Ginger Chocolate Buckwheat Biscotti

I initially planned to post this biscotti recipe in the fall two years ago but things got sidetracked and thoughts drifted away. Although the original recipe came from my Italian chef twin sister years ago, I had been adding, subtracting and once again adding unique ingredients along the way. Eventually the final result of these experimentations settled on a few pieces of paper featuring the below ingredients, left nestled in between pages of my recipe journal for quite some time.

Warm heat from the ginger and the distinctive flavour from the buckwheat together with anise make the biscotti a welcome addition to chilly autumn afternoons. All you need is to make sure you keep your pantry well-stocked, as this recipe is quick and easy for unexpected baking cravings. For a more wintery presentation, I sometimes add dry cranberries.

Ginger Chocolate Buckwheat Biscotti


Makes about 15 pieces
1 cup unbleached white flour
½ cup buckwheat flour
½ cup blanched almond meal
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon cardamom
2 teaspoons anise seed, ground
1/3 cup salted butter, room temperature *if you are using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cane sugar
2 free range eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup crystallized ginger, cut into ¼ inch pieces
1/3 cup dark chocolate, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup pecans, chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Place the flour, almond meal, baking powder, cardamom and anise seed in a bowl, and whisk well. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy and add the sugar a small amount at a time. Beat well and scrape the side of the bowl as necessary to ensure all the ingredients are well combined.

Add the eggs one at a time, and beat to combine.

Add 1/3 of the dry mixture and stir on medium speed. Continue to stir and add the other 1/3. Reduce the speed, add the rest of the mixture and continue until well mixed.

Stir in the ginger, chocolate, pecans and coconut. Mix thoroughly until combined.

On a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper, spread the dough into a rectangle shape, about ¾ inch thickness.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes. Take the baked dough out of the oven and let cool for 30 minutes.

Set the oven to 300F.

Then gently cut the dough into strips, about ¾ inch each, using a serrated knife. Bake cut side down for 30 minutes, flipping half way through.

Let cool completely on a rack. Store in an airtight container.

Berry Tart

Phew! I was finally able to put this tart together using berries that seemed to explode with sudden heat. Working with nature is so unpredictable. Waiting for much needed sun, and then now, trying to catch up with watering and picking all the berries that otherwise would be wasted.

If you blog about homemade creations, you know it is not always glorious, and that flawless-looking food doesn’t appear effortlessly. There are lots of trials and failures, and also some anger and frustration, with pots and dough flying about the kitchen (perhaps?) behind the scenes. Although I haven’t let myself go that far yet, I might actually have more posts if I wrote about those stories instead!

This post presents a good example of occasional kitchen chaos. The tart shell making really stressed me out, especially since it wasn’t easy to put the dough together given the heat that has finally arrived. I know it is hard for some people, including me, to accept that the best way to conquer the shell-making task is to try not to be perfect. I was calm the first time, but found myself really frustrated after the second round. Yes, I ended up with two shells just trying to make one picture-perfect shell!

Is your dough torn and sticky? Don’t worry about it! This dough is so forgiving, you can just handle it like Play-doh. Patch as necessary and try to work as quickly as possible. For the best result, choose the coolest time of day to make your tart shells.

On a related note, I managed to pick all my black currants, and submerged them in vodka to make crème de cassis for the first time. I will follow up on this one later this year.

Berry Tart

I find it easier to prepare the dough at night and store it overnight to let it completely solidify, especially in summer months, as the dough tends to get sticky in the heat. And then, I prepare the pastry cream at the same time as the dough making so that I can assemble the tart next day with a little more ease.

Makes a 9 ½ inch tart ring

Dough
½ cup salted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
½ egg, lightly beaten
¼ cup almond meal
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour, sifted

Pastry cream
2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
6 large egg yolks
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch sifted
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
½ cup whipping cream

Toppings
3 figs
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup gooseberries
A dozen or so red currant tassels

Place the butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until creamy. Add sugar, and continue to pulse until fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the egg and pulse until incorporated. Then, add the flour and pulse until the dough just comes together.

