These are an old childhood Christmas favorite, originally from one of my mom's relatives. They are ooey-gooey and delicious, especially if you like coconut! Essentially this is a bar cookie, which seems more like a midwest or southern kind of thing. Here in the northwest, you don't see bar cookies very much, unless you count brownies as "bar cookie" (which I don't).
These are great on a holiday plate for parties or giving as gifts.
Preheat oven to 325 F with 9x 13 " pyrex (oven safe) pan and 1/2 C butter. Once melted, pull out pans and add in layers in this order:
1 C graham cracker crumbs (easiest way to crumble is to use rolling pin while crackers are in a ziplock bag)
1 C coconut
1 C + chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
optional- 1 C ground nuts
Now bake this in the 325 F oven for 25 minutes. When cooled, cut into squares and serve.
You can freeze the bars in a container between sheets of waxed paper.
12.22.2009
Pastry Cream
I have recently become intrigued with different flavors of pastry cream. It is a very useful canvass for desserts. Once you make the base pastry cream, you can really add all sorts of things.
Possible desserts using pastry cream:
This goes fast, so be prepared to watch and stir this from start to end, no checking email while this is on the stove!
Warm over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally:
2 C half & half
6 TB sugar
pinch of salt
While that is warming, whisk 5 egg yolks in medium bowl until combined. Add 2TB sugar and whisk until sugar is dissolving, mixture will be creamy. Now whisk in 3 TB cornstarch, whisk until combined and thick.
When half and half is simmering, gradually whisk some half and half into the egg bowl and stir to temper the eggs (brings the temp of eggs up slowly, instead of cooking the eggs). Then pour from the egg bowl back into the cream pan on the stove. Return to a simmer over medium heat, whisk constantly for about 30 seconds. When the cream is glossy and thickened, remove from heat.
Whisk in:
4 TB cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1.5 tea vanilla
Strain the pastry cream. Cover with plastic wrap and either refrigerate until cold or stick in the freezer to speed up the process- just don't let it freeze.
Possible desserts using pastry cream:
- pipe into dessert cups or wine glasses with whipped cream, or between layers of flavored gelatin
- pipe into choux pastry (like eclairs, cream puffs etc.)
- use as filling for cake or cupcakes, or between layers of petit fours
- as filling for roll cake
- as dollops on top of other desserts, like pie
- crushed berries
- pumpkin or sweet squash puree (like kabocha or butternut squash), with ground spices (cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg)
- maple syrup
- peanut butter, almond butter (?) probably use in small quantities. You could try tahini, but I'm not sure how that would taste.
- cocoa powder
- extracts (coconut, vanilla etc.)
- grated coconut, coconut milk and coconut extract- grated coconut will affect the texture of the pastry cream, but in the right setting this would be good
- matcha powder (high quality Japanese green tea powder- bright green)
- citrus (lemon, orange or lime) zest with honey
- ginger- either ground ginger, or finely grated fresh ginger (I like the microplane graters for this kind of work)
- liquers like baileys irish cream, kahlua, grand marnier, brandy etc. (?) Not sure if this will work yet, sometimes alcohol will curdle milk products, so this is an experimental idea
- juice concentrate (cranberry, pomegranite etc.) (?) also an experimental idea, need to check the acidity of the juice with milk products to avoid curdling the cream.
- sweetened condensed milk- another experimental idea, perhaps reduce the amount of cream in the original recipe and replace with sweetened condensed milk (?)
- chai tea spices (see chai tea recipe)
- any sort of tea leaf- earl grey, sencha/green tea, black tea, or Japanese specialty teas like Houjicha, Genmaicha etc. This makes a "milk tea" kind of concept like my milk tea cupcakes, or earl grey puddings.
- melted bittersweet chocolate
This goes fast, so be prepared to watch and stir this from start to end, no checking email while this is on the stove!
