November Daring Bakers Challenge: Holy Moly Canolli!

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

Cannoli are known as Italian-American pastries, although the origin of cannoli dates back to Sicily, specifically Palermo, where it was prepared during Carnevale season, and according to lore, as a symbol of fertility. The cannoli is a fried, tube-shaped pastry shell (usually containing wine) filled with a creamy amalgamation of sweetened ricotta cheese, chocolate, candied fruit or zest, and sometimes nuts. Although not traditional, mascarpone cheese is also widely used, and in fact, makes for an even creamier filling when substituted for part of the ricotta, or by itself. However, cannoli can also be filled with pastry creams, mousses, whipped cream, ice cream etc. You could also add your choice of herbs, zests or spices to the dough, if desired. Marsala is the traditional wine used in cannoli dough, but any red or white wine will work fine, as it’s not only added for flavor or color, but to relax the gluten in the dough since it can be a stiff dough to work with. By the way, the name ‘Lidisano’ is a combination of Lidia, Lisa and Sopranos..LOL

Makes 22-24 4-inch cannoli
Prep time:
Dough – 2 hours and 10-20 minutes, including resting time, and depending on whether you do it by hand or machine.
Filling – 5-10 minutes plus chilling time (about 2 hours or more)
Frying – 1-2 minutes per cannoli
Assemble – 20–30 minutes

RECIPE NOTE: THE EQUIVALENTS FROM THIS RECIPE WERE PREPARED USING THIS CONVERSION SITE: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/index.asp.

CANNOLI SHELLS
2 cups (250 grams/16 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons(28 grams/1 ounce) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.06 ounces) unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (approx. 3 grams/0.11 ounces) salt
3 tablespoons (42 grams/1.5 ounces) vegetable or olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.18 ounces) white wine vinegar
Approximately 1/2 cup (approx. 59 grams/approx. 4 fluid ounces/approx. 125 ml) sweet Marsala or any white or red wine you have on hand
1 large egg, separated (you will need the egg white but not the yolk)
Vegetable or any neutral oil for frying – about 2 quarts (8 cups/approx. 2 litres)
1/2 cup (approx. 62 grams/2 ounces) toasted, chopped pistachio nuts, mini chocolate chips/grated chocolate and/or candied or plain zests, fruits etc.. for garnish
Confectioners’ sugar

Note – If you want a chocolate cannoli dough, substitute a few tablespoons of the flour (about 25%) with a few tablespoons of dark, unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process) and a little more wine until you have a workable dough (Thanks to Audax).

CANNOLI FILLING
2 lbs (approx. 3.5 cups/approx. 1 kg/32 ounces) ricotta cheese, drained
1 2/3 cups cup (160 grams/6 ounces) confectioner’s sugar, (more or less, depending on how sweet you want it), sifted
1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (4 grams/0.15 ounces) pure vanilla extract or the beans from one vanilla bean
3 tablespoons (approx. 28 grams/approx. 1 ounce) finely chopped good quality chocolate of your choice
2 tablespoons (12 grams/0.42 ounces) of finely chopped, candied orange peel, or the grated zest of one small to medium orange
3 tablespoons (23 grams/0.81 ounce) toasted, finely chopped pistachios

Note – If you want chocolate ricotta filling, add a few tablespoons of dark, unsweetened cocoa powder to the above recipe, and thin it out with a few drops of warm water if too thick to pipe.

DIRECTIONS FOR SHELLS:
1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and enough of the wine to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight.

2 Cut the dough into two pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Lightly flour a large cutting or pastry board and roll the dough until super thin, about 1/16 to 1/8” thick (An area of about 13 inches by 18 inches should give you that). Cut out 3 to 5-inch circles (3-inch – small/medium; 4-inch – medium/large; 5-inch;- large. Your choice). Roll the cut out circle into an oval, rolling it larger and thinner if it’s shrunk a little.

3 Oil the outside of the cannoli tubes (You only have to do this once, as the oil from the deep fry will keep them well, uhh, oiled..lol). Roll a dough oval from the long side (If square, position like a diamond, and place tube/form on the corner closest to you, then roll) around each tube/form and dab a little egg white on the dough where the edges overlap. (Avoid getting egg white on the tube, or the pastry will stick to it.) Press well to seal. Set aside to let the egg white seal dry a little.

4. In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 3 inches, or if using an electric deep-fryer, follow the manufacturer’s directions. Heat the oil to 375°F (190 °C) on a deep fry thermometer, or until a small piece of the dough or bread cube placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. Have ready a tray or sheet pan lined with paper towels or paper bags.

5. Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly.

8. Lift a cannoli tube with a wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, out of the oil. Using tongs, grasp the cannoli tube at one end. Very carefully remove the cannoli tube with the open sides straight up and down so that the oil flows back into the pan. Place the tube on paper towels or bags to drain. Repeat with the remaining tubes. While they are still hot, grasp the tubes with a potholder and pull the cannoli shells off the tubes with a pair of tongs, or with your hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. Let the shells cool completely on the paper towels. Place shells on cooling rack until ready to fill.

9. Repeat making and frying the shells with the remaining dough. If you are reusing the cannoli tubes, let them cool before wrapping them in the dough.

Pasta Machine method:
1. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Starting at the middle setting, run one of the pieces of dough through the rollers of a pasta machine. Lightly dust the dough with flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Pass the dough through the machine repeatedly, until you reach the highest or second highest setting. The dough should be about 4 inches wide and thin enough to see your hand through

2. Continue rolling out the remaining dough. If you do not have enough cannoli tubes for all of the dough, lay the pieces of dough on sheets of plastic wrap and keep them covered until you are ready to use them.

3, Roll, cut out and fry the cannoli shells as according to the directions above.

For stacked cannoli:
1. Heat 2-inches of oil in a saucepan or deep sauté pan, to 350-375°F (176 – 190 °C).

2. Cut out desired shapes with cutters or a sharp knife. Deep fry until golden brown and blistered on each side, about 1 – 2 minutes. Remove from oil with wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, then place on paper towels or bags until dry and grease free. If they balloon up in the hot oil, dock them lightly prior to frying. Place on cooling rack until ready to stack with filling.

