OBUGS party tomorrow 4/10/11

I just want to give a shout out to a great event happening tomorrow in Oakland, CA in support of O.B.U.GS -

Oakland Based Urban Gardens which is a nonprofit that uses edible garden classrooms at schools throughout West Oakland to bring about true food-system change in a local food desert.

Children in OBUGS programs are the hands-on harvesters, gardeners, chefs and taste-testers. They learn that healthy can be fun, easy and taste amazing. It's a life skill and knowledge base that fuels demand and shapes the next generation's food world.

The event is at Pizzaiolo,
5008 Telegraph Ave. (at 51st Street)
Oakland, CA
It begins at 6 p.m.

Come enjoy delicious food and drink by chefs from Chez Panisse and Pizzaiolo donating their time and perfecting new recipes for the cause. Families are welcome.

Live music from Rafa Postel and Danny Lubin Laden

With tickets starting at $5, we'll have

Miso ramen (Limited Quantity)

Wood oven roasted crab

Lamb wraps with harissa

Spring vegetable tempura

Homemade ice cream sandwiches

St George Cocktails

Get tickets ahead online! http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1528791657

Cookies & biscotti

In the middle of the afternoon there is nothing more pleasant than being able to sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and a couple of cookies. No matter what kind of day you are having, this little act makes everything seem a bit more civilized.

These are some of my favorites and are quite easy to make. They will keep in an airtight container for at least 4 days of afternoon snacking.

Pictured above are Almond-Anise Biscotti, Pain d'Amande, & Langues de Chat (Cat Tongues).

Almond-Anise Biscotti
Whole eggs 2
Egg yolks 1
Sugar 1 c
Flour 2 c
Baking soda 1 tsp
Salt 1/4 tsp
Almond extract 1/8 tsp
Anise seed 1 tsp
Orange zest 2 tsp
Whole almonds
(coarsely chopped) 1 1/2 c

Method:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat eggs in mixture with sugar 1 minute with the paddle attachment. Add dry ingredients and mix just to combine. Add extract, anise, zest, and almonds and mix until combined. Form into 2 logs.

Bake logs at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes or until set. Cut cookies crosswise (about 1/4" to 1/2" thick). Reduce the heat in the oven to 300 degrees. Lay the cookies out flat on a baking sheet and toast them until they are crisp and golden.

Pain d'Amande
Flour 4 1/2 c + 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp
Baking soda 1/2 tsp
Water 1/2 c + 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp
Butter 8 oz
Demerara or raw sugar 3 c
Cinnamon 1 tsp
Sliced almonds 6 oz

Method:
Melt the butter in a pot and add cold water to cool slightly. Add to pot, cinnamon, sugar and let the sugar dissolve slightly but not completely (this will give the cookies a nice crunch). Put this mixture into a stand mixer and add almonds and sifted dry ingredients - mix until the dough comes together.

Press the dough into a flat sheet about an inch or so thick (pressing it into a plastic lined baking sheet or square cake pan works well (this recipe will yield enough dough to cover half of a baking sheet).

Chill the dough for at least 2 hours then cut the dough into logs however long you want the cookies to be.

Slice the cookies very thin and bake at 350 degrees until set and slightly golden - about 8-10 minutes.

Langues de Chat (Cat Tongues)
Butter 1/2 lb
Sugar 1/2 lb
Egg whites 1/2 lb (~1 c)
Flour 1/2 lb

Method:
Cream the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment then add your sugar and mix until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add the room temperature egg whites little by little - you are making an emulsification so add a bit then let the dough come back together before adding more, you cannot over mix this part of the dough so don't worry if it takes a while.

When all of the egg whites have been added, put your flour into the mixer and blend until the dough comes together. The dough will be quite loose and is ready to use.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spread or pipe the cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Put in oven and set a timer for 4 minutes. When the timer rings, sprinkle the half-baked cookies with a very light coating of granulated sugar and put them back into the oven to finish baking about another 4-6 minutes - the cookies should be golden brown all the way through.

The bee is back...

After a very long hiatus due to my daughter Charlotte's birth last summer, I am finally finding enough balance in my life to start posting again, and not a moment too soon - rhubarb and strawberries are right around the corner.

Despite not posting for a number of months, Little Bee did stay quite busy. I was a regular feature at the Pop-Up General Store in Oakland, CA where I sold my tart dough and Fleur de Sel caramel sauce among other things.
Most recently Little Bee participated in the Bake Sale for Japan which was truly amazing! 40 simultaneous bake sales across the country. As of this posting we have raised just over $124,000 of which 100% will go to relief efforts in Japan.

Little Bee made "I Heart Japan" sugar cookies, and so can you...

Yields 2-3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2 ¾ cups flour

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1 cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons good brandy (optional)

1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk

¾ teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350º.

