Category Archives: Recipes

Duchess Potatoes

22 Thursday Dec 2011

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Ingredients

  • 5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced, and boiled until fork-tender
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Nutmeg
  • 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 whole egg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon baking mat.

Lay the boiled potatoes on a baking sheet and place into the oven until slightly dried on the surface, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and process through a ricer or food mill. Allow to cool in a bowl for about 5 minutes.
Add the egg yolks, butter, a couple generous pinches of salt, a generous pinch of pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and 3/4 cup cream. Stir with a rubber spatula to combine. Taste and make sure the potatoes have been adequately salted.
Transfer to a large pastry bag and pipe through a large star tip in a circular/upward spiral motion onto the prepared baking sheet.
Make an egg wash by mixing the whole egg with the remaining 1/2 cup cream. Lightly brush the piped potatoes with the egg wash. (This is a little easier if you chill the piped potatoes for half an hour or so.)
Bake until golden brown around the edges. Serve on a pretty platter!

Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

22 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in Baking, Desert, Recipes

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Ingredients

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup golden brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (rounded) malted milk powder
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • One 12-ounce bag milk chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cream the butter, then add both sugars and cream until fluffy. Add the eggs and beat slightly, then add the vanilla and beat until combined. Add the malted milk powder and beat until combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture, beating gently until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir in gently.

Drop by teaspoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between the cookies (they spread out quite a bit). Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. The cookies will be very flat and very chewy. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan with a spatula.

Optional: Allow to cool completely, then use 2 cookies to make an ice cream sandwich. Add sprinkles to the sides of the ice cream, then wrap individually in plastic wrap.

Prime Rib with Rosemary Salt Crust

22 Thursday Dec 2011

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Ingredients

  • 1 whole boneless rib eye (12 to 15 pounds)
  • Olive oil
  • 1/4 cup tri-color peppercorns
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 cup kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup minced garlic

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Cut the rib eye in half (roast halves separately for more controlled/even cooking).

Heat some oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear both rib eye halves until a nice dark golden color, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Place the peppercorns into a bag and crush with a rolling pin. Shred the leaves from the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Mix the salt with the crushed peppercorns, rosemary leaves, thyme leaves and garlic. Pour olive oil over the rib eye and pour on the rub mix. Pat slightly to get it to stick to the meat. Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 275 degrees F and roast until a meat thermometer registers 125 for rare/medium-rare, about 20 more minutes (the roast will continue to cook slightly after removing from the oven). Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.

Perfect Pot Roast

22 Thursday Dec 2011

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Ingredients

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • One 3 to 5-pound chuck roast
  • 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 whole onions, peeled and halved
  • 6 to 8 whole carrots, unpeeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup red wine, optional
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast.

Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides. Remove the onions to a plate.

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. Reserve the carrots with the onions.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom with a whisk. Place the roast back into the pot and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway.

Add in the onions and the carrots, along with the fresh herbs.

Put the lid on, then roast for 3 hours for a 3-pound roast. For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours. The roast is ready when it’s fall-apart tender.

Blackberry Cobbler

22 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in Baking, Desert, Recipes

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 stick butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan
  • 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup self-rising flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups fresh (or frozen) blackberries
  • Whipped cream and/or ice cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter.

In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup sugar with the flour and milk. Whisk in the melted butter.
Rinse the blackberries and pat them dry. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Sprinkle the blackberries evenly over the top of the batter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the blackberries. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 1 hour. When 10 minutes of the cooking time remains, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the top. Top with whipped cream or ice cream . . . or both!

Cinnamon Rolls

22 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in Baking, Breakfast, Recipes

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Ingredients

Dough:

  • 1 quart whole milk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 packages active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
  • 9 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 scant teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Filling:

  • 2 cups melted butter, plus more as needed
  • 1/4 cup ground cinnamon, for sprinkling
  • 2 cups sugar, plus more as needed

Maple Icing:

  • 2 pounds powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 tablespoon maple flavoring or maple extract

Directions

For the dough: Heat the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.

Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, and then cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining 1 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (The dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)

To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pan. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 by 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.

For the filling: Pour 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar over the butter. Don’t be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal.

Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log.

Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and, with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. One “log” will produce 20 to 25 rolls. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.)

Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking.

Remove the towel and bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown.

While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.

Remove the pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle the icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor. They only get better with time… not that they last for more than a few seconds. Make them for a friend today! It’ll seal the relationship for life. I promise.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Recipe

20 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Desert, Recipes

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Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate (squares)
4 cups sugar
3 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine milk and chocolate in medium-size heavy saucepan; cook over low heat until chocolate is melted. Add sugar, corn syrup and salt and cook, stirring constantly, to boiling.

2. Cook, without stirring to 234 degrees F on a candy thermometer. (A teaspoonful of syrup will form a soft ball when dropped into cold water.) Remove from heat at once. Add vanilla and butter or margarine, but do not stir in.

3. Cool mixture in pan to 11 0F, or until lukewarm; beat with wooden spoon until mixture thickens and begins to lose its gloss. (This will take about 15 minutes.)

4. Spread in a buttered 8x8x2″ pan. Let stand until set and cool; cut into squares. Makes about 2 pounds.

Potatoes a la Bakery

13 Tuesday Dec 2011

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Ingredients

•3 tablespoons butter

•1 tablespoon olive oil
•4 onions, sliced
•2 pounds potatoes, thinly sliced
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
•Fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked
•2 cups beef stock

Directions

•Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

•Melt half the butter with the olive oil in a saute pan, and gently fry the onions until soft and lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Spread half the onions in the bottom of a casserole. Lay a layer of sliced potatoes on top, season with salt and pepper, and scatter with thyme leaves. Build another layer of onions, then a final one of potatoes, and finally pour over the stock. Cover the pan with foil, and bake until all the liquid has been absorbed, 2 to 3 hours, removing the foil for the last hour if you like a crisp top.

