Grilled Cheese Wheel

I saw this simple grilling idea for grilling a cheese wheel on the Martha Stewart Living (June 2011) website, under the heading "20 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Grill."

Warm, luscious, and smoky, this hors d'oeuvre gives a whole new meaning to the term "grilled cheese." Choose a wheel of cheese with a thick rind and an inside that's soft but not runny, such as Camembert. Brush rind with olive oil, and grill cheese directly on oiled grates over indirect heat until warmed, about 2 minutes per side. Serve immediately with grilled baguette slices.

Complete listing of all 20 grilling ideas:

http://www.marthastewart.com/354741/grilled-cheese-wheel?czone=food/best-grilling-recipes/grilling-recipes&center=0&gallery=989514&slide=354741

Moroccan Almond Phyllo Pastries

I was looking for new ideas this morning on Serious Eats (http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes), and came across this recipe.  I have not tried it out yet, but I thought I would post it anyway.  If you make it, tell me about how it turned out, and tasted.  I will post your results and feedback!

These sweet coils are inspired by the traditional Moroccan pastry M'hanncha, or snake cake, in which phyllo pastry is stuffed with a spiced nut mixture. Here, almonds take center stage.

Photo: Carrie Vasios

About the author: Carrie Vasios is the editor of Serious Eats: Sweets. She likes to peruse her large collection of cookbooks while eating jam from the jar. You can follow her on Twitter @carrievasios

MOROCCAN ALMOND PHYLLO PASTRIES (A TAKE ON M'HANNCHA)

About This Recipe

YIELD: makes 3 coils, serving 6

ACTIVE TIME: 40 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 50 minutes

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: food processor, pastry brush, baking sheet, parchment paper

THIS RECIPE APPEARS IN: Wake and Bake: Moroccan Almond Phyllo Pastries

Ingredients

For the Filling

1 1/2 cups raw almonds

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

6 tablespoons butter, melted

For Assembly

12 (12 by 17-inch) sheets phyllo dough

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preparation

1. For filling: In the bowl of a food processor, combine almonds and confectioners' sugar and pulse until a coarse meal. Add cinnamon, cardamom, egg yolk, vanilla, and butter and pulse until mixture is a paste. It doesn't have to be completely smooth though the almonds should be ground very fine. Cover paste with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Lay one sheet of phyllo on prepared baking sheet. Brush with butter then fold in half lengthwise, creating a 6 by 8 1/2-inch rectangle. Brush top of rectangle with more butter, then lay a second sheet of phyllo on top, placing it so that the long edge on the one side is aligned (new sheet of phyllo should hang off the other edge). Brush the aligned-half of the top sheet of phyllo with more butter and fold over to match the 6 by 8 1/2-inch rectangle formed by the first. You should end up with a stack of phyllo that is four sheets thick. Repeat with two more pieces of phyllo to produce a 6 by 8 1/2-inch stack of phyllo 8 layers thick.
4. Repeat step 3 with remaining 8 sheets phyllo dough, forming three rectangles of 8 layers each total.
5. Divide almond filling into three equal parts. Roll one part into a 8 1/2-inch log. Lay log alongside phyllo then roll up, jelly roll style, to form a rope. Curl rope into a tight coil and brush with butter.
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 twice more, creating two more coils. Bake coils until golden, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely then dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/04/moroccan-phyllo-cake-with-almonds-mhanncha-recipe.html

Joanne Chang's Homemade Oreo Cookies

With all of the tragic news from Boston over the last couple of weeks, I thought of all of the wonderful things to do and see in the Boston area.  With that inspiration, I decided to share a recipe that was created by Joanne Chang, owner of at Boston's Flour Bakery & Café.

I love Flour Bakery's version of the Oreo cookie, as the crispy cookies have a wonderful chocolate flavor, and the vanilla butter cream filling is absolutely perfect. These cookies are both much better than the Nabisco cookie, and full enough in flavor to cater to an adult pallet.


When in Boston, visit one of her bakeries:  http://flourbakery.com


Ms. Chang's cookbook is one of my favorites, and is available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Flour-Spectacular-Recipes-Bostons-Bakery/dp/081186944X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367377412&sr=1-1&keywords=flour+bakery+cookbook

Joanne Chang's Homemade Oreo Cookies

Skill level: 

Makes 16

To make Joanne Chang’s Oreos, allow 1 hour for the dough to firm before shaping, then several more hours for it to chill before slicing. You can refrigerate the dough for up to 1 week or freeze it for 1 month (defrost in the refrigerator). The log may settle as it chills, so reroll it every 15 minutes if you’re around during the initial chilling so the log stays round. The filling will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Let it come to room temperature before using.

COOKIES

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the butter and the sugar until combined. Whisk in the vanilla and melted chocolate. Add the egg and stir until well blended.
2. In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to blend them. Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. The finished dough should feel like Play-Doh. 

3. Cover the dough with plastic, and set aside for 1 hour or until firm.
4. Place the dough on a long sheet of parchment paper. Use your hands to shape it into a rough log, about 10 inches long and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place the log at the edge of the parchment. Roll the parchment around the log. With your hands on the paper, roll the dough into a tighter log, keeping the diameter the same. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or until it is firm enough to slice without crumbling.
   
5. Set the oven at 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Remove the dough from the paper. Cut the log into 32 slices, each a quarter-inch. Set them on the baking sheets 1 inch apart.
   
   
7. Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, checking them often after 15 minutes, or until they are firm when touched in the center.
8. Cool completely on the sheets.

FILLING

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon milk

Pinch salt

Preparation

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on low speed for half a minute. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth.
2. Beat in the milk and salt. The filling will look and feel like spackle.
3. Place 1 tablespoon of filling on the flat side of 16 cookies. Press the remaining 16 cookies on the filling, flat sides against the cream, to evenly distribute the filling.
4. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Adapted from Flour Bakery + Cafe

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.