The Brazilian Foodie

Hi friends,

I am completely swamped finishing my next cookbook, but don’t want to be absent this month or any month. So this January, I am going to share with you a delicious recipe for Hazelnut Chocolate Sable Cookies from “ Chocolates Desserts by Pierre Hermé”, written with Dorie Greenspan. I prepared these a few days ago, on a cold weather, when I was itching to bake, and they provided me with the perfect tender and crumbly shortbread I needed that day.

Hope you’ll enjoy the recipe!

Cheers,

Leticia

Hazelnut Chocolate Sable

Adapted from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé

Makes About 150 Cookies

For the Butter Dough:

1 ¼ stick (142g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup (75g) confectioner sugar, sifted

¼ cup (50g) finely ground almond power

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten

1 ¾ (254g) all-purpose flour

For the Chocolate Dough:

2 cups (300g) all-purpose flour

¼ cup (25g) unsweetened cocoa powder

2 sticks + 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup (100g) confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Pinch salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup (140g) hazelnuts, lightly toasted and skinned *

Equipment: Two baking sheets and two sheets of parchment paper

Prepare the Butter Dough:

1. Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until creamy. Add the sugar, almond powder, salt, vanilla, and eggs and, still working on low speed, beat to blend the ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The dough may look curdled, that’s all right. With the machine on low, add the flour in three or four additions and mix only until he mixture comes together to form a soft, moist, dough— a matter of seconds. Don’t over do it.
2. Gather into a ball and divide it into two pieces. Gently press each disk into a disk and wrap in plastic. Allow the dough to trest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Prepare the Chocolate Dough:

1. In a medium bowl sift flour and cocoa powder. Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until soft and smooth. Add the sugar, followed by the salt and continue to beat, scraping the bowl as needed, for about 3 minutes, or until the dough is light, pale, and creamy. Add 1 of the eggs and beat to incorporate. At this point the mixture should be light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low, add the sifted dry ingredients, and mix just until they disappear into the dough—take care not to overwork the dough. Stir in the toasted hazelnuts.
2. Scrape the dough onto a smooth surface (marble is ideal) and shape into a 6X7-inch (15 X 18-cm) rectangle that’s 1-inch (2.5cm) high. Chill while you work on the Butter dough.

Assemble the Cookie:

1. Beat the remaining egg with 1 teaspoon cold water and keep this egg wash nearby.
2. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll each disk of dough into a rectangle that’s a scant ¼ inch (7mm) thick (the thickness is important here) and slightly larger than 6X7 (15X18cm). Put one piece of the rolled-out dough on the sheet of parchment paper and brush the surface with egg wash, the glue that will keep these multilayer cookies together. Center the chocolate dough on the butter dough then, using a sharp knife, cut away the excess butter dough. Brush the top of the chocolate dough with egg wash, and place the second sheet of butter dough over the cookie dough. Top this set up with the second piece of parchment paper, flip everything over, and remove the top sheet of parchment. Trim the excess butter dough so that it’s even with the other two layers. Slide the package (still sitting on the parchment paper) onto a baking sheet, cover it well, and chill for at least 4 hours. (Wrapped airtight, the package can be frozen for a month; defrost in the refrigerator before baking.)
3. Set two racks apart and heat the oven to 325˚F. Have another parchment lined baking sheet at the ready.
4. Using a sharp knife and working from one 7-inch (18cm) side of the dough package to the other, cut even strips of dough, then cut each strip into ¼-inch (7mm) wide cookies. Arrange the cookies on the two baking sheets, leaving a ½-inch( 1.5cm) or so of space between each cookie.
5. Slide the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until the cookies are firm and the butter dough is lightly browned; rotate the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom at the 10 minute mark. Gently transfer the cookies to rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining cookies, making sure to cool the baking sheet between batches.

* Lightly toast the hazelnuts on a 350˚F (180˚C) oven for about 10 minutes. While still hot, then rub a towel to scrape off the skins.

My dream Pecan Pie

Welcome November! With the aftermath of hurricane Sandy and the elections behind us, I think we all want to move on. Onto Thanksgiving, just around the corner, and the perfect occasion to be thankful for what we have. This is my favorite American Holiday and truly the biggest gourmet feast on the calendar year.

As a Brazilian living in the US, it took me a few years to understand the deep meaning of Thanksgiving— especially the repeated menu every year. On the other hand, the chef in me loves to see the whole country talking turkey and cooking this one giant meal.

One of my favorite desserts from the Thanksgiving picture is Pecan Pie. Over the last few years I have tried recipes from magazines, newspapers, cookbooks, and web sites. They are all good but in every recipe I wish something was different. There are just so many variables that impact the end result of a pecan pie.

Should I pre-roast the pecans before adding to the filling? Most recipes call for this step, but I noticed that the pecans have plenty of time to roast while baking, especially because they tend to rise to the surface, so pre-roasting, in my opinion, yields in a bitter nut.

