orange, vanilla and rose. We made this for brunch on New Year's day, served with chocolate hazelnut torte after eggs with sherried mushrooms*, cheese and fresh bread. A good way to start any day or year!
16 oz. (2 cups) fresh ricotta cheese
~2 cups (or more, or less) pitted, halved fresh cherries
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp rosewater
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp orange zest (about 1/4 an orange, or less)
chopped, toasted almonds for garnish
Put the ricotta in a mixing bowl and whip for about 5 minutes with an electric mixer. I used a stand mixer, so I'm not sure how long this would take by hand. The idea is to get the cheese light and fluffy, although there will still be some curds. Add the honey slowly, and beat until incorporated. Do the same with the rosewater and vanilla. Fold in the cherries and orange zest. We used a little too much zest, and you couldn't smell the rosewater very much - play with these proportions as you like.
The original recipe recommends refrigerating the mousse for a few hours before serving, but we impatiently ate it right up and it was delicious. Sprinkle the chopped toasted almonds as a garnish at the last minute, so they don't get soggy.
*Sherried mushrooms: post to follow.
02 January 2008
17 December 2007
Fluffy Cheese Biscuits
These biscuits are rich but light, and best right out of the oven. This recipe is lifted out of Paris Boulangerie Patisserie, a truly excellent collection of pastry recipes (by real French Patissiers) compiled by Linda Dannenberg. I added chopped flat-leaf parsley to half of the batter, which gave the biscuits a nice speckled look and a little more depth of flavor. The bakery I used to work at sold cheddar-chive variations of these biscuits, which were also exquisite.
6 tbs. butter, cut into small pieces
1 c. water
pinch of salt
pinch of white pepper (I used black pepper - was great)
1.5 c. all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
2 c. coarsely grated gruyere cheese (~half a pound)
(~1/3 c. chopped parsley)
Preheat oven to 400*F.
Bring water, salt and butter to boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the flour and pepper with a wooden spoon (will be quite thick). Return to medium heat for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. At this point, the mix should be very thick and begin to form a film on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each one. After all the eggs are added, the batter has "the consistency of a thick mayonnaise" or a thick pancake batter. Add the cheese, reserving some to sprinkle on top of the rolls (I forgot to do this). Add the herbs, if using, and mix in.
Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and sprinkle the reserved cheese on the rolls. They won't look like much on the tray, but they puff up impressively in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until puffy and golden.
Makes about 18 (delicious) rolls, or twice as many small rolls. If there are any leftover, toast them before re-serving as they are really better when warm. Once they've cooled, the moist fluffy interior gets a little spoungy, but toasting brings back their joie de vivre.
6 tbs. butter, cut into small pieces
1 c. water
pinch of salt
pinch of white pepper (I used black pepper - was great)
1.5 c. all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
2 c. coarsely grated gruyere cheese (~half a pound)
(~1/3 c. chopped parsley)
Preheat oven to 400*F.
Bring water, salt and butter to boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the flour and pepper with a wooden spoon (will be quite thick). Return to medium heat for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. At this point, the mix should be very thick and begin to form a film on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each one. After all the eggs are added, the batter has "the consistency of a thick mayonnaise" or a thick pancake batter. Add the cheese, reserving some to sprinkle on top of the rolls (I forgot to do this). Add the herbs, if using, and mix in.
Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, and sprinkle the reserved cheese on the rolls. They won't look like much on the tray, but they puff up impressively in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until puffy and golden.
Makes about 18 (delicious) rolls, or twice as many small rolls. If there are any leftover, toast them before re-serving as they are really better when warm. Once they've cooled, the moist fluffy interior gets a little spoungy, but toasting brings back their joie de vivre.
15 December 2007
Nougat? (FAIL)
I tried to make Italian Torrone (chewy nutty nougat) as a holiday favor this year. Now, I always thought of nougat as candy, but I never equated "making nougat" to "making candy," the latter of which is something I've never had any real desire to do. Candy making is messy, sticky, and fickle, as I understand it. So imagine my surprise when I'm 15 minutes into a recipe for Torrone and I realize - "crap, I'm making candy." I have pretty good luck with trying new recipes, in general, but this does not apply to the realm of candy. I have no success story, only a few words of advice:
1. WATCH your thermometer. The temperature doesn't rise steadily, but does so in occasional spikes. I turned my back on the syrup at the wrong time, and when I came back it had gone from 295 to 325 degrees, which brings me to number 2.
