justpigs

March 6, 2010

Weekender: Lemon Buttermilk Muffins

With the persistence of cloudy skies and seemingly constant wet pavement, I must again thank the heavens for bright winter citrus. For those with an abundance of lemons to use this winter, this is a great, easy recipe (no more than 30 minutes start to finish) that will start the day with a ray of sunshine. Perfect with a cup of tea.

Lemon Buttermilk Muffins

--adapted from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham

Makes about 12 muffins

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

2 TBS honey

2 eggs

1-1/4 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Grated zest of one lemon

Lemon Syrup:

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

3 TBS water

Preheat oven to 375F. Butter muffin tins.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and whisk well to evenly distribute ingredients. In a glass or plastic liquid measuring cup measure buttermilk and add honey, eggs, melted butter and lemon zest and beat well with a fork. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix gently with the fork until just combined (will be a little lumpy).

Fill the muffin tins with the batter. Bake at 375F for 15 minutes or until the top begin to turn golden and a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the muffins are baking, put the sugar, lemon juice, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for just a minute and then remove from the heat and set aside.

When the muffins are done and you have pulled them out of the oven poke them gently a few times with the tines of a fork. Line your countertop with a piece of parchment or waxed paper (this just make clean up a little easier). Set the muffin tins on top of the parchment and spoon the the syrup over the muffins.

The syrup will sink into the holes made with the fork (and will roll off the muffins onto the pan and the parchment). Let the muffins cool for a minute or two in the pans and then turn the muffins out and eat!

These are best eaten warm, but I don't think you'll have a problem with leftovers. Happy Weekend!!

Filed under // baking lemons vegetarian weekender

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March 5, 2010

Seville Orange Meringue Tart

Yesterday was a day full of new things and a LOT of experimenting in the kitchen. I worked on a few recipes that have great potential (to be posted soon) and one that was a knockout!

At this point, there's no doubt that I'm dealing with a full-blown Seville orange addiction. I hit the jackpot yesterday with Seville Orange Meringue Tart. I was inspired by my neighbor, Wendy who brought us a few pieces of her fantastic Key Lime Pie on Sunday. Why not try it with sour oranges?! I couldn't wait to get crackin'!

The first place I went to look for recipes was David Lebovitz's blog (one of the best, if not the best food blog out there). I was greeted with a great recipe full of new and exciting challenges. First of all, Lebovitz recommends a French tart dough that is made with very hot melted butter. This technique runs completely contrary to the method most of use have used for years of cutting very cold butter into the flour. Once one clears the mental hurdles of preparing the dough in this manner, it is really very easy (just be careful handling the dish of hot butter). This is the most successful tart dough I've ever made (I can't wait to follow Lebovitz's suggestion to fill it with chocolate ganache...).

I slightly adapted Lebovitz's wonderful Lime Meringue Tart recipe in order to use the Seville oranges. The filling is a basic curd recipe, without any milk, which I really like. It was also nice that after finishing the recipe I was left with only one unused egg white, instead of 3 (you could use the third white as well if you plan to cover the whole pie in a light blanket of meringue.)

The next completely new technique I learned was making meringue on the stove. I have the Popeye forearm to prove my mettle. I'm thinking I should get a whisk tattooed over my brachioradialis and forearm flexors, just so people know why my arm looks so unbalanced. In any case, the meringue that results from this muscle building method is sooo smooth with just the right amount of stickiness. It is composed of tiny, densely packed air bubbles. The technique is not overly difficult and the results are very professional looking. The taste and texture are exquisite. My only word of caution is to watch the meringue every second when you brown it under the broiler. I was watching it like a hawk, then Emmy asked me if she could practice piping some of the leftover meringue on a piece of waxed paper and I turned away from my watch to get her started. WHAM-O! My meringue started burning!! I quickly rescued the pie with no flavor implications, but the meringue was a bit shy of perfection for it's dark color.

I highly recommend using Lebovitz's French Tart Dough recipe. But if you would rather not, just use your own favorite tart dough recipe.

