Parmesan-Herb Popovers

I finally made it to chapter 3--Quick Breads! I really enjoyed baking the layered pastries in chapter 2, but I am excited for the more instant gratification that quick breads have to offer. The first recipe was popovers-a recipe that I had never tried before. Popovers are a culinary slight of hand--a few simple ingredients create an impressive amount of height. This version included an addition of Parmesan and fresh thyme for a little extra flavor. To start, I preheated a muffin pan in a 450-degree oven for fifteen minutes while I prepared the batter. Next, I mixed the dry ingredients in one bowl (flour and salt) and the wet ingredients in another (eggs, milk, melted butter). After thoroughly blending the wet and dry ingredients I added in the cheese and herbs. I poured the batter into the hot muffin tins, rather than the usual popover pans. While the popovers didn’t rise as high as in a popover pan, they still puffed up a considerable amount. Overall, the popovers weren't as tasty as I hoped for--they had a very eggy flavor with a moist texture. I did like the crispy exterior, but that was not enough to convince me to make this recipe again anytime soon.

Coming soon: Easy Morning Muffins with Blueberries

Moroccan-Spiced Sweet Potato Tiropetes

Tiropetes are small triangles of phyllo dough stuffed with a savory filling. This recipe began by baking the sweet potato that formed the base for the filling. While the potato baked, I created the Moroccan spice blend by toasting fennel, cumin, coriander, and black peppercorns in a skillet. Once the spices had warmed, I added them to the grinder with paprika, ground ginger, and cayenne, and ground them to a fine powder. I sautéed a chopped onion and two cloves of garlic and added them to the cooled, peeled sweet potato. I mashed the onions, garlic, and sweet potato and added 1-½ teaspoons of the Moroccan spices, and a tablespoon of fresh cilantro. Now I was ready to create the tiropetes! I layered three sheets of phyllo dough (with butter between each layer) on my work surface and cut the dough into four equal strips. At the bottom of each strip, I placed a tablespoon of the potato mixture. Starting at the bottom right hand corner, I folded the tiropetes like I was folding a flag—creating a neatly wrapped triangle. I brushed the triangle with butter and continued the process until I had used all of the filling. The tiropetes baked in a 375-degree oven for 20 minutes. The Moroccan spice blend filled the house with an intense earthy, smoky aroma. I really liked the way the crispy, flaky phyllo dough contrasted with the creamy sweet potato filling. I think this would make a great appetizer and I froze half the batch to save for another time.

Up next: Chapter 3! Parmesan-Herb Popovers

Roasted Apple Strudel with Cranberries and Raisins

Traditional strudel dough is hard to master at home, so Mushett offers a recipe using a close substitute—phyllo dough. To start, I created the apple filling (a mix of apple slices, lemon juice, whiskey, cinnamon, and reconstituted raisins and dried cranberries). The filling baked in a 375-degree oven for 20 minutes to soften the fruit. While the fruit was in the oven, I diced walnuts and mixed them with sugar and cinnamon to create the filling that would go in between the phyllo layers. Next, I placed a sheet of phyllo on the counter and brushed it with butter, and then layered another sheet of phyllo on half of the sheet below to create a large rectangle. I sprinkled 1/3 of the walnut mixture on top and placed two more sheets of phyllo down. I repeated this process twice more, using a total of 5 layers of phyllo. I spooned the fruit mixture down the middle of the dough and carefully rolled the phyllo up into a long log. After scoring the top of the strudel, I baked it for 30 minutes. I think that I overstuffed the strudel, because when I took it out of the oven, it had split in several places (lesson learned for next time). Despite its ragged appearance, I have to say that the strudel tasted delicious and reminded me of the flavors of fall. The tart cranberries were a nice contrast to the sweet apples, and the flaky phyllo provided a nice contrast in texture. I look forward to trying this recipe again, but modifying the amount if filling I use.

Next: Moroccan-Spiced Sweet Potato Tiropetes

Classic Baklava with Pistachios and Cardamom

However you say it, Baklava is delicious! Before making this recipe I had never tried this Greek pastry, so I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or not. Baklava is made with flaky phyllo dough, layered with a mix of pistachios and spices. I did some research on the best frozen phyllo dough and decided to track down the Athena brand (I finally found it at the East Village Albertsons). The phyllo defrosted in the fridge overnight before I started to assemble the Baklava. While the phyllo came to room temperature, I made the nut mix by blending pistachios, sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom in the food processor. To start the Baklava, I brushed a thin layer of butter in the bottom of my 9x13" pan and placed the first sheet of phyllo on top. I brushed the phyllo with melted butter and topped with another sheet of phyllo--repeating this until I had a stack of 10 sheets. I sprinkled half of the nut mixture on top and then proceeded to layer/butter another 10 sheets of phyllo, repeating the process until I had forty sheets of phyllo dough and three layers of the nut mixture. I let the Baklava chill in the freezer for 30 minutes while the oven preheated to 350 degrees. I scored the Baklava into 2" diamonds and baked for 40 minutes. When the Baklava came out of the oven, I topped it with orange blossom water infused simple syrup and let it cool overnight. The finished Baklava was flaky, crispy, chewy, and very flavorful. Overall, I really enjoyed the flavors, but it was a little too sweet for me (lucky for me, Ryan seemed to enjoy it and had no problem finishing it!).

