Sugar Cookies--Revisited

Remember my post on soft Sugar Cookies?

(If you don't, I suggest you visit/revisit it as well) :P

What I basically did is what I always do with recipes--whether they are off the internet, from books, etc.--tweaked, played around with and made it better (or so I think; food/taste is subjective after all).

To make these cookies softer and to add another dimension of flavor, I substituted half of the sugar with brown sugar (I would have substituted all of it but I didn't have enough brown sugar) and added a little bit of cream cheese!

These cookies aren't really chewy but they melt in your mouth and stay softer longer! Don't worry, I'll post a chewy recipe one of these days!


Here is the tweaked recipe/my recipe:

Soft Sugar Cookies:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened but still firm (60 to 65 degrees)
1/2 package philly cream cheese (4 ounces), room temp (soft)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (4 ounces)
1/2 cup light brown sugar (4 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar, for rolling dough
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees (350 if convection). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.

2. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment or with hand mixer, beat butter, cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add egg and vanilla; beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

3. Place sugar for rolling in shallow bowl. Fill medium bowl halfway with cold tap water. Dip hands in water and shake off excess (this will prevent dough from sticking to your hands and ensure that sugar sticks to dough). Roll heaping tablespoon dough into 1 1/2-inch ball between moistened palms; roll ball in sugar, then place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, moistening hands after forming each ball and spacing balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheet (you should be able to fit 12 cookies on each sheet). If you would like, press down on balls to flatten slightly (you can also just bake them as they are, that's also fine).

4. Bake until cookies are slightly golden brown around edges and just set and very lightly colored in center, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking trays halfway through baking time. Cool cookies on baking sheet about 3 minutes; transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.


The cookies keep in a tightly sealed container for about 4 days. Or you may freeze them for several months!

Browneeeeez

I'm not going to share this recipe as I like to keep some things a secret. But oh my are they good... finger lickin' good. Swirled with cream cheese, mixed with nuts and/or dried fruit--either way, it's an awesome recipe. Rich and fudgey browneeeeez ;)

I'm back

I know it's been a long time. A long, long time. About 4 months. Wow. Well, all I have to say for myself is that I've been really busy. We had a couple of guests visiting from Israel through the months of April and May. Also, I had just started working for Butlers Chocolate Cafe (started as the assistant manager, and am now... yep, the manager). On top of the that, I had just started translating and editing a book that should be published later this year.

My brother, mother and cousin (who is more like my little sister) were visiting July-August. Well, mom's still here... she's leaving in less than a month. And I'm just getting busier and busier at work.

I finished the book, thanks to my brother and cousin. Instead of going out, on a few occasions, they stayed home with me and helped, to speed up the process. Thanks guys, I love you.

I rarely get to bake anymore, which is sad... because I love, and always will love baking. But I'll find time. I promise.


The next thing I want to try is pure chocolate "mousse". This goes against everything I've heard or have been taught; but it's kind of ironic because it's actually by Hervé This who is a molecular gastronomist--so he must know what he's doing.
The reason it goes against everything I've been taught is: it asks to combine chocolate and water! Outrageous! I know...
Anyway, this "mousse" is made combining chocolate and water and whipping it over ice to create a fluffy but extremely rich product.

More details/explanations (and pictures) to come...

Hey Suga... Chewy Sugar Cookies!

One day, when I was still at The Westin, Justin (my co-worker in the pastry department) and I were baking off cookies for a banquet and instead of just the same ole chocolate chip cookies and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies we also included sugar cookies and peanut butter cookies. The cookies we use for banquets are actually outsourced and ready to bake when we receive them (we couldn't possibly keep up with such a large amount of cookies with just a staff of two and Michael, when we had to take care of the restaurant as well).
Anyway, Justin loves sugar cookies and he mentioned how he loved the fact that these sugar cookies were chewy and cakey. He pointed out that the recipes he has, and the recipes Michael has are all hard, traditional sugar cookies--the kind you decorate. We thought "hmmm... great subject for a blog entry."

