Month: November 2019

Ingredients
CRUST:
1 1/2 cups/125g graham cracker crumbs
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup/75g unsalted butter or margarine, melted

FILLING:
900g cream cheese, softened
1 1/4/250g cups sugar
1/2 cup/125ml sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 large eggs

TOPPING:
1/2 cup/125ml sour cream
2 tsp sugar

Preheat oven to 325F/160C. Place a large pan filled with 1/2 inch water in oven.

Mix graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon; add butter or margarine. Press crust onto bottom and 2/3 of the way up a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment. Double-wrap a large piece of foil around bottom of pan. Freeze until filling is prepared.

Use an electric mixer to mix cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Blend until smooth and creamy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Whisk eggs in a bowl; add to cream cheese mixture. Blend just until eggs are incorporated.

Remove crust from freezer and pour in filling. Carefully place cheesecake into preheated water bath. Bake in the preheated oven for one hour and 15 minutes. Try not to open the door to the oven. At the 60 minute mark check on the cheesecake if its done. A small area in the center should wobble slightly and the edges should be puffed and light golden brown.

Turn oven off and prop open oven door and leave the cheesecake to cool in oven for one hour.

Combine sour cream and sugar; spread over cake. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

2 sheets puff pastry (defrosted, if frozen)
1 kg fresh baby spinach, or 500g frozen spinach, defrosted.
2 scallions
2 Tbsp. dill
75g Greek feta, crumbled
1 lemon
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
freshly ground black pepper, plus more
All-purpose flour (for rolling)
1 large egg

Wilt spinach in a frying pan over a little bit of olive oil. Let cool. If using frozen spinach, place in a colander to drain.

While spinach cools, finely chop 2 scallions and transfer to a medium bowl. Finely chop 2 Tbsp. dill and add to bowl. Crumble Greek feta into small pieces and add to bowl. Add zest of 1 lemon. Season with 1 tsp. kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Transfer spinach to a dish towel and squeeze over the sink — you want to get rid of excess moisture that’ll make your pastry soggy. You’ll be surprised by how little spinach is left, but that’s okay. Chop and add to bowl with scallion mixture. Stir to combine, making sure to break up any spinach clumps.

Find a round object that’s 10–12″ in diameter (the larger, the better – look for a large pan lid). Place one of the pastry sheets, still on parchment, on a work surface or large cutting board. Dust lightly with flour, both over and under. Roll it out, rotating parchment 90° (so you’re rolling in all directions) and dusting with flour if pastry sticks, until it’s at least 1–2″ larger than your round object.

Place round object over pastry, press to indent, then use a sharp knife to trace the circle. Set aside the excess pastry. Transfer pastry round, still on parchment, to a baking sheet. Chill. Repeat with the second sheet of pastry.

Crack 1 large egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Brush egg wash all along circumference of one pastry round (this will seal the two pieces of pastry together); reserve remaining egg wash for later. Spread spinach mixture over, leaving a 1/2″ border. Place second round of pastry on top and press gently to seal. Using a small cup or shot glass (2″ in diameter), make an indent in the very center. Your pastry might be slightly warm by now. If so, chill 10–20 minutes.

Once pastry is cool, transfer the whole set-up, parchment and all, to a work surface. With a chef’s knife, cut pastry into 4 quadrants, stopping when you reach the center circle. Cut each quadrant in half, then in half again, so that you have 16 spokes. Transfer tart with parchment back to sheet tray. (We’re doing this so that you can make sharp cuts and avoid transferring a delicate item)

Working with one spoke at a time, pull gently away from the center (to extend the length of each piece), then twist to expose the spinach insides. Aim for three or four twists. Nudge them around to distribute evenly. Freeze until cold, 10–15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 400F/200C. Brush tart all over with reserved egg wash; season with salt and pepper. Bake tart until risen and well browned all over, 30–35 minutes.

In the great debate between NY-style and Montreal-style bagels, I’m biased – I grew up eating bagels in Montreal and, to me, they represent a taste of home. New York-style bagels are soft, chewy and doughy. Montreal-style bagels, on the other hand, are smaller, denser and sweeter. Both are boiled before they are baked, to create the thick, shiny, chewy exterior. New York bagels are made with salt and malt, whilst honey and extra eggs are added to the water when baking a Montreal bagel. The cooking process for each type of bagel also differs. A New York bagel is first boiled before being baked in a traditional oven. A Montreal bagel on the other hand is boiled in water that contains added sugar and honey before being baked in a wood-fired oven.

Ingredients

350 g warm water
60 g sugar
30 g oil
10 g active dry yeast
1 egg
20 g honey
8 g salt
Up to 700 g flour

For finishing:
150 g honey
Preferred topping (sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything mix)

Everything bagel mix:
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1.5 tbsp dried minced onion
2 tsp flaked sea salt or coarse salt

Making the dough:

In a large bowl, whisk together water, sugar, oil, yeast, egg and honey. Whisk in salt. Gently stir in some of the flour (approx. 550g), one cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto surface and gently knead until it begins to comes together. Continue to knead, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking, until you have a soft, dough that bounces back when you press on it — it should take 10 – 12 minutes.

When dough is properly kneaded, place in an oiled bowl, making sure to get a thin coat of oil on dough. Cover with a towel and let rest 30 minutes.

Cut dough into pieces between 100g-120g. Keep pieces covered with towel while you work.

Shaping:

Roll each piece into a 10 – 12 inch rope. Do not add flour to the surface, unless to prevent sticking.

Wrap rope around your four fingers, overlapping the ends on the inside of your hand to make a circle. To seal, roll your hand back and forth, pressing gently to complete the circle. Place on floured surface to rest and cover with a towel as you work. Keep bagels covered as you go.

Let bagels rest 30 minutes.

Boiling and baking:

Preheat oven to 450F/225C/200C Fan with a parchment paper-lined baking sheet inside.

Fill a large pot with water. Put to boil over medium-high heat. Add 150 g of honey to pot of water and bring to a full boil.

Handle rested bagels gently to keep their shape. Boil bagels in batches, 1.5 – 2 minutes per side. Remove from water using a slotted spoon. Place onto cooling rack and sprinkle heavily with seeds.

Place bagels on heated pan in oven and bake until golden brown, 15 – 20 minutes.