Category: Uncategorized

JB Bars

JP, this one’s for you.

Since traveling to Australia is sort of like going to the U.S. from a size perspective, we chose to visit three cities: Melbourne, Sydney and Port Douglass (an hour outside of Cairns).

In each of the three cities, a delightful little petit-four like cookie was served alongside coffee for a taste of something sweet at the end of meals.

The little treats started with a shortbread base.  To which a layer of penuche, or brown sugar fudge was added.

The squares were topped by a layer of chocolate.

These are kind of like million dollar shortbread.  Only not.

Once we got home I spent some time trying to find a name for these little guys.  No luck.

So, TD and I decided to name them ourselves.

While in Sydney, we met up with our friend Julia (and Jennifer and Myra).  They were there leading a group of college students and while it’s a sad state of affairs to have to go halfway around the world to spend time with someone who lives less than 10 miles away, good fun was had by all.  Some of that fun was the discussion, debate and general admiration of a certain footie player from the Sydney Swans.

Australian rules football is fantastic.  TD and I caught a Sunday game in Melbourne (at the historical MCG) between the Richmond Tigers and the Carlton Blues.  It was a crisp afternoon in early fall with huge clouds and a cool breeze.  Beer, meat pies with tomato sauce and some very….athletic athletes.  It doesn’t get much better.

Australians are fervent sports fans and on their island nation, the Sydney Swans are royalty.

Their crowned prince?  That certain footie player, Jude Bolton.  A prolific athlete–315 games in his 14 year career thus far–Mr. Bolton is, according to JP, also an ace bloke.   Dear readers, meet Jude.

Photo source: Phil Hillyard / News Limited via FoxSports.

By now you’ve figured it out.  JB Bars are short for Jude Bolton bars.  Because, we like him that much.

As for the Sydney Swans…well…Australia seems to have a knack for using American fight songs as their own.  The Sydney Swans fight song is set to the tune of the Notre Dame fight song.  Make what you will of that little nugget.

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Salted Caramel Squares

Twix Bars

JB Bars

penuche layer adapted from Stephanie Stiavetti at www.theculinarylife.com everything else is Misanthropic Hostess

Shortbread Base

Ingredients

  • 10 TBS butter, cold
  • 1/4 C brown sugar
  • 1/8 C granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 C flour
  • 1/8 C salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 235 degrees.
  2. Line an 8X8 or 9X9 pan with parchment so that pieces hang off the end on all four sides.
  3. In a food processor, pulse together sugars, flour and salt.
  4. Cut butter into 1/2 TBS pieces.  Using pulse function on the processor, add-in pieces one-at-a-time until the dough just barely comes together.
  5. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  6. Press dough into pan.
  7. Prick dough all over with fork.
  8. Bake on middle rack until golden brown (20-30 minutes…begin checking at 20 minutes or when you  begin to smell the butter cooking).
  9. Remove from over and allow to cool completely.

Penuche & Chocolate Layers

Ingredients
  • 2½ cups brown sugar
  • 2½ cups white sugar
  • 1¼ cup whole milk or half and half
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 8-12 ounces chopped chocolate (I used bittersweet) depending on how thick you’d like the layer.  I used about 9 ounces.

Directions

  1. In a heavy saucepan over medium-low flame, heat brown sugar, white sugar, milk, butter, and salt to 236F while stirring constantly. This should take 20-25 minutes.
  2. Pour penuche into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium for 2-4 minutes, or until fudge is thick and smooth. Lower speed to low and add vanilla extract.
  3. Using a spatula greased with butter, spread penuche fudge on top of shortbread base, smoothing out the top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  4. While the penuche is cooling, melt chocolate in a double boiler or in microwave (50% power, 30 seconds at a time, stirring in-between until chocolate is melted and smooth).
  5. Spread chocolate evenly over penuche layer using an offset spatula.  Allow to harden.
  6. Lift entire concoction from pan using the ends of the parchment.  Cut into 1-inch squares.
  7. Serve or use within two or three days.  Will keep slightly longer if stored in an air-tight container.  Do not refrigerate.

