Category: Easy Peasy - DragonWarden

Pavlova

7/20/2020

I've avoided meringues for most of my life as 1) I had some strange misguided prejudice against them because they reminded me of macarons (and I don't like macarons) and 2) everyone always exclaims how hard it is to make a meringue. However, I was finally tossed right into the pool and it was sink or swim when I committed to making an elaborately fancy cake that used Italian meringue in its frosting ... and I discovered that all of my preconceptions were completely false.

I managed to make the pavlova on the first try. It was not without a few hiccups along the way, but there were plenty of tips and tricks on the internet and I not only salvaged it but it became a week-long hit at multiple households. So, don't be intimidated by the meringue's reputation! In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that it takes a really long time of holding the beaters, I would say this was totally an easy-peasy rating, and you can dress it up with all manner of fanciful and beautiful treats, such as a tangy lemon curd and sweet strawberries.

4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 250 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whip egg whites in a large bowl until uniformly frothy. While whipping, add a few spoonfuls of sugar. Whip until the soft peak stage, then add another few spoonfuls of sugar while whipping. Continue until all the sugar has been added, then continue whipping until the stiff peak stage and the meringue is thick and glossy.
Place 6 dollops of meringue on the baking sheet. Use the back of a spoon to shape the meringues and create a slight well in the centers.
Bake for one hour, turn off the oven, and then prop open the door with a wooden spoon until completely cooled.

Notes: This is one recipe where you can't get away with just reducing the sugar. The sugar is necessary to help the meringue hold its structure. There will be some inevitable cracking once the meringue starts to cool down and settle - it will crack slightly less if you let it cool down gradually by keeping it in the oven and letting the heat escape gradually.

If you add the sugar too quickly, the meringue will not firm up, so best method is to get it to the soft peak stage, add sugar, then get it back to the soft peak stage again if it has collapsed, add sugar again, etc. If it's a humid day and it seems to need a little extra help, you can add a bit of lemon juice or cream of tarter at the frothy stage. You can also separately whip one egg white to stiff peak stage, then fold it into the main bowl and then whip the entire bowl, and it should firm up better than before.

Chinese Sesame Candy

7/17/2020

While all my memories of this candy are very fond - drawn as they are from a childhood of mahjong parties, when the adults would lay out trays of snacks and candies for easy munching while they played and the kids would gleefully filch more from the stashes than the adults did - I hadn't thought of them in literally decades. But a couple weeks ago while I was escorting my mother at 99 Ranch Market, I happened to glimpse some very pretty packaging for black sesame candy and had a sudden craving for them. Except, of course, why not make my own?

I tried this recipe and it was not only an amazingly fast and easy assembly, earning the easy-peasy rating, but the candy was honestly more delicious than any store-bought one from my memories and each batch disappeared literally within an hour or two of making. I ended up making double-batches three times in one week!

Bonus points - my boyfriend had a truly inspired suggestion and the crumbled bits of semi-smoky slightly-sweet sesame seed turned out to be an amazing topping for vanilla bean ice cream. ^_^ Yum!

1/2 cup black sesame seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey *
1/3 cup sugar

Additional equipment:

2 silicone mats
rolling pin

Lay a silicone mat on your work surface. You will use this for rolling out the sesame candy.
Pour the black sesame seeds into a large pan and toast them on medium-high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Because of their black color, it may be difficult to tell when the sesame seeds are done toasting. The sesame seeds usually release a faint aroma when they are ready. You can also see wisps of smoke coming from the sides of the pan. Turn off the heat and transfer the sesame seeds to a bowl.
Next, toast the plain sesame seeds for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the toasted seeds to the bowl with the black sesame seeds. Mix the two types of seeds together.
In a large stainless steel pan, add the oil, honey, and sugar over medium-high heat. Stir everything together and wait for the sugar to dissolve completely and the resulting syrup takes on a golden color and is runny. Make sure to stir frequently to keep the sugar from burning.
Once the sugar dissolves, turn off the heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir to coat the seeds with the syrup.
Working quickly, pour the sesame seeds onto the silicone mat. Try to pile all the seeds into one mass. Lay the other silicone mat over the seeds and press down gently. Use a rolling pin to roll out the sesame candy. You want to make sure to be quick here so that you can roll out the candy into a thin layer.
Take off the top silicone mat and lay a chopping board over the candy. Carefully flip the candy onto the chopping board. Remove the second silicone mat.
Use a sharp knife to trim the sides of the sheet of sesame candy so that you get straight edges. Cut the candy sheet into 1-inch strips of candy. Cut each strip into candies about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. Don’t worry if your candy isn’t uniform in size. Mine are never perfect.
You can enjoy the candy immediately. The candy will continue to harden as it cools to room temperature. Once cooled, store the candy in an airtight container for several weeks. (A ziploc baggie is sufficient - if it is not stored in a container, the candy will soften into a crumbly mess.)

