After Friday’s QC Cadre Fete I took this past Saturday and Sunday off. So back in the bakery this morning I made a new bread. It’s based on a blend of Azerbaijani and Turkish breads. My friend Maggie sent me a video of a rural Azerbaijani woman making bread that looks like this but only showed ingredients but no amounts or temperatures etc. I am sure the woman knows the amounts by looking at and feeling the dough. I do not.
Turkish “simit” was the closest bread I could find, but the ingredients and method were totally different from the bread in the video. I figured out the method based on the video and calculated the amounts, times and temperatures myself. Basically, it is not a “simit” but it’s a good a name as any until some Azerbaijani corrects me.
I also add a Tangzhong to increase the bread’s shelf life and make it softer.
The QC Cadre feels this may be the best bread ever (although my Pain de Cristal is very good, different but very, very good!)
Rolls of doughDough RopesFirst coilAbout half completed coil with cell phone shadow and ceiling light reflectionComplete coilCoil dredged in sesame seedsCompleted coilsStack of circles for a roseCompleted “simit” with egg washed roseBaked “Simit” The rose is darker due to the egg-yolk washNice crumb, delicious flavor and pretty as well.
Azerbaijan Enriched “Simit” Bread
INGREDIENTS Tangzhong • 60g (½ c) bread flour • 320g (1 ⅓ c) whole milk (I use 2% milk plus ¼ c whole cream) Dough • 720g (6 c) bread flour plus 60g reserved to add to the dough as it kneads in case its too sticky • 240g (1 c) warm water (~115F) • 56g (4 Tbl) olive oil • 2 large eggs • 100g (½ c) sugar • 18g (4 tsp) yeast • 2 tsp kosher salt • 104g (8 Tbl) softened unsalted butter Egg Wash • 3 large eggs, divided • 2 Tbl water
METHOD
In a small saucepan mix the tangzhong ingredients and heat while constantly whisking until the mixture looks like smooth mashed potatoes. (~2-3 minutes)
Add tangzhong to the bowl of a stand mixer and sift remaining 720g of flour into the bowl
Add warm water and oil into the flour
Add egg, sugar, yeast, salt (not on top of yeast) and softened (but not melted butter)
Mix well with Dutch whisk to combine and make a shaggy dough being sure all the butter is incorporated.
Knead the soft, pliable dough (KitchenAid mixer speed 4 for 10 minutes.) If necessary, add more flour 20g at a time to help kneading.
Remove dough from the mixer bowl (it will be very sticky) then oil the bowl and return the dough, flip it over to coat both sides of the dough with oil then cover and let rise until doubled. (~45- 60 min. I use an oiled proofing bucket)
Dump from bowl onto lightly floured work surface. My dough weighed 1687g,
Punch it down to de-gas then divide the dough into 9 pieces ~180-190g. (9 pieces 187g each)
Reserve 2 balls for the roses and 7 for the coils.
Let the 2 balls rest at room temperature and 7 balls rise, covered in a warm place.
Working with 1 at a time (leave the rest covered,) roll each ball into a rope ~12” long, then let the rope rest as you shape the rest of the rolls. Repeat the roll/rest until you can roll the rope to ~36” long. (48” would be better.) The rope thickness should be ½-3/4” thick
Form a ~5” diameter loop with one end and coil the end under and around a couple of times.
Coil the other end around the rest of the loop and tuck the end under
Cover and let rest
Roll each of the two reserved balls into a large circle ~2mm thick on a lightly floured surface, like a thin pie crust. ~12” diameter yields ~12 three-inch circles. Let the dough rest once or twice to reduce shrinkage during rolling.
Cut 4” long ovals (they may be circles, distorted by the angle of the camera) and stack 6 over-lapping leaving ½ to ⅓ uncovered
Roll up, then cut in half, placing cut end on the table and spreading the loose end to resemble a rose. Don’t let the roses rise.
Use scraps if necessary to make extra roses.
Preheat oven to 375. degrees
Separate ~3 eggs, first whisk the whites then whisk in ~2 tbl water
Whisk the yolks and 1Tbl water to make an egg wash
Dip one side of each coil into the egg-white wash, then dredge that side in the sesame seeds and set on a parchment paper lined baking pan sesame side up
Place a dough rose inside each coil and egg wash the rose with egg yolk wash
Bake until done. (~20-25min) They should be a golden brown with the egg washed roses darker. (~190F)
Yesterday we held our first ever QC Cadre Fete at our house. For those not in the know the Quality Control Manager (QC) is my wife, Fran. The QC Cadre incudes all our immediate neighbors, and significant others. To thank everyone for their reviews over the past year I made a selection of heretofore untried pastries and bread.
