Sangria Sauce

Oof. It's too hot to cook or bake.

Well, that is to say it was too hot. Thankfully the heatwave that plagued my little corner of the world has passed, and more temperature weather is here.

I recently picked up a copy of She Cooks, She Scores: The Steamy Stories Behind the Recipes by Chicago-based Chef Jennifer F. Stoker. Besides offering a sometimes-hilarious peek into one woman's romantic interludes and the meals inspired by them, there were a lot of handy recipes perfect for, "I'm hungry but it's too hot/humid to cook" moments.

One recipe in particular that grabbed me was Grilled Fruit Over Angel Food Cake with Sangria Sauce. Sounds like the perfect antidote to steamy sun-drenched days. The recipe is below. I'm looking forward to trying my hand at some of Chef Stoker's other dishes, like Asparagus Guacamole (wut?), Sweet Potato and Sausage Gratin with Savory Maple Glaze, Watermelon and Jicama Coleslaw (oh twist my arm why don'tcha - she serves it with fried coconut shrimp), and Thai Coconut Chicken Soup.

If it's too humid or hot to make angel food cake, don't feel too guilty about buying one from a local bakery.

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Grilled Fruit Over Angel Food Cake with Sangria Sauce
From She Cooks, She Scores by Jennifer F. Stoker
Makes Six Servings

INGREDIENTS
1 pineapple, top and bottom removed, skin removed, cut lengthwise into strips, 1/2-inch wide.
2 peaches, halved and pitted
1 mango, peeled, cut lengthwise, 1/2-inch wide
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lemon
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup chopped kiwi
1/2 cup blueberries
1 angel food cake, whole

Sangia Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup peach schnapps
1/2 cup champagne or white wine*
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 cup grape juice
1 lime, squeezed

METHOD
Preheat grill to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, add olive oil and squeeze lemon into oil. Mix together until incorporated. Brush mango, pineapple, and peaches with lemon oil and set aside.

To make sangria sauce: heat water and sugar in a medium saucepan on medium-high. Dissolve sugar and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a medium simmer until sauce reduces to 1 cup. Cool completely; sauce will thicken as it cools.

Grill or saute fruit until golden brown on all sides. Let cool. Cut up in bite-size pieces and put in bowl along with rest of fruit. Mix together.

Cut angel food cake into individual pieces. Sprinkle fruit mixture over each piece of angel food cake and drizzle sangria sauce over top.

*I used Thirsty Owl's Snow Owl wine, just like I would for regular ol' Sangria. Because the sauce gets cooked, I wouldn't open a new bottle of sparkling wine for this, but a split/mini bottle would do the trick!

Angel Food Cake
(Deanna's Recipe!)
Makes one cake

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups egg whites (from about 10-12 large eggs)
1 1/2 cups sifted Confectioners sugar
1 cup sifted flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar

METHOD
In an extra-large mixing bowl, allow the egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Whisk together Confectioners sugar and flour in a separate bowl, being sure to remove all lumps.

Adjust the baking rack to the lowest position in the oven, and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add the cream of tartar and vanilla to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add in granulated sugar, about two tablespoons at a time, beating until soft peaks form.

Add about one-fourth of the flour mixture over beaten egg whites, fold in gently. Repeat, folding in remaining flour mixture by fourths. Pour into an ungreased 10-inch tube or bundt pan. Gently cut through batter with a butter knife to remove any large air pockets.

Bake on the lowest rack for 40 to 45 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert the cake and allow to cook through inverted pan. Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and remove from the pan completely. Allow to cook and dust with Confectioners sugar.

Dried Fruit Slices

The first things I decided to dehydrate in my new Excalibur were simple: Apples, oranges, and pears. I had them available, and they are so  easy to dehydrate, I though it would be a good place to start.

My Excalibur model has a handy guide right on the top of the dehydrator that explains which temperatures items should be dried at (fruits do well at 135 degrees Fahrenheit). I sliced the apples and pears on the thin side with just a chef's knife (no mandoline this time... I didn't feel like dirty-ing up another piece of equipment) and I cored the apples down the center to make "rings." For both the apples and pears, I dipped them in lemon juice before placing on the dehydrator trays to maintain color (prevent browning). The oranges I sliced a bit thicker, as I plan on using them both in cooking, infusing, and crafting.

