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Topic: Plantain Curry by zen
Plantain curry
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on November 25, 2013 at 10:18 amThis is an Indian curry that calls for green plantains. Buy them green as grass and use them before they ripen! Plantains are large bananas that are very hard and starchy when green. They are used very similarly to potatoes. They are very sweet when ripe and are then used for cooked desserts. They are not eaten raw as the more familiar (to us) sweet bananas are.
Yield: 4 servings
3 green plantains - use before they ripen for this recipe
one small onion
1 T ginger paste OR 4 cloves garlic
Popu/tadka:
1/8 tsp ajwain seed (optional)
2 tsp cumin seed
2 tsp whole black/brown mustard seed
1 tsp split chana dal (optional)
2 tsp split urad dal (optional)
2 T good quality cooking oil such as peanut or canola, etc.
Dry spices:
1 tsp coriander powder - roast seeds and grind if possible
1 tsp cumin powder - roast seeds and grind if possible
1 tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp ground red chili (NOT chili powder like you use in Mexican dishes)
12-15 fresh curry leaves if possible; if not, try to find curry leaf podhi and use about 2 tsp of that
2 T ghee (browned butter)
Salt to tasteSee the instructions for how to roast and grind your own spices - the cumin and coriander called for in this dish will be worlds better if you grind your own.
Cut the plantains into thirds lengthwise. I leave the skins on but if they are sufficiently green, you can probably cook them without the skins. If they are overripe, you don't want to use them for this type of dish anyway - make something sweet instead!
Put in a pot with plenty of water and bring to a boil. Leave at a simmer for 12-15 minutes - when done you can pierce them easily with a fork, similar to potatoes.
Drain and set aside to cool a bit so you can handle them. Peel and cube; set aside.
A popu (Telegu word) or tadka (which I think is the Hindi term) is a mixture of spices fried in oil. Frying the spices in oil releases their volatile flavor components into the oil, where they are retained and transferred more efficiently to the rest of the dish. To make a popu, have all your spices for the popu measured out SEPARATELY. I use small 1.5 oz metal sauce cups to hold my popu spices. You need to have them premeasured and ready to go because the popu progresses rapidly and if you have to stop and measure something it will burn. Also have the curry leaves (if you have them) set aside on a small plate or in a small bowl so they're ready to dump in.
1. Bring the oil to a medium high heat. Knowing how hot the oil should be requires a bit of experience - it's hot enough when the spices fry but do not burn.
2. If you are using the dals, first drop in the chana dal and let it fry until it just begins to brown.
3. Now drop in the urad dal. Let it fry for about 30 secs - if it begins to brown in that time, your oil is too hot.
4. Add the cumin seeds.
5. After about 30 secs, add the mustard seeds. They should begin to pop in about 30 to 60 seconds - if they don't your oil is too cool.
6. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the curry leaves and the ajwain seed if you are using it, and stir well.
7. After about 30 secs, add your onions and garlic or ginger if you are using it. Stir well.
8. Reduce the heat slightly.
9. Now add the remaining spices, one at a time, with about 30-45 seconds between each addition. Really its not all that finely tuned, basically some of the spices take a bit more cooking to get rid of the raw taste.
10. Starting with the turmeric
11. then the ground red chili
12. then the ground coriander
13. then the ground cumin.
14. Add the curry leaf podhi, if you are using it, last of all.
15. By this time most of the oil you used will already be "soaked up" by the spices you've been frying. Add about 2 T of ghee to make up for that (plus ghee has a flavor of its own)
16. Add the cubed plantain and stir thoroughly to coat with the spice mixture
17. Add about 1/4 cup of water and salt to taste (1 tsp give or take) and cook with the lid on over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
18. Remove the lid and fry until the water has dissipated and the plantain is browned.
19. Serve with rice
comments
Submitted by 4paws2go on Thu, 2013-11-28 12:48.
Oh, YEAH! Thank you for posting this...I adore plantains, always have. This sounds out of this world delicious.
.And!!!!!, I have my very own curry leaf tree, ready for picking. I am ALL SET!
Indian food makes me happy!
Laura ;0)))))))Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Fri, 2013-11-29 13:51.
*soooooo jealous* (of your own curry leaf plant!!!)Topic: Pizza Sauce by zen
Pizza Sauce Recipe
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on March 03, 2011 at 4:04 amSource: from a thread in the general forum
28 oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes drained (liquid discarded)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepperPuree all ingredients in a blender.
Use straight from blender to pizza.
Topic: Zen’s Pie Crust Mix by zen
Pie Crust Mix
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on March 18, 2011 at 12:39 amPerfect Pie Pastry Premix - a make-ahead mix for pie crust that you can store in the refrigerator
Yield: 8 cups
Source: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/4773536 cups (27.6 oz., 782.5g) all purpose flour
1 T salt
2 and 1/3 cups (16 oz., 453g) shortening (reduced .3 oz., 10 g)
OR (18.7 oz., 529g) butter or lardNOTE: Use shortening, butter, butter-flavored Crisco, lard, or half and half of any of these, too taste. I've typically made it with all shortening.
Whisk the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
Cut in half of the shortening with a pastry blender. Aim for large, course chunks at this point - if you end up with evenly pea-sized chunks you overdid it.
Cut in the remaining shortening. Crumb size will be uneven, which is fine, that's what we want. Place in airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Some people even store it in the freezer. You will get enough crust mixture for several pies.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE A MIX OF BUTTER AND SHORTENING - make sure you cut the butter in FIRST, as it is much MUCH harder than the shortening and will be harder to cut in. If you do the shortening first, it will be smeared out of existence by the time you get the butter cut in.
I have successfully stored this for several months in the refrigerator in a gallon size FREEZER ZipLoc bag.
