To contact us Click HERE
Welcome L.A.B. Rats to the 400th episode of the Last American Baker.
Whenever I hit one of the hundreds, I kinda like to do something a little bit special or different, oh....but before I do that, I want to thank Great Britain for the surge in viewership hits lately.
I don't know if the spiked numbers were prompted by my Charles Dickens recipes (LOL), but whenever I get a chance to talk smack with the Queens subjects, I always consider that an honor.
Anyways, the year is ending, and I've known for the last couple of days that I would have to post a #400 Blog posting, and I determined that this time I would talk about the one person in my community that influenced me the most this year.
I tried to be prudent, and give the entire population a fair chance, but to be honest, I figured out who I wanted to be in 2013 within minutes.
My personal hero of this year is the Director of the Minnesota Historical Press / Pam McClanahan.
I've known Pam for several years.
Although our paths don't cross as much as I like, we live in the same neighborhood.
A couple years back, she got me an in to write my cookbook.....
K-9 Nation "Baking for my best Friend."
This was about the time that Pam had been advanced to the top of the MHS totem pole, so I am certain it was an exciting time in her life and career.
One of the main reasons I admired her back then was because throughout our buisness relationship, there was a coupled instances where I imitated myself a little too closely (in other words I was kinda a diva-smart a**) and Pam was professional enough....kind enough to man up and put me in my place.
I really respect people who are loving enough to be forward and call me on things things that will ultimately embarress me.
It's so easy to look the other way.
Pam is kind.
Pam is gracious.
But Pam simply won't take crap from anybody, not even a Pollack Baker.
Pam's position has yeilded so much joy and information for the state of Minnesota.
The press that she works for strives at length to preserve the history, recipes and poems of the people that live across the Land of 10 000 Lakes.
MHS is more than a gift, they are a blessing.
A lot can happen in one year.
A lot of memories can pile up.
Mnay and most get shuffled into my mental warehouse where I will place them into shoe boxes that will never be opened again.
However, after asking myself.......What was the one moment of 2012 that makes you smile?
The answer wasn't an epic occurrence, but actually more of a fleeting moment.
I think it took place in July or August.
I remember it was really hot outside, and I was coming from the gym, clad in work out gear, and for some reason I was buzzing down Selby Avenue to get (I think an Ezra Pound book) at the Sub Text book store.
It was kinda like a Springsteen song.....
I was walking in, an Pam was walking out.
Our eyes caught, we smiled, and within seconds I felt really fortunate to have her as a part of my life.
I'm not always good at realizing peoples worth, and the tremendous influence they have on me, but everytime I see McClanahan, I just feel better.
Anyways, I was sweaty, sweaty enough where I didn't want to hug her......
But she insisted.
Then realizing that we both had appointments to attend in about an hours time, Pam looked across the street at the infamous W.A. Frost (for those of you outside Capitol City, it's pretty much one of the more swank bar/restaurants) and mentioned......
I'll bet we have time for one.
I didn't really want to stumble into such a lush enviroment, flashing my gargantuan muscles and body ink....
But I did.
And although it was just one drink, and maybe 21 minutes on the watch dial, it was the one 1/2 hour period this year that I recall.
The one 1/2 hour that I wish I could return to, and I think a lot of the reason is because I really respect Pam McClanahan.
I love her too, and in the upcoming year......I'm guessing I'm gonna try to steal some of her "Secret Moves."
and raise my street cred to an alltime high.
Thanks L.A.B. Rat's for putting up with KleckoNation for 400 rants.
I love most of you.......
Klecko
31 Aralık 2012 Pazartesi
My Dentist's Irish Cream Recipe
To contact us Click HERE
Bailey's Irish Cream, certain to be a culinary staple of any Mick or Pastry Chef.....right?
Well, wouldn't you know that just prior to Thanksgiving (the day before in fact), I was talking to my dental hygienst out in their buisness office where she asked me.....
"Hey Klecko, what kind of pie will your family be eating tomorrow."
I responded.....
"Funny you should ask, Sue McGleno took it upon herself to put herself in charge of pies this year and she got Pumpkin, Chocolate Cream.....and get this, Triple Berry! I asked where is the Apple? And she just rolled her eyes, like I said a swear word in church."
Desi (my dental hygienist) stood there for a second, smirked and then with a full throttle smile decided to support my wife....
Apple, what's wrong with you Danny? Nobody has Apple at Thanksgiving. I'm having Pumpkin and Triple Berry too."
I swear to the Polish Christ......I thought I was dreaming, and God had placed me in the script of some bad sitcom from the 80's.
As I stood there motionless, one of the 10 women from behing the buisness counter asked....
"Danny, why don't you make that Irish Car Bomb Bundt that you demoed at the State Fair?"
This brought back fond memories and I smiled.
Another woman somewhat befuddled by what an Irish Car Bomb was asked for a description.
I was more than happy to comply....
"Irish Car Bombs are a flavor concept that incorperates Guinness Beer, Jameson Whiskey and Bailey's Irish Cream. It's one of the top flavor hits on the internet, and some are bold enough to announce it as this years Red Velvet."
Now the woman (Mari) who asked if i was going to make the Bundt continued questioning me.....
"Do you make your own Irish Cream, or do you just use Bailey's?"
What kind of silliness was this? Bailey's is the ONLY Irish Cream....isn't it?
So now I ask her (Mari), and she also rolls hers eyes as if to say that Bailey's is crap, and only savages use it, but I can't say that because I am at work here in the dental office.
"Wow" I said "I never knew anybody made their own."
Now all the woman behind the counter flashed this look of disdain, as if to say......
"Some kind of baker you are, Thanksgiving at your house must be ghetto."
Mari just shook her head and demanded my e-mail address, the following recipe is sent with compliments from Mari, and all the kids at Metro Dental......
Hi Dan Mari from Metro Dental and I told you I have an Irish Cream recipe. It rocks and is soooooooooooo good! Bailey's Irish Cream 1 3/4 c irish whiskey1 can sweetend condensed milk1 c whipping cream4 eggs ( I use egg beaters)1 tblsp chocolate syrup2 tsp instant coffee1 tsp vanilla extract1/2 tsp almond extract1 tsp coconut extract As I said, put this all in a bowl and use my stick blender to mix this, or you can put it in a blender to mixShake before servingRefrig-keeps for up to 1 month (if it lasts that long) Let me know what you think. This makes the stuff in the bottle taste bad. You'll never drink it again. Mari
Well, wouldn't you know that just prior to Thanksgiving (the day before in fact), I was talking to my dental hygienst out in their buisness office where she asked me.....
"Hey Klecko, what kind of pie will your family be eating tomorrow."
I responded.....
"Funny you should ask, Sue McGleno took it upon herself to put herself in charge of pies this year and she got Pumpkin, Chocolate Cream.....and get this, Triple Berry! I asked where is the Apple? And she just rolled her eyes, like I said a swear word in church."
Desi (my dental hygienist) stood there for a second, smirked and then with a full throttle smile decided to support my wife....
Apple, what's wrong with you Danny? Nobody has Apple at Thanksgiving. I'm having Pumpkin and Triple Berry too."
I swear to the Polish Christ......I thought I was dreaming, and God had placed me in the script of some bad sitcom from the 80's.
As I stood there motionless, one of the 10 women from behing the buisness counter asked....
"Danny, why don't you make that Irish Car Bomb Bundt that you demoed at the State Fair?"
This brought back fond memories and I smiled.
Another woman somewhat befuddled by what an Irish Car Bomb was asked for a description.
I was more than happy to comply....
"Irish Car Bombs are a flavor concept that incorperates Guinness Beer, Jameson Whiskey and Bailey's Irish Cream. It's one of the top flavor hits on the internet, and some are bold enough to announce it as this years Red Velvet."
Now the woman (Mari) who asked if i was going to make the Bundt continued questioning me.....
"Do you make your own Irish Cream, or do you just use Bailey's?"
What kind of silliness was this? Bailey's is the ONLY Irish Cream....isn't it?
So now I ask her (Mari), and she also rolls hers eyes as if to say that Bailey's is crap, and only savages use it, but I can't say that because I am at work here in the dental office.
"Wow" I said "I never knew anybody made their own."
Now all the woman behind the counter flashed this look of disdain, as if to say......
"Some kind of baker you are, Thanksgiving at your house must be ghetto."
Mari just shook her head and demanded my e-mail address, the following recipe is sent with compliments from Mari, and all the kids at Metro Dental......
Hi Dan Mari from Metro Dental and I told you I have an Irish Cream recipe. It rocks and is soooooooooooo good! Bailey's Irish Cream 1 3/4 c irish whiskey1 can sweetend condensed milk1 c whipping cream4 eggs ( I use egg beaters)1 tblsp chocolate syrup2 tsp instant coffee1 tsp vanilla extract1/2 tsp almond extract1 tsp coconut extract As I said, put this all in a bowl and use my stick blender to mix this, or you can put it in a blender to mixShake before servingRefrig-keeps for up to 1 month (if it lasts that long) Let me know what you think. This makes the stuff in the bottle taste bad. You'll never drink it again. Mari
Santa's Irish Pudding Recipe
To contact us Click HERE
Yeterday, my TV was blaring away like it pretty much does everyday....around the clock.
