Archive for February, 2011
Maine is considering some serious legislation regarding whoopie pies. They are considering making the whoopie pie the official state dessert. Whoopie pies consist of two cake-like cookies sandwiching a creamy, frosting-like filling, rather like an inside-out cupcake. They’re a new England tradition and their origin is not credited to Maine, but they’re extremely popular in the state, which has several large commercial bakeries that produce hundreds of thousands of whoopie pies daily. The legislation may not sound serious, but this bill is actually causing quite a ruckus whoopie pie fans in another state: Pennsylvania.
In Pennsylvania Dutch country, they contend that whoopie pies were originally an Amish treat and that Maine is trying to steal the tradition of the pies from Pennsylvania. Some proponents of the Pennsylvania whoopie are trying to convince legislators in the state to adopt the whoopie pie as the state dessert before Maine is able to. It seems like a silly thing to get worked up about, especially because a state dessert is really a small nod to a product or dish, and wouldn’t necessarily have an impact on sales, but there is a lot of pride involved in making and eating these classic American treats.
For me, whoopie pies are an enjoyable treat no matter where they originally came from. No matter which state ends up adopting it, it won’t make the cakes any less tasty to people outside of that state, nor will it stop them from being an American classic for the rest of us.
Milk and dark chocolate truffles are equally common in the candy aisle or in the display case of your favorite chocolatier. White chocolate doesn’t pop up as often but makes an equally delicious choice for a truffle because it starts out with a deliciously creamy flavor from the get go. Chocolate truffles are easy to make at home and only require a few simple ingredients, namely heavy cream and chocolate. This is true weather you want to make white chocolate truffles or dark chocolate. The only thing that really varies from recipe to recipe is the ratio of these two ingredients, as a higher percentage of cream will leave you with a truffle that definitely melts in your mouth, but might not last long in your hand!
These chocolate truffles are made with white chocolate, and have a white chocolate ganache center. All white chocolate is flavored with vanilla, but I took a moment to infuse the cream of the ganache with even more vanilla just to play up that flavor as much as possible. If you don’t have a vanilla bean, you can also use a bit of vanilla extract. Choose the best quality white chocolate that you can find, one that uses real vanilla and real cocoa butter and not vegetable shortenings. Also, choose a white chocolate that you like the flavor of, as you’ll just be amplifying it in these truffles.
The most basic chocolate truffle is rolled in cocoa powder before serving. That looks a bit odd on these creamy-colored treats, so instead I opted to dip mine in some more white chocolate before serving. The exterior coating of chocolate should be thin, just enough to give the truffle a little texture and keep them solid when getting from the dessert plate to your mouth. Feel free to try dipping these in dark chocolate, too, if you want to add a bittersweet element!
+Continue Reading
A good knife is the most important thing that you can have in the kitchen. You can make the argument for other tools, but you won’t get much prep work or cooking done without a knife. A good knife will make cooking an easier, faster process and you might be surprised at how much of a difference this can make.
The book Knives Cooks Love is not just about choosing a good knife. Instead, the first part of the book is designed to be a whole introduction to knives. It goes over how knives are made, the various types of knives that you’ll encounter in a kitchen and what they’re used for, and it also talks about the maintenance you’ll need to do to keep your knives at their best. It’s nice to know what knives are best suited for each task and you’ll feel more confident with a little instruction and a little practice – something that most at-home cooks never really get.
The next section of the book is all about technique and full of recipes that you can make while practicing your knife skills. Dicing avocados for guacamole and slicing apples to get just the right consistency in a pie, for instance, are both useful things to practice. here are many photos, both of the knives and the different cutting techniques described, to help you along. When you get to the recipes, you’ll find beautiful photos that illustrate how everything should come together in a finished dish. There are not a tremendous number of recipes in this book, as much of the real estate is devoted specifically to a discussion of knives, but there is a wide range that includes appetizers, salads, main dishes and desserts. All are easy to prepare and have been chosen to let your practice those knife skills, whether you’re making the caramelized onion tart featured in the book’s cover or shaving chocolate for the homemade hot fudge sauce.
Chocolate truffles are a delicious treat any day of the year and a sweet gift on Valentine’s day. Chocolate truffles are made of chocolate ganache – a mixture of chocolate and cream that is melted together – that is rolled into balls. The most traditional type of chocolate truffle is then rolled in cocoa powder, but truffles can be covered with a layer of chocolate, rolled in nuts, shredded coconut or even dusted with confectioners’ sugar before serving. The outer coating simply makes the ultra-creamy truffle easier to pick up, although the journey from hand to mouth is usually a short one when chocolate truffles are concerned!
While the term “truffles” can refer to candies, truffles are really “the fruiting bod[ies] of underground mushroom[s].” There are many types but the edible ones are highly prized for their flavor and rarity, and command a very high price. Chocolate truffles actually get their name from that classic, cocoa powder coating – not because they contain actual truffles – but because that cocoa powder on the round chocolates looks a lot like the dirt on similarly round truffles freshly pulled from the earth. Both are delicacies and immensely enjoyable, hence the name chocolate truffle.
Souffles are a very versatile dessert because they are light, yet satisfying. Chocolate souffles can be fairly rich and you might not want to have one after a very meal. Lemon souffles, on the other hand, have a bright and fresh flavor that you can always make room for. These Lemon Blackberry Souffles have an easy to make lemon base that is made with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. There is very little added fat in these – aside from the egg yolks that give the souffle their body – so they actually are just as light as they taste.
The souffles themselves are lemon. The blackberries are actually buried at the bottom of the ramekins, underneath the cloud-like lemon topping. In the oven, they become sweeter and juicier, and add some extra sweetness to the souffles when they’re served. I used fresh, whole blackberries for these souffles. You can substitute other berries, such as raspberries, blueberries or boysenberries. If you only have frozen berries, defrost and drain the berries, then spoon them into the ramekins in a single layer. You’ll have a saucier result this way, as the fresh berries hold their shape well during baking, but you’ll still get the same great flavor.
These are best served when they’re fresh from the oven, warm and rising dramatically above the rims of their ramekins. The recipe doesn’t take long from start-to-finish (and it is possible to prepare the base earlier in the day and beat in the egg whites just before baking), so it’s fairly easy to pop these into the oven at the end of a meal and be ready to eat them just as the coffee has finished brewing. If you must let them sit before serving, they’ll deflate a bit, but they’ll still have great flavor and will be enjoyable to eat.
+Continue Reading