 

Shake Your Cherry Ripe Bonbon

I love wandering the aisles of grocery stores in other countries.  I may be overstating this assertion, but I think grocery stores are a pretty accurate proxy of a country’s cultural, political and even geographical positions.  The snack food aisle (often aisles) is one of my favorite.  I love perusing the exotic packaging and, when I can cipher  the language, the strange and wonderful flavor combinations.  I’ll admit, part of the allure is the “ewww gross” factor.  Smoked shrimp Doritos?  Limberger Cheetos?  Disgusting…and yet…completely fascinating.

While I generally draw the line at observation on the salty snacks, international candy is a favorite of mine to bring back as gifts (especially since many of the interesting varieties can be purchased through duty-free shops, helping with the customs issue).  I probably brought back $50 worth of candy from Hong Kong a couple of years ago.  I have no idea what it was…but the packaging was gorgeous.

Before heading to Australia, a friend of ours gave TD the inside line on her favorite Aussie candy bar: Cabury’s cherry ripe.  Intrepid chocolate triers that we are, we managed to procure a cherry ripe within hours of landing in Melbourne.  Dark chocolate+coconut+glace cherry bits makes an excellent combination.

Photo credit: http://www.cadbury.co.nz/products/bars/cherry-ripe.aspx?p=3550

Once the cherry ripe seal was broken, there was no going back.  In order to preserve our own innocence, I purposefully did not count the number of cherry ripe bars purchased while “in-country.”

I did realize early on however, that the coconutty-cherry middle had a very similar consistency to the needhams I made last fall.

And so, upon return to the U.S., I got down to business recreating the cherry ripe bar into bonbons.  The middle of a cherry ripe bar is darker than my little bonbons…more of a crimson than a candy apple.  But, candy apple was the only red food gel I had in my stash at the time.  I ordered the glace cherries from Amazon.  I’m fairly certain the only thing anyone uses those things for are fruit cakes…and the middle of summer is decidedly NOT fruitcake season (insert joke here).

I used a 1/2 ounce scoop to form the chilled guts into little balls.  Then I froze the balls and, pulling them out of the freezer in batches of 12 or so, dipped them in dark chocolate.

TD claims these taste very similar to the original.

Provided their lurid color, I think they’d make a good halloween treat.

Soundtrack

INXS (the original, not the one they tried to make over a few years ago).  These guys were a major part of the musical landscape that was high school for me.  Need you Tonight, Suicide Blonde and New Sensation all bring to mind images of swim meets and beach days at La Jolla Shores.  What I didn’t find out until later was that the band’s original name was The Farriss Brothers: Andrew, Jon and Tim.  While the spelling is different, two of the three are what my father and grandfather are called.

Cherry Ripe Bonbons

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup mashed potatoes (not seasoned) (you could easily get this amount from a single large russet potato)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 lb  confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 7 ounces flaked coconut
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla
  • 7 ounces glace cherries, finely chopped (you can also buy “cherry chips” where the chopping has been done for you
  • red food gel
  • 18 ounces (about 1 1/2 packages)  chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate
  • 1/2 paraffin wax block, the same paraffin you melt to use on top jam (2 1/2 by 2 1/2)

Directions:

  1. Pare, cook, and mash potato to make three-quarters of a cup. Add salt.
  2. If you are making recipes right after boiling the potato, use the still-warm sauce pan or dutch oven. The pan should still be warm enough to melt the butter off the heat.  If not, turn on heat to low and allow butter to melt.
  3. Turn off heat and add mashed potato, confectioners sugar and gel.  Fold to evenly mix color.
  4. Add-in flaked coconut, chopped cherries and vanilla.
  5. Mix well and turn into a buttered 9X9 inch pan and spread evenly.
  6. Refrigerate to harden.
  7. When hard, scoop and then roll into balls (I used a 1/2 ounce scooper).
  8. Place cut squares back into the fridge until dipping.
  9. For the dipping chocolate, again use a double boiler or place a heat-proof bowl over a sauce pan of simmering water.
  10. Add paraffin and allow to melt.
  11. Add chocolate and allow to melt.
  12. Stir well to mix ingredients.
  13. Dip in the chocolate mixture (with a fork, toothpick, or my personal favorite, bamboo BBQ skewer).
  14. Place on waxed paper to harden.

 

The Josh’s Mom (cherry limeade for grown ups)

I know I said we’d go back to Australia for a few weeks, but I’ve got one more recipe before we do that.  It’s an adult beverage.  And, I couldn’t wait until the end of the summer to share.

