Sparkling New Home and A Sunny Recipe for Spring…Banana Mango Cream Pie

It’s been radio silent for a month or so here at Coco Cooks. Since the New Year , I haven’t been primarily busy with catering, but more holding down the day job, and moving into a new home. The catering  business is slow, but picking up for spring. Certain Someone has taken the plunge and purchased a fabulous town home for us. After a decade in my spacious yet cluttered condo, I should have known better. Moving is hard work and cleaning up afterwards to prep your home for rental even harder. It’s like erasing a decade. I purchased that home with the money my Mother left me after her death. It was the biggest decision I ever made . I took care of  my father there for a  while. It wasn’t ideal for either of us, but he got stronger and was well cared for until his death. So the house was filled with a little sorrow, but joy as well. It served a s the place where I really came of age on my own.The old condo was comforting and cozy. Then I met Certain Someone. It wasn’t our intention to move in together, as I just never really believed in it. But circumstances happen, and we did, and never looked back. It worked for both of us. But two people who have led full lives, tend to accumulate a lot of stuff.  Life was just getting cluttered. Certain Someone yearned to be up North in the Lincoln Park area, and now here we are.

I love the new town house. It has four stories and full of light. The  chefs kitchen is huge, with a large pantry to hold my many appliances and dry goods. The cabinets are ample. I have a double oven. Now my very used kitchen, looks manageable. It’s a show kitchen, but a practical one that will get its workout. I can house my catering supplies , cake decorating and crafting  supplies and equipment in the garage for storage, out of site. My favorite part is rooftop terrace where I like to enjoy a morning coffee or late night drink in the sun. I have such plans for the terrace. Some container gardening and a new Weber gas grill to entertain. Certain Someone is proud as a peacock. He did good and I’m glad he purchased this home with the thoughts of what features would make me happy as well. Now I just pray I can get a tenant in the old place.

I’ve been cooking , but resorting to old favorites, and nothing really to write about. Plus with Weight Watchers, it hasn’t made for much I want to share. I have lost 10 lbs thus far with Weight Watchers and another 10 prior since January. So a total of 20 lbs.With the move, I’m cognizant of what I’m eating but not so careful to count the points and as many days we we just grabbed what and where we could in transition. But its a lifestyle, and very easy to hope back onto. The four flights of stairs keep me leaner too.

So what am I doing  about to show you a decadent pie? Well I need to keep my baking skills up and Easter is approaching. I’ve been hearing everyone rave about Lucky Peach Magazine , and I went on Amazon and got issues 2 and 3 to see  what all the hype was about. When Certain Someone and I were  on a New York a few years back, I led him to a David Chang restaurant. Good, but too hipster  for him and he hated the fact he had to wait in line and eat elbow to elbow at the bar. I hear everyone rave about Chang’s Pastry Chef  Christina Tosi from Milk Bar. From what I’ve seen and heard of her desserts, she likes to use things like cornflakes, potato chips, and other processed things. But sneering or not, she is creative and has the chops and technique. So I was immediately captivated  by her recipes in the Sweet Spot Issue 2. Now mind you , I’ve just moved , and as it was bound to happen, while I thought I had everything needed for the recipe, I didn’t. So I made a few more substitutions  than planned. Tosi’s recipe is for a simple yet complex Banana Cream Pie made with bananas, aged  funky and sweet. Well I didn’t have days to wait and I’m impulsive. The markets in my new neighborhood , don’t have a discount rotting produce rack, like some other ones I know. But I did find some ripe  bananas  that weren’t too starchy. I decided to mix it up with a very ripe mango . Tosi adds food color for a cartoon like yellow, because the real color is more starchy white and gluelike. With the mango, I had a nice orange tint, but still added some golden food color. I was out of butter( Quel horror) and cheated and used butter flavored vegetable shortening for the chocolate crumb. Christina is very fussy and picky in her recipe writing, because she wants us to get it right. But I was confident in my baking ability to throw some caution to the wind and sub where I needed to.  I even ran out of whipping cream, and chilled up some evaporated milk for the final stage to whip. Don’t laugh.  It didn’t help that the recipe layout was a bit confusing ( the next page read bottom to top, rather than top to bottom)and I ended up using more cream in my cooked custard, and thereby depleting what I needed for the final stage of whipping.This Cream Pie process , reminded me more of the cooked banana pudding base my mother used to make . So how did it turn out? Naturally with substitutions the recipe is  seriously compromised. But what I got was a great pie , on the runnier side. I solved that dilemma by freezing it. Once frozen, and cut, the slices thawed into a nice creamy custard. In pastry workshops I’ve taken, most pastry components are always frozen to yield perfect assembly . This pie will do on a nice warm day on on your Easter Table. That’s what a good cook should be able to do. Turn around and save a situation.  I will give you my variation of how I made this pie, loosely inspired by Christina Tosi of Milk Bar .

