Pumpkin Pie v 3

This issue I’ve struggled with using the Cook’s Illustrated pumpkin pie is a pie that wouldn’t set.  I found this version that uses the concepts that I liked (blooming the spices, making a warm custard, and using fresh dairy), while making a pie with better structure.  In the recipe, I actually amped up the spices which makes it a bit more festive.

INGREDIENTS – for 1 pie

• In a small saucepan, heat the following ingredients to concentrate flavors:
• 15 oz (small can) of pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup – optional
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• Pinch allspice

In a medium bowl, beat

• 3/4 cup heavy cream, warmed
• 1/4 cup whole milk, warmed
• 2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk

Slowly whisk the warmed milk mixture. Avoid adding air bubbles

Pour into a blind baked pie crust and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350, baking for another 40-50 minutes until it is just jiggly in the middle

Turn off the oven and open the door just a crack to let the pie cool slowly. This helps reduce the cracking. Remove from oven when the pie is just above room temperature.

Thai Chicken Rice

One of my favorite dishes to get from the hawker stalls when I visited my family in Penang! I don’t know why it has taken me so long to try it at home! The sauce is slightly different than what they make in Penang, but I sadly can’t remember what it taste like. This sauce is Thai-inspired. I had trouble finding the right soybean paste, but the thick Chinese version I found was pretty close. It just needed to be thinned out a bit.

Chicken and stock:

• 1/2 uncut chicken. Trim the fatty pockets and some skin to render for the rice
• 1/2 onion
• few springs of cilantro
• enough water to submerge the chicken, you may also use a bit of chicken broth
• salt

Place the chicken into the cold water, bring the water to a boil, then let simmer till the chicken is done (20 minutes). Remove the chicken and allow the broth to cool. Season to taste. Should be just lightly salted.

Sauce:

• 1 scoop of Chinese soybean paste or a few TBSPs of Thai soybean paste (Chinese version is more concentrated and saltier)
• small amounts of dark soy sauce and regular soy sauce
• sugar and vinegar to taste
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced and pounded
• 1″ knob of ginger, minced and pounded
• Red chilies, finely minced
• water to meet the right consistency

1. Start with the soybean paste and add water to create a thin sauce consistency (like soy sauce)
2. Gradually add the soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Use a light hand
3. Add sugar and vinegar to taste to get a good balance of both sweet and sour
4. Stir in the ginger and garlic and chileis

Rice

• 3 cups of Jasmine Rice, rinsed well. Could use a bit of Glutinous rice to improve the texture. The sweet rice needs to soak overnight)
• 2 TBSP minced garlic
• 2 TBSP minced ginger
• 3 TBSP rendered chicken fat (Take the fat and put in a cold pan with a little oil. Turn to medium low, careful not to burn or smoke the oil)
• Enough chicken stock for the rice cooker

1. In a wide bottomed skillet, fry the ginger and garlic in the chicken fat on medium. Do not brown. Cook for about 2 minutes.
2. Add the rice, turn up the heat and fry for about 2 minutes.
3. Pop the rice into the rice cooker and fill with chicken stock up till the line for 3 cups of rice.

Serving:

Plate a bit of rice on a plate. Top the rice with sliced chicken. Serve the sauce on the side. Te left over stock can be served with the dish as well.

Doctored TJ’s Cake Mix-Raspberry

One box of vanilla cake mix probably would be been just enough to make a two-layer 6-inch cake. Made this cake for V’s first birthday cake. I was intrigued by this cake mix because the ingredient list is very similar to a homemade cake and not full of artificial ingredients and stabilizers. This would be great with fresh raspberries and whipped cream frosting

• One box of TJ’s vanilla cake mix
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 bag of TJ’s freeze dried raspberries
• 1/2 cup of whole milk raspberry or whole milk Greek yogurt or plain sour cream
• 1 stick melted butter
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs

1. Pulse raspberries in a food processor to make a fine powder. Let soak in the milk.
2. Beat in eggs, oil, butter and yogurt into the milk. Then add cake mix.
3. Pour into pans and bake at 350 degrees until the center is done

