Winter Squash & Cabbage Galette - Test 1

http://mind-over-batter.com/pies-galettes/roasted-butternut-squash-and-cabbage-galette/

1 - This was pretty awesome. My changes and substitutions worked really well. Oh boy, the pastry was really good. I made it into two balls, started to roll one out, then smushed the second one on top, rolled it out part way, folded it back in on itself, and rolled it out a final time. So good. And the yogurt cheese was good, oh it was good. The significant difference was that a more accurate cooking time is actually 40-50 minutes, which I've indicated below.

2 - It's pretty tasty. I added some blue cheese just for fun and it was good. I baked it on a cookie sheet and the bottom was not as crispy and I think soggy in some spots. To try again because putting it on the pizza stone just put grease in the stone and now it smokes all the time.

3 1/2 cups (1lb) cabbage quartered, cored and sliced 1/2-inch thick
3 1/4 cups (1lb) butternut squash peeled and cut into cubes about 1/2-inch thick
1 large red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsps mild oil
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
A double batch of pie dough
4 oz yogurt cheese made from full fat Greek yogurt full fat ricotta  cream cheese (half a block of cream cheese)
1/2 heaping cup Emmenthal cheese, grated
1/2 heaping cup Jarlsberg cheese, grated
1 generous cup of Gruyere, grated
1 egg, beaten for egg wash

1/4 cup coarse grated Parmesan

1. Begin by roasting the vegetables. Preheat the oven to 425F. Adjust the oven racks to the lowest and middle positions. 
2. In a large bowl toss together the cabbage, squash, onions and garlic with the oil and thyme, then arrange in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. 
3. Sprinkle ever generously with salt and pepper. 
4. Set the vegetables on the lower and roast, stirring a few times, until just cooked and the vegetables are showing a bit of color; about 20-25 minutes. Remember that colouring means roasting means more flavour.
5. While the veg roast, roll the pie dough into a 14" wide circle and place on a large flat baking dish like a large cookie sheet or on top of parchment to place on top of a heated pizza stone.
6. Mix together the yogurt cheese and the gruyere together in a large bowl. 
7. Once the veg are roasted add the hot vegetables and toss to thoroughly mix with the cheeses. Add more salt and pepper if needed. 
8. Spread the mixture over pastry, leaving about a 2-inch border. 
9. Fold the border over the mixture, pleating the edges. The middle of the galette should remain open. 
10. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg then sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese. If you are using a pizza stone, carefully slide the parchment with the galette onto the pizza stone. 
11. Bake on the middle rack until bubbly and golden brown, about 20-25 40-50 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Slow-cooked Leg of Pork with Beans - PUBLISHED

https://thewanderlustkitchen.com/crockpot-tuscan-pork-and-beans/

0 - I haven't grown Navy beans, and doubt that a Tuscan cook would use them anyway. Therefore I am starting to experiment with the type of bean. I know that the small red bean traditionally used for Mexican Refried Beans come out firm and creamy, so I started there... and it was the bean available to me for this first attempt! In researching typical beans from Tuscany, I suspect the recipe would have used cannellini, but there are so many possibilities and unknown beans to try!
Beans Of Tuscany
1 - Fantastic! I didn't have the white wine vinegar, and instead of the bread I served it with roasted winter squash (probably kubocha).

2 - Trying this with a Beef Chuck Roast. So far, it's taking much longer than I expected, and as the beans take on liquid and reconstitute, they've pushed the roast up and out of the braising liquid. I checked the original recipe and I can see that I omitted the instruction to boil the beans for 10 minutes, first. With the beef, I would also reduce the amount of salt.

3 - Keeping it at Test 2. Everything is good, beans cook well, pork lovely and tender (used 2.5lbs of shoulder butt steaks to good effect) but it's too salty. Reducing by 1 tsp.

4 - Very successful, but I wonder if there might not be more beans to shift the bean-to-meat ratio. Next time I will increase by a half pound and add 2 cups of broth since that would be half as much again to compensate for the extra beans. I won't increase the flavouring and aromatics though.

