Sunflower Sprouts

I first had these at Frontera Grill in Chicago and instantly fell in love. Sprouts in general are delicious but the flavor of sunflower sprouts is particularly delicious. Worth tracking down. They are as pretty as they are delicious.

These Striped Napkins

Came across these at West Elm recently, they were exactly what I was looking for in an everyday napkin.

Plum Caramel by Flora Confections

A favorite vendor from Green City Market, this plum caramel confiture is so incredible. I would gladly eat it by the spoonful for dessert. It is incredible on top of vanilla ice cream. Go get some!

DIY Heirlooms

Why wait to inherit family heirlooms? Go buy them yourself. Summer is antique market season and I love shopping around looking for beautiful kitchen plates and serving pieces. Find a treasure, make a deal.

Rose Geranium Syrup

Add some to sparkling water, whipped cream, whatever you like. Another great product from June Taylor.

Fruit Baskets

I know these things are everywhere, but I love them. Your favorite fruit baskets transformed into beautiful porcelain objects. They still work great for holding fruit but are also nice as sculptures.

The Vegetarian Option

I keep talking this cookbook up. I really love it. Everything from its weird design (it looks like it is from another time, or something) to the fabulous assortment of vegetarian recipes.

Thermal Pot

I still can’t believe this thing was only $8 over at IKEA. Such good design—just odd enough.

Happy summer everyone!

Permalink to Recent Acquisitions: The Long, Hot, Summer Edition | 10 comments so far

Bryan hates tomatoes, I love tomatoes. This recipe is for all of the tomato lovers in the world. It is simple. Go to your market (or backyard) and find a few perfectly ripe, juicy, tomatoes that are free of pesticides. Heirlooms would be great. Rinse them. Slice them. Drizzle some decadent creamy dressing on top and enjoy.

Speaking of tomatoes, this Saturday I am going to be judging a tomato competition at Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba in Chicago. If you are in the Chicago area and happen to be growing some really excellent tomatoes: come on down! The winner of the contest gets a trip to Las Vegas, which seems pretty excellent. There are other prizes, too. All courtesy of our friends at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. I am excited to spend the morning eating tomatoes (AKA- Bryan’s worst nightmare). More details on the event HERE!

Good tomatoes don’t need much done to them, but this dressing is fantastic. It is great on other things too. I used the leftover on a green salad and it was perfection.

Tomato Salad with Cream Dressing (adapted from a recipe by Simon Hopkinson)

• 3-4 ripe tomatoes
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of sugar
• 8-10 basil leaves, chopped

Slice tomatoes and arrange on two plates. Place remaining ingredients in a small jar, cover, and shake until well amalgamated. Pour over tomatoes. Enjoy.

Permalink to Tomato Salad with Basil Cream Dressing | 15 comments so far

There are a wide range of dishes that I consider good and worth making and worth telling you about. Some are simply satisfying and delicious, others are totally knock-your-socks-off amazing. This recipe is from the later category of recipes. It comes from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi and I have been eying it for weeks but feeling stressed out by the three kinds of soy sauce it calls for in the recipe. I didn’t know there were three kinds of soy sauce and I had no idea how I would find them, but am I glad I did.

Googling provided some answers but I eventually had to make a trip to Mitsuwa in Arlington Heights to find the sauces I wanted (but don’t let this discourage out!, see notes below). This recipe is simple but does require some time and a lot of chopping. There were moments when I began to doubt the success of the final product, but when I sat down to eat I was so impressed with what I had created and this immediately made its way onto my list of favorite foods.

This is spicy, there is a lot of black pepper, chile pepper and ginger in this recipe. But it is also sweet, and comforting and incredible and you can adjust the spice as you see fit. We served this on a bed of jasmine rice and ate slices of watermelon along side. It was totally perfect. I wish it were simpler so that it could be a weekly addition to our menu. We ate the leftovers the next day and like most things they weren’t as good. The tofu was no longer crispy and the sauce was less plentiful, but we still thoroughly enjoyed it. My advice to you is to make this for three of your favorite people and I guarantee there will be no leftovers.

*Notes on the soy sauce: don’t stress out about this. I am going to try next time only using two types. I have a sweet Indonesian Soy Sauce (like this) and a light soy sauce. But I imagine some combination of soy sauce and honey could also work.

*A note on measurements. I left this recipe in grams, as I find it easier to work with weight than volume anyway. We all should own an inexpensive kitchen scale so that we aren’t frustrated or limited by recipes from the rest of the world. Says me. ; )

Black Pepper Tofu (adapted from a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi)

• 800g firm, fresh tofu
• Cornflour, to dust the tofu
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 113 g butter (1 stick)
• 12 small shallots (350g), peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 red chillies, thinly sliced
• 12 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tbsp chopped ginger
• 4 tbsp crushed black peppercorns
• 3 tbsp sweet soy sauce
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 4 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 16 small, thin spring onions, cut into segments 3cm long
• jasmine rice for serving

Cut the tofu into 3cm x 2cm blocks and toss them in cornflour, shaking off the excess. Pour in enough oil to come 0.5cm up the sides of a large frying pan, and bring up to frying heat. Fry the tofu in batches in the oil, turning the pieces as you go. Once they are golden all around, and have a thin crust, transfer to a paper towel.

Remove the oil and any sediment from the pan and throw in the butter. Once it has melted, add the shallots, chillies, garlic and ginger, and sauté for about 15 minutes on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the contents of the pan are shiny and totally soft. While you wait, crush the peppercorns, using a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder. They should be quite coarse.

