Yellow Squash Garlic Bites イエロースクワシュ、ガーリックバイツ

The other day, my wife picked up two yellow squash from Whole Foods. This led us to question, “What is the difference between “zucchini” and “yellow squash?*” Our conclusion is that both belong to the squash family and “yellow zucchini” exists but “yellow squash” is not “yellow zucchini”. We ate one of the squash sautéed for dinner which meant there was one left. My wife decided to use it before it went bad by making this dish inspired by the recipe she saw on-line called “Zucchini Garlic Bites”. As usual, she made some changes mostly due to what we had on hand. (For one thing we had “yellow squash” on hand not zucchini.) I helped by prepping the veggies. This came out rather nicely; with crunchy outer crust and soft, moist interior with subtle garlic and onion flavors. The cayenne pepper added a nice zing. Perfect nice bites. They actually got better with time as the various flavors melded together. Instead of making a dipping sauce, we just used the marinara sauce I made which we keep in the fridge mostly for pizza. This went very well.

*It appears that ”Yellow squash” is not a common vegetable in Japan. I see descriptions and recipes for dishes made of “zucchini” but not yellow squash.

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded yellow squash drained well** (The original recipe calls for zucchini)
1 clove garlic grated fine
2/3 cup breadcrumbs (used Panko)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh green onion (the original recipe calls for chives)
(the original recipe calls for 1 tbs chopped parsley)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried), we used dried
pinch of salt and cayenne pepper (1/8 tsp or more)
tomato sauce for dipping

** I use a potato ricer to squeeze out the moisture. This works better than other methods we tried.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Cover a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper. Set aside.
Use a box grater to grate the yellow squash. Using a potato ricer, squeeze out moisture (in batches).
Mash the garlic using a garlic press.
Add the shredded squash, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan, green onion, basil, oregano, salt and cayenne pepper to a medium bowl. Mix well to combine. 
Shape a tablespoon of the mixture into your hands, pat into small balls. (You may need to add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet to hold its shape). Place on the baking sheet.
Bake for 15-18 minutes in the preheated oven until golden. Serve warm with marinara sauce. Recipe makes about 16 bites.

Prosciutto, dates, and goat cheese bites

This is another one of my wife’s baking projects. She wanted to make savory small bites which will go well with red wine. Since we had extra prosciutto, she wanted to use it up. After searching recipes on-line, she found a recipe using pancetta, dates and goat cheese at Washington Post. Although the recipe specifically called for pancetta, we have learned that among the trinity of Italian cured pork, i.e. prosciutto, pancetta, and guanciale, the major difference between them is the part of the pork they come from; i.e. thigh, belly, and jowl, respectively. So my wife figured she could substitute the prosciutto she had for the pancetta she didn’t have in this dish. The recipe also called for dates. Upon inspection of the back of the pantry, we discovered that the only dates we had were an unopened package of dried dates which had passed their BUB (best-used-by) date by a large margin. We tasted the dates. They tasted OK but the skin was getting a bit hard. So we soaked the dates in hot water to see if that would help and it did. The dates were perfectly usable. In addition the recipe called for making the batter into a loaf of bread but my wife wanted something small to nibble with wine so she cooked the recipe in mini muffin tins. Thus these small bites or muffins were made. The dates added sweetness and prosciutto added a nice saltiness. They both went well with the goat cheese which made the muffin moist.

Ingredients:
3 ounces prosciutto (or pancetta), chopped into pea-size pieces (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 medium onion, minced (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 pitted dates, chopped into pea-size pieces (about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley (optional)
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves (optional)
2 teaspoons minced fresh chives (optional)
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
1/2 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
About 3 ounces (1/3 cup) fresh goat cheese, crumbled into pea-size pieces

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a mini muffin tin by either greasing it or lining it with paper cups.

Cook the prosciutto in a dry skillet over medium heat until crisped, about 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the prosciutto to a plate to drain. As needed, pour off all but about a teaspoon of the rendered fat in the pan, then return to medium heat and add the onion. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is wilted and lightly browned in spots. Remove from the heat.

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and herbs (if using them) in a mixing bowl. Add the pieces of goat cheese. Using a pastry blender cut the cheese into the flour until it is evenly distributed as you would if making biscuits. Add the onion mixture and stir until evenly distributed. Add the chopped dates and use your fingers to break up the sticky pieces and coat them with the flour mixture. This will help keep those solids from sinking to the bottom during baking.

Whisk together the oil, milk and eggs until well incorporated. Using a flexible spatula gently stir and combine the liquid and dry ingredients, scraping the dry ingredients up from the bottom of the bowl regularly.

Scoop the dough into the prepared mini muffin tins. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

These are very flavorful little bites. The combination of savory prosciutto and goat cheese with the sweetness of the dates is a very pleasing contrast. Perfect with a glass of red wine.

Cheese Straws チーズツイスト

We like small snack-y foods that go well with wine or sake. My wife, for some reason, decided to make these “Cheese straws” which are based on a recipe she found on the web. When she took out the frozen puff pastry sheets, however, she saw they were significantly past the BUD (best-used-by-date). After pondering a while and looking at what condition the puff pastry was in, she decided to take a chance and make this dish. She needed to modify the recipe mainly because of the cheeses on hand. She used smoked gouda and sharp cheddar. Despite the “passed BUD” puff pastry, this was quite good. Light, crispy and airy with cheesy flavors.

