Christmas Cinnamon Rolls

I posted earlier about one of our Christmas Traditions, Chiles en Nogada. Another is cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. Today we went to a brunch and I brought along my Christmas Cinnamon Rolls. I am including the very easy recipe for you here. I varied the icing as I sometimes do, by adding tangerine juice and zest.

Cinnamon Rolls

This is the basic recipe my great grandmother used. These freeze well and can be re-heated. You can also make and proof the dough the night before and then refrigerate the dough. If you do this, it will take longer for the rolls to rise in their second fermentation.

Prep Time: 2-3 hours (depending on rising time)

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

·                        1-1/2 packages (about 3-1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast

·                        1/4 cup warm water

·                        1/2 cup shortening, lard or butter (I usually use home rendered lard)

·                        1/3 cup sugar

·                        1-1/2 teaspoon salt

·                        1 cup milk or cream (I use cream)

·                        2 Tablespoons fresh lemon or orange zest

·                        1 egg

·                        4 to 5 cups sifted flour

·                        Softened butter (about 1/3 a cup, maybe a little more)

·                        brown sugar

·                        cinnamon

·                        Vanilla Frosting

·                        2 cups powdered sugar

·                        1 teaspoon vanilla ( I make my own)

·                        Milk, cream or fruit juice plus zest ( 4-5 tablespoons)

Method:

Add the warm water to the yeast and soak 10 minutes.

Scald milk; pour over the shortening. Add sugar, zest and salt and cool to tepid. Add the dissolved yeast and beaten egg. Add 4 cups flour adding one at a time beating after each addition.

Dough should be soft yet firm enough to handle. Knead on floured board until elastic and smooth. Avoid too much flour. Turn dough into well oiled bowl. Let rise for 1-1/2 hours.

Softly press dough down and shape into a rectangle. Roll dough out into a rectangle about 18 inches wide and 8 inches tall. Cover with the soft butter. Layer with a generous layer of brown sugar. Sprinkle on cinnamon as desired Roll up jellyroll fashion.

Using scissors or a piece of dental floss cut off slices about 1-1/2 inches thick. Place slices in an 9 X 13 inch buttered pan. Press rolls down to even out and fill pan. Let rise until rolls fill the pan generously. This could take about an hour.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 20 - 30 minutes. If rolls get too brown, cover with a piece of tine foil until the end of baking. Do not over bake rolls. Make sure the center rolls are cooked all the way through by testing with an instant read thermometer. It should read about 200 degrees. Cool on a rack.

For the Frosting:
In a medium bowl, place sugar and vanilla. Then whisk in enough milk, juice or cream to reach a thick, hardly-able to stir consistency. If you are using zest add it.

Spread over warm rolls as soon as they are placed on a plate to let the frosting melt and run into the rolls.

Valentine pleads for a taste... 

Chiles en Nogada

Feliz Navidad! Mele Kalikimaka!


This recipe truly is a labor of love. It takes hours and hours of prep time, but it is a tradition at our house every Christmas and instead of making it just for three of  us for Christmas dinner, we made it as one component of our Christmas Dinner Party for some friends visiting from the mainland and some close friends from Hawaii. Along with the Chiles en Nogada, I also smoked a Beef Brisket in Mesquite and a Ham in Apple wood with chipotle, beer, mustard and brown sugar glaze.  All that remained after 16 guests filled their plates a few times was a ham bone.

So, without further ado... here is the recipe. I urge you to set aside a full day to make this and have an extra set of hands for the walnut peeling! My son Jay (aka Butchy Fuego) was kind enough to help me with the walnuts. This tedious (but worthwhile) part of the sauce making can be done a day ahead and the walnuts stored in milk.

Chiles en Nogada

I first learned how to make Chiles en Nogada while in Cooking School in Cuernavaca Mexico. This is a signature dish of the Morelos region and it is traditionally made for the Christmas Holidays. It represents the flag of Mexico, with the red, green and white colors. This recipe serves 8 people and takes about 3 hours to make, it is one of those dishes that is well worth the effort.

