AwesomeBites

Rocky Road Brownies: You can use a box of brownie mix!

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan.
(personally, I like to line the pan with Parchment for easy of removal and spray the paper.)
Melt the chocolate and butter in a large stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Next, whisk in the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, stir in the flour and salt.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the brownies with the chocolate chips, miniature marshmallows and chopped nuts. Return the brownies to the oven and bake for about 5 minutes, or just until the marshmallows start to melt. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Makes 16 brownies.

Sources:
Lebovitz, David. The Great Book of Chocolate. Ten Speed Press. Berkeley: 2004.
http://www.dreyersinc.com/about/WebHistory.pdf

Rocky Road Brownies:
4 ounces (120 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

If you are in a hurry, start with a box of brownie mix! Bake as directed, then add the Rocky Road!
Make your brownies as you like them, fudgy or cake like – typically less egg the more fudgy you want.

Topping:
1/2 cup (85 grams) semi sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 cup (250 ml) miniature marshmallows (store bought or home made)
1/2 cup (50 grams) chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, and/or pistachios)

HUCKLEBERRY JAM from Saving the Season blog.

1/2 pound wild huckleberries

1 cup sugar.

1 pick over the berries and heat in a small pot with a few drops of water.

2 mash them well with a fork, then add sugar.

3 bring to a boil and reduce for about 5 minutes until a jell set is achieved. (They’ll set up nicely.) Ladle into jars, seal and process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.

YIELD
1/2 pound huckleberries yielded 1/2 pint
2 x 4 oz

SMOOTH PEAR JAM WITH HONEY AND VANILLA

2.5 pounds ripe bartlett pears, peeled, cored and chunked

2 heaping cups (1 pound) granulated sugar

1 cup honey

juice of 1 lemon

1 vanilla bean, split

Optional 1/2 tsp cardamon powder

1 as you peel and prepare the pears, toss them in a bowl with juice of 1/2 lemon to prevent browning. Once they’re all cut up, heat them with the lemon juice in a pot over low flame and simmer for 10 minutes until quite soft.

2 puree the pears by passing them through a food mill.

3 return puree to the pot and add sugar, honey and vanilla. Bring to a boil and reduce for about 10 minutes until thickened.

4 the preserve will be ready when it sheets off the back of a cold spoon, or when a drop of it mounds on a cold plate. In the pot it will have the consistency of apple sauce. At this point, squeeze in the juice of the other lemon half, stir and return to a boil for 1 minute. Remove vanilla bean, ladle into half-pint jars and seal. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

YIELD
2.5 pounds of fruit yielded 1.5 pints
1 x 8 oz
4 x 4 oz

Place the Clementines in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then simmer the Clementines for about two hours. Drain and let the oranges cool completely.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter and line a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Once the Clementines are completely cooled, slice in half, and remove any seeds. Place the Clementine halves (skins and all) in your food processor, along with the eggs, and process until thoroughly blended. Add the vanilla extract and process until incorporated. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugar, baking powder, salt and ground almonds. Add the orange mixture to the almond mixture and whisk or stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (you may want to cover the cake with aluminum foil about halfway through baking to prevent over browning). Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once it has completely cooled, remove the sides of the springform pan.

This cake is best after it has been allowed to sit for a few days. Serve with a dollop of softly whipped cream.

Makes one – 9 inch torte.

Sources:

Alexander, Stephanie. The Cook’s Companion. Penguin Group. Australia. 2004.

Lawson, Nigella. How to Eat. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. London: 2000.

Clementine Torte:

1 pound (454 grams) Clementines (4 to 6 depending on size)

6 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 3/4 cups (250 grams) almond meal or ground almonds

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/ClementineTorte.html#ixzz0mvPIB9iy

The term flour was once spelled ‘flower’. The milled flour we buy and use today was once ground using a mortar and pestle. Milling of different grains dates back to prehistoric times and through the ages automation of the milling process was perfected.
Most people think of flour in terms of “wheat” flour. When in fact flour can be ground from a variety of nuts and seeds. Some types of flours available are: barley, buckwheat, chickpea, corn, oats, potato, rice, rye, soy, wheat, and vegetables.

