Category Archives: Read

Barton birdhouse

20 Wednesday Jun 2012

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I always listen to music while I’m making art in my studio, and the two go hand-in-hand for me. My music tastes are varied, but right now, I’ve got the album Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars on repeat. This little paper fella danced right out of it all a few nights ago.

The template for the birdhouse comes from one of my favorite craft books, Papercrafting In No Time by Clare Youngs. The birdhouse is small, standing about two inches high, and it’s made of a cardstock frame with patterned paper pieces layered on top and for the roof.

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Part of what I love about this project is the challenge of mixing several patterns into a harmonious whole. The tiny bird, named Barton of course, is made from a third type of patterned paper, a sprightly, pale blue paisley. This little guy and his humble abode took an enjoyable hour start to finish, not bad for such a charming companion. :)

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Boston Cream Cupcakes with Crème Fraîche Ganache

16 Saturday Jun 2012

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Last week’s recipe for a summery Blueberry Tart left me with some extra pastry cream on hand, and this recipe is the perfect way to use it. These are a more easily-served version of Boston Cream Pie, which is in fact not a pie at all, but instead layers of golden yellow butter cake and vanilla pastry cream, enrobed in a layer of chocolate ganache. The overall effect is impressive, right until you try to cut into it. (There is a reason custard is not commonly used as an ingredient in sturdy foundations.)

As messes go, it’s a delicious one, but not quite the dessert to hand to small children at a birthday party. The cupcake version is altogether more practical, and still just as indulgent. I leave it to you to make a batch of a dozen cupcakes from your favorite yellow cake recipe. I like this classic butter cake or this golden vanilla cake from King Arthur Flour’s web site. However, any recipe will do, as long as it’s moist and yummy. The pastry cream recipe is found here, used as the filling of the tart.

That leaves the chocolate ganache topping, and for me, that has to be Creme Fraiche Ganache from the beautiful cookbook Rose’s Heavenly Cakes by Rose Leavy Beranbaum. Beranbaum is most famous for The Cake Bible; written two decades ago, it is still an enduringly authoritative guide to making cakes that are scrumptious to see and taste. Rose’s Heavenly Cakes continues in the same literate, informed vein, and her recipes and directions are superb.

The end result of all these parts and pieces is buttery, creamy, chocolatey: all the words I love in a dessert recipe. Make no mistake, this is a sweet treat, but the Creme Fraiche Ganache adds just the right hint of tangy depth to balance the rich custard filling. These were my son’s birthday pick this year, and I think he made a wonderful choice.

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Creme Fraiche Ganache
makes 1 1/3 cups, enough to frost 12 cupcakes

6 oz. quality semisweet chocolate
2/3 c. creme fraiche
4 tsp. heavy cream
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract

In a food processor, blitz the chocolate until chopped very fine. In a pourable 2-cup microwave-safe measuring cup, whisk together the creme fraiche and heavy cream and heat until scalding; small bubbles will form around the edges of the cream mixture, about 90 seconds in my microwave. (This can also be done in a small saucepan over medium heat.)

With the motor of the food processor running, pour the cream mixture through the tube into the chocolate in a steady stream. Process a few seconds until smooth, then add the butter and vanilla and pulse until combined. Transfer the ganache to a glass bowl and allow to sit at room temperature for an hour. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool until firm enough to use as frosting, several more hours at least. The ganache will keep three days at room temperature or three weeks covered and refrigerated.

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To assemble cupcakes:
Using a paring knife, cut a cone-shaped piece out of the top of each cupcake, a little over an inch across and tapering to a point about an inch deep. Put a heaping spoonful of pastry cream in each little divot, then replace the cake cone. (I push mine in so that some pastry cream seeps out the side and is visible on the edges of the cupcake after frosting. If you’d prefer that your cream filling stay a surprise, gently replace the plug so that your cupcake has a more sloped top.)

