Macaroons

Top to bottom:
Flaked coconut with all-purpose flour
Chocolate with shredded coconut and Valrhona cocoa
Flaked coconut with almond flour

Coconut  and Chocolate

Macaroons (updated)

Adapted by Blue Heron Kitchen from David Lebovitz

This recipe is simple, doesn't need an electric mixer; and with your leftover yolks, you can make ice cream or, make a Breton! These lend themselves to any number of varieties and little twists. Make the batter in advance, refrigerate or freeze it!

These are meringue based (egg white, no milk) macaroons. I like them better than the sweetened condensed milk version. If you're a fan of those, click here! I used both flaked and shredded coconuts. Bob's Red Mill coconut is great. For cocoa and dipping, go for the gold: choose Valhrona cocoa and excellent chocolate too. However, if you like your chocolate macaroons very fudgey, don't go dutch, use Hershey's or Trader Joe's brand cocoa.

If using almond flour and want an almond flavor, add some almond extract with the vanilla. Almond extract is strong, so use a little less. You can substitute liqueur. I added Kirsch to mine while the batter cooked and then added vanilla after the batter came off the stove.

Add some liqueur to your melted chocolate for dipping. (Grand Marnier makes everything taste good.) A drop or two of coconut oil will add sheen and a little more coconut buzz to your melted chocolate (but only if you're not using "high end" chocolate. It'll dress up chocolate that isn't as "fine.") Don't bother to tamper with excellent chocolate. Valhrona offers a bittersweet/orange bar chocolate that could add a nice orange swing.

For my chocolate macaroons, I replaced the honey with Lyle's Golden Syrup. Its amber color didn't alter the color of the batter; and it rounded the chocolate umami.

If you're celebrating Passover (tonight's the second seder):

Go ahead, ask questions (more than four), ask the Knesset and Netanyahu why Israel is enslaving.

Here's to compassion, love and cooking.

Have a sweet spring.

peace and love,

jane

Macaroons

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites

1¼ cups sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. honey or Lyle’s Golden Syrup

2½ cups unsweetened coconut (shredded or flaked)

¼ cup flour or almond flour (finely ground almonds)
optional: add 1 tsp. Kirsch (German cherry liqueur) while cooking the batter

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (for dipping)

For chocolate macaroons:

remove 1 Tbsp. of the flour

add: 2-3 Tbsp. sifted, unsweetened cocoa powder (Valrhona or Guittard are best), to taste and chocolate-saturation preference.

Important: When making the chocolate variation, be careful to not ‘scorch’ the bottom. Cook this over lower than medium-low heat and be vigilant. Burn the chocolate and you’ll have maroroons (maror are the bitter herbs that are eaten during a Passover Seder to symbolize pain and suffering while Jews were enslaved in Egypt.)

Procedure:

In a large skillet, mix together the egg whites, sugar, salt, honey, coconut and flour (or almond flour) and optional Kirsch.

Heat over low-to-moderate heat on the stovetop, stirring constantly, scraping the bottom as you stir.

When the mixture just begins to scorch at the bottom, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature.

According to Lebovitz, the mixture can be chilled for up to one week, or frozen for up to two months. Nice.

When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and preheat the oven to 350º F.

Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch mounds with your fingers. Truc: Don't pack down the batter. Using a light touch, form them into small conical mounds. If you pack them tightly, they won't caramelize and have this perfect coconut/caramelized/marshmallow/crunch/chew that when bitten into, the only comment will be, "you MADE these?". 

To prevent sticky fingers, have a finger-bowl of cool water and a towel nearby for a quick rinse. Space your macaroons evenly on the baking sheet. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until deep golden brown, transferring the sheets front to back and top to bottom, halfway through the bake.

Cool completely until removing from parchment (or you'll write to me that they fell apart.) These harden when they cool.

Don't dip in chocolate until they're completely cooled.

To dip the macaroons in chocolate, melt the chocolate in a clean, dry bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a microwave.) Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. (I love waxed paper.) Dip the bottoms of each cookie in the chocolate and set the cookies on the baking sheet. Refrigerate 5-10 minutes, until the chocolate is set. (You can dip the tops, but I prefer dipping the bottoms.)

Yield: approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Pomegranate Molasses

Pomegranate Molasses (or Syrup)

Adapted from Alton Brown by Blue Heron Kitchen

A great condiment to have on hand, I'm republishing this recipe for you. There's a new photo below, too.  You can purchase pomegranate molasses, but it's better when you make it at home. I suggest you use palm (coconut) sugar (jaggery.) I think it's perfect.

Pomegranate molasses is sweet and sour, rich and alluring; and once you have this in your larder, you won't want to be without it.

Remember when we discovered the powers of balsamic vinegar? We drizzled drenched our salads, fruits and roasts with balsamic vinegars, most of which were of the poorest quality, but the sweet and sour combination appealed to our palates. Its overuse rendered balsamic reductions that were richer and more complex. Now you can buy balsamic reductions in the supermarket!

How about gettin' jiggy with pomegranate molasses. It's honest, anti-oxidant, sweet and sour, complex and thick enough to be considered a 'reduction', really inexpensive, no stranger to middle eastern cuisine; and a nice break from vinegar (which, according to eastern medicine, messes with tendons .. at least that's what Dr. Wong, my acupuncturist told me.)

My friend, Robert, drizzles it on his hot Halloumi cheese for breakfast!

Drizzle some of this great condiment on your salad, 

your salmon, shrimp, gefilte fish or fried calamari! It's works well with chicken, game and pork. 





