The Great Gatsby came out this weekend. Like everyone else in the world, I read it in high school and loved it. I especially remember wondering what a mint julep was--they seemed to always be drinking mint juleps! When I went off to W&L, mint juleps were a spring term tradition. Alumni weekend usually fell on Derby weekend, two forces conspiring for fraternity boys to descend upon the Lexington Kroger and clear it out of mint.
Last weekend, Andrew and I made plans to make mint juleps and watch the Kentucky Derby. So I made derby pie. It is the perfect, almost sinful combination of chocolate, pecans and bourbon. I used the America's Test Kitchen recipe almost exactly--aside from swapping pecans for walnuts, because pecans are better. Otherwise, it was perfect. You get a pretty strong taste of bourbon, which I love. The consistency of the pie would still be good if you left out the bourbon, but why would you do that?
Derby Pie from America's Test Kitchen
The star chefs at America's test kitchen recommend refrigerating and then freezing your crust before you bake it. I didn't do this, and I think it turned out fine. I would use pie weights if you have them. (I didn't, but my crust puffed up so much I finally went to Bed Bath & Beyond and dropped $5 on some ceramic weights the next day!)
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cover your chilled pie crust with parchment paper and pie weights. I used my homemade pie crust (recipe here). Bake 20-25 minutes or until the dough doesn't look wet. Remove pie from oven, take off parchment paper and weights, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees.
Chop 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate into small pieces. Sprinkle the chocolate on the bottom of the hot crust and let it sit and melt. After 5 minutes, spread the chocolate into an even layer.
Cut 1 stick unsalted butter into small pieces. Melt it in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is a nutty brown. Remove from heat and slowly stir in 3 tablespoons bourbon. Let cool 5 minutes.
Whisk together 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 2 large eggs plus 1 yolk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Slowly add the warm butter mixture.
Chop 1 1/2 cups walnuts or pecans. (America's Test Kitchen says to toast the nuts first; I didn't and thought they were still delicious.) Add nuts to the mixture and pour the whole filling into the chocolate-lined crust. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until center only jiggles a little. Cool on a wire rack for 4 hours, or in the fridge.
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chocolate. Show all posts
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Chocolate tiffin
Last week I had a Pi Phi Alumnae Club meeting, and it was wine & cheese & dessert. I wanted a dessert that was a little unusual, and chocolate tiffin fit the bill. I'd wanted to make chocolate tiffin since my weekend in London during my summer in Provence. It's a kind of cake or cookie bar made of crushed "digestive biscuits" that's popular with British children. I think it's similar to Prince William's groom's cake from the royal wedding, so if that isn't motivation I don't know what is.
These are digestive biscuits. I found them in the ethnic foods aisle at Publix, which I thought was funny.
It's an easy recipe and it makes a ton. I had decided to double it for some reason, which means that I had leftover tiffin to bring to tailgating and to lunch at work every day. Extra chocolate has never been a problem ever, but I think one times the recipe makes plenty. It feels so indulgent to make because of the melted chocolate. And of course you have to lick the spoon...
You have to be careful with melting chocolate, and what cooking blog would this be if I didn't warn you? I used my shiny new double boiler. You can also rig up a double boiler with two saucepans, or melt it for a few seconds at a time in the microwave.
My other question with this recipe is if there should be more butter and Karo syrup to the crushed biscuits. That's basically the glue that holds the cookie crumbs together. I could have crushed the biscuits into smaller pieces--you really want crumbs!--and that may have been my problem with biscuit pieces crumbling off and making it a little messy. But it could also maybe use a little more butter.
Chocolate tiffin
Crush 8 oz Rich Tea biscuits into really small pieces. Melt 4 oz butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons Karo syrup and 4 teaspoons cocoa. Add the biscuits and (optional) 1 handful of raisins. Mix and pour into a jelly roll pan or something similar.
Meanwhile, melt 4 oz milk chocolate and 4 oz dark chocolate. Pour the melted chocolate over the biscuit mixture.
Let the tin set in the frige for at least an hour. Cut into pieces to serve.
It's an easy recipe and it makes a ton. I had decided to double it for some reason, which means that I had leftover tiffin to bring to tailgating and to lunch at work every day. Extra chocolate has never been a problem ever, but I think one times the recipe makes plenty. It feels so indulgent to make because of the melted chocolate. And of course you have to lick the spoon...
You have to be careful with melting chocolate, and what cooking blog would this be if I didn't warn you? I used my shiny new double boiler. You can also rig up a double boiler with two saucepans, or melt it for a few seconds at a time in the microwave.
