CRUMB CAKE WITH BLACKBERRY-ORANGE SAUCE

Am I the only one that dreams about food while sleeping and has to make it while awake or the craving doesn’t go away? Anyone…Anyone?

My friend Jay Diamond is going to hate that I’m outing him publicly about this, but whatever. Jay has a love of Entenmann’s baked good; Namely their boxed donuts. This could solely be based on that these fresh, delicious, and tender pastries can be easily hidden in a desk drawer (or nightstand), or it could be that they may be conveniently ordered (in bulk) from Amazon. That love of Entenmann’s was passed to me (Not sure how he did it, but he did) in the form of the famously delicious and delicate Entenmann’s Crumb Cake.

So, last night I had a dream that Jay and I along with his family ,Joe and their daughter Lilly, were on the lake laughing and talking… enjoying something from the famous blue and white Entenmann’s box. I thought it was crumb cake, but Jay had powdered sugar around his mouth which I read as being from the Entenmann’s powdered donuts that Jay loves so well. My only thought while dreaming was that I was glad he was not eating my crumb cake and that I was never going to tell him that he had powdered sugar all over his face … as Donatella Versace was making her way down to where we were to say hi. Yes, random, I know.

From the home of Jay Diamond and Joe Nielsen…complete with nasal spray and tissue.

So today I needed to make a crumb cake. Yes running to my local grocer to pick up a box of Entenmann’s Crumb Cake would have been easier, but that’s not what I do. I order them online through Amazon.

Seriously this recipe of mine is one of my favorite cakes and easily made. The trouble is that it is incredibly tender and delicious and quickly consumed in its entirety in one sitting. The Entenmann’s crumb cakes you must physically open up the packages, and well… that’s more effort than one cake/one fork.

Crumb Cake With Blackberry Orange Sauce -Serves 12

Cut in the meted butter to make the crumb topping.

For The Crumb Topping

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar, gently packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon In The Kitchen With Scotty “More Than Pumpkin Pie” Spice or your own ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

12 tablespoons butter, melted

In a mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients except the melted butter. Stir to combine and mixed well. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter a little at a time gently cutting in/mixing in with a butter knife. Do this until small gravel like crumbs starts to develop. Add and mix, in stages, until all the butter is in and you have a bowl full of the sweet crumb. Set aside.

For The Cake

1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 stick (half cup) unsalted butter, room temp

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temp

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

A beautiful crumb cake as is!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line an 8”x11” cake pan with parchment paper, so the tender cake may be lifted out of the pan if need be. You may also just use a baking spray.

2. In a mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time mixing in thoroughly before adding the next egg. Add in the vanilla and mix. Scrape down your bowl.

3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and Kosher salt. Mix to combine.

4. Measure out your milk in a liquid measuring cup, and the sour cream as well, separately. Combine the two and mix together.

5. Add a portion of the dry mixture to the butter and sugar and mix in just enough to combine. The idea is to not over mix to keep the cake light and fluffy. Add the milk/sour cream in a small batch, mixing to combine again. Continue doing this with the dry mixture and the milk mixture until it is all in. Scrape your bowl down and give it one final mix.

6. Spoon the cake batter into your prepared pan. Smooth evenly giving your cake one smooth surface. Top the cake with all of the crumb mixtures evenly.

7. Place into the oven and bake approximately 45 minutes. Remove the cake and allow it to cool in the pan. Remove the cake from the pan if desired. Dust with powdered sugar or serve with my Blackberry Orange sauce.

For The Blackberry Orange Sauce

18 ounces fresh blackberry (a little over three cups)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3-star anise (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh orange zest

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 teaspoons corn starch

In a saucepan add the berries, sugar, orange zest, star anise, and water. Gently cook down until the berries are soft enough to mash. Mash the berries with a potato masher. Pour through a handheld strainer reserving the juice. Discard the pulp and seeds, then Pour the liquid back into the saucepan. Next, Make a slurry with the cornstarch and orange juice. Once the liquid comes to a simmer, pour in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Set aside to cool or drizzle the warms berry sauce over the crumb cake.

ALSATIAN INSPIRED EASTER LAMB CAKE: LEMON & LUXARDO POUND CAKE

The far eastern top of France in an area that borders Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, and Switzerland is known as Alsace-Lorraine. Now there is a whole history of how at one time the Alsace region was German, then there was a war, and later France claimed it after another war, with a whole bunch of cultural identity challenges tried up in between. But there are a lot of amazing, culturally intertwined, aspects of the Alsace area and a good chunk of that has to deal with food.

Delicious food traditions that are uniquely Alsatian such as Bacheofe (meaning: “Baker’s Oven”). Pork, lamb, and beef, marinated overnight in white wine, then placed in a tureen with classic French aromatics, potatoes, and bacon/trotters. When the lid of the taurine is placed on top, the edge of that lid is sealed with a simple pastry crust. It is slow cooked in a slow oven (traditionally in a baker’s oven after the loaves of bread have been baked) until the meats are tender and the stew is brimming with flavor; More on Bacheofe in the future.

But around Easter, a purely Alsatian treat known as the Oschterlammele (Little Easter Lamb) or simply Lamma-la starts making an appearance in bakeries of the region. Traditionally a simple sponge cake flavored with cherry kirsch, baked in an earthenware lamb mold, is served in family homes on Easter Day. The Lamma-la can actually be traced back to the middle ages from a Catholic theologian in the early sixteenth center knows as Thomas Murner. In his correspondence, he was said to have written that the cake was used as a gift from courting beaus to their prospective brides.

Traditional Oschterlammele or Lamma-la in a baker’s window

So I wanted to do my own version of the “Little Easter Lamb,” not necessarily pen it as an Oschterlammele, but to have been inspired from the Oschterlammele. What I came up with was basically a Lemon and Luxardo pound cake, baked in a lamb mold, and dusted with plenty of icing sugar… and it turned out fantastic!

Serve with fresh berries, or a berry compote /purée (I would stay away from red berry purées… (think lamb and blood), candied chocolate eggs, and lots of freshly whipped cream. So let’s get to it, and start searching Amazon or your favorite baking supply shop for that perfect lamb Cale mold.

Easter Lamb Cake, inspired from the Alsatian Oschterlammele

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp (plus extra for the mold)

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, room temp

3 cups All-Purpose flour (plus extra for the mold)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoon Luxardo liqueur (may substitute Kirsch, Cointreau, or Dark Rum)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

Powdered Sugar for dusting

Make:

Placing toothpicks, dow rods, or bamboo skewers in the head and neck region helps to stabilize the area.

1. Prepare the inside of your two-piece lamb mold by generously buttering and flouring the inside of both halves. Knock out any excess flour. To stabilize the neck and ears region, I add bamboo kabobs skewers to the top mold (the front facing side) horizontally from ear to ear, and then vertically from the head down through the neck. The cake should be stable enough… but nothing like a decapitated lamb at Easter to really get grandma worked up. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees convection bake.

2. In the mixing bowl add the butter and sugar and cream well with your mixer. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until light and fluffy. Scarped dawn the sides and bottom of the bowl.

3. In a separate bowl add your flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix with a spoon to combine evenly. To the butter and eggs mixture add the Luxardo liqueur and the lemon zest. Mix to combine. Next, and in batches, add the flour and heavy cream. Mix just to blend into a batter after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and continue until the last of the dry ingredients and the cream have been added.

4. Spoon the batter into your top mold starting with the head and working your way down and through the body of the lamb mold. You will want to fill and smooth out evenly the top mold all the way up. The idea is for the bottom mold to fit on top and the cake to bake into the bottom mold making one solid cake.

5. Be sure the cake batter is smoothed out evenly. Secure the bottom mold on top, and place the cake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet pan to catch any spillage and drips.

6. Place the cake into your oven and bake for 1 hour. Test by carefully removing the top half and inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. Once your cake has cooked remove from the oven and allow to cool for approximately 15 minutes or cool enough to handle the mold tins.

7. Carefully remove the whole cake from the mold. Trim off any excess seams, and set the cake upright to cool further.

8. While the cake is cooling I like to brush on powdered sugar to give the lamb a “stone” effect. In a small dish add a bit of powdered sugar. Using a pastry brush, brush on the powdered sugar all over the lamb. This will kind of melt into the warm cake.

9. Once the cake is completely cooled use a hand sifter to dust on more powdered sugar to give the lamb a nice white coating. In Germany, they have a similar lamb cake but coat the entire thing in chocolate ganache… which I’m not mad at. *wink*

10. Tie a red ribbon, or a color you like, around the neck of the lamb. Serve with fresh berries, fruit purees, chocolate eggs, and whipped cream. Enjoy!

The cake batter is filled and smoothed out to the very top of the front facing half of the cake mold.

POTATOES GRATIN "SAVOYARD"

So no, Silly-Head, not all potato gratins are the same… according to the French.

If you are a child of the seventies and eighties, and possibly up to the present day, your potatoes gratin or “scalloped potatoes” probably came from a box. Mine did, and I’m not mad at it.

Having grown up and pursued the profession called “chef” (and a little time dining in cafes in Paris) my eyes were open to the wonders of the classic potatoes gratin.

There are two “types” I would guess you could say. Potato Gratin Dauphinoise or potatoes thinly sliced and cooked in milk and cream with the perfect gratin caramelization on top, and the Savoyard version prepared basically the same way with the addition of cheese. Today we are going to make the Savoyard version, not only with two significant kinds of cheese but also with the addition of Pancetta bacon.

Pancetta is not a prerequisite and can be easily substituted with bacon. Any meat at all is not required either. For the Savoyard, it is all about a one-pot-pre-cook and some delicious cheese.

So let’s get to it!