5 - Excellent stuff, and there's plenty of flavorful beans left over. The correct amount of broth continues to be a bit of problem as there was far too much this time around, so I will try 5 cups. I used Navy beans because a big bag of them was abandoned here and they cooked magnificently. In the past I have not enjoyed them because the skins were tough and the texture grainy, but this one time, they were amazingly creamy and soft without losing their shape. I have again reduced the amount of salt, just to see if I prefer it - nobody else commented on it being over salted.

6 - This is it. If I can do this again, this is ready to publish. The leftover beans make an excellent base for eggs, beans and toast for lunch.

7 - Publishing it today. I made it cannellini beans and served it without the toasted bread and with lime juice instead of vinegar. I needs vinegar and bread to complete the dish. Not just bread, but toasted and buttered. It is a bit sweet and the cannellini beans are wonderfully creamy, and the crunch and salty/fatty buttered bread is a necessary companion, as is the strong, sharp taste of the vinegar.

1lb 8 oz dried beans (cannellini, Red Mexican, pinto all worked)
5 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2½ to 3 lbs. pork shoulder (Boston butt) roast or Leg roast
4 large leaves fresh sage, finely minced
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp whole fennel seeds, ground
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced
5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced or pressed
1 Tbsp olive oil
Black pepper

Fruit or white wine vinegar for serving

Crusty toasted and buttered bread for eating

1. Boil the beans for 10 minutes.
2. Place the beans, broth, and bay leaves in a large slow cooker (as the beans cook, they push the roast up and can lift the lid of a small slow cooker). Place the pork on top of the beans.
3. Mix together the prepared sage, rosemary, garlic, fennel, salt and olive oil to form a paste. Smear the paste all over the top of the pork.
4. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 6 to 8 hours, or until pork is tender and beans are cooked through. Gently shred the pork into chunks.
5. Serve topped with freshly cracked black pepper and butter-toasted crusty bread. Drizzle on a splash of white wine vinegar if desired.

Bonhommes en pain d'épice - Testing

https://www.marieclaire.fr/cuisine/bonshommes-en-pain-d-epice-d-alsace,1212123.asp

Make dough 5-7 days before rolling them out! Wow, that's what's recommended. I may just test out the actual time required given that my understanding is that 72 hours is plenty.
It also asks for pine tree honey by preference - could I infuse honey with fir tips or something?

1 - I did not do a great job at the conversions. I did the 1:1 honey to flour ratio, and it was just sticky soup! The original amount of flour was 250g combine wheat and rye, and I ended up adding 850g (I think, or 600g? anyway, a lot) until I obtained something that looked like cookie dough. And the cookies did not come out crunchy but cakey and vaguely crunchy - they puffed up more than I expected. I still have to make the frosting. The jury is out on the flavor - the taste of honey is maybe too strong for me.

Makes 20 gingerbread men

3/4 cups (or 250 g by weight?) of honey (pine tree honey by preference)
1 2/3 cup (or 200 g by weight) of flour
1/3 cup (or 50 g by weight) of rye flour
zest from 1/2 orange
zest from 1/2 lemon
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp baking soda (2,5 g de bicarbonate d’ammonium (en pharmacie))
1/2 tsp baking powder (2,5 g de bicarbonate de potassium (en pharmacie))
A generous pinch of cinnamon powder
A generous pinch of cardamom powder
A smidgeon of gingerbread spice mix
4 Tbsps milk
1 handful dried currants

1. Prepare the dough 5 to 7 days before using (is this necessary or is 72 hours enough?).
2. To make the dough, warm the honey. 
3. Meanwhile, combine the flours in a large bowl. Pour in the honey and mix until a firm dough is achieved. Wrap to seal and let sit at room temperature for 5 to 7 days.
4. When ready to make the cookies, finely grate the zest of the citrus.
5. Cut up the dough into small pieces and knead in the zest, baking soda and powder, the spices and the egg yolk (easiest using the dough attachment on a stand mixer). Knead until well combined. The dough should still be quite stiff, but if it looks too dry and cracks too much, knead in another egg yolk for the added moisture. 
6. Preheat the oven to 325F.
7. On a floured surface roll out the dough evenly to a thin 1/4" thickness. Cut out the gingerbread men, about 3-4" high. Use the currants for eyes.
8. On a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet, lay out the cookies which can be quite close, but not touching. Brush with the milk. Cook for 8 - 10 minutes or until they've puffed up and caramelized to a lovely brown colour.
9. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. They must be completely cooled before storing in an air-tight container to maintain the crunch.