I can’t quite figure out how to tell the story of this cocktail without revealing what incredibly bad people TD and I are.  So, I’m just going to tell the truth.

Our little unicorporated area of Los Angeles has its own fourth of July parade.  Like many other July 4th parades across this fine country, ours is populated by local politicians in classic cars, boy scouts, indian guides and youth baseball/softball leagues.  TD and I started going when we moved to the neighborhood because it seemed unpatriotic not to attend a parade that begins three blocks from our house.

Three summers ago we were doing our American duty, sitting on the curb watching the 10th high school band drift by when a miracle happened.  We were situated next to a family with (as we remember it), a boy of about seven.  Every time this child even began to look like he might wander off, his mother would yell: “josh.  Josh.  JOSH!!!!!”  Soon TD and I were so wrapped up in the drama going on next to us that the parade was nearly forgotten.    While we felt bad for poor Josh, his overbearing mother’s shenanigans were very entertaining.

The following year the miracle happened again and we found ourselves side-by-side with Josh and his mom.  This year was even better.

So, you know how at some, small town parades the participants throw candy?  Our parade has candy and swag.  T-shirts, beach balls, airline peanuts, reusable shopping bags–all up for the taking.  The distribution is randomized…and almost always done by children.  They walk by, throw stuff and the kids pick up what they can.  You’ve done this before right?

So.  Josh’s mom.  Every time there was swag to be had, she did one of two things.  If Josh didn’t get some, she would approach the giver (remember, they’re almost always kids) and ask for some.  If, by chance Josh got whatever prize was thrown…but only one, Josh’s mom would still solicit the thrower with the same explanation each time: “can I have another (fill in piece of crap here), Josh’s sister isn’t here and they’ll fight if she doesn’t get (fill in your piece of crap here).

Now, I don’t know about you, but where I grew up there was parade etiquette.  These unwritten rules pretty much stated that if you are lucky enough to be watching a parade and if the parade walkers throw cool stuff into the crowd, you either get some or you don’t.  You don’t stop the progress of the parade just so you can get  [insert piece of crap here].   I know times change so I did some research.  TD and I looked up and down the parade route and Josh’s mom was the only parent guilting poor local dance troupes and Shriners for gifts.

We continued to feel really bad for Josh.  And whoever he might date in the future.  If he’s ever allowed to date.

Which brings us to this year.  We figured, if by some chance we happened to sit in the vicinity of Josh’s mom, we’d do some careful observation and come up with a cocktail for future Josh.  Guess who we sat next to at the parade?  I promise, it wasn’t planned.  In fact, Josh’s mom didn’t join the crew until the parade had begun.  Much to our surprise, Josh has not only a sister but another younger brother (which made us wonder why 2012 Josh’s mom was only asking for stuff for the sister).

TD and I went to the parade armed with our cell phones so that we could text each other should to chance arise (I told you, we are bad, bad people).  Sure enough, first swag throwers come through and one, or two of Josh’s siblings didn’t get the double bubble being thrown.  So, mom flies into action.  Again, and again, and again.

Here is the thing, Josh’s mom used the excuse that her kids would fight if all three didn’t get equal stash.  But, as very close observers of the scene, TD and I can attest, those kids bickered the entire time.  They bickered in way that neither TD and I would have ever dared fight in front of our parents.  Josh’s mom seems to have a new strategy: yell at the kids to stop bickering while her eyes and fingers are engaged in what I’m guessing is candy crusher or some other momlike phone game.

By the end of the parade, we decided that Josh didn’t need the cocktail, we did.  And, so, I bring you the Josh’s mom.  Next year, we’ll come to the parade armed with enough cocktails for not only us, but anyone who happens to sit next to Josh’s mom and family.

Josh’s Mom

Makes 6 high ball or 8 low ball cocktails

note: of course these can be made individually.  BUT, I think this recipe works better as a punch.

Ingredients 

  • zest of 1 lime
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1/2 C water
  • 2/3 C fresh lime juice
  • 2 C frozen sweet or sour cherries (I used sweet)
  • 2 C soda water, seltzer or sprite
  • 1 C vodka
  • Lime wheels or wedges to garnish

Directions

For simple lime syrup (do this at least 2 hours in advance and allow to chill).

  1. Combine water and sugar in small saucepan.  Stir to dissolve sugar and allow to come to a boil.
  2. Once mixture is boiling, turn off heat and add lime zest.  Allow to steep for 15 minutes.
  3. Strain-out lime zest (I use a fine-mesh colander) and chill.

