Caramelized Onion Tart

I must admit, right off the bat, that I do not like onions. As a kid, like most kids, I did not like vegetables. I was more or less OK with the green or colorful ones, but I detested the pungent ones, like garlic, scallions, ginger, and especially onions. My mom confessed that she tried to get me to eat onions by chopping them up finely and mixing them into my food. But she stopped doing that when she realized I fastidiously pick them out anyway. Then she chopped them up in large chunks so that I could pick them out easily. Oh, all the mind games one must engage in with a child!

Times have changed, and I’ve grown to like vegetables, even (especially?) the pungent ones. Except onions. For me, it is the last frontier. I still pick them out of my food (when no one is watching), eat around them (when they are), ask them to be left out (when given the option), or eat them grudgingly (when it can’t be helped). I don’t know why onions have failed to grow on me, and think it’s such a pity that they haven’t. Because they’re so healthy and simply… ubiquitous. But, as we all know, a matter of taste and liking can’t be forced.

So, what to do when an onion-skeptic has to make an onion tart? Make it for others, of course! I know that onions are liked, favored, even savored by many (including the esteemed author of the Pie Bible). And that the onion tart is sort of an elegant French delicacy. So when a friend asked me to make something for a potluck she was attending, I thought this would be the perfect dish to make!

I have to say, though, it was quite a tedious dish, this one! It took me over two hours to chop almost a kilogram of onions paper-thin by hand. Oy! When slow cooked, until all the liquid exuded, then evaporated, the onions shriveled to a quarter of their original volume. Amidst the onion-induced tears, I forgot to take a before picture to this after one.

 Hmmm… With the olives, it sorta looks like a pizza!

A slice saved for me. I hope the potluckers (probably with a more mature, adult palate than mine) enjoyed it! As for me, I’d say it was edible. The tart gave off an intense oniony flavor and aroma, and the texture, with all the crunch mollified, was closer to cooked sprouts. But I don’t seem to like onions, even when the pungency has metamorphosed into caramelized sweetness. Perhaps it was just my prejudice that held me back? But I don’t think I’ll ever find out because I’ll probably never make it again – unless as another favor!

Brownie Puddle

Chocolate is very rich, but also very bitter. You need to add a conscience-troubling amount of sugar to sweeten it up to what we’re used to eating as “chocolate.” Add to that an absolutely jaw-dropping, positively heart-stopping amount of butter. And then some cream cheese. Only a symbolic amount of flour, just sort of as an afterthought. A generous helping of pecans. Poked through and filled with chocolate ganache that oozes out of the sides and bottom.

The result was the chocolatiest thing that I have ever eaten. So rich, it left my mouth raw…

It was my kid’s birthday and she wanted something chocolaty. I like to think of myself as the kind of teacher that remembers birthdays and stuff. Hehe~ But no matter what I do, I don’t think I’ll ever be deemed “cool” in her eyes. (Oh, if ever there was an exercise in futility, it’s seeking the approval of a child.) I made two small tarts with the batter; I just couldn’t hand over the entire hyper-activation glob to a kid. Besides, I believe in eating half as much, instead of using the 50%-version of ingredients (=crap).

I shared the second one with my friends, who said it would be nice to have on one of those days you crave something sweet. (Um, every day? I find that in this land, almost no one has a sweet tooth like mine!) I probably did most of the eating.

I think brownies were one of the things I missed the most when I first moved to Korea all those years ago; perhaps all that yearning was just a desire for some good-ole gut-clogging brownie. The world can’t be so bad if it created the brownie, but it seems like a terrible place if you know it contains brownies and you’re just separated from them… perhaps forever. Ah, what turbulent times they were. It’s good to be older, to have outgrown brownies somewhat, and to know that there’s no such thing as forever. There’s always an again, or at least its possibility. And of course, it’s nice to know that I can make myself a brownie whenever I want now :)

Red Currant Pie & an Afternoon Tea Party

 

A little tea party on a Sunday afternoon, featuring red currant pie, wine ice-cream, wine ganache filled chocolate, strawberry and wine macaroon-turned-whoopie pies, and wine candy. (Yes, I had some wine leftover, and sorta got creative…) And of course, tea! 

