The Charmed Kitchen

King Cake

If you are planning a Mardi Gras party, you will want a King Cake. King Cakes are a long-standing tradition in New Orleans at Mardi Gras. A small plastic baby is often hidden in the cake, although you can use a bean or even a whole pecan or almond. Tradition has it that the guest who finds the “surprise” in their piece will host next year’s party. Be careful to warn guest so they don’t break a tooth or swallow the “prize”.  You can also use the whole nuts inside the cake and just set the baby on top of the cake when serving.

The “cake” is really a sweet cinnamon swirl bread.  The yeast dough is rolled out, spread with butter and cinnamon sugar, and rolled up. Then the dough is shaped into an oval shape.

After it is baked, it is decorated with colorful frostings, sugars or both. Traditionally the colors used are yellow, green and purple, but, hey it’s your cake have fun with it. If you want just the sugars, and no frosting, then brush the king cake with a beaten egg before baking and sprinkle with the sugar then. Otherwise, you’ll decorate the cake once baked and cooled.

King Cake

1/4 c. butter

16 oz. container sour cream

1/3 c. sugar

1 t. salt

2 packages active dry yeast

1 T. sugar

1/2 c. warm water

2 eggs

6 /2 c. flour

1/2 c. white sugar

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1/3 c. butter, softened

Colored sugars and frostings (recipes follow)

Heat together the first 4 ingredient to about 100 degrees. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in large bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Add butter mixture, eggs and 2 cups of the flour. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed and gradually work in enough flour to form a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about ten minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top and cover. Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Stir together 1/2 c. sugar with cinnamon and set aside. Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll out one piece of dough into a 28×10-inch rectangle. Spread dough with half of the butter and sprinkle with half of the sugar mixture. Starting at long end roll up jelly roll fashion and pinch seam to seal. Shape dough into an oval shape and pinch ends together. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining piece of dough except remember to add the toy baby, nut or bean if you want the “surprise”. Cover and let rise about 20 minutes. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool before decorating with tinted frostings and colored sugars. Makes 2, serving 24.

Frostings

3 c. powdered sugar

3 T. melted butter

3 t. milk

1/2 t. vanilla

Green, yellow, red and blue food coloring

Combine sugar and butter and add enough milk to make the glaze a drizzling consistency. Add vanilla and divide mixture in three small bowls. Tint one bowl yellow, one green and one purple, using both the red and blue food coloring. I often don’t bother to tint the frostings, but rely on the tinted sugars for color.

Tinted sugars

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

Food coloring

Place 1/2 c. sugar in each of three small bags and add a couple of drops of food coloring to each. One use yellow, one green and one both the red and blue for purple. Shake the bags to distribute the color. You should only need a couple of drops of each.

Decorate the cake by making bands of the colored frostings and then sprinkling on the sugars.

Jelly Doughnuts

I remember how fun it was to watch my parents making doughnuts. The making of the dough, then cutting the dough into circles. The dough circles would then rise on the counter, under linen towels until puffed up. Gently they would be fried, then set on paper towels to drain. Once cooled, the filling would be piped into them through a pastry bag filled with some wonderful jelly or jam.

I also remember learning to fill them. Squeezing the jelly from the pastry bag into the doughnut was tricky. You wanted to make sure there was enough filling, but not so much that they split open. After a couple of tries,  I realized you could figure it out by the weight of the filled doughnut in your hand.

My parents were both excellent bakers. My father had even been a professional baker at one time. I thought it was normal to have parents who made doughnuts. It was the norm in my family.

My folks only made them for special occasions. Unless my Mom got a taste for homemade jelly doughnuts. Then, my dad would make them for her. She loved jelly doughnuts. More than pretty much anyone else I knew.

You can fill them with any number of jellies, jams and cream fillings. I had fresh strawberries and dried apricots so I used them to make both a strawberry filing and an apricot filling. Once fried and filled, the doughnuts can be eaten plain or topped with a drizzle of powdered sugar glaze or just rolled in powdered sugar. They are a bit of work, but well worth the effort.

