That's me on one of my most favorite days this past year. (A rare moment away from the kitchen). Looking forward to lots more like that (with or without the wig).
xoxo
Recipes for delicious living, by Alejandra Ramos
Savory Rosemary & Chevre Muffins
Ingredients1 small red onion, minced
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering tins
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder2 large eggs1 cup whole milk2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt1 teaspoon kosher salt2/3 cup fresh chevre goat cheese (plain or herbed), broken into small 1/2" chunks4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus 24 small sprigs for garnishing (garnish optional)
Directions
Begin by melting the butter in a small saucepan and sauteing the onion in it for about 5 - 8 minutes, or until soft and just slightly caramelized. Allow onions to cool.Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Grease your mini muffin pan well with oil or pan spray, or line with mini muffin liners.Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Beat one egg, then whisk it together with the milk and sour cream or yogurt. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir gently just until combined (don’t mind if there are a few small lumps).Gently fold in the cooked onion, goat cheese, and chopped rosemary into the muffin batter. (Reserve the sprigs).Spoon the mixture straight into greased mini muffin tins until it just about reaches the top (you can also use mini muffin tin liners, if you'd like).Beat the second egg with a tablespoon of water and brush each of the muffin surfaces, then insert a small sprig of rosemary in the center of each one. (this step is totally optional; sometimes I skip it)Bake about 20 minutes or until risen and just slightly golden and a tester inserted into the largest muffin comes out clean (a bit of melted goat cheese may stick to the tester, but no batter)Let cool for two minutes before gently removing to a rack to continue cooling.Serve warm or room temperature. If you want to store, freeze the muffins and then let defrost at room temperature for two hours before serving. You may also reheat briefly in a 350 degree oven.
Roasted Tomato & Goat Cheese Omelet, Mesclun Salad with Ginger Vinaigrette
serves 1
For the Omelet
2 Large Eggs
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup roasted marinated tomatoes, store-bought or home made. If cherry, leave as is. If bigger, cut down to about 1” pieces
2 tablespoons of goat cheese, broken into small pieces
fresh pepper
salt
For the Dressing
1/4 rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 scallions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sesame oil
½ cup canola or safflower oil
salt, black pepper
2 cups mesclun greens
First make the dressing.
This is easiest if done in a blender or food processor. Add all the ingredients except for the oils and salt & pepper to the blender and process until smooth. Will take about a minute. Without stopping the mixture, remove the little plastic cap opening on top of the blender and slowly drizzle in the oils in a steady stream. Continue to process for another three minutes until completely emulsified (will look slightly creamy).
Stop the blender and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Make the omelet:
Beat the eggs in a bowl using a whisk or fork. Beat well, for about two minutes until the eggs are light in color and fluffy. The longer you beat, the fluffier the eggs will be. Feel free to use an electric mixer for 30 seconds if you prefer.
Season the eggs with salt and pepper.
Make sure your fillings are ready. When the time comes to add them, you’ll have to do it quickly so make sure anything that needs to be broken up or chopped is done so first.
Place a medium sized skillet over medium heat and add a two count of oil. Allow the oil to coat the pan entirely.
Pour the eggs gently into the pan in a steady stream right in the middle. The eggs should spread out evenly but if not, slightly tilt the pan to allow them to do use. Let them cook for a few seconds and then use a spatula to pull in the outer parts of the cooked egg, allowing the liquid egg in the center to spread out to the sides. It’s okay if there is still some liquid egg in the center but you want MOST of it to drain out to the edges so it can cook evenly without a lot of liquid inside.
Now stop touching it. Seriously. Instead, go get your tomatoes and bring them over. Once the egg has thickened a little (it will still be a bit wet, but will look somewhat solid) lay out your tomatoes on one half of the omelet. Spread them out as evenly as possible.
Now drop the little chunks of goat cheese on top of the same half.
Immediately after doing this, use a spatula to loosen the edges of the other (topping-less) half. Jiggle the spatula under it gently to release that half of the egg from the pan.
Now gripping the spatula handle firmly with one hand, flip the topping-less egg portion over the other half. It’s OK if it doesn’t cover it completely, just use the tip to gently slide it over. Leave to cook for another 15 seconds and then bring the pan over to your plate. Slide the spatula under the omelet and tilting the pan about 45 degrees toward your plate, slide the omelet out and onto the plate.
