Cooking San Francisco

Sweet Potato Pie with Cinnamon Meringue

 

This recipe from Gourmet Magazine, November 1998 is a great alternative to pumpkin pie for those among us who don't like traditional Thanksgiving fare (you know who you are).  We used a purchased pie crust from Star Dough, because nowadays there are some decent ones on the market (we also like Trader Joe's and Wholly Wholesome Organic pie shells), and as much as we do like to make crusts from scratch, we sometimes have to make compromises during the busy holidays. The Gourmet version includes a crust recipe, so if you have the time, go for it.

When making the filling of this pie, it is very important to follow the instructions that tell you to mix in the crystallized ginger after pureeing the other ingredients. Otherwise, the ginger becomes bitter and you don't get the little bursts of gingery flavor throughout the creamy filling. It is likewise important to follow good meringue-making practices. This fluffy Swiss meringue with warm, spicy cinnamon perfectly compliments the smooth sweet potato base and it is an incredibly tasty and somewhat unique addition to a holiday pie. Be advised that the meringue does spread quite a bit during cooking and then shrinks back down. Therefore, please heed the warning to not spread the meringue all the way to the crust.

Of course, if you are really pressed for time or just don't feeling like dealing with the whole meringue business, (we won't think less of you) you can omit the meringue altogether, bake the sweet potato portion of the pie for a total of 50 to 60 minutes or until the filling is set, and serve with lots of cinnamon whipped cream.

1 purchased, unbaked pie crust

For filling:

2.5 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3-4 medium)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp orange zest
1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
a pinch of ground cloves
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped

For meringue:
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
5 large egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. and line a baking sheet with foil.

2. Prick sweet potatoes in several places with a fork and on baking sheet bake in middle of oven until very soft, about 1 hour. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve and scoop out enough flesh to measure 2 cups, reserving remainder for another use.

3. In a food processor purée sweet potato with all remaining filling ingredients except ginger, until smooth. Stir ginger into filling. (Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring filling to room temperature before proceeding.)

4. Preheat oven to 375°F.

5. Place pie crust dough fit a 9-inch (1-quart) glass pie plate. Trim dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, and crimp edge decoratively. Chill shell 30 minutes, or until firm. Pour filling into shell and put in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.

6. Make meringue after pie has baked 30 minutes: In a large metal bowl stir together sugar and cinnamon until combined well. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and add whites, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove bowl from heat and with an electric mixer beat whites until they hold stiff, glossy peaks.

7. Mound meringue in center of hot filling and spread almost to edge of pie. Bake pie in middle of oven until meringue is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes more. Serve pie warm or at room temperature.

Serves: 10

Prep Time: 1hr 30mins
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2hrs 30mins

Ricotta, Walnuts and Honey

This dessert is so easy its hardly a recipe. We've given ingredient quantities but you should adjust the amounts to your particular taste. We strongly suggest using Calabro Part-Skim ricotta and it seems to be pretty widely available in San Francisco. It's important to use a good quality or fresh ricotta that isn't too salty.

You can use unsalted pecans, pistachios or almonds, and any dried fruit. We had dried cranberries on hand, but thinly sliced dried apricots would add a perfumey hint of summer to the creamy ricotta and crunchy nuts.

2 cups good quality ricotta cheese
1 ounce unsalted walnuts, toasted
1 ounce dried fruit, sliced or chopped in to small pieces
4 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. In four shallow bowls or plates, spoon 1/2 cup of ricotta in each. Spread the ricotta around a bit to evenly distribute.

2. Sprinkle ricotta with nuts, fruit and cinnamon. Drizzle with honey and serve.

Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 10 min

Eggnog Panna Cotta

This dessert must be made in advance and that is why it's a perfect ending to our Quick and Delicious Holiday Menu! We've been making a version of this for several years now but decided to look at the recipe with a fresh eye.

We went through quite a bit of eggnog to get this panna cotta where we wanted it: creamy not gelatinous, with that signature nutmegy, eggnog flavor shining through.

We used Clover, Organic Valley and Strauss Organic (in the awesome glass bottles) eggnogs at various points of the testing and preferred Organic Valley and Strauss These two are lighter in color and have a more subtle flavor.