Gingerbread spice - Untested

https://wonkywonderful.com/homemade-gingerbread-spice-mix-recipe/
https://livforcake.com/homemade-gingerbread-spice-mix/
https://www.happyfoodstube.com/gingerbread-spice-mix/

2 Tbsps ginger powder
2 Tbsps cinnamon powder
1 tsp cloves powder
½ tsp nutmeg powder
1 tsp allspice powder
pinch black pepper ground

1. Mix spices together until thoroughly combined.
2. Keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

Schwowebretele (petits gâteaux secs de Noël) - Untested

https://www.marieclaire.fr/cuisine/schwowebretele-petits-gateaux-secs-de-noel,1200971.asp

https://mademoisellereve.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/schwowebredele-ou-petits-gateaux-alsaciens-de-noel/

3 1/4 cups (or 400 g by weight) of flour
1 1/4 cups (or 250 g by weight) of white sugar
1 1/8 cups (or 250 g by weight) of butter, room temperature, small dice
2 cups (or 200 g by weight) of almond flour
2 - 3 egg yolks
1 1/3 cups ? (or 100 g by weight) candied orange peel, coarse chop
grated zest from 1/2 lemon
1 generous pinch of cinnamon powder
1 egg yolk, whisked, for gilding

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, working the dough until it becomes uniform and firm. Feel free to add a third egg yolk if the dough seems to be too dry and cracking. 
2. Form into a disk, wrap and put in the refrigerator to rest overnight and up to 72 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 350F.
4. Roll out the dough to a 1/4" thickness. Use cookie cutters to make shapes to your liking.
5. Place on a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet and brush with the whisked yolk and bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are nicely golden.

Gelatine - Testing

0 - I harvested the broth after cooking pigs' feet in the slow cooker and it gelitanized beautifully, but it had a very strong flavour. It may simply have been flavouring from the other ingredients I put in. I wish to try it again but just to try to make clear gelatine. It was a bit of a challend but I've found these sources online. I will also check my historical cookbooks:

https://stirringchange.com/2016/09/05/homemade-gelatin-neutral-tasting/
https://www.susanmckennagrant.com/2014/12/07/its-all-about-the-pork-gelatin-no-trouble/
(above link talks about different cooking methods, but all for savory - to try for plain)

1-2kg of chicken feet or pork trotters (or both)
Lots of Water

1. Place the feet in a large pot of water. Bring to the boil over high heat, then discard the water and rinse the feet well.
2. Return the feet to the pot, with enough water to cover and bring to the boil once more. Skim any foam that rises to the top and discard.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, covered, for 2-4 hours.
4. Remove the pot from the heat and strain the liquid through a collander into a rectangular dish or tray, reserving the feet if you wish to pickle them or make head cheese. Allow to cool somewhat, before transferring to the fridge to set. 
5. After chilling the liquid until it sets, scrape the fat off. This is excellent lard you can use for baking or cooking.
6. Slice into cubes for convenient use and store in an airtight container in the fridge (for up to 3 days) or freezer (up to 3 months).

Cranberry Ginger Cookies - Untested

https://www.marieclaire.fr/cuisine/cookies-de-noel-aux-cranberries-et-au-gingembre,1206274.asp

3/8 of a cup (or 75 g by weight) of sugar
3/8 of a cup (or 75 g by weight) of brown sugar
1 cup + 1 Tbsp of room temperature butter
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
2 1/4  cups (or 275 g by weight) of flour
1/2 tsp dry active yeast
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
2/3 of a cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup candied ginger, finely chopped

1. In a large bowl combine the sugars and the butter until uniform. Add the milk and the egg and beat until you obtain a smooth and consistent batter.
2. Add the flour, yeast, baking soda and powdered ginger and until thoroughly combined.
3. Stir in the cranberries, pecans and candied ginger.
4. Form into a disk, wrap and put in the refrigerator to rest for 1 hour and up to 72 hours.
5. When ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 375F.
6. Divide the dough evenly into 42 balls and place on parchment-paper-lined cookie sheets allowing for 1" between each ball of dough.
7. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies lightly brown. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before storing.

