Annie's Saint Lucia Buns

Annie made these Lucia Buns for us on Saint Lucia Day - that's today. But she did have to start them yesterday. They were really delicious. One of the details I came up with in the end to take care of a little hitch in the kit-along. Annie started making these at about 11:45 at night. I know this because while I was rather soundly sleeping I began hearing the sound of someone slowly approaching the third floor, and then slowing approaching the bed. Now because I know Annie, I suspected that it was her in search of some ingredient she couldn't find. Luckily Riley did not panic, because he can really come flying out of bed when he's asleep and thinks someone is threatening him. She couldn't find the saffron. So I told her where I thought it was, and that was the last we heard of her. I would highly recommend starting the buns earlier than midnight.

So early in the evening of the day before you want the buns in the morning get started. Then, after the dough has risen once, form the buns, cover them with a dampish tea towel, and leave to rise over night. This works well in our house in the winter, as it gets very cold at night - a bit like a refrigerator.

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
4 crushed cardamon pods

Put into a glass dish for about 50 seconds. Then let sit to melt the butter. Remove the cardamon pods and add:

1 tablespoon yeast
2 teaspoons sugar

Stir just a bit, and leave for about 5 minutes to proof.
Mix the yeast mixture and the milk mixture with:

1 scant pound of flour

Knead until it is not sticky, and then leave to rise for about an hour or so.

Mix mix together:

1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp ground cardamon

Then add this mixture to the risen dough.
At this point you can form the dough into the lucia buns.
There are many shapes that you can chose from.
Put them on parchment paper on trays, cover with damp tea towels and leave to rise over-night.

In the morning heat the oven to 450 degrees.
Make an egg wash with 1 egg yolk and a dab of water, and brush onto the risen buns.
Sprinkle with some perl sugar if you like, and if you have some.
And if you like put on some raisins. Annie mistook dried cherries for raisins, and that was tasty.
Bake for 7-8 minutes. It all depends on how big your buns are.

frosting:

1 egg white
1/4 cup sugar

Beat with an electric mixer until very white and foamy.
Brush onto the buns as desired.

Sweet Peppery Carrots

As a child my mother always served carrots that she called pennies. They were cut like fat pennies, maybe 1/3 in in thickness. Then my mother cooked them to a soft stage. I ate them, but I didn't like them. They were carrots at their worst in my opinion. I've never for any reason cut a carrot to look like a penny, and for years I only served carrots raw or in soup.

But then one year I got the idea to cook julienned carrots and saute them in butter, brown sugar and pepper. It was a big hit with the family, and has been part of our thanksgiving tradition ever since. This recipe is not about certain quantities, but about the end result.

carrots, peeled and cut into about 2 - 3 inch julienned strips
salt
butter
brown sugar
coarse pepper

After the carrots are cut up I steam them with a steamer device or you can cook them in a small amount of lightly salted water in a saute pan. This is not about boiling the carrots, but about just enough cooking to get them to the au dent stage. Keep a close watch on the carrots. They do not want to come to the soft stage. If they're a little too au dent that's okay, because they will be cooked a bit more later. As soon as the carrots are cooked, run cold water over them to stop the cooking.

If I'm making these for Thanksgiving I do it the day before, get the carrots cooked and then put them in a bowl a cover them and put them in the refrigerator.  But refrigerating or not, it is important to get the carrots well drained, as you don't want to add water to the butter and sugar mix, it will be too thin to stick to the carrots.

When shortly before time to serve this dish, put a nice big nob of butter in a saute pan, add also a punch of coarse pepper and a bunch of brown sugar. This is all about how peppery and how sweet you want the carrots. Get it all melted and then toss in the carrots. At this point you can adjust things as you like. It's kind of like making candied sweet potatoes. You just play it by ear. Cook until the carrots are a nice degree of warmth to serve for dinner.

Gugelhopf Bread Pudding

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After making the kugelhopf for Tuesday with Dorie, we had half left the next day. It does get stale, but it seemed perfect for a bread pudding.

