Super Simple Scallion Pancakes 2010

July 4th Weekend wasn't just a nanoscapes Painting Marathon for me, but an opportunity to revisit Scallion Pancakes. My recipes from 2006 date were from the "It's complicated, so it's ok" period. Complicated is fine; unnecessarily complex is unnecessary.

An undated NY Times clipping (and I searched the archives, to no avail) and some trial and error lead me to create "Super Simple Scallion Pancakes."  You have the basic ingredients:  flour, salt, water, scallions and red fresno chili, sesame and canola oils.  Make the dough in two minutes, and refrigerate it for an hour or overnight.

 "Rolling and folding"  seems more natural than the "coil and roll" instruction from my earlier efforts.  In the spirit of multiple layers of puff pastry, cover two pancakes  with scallions, stack, fold, roll and fry. 

A small rolling pin (steal it from your children) and silicone baking mats make these a snap. Unable to leave anything alone, I cut the salt in half, added wheat germ and cayenne to the dough, and red tiny diced red fresno chili to the scallion mixture.

Super Simple Scallion Pancakes (adapted from the NYTimes)
Makes 4-6 pancakes

2 c all-purpose flour
1 T wheat germ
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sesame oil
1 c finely chopped scallions (or a mixture of scallions and garlic chives)
2 T finely diced red fresno or other chili pepper
Dipping Options:  soy sauce, salt, rice wine vinegar

1.  Mix the flour, wheat germ, cayenne, and salt in a food processor or bowl.  Add 3/4 cup of COLD water and mix until the dough forms a ball.  Cover and refrigerate for one to 24 hours.
2.  Cut the dough into 1-1/2 balls.

3.  On a silicone mat (or parchment or waxed paper), roll the dough balls into 4-5" rounds or near-rounds.  Don't obsess with roundness.
4.  Each finished pancake will use two dough rounds. Brush one with sesame oil and top with scallions and red fresno or other chili.

 
5.  Top with a second dough round and press the edges together.  Brush with sesame oil and top with scallions.

6.  Fold the rounds of dough in half.  Press  down with your rolling pin or your hands.  Fold in half again and then roll the pancake back into a circle.

7.  Heat 2-3 T oil in a non-stick pan.  Fry the pancakes for 2-3 minutes per side, being careful not to burn the cakes.  If you do this in batches, clean the pan between each batch or you will have an ugly burned flour smell in your kitchen.

8.  While these are best served right out of the pan, it can be tedious to tend to the frying while your guests are grabbing the pancakes out of your hands.  They can be kept in a warm (250 degree) oven.  You can also freeze them. Reheat at 350 in single layers on pre-heated sheet pans on top of your silicone baking mats. Check after 10 minutes.

Cashew Brittle and the Gift of the Candy Thermometer

If you give the gift of five pounds of candy, the recipient will be sick for a week.
However, if you give the gift of a Candy Thermometer, the recipient will be able to make
jam, jelly, Italian meringue, caramels and Cashew Brittle -- and you may reap your just rewards (or just desserts.)

Whether you are playing an instrument or playing golf or playing the radio, using the best tools and equipment makes the activities easier and more pleasant. You can, of course, make this recipe without a candy thermometer by learning the rules of "soft-crack" and "hard-crack" stages of boiling sugar, and you can get by without either parchment paper or silicone mats, but you will have to deal with the messy cleanup after having to buttered the baking sheets. Your choice. You are, after all, the boss of you.

• To double or not to double? With the Bergin Nut Company in my back yard, I will always buy cashews in five-pound bags, and I will also always roast all of the nuts because roasted nuts are better to my taste. Extras go in the freezer.
• Would I double the brittle recipe or make it in small batches? Until I have factory-style equipment (giant sugar-stirring machinery), I'll continue to make small batches.
• Would I leave boiling sugar unattended for any length of time? No way. Turn on your I-pod, the TV or the radio, or grab a book -- but stay nearby. Boiling sugar is really really hot, and boiled-over sugar makes an incredibly awful mess.

CASHEW BRITTLE
EQUIPMENT:

3 qt saucepan
2 large rimmed baking sheets
parchment paper or silicon baking mats
silicon spoon or spatula
clip-on candy thermometer

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2 cups of sugar
1 cup of vanilla-flavored light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter
scant 1/8 tsp dried red pepper flakes (OPTIONAL)
3 cups roasted (not salted) cashews or cashew pieces
1 tsp baking soda, sifted

1. Roast cashews: Heat the oven to 350 (regular or convection oven). Cover baking sheets with parchment or silicone and spread the cashews in one level. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until the nuts are toasted to your satisfaction.

2. Make caramel: In a 3-quart saucepan, mix the sugar, corn syrup, water. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the butter and optional red pepper flakes. When the butter has melted, clip your CANDY THERMOMETER to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and boil at a moderate rate, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 280 degrees (soft-crack stage). This might take 30-40 minutes.

3. Cook caramel and cashews: Add the cashews and stir. When they first are in the pot, the mixture will seize up because you have lowered the temperature and the sugar is angry. Keep stirring to loosen it up, and then stir often until it reaches 300 degrees (hard-crack stage). This may take another 20 minutes.

4. The Mixture Foams: When the mixture reaches 300 degrees, remove it from the heat and add the baking soda. The mixture will foam. Keep stirring until the whole mixture has achieved foaminess. Quickly, pour the mixture onto two parchment or silicon-covered baking sheets. Spread as the mixture as thinly as you can while it is still hot.

5. Cut it up! When it has cooled a bit -- still really too hot to handle -- lift one of the planks of brittle onto a cutting board sitting inside a rimmed baking sheet (which will capture the flying brittle shards). As soon as you can, begin to cut the brittle into strips and then into bite-sized pieces. Store air tight.