20 November 2020

 New Mexico Chocolate Pudding (MJ's Kitchen)

3T cornstarch (26g)

1/4tsp salt

1/4tsp ginger

1/4tsp cinnamon

3/4tsp Chimayo red chile powder

4T cocoa powder (23g Hershey Special Dark)

1/2c sugar

2c milk

1/2tsp vanilla (forgot)

Whisk together all but the milk & vanilla in a saucepan. Slowly whisk in milk & heat to boiling. Boil 1 minute. Whisk in vanilla.

It was a tad thick--maybe try 2T cornstarch next time?

24 December 2019

Chocolate Caramel Candies

2c sugar (400g)
1c brown sugar (100g)
1c sour cream (225g)
1c corn syrup (300g)
1c milk (225g)
3/4c butter (170g, salted)
3oz unsweetened chocolate (2.8oz Lindt 95%)

3/4c roughly chopped pistachios.

This has been the best so far.

I wonder, was it supposed to be an old fudge recipe? From before fudge was called fudge? Here's a chocolate caramel recipe from Farm Journal, December 1899:

"Chocolate caramels made just by this recipe are sure to turn out well. Put into a porcelain-lined or else a bell-metal kettle, two and a half pounds of nice brown sugar, a quarter of a pound of butter, and a cup of sweet cream or milk. Put over the fire and let it come to a boil, then put in a half pound of the finest chocolate, either broken in small pieces or grated. Stir constantly to keep from sticking to the bottom. By the time it is thoroughly melted, scrape the spoon hard around the inside of the kettle, and if the candy appears the least bit granulated, it is done. It needs to cook but two or three minutes after the chocolate is melted. Take from the fire, add a tablespoonful of vanilla extract, and beat with a stout spoon constantly until it is stiff. Pour into flat buttered dishes and mark off into squares."
                                                                                                                                     --Ruth Brown

28 April 2019

Mocha Madeleines

Whisk together:
90g flour
45g cocoa powder
3g espresso powder
1/4 tsp salt

Whip to ribbon stage:
3 eggs
100g sugar (vanilla)
5mL vanilla
30mL dark rum*

Fold the flour mixture and 100g melted butter alternately into the egg mixture.

*knock back the rum, maybe by half?

17 December 2018

Macarons w/Cardamom Ganache

175g powdered sugar
10g cocoa powder
100g ground almonds
100g egg whites
45 sugar

Sift together powdered sugar & cocoa. Stir in almonds. Whisk whites til foamy, add half the sugar and whisk til whites are firm. Add remaining sugar & whisk til firm & glossy. Fold in dry ingredients. Pipe and let rest for an hour.

Ganache
12 cardamom pods
300g heavy cream

Bring to a boil, turn off heat and let infuse 30 minutes. Bring back to nearly a boil and stir in 300g 70% chocolate. Stir til melted.

Recipe didn't say to thwack the piped macarons--we didn't, and they had airholes.

4 July 2018

Whole Grain Brownies (King Arthur Flour, modified)

Melt 8oz butter & stir in 400g brown sugar. Heat to about 115*F and transfer to a bowl.

Stir 65g cocoa powder, 1tsp salt, 1tsp powder, 1tsp espresso powder, and 1 capful vanilla into butter-sugar mixture. Stir in 4 eggs. Stir in 170g white wheat flour and 10-12oz chocolate chips. Scrape into 9x13 and bake at 350*F for about 30 minutes. Let rest overnight.

8 April 2018

More New Mexico Green Chile Jam (Focus New Mexico, halved)

2c roasted peeled New Mexico Green Chiles, whizzed (1 3/4# again)
1c cranberry juice
1T cider vinegar
1T lemon juice
1/4tsp cayenne powder
1/2 box No Sugar Sure Jell (25g)
1 1/2c sugar (300g)

Yielded 4c.

I'm not sure I like the heat of the cayenne; it's not fruity enough? Next time, we'll crush up a labuyo pepper.


Roasted Chile Cheese Spread (MJ's Kitchen, modified)

4oz Organic Valley Raw Jack Style cheese, shredded
3 1/2oz Kerrygold Irish Cheddar, shredded
4oz Black Diamond 2 year cheddar, shredded
4oz roasted peeled pintando chiles, whizzed
1T minced green olives
1/4 tsp cayenne
sprinkle onion powder
sprinkle garlic powder
sprinkle smoked paprika
Juice of 1 lime.

Yielded 2c.


Cheater's Fleishküchle for Two

150g flour
1/4tsp salt
generous 1 1/2oz water
generous 1 1/2oz cream

Made 4-60g pieces, enough for 4 frozen slider patties. Dough needs a bit more salt.

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

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.

Chocolate Caramel Candies

from Dan's grandmother Esther Spear.

2c sugar
1c brown sugar
1c sour cream
1c corn syrup
1c milk
3/4c butter
3oz unsweetened chocolate

Mix the above in a saucepan and cook to solid* ball stage.

Remove from heat, stir in 1 1/2tsp vanilla and 1 1/2c nuts. Spread in buttered 9x13 pan. Wrap candies in wax paper.


*Firm ball, 250*F