Pain au Chocolat

It was like the good old days again -  a weekend blizzard with enough snow to keep you happily inside and temperatures so cold the air seemed to snap. That was my short-lived bliss this past weekend in Minnesota. The one thing I greatly appreciate about Minnesota is that all four seasons are quite distinct. Like walking into another room through a door, there is no mistaking the arrival of a new season whereas in Missouri, the changing seasons seems to simply wash into each other as if in one of those crazy abstract paintings. Of course I don't think Minnesota would mean so much to me without my sister and friends there, I wouldn't have much reason to travel there if it wasn't for them. I felt at home again traveling through the familiar parts of the city while discovering some new spots as well. It's almost hard to believe that we were driving through snow-covered landscapes just the other night and today we are enjoying 60℉ weather with no snowflake in sight. Sigh.

To keep things cozy over the weekend, we indulged in everything that makes a winter afternoon so much more enjoyable - pastries and lattes. An extra hot espresso drink with one of these chocolate croissants is a perfect pairing but regardless of your choice of drink, these pastries are a perfect treat without overindulging in everything wonderful and delicious!

bon appétit!

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Pain au Chocolat

Makes 1 dozen

The Instructions

1. Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the pastry dough into a 12" x 15" square.
2. Cut the dough into three sections horizontally and into four sections vertically. You should have a dozen dough rectangles sized approximately 3"x5".
3. Place one chocolate baton on the bottom edge of the dough and roll upward until you reach the middle. Place another baton on the upper edge of the dough and roll downward toward the first baton. 
4. Place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet leaving a couple inches in-between each pastry.
5. Once you have completed rolling all of the chocolate croissants, combine the beaten egg with a pinch of salt and brush onto the pastries.
6. Set the baking sheet in a warm area in your kitchen and allow to rise for up to 3 hours until doubled in size.
7. About 30 minutes before baking, heat your oven to 400℉ and give the croissants another coat of egg wash. 
8. Bake the pastries for 18-20 minutes until a deep caramel brown.
9. Remove from baking sheet and place on a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

The Ingredients

• 20 oz chilled croissant dough (1/2 recipe)
• 24 dark chocolate batons
• 1 egg, beaten
• pinch of salt

French Croissants from Scratch

Pure butter croissants, need I say more? The epitome of French cooking, these things are the real deal and a real challenge. Shatteringly crisp on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, it's hard to resist licking your fingers after the last bite. Croissants are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven and thus so you will never want another box of grocery store croissants again. They say not to expect perfect results on your first try; that it takes about three to four tries before you start to get a grasp of just what making croissants is all about. Well, I can vouch for both statements because that was the gist of my experience since the first time I attempted making them a couple of years back. I honestly can't remember if they even made it to the oven though at some point a batch of them did make it there but they came out tiny and quite dense. More recently, I gave up on a batch of croissant dough after just one turn. I might have been a bit hasty in tossing it but I think with my inexperience, it would have taken quite a bit of work to salvage it. Everything about it had felt wrong and looked wrong - I believe I was paying the price of impatience. They say that a dough can feel your mood and will respond in the same manner. I learned that valuable lesson the hard way.

The pleasure and satisfaction of having made these croissants from scratch doesn't simply lie in "I did it." I can say that the time spent learning from my mistakes made the experience that much sweeter. I didn't simply "do it" in order to add another recipe to my collection but instead so that I might look back knowing that having mastered this, I can do so much more now than I ever did before.

I am going to try to save you a little bit of heartache and hopefully a batch or two of dough by sharing some important tips that I have picked up in the process of making croissant dough:

• The dough and the butter block NEED to be of the SAME temperature = COLD
• Use European butter, don't skimp on this part. I have found that European butter is more malleable at colder temperatures than regular butter and this is due to the higher fat content. How does that effect you? When working with cold butter, it is less likely to snap or crack while being rolled out. Regular butter tends to snap under pressure if it is too cold to work with.
• The dough should be very cool and supple to the touch while you work with it. If at any point it starts to feel soft and warm, buttery or oily,  (sticking to the counter is a good indicator that the dough is too warm) stop working it, wrap it up in plastic and place it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Be patient, cold dough and cold butter are keys to success here.
• When shaping croissants, use half of the dough at a time to prevent it from warming up too soon while working. Working with warm dough will not yield the same results as working with cold dough and allowing it to warm up during the rising period.
• I find that giving each coat of egg wash sufficient time to dry is the key to even coloring during baking.
• The directions say to start heating your oven 30 minutes prior to baking, click here to find out why this is a good idea.
• The dough can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days or frozen for up to ten months.
• If you make your croissants and freeze them, you will need to thaw them overnight in order to bake them the next morning.