Potatoes Gratin “Savoyard” serves 6

Ingredients:

Slice the potatoes relatively thick

2 pounds Yellow Potatoes, peeled and soaked in water to prevent browning

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves of fresh garlic smashed and chopped

5 ounces Comte cheese, shredded (may substitute Emmental cheese)

pre cook the potatoes until knife tender

5 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded (gruyere is everywhere)

4-5 ounces sliced pancetta or lightly smoked bacon

In the Kitchen With Scotty “Cook’s Line Seasoning”

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Small pinch cayenne pepper

Make:

Layer on the fried pancetta

1. Wash and peel your potatoes, and leave soaking in a bowl of cold water to prevent oxidation (fancy word for browning). In a medium, large pot add cold milk and heavy cream. Set the two next teach other along with your cutting board, knife and kitchen towel.

2. Remove a potato, roll on the town to soak up excess water, then slice the potatoes somewhat thick. Not thin like “scalloped potatoes” or potato gratin “dauphinoise.”

3. Place the sliced potatoes into the pot of milk and cream right away. Do this for all of the potatoes until they are all sliced and in the pot.

4. To the pot add the diced onion and garlic. Add a pinch or two of “Cook’s Line Seasoning or salt, the nutmeg and pinch of cayenne which is optional; begin to heat gently. Remember milk will burn (scorch) on the bottom of the pot, and there is no recovery. Stir every once and a while and do not cook too hot/fast.

5. Bring the milk and cream to a gentle boil and cook the potatoes anywhere from 10-15 minutes depending on the potato and how thick you sliced. Cook until the potatoes are knife tender.

6. While that's going on, in a frying pan add a teaspoon or two of cooking oil. Add the sliced pancetta and start heating. Cook until the pancetta (or bacon) is somewhat crisp. Remove to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb any excess fat.

7. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Once the potatoes are knife tender (cuts easily with the back of a knife), grab a slotted spoon and add a layer of the potatoes to a somewhat shallow casserole or baking dish. If you have a “gratin pan” then perfect! Add half of the potatoes.

8. Layer on the fried pancetta to the first layer of potatoes. Next, layer on the last half of the potatoes. With a ladle, spoon in the milk mixture from the cooking pot into the baking dish. Ladle enough milk so that it comes halfway up in the dish. You don’t want the potatoes swimming in the milk and cream, just enough to keep the gratin wet while cooking.

9. Finally, top the dish with the shredded cheese (combine the two in a bowl first. Forgot to mention that). Cover the entire dish with all of the cheese, making sure it hits all sides and corners.

10. Place the dish into the oven and bake 50 minutes to an hour. Just long enough for the potatoes to get a nice browned cheesy top. Remove from the oven and allow the gratin to rest at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve as a side dish with any roasted/grilled meat or chicken. Enjoy!

Top with the shredded cheese before baking

PASTEIS DE NATA (Portuguese Custard Tarts)

So one late night, unable to sleep, I grabbed my phone (like one does when they can’t sleep) and started scrolling through YouTube. I came across a video recipe from one of my video chef heroes, Chef John of Food Wishes, and was immediately entranced with his version of Pasteis De Nata or Portuguese custard tarts.

Today… I made my own.

Now mine is very similar to Chef John’s recipe. I added an ingredient or two and changed a method of preparation, but they are basically the same. The video is included below, and Chef John can explain the tarts to you better than I could. Crunchy outer crust, smooth and creamy custard filling loaded with a lot of delicious flavors. Try it out for yourself, and be sure to check out more of Chef John and Food Wishes the next time you can’t sleep!

Learn how to make Portuguese Custard Tarts (Pasteis de Nata)! If there were a Hall of Fame for tarts, these would have an entire wing. They truly are a unique, and mind-blowingly delicious sweet treat. Plus, they were invented by hermit monks, which make them even cooler.

Pasteis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)

Soft butter smooth out onto the dough

The Tart Shells

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/3 cup cold water

1 stick softened unsalted butter (I whipped my smooth and light)

Ground cinnamon

*depending on what's going on outside weather-wise (and yes it matters) you may need to adjust flour and water. You’re looking for wet sticky dough.

1. Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and give it a good stir. Add the cold water and stir to a wet sticky dough. Remove the mixture to a floured surface and knead until slightly less sticky and manageable. Cover and allow it to rest 15 minutes.

2. Lightly re-flour the surface and roll the dough out to a thin rectangle about 1/8” thickness. It may be a little frustrating to work with but just get through it.. its well worth it when it comes to the crunchy tart shell at the end.

3. Butter 2/3 of the rectangle. Fold in one side halfway over, followed by the other side, creating “letter fold.” Almost like lamenting puff pastry dough. Even up the sides making sure it’s all uniform. Pop the dough in the fridge 10 minutes to relax and firm the butter up a bit.

4. Remove the dough and repeat the process two more times or until you have used all the butter. Roll the dough out into one final rectangle. Cover in cinnamon and lightly rub in. This will make sense later, if not for the delicious added flavor.

5. Roll the dough up, starting with short end, as you would cinnamon rolls. Once you have a nice roll, wrap it loosely in parchment paper and place in the fridge to firm up. You will be slicing this in a bit.

The Syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon water

Lemon zest from one large lemon (I sliced thin wide strips avoiding the pith layer)

2 Star Anise

1 cinnamon stick

Place everything in a pot and bring to simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until syrup consistency. Remove from the heat and set aside.

The Custard

8 large egg yolks

1/3 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large mixing bowl add the egg yolks along with the flour and Kosher salt. Mix smoothly to a paste.

2. Scald the milk in a pot on your stove just until it starts to steam. Temper the milk into the egg yolk mixture whisking all the while until the bowl has warmed. Add in the remains milk at once and mix until smooth. Add the vanilla.

3. Pour in the syrup mixture including the lemon peel and spices. Give it a good mix. Pour the custard through a strainer into a large liquid measuring cup (or small pitcher) to collect the spices and any lumps and curds that formed along the way.

Pinwheel Bottoms

The Tarts

1. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. You will need a cupcake or muffin pan. I opened for the slightly larger cupcake/muffin pan for my tarts. Remove the dough from your refrigerator. Slice the dough into 1-1 1/2” pieces. Towards the large end if using muffin pans for your tarts. The idea is to stand the rolled pieces up, pinwheel facing up, then press down to make the base of your tart. From there, with your fingers, work/press the dough up along the sides. After your tarts are baked, you will be able to see the “cinnamon roll pinwheel” on the bottom of your tarts. Get it?

2. Once the dough has been pressed into the pans, our in your custard mixture not quite all the way up to the top of your dough. Fill each one evenly full as the last.

3. Place the tarts on the center rack of your oven and bake 12 minutes. Remove and allow the tarts to cool until just “warm.”

4. Remove the tarts to a platter and allow to cool thoroughly. Remember they may feel slightly warm on the outside but will be very hot on the inside. Cool completely, so the custard has time to set. Dust the tops with powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!
   

This was slightly warm when I cut it because I couldn’t wait, but notice the dip in the center. well worth it though!

APPLE DUMPLINGS WITH CHEDDAR CHEESE CRUST & CURRANTS

I don’t remember going to see the Walt Disney movie “The Apple Dumpling Gang”. In fact I probably saw it at home on TV when The Wonderful World of Walt Disney would sometimes air movies during their weekly Sunday night programming. What I do remember about the movie, as the wee infant child that I was  (the movie came out in 1975 ) was wondering what the hell Apple Dumplings were?  I also remember being a little frustrated because the movie did not spend enough time on an actual Apple Dumpling… like maybe it was just a name of a gang and not a real delicious edible thing? Had Julia Child made this movie she would never just reference and apple dumpling…she would bring it to life. 

My second encounter with Apple Dumplings came many years later at none other than Applewood’s Restaurant. Now some of you have heard the story of me moving back to Oklahoma after living my grand tour after school, then work, being a 20 something, all over the world, and landing in OKC, Applewoods was my first ‘real” job…. And they had Apple Dumplings on the menu! Memories of the loose strings that I had with The Apple Dumpling Gang came flooding back and in a full circle moment I found out exactly what they were.

“Well, Baby!” Usually started out Jeannie’s response to any question I asked her. Jeannie had been an employee of Dick Stubbs and David Egan (Owner and General Manager of Applewoods and Cattlemen's Restaurants respectively ) for years… even pre Applewoods, all the way back to Hollie’s Drive-In days. Jeannie was the Queen of “prep cook” and had her own methodical and precise way of handling any and all prep in every kitchen she worked in; almost in a military-like fashion.  A towering figure (keep in mind I’m 5’8 so everyone is towering) with a classic Okie draw, Jeannie was a well-built woman with fast as lightning speed in the kitchen (could turn a corner on a dime going ninety-to-nothin’ carrying three hotel pans). She had very little patience for your lack of basic kitchen knowledge or diverting from house rules and recipes, but always eager to enlighten you on ways to “work smart and not hard!”. That was Jeannie’s battle cry while working at Applewoods “Work smart and not hard” and especially true when knocking out pans of Apple Dumplings. 

Whole apples peeled and cored, CHECK! Pastry dough made, workbench generously floured, and rolling pin placed parallel, CHECK! Spice and sugar blend, CHECK!  PANS, check check and double check! Mind you,  all of this on a rolling kitchen cart (that she kept hidden from anyone else using) , turning corners with teenage fritter girls and grown men line-cooks all in floundering in her wake, at an estimated speed of 35mph… because it was time to make Apple Dumplings!

So pretty much everything, “technique wise”, in my recipe is due to how Jeannie taught me the Applewoods way of making Apple Dumplings. They weren’t her Apple Dumplings (“well baby, I don’t eat the things, I just make them!”) they were Applewood’s Apple Dumplings. The ingredients are mine, and Jeannie would probably question most of them, but the techniques are hers, so I carry those memories into this recipe. Always working smart and doing my best to not work hard.