Gently frost the top of each cupcake with a generous slathering of ganache, then top as desired with sprinkles or shave chocolate, or just leave pristine. These are fine to sit out for a few hours, but refrigerate the cupcakes, well-wrapped, if saving overnight. The ganache will thicken and lose its glossy sheen once refrigerated, but the cupcakes still taste delicious.

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(Wiley: 2009; ISBN 978-0471781738)

Blueberry Tart

06 Wednesday Jun 2012

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With blueberry season about to start in earnest, this recipe is sure to have a place on your summer table. It is more nuanced than its simple two-word title might lead you to believe: a flaky cream cheese pastry crust scented with fresh lemon zest; white chocolate pastry cream, somehow both rich and light at once; and a layer of sweet, ripe blueberries. Taking a bite of this tart makes me want to turn Iron Chef judge and say ridiculous, completely true things like, “I feel as if I’m tasting blueberries for the first time.”

This may not be the right recipe in its entirety for the novice or hurried baker, so do what pleases you without bringing frustration. I assure you no one will complain if you crumble store-bought shortbread in a glass and top it with pastry cream and berries. (Indeed, no one in my house would complain if you simply handed them a bowl of pastry cream and a spoon.) Or try your hand at the homemade crust this time, and fill it with a thin layer of purchased lemon curd, then top with berries and whipped cream. At the end of the day, a recipe is a success only when it puts both delicious food on the plate and a smile on the cook’s face.

A final note: you’ll notice the recipe below produces enough pastry for two 9″ tarts. I actually doubled the pastry cream recipe and baked and assembled two tarts, as we had company coming twice in one week. However, if you’d rather make just one tart, freeze the remaining uncooked pastry for use another time. It’s a lovely, useful thing to have on hand. And should you find yourself with some leftover pastry cream, it makes a perfect filling for a batch of Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes. (recipe coming next week :)

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Blueberry Tart
makes pastry enough for two 9″ tarts;
pastry cream and berries are enough for one 9″ tart, eight servings

For Cream Cheese Pastry tart shell:
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
finely grated zest of one lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. cold unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/4″ pats
6 oz. cold cream cheese, cut into small cubes
10″ tart pan with removable bottom

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, lemon zest, and salt and pulse a few times to blend. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and process until reduced to fine, buttery sand. Scatter the cream cheese cubes over the top and process until ingredients mix completely and come together in a ball of dough.

Divide dough in half and form into two discs, then wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill for at least four hours, up to three days, before using. (If making only one tart, double-wrap unused portion and freeze up to one month. Thaw overnight before using, then proceed as usual.)

When ready to use, let dough sit at room temperature for fifteen minutes, then roll out between two pieces of parchment paper until it forms a 12″-diameter circle that is 1/4″ thick. Carefully place into a 10″ tart pan and trim away excess dough. (Quick tip: to easily remove extra dough, simply roll the rolling pin across the top rim of the tart pan.) Prick the bottom of the crust with a toothpick every few inches to allow steam to escape and keep your pastry from bubbling up while it bakes. Freeze the tart shell for twenty minutes before baking. (This solidifies the butter and cream cheese again and produces a flakier, more tender cooked pastry.)

Oven 350F. Bake the tart shell for 20-25 minutes, until edges and bottom are light golden brown. The crust will shrink quite a bit, hence the finished 9″ size, but this shrinking makes removing the tart shell from the pan a breeze. Allow tart shell to cool completely, then remove from pan, place on desired serving platter, and set aside until ready to fill. This can be done the day before, but be sure to wrap the cooled pastry well while it sits.

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For White Chocolate Pastry Cream:
1 1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract, or the seeds of 1/2 a vanilla bean (for more about vanilla bean paste, see these recipe notes)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour
2 large egg yolks (check the bottom of this earlier post for something to do with those leftover whites)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 c. white chocolate chips or 3 oz. white chocolate bar, chopped
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks

In medium saucepan, stir together one cup of the milk, the sugar, salt, and the vanilla bean paste or vanilla bean seeds. (If using vanilla extract, wait to add until just before refrigerating the hot custard.) Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.

Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 1/2 c. milk, cornstarch, flour, and egg yolks in a small glass bowl or measuring cup. Transfer a 1/2 cup of the boiling milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture and whisk until combined. (This step changes the temperature of the eggs slowly so that you don’t wind up with white chocolate scrambled eggs.) Pour the tempered egg mixture into the boiling milk and stir thoroughly. Bring back to the boil and cook for 30 seconds until thickened.

Immediately remove from heat and pour through fine wire mesh strainer positioned over large mixing bowl; this step removes any remaining cornstarch or flour lumps. You will need to help the last of the custard through the strainer by pushing on it with a silicone spatula or the back of a spoon. Be sure to scrape the underside of the strainer too, so you don’t lose any of that yumminess. :)

Stir the butter and white chocolate into the hot custard until it is all melted and thoroughly combined. Rub a bit of butter over the top of the custard, then cover well with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic down on to the surface of the custard so that no skin forms as it cools. (The butter will keep the plastic wrap from sticking.) Refrigerate until cold, at least four hours. Once cooled, gently fold in the 1/2 cup of whipped cream and refrigerate again, tightly covered, until ready for use. Pastry cream will keep up to a week.

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To assemble:
2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and picked through to remove stems
2 Tbsp. apricot jelly
pastry shell
pastry cream

Spread a generous layer of pastry cream in the bottom of the tart shell, about 1/2″ deep. Scatter blueberries over surface of pastry cream in an even layer. (I favor a more rustic and arbitrary arrangement, but feel free to place them in precise concentric circles. Whatever floats your boat, captain!)

Place apricot jelly in a small bowl and microwave until melted. Brush on surface of berries with a pastry brush to produce a shiny glaze. You won’t taste the jelly at all, it’s just there to be pretty. Chill until served. (I meant the tart, but this could also apply to the cook. You’ve earned it.)

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P.S. — If you’ve read this far, you get a gold star! This is my longest recipe post by far, but I promise it’s worth it. ;)

Recipe Variations/Notes:
If you’re not a blueberry fan or they aren’t in season, try a Banana Butterscotch Tart instead. Simply substitute butterscotch chips for the white chocolate in the pastry cream, and sliced bananas for the blueberries. Omit the apricot jelly glaze and drizzle a little caramel over the top instead.

The Cream Cheese Pastry recipe above comes from Flo Braker’s fantastic book, Baking for All Occasions: A Treasury of Recipes for Everyday Celebrations. It is firmly ensconced as one of my favorite baking cookbooks of all time, and I highly recommend it. Not only is it full of inspired, yummy recipes written with detailed directions, you can just tell the author truly loves to bake, and that matters to me. As Braker suggests, this pastry makes a lovely crust for a savory pot pie or tart (like this one); simply omit the sugar and lemon zest and proceed as directed.

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(Chronicle Books: 2008; ISBN 978-0811845472)

Caramel Apple Butter

08 Tuesday May 2012

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Making apple butter has become a fun Mother’s Day tradition for me, a yummy homemade gift to share not only with Mom, but also with several close friends who consistently bless me in my own beautiful, complicated parenting journey. This year I decided to spice things up a little bit by making a variation of one of my all-time favorite flavors, caramel apple.

The inspiration for this recipe came from one in Paul Virant’s fantastic cookbook, The Preservation Kitchen. His Caramel Apple Jam is a savory shredded apple preserve, flavored with thyme and black pepper, but it begins the same way: by making a deep amber, intensely apple caramel. There we parted ways, as I added chopped apples, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, then reduced and blended the mixture into tangy, sweet fruit butter.

Caramel Apple Butter contains the same amount of sugar and apple juice as traditional apple butter, but the caramelization process brings out the warmth of both. The results are thick and velvety, equally at home slathered on a ginger scone or a grilled turkey and cheese sandwich. I love apple butter on pancakes or cheddar biscuits, and it makes a beautiful sauce for roasted pork loin when added to the pan juices with a bit of grainy mustard.

