Bake 2.12 Part 1: Mocha Macarons

The biscuit episode showstopper was a monster (!), three types of macarons, 120 total, in 5 hours. I decided my macarons would have a winter drinks theme and to kick off the three flavors we have Mocha. In the next few posts you will see Egg Nog and Hot Cocoa. While I was going for delicate lines of ganache to top the macarons, the bag split and ganache came out in many ways so I went with artsy splashes of ganache. If anyone asks I will say I did it entirely on purpose.

Ingredients

120 grams egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

130 grams granulated sugar

140 grams almond flour

110 grams powdered sugar

2 teaspoons espresso powder (or as I used, finely ground fancy coffee from the wife)

Ganache

200 grams dark chocolate

100 grams heavy cream

3 teaspoons espresso powder (again, finely ground fancy coffee for me)

pinch of salt

Line baking sheets with parchment. Prep a piping bag with a large round tip. I am not an expert piper by any means so use the internet and watch some videos of piping macarons, it is super helpful.

Place the almond flour, powdered sugar, and espresso powder in the food processor and process until it is just beginning to clump. Sift a few times and discard any bits left behind.

Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar in the mixer until foamy. Slowly stream in the granulated sugar while continuing to whisk. Turn to medium high and continue whisking until stiff peaks form. 

Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg whites. Pipe onto the prepared baking sheets, bang on counter to remove air bubbles and allow to dry for 30-45 minutes. When you can tap the top and nothing comes away on your finger and the tops look dull, they are ready for baking! 

Bake at 320 degrees for 13 minutes. They are ready when they lift easily off of the parchment. 

While the cookies cool, make the ganache. Heat the cream in a microwave safe bowl, or on the stovetop if you are fancy. Add the chocolate, espresso powder and salt, whisk until smooth. Allow to cool and transfer to a piping bag. Fill and sandwich the cookies. Decorate as you so desire. Enjoy!

Bake 2.10: Ginger Cookies

This is a holiday classic, my mom makes them most years and they are one that I look forward to many months before it is appropriate. You are thinking pumpkin spice, and I am thinking ginger cookies. The original recipe was from a 1990 edition of Christmas Cookie magazine. They made them with a large cookie scoop (made 24), I use a regular 1 tablespoon size cookie scoop because that is what I have and it makes 36 of that size. A few tips, I add fresh ginger when I have it, this is not necessary so I leave it out if I don't have any on hand but does give them an extra zing. Really don't overbake them, if you do they get crunchy and they are supposed to be a soft cookie. When they are puffed up and just browning on the edges take them out. They will sink while they cool. 

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground clove

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup molasses

2 tablespoons sugar (for rolling)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prep baking sheets with parchment or silpat.

Combine flour, spices, and soda in a large bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer beat the butter until soft and light in color, at least 30 seconds. 

Gradually add the sugar and beat until fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Scraping down the bowl as needed.

Add the egg and molasses, beat well. I always crack the egg into the measuring cup that I plan to use for the molasses so that the molasses slides right on out of the measuring cup. 

Gently stir in the dry ingredients until mixed. Allow to chill in the fridge a few minutes.

Shape into balls using a cookie scoop and roll in sugar before placing on the baking sheet. 

Bake about 10 minutes, watch for slight browning on the edges and the middle to still be puffed up.

If you would like a thumbprint cookie, when they just come out of the oven use a metal teaspoon to press in the middle and fill with jam. This is a cranberry jam I made by cooking a large bag of cranberries, 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of water, the zest and juice of 1 orange, and a few cinnamon sticks until it was a nice jammy consistency. 

 Or a sandwich cookie!

Bake 2.9 Part 3: Herb Rolls

Who doesn't need another roll recipe! This one is soft, buttery, and herby. You can use any combination of herbs that tickle your fancy. I tossed them all in a spice grinder with the salt and gave them a few pulses to break down any larger pieces. If you don't have a spice grinder, use a mortar and pestle or just run a knife through them a few times to ensure no large pieces remain. 

Ingredients
1 envelope active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (between 100-110 degrees)
1 cup milk, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon celery salt (or use celery seed if you are spice grinding)
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 large egg
3 1/2 cups flour

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the 1/4 cup water. Set aside.

