Unfortunate Foods, Part 1

There are a lot of foods on the market with unfortunate names, or strange ingredients. Just for giggles, I will showcase a few. Happy Saturday!

Cinnamon Palmiers

Skill level: 

These are not difficult to make, the repeated refrigeration cycles create a long prep time.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, frozen

5 to 6 tablespoons ice water

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preparation

1. Stir together flour and salt in a chilled large metal bowl. Slice frozen butter into flour, gently tossing to coat butter.

2. Place butter and flour mixture in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
3. Remove flour and butter mixture from the refrigerator, and using a pastry blender, break the butter into large chunks.

4. Drizzle 5 tablespoons ice water evenly over flour mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated. Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful: When dough has the proper texture, it will hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary, add another tablespoon water, stirring until just incorporated, and test again. (Do not overwork dough or add too much water, or pastry will be tough; dough will be lumpy and streaky.)  Note: I usually just work the bough with my hands, it is easier.

5. Form dough into a 5-inch square, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 30 minutes.

6. Roll out dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin into a 15 by 8  inch rectangle (with a short side nearest you). Brush off excess flour and fold dough into thirds like a letter. Rewrap dough and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.

7. Arrange dough with a short side nearest you on a floured surface and repeat rolling out, folding, and chilling 2 more times. Brush off any excess flour, then halve dough crosswise with a sharp knife and chill, wrapped separately in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.
8. Stir together sugar and cinnamon, then generously sprinkle a clean work surface with some of cinnamon sugar and place 1 piece of chilled dough on top.

9. Quickly roll out into a 16 by 12-inch rectangle (1/8 to 1/16 inch thick; if dough becomes too soft, chill on a baking sheet until firm). Trim edges with a sharp knife. Sprinkle top of dough evenly with some cinnamon sugar to cover completely, brushing off any excess. 

10. Fold 2 opposite long sides of pastry so they meet in center. Fold in same sides of pastry in same manner, then fold one half over the other (like a book) and press gently with a rolling pin to flatten slightly, forming a long rectangular log. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar if dough is sticky.

11. Chill on a baking sheet, uncovered, until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Meanwhile, repeat with remaining piece of dough and cinnamon sugar.
12. Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
13. Cut 1 log of dough crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife and arrange slices, cut sides down, 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheet. 

14. Bake until puffed and golden around edges, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and turn palmiers over with a spatula. (If palmiers begin to unroll, gently press to reshape when cooled slightly.) Continue baking until golden all over and sugar is caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes more. 
15. Transfer as done (palmiers may not bake evenly) to a rack and cool. Make more cookies on cooled baking sheet lined with fresh parchment.

Butter Spritz Cookies

Butter Spritz Cookies

Skill level: 

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Serves: approximately 2 to 4 dozen, depending on cookie press used

Ingredients

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups sifted flour

Optional:       Sprinkles or colored sugar for garnish

                       food coloring

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, add the sugar and the butter. Mix until light and fluffy. 

3. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts and mix to incorporate. 
4. Sift together the baking powder and the flour. Add the flour mixture. Mix until combined. 

5. Optional:  Add food coloring.

6. Using a cookie press, press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheets. 

7. Optional:  Top with the sprinkles of your choice. 



Decorating ideas. 
Photo credit: http://www.southernplate.com/2012/12/spritz-cookies.html



8. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, or until firm, but not yet browning.
9. Remove from baking sheet, and allow to cool completely

Spritz cookie, dipped in chocolate ganache and crushed pistachios.

From Gourmet Magazine: Pumpkin Flan With Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

This morning, was looking online for recipe ideas, and came across this on the Gourmet Magazine website.  I think I will have to try this sometime!

Pumpkin Flan With Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Serves: 8

Active time:40 MIN 

Start to finish:8 HR (Includes chilling)

Source: http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2005/11/pumpkin-flan, NOVEMBER 2005

A bite of this flan, fragrant with traditional pumpkin-pie spices, is very comforting despite the dessert’s modern looks; a topping of pumpkin seeds, seasoned with cayenne, creates a play of sweet and heat.

Ingredients

FOR CARAMEL AND FLAN

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

5 whole large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk

1 (15-oz) can solid-pack pumpkin (1 3/4 cups; not pie filling)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

FOR SPICED PUMPKIN SEEDS

1 cup green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (1/4 lb; not toasted)

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: 

a 2-quart soufflé dish or round ceramic casserole dish

Preparation

MAKE CARAMEL:

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Heat soufflé dish in oven while making caramel.
2. Cook 1 cup sugar in a dry 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar melts into a deep golden caramel. Wearing oven mitts, remove hot dish from oven and immediately pour caramel into dish, tilting it to cover bottom and side. (Leave oven on.) Keep tilting as caramel cools and thickens enough to coat, then let harden.

