Almond Caramel Corn

It has been far too long since I posted last.  All I can say is that I’ve been very busy, but who hasn’t been?  Every time I sit down to draft a post, I just don’t know what to say…  But after making this caramel corn, I knew I had to share this extraordinary recipe, good post or not.

Yesterday was probably the best Halloween I’ve ever had.  My friends and I dressed up as Big Bang Theory characters, and my sister dressed up as Slenderman.

I mean, seriously.  You can’t get much better than Big Bang Theory and Slenderman.

I dressed up as Amy; D dressed up as my partner in crime, Sheldon; and A dressed up as fun-loving Penny.  I must say, our costumes were quite spot-on.  A did an incredible job on replicating Penny’s Cheesecake Factory waitress uniform, my sister replicated the horror of Slenderman magnificently, and D replicated Sheldon’s getup to perfection.

Shortly after beginning our quest for candy, however, I realized just how much of a bad idea it was to wear my heeled Oxfords…  So, as a word of advice, it doesn’t matter how darn cute your high-heels are; don’t wear them for Halloween.  You might not be as lucky as me.  I had a Sheldon who gave me multiple piggyback rides.

At home, we traded candy and stuffed ourselves silly, which brings us to this caramel corn.

I love caramel corn and I love Cracker Jack.  This recipe is a delightful combination of the two that is approximately one billion times better than anything that you can buy at the store.

Fluffy white popcorn and several generous handfuls of almonds are enrobed in a silky, sticky salted caramel.  The whole gooey mass is then baked until crisp and generously sprinkled with a finishing touch of salt.  Then the cooled goodness is drizzled with an alluring touch of white chocolate for a final gourmet touch.

Needless to say, this caramel corn is very addictive.  I literally had to put my hands up in the air and walk away while jarring it before I got sick (though that did happen later in the evening).

It was worth it.

Almond Caramel Corn

Adapted from the October 2012 issue of Martha Stewart Living

1/2 cup popcorn kernels, popped (I used my air popper)

3/4 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped

1 stick unsalted butter

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

5 ounces white chocolate, chopped, optional

Preheat oven to 250 F.

Place popped popcorn and almonds in a large bowl.  Melt the butter in a tall-sided heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the corn syrup, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Cook until sugar dissolves, stirring once or twice.  Raise heat to high and bring to a boil (do not stir).  Boil, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers at 240 F, about 2 to 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda.

Pour caramel over popcorn mixture, stirring to combine thoroughly.  Transfer to 2 baking sheets, spreading into a single layer.  Bake 30-45 minutes, stirring twice.  To test for doneness, remove a piece of popcorn and allow to cool for 1 minute.  If the popcorn is crisp, the popcorn is ready.  Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of salt.  Let cool completely.

Place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water.  Stir until melted and remove from heat.  Pour the white chocolate into a plastic bag and snip a small hole in the corner.  Drizzle over the cooled popcorn.  Place the caramel corn in the refrigerator and chill for 10 minutes, to allow the white chocolate to set, before breaking into pieces.  Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Makes 12 cups

Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today I bring you cookies–my take on the iconic American chocolate chip cookie.  That cookie that suits any kind of day, weather, season, mindset, or emotion.  But this cookie is by no means the traditional margarine and beet sugar laden sweet treat that tastes rather… artificial.  This cookie, however, is a holistic cookie, whose every ingredient plays a key role to its flavour and texture.

I worked over several months to develop this recipe, and baked countless dozens of trial cookies (though I doubt that my family minded too much).  My goal was a moist, wholesome cookie.  The outcome was a moist, wholesome cookie.  They have delightfully crisp edges when fresh from the oven, and become increasingly rich in flavour and texture as the days pass.

This cookie consists of some of my favorite drop cookie elements–beurre noisette, beans (surprise, surprise), unrefined cane sugar, and whole grain flours.  In addition, the traditional semi-sweet chocolate chips have moved out to make room for more sophisticated bittersweet chocolate chips.

The trio of flours in this cookie also aids to give it a hearty yet indulgent feel.  Whole wheat flour is the base.  Alone, whole wheat flour can impart a dry, brick-like density to baked goods, but the addition of whole grain oat flour and whole grain spelt flour helps to counteract this.  Oat flour aids in giving a slight delicacy to the cookies; spelt flour helps to add extra moisture.  For a more special cookie, the whole wheat flour could be subbed with an equal part of whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour.  Either way, the outcome is delicious.

Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Directions on browning butter are here (http://happyspinach.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/something-delicious/)

250 grams great northern beans, pureed smooth

120 grams unsalted butter, browned and cooled slightly (see above)

200 grams unrefined cane sugar

85 grams muscavado sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

70 grams oat flour

85 grams spelt flour

140 grams whole wheat flour

100 grams whole-grain rolled oats

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

135 grams bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks

In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, dump in the beans and unrefined cane sugar.  Beat on medium speed until thick and creamy, about 3 minutes.  Add in the muscavado sugar and browned butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Beat in the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition.

While the beans and such are beating, weigh out your flours, oats, soda, and salt in a separate bowl.  Mix together well with a whisk to throughly combine.

Once your butter and bean base has finished whipping, dump in all of the dry ingredients.  Turn on low speed and mix until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate by hand and store in the fridge to chill up for about 30-40 minutes.

While your dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 375 F.  Arrange the racks so they are in the center and upper third of your oven.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

When you are ready to bake, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto your sheets, spaced about 2-3 inches apart.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, turning once.  Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks to cool completely.  Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Makes 24-30 cookies

Lentil Bolognese

Deadlines and writer’s block are a very, very bad combination.  Especially when it’s an unexpected deadline…  You see, I started this week off thinking that I would be able to touch on my persuasive essay during the week, but do the bulk of the work on the weekend.  But I was wrong…!  In the middle of the week, my teacher sent the class an email stating that she expected the first draft of our essays to be posted on the forum before Thursday night at 11:55.

I panicked a little bit.  Why?  Mainly because I knew that an introduction that consisted of “Algebra.  The final frontier.  These are the voyages of the starship Algebra,“  wouldn’t exactly be the best way to start out a thoughtful persuasive essay…

Well, I decided to just leave my throw-away intro, punch in my full thesis, and chug away at the rest of the essay.  The rest of it actually worked out pretty well, but I was still unsatisfied with the opening.  Then again, who wouldn’t be?  A Star Trek themed essay on algebra doesn’t exactly scream, “I’m knowledgeable in what I’m talking about!”

Later that evening, after burying my nose in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (which is amazing, to say the least), I was hit with not just my opening sentence, but my opening paragraph.  So, I did what any self-respecting writer would do, and I leaped out of bed and booted up the computer to madly punch it into Word.

In conclusion to this whole tale, I finished and posted the rough draft of my essay.  Therefore, all is well with the world (and there is pumpkin pie in the fridge)!

But now onto other things, namely bolognese.

I have held bolognese close to my heart for a great while.  Truth be told, it was the recipe that made me even consider starting a food blog.  I happened onto Smitten Kitchen’s blog on February 12 of this year and thought, “Wow!”  I have never been much of a lasagna fan, but I was taken by her tender homemade pasta and luscious ragu.  Ever since, the concept of bolognese has been engrained into my brain.

Bolognese is essentially a tomato-based meat ragu that is commonly served over tagliatelle or in a lasagna.  Often times red wine and milk are simmered in to create an alluring depth in flavour.  Either way it is a comforting dish that grows better every hour it simmers.

The main flavour of my bolognese is from a generous splash (well, it’s technically more than a splash) of red wine that is rounded out by unsweetened almond milk.  Herbs are kept to a minimum–only a few bay leaves and a generous pinch of thyme.  In addition, the ground meat is replaced with simple lentils which break down to impart a lovely, hearty texture to the sauce.  The result is a modern yet traditional, rustic yet refined ragu that is the quintessential simmer-all-day winter dish.  Served over fresh pasta–homemade tagliatelle would be a dream here–or transformed into Lasagana alla Bolognese, this dish is nothing short of enchanting.

Lentil Bolognese

Inspired from Smitten Kitchen (http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/02/lasagna-bolognese/) and adapted from Cooking’s Good Vegetarian Cafe (http://www.cookingsgood.com/?p=3874)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

1 large stalk of celery, diced

6 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 1/2 cups red wine

1 28-ounce can tomato puree

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

4 small bay leaves (or 2 large)

a heft pinch of dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup dry lentils, picked over and rinsed

cooked pasta, to serve

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot (I used a giant Dutch oven, and it worked beautifully), heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the onion, carrot, and celery and saute until caramelized, stirring occasionally.  This will take about 15-20 minutes.  Next, pour in the almond milk and let it gently simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.  Pour in the red wine and let it simmer for another 1o minutes (the sauce will probably look ghastly at this point, but that’s okay).  Add in the tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and a touch of salt and pepper.  Simmer uncovered for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.  While your bolognese simmers, a great deal of water will undoubtedly evaporate.  To counter this, add in additional water, about a cup at a time, when the sauce becomes a tad too thick.