Sue McGleno hates this, because she prefers "quiet moments."
However, continous television isn't the worst of it for her, what she really hates is my ability to watch the same movies over and over, and over and over...........
AMC is such a great cable station because they are custom fit for lab mice such as myself.
I haven't kept count, but I'll bet that 10 of the last 12 nights they've played back to back showings of Miracle on 34th Street.
First they run the black and white version, and when that's over they rotate to the colorized.
Sue McGleno has been more than annoyed by this, but with that said......
Klecko prides himself on being a problem solver and has found a partial solution to this.
One of Sue McGleno's favorite moment's in Hollywood's Cinematic history is when Natalie Wood (Little Susan Walker) goes down to talk with Santa Claus.
She is skeptical because her mother has preached the virtues of practicality. There simply is no way such a wonderful person can exisist in the world that her mother has painted for her.....
So now her mom sees her and pulls her away from Santa's throne and begins to yell at her love interest for taking her over there, and while this confrontation takes place....little Susan Walker peeks out the door and spys on Santa once more.
"Sue McGleno, hurry up.....you favorite moment is about to happen."
CLOMP-CLOMP-CLOMP.....Sue McGleno slams her little feet to let me know that shes participating, but under protest.
The only thing a woman hates is when they know that a man has discovered their kryptonite.
And with my Sue McGleno, her 2 weaknesses are chocolate cake and the following scene........
So like I said, Natalie Wood is spying out on Santa, and a woman and young girl who have been waiting in the Macy's line for hours finally get their turn to approach Santa.
The mom syas something like........
"Good morning Santa this is my daughter from Rotterdam Holland. I have just adopted her, and I told her that you wouldn't be able to understand her request since you don't speak Dutch."
Then Santa stops......smiles and starts talking Dutch to the little girl whose eyes light up and shoot beams of joy over in Sue McGleno's direction.
Although I know what will proceed, I am always kinda surprised knowing that my wife is tough and holds her emotions closer to herself than a Friday night poker hand.
But then it happens........
Santa and the Dutch Girl move from discussion, to laughter.....and then finally into song.
Are those tears welling up in Sue McGleno's eyes?
And when Santa and the little Dutch girl start singing, he embraces her, pulling her close to him in such an innocent yet intimate way.....Sue McGleno falls apart.
Sometimes I think if the world could just experience the safety and understanding that - that little Dutch girl got to experience for those few short minutes, we'd be a much better palanet.
"Sue McGleno" I asked "What is it about that scene that moves you so?"
She stops for a second, and I can hear little hampster wheels roaring in her mind as she responds.
"I've always pictured Santa as American, not that he is. I think he originated in Germany right? But thats not even relevent. I have him pegged as American, so when he steps out of his mold and then is able to cure somebody that has no hope. In Dutch..... Can you get any better than that?"
Anyways, that lengthy digression, basically is the build up to the recipe portion of this Blog post.
I have this friend Billy D.
Billy D is lives in my neighborhood, and I see him often on Saturday mornings at my coffee house of choice.
Everbodyy want's to be friends with Billy D because he has a commercial kitchen set up in his house.
And in that kitchen he has been known to pour cocktail and make sausages.
When I say sausages, I mean every style, flavor and version that exsists in God's Kingdom.
For years I have been enjoying the spoils of his work.
That's why I found it odd when he asked me recently if I ever made Irish Christmas Pudding.
I know just yesterday I posted about the dental chick and Irish cream, but you have to remember.....
Capitol City is a city full of Micks (I being one of them.)
So anyways, I have yet to try this, but if Billy D says it's good, I trust him.
BTW....before I go, one last factoid on Miracle on 34th Street.
Did you know that Robert Shaw, the dude who played the captain in Jaws was the Taxi Driver in this film, and they didn't even list him on the credits?
Anyways....here it is in 3-2-1 and action.......
Yo, ....here is that recipe I talked about... from the Beginish Restaurant in Dingle Ireland.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter parchment. Place chopped dates in small bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over dates and let cool, about 1 hour.
Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half of flour and beat to blend. Add remaining 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Add remaining flour and beat until blended. Combine instant coffee and baking soda in small bowl. Pour into date mixture, stirring to dissolve coffee granules. Add date mixture to batter and beat to blend. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place on rimmed baking sheet and bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
Cool pudding until just warm. Unmold; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream and Caramel Sauce.
Carmel Sauce:
2 cups whipping cream 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
Bring cream, brown sugar and butter to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer sauce until reduced to 1 3/4 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Before using, rewarm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.)
Sue McGleno hates this, because she prefers "quiet moments."
However, continous television isn't the worst of it for her, what she really hates is my ability to watch the same movies over and over, and over and over...........
AMC is such a great cable station because they are custom fit for lab mice such as myself.
I haven't kept count, but I'll bet that 10 of the last 12 nights they've played back to back showings of Miracle on 34th Street.
First they run the black and white version, and when that's over they rotate to the colorized.
Sue McGleno has been more than annoyed by this, but with that said......
Klecko prides himself on being a problem solver and has found a partial solution to this.
One of Sue McGleno's favorite moment's in Hollywood's Cinematic history is when Natalie Wood (Little Susan Walker) goes down to talk with Santa Claus.
She is skeptical because her mother has preached the virtues of practicality. There simply is no way such a wonderful person can exisist in the world that her mother has painted for her.....
So now her mom sees her and pulls her away from Santa's throne and begins to yell at her love interest for taking her over there, and while this confrontation takes place....little Susan Walker peeks out the door and spys on Santa once more.
"Sue McGleno, hurry up.....you favorite moment is about to happen."
CLOMP-CLOMP-CLOMP.....Sue McGleno slams her little feet to let me know that shes participating, but under protest.
The only thing a woman hates is when they know that a man has discovered their kryptonite.
And with my Sue McGleno, her 2 weaknesses are chocolate cake and the following scene........
So like I said, Natalie Wood is spying out on Santa, and a woman and young girl who have been waiting in the Macy's line for hours finally get their turn to approach Santa.
The mom syas something like........
"Good morning Santa this is my daughter from Rotterdam Holland. I have just adopted her, and I told her that you wouldn't be able to understand her request since you don't speak Dutch."
Then Santa stops......smiles and starts talking Dutch to the little girl whose eyes light up and shoot beams of joy over in Sue McGleno's direction.
Although I know what will proceed, I am always kinda surprised knowing that my wife is tough and holds her emotions closer to herself than a Friday night poker hand.
But then it happens........
Santa and the Dutch Girl move from discussion, to laughter.....and then finally into song.
Are those tears welling up in Sue McGleno's eyes?
And when Santa and the little Dutch girl start singing, he embraces her, pulling her close to him in such an innocent yet intimate way.....Sue McGleno falls apart.
Sometimes I think if the world could just experience the safety and understanding that - that little Dutch girl got to experience for those few short minutes, we'd be a much better palanet.
"Sue McGleno" I asked "What is it about that scene that moves you so?"
She stops for a second, and I can hear little hampster wheels roaring in her mind as she responds.
"I've always pictured Santa as American, not that he is. I think he originated in Germany right? But thats not even relevent. I have him pegged as American, so when he steps out of his mold and then is able to cure somebody that has no hope. In Dutch..... Can you get any better than that?"
Anyways, that lengthy digression, basically is the build up to the recipe portion of this Blog post.
I have this friend Billy D.
Billy D is lives in my neighborhood, and I see him often on Saturday mornings at my coffee house of choice.
Everbodyy want's to be friends with Billy D because he has a commercial kitchen set up in his house.
And in that kitchen he has been known to pour cocktail and make sausages.
When I say sausages, I mean every style, flavor and version that exsists in God's Kingdom.
For years I have been enjoying the spoils of his work.
That's why I found it odd when he asked me recently if I ever made Irish Christmas Pudding.
I know just yesterday I posted about the dental chick and Irish cream, but you have to remember.....
Capitol City is a city full of Micks (I being one of them.)
So anyways, I have yet to try this, but if Billy D says it's good, I trust him.
BTW....before I go, one last factoid on Miracle on 34th Street.
Did you know that Robert Shaw, the dude who played the captain in Jaws was the Taxi Driver in this film, and they didn't even list him on the credits?
Anyways....here it is in 3-2-1 and action.......
Yo, ....here is that recipe I talked about... from the Beginish Restaurant in Dingle Ireland.
- 8 ounces dates, finely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups packed)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups self-rising flour
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter parchment. Place chopped dates in small bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over dates and let cool, about 1 hour.
Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add half of flour and beat to blend. Add remaining 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Add remaining flour and beat until blended. Combine instant coffee and baking soda in small bowl. Pour into date mixture, stirring to dissolve coffee granules. Add date mixture to batter and beat to blend. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place on rimmed baking sheet and bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
Cool pudding until just warm. Unmold; sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream and Caramel Sauce.
Carmel Sauce:
Bring cream, brown sugar and butter to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer sauce until reduced to 1 3/4 cups, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Before using, rewarm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.)