Banana Mango Cream Pie
 
A frozen Banana and mango cream pie very very loosely adapted from Christina Tosi's Banana Cream Pie.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • Chocolate crumbs need
  • 6 Tbs unsalted butter
  • ⅔ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • ⅔ dark unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • Pie Filling needs
  • 1 very ripe banana ( peeled)
  • 1 very ripe mango ( peeled)
  • 1 cup + 1 Tbsp Heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon of powdered gelatin
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • several drops of gold or yellow food coloring
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • Final finish of pie crust crumbs need
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • pinch of Kosher salt
  • 1-2 Tbsp melted butter
Instructions
  1. First assemble the chocolate crumb for the crust.
  2. Preheat oven to 300 F
  3. Melt butter until just melted, but not sizzling hot.
  4. Using a stand mixture and paddle attachment, blend flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder. and salt on a low speed.
  5. Gradually add the melted butter to the mixture until it starts to come together and form a crumbs.Combine thoroughly until a dark rich crumb is formed.
  6. Spread the crumb on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 min. Periodically mix up the crumb.
  7. Remove from oven after 20 min. Crumb will become crunchy as it cools.
  8. For the Pie Filling
  9. In a blender blend the banana, mango, ⅓ cup of the cream ( I accidentally used more here), milk, sugar. cornstarch, and egg yolks until smooth.
  10. Transfer to a heavy bottomed pan .
  11. Bloom your gelatin with a bit of water in a separate small bowl.
  12. Clean blender.
  13. Gently heat the banana mango mixture on medium high heat, while constantly until it begins to thicken and deepen in color .
  14. Add the heated custard back into the blender along with the 3 tbsp of butter and gelatin. Puree.
  15. At this point add the food coloring if desired to crate a rich golden hue.
  16. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to cool down. Place in the refrigerator to chill for approx 60 min.
  17. In a clean bowl for the stand mixture. Whip up the remaining cream and confectioners sugar until it forms soft peaks.
  18. Add the chilled banana custard mixture to the shipped cream.
  19. Set aside and keep chilled.
  20. Assemble the pie crust.
  21. In a food processor pulse the chocolate crumbs.
  22. Add the remaining sugar and butter and salt.
  23. Press the crumb into your pie tin.
  24. Fill with the banana mango cream mixture.
  25. Place in freezer to firm up solid for several hours.
  26. Slice and let sit for a few moments at room temp before serving.

 

Baked Pineapple Upside Down Doughnuts for the Sunny Side of Life

Well a New Year, 2012 , is upon us! Life has been good,but at times trying this past year. All in all 2011 forced change for the good. I can say I’m a sweeter peaceful place than I was previous years. The money may be slightly  less, but the happiness is there, and I no longer feel my creativity is being stifled.I’m with people that value my work, talent  and contributions. I’m blossoming. It’s the best feeling to have clients call you and want to pay for your food ans services. As things like universal laws take hold , naturally  there is always some wrench thrown at you to see if you will halt in progress and determination. As I type this I’m waiting for the glass repair people to come for the second time in two weeks to replace a busted window on my new car ( which I purchased for the new job and catering gigs). The pathetic hoodlums can try all they want.I will continue  dust myself off and pick myself up. In the meantime their misdeeds allow me to share with  you a recipe that’s full of happiness and sunshine, while I wait for the repair guys. See… making sunshine out of darkness.

The other day at work I came across a doughnut pan by accident.It was fate. I had seen them but never put it on my list. Now that we will moving soon to a bigger place with tons of pantry space, I justified the purchase and got it. Certain Someone is moving us to the North Side. The next few months will be busy. Anyway I played around cake doughnuts recipes, but really wanted a yeast recipe that could be baked. I was led here and decided to use this , but baked. In hind site I see this idea of baked pineapple upside down doughnut would probably be amazing in a cake doughnut version. But for now ,we are going with the yeast version. I love this concoction because it’s not really overly sweet. The pineapple is finished with a torch for optimal caramelizing. With the yeast doughnut, the pineapple sits more atop the fully doughnut, whereas with the cake version, I believe the pineapple would have sank in more and imbedded itself.

