Redberries little pies


Recent days have been a bit chaotic. Sometimes plans change at full speed and you have to react and try to keep up. Above all, sometimes you just have to be there.
There are times when every day makes us forget some important things. But it is enough just a phone call again, and all that matters gets back in place, and time stops for a moment, and you react and you stand for a few days, and recover some things by the way.
Now we just need to give us time to be there much longer.


Fortunately, before having to run away I had prepared these little pies, ready to be published.
I always loved these pies that housewives in cartoons used to put to chill in the window. I had never done these little pies (classics for an american, but shomehow exotic to me) and now I have tried a version with red berries. Personally, I love its acidity as opposed to the pastry base, and its butter content, but you can prepare the pies with the fruit filling of your choice, provided they produce enough juice.



Redberries little pies

Ingredients (for 3  to 4 little pies)
325 grams  all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
125 grams of butter chilled and cut into small pieces
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water 

For the filling
200 grams red berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc., fresh or frozen) 
3  or 4 tablespoons of sugar (45 to 60 grams aprox)
1 teaspoon cornstarch


In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. 
For the filling, put the berries and the sugar in a pan at medium heat and keep until sugar is disolved and berries are soft and translucid.
Cover the mold with the dough, put the berries (without the syrup they have created). Add a teaspoon at the berries syrup once cooleed, and then put a little into the pie. Cover the pie with the dough and close carefully. Brush with egg, put in the oven preheated at 200 for 10 minutes. Then low to 180º for another 10 to 15 minutes until the fruit filling starts to bubble.
 

Homemade burger buns



Sometimes, if you can not beat them, it is best to join him. Or tempted, if you can not beat it. I could go with a bunch of other topics, to explain why I made this recipe for hamburger bun, but the real truth is that I have an 8 year old eats hamburgers at home. And I make hamburgers, to control what I put, but with bread, had been hooked on industrial rolls. And is not the best, really. So I needed to try a recipe that replaced and I think this is going pearls. There are thousands of recipes for this bread, this is just another, but they liked my beta testers, who are very, very demanding, as anyone who has children at home. So taking your approval I can say I have passed the test with flying colors.
Sesame I leave to your choice, children do not always thrilled.

The recipe is very simple, but like all breads, leavened times are long. I usually do on Saturday or Sunday, if I'm home doing other things and freeze for use during the week. In this case, I prefer not to put sesame.




Hamburger bun

Ingredients (for about 10 rolls)
120 grams of water
180 grams of milk
1 egg
30 grams of butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
600 grams of flour (plus more for flour the bench)
30 grams of fresh yeast bakery

For baking
A little water
Sesame







Preparation

Put all ingredients into the bread pan in the order listed in the program for the dough (takes about 1 ½ hours and makes a first weighed).

Flour a work surface, degas the dough (to give a spin to remove excess air, but do not knead again) and cut the dough into pieces of similar weight. I start diviendo the dough in half and then each half in half to make similar pieces. If this system does not serve you, weighs the dough and divide it into pieces of equal weight. It is important that the buns weighing the same so that the baking is homogeneous. Form bagels with the pieces, and put them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Leave weigh again for 1 hour, covered with a cloth.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees, spray with water, put the sesame seeds if you are using, at this time. Lower the oven to 180 degrees, place the scones about 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on a rack, and to enjoy.



Mocca mousse (without chocolate)



Believe it or not, you can actually have a mocca (aka coffee and chocolate) mousse WITHOUT using chocolate.

This is a rather light treat, as we do not use butter, or cream, or eggs... well, not even chocolate. That's why it is great when you want to indulge, but not ruin your diet.

Crema de chocolate y café, para papá

I love coffee, black, strong and tasty. Espresso-like.  I need my shoot a couple times a day. I love chocolate. Dark, strong and deeply, rich cacao flavored. 

Strong coffee and chocolate together in a recipe sound more than good to me. But, to make a mocca mousse, as Italian call this mix of coffee and chocolate, you usually need butter or cream. Not so good to have it a couple of times a day- sigh-.

When a few days ago I had an urgent need of a mocca custard, I remembered that there are other ways to make it without eggs, cream, or butter. Even without chocolate. Yes, it sounds really weird, but the magic ingredient in this recipe is avocado. That buttery fruit loses its flavor when mixed with cocoa and coffee, and in return, gives this dessert the perfect consistency. It doesn’t seem to, but this mousse is full of fruit. 

Crema de chocolate y café, para papá


Cofee and non-chocolate mocca mousse
Ingredients (for 4 servings)

     2 avocados (150 grams clean)
     50 g of non fat cocoa powder
     250 grams of plain yogurt (whole or skim, to taste)
     Sugar to taste (about 3-4 tablespoons)
     1 short espresso (can be decaffeinated, but must have full espresso flavor)

Preparation

Put all ingredients in the bowl of the mixer and mix. Try, rectify sweet until the desired taste. Serve in individual cups and bring to the refrigerator until ready to serve. Take the same day.


Crema de chocolate y café, para papá




White fish and Shrimp Ceviche





Years ago I had a fantastic Peruvian friend. For a long time he sat at the table next to mine, we shared work, and we ended up making good friends. Then we lost touch, but he really was a very dear friend, as he is an  absolutely charming, funny and a great, great guy. And thanks to him I learned many things about Peru. My whole relationship with this country was limited until then to the husband of a distant cousin of my father, that I meet  once every couple of years, and that was all.

But my friend J.L. taught me a lot of that wonderful country, and made me stand on his side when Chilean  colleagues  talked about pisco sour as their national drink, when he had previously taught me that the real pisco was a Peruvian thing (and excuse me, I had no idea, but he was my friend, and in my defense I will say simply that I love pisco-sour). And he talked about the Japanese in Peru (they were Fujimori times, so you know how long it's been), and all the wonders that were waiting for him to go back home, such a lost paradise (I know that shortly after he returned to his paradise, but now he is back in Madrid). Now, when I hear wonders of Peruvian cuisine, and appears everywhere as the ultimate gastronomic discovery I remember him and how he lit up his eyes to tell me how to make a good Peruvian ceviche.



I must say I never asked him for his recipe, which I regret infinitely. But I need no help to remember the joy of living that we had at that time, his absolutely delicious smile, and all the good times that we share at a time when life was still a project in which all could happen.

So I recall all of this when preparing ceviche. This dish is perfect for the summer, is prepared in a few minutes and everyone loves it.. And no, the fish is not raw: the lime juice cooks it, so be careful not to let too much time or the juice will actually "burn" it. That's all the trick, -well, and putting the right amount of chilli pepper. Which is very relative, and depends on taste, but once you pick up the right spot, it's really delicious, light and tasty.

White fish  and Shrimp Ceviche

Ingredients (for 2)

 A handful of large Shrimps (fresh or frozen)
2 fillets of firm-fleshed white fish (I used hake), fresh or frozen
Half purple onion
Chili (chile powder)
Lime and lemons juice
White wine vinegar (2 tablespoons)
Parsley

Preparation
Cut the onion into thick strips, add salt and vinegar and let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the fish in 1 inch dices. Clean well the shrimps and remove the intestines. Add a bit of salt, add the lime juice (enough quantity for covering the fish), the chili powder and mix. Place in refrigerator about 10 to 15 minutes, add the onion, mix all and serve immediately with some parsley leaves for garnish.