serves 6
FOR THE PASTRY
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water
FOR THE APPLES
4 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small-diced
1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam (see note)
2 tablespoons Calvados, rum, or water
For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 x 14 inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4 inch thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. (I tend not to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful. Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup sugar and dot with butter.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatual so it doesn't stick to the paper. Allow to cool anad serve warm or at room temperature.
Garten, Ina. Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. New York: Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2008. 191-3.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP
serves 6-8
FOR THE MEATBALLS
1/4 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SOUP
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup 1/4 inch-diced carrots (3 carrots)
3/4 cup 1/4 inch-diced celery (2 stalks)
10 cups Homemade Chicken Stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 ti 1 1/4 inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into the soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese.
Garten, Ina. Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. New York: Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2008. 72-43.
Notes:
This is one of my absolute favorite soups (probably only second to my grandma or my mom's stew!)
I have yet to use the chicken sausage. I've generally used sweet/mild Italian sausage. It comes out perfectly fine!
I've only gotten the dill proportions right on my first try, so I've started making it without, and it still has great flavor.
I've also used store-bought chicken broth, and then the soup doesn't really require much additional salt, even with low sodium broth.
FOR THE MEATBALLS
1/4 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SOUP
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup 1/4 inch-diced carrots (3 carrots)
3/4 cup 1/4 inch-diced celery (2 stalks)
10 cups Homemade Chicken Stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 ti 1 1/4 inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into the soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan cheese.
Garten, Ina. Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. New York: Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2008. 72-43.
Notes:
BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE MUFFINS
Makes 16 muffins
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces ( about 1 cup) sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 half-pints fresh blueberries, picked through for stems
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place 16 paper liners in muffin pans.
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on the top and a cake tester comes out clean.
Garten, Ina. Barefoot Contessa Family Style. New York: Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2002. 174.
Notes:
I added chocolate chips, which I fell in love with the first time. The second time, I felt like it clashed with the creaminess of the muffin but still complemented the blueberries well. The next time I want to try Nestle Dark Chocolate Chips .
I was pretty stoked that I was able to get a 16 ounce tub of sour cream from Sprouts for only 99 cents!! Ridiculous!!
Try to avoid using frozen blueberries because it disintegrates into the muffin and causes soggy spots.
It definitely made more than 16 for me, but I didn't use an ice cream scoop or fill it to the very top.
Hands down- best blueberry muffin I've ever had in my life!! Every blueberry muffin will pale in comparison!
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
8 ounces ( about 1 cup) sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 half-pints fresh blueberries, picked through for stems
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place 16 paper liners in muffin pans.
In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on the top and a cake tester comes out clean.
Garten, Ina. Barefoot Contessa Family Style. New York: Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2002. 174.
Notes:
I added chocolate chips, which I fell in love with the first time. The second time, I felt like it clashed with the creaminess of the muffin but still complemented the blueberries well. The next time I want to try Nestle Dark Chocolate Chips .
I was pretty stoked that I was able to get a 16 ounce tub of sour cream from Sprouts for only 99 cents!! Ridiculous!!
Try to avoid using frozen blueberries because it disintegrates into the muffin and causes soggy spots.
It definitely made more than 16 for me, but I didn't use an ice cream scoop or fill it to the very top.
Hands down- best blueberry muffin I've ever had in my life!! Every blueberry muffin will pale in comparison!
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