Williams-Sonoma Collection: Christmas: Gratinéed Leeks

When you're cooking for Thanksgiving, nothing really beats something smothered in cheese.  So I knew as soon as I saw this particular recipe that I needed to somehow work it into our dinner plans.  I think the only way this could have been improved was with a little bath of cream before the cheese took over.  Oh, and unless I just had really difficult, tough leeks, they needed quite a bit longer than 30 minutes to braise.  Consider yourself warned.

Gratinéed Leeks
From Williams-Sonoma Collection: Christmas by Carolyn Miller

6 large leeks, about 4 pounds total weight, trimmed to 8 inches long and halved lengthwise, then crosswise
1 cup chicken stock or prepared low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup dry white vermouth
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
½ cup shredded Gruyére cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Butter a 2-quart flameproof gratin dish.

Hold each leek under cold running water and rinse between the leaves to remove all the dirt; drain well.

Lay the leeks, cut side up, in the prepared dish.  Pour the stock and vermouth over them.  Season with kosher salt and white pepper.  Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the leeks are tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven.

Preheat the broiler.  Uncover the dish and sprinkle the Gruyére and then the Parmesan evenly over the leeks.  Dot with the butter.  Place the dish under the broiler 3 to 4 inches from the heat source and broil until the top is golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Serve warm.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Fine Cooking: Cranberry Sauce with Caramelized Onions

I am searching for cranberry nirvana.  I need something homemade and delicious and not a jelly roll from a can.  Why should everything else on Thanksgiving be homemade but the cranberry sauce?  It's a required part of the meal.  I am going to require that it be made from scratch from now on.  Which probably means I will be responsible for making it every year from now on.  This isn't a bad candidate.

Cranberry Sauce with Caramelized Onions
From Fine Cooking magazine, October/November 2009

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into medium dice
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
One (12-ounce) bag fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1 cup granulated sugar

In a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, cloves, a pinch of salt, and a grind or two of pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden-brown and very soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium high, and cook the onions, stirring often, until deep caramel-brown, an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the cranberries, sugar, a pinch of salt, and ½ cup water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for 1 minute, then cover, turn off the heat, and let cool to room temperature.

Makes 2½ to 3 cups

Gennie's Bishop Grill: Peanut Butter Pie

After reading a blog entry over at Homesick Texan about peanut butter pie, I definitely wanted to try some. Only problem? The recipe she used came from a now-defunct eatery in Oak Cliff, Texas, called Gennie's Bishop Grill. Luckily for me, I was still able to find a copy of their self-published recipe booklet on Amazon. For a price, of course.

The pie was delicious. It's basically a peanut butter pudding inside a pie shell. Then you whip up some thick whipped cream for the top. It's a diner pie specialty, and it's sooooo good.

Peanut Butter Pie
From Gennie's Bishop Grill

3 large egg yolks
Pinch of sea salt
2½ cups whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup smooth peanut butter
Blind-baked pie shell
1 cup whipped cream
½ cup roasted peanuts

Combine egg yolks, salt, and milk.  Mix well.  Place in heavy saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until warm.  Combine sugar and flour; gradually add milk mixture, stirring constantly until thickened.  Boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla and peanut butter.  Let cool slightly.

Pour filling into cooled pie shell.  Chill thoroughly.  Garnish with whipped cream and roasted peanuts.

Unforgettable Desserts: Caramelized Banana Cream Tart in Pecan Crust

As part of my cookbook testing, I made this delicious banana tart. It's a pecan crust, caramelized bananas, vanilla pastry cream, fresh banana, whipped cream, and caramelized pecans. This was one of those all-day projects.  Cookbook testing...it's a rough job, but someone's got to do it.

The final result was amazingly delicious and over-the-top rich. It was worth every minute of prep time. Only problem? The fresh bananas on top of the pastry cream start browning after the initial serving. By the next day, they were turning. This is definitely a one night only dessert, but it sure is a stunner!

Caramelized Banana Cream Tart in Pecan Crust
From Unforgettable Desserts by Dede Wilson

Caramelized Pecans
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water
½ cup pecan halves

Crust
2½ cups pecan halves
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

Caramelized Filling
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 large, ripe but firm bananas

Pastry Cream
2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened and cut into tiny pieces

Topping
1 large, ripe but firm banana
1½ cups chilled heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the caramelized pecans, line a jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil; smooth out any wrinkles.  Coat lightly with flavorless vegetable oil using a pastry brush.

