Good morning GUSigloodwellers!!!! I am dealing with the trauma of regular New England snow (5 inches earlier when I cleared then moved my truck for snow plow guy who already plowed when I was in the shower. He should have returned but never did). Last night I parked across the street in the cleared Church lot and prayed they'd be all Christian about it. Since it was there this a.m. I am assuming no one saw it or they were being Christian.
Now waiting for the next snow on Thursday and the subzero temperatures. Methinks I might miss going to my opera buddy's for Saturday's operas because the truck hates the frigid cold. Hope everyone else is safe and warm.
Today is decadent all sweet stuff day.
Lemon Chiffon Pie
Why this recipe works:
We love the elegant simplicity of lemon chiffon pie but found the gelatin used in most recipes difficult to work with. We use a combination of cornstarch and gelatin to get a creamy pie and add a burst of lemon flavor by tucking a layer of lemon curd beneath the chiffon. Our graham cracker crust adds just a hint of flavor and is a crisp contrast to the soft and fluffy filling.
Serves 8 to 10
Before cooking the curd mixture, be sure to whisk thoroughly so that no clumps of cornstarch or streaks of egg white remain. Pasteurized egg whites can be substituted for the 3 raw egg whites. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Ingredients
CRUST
9 whole graham crackers
3 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
FILLING
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
4 tablespoons water
5 large eggs (2 whole, 3 separated)
1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest plus 3/4 cup juice (4 lemons)
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, softened
Instructions
1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Process graham crackers in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds (you should have about 1¼ cups crumbs). Add sugar and salt and pulse to combine. Add melted butter and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand.
2. Transfer crumbs to 9-inch pie plate. Press crumbs evenly into bottom and up sides of plate. Bake until crust is lightly browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Allow crust to cool completely.
3. FOR THE FILLING: Sprinkle ½ teaspoon gelatin over 2 tablespoons water in small bowl and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. Repeat with second small bowl, remaining ½ teaspoon gelatin, and remaining 2 tablespoons water.
4. Whisk 2 eggs and 3 yolks together in medium saucepan until thoroughly combined. Whisk in 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt until well combined. Whisk in lemon zest and juice and heavy cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and slightly translucent, 4 to 5 minutes (mixture should register 170 degrees). Stir in 1 water-gelatin mixture until dissolved. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 2 minutes.
5. Remove 1¼ cups curd from pan and pour through fine-mesh strainer set in bowl. Transfer strained curd to prepared pie shell (do not wash out strainer or bowl). Place filled pie shell in freezer. Add remaining water-gelatin mixture and cream cheese to remaining curd in pan and whisk to combine. (If cream cheese does not melt, briefly return pan to low heat.) Pour through strainer into now-empty bowl.
6. Using stand mixer, whip 3 egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and slowly add remaining ¼ cup sugar. Continue whipping until whites are stiff and glossy, about 4 minutes. Add curd–cream cheese mixture and whip on medium speed until few streaks remain, about 30 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and, using spatula, scrape sides of bowl and stir mixture until no streaks remain. Remove pie shell from freezer and carefully pour chiffon over curd, allowing chiffon to mound slightly in center. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days before serving.
Technique
For Flawless Chiffon, Two Thickeners are Better than One
Most chiffon pies call for adding only one thickener—usually gelatin or cornstarch—to the curd before combining it with the whipped egg whites. We made dozens of pies with both thickeners and produced dozens of failures (some stiff, some soupy) before we realized that the solution was to use a little of both.
JUST GELATIN: RUBBERY
Gelatin, a pure protein, works by forming a gel network that traps the liquid in the filling. But too much can lead to a bouncy texture—and even the ideal amount produces inconsistent results. If the gelatin-thickened curd is allowed to firm up a tad too long before being combined with the egg whites, it leaves streaks.
JUST CORNSTARCH: SOUPY
Cornstarch thickens when its starch molecules bond together and trap water, creating a solid, jellylike structure. It’s more forgiving to work with than gelatin, but unless you add a glut of it, the filling will be loose. And too much cornstarch will mute the flavor of the filling.
GELATIN + CORNSTARCH: PERFECT
Using both gelatin and cornstarch in moderation produces chiffon that sets up reliably but isn’t rubbery. The proteins in just 1 teaspoon of gelatin are enough to form a gel network, while a mere tablespoon of cornstarch acts as a filler that makes the network more stable without dulling the filling’s lemony punch.
related content
Marbled Blueberry Bundt Cake
Why this recipe works:
Switching from flavor-packed wild Maine blueberries to oversized, bland cultivated blueberries wreaks havoc in a cake. The berries refuse to stay suspended in the batter and burst into bland, soggy pockets in the heat of the oven. We solved these problems by pureeing the fruit, seasoning it with sugar and lemon, and bumping up its natural pectin content with low-sugar pectin for a thickened, fresh tasting filling that can be marbled throughout the cake.
Serves 12
Spray the pan well in step 1 to prevent sticking. If you don’t have nonstick baking spray with flour, mix 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 tablespoon flour into a paste and brush inside the pan. For fruit pectin we recommend Sure-Jell for Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes. Ball Fruit Pectin will not work. If using frozen berries, thaw them before blending in step 3. This cake can be served plain or with Lemon Glaze or Cinnamon Whipped Cream.
