Autumn is coming.

As a kid, I remember seeing seasonal school calendars, and noticing that September was always lumped in with the autumn months.  The month of September was typically represented by a back-to-school image, which made sense, but the accompanying theme of falling leaves did not.  The first month of school back in Davis, CA was often plagued by near 100°F days, not giant piles of leaves.  I know that this extended summer is not the norm everywhere, but I was still surprised by the weather change here in Philly this month.  It is noticeably colder at night, and the uncomfortable humidity makes only occasional appearances now.  Don't get me wrong, I like this cooler weather.  It reminds me of what San Francisco is like most of the year, but I was finally starting to enjoy the warmer nights.

To pay homage to this transitional month, I'm using a seasonal fall ingredient to salute the last few weeks of warm weather:

The Grape

When people discuss favorite seasonal ingredients, grapes are almost always overlooked.  Grapes, like apples and oranges, are ALWAYS at the grocery store.  This promotes the false notion that they do not have a domestic or local season, but they do!  Like anything found during their prime harvest time, they will taste better, look nicer, and cost less.  Side note: Bananas also hang around all year in our produce markets, but they are tropical and therefore don't have a season.   What gets shipped to us isn't the most exciting, most delicious, banana specimen out there....but that's another post for another time.

For grapes, we are entering the peak of the season.  Grapes are harvested from July to December, and although we may only think of red and green (typically both Thomson Seedless hybrids), there are many varieties to eat, just think of all the wine varietals.  Other familiar eating varieties include the Concord (the best "baking" grape), the similarly coveted Korean Kyoho, and hundreds of others, including hybrids such as the Thomcord (a seedless cross between the green Thomson and Concord).  Ok, before I go food-nerd crazy on more grape varieties (grape nuts? Sorry...), let's get to the recipe!

Recipe: Fresh Grape Granita

Ingredients:
1 pound seedless Grapes, any variety.
Depending on your grapes:
1-2 tablespoons water
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons sugar
1-2 tablespoons wine (like Muscat) or liqueur (St. Germain)

Tools: Blender, fork, metal pan

Method:
1. Wash grapes, remove from stem.
2. Place grapes in a blender.  Blend for 3-4 minutes until smooth.  If you want less pulp, you could strain it at this point, but I like it a little thicker.

These grapes look like giant cranberries here...

At first you'll think "this is going to have lots of grape skin that I'll need to strain out",
but just keep it going at a medium-low speed, and it will be fine.

3.  Taste the grape mixture.  If you are using typical table grapes, as I have, your grapes are probably super sweet.  Add at least 3 tablespoons of water and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.  If your grapes are a specialty or heirloom variety that is not overly sweet, but full of flavor and color, start with just 1 tablespoon of water and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.  After making any additions, taste and reevaluate.  Keep in mind that when frozen, flavors are slightly muted, so don't dilute the natural flavor too much.
4.  Once you are done tasting, pour juice into a shallow metal dish or pan, and place in the freezer.
5.  Once the grape juice is completely frozen, which takes at least 5 hours (overnight is easiest), scrape it into crystals with a fork.  That's it!
6.  Re-scrape and fluff with a fork before serving in chilled bowls or glasses.  If you are going to wait a few days to serve, be sure to cover it with plastic.

Sliced grapes are surprisingly beautiful! 

The Result: A sweet, icy treat that will please just about everyone.  A perfect ending to a filling and rich meal.  Serve with fresh grapes (a contrasting color or flavor would be a nice touch), or pour sparkling wine or soda to make a refreshing and sophisticated slushy.

So this granita is for you, September, enjoy the treat!  Now if you could tell October and November to play nice, I'd really appreciate it.

Pastry Blasphemy

I do not like whipped cream.  I realize as a pastry professional, it is a little strange to admit this.  It's not the taste I object to, it's something about the whipped, airy consistency, and I don't really know where this dislike came from.  Since I was a little kid, whenever I ordered a shake, or hot chocolate, it would inevitably arrive with a disappointing mound of the stuff.  Fortunately, I was lucky enough to have my big sister by my side, who bravely removed it with her spoon.  I mean, I would never use my own spoon, that's just gross.  Just thinking about it gives me the chills.  

A few years ago, I started working at Spruce, where I had to make whipped cream almost every day.  Faced with whipping it together so frequently, I survived the task by slowly transitioning my pure disgust into a professional respect.  I was reminded that whipped cream is incredibly useful.  It's easy and quick to make, and it can accompany just about anything.  Don't get me wrong, I still don't eat it plain, but I've come to realize that it deserves its place on the dessert plate, and in the pastry chef's arsenal.