Have you entered my giveaway for a Artisan Basket from Creminelli? What are you waiting for?

Baked Pineapple Upside Down Doughnuts
 
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A baked yeast doughnut with pineapple
Author:
Recipe type: dessert
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • For Topping
  • 1 stick unsalted butter melted
  • 1½ cups light brown sugar
  • 24 pineapple rings
  • For dough
  • 1½ cups milk
  • ⅓ cup of shortening or butter
  • 3 tablespoons of SAF instant yeast
  • ⅓ cup warm water
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2¾ cups all purpose flour ( may need to add a tad more if dough is really sticky).Should not exceed 3 cups.
Instructions
  1. Warm milk in a sauce pan . Add the shortening and warm until melted.Set aside and let cool.
  2. In a stand mixer, add warm water and sprinkle yeast over it. Let stand for several minutes until yeast is dissolved.
  3. When milk shortening mixture is cool enough add to stand mixer, along with salt, eggs, sugar, nutmeg, and half the amount of flour initially.
  4. Mix completely with a paddle attachment until all is incorporated. Scrape sides down to aid in mixing. Mix for a few minutes.
  5. Add the rest of flour to wet mixture and continue to beat with paddle.
  6. Change attachment to the dough hook and mix until all comes together and pulls away from side of bowl. Knead for a few minutes until smooth.
  7. Finish kneading by hand .
  8. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.
  9. Preheat oven to 475.
  10. Prep your doughnut pan with a generous drizzle of melted butter to coat bottom of each well .
  11. Sprinkle some brown sugar on top of the melted butter. The brown sugar should get absorbed by the butter.
  12. Place a pineapple ring on top of butter and sugar.
  13. Roll out pieces of dough to about a ½ inch thickness.
  14. Take a drinking glass and cut out a circle.
  15. Take a shot glass and cut out the center.
  16. Reincorporate scraps bake into dough and continue.
  17. Cut out 6 doughnuts in total for first round of baking and placed atop the pineapple, butter and brown sugar.
  18. Refrigerate unused dough until the next round to slow the rising.
  19. Cover the doughnuts for about 20 minuted and let rise again.
  20. Place in oven and lower heat to 450.
  21. Cook for 8-10 minutes until golden and risen in size. Dough should spring back when touched.
  22. Carefully turn over onto a sheet pan .
  23. Take a blow torch and caramelize the pineapple tops. The sugar syrup will reabsorb back into the doughnut.
  24. Repeat process with rest of dough. No need to clean up the baking pan , just continue to add the butter, brown sugar , pineapple and repeat.
Notes
Dough recipe adapted from Alton Brown. Makes slightly over dozen. There may be some leftover dough. Special Equipment needed. 1) doughnut pan 2) drinking and shot glasses 3) blow torch.

Individual Apple Tarte Tatin

Last week on a rare day off I was watching the BBC America station. Gordon Ramsay’s The F Word was on and I perked up as he made these easy gorgeous individual Pear Tatins studded with Star Anise. I had a bunch of commercial supply puff pastry in my freezer, left over from a event and a few apples left from my solitary apple picking adventure the week before. I was determined to try this stunning simple dessert with what I had and it didn’t disappoint.

The recipe is simple and you just need some fresh hard fruit , peeled and cored, sugar, butter, cinnamon or star anise, and maybe a splash or rum or brandy. Be creative. And of course serve with ice cream or whipped cream to up the indulgence factor. Your guests will be amazed and it saves the terror of flipping over a whole Tarte Tatin.

Here is Gordon’s version

And here is my breakdown

Individual Apple Tarte Tatin
 
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Individual Apple Tarte Tatins
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons of butter
  • 2-3 large apples peeled, halved and cored
  • 4-6 squares of puff pastry
  • squeeze lemon juice
  • 1-2 tablespoons Brandy or rum
  • 4-6 whole pods of Star Anise
Instructions
  1. Prep your apples by peeling, halving, and removing the inner core and stem. Squeeze with lemon juice to prevent browning.
  2. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  3. In a heavy stainless steel skillet melt butter and sugar carefully and slowly until its starts to caramelize and brown. Be careful not to burn from sugar. You can add a splash or rum or brandy to the caramel.
  4. Quickly stud each apple halve with star anise . Wrap each piece individually with puff pastry leaving the flat half free and exposed.
  5. Place each pastry wrapped halve in the skillet with the caramelized sugar face down.
  6. Sprinkle with additional sugar is optional.
  7. Arrange in pan, and place in oven. Bake until golden .
  8. Serve face up and with ice cream or whipped cream.