From front to back are” Snowflake Bread, fig newtons and raspberry filled profiteroles, chocolate glazed chocolate filled chocolate tarts with a croustillant layer and finally gingerbread millionaires bars.
Sadly, I pulled the gingerbread millionaires bars before the fete began. I over cooked the caramel and while it tasted good, it was a very hard crack and once you started to chew it, your mouth could be glued shut. As I said, this was the first attempt at each bake so accidents will happen, but not again!
Chocolate Orange Snowflake Bread
INGREDIENTS For the Dough: • 1c milk, plus 1 tbsp extra • 30g (2 Tbl) cubed butter • 2 Tbl olive oil • 2 Tbl sugar • 7g (2 ¼ tsp) instant yeast • 175g AP white • 175g bread flour, plus extra for dusting • 1 tsp cinnamon • A pinch of salt • 1 orange, zested? For the Filling: • 100g cream cheese • 2 Tbl sugar • 2 Tbl cacao powder • 1 Tbl cinnamon • 1 Tbl cornstarch • 1 orange, zested For Decoration • Candy orange peel
METHOD
Combine the milk and butter and warm until just melted and lukewarm. Stir in the olive oil, sugar, and yeast. Let rest for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl whisk flour, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the yeast-milk and bring to a shaggy dough with a spoon. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 1 minute to make a smooth ball of dough. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for 30 minutes, to rise. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
Whisk together all the filling ingredients until smooth (you can microwave the mix for 10 seconds, if needed, to make it smoother to combine).
Punch down the dough and form into 2 balls. (I like to weigh the dough and divide the total weight by 2 to make equal sized balls. My dough weighed 1630 g therefore, each ball should be ~815g.)
Divide each ball into two smaller balls, each ~400g and form each into a rough circle ~6” diameter, then roll out into circles ~10”
Place one circle down and coat with 1/3rd of the filling, leaving the outer 1” un-coated. Repeat for the next two layers and leave the top layer uncoated.
Center a 10” cake pan and trim the circles to an even circle.
Set a 3” bowl in the center of the stack of circles and press down making an impression
Cut the dough from the perimeter to the outside of the 3” circle into 16 equal portions
Twist adjacent portions away from each other and pinch the ends into a point
Snip each dendrite is several places to form fronds, or feathers.
Cover and let rise 20-30 min.
Beat the egg with 1 Tbl water to use as the egg wash
Brush the pastry evenly with the 1 tbsp egg wash and place in the middle of the oven for 22-25 minutes, until well-risen, golden and springy.
Remove from the oven sprinkle with candied orange peel and cool for 20 minutes.
Homemade Fig Newtons
INGREDIENTS • 1 pint fresh or preserved figs or 12 ounces dried figs 2 Pints • 1 ½ cups AP flour 3 cups • ¼ teaspoon baking powder ½ tsp • ¼ teaspoon salt ½ tsp • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp • 1 stick butter 2 sticks • 1/3 cup sugar 2/3 cup • 1 egg 2 • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tsp • 2 tablespoons orange juice 4 Tbl If you are using: • Fresh figs: Remove stems and boil figs with 2 cups of sugar in 1 cup of water for 45 minutes. Drain and cool. This seemed to be too much sugar and water. Try cutting in half. If too thin, cook down until temp reaches about 210. • Dried figs: In a bowl, pour boiling water over figs (stems removed) and let rest 10 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons water and stir in 2 tablespoons corn syrup + ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. • Preserved figs: Drain syrup.
METHOD
Puree figs in food processor into a thick paste (if too thick or thin to spread evenly, add a little water or flour until spreadable consistency is reached).
Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.
Add egg and vanilla, mix until smooth
Add orange juice and combined dry ingredients to bowl and mix until dough forms.
Optional: form dough into a flat thick disk and chill to set butter and make it easier to roll and fold.
Roll dough out on a floured surface into an 8”x14” rectangle about ¼” thick.
Cut rectangle in half lengthwise.
Spread fig paste onto half of each rectangle, lengthwise.
Cut the rectangle in half crosswise, or even thirds to facilitate folding.
Fold dough in half lengthwise to cover fig paste and pinch edges to seal.
