Egg Hunt

Eat a Bowl of Tea

I don't drink tea often, but I always have a stash in my cupboard in case of medical emergencies: chamomile for headaches, throat coat for flu season, darjeeling to accompany an occasional afternoon yen for chocolate cake (that's medicinal, right?!).  I'm pretty impatient, and the whole rigmarole necessary to achieve a proper cuppa' kind of drives me up the wall (there's no pride for me in admitting it; I wish I was serene and gracious enough to appreciate this lovely ritual, but what can I say).

Cooking with tea is something else, and I have no misgivings when steeping tea leaves in cream for custards or infusing a ganache with Earl Grey or Bengal Spice. Happily, I've inhaled poundcakes and madeleines flavored with something floral and caffeinated.  And I'll always make room for this panna cotta, smoky, shimmering, and luscious, lightly sweetened and very refreshing.

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Green Tea Panna Cotta adapted from Bon Appetit

This panna cotta is made with matcha, a powdered Japanese tea that comes from slow-grown, bright green leaves. High in amino acids with a  flavor that's sweet and deep, it can be found in many health food stores and well-stocked supermarkets.

1 tsp powdered gelatin

1 tbl cold water

3 tbl sugar

1/2 c milk

1/2 c heavy cream

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 tsp matcha

In a small bowl, soften gelatin in cold water. Set aside.

Heat sugar with the milk, cream, and salt stirring, until sugar dissolves. Whisk in the softened gelatin and vanilla extract.

In another bowl, make a slurry by gradually whisking 2 tbl of warm milk mixture into the matcha. Whisk in the rest of the milk mixture, strain, and divide into serving bowls or ramekins. Refrigerate for at least two hours but no more than a day before serving.

For a fancy, restaurant-style presentation, run a paring knife along the sides of each ramekin, "burp" the side of the panna cotta with your forefinger, and, pulling gently, ease it onto the plate....or dip the ramekin in a bowl of hot water for several seconds, shake gently, and invert onto plate. Serve with candied kumquats, mandarin orange segments, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

yields four servings

Bake Sale

As long as Kevin works in education, he'll hit me up for goodies on a regular basis.

"We're having a staff meeting on Thursday, can you make cookies? I need blood sugar to be up."

"Hey Maura, everyone's  gonna be bummed vacation's over. I'd love to bring in some scones."

"The teachers are having a potluck on Friday. They'll need dessert...do you mind?"

I don't mind, now that I'm no longer a restaurant slave and have time to roll up sleeves in my own kitchen. The old days were different...I'd crawl home after a ten-hour shift and could barely fake the energy for takeout- forget lemon bars and whoopie pies for thirty!

Bake sales are always a hot ticket, and in some ways more of a challenge. I love the idea of turning the kiddies onto, say, a slice of prune tart in walnut pastry (with orange blossom cream?), but I also know that if it's is a tough sell in the three-stars, it'll tank with the under-twelves. To make money with this crowd, I ease up any "cheffy" tendencies and offer something fun, tasty, and  b-a-s-i-c: chocolate cupcakes with marshmallow frosting.

Lord knows there are more sophisticated ways to top a cake- a rich buttercream, a silky ganache- but what the hell am I trying to prove?

Marshmallow Frosting

What's swell about this old-fashioned, boiled icing- also known as Seven Minute Frosting- is it's versatility: it combines nicely with toasted coconut-or sprinkles! It's a natural topping for banana splits and chocolate cream pie. Layer with butterscotch pudding. Or prepare brownies in a graham cracker crust, cover with frosting, toast under the broiler, and call it s'mores! 

