Pavlova

I married an Australian. So over the last four and a half years, I've been submerged in history, lingo & down-under culture. While he is living here with me in Canada, I do try to maintain a certain level of Australiana in our house. Lingo like 'bench' instead of 'counter', the consumption of much more lamb (which I, in all honesty, hadn't tried until we were married), and Aussie tv-shows on not-oft-watched cable channels...

So, when we had company staying with us back in January, I took it as the perfect opportunity to try a recipe from a cookbook by Margaret Fulton that I had recently gotten for Christmas (which we, incidentally, spent in Australia). I had never tried making Pavlova before, but just looking at pictures of it intimidated me. How could something so extravagant looking, so decadent, be easy to make? Then I really read the recipe... I had most of the ingredients... so why not? Besides, my grandmother always said my mother & I could whip a perfect meringue out of thin air.

It was honestly one of the most delicious and simple, decadent and easy desserts I have ever made. Crispy and light and sweet on the outside, and moist, dense and marshmallowy on the inside. Topped with strawberries & passionfruit (a bit pricey in these parts, but TOTALLY worth it) and whipped cream... I think heaven is made of meringue.

Pavlova
(from the cookbook "Margaret Fulton's Kitchen")

6 egg whites, at room temperature
a pinch of salt
2 cups caster sugar*
1-1/2 tsp vinegar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1-1/4 cups whipping cream
pulp of 3 passionfruit
1/2 punnet strawberries, hulled & halved

Preheat oven to 400°-410°F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking tray and mark a 23cm circle on it to use as a guide (the pavlova will spread a little).

In an electric mixer, beat the egg white sand salt at full speed until they stand in stiff peaks. Sift the sugar and gradually sprinkle into the egg white mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating at high speed until all sugar has been added. Lastly, fold in the vinegar and vanilla. Spoon large dollops inside the circle on the baking sheet and smooth over the top lightly. Place in the oven (reducing heat to 300°F) for 1 hour. Turn off the heat, and leave pavlova in the oven until cold. If using a gas oven, bake at 300°F for 1 hour, reduce heat to 250°F for a further 30 minutes and then turn heat off and leave the pavlova in the oven until completely cooled.

When the pavlova is cooled, slide onto a large, flat cake plate, removing the baking paper. Don't worry if it collapses slightly, you should also expect cracks on the surface. Whip the cream until stiff but still shiny and spoon over the top of the pavlova. Spoon passionfruit and strawberries over the cream and serve.

*Caster sugar is a fine grain sugar. In these parts, you can find it at the Bulk Barn but if you can't find any, regular sugar works fine. (I used regular sugar for the pavlova in the picture above and it turned out fabulous.)

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New post coming soon...

... really, I swear! I've spent the majority of my 'at-home' time uploading pics of scrumadilly nosh taken over the last few months. Just looking at them all makes me hungry. Oh, the life I live...

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Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies

I've been putting some thought into what to give as Christmas gifts this year. Do I want to do 'gifts-in-a-jar' this year or do actual baking? I found a recipe that piqued my interested in my December 08 issue of Martha Stewart Living last year and when we drew names at work, I decided to go all out. I made a batch of peanut brittle and these cookies - and I knew the recipient would gush over it because she's a total foodie. I don't think I'll have the time to make these again since we're going overseas for the holidays so gifts-in-a-jar it might be this year. But these cookies were so good, and such a visual stunner (it's hard to imagine they were homemade) that I couldn't not bring them up, even ten months later.

While this recipe calls for white chocolate, I used a mixture of pure white chocolate and white coating chocolate. Coating chocolate has a higher fat content and melts quicker and smoother than plain white chocolate. Unlike milk or dark chocolate, you can't just add butter to white chocolate to thin it out with a nice sheen. This also keeps the white chocolate mass liquid much longer.

Chocolate-Peppermint Cookies
(from Martha Stewart Living, December 2008)

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 tsp pure peppermint extract
8 large candy canes or 30 peppermint candies, crushed
2 pounds white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 325°F degrees. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, and add egg, then yolk, beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract. Slowly add flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out circles, and place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Roll and cut scraps once. Freeze cookies until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining disk.

Bake until cookies are dry to the touch, about 12 minutes. Transfer parchment, with cookies, to wire racks, and let cool. (Undecorated cookies will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.)

