Kouign Amann

Photo by Steve Shanahan

First published Canberra Times 8 August 2012

Move over macarons and cupcakes, it is the Kouign Amann that is taking the US by storm and infiltrating bakery shelves here in Australia. It’s been seen loitering in some of the trendy Sydney and Melbourne bakeries and it seems in the US the demand is outstripping supply. Just quietly, the French are way ahead of us by a few hundred years, but don’t worry all good things come to those who wait.

Unless you’re a competent cook, then waiting is something you might have to do, because this little slice of heaven is a tad time consuming, but not impossible to do. 

What is Kouign Amann you might ask? It’s sometimes been described as a cake or a pastry, but always sublimely addictive. It originates in Brittany, France and the pronunciation is something like ‘kween amon.’ The dead give away, is that in the Breton language it translates to ‘cake butter.’ Getting the idea now? In around 1860, pastry cook Yves Rene-Scordia opened a bakery in the coastal Breton town of Douarnenez and his speciality so impressed the locals that it soon grew into an obsession. 

If like me, you find a flaky, pure butter croissant or a pillowy and light brioche simply irresistible, expect to find yourself hooked on Kouign Amann. It is partly about the texture, but it’s more the crisp caramelisation of the outside shell of the cake with the flaky buttery layers that creates the desire to further indulge. It takes considerable willpower to stop at one piece.

You will need to set yourself an afternoon aside to create these buttery gems, and find a warm spot in the house to allow the dough to rise for a couple of hours before baking. If you don’t have a warm corner to allow them to rise, I placed the two dough-filled cake tins, covered in plastic wrap, under the doona in the spare bed with the electric blanket on low. This worked a treat. In actual fact they kept my rye mother company which was fermenting and bubbling away between the sheets.

Don’t be put off by the difficulty, Kouign Amann is not only incredibly satisfying to make, it is even more satisfying to eat.

500g plain flour
320ml cold water
15g salt
8g of dried yeast
350g unsalted butter at room temperature
300g sugar

In a large bowl, place the flour, water, salt and dried yeast. Mix the dough until it forms a combined mass. Alternatively, you can use an electric mixer with a dough hook. Form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic film and refrigerate for about one hour.

On a floured bench, roll the dough out flattened to a square about one centimetre thick and dust with flour.

Place the butter between two sheets of baking paper and using a rolling pin, bash the butter to flatten to about one centimetre thickness and place it centrally on top of the rolled out square of dough, so it doesn’t quite reach the sides of the pastry. Fold the four edges of the dough into the middle to completely envelop the butter. Roll the top of the dough slightly to seal the folded edges to stop the butter from escaping.

Roll the pastry out to a rectangular strip about one centimetre thickness. Take the shorter and lower end of the strip and fold it up one-third of the way toward the top. Now fold the top down to fit over the first fold to form a neat rectangle with no overlapping sides.

Place the folded dough onto a baking tray and cover with baking paper, and again refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and with the outside fold facing to your right, roll it out again to a long rectangle about one centimetre thickness.  Sprinkle with a generous amount of sugar, then fold it again as before, coating all sides with sugar. Place in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes.

Repeat the previous step of rolling, coating with sugar and folding one more time, then rest the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. For each roll, place the outside folded seam to your right before rolling. This technique will give you the flaky and buttery layers.

When refrigerated, roll the pastry out to a rectangle of one centimetre thickness. Cut it in half, then fold the four corners of the dough to meet in the centre, so you have a smaller square. Roll lightly over the folds to seal and sprinkle with a little more sugar. You should have used most of the 300 grams of sugar. Place the two pieces of dough in two buttered cake tins, pressing slightly so the dough fits the tins well.

Cover the cake tins with a tea towel and leave to rise for two  hours in a warm place. Or place in your heated bed with the electric blanket on low.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for about 30 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a rack. Don’t undercook the Kouign Amann, it needs to be very dark and caramelised. The outside should be dark

Breton biscuit

Breaking of the Breton biscuit. Photos by Steve Shanahan

First published Canberra Times 13 June 2012

The universe aligns for me when I am exposed to that fatal combination of sweetness and saltiness. Throw in butter, and it becomes something far better than the sum of its parts, achieving a richness of universal proportions. 

