An Ode to the Croissant, the HOMEMADE Croissant

I have always loved croissants. The buttery, flaky layers, the amazing smell, the way a dollop of jam finds it way into all the little nooks and crannies, just sublime. But little did I know how much better croissants could be when they are homemade, and fresh out of the oven.

Maybe it's the freshness of the ingredients, maybe it's the use of all butter and no shortening, and perhaps its the knowledge that you took the time to fold that dough encased butter into about 1600 layers yourself. Whatever the reason, store bought croissants, or the ones in the can, just cannot compare to homemade.

At some point in the near future, I hope to make these again, with step by step pictures, since that is really the only way to describe and show how to truly make a great croissant. I always wanted to make puff pastry or croissants at home, but was always intimidated by the instructions I read online. I never knew how easy it was until I saw it in person in class this week. While it takes a long time, and may be a little tedious, the best way to learn how it to see the method first hand.

Until I can take some step-by-steps, you can see a pretty good tutorial posted on The Kitchn. The one thing that stands out right away from their pictures is the size of the triangles they cut. If you want a more traditionally shaped croissant, you want to cut a very long and skinny triangle, maybe three inches at the base and 10-12 inches long. Then, cut a one inch slit in the middle of the base, and stretch the corners out a bit until you get a shape like the Eiffel Tower. You will get even more layers and rolls this way.

This February, the bleakest month of the year, try something you have been afraid to make. Pie crust, souffle, lemon curd, short ribs, duck, deep fried goodies, what's on your list?

Tough Decisions & Tender Biscuits

I have been sitting in front of a blank post form for about 30 minutes now. I think I have started a first sentence at least ten times and promptly deleted the boring, meaningless words. Maybe it's the day-quil giving me serious writing block or, it could be all the butter I have consumed in the last few days.

The writers block and lack of posting in the past few weeks is more likely due to the slightly drastic changes my life has taken in 2011. It is almost February and all of the sudden I find myself once again with one job. I officially quit my design job (you know the one that I was laid off from, and was rehired to, all in the past 15 months) after a lot of pushing for some commitment and security, which turns out was all in vain. Hard decisions had to be made. What was best for my soul, my sanity, and my career? Was it better to take a part time job in a environment that wasn't healthy but where I was using my degree, or is it better to keep my job as a food server where my managers care about my well being and my sense of job security?

This dilemma was something I had been struggling with for about 3-4 months, but the issue was pushed front and center when I decided to enroll in a baking and pastry certificate program here in Chicago. This is something I have wanted to do for a long long time, and I finally decided to take the plunge and go for it. I am three weeks in, and besides a long and boring weekend sanitation class, it is everything I hoped it would be and more. We have made scones and biscuits, focaccia, challah, french baguettes, and other goodies. I have learned so much in the little time I have been in school and can hardly wait for what the rest of the year will bring.

I have come to feel really good about the tough choice I felt I had to make, and cannot wait to be able to put all my positive energy into school and the many baking jobs I have lined up for the spring. So, let's kick off what will probably be a long string of baked goods here on the blog with some delicious buttermilk biscuits. I have never made biscuits before, and for some reason had gotten it in my head that they were a difficult thing to make. I don't know what I was thinking, they are incredibly easy, and so fast. Most importantly though, they are buttery and flaky and taste amazing.

Buttermilk Biscuits
adapted from Professional Baking by Wayne Gisslen


2 lbs. 8 oz. all purpose flour (if you have them available, use half bread flour and half pastry flour for better results, but for the everyday home cook, AP still produces an excellent biscuit)
.75 oz. salt
2 ounces sugar
1.5 oz baking powder
.4 oz baking soda
14 oz. unsalted butter, cold and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces (plus some extra melted for brushing)
1 lb 10 oz buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Sprinkle the cold butter over the dry mixture and with your fingers, break up the butter into smaller pieces to evenly distribute throughout flour (you can also use a pastry cutter, but using your fingers is way more fun). For flakier biscuits, do this until you have chickpea sized pieces, in other words, leave fairly big chunks of butter in your mixture. Just walk away, stop touching the butter (I know it's hard). For more mealy textured biscuits, you can break up the butter until it is in very teeny pieces, but I recommend the layered flaky goodness.

