Butter Icing (Obscene Cuisine, Recipe No. 36)

I very rarely have recipes that live up to the title “Obscene Cuisine”. It’s a tall order, yes? But I think this, my mother’s recipe for classic butter icing, does it justice: Two sticks of butter. I know making icing is rarely pretty, but come now. Two sticks? If it weren’t “two sticks” worth of good I wouldn’t bother making it, so prepare for a delicious, spontaneous overflow of cholesterol.

:: Butter Icing ::

1 cup butter (room temp)
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp flour
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

1. Cook flour and milk together on low/medium heat, stirring constantly until thick like a paste. Cool to room temp.*
2. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt using an electric mixer.
3. Beat both mixtures together on high speed until fluffy and smooth. Beat in vanilla until combined.
4. At this point it should be ready to ice with. If not, refrigerate until you can spread it.

*Hint: When you’re allowing the milk and flour mixture to cool it might develop a skin, making your final icing lumpy. To prevent this, scrape any residue off the sides, then get a pad of butter on the end of  fork and rub it over the top of the mixture, allowing it to melt until the entire surface is covered in a very thin layer of melted butter. (This is called “floating” butter on top of a sauce.)

I like to serve this butter icing at room temp. When it’s refrigerated it can taste far too rich and seem, well, a bit too much like butter in consistency. Still, it’s wonderful in small doses–just don’t overdo it! (The cake in the photo is the génoise recipe I used for madeleines the other day. I cut the cake in half and filled it with a lemon, raspberry jam, and honey filling. So good!)

No bibliography today. Mom didn’t keep track of where this recipe came from.

Madeleines Génoise (Obscene Cuisine, Recipe No. 35)

When I was a kid the only television channels we had were the local news and PBS. Every once in a while I’d catch a rerun of Julia Child’s cooking program. Her  humor (occasionally of the risqué variety) and practicality were lost on my child mind. Now, years later, I’ve been rediscovering her at the suggestion of one of my coworkers, with whom I helped create a Julia Child-themed library display. I think I’ll probably go ahead and read her autobiography, My Life in France.

Today’s recipe is for mini génoise cakes cooked in madeleine molds. (And, oddly enough, they were just featured on Child’s show; they aren’t even her recipe!)

:: Madeleines Génoise ::

1 1/4 cup sifted cake flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter (melted, slightly above room temp)
2 eggs, 4 yolks
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1. Liberally butter, flour, and freeze your madeleine molds.
2. Measure out your flour. Sift it, then measure a sifted 1 and 1/4 cup. The leftover cake flour (and there should be some!) can be transferred back to the flour container.
3. Whisk 2 eggs + 4 yolks together with 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar. Using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat until mixture becomes white and fluffy and the ribbon lies on top of the batter (approx 5 minutes).
4. Use the hand mixer w/whisk to incorporate the vanilla.
5. Resift the cake flour with 1 tbsp sugar and 1/8 tsp salt.
6. Fold sifted flour mixture, in thirds, into the egg batter.
7. Fold about 1 cup of the batter into the melted butter. Then fold this back into the main batter.
8. Fill the madeleine molds 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes. (You’ll know they’re done when you apply slight pressure to the top of the madeleine and the cake springs back.)
9. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding. Unmold by firmly rapping the edge of a vertically held pan against the counter. (The madeleines should fall right out.)

Génoise can be a challenge to make because the cake itself has no chemical leavening agent. If you over- or under-beat it or screw up the folding process you’re beat! However, if you beat and fold properly this recipe will result in a perfect, light, fluffy cake. I think next time I’ll have to fold in some lemon zest or orange flower water (at the vanilla step) to make them taste a bit more like the real deal.

This recipe can also be used to make ladyfingers and petits fours. (Check out the video in the bibliography to see Julia and Flo Braker make ladyfingers, petits fours, and of course these madeleines using this batter). Since I was short on madeleine trays – my second one residing in the Julia Child display case at work – I put the rest of the batter in muffin molds. For dessert I think I’ll cut off their tops, flip them over, and ice them with some of my Mom’s special buttercream icing.

Other Madeleine Madness @ Librari[d]an:

• Petites Madeleines: A Brief History, Etymology, and FAQ
• Commercy  Madeleines (O.C. Recipe No. 30)
• Easy Madeleines (O.C. Recipe No. 25)

:: Bibliography ::

• Child, Julia, and Flo Braker.  Baking with Julia: Marvelous Génoise Miniatures. December 27, 1996, PBS. http://video.pbs.org/video/1174158883/program/1073557581# (15 August 2009).

Baked Falafel (Obscene Cuisine, Recipe No. 34)

If you think this recipe can’t taste better than it looks you’d be wrong. Make it now and put it in your mouth! Aieee!

