Bountiful Ice-cream.

It’s Halloween Week! (yes, week) so we’ve got the perfect pumpkin recipe from the scarily beautiful Bountiful…

ROASTED-PUMPKIN ICE CREAM

MAKES ABOUT 1½ QUARTS (1.5 L)

It seems as if just a few years ago it was almost impossible to find pie pumpkins, even in October, but now we are seeing them everywhere. Yay! Roasting a pumpkin for puree is one of the most minimal-effort-for-maximum-gain-over-store-bought things you can do in the kitchen. Make sure to use pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins, not the jack-o’-lantern behemoths—those big boys don’t have the best taste or texture. If you are roasting a large heirloom pumpkin, cutting it in half and roasting it on an oiled sheet pan, cut side down, will shorten the cooking time.

INGREDIENTS

1 small pie pumpkin (makes about 2 cups / 480ml puree)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¹⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ cup (55g) packed brown sugar

1 quart (1L) of store-bought vanilla ice cream

(see Note)

NOTE: There is a long way and a short way to make this ice cream. Go crazy and make your own vanilla rum ice cream, stirring the puree and spices into the ice cream just after you finish churning. Or for the short version, let a container of your favourite vanilla ice cream soften up, then stir in the pumpkin and spices.

DIRECTIONS

1 Turn the oven to 375°F (190°C); you do not need to preheat.

2 Place the pumpkin on a sheet pan and roast for about 1 hour, until it feels soft when you press its sides. Remove it from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

3 Split the pumpkin open and remove all the seeds and stringy bits, then scrape out the flesh. Puree the flesh in a blender or food processor until smooth.

4 Stir the vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and brown sugar into the puree.

5 Allow the ice cream to soften and stir in the puree. You may either serve the soft ice cream immediately or allow it to harden up in the freezer before serving.

We’re spooked by how much we’re drooling over this right now!

Image © 2013 Todd Porter and Diane Cu

Bountiful, 9781617690488, STC, October ‘13, £21.99

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SPINSTER SISTERS’ KALE SALAD Recipe

 

An ode to a life warmly lived, The Bread Exchange tells the story of one woman’s hunger for greater meaning in her life and how it has been enriched by the sharing of her handmade bread. From her cosy kitchen in Berlin to a flat in London, from a deck in New York City to huddling around a tandoor in Kabul, the author shares discoveries, stories and recipes from her inspiring travels. A busy fashion-industry professional with a bread-baking obsession, Malin Elmlid started offering her loaves to others in return for recipes, handmade goods and, above all, special experiences that come from giving generously of yourself. Here is a book of tales and reflections, of wanderlust connections and more than 50 recipes for Malin’s naturally leavened breads and other delicious things collected on a journey honouring the staff and the stuff of life.

SPINSTER SISTERS’ KALE SALAD

Contributed by Liza Hinman, SERVES 4

After three days in the United States. I saw a common thread connecting every menu in every restaurant I visited. It was called kale. I had never heard of it at home.

I ate my way through the spectrum: kale salad (sometimes raw and sometimes “massaged” with salt to tenderise it), kale smoothies, kale chips, kale granola, kale soup, and kale brownies. And, of course, I baked my first kale bread. In Santa Rosa, I asked talented Liza Hinman from Spinster Sisters restaurant to teach me how to make her warm kale salad, which I served with my Beer and Dried Apricot bread.

2 slices white sourdough bread

6 Tbsp/90 ml olive oil

Sea salt

5 slices Delicata or butternut squash

1 shallot, finely diced

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

6 Tbsp/90 ml extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

5 oz/150 g Tuscan kale, torn into bite-size pieces

5 oz/150 g baby kale, torn into bite-size pieces

1 slice bacon, cooked and crumbled

½ Sierra Beauty or other crisp, tart apple, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp Roquefort cheese

Preheat the oven to 500°F/260°C. Make croutons by tearing the bread into pieces. (I like my croutons to be fairly large and so I break them into 1-by-1-in/2.5-by-2.5-cm pieces.) Place the bread in a bowl, sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil, and toss with salt. Spread the pieces out over a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes.

