Sausage Feta Calzones

Operation Washing-Tons of Fun 2010 is well under way.  We have a visit planned to find an apartment and an awesome high paying job for my boyfriend (who will be supporting my sweet ass), and my culinary school plans are almost finalized.

Last week I receive my exorbitant financial aid statement for the Culinary Arts Associates Degree and almost threw up a little in my mouth.  So the new plan is to get the Baking and Pastry Diploma.  It is only a year long and I will still get the basic introductory class in culinary techniques.  I reread the descriptions for the classes I will be taking and can’t wait to learn about the ethnic and international desserts, garnishing and plate decorating, and petit fours.  The final exam for the class is a grand dessert buffet.  A GRAND DESSERT BUFFET.  I can’t wait for that one.

I also can’t wait to make these calzones again.  I started out trying to come up with a portable breakfast for John to take to work in the mornings and I basically ended up with pizza.  Not really a problem since John loves cold pizza for breakfast.

The fennel and onions in the filling  gave it a nice sweetness while the fresh parsley and feta kept it lighter than a normal gooey calzone filling.  I also used whole wheat flour in the dough and the nuttiness from that helped it feel a little more like breakfast.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 packet instant yeast (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor.  With the machine running, add the water and olive oil through the feed tube.  Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time, until the dough forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch.
2. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand for a few minutes to form a smooth round dough ball.  Put the dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
3. When the dough is ready, gently punch it down and divide it into 8 pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball and let them rest on a baking sheet covered with a damp dishcloth or plastic wrap for about 20 minutes.

Sausage and Feta Calzones

filling adapted from Martha Stewart

4 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound sweet Italian pork sausage (removed from casing if necessary)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 head of fennel trimmed, cored, and sliced thinly
pinch or two of red pepper flakes
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Dough from recipe above
Flour for dusting
1 egg for brushing
whole fennel seeds for sprinkling

1. While your dough in rising in the recipe above, you can make the filling.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat, and break the sausage up into it.  Stir occasionally until the sausage is cooked through and evenly browned.  Transfer sausage to a paper towel lined plate.  Drain pan if necessary.
3. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and onion to pan and cook for about two minutes, or until onion is softened.  Add fennel and red pepper flakes.  Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking until vegetables are cooked through, about 8 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and cook until their juices are released, 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the reserved sausage.  Let this mixture cool to room temperature.
4. When mixture has cooled down, gently stir in the crumbled feta and parsley.  Taste and adjust seasonings.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
6. When your 8 balls of dough have rested, roll each one out on a lightly floured surface into a 6-8 inch circle.  Beat egg with a little bit of water (less than a tablespoon) and brush around edges of circle.  Put a heaping 1/4 cup of filling onto one half of circle and fold the other half over.  Pinch and twist the edges inward to seal them.  Place on a baking sheet or pizza pan coated with cooking spray.  Brush tops with more egg wash and sprinkle with fennel seeds.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown all over.
7. Cool on wire rack until you can’t resist them any longer.

Tres Leches

Lets talk about mouthfeel.  Last Friday I entered my first baking contest.  It was a casual event at the museum (where I work) and there were lots of delicious entries.  It was a good experience even though I didn’t place (not even with one of my friends as a judge!).

I learned a few things too.  1) Don’t show up late and have your dish be the last of 20 desserts tasted and judged.  A sugar-sick judge in a frosting-induced coma  is not on your side.  2) Oreo truffles are delicious. 3) Mouthfeel is a very important (and real) category for desserts.

The mouthfeel of this Tres Leches cake was awesome.  I was surprised that a pastry soaked in milk for hours didn’t feel soggy and gross when you ate it.  It was creamy and moist and I couldn’t stop going back for more.  It has milk and lots of eggs in it so I figured it was fine for breakfast, and even when I took it to work, it wasn’t quite far enough away from my desk to stay out of my thoughts.

When I made this cake I went through a dozen eggs even though the recipe only calls for four.  Don’t make the same mistakes I did.  Separate your eggs with your hands, not the shells.  If you use the shells you will inevitably end up with your last yolk broken in the whites and you will have to start over.  When the recipe says to beat the whites and sugar until stiff peaks form, be patient, this could take 8-10 minutes because of the large amount of sugar.  Don’t give up after 5 minutes thinking your whites have deflated and throw it out to start over.  Other than that (I think I was trying to bake too early in the morning with too much of a hangover) this cake was fun and easy to make.  The best part is pouring all the milks over the cake and watching it magically disappear.

Pastel de Tres Leches

from Fresh Mexico by Marcela Valladolid

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup whole milk

One 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

One 12-oz can evaporated milk

1 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp Grand Marnier

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter the bottom of a 10-inch cake pan with 2 inch high sides (I used my 9 inch springform), line bottom with parchment paper, then butter and flour the paper and pan.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until frothy. With the mixer running gradually add the sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form (could take up to 10 minutes).  Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, blending well after each addition.
4. Add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the whole milk in two additions.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 min, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let the cake cool slightly in the pan; then invert it (or remove the sides of the springform and invert) into a platter with one inch high sides.  Pierce the top of the warm cake all over with a thick skewer.
6. Mix the sweetened condensed milk, the evaporated milk, heavy cream and Grand Marnier and pour over the cake. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about three hours, or overnight.

Serves 8-10