In western France, we first come across the fun but oddly informal tradition of guests reaching into the middle of the dining table and breaking off fat chunks of  this sweet and salty, buttery biscuit which is brought to the table in the form of a large, golden slab.

In the Normandy and Brittany regions, butter is king and remains an integral patisserie ingredient. The high quality, unsalted butter used in this recipe is the catalyst that creates the texture, and releases the fine flavour and irresistible smell of the biscuit while baking. It makes a huge difference to the finished taste, and this is one of those instances where price does count, so buy the best butter you can afford.

These traditional Breton biscuits date back to the 1800s and are instantly recognisable by the criss-cross pattern on the top, made shiny by painting liberally with an egg wash before they go into the oven.  This large cookie is no exception and takes the shape of whatever large biscuit slide or pan you might have available.  I usually make mine in a rectangular oven tray.

This substantial biscuit has all the punch it needs to be served alongside a strong, black coffee.

You can make this biscuit dough a few days ahead and store wrapped in cling wrap in the refrigerator or freeze in an airtight container. This dough quantity makes enough to cover a large baking tray.

A timely warning at this point though. These need to be eaten in moderation as they are seriously addictive and probably don’t form part of any nutritionally appropriate diet. But we don’t indulge that often, do we?

 

1 ¾ cups plain flour

⅔ cup sugar

130g good quality, unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

¼ tsp sea salt flakes

6 tbsp cold water

2 egg yolks for glazing

1 tsp extra sea salt flakes for scattering on top

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and blend to combine. Gradually drop in the cubes of butter until the mixture looks like rough breadcrumbs.  With the machine still running, gradually add the cold water, just enough to produce a dough that forms a ball. The dough should feel soft.

Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, form into a flattened square and cover with cling film and refrigerate to rest for an hour or so. The dough can be left refrigerated for a few days at this point.

When you’re ready to bake the dough, preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking sheet with baking paper.  Remove the dough from the fridge to allow it to soften just enough to be malleable.

Roll the dough out between 2 layers of cling wrap or baking paper and roll into a rectangle about 5mm in thickness. Roll to fit your baking tray.

With a spatula, lift the dough onto the lined baking tray. Beat the egg yolks together with a teaspoon of cold water and using a pastry brush, paint the surface of the dough. With a fork or a sharp knife, score the surface into a criss-cross pattern, by first making lines one way, then the other. Sprinkle the surface of the dough with the extra sea salt flakes.

Bake the biscuit for about 30 minutes, checking its edges do not burn. If you feel they are browning too much, cover the edges of the biscuit with a strip of alfoil to protect them while the centre of the biscuit continues to brown.  The biscuit should be a shiny golden brown.

Transfer carefully onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature and serve in the centre of the table to allow guests to break off pieces when they want.

Strawberry powder puffs

Photo by Steve Shanahan

First published 9 May 2012 Canberra Times.

Not only does Mother’s Day provide the opportunity to lavish attention on Mum, it’s also an excuse to showcase your cake baking skills.

These gorgeous little powder puffs are incredibly quick and easy to make, and they can be produced at very short notice, perfect for the kids or Dad to cook for Mum on her day.

This cute old-fashioned English recipe dates back to when the vicar would drop by for afternoon tea. The cakes were baked in advance and stored in an airtight container, then filled with whipped cream and jam, sprinkled with icing sugar and put aside. They rise again slightly when filled and left for an hour or so. By the time the vicar came to call, the powder puffs were ready to eat.

2 eggs

½ cup caster sugar

½ cup plain flour

½ cup cornflour

2 tspn baking powder

½ cup strawberry jam

¾ cup whipped cream

Icing sugar for dusting

Makes about 15

Preheat the oven to 220C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer until well mixed, then gradually add the sugar, beating for 8 minutes or until thick and creamy. Sift the flour, cornflour and baking powder together and fold in lightly by hand.

Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a plain 1cm nozzle and pipe into rounds, placing them well apart on the trays. If you don’t have a piping bag, spoon teaspoons of the mixture onto the trays.

