Asian Gourmet Club Recipes

I have loved being in the DC Gourmet Club for quite a few years. It always pushes me to learn new recipes and come up with amazing themes. What I'm terrible about is sharing and posting recipes after Gourmet Club is over with. The reason is because I need to sleep for a few days afterwards, and also dedicate time to all the things I neglected the week of Gourmet Club.

Since our month assigned was October, Jenna and I wanted to do something a little different, with a slight play on Halloween. We thought a murder mystery would be fun, and when we found one that was based around Miss America beauty pageant contestants, we were immediately sold! The only problem on my end was deciding what kind of food to serve. I couldn't think of anything that really went with the beauty pageant theme, so I decided to do some Asian recipes I've been dying to try, and add a few of my favorite dishes I love to make.

After a lot of pleading from the members of the group, I am writing down the recipes. I wish I have done this for all of my Gourmet Clubs in the past, because I often do a lot of research and testing, but then forget everything when I want to repeat it.

*Photos all by the amazing Elizabeth Moon!

Momofuku Pork Buns
(I've been making these for a couple of years now, ever since Niki and I had them at the original Momofuku basement restaurant in NYC. Rick LOVES them so much. I use a regular steamer in a large metal pan--you can also use the steamer on a rice cooker if yours has one.)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
4 1/4 cups bread flour
6 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder, rounded
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup rendered pork fat, bacon fat or vegetable shortening, at room temperature
Vegetable oil

Cooked Pork Belly (I use a different recipe--below)
1 cup hoisin sauce (even David Chang uses bottled sauce)
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (green and white parts)
2 thick Kirby cucumbers, cut into 1/8-inch-slices (Chang pickles them in salt & sugar but I like plain)

Stir together the yeast and 1 1/2 cups room temperature water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the flour, sugar, milk powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda and fat and mix on the lowest speed setting for 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should gather together into a ball on the hook. Lightly oil a large bowl and put the dough in it, turning it over to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with a dry kitchen towel and put it in a warm place and let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a clean work surface. Using a sharp knife, divide the dough in half, then divide each half into 5 equal pieces. Gently roll the pieces into logs, then cut each log into 5 pieces, making 50 pieces total. They should be about the size of a Ping-Pong ball and weigh about 25 grams each. Roll each piece into a ball and set them on baking sheets. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and let them rise for 30 minutes. While they're rising, cut out fifty 4-inch squares of parchment paper.

After 30 minutes, use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a 4-inch-long oval. Brush lightly with vegetable oil, lay a chopstick horizontally across the center of the oval and fold the oval over onto itself to form a bun. Gently pull out the chopstick, leaving the bun folded, and transfer it to a square of parchment paper. Put it back under the plastic wrap and form the rest of the buns. Let the buns rest for 30 to 45 minutes: they will rise a little.

*There is a great video with David Chang on an episode of Martha Stewart you can watch to learn how to roll, shape and fold the dough.

Set up a steamer on top of the stove. Working in batches so you don’t crowd the steamer, steam the buns on the parchment squares for 10 minutes. Remove the parchment. You can use the buns immediately or allow them to cool completely, then put them in plastic freezer bags and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat frozen buns in a stove top steamer for 2 to 3 minutes, until puffy, soft, and warmed all the way through. Freeze half the buns in airtight bags for another time.

Open a warm bun and spread about 2 teaspoons of hoisin sauce on the inside. Add 2 pieces of pork belly, then a couple slices of cucumber. (When ready to serve, I slice the pork belly and then char it with a blow torch. Definitely not necessary, but gives it a really great taste.) Add a scattering of scallions. Repeat with the remaining buns, and eat!

Chashu Pork Belly - justonecookbook.com 
(A few years ago I was researching ramen recipes and landed on this website and found some favorite things. They have an incredible teriyaki sauce as well! I made this version of pork belly for that ramen a few years ago and now it's my go-to pork belly recipe.) 

1 lb pork belly block
1 Negi/Long Green Onion (Sub: 1 leek or 2-3 green onions)
1 knob ginger
½ T. vegetable oil
½ cup soy sauce
1 cup water
⅓ cup sugar

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet (or regular frying pan) over high heat. Sear the fat side down first, then flip over to sear all sides, which will take about 10 minutes.

While searing, put all the ingredients for seasonings in a heavy-bottom pot (or regular pot) that fits the Chashu. Add the Chashu and bring it to a boil, skimming the scum and foam. Then turn the heat to low/simmer.