Once we had the right texture we wanted to add a little elegance, as well as another layer of flavor. We tried two different toppings as you can see from the photos. Our Quick Cranberry Compote (you can also use store-bought compote or jam) added a tart, quintessentially holiday flavor and the caramel sauce (we used the unrivaled Michael Recchiuti burnt caramel sauce ) transformed our simple panna cotta into a festive and rich crème caramel.

We also recommend serving the panna cotta with some crisp and spicy ginger cookies. If you have some time in advance of your holiday meal, you can make our Gingersnaps and freeze them until the day they will be served.

2 teaspoons gelatin powder
2 tablespoons cold water
2 1/2 cups eggnog
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cognac, brandy or bourbon (optional)
1 cup thick Greek yogurt, plain

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water and let sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the eggnog and sugar together in a saucepan over medium-low heat. When the sugar has dissolved and the eggnog is hot but not bubbling, remove the saucepan from the heat and add the nutmeg, vanilla and liquor, if using.

2. Add the dissolving gelatin while the eggnog mixture is still warm and whisk together to ensure that gelatin has completely dissolved.

3. Set the eggnog aside until it has cooled to lukewarm (we transfer the mixture to a heat-proof 8 cup liquid measure, which help the liquid cool down faster and makes it easier to pour the panna cotta into serving cups).

4. Add the yogurt to cooled eggnog mixture and whisk to blend completely. Pour liquid into 6 ounce martini or wine glasses, ramekins, tea cups or other decorative dessert cup.

5. Allow panna cotta to set in the refrigerator for 4 hours or until firm. Just before serving add a dollop of cranberry compote or a thin layer of caramel sauce on top of each panna cotta.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Refrigerator Time: 4 hours

Serves 6

We think that serving the panna cottas in martini or wine glasses is easy and elegant, but if you prefer the presentation above, here's how to do it:

1. Lightly grease each 6 oz ramekin before you pour in the eggnog mixture.

2. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator and dip each ramekin in a larger bowl of very hot water for a few secinds until panncotta is loosened from the side but not melting too much.

3. Place a small plate over the ramekin and quickly invert. Ideally the panna cotta will slip out. If not, repeat the hot water process.

4. Drizzle with desired amount of caramel sauce.

Spiced Rum Balls

 

We've been feeling spicy lately. It started in October with a craving for Spiced Popcorn.  In November, we couldn't resist Ruth's recommendation for Spiced Roasted Chicken.  And here we are in December (already!), drawn to a simple, grown up treat for the holidays: Spiced Rum Balls. The truth is we like our fall and winter food, savory or sweet, to have the warmth and character that spices like cinnamon, mace, or cumin add to a recipe. The spice in these saucy, chocolately rum balls come from the spirit involved, Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum, which heralds “ a secret recipe of spices and flavors,”  so I guess we'll never know exactly what's in it. However, we are certain that these treats are an easy, no-cook addition to your holiday dessert repertoire, and the biggest challenge is keeping them away from the children! If anyone tries a non-alcoholic version, please let us know how it turns out.

A note about the maple syrup: We recently learned that if you boil maple syrup until it reaches 225 degrees (using a candy thermometer) it thickens and can be used as a substitute for corn syrup. For the rum balls, we started with 3/4 cup of Grade A maple syrup, heated over medium heat until it bubbled up and reached the correct temperature.  It reduced to 1/2 cup and we used 3 tablespoons for the recipe with some to spare. It worked really well and we preferred the mellower taste of the maple over the sharp sweetness of the corn syrup originally called for in the recipe.

A note about the vanilla wafers: Whole Foods does sell an organic version of vanilla wafers, though they are not as crispy and dense as the original. If you do use them you will need to buy two boxes and may need to use more than 2 1/2 cups of crumbs. You should add crumbs one or two tablespoons at a time (after the initial 2 1/2 cups) until the mixture is dry enough to form into balls.

2 1/2 cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs (ground in food processor)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1 cup pecan halves, finely ground
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, in pieces
1/2 cup Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum
3 tablespoons reduced maple syrup (see note)
1 cup white sanding sugar or granulated sugar

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Melt the chocolate until smooth, either in the microwave according to the package directions or in a double boiler or a heavy saucepan. Once chocolate is melted add the rum and the reduced maple syrup and stir until well combined.

3. Add the chocolate mixture to the vanilla wafer mixture and stir until all ingredients are well combined.  Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes.

