Mamoul

Maamoul 

For the Cookie:

Semolina flour                                  3 cups

Salt                                                   ½ tsp

Butter, room temp, diced                  2 sticks (1/2 #)

Rose water                                        2 tsp

Whole milk                                       ½ cup

For the date filling:

Medjool dates, pitted                        ½ #

Orange blossom water                      1 tsp

Butter                                                         ½ tsp

For the walnut filling:

Walnuts, crushed                              ½ cup

Cinnamon, ground                                      ½ tsp

Sugar                                                2 Tbsp

Orange blossom water                      1 tsp

For the pistachio filling:

Pistachios, shelled, crushed               ½ cup

Cinnamon, ground                                      ½ tsp

Sugar                                                2 Tbsp

Orange blossom water                      ½ tsp

Rose water                                        ½ tsp

To make the cookies:

1       Mix the salt and flour together

2       Rub the butter into the flour mixture until it is completely incorporated and resembles coarse cornmeal.  Cover and let rest overnight.

3       Add the rose water and milk to the flour mixture and stir until a dough forms.

To make the date filling:

1       Check all dates to assure that pits are completely removed.

2       Process the dates, orange blossom water, and butter in a food processor until a ball forms.

To make the nut fillings:

  Toss all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl until homogenous. 

To finish the cookies:

1       Preheat an oven to 425 degrees.

2       Dust the wooden paddles with flour

3       Add a Tbsp of dough to the paddle and work it around the edges of the mold.

4       Fill the lined paddle with the filling of your choice.

5       Using 1 to 2 tsp of dough, cover the filling, making sure to seal the seams along the edges of the dough.

6       Turn out the cookies from the mold by wacking the paddle on the sheet tray or work surface. 

7       Repeat

8       When all cookies have been made, bake them in the preheated oven for approx 10-13 minutes, or until the bottoms are browned.

9       Let the cookies cool completely, then dust them in powdered sugar.

February Demo

Hello Everyone,

I'm sitting in my office looking out at this gorgeous day, and hoping that the rain and snow stay away for awhile (at least until after our meeting). I hope all of you have the opportunity to go out and enjoy today a little bit.

This Wednesday will be a busy meeting for us. I've chosen a decent list of books for us all to choose from. We'll conduct it very similarly to what we did before. I'll have everyone vote for their top three choices, and then based on the highest voted titles, make the selections for the next several months.

I'm very excited for Doug's demonstration as well. Using Mexican chocolate, he will be making pot de creme, which is basically a baked custard. In case you haven't made or had them before, I assure you, they are delicious. While definitely not your traditional Mexican fair, I think the cinnamon in the Mexican chocolate and the subtle heat of cayenne pepper will maintain the essence of the food Tita made in Like Water for Chocolate.

Remember that March's book is Four Fish by Paul Greenberg. We have copies in store if you want to buy them Wednesday.

I hope that everyone can make it, and has enjoyed reading about the tumultuous love of Tita and Pedro.

Brianne

Icing Filled Chocolate Wafer Cookies


For the Chocolate Wafers:

1 ¼ cups AP Flour
½ cup Cocoa powder
1 tsp Baking soda
¼ tsp Baking powder
¼ tsp Salt
1 cup Sugar
5 oz Butter, room temperature
1 ea Egg

For the Filling:

2 oz Butter, room temperature
¼ cup Vegetable shortening
2 cups Powdered sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla extract

1- To make the wafers, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in the bowl of a mixer.

2- Add the butter and mix on low until incorporated.

3- Add the egg and mix until it forms a dough ball.

4- On a lightly floured board, roll out the dough to a 1/4” thickness.

5- Cut out wafer cookies using a 1 ¾” round cookie cutter.

6- Bake the cookies on a greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

7- Allow the cookies to cool completely before filling.



1- To make the filling, put the butter and shortening in the bowl of a mixer, and mix at low speed.

2- Add the powdered sugar to the butter mixture in three stages.

3- Add the vanilla to the mix, and then turn mixer to medium and whip to desired consistency.

Chocolate Taffy


¾ cup European Style or Dutch Process Cocoa
2 cups Sugar
2 Tbsp Corn starch
1 tsp. Salt
1 cup Corn syrup
2 tsp. Glycerin
¾ cup Water
2 Tbsp Butter

1- In a heavy bottom, 3-4 qt sauce pan, combine the cocoa, sugar, corn starch, and salt.

