Rice with Mushrooms, Artichokes and Chicken
Cooking time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4):

* 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
* 5 big red ripe tomatoes, chopped
* 2 small onions, chopped
* 1 green pepper, chopped
* 4 or 5 garlic cloves, chopped
* 2 cup mushrooms, chopped (divided) – I used button because I was trying to hide them, but any kind is fine.
* 3 Bay leaves, divided
* Salt
* Pinch of ground cumin
* Pinch of dried oregano
* 1 can artichoke hearts (not marinated)
* 4 cups chicken broth
* 1 pound chicken, cut into cubes
* 2 cups Short grain rice (I used Arborio)

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large stockpot. Add tomatoes, onions, green pepper, garlic, 1 cup of mushrooms and 1 bay leaf. Season with salt, cumin and oregano. Simmer for 1 hour until vegetables are tender. Set aside.

2. Cut the chicken into cubes. I seasoned mine with a little salt and pepper and a bit of Penzey’s Salsa Salad Seasoning.

3. Add remaining 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and put the chicken in the pan. Cook until it begins to brown.
4. Add artichokes, remaining 1 cup of mushrooms and remaining 2 bay leaves. Sauté until artichokes begin to turn golden.
5. Stir in 1 cup of chicken broth, making sure to scrape up all the yummy bits on the bottom of the pan.
6. Add about 1 cup of tomato mixture and stir to make sure the chicken and vegetables are coated in the mixture.

7. Add the rest of the chicken broth all at once and bring it to boil.
8. Add all the rice. Let boil for about 5 minutes on high heat.
9. Turn to low heat and boil for another 8 minutes (or until rice is a little softer than “al dente”)
10. Remove from heat and let the rice stand a couple of minutes.

I froze the leftover tomato mixture to use the next time I make this recipe (which will be very soon, I can tell you that much!) Doesn’t this look divine?? And hey, if my kid will eat it, it’s worth the effort!

The sacrifices I make for you people. Sheesh.

So this month’s Daring Cooks challenge was Chinese Dumplings/Potstickers and was brought to us by Jen at use real butter. I do love Potstickers, so I was excited to give it a try.

One of the requirements of this month’s challenge was that we were supposed to make our own dumpling wrappers by hand. Apparently they are so much more delicious than the ones you can purchase at the store. I found that this was a relatively simple process, believe it or not, and although my potstickers didn’t look as professional as I would have liked, I thought they turned out pretty nice. So here is the recipe. My notes are in bold.

Chinese Dumplings/Potstickers

Pork/Shrimp Filling:
1/2 lb (225g) raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped (I bought mine pre-peeled and deveined to save time. It was more expensive, but well worth it!)
1/2 lb (225g) ground pork
3 stalks green onions, minced
1/4 cup (55g) ginger root, minced (This has GOT to be a typo. It was WAY too much ginger for my taste. I would recommend going with 1-2 tablespoons MAX!)
1 cup (142g) water chestnuts, minced
1 tsp (5g) salt
3 tbsp (40g) sesame oil
2 tbsp (16g) corn starch

Dough:
4 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (113g) warm water (I needed about 1/2 cup additional water to bring it to the consistency mentioned in the recipe.)
flour for worksurface

Dipping Sauce: (I tried this sauce but honestly, I liked mine dipped in just plain soy sauce.)
2 parts soy sauce
1 part vinegar (red wine or black)
a few drops of sesame oil
chili garlic paste (optional)
minced ginger (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced green onion (optional)
sugar (optional)

Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly (I mix by clean hand). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or two).

Make the dough, Method 1: (This is the method that I used.) Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade. Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated. Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth. The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky. [Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water).

Make the dough, Method 2: In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed. Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch.

Both dough methods: Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes. Take the dough and form a flattened dome. Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders. On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces. Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers). With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc. Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking – about 1/16th inch. Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side. Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.

To boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add dumplings to pot. Boil the dumplings until they float.

To steam: Place dumplings on a single layer of napa cabbage leaves or on a well-greased surface in a steamer basket with lid. Steam covered for about 6 minutes.

To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

To freeze: Assemble dumplings on a baking sheet so they are not touching. It helps to rub the base of the dumpling in a little flour before setting on the baking sheet for ease of release. Freeze for 20-30 minutes until dumplings are no longer soft. Place in ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of months. Prepare per the above instructions, but allow extra time to ensure the filling is thoroughly cooked.

To serve: Serve dumplings or potstickers hot with your choice of dipping sauce combinations. Yum!!

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers. APPLE STRUDEL, ya’ll!!! Oh, I was excited for this challenge.

Preparation time
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes – 3 hours 30 minutes

15-20 min to make dough
30-90 min to let dough rest/to prepare the filling
20-30 min to roll out and stretch dough
10 min to fill and roll dough
30 min to bake
30 min to cool

Apple Strudel
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum (I used vanilla rum)
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar (I used vanilla sugar)
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs (this took about 3 slices of bread for me, and I ground it in my Magic Bullet)
strudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts (I didn’t want big chunks of walnuts, so I also ground them in my Magic Bullet)
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking) (I used Gala apples, and it took about 5 of them to make 2 pounds)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl.

Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.

3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper) (I used Silpat). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.

4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.

