Dana McMahan

Particular to the Courier Journal

We dwell in a time the place it is potential to easily communicate into the air in your kitchen and ask for a recipe, when blogs and Pinterest and TikTok, not to mention cookbooks galore, provide up an infinite provide of recipes. It is no shock then, that typically all you need is somebody to let you know what to make. Particularly if it is a recipe that comes from somebody you realize and love.

In the present day now we have some very particular (and candy!) recipes from two tastemakers in Louisville’s culinary scene, and considered one of my very own private favorites.

Lindsey Johnson of Lush Life Productions and Bar Expo, 114 W. Primary St., is sharing her grandmother’s recipe for rainbow cookies. Impressed by cookies discovered at Italian bakeries in Lengthy Island the place Johnson is from, these treats helped her get by way of the early pandemic quarantine days.

“The quantity of labor that goes into only one batch was greater than I anticipated,” she informed the Courier Journal. “However, I’ve to say, they turned out so effectively!”

Kathy Aphaivongs of All Thai’d Up, 211 S. fifth St., is providing up her nice Aunt Could’s Kentucky State Honest-winning chocolate meringue pie.

“Apparently, I’m now the one one within the household who could make it,” she says, “and irrespective of what number of desserts are on the desk, if the chocolate meringue isn’t there, I’m certain to get grief from everybody!”

You might like:This Louisville restaurant has served fried fish with a riverfront view for 75 years

And I am dipping into my time spent in southwest France the place I did a culinary writing residency studying about duck. One wet day, a fellow scholar and I had some further duck fats and time on our arms and dreamed up decadent chocolate cookies that I have been dreaming about ever since.

Rainbow Cookies

Courtesy of Lindsey Johson of Lush Life Productions and Bar Expo, 114 W. Primary St.

Provides:

Three 8-inch-by-13-inch Pyrex/glass pans (or Teflon, however it must have straight sides)

Parchment paper

Almond filling (recipe follows)

Meals processor

Mixer with a paddle and whisk attachment

Sifter

Kitchen scale

Double boiler (or use a pot and a bowl)

Almond filling

1 cup blanched almonds

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 massive egg white

To make the almond filling: Whisk (utilizing the mixer with the whisk attachment) egg white till it types stiff peaks, and put aside.

Course of almonds, sugar, and butter within the meals processor till the almonds are very finely floor, and cease to scrape the perimeters of the bowl each 30 seconds or so. This takes longer than you would possibly assume.

Add almond extract and the egg white and let the processor go once more till it’s all blended. You’ll be able to refrigerate this for per week. This makes precisely the quantity you’ll want for one batch.

Ensure you convey it right down to room temp earlier than you utilize it in your cookie batter.

Rainbow Cookies

8-ounce almond filling (that’s all the almond filling you simply made)

1-and-1/2-cup butter (room temperature)

1 cup sugar

4 eggs (separated)

2 cups cake flour, sifted

8-ounce raspberry preserves (out there canned within the grocery baking part)

12-ounces chocolate chips

Pink and inexperienced gel meals coloring

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350 levels.

Beat the egg whites till they kind stiff peaks and set them apart in a bowl.

You might likeIt’s barbeque season! Listed below are 40+ Louisville church buildings to get fried fish throughout Lent

In your mixing bowl, combine the almond filling, room temp butter, sugar, egg yolks, and extract till very mild and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine collectively dry substances (sifted flour, salt) and slowly incorporate that into your moist substances.

Take the blending bowl off of the blending stand after all the substances are included. Slowly combine stiff egg whites in with a picket spoon till they’re utterly blended.

Divide the combo into three even bowls (ideally, one pound every). Add crimson meals coloring to 1. Add inexperienced meals coloring to a different. Depart one pure.

Grease all three 8-inch-by-13-inch pans and line them with parchment paper; grease that too. Bake every layer individually for 12 minutes at 350 levels. Ensure you do not allow them to brown.

Let the cookies absolutely cool (ideally in a single day). Peel the parchment paper off of every layer and lay on cooling rack.

Heat raspberry filling in a pan. Unfold between the layers and let cool. Minimize the cookies into three columns.

Arrange a double boiler. As soon as the water within the boiler is at a full boil, add the chocolate to the highest pot and let it soften. As soon as it’s absolutely melted, cowl every of the columns in chocolate and let it cool. As soon as the cookies are absolutely cooled (ideally put them within the fridge or freezer for an hour or two), minimize them into serving sizes.

Kentucky State Honest successful Chocolate Meringue Pie

Courtesy of Kathy Aphaivongs of All Thai’d Up, 211 S. fifth St.

Elements:

1 9-inch cooked pie shell

Chocolate filling:

2 cups milk (2% or complete)

1 cupsugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Meringue:

3 egg whites

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

To make the chocolate filling: In a saucepan, mix milk, sugar, chocolate, cornstarch and salt. Place on medium warmth and stir repeatedly till the combination thickens. Take away from warmth. Spoon the new combination right into a bowl with the egg yolk and blend effectively. Pour egg combination into pan and stir on med-low warmth till combination bubbles. Take away from warmth and stir in butter and vanilla till butter melts. Pour combination into cooled, baked pie crust.

You might like:Dough Child Donuts provides second kitchen. Here is what meaning for the family-owned store

To make the meringue: In a mixer, add egg whites vanilla and cream of tartar. Beat on excessive till mushy peaks kind. Slowly add in sugar and proceed to combine till a gloss types (1-2 minutes).

As soon as the chocolate filling is cooled, add the meringue and unfold overlaying the filling utterly. Place the entire pie in preheated oven at 400F for 2-3 minutes or till the meringue turns a golden brown.

Refrigerate for 1-2 hours earlier than serving.

Double Chocolate Ducky Cookies

Courtesy of Courier Journal freelance meals author Dana McMahan

Notice: I made these with what we had within the kitchen. In case you desire white flour to the heartier form, go for it.

Elements:

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup spelt flour

1 cup buckwheat

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 cup old school oats

1/3 cup duck fats, room temperature [check Red Hog or Kingsley’s for duck fat; butter will suffice if you can’t get your hands on any]

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl.

In one other bowl combine flours, cocoa, baking soda, nutmeg, salt and oatmeal. Stir in duck fats.

Combine the 2 bowls and stir in chocolate chips.

Bake at 300 levels for about 20 minutes till puffy and browned.

You might like:Ponyboy Slings: New Louisville-produced carbonated bourbon canned cocktail launches

Inform Dana! Ship your restaurant “Dish” to Dana McMahan at thecjdish@gmail.com and observe @bourbonbarbarella on Instagram.