Seeing Red - Red Walnut Divinity

Nothing says the holidays quite like Walnuts.  They lend crunch to Fruit Cake and Brownies, speckle Divinity and Fudge and flavor Baklava and Nut Rolls.  In fact, it should be illegal to have Christmas without Walnuts. 

Historically, at least in the United States, we have had a choice between the mild transplanted "English" Walnut (which are really Persian) and the stronger flavored "native to the US" variety known as the "Black" Walnut.  But no more, for California has done it again.  They have successfully begun producing RED Walnuts.

Don't freak out, it's not a GMO, nor is it a gimmicky artificially colored food product.  The interior husk REALLY is Red.  From the outside, you would not be able to tell the difference between the standard English/California/Mission/Persian Walnut and the new Red Walnut (which is either a Livermore or a Yolo) developed at UC Davis by grafting a Persian red skinned variety to the more common English (insert litany of AKAs here) Walnut. 

Unlike "English" Walnuts, which take 2-3 years to begin producing, these red varieties can take as long as 8 before producing a significant crop.  Thus, those that were planted over a decade ago are now beginning to bear "fruit" as it were.

(Black Walnut, English/Mission/California/Persian Walnut, Red Walnut)

The harvest is still low, when compared to the massive quantities of English Walnuts produced by California. Heck, very low when compared to the copious amounts of nuts that are produced by California in general.  Texas, New Mexico and Georgia have their Pecans.  While Oregon and, to a lesser extent, Washington have their Hazelnuts.  Even though Hawaii is the land of the Macadamia nut.  It is California's harvest of Walnuts, Pistachios and Almonds along with a few Pecans, Macadamias and Hazelnuts as well, which culminates into 90% of the United States yearly nut crop.

Which only proves that California is seriously full of nuts.  I'm just sayin'

So what do "Red" Walnuts taste like?  To me, they taste more "nutty", almost like they have already been lightly toasted.  Here is the interesting thing though, they are lacking in that bitter tannic bite that English (AKA litany) and Black Walnuts have.  Thus, I think the "nut" flavor is more pronounced simply because they aren't as bitter as common Walnuts.  

I chose to use the few I was able to procure in a batch of Divinity.  I have covered Divinity several times before, both Lavender and with Black Walnuts, so I am not going to run through the procedure again in this post.

I am, however, going to show off my vintage Betty Furness "Westinghouse" thermometer set.  (I wonder if she's fictitious like Betty Crocker)

And show a picture of the addition of chopped Red Walnuts to the Candy mixture... Exciting, huh?

To be honest, though I was happy with the end result, I think I should have left my Red Walnuts in larger chunks.  They really didn't show up in the finished Divinity, which kind of bummed me out.  (and why I posted the picture of me adding them to the candy batch --  they really are in there)

I was hoping for a nice punch of red within the pristine whiteness of the candy. (sigh) Oh well.

The flavor was delicious and that is really the important thing.

So check them out and give them a try.

Mangia!!
~~

Crème of the Berry Crop - Crème Fraîche Ice Cream with Fresh Marionberries

This post is technically late.  But I was determined to participate in the July BakeSpace Challenge, since I haven't done one in over a year.  This month just happened to be "Local Produce From the Farmer's Market".  This turned out to be a little more challenging than I anticipated, partly due to the extremely wet weather this spring having delayed crops again, just like last year.  But as luck would have it, I found some Marion Berries.  I love berries.  Logan, Tay, Ollalie, Rasp, Salmon, Thimble, Black Cap, Boysen, or  Marion... All the bramble berries are all delicious in their own way.

The Marionberry is a hybrid black berry created by crossing the Chehalem blackberry and the Ollalieberry at Oregon State University in Corvallis Oregon. Due to the extensive testing of the berry within the Willamette Valley, when the berry was released in 1956 it was named after Marion County, as opposed to being named after Mr. George F. Waldo who was responsible for creating the initial hybrid in 1946.

