Chef in Residence - Pat Sinclair

Ever wonder who the people are that develop and produce the wonderful recipes in magazines and corporate cookbooks? If you have, then please welcome Pat Sinclair, who has been a food consultant for the past seventeen-plus years. Her clients have included Land O'Lakes, General Mills and Pillsbury. She was the recipe editor for two Pillsbury Classics Cookbooks and also " Irresistible Desserts" for Land O'Lakes. These best selling cookbooks are sold through subscription and at newsstands across the country.

Pat has developed recipes for many corporate clients including Ocean Spray, Diamond Walnuts, Smucker's and Uncle Ben's. Recently she developed over 275 recipes in the series "Easy to Bake, Easy to Make" for International Masters Publishers, a national publisher of recipe cards. She was also the recipe editor for Carnival Creations (1996) and The Carnival Experience (2001) with Carnival Cruise Lines.

For nine years she was a home economist on the Land O'Lakes Holiday Baking Hotline where she responded to questions from consumers on a broad spectrum of baking issues. From this experience she gained a deeper appreciation for the challenges home bakers face. She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

With credentials such as these, we can count on her recipes being perfectly balanced and well thought out. Not only that, they sound terrific!

I asked Pat to tell me why she enjoys vanilla. She said, "Vanilla is my favorite flavor. I think vanilla enhances the flavor of many foods especially chocolate. A small amount of vanilla gives the chocolate flavor more depth. In the Cinnamon Streusel Muffins the vanilla extracts sweetens the cinnamon flavor. I keep a vanilla bean in my powdered sugar and use the vanilla sugar when I need powdered sugar for whipping cream of frostings."

Here is a sampling of some of the many baked goods that Pat has created over the years.

Cranberry Walnut Tartlets

Courtesy of Pat Sinclair

As soon as I see fresh cranberries in the fall I'm deciding what I want to bake. Cranberry Walnut Tarts are always on top of the list. Because the crust is made in the food processor these tarts are very easy. Do not trim the pastry against the edges of the pans. Allow it to extend slightly above the edge. This will make it easier to remove the tarts if the filling overflows. Be sure to try it with crème fraiche- the flavor combination is incredible.

Ingredients:

Crust:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut up
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
Crème fraiche

Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor bowl. Pulse about 5 times to mix. Add butter. Process until coarse crumbs form and mixture looks like wet sand. Some pieces should still be about the size of peas. Add 3 tablespoons water and process until dough begins to clump together. Process about 10 seconds. If large clumps do not form, add a little more water. Place dough on a well floured work surface. Press dough together with your hands until a ball is formed.

Divide dough into 8 equal pieces (I shape dough into a loaf and cut into halves. Then cut each half into 4 pieces.) Press dough into 8 tartlets pans (3-1/2 inches) extending dough above the edge. Do not trim. Extending the dough above the sides helps prevent the filling from running over and sticking to the pan.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oven rack in lower part of oven. Combine brown sugar and flour in a medium bowl. Add corn syrup, eggs and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. No lumps of brown sugar or flour should remain. Add butter, walnuts and cranberries. Stir until butter is incorporated. Divide filling into prepared pans using about 1/4 cup for each. Gently even out the surface of the tarts so that the nuts and cranberries are evenly spaced.

Place tarts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in case filling runs over the sides. Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until knife comes out clean in the center. Crusts should be golden brown. Cool tarts on a wire rack. Remove from pans. Serve with crème fraiche.

Makes 8 tartlets

Cashew Butterscotch Blondies

Courtesy of Pat Sinclair

Blondies are a non-chocolate version of brownies. These go together very quickly. For anyone who picks the cashews out of the bowl, these will be a big hit! The center will be set when the blondies are done. If they are not done you can see the batter move under the top crust when you shake the pan. Because of the high amount of sugar in these bars, the edges rise and get dark and chewy- I think this is the best part!

Ingredients:

Pastry dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup cashew halves and pieces

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place rack in center of oven. Lining the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan with aluminum foil makes the bars easy to remove. Press foil into sides on bottom. Spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Combine brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat with a whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture. Stir slowly until flour starts to mix in. After flour is mixed, beat with wire whisk about 30 seconds longer, until smooth. Stir in butterscotch chips and cashews.

