Fig Butter

If you like apple butter, you will love fig butter.  Fig butter ups the ante with its spices, red wine, and port.  I first tried it when I undertook these delicious scones, which are really more like a fancy version of cinnamon rolls minus the yeast.  But this time I skipped the scones altogether, doubled the batch of fig butter, and spooned it into jars for Christmas gifts.  It's wonderful on toast and pancakes, and you can just as easily add some to baked goods, such as muffins or your favorite quick bread.

Fig Butter
Adapted from Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole Grain Flours by Kim Boyce

Ingredients

1/2c sugar
2 whole cloves
1 star anise
1c red wine
1/2c port
12oz. dried figs, stems removed
1/4t cinnamon
4oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Directions

1.  To poach the figs, measure 1/4c water and the sugar into a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir the mixture together with a wooden spoon, incorporating the sugar without splashing it up the sides.  Add the cloves and star anise.

2.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the syrup is amber-colored.

3.  Add the red wine, port, figs, and cinnamon, standing back a bit, as the syrup is hot. Don't panic when the syrup hardens; this is the normal reaction when liquids are added to hot sugar.  Continue cooking the mixture over medium heat for 2 minutes, until the sugar and wine blend.

4.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The figs will burble quietly as they are jostled together by the heat.  They are ready when the wine has reduced by half.  Remove the pan from the stove and cool to room temperature. [I let mine sit overnight.]

5.  Fish our the star anise and cloves.  Pour the cooled figs, with their liquid, into a food processor and puree until smooth, about 1 minute.  Add the softened butter to the fig paste and process until smooth.  The fig butter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Panforte

Panforte, the traditional Tuscan Christmas confection, is not for the faint of heart.  Its flavors are bold.  So is its texture. That’s not surprising since the recipe includes 18 ingredients, most of which are nuts and dried fruits. But what would panforte be without its stars: nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and coriander?  I am all about spicy tastes this time of year.  I love Danish pebernødder nearly as much as the traditional gingerbread cookies I grew up making in the U.S.  I also make a wonderful fig butter that consists of dried figs stewed in a vat of wine, port, sugar, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon until the mixture is soft, thick, and syrupy.  It makes a wonderful gift.

So does panforte.  Apart from the taste, smell, and dramatic look of this chewy, fruit- and nut-studded cake, it’s most special when shared.  I cut mine into large wedges and wrap in baking paper for a rustic look.  I tie each bundle with a piece of brown twine or red and white checkered ribbon and suggest recipients enjoy a small slice with a mug of hot tea or coffee.

The other reason that panforte is not to be taken lightly is that it takes some planning and time to pull it all together.  There is nothing particularly difficult about it, unless you find candying your own fruit peel difficult.  In that case, see if you can buy some.  I treated the recipe like a puzzle that I worked on over time--three days to be exact.  I find it much more manageable, not to mention enjoyable, if I break a recipe like this down into steps.  First, I candied the quince.  And please, do not let an  inaccessibility to quince stop you from making panforte.  Just up the candied orange peel or substitute another candied fruit.

The day after I conquered the quince, I moved on to the orange peel.  I find that putting the fruit to cook on a back burner while I make dinner or wash dishes is the best way to accomplish this task.  I stored both batches of candied fruit in my fridge for a day and worked on toasting the nuts.  Then came the assembly.  The prep time was key.  Had I attempted to complete the whole thing in one shot I would have been annoyed, tired, and hurrying to finish it.  Instead, the assembly was a breeze and I could relax while patiently awaiting the finished product.

Panforte
Adapted from Tartine Cookbook and The Wednesday Chef
Ingredients

8oz / 225g candied quince, strained and coarsely chopped
3oz / 100g candied orange peel, strained and coarsely chopped
1c / 225g dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
1c / 225g prunes, pitted and coarsely chopped
3/4c / 175g currants
2T / 30g grated orange zest
1T / 15g grated lemon zest
1c / 225g lightly toasted unsalted pistachios
2c / 450g well-toasted hazelnuts
2c / 450g well-toasted almonds
2/3c / 150g flour
1/2c / 115g cocoa powder
1T / 15g ground cinnamon
Freshly grated nutmeg from 1 1/2 nutmegs
3/4t / 7g ground coriander
3/4t / 7g freshly ground black pepper
3/4t / 7g ground cloves
3/4c / 175g honey
1 1/3c / 325g granulated sugar
1/4c / 60g powdered sugar


Directions

1. Heat the oven to 160 degrees. Butter a 26cm springform pan, line with parchment paper, and butter the parchment, making sure to butter the sides of the pan well.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the candied quince and orange zest, dates, currants, orange and lemon zest, and all of the nuts. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, pepper and cloves over the fruits and nuts. Mix well. Set aside.

