Linzer Sable Cookies

I could barely contain my excitement when I woke up Saturday morning to find the sun shining. After what seemed like an eternity of gray or short-lived sunny days, the sight of a bright sun could not have been a more welcoming, energizing sight. Quickly throwing on some clothes and rushing around to pack up my camera, I could not get in the car fast enough. Then came that temporarily, wasting valuable time, paralyzing feeling of indecisiveness as I began second-guessing my intended destination. After what seemed like an eternity (it was all of two minutes), I decided to change my plans and head back up to the Chicago Botanic Gardens. What I realized when I got there was that no matter how familiar this place has become to me in the last few months, there were new discoveries to be made. If there is such a thing as a place being familiarly unfamiliar, this would be one of those places. It is no wonder why "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."(Marcel Proust)  is one of my most favorite of all quotes.

Recently I came across Dorie Greenspan's Linzer Sable Cookie recipe and thought it would be perfect to share, perfect to make for Valentine's Day. However, in revisiting the list of cookies I have posted to this blog I realized I had already shared a recipe for Linzer cookies. This time last year I posted the White Chocolate Raspberry Linzer Cookies inspired by Model Bakery's Linzer cookie recipe. As it happens, these two Linzer cookies are both similar and different. 

In anticipation of making these Linzer Sable cookies, I stopped at Trader Joe's on the way back from a morning of taking photos to pick up some whole hazelnuts and some almond meal as I hadn't decided which nut I would use when making these cookies (this was turning into an epic day of indecisiveness).  I bought the almond meal not only because it is made from whole sweet almonds, but it would also save me the added step of grinding nuts. If you prefer the taste of hazelnuts in your cookies without having to grind them, Bob's Red Mill sells a Hazelnut Meal Flour made from ground hazelnuts that would work well in cookie. Complimenting the flavor of the nuts (whichever ones you choose) in the cookie are the spices of cinnamon and cloves. Combined with the raspberry preserves and a dusting of powdered sugar these cookies are bites of pure buttery, nutty, spicy and fruity deliciousness.

The rolling out process for these cookies is a little different. Usually you form a ball of dough into a disk, flatten it slightly, chill it, and then roll it out on a floured surface. With this cookie, you form a ball of dough, place it between two sheets of parchment or wax paper, flatten it slightly, roll it out and then chill it before cutting into your desired shapes. Because the parchment or wax paper slides around when you roll it out, I would suggest taping down the bottom piece of paper to the counter or whatever surface you are using to roll out the dough to a even 1/4 inch thickness. This was one of the early lessons learned in the making of this cookie.

The rolled out dough is placed on a baking sheet and placed in the refrigerator to chill for approximately two hours. Dorie Greenspan suggests you can also put the dough in the freezer for 45 minutes, but I prefer the slow to chill process so mine went into the refrigerator.

Traditional Linzer cookies are round with fluted or smooth edges. Heart shaped cookies, not just at Valentine's Day, but anytime of the year just look a little more irresistible. A raspberry jam or preserve is the classic filling for these cookies, however, you could also make them using mixed berry, blackberry, or apricot preserves. My personal favorite is raspberry, with or without the seeds.

The cookies baked for approximately 10 to 13 minutes in preheated 375 degree (F) oven until they are lightly golden on the bottom and slightly firm to the touch on top. Once cooled the bottoms are ready to be spread with the preserves and the tops lightly dusted with confectionary sugar. If you are making these cookies without a 'cut-out' the tops of the cookies can be dusted with confectionary sugar once they have been sandwiched together. Be sure to bake up the small cut-outs from the top of the cookie as they great for noshing on.

When assembling the cookie, the bottom/flat side of the solid cookie is spread with the preserves and topped with the bottom/flat side of the top cookie. This ensures the cookie can sandwich together perfectly.

The number of cookies will depend on the size of the cookie cutter used. Additionally, the quantity will be affected by the thickness of the rolled out dough. Mine were on the slightly thicker side (this was  mostly because I hadn't taped down the bottom piece of parchment paper when rolling out the dough). My yield for this recipe was 15 cookies due to the size of the heart cookie cutter used and the thickness of the dough. If using a small two inch round or smaller heart cookie cutter (and rolling out to a consistent 1/4 inch thickness) you should anticipate being able to make two dozen Linzer Sable (sandwich) cookies. Note: Graduated size heart cookie cutters are available from Williams-Sonoma (made by deBuyer) or through Amazon (made by Fat Daddio's).