Wishing you much success in your attempt to make this delicious treat!

Bon appetit!

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French Croissants from Scratch

Makes 2.5 lb of dough/16-20 croissants

The Ingredients

the dough

• 1 cup warm water
• 4 tsp dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
• 1 tbs kosher salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 7 Tbsp unsalted European butter, room temperature

the butter block

• 16 Tbsp unsalted European butter at room temperature for laminating.
• 1 egg, beaten
• pinch of salt

The Instructions

1. The dough: combine the warm water and yeast in a bowl and set aside until the yeast bubbles, about 5 min.
2. Combine the bread flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. 
3. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix in the stand mixer using a dough hook until a rough dough starts to form.
4. Add the butter and knead on low until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Knead for an additional 5 minutes until the dough is elastic and smooth.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm area until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
6. After the dough has risen, turn it out of the bowl onto a lightly floured countertop. Deflate the dough and press it into a rectangle. Fold the dough onto itself 2/3 of the way and finish with the last remaining 1/3 on top (like folding a letter). Turn the dough 90º and repeat the folding process once more. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
7. The butter block: place the butter into a 7" x 8" plastic sandwich bag. Remove as much air as possible before spreading the butter throughout the bag using your hands. Once the butter is more or less distributed throughout the bag, use a rolling pin to smooth out the surface. Place the butter block into the fridge along with the dough until needed.
8. The tourage: remove the dough from the refrigerator and place onto your floured surface. Roll it out into a 7" x 16" rectangle. Unwrap the butter block and place it onto the bottom half of the dough. Fold over the top half of the dough onto the butter block and gently pinch it close.
9. Using your rolling pin, gently press on the dough starting in the middle and working your way out both ways. Roll out the dough into a 8" x 24" rectangle. Brush off any excess flour, fold one side of the dough 2/3 of the way and fold the opposite end in to meet it. Align the seams and use your rolling pin to readjust the thickness of the dough. Now fold the dough in half onto itself (like a book). This is a double turn.
10. Roll the dough out once again into a 8" x 24" rectangle. Fold the dough onto itself 2/3 of the way and finish with the last remaining 1/3 on top (like folding a letter). This is a simple turn. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour. ** If at any time though starts to feel warm or you notice that your hands become buttery/oily, wrap the dough in plastic and put it in the refrigerator for at least 30 min.
11. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut it in half, placing the other half back into the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a 9" x 18" (1/8 thickness) rectangle.
12. Using a chef's knife, divide the dough into 6-8 large triangles for croissants.
13. Starting at the widest edge, roll the dough into the familiar shape of the croissant leaving the tip tucked underneath. Place the croissants onto a parchment lined baking pan, spacing the croissants evenly apart.
14. Combine the beaten egg with a pinch of salt and brush onto the croissants. Set the pan of croissants into a warm area to rise until doubled in size, about 3 hours.
15. About 30 minutes before baking, heat your oven to 400℉ and give the croissants another coat of egg wash. 
16. Once risen, bake the croissants for 10-12 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 375℉ and bake for another 10 minutes until the croissants are a caramel brown color.
17. Allow the croissants to cool on the pan for 10 minutes and serve.

Pan-seared Steak & Béarnaise Sauce

A couple of freezing rain/snow showers this weekend had me happily staying cozy in the house while only the bravest attempted to venture out into the ice-coated world. Except for my porch, which doesn't get much sunlight, the ice was mostly gone by the time I headed to my one class of the day. I have a pretty easy-going semester this time around which leaves me pretty excited for all the other things I get to do - but then my to-do list is always endless regardless of just how much free time I have. Speaking of to-do lists and time, I've been mulling over Covey's lesson on the Time Management Matrix and have tried to apply it to my to-do list whenever I can think of it. The main idea in the lesson is that the activities we do in our lives can be defined as time spent in one of four ways using factors of importance and urgency. My current blog post is important but not urgent, my load of laundry waiting to be folded is neither important nor urgent, my little boy needing to be put to bed is both important and urgent while calling my sister right now would be urgent but not important. It's a deep topic and gives me much to think about but my takeaway here is that prioritizing my to-do list is not as simple as it might seem. Do you find yourself putting the fun and satisfying stuff at the top of your lists and find that you've procrastinated on the important and challenging stuff once again? Guilty.

