Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...On the off chance that your holiday menu is not yet set in stone, and you are still looking for a coffee cake to start the day, I'd like to recommend this sinfully rich concoction that comes from the recipe developers at Martha Stewart Living. This cake is as sweet as it is rich, so if you have a more European sensibility and prefer barely sweet treats, you might want to bypass this recipe. IT IS SWEET. The cake is not difficult to make if you divide it construction into workable segments. The only problem you might have in making it, is deciding when it is actually done. As is the case with many filled cakes, a toothpick or cake tester will probably fail you miserably. You'll get crumbs even when the cake is done. I've found that a thump in the center of the cake is a better predictor of doneness than a toothpick. Time-wise, I've found 60 minutes works well for me and my oven. Please keep in mind that ovens are calibrated differently and what works for me may not work for you. I'd also like to recommend lining the the bottom of the tube pan with parchment paper. This cake wants to stick and your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to prevent that from happening. If your pan is well-greased, lined and floured, you won't have any problems when you unmold it, especially if you swear. I hope those of you who really enjoy sweet things will give this recipe a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Here's how the cake is made.

Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
Streusel Topping
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
Streusel Filling
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
Cake
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9-inch tube pan with removable bottom with butter or coat with a nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
2) To make streusel topping: Mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or rub in with your fingers until small to medium clumps form. Mix in 1/2 cup pecans. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3) To make streusel filling: Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Set aside.
4) To make cake: Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. Continue to beat until well combined. Spoon half of batter into pan. Sprinkle streusel filling mixture evenly over batter. Top with remaining batter, and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Sprinkle streusel topping mixture evenly over batter.
Bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Remove cake from pan, and transfer to parchment.
4) To make glaze: Mix together confectioners' sugar and milk. Drizzle over cake, and let drip down sides. Let set for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

Cook's Note: Coffee cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.

One Year Ago Today: Muhammara

Two Years Ago Today: Lemon-Mint Snap Peas with Lima Beans or Edamame

Three Years Ago Today: Savory Mushroom Puff

Night Before Christmas Cold Oven Coffee Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...On the off chance that you've not yet tried this coffee cake, I wanted to post instructions for making it before your holiday menus are set in stone. This is a great candidate to serve on Christmas morning and if you have an electric mixer you'll find this yeasted coffee cake is very easy to make. The cake is topped with streusel and a glaze that makes it festive enough for a holiday breakfast. The ingredients for the cake are combined and beaten until a shaggy dough forms. The dough is allowed to rise and once it has doubled in size it's scraped into a baking dish and covered with streusel topping. The pan is then transferred to a cold oven where it sits overnight. Come morning, the oven is turned on and the cake bakes for 30 minutes. That's all there is to it, but the end result is a sweet and buttery cake that looks and tastes like it has come from a high-end bakery. I drizzle the still warm cake with a glaze to further improve its appearance, but this step is really not necessary. I have one caution to share with you. This cake is wonderful when it is served warm from the oven. It becomes less wonderful the longer it sits and the day old cake is quite ordinary. As far as I have been able to determine, this recipe was originally developed by Kay Smittle and her recipe can be found here. I suspect that those of you who try this recipe will be pleased with the results. It is hard to beat something that is both easy and delicious. Here's how the coffee cake is made.

Night Before Christmas Cold Oven Coffee Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Northpole.com

Ingredients:
Cake
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup warm milk
1 package yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons) dissolved in 3 tablespoons warm water
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Topping
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts
2/3 cup sugar
Glaze
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1tablespoon milk

Directions:
1) Cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs, milk, yeast (with warm water), flour, salt and vanilla. Beat all of these ingredients together. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
2) When dough has doubled is size, pat it into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. The dough will be stringy and sticky. You will find it easier to shape if your hands are damp or floured.
3) Combine sugar, cinnamon, melted butter and nuts in a small bowl. Mix well. Spread topping over cake. Stretch plastic wrap over cake and place it in a cold oven to rise overnight.
4) Next morning, remove plastic wrap from pan. Leave pan in cold oven. Turn oven to 350 degrees F. and bake for 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool in pan for 20 minutes. While cake cools, make glaze by mixing milk with confectioners' sugar. Drizzle over cake. Serve cake warm. Yield: 12 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Candied Almonds

