Baked Sunday Mornings: Bananas Foster Fritters

FABULOUS FRIED FOSTER FRITTERS

I almost did not get this one done.  Two reasons:  1.  Year end paperwork...just finished quarterly taxes, W-2s and 1099's, etc. and getting ready for "tax season."  It is a crazy time of year!         2.  This week's record breaking freeze.  Bad for Arizona!

I won't elaborate on #1...it just takes lots of time and mind power.  Mind power to stay focused and to get it done...not that it's terribly hard.

#2 has taken us by surprise.  It has never been this cold and for this many days in the more than 25 years we've lived in Gilbert, AZ.  This morning at 10 am it was still below freezing...and when I woke up it was only 24^.  Tonight will also be very cold as it will be for the balance of the week.  (I know, most of you are living in real winter, but, believe me, this is bad for AZ.)

We have lots of citrus in our back yard, and this is the time of year we grow our vege gardens.  Our lawns are the prettiest, and many lovely flowers are in bloom.  My roses are incredible.  I spent all last night watering citrus trees to keep them from freezing and Hubby was out all night burning fires under the trees...and we are in a "no burn" week due to bad air quality...so I've been anticipating a knock on the door presenting us with a fine.  I built big tents and spent lots of $$ to cover my gardens and I've done everything I know how to do to save our plants and trees.  All day, the weatherman said it will get to 19^ tonight...a temp that calls for giving up, but it was adjusted later to 24^.  Bad, but not as bad.  Because of these temps, the country will pay higher prices for lettuce, etc...AZ is a huge winter lettuce producer among other crops.  (I had fresh herbs growing on a window sill. ...inside the house.  I closed the curtains, leaving the herbs in a space next to the window and shut off from warmth...they froze...dead...done.  That has not happened to me since we lived in Upstate NY.)

And, I always fry outdoors.  Always!  I have a nice area set up where, with a gas burner, I can heat up a pot of oil in less than 2 minutes.  And the mess does not matter...it's outside and away from things.  We make French fries, fried chicken, do-nuts, etc. often...but always outside.  But it is too dagnabit cold!

So, I decided I would forget the fritters, and get back into the groove next week.

But after working all day, Hubby and Son #2 made their usual Saturday night run to Trader Joe's and Walmart...for junk food.  They purchased lots of chips and ice cream and decided to skip their usual dozen do-nuts thinking about the lovely fresh orange juice muffins I had made earlier...they would eat muffins instead.  I had glazed the tops with an OJ glaze...they were kinda like do-nuts. But they were disappointed to find, upon returning home, that all the muffins were gone...kids had appeared a little earlier in the day and had devoured every one.  All gone.  And now, no do-nuts.

But never fear, more junk food was on the way.  Even though it was 9:30 pm, I would do it...I would fry the fritters and I would fry them in the house.  Sacrifice?  No!  They were quick and YUM! and actually very little mess.

I had made thick, buttery, caramely buttermilk syrup earlier and had leftovers.  I used my syrup instead of the rum dipping sauce.  It only took 5 minutes to make the banana fritter batter.  (All mixed by hand, no electric equipment needed.)  My oil heated to 375^ while mixing the fritters.  Quick!  Easy!

Then, just as I was about to plop the first scoop of dough into the frier, in walked my Frolicking Night Owl daughter and her Hubby...came to borrow a movie.  Perfect.  There were just the right amount of fritters for us all.  (I used 4 large bananas and poured in a little fresh OJ...batter was too dry...the bananas seemed a little dry even though quite ripe)  It took less than 5 minutes to fry them all...so the whole process only took about 10 minutes.

HOT OUT OF THE FRIER AND BAMMED WITH CINNAMON-CONFECTIONER'S SUGAR

A fun Saturday night treat!  I'm sure we'll make these again.  I'm always looking for ways to use up very ripe bananas...and this one is a keeper.  

Hope you all are staying warm!

Tuesdays with Julia and Dorie: Hungarian Shortbread

INSTANT FAVORITE SHORTBREAD:  TERRIFIC RECIPE!

I’m taking a break in my day to post my Hungarian Shortbread Baking experience.  And such a lovely break this is.  Today is payday at the office and it is also an ingredient gathering day to help the “boy next door” who is getting married Saturday morning.  I’ve been asked to help with his reception food and fun.  Of course I’m loving this special honor.

When I drop off paychecks in about an hour, I plan to also take my baked shortbread to share with the office crew.  Paychecks in this bad economy rarely bring smiles; usually bring concern about how bills will all be paid on reduced income...but sweets always brighten moods and bring a short relief.