3. In a deep, heavy saucepan, combine the honey and granulated sugar over medium-high heat. Stir gently with a wooden spoon from time to time to make sure that no sugar is sticking to the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture registers 120 degrees on a thermometer, about 3 minutes. The mixture will be frothy and boiling rapidly.

4. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the fruit-and-flour mixture in the bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate the syrup thoroughly with the other ingredients. Work quickly at this point; the longer the mixture sits, the firmer it becomes.

5. Transfer to the springform pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula dipped in water. Bake until the top is slightly puffed and looks like a brownie, about 1 hour. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and turn out of the pan and cool completely.

6. Sift powdered sugar over the top, bottom and sides of the panforte. Lightly tap it over the counter to shake off excess sugar. It will keep, well wrapped, in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks, or indefinitely in the refrigerator. 

Vegan Fruit and Nut Cookies

Contrary to what you might think, the words cookie and vegan are not an oxymoron. Really. Let me say up front, I am not nor will ever be vegan. I couldn’t live without bacon. Or cheese. And a rich brownie without a glass of cold milk? Forget it. But I love baked goods, including, it turns out, vegan cookies.

While I wholeheartedly believe that the western world consumes entirely too much meat--at the expense of our heath and the environment--I also believe that one can enjoy animal products to the fullest in moderation without foregoing them entirely. American food writer and critic Mark Bittman is a self proclaimed “vegetarian before 6:00 p.m.” That is to say, Bittman, author of the best selling cookbooks How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, eats plant foods all day long, but at dinner enjoys a regular meal of, say, pasta, cheese, vegetables, perhaps a small steak even. In this way, he reduces his carbon footprint while at the same time improving and maintaining his overall health. There are also “Meatless Mondays,” an increasingly global effort to forgo meat at least once a week.

So what does all this have to do with today’s recipe? Simple. Instead of turning to your stand-by cookie that contains butter and eggs, why not try one that not only tastes fantastic but is made sans animal products. Some might argue that it's better for you and the planet.

Loaded with fruit, nuts, and coconut, it’s the perfect treat alongside a mug of hot tea or coffee. Just the thing to warm up during these chilly fall days. Go ahead and play with the ingredients. Can’t find dried blueberries? Cranberries are a great substitute. No shelled pistachios on hand? Pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or sliced almonds are an equally good bet. If you are feeling health-conscious, political, or environmental, these cookies fit the bill. On the other hand, it’s totally okay if you just want a sweet treat.

 
Delicious Vegan Cookies
Adapted from Alicia Silverstone's recipe

1c /250 ml rolled oats
3/4c /175 ml all-purpose flour
1/3c /75 ml brown sugar
1t /5.0 ml (small spoonful) cream of tartar (omit if unavailable to you)
1t /5.0 ml baking soda
1/2t /2.5 ml sea salt
1/3c /80 g maple syrup
1/2c /115 g vegetable oil
1t /5.0 ml vanilla extract
1/4c /60 ml dried blueberries (or cranberries, raisins, apricots)
1/4c /60 ml toasted pistachios (or other nuts)
1/4c /60 ml unsweetened coconut flakes
 
Directions
 
1. Mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, tartar (if using), soda, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Stir in syrup, oil, and vanilla.
3. Fold in dried fruit, nuts, and coconut.
4. Wet your hands with water; use your hands to shape the dough into small balls of uniform size.
5. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, slightly flatten ball with the palm of your hand.
6. Bake at 350F /180C for 8-12 minutes or until tops are slightly golden. Let cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before removing to a wire rack.

Makes 12-15 cookies, depending on the size of your dough balls.

Soft Pretzels

My favorite cookbook of 2011, the one that I've returned to again and again, is Good to the Grain, Baking with Whole-Grain Flours by Kim Boyce.  I continue to find inspiration in the innovative recipes and rustic, understated photography. 

