Atlantic Beach Pie

Crunchy, buttery, smooth, sweet, salty, citrusy. I have no idea how else to explain this amazing pie. While visiting my friends Jason and Kelly Wescott in Seattle recently, Jason made this dessert that he had heard about on NPR called Atlantic Beach Pie which comes from Bill Smith's Crook's Corner restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It starts with a saltine cracker crust topped with a sweetened condensed milk, egg yolk and lemon juice mixture and then crowned with slightly sweetened whipped cream and sprinkled coarse sea salt. I promised myself I would make it when I returned home and I have now done so, twice. Somehow all these combinations of textures and tastes makes this a dessert you will crave, again and again. The recipe below yields one pie, about 6-8 servings.

HELPFUL HINTS

1. You may think that you've made too much crust. Abandon the thought. You'll want all that crunchy saltiness at the end. Just pack it in.

2. The dessert can rest in the refrigerator overnight and it tastes delicious the next day. I wouldn't keep it longer than that.

INGREDIENTS

Crust

1 1/2 sleeves of saltine crackers

1/3 to 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

3 Tbs sugar

Filling

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup lemon or lime juice or a combination of the two

Fresh whipped cream and coarse sea salt for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Crush the crackers finely, but not to dust with a food processor or your hands.

3. Add the sugar.

4. Knead in the butter until the crumbs hold together like dough.

5. Press into an 8 inch pie pan.

6. Chill for 15 minutes, then bake for 18 minutes or until the crust colors a little.

7. While the crust is cooling, beat the egg yolks into the milk, then beat in the citrus juice until completely combined.

8. Pour into the shell and bake for 16 minutes until the filling has set.

9. Cool out of the oven for 15 minutes then place in refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

10. Serve with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkling of sea salt.

Sachertorte

The legendary Sachertorte was invented in the 19th century by the Viennese chef Franz Sacher. The cake became famous when his son opened the luxury Hotel Sacher and this cake was served. A sachertorte is a dark, dense cake which does not use leavening, relying instead on finely ground almonds and whipped egg whites for its lightness. The cake is traditionally glazed with both an apricot jam glaze and a smooth chocolate glaze that gives it it's characteristic shine. I grew up eating European treats and cakes and I vaguely remember eating this, perhaps when we visited Austria when I was in 5th grade. This recipe is adapted from the Williams-Sonoma "Essentials of Baking" Book that I got for Christmas. It has become one of my favorites. The recipe below yields one large cake, serving approximately 12. Enjoy!

HELPFUL HINTS
1. The cake tastes even better the following day as the flavors set, so I always make this a day ahead and let it sit overnight.
2. I learned a wonderful cutting technique which uses toothpicks and a ruler. Simply use the toothpicks to mark halfway up the cake all around and let those be your guide when cutting.
3. When spreading the chocolate glaze, keep the cake on the rack and move everything around in a circular motion. This will help the glaze to coat the sides evenly while retaining a shiny top.

INGREDIENTS
Cake
6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely ground blanched almonds
6 large eggs, separated
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Apricot Glaze
1 cup apricot jam
2 Tbs water

Chocolate Glaze
12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup unsalted butter
2 Tbs corn syrup

DIRECTIONS
Cake
1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Butter an 8 inch springform pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit.



3. Place the chocolate in the top of a double broiler over barely simmering water.
4. Heat, stirring often, until the chocolate melts.



5. Remove and set aside to cool slightly.
6. Stir together the flour and salt into a bowl, then stir in the ground almonds. Set aside.
7. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar.
8. Using the whip attachment, beat on medium speed until the cream of tartar dissolves and the whites begin to thicken.
9. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat just until soft peaks form.
10. Slowly add 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until stiff, shiny peaks form.



11. Transfer beaten eggs to a clean bowl.
12. In bowl of clean stand mixer, combine the butter and 1/2 cup sugar.



13. Using a wire whisk, beat vigorously until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
14. Whisk in the egg yolks, 2 at a time, beating well after each addition.



15. Whisk in the chocolate until blended, then whisk in the vanilla.



16. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the batter.
17. Fold in one half of the egg white mixture, then the remaining egg white mixture.



18. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about an hour.



19. Immediately run a small, thin knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake., then let the cake cool  in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
20. Release pan sides then carefully remove the pan bottom and parchment.
21. Return the cake to the rack and cool completely.

