Miette by Meg Ray

Miette by Meg Ray

I am still here! I  wish I could have been here more this Summer, but things have been unusually busy and emotional.  We lost a very dear friend, and dealing with the loss has been difficult.  But. things keep moving forward even though you don't feel  like dealing with them.  Unfortunately, I have pretty much been doing only what had to be done.  But, I now think I can get back on track.  I want to start by showing you this most wonderful cookbook!



 

Ok folks, this is THE lovliest cookbook that I have ever come across!  The photographs are beautiful and the book itself is beautiful!  Look at the edges of the pages-they are scalloped!

Here is a photo of the Lemon Debutante Cake

Princess Cake

Coconut Mousse Cake

Bumblebee Cake

Here is the recipe for the Bumblebee Cake

1  Butter Cake

1/4 cup simple syrup

about 2 cups chocolate ganache

Butter Cake

1 3/4 cup All Purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup plus 2 TBS unsalted butter, at room temp

1 cup sugar

10large egg yolks, room temp

2/3 cup buttermilk

1tsp vanilla extracts

Butter two 6x3tcake pans and dust with flour, tap out the excess.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, and sugar and beat on medium until light colored, 10-12 minutes.  Add the egg yolks in 3 additions, beating until completely combined after each, about 2 minutes.  In a bowl, stir the buttermilk and vanilla.  With the mixer on low, add the sifted dry ingredients in 3 additions alternating with the buttermilk, in 2 additions.  Beat until just combined.  Divide the batter between the prepared pans equally.  Bake 35-40 minutes until tester comes out clean.  Transfer to wire racks and let cool in the pans or about 20 minutes.  When they are cool enough to handle, and remove pans.  Let cool 20 minutes longer.

If you need to reheat the ganache, do it in the microwave in 30 second increments.  Using an ice cream scoop, scoop about 1/4 cup of the ganache onto the cake.  Using an offset spatula, smooth the ganache to the edges.  Arrange the next layer and repeat. Apply the crumb coat of icing.  Then using the offset spatula, finish frosting the cake.  Use the simple syrup to infuse the baked cake.  Pour 2-3 TBS over the cake.  The book offers a very detailed description on how to make a picture perfect, delicious bakery cake.

Chocolate Ganache

10oinces 62 percent cacao chocolate, chopped

2/3 cup sifted powdered sugar

3/4 cup plus 1 TBS heavy cream

2 large egg yolks

3 TBS unsalted butter, at room temp

Combine the chocolate and powdered sugar in a heatproof bowl.  In a saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to a simmer.  Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until dissolved.  Nest the bowl over a pan of simmering water to make a bainmarie.  Heat, stirring until all of the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat.  Whisk the egg yolks in a small heatproof bowl.  Pour half the melted chocolate into the egg yolks while whisking, to temper them.  Pour the tempered mixture back into the pan of melted chocolate and whisk.  Add the butter and stir until smooth.  Pour the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl.  Use the ganache immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.  Ganache does not freeze well.

Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  When the sugar is completely dissolved and clear, remove from heat and let cool to room temp..  It wil keep tightly sealed in the refrigerator for 1 month.

Note:  I actually made this cake and it turned out pretty and delicious.  But, before I could photograph it, My new Weimaraner got to it and ate half of it, leaving it a pitiful blob.  In her defense, we recently adopted her and she came with a few bad habits.  But we love her! Bad habits and All!

Happy Baking!

Charla

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Midsummers Eve Winners!!+

Hello everyone! The winners of the Midsummers Eve Blog Hop have been chosen through random.org. The winner of the $15.00 Amazon Card was Jennifer and the $10.00 card winner was leebee! They have both responded and the cards have been sent. Happy Reading!!

Midsummer Blog Hop

The Midsummer Blog Hop is over! I will announce the winners soon. I will notify the winner via email and they will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Thank you everyone for participating!

Wlcome to the Midsummers Eve Giveaway Hop.  Thank you so much to I am a reader Not a Writer and Too Busy Reading for hosting this awesome blog hop!  Please be sure and visit the other blogs listed!  I am giving away 2 Amazon gift cards.  The first one is for $15.00 and the 2nd one is for $10.00.  Please fill out the form below to enter.

On a Stick by Matt Armendariz and Corn Dog Recipe

This book is awesome!  It has so many recipes that I want to try.  I did make the Corn Dogs and sharing the recipe below.  The other things I want to try, (not in any order) are, Deep Fried Ravioli, Breakfast Pancake Dogs, Chicken and Waffles, Deep Fried Mac 'n' Cheese, Fish and Chips, Fried Mozzarella, Fried Pickles, Moletes, and the last one I will mention is called 'Son in Law Eggs' and hmm you woulf need to see the picture, but they look like a male private part!  These are just a few of the ones that look good to me, but there are many more  even dessert on a stick such as Frozen Elvis and S'mores!