Ingredients:
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. light brown sugar
1 frozen puff pastry sheet
All-purpose flour, for rolling
4 oz. smoked cheddar cheese, finely shredded (about 11/2 cups), divided
1 large egg, beaten

Directions  
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir together the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and sugar in a small bowl until combined. Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheet on a floured work surface. Roll the pastry into a 16-by-12-inch rectangle, with long side parallel to edge of counter. Sprinkle about half of smoked paprika mixture over the surface of pastry. Sprinkle half the cheese over half of the rectangle lengthwise. Carefully fold the rectangle in half lengthwise over the cheese. Press the edges together to seal. Gently roll the folded pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the pastry into 16 (1-inch-wide) strips. Transfer the strips to the prepared baking sheets. Twist the ends in opposite directions to form spiraled sticks. Press the ends of the strips into the parchment paper, if needed, to help them hold their shape.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. (Cover with plastic wrap if refrigerating for more than 1 hour.). After removing from refrigerator sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and remaining smoked paprika mixture. Bake in 375 degree oven until cheese straws are golden brown and puffed, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating trays and moving between top and bottom racks halfway through.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Despite the fact the puff pastry was past the BUB date these were perfectly OK; spicy crunchy and flavorful. Perfect to have with a glass of wine. 

Savory Breakfast Mini Cheesecakes ミニチーズケーキ

This is another one of my wife’s baking projects. This time it was small cheesy bites called “Savory Breakfast Mini Cheesecakes” which she found on-line. She made quite a few modifications using her CCK (Common Culinary Knowledge). For example just looking at the list of ingredients for the crusts  listed in the recipe on the web she knew there was no way they would be enough to form crusts on 24 full sized muffin tins. She doubled the amount of ingredients and it was still not enough to fill all the mini muffin tin. Also the three 8 ounce packages of cream cheese (a total of 24 oz.) seemed a bit excessive so she significantly reduced the amount she used. (She wonders if sometimes the people who publish some of the recipes on the web have actually made them). The list of ingredients listed below includes all the specific alterations my wife made. Despite the numerous alterations in ingredients the cheese bites certainly turned out pretty well. They had a nice crunchy crust and cheesy center which cannot go wrong. But with the amount of eggs, cheese and butter that went in, this has to be more spectacular to be repeated.

Ingredients:
1 cup dry bread crumbs (I used Panko)
2/3 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese (I used parmesan)
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 package (8 oz.) cream cheese (or 1/2 package cream cheese plus1/4 chive and onion cream cheese)
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded cheese (gruyere, cheddar, smoked gouda)
2 pieces cooked bacon crumbled
1/4 teaspoon salt
other items could include cooked shallots, green onions, red peppers).

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 24 mini muffin tin cups with cooking spray or use paper liners.

Mix bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and melted butter together in a small bowl. Spoon about 1 teaspoon mixture into each of the prepared muffin cups. Using your fingers press down the bread crumbs to form a crust for the cheese filling. (This procedure is the very definition of tedious). 

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time until combined. Stir in the cheeses, bacon and any other additions you might be using. Scoop the cheese mixture into the bread crumb crusts. (I used the smallest ice cream scoop). 

Bake in the preheated oven until cheesecakes are firm to the touch and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in muffin tins for 10 minutes.

These were not bad. The crust was crispy because it was essentially oven fried. The cheesy filling was smooth and very pleasant. The bacon somehow didn’t stand out as much as we would have liked. It also made a nice cheese bite to go with wine. Subsequent note: These actually got better with time. Somehow the flavors stood out more and the crust actually was a good addition. 

Lemon Crumb Bar レモンクラムバー

One day, my wife announced she was going to make this lemon cream bar from a recipe she saw on line. She had purchased a similar item from Whole Food and thought she would try making a similar one herself. In any case, the end product was a nice crunchy, sweet candy bar like cookie thing. We did not taste any strong lemon flavor despite using the juice and zest of one lemon as called for in the recipe.

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt (1/2 tsp in dry ingredients, 1/4 tsp in the sweetened condensed milk). 
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled or quick-cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 or 2 lemons
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8x10-inch baking pan with 2 sheets of parchment paper, positioning them perpendicular to each other and making sure they are long enough to hang over all four sides by at least 1 inch to form a sling. Toast the oats in the toaster oven until brown and fragrant. Set aside until cooled. Cut 1 stick unsalted butter into 8 pieces and melt. Add the vanilla to the melted butter. Add 3/4 cup packed brown sugar in the butter and stir to melt the sugar. Put 1 cup AP flour and the 1 1/4 toasted oats in a bowl. Add 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a flexible spatula until no dry spots remain. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture for topping.

Transfer the remaining crumble mixture into the baking pan. Pat into an even layer. Bake until fragrant and lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the lemon filling. Finely grate the zest of  1 or 2 lemons (about 2 tablespoons) into the bowl. Juice the zested lemons until you have 1/2 cup, then add to the bowl. Add 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and whisk until smooth.

Pour the filling over the hot crust. Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture evenly over the filling. Return the baking pan to the oven and bake until the edges are lightly browned and set, 22 to 24 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. If the filling is softer than desired, refrigerate for 30 minutes once completely cooled to firm up. Grasping the excess parchment paper, lift the slab out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into 12 pieces.

This is nice, sweet and crunchy almost like a cookie. The toasted oats gave it a nutty aftertaste. The evaporated milk became slightly solid and added a pleasant creamy texture and taste. We didn’t notice much lemon flavor, however. This definitely satisfies the sweet tooth.

Babka Cookie Muffin バブカ クッキー マフィン

Last Christmas, we received chocolate babka as a gift. We enjoyed most of it but a small amount (a few good sized irregular pieces but mostly thick crumbs) remained in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator. Everything was still good. Its consistency and flavor made my wife remember some cookie butter crumb muffins she made some time ago and decided to use these babka left-overs to make a babka variation of cookie crumb muffin. My task was to pulverize or batter the left-over babka into crumbs. The resulting “battered babka crumb” was very chocolatey and much more moist than we expected but was just the amount needed to make the muffins.  The resulting muffins were very good with nice chocolaty flavor. They were not too sweet even with a crumb topping. Perfect for breakfast.

Ingredients:
FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING:
1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

FOR THE MUFFINS:
1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (100g) sugar
1/2 cup (140g) “battered babka crumbs”
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter milk

Directions:
TO MAKE THE CRUMB TOPPING:
Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.
Add the butter, and mix with your fingers until the mixture forms crumbs. Set aside (#3).