Sift crushed candy, and separate larger pieces from dust, reserving both. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. Remove from heat. Dunk cookies into melted chocolate. Using a fork, turn to coat, let excess drip off, and gently scrape bottom against edge of bowl. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of either candy pieces or dust on top. Repeat, sprinkling half the cookies with pieces and the rest with dust. Refrigerate until set, up to 3 hours. Decorated cookies are best served the same day.

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Garlic and Chicken Empañadas

Well, it sure has been a long time since I updated. I find that I have so many hobbies and past times that I really relish just sitting and relaxing when I get the chance. I've decided to sit and relax and update at the same time.

Last night, Patrick and I had a roast chicken for dinner. It wasn't a small chicken so there was plenty of leftover meat. I contemplated what to do with the leftovers - I even posted on Facebook to get people's ideas. While there were some very good ones, I went with this recipe, basically because I had the little bit of extra time required and all the ingredients on hand.

I halved the recipe, used already cooked chicken and added celery, red capsicum and raisins.

Garlic and Chicken Empañadas
(from the cookbook: International Family Favorites by Ron Kalenuik)

Crust:
1/3 cup ice cold water
1 large egg
2 tsp vinegar
3 cups flour
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup cold butter
1/3 cup cold shortening (lard)
1 tsp salt
2 egg whites

Filling:
3 Tbsp butter
1 large Spanish onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp each of allspice, cinnamon, cloves
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken, coarsely diced
2 tsp oregano

Blend water, egg and vinegar together. Place the flour and galric in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter and shortening. Add the salt. Blend in the liquid. Blend the dough until a coarse mixture is formed.

Heat 3 T butter in a skillet. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender. Add remaining ingredients and continue to cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Preheat oven to 425°F.

Roll the pastry out on a floured surface. Cut into 2" rounds. Place 1 Tbsp of the filling on each round. Fold the round in half and crimp the edges to seal. Brush the pastry with the egg whites. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield-16

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Nanaimo Bars

Nearly every Canadian has made Nanaimo Bars, either from scratch or from the (actually quite reasonable) boxed version made by Robin Hood. The base is a rich graham mixture with the nutty undertones of coconut. It's balanced out by an sweet filling, and topped all off with a layer of chocolate. We recently had friends over for dinner and served these as dessert - especially since we knew the guest of honour had never had the opportunity to try them before as he is from Israel. The look on his face was pure awe & astonishment. "These are perfect," he exclaimed.

Nanaimo Bars were named after the British Columbia town Nanaimo. It is rumoured that in the 50s, a magazine had a recipe contest and a local housewife came up with this recipe and submitted it. Having no name for her concoction, she named it after the town in which she lived. She won the contest, and this delicious little treat has become a Canadian culinary staple.

Nanaimo Bars
(Recipe from Joy of Baking.com)

Bottom Layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa (I use Dutch-processed)
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup coconut (either sweetened or unsweetened)
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

Filling:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 - 3 tablespoons milk or cream
2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder (Bird's) or vanilla pudding powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (230 grams) powdered sugar (confectioners or icing) sugar

Topping:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Butter (or use a cooking spray) a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) pan.

BOTTOM LAYER: In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder and then gradually whisk in the beaten egg. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens (1 - 2 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and chopped nuts. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate until firm (about an hour).

FILLING: In your electric mixer cream the butter. Beat in the remaining ingredients. If the mixture is too thick to spread, add a little more milk. Spread the filling over the bottom layer, cover, and refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes).

TOP LAYER: In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Spread over the filling and refrigerate.

TO SERVE: To prevent the chocolate from cracking, using a sharp knife, bring the squares to room temperature before cutting.

Yield: Makes about 25 squares

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Deep Dish Squash Pie

Today is (Canadian) Thanksgiving. This year I'm thankful for many things, some more than others. This time of year always makes me so reflective on my life and my childhood. Perhaps it's because the cycle of nature is taking certain things and closing up shop for the winter: leaves are changing colour, birds are preparing for flights south and plants offer up their yearly bounty to help see us through the long, harsh cold. I love everything about this time of year and this holiday is one of my favourites. (Photo shows the goods we've acquired R-L: a [very large] pumpkin, buttercup squash, acorn squash, and a cute little gourd I've named Herman.)