Add the buttermilk to your flour and butter mixture and mix with a spoon until dough starts to come together, then get in their with your hands and form the dough into a rough ball. Turn out onto a clean, lightly floured surface, and knead just a few times until you form a cohesive dough.

Gently press into a rectangular shape, and roll out with a rolling pin until about 3/4 inch thick, being sure to keep your surface underneath the dough floured to prevent sticking. Cut into 12-16 rectangles, depending on how big you would like your biscuits, and place on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. You can either keep them together in a tight rectangle for soft interior sides, or spread them out for a evenly baked, crispier biscuit. Brush tops lightly with a bit of melted butter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown and have puffed up.

Amaretto Brownies & Salted Butter Caramel Sauce (Gluten Free!)

I wish every weekend was cabin weekend...

Cabin weekend means good friends, great food, copious amounts of wine and beer, hot tubbing, and pontoon rides. Exciting news was shared between friends who had gone FAR too long in between visits. Raucous games of cutthroat bocce ball were played. There were too many smiles and laughs to count.

As usual though, the weekend mostly revolved around food, and there was disaster at almost every turn. More on that later, but one thing that did not get screwed up was the dessert. One of my best friends, (and brand new mom-to-be!!), has a gluten allergy, so it is always challenging to find a gluten free dessert that everyone will enjoy. Luckily, there is Tartelette to the rescue. If you ever need a gluten free dessert, please visit her site, she doesn't alter what she eats because of her intolerance, rather, she makes it work for her, and then is nice enough to share it with the rest of us.

Of course I edited the recipe slightly (I can't help myself, I had to add some booze) and I simplified it a bit. Instead of using a combination of hard to find, not to mention expensive, gluten-free flour substitutes, I used an all-purpose gluten-free baking mix. The texture of the brownies may have not been exactly like Tartelette's version, but they were still great. Moist and rich, we didn't miss the gluten at all. Topped with vanilla ice cream, and a salted butter caramel sauce, and heck, the brownie could have been missing for all I knew.

Dark Chocolate Amaretto Brownies & Salted Butter Caramel Sauce
adapted from Tartelette
makes about 20 3-1/2 inch round brownies

*I made the brownies in tartlet molds, and originally served them like that with a scoop of ice cream  and caramel sauce drizzle on top. If you want to make sandwiches like I did in the pictures, bake the brownies in a thin layer in two parchment paper-lined baking dishes and cut circles once they have cooled.

For the brownies:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
6 ounces dark chocolate
1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
3/4 cup all purpose gluten-free baking mix (or all purpose flour)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup amaretto (or if you want to omit the alcohol, substitute 1/4 cup strong coffee)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Brush 20 3-1/2 inch tartlet molds with a bit of melted butter, or butter and line a baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.

In a small bowl set over barely simmering water, combine the butter, chocolate, and cocoa powder. Whisk gently, until chocolate and butter are melted, and mixture is fully combined and smooth. This will only take a minute or two. Remove from heat, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the "flour", baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed about 4-5 minutes. Add chocolate mixture and beat until combined. Add amaretto and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture in two additions and beat just until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Fill each tart mold about 3/4 the way full, and bake for 20-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (start checking around 15 minutes or so). Let brownies cool in the molds on a wire rack completely, then un-mold and store in an air tight container until ready to serve.

For the caramel sauce:

1-1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 stick salted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup heavy cream

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sugar and the water. Simmer just until the sugar is dissolved. Add the butter, and let it boil until it turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and carefully add the cream. Whisk to combine, and place back over medium-low heat and cook for about 30 minutes, until it has thickened and is nice and creamy.

Now get your vanilla ice cream out.

Grab a spoon...you know what to do.

Just go for it.

Stay tuned for some exciting news, a giveaway, and more recipes from cabin weekend!

Tarts and Cakes and Bundts Oh My!

Whew, I can finally breath. and sit. It has been a particularly busy past few weeks, with not a single moment to write a post...or sleep for that matter. I can't complain too much though, I got to spend every waking minute (when I wasn't at one of my two jobs) in the kitchen.