5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

Strudel Dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary. Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can. Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it’s about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled. (My dough only got as large as 2 feet by 1 1/2 feet, but it was tissue thin and worked out fine.)

This strudel was so delicious that it’s already gone. Well, half is in the freezer awaiting CCB’s next visit (because he said that if I didn’t save him some, he wasn’t taking me on our romantic trip to Stein Erickson Lodge at Deer Valley.) Lauren and I had a little bit of it, and the rest went to my sister Jen and my neighbor Naomi. Both of which now love me to pieces for sharing this delicious strudel with them. Jen had hers with a little vanilla bean ice cream, which I think made it even more delightful.

Don’t be intimidated by the dough stretching part. It really wasn’t as overwhelming as it sounds. And the end result was fabulous and well worth the effort!

The May Daring Cooks Challenge was hosted by Lisa of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice, who are the originators of the entire Daring Bakers phenomenon. They chose a Ricotta Gnocchi from Judy Rodgers’ The Zuni Cafe Cookbook.

The recipe seemed very straightforward, with the only technical difficulty coming in the formation of the gnocchi. But I remembered watching Lidia Bastianich’s technique for making gnocchi when I was watching PBS one Saturday morning, and I’ve always retained that little piece of insignificant knowledge hoping that it would come in handy someday. And here was my chance to put it to use!

Zuni Ricotta Gnocchi
Yield: Makes 40 to 48 gnocchi (serves 4 to 6)

Prep time: Step 1 will take 24 hours. Steps 2 through 4 will take approximately 1 hour.

Tips:
1. If you can find it, use fresh ricotta. As Judy Rodgers advises in her recipe, there is no substitute for fresh ricotta. It may be a bit more expensive, but it’s worth it.
2. Do not skip the draining step. Even if the fresh ricotta doesn’t look very wet, it is. Draining the ricotta will help your gnocchi tremendously.
3. When shaping your gnocchi, resist the urge to over handle them. It’s okay if they look a bit wrinkled or if they’re not perfectly smooth.
4. If you’re not freezing the gnocchi for later, cook them as soon as you can. If you let them sit around too long they may become a bit sticky.

Equipment required:
• Sieve
• Cheesecloth or paper towels
• Large mixing bowl
• Rubber spatula
• Tablespoon
• Baking dish or baking sheet
• Wax or parchment paper
• Small pot
• Large skillet
• Large pan or pot (very wide in diameter and at least 2 inches deep)

For the gnocchi:
1 pound (454 grams/16 ounces) fresh ricotta (2 cups)
2 large cold eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon (½ ounce) unsalted butter
2 or 3 fresh sage leaves, or a few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg, or a few pinches of chopped lemon zest (all optional)
½ ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about ¼ cup very lightly packed)
about ¼ teaspoon salt (a little more if using kosher salt)
all-purpose flour for forming the gnocchi

For the gnocchi sauce:
8 tablespoons (227 grams/1/4 pound/4 ounces) butter, sliced
2 teaspoons water

Step 1 (the day before you make the gnocchi): Preparing the ricotta. If the ricotta is too wet, your gnocchi will not form properly. In her cookbook, Judy Rodgers recommends checking the ricotta’s wetness. To test the ricotta, take a teaspoon or so and place it on a paper towel. If you notice a very large ring of dampness forming around the ricotta after a minute or so, then the ricotta is too wet. To remove some of the moisture, line a sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels and place the ricotta in the sieve. Cover it and let it drain for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can wrap the ricotta carefully in cheesecloth (2 layers) and suspend it in your refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours with a bowl underneath to catch the water that’s released. Either way, it’s recommended that you do this step the day before you plan on making the gnocchi.

Step 2 (the day you plan on eating the gnocchi): Making the gnocchi dough. To make great gnocchi, the ricotta has to be fairly smooth. Place the drained ricotta in a large bowl and mash it as best as you can with a rubber spatula or a large spoon (it’s best to use a utensil with some flexibility here). As you mash the ricotta, if you noticed that you can still see curds, then press the ricotta through a strainer to smooth it out as much as possible. Add the lightly beaten eggs to the mashed ricotta. Melt the tablespoon of butter. As it melts, add in the sage if you’re using it. If not, just melt the butter and add it to the ricotta mixture. Add in any flavoring that you’re using (i.e., nutmeg, lemon zest, etc.). If you’re not using any particular flavoring, that’s fine. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the salt. Beat all the ingredients together very well. You should end up with a soft and fluffy batter with no streaks (everything should be mixed in very well).

