Re: red, white ,and blue recipes

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: JUNE 30, 2001 : : BAKING: BLUEBERRY CRUMB CAKE : : Fresh, baked blueberries are the foundation of this irresistible cake, which is capped with a thick, buttery layer of brown sugar and cinnamon. : : RECIPES : : : CLASSIC BLUEBERRY CRUMB CAKE : Makes 1 nine-inch cake : : 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour : 1 teaspoon baking soda : 1 teaspoon baking powder : 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt : 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan : 1 cup granulated sugar : 3 large eggs : 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract : 1 1/4 cups sour cream : 3 cups blueberries : Crumb Topping (recipe follows) : Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting : : 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl; set aside. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan; set aside. : 2. In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add vanilla, and beat until combined. Add reserved flour mixture and the sour cream, and beat just until well combined. Fold in 2 cups blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Toss remaining cup blueberries with the crumb topping. Sprinkle crumb topping over cake. Bake until golden brown and cake tester comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving. : : CRUMB TOPPING : Makes enough for 1 nine-inch cake : : 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon : 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt : 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar : 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour : 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature : : In a medium bowl, combine cinnamon, salt, sugar, and flour. Cut in the butter using your hands, two knives, or a pastry blender until well combined and crumbly. : : : : : ----------------- : JUNE 29, 2001 : : COOKIE OF THE WEEK: FLAG COOKIE : : A simple sugar cookie decorated with red, white, and blue royal icing makes a perfect patriotic treat. Martha first spotted these flag cookies at her friend Ina Garten’s gourmet store, the Barefoot Contessa, in East Hampton, New York. Ina’s pastry chef, Larry Hayden, achieves flawless flag stripes by using plastic squeeze bottles to flood the cookies with the icing. : : RECIPES : : : FLAG COOKIES : Makes 12 cookies : : 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces : 3/4 cup granulated sugar : 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract : 3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour : Pinch of salt : Royal Icing (recipe follows) : Super-red, tulip-red, royal-blue, and violet paste food colorings : : 1. Cut a 3-by-5-inch template out of lightweight cardboard, or create a template by stacking several index cards together, then wrapping them in plastic wrap, leaving one side smooth; set aside. Line two baking sheets with Silpats, and set aside. : : 2. Heat oven to 325°. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar for 1 minute. Add the vanilla, flour, and salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 to 2 minutes more. : : 3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Place the smooth side of the template onto the dough, and cut out a rectangle using a paring knife; repeat to make a total of sixteen rectangles, re-rolling dough as needed. : : 4. Transfer rectangles to prepared baking sheets, using a wide spatula. Chill for at least 1 hour. : : 5. Bake cookies until they are just beginning to color and are lightly firm to the touch, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack, and let cool completely. : : 6. Make the royal icing, divide it evenly between four bowls, and cover each bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Set one bowl aside for outlining the cookies. Add super-red and tulip-red food coloring to one of the bowls, and mix thoroughly, adding more food coloring if necessary to obtain desired color. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons of water to icing so that it is loose enough to flow easily off of the spatula when lifted and forms a ribbon that dissolves almost immediately. Replace plastic wrap, and cover tightly. Repeat this process with another bowl of icing, using blue and violet food coloring. To the third bowl of icing, add just 2 to 3 teaspoons water, and mix thoroughly. Re-cover all bowls tightly with plastic wrap. : : 7. Transfer the reserved outlining icing to a small pastry bag fitted with a #5 tip. Pipe an even line on the outside edges of the cookie. Divide the cookie in half with a horizontal line. To form the outline of the canton (the field of stars), pipe a vertical line one-third of the way from the left side of the cookie until it meets the first horizontal line. To form the stripes, pipe two evenly spaced horizontal lines above the original horizontal line and to the right of the canton. Pipe three more evenly spaced horizontal lines from left to right under the canton. Repeat this process on the remaining cookies. Reserve the icing in the pastry bag for the stars. Allow the icing to dry for at least 1 hour. : : 8. Place the remaining three icings into separate squeeze bottles. Flood the field of stars with enough blue icing to fill the space evenly without overflowing. Use the tip of a small knife or a wooden skewer to push the icing completely into the corners. Using the same technique, flood every other stripe with the red icing. Allow the icing to dry for at least 2 hours. Flood the remaining stripes with the white icing. : : 9. Change the tip of the pastry bag with the reserved white icing to a #16 tip. Pipe out as many stars onto the blue icing as will fit. Allow the icing to dry. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. : : : ROYAL ICING : Makes 2 1/3 cups : : 1 pound (about 4 cups) confectioners’ sugar : 5 tablespoons meringue powder or 2 large egg whites : : In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine ingredients. Mixing on low speed, add a scant 1/2 cup water drop by drop. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for further embellishing. Mix until icing holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface for 5 seconds when you raise the paddle. : : Note: Raw eggs should not be used in food prepared for pregnant women, babies, young children, or anyone whose health is compromised. : : www.marthastewart.com

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