sel et sucre

Tag: butter

  • Empanada Dough

    empanada dough

    Today, I’m going to start this post with an apology. Anyone who follows this blog knows that I’ve been very good from the beginning about posting every single Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In fact, up until last week, I had not yet missed a post (in over a year). So, I’m sorry for letting Sel et Sucre go dark last Wednesday and Friday. As I’d mentioned previously, I moved to Buenos Aires this past Wednesday, and despite my (in retrospect, delusional) hopes of keeping up my posting, I was far too overwhelmed to do so. This week, I’ll be doing something extra special to make up for it though – posting every weekday!

    Before leaving, in honor of the trip, I cooked up four different varieties of empanadas, stuffed pastries (typically savory) that are very popular in Argentina, eaten as an appetizer or full meal. I’ll be posting all week about these empanadas, starting with today’s recipe for the dough. Similar to a pie dough, it’s quite easy to throw together, with the most important thing being not to overwork it. The flaky result is the perfect base for all sorts of different fillings. I actually ended up making three times this dough recipe for a total of 96 mini empanadas. I think I would have preferred larger empanadas though, so that each would have more filling (which would also mean less work filling and closing the empanadas). Whether you make small (appetizer-sized) or large (entree-sized) empanadas, this dough recipe is worth trying out, for not much more effort than heading to the store and buying frozen dough, but a lot more flavor!

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  • Homemade Oregano Butter

    homemade oregano butter

    Sometimes I cook for very practical reasons – to stay healthy or save money, or just because I’m hungry. But sometimes I cook simply for fun, to help myself relax and get my mind off my usual worries. At those times, there’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishment at making something especially complicated, unusual, or delicious. Or, as in the case of this homemade butter recipe, making a basic ingredient from scratch. Watching cream transform into butter feels almost magical, and using the resulting spread on bread, fresh veggies, chicken, or steak makes me feel nearly giddy. I’ve been trying to find some good uses for the oregano in my garden, so I added it in here, but you can use any herb (or combination of herbs) you want, or leave out all the seasonings all together (although I recommend keeping the salt – it will help the butter stay good for longer).

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  • Salted Brown Butter Caramel Ice Cream

    salted brown butter caramel ice cream

    Three years ago, I pulled my parents’ dusty ice cream maker out of storage and started putting it to use. I began with simple recipes and was astounded to find just how easy it was to make delicious ice cream. I quickly graduated to custard-based recipes and discovered a whole new level of creamy richness. This recipe, however, still made me hesitate. Not only custard-based, but involving two separate batches of caramel pushed right to the edge of burning, it seemed far too complex to be worth it, especially when I could make very tasty ice cream without such a hassle. But it stayed in the back of my mind. In these past three years, I’ve become much more confident with making caramel, with making ice cream, and with my cooking in general, and finally it became clear I had to take on the challenge of this recipe. Never content to just follow the recipe, I decided to also brown the butter. Even with this extra step, I found this recipe came together fairly easily. And the resulting ice cream… unbelievably decadent, streaks of caramel in a rich caramel base with hints of nutty roasted flavors, and, of course, some salt to balance the sweetness. It was a triumph, one that made me seriously consider starting my own ice cream business, perhaps even exploring an Ice Cream Truck Rental to share these indulgent flavors with others on the go.

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  • Garam Masala Cookies

    garam masala cookies

    When it comes to desserts, I much prefer the unusual to the ordinary. I’ve never been one for vanilla ice cream or chocolate chip cookies; they’re tasty, sure, but way too boring for me. Give me something complex and exciting! These garam masala cookies are definitely in line with my dessert philosophy. Yes, they’re sweet, as cookies are meant to be, but they’re also nutty from brown butter and spicy from garam masala. At first, these fragrant cookies are reminiscent of spice cookies, with the familiar flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. But then there are those less familiar notes from the other components of the garam masala. While unusual, these cookies are still thoroughly enjoyable even for less adventurous eaters and were scarfed right up when I baked them for a party. So, whether you always prefer unique desserts or usually opt for more vanilla options, these cookies are worth throwing together the next time you have a chance.

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  • Brown Butter Blondies

    brown butter blondies

    Browning butter is truly a magical process. Somehow, simply by adding heat, your run of the mill stick of butter transforms with nutty caramel notes that elevate nearly everything. I’m not usually a butter fiend, but when the aroma of browning butter starts to waft through the air, it’s all I can do not to start eating it plain. Brown butter can be used in both savory and sweet dishes, but I think my favorite use is these brown butter blondies. They’re incredibly easy to make and really showcase the butter’s phenomenal transformation (the combination of the brown butter with brown sugar has prompted many to ask me if there’s caramel in these). This time around, I mixed in finely chopped walnuts and cocoa nibs, but they’ve been equally delicious in the past with hazelnuts and toffee bits. Actually, nearly any leftover sweet bits (or savory, if you’re feeling adventurous) in your pantry can work here, or you can even forgo the mix-ins entirely. I’ve made these blondies for hosting friends, meeting new roommates (one of whom I ended up dating – can’t be a coincidence, right?), bringing along to parties, and just when craving something sweet. Toss these together the next time you’re in the mood for a decadent treat, and you will most assuredly not be disappointed.

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  • Pea and Prosciutto Salad

    pea and prosciutto salad

    So I have this problem. If I get hungry and don’t rush to fill my stomach, I start to get grumpy. Very grumpy. Woe be unto those in the near vicinity grumpy. Unfortunately, I also often work late, and with my tendency to make cooking dinner a multiple hour affair, this means that I have far more grumpy evenings than I would like. Since I can only snack on mixed nuts (my usual remedy) for so long, one night I found myself tossing together this quick pea and prosciutto salad to get myself through cooking dinner. The combination of the peas’ crisp fresh flavor with the richness of the prosciutto turned out so delicious that I knew immediately I’d be making it again. I could see this dish being an extraordinary side to roast chicken or steak. Next time I make it, I’m thinking of drizzling some balsamic into the pan when adding the peas and prosciutto for an extra bit of tang.

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