If you are looking to make someone feel special on Valentine's Day or on any day, give them something homemade. Gifts from the heart are often those made with one's hands, written in one's own handwriting, or spoken from one's lips.

Recipe
Linzer Sable Cookies (inspired by Dorie Greenspan's Linzer Sable Cookie Recipe as shared in her book Baking: From My Home to Yours)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups ground almond meal (or finely ground almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Saigon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
scant 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons water
1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup raspberry preserves (or your preserve of choice)
Confectionary sugar for dusting

Directions
1. Whisk together the almond meal, flour, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
2. Whisk together the egg and water. Set aside.
3. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and granulated sugar until fluffy and smooth (approximately 3 minutes).
4. Add egg mixture and beat for 1 minute.
5. Reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients until incorporated. Be careful not to over mix.
6. Divide batter/dough in half. Working with one half at a time, form into a ball and place between two sheets of parchment paper or wax paper. Roll out until approximately 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet to keep flat. Repeat process with other batter/dough ball. Place cookie sheet in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or can place in freezer for 45 minutes). 
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Prepare a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
8. Remove one rolled out dough and place on a cutting board. Remove one piece of the parchment paper/wax paper and cut into desired shapes. Place each cookie on prepared cookie sheet. Note: If you want the preserves or jam to show, cut half of the cookies with a smaller shape in the center.
9. Bake cookies for 10 to 13 minutes or until they are lightly golden and just firm to the touch. Transfer baked cookies to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature.
10. Repeat process with second rolled out disc of dough. 
11. Gather all unused dough scraps and reroll between two sheets of parchment paper or wax paper. Cut into desired shapes and bake.
12. Spread thin layer of preserves on the flat side of the 'solid' cookies. Note: Mound a little of the preserves in the center so they come up through the 'cut-out'.
13. Sprinkle confectionary sugar on the top side of the 'cut-out' cookies.
14. Sandwich the two halves together pressing lightly.
15. Depending on the size cookie cutter this recipe will make 15-24 linzer sandwich cookies.
Note: Instead of dusting these cookies with confectionary sugar and/or sandwiching them together with preserves, the cookies can be simply dipped in white or dark chocolate.

Pecan Praline Monkey Bread

At some point in my life I must have decided it was sacrilegious to throw magazines away, specifically magazines having anything to do with food. Although I have also been known to hang on to those what I call 'inspiration' magazines for what most would consider longer than necessary. Earlier this week I decided the time had finally come for me to 'let some of them go'. I know of at least one person who secretly hopes I am getting closer to the place of  'let most of them go'. There really are days when I wish there were more minimalist tendencies in my DNA (admittedly I am not taking full responsibility for my 'saving' tendencies). Before parting with some of these magazines, I decided to quickly go through them to see if there was anything worth saving. Flipping though the pages of an old Southern Living magazine, I came across a recipe for a Praline Pull-Apart Bread, otherwise known as a Monkey Bread. This version was frozen yeasted bread rolls dipped in melted butter, rolled in a cinnamon sugar, sprinkled generously with chopped pecans, chilled overnight, slathered in a brown sugar whipped cream mixture and baked until golden brown. There was one less page in the magazine before it was tossed in the recycling bin.

Why did it take me so long to make this Pecan Praline Monkey Bread? Maybe it had something to do with my penchant for 'homemade from scratch' recipes and a blind eye to anything Sandra Lee-esq. But for those of you who read this blog regularly, you know I haven't actually been a 'homemade only' recipe purist as there have been at least two 'semi-homemade' recipes posted in the past year (Wendy's Mashed Potatoes and Four Bean Baked Beans). There always has to be room for exceptions. 

What makes this Pecan Praline Monkey Bread 'semi-homemade' is the use of frozen dinner rolls (I used the smaller ones made by Rhodes). The use of these rolls not only makes this one of those 'almost too easy not to make' breads, they enable you to assemble almost everything the night before, saving the baking for the morning. In a little more than an hour, you can be serving your friends and family warm cinnamon and praline flavored bites of deliciousness. No one will be the wiser that you didn't make the entire Monkey Bread from scratch. And don't be so quick to divulge you didn't slave for hours making it. 

