Adapted from DamGoodSweet, by David Guas and Raquel Pelzel
A few notes to help you along:
- The original version of this recipe calls for microwave popcorn. I used Newman’s Own brand microwave popcorn in the “natural” flavor. However, I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t use stovetop or air-popped popcorn, if you’d like. You’ll need 10 cups of it, and you’ll probably want to salt it lightly, since almost all microwave popcorns have at least a little bit of added salt.
- Be sure to have a whisk and a rubber spatula close at hand. You’ll need them both on short notice.
- Before you begin cooking the caramel, measure out the baking soda and the vanilla, and chop the peanuts. You won’t have time to do it later.
- Do not try to make this recipe without a candy thermometer.
- If you plan to give this popcorn as a gift, know that it looks very handsome, and keeps nicely, in a Mason jar.
1 (3½-ounce) package plain (unbuttered natural flavor) microwave popcorn, or about 10 cups fresh popcorn popped by any method, lightly salted
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup lightly salted peanuts, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
If using microwave popcorn, pop the popcorn according to the package instructions. Coat a large mixing bowl with nonstick cooking spray, and dump the popcorn into the bowl, taking care to pick out and discard any unpopped kernels.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt, and 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to simmer, whisking often, until the mixture reads 250°F on a candy thermometer, about 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the baking soda and vanilla. Quickly pour the hot caramel over the popcorn. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the caramel into the popcorn, taking care to distribute it as evenly as you can. Stir in the peanuts, and transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, stirring and turning the popcorn with a spatula every 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, and place on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Gently break up the popcorn, and serve.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days (or thereabouts).
Yield: about 10 cups
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Buttermilk beignets
* ¾ cup whole milk
* 1 ½ cups buttermilk
* 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
* 2 ½ tablespoons sugar
* 3 ½ cups bread flour plus extra for flouring work surface
* ½ teaspoon baking soda
* ¼ teaspoon salt
* oil for frying
* Confectioners' sugar for serving, as much as you think you'll need—then double that!
Preparation
Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until small bubbles form at the surface. Remove from the heat, add the buttermilk, and then pour into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk in the yeast and the sugar and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed, using a dough hook, until the dry ingredients are moistened, 3 to 4 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough forms a loose ball and is still quite wet and tacky, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the dough aside in a draft-free spot for 1 hour.
Pour enough peanut oil into a large pot to fill it to a depth of 3 inches and bring to a temperature of 375°F over medium heat (this will take about 20 minutes). Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out on it. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, gently press to flatten, fold it in half, and gently tuck the ends under to create a rough-shaped round. Dust again and roll the dough out into an ~ 1/2 inch- to 1/3-inch-thick rectangle (~9x12 inch). Let the dough rest for 1 minute before using a chef's knife, a bench knife, or a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 1 ½-inch squares (you should get about 48).
Gently stretch a beignet lengthwise and carefully drop it into the oil. Add a few beignets (don't overcrowd them, otherwise the oil will cool down and the beignets will soak up oil and be greasy) and fry until puffed and golden brown, turning them often with a slotted spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain while you cook the rest. Serve while still warm, buried under a mound of confectioners' sugar, with hot coffee on the side.
Make ahead:
The beignet dough can be made up to 8 hours in advance of frying. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. After cutting the dough, place the beignets on the paper and place another greased sheet of parchment paper, sprayed-side down, on top. Wrap the entire baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The beignets can be fried straight from the refrigerator.
recipe from DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style by David Guas and Raquel Pelzel
* 1 ½ cups buttermilk
* 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
* 2 ½ tablespoons sugar
* 3 ½ cups bread flour plus extra for flouring work surface
* ½ teaspoon baking soda
* ¼ teaspoon salt
* oil for frying
* Confectioners' sugar for serving, as much as you think you'll need—then double that!
Preparation
Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until small bubbles form at the surface. Remove from the heat, add the buttermilk, and then pour into a stand mixer bowl. Whisk in the yeast and the sugar and set aside for 5 minutes. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix on low speed, using a dough hook, until the dry ingredients are moistened, 3 to 4 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the dough forms a loose ball and is still quite wet and tacky, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the dough aside in a draft-free spot for 1 hour.
Pour enough peanut oil into a large pot to fill it to a depth of 3 inches and bring to a temperature of 375°F over medium heat (this will take about 20 minutes). Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.
Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out on it. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, gently press to flatten, fold it in half, and gently tuck the ends under to create a rough-shaped round. Dust again and roll the dough out into an ~ 1/2 inch- to 1/3-inch-thick rectangle (~9x12 inch). Let the dough rest for 1 minute before using a chef's knife, a bench knife, or a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 1 ½-inch squares (you should get about 48).
Gently stretch a beignet lengthwise and carefully drop it into the oil. Add a few beignets (don't overcrowd them, otherwise the oil will cool down and the beignets will soak up oil and be greasy) and fry until puffed and golden brown, turning them often with a slotted spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain while you cook the rest. Serve while still warm, buried under a mound of confectioners' sugar, with hot coffee on the side.