When the shallots and chillies are soft, add the soy sauces and the sugar, stir, then stir in the crushed pepper. Warm the tofu in the sauce for about a minute, then add the spring onion and stir through. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Permalink to Black Pepper Tofu | 34 comments so far

This is a good place to start to inventing your own yogurt pops. Other fruits and sweeteners could be used as they become available at the market. Stay cool, friends and keep enjoying summer while it lasts.

Blackberry, Honey and Yogurt Pops (adapted from Bon Appetit, August 2010)

• 2/3 cup water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 6-ounce containers fresh blackberries (3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups)
• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt (preferably organic)
• 5 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Bring 2/3 cup water and sugar to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Transfer simple syrup to small bowl and chill until cold, about 1 hour.

Place blackberries in processor; puree until smooth. Pour blackberry puree into strainer set over medium bowl. Using rubber spatula, press on solids to extract as much puree as possible. Discard seeds in strainer. Measure 2 cups blackberry puree and place in another medium bowl for pops (reserve any remaining puree for another use). Add chilled simple syrup, yogurt, honey, and lemon juice to puree; whisk to blend.

Divide mixture among 10 molds (each about 1/3- to 1/2-cup capacity). Top with mold cover, if available, and insert stick into each. (If cover is not available, cover top of mold with plastic wrap, pulling taut; freeze until partially frozen, then insert stick into center of plastic wrap and into pop mixture in each.) Freeze pops until firm, at least 8 hours or overnight.

Dip bottom of mold into hot water 10 to 15 seconds to loosen pops. Remove pops from molds and serve.

Permalink to Blackberry, Honey and Yogurt Pops | 18 comments so far

This summer Lottie + Doof is hitting the road and exploring the Midwest. Like too many Chicagoans, I don’t leave the city often enough to visit the surrounding area. This summer I’m in search of good food and good times and I’ll be taking you along for the ride. Next Stop: Madison, Wisconsin.

I never knew Madison was so cool. The capital of Wisconsin and home of the University of Wisconsin, Madison is a vibrant town that manages to feel both like a small town and a city and seems to offer the best of both worlds. It is situated on an isthmus in the middle of a few lakes (Bryan would like me to point out that the only other U.S. city located on an isthmus is Seattle). Being surrounded by water means there are pretty views and plenty of water-based recreational activities. Madison is an easy breezy drive from Chicago through rolling farmland and a great destination for a summer road trip.
We arrived before lunch to met our friend Deb at The Old Fashioned and enjoyed a pretty fantastic meal of fried cheese curds, beer and cheese soup, and brats. This is the Wisconsin I know and love. The meal was a perfect start to our time in Madison.

Next stop was Fromagination, which is a silly name for the best cheese shop I have been to in the Midwest. An incredibly well-stocked and curated cheese selection was complimented by an equally impressive selection of prepared foods and kitchen goods. We spent over an hour sampling cheeses and learning more about cheese production in Wisconsin. We also had our lives forever changed by the cheeses of Willi Lerner from Bleu Mont Dairy. Willi Lerner’s bandaged cheddar is nothing short of extraordinary and one of the most wonderful things I have ever eaten. Seriously people, if you have access to this cheese you need to be eating it right now.

We managed to stop eating for a few hours to explore other parts of the city. Context is a men’s clothing store that I had heard good things about. I wasn’t prepared for it to be as wonderful as it was. A really excellent selection of clothes that was much closer to what I would expect to find in Los Angeles or New York than in Wisconsin—there certainly isn’t anything like it in Chicago. More than the merchandise, the staff was really welcoming and ready to discuss clothing with you—and not in a stupid way. I loved this place.
We also visited the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art which was hosting its Triennial of Art, a collection of significant contemporary art from across the state. Although the quality of the work varied a great deal, it was overall an impressive showing and a nice way to spend part of the afternoon.

L’Etoile is probably Madison’s best known restaurant. It has been around since the 1970s and is often referred to as the Chez Panisse of the Midwest. It is dedicated to using the highest quality, local, organic ingredients.  It was a pretty incredible meal and I recommend saving your dough to give this place a try.

The main reason we wanted to visit Madison was for the legendary Dane County Farmer’s Market which takes place on the square around the capital every Saturday morning. This is the largest producer-only market in the states and features a huge selection of vendors selling a really nice range of goods. I was impressed by the crowds of people shopping at the market as well as the diversity of products.  I found oddities like sumac, grape leaves, hickory nuts (more on them soon!), and elder flowers as well as all of the expected early summer fruits and vegetables. We  spent a couple of hours at the market, sampling foods and talking to vendors. Madison residents are  lucky to have this amazing source for food.

We were both impressed by Madison and are anxious to return for more fun. I hope to get to the market on a more regular basis and I look forward to further adventures in Wisconsin cheese, which might actually be the best thing in the world.

[Above, our haul.]

LINKS:

The Old Fashioned

Fromagination

Context

Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

L’Etoile

Dane County Farmers’ Market

Bleu Mont Dairy

Permalink to Madison, Wisconsin | 25 comments so far

Growing up in the Midwest, you are surrounded by fields of corn. Unfortunately, most of this corn isn’t for human consumption, but the stuff that is tastes fantastic. We used to buy corn from a local farmer by the dozen. Two dollars for a dozen ears of sweet summer corn—corn that had been picked just hours before you bought it. It didn’t even require cooking. Corn remains one of my favorite summer foods and now that it is making its way into the markets, I was pretty excited to find a series of recipes featuring fresh corn in the latest issue of Bon Appétit.

