As if being a cookbook junkie wasn’t enough, I’m hooked on food magazines as well – Donna Hay, Gourmet Traveller and Delicious Australia are my favorites, but there are others I adore, too, and use very often. BBC Good Food always comes with delicious recipes from people like Mary Berry and James Martin, and the photos are beautiful (I highly recommend a visit to the magazine’s website).
Showing posts with label pastry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pastry. Show all posts
Patchwork strawberry & apple pie
As if being a cookbook junkie wasn’t enough, I’m hooked on food magazines as well – Donna Hay, Gourmet Traveller and Delicious Australia are my favorites, but there are others I adore, too, and use very often. BBC Good Food always comes with delicious recipes from people like Mary Berry and James Martin, and the photos are beautiful (I highly recommend a visit to the magazine’s website).
Apple berry almond tart, baking failures and "Munich"
I’ve trashed Steven Spielberg once or twice already (despite loving “Jaws” and the Indiana Jones trilogy), but last week I saw an excellent movie directed by him: “Munich”. It’s a very long movie (almost 3 hours long), but it keeps you hooked every step of the way – it’s like those books you feel like taking to the shower with you because you can’t put them down. The cast is packed with
Spiced apple turnovers + the end of a brilliant trilogy
After months and months of sheer anxiety – Christopher Nolan did to me what Fincher had done in 2010 and 2011 – the moment I’d waited for had finally arrived : the day I saw the end of a brilliant trilogy.
*spoilers*
I won’t use the word “perfect” to describe “The Dark Knight Rises” – I’ll save the adjective for “The Dark Knight”, which in my opinion is a better movie – but I will say that
Cherry jam frangipane tartlets + "Hanna"
Sometimes I get mad at things that usually do not bother other people; for instance, I hate it that some incredible movies go straight to DVD here in Brazil, after I’d waited forever to see them on the big screen: that has happened quite frequently lately – “Take Shelter”, “Jane Eyre”, among others – and it was the case with “Hanna”. It is such a shame that not many people have heard of such an
Little almond crostate with roast pears
Spring is here! It’s time to say goodbye to my beloved pears, apples and strawberries (I know that sounds bizarre to some of you but strawberry season here is in the winter). That’s fine: mangoes and watermelons arrive to make me happy – and stone fruit is just around the corner.
One last pear recipe to celebrate the end of winter while I search for recipes with a spring feeling... :)
Banana, caramel and raisin galette
A couple of days after watching Four Weddings And A Funeral I bought Wet Wet Wet’s "End of Part One: Their Greatest Hits" just because of one song: “Love is All Around” (it was a version of the CD released after the movie, with the theme song included). I had never heard of the band before and not only did I find the CD cover really cool – for the record, I was in my teens – but I ended up
Manson Almond Kringle
Now that everyone is tired of the marshmallows, let's move on to the Kringle! A little back story first, however. This summer of mine is peppered with road trips to spend time with family. I just got back from touring the eastern portion of my home state. Visiting the Dry Falls, nibbling on macarons from a french bakery in Spokane and eating corn dogs at road side diners. (What, a girl can't love corn dogs and macarons?)
Next up in my road-trip dance card is Montana and then Oregon. My poor little children... The Eastern Washington trip is an annual outing. Once every year I am firmly instructed by my mother to make my way across the Cascades to "relax" with her by the lake. For those unfamiliar, Eastern Washington is not at all like Seattle. It is often hot, dry and home to several species of bugs the size of squirrels. Insects that seem to congregate wherever I AM. Particularly when half naked on a beach, sticky with SPF 6000.
While I may not enjoy the abundance of Ms. Humble obsessed bugs, I always like food and there are plenty of Eastern Washington farmers markets. Flush with farm fresh produce, honey, crafts and baked treats.
It was at one of these farmers market's in Manson that we came across a 10 year old selling something she called an almond kringle. A slab of iced pastry scattered with almonds.
Mini blueberry pies with a lattice top and finding solutions to small problems
My sister and I go to the movies on a pretty regular basis and she says that her favorite time of all was when we watched "The Wolfman": the clerk refused to sell her a ticket because she was not old enough to watch the movie (the same movie, on several other theaters, had been rated for people younger than her); it was a Tuesday right after lunchtime and there was no one in the theater; we
Strawberry and rose hazelnut tart, music and a baking bonus
When I was 10 years old I got the Arena album as a gift from a cousin I deeply love. I used to listen to it nonstop, 24/7. I still have the album but since I no longer have a record player I bought the CD a while ago – I love listening to it while I drive to/from work. So good.
