0 BEET SALAD WITH COTTAGE CHEESE & A RUNNY EGG - SALADE DE BETTRAVE AU COTTAGE CHEESE ET SON OEUF MOLLET

Some people are not afraid of the cold and others regard it with utter contempt. Even if I'm the kind of person who enjoys every single period of the year, I nonetheless definitely prefer the fresher season as I hate to sweat excessively or get sunburnt like a shrimp on a barbie.

Sometimes I wonder if those predispositions are linked to my DNA or is it just a personal preference. What if our genes influenced our manner of conducting ourselves and our traits of character? Hmmm, that is quite a difficult question to answer, however I believe that if our health can be defined by our bloodline, then there are chances that our emotions, temperament and identity is also outlined by it.

You see, my father's ancestors were Swiss mountainers who might have had Danish or English origins (my family name is NOT Swiss at all). Then, on my my mother's side they came from the rugged areas of Northern England where Viking settlers made themselves at home and also from European Russia, a place which is famous for its dreadful freezingness.

Because of this heritage, as a child my hair was so straw-straight and pale blond that I had the appearence of a Swedish little girl (my eyes are blue and my skin is fair too, hence the similarities). It is the reason why I was so popular amongst Japanese tourists who invariably asked my parents if they could shoot my portrait every time they caught a sight of me. Those features attracted them like crazy...

The care with which these nations cherished their hair was remarkable. A striking instance of their solicitude respecting it, is afforded by a young warrior who was condemned to be beheaded. His last and most earnest request was, that it might not be stained with his blood, or exposed, after his death, to the rude touch of a slave. In some instances, ringlets of auburn hair have been found in the tombs of the early Britons.

- Excerpt form "The Scottish Gael" by J. Logan

The light thou beholdest
Stream through the heavens,
In flashes of crimson,
Is but my red beard
Blown by the night-wind,
Affrighting the nations!
Jove is my brother;
Mine eyes are the lightning;
The wheels of my chariot
Roll in the thunder,
The blows of my hammer
Ring in the earthquake!

- "The Challenge of Thor" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Sadly, the older I grew, the darker and frizzier my mane became. Nowadays, my locks are light auburn colored with golden highlights and they are still quite wavy. Once again, this is another sign of the legacy of my forefathers as both my complexion and reddish-brown tint occurs most frequently in the phenotypes originating in Northern Europe*, so it is no surprise if my spirit is that of a "true daughter of Thor".

*Scandinavia, Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, the Benelux countries, France, Poland and Russia - Leading the pack, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England have the most redheads. Scotland has the highest proportion with 13% having red hair and ~ 40% possessing the recessive redhead gene. Ireland is second highest with ~ 10% having it and 40% carrying the gene.

~ Picture taken by my late English grandfather ~

I carry the love for harsh and dramatic weather within my blood. It is encoded in my genetic material and deeply rooted in me. There is no doubt about that. Yet, I must admit that although I find crisp air rather envigorating, the last two weeks' Polar conditions took a toll on me and brought my mood down since I didn't set a foot out of the door from fear of being transformed into a giant human icicle!

Well, in my defense, until not long ago, Europe had been experiencing the worst Winter in decades. On the 27th of January we were hit be a coldwave that brushed across the continent, brought blizzards and caused the thermometer to dip to bitter levels. Temperatures of - 35.1° C were recorded during the night in the Swiss Alps (though nothing quite like the -41.8° C recorded in 1987 in La Brévine, Neuchâtel) and in Geneva they sank to - 13° C. Besides, massive snowfalls transformed our landscapes into Siberian wastelands, intense frost swept through the country and the Bise (mean and dry North-Eastern wind) was so violent it went right through you. Brrrrrrr!

The town of Geneva resembled a deserted Illinois ghost town and the rural areas looked like the icy Finnish tundra. Needless to say that there weren't many crowds defying the benumbing elements. The only courageous individuals who braved the harsh conditions were disciplined blue-collars who wore impressive layers of clothes and rushed through the streets as if it was a matter of life and death.

O Winter ruler of the inverted year. . . I crown thee king of intimate delights, Fireside enjoyments, home-born happiness, And all the comforts that the lowly roof Of undisturb'd Retirement, and the hours Of long uninterrupted evening, know.