DIRECTIONS FOR FILLING:
1. Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Place the ricotta in the strainer over a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Weight it down with a heavy can, and let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator for several hours to overnight.

2. In a bowl with electric mixer, beat ricotta until smooth and creamy. Beat in confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and blend until smooth. Transfer to another bowl and stir in chocolate, zest and nuts. Chill until firm.(The filling can be made up to 24 hours prior to filling the shells. Just cover and keep refrigerated).

ASSEMBLE THE CANNOLI:
1. When ready to serve..fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain or star tip, or a ziplock bag, with the ricotta cream. If using a ziplock bag, cut about 1/2 inch off one corner. Insert the tip in the cannoli shell and squeeze gently until the shell is half filled. Turn the shell and fill the other side. You can also use a teaspoon to do this, although it’s messier and will take longer.

2. Press or dip cannoli in chopped pistachios, grated chocolate/mini chocolate chips, candied fruit or zest into the cream at each end. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and/or drizzles of melted chocolate if desired.

PUMPKIN FILLING
1/2 cup (123 grams/4.34 ounces) ricotta cheese, drained
1/2 cup (113 grams/4.04 ounces) mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup (122.5 grams/4.32 ounces) canned pumpkin, drained like ricotta
3/4 cup (75 grams/2.65 ounces) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1/2 to 1 teaspoon (approx. 1.7 grams/approx. 0.06 ounces) pumpkin pie spice (taste)
1/2 teaspoon (approx. 2 grams/approx. 0.08 ounces) pure vanilla extract
6-8 cannoli shells

1. In a bowl with electric mixer, beat ricotta and mascarpone until smooth and creamy. Beat in confectioner’s sugar, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and blend until smooth. Transfer to another bowl, cover and chill until it firms up a bit. (The filling can be made up to 24 hours prior to filling the shells. Just cover and keep refrigerated).

2. Fill the shells as directed above. I dipped the ends of the shells in caramelized sugar and rolled them in toasted, chopped pecans.

TIPS AND NOTES:
- Dough must be stiff and well kneaded

- Rolling the dough to paper thinness, using either a rolling pin or pasta machine, is very important. If the dough is not rolled thin enough, it will not blister, and good cannoli should have a blistered surface.

- Initially, this dough is VERY stubborn, but keep rolling, it eventually gives in. Before cutting the shapes, let the dough rest a bit, covered, as it tends to spring back into a smaller shapes once cut. Then again, you can also roll circles larger after they’re cut, and/or into ovals, which gives you more space for filling.

- Your basic set of round cutters usually doesn’t contain a 5-inch cutter. Try a plastic container top, bowl etc, or just roll each circle to 5 inches. There will always be something in your kitchen that’s round and 5-inches if you want large cannoli.

- Oil should be at least 3 inches deep and hot – 360°F-375°F, or you’ll end up with greasy shells. I prefer 350°F – 360°F because I felt the shells darkened too quickly at 375°F.

- If using the cannoli forms, when you drop the dough on the form into the oil, they tend to sink to the bottom, resulting in one side darkening more. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to gently lift and roll them while frying.

- DO NOT crowd the pan. Cannoli should be fried 2-4 at a time, depending on the width of your saucepan or deep fryer. Turn them once, and lift them out gently with a slotted spoon/wire skimmer and tongs. Just use a wire strainer or slotted spoon for flat cannoli shapes.

- When the cannoli turns light brown – uniform in color, watch it closely or remove it. If it’s already a deep brown when you remove it, you might end up with a really dark or slightly burnt shell.

- Depending on how much scrap you have left after cutting out all of your cannoli shapes, you can either fry them up and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar for a crispy treat, or let the scraps rest under plastic wrap and a towel, then re-roll and cut more cannoli shapes.

- Push forms out of cannoli very gently, being careful not to break the shells as they are very delicate. DO NOT let the cannoli cool on the form, or you may never get it off without it breaking. Try to take it off while still hot. Hold it with a cloth in the center, and push the form out with a butter knife or the back of a spoon.

- When adding the confectioner’s sugar to the filling..TASTE. You may like it sweeter than what the recipe calls for, or less sweet, so add in increments.

- Fill cannoli right before serving! If you fill them an hour or so prior, you’ll end up with soggy cannoli shells.

- If you want to prepare the shells ahead of time, store them in an airtight container, then re-crisp in a 350°F (176 °C) oven for a few minutes, before filling.

(Empty shells waiting to be filled.)

I decided to take this on as a two day challenge to accomodate my hectic schedule and I am glad I did.  I am also very glad that my darling hubby got me a pasta machine last Christmas so that I didn’t have to roll the dough by hand.  It made it so much easier to get that paper thin dough you are looking for.

Speaking of dough, I did not have marsala in the house but I did some red wine I used instead (Merlot).  It made my dough look a rather frightening reddish wine colour but it didn’t hurt the taste in the end result.  I also left out the nuts in this recipe as my hubby is not a nut fan and I was not about to eat 2 dozen cannoli by myself!

The filling was not overly sweet and I did enjoy the subtle flavor of chocolate with a more pronounced orange flavor.  This recipe was a bit time consuming but I am glad I gave this a try.  I think I would like to attempt a variety of fillings if I ever did this again and it would make quite an impression on any guests you might happen to serve this to.

I give this recipe 7.5 chips out of a bag of 10.

French Friday: Haricots Verts aux Echalotes (Haricots Verts with Shallots)

Taken from Bouchon by Thomas Keller

Ingredients:

• 1 pound haricots verts (green beans)
• 4 tbsp. /2 oz.  unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. minced shallots
• 1/4 cup chicken stock or water
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. chopped Italian parsely

Directions:

Bring a large sauce pan of generously salted water to a boil.  Prepare an ice bath.  Trim the stem ends of the beans and wash under cold running water.  Blanch the beans until just tender; the cooking time can vary greatly depending on how fresh the beans are, so begin to taste them after about 2 mins.