Put the sugar and water in a very small saucepan and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until it turns light amber in color.  Immediately remove from the heat.  Quickly drop the pecan halves into the caramel one at a time and use two forks to help them submerge and become coated with caramel.  Use the forks to remove the nuts from the caramel, allow the excess to drip off, and place them right side up on the prepared pan.  Repeat with the remaining nuts; do not allow the nuts to touch one another on the foil. Allow nuts to cool completely and harden at room temperature. Store up to 3 days ahead in airtight container.

For the crust, position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Coat a 10-inch loose-bottomed fluted tart pan with nonstick spray; set aside.

Place nuts and sugar in bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade and process until very finely ground.  Pulse in melted butter until well blended. Pat into prepared pan, creating an even layer across bottom and up sides.  Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes. The crust might look puffy. Use the back of a soup spoon to press the crust down and back into shape along the pan’s sides and bottom. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes more or until very lightly colored. Cool completely on a rack. Store at room temperature up to 1 day ahead, loosely covered with foil.

For the caramelized banana filling, prepare the filling and topping the day of serving. At least 4 hours before serving, stir the sugar and water together in nonstick skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until it turns a light to medium golden amber. Meanwhile, peel bananas. Remove the skillet from the heat and immediately slice the bananas into ½-inch rounds right into the skillet. Toss well with caramel. Immediately scrape into prepared crust and set aside.

For the pastry cream, place the milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer; remove from heat.  Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a heatproof bowl until very smooth. Reheat the milk if it has become tepid.

Drizzle about ¼ of the warm milk over the egg mixture, whisking gently. Add the remaining warm milk and whisk to combine. Immediately pour the mixture back into the saucepan, and cook over a medium-low heat just until it begins to simmer and bubbles appear. Whisk constantly to prevent scorching, cooking for about 1 minute. The pastry cream should be thick enough to mound when dropped from a spoon, but still satiny. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and butter. Allow to cool slightly. Scrape warm (not hot) pastry cream over the bananas and spread until smooth using a small offset spatula. Let the pastry cream cool, then refrigerate at least 6 hours or until firm enough to slice. After it chills, you may cover it with a piece of plastic wrap pressed onto the surface for up to 4 hours.

For the topping, up to 2 hours before serving, peel and cut the banana in half crosswise then slice lengthwise into thin slices. Place these along the edge of the tart, using the curve of the fruit to follow the shape of the pie. There should be one ring of banana slices going around the entire pie along the edge. Beat cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Pile the whipped cream attractively on top of the pie. The pie may be served immediately or refrigerated for up to 2 hours. Sprinkle the caramelized pecans on top right before serving.

Good Housekeeping Best-Loved Desserts: Almond Lattice Brownies

These were just a quick treat. The kind of treat that you need when you've had a hard day and your brain keeps screaming CHOCOLATE.  Plus, I got to use up the almond paste I had leftover. So it was fudgy brownie deliciousness with a pretty puffy almond lattice.  Because food doesn't have to just be yummy.

Almond Lattice Brownies
From Good Housekeeping Best-Loved Desserts

Brownies:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Almond Lattice Topping:
1 (7- to 8-ounce) can or tube almond paste, crumbled
1 large egg
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt.  In a 3-quart saucepan, melt the butter, semisweet chocolate, and unsweetened chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth.  Remove from heat; stir in the sugar and vanilla.  Add the eggs; stir until well mixed.  Stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture just until blended.  Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

In a food processor with the knife blade attached, pulse the almond paste, egg, sugar, flour, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Transfer the almond mixture to a small ziptight plastic bag.  With scissors, cut the bottom corner of the bag on the diagonal, ¼-inch from the edge.  Pipe the almond topping over the brownie batter to make 10 diagonal lines, spacing them 1 inch apart.  Pipe the remaining topping diagonally across the first set of lines, to make 10 more lines and create a lattice design.

Bake until toothpick inserted 2 inches from edge comes out almost clean, 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  When cool, cut brownie lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces.

Makes 24 brownies

Family Circle: Chipotle Tomato Salsa

I swear there's a Tex-Mex restaurant on every corner in Texas.  When you walk up to your table, the friendly salsa boy is practically knocking you over to get your chips and a bunch of bowls of salsa down on the table first.  And they will keep bringing more chips and salsa until your sides split, actual dinner be darned.  And that's about when I realized that I had never actually made salsa at home.  It's everywhere I look, except my kitchen apparently.  This recipe gets you a good base, and you can tinker from there.  Adobo sauce not getting you the spice level you want?  Dump in a jalapeño.  Heck, dump in a habanero if that's what does it for you.  Like it a little more sour?  Add more lime juice.  Play with it until it's yours.

