Pistachio Blancmange
On May 4, 2011 by sixtyacrebakerTen years ago, more or less, I was a successful executive living the dream. You know the one: where every aspect of your life is a tax write-off because
you.have.no.life.
Evenings were spent dreaming about my dreams
swaying on the back of a pachyderm,
floating in rivers
briny air and olives of the Mediterranean
French sweets, and Moroccan spices
A day of rest.
That was another lifetime. One which inspires gratitude because; you can’t know sweet until you know salty.
This gorgeous blancmange handles them both with grace.
Pistachio Blancmange
1 ½ cup pistachios, toasted and skins removed
1 ¾ cup whole milk
1/8 tsp almond extract
generous pinch kosher salt
1 ¾ tsp unflavored gelatin
2 Tbs cold water
½ cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream—whipped to soft peaks
Place pistachios and milk in a blender and blend for a full 2 minutes. Line a sieve with a damp kitchen towel or cheesecloth and pour pistachio milk into it. Squeeze out milk and discard solids. Stir in almond extract and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let stand for 1 minute. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat milk and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add gelatin and stir until it is dissolved, do not overheat. Remove from heat and cool until just thickened. Fold in whipped cream. spoon into serving dishes. Let chill a minimum of 6 hours, or overnight.
Sugared Orange Tea Cake
On April 20, 2011 by sixtyacrebakerHey. Remember those oranges that I sugared and canned? Remember how I promised to make lots of good things with them. Well, I don’t break a promise. So here is my first creation; a gorgeous and moist cake perfect with a cup of tea
Sugared Orange Tea Cake
1c + 2Tbs unsalted butter–room temp
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs–room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
10-12 sugared oranges
orange syrup (from oranges)
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking powder in a bowl. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one mixing thoroughly after each one, careful to clean the sides of the bowl as you go. Add the vanilla and beat once again. Make sure the batter is thoroughly whipped before stirring in the dry ingredients. Once you add the dry ingredients, be careful not to over mix. Pour into prepared cake pan (greased and floured). Smooth the top and lay the oranges on top, overlapping a bit. Bake at 325 until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. After cake is removed from the oven, but not yet cooled, pour a bit of the orange syrup on top, allowing it to completely soak in before adding more. Do not add more than 1/3 of a cup.
*you can add a bit of grand marnier to the syrup if you like. you can also make a nice icing of confectioner’s sugar with the orange syrup and drizzle for a lovely presentation.
allow to cool completely before removing from cake tin.
Sugared Oranges
On April 15, 2011 by sixtyacrebakerA couple of weeks ago my good friend Julie handed me two grocery bags stuffed full of blood oranges. Gobs and gobs of amazingly sweet, stunningly hued orbs of delight. Best part. They were all mine. For the past fortnight, I have been concocting
all sorts in my kitchen. First up: sugared oranges.
Sugared Oranges
*to make approx 9 pint jars
blood oranges-or thin skinned oranges
(this recipe uses about 180-200 orange slices)
granulated sugar
ground ginger (optional)
6 cups granulated sugar
3 cups water
1 cup blood orange juice
2-1″ knobs of fresh ginger
Choose your oranges carefully. Make sure they have thin skin and that they are not so large that they will not fit into the jars you are going to preserve them in. Slice the oranges in rings no thicker than 1/8″ beginning at stem end. Arrange in a casserole dish in a single layer, slightly overlapping. Once you have your first layer, sprinkle sugar to lightly cover. Lightly sprinkle ground ginger on top as well (no more than 1/8 tsp per layer). Continue with a second layer of oranges and repeat with the sugar and ginger. Continue until you have reached your desired number of orange slices. Remember to reduce the amount of syrup if you are reducing the number of oranges. Sprinkle sugar and ginger on the top layer of oranges, cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for an hour at room temperature. After 1 hour or up to 2 (if waiting longer than 2 hours, place in refrigerator) lightly pack your oranges into sterilized jars–each pint jar will hold approximately 20 pieces.
make the syrup
Place the sugar, water, blood orange juice and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leftover juices from your oranges as well. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup appears clear. Remove from heat. Using a ladle, spoon the hot syrup over the oranges, making sure there are no gaps of air. Use a knife to maneuver the oranges so the syrup can seep through. Leave a 1/4″ gap at the top of the jar. Seal the jar and process in a water bath per standard canning methods.
I processed my jars for 20 minutes at high altitude, but i cannot guarantee that this method will be appropriate for your batch.
