Peaches in Wine Syrup

fresh peaches in wine syrup

I got the scare of my life today. I was preparing the wine syrup early this morning for the locally grown peaches I bought last Monday when the alarm went off indicating high natural gas level of 228. I opened some windows, went outside with the alarm, reset it, changed its battery, plugged it. It kept going off although I could not smell anything. Finally, I called 911 after 15 minutes and 3 minutes later a firetruck arrived with 3 young [good looking] firemen. They checked the kitchen, the gas fireplace, and the basement and their monitors all got zero reading. It was a false alarm, damn those made in China things!! I was relieved that my house is safe and nowhere near in danger of exploding (as several houses did, not in my community, though). Whew! I was a bit embarrassed to bother the firemen but as the saying goes, it's better safe than sorry. My daughter called to get an update and I told her the good news. She commented that one of the firemen might be the guy she went out with a few times. When I asked her for his name she said "douchebag", 'nuff said.:)

Anyway, every summer I like to take advantage of fresh produce, especially locally grown that I preserve for the off-season. I got a few peaches from Wegmans that were grown in a farm an hour away from my house, they were just picked and arrived at the store early that day, I was told by the produce guy. I let the peaches sit on the counter for 4 days to ripen. They should be a little bit soft to the touch but not mushy.

Peaches in Wine Syrup
fresh peaches
white wine
sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

• In a medium stainless steel sauce pan, combine white wine and equal amount of sugar, add the vanilla bean and seeds and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to medium, simmer for 10 minutes. Remove vanilla, rinse, dry, and keep for later use. Continue to cook the syrup for another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the peaches. Boil a large pot of water. Dip the peaches, then remove the skin. Cut in half or into quarters, discard the stones. Add the peaches to the syrup and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Fill pre-boiled and dried jar/s. Let cool completely, then refrigerate.

These sweet and tender peaches are great for breakfast with cereals and yogurt or for dessert/snack with the rennet custard. I will properly preserve more of these peaches, which means boiling the jars with the cooked peaches, therefore no refrigeration is needed so we can enjoy them all winter long.

It is easy to peel peaches when they are fully ripe but not mushy. If the peaches are not fully ripe the skin will stick to the flesh. Also, make sure the water has boiled, then turn off heat, before dipping the peaches.

Rennet Custard

vanilla flavored custard with honey and pistachio halva

While grocery shopping I happened upon some boxes of rennet tablets for making cheese, custard, and ice cream. I remember reading about custard made with rennet from 80 Breakfasts' blog a few weeks ago so I got 2 boxes (8 tablets per box) and experimented with whole, 2% fat, and fat free instant powdered milk. Of course, the whole milk tastes better but if you are on a low fat diet or the only available milk in your area is ultra pasteurized (UP), the powdered milk or fat free milk are not bad at all, as long as the fresh milk is not UP. I also have a large container of Lebanese pistachio halva which I crumbled on top of the vanilla flavored custard and drizzled a little sage honey. You can also add lemon, orange, or almond extract or diced canned fruits like peaches and pears, the recipes are inside the box. I will add ginger infused syrup with the next batch of vanilla custard.

The consistency of the custard is somewhat gelatinous but creamy, I can accurately describe it as more like taho (Chinese-Filipino soft tofu eaten with brown sugar syrup). I love that it is very light but so delicious. I also like that since there are no egg yolks, the custard doesn't taste eggy.

To make custards using rennet you will need a thermometer that reads from zero to 220 degrees F because the right temperature of the milk is essential to make the rennet work.

lemon flavored custard made with instant powdered milk

This rennet is called junket rennet which is fine for making custards and ice cream and also for some soft cheeses but not for hard cheese because it is weaker than regular rennet.
The 2% fat milk is the favorite in my house. It is light, creamy, excellent plain, but pairs very well with ginger syrup.

Campari Tomatoes

Have you tried these Campari tomatoes? I bought a container of these bright red super sweet vine tomatoes that are about 1½ - 2 inches in diameter. Although they are grown in greenhouses these tomatoes are very tasty. They are good in salads, of course, on pizzas, flat breads and savory tarts but they are good by themselves with some sea salt. The other day my daughter washed a few and dipped them in ranch dressing, ate them with gusto like fruit, wait, tomato IS a fruit. She reminded me of my weird self. When I was about 4 years old I used to snack on ripe tomatoes with some rock sea salt. On days that my mother would go to the palengke (market), she would hand me a brown bag full of tomatoes, then I would sit on the front porch and munch on the tomatoes and by the time she was home all the tomatoes were finished. I could have asked for other fruits like macopa, sineguelas, atis, guavas, etc. but my mother said I preferred tomatoes.:D

I made some tartlets with these Campari tomatoes, feta cheese and sage leaves. I used puff pastry but pie shell is also good. Brush the pie shell or puff pastry with egg white and blind bake for 15 minutes before filling the pie so the bottom doesn't become soggy.