1 1/2 c + 1/4 c sugar

2 tbl corn syrup

4 tbl water

6 large egg whites at warm room temperature ( if necessary, stir briefly over a pan of simmering water)

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla

In a small pot, combine 1 1/2 cup sugar with corn syrup and water. Stir to combine, dip your hand under the tap, and wash away any sugar that clings to the sides of the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, occasionally washing down the sides of the pot (to prevent sugar from crystallizing) with a wet pastry brush. Cook until the syrup reaches 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Turn off heat and let cool for five minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk egg whites with an electric mixer at medium speed until they are quite foamy. Add salt and continue to whisk until whites hold soft peaks (from this point on, try not to shut off the beater). Gradually add the sugar and vanilla. Lower speed, then pour the syrup in a steady stream down the side of the mixing bowl, taking care not to splash the whisk. Increase speed and whisk until cool (about seven minutes). If not using right away, store a room temperature in an air-tight container.

frosts about three dozen cupcakes

Poached Quince

Quince isn't a fruit one stumbles over often- not in this part of the world, anyway. So imagine my delight when I entered a supermarket in Hollywood last week and spotted piles of it, seated indian-style with the bananas and apples.

They were labeled "quince pears", and bumpy pears are indeed what they resemble (both are members of the pome family). Their flavor, however, belongs to quince alone: consider the most fragrant, floral bartlett soaked with rosewater and pineapple juice and you still haven't come close. Bite into one and see for yourself.....

Gotcha! Pretty terrible, isn't it?! When raw, quince is tart and hard, practically inedible. Be patient- quince is a model of belated gratification. As it roasts or simmers, quince takes the lazy route, softening and finding honey at a snail's pace- a languid hour or two- darkening to a rosy blush and filling the house with perfume.

Poached Quince

Quince needs to ripen at room temperature. Refrigerate it- lest it become mealy- once the fruit has lost all traces of green.

quince

water

sugar

vanilla bean

cinnamon stick

lemon, juice and peel

salt

To prepare quince: Peel, quarter, and remove core with a melon baller, a sturdy teaspoon, or a sharp knife (careful- its flesh can be quite hard). Cut quarters in half and set aside.

Per each quince, fill a non-reactive saucepan or pot with one cup of water, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 vanilla bean, 1/4 cinnamon stick, a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a strip of peel. Add the quince and cover with a parchment circle and/or small plate so the fruit stays submerged. Bring to boil, lower heat, and simmer for 45 minutes to two hours, until fruit is tender and easily pierced with a sharp knife (it will range in color from a light peach to a deep rose).

Cooled quince can be stored in its poaching liquid, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.

Guava Jelly

I've never cooked with guava before, at least not until yesterday. Certainly I've seen it in the "exotic" section of the supermarket, but it wasn't until I went to Southern California that I witnessed the fruit in such bulk, piled high in produce bins of San Diego and Los Angeles, spilling from boxes at the farmer's market in Ojai.

At each locale, their balm was incense-thick, musky, and sweet as syrup; driving home to Greenville with three pounds of ripe guava in the back seat is a lovely experience!

Unfortunately, those hefty three pounds yielded a puny eight ounces of jelly- but whatta jelly! Prepare some yourself, and you, too, can enjoy it for breakfast with cream cheese and toast. Spread it on pound cake. Fill a cookie. Glaze a cheesecake. Crown a custard. Flavor a buttercream. Top a cracker. Brush on pork chops. Nibble with manchego. Drizzle on shortbread. Sandwich with cheddar. Eat straight from the jar!

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Guava Jelly

guava

sugar

lime juice

Wash the fruit, remove stem ends, slice thin, and toss into a large, non-reactive pot. Fill with water just to cover. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until the guava is very soft (30-40 minutes).

Pour entire contents of pot into a jelly bag set over a bowl. Let sit overnight.

Discard the cooked fruit and measure the amount of juice it has produced. Pour into a heavy, non-reactive pot.

For each cup of liquid, measure out 1/2 c sugar and 1 tsp lime juice. Add to pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer, stirring often and skimming off any scum that forms on the surface.  Cook for about 20 minutes, until it reaches 220 degrees (high altitude jammers: drop 2 degrees for each 1,000 feet above sea level) or sets up on a frozen plate.

Refrigerate, or can according to manufacturer's instructions.

Various Shortbreads

It's only mid-December, but my baking is done for the season.  Tomorrow I begin a road trip to Southern California, hitting up Los Angeles and San Diego, eventually landing in Santa Cruz for Christmas. Since my oven will be cold for the next week or so, will you whip up some cookies for me? I've left you with a few of my favorites to choose from.