 The main attraction: a mini red currant pie.

Doe is checking it out before it goes in the oven:)

Pie amidst pastry flowers…

A wee slice with some red wine ice-cream. The ice-cream was leftover from the previous feast; I think it tastes even better after several days of mellowing in the freezer! The flavor seemed, somehow, less tentative, more confident. A perfect complement to the red currant pie:)

Though I couldn’t really distinguish the wine flavor very well, the wine ganache chocolates were outta this world, and the wine candy was quite good too. (Both are from my favorite site, Sprinklebakes.com.) Imma be making more of those with leftover wine!

The only flop was the macaroons. (Epic fail!) I have to say… macaroons are my nemesis! They never developed any “feet” and deflated into something like whoopie pies:( Believe it or not, these were my second batch (the first batch cracked and/or burned). Both are now inducing feline obesity in my neighborhood... I think I can now produce a reasonably good pie, and I’ll know that I’m really a “good baker” when I can just whip up a perfect batch of macaroons!

Another Feast: Quiche Lorraine, Red Currant-Raspberry Lattice Pie, Red Wine Ice-Cream, and a Surprise!

I’m branching out; I’ve been cooking more meals lately. Things are becoming kind of extravagant. And really *fUn*

***

The Appetizer: Quiche Lorraine

Very simple, very classic.

A scattering of chopped onions, a layer of bacon, another of shredded gruyere (yes, I did end up buying it!). Then filled with an egg-milk-cream custard, and topped with more gruyere.

Perfect!

I’ve never had quiche Lorraine before, but I thought it tasted authentic. Hehe~ 

I think it was all the cheese…

The Surprise Main Course: Poulet Galantine

Yes, I did it. I deboned a chicken! Oh.Yes.I.Did. I was going to do a simple roast, but fate had other plans (perhaps I’m being too dramatic). So, I was all cozied up in bed several nights ago, watching cooking clips on Youtube, when I stumbled upon Jacques Pepin’s brilliant video clip. He debones a chicken in like five minutes (and claims that it shouldn’t take more than a minute or two!). I was totally mesmerized! I literally jumped out of bed; I needed to get me a chicken. There’s a 24 hour supermarket not far away, maybe the buses are still running, I could have a middle-of-the-night snack… Then I stopped myself. Experience has taught me that anything you begin after midnight is NOT A GOOD IDEA and is destined for FAILURE. Groggy eyes make for upset pies (literally).

I had to wait a couple of days to get my hands on a chicken, and it took me the better part of an hour to debone it. Not nearly as easy as M. Pepin made it seem… But there was not a bone left in that chicken, not even any cartilage. Ha! And the process has cured me of any squeamishness I had about touching raw meat.

Deboned and stuffed.

 Trussed and herb-buttered.

Roasted and eaten!

(Triumphant grin:)

The Dessert: Red Currant-Raspberry Lattice Pie with Red Wine Ice-Cream

Raspberries and red currants – what a gorgeous combo!

 A lattice top, so the beautiful bright red can peek through.

 With a scoop of red wine ice-cream.

The wine ice-cream was very… interesting. It sort of made you think (what am I eating??), and was just appropriately boozy. What a nice way to wind down a scrumptious meal!

(Satisfied tummy-pat :D)

Danish Pastry: Envelopes, Twists, Balloons, and Triangles

And now for something a little more challenging: Danish pastry.

Danish pastries are said to be of the best in the world, and I think we’ve all had approximations of them at one time or another. I recognize their shapes, but I always ate them without realizing what they were. I’m learning things retrospectively (oh, so that’s what that was… and it’s a thing, with its own name!) as I bake my way through this challenge. Ah, just one of the minor benefits of the project.