For a deeper praline flavor and even darker finished color to the baked bread, use a combination of light and dark brown sugars. I used equal proportions of the two.

If I were to change one thing the next time I make this Pecan Praline Monkey Bread it would be to use either a 10 inch tube pan or a larger, wider bundt pan. The pan I used worked, but a larger pan would have worked better. Ideally you want to keep as much of the praline 'glaze' in the pan versus having any of it spill over out of the pan. The frozen bread dough not only rises while resting overnight in the refrigerator, it rises significantly during the baking process. There is no need to thaw the frozen dinner rolls in the preparation of this bread as they 'thaw' in the refrigerator after being dipped in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar.

Once all of the dough balls have been placed in the pan and pecans sprinkled throughout, the pan is wrapped with plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator for 8 to 18 hours. Note: Don't wait until all of dinner rolls are placed in the baking pan before adding the pecans. Sprinkle a half cup of the chopped pecans when half of the dinner rolls are in the pan and the other half cup over the top of the finished layer of dinner rolls.

The heavy cream is whipped until very soft peaks are formed. The brown sugars and vanilla are stirred into the whipped cream and,the entire mixture is spread and pressed lightly over the dough balls. In a preheated 325 degree (F) oven, the bread is placed on a baking sheet and baked for 60 to 70 minutes or until golden brown.

The baked Monkey bread should rest for approximately 10 minutes before it's unmolded onto a rimmed platter or rimmed cake stand. Pour any of the remaining praline glaze remaining in the baking pan over the bread before serving.

While this Pecan Praline Monkey Bread is best served warm, it is still good at room temperature. You can always reheat individual servings of the bread in the microwave (on half-power) to recapture the taste of its' warm, ooey gooey goodness. 

Now that the groundhog has seen his shadow it looks like some of us will not be getting any relief from the harsh, cold, snowy winter weather any time soon. This Pecan Praline Monkey Bread would be perfect for breakfast or brunch; after a morning of snow shoveling or cross-country skiing; a morning walk or hike; or, just because you crave the flavors of cinnamon and praline. Semi-homemade never tasted so good. I wonder what else I might find in those stacks of magazines.

Recipe
Pecan Praline Monkey Bread (inspired by Southern Living's Praline Pull-Apart Bread recipe, December 2009)

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons Saigon cinnamon, divided
2 pounds frozen bread rolls, do not thaw (recommend Rhodes White Dinner Rolls) Note: Used 24 of the small dinner rolls.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 generous cup pecan halves, chopped
3/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup brown sugar (recommend using equal parts of light and dark brown sugars)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Note: The Rhodes dinner rolls came in a three pound package, however, you only need two pounds of them for this recipe. I used the package containing 36 small white dinner rolls.

Directions
1. Spray a 10 inch tube or 10 inch bundt pan with oil. Set aside.
2. Combine granulated sugar and three teaspoons cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.
3. Dip each bread roll in melted sugar, dredge in sugar mixture, and place in prepared pan. (Note: When half of the rolls have been placed in the pan, sprinkle in half of the chopped pecans. Finish dredging remaining bread rolls and sprinkle remaining pecans over the top. Pour any remaining cinnamon sugar into the pan.)
4. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 8 to 18 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F).
6. Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Stir in brown sugar, remaining one teaspoon cinnamon and vanilla. Pour/spread mixture over the dough.
7. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 60 to 70 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Cool on wire rack for ten minutes. Invert on cake stand or platter. Drizzle with remaining glaze from the pan.

In the Sydney and Walda Bestoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), December 2014

Meatloaf

"I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it is because in addition to the fact that the sea changes and the light changes, and ships change, it is because we all came from the sea." (JFK's 1962 America's Cup Speech). Now that my photography class has ended I feel like taking a short trip somewhere. Any somewhere with beautiful landscapes I have yet to photograph will do. For once I am not particularly fussy although my preference would be to take a relatively short road trip to a place with water nearby. Whether it be an ocean, a lake, a river, or a stream, there is something both energizing and calming about being near, seeing, or listening to the sound of a body of water. Years ago while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) I went on a trail ending with one of the clearest, calmest and refreshingly coolest lakes nestled in the mountains. Considering it wasn't necessarily the easiest of hikes (for me that is), the sight of the lake could not have been the more perfect reward. Whether I was suffering from elevation delirium or not, I just remember this lake being one of the most beautiful I had ever seen. I subsequently learned the lake was named after Enos Mills, a man referred to as the 'father of Rocky Mountain National Park'. So if you are ever up in RMNP, consider hiking the trail to Mills Lake. I promise you will find the views breathtaking. 