A note: this cooking process is not one that lends itself to multi-tasking; although not complex, it requires some time and attention. Because making caramel involves hot sugar, this also isn’t a good time to invite little ones into the kitchen. Canning preserves is an ideal late Sunday afternoon activity, just right for when the house is quiet, everyone is absorbed in their own tasks, and the kitchen is otherwise empty. I love this hour of productive peace, with nothing more urgent to do than stir caramel and enjoy the fragrance of warm apples. Because I am a kitchen romantic, I also like to think that a little of my calm and focus seeps into what I am cooking, and what mom couldn’t use more of those?

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Caramel Apple Butter
makes 8 calm and focused half-pint jars

12 sweet-tart apples, preferably Pink Lady, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/2″ chunks (can substitute Cripp’s Pink, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, or Fuji apples)
2 1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. water
4 c. whole-pressed, unsweetened apple juice or cider (I like Simply Apple or Mott’s Natural)
1 tsp. kosher or coarse sea salt or 1/2 tsp. fine salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

8 half-pint jars with metal bands and rubber-sealed lids (like these)
canning supplies as specified in recipe, including pan, tongs, and funnel

Use a large, deep, wide-bottomed pan, preferably with rounded sides. Stir together sugar and water until sugar resembles wet sand, then cook over medium-high heat until sugar begins to melt, about 6-8 minutes. Do not stir or swirl pan during this stage, just watch. (Movement will cause the sugar to crystallize further and make big lumps. Trust me on this one: don’t leave the kitchen because it’s important you start stirring as soon as it begins to melt, but be your best, most patient self until then and don’t touch! :)

The sugar will turn crispy and crackly, then finally begin to ooze into a pale brown syrup at the edges. Once this happens, begin stirring with a wooden spoon, and continue to stir as the sugar melts completely. Once all the granules are dissolved, allow sugar to caramelize another 5-7 minutes, until it’s deep, dark amber in color and smells rich and nutty. Do not taste or touch it, as hot sugar burns are very painful.

Once the sugar is caramelized, remove it from the heat and stand back a bit as you pour in the apple juice. Once your caramel geyser quits bubbling and frothing enough to safely approach, return it to the heat and stir. The caramel will have crystallized into a solid lump in the bottom of the pan, but patient stirring will help it dissolve again. Continue stirring constantly as the apple juice caramel simmers and reduces by half, about fifteen minutes. Add the salt and ground spices and stir another minute or two to thoroughly combine.

Once the spiced apple caramel has thickened, it’s time to add the fruit. (Quick tip: For practicality’s sake, I often peel, core, and chop the apples the night before, toss them with the juice of a lemon, and then refrigerate until ready to use.) Stir in the apples and cover until it comes to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes, until apples are very tender and liquid has further reduced.

While apples are cooking, use a water-bath canning pan to immerse eight half-pint jars in water and heat for ten minutes. (I use a 21 1/2-quart pan and rack, available for less than $20. I also use a set of silicone-lined jar tongs and a wide-mouth funnel, available individually or as part of a set.) This heats the jars enough that the hot apple butter won’t crack the glass.

When the apples are finished cooking/reducing, turn off the heat, and use an immersion blender on its highest setting to process the preserves until completely smooth. (As I explain in these recipe notes, I love my inexpensive immersion blender. If you don’t have one, you can process your apple butter in batches in a traditional blender.)

Once blended smooth, use a funnel to fill heated, dried jars, leaving 1/2″ of space at the top of each jar. Screw on the bands and lids, then process your jars by immersing in boiling water bath for ten minutes. Remove the sealed, processed jars to allow them to cool. When the lids make a popping sound, you know they’re sealed tight. Unopened jars of apple butter can be stored at room temperature for up to six months, but they should be refrigerated after opening. If a jar doesn’t seal after processing and cooling, the apple butter is fine, but it should only be kept in the refrigerator.

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P.S. — If you want a little more apple butter inspiration, check out my recipe for Apple Butter Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting. Yum! :)

Bond. James Bond.

