Day 3: Holiday recipes

By Aren Framil, Nishta Subramanian, Emily Wang and Mary Wolters, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Staff Reporters

Blini (Eastern European pancakes) family recipe

By Aren Framil, Co-Editor-in-Chief

While not considered a winter delicacy in the West, those in Eastern Europe and Central Asia may celebrate the holiday season with thin, crepe-like pancakes called blini. During Maslenitsa, a week-long annual festival also known as “butter week,” celebrants make, share and eat blini before Lent begins. While I’ve never taken part in Maslenitsa myself, my mother is from Kazakhstan with ancestry in Russia and Ukraine and passed down to me her family’s pared-down recipe for blini.

Ingredients (yields 5-10 blini):

• 1 tablespoon brown/white sugar (add more or less for taste)
• 2 eggs
• 1-2 cups flour
• Milk
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon/allspice (optional)
• Butter
• Toppings (syrup, caviar, fruit, cheese, etc.)

Steps:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together sugar and eggs until the batter reaches a smooth consistency. Add more or less sugar depending on whether you prefer sweeter or more savory pancakes.
2. Slowly add in flour. If the batter becomes too tough to stir, add a splash of milk and continue adding flour until satisfied. While there are no specific measurements, 1-2 cups is a good place to start.
3. Slowly mix in milk until the batter’s consistency is half-and-half. Heavier batter with more flour is easier to cook, but the blini will taste more rubbery and thick. Lighter batter with more milk is more difficult to cook and breaks up easily, but the blini will taste more delicate.
4. Mix in any additional cinnamon or spices.
5. Place a regular-size frying pan on the stovetop and set it to a medium heat. Add a slice of butter.
6. When the butter is melted and the pan is appropriately hot, dip a ladle into the batter and pour it onto the pan. Swirl the pan till the batter spreads to the size of a regular pancake.
7. When small bubbles appear on the top of the blin and the edges slightly peel up, it is ready to be flipped. Traditionally you would flip it with your fingers, but if you are afraid of getting burned (like me), use a spatula to get under the blin and flip it.
8. Wait a minute or two for the other side to cook. You should be able to move the blin around in the pan by pushing the top. When done, transfer the blin to a plate and add a sliver of butter on the top. 
9. Repeat steps 6-8 until all the batter is used up and the blini are stacked with butter. Blini should be thin and soft with crispy edges.
10. Fold or roll the blini with toppings inside, or dip folded blini in dipping sauce.
11. Enjoy!

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting recipe

By Nishta Subramanian, Staff Reporter

This is a spiced carrot cake that is moist and pairs well with the moderately sweet cream cheese frosting. Add nutmeg and cinnamon for a lovely warm cake which is perfect for the holidays; the cake can be made vegan as well.

Ingredients:

(Yield: 8” inch 2 layered Carrot Cake)

• 270 milliliters (1⅓ cups) milk (nondairy unsweetened milk or any milk of choice)
• 165 grams (⅔ cup) light brown sugar
• 170 grams (⅔ cup) sugar (cane sugar/castor sugar)
• 180 milliliters (¾ cup) vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 300 grams (2⅓ cups) all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1¼ teaspoons cinnamon powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 300 grams (2½ cups) carrots (peeled and grated, roughy 5-6 medium-sized)
• 70 grams (⅔ cup) walnuts, chopped (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 340 grams (12 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature (vegan cream cheese or any cream cheese of choice)
• 340 grams (1½ cups) butter, room temperature (vegan butter sticks or any butter of choice)
• 340 grams (3 cups) powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla/cinnamon powder

Topping:

• 60 grams (½ cup) walnuts, toasted and chopped + cake crumbs from trimmings

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 2-by-8-inch round cake pans, and line them with baking paper.
• In a bowl combine milk, oil, vanilla extract and both sugars. Mix with a whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
• Add all the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients.
• Add grated carrots and walnuts, and fold the batter gently.
• Divide the cake batter between the cake pans.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until firm to the touch.
• Cool the sponge cakes completely on a cooling rack. Trim a thin layer of the cake before layering it with frosting.

For the Frosting:

• Use a paddle attachment or electric whisk to whip butter in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
• Add powdered sugar in 2-3 parts and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
• Add cream cheese and mix until smooth.
• Add 6-7 scoops between the cake layers.
• Cover the cake in the frosting. Decorate with cake crumbs and walnuts.

