Ingredients 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks), plus 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter 1 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for garnish 1/4 cup cornstarch 3/4 teaspoon salt plus a pinch 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice, strained 1/4 cup whole milk 2 tablespoons limoncello, or other lemon-flavored liqueur, optional ((I used Absolut Mandarin) Directions Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter and line with 1 sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Butter the top of this sheet of paper with 1 teaspoon of the remaining butter and then lay a second sheet of parchment or waxed paper crosswise over the first sheet. The parchment should be cut large enough so that the sides are even with the top of the baking dish; this extra paper will function as handles to help you remove the lemon squares from the pan later. Set pan aside. In a large bowl combine 1 3/4 cups of the flour, 2/3 cup of the confectioners’ sugar, the cornstarch, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and mix thoroughly. Cut the remaining 12 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Using your hands, 2 forks, or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer the butter-flour mixture to the prepared baking dish and press into an even 1/4-inch layer along the bottom and partly up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. While the crust is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the crust until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. While the crust is baking, assemble the filling by combining the eggs, granulated sugar, flour, and lemon zest in a medium bowl and whisking until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, milk, limoncello (I used Absolut Mandarin), and remaining pinch of salt and mix well. When the crust is golden brown, remove it from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Stir the lemon mixture again, then pour onto the warm crust. Bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Grasp the waxed paper that lines the 2 longest sides of the baking dish and remove the bars from the pan by pulling up gently. The entire dessert should easily dislodge and come away from the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and, using a clean knife, cut into squares, wiping knife after each cut. Place a small amount of confectioners’ sugar into a small sieve, and sprinkle the bars with the sugar. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, wrapped with plastic wrap, up to 2 days, until ready to serve. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/super-lemony-lemon-squares-recipe/index.html
Bobby Flay’s Cinnamon Crunch Ice Cream with Bobby Flay’s Southwestern Style Blue Corn Biscotti
found at Suzie the Foodie
Cinnamon Crunch:
I began by making the “crunch” part of the recipe, which sounded fascinating. In a food processor I combined 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats and 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp of packed light brown sugar. I pulsed a few times and then added 4 tbsp of cold unsalted butter cut into pieces.
You were supposed to pat the mixture evenly into a 4″ square on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. As you can see, that meant going quite three dimensional! Did that mean this was supposed to be more like a dough than a crumble? It just did not want to pile that high.
I did my best and then baked it in a preheated 350F oven. I was supposed to bake it for 15 minutes until it turned golden brown and crispy. Well at ten minutes it turned into a dark blob! So I took it out.
Ice Cream:
I combined 2 cups whole milk, 2 cups heavy cream and 2 cinnamon sticks in a medium sauce pan. If you have a vanilla bean, scrape it and throw it all in at this point. I put this pan over medium heat the way I was supposed to and it took forever to come to a simmer. A skin kept forming on the top.
Once it came to a simmer I removed it from the heat, added some vanilla bean paste and let steep for 30 minutes. I returned it to the heat and brought it to a simmer. Again, it took forever!
“Prepare an ice bath by placing a medium bowl inside a larger bowl filled half full with ice water.” I was looking at the bowls thinking, a medium bowl is going to be too small!!! Just following the recipe Suzie…
Combine the eight egg yolks with 1 cup of sugar.
Which together until the egg yolks turn pale yellow. My house gremlin stole my whisk attachment (and my giant wooden cutting board!) so I used egg beaters instead and as you can see, they worked great.
Slowly whisk in the warm milk mixture into the eggs yolks and sugar. Remove cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean (if using). Return mixture to the pan and cook stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture coats the back, 3 to 4 minutes.
When it was thick enough to do so I started to notice it looked like it was breaking up a bit so I quickly moved to the next step.
I had to strain the custard into the bowl set in the ice bath and I was right, the original one was not big enough. So I moved the ice bath to another vessel and choose a larger and deeper bowl to go inside it so the whole bowl would cool down. But it didn’t! I kept replacing the ice bath but the best I could get was a lukewarm custard. It would not “chill” like the cookbook said it would.
In fact, traditionally most people always put the custard in the fridge to chill completely before churning. I was shocked that at this point you were supposed to “pour the custard into an ice cream maker”!!!
I don’t get it. This is not kitchen stadium. I do no have only an hour to make five dishes. And if you watch Iron Chef, the ice cream gets them every time and why? Because it is not cold enough.
On the left you will see just how “soupy” the ice cream was after it finished churning. I knew that was not how it was supposed to look but folded in some of the “crumble” anyway.
Bobby Flay’s Southwestern Style Blue Corn Biscotti
found at Food.com
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Yield: 26 biscotti
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup stone-ground blue cornmeal
3 tablespoons stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter , at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons anisette (or Sambuca liqueur)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup coarsely chopped unsalted pistachios
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Assemble your ingredients.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, blue and yellow cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
3. With the mixer set at its lowest speed, add the butter to the dry ingredients, a little at a time, beating until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir the liqueur into the dough until incorporated. Stir in the nuts until the dough is thoroughly blended and holds together in a ball.
4. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and gently press to form a log measuring approximately 3 inches wide, 1 1/2 inches high, and 10 inches long. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 2 hours or for as long as 8 hours.
5. Before second baking, reheat the oven to 350°F.
6. Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the log crosswise into 1/3-inch thick slices. Lay the slices on the same parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges but still slightly soft in the middle. For more even baking, turn the biscotti over after 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet.
7. Note: Time does not include resting time of at least 2 hours.
Classic Bread Pudding
Serves 8 to 10. Published March 1, 2010.
From Cook’s Illustrated.
Challah is an egg-enriched bread that can be found in most bakeries and supermarkets. If you cannot find challah, a firm high-quality sandwich bread such as Arnold Country Classics White or Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Hearty White may be substituted. If desired, serve this pudding with softly whipped cream or with Bourbon-Brown Sugar Sauce (see related recipe). Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. To retain a crisp top crust when reheating leftovers, cut the bread pudding into squares and heat, uncovered, in a 450-degree oven until warmed through, 6 to 8 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
- 1(14-ounce) loaf challah bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 10 cups) (see note)
- 9 large egg yolks
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon table salt
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine brown sugar and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in small bowl; set aside.
- Spread bread cubes in single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake, tossing occasionally, until just dry, about 15 minutes, switching trays from top to bottom racks halfway through. Cool bread cubes about 15 minutes; set aside 2 cups.
- Whisk yolks, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk in cream and milk until combined. Add remaining 8 cups cooled bread cubes and toss to coat. Transfer mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and let stand, occasionally pressing bread cubes into custard, until cubes are thoroughly saturated, about 30 minutes.
- Spread reserved bread cubes evenly over top of soaked bread mixture and gently press into custard. Using pastry brush, dab melted butter over top of unsoaked bread pieces. Sprinkle brown-sugar mixture evenly over top. Place bread pudding on rimmed baking sheet and bake on middle rack until custard has just set, and pressing center of pudding with finger reveals no runny liquid, 45 to 50 minutes. (Instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pudding should read 170 degrees.) Transfer to wire rack and cool until pudding is set and just warm, about 45 minutes. Serve.