Stir together flour and salt - then, using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is the consistency of course meal. In a separate bowl beat together sugar, egg, yolk, optional brandy, lemon zest, and cinnamon until well blended and smooth. Stir sugar mixture into the flour mixture until evenly incorporated.

Divide the dough in half and place each piece of dough between two pieces of waxed paper. Roll out the dough to ¼” thick. Chill dough sheets still in waxed paper in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

When ready, peel off top layer of waxed paper and place it back on the dough. Flip over the dough sheet and gently peel off second layer of waxed paper and cut out desired shapes. Re-roll excess dough until used up. (If dough gets too soft, put back in the refrigerator until it firms up.)

Place cookies on baking sheet 1 ¼” apart and bake in middle rack for 6-8 minutes. The edges should be lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Decorate as desired.

Thanks for your patience - it's good to be back!

Apricot tart - worth the wait!

Roll out the dough into a circle or square approximately 1/8-inch thick. Place dough on a metal pan lined with parchment paper and pop into the freezer for a few minutes to firm up the dough. Once the dough is firm, spread a thin layer of frangipane (see recipe in post from 6/2/10) on the crust and dust with about 1 Tbsp flour. The frangipane gives the tart a more nuanced flavor and with the flour helps prevent leaks from the juicy apricots.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

~20 apricots1/2 cup + sugar (depending on the sweetness and variety of the apricot, you may need to adjust the sugar quantity. It is best to start with 1/2 cup and then taste the tart half way through baking and add more if needed.)

Cut your apricots into quarters. Place them skin side down with the tips pointing up in a circular pattern around the dough.
Sprinkle the fruit with your 1/2 cup of sugar. Butter the edges if desired and place in the oven to bake. After about 20 minutes of baking, taste a piece of fruit and add more sugar if necessary (some tarts can take up to 3/4 cup of sugar, so don't be alarmed if your tart needs more.)

Continue baking until the crust on the edges and bottom are baked through and golden - about 40-50 minutes total.

Cool on a rack. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Frangipane - a summer tart's best friend

When spring and summer come and you're making tarts with juicy fruits like cherries, apricots, nectarines, etc. it is always a good idea to spread a little bit of frangipane underneath the fruit to help prevent leaks. Also, in my humble opinion the almond in the frangipane enhances the tart and gives the fruit greater depth of flavor .

Here is the recipe:

Frangipane
4 oz almond paste
2 oz unsalted butter, soft
1/8 cup whole egg (about 1/2 an egg)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp flour

Method: In your mixing bowl, mix the almond paste and butter together until smooth. Add egg, sugar, and flour and mix until well combined.

Store in an airtight container. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Rhubarb tart - before it's too late!

Rhubarb Tart

Roll out the dough into a circle or a square approximately 1/8-inch thick. Place the dough onto a metal pan lined with parchment paper and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

20 oz rhubarb - Make sure to remove the leaves since these are poisonous. Cut the stems into 1/4-1/2 inch batons about 3-4 inches long.
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup sugar (adding an additional 2 Tbsp sugar half way through baking)
Juice & zest of half an orange

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl and place on the prepared tart shell. make sure the red side of the rhubarb batons are facing up. Crimp the edges of the dough around the fruit to create a barrier. You can brush the edge with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar if desired.

Place in the oven to bake. After about 20 minutes, sprinkle the remaining 2 Tbsp sugar over the fruit and rotate the tart in the oven. Finish baking until the edges are golden brown and crust is baked through on the bottom - about 40-50 minutes total baking time.
Take out of the oven and cool on a rack.
Tart can be served warm or at room temperature. I like to pair it with a bit of sweetened cream or a scoop of strawberry ice cream.

Welcome Cherries!

Got some Brooks cherries today from Frog Hollow Farm and made the first cherry tarts of the year! Here is the recipe:

Cherry Tart

Roll out your tart dough into a circle or square approximately 1/8-inch thick. Place dough on a metal pan lined with parchment paper and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400°

5 ½ - 6 c. Cherries - I like Brooks, Burlat, Bing or any other sweet cherry - you can also throw a few sour cherries into the mix if you have them (the cherries should be pitted)

¼ - ½ c. sugar (depending on the sweetness of the cherries, you can always add the minimum and taste halfway through baking then add the remainder if needed)

½ Meyer lemon juice + zest

splash of Kirsch if desired

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl and place on the prepared tart shell. Fold edges over the cherry halves. You can brush the edge with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar if desired.

Cut some cherries for the border in half and sprinkle a few halves throughout the tart to fill in the gaps.

Place in the oven and bake until the crust on the edges and bottom is baked through and golden – about 40-50 minutes.

Cool on a rack. Can be served warm or at room temperature.