Dutch Baby with Lemon Sugar

What is it that turns four ordinary ingredients — butter, eggs, milk and flour — into such a regal creation as the Dutch Baby pancake? Is it magic? A culinary sleight of hand that only the gifted cook can pull off?

The Dutch Baby, its golden bowl shape ripe for filling with the freshest seasonal fruit, is indeed a showstopper dish. But it’s one that brings even the most unlucky cook success. Just follow a few simple rules.

The first: Begin with a very hot oven, set at 425 degrees.

The second: Choose the right size pan; if too big, the pancake will remain flat, but if too small, the center will rise more than the sides. Once the pan size is determined, just about any type will do. A heavy, cast-iron skillet is perfect, as it conducts heat well. (And because it also retains heat, the pancake can be filled and served right from the pan.) A round or rectangular cake pan can also be used, but place it in the center of the oven to prevent the bottom of the pancake from browning too much.

The third rule: Put butter in the pan, and let melt until bubbly. It’s the combination of high heat and hot fat that pushes the batter along the sides of the pan into a bowl shape.

The fourth rule: Don’t open the oven door until a few minutes before you think it may be ready, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of pan. If cooler air hits the pancake before it has a chance to form and stabilize, it could deflate.

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 3 large eggs at room temperature 30 minutes
• 2/3 cup whole milk at room temperature
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Put skillet on middle rack of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.

Stir together sugar and zest in a small bowl.

Beat eggs with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and frothy, then beat in milk, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and continue to beat until smooth, about 1 minute more (batter will be thin).

Add butter to hot skillet and melt, swirling to coat. Add batter and immediately return skillet to oven. Bake until puffed and golden-brown, 18 to 25 minutes.

Serve immediately, topped with lemon sugar or fresh fruit.

Each Dutch Baby is a little unique, but here are some characteristics to look for: The sides should have risen higher than the bottom, and they’ll be quite brown. The bottom of the pancake should be golden brown.

The Dutch Baby makes a beautiful brunch or light lunch dish and can be filled, depending on the season and mood, with berries, peaches or sautéed apples. A dusting of powdered sugar or pure maple syrup provides the final touch. Now taste. It is magical, after all.

 

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

If you like the fresh flavor of lemon then these cookies are for you! The cookie itself is incredibly moist because of the ricotta cheese; and the glaze, made of pure sugar and lemon, is sweet and lemony. Both the cookie and the glaze contain lemon zest, which boosts the lemon flavor up a notch. Meyer Lemons also work incredibly well in this recipe!

Note: Giada’s original recipe says to scoop 2-tablespoon size balls, but I always go smaller. If you go with 1-tablespoon size balls you’ll get a huge amount of cookies.

Ingredients

Yield: 6 dozen (approx)cookies

For the cookies:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lemon, zested

For the glaze:
2-3 cups confectioners’ sugar
3-6 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and the sugar. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 1 tablespoon for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

To make the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. I like my glaze a little on the thick side, but if it is too thick gradually add more lemon juice. Dip each cookie into the glaze, letting the excess drip off. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours before serving. I store my cookies in an airtight container, separated by layers with wax paper.

Source: adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

 

Butternut, Corn and Coconut Soup

This is a delicious creamy soup that morphed from a different soup recipe that called for kabocha squash.  I had to use ingredients that I had readily available, so I substituted the kabocha for a butternut squash and a beautiful organic garnet red yam. The end result was what I think is a creamier textured soup! Don’t be tempted to skip the corn relish, It is a necessary finishing component!

For soup:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro stems
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 (2 -pound) piece butternut squash  halved lengthwise then halved crosswise, seeded (4 pieces total)
• 1 medium red garnet yam (preferably organic) sliced in  half lengthwise
• 3 cups water
• 1 can well-stirred canned unsweetened lite coconut milk
• 3 ears of corn ,  kernels cut off and all but 1/3 cup reserved for relish (below)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

For corn relish:

• 4 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups (approx)corn kernels (see above)
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet with foil. Generously spray foil with cooking spray. Place squash and yam skin side up and roast until squash and potato are fork tender and slightly carmelized, about 30-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while preparing soup.

Make soup:
Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and edges are browned, about 4 minutes. Add cilantro stems and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Scrape squash and potato and to pot. Cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes. Stir in water, coconut milk, 1/3 cup corn, salt, and cayenne and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let soup set for at least 15 minutes to cool and for the flavors to meld together.

Prepare corn relish while soup simmers:
Whisk together lime juice, salt, and sugar in a bowl, then add oil and whisk until combined.

Add corn kernels  to dressing along with cilantro and shallot and toss well to coat.

Finish soup:
Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) until smooth. As with all squash soups, I prefer to strain the finished product in a metal colander just to elevate the creaminess factor. Taste for additional salt, if needed.

Divide soup among bowls and gently stir 1/4 cup corn relish into each.

Soup (without corn relish) can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat before serving.
Corn relish can be made 1 hour ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature.