Warm over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally:
2 C half & half
6 TB sugar
pinch of salt
While that is warming, whisk 5 egg yolks in medium bowl until combined. Add 2TB sugar and whisk until sugar is dissolving, mixture will be creamy. Now whisk in 3 TB cornstarch, whisk until combined and thick.
When half and half is simmering, gradually whisk some half and half into the egg bowl and stir to temper the eggs (brings the temp of eggs up slowly, instead of cooking the eggs). Then pour from the egg bowl back into the cream pan on the stove. Return to a simmer over medium heat, whisk constantly for about 30 seconds. When the cream is glossy and thickened, remove from heat.
Whisk in:
4 TB cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1.5 tea vanilla
Strain the pastry cream. Cover with plastic wrap and either refrigerate until cold or stick in the freezer to speed up the process- just don't let it freeze.
12.13.2009
What you can do with left over cooked potato
Had some ideas for what to do with leftover cooked potatoes:
Aloo Parathas: potato and spice stuffed paratha
potato popovers
Potato bread
Potato salad
Fry up with spices in a skillet
Aloo Parathas: potato and spice stuffed paratha
potato popovers
Potato bread
Potato salad
Fry up with spices in a skillet
Popover
From the directions that came with my popover pan (or follow recipe on pg 631-632 in Joy Of Cooking 1975 edition).Preheat over to 400 F.
Blend popover batter:
1.25 C flour (I use a blend of all purpose and whole wheat pastry flours, roughly half and half)
1/4 tea salt
3 eggs
1.25 C milk
1 TB butter, melted
Preheat popover pan in over for 2 minutes.
Use 2TB of butter pats to put in hot popover pan, then add popover batter. You could alternatively grease the pan .
Fill popover cups half-full with batter, bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. Then reduce oven temp to 300 F and bake another 20 minutes.
12.04.2009
紅茶プリン Earl Grey Pudding
I didn't know I liked pudding/custard/flan until I traveled to Japan. This is about the only Mexican food readily available in Japan, and it is called "purin" (sorta sounds like pudding).
At a wonderful Japanese restaurant, I discovered Earl Grey Purin and fell in love. Silky milky texture, with a strong earl grey tea flavor. The restaurant floated a teaspoon of milk/cream on top, which was a really nice way to showcase the dessert, and hide any ugly skins that had formed.
I found a base recipe here, and didn't change much. You could really use any kind of tea, or even an infusion of spices (why not a chai tea pudding?).
Simmer over low for 5-10 minutes, until the milk turns the color of the tea:
1 C 2% milk 1 C half & half 3 TB loose tea leaves, earl grey and black tea or use other teas, you can cut open tea bags if need be
Dissolve 5.5 TB of sugar into the milk, stir.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 F. Set up 4 ramekins or oven proof containers into a large pan for the water bath. Set aside.
Crack open eggs and blend with hand mixer until homogenous in texture, but not very bubbly:
4 egg yolks* (use the 4 leftover whites for merengue, pavlova, quiche, omlettes etc.)
2 full eggs
*You could probably get away with only using 3 egg yolks, I'll try that next time.
Take the milk mixture off heat. Strain through fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. You may need to re-strain in order to remove more of the tea grits, or use a coffee filter in addition to the strainer.
Whisk a little bit of the milk into the eggs, mix to temper. Then pour the eggs into the rest of the milk and stir.
Pour pudding into ramekins. Carefully fill the pan with a little bit of water and put the pan in the preheated 325 oven. Once in the oven, pour a little more water into the outside container, up to around where the pudding sits inside the ramekins, close up oven. Let bake 40 - 45 minutes until pudding is set.
Cool and store pudding in fridge 1 hour or more. Serve with a teaspoon of cream on top!
At a wonderful Japanese restaurant, I discovered Earl Grey Purin and fell in love. Silky milky texture, with a strong earl grey tea flavor. The restaurant floated a teaspoon of milk/cream on top, which was a really nice way to showcase the dessert, and hide any ugly skins that had formed.
