Strawberry Swirl Frozen Yogurt

Posted on by Ruth
strawberry swirl frozen yogurt cone

I try to be a “kitchen stuff” minimalist. Don’t get me wrong: my eyes light up when I discover a new bakeware store, and my idea of a good time is browsing the kitchen-related aisles of HomeGoods or HomeSense. But I usually take my time when it actually comes to buying stuff, especially appliances that take up valuable counter or storage space.

Case in point: ice cream makers. I’ve probably threatened to buy one for the past three summers. But I’ve never bit the bullet, sticking to semifreddos and extra trips to the ice cream parlor. (The texture of no-churn recipes have never really excited me.)

But this year, the new Salt & Straw cookbook arrived in the mail; and between the mouthwatering pictures of flavors like Sea Salt and Caramel Ribbon and Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper and pregnancy cravings for Wendy’s Frosties, I knew this had to be the Summer of Homemade Ice Cream. I mentioned to my husband that I was starting to research ice cream makers. And by the next day, with the help of a friend, he had procured a Cuisinart ICE-20 (I’ve mentioned he’s a keeper, right?). Predictably, I can’t stop churning.

One of the great features of the Salt & Straw cookbook is that it starts out with three simple base recipes: one for regular ice cream, one for sorbet/frozen yogurt/sherbet/gelato, and one for coconut (dairy free) ice cream. Most of the remaining recipes build off one of these bases; and you can actually whip up large batches of the bases and refrigerate/freeze portions for later use so you can practically churn up a pint on a whim.

I decided to start my churning journey with this strawberry swirl frozen yogurt. A ribbon of strawberry syrup adds a touch of sweetness and color to a creamy, tart fro-yo base. I can see having a pint of this deliciousness always on hand, changing up the fruit depending on the season.

A few notes:
  • I’ve tried this with both regular 2% Greek yogurt, and full-fat regular yogurt (strained overnight in a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl). Both work well, though I slightly preferred the texture of regular Greek yogurt. Either way, do not use fat-free yogurt for this recipe.
  • You can also sub 1/2 cup sour cream for part of the yogurt for a little added tang and richness.
  • Straining the strawberry syrup is optional; if you like a more chunky frozen yogurt you can leave the fruit solids in. If you do strain the syrup, the remaining fruit can be refrigerated and used to spread on toast or top your fro-yo.


strawberry swirl frozen yogurt in a scoop
Marcus eating frozen yogurt

Strawberry Swirl Frozen Yogurt

Makes about 3 pints / Inspired by Salt & Straw and Serious Eats

Ingredients:

For the base:
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1/4 c (80g) light corn syrup
For the frozen yogurt:
  • 1/4 to 1/2 c strawberry syrup (recipe follows)
  • 1 1/2 cups base
  • 1 1/2 c (360g) super-tart Greek yogurt, very cold (see notes above)
  • 3/4 c whole milk
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
For the strawberry syrup swirl:
  • 8 oz / 225g trimmed and chopped strawberries
  • 2 Tbsp / 30 g freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
  • 6 oz / 175g granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Method:

  1. Make the base: Stir together the sugar and xanthan gum in a small bowl. Combine 1 1/4 c water and the corn syrup in a small saucepan. Add the sugar mixture and immediately whisk vigorously until smooth (but don’t fret over a few lumps). Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat if necessary to prevent a simmer, until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool completely.
  2. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and store in the fridge until cold, at least 4 hours, or up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 1 year. (Just be sure to fully thaw it and stir well before using it.)
  3. Make the strawberry syrup: Combine strawberries, lemon/lime sugar, and salt in a medium pot. Note the pot’s weight at this stage so the reduction can be tracked on the scale (or you can use a digital thermometer). Mash the strawberries with a fork or metal spatula until swimming in juice.
  4. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil, continuously stirring and scraping along the bottom and sides of the saucier with a flexible, heat-resistant spatula. This should take about 5 minutes.
  5. Once the mixture begins to boil, continue cooking until reduced by 4 ounces (mixture should be 220°F) for a thin, saucy ribbon or 5 ounces (224°F) for a thick, gooey ribbon. This should take about 6 minutes.
  6. Strain the syrup into a heatproof container. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled.
  7. Churn the frozen yogurt: Before churning, place a 1-quart container into the freezer, along with a spatula. Place the yogurt, milk, and salt into a bowl and whisk until combined. Add the base and whisk until smooth. (If you have an immersion blender, you can add all ingredients together and blend until smooth.) Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and turn on the machine. Churn just until the mixture has the texture of a pourable frozen smoothie.
  8. Quickly transfer the fro-yo into the prepared container: Spoon in layers of fro-yo alternated by drizzles of strawberry syrup (I used about half of the syrup, but use as much as you want). You can use a knife to swirl the two occasionally, or leave as-is for more distinct strawberry ribbons.
  9. Cover with parchment paper, pressing it to the surface of the fro-yo-so it adheres, then cover with a lid. It’s okay if the parchment hangs over the rim. Store it in the coldest part of your freezer (farthest from the door) until firm, at least 6 hours. It will keep for up to 3 months.

Zeppole

Posted on by Ruth
zeppole

A couple years ago, my husband came home from work one day and asked, “Have you had a zeppole? They’re so good!” I had, in fact, never had a zeppole nor heard of them. So over the next couple of weeks, we went on a bit of an Italian bakery run trying to find zeppole for me to try.