Drain the beans and place them in the ice bath just until cold, then drain them and dry well on paper towels.  The blanched beans can be wrapped in paper towels and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Melt half the butter in the skillet then add the shallots and cook gently for a minute or until softened.  Add the chicken stock or water, the remaining butter, and the beans.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Heat, swirling the skillet, for about 2 minutes, to heat the beans and glaze with the butter mixture.  At the last minute, toss in the parsley.

Transfer the beans to serving plates or a platter and spoon the butter sauce over the top.

************************************************************************************************************

I now know how Chef Keller got to be the household name he is today.  You’ve got green beans which normally can be a little dull but add a few simple ingredients and they are transformed.  They still taste like green beans but just…better.  They’re elevated to something beyond being just a green bean but are still recognizable.  It’s like a green bean in a little black dress (the “dress” being the butter, shallots, etc.) And you know the best part, Chippies?  My daughter actually liked these!!!!  She is 7 and a little finicky when it comes to veggies –especially green ones– but she gave me a big thumbs up here.

I apologize for the lack of photo but it’s a testament to these beans, really.  Unless you really wanted to see a photo of an empty plate…

 I give this recipe 8.5 chips out of a bag of 10.

November Cooking Club Challenge: Cinnamon Rolls!

By Chef Michael Smith

Dough

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 cups flour
• 1 pkg yeast
• 4 x eggs

Filling

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cinnamon

Glaze

• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 4 tbsp cream
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Dough

1. In a small pot gently warm the milk along with 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, the vanilla and the salt. Don’t bring to a simmer, warm just enough to melt the butter. Meanwhile measure half the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer along with the yeast. Add the warm melted milk butter mixture to the flour, beat with a paddle attachment until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth before proceeding. Switch to a dough hook and add the remaining flour. Knead until a soft dough forms that is no longer sticky to the touch, about five minutes. Rest the dough in a warm place, covered in a lightly oiled bowl until it doubles in size, about one to two hours.
2. Knock the dough down and let rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile thoroughly mix together the room temperature butter with 1 cup of brown sugar and the cinnamon. Flour your work surface, the dough, your hands and a rolling pin. Roll out the dough into a long rectangle shape, about 18×12-inches. Evenly spread the cinnamon butter over the top of the dough leaving an inch or two uncovered along one long edge. This will help a seal form. Roll tightly into a long cigar shape from the covered long edge to the uncovered long edge. Brush the outside of the log with oil or melted butter.
3. Slice the dough log into 12 or 16 sections. Turn each on its side and position evenly in an appropriately sized lightly oiled baking pan. Rest, uncovered, until the dough doubles in size again and the rolls swell into each other.
4. Meanwhile preheat your oven to 350?. When the dough is ready, bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
5. When the cinnamon rolls have cooled enough to handle stir together the glaze ingredients and drizzle all over them. Serve immediately!

Filling

1. Mix all ingredients together.

Glaze

1. Stir together the glaze ingredients and drizzle all over the cinnamon rolls after they have cooled.

 These cinnamon rolls are simply amazing!  I wanted to try making my own for ages but things that involve yeast generally tend to mock me, resulting in frustrating failure.  Just as a note for all you Chippies out there, I used a quick rise yeast.  I also preheated my stove a bit.  I let it warm at 200 degree for about 3 minutes with the oven light on.  I popped my dough inside, covered with saran wrap and let it rise for about 2 hours.  It rose so much that it was coming over the sides of the bowl.  Holy Hannah!

I opted not to do the glaze for a couple of reasons.  First my hubby prefers his cinnamon rolls naked.  Secondly, I am not a fan of icing sugar glazes.  I opted to drizzle caramel over the top instead.  We were able to sample some still warm cinnamon rolls after supper one evening and it was almost a religious experience.  Fluffy and comforting and just….sigh…oh, just go make some, okay?

I give this recipe 9 chips out of a bag of 10.

Lemon Dreams

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• 2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
• Lemon Cream Frosting
• 1 cup lemon curd

Line muffin tin with 24 paper liners.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter with a electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Gradually add sugar and beat until combined.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Alternatively add flour mixture and buttermilk/sour milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until just combined.  Stir in 2 tsp. of finely shredded lemon peel.

Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 15-18 mins. or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 5 mins. then remove cupcakes and cool completely on a wire rack.

Prepare Lemon Cream Frosting and set aside.  Spoon lemon curd into a decorating bag fitted with a star or round tip.  Push tip into each cupcake and force some lemon curd inside. 

Generously pipe or spread frosting onto the tops of the cupcakes.

Lemon Cream Frosting:

• 6 oz. cream cheese
• 1/3 cup softened butter
• 1/4 cup lemon curd
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp. milk

In a large bowl, combine softened cream cheese,  softened butter and lemon curd.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth.  Gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar, beating well.  Beat in 1 tbsp. of milk.  Gradually beat in the other 3 cups of powdered sugar.  If necessary beat in additional milk, 1 tsp. at a time, to make the frosting of a spreadable consistency.

Tip: To make 1 cup of sour milk, place 1 tbsp. of vinegar or lemon juice in a glass measuring cup.  Add milk to make 1 cup total liquid.  Stir.  Let stand for 5 minutes.

This is a nice change from all the chocolately recipes I do.  Sweet with a nice bit of tart from the lemon curd hiding inside each cupcake.  Kind of a like a little surprise in each one.  Love that!  I found this made a huge HUGE amount of frosting and was able to do almost 2 batches of cupcakes with 1 recipe of frosting.  Feel free to make this for company.  It’ll be a hit.  You can trust me on that, Chippies.

I give this recipe 8 chips out of a bag of 10.

October Daring Bakers Challenge: Macarons!

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

Introduction: Unless you’ve been frozen in permafrost for the past five years, you’ve likely noticed that cupcake bakeries have popped up all over like iced mushrooms. Knock one down, and three take its place. Much has been made about not only the cupcake’s popularity, but also its incipient demise as the sweet du jour. Since we seem to be a culture intent on the next sensation, pundits, food enthusiasts and bloggers have all wondered what this sensation might be. More than a few have suggested that French-style macaroons (called macarons in France) might supplant the cupcake. This may or may not come to pass, but the basic premise of the French macaroon is pretty damned tasty.