TO MAKE THE MUFFINS:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line or grease a 12-cup standard muffin pan.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and babka crumbs until thoroughly combined.
Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well. Add the milk and mix well (#1).
Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until fully blended (#2).
Scoop the batter into the muffin tins. (I used the second largest ice cream scoop).
Distribute the crumb topping over the muffin batter (#3). 
Bake 20 to 25 minute, or until the muffins are lightly browned and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (#4). Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

These muffins were quite good. They had a mild chocolately/bobka flavor. They were not too sweet and had a moist dense texture. The crumbs were literally “the icing on the top” with a slight browned butter sugar sweetness. We may have to go out and buy another babka for the next batch.

Ricotta Lemon Cookie リコッタチーズ レモンクッキー

I just made meat balls with Ricotta and parmesan cheeses using ground chicken instead of pork. I used only 2 tbs. from the container of ricotta. I mentioned to my wife that not only was that container open and mostly full but we were getting a back log of other ricotta cheese containers in the fridge, although luckily they hadn’t been opened. (Apparently, for some reason, every week we bought another container from the grocery store). I suggested to my wife that we should push using ricotta cheese for a while. Then, she saw the recipe of Ricotta cookies at King Arthur site. This was just what we needed and decided to make some. The original recipe used a glaze but we both agreed we did not need one. The original recipe also called for something called “ Fiori di Sicilia” which we didn’t have. But the recipe suggested micro-grated lemon zest and vanilla could be substituted for the “fiori di Sicilia” which is what she did. This turned out to be a great and not-too-sweet cookie. It has a soft consistency almost cake like rather than cookie. We had this as a part of morning breads (#1). We really liked it.

Ingredients X1
1 1/4 cups (150g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup (41g) Semolina Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup (227g) ricotta cheese, whole milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Lemon zest from one lemon (micro-grated) or 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia*


Ingredients (X2)
2 1/2 cups (300g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 
1/2 cup (82g) Semolina Flour 
2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon Kosher salt 
12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature 
1 1/2 cup (298g) granulated sugar 
2 large eggs, at room temperature 
2 cups (454g) ricotta cheese, whole milk
2  teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Lemon zest  (micro-grated) or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia* 


Instructions
To make the dough: Weigh your flours; or measure them by gently spooning them into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. (The mixture will not be lightened in color or fluffy in texture.)
Add the egg and mix until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat briefly. Add the ricotta, vanilla, and Fiori di Sicilia. Briefly mix to fully combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the ricotta mixture all at once. Mix slowly until no dry floury streaks remain. Cover the bowl or transfer the dough to an airtight container and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Scoop the chilled dough into generous tablespoon portions.
Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly apart (about 12 dough balls per baking sheet)
Bake the ricotta cookies for 15 to 17 minutes, until the edges of the cookies just start to turn light brown.

This was a very nice cookie. It had a soft cake like texture and the lemon flavor really came through nicely  giving it a light slightly sweet flavor. It went very well with our morning coffee. That excess of ricotta cheese won’t be around for long now that we have discovered these cookies.

P.S. Out of curiosity we bought some “fiori di sicilia” flavoring and tried it out in another batch of cookies. While the resulting cookies were very different in flavor from the ones make with just the lemon zest and vanilla, they were still very good. The flavor was much less lemon but had an intriguing somewhat floral after taste. The texture of the cookie was still moist and soft like the previous batch. Next time I may add more of the flavoring to see if I can make it a bit stronger.

Mock Tofu 擬制豆腐

I saw this recipe of “Mock tofu” or “Gisei-dofu 擬制豆腐” on Youtube by Chef. Kasahara 笠原. It looked interesting and I happened to have extra tofu and fresh shiitake mushroom which needed to be used up before going bad. Supposedly, this is a common form of “shojin-ryouri 精進料理” or vegetarian cooking done by Buddhist monks. The name “mock” or “gisei” reportedly comes from the fact that tofu was crumbed, other ingredients are added,  formed into an original rectangular shape of tofu and cooked. No eggs should be used in the original shojin-ryori but modern renditions use eggs as binder and some recipes even call for ground meat. 

While I was making this, I realized a U.S. block of tofu is larger than a Japanese block so I was afraid that the final loaf which had more tofu may not firm up but it did. The cut surface looked more like tofu than omelette (picture #1). I did not make it too sweet but this is a very good looking dish and tasted very gentle with nice texture.  Adding more tofu appeared to work. According to Chef Kasahara, this is his regular osechi “new year” dish. I may add this to my osechi next year. Since this could be a new year osechi dish, I served the slices on a small crane design plate we bought in Kyoto some years ago since the “crane” is very suitable motif for new year cerebration.

Ingredients: (made two loaves measuring 2 1/2 and 5 1/2 inch)

1 package (14oz or 400gram*) tofu (I used medium firm), drained, wrapped in paper towel with a weight on the top (I used two cutting boards as weights) for 20 minutes, crumble by hand

3 large eggs, beaten

4-5 caps of shiitake mushroom, thinly sliced

1 small carrot, julienned

3 scallions finely chopped

1 tbs vegetable oil

*Apparently Japanese one block of tofu is smaller. The original recipe used one block which was 300grams. 

Seasoning*:

1 tbs x 4 concentrated noodle sauce or soy sauce either light colored or regular

1 tbs mirin

* Original recipe calls for soy sauce and sugar. The above is not as sweet.

Directions:

Prepare loaf pans (I used two 2 1/2 x 5 1/2 inch silicon loaf pans) by lining with parchment paper and lightly oil for easy lifting (see “A” in the composite picture).  Preheat oven to 350F*.

In a frying pan on medium heat, add 1 tbs vegetable oil and sauté the carrot and mushroom. After few minutes, add the crumbled tofu and keep stirring for another 5 minutes or so until water is not seeping out from the tofu. Add the seasonings and cook until no liquid is visible on the bottom. Add the scallion, mix and shut off the flame.

Add the half of the eggs and mix. The residual heat will semi cook the eggs. Add the remaining eggs and mix.

Pour in the mixture to the loaf pans and press and flatten the surface with a silicon spatula.