My other question with this recipe is if there should be more butter and Karo syrup to the crushed biscuits. That's basically the glue that holds the cookie crumbs together. I could have crushed the biscuits into smaller pieces--you really want crumbs!--and that may have been my problem with biscuit pieces crumbling off and making it a little messy. But it could also maybe use a little more butter.
Chocolate tiffin
Crush 8 oz Rich Tea biscuits into really small pieces. Melt 4 oz butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons Karo syrup and 4 teaspoons cocoa. Add the biscuits and (optional) 1 handful of raisins. Mix and pour into a jelly roll pan or something similar.
Meanwhile, melt 4 oz milk chocolate and 4 oz dark chocolate. Pour the melted chocolate over the biscuit mixture.
Let the tin set in the frige for at least an hour. Cut into pieces to serve.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
The best chocolate chip cookies ever
This is one of my favorite recipes. These are the cookies I grew up with; Mommy rightly believed that no other cookies are as good, so why bother? When I stress-baked in high school and in college, I always made these cookies. I have the necessary ingredients on hand at all times, and I genuinely have the recipe memorized. These cookies have gone to French club bake sales, to copy editing nights at the Hi's Eye and the Ring-tum Phi and, perhaps most importantly, to Andrew's roommates his senior year. I don't think Ned would like me as much if I hadn't constantly supplied him with cookies; he even mentioned them in his best man speech at our wedding. Little did he know that he'd those exact cookies after the bouquet toss! Mom and I baked about 30 dozen in February--and Andrew had no idea--and froze them until June. They were still just as good!
I creamed the butter by hand until Andrew bought a hand mixer halfway through his senior year, but with a mixer they come together in no time at all. The trick to this recipe is the oatmeal. Do not leave it out! That's what makes these cookies so chewy and delicious. Chocolate chip cookies are often too dry or crunchy; the oatmeal makes the difference. I find that smaller cookies--about the amount of dough that fits into a spoon--tend to come out better. Plus, smaller cookies are easier to share. I cook them for about 7-8 minutes (Fannie Farmer calls for 8-10 but I know better), until they're browned on the bottom but not necessarily on the top. Then I take them out and let them sit for a few minutes before moving them to the cooling rack. This is a good trick to keep them from overcooking; they bake a little more on the cookie sheet when they're out of the oven, and letting them sit makes them come up more easily without falling apart.
I could keep talking up this recipe forever. I've made it a bajillion times, and I genuinely have it memorized. (Yes, I double-checked before posting.) These are the best cookies you will ever eat. Ever. So here you go, and get baking!
Chocolate chip cookies
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream 1/4 pound butter (1 stick). Gradually add 1/2 cup dark brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until they are will mixed and light. Next, add 1 egg and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add 1 & 1/8 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Mix in 1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal, then 1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet is best, but milk chocolate is fine).
Drop onto cookie sheets and bake about 8 minutes. Let sit before transferring to cooling racks. Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies. Serve with a huge glass of milk.
 |
| Some of the cookie dough for the wedding... |
I creamed the butter by hand until Andrew bought a hand mixer halfway through his senior year, but with a mixer they come together in no time at all. The trick to this recipe is the oatmeal. Do not leave it out! That's what makes these cookies so chewy and delicious. Chocolate chip cookies are often too dry or crunchy; the oatmeal makes the difference. I find that smaller cookies--about the amount of dough that fits into a spoon--tend to come out better. Plus, smaller cookies are easier to share. I cook them for about 7-8 minutes (Fannie Farmer calls for 8-10 but I know better), until they're browned on the bottom but not necessarily on the top. Then I take them out and let them sit for a few minutes before moving them to the cooling rack. This is a good trick to keep them from overcooking; they bake a little more on the cookie sheet when they're out of the oven, and letting them sit makes them come up more easily without falling apart.
 |
| Try to go for about this size--they spread out so much! |
Chocolate chip cookies
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream 1/4 pound butter (1 stick). Gradually add 1/2 cup dark brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until they are will mixed and light. Next, add 1 egg and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add 1 & 1/8 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Mix in 1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal, then 1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet is best, but milk chocolate is fine).
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Introductions and Banana-Chocolate Tart
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty,
wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a
dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it
was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."
- The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkein
I am convinced that my husband (it still feels strange to call him that!) mostly decided he liked me because I wanted to join him and his friends for one of their many failed attempts at a Lord of the Rings marathon. (They did finally complete a marathon during his bachelor party.) We are both hobbits, although at 6'4" Andrew is really too tall to claim the title. I am much littler at 5'2", and second breakfast is my favorite. Andrew and I got married just a month ago, on June 16, and now live in a cute little midcentury house in Tallahassee. We have a huge, wild garden with fig trees and oak trees and foxes, so we named our new home the Shire. So that is why I have named my blog "Food, Love and Hobbits," at least temporarily until I think of something more clever.
