Ingredients:
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup honey
1 TBSP butter
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Combine and cook over medium until the mixture is syrupy, 4 minutes.
Super easy, tastes pretty good with the thyme (almost a savoriness to it, which might make it a good sandwich spread).
From Real Simple, but I've seen this basic recipe in Martha Stewart and in Food and Wine.
Makes enough for 2 single crust or 1 double crust pie
2.5 cups all purpose flour
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp kosher salt (Martha does 1.5 tsp kosher)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/4-1/2 cup ice water
Directions:
1. Combine flour, sugar, an salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until most of the butter is the size of peas, about 20 times.
2. Drizzle in 2 TBSP ice water and pulse to combine. (MY NOTE: I would drizzle in 1/4 cup of ice water)
3. Continue, adding 1 to 2 TBSP ice water at a time, until dough just comes together when squeezed in the palm of your hand (it should be pretty sandy).
4. Dump dough out onto the counter and divide into 2 piles. Transfer1 pile to a large sheet of plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to gather the dough together, using your knuckles to help press dough into a disk. Wrap tightly with plastic and repeat with remaining pile of dough. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days (or up to one month in the freezer).
From Food and Wine November 2016.
Ingredients
PIECRUST
1 1/4
cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2
teaspoons sugar
1/2
teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick
unsalted butter, cubed and frozen
Ice
water
FILLING
2 cups
pecan halves (7 ounces)
1/2
pound Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (1 cup)
3
tablespoons brewed espresso or strong coffee
1 stick
unsalted butter
1 cup
packed light brown sugar
1 cup
Lyle’s Golden Syrup or light corn syrup
1 1/2
teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2
teaspoons kosher salt
3 large
eggs
Whipped
cream, for serving
Make the piecrust In a food
processor, pulse the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse
until it is the size of small peas. Add 1/4 cup of ice water and pulse until
the dough is evenly moistened. Gradually add more water if needed. Turn out the
dough onto a work surface and knead 2 to 3 times, just until it comes together.
Form into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Step 2
On a lightly floured work surface,
roll out the dough to a 12-inch round; transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the
edge of the dough under itself and crimp the edge. Freeze the piecrust for at
least 2 hours or overnight.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 375°. Line the
piecrust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake
for about 25 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edge. Remove the
paper and weights and bake until the bottom is lightly browned, about 10
minutes. Let cool completely.
Step 4
Meanwhile, make the filling Reduce
the oven temperature to 350°. Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and
toast until fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
Step 5
In a small skillet, cook the dates
in the brewed espresso over moderate heat, stirring, until very soft, 3 to 5
minutes. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl and wipe out the skillet.
Step 6
Add the butter to the pan and cook
over moderate heat, swirling, until the milk solids turn a deep golden brown,
about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Step 7
In a large bowl, whisk the brown
sugar with the golden syrup, espresso powder and salt. Whisk in the eggs, then
gradually whisk in the brown butter until the filling is smooth.
Step 8
Set the pie plate on a rimmed baking
sheet. Spread the espresso dates in the crust and scatter the pecans on top.
Pour the filling over the pecans. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or
until the filling is set around the edge and slightly jiggly in the center.
Transfer the pie to a rack and let cool completely. Serve with whipped cream.
My notes:
1. This pie is delicious, took nearly all day to come together, and while we LOVED it, it would take a lot for me to make again!
2. I used G & T sonoma flour, but it overbrowned... would probably make with regular APP next time. Would also use a deep dish pie plate next time.
3. I froze the butter for 30 minutes before pulsing into the pie mixture. I used the weights for pecans, and used more than 3 TBSP strong coffee to cook the dates. Would dice not chop the dates next time-- smaller would be better in the final product, but this was delicious too. I used light corn syrup. Otherwise I followed the directions nearly exactly.
4. Left the dough in the fridge for nearly 1.5 hours, and then in the freezer for nearly 3 hours. I found the blind bake only took 20ish minutes total in our oven. Remember to put a tray under the pie plate during the blind bake because butter drips out.
5. Final bake only took about an hour in our oven. With our shallower pie plate, we had leftover filling, so I just did a separate dish with cashews (no crust) and poured the extra filling over it.
6. Don't forget to butter the pie plate! I did, and the pie was stuck to the bottom.
7. Super yummy.
Notes from round 2. Made again 12/27/22
1. The ratios are weird. I used the weight for the dates, seemed to be a lot more than 1 cup. I did 4tbsp water to 1 TBSP instant espresso powder in order to cook the dates. I also used 2 cups pecans, and didn’t put all of it in the pie— but next time I would. The filling is so much— it could easily make another small pie.
2. I didn’t have enough corn syrup, so I used like 1/2 cup corn syrup and then the rest was a kid of brown rice syrup and maple syrup, came out fine.
3. Be very stingy with the water when making the crust— I think I used a tad bit too much. But it came out okay— some parts were indeed nice and shatter-y.