TO USE: 2T of ice cold water to 1 c (143g, 5 oz.) of the mix. Add water a little at a time - it may take a bit more, it may take a bit less.
Stir gently and quickly. Dough should be soft and not dry. Add a little more flour if too wet, or a little more water if dry.
Form the dough into a flattened disc (or 2 discs if doing a double crust) and put in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling and preheat the oven. I used to say "ball" here because it's a habit of thinking of it that way after 45 years of always doing it that way because the first cookbook I ever read said that. However, think about it - you're going to roll it out into a round disc - it makes FAR better sense to start from a disc shape!
The original directions suggested using 1.25 c for a single 9" pie crust, 2 c for a double 9" pie crust, and 4 c for a double 10" deep dish pie.
However, in my experience, a minimum of 1.5c is needed for a single 9" crust, and this gave me a thin crust without enough body to be able to do any sort of decorative edge whatsoever. 2c of the mix was not enough for a properly done lattice top, either.
My current recommendation is 2c (286g, 10 oz.) for a single 9" pie crust, 3 c (429g, 15 oz.) for a lattice crust, and 3.5c (500g, 20 oz.) for a double crust (9"). I'll update this as I actually make the pies using these amounts.
comments
Submitted by zeebaneighba on Wed, 2011-05-11 13:38.
Thank you for posting this recipe/link from Chowhound plus your suggestions! I'm really pie-crust challenged; I have good results with the KAF recipes, but their drawback is that it is time-consuming to chill the crusts, etc. I love how they taste, but I've been looking for a recipe that would still taste good yet help in terms of time.
I made this mix about three weeks ago and so far, I've used it for a double-crust 9" fruit pie and a blind-baked 9" crust for a lemon meringue pie. The corrected measurements you posted have worked well for me. I used butter-flavored Crisco; I know that sounds vile, but I do like the taste and the color it gave the crusts. Regular Crisco certainly would be good, too.
As noted, this crust does have a nice flavor and because everything is already chilled including the ice water, it truly does stay flaky and tender. Also, it's easy to roll out and handle (my biggest trouble when using other recipes!) In particular, I love the fact that I don't have to worry about how the crust will turn out! I can decide to make a pie practically on the spur of the moment, focus upon the filling, and know that the crust will indeed be flaky, brown well, and compliment the filling.
Thank you again!Submitted by pjh on Wed, 2011-06-15 08:59.
I've never done a ready-mix and stored in the fridge or freezer - duh, why not?! I'm definitely trying this - should be perfect for summer fruit pies, and around Thanksgiving... Thanks!Submitted by zeebaneighba on Fri, 2011-06-17 15:21.
PJ, so glad you commented here! I definitely recommend this recipe. I just made another batch and have it in the fridge for a quick and easy peach cobbler tomorrow. As noted, I really do love the KAF pie crust recipes for excellent taste and handling. You can't beat the butter/shortening combo. However, this recipe is a perfectly good one and it's great to be able to do a pie or cobbler on the spur of the moment. The taste reminds me of my grandmother's pie crusts; really brings back good memories.
And also as noted, absolutely use ZenSojourner's recommendations for the measurements. Experienced pie crust bakers could probably get by with the lesser amounts, but I need the extra measures to do a decent fluting around the edge.
(Yeah, I'm still using the butter-flavored Crisco...! At least it's supposed to be low/practically free of trans fats.)Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Fri, 2011-06-17 23:23.
There's no reason why this technique couldn't be applied to any of your favorite pie crust recipes - it's the technique that makes a difference, not so much the recipe. You would just add up the total amount of dry ingredients and fat and use that amount of dry mix mixed with the recommended amount of water when you're ready to use it later. So for example, this one:http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/our-favorite-pie-crust-recipe-recipe
I would quadruple the recipe (multiply all ingredients by four) and mix together all the dry ingredients, then cut in the fat. DO NOT ADD ANY LIQUID AT THIS TIME. Then put it away in the heavy Ziploc or other airtight container until you want it. (Freezer ziploc's only because the lighter bags will allow the flour to pick up flavors from the fridge).
Then when you're ready to make the crust, add up all the dry ingredients in the single recipe and measure that out (you can ignore the little T and tsp of extra dry ingredients like baking powder and the like), then mix the cider vinegar with the lower amount of recommended water, then add water as necessary to get the right consistency - just like if you'd stood there and just now cut the fats into the flour.
That recipe uses about 2 c of fat/flour mix to 1 tsp of vinegar and 3 to 5 T of ice water for a single crust pie. (Just put the vinegar in the lowest suggested amount of water and mix up, then bring the dough up to the right consistency with plain water)
So I'd start off measuring out that much of the mix for a single crust, double that amount for a double crust, and 1.5 times that amount for a lattice crust. Adjust according to your own ways of making pie crust, as you would if you were making one recipe up at a time.
There's nothing sacred about the particular recipe above - it's the way it's made in advance that's the key. Just make up your dry ingredients and fats in advance and keep out all liquids until you're ready to actually make the crust.
Submitted by rockyroadfarms on Sat, 2011-07-09 08:18.
Thank you for posting this! I'm pie crust challenged and the explanation is a huge help. I definitely over work the fat business.And there ain't anything wrong with butter flavored Crisco! It's the secret ingredient in some of my most requested cookies. If they only knew. Hehe!
MaryAnnSubmitted by aaronatthedoublef on Wed, 2011-10-12 09:27.
This is excellent and PERFECT timing. I just came on to post a question asking if anyone does this.
Thank you so much.Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Wed, 2011-10-12 13:54.
Well I do it all the time, but then it's my recipe, LOL!