A Peach Tart is the perfect combination of buttery crisp pastry and sweet juicy peaches. This is a great way to celebrate peaches at their prime, as it simply places wedges, lightly salted and sweetened with sugar, on a platform of pastry. The peaches are not peeled for this rustic European dessert, so we get to appreciate the peach’s soft and velvety skin as well as its summery sweet yet tangy flesh. This tart looks lovely when pulled from the oven, with its pastry all brown and crisp, and the peaches all soft and sweet, with lightly caramelized edges. Excellent served warm with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers.

The pastry used for this peach tart is Pate Brisee, pronounced ‘paht bree-ZAY’ which is a French short crust pastry dough made from a mixture of flour, a little sugar, salt, butter, and ice water. It has a high ratio of fat to flour which gives the pastry its crisp and crumbly texture and buttery flavor. It is the perfect backdrop for fresh fruit at its prime. Since this peach tart is best served within an hour after it is baked, planning is needed. On the morning of the day I will be serving this tart, I like to make the pastry, chill it, and roll it into a large square. I then place the square of pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet and return it to the refrigerator. Since it takes anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes for this tart to bake, a couple of hours before I want to serve this peach tart, I cut the peaches into slices, adding both salt (to bring out and heighten the peach’s flavor) and sugar (to sweeten the peaches), and arrange them on the pastry. It looks wonderful when pulled from the oven. The pastry has become brown and crisp, and the peaches have released their juices and become soft with slightly caramelized edges. While at its best served within a few hours of baking, leftovers can be covered and refrigerated overnight. Just reheat before serving.
Peaches are the focus of this tart, so we need to talk about this lovely fruit. There are two types of peaches, ‘Clingstone’ and ‘Freestone’, with many varieties within each classification. The names (Clingstone and Freestone) refer to how easily the flesh of the peach separates from its stone. The Clingstone (available in late spring/early summer), is exactly that, the flesh clings stubbornly to the central stone or pit. Freestones (available late summer) have a flesh that is easily separated from the stone. For this tart I prefer the Freestone variety (either white or yellow flesh), which makes cutting the peach into slices very easy. I do not peel the peaches as I think the skin looks nice and adds both texture and flavor. What is important is that the peach be of high quality. When buying peaches, smell and feel each peach. The peaches should smell of peaches and feel firm, yet have a slight give when you press gently on its shoulders. Make sure there are no bruises, cuts, or soft patches on the peaches. To read more on peaches click here. Another great peach recipe to try is a Peach Cobbler (recipe here).

Short Crust Pastry: In a food processor, place the flour, salt, and sugar and process until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal (about 15 seconds). Pour 1/8 cup (30 ml) water in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube until the pastry just holds together when pinched. Add remaining water, if necessary. Do not process more than about 30 seconds.

Turn the pastry out onto your work surface, gather it into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour to chill the butter and allow the gluten in the flour to relax.

Once the pastry has chilled, remove from refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 14 inch (35 cm) square. To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards to get uniform thickness). Transfer the pastry to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover and place in the refrigerator while you slice the peaches.

Peach Filling: Wash and rub the peaches to remove any fuzz. Cut the peach following the suture from stem to blossom end and then up the opposite side. Gently twist the two halves of the peach and it should easily separate. Remove the seed and cut into 3/4 – 1 inch (2.5 cm) slices. You will need about 4 cups (1 pound) (454 grams) of sliced peaches. Place the peach slices in a large bowl and season with a pinch of salt. Then add about 3 to 4 tablespoons (30 – 40 grams) of granulated white sugar, or to taste. Arrange peach slices randomly on the pastry, leaving about a two inch (5 cm) wide border. Scrape any remaining sugar from the bowl and sprinkle over the peaches. Gently fold the edges of the pastry up and over the peaches, pleating as necessary. Make sure to seal any cracks in the pastry.

Bake the tart in a preheated 425 degree F (218 degree C) oven for about 35-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Reduce heat by 25 degrees (4 degree C) if the pastry starts to burn. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Best served warm, within an hour of baking, with vanilla ice cream.

Makes one – 12 inch (30 cm) tart.

Sources:

Rodgers, Judy. The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. W.W. Norton & Company. New York: 2002.

Waters, Alice. Chez Panisse Fruit. Harper Collins Publishers. New York: 2002.