I starting researching by flipping through books, at home and at the book store but was not successful with that. I starting looking on the internet and that was when I found a recipe from Cook's Illustrated magazine published November 2002.

I tried not to get my hopes up too much because I've been known to get excited about a recipe, try it and end up sadly disappointed. But I had a good feeling about these...


And they turned out just fine. They looked good too: rolling them in sugar before baking created a beautiful crackled sugar crust.

My only note is, when they are freshly baked, they are chewier and cakier. As they sit (say, the next day), they tend to dry a bit and get slightly harder. As it is done with Chocolate Chip Cookies, I would suggest underbaking these to make them chewier/cakier. Sometimes even one minute's time can make a difference. So Keep a close eye on them and determine what the right time is for the texture that you desire.






Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen

The cookies are softer and more tender when made with unbleached flour that has a protein content of about 10.5 percent. Pillsbury or Gold Medal works best; King Arthur flour has a higher protein content (around 11.7 percent) and will result in slightly drier, cakier cookies. Do not discard the butter wrappers; they have just enough residual butter on them for buttering the bottom of the drinking glass used to flatten the dough balls. To make sure the cookies are flat, choose a glass with a smooth, flat bottom. Rolled into balls, the dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 week. The baked cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), preferably Pillsbury or Gold Medal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened but still firm (60 to 65 degrees)
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces), for rolling dough
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions; heat oven to 375 degrees (350 if convection). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.

2. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment or with hand mixer, beat butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add egg and vanilla; beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.

3. Place sugar for rolling in shallow bowl. Fill medium bowl halfway with cold tap water. Dip hands in water and shake off excess (this will prevent dough from sticking to your hands and ensure that sugar sticks to dough). Roll heaping tablespoon dough into 1 1/2-inch ball between moistened palms; roll ball in sugar, then place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, moistening hands after forming each ball and spacing balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheet (you should be able to fit 12 cookies on each sheet). Using butter wrapper, butter bottom of drinking glass; dip bottom of glass in remaining sugar and flatten dough balls with bottom of glass until dough is about 3/4 inch thick.

4. Bake until cookies are golden brown around edges and just set and very lightly colored in center, 15 to 18 minutes, reversing position of cookie sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking time. Cool cookies on baking sheet about 3 minutes; transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.



Note for Justin: These cookies don't have the exact flavor of the cookies we used to bake off. It is due to the fact that these are all-natural, from scratch and don't contain any artificial flavor enhancers or ingredients like the outsourced onces do. But they're still pretty good. :)

Blueberry Muffin Loaves

So... these are blueberry muffin loaves, simply because I had mini-loaf paper molds on hand and wanted to use them instead of baking them as muffins; which means you can totally bake these as regular muffins as well. Later on I'll come back and update a little bit about the history of muffins and such, but for now, here they are:




Lynda just came back from Israel a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to make something for her with blueberry in it, since she loves blueberry. I was going to make a caramel cheesecake with a blueberry compote topping because she always pesters me about making "something with caramel and blueberry" (she also loves caramel); didn't have time though. I'm planning on making the cheesecake soon, and when I do I will post it...

The recipe that these blueberry muffins came from is found in the book "Baking and Pastry" by the CIA. I LOVE the book. It is very thorough in terms of the different recipes it provides, and they are very reliable (meaning, if you do it right, it SHOULD turn out right). I just play around with the recipes, change flavors, experiment with different types of flour, etc...
Here's the book:




Recipe for the blueberry muffins coming soon...

Crème Caramel

Crème Caramel, or Flan, is a custard baked in a dish coated with caramelized sugar that forms a sauce when the custard is unmolded and inverted onto a plate.

