Polish Butter Cookies (Autumn Version)

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Polish Butter Cookies

Polish Butter CookiesI like to think of these as cut-out cookies for adults. They can be for kids too (perhaps the cookie shapes seem more childlike) but the buttery flavor is what differentiates these from those regular sugar cookies, often topped with bright colored sprinkles. It’s also the hardboiled egg yolks that bring out the richness in these sweet bites. My grandmother used this technique in many of her recipes for cookies and tarts. It may sound odd at first, to push a hardboiled egg through a sieve, but it adds a depth of flavor to the dough that is unlike anything else.

This recipe was originally brought to my attention by a reader who previously owned my grandmothers book, “The Art of Fine Baking.” Hidden in the cookie section, I had scanned over this recipe a number of times but wasn’t particularly inspired to try it. I’m glad I finally did. It is a versatile recipe that is so simple and basic, it can be used for a number of different occasions. The shapes of the cookies can vary from cutout stars and crescents, to Holiday specific ones such as witch’s hats for Halloween or gingerbread boys for Christmas. I chose these cute little fall shapes because they seemed appropriate for the chilly autumn weather and falling leaves.

The toppings are also up to you. My grandmother recommends cinnamon sugar or poppy seeds. I will eat cinnamon sugar on almost anything so this was a natural choice for me but poppy seeds, chopped nuts, or even those different colored sprinkles (if making them with kids) would be tasty as well. You will be surprised how something as simple as little butter cookie cut-outs will disappear so quickly from the kitchen counter (especially if you accidentally toss half of them on the floor like I did – oops). Good thing it’s a large recipe!

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
5 hardboiled egg yolks, pushed through a sieve
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 whole egg mixed with
1 teaspoon milk

Toppings:
cinnamon sugar
finely chopped nuts
poppy seeds

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in sieved hardboiled egg yolks, vanilla, and then flour mixed with salt. Chill dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Flour counter top or work surface. Roll out cookie dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut cookies with cookie cutters into small crescents, stars, or other shapes. Transfer to a cookie sheet, leaving about an inch between cookies. Brush with beaten egg and milk mixture. Sprinkle with toppings of your choice. Bake about 8-10 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.

Yield approximately 48 cookies

Adapted from “The Art of Fine Baking,” by Paula Peck

Autumn Polish Butter Cookies

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Pork and Black Beans with Rice

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Pork and Rice with Black Beans

Pork and Rice with Black Beans

I have to admit this was a difficult dish to make look as good as it tastes. This is basically classic Latin American comfort food, Paula Peck style. I refuse to credit a specific country in Latin America for Pork Black Beans and Rice because so many of them have their own version. I would hate to offend one country if this is not their authentic preparation, or leave another out that makes a similar version. One thing’s for sure, it’s hard to go wrong with black beans and rice on a chilly fall day. In this case, the addition of pork sausage and chunks of pork tenderloin give this dish a salty meaty flavor and also makes a protein packed meal that keeps you full longer when you’re out raking leaves or picking apples.

My favorite part of this dish is the orange. That orange slice you see in the photo is not just for decoration and color, there is actual orange juice in this dish. It’s mixed with red wine to deglaze the pan (release all of those flavorful brown bits) after browning the pork. This is the acid and sweetness the salty fat of this dish needs to provide that balanced flavor our taste buds look for. So ignore the deceiving sloppy look of these pork and beans – serve with orange slices and these are far from the blah rice and beans you may be used to.

Ingredients:

2 cups dried black beans
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 small green peppers, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 1/2 lbs pork shoulder or tenderloin, cut into 1″ cubes
3/4 lb fresh pork sausage
2/3 cups orange juice
1/2 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups peeled fresh orange slices

Wash, pick over beans and soak overnight or cover beans in water and bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat and cover for 1 hour. Drain.

Heat olive oil in a deep pot. Add garlic, onion, and green pepper. Saute until tender and season with salt and pepper. Add beans and enough additional water to cover them. Cover pot and simmer 45 minutes or until beans are tender, adding more water if necessary. Drain liquid from pot and reserve.