- William Cowper

On the positive side, this kind of climate is perfect for hibernating, cocooning, taking care of yourself, cuddling with that special someone, finding excuses to stay home, lying longer in your snug bed, eating more comforting foods than usual (I nourish myself in a balanced way, but when the days are dark and glacial it is difficult not want to uplift your mood with cheering grub such as chocolate or cakes) and for being as lazy as a ferret.

But, as we all know, even if this kind of behavior is good for our soul, it is impossible to close our eyes on the negative impact all this hedonistically "shameless" binging and sluggish lifetsyle has on our body. I have to admit that while my trousers still fit me, I wish they'd be a little less tight around the hips, hence I've decided to take things in hand and start cutting down on hyper-calorific treats as well as exercizing again.

Spring is around the corner and I really want to be in shape when the warm rays of the sun caress my skin and nature is blooming. I would be terribly angry with myself if I felt unwell and out of breath while riding my bike through the fields or while walking up the Salève mountain. So, in order to attain my goal, my plan is to re-tone my muscles, have a better control of what I devour and limitate my ingestion of flour, sugary goods as well as nuts.

Having said that, I have to point out that I refuse to go on any diet as I don't find it is a good and lasting solution to weight gain. In my opinion, instead of fasting like an anorexic model, following the latest nutrionists' doolally fads or transforming into a fitness fascist, one should lead a harmonious life by giving priority to mindful nutrition and physical activity without ever forgetting to find pleasure in food and joy in existence.

Consequently, at the moment, big quantities of vegetables are on the menu, but that is no problem for me as I adore greens and I'm used to cooking with them. It is rare that I come across one veggie I hate or simply cannot stomach. In fact, I am quite a legume enthusiast.

One of my favorite veggies is beet. This gorgeous root is available in a range of pretty colors that illuminate the plate, has an interesting sweet and earthy flavor which is really refined and is extremely versatile. Beetroot is so awesome and totally indispensable. It's a real must-have in my kitchen. I can't imagine not using it on a regular basis as I appreciate inventing exotic or regional recipes with it.

My most recent creation is a classy, easy, fresh, nourishing, flavorful and nutrient-ladden salad which consists of thin slices of blanched beetroots that have been marinaded in a balsamic vinegar vinaigrette and which are topped with onions rings, cottage cheese, walnuts and a soft-boiled egg. This meatless course makes a great main dish if accompanied by a few slices of dark rye bread/crackers or a few buttered potatoes. Wonderful!

~Beet Salad With Cottage Cheese & A Runny Egg ~
Recipe by Rosa Mayland, February 2012.

Serves 4.

Ingredients For The "Vinaigrette":

5 Tbs Balsamic vinegar

2 Tbs Malt vinegar

2 Tbs Olive oil

1 Tsp Kikkoman (sweet)
A few drops of Chipotle Tabasco

Balck pepper, to taste

Fine sea salt, to taste

Ingredients For The "Salad":

900g Cooked beetroot, peeled & cut into thinnish slices

1 Onion, thinly sliced into rounds

200g Cottage cheese

4 Big Eggs, soft-boiled (see method)
A handful walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Pimentón or Espelette pepper, for sprinkling

Method For The "Vinaigrette":

1. In a big bowl, mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette together.

Method For The "Salad":

2. Add the beetroot slices to the vinaigrette, mix delicately and let marinade for about 1 hour.

3. Prepare 4 plates and arrange the slices on them.

4. Add the onion slices and the cottage cheese.

5. Place a soft-boiled egg on top of each salad and cut it open.

6. Sprinkle with the walnuts and the pimentón or Espelette pepper.

7. Serve.

Comments:

When I need cooked beets, I generally buy them already boiled (it saves time and in that way I always have them on hand in my fridge), but you can also cook yours at home (see method).

Instead of using walnuts, you can sprinkle your salad with toasted pumpkin seeds or any other nut/seed of your choice.

The soft-boiled eggs can easily be replaced by a poached or fried eggs.

Serving suggestions:

Serve as main course with some wholesome bread (ex. Norwegian Mountain Bread) or some boiled/jacket potatoes with butter.