Two Years Ago Today: Bean Burger

Three Years Ago Today:  Pan de Polvo

Orange-Cardamom Sugar Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The cardamom in these lovely tea cookies convinced me they could fairly be included in the series of recipes I'm highlighting to celebrate the feast of St. Lucia. While the cookie is not a Scandinavian heirloom, it reflects Scandinavian sensibilities and would fit right in with the other confections found on a Swedish holiday table. These sugar cookies have crisp brown edges and soft chewy centers and the combination makes a perfect treat to serve with coffee or tea. I made a couple of small changes to the original recipe which can be found here. I used more cardamom and less orange zest than the developer suggested. I didn't want the oil in the orange zest to completely overwhelm the taste of cardamom, so I altered the recipe to personal taste. My changes are highlighted in red below. I also used freshly ground cardamom because I had the pods on hand for my holiday baking. This is a lovely, not too sweet, sugar cookie. It has the added advantage of being very easy to make, but because the dough must be chilled twice before it can be baked, additional time must be factored into your baking plan. I think those of you who try the recipe will be very pleased with the results. Here's how the cookies are made.

Orange-Cardamom Sugar Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of drbabs and Food52

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom (I used 1-1/4 teaspoons freshly ground cardamom)
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 yolk of large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of one medium orange (I used 1 teaspoon orange zest)

Directions:
1) Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom and set aside.
2) In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix butter and sugar together till just combined, about 30 seconds. Add egg and egg yolk; mix lightly  to combine. Mix in vanilla extract and orange zest.
3) Add dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing just until combined, about 30-45 seconds. Chill dough until it can be shaped, about 30 minutes.
4) Scoop dough with a tablespoon and roll into balls. Place evenly on cookie sheets and flatten slightly with back of a spatula. (If dough is still very soft, it may be easier to do this after dough is chilled.)
5) Place cookie sheets in refrigerator and chill dough for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. If you're baking one sheet at a time, place oven rack in center of oven. If you want to bake two sheets at one time, place racks so that oven is divided into thirds. Bake for 5 minutes. Reverse cookie sheets front to back (and switch shelves if you're using 2 shelves). Bake for 5-7 more minutes until cookies are brown on edges and still soft in the center. Place cookie sheet(s) on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove cookies with spatula and place them on wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 30 cookies.

One Year Ago Today: St. Lucia Crown - A Special Bread for the Feast of St. Lucia

Two Years Ago Today: Holiday Breakfast Round-Up

Three Years Ago Today: Kris Kringle Ginger Cake and the Baby Jesus Birthday Cake

Cinnamon-Pecan Wafers

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've been experimenting with recipes that use whole-wheat pastry flour for a while now, so I was delighted when I found this contest winner on the Eating Well website. I was looking for cookie recipes that might be healthier than some I have in my holiday collection and I liked the way these looked. They are refrigerator cookies of the slice and bake variety and they are truly simple to make. While the dough, which lends itself to freezer storage, can be prepared days before it's needed, I think the flavor of this cookie improves with age. If you decide to bake them, I suggest you make them a day or two before you plan to serve them. It takes a while for the pecan flavor to ripen and without it this is just another sugar cookie. These crisp butter cookies will neither make nor break your reputation as a baker, but it's nice to have such a simple recipe on hand for the holidays. Here's how the cookies are made.

Cinnamon-Pecan Wafers...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Eating Well magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:
1) Beat butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and add to butter mixture. Beat on low speed until combined. Stir in pecans.
2) Divide the dough in half and use lightly floured hands to shape each portion into a 6-inch round log. Wrap each log in wax paper and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4) Unwrap dough and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Combine remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon on a shallow plate. Roll logs in sugar mixture, then slice each log into 24 (1/4-inch thick) cookies. Place cookies about 2-1/2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake, one batch at a time, until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Yield: 48 cookies.