The CD version has two bonus tracks, but unfortunately “Girls on Film” and “Rio” are songs I never cared about (and
Raspberry Port linzer tartlets and a list of the movies I love
I’ve finally finished something I’d been meaning to do for ages: a list with my all time favorite movies – the ones I deeply love. It was rather difficult putting the list together – and I might have forgotten something, only time will tell – but it was a lot of fun doing it. It is posted here, if you’re curious. :)
These lovely tartlets were a similar challenge: the pastry was very difficult
Strawberry Rhubarb Mini Pies
I'm back!
The littlest Humble was delivered--or extracted, depending on how you look at it since we had a c-section--last week. Both baby and myself are doing very well and I've been recovering at home.
Of course this means ample time at my laptop to blog, unfortunately I didn't count on the affect of sleepless nights coupled with hefty doses of prescription pain killers. When things are melting down the walls in your field of vision, you really start to second guess your ability to write anything. Yes, even at the semi-coherent level I tend to blather on this blog.
I'm far less drugged today so I'm going to give food blogging a shot. Our local farmers market has been flush with fresh rhubarb lately and apparently, even after all the lemon meringue madness, I'm not pie-d out.
So we've making pies! Again! Specifically, mini pies. Falling neatly into that smaller is always cuter approach to food.
Of course, if you're looking at the pies and thinking to yourself, nuh-uh way too fussy. No worries. No where will I demand you spend an hour forming mini pies in muffin cups. The strawberry rhubarb filling, spiked with orange zest and Grand Marnier is delicious even in the simpler, more rustic hand-pie form. So go ahead and shape/form them however you wish. Regardless of how they might look, they will taste great and be well worth making.
Marmalade and almond tart and being persistent
Some people say I'm stubborn – myself included, sometimes – but this time I’ll choose the term “persistent”. :)
Remember those silly pastry strips from the other day? The ones that almost ruined my Saturday morning? Here they are, in this beautiful – and delicious – tart. Or did you think I was going to give up on this recipe just like that? ;)
This tart is for marmalade fans – and I am
French Crullers with Honey-Sugar Glaze
Crullers are such gorgeous donuts, I could snap photos of them all day with sticky fingers. That is... if they ever lasted that long around here.
Not only are they photogenic, they're not terribly difficult to make. Perfect for the absent minded pregnant lady who wants a sweet treat asap.
For those unfamiliar with French crullers, they're different than your average yeast or cake donut. French crullers are light, airy and eggy morsels of powdered or glazed dough. (I usually tell folks: If you like Dutch baby pancakes, you'll enjoy these too.) They don't pack the same bellyache inducing carbohydrate-wallop that other donuts do. Which is a good thing, until you find yourself helping yourself to a second and then a third...
Caramel nut tart with brandy cream + my new Twitter account
Reading "Nigella Kitchen" the other day I could totally relate to her comment on the choc chip bread pudding (the one I made a while ago): it might seem odd to use cream, eggs and chocolate to save a piece of old bread – some people would just throw it away, I guess – but I really get her idea there; I did the same with this tart – all this caramel and nuts and pastry just to use up some heavy
Fig galettes
It’s been a tough week – I know that hating our job is not a healthy or positive feeling, but that’s how I feel; my patience has been tested so many times in the past 5 days I feel like a hero. :)
What comforts me is that in a couple of hours I’ll be home, on my couch, with a cookbook on my lap, choosing something to bake tomorrow – I guess I’ll use this amazing book again.
Fig galettes
Summer nectarine and vanilla pie
Not sure why, but I’ve realized that as I get older very simple things make me really happy; do you feel the same way?
You wouldn’t believe how pleased I was by making a pie that looked like the ones I saw in cartoons when I was little – those pies put by the window to cool down. It really made me smile. :)
Summer nectarine and vanilla pie
adapted from Bon Appetit
Crust:
2 ½ cups (350g)
Rustic plum tart
I once told you that I can be pretty lazy from time to time; therefore, today’s recipe is dedicated to the lazy – and lovely – people reading me right now. ;)
It’s a tart, indeed, but there is no chilling of the pastry nor blind baking involved; you won’t need to wait for the crust to cool down to fill it and you can even serve this tart warm; in fact, it tastes delicious this way, and I tried
Cinnamon-chocolate fruit mince tarts
I’d been meaning to make mincemeat pies forever, because I think they look absolutely adorable! But I always gave up at the idea of using suet, or anything similar to it.