Les Miserables French Onion Soup
To contact us Click HERE
OK L.A.B. Rats, we are the day after Christmas, and other than New Years Eve, the only thing we have left to do for the next 10 weeks is read books, make soup and drink expensive booze....right?
Today I am going to give you guys a French Onion Soup recipe that is to die for, but first....let's take a few seconds to relive the Klecko Christmas.
As per usual, parts of the Klecko clan went to the cinema for Christmas.
One thing that was a little different is this year there wasn't a "must see" movie for the Last American Baker.
I'm the member of the fam that usually leads the movie caravan, but since I had nothing in particular I wanted to see, I left it up to the mob.
They chose Les Miserables.
They chose a movie about French people.
They chose a musical.
Now typically I would have just gone with the flow, but who wants to spend Christmas with the French?????
Even if it is just on the big screen.
So tickets are purchased, and there we are standing in the concession line.
I should mention, we are at the Grandview Theatre, and this particular venue is privatlely owned, and sometimes can draw a pretentious crowd.....like on Christmas.
Like when "Les Mis" is debuting.
So now just ahead of us in the concession line is a big guy, as big as me, and he is standing there with a woman.
Both of these people are wearing cynical expressions, almost as if they were 1/2 academic and 1/2 goth.
So now the big guy (who is wearing sun glasses over his stocking cap, eventhough its 18 degrees and overcast outside) says to his female companion......
"I have to wonder if Russell Crow is going to be able to execute this role without embaressing himself.....and wasting my time."
The female companion ponders.......
Klecko starts fuming........
Doesn't this gut know that Men have rules?
And in the guy club, there is a select sub culture of "Big Men".
It is forbidden (by club standards) for a Big Man to rat out, or talk trash about another Big Man.
Sue McGleno witnesses the hampster wheel turning in Klecko's mind. She know what is inevitble and flashes a "Here we go again look" at Baby Tydus.
"Your kidding me right?" Klecko blurts out at the pretentious fop......
"Your'e a guy, and a big one at that, and you're telling me you are not going into this supporting the Gladiator?"
Everybody in the line looks because they can't really tell if I was joking or pissed, now that I think back, I'm guessing maybe both.
Then the guy not knowing what to do, and I'm guessing wanting to save face in front of his date, now he remains silent and rolls his eyes backwards as if to denote I'm not worth dealing with.....
Klecko responded...............
"Dude, you don't want to roll your eyes at me, it won't turn out good for anybody. All I'm saying is if you are going to think you are cool by critisizing others, keep it to yourself."
And when I said this......I meant it in the spirit of Christmas.
I meant it in a Jesus flipping over maney changer tables kinda way.....I wasn't simply looking to just be a thug.
Dude gets his Milk Duds and slinks away into the show, and when I got to the counter, the young woman attendant was laughing and smiling.
"You overheard that huh?"
She nodded yes.
"Well sorry about that" I said "But when a guy talks crap about Russell Crowe, you know theres going to be a Christmas Beat Down!"
The counter woman crinkled her nose and softly clapped her hands.
Merry Christmas.
BTW.......the movie was wonderful.
FRENCH ONION SOUP
Add the onions, garlic, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are caramelized,
Next add the wine, basically the nice thing about this recipe is you get to pour 1/2 and drink 1/2.
Remember the saying that the French coined in terms of what wines to cook with...."If you are going to cook with it, you should be able to drink it as well."
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer.
Now pluck out the thyme sprigs.
Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir.
Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler.
Now grab your sourdough round, cut an oval slice and place it in the bottom of your soup bowls. and ladel soup over.
Finally, sprinkle Gruyere on top of the soup and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
The End
With that, I will say that often time I give my French friends a hard time, but it is only because I love most of them.
What a culture.
What art.
What food.................
Today I am going to give you guys a French Onion Soup recipe that is to die for, but first....let's take a few seconds to relive the Klecko Christmas.
As per usual, parts of the Klecko clan went to the cinema for Christmas.
One thing that was a little different is this year there wasn't a "must see" movie for the Last American Baker.
I'm the member of the fam that usually leads the movie caravan, but since I had nothing in particular I wanted to see, I left it up to the mob.
They chose Les Miserables.
They chose a movie about French people.
They chose a musical.
Now typically I would have just gone with the flow, but who wants to spend Christmas with the French?????
Even if it is just on the big screen.
So tickets are purchased, and there we are standing in the concession line.
I should mention, we are at the Grandview Theatre, and this particular venue is privatlely owned, and sometimes can draw a pretentious crowd.....like on Christmas.
Like when "Les Mis" is debuting.
So now just ahead of us in the concession line is a big guy, as big as me, and he is standing there with a woman.
Both of these people are wearing cynical expressions, almost as if they were 1/2 academic and 1/2 goth.
So now the big guy (who is wearing sun glasses over his stocking cap, eventhough its 18 degrees and overcast outside) says to his female companion......
"I have to wonder if Russell Crow is going to be able to execute this role without embaressing himself.....and wasting my time."
The female companion ponders.......
Klecko starts fuming........
Doesn't this gut know that Men have rules?
And in the guy club, there is a select sub culture of "Big Men".
It is forbidden (by club standards) for a Big Man to rat out, or talk trash about another Big Man.
Sue McGleno witnesses the hampster wheel turning in Klecko's mind. She know what is inevitble and flashes a "Here we go again look" at Baby Tydus.
"Your kidding me right?" Klecko blurts out at the pretentious fop......
"Your'e a guy, and a big one at that, and you're telling me you are not going into this supporting the Gladiator?"
Everybody in the line looks because they can't really tell if I was joking or pissed, now that I think back, I'm guessing maybe both.
Then the guy not knowing what to do, and I'm guessing wanting to save face in front of his date, now he remains silent and rolls his eyes backwards as if to denote I'm not worth dealing with.....
Klecko responded...............
"Dude, you don't want to roll your eyes at me, it won't turn out good for anybody. All I'm saying is if you are going to think you are cool by critisizing others, keep it to yourself."
And when I said this......I meant it in the spirit of Christmas.
I meant it in a Jesus flipping over maney changer tables kinda way.....I wasn't simply looking to just be a thug.
Dude gets his Milk Duds and slinks away into the show, and when I got to the counter, the young woman attendant was laughing and smiling.
"You overheard that huh?"
She nodded yes.
"Well sorry about that" I said "But when a guy talks crap about Russell Crowe, you know theres going to be a Christmas Beat Down!"
The counter woman crinkled her nose and softly clapped her hands.
Merry Christmas.
BTW.......the movie was wonderful.
FRENCH ONION SOUP
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 4 red onions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine, or about 1/2 bottle
- 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 quarts beef broth
- 1 sourdough boule (round)
- 1/2 pound grated Gruyere
Directions
Melt the stick of butter in a soup pot over medium heat.Add the onions, garlic, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are caramelized,
Next add the wine, basically the nice thing about this recipe is you get to pour 1/2 and drink 1/2.
Remember the saying that the French coined in terms of what wines to cook with...."If you are going to cook with it, you should be able to drink it as well."
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer.
Now pluck out the thyme sprigs.
Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir.
Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler.
Now grab your sourdough round, cut an oval slice and place it in the bottom of your soup bowls. and ladel soup over.
Finally, sprinkle Gruyere on top of the soup and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
The End
With that, I will say that often time I give my French friends a hard time, but it is only because I love most of them.
What a culture.
What art.
What food.................
The Secret to Making Crisp Hard Rolls (Recipe Included)
To contact us Click HERE
What is the one question I get asked all the time?
"Klecko, why is the bread so much better in Europe?"
Well.....first off, maybe because you are in Europe.
Funny how geographical framing can influence the palate.
But another factor that contributes to this (in America at least) is the demise of the neighborhood, or retail bakery.
All to often people will ask me to make their concept a real crunchy bread, a rustic baguette, a real gum bleeder.
But in wholesale concepts, this form of bread making is financial suicide.
French breads, lean doughs or crusty bread has to be made in a bakery and placed into the hands of the consumer (who in turn is required to place the purchased product on a plate, and then into their mouth within hours), otherwise the bread will break down and become leather like.
I had this cat from King Arthur Flour come out to the bakery several years back, and he did a workshop on making the perfect French baguette and/or crispy hard roll.
Bakers from across the midwest attended and the guy running the class started off by making us watch a slide show of different hard roll concepts applied in different Euro bake shops.
Usually, I HATE slide shows or power point presentations, but this guy was solid.
Afterwords the guy mixed some doughs and talked about equipment, scoring, heat source(s), direct VS indirect heat and then we got to baking.
To cut to the quick, the product this guy made was Christ like.
All of us fell to our knees and worshipped the complex flavor that this genius could pull out of so few ingredients.
Then everybody smiled, left, I cleaned up...and then I vultured some of the left overs and brought them home to Sue McGleno.
"Father-Son & Polish Christ" I declared.....
"Where is my Jewish bride?" I called out.
And when Sue McGleno entered the room, I handed her a baguette as if it were the scepter to Camelot.
But as I extended my arm...........