~ Salade De Betteraves, Cottage Cheese Et Oeuf Mollet ~
Recette par Rosa Mayland, Février 2012.

Pour 4 personnes.

Ingrédients Pour La "Vinaigrette":
5 CS de Vinaigre balsamique
2 CS de Vinaigre de malte
2 CS d'Huile d'olive
1 CS de Kikkoman (doux)
Quelques gouttes de Chipotle Tabasco
Poivre noir, selon goût
Sel de mer fin, selon goût
Ingrédients Pour La "Salade":
900g de Betteraves cuites, pelées et coupées en fines tranches
1 Oignon, finement coupé en rondelles
200g  Cottage cheese
4 Gros Oeufs mollets (voir méthode)
Une poignée de noix de Grenoble, grillées et hachées grossièrement
Pimentón ou piment d'Espelette, pour saupoudrer

Méthode Pour La "Vinaigrette":
1. Dans un grand bol, mélanger ensemble tous les ingrédients pour la vinaigrette.
Méthode Pour La "Salade":
2. Ajouter les tranches de betterave à la vinaigrette, mélanger délicatement et laisser mariner pendant environ 1 heure.
3. Préparez 4 assiettes et y disposer les tranches.
4. Ajouter les rondelles d'oignon et le cottage cheese.
5. Placer un œuf mollet sur le dessus de chaque salade et l'ouvrir en deux avec la pointe d'un couteau.
6. Saupoudrer avec les noix et le poivre d'Espelette ou le pimentón.
7. Servir.

Commentaires:
En général, lorsque j'ai besoin de bettraves cuites, je les achète déjà cuites (cela économise du temps et de cette manière je les ai toujours sous la main), mais vous pouvez aussi cuire les votres à la maison (voir la méthode).
Au lieu d'utiliser des noix de Grenoble, pourquoi ne pas saupoudrer vos salades avec des graines de citrouille ou les noix/graines de votre choix.
Les œufs mollets peuvent être remplacés par des oeufs pochés ou à la poêle.

Idée de présentation:
Servir comme plat principal avec du pain complet (ex. pain de montagne norvégien) ou quelques pommes de terre cuites à l'eau/au four et servies avec du beurre.

0 ENGADINER CROSTATA - THE DARING BAKERS

As incredible as it sounds, the end of November is already here. Another month has passed and yet another Daring Bakers’ challenge has been made. Now it's time to let the whole world admire our creations...

The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of "Briciole" who chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make "Pasta Frolla" for a "Crostata". She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s "Science In The Kitchen And The Art Of Eating Well".

When I learnt that we were going to make a "Crostata", an Italian baked dessert tart, and that we were free to fill it in whichever way we wanted I was really excited and was looking froward to play the wizard in the kitchen. After some thinking and research, I came up with a marvelous idea. I was going to bake an "Engadiner Crostata", a tart lined with "Pasta Frolla" (sweet Italian shortcrust pastry) and garnished with a caramelized walnut filling that is generally used when preparing the traditional "Engadiner Nusstorte".

"Engadiner Nusstorte" (also called "Bündner Nusstorte") is a Swiss walnut and toffee pie from Engadin in Graubünden with a two-piece sweet crust (a little similar to the American "Pecan Pie"). It is my very favorite dish from my childhood and it's still something I cannot think about without drooling uncontrollably or eating without reaching the seventh sky. As far as I can remember I have always cherished that divine speciality.

My adulation for this mouthwatering pastry can be traced back to my early years (between age 4-10). When I was a kid, although I was more used to go out for 35kms hikes in the Jura mountains during the weekend, my parents also liked taking peaceful walks around Geneva and it's surroundings (lakeside, botanical garden & Pregny Chambésy). On such occasions we stopped at the Château De Pentes restaurant which is situated in a big park with an old manor house - originally a 14th century fortified mansion. The place is idyllic as it has a plunging view over Lake Geneva and one can see the French Alps as well as the Mont Blanc when the weather is stunning - no wonder romantics such as Mary Shelly or Lord Byron liked that place. There we had a drink and enjoyed a rewarding sugary treat. Along with my hot Ovomaltine I never failed to order a slice of the most luscious "Engadiner Nusstorte". Eating it felt like paradize and nothing could have made me more happy. It was probably one of my very first and most unforgettable foodie memories ever.