Both crème caramel and flan are french names but have come to have different meanings in different regions. In Europe (France) the custard with a liquid caramel jus is generally known as crème caramel or crème de custard. In Latin regions and North America this same dish is known as flan. In France, however, "flan" means a custard tart, usually with a fruit topping.

The name flan comes from Old French Flaon, in turn from Medieval Latin Fladonem from Old German flado which is a sort of flat cake. All of these stem from an Indo-European word for "flat" or "broad."




I like to call it créme caramel, just because I like the way it sounds and it reminds you of what it really is: a rich, creamy custard with luscious, golden liquid caramel. Heaven.

Bon Apétit!



The recipe below uses only milk, but if you wish, you can use half cream and half milk for a richer, creamier crème caramel. Try it both ways, see what you like better. :)


Crème Caramel:
makes 7 4oz. (120ml) servings

Preheat oven to 325ºF (300ºF if using a convection oven.)


Caramel:
2/3 cup Sugar


Custard:
2 cups Whole Milk
1/2 cup Sugar
Pinch Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 Eggs
2 Yolks


Making The Caramel:
Set a pan over medium heat and allow to get hot. Add a small amount of the sugar and allow it to melt, then add the remaining sugar gradually, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. (It does not have to melt completely, just mostly). Cook caramel to desired color. Be careful not to get it too dark here because the caramel will continue to cook as you take it off the heat.
Divide immediately among the ramekins, pouring the caramel onto the bottom of the ramekins only. Make sure it covers the bottom of the ramekins completely.

- Note: The caramel can be stirred, occasionally, in between meltings of the sugar.


Making The Custard:
Combine the milk, half of the sugar and the salt; stir and bring to a boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, yolks and the remaining sugar. Temper* the egg mixture by pouring about 1/3 of the milk mixture into the egg mixture (whisking continuously). Add the remaining hot milk to the egg mixture and strain the mixture into a pouring cup (this will make pouring the custards into the ramkeins easier). Stir in the vanilla extract.
Pour the custard into the ramekins 3/4 full. Bake in a water bath** for about 25 minutes or until the edges of the custard are set and the center still jiggles slightly. A knife inserted in the custard should come out clean (if you insist on physically testing it).

Take custards out of water bath and let cool. Wrap individually and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before unmolding.

To unmold: run a knife around the edges and invert onto a plate.



* Tempering eggs: the slow addition of a hot liquid to the eggs to slowly bring the temperature of the two together and prevent cooking (and scrambling) the eggs.

** Water-bath: a water bath is prepared by putting the ramekins in a baking pan, and carefully pouring hot water into the pan about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Pour carefully since you do not want to splash any water in the custards. The pan is then placed in the oven.
The purpose of a water bath is to insulate the ramekins with the custard and to cook it gently (prevent it from over-heating and overcooking.) It keeps the cooking temperature below the boiling point.

Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls

I know, I know. It's been way too long. But here I am. I've just been really tied up in my thoughts and work and everything... but I'll spare you the excuses.

So, let's talk about rolls. Cinnamon Rolls. How about Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls? I have a subscription to Bon Apetit and Gourmet magazines and I have to say, I loved the Bon Apetit issue for March. Can't say the same for Gourmet for the month of March but we'll see what they have in store for April. Hmm.. anyway, I was flippin' through and came across "At The Market Yukon Gold Potatoes, one ingredient at its seasonal peak and delicious things to do with it." I turned the page to find "Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls" and immediately knew I HAD TO try this recipe!

My pics: proofing before going in the oven and then straight out of the oven (without the icing yet).







Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls:

Dough:
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 large eggs
4 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
3 1/4-ounce envelopes active dry yeast (scant 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons sugar

Filling:
1 1/3 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unbleached
all purpose flour
9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temperature

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons (or more) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt


For dough:
Combine potatoes, 2 cups water, and 1 tablespoon coarse salt in large saucepan. Boil until potatoes are very tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Mash potatoes with water in pan (do not drain water). Add butter and mash until butter is melted. Whisk in eggs, then 1 cup flour; mash until very smooth. Let potatoes stand until barely lukewarm, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour 1/2 cup warm water into large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; stir in yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add potato mixture to yeast mixture; mix on low speed until well blended, 2 minutes. Mix in 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well. Beat until sticky dough forms.

