Fresh Sheep’s Milk Ricotta Doughnuts with Warm Orange Honey & Cinnamon
The original recipe for Ricotta Loukamades with Thyme Honey and Walnuts is here. If you compare them, you will see what a total stupor I must have been in.
Yield: about a dozen small doughnuts

Ingredients:
vegetable or other neutral oil for frying

½ c. honey
1 t. very finely grated orange zest

¾ c. all purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur.)
1 t. baking powder
¼ t. baking soda
a pinch of salt
1 T. sugar
½ c. fresh sheep’s milk ricotta*
1 large egg
½ c. whole milk
1 t. vanilla extract

cinnamon for dusting

Method:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm about two inches of oil to 360 degrees F.

• In a small saucepan, warm the honey and orange zest over the lowest possible heat.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.

• In a small bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the ricotta until it is light and fluffy, about two minutes.

• Add the egg and beat until it is shiny and light in texture.

• Beat in the milk and vanilla.

• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and beat briefly to combine.

• When the oil reaches temperature, drop in tablespoons full of the batter. Fry them, turning them in the oil, until they are deep golden brown.

• Transfer them with a slotted spoon from the oil to the warm honey. Roll them briefly in the honey and transfer them to a serving plate.

• Dust with cinnamon.

*I used Shepherd’s Way Farms’ fresh sheep’s milk ricotta. Read more about Shepherd’s Way here.

Poached Pear & Ricotta Turnovers
Yield: 4 turnovers, 4 to 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 c. sugar, plus a few pinches for the filo
1 c. water
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped of its seeds
2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and sliced into ¼ “ slices
10 sheets filo dough
3 T. melted butter
1 c. fresh ricotta cheese (I love Shepherds’ Way Farms.  If you can get your hands on some, you’re in for a spectacular treat.)
a pinch of salt
a little fresh grated nutmeg
a little powdered sugar

Method:

• Thaw the filo in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

• Place the sugar, water, and the vanilla bean seeds and pod into a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

• Add the pears and simmer gently until the pears are nearly tender. The time will depend upon the ripeness of the pears you choose.

• Meanwhile, roll out the filo leaves on your countertop and cover them with a barely damp clean kitchen towel or paper towels.

• Take one leaf of filo and drizzle it with a touch of melted butter. Spread it gently with a pastry brush and sprinkle the dough with a tiny pinch of sugar.

• Repeat this process until you have a five-leaf stack of filo, stacking each leaf onto the next.

• Repeat this entire process to make another stack of five sheets.

• Cut both stacks of filo in half into two equal rectangles.  You will have four rectangles total to fill.

• Smear ¼ c. of ricotta on each stack of filo, making a triangle in the corner, and sprinkle on a little pinch of salt and some fresh grated nutmeg.

• Using a slotted spoon, transfer ½ of a pear to each, fanning out the pears.

• Fold the filo into a triangle, then again, and again, so that you have a little triangle-shaped pouch. Trim any excess filo with a sharp knife.

• Transfer the turnovers to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

• Brush the top of each turnover with melted butter and sprinkle with a little pinch of sugar.

• Bake the turnovers for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crisp.

• Dust with powdered sugar and a little fresh grated nutmeg.

Kouign Amann Tips
Lamination is a baking term that refers to creating layers of pastry and butter.  Butter is enclosed in an envelope of pastry.  When the pastry is rolled and folded repeatedly, a process referred to as turns, it creates layers which rise during the baking process.  Lamination is used to create puff pastry, Danish pastry, and croissants.

David recommends French butter.  I used Plugra European-style butter with happy results.  He also recommends adding some additional grains of coarse salt to the butter.  It helps to approximate the flavor of Breton salted butter.

To knead dough, grasp the dough with your fist and press it down and away from you with the heel of your hand.  Lift the dough and continue this motion, grabbing the dough, and pressing it away from you.  The dough will become increasingly smooth and elastic.

David recommends keeping a bench or pastry scraper nearby in case your dough sticks to your countertop as you’re working.  A bench scraper is basically the culinary version of a paint scraper.  If you have one of those, and it’s immaculately clean, use it here in lieu of a bench scraper.

If you’re looking for a warm place in your home in which to rest dough, consider a closet through which a heating duct runs.  A high shelf in such a closet is a very toasty place.

