For Daphne: Ginger and Meyer Lemon Scones 02/14/2010
 Today I met a really nice woman at Whole Foods. She’s going to make scones for her boyfriend for Valentine’s Day, but feels like she isn’t very good at baking so she had a mix to help her. I assured her that making scones from scratch was well within her capabilities and told her I’d send her the recipe, but she was nice enough to check out this (now largely defunct) blog and she said terribly complimentary things about it in an email to me, so I decided to really help her with the scone project and put up step-by-step instructions. Let’s talk a bit about baking mixes. I’m against them. I think in large part they’re a scam perpetrated against baking-shy or –phobic people who, for whatever reason, think they can’t bake or are bad at it or that it’s difficult or somehow beyond them. The thing is, most mixes contain little more than flour, leavening, sugar, salt, preservatives, and sometimes flavoring. If you’re going to the trouble of baking, mixing those things together (minus the preservatives, of course) is the easiest part! You’re going to have to get out the eggs, milk, oil or butter, and mix-ins anyway, so why not do a tiny bit more work and be able to say you made it from scratch? As far as I can tell, there’s no good reason not to. You’ll eat fewer preservatives, it’s significantly cheaper, and you can feel smug about baking from scratch. Scones are a great place to start if you’re new to baking. They’re easiest to make if you have a food processor, but you can also use a pastry knife. In theory you can use two knives like scissors in place of a pastry knife, but I’ve never had much success with that method and a really high-quality pastry knife costs, like, 12 bucks at Williams-Sonoma and it will last forever. To make scones, you don’t need to do any creaming or much blending – it’s largely just mixing the flour with the leavening, salt and sugar, cutting in the butter, then adding the mix-ins and the liquid and stirring until it looks like dough. There’s a bit of kneading at the end, but it’s not very challenging. Then you just pat the dough into a disk, cut into wedges, bake, and enjoy! Let’s get started.  You will need: 2 cups all-purpose flour (10 ounces) 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half 1 T baking powder 1 t kosher salt (or ½ t table salt) 3 T sugar 5 T cold butter 1 Meyer lemon ½ cup crystallized ginger The first thing to do is to set up your mise en place. Make sure you have everything measured out, chopped, and ready to go. This way you won’t have to stop while you’re cooking to look for an ingredient, and you’ll be sure that you have everything you need to complete the recipe. Measure out your flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cream.  Finely dice the crystallized ginger. The easiest way to do this is to cut it into narrow strips, then turn all the strips 90 degrees and cut them again into dice.  Zest the lemon with a Microplane grater or a lemon zester or other grater if you don’t have a Microplane. If you don’t have a Microplane, get one the next time you’re out shopping. Bed, Bath, and Beyond sells them for under $15 and you can use one of those coupons they’re always mailing you. My Microplane is absolutely invaluable in my kitchen. I use it for grating parmesan, ginger, zesting lemons, and a myriad of other tasks.  Cut the butter into cubes by first cutting lengthwise down the stick, then cutting lengthwise again, then several times crosswise.  Put the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into your food processor and pulse several times to mix it all up.  Next, scatter the butter cubes over the flour mixture. Pulse it 12 times (or use a pastry knife), until it looks like this:  Now dump the mixture into a bowl and add the ginger and the lemon zest. Use a spatula to mix the ginger and the lemon in. Don’t worry if the zest sticks to itself a bit – you should be able to mix it into the flour mixture easily. The flour will help it distribute evenly.  When everything is mixed together, pour the cream into the bowl and mix it up. The motion you want to use is less of a stirring motion and more of a scraping or folding motion. Use the spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and fold the flour that’s on the sides inward, turning the bowl as you go. If you keep at it, you’ll end up with dough that looks like this:  Turn the dough out on a clean counter or butcher block or pirate map or whatever work surface you’ve got. Knead it a bit until it all sticks together and forms a ball. Pat the ball into a disk that’s slightly domed and about 6 or 7 inches in diameter. Cut into eight wedges (like a pizza) with a large knife.  