Cook's Note: Dough wrapped in wax paper and plastic wrap can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once baked, cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 5 days or frozen for 3 months.

One Year Ago Today: Yiaourtopita - Greek Lemon and Yogurt Pound Cake

Two Years Ago Today: Christmas Cookie Round-Up

Three Years Ago Today: Budapest Coffee Cake

Rack of Pork with Morel Mushroom Sauce

                                                                                                             Photo courtesy of Brian Leatart



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A rack of pork is the pork equivalent of a standing beef rib roast or rack of lamb and it makes a stunning centerpiece for a special meal. It is really nothing more than a pork rib roast whose bone tips have been scraped and exposed, or, as butchers would say, "Frenched". Racks are generally available during the holiday season and they can be special ordered at any time of year. They are really easy to prepare and that makes them a wonderful choice for a holiday meal. I found this recipe in Bon Appetit magazine and I recommend it to you without reservation. I do, however, have to warn you that it is expensive to prepare. The pork can be purchased with a pauper's purse but the morel mushrooms are worth a king's ransom and you need 4 cups of them. If ever you want to splurge, you might want to consider this dish. If you find the chops to be too large for a single serving, the ribs can easily be cut away, but do let your guests see the roast before you perform the surgery. The slender racks that are seen in magazines are hard to come by and chances are you'll want to do some carving prior to serving. The mushroom sauce can be prepared a day or two before it's needed and that greatly simplifies holiday meal preparation. I think you'll find this dish to be as luscious as it is luxurious. Here's how the racks are made.

Rack of Pork with Morel Mushroom Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Bon Appetit magazine

Ingredients:
Morel Mushroom Sauce
2 ounces dried whole morel mushrooms (about 4 cups)
2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons brandy
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
Reserved pork roasting pan with juices
1 cup slightly sweet sherry (such as Dry Sack)
Rub
3 large garlic cloves
2 shallots, quartered
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
Pork Roast
2 8-bone racks of pork (each 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 pounds), chine bone cut off

Directions:
1) Combine morels and 2 cups boiling water in 8x8x2-inch glass dish. Let soak until mushrooms soften, stirring occasionally, at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Using slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to small bowl; reserve soaking liquid. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and sauté 3 minutes. Add brandy and shake pan until brandy has almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth and cream. Slowly pour in mushroom soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind in bowl. Add mushrooms. Bring sauce to boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, about 30 minutes.
2) Chop garlic and quartered shallots in mini processor. Scrape down bowl. Add next 5 ingredients; blend until paste forms.
3) Arrange roasts, bone side down, on work surface. Make 6 to 8 shallow slits in fat on each. Rub some of herb paste into slits. Rub remaining herb paste all over roasts. Stand roasts in large roasting pan, bone sides facing each other and rib bones pointing upward. Interlock ends of rib bones, pushing roasts together. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Uncover; let stand 2 hours at room temperature before continuing.)
4) Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Roast until thermometer inserted into pork from center of top registers 140 degrees F, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let pork rest 20 to 30 minutes (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees; meat will be faintly pink).
5) Transfer roasts, still interlocked, to platter; reserve roasting pan with juices for sauce. Cut between ribs into chops. Serve with mushroom pan sauce.
6) Pour all pan juices from roasting pan into small bowl. Spoon off fat from top; pour juices into mushroom base in saucepan. Place roasting pan over 2 burners set at medium heat. Pour in Sherry. Boil 1 minute, scraping up browned bits; pour into mushroom base. Boil sauce until reduced to 3 cups, about 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Serve with pork. Yield: 12 servings.