Put an Otoshibuta (drop lid) on top to press the ingredient down and limit the evaporation. If you don’t have an Otoshibuta, you can make it with aluminum foil. (see how to make one on justonecookbook.com – which is my very favorite Japanese recipe blog). Simmer on low heat for next one-hour, rotating Chashu every 15 minutes (keep Otoshibuta on all times!).

After one hour, there is ½ inch liquid left in the pot. Now you have 2 options. Option 1: If you're serving right away, remove the Otoshibuta and further cook down the sauce on low heat until the sauce gets thicken and see the bottom of the pot when you draw a line with a spatula. Option 2 (recommended): Transfer the Chashu to a container or a bag with a little bit of cooking sauce and refrigerate overnight. Strain the leftover cooking sauce and refrigerate.

To serve, slice the Chashu into ¼ inch pieces. You can use a propane torch or broiler to sear the Chashu slices to enhance the flavor. If you kept the Chashu overnight and don't want to sear the Chashu, you can reheat it by soaking in the hot cooking sauce.

Crab Ragoons

(I order the everywhere they offer them and they're always a favorite. I decided to finally make them and they couldn't be easier. There were a lot of fancy recipes, but I just did my own thing and loved them!) 

cream cheese

crab meat (I used real king crab, but you can use imitation)

finely chopped green onion

salt

wonton wrappers

Mix ingredients to taste (I didn't use a recipe, but there are plenty out there). Put a small amount in the wonton wrapper, wet the inside edges and fold as desired (I went for simplicity and just folded into a triangle). Fry in 360 degree oil until golden brown on each side. Drain on paper towel. Serve hot with a side of duck sauce or sweet chili sauce.

Shrimp Spring Rolls

(I have made my own Spring Rolls here and there for almost 20 years--ever since I first had them and wanted to discover how to make them. Now I just order them at Roll Play because it's so much easier. If you haven't been there, go NOW.)

rice paper rounds

cooked shrimp

strawberry slices

julienned mango slices

cilantro

mint

purple cabbage

julienned carrots

julienned cucumber

butter lettuce

rice noodles (soak in hot water, cool in cold water, and drain)

fried wonton wrapper strips

Wet the rice paper round. roll the carrots, cabbage and cucumber in a leaf of butter lettuce so it's easier to work with. Roll all other ingredients together and fold like a burrito. I recommend watching some of the great videos on instagram of rolling spring rolls, and practicing a lot. But, no matter how perfect they are when you are at home, when you throw a fancy dinner party, they will be hideous. But luckily, they will still taste amazing! Serve with a sweet chili sauce. Don't make them too far ahead or the rice paper will get too tough.

Chicken Tom Ka Soup (4 servings)

(I has this soup for the first time at Olivia Hart's wedding a couple of years ago, and have wanted to make it ever since. I finally used Gourmet Club as an excuse to ask Kristin Hartt for it. The recipe normally has mushrooms in it, but I saw that some recipes replace them with pumpkin. I thought it would be perfect for October, and it was a hit with my family and Gourmet Club. This recipe is definitely a keeper!)

2 cups homemade or canned chicken or veggie broth

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

7-8 thin slices of fresh ginger

1 stalk lemon grass, tough outer layers removed and tender inner stalk cut into bite-sized pieces and slightly pounded

12 kaffir lime leaves (very important-get from Asian store), slightly crushed

5-6 fresh Thai or 1 soprano chili, slightly pounded (I was very light on the peppers for mild spice level)

3 shallots, cut in half

1 t. salt

1 t. sugar

1/4 c. fish sauce

2 c. coconut cream and milk combined

2 c. bite-sized chicken, raw

1 c. bite-sized peeled pumpkin (I used Japanese kabocha), raw

2-3 T. fresh lime juice

1/3 c. cilantro, chopped

1 scallion, minced

chili sauce like siracha to taste

Bring broth to boil in large sauce pan. Add garlic, ginger, lemon grass, lime leaves, chilis, and shallots. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain broth and discard solids. (This is the step that I did a few days before and then stored broth to finish at the dinner--it worked so well and would freeze really nicely!)

Return broth to sauce pan and set over low heat. Add salt, sugar and fish sauce. Taste for a pleasing balance of salty and spicy. Add coconut cream and milk combined. When both simmers, add chicken and pumpkin. Increase heat to medium. When they are cooked, turn off heat (I think about 7-10 minutes). Taste and adjust seasoning and add siracha if desired. 