Seville Orange Tart

--adapted from David Lebovitz's Lime Meringue Tart

One pre-baked 9" tart shell

For the filling:

1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup Seville orange juice (about 4 good size oranges)

1/2 cup plus 3 TBS sugar

zest of one Seville orange

a pinch of salt

3 egg yolks

3 eggs

For the meringue (To cover the entire tart in a light covering of piped meringue use all three whites from the yolks above and a pinch more sugar):

2 egg whites

1/4 cup plus 1 TBS sugar

a pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat the over to 375F.

Combine butter, orange juice & zest, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is just warm.

Meanwhile, separate three eggs and set the white aside. Combine the three yolks with the three whole eggs and beat together with a fork or whisk.

When the butter is warm, add 1/3 cup of the butter/juice mixture to the beaten eggs and yolks, whisking constantly. Now, turn the heat down to medium low and poor the slightly warmed egg mixture into the butter/juice/sugar combination in the saucepan, whisking away while you do it. Keep up the constant whisking while the curd forms (do not boil!! or you will get bits of cooked egg in your curd, which you can strain out if you need to, but easier not to). When the curd begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon pour it into the pre-baked pie shell and bake at 375F for 10 minutes.

While that tart is setting in the oven, get busy on the meringue. Put a saucepan of water on to simmer. Put the egg whites, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat the whites/sugar/salt until the white are foamy. Transfer the mixing bowl to set over the simmering water. Whisk away (dreaming all the while of Popeye forearms) until the whites reach 140F on an instant-read thermometer. Then bring the bowl and reattach it to the stand mixer and beat on high speed to cool the whites. After about 3 minutes, scrap down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla. Beat another 3 minutes or so fully cool the dense and lovely meringue. Pipe, dollop, or spread the meringue on top of the set pie.

Heat the broiler and VERY CAREFULLY AND ATTENTIVELY brown the meringue.

Revel in the lip-puckering delights of Seville Orange Tart!

Filed under // Seville oranges baking pie

Comments [5]

February 25, 2010

Easy Peasy: Parmesan Crackers

I'm oppressed by Annie's Cheddar Bunnies. I'm telling you, I hate buying those things. Every time I grasp that box off the supermarket shelf I cringe & shiver. But they are such an easy snack for the kids and even the pickiest eaters seem to like them. You know?

Phew, now that I've got that off my chest... I've been wanting to find a recipe for some little snack crackers for the kids for quite awhile. Finally, I found it! And they are so incredibly easy!

The beauty of this recipe is it's not just for kids. Serving these right out of the oven at a dinner party will win you serious accolades (and they will be gone in seconds-- especially if I you invite me!).

You can cut the crackers in any shape and adorn them in any way you wish. I used a tiny horsie cookie-cutter for the kids and ruffly postage stamps shape (with my ravioli cutter) for adults (oh ok, me). I used a tiny bit of fleur de sel on the top, but kosher salt would work just as well (just a little bit, as they already have salt in the dough). Other things that could be nice are sesame seeds or a couple of poppy seeds, a little grinding of pepper or a teeny pinch of nutmeg, a tiny added bit of grated cheese. You could also add any of these things to the dough too. I do think some finely chopped herbs (parsley, dill, thyme, rosemary, marjoram) would look and taste lovely as well.

Be sure to score them with a fork, and if your oven runs hot watch them closely. I rolled my batch pretty thin and started checking them at 8 minutes, both batches took about 11 minutes in my oven.

Added bonus: they smell soooo yummy while they are cooking.

I can't improve on the instructions from Smitten Kitchen, so follow this link to get the recipe.

Bye-bye Annie's Cheddar Bunnies! Woo-hoo!

(Yes, I ate that one!)

Filed under // baking crackers easy peasy kids snacks

Comments [4]

February 20, 2010

Weekender: Oatmeal-Currant Scones

I love to make scones. They are quick. They are easy. They are fun to make with kids. You can eat them for breakfast or brunch or afternoon tea. Kids and adults both seem to love them. These would be very nice with a little fruit for a weekend breakfast.