Unfortunately, as I grew up that habit faded away and then we stopped going there for Saturday teatime. As all good things have an end, that meant no more homemade "Engadiner Nusstorte" for me. Of course I could still buy it from our local Migros supermarket, but as much as it was enjoyable there was no way it was comparable to the one of my youth. And even if my mother cooked and baked a lot that is one tart she has never made. So, I had to wait until I met my "Bündner" (from canton Graubünden in Swiss Germany) boyfriend to finally have access to the authentic goodie again...

I may be quite an audacious baker and cook, yet until today I have never trusted myself to tackle that confection as I had the impression that the filling was kind of tricky to prepare. As usual, I was terribly wrong and underestimated my skills. It was extremely painless to make and totally straightforward (at the condition that you feel comfortable while working with caramel). It's texture and flavor was a complete success as I didn't fail to recreate the "real thing". It was just as it should be, no more no less.

Putting together the pastry was plain simple and not fussy at all, but the act of rolling it was shear displeasure and an absolute calamity. No matter how cold it was or how much I had floured the parchment paper the goddamn pastry inevitably HAD to stick to it and behave in a very uncooperative manner. Darn I hate making "Pasta Frolla" for that reason! Anyway, I was able to place it in the pan and make it look presentable. It did get slightly torn in the process but I repaired the damage done while unsticking it from the baking sheet and then everything was ok.

My "Engadiner Crostata" ended up looking flawlessly beautiful and made me feel very proud of myself. The buttery and flaky sweet shortcrust pastry combines perfectly together with the strongly caramelly, delightfully walnutty and moreish filling. That pairing is so scrumptious and sinfully good that it'll make you grow devil horns!

~Engadiner Crostata ~

Preparation time:
The following times are approximate, as the time depends on your dexterity to cut the butter and work the dough (which should not be overworked) and your familiarity with the rolling pin.

. Preparing pasta frolla with a food processor takes 10-15 minutes
. Allow the pasta frolla to chill thoroughly - two hours minimum
. Making crostata with pastry cream requires the time to make the filling

Equipment required:
. Bowls, as needed
. Fork
. Knife
. Bench (or pastry) scraper
. Rolling pin
. Pastry brush
. 9 or 9.5-inch (23-24 cm) fluted round tart pan with removable bottom, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) high. (Note: If you don't have a tart pan with a removable bottom, don’t worry! You can make crostata using a 9-inch cake pan or even a 9-inch pie plate.).

PASTA FROLLA

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup minus
1 tablespoon (105ml, 100g, 3 ½ oz) Superfine sugar (see Note 1) or a scant 3/4 Cup (180ml, 90g, 3 oz) of Powdered sugar
1 and 3/4 Cup (420ml, 235g, 8 1/4 oz) Unbleached all-purpose flour
A Pinch of salt
1 Stick (8 tablespoons/4 oz./115g) Cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 Tsp Pure vanilla paste
1 Large egg + 1 Large egg yolk, lightly beaten in a small bowl

Method For The "Dough":
1. Put sugar, flour, salt, and lemon zest in the food processor and pulse a few times to mix.
2. Add butter and pulse a few times, until the mixture has the consistency of coarse meal.
3. Empty food processor's bowl onto your work surface.
4. Make a well in the center of the mounded flour and butter mixture and pour the beaten eggs into it (reserve about a teaspoon of the egg mixture for glazing purposes later on – place in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use).
5. Use a fork to incorporate the liquid into the solid ingredients, and then use your fingertips.
6. Knead lightly just until the dough comes together into a ball.
7. Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours (You can refrigerate the dough overnight).

WALNUT FILLING

Ingredients:
250g Castor sugar
330ml Double cream
4 Tbs Honey
300g Shelled walnuts, chopped coarsely
A pinch salt

Method:
1. In a clean pan, add the sugar and heat it. When the sugar is starting to melt stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon. When all sugar crystals have melted and the liquid is a medium-dark amber color, then your caramel is ready.
2. Add the nuts and honey, stir and incorporate the cream.
3. Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes (5-8 minutes) and remove from the heat.
4. Let cool the filling.