In the United States, the term “macaroon” generally refers to a cookie made primarily of coconut. But European macaroons are based on either ground almonds or almond paste, combined with sugar and egg whites. The texture can run from chewy, crunchy or a combination of the two. Frequently, two macaroons are sandwiched together with ganache, buttercream or jam, which can cause the cookies to become more chewy. The flavor possibilities and combinations are nigh endless, allowing infinitely customizable permutations.

Famed purveyors of the French macaroon include the legendary Ladurée (http://www.laduree.fr/index_en.htm) and Pierre Hermé (http://www.pierreherme.com/index.cgi?cwsid=7450phAC194316ph5211130) in Paris, Paulette Macarons (http://www.paulettemacarons.com/) and Jin Patisserie (http://www.jinpatisserie.com/) in Los Angeles, and La Maison du Chocolat worldwide (http://www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/en/index.php#/home/undefined/1). This is by no means a complete listing of patisseries and bakeries that sell macaroons. If you want to check if any bakeries near you sell French macaroons, here’s a good place to start: http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/10/where-to-find-macarons-new-york-city-….

French macaroons are notorious for being difficult to master. Type in “macaroon,” “French macaroon” or “macaron” in your search engine of choice, and you will be inundated not only with bakeries offering these tasty little cookies, but scores and even hundreds of blogs all attempting to find the perfect recipe, the perfect technique. Which one is right? Which captures the perfect essence of macaroons? The answer is all of them and none of them. Macaroons are highly subjective, the subject of passionate, almost Talmudic study and debate. Chewy? Crisp? Age your egg whites? Ground the nuts or use nut meal or nut flour? Cooked sugar syrup, or confectioners’ sugar? In the words of a therapist, what do you think is the ideal macaroon? The answer lies within you.

Will French macaroon supplant the cupcake as the next sweet trend? There’s no way to know. I couldn’t have predicted the resurgence of leggings, yet here they are.

Note: Macaroon making is somewhat labor intensive, yet simultaneously less difficult than you think it will be. One thing you must do is have your egg whites at room temperature. This ensures they beat up properly, as texture is an integral component to macaroons. You will be piping the batter onto parchment paper or nonstick liners, and some home bakers use stencils to make sure their macaroons are uniform in size. It’s your choice.

Be aware that you are beating your egg whites first to soft peaks. Soft peaks means that the peaks of the meringue curl over when you lift up the beaters. After you add the granulated sugar to the soft peak meringue, you will beat the mixture to stiff peaks, which, true to their name, stand straight up. Be careful not to overbeat your eggs.

You will also be folding the nut flour into the meringue. As with most recipes when you combine something with beaten egg whites, be gentle in your mixing to keep the egg whites light.

Some recipes call for drying the piped macaroons on the counter prior to baking for 30 minutes to an hour. This recipe stipulates that you bake the macaroons at a low temperature for 5 minutes, then take them out of the oven, raising the temperature, and baking them for an additional 7 to 8 minutes. Drying is necessary to get the trademark “feet” on your macaroons. Experiment to find the best technique for you.

If you plan on using parchment paper rather than nonstick pan liners, be careful when removing the macaroons from the paper, as they can stick and are very delicate. Some recipes suggest lifting up a corner of the paper and letting a drop of water fall onto the hot baking sheet, thus producing steam, which helps the macaroons release.

Flavor variations are, as I said, infinite. In Fleming’s original recipe, she calls for adding vanilla bean seeds to the granulated sugar, and folds in the zest of a lemon to make lemon macaroons. You can add cocoa powder, instant coffee or espresso powder, green tea powder, fruit zests. You can tint the batter (Helen again suggests using powdered food coloring to keep from adding too much moisture to the batter). The same goes for fillings—anything goes. Ganache, buttercream, jam, caramel, custard. Here in L.A., there is place called Milk (http://www.themilkshop.com/) that bakes extra large macaroons and makes them into delicious ice cream sandwiches. You must make at least one filling, preferably from scratch, but what that filling will be is entirely up to you.

An important note about coloring and flavoring: liquid food coloring can be used, but be cautious! Use 1-3 drops maximum, otherwise, according to Helen, it increases the moisture in the batter, and that can ruin the macaroons. She suggests one trick: mix the liquid color with the almonds and powdered sugar and to let that air dry for a couple of hours. This reduced the moisture a little bit. If you use more than 3 drops of food coloring, you’re going to have a disaster. That means using fruit puree is out. One way to flavor the macaroons is to use 1-2 teaspoons of citrus zest, 1-2 teaspoons of matcha (green tea powder), or 1-2 teaspoons of herbs or freeze-dried fruit powders. If you want savory macaroons, you can try 1 teaspoon of saffron or other savory dry flavorings. If you want to use powdered color, Helen says that up to 1 tablespoon is a safe amount.

Equipment required:
• Electric mixer, preferably a stand mixer with a whisk attachment
• Rubber spatula
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper or nonstick liners
• Pastry bag (can be disposable)
• Plain half-inch pastry bag tip
• Sifter or sieve
• If you don’t have a pastry bag and/or tips, you can use a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off
• Oven
• Cooling rack
• Thin-bladed spatula for removing the macaroons from the baking sheets
• Food processor or nut grinder, if grinding your own nuts (ouch!)

Ingredients
Confectioners’ (Icing) sugar: 2 ¼ cups (225 g, 8 oz.)
Almond flour: 2 cups (190 g, 6.7 oz.)
Granulated sugar: 2 tablespoons (25 g , .88 oz.)
Egg whites: 5 (Have at room temperature)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Combine the confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a medium bowl. If grinding your own nuts, combine nuts and a cup of confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor and grind until nuts are very fine and powdery.
2. Beat the egg whites in the clean dry bowl of a stand mixer until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
3. Sift a third of the almond flour mixture into the meringue and fold gently to combine. If you are planning on adding zest or other flavorings to the batter, now is the time. Sift in the remaining almond flour in two batches. Be gentle! Don’t overfold, but fully incorporate your ingredients.
4. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain half-inch tip (Ateco #806). You can also use a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off. It’s easiest to fill your bag if you stand it up in a tall glass and fold the top down before spooning in the batter.
5. Pipe one-inch-sized (2.5 cm) mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with nonstick liners (or parchment paper).
6. Bake the macaroon for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Once the oven is up to temperature, put the pans back in the oven and bake for an additional 7 to 8 minutes, or lightly colored.
7. Cool on a rack before filling.