I cut these with a Bonne Maman jam jar, which is the perfect size in my opinion. You can also cut them into wedges. This recipe will make about a dozen Bonne Maman circle-shaped scones.

Oatmeal-Currant Scones

--adapted from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 TBS sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1-1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup currants

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the cut butter to the dry ingredients and work it in with your hands or a pastry cutter until it feels like coarse meal. Mix in the oats and currants until well combined. Pour in the buttermilk and mix it all together gently with a fork until you can pull the dough together into a ball with your hands.

Put a little flour down on the work surface and turn out your dough onto the flour. Kneed the dough 6 or 7 times to pull all the last bits together. Roll the dough into a big ball and press it out into a circle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut in pie shaped wedges or into circles with a lightly floured biscuit cutter or jam jar. Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes.

Crumble topping (optional)

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 TBS Flour

3 TBS rolled oats

1 TBS butter, melted

Mix together until the butter permeates the dry ingredients. Lightly press onto the tops of the scone just before baking.

Serve the scones warm with your favorite jam.

Filed under // baking breakfast vegetarian weekender

Comments [0]

February 19, 2010

Zax's Goat Cheese Soufflé

Do you remember? When Zax was in North Beach? At the risk of sounding old and sentimental: Ah! those were the days! We had so many fun, delicious meals at Zax.

As I was recipe surfing recently, I stumbled upon Michael Bauer's column on his 10 favorite restaurant dishes. I was elated that it included the recipe for the legendary Zax goat cheese soufflé.

If one kept recipes in the scrapbook of their life, this one would be in mine.

Filed under // baking soufflé vegetarian

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February 15, 2010

MAKE IT! Results: "The Queen of Hot Pastries"

"Queen of Hot Pastries" is right! What fun it was making soufflés! I'm happy to say that Jamie and Wendy are keeping this feature alive and I am so grateful for their participation. Both of them made the Cheese soufflé and sent pictures and stories of other soufflés they made. All efforts were successful. Wendy and I both worried about every aspect our first attempts. Before making the cheese soufflé, Wendy made chocolate dessert soufflés that she had been meaning to make for quite a while. She said,"All along I kept thinking I'd messed it up. The chocolate wasn't right (I let it cook too long, it was too thick) I didn't beat the egg whites long enough or maybe I beat them too much, I errored on the side of caution and didn't fold enough..." But success! Everything came out perfectly. Judge for yourself!

In a completely fortuitous coincidence, the day I posted this MAKE IT! challenge Jamie's daughter had asked him to make soufflés for breakfast. He sent along this wonderful picture of what they made together: Potato Soufflé.

All three of use had the chance to make the recipe for Cheese Soufflé. We all loved it. Jamie, who wins the volume prize said it was "like eating a tasty cloud." Look at this puffy masterpiece:

And Wendy said,"It was wonderful!!!! The kids loved it. We loved it. I should have made two because this one was not enough."

I made it one evening when Yolanda & Frank and baby Sasha joined us for dinner and I worried and worried that I shouldn't have made it the first time for guests (I'll never learn!). But Yolanda reassured me and we were all delighted with the results.

I made the Grand Marnier Soufflé, which was a hit. I had much more confidence this time around and didn't worry too much about making it for the first time for guests also.

Finally, Jamie sent along this amazing lobster soufflé he undertook with a friend a couple of years back.

I'm getting ready to post another MAKE IT! and hope to snag a couple of additional participants this time! Thanks again to Jamie and Wendy!!

Filed under // baking chocolate make it! results soufflé vegetarian

Comments [5]

February 12, 2010

Chocolate Meringues

With Valentine's Day approaching, I thought I'd offer up an easy treat that's fun to make. You can shape these however you wish (hearts anyone?!). You can use them to decorate cakes or cookies or, my favorite, just eat them plain.

If you don't have a pastry bag just use a sealable sandwich bag and cut a little bit off the corner. You can also just use two spoons and drop them onto the parchment in little pods.

Chocolate Meringues

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

6 egg whites

a pinch of cream of tartar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven 300F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.

Put the powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl and mix well with a whisk.

Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer. When they get good and foamy, slowly add the granulated sugar. Beat to stiff peaks. Sift the cocoa powder/powdered sugar mixture into the eggs and fold gently by hand until well combined.

Pipe (or spoon) onto parchment in your desired shape or design.

Bake at 300F for 1 hour.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature (do not refrigerate!).

I used mine to decorate Kerry's birthday cake.

Filed under // baking chocolate vegetarian

Comments [1]

February 8, 2010

Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake

I'm still on a lemon kick--as I am every year at this time. During one of my recent web wanderings, I came across this recipe for Lemon Olive Oil Cake. It is very nearly a soufflé--but don't let that intimidate you. This is one of the easiest cakes you'll ever make.

I think the way this cake tastes depends very much on the quality and flavor of the olive oil you use. The headnote on the recipe says you can use either regular or extra virgin. I used a very mild extra virgin, but will try it next time with regular.

In future, since I was using Meyer Lemons rather than conventional lemons, I will increase the lemon juice to make it a bit more tangy.

The cake puffs up during cooking and the result is an oh, so light and zingy interior enclosed in a perfectly delicate crisp crust that looks like a slightly rumpled bed.

This cake is not overly sweet and would be an ideal finish to a heavier meal. It would dreamy with an herb infused lemon ice cream. But I think the way I will eat it tomorrow is with a little, minty berry salad and a cup of milky tea sometime around 4pm.

Filed under // baking cake lemons soufflé vegetarian

Comments [5]

February 6, 2010

Easy-Peasy Weekender: No-Rise Cinnamon Rolls

Who knew you could make cinnamon rolls in an hour or less? Someone at Fine Cooking did. And as my grandmother would have said, "Oh boy! Oh boy!" am I happy about that!

Here's the recipe. There are some helpful notes over at The Kitchn, which I followed.

I don't keep cooking spray on hand so I buttered the pan. When you arrange the rolls in the pan initially there will be gaps. Don't worry, as they cook the rolls will plump up and fill in the space. A bit of butter and sugar dripped out of the bottom of my springform, so you may want to put a cookie sheet on the rack beneath the pan.

Have fun!

Filed under // baking breakfast easy peasy vegetarian weekender

Comments [0]

February 1, 2010

Weekender: Sugar & Cinnamon Dusted Popovers

I had planned to make an awesome looking recipe for no-rise cinnamon rolls this weekend, but our modem broke down and I had no access to the internet so that recipe had to be put on hold. Because of the technical failure, I decided to peruse some of my old recipe clippings and found this one by David Lebovitz (in a strikingly odd coincidence, Lebovitz's most recent blog post is on these very same popovers! Go there to get his story) from the March 11, 2009 New York Times Magazine.

As it turned out, I only had two eggs in the house (Lebovitz calls for three), so I started cross-referencing my cookbooks to find a recipe by which my means could accomplish the desired end. I found what I was looking for right away in my trusty copy of How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

I adjusted Bittman's recipe slightly. I used the blender method (that Lebovitz uses), which I've used when I've made popovers before (perhaps Marion Cunningham's recipe in The Breakfast Book?). In any case, recipes for popovers are easy to find. Here's what I did:

Popovers

2 eggs

1 TBS melted butter

1 tsp sugar

a good pinch of salt

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 425F. Butter a muffin tin with a dozen muffin cups.

Put everything but the flour into the blender and mix quickly. Add 1/3 of the flour, blend again briefly, add another 1/3 of flour, blend, and the last third, and blend. Pour the batter into the buttered muffin tins, filling them about 2/3 full. Set oven timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, reduce the heat to 350F and set the timer for another 15 mins. When they are done, they should be golden brown and puffy on top. Turn the popovers out onto a cookie sheet. You may need to use a small paring knife to loosen and remove the popovers from the muffin tins.

When cool enough to handle brush melted butter over the puffy prizes and roll in cinnamon sugar. These sugary delights are so easy that I made them again today for tea.

PS Sorry the Weekender is coming on a Monday. We were experiencing modem failure for the last two and half days.

Filed under // baking breakfast vegetarian weekender

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