About 2 hours before you wish to serve the bolognese, stir in the lentils.  Let them simmer until tender, adding additional water as necessary.  Serve hot over freshly cooked pasta.

Serves 8-10

Potage Crécy

You know how I was talking about the delightful fall weather in my last post?  Well, it’s gone.  It’s hot.  The temperature is 85 F outside, with an actual feel of 100 F.  Blech.  Frankly, I’m in denial about the whole thing, and have decided to plug away at my fall recipe repertoire and make all the soups, stews, and cinnamon-spiced desserts I want (though I have yet to actually follow through on the cinnamon-spiced desserts).

Another reason I’m in complete denial about this horridly humid, balmy weather is due to the fact that I got my issues of Martha Stewart Living and Whole Living in the mail.  I adore the fall issues of magazines, and the sight of the apples and the derby in Martha Stewart Living made me swoon (and I really needn’t mention how charming her granddaughter’s birthday cake was).  What really made me excited was that both magazines had articles about some of my favorite food bloggers (Smitten Kitchen, and Cannelle et Vanille)!

Today’s recipe is a simple and charming French soup.  Yes, I just used the words ‘simple’ and ‘French’ in the same sentence.  But quite honestly, this soup is not as hard as its name makes it sound.  The flavours are kept simple and natural–carrots, celery, leeks, and onions–and the whole lot is then pureed with cooked brown rice into a velvety and rich puree.  This recipe isn’t entirely traditional, but it is delicious nonetheless.

So, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.  The key to a good soup is a very good stock.  I like to use the sodium-free vegetable broth powder that I can buy in the bulk section of my local health food store.  Though I’ve never used it before, Heidi Swanson (of 101 cookbooks) recommends the vegetable broth cubes sold by Rapunzel.  Or, you can make your own!

Potage Crécy

3 very large carrots, scrubbed, and sliced into discs

2 large stalks of celery, scrubbed, and sliced

2 large leeks, rinsed well, and sliced into half-moons

1 large onion, sliced into half-moons

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 cups water

1/3 cup long grain brown rice

2 cups good vegetable stock

salt

In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Toss in your carrots, celery, leeks, onions, and a good sprinkling of salt.  Saute the vegetables , stirring occasionally, until tender–about 20 minutes.  Don’t let them brown or caramelize; you want very clean flavours.

Add in the water and rice and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

To puree the soup, transfer it into a blender and blend until smooth (you may have to do it in several batches).  Pour the puree back into the soup pot and add in the stock.  Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Salt to taste and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings

Lentil Loaf

Today was absolutely refreshing.  We had one of our first real days of autumn–a day full of cool, rustling breezes and saturated blue skies, while birds chirruped and squirrels gathered food.  But not only the birds and the squirrels, but also our little animal children have been effected by the new weather.  Mr. Rachmaninov has been literally tearing up and down the furniture, springing from piece to piece, while Minuet has been prancing around the house like the little princess she is.  In addition, the two of them have been trying to play with Lovey, which rarely ever succeeds since she is as skittish as ever.

With the changing of the seasons upon us, all I want to do is throw myself head-first into fall.  I want to cook fall food and only eat desserts that harken to this time of the year (hello, apples!), I want to pull out my knitting needles and knit cozy sweaters, and I want to cocoon into soft knit dresses and long cabled scarves.  Though some of this dreaming is a bit premature, I can start cooking with deep herbs while baking with alluring spices to make the house smell divine.  With all these lovely changes happening, I felt it necessary to share with all of you one of the most tried and true cool-weather recipes in our arsenal.

Almost every vegetarian or vegan has, at one point in time, made or eaten some sort of mock-meatloaf.  I wouldn’t consider this lentil loaf to be a meatloaf substitute, though it is similar.  Here the flavours are developed with classic cool-weather herbs, onions, soy sauce, and a splash of vinegar.  The original recipe calls for a cup of chopped walnuts–adding both texture and protein.  While I enjoy it that way, I’ve opted to leave out the nuts for multiple reasons, the main one being that I usually lack them.  If you can, or feel inclined to, go ahead and mix them in as you add the lentils.  Either way, the result is dense yet creamy loaf that pairs perfectly with a hearty gravy or ketchup and oven-roasted potatoes.