Tips that I Should have Read Before Attempting this Recipe:

1. If you have macaroons that stick to the parchment paper after baking::

This is a common problem (try a few degrees hotter next time or slightly longer next time) the bottoms of the macarons didn’t dry enough and are very sticky and leave the belly of the macaron behind when you lift them off the parchment paper.
Solution 1 – don’t peel the macarons off the paper just leave the stuck macarons on the paper on a drying rack for a few hours (or overnight) and then peel carefully.  Use scissors and cut out a row of macarons and then peel them so that way you can handle a few at a time instead of the whole sheet.
Solution 2 – Leave the macarons out for about 10 mins and then place back into the cooling oven with the door ajar. Make sure the oven is only warm, should be ready in less than an hour.
Solution 3 – Place some barely moist paper towels on top of the hot baking sheet and place the parchment paper with the sticky macarons on top of the towels. This creates steam which helps with the removal of the shells. A lot of sites said to use a few drops of water under the parchment paper but this tends to be a little “miss-and-hit” where the steam is formed.

Other notes from fellow DB’er Audax Artifex:

The Meringue
Start beating the egg whites at low speed, gradually increasing the speed to medium-high. If you start at high speed the air bubbles created will be less stable as they are too large. Continue beating the whites and once they have reached the soft peak stage, gradually add the sugar (this ensures that the sugar fully dissolves into the foam). The egg whites should be beaten until you have moist stiff shiny pointed peaks when the beaters are raised. Test by holding the mixture upside down and if they don’t fall out of the bowl they are done (this is the classic test for firm peaks). If you are using fresh egg whites  then continue to beat until you have ‘firm-firm’ i.e. very firm peaks a couple of minutes more. Since the DB recipe has so litttle sugar in the meringue (as compared to most other French method recipes) you might have to whip it longer than normal to get the correct stiffness.

Did you deflate the meringue at the start of the folding process when making the final piping mixture (the macaronage)? When you start to make the piping mixture you must use hard and fast strokes to release the air in the meringue this is important you don’t want the batter to be light and airy or fluffy, you don’t want to have air pockets or bubbles in the final batter. Use a ‘fold and press’ against-the-sides-of-the-bowl motion that deflates the meringue. I will explain in detail how to make the macaronage below.
Macaronage
For your next batch when you are doing the folding of the macaronage (the piping mixture) watch closely. When you add the almond meal and the icing sugar the mixture will go dull now start folding hard and fast for six to seven strokes (could take more depending on your technique) to break the air out of the mixture (you are trying to deflate it) don’t be gentle then slow down and fold more carefully. It is difficult to mix the almond meal/icing sugar and the meringue at first but it gets easier and a few folds later it will come together quickly, after some more folds the piping mixture will become shiny again about half to almost the same shininess as the original meringue mixture depending on how finely you have ground the almond meal and the type of colourings/flavourings used, now all the ingredients will be incorporated with no streaks and the piping mixture will be smooth, have no visible aeration (i.e. not light and fluffy and no bubbles in the batter) and it has lost about half of its starting volume, and the batter will level itself in the bowl and it shouldn’t be able to hold itself up when left, also the piping mixture at this stage should fall from the spatula in gentle slow continuous ribbons, these points are what you are looking for, now start testing by placing a tablespoon of the batter in a thin line on the remaining macaronage mixture it should disappear in 30 secs if not do a couple more folds. For me a 3 egg white batter takes about 35 strokes BUT this is different for everybody you might take 50 or 20 this is something you have find out for yourself. Also the piped shells will smooth out and spread out and flatten somewhat after a short time (a minute or so).

*******************************************************************************************************

Yeah, I know.  I totally buggered these up.  No poof.  No “feet”.  Flat, pathetic little creatures.  My macarons totally stuck to the parchment paper so that was another factor to deal with.  See above for solutions to That Problem.

But even with all these errors, it was still one heck of a tasty morsel.  :0)

The shell was light and chewy and the ganache was fab-u-lous.  I couldn’t help myself from licking the spoon afterward.  You taste the chocolate right away and then get a little hit from the hazelnuts in the Nutella.  Speaking of which, here is the recipe for the ganache:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. Nutella

Healt the cream to the boiling point.  Remove from heat.  Stir in dark chocolate and Nutella.  Let stand 2 minutes then stir well until incorporated.  Refrigerate until of spreadable consistency.  Fill maracons shells and enjoy!

I would love to give these another try because when they are done right, they are gorgeous to behold.  Be sure to check out the other Daring Baker’s blogs to see what I mean.

I give this recipe 8 chips out of a bag of 10…even if I did screw it up.  :p

Cooking With Kids: Mini Maple Pancake Muffins

I saw these on Bakerella’s blog and knew I had to try them!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Sift together with a wire whisk.
• In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, maple syrup and melted butter until just combined.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve a few chips to sprinkle on the tops.
• Bake for 8-9 minutes.

Makes 24 mini pancake muffins.

Let cool slightly and remove from the pan. You may need to use a toothpick around the edges to separate the pancake muffins from the pan.
Serve immediately with warmed butter if you like or even just with maple syrup.

These are such tasty little morsels of breakfast-y yumminess!  We served the maple syrup in a small bowl which was perfect for dipping the tiny muffins in.  The kids (and adults) in the house were all over these and they were completely gone within the day.

I give this recipe 8.5 chips out of a bag of 10.

Cooking with Kids: Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 vegtable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 large)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Line muffin pan with paper liners and preheat oven to 350F.

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.  In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, oil and eggs until smooth.  Add banana and vanilla, beating well.  Add flour mixture, beating until smooth.  Scoop batter into prepared pan.  Bake in preheated oven for 24-28 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.  Let cool in pan on rack for 10 mins.  Remove from pan and cool completely on rack.  Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• pinch of salt
• 2 1/4 cups confectioner’s (icing) sugar, sifted

In a bowl, using an electic mixer on medium-high speed, beat together cream cheese, butter and salt until creamy.  With mixer on low speed, beat in confectioner’s sugar, 1/2 cup at a time so that sugar doesn’t fly all over the place.  Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy.  Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes and refrigerate until ready to serve or for up to 1 day.

