Almond Torte

Here’s another test recipe from The Dinner Party That Wasn’t Meant To Be…  At least I’ll be prepared when we’re able to reschedule.

Several years ago, I was a bit less resilient in the kitchen than I am now.  If a recipe failed, I’d be likely to toss it aside rather that make adjustments and try again.  I just wasn’t an experienced enough cook to know how to do a better job the next time.

When I first tried the Almond Torte recipe from the January/February 2004 issue of Everyday Food (actually back in 2004, I believe), it was a spectacular failure.  The cake was dry, and I think I managed to peel off the entire almond layer when I removed piece of parchment that had lined the bottom of the pan.  Somehow, though, this recipe stuck with me through the years.  I would think back on it because I had wanted it to work so badly (it’s a gorgeous, potentially delicious cake with only four Weight Watchers points per serving – seriously!), but I was never really motivated to give it another shot.

Until recently.

I have a very dear friend here in Denver who doesn’t eat wheat or dairy, and I’ve had her over for dinner and such several times since we moved back to Colorado.  As I’ve said before, she never expects any kind of special treatment, but I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of coming up with delicious dishes that everyone at the table can enjoy when she comes over.  In the beginning, I was more focused on taking “regular” dishes and making them gluten and dairy free by omitting certain ingredients or using things like gluten-free flour or specific brands of rice or soy milk.  I’ve discovered, though, that I much prefer making dishes that are naturally gluten and dairy free.

I was scanning my dessert recipe spreadsheet for options when I realized that the Almond Torte was exactly what I needed.  It had a short list of naturally gluten- and dairy-free ingredients: almonds, powdered sugar, egg whites, salt, and almond extract.  I just needed to be brave enough to give the recipe a second try.  The most recent Daring Bakers’ challenge actually helped me feel more prepared; I know way more now about what almond flour and/or meal should look like.  Five more years in the kitchen have also exponentially increased my comfort level when working with egg whites.  I was ready to kick this one in the tail.

There are some very important differences between the recipe as it is printed in the magazine and as it is posted online, so I’m going to provide you with the printed version.  Afterwards, I’ll discuss the techniques I used for getting it right this time.

Almond Torte
Serves 8
Prep time: 20 minutes | Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Note: Cut the paper liner before making the batter, but do not spray and line the pan until the batter is ready; this will prevent the spray from pooling in the bottom of the pan.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups plus 1/4 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
Nonstick cooking spray

Method:
Preheat oven to 325F.  Cut a piece of wax or parchment paper to fit the bottom of an 8-inch round nonstick cake pan; set aside.

Process 1 1/2 cups almonds with 3/4 cup sugar in a food processor until finely ground; set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form.  Gradually add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar; beat until peaks are stiff and glossy.  Beat in extract.  With a rubber spatula, gently fold in almond mixture in two additions.

Coat cake pan with cooking spray; line with reserved paper round.  Spray lined pan; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 cup almonds.  Gently spread batter in pan; tap pan on counter to eliminate air bubbles.

Bake until golden brown and firm in the center, 40 to 45 minutes.  Cool completely in pan; invert onto rack.  (Gently remove parchment before serving.)

Source: Everyday Food, January/February 2004

Here are my tips for perfect results:

