The Peaceable Kingdom

I have seen many bakewell tart recipes before, but somehow I have never made one myself.  All the bakewell tarts seem so good, looking really substantially satisfying.  This month I had a perfect excuse to make one to fulfill my Daring Bakers challenge.

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

Bakewell Tart…er…pudding

Recipe origins: Traditional (UK)
Inspirations and References: Allan Davidson, Tamasin Day Lewis, Anton Edelmann, Jane Grigson, Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver
Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks (I used 6 Tbsp. cold water)
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

My notes: For a better result, grate the butter before freezing it.  The pie crust can be frozen for 15 minutes before baking.

Frangipane

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs (I used three Ener-G 'eggs')
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

The Bakewell Tart is super easy to veganize, and it tastes, boy really great (I eagerly cut one piece off after cooling for only 5 minutes).  The frangipane is cake-like.  I used apricot jam which added a tangy flavor to balance the sweet almond flavor.  If you don't like almond extract much, you can omit it.

For more gorgeous bakewell tarts, check out the Daring Bakers blogroll.

We are huge dumpling/potsticker lovers.  You can eat dumplings/potstickers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  So when our June host Jen from use real butter chose this challenge, I was super excited.  I have always been fond of making Chinese dumplings/potstickers from scratch, but sadly I don't make them often enough.  This time I got my perfect excuse.

Jen from use real butter is our host for the Daring Cooks June 2009 challenge.  It's a basic concept: a filling inside a dough wrapper, sealed, and cooked.  This delicious theme runs through many cultures and is among the more popular bites at Chinese restaurants - especially dim sum.  The recipe she provided is based on her family recipe.  There is a lot of room for exploration and creativity.

Chinese Dumplings/Potstickers

dough: (double this for the amount of filling, but easier to make it in 2 batches - or just halve the filling recipe)
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (113g) warm water
flour for worksurface

dipping sauce:
2 parts soy sauce
1 part vinegar (red wine or black)
a few drops of sesame oil
chili garlic paste (optional)
minced ginger (optional)
minced garlic (optional)
minced green onion (optional)
sugar (optional)

Combine all filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly by hand.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (up to a day, but preferably within an hour or two).

Make the dough, Method 1: Place the flour in the work bowl of a food processor with the dough blade.  Run the processor and pour the warm water in until incorporated.  Pour the contents into a sturdy bowl or onto a work surface and knead until uniform and smooth.  The dough should be firm and silky to the touch and not sticky.  [Note: it’s better to have a moist dough and have to incorporate more flour than to have a dry and pilling dough and have to incorporate more water.]

Make the dough, Method 2 (Jen's mom’s instructions): In a large bowl mix flour with 1/4 cup of water and stir until water is absorbed.  Continue adding water one teaspoon at a time and mixing thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.  We want a firm dough that is barely sticky to the touch.  [My note: I used a little more water than the 1/2 cup listed in the recipe.  The dough is not supposed to be soft, but not too stiff either.  Use your own judgement and you might have to just trust your instinct and see what happens.]

Both dough methods: Knead the dough about twenty strokes then cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes.  Take the dough and form a flattened dome.  Cut into strips about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide.  Shape the strips into rounded long cylinders.  On a floured surface, cut the strips into 3/4 inch pieces.  Press palm down on each piece to form a flat circle (you can shape the corners in with your fingers).  With a rolling pin, roll out a circular wrapper from each flat disc.  Take care not to roll out too thin or the dumplings will break during cooking - about 1/16th inch.  Leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges.  Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of each wrapper and fold the dough in half, pleating the edges along one side (see images in Jen's post for how to fold pleats).  Keep all unused dough under damp cloth.

To boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add dumplings to pot.  Boil the dumplings until they float.

To steam: Place dumplings on a single layer of napa cabbage leaves or on a well-greased surface in a steamer basket with lid. Steam covered for about 6 minutes.

To pan fry (potstickers): Place dumplings in a frying pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat on high and fry for a few minutes until bottoms are golden. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook until the water has boiled away and then uncover and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Let the dumplings cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

To freeze: Assemble dumplings on a baking sheet so they are not touching. It helps to rub the base of the dumpling in a little flour before setting on the baking sheet for ease of release. Freeze for 20-30 minutes until dumplings are no longer soft. Place in ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of months. Prepare per the above instructions, but allow extra time to ensure the filling is thoroughly cooked.

To serve: Serve dumplings or potstickers hot with your choice of dipping sauce combinations.

I made dumplings in the soup, deep-fried dumplings, and the traditional potstickers.

My Filling (for 14-16 dumplings):

1 recipe Tofu Ricotta (PPK)
1 medium-size eggplant, peeled and sliced across to 1/4-inch pieces
1 zucchini, sliced to 1/4-inch pieces
1 large portobello mushroom, sliced
15 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 large tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup freeze-dried chives
1/2 tsp. red curry paste
1 tsp. black bean chili sauce
A dash of Hungarian paprika
3 water-packed baby artichokes, well drained and squeezed dry, roughly chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
20 capers, drained and finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Deep all vegetables from eggplant to tomatoes (one type of vegetable at one time).  When done, dry on paper towel very well.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mash deep-fried vegetables, tofu ricotta, all spices, and everything else together until creamy and well-combined.

