The Engineer's Croissants

Continuing his Baking Illustrated quest, the Engineer recently made croissants, then pains au chocolat, almond croissants and Danishes. I was really impressed by the croissants the first week, and I continued to be impressed.









I even helped make the almond croissants, because the Engineer had made that dough twice already, and he’d already made frangipane for a poached pear and almond tart last year. Those were fantastic! Just as good as any bakery’s almond croissants.




We’ve been buying a lot more butter than we normally do in order to make these pastries. Thank God the Engineer's coworkers are there to help us eat them!

Next up, a month of pâte feuilletée beauties, culminating in a millefeuille!

Candied Bacon Ice Cream

A few years ago, bacon became the new “it” thing in desserts. I’ve tried bacon chocolate bars before, but this was the first time I made dessert with bacon myself! I’ve adapted this ice cream recipe from one by David Lebovitz - I made it dairy-free, of course. I didn’t use the liquor, I used pasteurized eggs (but you could just check the temperature of the custard if that’s a concern to you), and I threw in a pinch of nutmeg along with the cinnamon. It really like this ice cream, though I think I’ll try it with something other than soy next time. For the candied bacon: David Lebovitz does recommend to caramelize it for close to 15 minutes, until it is “as dark as mahogany”. That’s a little too burnt for my taste here; I prefer it lighter, but still dark and crispy. Do check out the original post for a great comparison of different types of sugars in the caramelization process! While my recipe isn’t dairy, it does contain bacon and eggs, so it is by no means vegan.



For the candied bacon
5 strips bacon
7 Tbsp light brown sugar (about 2 tsp per slice)

For the ice cream custard
3 Tbsp margarine (or butter if you want)
¾ cup (packed) brown sugar, light or dark
2¾ cup soy creamer (or equivalent of half-and-half)
5 large egg yolks
2 tsp dark rum or whiskey (optional)
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
1 pinch ground nutmeg (optional)

To candy the bacon, preheat the oven to 400 °F. Lay the strips of bacon on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle about 2 tsp of brown sugar evenly over each strip of bacon, depending on length. Bake for about 10 minutes (keep an eye on the bacon at all times, it can go from caramelized to burnt quickly). Midway during baking, flip the bacon strips over and drag them through the dark, syrupy liquid that’s collected on the baking sheet. Continue to bake until crispy. Remove from oven and cool the strips on a wire rack. (At this point, your kitchen will smell unbelievably good.)

Once crisp and cool, chop the bacon into little pieces, about the size of grains of rice. (Bacon bits can be stored in an airtight container and chilled for a day or so, or stored in the freezer a few weeks ahead.)






To make the ice cream custard, melt the butter in a heavy, medium-size saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and half of the creamer. Pour the remaining creamer into a bowl set in an ice bath and put a mesh strainer over the top.

In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks, then gradually add some of the warm brown sugar mixture to them, whisking the yolks constantly as you pour. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

Cook over low to moderate heat, constantly stirring and scraping the bottom with a heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

Strain the custard into the creamer, stirring over the ice bath, until cool. Add liquor, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, if using. Refrigerate the mixture. Once thoroughly chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the bacon bits during the last moment of churning, or stir them in when you remove the ice cream from the machine.

Aromatic Broth with Peas, Potatoes and a Poached Egg

I saw this recipe on Orangette and decided it looked good, but it sure took me a long time to try it. I think I was partly intimidated by the aromatic broth (but there’s really no reason to be, it’s incredibly easy), and partly because even though I love poached eggs, I had never made any before. I had to use dried thyme instead of fresh one, because believe it or not, our grocery store was out of fresh thyme. The fingerling potato I used was a Ruby crescent; I just liked the way it looked, but any fingerling potato works well here. I added a cup of water to the broth, it needed it at the end (the quantities here reflect that). This recipe makes 3 servings. At first, I thought that was an odd number (no pun intended), but it turns out it’s perfect, because that made 2 servings for dinner (for the Engineer and myself), and then I had the last serving at lunch the next day (the Engineer was at work). Toast the bread and poach the egg only when you’re ready to eat, as you’re rewarming the broth. I wasn’t sure which utensils to use for serving this dish, so I put forks, knives and spoons on the table: the Engineer used a fork and knife, while I preferred a spoon and a fork.

I poached three eggs for this recipe (two the first night, one the next day), and you see them in order at the end of the post. The third one was perfect! My method was an amalgam of what I had gleaned online, on television and in Julie and Julia for the third try. Start by putting water in a pot and add one or two tablespoons of vinegar, then get the water to simmer (you want some bubbles, but not a hard boil). Crack each egg into a cup, then put the bottom of the cup into the water. Gently, but quickly, turn the cup so that the egg ends up the water all at once. To get a better shape, use a spoon to gently gather the white of the egg around the yolk (that’s from Julie and Julia). You can poach two or three eggs at the same time; once they’re done, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and put them in a pot of warm water: this helps remove the vinegar and keeps them warm until you are ready to serve them.