Walnuts for the sauce:
2 cups (7 ounces) walnut halves and pieces, you’ll need 50 (about 1 ½  pounds) very fresh walnuts in their shells

For the chiles and pork-and-fruit stuffing:
1 1/2 pounds ground pork shoulder with 2 ounces of chopped ham (or equal parts of veal, beef & pork with two ounces of chopped ham)
3 tablespoons lard or oil
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 small white onion, diced
16 very large (about 2 pounds) fresh poblano chiles, choose good-looking chiles with their stems intact if possible
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Cups of chicken broth
½ cup raisins rehydrated in hot water & drained
2 generous tablespoons dried mango, candied biznaga cactus or citron, cut into 1/4 -inch dice
1 small pear, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 - inch dice
1 small Jonathan or McIntosh apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 - inch dice
2 medium fresh peaches (or extra pears or apples), peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4 - inch dice
1 ripe, medium-small tomato, seeded and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or Mexican Oregano
A pinch of saffron
A pinch of ground cloves
A pinch of ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably freshly ground Mexican canela
Salt, about 1 generous teaspoon
1/3 cup (about 1 3/4 ounces) silvered blanched almonds.
1 ripe, medium-size plantain, peeled and cut into 1/4 - inch dice.
For finishing the sauce:
1 to 1 1/2 cups milk
1 slice firm white bread, crusts removed
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt, about 1/2 generous teaspoon
1 cup of dry brandy
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, preferable freshly ground Mexican canela
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream or Mexican crema or crema fresca

For the garnish:
1 pomegranate
8 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

1. Peeling the walnuts. If using mature-green walnuts, break away the soft, green, outer layer with your hands. Working with 5 or 6 at a time, crack open the nuts, remove the meats in the largest pieces possible. Drop the walnut pieces into a small pan of boiling water, immediately remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel, then peel: the thin, brown skin that covers each piece will peel off in fairly large pieces if the nuts are very fresh; use a small pick or pointed trussing needle to help lift the skin out of the crevices. Continue until all are peeled. Store the nuts in a bowl of milk.

2.  Heat the onions and garlic in the oil till the onions are translucent. Add the meats and then the tomatoes. Add the chicken broth and cook till most of the broth has evaporated and the meat has become tender.

3. Roasting the chiles. The open flame method: Place chiles directly over the gas flame or on a medium hot charcoal or gas grill. Roast, turning occasionally, until blistered and blackened on all sides but not soft, about 5 minutes. The broiler method: Lay chiles on a baking sheet set about 4 inches below a preheated broiler. Roast, turning occasionally until blistered and blackened on all sides but not soft, about 10 minutes. Place in a plastic shopping bag to steam. Peel the charred skin off the chiles and rinse them if necessary. Make a long slit in the side of each chile and carefully remove the seeds and veins.

4. The stuffing. Before you start cooking, complete all the initial peeling, coring & chopping  of the stuffing ingredients (put the fruit in a little sprite to prevent browning, though a little oxidizing of the apples and pears won’t spoil the appearance of the dish.)

Into the meat, stir in the raisins, candied fruit, pear, apple, peach, the tomato, herbs and cinnamon. Mix well, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet and simmer until the apple and pear are tender (but not mushy) and the flavors are blended, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, usually a generous teaspoon.
While the meat mixture is simmering, heat  2 tablespoons of oil in a medium-small skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and fry, stirring nearly constantly, until they are a deep golden color, about 3 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon and cool. Add the diced plantain to the skillet and stir it frequently until nicely browned and sweet, 3 or 4 minutes. Add to the meat mixture along with the almonds. Remove the filling from the heat and let cool uncovered. (There will be about 6 cups).

5. Stuffing the chiles. Stuff the chiles with cooled filling, packing it in well and re-forming them in their original shape. Place on a baking sheet and cover with foil.

6. Completing the sauce. Within a couple of hours of serving, prepare the sauce. Put the peeled walnuts into a blender jar along with 1 cup of milk (from soaking the walnuts), the bread, sugar, salt, brandyand spices. Blend until a drop of the puree no longer feels gritty when rubbed between your fingers (this will be more successful with the mature-green walnuts); if the mixture should clog in the machine or if only the mixture at the bottom is moving through the blades, add more milk a little at a time, until all the mixture is moving through the blades again. Finally add the cream and blend for just a few seconds; add additional milk if necessary to achieve a medium consistency. Taste for salt and sugar; the sauce should have a slightly sweet edge with just enough salt to bring up the flavor of the walnuts. Set aside at room temperature.