I found a base recipe here, and didn't change much. You could really use any kind of tea, or even an infusion of spices (why not a chai tea pudding?).
Simmer over low for 5-10 minutes, until the milk turns the color of the tea:
1 C 2% milk 1 C half & half 3 TB loose tea leaves, earl grey and black tea or use other teas, you can cut open tea bags if need be
Dissolve 5.5 TB of sugar into the milk, stir.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 F. Set up 4 ramekins or oven proof containers into a large pan for the water bath. Set aside.
Crack open eggs and blend with hand mixer until homogenous in texture, but not very bubbly:
4 egg yolks* (use the 4 leftover whites for merengue, pavlova, quiche, omlettes etc.)
2 full eggs
*You could probably get away with only using 3 egg yolks, I'll try that next time.
Take the milk mixture off heat. Strain through fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. You may need to re-strain in order to remove more of the tea grits, or use a coffee filter in addition to the strainer.
Whisk a little bit of the milk into the eggs, mix to temper. Then pour the eggs into the rest of the milk and stir.
Pour pudding into ramekins. Carefully fill the pan with a little bit of water and put the pan in the preheated 325 oven. Once in the oven, pour a little more water into the outside container, up to around where the pudding sits inside the ramekins, close up oven. Let bake 40 - 45 minutes until pudding is set.
Cool and store pudding in fridge 1 hour or more. Serve with a teaspoon of cream on top!
11.29.2009
Steamed Kabocha Cake Roll かぼちゃのむしがし
I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it looks delicious! I have kabocha sitting on the counter, this may be one of the ways he meets his fate!
Cut 1 kabocha squash into quarters, scoop out and discard (or plant) seeds. Cut kabocha into chunks. Measure out 12 oz or 350g of raw kabocha to use in this recipe, and save the rest for another recipe.
Steam kabocha chunks in a covered steamer for 15 minutes over medium heat, or until a chopstick or fork can be pushed into the squash easily.
Remove steamed kabocha from heat, cover and rest for 5 minutes.
Peel skin from kabocha. Mash the flesh and push through a seize/mesh strainer, or food process.
In a mixing bowl, combine:
Mashed kabocha
2 TB all purpose flour
1 TB cornstarch
2 tea sugar
1/4 tea salt
1/4 tea ground cinnamon
1.5 TB water
2 egg yolks, beaten
Set up a piece of wet muslin or a clean dishtowel on a maki sushi mat (the bamboo mat for rolling up sushi, called "makisu").
Spread kabocha cake mixture over the muslin and the mat, now roll up and tie up or fold over the muslin ends.
Steam the whole contraption in the steamer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and let set 5 minutes.
Open sushi mat when the cake is cooled. Cut into 1 inch thick slices and serve cold with sliced fruit (pears or persimmons).
Cut 1 kabocha squash into quarters, scoop out and discard (or plant) seeds. Cut kabocha into chunks. Measure out 12 oz or 350g of raw kabocha to use in this recipe, and save the rest for another recipe.
Steam kabocha chunks in a covered steamer for 15 minutes over medium heat, or until a chopstick or fork can be pushed into the squash easily.
Remove steamed kabocha from heat, cover and rest for 5 minutes.
Peel skin from kabocha. Mash the flesh and push through a seize/mesh strainer, or food process.
In a mixing bowl, combine:
Mashed kabocha
2 TB all purpose flour
1 TB cornstarch
2 tea sugar
1/4 tea salt
1/4 tea ground cinnamon
1.5 TB water
2 egg yolks, beaten
Set up a piece of wet muslin or a clean dishtowel on a maki sushi mat (the bamboo mat for rolling up sushi, called "makisu").
Spread kabocha cake mixture over the muslin and the mat, now roll up and tie up or fold over the muslin ends.
Steam the whole contraption in the steamer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and let set 5 minutes.