For the bouquet garni
1 2-inch piece celery
1 small Turkish bay leaf
1 fresh thyme sprig, about 3 inches long
1 fresh Italian parsley sprig, about 3 inches long
4 black peppercorns
1/8 tsp slightly crushed fennel seeds

For the broth
3 cups water
2 Tbsp good-quality olive oil
3 slices baguette, preferably day-old, each 1 inch thick
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
½ lb waxy potatoes, such as fingerling, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
5 oz frozen peas (not thawed)
¾ tsp salt
a few grinds black pepper
3 large eggs, poached

First, make the bouquet garni. Cut a rectangle of cheesecloth measuring about 8” by 16.” Fold it in half to make a double-thick 8” square. Place the celery, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, and fennel seeds in the center; then gather the cheesecloth around the herbs like a little bag. Tie the mouth of the bag with cotton kitchen string, making sure that it is securely closed.

Place the bouquet garni in a medium saucepan with the water, and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat ½ Tbsp oil in a heavy saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the baguette slices, and toast, flipping once, until golden, a few minutes. Transfer the bread to a plate or cutting board. Add the remaining 1 ½ Tbsp oil to the skillet, along with the onion. Cook the onion over medium heat, stirring regularly, until it softens and begins to look translucent. Add the potatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes.

Add the garlic, peas, salt, pepper, and hot water with bouquet garni. Cover the skillet, and simmer the mixture until the potatoes are tender, about 7-10 minutes. Discard the bouquet garni.







Pour a small ladleful of broth, potatoes, and peas into each of 3 bowls. Place 1 slice of toasted bread atop the broth and vegetables in each bowl, and place 1 egg atop each slice of bread. Divide the rest of the broth and vegetables among the bowls. Serve immediately, with additional salt and pepper for the eggs.

Gâteau aux carottes violettes et à la noix de coco

Voici ce que j’ai fait avec les carottes violettes que j’avais achetées à Central Market. Ça faisait une éternité que j’avais vu cette recette sur Cuisine Campagne, et je n’attendais que le bon moment, soit une botte de carottes violettes. Celles-ci étaient des vraies de vraies, violettes jusqu’au milieu. Le goût est semblable à celui des carottes orange, mais l’apparence est nettement plus chouette! Vous pourriez utiliser n’importe quelle sorte de carottes pour ce dessert, mais je conseille quand même les carottes violettes, voire les rouges ou les jaunes, juste pour leur côté spécial.




Le gâteau était délicieux, moelleux, tout à fait charmant, et il a disparu en moins d’une journée. La noix de coco donne un petit côté croustillant au gâteau, et le parfum de l’anis se marie à merveille avec la cannelle, les carottes et la noix de coco. C’était très différent du gâteau aux carottes traditionnel de nos grand-mères.







Je l’ai dit et je le répète, je n’ai pas de moule à cake. Puisque la dernière fois où j’ai adapté une telle recette pour un autre moule, j’ai dû en augmenter la taille, j’ai commencé avec un moule rond de 8 pouces que j’ai mis au four environ 30 minutes. Le résultat était délicieux, et puisqu’il me restait des carottes, j’ai fait un deuxième gâteau avec le petit moule rond de 6 pouces. Le gâteau était très bombé, et j’ai eu peur qu'il renverse, mais pas du tout! Prenez donc la taille que vous préférez. J’ai adapté les mesures et les ingrédients pour l’Amérique du Nord, en plus d’ajouter du papier ciré dans le moule. La première fois, j’ai utilisé de la noix de coco râpée de taille moyenne non sucrée (la normale, quoi); la deuxième fois, c’était plutôt de la noix de coco râpée très fin, comme pour faire des macarons. Les deux sont acceptables.

3 ou 4 carottes violettes, lavées mais pas pelées, puis râpées finement (j’ai pris le robot)
¾ tasse de farine tout usage
1 c. à thé de poudre à pâte
¾ tasse de sucre
½ tasse de noix de coco râpée
1 c. à thé de cannelle
1 c. à thé d’anis en poudre
½ tasse de beurre non salé (ou de margarine), fondu
2 œufs

Préchauffer le four à 350 °F. Graisser un moule rond de 6 pouces (ou de 8 pouces), couvrir le fond de papier ciré et graisser de nouveau.

Dans un grand bol, mélanger la farine, la poudre à pâte, le sucre, la noix de coco râpée, la cannelle et l’anis en poudre.

