Cookies & Cream with Homemade Oreos

My original plan to post five or six ice cream recipes may have to fall by the wayside.  Per usual, the last few days have gone faster than I planned.  Instead I'll focus on the best of the best and get as far as I can before I leave on my trip.

When I asked Charlie what type of ice cream he wanted for the ice cream party we had a couple of weeks ago his immediate response was Cookies & Cream.  This is an easy enough ice cream to make.  You just crunch up Oreo cookies and mix them up with softened vanilla ice cream.  Of course, I needed cookies and vanilla ice cream to do that so I set about finding recipes.  I've made vanilla ice cream a couple of times this summer, and I've used fresh vanilla beans for a super fresh flavor and the little black specks that I like so much.  This time I opted to go another route and use vanilla extract because it's cheaper, and I believe the subtleties of the vanilla bean ice cream would be lost with the addition of the cookies.  I made a basic Philadelphia-style Vanilla Ice Cream.

Philadelphia-style ice cream (also called New York Style) is super quick and easy.  Unlike custard-based ice creams (also known as French-style), it doesn't contain eggs and requires no cooking.  Milk, cream, and sugar are combined, then churned, and that's it!  This recipe makes a great base for a variety of ice creams.  Try adding fresh fruit, various extracts, nuts, chocolate chunks, or crunched up cookies.

Philadelphia-Style Vanilla Ice Cream

ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

In a bowl, stir together the cream and milk.  Add the sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved, 3 - 4 minutes.  Test for graininess by tasting a small amount of the liquid; it should feel smooth on the tongue and there should be no sugar visible on the bottom of the bowl when it is stirred or spooned out.  Stir in the vanilla extract.

Fill a large mixing bowl halfway with ice cubes and enough water to cover them.  Place the bowl with the ice cream mixture into the larger bowl and let cool for 30 - 45 minutes.  Remove the bowl with the ice cream mixture and place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and on top of the bowl.  This prevents the formation of a skin on top of the liquid and will keep the ice cream smooth when churned.  Refrigerate until mixture is very cold, about 3 hours.

Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.  Place the churned ice cream in a plastic storage container, cover with plastic wrap (again, pressing the plastic wrap against the surface of the ice cream), and freeze until ready to serve.  The ice cream will keep for up to a week but is best eaten within two days of churning.  

This is a good, easy ice cream recipe.  I really like it as a base for Cookies & Cream, but if I were going to make a vanilla ice cream to serve on its own I would go with a custard-based recipe that uses real vanilla beans.

And now for the glamourous part -- homemade Oreos.  These were so much easier to make than I anticipated.  In fact, these were some of the easiest cookies I've made in a while, and I think the results are pretty impressive.  They would be really great with a simple glass of cold milk and would be just lovely for a picnic.  

The recipe originates from Retro Desserts by Wayne Brachman.

  

Homemade Oreos

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies

For the chocolate wafers:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp room-temperature, unsalted butter

1 large egg

For the filling:

1/4 cup room-temperature, unsalted butter

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Set two racks in the middle of the oven.  Preheat to 375 degrees F.  In the bowl of an electric mixer thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar.  On low speed add the butter and then the egg.  Continue mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

Take rounded teaspoons of batter (it won't look like enough but will spread when baked) and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart.  With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough.  

Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking.  Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla.  Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.

To assemble the cookies, spread teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie.  Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream.  Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie.  Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.  Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

I really wish I'd taken more pictures as they were very pretty.  Unfortunately, I crunched up half the cookies for the ice cream, served a number of them, and gobbled down all but the two pictured before photographing them.  The two I had left were a little wobbly and uneven, so expect yours to be prettier than those pictured.  

And now, for Cookies & Cream!  Crush up about 10 cookies and gently fold them into softened Philadelphia-style vanilla ice cream.  Serve with a whole cookie.  

The Whole Shebang!

Tonight I fully intended to write about ice cream, but instead I'm going with squid and fried oysters.  That's what I cooked for dinner tonight, along with a summery little tomato salad, and it was all fabulous.  Squid has been on my to-cook list for quite some time.  I've enjoyed it prepared a number of ways in restaurants, but I was a little intimidated when it came to cooking it myself. Now I wonder why.  It's so simple!  The most difficult part of the entire process was acquiring the squid.