Serve with lime juice, cilantro and scallion.

Spicy Thai Steak Salad

(I order this every time I go to a Thai restaurant, as it's my favorite on the menu. But it's so simple and when creating this menu, I thought surely it's easy to make. As much as I hate everything about fish sauce, it's a must with this salad. You can make the dressing ahead and keep it in the fridge up to 2 weeks.)

1 pound flank or strip steak broiled, grilled, or Sous-vide (what I used) 

1 large head of butter lettuce, also known as Boston or Bibb, leaves torn into bite-size pieces

1 large head of romaine, torn into bite-size pieces

1/2 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced

1/2 pint (120 g) cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 small red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

Handful of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

Large handful of fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/4 red or green jalapeño, unseeded and thinly sliced crosswise, or more to taste

1 packed tablespoon light brown sugar

Cook steak as you prefer, cover in tin foil and let sit on counter to cool up to an hour. 

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, mint, and cilantro.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, jalapeños, and brown sugar. (Or, in a 12-ounce/180-ml or larger jar with a lid, combine the ingredients, cover, then shake vigorously.) Dip a piece of lettuce in the dressing and check the seasonings; add more jalapeños, if you like. The sauce should have a balance of hot, sweet, sour, and salty, which is typical of Thai foods. 

Cut the meat against the grain into very thin slices and add to the bowl. Drizzle the salad with just enough Chile-Lime Sauce to lightly coat and gently toss together.

Milkbar Strawberry Lemon Cake

(I highly recommend Christina Toi's amazing book, All About Cakes, which has this recipe. You should only make this if you have 12 hours of free time, and you are slightly insane. If you are feeling extra ambitions, double all six of these recipes and then make 12 mini cakes instead of one large one. And then make another double batch of strawberry jam because you ate too much and need more to share with your friends.)

Vanilla Cake

Nonstick baking spray

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1 1⁄4 cups sugar

1⁄4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1⁄2 cup buttermilk

1⁄2 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp. vanilla extact

1 1⁄2 cups cake flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

Heat the oven to 350°. Line an 8 x 12-inch baking sheet with parchment paper and then spray with nonstick baking spray. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter with both of the sugars on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and continue mixing on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly drizzle in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until the batter doubles in volume and turns white, 6 minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, 28 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely. Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Pickled Strawberry Jam 
(This is AMAZING and I've decided I'm always going to have some of this in my fridge to spread over hot buttered toast or English muffins.)

12 oz. strawberries, hulled

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. pectin

3⁄4 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. sherry wine vinegar

In a blender, puree the strawberries until smooth. In a small saucepan, whisk the sugar with pectin and 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt. Scrape the strawberry purée into the saucepan along with both vinegars, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook the jam, stirring, until thickened and glossy, 10 minutes. Remove the jam from the heat and let cool completely. Spoon 5 tablespoons of the jam into a small bowl for the frosting, and refrigerate the remaining jam for up to 2 weeks.

Pickled Strawberry Frosting

1 1⁄2 tsp. white wine vinegar

8 tbsp. unsalted butter

1⁄4 cup confectioners' sugar

1⁄8 tsp. citric acid

For the pickled strawberry frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter with the confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir the reserved 5 tablespoons pickled strawberry jam with the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and the citric acid. On low speed, slowly pour in the jam and then beat until smooth and fluffy, 1 minute.

Milk Crumbs

3⁄4 cup instant nonfat dry milk, such as Carnation

1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. sugar

1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

3 oz. white chocolate, melted

Heat the oven to 250°. In a medium bowl, whisk 1⁄2 cup of the dry milk with the flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and stir with spatula until the mixture forms small clusters. Spread the clusters onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake until dried and sandy, 20 minutes. Transfer the clusters to a rack and let cool completely.