Steamboat Dipping Sauce

Every family has their own expectations of what steamboat should be, right down to the name.  Mom always called it steamboat, but most people I know call it hot pot.  This past month, we had four hot pot meals with different families, including my own.  I came to realize and appreciate how each family had their own 'recipe' and method for hot pot.  
For me, the way steamboat should go is to start with plain water, although many others start with seasoned broth.  Add the meats and seafood in to start seasoning the broth.  We coat many of the meats with raw egg or soy sauce to enhance the broth.  
In regards to ingredients, my mom always hand-sliced all the meats, and although very popular among most other hot pot tables, we did not have the assortment of fish/meat balls, probably because we lived far from an Asian market.  Nowadays, we get the meat pre-sliced shabu-shabu style, and our feast also includes meat/fish balls.  Vegetables were almost an after thought in our house, but it was always napa cabbage.  My friend, though, searched multiple stores to find a particular vegetable that she considered to be the quintessential green for the occasion.  My family saved noodles for last to enjoy with the broth we made; a stone soup of sorts.  I have yet to see another family do that.  I recall eating glass noodles as a kid, perfect for a delicate broth, but now I enjoy wheat noodles.  Udon noodles also seem to be popular in other families.
Another highly contended variation is the dipping sauce.  Many people I know go to the trusty Taiwanese BBQ sauce, something I had never tasted until having hot pot with my in-laws.  It's delicious, but I still prefer what I grew up with, of course.  It is a variations of a family friend. He was a friend of my paternal grandfather, who I've seen as a  kid while visiting Bangkok in the early 90's.  It was quite well known from what I remember my mom telling me at the time.

Must haves at steamboat: Egg and soy sauce coated Chicken and Beef, Shrimp, Squid, Sliced Fish, Glass noodles, Napa cabbage, Tofu

Dipping Sauce:

• Preserved tofu with chili
• Lemon or Lime juice
• Sugar
• Cilantro
• Garlic Oil (1 head of garlic, minced, then gently heated in about 3/4 cup of oil until golden brown. Be careful with the heat, it will continue cooking after the heat is removed)
• Chili or chili sauce
• Crushed peanuts

• In a small saucepan, heat the tofu and stir, mashing the tofu into a paste.
• Add sugar to taste.
• Take off the heat and squeeze in lemon juice.
• Add a little water to thin out the sauce.
• Stir in chopped cilantro and chili.
• Spoon on garlic oil. Top with crushed peanuts and more cilantro.

Wontons

I have memories of eating dozens of mom’s wontons for dinner as a kid. I would help wrap them at the kitchen table. Although not every year, we often made dumplings to celebrate the New Year, but as we made a tradition of making steamboat on New Year’s Eve, and a more elaborate dinner for New Year’s Day, it has been awhile since we’ve honored this New Year’s tradition.

Variations are endless with wontons. I prefer the thicker Northern Chinese style wrappers. One thing to keep in mind is to minimize moisture. Also, taste test for seasoning before wrapping by putting a sample of the filling in the microwave to cook.

Filling Options:

• Ground Chicken, Chopped Shrimp, Napa Cabbage (salted and squeezed of excess water), Cilantro, Shitake Mushrooms (rehydrated), Ginger, Garlic, Leeks, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil
• Ground Pork, Chopped Shrimp, Napa Cabbage (squeezed of excess water), Ginger, Garlic, Green Onion, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil

Wrap wontons by placing about 1 TBSP filling in each wrapper. Wet edges with a mixture of water and corn starch and crimp the ends.

Bring water to a boil and place wontons into the pot. Cook until they float, then add cold water to the pot and bring to a boil again. Repeat this proces two more times.

Wontons made ahead, then frozen (uncooked) individually on a tray. Store in plastic bags in the freezer

Vanilla and Chocolate Buttercream

Found a great recipe for frosting to ice E’s third birthday cake. After I finished the cake, he changed his mind and didn’t want a cow cake anymore. Can’t win with toddlers!

