25 February 2018

Rice Bread (English Breads and Yeast Cookery, doubled)

170g brown rice (6oz, roughly one American cup) We ended up with 420g after cooking
510g water (18oz)

1025g flour (2# 4oz)
5g instant yeast (1 tsp active dry)
40g salt (1-1.5oz, 40g is 1.5oz)
about 2.5c water ("rather under a pint" is what she calls for)

Cook rice. Whisk together flour and yeast (if using active dry, proof the yeast in a little warm water and add with the rest of the water). Dissolve the salt in the water (This is probably not necessary; she used rock salt, not fine granules. However, I microwaved 1/2c, stirred in the salt, then added the rest of the water) Mix rice into flour while still pretty warm. Mix in the saltwater. Knead. Let rise until bubbly and more than doubled. Break down (using flour as needed; dough is quite soft), put into greased pan and proof til dough rises above the lip of the pan. Bake at 450*F for 45 minutes to an hour. (She calls for baking 15 minutes under cover, lowering the heat and removing the cover and baking another 15 minutes, then removing the bread from the tin and baking a final 15 minutes. I bake under cover at the same temp the entire time, which was of course longer due to the larger size loaf.) To make one regular loaf, halve everything but the yeast.

According to Elizabeth David, Lady Llanover  held that rice bread was the best for roast chicken sandwiches.

This is really tasty; we will be making it often.

18 February 2018

French Pancakes (Mary Berry and Alison Uttley)

4T butter, softened
65g sugar (1/3c)
2 eggs, beaten
70g flour (1/2c self raising)
1 1/4c milk, heated to just below boiling

Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs gradually. Fold in the flour. Stir in the milk. Bake about 20 minutes at 375*F.

Mary Berry calls for a 3" muffin tin; I wonder if a muffin top tin would work better. Alison Uttley baked hers in tea saucers.

Alison Uttley's recipe doesn't call for any raising agent. She also specifies warm milk, but that the milk will curdle the eggs. That sounds more on the hot side to me.

Very sweet, but quite tasty. I'd cut the sugar a bit next time.


Best Ever Brownies (Mary Berry)

375g chocolate (Lindt 78%)
250g margarine (butter)
2tsp instant coffee (espresso powder)
2T hot water
2 eggs
250g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla (1 capful)
90g self raising flour
175g walnut pieces
250g chocolate chips

Melt chocolate and butter together. Dissolve espresso in hot water. Stir in eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in chocolate. Fold in flour and walnuts, then chocolate chips. Pour into greased and parchmented 9x13 and bake 40-45 minutes at 375*F. Don't overbake! The crust should be dull and crisp and the center gooey.

I overbaked. So, good but not great. Also, I'll cut the butter next time.


Garam Masala (Serious Eats, halved)

3-4 green cardamom pods, husked
10g coriander
5g cumin
6g black pepper
2g cloves
2g fennel
3g cinnamon (1.5")
0.5g star anise (1 podlet)
1g ground nutmeg or mace

Toast all but the nutmeg/mace (2 minutes or so, over medium heat). Add nutmeg/mace and grind.


Kartoffel-Strudel

Strudelteig: (strudel dough)

250g Mehl (flour)
2 El Öl (2T oil)
150mL Wasser (water)
Salz (salt)

Fülle: (filling)

800g Kartoffeln roh (raw potatoes)
1 Stk Zwiebel (?unit? onion)
1 Stk Knoblauchzehe (?unit? garlic)
250g Sauerrahm (sour cream)
1 Stk Hühnerei Eigelb (chicken egg yolk)
100g Käse, beliebig (cheese, optional)
Salz, Pfeffer, Muskatnuss (salt, pepper, nutmeg)

125g flour
1T oil
75mL water
1/2tsp salt

400g potato, grated
1/2 medium onion
1 clove garlic
125g greek-style yogurt
1 bantam egg yolk

7 February 2018

Muffin Loaf (English Breads and Yeast Cookery)

2# bread flour
3/4tsp instant yeast (1 tsp active dry)
25g salt (1oz)
8oz milk
12oz water
4T oil

More water, less milk. Also, less oil, I think. I want it to be chewier.

