I made this yesterday.
While at T&T in the city the other day we happened across kaffir lime leaves. Though commonly used in savory cooking, I, inspired by the wonderful fragrance, wanted to make it into a dessert. So I made a kaffir lime leave sorbet. To accompany it, rum and coconut. A sweet rum tart. A coconut tuile. A spicy candied pecan. And candied lime leaves.
The kaffir lime is native to Indonesia and Malaysia and is grown on a thorny bush. Unlike a regular lime these leaves are very sweet and can be eaten, though they are commonly used for flavour. The kaffir lime leaf has a very unique citrusy-floral flavour that can not be substituted.
I couldn't find a recipe I wanted to use so I made my own. It needs work, but the basics are there. There are two types of custards stovetop and baked. I wanted a combination of the two and I also wanted a mixture that did not have a starch in it.
In my recipe I used 1 c. of liquid to 2 egg yolks and 3 T. of sugar.
The minimum ratio which will produce a properly thickened custard is 1 c. of liquid to 1 egg plus 2 T. of sugar.
Increased sugar lengthens cooking time and makes result less firm.
Increased egg yolks shortens cooking time and make results more firm.
Two egg yolks can be used in place of one whole egg.
Rum tart
1 1/4 c. AP flour
1/2 c. icing sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. cold butter, cut in 3/4-inch pieces
2 lrg egg yolks
1 T. heavy cream
1/2 c. cream
1/2 c. milk
2 egg yolks
3 T. sugar
1/4 fresh nutmeg
2 T. dark rum
In food processor combine flour, icing sugar and salt. Pulse 1 or 2 times to mix. Add butter pieces and pulse 7-8 times until mixture forms coarse crumbs. In small bowl lightly beat egg yolks with a fork, then stir in cream until blended. With motor running, add the egg mixture and process just until the dough begins to come together, but does not form a ball.
On a work surface, shape dough into flat disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 45 minutes or up to overnight.
Roll out crust into 4-inch tart shells and par bake in 350ºf oven for 10 minutes.
Heat cream and milk in saucepan until hot but not boiling. Meanwhile mix together egg yolks and sugar. Temper in hot milk. Pour mixture into saucepan and heat stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture coats back of a wooden spoon. Take pan off heat and mix in rum.
Pour mixture into shells and bake in 325 ºf oven until centers are set. About 25-30 minutes.
This is the perk or having friends.
What a magical night in the city we had. With two very worthy companions I ate and one of the city's best restaurants, West. I can still feel the textures on my tongue and tingling in my toes from such a wonderful experience.
We dined gazing into a beautiful kitchen, watching the graceful dance that happens in a well-run kitchen. Amazing food and wonderful company.
Plate after plate, sweetbreads, fois gras, mussels, pork tongue, the kitchen kept sending out food. Until we couldn't eat any more, when they sent out deserts.
This is a storm. A rain storm, even though is ugly out it's really pretty to listen to. Soft taping on the glass, familiar streaks falling, wind throwing gusts through the trees and over the walls. Tonight deserves a cup of steaming tea and a book. Speaking of which, any recommendations?
Due to a surplus of vanilla genoise from this delicious desert, I decided to make a cake. Blackberry layer cake to be exact. It was wonderful. A stark contrast to the weather outdoors and sound confirmation that I miss summer.
A summer like I used to spend picking delicious wild blackberries from behind our little house. Picking only as many as we could eat before retiring to the house with nothing to show for our efforts.
This recipe I pulled together with a little homemade blackberry-strawberry jam and a little buttercream frosting. It's the richest frosting I have ever tasted and its melt in your mouth texture means you need only a very little piece.
Happy puddle jumping!
In keeping with a winter theme, happy snow day!
We got an extended vacation this year.
S. also took a snow day.
So we made a desert we've been meaning to finish.
Green tea ice cream, vanilla genoise, blood orange curd, soft meringue and blood orange reduction. Though the components sound odd, together they taste amazing.
Since we couldn't find and matcha powder on the shelves of the stores in our small town we went to Starbucks where we knew they had it.
"Hey" we said to the little girl working "We need green tea powder"
Her, "Ummmmmmmmm, whhhhhhhhhat?"
Us: "You know the stuff you make green tea lattes with, we'll pay you what it costs to make the drink but all we want is the powder"
Her: "ohhhhhh, I ...don't....knowwwww"
Us: "We just need a little to cook with"
Her: "... ... ..Ohh! okay!! You can just have some! How much??"
Us: "Like two tablespoons"
She comes back with 1/3 cup.
Her: "Is that enough"
Us: "YUP!" and we quickly scamper away.
SCORE!