Slide each newton log onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees until crust begins to brown.
Slice into cookie-sized segments and cool. Slice while warm to reducing flaking.
Raspberry Italian Meringue Profiteroles
INGREDIENTS Choux Pastry: • ½ c (65 grams) AP flour • ½ tsp granulated white sugar • ¼ tsp salt • 4 tbsp (55 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces • ½ c (120 ml) water • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten Raspberry Italian Meringue • egg whites room temperature • 2/3 cup caster sugar • 1/4 cup water • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar • 2 drops raspberry flavor • 1-2 drops red food coloring • Optional: 1 tsp freeze dried raspberry powder Chocolate Glaze: • 2 ounces (55 grams) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped • ¼ c (60 ml) heavy “whipping” cream (cream with 35% butterfat content) • ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract • ½ tbsp light corn syrup (or golden syrup or glucose)
METHOD
Preheat oven to 375o F (190o C) and place rack in center of oven.
In a bowl whisk the flour with the sugar and salt.
Place the butter and water in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, add the flour mixture, all at once, and stir until combined. It will look like mashed potatoes. Return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about 1-2 minutes). The dough will film the bottom and sides of the saucepan and make cleaning a pain.
Transfer the dough to an electric mixer and beat on low speed to release the steam from the dough (about 1 minute).
Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the lightly beaten eggs (dough will separate and then come together) and continue to mix until you have a smooth thick paste (dough will fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon).
Place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip and pipe round mounds of dough (about 1 ½ inch) onto the parchment lined baking sheet. (When piping, hold the bag at a 90-degree angle, ie straight up.)
Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350o F (180o C).
Remove from oven, pierce the bottom of each profiterole with a small skewer to release the interior steam.
Continue to bake for a further 25 minutes or until the shells are a nice amber color and when split, are almost dry inside. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Raspberry Italian Meringue
Wipe down all tools with white vinegar or lemon juice to remove any trace of fat.
Place sugar and water mixture over medium heat for 5 minutes. Do not stir it at all during this time. The mixture will look cloudy.
Gently stir the mixture for 1 minute. There should be little to no granules of sugar left at this point.
Once the mixture begins to bubble from the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes, place the digital thermometer in the pot and increase to medium-high heat. Do not stir it at all after this.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the eggs whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium and beat until soft peaks form.
Allow the sugar mixture to come to a boil and watch carefully. Once it reaches 230 °F turn stand mixer on highest speed to whip egg whites to peaks.
Once the sugar syrup reaches 240 °F, remove from heat and remove the probe. This takes about 4- 6 minutes.
Allow the boiling to come to a slow bubble before moving on.
Slowly pour sugar syrup (steady stream) into whisked egg whites. Avoid the whisk attachment or it will fling your mixture all over the bowl.
Allow mixture to whisk for another 3-5 minutes until the mixer bowl is cool/room temperature to the touch.
Add raspberry flavoring and if desired, the freeze-dried raspberry powder. (In my first attempt at adding the powder I added it prior to adding the sugar syrup and it ruined the soft peaks. I think adding at the end should work.) Chocolate Glaze:
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
Heat the cream just until boiling and immediately pour it over the chocolate.
Gently stir until the chocolate has melted.
Stir in the vanilla extract and corn syrup, mixing to ensure incorporation.To complete:
Fill a piping bag equipped with a filling tip (such as Wilton 230). Inject crème pat into the hole you made to allow the steam to escape. When you feel the side of the profiterole begin to bulge, the éclair is full.
Dip the top of each profiterole into the warm, thin ganache and set on a piece of waxed or parchment paper to dry. (I use the parchment paper previously used to line the baking sheet.)
Gingerbread Millionaire Bars
INGREDIENTS FOR THE GINGER SHORTBREAD BOTTOM: • 1 c butter • ½ c packed dark brown sugar • ¼ c (85g) un-sulfured molasses • 1 large egg • 1 tsp cinnamon • 1 tsp powdered ginger • ¼ tsp cloves • ½ tsp salt • 2 ½ c all-purpose flour FOR THE CHEWY CARAMEL: • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar • ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk • ⅓ cup butter • 3 tbsp. golden cane syrup (or honey as a substitute) • 1 tsp. flaky sea salt FOR THE CHOCOLATE TOP: • 7 oz dark chocolate, chopped
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper.
In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and molasses together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add in the egg, spices, fresh ginger, and salt, whipping an additional minute. Fold in flour, mixing only until combined.