Marion berries are a wonderful example of traditional hybridization, bringing the best attributes of the parents into one single berry (the flavor of the Chehalem and the production of the Ollalie). Though as intoxicatingly delicious as the Marionberry is, it may carry some latent genes from the parents of the Ollalie, which is itself a hybrid (Loganberry and Youngberry) developed in 1937; again at Oregon State University, but due to Oregon weather patterns, is much better suited to Northern California.  But enough about the Marionberry's "family bramble".

I get fairly touchy about my Marionberries (having been bereft of them for 13 years in San Diego) for they truly are the fine wine of the berry world.  Deep, rich, tart and earthy, like a fine Pinot Noir.  I prefer them in as unspoiled a preparation as possible. (kind of like my Huckleberries)  I am sure that at some point in the future, now that I am back in Oregon, I will get use to having them around again and may begin experimenting.  But for now...  K.I.S.S. is my phiosophy. Thus, I kept it simple by turning to David Lebovitz's recipe for an unassuming Crème Fraîche Ice Cream, to be served with fresh Marionberries from the Farmer's Market.  Sort of a frozen Berries and Cream.

And lemme tell ya this, about that.  The ice cream is positively the most incredible scoop of deliciousness you will ever taste and fully capable of standing alone on it's own merits.  But even better is the fact that the inherent "nuttiness" of Crème Fraîche is the perfect counter point to the tart zip of the Marion's.  I swear I could hear angels weeping for joy as I consumed it with great abandon.

Crème Fraîche Ice Cream with Marionberries

1 cup Whole Milk
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
pinch of Kosher Salt
5 large Egg Yolks
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract (enough to enhance, not to actually flavor)
2 cups Crème Fraîche
Fresh Marionberries 

Begin heating the Milk, Sugar and pinch of Salt over medium heat in a medium saucepan.

Meanwhile, separate the Egg Yolks into a medium bowl and break them up with a whisk.

When the Milk/Sugar reaches about 155 -160 degrees (cause you don't really need it too hot) remove the pan from the heat and begin pouring the hot milk slowly over the beaten yolks, while continuing to whisk.

Pour the resulting mixture back into the sauce pan and return to medium heat.

Whisk the soon to be custard until it begins to thicken slightly... about 170 degrees or until it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clear line. (you know the drill)

Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the tiny amount of vanilla. (that is the little bitty brown spot)

Strain through fine mesh into a bowl to arrest the cooking.

Cover on the surface with plastic wrap to prevent crusting and chill for 30 minutes.

Remove from the refrigerator and whisk in the Crème Fraîche.

Cover on the surface again and chill again for an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instruction. (Usually about 20-30 minutes)

Spoon into a chilled container and freeze completely.... (about 4 hours)

Now for the topping.....

Some lovely Marionberries from the Farmers Market...

Do you hear the angels weeping?  I do. 

Oh wait! that's me.  Cause my bowl is empty.  hmmm

Mangia!!
~~

When Sorbet and Ice Cream Collide - Rhubarb Sherbet

Ah Sherbet.  Childhood memories of fun in the sun and sticky fingers as my Orange Sherbet dripped off my cone and rolled languidly down the back of my hand regardless of my I attempts to consume it with great haste.  I loved Sherbet when I was a youngin'.  Even those "Dixie cups" that came with the flat wooden spoons, though I always wondered why they bothered with the vanilla ice cream; as far as I was concerned the whole thing should be orange sherbet.

Then I became a pre-teen, and my sour-puss gene kicked in.... Oh, I still loved sherbet, but Lime became my preference.  mmmmmmm Lime (though I always found the green color to be a little unsettling as it reminded me of Mint Chip and I hate the waxiness of frozen chocolate) Yes, Sherbet and I had a long and passionate relationship throughout my youth. But something happened toward the end of my impressionable teen years.  Sorbet hit the market.  The flavor was so intense, and the texture was so refreshingly icy...  I began my torrid affair with Lemon sorbet and left the Sherbet of my youth behind, deciding that it was for children and I must move on to a more mature frozen treat.

Being older now, and somewhat wiser, as well as a maker of Ice Cream, Gelato, & Sorbetto/Sorbet I have decided that the time has come to give Sherbet a second chance.