Short Crust Pastry:

1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) salt

1 tablespoon (14 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) (113 grams) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.54 cm) pieces

1/8 to 1/4 cup (30 – 60 ml) ice water

Peach Filling:

about 1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) fresh ripe peaches

2-3 tablespoons (30-40 grams) granulated white sugar

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PeachTart.html#ixzz0mvSQUHeT

For me, Peanut Brittle is a tie to the past; an old fashioned candy that appeared in our house only during the Christmas season. It came in a small cardboard box wrapped in cellophane that I couldn’t wait to open. I loved how hard and brittle it was to the touch, yet how it dissolved so easily on the tongue, leaving only the peanuts to chew on.

Brittles have a sweet and buttery flavor with a hard and crunchy texture. They use the most basic of ingredients (sugar, corn syrup, and peanuts), and the basic formula is equal volumes of sugar and nuts, with the volume of corn syrup half that of the granulated white sugar. What’s important to know is that the corn syrup controls the grain of the brittle so adding too little and you have a grainy textured brittle, while adding too much will result in a stringy and sticky brittle. The salt is added mainly for flavor.
To start, the water, corn syrup, granulated white sugar, raw peanuts, and salt are brought to a boil. Because the peanuts are raw they are added at the beginning so they have time to cook and impart a nice peanut flavor to the sugar mixture. Some recipes call for adding roasted peanuts and if you want to do this, simply add the peanuts, not at the beginning, but rather when the syrup reaches 245 degrees F (118 degrees C). Brittles are cooked to a very high temperature, the ‘hard crack’ stage (295 degrees F, 147 degrees C). You will need to stir the sugar mixture occasionally to prevent the peanuts from sticking, and thereby scorching, to the bottom of the pan. When the brittle reaches the desired temperature, remove from heat, and carefully add the baking soda, vanilla extract, and butter. The brittle will immediately puff up but just keep stirring for about 30 seconds. The reason baking soda is added is that it aids in browning and gives the brittle a lighter and crunchier texture. Butter and vanilla are added for flavor. The brittle is then poured onto a cookie sheet and if you want a thin brittle, then while the brittle is still very hot, use clean gloved hands to stretch the brittle to how thin you want it. Do this by gently pulling the edges of the brittle, working your way around the entire mass. Let the brittle completely cool and then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container or a plastic freezer bag as this will prevent the brittle from becoming sticky and breaking down. Store at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Peanut Brittle: Lightly butter two cookie sheets. Set aside.

In a small cup, place the baking soda, vanilla extract, and butter (with the butter on top). Set aside.

In a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat, bring the water, corn syrup, sugar, salt, and peanuts to a boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cover the pan with a lid for about one minute to allow the sides of the pan to wash themselves down and dissolve any sugar crystals. Remove lid after one minute. Then clamp a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, making sure it does not touch the bottom of the pan and, stirring occasionally to prevent the peanuts from sticking to the bottom of the pan, cook until the candy thermometer reaches 296 degrees F (147 degrees C).

Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda, vanilla extract, and butter (the brittle will puff up) stirring for about 30 seconds. Immediately pour half the brittle onto each of the two buttered cookie sheets. If you want a thin brittle, then while the brittle is still very hot, use gloved hands to stretch the brittle until you get the brittle to how thin you want it. Do this by gently pulling the edges of the brittle, working your way around the entire mass. Let the brittle completely cool and then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container or a plastic freezer bag as this will prevent the brittle from becoming sticky and breaking down. Store at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Makes about 2 pounds.

Sources:

Bloom, Carole. ‘Truffles, Candies, & Confections’. The Crossing Press. Freedom, California: 1992.

Gourley, Robbin. Sugar Pie & Jelly Roll. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill: 2000.

Jones, David. Candy Making for Dummies. Wiley Publishing, Inc. New Jersey: 2005.

Peanut Brittle
1 tablespoon baking soda

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter

1/2 cup (120 ml) water

1 cup (240 ml) light corn syrup

2 cups (400 grams) white granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups (240 grams) raw peanuts

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/candy/PeanutBrittle.html#ixzz0mvSrssi6

Olive oil
Walnut oil – I use over salads and vegetables and in cookies and cakes.
Sesame Seed Oil
Real Butter

Garlic confit
Red Onion Marmalade
Horseradish – Beavers

Cinnamon Plum Jelly
Grapefruit Pomegranate Jelly – 2010 Ventura County Fair 1st Place Winner!
Pear Cardamom Butter
Triple Citrus Marmalade

Veal & Chicken Stock DemiGlaze

Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Gueyerre Cheese

We are here for a business meeting with colleagues from other Executive Recruiting businesses. We came out a day early to do a little sight seeing.