Transfer dough to prepared baking pan, patting down evenly. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of the shortbread comes out clean. Allow to cool while you make your caramel.
In a small saucepan over medium low heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and honey. Use a rubber spatula to mix slowly but continuously for about ten minutes. The mixture will slowly turn a light golden color and begin to pull away from the sides of ithe pan. Heat until mixture reaches a nice golden caramel color then add the butter and mix until incorporated, then remove from heat and mix in salt.
Pour mixture over ginger shortbread and use spatula to spread evenly. Place in the fridge to harden completely, about 2 hours.
Once the bars have cooled, put the chocolate into a large glass measuring cup and heat in 30 second intervals. (My 1000W microwave requires 90 second total heating, but the chocolate should be stirred after each 30 second interval.
Pour over chilled bars, then place back in fridge to harden.
Cut into 1″x1″ cubes and serve! Will last up to 1 week when sealed tightly in a container in the fridge.
This noon we are co-hosting a soup and bread lunch for a group of friends. I decided to make some of my favorite breads to share. They are all documented in this blog, so I am not including any recipes here.
Pan de Cristal, or ice bread, is one of my favorites. It’s an open structure and crisp crust bread, and so good.
Artisan bread rolls are easy to make and are always delicious. I simply formed my normal artisan bread into small rolls and baked for a shorter time.
I saw a picture of Angel Hair Bread and of course, searched for a recipe. The one I found included a number of flaws, which I fixed, except one. The recipe didn’t call for any salt, and while I thought that was odd, I decided to give the bread a bake anyways. Note to self: If you think it is wrong, fix it.
The author also neglected to add the baking powder although it was listed in the ingredients, (I added it with the first portion of flour.) They also didn’t specify a pan size, but I calculated a 9 x 12” would work, also, I added oiling or spraying the pan, Parchment paper would have helped also, next time.
They also didn’t bother to give approximate times for resting, proving or baking. I watched, timed and noted everything.
Divided into 8 segmentsRolled to ~6×8” and slicedPlaced in oiled pan and egg yolk washedFinished loafFinished loaf showing crumb
The flavor is good, (although salt would have made it very good), and the crumb is excellent.
Angel Hair Bread
INGREDIENTS • 1 ¼ c warm milk • 2 eggs (1 for egg wash) • 3 Tbl sugar • 1/3 c oil • 10 g yeast • 10 g salt • 10 g baking powder • 700 g AP flour
METHOD
Add warm milk, 1 egg, sugar, oil, salt, and yeast and mix well.
Add 100 g of wheat flour and baking powder in 2-3 portions mixing well after each addition.
Let rest 10 – 30 minutes until mixture is a little firm and full of bubbles
Add the remaining flour and mix well
Dump onto the table and knead it until it becomes smooth, ~8 minutes
Let it rest 45 – 60 minutes (until doubled in size.)
De-gas the dough then knead again
Roll into a circle and divide into 8 pieces.
Form into balls, then roll out to ~6” x 8” ovals
Pinch one long edge of oval to stick to work surface. I stretched the stuck edge to form a rectangle, then cut slits ~ ½” into the thin edge and roll up so that the fingers are exposed.
Lay into an oiled or sprayed 9”x12” baking pan
Leave to rest 10-30 minutes, preheat oven while resting.
Wash with the egg yolk mixed with a Tbl water.
Bake at 350⁰F for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.
I made this trial loaf for a luncheon I am co-hosting next week. I made this type of bread before but my co-host is making soups and I wanted a bread that wouldn’t fight with the flavors of the soups. Rather than use cinnamon or chocolate to make the color, I used some gel food coloring.
I used my dinner roll recipe as the soft texture would pair well with the various soups. The resultant bread is soft, tender and if you closed your eyes and thought “dinner rolls” that is what you would think you are eating.
Pre-baked star breadScraps as a bouleFinished star breadFinished “Scrap Boule”Inside of “Scrap Boulevard”
Bi-Color Pull Apart Rolls
INGREDIENTS • 488g (2 cups) warm milk • 2 Tbl instant dry yeast • 50g white granulated sugar • 2 tsp salt • 6 Tbl salted butter softened • 2 large eggs • 750-850g all-purpose flour • 1 egg and 1 Tbl water
METHOD
In a stand mixer bowl, combine and mix all ingredients except the flour.