Step 3: Forming the gnocchi. Fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil. When it boils, salt the water generously and keep it at a simmer. You will use this water to test the first gnocchi that you make to ensure that it holds together and that your gnocchi batter isn’t too damp. In a large, shallow baking dish or on a sheet pan, make a bed of all-purpose flour that’s ½ an inch deep. With a spatula, scrape the ricotta mixture away from the sides of the bowl and form a large mass in the center of your bowl. Using a tablespoon, scoop up about 2 to 3 teaspoons of batter and then holding the spoon at an angle, use your finger tip to gently push the ball of dough from the spoon into the bed of flour. At this point you can either shake the dish or pan gently to ensure that the flour covers the gnocchi or use your fingers to very gently dust the gnocchi with flour. Gently pick up the gnocchi and cradle it in your hand rolling it to form it in an oval as best as you can, at no point should you squeeze it. What you’re looking for is an oval lump of sorts that’s dusted in flour and plump. Gently place your gnocchi in the simmering water. It will sink and then bob to the top. From the time that it bobs to the surface, you want to cook the gnocchi until it’s just firm. This could take 3 to 5 minutes. If your gnocchi begins to fall apart, this means that the ricotta cheese was probably still too wet. You can remedy this by beating a teaspoon of egg white into your gnocchi batter. If your gnocchi batter was fluffy but the sample comes out heavy, add a teaspoon of beaten egg to the batter and beat that in. Test a second gnocchi to ensure success. Form the rest of your gnocchi. You can put 4 to 6 gnocchi in the bed of flour at a time. But don’t overcrowd your bed of flour or you may damage your gnocchi as you coat them. Have a sheet pan ready to rest the formed gnocchi on. Line the sheet pan with wax or parchment paper and dust it with flour. You can cook the gnocchi right away, however, Judy Rodgers recommends storing them in the refrigerator for an hour prior to cooking to allow them to firm up.

Step 4: Cooking the gnocchi. Have a large skillet ready to go. Place the butter and water for the sauce in the skillet and set aside. In the largest pan or pot that you have (make sure it’s wide), bring at least 2 quarts of water to a boil (you can use as much as 3 quarts of water if your pot permits). You need a wide pot or pan so that your gnocchi won’t bump into each other and damage each other. Once the water is boiling, salt it generously. Drop the gnocchi into the water one by one. Once they float to the top, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes (as in the case with the test gnocchi). When the gnocchi float to the top, you can start your sauce while you wait for them to finish cooking. Place the skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Swirl it gently a few times as it melts. As soon as it melts and is incorporated with the water, turn off the heat. Your gnocchi should be cooked by now. With a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi from the boiling water and gently drop into the butter sauce. Carefully roll in the sauce until coated. Serve immediately.

Variations: For the gnocchi, you can flavor them however you wish. If you want to experiment by adding something to your gnocchi (i.e., caramelized onion, sundried tomato), feel free to do so. However, be forewarned, ricotta gnocchi are delicate and may not take well to elaborate additions.

Freezing the gnocchi: If you don’t want to cook your gnocchi right away or if you don’t want to cook all of them, you can make them and freeze them. Once they are formed and resting on the flour-dusted, lined tray, place them uncovered in the freezer. Leave them for several hours to freeze. Once frozen, place them in a plastic bag. Remove the air and seal the bag. Return to the freezer. To cook frozen gnocchi, remove them from the bag and place individually on a plate or on a tray. Place in the refrigerator to thaw completely. Cook as directed for fresh gnocchi.

Andi’s Gnocchi: I flavored my gnocchi batter with a little thyme and garlic. Because everything is better with a little garlic. When I formed the gnocchi, I rolled them off the tines of a fork like Lidia does, which made the traditional ridges.

While they chilled in the refrigerator, I caramelized some onions in a little bit of butter, then browned up some sausage and set it all aside. I made a traditional bechamel (white) sauce with milk and butter and melted a little Gorgonzola cheese in it. When the gnocchi were cooked, I added them to the Gorgonzola cream sauce instead of the butter sauce that the recipe called for, and gently tossed them with the caramelized onions and sausage. It was delicious, and even Lauren loved it! Not bad, considering all kids are supposed to hate blue cheese!

Awww, Daring Bakers… how did you KNOW that I was a cheesecake fiend??? I have been making cheesecakes for years, and have gotten it down to a science by now. I love the little tangy, creamy devils and I love to make them! In fact, there was even a time in my life when I had a little cheesecake business on the side. It was fun, all until that fateful Christmas when I had to make 25 white chocolate-peppermint cheesecakes in one week in my little home kitchen and that was enough for me. I hung up my shingle and vowed to only bake them for friends in the future.

So when I saw this challenge, I was stoked. I could surely come up with something insanely creative to tweak this recipe into a new realm. I could impress all the amazing Daring Bakers with my cheesecake expertise! Bwah hah hah haaaahhhhh!

And then I realized that I would be preparing said cheesecake in CCB’s tiny (read: apartment-sized) kitchen with his limited ingredients and tools. Like for instance, if I need fish sauce or saffron, Dude has it. But pure vanilla extract? Hah. Good luck finding that. Interestingly enough, he had a springform pan (I would never attempt to make a cheesecake without one), but didn’t have any sort of mixer. I guess because when you’re a guy, you can use a whisk to whip things into fluffy oblivion and it’s cool because you’re workin’ on the guns at the same time. But me? I’m a chick. I have zero upper body strength. I need a freakin’ KitchenAid, thankyouverymuch.

So I improvised with ingredients that CCB had in his kitchen. I used gingersnaps instead of graham crackers, Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur instead of vanilla and when it came time to mix it all up, I whipped that batter until my arm was about to fall off. And you know what? It was delightful! It was an insanely smooth, tangy and sweet cheesecake that made our eyes roll back in our head.

Best of all? It was E-A-S-Y. Give this one a try, and I think you’ll agree.

Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake

Crust:
2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs (I used crushed gingersnaps, but they don’t absorb the butter as well as graham crackers, so you need to use a little less melted butter)
1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted
2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract (I omitted this, of course, partially because I was using gingersnaps and partially because CCB had none)

Cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean) (again, I omitted this)
1 tbsp liqueur, optional, but choose what will work well with your cheesecake (I used 2 tbsp. of Bailey’s to make up for the vanilla and to give it a little extra flavor)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too – baker’s choice. (I like a thicker crust on the bottom, so I don’t press it up the sides.) Set crust aside. (I decided to prebake mine for about 5-7 minutes, just to make it a little less soggy.)

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy. (And this is where my right arm fell off!)

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water. (My trick for using a water bath is to wrap the bottom of the springform pan securely with foil, then add another layer of foil in the opposite direction. If you press it really firm, and then place it into the larger pan BEFORE you slowly pour in the water, it will be water-tight. Be careful when pouring the water, though, don’t let it slosh into your cheesecake or get higher than the foil!)

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done – this can be hard to judge, but you’re looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. (I like it to be set only on the outer 1/3 of the cake and still jiggly in the center 2/3. If you overbake it, it will also crack as it cools. Plus, you want it soft and creamy, not firm and tofu-like.) You don’t want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won’t crack on the top. (And if it cracks, so what? Spread some caramel on the top and no one will know!) After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Pan note: The creator of this recipe used to use a springform pan, but no matter how well she wrapped the thing in tin foil, water would always seep in and make the crust soggy. Now she uses one of those 1-use foil “casserole” shaped pans from the grocery store. They’re 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight. When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away.

Prep notes: While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost an hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served. Please plan accordingly!

Andi’s Caramel Topping

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy cream

These measurements are only a suggestion. When I make homemade caramel sauce, I just dump stuff in and mix it until it looks right. I start by putting some sugar in a saucepan and mixing enough water in it to dissolve all the sugar. I don’t particularly like it to be very watery, but it needs to be thinner than a paste. Stir the sugar water over medium-high heat until the sugar starts to bubble. At this point, stop stirring and just gently swirl the pan as the syrup turns golden brown. If crystals start to develop on the sides of the pan, you can dip a basting brush into water and swish them back down into the syrup. Once it starts to change color, it will brown rather quickly, so keep an eye on it. When it gets to be a nice deep caramel color, remove it from the heat. At this point, I put the pan in my sink because when you add the cream, it will sputter and splash a lot and I don’t like picking hardened caramel off my counter tops. Slowly pour in the cream (again, watch out so you don’t get burned!) and whisk vigorously as you incorporate the cream. If the caramel is too thick, you can add a little more… or less, if you want a thicker caramel. It all depends on your taste. When I finished the caramel, I stirred in some toasted, chopped pecans and spooned the caramel sauce on the slices of cheesecake. YUM!!!

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE’s blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

Now that the Daring Bakers auto-check thingy will find this post and give me credit, here we go:

This challenge was a flourless Chocolate Valentino cake and homemade vanilla ice cream. I chose Wendy’s recipe for the ice cream, which was insanely simple and in the end, quite delicious:

Wendy’s Ice Cream Recipe
Vanilla Philadelphia Style Recipe
Preparation Time: 5 minutes

2 cups (473 ml) of half and half (1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of whole, full fat milk)
1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream
2/3 (128 grams) cup sugar
Dash of salt
1 (12 grams) tablespoon of vanilla

Mix all ingredients together (we do this in a plastic pitcher and mix with an emulsifier hand blender-whisking works too). Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer. Mix in your ice cream maker as directed.

While the ice cream was resting in the freezer, I started to prepare the Valentino. Finally! A use for the heart-shaped insert that came with my springform pan!!

Chocolate Valentino
Preparation Time: 20 minutes

16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.

2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).

5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter.
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C.
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

I served the Valentino with the ice cream and a simple raspberry sauce that CCB made from raspberries, sugar and a touch of lemon juice. It was really very delicious.

So what did I learn from this challenge?

• While I LOVE Bittersweet chocolate, and was using my favorite Scharffen Berger chocolate for the recipe, it was a little too rich for me. The ice cream and the raspberry sauce helped cut the richness, but I think next time I would make it with half bittersweet and half semisweet, to lighten it up a bit.
• Homemade ice cream does not last long in my house and next time, I should make a double batch.
• Note to self: learn how to photograph food.  Sheesh.

This month’s challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux.  They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand.  Because I do not speak or read French, I’ll have to take Hilda and Marion at their word that this recipe came from that site.  LOL!

This isn’t the yule log that everyone automatically thinks of… the rolled cake with cream in the center. This is a layered frozen dessert, somewhat like an ice cream cake, but with mousse instead of ice cream. We were required to include all six components of the log: 1) a Dacquoise Biscuit (kind of like a macaroon), 2) Mousse, 3) Ganache Insert, 4) Praline (Crisp) Insert, 5) Creme Brulee Insert, and 6) Icing.

One of the things that overwhelmed me about this 18-PAGE RECIPE (aside from the sheer bulk of it) was that I didn’t know which component to prepare first. I literally had to read through the instructions about 10 times to figure out where to start, and even then, I made some mistakes. I should have started with the Creme Brulee insert because that took the longest, but somehow, I miscalculated the whole thing and spent a lot of wasted time waiting for my creme brulee to cool.