PUTTING THE TART TOGETHER

Method:
1. Heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC/gas mark 4).
2. Take the pasta frolla out of the fridge, unwrap it and cut away 1/4 of the dough. Reserve this dough to make the lattice top of the crostata. Refrigerate this dough while you work on the tart base.
3. To help roll the crostata dough, keep the dough on top of the plastic wrap that you had it wrapped in. This can help rolling the dough and can also help when transferring the dough to your pan. You can also use parchment paper for this. However, you can also roll the dough directly on a work surface if you prefer. Lightly dust the top of the dough and your work surface (if you’re rolling directly on a work surface) with flour. Keep some flour handy to dust the dough as you go alon g. If the dough is very firm, start by pressing the dough with the rolling pin from the middle to each end, moving the rolling pin by a pin's width each time; turn the dough 180 degrees and repeat; when it softens, start rolling. Roll the dough into a circle about 1/8th inch (3 mm) thick.

4. If you used the plastic wrap or parchment paper as rolling surface, flip dough over the pan, centering it, and delicately press it all around so the corners are well covered. Peel away the plastic wrap. Trim the excess dough hanging over the edges of the pan. Press the remaining dough around the border into the sides of the pan making sure the border is an even thickness all the way around.

5. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork in several places. Take out of the fridge the reserved pasta frolla you had cut away earlier. Roll it with your pin and cut into strips or use cookie cutters to make small shapes (this is not traditional, but it looks cute); or roll with your hands into ropes.
6. Cover the bottom of the crostata crust evenly with the walnut filling.
7. Use the prepared strips or rolls of dough to make a lattice over the surface, or decorate with the cut shapes.
8. Brush the border and strips of dough with the reserved beaten eggs. You can add a drop or two of water to the beaten eggs if you don’t have enough liquid.
9. Put the tart in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 35 minutes, check the tart, and continue baking until the pastry is of a nice golden hue and the filling looks set. (Note: Every oven is different).
10. When done, remove the tart from the oven and let cool. If you have used a tart pan with a removable bottom, then release the tart base from the fluted tart ring. Make sure the tart is completely cool before slicing and serving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Etant donné que la recette est un peu longue, je n'ai malheureusement pas pu faire une traduction française de ce billet et je m'en excuse auprès de tous mes amis lecteurs et blogueurs francophones!

C'est pourquoi je vous suggère de vous rendre sur le blog mentionné ci-desso us. Vous y trouverez cette recette en version française.

Vous trouverez la recette pour la "Garniture Aux Noix" ici (sans oublier d'utiliser 250g de sucre cristallisé, 300g de noix, 330ml de Crème double, 4 CS de miel liquide et une pincée de sel).

Recette pour la "Pasta Frolla" sur les deux blogs canadiens suivants:
Chez Isa de "Les Gourmandises d'Isa" (Canada)
Chez Vibi de "La Casserole Carrée" (Canada)

0 WALNUT BREAD - PAIN AUX NOIX

I definitely love making bread. There is something so therapeutic as well as rewarding about it. Not only does it help you release all tensions, get relaxed, brings you joy and happiness, but it also give you the impression of being more alive and anchored in you body. The dough feels so organic as well as real that it puts you feet back on the ground and helps you center yourself. It is a kind of meditation or yoga. And the smell and taste of homebaked bread is so soul-uplifting. A real key to inner harmony...

"All sorrows are less with bread."
Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote

Although I cannot imagine living without eating this marvelous staple I nonetheless try to limit my bread consumption (too much starchy food is not good for the health). During the week I rarely eat bread, but when the weekend comes, then you can be sure there there'll be a bread orgy at my place! I always make sure to have fresh bread on the Sunday brunch table and on Fridays or Saturdays we generally eat pizza, gourmet sandwiches, hamburgers or bread and cheese or something of this kind.

Two weeks ago I bought tons of cheese (Tommes du Vigneron, Cantal, Fourme d'Ambert, Chabichou du Poitou, Petit Livarot, Camembert & Cancaillotte) in neighboring France (Ferney-Voltaire). As my favorite way of serving cheese is the traditional Swiss/French way (with bread) and those cheeses deserved to be eaten with a more refined kind of bread, I decided upon making "Walnut Bread". No other nut than the walnut pairs up as perfectly with cheeses that have character.

