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Sorry for posting this again, but i think i chose a bad title - got only two replies and they didn;t address the question. But i need help from some of you experienced people - especially because tomorrow i have to do the shopping. Come on, I help you all the time!
I'm having a big christmas party on wednesday.
Despite my great efforts and interesting and complex recipes, the things people like most are the roast turkey (yeah, weird isn;t it - they think the easiest thing is the most amazing - nobody does a whole turkey here) and the baked bries and camemberts in puff pastry. (I don;t make the puff pastry myself in this case since i'm doing a lot of cooking - i buy it frozen).
I've come up with a couple of interesting variations to be spread on top before wrapping:
caramelized onion and dried cranberry;
Caramelized onion and apples.
However I wanted to make more of these since they go right away and are so easy to make. I'm hoping for some feedback
Question 1 - honey-caramelized nuts?
There's a trend now here to serve honey with cheeses, especially with sharp or smelly cheese like gorgonzola.
I wondered if I could caramelize some walnuts and, since someone is allergic to nuts, some pistachios, in greek honey and spread on top.
I was thinking like they make nut brittle, but with honey boiled down to a hard crack stage, then toss the nuts in it. It would then be more nuts (or pistachios) than honey
Can you do that with honey? does this make any sense? Should I just put nuts and honey on top? I thought that boiling it down and just coating the nuts or pistachios would mean a little less sweet, and that slightly caramelized flavor that is so nice with nuts.
question 2 - can you do gorgonzola?
Once i tried to make this with a piece of brie, and the brie melted all over the place and oozed completely out of the pastry. I realized the skin of the brie kept it in place so i make only whole bries and camemberts this way.
But maybe there is a way? When i did it i wrapped the brie piece in puff pastry and sealed with egg, but then turned it over and put the seams down so the top would be smooth and i could paste little leaves on it. Gorgonzola comes in chunks and I thought gorgonzola would be wonderful in this, but then will it melt out since it has no skin?
What if i made a little basket of puff pastry, laying the gorgonzola and honey or whatever on top of the sheet of pastry with plenty to spare, then pulled up the sides and gathered them on top so they sort of stick up, but squeezed together? I know you can use phillo pastry, but that is next to impossible to find here. I would imagine if it melted it would remain in this little basket. Then I'd serve warm not hot.
The idea of warm gorgonzola with nuts and honey is very appealing and is making my mouth water even as I write and it's not even 9AM!
Help me figure this out!
thanks, as always,
Siduri
I'm having a big christmas party on wednesday.
Despite my great efforts and interesting and complex recipes, the things people like most are the roast turkey (yeah, weird isn;t it - they think the easiest thing is the most amazing - nobody does a whole turkey here) and the baked bries and camemberts in puff pastry. (I don;t make the puff pastry myself in this case since i'm doing a lot of cooking - i buy it frozen).
I've come up with a couple of interesting variations to be spread on top before wrapping:
caramelized onion and dried cranberry;
Caramelized onion and apples.
However I wanted to make more of these since they go right away and are so easy to make. I'm hoping for some feedback
Question 1 - honey-caramelized nuts?
There's a trend now here to serve honey with cheeses, especially with sharp or smelly cheese like gorgonzola.
I wondered if I could caramelize some walnuts and, since someone is allergic to nuts, some pistachios, in greek honey and spread on top.
I was thinking like they make nut brittle, but with honey boiled down to a hard crack stage, then toss the nuts in it. It would then be more nuts (or pistachios) than honey
Can you do that with honey? does this make any sense? Should I just put nuts and honey on top? I thought that boiling it down and just coating the nuts or pistachios would mean a little less sweet, and that slightly caramelized flavor that is so nice with nuts.
question 2 - can you do gorgonzola?
Once i tried to make this with a piece of brie, and the brie melted all over the place and oozed completely out of the pastry. I realized the skin of the brie kept it in place so i make only whole bries and camemberts this way.
But maybe there is a way? When i did it i wrapped the brie piece in puff pastry and sealed with egg, but then turned it over and put the seams down so the top would be smooth and i could paste little leaves on it. Gorgonzola comes in chunks and I thought gorgonzola would be wonderful in this, but then will it melt out since it has no skin?
What if i made a little basket of puff pastry, laying the gorgonzola and honey or whatever on top of the sheet of pastry with plenty to spare, then pulled up the sides and gathered them on top so they sort of stick up, but squeezed together? I know you can use phillo pastry, but that is next to impossible to find here. I would imagine if it melted it would remain in this little basket. Then I'd serve warm not hot.
The idea of warm gorgonzola with nuts and honey is very appealing and is making my mouth water even as I write and it's not even 9AM!
Help me figure this out!
thanks, as always,
Siduri