 

Skillet Baked Ziti

Yield: Servings: 6 to 8

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 25 min

This recipe is really so easy, it almost makes you feel guilty ! But trust me, it really is delicious with the pasta cooking itself in the sauce, releasing all of the yummy starch and absorbing the garlic and tomatoes . If you have a cast iron skillet, I would recommend using it for this dish. There’s just something about a one dish meal that is so comforting!

ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
3 cups water
12 ounces good quality ziti or penne pasta (I use penne)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
1 1/2  cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475°F. Place oven rack in middle position. Measure out water and pasta.

2. Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch oven-safe skillet (I use a cast-iron) and sauté over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, water, ziti, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a vigorous simmer, until pasta is almost tender, 15 to 18 minutes. While pasta is cooking, measure out cream, Parmesan and basil.

3. Stir in cream, Parmesan and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over pasta. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes. Serve.

tips:

*Be sure to preheat your oven before assembling the ingredients.
*If your skillet is not ovensafe, transfer the pasta mixture into a shallow 2-quart casserole dish before sprinkling with the cheese and baking.
*Penne may be used in place of ziti.

 

Israeli Couscous With Cranberries and Pecans

 

Based on a delicious product prepared nationwide at Whole Foods Markets. This recipe was originally  posted on chowhound.com, with several modifications to suit my own preferences. I have made this delicious salad much to rave reviews. For a main course meal, grilled chicken or shrimp served on top would be terrific!

Serves 4-6 people

If you are lucky enough to find this great product, I highly recommend using the tri-color variety of Israeli couscous!

Salad:
2 cups Israeli couscous, uncooked
1 cup dried cherries or cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
2 scallions, minced

Dressing:
3 tbsp canola oil
1.5 tbsp champagne -or- white wine vinegar
zest of 1 orange
1/2 orange, juiced maybe a little more to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste

 

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add the couscous. When it’s done (roughly 8-10 mins, or when it’s al dente), drain it but do not rinse. Set aside and let cool while you mince the scallions, toast and chop the pecans, and make the dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk together the canola oil, vinegar, orange zest and juice, spices and salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the couscous, cranberries, pecans and scallions. Pour the well-whisked dressing over it and toss to combine.

Serve immediately, or chill in the fridge for a few hours to blend the flavors. Best served at room temperature. Enjoy!

 

 

Homemade Olive Oil Crackers

I needed crackers to serve along my delicious restaurant style hummus. I contemplated going to Whole Foods and buying that 7 dollar bag of fancy crackers, but really??  I wondered to myself — how difficult is it to just make crackers yourself?  Not very hard at all. They’re quick to roll out and bake, they cost next to nothing, they’re infinitely customizable, and they’re as wholesome as the flour you use to make them. So now I make them all the time. Especially because my husband is a cheese and whatever kind of guy. These are healthy, easy and so rewarding to make. On Sunday, I make some crackers and then we’re basically set for a mid day  snack: a good piece of cheese, a handful of crackers,  a fresh apple, and a nice cold micro brewed beer from Colorado!

I never thought that using baking powder instead of yeast would result in such an amazing, light, lavash-like cracker in a lot less time than lavash would! This recipe is a keeper.

Yield: 25 crackers

250g -or- 2 cups all purpose flour (or half AP and half semolina-or-whole wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
7-9 T water
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Freshly coarse ground pepper
Sea salt to taste
For topping: coarse salt, black pepper, and seeds: poppy, sesame, caraway, celery, flax, pumpkin, whatever you like More olive oil for brushing

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, or the bowl of a Kitchen Aid add the flour baking powder, water, olive oil, salt and pepper. Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes until it all comes together.
3. Make walnut sized balls and roll them out as thinly as you can into long, oval shapes. Alternatively, you could roll half the dough out into a very thin rectangle and just use a knife or pizza cutter to cut into any desired shape you like.
4. Place the rolled out crackers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with pink Himalayan salt (or poppy seeds, sesame seeds, za’atar, etc).
5. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the crackers are golden brown in color. Keep a close watch!
6. Cool completely, they will continue to crisp. Store any leftover crackers in an airtight cracker container. They will keep for about a week or so (if they last that long…)

 

 

Restaurant Style Hummus

There was a fantastic recipe titled “Best Hummus” in the May-June 2008 issue of Cook’s Illustrated, and I’ve been using it as my go to hummus.Many times I have tried to duplicate this delicious spread served at our favorite Mediterranean place. I mean, the taste was always ok, but I yearned for that perfect texture, both light and fluffy.So when my office potluck rolled around once again, I really needed to step up and find that perfect recipe of yummy, beany goodness.  The following hints should help prevent disappointment in homemade concoctions.First, everybody’s taste in hummus is slightly different, but when in doubt, I prefer a texture with more light fluffiness and less pastiness, and this recipe achieves that goal.

Ingredients

To make ~1 1/2 cups hummus.

