sour cream

Not Completely my Own. Pine Nut & Rosemary Cookies with Olive OIl

13 Nov 2011
Pinenut & Rosemary Cookies with Olive OIl

I am trying to push myself in the baking department. I try and write my own recipes most of the time. But when it comes to baking I am still solidly "an adapter". I mean recipe adapter. Which may sound a bit like a confession and maybe it is.

You see, I'm at the International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC) in Santa Monica, California this weekend. It's one of those meet, greet, sit, talk and eat events I do quite a bit of. There are always opportunities to learn and grow our blogs at these things too. One of the directions I would like to grow is in recipe writing. So I sat in on a panel discussion of the subject with Dianne Jacob, Amelia Saltsman, and Martha Holmberg.They're pros, they write cookbooks.

But I couldn't help feeling that the way they look at recipe development for print, and the mission of so many of us who share recipes and a passion for food online, may be radically different. I mean, intellectually I know their point is correct. If it's not original to me and my blog, does it have value? But I wonder, can't I share something by merely passing along a recipe I've had success with? Or do I need to bring the same level of print journalism standards to every morsel and tidbit I present on these pages? I don't know. I suspect not.

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Pine Nut Cookies with Rosemary & Olive Oil

Pine Nut Rosemary Cookies
By jgreghenry Published October 29, 2011
Prep time: 30
Yield:1 (dozen)

Ingredients:

  • 4 t coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 0.25 c pine nuts, toasted, plus more for topping cookies
  • 2.25 c all-purpose flour
  • 1 t baking soda
  • 0.5 t ground ginger
  • 1 pn kosher salt
  • 10 T unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 c plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 T sour cream
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 T turbinado (raw) sugar, or to taste, for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Finely chop rosemary in a food processor. Add pine nuts; pulse until coarsely ground, but not yet pasty. Transfer to a large bowl.

Whisk in 2 cups flour, the baking soda, ginger, and salt; set aside. Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in oil. Reduce speed to low. Mix in flour mixture. Turn off machine. Remove bowl and stir in sour cream and egg; add the remaining 1/4 cup flour mixing by hand until well combined.

Using a small ice cream scoop form dough into 1-inch balls, and space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with bottom of a wet glass, and top each with a pine nut. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar to taste.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, about 18 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on sheets on wire racks. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 3 days.

Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Fig Tart with Snofrisk Cream & White Balsamic Reduction

Fig Tart with Snofrisk Cream & White Balsamic Reduction
By jgreghenry Published September 30, 2011
Prep time: 90
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 320 g all-purpose flour
  • 1.25 t salt
  • 115 g cold unsalted butter
  • 3 T ice water
  • 8 oz snofrisk cheese
  • 0.5 c sour cream
  • 0.25 c honey
  • 10 figs, quartered lengthwise
  • 1 c white balsamic
  • 0.25 c granulated sugar

Directions

Make the pastry: In a food processor, pulse the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined. Add the butter and process until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture begins to come together. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and form into a disc, about 1-inch thick. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. To make the tart shell, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to soften for a few moments. Roll into an 11-inch round. Fit the dough into a 9-inch fluted tart tin with a removable bottom, pressing the dough into the sides of the pan. Run the rolling pin over the top of the pan to trim away the excess. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Adjust the rack of the oven to the middle position. Preheat to 375 degrees F. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and prick the bottom of the pastry all over with a fork. Line the bottom with a parchment round and fill with weights or beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and paper and bake an additional 7 to 10 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the Snofrisk, sour bream, honey and remaining teaspoon of salt. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the mixture evenly over the cooled crust. Arrange the figs, cut sides up, in concentric circles on top. Make the reduction: Combine vinegar and sugar in a small non-reactive saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until mixture is the consistency of honey and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely. To serve: Slice the tart into 8 pieces and drizzle each with about 1 tablespoon of the reduction sauce.

Notes:

You may substitute mascarpone cheese or other cream cheese for Snofrisk.

California Figs Tart with Norwegian Snofrisk Cream & White Balsamic Reduction

30 Sep 2011
Fig Tart

Figs are freakin' magical.

I mean it. Just look at the way the figs in this photo float above the counter top. Heck even the Fig Tart with Snofrisk Cream & White Balsamic Reduction is floating. I promise you this in not a Photoshop trick. This photo has not been digitally tinkered upon. So the only explanation is the power of magic. Not many fruits have that kind of power.

I love figs. I have been know to go to great lengths to acquire excellent figs. I have even been known to steal them from the neighbor's yard. Though I prefer the term urban foraging. Getting good figs can be a chore though, depending where you live. Fortunately I live in Los Angeles and have access to California Figs. But you don't have to live in California to buy California Figs. So ask around or check with your market. Look for California Figs where you live. Because there is a difference.

The truth is really good figs can be difficult to find at the grocery store for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes they are just not available. Sometimes they are not packed or shipped properly. Sometimes they are harvested sloppily. Watch out for those figs.

In my opinion very good figs should be allowed to ripen to just the right point on the tree. But once ripe they only last a few days. Quality figs properly harvested and carefully transported are delicious. Fortunately California Figs are available by mail order too– straight from the farm. The Fig Lady at Passion Fruit Farms is an excellent resource.

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Smoked Trout with Beet Tea Sandwiches

Smoked Trout with Beet Tea Sandwiches
By jgreghenry Published September 14, 2011
Prep time: 20
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz smoked trout, skinless & boneless
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 2 T sour cream
  • 1 T prepared horseradish
  • 24 pieces of whole wheat cocktail bread, about 2 1/2-inches square
  • 6 medium beets, roasted, peeled and sliced in 1/4-inch thick rounds

Directions

In a food processor combine cream cheese, sour cream, and horseradish. Add trout and puree. Lay 12 slices of bread in front of you. Spread some of the trout puree in a thin layer on each one. Lay a single layer of beet slices on top of the puree, over hanging the edges slightly. Lay the remaining 12 slices of bread on top forming a sandwich. Working 2 or 3 at a time stack the sandwiches and use a serrated knife to trim the crusts off. Arrange on a platter and serve. May be made up to 3 hours ahead. Store, covered in a cool dry place.