Daily Archives: October 24, 2011
Black Pepper Shortbread
NOT MY RECIPE. FOUND AT: http://www.raspberricupcakes.com/search/label/Savoury?updated-max=2009-07-27T22%3A37%3A00%2B10%3A00&max-results=20
GOTTA TRY THESE!
3 cups (450g) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground sea salt
250g unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarb soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and creamy. With mixer on low speed, beat in the cream, mixed dry ingredients, and black pepper to form a smooth dough. Form the dough
into a log about 4 cm in diameter. Wrap in cling film and refridgerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Line a baking tray and slice the dough 5mm thick and place cookies 2.5 cm apart on the sheets. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until just golden. Transfer to racks and let them cool completely.
Better 4 U MacNCheese
250g whole wheat macaroni
375g low fat cottage cheese
2 tbsp plain flour
75g sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
30g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Cook macaroni as the package suggests. Drain.
Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Fill dish with macaroni.
Pulse cottage cheese in food processor until smooth. Whisk flour with 60 ml of the skim milk in a large saucepan until smooth. Gradually stir in the remaining milk until combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the mixture thickens slightly and is just about to boil. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cottage cheese, cheddar, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Pour cheese sauce over the macaroni. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and sprinkle on the parmesan cheese. Return the dish to the oven and turn the oven to broil. Broil until cheese is bubbly.
Wasabi Cheese Crackers
THIS IS NOT MY RECIPE. I TAKE NO CREDIT FOR THIS AWESOME IDEA! YOU SHOULD VISIT http://www.raspberricupcakes.com/search/label/Savoury FOR THE REST OF THE PHOTOS ON THIS. THIS LADY HAS SOME SERIOUSLY GREAT IDEAS OR FINDS THEM ELSEWHERE AND POSTS THEM. AMAZING STUFF.
(based on this recipe from Home Cooking in Montana)
1 cup plain flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2-2 tbsp wasabi paste (can be substituted with wasabi powder or grated wasabi root if you can get it)
55g (4 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
225g (8 ounces) grated cheddar cheese (I used half regular cheddar and half Red Leicester cheese, but a
wasabi root flavoured cheese like Ashgrove Tasmanian Wild Wasabi is ideal for this recipe)
2-4 tbsp water (less if you’re using wasabi paste, more if you’re using the powder or not adding wasabi)
Optional: extra wasabi powder or paste
In a food processor, pulse the flour and salt, then add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add grated cheese a little at a time until the mixture again resembles coarse meal. Mix together wasabi with
1-2 of the tbsp of water and then pulse in, one tablespoon at a time. You can adjust the amount of the wasabi to your liking, but remember the flavour will be significantly dulled in the baking process. You may need to add another tbsp of water after this, and pulse until the dough forms into a ball. It will probably take a minute or so.
Remove, wrap in plastic (I split the dough into 4 separate portions to make it quicker to chill and easier to roll out later) and chill for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours. The longer the better, but mine worked fine after chilling for about an hour until the dough was nice and firm. Roll the dough out to 3mm (1/8th-inch) thickness between two pieces of baking paper. You don’t want to roll them paper thin, neither do you want to roll them too thick. If they are too thin, they will not puff up as much. If they are too thick, they will not be as crispy. Using a knife, pizza cutter, or cookie cutter cut 1 inch shapes and transfer to a baking paper-line baking tray. I chilled the prepared trays in the fridge while rolling and cutting the rest of my dough. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crackers are golden brown. Watch them after the 10 minute mark. Because I was only using the bottom coils of my oven, I found it was best to flip them over after 10 minutes so they browned evenly on each side. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. If the wasabi flavour is not strong enough for you at this point then you can toss the crackers in extra wasabi powder or serve with extra wasabi paste to dip it into.
Can be stored in an airtight container for several days.
Chocolate Avocado Macarons
THIS IS NOT MY RECIPE. IT WAS FOUND AT: http://www.raspberricupcakes.com/2010/07/chocolate-avocado-macarons-for-gourmet.html by stephcookie in Australia.
PLEASE VISIT HER BLOG. IT IS FAB! Also, here is another link to her blog for CHOCOLATE MINT CAKE! My favorite Baskin Robbins flavor. http://www.raspberricupcakes.com/2011/09/mint-chocolate-chip-cake.html i want this to be my bday cake with a side of the ice cream too!
(makes about 25 macarons)
100g aged egg whites at room
temperature (you can use fresh eggs too, just
make sure they are room temperature. I always use fresh these days, and zap it
in the microwave on defrost for 10 seconds)
110g almond meal, sifted
and dried in an 80°C oven for 10 minutes
190g icing sugar
10g Dutch
process cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
50g caster sugar
Optional: 1
tsp egg white powder to help stabilise your meringue (available from The
Essential Ingredient)
1/2 medium sized avocado,
peeled and pitted
2 tsp lemon juice
100g icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp
sweetened condensed milk
Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Place
icing sugar in food processor and pulse for a minute to remove any lumps. Stir
in cocoa powder and pulse to combine well. Stir in almond meal and give a few
quick, short pulses to just combine. (If no food processor available simply sift
all dry ingredients together) Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Using
an electric mixer, beat egg whites and egg white powder in a medium mixing bowl
until the egg white powder dissolves and it reaches soft peaks. With the mixer
on high speed, gradually add caster sugar and beat until it reaches stiff
peaks.
