Churros

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 lime or lemon
• oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Bring the water, sugar and salt to a boil.  Remove from the heat and beat in the flour until smooth.
2. Beat in the egg, using a wooden spoon, until the mixture is smooth and satiny.  Set the batter aside.
3. Pour the oil into a deep-frying pan to a depth of about 2 inches.  Add the lime or lemon half, then heat the oil to 375 degrees or until a cube of day-old bread added to the oil browns in 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Pour the batter into a pastry bad fitted with a fluted nozzle.  Pipe 3 inch strips of batter and then add to the oil a few at a time.  Fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Using a slotted spoon, remove the churros from the pan and drain on a paper towel.  Roll the hot churros in granulated sugar before serving.

(The original recipe came from "Around the World in 450 Recipes" by Sarah Ainley) 

Colodent (Peanut Brittle) or ColoDON'T!

I was woefully wrong when I chose to make Colodent, a Mauritian treat that is similar to our peanut brittle.  I had reviewed dessert recipes for days, looking for things that seemed both easy to make and slightly less gluttonous than the others.  And, I thought I had found it when Colodent appeared before me.  The recipe I found had only three ingredients: sugar, peanuts, and water.  Simple, right?  What could go wrong?  Well...

Perhaps I started off incorrectly, even though I followed the instructions as they were written.  I added my sugar and water to a pan and waited for it to boil.  And stirred and waited.  And waited.  And added more water.  And waited.  And it bubbled up slightly, then disappointingly simmered and hardened.  Again, I added more water.  Repeated the tedium.  Then, more water.  Finally a strong bubble - but, it was quickly burst after I added the nuts.  The nuts must have brought the temperature down because it all hardened up again.  So, I added even more water, which lead to more waiting and more stirring - but the caramelization was nowhere in sight.

So, doing what any good cook would do when all hope was lost, I scrapped the recipe and used the nuts and sugar to make a mediocre brownie.  Nothing great was gained from my experience, though I suppose nothing was really lost.  It was just another reminder that recipes are not necessarily easier because they list a small handful of ingredients.  Don't be seduced by simplicity!  Instead, go with the things that appeal to you and try them all without fear.  And, when failure happens (as it does with everyone), don't be afraid to proclaim it as loudly as your triumphs.  Chalk it up to another brilliant lesson in life.  After all, no one (and no recipe) is perfect.  The fun comes in the experience.  C'est la vie!

If you are brave enough to try my experience for yourself, here is the recipe - maybe it will work for you.  Or, if you know the science behind cooking, and can tutor me and show me where I went wrong, I would be grateful.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups peanuts
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions:

1. Put the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan and slowly bring to a boil over low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until it starts to thicken.
2. Add peanuts in two half portions. Keep stirring. As the mixture starts to caramelize into a golden color, remove from heat and continue to stir.
3. Pour onto a greased oven tray or a marble cutting board. Allow mixture to cool before cutting.

(The original recipe came from this site: http://ile-maurice.tripod.com/colodent.htm.)

Palmiers (Elephant Ears)

Often times (at least in my mind), the intricacies of French pastry-making sends a chill of terror down my spine.  Though it has been highlighted that the French are sometimes known for simplicity, the fact of the matter is that more times than not they follow as difficult a road as a culture can take.  This is especially the case with most French desserts.  So, as this month's journey sent me on the road to Paris, I found myself with extreme anxiety over the dessert aspect of our menu.  After all, I love desserts.  I love French desserts.  But, the pressure imposed on myself because of these truths would mean that nothing less than perfection would do.

So, I decided to try a little treat that I have eaten many times before.  Palmiers.  Sometimes called "elephant ears" or "palm leaves," when in a baker's window they look like a million bucks, shimmering with carmelization and glimmers of sucrotic bliss.  They are one of my favorites!  Not too sweet.  Not too savory.  Somewhere in the blissful world between.  A perfect ending to a heavy meal.  The perfect pick-me-up during an afternoon slump.  What I mean to say is that they are an all-purpose dessert; good for any season, any company, or any reason.

In trusting the "Barefoot Contessa" (despite the fact that she's not French), I felt that she would pave the way a little more easily than some of her predecessors.  And, truly, she did.  Though her recipe doesn't call for one to make their own pastry dough (thank heavens for Pepperidge Farm and the frozen section of the grocery store!), it is in all other ways authentic.  And, though I earlier jumped to the idea that the French were masochists when it came to the complexity of their desserts, I was again nicely surprised to learn that they are, sometimes, simplistic...even with their pastries.

So, it was a surprisingly easy month devoted to a typically difficult nation.  And, though it seems like the perfect time to insert another "Viva la France," perhaps it would be more fitting to say "Viva Simplicité!"

Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Combine the sugar and kosher salt. Pour 1 cup of the sugar/salt mixture on a flat surface such as wooden board or marble. Unfold each sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar and pour 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the puff pastry. This is not about sprinkling, it's about an even covering of sugar.
3. With a rolling pin, roll the dough until it's 13 by 13-inches square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom. Fold the sides of the square towards the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold 1 half over the other half as though closing a book. You will have 6 layers.
4. Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
5. Place the second sheet of pastry on the sugared board, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar mixture, and continue as above. (There will be quite a bit of sugar left over on the board.) Slice and arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment.
6. Bake the cookies for 6 minutes until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake another 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized on the other side. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

(This original recipe came from "Barefoot in Paris" by Ina Garten.)