In this pasta with corn pesto, fettuccine noodles are coated in a creamy sauce made with fresh corn and then tossed with some basil, bacon, and Parmesan. This is summer comfort food at its best. You’ll be as shocked as Bryan was that there isn’t any cream in this dish, just milky, sweet summer corn.

It is worth noting that Bryan doesn’t like corn, but loved this dish. He will ask me clarify that he doesn’t like corn off of the cob, probably the result of too much of the canned stuff as a kid. It is unfortunate that so many vegetables were ruined for us by having experienced them first as canned vegetables (I still have a hard time eating green peas).  Bottom line- if Bryan could love this recipe, it is something special. I think you’ll love it too.

Pasta with Fresh Corn Pesto (adapted from the August 2010 issue of Bon Appétit)

• 4 bacon slices, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 large ears)
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces tagliatelle or fettuccine
• 3/4 cup coarsely torn fresh basil leaves, divided

Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown, stirring often. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add corn, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, red pepper flakes, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to drippings in skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat until corn is just tender but not brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn kernels to small bowl and reserve. Scrape remaining corn mixture into processor. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan and pine nuts. With machine running, add olive oil through feed tube and blend until pesto is almost smooth. Set pesto aside.

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add corn pesto, reserved corn kernels, and 1/2 cup basil leaves. Toss pasta mixture over medium heat until warmed through, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer pasta to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil leaves and reserved bacon. Serve pasta, passing additional grated Parmesan alongside.

Permalink to Pasta with Fresh Corn Pesto | 42 comments so far

The first recipe I ever posted to this site was one for sour cherry pie. It remains one of my favorite recipes and probably one of the least viewed posts ever. Not even one little comment! I was writing to myself back then before I had all of you wonderful people to share recipes with.

One of the strange parts of maintaining a food blog is trying to balance the desire and need to try new recipes and my love of old favorites. So, you’re going to need to bear with me today as we go back into the archives. This recipe for sour cherry pie is worth resurrecting and making with whatever sour cherries are still floating around out there. It is incredibly delicious and made even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Some other recipes from the early days that are worth checking out (also, note how much better my photos have become over the years!): Walnut Cream Cheese Sandwich Cookies, Tomato Soup, and my personal summer favorite- pickles!

Lots of fun stuff headed your way next week including the next stop on the road trip (hint: cheese) and some summer acquisitions.

Sour Cherry Pie (adapted from a recipe in June 2008 Bon Appétit)

Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 5 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 cups whole pitted sour cherries
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon milk

Crust:

Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until small pea-size clumps form. Add 5 tablespoons ice water; mix lightly with fork until dough holds together when small pieces are pressed between fingertips, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together; divide into two pieces. Form each piece into a ball, then flatten into disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Can be made up to two days ahead. Keep chilled. Let soften slightly before rolling out.

Filling:

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425° F. Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Stir in cherries, lemon juice, and vanilla. Set aside.

Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Using large knife or pastry wheel with fluted edge, cut ten 3/4-inch wide strips from dough round. Transfer filling to dough-lined dish, mounding slightly in center. Dot with butter. Arrange dough strips atop filling, forming lattice; trim dough strip overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold bottom crust up over ends of strips and crimp edges to seal. Brush lattice crust (not edges) with milk. Sprinkle lattice with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375°. Bake pie until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown, covering edges with foil collar if browning too quickly, about 1 hour longer. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely. Cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Permalink to Cherry Pie (the revivial!) | 25 comments so far

Some recipes you make only once a year. As a kid, I found this incredibly frustrating. My aunt was the baker in our family and she made outrageously delicious cookies every Christmas. I never understood why she couldn’t make them on other days. You’re probably thinking something along the lines of: if we had them every day they wouldn’t be as special. I’m only partially convinced by that argument. Maybe we should try and see?

Every year for the last decade or so I have spent Independence Day with the family of one of my best friends. They live in Skokie, a suburb of Chicago. The day starts with an old-fashioned parade complete with marching bands, fire trucks and the Jesse White tumblers (a Chicago thing!). After the parade we all walk back to the house and spend the rest of the day cooking, playing games and catching up. It is one of my favorite days of the year. And you guessed it, I have a recipe that I make on the 4th and only on the 4th. Young Me would be very disappointed.

This is an old Ina Garten recipe that is typically simple and delicious. It makes two cakes, which we need for the 4th because there is always a crowd. If you don’t need both cakes, freeze one—they freeze beautifully. And feel free to make these any day you like, as often as you like. Bastille Day is right around the corner and the colors work for France too. For me, they will remain a once-a-year thing.

Strawberry Country Cake (adapted from Ina Garten)

CAKES:

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

FILLING (for 1 cake):

• 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1/2 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Butter the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans. Then line them with parchment paper and butter and flour the lined pans.

Cream the butter and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, then the sour cream, zests, and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix well. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine just until smooth.

Pour the batter evenly into the pans, smooth the tops, and bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then remove to wire racks and let cool to room temperature. If using 1 cake, wrap the second well and freeze.