The baguette couldn't hold its own weight and began to droop slowly to the floor.
Sue McGleno tore a chunk off (i.e. rat holed it) and proceeded to critique it.
"Ewwwwww" she remarked "When did you make this?"
Her implication denoted that the bread was old and possibly on the verge of molding, when in fact....it was pulled out of the oven 4 or 5 hours prior.
You can tell me your take on this topic, and you can feel free to disagree, but the Last American Baker really thinks the Hard-Crispy Rolls is best made at home just prior to serving.
Heres your recipe.......................
HARD CRISPY ROLLS -
BREAD FLOUR 40 OUNCES
WATER 24 OUNCES
SUGAR 1 1/2 OUNCES
SHORTENING 1 1/2 OUNCES
SALT 1 OUNCE
YEAST 3/4 OUNCE
Mix your dough to until it picks up and is developed. (80 degrees F)
Place it in a lightly greased container and let it sit tell it doubles - punch it
And when it doubles again...scale it into rolls.
I like 1 1/2 ounce rolls, but it's not my dream, its your dream.
After panning them up, place in a preheated oven between (400-425 F)
I know a lot of you guys do your little dipsy-do Jimmy-rigged steaming, what is it...pan full of water or mist bottles....I can't help you there (Klecko snickers since he doesn't have to jerk with that since he has steam injection) but in all seriousness.....if you do have a preferred method, please leave it in this Blog post (not the Facebook application) so everybody else can benefit from your expertise.
We are coming close to New Years Eve ya'll.........
Lets make sure to take time to evaluate our heart-soul and whats in the oven.
Gangsta Love
Klecko
"Klecko, why is the bread so much better in Europe?"
Well.....first off, maybe because you are in Europe.
Funny how geographical framing can influence the palate.
But another factor that contributes to this (in America at least) is the demise of the neighborhood, or retail bakery.
All to often people will ask me to make their concept a real crunchy bread, a rustic baguette, a real gum bleeder.
But in wholesale concepts, this form of bread making is financial suicide.
French breads, lean doughs or crusty bread has to be made in a bakery and placed into the hands of the consumer (who in turn is required to place the purchased product on a plate, and then into their mouth within hours), otherwise the bread will break down and become leather like.
I had this cat from King Arthur Flour come out to the bakery several years back, and he did a workshop on making the perfect French baguette and/or crispy hard roll.
Bakers from across the midwest attended and the guy running the class started off by making us watch a slide show of different hard roll concepts applied in different Euro bake shops.
Usually, I HATE slide shows or power point presentations, but this guy was solid.
Afterwords the guy mixed some doughs and talked about equipment, scoring, heat source(s), direct VS indirect heat and then we got to baking.
To cut to the quick, the product this guy made was Christ like.
All of us fell to our knees and worshipped the complex flavor that this genius could pull out of so few ingredients.
Then everybody smiled, left, I cleaned up...and then I vultured some of the left overs and brought them home to Sue McGleno.
"Father-Son & Polish Christ" I declared.....
"Where is my Jewish bride?" I called out.
And when Sue McGleno entered the room, I handed her a baguette as if it were the scepter to Camelot.
But as I extended my arm...........
The baguette couldn't hold its own weight and began to droop slowly to the floor.
Sue McGleno tore a chunk off (i.e. rat holed it) and proceeded to critique it.
"Ewwwwww" she remarked "When did you make this?"
Her implication denoted that the bread was old and possibly on the verge of molding, when in fact....it was pulled out of the oven 4 or 5 hours prior.
You can tell me your take on this topic, and you can feel free to disagree, but the Last American Baker really thinks the Hard-Crispy Rolls is best made at home just prior to serving.
Heres your recipe.......................
HARD CRISPY ROLLS -
BREAD FLOUR 40 OUNCES
WATER 24 OUNCES
SUGAR 1 1/2 OUNCES
SHORTENING 1 1/2 OUNCES
SALT 1 OUNCE
YEAST 3/4 OUNCE
Mix your dough to until it picks up and is developed. (80 degrees F)
Place it in a lightly greased container and let it sit tell it doubles - punch it
And when it doubles again...scale it into rolls.
I like 1 1/2 ounce rolls, but it's not my dream, its your dream.
After panning them up, place in a preheated oven between (400-425 F)
I know a lot of you guys do your little dipsy-do Jimmy-rigged steaming, what is it...pan full of water or mist bottles....I can't help you there (Klecko snickers since he doesn't have to jerk with that since he has steam injection) but in all seriousness.....if you do have a preferred method, please leave it in this Blog post (not the Facebook application) so everybody else can benefit from your expertise.
We are coming close to New Years Eve ya'll.........
Lets make sure to take time to evaluate our heart-soul and whats in the oven.
Gangsta Love
Klecko
27 Aralık 2012 Perşembe
Parmesan-Cheddar Crackers with Poppy Seeds . . . You Can't Eat Just One!
To contact us Click HERE
There are two very big silver-maple trees in our backyard, one of which always holds onto its leaves for dear life, as if to let them go might be painful.
But the wind that swooshed in last week, compliments of Sandy, stripped most of them off within a day or two. The yard is now cushioned like a feather bed with its leaves. You can hardly spot a patch of grass anywhere.
I know winter is on its way when that stubborn tree is almost bare. The leaves on the ground are so dried out, and so thickly layered, they positively crunch underfoot. It's like walking on a field of saltines, or maybe thousands of Wheat Thins.
Hey . . . did someone just mention crackers?
About this recipe . . .
Adapted from Gourmet, these babies are addictive. Once your cracker-loving friends and family get samples, they'll keep coming back for more, so anticipate the demand. Make a lot.
What aspects of the recipe did I change? The original formula called for 3 parts white flour and 1 part cornmeal, but I decided to use a combo of mostly white flour, a little rye flour for added flavor, and just a wee smidgen of cornmeal so that mealy aspect would be limited. I also used Parmigiano Reggiano cheese along with some sharp cheddar, instead of using all cheddar, and I added in a couple pinches of dried thyme, well crushed, as well as a dab of garlic powder. And, I upped the baking powder slightly because, gosh, the spirit moved me.
I decided, just for the heck of it, to cut mine out with a scalloped-edge cookie cutter, but feel free to simply cut your rolled-out dough with a pastry wheel if you like, leaving far fewer dough scraps. That would also allow you to avoid transferring your unbaked crackers to another surface, one by one, as I had to do. Bake them long enough, and they'll be quite crispy and dark golden brown around the edges, which is what you want if you're going for maximum crunch.
These crackers smell ferociously good when they're baking, just so you know. (Forewarned is forearmed, theoretically at least.)
Parmesan-Cheddar Crackers with Poppy Seeds
(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)
Yield: Makes approximately 6 dozen crackers
Ingredients:
3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons rye flour
1 tablespoon well-ground yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (I used Holland Blue poppy seeds from Penzey's.)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup (half of one stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into very small chunks
1/2 cup well grated parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.)
1/2 cup well grated sharp or extra-sharp yellow cheddar cheese
4 to 5 tablespoons very cold water
1 egg, large
1 tablespoon water
fine sea salt
In a big bowl, whisk together the white flour, rye flour, cornmeal, poppy seeds, and baking powder. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, or use your fingertips, until the mixture has lots of small coarse lumps. Add in all of the grated cheese, and mix with a fork. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the cold water evenly over the dry ingredients, and stir with the fork until well distributed. Add in the final tablespoon of water if it still seems really dry.
Dump your dough out onto a clean work surface, and smear the dough away from you a few times to distribute the fat. Now, use a scraper to gather all the dough together again and shape it into a ball. Cut the ball in half. Press each half into a disk about 1" thick, and wrap the halves in plastic wrap. Let them rest in the fridge for an hour or so.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Or roll your dough directly onto the paper or onto mats, if you're not using a cookie cutter. See "Or, alternately," in the instructions below).
On a floured piece of parchment or a rolling mat or a pastry cloth, roll out one of your dough disks using a floured rolling pin (leaving the other disk refrigerated while you work with the first disk). Try to roll the dough evenly, so it's no more than 1/8th of an inch thick all over. Cut the dough with small, simply-shaped, cookie cutters of your choice and place the pieces on your prepared baking surface, lifting them with a thin offset spatula. (Or, alternately, roll your dough disk out directly onto the parchment sheet or silicone sheet upon which it will bake, and use a pastry wheel or sharp knife to slice the crackers into rows in both directions.)
Pierce each unbaked cracker with the tines of a fork; this will help the crackers lay flat and keep their shape as they bake.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the 1 tablespoon of water. Use a pastry brush, or even your index finger, to lightly coat each cracker. This egg wash will make the cracker tops nicely shiny and help them to brown.
Take a pinch of fine sea salt and sprinkle a tiny bit on each cracker (remember, the cheese in the crackers is pretty salty too, so you don't need much added salt).
Bake the crackers until they're deeply golden on the bottom and on the edges. This might take 12 to 15 minutes or more. If you want to help ensure crispness, turn the oven off when they're done and let the crackers sit in there for another minute or two. Let the crackers cool on the baking sheets, or if the crackers are on parchment, slide that off onto a cooling rack. Keep the cooled crackers in an airtight container.
