Monthly Archives: March 2010

A really delicious weekend

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My weekend of food and fun began early last week. On Wednesday evening I was invited to share some cooking tips, techniques and tastes at a meeting of the Book Bags, one of several book clubs in Bemijdi. They had just finished reading "The School of Essential Ingredients," by Erica Bauermeister. The story centers around a group of people who meet each Monday for a cooking class. The Book Bags decided it would be fun to have a cooking class of their own when they met to discuss the book. With just a bit of instruction from me, they prepared appetizers and a dessert, all created on a base of crostini. The dessert they made is pictured above — plain crostini smeared with mascarpone cheese, adorned with fresh berries and drizzled with fragrant honey.

The Book Bag cooks were so proud of their final results!

The next morning I headed to the Twin Cities to attend one of the monthly meetings of Women Who Really Cook (WWRC). The March meeting was held at Local D’Lish hosted by owner and WWRC member, Ann Yin. She and her husband, Yulin, have created something comparable to an indoor farmers market, loaded with made-in-Minnesota products as well as other treasures from the Heartland. I bought a jar of Ames Farm single-source summer blossoms honey, two boxes of "good dog" 100% natural dog treats (still hoping to have a new golden retriever puppy soon), a couple of bags of Special T’s Oh, So Good Gourmet Munch-Kin Snack Mix (an Easter treat for my grandchildren), and one of the "i get around" books, a cardboard book for little ones by Minneapolis author, Deb Miner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Local D’Lish is located in the North Loop of the Minneapolis Warehouse District. It was my first visit to this neighborhood. I arrived a little early for the meeting so walked down the street to Urban Garden, a great floral and gift shop. I can’t wait to get back to this blossoming neighborhood for more exploring.

The meeting broke up just in time for me to get to Happy Hour at Chino Latino near Hennepin & Lake before the crowds arrived. My great finds: Tall, spicy Bloody Mary’s for $3.50 and MRS. WONG’s SPICY WOK TOSSED EDAMAME, whole soybeans lightly seared in the wok with jalapeño chiles and seasoned with salt and pepper. My lips were numb from the heat, but oh, they were delicious. Get there before 5:30 if you don’t want to wait for a table in the bar.

The next morning I was in the car heading down Highway 169 on my way to Worthington where I would be giving a cooking demonstration at their Women’s Expo on Saturday. First stop: Belle Plaine for a cup of coffee at Duets The coffee at Duets is brewed with beans from European Roasterie in New Prague, Minn.  That stop led me to Ruck’s Meat Market, just around the corner from Duets. I left the market with a bag of frozen seasoned pork patties, one of the things they are famous for, as well as a few pieces of their beef jerky.

Friday evening I had dinner at the Worthington Country Club. The meal experience began with a platter of the most delicious homemade onion rings I’ve ever eaten. It’s worth a trip to Worthington to have those onions rings. Be sure to plan to have a fresh and delicious salad at BenLee’s cafe along with a good dark cup of rich coffee, pick up a loaf of Wheeler bread from Schafer’s Health Center, and stop for some very authentic Mexican food at Tacos Lupe. Oh, and if you have any children in your life, you can’t leave Worthington without a stop at Main Street Kids, the largest selection of clothing for kids and maternity fashions that I’ve ever seen in one place. I’ve been told people come from miles around to shop at that store. I can’t leave downtown Worthington without a grandma’s shop-stop at Lit’l Wizzards, a store filled with high-quality educational toys.

Yesterday on my drive home, I had a good breakfast omelet filled with crisp-tender chunks of green pepper and onion and some buttery hash browns at Morgan’s Deli & Catering in Redwood Falls. And finally, a great find at Zorbaz near Dorset — a make-your-own Bloody Mary bar. The server told me it was a brand new addition to the drink line-up this weekend. Go make your own Bloody at Zhateau Zorbaz on County 7 near Dorset every Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 to 5:00.

Those were my weekend delicious food and fun finds. How about yours? Anything good to share? Leave it in the comments.

By the way, my cooking demonstration for the friendly group of women in Worthington at the Expo on Saturday was so much fun. What a crowd! It’s always a treat for me to meet those who read my weekly column.

Coconut Meringues with a surprise inside

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When I was a young girl just learning how to bake, my Dad always wanted me to make coconut macaroons. I tried several different recipes. Although my Dad was so good at giving me plenty of positivie feedback, when it came to macaroons, he definitely knew what he wanted. His preference was a cookie that had paper thin meringue shell that cracked when he bit into it. Once his teeth crumbled the the thin  crust, they met a soft, chewy center loaded with sweet coconut. So, with each bite, there was crunch, melt-in-the-mouth meringue, and soft, chewy coconut.

