Grapefruit Creamsicle

abundance of winter citrus + hankering to eat a pint of vanilla ice cream = grapefruit creamsicle 

I know, I know. Just the other day I was sad about the lack of winter, but you have to embrace the present (Especially when the present is telling you that it's okay to eat ice cream). This grapefruit sorbet and vanilla ice cream combo is both refreshing and comforting. Any fruit would work well for the sorbet, but I just love grapefruit this time of year. The two treats can be saddled in a large bread pan, or in little ramekins for individual portions. 

This is not your traditional bowl of ice cream, but it could very well become a tradition.

*Note: You will need an ice cream maker for the sorbet, but I simply used store bought ice cream for the vanilla.

Grapefruit Creamsicle

Bon Appétit

yields two quarts

Ingredients:
1 quart store-bought vanilla ice cream, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated grapefruit zest
1 1/2 cups fresh grapefruit juice (about 4 grapefruits)

Directions:
Scoop ice cream into an 8x4x2 1/2" loaf pan; pack ice cream along one long side to fill half of pan. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, bring sugar and 3/4 cup water to a boil in a small pot, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in grapefruit juice. Cover and chill grapefruit mixture until cold, about 1 hour.

Process grapefruit mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Pour sorbet into empty side of pan alongside ice cream. Cover and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

To serve, spoon across ice cream and sorbet to form swirled scoops.

Enjoy.
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Blackberry Pear Upside-Down Cake

Apparently, there is a second blackberry season that nobody ever told me about, because they are practically giving away blackberries for free at the grocery stores around here. This is good news for you and me - more blackberry recipes!

My mom often makes this cake with raspberries, so I thought I'd give it a go with blackberries and pears. The result is winning. I left this pretty little thing out on the counter and my roommates ate almost all of it within 24 hours. This cake can be made with any fruit, but this combination won't let you (upside) down. Bon Appétit! 

          

Blackberry Pear Upside-Down Cake

adapted from Gourmet

yields one 8 inch cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries

3 pears, sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Line bottom of a buttered 8- by 2-inch round cake pan with 2 rounds of parchment paper, then butter parchment. Dust pan with some flour, knocking out excess.

Arrange pears, and then blackberries in 1 layer in cake pan. Sprinkle berries with 11/2 tablespoons sugar.

Whisk together 1 cup flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix at low speed until just incorporated. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 batches, mixing at low speed until just incorporated.

Spoon batter evenly over berries, smoothing top, and bake in middle of oven until top is golden and a tester comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Run a thin knife around edge of pan, then invert a large plate over pan and, using pot holders to hold plate and pan together tightly, flip cake onto plate. Peel off parchment and serve cake. 

Enjoy.

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Lemon, Rosemary, and Sea Salt Focaccia (Tiddly Pom)

Today it's sunny with a high of 72°F and a 20% chance (I'm a meteorologist now, look at that!) of a single cloud floating across the horizon. It's lovely. Yet... I can't help but feel a little empty inside. I miss winter.

When I was home in Maryland over Christmas it flurried. Once. I hurriedly rushed outside to capture this mythical and magical white stuff (Tucson legend has it that this is called "snow") falling from the sky with my camera. I was only wearing a t-shirt, but I didn't care. This moment was special, and becoming increasingly rare in my new life. Being away from something, someone, someplace can make us see just how beautiful the seemingly ordinary can be, and how we shouldn't take it for granted.

 I also couldn't help but think of A.A. Milne's poem from The House at Pooh Corner:

(Tiddly Pom)

The more it goes

(Tiddly Pom)

The more it goes

(Tiddly Pom)

On snowing.

And nobody knows

(Tiddly Pom)

How cold my toes

(Tiddly Pom)

How cold my toes

(Tiddly Pom)

Are growing.

The more it snows

(Tiddly Pom)

The more it goes

(Tiddly Pom)

The more it goes

(Tiddly Pom)

On snowing.

And nobody knows

(Tiddly Pom)

How cold my toes

(Tiddly Pom)

How cold my toes 

(Tiddly Pom)

Are growing.

We're not so unlike these flakes of snow: no two exactly alike; each our own shape and size, each our own unique journey from above -- Each step sounds a Tiddly Pom, each heart beats a Tiddly Pom.

This rustic, lemony, salty focaccia is perfect for a winter's day, even a pretend one. Fresh rosemary and good olive oil counter the burst of tart, citrus flavor, pleasing all of the tastes. I have a huge rosemary bush in my front yard, so every time I see a recipe with rosemary my eyes light up.