Probably it would be better to ask that question on the forums.Submitted by Weezer on Wed, 2011-12-14 23:24.
I am going to try my hand at making the KAF piecrust. I have a 10" ceramic pie plate, so how large should I roll the crust to fit the pan? I noticed in one of these posts, she freezes the crust for one hr. before baking, wouldn't doing that with my ceramic pan cause it to crack when I put it in the hot oven??? Don't want to cause my pan to crack up, I've had it a very long time.Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Thu, 2011-12-15 23:38.
I go for about 3" bigger than the target pan, so I'd roll that bottom crust out about 13" (roughly). Top crust, about 1" bigger than the diameter at the top of the plate. That's for a normal 1.5" to 2" deep pie plate - if it's a deep-dish plate, adjust accordingly.I've seen that sort of suggestion re refrigerating the pie dough in the pie plate but I don't think this is either necessary nor desirable. Like you, I'm pretty sure thermal shock would be an issue. I leave the dough wrapped well in the fridge until the filling is ready to go in, only then do I take it out and roll it out, then immediately fill it, top it, bake it. Unless its 100F in your kitchen it shouldn't have time to warm up any appreciable amount. The whole reason for chilling the dough is to keep the fat solidified WHILE YOU ARE HANDLING IT so the crust will be flaky. Once you've rolled it out and put it in the pan, there is no further benefit to be had from chilling (as long as it's going directly into the oven).
Just make sure your filling is no more than room temp so it doesn't melt the shortening (or butter or lard, whatever you are using), have everything laid out and ready to go, and you should be good. I bake in Pyrex plates exclusively and have never had an incident of thermal shock, but I don't chill the plate itself. I let the pie bake about 10 or 15 minutes in the oven and move it down onto my baking stone after that to help the bottom crust brown up faster (and avoid thermal shock). Since I started using the chilled crust mix all my pie crusts are extremely flaky and tender. I don't see how there could be any possible advantage to chilling the dough in the pan, all things considered, and this works very well for me.
Herbes de Provence
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on June 09, 2015 at 2:18 amAn easy way to make your own
Equal parts dried herbs:
Rosemary
Thyme
Basil
Oregano
Marjoram
Leaf savory
Fennel seed
OPTIONAL
French Tarragon
Italian parsleyNOTE: Many commercial variations of herbes de provence include lavender, but this ingredient was not originally part of the mixture. It may have been added for the tourist trade, according to one source. Personally I don't care for lavender, but YMMV. Add it if you like it.
Cracked rosemary is preferable. If you have whole rosemary, simply cover with a lint-free cloth or tea towel and roll over it several times with a rolling pin to break it up; or give it a quick whirl in a spice grinder - a QUICK whirl, so it doesn't get TOO broken up or turned into powder.
Blend together until all ingredients are well-dispersed. Store in an airtight jar or canister, such as a mason jar (jelly jar) or repurposed glass jar from the grocery store.
comments
Submitted by dachshundlady on Tue, 2015-06-09 15:38.
To what can savory be compared?Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Wed, 2015-06-10 02:51.
I'm not really sure - I think it's just pretty much itself, like rosemary is pretty much itself.
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I've only ever seen "summer savory" before, which is usually labeled "rubbed summer savory", and I've not used that in literally decades. I think its an ingredient in poultry seasoning as well. My guess is that this is indeed "summer savory" as apparently there is a "winter savory", which is apparently somewhat bitter. I can't imagine Penzey's packaging that without specifying it on the label!
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I recall using it (summer savory) in chicken dishes. It might have been an ingredient in the stuffing I used to make - since I actually have that cookbook, let me go check: Hmmm, well, apparently only indirectly, as part of "poultry seasoning". But I remember having changed that recipe quite a bit - so I am pretty sure I had dispensed with the "poultry seasoning" and was using parsley, sage, savory, rosemary, and thyme instead. I might have been using celery leaf as well - yes, I'm sure I was - fresh celery leaf though, not the ground up stuff. Anyway.
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According to the intertubes, it is used in Bulgarian (!) cooking, and apparently some Italian dishes, mostly as seasoning for bean dishes - and by that they apparently mean FRESH beans and not dried beans.
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Also according to the intertubes, it supposedly has a flavor similar to thyme - but you know what, every single time I'm told some herb or spice "tastes like" or is "similar to" some other herb or spice, it really only tastes like itself. I guess I just don't have an active enough imagination to come up with those types of comparisons - EVERYTHING really only tastes like itself to me, in the spice-and-herb world.
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Well, and as it turns out, though they most often compare the flavor to thyme, savory is actually related to rosemary. Go figure!
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Here are 2 articles about savory:
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A history of savory + one recipe (using fresh summer savory)
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Everything you wanted to know about summer savory, and then some
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Hope that helps!Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Wed, 2015-06-10 02:54. Dang, can't fix comments! Here's an actually clickable link for that second article - I hope.
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Everything you wanted to know about summer savory, and then some
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Also, its SAGE that I think usually gets packaged by the common commercial producers as "rubbed" - though I've seen the term used with savory as well. I actually don't know what that means ... more to go look up, LOL!Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Wed, 2015-06-10 02:59.
HAH! "Rubbed" is basically a coarse grind - supposedly mimics what you would get if you had the dried leaf in your hands and "rubbed" it between your fingers to crumble it up. Oddly, the "rubbed" sage I remember getting in the McCormicks et al tin cans was not crumbled, but finely ground anyway. So it probably means nothing at all in the world of commercial mass-marketed spices, LOL!Foster's Best Crumb Topping
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on September 10, 2012 at 7:35 am1:2:2 ratio sugar:fat:flour
This is less sweet compared to Streusel #1 which is 1:1:1.3 ratio
Have not yet tried this but plan to - will update. This was retrieved from the Old Baking Circle (OBC) by elsa, originally attributed to MrsM and apparently posted on the OBC by Knead2Quilt. It was titled Foster's Crumb Topping - I don't know if that was a person, a bakery, a restaurant, or what, but here it is for your possible pie pleasure.