7. Finishing the dish. Half an hour before serving, place the chiles in a 250-degree oven to heat through. Break the pomegranate apart under water, pick out all the seeds and place them in a small dish.
When you are ready to serve, add a little cream to the sauce if it is thicker than a medium-consistency custard sauce. Place 1 or 2 chiles (depending on how you have chosen to serve them) on each warm dinner plate. Spoon the room-temperature sauce over the warm chiles, generously covering them half away from the stem. Sprinkle the sauce generously with the pomegranate seeds, garnish with the parsley, and serve at once. Or, you can serve them traditionally on a round plate with the chiles in a circle.

COOK’S NOTES:


Timing and advance preparation: Start a day or so ahead, peeling the walnuts (allow 1 1/2 to 2 hours); they will keep for a couple days in the refrigerator tightly wrapped. Finishing the dish will require a little less than 2 hours. The chiles may be prepared and the stuffing made a couple of days in advance; store them separately, covered and refrigerated. Complete Steps 5 through 7 shortly before serving; the sauce can gray if prepared too far ahead.

Pink Ball Tree!

I am continually charmed by Hawai'i. A few days ago when we were on our morning walk, I saw one of the most beautiful sights, several very large trees loaded interesting ball like pink flowers about the size of grapefruits. I have owned nurseries in Southern California and South Carolina and my friend was a landscape contractor in the bay area and neither of us knew what it was. I took some pictures and posted them on facebook to see if anyone knew the identity of these beauties and my friend Liz told me that they were a Dombeya Tree and also known as Natal Cherry (and no, there are no edible fruit on these.) I have never seen anything quite like them before. Hawaii is always surprising me with it's incredible fauna and this pretty much takes the prize.

After quite a bit of searching, I discovered that this particular version of the Dombeya (Wallichii) is also known as the Pink Ball Tree, Hawaiian Hydrangea and the Tropical Hydrangea. It does look a lot like a Hydrangea, except that it's large flowers hang down instead of stand up, and of course this is a 20'-30' tall evergreen tree instead of a deciduous shrub. It also comes in hot pink, orange and red and a variegated pink but the bright pink one is most common in Hawai'i. I have a friend on Oahu who also has seen them in her neighborhood, so they are not only on Hawai'i Island.

This fantastically beautiful blooming tree is not native to Hawai'i, but our climate is ideal for it. It originated in India, Madagascar and East Africa. A renowned French tropical botanist (also surgeon) and explorer,  Dr. Joseph Dombey discovered the plant in the 1700's and it was named for him. He is quite an interesting fellow, so I suggest that you read about him. Note: he died in a British prison!

My research also told me that the trees can be propagated by cuttings, so guess who is going to take some cuttings? You got that right! Me! If I am successful, I will be glad to share them with you if you are in Hawai'i. I also think t hat they must spread by seed too, because the grove where these grow has probably more than 50 of these trees growing wild amongst banana, breadfruit, avocado, guava, strawberry guava, coconut palm and other local trees.

Obviously this tree blooms in the winter here. The particular grove of these trees near my house is in a rather wild area next to a pali (cliff) that leads down to the ocean, but I have also read that they are not extremely salt tolerant, but this grove is only slightly protected from salt air. My friend Sonia mentioned this tree to me a while back, saying she looks for it blooming next to the Honolii bridge near where the stand of trees is near our house, but even to her it was a mystery as to the name and origin.

On the downside, from what I have read, this beautiful scented flower that smells like buttercream frosting (I can verify that fragrance note!) attracts bees, so you would not want to place it next to your patio. Also, when the flowers fall from the tree, they have a putrid scent that attracts flies. So, it should be placed out  in a corner of the yard where you can enjoy it from afar. The velvety heart shaped leaves are evergreen and the plant can only tolerate tropical conditions. In the US it only survives in Hawaii, far south Florida, far south Texas, parts of southern Arizona and extreme coastal California. The university of California has an informative fact sheet about the Dombeya.

For those of you on the mainland, Dombeya specimens can be seen at the Huntington Gardens in San Marino, CA and The Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo, Florida. Or of course you can come visit us in Hawai'i!