Thankfully, my new dehydrator has a timer. That means I was able to "set it and forget it!" and turn it on, go to bed, and wake up in the morning to perfectly dried fruit slices. I left the dehydrator on for six hours, and that seemed to do the trick. Everything was dry, but not brittle. I stored each variety of fruit in mason jars that are in my pantry in the moment. For longer-term storage, I would put them in reusable, freezer-safe containers and store the in the freezer (for up to a year).

I'm looking forward to drying more produce, like beet and carrot chips to add to winter salads. Do you have any uses for your dehydrated produce? I'd love some ideas!

This post is sponsored by Excalibur. To check out their complete line of products, please visit their website. Thank you for understanding the purpose of these types of posts, dear readers!

Homemade Halloween Goodies

First off, I'm hoping anyone affected by Hurricane Sandy is doing well. Best wishes for a safe and speedy recovery.

If you are like me, you probably waited until the last minute to get your Halloween goodies together. Fear not - there is still time to make some treats from scratch!

Popcorn Balls

Candied Apples

Caramel Apples

If you don't have the time to make your own, I'm going to let you in on a new favorite secret of mine: G.H. Cretors popcorn! This stuff is bonkers good, and the best part is that it's Gluten-Free, GMO-Free, Kosher, and made with all-natural ingredients. 

The Chicago Mix is definitely my favorite - it's a mix of cheese and caramel corn. I love the Caramel Nut Crunch, too.

Get a sample pack and try them all out! So good. You can buy on the site, on Amazon or use the store locator for more information. This would be an awesome holiday present (hint hint). Keep tabs on G.H. Cretors on Facebook.

Good luck prepping for Halloween! Are you handing out candy or going the extra mile to make something special? How many trick-or-treaters do you get? (We get two.)

Elderberry Cordial

I'm over at From Scratch Club today talking about finding elderberry trees on my property (awesome surprise!) and how to forage for your own elderberries. I also offered up two recipes: One for making an elderberry cordial, and another on an awesome champagne cocktail using your homemade cordial (picture above). Definitely check out the post, if you can!

A Night of Cheese - Fourth Course

Sorry for the bad picture here... I had to snap it just before someone ate it! I always forget to take pictures :)

The fourth course for the Night of Cheese was probably the most savory of the offerings, even though it was still on the sweet side. Featured was the Battenkill Brebis cheese from 3-Corner Field Farm (Shushan, NY), paired with a 2008 Syrah from the Magnificent Wine Company (Columbia Valley, Washington) and fresh pears with balsamic-steeped cherries.

I can't lie - this course took a little fanagaling to get it just right. The cheese is a superstar and most definitely deserved a spot on the menu, but getting the right combination of accompaniments and accouterments was somewhat challenging (for me, certainly, more than Eric). Battenkill Brebis is an aged raw sheep milk cheese that has a firm texture (like Parmesan, but smooth like an aged cheddar). It is nutty and has a particularly gritty texture towards the rind. The richness of the cheese called for a bold yet smooth wine.

Enter the Syrah. It was peppery with notes of cherry. Slightly oakey, it coated the entire palate highlighted the earthy qualities of the cheese. We took a cue from these existing flavor profiles and steeped some dried cherries in balsamic vinegar and coupled that next to pears from the Silly Goose Farm orchard that were cellared over the winter (the cherries highlighted the flavors of the wine and cheese, while the pear helped cut the richness of it all and brightened the plate). Keep some of these cherries on hand to add as a quick topping to lots of different cheeses or pureed up and added to salad dressing.

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Balsamic-Steeped Cherries

Makes approximately 3/4 cup of cherries and balsamic syrup

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/3 cup good balsamic vinegar (I used a little bit of fig balsamic, as well)

1 tablespoon honey

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the balsamic vinegar and honey. Once it just boils, reduce heat to medium/medium-low and add cherries

2. Cook for about five minutes (until cherries appear to soften slightly). Remove from heat at allow to steep for 10 minutes

3. Serve immediately or allow to sit in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a month

A very special thank you to Eric Paul, The Cheese Traveler, for his expertise. Without him, this night would not have happened! Be sure to follow him on Facebook. 3-Corner Field Farm cheese can be purchased through The Cheese Traveler or online.