My Dad has been gone for many years. I haven’t made coconut macaroons in probably that many years. But, when I made a baked pasta dish for my newspaper column this week, I used six egg yolks. That meant I had 6 egg whites in a jar in my refrigerator. I just can’t throw them out.

I pulled out a recipe I got from my friend, Helen. Each holiday season she makes fancy little meringue cookies with a chocolate kiss hiding inside every cookie. She flavors them with peppermint and dusts each cookie with holiday-colored sprinkling sugar. They are pretty and delicious.

I decided to use Helen’s recipe as a base and make an addition of lots of coconut. I was feeling quite melancholy as I beat the egg whites, adding the sugar a little at a time. Rather than mint flavoring, I used vanilla to flavor the meringue. Once the mixture formed stiff peaks, I gently folded in 3 cups of coconut. I use coconut I buy at my local food co-op. It is unsweetened and chopped to a fine texture. Flaked coconut from the grocery store will work just fine. Just chop it up a little before adding it to the meringue mixture.

I find parchment paper is a good way to go for baking the Surprise Coconut Meringue Cookies. They won’t stick and it makes clean-up very quick and easy.

I’m sure my Dad would have loved these cookies. A thin crunchy crust on the outside, chewy coconut-laden inside. I know he would not have appreciated the chocolate surprise in the middle, though. They would be just as wonderful without chocolate. But for a chocholic like me, the kiss in the middle is essential.

What’s your favorite way to use up egg whites? These are a couple of mine, but I could use some more ideas:

  • egg white omelette
  • whisk egg whites a bit with a tish of water before rolling balls of thumbprint cookie dough into the mixture and then into chopped nuts or coconut. The egg whites work as glue to hold the nuts to the dough before baking.

Surprise Coconut Meringue Kisses

  • 6 egg whites, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 cups flaked coconut
  • 1 bag milk chocolate kisses
  • Sprinkling sugar

In a large mixing bowl (I used my Kitchenaid stand mixer), beat egg whites with vanilla, cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until very stiff peaks form. Gently fold coconut into the meringue. Drop mixture from a tablespoon 1 1/2 inches apart onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press a chocolate kiss (Helen says to give them a twist as you push them through the meringue) into each mound of meringue. With knife or narrow spatula, bring meringue up and over the chocolate kiss to cover completely. Swirl top. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake in preheated 275-degree oven for 30 minutes or until set. Immediately remove cookies to cooling rack.

  • You can definitely cut this recipe in half. I had 6 egg whites to use up, though. On Helen’s recipe, she notes that when using just 3 egg whites, you will get about 44 cookies.

 

When life hands you ripe bananas, make cheesecake

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Have you ever had bananas in your kitchen that were so black and shriveled, you almost threw them out? It’s happened to me so many times. Day after day I I tell myself I will make a batch of banana muffins. And finally, the day arrives when I actually pick up the deflated bunch of almost unrecognizable fruit and head for the door, with intentions of taking them out to the woods for animals to enjoy. But, I just can’t do it.

So, this week, I squeezed the mushy fruit from its shriveled, dark skin and stirred it into a rich mix of cream cheese, sugar and eggs to make cheesecake.

I must back up a little bit at this point. Years ago, in 2005 actually, I copied a recipe for Hot Buttered Rum Cheesecakes with Rum-Caramel Sauce from that year’s December issue of Bon Appetit magazine. I ordered a bunch of tiny (4 1/2-inch) springform pans, ready to make the cheesecakes and give them as gifts. It never happened that year, or any year since that time. But, I still have the recipe. I vaguely remembered the recipe instructions for reducing some dark rum to stir into the cake batter. With the experience of tasting warm, rum-spiked bananas foster still clear in my mind — I made several flaming pans full of the dessert for a recent fundraising event for the Headwaters Science Center in Bemidji — I wondered if I could match the flavors of that dessert in a cheesecake.

In the directions, the recipe’s creator, Julia Usher, who was then the former chef/owner of a pastry shop in St. Louis, instructed to reduce some dark rum. I used dark rum when I made bananas foster, so decided this would be good flavor to add to my cheesecake. I’d tinker with an old cheesecake recipe from my recipe box.

It didn’t take long at all to make a crust of vanilla wafers and chopped toasted nuts. Once the batter was blended and fragrant with rum, bananas and vanilla, I just poured it right into the unbaked crust and carefully slid the full pan into the oven.

After the cheesecake had chilled overnight, I served it with the same caramel sauce I make for my autumn apple cake, but this time spiked it with dark rum.

When life hands you ripe bananas, make this cheesecake. It’s decadent. It tastes like bananas foster in a pureed form. And, it’s so easy to make.