Place the loaf pans in the 350F oven for 30 minutes (“A” in the composite picture) .

*Original recipe calls for 250C oven which is over 480F. I thought this was way too hot. Using my own discretion, I baked at 350F (about 180C) using the toaster oven in convection mode.

After cooling down for 10 minutes, I lifted the load out of the pan using both ends of the parchment paper (“B” in the composite picture). I sliced it after it cooled to near room temperature.

As I mentioned before, because of the larger proportion of tofu in my rendition (albeit by accident), the cut surface looks more like tofu than omelette. I do not think this dish should be omelette with tofu mixed in. More like tofu dish hiding the use of eggs like some Buddhist monks may have done. 

Obviously, you could alter the vegetables you can use in this dish. Renkon, wood ear mushroom, green beans, hijiki, ginnan, mitsuba etc were suggested. I also saw the recipes adding ground meat but I do not particularly like that idea.

In any case, we really like this dish as I made it (by accident??).

P.S. I made this dish again with few modifications. 

1. Seasonings: I used 2 tsp sugar and 2tbs x4 concentrated Japanese noodle sauce making it sweeter thatn the first. This appears to have worked. Both of us liked the a bit sweeter taste better.

2. I used three silicon loaf pans without parchment paper lining but coating the inside with a small mount of oil. The giese-tofu came out without problem. I am not sure the oil is needed.

Apple Pie Muffin and Pan Cake アップルパイ マフィン

As part of the season, we received some fresh fruit which included of several Granny Smith Apples. In general, these apples are not good eating apples and are typically used in baked goods such as cake. My wife remembered that she had saved a recipe she found on the internet about apple muffins that taste just like apple pie and thought this would be a perfect use of the Granny Smith Apples.

The original recipe came from “Serious Eats”. This is a somewhat complicated muffin to make. It comes in 3 parts. First is making the apples by coating them with spices and then cooking them in melted butter until they start getting soft. Second is a layer of crumbs to put between two layers of dough. Third is the muffin dough itself.

My wife made muffins (pictures #1 and #2) and baked in a baking dish as a flat cake (picture #3).

The problem was that these three different parts were not specified in the original recipe but instead all clumped together with phrases like, “2 1/4 cups AP flour divided” and it wasn’t until you were knee deep in the directions that you discovered 1/2 cup of the flour was supposed to be used to make crumbs and the other 1 3/4 cups was used for the actual muffin batter. As a matter of fact the recipe did not even specify there was a layer of crumbs and it took my wife some time to figure out the recipe consisted of 3 parts at which point the recipe started to make sense. Added to all that we wanted to use up all the Granny Smith apples but once we cooked them all we realized we had too many for just one batch of a dozen muffins. So we decided to double the recipe and make 1/2 as muffins and 1/2 as a pan cake (i.e. a flat cake baked in a baking pan). Hopefully we have sorted out the three components of the recipe below so they are clearer than the original and by showing the recipe as X1 for just muffins and X2 for muffins and pan cake. Good Luck.

Ingredients (X 1)

For the Spiced Apples:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 small tart apple such as Granny Smith cut into 1/4 inch pieces (1 cup chopped)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For the crumbs:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 tbs butter

For the muffins: 
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour,
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon,
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened,
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/3 cup apple cider, at room temperature (We didn’t have any cider so we juiced another apple)

Ingredients (X2) We wanted to use up the Granny Smith Apples but we ended up with too many apples so we chose to double the recipe and make 1/2 as muffins and 1/2 as pan cake

For the Spiced Apples:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tart apples such as Granny Smith, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For the crumbs:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup flour
3 tsp cinnamon
8 tbs butter

For the muffins:
1 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened,
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2/3 cup apple cider, at room temperature (We didn’t have any cider so we juiced another apple)

Directions: whether making 1X or 2X of the recipe just use the quantity of ingredients specified for that amount.

For the Spiced Apples:  In a 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, add apple pieces, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and pie spice and cook, stirring frequently, until apples are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer apple mixture to a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Thoroughly strain, gently stirring to remove as much excess moisture from apples as possible; set aside to let apples strain until they reach room temperature, about 15 minutes. Spread strained apples in an even layer on a large plate and refrigerate uncovered until cooled, 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve strained sauce for use as a glaze. 

Prepare oven and cooking utensils: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. If making pan cake grease the medium sized pyrex cooking pan then line with greased parchment paper.

Make the crumbs for the Muffins: Stir together brown sugar, pie spice,1/2 cup of the flour, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon in a medium bowl until well combined. Work in 4 tablespoons of the butter using fingertips until mixture is well combined and resembles wet sand. Set aside.

Make the batter for the muffin: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat granulated sugar and remaining 2/3 cup butter on medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition, about 30
seconds.

In a medium bowl, whisk together salt, baking powder, baking soda, remaining 1 3/4
cups flour, and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

In a small measuring cup whisk together sour cream and cider (apple juice) until well combined.

Stir flour mixture into butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream mixture, until flour mixture is moistened but large flour streaks remain. Fold cooled apples into batter until evenly dispersed and batter is just combined. (Do not over-mix.)

Assembly: Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into bottom of each paper liner. Sprinkle 1 packed teaspoon brown sugar mixture evenly over batter in each muffin liner; top with remaining batter (about 3 tablespoons per well) spreading into an even layer. (Liners will be very full.) (1 and 2 in the composite)

Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 12 to 18 minutes, rotating pan halfway. Let cool in pan 10 minutes.

If making pan cake, spoon 1/2 the batter into the baking dish, cover with crumbs, and cover crumbs with remaining batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes reduce temperature to 375 and bake for 30 minutes and start testing for doneness by seeing if wooden pick comes out clean (3 and 4 in the composite).

Carefully remove from pan and serve warm or at room temperature, drizzling with reserved strained apple juices from step 2 just before serving.