MAKE FLAN:

1. Bring cream and milk to a bare simmer in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then remove from heat. Whisk together whole eggs, yolk, and remaining cup sugar in a large bowl until combined well, then whisk in pumpkin, vanilla, spices, and salt until combined well. 
2. Add hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking.
3. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, scraping with a rubber spatula to force through, and stir to combine well. 
4. Pour custard over caramel in dish, then bake in a water bath until flan is golden brown on top and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/4 hours. 
5. Remove dish from water bath and transfer to a rack to cool. Chill flan, covered, until cold, at least 6 hours.

MAKE SPICED PUMPKIN SEEDS WHILE FLAN CHILLS:

1. Toast pumpkin seeds in oil in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. 
2. Toss with salt and cayenne until coated.

TO SERVE:

Run a thin knife between flan and side of dish to loosen. Shake dish gently from side to side and, when flan moves freely in dish, invert a large platter with a lip over dish. Holding dish and platter securely together, quickly invert and turn out flan onto platter. (Caramel will pour out over and around flan.) Sprinkle flan with spiced pumpkin seeds just before serving.

COOKS’ NOTES:

Flan can be chilled 1 day. Spiced pumpkin seeds keep in an airtight container at room temperature, 3 days.

Tabbouleh!

After some really heavy meals last week, I want to come into the holiday season eating healthy, and I will try to eat mainly vegan or vegetarian until Thanksgiving. While this may sound like a challenge, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian cuisines offer many flavorful vegetable dishes.  

I chop my parsley in a food processor. 

It only requires a few pulses to have

roughly chopped herbs.

Tonight I am serving Tabbouleh (Arabic: تبولة‎ tabūlah), which is a seasoned salad originating from the mountain regions of Syria, and Lebanon. It is popular throughout the Middle East, with countless regional variations. Traditionally, tabbouleh is made of herbs (usually parsley) and bulgar.  This variation uses barley.

Tabbouleh

Skill level: 

Ingredients

1/4 cup barley

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

2 Roma tomatoes

1 cup finely chopped cucumber

1 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley

fresh ground pepper (10 turns, or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup finely chopped mint

juice from 1/2 lemon

Preparation

1. Boil water, and add barley.  Boil for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender.

2. Drain barley, and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
3. combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir to combine.

4. Chill for at least one hour to allow flavors to combine.

Tabbouleh, served with hummus garnished with olive oil and paprika, sliced and toasted pita bread, and olive orzo salad.

Biff Paj (Swedish Meat Pies)

Swedish meat pie, served with almond green beans.

Today was cold and dreary, and I was wanting to bake, and I was also craving comfort foods.  After thumbing through some recipes, as I was trying to figure out what to make, I stumbled across this favorite.  It hit the "want to bake craving," the "comfort food" criteria,  and also was a great dinner idea, so I decided to make Biff Paj (Swedish Meat Pies) for dinner.

Many years ago, I first had these at the Junction City Scandinavian Festival, and is one of my favorite treats from the festival. Swedish Meat Pies are rich, savory, and delicious! In the spirit of Paula Dean, I have to say that it's hard to go wrong with potatoes, cheese, butter and sour cream.

Swedish Meat Pies (Biff Paj)

Skill level: 

Adapted from: The Barest Hint of Sweetness 

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Baking Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 6 meat pies

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 pound ground beef (or turkey)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 pinch Hungarian paprika (regular is fine, as well)

2 large red potatoes, grated

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter

1 cup sour cream

Preparation:

1. Melt the 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. 
2. Crumble in the ground beef and add parsley, allspice, dill, nutmeg, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and grated potatoes. Cook and stir until the meat is browned. 

3. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese and 1/2 cup sour cream until melted. 

4. Set aside to cool.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
6. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and 1 teaspoon salt. 
7. Mix in the 1 1/4 cup cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until only pea sized lumps remain OR pulse ingredients in a food processor to get pea sized lumps. 
8. Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream a little bit at a time until the dough holds together. Knead briefly on a lightly floured surface. 
9. Divide into six equal portions, and pat into balls.
   
10. Roll out each ball of dough to about 1/8 inch thickness, about 8 inches across.  They do not have to be pretty at this point, as they will be trimmed in step 13.

11. Place a heaping 1/2 cup of filling onto each one.

12. Fold over into half circles, and seal by moistening the edges with warm water and pressing together. 

13. Trim edges so that the pies have a nice half circle shape, and crimp edges. 

14. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

15. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.