This recipe, for me, is all pantry items.  We can’t grow rhubarb in the Phoenix valley...too hot, and grocery store rhubarb is usually slimy and turning black, so frozen is usually the best way to go.  I keep a bag or two in my freezer as we love strawberry-rhubarb pie at our house.

 

BOTTOM LAYER IS OVEN READY

I made two recipe changes.  First, thinking about those pies we love,  I made rhubarb-strawberry jam for my middle layer.  Second, after reading through the P’s & Q’s I decided to bake the bottom shortbread layer for 15 minutes before adding the jam filling and the top layer.  (Note: this was a good idea!)

 

AFTER A 15 MINUTE PRE-BAKE

AFTER A GOOD FREEZE THE FOOD PROCESSOR IS A HANDY GRATER

Things I learned from this first baking: FREEZE the dough well before trying to grate.  After 45 minutes, my dough balls were only hard on the exterior, and the middle portion clogged the grater and made a mess, necessitating the need to re-freeze and a longer than planned for kitchen time.  After a much longer freeze time, my top layer grated beautifully and with none of the mess from the partially frozen first layer dough ball.  (Additional baking time for filled and with top layer: 30 minutes)

 

WITH JAM LAYER FILLING

WITH THIS GRATED TOP LAYER THE SHORTBREAD IS OVEN READY

OK...I’m now back home from my jaunt to the office.  I’m eating my 3rd piece as I continue to type up this post.  This Hungarian Shortbread recipe is fabulous! 

To entice my office tasters on this hot AZ day (I was worried there would be non-rhubarb eaters since this is not a usual AZ food) I brought along a tub of ice cream to top this treat.

 

BAKED

BAMMED WITH POWDERED SUGAR

SEE THAT DELICIOUS RHUBARB-STRAWBERRY FILLING?

WOW!  You all would have loved the comments.  The best came from Bill, who is an attorney renting an office from us, and he is a wanna-be chef (actually thinks he is the world’s best chef...always critiques my foods).  He said, “This shortcake is fabulous.  It is the BEST thing you’ve made yet.  Where did you get this recipe?”  I shared the process with him and he stated that the grating process must be why this “bread” is so light.  His only critique: leave out the strawberries; just go with the rhubarb.  Well, that is his opinion.  I have a tendency to do whatever is opposite of what Bill suggests, just something about disagreeing with someone who is always so “smart” and has the “final” word.  Know what I mean?  So just for Bill, I’ll keep in the strawberries next time, and I am now dreaming about other seasonal fruits for the filling: peaches, figs, blueberries.........

Anyway, this shortbread is an instant favorite.  Turned out perfect!

 

I’m looking forward to viewing and reading about what you have done...all 2 or 3 hundred of you.  Sounds like a fun week.

Happy May Day!

French Friday with Dorie: Buckwheat Blini and Traditional Blini

BUCKWHEAT AND TRADITIONAL BLINI

 Blini wrappers make such pretty and delicious containers for a variety of foods.  They are delicious both savory and sweet and with both savory and sweet fillings.  These wrappers are filled and used as a "Russian sandwich"...they do not eat sandwiches like Americans do...with bread on both the bottom and the top, but these packets are filled with cooked veges, meats, and fruits, and are usually eaten as finger foods.

FOR TRADITIONAL:  WHISK THE EGGS UNTIL THEY ARE CREAMY AND THICK

We began experiencing a new phenomena as soon as we brought home our 2 adopted Russian daughters.  Everywhere we went we met Russian immigrants and many become our friends.  One became an employee for a year.  Others helped translate for us before our girls could speak English.

COMBINE BUTTER WITH OIL IN THE COOKING PAN--PREVENTS THE BUTTER FROM BURNING

The people we met while in  Slavic countries love to come here, to America, often to visit for 6 months at a time.  Some have had our help to come on student visas to get an education and training which are not available in their own countries.  One of these, Julia, is like another daughter to me.

TOOLS:  PARCHMENT PAPER LAYERED BETWEEN THE WRAPPERS AND A SILICONE SPATULA PERFECTLY FLIPS THE BLIN IN THE PAN

This weekend, a dear “Russian” family will be returning to Moldova after a 6 month stay.  We met them, Alex and Marina, who now have a small son, at our children’s orphanage, and they have been to America twice since then, living only a 10 minute walk from us.  Their first stay was for 2 years and this stay has been for 6 months.