Some of my high school friends told me that I should start a blog about my new life, especially all the food I've been making. I have always considered myself a good cook, especially when it comes to helping my mom and my aunties get ready for Thanksgiving. I lived in an apartment my junior and senior years of college and made myself dinner most nights, usually without much of a recipe. But having my own house and cooking for two on as much of a budget as I can handle is definitely a different experience from defrosting a few shrimp and making some pasta every night. I've been reading cookbooks and recipe blogs a lot more, trying to find recipes that are healthy, cost-effective and not too complicated, but still flavorful. I believe that gourmet food is not out of anyone's reach, and it certainly beats takeout or cheap restaurants.
So here we are, and here is a blog. I'm going to start with this delicious dessert I made last night. It was our one-monthiversary, so I promised Andrew I would make him something special. (Disclaimer: he is also a good cook and makes me yummy dinners all the time. He is worried that I would use this blog as an excuse to ban him from the kitchen, but I would never.) He had a long day in the lab--he is a biology grad student--so when he came home I poured him a glass of milk and put the finishing touches on...
Banana-chocolate tart: This tart is made of four components prepared separately, which you can do earlier in the day. It's a long recipe, which looks intimidating. I promise it isn't. The finished product is so beautiful, and none of the steps were particularly challenging. I timed out the different components, which need to cool or set, and used them as a break from preparing the rest of dinner, cleaning the house, etc. I did them in the following order, and then it sat in the fridge until dinner was over.
Chocolate shortbread dough: This is more of a cookie dough, but you make a crust by pressing it into your tart pan (or pie pan, if that's what you have). I got to break in my Cuisinart food processor... although I was on the phone with one of my best friends at the time, which impeded my ability to get the lid on correctly. It cut in the butter perfectly! I may actually start using it to make my own pie crusts, something I foreswore when we had to make them by hand in eighth grade home ec class.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and very lightly knead it to incorporate any dry ingredients that may have escaped mixing.
You can either press the dough into a tart pan (this is what I did) or roll it out for a pie-style crust, or maybe for cookies. If you want to roll it out, flatten it into a disk and refrigerate it for a few hours, or up to 5 days. Once the dough is in the tart pan, prick it all over with a fork and freeze it for at least 30 minutes before baking.
To bake it, put it in a 375-degree oven with a buttered circle of aluminum foil over it for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 8 minutes. Let it cool on a cooling rack before filling it.
Caramelized bananas: This is the layer closest to the crust, and it is such a nice surprise when you dig in! I found that my caramelized bananas only covered the center of the crust, so you could increase these proportions (maybe double them). I would also be more careful than I was about arranging the slices when you take them off the skillet--once they've cooled in a clump, they're stuck.
Cover a plate with parchment paper. Slice 1 ripe but firm banana into 1/8-inch-thick slices and toss them with a little lemon juice to keep them from blackening. Put a large nonstick skillet over high heat, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter and add the bananas. When both sides of all the slices are covered in butter, add 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar and cook, turning the slices until they are golden and caramelized on both sides. Transfer the bananas to the parchment-lined plate, dab them with a paper towel to remove excess butter and let them sit until they reach room temperature.
Chocolate ganache: Chop 1 pound bittersweet chocolate and put it in a heatproof bowl. Bring 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour it over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for a few seconds, then mix it together with a whisk or a spatula. Stir gently, and when the ganache is smooth and shiny, stir in 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into four pieces and at room temperature. If you refrigerate the ganache before using it, reheat gently in a microwave.
Arrange the caramelized bananas in an even layer on the crust, then pour the ganache on top. Gently rotate the tart pan so the ganache covers everything evenly. Refrigerate everything for 30 to 60 minutes, at least until the ganache has set.
Banana topping: Cut 2 or 3 bananas into 1/4-inch-thick slices and toss them with a little lemon juice. Arrange them on the tart in concentric circles. Bring 1/2 cup apricot jam (or less) to a boil and brush it over the bananas. Allow the glaze to cool and set before serving.
- The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkein
I am convinced that my husband (it still feels strange to call him that!) mostly decided he liked me because I wanted to join him and his friends for one of their many failed attempts at a Lord of the Rings marathon. (They did finally complete a marathon during his bachelor party.) We are both hobbits, although at 6'4" Andrew is really too tall to claim the title. I am much littler at 5'2", and second breakfast is my favorite. Andrew and I got married just a month ago, on June 16, and now live in a cute little midcentury house in Tallahassee. We have a huge, wild garden with fig trees and oak trees and foxes, so we named our new home the Shire. So that is why I have named my blog "Food, Love and Hobbits," at least temporarily until I think of something more clever.
