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Monday, February 22, 2016

The Best Biscuits...Ever....Seriously.

I've got to say that I like a good biscuit, but admittedly I have never liked the biscuits that I make.  Regretfully, I prefer Hardees over any biscuit I have ever made...until...the Best Biscuits Ever. 

Let me give you some background.  As you probably have figured out, I like baking.  Something about chemistry and food makes my heart beat fast.  Biscuits are about chemistry.  I never knew that...and it is precisely the reason why my biscuits were no good.  Enter Peter Reinhart.  He is probably one of the best bakers in the world.  He happens to also a pretty good teacher.  His book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice, is probably one of the best books that explains how bread works.  I was fascinated and challenged to take my baking to the next level.  Then, I found out that he wrote American Pie- My Search for the Perfect Pizza, and there was no turning back.  Peter taught me more about the intricacies of pizza making and set my brain on fire.

Ok...back to biscuits.  Biscuits fall into the quick bread category, which means that they do not use yeast as their leavening agent.  However, when I heard the term quick bread I thought that it meant that I was supposed to be able to make it quickly.  As a result, I have tried making quick biscuits from many sources...Better Homes Cookbook, Southern Biscuit mix, Bisquick.  So, when I saw that Peter Reinhart wrote a book called Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day, where he has a recipe called "The Best Biscuits Ever" it was clear that I needed to pay attention.  This was the answer...I just knew it.  Indeed, it was....I think you will agree.

The Chemistry- Biscuits have a chemical reaction between the acids (buttermilk, vinegar, lemon juice or cream of tartar) and the leavening agent (baking soda).  Baking powder, on the other hand, has both the acids and the leavening agents, and just needs liquid medium in which to react.  In either case, the reaction releases carbon dioxide which makes the bread rise.  However, the real reaction for good biscuit flakiness (and flavor) is between the butter and the flour.  If you read your grandmother's recipe (which she probably never wrote down but did by feel instead) there is this precaution to NOT incorporate the butter too much into the flour...it needs to be clumpy.  I never understood that, therefore I never actually did anything about it.  Peter Reinhart, understands this and takes it one step further, which is to freeze the butter, then shred it with a cheese grater into the dry ingredients to preserve its staying power.  The layering from this process gives rise and adds flakiness as the folds of fat melt during baking.  Ingenious.  When you are cooking these, the butter starts bubbling through the biscuit and will drive you bonkers before they are complete.  You have been forewarned.

When I made these for the first time, I actually got compliments from my family.  That had never been achieved before in my biscuit history.  In every other situation, I would get thanks, but they would have to drink something to be able to speak, because they were usually too dry and bland.  Never before had the biscuits been the center of attention.

You do have to plan ahead on this one.  Butter needs to be put in the freezer the night before.  Also, the biscuits need to rest before cooking, so these are not a last minute addition to your weekend breakfast.  They are, however, worth the extra effort.  These biscuits were flaky and buttery and had a slight crunch to the outside.  Their square shape cried out, "there is something different about these biscuits!"  Try them and see if you agree.

The Best Biscuits Ever (by Peter Reinhart)

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons (1 oz) white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice
1 cup cold heavy cream
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup pastry flour (if you do not have pastry flour, use all-purpose flour)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt, or 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1.  Put the butter in the freezer, the night before.

2.  For this recipe, I used buttermilk (instead of the vinegar and heavy cream) because...well I forgot to get the heavy cream.  In his book, Peter uses the vinegar and cream because he forgot the buttermilk...so there you have it.   I freeze buttermilk in 1 cup increments, because I never can use the amount they sell and never have it when I need it.  I let it thaw a little until it was like a soft milk shake.


2.  Whisk the flours (I could not find pastry flour), sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl.

3.  Place a cheese grater over the bowl of dry ingredients.  Remove the butter from the freezer, unwrap it, and grate it through the large holes into the dry ingredients, tossing the butter threads into the flour mixture as you grate to distribute them. 

4.  Use your fingertips to separate and distribute the butter pieces evenly, breaking up any clumps but not working the butter so much that it disappears or melts into the flour.