To celebrate Oktoberfest this year I turned to Soft Rye Pretzels.  I was captivated by the recipe from the first moment I thumbed through the book, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't also intimidated.  I think it was the word "bath," and that I would be required to bathe my pretzel dough in the cooking process.  A half cup of baking soda is nothing to sneeze at either.  Baking soda is cheap, but I don't always have large quantities on hand.  In fact baking soda is sold in such small containers here in Denmark that I doubt Danes use it for anything other than baking .  Forget about orange boxes of Arm and Hammer found in U.S. fridges to ameliorate orders.

So one day I had some time, which is a must when making Soft Rye Pretzels, and enough baking soda to get the job done.  The small number of ingredients makes up for the fussy-factor in making homemade pretzels.  Nothing is particularly difficult, it just takes time--and a little patience--to rest the dough, form it into pretzel shapes, let it rest again, bathe it, and then, finally, stick it in the oven to bake.  The bathing is key because it's what seals the dough and gives it its chewy texture.

Rest assured, the pretzels are worth every step of the effort.  The texture is amazing as is the deep rye flavor.  A few words of advice before you start though:  Make sure you use a large and deep saucepan when bathing your pretzels.  I made the mistake of using one that was too small; when I added the pretzels the baking soda water bubbled over and flooded my stove and drawers under my stove.  I'm still finding dried bits of baking soda in surprising places.  Also, these pretzels are best eaten the same day they are made.  The next day the texture is compromised, and it sort of feels like eating a rubber shoe. 

Serve the pretzels warm with a side of good mustard. 

Soft Rye Pretzels
From Good to the Grain, Baking with Whole-Grain Flours

2T unsalted butter, melted, for the bowl and baking sheets

Dough
1 package active dry yeast
1T honey
1c rye flour
2 1/2c all-purpose flour
1T kosher

Bath
1/2c baking soda

Finish
Coarse sea salt, such as Maldon

Directions

1.  Measure the yeast into a large bowl.  Heat 1 1/2c water in a small saucepan over low heat to a temperature that is warm to the touch, about 100F, and pour over the yeast.  Add the honey and stir to combine.  Add the flours and salt and stir again.

2.  Dump the sticky dough onto a floured surface and knead.  Add up to 1/2c all-purpose flour, as needed, until the dough is tacky but not sticky.  Knead for 10-12 min until soft and supple.

3.  Lightly brush a large bowl with melted butter.  Using a dough scraper, scrape the dough into the bowl, cover with plastic or a towel, and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.

4.  While the dough is rising, place two racks at the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 450F.  Brush two baking sheets generously with butter.

5.  Once the dough has doubled, gently pour it from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface.  Cut the dough into 12 pieces.  Take each piece of dough and roll it into a snake about 17 inches long, with thinly tapered ends.  Form the dough into a pretzel shape by folding one-third of the left side over the center of the snake, and then one-third of the right side over the left.  Place the shaped pretzels onto the prepared baking sheets.  Let the pretzels proof (rise) for 15 to 20 minutes.

6.  Meanwhile, for the bath, fill a large pot with 10 cups of water and bring it to a boil.  Once the pretzels are proofed and the water is boiling, add the baking soda to the water.

7.  To poach the pretzels, lift 2 or 3 pretzels, depending on the surface ares of your pot, into the bath.  Boil each side for 30 seconds, use a strainer to remove the pretzels, pat any excess water with a towel, and transfer them back onto the buttered baking sheets.  Boil the remaining pretzels.  Sprinkle with salt.

8.  Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.  The pretzels should be dark mahogany in color.  Transfer them to a rack to cool.  These pretzels are best eaten the day they're made, ideally within the hour.

Makes 12

Magic Homemade Ice Cream

Note:  This post appeared in last week's edition of The Copenhagen Post.

I just moved, and now I have a freezer. It sits nicely atop my fridge. Never mind that both are not much bigger than what you’d find in a child’s dollhouse. I’m just happy they’re there. After all a freezer is not necessarily a given in housing rentals here.