To assemble punch

  1. In a blender, puree cherries until smooth.
  2. Mix-in lime juice.
  3. Mix-in seltzer.
  4. Mix-in simple syrup to taste (start with 3 TBS and go from there depending on desired tartness).
  5. Mix-in vodka.
  6. Serve over ice with lime wheels as garnish.

Julio’s Hot Carrots

As TD will agree, my love for the hot carrot borders on embarrassing.  A staple of the Southern California taco stand, I often force him into causing a distraction so that I can heap these spicy little gems directly onto whatever I’ve ordered, completely bi-passing the appropriate little dishes provided.  Who am I kidding, whatever  I’ve ordered is just a beard to deliver the hot carrots.

Also embarrassing?  It’s taken me this long to realize I could make my own at home.

In researching recipes I discovered that what I thought was a requisite member of any good salsa bar may just be regional.  Most recipes I found suggest that the hot carrot originated in a Mexican restaurant in San Diego called Julio’s.  Julio’s is no longer open and sadly, I don’t remember ever going there while growing up.  But, his legacy is strong and far-reaching.

Sadly, not the first Kitchen God photo bomb this blog has seen.

I thought this would be a fun fourth of July recipe because somewhere along the way I found an Alton Brown creation called Firecracker Carrots.  Sadly, his recipe uses baby carrots.  The blasphemy.

Will I stop raiding the spicy carrot bowl at our local taco shop?  Have you met me?  But, at least in my house, hot carrots have been elevated from a sometimes food to an all-the-time food.

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Pico de Gallo 

Soundtrack

Foster the People…in an attempt to will a new album into existence.

San Diego Style Hot Carrots

source:  this recipe is a little like salsa, I mixed and matched ingredient lists until I got a blend I liked

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs carrots
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 7 ounce can pickled jalapenos (with juice)
  • 2 C apple cider vinegar
  • 1 TBS oregano
  • 1 TBS kosher salt
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 TBS oil (I used olive)

Directions

  • Clean and peel carrots.  Slice on the diagonal to about 1/2 inch thick.
  • Add carrots to a large saucepan and bring to boil in about 24 ounces water.  Once water hits a steady boil, set timer for 5 minutes.  Promptly drain carrots in a collander.
  • While water is heating, thinly slice onion.
  • In a large bowl, combined onion, jalapenos and juice, vinegar, spices, bay leaves and oil.
  • Add blanched carrots to bowl.  Mix until all ingredients are well distributed.
  • Cover bowl and let mixture cool for three hours.
  • Hot carrots can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.  They won’t last that long, I promise.

Hello, my little Lamington

As I think I’ve mentioned, TD and I spent a couple of weeks in Australia during the second half of May.  As I’m sure many people do, we have an ever-lengthening list of places in the world we’d like to go and Australia had been on that list far too long.  I also happen to have on my own personal bucket list, with the goal of spending at least one birthday on each continent.  Australia made for continent number five.

Deciding to go to Australia or sort of like deciding to go to the United States in terms of geographic breadth.  Not wanting to spend the two weeks on planes, we chose three cities: Melbourne, Sydney and Port Douglas (an hour outside of Cairns).  This meant only two domestic flights and maximized our time on the the ground.

As I’ve said at least a million times in previous posts, my favored souveniers come in the form of photos and recipes (or at least inspirations for recipes).  We dropped the ball a bit on photos.  I’d estimate that at least half of the 50 or so pictures we took are of wallabys and a certain koala we met at an animal sanctuary.  Of those, a surprising number happen to be selfies of said koala and TD.  Hmm.  Luckily, Australians do like their baked goods and sweets.  The most famous of which is, the Lamington.

This little tea cake is named after either Lord Lamington, the Governor of Queensland from 1896-1901, or his wife, Lady Lamington.  Like red velvet cake, the mythology of the treat’s exact origins differs by account.  However, the most common story suggests that the yellow cake, dipped in chocolate icing and then rolled in coconut, was developed by the Lamington’s chef when confronted with unexpected guests at tea.  Lacking fresh cakes, the chef used the day-old sponge cake and the rest is history.

I have an admission, we didn’t have a chance to actually try Lamingtons while in Australia.  I know it makes me a poor researcher, but I assumed the cubes of coconut covered confections were giant marshmallows.  Oops.