Toss the squash slices in 2 Tbsp olive oil to coat, sprinkle with salt, and place on a second baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, make a dressing by combining the shallot and vinegar and let steep for about 10 minutes. Whisk in the mustard and then gradually add the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large nonstick sauté pan or skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Turn the heat to low and add half of each kind of kale. Cook, tossing the kale until it is slightly warm but not wilted. Transfer the kale to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining kale and 1 Tbsp olive oil.

Add the croutons, squash, crumbled bacon, apple, and Roquefort to the kale. Toss to mix. Add the dressing, toss to coat, and serve.

http://www.abramsandchronicle.co.uk/books/food-and-drink/9781452119625-bread-exchange-the

Image © Malin Elmlid

Flourless Double Chocolate Brownies!

Delicious doesn’t always need gluten…

Why not try these Double Chocolate Brownies from Flourless…

Makes about 16 Brownies

Because these brownies lack flour, they are more gooey than a traditional brownie, but I like them for that. It’s best to let the brownies rest for a few hours after baking – even overnight – as the longer they sit, the firmer they become. The finished product is fudgy and smooth from the melted chocolate. Cut the brownies into small portions as they are very rich.

5 oz/140 g semisweet chocolate

½ cup/155 g unsalted butter

1¼ cups/250 g packed light or dark brown sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup/50 g unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ tsp salt

1½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line an 8-by-8-in/20-by-20-cm square pan with aluminum foil, then lightly grease the foil with vegetable oil.

In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl; add the brown sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla. Stir well to combine. Spread the batter in the pan, smooth with a rub-

ber spatula. Bake until the brownies are dry on top and almost firm to the touch, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 1 hour. Gently lift the foil out from the pan after cooling to remove the brownies. Place on a cutting board and refrigerate for up to 1 hour to fully set the brownies. Remove from the fridge and, using a serrated knife, cut into 16 brownies. Serve at room temperature.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Flourless by Nicole Spiridakis and John Lee (Page 104)

Image © 2014 by John Lee

The Everyday Art of Gluten Free – Pizza Recipe

Why not try something new for dinner tonight?

GO GLUTEN FREE with this New York Style Pizza from Karen Morgan’s new book The Everyday Art of Gluten Free

Makes two 12-inch (30.5-cm) pizzas

For Bread and Pizza Blend (Makes 6 ½ cups):

2½ plus 1½ teaspoons (282 g) sorghum flour

1⅓ cups plus 1 teaspoon (156 g) glutinous rice flour

½ cup plus ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (100 g) tapioca starch

⅔ cup (60 g) gluten-free oat flour

¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons (50 g) potato starch

8 teaspoon (24 g) guar gum

2 tablespoons (20 g) meringue powder

For the Dough:

3 ½ Cups of Bread & Pizza Blend

3 teaspoons gluten-free active dry yeast

2½ tablespoons olive oil

2 large eggs

2¼ teaspoons kosher salt

Butter, for greasing

Glutinous rice flour, for dusting

Toppings:

2 cups (480 ml) Oven-Roasted Grape-Tomato Sauce (page 114)

Dried thyme

2 cups (200 g) freshly grated

Parmesan

3 cups (360 g) grated or sliced mozzarella

This is thin-crust pizza, with a fat, puffy edge that gets nice big fat bubbles that brown beautifully, especially in wood-burning stoves. Layering mozzarella on top of thyme-sprinkled Parmesan makes a significant contribution to the pizza’s flavour and gives it that New York pizza pop. Luckily, with a few adjustments, you can also use this dough to make Neapolitan-style pies. See variations for more ideas.

Make the bread and pizza blend:

Using the spoon-and-sweep method, measure each ingredient into a large bowl. Whisk together and then sift the mixture into a separate large bowl. Repeat several times.

Make the dough:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the Bread & Pizza Blend and the yeast. With the mixer running, add 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons (285 ml) lukewarm water, the oil, and the eggs. Beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the salt and continue mixing the dough on medium-high speed for 3 minutes more, or until it is very thick.

Liberally butter a large bowl. Set the dough in the bowl, turn it to coat the surface with butter, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight.

Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a pizza stone or baking sheet; set it aside. Set the pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven to heat.

