Bread Pudding with Craisins in pottery

Bread pudding in a pottery crock nicely feeds just 2-3 people without leaving loads of leftovers.  I’ve made this without the sugar, more by accident than design, and simply smothered it in extra maple syrup which was fabulous. 

2 tbls. butter
3 oz. baguette (about half a loaf) or 4-5 pieces white bread
3 eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
½ tbsp. Vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup Craisins (Ocean Spray)

Pre-heat the oven to 350˚ F.

Butter an oven safe pottery crock with the butter, otherwise use an 8 X 6 (6 cup or 1.5 liter) glass baking dish. 

Break the bread into large (approx. 1 inch) pieces and place in the pot or dish.   Mix in and evenly disburse the Craisins. 

Stir together the remaining ingredients with a whisk.  Pour over the bread.  Push the bread pieces down into the milk mixture to make sure all is moist.

Bake for 30 minutes or until center jiggles only slightly.  Serve warm with maple syrup.

Black Bean and Salsa Soup with Polska Kielbasa

A very filling soup, and a nice way to eat sausage within healthy balance; it’s more like a condiment.  I like this soup because it’s not too thick, not too thin and has a spicy kick. 

1 tbls. butter or olive oil
1 large onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
15 oz. can black beans, drained
½ cup rice (can be long grain)
3 cups turkey or chicken stock
1 cup salsa (medium or mild)
1 link polska kielbasa, sliced into bite-sized pieces
Salt and pepper to taste

Salsa
Cilantro
Sour Cream

In a large soup pot, sauté onions and garlic in butter over medium low heat until translucent (about five minutes).  Add beans, rice and stock and bring to a simmer for approximately 10 minutes.  Add the salsa and kielbasa.  Simmer for 20 more minutes or until the rice is done.  Season to taste.  Serve with cilantro, sour cream and more salsa.

Danish

Like a Danish Braid only individually made and therefore suited to taste, for example if one picky child does not like jam, but does like cream cheese in her Danish.  Another advantage: the ability to keep the dough until needed, say two indulgent weekend mornings in a row.  The dough is also perfectly usable when it was originally “messed up” croissant dough.  Just chill and work the dough into something equally glorious.

A glaze from powdered sugar, cream (or lemon juice for a little zing) can be added.  Sugared sliced almonds are a nice topping too. 

Adapted from Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

Makes 18 Danish. 

1 recipe Croissant Dough http://dorothycooks.wordpress.com/2010/10/18/croissants/

Cream Cheese Filling
4 oz. cream cheese softened
1 tbls. sugar
Cinnamon (optional)

Using a fork, blend the sugar into the cream cheese thoroughly.

Triple Berry Jam or other Jam

1 egg
1 tsp. milk or water
2 tbls. sugar

Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into thirds.  Work with one third of the dough at a time placing the remaining dough in the refrigerator until needed (up to 5 days chilled).  Dust surface with flour and using a French rolling pin, roll dough out to approximately 12 inches by 16 inches.  Slice the dough vertically in the middle.  Then make two equal horizontal slices for six pieces.  Move dough to baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Stretch the pieces so the dough in the center is thinner in the center.

Place a tablespoon of sweetened cream cheese in the center of the dough.  Place a spoonful of jam on top if desired.   

Whisk the egg and milk or water together.  Moisten the corners with egg wash and fold two of the opposite ends in towards each other and seal over the filling.  Brush the top with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.  Place the Danish in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hours.

Bake at 400°F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Danish should continue to rise in the oven. 

Allow to cool on a wire rack before eating.  Best the day it is made.

French Silk Pie

My absolute favorite at Bakers Square, “discovered” when I was a freshman in college, it was the ultimate chocolate indulgence.

Per a special request to make a homemade pie for Valentine’s Day, I perused six of my favorite cookbooks and not could not find a French Silk recipe, I finally pulled down my very first cookbook by Betty Crocker, given to me by my mother when I turned 18, and the one in which I made most of my mistakes (I suppose “made my bones”).  I changed a few things because I wanted to use a bittersweet dark chocolate.  Also, I am very careful about the process of melting chocolate because things can go badly so quickly.  The filling is essentially like a mousse and, warning, the eggs are uncooked. 

Of course, use good chocolate and as fresh as possible (preferably organic) eggs.

Pie Crust for 9-inch pie

1/3 cup butter (if unsalted, add a pinch of salt)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsps. sugar
2-3 tbls. cold water

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cut butter into flour and sugar until rough crumbs.  Stir water in with a fork until dough just holds together.   Turn the dough onto a floured surface.  Sprinkle flour over top.  Roll with a rolling pin until just larger than the pan.  Use a flat scraper or a wide spatula to scrape half of the dough up and fold it over on itself, scrape one quarter and fold dough over on itself again.  Scrape up remaining quarter and lift into pie dish.  Unfold gently.  Allow dough to overhang slightly.  Press into pie pan and repair any holes with outside scraps.  Flute the edges.

Bake for 10 minutes or until slightly browned.  Set crust aside to cool completely.