 I made some focaccia with tomatoes, too, since my roommate can't eat lemons. So, feel free to use the bread recipe as your base and flavor to your preference. I made these in four mini cheesecake pans as they were the perfect individual serving size, but you could also use two 8-inch cake pans for a larger focaccia.

Lemon, Rosemary, and Sea Salt Focaccia
adapted from Canal House Cooking, Volume No. 3: Winter & Spring

yields two 8-inch rounds or multiple mini rounds

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for prepping pans and drizzling
1 3/4 cups break flour, plus more for kneading
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 lemon
2 branches fresh rosemary, removed from stem and lightly chopped
freshly ground pepper

Directions:
For the dough, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water in a medium bowl. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoons of the olive oil.

Pulse the flour and 1 teaspoon salt together in the bowl of a food processor. Add the yeast mixture and process until a rough ball of dough forms, 1 minute. Briefly knead dough on a floured surface until smooth. Shape dough into a ball. Put 1 tablespoon of the oil into a large bowl. Roll dough around in bowl until coated with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Pour a thin film of oil into each of four 8-inch round cake pans. Divide the dough and put one piece into each pan. Using your fingertips, spread dough out in each pan. The dough is elastic and will resist stretching. Let it relax for 5 minutes or so after you've stretched it as far as it will go. Eventually, it will cooperate and fill the pan.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cover the pans with damp dishcloths and let the dough rest until it has swollen in the pans a bit, 30-60 minutes.

Uncover the pans. Sprinkle the dough with the rosemary. Using your fingertips, poke dimples into the dough in each pan, then liberally drizzle with oil so it pools in the hollows. Arrange just the thinnest rounds of lemon on top, drizzle with more oil, and sprinkle with remaining sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake the focaccia until golden brown, 20-30 minutes. Drizzle with more oil when you pull the focaccia from the oven. Serve cut into wedges.

Enjoy.
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Profiteroles with Blackberry Mascarpone, Chocolate, and Pistachio

Happy New Year! Let us hope 2012 brings happiness to us all. I rung in the new year with these little fellows: flaky profiteroles filled with blackberry mascarpone, dipped in chocolate, and sprinkled with pistachio. I love the colors and the flavors in this dessert. I hope that you'll give them a try sometime this year. Take care, and best wishes and blessings!

Profiteroles

adapted from La Fuji Mama

yields four dozen mini profiteroles

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Bring the water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the butter.  When the butter has melted, add the flour mixture all at once and stir vigorously.  Cook and stir until the mixture forms a ball that doesn’t separate. Remove from the heat and cool slightly (about 1 minute).  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each one until the dough is smooth.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough about 2-inches apart onto a lined baking sheet.  Or transfer the batter to a pastry bag with a round tip and pipe circles about 2-inches in diameter and about 1-inch apart onto lined baking sheets.  Bake the puffs for about 30 minutes until they are golden brown and puffy.  If the puffs are medium-size, bake for about 25 minutes, and if the puffs are mini-size, bake for about 20 minutes.  Remove the cream puffs from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.

Blackberry Mascarpone

Ingredients:

2 cups blackberries

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

2 tablespoons orange juice 

1/4 cup sugar

16 ounces mascarpone, at room temperature

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Place blackberries, orange zest, orange juice, and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Mash blackberries as they cook down. Leave on low for 15 minutes.

Strain blackberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Let cool.

With an electric mixer on low speed, combine mascarpone, confectioners' sugar, and the blackberry mixture until combined.

Assembly

Melt 8 ounces of chocolate on a double broiler. Grind 1/4 cup shelled pistachios into a fine powder.

Pipe blackberry mascarpone into the profiteroles. Dip tops of profiteroles in melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle with pistachios. Let chocolate cool and harden. Can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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Cranberry Orange Walnut Loaf

Cranberry Orange Bread is a favorite in my family. My mom always makes many mini loaves to give away to friends. She wraps then in little cellophane bags with holly on them and ties them with raffia ribbon. It's pure Christmas cheer.

My mom calls it "bread," but it's really the consistency of cake (Cake that you're allowed to eat for breakfast, so we'll roll with this "bread" bit... I've called it a "loaf" here to be politically correct :) ) The orange and cranberry are a refreshing punch to this moist and delicious comfort food. This can be eaten it by itself, or spread with some butter and jam on top.