After the success of the tarts I made for my good friend's bridal shower, she apparently had enough confidence in me and my newly acquired baking skills to ask me to provide the dessert table for her wedding reception. I quickly said yes, and then realized what a monumental task this was going to be. It all came together after about two and a half weeks baking and filling the fridge and the freezer full of tart shells, mini bundt cakes, pistachio brittle, and cake pops. It was an amazing learning experience, the bride and groom were extremely appreciative, and all the drunken wedding guests enjoyed the abundance of baked goods when 10:00 rolled around at the reception.

The day after the wedding was spent catching up on sleep, nursing a slight hangover, and actually eating food other than cake and sugar for the first time in about a week. When Monday hit, I was right back at it, baking a three-layer red velvet cake and a dozen cupcakes for my boss's baby shower. I guess almost 700 mini desserts wasn't enough, I just had to get back in the kitchen.

I am going to have to slowly chisel away at all these pictures and recipes that I have accumulated over the past few weeks. I have decided to start at the end of my baking extravaganza and work my way back. The photographer at the wedding was nice enough to stick around and take some pics of the dessert table, so I will wait until I get my hands on some copies to present the table in its entirety here.

But first, the red velvet cake. I was always under the impression that a red velvet cake wasn't really anything special, just a whole lot of red food coloring. Turns out, some buttermilk, cocoa powder, baking soda, and a teensy bit of vinegar can really take an ordinary cake to a new level. This was some of the fluffiest, moist, flavorful cake I have ever had. Topped off with some cream cheese frosting and a big bunch of hydrangeas for decoration (stolen with permission from the wedding), this cake was a big hit at the shower. I had some leftover batter so I threw in a dozen cupcakes for good measure.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

adapted from Patent and the Pantry

Each batch makes 2 thick 9-inch layers, or 3-thinner 9-inch layers, or 1 thick 9-inch layer and 12 cupcakes. I made 2 batches, and ended up with a fairly tall 3 layer cake, with 12 cupcakes on the side.

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 - 1 ounce bottles of red food coloring

1 cup unsalted butter (the recipe called for 1/2 cup, but in my sleep deprived delirium I used double that, but it was freaking delicious so I wouldn't change a thing if I make this again)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon white vinegar

Butter and flour your cake pans and set aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, mix the food coloring and cocoa powder until completely incorporated. Set aside.

In a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer) cream the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat until thoroughly combined, being sure to scrape down the sides. Add the vanilla and the red food coloring-cocoa mixture and beat well to combine. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beat on medium speed until combined, then add 1/2 of the buttermilk, and beat until incorporated. Add another 1/3 of the flour, beat well, then the other half of the buttermilk, scraping down the sides after each addition. Finish with the last 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

In a small bowl, mix the vinegar and baking soda, and immediately add to batter. Mix on high speed for just a few seconds until evenly dispersed, and pour right away into cake pans or lined cupcake pans.

Bake 2 9-inch cakes for about 40 minutes, (less time if you are going with thinner layers, and about 20-25 minutes for the cupcakes) or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:

I made a double batch of this frosting and had enough to generously frost a three layer cake and pipe a good amount onto 12 cupcakes, with some leftover.

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

pinch of salt

In a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter, and beat on medium high speed until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until incorporated. Gradually add the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Frost the cake however you fancy, or spread/pipe onto cupcakes. Someday when I get really good at frosting cakes, I will put a step by step tutorial on here. Someday...

I will say though, that I think the best part of making a multi-layer cake, is having to cut the domed tops off each layer so that they lay flat. You then have an excuse to eat cake scraps all afternoon. We wouldn't want them to go to waste now would we?

Lemon Poppyseed Scones

This may be the first year that I have uttered the words "I don't think I am ready for winter to be over". It may be the Minnesotan in me, but I am pretty content with the dreary freezing weather and blustering snowy days right now. I am just not ready for spring. I have been thoroughly enjoying cold saturday mornings spent in the kitchen with some bubbling soup on the stove and a cup of coffee in my hand.

Spring means waking up and heading outside, going to the farmers market, taking a bike ride, and enjoying the warm sun. As excited as I am for all this, I won't mind the excuses to make soups, lasagnas, short ribs, and various other hearty heavy food for a little while longer at least. It is only March 1st for christ sakes.