The loaf is also excellent (if not better) the next day, served cold on multigrain bread with ketchup and sprouts.  Because the leftovers are so dang tasty, I like to make a whole recipe that results in two loaves.  If you don’t want that many leftovers, you can split the recipe and use one egg.

Lentil Loaf

Adapted from Laurel’s Kitchen

2 cups dry lentils

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 yellow onions, diced fine

1 1/2 cups whole grain oats, ground to a mealy powder

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 1/4 teaspoons dried sage

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

3 large eggs, beaten

1 cup vegetable broth or water

4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

4-6 teaspoons shoyu or soy sauce

2 tablespoons unhulled sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Well grease two loaf pans and set aside.

Set a large pot of water over high heat to bring to a boil.  While you are waiting for the water to boil, pick through and rinse the lentils.  Once the water is boiling, throw them in and let them simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until tender.  Drain and set aside.

In a saute pan (I generally use the pot I cooked the lentils in), heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Toss in the onion and saute until soft.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the thyme, sage, eggs, broth, vinegar, and shoyu.  Add in the onions, one spoonful at a time, while constantly mixing (this is to ensure none of the egg cooks).  Dump in the lentils, flaked oats, and whole wheat flour.  Mix well to combine.  Divide the mixture into two loaf pans and top with sesame seeds.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, increase the temperature to 375 F and uncover the loaves.  Bake an additional 10 minutes.  Cool for about 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate and slicing.

Makes 2 large loaves

Figgy Bites

Moist, temperately sweetened cookies with a delicate crumb, studded with plump and dark figs…  As they sit unassuming in their glass jar, their flavours develop and grow richer, subtler, and more complex…  With cookies so indulgent and rich, no one would ever guess that they are packed with whole grains and chickpeas.

If you know me well, then you know how I adore to put beans in whatever I make.  Well, these cookies were really developed simply as a means of trying out legumes in cookies.  The first batch turned out surprisingly well, and after a few additional tweaks the recipe had been finished.

Besides grinding the chickpeas, the recipe for these cookies is just like any other drop cookie.  Cream the butter (well, in this case, ground chickpeas) and sugar, whip in the butter and eggs, slowly turn the dry ingredients in, fold in the figs, chill the dough, and bake until fragrant with golden bottoms.

Though you may be hesitant to add beans to your cookies, there is absolutely no bean-y flavour. I promise.  All they do is impart a moist and substantial texture which complements the figs beautifully.  That along with whole wheat flour and a generous addition of oats gives these cookies just what they need to make them a bit more than your average sweet treat.  So go ahead and give them a go–you’ll be glad you did.

What?  You don’t care much for figs?  Sub in any other dried fruit of your choice–dates, cranberries, cherries, etc.

Figgy Bites

Inspiration and references for these cookies came from the Joy the Baker Cookbook and Danny of Boy and the Rabbit (http://boyandtherabbit.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/red-velvet-cookie-dough/).  Instructions on browning butter can be found here, http://happyspinach.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/something-delicious/.

80 grams unsalted butter, browned and cooled (about 6 tablespoons)

250 grams chickpeas, ground to a paste (1 1/2 cups)

190 grams unrefined cane sugar (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)

75 grams muscavado sugar (1/3 cup, fimly packed)

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

120 grams dried mission figs, cut into bits

250 grams whole wheat flour (1 3/4 cups)

65 grams oat flour (1/2 cup)

100 grams whole grain instant oats (1 cup)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine the chickpeas and the unrefined cane sugar.  Using the paddle attachment, beat until thoroughly incorporated and soupy–about 2 minutes.  Pour in the cooled brown butter and the muscavado sugar.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy–about 3-4 minutes.  Add in the vanilla extract and the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition.

In a separate bowl, weigh out your whole wheat flour, oat flour, and instant oats.  Add in the baking soda and salt, and whisk together to combine.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, toss the fig bits with a spoonful of the dry ingredients until they are well coated.  Set aside.

Dump all of your dry ingredients into the butter mix.  On low speed, mix until just combined.  Using a spatula, gently fold in the fig bits, being careful not to smash them up.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

Place your racks in the top third and center of your oven.  Preheat your oven to 375 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Once the oven has preheated, begin measuring out and shaping your cookies.  Drop tablespoonfuls onto the sheet, spacing about two inches apart.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, turning once (if you don’t have convection) to ensure even baking and browning.  Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for up to one week.