Thank you and happy holidays! xoxoxox

Shortbread, with variations

300 degrees may seem like a low oven temperature, but it prevents the cookie from browning too quickly and losing its delicate texture

8 oz unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

1/2 c sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 c AP flour

optional ingredient from list below

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Beat sugar with the butter on medium speed for one minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until the dough just comes together. Roll out to 1/4" thick and cut into desired shapes (Stars of Bethleham? "Gingerbread" men?). Chill for 30 minutes and bake for 20-25, or until the bottoms are a very light tan (the cookies will firm up as they cool).

Espresso Shortbread

Add 1/4 c ground espresso beans

Pistachio Shortbread

Add 1/2 c chopped pistachios

Lavender Shortbread

Add 4 tsp fresh or 2 tsp dried lavender buds, with which you've ground with some of the sugar

Pinenut Shortbread

Add 1/2 c chopped, toasted pinenuts

December

It's easy to decorate for the holidays when you live in the woods. Needle-covered branches line the fireplace mantle. Pinecones fill wire baskets. Shallow bowls teem with acorns stolen from neighborhood squirrels. Guests are greeted by a swag of pine clippings.

Inspired by nature, mandarin oranges are studded with cloves and a garland of cranberries is woven down the banister. Pomegranates cluster with red anjou pears. Candles, a poinsettia bush, and a three-foot tall cone made of twisted gold twig.

You want a tree? Look out the window!

In the kitchen, hot chocolate's bubbling and shortbread is baking. Next week brings gingerbread and- if I'm extra-motivated- meyer lemon marmalade, a gift I give in bulk.

The cookies are done... drop in and share!

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Brother-In-Law Pie

"Did you bring your cranberry pie?" Ed asked me last Thursday.

"No, sorry, I haven't been near an oven all week. I brought champers". 

"Aw. That's killer pie".

"I know you like it. I'll make you one for Christmas".

"Alright!"

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Cranberry Walnut Pie adapted from California Home Cooking by Michele Anna Jordan

Rich and tart, sweet and bright, this deeply flavored pie is a knock-out.

9" unbaked pie shell, chilled

3 eggs, room temp.

1/2 light brown sugar, packed

1 c light corn syrup

1/2 c unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbl brandy

1 tbl fresh orange juice

2 tsp orange zest, minced

1 tsp cinnamon

small pinch of ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 c fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped

1 c walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Beat the eggs until frothy.

Whisk in brown sugar and corn syrup.

Whisk in the butter, vanilla, brandy, orange juice and zest, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

Fold in the cranberries and walnuts, then pour into the chilled pie shell.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until set.

Let pie rest for at least two hours before serving with vanilla ice cream...if you can wait!

Season's Greetings

In the next few days I'll be moving into a new home, attending a friend's wedding in San Francisco, then traveling to Santa Cruz for Thanksgiving with my husband's family. I'm pretty tired and have nothing much to say, but I'd like to give everyone an early holiday gift: an original recipe for pear upside-down spice cake (the one I won't be making next week). It's d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s and great for holiday parties or cozy afternoons.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I'll see you in late November!

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Cornmeal Pear Upside-Down Cake

Although this cake keeps fairly well, the pears lose much of their gloss by the second day. 

10 tbl unsalted butter, divided, room temp.

3/4 c packed light-brown sugar, divided

2 ripe and fragrant pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/8ths

1 c flour

1/2 c coarse-ground cornmeal

1 1/2 tsp bpowder

1/2 tsp bsoda

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 ground allspice

1/4 tsp salt

zest of 1/3 lemon, minced

1/2 c sugar

2 large eggs, room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c milk, room temp

Preheat oven to 350°.

Put 4 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a 9-inch cast iron skillet or a 9" round cake pan. Cook over low heat, until mixture is smooth and sugar begins to darken. Let some sugar splash up onto the sides of the pan. Arrange pear slices tho cover the bottom of the pan.

In a bowl, sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger,allspice, and salt. Stir in lemon zest.

In another bowl, beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter until creamy. Add granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar; beat until well combined. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Pour batter over fruit in pan. Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool briefly, then turn out onto serving plate.