STACK OF ALL PURPOSE FLOUR BLINI WRAPPERS

All these Russians have a common skill of not cooking with cookbooks.  In fact, Russian cookbooks are rare.  (But they all do very little baking.) We had difficulty finding cookbooks for our girls who wanted to learn to cook Russian foods as they missed tastes from their country that could not be explained to me.
      
Both Julia and Marina often bring me gifts of blintz, or blini, which are the same thing, just in a different language, containing a variety of fillings.  Theirs include mashed potatoes, meats such as chicken, cheeses, or fruits such as sour cherries.  These treats are either rolled, like crepes, or they are folded into “envelop” packets, similar to a Chinese eggroll.

The old Russian or Ukrainian blini (or blinchiki) are traditionally made with buckwheat flour and contain yeast.  More modern blini are similar to French crepes and do not contain yeast.  The Russians I know also call this food “pancakes,” and they do not use yeast.  When Julia first came we made our pancakes for her and she made her pancakes for us...we called hers “crepes.”

The Orthodox Church carries on a tradition of honoring the round, new sun, following winter, which began in pre-Christian times. Hence the round crepe shape makes the perfect food to serve for this ritual.   This tradition continues to this day.  Blini, or blintz, are also the traditional food served at wakes to honor the recently deceased.  (My girls associate buckwheat with wakes and therefore buckwheat is not desirable to them.)

All my Russian friends use all purpose flour to make this food and none of them like buckwheat.  A couple of years ago I thought I was doing them a favor when I purchased a package of buckwheat flour and made blini for them; it was rejected as being “yucky” and I was asked to never bake or cook with that type of flour again.  None of their friends or family use buckwheat which is actually grown only in one distant country, I think Lithunia, part of the old USSR, but not Russia or other USSR break-offs, according to my friends.

CHEESE FILLING--TRADITIONAL

PUMPKIN FILLING--MY INVENTION

My friends also like to fill these packets with sauteed mushrooms; their favorite along with potatoes, onions, cabbage, and some like caviar.    They also like to layer the “crepes” and drizzle melted butter between the layers.  They add sour cream and jam or honey.  They also roll them with a cherry filling and layer the rolls on a large platter, forming a pyramid shape.  Whipped cream is added to the top.

According to wikipedia, Russian Jewish immigrants brought blini to America.  Their traditional fillings are with cheeses like our cream cheese, ricotta or cottage cheese and a sweetener.

COVERED WITH PLASTIC WRAP THE BUCKWHEAT/YEAST BATTER IS RESTING

GETS BUBBLY AFTER AN HOUR

My friend Marina, recently made blini for me with mashed potatoes, and some with a seasoned meat.  Because I wanted to try a few different things, I decided to make dessert blini today, and in honor of the fall holidays, I chose to fill some with a pumpkin mixture, and one with a traditional cheese mixture.  I am making lots for both my family to try, and to take to Alex and Marina and their son as a parting gift.  It is possible I will not see them again...takes lots of money to come to America and they are from an extremely poor country with an unemployment rate of 68%.

THE BUCKWHEAT WRAPPERS ARE COOKING

STACK OF BUCKWHEAT WRAPPERS

For the pumpkin filling,  I decided to open the cupboard and see what looked good.  I used the following and would do it again...it’s delicious!  Honest...this is really good!

1 large can pumpkin puree–the 2 pie size
3/4 C sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 T cinnamon
1 t  nutmeg

I mixed these ingredients together and used as my pumpkin filling.

After rolling or folding the “crepes”, I sprinkled cinnamon and powdered sugar on top.  A little drizzle of maple syrup or other sweet topping would be great as would whipped cream, however, today mine are finger foods.

For the AP flour  blini wrappers I used:
2 C all purpose flour
½ C sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 t salt
1 1/3 C whole milk
2/3 C water
3/4 stick melted butter
8 large eggs

I cooked the batter in non-stick small fry pans coated with a little butter mixed with oil between each batch so the butter would not burn and the blini would slide right out of the pans onto my stack...about 1/4 cup batter used for each blini.

I whisked the eggs till thick and creamy yellow.  Then added all other liquids and mixed together.  I whisked the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.  Then I mixed the dry all at once with the wet.  Whisked just until the little flour lumps were gone.  I cooked immediately like I would a pancake.  I made a stack of these wrappers with a square of parchment between each...so they don’t stick together.

