VPWL

 Boston Cream Cupcakes

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Ingredients Cupcakes:

  • 1 ¾ c flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 1 c sugar
  • 12 Tab unsalted butter softened (1 ½ sticks)
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ c milk
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla
  • custard filling (see below)
  • chocolate glaze (see below)

Directions:

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position.
  2. Heat to 360 degrees.
  3. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray, flour generously and tap pan to remove excess flour.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt.
  5. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  6. Add in eggs one at a time until just combined with butter/sugar mixture.
  7. Stir vanilla into milk and add 1/3 to egg mixture.
  8. Beat in ½ flour mixture until barely combined.
  9. Next add 1/3 of the milk mixture, beat until combined.
  10. Then add the remaining flour, beat until combined.
  11. Beat in remaining milk.
  12. Fill muffin cups three quarters full.
  13. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 18 – 20 minutes.
  14. Cool cupcakes in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely.
  15. Make custard while cupcakes bake.

Ingredients Custard:

  • 2 c whole milk
  • ¼ c sugar
  • 3 Tab corn starch
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 large egg yolks slightly beaten
  • 1 tsp vanilla (do not use Mexican or Tahitian vanilla – tends to be too floral)

Directions:

  1. In a heavy 2 qt sauce pans, mix all ingredients except vanilla.
  2. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
  4. Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap on the surface of the custard.

Ingredients Chocolate Glaze:

  • 6 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate (do not use chocolate chips)
  • 4 Tab butter
  1. Directions:

    Melt together in double boiler.

  2. If too thick to drip down sides of cupcakes, thin with more butter.

Assembly:

  1. When cupcakes and custard are cool, cut off caps of cupcakes and remove some of the insides, being careful not to cut through the bottom.
  2. Fill the cupcakes to over flowing with the custard and replace tops.
  3. Place cupcakes on wire rack over parchment paper or foil.
  4. Spoon chocolate glaze over cupcakes and allow to drip down the sides.
  5. Keep refrigerated until served.

Add a nod to Vermont – serve with Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream.

Serves: 12

Source: Cooks Country and Donna Barasch

Comments:  These are best served the day they are assembled, but the cupcakes and the custard can be made a day ahead.  Do not make the glaze until just before assembling.  Traditionally, the custard is placed between 2 cake layers and the whole is drizzled with chocolate. This is referred to as a Boston Cream Pie. No one seems to know why it is called a pie and not a cake.

New England Boiled Beef Dinner

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Horseradish, sour pickles and coarse salt are served as accompaniments.

Ingredients:

  • 4 lbs beef brisket
  • 1 onion
  • 2 whole cloves (stuck into onion)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 1 stalk celery cut in 1 inch slices
  • 2 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp rosemary
  • 1 c water (More for stove top cooking)
  • 6 carrots peeled and sliced
  • 1 turnip peeled and diced
  • 6 Yukon gold potatoes cut into eighths
  • 1 small cabbage head cut in chunks
  • horseradish
  • sour pickles
  • coarse salt (kosher)

Directions: Slow cooker

  1. Place beef in a slow cooker with next 9 ingredients. Meat may be cut in pieces
    to fit pot.
  2. Cook on low 10 – 12 hours, until tender
  3. Parboil carrots, turnip and potatoes.
  4. Add vegetables and cook on high 1 hour.

Directions: Stove top

  1. Put the brisket in 5-6 qt dutch oven with next 9 ingredients.
  2. Cover with 1 inch of water.
  3. Bring to barely simmering and cover. Cook 4 hours, until tender.
  4. Remove meat, set aside, keep warm.
  5. Add vegetables, except cabbage, simmer until done 15-30 minutes depending on size.
  6. Add cabbage for 10 minutes.
  7. Slice brisket thin.
  8. Serve in flat soup plates with some of the broth and vegetables..

Serves: 10

Source: The Unwatched Pot and Good Housekeeping Cook Book

Waldorf Salad

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This recipe was originally developed in 1893 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.