After work I decided to drop by Whole Foods, pick up the squid and other needed ingredients, then go home and cook dinner.  This sounds simple enough, but I ran into trouble when the fish monger at Whole Foods informed me that they don't carry squid. (What?! I still think he's wrong.)  Whole Foods was also out of tonic water (disappointing!) so I left in a huff, muttering a few ugly words under my breath.  I headed to my trusty Publix but was delayed by a fire truck and some serious traffic.  Finally, I made it to Publix only to discover that, much to the surprise of the very helpful fish monger there, the calamari was frozen in a block of ice.  I meandered around the store and read labels while it thawed, then picked it up, and headed home.  Finally.  I left work at 5:00 and walked through my front door at 7:00.  Ugh.  

It was all shortly made okay because dinner was such fun to prepare and so tasty!  Also, Charlie is so wonderfully enthusiastic about food experiments.  I love that about him.  

This whole dinner was planned on a whim.  I found the winning recipe for the calamari on Epicurious after sorting through a few dozen others.  I really wanted something to showcase the calamari, which means no tomato-based sauces to muddy up the flavors.  A simple Italian preparation featuring linguini, anchovies, garlic, and basil won -- so fresh and summery.  It allows the calamari to really shine and focuses on fresh ingredients with crisp, clean flavors.  It proved to be the perfect choice for tonight as it was also quick to prepare.  While wandering around Publix with time to kill I decided to add fried oysters to the menu and a mixed tomato salad (after finding beautiful yellow tomatoes).  The salty, fried goodness of the oysters and the cool bite of the salad gently complimented the calamari dish.  I would serve these dishes together again in a second.  If you decide to try any of these dishes at home I strongly suggest trying all three.  None are difficult, and it makes for an impressive spread.

I made a few modifications to this recipe.   Calamari should be cooked gently, much like a scallop or shrimp.  The rubbery texture that is sometimes encountered is generally the result of overcooking.  The original recipe suggested cooking the sliced squid for a total of 6 minutes which I believed to be too long.  In order to avoid the rubber band texture I switched the order in which several ingredients are cooked.  Let me pause to say that I am a sushi eater -- the raw stuff -- and a  believer in erring on the side of undercooked when it comes to seafood.  It was easy for me to risk undercooking the calamari because I don't really care if it's fully cooked and would rather risk that than an unpleasant texture.  Just the same, it turned out well -- neither rubbery nor too raw.  If you are made uneasy by the possibility of undercooked seafood, then by all means cook it a little longer, but expect it to be chewy.

Linguini with Calamari and Garlic

serves 2

ingredients:

1/2 lb linguini (look for a brand that is imported from Italy and lists only durum semolina flour and water as ingredients)

4 rolled anchovies with capers, from a 2-oz tin; anchovies crushed, oil reserved

1/2 lb cleaned calamari (squid), thinly sliced crosswise)

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Check out the calamari before I sliced it. Cool, huh?

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water (it should be as salty as the ocean) until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.  Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat reserved oil from anchovies in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic, crushed red pepper, and crushed anchovies with capers and stir 1 minute.  Add calamari and toss until just opaque, about 1 minute.  

Add white wine; boil until sauce is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.  Mix in basil.

Add pasta to mixture in skillet.  Toss until heated through and sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by Tablespoonfuls if pasta seems dry, about 2 minutes.  Divide pasta and calamari between two plates and serve.

If I were to make this again I would double the anchovies and add 2 - 3 Tablespoons capers.  Just the same, it's delightful as is.

On to the oysters!  This was my first go at frying oysters, and it was a success!  They were so delicious and will most certainly make an appearance at an upcoming dinner party.  The batter is fluffy, crisp, and light.  Anything heavier would be too much with the richness of the oysters.  Charlie and I marveled at how delectable they are and discussed making an aoili to accompany them next time just for kicks.  Tonight they were flavored with a simple squeeze of lemon, and that truly was enough.  Anything else might just be showing off.

