jasmine, radicchio and lemon panna cotta

First this sweet little bloom

that popped out with several other brave souls at some point when I wasn't looking. As did the chives that I snipped and tossed into a nice cold weather salad for Sunday dinner.
(After which I made a note to remember to do more with radicchio - far under-used in my kitchen, I realize)

Even with that 'surprise' bit of snow this Monday and all the rain heading our way, signs of spring are emerging and I'm smitten.

I love peeking at these photos of vintage linen (something about spring coming and airing out fresh laundry on the line, I suppose).

This panna cotta was (is still) amazing - bright, light and redolent of sunny days. (I did use regular lemons though, as Meyers can be hard to come by here sometimes, and I might add a little more sugar next time even though I like tart sweets...)

mmmmm.

Dinner with Julie's Pumpkin Stout Gingerbread

Greedily plucked from this interview weeks ago and currently being devoured with HUGE satisfaction before a quick trip into the mountains.

It is most highly recommended.

strawberry pie

In my garage, snuggled under a tiny window lined with old bottles we unearthed tilling our little patch, sits my freezer. Nearly neglected in spring and summer when the garden is in full glory, it occupies its humble spot. However, when we can't bear to look at another green pepper or can't seem to keep up with over-productive green beans, into the freezer they go. A quick blanching followed by an ice bath and a towel drying is all that's necessary. Sometimes not even that much. In the dregs of winter it's a pleasure to rustle a bag of home-grown carrots out and recall their just-picked sweetness.

It's hard, however, to gauge just how much one should put away. How many bags of shredded zucchini can you use before the next year's haul is at hand? (The answer, I'm coming to find, is approximately one, by the way - shame on me!). So I find myself looking for ways to finish off the flavors of last year, before my freezer becomes the time capsule of fruits and veggies past.
Also, it just seems a little odd to bring in pints and quarts of new sun-warm fragrant berries while that icy prior generation looks on still in hibernation.

No worries, though. This pie turned out beautifully using last year's berries (which were hulled and frozen the day they were picked).
Strawberry Pie*
(adapted from Gourmet Magazine's recipe for Fresh Strawberry Pie with Whipped Cream)

The recipe specifies the importance of using only perfectly ripe berries, but I found that my perfectly ripe frozen berries were just a luscious.

Ingredients:

For the crust:
1 package honey graham crackers
2 Tb. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tb. sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grind the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor until they become fine crumbs. Add the sugar and butter and process until evenly incorporated. Press the crumb mixture in the bottom an up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Bake the crust in the oven until golden - about 15 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.

For the filling:
2 Lbs. hulled and quartered frozen strawberries (hand-picked when perfectly ripe is ideal, of course)
3/4 C. sugar
1/3 C. fresh lemon juice
1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp.) unflavored gelatin

In a large bowl combine the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice and allow to stand, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Place a sieve over a large measuring cup and gently strain the liquid from the berries. Set the reserved berries aside. If necessary add enough water to the strawberry liquid to equal 1 1/2 cups. Pour the liquid into a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. Allow the gelatin to soften for a minute or two, then bring the mixture to a bare simmer, stirring to dissolve the gelatin. Remove the mixture from heat and, in a metal bowl, combine it with the reserved berries. Place the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until it starts to thicken (the original recipe says until the mixture begins to mound, but I found this an odd term - it should be thick and just beginning to gel). When the mixture has chilled sufficiently, spoon it into the prepared, cooled, crust and refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours (up to 24).

Serve cold with fresh whipped cream if you have it handy.

*I have altered this recipe specifically for the use of frozen berries, if you are making the pie using fresh, follow the original recipe for the pie filling through the link provided (the macerating time and liquid amount have been adjusted here to allow for the thawing and excess liquid of the frozen berries).

happy holidays!

Almond Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing and Candies

the lot of 'em

holly leaves and coconut-hair cookie man

snowflake, star and wreath

little cookie man

Merry Christmas everybody!

cookies. continued.

Something delicious happened. Fig pinwheels.

The. Best. Cookie. Ever.

(At least for now...)

a little sweet

A big black cast iron skillet nearly full of shimmering hot oil is not normally how I like to start my weekend mornings. In fact, it's not really how I like to start any day.
However...
I can't deny the pleasure I got from these fresh home-made doughnuts and a hot cup of black coffee on a recent cold Saturday morning. I'd been itching to make these little cider doughnuts ever since I came across this recipe months and months (years?) ago. I finally took a deep breath and poured all that oil into the skillet, wincing with each glug of the bottle, and got to frying up these little treats. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum.
(Pardon the bite missing...I just couldn't help myself...)