• I’m not sure if it makes a difference, but I used parchment paper – not wax paper – to line my pan.
• The printed recipe says to use “sliced almonds,” while the online recipe says to use “sliced blanched almonds.”  I didn’t want the almond skins in my homemade almond meal, but I could only find slivered blanched almonds, not sliced.  My compromise was to use 1 1/2 cups of slivered blanched almonds to make the batter, while I used regular sliced almonds for the top layer of the cake.  Everything worked out beautifully.
• I actually processed my almonds in three batches to get almond meal that I thought was ground finely enough.  I processed 1/2 cup of almonds with 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, pulsing until the mixture was pretty finely ground.  Using a fine-mesh sieve, I sifted the almond meal into a medium bowl and then put any chunks that didn’t make it through the sieve back into the food processor with the next batch of almonds and sugar.  In the end, there were still some bits that were too big to be sieved, but a large percentage of the meal was as fine as flour.  Just don’t get overzealous with your processing or attempt to process any almonds without powdered sugar; you’ll end up with almond butter.
• Neither recipe mentions this, but I always bring my egg whites to room temperature before beating them for better volume.  Letting them sit (covered) on the counter for about 30 minutes will do it.  (If you’re short on time, nest the container of egg whites in a larger container of warm – not hot! – water, but don’t get any water in the whites.)  Eggs separate better when they’re cold, though, so separate them before bringing them to room temperature.  Also, be sure to use a copper, stainless steel, or glass bowl when you beat your egg whites.  Plastic bowls can hang onto residual fats, which will interfere with your egg whites reaching maximum volume.
• I didn’t even realize I had done this until now, but I actually used 2 tablespoons of superfine baking sugar when I beat my egg whites instead of 2 more tablespoons of powdered sugar.  Since I was happy with my results, I would do this again next time.
• The printed recipe says to use 3/4 teaspoon of almond extract, while the online recipe cuts it back to 1/2 teaspoon.  If you like a strong almond flavor, use the full 3/4 teaspoon of extract.  I’ll probably try the 1/2 teaspoon the next time I make the torte to see if we enjoy a more subtle flavor.
• Both the printed and online recipes have suggested baking times of 40 to 45 minutes, but my cake was done in 35.

If you love almond flavor, this torte is straight from heaven.  And despite the fact that it doesn’t contain any flour, oil, or butter, the recipe actually does make cake!  It’s really moist with a delicate crumb, and the crunch from the top layer of almonds is a terrific textural accent.  This recipe is a winner, especially for those looking for a light treat (only 184 calories per slice!) or a gluten- and dairy-free treat.

TIPS:  Many of you already know this, but if you’re going to cook or bake for someone with gluten or dairy allergies (or any kind of allergy for that matter), double-check the packaging of your ingredients to make sure the ingredient has not been exposed to trace amounts of the allergen.  Bob’s Red Mill, for example, sells a variety of products that are certified gluten free.

Recipe link: Almond Torte

No-Knead Dinner Rolls

I’m a bit disappointed that I missed posting yesterday in accordance with my anniversary commitment, but I’ve been completely consumed by The Sickness.  I felt like I got hit by a truck yesterday, and I think I spent approximately 30 minutes of the entire day upright with my eyes open.  Yuck.

I was actually supposed to have a dinner party tonight, but I had to cancel it because of my illness.  (I know I wouldn’t want someone with flu-like symptoms preparing my food, never mind that I couldn’t work up the energy to go to the grocery store.  I’m also not talking at this point because my throat hurts so bad.  Wah, wah.)  I did spend the earlier part of my week experimenting with a few recipes I intended to use for the dinner party, though, including Martha Stewart’s No-Knead Dinner Rolls.

Back in 2006, there was all this hullabaloo about “no-knead bread.”  (Mark Bittman then created some residual hullabaloo in 2008 with his Faster No-Knead Bread recipe.)  Apparently, some people hate kneading bread so much that it’s the one thing stopping them from making it.  I actually love kneading bread; I think it’s therapeutic (and a good mini workout).  When I was looking for dinner roll recipes (kneading allowed) earlier this week, though, most had a yield much greater than what I needed and they weren’t easily halved.  (While it is possible to reduce recipes that call for only one egg, I can’t say that I enjoy weighing and dividing one; I never feel like I get a good white-to-yolk ratio.)  The No-Knead Dinner Roll recipe, though, had quantities that were easily reduced.  The half-yield was still a bit too much (9 rolls), but I couldn’t deal with the waste that making two or three dozen rolls would create.  Plus, they’re super easy, which is always a plus.

Note: The ingredient quantities mentioned below are for a half recipe; click on the recipe link at the end of the post for the original amounts.

First, I put 1 cup of warm (105F to 115F) water in a large bowl.  I sprinkled it with 1 packet (1/4 ounce) of active dry yeast and let the mixture stand until it was foamy (about 5 minutes).

Next, I added 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 large egg (lightly beaten), and 3/4 teaspoon of table salt to the yeast-water mixture, whisking to combine.  I added 3 cups of all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), stirring with a wooden spoon until everything was incorporated and a sticky dough had formed.  Using a pastry brush, I brushed the top of the dough with more melted butter, covered the bowl with plastic wrap, and set it aside until the dough had doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).

After the hour had passed, I turned the dough out onto my well-floured kitchen counter.  With floured hands, I rolled the dough into a thick log and cut it into 9 equal pieces.  (I cut the log into thirds, and then cut each third into thirds.)

