Traditionally, New England baked beans were cooked in crocks in dying ovens or ember-filled holes in the ground, where the beans could slowly turn tender overnight. To re-create this gentle cooking environment, we turned to our heavy Dutch oven and a low oven, which surrounded the beans with even, ambient heat. Brining the beans overnight helped jump-start hydration and also softened their skins so they cooked up tender, with few blowouts. Uncovering the pot for the last hour of cooking ensured that the liquid reduced sufficiently to coat the beans in a thick sauce. Molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, bay…
Author: chefalice
Traditional Mexican rice is a cornerstone of Mexican cuisine, and it’s easy to understand why: Nutty, tender rice is perfectly complemented by plenty of aromatic ingredients, and the dish has an appealing grassy spice from fresh chiles. The rice is usually fried until golden, which gives it its signature nutty flavor; tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chicken broth add complexity and savory flavors. But many versions we tried turned out soupy, oily, or one-note. We wanted a version with clean, balanced flavor and tender rice that wasn’t greasy or watery. Traditionally, the liquid component in this dish is a mix of…
Baking cookies for Christmas is a longstanding tradition in the Alsace region, with many different variations all captured under the title bredele. Madame Geisert, who has been baking cookies for longer than she can remember, and now bakes them with her grandchildren, gave me a special lesson in fingerle. Traditionally, they are simply rolled in plain sugar to give them a crystal crust, but I like to roll mine in flavored sugars to give them an extra twist.
You might want to throw a woodland-themed celebration just to have an excuse to make cupcakes topped with chocolate faux-bois rounds. Faux bois, or imitation woodgrain, is a favorite Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia motif; it can be applied to chocolate using a wood-graining rocker, found at paint-supply stores. Made with ground almonds and hazelnuts and covered with dark chocolate frosting, the cupcakes are also worth serving on their own, without any other embellishments.
Be prepared for guests to buzz with delight at the sight of miniature marzipan bees alighting atop piped buttercream dahlias. Honey (of course!) flavors the cakes. Serve them at a garden reception, shower, or child’s birthday party, on their own or with the sunflower cupcakes.
Chocolate-covered sunflower seeds create the centers, while the petals are piped with bright yellow buttercream. Novice pipers, take note: Just as with real flowers, the petals needn’t appear perfect, nor should any two flowers look exactly alike. In fact, you may want to study some real sunflowers to use as inspiration.
Celebrate commencement day with a diploma of a different sort: tiny replicas made of airy tuile cookies that are curled around a skewer and neatly tied with strips of sour candy. To make the template for the tuile scroll, use the lid of a plastic storage container.