One Year Ago Today:  Moroccan Carrot Salad

Two Years Ago Today: Thanksgiving Menu with Recipes

Three Years Ago Today: Oven Baked Scrambled Eggs

Maple-Walnut Tart

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite......and then a miracle occurred. Everything got to the table on time and I didn't cuss even once in the process. I have pictures and recipes that I'll be sharing with you next week because this was a meal that would work as well for Christmas as it did for Thanksgiving. Today's tart is a riff on pecan pie that I found in Fine Cooking magazine. It is a rich and delicious creation and it was the first of the desserts to disappear from the table. The recipe seems long, but the tart is not actually difficult to make. While the tart crust described in the recipe is lovely, a commercial pie shell would make short work of this dessert without harming the finished tart. If you like maple flavored desserts, do give this one a try. It is delicious. Quite rich, but delicious nonetheless. Here's how it is made.

Maple-Walnut Tart...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Fine Cooking magazine

Ingredients:
Pie Crust
1-3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour + more for rolling
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 24 small pieces and frozen
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
Cooking spray
Filling
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure maple extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions:
1) To make pie crust: Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor once or twice to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture is pebbly, with some pea-size bits of butter.
    Whisk egg yolks, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of ice water together in a small bowl. Pour mixture through feed tube of food processor, pulsing to combine. Dough mixture should be moist but should not come together into a ball. If a small handful of dough pressed together does not adhere, add remaining 1 tablespoon ice water and pulse to combine.
    Turn dough mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap. Gather plastic around dough and press dough into a disk. Wrap tightly in additional plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
2) To roll crust: Let dough stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes to become pliable before rolling. Lightly coat a rolling pin with flour and roll  dough on a lightly floured surface into a 15-inch circle. Lightly coat a round 9-1/2 x 1-inch fluted metal tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray. Roll dough around rolling pin and carefully unroll over tart pan. Gently press it into bottom and up  sides of  pan without stretching. Trim excess, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fold overhang inside  tart and press against sides to make a double wall about 1/4 inch higher than  tart pan (this will offset any shrinkage during baking). Wrap tart shell in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
    Position a rack in lower third of oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line tart shell with parchment and add enough beans or pie weights to fill shell. Bake on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet until  edges are firm and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully lift parchment and weights from tart shell. Continue to bake until bottom of the shell is pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes more. Let cool on  baking sheet on a rack and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
3) To make filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, maple and vanilla extracts, and salt. Set aside.
     In a 2-quart saucepan, combine maple syrup and sugar and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture just starts to boil, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add butter, stirring until melted. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute.
    Slowly whisk warm syrup into egg mixture, drizzling it in about 1/4 cup at a time and whisking continuously to prevent hot syrup from cooking eggs.
4) To fill and bake tart: Fill tart shell with chopped walnuts. Carefully ladle filling over walnuts to within 1/4 inch of  rim (do not overfill; there may be a little filling left over). Bake tart until it is just set in the center, 30 to 40 minutes (if crust is golden-brown before filling is set, cover edges loosely with foil). Cool completely on the baking sheet on a rack.
    Carefully remove tart rim. Slide a long, flat spatula between  pastry and the pan bottom and transfer tart to a serving platter. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Pumpkin Latte

Two Years Ago Today: Coconut Bubble Bread

Three Years Ago Today: Puff Pastry Pillows with Blue Cheese Filling

Cloverleaf Rolls + Thanksgiving Menu

From the Kitchen of One Perfect Bite...No holiday here on the hill would be complete without warm dinner rolls. We have a lot going on this year, so I've fallen back on a very simple recipe I found in Gourmet magazine over a decade ago. I love the rich color of these buns and because they can be reheated without sacrificing quality, they are a great make-ahead candidate for the holiday table. The recipe is straight forward and can be made entirely by hand. If you feel more comfortable using your mixer, by all means do so. The rolls have a lovely crust that I know you will enjoy. If your menu is not yet set in stone, you might want to give this recipe a try. Speaking of menus, I promised some of you that I'd post our holiday menu today. Recipes for these dishes will be featured over the course of the next few weeks. Here's what is happening at our house tomorrow.

