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Tag Archives: vanilla bean

Vanilla Peach Butter

11 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by createdforjoy in Cook

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biscuits, bread, butter, canning, cobbler, cook, cream cheese, fruit, ginger, jam, peach, preserve, scones, spread, vanilla, vanilla bean

peachbutter

Peaches are one of my favorite fruits, and they are in season here in the southern U.S., ripe and plentiful. When our local market had a spectacular one-day sale on them, guess who came home with a case? Eighty plump, juicy little beauties, to be blanched, peeled, pitted, and chopped, then transformed into double batches of Spiced Peach Chutney and Vanilla Peach Butter.

Unlike more labor-intensive chutney, peach butter contains very few ingredients. And have no fear, you don’t need a crate full of fruit to make this recipe; in fact, it only requires twelve cups, or about 4-1/2 pounds. The result is a spoonable preserve, packed with sweet, tangy flavor. The addition of vanilla bean and ginger result in a scent and taste much like peach cobbler, minus all that pesky pastry work.

Vanilla Peach Butter would be beautiful swirled into a coffee cake, and it is destined to be best friends with Ginger Scones. However, so far, we have finished off an entire jar by spooning it on to chunks of whole wheat bread spread thick with cream cheese, or heaping it on to plain biscuits. Sometimes, the simplest ways are the best. :)

peachbutter

Vanilla Peach Butter
makes six half-pint jars

12 c. peeled and chopped peaches (see recipe notes for quick peeling technique)
2 c. granulated sugar
juice and zest of a lemon
2″-piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 vanilla beans or 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste

six half-pint glass jars with bands and lids
probe cooking or candy-making thermometer
canning supplies as specified in recipe, including pan, tongs, and wide-mouth funnel
immersion or traditional blender (see these recipe notes for more about immersion blenders)

In a large, wide-bottomed pot over high heat, combine peaches, sugar, lemon juice and zest, and grated ginger. If using whole vanilla beans, split them length-wise with a sharp paring knife, and add them now. Bring fruit mixture to a boil and cook for 10-12 minutes, until peaches soften and release their juices and vanilla beans empty their seeds. Remove from heat, cool, and then refrigerate overnight, or up to three days. (If using vanilla bean paste, stir it into the peaches before refrigerating.) This rest period gives time for the vanilla and ginger flavor to develop and infuse the peaches.

If you used whole vanilla beans, remove the pods now. Puree peach mixture until no chunks remain, either by blending in traditional blender, or returning peaches to large, wide-bottomed pot and using an immersion blender. Turn on medium-high heat, attach cooking thermometer, and simmer gently until fruit reaches 215F, stirring occasionally. The mixture should have thickened and reduced by about half. (Watch the heat, as fruit butters scorch easily.)

If you’ve made my recipe for Caramel Apple Butter, this routine is exactly the same. (For canning, I use a 21 1/2-quart water-bath canning 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.) While the peach butter reduces, use the water-bath canning pan to immerse six half-pint jars in water and heat for ten minutes. This heats the jars enough that the hot peach butter won’t crack the glass. Remove them and place upside-down on a clean dish towel to dry. Just before filling the jars, dip the lids and bands in the water long enough to soften the adhesive — less than a minute will do it.

Once the peach butter reaches 215F and is reduced by half, use a wide-mouth funnel to fill the 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 peach 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 peach butter is fine, but it should only be kept in the refrigerator.

peachbutter

Recipe Notes:
To quickly peel your peaches without losing any fruit or juice, the easy answer is blanching. Blanching is the process of briefly dipping fruit or vegetables into boiling water, then immediately immersing in ice water. The application of heat and cold loosens the skins so they are easily removed. And if your peaches are less than ripe, an extra minute in the boiling water can help sweeten and soften them.

To blanch your peaches, first use a paring knife to slice an “x” in the bottom of each peach. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, and immerse peaches in water for one minute. Remove the fruit to a large bowl of ice water and allow to soak another minute or two. The peach skin will be loose and easily peeled from the fruit. (So easily in fact, that young children can do it. Never turn down willing help in the kitchen. ;)

One last note regarding peach butter vs. peach jam: the primary difference between fruit butters and jam or preserves is the amount of sugar and the addition of pectin. Fruit butter contains a fraction of the sugar of jam and no added pectin to thicken it. The result is a preserve that is more suited to spooning than spreading, but one that maintains more pure, concentrated fruit flavor and less added sugar. While not the case with all fruits, I prefer peach butter to peach jam every time because I can still detect the true taste and texture of the ripe fruit.