Seaweed Soup:

10 cups water
1 cup dried konbu
3 large cabbage leaves
1/2 cup fresh scallions, sliced
2 Tbsp. white miso
Salt and pepper to taste

Put everything in a large pot and cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes before adding the boiled dumplings.

Verdict: Once you get the hang of making your own wrappers, you can make your dumplings in no time.  It's a fun way of eating and certainly a one-pot-meal.  Regarding the pleating part, I thoroughly had fun.  It may seem difficult at first, but if you are patient enough to try a couple more times, you will get the hang of it pretty quickly.  It's really not so hard.

For more dumpling/potsticker variations, check out the Daring Cooks blogroll.

This is a wonderfully delicious pasta dish made with fried vegetables and seasoned with only salt.  Simplicity is beauty itself in this case.

I finally made this heavenly vanilla yogurt pound cake from Veganomicon because I found soy yogurt in the local store.  Moist and rich, this pound cake will send fat straight to your waistline if you don't stop eating it soon enough.

I was able to get us Teese and then I put plenty of it on this pizza with the classic mushroom marinara sauce.

Teese melts well, and has a rather mild flavor that blends well with the sauce, but don't try to eat it directly out of the package.  Other soy cheeses will taste better if consumed directly.  For the pizza topping, I will definitely use Teese.

I just received this book from Amazon.  I can't wait to try some of the recipes from this book.  But I seem to have lost the Force once again in the kitchen...  waiting eagerly for the abundant creative energy to come back to me.

I love strudels, sweet and savory.  There is something really fine about the dough and the combination of nuts and sweets and whatever filling you can come up with.  I used to use phyllo dough as a shortcut, but this time I got to make my own strudel dough from scratch.  How lucky for me to be able to expand my skills a little more!  The strudel dough is naturally vegan, so I did not even have to think about subbing anything.

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

For this challenge, I was bold enough to make a savory version (Spinach, Artichoke and Potato Strudel) as well as a sweet version (the classic Apple Strudel).  I had a lot of fun with the dough, rolling and hand-stretching.  The delicate dough is not so hard to work with as long as you remain patient and give the dough enough time to rest before rolling and stretching.  The ideal dough should be paper thin and you should be able to read newspaper underneath.

Preparation time
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes – 3 hours 30 minutes

15-20 min to make dough
30-90 min to let dough rest/to prepare the filling
20-30 min to roll out and stretch dough
10 min to fill and roll dough
30 min to bake
30 min to cool

Apple strudel
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided (I used Earth Balance)
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
strudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.

3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.

4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.

5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

Tips
- I did not make a double batch like our kind hosts suggested, but I did make a second batch later on.  The first time might be a bit trying or scary; but, letting the dough rest at least 2 hours does all of the work for you.  When the dough is ready, you will not find the dough pulling back at all while you roll out.
- I used parchment paper instead of table cloth (since I don't have any) with great success.
- Before pulling and stretching the dough, remove your jewelry from hands and wrists, and wear short-sleeves.
- To make it easier to pull the dough, you need to use your whole body.  And, the best way is to involve your spouse.
- Few small holes in the dough is not a problem as the dough will be rolled, making (most of) the holes invisible.  Even rather big ones can be ignored as the dough will be rolled around and around the filling.
- Cooling for 30 minutes before cutting is critical, if you can stand it.

Spinach, Artichoke and Potato Filling (For the Savory Version)

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 10 oz. bag of spinach, chopped
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 red-skinned potatoes, baked and mashed
2 Tbsp. Earth Balance butter
1 15 oz. can water-packed artichokes, well drained and chopped
1 roasted red bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 tsp. red curry paste
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
4 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute onion and garlic over medium heat for 6-7 minutes until onion gets translucent.
2. Add spinach by batches and cook just until spinach wilts.
3. Add oregano and mix well.  Remove from heat.
4. Add all the other ingredients into the pan and thoroughly mix.  Set aside.

5. Add the filling and roll the dough just as the apple strudel.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Verdict:  This challenge definitely increased my confidence in making future strudels from scratch.  In fact, I will probably never use phyllo dough again just for the convenience.  The strudel dough is really easy to make once I have made it a couple of times, and it is far from being finicky like the phyllo dough sometimes.

To see more delicious strudels, check out the Daring Bakers blogroll.

It's been more almost two months since I last participated in Souper Sundays.  This is totally not what I intended.  I haven't been blogging much in the past month because of the moving and stuff.  But here's the wonderful news: Souper Sundays now are opened up to soups, salads, and sandwiches.  So people like me who can't make a soup as often as we would like to can submit a salad or sandwich-themed entry instead.

This time I made a very earthy porcini mushroom soup.  This soup totally highlights the earthy and flavorful quality of dried porcini mushrooms.  The recipe is by Heidi of 101 Cookbooks.  I only added 1/2 cup of white jasmine rice for some extra texture and filler.  It's a total comfort food for people who don't have too much time to prepare an elaborate meal but still desire a delish treat on a busy day.