To prepare for baking, I brushed an 8 x 8-inch pan with melted butter.  I used my hands to flatten each piece of dough individually, then folded the edges towards the center, pressing to secure, until a smooth ball formed.  I put the dough balls in the prepared baking pan (smooth side up), covered the pan loosely with plastic wrap, and let them rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 30 minutes).

After the rolls had risen adequately, I removed the plastic wrap from the pan and baked them at 400F for 35 minutes.  The recipe said to tent the rolls if they were browning too quickly.  I tented them when I checked them at the 20-minute mark, but I probably would have tented them at the 15-minute mark if I had checked them sooner.  (The ended up a bit more brown that I would have liked.)  I pulled the rolls apart and served them warm.

Considering that this was just about the easiest bread recipe ever, the rolls were pretty good.  The “shell” was a bit firmer than I like and I already mentioned that they were a bit too brown, but the bread really was delicious.  Plus, I could take the credit for making them from scratch (with hardly any work, seriously) and the house smelled heavenly.  I think this recipe would be absolutely perfect for “beginner” bread makers; it’s pretty straightforward and hard to screw up, but the results are worthwhile.

TIP:  The recipe says you can skip the second rise and refrigerate the rolls for 4 hours or up to 1 day instead.  That way, you could make the dough and form the rolls the night before or the morning of, and then just move them directly from the refrigerator to the oven when you’re ready to bake them.

Recipe link: No-Knead Dinner Rolls

Tie-Dye Cookies

My little brother absolutely adores tie-dye.  Every time my parents or I go on vacation, we’re always keeping our eyes peeled for that perfect tie-dyed t-shirt to bring home.  (We’ve had good luck at the St. Arnold Brewery in Houston and the Left Hand Brewery in Longmont, CO; what is it with breweries and tie-dye?)

Anyway, I was trying to decide what to send my brother for his birthday (today!) and I thought tie-dye cookies would be perfect.  (I sent some cookies iced like gift boxes to my dad for his birthday last month and they all arrived intact, so I figured I might as well make a habit of it.)  I wasn’t sure how to go about accomplishing the tie-dye effect, though.  After some online inspiration and a bit of messy experimentation, I managed to come up with a technique that I think conveys tie-dye pretty well:

Aren’t they cute?  I just base-iced the cookies in one color, used a spoon to swirl two other colors of icing on top, and then dragged a toothpick from the center to the edges.  Like real tie-dye, they all end up a bit different.

Happy Birthday, little brother!  Hope you enjoy your treats.

Potato and Onion Frittata

I recently decided to take a good look at the search terms that drive traffic to my blog.  Some of the top terms are common, everyday-type foods (like enchiladas and stuffed peppers), but I was shocked by how many people were out there searching for frittata recipes.  (Maybe they’re more common than I thought?)  It then occurred to me that while I used to make frittatas so often that it was almost an obsession, I haven’t posted a frittata on this site in ages.  (Since October 14 of last year, to be exact!)  I turned to my breakfast recipe spreadsheet to find a quick and easy option with inexpensive ingredients, and the Potato and Onion Frittata recipe from the January/February 2006 issue of Everyday Food fit the bill perfectly.

First, I prepped my veggies.  I peeled, halved, and thinly sliced 1 large onion and 1 8-ounce baking potato.  In a medium (10-inch) nonstick broilerproof skillet, I heated 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  I added the onion, potato, and 1/2 teaspoon of crumbled dried rosemary, seasoned with coarse salt and ground pepper, and tossed everything to combine.

I covered the skillet with its lid and cooked the veggies for 10 minutes.  Next, I uncovered the skillet and cooked the mixture, tossing occasionally, until the onion and potato were tender (about 5 minutes).

While the potato and onion were cooking, I whisked together 5 large eggs, 5 large egg whites, 1/2 cup of whole flat-leaf parsley leaves, 3/4 teaspoon of coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper in a medium bowl.  (I used a melamine bowl with a spout since it’s easier for pouring.)

At this point, I started heating the broiler so it would be ready for the last step; I also made sure a rack was positioned in the upper third of the oven.