4. Using a spoon or small ice cream scoop, scrape out small chunks and form 1 inch balls by rolling the rum ball mixture between your hands. Roll balls in sanding sugar and serve. The rum balls can be stored at room temperature for a week or frozen for a month. (Thaw at room temperature before serving.)

Makes approximately 40 balls

Prep Time: 30 min

Total Time: 30 min

Meyer Lemon Mascarpone Pie

While we were in a lemony mood (see post of Limoncello) and had an abundance of Meyer lemons from the backyard, we discovered this dessert in Italian Two Easy: Simple Recipes from the London River Cafe by Rose Gray & Ruth Rogers.  We fell in love with this lemon pie at first bite, and the kids were wild for it as well.

Eggnog Bread Pudding with Panettone

For the last few years we've been using leftover panettone for a flavor-packed French toast, but this year we've taken the eggy, fruity Italian bread to a new level and tried it in a bread pudding. Panettone, for those not familiar, originates in Milan and is served during Christmas and New Year's. It has a brioche-like quality and is studded with raisins and candied fruit. Soaked in eggnog custard, it makes a pudding bursting with holiday flavors that not only makes a great Christmas breakfast (or dessert, for that matter) dish, but also makes use of some leftovers from the night before. Another added bonus is that you need to make it the night before you want to serve it and you start baking it in a cold oven, so all you have to do is pull it out of the fridge and turn on the oven. You certainly could make this bread pudding without the panettone, or conversely, without the eggnog, using just milk instead. We also tested a citrus and cardamom version of this creamy, comforting pudding, so stay tuned!

12 ounces day-old panettone bread, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
6 large eggs
2 cups eggnog
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Butter a 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish or deep-dish pie plate. Place bread in dish.

2. Whisk eggs and next 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.  Pour over bread in baking dish.

3. Using spatula, lightly press down on bread to moisten completely.  Cover with foil and chill overnight.

4. Place foil-covered dish in a larger baking pan and pour enough hot water in the larger pan to reach halfway up the side. Place both a cold oven. Set oven at 350°F and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until pudding is puffed and golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes longer. Remove pudding from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Peppermint Bark

In case you missed it on Elise Bauer's exceptional blog, Simply Recipes, here is a simple yet decadent recipe from Garret McCord for the much loved holiday treat, peppermint bark. We couldn't choose between white and dark chocolate, so decided to use both at the same time. Frankly, we've always purchased our peppermint bark at Williams-Sonoma, but with this recipe we can make it ourselves and share the experience with friends and family. We recommend you find an energetic child who has been cooped up inside the house all day, or an adult who has just returned from holiday shopping in a large department store to help pound the candy canes into small bits. The original recipe calls for chips, which certainly are convenient, however we used bricks of Callebaut  chocolate since that's what we had.

5 to 7 regular-sized candy canes (approximately 6 inches long)
12 ounces of high-quality white chocolate chips or brick chocolate chopped into small pieces
12 ounces of high quality dark chocolate chips or brick chocolate chopped into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract

1. Break up candy cane into little pieces by placing them in a large zip lock bag, covered with a dish towel and pounding on them with a flat-sided meat tenderizer, rolling pin or other heavy object. Set aside.

2. Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler on low heat, or according to manufacturer's instructions. Once melted, add the peppermint extract and stir.

3. Pour the melted chocolate out onto a sided 11” X 17” baking sheet lined with wax paper and spread out with a spatula or wooden spoon. Place in the freezer for 5 -10 minutes or until hardened.

4. Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a double boiler on low heat, or according to manufacturer's instructions and then pour it over the cold dark chocolate that you have just taken out of the freezer.  Use a spatula to carefully spread it around.  It's important to be careful and move quickly so the dark chocolate doesn't melt and mix with the white chocolate.

5. Wait another 5 minutes and then sprinkle the crushed candy canes on to the white chocolate and gently press them in with yours hands.