Now (or maybe 15 minutes ago) would be a good time to put an oven rack in the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Note: do not use waxed paper. The wax will melt into your scones and it will be terrible. Not that I’ve ever done that, or anything.  Place the scones on the baking sheet, then bake for 15 minutes. I like to turn the baking sheet around halfway through so that the scones bake evenly, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t. When they’re done, the scones will be baked all the way through, golden brown on top, and turning dark brown on the tips.  Serve them warm with a thin slice of butter, a dollop of whipped cream, or a spoonful of lemon curd if you have some. I imagine they’d also be good with berry jam.  (Seriously, this recipe is so easy a 2-year-old could do it.)  Greg's Cucumber Lemonade 06/27/2009
 This recipe is adapted from an idea I stole from Greg Frost. I met Greg in the first class I took at UW during August of 2002. It was a drama class with a nutty tyrant of a professor who refused to go barefoot even though she made us do so and yelled at me to “just learn to take a goddamn note!” when I asked her a question about a note I didn’t understand. At one point the class was playing some sort of movement game and Greg stood up quickly and whacked my face with the back of his head. I ended up with a HUGE fat lip. Seven years (God, has it really been SEVEN YEARS?) later, I think he’s finally made it up to me with this recipe. It’s very easy to make and is wonderfully crisp and refreshing. Sure, it’s a little more complicated than mixing a can with water – but it’s not something you can find in the stores and it makes a lovely non-alcoholic drink to serve to guests at a barbecue or to take with you on a picnic. And it would definitely take the sting out of a fat lip.  You will need:  Dump the lemonade concentrate into your pitcher. Fill the can with water twice and pour into the blender carafe. Cut the cucumber into pieces, reserving several very thin slices, and place in the blender. Blend until pureed, about 30 seconds.  Place the strainer on top of the pitcher and slowly pour the liquid from the blender through it. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, press on the solids in the strainer to eke out all the liquid you can. Mix two more cans of water into the pitcher and stir to combine. Serve very cold garnished with reserved cucumber slices.  Note: This also mixes very well with Midori if you want to punch it up a bit. Yum... Raspberry and Custard Tart 06/17/2009
 This is a great dessert for entertaining. You should make it a few hours in advance, but it can be served either chilled or at room temperature so it’s pretty low-maintenance. It’s made in two stages: first the crust is baked, then the filling is added and the whole tart is baked again. This is 1/3 of my summer entertaining menu; I pair it with roasted chicken and broiled asparagus with balsamic reduction for an easy dinner that’s sure to impress. Raspberries are in season now so don’t delay making this tart. I’ve adapted David Leibovitz’s Tart Dough a la Francaise to fit an 11” tart pan. The filling is adapted from a Cook’s Illustrated recipe.  You will need:  For the filling: 8 T butter (1 stick) 2 eggs ¾ C sugar heavy pinch salt ½ T vanilla extract ½ T raspberry liqueur 1 T lemon juice 3 T flour 3 T heavy cream 1 pint fresh raspberries  To make the crust: Heat the oven to 410 degrees. Place the butter, olive oil, water, and sugar in an oven-safe bowl. When the oven is heated, place the bowl in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove the bowl from the oven, place on a heat-proof surface, and stir the flour into the hot butter mixture. Be careful as the butter might spatter a bit and it will definitely sizzle and bubble initially.  Dump the dough into an 11” tart pan with a removable bottom. When the dough has cooled off enough to touch, press it out into the pan and up the sides with your hands. Dock the dough with a fork (this means to poke small holes into it all over) and bake in the 410 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.  For the filling: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a light-colored saucepan, melt the butter and cook, swirling intermittently, over medium heat until it’s brown and toasty around the edges and smells nutty and delicious. Pour the melted butter into a heat-proof bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the flour, whisk, then slowly add the vanilla, liqueur, lemon juice, and cream while whisking. Slowly pour in the butter (it should now be cool enough to touch) and whisk until the mixture is homogenous.  