Tag Archive for 'flour'

Apple and Pear Galette

Published by Hal on February 24, 2008 in recipes. 0 Comments

galetteI used to love watching “Martha Stewart Cooking,” when it was on Food Network. As much as some people really don’t like her, I think that she knows her stuff–and she’s kind of matronly, in some strange way. One of things I remember very well from her show was a special on a fall-fruit galette. I don’t remember the exact recipe, but it doesn’t matter as the concept is pretty simple:

A galette is a simple, rustic pastry. The concept is really basic–make a pie, but don’t put in a pie pan. The result is a tasty treat, similar to a pie, but perhaps less hassle. Presentation-wise, it’s spectacular since you can let the fruit really stand out. Here’s how I made this one:

Ingredients

  • One 9-inch pre-made pie crust (the kind that is sold in a roll, not in a pie-pan)
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
  • 2 Bosc pears, peeled and cored
  • 3 tablespoons of sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon allspice

Procedure

Cut the apples and pears into quarters, then into slices. In a large bowl, mix together the apples, pears, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. Set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degree. Roll out the pie crust onto a large cookie sheet. Pile the apples and pears into the center and fold up the sides of the tart. If it looks a little rough, that’s okay–this is a rustic pastry.

Bake the tart for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and flaky. Serve alone or with ice cream or creme fraiche.

Make sure that you use a Granny Smith apple, or some other tart baking apple. These apples have a higher pectin content, meaning that they won’t brown as quickly when cut and the juice that cooks out will gel up better than with other types of apples.

Spumoni Cookies

Published by Hal on February 13, 2008 in Just Baking and recipes. 1 Comment

10spumoniI never made a big deal out of Valentine’s Day, and, really, I still don’t. My wife is just the same way. To us, it’s just a made up holiday, heavily marketed by Hallmark to make people feel guilty for being single. That doesn’t mean I don’t try to do something special for my wife; in fact, for our first Valentine’s Day, I made her a delicious dish of aromatic pistachio rice with apricot marinated chicken pieces. Usually, we’d rather opt for “just-us” time, over a candle-lit dinner in our own home.

So, this year should be no different, at least in terms of making something special. I’ve just really started getting into baking, and I’m learning more and more each recipe I try. In this formative phase, I usually just stick to a recipe as written. But, with a basic recipe as a foundation, it’s easy to come up with something unique and delicious. Inspired by the Valentine’s Day holiday, I came up with this delicious, pink cookie, reminiscent of Neapolitan’s cousin. Continue reading ‘Spumoni Cookies’

Recipes: Focaccia

Published by Hal on January 22, 2008 in recipes. 3 Comments

I apologize for not posting much over the last several days–we had a wedding back home, so I spent the weekend traveling. Then, we went over to a friend’s house for dinner last night and didn’t get home until late.

However, it was the weekend of great food! The wedding was held at the Krohn Conservatory, overlooking downtown Cincinnati. The couple had the reception catered by Jeff Thomas Catering, who came up with an ingenious way to design a menu. The bulk of the party was in three rooms at the Krohn: the southwest room, the bonsai room, and the floral display house. In these three rooms was a tacos/fajitas bar, a Southeast Asian bar, and a pasta bar, respectively. Everything was amazing, especially the Southeast Asian bar. The chicken curry was delightful!

Then, last night, we went to our friend, Sonia’s, house (hi, Sonia!), where she treated us to an assortment of yummy food. First, she doctored up some canned cream of mushroom soup with chickpeas and rice (a good tip, if you’re in a rush). Then, we had some chicken in aromatic rice, biryani, lentils, and flatbread. Finally, she ended with a perfectly cooked, deliciously lemony cheesecake. What a nice!

Anyway, I’ve been getting into baking lately, at the suggestion of my friend, Charli (hi, Charli!). Last week, I found a delicious recipe for focaccia, here, and it’s been a hit the three times I’ve made it. Of course, I took my own spin (on the directions at least). So, without further ado:

Focaccia

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon white sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup mozzarella

Directions:

  1. Proof the yeast with the water and the sugar.
  2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Use a whisk to distribute the herbs throughout.
  3. After the yeast has proofed (you can tell because the head will have more than doubled), stir the yeast/water mixture and the vegetable oil into the dry ingredients.
  4. Using the dough hook on your mixer, or just a wooden spoon, stir the ingredients until they come together into a ball.
    • If you’re doing this by hand, you can also just use your hands once you’ve got all the ingredients combined.
  5. Knead the dough about 20 times and form into a ball.
  6. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise for 20-30 minutes. (Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450 degrees)
  7. After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a greased baking sheet. Then, flatten it to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
    • You can make a rectangle, but the dough seems to want to be round. I just use a solid bottom pizza pan and make a round loaf.
    • I would not use one of those baking sheets that has two layers of metal with air between. You’ve seen them–they keep the bottom of cookies from browning too much. Problem is, they keep the bottom from browning, and you want a nice crust!
  8. Brush with the olive oil, then sprinkle the cheeses over the top.
    • The ingredients say mozzarella and parmesan, and you can use that, however it, would be like a pizza without cheese. The first time I made this, I used shredded (not grated) parmesan and romano cheese. My wife thinks this was much better.
    • Experiment with the toppings–I’ve been thinking of caramelized onion slices and sun-dried tomatoes.
  9. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown. Serve warm.

Recipes: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Published by Hal on January 15, 2008 in leftovers and recipes. 0 Comments

Can you see just how versatile are the Chicken Tacos we made Saturday? This is pretty amazing, that we’re on our second dish! My wife loved this, and insisted that I post this recipe. It’s really simple, really tasty, and is a creative use for some left overs.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) of vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup, plus, of your chicken taco filling
  • 1/2 cup, plus, of your pico de gallo
  • 1 small can of diced green chilies
  • A few handfuls of tortilla chips, some crushed, some whole
  • Chopped cilantro to garnish

Procedure:

Place a two quart sauce pan over medium heat. Into the pan, melt the butter, then add the flour. Stir continuously for about 2 minutes. (Remember, this is the basic recipe for a roux) After you’ve cooked the roux, whisk the vegetable stock into the roux and bring to a boil. Once the liquid has come to a boil, add the chicken, pico, and chilies. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the remaining ingredients have heated through. Ladle into bowls, then top with the chips and cilantro. You can also serve with shredded cheese and/or sour cream. Serves 4.

Recipes: Sweet Petals Coffee Cake

Published by Hal on December 29, 2007 in Hal's Hint and recipes. 0 Comments

This recipe has been a favorite in my family for years and years. I think the source is an old Better Homes and Gardens or Woman’s Day magazine from around 1970. I’m going to another holiday party this evening and made this treat this morning. It takes nearly 3 hours from start to finish, but most of that time is rising and baking. Before everyone gets nervous about cooking with yeast, it’s not as hard as it sounds! The little buggers (quite literally) are hardy, so unless you make your yeast-bath really hot and kill them, you’ll be just fine.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • 3 tablespoons shortening
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3/4 cup scalded milk
  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3-4cups chopped nuts (I have used peanuts, walnuts, and pecans–any nut will probably taste fine)

Directions:

  1. Combine the water, shortening, salt, sugar, and scalded milk.
    Hal’s Hint: to scald milk, bring it just to a boil and remove it from the heat immediately.
  2. Allow the liquid mixture to cool to lukewarm.
    Hal’s Hint: to test the temperature, dip your finger into the liquid or flick some onto your wrist. If you can’t really feel the temperature or it feels slightly warm, it’s good to go.
  3. Stir the yeast into the mixture and let it sit for 10 minutes.
  4. Measure 2 1/2 cups of flour into a mixing bowl and pour the yeast mixture into the flour.
  5. Stir until the dough forms a ball.
    Hal’s Hint: the dough may be sticky at first–add more flour, about 3 tablespoons at a time, until the dough comes together into a ball. It’s much easier to add flour than it is to take it away
  6. Knead the dough about 20 times and cover.
  7. Allow the dough to rise for 60 minutes in a warm place (I put the dough in the microwave–not on, of course!).
  8. In the last 10 minutes of the first rise, melt the butter and combine the sugars, cinnamon, and nuts in a separate bowl.
  9. Tear pieces off the dough and roll them into strips about 1/2 inch in diameter and about 6 inches long.
  10. Dip the strips in the melted butter and roll them in the sugar/nut mixture.
  11. Coil the strips on a pan, making a round cake.
  12. Sprinkle some of the remaining sugar/nut mixture over the cake and place back into the warm place.
  13. Allow the cake to rise again for another 60 minutes.
  14. 15 minutes before the cake has finished rising, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  15. Bake the cake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
  16. Allow the cake to rest for 10 minutes. Ice with a mixture of 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1-2 teaspoons of milk, if desired.

My recipe notes that the dough making process can be shortened by using frozen sweet rolls. I’ve never done this, and don’t think it will cut out much of the time. Personally, I love the smell of yeast and rising bread, so I couldn’t imagine not making this totally from scratch.

I’m sure when you make this for your next family gathering, it will be a smash hit! It takes some time, but the end result is truly worth it. And, it’s an easy recipe that anyone can make, even the first time cook.