Chipotle Tomato Salsa
Adapted from Family Circle magazine, January 2009

1 (28-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
½ medium red onion, chopped
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeds removed and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from can
1½ teaspoons olive oil
1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons sea salt
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, rinsed and chopped

Run all ingredients through a food processor or blender for 5 to 10 seconds.  Store in airtight jars for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 3 cups

One Pot French: Tomates de Vigne au Sainte Maure (Roasted Tomatoes with Sainte Maure Cheese)

When I saw this recipe, I thought, wow, that looks relatively simple.  Tomatoes, cheese, herbs, done.  This is why I shouldn't listen to myself.  Sainte Maure cheese is nowhere to be found.  Nowhere.  So I bought the closest thing, an aged goat cheese with the same bumpy rind as Sainte Maure.  But could I cut it into slices?  Heck, no.  The thing was like a brie.  So I got to put scoops of goat cheese on my tomatoes.  But they still tasted pretty darn good.  Very slightly warm, lots of good flavors.  And yes, I have a heavy hand with the herbs.

Tomates de Vigne au Sainte Maure (Roasted Tomatoes with Sainte Maure Cheese)
From One Pot French by Jean-Pierre Challet

4 vine-ripened tomatoes, halved
¼ cup olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ pound Sainte Maure cheese, cut into 8 slices
1 teaspoon finely chopped chervil
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
Warmed olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

In an ovenproof dish, gently toss together the tomatoes, olive oil, shallots, and garlic.  Bake for 5 minutes - just long enough to warm the ingredients and bring out the flavors.  Flip each tomato cut-side up; top each with a slice of cheese.  Bake 1 minutes to soften the cheese slightly.  Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the herbs, drizzle warm olive oil over top, and serve in the baking dish.

Makes 4 servings

The Heritage of Southern Cooking: Vidalia Onion Pie

Yes, I'm still on my southern cooking kick.  Can you blame me?  After those biscuits and catfish fillets?  The stuff is amazing!  So I decided to veer off the pavement onto the dirt road a little and make something a bit non-traditional.  Have you ever eaten an onion pie?  Yeah, me neither.  But this one is special.  It's made with Vidalia onions, the ones that are sweet.  So I promise this pie won't make you cry, unless it's from overwhelming happiness.

Vidalia Onion Pie
From The Heritage of Southern Cooking by Camille Glenn

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 medium Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
1 partially baked 9-inch pastry shell
1 cup grated aged Swiss cheese
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sea salt
Cayenne pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan.  Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat until they are limp but not the least bit brown.  Drain the onions and arrange them in the pastry shell.  Cover the onions with the grated cheese.  Beat the eggs, egg yolks, milk, and cream together.  Season with salt and cayenne pepper, and pour over the cheese.

Place the pie pan on the lower shelf of the oven and bake until the pie has puffed in the middle and is golden brown all over, 35 to 40 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Ina Garten: Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing

After making peanut butter cupcakes with a chocolate ganache icing, I started to wonder if it could work the other way, too.  Okay, okay, I was really just thinking how I could make the equivalent of a giant Reese's peanut butter cup.  There's a surprising amount of options when it comes to peanut butter icing.  But Ina's never done me wrong.  In fact, I think she tends to err on the side of fabulous in all the right ways.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing
From Ina Garten

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup heavy cream

Place the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Bill Neal's Southern Cooking: Creamy Mushroom Chicken and Dumplings

How do you improve on chicken and dumplings?  That is an excellent question.  And one I thought was silly until I saw the recipe for this dish of beauty.  You improve on chicken and dumplings by dumping a bunch of mushrooms and cream in it.  The answer was so obvious.  Now I'm wondering if maybe I should throw some bacon in next time, too...

Creamy Mushroom Chicken and Dumplings
Adapted from Bill Neal's Southern Cooking

1 cooked rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed
3 ounces chicken, duck, or goose fat (or unsalted butter)
1 cup chopped white onion
2 cups sliced white mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
9 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco or Frank's)
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 large egg plus enough whole milk to equal ⅞ cup

Pull cooked chicken into bite-size pieces and set aside.

In a large pot, cook onion in chicken fat until translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until water is released and then cooked away. Add garlic and cook another few minutes. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and combine. Cook for a few minutes, but do not let flour brown. Add chicken stock, heavy cream, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce and stir to combine.

Bring liquid in pot to a simmer, and allow to bubble for about 15 minutes. Add chicken, and continue to simmer another 15 minutes. The liquid will thicken slightly.

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a small bowl. Make an indention in the middle for the liquid ingredients. Beat egg with milk and pour into the small indention. Mix liquids with dry ingredients until a dough is formed. Drop in small spoonfuls over chicken stew, stirring to make more room. When all dumplings are in the pot, cover with a lid and simmer slowly for 10 minutes. Serve hot.