November Daring Bakers Challenge: Cannoli!

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

The challenge was extremely flexible this month, which I greatly appreciated, allowing for a variety of fillings, decorations, and even cooking methods.  The traditional shape for cannoli is the round tube filled with pastry cream.  Though the shape is inoffensive, I have never gotten into gobs of creamy filling in most pastries unless it is primarily chocolate.  Lisa suggested a variety of fillings including ricotta-based fillings which I like much better and she even created a pumpkin filling to make the cannoli timely and tasty.

But I am getting ahead of myself.  First, I had strong intentions of getting the cannoli tubes in the event that I suddenly loved these and would make them all the time.  Rather than do that, I decided to take up Lisa on her offer of Cannapoleons or stacked cannoli to test the waters, and cannoli tubes may be in my future.  Not to mention, I've got loads of rarely used circle and cookie cutters screaming for clever uses.

I started out with the dough first which is a nice mixture of spice, masala wine, flour and sugar.  I wonder if this is what made me dislike cannoli in the past, but I am glad to say that it intrigued me now.  The making of the dough itself was relatively uneventful and was left to rest overnight.

Once rested, the next step was to roll the dough into very thin rounds and cut out the cannoli shapes.  A method for the pasta machine was included in the recipe which excited me greatly.  I haven't used my pasta rollers yet, so out they came.  I'm not sure if it was a function of my dough or the speed/setting combo, but I had a hard time getting the dough to roll out in one piece.  I decided to continue using the roller to help knead the dough to a nice smooth consistency and then resorted to the old rolling pin. 

I think the rolling process got me on the whole process because some of my shapes turned out on the thick side.  This may also have been due to letting the cut-outs sit while I heated the oil.  Some seemed to shrink and I was afraid to roll out lest I ruin the adorable pumpkin shapes that I settled on for the stacks.

As you can see, the frying process was sort of a mixed bag.  I think the thickness of the dough definitely played a role in the inconsistent blistering.  I also definitely had an issue with the pumpkins puffing up in the oil.  I addressed that by piercing the bubble mid-fry (though a little voice told me I shouldn't) and ended up with a couple of extra greasy pumpkins.  I managed to get a few nice looking ones, however, with a decent texture, and this was reward enough.

The pumpkin shapes were selected because I also came upon a fabulous Barefoot Contessa dessert via my friend's blog and decided that it needed to be my filling for the cannoli.  I will go into the mousse itself in a separate post, but needless to say, it was very festive!

The final touch after spooning mousse onto my pumpkin shapes was to garnish the stack.  I crushed some gingersnap cookies to sprinkle around the outside which wasn't easy.  I might rethink that process as well next time around.  A final touch of powdered sugar and voila! I found the cannolo quite edible and definitely visualling appealing.  There may be a repeat performance somewhere in the future for me and this recipe, although for now, I'm glad to be done and able to enjoy my results!

Lidisano’s Cannoli
Makes 22-24 4-inch cannoli
Prep time:
Dough – 2 hours and 10-20 minutes, including resting time, and depending on whether you do it by hand or machine.
Filling – 5-10 minutes plus chilling time (about 2 hours or more)
Frying – 1-2 minutes per cannoli
Assemble – 20–30 minutes

RECIPE NOTE: THE EQUIVALENTS FROM THIS RECIPE WERE PREPARED USING THIS CONVERSION SITE: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/index.asp.

CANNOLI SHELLS
2 cups (250 grams/8.82 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons(28 grams/1 ounce) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.06 ounces) unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (approx. 3 grams/0.11 ounces) salt
3 tablespoons (42 grams/1.5 ounces) vegetable or olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.18 ounces) white wine vinegar
Approximately 1/2 cup (approx. 59 grams/approx. 4 fluid ounces/approx. 125 ml) sweet Marsala or any white or red wine you have on hand
1 large egg, separated (you will need the egg white but not the yolk)
Vegetable or any neutral oil for frying – about 2 quarts (8 cups/approx. 2 litres)
1/2 cup (approx. 62 grams/2 ounces) toasted, chopped pistachio nuts, mini chocolate chips/grated chocolate and/or candied or plain zests, fruits etc.. for garnish
Confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS FOR SHELLS:
1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and enough of the wine to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight.

2 Cut the dough into two pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Lightly flour a large cutting or pastry board and roll the dough until super thin, about 1/16 to 1/8” thick (An area of about 13 inches by 18 inches should give you that). Cut out 3 to 5-inch circles (3-inch – small/medium; 4-inch – medium/large; 5-inch;- large. Your choice). Roll the cut out circle into an oval, rolling it larger and thinner if it’s shrunk a little.

3 Oil the outside of the cannoli tubes (You only have to do this once, as the oil from the deep fry will keep them well, uhh, oiled..lol). Roll a dough oval from the long side (If square, position like a diamond, and place tube/form on the corner closest to you, then roll) around each tube/form and dab a little egg white on the dough where the edges overlap. (Avoid getting egg white on the tube, or the pastry will stick to it.) Press well to seal. Set aside to let the egg white seal dry a little.