Arrange the salad on the other half of your plate. Drizzle with the dressing. And serve immediately!
Ginger-Scented Brown Butter Cake
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Ginger Brown Butter (see below)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus one large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy cream or Half & Half
Ginger Brown Butter
2 tablespoons sliced fresh ginger
3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1” cubes
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan.
Prepare the Brown Butter:
In a medium saucepan, combined the butter cubes and ginger over medium heat. Stir until completely melted then lower heat slightly. Let simmer.
After a couple minutes, the butter will start to froth, keep an eye on it stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t bubble up. The brown butter will be ready when the solids have separated from the rest of the butter and attained a golden color. The rest of the butter will also take on a golden hue and the scent will be rich, nutty, and gingery.
Remove from the heat and let cool (about 5-10 minutes) but not harden. Strain the ginger and butter solids leaving only the clear, golden butter. Use this for your recipe.
To make the cake:
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer (or by hand) beat the brown butter and sugar for a minute until well combined and slightly syrupy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until well combined.
Switch the mixer to low speed and slowly add the dry ingredients about a 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with ¼ cup of cream until all added.
Beat for an addition 15-30 seconds until the batter is completely mixed and there are no lumps or dry spots.
Pour your batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool slightly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve dusted with confectioner’s sugar or any variety of toppings. Any leftover cake can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Orange Ricotta Pancakes
These pancakes get their incredible height and lightness from thickly beaten egg whites. To assure your whites stiffen perfectly, beat in a clean, cool metal bowl that has been wiped down with a cut lemon and then cleaned with a paper towel. This will get rid of any soap or oil residue left behind from previous uses.
Serves 2-3 (about nine 3" pancakes)
Ingredients
2/3 cup all-purpose or pastry flour, sifted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta (preferably fresh)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly grated rind of ½ large orange
3 tablespoons freshly squeeze orange juice
3 large eggs, separated
To make:
In a small bowl or on a cutting board, mix the sugar and orange zest together, using the back of a spoon to rub into each other well.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar & zest mixture, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift together well.
In a separate medium bowl, combine the ricotta, sour cream, heavy cream, orange juice, and egg yolks and combine well.
Add the ricotta mixture to the flour and combine until smooth, but don’t overmix.
Use an electric mixer (or a lot of elbow grease) to beat your egg whites until stiff.
Gently fold about a third of the egg white mixture into your batter and then follow with the rest. Don’t worry if there are slight streaks of egg white in the batter.
Heat a nonstick or cast iron griddle and grease with a bit of butter. Spoon your batter in about 1/3 cup at a time. Let the pancakes cook until slight bubbles start to pop on the surface and the edges come together cleanly. Slip a spatula under and gently flip. Let cook until the edges are cooked and the pancake has risen.
Serve immediately.
Chocolate-Covered Membrillo (Quince Paste)
Ingredients
1 8x8x8 square of membrillo (homemade or store bought)
16 oz (1 bag) bittersweet chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli 60%)
Fleur de sel or course salt for decoration (optional)
Cut membrillo into 1" squares.
Melt the chocolate in a small bowl by microwaving 30 seconds at a time until completely melted. Stir the melted chocolate with a metal spoon until it is smooth and the bowl no longer feels hot. Test the chocolate by bringing a bit up to your lower inside lip. If it doesn't burn, but still feels warmer than your lip, it is perfect.
Slowly drop the quince into the chocolate and let coat completely then use a spoon to bring out and deposit on wax paper for a minute. Let the chocolate settle, then use a spatula to transfer to a cooling rack to remove the excess chocolate.
If you are using salt, sprinkle a few grains over the chocolate before cooling.
Let cool completely at room temperature (near an open window or fan works well) until completely hardened. Store candy in an airtight container in a cool dry place.
Cinnamon Apple Pie-Cake
adapted from Dorie Greenspan
For the crust:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 vanilla bean
½ teaspoon cardamom
1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
For the filling:
5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1” thick wedges
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Course decorating sugar (optional)
To prepare the crust:
In the base of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and continue to mix for an additional 2 minutes.
Reduce the mixer to low speed, and add the baking powder, salt, and lemon juice.
