Almond Kringler for St. Lucia day

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...St. Lucia Day's is nearly here and because I've exhausted the recipes usually associated with the holiday, I've decided to feature a few other Scandinavian treats that would be perfect for her feast day. The reasons that might explain why the world's only practicing Catholic, Quaker, Buddhist celebrates a Swedish holiday are many, but their roots can be found in a childhood friendship and adventures shared with Claire, whose story can be found here. Claire, loved crisp, crumbly pastries and she'd be an enormous fan of the almond kringler that I'm featuring today. Its origins are fuzzy. Some insist the cake is a Danish creation while others contend it's Swedish through and through. I strongly suspect the real truth can be found in the test kitchens of Betty Crocker, but more of that later. We do know that in the late 1800's a group of Danish immigrants settled in Wisconsin and brought with them a filled pastry they called a kringle. Their kringle was originally pretzel-shaped, but over time it morphed into a circular or rectangular form. It's country of origin also became cloudy, with some boldly attributing creation of the crisp and buttery pastry to the Swedish. The impass might never have ended had Betty Crocker not introduced American homemakers to her "Danish Puff" cake in the late 1960's. The original recipe, found here, immediately became popular and it is still treasured by many who consider it to be a family heirloom. The cake, which is buttery and flakes like a true Danish, is incredibly easy to make and looks like it was made by a pastry chef. The kringler is delicious and I highly recommend this recipe to all of you who have not yet made it. I used the version developed for the King Arthur website. It adds a layer of jam to the cake that was not part of the original recipe. It is also less sweet because it uses less glaze. I really hope you will give the almond kringler a try. You won't regret it and it would be perfect way to start to your Christmas morning. Here's how is made.

Almond Kringler...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:
First Layer
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter*, cut into pats or 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
*If you're using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Second Layer
1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter*
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, at room temperature; warm them, in the shell, in hot tap water for 10 minutes if they're cold from the fridge
1 teaspoon almond extract
*If you're using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Topping
2/3 cup jam or preserves
1/2 to 2/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted in a 350 degree F oven for about 7 to 10 minutes, or until they're a light, golden brown
Icing
1/2 cup confectioners' or glazing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons milk or water (approximately)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) a large cookie sheet.
2) To make first layer: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine butter, flour, and salt (if you're using it), working butter into flour with a pastry blender or fork, your fingers, or a mixer. Mix until everything is crumbly, then stir in water. Dough will become cohesive, though not smooth. Divide dough in half; if you're using a scale, each half will weigh about 4-5/8 ounces. Wet your hands, and shape each piece of this wet dough into a rough log. Pat logs into 10 x 3-inch rectangles on sheet, leaving at least 4-inches (but preferably 6") between them, and 2" on each side. These puff up in oven and you need to leave them room for expansion.
3) To make second layer: In a medium-sized saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Stir until butter melts, then add flour (and salt, if you're using it) all at once. Stir mixture with a spoon till it thickens, begins to steam, and leaves sides of pan; this will happen very quickly.
    Transfer dough to a mixing bowl, or bowl of an electric mixer. Beat it at medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just to cool it down a bit. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat until dough loses its "slimy" look, and each egg is totally absorbed. Mix in almond extract.
    Divide batter in half. Spread half of batter over one of dough strips on pan, covering it completely. Repeat with remaining batter and dough. With a spatula (or your wet fingers) spread batter until it completely covers entire bottom layer of dough. Smooth it out as best you can.
    Bake pastry for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until it's a deep golden brown. Remove it from oven, and transfer each pastry to a wire rack.
4) To make third layer: Spread each warm pastry with about 1/3 cup of jam or preserves. (Any flavor is fine, but our favorites are raspberry and apricot.) Sprinkle toasted almonds atop jam. By this time, your beautifully puffed pastries are probably starting to sink; don't worry, this is to be expected.
5) To make icing: Stir together sugar, vanilla, and enough milk or water to form a thick but "drizzlable" icing. Drizzle icing atop pastries. Cut into squares or strips to serve. Yield:12 to 16 servings.