Faire un puits au milieu de la farine et y verser le beurre fondu. Mélanger avec une cuillère en bois incorporer les œufs un à un.

Incorporer les carottes et bien mélanger.





Verser la pâte dans le moule et faire cuire pendant 45 à 50 minutes (ou 30 minutes si vous avez un moule de 8 pouces au lieu de 6 pouces) ; un cure-dents doit en ressortir propre. Laisser refroidir, puis déguster. (Vous pouvez aussi le placer au réfrigérateur pendant 12 heures, pour que les saveurs se mélangent bien, mais il n’a pas duré si longtemps chez nous.)

Pan-Seared Beef Tenderloin with Port Sauce and Balsamic Onions

This is the first recipe I made from Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, which Dear Sister gave me for my birthday. It’s a book containing a love story and recipes that go along with it. They are gluten-free, but that’s not even the first thing you notice. I actually read the book cover to cover, and the recipes just fit in the narrative perfectly. I also love the tone of the book, how the authors don’t just give directions, but explain things clearly, giving you both a lot of details and a lot of variations to account for things like food sensitivities, the way your oven might be a little different from theirs, the tools you have in your kitchen, etc. There are a lot of recipes I want to try in the book, but I started with this one.

This meal was so good that we were hunched over our plates, moaning and hardly saying anything as we ate. The meat was so perfect that I could hardly believe it came from my stovetop. Sure, it’s somewhat of an expensive cut, but it’s well worth it. The Engineer, who normally doesn’t even like steak, said it was “yummy”. A few minutes later, he corrected himself: “Did I say ‘yummy”? I meant outstanding.” He said it was the best beef he’d ever had! The trick is not to overcook it. That being said, you have to reduce the port sauce for a while, and I know that I take a longer time than most to reduce sauces, so I put the beef in a low oven to keep it warm – take that into consideration as you’re pan-searing it. I don’t like my meat rare, though, so I did slice the medallions in two lengthwise to make sure they cooked evenly; this depends on your preferences, and the serving size depends on your appetite (here, the official yield is 4 servings).

I served this with mashed potatoes. The book does have a recipe for a potato purée that looks delicious, but it calls for a food mill or ricer (neither one of which I have), or you can rice the potatoes through a sieve (but I didn’t think my sieve could handle that); there was also a lot of dairy, so I would have needed to substitute some ingredients. I hope I’ll get around to adapting it, though! I also think that I’ll make the balsamic onions again to serve them with other things – I swooned when I first tasted them, they were that good!

Balsamic Onions
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 large red onions, peeled and sliced
3 Tbsp brown sugar
½ cup balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Beef Tenderloin
8 pieces beef tenderloin, 3 to 3.5 oz each (i.e., medallions)
kosher salt and cracked black pepper
4 Tbsp canola oil

Port Reduction Sauce
1 cup port
2 cups veal stock (I used store-bought beef bouillon, so not GF, but the book has a recipe)
kosher salt and cracked black pepper
2 Tbsp butter (or vegan margarine if you’re too sensitive to butter)

For the Balsamic Onions
Set a large sauté pan over high heat. Pour in the olive oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have wilted and shrink, have turned dark blue or purple in color, and smell sweet, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the brown sugar to the pan and cook, stirring, until the sugar begins to melt into the onions.

Pour the vinegar into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally and tasting continually, until the liquid is reduced and thickened, but not burnt, about 7 minutes; if you reduce it too much, it becomes tarry with a burnt taste, and instead you want a strong balsamic flavour, followed by the sweetness of the onions. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Set aside.





For the Beef Tenderloin
Season the tenderloin medallions with salt and pepper. Set 2 large sauté pans over high heat. Pour the canola oil into the hot pans. Put the tenderloin pieces in the hot oil; don’t crowd the pans, or the beef will boil in the oil, and that wastes a good piece of beef. Cook until the bottom of each piece has a lovely brown crust, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip over the tenderloin pieces. For medium-rare doneness, the medallions should have a little firm push at the center when pressed, but with softness all around, and the internal temperature should be 150 °F. (Personally, I used the finger test to get medium doneness.). Remove the pans from the heat, transfer beef to a plate, and allow the beef to rest while you prepare the sauce.

For the Port Sauce
Pour ½ cup of the port into each pan, scraping the goodness from the bottom. When you have deglazed both pans, pour the contents of one pan into the other. Set the pan with the port over medium heat and simmer until the port is reduced by half its volume.

Scoop the balsamic onions into the reduced port. Pour in the veal stock. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half its volume. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Drop in the butter and whisk the sauce until the butter is fully incorporated.

To serve, spoon the sauce with the onions onto each plate. Place 2 tenderloin pieces on top of each serving.