I got this from Alton Brown on the Food Network at least 8 years ago. It sounds difficult, but it is so easy and relatively inexpensive to make. I have been looking for recipes to use the yolks from the eggs, but this time, down the drain they went! No time for conserving when eggs are only 1.50 a dozen!
1-3/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cake flour, sifted
12 egg whites (room temperature)(see note on separating eggs & cleanliness of equipment below)
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon orange extract (I have never used this, I use almond extract which is great!)
1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 350. Whisk flour with half of the sugar and salt. Set aside. Place egg whites, water, extract and cream of tartar in bowl of stand mixer or large mixing bowl. Beat on medium until quite frothy, but not yet white. Turn mixer to high and allow to whip to soft peaks. Start adding in reserved sugar a spoonful at a time until all is incorporated and mixture is very full and fluffy. Remove bowl from mixer. Sprinkle a spoonful of flour mixture at a time over top of egg whites and FOLD in gently making sure there are no large pockets of dry ingredients yet not overmixing. This should be done by hand and not a mixer. Spoon batter into an angel food tube pan (not nonstick)and test for doneness after 35 minutes. When done, invert pan after cooling for 10 minutes upright and allow to cool for at least an hour. We have enjoyed this with lemon glaze and lemon curd filling, chocolate whipped cream, fruit or nothing at all! Enjoy!
NOTE: When breaking eggs, separate 1 egg at a time and check for any yolk or shell in a small bowl before adding to a larger bowl with all the whites. If there is even a tiny amount of fat from the egg yolk, the whites will not fluff fully. It is worth wasting 1 egg white to save the worth of all the rest! Same goes for any residual fat on the beaters or the mixing bowl. For that reason, do not use a plastic bowl and rewash utensils and bowl before beginning.
Showing posts with label dessert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dessert. Show all posts
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Great Pie Crust
This one is a winner!
2 cups all purpose flour, frozen
2/3 cup butter, cut into 1/2" dice, frozen
2 tblsp solid shortening, cut into 1/2" dice, frozen
1/2 tsp salt (I make mine slightly heaping)
1/4 cup ice water (make a large batch with ice cubes and pour the 1/4 cup just before using)
2 tbsp vodka, cold
Mix flour and salt in bowl. Add shortening and flour cubes a little at a time, stirring into flour to coat each piece. Using a pastry blender, cut into the fat cubes until mixture is crumbly. Mix water and vodka in another bowl and pour over a little at a time, pulling up dry mixture from the bottom with each little pour. Use a fork to mix just until there are no large areas of dry ingredients. Divide into 2 piles on waxed paper (I always make my top crust pile a little smaller than the bottom crust). Use the waxed paper to press the mixture into a disk, kneeding a few times if it is still crumbly. Refrigerate only for a few minutes to rest the dough while you prepare your rolling pin and surface. I use a stockinette cover for my rolling pin dusted with a little flour and roll on a pastry cloth also dusted with flour. I also always sprinkle a generous teaspoon of flour into my pie pan before placing the crust (I use flour from a shaker).
I'd like to hear if anyone tries this and what you think!
2 cups all purpose flour, frozen
2/3 cup butter, cut into 1/2" dice, frozen
2 tblsp solid shortening, cut into 1/2" dice, frozen
1/2 tsp salt (I make mine slightly heaping)
1/4 cup ice water (make a large batch with ice cubes and pour the 1/4 cup just before using)
2 tbsp vodka, cold
Mix flour and salt in bowl. Add shortening and flour cubes a little at a time, stirring into flour to coat each piece. Using a pastry blender, cut into the fat cubes until mixture is crumbly. Mix water and vodka in another bowl and pour over a little at a time, pulling up dry mixture from the bottom with each little pour. Use a fork to mix just until there are no large areas of dry ingredients. Divide into 2 piles on waxed paper (I always make my top crust pile a little smaller than the bottom crust). Use the waxed paper to press the mixture into a disk, kneeding a few times if it is still crumbly. Refrigerate only for a few minutes to rest the dough while you prepare your rolling pin and surface. I use a stockinette cover for my rolling pin dusted with a little flour and roll on a pastry cloth also dusted with flour. I also always sprinkle a generous teaspoon of flour into my pie pan before placing the crust (I use flour from a shaker).