:: Baked Falafel ::

One 15-oz. can chickpeas, well drained
1 onion, very finely chopped
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. ground cumin (or to taste)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. paprika (or to taste)
1-2 tbsp. sesame tahini
black pepper, to taste

1. Sauté the onions briefly in just a bit of olive oil.
2. Using a pastry blender or potato masher, mash chickpeas well. (Mixture should remain slightly chunky, not smooth.)
3. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine.
4. One at a time, take spoonfuls of mixture in your hands and form 15 balls, each about the size of a ping pong ball, and gently place them on a baking sheet. (I lined mine with parchment paper.)
5. In a 375 degree preheated oven bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crispy. Allow to cool and set for at least 5 minutes.
6. Serve atop leafy greens and fresh tomato slices on a whole wheat pita with a thin spread of garlic hummus. (Lemon juice to spare? Douse ‘em!)

One of my coworkers sent this recipe my way months ago, and it has now become a staple in my diet. It came from a calorie-counting, point-allotting website called Hungry Girl. I was hesitant to make it, but since that first batch this falafel has proven itself time and again.

The original recipe used raw onions, which still had too much bite after baking, so I left out the step of spraying of the balls with cooking spray (which seemed weird to me) and replaced it with a brief sauté. I also added the tahini to bump up the good fats and protein and help the balls retain their shape. (The original recipe called for reshaping mid-bake. Insanity!)

These suckers taste even better the day after, cold and straight from the fridge. Enjoy!

:: Bibliography ::

• Lisa. “Hungry Girl – Thursday Newsletter”. Hungry Girl, Inc. http://www.hungry-girl.com/week/weeklydetails.php?isid=1714 (7 August 2009).

Rice! (Obscene Cuisine, Recipe No. 33)

Hello hello! Good to see that you’re still with me. Hiatus aside, I haven’t been cooking many new foods. (Job is sapping my life essence, nbd.) However, I’d like to change that, so why not return to food blogging?

It’s funny how people struggle with preparing rice; there are so many right ways to do it! I’m something of a rice neurotic, in that I always wash it at least three times – something that my Indian French 1 teacher taught me and which works wonders by releasing all that starch – and use filtered water for the final cook (that might just be mental on my part).

:: Rice ::

1 cup short or long-grained rice
1 and 1/4 cups filtered water
salt to taste
tap water

1. Take rice and put it in a large bowl. Cover the rice with cold tap water. Use your hand to swirl the rice around vigorously to release the starch, then drain it. Repeat twice or until water no longer gets too cloudy with starch.
2. Put the rice back in the bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 30-60 minutes.
3. To cook the rice, drain it well and put it in a medium-sized saucepan. Add 1 and 1/4 cups of filtered water, salt (if desired–I prefer to add any salt after cooking), and bring it to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to low then let it cook, covered, for 18 minutes. Avoid removing the lid. After 18 minutes turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes with the lid on.
5. Fluff with a fork. Makes 2-3 servings.

Rice is a staple, so being able to get it done right is a life skill everybody should have. I came across this recipe only recently and particularly enjoyed the methodology. (It’s constructed so that you’ll never burn the rice.) However, I’m not sure the consistency would be right for all rice dishes.

If you’re wondering what I’ve mixed in with the rice in that last photo, it’s red peppers and onions sautéed with oregano, salt, and pepper, black beans, a ton of cilantro, and a liberal splash of lime juice. I forgot salsa. (Try adding fresh lime pulp to the rice in the saucepan, as well. Really punches up the flavor.)

:: Bibliography ::

• Lebovitz, David. “How to Make Perfect Asian Rice”. http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2009/05/how_to_make_perfect_asian_rice.html (25 July 2009).

Nut Cups (Obscene Cuisine, Recipe No. 32)

This wonderfully versatile recipe can be made with just about any type of nut (and even some types of seeds). I usually use walnuts because they’re an economical choice, but spring for pecans if I’ve the money. This recipe will make about 4 dozen cups.

:: Walnut Cups ::

Filling ingredients:

3 eggs, well beaten
1 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cup Walnuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
2 1/2 Tablespoons Butter, melted

1. Combine eggs, melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Stir well. (Do not cook filling before putting into shell.)

Dough ingredients:

1 1/2 cups + 3 Tablespoons Flour
1 1/2 Sticks of Butter, room temp
5 1/2 oz Cream Cheese, room temp
1/8 teaspoon Salt

1. Cream butter and cream cheese cheese. Add salt and flour. Mix (by hand).
2. Roll into 1” balls and chill for at least 20 minutes.
3. Press dough into mini-cup pans and fill with 1 teaspoon of filling.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes.
5. Let cool for a while in their pan, until set, then remove (with the assistance of a knife if necessary) to finish cooling.