For the cheesy filling I used:
2   8-oz packages room temperature cream cheese, whisked till smooth.
1 cup cottage cheese, which I had. I also like ricotta cheese.
2/3 cup sugar
1 t vanilla

Mix these ingredients together just until combined.

These blintz are good with fruit such as strawberries.

Note: blintz or blini are plural; blin is singular

If the filled and folded blintz are re-fried, the heat seals them shut.

For today’s project, I also made Dorie’s buckwheat, yeasted recipe which I will also take to my Russian friends.  Just for fun, I’ll see if they can enjoy buckwheat in this recipe.  Personally, I think it will be good, especially with my sweet fillings.

As always, I’ll be interested to see how my cyberfriends fared with this recipe, using the requested FfwD ingredients.  Personally, I really like both types.  The buckwheat makes me feel like I'm eating something a little more healthy as my flour is freshly ground and a whole grain flour.

Happy Friday to ALL!

NOTE:  I actually rolled the "gift" blini that went to my friends...my rolling looks lots better than my folding.

Baked Sunday Mornings: Rosemary Apricot Squares

APRICOT SQUARES WITH A SCOOP OF ICE CREAM--YUM!

Well, this week was fun, but this is not just an apricot squares post...it is the day.  I cheated. I did not bake the squares.  I did get out all the ingredients, but Em, daughter #2 made them.  She is home for a week with Baby M because her best friend is getting married and she is maid of honor and also the wedding cake baker.  So...I can't put Baby M down; can't get enough of him.  I was in the kitchen watching the bars get made, but I confess that Em did all the work.  And daughter #3, Stephy-Wephy helped with the photos and they can help me do this post too which means that they will add what they want.  I'll just have to see how it turns out.

THIS IS ME HOLDING AND FEEDING BABY M, WELL I CROPPED THE ME PART OUT

EM IS MIXING UP THE BARS

Em started out with the apricot layer as it needed simmering time,  Then she made the crust which was pressed into a parchment lined pan.  Em balked at adding the rosemary, but I insisted, explaining that these strange dessert ingredients and flavors are part of the experience.  I'm glad she picked it fresh and added it to the mixture as it added to the exquisite flavor of these bars, and it was not as strong a flavor as we first imagined it might be.

HONEY CLIMBED UP ONTO THE KITCHEN TABLE AND TOOK CARE OF HERSELF---IT'S TERRIBLE TO BE DISPLACED BY ANOTHER BABY, BUT SHE DOES NOT SEEM TO MIND

Then, after baking the crust Em added the apricot filling which she processed after simmering for almost an hour

APRICOT FILLING HAS BEEN ADDED

STEWING THE APRICOTS

OUR FAMILY DOG PASSED ON A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO...MEET THE NEW PUPPY (STILL NAMELESS)

MIXING THE CRUMB TOPPING

  You may notice we added rolled oats in our crumb topping and they were really good.

HONEY IS INTO BANANAS TODAY, BUT SINCE SHE JUST ATE ONE, SHE WANTS TO SHARE THIS ONE WITH THE NEW PUPPY

While the bars baked, the girls and their babe's went out for a swim.  Since Em lives in NE Idaho, AZ is quite hot for her...Baby M has never been so hot in his entire 6 months of life...loves the water.

SPLISH, SPLASH HE'S GETTING HIS BATH

BABY M'S 1st SWIM

ENJOYING A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY AZ DAY

 When the swim was finished so were the bars and they are looking good.  Thanks, Em.

JUST OUT OF THE OVEN

 

BABY M HAS HAD A REALLY GOOD DAY

Then, Em got busy on the reason she came home...wedding stuff.  Here is the wedding cake she created for her best friend and we all agree that it matches the bride perfectly.

GETTING HER CAKE ALL SET UP AT THE OUTDOOR RECEPTION

 Well, Em, I think you did a pretty good job!

 Back to the bars:

MY BITES

 My only regret with these bars is that we did not double the recipe.  I was dreaming about them and wanted one for breakfast the next day, but, alas, they had all been eaten.  So sad.  Guess we'll have to make them again.  Love apricots and love this recipe...and the rosemary is a wonderful addition!

French Friday with Dorie: Roasted Rhubarb

MY RHUBARB MADE IT INTO A STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE

I grew up in Utah, not too far from Salt Lake City where the elevation is a mile high and this time of year the temperatures reach 80. When I was back home 2 weeks ago one day barely passed 50^ and others struggled to rise up to 60^.  But this year is unusually cold.   Rhubarb thrives in that climate; it is like zucchini in our former upstate New York gardens where there is always an abundance and even excess.  Creative cooks and bakers try to think of new ways to use it, but most of this beautiful leafy green, red stocked vegetable goes unused.