Apple Dumplings With Currants & Cheddar Crust 

Cheddar Cheese Pastry (A great pie and apple dumpling pastry)

Ingredients: 

2 cups All-Purpose Flour 

8 tablespoons (1 stick) frozen unsalted butter, cubed 

5 tablespoons frozen solid shortening, cubed 

1 cups packed shredded Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese 

5 tablespoons ice water 

Make: 

1. In a food processor add the flour, frozen butter and frozen shortening. Pulse the mixture until the butter and shortening are “cut-in” resembling the size of peas. 

2. Add the shredded cheddar and pulse again unto the shredded cheddar iOS combines and the mixture resembles golden sand.

3. With the processor running add the ice water one tablespoon at a time. Continue running the processor until the pastry comes together on its own forming a ball. 

4. Remove the pastry to a floured work surface and gently work the dough into a round flat disk about an inch thick. Wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for at least one hour. 

5. When ready to roll out your pastry place the disk on a well-floured surface. Roll the dough out a bit into a rectangle, flip it over making sure the surface is once again floured to prevent sticking, roll again working your way to a rectangle. Roll the rectangle so the dough is approximately 1/4” thick with your rectangle approximately 24x16.

6. With a knife square-off the uneven edges giving you the perfect shaped rectangle. Finally cut the rectangle into six even squares.

Apple Dumplings

Coring the apples

Ingredients:

6 small baking or multi-use apples (Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Fuji, Jonathans), Peeled and cored but left whole 

1 large lemon

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 

2 cups water 

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon In The Kitchen With Scotty “More Than Pumpkin Pie Spice” or your choice of Apple Pie Spice 

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 cups water 

1/2 vanilla bean, split in half

1/2 cup dried currants (may use dried chopped cranberries as well) 

Adding the brown sugar and spice, topping with butter, and more sugar and spice!

Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and butter the inside of a 9x13 casserole dish with two tablespoons of the butter. 

2. Peel and core your apples: With a vegetable peeler, peel the bottom of your apple so it sets flat while standing up. Then peel the apple completely from top to bottom. If you have an apple corer… great! Core the inside of the apple making sure to NOT go all the way through…. Just coring out the center and seeds. If you do not have an apple corer (like me) use a teaspoon measure and scoop out the core and seeds as you would use a melon baller. Again, do not go all the way through the bottom. 

3. Place the apples in a large bowl of water. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze both halves into the water. Reserve one of the squeezed lemon halves. 

4. In a small mixing bowl combine the brown sugar and More Than Pumpkin Pie Spice together and mix well. Set aside. 

5. In a saucepan add the 2 cups of water and one cup of sugar and begin to heat slowly. To the syrup add 2 tablespoons of butter, the split vanilla bean,  the halved spent lemon and the dried currants. Bring the syrup to a boil then back down to a simmer. Simmer slowly for 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Remove the vanilla bean and with the back of a small knife scrape out the vanilla bean “caviar”, Adding it back to the syrup. Discard the scent vanilla bean pod and the lemon. 

6. Roll out your Cheddar Cheese Pastry as described above, and cut into six equal squares. Place an apple in the center of each square. Fill the hollowed out inside halfway with the brown sugar and spice mixture. Using the last four tablespoons of the butter, cut into six equal size pieces, and stuff inside the apples. Top off the inside of each butter with more brown sugar and spice. 

7. Bring one corner of the pastry up to the center of the apple. Note: If your square and apple are off balance, meaning that the square is too small to bring up to the center of the apple, roll each square thinner with your rolling pin to make it work. Continue bringing up each corner to the top of the apple, until it is enveloped in the cheddar pasty. 

8. Pinch the top and seams together to fully enclose the apple in pastry. Do this to all six apples. Place the apples into your buttered casserole dish. Pour the vanilla currant syrup almond the sides of the casserole dish, spooning out the currants with it, ensuring the syrup comes halfway up the sides of the apples.

9. Place the dish into the center of your oven. Bake 35-38 minutes depending on your oven or until the apples are tender and the crust is a nice golden brown. You will notice the syrup has thickened along with the currants, creating a nice sauce for your dumplings. 

10. Let the dumplings rest at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve one apple dumpling per person as is with lots of sauce, with your choice of ice cream or fresh whipped cream, it is all up to you! Enjoy!

Bring up each corner of the pastry and pinch the seams closed.

PEAR & STILTON TART WITH WALNUT-THYME CRUST

My wonderful next-door neighbor Diana sent a text earlier this week asking if I had a recipe for Pear and Stilton Tart. 

“No, Diana… no, I do not.”  Until now, that is. 

It’s pear “season”, which means fall, so there is an abundance of fresh beautiful pears all over local markets. All shapes and sizes, and this time of year through to the holidays, I’m really digging this fruit. 

I set out making this tart with the same idea I had when making my Goat Cheese Shallot Tart. A nice crust and creamy flavorful base, but this time adding pear on top and baking. The result? It was wonderful! 

So, a couple of things:

 I thought by using firm (not too ripe) Bartlett Pears it would really add a lot of pear flavor, and Bartlett pears seem to be the go-to pears in markets year round. At least here in Oklahoma. When baked the pears still extracted a little too much juice, even though they were more firm than I would traditionally use, which made sections of the walnut crust “soggy”. Next time I will use Bosc pears because those are better for baking. 

About that Walnut Crust… it was light and crumbly. I really enjoyed it. Now I did treat the pastry as I do all of my pastries with flour, pulsing in cold butter, and ice water. Last minute I decided to add fresh thyme and the result was a buttery, flaky, flavorful walnut crust. If you have problems using wheat flour, go all in using walnuts. Pulse into a fine meal, add melted butter, salt, thyme, and press into a pie plate like you would graham cracker crust. 

Lastly, for a more savory treat, try adding crisped and chopped pancetta or bacon. I think it would be marvelous in this... especially if making smaller bites for a cocktail party. Let me know if you do and how it turns out! 

A classic combination!

Pear and Stilton Tart with Walnut-Thyme Crust 

The Crust 

Ingredients:

1 full cup halved Walnuts

1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour 

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed 

1 teaspoon Kosher salt 

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 

4 tablespoons Ice Water 

Make:

1. In a food processor add the halved walnuts, flour, and salt. Process until the walnuts are broken down to the texture of coarse cornmeal. 

2. Add the butter and pulse until the butter resembles coarse meal. With the processor running add the ice water until the dough gathers inside the bowl.

3. Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the fresh thyme on top and gently work the dough to a ball. Flatten the dough, wrap the dough and chill the dough in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight. 

4. When ready to use roll the dough out to 1/4” thickness. Lightly drape into your prepared fluted tart pan. Press the dough into the sides and bottom loosely (the pastry will shrink when cooking so don’t stretch the dough). Place the whole thing in the fridge to chill while the oven is preheating.

5. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove the pasty from the fridge and prick the bottom (not the sides) with a fork. Add a sheet of parchment paper to the inside of the pastry shell and fill with dried beans, rice, or pie weights on top, to “blind bake” the shell. This prevents the pastry from rising while baking. Bake 12 minutes.

6. Carefully remove the paper and pie weights from inside of the pastry shell and bake an additional five minutes to “brown” the bottom. Remove the pastry shell from the oven and cool completely. 

Ball up a scrap piece of the pastry dough to help “push” into the corners and fluted sides of the tart pan.

The Filling

Ingredients:  

5 firm Bosc pears peeled, cored, and sliced thinly ( penny to nickel thickness)

8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened  

6 ounces  Stilton cheese, crumbled (may substitute Gorgonzola or a firmer blue cheese) 

1 large egg room temp 

Dash or two of Worcestershire sauce 

Fresh thyme stems 

Ready to bake!

Make:

1. In a mixing bowl whip the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add 4-5 ounces of the crumbled Stilton cheese, reserving a small amount to sprinkle on top before baking. Mix in the Stilton to the cream cheese along with the whole egg until fully combined. Scrape down your bowl and add the Worcestershire sauce and mix once more. 

2. Spoon out the mixture into your cooled walnut thyme pastry shell. Smooth out making sure to reach all the sides and corner. Smooth the top evenly. 

3. Layer the sliced pears on top, shingle style, and in whatever pattern you think works. Dot the top of the pears with the reserved stilton cheese. 

4. Place the tart in a 375-degree oven and bake for 20 minutes. The center may rise a bit and that is okay. 

5. Remove the tart from the oven and cool completely. Before presenting and cutting add fresh thyme stems on top for flair and the acknowledgment that you are one bad MF’er and know how to bake a Pear Stilton Tart! Enjoy! -Scotty 

CANELÉS DE BORDEAUX

I’m not going to spend too much time writing about Canelés de Bordeaux, and going on-and-on about my first experience with them as a young 20-year-old traveling from Paris to Germany on the TGV train, and how my eyes almost exploded out of my head as did my tastebuds the moment I crunched into my first bite of canelés. 

Instead, I will say that if you have had canelés before and enjoy them as much as I do, you probably remember the first time you enjoyed this magic pastry from France. If you have not had a canelés experience, I suggest you book a flight to France, tour the Bordeaux region, and before you start out on wine tasting adventures start your day with canelés and coffee… tout de suite! 

Until then, and with my best efforts, my Canelés de Bordeaux recipe is yours. As for canelés molds, I used silicon molds and actually had great results. I found the best situation for me in achieving that crisp outer shell desired with canelés is to generously butter the inside of the molds with softened butter (not melted), coat the inside of them with sugar, then refrigerate until hard and set. 