2. Don't BURN the syrup. It does not smell good, which means your candy will not smell good.
3. make COOKIES instead. Just a thought.
Maybe someday I'll give this another shot, but for now I think I'll buy my Torrone and save myself the 60 minute clean up!
1. WATCH your thermometer. The temperature doesn't rise steadily, but does so in occasional spikes. I turned my back on the syrup at the wrong time, and when I came back it had gone from 295 to 325 degrees, which brings me to number 2.
2. Don't BURN the syrup. It does not smell good, which means your candy will not smell good.
3. make COOKIES instead. Just a thought.
Maybe someday I'll give this another shot, but for now I think I'll buy my Torrone and save myself the 60 minute clean up!
13 December 2007
Persimmon Jam
As promised! I found the sugar proportions for this recipe on a website which claimed that Hachiya persimmons are bad for jam-making because heating them brings back the tannins (tannicity?). I had a dozen Hachiyas in the other room, so I took the sugar-to-fruit proportions but not the advice. The result: decidedly good!
6 smallish Hachiya persimmons - jelly soft (about 2.25 cups)
3/4c sugar
juice of one lemon
splash of vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
This was the easiest jam I've made yet.
First, stick a small plate in the freezer (do this in advance if you remember). Scoop out the persimmon pulp using Heather's spoon method (see previous post), and put in a pan with the other ingredients. Turn on med-high heat, meanwhile get your jars boiling in another pot. Once the persimmon pulp mix comes to a boil, stir constantly and keep the heat high for about ten minutes, or until the mix has expanded and shrunk back. When it seems to be getting nice and thick, grab your frozen plate and put a drop of the jam onto it, then turn the plate sideways: if the drop dribbles, put the plate back in the freezer keep boiling. Do this until the drop stays set on the plate when tilted, it might take a few tries and some extra cooking time. My mix took about 10 minutes of rapid boiling to get a good set. Pour the mix into your hot, boiled jars, screw the lids on reasonably tight and place them upside-down to cool. This recipe filled two 8-oz jars, plus a little extra for immediate snacking.
The tannic taste does come back a little bit when these persimmons are heated, but the result is smooth and sweet and not harsh at all. Rather than having a harsh stringent aftertaste, the jam has a mild tannic quality throughout. That said, it's a bit of a stretch to call it a tannic flavor though, and it really balances the sugar well. The cinnamon is a nice accent, although the vanilla does not shine through. Adding the vanilla at the end (after cooking) would protect that flavor a bit more.
Delicious!
6 smallish Hachiya persimmons - jelly soft (about 2.25 cups)
3/4c sugar
juice of one lemon
splash of vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
This was the easiest jam I've made yet.
First, stick a small plate in the freezer (do this in advance if you remember). Scoop out the persimmon pulp using Heather's spoon method (see previous post), and put in a pan with the other ingredients. Turn on med-high heat, meanwhile get your jars boiling in another pot. Once the persimmon pulp mix comes to a boil, stir constantly and keep the heat high for about ten minutes, or until the mix has expanded and shrunk back. When it seems to be getting nice and thick, grab your frozen plate and put a drop of the jam onto it, then turn the plate sideways: if the drop dribbles, put the plate back in the freezer keep boiling. Do this until the drop stays set on the plate when tilted, it might take a few tries and some extra cooking time. My mix took about 10 minutes of rapid boiling to get a good set. Pour the mix into your hot, boiled jars, screw the lids on reasonably tight and place them upside-down to cool. This recipe filled two 8-oz jars, plus a little extra for immediate snacking.
The tannic taste does come back a little bit when these persimmons are heated, but the result is smooth and sweet and not harsh at all. Rather than having a harsh stringent aftertaste, the jam has a mild tannic quality throughout. That said, it's a bit of a stretch to call it a tannic flavor though, and it really balances the sugar well. The cinnamon is a nice accent, although the vanilla does not shine through. Adding the vanilla at the end (after cooking) would protect that flavor a bit more.
Delicious!