Spread 1/2 cup flour on work surface. Scrape dough out onto floured work surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 8 minutes.

Coat large bowl with butter. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make filling:
Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in medium bowl. Using fork, mix in butter.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Turn dough out onto well-floured work surface. Roll out dough to 24x16-inch rectangle. Sprinkle filling evenly over dough. Starting at 1 long side, roll up dough jelly-roll style, enclosing filling. Using large knife dipped in flour, cut roll crosswise into 12 pieces. Transfer rolls to baking sheet, spacing rolls about 3/4 inch apart. Cover baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 20 minutes (rolls will be very puffy).

Bake cinnamon rolls until golden, about 20 minutes. Cool rolls 10 minutes on baking sheet.

Meanwhile, make glaze:
Whisk powdered sugar, melted butter, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, and coarse salt in small bowl. If glaze is too thick to spread, add more milk by 1/2 teaspoonfuls as needed. Spread glaze over warm rolls.

GB Houses

I know the holidays have passed and everything, but I wanted to share this picture with you...
This was our gingerbread house display at The Westin, isn't it awesome!? :) It was in the lobby of the hotel.




By the way, Happy New Year everyone ;)

Baumkuchen

I would like to talk to you a little bit about BAUMKUCHEN.

Baumkuchen is a traditional, layered, German cake and is known as the "king of cakes." It literally means "tree cake" and this is due to the ring effect you get when you slice it. Some say it is a true test of a pastry chef's skills; it is very labor intensive, time consuming and requires close attention.

The traditional way the baumkuchen lines are achieved is by brushing a thin layer of batter onto a spit and allowing it to bake until golden, then, repeating this until all of the batter is used up or the desired number of layers is achieved. While this is probably the best way to achieve the golden "tree ring" effect, other methods exist that are easier for the home-baker.

I've looked for recipes online and found some, but lemme tell ya, they differ. Some use zest, some don't. Some use more eggs than others; some use nutmeg while others don't. I found one thing in common though--rum. harhar :) Seriously.

I found out about the existence of baumkuchen at work. The exec. Chef, Thomas, is as german as they come and he loves his baumkuchen. Personally, I love the recipe we use at work but it's a lot more complicated than the ones I've been finding online and in books. It calls for almond paste, uses spices and zest, a meringue, etc...
We bake ours using a salamander and the whole process takes about 3 hours. No joke.

As for the finish: at work we don't really do anything to it, we just bake the cake and hand it over to our friends in garde manger who use it in an appetizer. But in a sweet application, a finish of apricot jam is often used, followed by ganache.


Here is a recipe I found that is worth a try, I'll try it at home when I get a chance, but it seems like a good recipe. Don't think it's easy though, this one requires some time as well.

Baumkuchen
(adapted from Sherry Yard's "The Secret Of Baking")

Ingredients:
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
9 large eggs
1/4 c. water
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 Tbsp. dark rum
1 1/4 c. cake flour, sifted 3 times
2 Tbsp. heavy cream

Apricot Glaze:
1 c. apricot preserves
1/2 c. water

Ganache Glaze:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
4 Tbsp. apricot preserves
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. milk
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Adjust the rack to the upper part of the oven. Spray the bottom only of a 10-x-3-inch round cake pan. Line with a circle of parchment paper and spray the paper. Place the prepared pan inside empty cake pans if you have enough cake pans. This prevents the outside of the cake from browning too much.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set the butter aside to cool slightly. It should remain liquid.

Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Combine the sugar, eggs, water, nutmeg and rum in the bowl of your standing mixer or another metal bowl and place it over the simmering water, creating a double boiler, being careful that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Insert a thermometer. Whisk continuously until the temperature reaches 110 F, 2 to 3 minutes. (If you don't have a thermometer available, whisk until it feels very warm to the touch and all of the sugar has dissolved).

Remove from the heat and transfer the bowl to a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer. Whip on high speed for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the eggs are three times their original volume, are thick and pale yellow in color, and form a ribbon when drizzled from a spatula. Turn down the mixer to medium speed and whip for 2 minutes more. Mix the cream and butter together (the cream should be slightly warm so it does not cause the butter to solidify). Fold some of the egg mixture (a couple of heaping spatula-fulls) into the cream/butter, then add this to the egg mixture and fold in. Carefully scrape the batter into a large, wide bowl.

Gently fold in the flour, being careful not to deflate the foam. Do not overmix.


Pour approx. 1 cup of the batter into the prepared pan, spread out, enough to coat the pan in a thin layer. Bake for 7 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove it from the oven and pour another cup of batter and spread on top. Return the cake pan to the oven and bake for 5 minutes more, or until the top is golden brown. Repeat until all the batter has been used. Once the final layer has been baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly for a couple of minutes. Remove cake from pan.

For the apricot glaze:
Combine the apricot preserve and water in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until the jelly is liquefied. While the cake is still hot, brush the top and sides with the apricot glaze. Let cake cool completely, at least 1 hour before applying ganache glaze.
For the ganache glaze:
Chop the chocolate and place it in a medium heat-proof bowl.

Warm the apricot preserve in a small saucepan over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until melted. Whisk in the cream, milk, and corn syrup. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil.

Pour the hot cream mixture over the chopped chocolate. Tap the bowl on the counter to settle the chocolate into the cream, then let it sit for 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir in a circular motion, starting from the center of the bowl and working out to the sides. Be careful not to add too much air to the ganache. Stir until all the chocolate is melted.

When all the chocolate has melted, test the temperature of the ganache, it shouldn't be hot or cold, it should be body temperature, maybe slightly warmer.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and place a cooling rack on top. Position the cake on the cooling rack. The ganache will flow over the cake, through the cooling rack, and onto the baking sheet.

Pour the warm ganache onto the top of the cake, directly in the center, working outward. Give the rack a couple of gentle taps on the counter to send any remaining ganache over the edge. Let the cake sit for 5 minutes at room temperature to set before serving.

Books and stuff

There's a book I want and I want it now. Actually there are a lot of books I want, and want now; but I've been thinking about this one recently. It's "chocolates and confections" by the CIA.





I flipped through it at B&N a while back and it seemed like a great book; a couple of days ago, Justin (from work) made truffles, using a recipe from the book, and that's how I got reminded of it. Theory and technique explanations, along with many awesome recipes, are found in the book... and I love theory and explanations. I want it I want it I want it!


In the meantime, things at work have slowed down now that we're past the holidays, and I kind of like it that way. I'm not a big fan of running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Nope.

Kazandibi

Ok, so I am disappointed to say that I tried the Turkish Chewy Ice Cream from the book I mentioned in the previous post and, well, it was far from being palatable. There were a couple of things wrong with it: the flavor of the mastic was wayyy too strong and overpowering and the consistency was like thick, gummy soup and did not set in the freezer. I think the latter might have been due to the sugar content; if the sugar content is too high, it interferes with the freezing; it will stay soft, or in this case, loose and like a thick runny paste.
I just left it at that (for now) and decided to experiment with something else on my own.

It's one of my favorite turkish desserts (actually all of the turkish desserts are my favorite but anyway); I don't know if it's the **texture**--thick, smooth and creamy on the tongue, or the comforting milky flavor, or that touch of caramel flavor that you get in every bite... I think it's all of these together that make it, well, one of my favorites.