Next, another important step is to allow the canelés batter to rest before baking, Some say at least an hour, some say 24 hours. I tried both. While waiting an hour before baking felt like I was rushing a delicate process, and waiting 24 hours felt I was being authentic, the flavor and texture of both were quite similar. I will say, whatever you choose to do as far as “wait times”, I would make sure your batter is close to room temperature as possible before baking. So if you choose to wait and refrigerate overnight, set the batter out on the counter for a time to allow it to “warm up” before baking. 

Alright, enough of that… Let’s get to it! 

Canelés de Bordeaux :  (makes approximately 1 1/2  dozen depending on the size of your molds) 

Scalding the milk, cream, and butter... ready to temper to the flour, sugar, and eggs. 

Ingredients: 

2 large whole eggs, room temp

2 large egg yolks, from temp

2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons unsalted butter + extra*

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar + extra*

1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour 

Rum is optional... and highly recommended. 

1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest, microplaned

2 tablespoons dark rum

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

• softened butter and extra sugar for prepping inside of the molds 

Make: 

Coating the inside with softened butter and sugar really creates that wonderful crispy outer shell.

1. The day before or at least an hour before: to a heavy bottom sauce pot put in your milk, cream, butter, orange zest, and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Scald the milk just below a simmer.. do not boil. 
2. In a mixing bowl add your flour and remaining 1 cup of sugar. Stir to combine. Add the whole eggs and egg yolks along with the rum and vanilla. Mix like hell until you have achieved a smooth mixture. 
3. “Temper” the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. A little at a time and mixing all the while, add the scalded milk to the egg mixture. Whisk Whisk Whisk as to not make scrambled eggs. Add all of the milk and whisk to a nice smooth batter.
4. Now, at this point, you can cover the bowl and place it in the fridge to rest overnight. This really allows the gluten in the flour to relax, then temporary custard to chill, and the flavors to meld. If you just came in from dinner (and wine…lots of wine) with friends and wanting canelés ASAP like I did, allow the mixture to hang out at least 1 hour before baking. 
5. While you’re waiting for the batter to “chill”, brush the inside of your canelés molds with softened butter (not melted) generously. Then coat the inside of them with granulated sugar, knocking out the excess. Place the molds on a tray and pop in the fridge to set up and harden. While not achieving the traditional Bees Wax coating used in authentic Canelés (yes traditionally bakers would coat the inside of molds with beeswax before baking) I found this softened butter and sugar method worked great for me. 
6. When ready to bake: Preheat your oven, conventional not convection with the fan, to 450 degrees, and set the batter out on the counter to “warm up a bit.  Remove your molds from the fridge, keeping them on the baking tray. Pour the batter into the molds, filling the cup 3/4 full from the top. I even had some go to the top and they were fine baking. 
7. Bake the canelés for 30 minutes at 450 degrees. After the first 30 minutes, reduce the temp to 400 degrees and bake an additional 30 minutes. Remove the canelés from the oven and allow to cool completely in the molds. 
8. Flip the canelés out onto a clean surface. You may need to rim the inside with a paring knife or offset spatula if using traditional copper molds. They should be a dark caramelized brown with golden custard looking center. The outer shell should be hard and candied like a creme brûlée. 
9. To these, you can dust with powdered sugar, fill in the top with whipped cream, salted caramel, ganache, or my favorite…… with a side of espresso, a train’s view of the French countryside, and thoughts of never ever ending this experience.  Enjoy!

WHITE CORN CHICKEN ENCHILADA WITH ASADERO-JACK CHEESE SAUCE

It isn’t too often a request for chicken Enchiladas comes my way from a client, but when it does I am always happy to knock out my best version. For a creamier side to the chicken enchilada, this recipe is my favorite. Using spicey Monterey Jack cheese and easy melting Mexican Asadero cheese, the flavor and texture of this dish is a knockout! 

The Chicken Enchiladas 

Grilling Hatch Green Chilis 

Ingredients: 

10 White Corn Tortillas, about 6” round 

Grapeseed Oil for sautéing 

3 cups roasted chicken, shredded 

1 cup Chicken Stock, unsalted 

1 medium yellow onion, diced 

2 tablespoons In The Kitchen With Scotty “Barbacoa Seasoning” *

1/4 c fresh lime juice 

1 pound roasted Hatch Chili, peeled and seeded (may substitute canned rinsed green chilis) 

*May substitute another Barbacoa Seasoning Blend or any Chicken Enchilada Blend 

The Asadero-Jack Cheese Sauce 

Ingredients: 

3 cups whole Milk 

3 tablespoons butter, unsalted 

1/4 All-Purpose Flour 

2 cups Asadero Cheese, shredded 

1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded 

1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped 

Cream Dreamy Asadero and Monterey Jack Cheese Sauce with Chopped Cilantro 

1. In a large fry pan add a glug or two of Grapeseed Oil to sauté the diced yellow onion. Heat and cook the onions slowly until lightly caramelized. Add the Barbacoa Seasoning and cook in. 
2. Add the shredded chicken to the pan and toss to combine. Pour in the chicken stock and lime juice stirring it in to flavor the meat and to reduce the sauce. Cook for 10 minutes or until a majority of the liquid has absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat to cool. 
3. In a medium sized pot add the butter and slowly melt over medium heat. Add the flour and stir in. Cook and stir the roux until golden and smooth; Cook for five minutes. In another pot gently heat your milk, just enough that steam rises to the top. You do not need to simmer or boil. 
4. While whisking the roux, carefully pour in the hot milk to make a thin white sauce. Add all the hot milk, whisking all the while to ensure there are no lumps. Cook the sauce until thickened. Add both the shredded cheeses and mix in to melt. Finally, add the chopped cilantro and stir in evenly. Remove from the heat. 
5. Set up your components to build your enchiladas and preheat your oven to 375 degrees: In a large casserole dish spray the bottom and sides with cooking spray. Pour enough of the cheese sauce to evenly cover the bottom of the dish, about 1/8” thick.  Have a plate with the roasted, peeled, and seeded Hatch green chilis. Have another plate with the shredded chicken mixture, your white corn tortillas, and finally the pot of white cheese sauce. 
6. Lay a corn tortilla flat on a work surface. In the center, from top to bottom, add a single line of shredded chicken. Top with a filet or two of the Hatch green chili and lay on top. Roll one side of the tortilla in and round it off into a tube shape. Lay the rolled tortilla, seam side down, into the bottom of the sauced casserole dish. 
7. Do all the tortillas this way using up the chicken and green chili. Lay them side by side. If you need another dish to accommodate the rest of your rolled tortillas, repeat the steps you used for the first dish. 
8. Top the rolled tortillas with the remaining cheese sauce covering them completely. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and place into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the foil and bake an additional 10 to brown the tops lightly. 
9. Remove the dish from the oven to cool 15 minutes. When ready to serve, portion out one or two of the creamy chicken enchiladas. Add and extra sauce from the dish on top, and then sprinkle the top with  sliced green onion, avocado, or sliced red radish. Serve right away!

POLENTA-ALMOND CAKE WITH APRICOT & ORANGE

The last time I had polenta cake, it was a lemon flavored cake with a delicious blackberry compote. Sounds incredible, doesn’t it? Well, it was, and I wanted to come up with my own version of a delicious polenta cake. Think my Persian-ness came out in this one… again. 

There are many recipes out there for a polenta cake, and they are great for anyone avoiding gluten. With the addition of ground almond meal, polenta and almond together make a great loose crumb cake… even better as a muffin. I was looking for something more cake-like, with a finer crumb, which means I added a bit of wheat flour. So this recipe is definitely not gluten-free. But delicious none the less. 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups ground almond meal/flour 

1/2 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal) 

1/2 all-purpose flour + extra for dusting chopped apricots

3/4 cups granulated sugar 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1 cup (2 sticks)  unsalted butter, melted 

3 large eggs, room temp 

1 pound fresh apricot, halved/stoned and peeled (optional) 

2 teaspoons ground cardamom 

1 teaspoon (packed) fresh orange zest 

1/2 teaspoon almond extract 

Make: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a loaf cake pan with baking spray or butter. 
2. In a mixing bowl add the eggs. With a hand mixer or in a stand mixer beat the eggs for two minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the volume has increased and the mixture I pale yellow. Gradually add the melted butter while mixing, but don’t over mix to prevent breaking. Add the almond extract and mix. 
3. In a separate bowl combine the ponta, ground almond, flour, baking powder, salt, and orange zest. Stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients to egg-butter-sugar mixture and hand mix in with a wooden spoon. The idea is to keep the volume of the egg mixture and to not over work the flour. Mix until everything in combined evenly and you have a nice tick cake batter.
4. Rough chop the apricot and toss with a spoonful or two of flour. 
5. Pour half of the batter into the loaf pan. Add half the chopped and dusted apricots on top. Pour the remaining batter on top, adding the last half of the chopped and dusted apricots. 
6. Place the loaf pan into the oven and bake 50-55 minutes, testing for doneness in the center of the cake. Remove the cake and let it cool for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. 
7. Dust the cake generously with powdered sugar. Slice when cooled and dig in! 

GREEK POTATO ROLL

NO,  not a roll like a dinner roll (because Y'all know I love the bread!) … but a roll like.. a roll of thinly sliced potatoes, stuffed with creamy-lemony-ricotta, ground meat sauce, and rolled up into a log, baked, and sliced! 

So I saw something similar perusing the Facebook, but they made it more Italian.. which I love as well. It was filled with the same idea of ricotta, and oh yeah spinach, and was loaded with tons of mozzarella that just melted and oozed all over the place. Pure heaven!

But I was wanting something more on the greek side. That same flavorful ground meat and tomato sauce but with a hint of oregano and anisette thrown in for that Greek feel. I also added fresh lemon zest to the ricotta that really made the whole dish pop. And was so glad I did! 