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Ginger-Vanilla Bean Cake with Sunset Oranges and Creme Fraiche

17 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by createdforjoy in Cook

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Tags

baking, blood oranges, cake, candied ginger, cook, creme fraiche, dessert, glazed, oranges, spring, vanilla bean

sunsetcake01

I made this cake for the first time last year to celebrate a dear friend’s March birthday, and it was so yummy that I made it again two days later when we had friends over for dinner. When citrus season rolled in early this year, I knew exactly which recipe to reach for. This is one of those desserts that instantly conveys special occasion. It is so sunny and bright on both the plate and the palate, and I love the pops of gingery heat. Normally cake without frosting is frowned upon in my household (whereas frosting without cake seems to be accepted just fine), but the fruit and cream on top are a perfect, not-too-sweet foil to the moist, vanilla bean-flecked cake below.

The glazed fruit on top is made from equal parts blood oranges and their regular navel counterparts. Blood oranges sound a bit macabre, but the name is only a reference to the deep red of the pulp and juice. Blood oranges are more tender and juicy than regular oranges, and they have a floral finish that reminds me of the scent of orange blossoms. My favorites are the ones with segments that fade from pale orange to crimson, like a perfect, edible sunset.

I first encountered the idea of pairing oranges and creme fraiche as a cake topping in the culinary memoir A Homemade Life by blogger/author Molly Wizenberg, and then happily adapted it to include blood oranges. The ginger-vanilla bean cake is my own recipe, a lighter take on pound cake in texture, ratios, and labor involved. Don’t let the ingredient list discourage you: if blood oranges are not in season (it’s a small window from late February to late March), feel free to substitute tangerines, regular oranges, or any other citrus you like. If you cannot find creme fraiche, use all-natural sour cream sweetened with a drizzle of honey. This cake is like culinary springtime, minus all the bad weather. :)

sunsetcake06

Ginger-Vanilla Bean Cake with Sunset Oranges and Creme Fraiche
makes 12 generous portions

For cake:
3 eggs
1/3 c. milk
1/3 c. vanilla Greek yogurt
1 c. granulated sugar or vanilla sugar (see recipe notes here to make your own)
1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or real vanilla extract
2 c. cake flour (I use Swans Down brand)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt, not coarse
1/2 c. unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
1/3 c. finely chopped crystallized ginger or baking ginger chips

For topping:
5 blood oranges
5 navel oranges
1/2 c. granulated sugar (less if using tangerines or very sweet oranges — blood oranges are more tart)
8 oz. creme fraiche

Oven 350F (325F if using dark nonstick pan). Grease 9″-round springform pan, place a parchment paper round in the bottom, then grease the parchment. (To make a parchment round, trace around the base of the pan on a sheet of parchment, then cut slightly inside the line.) In small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and yogurt and set aside. Put sugar, vanilla, cake flour, baking powder, and salt in large mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Cut softened butter into tablespoon-size pieces and cream into dry ingredients with electric mixer until thoroughly mixed. Add egg mixture and beat with electric mixer until batter is light, thick, and airy, about 3-5 minutes.

Stir in ginger bits with silicone spatula, then spread batter in prepared pan. Bake 30-40 minutes, until top is golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack 15 minutes, then release sides from pan and flip cake out on to cooling rack. Remove parchment round and turn cake right-side up. Allow to cool completely.

While the cake bakes, suprème the oranges. This involves slicing off the peel and pith and then cutting out the segments so that you have only the flesh without the membranes between each. (Here is a 30-second video by Chef Michael Symon demonstrating how.) This is the most labor-intensive part of the whole recipe, but it is so worth it. If you have never tried this technique before, start with the navel oranges, as they are easier to work with than the more tender, juicier blood oranges. Once you get into a rhythm, it goes faster, but it helps to have someone to talk with to pass the time. (Or a kind friend to do it for you — thanks, Jason!)

Place the segments in a medium saucepan, then squeeze all the juice out of the leftover membranes and add it to the segments. Add the granulated sugar and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves completely; the oranges should be warmed through and the juice slightly reduced. Do not allow to come to a rolling boil. Set glazed oranges aside to cool until not piping hot.

When ready to serve, slice the cake into twelve slices. Top each wedge with a spoonful of warm glazed oranges and juice, then drizzle with a tablespoon of creme fraiche. Store any leftover cake wrapped tightly and then placed in an airtight container. Oranges should be stored in the refrigerator, but can be re-warmed before serving.

sunsetcake02

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