It would be fair to say that I’ve lowered my appliance standards considerably in the three years I’ve lived in Denmark. I remember the moment I walked into the kitchen of my first rental and spotted the place--not much larger than a shoebox--where I would be keeping my food cold. What folIowed was an endless rant about the restrictions that such a fridge represents. Unless you had a mini-fridge in your college dorm room, where I come from people are simply unaccustomed- and ill-equipped to dealing with the diminutive European refrigerators. Coping with one sheds a whole new light on grocery shopping, meal planning, and food storage. You mean I can’t fit two liter bottles of Pepsi and boxes of home delivery pizza in my fridge? I’m kidding. I know some of you think that’s all we Americans consume. But I have news for you. We eat hamburgers, too.

In the beginning a week wouldn’t go by that I didn’t whine about the lack of adequate fridge space. But fast forward three years, and I’ve made incredible strides. As least that’s what my therapist tells me. Through the years, I’ve gradually learned how to optimize my small fridge and--now that I’ve moved--freezer. I’ve adapted my food shopping, meal planning, and cooking in a way that fits my lifestyle and, as luck would have it, the inside of my fridge. Tall items such as milk, orange juice, and white wine are tucked into the door. Dairy, bacon, and lunch meat go on the top shelf. Alas, this kind of transformation does not happen overnight. Every couple of months things still get out of control in my fridge. That’s when I take a step back and say, Okay, you can either make a therapy appointment or organize this fridge. And you know what, a clean and tidy fridge is the best therapy.

But back to the freezer. As a way to inaugurate mine, I made ice cream. For months I have been guarding this special ice cream recipe like a hawk protecting its young, in anticipation that I would one day have a freezer again. This is not your run-of-the mill frozen dessert. It’s magic. Truly. What gives it special properties? First and foremost, it requires no ice cream maker or throwing a coffee can back and forth until your arms ache. Better still, it’s comprised of basic kitchen staples and is, quite simply, extraordinary. The texture is sublime and the taste will leave reaching for “just one more spoonful.” Only make sure you have enough room in your freezer.
 
Magic Homemade Ice Cream

Recipe courtesy of Christopher Kimball

Note: You know that cherry sauce that is ubiquitous in Denmark this time of year? Sure, you can serve it over the traditional Danish ris a la mande, but why not heat some up and spoon it over your ice cream. I guarantee you’ll love it. Also, since the vanilla flavor tends to be sweeter than the chocolate variety, try serving it with a plain cake, such as pound cake, almond cake, or other lightly sweetened cake.

Ingredients (in U.S. and metric measurements)

1/2c...200g sweetened condensed milk
1 oz...30g white chocolate (if you are making chocolate ice cream use 20g white and 30g dark - 70% or higher - chocolate. The chocolate flavor requires more chocolate than he vanilla variety.
1T...1 soup spoon of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4c...60g sour cream (creme fraiche)
1 1/4c...300g cold heavy cream (38%)

Directions

1. Make base. Gently heat sweetened condensed milk and chocolate. Stir until chocolate melts, this should take less than a minute. Let cool. Stir in vanilla, salt, and sour cream. Set aside.

2. Whip heavy cream with electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks begin to form, about 2 minutes. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the chocolate mix until well incorporated. Fold remaining whipped cream into the chocolate mix until completely incorporated and smooth.

3. Scrape mixture into an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 2 weeks. Serve.

Tomato Tart with Phyllo Dough

In case you were wondering, I did not fall off the face of the earth.  I did however spend time this summer with family in Oregon, the place my grandmother has always called god's country, and in the French Alps, where we relaxed in hammocks under the trees at my husband's family's weekend house.

Firsts for me this summer were a visit to Provence where we enjoyed hiking with friends, a lunch stop and walk around the legendary Gigondas wine region, and buying a mixed case of organic wine from a local family owned and operated winery.  At the end of our stay in France we spent one week in a quaint little coastal town in Brittany on France's west coast.  We ate like kings, enjoyed time with family, and played and lounged on the beach (for the record, I do not play on the beach.  I lay under an umbrella and read.)

While I was away I spent a scant amount of time in the kitchen.  My go-to meals were homemade pizza and all different combinations of rice salad.  This Tomato Tart with Phyllo Dough was a stand out. Really really delicious.  Served with a green salad, it's the perfect summer meal.