Another step very common these days is the addition of chocolate pieces to the filling. Hey, I am a huge chocoholic, but I have decided that chocolate has no place in the pecan pie of my dreams. I think it changes the silky texture of the caramel, overwhelming the flavor, impeaching the caramel to shine on its own.

And what about the butter? In older versions of pecan pie, the butter is simply melted and cooled before incorporated to the filling, but in more recent ones, it calls for melting to a nutty point (beurre noisette). Let’s do that. It really adds great flavor without compromising the texture of the filling.

And what pan should I use? Many recipes call for a round fluted pan with removable bottom, but I realize that my pecan pie needs deep support system (like me!) so I am opting for a deep-dish pie pan. Should I make a little whipped cream on the side? It’s in fashion today to jazz up the whipped cream, like bourbon flavored, or spicy whipped cream. But let’s get real, the pecan pie already faces competition from other desserts, after all, there is always more than one treat at the table. Ok then, no side dish needs to get in this picture.

After trying different recipes and analyzing all these points year after year, I opted to create my own version of pecan pie and I simply love the result! I hope you will try it in your Thanksgiving table—and love it too. It’s the perfect combination of silky caramel and crunchy pecans mixed with a sweet crusty dough.

If you prefer to prepare the recipe a few days ahead of time, you can, just make sure to keep it wrapped in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature the day of Thanksgiving, and warm it up for 15-20 minutes in a 300˚F oven. Let it rest at room temperature before serving.

Without much further ado, here is the recipe:

 Leticia’s Pecan Pie

 For the Crust:

1 1/3 cups (205g) all-purpose flour, sifted

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (28g) sugar

1 stick (115g or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, lightly chilled, cut into small cubes

3-4 tablespoons water

For the Filling:

6 large eggs

¾ cup (135g) sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup (320g) light corn syrup

½ cup (140g) maple syrup

½ cup (140g) dark corn syrup

4 tablespoons (63g) unsalted butter, melted slightly nutty and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups (230g) pecan halves, coarsely chopped

Equipment: a 9-inch fluted deep-dish pie

1.  Prepare the Dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, salt, sugar, and butter until it looks like a coarse meal. With the machine running, gradually add the water until the dough just starts to combine. Depending on humidity you might not need all the water. The dough should look evenly moistened.

2.  Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead lightly, enough to incorporate and feel smooth, about 4-5 turns. Flatten the dough into a disk, cover in plastic wrap, and chill to rest for at least 1 hour. (Dough can be made 2 days ahead of time and kept in refrigerator, or frozen up to 4 months.)

3.  Working on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 1/8-inch thick circle large enough to fit the dish. Transfer to the pie dish, pressing onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan, leaving a ½-inch up-overhang. Fold the dough under itself, and crimp the edges in a decorative way. Chill the pie dough in the fridge until filling is ready.

The dough is nice and smooth, very easy to work with

4.  Prepare the Filling: Place a rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat to 350˚F.

5.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Add the sugar, salt, corn syrup, maple, and dark syrup, and whisk until homogeneous. Mix in the melted butter and vanilla. Mix in the pecans and fold with a spatula.

6.  Remove the pie dish from the fridge, and pour filling inside the crust.

7.  Bake the Pie: Place pie dish on a baking sheet, and bake the pie in the oven until the crust is lightly golden and the filling is puffed and set in the center, about 1 hour.

8.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 2 hours. Cut the pie into wedges and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Happy Thanksgiving! And enjoy this delicious recipe!

Erick Vittorino’s Bolinhos de Chuva (Photo by Robert Souza)

Bolinho de Chuva roughly translates into “rain cake” but really this is a Brazilian version of a fried beignet, universally loved all lover the world. Erick Vittorino has been making this recipe since childhood, and still loves to prepare it. This is an adaptation of his recipe.

Bolinho de chuva (Brazilian Beignets)

Makes 25-30 Beignets

For the Dough:

2 whole eggs

1 cup (250ml) whole milk

1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cup + 3 tablespoons (255g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons (30g) sugar

2 cups vegetable oil for frying

For the Spiced Sugar:

1 cup (220g) sugar

1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling: One jar or can of excellent quality, store bought dulce de leche (I like La Salamandra, from Argentina)

1. Prepare the Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla.

2. In another bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, and sugar.

3. Make a whole in the center of the flour mixture, add the liquids and whisk together until well combined. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.

4. Prepare the Sugar: in a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

5. Fry the Dough: Fill a medium saucepan with oil up to at least 2 ½ inches. Heat the oil to 350˚F measured on a deep-fat thermometer.

6. Spoon the dough directly into the oil and fry them in batches until lightly golden brown all over, about 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Using a slotted spoon remove the bolinhos from the oil and transfer while still hot to the cinnamon sugar mixture and roll to cover well.

8. Place the dulce de leche in a decorative bowl and serve on a side. Serve with plenty of napkins.