Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Zwetschenkuchen
My grandmother lent me a few cookbooks a while back, including a Yiddish cookbook. I can't seem to find it on Amazon, but it is written by a very charming lady and it includes a recipe for zwetschenkuchen.
She introduces this dessert, saying "A German-Jewish cake for Rosh Hashanah. The name comes from a zwetsche (pr quetsch), a variety of small, dark blue plum found in Southern Germany and Alsace that ripens in time for New Year and Yom Kippur". I loved this little tidbit of information, I am always fascinated by new cooking terms and ingredients. It also reminded me of a favorite book by Eva Ibbotson called "A Song For Summer" about a young woman living in Germany around the time of WWII.
It was the photo that got me, however. The picture showed a round tart tin holding a cake of plump plums surrounded by golden cake that puffed up between them, making them look like fat little purple island. To top it all, the deep purple plums were ever-so-lightly dusted with powdered sugar, bringing any image you've ever had about "sugarplums dancing" come to life. I was enchanted and convinced that I had to bake this wonderful confection for Christmas.
Plums are not in season this time of year. Nope, not at all. The clerk at Oliver's told me they didn't carry any because the ones from Chile that are available this time of year are so watery and tasteless that it's not worth it. Well, I didn't like the idea of watery and tasteless even though I did want to have plump little plums in my cake and not sad, soggy preserved ones. I was about to substitute cherries, but the $10.99 per lb price shut down that idea pretty quickly. Besides, sugared cherries have nothing to do with Christmas, it just wouldn't be the same.
I was saved when I found whole, canned plums from Oregon. Awesome.
No, the plums are not as lively and chubby-looking as in the book, but that will just have to wait til summer. I hope you enjoy these pictures though, even without the perfect plums, I still think the powdered sugar on the plums looks stunning.
Zwetschenkuchen (or Sugarplum Cake)
I adapted this recipe a bit because I didn't have self-rising flour. Thank-you google. The dough will have to chill for at least 1 hour. Prep time, 30 minutes. Baking about 30-50, depending on the shape of the tin you use.
1 2/3 cup flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
11 tsp chilled butter
zest of 1 small lemon (I used a Meyer lemon, yum!)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 small egg, lightly beaten
2 lb 4 oz damson or Victoria plums (or canned ones from Oregon if its winter)
Confectioner's sugar for dusting
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Cut the butter into it with 2 knives. Lightly use your hands to break it down until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Mix in the sugar, zest and cinnamon. Bind the pastry with the egg a bit at a time, you don't want the dough to be too wet. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Cut the plums in half and remove the pits.
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Grease a 10inch flan pan or tart tin with a removable bottom. Lightly press the pastry into the pan to cover the sides and the bottom. Pack the plums, cut-side down into the pastry base. You can use halves or cut them into smaller pieces and arrange them into a design. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the pastry is golden and the fruit is soft and juicy. (I baked mine on a cookie sheet so it would be easier to move into and out of the oven). Let cool in the pan. Dust with confectioner's sugar. You can serve it with toasted almonds and sour or whipped cream.
She introduces this dessert, saying "A German-Jewish cake for Rosh Hashanah. The name comes from a zwetsche (pr quetsch), a variety of small, dark blue plum found in Southern Germany and Alsace that ripens in time for New Year and Yom Kippur". I loved this little tidbit of information, I am always fascinated by new cooking terms and ingredients. It also reminded me of a favorite book by Eva Ibbotson called "A Song For Summer" about a young woman living in Germany around the time of WWII.
It was the photo that got me, however. The picture showed a round tart tin holding a cake of plump plums surrounded by golden cake that puffed up between them, making them look like fat little purple island. To top it all, the deep purple plums were ever-so-lightly dusted with powdered sugar, bringing any image you've ever had about "sugarplums dancing" come to life. I was enchanted and convinced that I had to bake this wonderful confection for Christmas.
Plums are not in season this time of year. Nope, not at all. The clerk at Oliver's told me they didn't carry any because the ones from Chile that are available this time of year are so watery and tasteless that it's not worth it. Well, I didn't like the idea of watery and tasteless even though I did want to have plump little plums in my cake and not sad, soggy preserved ones. I was about to substitute cherries, but the $10.99 per lb price shut down that idea pretty quickly. Besides, sugared cherries have nothing to do with Christmas, it just wouldn't be the same.
I was saved when I found whole, canned plums from Oregon. Awesome.