Peach Pie

My dad's birthday was last week, and given the choice between peach pie and his favorite cake (a chocolate mayonnaise cake - don't knock it until you try it), he'll usually choose peach pie. How appropriate, then, that peaches in the Northeast hit their peak right around his birthday! While I'm still dabbling in perfecting my peach pie recipe, here's the recipe I'm currently using (if you have a great recipe or some tips, please share them in the comments! I'd love to hear). It's a great way to wrap up this week's Peach-Palooza.

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Peach Pie
Makes one 9" pie

Crust:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
8-10 tablespoons ice water

1. Combine flour and salt. Add shortening and cut it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal or small peas.

2. Add the water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough is able to form and hold a ball.

3. Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Roll onto a well-floured surface. Makes enough for a double-crust pie.

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 cups thinly-sliced, peeled peaches (fresh or frozen - do not thaw frozen peaches)
1 egg, separated
1 tablespoon milk or cream

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, tapioca, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add peaches and stir to cover the peaches with the sugar mixture. Let stand for 20 minutes.

2. On a well-floured surface, roll out one-half of the pie crust dough to form an 11" circle. Transfer the dough to a 9" pie plate (either by gently rolling it back on to a rolling pin or by folding into quarters). Mold the dough to fit the pie plate and leave an overhang of dough. Prick a few holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork. Brush the bottom of the crust with the egg white. Roll out the second half of the dough (in the same manner as the first) and have it ready to cover the filling.

3. Once the filling is ready, add it all at once to the prepared pie plate. Cover the filling with the second half of the pie dough. Crimp the edges of the top and bottom crusts together. Cut three or four small slits in the  top crust to allow steam to escape.

4. Mix together the egg yolk and milk. Brush over the top of the pie, and sprinkle with sugar (optional). Cover the edges of the pie crust with strips of aluminum foil. Place pie on a baking sheet.

5. Place pie in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil from pie and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until pie filling bubbles and the crust is golden. Cool on a wire rack.

This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (an essential for every kitchen).

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PS- I'm thinking of doing a entire series of pie tutorials. Is that something you would be interested in reading? Let me know in the comments, and in the meantime, here are a few pictures of my Dad :-)

Camping this year at Belvedere Lake

Last fall

My favorite picture of my dad and I

Blowing out his birthday pie candle with help from Edie

Peach Fruit Leather

Peach Week goes nostalgic today, with a take on old-school Fruit Roll-Ups. In efforts to "adultify" this a bit, let's call it Fruit Leather, instead. Most recipes you find will tell you that fruit leather requires a dehydrator, but I'm going to debunk that myth. You can most definitely make fruit leather in your standard old oven. Any fruit can be used to make fruit leather, but "firmer" fruits (like apples and pears) might require a bit of water to "loosen" the puree up.

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Peach Fruit Leather
Makes Eight Large Strips

4 cups peaches (skinned, pitted and diced)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1. In a blender, puree all ingredients together until smooth (if the puree is a bit thick, add some water to thin it out).

2. Line a jelly roll pan with waxed paper or a Silpat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 175 degree Fahernheit (if it doesn't go that low, heat to the lowest setting).

3. Spread the puree onto the prepared pan and spread out into a thin layer. Bake in the oven for 6-8 hours (or longer if necessary - a humid day might cause this to take longer). The fruit leather is "done" when it easily pulls off of the waxed paper or Silpat and stays together (with the pliability of actual leather).

4. Fruit leather can be wrapped in waxed paper and stored in the refrigerator for up to two months. This makes a great treat for lunches (especially with Back-to-School coming up!) and doesn't have any of the nasty chemicals or preservatives of conventional Fruit Roll-Ups. Enjoy!

