Not much to say here except that I just posted a recipe for Butterscotch Gingerbread cut-out cookies. It uses butterscotch pudding for the flavoring---the instant kind is what I've always used. They don't need frosting in my opinion, and the dough is kind of a teddy bear/Winnie the Pooh kind of color, so you know what cutters to look for. I'll post a picture when I make them, but I'm posting the recipe now since I got a request for it. Click here to get the recipe.
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Lately many of the recipes I’ve been using call for vanilla extract, most recently the one for caramel corn. Bonfire season has begun, and that means snacks. Besides, it’s also football season, and making caramel corn is great way to use up the leftover stadium popcorn from the concession stand. Usually when I make something that requires vanilla, I use the cheap stuff that comes in a one gallon plastic jug from the food service. But I have friends who go to Mexico, and often they bring me back the real deal: pure vanilla made by steeping vanilla beans in water and ethyl alcohol.
Vanilla beans are expensive (they’re the seed pod to a kind of orchid!) and so I’ve been abstemious about using my cache of Mexican vanilla, until I realized that my frugality had in fact turned into hoarding. After my friends came back from south of the border this year, bearing two more varieties of vanilla in very cool bottles, I went to place them on my spice shelf only to discover that I still had two and half more bottles left ! What was I saving them for anyway? An emergency call from Ron Ben-Israel? Not wanting to be featured on an episode of some new series on TLC about people who can't cook because their kitchen is filled with all the foods they're saving for "a nice dinner", I resolved to use only the good vanilla from now on. Admittedly, the folks at Cook’s Illustrated say that in anything cooked above 300 degrees F., many of the 250 different chemical compounds that give pure vanilla its complex flavor and aroma begin to bake off. So in a cake (internal temp about 210 degrees F.) real vanilla might make a difference, but not in a cookie, which gets much hotter. You can really tell the difference in puddings, pastry cream and frosting. You can see the account of their tests and the results here. Coincidentally, butter, sugar and corn syrup in the appropriate proportions turn into hard caramel at 300 degrees, so you’d think there wouldn’t be much difference between my Mexican vanilla and the cheap stuff when it comes to caramel corn. But I’ve been told by various Stage Rat taste testers that they can tell if I’m being stingy, and recently a junior high girl had a bite of caramel corn made with real extracto de vainilla and her eyes went wide and she gasped, “Wow! What did you do different?!” Then she took a bigger handful. And that’s good enough for me, no matter what Christopher Kimball may say. So I’ve been using my high quality pure vanilla in everything lately, from caramel corn to pumpkin scones to frosting on cinnamon rolls, and yes, even ordinary chocolate chip cookies. And even if the difference is negligible in some baked goods, the enjoyment I get from opening the bottle and smelling that sweet, spicy, slightly boozy aroma makes it worthwhile. As I measure out a generous teaspoon of flavorful extravagance, I feel like a real chef, and for a guy who got his culinary education between his mother’s kitchen, the public library and PBS, that feeling is no small thing. There are several "Fall Quick Breads" demos on my schedule, so I've been experimenting with pumpkin scones. Still haven't got it quite right, so no photo or recipe yet, but it will be coming soon. In the meantime, here is the recipe for Apricot Chutney that I'm blending with cream cheese to use as a filling for the pumpkin scones.