Split and scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the mix (leave out the pod) and add the cardamom.
Slowly add the flour, 1 cup at a time until it is all incorporated and the batter has turned thick like a dough and pulls away from the sides.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead for a few seconds before gathering into a ball then dividing in half. Roll each half into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least two hours or up to three days.
When you are ready to bake your pie:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and position a rack in the center.
Toss your apples with lemon, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make sure they are coated evenly. Taste and feel free to add more of the sugar or spices if you’d like.
To assemble the pie:
Remove the dough from the fridge and work with one half at a time. Roll it out between two sheets of wax or parchment paper and place in the bottom of your pie plate. It’s ok if it breaks (it probably will), just press into place. Remove any excess.
Arrange the apples inside the pie and pour any liquid left in the bowl over the apples.
Roll out your second half of dough and place on top, rolling and pinching the edges shut.
Use a paring knife to cut 4 or 5 even one-inch slits in the center of the pie to vent.
Bake for 60-80 minutes or until the dough is a nice golden brown and the juices start to bubble up through the slits. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature before you serve.
Apple Cake
For the apple filling:
5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1” pieces
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons cinnamon
4 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
For the cake:
2 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup olive oil
½ cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
¼ cup apple cider or orange juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 eggs
Extra cinnamon (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter & flour a 9” springform pan.
Toss the peeled and chopped apples with the lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. Set aside. (They may start to brown a bit despite the juice, but don’t worry about that since you’ll be baking them into the cake.)
In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk the butter, oil, juice, sugar, and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry flour mixture.
Add the eggs, beating them in so that each one full incorporates before you add the next.
Pour about half of the batter into the prepared springform pan and cover with about half of the apples (don’t worry if they sink in). Cover with the rest of the cake batter, and top with the rest of the apples.
Add a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired, and then bake in the 350 degree heated oven for about 90 minutes or until the apples on top crisp on the edges and a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Dimpled Quince Pudding Cake
**You'll need a batch of these vanilla and anise poached quince for this recipe**
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mashed poached quince
2 cups poached quince wedges
1 1/2 sticks butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup whole milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Place the butter over medium heat and melt gentle. Let the butter continue to simmer for a few minutes until it starts to foam. Stir it and leave to simmer for a couple more minutes until the solids start to brown and the butter takes on a caramel or nutty aroma. Let cool then strain.
Pour the browned butter into the bowl of standing mixer on medium speed and add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Add the eggs followed by the mashed quince and vanilla.
On low speed, add the flour in three parts, alternating with the milk.
Switch the mixer to medium and beat for an additional 30 seconds.
Pour batter into a prepared pan and arrange the remaining quince wedges on top in a circle. Put a few in the center.
Bake in the oven about 40 minutes to one hour, or until the top turns golden brown with just a bit of crisp on the quince and an inserted cake tester comes out clean.
Remove the sides from the pan and let cool completely before serving. If desired, dust with confectioner’s sugar or drizzle on a bit of the poached quince syrup.
Vanilla Bean & Anise Poached Quince
4-5 medium sized quince (each about the size of an apple)
3/4 cup sugar
2 vanilla beans, split
3 star anise pods
2 thick slices of lemon peel (about 1 inch thick each)
water
Scrub and clean the quince well. Core and cut into 1 inch thick wedges. Do not peel.
Place the cut fruit into a large pot and fill with water until it is about an inch about the fruit. The quince will likely float so use your hands to push the fruit under and gauge the right amount of water.
Add the vanilla beans, anise pods, and lemon peel.
Place on the stove over high heat and allow to come up to a boil. Lower the heat to a slow simmer and leave on the stove for 2.5 to 3 hours. The water will reduce and thicken into a syrup and the quince will be fork tender and turn a deep ruby color.
Remove from the heat and let cool in the syrup then place in the refrigerator overnight (still in the syrup). In the morning, strain the fruit and keep in a jar or air-tight container in the fridge. This can be used over yogurt or baked in various desserts (stay tuned for some ideas).
The syrup is also lovely drizzled over ice cream or pound cake.