Although this is a fairly convoluted recipe for apple based muffins it is probably worth it because the end result is very good. They do taste distinctly of apple pie. The texture is very light, soft and tender. The cooked apples introduce a burst of cinnamon flavored moistness that is very pleasant. The crumbs kind of melted into the texture making an internal layer of buttery cinnamon flavored dough. The pan cake had all the similar characteristics but was simpler to make. These muffins are a bit unique in the combination of flavors and textures they deliver. Despite the initial difficulties now that we have the recipe sorted out we will be making them again.

Chestnut olive oil bread 栗とオリーブオイルケーキ

This is a variation on the theme of  “olive oil cakes” that my wife has been making recently. Previous versions were: “almond olive oil cake” and “Hazelnut olive oil cake”. The hazelnut olive oil cake was gluten-free but since our purpose in making these cakes was to use various unusual nut flours rather than make gluten-free cakes, she added a small amount of AP flour in the almond olive oil cake which appears to make the cake more stable by preventing the center of the cake from collapsing after it cooled. This time, she added more wheat flour and the cake consistency is closer to “regular” cake. The chestnut flour gave a really nicely distinctive flavor. Next time, she said she might add chunks of prepared chestnuts.

Ingredients
2 cups firmly packed chestnut flour
1/2 cup AP flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/3 extra-virgin olive oil (medium quality is OK)

1 cup sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 20 cm 8" springform pan with olive oil then line with baking paper (parchment paper), then grease the paper. In a medium bowl, mix the chestnut flour, AP flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the olive oil, eggs and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes on speed 7 or 8 until it becomes pale and thick (like pouring cream or runny mayonnaise). Add vanilla extract and beat on speed one for 10 seconds. Add the Dry ingredients and mix in gently using a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. It will puff up dramatically in the oven but it collapses as it cools. (This version did not collapse as much as previous nut olive oil cakes). Remove from the oven and allow the cake to fully cool in the pan before releasing from the springform pan. This is a rustic cake that has higher edges and a flatter centre.

This is a very distinctive cake. It has a moist dense texture and a deep rich nutty chestnut flavor. (The flavor is unique, in a good way, and very distinctive.) Because of the intense rich flavor a small piece goes a long way. We found it is particularly good served with a slather of blueberry flavored cream cheese. 

Almond Olive Oil Cake アーモンドオリーブオイルケーキ

This is a variation my wife made of “Hazelnut olive oil cake”. Instead of hazelnut flour (which is a very expensive flour), she used almond flour. She made a number of  modifications. It turned out very nice (#1). Since she used small amount of wheat flour, this is not gluten free.

Because of the olive oil, the cake is very moist and nice alomond flavor coming from both the flour and the almond essence. Since this is not too sweet, perfect for breakfast.

Ingredients
1 1/4  cups firmly packed almond flour
1/2 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (medium quality is OK)
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
>1 tsp almond extract (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 20 cm/8" springform pan with olive oil then line with baking paper (parchment paper), then grease the paper. In a medium bowl, mix the almond flour, AP flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the olive oil, eggs and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes on speed 7 or 8 until it becomes pale and thick (like pouring cream or runny mayonnaise). Add vanilla and almond extract beat on speed one for 10 seconds. Add the Dry ingredients and mix in gently using a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. It will puff up dramatically in the oven but it collapses as it cools. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to fully cool in the pan before releasing from the springform pan. This is a rustic cake that has higher edges and a flatter centre.

This is nice variation on the theme of breads made with exotic flours. This has a very moist tender texture and a nice flavor from the combination of almonds and olive oil. (They go surprisingly well together).

Pesto Blini ペストビリ二

Our window sill basil is still growing very well. Although we use cuttings for pizzas and salads etc, we still need to harvest a relatively large quantity of basil every-once-in-a-while. Although my wife made basil cake/bread, our default to use up excess basils is making pesto. But once the pesto is made, we have to use it in a reasonable time or freeze it. Once we freeze the pesto, we tend to forget about it. We used most of the last batch for pesto and red pepper sauce pizza. My wife came up with this to use up the remaining pesto.  “Pesto Blini”! This is an extension of “Roasted pepper blini”.  We had it toasted as a part of breakfast it had a nice crisp crust and the pesto flavor came through as a savory dimension. We have to enjoy this with other appropriate toppings.

Ingredients(X2.5) makes 17 blini
1/2 cup pesto
5 tbs melted butter
1/2 +1/8 cup cream
5 large eggs, beaten
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
In a medium bowl, add the egg, the pesto, the melted butter and cream, then add the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until well blended. (You may need to add more liquid so the batter is the consistency of pancake batter.)
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pyrex dish. Use the melted butter to grease each of the platar cups of a cast iron platar before adding the batter . Pour the batter into the cups until they are 1/2 full. Cook over moderately low heat, turning once, until set, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter.

This makes a lovely savory crumpet like bite. It also provides a nice contrast to the usual flavors that appear for breakfast and it is a great way to use up pesto left over from pesto pizza.

Frangipane Rolls フランジパンロール

My wife’s sister sent this recipe from King Arthur Flour to my wife knowing my wife is a fairly accomplished baker (challenge???). It appears to be a very fancy recipe and the “frangipane” was even a separate recipe. In any case, my wife rose to the challenge. Being a King Arthur recipe, the original recipe called for their “Raspberry and orange jammy bits” in the filling which we would have had to buy. She skipped this and just used the “frangipane”. The thin layer of frangipane added a nice and distinct almond flavor and the rolls had a nice texture and slightly sweet taste (picture #1). It took some work for my wife but she said it was worth it. 

Frangipane recipe (makes about 360 gram which is perfect for the frangipane rolls recipe below)

Ingredients: 
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (96g) King Arthur Almond Flour
3 tablespoons (23g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or King Arthur Gluten- Free Measure for Measure Flour
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons almond emulsion or almond extract

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute on medium speed.
2. Stir in the flours, egg, and almond flavoring. Mix until just combined.
3. Use the frangipane as desired: fill tart shells, pipe into croissant dough, top slices of Bostock, or come up with your own way to use this flavorful, nutty filling. Bake the frangipane as directed in your recipe or until it’s golden brown and smells nutty.
4. Store leftover unbaked frangipane in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.