Whipped cream is pretty easy to throw together by taste, but at Spruce, our formula was 10:1, cream to sugar, by weight.  If you are feeling fancy you can add vanilla extract.  This formula translates to the volumetric recipe below:

Start with cold cream and it will whip faster

Clearly, I won't stop here with just a bowl of plain whipped cream.  Please, I need to eat something.  So, what can accompany this ubiquitous, fluffy and flexible substance?  Pâte à Choux!

Pâte à choux (paht-a-shoo) is a frequent partner-in-crime of whipped cream, and their chemistry together is undeniable.  Don't be fooled by the French, because it's truly a strange translation: Cabbage Pastry.  Fortunately it has to do with the shape and appearance after baking, and NOT the flavor or color of cabbage. 

I guess it looks like cabbage...?

Pâte à choux, choux pastry, or choux paste, is a soft dough that is best known for its role in cream puffs, eclairs, and profiteroles.  It's a dough that is fundamentally different from most french pastry.  Unlike puff pastry, and croissant dough, it is cooked on the stove and piped into its final shape.  It doesn't take hours of resting, rolling and folding, as it comes together in less than 15 minutes.  Pâte à choux creates a wonderfully light and crisp vessel.  It readily cradles the whipped cream, and supports any friendly stowaways, like chocolate ganache and fresh fruit.

Original Recipe: Pâte à choux from Martha Stewart.com.  The yield on the website says 30 cream puffs, I got around 48.  Bonus!

Ingredients:

1 c water

1 t sugar

1/2 t salt

1 stick butter, 4oz

1 1/4 c AP flour (165g)

4 eggs + 1 white

Method:

1. Place water, sugar, salt, and butter in a small pot.  Bring to a boil.

2. Take off heat, add flour all at once, and stir aggressively with a wooden spoon, until smooth.  It will look like mashed potatoes.

3. Put the pot back on medium heat, and cook the dough while continuously stirring.  After a few minutes, you'll notice the dough drying out a little, and a film will develop on the bottom of the pot.  Take off the heat, place the dough in a mixing bowl and use the low speed on a mixer to cool for 1-2 minutes.  

4. Once the dough is no longer piping hot, gradually add the eggs, one at time.  Wait until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next, and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed with a spatula.  After the last egg white is added, make sure the entire mixture is homogenous by scraping the bottom of the bowl and mixing for 1 more minute.

  

5. Shape the dough by placing it in a piping bag, and piping out cream puff and eclair shapes on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  You can also use a scoop.  

Use a little dough to glue the parchment paper down

No matter if you pipe or scoop, be sure to press down any "tails" using your finger moistened with water.
These little tails can burn if left on your piped shapes.

For eclairs, pipe long tubes of dough.

6. Bake in a 375 F degree oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.  Then to ensure a crisp shell, turn off the oven and prop the door open, so the shells can dry out even further without overbaking.  Now you can use them immediately, or place them in a airtight container, or freeze them.  Re-toast in the oven, as needed.

Now that we have our shells, the sky is the limit.  For eclairs, we could pipe them full of pastry cream and glaze it with chocolate ganache.  For profiteroles, we could slice them in half and put a small scoop of ice cream inside.  However, this time I was inspired by a recipe from Martha Stewart to treat them like strawberry shortcakes and use our whipped cream.  I don't have strawberries so, enter the Mini Banana Eclairs!

yum.

Method:

1) Slice choux puff in half with serrated knife.

2) Fill the bottom half with vanilla whipped cream.

3) Top cream with banana slices.

4) Dunk top half in warm ganache (equal parts chopped chocolate and hot cream).

5) Sandwich it all together and eat!

The Result:  A mini, fluffy, creamy banana chocolate sandwich.  It reminds me of a lighter version of banana cream pie, with the chocolate lending a welcome bitterness.  This would be a good addition to a dessert buffet, no utensils required!  

You can use small round puffs too

Verdict: I have eaten two of these already, and I am strongly contemplating a third fourth.  Make these little guys the next time you need something painfully cute in a rush.  Keep in mind that after sitting with the cream, the pâte à choux will lose its crispiness.  If you want to let them sit out, AND still have some crunchy texture, sprinkle some chopped toasted hazelnuts or peanuts on top of the cream.

Ok, so I'm probably never going to eat whipped cream straight out of the bowl, but I think I can handle these little treats all by myself.  Can you?

Tea Time

Well, it's been all quiet on the blog front this week for good reason.  Instead of experimenting with new recipes, I played with some old favorite ones with some new friends.  The class was a lot of fun and we finished with a bountiful spread.  If you are local to the Philadelphia area, I invite you to join me in the kitchen!  Have a lovely Friday!

Fuel (cheese, crackers, fruit) to keep us baking!