So what exactly is Sherbet in relation to all the frozen teats out there?  Well, in Turkey it's a chilled fruit drink known as serbet (which is where the terms Sorbet and Sorbetto come from).  This same fruity libation is also popular in other middle eastern countries and known by many names ie. in Persian it's known as Sharbat (on which the word Sherbet is based)  Incidentally, the correct pronunciation of the word is "shur-BET" not "shur-BERT"; where the extra "r" came from, I have no idea.  I grew up hearing and using that extra "r".  So, I checked in the freezer case of my nearest mega mart and sure enough, all the containers had "Sherbet" printed on them.

Even though Sherbet and Sorbet are rooted in the same drink, as a frozen treat they are slightly different.  At least they are different in the United States.  Unlike the term Sorbet, the use of the word Sherbet is regulated.  So even though "Sorbet" is usually a combination of Juice, Sugar and Water, it can technically be made of just about any thing as it falls into the "Italian Ice" category along with Sorbetto and Granita.  However, by definition, Sherbets MUST contain between 1 - 2% dairy.  This is the key that makes them different from the others.  Ice Cream, on the other hand, has a much higher percentage of dairy as it is based on cream and eggs.  Gelato is based on Milk, and sometimes eggs; thus it's fat content, while lower than ice cream is still higher than Sherbet. Sherbet's niche is in the middle ground, between the two extremes of Sorbet and Ice Cream.

This makes the texture of Sherbet different from Sorbet as well.  Sorbet is much more icy, and while sherbet is icy too, there is still a creamy quality too it, though not as creamy as Ice Cream or Gelato.  That little bit of extra fat in Sherbet changes the freezing temperature of the mixture and helps control the size of the ice crystals.  It has a more intense flavor than Ice Cream as well, because your palate is not overwhelmed with a coating of cold butterfat. Basically, it's the best of both worlds.

Thus, with a heavy heart and forever covered in shame, I regret turning my back on my childhood love.  I shall never take Sherbet for granted again.

In an attempt to make amends, I have decided to make a few alterations to Alton Brown's Orange Sherbet recipe and take it into realms beyond the simple flavors of Orange, Lime, Pineapple and Raspberry.....  Thus, I give you...

Cloved Rhubarb Sherbet

7 oz (1 cup) Granulated Sugar (6 oz if your a sour-puss like me)
24 oz of Rhubarb (Enough to yield 2 cups of juice)
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1 TB Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Whole Milk
1/2 cup Half and Half
a VERY small pinch of clove

Cut the rhubarb into small cubes (you need as much surface area as possible) and place in a medium bowl.

Sprinkle the sugar over the rhubarb and toss to coat.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours (this gives it time to juice up)

Once the rhubarb juices up, go ahead and strain it. If you don't have quite 2 cups, (and you probably won't) throw the drained rhubarb in the food processor and pulse a couple of times to break up the fibers in the rhubarb.

Spoon the pulp into a strainer and press out the remaining juice (you should have 2 cups of juice at this point)

Add Kosher Salt, Lemon Juice, and Vanilla extract, whisking to combine.

Add Milk and Half and Half, again, whisking to combine.

Stir in the tiny pinch of clove (careful not to overdo it)

Cover the mix with plastic wrap and chill until cold before pouring into your ice cream maker and churning according to your maker's directions.

Spoon sherbet into a container and move to freezer for 4 hours.

Serve simply, with zest of Orange and enjoy.

Mangia!!
~~

Just a Hunk, a Hunk of Burnin' Cake - Old Fashioned Burnt Sugar Cake

So I am finally blogging about the Burnt Sugar Cake recipe that I got from my Grandmother.  I promised a while back that I would get to this and I would hate to disappoint anyone who has been waiting breathlessly for it.  :)

Honestly, I should have blogged about it sooner cause this cake is positively delicious!  Though, how could it not be?  It's basically a Caramel cake with Caramel 7 minute frosting schmeared all over it.  If you love Caramel, you will LOVE this....  Thanks Grandma!!!!!