It is called Kazan Dibi. I believe it means "bottom of kazan" Kazan being a sort of cast iron pan. I still need to confirm that though. It is a milk pudding that is cooked on the stovetop--thickened with a starch--and then baked in a pan to caramelize the bottom (sometimes this is done over the stove-top as well). I guess you can say it's the eastern meditteranean version of creme brulee. It is originally Turkish but has also passed into greek cuisine as well.

I did some research online, came up with some conclusions and put together a recipe. I'm pleased to say it came out very well. The texture was exactly what I was looking for, the flavor was pretty good too. I love it when things turn out well on the first try. I will probably make it again though and play around with it. I encourage you to do so as well.


**the texture reminds me somewhat of the best malabi (will probably be another post) I had... at a restaurant in Tiberias, Israel. And it is because of the mouthfeel that I cannot forget it.**


This kazandibi isn't a basic traditional recipe; I added a couple of things to it, like the mastic and the coconut. I feel like the mastic adds another dimension of flavor, and the coconut perhaps adds a tiny bit of flavor but mostly texture. Feel free to omit any of these, I don't promise the same results though (especially in flavor, texture will be fine).



Kazandibi

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk (2%)*
3/4 cup sugar
3-4 tbsp water
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp rice flour
A tiny piece of mastic**
1/4 cup coconut (finely shredded, desiccated)

powdered sugar, butter (for pan)



Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Grease a 11x8 inch baking pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
(I used a 10x7 and had a little left over so I poured it into a couple of ramekins to sample but 11x8 should be fine with no leftovers).

Heat the cream, milk, sugar and mastic in a pot until it comes to a boil, stirring frequently.

In the meantime, dissolve the cornstarch and rice flour in a little bit of water (3-4 tbsp is just a guideline, add more as needed), whisk with a fork until it resembles a loose, runny paste (no lumps! to prevent lumps add water gradually).

When the milk mixture comes to a boil, whisk in the starch mixture. Let simmer until thick (stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula)*** about 10-15 minutes (you will see it reduce slightly, by about a 1/4).

Pour into pan and bake about 15 minutes.
(This should be adequate time for it to form a caramelized bottom. If you find that it doesn't, increase your baking time or temperature slightly next time. It will be delicious regardless).

Take out of the oven and let cool to room temperature. Then cover and chill in fridge overnight (it actually tastes better as it sits, so please do so). When ready to serve, cut a piece and serve upside down so that the browned bottom shows, or cut a long strip and roll up (with brown on the outside). Sprinkle with some cinnamon and serve.

Enjoy!


*I used 1:1 ratio of 2% milk to cream because it was what I had on hand so I formulated my recipe accordingly. You could also use 4 cups of whole milk, but there has to be some fat in your mixture, otherwise it will lose it's creaminess.

**Please use a VERY tiny piece. Mastic can be very strong, and if you don't have the acquired taste, you might not enjoy it. If it is very small, you'll taste something there but it won't be too strong or overpowering.

***Do not use a whisk at this stage because the bottom of the pot will also start to brown and caramelize and you don't want to scrape it up and get it in the mixture. Stir gently, with a spoon or spatula.


Sorry I don't have a pic, I'll post one soon!

Mastic... Salep... mmm the Mediterranean.

Heyoyo...

So a lot's been going on (lots of drama too, which I won't get into, not here); I left my job, got a new one (better one), but my start date has been delayed because of the "economy". So I'm just sitting around for a couple of weeks, cleaning up our apt, doing some baking, doing a lot of reading...

Anyway, I was at B&N earlier today and in the cookbook/food section (of course) and came across a new book called "Turquoise- A Chef's Travels in Turkey" The cover is beautiful and seeing "Chef" and "Turkey" in the same title, I grabbed it off the shelf immediately and took it down to the cafe section to flip through it.

*Note: I love turkish food. I love middle-eastern food in general; maybe it's because our cooking at home is influenced by middle-eastern cuisine, maybe because it's just so darn good, and sort of exotic!