Open sushi mat when the cake is cooled. Cut into 1 inch thick slices and serve cold with sliced fruit (pears or persimmons).
11.25.2009
Thanksgiving Part 3: Roasted Butternut Squash with Herb Butter Sauce
Roasting Butternut Squash
1. Preheat oven to 400 F and wash the squash. In order to cut the squash, you may need to poke it with a fork and microwave it for 30-40 seconds, just to soften the outside a bit.
2. Slice raw squash into quarters or serving sizes
3. Place squash pieces on a cooking pan. Drizzle cut edges with a little olive oil to prevent burning. You can sprinkle some cracked black pepper on the squash if you'd like.
4. Roast squash pieces in 400 F oven for ___ minutes or until soft.
Hazelnut Herb Butter Sauce
Prepare:
1/5 - 2/3 C hazelnuts
1 TB chopped fresh sage
optional fresh rosemary
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Toast hazelnuts in dry pan, shaking to prevent burning. Turn out toasted hazelnuts and reserve.
Add 1/2 C (one stick) butter to hot pan and cook over medium heat until browned.
Slowly drizzle in cream and stir to combine. Add chopped herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Serve on vegetables or the roasted squash above.
1. Preheat oven to 400 F and wash the squash. In order to cut the squash, you may need to poke it with a fork and microwave it for 30-40 seconds, just to soften the outside a bit.
2. Slice raw squash into quarters or serving sizes
3. Place squash pieces on a cooking pan. Drizzle cut edges with a little olive oil to prevent burning. You can sprinkle some cracked black pepper on the squash if you'd like.
4. Roast squash pieces in 400 F oven for ___ minutes or until soft.
Hazelnut Herb Butter Sauce
Prepare:
1/5 - 2/3 C hazelnuts
1 TB chopped fresh sage
optional fresh rosemary
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Toast hazelnuts in dry pan, shaking to prevent burning. Turn out toasted hazelnuts and reserve.
Add 1/2 C (one stick) butter to hot pan and cook over medium heat until browned.
Slowly drizzle in cream and stir to combine. Add chopped herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Serve on vegetables or the roasted squash above.
Thanksgiving Part 1: Turkey Brining
I bought a free range, local turkey from Diestel Farms this year- 18.5 lbs!
You will need to buy a "brining bag" to hold the turkey and all the brine liquid. You should also plan to have a roasting pan large enough to hold the bird, but small enough to fit in your fridge.
This brine recipe is for roughly a 20 pound turkey. According to the info I've read, you should plan to leave the turkey in the brine for 12 hours or more- so plan ahead!
1. Bring to a boil in a large pan over high heat:
1 LB kosher salt (must be kosher salt, other salt will ruin turkey)
8 C water
1/2 C sugar
2. Now add and stir:
1/2 C molasses
1/2 C lemon juice
1/3 C maple syrup
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB fresh ginger, sliced
1-2 tea fresh ground black pepper
3. Let the brine sit and cool down- you don't want to cook your turkey with the brine mixture.
4. Once the brine is cooled, take the turkey out of the wrapper, and remove the internal organs, etc. Rinse turkey. Carefully place turkey in brining bag- you will probably need a partner to help!
5. Pour the cooled brine into the bag. Now pour additional 4 C water into the bag.
6. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Stick turkey back in fridge until roasting time (should be 12 hours or more in brine).
You will need to buy a "brining bag" to hold the turkey and all the brine liquid. You should also plan to have a roasting pan large enough to hold the bird, but small enough to fit in your fridge.
This brine recipe is for roughly a 20 pound turkey. According to the info I've read, you should plan to leave the turkey in the brine for 12 hours or more- so plan ahead!