I learned the hard way the importance of bringing food and water on a hike. It only takes one experience underestimating just how thirsty and hungry you get acclimating to a higher elevation and expending a significant amount of energy to never go on a hike without water or food again. My ravenous cravings almost always lean toward comfort foods.

Speaking of comfort food, this is not your mother's meatloaf (apologies to those of you whose mother made a meatloaf so insanely delicious you thought twice about moving out). This is not the kind of meatloaf you need to smother in ketchup for flavor and moisture (no apologies to those of you who smother everything in ketchup). Rather, this is a meatloaf self-professed meatloaf connoisseurs would proclaim as throw down worthy. Comfort food never tasted this good.

Finely chopped onions, garlic, carrots and celery sautéed in butter make just about everything they go into taste better.

Bread and eggs are the binders in this meatloaf. Two slices of day old hearty white sandwich bread torn into pieces are soaked in whole milk. Rather than process the bread into crumbs in a food processor, I simply tore them into pieces. The bread soaks while you are sautéing the vegetables.

The original Gourmet recipe called for the use of ground beef chuck. Not that there is anything wrong with ground chuck, but this is the kind of meatloaf beckoning you to use ground sirloin. The addition of bacon and ground pork provide more than enough 'fat', so the meatloaf significantly benefits from the flavor ground sirloin brings to it.

The most unusual or atypical ingredient in this meatloaf are the dried prunes. No eye rolling or throwing shade allowed. Don't even think of omitting them. Don't even think of replacing them with any other dried fruit. I chopped both the prunes and bacon with a knife, however, you could chop them up in a food processor.

The spices in this meatloaf are kosher salt, black pepper and allspice. The one change I might consider making is reducing the salt from two teaspoons to one and a half teaspoons. Again I say 'might' because the meatloaf was not overly salty, but everyone views salty a little differently.

All of the ingredients are mixed together until well blended, shaped into a loaf, and placed on either a sheet pan or in a large oval cast iron pan. The length and width of your meatloaf will affect its' baking time. A longer, thinner loaf will cooker faster than the the thicker, wider loaf. Baked in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven, the meatloaf is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees. My meatloaf was done in slightly less than an hour, however, baking times could range from 55 to 75 minutes.

The bacon on this meatloaf was cooked separately and not 'cooked' on top of the meatloaf in the oven. It is an optional garnish although it serves as a prelude to one of the flavors in the meatloaf. And remember, we just happen to be living in the 'everything is better with bacon' decade.

This meatloaf is delicious enjoyed warm out of the oven (with mashed potatoes of course) or cold (on a sandwich made with white bread and some mayonnaise). It is one of those meatloaves you might go so far as to declare as the 'best' you ever had. If you are going on a long, strenuous hike, your body will thank you for bringing a sandwich made with this meatloaf. And considering the groundhog saw his shadow, the next six weeks have comfort food written all over them. A blizzard might be the only thing preventing you from making this meatloaf, unless of course you had bought all of the ingredients in anticipation of being homebound for a couple of days.

Recipe
Meatloaf (inspired by Gourmet's February 2008 Meatloaf recipe)

Ingredients
1 cup torn bread pieces (from approximately 2 slices homestyle white sandwich bread)
1/3 cup whole milk
1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium sized celery stalk, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons of kosher salt (could reduce to 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1/4 pound of bacon, finely chopped
1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1/2 pound ground pork (not lean)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 
Optional: 3-4 slices cooked bacon for garnish

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
2. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk. Set aside.
3. In a large heavy skillet, sauté onion, garlic, celery and carrots over medium heat, stirring occasionally (approximately 5 minutes). Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until carrots are tender (an additional 3-5 minutes). Remove from heat. 
4. Stir in Worchestershire sauce, cider vinegar, allspice, pepper, and salt to cooked vegetables. Stir to combine. Add to the bread/milk mixture.
5. Add chopped bacon, chopped prunes, eggs, beef, pork and parsley. Mix together with hands until well combined.
6. Pack into a 10"x 5" slightly oval loaf in a shallow baking cast iron baking dish.
7. Bake for approximately 55-75 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees (F). Note: Baking time will be affected by length/width of loaf. Shorter baking time for a longer/thinner loaf and a slightly longer time for a shorter/thicker loaf.
8. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with cooked bacon slices.
Note: Serve warm with mashed potatoes or serve cold on white bread and a schmear of mayonnaise.