Jelly Doughnuts

Dough:
4 c. flour
2 T. sugar
1 t. salt
½ c. butter
1 packet yeast
¼ c. warm water
2 t. sugar
1 c. evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
Combine flour with sugar and salt. Cut in butter and set aside. Dissolve yeast in warm water and 2 t. sugar and set aside. Combine milk with eggs. Stir in yeast mixture and add to flour mixture stirring well. On lightly floured surface knead dough until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. Dough will be very sticky. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1½ hours. Remove dough from bowl and punch down. Using about a third of the dough at a time roll dough out to about an ½ -inch thickness and cut out with a 2½ -inch biscuit cutter. Re-roll scraps and cut out. You should get about 2 dozen. Place dough circles on a floured surface and cover with a towel until doubled, about an hour. Heat oil in a deep pan until it reaches 375 degrees. Cook doughnuts a few at a time until golden on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels and cool before filling.

Note: You can also refrigerate the dough after kneading it if you would prefer. Just place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Roll and cut dough into doughnuts when cold from the fridge. Allow to rise, covered, until doubled in bulk, about 2-3 hours. Fry as directed.

To fill doughnuts use a pastry bag fitted with a long tube tip for filling. I have these handy plastic syringes which are easy to use. Insert tube tip into doughnut and squeeze gently until doughnut is filled with jam. Be careful not to overfill or doughnut will split. Once filled doughnuts are topped with a powdered sugar glaze or rolled in powdered sugar.

Apricot Filling

12 oz. dried apricots, chopped up
2 c. water
2 c. sugar, or to taste

Combine apricots with water in saucepan and simmer, covered until apricots are really tender. This will take at least an hour- add more water, if needed. Add sugar to taste and cook until thickened. Puree mixture in a blender.

Strawberry Filling

1 lb. strawberries
1½ c. sugar
½ c. water
3 T. cornstarch

Crush berries and place in saucepan with the sugar. Cook until berries are tender, about 10 minutes. Combine water with cornstarch and add to strawberries. Cook until thickened and bubbly. Cool. , Puree. Makes 2 cups.

Ethiopian Spiced Lamb Chops

I was having a friend over for dinner and wanted to make something special. I know he really likes lamb, so I decided to make lamb chops. Since he also likes my Ethiopian seasoning blend, I decided to use them to season the lamb. They were amazing!!

I pan seared the lamb chops in a cast iron skillet, turning them to brown all all sides. They were thick chops and I wanted to cook them through, without burning the outside. So, once I browned them, I turned the heat down to let them cook more gently for a few more minutes. I cooked them about three more minutes per side. They came out great. Very tender, an even pink color throughout, with a nice brown exterior.

The Ethiopian spices complimented the lamb nicely. I’ve used this spice blend with chicken, beef and pork in the past, but never with lamb. I can see using these spices with lamb again. They worked so well together.

So here is the recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ethiopian Spiced Lamb Chops

4 lamb chops, about 3-4 oz. each

1 T. paprika

1 t. each cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, salt and ginger

½ t. allspice

¼ t. cinnamon

Combine seasonings and rub all over the surface of the lamb chops. Heat a skillet until hot. Place lamb chops in skillet and brown on all sides. Turn down heat and allow chops to cook until cooked to your preference. I like lamb rare, and these were pretty thick chops. They took about three minutes per side to cook, once browned.

Blueberry Kolachy

I have fond memories of making these delicate cookies with my Mother. I think of her every time I make them.  I made a batch for a friend the other night, using homemade blueberry pie filling. I have also used cherry, fig, apple, cheese and nut fillings. I made my own blueberry pie filling, but you could use store bought, if you prefer. You can also finish off the cookies with a light dusting of powdered sugar, if you like.