Makes about 40 cookies

Banana Crumb Cake

Yesterday was a day spent baking, baking, schooling, baking, schooling, and then baking some more.  It was a day spent experimenting with new recipes–some of which turned out, and some of which need a bit more tweaking.  To guarantee something tasty and sweet for the evening, I made this banana crumb cake, whose recipe was developed in the same experimentation manner.

Now, I’m not going to profess that this is the banana cake to end all banana cakes, but I will say that it is certainly my favorite by far.  Decisively moist and dense, with a warm touch of cinnamon to accent the banana flavour, and a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg to add an alluring sophistication, this banana cake is rustic enough for a Saturday picnic in the countryside, but elegant enough for a classy Sunday brunch.  Not to mention that it is free from nuts, eggs, and dairy (if you omit the streusel, the cake really is delicious either way), which is great when you find yourself in a situation where you have an understocked fridge.  Though, if you feel inclined to add a handful of chopped walnuts, go ahead!  I think they would make a lovely addition.

Banana Crumb Cake

Inspired by Boy and the Rabbit (http://boyandtherabbit.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/banana-bread-bites/)

Streusel:

20 grams whole wheat flour (2 tablespoons)

30 grams whole grain instant oats (1/4 cup)

25 grams turbinado sugar (2 tablespoons)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

a pinch of ground ginger

a pinch of salt

20 grams pitted dates, chopped fine (about one medjool date)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Cake:

2 large, very ripe bananas

75 grams pitted dates (about 5 medjool)

110 grams cooked chickpeas (2/3 cup)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons maple syrup

80 grams whole wheat flour (1/2 cup)

100 grams whole grain instant oats (1 cup)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Place your rack in the center of the oven.  Line the bottom of an 20 cm springform pan with parchment paper and then grease and flour the pan.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the streusel.  With your fingers, mix in the dates–slightly smashing them together with your fingers.  Add in the butter and mix thoroughly until all of the dry ingredients have been moistened.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the bananas, dates, and chickpeas.  Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Add in the vanilla extract and maple syrup and pulse to combine.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the remaining (dry) ingredients.  Mix together thoroughly with a whisk before pouring in the banana mixture.  Using a spatula, fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined.  Pour into your cake pan and smooth the top.  Sprinkle on your streusel and place in the center of your oven.  Bake for 20-27 minutes, or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let the cake cool completely on a cooling rack before serving.  The cake will stay fresh wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for three days (if it is warm in your house, I would recommend keeping it in the fridge).

Makes one-20 cm cake

Lemon Meringue Tart

This tart is fresh, chic, and oh so classy.  A slightly chewy ginger snap crust is beautifully played off by an intense lemon curd, and the entirety is topped off with a billowy and almost bubbly meringue.  Besides tasting divine, this tart is also surprisingly easy (so long as you don’t burn the meringue, but we’ll get into that in a little bit).

So, first off, is the crust.  It is ridiculously easy and is accomplished with only two ingredients–ginger snaps and yoghurt.  With the ginger snaps being the main source of flavour for the crust, their quality is of the utmost importance.  I’m a sucker for Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Snaps.  They are cruelly addictive, and are made with natural ingredients!  The idea of using yoghurt for the crust instead of butter came from Laurel’s Kitchen.  I’ve always enjoyed the traditional butter and cookie crumb crust, but the yoghurt instead of the butter makes a delightfully chewy crust once it has baked and cooled.  I’ve made the tart using both crusts, and the yoghurt crust is definitely my favourite.

This tart’s lemon curd is intense.  With such an absurdly thin layer, you might be tempted to double the recipe, but I wouldn’t recommend it until you try a single batch at least once.  The curd is bright and cool, and finished off with an egg yolk for a silky, rich touch.

And so, that leaves the meringue.  Ah, meringue!  Meringue really is quite simple provided that you follow two key rules.  First, you must clean all the dishes for the meringue with boiling hot water and plenty of soap to scrub away any specks of grease.  The slightest smear can taint your whites and destroy their fluffing abilities.  Second, to get the maximum volume from your whites let them come to room temperature.  And above all, watch the meringue like a hawk when you put it under the broiler.  It can go from pale golden to smoking in seconds.  Such was the case for me when I made this yesterday…

I’ve made this tart before, and I know plenty well to never leave things under the broiler unattended; but, you see, my hands were sticky.  They were sticky and I felt the need to at least rinse them off.  Well, I did this and it was already too late.  I pulled out the tart and it was black and it was smoking; no doubt in a few more seconds it would have been up in flames.  So, I let the meringue cool, peeled it off, stuck the tart sans meringue back in the fridge, and started the meringue process all over again.