Add in 5 ½ cups of flour. Using a dough hook, turn the mixer on and increase speed slowly to keep the flour from flying all over. Slowly add the remaining flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (I watch the bottom of the bowl and add flour until the dough just comes clean from the bottom.) Once the dough clears, knead for 8 minutes. The dough mixture should be sticky and soft.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise 35-45 minutes (until doubled) in a proofing drawer,
Punch down the dough and form into 2 balls. (I like to weigh the dough and divide the total weight by 2 to make equal sized balls. My dough weighed 1630 g therefore, each ball should be ~815g.)
Add 2-3 drops of brown gel food coloring to one ball and knead until well mixed. (Wear gloves)
Divide each ball into two smaller balls, each ~400g and form each into a rough circle ~6” diameter, then roll out into circles ~10”
Stack the circles interleaving the light and dark colored ones.
Center a 10” cake pan and trim the circles with a pizza cutter to an even circle.
Set a 3” bowl in the center of the stack of circles and press down making an impression
Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough from the perimeter to the outside of the 3” circle into 12 equal portions
Twist adjacent portions away from each other and pinch the ends into a point.
Combine the scraps and roll into an oval, fold and form into a boule.
Cover and let rise 20-30 min. Re-pinch the ends as you stretch them out, then tuck the thin ends under the bread.
Whisk the egg and water and use to egg wash the breads
Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. (Tent the bread with foil after 15 -18 minutes to prevent over browning.) Internal temperature should be ~190⁰ F
Best when served warm. To cool, let rest in the pan for 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. Once cooled completely, store in a plastic bag.
Our neighbor, and QC Cadre member, gave us mandarin oranges off her tree, so once again I “processed” and returned to her in a different form. I thought the chocolate dipped orange shortbread cookies were really good, until I sampled the cranberry pistachio shortbread cookies.
Both are easy to make and take little hands-on time, and both are well worth the effort.
Pistachio and CranberryChocolate and Orange
Chocolate Dipped Orange Shortbread Cookies
INGREDIENTS • 1 c unsalted butter, softened • ½ c powdered sugar • 2 tsp orange zest (from 1 orange) • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 c all-purpose flour • ¼ teaspoon salt • ½ c dark or semi-sweet chocolate, melted • finely chopped candy orange or zest for garnish
METHOD
In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix in the orange zest and vanilla extract until evenly combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add this to the wet ingredients, mixing until the dough just comes together.
Roll the dough into a log about 2 inches in diameter, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Slice the chilled dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and place them on the prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking often after 12, until the edges are lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.
Once cooled, dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate and place them on parchment paper to set. Sprinkle with finely chopped candied orange or additional orange zest if desired.
Let the chocolate set fully before serving or storing in an airtight container.
Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies Recipe
INGREDIENTS • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened • 3/4 cup powdered sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 1/2 tsp salt • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped • 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
METHOD
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Add the Flour and Salt:
Gradually add the flour and salt to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
Fold in the Cranberries and Pistachios:
Gently fold in the chopped dried cranberries and pistachios until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough logs from the refrigerator and slice them into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking often after 12, until the edges are lightly golden.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
By special invitation is my almond-crust-cranberry-curd tart.
Today is Thanksgiving in the USA . Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year. It is believed to be modeled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people.
For my whole life Thanksgiving centered around family and friends, old and new, sharing both a meal and each other. As a child Thanksgiving was held at our house and all our aunts, uncles and cousins would come for a huge mid-day meal. We had to finish early as our uncles had to go back to the farm to milk the cows. I had a lot of aunts and uncles and LOTS of cousins. Mostly I remember the pies, so many pies.
Since moving to California our son and daughter in law have hosted Thanksgiving and this year was no exception. There were over 20 people and enough food for 50.
I made an apple pie, an almond-crust-cranberry-curd tart (see below) and sweet potato dinner rolls. There were also two pumpkin pies and very little left when we were done.
Cranberry Curd Tart Almond Crust
INGREDIENTS For the crust • 99g (½ c) granulated sugar • 113g (8 Tbl) unsalted butter, softened • ¼ tsp table salt • 1 tsp King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract • ½ tsp almond extract • 180g (1½ c) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour • 72g (¾ c) almond flour or finely ground sliced or slivered almonds
For the cranberry curd • 12 ounces cranberries (fresh or frozen) • juice of one orange (~ ¼ c) • 250g (1 ¼ c) sugar • 2 whole eggs • 2 egg yolks • 113g (½ c, 1 stick) unsalted butter • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 tablespoon orange liqueur, such as TripleSec or Grand Marnier (optional)
For the Italian meringue • 2 egg whites • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar • 1/2 cup sugar • 1/4 cup water
METHOD Crust
Mix butter with sugar then add salt then vanilla.
