Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies - Testing

https://aflavorfulbite.com/brown-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/#recipe

1 - I really liked these! I think the browned butter creates the flavor of the browning that happens around the edges and on the bottom of regular cookies. Ben felt like there was too much chocolate (which he surprised himself with saying), and I'm ok with dialing it back.

2 - Looks like 4oz of chocolate is the right amount. But I'm not going to change anything because now I can't remember if I did 4 or 6oz...

Makes: 9 Cookies

1 1/4 cups (163g) all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg, room temperature

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

1/2 cup (113g) butter, cubed (after browning, will have a bit more than 87grams)

6 Tbsps. (72g) dark brown sugar

1/4 cup (48g) granulated sugar

1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

6 oz (170g) 4oz (?g) 72% dark chocolate, broken into chunks, plus more for topping cookies

flaky sea salt, optional

1. In a small saucepan under medium heat, melt the butter and cook while stirring. The butter will first start to foam as it cooks and later take on a nutty aroma as the milk solids starts to brown. At this point, remove the browned butter from the heat. Transfer into a large mixing bowl to cool to room temperature, about 6-8 minutes.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl with cooled browned butter, add and whisk to combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract.
4. Next, mix in the dry ingredients until a soft cookie dough forms. Fold in dark chocolate chunks. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or 1-2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Using a 1.5 ounce (3 tablespoons) cookie scooper, scoop chilled cookie dough onto prepared baking sheet evenly spaced apart. Bake no more than (6) cookies on one baking sheet evenly spaced out.Top with additional chunks of chocolate, optional.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies look golden brown with crisp edges.
8. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt, optional. Serve warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature before serving.

Pickled Nasturtium Seeds - Untested

https://moorlandseater.com/nasturtium-capers/#wprm-recipe-container-18973

https://www.fermentingforfoodies.com/pickled-nasturtium-berries/#recipe

80-100 g freshly picked nasturtium seeds
3 tsp salt
300 ml water
200 ml white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
4 sprigs of thyme
4 bay leaves
6 peppercorns 

Day 1

1. Put the nasturtium seeds into a bowl and more than cover with water. Scoop off and discard any bits of dead leaf or other matter that float to the top.
2. Rinse in a sieve under a cold running tap then leave to drain.
3. Put the salt into a bowl and pour in the water.
4. Stir to dissolve the salt then stir in the nasturtium seeds.
5. Soak for 24 hours.

Day 2

1. Sterilise a small jar - Preheat your oven to its lowest setting. Wash a small jar and plastic-lined lid in hot, soapy water then rinse and leave to drain. Put the jar and lid on a small baking tray in the oven and leave for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
2. Drain the nasturtium seeds and dry on kitchen towel.
3. Pack them into the sterilised jar, leaving a gap approximately 1cm at the top.
4. Put the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan along with the peppercorns and herbs.
5. Briefly heat to dissolve the sugar then take off the heat.
6. Pour the vinegar over the nasturtium seeds and put on the jar lid.
7. Store in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks before using as you would true capers: in salads, sauces, pasta etc.
8. Use within 12 months and store in the fridge once opened.

Almond Fig Cake - Test 1

https://thecozyplum.com/almond-fig-cake/

1 - The first time was good, but I acted on the notes from making it. One was a recommendation to crowd in more figs, as many as I could in a single layer. The other was my idea of caramelizing sugar to coat the bottom of the cake pan instead of using brown sugar. The caramelized sugar melted in no time and the flavor and texture were excellent. I didn't brown the butter, and I feel like the cake was better. I may try it again and actually let the butter cool completely instead of pushing the envelope like I did last time. Otherwise, it may just be an unnecessary step.

2 - Just a little bit of working on the text, but the cake itself is fine and is ready to be reproduced! We had a second crop of figs this year but the birds are attacking them as they turn colour, they don't even wait for them to ripen, so I've somewhat successfully ripened them indoors. They don't go soft and wet like when they ripen on the tree, but are bit dryer, so they feel more firm when they ripen. I think they may shrink more when they cook. But otherwise work just fine for cooking.