(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, just click on the purple COMMENTS below.)
There are two very big silver-maple trees in our backyard, one of which always holds onto its leaves for dear life, as if to let them go might be painful.
But the wind that swooshed in last week, compliments of Sandy, stripped most of them off within a day or two. The yard is now cushioned like a feather bed with its leaves. You can hardly spot a patch of grass anywhere.
I know winter is on its way when that stubborn tree is almost bare. The leaves on the ground are so dried out, and so thickly layered, they positively crunch underfoot. It's like walking on a field of saltines, or maybe thousands of Wheat Thins.
Hey . . . did someone just mention crackers?
About this recipe . . .
Adapted from Gourmet, these babies are addictive. Once your cracker-loving friends and family get samples, they'll keep coming back for more, so anticipate the demand. Make a lot.
What aspects of the recipe did I change? The original formula called for 3 parts white flour and 1 part cornmeal, but I decided to use a combo of mostly white flour, a little rye flour for added flavor, and just a wee smidgen of cornmeal so that mealy aspect would be limited. I also used Parmigiano Reggiano cheese along with some sharp cheddar, instead of using all cheddar, and I added in a couple pinches of dried thyme, well crushed, as well as a dab of garlic powder. And, I upped the baking powder slightly because, gosh, the spirit moved me.
I decided, just for the heck of it, to cut mine out with a scalloped-edge cookie cutter, but feel free to simply cut your rolled-out dough with a pastry wheel if you like, leaving far fewer dough scraps. That would also allow you to avoid transferring your unbaked crackers to another surface, one by one, as I had to do. Bake them long enough, and they'll be quite crispy and dark golden brown around the edges, which is what you want if you're going for maximum crunch.
These crackers smell ferociously good when they're baking, just so you know. (Forewarned is forearmed, theoretically at least.)
Parmesan-Cheddar Crackers with Poppy Seeds
(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)
Yield: Makes approximately 6 dozen crackers
Ingredients:
3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons rye flour
1 tablespoon well-ground yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon poppy seeds (I used Holland Blue poppy seeds from Penzey's.)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup (half of one stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into very small chunks
1/2 cup well grated parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.)
1/2 cup well grated sharp or extra-sharp yellow cheddar cheese
4 to 5 tablespoons very cold water
1 egg, large
1 tablespoon water
fine sea salt
In a big bowl, whisk together the white flour, rye flour, cornmeal, poppy seeds, and baking powder. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, or use your fingertips, until the mixture has lots of small coarse lumps. Add in all of the grated cheese, and mix with a fork. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of the cold water evenly over the dry ingredients, and stir with the fork until well distributed. Add in the final tablespoon of water if it still seems really dry.
Dump your dough out onto a clean work surface, and smear the dough away from you a few times to distribute the fat. Now, use a scraper to gather all the dough together again and shape it into a ball. Cut the ball in half. Press each half into a disk about 1" thick, and wrap the halves in plastic wrap. Let them rest in the fridge for an hour or so.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Or roll your dough directly onto the paper or onto mats, if you're not using a cookie cutter. See "Or, alternately," in the instructions below).
On a floured piece of parchment or a rolling mat or a pastry cloth, roll out one of your dough disks using a floured rolling pin (leaving the other disk refrigerated while you work with the first disk). Try to roll the dough evenly, so it's no more than 1/8th of an inch thick all over. Cut the dough with small, simply-shaped, cookie cutters of your choice and place the pieces on your prepared baking surface, lifting them with a thin offset spatula. (Or, alternately, roll your dough disk out directly onto the parchment sheet or silicone sheet upon which it will bake, and use a pastry wheel or sharp knife to slice the crackers into rows in both directions.)
Pierce each unbaked cracker with the tines of a fork; this will help the crackers lay flat and keep their shape as they bake.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the 1 tablespoon of water. Use a pastry brush, or even your index finger, to lightly coat each cracker. This egg wash will make the cracker tops nicely shiny and help them to brown.
Take a pinch of fine sea salt and sprinkle a tiny bit on each cracker (remember, the cheese in the crackers is pretty salty too, so you don't need much added salt).
Bake the crackers until they're deeply golden on the bottom and on the edges. This might take 12 to 15 minutes or more. If you want to help ensure crispness, turn the oven off when they're done and let the crackers sit in there for another minute or two. Let the crackers cool on the baking sheets, or if the crackers are on parchment, slide that off onto a cooling rack. Keep the cooled crackers in an airtight container.
(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, just click on the purple COMMENTS below.)
Dark Chocolate Cherry Biscotti . . .
To contact us Click HERE
After the spicy, nutty, creamy, buttery, pumpkin-laden extravaganza that comprises the universe of Thanksgiving Day desserts I now find that I'm in the mood for something distinctly crunchy, slightly bittersweet, entirely absent of butter, and far from gooey.
These dark-chocolate cherry biscotti evoke all the best attributes of chocolate-covered cherries, absent the rich fat and cloying sweetness of that iconic candy. They're supremely dunkable if you're a coffee drinker, and they don't mind taking a dip in a glass of milk if you're not.
Surely I don't have to tell you that I briefly considered drizzling the biscotti with melted chocolate, (you know me) but the sense of restraint that invades a baker's psyche the week following Thanksgiving held sway. And it's a good thing it did. I figure, when you take the plunge and coat your biscotti with chocolate, you're committing to the creation of an altogether more indulgent cookie.
Today's treat provides a nice contrast to the extreme richness of last week's feast. Thanksgiving comes but once a year, and we all love it, but once is enough. Thank heaven for that.
About this recipe . . .
Adapted from pastry chef David Lebovitz's beautiful book, Ready for Dessert, I made a few minor adjustments to his biscotti formula.
I omitted the black pepper (yes, pepper), reduced the amount of solid chocolate by about half, omitted almond extract in favor of vanilla, and soaked my dried cherries in the lusciousness of Chambord, a yummy berry liqueur, versus his suggestion of kirsch/grappa/rum.
Really good biscotti, fellow bakers. I baked the pieces long enough so they'd be very hard and crunchy. Expect lots and lots of lovely little crumbs. And don't forget to dunk.
Dark Chocolate Cherry Biscotti
(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)
Yield: Two loaves of biscotti, each loaf sliced into about 14 half-inch thick pieces
Spread parchment over two regular size baking sheets, or over one large sheet.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
(No electric mixer needed for this recipe.)
Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (You don't have to use Dutch, but I think it's the best for something like this; I used Penzeys brand.)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (I used fine sea salt.)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup dark chocolate, chopped small (I used Guittard disks, 60+ percent cacao.)
3/4 cup dried cherries, cut in half if they're large
2 tablespoons Chambord (or any similar fruity liqueur that you really like)
To brush/sprinkle on the dough before baking:
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sanding/coarse white sugar, or turbinado or Demarara sugar
In a small bowl, drizzle the Chambord over the cherries and let them sit for at least 30 minutes or so at room temperature.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, completely whisk together the three large eggs, the granulated sugar, and the vanilla extract.
Into that, gradually add the sifted ingredients. The dough will be very dry and thick. Dump the dried cherries, with all of their liquid, into the bowl. Stir that in. Add in the chocolate pieces and stir to combine as best you can. The dough will be extremely thick and pretty sticky.
Plop all of the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Lightly flour your hands.
Roll each dough-half into a long log, a few inches shorter than the length of your baking sheet(s); the dough spreads out quite a bit in all directions when baking. Place each log onto a parchment-covered baking sheet. Dampen your palms with cold water and pat the top of the loaves, gently pressing down so each log is slightly flattened.
Using a pastry brush, liberally coat each loaf with beaten egg; do this twice to each log. Sprinkle sanding/coarse sugar (or whatever kind you've chosen to use) atop the length of each loaf.
Bake the loaves for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven, reversing the pan(s) in the oven halfway through the baking time. Remove them from the oven; lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Leaving the loaves on the baking sheets, let them cool for up to 15 minutes.
Move the loaves, still on their parchment, to a cutting surface. Using a serrated knife (ideally, a very sharp bread knife), cut each loaf on the diagonal into slices that are about 1/2" thick (I think mine were actually a little thicker than that).
Lay all of the biscotti pieces, cut sides down, back onto parchment-covered baking sheets.
Continue to bake for 20 to 30 minutes, flipping the pieces over halfway through, and reversing the direction of the baking sheet(s) in the oven. If you want the cookies to be really hard and crunchy, bake them for the maximum amount of time, and check to see that they're pretty firm before you take them out of the oven.
When they're done, let them cool completely on the baking sheets. Store them well covered. They'll be good for about a week. (And, of course, if you're dying to dip them in melted chocolate, well, follow your dream!)
(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple COMMENTS below.)
After the spicy, nutty, creamy, buttery, pumpkin-laden extravaganza that comprises the universe of Thanksgiving Day desserts I now find that I'm in the mood for something distinctly crunchy, slightly bittersweet, entirely absent of butter, and far from gooey.