                                                       Thanksgiving Menu

                                                          Andean Corn Chowder
                        Apple and Escarole Salad with Oregon Blue Cheese and Hazelnuts
                          Roasted Double Rack of Pork with Morel Mushroom Pan Sauce
                                             Bacon, Leek and Mushroom Dressing
                                                           Gratin Dauphinois
                               Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Golden Raisins
                                                           Creamed Corn
                                                          Cloverleaf Rolls
                                                   Apple and Apricot Tart
                                                          Sweet Potato Pie
                                                        Maple-Walnut Tart

Cloverleaf Rolls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Gourmet magazine

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons warm water
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast (2-1/2 teaspoons)
3 tablespoons sugar, divided use
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, divided use
1 cup whole milk
2 cups bread flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water
1 tablespoon poppy seeds and/or toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling

Directions:
1) Stir together warm water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2) Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan, then add milk and heat to lukewarm. Stir together yeast mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, butter mixture, bread flour, and salt in a bowl with a wooden spoon until combined well, then stir in 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or enough to make a slightly sticky dough.
3) Butter a large bowl. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, kneading in more all-purpose flour as needed to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (dough will still be slightly sticky). Form dough into a ball. Grease a large bowl and place dough in it, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
4) Butter 18 muffin cups with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into thirds. Working with 1 piece at a time (keep remaining portions covered with plastic wrap), cut off tablespoon pieces of dough and form pieces into balls. Put 3 balls into each buttered muffin cup. Let rolls rise, loosely covered with a kitchen towel (not terry cloth), in a warm place until almost doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.
5) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush rolls lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with seeds. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm. Yield: 18 rolls.

Cooks' note: Rolls can be baked 1 day ahead and cooled completely, then kept, wrapped well in foil, at room temperature. Reheat in foil in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

One Year Ago Today: Frozen Maple-Mousse Cake with Candied Cranberries

Two Years Ago Today: Quick and Creamy Pumpkin Pudding

Three Years Ago Today: Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Sweet Potato Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have a confession to make. I had never made or tasted a sweet potato pie until this evening. We are pumpkin people and the similarity between the two types of pie assured that the one made with sweet potatoes would be given short shrift. That changed when I paged through the October special collectors issue of Saveur magazine. It featured 101 of the 150 classic recipes that had been chosen to celebrate publication of the magazine's 150th issue. I love this magazine, and, as I read through the recipes they had chosen, I made a mental commitment to make every recipe in the special issue. My original plan was to start the effort in January, but when I saw the vibrant color of this sweet potato pie I knew I had to move up my time table and include it as part of our holiday dinner. The pie was created by Mrs.Bonner who owned a cafe in Crawfordville, Georgia. As I understand it, this was the only dessert she served and somehow in their travels, Jane and Michael Stern, authors of Roadfood.com, stumbled on the cafe and were attracted to the bright color of the pie. They sampled it and liked it so much that they begged for the recipe, and, proving yet again, that good things come to those who wait, they finally were given a copy. They attribute the color of the pie to the use of boiled, rather than baked, sweet potatoes. The fact that no spices are added to the custard probably helps as well. Those of you who love sweet desserts will be in heaven. It is delicious. This is very easy to prepare and it makes a perfect holiday dessert. I hope you will give it a try. Here's how this version of sweet potato pie is made.

Sweet Potato Pie...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Jane and Michael Stern and Saveur magazine

Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups flour
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled, plus 8 tablespoons melted and cooled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups boiled and mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:
1) Place flour, 8 tablespoons chilled butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor, and pulse until pea-size crumbles form. Add 1/4 cup ice-cold water; pulse until dough forms. Form dough into a ball and transfer to floured work surface; form into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2) Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, whisk together 8 tablespoons melted butter and salt, sweet potatoes, sugar, milk, vanilla, and eggs until smooth; set filling aside.
3) Unwrap dough and transfer to a floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll until 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan and trim excess dough from edges. Crimp edges with a fork or your fingers. Pour filling over crust and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake until crust is lightly browned and filling is set, about 1 hour. Let cool completely before serving. Y
Yield: 8 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Cider Brined Pork Loin