Add the remaining ingredients (reserving 1 1/2 cups flour) to the bowl of a mixer fit with a dough hook. Mix a few rounds then add the yeast mixture and continue mixing. Once smooth, add the remaining flour. Continue to knead until a soft smooth dough forms. 

Butter a tub or large bowl, turn the dough into the tub and turn in the butter until coated. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow to prove until doubled in size about 1 hour.

Once doubled, butter a 9x13 inch pan. Divide the dough into 24 portions. Roll into balls and place in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to double in size, about 45 minutes.

Near the end of the second prove, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the rolls for 18-20 minutes, they should be hollow when tapped and register around 190 degrees internally. Brush with butter and enjoy warm!

Bake 2.9 Part 2: Honey Caramel Sticky Buns

I am a cinnamon roll aficionado but had never made a sticky bun. These highlighted honey in the bun and caramel which was lovely and I want to stress, turn them out immediately. If it is just too hot for you to turn it out immediately get a friend to help who has hands of steel. I made the mistake of waiting and thinking it would be okay... it wasn't. I ended up having to heat up the caramel again to get it out of the pan. Lesson learned!

 
Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, softened 
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 cups flour (up to 1/4 cup additional if the dough is sticky)

Topping
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted

Filling
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour

Start with the dough. Scald the milk, add with the other ingredients to the bowl and mix until it forms a dough. Knead until a smooth dough is formed. I use the mixer with a dough hook for this. Butter a tub or bowl, place the dough in the bowl, turning to ensure it is coated with the butter. Cover with plastic wrap or the lid and leave to prove until doubled in size.

For the topping: add everything except the nuts to a small saucepan. Heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Spread into the bottom of a greased 8 inch square pan and sprinkle with the nuts. Set aside.
For the filling: Stir the ingredients together to make a spreadable paste.

Once the dough as risen, roll into a 10x12 inch rectangle. Spread with the paste. Starting with one of the long sides, roll tightly. Pinch the seam together. Cut into 9 equal (as you can) pieces and place into the pan. Press to flatten until they are barely touching each other. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled. Toward the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until they are a deep golden brown. Tent with foil if needed. Remove from the oven and turn out immediately onto a large plate. Allow to cool unless you are keen to burn your entire mouth on the lava of yummy sticky goodness.

YUM!

Bonus: Papa Del's Copycat Deep Dish Pizza

The wife loves a deep dish pizza. So for her birthday this year I made authentic Papa Del's Deep Dish Pizza. She grew up mostly in Illinois and knows her deep dish. I tweaked a few things in the recipe below from the finished product as the feedback was that it needed a little less sauce and much more cheese. I thought I put on so much cheese! This recipe makes 1 giant 12 inch pie, 2- 9 inch pies, or 1-10 inch and 1-8 inch pie, you will want a deep dish pizza pan or to use spring form pans (that is what I did and they worked great). You can use any fillings/toppings you like, we did 1 with pepperoni and 1 with sausage and mushroom.

Ingredients
4 cups flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package instant dry yeast

First scald the milk. Then add the milk with the butter, sugar, salt, and water to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Allow the milk mixture to cool to 100-110 degrees. Add yeast and mix thoroughly. Allow the yeast to sit for 3-5 minutes until foamy.

Slowly add the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. Knead for 5-10 minutes, I do this in the mixer rather than by hand. Grease a proving bowl with olive oil and roll the dough in the oil so it is covered, cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap before allowing to prove until doubled in size. Mine took about 1 hour but it can take up to 2 hours. Once doubled, punch down and knead a few times, replace in the bowl and allow to rise until again doubled. The second time it took just more than 1 hour but again, it may take closer to 2 hours.

Sauce Ingredients
16 ounce can diced tomatoes

6 ounce can of tomato paste

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Sauté the garlic in a splash of olive oil. When fragrant add the remaining ingredients and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes. Smoosh with the backside of a spoon or zhuzh with a stick blender. Set aside to cool. 

For your filling, prep about 2 1/2 cups filling depending on your preference. We did 1 cup of sliced pepperoni and 1 1/2 cup of cooked and crumbled Italian sausage and sautéed mushrooms. You can use any other fillings you love! 