And now for the big question: what would you use these for? Well, coming soon is a cake recipe using sugared oranges. You can also use for cocktail garnish-using the syrup in the beverage. Dry them in a slow oven and dip in chocolate. Top cupcakes and cheesecakes. Sweeten your morning yogurt. Garnish grilled chicken. The list is endless…
Sno-Eggs {Hostess Knock Off}
On April 13, 2011 by sixtyacrebakerMy mom was an, eat a piece of fruit if your hungry kind of mom. Cakes, cookies and pastries were for special occasions. After dinner, a bowl of fruit, platter of nuts and maybe a hunk of cheese would be placed in the middle of the table. We would solve the world’s problems while the coffee brewed. If I wanted a store bought, cream filled delight, I had to eat at a friend’s house. I have still never tasted an actual hostess snowball. But I get the gist. When I found a fabulous vintage cake pan, with rows of hand-size eggs, at a local shop, I couldn’t wait to make cakes. Cakes with creamy filling, robed in sticky marshmallow, and covered with dreamy pastel-painted coconut.
Marshmallow Cakes
makes approximately 18
Devil’s Food Cake
3 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped
1 1/2 cups hot coffee or hot water or mixture of the two (i use espresso with water)
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
3 extra large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream + 1/2 cup milk or 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
Melt bittersweet chocolate in hot water/coffee. Sift dry ingredients together (including sugar). Mix together the chocolate/coffee mixture, milk, sour cream and vanilla. In a mixer beat the eggs with the oil until thickened and doubled in volume (about 3-5 minutes). Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients to the mixer, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Butter, or spray cake pan and dust with cocoa powder. Fill to 3/4 full and bake in 350 oven until tester comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
Cream Filling
1 cup milk
5 Tbs flour
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup shortening–room temperature
3/4 cup unsalted butter–room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
Over low heat, cook milk and flour in a saucepan until it makes a thick paste. Use a whisk to break up lumps. Let cool. In mixer using whisk attachment, beat shortening, butter, sugar, salt and vanilla. Add in cooled flour paste and whip until light and fluffy. Add more sugar if you want a sweeter taste.
Marshmallow Topping
3/8 oz (1 1/2 pks) unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 cups granulated sugar
water
pinch
1 large egg whites
Put sugar in a saucepan. Add enough water to make a mixture that looks and feels like wet sand. What is most important is that all sugar has the same amount of moisture. place over low heat. Cook until it becomes a sugar syrup of 235-240 degrees. It should have the consistency of corn syrup. Meanwhile…place room temperature egg white into the bowl of your mixer. Add the salt . Also, prepare gelatin. Place 1/4 cup water in a bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water. Let bloom.
Once the sugar syrup is ready, turn off heat and let sit for a couple of minutes…not too long. Start your mixer on low and get the whites to foamy. Mix the gelatin into the sugar syrup and stir until melted completely. Bring the saucepan over to the mixer and turn it to high. Slowly pour the sugar syrup into the bowl, careful not to hit the whisk attachment. Leave on high and mix until the mixture is warm, but full volume and comes to a peak. While it is still warm, pour over your cake(s)
Do not make your marshmallow until you are ready for it. marshmallow sets up quite fast, if possible get someone to help you, this will help it go both smoothly and quickly.
Colored Coconut
Simply take about a cup of sweetened flake coconut and place it in a ziploc bag. Drop in 2-3 drops of food color and close the bag. Massage with your hands until all coconut has a bit of color in it. Set aside until you are ready to use. Do not make your marshmallow until you are ready for it. marshmallow sets up quite fast, if possible get someone to help you, this will help it go both smoothly and quickly.
when you are ready, arrange your filled cakes on parchment paper in groupings of what color you will be topping them with
To Assemble
Using a pastry bag with a “fill” tip, squeeze about 2 Tbs of cream into the center of the cake through the large end of the egg. When you are ready, arrange your filled cakes on parchment paper in groupings of what color you will be topping them with. Make your marshmallow topping. While the marshmallow topping is still slightly warm, but is perfectly fluffed, stop whipping. Immediately begin topping your marshmallows, simply by pouring a bit of marshmallow on top. If you are doing this alone, stop after every two or three and generously sprinkle the coconut on top and sides. If you have a helper, allow them to immediately follow you with the coconut. Your marshmallow will set up within 5 or so minutes. Don’t panic, just be aware.