Two Years Ago Today: Nankhatai for Diwali

Three Years Ago Today: Portuguese-Style Turkey Soup with Linguica, Potatoes and Kale

Cider-Brined Turkey Breast

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We will, of course, have a feast on Thanksgiving Day, but the Silver Fox and I shared a more traditional meal with friends back in September. Knowing that an overseas assignment would keep them from celebrating at home, we decided to have a Pilgrim feast for them before they left. I packed the meal with old-fashioned favorites but gave each of the courses a slightly modern twist, and, because we were all dieting, I cut back on calories wherever I could. The star of the show was a large turkey breast that I decided to soak in a spiced apple cider brine. The brine produced a moist and nicely flavored bird that deserved the place of honor it was given at the table. I used a fresh turkey rather than one that had been injected with a solution that might make it too salty. As an added precaution, I rinsed the bird and then covered it with cold water and let it sit for about 15 minutes to assure that salts that might have accumulated on its surface were washed away. Because we like poultry with really crisp skin, I dried the bird and let it sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator for several hours before putting it in the oven. To heighten the apple flavor I worked a tablespoon of apple juice concentrate into the butter I used to coat the bird. If you also enjoy crisp skin, it is important not to baste the turkey once it goes into the oven. If you remove it from the oven when its internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, it will not be dry. At this time of year it's easy to find turkey parts that can be used to make a flavorful gravy well ahead of serving. I generally make a quart of gravy and add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of good apple cider to half of it, giving folks a choice of apple or a standard savory gravy from one simple preparation. I've never found Thanksgiving dinner hard to make, but it does require exquisite planning. The dinner I made for our friends was quite lovely and over the next few days I'll be sharing some of my favorite holiday recipes with you. I thought I'd start with the turkey. Here's how it's made.

Cider-Brined Turkey Breast...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Brine
4 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
3 crushed garlic cloves
2 bay leaves, broken into pieces
4 quarter-size slices fresh ginger
Peel and juice of 1 orange
Peel and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, coarsely cracked
1 teaspoon whole allspice, coarsely cracked
1/2 gallon unsweetened apple cider, chilled (8 cups)
Turkey
8 to 10-pound fresh turkey breast

Directions:
1) Place water, salt, sugar, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, crushed garlic, bay leaves, ginger, orange and lemon peel and their juices in a large saucepan. Coarsely crush peppercorns and allspice and add to ingredients in pan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in apple cider and cool to room temperature. Submerge turkey in brine, adding additional water as need to cover. Chill for 12 to 24 hours.
2) Remove turkey from brine. Rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry. Transfer to a large baking pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, for several hours. This allows skin to dry and will allow it to crisp as it cooks.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer turkey to a heavy roasting pan. Cover skin with softened butter or olive oil. Add one cup of water to bottom of pan and place turkey in hot oven. Cooking time will vary depending on size of turkey breast. Check wrapper and cook according to weight. Roast until internal temperature at thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees F. Allow turkey to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

One Year Ago Today: Menemen and Breakfast in Turkey

Two Years Ago Today: Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Three Years Ago Today: The Apple Lady Apple Cake