It wasn’t until late in the trip that I realized my gaff, and so, I set about rectifying my mistake by making my own.

In reviewing recipes, I settled on David Lebovitz’s version.  Because, it makes so much sense to make an Australian cake using a recipe from an American living in France.

While he was in Australia, he didn’t get to try them either.

I think these would be a ton of fun to make with kids.

Mostly because they’re incredibly messy.  See that unappetizing bowl in the top center of the photo below?  That was my hand-wash station.  True Lamington form requires one to dip the sandwich cakes in the runny icing (by hand) and then roll them around in the coconut (by hand).  Not wanting to get coconut in the icing (in retrospect I have no idea why I was so concerned), I dipped, rolled, set, washed hands, dried and repeated. Sixteen times.

I’m pretty sure I lost about a quarter of the icing and coconut to what ended up on me.

In the end, it was worth it.  The recipe calls for desiccated coconut.  I was too lazy to find the desiccated version and went for shredded.  The Australians seem pretty okay with variation (in fact, they seem pretty okay with just about anything), so I don’t think they’d mind.

These reminded me of something Little Debbie would make.  In a good way.  Little Lamington does have a certain ring to it.

Now, consider yourselves warned.  By my count, I’ve got six more Australia-related posts in the pipeline.  Next week we’ll take a little break for some Fourth of July fun but after that it’s back to my version of boring vacation slides.

And one more thing.  Well done Bruins Baseball!  If my math is correct, that’s 109 championships, a first for baseball and about a million 8-claps.

Soundtrack

Colin Hay of course

Lamingtons

adapted just slightly in technique from David Lebovitz

16 Individual Cakes

Ingredients

For the spongecake:

  • 6 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cup (175 g) cake flour*
  • 2 1/2 ounces (70 g) melted unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the chocolate icing:

  • 6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 1/2 ounces (40 g) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk, whole or lowfat
  • 2 cups (220 g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, natural or Dutch-process (sifted if lumpy)
  • 2 tablespoons boiling water
  • 3 cup (200 g) unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions

1. To make the spongecake, butter a 9-inch (23 cm) square cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the eggs and granulated sugar and salt on high speed for five to ten minutes, until thick and the batter forms a well-defined ribbon that remains on top of the batter when you lift the whip. Stir in the vanilla.

3. Fold the flour into the egg mixture by putting the flour in a sifter or mesh strainer and sifting the flour over the top of the beaten eggs while simultaneously folding the flour in using a whisk.

(You might want to steady the bowl on a damp towel, twisted and rolled up into a circle, or get someone to hold the bowl while you fold.) Fold in the melted butter until no streaks of butter are visible, but do not overfold.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

5. When cool, unmold the spongecake onto a cutting board and remove the parchment paper. TMH note: since the origins of the cake involved day-old sponge, I wrapped up the cake tightly and froze it over night for ease in cutting.  And authenticity.

6. Trim the ends and cut the cake in half horizontally using a serrated bread knife.  (I find it easier to cut the cake into two rectangles first, and cut each one separately.)

7. Make the chocolate icing by melting together the chocolate, butter, and milk in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Remove the bowl from the pan of simmering water when smooth, then whisk in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

8. Spread a generous 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the chocolate icing over one layer of the spongecake, then top with the other half of the spongecake, sandwiching the two together with chocolate icing in the middle.

9. Cut the cakes into sixteen squares.  TMH note: I was worried about the two halves sliding around during the dipping process and so, arranged the squares on a 1/4 baking sheet and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes to encourage the icing to form a stronger glue.  It worked as I can report no slippage.

10. Whisk two tablespoons of boiling water into the icing. Put the coconut into a shallow baking dish or bowl.

11. Use your hands to dip the Lamingtons into the chocolate, rolling them around to make sure each side is coated with the chocolate icing, then wipe off any excess on the side of the bowl. Place the Lamingtons in the vessel of coconut, tossing them around gently to get them coated on all sides.

12. Once iced and tossed in coconut, place the Lamingtons on a wire cooling rack and let stand until the icing firms up a bit.

Lost and Found Panna Cotta

When we were in Montana, oh, back in December, my brother decided we needed to make a panna cotta for dessert on Christmas Eve.  I think it was one of two or three other desserts.  For six people and a toddler.  But, far be it for me to EVER stand in-between a family member and pudding.  There has been violence.