Return the clusters to a bowl, break apart any that are larger than 1⁄2 inch in diameter, and then toss with the remaining 1⁄4 cup dry milk until evenly coated. Pour the white chocolate over the crumbs and toss with the spatula until evenly coated, tossing every 5 minutes until the chocolate is cooled completely and no longer sticky. Transfer the crumbs to a container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Liquid Cheesecake

1⁄2 tsp. cornstarch

1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tbsp. whole milk

1 large egg

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

3⁄4 cup sugar

Heat the oven to 300° and line a 6-inch round cake pan with plastic wrap. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the salt and then stir in the milk and egg until smooth. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed of a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add the sugar and continue mixing until fluffy, 2 minutes more. Add the cornstarch slurry, and beat until smooth and loose, 3 minutes.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until set at the edges, but not browned, and still loose in the center, 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely. Store the cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Lemon Curd

6 tbsp. sugar

5 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Finely grated zest from 2 lemons

3 large eggs

2 1⁄4 tsp. unflavored powdered gelatin

6 tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt

In a blender, blend the sugar with the lemon juice and zest until the sugar dissolves, 30 seconds. Add the eggs and blend on low speed until smooth and foamy, 15 seconds. Scrape the curd into a small saucepan and clean the blender.

Heat the curd over low, and cook, stirring, until thickened and it comes to a low boil, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir the gelatin with 2 tablespoons cold water and let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Pour the lemon curd into the cleaned blender along with the softened gelatin, butter, and salt, and puree until smooth.

Scrape the curd through a fine sieve into a bowl and refrigerate until the curd is completely chilled, at least 1 hour. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

To assemble the cake: 

Unmold the vanilla cake from the pan and place on a cutting board. Using a 6-inch springform cake pan ring, cut out 2 full circles from the cake. Wash the ring and place it in the center of a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Fit a 32 inch-long sheet of parchment paper inside the ring to line it, and secure it closed with clear tape (the paper should stand 12 inches tall).

Break the cake scraps apart and place them inside the ring to completely cover the bottom, pressing to flatten them into an even layer. Using a pastry brush, brush 3⁄4 teaspoon of the lemon juice over the cake layer, and then spread half the pickled strawberry jam over the cake. Sprinkle with one-third of the milk crumbs, and press them into the jam to secure.

In a large bowl, whisk the cheesecake with the lemon curd until completely smooth. Spoon half of the lemon cheesecake over the milk crumbs and smooth the top. Place one of the full cake layers over the cheesecake layer and press gently to level. Brush the cake with the remaining 3⁄4 teaspoon lemon juice, and then repeat layering with the remaining pickled strawberry jam, half of the remaining milk crumbs, and the remaining lemon cheesecake, smoothing the top.

Place the remaining cake layer on top of the cheesecake and press gently to level. Spread the pickled strawberry frosting over the cake layer and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the remaining milk crumbs and then freeze the assembled cake for at least 12 hours to set the layers. Store the cake in the freezer until ready to serve, up to 2 weeks.

Remove the cake from the freezer, and remove the springform ring. Peel away and discard the parchment paper, and then transfer the cake to a serving plate or cake stand. Let the cake stand to defrost for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving.

Coconut Key Lime Macarons

Sara (Huber) Kutter wanted me to teach her how to make macarons. She wanted to make some for her sweet 1 year old's birthday party. Her colors for the party are green and blue.

We made a traditional blueberry for the blue ones (just blended up freeze-dried blueberries and added to my basic buttercream). I have been wanting to make lime macarons with a lime curd for a while now, so that's what I decided to do with the green ones. But, when I was about to add vanilla to the batter, I thought I'd try coconut extract instead, thinking it would go well with lime. I always have a bottle of Nellie & Joe's key lime juice from Key West, so I used that for the curd. They turned out absolutely amazing, and might even be my new favorite flavor!

Coconut Key Lime Macarons

2/3 c. almond flour (sometimes called meal)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 egg whites at room temperature
5 T. granulated sugar
3/4 t. coconut extract
green gel coloring

Heat oven to 280-300 degrees and place the racks on the two lowest positions. Cut flat pieces of parchment paper (buy online at King Arthur) to fit two cookie sheets perfectly (cut corners too). I no longer draw circles. I found it to be a very time consuming task that I quickly tired of. I learned how to pipe the macarons in a way to keep the perfect shape of a circle (description below).

Place 2/3 c. almond flour (packed tightly) with 1.5 c. powdered sugar in a food processor and process until very smooth and mixed together thoroughly. DO NOT do this in a blender, as it somehow adds moisture. If you don't have a mixer, you can sift your almond flour before measuring, then whisk the flour and powdered sugar together. This avoids little pieces of almond in your cookies.