I have been letting spring creep in slowly though. Very slowly. The citrus fruits are in season, and no matter how gray the sky outside is, a little meyer lemon zest under your nose immediately conjures visions of green grass and cherry blossoms.

Meyer lemons paired with poppyseeds and a boatload of butter creates some absolutely sublime scones. I didn't know I liked scones until I actually made them myself and realized how buttery and delicious they can be. A simple citrus juice and confectioners sugar glaze tops these scones, and seeps in to keep them impossibly moist and tender, and adding just the perfect amount of sweetness.

Meyer Lemon and Poppyseed Scones

recipe adapted from Ina Garten

I have made these by hand, in a food processor, and in a stand mixer, but my favorite by far were the scones that were made in the food processor. The sharp blades cut the butter in perfectly, without over mixing, creating moist, buttery layers similar to biscuits.

4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon grated meyer lemon zest

3 tablespoons poppy seeds
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor (or stand mixer fitting with the paddle attachment) combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and poppy seeds. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until the butter is cut into pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and cream in a small bowl. While pulsing, slowly add the cream mixture, mixing just until blended.

This will be very crumbly, but thats okay! Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead just until mixture forms a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough out until it is 3/4 inch thick. At this point you can cut it into the more common triangle shapes, or use a cookie cutter of your choice. You can re-roll scraps once or twice as needed.

Place cut scones on a parchment paper or silicone mat lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each scone lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, switching the pans top to bottom and front to back halfway through the cooking time. The scones should be light golden brown on top and firm to the touch.

Let scones cool for 15 minutes on wire racks. Meanwhile whisk together lemon juice and confectioners sugar in a small bowl. Transfer to a piping bag or ziploc bag with a very small pice of corner cut off. Once scones have cooled, drizzle or pipe glaze onto scones. Let glaze dry for another 10-15 minutes (if you can wait that long).

Happy March!

Tasty Turkey

Yum. This year's Thanksgiving(s) involved some great turkey. My parents upped the ante this year and made two grilled rotisserie turkeys that were just fabulous. Smokey, moist, and tender, it was everything a great piece of poultry should be.

I made my first ever roast turkey, and as nervous as I was about over-cooking it, or under-cooking it, it turned out magnificent. I can only assume all the butter I stuffed under the skin had something to do with that. Oh yeah, and the bacon. More on that later though.

My friends here in Chicago decided we should have a Chicago Thanksgiving the weekend before the real thing. Steve and I hosted, and everyone brought a dish to share. There was WAY too much food, and way too much wine, oh but it sure was fun.

So back to the bird. When I found out I was going to be hosting Thanksgiving, and therefore making the turkey, I pulled out all my back issues of Food & Wine and Bon Appetit, and scoured them for the perfect turkey recipe. Well I think I may have found it. It wasn't too hard as long as you prepare a few days in advance, and it made for a pretty fool-proof way to get a golden brown, juicy, tender turkey with a boat load of flavor. Butter + Herbs + Bacon + Turkey = YUM. The gravy was equally delicious, and was pretty easy since I made the base a few days ahead of time. There were also mashed potatoes with the gravy, cranberry-pomegranate sauce, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, green bean casserole, corn pudding, and of course dressing. And about four desserts. I don't even remember dessert because I was in food delirium from the main meal, I just remember it was good.

I learned a lot about putting on a big meal. I learned that one oven is not enough, and hosting a thanksgiving for 8 in an apartment with no dinner table is challenging. Nevertheless, everything came together, and came out hot, and we all made due snuggled around the coffee table. Getting all the dishes out at the same time and carving a turkey unfortunately meant that I did a horrible job taking pictures of all the side dishes. I pretty much only got pictures of the turkey and the rolls. Oh well, better luck next year huh?

Roast Turkey with Bacon Dijon Herb Butter and Cider Gravy

From Bon Appetit November 2008

Bacon Dijon Herb Butter

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

8 ounces apple wood smoked bacon (or if your grocery store sucks like mine does, just get the highest quality Oscar Meyer bacon you can find)

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon lemon zest

This is the goodness that will go under the skin of the turkey the day prior to roasting. You can make this up to three days in advance, but you want to make it at least a few hours before putting it in the turkey to give it time to firm up in the fridge.

Put all ingredients into food processor and pulse until bacon is finely chopped.