From the get-go we decided we didn’t want to un-mold the limber treat and so my brother added a ribbon of melted ganache to each pretty glass.

I’m not sure if it was the elevation, but while the panna cotta eventually found the lovely silky and slightly firm consistency that makes it so delectable, it took at least 12 hours to set in the fridge.  Maybe we should have just put it out in the snow to firm-up.

Obviously I’ve been hoarding this recipe for several months, though without intention.  Sometimes my reliance on spreadsheets and lists gets in the way of actually thinking.  Somewhere along the way a cut-and-paste error dropped this treat off my editorial schedule and it wasn’t until I found the pictures that I recovered this little corner of paradise lost.

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Coconut Panna Cotta

Soundtrack

It was Christmas Eve, I’m sure John Denver and the Muppets were involved.

 

Orange Panna Cotta

adapted from Gale Gand via www.foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 4 cups heavy cream, or a combination of cream with milk or buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 6 wide strips fresh orange peel (orange part only-no white pith)
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let soak 10 minutes (do not stir).
  2. Meanwhile, heat the cream, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to dissolve the sugar. As soon as it simmers, turn off the heat and add the gelatin mixture, stirring to dissolve the gelatin. (If the gelatin doesn’t completely dissolve in 3 minutes, return to the heat and warm gently until dissolved.)
  3. Strain the mixture into a pitcher to remove the vanilla bean and orange rind. Pour the mixture into 6 to 8 ramekins or dessert cups, or into 1 larger dish. Chill, uncovered, at least 3 hours (or maybe a good 24 hours in our case).
  4. To unmold, dip the cups in hot water for 10 seconds, then turn the panna cottas out onto dessert plates (or, simply serve in the cups or by the spoonful). Shave some chocolate curls onto the top of the panna cottas and serve with the orange supremes.

 

The shortbread experiment continues

A while back, I experimented with a Thomas Keller shortbread recipe.  As a note in the recipe, he casually throws out a slight alteration for chocolate shortbread.  I couldn’t resist.

The substitution is simple–just replace some of the flour with high quality dutch-processed cocoa.

Because I can’t leave well enough alone, I also added the zest of an orange to the dough.

Then I iced each little square with a simple concoction of confectioner’s sugar and blood orange juice.

These were really intense.  And, in my opinion, better than the original shortbread recipe.

If you like this, you might like these

Chocolate Cayenne Cookies

Wold Peace Cookies

Soundtrack

Carol King

Shortbread

adapted from Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel in Bouchon Bakery

Ingredients

  • 13 TBS (1 stick + 5 TBS) (180 grams) unsalted butter at room temp
  • 1/2 C (90 grams) superfine sugar
  • 1/2 + 1/8 tsp (2 grams) kosher salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4  all purpose flour
  • 3/4 C unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
  • zest from 1 large orange (optional)

Directions

  1. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream until smooth on medium-low speed.
  2. Mix-in zest.
  3. Add 1/2 C (90 grams) sugar and the slat, mix on medium for about 2 minutes until fluffy.
  4. Scrape down the  sides and bottom of the bowl.  Add the vanilla and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds to distribute evenly.
  5. Add the flour and cocoa in two additions, mixing on low speed for 15-30 seconds or until just combined.  Scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate any flour that may have settled.
  6. Mound the dough on the work surface and, using the heel of your hand or a pastry scraper, push it together into a 5-inch square block.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until firm.
  7. Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.  Line two pans with parchment paper.
  8. Unwrap the dough and place between two pieces parchment paper.  With a rolling pin, pound the top of the dough working from left to right to begin to flatten it.  Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat.
  9. Roll-out to a 9 inch square.  If the dough has softened, slide it (still inside the parchment) onto the back of a sheet pan and refrigerate until firm again.
  10. Using a chef’s knife, cut the dough as desired.  The original recipe calls for 3 cuts horizontally and 5 cuts vertically so that you have 24 2 1/4X 1 1/2 inch pieces.
  11. Dust the tops of the dough with sugar and arrange on baking sheets leaving 3/4 inch in between each.
  12. Bake until pale golden brown, 17-19 minutes.  Set the pans on a cooling rack and cool for 5 to 10 minutes, transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

For icing

  • If you would like to ice the cookies, begin with 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar, whisk in orange juice or water 1 TBS at-a-time until the icing is of desired consistency.  Dip cookies and allow icing to dry.