Someday I’ll make Julia Usher’s little Hot Buttered-Rum Cheesecakes. I still have the 4 1/2-inch springform pans. She’s a cookbook author now. And one of my Facebook friends. How small the world has become in the last 4 1/2 years.

There is one thing that doesn’t change, though. Bananas still ripen on my kitchen counter.

Bananas Foster Cheesecake with Sweet Nut Crust and Rum-Caramel Sauce

  • 1/2 cup dark rum
  • 1 cup raw whole almonds and macadamia nuts, toasted and divided
  • 1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring rum to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup. Set aside to cool.

Chop 1/2 cup of the toasted nuts. Combine the chopped nuts with vanilla wafer crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Press mixture into a lightly buttered 9-inch springform pan. Set pan aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese at low speed until creamy and smooth. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add bananas and blend. Beat in whipping cream, vanilla and reduced rum. Blend well.

Pour batter into prepared crust. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for about 50 minutes. Top will appear slightly puffed. The cheesecake will be golden and set along the edges but will still move slightly in the middle when gently shaken. Carefully run a knife around edges of cake to loosen from pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Carefully remove sides of pan. Chop remaining 1/2 cup of toasted nuts. Serve each slice of Bananas Foster Cheesecake with Rum-Caramel Sauce and a sprinkling of nuts. Makes 12 servings.

Tip from the cook

  • Pecans would be a good choice for the crust as an alternative to almonds and macadamias.

Rum-Caramel Sauce

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon dark rum
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half or whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar and salt over medium heat. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in the rum. When the mixture stops bubbling, add cream and vanilla. Whisk to blend. Set aside and keep warm.
To make ahead, let cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a glass bowl over barely simmering water.
 

Celebrate Spring with Bunny (Buns) for Breakfast

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I made hot cross buns last week. I used a recipe from a class I took years ago that focused on breads and rolls made with yeast dough. The sweet, egg- and butter-rich buns have mashed potatoes worked into the dough. I’ve got to believe it’s the potatoes that produce a soft, moist dough. Hot cross buns are an Easter tradition in many homes. I don’t make hot cross buns every year, but when I do, I always use the recipe from class.

When I was doing some research on hot cross buns, Google directed me to JustHungry, a food blog I’d never visited. There I found some cute Hot Cross Easter Bunny Buns. Made of the same dough that the author used for her hot cross buns, they were shaped with chubby little faces and long bunny ears. Best of all, the author included step-by-step photo instructions, from rolling the dough, to creating the ears  and faces.

I knew I had to try making the little bunny buns myself. I used the same Hot Cross Bun dough that I share in my newspaper column this week with a couple of changes — I doubled the amount of cinnamon and nutmeg and omitted the currants.

With one batch of dough, I was able to create 12 Breakfast Bunny Buns. Each one came out of the oven with its own charm. The ears were long and funny, some pointing straight up, some a little bent and some a bit uneven. Their little currant eyes made them simply irresistible.

I pulled the Breakfast Bunny Buns out of the oven in the middle of the afternoon. As soon as they were cool enough to pick up, I ate two — with butter. You know how good fresh bread tastes when it’s still warm from the oven. These Bunny Buns are no different. A friend happened to be over when the Bunnies were warm. She ate one and took one for her niece. The bunnies were going fast. Luckily, I was able to get a picture before all those little bunnies were devoured.

If you don’t have a lot of experience working with yeast dough, or feel a little intimidated by yeast, you can read a few of my tips (and see my Hot Cross Buns) in this week’s column by clicking here.

These sweet Breakfast Bunny Buns would be a perfect choice to serve with Easter breakfast or brunch. They can be made up to a week before Easter. As soon as they are cool, seal them up tight in a freezer bag or container and store in the freezer. To serve, thaw and warm them up slightly in a microwave oven. Be careful. Bread that is overheated in the microwave will get tough.

Breakfast Bunny Buns make a nice gift, too. And for your favorite children, nestle individual Bunny Buns into small plastic or cellophane bags with some Easter grass. Tie the bag up with a pastel-colored ribbon. Darling little edible gift.

 

Celebrate Spring and Easter with Breakfast Bunny Buns. They don’t hop, but they do quickly disappear.

