Chez Panisse Gingersnaps Recipes

CHEZ PANISSE GINGERSNAPS

Steps:

• 1. Stir together the dry ingredients. 2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or by hand, beat the butter just until soft and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until smooth, stopping the mixer to scrape down any butter clinging to the sides of the bowl. 3. Stir in the vanilla, molasses and egg. 4. Mix in the dry ingredients gradually until the dough is smooth. 5. Divide the dough in two equal portions and roll each on a lightly-floured surface until each is about 2-inches (5cm) around. Don't worry if they're not perfect; you can neaten them up in a second. 6. Wrap each in plastic wrap then roll them lightly on the counter to smooth them out. Refrigerate, or better yet, freeze the cookie logs until firm. 7. To bake, preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. 8. Slice cookie dough into 1/4-inch (a scant 1 cm) rounds with a sharp knife. Dip one side and press firmly in a bowl of coarse sugar if you want (you can also use granulated sugar instead), and place sugar-side up on baking sheet, evenly-spaced apart. Leave a couple of inches, about 5 cm, between cookies since they'll spread while baking. 9. Bake for 10-14 minutes, rotating the baking sheets midway during baking, until deep-golden brown. The cookies will puff up a bit while baking, then settle down when they're done. Bake on the lower end of the range for softer cookies, and more for snappier ones, depending on your oven. 10. Let the cookies cool two minutes, then remove them with a spatula and transfer them to a cooling rack. Storage: The dough can be refrigerated for up to five days, or frozen for up to three months. Once baked, the cookies can be kept in an air-tight container for a couple of days but like anything made with butter, of course they're best the day they're baked.

CHEZ PANISSE LAMB STEW WITH DRIED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Soak the apricots in warm water for an hour or so while you prepare the rest of the stew.
• Season the lamb well with salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat--enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
• Add the lamb and brown it on all sides, working in batches if necessary--do not crowd the meat.
• Remove the meat to a plate and pour off and discard most of the fat/oil in the pan, leaving just a thin veil of oil.
• Add the onions and cook them until soft--about 7 minutes.
• Add the lamb back in, stir in the spices and mix well, and cook for another four minutes.
• Add enough water to come just to the top of the meat and bring to a boil, skimming any foam that rises to the top.
• Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for half and hour.
• Whhile the lamb is cooking, drain the apricots, reserving the liquid.
• Chop the apricots coarsely and add them to the lamb.
• Now keep the pan partially covered and continue to simmer for about another hour or until the lamb is tender.
• Stir occasionally and, if the liquid gets too low, add some of the reserved apricot liquid.
• Wen the lamb is tender, skim any fat off the top, taste for salt and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Add the rose water (if you like--I do).

FAMOUS CALZONE FROM CHEZ PANISSE RESTAURANT

Steps:

• Combine filling well and set aside.
• May be made several hours in advance and refrigerated.
• Preheat oven with pizza bricks already inside to 450* F.
• Roll the dough out into 4 circles.
• It has to be as thin as possible otherwise the dough doesn't cook on the inside.
• Put 1/4 of the filling on one half of one circle of dough, leaving an inch of margin space all around the edges.
• Moisten the edges with water and fold the other half over the filling to make the edges meet.
• Seal it tightly.
• Repeat this with the other three dough circles.
• Do not prick holes in it, and patch any holes you've accidentally made as tightly as you can.
• You are aiming for a steam-tight calzone.
• Put the calzones gently onto a pizza paddle, two at a time, on which you've flung some polenta, flour or cornmeal for ball bearings and slide them onto pizza bricks.
• Bake for about 15 minutes until quite brown on top.
• At the restaurant, it always arrives just a little charred on top.
• Remove from oven and brush with a little olive oil.

FRESH GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and heat to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with 3-inch sides, or a 9-inch springform pan, with a circle of parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the molasses, sugar and oil. In separate medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.
• In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Stir in baking soda, then mix hot water into molasses mixture. Stir in ginger.
• Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into batter. Add eggs, and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for about 1 hour, until the top of cake springs back lightly when pressed or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of cake browns too quickly before cake is done, drape a piece of foil over it and continue baking.
• Cool cake for at least 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of cake to loosen it from pan. Invert cake onto a cooling rack, and remove parchment paper.

CHEZ PANISSE'S BLUEBERRY COBBLER

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. To prepare the berries, place in a bowl and toss with the sugar and flour. Set aside.
• To make the dough, mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the cream and mix lightly, just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
• Put the blueberries in a 1 1/2-quart gratin or baking dish. Make patties out of the dough, 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick. Arrange them over the top of the berries. Bake until the topping is brown and the juices bubble thickly around it, about 35 to 40 minutes.
• Let cool slightly. Serve warm, with cream to pour on top, if desired.