For your cheese, you need 16 ounces mozzarella shredded, 6 ounces of sliced provolone, and 2 ounces parmesan shredded. You are welcome to add slightly more cheese, but this is apparently the perfect amount :-)

Assembly! Don't forget you are making two pizzas here, so divide everything in 1/2 or a slightly skewed 1/2 if you are making 1 pizza larger than the other like I did. Roll the dough and fit into the pan and up the sides. It should come to the top of the pan on the sides. Layer 1/2 the mozzarella and provolone first then, all the filling, then the other half the cheeses, and finally top with the sauce. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.

Bake at 425 for about 45 minutes. You will know it is done when the pizza looks like hot lava. YUM!

Thanksgiving Bonus: Pumpkin Pie

I make the same pumpkin pie recipe every year. It is truly the best recipe I have found. I also make fresh whipped cream, not by hand thankfully since the mixer is in much better shape than I am. To make whipped cream, whip heavy cream until fluffy, add a few spoons of powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and a little vanilla extract. I sometimes add some cinnamon as it pairs very nicely with the pie.

Ingredients

Crust
1 1/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into cubes

2 tablespoons cold vodka
2 tablespoons cold water 

Filling

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

3 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 cups pumpkin puree (or 1-15 oz can)

1 cup drained candied yams

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup (real, none of that corn syrup stuff)

2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

Start with the crust of course, process flour and sugar until well mixed. Add butter and shortening and process until small crumbles. Pour into a medium bowl. Sprinkle the vodka and water over the top and fold in with a rubber spatula. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for a minimum 45 minutes, and up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 400 degrees, move the rack to the lowest position, and place a baking sheet on the rack. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, roll out and set into your pie plate. Lift the edges and ease the dough into the pan. Try not to stretch the dough, it will shrink back when baking if you stretch it. Trim to 1/2 inch and tuck under, fold or crimp as desired. Refrigerate 15 minutes. 

Remove from fridge, line with foil or parchment (if using parchment crumple and smooth out a few times to make it more pliable), fill with pie weights or beans. Bake on the baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes. Gently remove the foil and weights, rotate, bake an additional 5-10 minutes until golden brown. 

While baking, start on the custard filling! Whisk the cream, milk, eggs, yolks, vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the pumpkin, yams, sugar, maple syrup, spices and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cooking 5-7 minutes. Continue to simmer, stirring, and smooshing the yams until it is thick and shiny, about 12 minutes.

Remove from the heat, whisk in the milk mixture. Strain through a fine mess strainer and whisk again. Please the pie shell in the oven, pour in the custard mixture carefully. You may be good at moving pies full of liquid but I am not, so I pour when it is in place. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and continue baking 25-30 minutes longer. The pie should register at 175 degrees. Remove and cool on a wire rack. 

Enjoy! 

This year, our pie featured pusheen in a pile of leaves! Pusheen was so excited to get on the pie that she didn't allow it to cool long enough which made such a fun cracking pattern. Oh Pusheen!

Thanksgiving Bonus: Chocolate Pecan Tart

While pumpkin pie reigns supreme on our Thanksgiving table, Chocolate pecan pie is a midwest family favorite. A few years ago I took to making this as a tart, given the richness of the filling, the thinner tart is much more reasonable, and gives a good ratio of crust to filling. 

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup cold salted butter, cut into small cubes

Filling
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
4 tablespoons melted butter, and 2 tablespoons chilled and cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons bourbon

Pulse flour and sugar in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together, if needed add up to 2 additional tablespoons of ice water.

Turn out onto a floured surface, knead a few times until it comes together. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, rack in the center of the oven. Roll out the pie dough to a 12 inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Place dough into 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press dough into bottom and up sides of pan, trim excess. 

In a large bowl ,whisk eggs, sugar, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla. 

Toast 1/2 the pecans in a pan on the stove top until they are fragrant, add to the mixture and stir gently. 

Sprinkle the chocolate chips in the bottom of the tart shell. Pour the filling over the chocolate. Arrange the remaining pecans on top, in whatever pattern your heart desires. Dot the top with the chilled butter. 

Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is set, 45-50 minutes. If the pecans are browning too quickly tent the top with foil. Right away when you remove it from the oven, drizzle with the bourbon. YUM!

The leaves are cut out from extra pie dough and brushed with food coloring. Nothing complicated!