Apricot Chutney 1 30-oz can of apricot halves in heavy syrup 2 cups golden raisins ½ cup freshly minced onion 1 or 2 Tbs. Balsamic vinegar ½ tsp. powdered ginger ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper ¼ tsp. ground cumin pinch of ground cloves Remove apricot halves from syrup and coarsely chop them. Place chopped apricots, about half the heavy syrup, and the raisins and onion into a medium size saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring constantly. (Discard remaining syrup.) Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. I should add here that I adapted this recipe somewhat for the current baking sessions. I have fresh hot red peppers coming in from the garden, so I minced about a half a pepper instead of using the dried stuff. I also used fresh ginger and subbed a minced garlic clove for the onion, and added a teaspoon of roasted and freshly ground coriander. Chutneys come in lots of different combinations of spices, so you should do a little research and then experiment. By the way, mix some of this spicy-sweet chutney with whipped cream cheese, and you’ve got a delicious spread to put on top of turkey sandwiches or toasted bagels, and it's excellent all by itself on top of Belgian waffles, too. UPDATE AFTER BREAKFAST SATURDAY MORNING I served the pumpkin scones with the apricot chutney/cream cheese filling, and they were all eaten. But after trying one myself I think I have too many things going on at once in this recipe: the spices in the chutney were co-opted by the spices in the scone dough, so nothing was distinct about the filling, plus the scone needed a little more salt. (This last, entirely accurate observation came from Chef Ron our kitchen manager). Think I'll try two more versions: one with just the chutney and another with a filling made with creamcheese sweetened with powdered sugar and beaten with an egg, which should yield a custardy, cheesecake-y kind of filling (I hope!). Plus my friend Yvonne wants a gluten free version. I love having so many ideas to explore! Unlike Julie Powell having meltdowns on her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I don't have a soul-destroying government job and a horrible commute, so this seems more like play than work.  My nephew Jordan got married this weekend in Bluffton IN (south of Fort Wayne), and as they say in the wedding planning biz, their "colors" were "denim" and "mossy oak camo". I know that sounds terribly redneck, but I must say that the bride really rocked the dress. In addition to the camo cake, they also served a chocolate cake with a creamy peanut butter frosting that was outstanding. The bride's grandfather had the ceremony, so I was the wedding photographer for the reception, which actually was a lot of fun.  My sister Eileen performed her mother of the groom duties admirably, which she described (cheerfully and without rancor or irony) as "wear beige and shut up." She also assisted with the reception by making some camo candies to accompany the cake. Both the bride and groom work in a pretzel factory, so Eileen topped some pretzel rods with camo-colored almond bark/chocolate. It was quite an impessive display overall, and my photos don't really do it justice.  My contribution to the reception was a big bowl of deer poop (I suspect that is a sentence unique in the history of blogging about weddings). It's a favorite snack of the Stage Rats and our summer theatre program, and it's easy to make. The recipe follows.
Deer Poop 2 Pkg. (24 oz.) Wilton's Dark Cocoa Candy Melts 1/4 cup peanut butter 4 cups Cheerios (Dulce de Leche or Honey Nut) 1-1/2 cups of honey roasted peanuts 1-1/2 cups mini-marshmallows In a large sauce pan, melt candy melts and peanut butter over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat. Using a wide rubber spatula, gently fold in Cheerios and peanuts until well coated. Allow mixture to cool slightly (5 to 10 minutes) before folding in marshmallows (they should remain whole rather than melting) until everything is evenly coated in chocolate. Drop by tablespoons onto parchment or wax paper. Allow to harden for two hours before storing in an airtight container. In my last post I wrote about bread knives, recommending a blade with a wavy edge instead of a serrated one with points. However, in addtion to bread knives there is something called a sandwich knife that also has a wavy edge to the blade. The blade is usually wider than most knives, so you can use it to spread condiments on a sandwich and then cut it neatly in half with the same knives---obviously they were developed in the food service industry for sandwich shops and delis.
The only problem with these knives is that the blade is often only 6" long---not very useful for slicing larger loaves. But you can also find them as long as 8" or 9" on some restaurant supply websites, and they are usually piced under $30, sometimes half that. I must add the disclaimer that I haven't used any of these knives, so I can't vouch for their quality. But if you have the chance to visit a restaurant supply store (as a opposed to a high-end gourmet cooking boutique) you may find a knife worthy of your loaves. So the hunt for your perfect bread knife continues!  Okay, you've been baking bread more often and now you're in the market for a really good bread knife. Before you drop too much money on a Wusthoff, here's a piece of advice: look for a knife with a wavy blade, not a serrated one with points. The points on a serrated blade can tear some breads to pieces before it slices them, especially if it becomes dull. A wavy blade will cut the crustiest artisan loaf with a minimum of crumbs, and nothing slices angel food cake better. The top knife I bought at Marshalls for about $7 and it's been cutting bread in the abbey dining room for about 10 years now. The bottom knife was made by the Clauss knife company of Fremont Ohio around 1920. It's worth looking for a knife like this at antique malls or on eBay, but don't spend more than $20 and have it professionally cleaned and sharpened. If you live in or near St. Louis, the place to have your knives sharpened is Berterelli's Cutlery on Marconi, down the street from St. Ambrose parish, right there on the Hill. I have mine done there and as far as I can tell, every chef and commercial kitchen in St. Louis does, too. They just expanded their retail section AND they now carry dough whisks, in both sizes. (Full disclosure: they sent me a couple of samples--but I would have written about them anyway, because it's a great store!) 
On a recent vacation day I went to the local antique mall to see if I could score some vintage bread knives to use as door prizes at my next demo. I didn't find any, but what I did find was a Kaiser roll stamp, made of cast iron with a rosewood handle, incorrectly labeled as a "vintage nut chopper".  Here's what I find really interesting: on the left is the antique stamp, and on the right is one I bought about ten years ago. Look at the difference in size! Kaiser rolls were meant to be dinner rolls, sometimes used for small sandwiches for breakfast. But in typical American style, we make them HUGE, large enough for a 3/4 pound burger with all the works. It's the same way with pastries. Traditional Danish pastries are tiny treats, meant to be nibbled on delicately or perhaps eaten in a couple of bites. But order a "Danish" at an American bakery and you'll get something the size of a catcher's mitt.