Backyard images from the winter blizzard.

Gouda Mac and Cheese w/ Caramelized Shallots

As I watch the coverage of Winter Storm Juno out on the east coast I can't help but remember my own east coast blizzard experience two years ago. And the more time that lapses the more the story of this experience is embellished. But seriously, enduring the hardship of significant snow and brutal cold are one thing, significant snow, brutal cold, and no power are a completely different one. The incredible beauty of the snow covered landscape does not make up for the bone-chilling cold felt when the power goes out. After two days of no power, I didn't just want to take a shower, I just wanted to take the hottest shower my body would tolerate. Doesn't it always seem that when we don't have access to something, particularly those things we take for granted, our desire for it seems to disproportionately increase? We aren't thirsty for water until the well doesn't work. Suddenly our throats become parched and nothing but water will satisfy it. Guess this is life's way of reminding us the best way to appreciate something is to be without it for a while to truly appreciate its' value.

Have you often heard the saying 'there are three sides to every story: your side, the other side and the truth'? That was thought when I went on a quest to learn more about the history of macaroni and cheese. The most popular version of the origin of this American classic goes back to 1803 and is attributed to Thomas Jefferson. After dining on this dish during his travels to Italy, he brought back a pasta maker so it could be replicated and served in the White House. Years later, Jefferson's daughter, Mary Rudolph, included a macaroni with parmesan cheese recipe in her 1824 cookbook "The Virginia Housewife". The less popular version of the story has macaroni and cheese casserole dishes being served at new England church suppers in Colonial America using the recipes they had brought with them and ingredients they had available. Whether or not their recipes came from Elizabeth Raffald's book 'The Experienced English Housekeeper' (published in 1769), noodle casseroles made with cheese and topped with bread crumbs have endured over the centuries. Today the variations of this classic comfort food are limited only by one's imagination or cheese and pasta preferences.

This version of mac and cheese is made with the classic elbow macaroni noodles along along with aged gouda and some white sharp cheddar cheese. I initially started out making it with only with the aged gouda, but then decided the addition of some sharp white cheddar would add another dimension of flavor and slightly reduce the intense richness of the gouda cheese. The combination of these two cheeses worked perfectly together in this creamy macaroni and cheese casserole.

Two cups of dry elbow macaroni does not seem like it would be enough for this casserole, but it is.

To ensure your mac and cheese casserole still has enough texture to it when baked, the pasta noodles should be cooked until they are al dente or slightly underdone. Depending on the noodles you use for this casserole the cooking time will range. Most packages will give al dente times on them, but if they do not, you can always test for their doneness by tasting them. The cooked noodles are drained but not rinsed.

After making a white or béchamel sauce, the grated cheese is stirred in until the sauce is smooth and creamy. My most favorite gouda cheeses Rembrandt (one year aged) gouda. It is a deep, golden in color cow's milk cheese having flavors of butterscotch, honey, and caramel. With just the right amount of sharpness, it equally perfect for eating as well as for using in this casserole. You can find it in most stores with a large cheese department as well as at the large wholesale food stores we all have memberships to (the one's where we usually don't get out of without spending at least a hundred dollars).

While an ounce of white sharp cheddar cheese doesn't seem like much, it turned out to be the right amount. To ensure the creaminess of the mac and cheese, I added a quarter cup of heavy whipping cream after all of the cheeses had melted into the béchamel sauce. This amount of heavy whipping cream also kept the cheese/liquid balance of the cheese sauce. You could also use whole milk here.

The cooked elbow macaroni noodles are stirred into the cheese sauce and then poured into the prepared casserole dish. If your sauce does not look creamy (and it should) add just a little more whole milk or heavy whipping cream.

Some say bacon ramps up the flavor of everything it is added to. And it usually does. But for me caramelized shallots should be one of those foods ranked right up there with bacon. The added layer of flavor they add to this casserole make a significant difference to both its' taste and texture.