After separating the egg whites (keep yolks for lime curd), add them to the bowl of a mixer (I love my Kitchenaid). If you're like me, and always forget to set out the eggs so they're at room temperature when you begin, here's a tip. Put the egg whites in the mixer bowl, and swirl around atop of your cooktop's flame (requires a gas stove). Using a clean finger, I will swirl the egg whites around until they are not hot or cold, but room temperature--works like a charm! Add 5 T. of granulated sugar to your egg whites. Using your heavy duty mixer, start with speed 4 and beat for 2 minutes, then go to speed 6 for 2 minutes, and finally at speed 8 for 2 minutes. At this point, add the coconut extract and green coloring, then set the mixer to speed 10 and and continue to beat until stiff peaks appear. You will notice that the egg whites start to gather in the middle, which indicates it's ready. To test it, pick up the whisk and if the egg white's peak at the top doesn't fall, they are ready. If it falls down, keep mixing. Make sure you don't over mix (it will become dry and clumpy--if that happens, start over with new egg whites).

Leaving the beat egg whites in the original mixing bowl, add a third of the dry mixture and fold it about a dozen times until just mixed. Fold with a spatula, going up the sides, pushing down the center. I use a silicone spatula and scrape around the sides of the bowl, then push down the middle twice, and continue that until you can't see the dry ingredients anymore. As soon as they are mixed in, add another 1/3 of the mixture and continue. Finish mixing the rest of the dry ingredients, being careful to fold and not stir. This last step is a little harder and will require you to scrape the sides and then push down in the middle a few times. When it starts to smooth out and thin out, start testing it by lifting your spatula, and dropping the batter into the bowl. The mixture should pour off the spatula like thick molten lava. If it's not flowing when you lift the spatula, it is too thick and needs more mixing. If you Google videos of stirring macaron batter, you can watch the experts do it and see the desired consistency. That helped me a lot when I was learning.

Use a piping bag with a medium-sized round tip (#10 works, but #12 is better). Place it in a large cup and fold over the sides. Pour in half of the mixture and twist the top. Start piping the batter into the circles. The best way to do it is to hold the pastry bag just over the pan (not touching) and squeeze slightly to let the batter come out until a circle is perfectly formed. This takes practice, but you will get it quickly. Make sure your pastry bag is straight up and down, and squeeze just until the batter flows out of the tip. As soon as you have the desired size (about the size of a quarter or half dollar), then stop squeezing. Then quickly turn your wrist as you lift the tip to try and not leave a tail. Once the first pan is filled, hold the pan with both hands and tap hard on the counter 3 times. Turn the pan so your hands are on the opposite ends and tap again 3 times (helps get any air pockets out and flattens the cookies). Continue until both pans are filled and the rest of the batter is used up. Let them sit on the counter for at least an hour, or until the tops are no longer wet when you touch them. (This could take a lot longer in a humid climate.) **If your batter spreads too much when you pipe the cookies, or they spread when you tap the pan, your batter is too thin and next time you need to stir less. If the cookies still have a little bump on the top of them, and it won't go away no matter how many times you tap the pan, you have too thick of a batter and you need to stir a few more strokes next time.

Place the cookie sheets on the two bottom oven racks. You will have to experiment with the cooking times, but this is what worked for me. Set the timer for 2 minutes and when it rings, open the door for about 30 seconds, to let any humidity escape. Then close the door and set the timer for 6 minutes. **This is the BIG moment in macaron making. When you open the oven, you will see if your macarons have the oh so important "feet" at the bottoms. If they have cracked or have a dome, that means you didn't let them dry long enough. Continue to bake and see if you can salvage any.

Once the initial 6 minutes is up, switch the pans so that the top one is now on the bottom, as well as turn around so the back of the pan is now in the front. Bake for 7 more minutes. To test the doneness, lightly press on the top of the cookie. If it is gooey underneath and moves a lot, it needs a couple more minutes. If it feels firm, then carefully try to lift the cookie off the sheet. If it comes off the parchment easily, they are done. If the cookie separates in half, bake one more minute, and so on. Cool the macaroons completely before lifting any off the pans. If they all come off perfectly, pat yourself on the back! If they stick a little, just be careful and try your best. If they stick a lot, use a thin metal spatula and try to scrape underneath them to salvage the cookie's important bottom.

Once all the cookies are off the sheets, you can find each of them a match. If you are the only one who piped them, they should be fairly consistent sizes and you can usually make a perfect match when pairing them up, and then fill them with lime curd (recipe below). You should use a pastry bag with the same size of tip to fill the macarons, and only pipe the filling in the center, filling half of the macaron. Once you put the top on, squish just so you can see the edge of the filling sandwiched between the cookies.