5.  Add the cream mixture and stir with a large spoon until all the flour is hydrated and the dough forms a coarse ball.  Add a tiny bit of cream (buttermilk) if necessary to bring the dough together.

6. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface, then dust the top of the dough with flour.

7.  Working with floured hands, use your palms to press the dough into a rectangle or square about 3/4 inches thick.

8.  Use a metal pastry scraper to lift the dough and dust more flour underneath.  Dust the top of the dough with flour as well, then roll it out into a rectangle or square about 1/2 inch thick.



9.  Then, using the pastry scraper to help life the dough, fold it over on itself in three sections as if folding a letter.


10.  Rotate the dough, 90 degrees, then once again life the dough and dust more flour underneath.  Dust the top with flour as well, then once again roll it out into a square or rectangle about 1/2 inch thick and fold into thirds.



11.  Give the dough another quarter turn and repeat this procedure again.



12.  Do it once again...

13.  After the fourth folding, dust under and one top of the dough one final time, then roll the dough out to just under 1/2 thick.  Use just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface.

14.  Cut the dough with a floured pizza cutter or a floured metal pastry scraper, or with a floured biscuit cutter.


15.  Transfer the biscuits to an ungreased sheet pan (lined with parchment paper), placing them about 1/2 inch apart.

16.  Place the entire sheet of biscuits in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  (If they do not fit in the fridge, just let them rest for 30 minutes is a cool place.)

17.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500 degrees.

18.  After 30 minutes, transfer the biscuits from the fridge to the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 450 degrees. 

19.  Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 6-10 minutes, until the tops and the bottoms of the biscuits are a rich golden brown.  The biscuits should rise about 1 1/2 times in height.

See the butter bubbling?
20.  Place biscuits on a wire rack and let them cool for no longer than 3 minutes.  Then eat them, before they get cold.


These will be a welcome addition to your Sunday brunch or your Saturday breakfast.  They will certainly turn heads and, at the very least,  prevent you from driving to Hardees.  Try them out and tell me what you think.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Homemade Pizza Sauce- Yes...yes, you can.

There are a lot of available pizza sauces that you can buy at the store, and and many of them are very good.  However many of them fall short in flavor and contain way too many preservatives.  Why not just make and can your own sauce?   Its not very hard, and it will last you the whole year long.  Besides, once you taste it, you will realize how much better you can make it.  You can also amaze your friends when you give them a jar...

This sauce recipe comes to me from a friend who actually came out to show me personally how he does it.  He is a chef of sorts, grows his own heirloom San Marzone tomatoes...hundreds of them each year...and boasts a beautiful outdoor wood-fired oven.  He is the kind of guy from whom you want to learn how to make good pizza sauce.

I choose to put them in half pint jars, because a good pizza needs very little sauce.  Since there is no preservatives in the jar, once you open it, it is a race against time.  One jar will cover approximately 4 plate-sized pizzas.

This whole process takes several hours and makes your whole home smell wonderful.  Lets get started...

Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
8 cloves of garlic crushed
10 cups drained canned tomatoes ( I used a large commercial sized can.)
4- 12 oz cans tomato paste
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons dried oregano crushed or 4 Tablespoons of fresh oregano, crushed
4 Tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of fresh black pepper
1/2 T of bottle lemon juice

Instructions

1.  In a 3-quart stainless steel pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil.  Add the onion.  Reduce the heat and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent browning.



(Canning step 1- Put water into large into water bath canner.  Heat on high.)

2.  While the onions are cooking, prepare the garlic.  Mince the garlic with a garlic press, or use a knife.




3.  Add the garlic and saute 3 minutes.


4.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper to the pan.  Stir well to combine.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until thick, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.











(Canning step 2- When water in water bath canner is boiling, carefully put clean jars, rings and lids into bath.)

5.  Remove sauce from heat.

6.  Process the sauce in a blender, in small batches, until smooth.


7.  Return the sauce to the pan.  Over medium heat, bring the sauce to a simmer.

8.  Remove the pan from the heat.

(Canning step 3- Carefully remove jars from water bath canner.)