I added another tablespoon of olive oil to the potato-onion mixture in the skillet and poured in the egg mixture.  I cooked the frittata over medium-low heat (use low or medium-low, depending on how hot your stove gets), lifting the mixture a few times around the edges to let the egg flow underneath.  Once the frittata was almost set in the center (12 minutes for me, 10 minutes according to the recipe), I put the frittata under the broiler until it was set and golden brown (3 minutes).  The photograph shows the frittata still in the skillet, but it released very easily; I just ran a clean spatula around the edges and slid it out onto a plate for cutting and serving.

After all this frittata-less time, it was sure nice to have one for dinner.  This one was a bit thinner than what I’m accustomed to; it was almost like a thick egg pancake.  It was really delicious, though, with the tender potato, charred onion, and fresh herbs.  This frittata is especially healthy (only 5 Weight Watchers points for an entire quarter of the dish) because there’s no cheese, but I didn’t think it was lacking in the flavor department at all.

The only thing I would do differently next time is that I would stir the potatoes and onions halfway through the covered cooking time.  I’m a huge fan of charred bits and I think they add a lot of flavor, but letting the potatoes and onions sit undisturbed in that hot oil for ten whole minutes was almost too much.  If charred bits make your day (Christopher, I’m talking to you!), though, give the recipe a whirl as is.

Recipe link: Potato and Onion Frittata

Perfect Roast Chicken

Roasting a chicken is another one of those things that has been on my “to do” list for just about forever.  Roasted chicken always seemed like such an elegant, old-fashioned family meal to me – infinitely appealing, but too much of a “big deal” for everyday eating.  As a child of the ’80s and ’90s with working parents, a roasted chicken certainly never graced our family table.  (Loved the casseroles, though, Mom!)  I had never even purchased a whole roasting chicken until a few weeks ago when my friend Christopher and I made chicken stock.  (This helped me get over my giblet aversion, which I think is the primary reason I wasn’t particularly inclined to work with a whole chicken in the first place.)  Since the whole bird was now familiar and the giblets weren’t deal breakers, I figured it was time to find a recipe and get on with it.

I’m more obsessed with HGTV than the Food Network these days (blame it on home ownership), but I used to fill up the DVR with episodes of Barefoot Contessa.  There’s just something about Ina…  I really relate to her love of entertaining but desire to be a part of the party; she rarely makes anything harder than it needs to be.  Plus, every recipe of hers that I’ve tried has produced outstanding results.  I knew that she’d be a great source of instruction for my first roasted chicken, so I decided to go with her Perfect Roast Chicken recipe.

Only in my world (with the luck I’ve been having in the kitchen lately, especially) can one screw up a perfectly straightforward, potentially-very-delicious thing.   I actually made the chicken twice in the past week to get it right, but when it was right, it was amazing.  We’ll start with Ina’s recipe, and then I’ll outline my initial missteps to help you get perfect results the first time.

Perfect Roast Chicken
Serves 8 (I think it’s more like 4 – 6)

Ingredients:
1 (5- to 6-pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb of fennel, tops removed, cut into wedges
Olive oil

Method:
Preheat oven to 425F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

Source: Ina Garten/FoodNetwork.com

(It’s my bowl of chicken and vegetable perfection!)

Here’s where I went wrong the first time:

• I received this absolutely gorgeous All-Clad roasting pan with a rack when we got married five years ago.  I love that pan as much as you can love an item in the kitchen, but I’ve never actually used it.  I thought this would be the perfect occasion.  Not so much.  When Ina says to put the chicken on top of the vegetables, she means on top of the vegetables.  When I used the rack, the chicken cooked too quickly because the air was better able to circulate around it, and the vegetables were almost completely blackened because they were too exposed to the heat of the oven.  When I made my “perfect” chicken, I just used an old standard (9 x 13-inch) roasting pan and plopped the chicken directly on top of the veggies.  There were some charred bits (a plus in my book), but all of the vegetables were edible (and incredibly delicious) the second time around.
• Most of the recipes I’ve tried that include seasoning large cuts of meat instruct you to rub those seasonings into the meat.  Even though the recipe didn’t say to, my inclinations got the best of me the first time around.  Don’t do it!  The butter may be melted, but it doesn’t take long to solidify on the outside of a cold chicken.  You’ll rub it right off, so just sprinkle the salt and pepper on top and let it be.
• This isn’t exactly a mistake, but I don’t think there are enough vegetables in this recipe to comfortably serve four people (much less eight).  You don’t want to overcrowd the pan, but I think this recipe could easily accommodate a few more carrots and an extra fennel bulb.  I threw in a few extras the second time around and didn’t have any problems.