The whole Potential Pie Perfection Package:
First, the foundation of all pies, THE CRUST aka Perfect Pie Pastry Premix
Then, the center of it all, the apple pie filling aka Apple AmbrosiaAnd now the Parade Of Streusels
Streusel #1 - Sweet, Sweet Streusel
Streusel #2 - Foster's Best Crumb Topping
Streusel #3 - Big-Frank's Beautiful Balanced Bakery Betopping Bits, AKA Professor-Frank's Pulchritudinous Pulverulence for Proper Pastry and Pie Peaks
Yield: 1 9-inch pie7 oz. (about 200g or 1 2/3 to 1 3/4 c) bleached AP flour
3 3/4 oz. (106 g, about 1/2c) light brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
8 2/3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/16 t saltCombine dry ingredients to blend well.
Add melted butter and stir with a fork until no more dry flour mixture remains.
Set aside for 20 minutes. DO NOT skip the rest period or the crumbs will be greasy.
This is enough for an 8 x 8 pan. (This is about the same as a 9" pie)
Because it says BLEACHED AP, I assume the originator means bleached with CHLORINE, which would perhaps imply the original recipe is either very old, say 40 or 50 years, back when most AP flour was still bleached via chlorination, or they intended the recipe for a southern style flour like White Lily.
This still doesn't match Frank's suggested ratio of 1:1:2 sugar:fat:flour ratio, but it may be the method that is the limiting factor here (e.g.--the melted butter, so you can just stir everything together). Very roughly, it's 1:2:2.Fiori di Sicilia substitute
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on June 09, 2015 at 2:54 amFiori di Sicilia substitute
Rose water
Orange extract OR orange zest OR sub some orange juice for some of the liquid
Vanilla
2:2:1 rose water, orange extract, and vanillaAlso try 1:1:1 or 1:2:1 - it just depends on what you decide you like.
comments
Submitted by omaria on Tue, 2015-06-09 21:06.
Hi girl, thanks for this recipe . I won't need it for a while, because I have an unopened 4 oz. bottle still. But it is good to know. I might just make a little bit because I do have rose waterSubmitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Wed, 2015-06-10 03:04.
Hey, Ria! Give it a try. It won't taste exactly like the Fiori di Sicilia, but this is what I was told was used by someone's Italian baker grandad when he was making biscotti in the 40's and 50's.
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I've also been told that orange blossom extract or essence or "water" (edible of course) is a good ingredient for a faux F di S, and I have seen that in some Mediterranean/Lebanese type grocers, or places that carry ingredients from those areas. Hopefully I can remember to pick that up next time I see it.Submitted by omaria on Wed, 2015-06-10 15:49.
Well, what do you know...... I have orange blossom water also!Submitted by 4paws2go on Wed, 2015-06-10 20:03.
A friend who'd visited Italy sent me a teensy vial of the 'Millefiori' essence, which he said a bakery there used for their pantone...it's remarkably similar to the Fiori di Sicilia...the rosewater, orange flower water, a bit of vanilla, AND a drop of jasmine (I get this from an Indian grocer, or a Middle Eastern grocer), put me pretty much on target.Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Mon, 2015-06-29 13:44.
You mean a jasmine essential oil? (Edible that would have to be)
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Or some sort of "jasmine water"? I can't recall seeing this in an Indian grocery, but I may have passed it up as being something I had no idea of what use I could put it to. Could you describe the jasmine as an ingredient a bit more?
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I think the orange [blossom or orange flower water] is probably a better ingredient than the orange extract etc., but I imagine the Italian grandad was substituting what he COULD lay hands on for actual orange blossom essence/water, which would have been virtual unobtanium Back In The Day in most of the US. It's not that easy to find it now.Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Mon, 2015-06-29 19:49.
Darn I meant orange blossom or orange flower "water" - not orange water! Dang not being able to make corrections to these comments, LOL!Submitted by 4paws2go on Sat, 2015-07-04 08:35.
I go to Roanoke, pretty frequently, to visit my son/grandchildren...there are a large number of ethnic grocers (YAY!!!) that are along one of the main drags, so I stop at ALL of them. I'll find my teensy bottle of jasmine essence. I think I found that in S. Florida, at a HUMONGOUS Indian grocer's)...it was in with their supply of flavorings. Another huge favorite of mine, is kewra essence. All that stuff makes me SWOON...lol, rosewater, orange flower water...Years ago, I used to make my own rose oil, and or distill rosewater. I enjoy growing 'antique'/heirloom roses, and have several damask varieties. I swoon a lot!
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Submitted by 4paws2go on Sat, 2015-07-04 09:14.
Me, again! It's available, online...I trust these folks. https://www.silvercloudestates.com/
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They have nearly every flavoring you could ever dream of!
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LauraEllen's Home Made Dough Relaxer
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on November 04, 2011 at 1:19 pma recipe for dough relaxer you can make at home
Yield: 2 Cups
Source: http://www.ellenskitchen.com/recipebox/breadbuilder.html3 T powdered ascorbic acid
2 T double-acting baking powder
2 T cream of tartar
1 C non-instant powdered buttermilk OR
high-heat treated non-fat dry milk
1/2 C diastatic malt powderPlace all ingredients in a DRY blender, cover and blend until completely mixed. Package airtight in a ziplock or jar that you can measure from. Use 1-2 tablespoons per loaf, or a bit more if the recipe is made with bread flour.