Frangipane roll recipe:

Ingredients: (doubled the original recipe)

Tangzhong (starter)
6 tablespoons (86g) water
6 tablespoons (86g) milk, whole preferred
4 tablespoons (28g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

Dough
5 cups (600g) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
1 cup (226g) milk, whole preferred
2 large eggs
8 tablespoons (114g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoon (18g) instant yeast
2 teaspoon (12g) table salt

Topping
2 tablespoons (28g) milk,whole preferred
2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar, optional

Directions:
1.To make the tangzhong: 
In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients and whisk until no lumps remain.
2.Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook the mixture, stirring regularly, until thickened, paste-like, and the spoon or spatula leaves lines on the bottom of the pan. This should take 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the strength of the burner.
3.Remove the tangzhong from the heat and transfer it to a large mixing bowl, the bowl of a stand mixer, or the bucket of a bread machine (wherever you plan to knead the dough).

4.To make the dough: 
Weigh the flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Place the flour into the bowl with the tangzhong and add the remaining dough ingredients. Mix to combine, then knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 8 to 10 minutes on medium-low speed of a mixer. (The dough may be tacky and stick to the sides of the bowl slightly; that's OK.)
5.Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased large bowl or standard dough rising bucket, cover, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. The refrigerated rise will make the dough much easier to handle and shape
6.To assemble: On a lightly floured surface, gently deflate the dough, divide it into four pieces and shape each piece into a ball.
7.Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
8. Prepare a square pan with a parchment sling or reusable silicone liner. Lightly grease any exposed sides of the pan.
9. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it into an 8" square. If the dough begins to snap back during rolling, set it aside and begin rolling out the second piece. After a couple of minutes, return to the first piece to continue rolling it to the full size (this gives the gluten a chance to relax).
10. Portion one quarter of the filling onto the top half of the square. 
11. Starting at the top, spread the filling across the entire width of the square and down about 4", leaving the bottom 4" bare (#1). If the filling is difficult to spread, warm it in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir; check the consistency. Repeat, if necessary, until it's easily spreadable.
12. Using a bench or chef’s knife, cut the uncovered dough at the bottom into very thin strips (anywhere from 1/8" to 1/4" wide) (#2).
13.Starting from the filling-covered top and rolling toward the uncovered strips, roll the dough into a log about 8" long.
 14. Lightly press the strips into the rolled log to secure. Cut the log into four 2" pieces and then place them, seam-side down, in a row and in alternating orientations in the pan (#3).
15. Roll, fill, and shape the remaining pieces of dough, placing the rolls into the pan to form 4 rows of 4 buns, each row in an alternating pattern (#4 & #5). Cover the rolls and let them rise for 60 to 75 minutes, until puffy.
16.While the rolls rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.
17.To finish and bake the rolls: Gently brush the rolls with milk, being careful not to deflate the delicate dough, and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar.
18. Bake the rolls for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tops are golden brown; a digital thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 190°F (#6).
19. Remove the rolls from the oven and cool in the pan until you can transfer it safely to a rack to cool completely, at least 15 minutes. Serve the rolls slightly warm or at room temperature.
20. Storage information: Store leftover mini wool rolls, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days.

These rolls have a very delicate flavor accented mostly by the frangipan which provides a delicate slightly sweet almond flavor. The bread has the texture and flavor of a milk bread while the frangipan provides a slightly custard like filling interspersed through out the bread. This is definitely a very sophisticated bread.

Spinach Soufflé (easy version) ほうれん草のスフレ

My wife is partial to spinach soufflé. Previously I made it the traditional way by separating the egg yolks and whites. Then making a béchamel sauce in which I put the egg yolks. The whites are whipped before being incorporated into the béchamel sauce too. Then we learned from Jacques Pepin that there are two simpler ways to make souffle. One is to just use a whole egg rather than separating it. The other was to make  a corn soufflé  without even making a béchamel by using fresh corn pure instead. Those two methods were much easier. Recently we tried a variation of another soufflé recipe from Pepin which he called (Maman’s cheese soufflé recipe). We saw the recipe presented on YouTube. Again we used whole eggs rather than separating the yolks and whites. Although we adopted the idea of using a whole egg in the souffle, we did not make Maman’s cheese souffle instead we tailored the recipe to make spinach souffle by adding spinach and onion. It did not rise as much as we expected but it was pretty good. We served it with roasted lamb with mushroom port wine sauce (picture #1).

We cooked it in small but deep ramekins (picture #2). If we used shallower and wider opening vessels like one used by Pepin, it may have risen more but this was just fine and tasted really great.

Again, we modified the recipe in several ways. One modification is that I used much less butter than is used in classic Béchamel sauce; in the classic the same amount of butter and flour is used. I add finely chopped onion and/or mushrooms in addition to the butter. The flour coats the surface of the fat covered onion and makes the resulting Béchame without lumps. This is not a precise recipe but just a note for myself.

Ingredients: (made two large ramekins full, 2 inches in diameter)
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
2 tbs unsalted butter
3 tbs Ap flour
1/2 cup or more milk
1/4 cup spinach, cooked and moisture squeezed, finely chopped (I cooked it without added water in a wok with a lid and then squeezed out any remaining moisture using a ricer).
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
3 large eggs, well beaten
Back pepper, salt and nutmeg for taste

Butter and grated parmesan cheese to lightly grease the ramekins.

Directions:
In a frying pan, melt the butter and cook the shallot for a few minutes, add the flour and mix for one minute after the dry flour disappears
Add cold milk at once and mix using a silicon spatula until well mixed and thickened. Add the cheese and mix (adjust the thickness by adding more milk)
Add the spinach and seasonings and let it cook for 5 minutes then add to the beaten eggs and mix.
Pour the mixture into the prepared ramekins (70% full) (as per Pepin, this can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days before cooking).
Bake for 30-35 minutes in a preheated 375F oven (I used our toaster oven in convection mode).