6. Put the baking sheet back in the freezer to harden for 5 -10 minutes or until hardened. Remove from freezer and break into pieces and serve, or store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Total Time: 40 min

 

Gingersnap Cookies

There are few sweets more satisfying than a perfect ginger cookie. Of course, the definition of “perfect” is subjective, since they come in all shapes, sizes, and varying crispy to chewy ratios. We hardly have a friend or relative who doesn't have a favorite recipe that they dig out at holiday time, and this year our number one recipe is an oldie but goodie from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins. It makes dozens of tiny, spicy, coin-shaped cookies that are both crispy and chewy (the way we like them).  They are especially nice when served with the currently abundant Satsuma mandarin oranges for a simple, yet elegant, winter dessert. As with the other recipes in our last few posts, these cookies are also great for gift giving and freeze well so you can have them at the ready in case carolers or other unexpected guests stop by. (We roll the dough into logs before freezing, it makes it easier to put in the pastry bag when defrosted.) Do make sure your ground ginger is fresh, otherwise the cookies will not sparkle with gingery flavor as they should.

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
3/4 cup molasses
4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4  cup ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Special equipment: a pastry bag fitted with a plain large round tip

1.  Cream the butter and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light.  Beat in the eggs, and then the molasses.

2.  Sift the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together in another bowl.  Using a wooden spoon, stir into the butter-sugar mixture until completely incorporated.

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside for 30 minutes.  (The dough may be made ahead to this point and frozen for later use.)

4.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

5.  Place 3 to 4 large spoonfuls of batter into a pastry bag fitted with a plain large round tip, and pipe 1-inch drops, 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets.  If you don't have a pastry bag, drop the batter onto the baking sheets by the teaspoonful.

6.  Dip your finger in warm water, and press the cookie drops down flat.  Bake until browned, 10 to 13 minutes.

7.  Carefully lift the parchment paper off the hot baking sheets and transfer it to a cool surface.  When the cookies are firm, remove them from the parchment.

Makes about 6 dozen

Prep Time: 50 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Total Time: 1 hr  30 min
 

Pumpkin Tea Cake

 
 
One of San Francisco's local treasures is the Tartine Bakery and Café. It's located in the 18th street/Mission neighborhood, also home to other culinary hot spots Delphina Restaurant  and Bi-Rite Market and Creamery . While the fabulous Tartine Cookbook provides us with many recipes that are perfect for holiday gift giving, we picked these two because they are easy, quick, and packed with flavor: sweet and spicy Pumpkin Tea Cake and savory Spiced Cocktail Nuts.

This pumpkin tea cake (also known as a “quick bread”) is simply the best we've ever tasted, and we've tried a lot over the years. We think this has to do with the copious amounts of our favorite holiday spice trio, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The oil and pumpkin puree (organic canned works perfectly) keep the cake moist.

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon  baking soda
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons   ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg, freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon  ground cloves
1 cup plus 2 tablespoon pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs

2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into a mixing bowl and set aside.

3. In another mixing bowl, beat together the pumpkin puree, oil, sugar, and salt on medium speed in a stand mixer or by hand with a whisk,  until well mixed.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until incorporated before adding the next egg.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

4. On low speed, (if using a mixer) add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium speed for 5 to 10 seconds to make a smooth batter.  Be careful not to over-mix the batter, as doing so will result in a tough crumb for the cake. The batter should have consistency of a thick puree.

5.  Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface with an offset spatula.  Sprinkle evenly with the pepitas and then the sugar.  Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

6. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, and then invert onto the rack, turn right side up, and let cool completely.  Serve the cake at room temperature.  It will keep, well wrapped, at room temperature for 4 days or in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 Minutes

 

Pine Nut Cookies

Around the holidays, sugar cookies are everywhere often dripping with frosting and smothered with sprinkles. These simple, and slightly more civilized, Italian cookies from Giada De Laurentiis are truly delightful; light, buttery and crisp, but not too sweet. Fennel seed is the not-so-secret ingredient that makes this recipe special and the pine nuts add not only a tasty crunch, but a decorative touch that can be achieved without adding Red Dye No. 40. Like the Cheddar Cheese Shortbread, these cookies are great for giving away or saving for your own holiday table (After Step 2, the dough can be frozen, instead of refrigerated, for up to a month). Pair them with a favorite dessert wine or grappa.

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup pine nuts

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, fennel seed, and salt in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the flour and mix just until blended.

2. Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape the dough into an 8-inch-long log. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the dough log crosswise into 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick slices.

4. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Press the pine nuts decoratively atop the cookies. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 15 minutes.

Makes approximately 2 dozen

Prep Time: 30 min (plus 2 hours in refrigerator)
Cook Time: 30 min
Total time: 3 hours