Here are my corndogs!  Though not as pretty as the ones in the book, they were delicious!

Corn Dogs
4 wooden skewers
1 qt vegetable oil(i used sunflower oil)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
2TBS sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup whole  milk
1 egg
4 jumbo hot dogs(I used Ballpark Angus low fat)
ketchup and yellow mustard for dipping

Preheat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium high heat.
Mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a bowl.  Stir in milk and egg and whisk gently until combined.  Once oil reaches 360 degrees, thread hot dogs onto skewers.  Dip each in batter, rolling until fully coated, and quickly drop entire stick into oil.  Fry 2 at a time for 4-5 minutes.  Drain on paper towels .  Repeat for remaining corn dogs.  Serve warm, accompanied by ketchu[ and mustard.

You can use all types of sticks and this photo shows a few ideas.

                                                         Deep Fried Mac 'n' Cheese

                                                             Deep Fried Ravioli

                                                               Fish and Chips

Spaghetti and Meatballs

                                                            Margarita Jell-O Shots

I hope you enjoyed peeking into this book.  It really is one of my alltime favorites!

Well Preserved by Mary Anne Dragan/ Blueberry Jam & Apple Butter Recipes

 It  is time to start thinking about all the fresh fruit and vegetables for the season. Oh, how I love this time of year and always want to make these wonderful treats last longer.  My all time favorite food for the summer is a fresh, vine riped tomatoe sandwich.  But, it has too be made with white bread and really good mayonaise and salt and pepper.  The only thing that can make this better is a thinly sliced fresh picked cucumber added to the sandwhich.  I guess this is a dead giveaway that I am a true southerner.  But, seriously if you have never tried one of these sandwhiches, you really need to because they are awesome!

Anyway, I also like to turn some of the berries and fruit that are availabe into jams and jellies.  I recently picked 5 gallons of blueberries.  I really enjoy picking berries.  I get up very early and start picking before the sun gets really hot.  It is a good time for reflecting on life.  It is usually just me, the berries and the birdies.  The birds usually are not too glad to see me.  This time I had a mockingbird that followed the entire time I was picking.  She would land in  the tree right at head level and just fuss and fuss.  I guess she was afraid that I wasn't going to leave her any berries.

This book has a recipe for just about any type of jam, jelly, preserves or chutney that you can imagine.  I made blueberry jam and plan to make blueberry jelly soon.  Here is the recipe for blueberry jam.

True Blueberry Jam
Makes about 4-5 8oz (250ml) jars
Ingredients
6 cups or 1.5L blueberries
4 cups or 950ml sugar
1/4 cup or 60ml lemon juice
Prepare the preserving jars. ( I use my dishwasher to wash the jars and lids on the hottest setting)
In the preserving pot, crush the blueberries thourghly with a potato masher.  Add the sugar and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat and boil rapidly, stirring often, for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from the heat.  Stir and skim off foam from top.  pour the jam into hot, sterilized jars, leaving a 1/4"  head space.  Wipe the rims clean.  Seal according to manufacturesm directions.  Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Here is a photo of my jam made using this recipe. (i doubled the recipe)

Here is a recipe for Apple butter from this book.  I didn't pick the apples fom (unless you count picking them up from the grocery)  This is so easy and delicious that I will never buy it again.

Apple Butter

Makes 6-7 8oz. (250ml) jars

In the past, people cooked apple butter outside in massive kettles slung over an open fire.  Luky you!

Ingredients

5lb or 2.25 kg tart apples(I used a combo of granny smith and fuji)

2 cups or 4.75ml apple juice or cider

2 TBS or 30ml lemon juice

1 TBS or 15 ml cinnamon

1/2 or 2.5 ml each ground cloves, allspice and nutmeg

 1 1/2-2 cups of brown sugar(I have used white sugar before, but the best apple butter has brown sugar in it)

Core apples and chop them coarsley.  Combine the apples and apple juice or cider in your preserving pot.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce the heat to low, cover loosely and simmer for 20 minutes or until the apples are tender.  stir occasionally.  Remove heat.  Pass the mixture through a sieve or food mill.

Measure the puree back into your pot.  Add 1/2 to 2/3 cup of sugar for each cup of puree, depending on the tartness of the apples.  Add the lemon juice and mix well.  Cook over low heat, stirring almost constantly for 35-45 minutes, or until thickened.  Stir in the spices during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time.  Test for doneness if desired.  ( put a TBS of the apple butter in the center of a plate and if it doesnt separate after a few minutes, it is ready)

Remove from heat.  Spoon butter into sterilized jars, leaving a 1/4" head space.  Wipe the rims clean.  Seal according to manufactures directions.  Process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

I think that anyone interested in preserving food would benefit from this book!Copyright

Copyright 1998 by Mary Ann Dragon

3rd edition 2009

Whitecap books

282 pages