Hazelnut cookies with dark chocolate ganache

Lemon tarts

Apricot-ginger scone

Time to eat!

A Classic

Few things in this world make my husband as content as the perfect chocolate chip cookie.  I'm certain this appreciation stems from his father's fervent devotion to daily cookie consumption over most of his life.  My mother-in-law's kitchen has the output of a commercial bakery, and even my brother-in-law and sister-in-law have been roped in as substitute bakers to keep up with demand.  

This classic treat is easy to eat, easy to make, and although we've covered some recipes on this blog that require a little adventure, sometimes a chocolate chip cookie is all you need.  

Sean's Review: "Damn tasty."  Good enough for me.

"Damn Tasty" Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Adapted from the Original Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe:

Yield: About 40 3-inch cookies

My Tweaks: I increase the brown sugar to white sugar ratio, and substitute chopped chocolate for chocolate morsels.  You'll find my rationale with the pictures below.  

1 c butter (225g)

1 c brown sugar (200g)

1/2 c white sugar (100g)

2 eggs (100g)

1 t vanilla

2 1/4 c AP Flour (290g)

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 1/2 - 2 c dark chocolate, chopped (160 - 210g)

Method:

1) Cream butter and sugars

2) Add eggs, one at time, then add vanilla.  Mix until homogenous.  

3) Add dry ingredients all at once.  Mix until almost all of the flour is incorporated.

4) Fold in chopped chocolate

5) Scoop dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan

6) Bake at 375F for about 10 minutes.  Rotate after 5 minutes.

7) Leave on the sheet pan to cool

I use a #50 scoop, but spoons and fingers work too

Notes: To achieve a softer cookie from the original, I tweak the brown to white sugar ratio from 1:1 (3/4 cup of each) to 2:1 (1 cup of brown sugar and a 1/2 cup of white sugar).  Brown sugar has a caramel taste, and is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water.  This makes for a more complex flavor and a softer texture.  It also makes for a darker color cookie, which may make it difficult to tell if they are done.  So even if they appear golden brown, make sure that the edges are slightly darker than the center.  If you take them out of the oven too soon, they may fall apart even after cooling.  

I add less chocolate than most people, so I use the lower bound
listed in the recipe, but by all means, go crazy.

As for the chopped chocolate, I almost never have chocolate morsels on hand, so I use a knife to roughly chop up a bar of dark bittersweet chocolate.  I think it's more enjoyable to bite into a cookie with various chocolate chip sizes.  Plus, a few chocolate morsel brands for sale have additives to keep them in their cute, little shape.  I don't know about you, but I like the way regular chocolate softens in a cookie after it's baked.  Plus, the morsel additives interfere in other recipes (e.g., ganache, icing) so I like to use a more multi-purpose bulk chocolate (Trader Joe's has a great one "Pound Plus 72% Dark Chocolate" from Belgium).

The Result:  A soft cookie, with a lightly crispy edge.  I like the bitterness of the dark chocolate, but you may want to go for a more traditional, semi-sweet chocolate (55-65%).  You could even develop a personal combination of milk, semisweet and bittersweet chocolate pieces.  Also, be aware that the darker color cookie might throw you off at first, but it is definitely worth it.  

The Verdict:  I cannot be left alone with three dozen of these cookies.  I hope Sean and his brother show up soon, or this is going to get really ugly, really fast.

With every "new" chocolate chip cookie recipe, no one is truly reinventing the wheel.  The specific ingredients, the amounts, and the methods are quite similar across recipes, which is expected for something so ubiquitous.  My personal approach outlined here, is similar to ones I've seen on Martha Stewart, Cook's Illustrated and Food Network.  I encourage you to play around with the different chocolate types, and sugar ratios, to find your perfect cookie.  

Then just make sure to enlist all of your family members to make them for you, every day, and you'll be all set!  Now that's the life.

Holding on to Summer

I love fruit.  I was lucky enough to grow up with several fruit trees in my backyard (apple, asian pear, cherry, and nectarine), and eating fruit was a great way to legitimize sugar consumption as a kid.  Now if I have to choose between a fruit-based dessert, and a chocolate one, I will almost always select the former.  I know not everyone is on the same page, like my husband for example, but I think even chocoholics should change their tune during the summer months.  How can you neglect a sweet, sun-kissed peach?  C'mon people!

Although I am a strong advocate for fruit desserts, I know some shy away from them because they can be disappointingly sweet, with unvarying texture.  To tempt even the devoted cacao lover, a fruit dessert should be well-balanced, just like good chocolate is.  When making fruit desserts, it's often a good practice to find your fruit before you pick a vessel to showcase it.  Choose the best fruit, with the most vibrant color, and a good balance between sweet and tart.  Most of us are aware of ways to "fix" imperfect fruit with lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, or salt, but no matter what you do, there is no true magic wand.  Follow your nose.  A pleasant aroma will usually guide you to good flavor.