Add the meringue to your dry mixture and mix, quickly and roughly
at first to beat out as much of the air bubbles as you can out of in the egg
whites, then fold carefully as the dry mixture becomes incorporated and it
starts to become shiny again. Take care not to overmix, the mixture should flow
like lava and a streak of mixture spread over the surface of the rest of the
mixture should disappear after about a minute. Place in a piping bag with a
plain round tip and pipe rounds of about 3cm diameter on lined baking sheets (or
silicon baking mats), about 2cm apart. Gently rap the baking sheets on the bench
top to remove any extra bubbles from your piped shells. Leave shells on bench to
dry for about an hour, so that when you press the surface of one gently it does
not break.
Preheat your oven to 140-150°C (temperature varies depending
on your oven). Place on top of an overturned roasting tray or another baking
sheet if they are not professional grade. Bake for 13-15 minutes, depending on
the size of your shells. Remove from the oven and cool on the tray for a few
minutes, then gently remove from the sheet and place on a wire rack to cool
completely. (If shells are stuck to the sheet then you may need to return the
tray to the oven for a few more minutes)
To make the filling, place avocado flesh and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl and beat
with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Strain mixture to remove any
large lumps. Return to the mixing bowl and add sifted icing sugar, then beat to
combine. Add condensed milk and beat again until combined. Refrigerate the
mixture for 15 minutes and then sandwich macaron shells with about half a
teaspoon of avocado filling each. Refrigerate overnight
and then serve at room temperature. These can be stored in an airtight container
in the fridge for several days
Brownies.
I’ve never made them like this before. The texture will be better!
http://www.foodbeam.com/2010/03/25/un-clapotement-sur-la-vitre-du-reve-brownies-fondants-au-cacao/
makes 16
140g butter
280g caster sugar
80g cocoa powder
1/4 heaped tsp maldon sea salt
2 large eggs
65g plain flour
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a 25×25cm baking tin with baking paper.
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a bowl and cook over a simmering bain-marie, stirring from time to time until it forms a smooth mixture and feel hot to the touch (around 50-60°C).
Set aside to cool down slightly, then mix in the eggs one at a time, using a whisk and stirring for a good minute after each one.
Fold in the flour and spread the batter evenly into the prepared tin.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until barely set. Allow to cool on a rack, then remove the brownies from the tin and slice into slices.
Oatmeal Cream Pies
THIS IS NOT MY RECIPE! FOUND AT: http://www.howtoeatacupcake.net/
Not that I think I’ll ever make these, but my daughter loves them so maybe one day I will. When that day comes, bingo….
Oatmeal Cream Pies (from “The Amish Cook’s Baking Book”)
Makes about 24 pies
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons boiling water
Filling (adapted from “The All-American Dessert Book”)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (about 1 1/2 packets)
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup water (divided)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces vegetable shortening
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside (or use parchment).
Cream the butter, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together the salt, flour, and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture. Add the cinnamon and oats. Mix well. In a small dish, add the baking soda to the boiling water, and then stir the mixture into the rest of the batter. Mix well. Drop by the tablespoon (I did 2 tablespoons) onto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake until the cookies are firm and just starting to turn golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack or a plate.
For the filling, in a small measuring cup, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water. Let stand, stirring once or twice until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup hot water until well blended. Continuing to stir, raise the heat to high and bring to a full boil. Continue boiling for 30 seconds. Immediately remove from the heat. Stir in the gelatin mixture until it dissolves completely.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the vanilla. With a mixer on medium speed, beat for 20 seconds. Gradually raise the speed to high and beat until the mixture is stiffened, white, very fluffy, and cooled to barely warm, about 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Add the shortening and beat until completely smooth. The filling will set up as it sits, so wait until it is thick enough to spread or pipe before filling the cookies.
London Broil with Herb Butter
from Food Network Magazine Feb/Mar 2009
Ingredients
For the steak:
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 top round London broil steak (about 2 pounds)
For the herb butter:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil or tarragon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Preparation:
Prepare the steak: Dissolve the bouillon cube in 3/4 cup hot water in a bowl; set aside to cool. Whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil, the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place the steak in a large resealable plastic bag, pour in the marinade and seal, squeezing out the air. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.
Prepare the herb butter: Mix the butter with the chives, parsley, chervil, a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the lemon juice in a bowl.
About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the meat from the bag (discard the marinade), dry it well and bring to room temperature. Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat, about 2 minutes. Rub the steak with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt over the surface of the pan; add the meat and set a heavy skillet on top to weigh it down. Sear for about 7 minutes; turn the steak, replace the weight and cook until a thermometer inserted into the side reads 110 degrees for medium-rare, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the steak to a cutting board; brush with some of the herb butter, tent with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes. Thinly slice against the grain; top with more herb butter and drizzle with the pan juices.