There were variations of each element and I decided to shy away from the chocolate ones if possible, because I felt like it would be too much chocolate with all of them together. Because the recipes are lengthy, I will only list here the versions of each element that I ended up making (with CCB’s help, because he’s a stand-up guy like that). If you are interested in the recipes for any of the variations, let me know and I’ll send them along to you.

Element #1 – Dacquoise Biscuit
We ground some whole almonds in my Magic Bullet (which worked PERFECTLY!) and the biscuit was so chewy and delicious that the girls ended up scarfing down the remnants after we pieced it into the log. It was so delicious, I can imagine myself making this in the future and just cutting it into squares to snack on.

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon almond meal
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 medium egg whites
4 tablespoons granulated sugar

Finely mix the almond meal and the confectioner’s sugar. (If you have a mixer, you can use it by pulsing the ingredients together for no longer than 30 seconds). Sift the flour into the mix. Beat the egg whites, gradually adding the granulated sugar until stiff. Pour the almond meal mixture into the egg whites and fold delicately with a spatula. Grease a piece of parchment paper (I used my SilPat) and line your baking pan with it. Spread the batter to an area slightly larger than your desired shape and to a height of 1/3″. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes (depends on your oven, and mine took longer), until golden. Let cool and cut to the desired shape. (Let your kids nibble on the scraps if you don’t devour them yourself).

Other Variations (all of which would be YUMMY, I’m sure!): Hazelnut, Chocolate, Lemon and Coconut

Element #2 – Vanilla Mousse

2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup whole milk (yes, this is not a figure-friendly mousse)
1 vanilla bean
4 medium-sized egg yolks
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin (or 2 sheets of gelatin, but I couldn’t find it in sheets)
1 cup whipping cream

Make a pastry cream: Pour the milk and 2/3 cup cream into a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean halves into milk and put the vanilla bean in as well. Heat to boiling then turn the heat off, cover and let infuse for at least 30 minutes. Then remove the vanilla bean. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until white, thick and fluffy. Add the cornstarch, beating carefully to ensure that there are no lumps. While whisking vigorously, pour some of the milk into the yolk mixture to temper it. Put infused milk back on the stove on medium heat. Pour yolk mixture back into the milk while whisking vigorously until mixture thickens considerably. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, leave on for only two more minutes. Remove from the heat, remove the vanilla bean, cover the pastry cream by putting plastic film directly on the surface of the cream (to prevent it from forming a thick skin as it cools), and let cool at room temperature. Soften the gelatin in cold water and melt in a small saucepan with 1 teaspoon of water (or melt in the microwave for 1 minute). Do not boil. Whisking vigorously, pour the cooled pastry cream over it. Whip the 1 cup of whipping cream until stiff and gradually add to the pastry cream (do not whisk). Blend delicately with a spatula (do not whisk).

Other Variations: Dark Chocolate Mousse, White Chocolate Mousse, Milk Chocolate Whipped Chantilly Cream, and Mango Mousse

Element #3 – Cinnamon-Milk Ganache Insert
I didn’t read the part where it recommended that I make the ganache just before using, so my ganache sat at room temperature for about an hour. And it was just fine! I was worried that I would have to reheat it to make it smooth again, but it stayed quite smooth and silky and was DELICIOUS. I will make this one again just to drizzle over fruit, cake, ice cream… ANYTHING. It was out of this world yummy!!

4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
A pinch of cinnamon
2.7 oz (75g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
3.2 oz (90g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
3 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened

Make a caramel: Using the dry method, melt the sugar by spreading it in an even layer in a small saucepan with high sides. Heat over medium-high heat, watching it carefully as the sugar begins to melt. Never stir the mixture. As the sugar starts to melt, swirl the pan occasionally to allow the sugar to melt evenly. Cook to dark amber color. Heat the cream with the cinnamon (use the quantity of cinnamon you want to infuse the cream, a pinch is the smallest amount suggested) until boiling. Pour cream into the caramel and stir thoroughly. Be very careful as it may splatter and boil. Pour the hot caramel-milk mixture over the milk and dark chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Add the softened butter and whip hard and fast (if you have a plunging mixer use it). The chocolate should be smooth and shiny.

Other Variations: Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate and Dark-Milk Ganache

Element #4 – Coconut Crisp Insert
Because I didn’t want to have the extra step of making my own praline, and because I thought the coconut would go nicely with the rest of the elements, I chose this variation.

3 1/2 ounces white chocolate
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1 2/3 tablespoon unsalted butter
2.1 ounces rice krispies

Spread the coconut on a baking tray and bake for 5-10 minutes at 375 degrees to toast (a different temperature might work better for you with your own oven). Melt the white chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Stir until smooth and add the toasted coconut. Add the rice krispies. Mix quickly to thoroughly coat with the chocolate. Spread between two sheets of wax paper to a size slightly larger than your desired shape. Refrigerate until hard.