Add egg and mix until incorporated. Stir in flour. Mix by hand like you are kneading bread until incorporated
Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 min
Pre-heat oven to 350⁰F
Butter tartl pans, or use non-stick pans
Dock (prick holes in) bottom and sides of formed dough then refrigerate for 20 minutes
Line tart pan with crumpled then smoothed parchment paper and fill with pastry weights.
Paint edges of the tartlet with the egg wash.
Bake in preheated oven 350⁰ F (175⁰ C) for 15 min. Remove pastry weights 5 minutes before the end of the bake.
Immediately remove from pans and cool on a wire rack
Cranberry Curd
Heat the cranberries and orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the cranberries split. Mix with an immersion blender then strain through a food mill or fine mesh sieve and discard the skins.
Return the strained cranberry mixture to the saucepan and add the sugar, eggs, egg yolks, butter, vanilla, and orange liqueur (if using) to the pan and give everything a good stir. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and registers 170°F on an instant read thermometer (this usually takes about 8-9 minutes). Immediately strain (again) through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring bowl and then pour into the prepared crust. (The curd can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You may need to bake it a few more minutes for the tart to set when baking from chilled)
Bake (still at 350°F) until the curd is set (it should jiggle but not slosh), about 10 minutes. (Curd was jiggly after 20 more minutes baking.)
Let cool at room temperature for about 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill. You can serve this chilled or at room temperature.
Italian meringue
Add egg whites and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Heat sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium high heat.
When the sugar mixture registers about 220°F turn on the mixer and begin beating the egg whites on medium speed.
When the sugar mixture registers 240°F remove from heat and carefully pour into the mixer over the egg whites. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks.
Transfer to a piping bag (or zip top bag) and pipe onto cooled tart as desired. If you want, torch the meringue with a kitchen torch. (But since it is cooked, this is totally optional).
As long as the oven was on and I had time to wait for doughs to chill etc, I also made a loaf of artisan bread.
When I cannot golf, I bake. On one hand, that is a good thing. My skills and knowledge are growing. On another hand the QC Cadre isn’t tired of my supplying them with baked goods. On someone else’s hand my muscles for playing golf are atrophying.
I recently received a set of perforated tart rings and a perforated silicon mat to bake the rings on. They all worked perfectly. Once baked, the tarts almost fell out of the rings.
QC asked for a chocolate covered caramel tart for her birthday. We spent her birthday day at the grands school talent show, then at a car dealership, during a severe rainstorm, and finally out with the family to a pizza birthday dinner. There was no time to fill the tarts, so I did them this morning.
Ingredients measured and weighedDry ingredients siftedTart disk bottoms cut and placed in ringsCaramel filled baked rings filledChocolate glazed tarts with edible gold foil garnish
CHOCOLATE CARAMEL TART
INGREDIENTS Crust • Unsalted Butter (room temp) 100g • Salt a pinch • Powdered Sugar 72g • Almond Powder 20g • Corn Starch 30g • Eggs (room temp)36g • Cake Flour 170g Caramel • 2 cups (424 g) granulated sugar • ½ cup water • ¼ cup corn syrup • ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, cut into 4-5 pieces • ½ cup heavy cream • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Glaze • 2 Tbl water • 60g sugar • 46g corn syrup (60ml) • 52g condensed Milk (40ml) • ¼ tsp agar agar • 60g dark chocolate
METHOD
Beat the room temp. butter lightly (add in salt).
Sift in powdered sugar, almond powder and corn starch. Beat lightly. Add the room temp. eggs gradually and mix. Finally, add in the cake flour and mix well.
Using a bench knife, “fraiser” the dough by repeated smearing portions of it on the table.
Roll it out to 2mm/3mm thickness between parchment papers. (2mm thickness for 6~8cm diameter, 3mm thickness for 14~18cm thickness.
Rest in the fridge for 1~2hrs
For perforated tart ring:
Cut it out into strips/discs. Disks equal to tart ring diameter, strips ~ ¾” wide and 2” longer than tart ring circumference, ~14.5” for a 4” tart ring. (4” x π + 2”)
Coat the inside of the ring with butter. Position tart ring over a disk and place on a perforated mat.