More pictures:

Recipes: Banana Bread

Published by Hal on December 23, 2007 in recipes. 2 Comments

My mother-in-law makes the best banana bread! Since we’re here for the Holidays, she’s making some for our Christmas feast. Below is the recipe and some pictures:

Ingredients

  • 8 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1/2 pound butter, softened (2 sticks)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons hot water

Directions

  1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease and flour three loaf pans.
  3. Mix the mashed bananas and nuts and set aside.
  4. Cream the sugar and butter together in a separate bowl.
  5. Add the eggs, one at a time, to incorporate.
  6. Add the vanilla and mix.
  7. Add the flour, one cup at a time, and stir just to incorporate. Do not over mix.
  8. Combine the dough and the banana mixture.
  9. In another cup, mix the baking soda and the water together.
  10. Pour the baking soda mixture into the batter and stir to combine.
  11. Divide the mixture into three loaf pans and place into the preheated oven.
  12. Bake for about one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Recipe: Persimmon Pudding

Published by Hal on December 21, 2007 in recipes. 3 Comments

The Well Fed network has recently posted an entry about persimmons and gives a recipe for persimmon salsa. I thought, in the spirit of the Holiday season, I’d go a little different and post about a sweet variation on the persimmon theme. Here is a recipe for persimmon pudding, which is very much like a smooth bread pudding. The taste is somewhere around pumpkin pie, but the taste of the persimmon is more prominent than the pumpkin in a pie.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 cups persimmon pulp
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 stick of butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in two separate bowls.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, just incorporating them. Don’t overmix, or you’ll likely create gluten which will ruin the silky texture of the pudding.
  4. Add the mixture to a 13 by 9 baking pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until the mixture has a little wiggle, but spring back into place (like a custard).
  5. Allow to cool, and serve with whipped cream or this simple sauce:

Persimmon Pudding Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • dash of salt

Directions:

  1. Combine the ingredients in a medium saucepan.
  2. Bring just to a boil, then lower the head to medium-low.
  3. Cook until the sauce has thickened.
  4. Allow to cool slightly, then pour the sauce over the persimmon pudding.
  5. Allow the sauce to set, and serve (with whipped cream, even!)

I hope you enjoy! Happy Friday!

Christmas Cookies

Published by Hal on December 19, 2007 in observations of food and recipes. 9 Comments

Erika, over a Kid Cuisine (part of the Well Fed Network–see the links section) just posted a recipe for Peanut Butter cookies which got me to thinking about my favorite Christmas cookies. I love sweets in the winter–there’s something particularly special about going to a friend’s or family member’s house and seeing the lavish spread of delicious sweets they’ve prepared (or had prepared) for you.

Apparently this is the norm in Scandinavian countries–my former boss told us a story yesterday about how her Norwegian mother-in-law would spend hours in the kitchen over the holidays. She’d spend this time preparing delectable goodies for those people who would frequent her home, and the spread would consist of several types of cookies and candy. Most contemporary folks now just stop by the bakery, because, as you can imagine, this is a time consuming process!

In the spirit of the holidays, I’m going to present to you a basic cookie dough recipe you can use for any kind of moderate sized, flat cookie. It’s basically a chocolate chip cookie dough, without the chips, and is easily customized.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound of butter or shortening, softened
  • 3/4 cup of granulated, white sugar
  • 3/4 cup of brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 to 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
  • Up to 10 oz of your choice of fillings

Directions:

  1. Cream the butter/shortening and sugars in a large bowl.
  2. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to combine
  3. Combine the dry ingredients separately, then add them slowly to the creamed butter/sugar mixture.
    • Stir to combine, but don’t over work the dough.
    • If you add less flour, your dough will be looser, meaning your cookies will spread out in the over. If you want firmer dough (and cookies with less diameter), add more flour.
  4. Stir in your mix-ins.
  5. Set the dough aside, in the refrigerator, to chill for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425.
  6. Take the dough out of the fridge and scoop it on to a baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between the cookies.
  7. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are just beginning to turn golden.
  8. Cool on racks for about 20 minutes, and they are ready to eat. Cool longer if you plan on packaging them, to eliminate condensation.

This is a really simple recipe, and you probably won’t break the bank to make these. I would advise using only shortening or butter, though–margarine just don’t taste the same. Same with vanilla–use only the real stuff. A little really does go a long way.

Some variations: double chocolate chip (add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder with the flour and chunked semi-sweet chocolate); Nutella chip (replace 1/4 cup of fat with 1/2 cup of Nutella spread and chunked simi-sweet chocolate; chopped hazelnuts optional).

What is your favorite holiday cookie recipe?