Thursday, November 19, 2015

Pichi Pichi




Pichi pichi is a Filipino dessert made from steamed grated cassava and rolled in freshly grated coconut (niyog)

Ingredients:


  • 1 1/2 cups grated cassava
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • ½ tsp lihiya (lye water)
  • food coloring (optional)
  • freshly grated coconut
  • grated cheese (optional)

Directions:

  1. Wash the cassava and peel off the brown and white silky outer skin.
  2. Using a fine grater, grate cassava, remove the hard stems in the middle and discard. 
  3. Place grated cassava on a clean cheese cloth and squeeze out all the juices. 
  4. In a mixing bowl, combine cassava, sugar, water and lye water. mix thoroughly.
  5. Pour the mixture into mini muffin pans or cup molds.
  6. Steam  for about 30 minutes or until soft and transparent.
  7. Let  cool down for a few minutes carefully unmold.
  8. Roll the each piece in grated coconut.
  9. Place in a serving plate then serve. Top with grated cheese (optional)

Monday, November 16, 2015

Homemade Croutons



Don't let your stale bread go to waste. Croutons are easy to make, super delicious and perfect  for salads and soups.

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 loaf day-old bread
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • salt to taste
  • Optional: garlic powder, dried herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary), parmesan cheese.
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Cut the bread into ½ inch by ½ inch cubes. Cuts as similarly as possible to help them bake evenly. 
  3. Mix melted butter and olive oil together. Set aside.
  4. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
  5. In a large bowl, drizzle oil over the bread cubes, stir to coat. Add the seasonings. toss to evenly coat bread.
  6. Spread seasoned bread onto a sheet pan and bake for 20-30 minutes, tossing several times. Bake until bread is golden and very crunchy.


Saturday, November 14, 2015

Jalapeno Cheese Bread





Jalapeño cheese bread is a great blend of flavors of cheddar cheese, peppers  and other ingredients. 

Ingredients:
  • 9.5 oz bread flour
  • 6.5 water (temperature control)
  • 2 eggs
  • .5 oz instant yeast 
  • .5 dry milk powder
  • 1.5 oz sugar
  • .68 oz salt
  • 1.5 fl oz olive oil
  • 5 oz Jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped, small dice
  • .75 oz cilantro, chopped fine
  • 1 oz onion, fine dice
  • 5 0z cheddar cheese, large dice

Direction:

1. Place the flour, water, eggs, yeast, milk powder, sugar, salt and oil in the bowl of a 6 quart (6.4 liter) or large mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined into a firm dough. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is fully developed, approximately 7 to 9 minutes. Add the jalapenos, cilantro, onion and cheese and mix just until blended into the dough. The dough should reach 80 F.

2. Cover the dough and ferment until doubled, approximately 1 to ½ hours.

3. Punch down the dough and divide the dough and divide into four equal pieces. Round the dough, cover and bench rest 10 minutes.

4. Roll the dough into cylinders and place them seam side down into greased or paper lined loaf pans.

5. Proof until the formed loaves have increased 75 to 80 percent in volume, approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

6. Brush with egg wash and bake at 375 F (190 C) until golden brown, approximately 50 minutes. Cool loaves in their pans for 30 minutes to prevent the loaves from collapsing.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Pizza Dough




Ingredients:

  • 1 T active dry yeast 
  • 2 fl oz water, hot (90oF/30oC) 
  • 14 oz bread flour 
  • 6 fl oz water, cool 
  • 1 t salt 
  • 1 fl oz olive oil 
  • .75 oz honey

Ingredients:

1. Stir the yeast into the hot water to dissolve. Add the flour.

2. Stir the remaining ingredients into the flour mixture. Knead with a dough hook or by hand until smooth and elastic, approximately 5 minutes.

3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover. Ferment the dough in a warm place 30 minutes. Punch down the dough and divide into portions. The dough may be wrapped and refrigerated up to 2 days.

4. On a lightly floured workbench, roll the dough into very thin rounds and top as desired. Bake at 400oF (200 C) until crisp and golden brown, approximately 8 to 12 minutes.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Baked Creme Brulee



Creme Brulee is a smooth, creamy custard topped brittle caramelized  sugar.

Ingredients:
  • 4 fl. oz. milk
  • 12 fl. oz. heavy cream
  • 1.4 vanilla bean, split
  • 3.5 oz. sugar
  • 5 egg yolks
  • Sugar for garnish, AN

Directions:
  1. Heat the milk, heavy cream and vanilla in a sauce pan over medium-high heat until bubbles appears along sides of the pan.
  2. Quickly whisk the sugar into the yolks. Temper the egg mixture, then return to the saucepan. Whisk until well combined.
  3. Strain mixture.
  4. Preheat oven to 325 OF. Arrange the ramekins into 2 inch hotel pan. Pour the custard into the ramekins. Set the pan inside the oven, carefully add enough water into the pan. Bake until just set, approximately 45 to 50 minutes.  The custard should set, not soupy, with only small area of jiggle in the center.
  5. When the custard is done, carefully remove the pan into the oven and allow to cool. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 2 days before serving.
  6. At service, sprinkle the custards with sugar and caramelize with a torch or broiler.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Focaccia



Focaccia is a flat yeast dough topped with herbs and other ingredients. 

Ingredients:

· 1 T sugar

· 1 T active dry yeast

· 12 fl oz water, (temperature control)

· 1 lb AP flour

· 2 t Kosher salt

· 2 fl oz olive oil

· 2 T fresh rosemary, crushed


Ingredients:

1. Combine the sugar, yeast and water. Stir to dissolve the yeast. Stir in the flour, 4 oz at a time.

2. Stir in 1 ½ t of the salt and onion. Mix well, then knead on a lightly floured workbench or in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook until smooth.

3. Place the dough in the oiled bowl and cover and ferment until doubled.

4. Punch down the dough, then flatten it onto and oiled sheet pa. It should be no more than 1 inch thick. Brush the top of the dough with 1 fl oz of the oil. Let the dough proof until doubled, approximately 15 minutes.

5. Dimple the surface of the dough with your fingers. Brush the remaining 1 fl oz of olive oil over the dough. Sprinkle it with the rosemary and the remaining ½ t salt. Bake at 400oF (200oc) until lightly browned, approximately 20 minutes.