What a Difference a Day Makes

After two days and nights of angry storms, Hilo is back to life as usual. It is 80 degrees and very sunny. The waterfalls are flowing and the surfers are surfing and all is well with our Hawaiian world.

I snapped these with my cell phone this morning on our walk around Honoli'i:

Just in case you forgot what it was like 24 hours ago... click here.

Cookie Soirée

Last Thursday I was lucky enough to be invited by my friend Janet to a "Lovely Ladies" event to make cookies and candy together. We  had so much fun with Christmas music, champagne, sushi, laugher and lots of goodies being made. Janet was a delightful hostess (as usual) and we had an absolutely wonderful time. We each brought  home goodie bags and lots of cookies and candies. At the bottom of this post is my recipe for a savory version of cookies, Savory Cheddar Thumbprints with pecans and Jalapeno Jelly which were a big hit at the party.

In Hawaii, you can tell who is inside by the shoes outside!

The cooler was well stocked

It's snowing!

The cheddar balls ready to be rolled in pecans

Candied Almonds

Chocolate!

Our Hostess with the Mostess

Cookie Girls!

These are my contribution, Savory Cheddar Thumbprints

These make terrific Hostess Gifts as well as great little nibbles that people cannot stop eating. They are a savory exception to sweet holiday cookies.

Makes about 48

16 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese

6 ounces unsalted butter

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon freshly cracked pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups toasted pecans, chopped

2 egg whites, beaten

1 jar jalapeno jelly or habanero jelly

Cream the butter and cheese together. Add the seasonings to the flour and then mix with the butter/cheese till the mixture forms a ball. On wax paper, roll out into a log and wrap with  plastic wrap. Either freeze for 1 hour or refrigerate overnight.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and break off teaspoon sized pieces and roll into balls. Return to the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.

Remove the balls from the refrigerator and dip each in egg white and then roll in pecans. Place about 1" apart on baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes, then remove and make indentations with your finger or the back of a wooden spoon in the center of the cookies. Fill with about 1/2 teaspoon of jelly and return to oven for 10 more minutes.

Betcha can't eat just one!

Tangerine Juice

It is Tangerine season, the wonderful sweet and flavorful fruit that can be eaten by hand, juiced and made into a multitude of things. This time of year, I spend a lot of time squeezing tangerines and making juice. We drink the juice just as it is and also use it in cocktails such as margaritas and screwdrivers. I love to reduce the juice down and use it as a finishing sauce, adding just a bit of butter, tangerine zest and fresh herbs at the end of reduction.  If you have more than enough tangerines, you can make a terrific syrup which can be used on french toast or pancakes by making a simple syrup from three cups of tangerine juice and 1 cup of sugar, cook it down till it is reduced to about 1 2/2 cups and put into a bottle. This will keep refrigerated for about a month. The reduced juice can also be used in place of vinegar in a salad dressing. The zest is great in rice and grain dishes, especially those with pine nuts or pumpkin seeds..

Squeeze On!

And here is one of my favorite recipes for a Pork Loin with Tangerine Curry Sauce perfect for a holiday supper:

Pork Loin with Tangerine Curry Sauce

3 cups tangerine juice
1 carrot, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped fresh curry leaf (optional)
2 leaves of fresh kaffir lime finely chopped
3 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
1 jalapeño chili or 4 Hawaiian chiles, seeded, minced
1 tablespoon toasted and ground cumin
1 tablespoon Thai red curry base
1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup Thai red curry base
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled butter, cut into pieces

Combine tangerine juice, carrot, cilantro, curry leaf, kaffir lime leaf, grated fresh ginger, garlic, minced jalapeño, ground cumin, palm sugar and Thai red curry base in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil mixture until carrot is very tender and liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Puree sauce in blender or processor in batches until smooth. Strain sauce and return to same saucepan.

Stir molasses, soy sauce, curry base and ginger in large glass baking dish. Add pork tenderloin and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove pork from marinade; discard marinade. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and cook pork until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 160°F, about 25 minutes. Transfer pork to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm.

Bring sauce to simmer. Remove from heat. Gradually add 6 tablespoons butter, whisking just until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut pork into 1-inch-thick slices. Serve with sauce.