Turns out zeppole are basically Italian doughnuts, and they come in many different forms: baked, fried, filled, and unfilled. After sampling a variety of zeppole, we realized our favorite were the Zeppole di San Giuseppe variety, which are basically doughnut-shaped cream puffs. Traditionally these are eaten to celebrate St. Joseph’s Day (a Catholic holiday in March), which is pretty much the only time you can find them in actual Italian bakeries in our area. But they’re too delicious to not be eaten the rest of year; and since they’re made from good ol’ choux, they’re easy enough to pull off at home!

A few notes:

  • Traditionally, this style of zeppole are garnished with canned sour cherries. This is delicious, but if you don’t have any you can just use some fresh fruit or a thick jam.
  • If you like a lighter/softer filling, you can whip up some heavy cream (I’d probably do 1/2 cup or so) and fold it into the pastry cream before filling the zeppole.
  • Zeppole are best consumed within 4 hours of assembling, but all the components can be prepared ahead of time: the pastry cream can be refrigerated up to 3 days and the choux rings can be baked and stored at room temperature for a couple of days (or frozen for longer storage). If the pastry softens during storage, recrisp by baking uncovered at 300°F for 5-8 minutes. Cool completely before filling.
choux pastry rings
baked zeppole

Zeppole

Makes about 10 zeppole

Ingredients:

  • 1 recipe choux pastry (prepared through step 4)
  • 1 batch vanilla pastry cream (recipe below)
  • Thick fruit jam or preserves (I used strawberry)
  • Fresh fruit, canned sour cherries, or additional thick jam, to finish
  • Powdered sugar, to finish (optional)
For the vanilla pastry cream:
  • 540g whole milk
  • 180g heavy cream
  • 150g granulated sugar, divided
  • 60g custard powder or cornstarch
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 36g unsalted butter, at room temperature

Method:

  1. Make the vanilla pastry cream: Place a sieve over a heatproof container. Combine the whole milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan along with 80g of the sugar. Whisk to combine.
  2. In a medium bowl, place the remaining 20g granulated sugar and sift in the custard powder or cornstarch. Pour in a splash of the milk-cream mixture and whisk to combine (this helps prevent lumpy custard). Add a bit more of the milk mixture and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the egg yolks.
  3. Bring the remaining milk-cream mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Once it has reached a simmer, remove from the heat and slowly pour into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium to medium high heat, whisking continuously.
  4. As soon as the mixture thickens and large bubbles appear, turn the heat to low and continue whisking on the heat for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain into the prepared container. Whisk in the butter, followed by the vanilla extract.
  5. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to keep a skin from forming. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled (at least three hours, or up to 3 days).
  6. Bake the zeppole: Preheat the oven to 425F with a rack in the middle. On a large piece of parchment using a cookie cutter or other round object, trace about ten 2 1/2 inch circles. Space the circles at least 2 inches apart. Place the parchment on a large baking sheet (with the tracing on the underside so you don’t get pen/pencil onto your zeppole). Transfer the choux dough to a large piping bag fitted with an open star/French piping tip. Pipe rings of choux using the tracings as a guide. After you’ve piped all the bases, go back and pipe another, smaller ring on the top inside edge of the bottom ring. (If you have any dough left, you can pipe little cream puffs to use it up.) Dust the rings with icing sugar.
  7. Bake the pastry for 10 minutes, then turn down the oven to 375F and continue baking until the rings are puffed and a deep golden brown — about another 20-30 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet after about 30 minutes total baking time — avoid opening the oven door any sooner, or your pastry may collapse. After the rings are finished but still hot, pierce the bottoms with a skewer or paring knife and return to the turned-off oven for 10 minutes to allow the steam to escape and the insides to dry out (prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon). Transfer rings to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before filling.
  8. Assemble the zeppole: Whisk the chilled pastry cream to loosen and transfer to a piping bag fitted with an open star tip.
  9. Using a sharp serrated knife, trim off the top third of the choux rings and set aside. Remove any soft bits from inside the shells.
  10. Spread a thin layer of jam on the bottom of the rings. Pipe the cream on top. Place the tops back on and pipe a dollop of cream in the centers. Garnish with a sour cherry, fresh fruit, or a dab of jam. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours. (The pastry will eventually start to soften, so it’s best to fill the zeppole shortly before eating.)
baked zeppole with garnish

Fish Sticks and Tartar Sauce

Posted on by Ruth
fish sticks and tartar sauce

Before having kids, I really enjoyed daily dinner prep. Both my husband and I are fairly adventurous eaters, so I had fun scouring the internet and cookbooks finding new dishes and techniques to try, or riffing on our fridge contents to create interesting meals.

Nowadays, I still enjoy making dinner but my methods and priorities have definitely shifted. Speed and “will the kids eat it?” are of the essence; new recipes and unusual flavors are typically saved for the weekends or side dishes. While both my kids like to eat, we do experience the typical toddler pickiness that often changes from meal to meal. So finding meals that are palatable for both three-year-olds and thirty-somethings can sometimes be a challenge.

One thing I can always count on my kids being willing to try is anything that involves dipping. So when I was flipping through Jane Hornby’s new cookbook Simple and Classic this breaded fish and tartar sauce recipe caught my eye.

Homemade fish sticks might sound a bit fussy and labor intensive, but these actually come together fairly quickly — totally doable for a busy weeknight. And — more importantly — they are delicious! Using a firm white fish means the fish sticks are mild enough for the little people, and the flavorful crust and punchy dip makes it interesting enough for the older ones. This definitely earned a spot in the regular dinner rotation!