1 cup butter (226g), browned and cooled completely

Fig Layer

⅓ cup brown sugar 67g

½ cup white sugar

12 (more, to crowd the baking dish) fresh figs stems removed and sliced in half

Cake Layer

1 cup (120g) flour 

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ cup granulated sugar 100g

½ cup light brown sugar packed (100g)

2 tsps. vanilla paste or extract

3 large eggs room temperature, whisked

1 cup finely ground almond flour 100g

1. To give it time to resolidify, put the butter in a shallow pan and melt at medium-high heat. 
2. The butter will start to froth and make crackling sounds. 
3. When the crackling slows, part the fine froth to look to the bottom of the pot and you will see the milk solids, which have separated and settled there.
4. When the milk solids start to turn golden brown, remove immediately from the heat source - this stage is quite quick when it comes, and left any longer the butter will be in danger of burning.
5. Put in the refrigerator to allow it to cool and resolidify before using.
6. In a small stainless steel (for the light colour) saucepan, pour in the white sugar. Shake the pan to evenly distribute the sugar - the layer shouldn't be too thick to allow for the sugar to heat evenly.
7. Without any stirring (!) heat the sugar over low to medium heat until it starts to melt. This will begin at the edges - because this is where it starts to melt it also means this is where caramelization starts. 
8. Be patient! DON'T turn up the heat - sugar can burn very quickly.
9. Once the sugar starts to melt around the edges, use a rubber spatula to bring the melted sugar into the middle of the pan.
10. Gently stir, just enough make sure all the sugar is dissolving.
11. Once everything has dissolved, continue to slowly cook, watching constantly and closely ('cause it can burn quickly), until you get the colour you want - light caramel colour = sweeter; dark caramel colour is more complex with bitter notes. 
12. Immediately pour the hot caramel into the cake tin or pie plate or in the individual ramekins and swirl to coat the bottom evenly. Set aside.
13. Preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃.
14. Remove the stems from the figs and slice them in half along the stem.
15. Place the sliced figs cut side down, starting from the center and moving outwards, over the caramelized sugar.
16. In the bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and almond flour and set aside.
17. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on medium high speed for at least 4 minutes or until very light and fluffy.
18. Scrape down the sides, then with the mixer on low, add the vanilla and slowly pour in the eggs. Increase to medium speed for 30 seconds, then scrape down the sides again.
19. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until a smooth batter forms.
20. Gently pour the cake batter on top of the figs and spread it to meet the edges.
21. Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes until the center is no longer jiggly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
22. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving platter. *Run an offset spatula around the outside of the cake (pushing outwards into the pan) to remove any potentially stuck pieces. After flipping, tap all over the bottom of the cake pan, then lift straight up. 
23. Top the cake or cake slices with fresh figs and a drizzle of honey as an optional flourish.

Chocolate Tart with Fresh Figs - Untested

https://food52.com/recipes/37981-chocolate-ganache-tart-with-fresh-figs

I don't like the recipe in the link above, but I'd wonder if I can Frankenstein it with my Pear and Chocolate tart recipe?

https://lamouffettegourmande.blogspot.com/2016/09/pear-and-chocolate-tart.html

Fig Jam - Testing

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/228523/black-mission-fig-preserves/

1 - It did not take 20 minutes to get to 210F. I let it go up to 215F. I ended up smushing the figs with the back of a spoon and wonder if they need to stew of 20 minutes, but maybe not at a boil, and then bring them to a boil to reach the 210F? And this made a lot of liquid, and in putting it in jars I saw that the fruit floated to the top. I removed the extra liquid and re-packed just the fruit to start, then added the liquid afterwards just to top it up. I had a whole jar (I don't know how big the small jars are) of liquid left over.

This is my first fig jam recipe, and depending on the outcome, I may want to explore/Frankenstein with, the following:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/215775/real-fig-preserves/ (this one has butter!)

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/fig-preserves-3513998 (this one is about the orange)

https://food52.com/recipes/14138-fig-jam-with-cardamom (this one is about the red wine)

2 cups (300g) fresh Black Mission figs, stemmed and halved

1 cup white sugar

1 cup water

1 Tbsp lime juice

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

⅛ tsp white pepper

1 13-ounce jar with lid

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Stir in the figs, lime juice, cinnamon, ginger, and white pepper. Cook, stirring often, until a candy thermometer reads 210 degrees F (100 degrees C), about 20 minutes.
2. While preserves are cooking, sterilize jar and lid in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the hot preserves into the sterilized jar to within 1/4 inch of the top. Top the jar with the sterilized lid and let cool before storing preserves in the refrigerator.

