Good morning, friends. Valerie Bowers opened the comment stream for today when she wrote of consulting Alton Brown for a recipe source. She explained, “He never lets me down.” And so today the rest of us invite you to tell us who your “never-lets-me-down” source is for cooking. When you need a recipe you usually know that their version will do the trick. Maybe it’s your grandmother, your son, a blogger or author or friend. Tell us who, tell us why, and then give us ONE recipe as evidence. That is just what Ms. Bowers did below with her favorite gluten-free chocolate cookies.
PIE BY REQUEST
I opened the computer this morning to generous helpings of Bavarian Cheese Pie – unfortunately, not to eat but merely to print. Answers to this request were dusted with some local nostalgia, particularly for Helen Exum’s cookbook from which this recipe came. The cookbook noted that this is Kathleen Brock Stott’s version of the Read House favorite.
Thanks to all of you: Laura Glassell, Jane Raglin, Charlie Coulter, Bill Scoville, Jane Sharp, Margaret McNeil, Anne Exum, Suzanne Burnett, Katie A. Lamb and anonymous from the 37813 ZIP code.
Bavarian Cheese Pie
2 envelopes clear gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2 beaten egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweet milk (whole milk)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 carton (8 ounces) cottage cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 egg whites
1/2 pint whipping cream
Cooked pastry shell
Buttered graham cracker crumbs
Soften gelatin in cold water. Combine egg yolks, sugar, milk and salt, and cook in double boiler until slightly thickened. Add gelatin. Chill until thick but not set. Add cottage cheese, which has been sieved smooth and flavored with vanilla extract, lemon rind and lemon juice. Last, fold in egg whites, which have been sweetened to taste, and cream, which has been whipped but not sweetened. Pour into tender cooked pastry shell. Sprinkle buttered graham cracker crumbs on top for a garnish.
SHAREABLE SHORTCAKES
Summer berry shortcakes: Can you think of a finer dessert for July? Barbara Mann reported, “I have always made plain Bisquick shortcakes for summer berries with lots of juice and fresh whipped cream. I have recently found this shortcake recipe that is delicious but not for the faint of heart. Thought I would share.”
Summer Berry Shortcake
Zest of 1 lemon – zested fine
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 teaspoon
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place a sheet of parchment paper on baking sheet. Place zest and 1/4 cup sugar in bowl. Combine. Add dry ingredients, and combine. Add butter, and rub into dry ingredients with fingers. Drizzle in cream. Mix together with fork or fingers. Divide into 8 mounds. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon sugar. Bake until golden on bottom.
FAMILY FAVORITE
Suzanne McWhirter of McMinnville, Tennessee, answered the request for chicken thighs. “This recipe is a family favorite. The recipe can be done with as few as four thighs, and I’ve made it with a dozen.” She uses boneless meat.
Parmesan Chicken Thighs
Mayonnaise
Grated Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Mix equal amounts of mayo and Parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl. Put breadcrumbs into a second bowl.
Dip each chicken thigh in the mayo mixture until completely thickly coated, then dredge in the breadcrumbs.
Place the thighs in a glass casserole dish; use any leftover mayo mix and bread crumbs to patch places that aren’t thickly coated. Bake for approximately 45 minutes at 350 degrees until the coating is starting to brown. It may take a bit longer the more thighs you bake.
GLUTEN-FREE COOKIES
Here’s how Valerie Bowers identified her cookie source. “This was the first good recipe I found for gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. Alton Brown never lets me down.” Studying her recipe brings me to this other important question, “What is xanthan gum anyway, and why is that mere teaspoon important? Might the risk takers among us leave it out?”
Alton Brown’s Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.
In separate bowl, combine brown rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, salt and baking soda.
In mixing bowl, pour melted butter over brown sugar and sugar. Mix together until creamed.
Add egg and egg yolk, milk and vanilla, and mix until incorporated.
Slowly add flour, and mix until combined. Add chocolate chips, and stir until combined.
Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop dough into 1-inch balls. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven, let cool on the pans for a couple minutes. Remove from the pan to finish cooling.
Linda Brown uses almond butter in her gluten-free cookies, and no flour at all.
Gluten-Free Five- Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup smooth almond butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together almond butter, chocolate chips, brown sugar, eggs and salt until a dough forms. Put 1 tablespoon-size mounds on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until tops are set, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and cool completely. May be stored in a container up to 3 days.
RECOMMENDED
And speaking finally of cookies, here is grandmotherly praise for a recently printed snickerdoodle recipe; its sources were Will Parker and Maya Bhutwala. Anne Exum wrote, “Nine-year-old Harper and I made Maya’s Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles and love them.” If you missed this recipe, you can find it on the web in Fare Exchange June 10.
JUST A DASH
Roger Rector has a simple idea with the irresistible base of a homemade biscuit. “For a snack with just about any beverage or even a dessert, try a fresh hot biscuit or a slice of lightly toasted sourdough bread with a generous coat of honey butter.” Now there’s an idea, R.R. Sourdough bread might be equally as delightful.
Next week? Let’s.
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