Bake for 4 to 5 minutes until evenly but lightly coloured. Remove from the oven and lift the cakes carefully with a spatula, onto a wire rack to cool. When cool store in an airtight container, separating the layers with sheets of baking paper to stop them sticking together.

An hour or so before serving, join the cakes together in pairs with strawberry jam and whipped cream. Dust them with icing sugar and place them in a covered container until they become light puffs.

Caramelised fig nests and balsamic ice cream

Photo by Steve Shanahan

First published Canberra Times 2 May 2012.

Descending the ladder very carefully with a colander of late harvest figs tucked precariously under my arm, I notice there are still a lot of unripe figs left on the tree and some that have been half munched. Already planning the next harvest, I dream of an early winter Italian style lunch dessert, stuffed with chocolate, nuts and preserved in brandy.

I replace the netting, do a boundary check of the fig tree and I believe it to be secure. The possums around here are pretty sneaky and I wonder if they are watching, planning their night assault, while my guard Spoodle snores under his fluffy doona, and doesn’t give a fig about guarding the tree!  

A number of today’s harvested figs are just verging on the ripe side, and will be chopped and poached in star anise, cinnamon and pepper to form a sauce.  This will work well with roasted figs and pre-made caramel and balsamic ice cream that is already languishing in the freezer. The sharpness of the balsamic vinegar, balances perfectly with the large, musky figs and will make a fine ending to our family lunch.

As it’s a special occasion, I decide to fancy up the dessert by adding some honey flavoured wafers, known as Tuiles in France, that I curve over a rolling pin while still warm, creating a little nest for the caramelised figs to sit in. This is a simple and impressive technique and easily done ahead of time.

The three components of this dessert can all be made separately, in advance and can be used individually. If you choose to make only the caramelised figs with the ice cream, or the ice cream with the wafers, the flavours will still work well.

Serves 5 to 6 people

Balsamic Ice Cream

1 cup caster sugar

¼ cup good quality balsamic vinegar

6 egg yolks

2 cups milk

150ml double cream

200m good quality balsamic vinegar, extra

Spicy Syrup

1/3 cup caster sugar

1 cup of fresh orange juice

2 cinnamon sticks

3 star anise

½ tspn cracked black pepper

1 cup chopped fresh figs (they can be a little unripe)

Wafers

85g unsalted butter, softened

½ cup icing sugar, sifted

grated zest of 2 lemons

½ cup honey

100g plain flour

50g rolled oats

12 -15 fresh figs, halved

icing sugar, for dusting

Ice Cream

Firstly, make the ice cream. You will need to prepare it at least the day before you need it.

Combine the sugar and just enough water to cover in a small saucepan and stir until the sugar has dissolved.  Bring to the boil, without stirring, until the syrup becomes a light golden colour. Remove immediately from the heat and carefully add the 60ml of balsamic vinegar. Return to the heat and stir until smooth, then remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold.

In a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Put the milk and cream in a large saucepan and bring almost to the boil. Whisk the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, then return to a clean saucepan over medium heat.

Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Do not let it boil, as it will curdle. Strain through a fine sieve, then allow to cool to room temperature.

Put the extra 200ml of balsamic vinegar in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until it reduces to a syrup consistency. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Whisk the cold sugar toffee mixture into the custard. Transfer to an ice cream machine and churn. Alternatively, transfer to a shallow metal tray and freeze, whisking every couple of hours until creamy and frozen.

When the ice cream is nearly frozen, gradually pour in the reduced balsamic vinegar and stir through to create a rippled effect, using a skewer of fork.

Wafers

Preheat the oven to 160C. Cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and pale. Add the honey and flour and beat until smooth.

Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Using a spatula, smear 8 very thin layers of wafer mixture in an oval shape about 10 cm long, then sprinkle with the rolled oats and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, or until evenly golden coloured. I always make extra to allow for breakages.

Remove from the oven, working quickly, using a clean spatula, carefully remove one wafer and shape it by placing over a rolling pin to curl. If the wafers are too soft to remove, just wait a moment and they will set hard enough to handle. If they set too quickly and aren’t quite the desired shape, just return them to the oven for a moment and they will flatten out again. They are incredibly resilient, although look very delicate.