Hazelnut-Anise Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely European-style icebox cookie is perfect to serve with afternoon tea or coffee. The recipe, which was developed by Kate Ramos for CHOW, uses five basic ingredients and while the dough needs time to chill, it can be made in about 15 minutes, if you have a food processor and can buy skinned and toasted hazelnuts. That's not a problem for those of us who live in Oregon. Hazelnuts are grown here and they come to market in all guises, including skinned and toasted. I was a bride when I first made hazelnut cookies, and, in my rush to impress and fill a cookie tray with every variety known to man, I decided to save some time and bypassed skinning the nuts. It turned out to be a huge mistake because the skin of a hazelnut is very bitter and my cookies were ruined. If you have to skin the nuts yourself, Fine Cooking has a fantastic article on the two ways this can be done. You can find the article here.This recipe also works well with almonds which you may find easier to deal with. I like to make the dough for these cookies the day before I plan to bake them. The dough is crumbly and much easier to slice when it is really cold. The finished cookie is slightly sandy in texture and its buttery flavor is made more interesting by the hint of licorice that comes from the anise seeds. The kids won't care much for these, but lovers of just sweet European cookies will enjoy them. They are a sophisticated slice and bake cookie that might be a nice addition to your repertoire. Here's how they are made.

Hazelnut-Anise Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Kate Ramos and CHOW.com

Ingredients:
1 cup toasted hazelnuts, cooled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons anise seed
2 sticks (8-ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
1) Combine hazelnuts and sugar in bowl of a food processor. Pulse about 10 times until nuts are finely ground. Add flour, salt, and anise seed and pulse to combine.
2) Add butter and pulse until dough just comes together, about 1 minute. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 1-1/2-inch wide log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour or keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.
3) When ready to bake, arrange a rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4) Working with one chilled log at a time, slice dough into 1/4-inch thick rounds and place them about 1/2 inch apart on a baking sheet.
5) Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the bottom edges become pale and golden. Repeat with the other log. Cool cookies for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Yield: About 50 cookies.

Cook's Note: The cookie dough  can be frozen for up to1 month. Frozen dough should sit at room temperature for about 40 minutes before cutting and baking.

One Year Ago Today: Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares

Two Years Ago Today: Warm Black Bean Dip

Three Years Ago Today: Maple Chocolate Walnut Bars

♬ Santa Lucia Crown for the Feast of St. Lucia ♬

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...St. Lucia is an Italian saint who has been "adopted" by the people of Sweden. Christmas celebrations in Sweden begin on her feast day, which is the 13th of December. Prior to the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, that date was the shortest day of the year and in some regions of Scandinavia the sun didn't rise at all. Lucia is the patron saint of light, and legend tells us she wore a wreath of candles on her head to free her arms to carry bread to starving Christians hiding in the catacombs. The man she was to marry denounced her for assisting the poor and as a punishment she was blinded and set afire. The flames, however, didn't touch her and it took a stab wound to the heart to finally kill her. It is said that Lucia regained her sight just before her death. She is, to this day, revered as the patron saint of the blind because of her association with light. Her place in Swedish legend was earned because farmers in the middle ages believed she walked across a lake to deliver armloads of bread to starving members of their villages during a famine. They reported her path across the water was illuminated by the crown of candles she wore on her head. Lucia's name is synonymous with light and her crown symbolizes the light of faith and the promise of the sun's return. If you would like to see the procession that takes place on Saint Lucia day, you'll find a beautiful example here.

I have a special fondness for this holiday. Although I'm not Swedish, or Italian for that matter, I have enduring memories of Santa Lucia Day as it was spent on the south side of Chicago when I was a child. You've heard those stories and I've shared my recipes for some of the special foods that I associate with the holiday. We've already done done a coffee cake and Lussekatter or Lucia buns. Today's feature is a special sweet bread called a Lucia Crown. The crown should actually be made from two braids, one large, the other small. They are baked separately, and the small crown, which holds the candles, is placed on top of the other just before serving. The last time I did that, the small crown, with lit candles, slid off and caused more than a little excitement in the kitchen. These days, I use a much safer method of construction and no longer need the assistance of the fire department when I present the crown to my family. It's basically a long braid that's knotted into a circle. A demonstration of the technique can be found here. The dough used to make the crown is actually easy to prepare and it is not beyond the capabilities of a novice baker. There is, obviously, some symbolism built into the crown. Saffron is added to the dough to give it the color of the sun and the use of the candles is self-explanatory. This is a delicious bread and it is handsome enough to be used as a table centerpiece. I hope you'll give it a try. Fans of sweet breads will be happy to know this bread comes with a recommendation and an alert. My socks are going up and down. Hang on to yours. Here's the recipe.