We only fried 6 oysters (1/2 lb), but I'm including the party-sized recipe.  If you want to make fewer nothing really changes -- just make less batter.

Fried Oysters

Batter:

1 1/2 cups bread flour (or other high-gluten flour)

1 1/4 cups cold water

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp baking powder

2 Tbsp peanut oil

salt, for seasoning

lemon

5 cups peanut oil

20 medium-sized fresh oysters (removed from shells, patted dry, and dusted with flour)

The oysters were quite shocking before I cooked them.  Wowzer!

And here they are dusted with flour

Combine all batter ingredients in a bowl.  Heat oil in a wok or stock pot over high heat until it reaches 375 degrees F.   Dip each oyster into the batter until well coated.  Carefully lower the oysters into oil.  Deep fry 5 at a time until light brown, about 3 minutes.  Remove oysters from the oil and drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle with salt and spritz with lemon juice.  Serve immediately.

Here's an inside shot.

Don't forget the tomato salad...so pretty with the lacy lettuce and the bright colors.  Only make this during the summer when tomatoes are at their peak.  Otherwise you're just teasing yourself.

Simple Tomato Salad 

serves 2

Ingredients:

8 fresh cherry tomatoes

1/2 large yellow tomato

2 handfuls lacy spring mix lettuce

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

sea salt

freshly cracked black pepper

Quarter the cherry tomatoes and thinly slice the yellow tomato.  Divide and place into two shallow bowls.  Top each with a handful of spring mix and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Serve immediately.

Altogether this was one of my favorite meals of the summer.  It was lovely in the sun room with ice cold vodka tonics and The Heartless Bastards playing in the background.  A lovely meal for a lovely night!

1080: Cauliflower Pie. Oh yeah.

I like funky savory pies -- crawfish pie, tomato pie, shepherd's pie, and the like -- so when I found a recipe for Cauliflower Pie in 1080 I knew what had to happen. When I first saw the recipe I pictured a deep, crusted pie full of whole cauliflower flowerets, a rich creamy sauce, and a few bites of chunky carrots. I suppose I pulled my idea from a chicken pot pie minus the bird, but the actuality is much more satisfying than my imagined dish. It's light, creamy, and full of air. Imagine a savory flan than melts into buttery polenta and you're getting close.

Before we get into the recipe, a little information regarding how to choose fresh cauliflower is in order. When selecting cauliflower, for this dish or any other, look for a head with green leaves still attached. The leaves are not eaten but their presence is a good indicator of the vegetable's freshness. Look for cauliflower that is crisp, very white, and has tightly clustered florets.

Cauliflower Pie

ingredients:

1 cauliflower, about 1 1/2 lbs, separated into florets

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 1/4 cups milk, plus a little to cook the cauliflower

2 1/2 Tbsp butter, plus extra for greasing

2 Tbsp sunflower oil

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

4 eggs

scant 1 cup grated gruyere

salt

*NOTE: When cooked, cauliflower releases magnesium and potassium, causing an unpleasant smell. To counteract this add a couple of bay leaves to the water. A tablespoon of milk will also lessen the smell.

Rinse the cauliflower florets in cold water mixed with the juice of 1/2 lemon. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the florets and a little milk and cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until tender.

Drain well, then refresh under cold running water. Pour onto a clean dishtowel to drain once more. Transfer to a bowl and mash with a fork.

(At this point you could just add a little butter, salt, and pepper and serve the mashed cauliflower as a side dish. It has a similar taste to mashed potatoes without all the starchiness. I'm a big fan.)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a tart pan with butter. Melt the remaining butter with the oil in a pan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk, a little at a time. Add the nutmeg, season with salt, and cook, stirring constantly, for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Beat two of the eggs, then beat them into the bechamel sauce. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Stir in the gruyere and when thoroughly incorporated, add the cauliflower.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and place the tin in a roasting pan. (I didn't have a roasting pan that was large enough so I used a cookie sheet with a high lip. Don't skip this step. The water bath ensures even cooking throughout the pie.)