Wordless Wednesday Random Fireworks

Friday and Saturday nights our neighbor, Tim DeLozier provided Pauka'a with a spectacular professional fireworks display even more fantastic than we get here on the 4th of July!

Hilo Turkey Mole

I am still not sick of turkey! I have another one in the smoker right now. Meanwhile, one of the reasons I am not tired of turkey is that there are so many things to do with it that are far beyond the norm. One of my favorite treatments is Turkey Mole. I made a deep dark rich chocolate & spice laden version with a variety of red chiles. I have been using it with turkey breast meat and served on home made tortillas with sides of black beans and tostones (double fried green plantains.)

When I studied cooking in Mexico, one of the many classes was on a variety of Moles. Many regions in Mexico have their own Mole styles, probably the most famous being Oaxaca, where more than 15 mole styles prevail. Basically a mole is a deep and complex sauce used to surround foods like tamales, turkey, chicken, enchiladas and pork. In the huge Central Market of Cuernavaca (the capitol of the region of Morelos) where I studied, there were always mole vendors who sold huge mounds of mole paste concentrates which when mixed with broth created the lovely complex dishes with ease.

We are not so lucky in Hawaii, or most places on the mainland for that matter.  Actually most hispanic ingredients are among the difficult things to find here. Fortunately my friends at Emma's, a small taqueria in an industrial park here supply me with good quality  dried chiles, freshly made tortillas, masa and other ingredients which are otherwise difficult to find here. Many of the other ingredients, such as the pumpkin seeds can be found at our local health food stores such as Island Naturals and Abundant Life Natural Foods. I used both Hawaiian Chocolate and Mexican Chocolate as well as cinnamon from my own cinnamon trees and many spices grown here on the island.

So, here is the recipe. This formula can be used as a sauce for many things and once made keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a month. I do things like render my own lard ahead of time. If you live in an area with a Mexican Butcher or grocery, they probably sell fresh lard there. Do not buy the hydrogenated versions. I urge you to make your own if that is all you can find. Freshly rendered lard is surprisingly healthy for you.. read up on it!

Mole Negro/Pablano

This recipe makes about 2 quarts

12 whole peppercorns ( I use a mix of red, green and black)
6 whole cloves
four 4" pieces of cinnamon (aka canela)
3 tablespoons dried Mexican Oregano
Equal amounts of dried  Poblano, Negro and Guajillo chiles to equal one pound (California and New Mexican Chiles can also be used in the mix)
1 cup of freshly rendered lard
1 cup of pumpkin seeds toasted
1/2 cup of toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup pecan or walnut pieces (roasted)
1/2 cup peanuts (roasted)
1 large roll of bread, made into crumbs in a food processor
2 cups dry sherry
1/2 cup dried pineapple chopped
1 cup dried apricots chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped dried citron (or use any other dried candied fruit)
4-5 cups turkey or chicken stock (home made is best, boxed organic is next best)
2 ripe plantains

4-6 Roma tomatoes
6 serrano chiles
2-3 onions (I use red onions)
1 head of garlic divided into cloves
Take the above ingredients and roast on a grill and reserve

1 cup of chocolate (I use a combination of Mexican and dark chocolate)

In a heavy skillet toast the spices, stir constantly.

Grind all toasted spices in a spice grinder or coffee grinder.

Remove the tops from the chilies and toss seeds.

On high heat, toast chiles. Once all are toasted, place in a bowl and add boiling water. Allow to stand and soften for 1 hour, weight down if needed with a plate and heavy object.

Put some lard in a pan and toast the nuts, then drain and reserve for the plantain. Add bread crumbs and sherry.

In a food processor, grind the toasted spices and nuts.

Heat the sherry and add raisins, apricots and dried fruit. Simmer for 10 minutes and then turn off heat and let stand for 30 minutes.

Heat the remaining lard and cook the plantain. Add to the sauce.

Drain the dried chiles and working in batches, puree with the seeds, grilled veggies and stock. Use a food mill, sieve or chinois to strain any large pieces out. Place all of this in a large dutch oven and add the chocolate stirring and making sure that the flavors have time to blend. Save the sauce for various applications. It freezes well.

Wordless Wednesday : Botanical Garden

My friend Janice came to visit from the East Bay this week. She and I had a blast going through the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden just north of our house.