Rosemary & Garlic Focaccia Rolls
Makes six 5" rolls
For the Dough:
4 1/2 cups unbleached bread or all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1.5 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cups ice cold water
For the Focaccia:
¼ cup olive oil
6 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary (1 teaspoon per roll)
3 small cloves of garlic, finely minced
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
To make the dough:
Combine the flour, salt, and yeast in the base of an electric mixer. Add the olive oil and the cold water until it is all completely absorbed. Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is smooth and completely pulls away from the sides while still sticking to the bottom (it will look like a dough tornado). Add extra tablespoons of water or flour as needed to achieve this effect.
Once kneaded, deposit onto a floured surface and cut the dough into six equal sized balls. Roll until smooth and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and greased with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours or up to 4 days.
To make the focaccia:
When ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and allow to reach room temperature. Preheat your oven as high as it will go (usually 500-550 with home ovens).
Prepare a new baking sheet with clean parchment paper and set aside.Use your fingers to flatten out the dough balls until they are about 4-5 inches in diameter. Place on baking sheet about 1.5 inches apart.
Use your fingers to poke little dents in the bread rounds. About 8 or so in each roll.
Brush generously with olive oil and sprinkle each roll with about 1 teaspoon rosemary and ½ of a minced garlic clove.
Salt generously with kosher salt and finish off with freshly cracked pepper.
Let rise for 10-15 minutes before placing in the oven to bake.
Bake in the oven for about 5-7 minutes or until the rolls are all puffed and slightly golden around the edges. Remove and serve immediately as bread rolls or let cool on wire rack if using for sandwiches.
Vanilla Bean Challah
Makes one large braided loaf
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar or agave syrup + 1 teaspoon sugar for the yeast proofing
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for greasing the rising bowl
2 large eggs + 1 large egg for the egg wash
1 teaspoon salt
1 whole vanilla bean
4 to 4.5 cups all purpose flour
In a large bowl, proof your yeast by whisking with 1 teaspoon of sugar in 1 cup of lukewarm water. Set aside and let sit until the yeast starts to foam.
Once it has foamed, pour into the base of an electric mixer and used the whisk attachment to mix in the olive oil, the two eggs (one at a time), sugar, and salt.
Split the vanilla bean and scrape all the seed into the mixer.
Switch to the dough hook and slowly add the flour, one cup at a time until it comes together and pulls away from the sides. Allow to knead in the mixer until smooth. (About 5 minutes.) If the dough seems too wet, add a little more flour, ¼ cup at a time.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and roll into a ball. Grease a large bowl well with olive oil and place the dough ball in. Turn once to cover the top and cover with plastic wrap.
Place in a warm place to rise for an hour or until doubled in size. (I use my turned-off oven as the heat from the pilot light is perfect temperature.) Use your fingers to gently poke the air out of the dough, roll back into a ball, grease, cover and let rise again for another 30-45 minutes.
Once the dough has finished the second rise, roll out onto a floured surface and gently knead into a smooth ball. Cut into six equal size balls and roll each one into a tapered snake shape, about 10 inches long each. Arrange the six rolls next to each other in a row and pinch the ends together. To braid, start from the right and go over two, under one, and over two. Tuck in closer and repeat again with the right-most piece of dough repeating until the entire loaf is braided. Set on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Beat the last egg and use a pasty brush to lightly brush over the loaf. Let rise for another hour.
When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375 degrees (if you are rising the dough in the oven please be sure to remove it first).
Once the oven is ready, brush the loaf again with egg wash and place in the oven to bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top is glossy and golden brown.
Cool on a rack and serve.
To store leftover bread, wrap well with plastic wrap and keep in a cool dry place but outside of the fridge.
Blood Orange Butter Sauce (for fish)
Though I ate my first blood orange quite simply, I’ve since experimented with other preparations. This lovely butter sauce is wonderful over grilled or pan seared fish (Chilean sea bass & sea scallops, especially).
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup of shallots, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice
1 bay leaf
2 sticks butter, cut in small pieces
Salt & Pepper to taste
In a medium saucepan, place 2 tbl. of the butter and heat on medium-high heat until melted. Add the shallots and saute 2-3 minutes or until tender.
Add the orange juice. Cook for 5-7 min. or until the liquid is reduced by about half. Season with salt & freshly cracked pepper.
While whisking constantly, add the pieces of butter one at a time so that each one is well incorporated.