Ingredients:

  • 6 Tab mayonnaise
  • 1 Tab lemon juice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 c walnuts, toasted and chopped
  • 2 c celery, thinly sliced (3 stalks = ½ c)
  • 2 c red seedless grapes, halved (approximately 1lb)
  • 4 c apple cored and diced (approximately 1 ½ lbs)
  • 10 lettuce leaves

Directions:

  1. Whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice and salt in a medium bowl.
  2. Mix in walnuts, celery, grapes and apple.
  3. Refrigerate.
  4. Serve on salad plates with lettuce leaf.

Serves: 10

Source: Simply Recipes

This entry was posted in Salads and tagged .

New England Clam Chowder

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A real purist would not add flour, which would make a thinner soup. Reheats well, but does not freeze.  Very filling!

Ingredients:

  • 3 oz bacon, diced fine
  • 2 ¼ c onions, finely chopped (about 3 medium =1 ½ lbs)
  • 4 potatoes peeled and diced (about 2 lbs)
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 3 c clam juice (Crown Prince – 1 bottle = 1 cup)
  • 3 cans clams with liquid (Crown Prince 10 oz each)
  • 3 c half and half
  • ½ c flour
  • ½ c cold water
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 Tab parsley, chopped for garnish
  • oyster crackers

Directions:

  1. Saute bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until it has rendered all its fat and is lightly browned.
  2. Add onions and saute until onions are soft and transparent, but not brown.
  3. Add potatoes, thyme and clam juice and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are cooked but not falling apart – about 10 minutes.
  4. Mince clams.
  5. Add clams, their juice, and the half and half.
  6. Simmer about 10 minutes.
  7. Mix the flour with water.
  8. Pour into the boiling soup slowly, stirring all the time with a wire whisk.
  9. Simmer, stirring all the time for 3 minutes.
  10. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  11. Serve in small soup bowls and sprinkle with parsley.
  12. Traditionally served with oyster crackers on the side.

Serves: 10

Source: Soup, Salad and Pasta by Ursel Norman

 

 

Authentic Anchor Bar Buffalo Chicken Wings

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It’s not a game without chicken wings!

Ingredients:

  • 18 chicken wings
  • 1 Tab vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 c flour
  • 1½Tab white vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 6 Tab Louisiana hot sauce (Frank’s is the brand used in Buffalo)
  • 6 Tab unsalted butter
  • celery sticks
  • blue cheese dressing (see below)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 425°.
  2. Cut whole wings into two pieces. (1 wing makes 2 pieces, the flat and the drum)
  3. In a bowl toss the wings with the oil and salt.
  4. Place into a large plastic bag – add flour – shake to coat evenly.
  5. Remove wings and shake off excess flour.
  6. Spread evenly on oiled, foil lined baking pan. Do not crowd.
  7. Bake 20 minutes, turn the wings, bake another 20 minutes or until wings are cooked through and browned.
  8. While the wings are cooking, mix next 8 ingredients for sauce in a pan.
  9. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Stir occasionally. Turn off.
  10. After wings are cooked, transfer to large bowl.
  11. Pour sauce over the hot wings and toss to completely coat.
  12. Return to foil lined baking pan.
  13. Reheat.
  14. Place on platter with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.

The One True Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients:

  • ¾ c sour cream
  • ¾ c blue cheese, crumbled
  • ½ c mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
  • ½ tsp grated onion or 1 tsp dried onion
  • ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, pressed
  • freshly ground pepper

Directions:

  1. Mix ingredients in order given using an electric mixer on low.
  2. Blend well.
  3. Cover and chill over night to allow flavors to blend.