1. Bring to a boil in a large pan over high heat:
1 LB kosher salt (must be kosher salt, other salt will ruin turkey)
8 C water
1/2 C sugar
2. Now add and stir:
1/2 C molasses
1/2 C lemon juice
1/3 C maple syrup
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB fresh ginger, sliced
1-2 tea fresh ground black pepper
3. Let the brine sit and cool down- you don't want to cook your turkey with the brine mixture.
4. Once the brine is cooled, take the turkey out of the wrapper, and remove the internal organs, etc. Rinse turkey. Carefully place turkey in brining bag- you will probably need a partner to help!
5. Pour the cooled brine into the bag. Now pour additional 4 C water into the bag.
6. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Stick turkey back in fridge until roasting time (should be 12 hours or more in brine).
Thanksgiving 2009: Part 2 - Wild & Brown Rice Risotto
1. Cook 2 cups brown/wild rice mixture either by stovetop or in a rice cooker- use 2.25 C water per cup of long grain brown rice, so 4.5C water for this recipe. Once done cooking, fluff rice and reserve.
2. Prepare 4.5 or 5 cups broth (veggie, mushroom or chicken) by bringing it up to heat in a pan on the back side of the stove.
3. In a large pan (separate from the broth pan), cook the following items in a dab of olive oil or other fat (butter, bacon grease etc.) until onion is turning translucent:
1 -2 white/yellow onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C chopped celery
1-2 TB minced herbs, like rosemary
(optional sliced mushrooms)
4. Add 1.25 C raw arborio rice to onion/oil mixture and mix to coat rice in oil. Toast rice gently for 2-4 minutes-- rice should be golden but not burned.
5. Pour 1/3 C dry white wine and 1 TB lemon juice into the pan carefully, deglaze pan and stir.
6. Now add 1/2 C of hot broth at a time to the arborio rice. (If you omitted step 2 and used cold broth it will slow down the process too much b/c the rice has to get back up to bubbling temperature). Set a timer for 15 minutes, this should let you know when the rice will be done.
7. Keep adding broth in increments and stirring until rice has absorbed the broth and is cooked, about 15 minutes, or when your timer goes off (step 6).
8. Add to the aroborio rice mixture and stir:
cooked brown/wild rice from step 1
salt
pepper
2 TB butter
9. Let rice heat through, add additional broth if necessary to maintain texture, then serve with garnishes:
chopped parsley
lemon zest
2. Prepare 4.5 or 5 cups broth (veggie, mushroom or chicken) by bringing it up to heat in a pan on the back side of the stove.
3. In a large pan (separate from the broth pan), cook the following items in a dab of olive oil or other fat (butter, bacon grease etc.) until onion is turning translucent:
1 -2 white/yellow onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C chopped celery
1-2 TB minced herbs, like rosemary
(optional sliced mushrooms)
4. Add 1.25 C raw arborio rice to onion/oil mixture and mix to coat rice in oil. Toast rice gently for 2-4 minutes-- rice should be golden but not burned.
5. Pour 1/3 C dry white wine and 1 TB lemon juice into the pan carefully, deglaze pan and stir.
6. Now add 1/2 C of hot broth at a time to the arborio rice. (If you omitted step 2 and used cold broth it will slow down the process too much b/c the rice has to get back up to bubbling temperature). Set a timer for 15 minutes, this should let you know when the rice will be done.
7. Keep adding broth in increments and stirring until rice has absorbed the broth and is cooked, about 15 minutes, or when your timer goes off (step 6).
8. Add to the aroborio rice mixture and stir:
cooked brown/wild rice from step 1
salt
pepper
2 TB butter
9. Let rice heat through, add additional broth if necessary to maintain texture, then serve with garnishes:
chopped parsley
lemon zest
Corn Muffins + Bacon = Yum
Made these cornbread/corn muffins with my friend- they include bacon fat in the batter and candied bacon on top, as well as a savory sweet-hot cream cheese "frosting".
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/brian-boitano/bacon-corn-muffins-with-savory-cream-cheese-frosting-recipe/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/brian-boitano/bacon-corn-muffins-with-savory-cream-cheese-frosting-recipe/index.html
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