Pour into prepared pan pushing batter into the corners with a metal spatula. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center seems set when touched lightly with a finger. Blondies will also start to pull away from the edges. When checking, shake pan a little and look to see if batter jiggles. A toothpick will come out dry. Cool on wire rack.

Run a metal spatula along the ends of the pan to loosen the bars. Lift out the blondies by using the foil. Cut into bars.

Makes 24 bars

Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Courtesy of Pat Sinclair

Warm cinnamon aromas drifting from the kitchen will call everyone for breakfast. Prepare the topping like a biscuit dough on these muffins. Cut the cold butter into the flour and sugar. Leave some pea-sized pieces. Lightly grease the muffin cups. I never use paper baking liners for muffins because the muffins tend to stick to the paper and do not come out cleanly. Without liners muffins have a tender golden crust. Serve these fragrant muffins hot from the oven. They are fabulous served warm with apple butter.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten

Streusel topping:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup firmly packed sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons cold butter

Instructions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place oven rack in center of oven. Lightly grease bottom and slightly up the sides of 12 muffin cups.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Stir several times until the cinnamon is well mixed in. Make a well in the center.

Beat milk, melted butter, vanilla and egg with a wire whisk in a medium bowl. Mixture doesn't have to be completely smooth. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture and stir just until flour is moistened. Do not over mix. Batter can still be slightly lumpy. Divide batter into prepared muffin cups filling about 2/3 full.

Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon for streusel in a small bowl. Add cold butter and cut in with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon streusel over each muffin.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Toothpick inserted in center of a muffin will come out dry.

Brownie Alaska with Hazelnut Sauce

Courtesy of Pat Sinclair

Forget about Baked Alaska- try Brownie Alaska. I've used brownies as the base of this dramatic dessert that is surprisingly easy to prepare. Speed preparation by using a brownie mix. The most important step to success of this recipe is freezing the meringue-covered ice cream and brownie thoroughly. The brand name for Hazelnut liqueur is Frangelico. It has a unique flavor, but an almond or coffee flavored liqueur also works well.

Ingredients:

1 package brownie mix (for 8-or 9-inch pan)
3 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups coffee ice cream, softened
2/3 cup sugar

Sauce:
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur, if desired
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

Prepare brownies as directed on package. I usually prepare the cake-like brownies but fudge-style is fine too. Line an 8 or 9 inch square cake pan with aluminum foil. This allows you to remove the entire pan of brownies at once and makes it easy to cut rounds. Bake as directed on the package and cool on wire rack. Loosen edges of brownies and remove from pan. Cut 4 circles out of brownies using 2 ½ to 3 ¼ inch biscuit cutters. An empty tuna can or glass can be used as a guide if you don't have a biscuit cutter. Be sure aluminum foil is removed from the bottom.

Choose a baking pan or cookie sheet that will fit in your freezer and line it with foil. Place round brownies on foil. Top each brownie with ½ cup scoop of ice cream. Use your fingers or two spoons to shape ice cream to fit onto brownies. Freeze uncovered for about 2 hours.

Place egg whites in large mixer bowl. Room temperature egg whites beat up more than cold, but either can be used. Beat with an electric mixer on high until foamy. Sprinkle with cream of tartar. Continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat 3 to 4 minutes until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Rub a little meringue between your finger and thumb to determine if the sugar is dissolved. It will feel gritty if the sugar is not completely dissolved and needs more beating. After you've starting adding sugar to the egg whites it is hard to actually overbeat them.

Spread meringue onto ice cream with small spatula. Spread to edges making sure ice cream is covered. Spread around brownie covering edges completely and sealing. Cover lightly. Freeze until serving. Non-stick aluminum foil is a great tool to use for covering. Shape it loosely around desserts.

Make the sauce by combining brown sugar, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in hazelnuts, liqueur and vanilla. Store at room temperature.

The brownies and ice cream need to be well frozen before baking. A very hot oven and very cold desserts are the secrets to success here! When the oven is heated to 450 degrees F, the meringue will brown so quickly that the ice cream will not have time to melt. A wooden cutting board can be placed under the baking sheet and serves as an insulator. Bake 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Heat sauce to lukewarm and pour a little onto serving dishes. Top with baked brownies. Spectacular!

Makes 4 Brownie Alaskas