4. Again, takes 2 days to make this. But Yummay.
Recipe from Food and Wine
Leviton's Cauliflower Vichyssoise
Ingredients:
2 TBSP unsalted butter
2 large leeks, white and tender pale green parts thinly sliced
1 2lbs cauliflower cut into large florets
6 cups of water
ground white pepper
1/3 cup creme fraiche
chives to garnish
Directions:
1. Sautee leeks in 2 TBSP of butter for 8ish minutes until tender
2. Add cauliflower and water, bring to boil, lower to simmer, simmer for 30-40 minutes mostly covered.
3. Add creme fraiche, bring back to simmer then remove from heat
5. Puree in blender in batches until as thin and smooth as you can get
6. Add salt and ground white pepper to taste
7. Garnish with chives and serve.
This recipe is from Martha Stewart, from Umber Ahmad.
This version of the traditional South African malva-pudding cake comes from baker Umber Ahmad of Mah-Ze-Dahr. She makes mini puddings and uses dates pureed with cream in place of the usual apricot preserves.
My notes:
1. I would not make this recipe again. While the end result was good, I felt like too many parts of it "messed up" in my kitchen making the whole thing rather stressful.
2. I soaked the dates in cream overnight, but was unable to really strain it the next day, despite leaving the mixture out until it came to room temp. At most I was able to strain out 2 TBSP of cream, the rest was completely stuck to the chopped dates. The only thing I can think of is perhaps I chopped the dates too finely? I also soaked it for nearly 24 hours, not just 10 hours ("overnight") so maybe that's the problem?
3. The dates would not puree in my blender. Granted, perhaps they might've in a true mini food processor, which I do not own. But I had to add nearly 7-8 tsp, maybe more, of water to get the contents even moving in the blender, and even then, I certainly did not end up with a smooth puree.
4. The cakes baked nicely in the ramekins. I used a combo of 4 oz and 6 oz ramekins, scooping about 1/3 cup into each, which was fine, no spillover.
5. With the filling-- though I made a slit and tried to get the filling to soak into the cake, it really didn't. I ended up with at least half the filling leftover. Now, this might be because I introduced a bunch of water into the cake via the date puree, so it wasn't able to absorb the filling. But still.
6. Served warm, the cake is yummy. But definitely one note, though it's a delicious simple one. I also felt that it was sweet enough, and that ice cream might be overkill.
This is from Bon Apetit Magazine. Recipe says that one can sub whole wheat flour for the buckwheat flour. "Cookies won't have the same depth of flavor but will still be delicious".
MAKES 16–18
½
1
½
½
½
1¼
6
⅔
½
1
2
1
Heat ½ cup (1 stick) butter in a small saucepan over the lowest heat possible until melted (you don’t want it to sputter or brown), about 5 minutes.
Scrape butter into a large bowl and add ⅔ cup (133 grams) light brown sugar and ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar. Whisk vigorously until butter has been absorbed into the sugar and no big lumps remain, about 30 seconds.
Add 1 large egg, then 2 large egg yolks, one at a time, whisking until fully combined after each addition. Whisk in 1 tsp. vanilla extract. At this point, your mixture should look much lighter in color and be smooth, almost creamy.
Add dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir until just incorporated and almost no dry streaks remain. Add chopped chocolate (but not the chocolate you reserved in the small bowl) to batter. Gently mix just to distribute. Cover bowl with an airtight bowl cover, a kitchen towel, or plastic wrap and chill 2 hours. (If you’re crunched for time, 1 hour will do, but cookies will be best after 2.)
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 375°. Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop out scant 2-Tbsp. portions of dough (or, if you have a scoop, this is a leveled-off #30 or a heaping #40) until you have 10 portions divided between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets (you want five per sheet—these will spread a bit!). Roll portions into balls and gently press a piece or 2 of reserved chocolate into each one. It’s okay to cram the chocolate on there—some pieces can even be vertical. Cover and chill any remaining dough.
Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until edges are golden brown and centers are puffed, 8–10 minutes. (Pull at 8 if you like your cookies softer and want to guarantee they’re still soft the next day!)
Working one at a time, pull baking sheets out of the oven and tap lightly on the stove to deflate cookies. Sprinkle with Diamond Crystal kosher salt (if you’re using Morton, skip it: the crystals are too large). Let cookies cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Let baking sheets cool (to do this fast, run them under cold water), then turn parchment paper over. Repeat process with remaining dough, dividing evenly between baking sheets, to make 6–8 more cookies.
Do Ahead: Cookies can be baked 3 days ahead. Let cool; store airtight at room temperature
MY NOTES:
1. These were yummay, but they do spread quite a bit. I did one batch after two hours of chill time, and put 8 per pan, and they all spread into each other. Then I did a second batch with over 10 hours of chill time and they still spread. I would stick to their recommendation of 5 per sheet.