Form into a disk and wrap with a piece of plastic or place in a Ziploc bag; store in a refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Make the pastry cream. Place the milk and vanilla bean (pulp and pod) in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the pan, cover and let steep for 10 minutes to infuse the flavour of the vanilla.

Fill a large bowl with ice cubes, and set aside a small bowl that can hold the finished cream and be placed in this ice bath. Set a sieve aside.

Whisk the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisking all the while, slowly drizzle a quarter of the hot milk into the yolk mixture. Continue to whisk while adding the rest of the milk to the tempered yolks in a steady stream. Remove and discard the pod.

Place the yolk mixture back into the pan and, while whisking, bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to whisk vigorously for a couple of minutes; you will start to feel the resistance from the yolk mixture. Remove from the heat and press the cream through the sieve into the reserved small bowl. Add some cold water to the ice bath and set the bowl inside. Stir continuously until the cream is no longer hot. Add the butter and whipping cream, stir to incorporate and continue until completely cool. Refrigerate until assembling time.

Prepare the dough. Butter the tart ring, dust some flour and place on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Keep it refrigerated.

Flour the working surface and roll the dough with a rolling pin to a size large enough to cover the ring. If it is difficult to manage, roll the dough in between two sheets of parchment paper, being careful not to make creases. Transfer the dough by rolling it around the pin and unrolling onto the ring. Gently fit the dough into the bottom and up the sides with your fingers. Run the pin across the top of the pan to remove the excess dough. If there are tears or a part is too thin, just relax; you can patch with the excess dough. Use the tines of a fork to make small holes all over the bottom of the tart shell. Keep refrigerated for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place a piece of parchment paper inside the tart shell, and fill with dried beans. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, then remove the parchment and beans, and bake for another 5 minutes or until golden. Transfer the shell to a rack to cool.

Assembling
Rinse all the fruit and pat dry. Figs can be sliced or wedged. Place the shell on a cake stand or large platter, and fill evenly with the pastry cream. Arrange the figs, raspberries, blueberries and gooseberries on top. Finish by laying the red currant tassels over top. Refrigerate until serving time.

Tart is best served the day it is made.

Lately

London_fog_tea4

I’ve been itching to bake a tart with summer berries, but after tasting my gooseberries and the like (black currants, red currants and raspberries), I think I might have to give them a week of sunshine to get that last oomph of sweetness (if the sun ever decides to come out). So today, I’m going to share an assortment of photos related to  casual meals, a local farmer’s market visit and my latest addiction, London Fog tea.

Dolce_Grey_tea

Dolce Grey tea from BEAN AROUND BOOKS & TEA.

making_of_London_fog_tealavender_shortbread2

Lavender shortbread: to me, a touch of vanilla and lavender from the shortbread enhances the experience of the London Fog tea since I like my tea without sugar. I didn’t include a recipe for the shortbread, since there is no shortage of wonderful recipes online. I just added a dash of homemade brandy vanilla extract and a spoonful of lavender flowers.

summer_casual_meals

Pickled garlic scapes: made with young stalks of garlic plants from my garden. Thank you to Kathy from De la Bouche Specialty Foods for sharing a wonderful recipe for the pickles (recipe follows). I also acquired a jar of raspberry mango jam from her booth at a local farmer’s market; savouring it along with some cream cheese was such a delight.

Pear tart: from Sweet Thea at the local farmer’s market. Teacup roses and lamb’s ear create welcoming bouquets for my household. Beef filet mignon with a salsa verde appetizer was a great hit at my casual garden dinner (recipe follows)!

gulf_prawns

Gulf prawns: thank you my dear friends for bringing such a treat and even cooking for us:) (recipe follows)

mojito

This year, I’m trying to not waste all that abundant mint in my garden. Besides some mint tea, having mojitos to share is always a plus!

farmer's_market

A local farmer’s market visit: creative and hardworking people, Jocelyn and Chris from The Farm for Life.

summer_bouquet summer_evening

Sometimes I fail a whole roll of film due to an inaccurate metering, an inadequately slow shutter speed (due to a limited film speed) etc., but in this case I salvaged the last frame of this photo of our dog; it made me smile.

summer_casual_meals2

I planted this rose a few years ago. I fell in love with it at once, especially thanks to the name, which means something along the lines of “memory of perfume” in French. It’s never a good idea to leave a tag on a rose bush. I can’t get to it since it’s painfully thorny.