The chicken was absolutely incredible on my successful second attempt.  The meat was tender and juicy, and the vegetables were so flavorful from cooking in the olive oil, seasonings, and rendered chicken fat at the bottom of the pan.  (Use a slotted spoon when you transfer them to your serving platter.)  I served the chicken and vegetables with Martha Stewart’s Roasted Red Potatoes (though I used white creamer potatoes this time around) because the roasting temperature was the same as the chicken.  I put them on a rack underneath the chicken pan for the first 10 minutes (the last 10 minutes of the chicken roasting time) and then finished roasting them on a higher rack for the final 20 minutes (which perfectly coincides with the chicken’s resting time.)  It was a terrific “meat and potatoes” meal – very elegant and special, but with minimal work required.  This one is going to become a dinner party regular at my house.

TIPS:  Here’s a video on how to carve a chicken.  I’ve seen it done a few times on TV, but reviewing this before I served the meal helped a lot.

Recipe link: Perfect Roast Chicken

Maple Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

It took so much work to crack open those pie pumpkins that I wasn’t going to waste one bit of them, including the seeds.  I’ve never actually eaten pumpkin seeds before (much less roasted them), so I did some searching online to uncover the best way to turn my byproduct into a snack.  The recipe I came up with is a hybrid of information I found on Simply Recipes (my favorite Spanish rice source!), 101 Cookbooks, and Adventures in Shaw.

Maple Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin seeds (cleaned of pumpkin pulp and unhulled)
4 cups water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Table salt
Cooking spray

Method:
Rinse seeds in a colander.  Combine seeds, water, and kosher salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and drain.  Press seeds between paper towels to remove excess moisture.

Melt butter in a medium bowl.  Toss seeds with butter.  Add maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice; toss to combine.

Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread seeds in a single layer on baking sheet.  Bake for 20 – 25 minutes at 350F (until somewhat dry and crisp), tossing seeds every 5 minutes to prevent sticking.  Sprinkle with table salt to taste.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

These turned out to be pretty tasty.  The pumpkin pie spice and maple flavors are definitely evocative of fall.  Boiling the seeds with salt and then adding the sprinkle of salt at the end created a saltiness that meshed well with the sweetness of the maple syrup.  I might try adding a bit of brown sugar next time to make things even more sweet (and perhaps a bit gooey).

Chocolate-Pumpkin Tart

Happy blog anniversary to me!  It’s been a terrific two years of discovery in the kitchen.  Many thanks to all of you for your support and for sharing the journey with me.  I’m going to post every day this week as part of the celebration, and look for some visual changes to the site in the next month to mark the start of a new year.  I’d also like to bring back the “request line,” so if there’s something you’d like me to make and post (including baking recipes that might need some high-altitude adjustments) leave the information in a comment on the site or e-mail me at sweetandsaucy.wordpress.com@gmail.com.  I can’t wait to hear from you!

Thinking about this time last year, my life was pretty chaotic.  We had just moved back to Denver from Dallas, we were in a new living space, we were adjusting to the demands of my husband’s new practice, we were reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.  It was all pretty overwhelming.  Consequently, there were quite a few recipes I wanted to try last October (especially from the then-current issue of Everyday Food) that I just didn’t get around to making.  Halloween Whoopie Pies was one of the recipes (so yummy!), and Chocolate-Pumpkin Tart (today’s recipe) was another.  The Chocolate-Pumpkin Tart was the inspiration for my last post (How to Make Pumpkin Puree), and I’m happy to report that the tart was well worth the effort on the puree.  Here’s how I made it.

In my Cuisinart Mini-Prep food processor, I pulsed 20 chocolate wafers with 2 tablespoons of sugar until the cookies were finely ground.  I added 3 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter and pulsed until the crumbs were moistened.  Using the bottom of a dry measuring cup, I pressed the crumbs into the bottom (but not the sides) of a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan.  I placed the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and baked it at 350F until it was set (12 minutes).