I really, really like this book, and am planning on getting it--these hardcovers are just so darn pricey. It's a great book, not only recipes but stories too, about Turkey and the places the Chef and his wife--Greg and Lucy Maalouf--traveled.
**They are also the authors of "Saha" and "Arabesque- Modern Middle-Eastern Food" both great books. I think they have a couple more, don't remember the titles...

So of course I went straight to the dessert/sweets section and boy oh boy I can't wait to try a couple of the recipes there: Turkish Chewy Ice-Cream and Pistachio-Halva Ice-Cream.
Turkish Chewy has mastic and sahlab and I am extremely intrigued and can't wait to make it!

Mastic is an aromatic resin of the Mastic tree: a small tree of the pistachio family. The tree is native throughout the Mediterranean and even the middle east (Turkey, Syria, Israel/Palastine). However, only the trees in the southern part of the island of Chios (Greece) produce the distinctively flavored resin. Thus it is also known by the name "Chios Tears." It starts out as a liquid but then is dried (by the sun) into drops of hard, translucent resin. When chewed, it becomes soft and a bright white gum.
It's used both for flavoring and for its gum properties.
A picture of the mastic tree and mastic "crystals."





Sahlab is the root of a species of orchid that grows throughout the Mediterranean. The name sahlab/salep comes from the Arabic expression hasyu al-tha'lab, which means "fox testicles." It's a description of the appearance of the orchid's roots. If you also look at the Greek word 'orchis, it means both testicle and orchid. The comparison to testicles also comes from the fact that salep/sahlab is considered an aphrodisiac. ;) Orchis mascula is the species most commonly associated with salep/sahlab. Here is a pic of Orchis Mascula.




Soooo... as soon as I make one, or both of these ice-creams, I'll be sure to give an update. I'm sure I'll like them.

So this is a cake I made for someone who ordered it :P I made another one that said " 'Cash Rules Everyting Around Me!' Happy Birthday ____" (I forget the name). I thought that was funny. Tomorrow I have to make a 4" one (tiny!); it's a birthday cake as well.



And then that's me with... APPLES! Every couple of days I have to peel, chop and cook apples, then strain them and cool them, thicken the sauce and mix everything together, portion them out and stick 'em in the walk in. Each time I have to do about 80 apples, give or take... and it's one of my least favorite tasks! It's just so time-consuming, and I'm by myself and I have a million other things to take care of, so... :-/ I have apples coming out of my...

Red Velvet... continued...

So...

Pomegranate juice, reduced, didn't work. I got the basic recipe off the internet (after some researching I realized that most recipes were the same, they went something like this):

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (some use cake)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. to 2 tbsp. cocoa powder (some like more, some less i guess)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (some use butter instead)
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ounces red food coloring. Red #40

What I did was reduce some pomegranate juice until it was slightly thick and concentrated and substituted that for the coloring. I had several issues with this cake.

First and foremost, the color. I think I knew off the bat that it just wouldn't do. While I was reducing the juice, I noticed that pomegranate juice isn't such a bright red (at least not the kind I got... I'm not talking about POM, which, who knows, might work better). It had a brownish tinge to it. But I proceeded regardless. The cake was nowhere near the shade of red. It was a tan-brown color and the texture... the texture was awful. It was slightly gummy and crumbly. It went straight in the garbage. I don't know if it was the recipe I used, or the addition of the pomegranate juice (which is slightly acidic) or maybe a combination of the two... but it was a disaster.

But that's alright. I'll keep trying. After all, it was only my first attempt/test.



Anyway, here's a little bit of info on Artificial red food coloring:


There's 2 different shades of red approved by the FDA: E129 (red shade) and E127 (pink shade).

Allura Red AC (E129) is a deep dark red and was introduced in the U.S. as a replacement for Amaranth, which was banned in 1976 for being a potential carcinogen.
Red AC is derived from coal tar and the red coloring in it is derived from the FEMALE (haha) Dactylopius coccus, a South and Central American beetle.