4. In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 3 inches, or if using an electric deep-fryer, follow the manufacturer's directions. Heat the oil to 375°F (190 °C) on a deep fry thermometer, or until a small piece of the dough or bread cube placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. Have ready a tray or sheet pan lined with paper towels or paper bags.

5. Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly.

8. Lift a cannoli tube with a wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, out of the oil. Using tongs, grasp the cannoli tube at one end. Very carefully remove the cannoli tube with the open sides straight up and down so that the oil flows back into the pan. Place the tube on paper towels or bags to drain. Repeat with the remaining tubes. While they are still hot, grasp the tubes with a potholder and pull the cannoli shells off the tubes with a pair of tongs, or with your hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. Let the shells cool completely on the paper towels. Place shells on cooling rack until ready to fill.

9. Repeat making and frying the shells with the remaining dough. If you are reusing the cannoli tubes, let them cool before wrapping them in the dough.

Pasta Machine method:
1. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Starting at the middle setting, run one of the pieces of dough through the rollers of a pasta machine. Lightly dust the dough with flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Pass the dough through the machine repeatedly, until you reach the highest or second highest setting. The dough should be about 4 inches wide and thin enough to see your hand through

2. Continue rolling out the remaining dough. If you do not have enough cannoli tubes for all of the dough, lay the pieces of dough on sheets of plastic wrap and keep them covered until you are ready to use them.

3, Roll, cut out and fry the cannoli shells as according to the directions above.

For stacked cannoli:
1. Heat 2-inches of oil in a saucepan or deep sauté pan, to 350-375°F (176 - 190 °C).

2. Cut out desired shapes with cutters or a sharp knife. Deep fry until golden brown and blistered on each side, about 1 – 2 minutes. Remove from oil with wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, then place on paper towels or bags until dry and grease free. If they balloon up in the hot oil, dock them lightly prior to frying. Place on cooling rack until ready to stack with filling.

Meatless Monday: Pumpkin Bread for all seasons

IMG_0215
Originally uploaded by Brooklyn Forager

Today, I break away from my focus on dinner entrees for Meatless Monday and bring you my current (and always) favorite quick bread for breakfasts and snacks -- Pumpkin Bread.

This recipe comes from a friend of mine and has a story of its own. For the sake of anonymity, I'll leave that for another time. As usual, I've added some modifications of my own, though these are only slight because it really is a fabulous recipe (and simple!).

In a large bowl, combine 3 1/2 cups flour, 3 cups sugar, 1 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, ground cloves and nutmeg, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1-2 cups add-ins (I did all raisins, but the original recipe splits raisins and walnuts). Mix these ingredients well. Then, add to the mix 1 cup pumpkin (I've made it with fresh pureed or 1 whole can of Libby's - both to great success), 1 cup vegetable/canola oil, 4 eggs, and 2/3 cup water. Again, mix well. (NOTE: I read recently somewhere out there that tossing the raisins lightly in flour before adding them to the batter will keep them from falling to the bottom. I haven't tried this, but you might try adding them at the end slightly floured.)

This recipe makes about 4 loaves, if using aluminum loaf pans. This past attempt found me filling whatever I could and so I made 6 jumbo muffins, a cake pan, and a silicone loaf pan. I filled each halfway and baked at 350F. The muffins came out after about 35 minutes; the cake pan came out at 45 minutes, and the loaf came out at just over an hour. Delicious!

Meatless Monday: Rustic Curried Butternut Squash Soup

For this Meatless Monday, I borrowed a recipe from a friend's mother, so really I should call this Mama Russell's Rustic Curried Butternut Squash Soup.  I did tweak a bit here and there; alas it is a bit of a collaboration. This recipe is wonderfully simple, although there is a good deal of chopping.  The great thing about a "rustic" soup, however, is that the roughess of the chop makes it more beautiful and tasty.

I peeled and seeded one large butternut squash - about 1 1/2 lbs.  The squash was cubed and gently steamed until tender, about 20 minutes.  The squash could also be roasted to give additional depth and flavor, although this would take a bit longer and required heating up the oven.  So the steaming is simple, more energy efficient, and keeps a clean pure taste in the squash. I then pureed the squash and set aside.

In the meantime, I melted some butter in a stock pot and added 2 teaspoons curry powder (I tried with both a West Indian and Spicy Indian blend - use your favorite and experiment!)and 1 teaspoon cumin.  Cook this briefly - 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add 1 cup finely chopped red onion (Mama Russell does not specify type of onion), 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger, 1 large apple roughly chopped (granny smith, gala, honey crisp all work well) and 1 clove of garlic.  Sautee about five minutes, or until soft.