Some of my high school friends told me that I should start a blog about my new life, especially all the food I've been making. I have always considered myself a good cook, especially when it comes to helping my mom and my aunties get ready for Thanksgiving. I lived in an apartment my junior and senior years of college and made myself dinner most nights, usually without much of a recipe. But having my own house and cooking for two on as much of a budget as I can handle is definitely a different experience from defrosting a few shrimp and making some pasta every night. I've been reading cookbooks and recipe blogs a lot more, trying to find recipes that are healthy, cost-effective and not too complicated, but still flavorful. I believe that gourmet food is not out of anyone's reach, and it certainly beats takeout or cheap restaurants.
So here we are, and here is a blog. I'm going to start with this delicious dessert I made last night. It was our one-monthiversary, so I promised Andrew I would make him something special. (Disclaimer: he is also a good cook and makes me yummy dinners all the time. He is worried that I would use this blog as an excuse to ban him from the kitchen, but I would never.) He had a long day in the lab--he is a biology grad student--so when he came home I poured him a glass of milk and put the finishing touches on...
- Baked herbed goat cheese with a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil, served on baguette slices (leftover from our Bastille Day celebration). This was our appetizer
- Rosemary chicken, which has been my favorite since I was little
- Oven-roasted tomatoes provençales
- Green beans almandine
- Yeast rolls (I used some of the dough to make cinnamon rolls for second breakfast today!)
- Banana-chocolate tart
Banana-chocolate tart: This tart is made of four components prepared separately, which you can do earlier in the day. It's a long recipe, which looks intimidating. I promise it isn't. The finished product is so beautiful, and none of the steps were particularly challenging. I timed out the different components, which need to cool or set, and used them as a break from preparing the rest of dinner, cleaning the house, etc. I did them in the following order, and then it sat in the fridge until dinner was over.
Chocolate shortbread dough: This is more of a cookie dough, but you make a crust by pressing it into your tart pan (or pie pan, if that's what you have). I got to break in my Cuisinart food processor... although I was on the phone with one of my best friends at the time, which impeded my ability to get the lid on correctly. It cut in the butter perfectly! I may actually start using it to make my own pie crusts, something I foreswore when we had to make them by hand in eighth grade home ec class.
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Put the above ingredients in the food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter 9 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter (cut into small pieces) over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut in coarsely. For me, this took like a minute. Stir one large egg yolk just enough to break it up, and add it to the dough. When the egg is in, process in long pulses--about 10 second each--until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds.Turn the dough out onto a work surface and very lightly knead it to incorporate any dry ingredients that may have escaped mixing.
You can either press the dough into a tart pan (this is what I did) or roll it out for a pie-style crust, or maybe for cookies. If you want to roll it out, flatten it into a disk and refrigerate it for a few hours, or up to 5 days. Once the dough is in the tart pan, prick it all over with a fork and freeze it for at least 30 minutes before baking.
To bake it, put it in a 375-degree oven with a buttered circle of aluminum foil over it for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 8 minutes. Let it cool on a cooling rack before filling it.
Caramelized bananas: This is the layer closest to the crust, and it is such a nice surprise when you dig in! I found that my caramelized bananas only covered the center of the crust, so you could increase these proportions (maybe double them). I would also be more careful than I was about arranging the slices when you take them off the skillet--once they've cooled in a clump, they're stuck.
Cover a plate with parchment paper. Slice 1 ripe but firm banana into 1/8-inch-thick slices and toss them with a little lemon juice to keep them from blackening. Put a large nonstick skillet over high heat, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter and add the bananas. When both sides of all the slices are covered in butter, add 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar and cook, turning the slices until they are golden and caramelized on both sides. Transfer the bananas to the parchment-lined plate, dab them with a paper towel to remove excess butter and let them sit until they reach room temperature.
Chocolate ganache: Chop 1 pound bittersweet chocolate and put it in a heatproof bowl. Bring 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour it over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for a few seconds, then mix it together with a whisk or a spatula. Stir gently, and when the ganache is smooth and shiny, stir in 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into four pieces and at room temperature. If you refrigerate the ganache before using it, reheat gently in a microwave.
Arrange the caramelized bananas in an even layer on the crust, then pour the ganache on top. Gently rotate the tart pan so the ganache covers everything evenly. Refrigerate everything for 30 to 60 minutes, at least until the ganache has set.
Banana topping: Cut 2 or 3 bananas into 1/4-inch-thick slices and toss them with a little lemon juice. Arrange them on the tart in concentric circles. Bring 1/2 cup apricot jam (or less) to a boil and brush it over the bananas. Allow the glaze to cool and set before serving.
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