Apple and Toasted Almond Pillsbury Crescent Waffle Bites with Cardamom Whipped Cream

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and holiday planning is in overdrive. I was commissioned by Pillsbury to come up with some food ideas for the classic Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. I remember loving these as child. They are a great medium as short cut if you are really not  baking inclined.

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Old El Paso Refried Beans,Chicken,Cheese Empanadas with Creamy Lime Cilantro Dip

Here is another recipe I developed , incorporating Old El Paso Traditional Refried Beans.These Latin inspired hand pies, empanada’s, can be filled with many sweet and savory fillings.Using  Old El Paso Refried beans with chicken and cheese add an extra creaminess. I used premade empanada dough discs , which can be found in the  Latin food freezer section in specialty supermarkets. You can also use a basic premade refrigerated  pie dough. Or if you have the time, patience, and skill, try making your own empanada dough. Either way your guests will enjoy these snacks, or even a meal in one. Play with sizes to determine your portions or style of serving.  The accompanying sauce has  a zesty coolness  of cilantro and lime. Perfect for dipping.

Empanada’s can be baked or fried. In this recipe I fried them. If you fry at the optimal temperature( around 350 degrees minimum), the result is perfect and food is not greasy. I love how frying blisters the dough and makes it perfectly crunchy and flakey. If you choose to bake your empanada, bake in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes on a silicone mat lined baking sheet. Be sure to brush tops with a bit of oil.

So you see the methods and options for empanada’s are endless. Savory, sweet, vegan, meat filled. Enjoy. And remember using a product like Old El Paso Refried beans adds more creaminess and goes with a multitude of filling options.

 *Disclosure

This is an endorsement of product from General Mills/ Old El Paso in which I developed a few recipes for compensation.

 

 

Old El Paso Refried Beans,Chicken,Cheese Empanadas with Creamy Lime Cilantro Dip
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • Empanadas
  • 10 premade empanada discs or ready made pie crusts cut into rounds( approximately 4 premade rolled crusts)
  • 1 cup boiled chicken breast, diced or shredded
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ cup Old El Paso Traditional refried beans
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella
  • Vegetable Oil for deep frying.( amount varies on size of deep fryer or skillet)
  • Creamy Cilantro Lime Dip
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • ¾ cup cilantro chopped
  • ½ small onion minced
Instructions
  1. For Empanadas
  2. Heat deep fryer to 350 º
  3. In a small bowl mix diced chicken, chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic.
  4. Take a small rounded tablespoon of seasoned chicken and place atop disc.
  5. Add a bit of cheese, and refried beans.
  6. Do not overstuff.
  7. Take each end of dough to fold over into half moon shape.
  8. Seal edges shut by pressing dough together, and then laying down on flat surface and using a fork to press in edges to seal.
  9. Fry empanadas a few at a time. Do not overcrowd fryer.
  10. Drain on paper towel. Keep warm on a parchment lined baking sheet in a 200 º oven.
  11. Creamy Cilantro Lime Dip
  12. In a small food processor or bowl/cup of immersion blender, add all sour cream, lime, cilantro, and onion.
  13. Pulse to blend.
  14. Refrigerate until ready to serve with empanadas.
Notes
You can use pre made refrigerated pie crust. If you make your own empanada dough, try coloring it with annatto. You can vary size of discs, empanadas, just remember not to overfill. You can use leftover rotisserie chicken, or other meats as a filling with Old El Paso Traditional Refried Beans, and Cheese of your choice.

Kumquat Confit and Kumquat Pistachio Palmiers

The other day I was in Stanley’s and saw a nice punnet of kumquat’s staring at me. Do you look at some foods and think back to your first taste, which may or may not have been pleasant? That’s how I felt with kumquat’s. I wanted to love the cute miniature citrus fruit , but a distant memory of just eating one raw off someones little tree, as child always held me back. Well I’m a big girl now, 43 years of age, to be exact and it was time to acquaint myself with Kumquats again. Surely if  I cooked them down to a confit , almost candy like, they will go down well? And yes they did. Talk about a burst of sunshine and citrus finished with a hint of bourbon and cinnamon. The kumquats picked me up and tickled my tongue, as I ate it on hot buttered bread and black coffee. Preserved kumquat’s are better than orange marmalade in my opinion.The flavor more pronounced, as it’s really all concentrated in the peel.

Certain Someone is not a big jam , preserve type. He loves his  charcuterie, black coffee , good bread and butter on lazy weekend mornings. So while I made a small batch, I wanted more applications for my confit. I had small sheets of commercial puff pastry in my freezer and nuts in the cupboard.

I took my kitchen shears and cut up a small amount of the candid kumquats  to smaller pieces, as the confit was made from kumquat halves. I spread them over the defrosted puff pastry, added a mixture of pistachios and  raw sugar which had been blended to a coarse crumb, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I then carefully rolled them up on either end, to meet in the middle.  The rolls were sliced and dipped in more of the pistachio sugar crumb and baked on a parchment lined baking sheet at 375 degrees until golden. Careful not to burn the bottoms as the sugars from the confit and  sugar crumb will caramelize. Remove from oven and let cook. You will have a nice tea or coffee time snack.


Kumquat Confit
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Candied preserved Kumquats
Author:
Recipe type: condiment, preserves
Ingredients
  • 1 lb of kumquats, washed, halved, and seeded.
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon of Bourbon
  • * apple core
Instructions
  1. Halve and seed the kumquats.
  2. Place in a heavy bottomed pot with apple core.
  3. Add sugar.
  4. Slowly bring up the temp and stir and mash the fruit into the sugar until it starts to liquify slight. You don't want to burn the sugar or cook to fast.
  5. Stir in cinnamon.
  6. Cook on med heat until all the ingredients start to liquify and boil.
  7. Reduce heat until the boil is more like a simmer. Stir periodically and cook for several minutes until the fruit becomes more transparent and candied. This may take about 10 minutes more or less.
  8. The longer the cook time, the more candied the fruit. You want to make sure its spreadable and not to thick.
  9. Turn off the heat.
  10. Remove apple core.
  11. Stir in the Bourbon . The confit will sizzle a bit with the addition of the liquor.
  12. Place in clean jars.
  13. Let cool and cover
  14. Keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Notes
The apple core, loaded with natural pectin aides the thickening.

 

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
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
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.