Ingredients
CAKE
3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs plus 1 large yolk, room temperature
18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups (14 ounces) sugar
FILLING
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar
3 tablespoons low- or no-sugar-needed fruit pectin
Pinch salt
10 ounces (2 cups) fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 1 tablespoons juice
Instructions
1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heavily spray 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with baking spray with flour. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla together in medium bowl. Gently whisk eggs and yolk to combine in third bowl.
2. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Reduce speed to medium and beat in half of eggs until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Repeat with remaining eggs, scraping down bowl after incorporating. Reduce speed to low and add one-third of flour mixture, followed by half of buttermilk mixture, mixing until just incorporated after each addition, about 5 seconds. Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture. Scrape down bowl, add remaining flour mixture, and mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside while preparing filling (batter will inflate a bit).
3. FOR THE FILLING: Whisk sugar, pectin, and salt together in small saucepan. Process blueberries in blender until mostly smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer 1/4 cup puree and lemon zest to saucepan with sugar mixture and stir to thoroughly combine. Heat sugar-blueberry mixture over medium heat until just simmering, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar and pectin. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Add remaining puree and lemon juice to cooled mixture and whisk to combine. Let sit until slightly set, about 8 minutes.
4. Spoon half of batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Using back of spoon, create 1/2-inch-deep channel in center of batter. Spoon half of filling into channel. Using butter knife or small offset spatula, thoroughly swirl filling into batter (there should be no large pockets of filling remaining). Repeat swirling step with remaining batter and filling.
5. Bake until top is golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out with no crumbs attached, 60 to 70 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert cake directly onto wire rack. Let cake cool for at least 3 hours before serving.
Technique
Overcoming Blueberry Bummers
Cultivated blueberries can be problematic in baking, often blowing out and clumping at the bottom of the pan. Plus, these watery berries taste disappointingly bland. Our solution? Puree the berries with sugar, salt, and lemon zest to improve flavor and then thicken the mixture with pectin and swirl it evenly through the batter.
CLUMPY BLOWOUTS
EVEN SUSPENSION
Technique
Let it Swirl
Properly swirling the thickened blueberry puree is key to producing an elegantly marbled cake.
1. After spooning half of batter into Bundt pan, make channel with back of spoon.
2. Using spoon, fill channel with half of blueberry filling in even layer.
3. Using butter knife, swirl filling through batter. Repeat these steps with remaining batter and filling.
Blueberry Scones
Why this recipe works:
For our ultimate blueberry scone recipe, we wanted to bring together the sweetness of a coffeehouse confection, the moist freshness of a muffin, the richness of clotted cream and jam, and the super-flaky crumb of a good biscuit. Increasing the amount of butter and adding enough sugar gave the scones sweetness without making them cloying; cutting frozen butter into the flour and giving the dough a few folds helped the scones rise; and rolling out the dough before pressing the berries into it and rolling it up like a jellyroll before flattening it and cutting out the scones all contributed to making this our ideal scone recipe.
Makes 8
It is important to work the dough as little as possible—work quickly and knead and fold the dough only the number of times called for. The butter should be frozen solid before grating. In hot or humid environments, chill the flour mixture and workbowls before use. While the recipe calls for 2 whole sticks of butter, only 10 tablespoons are actually used (see step 1). If fresh berries are unavailable, an equal amount of frozen berries (do not defrost) can be substituted. An equal amount of raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries can be used in place of the blueberries. Cut larger berries into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces before incorporating. Refrigerate or freeze leftover scones, wrapped in foil, in an airtight container. To serve, remove foil and place scones on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven. Heat until warmed through and recrisped, 8 to 10 minutes if refrigerated, 16 to 20 minutes if frozen. See final step for information on making the scone dough in advance.
Ingredients
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), frozen whole (see note above)
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about 7 1/2 ounces), picked over (see note)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), plus additional for work surface
1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces), plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Score and remove half of wrapper from each stick of frozen butter. Grate unwrapped ends on large holes of box grater (you should grate total of 8 tablespoons). Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside. Save remaining 6 tablespoons butter for another use. Place blueberries in freezer until needed.
2. Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in medium bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.
3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to liberally floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
4. Roll dough into approximate 12-inch square. Following illustrations, fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to countertop. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes.
5. Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12-inch square again. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.
To Make Ahead:After placing the scones on the baking sheet, either refrigerate them overnight or freeze. When ready to bake, for refrigerated scones, heat oven to 425 degrees and follow directions in step 6. For frozen scones, heat oven to 375 degrees, follow directions in step 6, and extend cooking time to 25 to 30 minutes.
Technique
Scone Confusion
Americans have embraced scones, but something has been lost in translation.
ARTIFICIALLY SWEET: This scone is shellacked with icing and has tiny flecks of artificial blueberries that add color but not flavor.
BIG BLOB: This scone is too large and amorphous to cook through, leaving the center doughy and unbaked.
TRADITIONAL: The British original is lean, dry, and barely sweetened. Spoonfuls of jam and clotted cream are a must.
Technique
Folding and Shaping the Scones
1. Fold dough into thirds (like a business letter).
2. Fold in ends of dough to form 4-inch square. Chill dough.
3. Reroll dough into 12-inch square. Press berries into dough.
4. Roll dough into jellyroll-like log to incorporate blueberries.
5. Lay log seam-side down and press into even 12 by 4-inch rectangle.
6. Cut dough into 8 triangular pieces.
Technique
Grating Butter
Use the wrapper to hold the frozen butter while grating it on the large holes of a box grater. Grate 4 tablespoons from each stick of butter.
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