Don't get me wrong. I am not against the occasional extravagant meal or decadent dessert: "Moderation in all things, including moderation." But our food culture in the United States seems to be fueled by the desire for complete satiety at the every meal, supersized portions for every entree, and the substitution of platters for dinner plates at restaurants. Even worse, we're often getting quantity but not quality. I will confess you having baked some very large caramel pecan rolls in my day, but they were, after all, homemade, and make them only once or twice a year! I'm more likely to serve the brethren a healthy multigrain bread for breakfast. Okay, enough ranting. Let's just try to stem the tide of culinary mediocrity and caloric excess, one roll at a time. Didn't have time to make a yeast bread tonight, so I made a quick coffee cake instead. I've had this recipe for years and I've never found better.
Coffee Cake Exceptionale ¾ cup butter 1½ cups of sugar 3 eggs 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1½ cups sour cream Filling ¾ cup brown sugar ½ cup chopped nuts 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon Cream butter and sugar in mixer on high until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Sift dry ingredients together. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the sour cream and the dry ingredients until all is blended. Grease and flour a 9″ x 11″ pan. Layer half of the batter in the pan, then half of the filling, then another layer of batter. Sprinkle the rest of the filling on top. Bake in a pre-heated 350° F. for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. May be served warm or cold. This is the version (slightly adapted) I received from some friends in their extended-family cookbook—thank you, Kathy Miller of Norway, Iowa! I have made lots of variations on this recipe with regard to the filling. Tonight I used a small can of Solo Apricot Filling and sugared walnuts for filling, with more chopped walnuts on top. But I’ve used pie filling of various flavors, fresh fruit tossed with powdered sugar and cinnamon, fig preserves and golden raisins, and chopped dates with pecans, just to name a few. My creations have always been devoured by brother monks, so don’t be afraid to experiment! OK, my publisher asked me for a blurb for the new book, and here's what I wrote:
How to Be a Breadhead: a beginner’s guide to baking A “Breadhead” is a dedicated baker, someone who bakes often, who thinks and dreams about bread and is not afraid to experiment. In this new book by Fr. Dominic (“The Bread Monk” of public television fame), you’ll learn more than just basic techniques---you’ll find out why yeast behaves the way it does, how to substitute different flours in a recipe, and how to take a simple dough and make it extraordinary for a special occasion. Starting with tools of the trade (you need less than you think), Fr. Dom takes you through the baby steps of baking all the way to beautiful loaves that will amaze and delight your family and friends. Special attention is paid to kneading (a stumbling block for many beginning bakers) and simple shaping techniques that can make your loaves look terrific. You’ll find braided loaves, flatbreads, pretzel bread and bagels, dinner rolls that look like roses, butterfly-shaped breakfast treats, and a muffin recipe that uses a secret ingredient: melted ice cream! And all in Fr. Dom’s funny and friendly style of instruction, with helpful photos and illustrations. Now I just have to write a book that looks like that---no pressure.  Lynn Rosetto Kasper, host of "The Splendid Table" on NPR One of my favorite radio programs is Lynn Rosetto Kasper's "The Splendid Table" on NPR, which airs in our area on Sunday afternoons at 1:00 p.m. (as they say, check local listings). Its tagline: "the show people who love to eat"! I can't go into all the details as to why this is such great show, but Lynn is a delight and really knows her stuff. Every week she interviews innovative chefs and unique food writers, there's always a segment with Jane and Michael Stern of "Road Food" fame with another restaurant (often lesser known) that is an American treasure, and she takes calls from listeners with questions about recipes. Her most recent episode had a segment on how to spot a well-written recipe. She writes: "Who can you trust when it comes to cooking from a blog or investing in a cookbook? You should know, because a bad recipe -- one that is poorly written, or worse yet, untested -- can make you feel like a failure. Nevermind the wasted money and time or the embarrassment, it might even convince you that you can't cook at all. You can know ahead of time that a recipe will most likely work if you have a checklist of the key things to look for." The page with her checklist is here. It's very helpful, and she includes a list of recipe writers you can trust. Her guidelines are for recipes in general, but they make me think that I may have to create a checklist specifically for bread recipes. If you have pet peeves about bread recipes, or information you wish every bread recipe had, drop me a line. |
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