3/26/07: Hazelnut and Orange Macaroons

From: The Sweet Life - Desserts from Chanterelle by Kate Zuckerman

Hazlent Macaroon
About 2 cups (10 ounces) filberts (skinned hazelnut)
1 (16-ounce) box confectionery sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 egg white (1 cup), at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of cream of tartar

Orange Buttercream
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Zest of 1 orange or tangerine
16 tablespoons (8 ounces) butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Special Tools and Pans
Nut grinder or food processor
4 cookie sheets
Stand mixer
Piping bag, fitted with a 6/16-to8/16-inch-diameter tip (#4 to #6)
Candy thermometer (optional)

Yield
Approximately sixty 1 1/2-inch round sandwich cookies

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Grind and sift the dry ingredients.
Combine the hazelnuts and 1 cup of the confectionary sugar in a nut grinder or food processor and grind to a fine powder, stopping the machine once or twice to scrape down the corners and sides and toss the nuts around. In a dry bowl, whisk the ground nuts with the remaining confectionary sugar and salt. Set aside.

Make the meringue.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium-high speed until they begin to foam. Add the cream of tartar and whisk until the whites are completely foamy and begin to hold the line of the whisk. Add the sugar, 2 teaspoons at a time. As you add the sugar, the whites will become shiny and gain volume. Turn the mixer to slow speed, add the remaining suagr, and beat until the meringue is shiny and smooth with soft peaks.

Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue.
Scrape the meringue into the dry ingredients and gently fold together until the dry ingredients have been absorbed by the meringue and the mixture is smooth and creamy. If the batter seems a bit stiff-it holds the points of spatula if you quickly remove it-continue folding unitl it has a more fluid texture. Do not work it so much that the batter becomes runny.

Pipe the cookies.
Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment. Scrape half of the batter into a pastry bag with the top folded back in a 4-inch cuff, and fitted with a round tip (#4 or #6). Unfold the cuff and twist the top of the bag closed, pushing and squeezing the batter down toward the tip. Hold the bag upright, about 1 inch above the cookie sheet, and gently squeeze out small mounds 1 1/4 inches in diameter, which will settle into 1 1/2-inch circles. Give the bag a gentle squeeze and the quickly pull the tip up so you control how much comes out and how the cookies ultimately take shapes. Squeeze out 6 rows of 7 cookies per cookie sheet. Allow the cookies to sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, to dry out the tops. Do not bake until you can gently touch the top of a piped cookie without any residue remaining on your finger.

Make an orange buttercream.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or a medium-sized stainless-steel bowl on a wet rag to hold the bowl in place), combined the yolks and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and whisk for 30 seconds.
Simultaneously, in a small saucepan, combine the orange zest, remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, and 3 tablespoons of water. Cook over high heat until the mixture reaches 248F on a candy thermometer. To test the syrup without a thermometer, dip a fork into the syrup and drizzle a bit on the counter. The sugar droplet should cool into a pliable ball that scrapes cleanly off the counter.
Drizzle the orange syrup down the side of the bowl into the egg yolks, whisking them briskly to blend. Continue whisking the egg yolk mixture until the yolks have tripled in volume, hold the lines of the whisk, and have cooled. Add the butter and Grand Marnier and whisk until the buttercream is fluffy and creamy with stiff shiny, pointy peaks.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Set two racks in the oven, one at the very top and one on the bottom.

Bake the macaroons.
Once the macaroons have dried properly, place one cookie sheet in the oven on the top shelf for 8 minutes. Open the oven door, rotate the cookie sheet, and place it on the bottom shelf. Place the second cookie sheet in the oven on the top shelf and bake for another 8 minutes. After baking first on the top shelf and the on the bottom, the cookies should be ready. Remove the sheet on the bottom shelf from the oven and repeat this baking process until all four cookie sheets have been baked. The macaroons should have puffed evenly, become shiny, and fallen slightly. They almost look like half a hamburger bun.

Fill and sandwich the macaroons.
Once the cookies have cooled, flip half of the cookies over. Scrape the buttercream into a pastry bag with the top folded back in a 4-inch cuff, and fitted with a 1/3-inch-diameter round tip. Unfold the cuff and twist the top of the bag closed, pushing and squeezing the buttercream down toward the tip. Hold the bag upright, about 1 inch above each inverted cookie, and gently squeeze out a small mound of buttercream, about the size of a nickel, onto the upturned cookies. Do not cover the whole cookie; there should be a clear rim of cookie around the mound of buttercream. Top each cookie with a second macaroon, gently pressing down so the buttercream spreads to the edges of the sandwich.

Serving Suggestions
Serve these cookies with a cup of coffee or tea.

Storage
These cookies will keep, stored in a container, in the freezer for 1 month.

Variations
Almond Macaroons:
Substitute almonds for hazelnuts and use any flavor of buttercream.

