When the weather gets cooler, I like nothing more than warming up by turning on the oven and trying a new recipe. I’ve compiled a list of cookbooks out this fall and holiday season that I’m most excited about. Hope this inspires you to add to your collection or gift to a fellow cook or baker. Note: I’ve tried to link to the author’s personal page if possible so you can get a bit more info about the book.
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Pesto Recipe
2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup (118ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 clove garlic, sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions:
For the pesto:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Have ready a bowl of ice water.
Blanch the basil leaves in the boiling salted water for 30 seconds. Remove the leaves with a spider (or other handheld strainer) and quickly shock them in the ice water bath to stop the cooking (this sets the chlorophyll and helps keep the vibrant green color).
When the leaves are completely cool, remove them from the ice water and gently squeeze them to remove excess moisture. Be careful not to squeeze too hard, as you don’t want to remove the delicate and flavorful essential oils. Let dry on paper towels.
Put the basil leaves, olive oil, and garlic in a blender and puree until completely smooth, about 90 seconds. The blending step will also warm the puree to nearly 120°F, which will bring out the bright green color. Transfer the puree to a mixing bowl and fold in the salt and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Fresh pesto should be served within a day or two after it’s made. Store refrigerated.
Makes about 1/2 cup.
I tossed the pesto with corzetti pasta, using these wooden stamps.
Recipe re-printed with permission from Thomas McNaughton’s Flour + Water Cookbook, (Ten Speed Press, 2014).
These puff pastry turnovers were inspired by Lara Jean’s baking scene in To All the Boys 2. I’m so sad the series is over! There is baking in every movie but the turnovers is my favorite. Canned cherry pie filling is shown by I opted for frozen cherries, though sour cherries would be great, too. I added cream cheese for an extra element. I like having something to balance the bright tangy fruit flavor of the cherries. A homemade pie crust was used for the dough but for turnovers or pop tarts, I prefer something less heavy, that let’s the filling shine, so I chose puff pastry. Feel free to substitute for other frozen fruit. If using strawberries, since they’re really juicy, I’d add another teaspoon of cornstarch. Happy baking!
Ingredients:
190g unsalted butter, room temperature
75g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 pinch fleur de sel or other flake salt
1 pinch vanilla powder*
1 large egg white, room temperature
225g all purpose flour
200g dark chocolate
When visiting Bouchon Bakery, one of my favorite things to purchase is a bag of the shortbread cookies. It may not sound as exciting as the nostalgic TKOs (Thomas Keller Oreos) and Better Nutters, or as visually appealing as the rainbow of macarons in the cold case, but I love the simplicity of a classic buttery, sugary cookie. It’s cut into a thick slice so its satisfying to sink your teeth into. The top is sprinkled with sugar for extra crunch. You can see the vanilla bean flecks throughout.
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