I’m looking forward to trying some of the other dishes in Hornby’s book — it’s packed full of straightforward, easy-to-follow recipes that are simply photographed with step-by-step shots. There’s a nice blend of familiar dishes — such as Sticky BBQ Chicken, Chocolate Profiteroles, and Cheese and Onion Tart — interspersed with more adventurous ones — say, Raspberry & Passion Fruit Mallow Meringue, Lemon Basil Gnudi with Fava Beans, and Shrimp and Mushroom Laksa. Thanks very much to Phaidon Books for sending it along!

A couple of notes:

  • Instead of using day-old white bread, I used panko (about 175g to account for the discarded bread crusts). I just mixed all the coating ingredients together in a bowl instead of using a food processor.
  • This recipe makes quite a bit of coating; I had a bit leftover. I recommend just putting some of it on a plate to coat the fish and refilling as necessary. Extras can be frozen; in fact, Hornby suggests making a double batch and freezing the remainder for the future.
simple and classic jane hornby cover

Fish Sticks and Tartar Sauce

Serves 4 / Adapted from Simple and Classic by Jane Hornby

Ingredients:

  • 4 thick slices white bread (day-old bread is best), about 7 oz. (200g)
  • 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 Tbsp mild olive oil
  • 2 oz (50g) Parmesan cheese (2/3 c grated)
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 3/4 lb (800g) sustainably sourced thick white fish fillet, such as cod, haddock, or pollack
  • 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp capers
  • 1 large or 5 small pickles (gherkins)
  • 1/2 c (100g) good-quality mayonnaise (swap half for sour cream, if desired)
  • salt and pepper
  • salad greens or peas, to serve

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Cut the crusts from the bread and discard. Put the bread into a food processor with half of the parsley — stems (stalks) too — and all of the oil.
  2. Blend everything together to make oily, herbed bread crumbs. Finely grate the Parmesan and the lemon zest, then mix into the crumbs with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl.
  3. Cut the fish into chunky sticks about 1 1/4″ x 1 1/4″ x 4 inches ( 3 x 3 x 10 cm).
  4. Put the flour onto a plate and season it generously with salt and pepper. Break the egg into a bowl, add salt and pepper to this, too, then beat it with a fork. Dust a piece of fish with the flour, then dip it into the egg. Let the excess egg drip off into the bowl below, then roll and pat the fish in the crumbs until covered in an even layer.
  5. Place it onto a nonstick baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the fish. Rinse and dry your hands every now and again, because they can get sticky.
  6. Bake the fish for 12-15 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Meanwhile, make the tartar sauce. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze one half, and cut the other into wedges. Finely chop the remaining parsley leaves, the capers, and pickles (gherkins), and put into a bowl. Add the mayonnaise and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
  7. Serve the fish with the tartar sauce, lemon wedges, and some salad leaves or just-cooked peas.

Sourdough Fruit Danishes

Posted on by Ruth
diamond danish

Laminated dough is the perfect blank canvas for a baker. It can go sweet or savory, and you can shape it in so many ways. I’ve used this sourdough danish dough previously to make these delicious morning buns, and in this post I’m giving just a couple more ways to put this pastry to work.

While there are a ton of ways you can shape danishes, I’m partial to the pocket and diamond shapes because they accommodate a good amount of filling. I almost always fill my sweet pastries with either cream cheese filling or frangipane — both are simple to whip up and complement any number of fruits. I like using cream cheese with berries (or a dollop of jam or lemon curd) and frangipane with plums, pears, rhubarb, and apples — but experiment with what you have and come up with your own favorite combos! Enjoy!

A few notes:

  • The proofing time for these danishes can vary quite a bit depending on the temperature of your kitchen. For me it usually takes about 2 hours at warm room temperature (about 80F). Proof them until they’re double in size, very puffy, and jiggle when you shake the pan. The oven with the light on and a pan of warm water is a great proofing spot — just make sure to take the danishes out when preheating the oven!
  • To make sure the bottoms of the danishes don’t get too dark before they bake through, I bake these pastries on a two baking sheets stacked right on top of each other. If you like the bottoms extra crisp, this isn’t necessary.
  • I like finishing fruit danishes by brushing the fruit with a bit of simple syrup right after the danishes come out of the oven. It gives the fruit a little bit of shine and your pastries that special little bakery touch.
pocket danish
diamond danish prebake

Sourdough Fruit Danishes

Makes 6 danishes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 recipe sourdough enriched danish dough
  • 1 recipe cream cheese filling or frangipane filling (see below)
  • Fresh fruit such as berries or plums — depending on type/size of fruit, you may need several berries or several slices of fruit per danish; can also use a not-too-runny jam/preserves
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tsp milk or water and a pinch of salt for egg wash
  • Turbinado sugar, optional
  • Simple syrup, optional
  • Powdered sugar, optional
For the cream cheese filling:
  • 113g cream cheese, softened (about half a block)
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • Dash of vanilla extract
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • Squeeze of lemon juice
For the frangipane filling:
  • 100g unsalted butter, softened
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 100g almond flour
  • 15g AP flour

Method:

For the cream cheese filling:
  1. Combine the cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (a hand mixer also works). Mix on low until smooth. Scrape down the sides and add lemon juice a tsp at a time to taste. Transfer to a pastry bag. Filling can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before piping onto danishes.
For the frangipane filling:
  1. In a small bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the egg, salt, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Add the almond and all purpose flour and fold in using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Transfer to a pastry bag. Filling can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before piping onto danishes.
For the danishes:
  1. On a lightly floured surface, roll the danish dough into a large rectangle about 10″ x 14″. Trim the edges so you have a neat rectangle measuring 9″ x 13.5″. Cut dough into six 4.5″ inch squares. Stack, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 10 minutes to relax the gluten.
  2. Stack two large baking trays together (see notes above) and line the top tray with parchment paper. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator (I like to work with 2-3 squares at a time, leaving the rest refrigerated). Shape into pockets or diamonds as desired and transfer to prepared baking sheet. (See below.)
  3. Brush the shaped pastries with egg wash and cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Place in a warm area of the kitchen (around 78-80F — no hotter than 80F or the ) to proof until doubled in size and layers are very visible — about 2-3 hours. Prepare your filling of choice while the pastries proof, if you haven’t already.
  4. When the pastries are nearly finished proofing, preheat oven to 425F with a rack in the middle. Pipe desired filling into the center of the pastries, about 1-2 Tbsp each. Top with fruit, pressing lightly to adhere. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
  5. Bake at 425F for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375F and bake for another 10-20 minutes, or until well risen and browned. Brush the fruit with simple syrup after removing from oven, if desired. Cool for about 10 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar and serving. Danishes are best eaten the day they’re baked, but reheat well the day after in a 350F oven for 5-10 minutes.
For shaping:
  1. For the “pocket” shape, dab a little filling or egg wash in the center of the square. Fold the two opposing corners into the center, pressing fairly firmly to stick. Repeat with the opposite corners. If the corners pop open during proofing, gently press them back down before adding filling.
  2. For the “diamond” shape, gently fold the pastry square on the diagonal to form a triangle, making sure the corners line up. Using a sharp knife, make two cuts parallel to the sides of the triangle, leaving about 1/4″ of pastry on the edges. Don’t let the cuts meet or you will end up with two pieces of pastry! Unfold the dough and orient the square so it is like a diamond. Fold one edge over so it meets the cut you just made. Repeat with the other edge to form a diamond. You can watch me forming this shape in my Instagram stories — look for the Diamond Danish highlight.
single diamond danish
pocket danish 2


Pineapple Coconut Buns

Posted on by Ruth
pineapple coconut buns

One of the first recipes I ever posted on this site was Chinese Cocktail Buns, or gai mei baos. These soft, fluffy buns with a buttery coconut filling were a favorite from my childhood and definitely the first item I reach for in any Chinese bakery.

It’s hard to improve on a classic, but for a long time I’ve thought that my ideal Chinese bun would have the luscious filling of a gai mei bao and the sweet cookie topping of another favorite, pineapple buns (or bo lo baos). (These buns don’t actually contain pineapple — they’re named such because of the crackly topping that vaguely resembles a pineapple.) I finally had a chance to test this theory by making these hybrid pineapple coconut buns, and let me tell you — Best. Idea. Ever. I honestly could eat these for breakfast every day! They were just divine slightly warm from the oven, but lasted very well for several days, just needing a few seconds in the microwave to restore the soft texture.

A few notes:

  • As written, making these pineapple coconut buns is a two day project. I prepare the levain for the bread in the morning, mix the dough in the afternoon, and shape/fill/bake the buns the next day. If you don’t have a sourdough starter or want to make this a shorter project, you can use the dough in the original Chinese Coconut Cocktail Buns post — just divide into 12 pieces and shape/fill/bake as directed below.
  • I highly recommend using caster (or superfine) sugar for both the filling and topping for the best consistency. I make my own by just grinding regular granulated sugar in the food processor for about a minute.

pineapple coconut buns side

Pineapple Coconut Buns

Makes 12 buns

Ingredients:

For the sourdough milk bread:

For the levain:

  • 18g starter
  • 31g milk
  • 57g bread flour

Mix together and let ripen at room temperature until mature (6-12 hours, depending on environment).

  • 284g bread/AP flour
  • 46g sugar
  • 52g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 21g milk powder
  • 53g egg
  • 6g salt
  • 104g milk
  • 88g cream
  • All of the levain

For the coconut filling:

  • 180g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 80g caster sugar
  • 50g cake flour
  • 60g milk powder
  • 90g unsweetened desiccated coconut

For the pineapple topping:

  • 125g cake flour
  • 55g caster sugar
  • 40g lard or shortening, at room temperature
  • 7 g milk power
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 Tbsp cream (plus more, if needed)
  • 1 tsp condensed milk (optional; use extra cream instead)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda

To finish:

  • 1 egg yolk, beaten
  • Simple syrup

Method:

For the sourdough milk bread:

  1. Mix together all final dough ingredients except the salt and butter until just combined. Cover and autolyse (rest) for 30-60 minutes.
  2. Add salt, and knead dough until gluten is moderately developed (about 5 minutes on medium speed, using the dough hook on a stand mixer). The dough will start out sticky and rough but should gradually come together and feel quite smooth and stretchy. Add butter in two batches, mixing the first completely before adding the second. Continue kneading at medium speed until the gluten is very well developed and the dough passes the windowpane test as demonstrated here. The dough should be smooth and supple (and quite lovely to handle!). This will take quite some time, especially if done by hand. Consider it your arm workout for the day!
  3. Transfer to a clean and lightly oiled bowl, cover, and bulk rise at room temp for 2 hours. The dough will be noticeably expanded, but not doubled. Fold, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 8 hours, or overnight.
  4. The next day, take the dough out and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Divide into 12 equal portions and shape into loose rounds. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and rest for 1 hour.
  5. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling and topping. To make the filling, cream together the butter and sugar until combined. Add the cake flour, milk powder, and coconut and mix to combine. I like to chill my filling for 20-30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
  6. To make the topping, combine the flour, sugar, milk powder, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add the lard or shortening and rub it into the dry ingredients. Whisk together the egg yolk, cream, vanilla, and condensed milk and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir to combine, then knead until a dough forms. If the mixture is too dry to hold together, add cream a tsp at a time until everything is hydrated. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.
  7. When the dough has rested, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Take the filling mixture and divide it into 12 equal portions (I like to roll it into rounds, then flatten slightly). Take a piece of dough and roll it into a circle, making the edges a little thinner than the middle. Place a portion of filling in the center, then fold the edges up and over the filling and pinch tightly to seal. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
  8. Cover the buns with lightly oiled plastic wrap and proof at room temperature until about doubled in size, about 5-7 hours. When the buns are nearly ready, preheat the oven to 400F.
  9. Just before baking, top the buns. Divide the topping dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your hands to form a ball. Working one at a time, flatten a piece with your hand. Using a rolling pin, roll into a thin round big enough to cover a bun. (I find covering the dough with a piece of plastic wrap while rolling makes this easy to do.) Brush the top of the bun with a bit of water, then carefully place the topping round on top, using a small offset spatula. Repeat with remaining buns.
  10. Brush the top of each bun with the beaten egg yolk. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375F and continue baking until the tops are golden brown and buns sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 10-15 more minutes. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush with simple syrup. Leftover buns store well for a few days in an airtight container. Microwave for 15-20 seconds to soften.

Lime Poppyseed Cake with Hibiscus Glaze

Posted on by Ruth
lime poppyseed bundt with hibiscus glaze

March is just around the corner but here in Toronto we’re still firmly planted in winter, with a good foot of snow outside our front door. Hailing from a part of the world where daffodils often start blooming in February, I often start feeling a little color-deprived this time of year. Thank God for winter citrus! Just having a bowl of lemons, limes, and oranges around provides a truly welcome splash of color.

Since I usually get a little citrus-happy and stock my grocery cart with a few too many lemons or limes, I inevitably make some type of citrus poppyseed cake or two this time of year. My go-to recipe is the lemon pound cake from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Cake Bible (one of my all time favorite cookbooks), but this time around I had some sour cream that needed using so I decided to try a different Rose recipe, her Triple Lemon Velvet Cake from Rose’s Baking Basics. It didn’t disappoint, with a lovely velvet crumb that keeps nicely for days. I swapped out lime for lemon since that’s what I had the most of, and added a little bit of hibiscus powder for a pretty pink glaze. Definitely a cure for the winter blues!

A few notes:
  • I used my favorite 6-cup Heritage bundt pan and it worked fabulously. Just be sure to grease and flour it well, and don’t wait too long to turn the cake out (about 10 minutes works for me). This cake can also be baked in a regular loaf pan; the baking time should be roughly the same.
  • The original recipe calls for either cake or all-purpose flour. If you use all cake flour the crumb will be a bit more fluffy; with all-purpose a bit more dense. My personal preference is a a mix of the two (50/50).
  • I found hibiscus powder at my local bulk/health food store, but it is also easily found on Amazon.
hannah with bundt

Lime Poppyseed Cake with Hibiscus Glaze

Makes one 6-cup bundt cake | Adapted from Rose’s Baking Basics

Ingredients:

For the lime poppyseed cake:
  • 135g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 65g egg yolks (about 4-6), at room temperature
  • Zest of two limes
  • 120g sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 156g AP or cake flour (or a mix of the two)
  • 150g granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 25g poppy seeds
For the lime syrup:
  • 50g / 3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 55g granulated sugar
For the hibiscus glaze:
  • 115g icing sugar
  • 21g / 4 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp hibiscus powder
  • 5 g / 1 tsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F with a rack in the lower third of the oven. Grease and flour a 6-cup bundt pan (or grease and line a loaf pan with parchment paper).
  2. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and 1/4 (30g) of the sour cream.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the sugar and zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until fragrant. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds to combine.
  4. Add the butter and remaining sour cream (90g). Mix on low until the dry ingredients are moistened, then increase the speed to medium and beat for about a minute to aerate the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle.
  5. Add the yolk mixture in two portions, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition.
  6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  7. While the cake is baking, prepare the lime syrup. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the lime juice and sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved. Cover and set aside.
  8. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, transfer to a wire rack. Poke the bottom of the cake all over with a skewer and brush the bottom with about 1/3 of the syrup. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate. Brush the top and sides of the cake with the remaining syrup.
  9. When the cake has cooled completely, make the hibiscus glaze. Whisk the hibiscus powder into the lime juice. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Whisk in the hibiscus-lime juice, followed by the butter. Pour or drizzle the glaze onto the cake.


Sourdough Bagels

Posted on by Ruth
sourdough bagels 1

A few months ago, my husband casually mentioned that one of his favorite breakfasts was a bagel with cream cheese. How did I not know this, after five years of marriage??? After bemoaning that fact for awhile, I decided to get to work on a house bagel recipe.

I’ve posted a bagel recipe before, which is definitely delicious and worth making. But this time around I really wanted to put my own spin on bagels, incorporating my favorite features of New York (chewiness) and Montreal-style (a touch of sweetness and enrichment from eggs and oil) bagels and adding sourdough. After test batch after test batch, here we are!