Nolstalgia

For years I've been threatening to write a book celebrating (and perhaps mythologizing) the flavors of New England from the kitchen of a reluctant ex-pat.

For me, yankee eatin' includes whoopie pies, maple custard, lobster boils, plank-baked shad, birch beer, gingerbread, grape jelly, clam fritters, clam chowder, native corn, blueberry buckle, Portuguese bread and fishermen's stews, grapenut and indian pudding, blue crabs.

Blue fish, doughboys, kielbasa, sauerkraut, chicken and dumplings, chicken pot pie, squaw bread,  cheddar and chutney, pierogies, roast beef and horseradish cream, arroz con gandules from that place in Holyoke, cranberry tea loaves, American Chop Suey(just kidding!).

New Haven apizza, corned beef and red flannel hash, shortbread, pumpkin bisque, Humel hot dogs and Fenway Franks, soda bread, shepherd's pie, succotash, apple cider doughnuts, apple crisp, salt cod cakes, biscuits and honey butter, baked beans, boston cream pie. And.. dare I admit it?... Dunkin Donuts coffee.

If I were to record my interpretation of New England soul food, the inaugural dessert would be Toll House Pie, the first pie I ever made.

Have you had it? Run out and buy premade crust if you must, but please try this pie! The chocolate chips sink to the bottom and become a gooey chocolate layer while the top caramelizes and forms a walnut-y, cookie-like, butter-rich top. Heaven!

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Toll House Pie

I've had this recipe for so long that I can't cite its original source, although it more than likely came from the back of a bag of chocolate chips.

one unbaked 9" pie shell

2 lg eggs, room temp

1/2 cup AP flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup butter, room temp.

1 cup semi or bittersweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

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Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat eggs on high speed until fluffy (3 minutes or so). Add flour, both sugars, and salt. Beat in the butter and vanilla, then stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Scoop into unbaked pie shell and smooth with spatula.

Bake 50-60 minutes, or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Serve warm and ala mode!

My Friend, the Walnut

Monday night, I had two pounds of walnuts and a hammer. Blame it on latent OCD, but to me there's little more satisfying than tapping a fracture into a walnut husk and prying out an entire nutmeat intact. What emerges is an odd and prehistoric orb, containing enough protein and fat calories to sustain our nomadic ancestors, helping to make civilization possible. Now, smash it!

This fresh, walnuts taste sweet and clean, without a hint of the bitterness they'll eventually acquire. One of my favorite ways to showcase them is in this torte- short, rich, and deeply flavored. "Just a sliver" is very satisfying... trust me! If you enjoy a piece with your breakfast coffee, you'll feel full until your b.l.t. and soda at noon.

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Walnut Torte adapted from The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

Mountain Bakers: add a splash more rum, a pinch less baking powder, and raise the oven temperature to 375 degree. Shorten baking time to 25 minutes.

2 c shelled walnuts, toasted for 8 minutes (or until fragrant) at 350 degrees

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup flour

2/3 c sugar

7 tbl butter, room temp.

1 lg egg, room temp.

2 tbl rum (or Nocino, if you're lucky!)

grated zest of one orange

powdered sugar or cocoa powder for sprinkling on finished cake

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour an 8" round cake pan, or a 9" pan for a crunchy, squat, almost cookie-like cake that you shave pieces off throughout the week (this is how I like it).

Sift the flour with the b.powder and salt. Set aside.

In a food processor, combine the toasted and cooled walnuts with 1 tbl sugar and pulse until ground fine, but not a powder (or chop very fine with the sugar by hand). Remove from bowl and set aside.

Into the processor (or mixing bowl),  combine butter with the remaining sugar and process until creamy. Add the egg, rum, and orange zest and process briefly until ingredients are combined. Remove to a mixing bowl, add ground walnuts, and stir to combine. Add dry ingredients and stir just to combine (the batter will be dense).

Pour batter into baking pan, level with spatula, and bake 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out dry.

Cool, then sprinkle with powdered sugar or cocoa powder. The flavor of the cake will improve as it sits and will keep at at room temperature for several days.