To make the filling for one cake, whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until firm. Slice one of the cakes in half with a long, sharp knife. Place the bottom slice of the cake on a serving platter, spread with 1/2 the whipped cream and scatter with sliced strawberries. Cover with the top slice of the cake and spread with the remaining cream. Decorate with strawberries

Permalink to Once a Year | 17 comments so far

This summer Lottie + Doof is hitting the road and exploring the Midwest. Like too many Chicagoans, I don’t leave the city often enough to visit the surrounding area. This summer I’m in search of good food and good times and I’ll be taking you along for the ride. First Stop: Ann Arbor, Michigan.

For me, Ann Arbor is synonymous with two things: the University of Michigan and Zingerman’s. I happen to care more about the later and so the main focus of our trip was getting to know the Zingerman’s empire. For those of you unfamiliar with Zingerman’s, the business started as a small deli and exploded into a food empire that includes a wonderful catalog full of gourmet products that can be delivered to your doorstep (more on Zingerman’s HERE). Having ordered many delicious things from their catalog in the past, I was excited to experience the magic in person. Bryan, my friend Katie and I set off for Michigan early one Saturday morning with the goal of arriving in time to catch the farmer’s market.

Well, we got a flat tire halfway there. After struggling to remove the tire we received a very valuable piece of advice from a friendly mechanic we called for help: Horse Kick it! Worked like a charm. We lost a couple of hours waiting at a tire shop in Hartford, MI (Thank you, Hartford!) and eventually made our way to beautiful Ann Arbor.

[My traveling companions. Don't they look like they're having fun? (Iggy Pop grew up in Ann Arbor!)]

We spent the next 24 hours eating. We went to every Zingerman’s outpost (The Roadhouse, The Deli, The Bakeshop, The Creamery, and the Coffee Shop) Yes, We completed the “Tour de Food”—and what a tour it was! The food was all excellent, but I knew it would be. What really impressed me were the people. At every single stop we were greeted by enthusiastic employees who seemed excited to help us make decisions and learn more about food. At the bakeshop we were given an impromtu tour behind the scenes and saw bakers loading loaves of bread into the ovens. We learned that in less than a year they had already baked close to 2 million loaves of bread. At the creamery we tried samples of gelatos and cheeses and I bought some seriously delicious butter. At the Roadhouse our server gave us a taste of one of the desserts we had been debating over because he didn’t want to see us coming all that way without trying it. Who are these people?! In any other circumstance they might have freaked me out. I’m always skeptical when I encounter that sort of corporate loyalty, but this was the real deal. These were people who liked their jobs and loved food. The excitement over the food was contagious and I left more in love with Zingerman’s than ever. We also left with a cooler full of cheeses, some fancy olive oils and vinegars.

[The peanut butter gelato was my favorite]

[The reuben really is fantastic.]

[Pimento cheese and bacon was a close second!)

Obviously our food consumption was dominated by Zingerman’s but we did happen upon another gem that is worth mentioning. Ann Arbor has a charming shopping arcade called Nickels Arcade and right in the middle is a small coffee shop named Comet. It is an incredibly well-designed space. The coffee is top notch and the employees were so friendly that we started to believe only nice people live in Michigan. One of them even offered to draw me a map! In addition to coffee, the shop sells some pastries and a bunch of coffee brewing equipment including fancy siphon systems from Japan and ceramic single cup drip brewers. I really fell in love with this place and would rank it among the top coffee shops I have been to in this world of ours. It is a perfect little place and I wish we had gotten to spend more time there.

All in all, it was a really fun trip and well worth the drive from Chicago. Thanks, Ann Arbor, for the good times.

Zingerman’s Deli
422 Detroit Street

Comet Coffee
16 Nickels Arcade

Permalink to Ann Arbor, Michigan | 29 comments so far

It is officially ice cream season in the Midwest and I have been churning a batch (or two!) a week since summer started. One of the most wonderful discoveries is this recipe for Framboise Lambic Beer Sorbetto that comes courtesy of the Ciao Bella cookbook. I’m not a huge fan of sweet beers and so framboise lambic never had much appeal to me as a drink, but in the context of dessert it is another thing entirely. This sorbet is packed full of bright tasting raspberries and the beer gives it a complicated finish that is really satisfying.

I’ve been enjoying Ciao Bella for years and was happy when their ice creams became available nationwide. They used to make a mango habanero ice cream that knocked my socks off. The book is a good reference for both basic ice cream recipes and some unique flavor combinations. It will help make this a very good summer.

More information on Framboise Lambic HERE!

Framboise Lambic Beer Sorbetto (adapted from the The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato and Sorbetto by F.W. Pearce and Danilo Zecchin)

• 6 cups fresh raspberries
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Simple Syrup (see below)
• 1 cup Framboise Lambic

Place the raspberries and lemon juice in a food processor and puree until smooth, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract the raspberry puree. Discard the seeds.

Whisk the chilled simple syrup into the raspberry puree. Put mixture in fridge to chill.

Pour the beer into a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and boil for 1 minute. Watch the pan carefully so it doesn’t boil over. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Gently whisk the beer into the raspberry mixture. Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Simple Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar

In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, whiskingoften to dissolve sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and-low and simmer for 4 minutes, while continuing to whisk until all of the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool, then transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.

Permalink to Framboise Lambic Beer Sorbetto | 21 comments so far

I’ve made no secret of my love of Floriole Bakery and was beyond excited when this long-time farmer’s market favorite announced plans to open a storefront. Imagine how I felt when the storefront was mere blocks from my office! If you are in Chicago and looking to find me, Floriole is a pretty good place to start. I’m proud to call myself a regular. I am so impressed with everything that Sandra Holl and her amazing team creates. Next time you are in town, stop by for a croissant and tell them Tim sent you. More on Floriole over at ReadyMade, but here are some behind the scenes photos of the bakery at work.