Breakfast Bunny Buns

  • ½ cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
  • 2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast
  • ½ cup warm milk
  • ½ cup sugar plus 1 teaspoon
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1¼ teaspoons salt
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ¾ cup unseasoned mashed potatoes
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 4½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 24 dried currants or raisins for bunny eyes

Sprinkle yeast over ½ cup warm water. Add 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Use a small whisk to stir the mixture. Set aside and allow the yeast to bubble and grow. It will get foamy.
Pour warm milk into a large mixing bowl. Add yeast mixture. Stir in ½ cup sugar, eggs, salt, butter and mashed potatoes. Add 1 cup of the flour along with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat with a wooden spoon. Gradually add more flour until dough begins to pull together into one mass. It will be a little sticky. Sprinkle some of the flour you have measured out onto your work surface. Place the dough on the floured surface. Turn the mixing bowl upside down over the dough to cover.
While dough is resting, line baing sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Grease another large mixing bowl and set aside. Use your fingers for this job. Then, rub greasy fingers together to lightly coat your hands. This will make it easier to work with the dough.
Dust your slightly greasy hands with flour and knead the dough for 8 minutes, sprinkling the work surface with a little more flour as needed. Form the dough into a ball. Place in the prepared mixing bowl. Then, turn the ball of dough over so the greasy side is up. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in size, about 1½ hours.
Punch dough down and divide in two equal pieces. Cut each half of dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long, thin oval shape. Fold the bottom edge of the dough up about 1/3 of the way over the piece of dough. Use a sharp knife or dough scraper to cut a long slit through the middle of the top of the oval, forming bunny ears. Gently pick up the tips of the ears and pull them toward you, covering the double layer of dough. Now, the ears will be pointing down. (Check the step-by-step photos at JustHungry. They are very helpful.) Pick up the bunny bun and place it on a prepared baking sheet. Continue this process with the remaining pieces of dough, forming 12 bunny buns. Cover bunny buns with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until almost double in size. Brush with egg yolk glaze. Place currants on each bunny to form eyes. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from baking sheets and place on wire racks to cool. Makes 12 Breakfast Bunny Buns.

Egg Yolk Glaze
Whisk 1 egg yolk with 2 tablespoons cold water. Brush over buns just before baking.

 

Minnesota-Style St. Patrick’s Day meal

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Root vegetable. Corned beef. Sauerkraut. Rye. Gedney dills. It all adds up to something Irish. And a little bit Minnesotan.

When I got together with friends for a potluck meal last week, the theme was Something Irish, Something Gren.

I had just gotten the Lee Brother’s newest cookbook, "Simple Fresh Southern," and found their recipe for Green Godess Potato Salad. Seasoned just right with fresh parsley and tarragon, a splash of champagne vinegar and some lime juice, the light mayo and sour cream-based dressing is just what the potato doctor ordered. And perfect for a "Green" potluck.

Green Goddess Potato Salad is the right match for a reuben sandwich on St. Patrick’s Day. It will be just what we want when it’s time to make a picnic lunch to take to the park or out on the boat. It’s easy to make and only gets better with age. Click here to go right to a copy of the Lee Bros Green Goddess Potato Salad.

I made the Green Goddess Potato Salad for the potluck. It was enjoyed by all. With just a tiny bit of the potatoes remaining after eveyone had a chance to eat, I brought them home and discovered it is the perfect salad to eat with Reuben’s.

And speaking of Reuben’s, my husband says these Puffs are the only way to eat a Reuben. It’s an open-face sandwich. A slice of toasted rye is the foundation for mustard, a layer of thinly sliced corned beef and a cheese mixture that includes chopped sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. And, some Minnesota flair with chopped Gedney Norwegian Dills. You know Gedney — it’s the Minnesota pickle! A few mintues under the broiler, and the cheesey topping gets melted, bubbly and brown.

Put it all together and you’ve got a Minnesota-style St. Patrick’s Day meal.

Minnesota-style Reuben Puffs

  • 2 cups sauerkraut
  • 8 ounces Swiss cheese, cut into large cubes
  • 1 medium onion, cut into large pieces
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 dill pickles, chopped coarsely ( I used Gedney Norwegian Dills)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 slices rye bread, toasted
  • 1 pound thinly sliced corned beef

Rinse and drain sauerkraut. Press between layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture. Set aside.

Process cheese and onion in a food processor until it is finely chopped. Add chopped pickle, mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon mustard and pepper. Process to blend. Add sauerkraut and pulse 2 or 3 times.

Spread remaining 2 tablespoons mustard evenly on 1 side of toasted bread slices. Top with corned beef. Spread with cheese mixture.

Place on a baking sheet. Broil 8 inches from heat, leaving door of oven partially open. for 6 to 8 minutes. They should be puffed and lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Tips from the cook:

Sauerkraut mixture can be prepared early in the day, or even the day before, and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator.

To make appetizer-sized Reuben Puffs, use the small cocktail rye bread. It is often found in the deli section of the supermarket.

 

 

Authentic Irish Soda Bread — Really!

