Rookie Cookery

Cherries

In my Ideal Pretend Life, we have a Bing Cherry tree.  That's going on my Someday For Real List, for sure.

Dough Scrap Tarts

When I was a girl, my Mom made these clever cookies (more of a tart, really) out of pie dough and jam.  To this day I can't remember if she had leftover scraps from a pie, or made the dough expressly for these tarts. All I remember is how pretty they were, and how good they tasted. 

Recently I had pie dough scraps left over from making two apple pies for my father-in-law's 90th birthday.  If ever there was a chance to make these tarts, this was it!

I had no recipe,  but I was undeterred.

First I cut out circles of dough.  Then I cut out another set of circles, and then cut a hole in the center of those circles.   This part did not go so well, because I didn't have the proper size of cutter-- a doughnut hole size would have been nice. What I ended up doing was a haphazard combination of cutting and hand-forming a little "ring" of dough, placing each ring on top of a circle, so as to create a little holder for the jam preserves.  It looked like this after they were filled:

I used rasberry jam, but you could use any of your favorite fruit preserves or I suppose even bits of chocolate.

Then I baked the tarts. I started them at 350 degrees for ten minutes, but saw that they were not browning, so I turned up the heat to 425 and they browned nicely with the jam bubbling hot in another ten minutes. Next time I would try it at 450 for ten minutes or so, as if I were blind baking a pie crust.

Warning! These come out of the oven blisteringly hot because of the jam, so fight the urge to bite one right away--let it cool! Yes, the aroma will tantalize you. 

These are so good, I think it might be worth it to make a batch of dough just for these tarts. You can try several jams at once-- rasberry, strawberry, apricot, orange marmelade-- and enjoy their many jeweled colors while they last-- which won't be long!

A Chocolate Tasting with Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates

Tell people you're going to a wine or cheese tasting and they might be interested. Tell them you are going to a chocolate tasting and they are downright fascinated!

Ginger Elizabeth is a petite, brunette spitfire of a woman (pictured above with a photo from her own web site at gingerelizabeth.com ) who has a passion for chocolate, and the talent and drive to offer her own superbly crafted artisinal chocolate confections in a highly competetive market.  When my pal Garrett from Vanilla Garlic invited a small group of us Sacramento and Davis area food bloggers to a chocolate tasting with Ginger,  I was quick to get my name on the list. 

I am not one of those people (of which there are legion) who is a fanatic about chocolate. I do enjoy the occasional chocolate extravagance however, and I do have strong opinions on the quality of the chocolate I am eating.  Nothing is more disappointing than biting into a piece of chocolate that is waxy, oily or tasteless. 

Ginger Elizabeth's chocolates make me understand why people go out of their way to track down The Good Stuff.  She works with the finest raw, fresh ingredients using the traditional methods of European chocolatiers, bringing her own keen taste and experience to the party.  Her youthful appearance and years belie the amount of actual training and experience she has under her belt-- experience and craft that becomes fully apparent the moment one of her confections begins to melt on your tongue.

Lest you think the chocolate tasting was merely an excuse to sample generously from Ginger's truffles, (which we did), the experience was also educational.  Ginger explained where chocolate comes from,  how it is cultivated and processed,  and the complex chemistry involved to transform cocoa beans into world class chocolate.  From mixing and grinding, to tempering and  blending  and adding  fresh  fruit and other flavors, Ginger  gave us an overview of the combination of science and magic that go into her art.

We ate our way around that little white plate of  chocolates, starting with the tiny chocolate nibs--the purest and unrefined essence of chocolate.  Often we broke apart the pieces and saved  tender morsels in a little plastic bag for later indulgence. This is heady stuff:  Dense, creamy, the essence of luscious ganache.  The textures were voluptuous, the flavors intense and surprising.

Ginger encouraged us to compare each uniquely crafted bite. After the nibs, we tasted two different "plain" chocolates from manufacturers who used different chocolate beans, so we could begin to discern the differences in the taste due to the "terroir" of the beans themselves (much as one does with coffee beans from different parts of the world).  We also tasted a bit of pure cocoa butter,  which, while not tasty of itself, gave us a sense of the richness it offers a quality chocolate (as opposed to the insipid taste of oil or wax in the cheap stuff).