Permalink to Floriole (behind the scenes) | 21 comments so far

The Moon Safari Wins! The Moon Safari Wins!

Many delicious drinks were suggested. Four of the best made it into the finals. Hundred of votes were cast. The winning drink is The Moon Safari, inspired by The Breslin and suggested by Caitlin.

This was one of my favorites and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Pineapple and tarragon all summer long!

Thanks to everyone who suggested a drink, or voted.

Now find yourself a ripe pineapple and have a cocktail.

Happy Summer, everyone!

Once again, the recipe:

The Moon Safari

We got our pineapple juice by pureeing pineapple in a blender and then straining it into a glass. It seems like 1 pineapple will give you just shy of 2 cups of juice using this method.

Update: We made this recently using a different tequila (a cheaper tequila) and it was off. The tequila was too strong so we needed to up the amount of juice we used. Make a test cocktail before proceeding. Use good tequila. !!!

The Moon Safari (inspired by a drink at The Breslin)

• 2 oz. fresh pineapple juice
• 2 oz.  blanco tequila
• 1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
• fresh tarragon

Combine pineapple juice, tequila, lime juice, and a sprig of tarragon in a cocktail shaker. Add some ice, shake, strain into rocks glass full of ice. Garnish with a spear of pineapple and a sprig of tarragon.

Permalink to The Moon Safari Wins! DOS 2010! | 8 comments so far

A couple of weeks ago I asked for drink ideas to sip all summer. You came through in a big way with lots of really wonderful suggestions.

It wasn’t easy narrowing them down to 3 finalists, so we chose 4—which wasn’t much easier. I wanted to try almost every cocktail suggested by you, my fine readers. But in an effort to preserve our livers and  live to drink another day, we narrowed down the competition to these fantastic finalists. We were looking for something seasonal, creative and delicious—these all qualified.

In reviewing the submissions, I noticed some trends. Strawberries made their way onto the list several times, as did pineapple, basil and other fresh herbs. Several of you suggested cucumber-based drinks, which I love. Many of you were inspired by drinks you had at favorite bars or restaurants and these final nominees are really an homage to modern mixologists.

So, without further delay, I present to you the 4 finalists for the 2010 Drink of Summer:

Cocktail #1: The Moon Safari

Submitted by Caitlin Dentino (who has a nice blog!). Caitlin didn’t have a recipe, but she did have a great idea. She enjoyed this drink at The Breslin in NYC, which I can confirm has some lovely cocktails. This is our attempt at recreating that cocktail. We got our pineapple juice by pureeing pineapple in a blender and then straining it into a glass. It seems like 1 pineapple will give you just shy of 2 cups of juice using this method.

The Moon Safari (inspired by a drink at The Breslin)

• 2 oz. fresh pineapple juice
• 2 oz.  blanco tequila
• 1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
• fresh tarragon

Combine pineapple juice, tequila, lime juice, and a sprig of tarragon in a cocktail shaker. Add some ice, shake, strain into rocks glass full of ice. Garnish with a spear of pineapple and a sprig of tarragon.

Cocktail #2: The Red Ruby

Submitted by Susan. Inspired by a cocktail she had when she was at a Melbourne bar. She thinks it might have been called a Red Ruby, so we’re running with that. Be sure to look for really flavorful and ripe berries.

The Red Ruby

• 3-4 very ripe strawberries
• 1 teaspoon super fine sugar
• 3 basil leaves, torn
• 1/8 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 oz. gin (preferably Hendrick’s) or vodka

Mash strawberries with a teaspoon of caster sugar and pass through a sieve into a cocktail shaker.

Muddle with torn basil leaves, balsamic vinegar and pinch of freshly cracked black pepper.

Add in some ice cubes, pour in 2 oz  gin and shake. Serve with a slice of strawberry, a basil leaf and another pinch of black pepper on top.

Cocktail #3: The Silent Encore

Submitted by Elizabeth from A Rockridge Life. The original cocktail is from Drink Well who was inspired by a Silent Order at Drink in Boston. Love that string of connections! Yellow Chartreuse is French liqueur made by the Carthusian monks. Yellow Chartreuse is the milder, sweeter cousin of green Chartreuse. And yes, the color was named after the liqueur.

The Silent Encore (adapted from Drink Well)

• 1 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
• 1 oz. gin
• juice from half a lime
• 5 basil leaves

Shake it over ice and strain it into a cocktail glass.

Cocktail #4: The Uva Bella Cocktail

Submitted by Kathryn, a reader in Los Angeles. The original is served at The Bazaar by Jose Andres.

Uva Bella Cocktail

• 5-6 green grapes, plus 1 for garnish
• 2 ounces gin, preferably Plymouth
• 1/2 ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur
• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
• Dash orange bitters

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the grapes. Add the gin, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and bitters, then ice. Shake vigorously for 6 seconds and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a  grape.

***********************************************

How about those amazing colors?! As always, remember that these can all be adjusted to suit your taste. You might like your cocktail sweeter or dryer than I do. Also, feel free to figure out creative ways to make batches of these. Because sometimes you want a pitcher full of drinks.