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I’ve tasted soda bread once or twice over the years. I didn’t care for it. Crumbly, dry, tasteless.

Then, along came Rachel Gaffney through the power of Twitter, one of the online social networking sites that is popular right now. About a year ago, Rachel and I began tweeting back and forth. Rachel, who was born and raised in Ireland and now lives in Texas, was planning a business trip to Minneapolis. I was going to be there at the same time. We decided to get together.

As we sipped a beverage and chatted at a table at Murray’s, the famous steak place downtown Minneapolis, I learned more about this Irish entrepeneur. She’s charged with energy, determination and drive, exactly what she needs to run her business, Rachel Gaffney’s Authentic Irish Goods.

Rachel Gaffney recently sent me her recipe for authentic Irish soda bread. It looked easy enough to make, so I decided to give it a try. It’s not like any other soda bread I’ve tasted. It’s moist yet hardy. Not a raisin in sight. Delicious with a thick slather of good butter. Nice toasted, too. I found it best on the day it comes from the oven. Next time I’ll shape the dough into two round loaves and freeze one of them. Rachel’s recipe makes a large loaf, so unless you’re feeding a crowd, you may want to do the same.

Rachel agreed to share some information about herself. Her most exciting bit of news, though, is that she will be appearing live on Martha Stewart’s show Tuesday, March 16th. She’ll be teaching Martha how to make her authentic Irish shortbread. Tune in and you can learn, too.

You can read more about Rachel by visiting her blog: Rachel Gaffney’s Real Ireland.

Thanks for sharing your time and your soda bread with us, Rachel.

1. Rachel, what’s your favorite way to eat Irish Soda Bread?

I love to eat Soda Bread for breakfast with KERRYGOLD SALTED BUTTER and Seville Orange Marmalade. Nice pot of hot Tea to accompany it.
I also love it with a bowl of Leek & Potato Soup.

2. Rachel, you were born and raised in Ireland. What’s the St. Patrick’s Day meal like in the Gaffney’s household in Texas?

Every year, I take my sons skiing with my best friend. We have our annual Mum and Son trip. It always falls on St. Patrick’s Day. My boys like to join in with the rest of the skiiers and wear their green, of course. When you look at them, they have the map of Ireland written all over their faces !!!!
We have to eat whatever is on offer in the local restaurants, but when we return, we will be having our family dinner with Dad. They have requested Lamb with the Irish Whiskey Marmalade Glaze , Turnip & Potato Gratin and of course my signature dessert, Brady’s Irish Cream Cheesecake with my Irish Butter shortbread base.

3. When you have guests in your kitchen, do they get any clues that you’re Irish?

I suppose having Irish Pottery, Irish Butter,Irish cheeses and LOTS of root vegetables might be a giveaway !!!

4. Traditional Irish Butter Shortbread is one of your products availabile in high-end grocery stores (Lund’s and Byerly’s in Minnesota). Who taught you to make shortbread?

When I was growing up my Mum used to make trays of Irish butter Shortbread for Birthday parties. She would ice them or sometimes she would layer the shortbreads with caramel and chocolate. Yum
I watched my Mum make them over and over again. The only way to learn anything, in my opinion, is to watch.

When I moved to the United States in 1996, I noticed that people’s perception of the IRELAND I knew was somehow distorted. I decided in 2003 to start RACHEL GAFFNEY’S AUTHENTIC IRISH GOODS.

I began making my IRISH BUTTER SHORTBREADS 7 years ago. I subleased a bakery in Dallas and then outsourced to commercial production in 2008. This was an enormous challenge. Not only was I moving from a small facility to a large facility, but I was working with real ingredients. Using KERRYGOLD IRISH BUTTER is unlike working with a domestic butter. It took me almost 4 years of R&D to be able to make this commercially.

5. Rachel, you are one of Martha Stewart’s Dreamers to Doers. What was it like to visit the Martha Stewart set?

Last September I was reading something on line about a site called DREAMERS INTO DOERS. This is on the MARTHA STEWART site. There are 4,000 members. Here is where I met fellow DREAMERS who have turned their passion and dream into a business or charity. In January, forty of us got together in New York and attended the MARTHA STEWART show. It was a wonderul experience. The staff were exceptional and to see them behind the scenes, well lets just say it’s a Well-Oiled Machine.

6. Any vices, on the food front?

BUTTER. What some people consider to be a vice, I consider a neccessity and that’s really good butter. Not just because of the taste but because the butter is made from grass fed cattle. Cattle in Ireland are free to graze during our grass-growing season from March to November. I know that the butter I am feeding my family is great butter. There is absolutely nothing in it that your body cannot break down by itself.