Other Variations: Praline Feuillete, Chocolate Crisp

Element #5 – Vanilla Creme Brulee Insert

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
4 medium-sized egg yolks
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean

Heat the milk, cream and scraped vanilla bean to just boiling. Remove from the stove and let the vanilla infuse for about 1 hour. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks (but do not beat until white). Pour the vanilla-infused milk over the sugar/yolk mixture. Mix well. Wipe with a very wet cloth and then cover your baking mold (I used a loaf pan that was slightly smaller than the loaf pan I was using to make the log) with parchment paper. Pour the cream into the mold, put the mold in a water bath, and bake at 210 degrees for about 1 hour or until firm on the edges and slightly wobbly in the center. (I am familiar with the “wobbly center” look, as I make a lot of custards, creme brulees and cheesecakes, so I didn’t overbake the creme brulee, but it still took me at least another 30 minutes beyond what the recipe stated to get the brulee to a finish point). Let cool to room temperature and put in the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm up and facilitate the final assembly. (I had to rush this step as I was running out of time… again, should have read the directions more carefully… so it was a little tricky getting the brulee into the mold. It ended up breaking up and I had to place it in the mold in pieces. I don’t think it affected the final result at all… it really just annoyed me more than anything).

Other Variations: Chocolate Creme Brulee

Element #6 – White Chocolate Icing

1/2 tablespoon powdered gelatin
3 1/2 ounces white chocolate
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1 2/3 tablespoons corn syrup

Soften the gelatin in cold water for 15 minutes. Coarsely chop the chocolate and butter together. bring the milk and corn syrup to a boil. Add the gelatin. Pour the mixture over the chocolate and butter. Whisk until smooth. Let cool while checking the texture regularly. As soon as the mixture is smooth and coats a spoon well (it is starting to gelify), use immediately. (This is where I really screwed up: The icing was taking forever to thicken correctly, so I put it in the refrigerator for about 2 minutes to help it gel. BIG MISTAKE. The end result was one gelatinous mess, and nothing I tried seemed to get it back to a spreading consistency. I didn’t have any more chocolate (or time), so I ended up throwing it out and not putting it on the log. And you know what? I think the log was fine without it).

Other Variations: Dark Chocolate Icing, Milk Chocolate Icing

Assembly

I used a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap (to make it easier to remove the log) and it worked just fine.

1. Pipe 1/3 of the mousse into the mold and smooth surface (the more even it is, the prettier the log will be when you slice it).
2. Take the Creme Brulee insert out of the freezer at the last minute and set it on top of the mousse. Press down gently to slightly ensconce it in the mousse.
3. Pipe another 1/3 of the mousse component around and on top of the Creme Brulee. Smooth the surface.
4. Cut the Crisp Insert to a size slightly smaller than your mold so that it can be surrounded by mousse. Lay it on top of the mousse you just piped into the mold.
5. Pipe the last 1/3 of the mousse on top of the Crisp Insert.
6. Freeze for a few hours to set (I also didn’t read this part, and my ganache was already ready to go, so I skipped it. I think the end result was fine).
7. Remove the log from the freezer and pipe the ganache onto the frozen mousse, leaving a slight edge so that ganache doesn’t seep out when you set the Dacquoise on top.
8. Close with the Dacquoise.
9. Freeze until the next day (I froze it for about 2 hours and then we couldn’t wait any longer!!)
10. Unmold the log onto a wire rack over a shallow pan.
11. Cover with icing and let set.
12. Return to the freezer until ready to decorate/serve.

I served this at our family Christmas party a few days before Christmas and got RAVE reviews from everyone there, even though it wasn’t the prettiest thing I’ve ever made. It wasn’t overly sweet, and I loved the combination of flavors that I chose. When I make this again (which I probably will), I will know what order to make the elements in, and I will give them plenty of time to set up so the end result shows neater layers. I’ll actually get the icing on, and will have a chance to decorate it. In fact, I’m thinking of making this again for Lauren’s birthday (she loves ice cream cakes and would FREAK over this). If I do, I will flavor the creme brulee with lavender and use edible violets to decorate it. Wouldn’t that be just lovely for a little girl??

This challenge should have been posted yesterday, but circumstances prevented me from getting to the computer. As a result, I’ve not only missed the Daring Bakers deadline, but (gasp!) totally blew the whole NaBloPoMo thing. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am about this. To screw up the daily posting thing with ONLY ONE DAY TO GO is paramount to arriving at the Taj Mahal only to discover that you forgot your camera. Doh!!

So this month’s challenge was a Caramel Cake with a Caramelized Butter Frosting. Oh, mama!! Sounds delicious, no? The recipe is courtesy of Shuna Fish Lydon and was brought to the Daring Bakers forum by this month’s gracious hosts, Dolores of Culinary Curiosity, Alex (aka Brownie) of Blondie and Brownie, and Jenny of Foray Into Food. They were also assisted by Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go who provided gluten-free alternatives for the recipe.  One of my favorite flavors in the WORLD is caramel, so I was quite excited to make this recipe.  I decided that I would make the cake yesterday because we were having dinner with CCB’s parents last night, and I thought it would be lovely for us to bring dessert.  CCB’s dad is quite an accomplished cook and his mom is a skilled baker, so I decided that sharing the cake with them would be the true test of the recipe.

The first step was in making the caramel syrup.  Although I have read about this process many times, I had never performed it myself.  It was a little daunting, to be sure.  Keep in mind that I was about to serve this cake to MY FUTURE IN-LAWS.  It had to be perfect.  And I felt less than confident in my ability to make it perfect.  I followed the recipe to the letter, making sure to let the syrup caramelize to a “dark amber” color.  In my opinion, dark amber is the color of pure maple syrup, and the caramel syrup that resulted from taking it to this deep color was a tiny bit burnt.  I think I would have stopped at light amber, and if I ever make the cake again, that’s what I would do.  The syrup wasn’t as strong when mixed into the batter or the frosting, but it was just a tiny bit overcooked, I thought.  Here is the recipe for the caramel syrup:

CARAMEL SYRUP

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water (for “stopping” the caramelization process)

In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber. When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back. Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}  Note: For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.