Source Recipe: Link

Apple pie (with lattice topping) recipe

By Emily Wang, Staff Reporter

This must-make apple pie consists of a homemade buttery, crunchy crust combined with cinnamon-spiced apples that are perfectly tart and sweet.

Ingredients:

Pie Crust

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, diced and then chilled
• ½ cup ice-cold water, or as needed

Pie Sauce

• ½ cup butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Pie Filling

• 6 to 7 granny smith apples (or any kind that you prefer)
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Steps:

Preparing the crust

1. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Use a pastry blender or forks to cut in chilled, diced butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of cold water at a time, mixing with a spatula or your hands until the dough comes together; you may need less than ½ cup of water.
3. Divide the dough into two equal amounts. Shape each one into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preparing the Sauce

1. Put a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt ½ cup (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter.
2. Stir in 3 tablespoons of flour and let it simmer for about 1 minute, whisking constantly.
3. Whisk in ¼ cup of water and 1 cup of sugar.
4. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool while you prepare the filling.

Preparing the Filling

1. Rinse and peel the apples. Remove the cores and cut into thin slices.
2. Transfer the apples into a large bowl. Add in the cinnamon, and mix until the cinnamon evenly coats the apples.

Making the Pie

1. Place one disk of chilled dough on a generously floured surface and roll out to an 11-inch circle, adding more flour to your rolling pin as needed.

      2. Carefully transfer the dough by wrapping it around the rolling pin, then unrolling over a 9-inch pie dish. Press dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the dish. Trim any excess dough (and flute the edges if desired).

      3. Transfer the previous apple slices into your pie dish, mounting them slightly in the middle. Try to avoid putting apples along the side of the dish because this might make it harder to seal your pie later on.

      4. Roll out the other half of dough into a 12-inch circle, making it as round as possible. 

      5. Cut out 10 strips of dough, making them as even in width as possible. The strips should be longer in the center and shorter to the sides.

      6. Take the first five strips and lay them horizontally on the pie, with the longest in the middle. There should be an equal-length gap between each strip. 

      7. Slightly peel back the second and fourth strips so that they fold from the middle. Take the longest strip from the leftover strips and lay it vertically down the center of the pie. Put the second and fourth strips back.

     8. Now, repeat the previous steps, this time with the first, third and fifth strips. Alternate between the strips until all five strips are laid vertically across the pie, crisscrossing with the previous strips.

(*if desired:

• Mix 1 egg with a tablespoon of sugar. Then brush the mixture over the entire pie, which will leave it with an appetizing shine after baking.)

     9. Bake the pie in the oven for 15 minutes at 425°F. Then, bake for another 45 minutes at 350°F or until the filling is bubbling through the vents at the top.

     10. Let cool for at least an hour before serving.

Sources:

Check Allstate First – Dock :6

Butter Flaky Pie Crust Recipe

Winter sprinkle sugar cookies recipe

By Mary Wolters, Design Editor

These soft and flavorful sugar cookies are the perfect winter treat to enjoy with friends and family. The sweet icing pairs nicely with the crunchy snowflake sprinkles. This recipe takes about two hours and produces 12-16 frosted cookies.

Cookies:

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg 
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract

Frosting:

• 1 cup butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons milk 
• Blue food coloring
• Snowflake sprinkles 

Instructions:

1. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cornstarch in a bowl. Whisk together and set aside. 
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until fluffy. Then, beat in the egg, sour cream, vanilla and almond extract.
3. Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix until fully combined.
4. Shape the dough into a sphere, then cover in plastic and chill for an hour in the refrigerator.
5. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll the dough out to a ¼-inch width and then use a circular cookie cutter to cut the cookies. Reroll the scraps and cut the remaining cookies. 
6. Transfer the cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets and bake at 375°F for 8-9 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. 
7. While the cookies bake, prepare the frosting. First, cream the butter in the stand mixer. Then add the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Continue mixing until completely smooth. Finally, add the blue food coloring one drop at a time until it reaches the desired shade of blue.
8. Once completely cooled, decorate the cookies with a thin layer of buttercream and a handful of sprinkles. Enjoy!

Source: Recipe link

Aren Framil can be reached at [email protected].

Nishta Subramanian can be reached at [email protected].

Emily Wang can be reached at [email protected].

Mary Wolters can be reached at [email protected].