I'd like to hear if anyone tries this and what you think!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Grammy's Pecan Puffs
A friend asked about an eggless sugar cookie and, though this is not a sugar cookie, it came to mind. The kids love these!
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup ground pecans (not too fine)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cake flour
powdered sugar for coating
Mix butter, sugar and vanilla. Add flour, then pecans. Chill dough at least an hour. Half an hour before baking, preheat oven to 300. Roll dough into 3/4" or 1" balls. Bake at 300 for 40 minutes. While hot from the oven, roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely, then roll in powdered sugar again. Store at room temp, but also freezes well. (1 recipe never makes enough, if you know what I mean... :o)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup ground pecans (not too fine)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cake flour
powdered sugar for coating
Mix butter, sugar and vanilla. Add flour, then pecans. Chill dough at least an hour. Half an hour before baking, preheat oven to 300. Roll dough into 3/4" or 1" balls. Bake at 300 for 40 minutes. While hot from the oven, roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely, then roll in powdered sugar again. Store at room temp, but also freezes well. (1 recipe never makes enough, if you know what I mean... :o)
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Chickpeas
This one is from Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, Deceptively Delicious! Trust me, you might really enjoy these and never go back to Tollhouse! Hopefully your kids will like them...mine do!!
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or trans-fat-free margarine
2 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups high quality semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups all-purpose flour (I like to substitute at least 1/4 to 1/3 of the flour with white whole wheat)
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Using a stand mixer, beat the sugar and fat of choice on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, then the chickpeas and chocolate chips. (Let the mixer mash the chickpeas until crushed but not smooth.) Add the flour, oats, baking soda and salt and mix until a thick dough forms.
Drop by tablespoonful onto baking sheet and press gently with a fork to flatten. Bake until the cookies are golden brown and set, 11 to 13 minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer to a rack to cool. Hope you like them!
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or trans-fat-free margarine
2 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups high quality semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups all-purpose flour (I like to substitute at least 1/4 to 1/3 of the flour with white whole wheat)
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Using a stand mixer, beat the sugar and fat of choice on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, then the chickpeas and chocolate chips. (Let the mixer mash the chickpeas until crushed but not smooth.) Add the flour, oats, baking soda and salt and mix until a thick dough forms.
Drop by tablespoonful onto baking sheet and press gently with a fork to flatten. Bake until the cookies are golden brown and set, 11 to 13 minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer to a rack to cool. Hope you like them!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
This beats Duncan Hines hands down!!! We like to serve with just powdered sugar sprinkled on top, but frosting would also be great!
2 medium zucchini, trimmed and grated on large holes of box grater
9 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
2 3/4 c flour
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 cup corn oil (or other veg. oil)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c buttermilk
1/4 c powdered sugar (for sifting)
Preheat to 325. Squeeze excess water out of zucchini in paper towels or clean dish towels and transfer to a bowl. Butter deep 9" cake pan with 1 tbsp of the butter. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda & salt together and set aside. Beat together remaining 8 tbsp butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add oil, beating well. Beat in 1 egg at a time, add vanilla, reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture and buttermilk alternating a few times. Stir in zucchini. Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Invert onto a plate and dust with confectioners' sugar. Enjoy!
2 medium zucchini, trimmed and grated on large holes of box grater
9 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
2 3/4 c flour
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 cup corn oil (or other veg. oil)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c buttermilk
1/4 c powdered sugar (for sifting)
Preheat to 325. Squeeze excess water out of zucchini in paper towels or clean dish towels and transfer to a bowl. Butter deep 9" cake pan with 1 tbsp of the butter. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda & salt together and set aside. Beat together remaining 8 tbsp butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add oil, beating well. Beat in 1 egg at a time, add vanilla, reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture and buttermilk alternating a few times. Stir in zucchini. Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Invert onto a plate and dust with confectioners' sugar. Enjoy!
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