takin' it off!

well, this won't be the most exciting post i've added to my blog but it is useful information {provided you need it!}.

buying shelled nuts, such as pistachios, is a two-way street. by that, i mean that they are typically quite a bit more expensive than unshelled ones due to the labour involved in decorticating them. some people don't mind paying more as it saves time, especially if you need many for whatever you're preparing.

if you only have a few to do, however, there is a very quick and fast way to remove the peel of pistachios. the same procedure can be done for other nuts like almonds but they take longer to process as the skin is thicker; mind you, they are just as easy to do. hazelnuts are a different procedure involving heating them and rubbing the skins off them. i have no patience for that so i'd buy those already prepared!


removing the skin from pistachios, almonds, etc...

"ingredients":

pistachios, almonds, etc.
boiling water


method:

place the nuts in an appropriately-sized heatproof bowl or dish.

pour boiling water over them to cover by about an inch or so.

let soak for about 15 to 20 minutes (if you are doing almonds let them soak for up to an hour and cover the dish or bowl).

take out one of the pistachios and inspect it to see if the skin has swelled and loosened.

if it has, start to break the skin with the nail of your finger and then peel off the skins.

place aside and rinse off the pistachios.

that's it! simple, easy and quick.

• n.b. if you are going to grind them finely you have to let them dry or you can speed the process in an oven set at 200 F. for about 15 to 20 minutes but keep an eye on them. they mustn't brown.
• if you are going to sliver or quarter them then this is the appropriate time to do it since they will be soft enough to slice cleanly. if they are dry, they will most likely shatter or disintegrate.

weekend pastries

these rich sweet pastries, served alongside strong turkish coffee or espresso, were always something i remember eating on weekends only. i guess they weren't considered everyday fare by us but rather a food to be enjoyed on those days when one did not have to work, when one took his/her time to appreciate things.

redolent of the flavours of the eastern mediterranean, tahinli are made with a butter and egg pastry dough and envelop a sweet filling made from sugar, t'hina paste and orange flower water. they are eaten especially in turkey, armenia and israel. like many {adopted} sefardi pastries and breads, this one is also in the shape of a rosca — or twisted (screw). it doesn't have to be twisted, however it does look much nicer if it is.

tahinli are fairly straightforward to make but if you're one of those pastry-challenged types, you may just want to look at the pictures and get someone else to make them for you! lol. if you do make them, try not to omit things like the mahlep and orange flower water from the recipe. it becomes less authentic and flavorful when you do.

this post has quite a few pictures because there are quite a few steps to it. some of the pictures are blurred and less than quality. you'll get the idea nonetheless....


tahinli
sesame paste filled pastries

yields 6 five inch pastries or 4 large ones

{Not really a beginner's recipe but give it a try!}

ingredients:

1 heaping teaspoon dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1/3 c. warm water

1/4 tsp salt
2 - 2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 - 1 tsp mahlep
2 tbsp unsalted butter or non-dairy margarine
1/4 c. milk (or soy milk or water)
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp oil or shortening (melted and measured)
1/8 tsp salt

2 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1/2 c + 2 tbsp tahina (sesame paste)
1/2 c sugar
2 tbsp oil or melted butter
2 tsp orange flower water

2 tsp finely chopped shelled pistachios per pastry (optional)
4 tbsp orange flower water for coating pastry

1 egg (for eggwash)
raw sesame seeds sugar (granulated or demarera)


method:

proof yeast with warm water and sugar.

set aside approximately 10 minutes.

in a pyrex 2 cup measuring cup (or small pan) heat the milk and melt the butter in it.

transfer this to a mixing bowl and add the oil or shortening, salt and sugar and mix well.

while still warm (not hot!) add the egg and yeast mixture and mix well with a whisk.

in another bowl, mix the salt, flour and mahlep.

add this to the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until you get a dough.

the dough will be slightly sticky and depending upon humidity and measurement, you may need a bit more flour. start with the 2 cups and add more gradually while kneading.

remove the dough and knead the dough using/adding the extra 1/2 if needed. it will get less sticky as you knead more and after proofing.

once you have a nice dough, place it back in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap.

put the dough in a warm area (inside a microwave works well) and let proof for approximately 2 hours (until doubled).

punch down the dough and place it on counter and knead it for a minute.

divide the dough in 4 to 6 pieces. Let the balls rest about 25 to 30 minutes.

after 15 minutes, place the tahina, sugar, oil, and orange flower water in a small bowl and mix well to incorporate. the mixture will be granular.

when the balls have proofed, start to shape the dough.

roll each ball one at a time into a disk between an 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Try to make them all the same size.

if making 4, it should measure about 11 or 12 inches — less if you are making 6 pastries.

then divide the tahina mixture evenly for each pastry, approximately 3 tablespoons each. spread this out VERY thinly almost to the edges.

if you like, sprinkle 2 - 3 tsp of finely chopped pistachios on each one.

roll each round fairly tightly all the way to the end.

pinch each end closed.

slowly and gently roll each pastry back and forth with your hands to extend it starting at the middle.

don't worry if small tears occurs. the final dough will be almost as long as from the tip of your fingers to your elbow.