Peach BBQ Sauce

Someone said to me recently, "That's BBQ sauce? It looks so light!" And it's true. When most people hear "BBQ sauce," they expect a ruddy red condiment with a tomato tang. But not this recipe. There is no tomato at all here! Just peaches and lots of yummy spices, essentially. The acidity that is typically found in tomatoes is presented by other ingredients. This peach BBQ sauce has a fiery kick to it, so don't be mislead by the pale color - this sauce has strong enough "legs" to stand up to most BBQ applications (though my kids like it on chicken nuggets).  I paired mine with wood-grilled baby back ribs. Have fun with this, and if you make it, report back to me on what you paired it with!

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Peach BBQ Sauce
Makes Roughly 3 Pints

3/4 cup red onion (about one medium), diced
2 jalapeño peppers, minced with seeds*
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups peaches, skins removed, diced

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon whiskey

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, peppers, and garlic into the pot and sprinkle with the salt. Sweat until the onions turn translucent (reduce the heat if needed to avoid burning the garlic).

2. Reduce heat to medium and add the peaches. Use a wooden spoon to break the peaches down. Add vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar and bring to a simmer.

3. Add the brown sugar, Dijon mustard, black pepper and cloves. Simmer until slightly thickened and stir often (about 15 minutes). Add the whiskey and cook for two additional minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Ladle one-quarter of the sauce into a blender and puree (be careful of steam!). Or use a stick immersion blender to puree in the pot. This sauce can be hot water bath canned, frozen, or kept in the refrigerator for one month. Enjoy!

*If two jalapeños seems to spicy for your taste, you can reduce to one pepper, with seeds, or completely eliminate the seeds altogether (the seeds are the hottest part of the pepper).

How to Remove Peach Skins

Peaches are fuzzy little buggers. Unlike their cousin, the nectarine, peach skins are not universally accepted in all recipes. For pies, crumbles, and other dessert-y applications, you will want to remove the skin. The best (most sane) method for doing this is blanching.

So, the first step is to select your peach. If you are picking peaches yourself, choose peaches that have a nice golden color with a "blush" on them (the blush is the pinky part). Peaches will ripen off the tree, so don't hesitate to pick "hard" fruit as long as it isn't green. If purchasing peaches that have already been picked, choose a peach that gives slightly to gentle pressure.

To begin blanching, bring a large pot of water to a boil. While waiting for the boil, make an ice bath (cold water and ice) in a large bowl. If your peaches are ripe to slightly over-ripe, go ahead and dunk them into the boiling water for about a minute or so (don't overcrowd them). Remove the peaches from the water and dunk them in the ice bath. Let them chill for about 30 seconds. If your peaches are still a little firm, make a small X-shaped slit in the bottom of each peach before you blanch them. This will help to loosen the skin.

Remove your peaches from the ice bath and rub them between your hands. This loosens the skin, and you should be able to slip the skins right off. If the skin is still stubborn, it's okay to re-blanch them. Discard of skins.

Pitting the peaches is the next step. Peaches that are ripe have a natural groove that runs vertically around the peach starting at the stem end. If you can find this, simply slip your thumb into that groove and run it along the pit. The first half of the peach should slide right off. Wedge the pit out of the second half and discard the pit (or try growing a tree!). If you can't find this, run a paring knife along the pit vertically around the whole peach (that is, starting and ending at the stem). Most of the time, you'll end up with two perfect peach halves. The rest of the time, you'll end up with mutilated parts of a peach. In this instance, puree up the pulverized peaches and make a lovely Bellini, some fruit leather, or cook up some jam. Because of this, I recommend buying slightly more peaches than you think you'll need :-)

Dessert Pizza

Everyone loves pizza, right? RIGHT?! I certainly do. I also love sweets. So, put "pizza" and "sweet" together and you get the perfect meal: Dessert Pizza. I posted the how-to on this delicious dish over at From Scratch Club. Check it out if you get the chance. Nectarines and black raspberries not your thing? Here are some other Dessert Pizza suggestions:

- Raspberry jam, mixed berries, drizzle of chocolate

- White chocolate, strawberries, chopped pecans

- Lemon curd, candied citrus peel, mint leaves

Enjoy, and for more of my From Scratch Club posts, click here.