Hey guys, sorry it's been a while since I've updated. I've been so busy the last few months. Waiting to hear back from grad school (with disappointing results I must say), finishing the semester, looking for a job in the restaurant business and training for a 5K run! So lots have been on my plate but I will hopefully have more time to blog.
It must be a sign, not getting into grad school that pushed me another step closer to fulfilling my dream of becoming a pastry chef. I have been in search of an apprenticeship and seems to have found one but I will post more on that later when I officially get it! And as to the 5K, I started training for it the beginning of summer and finished 2 days ago in the SF Marathon at 34 minutes in my first ever 5K race! It's definitely addicting for those who has never ran in a race..or hardly ever run. Between making all these treats and constantly eating, I need to run and stay in shape.
So, back to the main post...summer comes and goes a little more quickly than we all hope. Especially for those of us living in the Bay Area where the heat rarely settles for longer than 3 days at a time, it's hard to imagine it being summer when it's gloomy and 60 degrees outside. Nonetheless, I have been making ice cream. I have been trying out a recipe that I like for strawberry ice cream and I daresay that I am pretty darn close to a really good one.
I know it's pretty close to the end of strawberry season but, I still can't get enough. Last week, I bought half a flat for $6 at farmers market so I've been trying to figure out what to do with all those strawberries. Atlas, my friend has graciously lent me her ice cream maker so I have been making a whole lot of strawberry ice cream. YUM!
Speak no more. Here's the recipe I've been using:
Inspired by David Lebovitz's vanilla ice cream recipe
Strawberry Mix-in
2 Pint's fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 cup granulated sugar
Cook the strawberries and sugar in a medium sauce pan until it has thickened on low heat to make sure it doesn't bubble over. Once cooked, strain the strawberries from it's juice and separate into two bowls and let cool completely.
Ice cream base
1 cup whole milk
A pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup whole milk + 1 1/2 cup cream*
Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan for about 10 minutes until the milk is hot.
Set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water.
In another bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Gradually pour the milk into the yolks to temper, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan. Do not pour the hot milk into the eggs at once! It'll curdle and you'll end up with scrambled eggs.
Next, return the saucepan with the custard to the stove and heat over low fire stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Stir over the ice until cool, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly.
Lastly, freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Halfway through, mix in the strawberry juice. When your ice cream is done, mix in the cooked strawberries, spoon into a container and allow to freeze for a few hours. Soften it a bit before serving with your favorite toppings!
*I found that half and half is a little too watery and becomes icy when frozen but if you don't mind the fat, go ahead and use 2 cup cream.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
French Macaron Obsession
It seems that everyone these days are obsessing over the infamous French Macaron. Slightly crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. Not those excessively sweet coconut blobs that Americans eat. I'm talking about the real deal. What I love about the Macaron is the plethora of flavor combinations.
The base of the macaron consists of egg whites, almond meal, and powdered sugar. All of which is relatively flavorless. You can add almost any flavor you like, as long as you pair the wet and dry ingredients correctly. As you might already know, this is a meringue cookie, made from egg whites. Egg whites are tricky to work with because if you don't do it correctly, they will not become meringue but just egg whites and really hard when they come out of the oven.
I got this book as a gift from a friend that I absolutely LOVE, called I Love Macarons by Hisako Ogita. She has done this macaron in several ways, giving you fool proof methods for making the macaron. She also teaches you how to make some of the fillings, giving you ideas, and what possibly when wrong in the process if your macaron fails. It is one of the few books in English on how to make these little devils. Most other books are in French so unless you speak French then, this is your book.
Before I got started with making these, I did a bunch of research on recipes and the best way to make them, and the flavor possibilities. Realistically, meringue can be made in several ways and I think you have to just find what works for you. This is what I found to have worked for me.
Here's a list of basic ingredients and equipment you'll need:
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whole almonds
3 egg whites
food coloring
Piping bags
A piping template, this one, I found on the internet but you can also trace your own using something round about 1 1/2 inches
A food processor
Electric mixer
Grind 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and almonds in a food processor until powdery, about 3 minutes. Sift mixture through a medium mesh strainer into a piece of parchment paper, then discard any large pieces of nuts that didn’t come through the strainer.
For the flavoring, I did two different batches (shown below) one green tea and one hazelnut mocha. Using a matcha powder that can be found in most Asian markets and a cocoa powder, about 1/4 cup each, add to the sugar and almond mixture when sifting so it is even. Always add dry ingredients to the powder and mix evenly and wet ingredients like food coloring to the meringue before combining the two to get the batter.
With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until they hold firm but not dry peaks, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, a table spoon at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed; this can take up to 3 minutes. Beat for an extra 30 seconds until the peaks are firm and shiny but still not dry. Fold the nut mixture gently into the egg whites with a large rubber spatula from the middle out (about 50 times).
Spoon mixture into a piping bag with a ½ inch tip and pipe onto parchment lined baking sheet. Set aside for 30 minutes before baking.
I used a pint glass to hold my piping bag in between different sheets.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Bake macaroons until set and puffed, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes then peel from paper and let cool completely. Sandwich 1 teaspoon filling between two same sized cookies.