To even more texture and crunch to the Gouda Mac and Cheese with Caramelized Shallots casserole, panko bread crumbs tossed in some extra-virgin olive oil are the necessary finishing touch.

Baked in a pre-heated 350 degree (F) oven, the mac and cheese casserole cooks for 25-30 minutes or until the panko bread crumbs are lightly browned and the casserole is heated through. While it can be a side dish, this version may be the more perfect main dish to serve for lunch or dinner on a cold winter day. And if you have not mac and cheese in awhile, make this one. It might even be better than the one you remember.

Note: You can make the Gouda Mac and Cheese w/ Caramelized Shallots early in the day, cover and refrigerate. Let sit out at least 30 minutes before placing in the pre-heated 350 degree (F) oven.

Recipe
Gouda Mac and Cheese w/ Caramelized Shallots
Ingredients
2 cups dry macaroni shells (or any pasta of your choice), cooked until al dente
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
8 ounces aged Gouda cheese (aged at least one year) grated (2 cups) (Recommend Rembrandt Gouda)
1 ounce grated sharp cheddar cheese, grated (or a generous 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
salt and pepper to taste
2 large shallots, sliced thin and caramelized
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs combined with 2-3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly butter a medium sized oval casserole dish or individual ramekins.
2. Melt unsalted butter, add flour and whisk constantly for one minute.
3. Slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly. When all milk has been added, put heat on simmer and cook until thickened (use the back of the spoon test to check for doneness). Remove pan from heat.
4. Stir in grated cheeses. Mix until all of the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
6. Top macaroni and cheese with caramelized shallots and Panko bread crumbs.
7. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until bubbling.
8. Serve immediately.

Capturing the morning sunlight at the Morton Arboretum and St. James Farm.

Homemade Fluffy Vanilla Marshmallows

The winter landscape can be a little harsh here in the midwest. For one of my photography class assignments we were supposed to take a photo of something representing a randomly picked 'Zen' word. I picked 'soft'. Call it a temporary lack of creative imagination but I couldn't find anything 'soft' out in nature at this time of the year. Beyond having my fill of taking snow photos, my ability to capture the 'white' of the snow seems to have been adversely affected by my inability to consistently figure out how to make the necessary adjustments to my camera settings (if only we could just shoot in auto and the camera would make all of those decisions for me) to take a 'good' crisp, white photo (or at least one that wouldn't be subject to too much constructive feedback during class). I thought the photo of a 'soft', fluffy food would give me a better chance of 'nailing' the assignment (a far better outcome than being nailed to the cross). And rather than take a photo needing 'a thousand words' to explain 'a single word', I decided I should go with taking one barely needing an explanation. For me nothing more obviously represents 'soft' than Fluffy Vanilla Marshmallows (homemade, of course).

'There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.' (Ansel Adams)  Bolding borrowing on this thinking, it would be safe to say there are no rules for making good marshmallows, there are only good marshmallows. This discovery came not as a result of making, but rather from looking at dozens of marshmallow recipes. Admittedly, the idea of making marshmallows from scratch can initially seem a little intimidating. However, once you have had the taste of a (really) good homemade, fluffy, springy marshmallow you will be forever spoiled and finding yourself becoming a fearless maker of marshmallows. Your mug of hot chocolate topped with homemade marshmallows will never taste better, your s'mores made with fluffy, springy marshmallows will become legendary, and, your rice krispie treats using melted homemade marshmallows will be worth their weight in gold. Are you ready to put your marshmallow making cape on yet?

Can making marshmallows be a little messy? Judging from the amount of confectionary sugar swirling in and covering almost everything in the kitchen in sugar dust, the answer is yes, but with a partial caveat. With my focus on taking 'the' photo, I wasn't paying attention to where the sifter was. And as a result I inadvertently knocked the sifter filled with confectionary sugar and corn starch onto the floor. Fortunately while actually making the marshmallows I didn't end up with marshmallow sticking all over my hands or in my hair or on every counter in close proximity to the mixer. Had I obsessed about getting every last bit of marshmallow out of the mixing bowl and into the pan, more than likely I would have made a 'sticky' mess. So don't obsess about trying to get every last bit of the marshmallow mixture out of the bowl. Unless of course you feel like making a mess.