Drizzled on roasted asparagus or cauliflower
or over a melange of mixed roasted vegetables, you'll dress up your veggies for your next dinner party

I found a great price for organic pomegranate juice at Trader Joe’s. Spend the extra $.50 and spring for the organic one. Pesticides are causing problems:

Here's a quote from a NY Times "in-depth" article about Parkinson's Disease (highlighting added): 

Environmental Factors

Environmental factors alone are probably not a cause of Parkinson's disease, but they may trigger the condition in people who are genetically susceptible.

Some evidence implicates pesticides and herbicides as possible factors in some cases of Parkinson's disease. A higher incidence of parkinsonism has long been noted in people who live in rural areas, particularly those who drink private well water or are agricultural workers.

Truc: you don't have to be a pro to make this, but you do have to be attentive, particularly toward the latter part of the reduction. (My first attempt went one toke over the line and I wound up with "pomegranate tar".)  You're the boss; and a good boss is always attentive and available. 

Once you've attained a reduction of one liquid cup, you're P.M.s'ing. Don't worry if it doesn't look like 'molasses'. As it cools it’ll thicken like July! 

peace and love,

jane

Pomegranate Molasses (or Syrup)

Ingredients:

4 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice (organic, preferred)
1/2 cup sugar, preferably palm sugar (jaggery)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice

Procedure:

For Syrup: Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 1/2 cups, approximately 50 minutes. It should be the consistency of syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar and cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

For Molasses: Place the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice in a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup, approximately 60-70 minutes. It should be the consistency of thick syrup. Take care, especially towards the latter part of reduction, to not let the reduction burn. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan for 30 minutes. Transfer to a glass jar and cool completely before covering and storing in the refrigerator. Molasses should ‘keep’ for up to 6 months.

For Syrup: Procedure is same as for molasses except: cook for approximately 45-50 minutes, rendering 1½ cups of syrup. (This is just a thinner reduction; and presumably easier to mix into liquids/cocktails.)

Gluten-Free Passover Mandel Bread

Gluten-Free Passover Mandel Bread

Blue Heron Kitchen

Just when you thought you’d given up everything that tasted good, imagine those who observe Passover, aren't Sephardic; and can’t or don’t eat gluten. oy.

In recent years, Kosher for Passover (KFP) foods have catered to people who may eat foods that aren't just chocolate covered marshmallows, gooey, gummy macaroons, weird cake mixes and straight-up, white flour matzo (but the egg matzo is pretty good, isn't it?)

Gluten-free is gospel for those living with Celiac disease. But there are many people who just feel better eating less or no wheat. We can’t argue that wheat has been tampered with and modified so it is disease resistant and produces higher yields. In turn, it’s harder for (some of) us to process.

So, if you don’t eat wheat and you’ve had it (already) with meringues and macaroons and even with macarons, here’s a KFP, gluten-free mandel bread that will become a regular GF addition! 

Equipment: You’re going to need a Vitamix with a dry container. (On mine, it’s the much smaller one.) I’ve ground my own flours from grains like millet and buckwheat. But for this, you’re going to grind your own “gluten-free matzo cake meal.”

Truc: If you don't own one, I recommend purchasing one directly from Vitamix, reconditioned. They are in perfect condition, a fraction of the cost, warrantied, and Vitamix's customer service is awesome/amazing/fantastic. Click above, on word "Vitamix", for a link. 

Matzo cake meal is so finely ground that it has almost no crumb. Be sure you grind your matzo into very powdery cake meal. You’ll need a box (10.5 oz.) plus one sheet (doesn’t that suck?!) of KFP GF matzo. (Yehuda brand, from Israel, is the one I found in my local supermarket.)   

The rest is easy… potato starch, sugar, a little salt and six eggs. You can add nuts or chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate.) I like chocolate chips. You'll need cinnamon-sugar to sprinkle on the top before baking. 

The Jews who were enslaved in Egypt had bubcas. Passover commemorates freedom and renewal, and dessert makes everyone happy. This year, I simply can't wrap myself around celebrating our emancipation from slavery and hatred (hatred, ongoing), while Israel encamps innocents. For shame. 

But it is my personal joy and pleasure to share recipes and other "stuff" with you. Happy spring!

peace and love,

jane

Gluten-Free Mandel Bread

Ingredients:

One 10.5 oz. box plus 1 sheet of Gluten-Free KFP Matzo

            (Yehuda brand “Matzo-style squares”) ground to measure:

2 ¾ c. GF matzo cake meal (scoop and leveled)

¾ c. potato starch (scoop and leveled)

½ tsp. kosher salt

6 eggs, size large, room temperature

8 oz. (two sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups granulated white sugar

Additional cinnamon/sugar for topping

Procedure:

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the dry container of your Vitamix, process GF matzo until consistency of matzo cake meal (VERY finely ground.)

In a medium bowl:  “GF matzo cake meal”, potato starch, salt: whisk together and set aside.

In the bowl of Kitchen Aid or electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.

  

Add dry ingredients into egg, butter, sugar mixture and mix until incorporated.

Add optional: 1 cup chopped nuts and 6 oz. chocolate bits or chopped bar chocolate. (Or just chocolate: about 1 ¼ c. chocolate chips)

IMPORTANT STEP: Let batter rest for 15 minutes.

Form into 4 - 2” wide (two loaves per cookie sheet) and sprinkle generously with cinnamon/sugar mix.

Bake at 350º F. for 30-40 minutes, rotating sheets, front to back and top to bottom, half way through. These loaves spread - don't freak out.

Cool on racks. Slice, approximately 1/2" thick, while slightly warm; and cool completely before wrapping and storing. If not serving within a day, I recommend freezing these cookies. Pull them out, as needed; defrost and serve!

Yield:  4 loaves