Swedish Kringle

Who knew that something consisting in large part of flour, water, and butter could be so amazing?  This has become a real unexpected favourite at our house.  You certainly can't go wrong with Scandinavian baked goods and their distinctive almond motif and simplicity of ingredients.

Swedish Kringle
Makes 2, so you can hog one all to yourself and let the others fight over the second.

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
1 tablespoon water

Topping:
1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup flour
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon almond extract

Frosting:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or whole milk
Heat oven to 350F. 

Make the crust.  Place the flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.  With the machine running, add water and process until the dough is formed.  Put dough on a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball.  Divide the dough in half.  Press each half into a strip about 3 inches wide and 10 inches long on a ungreased baking sheet.

The dough.

Make the topping. Heat the water and butter in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat until the butter is melted and the liquid is boiling.  Add the flour all at once and whisk until a thick paste forms and leaves the sides of the pan.  Cook about 1 minute longer, stirring constantly to evaporate excess moisture.  Remove from the heat and cool at least 5 minutes to prevent the eggs from cooking when you add them.

The topping, midway through.

Using a hand mixer or whisk, beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.  Each egg should be completely mixed in before the next egg is added.  Stir in almond extract.  Spread over the pastry strips, spreading almost to the edges.  

 Ready for baking.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.  Cool on wire cooling rack.  As the pastry cools, it will collapse.  Cool completely.

Out of the oven.  No, you're not imagining it.  It looks pretty much the same as uncooked.

Make the frosting. Mix the confectioners' sugar, butter, almond extract, and 2 tablespoons whipping cream or milk until smooth.  Add more whipping cream or milk if needed for spreading consistency. Spread over pastry.  Cut into slices before serving.

Recipe from Food Blogga.

Chile Colorado & Mexican Rice

Chile Colorado

1 1/2 pounds stew beef (but I use top sirloin) cubed in 1/2" pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, minced fine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 28-ounce can enchilada sauce (at whatever spice level you like)
1 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
2 tablespoons flour

In a dutch oven, heat oil.  Add meat, onions, and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and meat browned all over.  Add flour and cook until absorbed.  Add cumin and chili powder.  Add broth, simmer until thickened into a gravy.  Add enchilada sauce.  Cover and simmer over low heat until meat is tender - 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  Serve with Mexican rice.


Mexican Rice

1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) tomato paste
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup of freshly chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons cumin

In a medium pan, add rice and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Stir.  Cover the pot, lower the heat to low and simmer for 17-20 minutes.  Remove from heat and keep pan covered for 5 more minutes.

While the rice is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Cook the onions for 10 minutes, until translucent and starting to brown.  Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.  Stir in tomato paste and cumin and cook for another minute or two.  Mix in hot, cooked rice, lime juice, and cilantro.  Mix until well combined.

Chocolate Coconut Almond Ice Cream

So after yesterday's coconut cake bread I had half a can of coconut milk left over, so decided to try out some kind of coconut ice cream.  I also decided to use coconut cream in the ice cream... of which I now have - you guessed it - half a can left over.  So now I'm looking for yet another coconut recipe... in any case, this ice cream turned out quite well.  And I added chocolate because, well.... because chocolate.

Chocolate Coconut Almond Ice Cream

1 cup sugar
5 egg yolks

1 cup milk

 ¾ cup canned coconut cream
1 cup canned coconut milk
1 cup dried shredded coconut

½ cup slivered almonds
1 teaspoon coconut flavouring (extract)

½ cup cocoa powder

In a saucepan over medium heat, toast dried coconut and almonds.  When golden brown, transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In the now-empty saucepan, mix egg yolks, cocoa, and sugar.   Over medium heat, add milk and coconut milk in a slow stream while whisking.  Bring to simmer, but be careful not to cook it too much as you don't want the yolks to scramble!  Remove from heat, whisk in coconut cream, coconut extract, shredded coconut and almonds.  Put in fridge to cool.  Once chilled, freeze in ice cream maker following manufacturer's directions.

I'm Cuckoo For Coconuts

Is it cake?  Is it bread?  Errr.... yes!  Well, who the hell cares - whatever it is it's full of coconutty good stuff.

Coconut Cake Bread

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon coconut extract

2 eggs

3/4 cup canned coconut milk

1 generous cup packed flake coconut

Heat oven to 350F.  Prepare two 9 x 5 loaf pans.

In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  In another bowl (or mixer), beat together butter and vanilla and coconut extract.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add coconut milk alternately the dry ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry.  Fold in coconut.

Split batter into the two prepared pans.  Bake 45 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Fruitcake You Won't Use As A Doorstop

The common impression of fruitcake can be summed up by this illustration by Edward Gorey:

Here's how to make a fruitcake that's more likely to be eaten by humans than fish.

Fruitcake You Won't Use As A Doorstop

Fruit
You'll need a total of about 2 3/4 pounds dried fruit.
4 cups mixed dried fruit - raisins, apricots, pineapple, cherries, cranberries, papaya, or whatever sounds good. Chop larger fruits into pieces.
1 1/2 cups dates, chopped
6 ounces red and green candied cherries
1/3 cup diced crystallized ginger
3/4 cup dark rum or brandy

Batter
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons dark cocoa
1/2 cup golden syrup or dark corn syrup
1/2 cup apple or cranberry juice
2 cups chopped, toasted nuts (almonds, pecans, or walnuts)
rum or brandy for basting

The Fruit: Combine all of the fruit ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and soak overnight.

The Batter: Cream the butter with the sugar.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder, and cocoa.  Add about half of the flour mixture and all the syrup to the batter.  Then add the remaining flour and the juice and mix well.  Fold in the fruits and any of the remaining soaking liquid, and the nuts.

Heat oven to 300F.  Grease the bottom and sides of the pans.  This recipe makes enough for 6 medium loaves or two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.  Spoon the batter into the pans, filling them about 3/4 full.

Shown here is a doubled recipe, making 12 gift-sized loaves

Bake the cakes on the middle shelf of the oven -- 75 minutes for medium loaves, and 2 hours 15 minutes for large loaves.  The cakes are done when a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cakes from the oven and brush them with rum or brandy.  Let them cool in the pans.  When you have removed the cooled cakes from pans, brush all surfaces again with rum or brandy.

Wrap the cakes in cheesecloth, then in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and store them in a cool, dry place.  Unwrap the cakes every week (for up to 5 weeks) and brush them with more booze (sometimes I'll use a little cherry Torani syrup as well). By the fifth week the cakes will have absorbed as much liquid as they're capable of.  They'll keep for several months this way, as long as they're tightly wrapped.  The flavour improves and mellows over time.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.