Blackberry and Apple Pie

13 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Desert, Dinner, Recipes

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Ingredients

•Old-Fashioned Sweet Shortcrust Pastry, recipe follows

•1/4 cup butter, plus extra for greasing
•1/3 cup raw sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
•2 large Bramley or McIntosh apples, cored, peeled and each cut into 16 wedges
•4 Cox’s, Empire or Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges
•1 heaping tablespoon chopped ginger, in syrup
•5 ounces blackberries
•1 large free-range or organic egg, beaten
•1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•3 1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
•1 cup icing sugar, sifted
•1 cup plus 2 tablespoons good-quality cold butter, cut into small cubes
•1 lemon, zested
•2 large free-range or organic eggs, beaten

•Splash milk
•All-purpose flour, for dusting

Directions

First, make your pastry dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and rest it in the refrigerator for at least half an hour. Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the butter and sugar into a saucepan and, when the butter has melted, add the apples, ginger and a tablespoon of the ginger syrup. Slowly cook for 15 minutes with a lid on, then add the blackberries, stir and cook for 5 more minutes with the lid off.

Meanwhile, remove your pastry from the refrigerator. Dust your work surface with flour, cut the pastry in half and, using a floured rolling pin, roll 1 of the pieces out until it’s just under 1/2-inch thick or looks as if it will cover a shallow 10-inch pie dish. (Rolling the dough between 2 layers of waxed paper will also stop it sticking to your rolling pin.) Butter the shallow 10-inch pie dish and line with the pastry, trimming off any excess around the edges using a sharp knife.

Tip the cooled apples and blackberries into a sieve, reserving all the juices, then put the fruit into the lined pie dish so you have a mound in the middle. Spoon over half the reserved juices, (if desired use all the juice). Brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg. Roll out the second piece of pastry, just as you did the first, and lay it over the top of the pie. Trim the edges as before and crimp them together with your fingers. Brush the top of the pie with the rest of the beaten egg, sprinkle generously with sugar and the cinnamon, and make a couple of slashes in the top of the pastry.

Place the pie on a baking tray and then put it directly on the bottom of the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. To serve, slice the pie into portions and serve with a generous dollop of custard.

Old-Fashioned Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

Sift the flour from a height onto a clean work surface and sift the icing sugar over the top.

Using your hands, work the cubes of butter into the flour and sugar by rubbing your thumbs against your fingers until you end up with a fine, crumbly mixture. This is the point where you can spike the mixture with interesting flavors, so mix in your lemon zest.

Add the eggs and milk to the mixture and gently work it together until you have a ball of dough. Flour it lightly. Don’t work the pastry too much at this stage or it will become elastic and chewy, not crumbly and short. Flour your work surface and place the dough on top. Pat it into a flat round, flour it lightly, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it into the refrigerator to rest for at least half an hour.

Carbonara

13 Tuesday Dec 2011

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Ingredients

•Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

•6 medium green and yellow zucchini
•1 pound penne
•4 large free-range or organic egg yolks
•1/2 cup heavy cream
•2 good handfuls freshly grated Parmesan
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•Olive oil
•12 thick slices pancetta or lean bacon, cut into chunky pieces
•A small bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped, flowers reserved (if you can get hold of flowering thyme)
•Optional: a few zucchini flowers

Directions

Carbonara is a classic pasta sauce made with cream, bacon and Parmesan and is absolutely delicious. Try to buy the best ingredients you can, as that’s what really helps to make this dish amazing. I’m using a flowering variegated variety of thyme but normal thyme is fine to use. When it comes to the type of pasta, you can serve carbonara with spaghetti or linguine, but I’ve been told by Italian mammas (who I don’t argue with!) that penne is the original, so that’s what I’m using in this recipe. 

Before you start cooking, it’s important to get yourself a very large pan, or use a high-sided roasting pan so you can give the pasta a good toss. 

Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Halve and then quarter any larger zucchini lengthwise. Cut out and discard any fluffy middle bits, and slice the zucchini at an angle into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne. Smaller zucchini can simply be sliced finely. Your water will now be boiling, so add the penne to the pan and cook according to the package instructions. 

To make your creamy carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the cream and half the Parmesan, and mix together with a fork. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a very large frying pan (a 14-inch is a good start – every house should have one!), add a good splash of olive oil and fry the pancetta or bacon until dark brown and crisp. Add the zucchini slices and 2 big pinches of black pepper, not just to season but to give it a bit of a kick. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves, give everything a stir, so the zucchini is coated with all the lovely bacon-flavored oil, and fry until they start to turn lightly golden and have softened slightly. 

It’s very important to get this next bit right or your carbonara could end up ruined. You need to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the zucchini, bacon and lovely flavors, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and your creamy sauce. Stir together quickly. (No more cooking now, otherwise you’ll scramble the eggs.)

Get everyone around the table, ready to eat straightaway. While you’re tossing the pasta and sauce, sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan and a little more of the cooking water if needed, to give you a silky and shiny sauce. Taste quickly for seasoning. If you’ve managed to get any zucchini flowers, tear them over the top, then serve and eat immediately, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left too long.