These dark-chocolate cherry biscotti evoke all the best attributes of chocolate-covered cherries, absent the rich fat and cloying sweetness of that iconic candy. They're supremely dunkable if you're a coffee drinker, and they don't mind taking a dip in a glass of milk if you're not.
Surely I don't have to tell you that I briefly considered drizzling the biscotti with melted chocolate, (you know me) but the sense of restraint that invades a baker's psyche the week following Thanksgiving held sway. And it's a good thing it did. I figure, when you take the plunge and coat your biscotti with chocolate, you're committing to the creation of an altogether more indulgent cookie.
Today's treat provides a nice contrast to the extreme richness of last week's feast. Thanksgiving comes but once a year, and we all love it, but once is enough. Thank heaven for that.
About this recipe . . .
Adapted from pastry chef David Lebovitz's beautiful book, Ready for Dessert, I made a few minor adjustments to his biscotti formula.
I omitted the black pepper (yes, pepper), reduced the amount of solid chocolate by about half, omitted almond extract in favor of vanilla, and soaked my dried cherries in the lusciousness of Chambord, a yummy berry liqueur, versus his suggestion of kirsch/grappa/rum.
Really good biscotti, fellow bakers. I baked the pieces long enough so they'd be very hard and crunchy. Expect lots and lots of lovely little crumbs. And don't forget to dunk.
Dark Chocolate Cherry Biscotti
(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)
Yield: Two loaves of biscotti, each loaf sliced into about 14 half-inch thick pieces
Spread parchment over two regular size baking sheets, or over one large sheet.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
(No electric mixer needed for this recipe.)
Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (You don't have to use Dutch, but I think it's the best for something like this; I used Penzeys brand.)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (I used fine sea salt.)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup dark chocolate, chopped small (I used Guittard disks, 60+ percent cacao.)
3/4 cup dried cherries, cut in half if they're large
2 tablespoons Chambord (or any similar fruity liqueur that you really like)
To brush/sprinkle on the dough before baking:
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sanding/coarse white sugar, or turbinado or Demarara sugar
In a small bowl, drizzle the Chambord over the cherries and let them sit for at least 30 minutes or so at room temperature.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, completely whisk together the three large eggs, the granulated sugar, and the vanilla extract.
Into that, gradually add the sifted ingredients. The dough will be very dry and thick. Dump the dried cherries, with all of their liquid, into the bowl. Stir that in. Add in the chocolate pieces and stir to combine as best you can. The dough will be extremely thick and pretty sticky.
Plop all of the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Lightly flour your hands.
Roll each dough-half into a long log, a few inches shorter than the length of your baking sheet(s); the dough spreads out quite a bit in all directions when baking. Place each log onto a parchment-covered baking sheet. Dampen your palms with cold water and pat the top of the loaves, gently pressing down so each log is slightly flattened.
Using a pastry brush, liberally coat each loaf with beaten egg; do this twice to each log. Sprinkle sanding/coarse sugar (or whatever kind you've chosen to use) atop the length of each loaf.
Bake the loaves for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven, reversing the pan(s) in the oven halfway through the baking time. Remove them from the oven; lower the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Leaving the loaves on the baking sheets, let them cool for up to 15 minutes.
Move the loaves, still on their parchment, to a cutting surface. Using a serrated knife (ideally, a very sharp bread knife), cut each loaf on the diagonal into slices that are about 1/2" thick (I think mine were actually a little thicker than that).
Lay all of the biscotti pieces, cut sides down, back onto parchment-covered baking sheets.
Continue to bake for 20 to 30 minutes, flipping the pieces over halfway through, and reversing the direction of the baking sheet(s) in the oven. If you want the cookies to be really hard and crunchy, bake them for the maximum amount of time, and check to see that they're pretty firm before you take them out of the oven.
When they're done, let them cool completely on the baking sheets. Store them well covered. They'll be good for about a week. (And, of course, if you're dying to dip them in melted chocolate, well, follow your dream!)
(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple COMMENTS below.)
Triple Citrus Panettone . . . Fragrant Bread with a Tender Crumb
To contact us Click HERE
A few short weeks ago, I was sitting in a dim and cozy restaurant gabbing with my pastry-school pal, Michelle. She'd just handed me about six luscious pounds of thin couverture-chocolate disks that she'd acquired wholesale through one of her mysterious culinary connections. Two big bags of the disks were parked on the table when the waitress came over to greet us. She glanced curiously at the bulging sacks and said, "What's this?"
I think she may have feared we brought our own bag-lunch because, for an instant, she got that wary-waitress gleam in her eye. You know the gleam I mean? Anyway, Michelle, who is smart as a whip and takes no guff from anyone, quipped, "I'm a drug dealer." Then after a pregnant pause she added, "It's chocolate."
The waitress immediately chuckled, smiling in understanding. Chocolate. Of course. We were speaking the universal language.
One of the nicest benefits of attending culinary school has been the opportunity to meet kindred spirits, Michelle being one of them. It was from her that I got the notion to make panettone this Christmas season. (Michelle, you constantly generate good ideas for baking and pastry shenanigans. I love that about you!)
And, I had another incentive to make panettone this holiday season as well. I received a complementary case of chopped candied fruit a couple of weeks ago from the Paradise Fruit Company of Plant City, Florida. I'm pretty sure I yelped in surprise when I unsealed that cardboard carton only to find all those containers of candied orange peel, lemon peel, citron, and crystallized ginger. I don't know what I thought might be in there, but it wasn't candied fruit.
I opened one of each. They all looked and smelled so fresh. I tried citron first. I'd never tasted citron before, candied or otherwise, and the first thing I noticed is that it's beautifully translucent. Light shines right through.
As I nibbled each variety of fruit, my preconceived candied-fruit notions were blown out of the water. All of the lovely, sticky, little cubes were so bright. The orange- and lemon-peels were so chewy, and the candied ginger was just right--not too peppery, and not at all bitter.
I'm now officially a candied fruit believer, and panettone is the perfect vehicle for quality candied citrus. Many, many thanks to Paradise Fruit for offering me this wonderful sampling. I love it!
About this recipe . . .
The recipe I chose is pretty elementary compared to the more elaborate, old-school panettone versions out there. This is an I-don't-have-all-the-time-in-the-world-but-I-really-want-to-make-panettone formula. Adapted from a recipe in the latest issue of the King Arthur Flour catalog, this citrus panettone begins with a starter that you toss together the night before.
What did I change? Well, the main recipe calls for 1/4 cup of potato flour, but I didn't have that so I substituted 1/2 instant potato flakes; this is a common substitution used in bread recipes, and not to be feared. I didn't have the special flavoring called for (Fiori di Sicilia), so I made my own tiny mixture of vanilla, lemon, orange, and almond extracts. I didn't have one of those traditional paper panettone pans in the correct size (though I drove around metro Detroit looking for them, to no avail!), so I used two high-sided metal cake pans (6" x 3") and they worked out just fine. And, of course, I rewrote the instructions to reflect exactly what I did.
This panettone is slightly sweet with a gloriously tender crumb of the palest yellow. Yum.
Triple Citrus Panettone
(For a printable version of this recipe click here!)
Yield: Two smaller loaves (mine were 4" tall and 6" wide); or one larger loaf
Ingredients for the starter:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/16 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) cool water
Ingredients for the dough:
2 cups (8.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup instant mashed-potato flakes (I used Hungry Jack brand, natural flavor; alternately, you can use 1/4 of potato flour.)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt (I used fine sea salt.)
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) lukewarm water
2 large eggs, room temperature
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
A couple drops each of orange extract, lemon extract, and almond extract (enough to equal 1/4 teaspoon total)
1 cup mixture of candied orange peel, lemon peel, and citron, all chopped into very small cubes (I used Paradise Fruit brand; it's already cut to the perfect size.)
Make the starter the night before you make the bread dough:
In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and water. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature, undisturbed, until the next morning. The starter will get slightly bubbly.
Make the bread dough:
Measure all of the dry ingredients for the dough into a large bowl; whisk them together lightly.
Add in the wet ingredients (except for the candied fruit; that goes in last) and stir until well combined combine.
Mix in the candied fruit until well distributed.
Mix by hand for a couple of minutes (I easily did this by hand with a dough-whisk; you can use a mixer with the paddle attachment, on low speed, if you prefer) then dump the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead it for another minute or two. It should be soft and sticky.
Put the dough into a large bowl that's been sprayed with vegetable spray or lightly oiled with vegetable oil.
Cover the bowl with a sprayed/oiled piece of plastic wrap, and top that with a lightweight dish towel. Let the dough rise in a warmer-than-room-temperature spot for up to 90 minutes, until it's almost doubled (don't expect to see dramatic rise).
Turn the risen dough out onto a very lightly floured work surface. Gently deflate it. If you're making two smaller loaves, divide the dough now with a bench knife or sharp chef's knife. Shape the dough pieces into smooth balls and pinch closed any bottom seams.
Place the dough balls into pans that have been well greased with shortening (I used two 3"x 6" metal cake pans), or into paper panettone pans. Cover the pans with sprayed/oiled plastic wrap and top that with the lightweight dish towel.