It did not rise as much as our previous soufflé but it did rise and tasted great with good texture. This is much easier to make. My wife was quite satisfied with it.

Mini Fruit Galettes ミニフルーツガッレト

We had an excess of strawberries which were nonetheless pretty good. So how to use them? My wife happened to come across a recipe for “Mini fruit galettes” in the Washington Post. Although the original recipe involved making a crust from scratch, she had some pie dough in the freezer which was a bit old so she decided to take a short cut and use that instead. While this rendition was more than adequate and quite good for a small but not too sweet desert there is room for improvement. Since the dough was fairly old it was a bit dry and kept opening up. (As shown by the little pie on the left in the picture). Also, a bit more strawberry filling would have been helpful.

Ingredients:
Two Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts   
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs (I used panko)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups strawberries (or tart pitted cherries and/or peeled, diced peaches as per the original recipe)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, another orange-flavored liqueur (we used Triple Sec) or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons cold unsalted butter, each cut into equal pieces
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
About 1/4 cup sparkling sugar or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the dough into two inch round portions using a biscuit cutter. (A slightly larger size might work a bit better). Roll out the dough a bit thinner. Scatter 1 tablespoon of the dried bread crumbs across the center, leaving a margin all around. (In the upper left hand corner of the picture #1, a crust with the crumbs on it is just visible.) (These bread crumbs are extremely important. They soak up any excess juice and make a nice almost jelly like filling.)

Stir together the granulated sugar and cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Add the fruit, lemon juice and Grand Marnier (Triple Sec) or almond extract; stirring well to coat the fruit. Scoop out a scant spoon full and put in the center of the piece of dough. Working quickly, lift the outside of the dough edge and pull it up and slightly over the filling, leaving the fruit in the center exposed. (This proved more difficult than we expected. Although we moistened the edges of the dough, it kept opening with the filling spilling out. But with some effort we made it work).

Work around each galette, folding the dough over on itself and forming a series of pleats to make a snug package. Use the outside edge of your hands to cup the edges of the galette and gently press the dough into the fruit. Snuggle one small cube of butter into the center opening. Place the galette on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds, filling and butter.

Freeze them, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes, until firm.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly beat the egg, water and salt in a small bowl. Brush the folded edges of each galette with the egg wash, then sprinkle them with the sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply golden brown with bubbling filling.
Cool for a bit before serving.

The crispy buttery pie crust was a nice contrast and went well with the strawberry jellly-like filling. The egg wash with the sugar coating caramelized and made a sweet crunch to bite into. The bread crumbs in the center of the dough is a technique to keep in mind for other baked pie goods. Because they soaked up the excess juice the pie crust did not get soggy and remained nicely crispy. My wife said she will make this again with improvements; one of which is the use of dough that is not quite so dry (old).

“Roman” Gnocchi ローマンニョキ

We like gnocchi and every time we cook chicken or pork on the Weber grill, we also cook potatoes and my wife often makes gnocchi from any potatoes left over. She cooks the gnocchi and then freezes them. To serve we heat them up in the toaster oven. Recently, she saw a recipe for “Roman” gnocchi on the Washington post web site and decided she had to make it. This gnocchi is not made with potato but, instead, semolina flour. Also, instead of boiling and then pan frying it is baked (or more accurately oven fried in melted butter). We served this one evening as a part of multiple small “otoshi” snacks. It has nice crust with soft inside with buttery flavor quite different from traditional gnocchi.

The original recipe came from Washington Post.

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and divided, plus more for greasing the dish
4 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) semolina, preferably coarse
2 large egg yolks
3 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated and divided (1 1/2 lightly packed cups) (She used parmegiano reggiano
Freshly ground black pepper

Although I made the gnocchi according to the original recipe these are the changes I would make to the original recipe if I made it again. I would halve the recipe. I would significantly reduce the butter because under the original recipe the gnocchi was swimming in butter when it came out of the oven. I would cook the semolina in the milk slightly differently as described below.

Ingredients: (1/2 recipe)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and divided, plus more for greasing the dish
2 cups whole milk
1/8 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
3/4 cups semolina, preferably coarse
1 large egg yolks
3/4 cup ounces finely grated cheese finely grated and divided (1 1/2 lightly packed cups)
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
Use a little butter to grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (if using the original recipe, the smaller baking dish if using the changed recipe).

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk and salt. Stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot with a rubber spatula to prevent scorching, bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium-low to prevent a boil-over.

Then sprinkle in the semolina, stirring constantly as you do. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is so thick that the spatula can stand in the middle without falling over, 2 to 3 minutes. (Although this is what the recipe suggests when I did it the semolina hit the hot liquid and immediately formed lumps. So in the future I suggest adding the semolina to the cool liquid and then gently heating it up. This way the semolina can be evenly distributed in the liquid before it starts to firm up when heated.)

Let cool for a few minutes, then add half of the butter (4 tablespoons) and 1/2 cup of the cheese, stirring until the butter and cheese melt and the mixture is thoroughly combined. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and stir until incorporated. The mixture should be the texture of thick mashed potatoes.

Scrape the semolina mixture onto a large sheet pan and use wet hands, a damp knife or offset spatula to spread it out evenly, and pat the top to smooth it. (It should be about 1/2 inch thick, but it’s okay if it’s a little thicker.) Let cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes.

Fill a small bowl with water. Dip a two-inch cookie cutter, biscuit cutter or drinking glass in the water and use it to stamp out rounds, re- dipping frequently, or use a knife to cut it into two-inch squares. If cutting into rounds, mush together and spread out the scraps again and keep cutting, repeating until all of the mixture is used.

Arrange the pieces in overlapping rows, like shingles, in the buttered baking dish (#2). Sprinkle them with the remaining cheese, and top with the remaining pieces of butter.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is browned in spots (#3). Grind a generous amount of pepper on top and serve warm.