Now that I no longer have the luxury of the long growing seasons of California, I must take advantage of what I can, when I can.  So luckily, I found overripe, local, yellow nectarines, that would be perfect for jam. 

I let my taste buds guide me, but here's a loose recipe.  The pectin is optional, but useful if you want a thicker jam.

Nectarine Jam:
7-8 large nectarines, peeled, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
~1/2 c sugar, depends on sweetness of fruit
1/2 t pectin (optional)

Basic jam method:
1) Add cut up fruit to pot
2) Add sugar, let macerate until fruit releases some juice
3) Cook on med-low heat, stirring occasionally.  You can use a wooden spoon or a potato masher to further break up the fruit pieces.  A nice, low simmer with small bubbles, is a good way to go.  The thicker it gets, the more carefully you have to watch it, so it doesn't burn.  
4) Cook until desired consistency, remembering that as it cools it will get thicker
5) If you want to add pectin, sprinkle it in while stirring, and let it bubble for 5 more minutes.  
6) Take off the heat and cool.

My fruit was very soft, so it released juices quickly.  If yours
isn't as ripe, let it macerate overnight in the fridge.

Jam is a great thing to have on the stove while accomplishing
other kitchen tasks.  Every once in while, give it a stir.  Once you
can feel the wooden spoon sticking on the bottom when you stir,
keep a close watch.

Jams are great served with cheese, drizzled over vanilla ice cream, or stirred into plain yogurt.  You can also freeze it, and save it for some desperately needed summertime in the middle of January.  This particular batch was destined for nectarine-cornmeal hand pies.  

The recipe for cornmeal pâte brisée (literally broken dough in french, AKA pie crust) is from one of my favorite baking books: Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook.This recipe substitutes cornmeal for a portion of the flour in a traditional pâte brisée recipe.  Substituting cornmeal, or even ground nuts or whole wheat flour in a recipe, provides a coarse texture and nuttiness that contrasts sweet, tart, and smooth-textured fruits.

The Recipe: Cornmeal pâte brisée (enough for 2 x 9-inch pie crusts or 20 hand pies) adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook:

2 c AP flour (270g)
1/2 c cornmeal (60g)
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1 c butter
1/4-1/2 c ice water

Tweaks: Maybe an extra 1/4 t salt, your choice.

Method:  
1) Mix dry ingredients in bowl
2) Cut in cold butter using hands, knives, mixer or food processor.  Stop when largest pieces of butter are pea-sized.  
3) Add cold water in slowly, mix until dough becomes a shaggy mess 
4) Bring dough together on plastic wrap.  Wrap and rest in fridge for about 20 minutes, until slightly firm.

No need to sift

Cold butter!  If in doubt, throw the whole bowl in the freezer
for 10 minutes.

Little chunks = flaky pastry

Shaggy is ideal.  Resist the temptation to knead or over mix.  

Use the plastic wrap to bring the dough together.
Let it rest in fridge.

At this point, dough can be rolled out and used to make galettes, like in the book, or in this case, hand pies.

Hand pie assembly:
1) Working with one half of the dough at a time, roll it out to ~1/8 inch
2) Cut into squares and place ~1T of jam in the middle
3) Fold squares over and crimp edges with the tines of a fork
4) If you are feeling fancy, brush with egg or cream, for extra color
5) Bake until edges are golden brown at 375°F, about 30 minutes.  Rotate after 15 min.

If the dough isn't sticking to itself because it's too dry, moisten the edges with a tiny amount of water.  Also, avoid the tendency to add too much jam.  Leave enough room to crimp the edge closed.

If the dough becomes difficult to work with stick it in the freezer
for a few minutes

Do not over fill!

And to think, I always wanted Pop-tarts as a kid...

The Result: Flaky and scrumptious.  I apparently lost a little focus while crimping the edges, so they popped open slightly, but fortunately the pectin-thickened jam didn't leak everywhere.  Well-executed pâte brisée is a close relative to puff pastry, and this application reminds me of more complicated breakfast pastries. 

The Verdict:  I scarfed one of these down by myself, and then quickly hurried over to a new friend's place before I ate them all, so I would definitely make them again.  These would be nice for a brunch potluck, or tucked into the lunch bag of someone special.  

If you don't have the time or energy to make the pie crust, I encourage you to at least try making a quick batch of jam.  It's not very complicated, but it's a great way to celebrate summer before all the stone fruit and berries disappear.  I know for some people it may not satiate the dire need for chocolate, but it's certainly a nice distraction.