01 December 2007
Persimmon Bread
This recipe is adapted from one that Google turned up. It had considerably less butter and sugar than some other recipes I found, and it could probably stand to have even less sugar in it ... or maybe use honey instead.
2c. unbleached white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1c. persimmon slices (two medium-small persimmons)
1c. sugar
1/2c. milk
2 eggs
1/4c. softened butter
1/2c. chopped toasted pecans
1/2c raisins (golden and thompson)
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Mix together the dry ingredients, using what spices you like (the ones above are estimates of what I used) and sifting the baking soda/powder so it's not clumpy. A great trick for people who hate to sift: I use a small tea strainer, which is just the right size to sift a couple tsp of something quickly. Beat the eggs with the sugar and milk, and add the softened butter. Beat togther well, then mix into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the raisins and pecans and fold those in. Pour this into a buttered loaf pan and sprinkle a little extra sugar over it - it makes the top a little extra sweet and crunchy. The recipe I was working from called for 45 minutes in the oven, but my loaf took about 65 minutes total. The result was a little crunchy at the edges, but perfectly moist inside. If you were using a brownie pan instead of a loaf pan, 45 minutes might be just perfect.
A note about persimmons:
I'm really intrigued by persimmons. They are simultaneously beautiful, delicious, and quietly repellent all at once. I love the rich color, and the sweet apricoty taste when they are ripe, but I can't stand the stringent aftertaste of the acorn-shaped variety (Hachiya). These ones are great for baking, and also great for eating (when VERY soft) if you can stand the tannic aftertaste (I can't). I waited until I thought my persimmons were perhaps too ripe and even beginning to pucker, but they turned out to be just perfect. The non-astringent ones (Fuyu, or others) much less tannic and can be eaten sooner, but I've never baked with them. I'm not sure how a crisper, younger Fuyu persimmon would turn out in bread or pudding form - anyone else have experience with this?
Up next: Persimmon Jam!
2c. unbleached white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1c. persimmon slices (two medium-small persimmons)
1c. sugar
1/2c. milk
2 eggs
1/4c. softened butter
1/2c. chopped toasted pecans
1/2c raisins (golden and thompson)
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Mix together the dry ingredients, using what spices you like (the ones above are estimates of what I used) and sifting the baking soda/powder so it's not clumpy. A great trick for people who hate to sift: I use a small tea strainer, which is just the right size to sift a couple tsp of something quickly. Beat the eggs with the sugar and milk, and add the softened butter. Beat togther well, then mix into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the raisins and pecans and fold those in. Pour this into a buttered loaf pan and sprinkle a little extra sugar over it - it makes the top a little extra sweet and crunchy. The recipe I was working from called for 45 minutes in the oven, but my loaf took about 65 minutes total. The result was a little crunchy at the edges, but perfectly moist inside. If you were using a brownie pan instead of a loaf pan, 45 minutes might be just perfect.
A note about persimmons:
I'm really intrigued by persimmons. They are simultaneously beautiful, delicious, and quietly repellent all at once. I love the rich color, and the sweet apricoty taste when they are ripe, but I can't stand the stringent aftertaste of the acorn-shaped variety (Hachiya). These ones are great for baking, and also great for eating (when VERY soft) if you can stand the tannic aftertaste (I can't). I waited until I thought my persimmons were perhaps too ripe and even beginning to pucker, but they turned out to be just perfect. The non-astringent ones (Fuyu, or others) much less tannic and can be eaten sooner, but I've never baked with them. I'm not sure how a crisper, younger Fuyu persimmon would turn out in bread or pudding form - anyone else have experience with this?
Up next: Persimmon Jam!
05 November 2007
Pumpkin Pumpkin Pie
This pie uses fresh pumpkin, not canned. The recipe here is just for the filling, and fills about two standard pies or 1 1/2 extra-large ones. For the crust I used a ball of pastry dough that had been in the freezer for about three months; when I find the recipe for it I'll post it here too (it's quite good!). This would probably be great with the crust recipe Heather posted for her zucchini quiche, too.