The challenge I had with it was getting the tomatoes sliced thin enough.  I was using my mother-in-law's knives that are somewhat neglected in the sharpening department; even though I was afraid that the dough might suffer from excess moisture of tomatoes sliced a bit too thick, it didn't.  The phyllo dough was crisp and the tomatoes were the ideal complement to the cheese tucked inside each layer of dough.

I hope your summer adventures have brought you fun, good memories, and plenty of rest and relaxation.

Here's to getting back in the kitchen.

Tomato Tart with Phyllo Dough
Adapted from Sunset Fast and Fresh

10 sheets of phyllo dough, thawed
5T butter, melted
8T grated parmesan cheese, divided
1c very thinly sliced onion
1c shredded mozzarella cheese
6-8 roma tomatoes (depending on size), cut into 1/8-in. thick slices
1T fresh lemon thyme (or regular thyme)
salt and pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 375F or 190C.

2.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper.

3.  Lay 2 sheets of phyllo on paper and brush lightly with a little melted butter.  Sprinkle all over with 1T parmesan.  Repeat layering 4 more times (phyllo, butter, parmesan), pressing the sheets firmly so they stick to the sheets below. 

4.  For the final layer: brush with remaining butter and sprinkle remaining 1T parmesan.  Scatter onion slices across, top with mozzarella, and arrange tomato slices in a single layer, overlapping slightly.  Sprinkle with thyme and salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Bake 30-40 minutes until golden brown.  Cool 10 minutes, then serve. 

Homemade Oreos

Let’s talk about Oreo cookies.  Are you a dunker or a non-dunker? Typically Oreo lovers are divided into two camps:  those who dunk them in a glass of cold milk and bite into the slightly soggy cookie with abandon, and those who carefully separate the dark chocolate sandwich rounds from the creamy white icing, eating each part with great care (glass of cold milk on the side, optional).  If you’re like me, you let your mood dictate the method of choice.

Oreos are not hard to find in Denmark.  But Danes are apparently more civilized and sparing in their Oreo consumption for the packaging here is much smaller than what one finds in the U.S.  (surprise surprise).

While Oreos have an unmistakable crunch and flavor, they are not the most natural food on the planet.  Don’t even attempt to make sense of the ingredient list.  Moreover, it won’t make you feel very good after you’ve ingested six of them.  The point is, shouldn’t there be a more natural way to have our Oreos and enjoy them too?  

Today’s your lucky day.  Homemade Oreos are exceedingly simple to make and taste even better than the store bought variety.  I kid you not.  But let me be up front about this recipe:  you will not arrive at the same pretty uniform-sized cookies that come in the package.  Honestly, who cares.  What you will make will be original, full of character, and wholly delicious.

Homemade Oreos

Adapted from Tiny Urban Kitchen

Ingredients

1.5c /350g all purpose flour

3/4c /175g sugar

3/4c /175g unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2t /2.5ml baking soda (a small spoonful)

1.5t /7.5ml salt (two small spoonfuls)

3/4c /200g unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2c /115g heavy cream

8oz. /225g white chocolate, chopped in small pieces

Directions

1.  In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.  Set aside.

2.  In a small bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.  

3.  Carefully add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, a little at a time.  Incorporate well after each addition.

4.  Gather the mixture into a loose ball and divide in two.  Form each into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5.  Make the filling by bringing the cream just to the boil, then removing from the heat and adding the chopped chocolate.  Let sit for a few minutes; combine well until mixture is smooth without any lumps, and refrigerate, stirring every half hour or so.  The mixture can sit for six hours at room temperature to thicken or you can speed up the process in the refrigerator.

6.  Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator, one disk at a time.  On a well-floured surface, roll the dough until it is thin but thick enough so that your cookie cutter is able to pull the dough up with it.  

7.  Using a round cookie cutter (any size you prefer, although you’ll get more cookies with a smaller cookie cutter), cut as many rounds from the dough as possible.  You will need to re-roll the dough a few times.

8.  Bake at 350F /180C for 10-14 minutes, turning the baking sheet half way through the cooking time.

9.  Repeat with the remainder of the dough.  Let cooked cookies cool on a baking rack.

10.  Once filling is thick enough, beat it a minute or two with your hand mixer.  Apply as little or as much filling to completely cooled cookies, and enjoy.  Cookies can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.