The following morning I spilled all but two tablespoons of it on the floor.
today was: warm maple waffles, a very long drive, chains for traction, long lifts, steaming soup, a good thrill, wet snow on my back, cold toes, large flakes, chocolaty coffee, chickpea stew and a warm shower.
I'd forgotten what it felt like on the slopes. Happy snow days!
Every morning I wake up the first thing I notice is the way a fresh blanket of snow reflects light under the slats of my blinds. And every morning the first thing I do as I rise is peek through the same slats and with a giddy little grin turn and move on with my day. I've never seen so much snow and for so long. We're 80 cm over our average for the season and we're only a month in. Even though my main mode of transportation is my bike and the only way to get around now is my feet, the snow doesn't bother me as it should. It's like the weather gods are making up for all the snow-less Christmases and winters we've suffered through. I love it.
Because it's the beginning of the year and for no other specific reason I decided today was a good day to make sponge candy in the form of my favourite chocolate bar, the crunchie. I think they're delicious. I love that they are light and airy somehow both popping and melting on my tongue. Caramel air covered in chocolate...yummm. You want one?
Seriously, there is nothing complicated to this recipe so long as you know your way around sugar and how to use your brain. Something I couldn't seem to do to avoid what happened.
This is how the candy turned out. You'll notice it's about 1/4 of the size it should be with teeny little air bubbles. Not the texture I've been dreaming of.
Even as a first attempt I'll say I'm disappointed, and this is where I'll blame the recipe. Haha! Indeed it's not my fault at all (though common sense now tells me otherwise.) Still, I guarantee it will be gone by tomorrow evening.
Only in my post disappointment searching did I find that mixing the baking soda into the candy mixture is necessary. I also found a vinegar component added to most other recipes. I'm not sure this is significant, but it may help the structure to form a little better.
Sponge Candy
1 c. white sugar
4 T. white corn syrup
2t. baking soda slightly dissolved in 2 t. water
1c. dark chocolate
Line cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper, be sure to well oil the paper.
In a large pot combine sugar and syrup over medium heat. Turn down heat to maintain steady simmer. Cook until light yellow in colour about 300ºf. As soon as the mixture turns colour sprinkle in the baking soda mixture. (Note: this is where I went wrong, the recipe I was following said NOT to mix! Mixing is necessary for even distribution, just be careful not to over mix, you want to keep the air bubbles.)
This is the yellow you need to achieve
Mixture should bubble up and increase in volume by four times. Take off heat and quickly pour mixture on prepared sheet.
Melt chocolate in a double-broiler and slather on sponge. Cool until set. Store in air tight container.
A snowy day to start off 2009. For me I'm not sure it could have been much better. On second thought...it could have, I could have woken up to wonderful scents of crisp bacon frying, gooey cinnamon buns, oozing cheesy eggs and a delicious creamy latte. But I'm content.
Remembering the last year I realize how wonderful it's been and how happy I am to be where I am. And to start off the year right we begin with oliebollen. Oliebollen translated literally means oil balls, which makes these suckers donuts, dutch donuts. Yum. Traditionally these are made by the mothers and grandmothers of our families but this year I'm old enough to learn.
They are actually a very simple treat to make as far as yeast treats go, they required only half an hour for proofing and maybe the equivalent for frying. Deliciously simple and a blank canvas for flavour this tradition is a diet breaker. To me these are the donuts of all donuts, the super donut if you will, light, and full of dough-y goodness. Like any donut these are highly addictive and too easy to eat, just know that you've been warned.
It should be noted, our family always eats oliebollen with raisins and apples dipped in powdered sugar (the word saturated is probably more accurate.) I suppose you could introduce nuts, currants, citrus zest, or spices, just be careful not to make your batter to heavy. To test if the oil is hot enough without a thermometer, which no dutch lady I know owns, my mother taught me to drop in a little piece of bread. If it floats and begins to sizzle the oil is hot enough. I prefer using a thermometer personally, but that's probably because I'm a little careless when it comes to looking after hot liquids. p.s. this recipe makes about 30 medium-ish donuts that only keep for a day so make sure you have a handful of mouths near by.
Oliebollen
2 tbsp. active dry yeast
1/2 c. warm water
sprinkle of sugar
3 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. raisins
1 apple chopped
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs beaten
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. lukewarm milk
Combine yeast, water and sugar foam for ten minutes.
Stir raisins, salt, apple and flour in a large metal bowl. Add risen yeast, eggs, sugar and lukewarm milk and mix by hand until smooth. Let rise covered by a damp towel in a warm place for 1/2 to 3/4 hour or until approximately double in size.
With two spoons shape batter into balls and drop into deep hot fat at 375ºf. Cook until golden brown, turning if needed. Drain on paper towels. Roll in icing sugar.