When done correctly, it should have that cute little foot. Here for the fillings, I used a butter cream filling and added matcha powder to it after the butter cream is finished and for the hazelnut mocha, I used a ganache with instant coffee granules dissolved into the chocolate. The combinations are limitless so have fun!
The base of the macaron consists of egg whites, almond meal, and powdered sugar. All of which is relatively flavorless. You can add almost any flavor you like, as long as you pair the wet and dry ingredients correctly. As you might already know, this is a meringue cookie, made from egg whites. Egg whites are tricky to work with because if you don't do it correctly, they will not become meringue but just egg whites and really hard when they come out of the oven.
I got this book as a gift from a friend that I absolutely LOVE, called I Love Macarons by Hisako Ogita. She has done this macaron in several ways, giving you fool proof methods for making the macaron. She also teaches you how to make some of the fillings, giving you ideas, and what possibly when wrong in the process if your macaron fails. It is one of the few books in English on how to make these little devils. Most other books are in French so unless you speak French then, this is your book.Before I got started with making these, I did a bunch of research on recipes and the best way to make them, and the flavor possibilities. Realistically, meringue can be made in several ways and I think you have to just find what works for you. This is what I found to have worked for me.
Here's a list of basic ingredients and equipment you'll need:
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whole almonds
3 egg whites
food coloring
Piping bags
A piping template, this one, I found on the internet but you can also trace your own using something round about 1 1/2 inches
A food processor
Electric mixer
Grind 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and almonds in a food processor until powdery, about 3 minutes. Sift mixture through a medium mesh strainer into a piece of parchment paper, then discard any large pieces of nuts that didn’t come through the strainer.
For the flavoring, I did two different batches (shown below) one green tea and one hazelnut mocha. Using a matcha powder that can be found in most Asian markets and a cocoa powder, about 1/4 cup each, add to the sugar and almond mixture when sifting so it is even. Always add dry ingredients to the powder and mix evenly and wet ingredients like food coloring to the meringue before combining the two to get the batter.
With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until they hold firm but not dry peaks, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, a table spoon at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed; this can take up to 3 minutes. Beat for an extra 30 seconds until the peaks are firm and shiny but still not dry. Fold the nut mixture gently into the egg whites with a large rubber spatula from the middle out (about 50 times).
Spoon mixture into a piping bag with a ½ inch tip and pipe onto parchment lined baking sheet. Set aside for 30 minutes before baking.
I used a pint glass to hold my piping bag in between different sheets.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Bake macaroons until set and puffed, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes then peel from paper and let cool completely. Sandwich 1 teaspoon filling between two same sized cookies.
When done correctly, it should have that cute little foot. Here for the fillings, I used a butter cream filling and added matcha powder to it after the butter cream is finished and for the hazelnut mocha, I used a ganache with instant coffee granules dissolved into the chocolate. The combinations are limitless so have fun!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Hot Chocolate on a Stick!
Recently, I've been on a sewing and crafting kick so I've been surfing the internet for ideas of things I can make. A while back, I actually came across Giver's Log and saw this idea I've been wanting to try. I made adjustments but you can find the original recipe here. I think it makes a perfect party favor or addition to a gift. Something homemade and thoughtful!
Materials you'll need:
A silicone ice cube tray (I tried the Ikea ones that were really cute btw, but because it's plastic and not silicone, I had a tough time getting it out!)
Lollipop sticks - you can find these at your local craft store but you can also use regular craft sticks that can also be found at the craft store
8oz of bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate*
1 tbsp instant espresso granules
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup powered sugar
Put the chocolate in a double broiler to melt. Once the chocolate is melted, add the instant espresso until dissolved and sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar into the melted chocolate, in small portions to make sure the chocolate remains smooth, and whisk together to combine. Continue until the sugar and cocoa is all mixed in. At this point, the mixture should be thickened from the sugar and cocoa.
Pour the mixture into a piping bag or a ziplock bag (and just clip a corner) and pipe into the ice cube tray. Once the ice cube tray is full, put in the sticks and let the chocolate cool for about an hour before putting into the refrigerator for about 10 to 15 minutes to harden. Now it's time to take them out! If you're having trouble taking them out, just dip the tray into hot water and remove quickly just so that the chocolate is soft enough to come out but not melt.
Now its ready for packaging! For mine, I got mini treat bags and just tied a bow on it with ribbon and attached directions.
They're actually quite easy to make and really fun too! For my version, I chose to add coffee to it because coffee is a great compliment on chocolate but others like mint, orange and even chili are good too! If you have plastic spoons laying around the house, just use spoons instead and dip it in a few times to build up layers and let it cool.
I think this is a really fun idea and there's so much you can do with this. Hope you have fun making these!