I used a 10-inch springform pan, which I wrapped tightly in aluminum foil.  I placed it on a foil-lined baking sheet, as well.

Kouign Amann
From David Lebovitz
Yield:  about eight to ten buttery servings

Ingredients:
1 T. dry yeast (not rapid rise)
¾ c. tepid water
2 c. all purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur.)
½ t. salt
1 c. sugar, divided, plus additional for rolling the pastry
½ c. salted European-style butter, such as Plugra, cut into ½ “ pieces and chilled
2 to 3 T. salted European-style butter, melted

Method:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the yeast and the water with a pinch of sugar.  Let the yeast rest until it blooms and becomes foamy, about 10 minutes.

• Slowly add the flour and salt, stirring to combine.  You are aiming for a soft dough that is not too sticky.  If the dough is quite sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it is workable.

• Dust your countertop lightly with flour and transfer the dough.

• Knead the dough until it is smooth, about 3 minutes.

• Brush a medium bowl with butter and place the dough in the bowl.  Cover it and place it in a warm place for an hour.

• Lightly dust your countertop with flour again and roll out the dough into a large rectangle 12” x 18,” short sides to your right and left.

• Scatter the slices of butter across the pastry and sprinkle the dough with ¼ c. of the sugar.

• Fold the short sides of the pastry in to the center, as you would fold a brochure.

• Sprinkle the dough with sugar again and fold it as you would a brochure once again.

• Wrap a plate in cellophane and place the dough on it.  Refrigerate the pastry for one hour.

• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and sprinkle your countertop liberally with sugar.  Place the dough on the sugar and top it with another ¼ c. of sugar.

• Roll it into a large rectangle again.

• Fold it as you would a brochure again, in thirds with short ends towards the center, and allow it to rest for another hour in the refrigerator.

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and brush a 9” pie plate with melted butter.

• Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it into a circle about 9” in diameter.

• Use a bench scraper or two spatulas to transfer the dough to the pie plate.

• Sprinkle the dough with ¼ c. sugar and 1 T. melted butter.

• Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the pastry is deep golden brown.

• Allow the finished cake to rest briefly.  Then run a knife around the edge of the pan and transfer the cake to a cooling rack.

Heart-shaped Jam Doughnuts Rolled in Pink Sugar
Yield: about ten doughnuts

Ingredients:
Ten yeast doughnuts (recipe below) made using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter
½ c. sugar
3 drops pink food color
6 ounces good seedless raspberry jam (or other jam)

Method:

• Place the sugar and pink food color into a kitchen storage bag and massage until the sugar is uniformly pink.

• Pour the pink sugar into a bowl and roll the doughnuts in the sugar while they are still warm.

• Fill a piping bag fitted with an open tip with the raspberry jam.

• Twist the bag tightly at the top and insert the tip into the side of each doughnut. Apply gentle pressure at the twist to pipe jam into the center of each doughnut.

Yeast Doughnuts
From Donuts by Elinor Klivans
Yield: about 10 3-inch doughnuts

Ingredients:
¾ c. whole milk
3 T. unsalted butter
3 ¼ c. all purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
½ t. salt
1 package (2 ½ t.) rapid rise yeast
2 large eggs
½ t. vanilla extract

Method:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and butter and heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot but not boiling (about 125 degrees on an instant read thermometer). Remove from the heat.

• Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. In the mixing bowl, combine 2 ½ c. of the flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast and beat on low speed to mix.

• Add the hot milk mixture, raise the speed to medium, and beat until well blended.

• Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated, about two minutes.

• Add the remaining ¾ c. flour and beat until the dough is well blended and smooth, about one minute longer. The dough will not pull away from the sides of the bowl and will still be somewhat sticky.

• Scrape the dough into a large bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let stand in a warm place until well risen and increased in bulk, about 45 minutes. (It may almost double in size.)

• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper or cellophane and brush it with oil. Line a second baking sheet with paper towels.

• Turn the dough out onto a generously floured work surface. Using a 3-inch pastry cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible. Use a wide spatula to transfer the doughnuts to the oiled paper. Gather up the scraps and repeat rolling and cutting out doughnuts.

• Cover the doughnuts with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes. The doughnuts should look soft and puffy, but will not double in size.

• Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches into a deep fryer or deep, heavy sauté pan and heat until the oil reads 360 degrees on a thermometer.

• Carefully lower two to five doughnuts into the hot oil and deep fry until dark golden brown in color, about 1 ½ minutes. Turn over and cook until dark golden on the second side, about one minute.

• Transfer to the towel-lined baking sheet.

• Repeat to fry the remaining doughnuts, allowing the oil to return to temperature between batches.

Danish Hazelnut Snails (Snegler)
Adapted from Beatrice Ojakangas’ The Great Scandinavian Baking Book
Yield: 24 muffin-sized pastries

Ingredients:
1 recipe quick method Danish pastry (recipe below)
½ c. softened butter
1 c. light or dark brown sugar, packed
1 c. finely chopped hazelnuts
1 t. cinnamon
1 slightly beaten egg

Method:

• Place paper cupcake liners in 24 muffin cups.

• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to make a 20-inch square.  Spread with the butter.  Sprinkle with the brown sugar, hazelnuts, and cinnamon.

• Roll up jellyroll fashion.  Cut into 24 slices.  Place slices with cut side up into each of the muffin cups.

• Let rise in a cool place for 30 to 45 minutes, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brush pastries with beaten egg.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and golden.  Serve warm.

Danish Pastry Tips
We use cream and omit the cardamom seed, mix by hand, and don’t bother with bringing the eggs for the pastry to room temperature or with brushing the finished pastries with egg.

No need to bother with a thermometer for the water.  It should feel lukewarm and just above body temperature.

It’s convenient to make the pastry dough the night before you make the snails.  Then all you have to do is shape them and bake them the next morning.  We chill for the minimum 30 minutes during the rolling and folding of the pastry the next morning and let them rise the minimum 30 minutes.

Quick Method Danish Pastry

Ingredients:
3¾ c. all purpose flour
1½ c. chilled unsalted butter
2 packages active dry yeast
½ c. warm water, 105 to 115 degrees
½ c. heavy cream or undiluted evaporated milk
½ t. freshly crushed cardamom seed (optional)
½ t. salt
2 eggs at room temperature
¼ c. sugar

Method:

• Measure 3½ c. flour into a bowl, or into the work bowl of the food processor with the steel blade in place.  Cut the butter into ¼-inch slices and add to the flour.  Process or cut the butter into the flour until the butter is about the size of kidney beans.

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.  Let stand five minutes.  Stir in the cream or milk, cardamom, salt, eggs, and sugar.

• Turn the flour-butter mixture into the liquid ingredients, and with a rubber spatula, mix carefully just until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Cover and refrigerate four hours, overnight, or up to four days.

• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board; dust with flour.

• Pound and flatten to make a 16- to 20-inch square.  Fold into thirds making three layers.  Turn dough around and roll out again.  Fold from the short sides into thirds.  This should result in a perfect square.  Repeat folding and rolling again if you wish.  Wrap and chill the dough 30 minutes or as long as overnight.

Cream Scones
Yield: 8 scones

Ingredients:
2 c. all purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur.)
¼ c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
½ t. salt
1 pint (2 c.) heavy cream (I adore Cedar Summit Farms.)
2 T. butter, melted
1 T. sugar

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

• In a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients with a fork.

• Pour in the cream and stir it in with a fork.

• Give the dough a few gentle kneads with your hand.

• Transfer the dough to your baking sheet and pat it into a circle roughly 10” in diameter.

• Cut the circle into eight equal triangles and separate them.

• Brush the scones with the melted butter and sprinkle them with the sugar.

• Bake for 17 minutes, or until they spring back a bit when pressed.

These scones are best the day they are baked. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Recipe note:  The proportions of cream to flour are correct.  Measure your flour by scooping and leveling.  I use an exceptionally thick cream.  If your cream is thin, begin with 1 1/2 cups and add additional cream as needed.  The dough should be very soft.

Clotted Cream
from the Sustainable Table blog
Yield:  about 1 c. clotted cream

Ingredients:
2 pints heavy cream, preferably with a high fat content and not ultra pasteurized (I love Cedar Summit Farms.)

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.

• Pour the cream into an oven safe pan or dish such that the cream rises one to three inches deep.