Pie Filling

½ cup granulated sugar (or 1/2 cup powdered sugar)
¾ cup butter softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
3 oz. bitter-sweet baking bar (Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate)
3 tbls. heavy cream
3 eggs

A stand-alone mixer is really handy for this recipe, particularly because the beating time is so long and intense it may burn up a hand-held mixer.

In the batter bowl of a stand-alone mixer, use the wire whisk attachment to beat the butter and sugar together on high.  Occasionally stop and scrape down the sides and the butter up off the bottom of the bowl.  The point is to get the sugar to lose its ‘grainy’ texture.  The butter and sugar can both take the beating, so keep at it until it’s done.  Alternatively, using powdered sugar may avoid this problem (though I haven’t tried it: somebody tell me how it works out).   Add the vanilla and the cream of tartar.

In a double boiler over low heat, melt the chocolate with the cream slowly and stirring constantly.  Just before the chocolate is completely melted, pull the pot off the heat and continue stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and the mix is smooth.  Add the chocolate to the butter, sugar mix and continue to beat in the mixing bowl.  Scrape the sides down to fully incorporate the chocolate.

Add the eggs.  Beat for 2-3 minutes.  Now the beating time counts because the texture will be affected by overbeating.  Watch carefully.

Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. 

Topping

1 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tbls. sugar

Chocolate bar (room temperature)

Whipping cream is best done with very cold cream and very cold equipment.  The cream straight out of the fridge is fine.  Place both the mixing bowl and the wire whisk attachment in the freezer for just a couple of minutes.  Pull the equipment out just before mixing.  Beat the heavy cream with sugar until stiff peaks form.  Spread across the top of the pie.

Use a potato peeler to scrape chocolate curls from the chocolate bar to garnish.

Suprêmes de Volaille aux Champignons

(Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms and Cream)

Adapted from Julia Child’s recipe (Mastering the Art of French Cooking), I adjusted the recipe to add garlic (which we really like).  To account for the astounding size of today’s “Frankenbreasts” in commercially available frozen chicken breasts (raw), I suggest first thawing the breasts and slicing each breast horizontally to bring the size down.  If the breasts are too large, expect the cooking to take a lot longer; and the chicken will likely dry out near the outside while the middle stubbornly remains pink. 

5 tbls. butter
1 medium onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
½ tsp. kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
6 oz. portabella mushrooms sliced
4 10 oz. chicken breasts
5 tbls.  butter

1 cup chicken or beef stock (beef is better)
1/3 cup port
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Fresh ground pepper
Salt to taste

Slice the chicken breasts horizontally.  Season the chicken breasts with the lemon juice, salt and pepper.

In a heavy 5 quart sauté pan, melt the first 5 tbls. of butter and sauté the onion, mushrooms and garlic for approximately five minutes over medium-low heat.  Remove the onions, mushrooms and garlic from the pan and set aside.  Place the remaining butter in the pot and heat until foamy on medium-high heat.  Add the chicken breasts and cook for approximately 3-7 minutes per side (depending on the thickness).  Use a finger to press the chicken to check.  Chicken should spring back when done.  Remove chicken from pot.  Add the garlic, mushrooms and onion back to the pot.  Stir in the stock and port thoroughly.  Use the edge of a metal or wooden spatula to scrape up any browned fond on the bottom and blend in.  Keep the heat on high, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces to a syrupy texture (approximately 15-20 minutes or more).  Stir in the cream and cook for 5-10 more minutes.  Add the chicken back in and heat 2-3 minutes on each side.  (Now is the time to ensure the chicken is done if not completely cooked on the first round; but try not to overcook the chicken).  Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Serve with buttered new potatoes or noodles.

French Onion Soup

I love the richness of flavor and simplicity of peasant food!  Few ingredients, but a really rich taste, this is best made with homemade beef stock.  

Makes about two large soup bowl servings.

3 tbls. butter or beef fat (really!)
3 large onions sliced
3-4 cups beef stock
3 tbls. cream sherry (optional)
1 baguette, stale
4 oz. mozzarella (or one cup) with fresh grated parmesan or 4 oz. Gruyere (and skip the parmesan)

In a soup pot, melt the butter or beef fat over medium heat.  Add the onions and sauté for ½ hour or longer, stirring occasionally, until the onions are wilted and slightly browned.  Add the stock and sherry and bring to a simmer. 

In large oven-sturdy soup bowls, tear baguette into large pieces and place in the bowls.  Ladle the soup into the bowls.  Over the top, layer the cheese loosely and richly (be generous).   Place the bowls under the broiler and heat until the cheese just starts to brown.  Check frequently as it will only take a few minutes. 

Use hot pads to hold the bowls.

Ceviche

The lime juice “cooks” the flesh rather than using heat. Makes a fancy appetizer served in a margarita or cocktail glass.  I like having tortilla chips for dipping in the lime juice (and scooping up the veg). 

¾ cup lime juice (about 6 limes)
1 jalapeño seeded and diced
¼ red bell pepper diced
2 green onions diced
½ cup cherry tomatoes diced or quartered
1 pound shrimp or sea scallops

Soak the shrimp or sea scallops in the juice and veg for 15 minutes or until the flesh turns white.