Remove from the heat and serve over grilled or pan-seared fish.
To Prepare over Chilean Sea Bass
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Wash and dry the Chilean Sea Bass fillets. Salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat bit of oil in a cast iron skillet until it is smoking.
Place the Sea Bass in the hot pan and let sear for 2 minutes without moving. Turn to the other side and place the pan in the hot oven for four minutes.
Remove from the oven and plate, topping with the butter sauce and garnishing with pomegranate seeds.
Whole Wheat Pear & Cognac Crostata
For the crust:
150 grams all purpose flour
200 grams whole wheat flour (preferably stone ground)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1.5 sticks very cold butter, chopped into small pieces
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of one whole lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
5 crisp Bartlett Pears, peeled, cored, and quartered
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup cognac
3 tablespoons pear butter (optional)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 egg white
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Prepare the Crust:
Generously butter a 9” springform pan and set aside
Pour the flour into the base of an electric mixer and mix in the cold bits of butter one at a time until the dough is clumpy and in chunks.
Add the eggs, waiting for the first to be incorporated before adding the second.
Add the sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, extracts, and salt. Continue to mix until the dough starts to come together.
Remove from the mixer and turn out onto a floured surface. Use your hands to continue to knead the dough until it is smooth. Form into a ball and wrap in plastic then place in the fridge for one hour (or up to 24 hours).
Prepare the Filling:
If you are baking the same day, prepare your filling. Mix the pears in a large bowl with the sugar, cognac, and lemon juice. Let macerate for at least 30 minutes.
When you are ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and let come back up to room temperature. Use a pastry cutter to cut off a third that you will use for the lattice. Set this aside.
Place the larger portion of dough between two sheets of wax or parchment paper and roll out into a 9” circle. It’s ok if it cracks a bit on the edges or even if it breaks. You can press it back into shape.
Lay this into the springform or tart pan and press onto the bottom and against the sides. It should come up about 1.5 inches on the side. Cut off any excess and add to the lattice ball of dough.
Use a fork to puncture all over the base of the crust.
Arrange the pear quarters concentrically in the crust, being sure to reserve the liquid in the bowl. Place two quarters in the center. Keep the pears close together, but do not overlap more than the edges. You may have extra pears—don’t try to squeeze them in. This isn’t supposed to be a deep pie.
Beat one egg white into the remaining cognac lemon juice left in the bowl and pour this over the pears in the crust.
For the lattice:
Break off small pieces of dough and roll them into 1/4” thick snakes in graduated lengths and lay these across the pie about 1 inch apart. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and repeat with 1/4" thick pieces laid perpendicularly.
Note that this is supposed to be a “rustic” tart so don’t be too concerned if the lattice isn’t perfect. It’s all part of the effect.
Sprinkle the top of the cake with sugar (preferably course decorating sugar).
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour or until the dough is golden.
Let cool completely before serving. This can be made one day ahead as the flavors actually taste better the second day.
Chestnut, Bacon, and Green Apple Soup Recipe
Serves 8
Directions
5 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 whole shallots, diced
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 15.5 oz can of chestnut puree (or equivalent of homemade chestnut puree)
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced but not peeled
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper
Directions
In a large pot or dutch oven, fry the pieces of bacon until crisp. Remove from the pot and reserve.
Add the shallots and celery to the bacon fat and saute for a two minutes until soft and just slightly caramelized.
Add the chestnut puree and any liquid in the can,using the back of a wooden spoon to break up any lumps. Give it a good stir until it is well combined with the vegetables.
Add the apples and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil then lower to medium heat and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the liquid reduces by about a third.
Use an immersion blender to process everything until smooth, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Let cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Add the cream and stir well until combined. Cook for two more minutes, stirring regularly until heated thoroughly and combined.
Check the seasoning again and serve garnished with crisped bacon.
Membrillo Recipe (Quince Paste Recipe)
Don’t worry about how many quince you have. The recipe is based on proportions, so whether you have two quince or 27, this will work. I used three grapefruit-sized quince to make one 8”x8”x1” sheet of quince paste.
Quince
Sugar
Vanilla beans, split (use about 1 bean for every 4-5 quince, but feel free to use more or less)
Lemon Juice
Rind of 1 lemon, in strips.