7. What three things are always in your refrigerator?

I ALWAYS have Kerrygold Salted & Unsalted Butter in my fridge along with Dubliner cheese. My kids love to eat and cheese is a staple in their snacking diet. When they come home from school they will slice a Granny Smith apple, Dubliner Cheddar Cheese and put a slice of cheese between two slices of apple!

8. Something else we don’t know about you?

I love Irish Literature. I studied Speech & Drama from the age of 8 , performing in plays & ‘Feis Maitiu’ in Cork City. Every year I studied and sat my exams through the London College Of Music until I was 18.
In fact my next visit is going to be to the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, when one of Brian Friels plays graces the stage…………………..

Rachel Gaffney’s Irish Soda Bread

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons wheat germ
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 teaspoons rolled oats
  • 1 egg
  • ½ quart buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

METHOD

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl mix all dry ingredients. Make a well in the center then add all liquid ingredients. Mix together. Use a little whole wheat flour if the mixture is too wet to form a ball. Form a ball on a lightly greased baking sheet. Make a cross in the center and bake for approx 45 minutes.

P.S. from S.D.: I used White Wheat Whole Grain Flour from Dakota Family Mill in place of the traditional whole wheat flour. It offers the same health benefits, but delivers a lighter color and texture in the soda bread.

Potato Nests

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I made salmon patties last week. I’ve been eating the fish patties ever since I was a child. They were a Lenten special in our house and always a favorite of my dad’s. He loved salmon patties best when they were served with mashed potatoes and creamed peas. I still serve them that way. If you like salmon patties, you might like to try my recipe. Click here to go right to the recipe. If you’ve checked out the recipes in my newspaper column in the past, you’ll be happy to see they’ve added a printer-friendly version of the recipe.

I like to create shallow nests with the mashed potatoes, forming a perfect shallow well for a generous spoonful of creamy peas. A swipe of melted butter over their tops keeps them moist on the inside and, after a short trip into the oven for a quick broil, the butter develops speckles of golden brown.

I prepare six potato nests at a time. That always provides me with some leftovers to put in the refrigerator for another day. On Saturday morning, I heated a couple of the cold potato nests at 50% power in the microwave oven while my husband poached some eggs.

Poached eggs nestled into Potato Nests, sprinkled with sliced green onions was a satisfying weekend breakfast. If you’re having guests for the Easter weekend (it will be here before we know it) keep these Potato Nests in mind. Make them ahead and they can make Easter brunch much easier. You’ll be a hop ahead.

 Potato Nests

  • 5 medium red potatoes
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/3 cup hot milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 large egg

Wash and peel potatoes. Cut into large chunks. Place in pot with enough water to cover. Bring to boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. Drain and mash potatoes. Beat in salt, pepper, hot milk, 2 tablespoons butter and egg, continuing until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add more hot milk if mixture is too thick and stiff.

Spoon mixture into 6 equal-sized mounds on a buttered baking sheet. Use back of spoon to form shallow nests. at this point, potato nests can be covered and stored in refrigerator.

Preheat broiler. If potatoes have been refrigerated, take them out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before broiling, giving them time to come close to room temperature. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Use a pastry brush to coat the top of each potato nest with butter. Slide the pan of potatoes under the broiler. Oven rack should be about 8 inches away from broiler element. Remove Potato Nests from oven when tops are brown.

Leftover potato nests can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to three days. Heat in the microwave at 50% or 60% power.

It’s coffee cake.

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A couple of weeks ago I stopped into a cozy coffee shop tucked into a rural community in West Central Minnesota. On the exterior, it was just an old brick building, but one step through the door and my nostrils were greeted with the aroma of rich brewed coffee. Cookies, sweet rolls and scones tempted me from the case of sweets. I decided this was a place I could nestle into for a while.

As I ordered my first cup of coffee of the day — large dark roast, no cream — I spied a cake in a 9-x13-inch pan situated on the counter. A couple of pieces had already been served from the cake, so I could see its insides. I thought for sure it looked like a rhubarb cake. If I could be that lucky, I would definitely splurge on a big chunk to eat with my coffee.

It was a very brief back and forth conversation with the server in the shop that dashed away any dreams of satisfying my taste buds that had begun to salivate for rhubarb cake.

Me: Excuse me. What kind of cake is that?

She: It’s coffee cake.

Me: Oh, there’s no rhubarb in it?

She: No, it’s coffee cake.

Me: So, there’s coffee in the cake? (I thought this a legitimate question, since this was a coffee shop, after all.)

She: It’s coffee cake.

Me: Okay. I’ll take a piece, please.

The cake was good, despite the fact it had no rhubarb. It was moist on the inside. The top carried a blanket of crunchy sugary topping. It went well with my coffee. I guess that’s why it’s called coffee cake.