Once the rustic items are ready, add the pureed squash and 2-4 cups of chicken broth depending on desired thickness.  For a main dish, I used only about 2, although when I made it with 4 cups, it was a lovely accompaniment to a larger meal.  The final touch is about 1/4-1/2 cup coconut milk (another departure from Mama Russell's recommendation of cream).

Served with bread and a green salad, this made a lovely fall meal and was even better the next day.  I made this several times straight out of the pantry since I like to keep the fresh ingredients on hand generally.  I will absolutely keep this recipe on hand for rainy weekends when I don't want to leave the house for a shop.

Daring Cooks October: Pho and Dessert Wontons

The October 2009 Daring Cooks' challenge was brought to us by Jaden of the blog Steamy Kitchen.  The recipes are from her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.   I can't tell you how excited I was to get started on these recipes.  I love to try recipes from various Asian cultures, but never really tried Vietnamese food on my own.  The trick for this month was to really nail the broth, and the best part is, with a good recipe, it's impossible to fail. 

We were given a short version of Pho Ga (Chicken Pho), but I went with Jaden's longer beef recipe which can be found on her website.  What makes the broth special is attention to detail.  To begin, onions and ginger are broiled very closely to the top of the oven (I used the toaster oven which may not have been ideal, but saved a lot of energy!) until they are nicely charred. This imparts some extra depth of flavor and richness.

 

While the charring is undertaken, whole spices are toasted to add an additional layer of flavor.  The recipe calls for star anise, cinnamon, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cardamom pods.  I was tempted to add in peppercorns because for me no recipe is a recipe without garlic and black pepper.  I held back in both instances to give the recipe a shot as written.  Also, who am I to judge what a recipe for Pho needs? I've eaten it and enjoyed it, but this was the first time.

Once the spices and aromatics are prepared, they go in the pot with beef bones, fish sauce, sugar and some chunks of meat.  I must say that if I had any idea how good that simmered beef would be, I would have added three times the amount.  I used about half of what Jaden suggested mainly because I didn't get enough when I was at the butcher.  These pieces of meat were some of the best parts of the whole dish. 

I made the broth on a Saturday evening, refrigerated it and then made the Pho on the following day.  I can't say for sure that the broth was even better, but the spices and meatiness really came through once the soup was put together. Most of the work in the broth is waiting and drooling over the simmering pots, so it's silly to say that the broth makes the soup, but it really does.  The extra steps in preparing it from scratch, and preparing it this way were well worth it. 

We used all the traditional (or at least suggested) toppings for the Pho - mint, cilantro, sliced chilis (one Serrano and one Jalapeno from our garden!), bean sprouts and slices of raw skirt steak to cook in the broth.  I took Jaden's advice and made a dipping sauce of chili paste (our Sriracha had turned, so I used sambal olek instead) and hoisin for the freshly cooked pieces of beef.  Delicious. The sauces do also add additional flavor to the soup and once I had a bowl of straight soup, I started mixing a bit in. 

We got 8 good sized meals out of this challenge and easily could have stretched it for more.  I will absolutely be adding this in.  I just wish I had more freezer space to make gallons of the broth to keep around.  Such is the burden of living in Brooklyn.

The next part of the challenge was to make dessert wontons.  Jaden's recipe was for chocolate wontons, but also invited us to get creative.  I made three types of wontons in four shapes.  I made a straight chocolate wonton with 70% dark chocolate, a banana-chocolate combo, and the piece de resistance, a lemon ricotta wonton with blueberry dipping sauce.  These last were inspired by our wedding cupcakes which combined lemon curd, blueberries and lots of buttercream icing.  I struggled to be super creative, but I did enjoy the process of thinking about great combinations to put in the wontons which also turned out to be fascinatingly easy.  I nearly said fool-proof and that's probably dangerous, but as long as you don't over fill the wrappers, you can really put just about anything in them and fry them up.  I can't wait to experiment more in the future.

Meatless Mon(Tues)day: Pecorino Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Sage Brown Butter Sauce, originally uploaded by Brooklyn Forager.

So, I'm a little late with my Meatless Monday post. But it was sooooo good. And such a good base recipe. I made this ravioli based on the Food & Wine recipe which called for marjoram and walnuts. Naturally, I substituted and switched for what I had in the house. So Pecorino Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce and Pignoli was born.

The recipe calls for mixing fresh grated pecorino with heavy cream, salt and pepper (I might add some spice in here next time with a little cayenne). Fill a wonton or dumpling skin. Wet the skin with water and top with another wonton or dumpling skin. Boil for two minutes or so. Voila!

In the meantime, brown butter and add the fresh herbs. Toast your nuts and chop up (or leave as I did with the pignoli). Top with sauce (not quite as much as I used) and nuts. Enjoy immensely with a glass of your favorite wine.

The cheese flavor was very intense and decadent. But for an evening date with yourself, intense and decadent is called for, especially when the recipe is so easy.