A few notes:
  • There are many ways to shape bagels, but I prefer the rope method. It makes for a nice even crumb and the center hole stays a bit more open. If you need a visual, this video is similar to what I do.
  • This recipe calls for a couple special ingredients — vital wheat gluten and barley malt syrup. I can get both easily at my local bulk food / health food stores. In a pinch, you can sub in more bread flour for the VWG and honey or brown sugar for the barley malt syrup, but I really do feel like these two ingredients make bagels more….bagel-y! The VWG adds extra chew and the barley malt syrup has a unique flavor that is so distinctive.
  • This dough is quite stiff so it’s easiest to mix it in a stand mixer with a dough hook. If you do it by hand be prepared for a good workout — it’ll probably take a good 15+ minutes of hand kneading.
  • Bagels are best enjoyed soon after baking. You can toast them on the second or third day (store them in a plastic bag), but any longer than that I’d recommend splitting and freezing, then reheating in the toaster.
bagels with cream cheese
single bagel
split bagel

Sourdough Bagels

Makes ten 3 oz. bagels / Adapted from many sources

Ingredients:

  • 340g bread flour (I have subbed in 15% whole wheat flour with good results)
  • 10g vital wheat gluten (makes bagels extra chewy — sub more bread flour if you don’t have it)
  • 100g water (room temperature)
  • 20g olive oil
  • 50g egg (about 1 large)
  • 28g milk powder
  • 16g barley malt syrup
  • 20g granulated sugar
  • 10g kosher or sea salt
  • 300g active 100% hydration sourdough starter
  • 2 Tbsp honey or barley malt syrup (for poaching)
  • 1/4 c regular or baked baking soda
  • Assorted seeds, for topping (if desired)

Method:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the bread flour, vital wheat gluten (if using), milk powder, sugar, and salt.
  2. In a large glass measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the water, olive oil, egg, barley malt syrup, and starter.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then turn the mixer on low to combine.
  4. Turn the mixer up to medium-low and mix until the dough is very smooth and strong (about 8 minutes, but depends on the strength of your mixer).
  5. Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface and form into a smooth ball. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap or a large mixing bowl and let rest for 10 minutes.
  6. Divide the dough into 10 equal portions, about 85g / 3 oz. each. Round each piece into a ball (it doesn’t have to be too tight) and let rest another 10 minutes.
  7. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with semolina.
  8. To shape the bagels, roll each piece into an even rope (not tapered) about 10 inches long. Wrap the rope around your hand, with the ends overlapping by about 2 inches in your palm. Roll your palm firmly on your unfloured work surface to seal the ends together. Use a bit of water to help the ends stick together if needed. Transfer shaped bagels to the prepared baking sheet.
  9. Once all the bagels are shaped, cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for about 4 hours, or until noticeably puffy (they will not double in size). To check if the bagels have risen enough, fill a bowl with warm water. Place a bagel in the water and if it floats within 10 seconds, the bagels have risen enough. If not, keep checking every 15-20 minutes until a bagel passes the float test. (Pat the water off the test bagel before returning to the sheet pan.)
  10. Place the bagels in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
  11. When you are ready to poach and bake the bagels, preheat the oven to 500F with a rack in the middle. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large cooling rack with a dishtowel underneath and carefully transfer the bagels to the rack, brushing the semolina off the bottoms. Redust the sheet pan with more semolina.
  12. Once the water comes to a full boil, add the honey/barley malt syrup and baking soda. Stir to dissolve.
  13. Drop as many bagels as will comfortably fit in your pot (usually 3 or 4) and poach for about 45-60 seconds. Flip the bagels and poach for another 45-60 seconds. Remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and transfer to the cooling rack. Let drain for about 30 seconds, then transfer to the sheet pan and sprinkle with desired toppings. Repeat with the remaining bagels.
  14. Bake the bagels at 500F for 5 minutes, then turn the oven down to 450F and bake another 10-15 minutes, or until you reach the desired color. Cool bagels on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before splitting, slathering with cream cheese, and devouring. Bagels are best enjoyed the day they’re baked, but leftovers can be stored in a plastic bag for a couple days or split and frozen, well wrapped, for up to a month.
hands on bagels

Curry Beef Puffs

Posted on by Ruth
kids hands curry beef puffs

Is there anything more comforting than the smell of buttery pastry baking away on a cold winter’s day? Winter is definitely my favorite time of year to make puff pastry and laminated doughs, so here we are with another way to use that rough puff pastry from the raspberry palmiers recipe. But this time we’re going savory with these curry beef puffs, inspired by the Asian pastries often found on dim sum carts or in Chinese bakeries.

Crisp and flaky with a luscious curry filling, these little hand pies make a great portable snack or light lunch, and are a welcome addition to any party. The best part about making these guys at home is that you can really pack that filling in, because IMO there’s nothing worse than ordering one of these and getting only half a bite of curry. To be honest I probably overstuff mine just a bit, but as long as you can seal and crimp the edges well you shouldn’t have too much problems with overflow.