And so it goes.

We all make mistakes sometimes, even if they really do suck.

But hey, at least there’s tart in the end!

Lemon Meringue Tart

Tart adapted from The New Vegetarian by Nicola Graimes; crust adapted from Laurel’s Kitchen

200 grams good quality ginger snaps*

3 tablespoons plain yoghurt

130 millilitres or 1/2 cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons corn starch

55 grams unrefined cane sugar

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

2 egg whites at room temperature, be sure they have absolutely no egg yolk traces in them**

a tiny pinch of salt

a tiny pinch of cream of tartar

45 grams unrefined cane sugar

Special tools:

One 24 cm or 9.5 inch tart pan

Place the racks in the centre of your oven and preheat to 350 F.  Place a tart dish on a cookie sheet, lightly grease with some butter, and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the ginger snaps until they become crumbs.  Dump the crumbs into a bowl and add in the yoghurt.  Mix thoroughly with a fork, the mixture will be quite moist.  Dump it into the tart dish and, using your finger tips, press into the shape of the tart pan.  Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes–until the edges are slightly crisp and it is very fragrant.  The crust will puff slightly.  Pull out and slide the tart pan onto a cooling rack to cool.

While the crust is cooling, begin the lemon curd.  In a small dish, combine the corn starch and a few tablespoons of the lemon juice until thin and clump-free.  Dump the corn starch slurry, the remaining lemon juice, and the 55 grams of sugar into a small saucepan.  Whisk together and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer, stirring, for about 2 minutes, or until thick.  Remove from heat.  Next temper your egg yolk by whisking in the hot lemon curd a spoonful at a time until the yolk is runny and warm.  Be sure to stir continually so that none of the egg cooks.  Pour the tempered egg yolk into the remaining curd and stir to combine.  Pour the curd into the crust (it’s alright if the crust is still warm) and tilt to coat the entire bottom.  Place in the fridge and allow to chill for at least one hour.

Preheat your broiler to high and leave the rack in the centre of your oven.  In the bowl of a mixer, pour in your egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar.  Beat until foamy and stiff peaks form.  On high speed, gradually pour in 45 grams of sugar.  Transfer the raw meringue into a piping bag and pipe onto your tart.  Smooth and fluff the meringue with the back of a spoon to look soft and billowy.  Place the tart on a cookie sheet and slide it into the oven.  Broil for 15-60 seconds, until lightly browned.  Be careful because this can go quickly; check the tart every few seconds to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before serving.  The tart is best served the day it is made.

*I absolutely adore Trader Joe’s triple ginger snaps (dried, fresh, and crystalized ginger!).  Plus, they are made with natural ingredients.

**Unfortunately, you can’t use pasteurized eggs from a carton.  The pasteurization destroys the white’s voluminous qualities.

Makes one 24 cm tart

Whole Wheat Garlic Knots

Though I don’t have much to say today, I wanted to go ahead and share with all of you the recipe for whole wheat garlic knots that I promised to share in my last post.

To keep it short, their recipe is that of a basic pizza dough.  You roll out the dough flat, cut it into strips, and knot it up.  After baking to a golden brown in the oven, you toss the hot rolls in garlic and olive oil, and serve them warm.  They are equally delicious the first day, when they have a good crisp crust, or reheated the second day, when they have developed a softer bite.

Whole Wheat Garlic Knots

Adapted slightly from Joy the Baker (http://joythebaker.com/2011/06/whole-wheat-garlic-knots/)

For the dough:

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (just warmer than body temperature, but not scalding hot or you’ll kill your yeast)

2 teaspoons unrefined cane sugar

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the garlic mixture:

6 large garlic cloves, crushed with a garlic press or minced incredibly fine

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

a large handful Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast with the warm water and sugar.  Cover with a tea towel and let sit in a warm place (such as by the stove) until foamy and frothy, about 5 minutes.  If your yeast does not foam, then either the water was too hot and killed the yeast; or the yeast is no longer active.  I would recommend trying it once more before buying more yeast.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours and salt.  Create a shallow well and pour in the yeast water and olive oil.  With a fork, begin slowly mixing the wet and dry ingredients together.  If the dough is too sticky, add in a bit more all-purpose flour.  You want the dough to be moist and slightly sticky, but not unbearably sticky.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, the dough should be smooth and elastic with a soft touch.  Place the dough in a large greased bowl, flip the dough over to cover the other side, cover with a towel, and place in a warm place (such as an oven with the pilot light turned on).  Let the dough rise until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.  Once the dough has finished rising, you can either proceed with making the garlic knots, or let it rise in the refrigerator overnight covered with plastic wrap.  Just bring the dough to room temperature before rolling out.