I am submitting this soup to Souper Sundays, an excellent event started and hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.  If you are interested in sharing your soup/salad/sandwich recipes with other foodies and home cooks, please see here for more details.

I felt like I hadn't made any bread in a long while, probably because I'm still trying to get used to the new environment.  I'm really slow in warming up to a new house somehow.  But interestingly, hubby and I are cooking more together in the new kitchen.  Maybe we will produce something exciting together.  We are starting a little garden project on our deck so I'm really looking forward to documenting our first garden soon.

Sadly, I wasn't able to make the injera for April's challenge because we were moving.  May's challenge is the PANE DI PASTA TENERA CONDITA or the Italian Knot Bread.  This Italian bread is not a crusty country bread we love so much, but its moist and soft crumbs really hit the spot for us vegan butter hounds.  The only big challenge is to promise myself that I will make only half the recipe (but I still ended up with 14 knots).  Otherwise our waistlines will increase another couple of inches overnight.  For making the dough and shaping the knots, I got very helpful pointers from Cookie Baker Lynn and Ilva of Lucullian Delights ~ An Italian Experience.  Head over to their blogs if you are interested in making these cute knots yourself.

Biga:

500 g / 1.1 lb normal bread flour
5 g / 0.17 oz fresh yeast, 1/4 tsp dry instant yeast, or 1 tsp active dry yeast
240 ml / 1 cup water

- Dissolve the yeast in a little water and quickly work the dough together.
- Put it in a container, cover it with a half closed lid or kitchen towel and leave it for 15-24 hrs.

Bread:

1 kg / 2.2 lb. flour (type 00)
60 g / 2.1 oz lard (or shortening) [I used vegan shortening.]
30 g fresh yeast , or 2 Tbsp active dry yeast
450-550 ml / 1.9-2.3 cups water, handwarm
25 g salt (about 2 Tbsp)
50 g/ 1.7 oz extra-virgin olive oil
25 g / .88 oz honey [I used agave nectar.]
500 g / l.l lb. biga

- Put the flour either in a big bowl or on a baking board, add the lard (or shortening) and mix it with your fingers until it has 'crumbled' and is completely mixed with the flour.
- Dissolve the yeast in little tepid water and add it to the flour. Mix as well as you can.
- Mix salt, olive oil and honey with the handwarm water and add it to the flour. Now work it it until it holds together and then add the biga.
- Work the dough until it is smooth and doesn't stick.
- Put it into a big bowl, cover it with plastic film and leave to rise until it has doubled.
- Now take up the dough and divide it into 12 equal parts and roll them it into long strands (about 30-35 cm).

- To make the knots: (Ilva's page has pictures of this)
1- Roll out the dough into snakes and lay them out on a flat surface.
2- Make a semi-circle with the dough strands.
3- Twist the two ends together like in the photo.
4- Bring the two ends towards the upper part of the circle.
5- Lift/fold the top part over the twisted part.
6- Take the two end and join them together under the actual knot, this will make the knot part come out more and it hides the ends.

- Put the knots on baking sheets and leave to rise (covered) until they have doubled in size.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven (200°C/390°F) for 25-35 minutes until golden brown.

These knots are excellent for using up a lot of butter in your fridge.  You can also slice them open and make them into burgers.  We treated our friends to some of these knots and everybody loved them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PANE DI PASTA TENERA CONDITA is being served up as the Bread Baking Babes challenge of the month.  May's challenge is hosted by Ilva of "Lucullian Delights ~ An Italian Experience", May’s kitchen of the month.  If you also want to become a bread baking buddy and earn a badge, you have until May 30th to bake this bread and submit it to Ilva.  Check out further details on becoming a buddy on My Kitchen in Half Cups.

I have many photos in the computer and on the phone but I still haven't found the time or inclination to sort them out, because I am still trying to feel more settled in the new house in Vermont.  Hopefully I will be doing more cooking and baking soon.  We eat pasta every day now, since pasta is such a satisfying thing to eat and quick to make if you have tons of fresh vegetables and lots of herbs and other condiments.  You can easily come up with a new variation any day.

This is a very easy pasta dish to put together.  First, saute/pan-fry some 7-8 cloves of garlic till golden brown.  (In the meantime, boil water and cook enough whole wheat shells for two people.)  In the pan, add chopped broccoli, asparagus, and a little cauliflower and continue cooking for 5 minutes.  Then add a good splash of soy milk and put the lid on.  Steam-fry the vegetables for 5 more minutes.  When done, turn off the heat, and add some chopped water-packed artichokes, basil pesto, dried parsley, paprika, black pepper, nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes and mix well.  When the pasta is cooked and drained, mix the veggie sauce with pasta really well.  Salt to taste.  Serve and enjoy!

I am sending this pasta dish to Presto Pasta Nights, a great event started by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast.  This week's host will be Kitchenetta of Got No Milk.