Note: I cut the frosting recipe in 1/2 and had just enough to cover the 12 cupcakes above.  The full recipe will give you about 2 cups of frosting.  This can be stored in the fridge up to 3 days.  Before using,  let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes to soften enough to spread.

The sweet frosting combined with the taste of banana was a sure fire hit with my kids.   :0) And it was kind of weird but the more of these I had, the more I like them.  It definately has the makings of an addiction.  Next time, I need to try it with caramel frosting.  Oh, yeah, baby!

I give this recipe 8 chips out of a bag of 10.

October Cooking Club Challenge: Italian Meat Loaf

The moistened crumbs add liquid to the meat loaf, keeping it juicy. Note: This recipe is designed for a 5- to 6-quart (5 to 6L) slow cooker. Recipe reprinted from the Canadian Living Slow Cooker Collection

Ingredients:

Italian Meat Loaf

• 1 3/4 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 x eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 lb. ground veal or beef
• 1 lb. ground pork

Topping

• 3/4 cup shredded provolone cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

 

Directions:

Italian Meat Loaf

1. Line bottom and side of slow cooker with heavy-duty or double thickness foil; set aside. In bowl, stir bread crumbs with milk; let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in skillet, heat oil over medium heat; fry onions, garlic and oregano, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes.
3. In large bowl, whisk eggs. Add sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, bread crumb mixture and onion mixture. Combine with wooden spoon. Mix in veal and pork, using hands if necessary. Place in centre of prepared slow cooker; shape into loaf.
4. Cover; cook on low until thermometer registers 170°F (75°C), 6 to 8 hours.

Topping

1. Sprinkle loaf with cheese; sprinkle parsley and sun-dried tomatoes down centre. Cover; cook on high until cheese is melted, 5 minutes. Using foil as handles, life out of slow cooker. Let stand on cutting board for 5 minutes, letting fat drain off onto foil. Transfer to cutting board and slice.

I can’t say this won me over.  My folks were never meat loaf kind of people so I never grew up with this dish as a source of comfort food at all even though variations of meat loaf have been around forever.  I was happy to get some use out of my crock pot, in any case.  The loaf seemed huge and not very pretty overall and, while in the crockpot, it sat there sitting in a pool of oil/fat.  Not exactly attractive.  The flavor itself was so-so and didn’t impress me.  It wasn’t awful but it wasn’t super either.  The kids wouldn’t eat it at all without drowning their slices in ketchup.  I’m afraid this recipe was just a miss with us all around.

I give this recipe 6 chips out of a bag of 10.

French Friday: Rough Apple Galette

Taken from Laura Calder’s French Taste

Galette Pastry

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups (300g) flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 cup (225g) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup ice-cold water
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Put the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl.  Add the butter pieces and pinch with the fingers to create a crumb texture.  Make a well in the middle, and pour in the water and vanilla.  Quickly work in the flour with your fingers to create a dough.  Do not overmix as that toughens the dough.  Divide into 2 disks, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 15 mins. before rolling out.

Filling:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 6 baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 tbsp. butter (optional)

Heat the oven to 400F (200C).  On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a round about 1/8 inch (3mm) thick and lay on a baking sheet.  Stir together the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Add the apples and toss to coat, then turn onto the pastry, piling them in the middle and leaving several inches of margin.  Dot with the butter, if using.  Fold the edges of the pastry up so they lie, rough edged, on the apples.  They won’t cover the apples completely.  Bake until the crust is crisp and golden and the apples are caramelized and soft when pricked with a fork, about 40-45 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Not to sound disrespectful, but I think this is even better than my Mom’s apple pie.  The pastry is light and tasty (and I didn’t mess it up!!).  I really like that there is no “top” to this, like you would find with pie, so you don’t get overwhelmed with dough all over the place.  I used Granny Smith apples and they held up really nicely to being baked in the oven.  I would seriously recommend this for Thanksgiving if pumpkin is not your thing.

Homey and delicious.

I give this recipe 8.5 chips out of a bag of 10.

September Daring Baker’s Challenge: Puff Pastry

The September 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

Puff pastry (aka pâte feuilletée) is something most of us usually buy at the grocery store, but in order to be really daring, we should make our own at least once in awhile, right? Kitchens should be getting cooler in the northern hemisphere, and are hopefully still cool-ish in the sourthern hempisphere, so I’m hoping you will all join me in making homemade puff pastry from Michel Richard’s recipe, as it appears in the book Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan. With our homemade puff we’ll be forming vols-au-vent cases to fill with anything we chose.

Puff pastry is in the ‘laminated dough” family, along with Danish dough and croissant dough. (In fact, if you participated in the Danish Braid challenge back in June 2008, then you already know the general procedure for working with laminated dough.) A laminated dough consists of a large block of butter (called the “beurrage”) that is enclosed in dough (called the “détrempe”). This dough/butter packet is called a “paton,” and is rolled and folded repeatedly (a process known as “turning”) to create the crisp, flaky, parallel layers you see when baked. Unlike Danish or croissant however, puff pastry dough contains no yeast in the détrempe, and relies solely aeration to achieve its high rise. The turning process creates hundreds of layers of butter and dough, with air trapped between each one. In the hot oven, water in the dough and the melting butter creates steam, which expands in the trapped air pockets, forcing the pastry to rise.

Once we have our puff pastry dough made and chilled, we are going to roll and form a portion of it into vols-au-vent, which are little puff pastry cases designed to hold a filling. I chose vols-au-vent specifically because I think they do a beautiful job of showing off the hundreds of flaky layers in the homemade puff. They can be made large enough for a full meal, or made small for little one-bite canapés, the choice is yours. Vols-au-vent are typically served hot and filled with a creamy savory filling (often poultry or seafood-based), but cold fillings, such as chicken or tuna salad, work, too. Whipped cream or pastry cream with fresh or stewed fruit often goes into sweet versions. If you are stumped for ideas for your filling(s), a quick on-line search or a glance at a traditional French cookbook will give you plenty of things to consider.