That is why this recipe is perfect: besides being suet-free, both the pastry and the filling are delicious, with a not-very-Christmas-but-yummy hint of chocolate.
Cinnamon-chocolate fruit mince tarts
slightly adapted from
Tomato, arugula and grana padano tart and a Sunday miracle
A miracle happened in my house last Sunday – I said I was going to make this tart for lunch and Joao said he was going to eat it, too. :D
After lunch, he said the tart was delicious, which made me both surprised and happy – those of you with picky eaters at home know the feeling... :)
It’s a very simple recipe, with almost no cooking involved, but I had to share it with you.
Tomato, arugula
Chocolate Agnolotti
Only a few days left before I leave and things are getting hectic. As soon as I finish this I'm going to run some last minute errands and then figure out how I'm going to manage the Little Humble's entertainment on one of the longest flights we've taken her on to date.
I see from the poll I posted a few days ago that most folks are okay with me blogging about my trip so I'll do that in addition to posting the pies for the NSHP pie contest. I'll try to keep things fairly food oriented, just so things don't deviate too far from the food-blogger norm.
To those who answered "Trip?" on the poll: Mr. Humble, the Little Humble and I be visiting my mother in London for a couple weeks. My family and I will also be taking a few brief side trips with my mother and her husband to Scotland and Morocco.
Yes, there will be haggis.
I see one person selected the option indicating that regardless of what I post, they want to stab me with a butter knife... interesting. Well, I'm surprised it was just one out of a hundred. I really thought I was more irritating than that.
So today's treat is quick and simple. I would tag it as "easy" but it does involve frying which I realize terrifies some folks.
I have always been a fan of fried ravioli (agnolotti is simply a half moon shaped ravioli), and they only get better when the savory filling is swapped for something sweet.
These chocolate agnolotti remind me a little of a warm adult version of Hostess Pudding pies. I've not seen them for years, but I was very fond of them as a kid (yes, I'm a child of the '80s). They make a sinful breakfast, or an impressive yet easy dessert. They would be lovely dunked into, or drizzled with, some sort of decadent sauce. Something I considered whipping up this morning, but I'm a bit crunched for time and I desperately need to de-chocolate the little Humble, who went to town on these little pastries.
Not So Humble Chocolate Agnolotti
filling
1/2 cup (82g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream
pastry
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
pinch salt
1/2 cup cold water
oil for frying
To make the filling, combine the chocolate, cream and butter in a heat-safe bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until smooth and combined.
Place the chocolate mixture into the refrigerator to chill until firm. This makes it easier to work with. It isn't absolutely necessary though, being in a rush this morning I allowed mine to cool for 30 minutes (until it had thickened) and then filled my pastry.
To make the pastry, combine the flour, sugar, salt and melted butter in a bowl. Use your hands to mix the butter with the dry ingredients, then add the water. Use just enough to make the dough come together in a ball (if it is crumbly, you may need more than half a cup, so feel free to add a little more). Kneed the dough with your hands in the bowl for 3-4 minutes until smooth.
Allow the dough to rest lightly covered for 10 minutes.
Roll the dough out into a thin (1/8" thick) sheet and then cut 5-6" wide ribbons from the dough.
Fold each ribbon in half, to create a crease along the length of the dough.
Using this crease as your guide, drop teaspoons of the chocolate filling on one side of the crease (you'll be folding the other side over to cover the chocolate), leaving about 1.5-2" of space in between.
Fold the dough over to cover the filling and press firmly to seal. Using a round cutter, cut out the agnolotti from the ribbon. Set aside in a single layer to await frying. Repeat with all the remaining dough and filling.
(The agnolotti can be frozen at this point and stored for future use. Simply arrange them in a single layer on a sheet pan and pop into the freezer until frozen, then toss them into a ziplock bag. No need to defrost before frying.)
When ready to fry, pour roughly one and a half inches of oil into a heavy bottomed pan and place over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, fry the agnolotti in batches until golden brown, draining on paper towels.
Serve warm with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.