Here are a couple of pics of this beetle. The second one with the little red bubble/ball... that's a drop of blood.






Health Affects
Increased levels of hyperactivity, A.D.D. and lower IQ in children.
As to whether or not it is carcinogenic, studies are inconclusive (in my book, that means better to avoid it).
If you have an aspirin intolerance or an allergy it may cause a skin rash and nausea. In some people, even those without an allergy, it can cause difficulty breathing and even shock.

Allura Red is banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Austria. In the U.S. it is approved for use in cosmetics, drugs and food.




So there you go, that's it for now... I'll keep experimenting, you keep posted. :)

Red-Velvet

Ever since he wanted to add the red-velvet cupcake to the trio, I've been thinking a lot about red-velvet cake. Here are my thoughts:

I'm usually not picky and I do not have certain ingredients or products that I "don't like"; however, I would like to say that I DO NOT LIKE red-velvet cake. Don't like it at all. See, there aren't any ingredients I don't like... as long as we're talking about natural ingredients.

I don't see what the big deal is with red-velvet cake; and I'm saying this because a lot of people love it! In fact, most people I know/meet love it. I don't see what the big deal is, because flavor-wise, there is nothing special about this cake. It's just regular plain cake, with maybe a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder (maybe a touch of flavor there) and TONS of artificial red food coloring. You might as well call it "artifical red food coloring cake".
The conclusion, therefore, is that when it comes to this cake, it must just be the color that attracts people.

Don't get me wrong, when I say I don't like red-velvet cake, it's not because I don't like the idea-- a luscious looking, deep-red colored, gorgeous cake. It's very attractive, and kind of sexy. I guess if you don't mind the idea of artificial ingredients (and lots of it), then you wouldn't really care and you would be one of those people who love this cake. If you're like me, and tend to shy away from artificial ingredients, you'll shy away from red-velvet cake as well.

I've been brainstorming about ways to make this cake all natural. The only thing I can think of right now, is, adding a concentrated juice or syrup to the batter (such as strawberry, or pomegranate even), just a little bit to give it color without affecting the flavor too much. There probably will be another "hint" of flavor because of this addition, but not enough to make it a strawberry cake or pomegranate cake; the main purpose will be color. I've heard that beets are also used to make this cake all-natural, so that could be tested as well.

When I brought up the idea of adding a concentrated syrup/juice today, he said "no, you won't get the same color, you can't do it that way". Well... my mission now, is to prove him wrong. Or, at least try.

So, it's going to take me a while, because I'm busy with work and everything, but I want to start experimenting with this whole all-natural-red-velvet-cake thing. I'll post pictures as soon as I have 'em.

Shortcake!

So I just got a text message from the executive pastry chef that they want 4 individual strawberry shortcakes for a guest tomorrow, for Ciao (that's the italian restaurant I also prepare desserts for even though I'm technically hired with 3 West).

I hate last minute surprise requests like that, but then again it's kind of exciting too and gets the adrenaline running. The only issue is: there was some left-over shortbread dough in the fridge (from a dessert that we removed from the menu) and since we were tossing everything out (related to that former dessert), I tossed that out as well. Oopsie. Hope Derek (E.P.C.) doesn't notice. I'll just make some from scratch tomorrow.

Oh and right now our special is a cupcake trio... but I'm thinking I want to do a pineapple upside down cake next (with a ginger cake maybe) and we have coconut sorbet so I can serve it with that. Mmmm pineapple upside down cake.



The pic is of the mini-cupcakes I made for the "cupcake trio", which is our special for the week. Aren't they cute!!?
They are: German Chocolate, Red-Velvet with Cream Cheese Icing, Apple-Cinnamon with Maple Buttercream.

Hello Everyone!

So...

Since between spending time with Dave, working, sleeping and eating, I have nothing to do, I figured I should start a new "blog" and record my thoughts and experiments with everything pastry-related!

Enjoy!