* I don't recommend chocolate chips simply because most of the time when I melt chocolate chips, something goes wrong and it's because chocolate chips contain emulsifiers which are stabilizers and I think it affects the quality of the chocolate. I like Trader Joe's Pound plus chocolate because it's cheap and much better quality. If you're really picky, you can pick up professional grade chocolates from specialty stores also known as oban wafers (chocolate liquor) but for the purposes of this recipe, a basic block of chocolate is fine since I don't think you can taste a big difference in hot chocolate especially if you're making these for kids!
Materials you'll need:A silicone ice cube tray (I tried the Ikea ones that were really cute btw, but because it's plastic and not silicone, I had a tough time getting it out!)
Lollipop sticks - you can find these at your local craft store but you can also use regular craft sticks that can also be found at the craft store
8oz of bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate*
1 tbsp instant espresso granules
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup powered sugar
Put the chocolate in a double broiler to melt. Once the chocolate is melted, add the instant espresso until dissolved and sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar into the melted chocolate, in small portions to make sure the chocolate remains smooth, and whisk together to combine. Continue until the sugar and cocoa is all mixed in. At this point, the mixture should be thickened from the sugar and cocoa.
Pour the mixture into a piping bag or a ziplock bag (and just clip a corner) and pipe into the ice cube tray. Once the ice cube tray is full, put in the sticks and let the chocolate cool for about an hour before putting into the refrigerator for about 10 to 15 minutes to harden. Now it's time to take them out! If you're having trouble taking them out, just dip the tray into hot water and remove quickly just so that the chocolate is soft enough to come out but not melt.Now its ready for packaging! For mine, I got mini treat bags and just tied a bow on it with ribbon and attached directions.
They're actually quite easy to make and really fun too! For my version, I chose to add coffee to it because coffee is a great compliment on chocolate but others like mint, orange and even chili are good too! If you have plastic spoons laying around the house, just use spoons instead and dip it in a few times to build up layers and let it cool.
I think this is a really fun idea and there's so much you can do with this. Hope you have fun making these!
* I don't recommend chocolate chips simply because most of the time when I melt chocolate chips, something goes wrong and it's because chocolate chips contain emulsifiers which are stabilizers and I think it affects the quality of the chocolate. I like Trader Joe's Pound plus chocolate because it's cheap and much better quality. If you're really picky, you can pick up professional grade chocolates from specialty stores also known as oban wafers (chocolate liquor) but for the purposes of this recipe, a basic block of chocolate is fine since I don't think you can taste a big difference in hot chocolate especially if you're making these for kids!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
When life gives you lemons...
...throw them at someone! Just kidding, that would be a waste.
I've been really behind on posting! Eeks! After the holidays, I spent about 3 weeks traveling Southeast Asia (Singapore & Malaysia), China and Hong Kong on a primarily food tour. And on a somewhat related note, Southeast Asia has these mini limes that are about the size of a gumball and has a really sweet and tangy flavor within the sourness. Anyway, I'm back and I promise this year, there will be more recipes and posts!
Most people have a lemon tree which is really handy to have around when you're cooking but what do you do with those extra lemons? I could think of at least a million things to do with them. Lemon Pound Cake, Blueberry Lemon Muffins or Scones, and Lemon Coconut Cupcakes are just a few but those recipes only call for a small amount of lemon juice and/or zest off your tree. A recipe I love is Lemon Curd, something that I keep in my refrigerator.
What is Lemon Curd? It is sweet and sour in taste, creamy and buttery in texture and the fragrance is intoxicating. And what do you do with it? It's most commonly used in a classic French dessert called Tarte Au Citron, where a flaky tart crust is filled with the lemon curd and baked, then served chilled. Delicious. The English eat it on English muffins, toast, or scones.
I love making this and having it around because I think its a great way to start off your day with something fresh and light. It's the perfect ZING! to get a great day started, and I usually spread it over a slice of toast.
Got a ton of lemons and don't know what to do? Then lets get started!
The materials you'll need:
(1) 8oz jar per batch. This recipe makes approximately 1 jar but hey, if you've got a ton of lemons, make several batches, can them, and they will keep for a darn long time inside or out of the refrigerator.*I haven't tried it yet, but theoretically, if you pasteurize the curd it shouldn't need to be stored in the refrigerator. Just follow the canning instructions.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice *
grated zest of one lemon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
3 oz butter, cubed
In a medium saucepan whisk the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, eggs and egg yolks over medium heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Next immediately remove from heat to prevent curdling and continue to whisk. Now, begin whisking in the butter, about 1 tbsp at a time until all the butter has melted.
Before the curd cools, put a sieve over a jar and fill. The sieve will ensure a smooth creamy consistency to remove any lumps in the mixture. Once the curd cools, it becomes harder to strain it through the sieve. Now, it is ready for canning (completely optional). If you're just make one batch that you're going to eat right away then just let it cool, and put in the refrigerator. It is probably best to eat it within a week or so but I've kept it much longer in the refrigerator and it still tastes delicious.
Enjoy!
* Depending on what kind of lemon you have on hand, you may need to adjust the sugar. I typically love using Meyer lemons for this because it has a much more fragrant flavor and also sweeter and Eureka lemons tend to be more sour so I would suggest adding about 1/8 to 1/4 cup extra sugar to sweeten.
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