I think these would be just darling wrapped and hidden in the garden for a truly joyous easter egg hunt
Brown-Butter Bacon Shortbread with Bourbon Maple Glaze
On April 1, 2011 by sixtyacrebakerAt a recent food swap I traded jam for browned butter shortbread. It was out of this world. Within minutes of finishing the very last crumb, I was conspiring to make my own. The gal with whom I swapped was kind enough to share the recipe
from Gourmet magazine.
insert long sigh and whimper mourning the loss of this fabulous magazine
While browning the butter, I was reminded a bit of the smell of bacon.
caveat
I have been known to smell bacon at a kosher deli; I’m slightly obsessed. Chocolate-covered bacon is where I stop the madness; don’t love it, don’t like it. Not bacon’s best move.
But here is what I do love: these crispy, nutty, salty, with throat-warming bourbon glaze, cookies.
Brown-Butter Bacon Shortbread with Bourbon-Maple Glaze
*this recipe only slightly resembles its inspiration. the addition of bacon, bacon fat, nuts, and glaze are all mine
shortbread
4 oz browned butter-cooled to solid in fridge
2 oz bacon grease–cooled to solid in fridge
1/2 tsp grey sea salt (kosher is fine)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup bacon–cooked crispy and finely chopped
1 1/3 cup+ 3 Tbs all purpose flour
1 cup toasted and chopped pecans
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the cooled butter, cooled bacon grease and brown sugar. Add the salt and vanilla and stir to mix. Mix in the bacon bits, then the flour. mix only to fully incorporate the flour, do not over mix. Remove the dough from mixer and form into a cylinder on plastic wrap. Roll the dough into the chopped nuts, cover and place in refrigerator. Let rest in fridge for an hour. When ready to bake, heat oven to 350f. Slice the roll into 1/4″ slices and place on lined cookie sheet, leaving about 1/2″ between each cookie. these will spread a bit. Allow to bake about 10-12 minutes or until they start to brown on the bottom. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, drizzle with glaze.
bourbon maple glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp maple syrup
up to 1 Tbs bourbon
Place powdered sugar in a bowl. Stir in the maple syrup. Add bourbon 1 tsp at a time until it reaches a nice runny consistency, that will barely hold its shape. Pour into a piping bag or use a spoon to decoratively drizzle over the cookies. Allow to sit until the glaze has firmed up.
Cobbled Peanut Bars
On March 30, 2011 by sixtyacrebakerDon’t you love hello dollies: the layered cookie with lots of goodies, held together with a bit of condensed milk, and a crunchy graham cracker crust. Me too. I set out to make a batch just the other day only to find that I didn’t have any butterscotch chips in the pantry. What’s a girl to do? Cobble together a substitute, of course. These are chewy, and peanuty, and seriously delicious. Bust open your pantry and make a batch.
Cobbled Peanut Bars
3 Tbs butter–melted
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
2/3 cup marshmallows
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 oz peanut butter chips
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
Mix together the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs together. Press into the bottom of a 13×9″ pan. Sprinkle coconut on top.add the chips and marshmallows on top, distributing evenly. Drizzle the condensed milk over the top, then add the peanuts. Bake at 350 for about 1/2 hour. Let cool, then cut into bars to serve.
Cannoli
On March 19, 2011 by sixtyacrebakerOn March 19th Italians celebrate St. Joseph in gratitude. During a drought and subsequent famine, in Sicily, the faithful prayed to St. Joseph in hopes he would intervene. When the prayers were answered with rain and a successful harvest, the people of Sicily vowed to give thanks. Yearly. For eternity. Today, you may find Italians wearing red, praying in churches, preparing the altar and abstaining from meat. You will also find this Italian enjoying sweets. This is a day of reverence and joy. Last year I dispensed sage advice <em?if you want to read it, click here. This year you get a recipe.
Cannoli
shells
(you can buy them..there isn’t a prize for the person who slaves over hot oil all day making these)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbs crisco or lard
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup marsala wine
1 egg–whisked with a bit of water
Combine the flour, sugar, salt and lard together. Slowly add the marsala while kneading the dough. Continue working the dough until it is well mixed and a rather hard dough is formed. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit an hour and up to 3 hours. Roll the dough out to 1/4″ sheet and cut with a 4-5″ round cutter. Quickly run a rolling pin over the rounds in 1 direction to form the rounds into ovals. Place a metal tube in the center of the oval and bring the sides up, overlapping enough to form the shell. Brush seams with a bit of egg wash to seal.
Heat oil in a pot. Drop the shells a few at a time into the hot oil and fry until they are light brown and bubbly. Remove from oil and place on greaseproof paper. Allow to cool long enough to handle, then slide the tube out and allow the shells to fully cool.
filling
1 1/2 lbs ricotta–drained to remove excess moisture
1/2 cup powdered sugar
pinch kosher salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs finely grated lemon peel
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate
Mix all ingredients together and let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavors to meld. Filled cannoli shells tend to get a bit soft after time. If you want your shells to remain crispy, wait until you are ready to serve before filling them.