Santa Lucia Crown...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Bread World

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
4-1/4 to 4-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs, divided use
Powdered Sugar Glaze, optional (recipe follows)
Red and green candied cherry halves, optional

Directions:
1) Place 1/4 cup warm water in large warm bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add remaining water, warm milk, sugar, butter, salt, saffron, and 1-1/2 cups flour; blend well. Stir in 2 eggs and enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
2) Punch dough down. Remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide into 3 equal pieces. Roll each into a 36-inch rope. Braid ropes. Place on a greased baking sheet and knot into a crown shaped circle. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake crown for 25 minutes or until done, covering braid with foil during last 10 minutes to prevent excess browning. Remove braid from baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack.
4) To decorate, make holes for candles in crown. If desired, drizzle with Powdered Sugar Glaze and garnish with candied cherry halves. Insert candles in prepared holes.

Powdered Sugar Glaze: In small bowl, combine 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted; 4 to 5 teaspoons milk; and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.








St. Lucia Day: Traditional Santa Lucia Buns
















St. Lucia Day: Claire and Cinnamon Meringue Coffee Ring








This post is being linked to:

Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting
Foodie Friday
Pink Saturday
Mom Trends

Soft Dinner Rolls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... Bread, in one form or another, has always been a part of our holiday meals. I've been looking for a recipe that would allow me to make rolls from a dough that could be shaped and frozen days before the rolls were to be baked off. I envisioned the maddening aroma of just baked bread greeting guests as they walked through the door. While that's a great appetite stimulant, it's also helps boost the cook's reputation and I'm not above a dirty trick or two. Martha Stewart had a recipe for a rich and buttery pan roll that I thought would work well for my purposes. I've just completed a test run and these are just what I was looking for. The dough for these rolls can be made without special equipment. If you have a wooden spoon, you can have rolls for dinner. They are easy to make and have a soft crust that covers a buttery interior that is light and fluffy. They are a perfect addition to the holiday table and I can assure you they will be on mine this year. I hope you will give them a try. The recipe for the rolls follows and below it you can see the complete menu for our non-traditional holiday dinner. Bon Appétit!

Soft Dinner Rolls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
1/4 cup warm water
4-1/2 teaspoons (4 packets) active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm whole milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for bowl and pans
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs, divided use
6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for work surface

Directions:
1) Place water in a small bowl; sprinkle with yeast, and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, butter, sugar, salt, and 2 eggs. Whisk in yeast mixture.
2) Using a wooden spoon, stir in 6 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, until you have a soft, shaggy dough (if necessary, add up to 1/2 cup more flour). Turn dough out onto a floured work surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Butter the inside of a large bowl; place dough in bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 1-/4 hours.
3) Butter two 13-by-9-inch baking pans. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 15-inch rope; cut each rope into 15 1-inch pieces. Press each piece into a disk, then shape into a ball. Arrange dough balls in prepared pans. (To make ahead: Wrap pans well, and freeze, up to 2 months.) Cover pans loosely with plastic; let stand in a warm spot until rolls have doubled in size, about 1 1/4 hours (2 hours more if frozen for a total of 3 to 3-1/2 hours).
4) Position racks in upper and lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, beat remaining egg until blended; brush onto rolls. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through. Let rolls cool 15 minutes before serving. Yield: 30 rolls.

Thanksgiving Menu 2011







First Course: Fennel and Carrot Soup













Salad Course: Roasted Apple Salad with Bacon and Mixed Greens














Main Course: Cider Brined Pork Loin













Side Dish: Sweet Potato Home Fries

















Additional Sides: Minted Peas, Apple Stuffing and Red-Currant Cranberry Sauce
















































Dessert One: Frozen Maple-Mousse Cake with Candied Cranberries














Dessert Two: Cranberry Bread Pudding with Orange Hard Sauce