 

Chocolate Chip Whey Brioche and The Four Pounds of Cheese Project

A few weeks back Jeni invited me and many other people to to her special Facebook project to raise awareness for weeks period on what we waste food wise. We were asked to photograph and write about it. Here is the Facebook page , where a lot of discussion and tips are available. I had every intention to jump right in and photograph and blog about my own personal waste, but life got in the way with the new job and catering gigs. I am aware that I do waste, no matter how hard I try not to. The biggest culprit being the spoilage of my bi weekly organic vegetable box. I can’t make or eat the produce fast enough and it spoils quickly being organic. As a chef I’m old school, and raised by a mother who used everything up in the kitchen , as she learned from her mother. Bones, end and pieces all go into the pot. But there are some things you can’t save and use fast enough when its past being good. Here is a photo  of some stuff I threw out that week to make room in the fridge for more. Certain Someone gets on me all the time for this.

I got to thinking a lot about waste that week as my friend The Alchemist treated me to a cheese making course at Angelic Farms. I will post all about that later.They are all about the earth and lack of waste at the farm. I learned many things that day but especially how to use Whey, a run off product from making cheese after the curds form, that’s full of protein. It never occurred to me to bake with it, add it to smoothies, soups, even lemonade. So I dutifully froze a quart of Whey leftover from class , as I knew it would be a while until I got back to it.  I cringe about the Whey I have thrown out and wasted in earlier cheese experiments.

Then the other day I adventurously started the process of making Brie (it takes months to age, so that won’t be posted until later on the Fall). Naturally I had tons of Whey, I would say almost a gallon). As it was a rare day off packed with kitchen experiments, I dusted off the old Kitchen Aid and mixed some flour with just water salt and yeast and let rise overnight in the fridge , until I could get back to it. In my reading I saw most bread recipes with Whey called for fat, as the protein made a chewy but very tender  dough. So I bravely resolved to cut in the butter and eggs the next day to my starter dough, and it worked! I wanted a more of Brioche type of bread. I’m rather proud of myself for making a great recipe fully off the cuff. I’m am getting more confident as  a baker. I work now with a lot of Europeans who are very particular about their bread, and I took the brioche to work. They loved it and were impressed. That’s huge to me, as I love it when people enjoy my food. Unfortunately my shapes in the mini Panettone cups didn’t hold and the end result look like a limp part of the male anatomy ( according to one person) , but it was delicious , so who cares. I’m happy something I would have thrown away and wasted ordinarily in my past cheese experiments turned into something so good.


Chocolate Chip Whey Brioche
 
Prep time
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A rich Brioche type of bread made with Whey
Author:
Recipe type: Bread
Ingredients
  • 6 cups All Purpose Non Bleached Flour plus 1 cup extra for kneading and the later
  • 1½ tablespoon instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoon warm water
  • 4 cups of Whey
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 scoop of Meyenberg Powdered Goat Milk ( approx 14 grams or 1 tablespoon)
  • 2½ sticks unsalted butter at room temp
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • Egg wash of 1 egg beaten to 1 teaspoon heavy cream
  • Extra butter for greasing rising containers or baking tins.
  • Disposable Panettone baking cups ( no greasing needed)
Instructions
  1. The night before in the bowl of the stand mixer add yeast, sugar and some water . Let stand for a few minutes until dissolved and slightly foamy.
  2. Add the flour, powdered goats milk,whey, and salt.
  3. Mix with the paddle first, then switch to the dough hook. Make sure you scrape down the sides to incorporate all the ingredients.
  4. Grease /Butter a rising container with lid to hold the dough.
  5. Add the dough, which will be more on the wet side, and cover with lid.
  6. Place in the refrigerator overnight to slowly rise.
  7. The next day take butter out to become room temperature and soft.
  8. Take the dough out and add to the stand mixer bowl.
  9. The next few steps will get a little messy and the workout the stand mixer.
  10. Punch down the dough and place in the bowl of the mixer. Cut the butter into small pieces and add.
  11. Add one egg at a time.
  12. Slowly with the dough hook cut in the butter and eggs. The dough will be wet and messy so you can add slowly the extra flour ( 1 cup) to help bind the dough.
  13. The final dough should be sticky but not too wet.
  14. Once all is mixed, add the chocolate chips and continue to need on a low speed with the dough hook.
  15. Turn out and scrape the dough into a floured surface and finish kneading with your hands.
  16. Place back into the a clean container , cover and allow to rest for 3O minutes.
  17. Preheat oven to 400.
  18. Prep your baking tins or cups.
  19. Shape you dough into desired shapes for the baking cups or tins.
  20. Brush with egg wash and let the dough rise for another 30 minutes or so.
  21. Bake until golden. Depends on size and shape to determine if finished.
Notes
This is a two day or overnight process.