I chose to adapt one of Beth Hensperger's recipes (California Walnut Bread, page 150) from her great and very useful bread book "The Bread Bible: Beth's 300 Favorite Recipes". That recipe is really interesting as walnut oil is added to the dough, for extra flavor. The original recipe calls for using only unbleached all-purpose flour. As I wanted my bread to be a little healthier and have more flavor I replaced part of the white flour by a little rye and whole wheat flour. This resulted in lovely loaves full of aroma.

That delightful "Walnut Bread" was the perfect accompaniment to my extra "stinky" cheeses. As the dough contains milk and oil it's texture was just like that of toast bread; smooth, soft and fluffy. Taste-wise we were not at all deceived. My bread had lots of oomph and was so fragrant. This "Walnut Bread" is highly satisfying with it's multi-dimensional gusto and exhaliratingly nutty savor. Terrific!

~ Walnut Bread ~
Recipe adapted from Beth Hensperger's "The Bread Bible".

Makes two 20 x 10cm (8 x 4 inches) loaves or two round loaves or two batards or about 20 dinner rolls.

Ingredients for the "Sponge":
2 Tbs Active dry yeast
1/4 Cup (60ml) Warm water (no hotter than 46° C/115° F)
2 Cups (255g) Unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
3 Tbs Runny honey or light brown sugar
2 Cups (480ml) Milk, at room temperature
Ingredients for the "Dough":
1 1/2 Cups (190g) Walnuts
1/2 Cup (105ml) Walnut oil
1 Tbs Sea salt
1 1/4 Cups (160g) Whole wheat Flour
3/4 Cup (100g) Rye flour
1 Cup (128g) Unbleached all-purpose or bread flour

Méthod for the "Sponge":
1. In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer (using the paddle attachment), whisk together the yeast, water, flour, honey or sugar and milk. Beat hard until smooth and creamy. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a towel and let rest in a warm spot (room temperature) for about 1 hour, or until bubbly.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F). Spread the walnuts evenly on a baking sheet and roast them until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Let the walnuts cool and then chop them coarsely.
3. Add the oil, salt and 1 Cup (128g) of the flour to the sponge. Start mixing (using the hook attachment). Add the walnuts and the remaining flour 1/2 cup (60g) at a time until a soft shaggy dough is formed (it should clear the sides of the bowl).
4. Machine knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until the dough is moist, smooth, springy and passes the window-pane test. Add a little flour (1 Tbs)during the process if it's too sticky.
5. Transfer the dough to a greased deep container/bowl and turn once to coat the top. Cover with plastic wrap or a humid towel. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
6. Gently turn the dough out onto the work surface and divide into 2 equal portions (or in 20 portions). Shape into round, batard or standard loaves (or shape into 20 little rolls). Place on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet or in greased loaf pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a humid towel. Let rise at room temperature until double in size, about 45 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 190° C (375° F) twenty minutes before baking.
8. Bake the loaves on the centre rack of the preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Let cool on a rack.

Remarks:
You can replace the walnuts by any other nut of your choice. In that case use an oil in relation to the nuts you've chosen (hazelnuts = hazelnut oil).
If you want to make a white bread version, then replace the rye and whole wheat by unbleached all-purpose flour.
This bread can also be made without using a mixer. Use a sturdy wooden spoon instead and knead by hand.

Serving suggestions:
Eat this bread with cheese or make sandwiches (Pastrami, Mortadella, chicken salad, etc...) with it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Pain Aux Noix ~
Recette adaptée de Beth Hensperger "The Bread Bible".

Pour 2 pains rectangulaires de 20 x 10cm ou 2 pains ronds ou 2 bâtards ou 20 petits pains.