Try it out, and by all means, load it with whatever you and yours would enjoy. This is just how I rolled! (did you see what I did there?) 

Shingles potatoes. Add Parmesan and pop into the oven until golden brown and cheesy. 

Ingredients: Feeds 6-8 depending how hungry

3 pounds russet potatoes, cleaned and peeled, sliced thinly 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 pound lean ground hamburger or turkey 

1 medium onion diced

3 garlic cloves smashed and chopped 

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce 

Like icing a cake!

8 ounces whole milk ricotta 

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmesan 

6 cups fresh baby spinach 

Zest of a large lemon 

In The Kitchen With Scotty “Cook’s Line Seasoning”

3 teaspoons dried oregano

2-star anise 

Lemons cut into wedges for serving 

Make: 

1. Begin by preparing a medium sheet pan (I used an 11x17)  by lining it with parchment paper. This will help with the rolling later. Brush the paper with olive oil and set aside. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Slice the potatoes thinly and evenly. Preferably with a mandoline, or your one good eye and a sharp knife. Either way, watch your fingers! You may not need all of the potatoes but you will have back up for size and consistency if needed. Begin shingling (overlapping) the potatoes on the parchment paper in even rows. Do this until the entire pan is one nice fish-scale” looking layer. Sprinkle the entire layers with the shredded parmesan and pop into the oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and let cool. 
3. Now for the filings: While the potatoes are cooking, begin heating a frying pan with a little olive oil. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until tender. Next add your ground meat and brown, season with a pinch or two of the Cook’s Line Seasoning, or your own salt and pepper. Drain off any excess fat. 
4. To the frying pan add the tomato sauce, oregano, and star anise. Stir to incorporate everything, cover and let it slowly simmer for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning then Remove from the heat and let it cool. 
5. In another pan add a glug of olive oil and begin to heat gently. Add the fresh baby spinach, a dash of Cooks Line Seasoning, and sauté the spinach to a nice soft bright green consistency. Drain off any excess water. 
6. IN a mixing bowl add the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and feta cheese. Mix well to incorporate all of that flavor. Then add the sautéed spinach. Go ahead and give it a taste, and add Cook’s Line or your own salt and pepper to taste. Everything seasoned properly, guys! 
7. Okay, now that everything is made let’s build the roll! Start by speeding out the ricotta and spinach mixture over the cooked potatoes… just like you were icing a cake. Follow that up with the cooled meat mixture (don’t forget to remove the star anise). Spread it out over the ricotta evenly and to the edges of the potatoes. The starting at the bottom of the pan, lift up the parchment paper and gently fold in the potatoes… starting your roll. Use the paper to help lift and evenly roll the potatoes to the top of the pan. Once rolled it should resemble a log. Tighten the roll with your hands if need be, and carefully center it to the middle of the pan. 
8. Place the roll back into the oven to let it bake and brown on the outside. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. 
9. Remove the potato roll from the oven and ket it cool at least 10 minutes before slicing. Cut a slice at least 1 inch thick and serve with fresh cut lemon for the extra kick if citrus. Creamy, hearty, flavorful, deliciousness!

Right out of the oven! 

ORANGE-PISTACHIO BUTTERMILK SCONES

So it seems I woke up this fine Sunday morning, after having a great night out with friends… craving scones… which looking back on my other scone recipes seems to be a recurring thing. Out with friends having a great time the night before equals new scone recipe the next morning! You're welcome.  

Having not planned a Sunday morning scone bake-off, I used what was available to me in my kitchen.. which how all good recipes start off, right? The three magical ingredients for this venture were Orange, Pistachios, and Buttermilk. The rest of the recipe is just my basic scone ingredients and a lot of finger crossing. 

Introducing Emily to my new favorite "watering hole", Ponyboy...  or as I like to call it "The Sunday Scone Enabler". 

I hope you enjoy this version… and please, go out and have a great night with friends! 

Coffee helps... and Jazz in the background. 

Ingredients:  Makes 1 dozen 2-inch scones 

2 cups All-Purpose Flour 

What I had on hand, mad e a delicious morning treat... with lots of coffee.

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

8 tablespoon (1 stick)  unsalted butter, cubed

1 large egg, beaten 

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons whole buttermilk 

1 tablespoon fresh orange zest 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1/4 teaspoon almond extract 

For The Glaze 

1 cup powdered sugar 

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice 

1/4 teaspoon almond extract 

1/4 cup finely chopped or ground roasted pistachio 

Cutting In the butter. 

Brush the tops with Buttermilk or heavy cream!

Ready for the oven!

Make: 

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with baking spray or Silpat liner. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and powder. Stir around to combine. 
2. In a liquid measuring cup pour in the buttermilk to measure out one-half cup. Add the whole egg, vanilla, almond extract, and the fresh orange zest. Mix until the egg is beaten and all the ingredients are combined. Set aside. 
3. To the dry mixture add in the cubed butter. With a pastry cutter, a fork or your hands, cut/rub in the butter with the dry mixture. The butter should be cut in enough to resemble a coarse meal texture. 
4. Pour in the buttermilk mixture and with a spoon gently mix in until you have a nice wet dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly. Turning the dough over until it is slightly firm and less sticky. Roll the dough out to half or three-quarter inch thickness. Using a 2” cutter, dip the cutter into flour and cut the scones out as you would cutting biscuits. Place the scones on your prepared baking sheet. 
5. For extra richness and color, brush the tops of the scones with buttermilk or heavy cream. Place the scones in the oven and bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the scones from the oven and allow to cool before glazing.
6. For The Glaze:  In a mixing bowl add the powdered sugar. To that add the t tablespoons of fresh orange juice, vanilla and almond extract. Mix vigorously until smooth and flowing. Add one teaspoon of glaze to the tops of each cooled scone and allow it to drizzle over the sides. Sprinkle the tops with the chopped or ground pistachio. Serve the scones on a platter, plate, or pastry tier, and enjoy!

CHEESE SOUFFLÉ

I recently purchased a Charlotte mould, one: because I’m a freak for any kind of cooking/baking ware and two: because I was up late one night watching old Julia Child’s The French Chef programs on YouTube. 

This particular episode featured her Cheese Soufflé. I don't know about you guys, but when something stays in my head for over an hour, that means my inner “me” is saying “DO IT!”. 

So I did it… and IT was wonderful. 

A few things to remember that Julia pointed out and I recalled while working this recipe out… 

Do generously butter and line the inside with grated cheese. I used parmesan (I think she did too). It not only helps prevent the soufflé from sticking but also gives the sides and bottoms a nice “crust”.  

Do use a smaller in diameter and taller in height container, like a charlotte mould. This allows the soufflé to grow and climb up the sides. Shorter and wider (like myself) spreads (again, like myself.). 

While baking the soufflé in a non-commercial oven I used the Convention (no fan) setting. I’ve made soufflé before in a commercial oven, happens all the time in restaurants, but prefer the standard oven setting at home. If you do choose to use the Convection (with fan) setting you might want to reduce the temperature 25 degrees to 350 degrees.  

Mise en Place... get everything ready to go!

The Aluminum foil collar is your friend! Prepare the collar as part of your mise en place and butter/cheese it well. 

For those that have not made a soufflé before, as with all first time attempts in the kitchen, don’t lose hope if your soufflé “flops”. Try again! The soufflé, any soufflé, is a wonderful kitchen flashback recipe. It’s delicious, interesting, and is not as intimidating as you would expect. 

Oh… and don’t open that oven! Let it do it’s thing for a good thirty minutes before your curiosity gets the best of you or it will deflate and never come back. Use the oven light if you must! 

Ingredients: 

8 large eggs (room temp) separated: 6 yolks and 8 egg whites 

3 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded 

2 ounces Emmental Swiss Cheese, shredded 

1 1/2 cups whole milk, heated 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra to coat the inside of your mold

4 tablespoons flour 

1 teaspoon In The Kitchen With Scotty “Cook’s Line” Seasoning (or kosher salt and black pepper to taste) 

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg 

1 teaspoon Sriracha 

1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

grated parmesan cheese 

Buttered and cheesed... ready to be filled. 

Make: 

Ready! Remove the collar and make a mad dash to the table! 

1. Prepare an aluminum foil collar for the container you’re baking the soufflé in. The soufflé will rise and the collar prevents it from spilling out into the oven. Butter the inside of the collar and coat with grated parmesan cheese. Just like you would do when buttering and flouring a cake pan. Pin or paper-clip the sides if needed… tape will melt. 
2. Shred the two cheese with a box shredder and combine together. You need about 1 1/2 cups total of shredded Gruyère and Emmental. 
3. Preheat your standard (convention) oven to 375 degrees.
4. Separate your eggs and let them come to room temp. 6 egg yolks in one bowl and 8 egg whites in a separate clean bowl. Remember, just a small drop of egg yolk or any kind of fat will prevent the egg whites from whipping up… pay attention while doing this. 
5. Make your thick white sauce: The white sauce is your base for the soufflé. Add the butter and flour to a sauce pot to make a roux. Cook the roux for five minutes. Gradually add in your milk, nutmeg and Cook’s Line Seasoning. Cook the sauce until thickened. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a “skin”. 
6. Begin whipping your egg whites. In the nice clean mixing bowl that your egg whites are in, begin beating the whites until frothy. Add the Cream of Tartar and continue beating to a nice glossy stiff peak. 
7. Pour the thick white sauce into a large separate clean mixing bowl. You will be folding in the egg whites to this bowl so make sure it is large enough. A few at a time, vigorously mix the egg yolks until all have been combined. Add the Sriracha (or a few shakes of Tabasco sauce) and mix in. 
8. Scoop out a large spoonful of the whipped egg whites and mix it in with the white sauce. This loosens up the white sauce to make folding in the reaming egg whites easier. Add the rest of the whipped egg whites to the bowl and carefully FOLD. With a rubber spatula start in the center of the bowl, go down, then slowly bring the sauce up from the bottom and over the whipped eggs whites. Sprinkle in half the shredded cheese and fold it in as well. Continue folding in the whites and cheese orating your bowl as you go. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese (reserving a few pinches) and again fold in completely. 
9. Carefully pour in the soufflé into your buttered mould. Even out the top and draw a trench around the outer center of the soufflé with your spatula. Sprinkle the top with the small amount of remaining shredded cheese. While baking this will create a center peak and give it a nice hard fried cheese flavor. 
10. Bake the soufflé 45-50 minutes. Ovens vary, and my soufflé needed 50 minutes. If unsure check it like you would a cake. Insert (carefully!) a skewer or knife in the center to see if it draws out “clean”. 
11. Have everything and everyone ready to go before you serve the soufflé… that is if you want your efforts in soufflé making to make a visual impact. Soufflés will deflate after a short time once out of the oven. 
12. This wonderfully cheesy, flavorful, dish is great for a seated brunch or lunch. Perfect with fresh fruit! Have fun with this and enjoy!  It truly is a delicious dish.