On deck: Roasted Apple Strudel with Cranberries and Raisins

Savory Jalousie with Sauteed Wild Mushrooms

I can't say enough about this recipe! It is DELICIOUS! A jalousie is a rectangular piece of puff pastry stuffed with a fruit filling. This version was savory rather than sweet and it was filled with a decadent wild mushroom stuffing. I had saved a portion of the quick puff pastry I had made the day before, so the first thing I had to do was prepare the mushroom filling. I was so excited for this recipe because I purchased a delicious mix of wild mushrooms from the farmers market. I quickly sautéed the wild mushrooms with olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper. I then added minced garlic, chives, fresh thyme, Italian parsley, and fresh cream. Once the mixture simmered and thickened, I let it cool while I rolled out a large rectangle. Next, I divided the rectangle in half lengthwise to create two ling, skinny rectangles. I placed one of the rectangles on the pan and topped it with the cooled mushroom mixture. I folded the other rectangle in half and cut slits one inch apart across the entire length of the dough to create slats that would allow the filling to show through. I topped the mushrooms with the slatted dough, crimped the edges, and glazed the jalousie with an egg wash. The pastry baked for 27 minutes in a 400-degree oven, filling the entire house with a rich, earthy aroma. I forced myself to wait ten minutes before I sliced into the jalousie. The puff pastry was buttery, flaky, and the perfect accompaniment to the earthiness of the wild mushrooms. It was so delicious that I had to go back for seconds and I think it just might be the best tasting recipe I've made so far...

Next: Classic Baklava with Pistachios and Cardamom

Pithivier with Apricots

Before this book, I had never heard of a pithivier. I learned that this classic French pastry consists of almond filling in between two rounds of puff pastry (with this version featuring tart apricots). To start this recipe, I made a fresh batch of quick puff pastry and I'm so glad I did. I added an extra turn and the final pastry came out incredibly flaky. After letting the puff pastry chill overnight, I rolled it out into a large rectangle and cut out two circles. I slathered on a layer of the almond filling and topped it with the apricots. I placed the top round of puff pastry over the filling and sealed everything with a decorative boarder. A quick egg wash decorative design, and steam vent completed the pithivier. The pastry baked for 32 minutes in a 400-degree oven. I was shocked by how much the pasty puffed up--it looked gorgeous and it made me confident that I had nailed the quick puff pastry recipe. The pithivier was fun to make, although next time I will substitute a different fruit since I didn't care for the apricots.

On deck: Savory Jalousie with Sautéed Wild Mushrooms

Napoleons

Napoleons are my all-time favorite pastry. For as long as I remember I’ve loved the combination of flaky pastry and creamy custard. I knew they were hard work, but I had no idea how involved this recipe would become—I had to make the puff pastry, poured fondant, and vanilla pastry cream. Being the Napoleon connoisseur that I am, I chose to use Mushet’s quick puff pastry recipe and combine it with the poured fondant and pastry cream recipe from Levy Beranbaum's Pie and Pastry Bible (having tried it before with delicious results). The poured fondant required 24 hours, so I started with that first. I combined sugar, water, and corny syrup in a saucepan and heated it to 238 degrees then poured it into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. After cooling the mixture to 140 degrees, I processed it for 3 minutes until the mixture turned a cloudy, creamy consistency. I then poured the fondant into a plastic-lined measuring cup to solidify overnight. The next day, I rolled out the quick puff pastry into a 10x16” rectangle and cut that into sixteen equal rectangles that would form the layers for the Napoleons. After pricking the pastry with a fork and topping them with sugar, they chilled for 30 minutes before baking in a 375-degree oven for 23 minutes. The next step was to cook the vanilla pastry cream—a combination of half & half, sugar, eggs, vanilla, butter, and cornstarch. Once the pastry cream was complete, it chilled in the fridge for four hours. With the pastry cream and puff pastry cooled, it was time to reheat the poured fondant to create the top payer of the Napoleon. I poured the liquefied fondant over 6 pieces of the puff pasty and created the traditional pattern on top with lines of melted dark chocolate pulled with a fork. Finally! Time to assemble the Napoleons! I layered pastry cream onto the puff pastry, added more pastry cream, and topped with a fondant-covered piece of puff pastry. Ahh, victory was mine! The finished Napoleons chilled for an hour before I devoured one. The Napoleon was buttery, flaky, creamy, and exactly what I remembered but better. I am already craving more….

Next: Apricot Pithiviers