Ingrédients pour le "Poolish":
2 CS de Levure sèche
60ml d'Eau tiède (pas au dessus de 46° C)
255g de Farine blanche
3 CS de Miel liquide ou de sucre brun
480ml de Lait entier, à température ambiante
Ingrédients pour la "Pâte":
185g de Noix de Grenoble
105ml d'Huile de noix
1 Cs de Sel de mer
160g de Farine complète
100g de Farine de seigle
128g de Farine blanche

Méthode pour le "Poolish":
1. Dans le bol d'un mixer/batteur (utiliser le batteur plat), battre ensemble la levure, l'eau, la farine, le miel ou le sucre et le lait afin d'obtenir une mélange visqueux, crémeux et homogène. Couvrir avec du film plastique ou un linge humide (sans les alisser toucher le mélange) et faire lever à température ambiante pendant 1 heure ou jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit mousseux.
2. Pendant ce temps, préchauffer le four à 180° C. Mettre les noix sure une plaque recouverte de papier sulfurisé et les faire griller pendant environ 8 minutes. Faire refroidir les noix et les hacher grossièrement.
3. Ajouter l'huile, le sel et 128g de farine au poolish. Avec le batteur (+ crochet), commencer à pétrir. Ajouter les noix et la farine restante par petites quantités (60g à la fois) afin d'obtenir une pâte molle qui ne colle pas aux bords du bol.
4. Pétrir au batteur pendant 5 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que la pâte soit humide, douce et, élastique.

5. Transférer la pâte dans un bol huilé et faire tourner la pâte afin que l'huile la recouvre. Couvrir avec un film plastique ou un linge hunide. Faire lever à température ambiante pendant environ 1 1/2 à 2 heures ou jusqu'à ce que le pain ait doublé de volume.
6. Mettre la pâte sur le plan de travail et la diviser en deux parts égales (ou en 20 portions). Former en un pain ronds, bâtards ou en pains rectangtulaires (ou faire 20 petites boules rondes). Recouvrir la plaque avec du papier sulfurisé et placer les pains sur la plaque. Couvrir avec du film plastique ou un linge humide. Laisser lever à température ambiante jusqu'à ce que les pains aient doublé de volume, pendant environ 45 minutes.
7. Préchauffer le four à 190° C au moins 20 minutes avant d'enfourner les pains.
8. Cuire les pains au centre du four pendant 35 à 40 minutes, ou jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient dorés et sonnent creux. Laisser refroidir complètement sur une grille.

Remarques:
Vous pouvez remplacer les noix de Grenoble par les noix de votre choix. Dans ce cas vous devez utiliser une huile fabriquée avec les même noix que vous avez utilisé (par ex. noisettes = huile de noisette).
Si vous voulez confectionner un pain complètement blanc, alors remplacez la farine de seigle et la farine complète par la même quantité de farine blanche.
Ce pain peut aussi être confectionné sans l'aide d'un mixer. Il vous faudra utiliser une cuillère en bois bien solide et pétrir la pâte à la main.

Idées de présentation:
Ce pain est délicieux avec du bon fromage ou lorsqu'il est utilisé pour faire des sandwiches (pastrami, mortadelle, salade de poulet, etc...).

0 OATMEAL COCONUT COOKIES

According to the reactions I get at home or from friends when I bake "Oatmeal Cookies", I have come to the conclusion that it is one of the most appreciated cookies alongside the famous "Chocolate Chip Cookies"...

Cookbooks devoted to cookies mostly offer more than one recipe and on the net, it's popularity is never fading. Regularly, while surfing from one blog to another, I always see that treat under the spotlight. Foodies blog about "Oatmeal Cookies" again and again.

I generally bake "Oatmeal Cookies" when I want a healthier fuss-free treat to nibble on in front of a series or to offer to friends who care about their diet (or not). It is the ideal treat for people of all ages. Those cookies are seriously addictive as they seem to act like crack on everybody who takes a bite from them. Ask my friend Corinnne. Her son went through the whole packet I gave her in less than 24 hours LOL!

While flipping through "The Good Cookie" coobook, looking for a cookie that I could give to my friend Corinne, Tish Boyle's "Oatmeal Coconut Cookies" (in the book "Oatmeal Raisin Cookies", p66) recipe caught my eye. That combination of rolled oats, dried fruits (in her recipe raisins, my version contains dried cranberries), nuts (in her recipe pecans, my version contains walnuts) and cinnamon (I added nutmeg and cloves) really seemed perfect. I had to test them.

My slighty boosted version worked out well and those "Oatmeal Coconut Cookies" tasted even better than I had imagined. How can one resist a cookie which is sweet, fruity, nutty, chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside? My guess is, NOBODY!