2- Add the corn syrup, glycerin, water, and butter, and stir until well combined over medium heat.

3- Cook at medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer, then drop the heat to medium-low.

4- Dip a pastry brush in warm water, and use it to wipe away anything that is stuck to the inside wall of the pan.

5- Continue to cook the mixture until it reaches 246- 250 degrees F. (The Firm Ball Stage).

6- Meanwhile, butter a sheet pan, and cover the bottom with a silicone baking matt.

7- When desired temperature is reached, pour the sugar onto the baking matt, and let cool for 10 minutes.

8- When taffy is cool enough to handle, stretch until the color turns to a dull brown and a sheen develops (approx. 15 minutes).

9- Next, cut the taffy into 4 or five manageable logs using scissors. Roll these logs out into long snakes, 1/2” in diameter, and clip into 1” long pieces.

10- Finally, wrap each piece in a 4” x 2” piece of wax paper for safe storage.

Chocolate Orange Sabayon Parfait


For the Champagne Sabayon:

4 ea. Egg Yolks
2 oz Sugar
Pinch Salt
4 oz Sparkling Wine

1- In a non-reactive bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar and salt, and whisk together.

2- Add the sparkling wine to the yolk mixture, and whisk to combine.

3- Place the bowl over a pot of simmer water to create a double boiler.

4- Whisk the mixture constantly as it cooks. Heat until a thick homogenous yellow foam forms.

5- Remove sabayon from the heat and reserve.


For the Orange and Chocolate Base:

6 ea. Seedless Oranges
12 oz High Quality Bittersweet Chocolate

1- Peel and segment the oranges

2- Shave the chocolate into thin pieces.


To Assemble the Parfait:


1- Divide the orange segments evenly between 8 ramekins.

2- Divide the chocolate evenly between the 8 raemkins.

3- Top each Ramekin with 2-3 Tbsp of the Sabayon.

4- Brulee the Sabayon by means of either a broiler or blow torch.

Chocolate Coated, Peanut Frosting Filled Wafer Treats

Chocolate Coated, Peanut Frosting Filled Wafer Treats


For the Wafers:

150 gram package Oblatne plain wafers
1# 2oz Creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp Vegetable Shortening
1 ½ Tbsp Butter
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp Light corn syrup


For the Chocolate Coating:

1 1/2# Semi-sweet chocolate
1 pint Heavy cream

1- To make the peanut butter frosting, put the peanut butter and shortening in the bowl of a mixer, and beat until combined.

2- With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar in three stages.

3- Whip the mixture until light and fluffy.

4- Using a pastry bag and a flat piping tip, pipe a layer of the peanut butter frosting onto a wafer, then top with another wafer.

5- Repeat this process until there are four wafers with three layers of filling.

6- Gently press on the wafer pile to distribute the frosting, and cut into desired snack sizes.


1- To make the chocolate coating, chop the chocolate into small pieces, and place in a metal mixing bowl.

2- Place the bowl of chocolate on top of a pot of boiling water, add the heavy cream, and heat until smooth and viscous.

Finish:

To coat the wafer snacks in chocolate, use a pastry brush, and let dry on a wire rack. If chocolate sets up while in use, simply place the bowl back over the boiling water and re-warm.

Challah Bread Pudding

Challah Bread Pudding

Black Tea 1 bag
Water 2 cups
Raisins and candied orange peels 1 cup
Challah, diced 4 cups
Whole Milk 3 cups
Vanilla Bean, split 1 ea.
Sugar 1 1/3 cups
Cinnamon ¼ tsp
Nutmeg ¼ tsp
Eggs 2 ea.

1- Brew the black tea in the 2 cups of water, and then soak the raisins and candied peels in this for 4 hours or overnight.

2- Toast the diced challah in a 275 degree oven until very dry (approx 15-20 minutes).

3- Add the vanilla bean to the milk and bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat and add the sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

4- Strain the hot, sweetened milk mixture over the toasted bread in a large bowl, and allow it to cool to near room temp.

5- Stir in the eggs, and then pour the entire mixture into a greased, 9” cake pan.

6- Bake at 350 degrees for 35- 45 minutes, or until set.

7- Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.