9.  Put 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in each 1/2 pint jar, or 1 Tbls of lemon juice for each pint jar.


10.  Ladle the sauce into hot jars, leaving about 1/2" head space.  Using a plastic knife, remove any trapped air bubbles.  Wipe the jar rims and threads with a clean damp cloth.  I much preferred using this funnel that came with the Ball Utensil Set.  It prevents dripping on the rim of the jar.



(Canning step 4- Carefully remove lids and rings from water bath canner.)

11.  Cover with hot lids and apply screw rings.

12.  Put half pint jars back in boiling water bath canner (with 1" of water over the tops) for 30 minutes, or pint jars for 35 minutes.

13.  Carefully remove jars from water and let cool.  You will hear them pop when the pressures subsides.


Now that you know how to can...what will you think of next?  Enjoy!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

The Official Hurricane Pies (otherwise known as Whoopie Pies)

When hurricane Irene was coming through, our family was getting struck with cabin fever (we live in Virginia Beach).  Having been inside all day, my wife turned to me late in the afternoon and said, "Can't you make something?"  Looking though my list of ideas, I came upon a recipe that I had not made yet for Whoopie Pies, using my recently purchased Whoopie Pie pan.

The Whoopie Pie is basically a cookie-cake (a cookie made with a cake-like batter) with a cream filling in the center.  Its roots are possibly Amish, and it is the official state treat of Maine.  I have formally now changed the name to Hurricane Pies, since I experienced a hurricane while making these treats.  (Apparently, you are entitled to do this kind of thing when you go through a hurricane.)

The recipe I used was included with the pan, although I chose to use my favorite filling recipe instead of theirs.  Overall, it was good, except for the fact that I did not add buttermilk or baking soda.  This was not on purpose...I just did not read the directions well and used plain milk instead and just completely blanked on the baking soda.  The Hurricane Pies would probably would be a little more fluffy than they are, but all things being equal, I am satisfied.  (I was expecting a bigger reaction from the hurricane as well...)

Whoopie Pies (now officially called Hurricane Pies)


Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softenend
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk (do as I say, not as I do)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Lightly grease Whoopie Pie Pan with shortening or nonstick cooking spray.



3. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.








4.  Add egg and vanilla; beat until well combined.



5.  In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.







6.  Add half the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix on low speed.


7.  When dry ingredients are almost incorporated, stop the mixer and add the buttermilk.  Continue to mix on low speed until all ingredients are almost incorporated.


8.  Stop the mixer and add the remaining dry ingredients.  Mix on low until just combined.


9.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter into each cavity: with the bottom of a spoon spread batter to the edges using a circular motion, then reverse direction until filled evenly.  Cavity should be about 2/3rds full.




10.  Bake for 10 minutes or until the top springs back when touched. 





 11.  Allow cakes to cool in pan several minutes before removing them.  Place in Tupperware container so they do not get stiff.  Separate with parchment paper so they do not stick together.

Hurricane Pie Filling

This was my taste-tested favorite filling recipe for my Twinkies recipe.

Ingredients

4 Tbls all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
3/4 Tsp vanilla extract
6 Tbls salted butter
6 Tbls shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Dash of salt (optional)

Instructions

1.  In a small saucepan cook flour and milk over medium heat until a paste forms. Stir constantly and do not allow mixture to brown. Remove from heat and let cool 1 minute.

2.  Add vanilla and stir until smooth. Press a piece of plastic wrap down on the surface of the paste to avoid forming a skin and set aside to cool completely.

3.   In the bowl of your mixer beat butter, shortening, and sugar until fluffy, scraping bowl to fully incorporate ingredients.

4.  Add cooled flour/milk mixture and continue to beat 5 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. 

5.  Spoon the mixture into a 1 gallon Ziploc back and cut one bottom corners out.
 


Building the Hurricane Pies

Instructions

1.  Turn all the pies upside down (flat side up).


2.  Apply a generous amount of the filling using the Ziploc back.


3.  Put the other pie on top.

During your next hurricane, give these a try.  Your family will appreciate them...and make sure you have electrical power to finish them...

Lesson learned during this process:  Get all the ingredients out while reading the list.