CROISSANT BREAD PUDDING WITH APRICOT, CHOCOLATE, & APRICOT BRANDY CARAMEL SAUCE

It's a simple story, really. I made a batch of homemade croissants one night, had some leftover, and made bread pudding the next night. I also had the apricots and chocolate... the almonds... brandy and apricot preserve... so it made this whole weekend experiment a lot easier. And THANK the dessert gods I did!! Dang, this is good! I hope you enjoy and much as I did. We did. Mostly me, because I kept it all. 

Ingredients: 

roughly 10 stale croissants, diced 1” (roughly 9-10 cups)

4 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1 cup light brown sugar, packed 

1 cup granulated sugar 

1 cup dried apricots, cut in half

Adding in the cream and milk. 

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, rough chopped (may use chocolate morsels or chips)

2 teaspoons good vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract 

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Make:  

1. Begin by boiling water and pouring enough over the dried apricots to cover. Set aside for 15 minutes. Butter the inside of a large casserole dish or high sided oven-proof skillet.
2. Dice the stale croissants, or any rich dough based dinner rolls, into 1-inch pieces. Place into a large mixing bowl. Add the roughly chopped chocolate, morsels, or chips.  Drain and pat dry the halved apricots. Add to the bowl along with the bread and chocolate then set aside. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine the whole eggs and the egg yolks. Give it a nice mix with a whisk until smooth. Add the brown sugar and the granulated sugar and begin to mix vigorously. Whip until pale brown and smooth. Pour in the cream and milk along with the vanilla and almond extract. Mix in thoroughly and set your custard aside.
4. Give the bread, chocolate, and apricots a nice toss with your clean little hands. Scoop out the tossed mixture with your hands and place into your buttered casserole dish. Pour the custard slowly over the bread mixture making sure every inch gets coated. Pour enough in until it just reaches the top of your casserole dish. With a spoon or rubber spatula gently push the bread down into the custard to make sure the bread is somewhat submerged. Let the mixture soak covered for one hour. 
5. Begin to preheat your oven before the hour-long soak is complete. After an hour uncover your pudding and sprinkle the sliced almonds on top. Place the bread pudding into the oven and bake for approximately 40-45 minutes or until the center has puffed up and there is slight jiggle. Remove from the oven after cooking and let the bread pudding cool and set-up while you make the caramel sauce. Yes.. I said Caramel Sauce. 

Soaked and ready for the oven!

Apricot Brandy Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar 

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 

1/2 cup good quality Apricot preserve 

4 ounces brandy 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 

small pinch of kosher salt

1. Combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a heavy bottom saucepan. Mix together and begin to heat to simmer stirring occasionally. 
2. In a separate pan add the brandy and ignite to burn off excess alcohol. Do this carefully and mindfully. It helps to gently warm the brandy in the pan first then ignite with either a long handled lighter or tipped gently towards a flame. Swirl the lit brandy around to burn off the alcohol. Add the apricot preserve into the brandy and gently simmer. 
3. When the sugar water and lemon syrup starts to lightly turn amber, really pay attention because the caramelization will come on quick. Keep stirring and when it starts to turn a medium dark golden brown remove from the heat… still stirring. It will continue to cook and darken further. 
4. Gently pour in the apricot brandy syrup into your caramel. It will bubble a bit and that's okay, just keep stirring. Add in your knobs of butter to finish off your caramel sauce and mix in. 
5. When ready to dig into your bread pudding, scoop or siliceous a nice serving onto a plate or pasta bowl. Gently pour on the apricot brandy caramel sauce… and dig in! 

PIMENTO CHEESE

Summer in later 1970’s and most of the eighties in Sapulpa, Oklahoma were the songs of the cicadas singing in the black oak trees, the smell of coconut suntanning oil and the subsequent residue skimming on the surface water of our family’s swimming pool, and pimento cheese sandwiches after a long day of swimming. 

Those are some of the fond memories I have growing up this time of year. As far as the pimento cheese goes, I am sure my mother could have made it, but as with everything during that time, it was easier to purchase a large tub of pimento cheese and be done with it. 

Many years later while in school at Oklahoma State, I met a wonderful woman named Donna Davis… or DJ for short (Donna Jean). Donna was the mother of one of my best friends from school and forever friend now, Stacy Davis Valleroy. As good friends do and those relationships develop, families intermingle, and memories are made. I remember Donna Jean Davis’ pimento cheese. 

My Sweet Fay and Donna Jean.

Donna was a great cook. Raising and feeding five kids, three boys and two girls, you had to be. Now what I remember of Donna’s cooking, it wasn’t anything experimental or grand. It was J&B scotch at the four o’clock cocktail hour, and simple meals made right. The Davis kids knew good food having grown up in their father’s hotels, traveling to Aruba and California yearly, and just having a mother knowledgeable in the use of good (mostly pre-made) ingredients but resisting the “tub” of whatever whenever she could. 

The first time I had Donna Jean’s pimento cheese… homemade pimento cheese that is… was kind of like the summer’s day that we had today. Hot but not too muggy, bright skies with big pillowy clouds, and a chance to lay out by the pool (This time with “Refresh 360” Sunblock instead of the coconut tanning oil.). Walking back to the Davis family kitchen, Fay (that’s what I call Stacy… I know, so many names. ) pulls out a clear plastic container from the fridge along with some toasted baguette slices and says “here... try this.” It was Donna’s pimento cheese, and I think my eyes rolled back into my head from sheer gratification. Small shreds of sharp cheddar cheese, just the right addition of mayo with a bit of sugar, and the right amount of pimentos that it flavored the spread without being a nuisance of having too much pimento. 

Donna always made sure she had pimento cheese at the ready when I came over… and once or twice it was on hand when I popped in unannounced, with a “I figured you’d be around soon.” from Donna. Gosh, I miss that from her. Not just the pimento cheese, but the stories she would tell, the endless discussion of food, and the encouraging prods (without being too “involved”) of the dreams I had for myself as a chef. That’s a good food memory from a remarkable woman, and I miss her as much as her children do. 

So, here’s my version of Pimento Cheese. After years of asking for the recipe I never actually got a written down version from Donna Jean… just snippets of her telling me how she made it anytime I asked. The same holds true for her Jezebel Sauce. Yes, THE Jezebel Sauce* from Scotty’s Restaurant and In The Kitchen With Scotty. My Jezebel isn’t quite the way she made it (Donna used pineapple jelly and orange marmalade ) but I would never have had it at Scotty’s Restaurant or now with In The Kitchen With Scotty without her. 

Pimento Cheese 

Ingredients: 

12 ounces mild cheddar, finely grated 

5 ounces white Irish cheddar, finely grated 

8 ounces pimentos, drained 

1 1/2 cups or 15-ounce jar, good quality Mayonnaise 

3 tablespoons granulated sugar 

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 

1/2 teaspoon Soul-Licious Soul Food Seasoning (or salt and pepper to taste) 

Make: 

1. The trick to Donna’s pimento cheese and one that she stressed to me more than anything, and that I agree with, is that the cheese has to be finely shredded. I hand shred on a box grater using the finer grating side. Donna hand shredded in the beginning but switched to pre-made finely shredded cheese she could buy at the store because her hands would get tired. (Donna would say s’redded cheese, and it always cracked me up!). 
2. Shred both of the cheeses into a bowl and add the drained pimentos on top. In a separate bowl mix the mayo, sugar, lemon juice, and seasoning. Whisk until smooth and all the sugar has melted away into the dressing. 
3. Pour the dressing into the cheese and pimento bowl. With a fork gently stir in/toss everything to combine. Do not mix too hard or you will mash up the finely s’redded cheese. Cover and let rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Store covered for one week… if it lasts that long.

*Two months before Donna passed, I ran into her at the grocery store… well, actually she saw me in the parking lot and had her driver drive up to my vehicle where I was loading in my groceries. 

“Where’s my muuuuunnny?” Donna yelled from the passenger window

“Your money for what?” I said back laughing

“My munny for the Jezebel Sauce you’ve been selling. That’s Myyyyyyyyyy recipe!” and while laughing they sped away.

CHOCOLATE PLAITED BRUNCH LOAF

Say what? What is a plaited loaf? Simply, plaited means to braid or weave. Typically plaited loaves are made of Challah bread. They are beautifully woven into a simple braid, or even up to eight strand braids. I haven't quite mastered that bit, as far as an eight strand braid, but I can do a mean three strand braid and with extra mental power can knock out Paul Hollywood’s plait… which I have included as a link instead of trying to explain. 