Be sure to use a tool to press the dough into the pan. (You’ve probably seen the tool I’m talking about; it’s usually a wooden rod that has a larger bobble on either end.) Flour it before each press to make sure it doesn’t begin to stick to the dough. The tool will make sure that the openings are uniform in shape. Constant, slowly applied pressure will make sure they’re relatively uniform in depth. Having an eye for it and practice will result in uniformly centered nut cups.

I made these for Christmas and drafted a post, but forgot it. Today I was poking round and found it. Enjoy! This is my father’s favorite cookie. I’m not sure where the recipe comes from, so no citation today.

Soufflé à l’orange (Obscene Cuisine, Recipe No. 31)

Prepare yourself for a blast of cynicism: Cooking with an accomplice, even on Valentine’s Day, can often be more trouble than it’s worth. Kudos for trying, helpers, but next ti– You call that folding in?! DROP THE SPATULA, PARANTHROPUS!

With that disclosure out of the way, our soufflés turned out exceptionally well. :^>

:: Soufflé à l’orange ::

Approx 1 teaspoon unsalted butter for the dish
1 cup sugar, plus some for the dish
6 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon orange zest (grated)
1/4 cup cointreau (or another orange-flavor liqueur or fresh-squeezed orange juice)
Pinch salt

1. Butter a 2-quart soufflé or other deep baking dish. Sprinkle the dish with sugar, invert it, and tap to remove excess. Set aside and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk the egg yolks with 3/4 cup of the sugar until light yellow in color and very thick; it should fall in a ribbon from the ends of the beaters when ready. Beat in the flavorings and set aside.
3. Clean the beaters thoroughly (yolk shouldn’t touch the whites or they won’t whip properly), then beat the egg whites with the salt until they hold soft peaks; continue to beat, gradually adding the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, until they hold a firm peak and are glossy.
4. Stir a good spoonful of them thoroughly into the egg yolk mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whites.
5. Transfer to the prepared soufflé dish(es) and bake until the center is nearly set, 25 to 35 minutes (15 to 25 minutes for individual soufflés). Serve immediately.

These were eaten after an early, rather heavy dinner in town. Baking went well, although I had to remove the top rack halfway through because the soufflés were rising dangerously near it. (Noticed by Jeff… Shouldn’t give him such a hard time!) One was slightly mangled, as seen in the photo above.

The consistency was spot on and they didn’t fall despite my fear that cointreau might not afford the same structure-inducing properties as a fresh juice might. They are very sweet and a small serving is ideal, so next time I’ll probably halve the recipe if cooking for two and serve à la mode.

:: Bibliography ::

• Lenzer, Suzanne. “Developing Bittman’s Super-Simple Soufflé.” The New York Times, 11 Feb 2009. http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/developing-bittmans-super-simple-souffle/ (14 February 2009).

Commercy Madeleines (Obscene Cuisine, Recipe No. 30)

I’ve researched madeleines and already made some delicious easy madeleines. Now it’s time to get down to business! This recipe hails from Larousse gastronomique and is for the famous Commercy madeleine, made traditionally with orange-flower water rather than lemon zest.

:: Madeleines de Commercy ::

150 g (5 oz, generous 1/2 cup) butter
200 g (7 oz, 3/4 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
6 eggs
200 g (7 oz, 1 3/4 cups) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon orange-flower water

1. Cream room temp butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and mix well.
2. Add 6 whole eggs, one at a time, then the flour sifted with 1 teaspoon baking powder, and finally stir in the orange-flower water.
3. Lightly brush the madeleine molds with melted butter and then freeze them. When the butter is solid, flour them once or twice, tapping off the excess after each flouring. Spoon in the mixture, filling each indentation to about 3/4 full. Do not spread the mixture.
4. Bake at 220 C (425 F, gas 7) for about 10 minutes. (Molds with many small indentations won’t take as long).
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool/firm up for a few minutes. Turn out the madeleines onto a rack to fully cool. Store in an airtight container.

These madeleines had a great crumb and were absurdly light and spongy! If you’ve only had those disgusting, heavy Starbucks madeleines you’ll fall in love with these. Next time I make them I’ll probably leave out one or two of the eggs’ whites. Also, I’ll add just a pinch of salt to bring the butter flavor to the forefront.

The nice thing about this recipe is that you really don’t have to refrigerate the batter like most other recipes. Just pop them in the oven direct from the bowl. I’d still recommend chilling the batter for a few hours if you have the patience. (For this batch, I didn’t and they turned out beautifully.)

As for the use of the orange-flower water, it’s okay, but I think I prefer lemon-flavored madeleines.

:: Bibliography ::

• Montagné, P., & Lang, J. H. (1988). Larousse gastronomique: the new American edition of the world’s greatest culinary encyclopedia. New York: Crown. ISBN: 0517570327. Pages 642, 643.