Place the tart shell (still in the tart pan) on a cookie sheet. In the tart shell, place the berries evenly. I start in the middle and work outward in concentric rings.  Slowly pour the custard batter over the berries, taking care not to pour too quickly lest you move the berries around. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through. The tart is done when it is set and the filling is golden brown on the surface. Cool for several hours, then remove from tart pan and serve. An 11” tart pan will serve 12, for a 9” pan cut the recipe by 2/3, using one egg plus one white and 6 T butter. A 9” tart pan will serve 8.  C’est delicieux!! Orange Altonius 06/06/2009
 The heat has finally broken here in Seattle. We’ve returned to our regularly scheduled programming – overcast mornings, sunny afternoons in the 70s, drizzles in the evening and cooler temperatures overnight. It’s much more civilized and we’ve all recommenced wearing pants. If you’re living somewhere that it’s hot – or even if you’re not – you’ll love this sweet and creamy blended drink. The recipe is adapted from one given on Alton Brown's show Good Eats. I’ve adjusted the measurements to make a full-blender batch, which serves 4 if you’re feeling generous or 2 if you’re thirsty.  You will need:  Juice enough oranges to get 17 fluid ounces of juice. The number of oranges you need for this will vary depending on the type of orange, its size, and how ripe it is. When I made this recipe to take the pictures it took 10 small ones, but earlier this week I used 8 medium-sized oranges.  Reserve 4 fluid ounces (1/2 cup) fresh juice, then pour the rest into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours. When the juice is solid, empty the cubes into a blender. Add the milk, vanilla, powdered sugar, and reserved non-frozen orange juice and blend. Serve garnished with an orange wedge.  Guest Chef: The World's Best Chocolate Malt 05/22/2009
Once again, my dad George: The worst ‘milkshake’ I ever had was in Berlin in 1973. We were desperate for a taste of home so we stopped at a Wimpy’s Burger. This was before there was a McDonald’s on every block and the Wimpy’s looked reassuringly franchised. (Wimpy? Remember Popeye? Wimpy was his fat sidekick who would obsequiesly snivel, “I’d gladly pay you Tuesday, for a hamburger today.” Anyone under 50 may have to Wiki that.) Anyway, somebody thought that would be a good basis for a burger restaurant and franchised it. And the burgers might have been OK, I don’t really remember. What I do remember is that the milk shake came out in a glass. And it was milk, shaken. We tasted it again. It was just milk with bubbles that could only have come from vigorous shaking. All we could visualize was the night staff standing in the back, poring over a German-English dictionary, shrugging, and shaking some milk for all they were worth.  Anyway, here’s what you do: Ingredients: 8 oz milk Big scoop of marshmallow cream (1/2 cup? ¾? You be the judge) Malt powder, 2 huge spoonfuls (1/4 cup? 1/3? Again . . .) Chocolate syrup (I judge by the color) Vanilla Ice cream (better have two quarts on hand)  Set up your blender. Pour in the milk. Drop in the huge scoop of marshmallow cream and blend immediately. (Put on the lid first, or you’ll be wearing a portion of this but don’t delay) The cream should dissolve in the milk but if it gets too cold there may be problems.  While the blender is still running drop in the malt powder and squeeze in the chocolate syrup.  Then start scooping in the ice cream. Keep at it until the blender A) is full, or B) chokes and won’t take any more. Pour into huge glasses and serve with a strong straw.  If you’re the sort that likes to keep guests mystified, you can do this in the kitchen and when, amazed, they ask how you did it, you can simply reply, “Ahh, it’s just ice cream in milk.” It’s OK, not all secrets are meant to be shared. Fattet Hummos 05/19/2009