Home Baguette - Untested

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCmHQt6tHXO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

975f bread flour

2 tsps./16g salt

3/4tsp/2g dry yeast

750ml room temp water

1. Mix well until there is no visible flour then cover. 
2. Let prove for at least 8-10 hours (or overnight). 
3. Pre-heat oven to 464F.
4. Flour a work surface and turn out the sticky dough. 
5. Sprinkle flour on top very well. 
6. Shape the dough into a loose ellipse (like an elongated circle) and cut into 4 equal portions. 
7. Prepare an oven rack covered in parchment paper. 
8. IMPORTANT: Gently lift each piece of dough and gently stretch and form into baguette shapes as you place them on the parchment paper; avoid pressing out any air bubbles. 
9. Slide into bake for 25 minutes or until the loaves become golden. 

Pizza Dough Redux - Testing

1 - This recipe was gifted to me, and I don't know which book it came from. It is an improvement on the dough I have been making, which I've been finding disappointing.

1 1/2 cups/350g water (90F/32C)

2 3/4 tsp/15g salt

1/4tsp/.3g Instant dried yeast (Laura note = x1.33 for 4 big dough balls)

Scant 4 cups/500g white flour, preferably 00

1. Combine the water and salt, stirring until the salt dissolves.
2. Add the yeast to the water. Wait 1 minute to let it hydrate. Stir to dissolve.
3. Add the flour and mix by hand.
4. Use the pincer method (VIDEO) (just squeeze the dough to cut into 4 balls and then fold it back together).
5. Do this for about 1 minute or until the internal temperature of the dough is 80F/27C.
6. Let the dough rest 20 minutes, then knead it with a very light dusting of flour, for about 1 minute. The ball of dough should be smooth and only slightly tacky.
7. Lightly oil a large bowl and set the ball of dough into it, seam down,. Cover tightly and let proof for 2 hours at room temperature (70F/21C). (HOW TO RECOGNIZE THIS PROCESS IS FINISHED?)
8. Moderately flour a work surface about 2 feet wide. With floured hands, gently lift the dough and ease it onto the floured surface keeping a regular shape. Dust the top, then cut into 3 to 5 equal pieces. Shape into rounds.
9. Place the dough balls on lightly floured dinner plates or a baking sheet, leaving space to allow for expansion.
10. Lightly flour the tops and cover tightly. Allow to rest at room temp for 6 hours.
11. Use within 4 hours.

Makes 3 regular or 5 thin-crust dough balls.

Bulk fermentation - 2 hours

Divide, shape and cover - 10 minutes

Second fermentation - 6 hours (4 in a very warm kitchen, more in a cooler winter kitchen)

Hold time for use at room temperature - 4 hours, or refrigerate to extend the use until the next evening

Sample schedule - Mix the dough at 9am, knead it at 9:20am, shape it into dough balls at 11 am, make pizza between 5 and 9pm. For next day pizza, refrigerate the dough balls 4 hours after they are made up, then leave them out at room temperature for 1 hour before making pizza.

Overnight cold ferment — your dough, translated

350 g water (90 F / 32 C)
15 g salt
0.25 tsp (≈0.3 g) instant yeast

500 g white flour (00 if possible)

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Day 1 — Evening (about 20 minutes total)

6:00 pm 5:40 — Mix

• Dissolve salt in water

• Add yeast, wait 1 minute

• Add flour, mix by hand

• Pincer method ~1 minute

• Target dough temp ~26–27 °C

6:50 pm 6:30 — Rest (20 minutes)

7:10 pm 6:50 — Brief knead

• 1 minute, just to smooth

• Dough should feel supple, not tight

7:15 pm 6:55 — Divide & ball

• Cut into 3–5 portions

• Shape gently

• Light dust of flour

7:20 pm 7:00 — Refrigerate

• Place dough balls on tray or plates

• Cover airtight (important)

• Into fridge at ~4 °C

No bulk proof at room temperature.
No waiting for rise.
Cold arrests things before they run.

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Day 2 — Bake day

11:00 am–12:00 pm — Take dough out

• Remove dough balls from fridge

• Keep covered

• Let warm 4–5 hours at room temp (20–22 °C)

What you’re looking for:

• Dough softens and spreads slightly

• Surface looks satiny, relaxed

• When pressed, it springs back slowly

4:00–7:00 pm — Bake window

• You now have several calm hours

• Flavour is at its peak

• Stretching is easier than same-day dough