So, who knows why, and I try not question inner cravings, but as warm as it has been kicking off the summer solstice I have been craving fresh baked bread. Yes, not the typical “…but it’s swimsuit season!” craving I would prefer ( I wish I could get a craving for dust and lemons this time of year) but a craving none the less so I am going for it. 

I also had the desire to make a plaited loaf. Not just any loaf mind you, but a rich, tasty, duel flavor loaf; One of those flavors being chocolate! 

I have a rich dough recipe that I like using on occasion, almost brioche style (without the eggs), but with the addition of crème fraîche. The crème fraîche really adds that rich European flavor that I love and also adds almost a malted flavor to the chocolate portion of this dough. If it is hard for you to find crème fraîche or you just are not crazy about the flavor, you may substitute whole sour cream. Not that 2% or fat-free nonsense, go full on sour cream…. and forget for a moment that it is swimsuit season. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup whole milk 

5 tablespoons unsalted butter 

1/4 cup granulated sugar 

1 packet of dry active yeast (.25 ounces/7 grams) 

2 1/2 cups bread flour 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

4 ounces crème fraîche 

2 tablespoons cocoa powder 

Turbinado sugar for topping 

Work in the cocoa powder to the second dough.

Make: 

Two pieces equal size and length.

1. In a sauce pot gently heat the milk, sugar. and butter. Stir and heat until the butter has almost melted then set aside. The residual heat will continue melting the butter. Let the milk cool to “blood temp” or body temp. 
2. In a mixing bowl (for a stand mixer with dough hook attachment preferred. If not do so by hand) ) add the flour. On one side of the flour mound add your yeast... on the opposite side add the salt. Salt inhibits the yeast from doing its job, so keep them separated until it is time to start mixing. Attach your dough hook, and pour in the warm milk mixture. Turn on the mixer and let the dough hook start mixing and kneading. 
3. Add in the crème fraîche and continue the kneading. The dough will be soft and sticky but should pull away from the sides of the bowl after around 5 minutes of kneading. If not sprinkle in a bit of extra flour. Remember it is easier to add dry instead of adding wet when it comes to dough. 
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and begin to hand knead. Knead until the “stickiness” has turned into soft and satiny. Add a little flour when kneaded. Shape the dough into a football and cut down the center lengthwise creating two equal sized halves. Roll both halves into a smooth ball. Place one of the balls in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic film. Leave the other half out on the table. 
5. Sprinkle the surface with one tablespoon of cocoa powder, place the second dough ball on top, and begin to knead. Knead until all the cocoa is incorporated into the dough. Add the the second tablespoon of cocoa and repeat the process. It will feel dry, but I promise if you keep kneading until you have a solid piece of chocolate dough it will eventually smooth out. Knead this dough by hand for 5 minutes or until you have a no streaks and all the chocolate is incorporated. Place in a second oiled bowl, cover with plastic film and let both doughs rise and double in size. about 45 minutes. 
6. One by one, turn out each dough onto the table. Punch down the air bubbles and flatten the dough into a rectangle. Flip the butter half into you like a baguette, and begin rolling the dough “snake style” into long equal sized pieces. About 20-25” long. Do both doughs this way. Lay one horizontal and the other on top creating an “X” shape. 
7. Now watch this video and see how Paul Hollywood does the plaiting: https://youtu.be/fCt07r01rCs . If you know how to do the common three strand braid and feel more comfortable doing that, by all means, please do so. Break the two doughs down to equal sized strands; either two chocolate and one plain, or Visa Versa. 
8. Once your loaf is plaited, place it on a baking sheet with oiled parchment paper. Add a loose covering on top and allow the loaf to rise 40 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
9. Brush the top and sides of your loaf with an egg wash, making sure to get into the weaving. Sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar for crunch and extra sweetness. Bake the loaf 15-18 minutes or until cooked through and golden. 
10. Remove from the oven and let the loaf rest at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with softend butter or raspberry jam. Perfect for brunch, or an “I’m not leaving the house all day” treat. 

MARBLED CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

This recipe comes to you via the three over riped banana in the bottom of my fruit bowl. And chocolate. 

Ingredients: 

2-3 ripe bananas, mashed

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temp 

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

turbinado sugar for the top

Make: 

Swirl figure 8

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and generously butter the inside of a 9x5 inch loaf pan
2. In a mixing bowl of your stand mixer or a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the two eggs one at a time and mix in completely, along with the vanilla. 
3. While that's going on combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Give a good mix. Place the chocolate in a microwavable bowl, and in 20-second blasts, melt the chocolate in the microwave. Remove the chocolate when it’s just soft.. not completely melted. 
4. Add a little of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and begin mixing gently just to combine. Add half of the mashed banana and a splash of the heavy cream… mix to combine. Continue the process until all mixed and you have a thick muffin-like batter. 
5. Scoop out 1 cup of the batter and add it to the soft warmed chocolate. Hand mix completely until you have a nice smooth chocolate batter. 
6. In your generously buttered loaf pan, add a smooth layer of the banana batter. Scoop out to spoonfuls of the chocolate batter and add on top, finally filling in with the banana batter and the chocolate batter. With a bamboo skewer, a knife, a wooden chopstick from to go Chinese food, or anything else you can find, start making figure 8 swirls into the batter. Placing you instrument all the way to the bottom of the loaf pan and swirling figure-eight patterns produces the "marbling" effect.
7. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top of the batter for extra crunch and sweetness, then place the loaf pan in the oven. Bake slowly for 1 hour and 5-10 minutes, or until your tried and true cake baking “doneness” stick comes clean. 
8. Let the loaf cool before slicing…. and enjoy! 

ITK CINNAMON ROLLS WITH PEANUT-BUTTER MAPLE ICING

Ingredients: 

For The Rolls: 

4 1/2 cups All Purpose flour 

1/2 cup sugar 

2 sticks butter, cubed 

1 cup milk 

2 eggs, lightly beaten. 

2 packages of yeast

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon In The Kitchen With Scotty "More Than Pumpkin Pie Spice" 

The Double D! Doubled Dough. 

1. Partially melt the butter into the milk. That means slowly heat the milk until the butter has partially melted. Add the sugar and remove from the heat. Remember if the liquid is too hot when using yeast, it will kill the yeast. However long you heat the milk be sure it has cooled down to at least 100 degrees before mixing with yeast. 
2. Add the flour, yeast, More Than Pumpkin spice, and salt into the mixing bowl of your stand mixer. Attach the dough hook and give the dry ingredients a mix. Pour in the tepid milk and butter and begin mixing with the dough hook. Immediately follow up with the beaten eggs.
3. Knead the dough in the bowl for approximately 6 minutes. The dough will be soft and sticky, but if the dough is too liquid and not gathering, add additional flour and knead until a nice soft and sticky dough forms. 
4. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and add to an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot to rise. Let the dough double in size. 
5. On a floured surface turn out the risen dough. Grab your favorite rolling pin, flour it up, and begin to roll out the dough. Keep the rolled dough moving by lifting up the dough and dusting the surface again. Roll the dough out into a rectangle 18”x14” or as big as you can, but keeping the dough approximately 1/4 inch thick. 

More Than Pumpkin Pie Spice 

Filling: 

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

12 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

2 tablespoons ITK More Than Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 cup chopped walnuts - optional 

6. In a bowl combine the brown sugar along with the More Than Pumpkin Pie spice. Brush the surface of the dough with your melted butter, then sprinkle the spiced brown sugar mixture on top. Cover every inch of the rolled dough evenly. 

7.  Sprinkle on the chopped walnuts from top to bottom. 

8. Starting at the longest side of your dough, begin rolling up the dough into one long log. Keep the roll relatively tight and as even as possible. 

9. Trim off the uneven ends. Begin cutting your cinnamon roll 1 1/2- 2 inches wide… or wider if that’s how you want them; about 15 pieces. Place into a sprayed/oiled baking dish (give them room to rise) and cover loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic. Let your rolls double in size. 

10. Bake in 375-degree oven 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let the rolls cool 10-15 minutes before icing.

Rolled and Panned... ready to rise. 

Peanut-Butter Maple Icing 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp 

1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky) 

1 pound powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon maple flavoring 

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla 

11. Cream the butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and maple flavoring. Add in the powdered sugar in batches and mix in, alternating with the heavy cream. Scrape down the bowl and give a final mix. 

12. Give a nice dollop or scoop of the peanut butter icing on top of your warm cinnamon rolls. Dig in!

CONCHAS

My baking buddy Katie (@katality on Instagram)  knocked out a batch of fun and colorful conchas one day during her 30 days of baking so I wanted to give it a shot. 

The first time I had conchas and fell in love with their highly sweet and coffee dunk-able goodness was at a Mexican bakery in Austin Texas a few years ago. Since then anytime a big fluffy, BUTTERY,  concha has passed my way it has found it’s way to my belly. 

So why not knock out a batch and see how it goes? This recipe is a take on Chef Rick Bayless’ recipe… adjusting for my likes and of course for In The Kitchen With Scotty “More Than Pumpkin Pie Spice”. The cinnamon, cardamom and other spices in my More Than Pumpkin is perfect for conchas and combined with the light buttery rolls it’s a match made in concha heaven.

Bloomed yeast, flour mix, butter, and eggs ready to go! #MiseEnPlace

Ingredients: 

Makes 8-9 

That KEY ingredient! 

For The Sweet Roll

1 cup bread flour

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon In The Kitchen With Scotty “More Than Pumpkin Pie Spice” 

1 rounded teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup whole milk 

1 package active dry yeast 

1 tablespoon +1 tsp sugar 

3 large eggs

1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temp 

For the Streusel Topping 

The streusel topping for conchas 

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick) room temp 

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup flour 

1 tablespoon More Than Pumpkin Pie Spice 

When ready to bake off the rolls, combine and mix all of the ingredients into a smooth soft “dough”. Cover and set aside until ready to use. 