Put them in a warm spot and let them rise for up to 2 hours, until almost doubled.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Remove the plastic wrap carefully so as not to deflate the dough and place the pans in the middle of the hot oven (I placed my pans atop a baking sheet to help ensure the bottom of the loaves wouldn't burn).
Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Continue baking for 15 to 20 more minutes, or until the loaves are deep golden all over. If you're baking one large loaf, you may need to bake for 35 minutes longer.
Remove the finished loaves from their pans immediately and cool them completely on a rack before slicing.
(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple COMMENTS below.)
A few short weeks ago, I was sitting in a dim and cozy restaurant gabbing with my pastry-school pal, Michelle. She'd just handed me about six luscious pounds of thin couverture-chocolate disks that she'd acquired wholesale through one of her mysterious culinary connections. Two big bags of the disks were parked on the table when the waitress came over to greet us. She glanced curiously at the bulging sacks and said, "What's this?"
I think she may have feared we brought our own bag-lunch because, for an instant, she got that wary-waitress gleam in her eye. You know the gleam I mean? Anyway, Michelle, who is smart as a whip and takes no guff from anyone, quipped, "I'm a drug dealer." Then after a pregnant pause she added, "It's chocolate."
The waitress immediately chuckled, smiling in understanding. Chocolate. Of course. We were speaking the universal language.
One of the nicest benefits of attending culinary school has been the opportunity to meet kindred spirits, Michelle being one of them. It was from her that I got the notion to make panettone this Christmas season. (Michelle, you constantly generate good ideas for baking and pastry shenanigans. I love that about you!)
And, I had another incentive to make panettone this holiday season as well. I received a complementary case of chopped candied fruit a couple of weeks ago from the Paradise Fruit Company of Plant City, Florida. I'm pretty sure I yelped in surprise when I unsealed that cardboard carton only to find all those containers of candied orange peel, lemon peel, citron, and crystallized ginger. I don't know what I thought might be in there, but it wasn't candied fruit.
I opened one of each. They all looked and smelled so fresh. I tried citron first. I'd never tasted citron before, candied or otherwise, and the first thing I noticed is that it's beautifully translucent. Light shines right through.
As I nibbled each variety of fruit, my preconceived candied-fruit notions were blown out of the water. All of the lovely, sticky, little cubes were so bright. The orange- and lemon-peels were so chewy, and the candied ginger was just right--not too peppery, and not at all bitter.
I'm now officially a candied fruit believer, and panettone is the perfect vehicle for quality candied citrus. Many, many thanks to Paradise Fruit for offering me this wonderful sampling. I love it!
About this recipe . . .
The recipe I chose is pretty elementary compared to the more elaborate, old-school panettone versions out there. This is an I-don't-have-all-the-time-in-the-world-but-I-really-want-to-make-panettone formula. Adapted from a recipe in the latest issue of the King Arthur Flour catalog, this citrus panettone begins with a starter that you toss together the night before.
What did I change? Well, the main recipe calls for 1/4 cup of potato flour, but I didn't have that so I substituted 1/2 instant potato flakes; this is a common substitution used in bread recipes, and not to be feared. I didn't have the special flavoring called for (Fiori di Sicilia), so I made my own tiny mixture of vanilla, lemon, orange, and almond extracts. I didn't have one of those traditional paper panettone pans in the correct size (though I drove around metro Detroit looking for them, to no avail!), so I used two high-sided metal cake pans (6" x 3") and they worked out just fine. And, of course, I rewrote the instructions to reflect exactly what I did.
This panettone is slightly sweet with a gloriously tender crumb of the palest yellow. Yum.
Triple Citrus Panettone
(For a printable version of this recipe click here!)
Yield: Two smaller loaves (mine were 4" tall and 6" wide); or one larger loaf
Ingredients for the starter:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/16 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) cool water
Ingredients for the dough:
2 cups (8.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup instant mashed-potato flakes (I used Hungry Jack brand, natural flavor; alternately, you can use 1/4 of potato flour.)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt (I used fine sea salt.)
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) lukewarm water
2 large eggs, room temperature
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
A couple drops each of orange extract, lemon extract, and almond extract (enough to equal 1/4 teaspoon total)
1 cup mixture of candied orange peel, lemon peel, and citron, all chopped into very small cubes (I used Paradise Fruit brand; it's already cut to the perfect size.)
Make the starter the night before you make the bread dough:
In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and water. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature, undisturbed, until the next morning. The starter will get slightly bubbly.
Make the bread dough:
Measure all of the dry ingredients for the dough into a large bowl; whisk them together lightly.
Add in the wet ingredients (except for the candied fruit; that goes in last) and stir until well combined combine.
Mix in the candied fruit until well distributed.
Mix by hand for a couple of minutes (I easily did this by hand with a dough-whisk; you can use a mixer with the paddle attachment, on low speed, if you prefer) then dump the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead it for another minute or two. It should be soft and sticky.
Put the dough into a large bowl that's been sprayed with vegetable spray or lightly oiled with vegetable oil.
Cover the bowl with a sprayed/oiled piece of plastic wrap, and top that with a lightweight dish towel. Let the dough rise in a warmer-than-room-temperature spot for up to 90 minutes, until it's almost doubled (don't expect to see dramatic rise).
Turn the risen dough out onto a very lightly floured work surface. Gently deflate it. If you're making two smaller loaves, divide the dough now with a bench knife or sharp chef's knife. Shape the dough pieces into smooth balls and pinch closed any bottom seams.
Place the dough balls into pans that have been well greased with shortening (I used two 3"x 6" metal cake pans), or into paper panettone pans. Cover the pans with sprayed/oiled plastic wrap and top that with the lightweight dish towel.
Put them in a warm spot and let them rise for up to 2 hours, until almost doubled.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Remove the plastic wrap carefully so as not to deflate the dough and place the pans in the middle of the hot oven (I placed my pans atop a baking sheet to help ensure the bottom of the loaves wouldn't burn).
Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Continue baking for 15 to 20 more minutes, or until the loaves are deep golden all over. If you're baking one large loaf, you may need to bake for 35 minutes longer.
Remove the finished loaves from their pans immediately and cool them completely on a rack before slicing.
(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple COMMENTS below.)
Cactus-Pear & Cherry Sorbet . . .
To contact us Click HERE
Just last week, I made the personal acquaintance of a cactus pear. Actually, several of them. They were purplish, slightly soft, and a wee bit spiky. I had no choice but to get to know these cactus pears, because they were one component (out of seven different components) that I was forced to confront as part of the "practical final" in my most recently concluded pastry arts class, Plated Desserts II. This final, which I'd been dreading for weeks if not years (undoubtedly since I first heard about it shortly after starting culinary school, ages ago, and witnessed the terror it invariably invoked in the advanced pastry students), required me and my classmates to create a visually striking and tasty dessert within just a couple of hours from start to finish. Not so difficult, you say? Well, consider the fact that a bona fide plated dessert--composed of various textures, temperatures, colors, and flavor types--typically consists of several individual recipes, and the need to combine all the mysterious ingredients into one coherent and comely dessert in that period of time is actually a rather tall order.
The other six ingredients we had to make use of besides cactus pears were unblanched brazil nuts, unpopped popcorn, quinces, cardamom pods, brick dough (also known as feuilles de brick, this is kind of like a tougher and more transparent version of phyllo dough), and coconut sugar.
The fact that I completely forgot to photograph my dessert, once finished, helps illustrate how frazzled I must have been by the time I presented my finished plate to my teacher, a fellow we'll simply refer to here as Chef R. It was not what my husband would describe as "a triumph"--a phrase he often likes to use in reference to especially well-prepared and delicious food. No, it was a partial success and that's all it was. The part of it that was a complete success, was the sorbet portion. That sorbet, which was somewhat similar to today's recipe, was brilliantly pink and made a dramatic impression on the plate. It was zesty, sweet, and tart. It was positively psychedelic.
There was also a cactus pear sauce, equally vivid, neatly dabbed onto the plate like a tiny path, that served as a dividing line between the dessert's two main components. To the left was a perfectly egg-shaped scoop of sorbet (also known as a quenelle), with a delicate golden tuile balanced on top. The sorbet sat on a circle of crumbly streusel that I'd made from a ground combo of toasted brazil-nut brittle and popped, salted popcorn. That sorbet and tuile construction was parked near my attempt at a warm, spicy, stewed quince concoction enclosed within a crisp, baked, brick-dough basket. A cute basket, no doubt, but with sticky, sugary contents that were barely edible. Really. I joke you not. Something went terribly wrong with my stewed quince. The whole thing became gritty and grainy and wasn't at all becoming. And the cardamom in there seemed overwhelming . . . too much cardamom. As I brought my plated creation up to Chef R. at the appointed hour so he could render judgement, I knew I was a girl with a problem.
Chef R. was not impressed with the right side of the plate. Alas.
But, he did say he really liked the sorbet and thought the whole concept, at least in terms of looks, was attractive and appealing. Overall, it could have been worse. I suppose I was just glad all those weeks/months/years of anxious anticipation were over. I'd completed Plated Desserts II and, really, that was reward enough.