05 Saturday May 2012

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My book reviews usually trend toward papercrafting and multimedia collage, with a healthy dose of whimsy thrown in for fun. Depending on your point of view, Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction 2: Build A Secret Agent Arsenal could be said to combine all three. Regardless of its genre, it has kept my 15-year-old son and I occupied and inspired for many afternoons.

Imagine Macgyver and James Bond trapped in an office supply store, and you have a good idea of the projects featured in Mini Weapons 2. The projects require a selection of cannibalized office supply parts (ballpoint pen housings, disassembled binder clips, empty glue stick tubes, and mechanical pencil innards, to name a few), held together with liberal amounts of hot glue and duct tape.

As if that wasn’t cool enough, author John Austin also calls for a variety of candies and their packaging, ranging from Mentos gum containers (ammo clips) to Altoids tins (catapult housings). All the book’s directions are detailed and easy to follow, and every step features a full-scale diagram to be sure you understand steps like “disassemble a plastic ballpoint pen by removing the tip and ink cartridge.”

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The mom in me appreciates that we have such an entertaining way to re-use all the flotsam of everyday life, from orphaned pen caps to empty tape dispensers. The dried-out highlighter that used to go in the trash now gets harvested for parts: its housing is the Golden Gun barrel, and its cap becomes the sight on a Shark with Laser Beam. How can you resist a book that reminds you to save the cap of your used glue stick for a Q-tip blowgun?

Our most recent creation is a candy-calliber PPK that fires balloon-propelled Tic-Tac ammo at distances of up to eight feet. (Not exactly deadly force, but enough to fuel energetic gun fights that send candy flying and our toy poodle scurrying for cover.) The picture below, taken mid-assembly, gives you a good idea of the sort of items used. Right now, we are saving up pieces for the Rubber Band Derringer and a mini-Bowler Hat Launcher that would make Oddjob proud. If we don’t have all the supplies needed, a quick trip to the dollar store always suffices, but we try to use what we have on hand as much as possible.

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Life carries some weighty responsibilities, and there always seems to be another load of dishes to wash and another errand to run. But I say, if you’re too busy to build a watch that fires paper darts, then it’s time for some re-prioritizing. :)

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(Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction 2: Build A Secret Agent Arsenal; Chicago Review Press: 2011; ISBN 978-1569767160)

Paper plum blossoms

02 Friday Mar 2012

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Usually, surviving February merits a celebratory rush of energetic, brightly colored projects in the studio. But it has been so unseasonably warm and mild this winter, I don’t feel quite the same urgency about ushering in springtime. I wore shorts the last week of February, and the weather is already playing its April games, revolving between sunny 70’s and thunderstorms. Tornado season also seems to have arrived earlier, much to my children’s chagrin. (There are only so many times you can make a game out of doing your schoolwork in the downstairs hall closet by flashlight.)

However, the last few weeks have felt distinctly February when it comes to matters of the heart, and this paper craft seemed the perfect fit: hopeful, but fragile. The blooms and leaves are made from pieces of a coffee filter. I folded and watercolored the small shapes, then glued them in place on a tree branch. (That’s twice now our Bradford pear tree has done something useful — pretty sure that’s a record.)

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This is another project from Margaret Van Sicklen’s fantastic Modern Paper Crafts. Like the pleated paper bowl I made from the same book, this also required some complex paper folding and a delicate-but-determined touch. I found the leaves much simpler to make than the blossoms, but the instructions were clear and detailed enough to get me through it without frustration. And the nice thing about a paper craft with coffee filters is that your raw materials only cost a few cents, so it’s no great loss if (when) you have to start over.

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Watercoloring the blossoms and leaves also required a gentle hand, but I love the effect gained as the paint bleeds into the fibers of the filter. I used to make watercolor coffee filter art with my kids when they were little, so this was a sweet reminder of those early homeschool years. My son and daughter are more complicated creatures now, but we all still revel in doing art together.

In the end, that is what my plum blossoms speak to: fondness and nostalgia for a more innocent time, determination to get through winter’s challenges together, and growing hope for the future. I think that’s a pretty good way to end February.