Shortbread and Prune Jam Layer Cake (Vínarterta) - Untested

https://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/shortbread-and-prune-jam-layer-cake/

0 - Wonder what it would be like with damson plums...

2 1⁄2 cups pitted prunes
1 3⁄4 cups sugar
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp. ground cloves
3 1⁄2 cups flour, plus more
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cardamom
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1⁄4 cup whole milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1⁄4 cup brewed coffee, chilled

1. Bring prunes, ¾ cup granulated sugar, the cinnamon, cloves, and ¾ cup water to a simmer in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high; cook until prunes are soft and the syrup has thickened, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly and then transfer to a food processor; purée until smooth and set purée aside.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and cardamom in a bowl; set aside. In another bowl, and using an electric hand mixer, cream remaining granulated sugar and the butter until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the motor running, slowly add dry ingredients and the milk until dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface; knead until smooth, 1–2 minutes. Shape dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap; chill 1 hour.
3. Heat oven to 375°. Divide dough into 6 balls. On a lightly floured surface, and working with 1 ball of dough at a time, roll dough into a 7" disk, about ⅙" thick. Place disks on parchment paper-lined baking sheets; bake until golden and cooked through, about 25 minutes; let cool slightly. To assemble, place 1 disk on a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Spread with ⅓ cup reserved prune purée. Repeat layering process with remaining disks and purée, ending with a disk on top.
4. (suggested variation) Place in a sealed container or refrigerate or keep in a cool place for up to four weeks.
5.  (SEE NOTE BEFORE THIS NEXT STEP) Whisk confectioners' sugar and coffee in a bowl until smooth and pour over cake; chill until icing is set, about 10 minutes. Transfer cake to a cake stand or plate to serve.

NOTE: comments on this site indicates that most (but not all) traditional tarts are not iced but rather served with hot coffee or eau-de-vie.

Hálfmánar cookies - Untested

http://cookiecompanion.com/halfmanar-cookie-from-iceland/?lang=en&fbclid=IwAR0e0iA_PMrBUNSQdK3d2vU-Ns8Vkbvl9CkNL_0MEwGVMY7mWXibIhNjN-w

about 20 cookies

1¾ cups flour
⅔ cup sugar + extra for sprinkling
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cardamom
pinch of salt
⅓ cup + 1 Tbsps ice cold butter, cubed
1 egg, separated (whisk the whites until just starting to froth - to brush on cookies at the end)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp ice water
grated rind of ½ lemon
⅓ cup rhubarb jam

1. In a bowl mix the flour with the sugar, the baking powder, the cardamom and the salt.
2. Add the butter, the egg yolk, the lemon juice and grated rind.
3. Rub the flour mixture into the other ingredients with the tips of your fingers until rough crumbs form.
4. Add the water and quickly knead into a nice ball of dough.
5. Press flat into a disc. Wrap and put in the refrigerator to rest for about 1 hour or up to 72 hours. 
6. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Roll out the dough until about ⅛ inch thick.
7. With a round cookie cutter or large glass cut out circles of about 4 inches.
8. Place on a cookie sheet covered with baking parchment paper.
9. Place a scant teaspoon of jam in the middle of each cookie.
10. Fold over and leave a little edge free. Press down firmly.
11. Brush with the egg white and sprinkle with some extra sugar.
12. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-15 mins. Or until light brown and done.
13. Take out of the oven and leave to cool on the cookie sheet.