If the strips are too stiff to bend, warm slightly with your hands. Line the side of the tart ring with the disk. Glue any seams by warming with your finger.
Trim top of strip with a knife
Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Bake 3mm thick crust at 340⁰F for 15mins. (320⁰F for 2mm)
If you are to bake the tart crust again after adding the almond cream, then bake 2-3mins less. (~12-13mins.)
For regular tart pan:
Cut it out into one big disc ~2” larger than tart pan
Line the tart pan.
Prick the bottom.
Place a sheet of parchment paper and then pie weights.
Bake 3mm crust at 340⁰F for 10mins, take the pie weights out, then bake for another 5 mins. (320⁰F for 2mm)
If you want to apply egg wash the recipe is as follows: 10g Heavy Cream, 40g Egg yolk. Mix them well and strain it before use. Once the tart shell has cooled down completely, then brush them evenly and bake for ~10-12mins at 160℃.
For the caramel:
In a heavy bottomed saucepan (important so that the heat conducts evenly!), combine the sugar, water and corn syrup (try not to splash the mixture up on the sides of the pan). Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until the mixture is a medium-dark amber color, tilting the pan just slightly every couple of minutes to swirl the mixture.
Immediately remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the butter, cream and vanilla. The hot mixture will bubble vigorously. Stir to combine (don’t go too crazy scraping down the sides of the pan).
Pour the caramel over the baked crust. Refrigerate until the caramel is set and no longer warm, 1-2 hours (make sure you set the tart on a really flat surface in the fridge or else it will set up tilted or uneven).
For the glaze:
Heat water, sugar, agar, corn syrup to boil to 220⁰F
Add condensed milk and dark chocolate and blend with an immersion blender.
Leave it overnight and use it the next day.
Heat in the microwave to make it pourable
Divide evenly among the tarts, rolling around to smooth out and cover each tart
Sorry to be redundant, but I made PreppyKitchen’s amazing pie crust again. I filled the crust with some apple pie filling that I made a couple of weeks ago.
I did make PreppyKitchen’s pie crust last week and while delicious, it was tough. Hence, another try. I think I over worked the dough the last time as today the recipe resulted in a marvelous flaky, tender, delicious crust. I am now confident to bring an apple pie for Thanksgiving dinner.
Here are some of the comments from my QC Cadre:
Crust is excellent , very buttery !! Best crust we ever had !! Apple filling is to die for , perfect amount of cinnamon , apples —just right Thank you
Well, I don’t know anything about pie crust and I’m not sure what you’re looking for, but all I can say is to me that pie crust was just about perfect. The whole apple pie just delicious.
Absolute perfection! It was the perfect flakiness 😊
Some of the best pie crust I have ever tasted. Very flaky and light. Excellent 👍❤️🥧
There are volumes documenting all that I don’t know, and a postcard describing what I do know. I discover, or am taught, new ideas daily.
Here are two things I didn’t know, but probably everyone else did.
A pie shield that doesn’t fall off during baking
A parchment paper liner for par baking that fits the pastry
Pie Shield to Protect the Edges of the Pie
I reviewed all the pie shields on Amazon and reviews of all of them complained about them falling off. This one creates a shield from a single sheet of aluminum foil that does not come off while baking.
Trace a circle ~1”larger than your pie plate (Use a skewer or chop stick)Trace a smaller concentric circle ~1” smaller than your pie plateFold the square in half, then in half againCut out the circlesEnd up with a ring ~2 inches wide.Wrap the foil around the edge of the crust
Contour forming parchment paper liner
Ever try to fit a piece of parchment paper to a pastry shell without deforming the pastry? The simple solution is to crumple the parchment paper then smooth out (at least two times.) For smaller pastries cut slits into the edges of the paper to allow it to fit into the smaller shells.
Parchment paper, curling up on the edgesCut into a square then folded in half, diagonally.Fold in half again, Fold as many times as you can. Trim to ~2” longer than the radius of the pan.Cut the folds on the endUnfold and lengthen any cuts as requiredCrumple and smooth, crumple and smooth againFit to the pie plateAdd pie weights.
Fold the parchment paper diagonally in half. Place a finger in the middle of the long side of the triangle and fold across your finger. Keep your finger in the same place and fold diagonally again. Fold one short side down the the long side and repeat. Cut the large end to make a triangle ~2 inches longer than the radius of your pie plate.
aBatteredOldSuitcase 