Homemade Pasta

Memories of homemade pasta take me back to my early childhood years. We forget so many little adventures of our life yet some remain as clear as the events of the day.

My earliest recollection takes me back many years when along with our own family many of my aunts, uncles and cousins immigrated to Canada.

These were young families attempting to make their way in a new country far from all that was familiar and comfortable.

As children, unaware of the problems and difficulties our parents were going through enjoyed carefree times together with our cousins.

During the winter holidays all the families came together. You can appreciate the fact that homes were not as spacious as some we live in today yet there was always room for all family members as well as anyone else that didn’t have a place to go.

These holidays usually included sleepovers but definitely not in comfy beds. One would be fortunate to get a spot on the floor and the acquisition of a pillow was sheer luxury. What memorable times they were!

Sometime early in the day, our mothers would roll out large sheets of pasta dough by hand with wooden rolling pins then cut them into long thin noodles.

The children would all line up to wash their hands and be given their place at a long table where each would get a dinner knife and a portion of noodles to cut up into shorter pieces. These were eventually added to the delicious home made soup served for dinner.

At dinner time the children enjoyed each others company at one end of the very long table. As we ate the soup, each identified which noodles were their handiwork.

Making homemade pasta has come a long way since then. There are so many machines and tools that make the process faster and easier but still a lot of fun.

There’s just something about making homemade pasta, then before it has a chance to barely dry, cooking and eating it the same day.

Even though there’s a fresh pasta section in most supermarkets today, the pleasure of making your own at home is something that shouldn’t be missed.

Once the art of dough making is mastered, the possibilities are endless for what can be done with the fresh pasta dough.

Visions of Lasagna, Fettuccine, Spaghetti, Pappardelle, Ravioli, Tortellini and Cannelloni may inspire the purchase of a pasta machine. If not, there’s always a sturdy rolling pin and a good kitchen knife!


Homemade Pasta
1 egg
1 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
¾ cups flour

The above yields about 5 ounces fresh pasta or 4 ounces of dried pasta, two average servings.
For larger amounts double, triple, etc. the above ingredients.

1. Place flour in a medium size bowl and make a well in the center.
2. Add the egg(s) and oil and with a fork combine until dough comes together.
3. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until it becomes smooth.
4. Cut dough in half or thirds and flatten with your hand or rolling pin, then crank through the pasta machine at the widest setting.
5. Fold dough into thirds and put through the pasta machine again, doing this several times until dough becomes a smooth sheet
6. Process dough progressively at lower settings until desired thickness, the second last setting is a good final setting.
7. Put rolled sheets through cutting rollers of pasta machine and cut to desired width.
8. Place on a pasta rack or clean dish towel to dry.

Notes Tips and Suggestions

• For a more firm textured pasta substitute up to half of the flour with Durham wheat semolina flour.
• Whole wheat flour can also be substituted up to half the amount of the all purpose flour.
• If you don’t have a pasta machine roll dough out to desired thickness with a rolling pin then roll sheet of dough as for a jelly roll and cut into neat ribbons.
• Fresh chopped herbs can be added to the dough along with the eggs and oil.
  
• Homemade fettuccine is delicious with a variety of sauces but just great tossed with butter and a generous sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Fourth Generation Pasta Makers

Truffles of a Different Kind

The original truffle is a valuable highly esteemed underground fungus often found with the use of pigs.

I’ve never tasted one myself but in consideration of the above information don’t feel drawn to the idea of trying one. Chances are I’m probably missing something very good!

On the other hand, truffle is also the name given to small chocolates often with a soft center, so named because of its irregular round shape and dredging in cocoa which makes it similar in appearance to the fungus.

This is one of the few times that I will settle for something less than the “real thing.” For the time being I will enjoy the chocolate variety and leave the “real thing” experience for a later date.

At least once a year I prepare to make truffles.

One recipe I have is quite easy to put together and the addition of graham cracker crumbs to the mixture makes it easier to work with.