Pour in boiling water to come about halfway up the sides of the roasting pan and bake for about 1 hour, until set. The pie should be firm and golden on top.

To serve, run a round-bladed knife around the edge of the tart pan and turn the pie out onto a round serving dish.

Serve immediately.  (I plopped a little parsley on top just for kicks.)

My pie turned out beautifully. It easily slid out of the pan and held its form with no trouble. It's simplicity and the pale color reminded me of a goat cheese tart that I made earlier in the year. The goat cheese tart held its shape perfectly when sliced and looked lovely on a plate, though it did lack in flavor. I suppose I expected this pie to behave in the same ladylike manner so imagine my surprise when it collapsed upon slicing! I found it impossible to cut a pretty piece from the pie.

By the time a piece made it to a plate it had lost its shape completely and resembled a serving of grits or polenta. The texture followed suit. It's very creamy and rich because of the milk and gruyere, but the texture isn't quite as smooth as I expected, and I'm glad. It's much more interesting with a little grit.

I could not stop eating it. Seriously. I devoured this pie with very little help from anyone else. How can I possibly explain how luxurious this pie was? I had a couple servings the night I made it and enjoyed it tremendously then stuck in the fridge. Over the next few days I somehow managed to forget how sumptuous it truly is. Lucky me! I was blown over again when I reheated a little in a bowl with a sprinkling of sea salt, and after that it was all over. I consumed the remaining pie in ten minutes flat. I know this baby looks plain jane, but it packs a mean, buttery punch.

The recipe suggests pouring homemade tomato sauce on top of the cauliflower pie, but I think that would be overkill. This pie shines on its own. If I poured anything on top I think it would be pesto or something equally fresh, but it's probably best to just leave it as is. I'm still a little surprised by how much I loved this recipe. It spoke to my love of all things salty, starchy, and creamy. If you like cauliflower at all (or butter, or gruyere, or deliciousness...) try this.

Make Mine A Double Scoop

Summer demands homemade ice cream, and I am happy to oblige. A few weeks ago I made this fabulous double chocolate ice cream for my Dad. My wonderful sister found the recipe on a fellow blogger's site, and it turned out just beautifully.  A ripple of peanut butter revs up the richness of this fantastically decadent treat, but you can leave it out if you'd rather stick with just the chocolate.  

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

courtesy of Joy the Baker

ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

pinch of salt

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (all-natural is the best!)

In a sauce pan over medium heat stir together 2 cups whole milk, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.  Heat until the milk starts to steam but before it boils.

In a small bowl stir together the remaining 1/2 cup of whole milk and the cornstarch until no lumps remain.

Add the cornstarch mixture to the heated milk and chocolate mixture and bring to a low boil.  Boil until thickened.  The mixture will have the consistency of chocolate pudding.  (This is a good time to sample the beginnings of your creation!)  Remove from heat.

In a small sauce pan heat 1/2 cup heavy cream.  Once boiling, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate chips.  Let sit for 1 minute then stir the cream and chocolate mixture until incorporated.

Stir the cream and chocolate mixture into the cooling chocolate ice cream base.  (Another perfect moment to pause and try a spoonful.  It's delicious.  In fact, it's so good you could simply chill it and serve as a pudding with a little whipped cream.) Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and put in the fridge until cool.

Once cool, follow the manufacturer's directions on your ice cream maker to churn.  Once the mixture has chilled and thickened in the ice cream maker slowly drizzle 1/4 cup of peanut butter.  (Notice the velvety texture of the all-natural peanut butter.  Also,  there's no pesky high fructose corn syrup.)

Transfer the ice cream into a freezer-safe container and fold in the remaining 1/4 cup of peanut butter.  Cover with plastic wrap and press the plastic wrap so it touches the surface of the ice cream.  This prevents ice crystals from forming in the ice cream.  Freeze for at least two hours before serving.

Get ready for an intense chocolate experience.  This stuff is going to knock your socks off!  