Completed macarons are best if refrigerated (in a tight fitting container) for a couple of hours, or frozen up to 3 months. At least 15 minutes before serving, remove the macarons from the fridge and let them come to room temperature. If frozen, take out of the freezer an hour before serving, and keep sealed in the container, with the lid on, until completely thawed.

Lime Curd

4 egg yolks

1/4 c. Key Lime Juice

1/2 c. sugar

5 T. butter, cold and cut into chunks
green gel coloring

On medium heat, cook egg yolks, lime juice and sugar, stirring constantly. Continue to cook until the mixture is thick enough to coat a wooden spoon, or until it reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Remove saucepan from the heat and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time until all the butter is combined, and add coloring to match cookie shells. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and into a medium bowl. Cover the curd with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to avoid causing a skin to form. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to a day. 

New Orleans Bread Pudding

Yesterday I thought there was a party for some friends of ours who will be leaving to serve a mission in Louisiana. I needed to bring a dessert, so I thought it would be a good excuse to make a New Orleans style bread pudding I've been wanting to recreate. (I've also been practicing some recipes for my upcoming DC Gourmet Club, and bread pudding has been on that list.) Sadly, I got my weeks mixed up and there was no party last night, so I ended up passing out warm bread pudding to my neighbors!

My inspiration came from the amazing bread pudding at Henry's Louisiana Grill in Georgia. I love it so much that my district office even ordered it in to celebrate my last birthday! Henry's bread pudding is really good, but what's amazing is the insane caramel sauce that he ladles over the bread pudding. I tried a few different recipes last night and landed on the sauce below. The actual bread pudding is an adaption from Emeril's recipe, and the sauce takes his Bourbon cream sauce and adds it to a caramel sauce, which ended up close to perfect.

New Orleans Bread Pudding

(Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagassee)

8 eggs

2 c. brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

¼ t. freshly grated nutmeg

2 t. vanilla extract

¼ c. Bourbon

4 c. half-and-half

1.5 loaves of French bread

1 c. raisins (optional)

Cut French bread into 1 inch pieces. Line a baking sheet with bread cubes and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, or just until they are dried out—this is especially important if the bread is fresh (day old bread works best).

Combine eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, Bourbon, and half-and-half together in a large mixing bowl. Add cooled bread cubes and raisins to the mixture, and soak for 2 hours. Stir once in while so everything gets coated and soaked.

Pour the bread mixture into a buttered 9X13” baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, watching that the sides and bottom don’t get burned, but the center is firm and set. Let cool on the counter for 5-10 minutes before serving. Cut into serving squares and top with creamy caramel sauce.

Creamy Caramel Sauce

1 c. heavy cream

1 c. half-and-half cream

2 t. vanilla

3 T. sugar

1 T. cornstarch

2 T. bourbon

Heat the cream, half-and-half, vanilla and sugar in a saucepan over high heat, whisking for 3 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in the Bourbon. As soon as the cream mixture starts to boil, add the Bourbon mixture and whisk vigorously while it boils for one minute. Lower heat so it simmers, and whisk until it’s thoroughly blended and slightly thickened. Set aside and immediately start on caramel sauce.

1 c. sugar

½ c. corn syrup

½ c. butter, room temperature

Combine sugar and corn syrup in a heavy bottomed saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly just until the sugar is dissolved and melted. Stop stirring as soon as that happens and continue to cook (no stirring) until the mixture is a light golden brown. Remove from heat and shock the saucepan in an ice bath quickly to stop the pan from cooking, but remove it instantly so it doesn’t cool too much. Quickly whisk in the butter until combined, and then add the Bourbon cream mixture, whisking over low heat until it is all combined and smooth.

Stacy's Granola

My adorable friend Stacy Hansen moved to New Jersey and she loves to bring her girls to DC for overnight visits and they stay in our guest rooms. One day she brought me a jar full of granola to thank me, and it honestly was the best gift in the world because I've now used this recipe dozens of times over the last couple of years. It's the best granola I've ever had.

My favorite thing to do with it is put it with greek yogurt and fresh berries. Or in the summer time when peaches or blueberries are in season, I just put it with fresh fruit and milk. It's also nice to have in a container at work so you can munch on it here and now to fill your belly. And boy, just a little bit helps to make you full for a really long time!