* Note: The honey helps to keep the candy soft enough to roll as it cools, and also provides some chewiness after it has cooled completely. Depending on your preferences, you can reduce the honey by as much as a half if you'd like the final candy to be crisper.

Pistachio-Orange Ricotta Cake

4/13/2020

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.

Coconut Milke Panna Cotta

4/5/2020

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.

Shortbread Lemon Tart Recipe

3/26/2020

Beautifully lemony, I found this recipe here. Even better, it achieves the easy-peasy rating because you literally throw all the ingredients into a blender and a food processor and you're done! Per usual, I've adjusted the sugar levels a bit - not only do I usually apportion only 1 cup of sugar for something cake-sized these days, but I felt it really lets the brightness of the lemon shine through.

Lemon Filling:

4 large eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/3 cup butter, melted
powdered sugar, for topping

Shortbread Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
In a blender, combine the eggs, lemon juice, granulated sugar, lemon zest and orange zest. Process on high until smooth. Add the butter, replace the cover, and blend again on high until smooth. Set aside.
In a food processor, combine the flour and powdered sugar. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and continue to pulse until the mixture looks sandy and the butter is fully incorporated into the flour and sugar.
Place an 11-inch tart pan on a baking sheet. Pour the crust mixture into the pan. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (You can use the bottom of a cup to help press the crust more evenly on the bottom of the pan.)
Pour the filing into the crust, then transfer the tart into the oven. Bake until the center is almost set, 30-35 minutes.
Cool the tart completely. When ready to serve, sprinkle powdered sugar over the top and cut into slices.

Double Olive Oil Bread (No-knead)

10/28/2019

I've always loved the idea of making bread but only ventured into that realm twice. Due to proofing times and my chaotic schedule, it was difficult to figure out when I was available to perform which step, and to be honest, it was difficult to make myself wait. I liked to just spend an hour doing everything and popping it into the oven - it was surprisingly difficult to perform a step, be patient for a few hours, then perform another step, then wait again, etc.

But I had just made pizza the other night and had half of a jar of olives still left over when this recipe landed in my inbox. The instructions seemed insanely easy for a bread recipe, so I gave it a try - and true to the article's claim, it really was as easy as it claimed! What came out was a beautifully aromatic, salty, crusty bread that I would be happy to pair up with all sorts of dips, spreads, you-name-it.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped olives
1/4 cup olive brine from a jar of olives
1 1/4 cups warm water

In a large bowl stir together flour, yeast, salt and chopped olives.
Combine olive juice with warm water and slowly stir into dry ingredients until a shaggy dough is formed. If dough seems too dry, add a little more water, one tablespoon at a time, until dough is barely wet throughout.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm place, and let it rise for at least 12 hours but preferably 18 hours.
Place a large piece of parchment paper on counter. Generously flour the parchment paper. Use rubber spatula to turn dough on surface – it will be loose and sticky – this is what you want.
Flour hands and gently lift the edges of the dough in toward the center, folding the dough over onto itself to create a round shape. Cover with kitchen towel again and let rise for another 1½ to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place large Dutch oven in oven while it preheats (about 30 minutes).
Remove hot pan from oven. Lift the parchment paper/dough into the hot pot. Cover with lid and put back in oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until outside is golden brown and crispy.
Let cool to room temperature before serving.

Cardamom-Walnut Crescents

12/4/2018

Taken from this recipe, in terms of ingredients and method, this was not so different from the perennial favorite Mexican Wedding cookies. But the texture was quite different once baked, because the fat (butter, in this case) wasn't creamed evenly throughout the batter. I had joked to my mother that it looked like I was making a batch of mini-croissants; it turns out I wasn't too far off, because even though the dough came together, the food processor maintained little granules of the cold butter so that they baked into very lightweight cookies that crumbled in your mouth.

For the dough:

1/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup walnuts halves
1/4 pound unsalted butter, chilled and cut in to 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the vanilla sugar:

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 vanilla bean

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all dough ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the dough resembles coarse meal. Then process continuously until it begins to gather together.
Roll 2 teaspoons (or a little over half a tablespoon) dough at a time into half moon shapes. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake until firm to touch, about 18 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the vanilla sugar ingredients in a food processor until the vanilla bean is pulverized.
When cookies are done, let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack. Sift the vanilla sugar over them immediately. Continue cooling for 15 minutes. The cookies may be stored in an airtight container up to 5 days.