Dough relaxer is popular for pizza crust, focaccia, etc. It acts by slightly disabling the gluten protein in the wheat. It is not recommended for yeast doughs made completely with whole wheat or other whole grain flours, or breads baked in a bread machine. If you are using a bread machine, you will get the best results by programming for MANUAL or DOUGH cycle, removing the dough after the final rise, shaping and baking it out of the machine. Dough with the Relaxer tends to overrise and then sink when baked in the machine's tall pan. The result is a sunken loaf.
Yeasted doughs will rise at a slower rate when made with Relaxer. They will have a big "oven spring" (the amount of rise the bread has just as it begins to bake). Take the oven spring into consideration and don't be tempted to allow the dough to over rise before baking.
The homemade dough relaxer is made from four all natural ingredients.
High heat process non-fat dry milk (this is NOT the same as the powdered milk sold in the grocery store) tenderizes the dough, gives it a rich, soft crumb, makes it easy to roll and adds a calcium boost.
Non-instant powdered buttermilk has similar effects, along with providing an extra boost in the area of acidity to help the rise.
Diastatic malt (made by slowly roasting barley over low heat) is a natural amylase - an enzyme that helps convert some of the starch in the flour into sugar, which is the food yeast likes the best. These enzymes become inactive as soon as the bread goes in the oven.
Cream of tartar - provides acidity to make the dough slightly acidic to activate the yeast. Non-instant buttermilk also helps with this, if you use it.
The very small amount of baking powder helps the bread to rise by reacting with the acids. Commercial relaxers also have powdered L-cysteine to tenderize even further.
comments
Submitted by sofia100 on Fri, 2012-01-13 20:03.
ZenSojourner: any suggestions for replacing the dairy product?Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Sat, 2012-01-14 09:59.
Nope. Just leave it out. And adjust the quantity WAY down. Probably it would be better to look for a different dough enhancer given the quantity of the buttermilk powder called for in this version.Submitted by --jej on Thu, 2012-01-19 22:06.
Is the SACO brand powdered buttermilk okay to use here?
Also, you write "Diastatic malt (made by slowly roasting barley over low heat) is a natural amylase - an enzyme..." Are you suggesting here that you make your own diastatic malt by roasting barley yourself? Thanks...Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Thu, 2012-01-19 22:24.
Nope, I copied all that from the website listed at the top. She's just talking about how diastatic malt is made.
At the time that I posted the recipe people were asking for dough RELAXER (vs enhancer) recipes and this was one I had bookmarked. If you read her description, which I copied from her website, she also talks about heat treated powdered milk in the blurb, but calls for buttermilk powder in the recipe itself.
I actually hadn't noticed that until the other day. I'm not sure whether the buttermilk part is in error, or the part where she talks about heat treated powdered milk. Guess I'd better go back to the source, LOL!Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Sun, 2012-02-05 15:24.
OK, I got the answer, and it is, either will do, but you get more of the acid-action from the powdered buttermilk. So yes, the Saco is fine.Topic: Sugar cookies by zen
Cookies - Sugar cookies
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on January 13, 2015 at 5:19 pm"Vanilla rolled cookies" from Woman's Home Companion Cook Book, 1942. These did not work out for me as a rolled cookie, the dough comes out too soft. I suspect changes in commercial flour over the past 70 years are at the root of that.
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However they have worked very well as a sugar cookie. These cookies seem to taste better as they age - this may vary if you live in an area with higher humidity than we have here in the High Sierras desert regions.Yield: 36 cookies
Source: Woman's Home Companion Cook Book, 19423.5 c flour, sifted before measuring
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c shortening - I used butter
1.5 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, well-beaten
1.5 tsp vanilla (I actually used 2 tsp of vanilla)Instructions in my own words so copyright is not violated:
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Sift flour into measuring cup and level, add baking powder and salt and sift again.
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Cream shortening (shortening is the term used in this cookbook for any of margarine, butter, or Crisco-type vegetable shortening - I used butter). Add sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy.
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Add well-beaten egg and vanilla and blend well.
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Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Mix well. Chill.
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Roll as thinly as possible on a lightly floured surface and cut with a cookie cutter. You may also form balls of dough, place them on a greased cookie sheet, and flatten with the floured bottom of a glass or measuring cup.
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NOTE - I found the dough to be much too soft to roll out. However now I wonder if I had chilled it enough, or at all, before trying to roll them out. I ended up pressing flat balls of dough as described above. The cookies did spread and came out very thin. Using modern vegetable shortening instead of butter would likely result in significantly less spreading, but the flavor would probably suffer.
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Sprinkle with sugar, chopped nuts, or coconut flakes.
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Bake @ 400F for 6 to 10 mins.
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According to the printed recipe, this should make 6 dozen (72) cookies - I didn't end up with nearly that many, for whatever reason.
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These cookies taste AWFUL the first day. I don't know why. In fact, at first taste, I was ready to toss them, only my thrifty Dutch soul wouldn't let me. I'm glad I resisted that first impulse, because they tasted much better the next day, and even better than that the day after that. By the time I finished off the last of them, they were the best sugar cookies I've ever had. Thin, crispy, and delicious. I think it took me the better part of a week and a half to work my way through them and they just got better and better every day.
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It is very dry here in the High Sierra desert region, so they may age differently in other areas where humidity is higher. It would seem, however, that these are not a fresh-out-of-the-oven sort of a cookie. They need to "age" a few days for better flavor.Cookies, Black & White
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on June 09, 2015 at 1:02 amI originally had bookmarked KAF's "official" recipe for this, but upon closer perusal discovered it is using the KAF AP flour - and then to top it off, a user review that noted the biscuit-like rather than cake-like texture garnered a snarky response from a KAF employee! SERIOUSLY! It uses practically-bread flour- of course the texture is off!