• Cover the pan or dish, and bake for eight to 12 hours, or until the cream has formed a thick, yellow skin.

• Cool the cream at room temperature, and then refrigerate it for eight hours.

• Skim the yellow clotted cream from the top and serve.

You may use the cream that remains below for baking.

A Proper Cup of Tea

Method:

• Bring water to a boil in a teakettle.

• Warm a teapot. Fill the pot with boiling water and allow it to sit for two to three minutes. Drain the water from the pot.

• Place one tablespoon of tea per cup of water into the pot plus one extra tablespoon.

• Fill the pot with water and allow the tea to steep for two to three minutes.

• Strain the tea into cups.

• Add milk and sugar to taste.

Recipes in Concert

1. Put the cream in the oven to bake in the morning.

2. Take the cream out in the evening and allow it to cool at room temperature.

3. Put the cream into the refrigerator to chill overnight.

4. The next afternoon make the scones.

5. While they bake put on a kettle of water for the tea and skim the clotted cream into a container.  Put the remaining liquid cream into another container.

6. Brew the tea.  Get out the jam.

7. Remove the scones from the oven.

8. Serve the tea, the scones, the clotted cream, and the jam.

9. Relax.

Danish Pastry Tips
Cardamom seeds must be removed from their pale green pods.  Simply pry them open and then use a mortar and pestle or a dedicated coffee grinder to crush the little seeds.

The water you add to the yeast should feel barely luke warm, just above body temperature.  If it’s too hot you will kill the yeast.

When this dough comes out of the refrigerator, don’t panic.  It’s okay that it’s kind of a misshapen rock.  Give it a few good bashes with your rolling pin on a well-floured surface until it begins to yield.  Then begin rolling.  It will become more supple as you work it.  Keep moving the dough and adding a bit of flour to your work surface as necessary, and use a bench scraper or run a knife under it if it begins to stick.

To cut the dough into eight equal parts, begin by cutting it in half.  Then cut each half in half, and each piece in half again.

Find a toasty warm spot in your home for the pastry to rise.  I balance mine on a bin of mittens and hats on the top shelf of a closet where there is a heating duct.

Almond Danish Kugelhopf
Adapted from Beatrice Ojakangas’ The Great Scandinavian Baking Book
Yield:  one pastry crown in eight parts

Ingredients:
1 ¼ c. chilled unsalted butter cut into ¼ “ slices
3 c. all purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur.)
2 packages active dry yeast
¼ c. warm water, 105 to 115 degrees
½ c. milk at room temperature
½ t. freshly crushed cardamom seeds
2 eggs at room temperature
1 t. salt
¼ c. sugar
…
½ c. sugar
½ c. unsalted butter at room temperature
½ c. almond paste
1 t. almond extract
½ c. sliced almonds (optional)
confectioners’ sugar for dusting the top (optional)

Method:

• Place the butter slices and the flour in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until the butter is the size of small beans.  If you don’t have a food processor, cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two knives, or by pinching it together with your fingers.

• Turn the mixture into a large bowl and chill it while you proceed.

• Measure the yeast into a medium bowl and add the water.  Allow it to rest for five minutes, or until it is foamy.

• Add the milk, cardamom, eggs, salt, and sugar and mix well.

• Pour the liquid over the flour and butter and fold together carefully just until the flour is moistened throughout.

• Cover and refrigerate four hours or overnight.

• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and dust it lightly with flour.  Pound it and then roll it out to a 20” square.  Fold the square into thirds, so that it is shaped like an envelope.

• Turn the dough so that the short end faces you.  Roll it out a bit longer and fold it into a square.  Allow the dough to rest while you make the filling.

• To make the filling, in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the almond paste, butter, sugar, and almond extract and mix until smooth.

• Roll the square of pastry into a rectangle 11” by 14” and smear it with the almond filling almost to the edges.

• Roll up the dough so that you have a long roll and slice the roll into eight equal parts.

• Butter a kugelhopf or other tube or bundt pan well with butter, sprinkle in the sliced almonds if you are using them, and nestle the pastry slices into the pan

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

• Place the pan in a warm spot to rise until it is doubled, about one hour.

• Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

• Tip the pastry onto a serving platter while it is still hot.

• Dust it with confectioners’ sugar if you wish and serve it while it is warm.