Do try those "Oatmeal Coconut Cookies" at home and spread them around you. You'll see, your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors will come running for more and will love you for that. I guarantee that you'll your get new fans and make new friends thanks to them...

~ Oatmeal Coconut Cranberry Walnut Cookies ~
Recipe from Tish Boyle's "The Good Cookie" and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Makes 66 cookies.

Ingredients:
2 1/3 Cups All purpose flour
2 Tsp Baking powder
1 1/2 Tsp Baking soda
1 Tsp Ground cinnamon
1/5 Tsp Ground cloves
A pinch Ground nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Sea salt
3 1/2 Cups Quick cooking rolled oats
8 oz (2 sticks/1 cup) Unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 Cups Light brown sugar
1/3 Cup Granulated sugar
2 Large eggs
2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1 Cup Grated coconut, unsweetened
1 Cup Walnuts, roasted & chopped coarsely
1 Cup Dried craberries, chopped coarsely

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 190° C (375° F). Grease or line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Stir in oatmeal. Set the dry ingredients aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed, cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
5. On low speed, add flour-oatmeal mixture and mix until just blended. Add coconut, walnuts as well as cranberries and mix until just combined.
6. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto your prepared cookies sheets, spacing them about 2 inches (4cm) apart. Flatten the mounds of dough slightly.
7. Bake until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes.
8. Cool cookies on sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Remarks:
You can replace the walnuts by any other nut (as long as you roast them) and you can replace the unsweetened grated coconut by sweetened coconut flakes (original recipe).
If you don't want to use cranberries, then use raisins instead.

Serving suggestion:
Serve those cookies together with a good cup of tea, coffee or a glass of ice cold milk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Cookies A l'avoine, A La Noix De Coco, Aux Cranberries & Noix ~
Recette tirée du livre "The Good Cookie" de Tish Boyle et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Pour 66 cookies.

Ingrédients:
300g de Farine blanche
2 CC de Poudre à lever/cake
1 1/2 CC de Bicarbonate de soude
1 CC de Cannelle en poudre
1/5 CC de Clous de girofle en poudre
1 pincée de noix de muscade moulue
1/2 CC de Sel de mer
335g de Flocons d'avoine
240g de Beurre non-salé, ramolli et à température ambiante
360g de Sucre brun clair
70g de Sucre cristallisé
2 Gros oeufs
2 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
120 de Noix de coco râpée
113g de Noix de Grenoble, torréfiées et grossièrement hachées
120g Cranberries séchées et hachée grossièrement

Méthode:
1. Préchauffer le four à 190° C. Recouvrir votre plaque avec du papier sulfurisé.
2. Tamiser la farine avec la poudre à lever, la bicarbonate de soude, les épices et le sel. Ajouter l'avoine et mélanger. Mettre de côté.
3. Dans le bol de votre batteur, à vitesse moyenne, battre le beurre en pommade (pendant 2 - 3 minutes) avec les sucres jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit mousseux et clair.
4. Ajouter les oeufs, un à un, tout en mélangeant bien après chaque ajout. Incorporer l'extrait de vanille.
5. A vitesse basse, ajouter le mélange farine/avoine et mélanger (pas trop) jusqu'à ce qu'il soit juste incorporé. Ajouter la noix de coco, les noix et les cranberries et incorporer rapidement.
6. Former des petits tas avec une cuillière à soupe et les déposer sur la plaque en laissant un espace de 4cm entre chaque tas. Applatir les cookies légèrement.
7. Cuire les cookies pendant 12-14 minutes, jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient dorés.
8. Laisser les cookies sur la plaque pendant les 5 minutes qui suivent leur sortie du four, puis les faire refroidir sur une grille.

Remaques:
Vous pouvez remplacer les noix de Grenoble par n'importe quelle autre noix (ne pas oublier de les faire torréfier) et vous pouvez remplacer la noix de coco râpée non-sucrée par de la noix de coco sucrée, en flocons (voir supermarchés américains).
Si vous ne désirez pas utiliser des cranberries, alors prenez des raisins.

Idée de présentation:
Servez ces biscuits avec du thé, du café ou un verre de lait bien froid.