Remove two cups of cooked beans from pot. Cover remaining beans to keep warm. Puree the two cups of cooked beans with as much liquid as necessary in blender. Stir bean puree into cooked beans and keep warm.

Brown pork cubes and sausage in their own fat in a skillet. Pour off fat when meats are golden all over and cut sausage into 1-inch pieces. Add both meats to beans. Season with additional salt and pepper, if required.

Pour orange juice and wine into skillet that meats were browned in and cook on high heat until liquid is reduced by half, scraping up any brown bits. Pour into bean mixture and stir to combine all flavors.

Serve over fluffy, steamed rice.

Serves 6.

Adapted from “The Art of Good Cooking,” by Paula Peck.

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Viennese Cookie Pockets

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Viennese Cookie Pockets

Viennese Pockets

It appears my grandmother went through a serious Austrian Dessert phase at one point. Her book,“The Art of Fine Baking,” includes recipes for Strudel, Mocha Torte (similar to the famous Sacher Torte), Linzer Slices, and these cute little pocket cookies. I find that Austrian Desserts have two major commonalities: fruit and lots of butter. Strudel for example, is basically sheets of thin butter rolled with the filling, usually fruit such as apples or cherries. Strudel is one of the few desserts that doesn’t use jam or preserves. These cute little pockets are similar to many other popular Viennese desserts where the fruit jam is the star – or so it seems. As a chocolate lover, I actually tried filling these with Nutella to add some excitement. In the end, I preferred the strawberry jam version because it pairs so well with the buttery lemon scented dough.

I like to think of these Viennese cookie pockets as turnovers with less commitment. They’re smaller than turnovers and the soft crumbly exterior is much more of a cookie than a pastry. Just eating one won’t commit you to finishing a large pastry (like a turnover), but I can’t promise you won’t eat three or four of them anyway.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 hard-cooked egg yolks mashed or pressed through a sieve
1 raw egg yolk
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
thick jam or preserves
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons water

Lightly grease and flour 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

Cream butter with sugar. Stir in hard-cooked egg yolks, raw egg yolk, orange zest, and vanilla. Gently add flour and salt. Mix just to combine. Chill dough.

Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2-inch squares. Place a small dab of thick jam on each square. Fold in half to make triangles. Pinch edges together and place on baking sheets. Chill again.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prick top of each cookie with a fork. Beat egg whites with water and brush each cookie. Bake 10-15 minutes until lightly browned.

Yield about 20-25 cookies

Viennese Pockets

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Peach Melba

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Peach Melba

Peach Melba

This summery ice cream based dessert may seem more appropriate for August than September. Classic Peach Melba uses summery peaches and raspberries, normally in season in late July and early August. However, most produce has been late this year and surprisingly so has the weather. So far, September in NYC has been hotter than August. It may change soon but in the meantime, sweet juicy peaches from the farmers market are perfect for this cool timeless dessert.

Some of you may not be familiar with Peach Melba. Besides the name, there is nothing particularly unique about this old fashioned dessert. In its most basic form, it simply consists of vanilla ice cream with peaches and raspberry sauce. It is somewhat historic though – legend says it was developed by the French chef Escoffier in the late 1800’s and named after Opera singer, Nellie Melba.  This recipe is adapted from the James Beard version in “The James Beard Cookbook.” It continues to surprise me how this one time dear friend and mentor of my grandmother, is becoming more and more of a famous culinary figure. There is currently a movie in the works about him (“America’s First Foodie”) as well as postage stamps (yes, James Beard Postage Stamps).

The main difference in this recipe from the James Beard one is the use of fresh raspberries for the raspberry sauce. I would imagine this is somewhat closer to the original that Escoffier made (I doubt frozen raspberries were common then but who knows). I also used homemade vanilla ice cream instead of store bought – a rich recipe based on classic crème anglaise. The sweet fresh fruit and rich eggy homemade ice cream makes the flavor of each element stand out on its own. Enjoy this summery dessert while the warm weather lasts.