Of all the recipes on my list this weekend, this one made it to the blog (the others are for another week). It's also my favorite because I am a meat & potatoes kind of girl. If I want a meal that will satisfy me to the fullest, this is it. There are times when I plan out the menu for the week and we are okay with a veggie filled meal like this one or this one; but when I am craving something deliciously satisfying and home cooked (or as close as I can get to it when we are traveling) this is what I look for. 

The Béarnaise sauce was not always around in my life. As a preface, I cannot argue with the fact that a well-cooked steak of high quality does not need any sauce because it's absolutely delicious as is, but if you have an opportunity to eat it with some freshly made Béarnaise sauce, I say take the opportunity to try it. When my husband (then fiancé) learned that I've never had a filet mignon (or any other kind of beef steak for that matter), he made it his mission to change that. And change it he did when he took me to Manny's in Minneapolis the weekend we became engaged. It was a beautiful melt-in-your-mouth kind of filet mignon cooked medium-rare and arrived with its own little silver gravy boat filled with Béarnaise sauce. I have not seen it offered anywhere else since and only recently decided to make my own. This sauce compliments a steak perfectly and beautifully. A hollandaise based sauce, it is soft and silky in texture with a brightness that doesn't scream acidity yet there is no mistaking the taste of white wine and herbs. Oh and pan-seared steaks? So amazingly simple that I probably won't bother sending my husband out to the grill with them in the future.

Bon appetit!

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Pan-seared Steak & Béarnaise Sauce

Serves 4

The Instructions

1. The sauce: you will first need to clarify your butter if you don't already have any on hand (see how to do it here) and leave it to cool to room temperature.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar and wine to a boil then add the shallots and herbs. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the shallots have softened and wine reduced slightly (it will be about 2 Tbs of liquid remaining).
3. Whisk together the water and egg yolks. Remove the shallot and wine mixture off the heat (onto a hot pad or something similar) and reduce the heat to very low. Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan and start whisking immediately. Continue whisking until the yolks become slightly frothy than return the saucepan back onto the heat. Whisk until the eggs start to thicken up and take on a custard-like consistency. This will take anywhere from 5-10 minutes. **If the yolks start to thicken quickly (which could lead to curdling) remove the saucepan off heat and continue whisking vigorously for a minute or two before returning it to the heat again.
4. Remove the saucepan off the heat once again and drizzle in the clarified butter, continuing to whisk until the sauce mixture is uniform. Cover with a lid and set aside until ready to use.
5. The steaks: bring the meat to room temperature by setting it out on your kitchen counter at least an hour or two before you begin cooking them.
6. Heat a cast iron or heavy bottom pan on a medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes (do not oil the pan!). Meanwhile brush the steaks with vegetable oil on all sides. Season the top and bottom liberally with salt and pepper.
7. Place the steaks into the hot pan and cook for 3-4 minutes without moving. Flip the steaks over and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Depending how well you want your steak cooked, continue flipping the steak every few minutes until the internal temperature registers your desired doneness. Allow the steaks to rest for 5 minutes before serving. **alternately you can heat your oven to 400 and finish cooking your steaks in the oven after both sides are seared to your liking. Baking them in the oven can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes.

The Ingredients

the sauce

• 1 cup clarified butter (ghee)
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 Tbs minced tarragon
• 1 Tbs minced chervil or parsley
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 Tbs white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs + 1 tsp water
• 4 egg yolks
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

the steak

• 4 - 8 oz steaks of your choice
• 2 Tbs vegetable oil
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan Eggplant with Stewed Tomatoes

This is my first post of the year so let's start on a delicious note! As I was working on these pictures earlier and organizing my previous posts, I couldn't help but glance at the very first recipes that I did (exactly!!) three years ago! It was heartwarming to think back to those early days yet little has changed on the blog even though so much has happened in life but here we are - already two weeks into another year.