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Just Granola

29 Wednesday Feb 2012

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Granola can be tricky. It is one of those foods that cries out to be made from scratch, but there are so many variations and ingredients out there. I have tried at least a dozen recipes over the years, but I never made any of them more than once. One version had so many seeds, I felt like I was at a bird feeder instead of the breakfast table; the next had enough sugar to qualify as dessert. Then there’s the whole food allergy issue, which leaves me without many dried fruit options. (Almost all dried fruit is sulphured, meaning sulfites are added to help with the preservation process. It’s not really very hard to decide between breathing and eating dried apricots, but it does limit my granola options pretty mightily.)

After so many granola misfires, I finally narrowed down my requirements. I don’t expect my granola to be a portable superfood, substantial enough to nourish me on a three-day hike. I don’t want a multi-tasker — I’m not planning to add it to anything except milk and yogurt. No flax, no wheat germ, no goji berries, no exotic spices. I want something simple, crunchy, toasted, a little sweet, a little salty… just granola.

I think I finally found my recipe this time. It’s from Brunch! by Gale Gand and Christie Matheson. To show you how serious I am, I resisted most of my usual recipe-fiddling ways. I only made two substitutions: dried cherries instead of dried cranberries and clementine juice instead of plain orange. I resolutely kept the door of the spice cabinet closed, and I even measured out my ingredients instead of eyeballing it. My self-restraint was amply rewarded with every simple, tasty bite.

I don’t judge, though. If you are of the fancy granola ilk, more power to you. This recipe could easily handle the addition of cinnamon, ginger, or cardamom, and you could substitute banana chips or raisins for the dried berries. If you crave more texture, try some sesame seeds or sunflower kernels with your chopped almonds. After it cools, add a big handful of chocolate or peanut butter chips, and you’ve got something a little more indulgent that would be a great topping for fruit crisp or ice cream.

To show you how accepting I am, I got a little extravagant with the photos and made a parfait with layers of granola, vanilla Greek yogurt, and orange blossom honey. But between you and me, I gave that one to my daughter to eat. I’ll take mine plain — just granola, please.

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Almond Granola
makes about seven cups

1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. real maple syrup (not corn-based pancake syrup)
1/4 c. fresh-squeezed orange juice
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. almond extract
4 c. old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick cook)
3/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut (preferably unsulphured)
1 c. chopped almonds
1 tsp. sea salt
1 c. sweetened dried cherries or cranberries

Oven 325F. Combine honey, maple syrup, orange juice, butter, and almond extract in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter melts and ingredients come to a boil. Immediately reduce heat and simmer for about five minutes, stirring often, until mixture is slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, mix oats, coconut, almonds, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot honey mixture over the oats and stir well to coat thoroughly, then spread evenly on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once. Add dried fruit, stir to combine, then bake for 20 minutes more, stirring a few more times to be sure granola browns evenly. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Break into smaller pieces and store in airtight container for up to two weeks. Can also be frozen for up to a month.

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Pear and Marzipan Pastries

23 Thursday Feb 2012

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I am a little bit obsessed with brunch lately. Brunch has a lot going for it, to my mind. As a confirmed night owl, I am all for breakfast at noon, and inviting people over for brunch feels so much more do-able than homemade waffles for a crowd at 8 AM. Brunch is casual enough to remove the pressure associated with such portentous words as “dinner party,” yet it is still event enough to merit a few new recipes.

For me, brunch is about balance: breakfast and lunch, savory and sweet. This recipe is the perfect brunch candidate in the sweet category. The combination of buttery pastry, tender pears, and the richness of almond paste was inspired by a recipe from Gale Gand’s cookbook Brunch!. If you are joining me on the brunch bandwagon, her recipes are a good companion to have along for the ride. The one caveat might be that she has been an acclaimed pastry chef for so long, she’s a teensy bit out of touch with how things operate in a regular kitchen. (God bless her, it’s not her fault she hasn’t purchased puff pastry from a store in twenty years.)