After finishing my morning pick-me-up, I walked to an antique shop that was close-by. I found a rack of old church cookbooks. As I was paging through a cookbook from a church in the community, a recipe for COFFEE CAKE jumped right out at me. I decided to buy the book and make coffee cake when I returned home. By the time I was done shopping, my arms were loaded with at least half a dozen old cookbooks with their stained pages, torn covers and occasional notes jotted in by previous owners as they baked and cooked their favorite recipes.

When I set the stack of cookbooks on the counter to pay for them, I was shocked when the store owner told me they were $9.99 each. What? I’ll bet they didn’t cost that much brand new. Apparently, church cookbooks are harder to come by these days, thus their value has increased. Just when I thought I would clean out all the old church cookbooks from my shelves — guess not. I walked out of the store with just two cookbooks and 4 of the prettiest little Italian espresso cups and saucers.

Finally, I’ve made a coffee cake. I used the recipe from the old church cookbook I brought home, but added my own topping and some sweet almond glaze. It’s so old-fashioned looking — it seems like something out of grandma’s kitchen. And it tastes like it, too. Delicious!

When I took the pretty little cake out of the oven, it suddenly occured to me that I had forgotten to add the sugar to the cake batter.

Sugar is added to baked goods for a good reason. Irregular sugar crystals create thousands of tiny air pockets that produce a delicate and satisfying crumb structure and expanded volume. Sugar also slows down the baking time, giving the baking powder time to work. So, with sugar, this coffee cake would have a delicate crumb texture rather than here-and-there holes. And, it may even have more volume if the baking powder had a little more time to do its job.

My coffee cake — no sugar — gets plenty of sweetness from the almond and brown sugar topping. I mixed some almond paste into the butter and brown sugar. It adds marvelous flavor.

 Well, now you know. It’s coffee cake. No sugar. No cream. Coffee cake.

Coffee Cake with Sweet Almond Topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch round baking pan or glass baking dish.

Make Sweet Almond Topping:

In a bowl, mix:

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup almond paste
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Set topping aside.

Make cake:

Sift together into a mixing bowl:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk in:

  • 1 cup sugar (I forgot to add the sugar. You can go with or without.)

In a 2-cup glass measure, beat:

  • 1 large egg

Add:

  • enough milk (I used buttermilk) to measure 1 cup.

Add:

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter

Pour liquid into bowl with dry ingredients. Mix just until none of the dry ingredients are visible. Spread batter in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with topping. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Allow cake to cool in pan on wire rack. Make glaze and drizzle over the cake.

Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
  • 4 tablespoons cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Leftover glaze can be stored in the refrigerator.

Cake adapted from recipe in First Lutheran Church Cookbook, Morris, MN. 1986.

 

 

 

Coffee and Cream Fudge Bites – a little bit of Irish

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Ever since I was in grade school, St. Patrick’s’ Day has been a day when I wish I was at least a little bit Irish. The teachers at my school instructed their Irish students to wear something green on St. Patrick’s Day. The rest of us — orange. So, while many of my friends came to school wrapped in green sweaters, donning fuzzy green shamrocks on their shirt, or wearing green socks, I would come with an orange headband in my hair. I would have preferred green.

As a young baker, though, I made sure our family had shamrock-shaped sugar cookies frosted in green on St. Patrick’s Day. I never told my teachers.

To this day, I don’t wear a bit of green on St. Patrick’s Day — my teachers taught me well. But, I don’t wear orange, either. I just sneak a little bit of Irish into the foods I eat on that special day.

This year, I developed a pie with a fudge brownie crust, filled with Irish Cream pudding and topped with Irish Cream-spiked whipped cream.  I discovered the brownie crust batter can be dropped onto baking sheets to create chocolatey rich cookies.

One bite and you’ll think you’ve discovered the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But, wait. There’s more. Creamy frosting made with coffee, chcolate and Irish cream is swirled over the top of each cookie.

I topped each frosted cookie with one tiny Chocolate Crunchy Bit. I first experienced these cute candies a few months ago at Meritage, a restaurant located downtown St. Paul. After an exquisite meal, I studied their dessert menu. One of the desserts listed was described as being served with chocolate rice krispies. In my mind, I pictured chocolate-flavored crunchy rice cereal and I could not  imagine why on earth a restaurant serving such wonderful food would include dessert with cereal sprinkled over the top. I ordered it out of curiousity.

It turned out the chocolate rice krispies were not cereal. They were crunchy little chocolate balls. On that same trip to the Twin Cities, I found a bag of the cute chocolate rounds at Cooks of Crocus Hill. They’re the perfect adornment for Coffee and Irish Cream Fudge Bites.

