Portuguese Bread

 

·         2 tablespoons sugar

·         3 teaspoons salt

·         6 tablespoons vegetable shortening

·         1 cup boiling water

·         1 package dry yeast

·         1 cup warm water

·         6 cups flour

·         Olive oil

·        

1.   Place sugar, salt and shortening in a bowl. Add boiling water. Cool to lukewarm.

2.   Dissolve yeast in 1 cup lukewarm water. Add to sugar and shortening mixture.

3.   Add 3 cups of the flour and beat until smooth. Gradually add remaining flour. Knead the dough.

4.   Grease a bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and put in a warm spot until dough is doubled in size.

5.   Punch down the dough and divide in half. Shape each into a round loaf and put on an oiled cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake at 400 degrees F until golden.

 

Artichoke Bruschetta

Ingredients

1 loaf Country Bread  (with thick crust, about 10 by 5 inches, ends discarded, sliced crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick pieces)

½ Garlic Clove  (peeled)

¼ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 (14-ounce) can Artichoke Hearts  (rinsed and patted dry)

2 teaspoons Lemon Juice

1 Garlic Clove  (minced)

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil  (plus extra for serving)

2 tablespoons Fresh Basil Leaves  (finely shredded)

¼ teaspoon Table Salt

¼ teaspoon Pepper

2 ounces Parmesan Cheese  (1 ounce finely grated, about 1/2 cup, 1 ounce shaved into strips with vegetable peeler) 

Broil the bread and watch carefully 2-1 minutes.  Spread the artichoke stuff over the bread and top with shard of parm.

Cannoli Cream Filling

 Ingredients

24 oz Whole milk ricotta cheese

 8 oz Mascarpone cheese

1 C powdered sugar

2 tsp fresh orange zest

1 tsp vanilla

1 C heavy whipping cream

Instructions

1. Spread ricotta over 2 layers of paper towels covered with 2 more layers of paper towels on a rimmed baking sheet. Rest to drain for 15 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, mix the cheeses with a rubber spatula until smooth. Add the 10x sugar, zest, and vanilla. Gradually whisk in the whipping cream until smooth and fluffy. Spoon into a zip lock bag and refrigerate until needed.

3. When ready, snip off the end of a corner and pipe into cannoli shells. Sprinkle ends with mini chocolate chips or chopped pistachios. Sprinkle with more 10x sugar. Chill until ready to eat.

I buy the small cannoli shells from Market Basket.

Pistachio Cream

 Ingredients

1 1/4 C raw, unsalted pistachios, shelled

2 TBS unsalted butter

3/4 C whole milk or cream

4 oz good white chocolate chopped (about 1 cup)

2 TBS confectioner's sugar

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Bring medium-sized pot of water to a boil and add shelled pistachios. Boil for 3 minutes, then drain and place on a clean kitchen towel.

2. Fold towel over to cover, and rub nuts in towel to loosen the skins. Discard the skins. Make sure the nuts are completely dry, then add to the blender.

3. Add butter and 1/4 C milk to a small microwaveable bowl. Heat in 20 second bursts, just until the butter is melted and milk is hot. Add white chocolate and stir until melted. If it needs more melting, heat for another 10-15 seconds and stir.

4. Add 10x sugar and salt to the blender with the nuts. Scrape in the melted white chocolate/butter mixture. Pulse on medium speed until the pistachios turn into a paste.

5. Slowly, add a few TBS at a time of remaining milk until it's the desired thickness. Remember to stop the blender to scrape down the sides. Blend 30 seconds until its smooth, transfer to airtight container til ready to use. Will last 2 weeks in the fridge.

I like to add this to cannoli cream to make a pistachio cannoli.

Filipino Spanish Bread

 Use Aunt Lulu’s potato roll recipe for the bread. I use half the dough recipe.

Filling:

  Stir together in a pot until a thick paste happens:

      1/4 c butter

       2 teaspoons flour

       1/2 c bread crumbs

        1/8 c milk

        1/2 c brown sugar

        Pinch salt

   Cut dough into 12 small pieces and working one at a time, roll long rectangle and rub melted butter along central area. Add some filling to press out. Roll up jelly roll style. Repeat for the 12 rolls.

Roll each roll in milk and toss in 1/2 c bread crumbs. Let rise 2 hours in warm place covered.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls on middle rack for 20 minutes.

Custard Tarts

 5 sheets puff pastry

Flour for dusting

Melted butter for brushing

Filling:

  3 egg yolks

  3 whole eggs

  1/2 c superfine sugar

  2 teaspoon vanilla

  1 c milk

  1 c light cream

Lightly brush 20 small muffin tins w melted butter.

Dust work surface w flour. Place 1 sheet puff pastry on top. Cut the sheet in half and place halves on top of each other. Starting from short end, roll the pastry up tightly. Cut the roll into 4 even pieces.

Place one piece on surface w cut side up and smash down w palm of hand. Then roll into a .04 inch flat disc. Line a muffin hole w the pastry disc. Repeat for all the muffin tins and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before filling.

Preheat oven to 360° F

In a large bowl whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla well. Stir in the milk and cream. Transfer the mixture to a pitcher and fill shells 2/3s full. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to 320° F and bake for another 20 minutes.

Use a butter knife to remove the tarts from the tins. Best served warm or room temperature.

Turnip Cake

Soak overnight and blend fine:

   1/2 lb long grain rice

   3 cups water

Shred and stir fry:

1/2 lb daikon

Add then remove from wok:

1.5 teaspoon salt and white pepper

Chile oil

Stir fry:

1/2 lb Chinese sausage

1/2 lb chopped shrimp

1 cup scallion, garlic, ginger

Combine w rice and daikon

Line loaf pans w plastic wrap

Pour into pans and steam for 90 minutes

Cool, slice and pan fry

Serve with oyster Superior Sauce

Makes 2-3 loaves for Dim Sum. Recipe from Lee Duberman