I have no problem changing ingredients and ratios as I see fit, though; hence the recipe below, which I adjusted in several ways to tame the cloying sweetness of the original. Although a natural for breakfast, these charming little pastry parcels also make an indulgent dessert for a weeknight supper. They take very little time to put together, the most arduous task being peeling and coring a couple of pears. You can use marzipan and almond paste interchangeably here, depending on your preference and pantry. (See the Chewy Almond Macaroon recipe notes for more about both.) I also wouldn’t be opposed to finishing with a drizzle of creme fraiche — but then, would I ever? :)

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Pear and Marzipan Pastries
makes six

14 oz. all-butter puff pastry (one sheet, thawed overnight in refrigerator if frozen)
4 oz. marzipan or almond paste (I use Odense)
1/4 c. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. sour cream (preferably all-natural)
1/4 c. cinnamon sugar (I make mine in batches of 1/2 c. granulated sugar + 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and sliced into about 18 wedges
a dash of freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg
coarse sugar (optional)

Oven 425F. Cut the puff pastry sheet into six squares of about equal size and arrange on parchment-lined baking sheet. Slice the marzipan into six equal portions, then shape each portion into a disc about 2″ wide and 1/2″ thick, and place one disc in the center of each pastry square. In a small mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together cream cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, salt, and 3 tablespoons of the cinnamon sugar. Place a generous dollop on top of each marzipan round. Top the cream on each pastry with three overlapping wedges of pear, then sprinkle the tops of the pears with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cinnamon sugar and a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg.

Carefully gather the four corners of each pastry together at the top and twist them together to form a little parcel with a pastry topknot in the center. (Be sure to press the corners together well enough that they won’t come apart during baking.) Beat the egg in a small bowl, then brush the tops of each pastry lightly with the egg wash. Sprinkle on coarse sugar if desired, then bake for 25-30 minutes, until pastries are puffed and golden. Transfer immediately to cooling rack and allow to cool before eating.

These are fantastic warm from the oven or room temperature. They don’t reheat well, however, so eat them within a day of baking. (That’s not meant as a challenge. ;)

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Pleated paper bowl

18 Saturday Feb 2012

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While most people window-shop for clothes or browse the electronics aisle, I stare at racks of art paper. Our local Paper Source store has a dozen rainbow rows of handmade papers, with patterns ranging from candy-colored stripes to watercolor waves. Just the sight of all those deckled edges is enough to make me want to squeal a little. :)

When they stocked some gorgeous new handmade Lokta, I knew it merited a special project. Lokta is a paper made in Nepal from the bark of the Lokta bush, and the strength of the fibers combined with the light weight mean it folds beautifully. There is also something undeniably romantic about folding paper that was crafted in the heights of the Himalayas. I chose a sheet printed with delicate butter yellow and white chrysanthemums on gold stems, layered over a pale aqua background.

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I wanted a project that would really showcase the paper, and my mind immediately went to the piece featured on the cover of Modern Paper Crafts, one of my favorite additions to my art book collection last year. The title features sections on folding, scoring, cutting, pleating, and recycling paper, and this pleated paper bowl was one of the highlights for me.

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I like to practice intricate paper crafts on more pedestrian paper before I attempt the real thing. Because a lot of this project was about perfecting the pleating technique, it made sense to take the time for a dry run and get my hands used to the folding and scoring motions. I made my test bowl from some Alice in Wonderland scrapbooking paper, twice the size of the final 6″-square Lokta bowl I had planned.

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If you examine the underside of the paper, you can see how the base and sides are formed. It required a lot of precise folding, but after one of those weeks that tested me both emotionally and physically, it was a joy to put on some ridiculously upbeat music and lose myself for a focused, rewarding half hour. Forming the final shape took some time, and I am definitely glad I tried it first before attempting it on more expensive, one-of-a-kind paper.