My father never liked squash and still won't eat it. My grandparents always grew it and they'd serve it with our holiday meal, but my dad never partook. It must've been something about orange vegetables as we never had cooked carrots as a child either. In any case, my grandmother always had pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert. Oh, my dad did love pumpkin pie. But it was a well known secret for years that the pumpkin pie he was eating was actually made with buttercup squash. I thought the wool had been pulled over his eyes for years - eventually it slipped out but he already knew. And as I'm older now, and a tad more experienced in the kitchen, I realise that squash and pumpkin aren't that far off in texture and flavour - and if you go to my husband's part of the world, they're all called pumpkin anyway.

That being said, he's never had one done up in a pie. Understandably though, as Thanksgiving isn't a recognised Australian holiday, and the date does fall into the warmer season. But he's only ever had pumpkin or squash in savoury dishes. This was the first time he had squash pie and he did like it (coming from the man who doesn't like sweets).

This particular pie is less dense than those of my mother & grandmother, but it still slices cleanly and has a delicately sweet flavour. I used an entire buttercup squash (in the picture at top) and it was just enough. Using a deep dish pie plate, the filling came about a centimetre below the rim of the pie, but fluffed up and filled it in perfectly while baking.

Deep Dish Squash Pie

1-9" pie shell
1-2lb squash (buttercup or butternut)
3 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
2 large eggs

Prepare pie shell & keep refrigerated until required. Peel & steam squash until tender. Remove from heat and mash in bowl. Preheat oven to 350°F. On low setting of mixer, add evaporated milk, whole milk, butter, sugar & maple syrup. Add salt & spices, mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, being careful to ensure they are thoroughly incorporated. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell. Bake 40-55 minutes, or until set when toothpick inserted comes out clean.

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Butter Tarts & Lemon Custard Tarts

It was a special day at work today. Instead of cookies, I made two kinds of tarts. Of all the requests, lemon was the overall winner. Me, personally, I adore a good butter tart. Butter Tarts are about as Canadian as maple syrup and hockey (despite that our official national game is LaCrosse). I don't know anyone in my family who doesn't have at least one recipe for Butter Tarts. Originally thought to be derived from the American Pecan Pie, butter tarts have two schools of adorers: those that like them gooey, and those that like them custardy. I prefer the gooey. With (most commonly) walnuts, seedless Thompson raisins or without, gooey Butter Tarts make me purr. These ones I made in a muffin tin, so they were definitely more than two bites and they were definitely delicious!

Feel free to omit the dough and use your own favourite. I use the recipe my mum gave me that she adopted when she worked at an Irving Big Stop restaurant (also very Canadian, at least in the Maritimes anyway). The dough, which uses an egg and baking powder, never gets tough - you can roll it and roll it and roll it and it's still as pliable as when it's freshly made. It always turns out crispy and flaky and melt in your mouth and I don't think I'll ever switch!

Festive Butter Tarts

1-1/4 cup flour
3 Tbsp icing sugar
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup raisins (optional)
3 eggs
1 cup corn syrup or honey
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
pinch salt

Combine flour & sugar. Cut in softened butter until mixture is crumbly. Divide dough among 12-3" fluted tart pans or 3" muffin tins. Press dough evenly over bottom & up sides. Place pans on baking sheet. Sprinkle raisins evenly over bottom of each tart shell. In separate bowl, combine eggs, corn syrup or honey, brown sugar, melted butter and salt. Pour into tart shells, filling each 2/3 full. Bake in preheated 375°F for 20-25 minutes or until set. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely. Makes one dozen.

Lemon Custard Tarts
(Recipe from Food Network Canada's Christine Cushing Live)

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
grated rind of one lemon
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1-1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg yolk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk together half the sugar with the 1 yolk, 2 whole eggs, lemon juice, lemon rind and vanilla in a medium bowl. Whisk the cornstarch, remaining sugar and milk in a bowl or measuring cup. Bring milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until slightly thickened. Slowly, whisk into egg mixture. Return to sauce pan and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, sealing plastic wrap directly over the custard so that no skin forms on the custard. Put in refrigerator and thoroughly chill before using, about 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out the puff pastry to 1/8-inch thick. Cut the pastry into twelve 4-inch circles with a cookie cutter or top of a cup or glass. Press pastry circles into muffin cups. Prick the bottoms with a fork. Line each puff cup with aluminum foil. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove foil and pie weights. Cool pastry for 5 to 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spoon the cooled custard into the baked puff pastry cups. Bake until golden and skin forms, about 10 to 15 minutes. Let tarts cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature or chilled. The custard will be a little loose.

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