Ingredients:

4 peaches
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raspberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 teaspoons powdered sugar (depending on sweetness of raspberries)
Vanilla Ice Cream (recipe follows)

Blanch peaches to peel by slicing an X in the skin at the bottom of peaches. Boil 2-3 minutes until skin starts to peel back slightly on peaches. Remove and place immediately in ice water. Once chilled, peel and slice peaches.

Combine the sugar, water, and vanilla in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Add peaches and poach gently, spooning hot liquid over them. When tender but not mushy, remove from heat and allow to cool in syrup.

While peaches cool, make raspberry sauce. Puree raspberries with a little water. Push through sieve to remove seeds. Whisk in lemon juice and powdered sugar. Chill.

Scoop vanilla ice cream into cold dishes. Spoon poached peaches and raspberry sauce over ice cream. Serve immediately.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups 1 or 2% milk
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, bring heavy cream, milk, and vanilla to a boil over medium low heat – be careful not to let it boil over. Meanwhile beat egg yolks with sugar until pale.

Slowly whisk hot milk cream mixture into egg yolks. Pour back into saucepan. Place over low heat. Stir constantly until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Be careful not to overheat – eggs will curdle. Strain mixture and chill. Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions.

 

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Salad Nicoise with a Twist

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Salad Nicosia with a Twist

Salad Nicoise with a Twist

With so many variations of salad nicoise these days, it’s difficult to decipher which are authentic and which are simply tasty tuna vegetable salads. This summery French dish is said to have originated in Provence, a region along the Mediterranean Sea often known for its Italian Greek-like Mediterranean style cuisine, which includes more of an emphasis on vegetables and fruits. The contents of an authentic Salad Nicoise are debated. Should it include boiled potatoes? Cucumbers? Capers? Green Bell Pepper? Should it have canned tuna or fresh tuna? Anchovies? Then it must be decided if it should be served as a composed salad (aesthetically arranged on the plate) or mixed all together. Maybe this salad has evolved so much that there are no longer any rules. Perhaps the only thing that matters (besides a delicious final salad), is that it includes Nicoise olives – after all, that is what the salad is named after. But even that can be disputed due to availability nicoise olives in the US (black olives are often substituted).

My version of Salad Nicoise doesn’t follow any of the rules. I wanted a really good salad and simply used the French version as an idea or base. This salad is a combination of my grandmother’s recipe from “The Art of Good Cooking,” my mother’s version which was really my first introduction to Salad Nicoise, and the more by-the-book version I was taught in French Culinary School. I also used earthy purple Peruvian potatoes, cherry tomatoes instead of sliced, and added garlic scapes. If you haven’t experienced garlic scapes, I encourage you to hunt them down at your local farmers market asap. These spicy curly stems can be cut in 1-inch pieces and boiled or steamed. After they are cooked, they look similar to the green beans (unless you are using the traditional haricot vert) but they add a mild garlic surprise to this easy salad exploding with different flavors and textures. This is one of the best ways to take advantage of prime produce season and enjoy the last of those hot summer days.

Ingredients:

2 lbs small potatoes (purple, red, fingerling, and/or baby dutch)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 lb green beans, stems removed and cut in 1 inch pieces
1 bunch garlic scapes (about 8-10 scapes), stems removed and cut in 1 inch pieces
7 ounces of tuna in oil (or two 4 oz cans)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1/4 cup pitted or unpitted nicoise olives
5 hard boiled eggs, peeled and quartered

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile halve or quarter potatoes. Salt the water and add the potatoes. Boil 20-30 minutes or until tender. Drain.

While potatoes cool, make the vinaigrette. Whisk together vinegar, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Pour about half the vinaigrette over warm potatoes and toss to combine. Chill potatoes.

Bring another large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, green beans, and garlic scapes. Boil for about 5 minutes until just barely tender. Drain and chill.

In a large bow, combine cooked potatoes, green beans, garlic scapes, tuna, tomatoes, scallion, parsely, and Nicoise olives. Dress with remaining vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Serve with hard boiled egg slices.

Serves 4-6.

Salad Nicoise

 

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