Campari Tomatoes & Feta Tart/Pie
store bought or homemade puff pastry or pie shell
sliced Campari tomatoes
feta cheese, crumbled
dried or chopped fresh sage
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

• Blind bake pie shell.
• Arrange sliced tomatoes and sage, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, then add feta cheese, arranging evenly.
• Bake in a preheated 375°F oven until the crust is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Drizzle with more olive oil before serving.

Bicho-Bicho & Goldilocks Bakeshop®-style & Spanish Ensaimada Recipes

I received several email asking for the recipe for the Filipino donuts, bicho-bicho, which I wrote about when I reviewed Michael Chabon's new novel.
This recipe is quite large and may be halved. I prefer eating these donuts simply rolled in white sugar. They have to be consumed right after frying, which I think won't be a problem because they are very good.

Bicho-bicho

1. Put in a mixing bowl:

1 cup lukewarm water

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups bread flour

2. Beat thoroughly. Cover and let rise for ½ hour. Add:
¼ cup melted butter or grape seed oil
1 cup light brown sugar
2 well beaten eggs
1½ cups bread flour

3. Beat well. Cover and let rise again until dough is light, about 1 hour. Punch down.

4. Add more flour if dough is too soft to handle. Turn out into a well-floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 parts. Cover each and let rest for 10 minutes.

5. Roll dough to ½-inch thickness and cut into 6 x 1-inch strips. Set on baking sheets, cover and let rise for 1 hour.

6. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, roll in granulated sugar. Enjoy!

There were also a lot of readers who emailed me for the Goldilocks Bakeshop ensaimada which unfortunately I don't have. I don't think anybody, except for the people who work in that bakeshop, has the exact recipe. I have one from my cookbook FAVORITE FILIPINO RECIPES by Pat Limjuco Dayrit which comes closest to the Goldilocks Bakeshop ensaimada in taste and texture. It takes the whole day to make, though.

Ensaimada
½ cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 level teaspoon dry yeast
1 cup flour
6 egg yolks
9 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups bread flour
extra butter, softened
1 cup grated cheese, preferably queso de bola
sugar

1. Put lukewarm water in a stand mixer bowl. Add sugar and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Add flour and mix with a wooden spoon.
3. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until double in bulk.
4. Add egg yolks, sugar and butter to flour mixture. Add to this the 2 cups of flour and knead with dough hook attachment.
5. Cover and let rise again in warm place for 3 hours.
6. Divide dough in 12 portions. Roll each portion to ¼-inch thick. Spread butter and sprinkle with grated cheese.
7. Roll up, starting from one end and twist like a knot.
8. Place into an ensaimada mould or large muffin pan lined with parchment then greased.
9. Keep in a warm place to rise for 4 hours.
10. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 - 12 minutes.
11. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar and grated cheese.

Ensaimada (Spanish)
And for Spanish nationals who live outside Spain and would like to make ensaimada, here is the recipe adapted from THE CUISINES OF SPAIN by Teresa Barrenechea. This one doesn't have a single pat of butter, it uses lard and she explains that in Majorcan saim means lard. I have made this ensaimada and I think this is the best recipe.

Makes three 8-inch diameter coils
4½ teaspoons yeast
2/3 cups whole milk, heated to lukewarm
3½ cups flour, sifted
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cups sugar
2 eggs
6 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for oiling rolling pin, work surface, and baking sheets
½ cup melted and cooled lard
½ cup confectioner's sugar

• In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/3 cup of the warm milk and let stand for 5 minutes. 
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and add the remaining milk, eggs, olive oil, and the yeast mixture into the well. Using a spoon, gradually pull the mixture into the well, stirring as you do. When a uniform dough has formed, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky; if dough is too sticky work in a little more flour. Gather the dough into a ball, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Oil a work surface, a rolling pin and 1 or 2 baking sheets. Roll out 1 portion into a 10 x 6-inch rectangle. Brush with lard and fold in half lengthwise. Brush with melted lard and fold again in half lengthwise. Roll again into a 10 x 6-inch rectangle and starting from the long side, roll up into a tight 10-inch cylinder. Shape it into a snail-like coil. Repeat with the 2 remaining dough portions.Place the coils on the oiled sheets, cover with kitchen towel and let rest in a warm spot overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the coils for 30 minutes, or until they are airy and golden and springs back when pressed with a fingertip.
• Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks. Dust with confectioner's sugar and cut into segments just before serving.