A few notes:

  • I really like using boxed curry roux blocks instead of curry powder for the filling; to me the flavor is better and they contain cornstarch which also helps thicken the filling. Curry roux blocks are easily found in Asian supermarkets. You can probably substitute curry powder (I’d start with 3-4 Tbsp), but you may need to add a cornstarch slurry to help thicken the filling.
  • For best results, make sure to thoroughly chill your pastries before baking. The pastry should be firm to the touch — about 10-15 minutes in the freezer for me.
  • While these are best the day they’re made, they recrisp well in a 350F oven or the toaster. I suspect you could also freeze some unbaked ones and bake straight from frozen; you may need a little longer on the baking time.
curry beef puffs - flaky

Curry Beef Puffs

Makes about 18-24 puffs

Ingredients:

  • One full recipe rough puff pastry (or one box/two sheets, storebought and defrosted in the fridge overnight)
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 1 medium carrot, shredded
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2-3 slices of fresh ginger
  • 2 small (1.5″ or 60g) blocks Japanese curry mix (use whatever spiciness level you prefer)
  • 1/2 c – 1 c water
  • soy sauce, to taste
  • sugar, to taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water or milk, for egg wash

Method:

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium high. When the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic and ginger. Season with a little soy sauce and sugar and saute until onion is softened, about 3-5 minutes.
  2. Add the ground beef, using your wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat. Cook until the beef is no longer pink, stirring frequently.
  3. Add the grated carrot, curry cubes, and 1/2 c water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely soft and the mixture is thick, about 30 minutes. If the mixture starts to look dry or the onions don’t seem to be breaking down, add a tablespoon of water (I usually add about two more tablespoons during the simmering process).
  4. Turn off the heat and check for seasonings, adding salt / sugar / pepper to taste. The filling should be just on the edge of too salty in order to cut through the rich pastry.
  5. Cool to room temperature, remove the ginger slices, then cover and refrigerate until cold.
  6. When the filling is cooled and you are ready to assemble, preheat the oven to 400F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
  7. Remove one half (or one sheet) of puff pastry from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a large square about 12-13″ on each side. Trim the edges to neaten, then cut the sheet into 9-12 equal pieces, depending on what size puffs you want (I like to cut each sheet into twelve 4″ squares, which makes a nice appetizer size).
  8. Transfer the squares to one of the parchment-lined sheets and chill while you repeat step 7 with the remaining pastry.
  9. Remove the filling and 2-3 squares of pastry from the refrigerator (keep the rest of the pastry chilled — I find it’s easiest to work with only a few squares at a time). Brush the edges of one square with a bit of egg wash. Place a heaping Tbsp of filling in the center of the pastry. Fold the top left corner down to meet the bottom right corner to form a triangle (or you can fold them in half for rectangular pastries, if you prefer). Use a fork to crimp the edges.
  10. Once you’ve completed half the pastries, transfer the sheet of filled pastries to the freezer while you finish filling the rest.
  11. Once the first sheet of pastries is chilled (the pastry should be firm), remove from the freezer. Brush the tops with egg wash and prick with a fork to create steam holes. Transfer the second sheet of pastries to the freezer.
  12. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking, until pastries are golden brown and puffed. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes before consuming. Repeat with second sheet of pastries.
curry beef puffs on plate

Brownie Cookies

Posted on by Ruth
brownie cookies

This is one of those cookies that ticks all the boxes for me: it’s intensely chocolatey, fairly simple to make (with minimal chilling time), and bakes up with the most beautiful shiny, crackly tops. The original recipe comes from Tartine No 3. I make just a few changes — mixing light and dark brown sugars as muscovado is hard for me to source, and adding a little cocoa and espresso powder for even more chocolate punch. The finishing salt really is essential on these guys — it tempers the sweetness and intensity of the chocolate and adds a touch of crunchy texture.

A few notes:

  • I find the best way to get those coveted shiny, crackly tops is to bake the cookies as soon as the dough is firm enough to scoop. If you wait too long the dough dries out a bit and the tops aren’t quite as shiny.
  • I like to scoop the dough using an OXO 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop. Once all the dough is portioned, I go back and roll the each until they’re perfectly round. This helps the cookie bake into nice, uniform circles. If any are a little wonky after baking, you can nudge them into shape right when they come out of the oven using a small offset spatula. Or not. They’ll still be delicious.
  • When eaten warm, the cookies will be very soft and molten inside. Let them cool and they’ll be a bit more chewy and brownie-like (which is what I prefer). Cookies keep well for a few days in an airtight container.
brownie cookies 2

Brownie Cookies

Makes about 15 cookies / Barely adapted from Tartine No. 3

Ingredients:

  • 227 good quality dark (70%) chocolate, chopped (I use Callebaut 70%)
  • 30g unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 60g light brown sugar
  • 60g dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp espresso powder
  • 43g whole rye flour
  • 6g (1 Tbsp) dutch processed cocoa powder
  • Flaky or smoked salt, to finish

Method:

  1. Bring a saucepan with an inch of water to a simmer. Combine the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl on top of the simmering water (making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and melt, stirring occasionally. Once melted, remove from water and set aside.
  2. Whisk together rye flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the eggs, sugars, baking powder, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla. Turn the mixer on low to combine, then turn the speed up to medium-high and whip until the mixture is thick, foamy, and roughly tripled in volume (about 6 minutes).
  4. Turn the mixer speed to low and slowly drizzle in the chocolate-butter mixture, mixing just to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the flour mixture and mix just to combine. Use a spatula to scrape up and over a couple times from the bottom to make sure the batter is well-mixed.
  5. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes, until the dough is firm enough to scoop but not hard.
  6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Once the dough is sufficiently chilled, use a 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop or spoon to portion the batter into about 15 even balls. Roll each one between your hands to make perfectly round — this will help them bake into lovely, perfect circles. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with a generous pinch of flaky or smoked salt.
  8. Bake one sheet at a time for about 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and beginning to crack. Cool on the sheets for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pretzel Salted Caramels

Posted on by Ruth
pretzel salted caramels

These little confections have been five years in the making. Pretzel salted caramels were part of the dessert menu at our wedding reception. We didn’t manage to eat them during the actual party, but some kind soul tucked some in a to-go box for us.