Equipment:
-food processor (will make mixing dough easy, but I imagine this can be done by hand as well)
-rolling pin
-pastry brush
-metal bench scraper (optional, but recommended)
-plastic wrap
-baking sheet
-parchment paper
-silicone baking mat (optional, but recommended)
-set of round cutters (optional, but recommended)
-sharp chef’s knife
-fork
-oven
-cooling rack

Prep Times:
-about 4-5 hours to prepare the puff pastry dough (much of this time is inactive, while you wait for the dough to chill between turns…it can be stretched out over an even longer period of time if that better suits your schedule)
-about 1.5 hours to shape, chill and bake the vols-au-vent after your puff pastry dough is complete

Forming and Baking the Vols-au-Vent

Yield: 1/3 of the puff pastry recipe below will yield about 8-10 1.5” vols-au-vent or 4 4” vols-au-vent

In addition to the equipment listed above, you will need:
-well-chilled puff pastry dough (recipe below)
-egg wash (1 egg or yolk beaten with a small amount of water)
-your filling of choice

Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

Using a knife or metal bench scraper, divided your chilled puff pastry dough into three equal pieces. Work with one piece of the dough, and leave the rest wrapped and chilled. (If you are looking to make more vols-au-vent than the yield stated above, you can roll and cut the remaining two pieces of dough as well…if not, then leave refrigerated for the time being or prepare it for longer-term freezer storage. See the “Tips” section below for more storage info.)

On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough into a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting.

(This assumes you will be using round cutters, but if you do not have them, it is possible to cut square vols-au-vents using a sharp chef’s knife.) For smaller, hors d’oeuvre sized vols-au-vent, use a 1.5” round cutter to cut out 8-10 circles. For larger sized vols-au-vent, fit for a main course or dessert, use a 4” cutter to cut out about 4 circles. Make clean, sharp cuts and try not to twist your cutters back and forth or drag your knife through the dough. Half of these rounds will be for the bases, and the other half will be for the sides. (Save any scrap by stacking—not wadding up—the pieces…they can be re-rolled and used if you need extra dough. If you do need to re-roll scrap to get enough disks, be sure to use any rounds cut from it for the bases, not the ring-shaped sides.)

Using a ¾-inch cutter for small vols-au-vent, or a 2- to 2.5-inch round cutter for large, cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” for you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile.

Dock the solid bottom rounds with a fork (prick them lightly, making sure not to go all the way through the pastry) and lightly brush them with egg wash. Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” dock and egg wash them as well.

Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). (You could also cover and refrigerate them for a few hours at this point.)

Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place a silicon baking mat (preferred because of its weight) or another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC), and remove the silicon mat or parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (with no sheet on top) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.)

Remove to a rack to cool. Cool to room temperature for cold fillings or to warm for hot fillings.

Fill and serve.

*For additional rise on the larger-sized vols-au-vents, you can stack one or two additional ring layers on top of each other (using egg wash to “glue”). This will give higher sides to larger vols-au-vents, but is not advisable for the smaller ones, whose bases may not be large enough to support the extra weight.

*Although they are at their best filled and eaten soon after baking, baked vols-au-vent shells can be stored airtight for a day.

*Shaped, unbaked vols-au-vent can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month (bake from frozen, egg-washing them first).

Michel Richard’s Puff Pastry Dough

From: Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan
Yield: 2-1/2 pounds dough

Steph’s note: This recipe makes more than you will need for the quantity of vols-au-vent stated above. While I encourage you to make the full recipe of puff pastry, as extra dough freezes well, you can halve it successfully if you’d rather not have much leftover.

There is a wonderful on-line video from the PBS show “Baking with Julia” that accompanies the book. In it, Michel Richard and Julia Child demonstrate making puff pastry dough (although they go on to use it in other applications). They do seem to give slightly different ingredient measurements verbally than the ones in the book…I listed the recipe as it appears printed in the book. http://video.pbs.org/video/1174110297/search/Pastry

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups (12.2 oz/ 354 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups (5.0 oz/ 142 g) cake flour
1 tbsp. salt (you can cut this by half for a less salty dough or for sweet preparations)
1-1/4 cups (10 fl oz/ 300 ml) ice water
1 pound (16 oz/ 454 g) very cold unsalted butter

plus extra flour for dusting work surface

Mixing the Dough:

Check the capacity of your food processor before you start. If it cannot hold the full quantity of ingredients, make the dough into two batches and combine them.

Put the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a couple of times just to mix. Add the water all at once, pulsing until the dough forms a ball on the blade. The dough will be very moist and pliable and will hold together when squeezed between your fingers. (Actually, it will feel like Play-Doh.)

Remove the dough from the machine, form it into a ball, with a small sharp knife, slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap the dough in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat it with a rolling pin until it flattens into a square that’s about 1″ thick. Take care that the butter remains cool and firm: if it has softened or become oily, chill it before continuing.

Incorporating the Butter:

Unwrap the dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour (A cool piece of marble is the ideal surface for puff pastry) with your rolling pin (preferably a French rolling pin without handles), press on the dough to flatten it and then roll it into a 10″ square. Keep the top and bottom of the dough well floured to prevent sticking and lift the dough and move it around frequently. Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with “ears,” or flaps.

Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold the ears over the butter, stretching them as needed so that they overlap slightly and encase the butter completely. (If you have to stretch the dough, stretch it from all over; don’t just pull the ends) you should now have a package that is 8″ square.

To make great puff pastry, it is important to keep the dough cold at all times. There are specified times for chilling the dough, but if your room is warm, or you work slowly, or you find that for no particular reason the butter starts to ooze out of the pastry, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it . You can stop at any point in the process and continue at your convenience or when the dough is properly chilled.

Making the Turns:

Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square (this will help keep it square). Then, keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured to prevent sticking, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24″ (don’t worry about the width of the rectangle: if you get the 24″, everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich (use your arm-strength!).

With a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn.

Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24″ and then folding it in thirds. This is the second turn.

Chilling the Dough:

If the dough is still cool and no butter is oozing out, you can give the dough another two turns now. If the condition of the dough is iffy, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you’ve completed by indenting the dough with your fingertips. It is best to refrigerate the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns.

The total number of turns needed is six. If you prefer, you can give the dough just four turns now, chill it overnight, and do the last two turns the next day. Puff pastry is extremely flexible in this regard. However, no matter how you arrange your schedule, you should plan to chill the dough for at least an hour before cutting or shaping it.

Steph’s extra tips:

-While this is not included in the original recipe we are using (and I did not do this in my own trials), many puff pastry recipes use a teaspoon or two of white vinegar or lemon juice, added to the ice water, in the détrempe dough. This adds acidity, which relaxes the gluten in the dough by breaking down the proteins, making rolling easier. You are welcome to try this if you wish.

-Keep things cool by using the refrigerator as your friend! If you see any butter starting to leak through the dough during the turning process, rub a little flour on the exposed dough and chill straight away. Although you should certainly chill the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns, if you feel the dough getting to soft or hard to work with at any point, pop in the fridge for a rest.

-Not to sound contradictory, but if you chill your paton longer than the recommended time between turns, the butter can firm up too much. If this seems to be the case, I advise letting it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to give it a chance to soften before proceeding to roll. You don’t want the hard butter to separate into chuncks or break through the dough…you want it to roll evenly, in a continuous layer.

-Roll the puff pastry gently but firmly, and don’t roll your pin over the edges, which will prevent them from rising properly. Don’t roll your puff thinner than about about 1/8 to 1/4-inch (3-6 mm) thick, or you will not get the rise you are looking for.

-Try to keep “neat” edges and corners during the rolling and turning process, so the layers are properly aligned. Give the edges of the paton a scooch with your rolling pin or a bench scraper to keep straight edges and 90-degree corners.

-Brush off excess flour before turning dough and after rolling.

-Make clean cuts. Don’t drag your knife through the puff or twist your cutters too much, which can inhibit rise.

-When egg washing puff pastry, try not to let extra egg wash drip down the cut edges, which can also inhibit rise.

-Extra puff pastry dough freezes beautifully. It’s best to roll it into a sheet about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick (similar to store-bought puff) and freeze firm on a lined baking sheet. Then you can easily wrap the sheet in plastic, then foil (and if you have a sealable plastic bag big enough, place the wrapped dough inside) and return to the freezer for up to a few months. Defrost in the refrigerator when ready to use.

-You can also freeze well-wrapped, unbaked cut and shaped puff pastry (i.e., unbaked vols-au-vent shells). Bake from frozen, without thawing first.

-Homemade puff pastry is precious stuff, so save any clean scraps. Stack or overlap them, rather than balling them up, to help keep the integrity of the layers. Then give them a singe “turn” and gently re-roll. Scrap puff can be used for applications where a super-high rise is not necessary (such as palmiers, cheese straws, napoleons, or even the bottom bases for your vols-au-vent).

You can find lots more general tips for making puff pastry on-line, including here:
http://www.baking911.com/pastry/puff.htm

I encourage everyone to watch the on-line video from the PBS show “Baking with Julia” that accompanies the book:
http://video.pbs.org/video/1174110297/search/Pastry

I did not know I would need to do some weight training before undertaking this challenge.  Seriously.  If you do not have strong arms to roll dough, this is not the challenge for you.  Back away from the kitchen and sit down before you hurt yourself.  I can not be held responsible if you decide to not listen to me and decide to proceed so don’t say I didn’t warn you.

I was looking forward to this challenge but things went a little awry straight out the gate.  I really had wanted to begin my dough in the food processor but mine is way to little so I had to do it by hand.  Already I knew I was in trouble.  I was trying to kneed the dough but was worried about overworking it/not working it enough.  How does one know these things?  It was holding together but wasn’t smooth and elastic like bread would be.  I kneeded a few more minutes and then set my dough to rest in the fridge.

The most fun part of the challenge came next: smashing the butter with the rolling pin.  Puff pastry is great to make on a day when you have some aggression to let out.  Smack that butter, baby!  In order to ensure my butter was really, really cold I took it out of the freezer and let is sit on the counter an hour before I began so it was still plenty cold.  Perhaps a little too cold…

When I went to put the butter and wrap the dough around it, things were still going ok but when it was time to do the first turn—oh my word.  The butter was too hard and I was having a heck of a time getting things to cooperate.  Thus began a painful afternoon of dough tearing and butter popping out of places it wasn’t supposed to.

But, dear Chippies, I am nothing if not stubborn.  :0)

With each tear, I would put a bit of flour on the butter and pop the whole thing back into the fridge to rest a bit.  Then back out to continue the rolling and “turn”ing process.  By the fourth turn, things were coming around and looking improved.  The butter was incorporating nicely with fewer incidents of dough tearing.  I was still having to put tremendous effort into rolling it out to 24 inches each time though.  If I was smart, I would have stopped after the fourth turn and continued the next day.

Did I mention that I’m stubborn?

Well, I couldn’t possibly do that!  Heck, these vols au vents were going to be supper so I had to perservere!  I couldn’t let my family starve!

So onward and upward.  By the fifth and sixth turns, I was using my forearms to roll my French rolling pin over the dough as my hands felt bruised and my arms were burning.  Horrendous.

I felt a small frisson of happiness when I was finally ready to form the vols au vents.   I cut the dough into thirds and could see the strata within the dough.  Holy Mary, Mother of God! I began to think I may triumph over this challenge yet.

The first thing I made was Spicy Cheddar Palmiers.  Just look at those flaky layers!

Then I made vols au vents stuffed with chicken.

Then for dessert, we had Raspberry Creme Fraiche Puffs (my personal favorite).  I used one of the tops from the vols au vent and split it for this one.

Victory at last!  My arms were burning so bad they felt like they were on fire but I kicked the Pastry Puff’s flaky butt.

I came.  I puffed.  I conquered.

Due to the versatility of this recipe to combine with either sweet or savoury fillings , I give it 8 chips out of a bag of 1o.