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SO - I went and found a recipe for Black & White cookies that uses the proper flour to start with. And here it is, from the Brown Eyed Baker (suitably reworded so as not to violate copyright).Yield: 24 cookies
Source: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/black-and-white-cookies-recipe/Cookies:
4 cups cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
1¾ cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon lemon extract
1 cup milkIcing:
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
⅓ cup water
¼ cup light corn syrup
5 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract1) Preheat oven to 375F
2) Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together.
3) Cream together butter and sugar on med speed or slightly higher in your mixer, until light and fluffy. Too much speed may cause the butter to melt and ruin the texture of the mixture, so don't turn the speed up too high.
4) Add eggs and the vanilla and lemon extracts and mix to incorporate.
5) Alternate adding flour and milk in thirds. BEB does this in 4 steps (quarters) for the flour and 3 (thirds) for the milk, but I just do both by thirds, YMMV. Mix just to incorporate - do not over beat! It will make the cookies tough.
6) Scoop about 2" apart onto a lined or greased cookie sheet. I use teflon oven film (Super Parchment or Pan Pal Pan liners); if you grease, use vegetable shortening rather than butter as the butter may tend to burn or crisp the bottoms of the cookies. BEB used a 1/4 cup scoop - I used the one I use for making pancakes (2 scoops = 1 pancake).
7) Flatten each cookie slightly to make a 2" to 2.5" circle.
8) Bake until the cookies set up and the edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
9) Remove pan from oven and let cool on the pan for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
ICINGS
1) Melt the chocolate CAREFULLY so it doesn't seize. I do this in a double boiler. BEB suggests doing it in the microwave, but this has never worked consistently for me. See her website (link provided above, under SUMMARY) for her directions for how to do this, but I can only melt chocolate in a double boiler if I don't want it to seize. You can also make a chocolate icing using cocoa powder instead, just look for a recipe for boiled chocolate icing to find one you like - then you won't have to worry about tempering bar chocolate.2) Bring water and corn syrup to a slow boil in a med saucepan; remove from heat.
3) Stir in vanilla
4) Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth.
5) Take 3/4c of this mixture and whisk into your tempered chocolate.
6) Spread 1/2 of each cookie with the vanilla icing - the icing should be liquid enough to dribble a bit if you tilt the cookie. She suggest doing this on a wire rack with wax paper underneath to catch any drips.
7) If the icing starts to get too stiff, stir in 1 tsp at a time of warm water until it thins back out some.
8) Go back and spread on the chocolate icing as above, watching the consistency.
9) If it gets too stiff, put the top part of the double boiler back on the bottom part and heat it up to re-melt the chocolate (or handle according to instructions if you chose an alternate recipe for the chocolate icing). If its still too thick, add 1 tsp of water at a time as above to thin it out.
10) Place back on a wire rack to set the icing for 1 hour.NOTE: If you bake an entire batch of these, that's a lot of wire racks needed to let the icing set up. I don't have that much wire-rack acreage, so I make 1/2 recipe. Besides - the 2 of us can't really eat 2 dozen cookies in a reasonable amount of time anyway, LOL!
Cooked Buttercream Frosting
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on March 03, 2011 at 4:34 amA cooked buttercream frosting which is actually the traditional frosting for a Red Velvet cake
Yield: Enough for one 2-layer cake2 T cornstarch
1 c milk
1 c butter or margarine
1 c sugar
2 tsp vanillaWhisk the cornstarch into the milk in a small saucepan. Over a low to medium heat, cook until it thickens, whisking continuously. It will set up pretty quickly. Let it cool COMPLETELY.
When the cornstarch mixture is cool (it will be pretty well set and gelatinous, don't worry that's how it's supposed to be), cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the vanilla, then beat in the cooked cornstarch mixture a little at a time. Beat beat, beat until it has the consistency of whipped cream. I beat it for 10 to 15 minutes with the whip in my KA mixer. I think it would be hard to overbeat it.
I usually make this using Parkay margarine. It makes a very rich, very light, very fluffy frosting. The flavor is very like a rich French vanilla ice cream.
If it is too rich, try using either butter flavored Crisco or half butter/margarine and half plain shortening.
Big-Frank's Beautiful Balanced Bakery Betopping Bits (streusel)
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on September 10, 2012 at 7:48 amThis recipe was provided by Frank of KAF and requires a different method (no melted butter) than Streusel #1, which was very sweet, and Streusel #2, which shouldn't be as sweet as #1 but still has a very high proportion of fat (1:2:2)
The whole Potential Pie Perfection Package:
First, the foundation of all pies, THE CRUST aka Perfect Pie Pastry Premix
Then, the center of it all, the apple pie filling aka Apple AmbrosiaAnd now the Parade Of Streusels
Streusel #1 - Sweet, Sweet Streusel
Streusel #2 - Foster's Best Crumb Topping
Streusel #3 - Big-Frank's Beautiful Balanced Bakery Betopping Bits, AKA Professor-Frank's Pulchritudinous Pulverulence for Proper Pastry and Pie PeaksSource: http://community.kingarthurflour.com/node/14987/53910#comment-53910
1 part Fat
1 part Sugar
2 part Flour
EG, by weight:
4 oz = 1/2 c = 113g Butter
4 oz = 1/2 c + 1 T = 100.5g Sugar
8 oz Flour = 2 c cake flour = 1 7/8c (1 3/4 c + 2 T) AP flour
(Cup measures courtesy of cwdesign)
1/2c butterFrom Frank's posting:
Here is the ratio for "All-Purpose" Streusel/Crumb Topping that I used to use in my hotel pastry shop days. You can vary the texture from "sandy" to super chunky" by how you handle the ingredients.