Stacy Hansen's Granola

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Mix together in a large bowl:

8 cups oats

½ cup UNSWEETENED coconut (flakes or shredded)

2 T. ground flax

2 T. flax seed 

2 T. chia seeds 

1 cup chopped raw almonds

1 cup chopped raw walnuts or pecans

Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together:

2/3 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil)

1 cup honey

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp salt

Pour wet ingredients over dry.  If you want the oat mixture to be coated evenly mix with your hands for 2-3 minutes.  Spread equal parts of the granola onto two jellyroll pans and cook for 15-25 minutes. Depending on how you like your granola (crunchy or sticky).  Stir granola after 10 minutes in the oven.  Cook for 5 more minutes and stir, then cook 5 minutes and stir, then one last time cook for 5 minutes and take out of oven to cool.  I usually stir it in the pan every once in a while as it cools, so it doesn’t cool in one big chunk.  It will still break a part but it can be messy.

{UPDATED} Basic Macarons

It's been quite a while since I've updated my recipe blog. A goal of mine is to catch up on a few favorite recipes this summer. I had a dear friend text me tonight requesting a recipe for macarons that she could pass along with a shower gift tomorrow morning, so I thought I'd update my basic macaron recipe with a few new tips and tricks I've learned along the way.

{UPDATED} Basic Macarons

2/3 c. almond flour (sometimes called meal)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 egg whites at room temperature
5 T. granulated sugar
3/4 t. vanilla (or almond) extract
gel coloring

Heat oven to 280-300 degrees and place the racks on the two lowest positions. Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit two cookie sheets perfectly (cut corners too). I no longer draw circles. I found it to be a very time consuming task that I quickly tired of. I learned how to pipe the macarons in a way to keep the perfect shape of a circle (description below).

Place 2/3 c. almond flour (packed tightly) with 1.5 c. powdered sugar in a food processor and process until very smooth and mixed together thoroughly. DO NOT do this in a blender, as it somehow adds moisture. If you don't have a mixer, you can sift your almond flour before measuring, then whisk the flour and powdered sugar together. This avoids little pieces of almond in your cookies.

After separating the egg whites (keep yolks for buttercream and curds), add them to the bowl of a mixer (I love my Kitchenaid). If you're like me, and always forget to set out the eggs so they're at room temperature when you begin, here's a tip. Put the egg whites in the mixer bowl, and swirl around atop of your cooktop's flame (requires a gas stove). Using a clean finger, I will swirl the egg whites around until they are not hot or cold, but room temperature--works like a charm! Add 5 T. of granulated sugar to your egg whites. Using your heavy duty mixer, start with speed 4 and beat for 2 minutes, then go to speed 6 for 2 minutes, and finally at speed 8 for 2 minutes. At this point, add the extract and coloring, then set the mixer to speed 10 and and continue to beat until stiff peaks appear. You will notice that the egg whites start to gather in the middle, which indicates it's ready. To test it, pick up the whisk and if the egg white's peak at the top doesn't fall, they are ready. If it falls down, keep mixing. Make sure you don't over mix (it will become dry and clumpy--if that happens, start over with new egg whites).

Leaving the beat egg whites in the original mixing bowl, add a third of the dry mixture and fold it about a dozen times until just mixed. Fold with a spatula, going up the sides, pushing down the center. I use a silicone spatula and scrape around the sides of the bowl, then push down the middle twice, and continue that until you can't see the dry ingredients anymore. As soon as they are mixed in, add another 1/3 of the mixture and continue. Finish mixing the rest of the dry ingredients, being careful to fold and not stir. This last step is a little harder and will require you to scrape the sides and then push down in the middle a few times. When it starts to smooth out and thin out, start testing it by lifting your spatula, and dropping the batter into the bowl. The mixture should pour off the spatula like thick molten lava. If it's not flowing when you lift the spatula, it is too thick and needs more mixing. If you Google videos of stirring macaron batter, you can watch the experts do it and see the desired consistency. That helped me a lot when I was learning.

