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Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb

4/28/2020

This was everything it promised to be and my entire family was blown away. I stumbled across this recipe looking for pistachio-related things to make, and it turned out absolutely beautifully. The dijon mustard gave it a lovely tangy depth (and as an otherwise avowed mustard-hater, I would NOT leave this off or substitute it with anything else) and everything else crusted up just as promised.

2 racks of lamb, trimmed
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup chopped pistachio nuts
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Generously season each rack of lamb with herbes de Provence, salt, and black pepper.
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place lamb in skillet and cook, browning on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to a foil-lined baking sheet; set aside.
Stir pistachios, bread crumbs, butter, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and black pepper in a bowl. Spread mustard on the fat-side of each rack of lamb. Pat pistachio mixture on top of mustard. Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is golden and lamb is pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

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Skillet-Baked Pear and Apple Crisp

4/21/2020

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I've been on a huge skillet kick lately, and this seemed like the perfect way to get my apple pie fix the quick-and-easy way. It's not quite easy-peasy, but easy enough with the right tools - a food processor and a 12" skillet, which might seem humongous for a single family dessert, but with all the fruit spread out, is mostly just a single layer thick, so quite manageable for two evenings' worth of enjoyment!

Topping

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup pecans
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Filling

1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds firm Bartlett pears—peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 cup dried currants
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons Cognac
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350° and butter a 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
In a food processor, combine the sugar with the flour, pecans and cinnamon. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is fine. Transfer the topping to a bowl and press into clumps.
In a large bowl, combine the apples and pears with the currants, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, honey and Cognac and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Spread the fruit in the skillet and scatter the topping over the fruit.
Bake the crisp in the center of the oven for about 45 minutes (for firmer fruit, start checking around 30 minutes), until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is browned. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving with ice cream.

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Pane Bianco (pull-apart bread)

4/21/2020

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I don't even remember how I stumbled across this recipe - I usually have 20+ tabs open in my browser, and in one of my infrequent fits of cleaning, I realized I had this particular tab open somewhere in the middle (which probably meant it was a couple weeks old) and it just so happened to use bay leaves ... which I was desperately trying to use the remainder of before they wilted. So I gave it a try, along with the tangzhong method for the first time, and while I think I made some missteps along the way, nevertheless it was a very usable bread that indeed stayed soft for several days and was enjoyed down to the last bite!

Dough (see notes for Tangzhong method)

3 cups (361g) bread flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup (113g) lukewarm milk
1/3 cup (74g) lukewarm water
3 tablespoons (35g) olive oil

Filling

3/4 cup (85g) shredded Italian-blend cheese or other cheese of your choice
1/2 cup (113g) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes or your own oven-roasted tomatoes
3 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/3 cup (14g) chopped fresh basil, green or purple

To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients in a bowl (or the bucket of your bread machine), and mix and knead — by hand, using a mixer, or in your bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a smooth, very soft dough. The dough should stick a bit to the bottom of the bowl if you're using a stand mixer.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise until it's doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes. Note: When making anything with yeast, it's best to let the dough rise to the point the recipe says it should, e.g., "doubled in bulk," rather than watching the clock. Rising times are only a guide; there are so many variables in yeast baking that it's impossible to say that bread dough will ALWAYS double in bulk in a specific amount of time.
Meanwhile, thoroughly drain the tomatoes, patting them dry. Use kitchen shears to cut them into smaller bits. Shears are also useful for slicing/chopping the basil.
Gently deflate the dough, shaping it into a ball, and letting it rest for 10 minutes. Then flatten and pat it into a 22" x 8 1/2" rectangle. Spread with the cheese, tomatoes, garlic, and basil.
Starting with one long edge, roll the dough into a log the long way. Pinch the edges to seal. Place the log seam-side down on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Using kitchen shears, start 1" from one end and cut the log lengthwise down the center about 1" deep, to within 1" of the other end.
Keeping the cut side up, form an "S" shape. Tuck both ends under the center of the "S" to form a "figure 8;" pinch the ends together to seal.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, 45 to 60 minutes.
While the loaf is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. If there are bits of sundried tomato sticking out on the surface, gently tuck them under the dough so that they don't char.
Uncover the bread, and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it with foil after 20 to 25 minutes to prevent over-browning.
Remove the bread from the oven, and transfer it to a rack to cool. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Store, well-wrapped, at room temperature for a couple of days; freeze for longer storage.

Notes:
Don't want to use bread flour? The bread may not hold its shape quite as well, but feel free to substitute all-purpose flour 1:1 for the bread flour in the recipe. Reduce the water to 1/4 cup.

Want to make a softer loaf with extended shelf life? Try the tangzhong technique, a Japanese method for increasing the softness and shelf life of yeast rolls. Begin by measuring out the flour and milk you’ll be using in the recipe. Now take 3 tablespoons of the measured flour and the 1/2 cup milk; put them in a saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until it forms a thick slurry; this will take about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer the cooked mixture to a bowl, let it cool to lukewarm, then combine it with the remaining flour and the other dough ingredients, increasing the amount of water to 3 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup less 1 tablespoon). Proceed with the recipe as directed. Well-wrapped and stored at room temperature, your loaf should stay soft and fresh for several days.