I think the chocolate base of this ice cream would be tasty with other things in it as well.  Ever tried Ben and Jerry's Phish Food?  It has crunchy fish-shaped chocolate bits sprinkled throughout, gooey marshmallow cream, and caramel.  Some day I'm going to add all of those things to this ice cream along with some peanut butter chips and see how that works out.  :)

Banishing HFCS: Margaritas

I think high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is the devil, and I'm on a mission to remove it from my diet altogether.  Sometimes this is simple, but it seems that I really run into trouble when I try to find drink mixers sans HFCS.  This was recently the case when I set out to find sweet and sour mix for margaritas so I decided to make my own.

Sweet and Sour Mix

ingredients:

3 cups water

3 cups sugar

2 cups lime juice

2 cups lemon juice

Combine water and sugar in a stock pot and stir to dissolve sugar.  Bring to a boil then remove from heat.  You now have simple syrup.  Allow the simple syrup to cool.  Add lime and lemon juice.  Refrigerate until cold.

I like my margaritas on the rocks with plenty of lime and no salt.  Feel free to modify to fit your particular likes and dislikes.  (Charlie always goes for the salt.)  Here's a loose recipe.

Margarita

Fill a low-ball glass with ice.  Combine one part tequila and two parts sweet and sour mix.  Top with a splash of orange liqueur (I like Patron Orange) and a slice of lime.

Cookbook Club - review and new pick

Charlie and I spent last weekend in New York traipsing around the city and joining friends for a wedding celebration.  We had a glorious time and enjoyed delicious food that ran the gamut from French bistro fare at Les Halles to oversized slices of street corner pizza in the village.  In between we also had Asian fusion at Shi in Long Island City, moussaka and octopus salad at Opa Souvlaki, peach and pistachio gelato in Little Italy, and the most decadent tri-chocolate mousse you can imagine at French Roast.  We're talking about going back this fall, and when we do I'm going to eat my way through the whole city.  

Here are a few food-related pictures from the trip.

Opa Souvlaki's outdoor dining area

Greasy New York pizza -- a perfect dinner

Candlelit tri-chocolate mousse

And now for a cookbook review.  Last month's Cookbook Club pick was Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook.  My book club picked this because we believed it would be accessible for everyone in the group and would offer inspiration for weeknight dinners.  That didn't work out quite as planned.  While this is certainly a worthwhile volume for a cookbook collection it did not serve me well as a go-to for inspiration.  Instead it offers a wealth of information on technique, including full-color step-by-step photographs for a number of operations.  So, while I'm glad to own this cookbook, I don't think it's the best cookbook club pick we could have made.  I give the cookbook itself four stars, but as a cookbook club pick it gets only three.  Some of the dishes I cooked from this cookbook include: profiteroles, spatchcocked chicken, and herbed rosti with wild mushrooms.  Charlie also tried out the chocolate cupcakes, buttercream frosting, and french fries.  The profiterole recipe is definitely a keeper, and I'm sure I'll try a few other things from this book in the coming months.

 

I'm super excited about this month's pick, 1080 Recipes by Simone and Ines Ortega.   It's a collection of Spanish recipes and includes the loveliest hand-drawn illustrations.  Dozens of ingredients are spotlighted and include information regarding seasonality, proper storage, and suggested food pairings.  This book is a monster and, I believe, has a little something for everyone.  I've already enjoyed flipping through and bookmarking a handful of recipes.  Last night I cooked a little something out of the new pick, and it was interesting and tasty with a twist I wouldn't have come up with on my own.  I love it when that happens.  :)  I have a feeling this one's going to really going to be spot-on for a cookbook club pick.  

Tomato Pie and a Tiger

Last night my book club gathered for a discussion of our most recent book pick, Life of Pi by Yaan Martel. Our book club meetings are potluck, and we usually have a food theme. This time it was easy: pie (or something else relating to the book).

I decided to make a tomato pie. My Mom used to make these, and I've always loved them! I was a bit surprised when I began looking up recipes online and found that most of them included a cup or more of mayonnaise. I know that's what adds all the great flavor to the tomato pies I'm accustomed to, but I wanted to go for the same richness without the mayo. Thus, Kasie's Tomato Pie was born. For the record, I did not achieve the flavor-packed creamy goodness of my Mom's tomato pie. Just the same, I was pleased with what I turned out. My tomato pie was fresh and light. It's probably closer to a tart than a pie, but I'm not changing the name.