Make ahead:
The beignet dough can be made up to 8 hours in advance of frying. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. After cutting the dough, place the beignets on the paper and place another greased sheet of parchment paper, sprayed-side down, on top. Wrap the entire baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The beignets can be fried straight from the refrigerator.
recipe from DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style by David Guas and Raquel Pelzel
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Vietnamese Spring Rolls
From "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone,"
by Deborah Madison (Broadway, 2000)
Ingredients
* 2 ounces cellophane rice noodles
* 1 carrot
* 1 cups mung bean sprouts, blanched briefly
* 2 cups napa cabbage, finely shredded
* 5 scallions, quartered lengthwise, then chopped
* 1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
* 1/3 cup mint, coarsely chopped
* 1/4 cup thinly sliced Thai or Italian basil
* 3 cloves garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* Salt
* 2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced
* Juice of 2 limes
* 12 large rice spring roll wrappers
* 12 Boston lettuce leaves
* Peanut dipping sauce (recipe follows)
Preparation
1. Soak the noodles in hot water to cover until soft and pliable, about 30 minutes. Drain, rinse, and cut into ~2 inch lengths with a knife or snip with scissors.
2. With a vegetable peeler, peel the carrot right down to the core, making long thin strips. Cut strips into ~2 inch lengths.
3. In a large bowl, combine noodles, carrots, bean sprouts, cabbage, scallions, herbs and sugar. Smash the garlic and the chilis in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt (or mince finely with a knife) into a paste. Whisk in lime juice and pour over vegetable mixture. Toss well so that dressing, vegetables and noodles are evenly distributed.
4. Fill a shallow bowl or pan large enough to fit rice wrappers with warm water, about an inch deep and spread a clean towel on the counter. Working with one paper at a time, slip it into the water and soak it about 10 seconds until it has softened a bit (may still be a bit stiff - don’t worry, it will soften more as it sits), then remove it and set it on the towel. Place a lettuce leaf on the lower third of the rice wrapper. Mound some of the vegetable mixture on top of the lettuce, roll the wrapper over the mixture once, fold over the sides, and then roll to the end, making a neat little package. Place finished roll on a platter lined with a clean, damp towel and repeat until all the vegetable mixture has been used. If you wish, the spring rolls may be cut in half on the diagonal and stood on end for presentation. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth if they are not to be served immediately.
YIELD
12 large rolls
PEANUT SWEET AND SOUR DIPPING SAUCE
Ingredients
* Juice of 3 limes
* 1/4 cup fish sauce
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper or sriracha (red chili paste)
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons grated carrots
Soak the red pepper or sriracha in the citrus juice for several minutes. Add the garlic, sugar, and fish sauce and stir to dissolve the sugar.
Transfer to a serving container, add the grated carrots and chopped peanuts, and serve at room temperature.
by Deborah Madison (Broadway, 2000)
Ingredients
* 2 ounces cellophane rice noodles
* 1 carrot
* 1 cups mung bean sprouts, blanched briefly
* 2 cups napa cabbage, finely shredded
* 5 scallions, quartered lengthwise, then chopped
* 1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
* 1/3 cup mint, coarsely chopped
* 1/4 cup thinly sliced Thai or Italian basil
* 3 cloves garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* Salt
* 2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced
* Juice of 2 limes
* 12 large rice spring roll wrappers
* 12 Boston lettuce leaves
* Peanut dipping sauce (recipe follows)
Preparation
1. Soak the noodles in hot water to cover until soft and pliable, about 30 minutes. Drain, rinse, and cut into ~2 inch lengths with a knife or snip with scissors.
2. With a vegetable peeler, peel the carrot right down to the core, making long thin strips. Cut strips into ~2 inch lengths.
3. In a large bowl, combine noodles, carrots, bean sprouts, cabbage, scallions, herbs and sugar. Smash the garlic and the chilis in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt (or mince finely with a knife) into a paste. Whisk in lime juice and pour over vegetable mixture. Toss well so that dressing, vegetables and noodles are evenly distributed.
4. Fill a shallow bowl or pan large enough to fit rice wrappers with warm water, about an inch deep and spread a clean towel on the counter. Working with one paper at a time, slip it into the water and soak it about 10 seconds until it has softened a bit (may still be a bit stiff - don’t worry, it will soften more as it sits), then remove it and set it on the towel. Place a lettuce leaf on the lower third of the rice wrapper. Mound some of the vegetable mixture on top of the lettuce, roll the wrapper over the mixture once, fold over the sides, and then roll to the end, making a neat little package. Place finished roll on a platter lined with a clean, damp towel and repeat until all the vegetable mixture has been used. If you wish, the spring rolls may be cut in half on the diagonal and stood on end for presentation. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth if they are not to be served immediately.
YIELD
12 large rolls
PEANUT SWEET AND SOUR DIPPING SAUCE
Ingredients
* Juice of 3 limes
* 1/4 cup fish sauce
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper or sriracha (red chili paste)
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons grated carrots
Soak the red pepper or sriracha in the citrus juice for several minutes. Add the garlic, sugar, and fish sauce and stir to dissolve the sugar.
Transfer to a serving container, add the grated carrots and chopped peanuts, and serve at room temperature.
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