Vanilla Buttercream

• 1 cup softened butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 c heavy cream
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Beat butter with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.

Stop the mixer and add the remaining ingredients. Put the mixer on low until the sugar has moistened. Put the speed up to high and beat for 3-4 minutes, scraping the sides occasionally to ensure even texture.

Chocolate Buttercream

• 1 cup butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 c cocoa powder
• 1/4 c heavy cream
• Pinch of salt

Follow the same steps as above

Earl Grey Shortbread

Delicious and fragrant, light and crisp, these cookies don’t really impart a lot of tea flavor, but are a perfect pairing with a cup of tea. Made these for C’s baby shower. Can be made ahead of time and stored wrapped in parchment in the freezer of refrigerator. Yields 2 dozen cookies.

• 2 cups flour
• 2 TBSP Earl Grey tea
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

 
In a food processor, pulse together the flour, tea and salt till the tea is well distributed.

Add the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Pulse until the dough forms

Form into a log and tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for at least several hours.

Slice into 1/3″ slices and place on parchment-lined cookie sheet

Bake at 375 degrees X 12 minutes until golden on the edges

Carrot Pineapple Cake

Made this for dad’s 71st birthday and is my favorite version to date.  I made this recipe in two 6-inch pans to make a small layer cake topped with cream cheese frosting.

From Ina Garten: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/carrot-and-pineapple-cake-recipe-1953437

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 pound carrots, grated
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained

Beat the sugar, oil and eggs.  Add vanilla cinnamon, baking soda and salt

Spoon in flour and Beat till combined

Stir in carrots, raisins, walnuts and pineapple

Spoon into a buttered and lined 8 inch cake pan (double the recipe for a two layer cake) at 350 degrees for 50 minutes

Meyer Lemon Curd and Mini Lemon Cream Pies

I created these pies as I was putting together dessert for a family get together this Memorial Day weekend.  I was trying my hand at making lemon curd and had small amounts of cream cheese, heavy cream and Cool Whip in hand.

First, I made the lemon curd.  I started with fresh Meyer lemons from out garden.  These are naturally sweeter and required about half of the recommended amounts of sugar in most recipes.  I got a little worried when the curd was covered in foamy bubbles when I heated it through, but was relieved to realize that they would go away on their own.  I also managed to prevent the dreaded scrambled egg streaks, I think by whisking constantly….which probably led to the foam!  I probably didn’t need to strain it at all.  I also forgot to add the butter, but I actually liked the final product without it.  Brought out that bright tang.  One trick I didn’t try but may consider next time is rubbing the zest through the sugar to release its oils.

As I waited for the curd to cool, I pre-baked the mini pies shells.  I made them using store-bought crust, a Wilton flower cutter and a mini cupcake pan.  I haven’t decided what the best method is for shaping them.  Some of them turn out deeper because the tops held onto the rim of the muffin wells.  They are also more browned once out of the oven.  And the edges of others slide down the wells making more shallow, straight-sided shells.  IN my opinion the straight sided shells look nicer but can’t hold as much filling.  Plus I can’t re-created one or the other so I’ll need to do some experimenting with it.  My hypothesis is that they  become deeper when I stretched the dough a bit to fit into the wells.   That leave more overhang to brown on the tops.

For the filling, I place straight lemon curd on the bottom to get that powerful lemon zing, then added a layer of lemon cream, simple made by adding the lemon curd to whipped cream and cream cheese.  Top it with a bit of lemon zest would bring in the color and add even more ‘real’ taste to this dessert.

LEMON CURD RECIPE

• 1 whole egg and 3 egg yolks
• Scant 1/3-1/2 cup sugar
• Zest from 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• pinch of salt

1. Rub the zest and sugar through your fingers to release the lemon oils and fragrance.   Place into a small stainless steel saucepan.
2. Whisk in the eggs, then the lemon juice and salt.
3. Turn on the heat on low and stir constantly with a whisk.
4. Once well heated, increase the heat to medium low, continuing to stir.  If becomes frothy, it will be OK.
5. The mixture will eventually thicken, somewhat suddenly. Once it coats the back of a wooden spoon and a finger run over the spoon leaves a line, the curd is ready to be taken off the heat.  The temperature should read 180 degrees Farhenheit to ensure the eggs are cooked.
6. If needed or desired, strain the curd into a bowl.  This will remove scrambled eggs and the zest.  Let cool.