Liberally dust your work surface with Bread & Pizza Blend. Divide the chilled dough in half. Roll half of the dough in the blend until it is no longer sticky and shape it into a ball. Dust the prepared parchment paper with glutinous rice flour and gently press the dough into a 12-inch (30.5-cm) round on top of the parchment, making it as thin as you can but leaving a thicker edge. Carefully transfer the dough to the pizza stone (I like to slide the parchment onto the back of a baking sheet, then slide the pizza from the sheet to the pizza stone) or the preheated baking sheet. Bake it for 15 to 20 minutes, until it is browned around the edges and air bubbles are forming.

Remove the crust from the oven and top it with about ½ cup (120 ml) of the Grape-Tomato Sauce. Dust it with a few pinches of thyme. Sprinkle it evenly with 1 cup (100 g) of the Parmesan, followed by 1½ cups (180 g) of the mozzarella.

Bake it until the cheese has melted, 5 to 7 minutes. Cut and serve the pizza immediately. Repeat baking and topping the remaining dough round.

And enjoy!

Image © 2014 Knoxy Knox

National Lemon Meringue Pie Day!

Today is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day! So we thought you deserved a delicious recipe from Allison Kave’s First Prize Pies.

Notes for use; bake, sample & then TRY to share with friends & family…

Lemon Meringue Pie

My version of a diner staple: This tart, sweet, creamy, dramatic looking pie improves on the original by combining the bright citrus of lemons and limes (freshly juiced, of course) with a sky-high meringue that you can’t wait to stick your fork into.

Makes one 9-inch (23-cm) pie

Classic Pie Crust

3⁄4 cup (11⁄2 sticks/170 g) unsalted European-style cultured butter
1⁄4 cup (55 g) rendered leaf lard OR additional butter
1⁄2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or any light-coloured, mild vinegar)
12 ounces (340 g/ approximately 3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour (chilled)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
11⁄2 teaspoons salt

Filling

4 large eggs
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1⁄2 cup (120 ml) sour cream
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lime
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup (120 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
1⁄2 cup (120 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 4 limes)

Topping

4 large egg whites, chilled
1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄3 cup (65 g) superfine sugar

For the Classic crust, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Prepare the butter and lard, if using. Cut the butter into ½-inch (12-mm) cubes (a bench scraper is perfect for this, but a sharp knife works well too), and cut the lard into small pieces. Return them to the fridge or freezer to cool. In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk and vinegar. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to use. On a clean flat surface or in a large shallow bowl, toss the flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt together lightly to blend. Add the butter and lard (if using) to the dry ingredients and, cut the fat into the flour with speed and patience, until the fat has been reduced to small pea-sized chunks. Try to use a straight up-and-down motion, avoiding twisting your wrists, as the more you press on the flour the more tough gluten will develop in the dough. Avoid using your fingers, as the heat from your hands will melt the fat and further encourage gluten development. Unlike with pasta or bread, gluten is the enemy of pie dough, so be gentle, and be quick!

Once your fat has been cut down to size, spread your mixture out gently to expose as much surface area as possible. Gently drizzle about half of your milk mixture over the flour, trying to cover as wide an area as you can. Using bench scrapers or a large spoon, toss the flour over the liquid (don’t stir; just lightly toss), spread everything out again, and repeat the process with the second half of the liquid.

Roll out the dough into a circle about 11 inches (28 cm) in diameter. Transfer it to a 9-inch (23-cm) tart pan or pie plate, tuck the overhang under, and crimp decoratively. Blind-bake the crust until partially baked (see page 35); set it aside to cool. Lower the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Chill the crust in the freezer or fridge. Bake it for 10 minutes, and then let it cool completely. Leave the oven on.

Make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, sour cream, zests, and salt until fully blended. Slowly pour in the juices while whisking constantly, until they are fully incorporated.

Put the pie crust on a baking sheet. Pour the filling into the crust and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling has just set and is still slightly wobbly in the centre. Remove the pie to a wire rack.

Make the topping: While the pie is baking, in a dry, sparkling clean bowl, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form (this is easiest in a stand mixer). Slowly pour in the sugar and continue to whip until glossy, stiff peaks form. Pile or pipe the meringue onto the hot pie surface, and make sure it covers the entire filling, reaching all the way to the crust. Use a kitchen torch to toast the peaks and edges of the meringue. If you do not have a torch (get one; they’re the best!), you can use the broiler to toast the meringue (see page 132). Just keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn, and don’t let it go for too long. Serve immediately.

Photograph © 2014 Tina Rupp

National Chocolate Chip day!