 This recipe was meant to be my entry for Thursday Night Smackdown's Cheap-Ass Monday: May. Then I didn't update for 2 weeks. Oops. For more information about the cost breakdown, please see this post. I first encountered this dish when I was taking a Middle Eastern cooking class. It’s incredibly easy to make. There are a few different parts, but each is simple and well within the capabilities of even the most recipe-dependent, can’t-boil-water dunce in the kitchen. Adapted from Chef Shannon Herman.   You will need:  Method: Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Peel the head of garlic and cut off the bottom of each clove. Put the beans, garlic, chicken broth, and bay leaves into a large pot and cook uncovered over low heat (simmer – do not boil) for 1-2 hours, until the beans are soft when squished but continue to hold their shape when left alone.  Mince 4 cloves of garlic and the mint. Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of mint, then mix the minced garlic, mint, and yogurt with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Set mixture aside.  In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts until they are slightly browned and smell really good. Remove from heat and set aside.  Set up 4 bowls. Tear the pitas into bite-size pieces and divide between the bowls. Using a spatula, spread ¼ of the yogurt mixture over the pita in each bowl.  Ladle the garbanzo beans, broth, and garlic over the pita and yogurt.  Sprinkle each bowl with pine nuts, then crumble the feta and divide equally between bowls. Garnish with reserved mint and serve immediately.  Salsa Verde 04/30/2009
 This is another of Nadine’s recipes. It’s quick and easy – basically you just throw all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse. It’s a great alternative to tomato-based spicy salsa for people who don’t deal with hot and spicy food well. It has a wonderfully fresh flavor and a beautiful bright green color that will perk up your tacos and tortilla chips.  You will need:  Remove the outer papery husks from the tomatillos and cut each one in half. Remove the seeds and ribs from the pepper and cut into pieces. Remove the papery skin from the garlic. Wash the cilantro and pick off the leaves. Slice the onion into medium pieces.  Place the onion, garlic, pepper, cilantro, lime juice, salt, vinegar, and cumin in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it’s cut into small bits.  Creamy Chipotle Sauce 04/30/2009
 This sauce is a lot healthier than many creamy sauces because it’s largely yogurt rather than mayo. It’s great with tacos of all sorts, but I think it would also be lovely with french fries or oven-baked potato wedges. It has a wonderful smokey flavor and a moderate heat that will perk up whatever you pair it with.  You will need: Sautéed Asparagus with Shallot Pan Sauce 04/23/2009
 I’m always excited when asparagus arrives in the grocery stores and farmers market stalls in the spring. When I was a kid I thought that I hated asparagus, but I discovered a few years ago that asparagus is DELICIOUS and I just didn’t like the way my parents prepared it: boiled and served plain. Yeesh.  You will need:  Begin by washing your asparagus, then snapping off the tough ends. Chop or snap each spear into 2” pieces.  To veganize, replace the butter with olive oil. Easy Rhubarb Tart 04/21/2009
 Rhubarb is often the first fruit available in the spring. It has a wonderful tart flavor and a beautiful pink color that is fresh and vernal. Though the flowers of the plant are toxic, the stalks are delicious. This tart really highlights the flavor of the rhubarb and is easy to throw together. It’s wonderful fresh out of the oven or served at room temperature and makes a good accompaniment to good vanilla ice cream.  You will need:  Begin by defrosting the puff pastry. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s where it comes in a square sheet, but at most grocery stores it is sold in a narrower and thicker box and the sheets inside are folded in thirds. To defrost, place the sheet on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes, turning over if the bottom is soft and the top is still frozen.  Juice the lemons and mix the juice with the sugar. Toss the rhubarb with the juice and sugar and let sit for at least 10 minutes. While the rhubarb is macerating, prepare the pastry. 
 Lay the rhubarb out on the pastry just inside the score line, slightly overlapping pieces. Use about half the rhubarb. Repeat with the second piece of pastry. Place both tarts on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until the tart is lovely and golden brown around the edges and the bottom of the tart is also golden brown if you lift it up carefully to have a peek underneath.  Best served warm with vanilla ice cream, but is also good room temperature for breakfast the next morning.  Optional strawberry variation: slice strawberries into pieces, and alternate with the rhubarb when layering. There is no need to macerate the strawberries in the juice and sugar as they’re sweet already. Bake just as for original tart.  | Emily90% of my emails were recipes, so now I blog instead. ArchivesFebruary 2010 CategoriesAll |
RSS Feed