The holidays are fast approaching, so this weekend I need to test some recipes. I'm only blogging this because I want to be able to easily remember what I made next year at this time.
For Thanksgiving, I want to make a French custard flan/pie with a sweet pastry crust like the one at the Paris. I couldn't find a close recipe so I'm just going to use a previous recipe for a rustic tart pastry and the standard baked vanilla custard pie filling. Hope it works!
Also for Thanksgiving, I'm thinking of making caesin- and gluten-free shortbread cookies for the twins, Greg and James. They can't tolerate either ingredient, so I'm always looking for possible baked goods that they can eat. In the past, I've made marshmallows and mochi for them. The shortbread recipe is here (although I do need to convert it to American units):
Gluten-Free Shortbread (4 servings)
1/2 c Cornstarch
1/2 c Sugar
175 g Butter (will substitute Fleischman's margerine)
1/2 c Icing [confectioner's sugar]
1 c Rice flour
Sift cornstarch, sugar and rice flour together.
Add butter/margerine.
Mix with hands until soft dough forms.
Refrigerate one hour.
Shape dough into 2-1/2 cm balls.
Place about 3 cm apart on greased cookie sheet; flatten with lightly floured fork.
Bake at 150 degrees C for 20-25 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
I've also made a delicious honey-spice cake, choco-chip cookies and a caramel almond tart for Thanksgivings with sweetie's family. If it were easier to transport, I would make a chantilly cake. It's really quite easy and so delicious, you will have seconds, I swear. All you have to do is make two 8-inch rounds or squares of your favorite german chocolate cake (I just use a mix). Then use this filling and frosting:
Chantilly Cream Filling
1/4 cup white sugar
4 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add egg, blend well. Stir in milk slowly.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Add butter and vanilla.
Chill for at least 30 minutes. Spread a third of the mixture between each layer.
Chantilly Frosting
1 13 oz can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
4 large egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans (optional)
Combine milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla.
Cook stirring constantly, over medium heat for 12 minutes, until mixture thickens. (Make sure that it's thick, or it will slide right off your cake)
Add vanilla extract and chill 1 hour covered with a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface.
Frost cake, sprinkle on pecans if using. Chill for 2 hours. Yield 8-10 servings.
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For Christmas, I plan to make up little boxes with an assortment of:
Candied ginger & brown sugar shortbread
Chocolate dipped shortbread
Rosemary (or another herb) shortbread
Chocolate chip cookies
Marsala chai honey cakes
Jasmine tea cakes
Barenjager cakes
Chocolate chip pound cakes
The cookies ought to be pretty straightforward as are the pound cakes (all of them are really pound cakes with different flavors). I was going to make these cakes more of the soaked liquor variety because we have sooooooo much liqueurs - thanks to my minimal alcohol consumption but insatiable curiousity about tastes - although am not sure just yet which way I'm leaning.
The jasmine tea cakes will require that I make a jasmine tea liqueur, and this is exciting. I have long had a fascination with flowers and tea in food and have tried to candy violets before (with terrible results) and made jasmine tea ice cream (yummy!). However, this recipe for jasmine tea liqueur is so simple and I don't have to make much! If only I could find a good recipe for Creme Yvette or Creme de Violettes. Le sigh.
Jasmine Tea Liquor
1 pint dark rum
1/2 cup jasmine tea
1 cup sugar syrup*
Steep the tea in the rum for 24 hours, and remove. Make the sugar syrup by boiling 1 cup of sugar in 1/2 cup of water. When the syrup cools, add to the rum. Lasts 2 weeks.
*Note from me to those of you who don't bake much: sugar/simple syrups are always made with a 2:1 ratio. 2 parts sugar to 1 part liquid. Brown sugar is another story.
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Last year, I combined spices with tea to make chai and sealed the mixture in mason jars. The mixture was so successful that I've had to make refills for four of the recipients this year. No problem, since I had most of the ingredients on hand (having bought in bulk). I modified this recipe:
Chai
3 Tbsp Whole coriander
3 Tbsp Cinnamon stick, broken up into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbsp Cardamom pods, whole (best) or seeds can be used
1.5 Tbsp Cloves, whole
1.5 Tbsp Nutmeg, powdered
2 Tbsp Whole Star anise or seeds can be used
2 Tbsp Allspice whole, 1.5 tbsp if ground
2 Tbsp Whole peppercorns (black or white can be used)
3-4 Tbsp Dried orange peel, 1/2 inch pieces (equals one orange)
2 Tbsp Ginger, fresh (preferred) cut into slivers, or powdered
1-3 vanilla bean
Loose Darjeeling tea or unperfumed black tea
Each of these makes about 2 cups, so you can imagine how potent the infusion is! Brew as you would any tea then add the same amount of milk (as tea) to each cup. Sweeten as desired.
I didn't use vanilla and used less orange peel than called for and I've seen fennel and bay leaves used as well. I purchased Lipton Yellow and Green label tea and many of the spices in bulk (coriander, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves) at a local Indian grocer. The ginger, orange peel and star anise came from the local Asian market next door to the Indian grocer. Nutmeg, allspice, and peppercorns were Morton & Bassett.
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And lastly, here's a quick list of substitutions for wheat flour.
Substitutions for 1-Tablespoon wheat flour
1/2 Tablespoon arrowroot starch
1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 Tablespoon potato starch flour
1/2 Tablespoon rice starch
1/2 teaspoon Quick cooking tapioca
1/2 Tablespoon rice flour
1/2 Tablespoon sago (sago palm starch)
1/2 Tablespoon gelatin
2/3 Tablespoon tapioca flour
Substitutions for 1 cup wheat flour
1 cup corn flour (if finely milled)
3/4 cup coarse cornmeal
1 scant cup fine cornmeal
5/8 cup (10 Tablespoons) potato starch flour
7/8 cup (14 Tablespoons) rice flour
1 cup Soya flour plus 3 Tablespoons potato starch flour
1 cup (purified) wheat starch
1/3 cup soy flour, 1/3 cup potato flour, plus 1/3 cup rice flour
1/2 cup soy flour plus ½ cup rice flour
1 cup Soya flour plus ¼ cup potato flour
Gluten free flour substitute mix
Can be substituted for wheat flour in any recipe except yeast bread
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup white rice flour
3 cups soy flour
3 cups potato starch (not flour)
Mix together and sift 8 times (it is important to sift 8 times). Mixture must be kept refrigerated.
( 02:07 EH | mmm food. )