Fit for a King

     Ever wonder what kind of icing is used on all those gingerbread men and festively decorated cookies at Christmas?  It seems to abound in almost every color imaginable and never smears nor smudges.  What is it?



     Ask any professional baker and they will tell you, "Why, that's Royal Icing, of course!"  It is the standard for cookies and other cutouts that need decoration.  This is according to Nicole Weston, pastry chef and author of Baking Bites, a food blog she writes in Los Angeles.

     Royal icing "is made primarily from confectioners' sugar and lightly beaten egg whites, and often a bit of cream of tartar..." Lemon juice can also be added in as well.  She comments that the icing is very popular because the basic recipe can be flavored or colored very easily.  "The icing can be made thick, best for pining or writing greetings.  And it can be made thin, which is good for flooding large areas with color."  It also dries to be hard and shiny and won't smear the face of the gingerbread man when it is packed and shipped.

     "Royal icing can be whipped up to a thicker,fluffier consistency and spread onto cakes as frosting, as well" she goes on to say.  "When used this way, the icing will still dry to be quite stiff on the outside, again leaving you with an icing that will hold up well to transport, as well as one that will help trap moisture inside the cake and keep it soft and tender."

     "Most of the time, royal icing is not made with fresh egg whites.  The icing is not cooked and there is a risk of salmonella from using fresh whites unless you start out with whole, pasteurized eggs.  Most of the time, royal icing recipes call for meringue powder.  Meringue powder is a fine white powder made primarily from dried egg whites, with a bit of cornstarch to keep it from clumping while stored.  The powder can be reconstituted easily with a little water and whips up into a nice, fluffy meringue--just like regular egg whites--when beaten at high speed with a mixer.  It has a very long shelf life and is definitely something you'll want to have on your shelf if you're planning on using royal icing on a regular basis."



     Here is the way to make some for your next batch of Christmas cookies:

Basic Royal Icing 

Ingredients

2 Tbsp, meringue powder plus 6 Tbsp warm water

4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

food coloring as needed

Reconstitute the meringue powder with the warm water in a large bowl.  

Beat, using an electric mixer, until thickened and smooth.

Gradually incorporate confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar until mixture is thick and fluffy.

Beat in vanilla extract.

Divide icing into small bowls and add food coloring until desired colors are reached.

Edible Presents

     For many of us Christmas time is filled with the joyous anticipation of home baked goodies.  Kitchen masterpieces are planned and prepared as gifts to be given to others.  Our family eagerly awaits an annual present of wonderful home made cookies baked according to generations old authentic German recipes.  Somehow it wouldn't be Christmas without them!

 

     Food Network Magazine in their most recent issue provides some helpful hints on baking a better cookie.  Here's what they have to say:

DOUGH TIPS

     Bring butter to room temperature about 30 minutes to 1 hour before you start (unless otherwise directed).  If you're short on time, cut the butter into pieces and microwave in 5-second intervals just until it's soft but not melted.

     To measure flour, spoon it into your measuring cup, then level it with a knife.  If you pack flour into the cup, your cookies could turn out dry and heavy.

     Check the expiration dates on your baking powder and baking soda, or test the freshness by dropping a pinch into vinegar:  If the baking powder or soda foams and bubbles, it's still good.

     Use "pure" extracts--the imitation stuff just isn't the same.

BAKING TIPS

    

     Buy an inexpensive oven thermometer and adjust your oven setting accordingly.

     If you're baking more than one tray of cookies at a time, switch the position of the pans from top to bottom halfway through baking and give each pan a 180-degree turn.

     Cool and quickly wash your baking sheets between batches.  If you drop dough onto a hot baking sheet, the butter will start melting instantly and the cookies could lose their structure.

     Let cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets (just until they're firm enough to move), then remove them to a rack to cool completely (unless otherwise directed).  If you leave the cookies on the pan, they could end up too crisp.

An Essential Element



  Recently I came across an article extolling the virtues of mushrooms, the tasty fungus that has put nearby Kennett Square on the map.  Among other things it was noted that certain mushrooms are high in something called choline.  Unaware of exactly what that was, I did some preliminary research.  Turns out that it is a vital part of our body's chemistry.  Here's what I learned:

     Choline is a water soluble essential element that is part of the B complex of vitamins.  While it can help lessen the effects of such things such as depression and memory loss it was not until 1998 that the National Academy of Sciences saw fit to add it to the list of required nutrients.  As the saying goes, "It does a body good."  It can reduce high cholesterol and symptoms of bi-polar disease.  A choline deficiency can trigger liver disease, atherosclerosis and certain neurological disorders.  Some nutritionists say that it is also a beneficial anti-inflammatory agent.

     But how much choline do we need on a daily basis?  That still remains an open question according to experts.  While being controversial to some, eggs are an excellent source of choline.  Also very good sources include things like shrimp, scallops, cod, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, asparagus, turkey, beef, tomatoes, and of course mushrooms.