If you are lazy like me, you can just substitute powdered sugar for the vanilla sugar. Be aware, though, that this cuts down on the sweetness. This was perfectly fine for me, though. If you want to be even more super-lazy, forget about the crescent shapes and just form little half-domes like the mexican wedding cookies.

I also liked to up the cardamom and orange zest amounts, but you can certainly adjust to your taste. To help with the spreading, you can chill the cookies after they're formed on the baking sheet in the fridge for a half hour before putting in the oven.

Roasted Rhubarb

4/26/2017

This is really a fantastic go-to for when you want that tart rhubarb taste but have no time to make a whole rhubarb pie. Of course, then the challenge becomes what to pair the roasted rhubarb with - I tried to use a plainer recipe such as the magic custard cake, but the rhubarb taste is so strong that it frankly overpowered the cake. So, just be aware that while delicious, the roasted rhubarb needs a strong partner!

1/2 lb rhubarb
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice or juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp vanilla

Set oven to 375 F.
Slice the rhubarb into about 1" pieces. Toss with everything.
Spread on a baking sheet and roast for about 10-15 minutes, until it is soft but not mushy.

Note: I personally preferred a little less sugar, maybe around the 1/4 to 1/3 cup range, but some might be put off by how tart the rhubarb becomes once you cut the sugar down that low.

Hummus

4/23/2017

Hummus, I'm beginning to think in my vast inexperience, seems to be rather like stone soup - you pretty much put whatever you want into a chickpea paste base "to taste" (there's probably hordes waiting in the wings to burn me for that comment). But after visiting half a dozen pages on the merits of texture vs silkiness, Greek tahini vs Arabic tahini, whether olive oil belongs in the hummus before or after, etc I'm pretty much just tossing whatever is nearby in until I'm willing to lick the spoon (or my finger) clean.

1 can chickpeas
1/3 cup tahini
2-4 cloves garlic (to taste)
juice of 1-2 lemons or 2-4 tbsp of lemon juice (to taste)
1 tbsp of cumin or paprika
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp of salt (to taste)
olive oil (to drizzle or to taste)

Drain the chickpeas and reserve the liquid in a bowl. Put the chickpeas and garlic into a food processor and blend until coarsely ground. Scrape down the sides/redistribute as needed.
While the food processor is running, pour in the lemon juice and 2 tbsp of the chickpea liquid. Scrape down the sides/redistribute as needed.
While the food processor is running, add the tahini. Scrape down the sides/redistribute as needed.
While the food processor is running, add the spices and salt. Continue to add the chickpea liquid one tablespoon at a time until you achieve the consistency you want.

Note: There were some arguments over whether olive oil should be added during the making of the hummus or just drizzled atop it afterward. I made it without the olive oil, and it turned out fine, but some may find it irresistible to at least throw in a tablespoon or two during the making of it.

James Beard's Zucchini Bread

7/6/2016

I received this recipe in my inbox one day, and it was a perfect opportunity to use up some of the mystery vegetables lying around the kitchen. I actually don't know what the squash-family veggie it was that I ended up putting into the bread, except that it definitely wasn't a zucchini. Nevertheless, even with such liberties taken - and, after I couldn't find either my loaf pans or my muffin-sized liners, falling back to my cupcake tins out of desperation - I could see why the recipe had a 4 out of 4-spoon rating. Nobody in my entire family stopped at just one cupcake, and my dad even accused me of lacing it with opium! *eyeshifts*

3 eggs
1.25 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated raw zucchini
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Yield: 2 loaves or about 18-20 cupcakes

Beat eggs until light and foamy. Add the sugar, oil, zucchini, and vanilla and mix lightly but well.
Whisk together flour, salt, soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add to the egg-zucchini mixture.
Stir until well blended, add nuts, and pour into two 9 x 5 x 3 inch greased loaf pans, or distribute into cupcake cups.
Preheat oven to 350 F. For loaves, bake for 1 hour. For cupcakes, bake for 25 minutes.

There's now a much more thorough treatment of this recipe on Jen Reviews - Cozy, Crumbly Zucchini Bread Recipe, chock full of high-res photos! It's a great guide for anyone who has any questions about the many details that I admittedly elide here for the sake of reading and baking brevity.