2. I used weights for the measurements and it seems accurate. I used regular APP, and Bob's buckwheat flour. I used a mix of chocolate chips and chopped feves because that's what I had open, but I think it would look a lot better with a chopped bar.
3. Would make again. I think I also made them a little small-- I ended up with 21 cookies. Perhaps if I'd started out with thicker balls, they'd be a little thicker? Hard to know.
Cinnamon-Date Rolls round 2! Still have those dates in the fridge...
From Cooking Light
Hands-on: 40 minutes
Total: 3 hours
Dough:
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 package active dry yeast (about 2.25 tsp)
3/4 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 TBSP butter, melted (I used unsalted, but could try with salted?)
1/2 tsp table salt
1 large egg
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 15 and 3/4 oz)
Filling:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar (I used mostly dark)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated orange rind (optional, I omit)
2 TBSP butter, melted (I used unsalted, could probably use salted)
3/4 cup chopped pitted dates
1/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 TBSP maple syrup
1 TBSP milk (can be any fat)
To prepare dough, dissolve 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and yeast in 3/4 cup warm water; let stand 5 minutes. Combine 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, salt, and egg in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Gradually add 3 cups flour to yeast mixture, beating mixture on low speed until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. Punch dough down; turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
To prepare filling, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and rind in a small bowl. Roll dough into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle; brush with 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle dates and pecans over sugar mixture. Beginning with a long side, roll up jelly-roll fashion; pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll). Cut roll into 18 (1/2-inch) slices. Place slices, cut sides up, in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, about 1 hour or until rolls have doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Uncover dough. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, syrup, and milk in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm rolls. Serve immediately.
My notes:
1. Used all purpose. Used table salt. Omitted the orange peel, and added a little cardamom.
2. Chopped the pecans and the dates pretty fine.
3. Dough came together nicely. Rose nicely (took an hour in a warm kitchen) and was easy to roll out post rise. I rolled it out to 10 x 15 but next time I might leave the dough a little thicker because it started to fall apart as I sliced it.
4. It ended up falling apart entirely when I tried to cut the roll. Would consider possibly rolling it up and then wrapping in plastic wrap in the fridge to allow it to firm up a bit before cutting...
5. I did my best and baked it anyway, and made the made glaze as written— it’s good warm, quite sweet. It was very brown at the 20 minutes mark in my oven— would try checking at the 15 mark next time.
6. Would consider trying to do second rise in fridge overnight. Would also call this recipe more of a coffee cake than cinnamon rolls, as mine turned bread-ier than squishier.
My thoughts and notes
1. I used regular All Purpose Flour, would consider the Sonoma flour
2. Used table salt and that seemed right.
3. Froze the butter, and then just used my fingers to cut in
4. Came together pretty quickly. Made exactly 12 with the 2.5 cutter.
5. Would definitely make again. I pulled when the tops were barely golden but may be good a little longer in the oven.
6. Definitely use the amount of butter required for brushing
https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/pumpkin-cupcakes/
My notes:
1. Made with APP because that’s all I had
2. Also used homemade 2% yogurt instead of buttermilk
3. Followed the spice measurements for the most part but did more heaping teaspoons than level. I did a little white pepper instead of the fresh ground black pepper so it would appeal to the little ones.
4. Baked up in 12 muffins and a little leftover in my mini cake pans. Took about 24 minutes.
5. Halved the cream cheese frosting recipe because I don’t really love frosting and am definitely not going to make roses.
6. Made it the night before and frosted day of.
Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350°. Toss plums, lemon zest, lemon juice, cornstarch, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. cardamom in a large bowl; let sit until some juices accumulate, 5–10 minutes.
Meanwhile, pulse flour and remaining ⅓ cup brown sugar, ½ tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. cardamom in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture is very sandy and starts to form larger clumps.
Transfer plums and their juices to a 9"-diameter deep pie dish (all of those fruit juices will overflow a standard one) or an 8x8x2" baking dish. Scatter topping over fruit, squeezing small fistfuls in your hand to bring it together, then breaking into smaller pieces of varying sizes. Sprinkle pistachios evenly over topping.
Bake crumble until juices are thickened and bubbling and top is golden brown, 40–45 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Dressing:
2 small jalapeños, seeds removed chopped
1 (3/4 piece ginger) peeled, finely grated
2 small garlic cloves, finely grated
1 cup packed cilantro leaves with tender stems
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup tahini
1 TBSP plus 1.5 tsp miso
Kosher salt
Purée everything in blender with 3 TBSP water until smooth and season with salt.
My notes:
It’s an okay spread, couldn’t use as a dip. It’s sour and complex for sure. I used Serrano peppers instead of jalapeños, and I didn’t have nearly enough cilantro. I used less water to blend. Came out to about 3/4 cup of dressing. Would consider making again, but unnecessary, in my opinion, if you had hummus on hand.