Serves: Makes 2 cups

Source: An ad for Danish Blue Cheese

Comments:  It will turn watery after 3-4 days.  (Later discovery – 1 cup of cottage cheese will help stabilize it and add texture.)
I added the Worcestershire sauce to the original recipe

 

Cocktail Lobster Rolls

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“This sandwich is truly one of life’s simple pleasures. While this will not be an inexpensive sandwich to assemble, once you taste the amazing contrast between the buttered bun and the cold, sweet lobster salad, you’ll realize it was worth every penny!”

 Ingredients:

 

  • 3 lobster tail, fresh or frozen – 4 oz each (about 2 cups)
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tab celery, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp tarragon
  • 4 fresh hot dog buns
  • 4 Tab butter

Directions:

  1. Boil lobster as directed.
  2. Remove meat from shell and dice.
  3. Mix with mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, celery, tarragon.
  4. Refrigerate mixture.
  5. Split open and butter the buns.
  6. Toast under the broiler.
  7. Cut bun halves into 4 pieces.
  8. Mound lobster mixture on each piece.

Serves: 32 pieces

Source: John Mitzewich, About.com

 

Parker House Rolls

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Super easy Parker House rolls from Haven in Oakland.  Executive Chef Kim Alter did a presentation at Chefs’ Holidays 2013 at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. She doesn’t fold them over but they are tasty.  Kim is a firm believer in weighing all ingredients.   There are conversion tables available on the internet.  The conversion for fresh yeast is a little more complicated.  100% fresh = 40%-50% active dry = 35% instant.

Ingredients:

  • 750 grams of all-purpose flour (about 3 1/4 c)
  • 750 grams of bread flour (about 3 1/c)
  • 60 grams of granulated sugar (about 1/4 c)
  • 30 grams of salt  (about 2 Tab)
  • 54 grams of fresh yeast (about 1/4 c)
  • 1,050 grams of whole milk, cold (about 3 1/3 c)
  • 350 grams of butter, room temperature (about 1 1/2 c)
  • pan spray
  • 1 whole egg
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons of whole milk
  • Fleur de Sel to garnish

Instructions:

1. Weigh out all ingredients.
2. Add all dry ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer.
3. Add 1,050 grams of milk and the yeast.
4. With a dough hook, turn your stand mixer to speed #3 for 5 minutes.
5. Once your timer goes off, turn the speed up to #5 and let the dough mix for 4 minutes.
6. Once that timer goes off, slowly add in your tempered butter.
7. Turn your stand mixer back down to speed #3.  Let the dough mix until everything is emulsified, about 5 more minutes.
8. Turn off the mixer and take out the dough.
9. Divide into 2 parts, then wrap in plastic wrap.
10.Place one in your freezer for future use and one in your refrigerator for later.
11. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for about an hour.
12. While the dough is resting gather 2 half-sheet trays and place parchment paper on one of them. (Spray pan, then put down          paper and it will not curl on you.)
13. Coat the pan with spray so the dough does not stick.
14. Once the dough has rested, weigh out little balls somewhere between 52 grams and 60 grams.
15. Roll the dough balls in a circular motion (with your hand, on the board/table) and place on a half pan about 1/2 inch apart    from each other.
16. Once the tray is full, spray the tops to the rolls with pan spray.
17. Place plastic wrap loosely on top.
18. Place the other half pan on top to lightly press sown the dough.
19. “Proof” the bread for about 1 1/2  hours.   “Proofing” is the final step before baking, and refers to a specific rest period    within the more generalized process known as fermentation.
20.The rolls are ready once there is no more space between them and they have almost doubled in size.
21. Combine the whole egg, egg yolks, and milk, then beat them together like you are making scrambled eggs.
22. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat all of the dough with the egg wash, making sure you get in between the cracks.
23. Sprinkle Fleur de Sel on top to garnish.
24. Place the bread in a 400° oven and set your timer for 7 minutes.
25. Once the timer goes off, rotate half way and reset the timer for 8 minutes.
26. Take out of the oven and let rest for about ten minutes.
27. Serve with butter and enjoy!

Serves:  Half batch makes 25 rolls

Source: Haven, Oakland, CA