The task of decorating is also easy for these as they can be rolled in coconut, nuts and small sprinkles for the finishing touches. The texture of these truffles more resembles that of a cookie.

The recipe I have posted requires a little more patience as the mixture consists only of chocolate, whipping cream and a small amount of liquor or strong coffee.

If this mixture gets too soft it becomes unmanageable but a quick dip from the frozen state into melted chocolate creates a hard outer shell. This hard chocolate shell captures the smooth soft center until you bite into it.

With some patience and organization, no distractions in the kitchen (preferably no one home when you make them) and a little chocolate everywhere these sweet chocolate confections are well worth making.


Chocolate Truffles
1 pound semi sweet chocolate
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons coffee liquor or triple strength coffee
chocolate for dipping (white, milk or semisweet)
shaved chocolate, cocoa etc. for decorating

1. Combine chocolate, cream and liquor (or coffee) in a heavy saucepan.
2. Cook over very low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth.
3. Transfer mixture into a glass pan and refrigerate several hours (preferably overnight) until firm.
4. Spoon out mixture into 1 tablespoon size mounds then roll into balls.
5. Place a tooth pick into each ball then place into freezer until frozen.
6. Melt semisweet, milk or white chocolate.
7. Remove no more than 5 or 6 frozen balls at a time from the freezer.
8. Holding the tooth pick, place truffle over melted chocolate and coat with the help of a teaspoon.
9. Decorate with shaved chocolate and pin each tooth pick onto some Styrofoam until chocolate hardens.
10. Gently remove truffle from tooth pick and place into small foil or paper cups and refrigerate.
    

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• Make sure truffles are frozen solid before dipping into melted chocolate; this makes the chocolate set almost immediately.
• Melt dipping chocolate in a bowl set over a pot with a small amount of gently simmering (not boiling) water only until just melted.
  
• After dipping in chocolate, truffles can also be decorated by thinly piping chocolate swirls on top.
• Using liquor in the mixture keeps it from totally freezing making the truffles a little harder to handle. The use of coffee will allow the mixture to freeze completely.
• These truffles are easier to make if the work is split up and done over a few days.
• Day 1 put together the mixture and refrigerate, day 2 roll the mixture into balls, insert the toothpick and freeze, day 3 dip into melted chocolate and decorate.
• Hide well in the refrigerator if you want to enjoy any for yourself.
  

Shortbread Cookies

Making a choice for my next cookie post wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. Even though I decided to feature shortbread cookies, the question remained...which one?

There is definitely no shortage of shortbread cookie recipes available. My collection includes chocolate, toasted coconut, chocolate chip and whipped shortbread. Even these recipes have variations in the types of sugar, flour and starch used.

Shortbread dough can be rolled and cut out, dropped from a spoon, piped from a pastry bag or cookie press and even placed into a shortbread mold.

No matter what shape, size or flavour, the buttery taste and delicate texture put shortbread cookies into a class of their own.

The recipe I’ve posted was originally a drop cookie with the option of rolling out the dough and cutting out shapes with cookie cutters.

Rolling out the dough gives excellent results as it keeps its shape very well and is great for making theme cookies.

This shortbread recipe has made umbrella shapes for wedding showers and bouquets of daisies and sunflowers to celebrate a special birthday and a fall engagement. Snowman, rocking horse and butterfly shapes put big smiles on the faces of those who received them.

A little royal icing and appropriate decorations made these cookies come to life, especially the flower cut outs that were given stems like real flowers and arranged in decorative flower pots.

Last year I cut out snowflake shapes but not being totally satisfied with the result thought of a way to bring a little life to these also.

Some sparkling coarse white sugar, a few silver dragees and a little white chocolate for glue turned the cookies into something a little more special.

No matter what shape you decide to make this dough into, the taste will be just as good.