Make: 

1. Gently heat your milk to about 100 degrees…a little bit warmer than body temp. I just pop into the microwave for a few seconds. Boom. Done. Sprinkle in one envelope of the yeast along with a teaspoon of sugar. Let the yeast bloom in the milk for about 15 minutes. 
2. In a stand mixer with the dough hook (you can also do all of this by hand) begin mixing your eggs. 
3. Combine the two flours, More Than Pumpkin spice, and salt together. Pour the bloomed yeast into the eggs and mix. Next gently begin adding in your flour mixture; A batch at a time until it is combined and working into a dough. 
4. Once all the dry ingredients have been added, let the dough knead in the bowl for a few minutes. Cut the room temp butter into pieces and begin to add a little at a time to the dough and let it work in. The dough will look wet and “buttery” but the butter will eventually work into a nice dough. Add all of the butter. If the dough looks too wet go ahead and sprinkle in a tablespoon or two of all-purpose flour to tighten it up. You still want a soft and tacky dough, but not an unusable glob of dough. 
5. Place the dough in a bowl, cover a refrigerate overnight, or let it chill in the fridge for a bit stiffen up.
6. When ready to use place the stiffened buttery dough onto a floured work surface. Divide in half, then cut 4-5 pieces off of each half. Roll each piece into a smooth ball, and place on a prepared baking sheet (parchment paper or Sil-Pat) to rise.
7. Roll out the streusel topping to about 1/4 inch thick, and prepare an egg wash (1 egg and a small splash of water. Beat together)  With a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut out circles a little larger than your risen concha roll. Brush the tops of the roll with the egg wash, and carefully lay the cut streusel circle on top. With a paring knife and without cutting into the dough, cut patterns into the dough (swirls, fans, squares).
8. In a preheated 350 degrees oven bake your conchas approximately 15-20 minutes, until fragrant, golden, beautiful, and you just can't stand it any longer. Let them rest a bit before serving…and serve warm with coffee or tea.

SWISS CHARD, CHICKEN, & MANCHEGO SAVORY PIE

Cool spring days still beckon hearty and spring time ingredient meal. Bright green Swiss chard this time of year is one of my favorites. Be in sautéed with garlic anchovy, and lemon… or in a light creamy flavorful pie. 

Now, lets’ talk about the pastry I used…

I love this recipe for savory double crust pies and turnovers. It’s light and flaky, packed with flavor, and just the right amount of salt. Most times I prefer a blend of shortening and butter in my pastry/crust recipes. Shortening because of the structure it gives to pastry (flakiness being top of the list), and the butter because of flavor. For my savory crusts I trust butter flavored shortening. Surprisingly not so much in sweet crusts, but in savory crusts. The butter flavor is not that prominent but delicate enough that it enhances savory fillings for your favorite pot-pie or Shepherd's Pie recipes.

Ohhhh that crust! 

Ingredients: 

For The Pastry

2 cups all purpose unbleached flour

5 tablespoons frozen Butter Flavored Shortening, cubed(I keep plain and butter flavored Crisco baking sticks in my freezer. Always at the ready for biscuit making and pastry crusts) 

8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed 

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt 

5-6 tablespoons ice water 

In a food processor add the flour along with the salt and pulse a few times to combine. Add shortening and butter, pulse to course corn meal size. With the processor running, one tablespoon at a time, add the ice water. When the dough balls up with the processor running, then your dough is ready. Pull out onto a lightly floured surface, knead a few times until satiny in feel, then wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour. 

Rainbow Swiss Chard.

photograph: the internet 

For The Filling

1 large bunch/6 cups rough chopped* of Swiss Chard (Red, White, Or Rainbow, it’s your call)

grapeseed oil for sautéing 

2 cups chopped leeks, rinsed well (about 1 large leek or 2 medium/small)

2 cloves garlic smashed and chopped 

8 ounces grated Manchego cheese

4 tablespoons flour 

2 cups chicken stock, salt-free

1 cup whole milk 

Cook’s Line Seasoning (or kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper) to taste 

1/2 teaspoon Whole Nutmeg, freshly grated ( or spice cabinet nutmeg) 

Egg wash for your pastry

firm, rich, not too salty, spanish Manchego cheese 

*I like to use a portion of the stem of the Swiss chard any time I use it in recipes… not all of the stems, about three or four from each stalk just to add texture. I trim off three or four stems and dice. The rest I pull away (or de-stem) from the leaf as you would with spinach or kale. I sauté the diced stem first because they will take longer to cook, then add the chopped/chiffonade leafy portion. 

Make:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and fester your Swiss Chard, reserving three or four of the stems to dice (see note above). Stack and Roll the leafy greens together and ribbon cut (chiffonade). You will need enough Swiss Chard chiffonade for six cups.
2. Cut the leeks from the top root end to just where the leek begins to turn green. Slice the leeks lengthways in half then begin chopping into crescent moon slices. Add the chopped leeks to a bowl full ion water and really agitate with your hands. This will clean out the leeks of their sandy soil. Pull out the leeks after rinsing and the sandy soil has sunk to the bottom of the bowl. Lay out on a towel and press dry. 
3. Begin heating the grapeseed oil in a pan. Add the leeks to gently sauté along with the chopped Swiss chard stems. Add in the fresh garlic and season with Cook’s Line (or salt and pepper). Once the stem pieces and leeks are tender add in the chiffonade of chard; In batches if you have to because they will eventually cook down. Once all the chard is in and cooked down, cook until any excess moisture has evaporated. 
4. Now I’m going to hit you with yet another culinary term… and it is SINGER (pronounced: Saun-zhey) I know it looks like “singer” but in France, and french is the language of the kitchen, it is pronounced saun-zhey. The perfect drag queen name! Singer refers to "dusting the top lightly " and that  is what you do with the flour. Singer the the cooked chard and leek mixture with the flour then mix in. 
5. Add the chicken stock and mix in throughout the greens. Cook until thickened, and add the whole milk. Now if you're looking for a “richer” pie add a spoonful (or three) of crème fraîche instead of the whole milk . Add the grated Manchego cheese in batches and stir in to melt and combine. 
6. After all the cheese has been added, taste for seasoning. Even after the salty cheese has been added, if you feel you need a little more salt then add. Set aside to cool.
7. Remove the pastry dough from the fridge to a lightly dusted surface. Cut in half. Roll out one half, enough to cover the bottom and sides of a deep dish pie plate. Press down along the sides and bottom easily allowing for slack (Never tightly as dough shrinks when baking). A little over-hang is good. 
8. Fill the pie with your slightly cooled mixture. Roll out the second half of the pie pastry and top your pie. Roll and tuck in the top layer edge with the bottom layer edge and crimp/flute the crust.
9. Brush the top with an egg wash, and place in the center of your oven, Bake approximately 30-35 minutes or until golden bubbly. Remove from the oven and let the pie set an cool for at least 25 minutes before cutting. This savory chard and manchego pie is AMAZING cold… like midnight snack cold…and breakfast cold. Enjoy! 

EGGS COCOTTE "Oeufs En Cocotte"

Well it turns out, according to Merriam-Webster, "Cocotte" is defined either as a shallow oven proof baking dish….. or an expensive prostitute. Whatever you think of when you think of the glorious egg, baked with herbs and cream, think of something amazingly smooth, delicious, and the perfect morning or brunch treat. No, it still isn’t the high priced hooker. 

Oeufs en Cocotte is one of those forgotten, yet delicious, ways of preparing eggs for ANY meal really. Combined with rich cream, any cheese, any herbs, any veg, it is one of those “what do I have left in the fridge to make a delicious meal?” type dishes along the lines of quiche or…..meatloaf, I guess.

Mise en Place: Gathering everything together, and prepped, to make your dish

Stick to the idea of baking eggs with cream and herbs, then anything else that may be added is a plus… and makes delicious Eggs Cocotte. 

Here is how I roll :

Ingredients: 

2 oven proof ramekins or crocks

4 Eggs, cracked and divided between two bowls

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream

2-3 ounces diced ham 

4 ounces Gruyère Cheese, shredded

In The Kitchen With Scotty “Cook’s Line Seasoning” or salt and pepper to taste

Fresh Thyme, Chive and Tarragon (or any fresh herbs you enjoy) minced

Ramekins are filled... now it's time to add hot water. 

Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and find a pan deep enough to hold water and your two ramekins. The eggs Cocotte will cook "custard method” In a water bath. Get your mise en place (yeah, throwing more French at you) together. Mince the herbs and combine together, dice your ham, shred the Gruyere, and crack two eggs into two separate small bowls. This help transfer the eggs into your hot ramekins (vessels) that we will get to in the next step, and start boiling some water. 
2. Butter the insides of your vessels liberally. Add a tablespoon of heavy cream to each vessel and place into your deep sided pan without the water, then into the oven. Bake for 6-8 minutes and remove. 
3. Carefully but quickly divid the diced hame between the two ramekins, then pour in the two eggs keeping them unbroken and add a pinch of Cook’s Line Seasoning or salt and pepper to taste. Divide the shredded cheese between the two and sprinkle around the eggs; sprinkle in a bit of the minced herbs. Pour in more heavy creamand fill the ramekin about 1/4 inch from the rim. Sprinkle the remaining herbs on top.
4. Pour the boiling water into the high sided pan, enough to fill halfway up the side of the ramekins. Carefully place into the oven and cook 8-10 minutes. It depends on the size and fill of your ramekins, but your want just a slight jiggle from the eggs… just enough to be “set”. 
5. Remove from the oven and let rest around five minutes. While thats going on toast some good crusty artisan bread that you can dunk into this glorious dish while eating.

Creamy delicious goodness!