Then we moved eagerly to the confections Ginger creates with her own unique blend of these chocolates and flavorings:

First we tasted the traditional European style Palet D'Or, with it's signature glint of gold on it's glossy surface. Found all over Europe, this is the purest essence of a chocolate ganache, without further elaboration wanted. Sublime.

Then we sampled Ginger's signature offerings: First her Meyer Lemon truffle-- her current best seller for good reason.  She uses every part of the lemon--the zest, the juice--and it's wonderful-- a lovely twist on the more common chocolate and orange combination that is so popular.

Then my personal favorite (so far)-- her Olmec Spice, which features notes of vanilla, chiles, ginger and cinnamon.  Rich, with a seductive burning finish. Spectacular!

The Passion Fruit was the only milk chocolate based truffle we sampled, and it was a little miracle the way the fruit sang through the chocolate in perfect harmony, neither too loud nor too soft.

Some of us donned a hair net so we could inspect the tiny but efficient kitchen where Ginger performs her alchemy. Here's a few snaps:

There are truffles aplenty,  sixteen different types alone named in the helpful illustrated guide that comes in each box of chocolates you can buy. I bought a sampler of six truffles to take home to my family for our own little tasting party, and there are sampler boxes available in quantities of six, twelve, twenty-four or forty-eight pieces. Ginger also makes fabulous cakes, bars, and a frozen treat that is sure to be a big hit here in Sacramento when the summer temperatures soar.

Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates is located in mid town Sacramento at 1801 L Street, Suite 60.  Stroll on in for a little indulgence or a gift for that special someone. Or visit her web site at gingerelizabeth.com  and have decadence delivered to your door. 

Baked Apple: A Classic Sugar Free Dessert

Do you have a yen for apple pie, but no time to prepare one? Take the time honored short cut and bake whole apples in your oven. These take only about 30 minutes to bake, (a little longer if you like them softer than we do), so they can be ready to eat shortly after you have eaten dinner and cleared away the dirty plates. Be careful, though, they come out of the oven hot!

Baked Apple Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

tart, firm and ripe apples such as Granny Smith, one for each person
raisins
ground cinnamon
grouond nutmeg (optional)
*brown sugar (add brown sugar only if a NON-sugar free version is desired)

DIRECTIONS: Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Using a sharp paring knife or (preferably) a coring tool, cut from the stem end down into the apple and remove the center core, and discard. Try to remove all the seeds and pith. Do not peel.

Place the apples in a baking dish that has a lip or sides. If the apple does not stand up, slice the bottom off enough to make a flat surface to sit on. (I didn't have to do this on the apples I used).

In a separate small bowl, toss a handful of raisins generously sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg if desired. Add a tablespoon or so of brown sugar only if a NON sugar free version is desired. Mix thoroughly. Then spoon the spiced raisins into the core cavity of each apple.

VARIATION: Recently at Whole Foods, I purchased a small jar of "Cinnamon Raisin Fool", which contains golden raisins, currants, cinnamon, vanilla and annatto. No sugar--this delicious conconction relies on the natural sweetness of the softened fruits. I spooned some of this into the apples instead of spicing my own raisins, and it was very tasty indeed.

Bake the apples in the oven for about half an hour. To check whether or not it is done, carefully pierce an apple with your fork. If the apple yields easily to the fork, it is done. Remove from oven and let the apples sit a few minutes. If you are impatient, slice into the apples so they will cool a little faster.

The fragrance is lovely, and this makes a simple but elegant dessert any night of the week.

Food Gifts to Give Again

This is the week to bake and make last minute preparations for the holidays. Yes, I am scrambling to get things done! Blogging is not even in the top ten of things on my To Do list, and I'll bet you feel the same way.

Here are a few posts from last year, sharing ideas for home made treats to give as gifts or enjoy at home.
Blessings!