Vanilla buttercream:
To make a vanilla buttercream, omit the orange zest and slice and scrape a vanilla bean into the boiling syrup. The Grand Marnier (or other alcohol) is optional.

Chocolate Buttercream:
Melt 2 ounces of chocolate, allow it to cool, and whisk it into the finished buttercream.

3/18/07: Chicken Cacciatore

Source: Joy of Cooking (75th Anniversary Edition)

4 servings

Season:
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds chicken parts
with:
salt and black pepper to taste
Heat in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat:
3 tablespoons olive oil
Add the chicken pieces, in batches, and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and add:
1 cup chopped onions
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 teaspoon minced freshed sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
Cook, stirring, until the onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add:
1 large garlic clove, minced
Cook about 30 seconds more, being careful not to brown the garlic. Return the chicken to the skillet and pour in:
1/2 cup dry red or white wine
Boil over medium-high heat until all the wine is evaporated, turning the chicken and scarping up the brown bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add:
8 ounces canned tomatoes, chopped, with their juice
1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Add:
(1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and sliced)
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
Cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and boil the pan juices over high heat until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust the seasonings

3/7/07: The Essential Chewy Oatmeal Cookie

Source: The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion

Yields: 45 cookies; Baking temperature: 375F; Baking time: 11 minutes

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (3 1/4 ounces) vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
6 tablespoons (4 1/8 ounces) light corn syrup
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk (regular or low fat, no nonfat)
3 cups (10 1/2 ounces) quick-cooking oats (or old-fashioned rolled oats pulsed in a food processor, to make smaller, thinner flakes)
1 1/2 cups (6 1/4 ounces) raisins
1 cup (4 ounces) chopped pecans or walnuts

• Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, sugars, extracts, spices, salt, and baking soda, beating until fairly smooth. Beat in the egg, scarping the bowl, then beat in the corn syrup and milk. Stir in the oats, flour, raisins, and nuts.
• Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookie for 11 minutes, until they're a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.
  

3/2/07: Meyer Lemon Tart with a Layer of Chocolate

Source: Sunday Supper at Lucques, by Suzanne Goin

Note: This tart should be served cold, so make it at least a few hours before serving. When you make the lemon curd, you need to stir it the entire time. For an ultra-smooth curd, use both a whisk and a rubber spatula, alternating between the two as you stir. Start with a whisk, and as the mixture begins to get frothy, switch to the spatula (which helps get rid of the forth), scraping the bottom and sides continuously. Remove the curd from the heat and let it cool slightly before pouring it over the harden chocolate layer. Don't cool the curd completely before pouring or it will lose its nice sheen. You can also make this tart with regular lemon juice.

1 recipe pâte sucrée (recipe follows)
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 extra-large eggs
3 extra-large egg yolks
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup Meyer lemon juice
10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
A pinch of kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream (for the whipped cream, optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Line the tart pan with the pâte sucrée. Prick the bottom with a fork, and line it with a few opened and fanned-out coffee filters or a piece of parchment paper. Fill the lined tart shell with beans or pie weights, and bake 15 minutes, until set. Take the tart out of the oven, and carefully lift out the paper and beans. Return the tart to the oven, and bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is an even golden brown. Set aside on a rack to cool completely.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over medium-low heat. Spread the chocolate evenly on the crust, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, until the chocolate has solidified completely.
4. While the crust is chilling, make the curd. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, alternating between a whisk and rubber spatula (see note), until the lemon curd has thickened to the consistency of pastry cream and coats the back of the spatula.
5. Remove the lemon curd from the heat. Add the butter a little at a time, stirring to incorporate completely. Season with the salt.
6. Let the curd cool about 8 minutes, and then strain it into the prepared tart shell. Chill the tart in the refrigerator.
7. Just before serving, whip the cream in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or by hand) until it holds soft peaks. Cut six wedges from the tart, plate them, and serve with dollops of whipped cream.

Pâte Sucrée
Make enough for 2 tarts

1/4 cup heavy cream
2 extra-large egg yolks
2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter

1. Whisk the cream and egg yolks together in a small bowl.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and butter on medium speed until you have a coarse meal. Gradually add the cream and yolks, and mix until just combined. Do not overwork the dough. Transfer the dough to a large work surface and bring it together with your hands to incorporate completely. Divide the dough in half, shape into 1-inch-thick discs, and wrap one of them to freeze and use later.
3. If the dough is too soft, put in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up a little. If the dough is manageable, place it on a lightly floured work surface, sprinkle a little four over the dough, and roll it out into a 1/4-inch-thick circle, flouring as necessary. Starting at one side, roll and wrap the dough around the rolling pin to pick it up. Unroll the dough over a 10-inch tart pan. Gently fit the dough loosely into the pan, lifting the edges and pressing the dough into the corners with your fingers. To remove the excess dough, roll the rolling pin lightly over the top of the tart pan for a nice clean edge, or work your way around the edge pinching off any excess dough with your fingers. Chill for 1 hour.