Showing posts with label yili. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yili. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

DIY Biscotti.

WRITTEN and EATEN by Yili Wang

If you love coffee or nuts, you will love these biscottis. This recipe is adapted from Giada’s Holiday Biscotti recipe.
I like to credit myself for taking these biscottis to the next level though. I add an insane amount of nuts, including walnuts, almonds, pecans, brazil nuts (whatever you prefer) in addition to the REQUIRED pistachios and dried cranberries. The lemon zest gives these biscottis an extra kick and really balances out the buttery taste because I’m not a big fan of the latter. I have made them with the chocolate dip but prefer them without. I also bake them for a slightly shorter period of time, just a bit harder than a typical cookie. This way, I can enjoy them without the usual java dunk. Be warned that you should cut them while warm and the more nuts you include the more difficult it is to cut without the pieces crumbling on you. But really, that means the more pieces to snack on. They also make impressive gifts as they look gorgeous.

Holiday Biscotti

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped
  • 2/3 cup dried cranberries
  • 12 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped
  • Red and green sugar crystals, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries.

Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.

Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.

Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Dip half of the biscotti into the melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the biscotti on the baking sheet for the chocolate to set. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes.

The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.


Yili Wang is a Guest Star/ Guest Writer for Good Food Toronto. She is a Dental student from UBC who grew up and lived in Toronto before moving to Vancouver. Her love of food goes beyond eating good food as she spends lots of free time learning and improving her culinary skills.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

DIY Apple Coffee Cake.

WRITTEN and EATEN by Yili Wang

Dieters beware! Do not read the following. No matter how much you convince yourself that you are making these “for friends”, honourable attempts to resist these amazing treats are futile. The smell of the apple coffee cake is enough to win over the most hard-core dieters and self proclaimed dessert haters. That is if you are not a mutant who does not enjoy the devilish combination of cinnamon (FYI, excellent for those suffering from an overgrowth of yeast in the intest
ines), butter, brown sugar and apples.
I was first introduced to this cake when my classmate’s wife made it for our potluck Friday PBL breakfast sessions. I immediately asked for the recipe and was delighted to discover that it was a simple Emeril Lagasse recipe. I mean if the dessert is going to be a hassle to make, meaning complex pastry chef level techniques, time consuming, too many dishes to clean afterward or simply obscure costly ingredients that I will never use again, I might as well buy it. FYI, Dufflet company offers excellent desserts.

I did make some slight changes to the original recipe.
  • 1. I added more apples and Granny Smith apples work the best.
  • 2. I only used 1 cup of brown sugar instead of 1.5 cups.
  • 3. I did not include the caramel sauce.
  • 4. I added tons of coarsely chopped walnuts and pecans both in the batter and topping.
Again, see what you like and adjust the recipe to your taste buds. You cannot go wrong. The biggest mistake is not making this cake.

Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumble Topping:

  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons water
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter.

In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.

To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.


Yili Wang is a Guest Star/ Guest Writer for Good Food Toronto. She is a Dental student from UBC who grew up and lived in Toronto before moving to Vancouver. Her love of food goes beyond eating good food as she spends lots of free time learning and improving her culinary skills.