Candied Pretzels and Apricots

Hot Chocolate Mix

Date Nut Treats

Carrot Cake Recipe

I must begin this post with a correction: Previously I said I had baked a carrot cake using Alton Brown's recipe from his book, "I'm Just Here For More Food". But when I consulted his book, there were several versions of carrot cake profiled, critiqued, and analyzed with the scientific rigor that Alton is famous for.  None of them looked all that familiar.  Where on earth did I get that recipe? I was especially anxious to find it, not only because I wanted to write about it here, but because I plan to cook that cake again for my birthday later this month. Yes, it was that good.

I pulled out my personal recipe book, and found it. It was Alton's recipe, but it was the one from his Food TV Show "Good Eats", which I had printed out from the Food TV website.   The resulting cake was indeed extremely good eats, and fortunately the recipe was less complex than the one in his book.

CARROT CAKE RECIPE

Unsalted butter, for the pan
12 ounces, (or about 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour), plus more for the pan
12 ounces grated carrots, medium grate, (about 6 medium carrots)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 ounces sugar, (about 1 1/3 cups)
2 ounces dark brown sugar, (about 1/4 cup firmly packed)
3 large eggs
6 ounces plain yogurt
6 ounces vegetable oil

Cream Cheese Frosting, (recipe follows)

Directions: Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

Butter and floour a 9 inch round and 3 inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Put the floour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for five seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well coated with the floour.

In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs and yogurt.
With the processor still running, drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F. in the center.  (NOTE: I relied on the toothpick test--inserting a wooden toothpick and seeing that it came out dry.)

Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING RECIPE:

8 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted, about 2 cups

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in four batches and beat until smooth between each addition.

Place the frosting in the refrigerator 5 to 10 minutes before using.
Yield: about 2 cups frosting.
***

If you have been reading my blog lately, you'll know that I ran out of both carrots and brown sugar while making this cake, (a truly Rookie error), but it was worth the aggravation and painfully learned lesson to assemble my ingredients and tools before starting to cook.  This cake was absolutely delicious, and I have been anticipating making it again soon.

A note to all you other Alton Brown fans out there: His web site is getting a make-over. Take a peek--it looks promising!

 

Chocolate Citrus Biscotti Recipe

Looking for a delicious food gift to give this holiday season? You can't go wrong with Chocolate Citrus Biscotti, a crunchy-sweet cookie that can be dipped into coffee, hot chocolate, milk, or stand alone on its own munchy merits.

I profiled this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis last year, when I was a new food blogger. In my rookie blogger enthusiasm, I took step by step pictures of the entire biscotti baking process, and posted them on my blog. What I neglected to post was the actual recipe! So here is the recipe, below. To see the original post with a step by step, biscotti making pictorial extravaganza, click here.

Note: Giada has a sightly different biscotti recipe in her book Everyday Italian, which features crushed pistachios.

CHOCOLATE CITRUS BISCOTTI RECIPE

preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (from about one ornage)
1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about two lemons)
1 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips (note: I used more than this, about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
Stir the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy.
Add the citrus zests to the dry ingredients.
Add the flour mixture to the eggs and sugar and beat just until blended. Let stand for five minutes. (Dough will be soft and sticky).

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, forming two mounds which you will shape into two 11 by 4 inch loaf shapes. To shape the loafs, first moisten your hands with cold water so the dough will not stick to your hands.

Bake until lightly brown, about 35 minutes.
Cool for five minutes.
Using a serrated knife, cut the loafs crosswise into 1/2 inch diagonal slices.
Arrange biscotti cut-side down on the same baking sheet.
Bake again until pale and golden, about 25 minutes.
Cool again for about five minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave (stirring frequently) or in adouble boiler over simmering water.
Dip one cut side, or one half, the biscotti into melted chocolate and shake off excess. (Note: I applied the chocolate to half with a pastry brush. Maybe that's why I used more chocolate!)
Place the biscotti chocolate side up (if chocolate is on one side only...) on a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. (Note: don't forget the parchment or wax paper, or the biscotti will stick to the pan and break!)

Finally, dip a dry pastry brush in the cocoa powder and lightly brush the cocoa over the chocolate on each biscotti.
Store in an airtight container for several days, or freeze for several weeks.
MMMmmmmmmmmm biscotti!