(Pictured: four twists, three triangles, and one envelope. If you can’t tell which is which… you have a counting problem :P)

The dough required the use of active dry yeast. I think yeast always frightens people; it seems like serious business. Like this is real baking. I was oh-so-worried that those little mico-organisms wouldn’t do their job. After all, you can’t see them. Will they work? Will they not work? And how can you tell? (The worries were unfounded; the dough rose beautifully – by any standard.)

A whole bar (rather small, though) of French butter, pounded thin, is placed in the middle of the dough. French butter is supposedly more buttery (= higher fat content) than other butters. Only the best for the best of pastries!

 All nicely wrapped up and headed for the fridge.

 Outta the fridge and rolled out long.

And folded into thirds. This process, including refrigeration, is repeated three times. That is how you get the gorgeous butter layering in the pastry!

The filling included store-bought passion-pomme jam, the last of my apricot jam, and remonce (sweet almondy paste).

[Not pictured]

There comes a time during my baking operations, especially when I’m trying out a new branch of pastry for the first time, when I question what I’m doing – and why. You can’t really tell from the finished product how semi-disastrous they were in the middle; things go poorly, everything’s hectic and helter-skelter, and I’m tired and just want to crawl back into bed.

The moment with the Danishes was when the envelopes and triangles opened up during the proofing process. Uhg! I’d worked so hard, but it seemed like I was going to end up with little sprawling pizzas instead of dainty pastries! And I couldn’t let that happen. So I cut up some toothpicks, stuck them on the corners of the pastry squares, and tied them together with string. A very make-shift remedy, I know. And they looked unpleasant, like a pimpled teenager with braces. But it worked! The pastries came out shaped, more or less, like they were supposed to. Then I just removed the toothpicks, et voila! Another save!

I think this obsession very well may be a sickness.

Envelopes and triangles, straight outta the oven. They were sooo good! Like, “where have you been all my life?”good. They were crispy on the outside with a light spongy, buttery layering on the inside, accentuated by the subtle sweetness of the remonce and gooey filling. Worthy of their renown! They were so good, and seemed so harmless, I just kept eating… My friend and I ate five –– each. In the aftermath of sugar and butter overdose, we both sorta regretted not restraining ourselves.

 The balloons came out as buns. Teehee. Those couldn’t be saved.

There were only two left over, and as I munched on them the next morning, I realized why my baked goodies are oftentimes so much better than the store-bought variety. Because, less than 24 hours later, they tasted just as stale and flat as any thoughtlessly mass-produced (near-non-)food. And even some of the stuff at bakeries are probably a day or two old… Freshness is paramount when it comes to food. Especially baked goods. And especially-especially pastry. I don’t think I’ll ever eat from a box again! 

Great Pumpkin Pie & Spicy Cheese Gougeres

Pumpkin pie: it’s time for an authentic autumn treat!

This called for a classic pie crust, packed with a thin layer of gingersnap-pecan crumbs (they’ll soak up the moisture and keep the crust perfectly crispy).

Pureed pumpkin, sugar, and spices, just awaiting the addition of some eggs, milk, and cream.

I bought one of those tiny Korean pumpkins at the supermarket and cooked it at a very low simmer for about an hour. I found them to be just the perfect amount for one pie. It’s a little more work than buying puree in a can, but totally worth the effort! The pumpkin was lustrous orange, rich, and flavorful (can’t get that in a can!), and you could really taste the freshness in the pie :)

Then, a mini-disaster.

The crust protector left a very noticeable ring around the edge, and, as if that wasn’t enough, I messed it up even more while taking it off. I literally groaned. Probably very audibly. My neighbors must think I’m strange.

What could I do but cover up the booboo with pastry leaves and pumpkin seed flowers?

It was a good save ;)  Perhaps if I hadn’t mentioned it, nobody would’ve known.

With a dollop of whipped mascarpone and cream and a piece of candied ginger – now that’s pure autumn sweetness!

*****

And the gougeres.

This was actually inspired by Beth Le Manach of KIN Community (= my new favorite Youtube channel). She put together a Fall French Menu and included gougeres as appetizers. Upon watching the video, I just had to make them.