1/2 a kugelhopf that was made with 1/2 pound of flour
some raisins, or any dried fruit you like
some almonds

5 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk - whole if you have it
scant 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
scant 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
scant 1/2 cup sugar


Get a nice little baking dish, about 6 cups in size.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Break up the kugelhopf into the dish, and sprinkle on raisins and almonds.
In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients with a whisk, and pour slowly over the bread.
Push the sticking up bits down into the egg mixture.
Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar if you like.
Bake for 45 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pies

makes about 8

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 14 ounce can of chicken stock
3 cups (about) of homemade chicken stock that has been reduced and defatted *
3 cups (about) of diced left-over chicken*
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced rather small
6 white mushrooms, sliced up rather thin
1/2 cup frozen peas
French herb mix, about 1 teaspoon
salt and pepper
1 package puff pastry, cut into 8 squares big enough to top the chosen baking dishes
1 egg + 1 tsp water for egg wash

8 8-10 ounce ramekins or other appropriately sized dishes that can go into the oven

* The chicken and chicken stock

The other day I made roast chicken for dinner. I had stuffed it with chopped carrots and onion. The vegies didn't cook, but after dinner, I pulled all the left-over meat off the chicken, then I put the carcus and vegies into a pot and added a bunch of water, not enough to quite cover the chicken. I put on the lid and cooked for a while. Then I took off the lid and smushed down the chicken into the water, and cooked the whole lot for a while more. When it all looked quite cooked, with the bones all falling apart, I put the whole thing through a strainer - the cone shaped kind. I put the strained liquid back into the pot and cooked it a while longer to reduce it. Then I put it into a bowl and then into the refrigerator. When it was all cooled down the chicken fat was nice and solid on the top, and I scooped it off - saving it, as it was lovely rendered chicken fat. It was this remainder that I used in the pot pies - it was probably about 3 cups, but I didn't measure it.

making the filling

So for the filling for the pies I got a large saucier, melted the stick of butter and added the onions. I cooked those for a while, until the onions seemed tender, and then I added the flour, and cooked that for about 2 minutes. Then I quickly whisked in the chicken broths, stirring vigorously to make sure there were no lumps. I then added the carrots. With hind sight, I think that I would have put the carrots in a bowl with a bit of water, cover them with plastic wrap, and cooked them for a couple minutes in the microwave, as it took them a while before they were cooked. So when the carrots seemed well on their way to being cooked, I added the potatoes. These I then cooked for about 10 minutes. then I added the chicken, mushrooms and peas and simmer the whole thing for about 5 minutes.

assembly

I had preheated my gas oven to 400 degrees. The filling that I made would probably fill 8 pies, but I only made 4. I used 10 oz. soufflé dishes. These are big enough for a dinner for a man. I did not eat all of mine, and I think maybe a 6 oz dish would have been enough. But anyway, I filled the dishes. Got my puff pastry squares cut to size and brushed then with egg wash, and press them down onto the dishes. Then I baked them for 20 minutes.



For more on this recipe, go to Molly Loves Paris.

spicy cole slaw

I love cole slaw the way I make it, but I'm not so fond a many of the commercial kinds that are so heavy on the sauce. I've never actually measured anything for cole slaw, but here's the list of ingredients.

1/2 cabbage, sliced thin, but not paper thin, and cut to manageable getting into your mouth length
mayonnaise, maybe three tablespoons
buttermilk or sour cream - about 2 tablespoons
sugar, about 1 tablespoon
salsa - maybe 1 tablespoon - I use medium or hot Emerald Valley salsa
salt and pepper
rice wine vinegar - maybe 2 tablespoons
1 green onion, sliced and diced - make the bits small
1 or 2 ripe, but firm avocado(s), diced up.




I make the sauce in the bowl that the salad will be served in before I add the cabbage.
First put in a nice big dollop of mayonnaise and thin a bit with buttermilk or sour cream.
The buttermilk is to add something that has less calories than mayonnaise,
and to make it so that the dressing doesn't glomp onto the cabbage.
Then stir in the sugar and salsa and salt and pepper.
Finally stir in some rice wine vinegar, maybe using a small whisk.
Taste and adjust to your taste.
When the dressing tastes right, I stir in the green onion.
Then stir in the cabbage. It takes a lot of tossing to get it well coated.
If you find that you have more dressing than needed, then slice up some more cabbage if you have it and stir in.
Or put the cabbage into a big seive, and let the excess dressing drain off.
This is not a soup, but I know that excess can happen.
Then finally, stir in the avocado.

note: I know that just about everyone in the whole world who makes cole slaw adds carrots. I don't.

And ... if you'd like you can make up the dressing in a different bowl or pitcher, and pour on as needed.

Almond Carrot Cake

I love almonds, but I've not been so fond of carrot cake.  This is because it's heavy and rich.  I especially dislike cream cheese frosting.  But this cake is quite different.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a pan of your choice.  I put mine into two small bundt pans.  Since it was such a good fit, I would say that you can also use one large bundt pan, or tube pan, or maybe a loaf pan.

