Friday, January 16, 2015

Lemon Meringue Pie


If you love lemons then this is the pie for you.  Pillowy meringue on top of tart and sweet homemade lemon curd.  The perfect end to any stressful day.


Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Ingredients:
Basic pie dough for a single-crust pie (see recipe here), rolled into a 12-inch round 1/8 inch thick
8 large eggs
2 cups plus 2 Tbs. sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
4 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
Finely grated zest of 3 lemons

Directions:
Place the dough round in a 9-inch pie dish, fitting it into the bottom and sides. Trim the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold the overhang under, then flute the edge. Using a fork, pierce the dough all over, then line with aluminum foil and freeze for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375°F. Place the dough-lined dish on a baking sheet and fill the foil with pie weights. Bake until the dough looks dry and is barely golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the foil and weights. Continue baking until the crust is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes more. Transfer to a rack and cool while you make the filling. Raise the oven temperature to 400°F.

In a bowl, beat 3 of the eggs until blended. Separate the remaining 5 eggs, adding the yolks to the beaten whole eggs and putting the whites in a separate large bowl. Cover the whites and set aside at room temperature. Beat the yolks into the beaten eggs. In another bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and the cornstarch, then whisk in the beaten eggs, the lemon juice and salt. Transfer to a heavy, nonreactive saucepan, place over medium heat and heat until the mixture comes to a full boil, whisking almost constantly. Reduce the heat to low and let bubble for 30 seconds. Be careful not to undercook or overcook the filling or it will separate as it cools. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Strain through a coarse-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any bits of cooked egg white. Stir in the lemon zest, then pour into the baked crust (the crust can be warm or cool).

Using a handheld mixer on high speed, beat the reserved egg whites until soft peaks form. One tablespoon at a time, beat in the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. sugar, beating until the egg whites become a meringue with stiff, shiny peaks. Using a rubber spatula, spread the meringue evenly over the hot filling, making sure the meringue touches the crust on all sides (to prevent the meringue from shrinking). Swirl the meringue with the spatula to form peaks. Bake until the meringue is browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool completely before serving, at least 3 hours. Serves 8.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Chocolate Almond Biscotti


Is it bad that I'm still in vacation mode?  I've been so lazy and sleepy.  It's time to snap back into it! Over the holidays we spend a lot of time with family and make use of the vacation time.  Every year our family has a tradition of going to the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade while sipping hot chocolate and eating homemade cookies.




We bundle up, grab our lawn chairs and try to get a good spot along the parade route.  There are boats of all sizes...small motor boats to huge yachts each lit and decorated to celebrate.  Some have guests on board enjoying loud music and festive snacks.  It's a happy and cozy time of year and we look forward to going with the kids.

Last year I made shortbread dipped in chocolate, which is simply divine also.  A variation to this recipe was my flaky Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread which you can find here.


Chocolate Almond Biscotti Recipe
Barely Adapted From David Lebovitz

Remember: for best results you should weigh your ingredients.

Ingredients
For the biscotti:
2 cups (280g) flour
3/4 cups (75g) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup (125g) slivered almonds, toasted, chopped
3/4 cups (120g) mini chocolate chips

For the glaze:
1 large egg
2 tablespoons coarse sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F  degrees.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a large bowl, beat together the 3 eggs, sugar, and vanilla & almond extracts. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, then mix in the nuts and the chocolate chips until the dough holds together.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into two logs the length of the baking sheet. Transfer the logs onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced apart. Gently flatten the tops of the logs. Beat the remaining egg and brush the tops of the logs liberally with the egg. Sprinkle the tops with the coarse or crystal sugar and bake for 25 minutes, until the dough feels firm to the touch.

Remove the cookie dough from the oven and cool 15 minutes. On a cutting board, use a serrated bread knife to diagonally cut the cookies into 1/2-inches slices. Lay the cookies cut side down on baking sheets and return to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, turning the baking sheet midway during baking, until the cookies feel mostly firm.

Once baked, cool the cookies completely then store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. If you wish, the cookies can be half-dipped in melted chocolate, then cooled until the chocolate hardens.

picasa thingy