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Other than doubling the Lokta so both sides would be patterned, the second bowl was just a smaller version of the first. It went a little faster at the final stages because I knew what to expect and I was so excited to see the finished product. It made me excited to try out a few other projects that I have had my eye on from the same book. I think I saw a piece of paper with clouds and cranes that would work perfectly… ;)

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(Modern Paper Crafts; STC Craft: 2011; ISBN 1584798661)

Ottolenghi’s Green Pancakes with Lime Butter

15 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by in Cook, Read

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I have seldom posted a recipe that wasn’t my own on this blog, but I am making an exception. I feel comfortable doing so because A) this recipe already appeared in print in the London Times in 2008; and B) I am posting it entirely to encourage you to buy the author’s cookbook, Plenty. Plenty is the culinary brainchild of London restaurant owner Yotam Ottolenghi, and the considerable press buzz surrounding it is absolutely merited.

Mr. Ottolenghi is Israeli, and his dishes are Med-Rim in flavor, drawing from the culinary heritage of northern Africa, the Mediterranean Middle East, and southern Europe. The recipes are vibrant and modern, sometimes complex but never fussy. Plenty happens to be a vegetarian cookbook, although its author and his eponymous restaurant are not. But this is not the meager, stretched-thin sort of food that outsiders often associate with their herbivorous brethren; instead it is filling, tasty, and somehow indulgent. The recipes can be a meal themselves or co-exist happily alongside meat; Monday night, we sampled Sweet Potato Wedges with Lemongrass Creme Fraiche, and they made a brilliant partner to smoked turkey breast and peppery greens.

I served Plenty‘s Green Pancakes with Lime Butter as part of the spread at our Super Bowl bash, and they were delicious. The original recipe calls only for spinach, but I substituted Organic Girl’s Super Greens, a mix of baby greens that includes red and green chard, spinach, arugula, and tat soi. I also chose to use one large, milder Anaheim pepper instead of two smaller green chiles to control the heat, since I knew some of our guests were not fans of spicy food. Other than that, I stuck stolidly to the recipe and was completely satisfied with the results. These are easily made ahead and warmed just before serving, and the lime butter is equally brilliant over other veggies and fish or chicken. Make this recipe, love it, and then buy the cookbook. :)

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Ottolenghi’s Green Pancakes with Lime Butter
makes a dozen 3″-pancakes, serves 3-4

For pancakes:
8 oz. (about 8 cups) raw spinach or mixed greens, washed
3/4 c. self-rising flour (see Recipe Notes below to make your own)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 egg
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp. kosher or coarse sea salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
2/3 c. milk
6 medium green onions, finely sliced
2 fresh green chiles, thinly sliced
1 egg white
olive oil for frying

For lime butter:
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter (one stick), at room temperature
grated zest of one lime
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (that was the juice of one lime in my case)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. chile flakes

To make the lime butter, beat butter in small mixing bowl with wooden spoon until soft and creamy. Add rest of butter ingredients and mix well. Tip on to a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment and roll into a sausage shape, then chill until firm.

Wilt the spinach in a saute pan with a splash of water over medium heat. (If using mixed greens, wilting will take a couple minutes more.) Drain in a sieve, and when cool, squeeze hard with your hands to remove as much moisture as possible. Roughly chop and set aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, whole egg, melted butter, salt, cumin, and milk in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the green onions, green chiles, and chopped spinach, and mix well with a fork. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until it holds stiff peaks, then gently fold into the pancake batter with a silicone spatula.

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. For each pancake, ladle in two tablespoons of batter and press down gently. Cook for about two minutes on each side, until golden brown and green. Transfer to paper towels, and continue cooking until all batter is used; you should have about twelve 3″-wide pancakes. To serve, pile up three warm pancakes for each guest and top with a slice of lime butter to melt over the top.

Recipe Notes + Tips:

If you don’t have self-rising flour on hand, mix one cup all-purpose flour, 1-1/4 tsp. baking powder, and a pinch of salt. I place my ingredients straight into a zip-close bag so they are easily mixed and stored. This recipe requires only 3/4 cup of self-rising flour, so you’ll have a little left over for your next recipe.

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