My mom gives away most of the loaves, but there's always a few left for us. I know what I'll be having for breakfast this week... :)

one year ago: Ciambelle (Lemon Wreath Cookies)


Cranberry Orange Walnut Loaf
from Martha Stewart

yields 1 large loaf or 3 mini loaves (mini loaf pictured above)

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
zest of 1 orange
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cranberries, diced
1/2 cup roasted walnuts, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, stir heavy cream, orange juice, and vanilla. In another small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl beat butter, orange zest, and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time while continuing to beat. Alternate adding flour mixture and cream mixture until fully incorporated. Add cranberries and walnuts.

In a prepared loaf pan or cardboard loaf pan, fill with batter until 2/3 full. Bake about 30 minutes in the oven until gold brown or until a toothpick come out clean when put in the center of the loaf. Let cool completely on a rack. Loaves can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored on the counter for days or in the freezer for weeks.

Enjoy.
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Iced Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies and the U.S. Botanical Gardens

This week I went to the U.S. Botanical Gardens next to the U.S. Capitol to see the annual Christmas display. This year's "Who Lives Here?" exhibit features houses of critters, fairies, and presidents, as well as national monuments. The creative team from Applied Imagination, a Kentucky-based crew of artists, botanical architects and landscape designers, spent eight months creating this amazing display entirely out of natural material.

Fairies made of flowers and hot air balloons made of leaves hang from the ceiling while below are little abodes made of nuts, bark, fruits, and moss, cozily situated among the garden plants. Here is the 'Porcupine Place'.

The level of detail is absolutely phenomenal. You could look at this ten times and see something new every time. The fact that all of the media used to build these is all-natural makes them all the more inventive and creative. I just love the reed organ and acorn cap goblet!

All of the monuments are also constructed out of twigs and leaves and vines. Here's the Capitol.

If you are in the DC area over Christmas, I highly recommend going. Your inner child will be delighted!

These snowflake cookies were inspired by the earthy fairy houses: decorated with detail on a down-to-earth gingerbread cookie. The gingerbread cookies are the same recipe as the Molasses Gingerbread Cookies and Hogwarts Gingerbread Castle, and will make your house smell like clove and cinnamon. They are more spice than sweet. The royal icing was piped with only a #2 tip. 

These cookies make a great holiday gift or addition to a holiday dessert table. I'd like to think that the fairies might eat a miniature version of these... :)

one year ago: Ciambelle (Lemon Wreath Cookies)

Molasses Gingerbread Cookies

from Martha Stewart

yields about 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons ground ginger

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup packed dark-brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups unsulfured molasses

Directions:

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl.

Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Divide dough into 3 portions, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F. On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough to a scant 1/4 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto baking sheets, and freeze for 15 minutes.

Cut out desired shapes. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze for 15 minutes.

Bake cookies for 6 minutes. Remove sheets from oven, and tap them firmly on counter to flatten cookies. Return to oven, rotating sheets, and bake until crisp but not darkened, 6 to 8 minutes more. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

Decorate to your heart's content with Royal Icing.

Royal Icing (Outline Consistency for Piping)

from Sugarbakers' Cookie Cutter Cookbook

yields 3 cups icing

Ingredients:

3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoon meringue powder

6 tablespoons warm water

Directions:

Combine in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 5 minutes.

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Snowball Cookies

 I got home to Silver Spring from Tucson Saturday night. What did I do my first day home on Sunday? Start making Christmas cookies of course. This will continue for the next two weeks in my home. We'll play traditional choral Christmas carols on the speakers, and my mom and I will bake. They're not kidding: It's the most wonderful time of the year.

These Snowball Cookies are a childhood favorite. Our old neighbors and family friends the Sebastians would make these every year and serve them with peppermint ice cream. They are a spin off of Polvorones, or Mexican wedding cookies. I dare you to only eat one. These little guys just melt in your mouth while the nutty pecan flavor lingers on. Oh, and you'll be covered in powdered sugar.

         

If you can spare to share, these make a great little gift all packaged up in a cellophane bag.

The Christmas Cookie Season has begun! Stay tuned for more cookie recipes this week and next.

Snowball Cookies
adapted from Bon Appétit

yields about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup pecans, coarsely ground

Directions:

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla; beat until well blended. Beat in flour, then pecans. Divide dough in half and form each half into ball. Wrap balls separately in plastic. Chill until cold, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar in a shallow bowl or dish. Set aside.

Working with half of chilled dough, roll dough by 2 teaspoonfuls between palms into balls. Arrange balls on heavy large baking sheet, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Bake cookies until golden brown on bottom and just pale golden on top, about 18 minutes. Cool cookies 5 minutes on baking sheet. Gently toss warm cookies in sugar to coat completely. Transfer coated cookies to rack and cool completely. Repeat procedure with remaining half of dough.

Cookies can be prepared 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Enjoy.
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