Gougeres are basically cream puff pastry, minus the sweetness and cream, plus the savory and flavor. Not surprisingly, there was a recipe for gougeres in the Pie Bible, too. I debated whether to make Beth’s recipe or the Bible’s (yes, another supermarket debate), but decided to go with the latter because the ingredients were more affordable (i.e., gruyere vs. cheddar). This recipe called for sharp cheddar cheese, ham (I used bacon), and a dash of cayenne pepper. Erm, I guess it was an American interpretation of the French delicacy…

They look like boulders to Doe!

The pie and gougeres served as dessert and appetizers for a potluck dinner (girls’ night in)! We had yummy mussels in white wine, Italy-inspired salad, baguette and chips, about five different types of drinks… It also included friendly faces I hadn’t seen in years, a surprise engagement shower, a lot of catching up and a little bit of gossip, and a Woody Allen movie. Talk about a good time :)

The gougeres were good, too. Too bad I remembered the homemade crème fraiche only after most of them had been eaten! 

(Half Post: Tiramisu and Cappuccino Chocolate Cups)

I know this is a blog about baking my way through the Pie Bible, but pies aren’t the only thing I make. I occasionally venture into other desserts, and even do some actual cooking once in awhile, though I usually keep those pictures in a separate file, just for me. But these chocolate cups were too cute to keep to myself. Thus, the not-officially-a-part-of-the-project-and-quite-paranthetical-but-still-worthy-of-sharing half-post!

Some of my friends have told me that they come to my blog to drool. Awww, shucks, that’s so sweet! Thanks guys:) But if I may make a confession, I have a site like that too: Sprinklebakes.com! I stumbled upon the site while browsing through cooking clips on youtube, and I literally stood the night up going through the entire blog. I was just so blown away by Ms. Sprinkle’s dessert (what can only be called) creations. I now regularly (= obsessively) check for updates (= opportunities to drool). Sadly, many of her “pieces” require unobtainable/expensive ingredients/equipment, and I already have a pretty demanding project going on right here. However, I was able to combine several different ideas of Ms. Sprinkle’s and sort of fit them into my own agenda…

I decided to make tiramisu chocolate cups! First, the chocolate cups. A very simple idea, really, where you dip small water balloons into melted chocolate. But everything, from blowing them up to wiping them down and dipping them neatly, was a challenge. And let me tell you, a couple of them burst and splattered chocolate all over my desk, books, wall, and who knows what else (I am apt to find stickiness in random places around my room now). I was up until the wee hours that night. Oy!

Homemade ladyfingers, dipped in (probably) the best coffee in Seoul, resting on the zabaglione + pastry cream + mascarpone + whipped cream filling. This is starting to look more promising.

Covered with more filling, dusted with some cocoa powder, swirled with a dab of cream, and finally, topped off with coffee “caviar.” The caviar, I would have to say, is a true manifestation of Ms. Sprinkle’s genius! I could not not make them once I saw the video. A certain friend, upon seeing the caviar, said I have finally crossed the line from normal obsessive to clean crazy. To that, I say -- it was totally worth it!

Et voila!

This rounded off an “Italian” dinner of chicken Marsala on spinach fettuccine. Really, it was all an elaborate way to use up the Marsala I’d bought a couple of months ago!

*****

But I had a lot of chocolate cups leftover. What could I do but make more dessert? This time, more directly from Ms. Sprinkle’s repertoire – cappuccino mousse!

Doe is intrigued.

It was less delicate, but much much simpler to make.

Doe examines the ruins of lost dessert.

But it was a semi-disaster. Even after I cooled down the mousse to something like room temperature (for maybe a summer’s day… in India), some of the chocolate cups couldn’t take the heat and pressure and just sort of… gave up. I’d originally planned to share/give these away, but faced with the unpleasant choices of either suffering from major sugar overdose or letting good dessert go to waste, I chose the latter. They ended up in the food waste bin, along with all the other gross things that usually end up in there:(

But the two that survived were coffee sweetness:) The perfect dessert for coffee lovers!