Voting: Scout’s honor with this voting. Vote once, and vote for whichever drink you’d most like to spend the summer with. If you have the time and energy, try some of them out. Hopefully we’ve set it up so that only one vote can be cast from each IP address. You can vote until Sunday, June 20th at noon CDT. I will announce the winning drink on Monday, June 21st—the first official day of summer!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to submit an idea. The best part of this whole process is the original list of suggestions. So, next time you are looking for a good cocktail recipe check the list out. I’ll be trying more of your suggestions as the summer progresses and will check in with favorites.

Cheers!

*** Special thanks to Bryan’s dad, Mitch, for helping to fund this operation! And thanks, as always, to Bryan for drinking with me at 7am to get good light and for lending his expertise.

Permalink to Drink of Summer 2010: The Nominees (Vote!) | 17 comments so far

We are bad banana eaters. Very inconsistent. Some weeks we’ll go through a bunch in a couple of days and other weeks they will languish on the counter turning spotted and black as we both try our best to ignore them and hope the other one will deal with them. So, it is in everyone’s best interest to collect recipes that use up the bananas once they have passed the point of no return.

I did what I usually do when I have a baking question, I turned to Dorie Greenspan. There, on page 190 of Baking, From My Home to Yours, was this lovely banana cake just waiting to be baked. We even had the exact amount of bananas ripening away in our kitchen.

The cake is wonderful. Simple, sweet and satisfying. It was a little too sweet for me, so I cut back the sugar a bit (down to 1 3/4 cup) and next time might try reducing it even more. But it is lovely as is. It kept will under a cake dome for a few days and we have been happily slicing off a sliver throughout the day.

We’ve been getting drunk on your cocktail suggestions. It will be hard to narrow it down to just 3 or 4 finalists, but narrow it down we must. Then,  you can vote for the one you’d most like to spend the summer with. All of that coming to you next week. Until then, enjoy a slice of banana cake.

Classic Banana Bundt Cake (by Ellen Einstein via Dorie Greenspan)

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (8oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
• 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (1 1/2-1 3/4 cups)
• 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Generously butter a 9- to 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half of the dry ingredients (don’t be disturbed when the batter curdles), all of the sour cream and then the rest of the dry ingredients. Scrape the batter into the pan, rap the pan on the counter to de-bubble the batter and smooth the top.

Bake for 65-75 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 30 minutes—if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a rack to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool completely.

If you’ve got the time, wrap the cooled cake in plastic and allow it to sit on the counter overnight before serving—it’s better the next day.

Makes 14 servings.

Permalink to Classic Banana Bundt Cake | 16 comments so far

Today I am coming to you with a few random items and one delicious recipe:

I can hardly believe it is June. Farmer’s Market season has begun in the Midwest and we are now lucky enough to live a couple of blocks from our local market. Saturday mornings are now my favorite part of the week.

With summer quickly approaching, I put a call out for a special seasonal cocktail and boy did you deliver! So many excellent suggestions. All of them, really. Those comments will remain a good resource for anyone looking for a refreshing summer drink. We’re in the process of testing some of your recipes out and will be offering three finalists up for a vote later in the month. Soon, the official drink of summer will be crowned.  Can’t wait.

My love for Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain grows with every recipe I try. I made these rhubarb tarts a few weeks ago and they knocked my socks off. This is a special recipe and I encourage you to give it a try. Deb posted the recipe recently and her version looks great but I would stick with Boyce’s original rhubarb-hibiscus filling. The addition of hibiscus is genius and makes these preserves good for more than just tarts. To make it, add 6-8 dried hibiscus flowers in place of the vanilla and follow the rest of the instructions. At the end of cooling, remove the flowers, giving them a squeeze to get out as much liquid as possible.

I also tried a recipe for cornmeal cookies with dried blueberries that was equally incredible. Bryan says his favorite berry is the blueberry, which is sad since I bake with them so seldom.  In an effort to make up for that, I decided to bake these cookies for him. Warm from the oven, they are little pieces of heaven. A hearty crumb and sweet little flecks of blueberry. These would be great served warm with some vanilla or buttermilk ice cream. Bryan approved.

I’ve already raved about Kim Boyce’s book over on ReadyMade, but you don’t have to take my word for it. Lots of other great cooks are singing Boyce’s praises. It really is one exceptional cookbook.

A couple of notes about this recipe: These really are best the day they are made and are absolutely delicious in their first hour out of the oven. Don’t plan on making these in advance. This recipe can easily be cut in half if you don’t have enough people to eat 2 dozen cookies on the first day.

Cornmeal Blueberry Cookies (from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce)

Dry Mix:

• 2 cups corn flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely ground cornmeal (do not use medium or coarse grind!)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Wet Mix:

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 cup dried blueberries (unsweetened or lightly sweetened)

Finish:

• 1/2 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rub two baking sheets with butter.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, pouring back into the bowl any bits of grain or other ingredients that may remain in the sifter, and set aside.

Add the butter and the brown sugar to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix until the butter and sugar are combined, then increase the mixer speed to medium and cream for 2 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is combined. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and blend on low speed until the flour is barley combined, about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the milk and the blueberries. Slowly mix until the dough is evenly combined.

Pour the finishing sugar into a bowl. Scoop mounds of dough, each about 3 tablespoons in size, form them into balls and set them on a plate. Dip each ball into the sugar, coating it lightly. Arrange the balls on the baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between them. The balls of dough that don’t fit on this round of baking can be dipped in the sugar and chilled.