No, the plums are not as lively and chubby-looking as in the book, but that will just have to wait til summer. I hope you enjoy these pictures though, even without the perfect plums, I still think the powdered sugar on the plums looks stunning.
 |
| This one's my favorite pic (: I got the fabric in the remnants rack at Joanns. So pretty! |
Zwetschenkuchen (or Sugarplum Cake)
I adapted this recipe a bit because I didn't have self-rising flour. Thank-you google. The dough will have to chill for at least 1 hour. Prep time, 30 minutes. Baking about 30-50, depending on the shape of the tin you use.
1 2/3 cup flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
11 tsp chilled butter
zest of 1 small lemon (I used a Meyer lemon, yum!)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 small egg, lightly beaten
2 lb 4 oz damson or Victoria plums (or canned ones from Oregon if its winter)
Confectioner's sugar for dusting
Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Cut the butter into it with 2 knives. Lightly use your hands to break it down until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Mix in the sugar, zest and cinnamon. Bind the pastry with the egg a bit at a time, you don't want the dough to be too wet. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Cut the plums in half and remove the pits.
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Grease a 10inch flan pan or tart tin with a removable bottom. Lightly press the pastry into the pan to cover the sides and the bottom. Pack the plums, cut-side down into the pastry base. You can use halves or cut them into smaller pieces and arrange them into a design. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the pastry is golden and the fruit is soft and juicy. (I baked mine on a cookie sheet so it would be easier to move into and out of the oven). Let cool in the pan. Dust with confectioner's sugar. You can serve it with toasted almonds and sour or whipped cream.
Hannukah Donuts from Food Network Magazine
I tried this recipe from Chuck Hughes' article in Food Network Magazine this month!
Jelly Donuts from the Food Network
Active time: 50 minutes
Rising time: 5 hours at minimum
1 cup warm milk (about 105F) don't let it get too hot, or it will kill the yeast
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 to 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 tbs unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
Vegetable oil for deep frying
jelly or seedless jam for filling
Confectioner's sugar for dusting
1. Bloom the yeast: pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast on top and stir to dissolve; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla and eggs to the bowl and whisk until blended. Add 2 cups of flour and mix with the dough hook to combine, stopping to crape down the bowl. (I just used a wooden spoon). The dough will be sticky, if it's too wet, add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour (ok, I'll admit I did more like 1/2 cup). Add the butter and mix until smooth.
3. Brush a large bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in the refrigerator, at least 4 hours or overnight.
4.Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and dust with flour. Dust a clean surface with flour. Turn out the dough and dust with flour. Roll out to 1/2 an inch. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch round with a cookie cutter and transfer to the baking sheets. Reroll the scraps and repeat. Dust the rounds lightly with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rest 1 hr in a warm place.
5. Heat 2 to 3 inches vegetable oil in a large pot until a deep-frying thermometer reads 360F. Working in batches, fry the doughnuts, turning until golden brown. Use tongs to do this. Then remove with tongs or a skimmer to drain on paper towels.
6. Fit a pastry bag (or ziploc) with a 1/8 inch round tip. Insert the pastry tip into the side ofa doughnut and gently squeeze to fill. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve warm.
Happy Holidays! <3
 |
| I started experimenting and made some regular donuts too (: |
Active time: 50 minutes
Rising time: 5 hours at minimum
1 cup warm milk (about 105F) don't let it get too hot, or it will kill the yeast
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 to 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 tbs unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
Vegetable oil for deep frying
jelly or seedless jam for filling
Confectioner's sugar for dusting
1. Bloom the yeast: pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast on top and stir to dissolve; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla and eggs to the bowl and whisk until blended. Add 2 cups of flour and mix with the dough hook to combine, stopping to crape down the bowl. (I just used a wooden spoon). The dough will be sticky, if it's too wet, add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour (ok, I'll admit I did more like 1/2 cup). Add the butter and mix until smooth.
3. Brush a large bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in the refrigerator, at least 4 hours or overnight.
4.Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and dust with flour. Dust a clean surface with flour. Turn out the dough and dust with flour. Roll out to 1/2 an inch. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch round with a cookie cutter and transfer to the baking sheets. Reroll the scraps and repeat. Dust the rounds lightly with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rest 1 hr in a warm place.
5. Heat 2 to 3 inches vegetable oil in a large pot until a deep-frying thermometer reads 360F. Working in batches, fry the doughnuts, turning until golden brown. Use tongs to do this. Then remove with tongs or a skimmer to drain on paper towels.
6. Fit a pastry bag (or ziploc) with a 1/8 inch round tip. Insert the pastry tip into the side ofa doughnut and gently squeeze to fill. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts. Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve warm.