The size of the size/texture of the crumb is controlled by the duration of blending and the temperature of the fat.For a "dusty" topping use diced cold butter and a fairly short mixing time.
For a "classic crumble topping" use cubed cold butter and longer mixing time.
For "chunky/pebbles" use room temperature butter (take care when using room temp butter, the streusel can quickly pass "chunky/pebbles" and become "shortbread dough" if mixed too long).
Typically enrichments, like nuts or oats or spices, I add at the end of mixing, this keeps them from breaking down. And with nuts and spices in particular, it prevents them from darkening the color of the streusel during blending. Hope this helps. Frank @ KAF.
Baking soda solution for pretzels
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on April 30, 2011 at 3:41 amFrom cooking science expert Harold McGee, a method of modifying baking soda to get a better pretzel
Source: http://www.curiouscook.com/site/2010/09/achieving-a-distinct-flavor-with...Baking soda
Just spread a layer of soda on a foil-covered baking sheet and bake it at 250 to 300 degrees for an hour. You’ll lose about a third of the soda’s weight in water and carbon dioxide, but you gain a stronger alkali. Keep baked soda in a tightly sealed jar to prevent it from absorbing moisture from the air. And avoid touching or spilling it. It’s not lye, but it’s strong enough to irritate.Baked soda is also strong enough to make a good lye substitute for pretzels. In order to get that distinctive flavor and deep brown color, pretzel makers briefly dunk the shaped pieces of raw dough in a lye solution before baking them. Many home recipes replace the lye with baking soda, but the results taste like breadsticks, not pretzels.
Baked soda does a much better job of approximating true lye-dipped pretzels. Just dissolve 2/3 cup (about 100 grams) in 2 cups of water, immerse the formed raw pretzels in this solution for three to four minutes, rinse off the excess dipping solution in a large bowl of plain water, and bake.
Excerpted from the NY Times; see the originating link for more detailed information
NY TIMES link
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/dining/15curious.html?_r=2&ref=diningTopic: Apple Scrap Jelly by Zen
Apple Scrap Jelly
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on September 18, 2012 at 4:54 pmTHIS RECIPE IS NOT YET TESTED BY ME
This recipe reminded me of the crabapple jelly I made as a kid. It was WAY more flavorful than the comparatively anemic apple jelly from regular apples.
Using the peels and cores not only gives this recipe a pectin boost, it approximates that concentration of flavor you get from crabapples, with their high peel and core to flesh ratio. It's the right color, too - a nice reddish blush, not the pale color of jelly made from regular apples.
Now I have a use for the peels and cores every time I make a pie or crumble!
Source: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=275484.0
Apple peels and cores
Water to cover
half as much sugar by volume as you get juice from the above1) put peels and cores from your apples in a pot with water just to cover.
2) bring to a boil; cook for about 10 minutes.
3) Strain and reserve the juice.
4) measure the juice and return to the pot.
5) add 1/2 as much sugar, by volume, as you had juice. So if you had 1.5c of juice, you would add 3/4c of granulated sugar.
6) OPTIONAL: Add about 1/2 tsp cinnamon per cup of juice - more or less to taste. I use none, that's to my taste, LOL!
7) Cook until it reaches 220F, or until it passes the spoon test.
THE SPOON TEST:
Take a cool METAL spoon, dip it in the boiling juice, and hold the spoon vertically and see how the mixture falls off the spoon.If it pours off like syrup in a stream or drip after drip, it is not sheeting. It is not ready.
If it starts to drip off two drops at a time, in pairs, it's ALMOST there.
If it sort of wobbles to the edge of the spoon and gradually slides over without dripping, it is sheeting - it is done.
This is the typical apple jelly recipe, only without the lemon juice or vinegar. Since lemon juice or vinegar is intended to help set the pectin in low pectin jellies, you don't really need it here (you don't need it for crabapple jelly either).
10 minutes sounds like too little time; however cut up cores and peels may cook more quickly than whole apple chunks. I'll update this recipe as I test it, which will be as soon as I make something with apples again!
FAIR WARNING: I have seen it said that when making apple scrap jelly one should use only organic apples. I presume the worry is about the coating commercial apples are sold with (some kind of wax blend), as well as the potential for pesticides concentrated in the skin.
I don't feel such fears are very reasonable. I mean, seriously - I eat the peels when I eat a raw apple anyway. I'm satisfied to scrub the apples well before peeling - you can even wash them with a bit of Dawn dish soap to help remove the coating if you want. For the rest, I don't figure this will generally make enough nor will I eat it often enough for it to pose any serious health risk.
YMMV. Consider this information for what it's worth.
Topic: Apple Pie Filling by Zen
Apple Pie Filling
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on March 14, 2011 at 11:42 pmApple Ambrosia pie filling
For the whole Potential Pie Perfection Package:
First, the foundation of all pies, THE CRUST aka Perfect Pie Pastry Premix
Then, the center of it all, the apple pie filling aka Apple AmbrosiaAnd now the Parade Of Streusels
Streusel #1 - Sweet, Sweet StreuselStreusel #2 - Foster's Best Crumb Topping Seeing as this already HAS a name, I don't feel good about changing it - Foster's Best it has been, and Foster's Best it shall continue to be!
Streusel #3 - Big-Frank's Beautiful Balanced Bakery Betopping Bits, AKA Professor-Frank's Pulchritudinous Pulverulence for Proper Pastry and Pie Peaks
Yield: one 9" pie
6 to 7 c apple slices - 8 to 9 c if you want a very apple-y pie
1/2c to 2/3c brown sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 T butterHave your pie crust ready.
Wash, core, and slice the apples. I don't peel mine but you can if you want to. Cutting them in half helps make it easier to pack them into the pie.