Once I had prepared the caramel syrup and allowed it to cool, I began to mix up the cake batter.  It was then that I discovered that Tyler didn’t have a mixer of any sort, not even a hand mixer.  It was going to be a workout, because I was going to have to mix the whole thing by hand.  I really think a power mixer of some sort is crucial to the success of this recipe.  I don’t believe that I was able to cream the butter and sugar until it was “light and fluffy” and that may have led to the unfortunately dense cake that resulted.  The recipe for the Caramel cake:

CARAMEL CAKE

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup
2 eggs, at room temperature
splash vanilla extract
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.  Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.  Sift flour and baking powder.  Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}  Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.  Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it.  Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.

I baked the cake for the first 30 minutes, and then because I didn’t know how Tyler’s oven would bake, I only set the timer for an additional 10 minutes after I rotated the pan.  When I pulled it out, it was very brown and firm… completely overbaked.  So be sure to watch the times carefully.  I was able to salvage the cake by brushing some of the cooled caramel syrup over it while it was still warm.  The syrup soaked into the cake and made it softer and much more the texture I had hoped for.

After the cake had cooled, I prepared the Caramelized Butter Frosting.  Once again, I was faced with a technique that I had read a lot about but had never actually done… browned butter.  It was actually quite easy, except for the fact that I obsessively watched the butter, certain that it was getting too dark.  Tyler reminded me of a quote he heard once.  I can’t be certain, but I think it was Mario Batali who said that the reason restaurant food tastes different from what the home cook makes is because home cooks are afraid to let things cook long enough.  They stop short of really developing the deeper flavors in a dish because they are afraid of burning it.  With that in mind, I let the butter go to a nice nutty brown, and it made a delicious icing as a result.  I wish there had been a frosting with a little less sugar.  One pound of confectioners’ sugar for a one-layer cake is much too sugary, in my opinion.  The recipe for the Caramelized Butter Frosting is here:

CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING

12 tablespoons unsalted butter 
1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup
Kosher or sea salt to taste

Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.  Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.  In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner’s sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner’s sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.  Note: Caramelized butter frosting will keep in fridge for up to a month. To smooth out from cold, microwave a bit, then mix with paddle attachment until smooth and light.

The end result? The cake was too dense, a little too firm, and too sweet. The frosting was almost inedible, it was so sweet. I did top the cake with slices of apple that were sliced thin on the mandoline and dredged in lemon juice to prevent browning. The tartness of the apple did cut the sweetness of the cake and icing somewhat, but it still was very much too sweet. The adults at the meal ate a tiny amount of the cake, enough to appear gracious, really. The girls licked the sugary-sweet frosting off the cake and were in diabetic comas by the end of the evening. And I somehow survived (and actually enjoyed!) a dinner with Tyler’s family.

When we finally returned home and got the girls to bed, I was so exhausted that I could barely keep my eyes open.  Perhaps it was the fact that I had spent the past two days cooking almost non-stop (between the Thanksgiving dinner I prepared on Friday and the cake on Saturday), or perhaps it was an emotional release after being so nervous about the dinner with Tyler’s family.  The night ended up far more lovely and cheerful than we had both anticipated, and as a result, I think my exhaustion was the equivalent of a huge psychological “PHEW!!!”  Needless to say, when the girls finally got into bed, Tyler and I collapsed as well.  It wasn’t until this morning that I remembered that I hadn’t posted.  I hope the lovely ladies at the Daring Bakers will forgive my lapse and will include me in next month’s blogroll.  And as for NaBloPoMo, there’s still the prize for the losers, right??

My Grace for today:

1.  Unconditional love.  No matter how undeserving you feel.

2.  The power of forgiveness and healing.

3.  The security that comes with trust and respect.

4.  Cooking in the kitchen with the man that I love.

5.  Good food, good company and laughter around the dinner table.

When I was younger, I always got in trouble in school because I refused to read the directions before starting an assignment. I still have that problem, although it rarely comes back to bite me in the ass. So imagine my surprise when I began to make the pizza dough and discovered that you’re supposed to “rest” the dough in the refrigerator overnight. I had six hours before I needed to serve it. Great! I decided to refrigerate it for as long as I could and see how it turned out. Four hours later, I pulled the dough out to let it rest at room temperature for two hours, and you know what? It turned out just fine. The dough was tasty and soft… probably the best pizza dough I’ve ever tasted. Too bad it took so damn long to make.

RECIPE:
Basic Pizza Dough
Taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.
Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9 1/2 inches / 23-30 cm in diameter)

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups Unbleached high-gluten bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled (I used bread flour and I did not chill it.  It turned out fine).
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil, optional (I used olive oil)
1 3/4 cups water, ice cold (I needed almost 2 cups total)
1 tablespoon sugar
Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting (I used a well-seasoned pizza stone, so I didn’t need or use this).

DAY ONE
Method:
1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry, add 1-2 teaspoons extra water (I needed almost 1/4 cup more).
Note: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. The finished dough should be springy, elastic and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50-55 degrees F, 10-13 degrees C.