• 1/2 cup dried chickpeas (or 1 15-oz can, rinsed and drained)
• 3 TB lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 6 TB tahini
• 2 TB extra-virgin olive oil (at least)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon of the more finely grained kind)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 TB minced fresh cilantro or parsley (this is another optional-but-delicious ingredient that can be increased if you’re looking for more flavor)

Directions

If you’re starting from dried chickpeas, cook them first! Pre-soaking is really nice here because garbanzos are huge and sometimes need to cook for two hours even when soaked. The Cook’s Illustrated recipe suggests cooking the beans with 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, which I have never tried but the idea intrigues me. Combine lemon juice and water and set aside. Whisk tahini and 2T olive oil and set aside. Reserve 2 T of chickpeas. Process chickpeas, garlic, salt and cumin in food processor until almost ground about 15 seconds. While running, add lemon juice mixture in a stream and process 1 minute. Add oil/tahini mixture in a stream and process until smooth and fluffy, about 30-60 seconds. The idea being to make an emulsion, like vinaigrette, with oil smoothly coating everything). Be sure to scrape down the sides of your food processor periodically during this process. Spread hummus in a thin layer on a small platter or plate, then drizzle with olive oil, chickpeas and parsley. Best served the day it is made!

Serve hummus as a spread for sandwiches (falafel if you’re so inspired), use it as a dip with raw veggies or bread for dipping (pita is particularly nice), or some homemade olive oil crackers.

More possible garnish ideas: fresh herbs (as mentioned before); keep a few chickpeas aside; drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with spices (cumin is especially nice roasted up a bit in a dry skillet or toaster oven).

 

 

Chocolate Diablo Cookies

Diablo Cookie

These chocolate chip diablo cookies borrow a little something from the ancient Mayans who knew that  chile powder and chocolate could possibly become bff’s.  With the spicy kick of cayenne, cinnamon and 3 T. fresh grated ginger (fresh only, please) topped with fleur de sel  or Maldon salt and raw sugar come from the famous Tacofino taco truck . Chocolatey, cakey and with just enough of a kick to let you know this is not your average chocolate cookie.

My husband took a batch to the office and the verdict was that either you love ‘em or you don’t. If you enjoy a rich chocolatey salty sweet and spicy flavor explosion, then this cookie is for you!  Layers of flavor galore!

DRY INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sifted cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 – 1  teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 cup chocolate chips or chunks

WET INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed ginger juice or fresh-grated ginger root
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• DIRECTIONS

  For the dry ingredients: Mix together the sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  For the wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, white sugar, canola oil, eggs, ginger  and vanilla.
  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
  (I like to refrigerate my cookie dough for at least 30-60 minutes to meld the flavors and to incorporate the dough into an easier consistency.)Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. On a parchment covered cookie sheet, press golfball-size cookie dough balls out and  lightly dip cookie into fleur de sel and sugar. Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes or until the cookies start to crack. They should be nice and fudgy in the middle!  Let sit on cookie sheet  for a few minutes to firm up. This recipe should make 2 or more dozen depending on the size.

 

Homemade Caramel Corn with Nuts

Caramel Nut Corn

“This homemade caramel corn far surpasses the store-bought variety. Adding nuts makes it extra special. I like to double the recipe for gifting.”

Servings: 8 quarts

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 1 hour
A few tips before you begin: If you choose to use microwave popcorn I would suggest  using three bags of the light variety. I chose to add one cup of raw unsalted cashews very coarsely chopped, so I actually added 2 3/4 bags of popped corn and ate the other 1/4 bag! Be sure to  empty the popcorn in a big bowl before you begin and separate the popcorn from the unpopped hulls. This is VERY important, no broken teeth, please!

Ingredients

1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup raw unsalted nuts-cashews and pecans are great (optional)

Directions 

Over medium heat, combine first four ingredients and boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in baking soda.  Stir well.  With your popped corn in a big huge pot or bowl pour over 8 quarts popped corn.  Working quickly but gently, gradually stir in nuts along with caramel until well incorporated.  Bake in large roaster or cookie sheet at 200 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Spread on waxed paper to dry.

 

Lemon Pie with Blueberry Topping

Adapted from Epi April 2001

A pre made crust and frozen berries make this pie super easy and quick!

• 4 large eggs
• 1 6-ounce (8- to 9-inch) purchased graham cracker crumb crust

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1 1-pound package frozen unsweetened blueberries
• 3/4 cup blueberry jam

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Separate 1 egg, placing white in small bowl and yolk in large bowl. Beat white with fork until very foamy; brush over inside of crust several times to coat (discard remaining white).

Add 1 1/4 cups sugar, butter, and lemon peel to bowl with egg yolk. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until blended and smooth. Beat in remaining 3 eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in flour, then buttermilk and lemon juice. Pour into prepared crust. Bake until filling is golden on top and set in center, about 45 minutes. If crust is browning too quickly, cover with foil. Cool pie until firm at least 2 hours.

Toss berries, jam, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar (if desired) in large bowl to blend. Let topping stand until berries thaw and juices form, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.

Other berry combinations could be used, such as blackberries or raspberries with equally delicious results.

Cut around crust to loosen. Cut pie into wedges. Serve, spooning topping over.