Three flours, none wheat

In a surprise turn of events, TD pulled this recipe for me a few months ago from, where else, the Wall Street Journal.

When I made the cake several weeks later, he asked where I’d gotten the recipe.  Turns out, when he found it he only got as far as the candied orange peel, decided I would like it, and perused the list of ingredients no further.

This recipe combines almond meal, corn flour and corn meal to give the loaf an interesting and satisfying body.

Unable to resist anything citrusy, I actually doubled-up on the zest and juices.

The instructions suggest serving the cake with a scoop of coconut ice cream.  I double and triple this recommendation.  Bright and lovely, this cake is sophisticated enough to serve as a dinner-party dessert. That fact that all the elements can be prepared in advance and assembled in minutes makes this dessert a party no-brainer.

 

Almond Polenta Cake

adapted from the Wall Street Journal, March 29, 2013 who adapted it form the Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook

Candied Orange Peels

Ingredients

  • 10 clementines, mandarin oranges, tangerines, tangelos or small blood oranges (I used blood oranges of course)
  • 2 C water
  • 2 C sugar

Directions

  1. Peel citrus and separate into segments, removing as much pith as possible.
  2. Bring sugar and water to boil over medium-high heat in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
  3. Reduce heat to low, add peel and simmer for about 5 minutes.
  4. Strain mixture over a bowl and return liquid to the pan.
  5. Set pan over medium-high heat and cook until syrup is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 6-8 minutes.
  6. Allow to cool completely and gently stir-in the citrus segments.

Almond Polenta Cake

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks, 16 TBS) unsalted butter, plus additional to grease pan.
  • 1 C superfine sugar
  • 2 C almond meal
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • zest of 2 lemons + juice of 1 lemon
  • zest of 1 orange, plus juice of 1 orage
  • 1/4 C corn flour
  • 1/4 C corn meal
  • 2/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • coconut ice cream
  • fresh mint sprigs

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease loaf pan and line with parchment.
  2. With an electric mixer or standing mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter and sugar until pale and light, 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add almond meal and vanilla, mix on low until combined.
  4. Beat-in eggs one-at-a-time.
  5. Fold in citrus zests and juices, corn flour, corn meal, baking powder and salt.
  6. Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake until set and deep golden brown, about 45 minutes.
  7. Allow loaf to cool on rack for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.
  8. Serve each slice topped with a scoop of coconut ice cream, a hefty drizzle of candied citrus peel and a sprig of mint.

Wavocana Bread

Like any place else, there are certain truisms about growing up in San Diego.  The first week of school is always the hotest.  Dude can be used as a noun, adjective, verb and even the occasional expletive. And, nobody actually buys avocados, oranges, grapefruits or lemons (because if you don’t have one of these trees in your backyard, your neighbor does).  I’m not kidding, I don’t think I consumed a single store-bought avocado until I went to college.

Sadly, the urban jungle in which we currently live is not so generous with its fruit.  Which means I actually have to spend money on this egg-shaped delicacy.  Which also means that I do everything in my power to make sure they do not go to waste.

And that is where this week’s post begins.  I had uber ripe avocados.  I also had super ripe bananas.  And some walnuts.

Well, I say, when life gives you ripe, make wavocana bread.

That’s right, avocado, banana walnut bread.

I was a little disappointed at how subtle the avocado is in this recipe.  Though, it did add fantastic texture.

Moist, nutty and satisfying.  Dude.

Wavocana Bread

adapted from: www.californiaavocado.com/

Ingredients

  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 ripe, Fresh California Avocado, seeded
  • ¼ cup coconut oil in liquid form (can substitute canola oil)
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 very ripe bananas
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • ¼ cup buttermilk

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, grease bottom only.
  2. Sift together dry ingredients: oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
  3. Scoop the avocado into a large bowl and mash lightly.
  4. Add oil and brown sugar to the avocado. Cream together using an electric mixer, until light and creamy.
  5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  6. Stir in bananas, then walnuts and dry ingredients.
  7. Stir in buttermilk and beat just until buttermilk is incorporated.
  8. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Wavocanana bread is quite moist and may not pass the “toothpick” test at this point. If you prefer a drier bread, bake a little longer.