The use of a standing mixer is definitely what I would call an added advantage when making these Homemade Fluffy Vanilla Marshmallows. In addition to being able to walk away from the mixer beating on high for 8-12 minutes, the whisk attachment on the standing mixer helps to create the smooth, thick, tripled in volume mixture needed before the whipped egg whites and vanilla are added.

This recipe calls for the use of 3 1/2 packages of (1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin or 7/8 ounce of unflavored gelatin. If you don't have a digital scale, this equates to 2 Tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons (thank you Smitten Kitchen for measuring this out!). In addition to replacing the salt with sea salt in Gourmet's recipe, I increased the amount of light corn syrup from 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup.

As I was pouring the marshmallow mixture into the prepared 9"x13"x2" pan, I wished I had prepared a 9"x9"x2" pan instead as I wanted the finished marshmallows to be cut into the 'thickest' squares possible. But in the end it all worked out because I decided to cut the marshmallows into larger squares. The 1" thick squares ended up being a more perfect size for s'mores.  Your choice of pan will depend on whether you want really thick marshmallows or you want to cut your finished marshmallows into shapes (other than squares). If for Valentine's Day you want to make marshmallow hearts or you want to make bunnies for Easter, definitely use a 9"x13"x2" pan. 

I let the marshmallows set up overnight at room temperature (uncovered). If I were making these marshmallows in the heat of the summer I have them set up in the refrigerator (again uncovered) for at least 3 hours before cutting them. If you have never made marshmallows before, you can find more tips on making and cutting them here.

Before turning out the pan of marshmallows onto the cutting board, lightly dust it with the confectionary/cornstarch. Many marshmallow recipes call for dusting the finished marshmallows in confectionary sugar only. Note: The use of confectionary sugar only can dissolve and make the marshmallows a bit damp (thank you David Lebovitz for sharing this tip!). But whatever you do, do not use cornstarch-only!

Once cut, the marshmallows are tossed in the sifted confectionary sugar/cornstarch mixture ensuring all sides are coated. In addition to adding another layer of flavor to marshmallows, it keeps them from sticking to one another.

I ended up with 24 large marshmallows, however, the number of marshmallows you end up with will depend on the size you decide to cut them. For s'mores these large marshmallows were the perfect size. For hot cocoa, the larger marshmallow will be cut into four smaller squares.

These were the springiest, fluffiest marshmallows I had ever made. As much as I thought the addition of egg whites (as recommended in recipes from David Lebovitz and in one from Gourmet) was just one more, possibly unnecessary step, they were most likely responsible for the creating these incredibly light, fluffy and just the right amount of 'soft' marshmallows. 

Whether you use these marshmallows to make s'mores, to add them to your hot cocoa, to use in another recipe, or to snack on, they make a great gift when packaged in cellophone bags and tied with a beautiful ribbon or bakery twine. Happy marshmallow making.

Recipe

Homemade Fluffy Vanilla Marshmallows (Slightly adapted from Gourmet, December 1988)

Ingredients

About 1 cup confectionary sugar (or a mixture of cornstarch and confectionary sugar)

3 1/2 envelopes (2 Tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons OR 7/8 ounces) unflavored Knox gelatin

1 cup cold water, divided

2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon sea or kosher salt

2 large egg whites (beaten until they just hold stiff peaks)

1 Tablespoon vanilla or vanilla bean paste

Directions

1. Lightly spray bottom and sides of a 13"x 9"x 2" rectangular metal baking pan. Dust bottom and sides with confectionary sugar.

2. In a bowl of standing mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Let stand to soften.

3. In a heavy 3 quart saucepan, combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup cold water. Over low heat stir until sugar is dissolved.

4. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees (F), approximately 10-12 minutes.

5. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, beating mixture on high speed until white, thick and nearly tripled in volume, approximately 10-12 minutes.

6. Beat in egg whites and vanilla.

7. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Sift 1/4 cup confectionary sugar evenly over the top.

8. Allow the marshmallows to set overnight (uncovered). In very hot weather, chill marshmallows (uncovered) in the refrigerator.

9. Run a thin knife around edges of pan. Invert pan onto large cutting board. Trim edges of marshmallows and cut into 1 inch squares. Toss cut marshmallows in additional confectionary sugar to ensure all sides are coated. Shake off excess.

10. Store marshmallows in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 1 week.

Winter 'snow' photo taken in Telluride, Colorado.