This is very different from the gnocchi made with potatoes but it tasted pretty good and has real potential with a few changes. The outside was crispy and the inside soft. It had a pleasing mild flavor of the cheese. It may not be good for you since it has lots of cheese, egg yolks and then oven fried in melted butter. My wife thinks she could cut down on the butter next time. Although the gnocchi was litterly swimming in butter when it came out of the oven the melted butter in the baking dish was completely absorbed as it cooled.

Salted Oatmeal Cookie 塩味オートミールクッキー

We are a big fan of savory cookies. My wife came across this recipe for “Salted oatmeal cookies” and decided to make it. It turned out this is not quite “savory” but has a nice contrast of salty and sweet and pretty good.

The recipe came from Washington Post.

Ingredients (made 33 small cookies)
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks/170 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (220 grams) packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (180 grams) rolled oats (do not use quick-cooking or instant)
1 3/4 cups (219 grams) all-purpose flour Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions:
Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer for a few minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the brown and granulated sugars, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon, beating on medium speed until the mixture is well blended. Reduce the speed to medium-low; add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until well incorporated.

Reduce the speed to low; add the oats and flour stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mixing just until incorporated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, until needed.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.

Form the dough into golf ball-size balls and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. Sprinkle generously with flaky salt (the second picture).

Bake one sheet at a time for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed and beginning to turn golden, being careful not to overbake. (The cookies should have a tender interior.) Transfer the cookies, still on the parchment paper, to a wire rack to cool completely.

The contrast between the salt and the sweet are what really make these cookies. The out side is crunchy and the inside is soft. As you can see in the picture the oats retain their shape and provide an additional element of crunch.

Cranberry Camembert cheese bites クランベリーソース、カマンベールチーズ バイツ

We, especially my wife, like small appetizers or bites. She came across this recipe on-line and decide to make it. We had leftover “figgy cranberry sauce” which I had made for Thanksgiving. The original recipe called for brie cheese but she used camembert instead. These small bits are good but the cheese did not melt much and did not impart much flavor. This can be improved upon but has potential to be a very good appetizer. She tried two versions; one with the cranberry sauce on the top (picture #1) and one with the cranberry on the bottom (#2). Both tasted the same but the cranberry sauce on the top looked better to us.

The original “Cranberry Brie Bites” recipe came from “All Recipes”.

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) round Camembert cheese
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (suggest pie crust or wonton skin could be used too)
1⁄2 cup cranberry sauce (we used figgy cranberry sauce)
1⁄2 cup finely chopped walnuts sea salt to taste

Directions
Remove and discard rind from Camembert cheese. (Place cheese in the freezer for 20 minutes to make it easier to cut).
Meanwhile, oil a 24-cup mini muffin pan with butter.
Roll puff pastry sheet out into a 10x14-inch rectangle. Cut sheet lengthwise into 4 even strips and then crosswise into 6 even strips, making 24 squares. Separate squares and gently press each one into a prepared muffin cup (#3). (Following these instructions resulted in rectangular squares which did not fit well into the muffin cup. We found the pieces had to be either square or round to fit properly.) 
Remove chilled Camembert from the freezer; cut into 24 pieces, approximately 3/4-inch in size.
Add 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce to each pastry-lined muffin cup, then press in a piece of Brie and top with 1 teaspoon chopped walnuts. Season each bite with a pinch of sea salt. Transfer muffin pan to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes, or cover and chill for up to 3 days. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake bites in the preheated oven until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes (#4)

The most difficult part of the recipe is making the pastry cups. My wife said, she saw little point in using puff pastry since there was little room for it to expand in this preparation. She said next time she may use either commercial pie crust or wonton skin. The combination of the cranberry sauce and walnuts worked very well together. The cheese contributed little flavor but a slightly chewy texture. Next time we’ll try a nice savory cheddar.

P.S. Recently we were expecting 3-6 inches accumulation of snow overnight. Fortunately, the temperature was not low enough for that to happen and the accumulation was much less than expected. In addition most of the snow melted from the pavement. The grassy areas and trees, however, were covered with snow including the Japanese plum tree in our back yard that was in full bloom. This has happened several times in the past. It is one of the remarkable characteristics of this type of plum tree. It blooms early in the year; late January to early March. Yet the tree and blossoms survive even when hit with the snowy cold weather characteristic of that time of year. Also, the blossoms exude a lovely fragrance which gently wafts across the yard when it is in bloom. It is a remarkable experience to breathe in that lovely smell while looking at blossoms completely covered in snow such as the ones shown here. 

Sweet Onion Bread Pudding 玉ねぎのブレッドプデｨング

I do not know how my wife decided to make this dish. She apparently saw this recipe on line and decided to make it.  The recipe calls for cubes of bread. She did not feel like using our home-baked milkbread or other breads we baked. So we ended up getting a loaf of whole wheat bread from Whole Foods. Although the original recipe was called “soufflé”, this is not a souffle. My wife decide to call it “bread pudding”. In any case, this is a good side dish. For the first time we tasted it, onion flavor was sort of strong (even though we used sweet onion and sautéed for a long time). But it calmed down and eventually tasted just right. It heats up  nicely by briefly microwaving. As shown in the picture we served this as a snack with Greek rice stuffed grape leaves (dolma or dolmadakia, store bought)

The recipe came from “Southern living”.

Ingredients: Recipe X 1/2
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped Vidalia onions
1 cups fresh bread cubes (crusts removed) 
6 oz. evaporated milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese (or combination of other cheeses)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients (Original recipe)
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups chopped Vidalia onions
2 cups fresh bread cubes (crusts removed)
1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese (or combination of other cheeses)
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add chopped onion, and sauté 10 to 15 minutes or until tender.
Place onion and bread cubes in a large bowl. Stir in milk, eggs, 1 cup cheese, and salt. Pour into a lightly greased soufflé or baking dish. (For 1/2 recipe I used the smallest pyrex baking dish). Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
Bake at 350 ̊ for 25 minutes or until set.

This is basically an onion flavored bread pudding. It is very flavorful (and very rich). Initially the onion was quite strong. It got better with time as the onion flavor blended into the cheese and bread. The 1/2 recipe was perfect for us.