Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients:
5 large egg whites
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
Pinch of salt
1 lb. (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions: To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (don’t worry, it will come together!) Stir in the vanilla extract and mix just until incorporated. Tint with gel icing color as desired. Keep buttercream at room temperature if using the same day, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.
Yield: about 5 cups Source: adapted from Martha Stewart
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Berry Crostatas
As I mentioned last week, I’m really trying to enjoy summer to the fullest rather than spend it waiting for fall. For me, one thing this has meant is eating copious amounts of fresh berries. I mean, they are gorgeous, healthy, delicious and portable – how can anyone resist them? I certainly can’t, especially in the form of these mixed berry crostatas (well, there goes the healthy part.) This is a very low maintenance dessert and great for entertaining in a pinch. Have the dough ready in the freezer or the fridge, and use whatever fruit you have on hand to make a spectacular ending to any meal. The jewel tones of the mixed berries are so rich, this dessert is both beautiful to look at and to eat. When made as instructed (four crostatas), the final product is really too big to be a personalized dessert. I ended up serving them to be split between couples so it worked out in the end, but next time I’ll divide the dough into six or seven portions to get something more manageable for an individual guest.
Mixed Berry Crostatas
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Ingredients:
1 cup sugar, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into small pieces
4 tbsp. ice water
1-1½ cups berries (I used blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 tbsp. milk
Directions:
To make the crust, combine ½ cup of the sugar with the flour and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix briefly to blend. Add in the butter pieces and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and the largest butter pieces are the size of peas. (This can also be done with a food processor or by hand with a pastry cutter.) Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing on low speed until the dough comes together. Form into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Form each into a ball. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough piece into ¼-inch thick rounds. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Add about ¼ cup of berries into the center of each dough round, leaving a 1½-inch border around the edge. Fold the edges up around the fruit, pinching as needed to keep the dough in place. Generously sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top of the fruit. Brush the edges of the crusts evenly with the egg wash.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown. Cool for no more than 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to serving plates. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream as desired.
Source: adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cups creamy peanut butter
6 tablespoons milk
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Monday, April 2, 2012
Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls
French Bread Dough
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4-5 1/2 c. flour
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg yolk
Garlic Butter:
1/2 c. (1 stick) of real butter, no substitutions
1 1/2 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Combine yeast, water, and sugar in large mixing bowl and allow to stand 10 minutes or until bubbly. Add salt, vegetable oil, and egg yolk (set white aside for later) and combine. Add 3 c. flour and mix well until combined. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that barely sticks to your finger. Knead, either by hand or in mixer (my personal and very lazy choice) for another 2-3 minutes. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour.
While dough is rising, combine butter and garlic bread seasoning. Set aside.
Now…here’s a little trick I’ve been using a lot lately. I really, really hate cleaning up flour on my work surface after I’ve been working with dough, but I obviously have to use SOMETHING to keep it from sticking. If you spray a little non-stick cooking spray on your work surface and your rolling pin, your dough won’t stick and clean-up is super easy!
Anyway, roll your rough into a rectangle that’s about 18-20 inches by 6 inches. Smear garlic butter over the entire surface of the dough and then sprinkle with cheese.
Roll up jelly-roll style and then use dental floss to cut into 12 equal slices. Of course, I kind of forgot to take pictures of this whole process, but if what I’m saying makes no sense, check out the orange roll recipe to see what I’m talking about. Place each slice in a muffin tin. Cover with a clean cloth. Preheat oven to 350 and allow rolls to rise while the oven is heating.
When the oven is ready, bake for 18-22 minutes.
You’re going to need to keep a CLOSE eye on these puppies during the last 10 minutes or so–once you notice the cheese getting brown, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the rolls (you don’t need to press it down or anything, just lay it on top). This will keep the cheese from burning, although it will get pretty brown on top. It’s okay, though, because the insides are still all ooey-gooey.
Pull these out of the oven and eat ‘em up ASAP! If you want to try and counteract the butter/cheese/white flour combo, pair these up with Italian Turkey Soup or dip ‘em in some luscious, veggie-filled pasta sauce.