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Pistachio-Orange Ricotta Cake

4/13/2020

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This was a surprisingly extraordinary cake considering its borderline easy-peasy status! From the Better Baking book by Genevieve Ko, it was a surprise hit as I had only made it because I had leftover ricotta in the fridge. Wonderfully fragrant, with the pistachio's nutty undertones and a density and texture reminiscent of pound cake, the cherry on top was that you can throw all the ingredients into the food processor and be done with it.

8 tbsp (114 g) unsalted butter, softened (almost melting point)
1_1/4 cups (180 g) white whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (64 g) shelled roasted salted pistachios
1 cup (110 g) sugar
1_1/2 cups (339 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese, drained
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 small orange
1 tsp vanilla extract

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 F. Butter 2" deep 9" round cake pan, line bottom with parchment paper, and butter the parchment.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl. Combine pistachios and sugar in food processor and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add butter and ricotta and pulse until smooth, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and process until smooth, scraping bowl occasionally. Zest half the orange into mixture. Squeeze 2 tbsp juice from orange and add to processor, then add vanilla and process until liquids are incorporated.
You can add the flour mixture directly and process, or pour liquid mixture into another bowl and hand-mix flour mixture in until everything is incorporated evenly. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean, 50-55 mins.
Cool in the pan on wire rack for 10 mins, then run a thin-bladed knife between the edges of the cake and pan. Invert the cake onto the rack and discard parchment paper. Carefully flip cake again to cool completely on rack.

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Coconut Milke Panna Cotta

4/5/2020

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This is a great dairy-free option for the lactose intolerant, and was incredibly easy to make. It set beautifully, and everyone in the family called for more afterward! You could make this sweeter by adding more honey, or making some macerated berries to garnish on top.

2 tsp powdered gelatin
1.5 tbsp water
13.5 oz full-fat coconut milk (preferred: Aroy-D)
1.5 tbsp honey or maple syrup
(optional) 1 tsp vanilla extract

Add the water to a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Allow to bloom for 5 mins.
Heat the coconut milk, honey, and vanilla if using, in a small pot on medium heat. Whisk together and bring to a low simmer. Take pot off the burner and whisk in the gelatin until it is fully dissolved.
Pour the panna cotta mixture into the ramekins (I like to pour it into a measuring cup first to make it easy for pouring) and refrigerate until set (at least 4 hours).

Note: To remove the panna cotta from the ramekin for presentation, place the ramekin in a small bowl of hot water for 10-15 seconds to warm the outside of the ramekin. Then invert onto a plate. Repeat the warming step is necessary so that the panna cotta slides out easily.

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Chinese Sponge Cake

4/5/2020

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Chinese sponge cake is an amazing, pillowy cake/bread that would have already been a delight to consume purely for its texture. But then it has a delicious eggy aroma and taste that makes this seemingly plain confection that hardly deserves the name of "dessert" into a staple of every Chinese bakery I've ever walked into. It was just by chance that a friend posted this video describing how to make a version at home, and thankfully, because of the more precise method of measurement by weight, I was able to make both a full-sized and half-sized version with very little adaptation besides trying to guess how long the smaller versions cook.

9”x13” cake pan, lined with parchment paper
larger pan for water bath
12 large eggs
130 mL milk
160 mL oil, corn preferred
190 g flour, low-gluten preferred
140 g sugar

Note: for a half portion, you can use five 2”x5” loaf pans

Set oven to 300 F.
Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites into two bowls. Using a whisk, mix the milk into the egg yolks.
Heat up the oil until it’s simmering. Pour half into the flour, mix until incorporated, then pour in the other half of the oil. Let cool.
Pour in half of the egg yolks and mix until incorporated. Then mix in the other half.
Add a spritz of lemon juice to the egg whites to help them whip up. Start whipping the egg whites until it is uniformly frothy (about one minute), add a third of the sugar. Continue beating for another 30 seconds, then add another third of the sugar. Continue until all the sugar is incorporated, and the egg whites are in the soft peak stage.
Using the whisk, fold a small amount of egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until fully incorporated, then fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites until uniform.
Pour batter into cake pan(s), then place into the larger pan. Pour water into the larger pan for the water bath (water does not need to be level with the cakes – just an inch or so deep is fine).
If using a 9”x13” pan, bake for 60-70 mins. If using smaller pans, start checking for doneness at about 35 mins. The top should be golden and the cake should be springy. While warm, slice into sections.

Note: I used all-purpose flour and olive oil as that was all I had on hand, and the cake still turned out lovely! I personally wouldn't go through the trouble of acquiring the specialized ingredients unless they happened to be already on-hand.

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Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb

Skillet-Baked Pear and Apple Crisp

Pane Bianco (pull-apart bread)

Pistachio-Orange Ricotta Cake

Coconut Milke Panna Cotta

Chinese Sponge Cake

Sweet Enough

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