And and enjoy we did. And by “we” I mean “I.” Somehow within the next 12 hours I polished all of them off without giving poor David even a sniff of them. (One might say it was a sign of things to come — the running joke is that David has to take chocolate to work if he wants to have some, because I will gradually take care of at anything left at home.)

Anyways, ever since that first day of marriage I have been intending to reverse-engineer pretzel salted caramels so I could make David his own batch. It took me half a decade, but finally — just in time for our 5th anniversary — I did it!

Part of what kept me from making these sooner was, honestly, the fear of candy-making. It’s not something I do too often, so I’m always a little worried that my caramel will be the wrong consistency or my chocolate won’t temper correctly. I really shouldn’t have worked it up so much in my mind because honestly, it’s not that scary. Sure, there are things I could do better but overall, I am thrilled with how these pretzel salted caramels turned out! The caramel has the perfect amount of chew, and the buttery pretzel layer helps balance out the sweetness. A dip in dark chocolate and an extra sprinkle of flaky salt help pull everything together. Make a batch for your Valentine — or for yourself, I won’t tell.

pretzel salted caramels lined up
pretzel salted caramel cross section

A few notes:

  • The success of the caramel layer depends on an accurate thermometer (I have this one). Make sure the probe is submerged in the syrup but not touching the bottom of the pot to get an accurate reading.
  • Before starting the caramel layer, I recommend having all your ingredients measured out and all your tools in place. You don’t want to be rummaging around for your flaky salt or whisk with a hot pot of sugar bubbling on the stove.
  • The salted caramel recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz. I’ve used it once before and followed it to a T, and the caramel tasted great but was just slightly too chewy for my tastes. So this time I stopped dropped the final temp by 5 degrees and it was just right for me.
  • When cutting the caramel block into individual candies, I like to use a large chef’s knife. Between cuts I wipe it down with a hot towel and lightly grease it with a neutral vegetable oil.
  • If you’re pressed for time, you can skip the chocolate dip and just wrap the caramels with wax paper or cellophane. (Or do what I did and go half and half.)
  • About the chocolate dip: after tempering, I would recommend just working with about 1/3 of the chocolate at a time (keep the remainder in a warmish spot so it doesn’t set). You will inevitably get little pretzel bits in the chocolate as you dip, so it’s nice to switch to a fresh dish every so often so your candies stay nice and neat. Any leftover chocolate you can spread out and dry, then chop and add to your next batch of brownies or chocolate chunk cookies!
  • About tempering: I am not an expert. At all. I usually avoid it, but because I wanted to store these at room temp I decided to go for it. I used the sous vide method outline on Serious Eats which was fairly straightforward.

Pretzel Salted Caramels

Makes one 8×8 pan, about thirty-six 1 1/4″ candies

Ingredients:

For the pretzel base:

  • 200g mini salted pretzels (if using unsalted, add a generous 1/2 tsp kosher salt)
  • 84g (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

For the salted butter caramel (adapted from David Lebovitz):

  • 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
  • 160g (1/2 c) light corn syrup
  • 200g (1 c) granulated sugar
  • 60g (generous 4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature

For the chocolate coating:

  • 20 oz good quality dark chocolate (I used Callebaut 70%)
  • Flaky sea salt, to finish

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8×8 square pan with foil and lightly grease the foil.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, grind the pretzels (and the salt, if using) into a fine powder. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. The mixture should hold together easily when squeezed, but shouldn’t feel overly greasy.
  3. Press the pretzel mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan (I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup or shot glass to really press it down evenly).
  4. Bake until firm and golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while you prepare the caramel layer.
  5. To make the caramel, heat the cream in a small saucepan with half of the butter (30g), vanilla and fine sea salt until the mixture just comes to the boil. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm while you continue.
  6. In a medium heavy duty saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, combine the corn syrup with the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently, to make sure the sugar melts smoothly. Once the mixture is melted together and the sugar is evenly moistened, only stir is as necessary to keep it from getting any hot spots. If you notice any sugar granules on the side of the pot, brush them with a pastry brush dipped in water.
  7. Cook until the syrup reaches 310ºF (155ºC).
  8. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the warm cream mixture until smooth. (The mixture will bubble up furiously, so be very careful!)
  9. Return to the heat and cook the mixture, without stirring, to 255-260F (124-127C — see notes above).
  10. Remove the pan from the heat, lift out the thermometer, and whisk in the remaining 30g butter until it’s melted and the mixture smooth.
  11. Pour the mixture over the pretzel layer. After ~5 minutes, sprinkle the surface with 1/4 tsp flaky salt. Allow to set at room temperature for at least 4 hours, or overnight. (Do not cover while the pan is still warm; once it has come to room temperature you can cover it with a piece of foil.)
  12. Once the caramel is set, use a large, sharp knife to cut the slab into 6 long equal strips. Cut each strip into 6 equal pieces. If not coating with chocolate, wrap each caramel in a piece of wax paper.
  13. To coat caramels with chocolate, temper the chocolate according to your preferred method (I prefer the sous vide method — see notes above). Place a caramel on a fork and submerge in the chocolate. Lift out the caramel and tap the fork several times to remove any excess chocolate, then scrape the bottom of the fork along the rim of the bowl and transfer the coated caramel to a piece of parchment paper. Allow to set for a minute, then sprinkle with flaky salt. Let chocolate cool and set completely at room temperature before transferring to an airtight container.
pretzel salted caramels no chocolate