(This dish has NOTHING to do with medieval cooking, but I am sure the local cooking guild or brewer's assembly won't scorn on getting these when discussing the next super-documented feast.)
Source
Once upon a time I promised my GöGA aka Hubby to bake some of my fabulous muffins for the office. But, alas, I didn't have enough blueberries for a big batch and I couldn't get more either, due to some f#+ü# up at our supermarket. But I had whisky, ground hazelnuts and Kouvertüre (a prepped form of tempered chocolate you get anywhere in Germany. My mother's signature receipe is a Whisky wreath.I fused the recipes and the result is brilliant. I have tried and reverseengineered the recipe. But remember there was a lot of *ah this is the consistency the dough needs*-kinda feeling involved, so trust your own experience more than my numbers I am no good with them anyways
Elisande's Whisky muffins
(serves 24 according to regular measurements but more for us, since we like them a bit smaller)
Ingredients:
1 cup (250g) soft butter (NEVER subsitute with margarine in Muffins. That is the way bricks lie)
1 3/4 cups (450g) sugar
4 Eggs
2 cups ( 500g) regular white baking flour (best results in the US mix all purpose with pastry 2 parts to 1)
4 teaspoons Baking soda
1/2 cup (125ml) MiIk
1/4 cup whisky (plus lots more later) (don't buy anything fancy, We need the Zang more than the
Ingredients:
1 cup (250g) soft butter (NEVER subsitute with margarine in Muffins. That is the way bricks lie)
1 3/4 cups (450g) sugar
4 Eggs
2 cups ( 500g) regular white baking flour (best results in the US mix all purpose with pastry 2 parts to 1)
4 teaspoons Baking soda
1/2 cup (125ml) MiIk
1/4 cup whisky (plus lots more later) (don't buy anything fancy, We need the Zang more than the
more subtle flavors and by all means DO not raid your husband's single malt cabinet for
this.)
1/4 cup orange juice
4 TableS of cocoa powder
a bit less than 1/2 cup(100 g) hazelnuts, ground (why are they so difficult to get in the US?)
200g good chocolate, hacked
for the *icing*
powdered sugar
as much whisky as you like (or can spare, ;))
dark couverture: Chocolate to melt and spread over the muffins in the USA getting Kuvertüre is difficult at best AND expensive (sad, but there it is) don't do a Ganache, it will make eating the muffins a mess and alsonot provide the crunch the covering should have. Instead, try tempering chocolate here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDcF7nJbF04 is a tutorial about how to do that. It will make this whole thing a bit more cumbersome, but the flavor is nicer, plus once you know how to do this the possiblities are endless.
1/4 cup orange juice
4 TableS of cocoa powder
a bit less than 1/2 cup(100 g) hazelnuts, ground (why are they so difficult to get in the US?)
200g good chocolate, hacked
for the *icing*
powdered sugar
as much whisky as you like (or can spare, ;))
dark couverture: Chocolate to melt and spread over the muffins in the USA getting Kuvertüre is difficult at best AND expensive (sad, but there it is) don't do a Ganache, it will make eating the muffins a mess and alsonot provide the crunch the covering should have. Instead, try tempering chocolate here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDcF7nJbF04 is a tutorial about how to do that. It will make this whole thing a bit more cumbersome, but the flavor is nicer, plus once you know how to do this the possiblities are endless.
Instructions:
preheat oven to about 190 Celcius/ 375 Fahrenheit
Mix soft butter and sugar throroughly (seriously, do this, instead of just mixing everything in the bowl. The texture is much better this way).Crack in the eggs one by one, slowly mix in baking soda and flour. Then, add the liquid parts and the rest of the ingredients. Don't overmix. The dough should reluctantly leave the spoon on its own; not tearing too easily but still on the soft side. Not runny, mind you. The German term is: "schwer reißend vom Löffel fallen". If you ever made fluffy, yummy muffins/cupcakes you know the right consistency. Fill into paper cups and a muffin form.
bake for about 25 - 35 minutes don't worry if they come out a bit *crispy* on the top, but don't overcook them
Take the stuff out. Now the fun begins:
Pinch some holes in the *did I say the surface tends towards the hard at this point?*-surface of the individual muffins and mix whisky and powdered sugar to a sort of whisky syrup, a very light syrup. It is ok if some white clumps remain. Drizzle the whisky syrup over the muffins: PREPARE for spillage here, work slowly. it is better to do it in several goes. Allow the muffins to absorbe as much of the liquid as you deem right (I allow for about a full tablespoon) .
preheat oven to about 190 Celcius/ 375 Fahrenheit
Mix soft butter and sugar throroughly (seriously, do this, instead of just mixing everything in the bowl. The texture is much better this way).Crack in the eggs one by one, slowly mix in baking soda and flour. Then, add the liquid parts and the rest of the ingredients. Don't overmix. The dough should reluctantly leave the spoon on its own; not tearing too easily but still on the soft side. Not runny, mind you. The German term is: "schwer reißend vom Löffel fallen". If you ever made fluffy, yummy muffins/cupcakes you know the right consistency. Fill into paper cups and a muffin form.
bake for about 25 - 35 minutes don't worry if they come out a bit *crispy* on the top, but don't overcook them
Take the stuff out. Now the fun begins:
Pinch some holes in the *did I say the surface tends towards the hard at this point?*-surface of the individual muffins and mix whisky and powdered sugar to a sort of whisky syrup, a very light syrup. It is ok if some white clumps remain. Drizzle the whisky syrup over the muffins: PREPARE for spillage here, work slowly. it is better to do it in several goes. Allow the muffins to absorbe as much of the liquid as you deem right (I allow for about a full tablespoon) .
Set aside and prepare the covering:
Either you just heat the Kouvertüre because you have somebody send it to you from Germany or have a German supermarket which carries it or you do the tempered chocolate (let me repeat: a good tutorial is this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDcF7nJbF04 )
Cover the muffins with the chocolate, generously, and let cool. On the picture there is NOT nearly enough chocolate on the muffins. You want to make sure you get enough of the chocolate couverture to seal the surface for a number of reasons
(a) if the muffins are fully covered the chocolate give a nice crisp KNACK! when you bite into it and that is a pleasant thing
(b) chocolate is good and this is dark chocolate
(c) any hardened spillage is bound to be mixed with the whiskey also tastes good (and you get to keep this all for yourself and have a good reason not to share with any halflings)
(d) the muffins keep better, because they cannot dry out. Seriously, if you do this you can prep the muffins a couple of days ahead and they will still taste fresh.
Another thing to remember: if you bake only half and freeze the rest IN the papercups, you can have fresm muffins out of the oven in no time
Cover the muffins with the chocolate, generously, and let cool. On the picture there is NOT nearly enough chocolate on the muffins. You want to make sure you get enough of the chocolate couverture to seal the surface for a number of reasons
(a) if the muffins are fully covered the chocolate give a nice crisp KNACK! when you bite into it and that is a pleasant thing
(b) chocolate is good and this is dark chocolate
(c) any hardened spillage is bound to be mixed with the whiskey also tastes good (and you get to keep this all for yourself and have a good reason not to share with any halflings)
(d) the muffins keep better, because they cannot dry out. Seriously, if you do this you can prep the muffins a couple of days ahead and they will still taste fresh.
Another thing to remember: if you bake only half and freeze the rest IN the papercups, you can have fresm muffins out of the oven in no time
No comments:
Post a Comment