Filling:
2 sugar pie pumpkins
1/2c heavy cream
1 1/2c milk
~3/4c brown sugar
4-5 eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger (fresh would be incredible)
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
(the spices are to taste - use what you like, as much as you like, add what you like, subtract what you don't)
Cut the pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds and strings, and save the seeds if you want to roast them or dry them for planting. Oil the cut edges and place them on a baking sheet. Roast at 350*F for about 45-50 minutes, or until the flesh pierces easily w/ a fork. Wait for them to cool to just warm, then scoop out the flesh and discard the skins. I added the milk to the pulp and blended in small batches to get a puree (large batches just jam up the blender, the milk helps some with this). At this point I had a little under 4 cups of pumpkin puree - nearly enough for 2 pies, but I chose to make one large pie (the dish is 10 or 11 inches) and another dish of just pumpkin custard (no crust). Then you're ready to add the other ingredients (I used 5 eggs), mix up, pour into a pre-baked pie shell, and bake at 425*F for 20 minutes, then 375*F for another 20-30 minutes. Mine needed nearly 60 minutes of baking overall. It might be a good idea to cover the crust with foil for the second half, as mine got a little almost-burnt.
The results:
This is an excellent pie. The texture is smooth but more interesting than pie made from canned pumpkin, and it tastes more complex without being too squash-y. This amount of sugar was sort of my upper limit - it was a little sweeter than it needed to be, but not too sweet. I'd like to see how this turns out with honey used instead of brown sugar.
Question for crust pre-bakers:
Does anyone have a good method of keeping their pie crust flat while pre-baking? I've tried using parchment paper weighted with beans, rice, etc, and this always results in greasy, buttery crust bottom. Ideas?
Filling:
2 sugar pie pumpkins
1/2c heavy cream
1 1/2c milk
~3/4c brown sugar
4-5 eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger (fresh would be incredible)
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
(the spices are to taste - use what you like, as much as you like, add what you like, subtract what you don't)
Cut the pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds and strings, and save the seeds if you want to roast them or dry them for planting. Oil the cut edges and place them on a baking sheet. Roast at 350*F for about 45-50 minutes, or until the flesh pierces easily w/ a fork. Wait for them to cool to just warm, then scoop out the flesh and discard the skins. I added the milk to the pulp and blended in small batches to get a puree (large batches just jam up the blender, the milk helps some with this). At this point I had a little under 4 cups of pumpkin puree - nearly enough for 2 pies, but I chose to make one large pie (the dish is 10 or 11 inches) and another dish of just pumpkin custard (no crust). Then you're ready to add the other ingredients (I used 5 eggs), mix up, pour into a pre-baked pie shell, and bake at 425*F for 20 minutes, then 375*F for another 20-30 minutes. Mine needed nearly 60 minutes of baking overall. It might be a good idea to cover the crust with foil for the second half, as mine got a little almost-burnt.
The results:
This is an excellent pie. The texture is smooth but more interesting than pie made from canned pumpkin, and it tastes more complex without being too squash-y. This amount of sugar was sort of my upper limit - it was a little sweeter than it needed to be, but not too sweet. I'd like to see how this turns out with honey used instead of brown sugar.
Question for crust pre-bakers:
Does anyone have a good method of keeping their pie crust flat while pre-baking? I've tried using parchment paper weighted with beans, rice, etc, and this always results in greasy, buttery crust bottom. Ideas?
05 September 2007
Heather and Ellen's Egg Bake
This is a fluffy, eggy casserole style dish. You can improvise whatever filling you like, as it is basically a rectangular quiche with no crust. This is the basic recipe as nabbed from Ellen & Heather's recipe box:
10 eggs
1 lb grated cheese
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup butter
1 can green chiles (about a cup?)
Combine ingredients and pour into a buttered casserole dish, bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. This is super easy and super adaptable. Instead of green chiles I used sauteed red & yellow onions, red padron peppers and celery, and I layered some sliced tomatoes on top with some cheese on them. I also used only .75 lb of cheese and nixed the butter - the result was still tasty. I added saffron, which had questionable results.
10 eggs
1 lb grated cheese
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup butter
1 can green chiles (about a cup?)
Combine ingredients and pour into a buttered casserole dish, bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. This is super easy and super adaptable. Instead of green chiles I used sauteed red & yellow onions, red padron peppers and celery, and I layered some sliced tomatoes on top with some cheese on them. I also used only .75 lb of cheese and nixed the butter - the result was still tasty. I added saffron, which had questionable results.
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