1/2 pound of carrots - this is two or three, or 225 grams, there's no exact science here, peeled and cut into chunks

50 grams of blanched almonds, about 1/2 cup

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extact

2 cups flour - 9 ounces

1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Put the carrots and the almonds into the food processor and process until nice and fine.

You can also throw in some dried cherries or raisins if you like.

In a mixing bowl cream the sugar, butter, and eggs.  Add the extracts.

Mix in the carrots and almonds.

Combine the dry ingredients and mix in.

Put the mixture into the desired conveyances and cook until done.  In the small bundt pans this should be about 35 minutes.  And in a large bundt I would guess about 45 minutes.  Make sure that the cake springs back when gently prodded.  

Let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

apple pie applesauce

I've been making applesauce each year for I don't know how long.  Where I live there are plenty of apples every fall.  Just about any kind you could want.  I always mix apples for my applesauce because they each have their own quality.  Now some apples I never use, like red or yellow delicious, or Rome apples.  It's not that I have anything against them, they just seem more like eating apples than cooking apples.  I have an absolute passion for a good yellow delicious with cheese, and they make a nice tart tatin also.  But anyway, I always include either gravenstiens, or newtons, or granny smiths.  The rest that I include are usually very red, because those add sweetness and color.

Obviously one doesn't need a real recipe for making applesauce, and it's all about taste.  But for what it's worth here's the ratio I used.

25 pounds of apples, about 5 pounds each of 5 different kinds, some green, some red

3 cups of white sugar

1 tbls Ceylon cinnamon, or whatever kind you have

5 cups of good nature apple cider

For the cooking and canning details on the recipe see my other blog here.

Emily's Chocolate Baby Cake with cherries and pecans

I got a pan for Emily at Williams and Sonoma, 7" round by 2". Stuck to the pan was a recipe just the right size for the pan. We modified the recipe a bit, and it turned out to be a really nice cake.


5 ounces flour (140 gr)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup Dutch cocoa (30 gr)

1 stick butter
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup water

1/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup pecans
1 Tbl flour

or instead of cherries and pecans add 2 ounces of finely ground almonds and a bit of vanilla essence.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour the pan.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the first 4 ingredients.
Cream the butter and sugar, then add in the egg and vanilla.
Combing the wet and dry ingredients alternately with the water.

Mix well, but don't beat to death or you will expend the baking soda.
On a chopping board stir together the cherries, nuts, and 2 Tbls flour and chop up with a big knife. Add to the cake batter, and pour into the cake pan.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Cool for a bit and turn out onto a cooling rack.


Icing:

1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1/2 stick of butter - 2 ounces, room temperature
2 teaspoons kirsch or brandy or any thing you like
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
milk, needed only if the icing is not spreadable enough.

Put the icing sugar and butter and brandy and vanilla into a smallish mixing bowl and beat for about 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer, add the milk to get the consistency you want - spreadable.

Assembly: Cut the cooled cake in half. Place the bottom half on a cake plate and cover with icing. Put on the top layer and cover it with icing. Do not ice the sides. Save any left-over icing for graham crackers.

This cake has been entered into the "Not Quite Nigella"

Ultimate Chocolate Cake Contest.

To find out about it just click here.

This is not my only ultimate chocolate cake, but I could only enter one. There is also "the perfect chocolate cake" and "chocolate roulade", and "orange chocolate gateau", to name some.

Oven French Fries

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These were a really big hit.  I did them for my grandson's birthday.  Riley was out of town, and I was running out of energy, and getting out the deep fryer just seemed overwhelming.  But I think these turned out as good as deep fried, with much less fuss and bother.

Turn the oven up to as high as it will go.  Mine went to 530 degrees.  It needs a while to get up to temperature.

potatoes

oil - I used a light olive oil

salt and pepper

Get a large bowl or pot and fill it with cold water.  Peel the potatoes and cut them into strips about a centimeter square on the ends.  As you cut the potatoes, put the strips into the cold water.

Get a large flat pan, I used a tray that comes with my Meile oven.  Put oil on the tray, then take the potatoes out of the water in little batches, put them on a tea towel and pat the batch dry, them put them on the tray and push them around a bit to get oil all over them.  Continue this until the tray is full, or you've come to the end of the potatoes.