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Three Years Ago Today: Irish Boxty and Jewish Latkes

Gnocchi Parisienne

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The adventurous swim uncharted waters and gasp thin air in search of something most can't see or understand. Why? There is, of course, the joy of discovery, but as important, is completion of the challenge, an effort so intense it holds a promise that just might free these wandering souls and allow them to rest and age with grace. We who love to cook and eat are explorers of a different sort, but we, too, seek out the new and different and love the challenge that demanding palates present to us. I recently made a dish that could be served with rice or pasta. The problem was I wanted neither and had a taste for something new. I happened on Jacques Pepin's recipe for gnocchi Parisienne and decided to give it a try. Italian gnocchi are small dumplings usually made with potato or ricotta cheese. In Italy the word gnocchi means lump and that pretty well describes their appearance. The French version of gnocchi is less grainy and is made from pâte à choux, the same dough that is used to make eclairs and cream puffs. While this is at best a judgment call, I've found French version of gnocchi to be lighter than its Italian counterpart. It is also easier to make. Once made, the choux paste is shaped using a pastry bag or two spoons. The pieces are dropped into gently simmering water and cooked until they rise to the surface of the water. If they are to be baked, the gnocchi are immediately plunged ice water. If they are to be sauced or warmed in brown butter, they should be cooked for two minutes longer, then tested to make sure the center is no longer doughy before dropping them in ice water to stop the cooking. I am using the simplest of the French techniques to make my gnocchi. Most recipes bake them in a Mornay sauce. While I pull out all stops when we have guests, that is too caloric for a family meal, so I simply sprinkle them with cheese and bake them off. These are delicious when served right from the oven. While I make sauce available, I serve them plain. Once you've tasted them, you'll see why. I really hope you'll give them a try. I promise you won't be sorry. The gnocchi in the photograph above have been magnified and appear much larger than they actually are. Here's the recipe.

Gnocchi Parisienne...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Jacques Pepin and Food and Wine Magazine

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gruyère or Asiago cheese

Directions:
1) Combine water, salt and nutmeg with 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as water boils, add flour all at once and beat dough with a wooden spoon until it is thick and comes away from sides of pan. Cook, stirring to dry out dough, about 30 seconds. Transfer dough to a medium bowl and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
2) Beat 1 egg into dough until incorporated. Beat in 1/4 cup of cheese and another egg until blended, then beat in last egg until dough is very smooth.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Set a bowl of ice water near stove. With a large spatula, transfer the dough to a resealable plastic bag, pressing it into one corner. Cut off the tip of the bag; the opening should be about 1/2 inch long.
4) Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Carefully hold bag over the water and press out dough, using a small sharp knife or scissors to cut it into 1-1/2-inch lengths before it drops into pot (see Note). Simmer the gnocchi until it rises to top of water, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to ice water bath to stop cooking. Transfer the gnocchi to paper towels and pat dry.
5) Grease a 8 x 11-inch baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Arrange gnocchi in dish and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese. Bake until puffed, about 25 minutes. Preheat broiler. Broil gnocchi 6 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Cook's Notes: The gnocchi dough can also be shaped with 2 teaspoons and wet hands. The dough can be prepared through Step 4 and refrigerated overnight before baking and broiling. It can also be frozen for 4 to 6 weeks.






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Blue Cheese Gougeres - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is another weapon in my arsenal of inexpensive recipes to tame the appetites of ravenous guests. It's the savory version of a petite cream puff and is made from the same dough - a choux paste. Savory gougeres are typically flavored with cheese or herbs. Though I like to use a finely crumbled blue cheese and boost its flavor with minuscule quantities of cayenne pepper, any cheese can be used. These are really simple to make. They'll take about 15 minutes of your time to assemble. They can be made well in advance of serving, frozen and then reheated if that better suits your game plan. I do like to serve these warm. Here's my version of savory gougeres.

Blue Cheese Gougeres...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup water of low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup (1stick) unsalted butter
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup finely crumbled blue cheese

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2) Combine water, butter,pepper, cayenne, garlic poweder, onion powder and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add flour; mix until dough forms large clumps and films bottom of pan. Remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes.
3) Whisk eggs in a medium bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons of beaten eggs. Add remainder, in thirds, to flour mixture beating just to incorporate after each addition. Work in crumbled blue cheese.
4) Drop dough by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet about i-inch apart. Brush tops with reserved egg, flattening and peaks as you go.
5 ) Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. and continue to bake for 20 minutes longer. Pierce each puff with a knife to allow steam to escape. If not to be used immediately, cool completely and store in an airtight container or freeze. Yield: 24 gougeres.

I'm send this to Smiling Sally for her Blue Monday event.