St. Patrick’s Day Cake
On March 11, 2011 by sixtyacrebakerI do enjoy a snazzy chapeau. Especially if it is edible.
This is a simple 7″ layer cake placed on a 10″ cake round. Place the fondant covered cake in the middle of the round. Roll out a strip of fondant wide enough and long enough for the brim, curling up the edges. Using a brush, paint a bit of water on the round (only a little) to help the brim stick and carefully place along the edges of the cake. The shamrocks are fashioned from lightly colored fondant cut out with a cookie cutter. softened the edges a bit with my fingers to give them a bit of movement. The buckle is simply rolled fondant covered in edible gold leaf, then brushed with a bit of bronze luster dust. I used just a bit of water to adhere all the elements onto the cake.
If you would like more details or further instruction on how I made this, please ask. I promise i won’t tell you that a leprechaun left it behind, at the pub I frequent.
Chocolate Malted Risotto
On February 25, 2011 by sixtyacrebakerAbout last night. Mike and I returned from our stay at a farm watching lambs being born and bottle feeding those yet able to get their fill. We spent the days eating glorious fresh food; hoarding a small taste of what we hope our lives will be soon. Not the lamb part but a reason to be tethered to our home. As we rolled in to our lives in the city, I felt a yearning for something warm and satisfying and chocolatey. I hope it will comfort me in my passage from what will be to what is. This warm, creamy and malted risotto was like a warm woolly blanket for my heart.
Chocolate Malted Risotto
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1 cup arborio rice
3 1/2 cups milk–warmed on the stove
pinch kosher salt
2 Tbs granulated sugar
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate–cut into bits
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs malted milk powder
1 tsp vanilla
heavy cream for garnish
cocoa nibs for garnish
additional malted powder for garnish
Melt the butter over low heat in a sided pan large enough to hold the rice in a thin layer. Once the butter is melted, toss in the rice and stir to evenly coat the rice. Allow the rice to cook for just a couple of minutes before you begin to add the milk. Increase the heat to low-medium. Add 1/2 cup of milk at first and stir until the milk is almost completely absorbed. Now begin to add the milk, just until it covers the top layer of rice but not more than a cup at a time. Allow the rice to absorb the milk, but come in to stir quite frequently. When the milk has almost completely absorbed, add the next amount. After you have done the second addition, stir in the sugar and salt, then add the third addition. Cook until the rice is soft, but with just a little hint of a bite, you do not want it to be crunchy or chewy. Remove from heat and add the chocolate and vanilla. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and incorporated. Serve warm with a bit of heavy cream and dusted with malted milk powder and cocoa nibs. Serves 4.
Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies
On February 12, 2011 by sixtyacrebakerI‘m that person. The one that is rarely late. The one that calls restaurants to say I’m running behind schedule. I’m that person leisurely sauntering through the airport, who doesn’t huff and puff when someone has 7 layers of clothes to remove
along with lace up knee high boots, at security. Because I am neurotic, I always have time to spare. I missed a plane once. It was in the 90s, and because of an accident on a country road. Traffic was stopped dead, no fighting it. It was 3 days before my sister’s wedding, I was maid of honor, and I hadn’t had my dress fitting. Consequently, it took me more than a day of travel. Which led to a last minute dress fitting; resulting in a poorly made dress. When my dance partner accidentally stepped on the bottom of my dress, most of it (the dress) ended up lying in a heap on the dance floor. There I stood, in my very classy maroon stockings, 3 inch heels and crop top.
I am now neurotic about airline travel. 2 hours before flight time I like to be sitting at the gate: not at the check in or security, but at.the.gate.
Which brings me to today’s recipe. Recently, while enjoying the sights and sounds of Milwaukee International Airport, for hours on end, I purchased a peanut butter oatmeal cookie as big as my head. Mike and I both thought it was genius: peanut butter and oatmeal. Sadly, genius it was not. Great idea. poor execution. I knew I could make something that tastes better. And i did.
Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 cups old fashioned oatmeal
Mix the salt,baking soda, flour, graham cracker crumbs and oatmeal in a large bowl. In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together the butter, dark brown sugar and granulated sugar, until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla..and beat until fully incorporated. Beat in the peanut butter and beat for 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients all at once and stir until fully mixed. Form into balls and flatten with the tines of a fork. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. These are delicious right out of the cookie jar, but also wonderful with a scoop of peanut butter chocolate ice cream sandwiched between.