Repeat the process, lining them up along the rolling pin. Make sure the rolling pin does not roll. When the wafers have hardened remove from the rolling pin and repeat the process for the remaining wafers. Returning them to the oven to soften if needed. The wafers will keep for a few days in an airtight container.

Spicy Syrup

Combine the sugar and just enough water to cover in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, without stirring, until the syrup becomes golden in colour. Immediately remove from the heat and carefully add the orange juice. Add the chopped figs, star anise, cinnamon and the cracked black pepper.  Return the pan to the heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.  Strain through a fine sieve, squeezing through as much of the liquid as possible, then set aside.

Figs

Preheat the oven to 200C. Place the figs cut side up, on a baking paper lined tray. Dust liberally with icing sugar, then roast for 8 minutes, or until the figs have begun to caramelise and are golden.

To serve, place a curved wafer on each serving plate and arrange two or three fig halves in the centre of each wafer. Drizzle the spicy syrup over the figs and serve with 2 scoops of balsamic ice cream.

Speculaas

Photo by Steve Shanahan

First published Canberra Times 14 December 2011

1¾ cups plain flour

¼ tspn salt

¼ tspn baking powder

2½ tspn ground cinnamon

¼ tspn ground ginger

¼ tspn ground cloves

7 tbsp unsalted butter, left at room temperature

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed

Mix the flour, salt, baking powder and spices together in a bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugars and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the dry ingredients in 3 lots, mixing until just combined and the flour disappears into the soft dough. If the dough is too dry add a couple of dashes of milk to the mixture, this will vary depending on the weather. You may have some flour at the bottom of the bowl, just mix with your hands to knead the dough and work in any dry spots.  The dough will be very soft.

Divide the dough in half. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough between two sheets of baking paper or plastic wrap until you have a circle that’s about 3mm thick. As you roll, turn the dough over a couple of times and pull away the paper of plastic so you don’t end up with creases in the rolled out rounds. Put the rolled out rounds of dough on a tray and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. At this stage the dough can be left in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen if sealed with plastic wrap for up to 3 months.

When the dough is ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Remove the dough circles from the refrigerator and peel off the paper or plastic wrap. Using a biscuit cutter, whatever shape you like, to cut out as many biscuits as you can from the dough, carefully lifting the cut-outs onto the baking sheet. Collect the scraps and set them aside to combine with the scraps from the second piece of dough.

Bake the biscuits for 8 to 10 minutes or until they are lightly golden and just brown around the edges. Allow the biscuits to rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Repeat with the second round of dough. Use the remaining scraps from the dough circle, press them together, and roll them into a circle, chill before cutting and baking as per the previous method.

Ginger and Pecan Biscotti

Photo by Steve Shanahan

First published Canberra Times 14 December2011

Ginger and Pecan Biscotti

1 cup pecans

2 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup self raising flour

¾ cup plain flour

100g glace ginger, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 160C. Spread the pecans on a baking tray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Tip onto a chopping board to cool, then roughly chop. Cover the baking tray with baking paper. 

Put the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Sift the flours into the mixing bowl and add the nuts and ginger. Mix to a soft dough, then place all the mixture on the tray and shape into a loaf. This should measure about 9 x 23 cm.

Bake the loaf for 40 minutes, or until lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes, then carefully cut into thin slices. This is best done with an electric knife, but can be also successfully done with a large serrated bread knife by hand. The loaf will be crumbly on the edges, so work slowly and hold the sides as you cut.

Arrange the slices on baking trays and bake again for about 10 minutes each side. They will dry further as they cool, and ensure they are completely cool before storing in an airtight container.

St Nich's Biccies

First published Canberra Times 22 December 2010.


The story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas who was said to be born during the third century AD in the village of Patara on the southern coast of Turkey. He was left an orphan by his wealthy parents, and legend has it, that over his lifetime he spent his inheritance helping the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving the poor and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. He was known for his generosity to those in need, his love of children, and his concern for sailors and ships. He died on December 6, 343 and the anniversary of his death became a feast day in the Christian tradition.