One problem people sometimes have, when making kolachy, is having them open when baking. When you fold the dough over the filling, give it a good pinch. Then fold it over and pinch it again. Also, don’t leave too much flour on the dough. It will prevent the dough from sticking to itself and will cause it to pop open. Some people like to moisten the dough a little, before sealing. That works, too,. I just find the double pinch method works fine for me. Important to know- even the ones that pop open will taste amazing!!

Blueberry Kolachy

Dough

3 sticks butter

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 cups flour

Blueberry Filling– recipe follows

Powdered sugar, optional

Mix dough ingredients together and chill well before using.

Roll out chilled dough into squares or circles. Spoon a little blueberry filling into the center and pinch 2 ends or corners together. Bake in 350-degree oven for about 12 minutes, or until golden on edges. Cool and dust with powdered sugar. Makes 4-5 dozen.

Blueberry Pie Filling

3 1/2 c. blueberries

3/4 c. sugar, or to taste

1/4 c. Clear Gel*

1 c. water

1 T. lemon juice

In saucepan, bring blueberries and sugar to a boil, stirring often. Combine clear gel with water and lemon juice and add to the blueberry mixture. Return to the boil and cook until thickened and bubbly. Makes 4 cups. You might not need the whole batch for the cookies.

*Clear gel is a modified cornstarch. It is used in commercial pie fillings and in homemade pie fillings, as well. Unlike regular cornstarch, Clear Gel retains it’s thickness, even if you reheat it. You can find it online or in some specialty food stores.

Cheesy Chocolate Hamantaschen

A friend shared this recipe recently, so I had to try these cookies. The filling for these traditional Jewish cookies, is inspired by the filling used in cannoli. I made a few changes from the recipe he shared, and was very happy with how they turned out. The dough, which contains no sugar, has a wonderful, pastry-like texture. It pairs up well with the filling.

They aren’t a gooey, overly sweet cookie, which I really like. These would be great served as a dessert. They pair up nicely with tea or coffee. I confess,  I had a couple for breakfast with my morning tea. I would definitely make these again.Thanks, Jared, for sharing this recipe.

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Cheesy Chocolate Hamantaschen

Filling:

¼ c. ricotta cheese

5 oz. cream cheese

½ c. powdered sugar

1 t. cinnamon

½ c. mini chocolate chips

Dough:

½ c. (1 stick) butter, softened

3 oz. cream cheese

½ c. half and half or milk

1 t. vanilla

½ t. salt

2½c. flour

Topping:

1 egg white

2 T. water

½ c. chocolate chips

Powdered sugar, optional

Prepare the filling. Beat together the ricotta and cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the milk and cinnamon, then stir in the chips. Chill until ready to use. Make the dough by mixing the cream cheese and butter together. Add the milk, vanilla and salt and mix until smooth. Stir in the flour until a stiff dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, or put in a bag and chill at least an hour – or up to a couple of days – before proceeding. On lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a little less than ¼ – inch thickness. Cut dough out into 2-3 inch circles. Place a scant teaspoon of filling in middle of each dough circle. Combine the egg white with water and beat together. Brush a little of the egg white mixture over the edges of the dough circle. Fold the dough up in thirds towards the center, pinching the edges to seal. They should look like little three-corner hats. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling the scraps. Brush folded cookies with a little more of the egg white mixture. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake in a 375-degree- oven for 15 minutes, or until golden on the bottom. Remove to cooling rack. Once cooled, melt the chocolate chips and drizzle over the cookies. You can top with some powdered sugar, if you like. Makes 2½-3 dozen.

Honey-Pomegranate Glazed Ribs

While I prefer cooking ribs on the grill, you can cook them indoors with good results, too. Sometimes the weather isn’t right for cooking them outside. But, we had unseasonably warm weather yesterday, so I could have fired up the grill. Of course, once I realized I was out of charcoal, cooking the ribs inside was the only option.