Cider and Spice Doughnut Holes
(adapted from 'Cider Doughnut Holes' in the September 2007 edition of Every Day with Rachel Ray )

Makes approximately 24 doughnut holes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups flour (plus more for rolling)
1/2 Cup sugar
2 Tb. buttermilk powder (found in the baking aisle of many grocery stores)
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 Cup apple cider
1 large egg
2 Tb. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Vegetable oil or shortening for frying (enough to fill a deep skillet 1/2 to 3/4 full) - I used a mixture of vegetable shortening and canola oil
2 Tb. (more or less) powdered sugar for dusting

Heat oil (or shortening) in a deep skillet (cast iron is perfect) until hot, but not smoking. (The original recipe suggests 360 degrees on a deep-fat thermometer - I can't verify this as my thermometer slid right into the oil and had to be removed deftly and relocated to the kitchen sink...) You want the oil to be hot enough that when the batter goes in it begins to brown immediately, but not so hot that it starts to burn (it's doughnuts, not blackened catfish). Watch this closely as you fry - the temperature may need to be adjusted after adding the first batch.

While oil is heating, combine the flour, sugar, buttermilk powder, spices, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together to combine. Add the cider, egg (beaten), butter, and vanilla to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Put half of the batter in the refrigerator while you work with the other half.

With the remaining batter, form tablespoonfuls into small 1 1/2 to 2 - inch balls, by rolling the dough in floured hands. Place balls on a plate and when all the dough has been formed, begin to fry the doughnuts. Carefully transfer the balls, one at a time, into the hot oil. Fry gently for about 2-4 minutes or until doughnuts are golden brown on all over, turning when necessary with a slotted spoon. Do not crowd the pan. Remove the doughnuts with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb some of the oil. Repeat with the remaining refrigerated dough. Sift powdered sugar over the doughnut holes while they are still warm, and try to save some for sharing...

the sky is falling

Apparently it's raining apples.

Already.
And really, I'm terribly excited about this. I'm ready for Fall. I wasn't sure at first since this summer has been unseasonably cool and just gorgeous, but the apples are here. And you can't argue with them. They smell like autumn. Their colors mimic the turning leaves: green, gold, pink, and red. The crack of the first bite is as eye-opening as that first cold morning after a long, sticky summer. So when I'm given a shopping bag full of rosy, sweet, free, orchard apples I know that cool weather, and hot tea is just around the corner and that sometimes the best accompaniment to a brisk day and a hot cup of tea is a sweet and flaky piece of warm apple strudel...

Simple Apple Strudel with Cardamom

Ingredients:

12 sheets of Phyllo dough, thawed overnight in its packaging in the refrigerator
(When working with Phyllo dough, I thaw the entire package - any leftover dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed back in the freezer for later use)
1/2 stick plus 2 Tb. butter, melted (more, if needed)
1 1/2 Lbs. apples (approximately 6 medium), peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced*
1/3 cup plus 2 Tb. granulated sugar
1 Tb. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom (grind whole green cardamom pods in a spice or coffee grinder for the best flavor)
pinch of salt

whole green cardamom pods

freshly ground cardamom

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine apples, 1/3 cup of sugar, cornstarch, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl, cover with a towel and set aside.

On a clean work surface, place one sheet of the thawed Phyllo dough. Cover the remaining sheets with a clean, damp cloth. Lightly brush the single sheet with a bit of the melted butter and layer on another sheet of dough. Lightly brush the second sheet with a bit of the melted butter. Continue to layer the sheets of dough, brushing each layer with butter before adding the next until you have used all 12 sheets (don't butter the final sheet). Gently spoon the apple mixture into the center of the layered dough, leaving a border of 2 1/2 - 3 inches on each side and a border of 4 1/2 - 5 inches on the top and bottom:

Carefully fold each side in over the apple mixture, then bring up the bottom edge to cover. Brush the top of the folded bottom edge with some of the remaining butter and fold the top edge over the bottom to cover the apple filling completely. Press together gently. Place strudel seam-side down on a silpat (or parchment) lined baking sheet. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, and make 3 slits in the top. Bake strudel for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until top is golden.

Remove pastry to a wire rack to cool, slightly. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.
*Any type of firm-fleshed apple is suitable here. I used a fairly sweet variety, but a tart variety is always a good choice for baking. Depending on the sweetness of your apples, you may want to add more or use less sugar.