Water
Wash and scrub your quince thoroughly, being sure to remove all of the fuzz. Quarter and core, but don't peel. Place in a large pot and cover with water until it comes up about one inch above the fruit. Add the lemon peel and vanilla beans.
Let boil for approximately one hour or until the quince are fork-tender.
Remove from heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the quince to a bowl. Pour out the the water you boiled the quince in and reserve.
Use a spoon or your fingers to remove the peel from the quince (UPDATE: if desired; I just leave it in now and find that it cooks down completely). Add these to the reserved quince water. (You won't need this for the membrillo paste, but you will if you plan on making my still-to-come Quince Ice Cream recipe!)
Now use a food mill or hand blender to completely puree the cooked quince.
Use measuring cups to measure the pureed quince and then mix this with equal amounts of sugar. For example, if you have 3.5 cups of puree, mix with 3.5 cups of sugar. Add one teaspoon of lemon juice for each cup of puree. Scrape out the seeds from the boiled vanilla beans and add. Mix well and return to the pot.
Place over medium heat, cover, and let simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring frequently to keep from burning. I've found that a splatter guard or a sheet of foil poked with holes is really helpful here to keep the hot fruit from burning your arms or getting all over your stove. The paste will be ready once it has thickened, has turned a deep ruby or wine color, and takes on the fragrance of a mulled cider.
Line a baking dish with parchment paper (the size is determined by how much paste you have) and butter well. Pour the paste into the dish and use a spatula to smooth the top.
You have two options here. You can either cover the paste with a second layer of parchment paper and then refrigerate it overnight, or you can let it dry out in the oven a bit longer. The latter results in a thicker paste with a deeper color, but both come out lovely.
The oven method:
Place into a warm oven (about 200 degrees) with the fan on if you have one or with the open door open just a crack. Let dry for 2 hours in the oven, then pull out and invert onto a baking sheet. Peel off the layer of parchment and let cool completely.
Once cool and dry, wrap in parchment and foil and keep in the fridge. This will keep well for at least one year.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds RecipePumpkin seeds fresh from the pumpkinOlive OilSaltDirections
Plunge the pumpkin seeds into a bowl of cold water and use your hands to pull off the strings and bits of pulp left on them. A few good swishes in the bowl is usually enough. Let sit for a minute or two and all the pulp will sink to the bottom, allowing you to scoop out the seeds with a col lander.Note: This is much easier if the pumpkin seeds are fresh out of the pumpkin. If you let them sit around and dry a bit it gets harder.Spread the seeds out in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet and used your hands to mix and coat them well. I use a pastry brush to swirl them around.Sprinkle with salt (and optional spices) and place in a 250 degree oven for about 45-60 minutes. Note that near the end you may hear a bit of popping, similar to when making popcorn.Let cool and store in an air-tight container.
Banana Coconut Custard Bread Pudding Recipe
Serves 4
2 four-inch ramekins or one 8” baking dish
Larger baking dish to make a water bath (ramekins should fit comfortably inside)
3 cups stale bread (preferably a hearty or sweet bread like whole wheat or challah), cut into cubes
2 very ripe bananas (the more syrupy, the better)
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2.5 cups cream or half & half
2 eggs
½ cup sugar or agave syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled, plus more for buttering your baking dishes
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
Vanilla infused rum, optional
Generously butter ramekins. Layer bread cubes with slices of bananas and sprinkles of coconut until you reach about 2/3 up each ramekin. It’s ok if you have extra bread, but try to use up all the bananas. Splash with a bit of rum if desired. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and the shade of a lemon. Add the butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and milk and beat until well-combined.
Pour the milk mixture over the bread in the ramekins, being sure to distribute evenly between the two. The custard should reach almost to the top of each. Garnish with some more shredded coconut and a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired. Place these in a larger baking dish and let sit for 30 minutes, allowing the custard to soak into the bread.
While the custard is soaking, preheat your over to 300 degrees. Fill a kettle with water and set on the stove to boil.
When you are read to bake, place the baking dish in the middle rack and gently pour the boiling water into the pan so that it comes up about halfway up the ramekins. Bake for about 1 hour, until the custard sets and puffs up slightly.
Remove from the oven gently (it sometimes helps to use a cup to remove some of the boiling water from the dish first) and let cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
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