I am not much of a new year's resolution kind of person, but there are a few I've made for this year that I'll share. The first one is to read the pile of books I have been collecting on my console table. The said collection includes my second round of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Bryan Peterson's Learning to See Creatively, Mimi Thorisson's French Country Cooking and my newest addition to the pile - The Art of Flavor. A variety of topics to explore and I'll probably share my thoughts with you as we go along!

The second resolution was to go sugar free (again!) for a couple months. I had made mention of this earlier last summer but didn't discuss it much because I didn't blog often due to preparations for the baby's coming taking up most of my time. But we liked the idea so much the first time that we extended it to involve others this time around and so far its been a good experience. I promise to have a more in depth post on this within the next few weeks!

Onto the recipe. The last thing I am interested in is touting how delicious and flavor-packed this "vegetarian" dish is because the word still conjures images of super green salads and Buddha bowls in my mind (nothing against them, they do look delicious!). With my love for food and trying new things, you'd think I'd be past that but while I am more than happy to try a "meatless" dish, using "vegetarian" will far from entice me.

As I try out new foods and cook them for myself at home, I am pretty excited to be discovering just how delicious meals can be without meat. So why the "vegetarian" topic? I grew up in a meat and potato culture where there are numerous variations of this combination that can be found at every holiday, wedding and any other family gathering in between. I can hardly recall any main dishes without meat in my childhood and maybe just a handful of side dishes so it feels refreshing to discover the "meatless" side of cooking, if you will. Speaking of, I just might make "meatless" a category in my recipe catalog. Seriously.

Last summer, my mother-in-law gave me a bunch of eggplants from her garden and since I've never prepared it before, I had to start somewhere. I remembered liking the one time I tried my husband's order of Eggplant Parmesan at an Italian restaurant in MN and so I thought I'd give it a hand. ATK had a simple recipe for two that I started with and liked so much that over time it became one of our many go-to dishes. I've tweaked it to fit our tastes and am sharing the results with you today. The eggplant itself, when cooked properly, takes on a creamy texture and is highly complimented by the crispy-fried-breaded-cheesy exterior. I love that the eggplant is also left as is for individual serving with the tomato topping instead of being baked casserole style as is traditional. This saves it from being drowned in tomato sauce and allows you to enjoy it for itself. The chunky, stewed tomato topping is a bright mouthful with a bit of a kick from the red pepper and refreshing herbaceous notes from the basil! It can even be used on it's own to top your favorite pasta or any other dish that calls for a tomato related topping. 

Until next time!

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Parmesan Eggplant with Stewed Tomatoes

Serves 6-8

The Ingredients

the eggplant

• 2 large eggplants (about 3 lb)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 oz parmesan cheese, finely grated + more for garnishing
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 12-16 slices of provolone cheese
• 1/3 cup of cooking oil

the stewed tomatoes

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 6-8 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 lb tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

The Instructions

1. The eggplant: after trimming off the ends, cut the eggplants crosswise into 1 inch disks. Choose 3-4 of the largest disks from each eggplant and set aside. Cube the remaining disks, place in a clean bowl and set aside for later.
2. Set up a dipping station for the eggplants with flour in one bowl, eggs in another and combine the parmesan cheese and bread crumbs in the third. Lightly season each dish with salt and pepper.
3. Place one eggplant disk at a time and cover with flour, tapping off any excess before dipping it into the egg and finally coating it with parmesan and bread crumbs. Place onto a sheet pan with a wire rack until you have coated all of the disks with flour, egg and parmesan cheese with crumbs.
4. Heat your oven to 450 as well as heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1/3 cup of olive oil or your choice of cooking oil. Fry 2-3 eggplant disks at a time until golden brown on each side and set back onto baking sheet with wire rack. Repeat the process until all eggplants are fried.
5. Transfer the baking sheet with the egg plants to the hot oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until tender. Add 1-2 slices of provolone cheese on top of each eggplant and bake for an additional 3 minutes.
6. The stewed tomatoes: meanwhile empty the skillet of any remaining oil and add to it the 3 tbsp of olive oil. Heat the oil over medium heat and add the cubed eggplant from earlier. Season with salt and pepper and cook until starting to brown.
7. Add the pressed garlic cloves, pepper flakes and oregano. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant and then add the diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes until the juice from the tomatoes has reduced and the sauce has thickened a bit. 
8. Season to taste and stir in the chopped basil.
9. Serve the stewed tomatoes atop the parmesan eggplant with a side of pasta and garnish with grated parmesan cheese.