Links here for these cheesy-peppery cookies….
In the Oven: Lemon Pecorino Pepper Icebox Cookies
Posting date is Sunday, 13 July
Lemon Pecorino Pepper Icebox Cookies
Yield: 45 to 60 cookies
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into ½-inch cubes
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons lemon zest (about 3 lemons)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sanding sugar or colored sanding sugar (optional)
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and Pecorino Romano and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat until incorporated.
Add the flour all at once and beat on the lowest speed until just incorporated. Do not overbeat. Gather the dough into a ball, slice it in half, and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Turn the first piece of dough out onto a smooth, very lightly floured surface (preferably a cold surface like marble or steel) and use your floured hands to form and roll the dough into a cookie log 1 3/4 to 2 inches thick. Repeat the process with the second piece. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours. The dough will keep in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped, for 3 to 5 days.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the logs from the refrigerator and roll each one in the sanding sugar to coat the sides. Slice the cookies 1/3 inch thick and place on the prepared baking sheets about 1/2 inch apart. (Note: You can cut the cookies slightly thicker and bake them slightly longer for a less crunchy cookie, if that is your personal preference.)
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes (no color equals a softer cookie, slightly brown equals a crispier cookie). Remove the baking sheets from the oven and set them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Then use a spatula to transfer the cookies directly to the racks to cool completely.
The cookies can be stored at room temperature, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.
Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Roundup: Poppy Seed Pound Cake
Leave your links: Poppy Seed Pound Cake with Brown Butter Glaze
So? How was it?
In the Oven: Poppy Seed Pound Cake with Brown Butter Glaze
Posting date for this next cake is June 8!
Poppy Seed Pound Cake with Brown Butter Glaze
Yield: One 10- or 12-cup Bundt cake
For the Poppy Seed Filling
1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
1⁄3 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1⁄2 cup poppy seeds
1⁄4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 4 whole graham crackers)
For the Poppy Seed Pound Cake
2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1⁄2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest (about 2 oranges)
For the Brown Butter Glaze
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 ounces (1⁄2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
11⁄2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest (about 1⁄2 orange)
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon orange juice
Make the Poppy Seed Filling
In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir together the sugar and the milk. Bring just to a boil and remove from the heat. Whisk in the butter.
In a spice grinder, pulse the poppy seeds until they are almost powdery. Stir the poppy seeds into the milk mixture. Once the milk mixture has cooled to room temperature, stir in the graham cracker crumbs. Let cool completely.
Make the poppy seed Pound Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat the inside of a 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray; alternatively, butter it well, dust it with flour, and knock out the excess flour.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl again, add the vanilla and
orange zest, and beat until just incorporated.
Add the flour mixture to the cream cheese mixture in two parts, beating after each addition until just combined, about 10 seconds. Scrape down the bowl again and beat for 5 seconds.
Pour half of the cake batter into the Bundt pan. Use an offset spatula or the back of a large spoon to even out the batter. Spoon the poppy seed filling over the cake batter (it does not have to be a perfect, even layer, but you can use the back of the spoon to smooth it out gently), then cover with the remaining cake batter (gently smooth out the batter into an even-ish layer). Bake for about 1 hour, or until a small sharp knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack.
Make the brown butter glaze
Place a dry medium skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Pour the poppy seeds into the skillet and toast for 1 minute; use a wooden spoon to stir the seeds continuously during toasting. Pour the poppy seeds into a small bowl and set aside.
Return the skillet to the heat and add the butter. Melt the butter, swirling the pan occasionally, until the foam subsides and the butter turns a medium nut brown, about 8 minutes. Pour the browned butter into a large bowl (don’t worry if a few of the butter solids—the sediment—end up in the bowl, though you don’t want to add all of it).
Add the confectioners’ sugar, orange zest, milk, and orange juice to the browned butter. Stir until the glaze comes together and is smooth. Stir in the toasted poppy seeds. Immediately drizzle the glaze along the crown of the Bundt cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Allow the glaze to set before serving, about 5 minutes.
The cake can be stored at room temperature, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.
Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Roundup: Lemon and Black Pepper Quiche
Even though this week’s recipe met with mixed reviews, all the quiches look fantastic!
Leave Your Links: Lemon and Black Pepper Quiche
Happy mother’s day to all of our mom bakers!
In the Oven: Lemon and Black Pepper Quiche
Posting date for this quiche is May 11th! Anyone going to make this for Mother’s Day Brunch?
Lemon and Black Pepper Quiche
Yield: One 9-inch quiche
1⁄2 recipe Classic Pie Dough (page 161)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup crème fraîche
Juice of 1⁄2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon salt
3⁄4 teaspoon ground white pepper
11⁄2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
3⁄4 cup loosely packed shredded mozzarella
3⁄4 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan
1 paper-thin slice of lemon for decoration (optional)
Using nonstick cooking spray, coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Alternatively, butter the pan well, dust it with flour, and knock out the excess flour.
Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour and roll the dough out into an 11-inch round, about 1⁄4 inch thick. Transfer it to the prepared tart pan and carefully work it into the bottom and build up the sides to twice the thickness of the bottom (the dough
will shrink once baked). Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 60 minutes. (It will keep this way, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months.)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Remove the tart pan from the freezer and, using the tines of a fork, prick the bottom of the tart shell. Line the shell with aluminum foil and fill it three-quarters of the way full with pie weights or dried beans. Place the tart shell in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges of the tart just begin to brown. Remove the foil and weights and bake for another 7 to 10 minutes, until the crust is golden brown all over.
Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack to cool.
In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, eggs, and egg yolks until smooth.
In another bowl whisk together the half-and-half, crème fraîche, and lemon juice until blended. Add the half-and-half mixture to the flour mixture and whisk gently until combined. Sprinkle the top of the mixture with the lemon zest, salt, white pepper, and
3⁄4 teaspoon of the black pepper and whisk until combined.
Place the cooled tart shell on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the crust, then sprinkle with Parmesan. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese, filling to the lip of the tart shell (do not let it overflow; you may have some extra filling).
Sprinkle the remaining 3⁄4 teaspoon black pepper over the filling and place the lemon slice in the center if you wish.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is set and a small paring knife inserted into the center of the quiche comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
To serve, gently push up on the tart bottom to release the quiche from the pan. Cut and serve while still warm.
The completely cooled quiche can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 225 degrees F until warm to the touch before serving.
Excerpted from Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copyright © 2012 by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Roundup: Orange Almond Ricotta Cheesecake
At long last, here’s the round-up for the cheesecakes. Matt’s grandma would have been proud!
Leave Your Links: Orange Almond Ricotta Cheesecake
What did you think of Matt’s grandma’s cheesecake recipe? Leave your links here!