If you're using sweet apples, use 1/2c of sugar. If they're pretty tart, use 2/3c.
Put in a large glass bowl or microwaveable casserole, about 2.5 to 3 qt. size. Toss all ingredients together - I use a small sieve to sprinkle the cornstarch on.
Let macerate, preferably overnight, or for several hours if possible. 24 hours (in the fridge) seems to have the maximum benefit for most varieties of apple.
Microwave on high, loosely covered, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the apples are just barely beginning to cook. Let cool thoroughly. They will continue to cook a bit as they cool.
When the apples have cooled, pour off the liquid into a small microwaveable bowl and CAREFULLY (because overcooking it will make a gooey mess) boil it down just a little. In my microwave this takes a minute to a minute and a half at high. It will take longer if there is more juice due to overnight maceration. Watch carefully, depending on how powerful your microwave is you can ruin it before you know it. It will thicken further as it cools, so just look for a syrupy consistency. I usually find this at about 1/3rd of the starting volume.
NOTE: Essentially you are making something similar to Boiled Cider when you do this. This has the same flavor-enhancing benefits as adding boiled cider to the filling.
Meantime preheat the oven to 350F. You may reduce oven temp by 25F if you are using a Pyrex pie plate, but I've been finding it makes no difference so I don't anymore.
Put the apple pie filling into the pie crust, as densely as possible (jiggle, gently press, move bits around to fill empty spaces)
Pour the cooked down juices over the top - use a spatula to spread it around a bit.
Top with streusel if you want a dutch apple type pie; else cover with a lattice or other pie crust topping.
Bake until the bottom crust is done, 45 minutes to an hour.
Cover the top crust loosely with foil part way through - use your judgment - so it doesn't burn.
Placing the pie pan on a preheated baking stone will help the bottom crust to cook more evenly with the top - if using Pyrex or ceramic, wait until at least 10 minutes after placing in the oven before moving from the top rack to the baking stone to avoid shattering the pie plate.
Remove the foil when the pie crust looks nearly done to finish browning the top, if necessary.
Let cool thoroughly before slicing.NOTE: I have since repeated my success with MacIntosh apples as pie filling. While they were noticeably softer than other types of apples (when using this method of preparation), they were nowhere near "mushy" and very far indeed from the soupy apple sauce others often report. I like the flavor better than many other varieties available to me from the grocery store. Preparing the apples for filling this way not only reduces liquid so you don't get gummy pie crust on the bottom, but also results in a firmer texture to the apples than if you didn't parcook.
comments
Submitted by pear on Wed, 2011-03-16 13:14.
This sounds very similar to my moms process.....only she would prepare the filling then freeze so each bag was pie size, then just thaw...put into crust and bake.Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Fri, 2011-03-18 00:52.
I never thought of freezing it! We always used to use McIntosh apples, which I can't seem to find anymore. I know people who insist McIntoshes are no good for pies, but they worked for me. I recently read in Bakewise (I think) that partially cooking your filling like this causes structural changes in the apple so they remain firmer later when you finish baking them in the pie. Maybe that's why McIntoshes worked fine for us in pies, because they were precooked. I do know they never came out mushy.Now I just use whatever apples are on sale (excluding Red Delicious). I should probably keep track of variety because some have tougher skin and probably should be peeled, while others are much less juicy and tend to come out a little dry if I cook all the juices down before putting into the pie crust.
Submitted by brandy1co on Tue, 2014-09-30 14:23.I want to freeze my filling, when macerating do I do the whole process then freeze? Like letting the apples macerate overnight, cooking off in the microwave and then adding the liquid, then freezing. Do I put everything together then freeze then thaw and continue. Or, do I just go to a certain point in the process and then freeze? Any advice would be appreciated, thanks in advance!
Submitted by KitchenBarbaria... on Sat, 2014-10-04 17:50.
I've never done this so I don't have a definitive answer, but if it were me, trying it for the first time - I would go through all the steps EXCEPT cooking the juices down. Right up to the point where you would drain off the excess juices - only instead let the filling cool down and freeze it, un-evaporated juices and all, in ziploc freezer bags.Then when you thaw - that is when I would drain the juices off and THEN evaporate them down.
This will protect the apples from freezer burn. Also, when you freeze something juicy like apples, it will cause more liquid to come out of the apples. Now that juice is already in with the rest of it and you can cook it all down at the same time.I haven't tried it yet, but that is how I will do it when I DO get around to trying it for the first time.
Spicy Sticky Toffee Pudding
Submitted by sarahh on October 10, 2008 at 1:00 pm1 cup dates
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon crystallized ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons softened butter
¾ cup brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon crystallized ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/16 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup cream
1 and 1/3 cups dark-brown sugar
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons rum, optionalPlace the dates in a medium saucepan with water, crystallized ginger, vanilla extract, and baking soda. Bring to a boil over medium heat, lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes (watch carefully, as it will foam). Stir and mash dates as they cook to make a smooth paste with only a few pieces of dates. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-by-12-inch baking dish.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and spices in a bowl. Cream the butter and ¾ cup brown sugar briefly in a mixing bowl. Add the date mixture, dry ingredients, and egg, and stir gently to combine. (Do not overmix.) Spoon the mixture into the baking dish and smooth top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
While the pudding bakes, combine the butter, cream, brown sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes, add rum (if using) and set aside, keeping the sauce warm.
When pudding is done, remove from oven, leaving oven on. Cut into 12 (or more) squares and run knife around outside edges. Pour the sauce over the pudding, allowing it to seep down around the sides and cover the top. Return to oven and bake for 2 minutes. Cool on rack. Serve pudding warm or at room temperature.