When ready to prepare the garlic knots, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface.  Roughly roll it out into a 10 x 10 inch square.  If the dough puts up a fight when you roll it out, cover it with a towel and let it rest for about 10 minutes.  Next, using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into about 10 strips.  Tie each end into a loose knot and tuck in the ends–they don’t need to be perfect.  Line them up on 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Cover them with a towel and let them rest for 30 minutes.

Place racks in the center and upper third of your oven.  Preheat to 400 F.  Place your sheets in the oven and bake the rolls for about 15-18 minutes, until the knots are lightly golden brown.

While the knots bake, put together the garlic mixture.  In a small bowl, melt the butter so that it is very hot.  Slide in your garlic and mix.  The very hot butter with partially cook the garlic, taking off the raw edge.  Mix in the remaining ingredients and set aside.

When the rolls come out of the oven, transfer them to a large metal bowl.  Pour the garlic mixture over them and toss to coat.  Serve warm.

To reheat the rolls, wrap them tightly in foil and place in an oven for 350 F for 10 minutes.

Makes 10 rolls

Butter Bean and Leek Burgers

Let’s talk about butter beans.  Most people know these fellows as lima beans.  Yes, I know that many of you are probably giving an inward groan right now, but here me out!  Lima beans (or butter beans, as I know them better) really aren’t all that bad.  They have very tender skins and soft, creamy flesh.  These two characteristics make them ideal for purreing into burgers (and I would say cakes too).  They cook very quickly, and if you use the baby variety, you can even get away without soaking.

With such soft and “buttery” beans on my hands, I couldn’t help but wonder how they would whip up into burgers.  They did excellently.  I’ve made this recipe five times now (almost every week, sometimes even twice) and they never fail.  Flavors are kept simple but still poignant–sweet tender leeks, assertive garlic, spicy white pepper, and smooth butter–and bound by rustic, flaked oats.  They are then shaped into four thick patties and slowly cooked on a cast iron until a hearty crust forms.  Served with oven-roasted potatoes or hearty garlic knots, they make an elegant dinner for four.

As a note, a recipe for the aforementioned garlic knots will be popping up around here soonish.

Butter Bean and Leek Burgers

1 cup whole grain rolled oats

1 1/2 cups cooked butter beans

1 tablespoon unsalted butter*

1 large leek, dark greens removed, thinly sliced into half-moons

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1/4-3/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

olive oil

spicy brown mustard or homemade ketchup, to serve

Throw the oats into the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse the oats until they are flaky, with a crumb-like texture.  Pour out into a separate bowl and set aside.  Next, dump in your butter beans and puree until white, creamy, and fluffy.  Pour out into a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

In a medium-large cast iron skillet, melt the butter.  Toss in the leeks and saute until the leeks are very tender, but not caramelized–about 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic and saute 1-2 minutes more.

Pour the leeks into the bowl with the butter beans.  Add in salt (I used unsalted beans, so I opted for more than 1/4 teaspoon) and white pepper.  Stir until thoroughly combined.  Add in the flaky oats and mix again until thoroughly combined–the mixture will be relatively moist, but that’s okay.  Scoop out into four equal portions onto a plate and set aside (if you can, let them sit for a while in the fridge so the flavours can marry more).

Begin to heat the cast iron skillet over medium heat, and add in just enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan.  Lay the four mounds of bean mixture into the pan, gently pressing into patty form.  You should hear a slight sizzle as you do this, but not much.  Let the burgers cook on medium-low heat for about 5-7 minutes, until golden brown with a good crust.  A good indication is their willingness to flip.  If they’re ready to flip, you should have no difficulties–even with a barely greased pan.  Flip them and repeat on the other side.  Serve immediately with spicy brown mustard (my personal favorite) or homemade ketchup (very tasty as well).

*I woud sub in olive oil to make these vegan.

Serves 4