PIE ASSEMBLY.  You will need:

• 1 store bought pie crust (will yield 12 mini pies)
• 2 oz cream cheese
• 4 oz heavy cream (I didn’t have enough, so I had to suplement with Cool Whip)

1. Roll out the ie dough slightly and cut out 12 mini shells.  I use a 4 inch flower cookie cutter, better than a circle cutter because it doesn’t leave excess dough inside the wells.
2. Press the dough into the wells, prick each several times with a knife.\Freeze the dough for 5 minutes.
3. Bake at 400 degerees until light brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and let cool
5. While the shells are baking and cooling, make the lemon cream:
6. 1. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy, then slowly add the heavy cream until the mixture is a heavy whipped cream consistency.  Spoon in the lemon curd to taste.
7. Assemble the pies
8. 1. In a pie shell spoon in straight lemon curd on the bottom
9. 1. On top of the lemon curd, spoon in the lemon cream
10. 1. Top with lemon zest

To make a parfait, layer with graham cracker crumble, straight lemon curd, the cream cheese filling and lemons whipped cream. May also add berries.

Graham Cracker Crumble

Pulse a package of graham crackers into crumbs (14 cracker, 6 Oz, makes about 1 cup). Add 1 stick of melted butter and 2 TBSP sugar

Bake at 325 for 10 minutes, stirring at the midpoint.

 

Pumpkin Pie v 2.0

Modifications from the original recipe  published by Cook’s Illustrated include a reduction in sugar and dairy.  The original was a bit too sweet for me and I was consistently unsuccessful at getting the pie to set.  This past Thanksgiving, I cut the milk to only 2/3 cup, and although it tasted fine, it lost that custardy texture that I loved.  The proportions listed below are hopefully a good compromise between soft, light texture and structure.  My pie often cracked as well, so I will try the oven cooling trick next time.

Combine:

• 3/4 c slightly warmed heavy cream
• 3/4 c slightly warmed milk
• 3 eggs + 2 yolks (careful not to add to too warm milk!)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Whisk these ingredients together in a large measuring cup and set aside

In a large saucepan, add:

• 15 oz canned pumpkin (small can)
• 15 oz candied yams, drained
• 2/3 c sugar
• 1/4 c maple syrup
• 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• Heat all ingredients on medium to a sputtering simmer (7 minutes).  Continue to cook till thick and shiny (another 10-15 minutes).

Place the pumpkin mixture into a food processor along with enough milk mixture to ensure that the pumpkin is thoroughly blended. Pulse till smooth.

Whisk remaining milk mixture into the pumpkin mixture (temper first!) while still warm, but not super hot.  Then press mixture though a sieve back into the measuring cup.  Pour into blind-baked shells and bake at 400 degrees X 10 minutes, then 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes till center 2 inches is still jiggly.  Thermometer should read 175 in the center of the pie.

Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar with a wooden spoon for an hour or so until the pie is only warm to the touch.  This supposedly prevents cracking.

Total amount of filling and bake time is highly dependent on how fine the sieve is!  If crust is browning too quickly, cover with foil.

This recipe can make 1 small shallow pies and one large pie.

Blind baking the pie crust.

1. Roll out the crust so there is a half in overhang.  Tuck the over hang under and crimp.  Crimping prevents the crust from sliding down the pan.
2. Dock the sides and bottom of the pan
3. Place in the freezer for about 2 hours
4. Set oven at 350 degrees
5. Cover crust with crumpled parchment paper, and fill with rice until almost the top of the crust
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove parchment and rice and continue to bake another 5 minutes.  Crust should be crisp but not too browned