3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.

4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or large if you want to make larger pizzas.)

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil (I used Pam).  Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or up to three days. (This is the part that I missed!)
Note: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil (a few tablespoons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2″ thick and 5″ in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and allow to rest 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500 degrees F).  (I just couldn’t bring myself to cook anything at this heat. I set my oven at 450 degrees, and they turned out great).

10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.

Note: Make only one pizza at a time (yeah, like I could toss three pizzas in the air at once!) You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.

11. When the dough has the shape you want, place it on the back of the jelly pan (again, I used a well-seasoned pizza stone).

12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

Our savory pizzas had a tomato sauce base. Tyler’s pizza had chicken sausage, bacon, green olives, kalamata olives, roasted red pepper, feta cheese and mozzarella cheese. Lauren’s pizza had bacon and mozzarella. Hey, she’s a picky kid, what can I say? I had everything that Tyler had except the feta… I love it, but wasn’t too keen about having it on a pizza.

Our dessert pizzas had a Nutella base. Tyler topped his with chocolate chips, coconut, chopped walnuts, and craisins. Lauren had chocolate chips and coconut. I had chocolate chips, coconut, chopped walnuts and a drizzle of butterscotch ice cream topping.

13. Slice the pizza in the oven and bake for about 5-8 minutes (at the temperature I used, 450 degrees, it took almost exactly 10 minutes).

All in all, the work was worth the effort.  The crust was quite simply the most amazing crust I’ve ever had.  The pizzas were really too large for one person, in my opinion, so I think Lauren and I could split a pizza between the two of us, which would mean that the recipe would make enough for 6 separate dinners for us.  Maybe I’ll try it again and freeze the dough so we can have pizzas whenever we want.  They certainly are a hit with Lauren!

I followed the Non-Gluten Free version of this recipe because we have no celiacs in this house and I sprinkled the top of the crackers with kosher salt and toasted sesame seeds.  They are not kidding in the recipe when they say the key to a crisp cracker is to roll it paper-thin.  I mean, you should be able to see the countertop through your dough.  I was not consistent in rolling mine out to the same thickness, so half of my crackers turned out crisp and the others more like a flatbread.  Which is fine, they still taste amazing!

For the accompanying vegan/gluten-free dip, I made a batch of hummus from a recipe given to me by a Middle Eastern physician at my hospital.  While I am certain he would love the credit for the recipe, he would far prefer his anonymity, so I won’t credit him publicly.  But it is authentic and quite delicious.  Because my food processor was dirty from shredding a block of cheese, and because I didn’t want to haul my blender out from the cupboard, I made the hummus in my Magic Bullet.  I had to do it in stages due to the volume of the chickpeas, but it worked great.  If you haven’t gone out and bought one of these miracle machines, what are you waiting for?  It’s better than my expensive blender!

Lavash Crackers

Recipe Reference:  The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread, by Peter Reinhart. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA.  Copyright 2001.  ISBN-10: 1-58008-268-8, ISBN-13: 978-158008-268-6.

Here’s a simple formula for making snappy Armenian-style crackers, perfect for breadbaskets, company and kids…It is similar to the many other Middle Eastern and Northern African flatbreads known by different names, such as mankoush or mannaeesh (Lebanese), barbari (Iranian), khoubiz or khobz (Arabian), aiysh (Egyptian), kesret and mella (Tunisian), pide or pita (Turkish), and pideh (Armenian).  The main difference between these breads is either how thick or thin the dough is rolled out, or the type of oven in which they are baked (or on which they are baked, as many of these breads are cooked on stones or red-hot pans with a convex surface.)

The key to a crisp lavash is to roll out the dough paper-thin.  The sheet can be cut into crackers in advance or snapped into shards after baking.  The shards make a nice presentation when arranged in baskets.

Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers

* 1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)
* 1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt
* 1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast
* 1 Tb (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar
* 1 Tb (.5 oz) vegetable oil
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature
* Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

1.  In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball.  You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2.  For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough:  Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter.  Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed.  The dough should pass the windowpane test (see http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-if-Bre … ong-Enough for a discription of this) and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled.  Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

or

2.  For Gluten Free Cracker Dough:  The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4.  For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough:  Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter.  Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour.  Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches.  You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax.  At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down.  Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes.  When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes.  Line a sheet pan with baking parchment.  Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment.  If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

or

4.  For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper.  Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment.  Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches.  Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper.  Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf.  Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.)  Be careful with spices and salt – a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough.  You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking.  If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

5.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

6.  When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.  You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

Hummus

    1 cup garbanzo beans (boiled, or from a can)                   
    2 cloves garlic, crushed with a splash of salt                 
    1/2 teaspoon salt                                              
    1/4 cup lemon juice                                            
    2 tablespoons sesame Tahini                                    
    1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped                
    Dash of cumin                                                  
    Olive oil                                                      

Strain beans and crush in blender (set aside 1 tablespoon whole beans for garnish).  Mix crushed garlic, salt, and lemon juice slowly with Tahini until completely absorbed.  Add to crushed beans and mix well.  Adjust taste and consistency by using more or less lemon juice.  Add additional salt as desired.  Pour mixture in serving bowl and garnish with parsley, cumin and whole garbanzo beans.  Sprinkle lightly with olive oil.  Serve cold.