The fudgy cookies are just a little bit Irish in a non-traditional kind of way. But they will be all I need to sneak a streak of Irish into my house on St. Patrick’s Day.

Oh, if you feel like a pie with a fudge brownie crust and a filling that’s a bit Irish along with a topping of cream, just click here.

Coffee and (Irish) Cream Fudge Bites

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
  • 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons brewed coffee or Irish whiskey
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter, unsweetened chocolate and semisweet chocolate into a 4-cup glass measure. Microwave at 50% to 60% power. Stir after each minute until mixture is melted and smooth. This will take just a couple of minutes. Stir in sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, coffee or whiskey and vanilla extract and mix well. Add flour and salt and mix just until thoroughly blended. Refrigerate dough for at least 3 hours or overnight. At baking time, drop dough, about a heaping teaspoon per cookie, onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

When cookies are completely cool, frost with Irish Coffee Frosting.

  • Irish Coffee Frosting
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons strong, hot coffee
  • 1 tablespoon Bailey’s Irish Cream
  • 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • Chocolate Crunchy Bits, for garnish

In a medium bowl, combine cocoa with hot coffee and Irish Cream. Add butter, vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat with electric hand mixer until creamy and smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scoop frosting into a sandwich-size plastic bag. Twist the top of the bag, moving the frosting toward one corner of the bag. Use scissors to cut a small piece from one tip of the bag. Squeeze the bag to pipe frosting onto the top of each cookie. Garnish with chocolate crunchy bits, if desired.

I’ll bet you’ll love this chocolate Bette

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Mmmmmmmmmmm. Chocolate. And more chocolate. Rich, not too sweet and not one bit of flour. That’s Bette LeMae. It’s a traditional dessert that’s been served at northern Minnesota’s Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge for years. And, I had a taste of it at the Twin Cities Food and Wine Experience a couple of weeks ago.

Just one of the two-bite-sized cube of Bette LeMae flew me right back in time to my first experience with flourless chocolate cake. I was at a cooking class with about five other people in Andrea Halgrimson‘s kitchen. She was teaching us how to make a cake she described as so decadent, so breathtaking she just had to name it, "Chocolate O." You know what that "O" stands for, right? The chocolate dessert lived up to its name.

Ruttger’s Bette LeMae is just like that. They were so kind to share their recipe as they offered samples of the sublime cubes of chocolate dipped in chocolate.

As you read through the recipe, you’ll notice that the mixture of boiling water, chocolate, eggs, sugar and butter must be strained before baking. This removes any little bits of cooked egg, creating a perfectly smooth flourless cake. Use a fine mesh strainer or a colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth.

The batter is poured into a round pan and baked in a hot water bath, or Bain Marie (bane mah-ree). This method cooks the cake gently, creating a smooth, custard-like texture. As it cools after baking, this cake becomes something like fudge — only much better. Smothered in a rich blend of chocolate and heavy cream, this dessert becomes simply dreamy.

You can go directly to a printable version of Ruttger’s Bette LeMae recipe by clicking right here. They’ve got a recipe archive that’s worth checking out, too. Click here.

I just registered for my first bike ride of the season. This year, the Tour of Lakes starts at the high school in Crosby, Minnesota. Deerwood is right next door. And, that’s where Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge is located. Tour of Lakes has a reputation for for the quality, variety and quantity of the food at the rest stops. Maybe I’ll find Bette LeMae at one of the stops? A hungry (chocoholic) biker can only hope.

In the meantime, (I can’t wait for June 5th) I’ll make my own Bette LeMae. Mmmmmmmm. Chocolate. And more chocolate.

Thanks for sharing the recipe, Ruttgers!

 

 

 

 

Bette LeMae — A Signature Recipe from Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge

  • 2/3 cup boiling water
  • 1 2/3 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 6 whole eggs

In saucepan, mix water and sugar and boil for 2 minutes. Add butter, bittersweet chocolate and chocolate chips. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 more minutes.

While mixture is boiling, beat 6 eggs in mixing bowl. Slowly add boiled mixture to eggs, beating at low speed. Let mixture beat for 2 – 3 minutes. Strain mixture into stainless steel bowl and pour into prepared wax paper-lined and floured 9-inch round pan. Place pan in hot water bath and bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. When done, remove from water bath and place on towel. Scrape around side of pan and allow to set for 10 minutes.

Turn Bette LeMae over onto plate. Let cool for 1 hour before frosting.

Bette LeMae Frosting Glaze

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Scald whipping cream and remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Let stand until cooled. Frost Bette LeMae. Store in the refrigerator.