Burnt Sugar Cake

Burnt Sugar Syrup

1/2 cup (3.5 oz) (100g) Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup (2 oz) (60ml) Water

Burnt Sugar Cake
3 cups (11.3 oz) (320g) sifted Cake Flour (sift before measuring, if your using weight don't worry bout it)
1 TB Baking Powder
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 cup (8 TB) (4 oz) (114g) Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 cups (10.6 oz) (300g) Granulated Sugar
3 large Eggs, separated
1 cup (8 oz) (237ml) Water, room temperature
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 of the Burnt Sugar Syrup

Burnt Sugar 7 Minute Frosting

3/4 Cup plus 2 TB (6.1 oz) (175g) Granulated Sugar; Divided
1 TB light corn syrup
2 TB water
3 Large Egg Whites
1/4 tsp Cream of Tarter
The remaining Burnt Sugar Syrup

First you have to make the syrup and let it cool.  So, place 1/2 cup (3.5 oz) (100g) sugar in a heavy bottomed pan and place over medium flame.

Once the sugar has melted and become dark brown, remove the pan from the flame and add the water

and continue stirring until all the lumps have dissolved.

You well end up with about 6 TB of syrup.

Set this aside to cool while you begin constructing the cake.

Grease the bottom ONLY, of 2 9-inch (23 cm) pans, then line with parchment or waxed paper, then grease and flour the paper....  and preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) (GM 4) Degrees

Once you have sifted and measured the flour....

Add Baking Powder and Kosher Salt, then sift at least 3 more times to mix the ingredients together.

Set this aside for now and separate the eggs, setting the whites aside for a little later.

In the bowl of your mixer, beat the butter until light.

Add the Sugar and continue beating until fluffy.

Add the Egg Yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition so the emulsion doesn't "break".

Add the Vanilla and 1/2 of the Burnt Sugar Syrup.

Now begin adding the Flour mixture, alternating with the Water, beginning and ending with the Water. (Basically, 1/4 cup Water, 1 cup Flour, 1/4 cup Water, 1 cup Flour, 1/4 cup water, 1 cup Flour, 1/4 cup Water)

Continue beating, after adding the last of the Water, for an additional minute or two until a nice smooth batter is formed.

In a clean bowl, beat the Egg Whites until firm peaks.

Fold the beaten Egg Whites into the batter.

Divide the batter between the 2 pans.

Bake the Cakes for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick, inserted in the center, comes out clean (careful not to over bake or the cake will be REALLY dry due to the egg whites)

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before running a spatula around the edge and turning the cakes out onto a rack to finish cooling. (don't forget to remove the paper)

While the cakes are cooling you can make the Burnt Sugar 7 Minute Frosting.

In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup (150 g) Sugar, Corn Syrup and Water and boil over low heat.

Bring to a boil and cook until they syrup reaches 232 F (112 C) Degrees.

Meanwhile, in a grease free bowl, begin whisking or beating the Egg Whites with the Cream of Tarter until soft peaks form; then sprinkle in the remaining 2 TB (25 g) Sugar while continuing to beat until firm peaks form (this take about 3 minutes).

Remove the syrup from the flame and slowly pour it into the meringue, in a steady stream while continuing to beat the meringue on medium speed; being careful not to hit the whisk or beater with the syrup cause it will fling little shards of sugar into your frosting.

Once the syrup is completely added (do not scrape the pan) go ahead and add the remaining Burnt sugar syrup too.

Continue beating until the meringue cools down; somewhere between 5 - 10 minutes (7 Minutes on average).

OK, Now let's finally get this cake put together......

Apply 3/4 cup of the 7 minute frosting to one of the cake rounds then, of course, lay the other on top.

Schmear the remaining Burnt Sugar Marshmallowy goodness ALL over the cake....

Top with a few Pecans if you like, but they aren't really necessary. (For some reason, this cake screams pecans to me)

Then the best part... Cut into this puppy and have a BIG ol' Slice.

MMMMMMM  surprisingly "buttery" with a strong caramel flavor all wrapped in caramel marshmallow deliciousness.  Heaven!   Is it possible to swim in a cake?

Mangia!!
~~