Friday, September 25, 2009

Moar Recipes!

These are a little bit more fall-ish and they're all really tasty.

Egg Nog!

Beat 6 eggs really hard. I even use an electric mixer for this. I know.

Add 1 cup castor sugar. AKA baker's sugar or superfine sugar or whatever.
Blend that in.

1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t cinnamon

Gradually add
2 1/2 c cream (sometimes I use half and half or more milk than cream)
2 c milk

Optionally, 1/2 cup each rum and brandy.



Caramel

Heat a saucepan on medium heat.

Melt 1 cup butter and mix in 1 lb (2 1/3 cup) brown sugar and a dash of salt.

Add 1 cup cornsyrup, keep heating. Add 15 oz condensed milk VERY slowly when it's hot. Make sure it hits and holds 250 degrees with a candy thermometer. Go up a little more if you'd like, but if you get it too hot, it'll be really, really hard. 245 makes syrup, 250 makes soft and semi-firm caramels. Anything too low will make a grainy mess.


Take off heat and add 1 tsp high quality vanilla. Cool in large, shallow dish. I use the freezer. Cut into bits and roll in rectangles of wax paper as little candy wrappers.


Doughnuts

Scald 1/2 cup milk and add in 2 TB butter. I do this on medium.

Add 1/4 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Cool the mixture in a mixing bowl.

Sprinkle and whisk in one at a time:
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1/16 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour.

Mix completely then add another 3/4-1 cup flour. Dough will be stickyish depending on how much, but it won't impact flavor.

Knead for 5 minutes and let rest 60-90 minutes. Roll out and shape. (Will be flat, I roll to 1/4 inch and just us a tiny shotglass to make inch-wide doughnut holes)

Let rest 30-45 minutes.

Heat oil on medium about an inch and a half deep (or more, but why?) to 365 degrees. Plop the doughnuts in a bit at a time until they are ALMOST a tiny bit browned, then flip, wait a few seconds, then fish them out onto paper towels.

I roll them in a glaze and cinnamon sugar. You can do one or the other.

Glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp vanila
2 TB cold water. I use double if I'll be putting it in cinnamon sugar too.



Caesar Salad of DOOM!

The salad itself is simple. Romaine (or iceberg if you're poor) and grated parmesean. Fresh is best. For croutons, I make garlic bread a few days before and leave the extras out overnight then cut it into cubes and put it in a sealed container so it keeps really moist and only a bit chewy/crunchy. Cheap croutons are hard. Good ones are a bit tougher and harder than normal bread. Since the dressing has raw egg in it, keep it cold and don't keep it more than 12-24 hours. I'd use it right away.

Dressing:

In a food processor or if you're awesome with mincing, destroy together...

2 cloves garlic. Small for normal garlic, large for extra. 2 small and some roasted if you're nuts.
2 anchovy filets or 1/2 tsp anchovy paste
1 egg (or mayo if you're a pussy)
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tb dijon mustard
1/4 tsp worstershire sauce

When you're done, whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil.


It's sexy and sooo worth it. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Let sit an hour so the flavors can take effect or it's just not as good.

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