The Cheese Board (33 page)

Cover with a floured kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, or until rounded and a finger pressed into the dough leaves an impression.

Fifteen minutes before the breads have finished rising, arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Decorate the figures with currants to create eyes and buttons, pressing the currants firmly into the dough (
fig. D
).

Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets front to back and trade their rack positions. Bake 15 minutes longer, for a total baking time of 30 minutes, or until the breads are a deep golden brown.

While the breads are baking, make the topping: In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice and confectioners’ sugar. Stir over low heat for a few minutes to make a smooth, hot glaze.

Line a work surface with newspaper and place 2 wire racks on top. Transfer the breads to the racks. While the breads are still hot, brush the glaze onto them with a pastry brush. Sprinkle with the candied aniseeds.

Many years ago, one of our members was devoted to making this bread with homemade turkey stock. It is now a vegetarian bread, but we still use the traditional Thanksgiving flavors of sage, celery, and onions. You can use this bread for stuffing by making it a day or two ahead. It’s also good for turkey sandwiches.

In a small bowl, whisk the yeast into the warm water until dissolved. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sage.

If using a stand mixer,
add the yeast mixture, buttermilk, butter, and lukewarm water to the bowl. Using the paddle attachment on low speed, mix until the ingredients are combined, about 2 minutes. Switch to the dough hook, increase the mixer speed to medium, and knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough is soft and sticky. Add the onion and celery and knead just until incorporated (you may need to add a bit more flour because the vegetables add moisture). Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a few minutes, until the dough is soft, shiny, and a little sticky.

If making by hand,
add the yeast mixture, buttermilk, butter, and lukewarm water to the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are combined. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 12 minutes, or until the dough is soft, shiny, and a little sticky. Flatten the dough out, sprinkle the onions and celery over the top, and roll it into a ball. Knead just until incorporated (you may need to add a bit more flour because the vegetables add moisture).

Form the dough into a ball and place it in a large oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until doubled in size.

Lightly spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, and divide it into 2 pieces. Gently form each piece into a
loose round
and cover with a floured kitchen towel. Let rest for 10 minutes. Shape each piece into a
loaf
and place in the prepared pans. Sprinkle flour over the tops of the loaves and spread it out evenly over the top. Cover with a floured kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until the loaves have risen 1 inch above the rim of the pan and a finger pressed into the dough leaves an impression.

Fifteen minutes before the loaves have finished rising, remove all but the middle rack from the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place the loaves in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Turn the loaf pans around front to back and switch sides left to right. Bake 25 minutes longer, for a total baking time of 50 minutes, or until the loaves are golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Unmold onto a wire rack to cool.

 

Rich, decadent, and addictive, these cookies are almost a confection. They were first made as Christmas presents for Cheese Board members, but word leaked out, and they have become a once-a-year bakery treat. Florentines are so labor-intensive that the Christmas baking crew looks forward to making them with mingled anticipation and dread. We prefer to use a Belgian couverture chocolate (a candy grade of chocolate) such as Callebaut for dipping, as it melts more smoothly and has an intense flavor.

Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

If using a food processor,
coarsely chop the nuts and then take them out of the bowl. Put the orange peel and ¼ cup of the sugar in the food processor and process until fine. Return the nuts and pulse for a few seconds until the mixture is mostly the texture of coarse sand, with some larger pieces of nuts remaining.

If chopping by hand,
use a chef’s knife to finely chop the nuts to the texture of coarse sand, with some larger pieces remaining. Chop the orange peel with ¼ cup of the sugar until fine.

The rest of the mixing is best done by hand. In a large bowl, combine the nuts and orange sugar mixture, the remaining ¼ cup sugar, the flour, and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Add ⅔ cup of the cream and mix briefly to form a loose, soft dough; if the batter appears firm and stiff, add more cream by the tablespoonful until it loosens up. (This dough can be refrigerated now for up to 5 days; however, 1 to 2 tablespoons cream should be added before using.)

Place teaspoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart on the prepared pans, 16 cookies to a sheet. Fill a small bowl with water to wet your hand. Flatten the spoonfuls of dough with the wet heel of your hand until they are spread out and uniformly ⅛ inch thick or less, though not so thin that the paper shows through.

Put 2 sheets of cookies in the oven and bake for 12 to 18 minutes, watching carefully for the moment the cookies turn golden brown. Let cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Bake the last sheet of cookies in the same way.

While the cookies are cooling, melt the chocolate in a
double boiler
over barely simmering water.

Turn the parchment paper used for baking the cookies upside-down on the work surface. Transfer both parts of the double boiler to a heatproof spot on the counter. Dunk the cooled cookies halfway into the warm melted chocolate and place them on the parchment. (This part can get very deliciously messy! It should be done quickly so as not to get
too thick a coating on the cookie.) If the chocolate begins to cool, replace the cooled water in the bottom section of the double boiler with hot water. Let the cookies set completely before storing, about 4 hours. The cookies are fragile, so stack them gently. They will keep for weeks stored in an airtight container in a cool place.

We make small, sweet
loaves from our muffin batter during the holidays. They are nice to serve on holiday mornings or to give as gifts.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter or spray with cooking spray 5 small (5 by 3-inch) loaf pans. Fill each about three-fourths full with batter.

Place the pans on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the pans front to back and trade their positions. Bake 10 minutes longer, for a total baking time of 35 minutes, or until the loaves are firm and springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then unmold and let cool completely.