Happy Holidays! <3
Christmas Morning Rice Pudding
Merry Christmas!
My mom requested this for breakfast this morning; rice pudding with a blackberry cinnamon compote. I used this combo in a school presentation a couple of weeks ago, combining British and Indian ingredients and flavors.
Rice Pudding (Kheer) with Blackberry Compote
I prefer rice pudding in the British or American style where it is a little more dense and less liquidy, so technically this isn't a real 'kheer', but it is based on the recipe.
For the rice pudding:
2 cups of coconut milk
2 cups of whole milk
3 tbs white sugar
1 cup basmati rice
2 tsp cinnamon or cardamom (optional)
Bring the coconut milk and milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the rice and sugar and let simmer. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Cook until the rice is soft and most of the liquid is gone. Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate. If it is dry after chilling, stir in a little milk to moisten it. You can also stir in some spices if you like.
For the blackberry compote:
2 baskets of blackberries
1 cup water
1 1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Put the water and sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and let sugar dissolve. Feel free to stir. Add blackberries and cinnamon and stir gently. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until the blackberries are bright red and very soft. Carefully strain and pour the berries into a heatproof bowl or jar. Add a little liquid to suspend them so they maintain their shape. Let chill, then use to garnish the rice pudding.
Bon Appetit and Happy Holidays!
My mom requested this for breakfast this morning; rice pudding with a blackberry cinnamon compote. I used this combo in a school presentation a couple of weeks ago, combining British and Indian ingredients and flavors.
Rice Pudding (Kheer) with Blackberry Compote
I prefer rice pudding in the British or American style where it is a little more dense and less liquidy, so technically this isn't a real 'kheer', but it is based on the recipe.
For the rice pudding:
2 cups of coconut milk
2 cups of whole milk
3 tbs white sugar
1 cup basmati rice
2 tsp cinnamon or cardamom (optional)
Bring the coconut milk and milk to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the rice and sugar and let simmer. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Cook until the rice is soft and most of the liquid is gone. Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate. If it is dry after chilling, stir in a little milk to moisten it. You can also stir in some spices if you like.
For the blackberry compote:
2 baskets of blackberries
1 cup water
1 1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
Put the water and sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and let sugar dissolve. Feel free to stir. Add blackberries and cinnamon and stir gently. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until the blackberries are bright red and very soft. Carefully strain and pour the berries into a heatproof bowl or jar. Add a little liquid to suspend them so they maintain their shape. Let chill, then use to garnish the rice pudding.
Bon Appetit and Happy Holidays!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Rainbow Sparkle Cookies
Amani and I just made these rainbow sparkle cookies for him to take to his little preschool tomorrow!
The recipe is from the Family Fun cookbook, which you can find in my books section! It has a lot of great, simple recipes.
I let Amani help me make them and (with washed hands), he rolled the balls of dough in the sprinkles and violently pounded them down onto the cookie sheet. It was very cute (:
Rainbow Sparkle Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
Rainbow sprinkles
Whip the butter until fluffy, then cream with sugar. Add the egg and incorporate. Add vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the wet ingredients in thirds, mixing inbetween.
Let chill for about 30-45 minutes. You could do longer, but we did fine just letting it cool and solidify a bit. Remove from fridge and roll into balls a little larger than gumballs. Pour the sprinkles into a bowl and roll each ball in them. Pat each ball onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 350F. They won't really get golden, but they will not be doughy.
Voila! Enjoy with a friend ( : Happy Holidays!
The recipe is from the Family Fun cookbook, which you can find in my books section! It has a lot of great, simple recipes.
I let Amani help me make them and (with washed hands), he rolled the balls of dough in the sprinkles and violently pounded them down onto the cookie sheet. It was very cute (:
 |
| I know he looks a little evil, but he would only stay still for a split second, it's the only one I got that's not 100% blurry! He's still kind of in motion though. But I had to get a picture of my chef! |
Rainbow Sparkle Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
Rainbow sprinkles
Whip the butter until fluffy, then cream with sugar. Add the egg and incorporate. Add vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to the wet ingredients in thirds, mixing inbetween.
Let chill for about 30-45 minutes. You could do longer, but we did fine just letting it cool and solidify a bit. Remove from fridge and roll into balls a little larger than gumballs. Pour the sprinkles into a bowl and roll each ball in them. Pat each ball onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 350F. They won't really get golden, but they will not be doughy.
Voila! Enjoy with a friend ( : Happy Holidays!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
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