Bake the cookies for 20 to 22 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. The cookies will puff up and crack at the tops and are ready to come out when the sugar crust is golden brown and the cracks are still faintly yellow.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

These cookies are best eaten warm from the oven or later that same day. They’ll keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Permalink to Catching Up and Cornmeal Blueberry Cookies | 20 comments so far

Above, our liquor cabinet. It is ready for summer.

Summer is quickly approaching and before we know it we’ll be wearing less clothing and complaining about the heat instead of the cold. I want to make sure we are ready for it by finding an appropriate (or inappropriate!) cocktail to sooth ourselves with all summer long. Last year we had a couple of contenders and my friend Katie served as judge. This year I am turning to you, dear readers, for help. I need ideas for refreshing summer cocktails. Think: fresh fruit, herbs, and infused simple syrups! You know my style, seasonal, local, beautiful! Extra points for original creations, so all of you mixologists should start inventing now. No recipe too simple or too complicated! Post recipes in the comments below or feel free to email me (tim at lottieanddoof.com) with ideas. All ideas should be submitted by June 1st. I’ll narrow it down to 3 finalists and then we can all decide on the cocktail that will help us survive the long, hot, (and fun) summer ahead of us.

Skoal!

Permalink to Wanted: A Few Good Drinks | 48 comments so far

It is remarkable how my diet changes with the seasons. The things I am interested in eating, the amount of food and even the preparation. We had a few days of warm weather last month and I instantly adopted a summer palate. I was interested in salads and simple meals. I also wanted bright, refreshing things to drink.
At a recent dinner at Longman & Eagle I had a whiskey drink with ginger beer that was pretty outstanding and got me wondering about ginger beer. I’ve heard it used to describe a variety of beverages, some containing alcohol, some not, some carbonated, some not. A little internet research seems to confirm that the term is applied to a range of liquids and the only common component is, well, ginger. I was interested in a non-alcoholic version that I could use as a mixer with soda or something a little stronger and  decided to give making my own ginger beer a go.

You’ll need a lot of ginger. Two and a half pounds of it, to be precise.  I was worried that I wouldn’t even be able to find that much ginger in one place, but by some amazing stroke of luck I came across this gorgeous piece of ginger that fit the bill. The ginger, some sugar and some lime juice make their way into a pitcher and chill in the fridge.

Man, this is some strong ginger beer. I couldn’t tolerate it on its own but I really loved it with soda and lots of ice. It mellowed out and was exactly the type of refresher I was looking for. It also plays very well in cocktails, so if you’ve been craving a Dark & Stormy, this is for you. Santé!

Jamaican Ginger Beer (from jam it, pickle it, cure it by Karen Solomon)

• 2 1/2 pounds fresh ginger, roughly peeled
• 4 cups water, divided
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from 8 to 10 limes)
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups of sugar

In a blender or food processor, liquefy the ginger and 2 cups of  the water for 3 minutes, then strain the juice into a large bowl or pitcher. Transfer the ginger pulp back to to the blender or food processor, add another cup of the water, and liquefy again. Strain again, adding the liquid to the first batch. Again transfer the pulp along with another cup of water, liquefy again, and add to the liquid. Press on the solids as much as possible to squeeze out as much of the juice as you can.

Once the ginger has given up all that it’s got, discard the mashed solids. Add the lime juice and 2 1/2 cups of the sugar. Mix well and taste. Add more sugar, a little at a time, until it reaches your preferred sweetness.

Refrigerate up to 3 weeks. Shake before serving.

Makes about 8 cups.

Permalink to Ginger Beer | 24 comments so far

Yes, the name of this recipe made me laugh too. The taste, however, is not funny. It is buttery and delicious and an excellent way to use the other half of the dough from the kuchen. After the many steps that go into making that masterpiece, this simple preparation will seem easy and breezy, but no less satisfying.

This  is essentially a crumb coffee cake, which is lovely dusted with powdered sugar and served warm. This will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.

Crumb Buns (recipe from Great Coffeecakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More by  Carole Walter)

• 1/2 recipes simple sweet (HERE)
• 1 recipe streusel (HERE)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon of water, for egg wash
• confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

Remove the dough from the refrigerator 1-1 1/2 hours before shaping.

Generously butter an 8 x 8 x2 inch square pan. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough gently 6 to 8 times, or until smooth, then pat it into a square. Using a dough scraper or a sharp knife, divide the dough evenly into 9 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a ball.

Arrange the balls of dough in the pan, placing three pieces across and three pieces down. Be sure to space them evenly. Flatten the balls slightly until they are about 3/4-inch apart, they do not need to touch. Cover the pan with a tea towel and set in warmish place to rise for 45 minutes, or until the balls begin to touch each other.

Fifteen minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Gently brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the dough. Press the streusel lightly into the dough. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the streusel is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

And Walter’s book includes many more ideas for what to do with the other half of the dough, like these wonderful cinnamon walnut rolls:

Permalink to Crumb Buns (LOL) | 10 comments so far

I don’t know Carole Walter, but I love Carole Walter. She is a woman after my own heart. She is an incredibly accomplished baker, teacher and cookbook author and judging from her author photo, a very sweet lady. But the books are what I want to talk to you about today. Specifically, Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins and More, her encyclopedia-like cookbook dedicated to these pastries. An entire cookbook about coffee cake, people! You know how I feel about coffee cake! Walter’s books are wonderful resources for anyone interested in baking and I encourage you all to seek out her recipes.