     Can you ingest too much choline?  Well, yes.  And there are some dangers to that as well.  Consuming too much of this essential element can dangerously lower blood pressure.  And another unfortunate side effect is emitting a fishy body odor.

     Guess I will forgo that second helping of Brussels sprouts and mushrooms!

Snow Memories

Last week we had our first snowfall of the season.  Watching the flakes fall and accumulate took me back to my childhood and all the joy that the snow brought to me.  There were snow men and snow forts constructed in our yard and just a couple blocks away there was a great sledding hill on Pennsylvania Avenue.  The town would block off the cross streets so we could go for blocks down hill.

     And of course after all that winter activity I always looked forward to a mug of steaming hot chocolate with those little marshmallows floating on top.  It was a celebratory ending to a wonderful day outdoors.



     That classic treat has undergone some significant tweaking since my childhood, however.  How about serving up some cardamom hot chocolate, or adding some salted caramel made with Maldon sea salt flakes?  Ever try some red velvet hot chocolate, or including a pinch of lavender buds to the steamy warm mixture?

     The website A Beautiful Mess offers up this recipe for Aztec Hot Chocolate:

Aztec Hot Chocolate Recipe

Is it too soon for hot chocolate? As soon as September 1st hits I am so in the mood for warm drinks and cozy blankets, no matter the temperature outside. Call me crazy, but dude, it's time for Fall! One of my all time favorite drinks for the season is hot chocolate. We love classic hot chocolate but here's a fun way to spice it up!Aztec Hot Chocolate, makes 4 servings.

Needed: 6 cups milk, 10 ounces chopped dark chocolate, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, a pinch or two of cayenne (optional) and marshmallows/cinnamon sticks for garnish.

In a pot combine the milk and chocolate. Melt the chocolate over low/medium heat, stirring constantly. Once melted and the mixture is warmed through stir in the cinnamon and cayenne (if using). Serve hot! I love to serve these with giant marshmallows and a few cinnamon sticks. Have fun spicing up your hot chocolate this season! xo. Emma

© A BEAUTIFUL MESS

A Jersey First

     In researching the origin of the turkey London broil I came across an interesting factoid.  It was created in New Jersey!  Yes, in Shrewsbury, NJ at Sal's Original no less.  Salvatore Vella holds U. S. Patent #6,171,639 for a lemon-basil and garlic marinade that in 2001 he used on a skinless, boneless turkey breast before grilling it.

     Apparently the same method is applied to turkey as it is to the lesser quality cuts of beef that become London Broil.  The white meat of a turkey breast can turn notoriously dry when cooked, but when marinated takes on the flavor of the marinade and is quite juicy.  The marinade enhances the flavor when the turkey breast is grilled for 12 minutes on one side and then for 4 minutes on the other using a very hot, closed grill.  It is then sliced thin, across the grain of the meat.



     A properly marinated and grilled turkey London broil has been called a "work of art" according to Allison Fishman writing on the subject in NJ Monthly Magazine.  She is the author of "You Can Trust A Skinny Cook."

A Cut Below

     As I mentioned yesterday the term London Broil does not refer to a specific cut of beef but to a method of preparing a less expensive, tougher piece of meat and with a marinade making it more pleasing to the palate.

     All the major media culinary masters have their own spin on the best way to accomplish that,  Bobby Flay, Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse among them.  But here is a simple recipe that I came across that will make you a chef extraordinaire in your own kitchen:

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• tablespoons soy sauce
  1 tablespoon ketchup
  1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  4 pounds flank steak

ADVERTISE WITH US

ADVERTISEMENT

• PREP
  30 mins
• COOK
  15 mins
• READY IN
  5 hrs 45 mins

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together garlic, salt, soy sauce, ketchup, vegetable oil, black pepper and oregano.
2. Score both sides of the meat, diamond cut, about 1/8 inch deep. Rub garlic mixture into both sides of the meat. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours, or overnight. Flip meat every few hours.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate.
4. Place meat on the prepared grill. Cook for 3 to 7 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Meat or Method?

     During Thanksgiving week our DC daughter was home.  She always requests that while she in in residence I cook her favorite food item, London Broil.  So prior to doing the actual meal preparation and cooking I did some investigation of this supposed meal from the British Isles.

     And to my surprise I learned that it is unknown to the Brits and according to James Beard  was first created in 1931 in Philadelphia, The Big Scrapple.  Who'd have thunk it?  The name London Broil does not refer to a specific cut of meat but rather to the process of cooking any lean, tougher cut of beef.  So what is labeled as such at the butcher shop could be actually to round, sirloin tip, chuck shoulder or most likely flank steak.

     But the key to London Broil is to marinate the beef so it is tenderized before being either broiled in the oven or cooked on an outdoor grill.  And the marinade isn't specific either.  It can be a combination of any or all of the following: olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, ground pepper and ginger.  The beef should be marinated in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours but less than 24 hours before being seared with high heat and then cut across the grain into thin strips and served.



   Now I need to figure out what to do with the meat labeled "London Broil Turkey Breast" I purchased as a back up.