 

MY UTAH PIES

As a kid I loved to pick rhubarb and chew on the stocks.  I remember taking it in the car  and chewing on it, sometimes with salt, all the way to wherever we were going.  It was tart and made my mouth pucker, but it was in the same category as green apples and I loved it.
 

DICING RHUBARB FOR MY PIE

Now, living in hot Arizona, where this delightful vegetable does not grow, it is hard to find and many natives have never heard of it.  (Including the check out clerk at the store where I did finally find it.)

When we first moved to AZ I planted a vegetable garden.  I’d always had a nice garden with a wide variety of produce.  I found rhubarb plants at the nursery and since they were selling this plant I figured it must grow in our climate.  Not so.  I planted it in the winter, which in AZ is like spring everywhere else, and my 4 little bushes were doing well until the temperature climbed and stayed over 100^.  One by one my little plants shriveled up and died and I learned first hand that rhubarb and our desert heat do not mix.                                  

MIXED WITH QUARTERED STRAWBERRIES

Back in Utah, my dad had just picked a beautiful bunch of rhubarb as we were driving up to the house.  My mom asked if I had a good rhubarb pie recipe and I do.  Two springs ago I came across a lovely bunch of rhubarb in a farmers’ market where the sellers traveled into town from cooler areas.  I had used Williams-Sonoma’s recipe that can be found online for a wonderful strawberry rhubarb pie with a crust very similar to Dorie’s buttery version.

We unpacked the car, and I got to work.  It felt good to stand and make 3 delicious pies after the long 12 hour drive.  And of course, my parents were elated.  The pies turned out great and when my extended family came to see me, we enjoyed pie and ice cream while we chatted.  It was lovely and my mom, who is in her mid 80's and just got a pace maker was thrilled to have me make pies for her to share.

But for this week’s Dorie Rhubarb recipe, I had a very hard time finding any rhubarb...I should have brought some back from Utah with me.  I have been looking in all the grocery stores and markets since I learned that during this month of June I had been assigned to roast rhubarb.  I have never roasted rhubarb, so I really wanted to give it a try.  As a youngster my favorite recipe for this vege was stewed with lots of sugar, dessert style. And like Dorie suggests, it was served over cake or used as a topping in other ways.   I’m guessing that the roasted rhubarb will be similar to my childhood favorite of stewed rhubarb except that the stewed is more watery; otherwise the ingredients are similar.

After running into 4 different stores today I finally found rhubarb but compared to the fresh Utah variety, the specialty store had old, going slimy, leafless stocks that looked like they had been sitting in the vegetable isle for at least a month.  I dug through the entire section and found enough to make a pound and a half that were usable and I figured I’d have to trim off at least a half pound of grossness to have a pound of OK product.  Sad.  But even sadder was the price. $8.49 a pound for this rotting produce.  Unbelievable.  I’m sure it was shipped in from somewhere just waiting for someone like me who would be desperate to try a special recipe and buy it.
 

I also found a package of frozen rhubarb in this same store and also purchased that package just in case the “fresh” was too awful to use.  I only looked in the freezer section because I was being helped by a fellow FFwD friend who made the suggestion....I’ve never looked for this vege in the freezer before, just grew up with so much fresh that it never crossed my mind.

 

JUST OUT OF THE OVEN

I washed and trimmed the rhubarb and put it into the fridge for use the next day.  Unfortunately, the next day it did not look really great...not good enough to roast and actually eat. And the frozen does not excite me.  So, I’ve decided to make pies, again, because they were so good in Utah, and because I need to bake 39 pies for a church party which is in 2 days.   (And today was “only” 107^ here in Gilbert, AZ so I’m pretty crazy to want to spend a couple of days baking.)  I get myself into these things, but I enjoy it.  Hubby is setting up tables and chairs, in charge of the program and cleanup, helping decorate, and I am in charge of food for 150 adults.  I’ve assigned out all the dinner, but I’m making dessert and it will be pie.  So, I’ve not completed today’s assignment.  I plan to visit my Utah family again in August when a nephew is getting married and I’m doing his reception food.  Never ends.  But it is all fun.  And everybody just loves the wedding food/dessert lady:).  So while there, I’ll get some great fresh rhubarb and I’ll try roasting it after seeing how all your rhubarb roasting turns out.

MY SLICE--DELICIOUS!