(perhaps with a helper) twist the long strand of dough gently over and over again. don't overtwist or you will snap it.

once that is done, have 2 baking sheets ready either lightly greased or lined with parchment.

coil the pastry loosely from the center working outwards and tuck the very end underneath.

place equal amounts of finished pastry on each sheet. you need the space for the final rolling.

preheat your oven to 350 F.

let your pastries proof an extra half hour but you do not need to cover them tightly. just place a teatowel over them.

at this point, after proving, they may look strange with the centers popped up. that will be fixed with the rolling. don't worry about that if it happens (it probably will).

you may also notice small amounts of oil weeping from the pastry. this is normal too.

after about 15 minutes of waiting, beat the egg in a small dish and have a pastry brush ready.

measure out the 1/4 c. of orange flower water. have the sesame seeds ready in another bowl and some sugar in another.

now flatten each pastry with a rolling pin gently to half it's size (deflate it).

prick it all over with a fork to arrest its rising in the oven.

using a pastry brush wash the pastries with orange flower water all over. then use the egg wash.

sprinkle each pastry generously with sesame seeds and finally with sugar (it will make a nice crust when baked).

bake pastries for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

you may freeze the pastries (if you have any left!).

these taste great warm(ed).

enjoy!

friend and foe — a cat (& mouse) tale

well, after 2 1/2 hours of non-stop hardcore playing with a long lost friend (rediscovered hidden behind a bookshelf), the brown devil decided it was time for a nap. from the look of it, it's more of a coma! ;o

i've decided my cat is strange.

as a kitten, he developed a love-hate relationship with his mouse. he carries it around the house in his mouth, talks to it with little meows, and lays down on it to fall asleep. other times, he beats the cr*p out of it, growling at his long-tailed friend and throwing him the air with his mouth. one time i found him trying to bring it in the litterbox — i don't even want to know what he was going to do with it in there! i grabbed it away and hid it for two weeks.


as you can see from the picture, peace has been restored. poor mouse — ended up in the water bowl while being heavily assaulted by paws and jaws. i think my cat finally realized the moral of the story: wet mice don't slide well on wood floors ;))

oh baby!

these wee ones are really a cross between a muffin and a cake and are perfect for when you feel the need for something small. of course, you need to stop after one or two and wait at least 10 minutes before going for the next one :)).

made using whole almonds, ground almonds and almond extract (essence), this pretty much covers the ground for adding a good almond flavour — save the addition of almond paste (marzipan) [which i didn't add this time .... see the recipe for that part].

the only thing specific to this recipe is using baby muffin pans which can pretty much readily be found in many shops these days. if you don't have a pan like that, you can make them larger in regular-sized muffin tins. remember, you'll have to bake them for longer as they are much larger.

these can be frozen nicely.

baby almond orange poppyseed muffins

makes 36 baby muffins

ingredients:

dry:

1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c finely ground almonds
1 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp poppy seeds
3/4 tsp salt

wet:

2 eggs
1/2 c oil
3 tbsp applesauce
3/4 c (200 mL) milk or soy milk
1 1/2 - 2 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp orange zest, finely ground

36 whole blanched almonds

optional: place 1/2 tsp marzipan (almond paste) in each by spooning in half the batter, then adding the paste in the center and finishing off with the top layer of batter. add the blanched almond on top of that before baking.

method:

grease 3 baby muffin tins with butter or margarine and set aside.

preheat the oven to 350F (180C).

mix dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.

in another bowl, mix together the wet ingredients and whisk to blend.

blend the wet ingredients into the dry and mix. do not beat or overmix. just make sure the flour is completely incorporated.

fill each muffin hole almost to the top and place a single almond on each.

bake for about 18- 22 minutes or until the edges are turning golden brown.

remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes then remove from tins to let cool further. i turn mine on their sides to cool.

enjoy!