It was a tiny consolation, to be honest, that the other members of the class seemed to have a less than complete triumph as well. We all felt, though, that we tried the best we could given the limitations we were forced to work with. And Chef R. was only encouraging in his closing comments to us, as we gathered up our belongings and prepared to offer our fatigued goodbyes. Before we left the room he urged us to keep taking baking/pastry classes even after we complete the formal requirements of the program (I have one more class to go). Because, after all, there is always more to learn. Indeed.
Cactus-Pear and Cherry Sorbet
(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)
4 very ripe cactus pears
1 pound sweet cherries
12 ounces simple syrup, cooled
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons cherry (or other fruit-flavored) liqueur (I used Heering cherry liqueur; you could use Kirschwasser, or Chambord, or even Limoncello would probably be good.)
Cut the cactus pears in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp with a large spoon. (Be careful; the outside of a cactus pear may have tiny spines left on it that you can't really see.)
Pit the cherries and cut them in half.
Put the pulp and the cherry pieces into a deep straight-sided container and blend them with an immersion blender until no large chunks remain. Strain the mixture into a medium size bowl. Rinse out the deep straight-sided container. Pour the mixture back into it, along with all of the simple syrup.
Blend the mixture again until all lumps are gone and it looks smooth. Strain the mixture again into a bowl, this time with a fine mesh strainer. You're trying to catch any seeds from the cactus pears; they are very hard and black.
Stir the smaller amount of lime juice, along with the liqueur, into the strained sorbet mix. Taste the mix, and add more lime juice if you prefer. Don't add more liqueur; too much alcohol will make it difficult for the sorbet to firm up in the freezer.
Chill the sorbet mix until extremely cold and churn it in your ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's directions.
Put the churned sorbet into a chilled container that can be tightly covered and freeze it for at least several hours. I froze mine for over a day before serving it; it needs time to get really firm, and for the flavors to ripen.
Serve in small portions. Nice as a very light dessert, or as a palate cleanser between courses.
(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple COMMENTS below.)
Just last week, I made the personal acquaintance of a cactus pear. Actually, several of them. They were purplish, slightly soft, and a wee bit spiky. I had no choice but to get to know these cactus pears, because they were one component (out of seven different components) that I was forced to confront as part of the "practical final" in my most recently concluded pastry arts class, Plated Desserts II. This final, which I'd been dreading for weeks if not years (undoubtedly since I first heard about it shortly after starting culinary school, ages ago, and witnessed the terror it invariably invoked in the advanced pastry students), required me and my classmates to create a visually striking and tasty dessert within just a couple of hours from start to finish. Not so difficult, you say? Well, consider the fact that a bona fide plated dessert--composed of various textures, temperatures, colors, and flavor types--typically consists of several individual recipes, and the need to combine all the mysterious ingredients into one coherent and comely dessert in that period of time is actually a rather tall order.
The other six ingredients we had to make use of besides cactus pears were unblanched brazil nuts, unpopped popcorn, quinces, cardamom pods, brick dough (also known as feuilles de brick, this is kind of like a tougher and more transparent version of phyllo dough), and coconut sugar.
The fact that I completely forgot to photograph my dessert, once finished, helps illustrate how frazzled I must have been by the time I presented my finished plate to my teacher, a fellow we'll simply refer to here as Chef R. It was not what my husband would describe as "a triumph"--a phrase he often likes to use in reference to especially well-prepared and delicious food. No, it was a partial success and that's all it was. The part of it that was a complete success, was the sorbet portion. That sorbet, which was somewhat similar to today's recipe, was brilliantly pink and made a dramatic impression on the plate. It was zesty, sweet, and tart. It was positively psychedelic.
There was also a cactus pear sauce, equally vivid, neatly dabbed onto the plate like a tiny path, that served as a dividing line between the dessert's two main components. To the left was a perfectly egg-shaped scoop of sorbet (also known as a quenelle), with a delicate golden tuile balanced on top. The sorbet sat on a circle of crumbly streusel that I'd made from a ground combo of toasted brazil-nut brittle and popped, salted popcorn. That sorbet and tuile construction was parked near my attempt at a warm, spicy, stewed quince concoction enclosed within a crisp, baked, brick-dough basket. A cute basket, no doubt, but with sticky, sugary contents that were barely edible. Really. I joke you not. Something went terribly wrong with my stewed quince. The whole thing became gritty and grainy and wasn't at all becoming. And the cardamom in there seemed overwhelming . . . too much cardamom. As I brought my plated creation up to Chef R. at the appointed hour so he could render judgement, I knew I was a girl with a problem.
Chef R. was not impressed with the right side of the plate. Alas.
But, he did say he really liked the sorbet and thought the whole concept, at least in terms of looks, was attractive and appealing. Overall, it could have been worse. I suppose I was just glad all those weeks/months/years of anxious anticipation were over. I'd completed Plated Desserts II and, really, that was reward enough.
It was a tiny consolation, to be honest, that the other members of the class seemed to have a less than complete triumph as well. We all felt, though, that we tried the best we could given the limitations we were forced to work with. And Chef R. was only encouraging in his closing comments to us, as we gathered up our belongings and prepared to offer our fatigued goodbyes. Before we left the room he urged us to keep taking baking/pastry classes even after we complete the formal requirements of the program (I have one more class to go). Because, after all, there is always more to learn. Indeed.
Cactus-Pear and Cherry Sorbet
(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)
4 very ripe cactus pears
1 pound sweet cherries
12 ounces simple syrup, cooled
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons cherry (or other fruit-flavored) liqueur (I used Heering cherry liqueur; you could use Kirschwasser, or Chambord, or even Limoncello would probably be good.)
Cut the cactus pears in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp with a large spoon. (Be careful; the outside of a cactus pear may have tiny spines left on it that you can't really see.)
Pit the cherries and cut them in half.
Put the pulp and the cherry pieces into a deep straight-sided container and blend them with an immersion blender until no large chunks remain. Strain the mixture into a medium size bowl. Rinse out the deep straight-sided container. Pour the mixture back into it, along with all of the simple syrup.
Blend the mixture again until all lumps are gone and it looks smooth. Strain the mixture again into a bowl, this time with a fine mesh strainer. You're trying to catch any seeds from the cactus pears; they are very hard and black.
Stir the smaller amount of lime juice, along with the liqueur, into the strained sorbet mix. Taste the mix, and add more lime juice if you prefer. Don't add more liqueur; too much alcohol will make it difficult for the sorbet to firm up in the freezer.
Chill the sorbet mix until extremely cold and churn it in your ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's directions.
Put the churned sorbet into a chilled container that can be tightly covered and freeze it for at least several hours. I froze mine for over a day before serving it; it needs time to get really firm, and for the flavors to ripen.
Serve in small portions. Nice as a very light dessert, or as a palate cleanser between courses.
(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple COMMENTS below.)
Festive Cookie-Bar/Brownie/Blondie Round-Up . . .
To contact us Click HERE
In keeping with the season's seemingly endless baking fest, I thought I'd gather up a nice sampling of bar-cookie/brownie/blondie recipes from past posts to share with you. I'm going to launch into an all-day baking marathon tomorrow and I need to get my ducks in a row. Thought reviewing these recipes might help get me in the mood. It's always wise to have the option of pan-baked items on the agenda along with the inevitable drop cookies, roll-out cookies, refrigerator cookies, and every other kind of cookie bound to make an appearance on the holiday platter. So, without further ado, let's plunge right in with ten favorites from days of yore . . .
Cranberry Snowdrift Bars
Nanaimo Bars
Layered (Hungarian) Apricot Bars
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake-Swirl Brownies
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Merry Mocha Streusel Bars
Apple Cinnamon Blondies
Perfectly Velvety Dark Chocolate Brownies
Strawberry Mascarpone Bars
Cream Cheese Blondies with Milk and Dark Chocolate Chips and Honey-roasted Almonds
Okay, I think that ought to keep the baking marathon on track, for a while at least. See you when we both come up for air!
(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple COMMENTS below.)
In keeping with the season's seemingly endless baking fest, I thought I'd gather up a nice sampling of bar-cookie/brownie/blondie recipes from past posts to share with you. I'm going to launch into an all-day baking marathon tomorrow and I need to get my ducks in a row. Thought reviewing these recipes might help get me in the mood. It's always wise to have the option of pan-baked items on the agenda along with the inevitable drop cookies, roll-out cookies, refrigerator cookies, and every other kind of cookie bound to make an appearance on the holiday platter. So, without further ado, let's plunge right in with ten favorites from days of yore . . .
Cranberry Snowdrift Bars
Nanaimo Bars
Layered (Hungarian) Apricot Bars
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cheesecake-Swirl Brownies
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Merry Mocha Streusel Bars
Apple Cinnamon Blondies
Perfectly Velvety Dark Chocolate Brownies
Strawberry Mascarpone Bars
Cream Cheese Blondies with Milk and Dark Chocolate Chips and Honey-roasted Almonds
Okay, I think that ought to keep the baking marathon on track, for a while at least. See you when we both come up for air!
(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple COMMENTS below.)
Kaydol:
Kayıtlar (Atom)