Personally I think there’s more waiting in this dough than just a drop cookie; it can be rolled out as far as your imagination takes you!


Shortbread Cookies
2 cups softened butter
1 cup fruit or superfine sugar
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup corn starch

1. Sift flour and corn starch and set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.
3. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until well blended.
4. Drop dough from a teaspoon onto lightly greased or parchment lined cookie sheets, or roll and cut out desired shapes.
5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 20 to 25 minutes for drop cookies.
6. Depending on size and thickness of rolled cookies bake until edges of cookies turn a light golden colour.

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• If making drop cookies you can add chocolate chips or nuts to the dough.
• Roll dough inside a plastic food bag for uniform thickness (see picture).
• If making snowflake cookies as in above picture, melt some white chocolate and place a drop between two cookies to stick them together.
• For an easy way to decorate cut out cookies, after baking and while still warm, roll them in some superfine sugar. This is the easiest way to finish them off perfectly.
  

Chocolate Drop Cookies

Many of the cookie recipes I have are very good but a little labour intensive so I'm posting some that are easier to make but just as delicious.

While looking through some recipes that we’ve enjoyed for years I came across the one I've posted below.

Instantly I had a flashback to sweet memories of days gone by. A batch of these cookies cooling on the kitchen counter was always a welcomed sight for my kids after a long hard day at school.

I originally came across this recipe in a cookie book that provided pictures for every recipe in it.

If I could show you the picture that was printed for this particular cookie you may have just flipped the page and looked for something that offered a little more presentation.

A good description would be irregular blobs of dough camouflaged buy a swirl of thick chocolate icing.

The ingredients however seemed to hold great potential. A little cosmetic makeover was all these cookies needed to become a little more appealing to the eye.

Piping the dough into uniform size rounds with a pastry bag instead of dropping with a spoon, substituting a thin chocolate glaze for the thick frosting and adding a little embellishment on top completely transformed this tasty little cookies’ visual appeal.

The wonderful, soft, cake like texture of the cookie itself needed no adjustments.

After baking a batch for my post I filled a glass cookie jar full and placed it on the kitchen counter.

That day a visit from one of my grown children revealed that he also had some fond memories. I quote “How long has it been since you’ve made these!!” as he headed straight for the jar.

A picture of the cookies sent via email to my daughter brought back childhood friend memories and a request to save some for her.

My live at home son had little to say but a lot to eat.

Finally, I filled a cute little cookie tin full and went to visit my grand children… time to make some more good memories!

Chocolate Drop Cookies
½ cup butter or margarine (softened)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 squares unsweetened chocolate (melted and cooled)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

1. Mix butter, sugar, egg and melted chocolate thoroughly.
2. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla.
3. Sift together flour, soda and salt and blend into wet ingredients.
4. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough (or pipe rounds with a pastry bag and plain tip) about 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until no imprint remains when touched lightly.
6. Cool on wire rack then frost with thin chocolate icing.
7. Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Thin Chocolate Icing
1 square unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon butter
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons boiling water

1. Melt chocolate and butter together over hot water.
2. Remove from heat and blend in sugar and water.
3. Beat mixture with a spoon only until smooth but not stiff.

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• Substitute buttermilk by placing 1 tablespoon white vinegar into a measuring cup then add enough milk to measure 1/3 cup.
• Don’t over bake to preserve the cookies’ soft cake like texture.
• Parchment paper instead of greasing cookie sheets makes for a faster cleanup.
• No chocolate squares? Substitute ½ cup cocoa for the chocolate squares and increase butter in the recipe to 2/3 cups.
• Substitute 3 heaping tablespoons of semi sweet chocolate chips for the 1 square of unsweetened chocolate in the thin frosting.
  
• Tops of cookies may also be decorated with sweetened flaked coconut, chopped nuts or anything else your sweet tooth desires.
• Add decorations immediately after frosting each cookie as frosting sets and hardens quickly.
  
• These cookies freeze very well.