I like my ribs to be fall off the bone tender, but still have a crispy glaze. I decided to use a combination of moist and dry heat to get the result I wanted. I finished them off with a sauce made from pomegranate molasses and honey. They were really good. Here is what I did.

Honey-Pomegranate Glazed Ribs

1 slab ribs, cut into 3-4 rib portions

salt and pepper

1 c. apple cider vinegar

2 T. soy sauce

1 T. hot sauce

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. smoked paprika

Glaze:

3/4 c. pomegranate molasses*

1/2 c. honey- or more to taste

1 T. hot sauce, or more to taste

Place rib portions in a large pan and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the vinegar, soy sauce, hot sauce, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Cover and chill for a couple of hours. You could even do this the night before. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place rack in large baking dish. Pour 2 cups of water into the bottom of the pan. Place rib portions on the rack. Pour over the marinade. Season with salt and pepper then place in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Turn heat down to 400 degrees.  Remove ribs from oven. Place ribs in a fresh baking pan. Combine glaze ingredients and brush all over the ribs. Return to oven and bake 20-30 minutes longer, or until glaze has gotten sticky and browned a little.

*Pomegranate molasses is available in some specialty stores, or you can make your own by boiling down pomegranate juice until it gets thickened.

Pasta with Creamy Spinach Sauce

I was always a fan of spinach. Even as a kid. When my mom would make Pork Chops Florentine, I would eat all of the spinach. She learned to add a lot more than the original recipe called for. I love spinach raw in salads, in soups, creamed, baked in casseroles. When I grow spinach, I will often graze on it while working in my garden. It is no surprise that I love this recipe, then.

The sauce reminds me of creamed spinach, also a favorite childhood dish of mine. The recipe makes enough to generously sauce a pound of pasta. It is very tasty and easy to make. Great when you need a home made meal, but don’t have a lot of time.

The recipe uses frozen spinach, but you can use fresh spinach , if you prefer. Just cook down 12-16 oz. of fresh spinach and use like the frozen spinach.

Creamy Spinach Sauce

1/4 c. butter

1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 t. salt

1 c. ricotta cheese

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 c. milk

Heat spinach in butter for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and heat gently until warmed through. Do not boil sauce. Toss sauce over hot, cooked pasta. Makes 2 1/2 cups, enough for about a pound of pasta.

Classic Egg Custard

There are dishes that will always be connected with childhood for me. Custard is one of them. I remember helping my Mother make it when I was a little girl. It was so simple, and sort of magical to me. A few ingredients, beaten together, sprinkled with a little nutmeg,  and baked. Once cooked and chilled, it became this creamy, soft dessert.

I had forgotten how much I like egg custard. It had been years since I made it. Recently, a friend asked me to make him some egg custard. I’m glad he did.

The nice thing about custard, is that it is perfect served just as it is. You can also dress it up. Fresh fruit, whipped cream, shaved chocolate, chocolate sauce, maple syrup and nuts are just a few of the things you can use.

I used vanilla extract in my custard, but you can use other flavorings, too.

So here is the recipe. I used custard cups, but it can be baked in a shallow casserole dish, too. The custards are baked in a water bath, to help them cook evenly, and not to crack.

Classic Egg Custard

2 c. milk or half and half- I used half and half

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. sugar

2 t. vanilla

pinch of salt

nutmeg for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put some water on to boil. Beat together the milk or half and half and eggs until well blended. Add the sugar, vanilla and salt and beat well. You want the mixture well mixed and smooth. Divide mixture between 4 (10 oz.) custard cups or 6 (6oz.) custard cups or  an oven safe baking dish. Sprinkle the surface with some fresh grated nutmeg. Place cups or pan in a larger baking pan and pour the very hot water around the cups about halfway up the cups. Bake in the oven for about an hour or until custard sets. Remove from oven and carefully remove from the hot water bath. Allow to cool a little before placing in fridge until ready to serve. Custard is traditionally served cold, but it is pretty good when still warm too. Serves 4-6.