Meanwhile, I melted 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate in a homemade double boiler.  When the crust came out of the oven, I poured the chocolate over it and carefully spread it to the edges with a spatula.  I transferred the baking sheet (with the tart pan) to the freezer for 5 minutes to set the crust and the chocolate.

While the crust was in the freezer, I whisked together 1 1/2 cups of homemade pumpkin puree (1 1/2 cups of canned is fine too), 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1/4 cup of packed light-brown sugar, 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin-pie spice, and 1/4 teaspoon of table salt to make the filling.  When the crust was ready, I used a pastry brush to brush the sides of the pan with melted butter (to prevent sticking) and then poured the filling into the crust.  I baked the tart on the rimmed baking sheet at 350F until it was set (45 minutes).  I cooled the tart at room temperature for 1 hour, refrigerated it for 1 hour, and then unmolded it to serve.  (Use a knife to loosen the tart if yours sticks a bit; mine did in one tiny spot only.)

I’ve seen the homemade pumpkin puree “light,” folks.  It’s amazing!  I mean, I’ve always enjoyed dishes made with canned pumpkin (including this fantastic pasta and countless Thanksgiving pumpkin pies), but the real stuff makes canned pumpkin seem downright gelatinous.  The homemade puree is incredibly smooth and creamy, and that really translates in this dessert.  I was actually worried that I hadn’t cooked my tart quite enough because I left a mark in the center of the tart when I touched it (why did I do that???), but the tart was just that creamy.  It cut perfectly and came out clean when it was time to serve it.

The flavor of the tart was just fantastic, too.  It definitely tastes like pumpkin pie (only better than what I’m used to), and the amount of chocolate in the dish is just right.  I really love the chocolate-on-chocolate layering of the crust.  (I’m guessing Dr. O loved it, too, since he had FOUR SERVINGS of the tart over the course of last night.)

The crust was a little bit on the crumbly side, but that improved overnight as the moisture from the filling sunk in.  I liked it both ways, but you might want to add another 1/2 tablespoon or tablespoon of butter when processing the crust if you want yours to be more dense.

The colors of the dessert are perfect for Halloween, but this would be a welcome contribution to any Thanksgiving table, I imagine.  I know I can’t wait to make it again.

TIPS:  I use Nabisco’s Famous Chocolate Wafers for recipes that require chocolate wafers.  I’ve always been able to find them in the cookie aisles of “normal” grocery stores (in Denver and Dallas, at least).  If you can’t find them or other plain chocolate wafers, I think Oreo cookies with the filling scraped off would work just fine.

Recipe link: Chocolate-Pumpkin Tart

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

I told myself in early October that this would be the year I made the leap from canned pumpkin (pretty delicious and convenient) to homemade pumpkin puree (the great unknown).  The assumption is, of course, that homemade has to be better because it’s homemade.  We’ll see.  The woman at Sunflower Market who rang up my pie pumpkins said that her family will only eat pumpkin pie that is made from homemade puree, which I’m going to take as a positive sign.  (I told her they were lucky that she’d comply with their demands, hehehe.)

I purchased two adorable pie pumpkins for $1.50 each; I totally should have weighed them, but I’m estimating that each one was a little over a pound.

My original intention was to use Martha Stewart’s Sugar-Pumpkin Puree recipe, but I couldn’t resist the simple instructions on the bottom of the pumpkins.  In retrospect, Martha’s instructions might have been easier (despite appearing to require more work) because they included peeling the pumpkin.  I thought cutting through an acorn squash was hard, but I actually broke a sweat trying to cut through the skin of these little pumpkins.  Wow.  The second one was easier, though, because I worked out a bit of a technique.  I cut straight down through the stem first (with the knife parallel to the floor).  Then, I would work the tip of my freshly sharpened santoku knife into the top of the pumpkin, using the edge of the first stem cut as a guide.  Going on a tip a reader once gave me, I tapped the top of the knife blade to help ease it through the skin.  (Ideally, you’d use a rubber mallet for this; since I don’t have one, I’ll admit I used the handle end of a citrus reamer as my “hammer.”)  Once the tip of the knife was completely through the skin, it was a lot easier to cut down through the sides of the pumpkin.  I ended up making cuts all the way down each side, and then I just pried the halves apart.