Apricot Glaze
1. In small saucepan over medium heat, combine jam and water and heat until jam melts.
2. Remove from heat and press though a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, then set aside.



Chocolate Glaze
1. Place chocolate, butter and corn syrup in the top of a double broiler placed over barely simmering water.
2. Heat until the chocolate and butter melt, stirring often.
3. Remove from the heat and pour the glaze through a fine mesh sieve.
4. Cool to 92F before using.



Assembly
1. Cut the cake in half horizontally to form 2 layers.



2. Using a pastry brush, coat one layer with the apricot glaze.
3. Place the remaining cake layer on top and brush the top and sides of the cake with the remaining apricot glaze.



4. Cover the cake with the chocolate glaze.



5. Serve at room temperature.

Hand Rolled Lasagna with Garlic and Herbed Béchamel

Since cooking became a serious hobby for me over the last 3 years, I realized recently that I had never made a lasagna. Rather than find a recipe online, I decided to create one from scratch using some of my favorite ingredients - ground beef, ricotta, asiago, mozzarella, provolone, oregano, parsley, garlic and of course homemade noodles. I'm also not a huge fan of red sauces so I made a béchamel sauce and added garlic, herbs and cheese to give it just the right consistency and added a topping with several of the same ingredients. I was so hungry while I made this as the aroma filled the kitchen. I think it turned out great and is definitely what I will make again the next time I have a craving for lasagna. Total prep and cooking time was about 2 hours so it's best to do some of the prep ahead. The recipe below yields about 10 servings. Enjoy!

HELPFUL HINTS
1. For whatever reason, I always seem to forget that if you leave milk boiling unattended, especially while you're typing on your blog, it will boil over the pot and cause a huge mess. I wouldn't recommend this as you can see from one of the pictures below.
2. Many of the components can be made ahead of time such as the noodles, the béchamel sauce and the topping. I wouldn't suggest, however, making the whole thing in advance.
3. When layering the lasagna noodles, don't overlap. Instead, you may have to cut some pieces to make them fit. You may have a few pieces left over when you're all done.
4. This lasagna tastes amazing the next day (or later the same night in my case).

INGREDIENTS
Lasagna Noodles
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 tsp olive oil
Dash of salt

Meat and Ricotta
1.5 lbs ground beef
15 oz Ricotta
Salt and Pepper to taste

Herbed Béchamel
1/2 stick butter
1 Tbs garlic
4 Tbs flour
8 cups milk, warmed
2 cups grated mozzarella, provolone and asiago, mixed
1 Tbs Parsley
1 Tbs Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

Topping
2 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs Oregano
2 Tbs Parsley

DIRECTIONS
Lasagna Noodles
1. Add flour to small bowl and create a hole in the middle of the flour
2. Add eggs inside the hole
3. Add olive oil and salt



4. Using a fork, gently combine together
5. Remove from the bowl and knead until ball shape is formed



6. Cover in plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes
7. Roll pasta out into lasagna sized sheets, either by hand or using a pasta roller





8. Place a sheet in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute



9. Remove and pat dry on paper towel
10. Repeat with remaining sheets



Meat and Ricotta
1. Cook ground beef in skillet or sauce pan, then drain
2. Add 15 oz ricotta and mix together



3. Add salt and pepper, then set aside

Herbed Béchamel
1. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat
2. Add garlic and let simmer for 2-3 minutes



3. Add flour and whisk together for 3 minutes



4. Add milk, herbs, salt and pepper



5. Whisk together until boiling
6. Add cheese mix, then lower heat, stirring occasionally until ready to use





Topping
1. Mix together garlic, Oregano and Parsley in a small bowl, then set aside





Assembly
1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Grease bottom of 9x12 inch baking dish
3. Pour in 3/4 cup béchamel sauce



4. Add one layer of noodles



5. Add Meat and Ricotta Mixture



6. Add 1/2 cup cheese mix



7. Repeat three more times
8. For the final layer add 3/4 cup béchamel sauce and any extra cheese
8. Cover with aluminum and place on a baking rack in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes
9. Remove aluminum, increase heat to 500 and cook for 6-8 more minutes until top cheese layer bubbles



10. Sprinkle with Garlic, Parsley and Oregano topping



11. Let sit for 10 minutes then serve