Tag: Instagram

Canelés de Bordeaux

On By lukephillaryhIn Luke's Dishes, Uncategorized4 Comments
Cannelés de Bordeaux Mimi Thorisson Trader Joes
Powder sugar perfection

Canelés are the perfect treat. They’re bite-sized, super sweet, crunchy and custardy. You can enjoy with a morning coffee, as an afternoon snack, or have a couple after dinner for a little sweetness. And when sprinkled with powdered sugar, they’re très photogenic – perfect for Instagram.  We discovered this recipe via Luke’s mother, who mastered making canelés by following a recipe in Mimi Thorisson’s A Kitchen in France. Proper French pastry chefs use copper molds, but a silicone mold (recommended by Mimi) makes life a lot easier. The only qualm we have with canelés is that they require some serious patience! You must make the batter at least 24 hours in advance. We suggest making the batter Saturday morning so that you can enjoy these little gems with Sunday brunch…and lunch, dinner, and midnight dessert!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups + 2 TBS whole milk
  • 1-2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 2 TBS unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup dark rum (tip: we bought two mini bottles of Kraken Black Spiced Rum)

Directions:

  1. Note! Batter must be prepared at least 24 hours before baking, so plan ahead.
  2. In a medium saucepan set at medium-low temp, whisk together milk and vanilla seeds. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Let it rest for 5 minutes then transfer to a large bowl.
  3. Whisk in the sugar and flour slowly, avoiding any lumps. Add egg yolks one at a time and mix until incorporated. Stir in the melted butter. Pour in the rum and whisk the batter until smooth. The batter should have the same consistency as palachinkes (aka crepes).
  4. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours (can be up to 48 hours).
  5. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  6. If using silicone canelés molds, you do not need to brush with butter. Copper/metal molds are trickier to use. Consult more professional canelés-makers for suggestions.
  7. Fill molds about to 2/3, be very careful to not fill too much. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes then turn down the oven to 350°F and bake for additional 50 minutes.
  8. Let canelés cool in their molds for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar when you’re ready to enjoy!

Details: Most silicon molds hold 15 or 16 canelés, we had a bit of batter leftover once our mold was filled.

Jam Cookies for XMAS

On By lukephillaryhIn Classico1 Comment

 

Jam cookies Christmas
~ * ~* * Little Jewels ~ * ~* *

Impress your friends and Instagram followers with these jam cookies, or as they’re formally referred to, Linzer cookies. Post a pic of a platter of these beauties on your Insta and you’ll have people thinking you’re the millennial Martha Stewart (pro tip: they look even better with a sprinkling of powder sugar). They require some concentration and patience to make, but are simpler than you may think. Just make sure you have the proper tools and plenty of jams for an assortment of colors. With these cookies you’ll be celebrating XMAS in style!

Ingredients:

  • 6 TBS unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • a variety of jams + powdered sugar (the latter is optional)

Directions:

  1. In a medium sized bowl, cream together butter and sugar until pale then beat in egg and vanilla.
  2. In another bowl, mix together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt). Add the dry ingredients to the butter and eggs, mixing in the dry in three batches. It’s ok if the dough is a wee bit crumbly, better crumbly than sticky.  You can add more flour (sparingly) if too sticky.
  3. Divide the dough into two balls and then flatten the balls into disks.  Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  4. Meanwhile…Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or use non-stick sheets). Prepare a lightly floured surface to roll out dough.
  5. Take one dough disk, place on your floured surface and roll out.  You are aiming for an even 1/4 inch thickness. Use your Linzer cookie cutters to cut the bottom circles.  Collect the remaining scraps of dough, re-roll, and cut out more bottom circles.  You’re aiming to make around 25 bottoms.  Transfer to your baking sheet as you go along.  Once you’ve sufficiently used up your first disk of dough, bake the bottoms for 8-10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown.
  6. Repeat the above with your second disk, this time using the Linzer cookie cutters with the cut-out shapes to make the top circles.*
  7. When the tops and bottoms are cool, assemble!  Take your circle cookies (these have no cut out shape) and spread jam (a little more than 1/2 tsp) on the bottom of the cookie (the “bottom” is the smoother, more even underside of the cookie).  Then, take the circle cut-out cookies and gently place on top.
  8. Dress with powdered sugar or not – they’ll look beautiful either way. Enjoy with a cup of tea and make sure to snap a pic.

Details: Makes about 2 dozen cookies

*Note 1: Luke and I find that dipping our Linzer cookie cutters in flour makes it easier to keep the cut-out shapes intact.

*Note 2: If you don’t have or don’t want to buy special Linzer cookie cutters, you can use different sized circle cookie cutters.  A 3-inch circle cookie cutter can be used for the bottom and you can use a 3-inch and 1-inch cookie cutter to create the cut-out top.  You’ll have lack the variety of shapes, but still have very classy cookies.

To print the recipe, click here: Jam Cookies