Once the pumpkins were halved and the stems were removed, I scooped out the seeds and strings.  I put the halves cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet and covered them with another layer of foil.  (I’m sure the smell of burning pumpkin skin is less than pleasant.)  I  baked them at 350F for 90 minutes.  (Make sure the flesh is tender at this point; otherwise, throw ‘em back in.)  I put the baking sheet on a wire rack and turned the halves cut side up to help them cool faster.

Once the flesh was cool, I scooped it out of the shells and into a bowl.  (I was amazed at how cleanly it separated.)  In two batches, I processed the flesh in my Cuisinart Mini-Prep food processor until it was completely smooth.  I transferred the puree to a mesh colander set over a bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes; my puree wasn’t particularly watery, but it did render about a tablespoon of liquid.  I ended up with 2 cups of puree, so about 1 cup per small pie pumpkin.  As my Sunflower Market source suggested, homemade puree is much lighter in texture than the canned stuff.  Also, despite coming from pie pumpkins, the puree wasn’t sweet, but it’s important to remember this is pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.

I transferred the puree to an airtight container and refrigerated it; the pumpkin instructions said it will keep in the refrigerator for five days.  Mine won’t last that long since I intend to use most of it to make Martha Stewart’s Chocolate-Pumpkin Tart this afternoon.  Stay tuned!

Pumpkin Puree

Ingredients:
Pie pumpkin(s)

Method:
Cut pumpkin(s) in half and remove the stem.  Scoop out the seeds and strings.  Place cut side down on foil-lined baking sheets.  Cover with foil.  Baked at 350F until tender, 1 1/2 hours.  Cool.  Scoop out flesh and mash with potato masher or food processor until smooth.  Drain if too watery.

Source: Van Groningen & Sons, Inc.

I’ll Show You, Macarons (aka Daring Bakers’ Challenge: Macarons)

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

As I mentioned in my last post, my first attempt with the challenge recipe was a spectacular disaster.  Although they baked up nice and high in the oven, they promptly deflated when they cooled and didn’t develop feet at all.  Plus, I added the food coloring at an odd time, so it wasn’t evenly distributed.  Not good!

After my failure, I combed the Daring Bakers forums and found that quite a few members of the community were struggling with this month’s challenge.  Since I don’t have endless time (or almond meal, for that matter!), I decided to try a recipe from Helen of Tartelette, using tips from another Daring Baker (Audax Artifex) who is always an incredible resource for the rest of us.  Aside from using new ingredient proportions, here are some of the changes I made that I think made a difference:

• I aged my egg whites for 3 days in the refrigerator (covered with a paper towel) the second time around.
• I sifted my almond meal/flour before I measured it for the recipe to make sure only the finest particles were used in my batter.
• I let the piped shells rest on my kitchen island for a half an hour before baking instead of using the “5 minutes at 200F” step in the original recipe.
• I baked the shells at 280F (Tartelette’s suggestion) instead of 375F; I think the slower, steady rise helped them to not deflate when I took them out of the oven.
• I used Audax’s tip for feet and used two stacked baking sheets for each batch.

They still aren’t perfect (they’re a bit peaked and I think the shells could be smoother), but they have feet, great texture, and yummy flavor.  I ended up filling them with Nutella (loosened with a bit of heavy cream).

I think the greatest benefit of this challenge is that I feel like I could handle meringue-based recipes better now than I could before; Pavlova, here I come!

A Kitchen Curse?

Something disturbing is happening.  Here’s a summary of my last three days in the kitchen:

• I failed spectacularly at my Daring Bakers’ challenge.  (More on that coming Tuesday.)
• I overbaked a batch of cookies and had to start over completely.  I didn’t realize this, of course, until they were already cooled and iced.  Naturally, there was a deadline attached to this batch as well.
• When it was time to add a vanilla bean to a batch of homemade ice cream, I discovered that while the vanilla beans I purchased this week made it onto my receipt, they didn’t actually make it to my house.
• The ice cream didn’t thicken (at all!) in the ice cream maker.
• I broke a melamine bowl (isn’t melamine practically indestructible?) that (1) I had received as a wedding gift and (2) is a perfect match to my stand mixer.
• My pie crust cracked, probably because I forgot the sanding sugar and then accidentally sealed up my crust vents with a second coating of egg wash.

Argh!  It’s enough to make me want to drop to the kitchen floor and throw a tantrum (with tears, probably).  Curse reversal and/or positive kitchen vibes would be much appreciated…