Photo by Steve Shanahan

During the 1800’s, political cartoonists and writers influenced the transformation of St Nic into Santa Claus. Along with a phonetic alteration from the German Sankt Niklaus to Santa Claus, we see a shift in appearance to a jolly elf-like character in a red suit.

In the Netherlands, St. Nicholas day is still celebrated on 6 December, by sharing biscuits, sweets, small gifts, and riddles. Dutch children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the saint's horse, hoping St. Nicholas will exchange them for gifts. Black Pieter, St. Nic’s vaguely scary assistant, throws small cinnamon spiced biscuits through the front door in preparation for St Nic’s visit.

These biscuits are also called Pepernoten (Peppernut) and it’s probably because they are so crunchy, although they soften up with age and the flavour develops. With my mother’s help, all the kids in our extended family were herded together to cook a large batch of these biscuits each year to throw around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. The kids then scrambled in and out of the wrapped presents to find the biscuits, creating mayhem while the adults got quietly smashed on alcoholic egg nogs.

The smell of these biscuits baking is quintessentially Christmas, and they are easy and fun for the kids to make, even if someone older prepares the mixture to the dough stage.

2 cups sifted flour
½ tspn baking powder
¼ tspn salt
1 tspn white pepper
¼ tspn cinnamon
¼ tspn ground ginger
1 tspn grated orange rind
2 tspns grated lemon rind
1 tbspn butter
1 cup icing sugar
2 eggs separated (beat egg whites stiffly)
extra icing sugar

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, orange rind and lemon rind in a bowl and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer and add slightly beaten egg yolks, beating well until creamy. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, then the stiffly beaten egg whites, gently blending all ingredients. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour and let stand overnight at room temperature. Roll dough into small teaspoon sized balls, placing on baking paper lined biscuit trays a few centimetres apart. Press each ball down gently with the back of a glass. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes at 170C. Sprinkle biscuits with extra icing sugar while still hot.

Suzie's Melting Moments



Photo by Steve Shanahan

 First published Canberra Times 15 December 2010.
My sister Susie is the queen of Melting Moments. Nobody else I know can make these beauties as feathersoft, silky and melt like sugar in the mouth like she can. Last year she arrived at our cafe on the south coast with a jar of mini Melting Moments. They were so perfect, that I couldn’t resist using them as an accompaniment to coffee orders. What I didn’t realise was that the customers would go so mad for them, and that’s another story.

Thankfully, after much grovelling, she gave me the recipe, but I must confess, hers still contain that elusive something. They are too good to be kept a secret, are very easy to make and very indulgent. These whisps of butter and sugar make an ideal foodie gift, although they do need to be kept in the fridge in summer.

To achieve the melt in the mouth texture of the biscuits, Susie says you need to follow a few simple techniques. Whip the softened butter, sugar and vanilla for at least 5 minutes on the highest setting of your mixer. Use only pure vanilla essence or scraped vanilla bean seeds. Make the biscuits on the small side as they expand in the oven, as bite-sized are easiest to eat. Use at least one centimetre of the butter cream filling between the biscuits. Keep any unfilled biscuits in an airtight container in the fridge. You can freeze the filling if needed.


Biscuits

250g unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup icing sugar mixture, sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla essence, or 1 scraped vanilla bean
1 ½ cups self raising flour, sifted
½ cup custard powder, sifted

Filling

120g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar mixture, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Beat butter, icing sugar and vanilla in electric mixer for about 5 to 8 minutes on high until pale, smooth and creamy. Mix the flour and custard powder into the butter mixture by hand until well combined. Roll out teaspoonfuls into balls and place on lined tray. Flatten each biscuit lightly with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes, checking to not let the biscuits turn golden or burn. Keeping them lightly cooked preserves the melt in the mouth texture. Remove biscuits to a cooling rack to completely cool before filling.

To make the filling, beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla until light and creamy. Sandwich two biscuits together with the filling and dust with icing sugar.

Recipe makes about 20 filled biscuits.