If you have more potatoes than will fit on your tray, then I bet a second tray can be done.  I didn't need to do that, but If you periodically switch the trays during cooking I think it will work.

Put the potatoes into the oven for about 15 minutes.  Then take the tray out of the oven and carefully turn over all of the fries.  Then put back into the oven for about 15 more minutes.  You be the judge of doneness.  Keep you eyes on the fries.

When you take them out, this is the time to salt and pepper them.  The reason for not salting the fries during cooking is to not pull the moisture out of the potatoes and make things soggy.

Riley's Famous Barbecued Chateaubriand

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I don't remember when Riley started making this steak, but it has been a huge hit ever since. It's what I like to have on my birthday, and what Christian likes. Because we have the barbecuer on the front porch out of the rain, we can have this anytime.

I hunk of Chateaubriand steak, about 2 - 2.5 pounds, at room temperature
Adolph's tenderizer
coarse pepper
soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
garlic salt

About 45 minutes before you want to barbecue the steak, put the goals to heat - however you do that. When you do finally spread the coals about, put two thirds on one side and one third on the other - this is so you have a hotter spot and a not so hot spot.

Then put the steak into a baking dish that is just big enough to hold the meat. Poke the meat on both sides with a fork, maybe ten times a side. Put tenderizer liberally on both sides of the meat. Do the same with the the garlic salt and pepper, patting the steaks to make the stuff stick. Then douse some Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce to both sides. Now just let the meat sit in this marinade for about 30 minutes or so, turning the meat over in the middle of the time. You can marinate anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours.

To cook the steak place the steak on the hot side of the grill at an angle to the grill for about 3 minutes, then turn the steak ninety degrees, and leave for another three minutes. Then do the same on the other side. Then transfer to the meat to the not so hot side and cook on both sides for a bit longer, until the desired amount of doneness has been reached. I like mine RARE.

Chocolate Meringue Pie

I got this recipe from a cookbook that my grandmother gave me when I was 16.

1 baked pie shell

filling:
1 cup sugar
4-5 tablespoons cornflour
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped up
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 1/2 cups whole milk
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar

Prepare and bake the pie shell and let it cool.

Making the filling:
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornflour, chocolate, and salt (if desired). Slowly stir in the milk. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring often. When it comes to a boil, remove from the heat and stir in some of the hot liquid into the egg yolks to temper them. Then add the yolks to the hot liquid, stirring as you add them. Put back onto the heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. This should take very little time. Remove from the heat and stir in the extracts. Pour immediately into the pie shell.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Making the meringue:
Put the egg whites and cream of tartar into a large mixing bowl - I use my kitchenaid. Start mixing on high, gradually adding the sugar. Continue to beat until you have a nice thick meringue. You can't really over beat this because of the sugar. When done, put onto the pie filling by big dollops-full. Make sure to smooth around to completely cover the filling. Bake for about 7 to 11 minutes, until you have a nicely browned surface.

Cool completely on a rack before serving.

CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE

Make the pie omitting the meringue.  In it's place top the pie with a half-pint of whipping cream beat until thick with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

haricots verts d'ail

As a child I was never fed fresh green beans. My mother used to buy canned green beans by the case. So I grew up hating green beans. Actually, to this day I hate canned green beans. I was at a dinner party once where they were served, and not wanting to be rude I served myself some. But one bite and I knew I couldn't eat them, and I was so relieved to realize that I could hide them under my baked potato skin. But fresh green beans, cooked al dente can be wonderful. I've been known to eat just that for dinner.

fresh green beans, thinner rather than fat
butter
garlic, very finely minced, or garlic salt, or garlic powder
sel gris or fleur de sel (optional)

Wash the green beans and remove the little ends.
Put them into a pan with a lid, add about a half cup of water and a good pinch of salt.
Put on the stove on medium heat and cover and cook just long enough to have them barely cooked, and definitely al dente.
This will be something probably under 5 minutes. Test by taking a bean out and having a bit.
When done, quickly pour off the hot water to prevent any more cooking, and run cold water over the bean to cool them down just a bit. Pour off the water, but leave the beans in the pan. The goal is to make sure you do not over cook the beans. They want to be green green green.
At this point you can set the beans aside until just ready to serve.
When ready to serve, put the beans back on the stove on medium heat and add a good dollop of butter. How much depends on how many beans you have. Add the garlic, whatever form you have, and cook just until heated. This should be very quick. If not using a salt product, add some nice salt. I like sel gris. Put into a nice serving dish and serve immediately.