This is a great way to use up delicious summer tomatoes from your garden. My tomato plants haven't produced a tomato yet, but I'm sure they're coming! :)

Kasie's Tomato Pie

ingredients:

1 pie crust (store bought or homemade)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

2 medium ugly tomatoes, thinly sliced

4 oz crumbled goat cheese

3 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon whole grain mustard

2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Roll out the pie crust and fit into a pie plate so there is a one inch overhang.  Place a sheet of parchment paper over the crust and weigh down with pie weights or dry beans.  Blind bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

Don't be like me!  I got in a hurry and didn't thaw my pie crust.  What a mess!  I had to throw it away and start over.

While crust bakes, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Gently saute the sliced onions until caramelized and sweet.  Remove the crust from the oven.  Put onions in the pie crust.  Top with 2 layers of sliced tomatoes.  

Sprinkle goat cheese, mozzarella, whole grain mustard, and basil on top.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil to prevent burning.  Bake an additional 15 minutes and serve warm.

The tomato pie really is summery and fresh.  I think I'll make it again, perhaps tinkering around with other cheeses.  A salty feta would be delicious.

And finally, my friend Hannah is a fabulous baker.  She must have tremendous reserves of patience  with piping and the like because her cupcakes are always perfect!  For our book club meeting she prepared Richard Parker Cupcakes.  (Richard Parker is the tiger's name in the book.)  They were too cute not to share.

Aren't they cute?!  Delicious too.  

Rye Bread: Part Two (Pastoli)

Pastoli!  Do you know what that means?  I didn't either because Charlie made up the word.  :)  I needed a name for the filled rye sandwiches I made with leftover rye dough, and he came up with pastoli.   I decided to keep the name when it passed the google test (it doesn't mean anything terrible and it isn't any sort of brand name as far as I can tell). 

This is a loose recipe for pastoli with salami, provolone, pickles, and spicy mustard. The ingredient quantities aren't exact because of the playful nature of this dish, and a zillion variations are possible. I think rosemary bread with brie, sliced turkey, and granny smith apples would be tasty. Maybe something with pesto? If anyone tries these at home please let me know what fillings you used and your level of success.

Rye Pastoli

ingredients:

1/2 recipe rye dough

8 slices provolone cheese

12 thin slices salami

spicy mustard

sliced pickles

1 egg

kosher salt

Make the rye dough and allow to rise for approximately one hour (first rise).

Take a large handful of rye dough and stretch it into a small square. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a rectangle approximately 8 x 10 inches in size. (It doesn't have to be a perfect rectangle so don't stress over that.)

Place a small spoonful of spicy mustard in the center of the rectangle and spread around the center.

Top with pickle slices, 2 -3 slices of provolone cheese and 3 -4 slices salami.

Fold the short ends toward the center, leaving about 1/3 of the filling uncovered. Fold one of the long ends toward the center. Take care not to tear the dough.

Put a little water on your fingertips and wet the edge of the last side a little. Fold it over and press against the opposite edge to seal. You should have a neat little packet of dough.

Make four packets and place them seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to rise a second time for approximately one hour.

I think they look pretty great at this stage!  Also, this is the point at which you can refrigerate them.  Keep reading for more info on that.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat an egg with 1 Tbsp water and lightly brush over each packet. Cut three slits in each bundle and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until bread is baked through and tops are golden.

Take a deep breath while the pastoli bakes because your house is going to smell amazing!  Cut each pastoli in half and serve while still warm.

I love how unfussy, yet somewhat impressive, these are.  Also, they can be assembled up to one day ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to bake.  Just let them come back to room temperature and rise for about thirty minutes.

 I think they would be perfect for taking on picnics because they're so self-contained.  I happen to know they're great around the pool, and everyone I've made them for (only four people so far, but they'll make an appearance at a larger gathering I'm sure) really likes them.  

I think rye bread is perfect for these, but I made another batch a few days ago using different dough and they were good too.  Still, as far as I'm concerned rye is the way to go.