6 February 2018

Coffee Panna Cotta

1pkg gelatin
1/3c water
2c cream
1/2c water
1/2T espresso powder
4T sugar
2T cognac

Soften gelatin in 1/3c water. Bring cream, water, espresso, and sugar to a boil. Add cognac if desired. Remove from heat and whisk in gelatin. Pour into oiled molds and refrigerate 4 hours.

4 February 2018

Crêpes (Mastering the Art of French Cooking vol 1)

1c water
1c milk
4 eggs
1/2tsp salt
210g flour (1 1/2c)
4T melted butter

Made (14) 9" crêpes.

Grapefruit Olive Oil Pound Cake (Smitten Kitchen)

190g flour
2T grapefruit zest (11g)
100g sugar
95g raw sugar
1/2c olive oil (100g)
2 eggs
1tsp powder
1/4tsp soda
1/2tsp salt
2T grapefruit juice
1/3c buttermilk or yogurt (yogurt)

Rub together zest and sugars. Whisk in oil. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Combine flour, powder, soda, and salt. Combine buttermilk and juice. Add flour and milk mixtures alternately to egg mixture. Bake in a 9x5 pan (my triple citrus Nordic Ware mini loaf pan was perfect) 45 minutes to an hour at 350*F. Cool 10 minutes, turn out and poke with a toothpick/skewer. Brush syrup over and cool completely.

Syrup:

2T sugar
1/3c grapefruit juice

Cook over low heat til sugar is completely dissolved.


Knephla Soup

300g flour
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
3/4c water, give or take

2 medium potatoes
8oz carrots
2qts water
2 beaten eggs
1/2c cream
2T vinegar
1 tsp salt


Frenchee

1/2 egg (we have bantam eggs, so used 1)
1/4c milk
60g flour
1/2tsp salt

This was the perfect amount for two sandwiches, cut into quarters.

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

3.5# spaghetti squash
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2tsp red pepper flakes
1c greek-style yogurt
1/2c sharp cheddar
1/4c parmesan

Bkae at 400*F for 25-30 minutes.

3 February 2018

A Basic Loaf (English Bread and Yeast Cookery)

450g all-purpose flour (16oz strong plain)
115g 100% whole wheat flour (4oz)
5g instant yeast (1/4oz active dry)
20g salt (3/4 oz)
340g water (12oz)

I like this one.


K-Bars (Classy Commodity Cooking)

300g corn syrup (1c)
100g sugar (1c--we halved it)

1 capful vanilla (2tsp)
793g peanut butter (2c--we used one 28oz jar, about 3c)
2T butter

200g crushed corn flakes (6c)

Bring sugar and syrup to a boil. Stir in vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Stir in cereal. Top with a bag of melted chocolate chips.

We tried cutting the sugar and increasing the peanut butter, but it didn't quite work. Next time, we'll add back some corn syrup, and probably increase the cereal also.

30 January 2018

Best Easy Chocolate Cake (Cook's Illustrated)

Whisk together:

7.5oz flour
7oz sugar (200g)
1/2tsp soda
1/2tsp salt


Mix together:

2oz Dutch process cocoa (55g natural)
2oz bittersweet chocolate (Ghiradelli Intense Dark w/ Cocoa Nibs)
1c hot black coffee

Whisk in:

2/3c mayonnaise (160g)
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla (1 capful)

Stir into dry ingredients. Bake in an 8" pan 30-35 minutes at 350*F.

This is an ok cake. Definitely not best.


Buttermilk Not Soft Serve (Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream Desserts)


300g heavy cream (1.25c)
85g cream cheese (3oz)
1/4tsp salt
130g sugar (2/3c)
36g tapioca syrup (2T corn syrup)
600g buttermilk (2 1/2c)
6g tapioca starch (2T cornstarch)

Measure cream (reserving 3-4T) into saucepan along with tapioca syrup and suger. Mix tapioca starch with the reserved 3-4T of the cream and set aside. Whisk together cream cheese and salt and set aside.
Bring cream mixture to a boil and boil for 4 minutes. Whisk in starch mixture (bring back to a boil if using cornstarch). Whisk into cream cheese, and pour in buttermilk. Cool, cure, and churn.