This Sour Cherry Kuchen is a good example of her brilliance. A sweet yeasted crust is filled with pastry cream and sour cherries and then topped with a crunchy streusel. Seriously. If you enjoy this blog and think we have similar taste in sweets, you need to find a copy of this book and start baking. Or simply start here, with this cake, because it doesn’t get much better than this.

This beaut takes some doing. But don’t let the long list of instruction below turn you off, each step is simple and works well, but you do need to devote some time to pulling it all together. Keep in mind that the dough needs to sit in the refrigerator overnight. I found the Morello cherries called for in the recipe at Trader Joe’s. You’ll notice that the kuchen only uses half of the dough. I’ll have some ideas for what to do with the other half of the dough shortly.

Sour Cherry Kuchen (by Carole Walter)

• 1/2 recipe Simple Sweet Dough (see below)
• 1  recipe Simple Streusel (see below)

Cherry Filling

• 1 (24-oz) jar pitted dark Morello cherries in light syrup (about 2 1/2 cups), well drained, juice reserved
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Pastry Cream

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Remove the dough from the refrigerator 1 to 1 1/2 hours before shaping.

In a medium saucepan, combine 2/3 cup of the reserved cherry juice, the cornstarch, and sugar, stirring until no lumps remain. place the pan over medium-low heat. Allow the liquid to come to a boil, stirring gently until the mixture is very thick. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, almond extract, and butter. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the drained cherries. Set aside until ready to use.

Place the cornstarch in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup of the milk and mix until smooth. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the egg yolks. Set aside.

In a two-quart saucepan, heat the remaining 3/4 cup milk and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir until blended. On low heat, bring the mixture to a slow boil. Stir one-third of the hot milk/sugar mixture into the egg mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and stir with a whisk to combine. Return the pan to medium-low and bring it to a full boil, whisking rapidly and constantly until pastry cream is thick and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the softened butter and vanilla. Do not overmix. Cover the pastry cream with buttered plastic wrap and set aside until ready to use.

Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan and set aside. On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough a few times and shape it into a flat disk. With lightly floured hands, press the dough into the prepared pan, stretching it to completely cover the bottom.  Push the dough up against the sides of the pan, forcing it up to form a wall 1/4-inch thick and 3/4-inch high. Be sure to press it well into the crease of the pan. If the dough becomes too elastic, let it rest for a few minutes. Prick the surface of the dough ten to twelve times with a fork. Cover the pan with a tea towel and set in a warmish place to rise until puffy but not doubled, 25 to 30 minutes.  While the dough is rising, prepare the streusel.

Fifteen minutes before baking, position the rack in teh lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F. Redefine the lip of the dough with your thumb and gently depress the center with your hand.

Leaving a 3/4-inch rim of dough exposed, drop dollops of the tepid pastry cream around the edges of the pan, Using an offset spatula, bring the pastry cream into the center, smoothing the surface, as best you can.

Top the pastry cream with the cherry filling in one layer. Sprinkle the streusel over the cherries, pressing it gently into the surface. Place the pan on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and wrap the pan with the foil to catch any spills.

Bake the kuchen for 45 to 50 minutes, or until it begins to release from the side of the pan and the streusel is golden brown.

Remove the kuchen from the oven and let it stand on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Release and remove the sides of the pans and allow to cool completely.

Store in the fridge, tightly wrapped in aluminum foil for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving in a 325°F oven for 2-25 minutes, or until slightly warm.

Simple Sweet Dough (by Carole Walter)

• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup warm water (110°-115°F)
• 1 package dry active yeast
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, plus 1 teaspoon soft butter for brushing top of dough
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Rinse a small bowl in hot water to warm it. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the warm water to the bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Do not stir. Cover the bowl with a saucer and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes. Stir it briefly with a fork, cover again, and let it stand for 2 to 3 minutes more, or until bubbly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix on low speed the 3 cups of flour, remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, and the salt. Add the slightly firm cubed butter and continue to mix until meal-sized crumbs form, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on upon the temperature of the butter. Stop the mixer.

Using a fork, in a separate bowl, mix the milk, egg yolks, and vanilla. Add the milk mixture to the flour, along with the dissolved yeast, and mix on low speed for about 15 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix on low speed for another 30 seconds, or until a smooth dough is formed. this is a soft dough.

Lightly butter a medium bowl for storing the dough. Empty the dough into the prepared bowl, smoothing the top with lightly floured hands. Spread a thin layer of softened butter over the top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Simple Streusel (by Carole Walter)

• 6 to 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Place the butter in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat until almost melted; remove from heat and cool to tepid.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter and stir with a fork until blended and mixture begins to form crumbs. Gently squeeze the mixture with your hand to form larger clumps, then break them apart with your fingers.  Before using, let the streusel stand for 10 to 15 minutes.

Permalink to Sour Cherry Kuchen | 32 comments so far

A tiny little post and a final recipe from Bryan’s party. Something to do with all of the pecans that don’t make it into your Maple Pecan Pie. These spiced nuts are super tasty, easy to make and keep well. Enjoy! Next week: one really amazing kuchen…

Spiced Pecans (adapted from recipes by Ina Garten and Frank Stitt)

• 4 cups pecan halves
• 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste, I do more)
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 heaping tablespoon very finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Permalink to Spiced Pecans | 8 comments so far