We truly enjoyed this beautiful bottle of rosé from Okanagan. Stuffed pork tenderloin with caramelized onion and balsamic sauce (recipe follows). Ah, another plant I want to take full advantage of; sea of lavender on a pathway.

summer_flowers_berries

We need sun to ripen and sweeten these berries!

lavender_shortbread3

Pickled Garlic Scapes (by Kathy from De la Bouche Specialty Foods)

 

I have never weighed the scapes, but it takes a lot to fill 2 jars.

Makes about 2 x 1L jars

3 tablespoons pickling or coarse salt

3 cups white vinegar

3 cups water

A lot of scapes to fill the jars

1 to 2 stems lemongrass, roughly chopped

A few piece of Thai bird chili

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine salt, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring to dissolve the salt. Leave on the stove to keep hot.

Place the lemon grass and chili in the bottom of each jar, and add the scapes that are cut lengthwise at least 1/2 inch from the top of the jar. Cold pack them into hot sterilized jars tightly. Make sure your lids are hot. Pour brine over the scapes to within 1/2 inch of the top of the jar. Put lids on, fingertip-tight. Place in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes at full boil. Then, remove lid of the canner, turn off the burner and let the jars sit in the water for another 5 minutes before removing. Let cool, and store.

 

Beef Filet Mignon with Salsa Verde

This amazingly refreshing treat contains tons of garden herbs, yet melts on your tongue. Try to source the best quality meat from a reputable butcher for safe consumption.

Serves 4

2 pieces beef filet mignon

½ cup extra virgin olive oil and extra for searing

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

4 scallion stems, finely sliced

¼ cup mint, finely chopped

2 tablespoons salted capers, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 ¾ teaspoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons butter

Place the oil, lemon juice, parsley, scallions, mint, capers and lemon zest in a medium sized bowl and stir to combine.

Add ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper to the herb mixture; stir and set aside.

Place the beef in a flat glass tray or container, and rub the remaining salt, pepper and garlic all over the beef. Pour in half of the herb mixture and marinate all sides evenly. Cover and let sit for a couple of hours (up to 1 day) in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Warm up a skillet over high heat with butter and olive oil. When the pan is smoky hot, sear each side of the beef until nicely browned, for about 2 minutes on each side.

Place in the oven for 5 minutes for medium rare doneness.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and cover with a piece of tin foil for about 5 minutes.

Slice the beef, transfer to a serving plate and drizzle the rest of the herb mixture over top. Serve immediately.

 

Gulf Prawns

Serves 4

A dozen or more Gulf prawns, rinsed and patted dry

½ onion, sliced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch of brown sugar

Pinch of salt

Freshly ground pepper

A dash of dry white wine

A sprig of Italian parsley

Warm the butter and oil in a medium sized skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the onion until caramelized.

Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until soft. Add the sugar, wine and prawns and cook until prawns change colour. Adjust with salt and pepper.

Add the parsley and serve immediately.

 

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Onions and Balsamic Sauce

Serves 6

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 pieces of pork tenderloin

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

6 mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk the mustard, maple syrup, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.

Place the pork in a flat glass tray or container, and rub with a pinch of salt and pepper. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the balsamic sauce all over the meat, cover and marinate in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, sauté the onion with the butter and oil over medium high heat until caramelized. Add mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms are soft.

Add the rest of the balsamic sauce and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 390F.

Take the pork from the refrigerator. Make a slit on each piece, and stuff the onion mixture inside, leaving ¼ inch borders. Using toothpicks, close the slits as tightly as possible.

Roast in a roasting pan for 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with a piece of tin foil. Rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, collect the liquid from the roasting pan in a small saucepan. Reduce until thickened over medium heat.

Slice the pork and transfer to a platter. Pour the sauce over top and serve immediately.