Use a piping bag with a medium-sized round tip (#10 works, but #12 is better). Place it in a large cup and fold over the sides. Pour in half of the mixture and twist the top. Start piping the batter into the circles. The best way to do it is to hold the pastry bag just over the pan (not touching) and squeeze slightly to let the batter come out until a circle is perfectly formed. This takes practice, but you will get it quickly. Make sure your pastry bag is straight up and down, and squeeze just until the batter flows out of the tip. As soon as you have the desired size (about the size of a quarter or half dollar), then stop squeezing. Then quickly turn your wrist as you lift the tip to try and not leave a tail. Once the first pan is filled, hold the pan with both hands and tap hard on the counter 3 times. Turn the pan so your hands are on the opposite ends and tap again 3 times (helps get any air pockets out and flattens the cookies). Continue until both pans are filled and the rest of the batter is used up. Let them sit on the counter for at least an hour, or until the tops are no longer wet when you touch them. (This could take a lot longer in a humid climate.) **If your batter spreads too much when you pipe the cookies, or they spread when you tap the pan, your batter is too thin and next time you need to stir less. If the cookies still have a little bump on the top of them, and it won't go away no matter how many times you tap the pan, you have too thick of a batter and you need to stir a few more strokes next time.

Place the cookie sheets on the two bottom oven racks. You will have to experiment with the cooking times, but this is what worked for me. Set the timer for 2 minutes and when it rings, open the door for about 30 seconds, to let any humidity escape. Then close the door and set the timer for 6 minutes. **This is the BIG moment in macaron making. When you open the oven, you will see if your macarons have the oh so important "feet" at the bottoms. If they have cracked or have a dome, that means you didn't let them dry long enough. Continue to bake and see if you can salvage any.

Once the initial 6 minutes is up, switch the pans so that the top one is now on the bottom, as well as turn around so the back of the pan is now in the front. Bake for 7 more minutes. To test the doneness, lightly press on the top of the cookie. If it is gooey underneath and moves a lot, it needs a couple more minutes. If it feels firm, then carefully try to lift the cookie off the sheet. If it comes off the parchment easily, they are done. If the cookie separates in half, bake one more minute, and so on. Cool the macaroons completely before lifting any off the pans. If they all come off perfectly, pat yourself on the back! If they stick a little, just be careful and try your best. If they stick a lot, use a thin metal spatula and try to scrape underneath them to salvage the cookie's important bottom.

Once all the cookies are off the sheets, you can find each of them a match. If you are the only one who piped them, they should be fairly consistent sizes and you can usually make a perfect match when pairing them up. I line them all up and then fill them with a buttercream or curd (recipes below). You should use a pastry bag with the same size of tip to fill the macarons, and only pipe the filling in the center, filling half of the macaron. Once you put the top on, squish just so you can see the edge of the filling sandwiched between the cookies.

Completed macarons are best if refrigerated (in a tight fitting container) for a couple of hours, or frozen up to 3 months. At least 15 minutes before serving, remove the macarons from the fridge and let them come to room temperature. If frozen, take out of the freezer an hour before serving, and keep sealed in the container, with the lid on, until completely thawed.

Basic Buttercream Filling

7 T. unsalted butter, cold

2 egg yolks

1/4 c. granulated sugar

3 1/2 T. milk or cream

1 t. vanilla or almond extract

Put cold butter in a ziplock freezer bag and hit it with a rolling pin until completely flattened. In your mixer, start beating the egg yolks on high, and add the granulated sugar and beat until the mixture lightens to an off-white and you can no longer see the granules of sugar. Add the milk or cream, and whisk to combine. Pour the egg mixture into a small saucepan and heat over low, whisking constantly to ensure that the mixture does not curdle or scorch. Cook until the mixture becomes thick and custardy, like pudding. Be VERY careful not to get too hot or it will cook the egg and you will have burnt spots. Whisk constantly and very quickly while waiting for it to thicken. Pour the thickened egg mixture back into its bowl and whisk constantly until it returns to room temperature or it feels cool when touching the bottom of the bowl. Add the butter in three batches, beating on high until each addition is mixed in. Once all the butter is mixed in, add the extract, and desired coloring; stir until smooth and all ingredients are fully combined. This basic recipe can be flavored and colored however you'd like and can be doubled or tripled. **If the buttercream curdles, that means the mixture was too hot or the butter wasn't cold enough. You can sometimes warm the mixing bowl with a hot blow dryer, or keep whisking and it usually will come together. Google troubleshooting with buttercream if you run into troubles.

Curd Filling

4 lg. egg yolks

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. lemon juice, lime juice, or passionfruit puree
3 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Prepare an ice water bath; set aside. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a medium heatproof bowl. Add the fruit juice and butter. Place over a pan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until thick, about 15 minutes. Transfer bowl to ice water bath and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cool. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Transfer to refrigerator until completely cold, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. **Use leftover on pancakes!