 

Sweet Potato and Pineapple Churros with Land O Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread

One of the first posts I ever wrote for my blog years ago,was a sweet potato Churro. I loved the rich flavors of sweet potato and cinnamon , formed into a stove top dough, and deep fried into a crispy treat. Churros originated in Spain and are a beloved treat worldwide, best served warm. Most often you serve them accompanied by a dense hot chocolate. So when several  other bloggers and I were asked to to create a recipe from General Mills with a new product from  Land O Lakes containing, sugar, cinnamon, and butter I immediately thought of those delicious Churros from years ago. However this time I decided to add pineapple to mix for a more playful twist. And rather than a chocolate sauce accompaniment, I concocted a zesty sweet glaze of reduced white balsamic , honey, and ginger to enhance the sweet potato , pineapple and cinnamon. I’m obsessed with infused Balsamic glazes these days to perk up salads and desserts. And what better product than Land O Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread to use in a Churro, as the basic preparation involves cooking your liquids and butter to a boil, then adding then flour, and eggs to make a dough. similar to a pate a choux. The added sweetness is an extra bonus for the not overly sweet dessert.


Sweet Potato and Pineapple Churros with Land O Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread
 
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A deep fried pastry made with Land O Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • ½ cup mashed sweet potato
  • ½ cup crushed pineapple
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup Land O Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread
  • 2½ cups flour
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • ¼ sugar mixed with cinnamon optional to dust or use Honey Ginger Balsamic Glaze.
  • Vegetable Oil for frying
Instructions
  1. In a food processor combine water,salt, vanilla,sweet potato and pineapple. Puree until smooth.
  2. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan combine the liquid mixture with the Land O Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
  3. Gradually add flour and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate completely.
  4. Add beaten eggs and mix quickly until incorporated.
  5. Normally this dough should form a ball and pull away from the edge of the pan, but the sweet potato mixture makes it a little more sticker to do so. Just be sure your dough is well formed and all ingredients are incorporated fully.
  6. Add your still warm/hot dough to a durable piping bag with with a star tip.
  7. Heat vegetable oil in a fry pan or deep fryer. Oil should be very hot at at bubble when tested with a bit of dough.
  8. Pipe your churros either into long lengths or short ones into the hot oil.
  9. Fry until golden turning with a slotted spoon.
  10. Drain on paper towels.
  11. Dust with cinnamon sugar and drizzled Honey Ginger Balsamic Glaze on top.
  12. Serve warm.
Notes
You will need piping bags and a large star shaped tip. You can make about 35 mini Churro bites or 20-24 regular long churros. Use a neutral flavored oil suitable for frying. Make sure your oil is very hot.

The accompanying Honey Ginger Balsamic Glaze can be used on a variety of recipes. Think savory or sweet.

Honey Ginger  White Balsamic Glaze

Combine 3/4 cup White Balsamic Vinegar, 1 1/2 inch of fresh peeled ginger root, 2 tablespoon raw honey, and 1 cinnamon stick. Bring to quick boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until reduced and thickened. Strain mixture and let cool. Store in a squeeze bottle and refrigerate.

For more information on Land O Lakes Cinnamon Sugar Butter Spread please visit:

Land O Lakes website: http://www.landolakes.com/
Land O Lakes Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LandOLakes
Land O Lakes  Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LandOLakesKtchn

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post from General Mills, but all opinions and original recipes  are my own.