Laufabrauð – Icelandic leaf bread - Untested

https://bake-street.com/en/laufabraud-icelandic-leaf-bread/?fbclid=IwAR2K2K_r1op52sxRx4-lMHx1N4Mt7y4q5L3fgNZZocDY_qflJqbbJnZnTKs

FOR THE DOUGH:

100 g whole milk
35 g water
12 g unsalted butter
170 g cake/pastry flour
50 g cornstarch
2 g baking powder
7 g sugar
2 g salt

FOR FRYING:

sunflower or olive oil

1. Sift the flour into a medium bowl, set aside.
2. Add the sugar together with the salt and the baking powder. Mix with the help of a spatula.
3. In a saucepan pour the milk together with the water and the butter. Place at medium heat and leave until the butter melts, but without boiling.
4. Remove from the heat and pour over the dry ingredients. Integrate the ingredients with the help of a spatula.
5. Begin to knead, amalgamate the dough with your hands.
6. Transfer to a clean work surface and start kneading. If, as you knead, you notice that the dough is very dry, you can add a few drops of water, but without exceeding ourselves. The dough should be slightly dry to the touch, but that allows us to manipulate it without cracking.
7. We will work the dough until it is homogeneous, practically smooth and the flour has been completely integrated. It will take about 5-7 minutes.
8. Cover with the bowl and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
9. Remove the film from the dough. Using a metal scraper or a sharp knife, divide the piece into 15, more or less equal, portions. While we work on each piece to stretch it, cover the rest with film to prevent it from drying out. This is very important.
10. Take one of the portions and stretch slightly with your fingertips.
11. Stretch the dough with a roller to a very thin, almost transparent thickness. We will stretch the dough very delicately to help achieve the desired diameter, this will be around 5,9-6,3 inches (15-16 cm).
12. Place a ring or plate on the dough and remove the excess with the help of a very sharp knife.
13. Take the piece and place it on a sheet of kitchen paper or waxed paper (if you have). Cover with another sheet of kitchen paper and then with a cloth.
14. Repeat the process with the rest of the pieces.
15. To decorate the leaf bread or laufabrauð, you use a utensil called laufabrauðsjárn. In my case I don't have it, so I used a blade. You could also use a very sharp knife.
16. Decorate the bread making cuts on the surface. You will appreciate this step much better in the video. We must always make pair cuts.
17. Once we have decorated one of the breads, place it again on a sheet of paper, cover it with another sheet and the cloth. Just like we did the first time.
18. Repeat the process with the rest of the breads.
19. Fill a medium saucepan with enough oil to be able to fry the breads and float.
20. Place at medium heat and let it reach a temperature of around 345ºF (175ºC).
21. This step will be quite fluid, we will go fast so I advise you to leave everything prepared.
22. Place several pieces of kitchen paper where we can drain the bread that we are taking out and a space to be able to go stacking the breads.
23. Prick the surface of the bread and put a bread in the pot and fry during few seconds by each side. As it is very fine, it will be cooked immediately, the ideal is that we are left with a light golden color.
24. Remove from the pot, drain and place on the kitchen paper.
25. Quickly and with the help of kitchen paper, press the surface to flatten and remove the excess oil.
26. Set aside and repeat the same process with the rest of the pieces.
27. Store in a tin container or enjoy.

• This bread is made with cake/pastry flour, that is to say, the same flour that we use to make biscuits, but without the addition of baking powder.
• We must knead very well to obtain a soft and elastic dough. In spite of the low amount of protein in the flour, we will obtain very good results. Remember that rest will help the protein hydrate and therefore facilitate kneading.
• If you wish, you can add ground caraway or anise to the dough, it will give it a very aromatic touch.
• The normal size of this bread is around 5,9-7 inches (15-18 cm) in diameter. In case you want to make it smaller, there is no problem. Just keep in mind that you will get more pieces.
• Be careful when stretching the dough so that it doesn't break. It is not as resistant as strudel, for example, because of the flour we used to make it.
• The cooking time is very low, with a few seconds per side will be ready. It is important that the oil is not too hot so that it does not burn the breads as soon as they are placed into the pot.
• We must not exceed in the cooking of the bread to prevent it from becoming very golden. In addition, if so, we run the risk of breaking it by pressing it with the board or hands with paper after frying them.
• They are kept in perfect condition for several weeks in a tin container.