Today is National Chocolate Chip day!

We thought the BEST way to celebrate this was with some delicious, soft chocolate chip cookies from the Chocolate Chip Cookie’s book from chroniclebooks!

SOFT

Bread flour, with its high gluten content, gives the cookie its soft bite, and an extra egg yolk helps bind the dough. It has a high percentage of brown sugar to white sugar, resulting in a deeper, more caramelized flavour.

Makes about 27 cookies

1¼ cups/155 g unbleached bread flour

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ cup/115 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

¼ cup/50 g granulated sugar

¾ cup plus 1 tbsp/160 g packed dark brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

¾ cup/125 g semisweet chocolate chips

¾ cup/85 g chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4. Adjust the racks so they divide the oven into thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until smooth and well blended, about 1 minute. Add the egg and mix until completely combined. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix until completely combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined, scraping the bowl if necessary to incorporate the dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips and nuts (if using) and mix on low speed until evenly distributed. The dough should be smooth, dense, and somewhat pliable. (This dough benefits from resting in the fridge, covered, for 12 to 24 hours before baking.)

Using a small ice-cream scoop or tablespoon measure, drop well-rounded balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 in/5 cm apart. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time, just until the edges turn golden.

When cool enough to handle, transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the cookies will keep for 2 to 3 days.

Photographs copyright © 2013 by Antonis Achilleos

Abrams&Chronicle Books top tips for being a proper lush.

Is Riesling the ‘Best White Wine on Earth’?

Personally, we like a good box of Pinot Grigio, but we’re not fussy.

Wine’s wine, right?

Well, no. It’s all in the way you drink it. Allegedly.

So, without further ado, here are Abrams&Chronicle Books top tips for being a proper lush.

1. Never, ever leave wine behind. 

This applies to all situations. Including, not showing up at a dinner party empty handed and not leaving that final sip in the glass when the barman is shouting at you to leave the bar at 3am.

2. Always taste before you commit to a bottle.

Sure, you don’t know what you’re doing but, who are you to turn down free wine?

3. The vessel is everything.

Stuart Pigott says that the right glass will free up the aromas and make your wine all the more pleasing.

Your perfect glass is your call.

Just don’t drink it from a mug. Be better than that.

4. Match your choice of wine to your meal.

White with fish. Red with beef. Rosé over a bag of pub crisps.

5. Don’t drink the house.

It’s generally terrible. Don’t go mad though, next on the list will do the job.

This also applies to not drinking every drop of wine you have in your house. You are not Bridget Jones.

6. It’s all psychological.

Stuart believes that if you think a wine is expensive you’re more likely to think it tastes better. Luckily, lying to yourself becomes really easy when wine is involved eg. “Yes, we absolutely need another bottle”

He also tells us that Riesling has the smallest mark-up in price, and thus, we have been converted.

Help us, we’re poor but we love wine.

Bottoms up!

Best White Wine on Earth, 9781617691102, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, £15.99, July 2014

Pancake Day Treats!

For those wanting to try something more than lemon & sugar today (classic as it is!) Try our The Ultimate “Puffy” Pancakes from Yvette Van Boven’s Home Made Summer!

The Ultimate “Puffy” Pancakes

FOR A BIG PILE OF 20 PANCAKES

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp (20 g) baking powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp (1 envelope) vanilla sugar, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 7 tbsp (100 g) butter, cut into chunks, plus more for the pan
• 1½ cups (350 ml) milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten

FOR SERVING

• ½ pint (200 g) raspberries
• ¾ cup (200 g) crème fraîche
• superfine sugar for garnish

In a big bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and the plain and vanilla sugar (if using extract, add it later). Combine the butter and milk in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the vanilla extract, if using.

Pour the warm milk-butter mixture into the flour mixture in the bowl while stirring, then whisk until all the lumps are dissolved.

Beat in the eggs.

Heat 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium heat and pour three ladlefuls of batter into the pan, slightly apart so you have three small pancakes.

Cook for about 3 minutes, or until small holes break out on the surface, then flip and cook them for 2 minutes on the other side. Repeat with more butter and the remaining batter. Keep the cooked pancakes warm on a plate covered with foil in a low oven while you cook the rest.

Serve with raspberries, crème fraîche, and a sprinkle of super­fine sugar.