Transfer butter mixture to a long sheet of plastic wrap. Using the plastic as an aid, roll the butter into a 2 inch diameter log, and seal the plastic wrap to enclose, twisting the ends shut. Place in fridge for at least a few hours and up to three days.

Cider Gravy Base

Neck reserved from turkey (I used a 15 pound turkey, but the recipe is for an 18 pounder)

1/4 cup fat from cavity of turkey

1 whole turkey leg, thigh and drumstick (purchase this separately when you buy your turkey, my butcher only had drumsticks, so I used two)

2 1/2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped onion

6 large thyme sprigs

1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1/2 cup apple cider

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

8 cups chicken stock (make sure to use the good stuff here, I used homemade chicken stock, but if you don't have it, spring an extra dollar for the Kitchen Basics boxed chicken stock, its much better than broth)

4 whole sage leaves

This base can be made up to two days in advance. As soon as you pick up your turkey, clean it out and get the neck and the reserved fat out to make the gravy base. It will save you tons of time and a headache on thanksgiving day.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place turkey neck, leg (or legs), and reserved fat into roasting pan and roast until deep golden brown, about an hour and a half, turning once. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup fat for gravy, and returning 1 tablespoon fat back to the pan. Along with the turkey parts, add the celery, onions, thyme, and peppercorns, and roast for 10 minutes. Add the cider and the vinegar, and roast for another 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and sage and cook uncovered for an hour and a half. Strain through a fine sieve and discard solids. You should end up with about 4-5 cups gravy base. Put in a air tight container and chill until ready to use.

Turkey

1 15-16 pound turkey (again the recipe calls for an 18 pounder, so whatever you end up with will work just fine here, your cooking times may vary depending on the weight)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons black pepper, divided

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped onion

2 cups chopped fresh fennel bulbs

2 cups chopped peeled carrots

2 cups chopped unpeeled apples (I used granny smith)

1/2 cup olive oil

3 bay leaves

1/2 cup all purpose flour

The preparation for the turkey needs to be done at least one day ahead, and can be done up to two days ahead of time.

Cut the bacon butter log into 1/4 inch slices.

Rinse the turkey inside and out, and pat completely dry with paper towels. Place on rimmed baking sheet. Starting at the neck end, use fingers to gently separate the skin from the meat of the bird. Slide the butter slices under the skin to cover the leg thigh and breast meat. There will be A LOT of butter, this is a good thing, just keep shoving it in being careful not to tear the skin.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of pepper on outside of bird, and the remaining salt and pepper inside the cavity. Cover the turkey with plastic wrap and chill for at least 24 hours.

Go time! When you are ready to cook the turkey, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large roasting pan, combine the celery, onions, fennel, carrots, apples, oil, and bay leaves. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place the turkey on top of the vegetable mixture, tuck wings underneath the body, and tie the legs together to hold its shape. Roast turkey until cooked through, about 3.5 hours, or until a thermometer reads 170 degrees when placed in the thickest part of the thigh. Baste every 30 minutes with pan drippings, and if the turkey is browning too much, tent with tin foil.

When the turkey is done, take out of oven and move to a platter, tenting with foil to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.

Oh the carnage!

Strain what is remaining in the roasting pan through a fine sieve and set aside solids (or serve them as a side dish, my friends were picking at the veggies while we were getting the meal together, also they didn't let me toss them when we were finished, so I threw them into the pot when I made stock the next day. I am glad I didn't throw them away). Separate the fat from the pan drippings (this is when I wish I had a fat separator). Discard fat, and reserve de-greased pan drippings for gravy.

Now its time to get out your gravy base and reserved fat from a few days ago. Re-warm gravy base in microwave. Melt reserved fat in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until incorporated, about 3 minutes. Gradually add cider gravy base and reserved pan drippings. Simmer until smooth, thick, and reduced to about 5 cups. Season with salt and pepper. Pour all over everything. Yes it is THAT good.

Now dig in!! Who says turkey is only for thanksgiving? Make this for Christmas or any other special dinner event. I am usually not a huge turkey person, but this year has made me reconsider. A thanksgiving turkey CAN be moist, well-seasoned, and deservedly the center of attention at the dinner table. Hope your turkey was as fantastic as ours was! Gobble Gobble!