appetisers – Shawn Cornell

Cornbread Mini Muffins

July 9, 2015 by Shawn Cornell 1 Comment

Last night I hosted a planning meeting for a fundraising gala for The Canadian Society for Mucopolysaccharide & Related Diseases, a non-profit that I have recently become involved in. We were meeting around dinner time and I thought it would be nice to have some light snacks for everyone while we discussed our plans for the October event. I was asked for this recipe last night, so I thought I would also share it with you.

I have made these muffins for many years and as with much of my baking it has slowly changed into what it is today: a perfectly savoury mouthful that is easy to bake and forgiving with substitutions. Try a different cheese or adding cooked bacon to totally change the taste.

Ingredients:

½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1½ cup corn flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

¼ cup milk

2 tablespoons honey

1 stick unsalted butter, melted, divided in half

1 cup thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only

½ cup chopped spring onions, divided in half

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Method:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Butter mini muffin trays, this mixture makes about 48 mini muffins.

Combine flours, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in bowl of your mixer.

Combine eggs, sour cream, milk, honey, and half of the melted butter in separate bowl.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and mix until just combined.

With mixer on low, add leeks, half the spring onions, and the cheeses.

Mix until completely combined.

For a more rustic looking muffin use a spoon to fill the muffin trays, or use a piping bag for more uniform looking muffins.

Sprinkle the muffins with remaining spring onion.

Pour 1 teaspoon of melted butter over each muffin.

Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until they begin to brown.

Gruyère & Chive Gougères

March 7, 2015 by Shawn Cornell 2 Comments

Choux pastry, or pâte à choux, is a light-as-air pastry that is uses its high moisture content to create steam that puffs the dough while cooking instead of using a leavening agent like baking powder or yeast. It is the basis for many decadent desserts such as profiteroles, éclairs and croquembouches as well as savoury hors d’oeurve like these gougères I made for a dinner party we had the other night.

Once these cheese puffs have baked and cooled they can be eaten as is or filled using a piping bag with any number of fillings, such as my salmon mousse, or cut in half and filled with scrambled eggs, mini hamburger patties, or any other savoury filling you can think of.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1 stick of unsalted butter

1½ teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Pinch nutmeg

Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

1 cup flour

3 large eggs

1¼ cups of grated Gruyère cheese, cave aged if you can find it (reserve ¼ cup for topping)

¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan

¼ cup or more of finely chopped chives – I use a pair of scissors

1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon of milk for egg wash

Method:

Preheat oven to 425°F

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine milk, butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne in saucepan, heat on medium till scalded, when the milk begins to bubble around edges.

Reduce heat to low, add all flour at once and stir continuously till mixture comes together.

Continue stirring for 2 minutes or until film begins to coat the bottom of pan.

Put hot mixture in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

With mixer on medium speed add eggs one at a time, then add cheeses and chives.

Mix until smooth.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with mixture. Alternatively use a freezer bag with a corner cut off.

Pipe mounds a little over an inch in diameter and less than an inch high onto the lined baking sheets.

Using a finger or pastry brush dipped in egg wash, pat down the swirl on top of each gougère allowing the egg wash to drip down each puff.

Top each puff with a sprinkling of gruyère.

Bake in oven for 15-19 minutes, or until nicely browned but still soft inside.

Let rest on cooling rack until room temperature.

Serve any way you wish.

The Lightest Salmon Mousse

February 19, 2015 by Shawn Cornell Leave a Comment

There is nothing better than having a few easy, make-ahead appetisers in your back pocket and this salmon mousse recipe is one of my favourites. Buy a fresh baguette on your way home from work, pull the mousse out of the fridge and you have a perfectly beautiful snack to whet your and your guests’ appetites while dinner is cooking away. This fresh tasting mousse also makes a great addition to a salad for lunch or a charcuterie plate at a party.

Despite claims of otherwise I find salmon mousse is often quite heavy as it usually includes cream cheese as a main ingredient. This recipe gets it’s relative lightness by using sour cream firmed up with a little gelatin instead of the considerably more filling cream cheese. If you’re not a house that keeps capers in the fridge just substitute them with a pinch of the flakiest salt you have. I used to make this recipe using the entire container of sour cream, but there always was too much. I’ve adjusted the ingredients to fit into two 8oz ramekins instead.

Ingredients:

1 rounded teaspoon unflavoured gelatin

3 tablespoons cold water

6-8 ounces smoked salmon, coarsely chopped

1¼ cups full fat sour cream

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 tablespoon of rinsed capers

fresh dill to finish

crusty baguette to serve

Method:

Combine gelatin and water in small pan, then let sit for 5 minutes.

Warm water over low heat until gelatin dissolves, then set aside.

Purée salmon, sour cream and lemon juice in food processor until smooth, then add salt and add cooled gelatin mixture while continuing to blend until combined.

Divide into two 8oz ramekins or similar sized bowls. Cover containers with plastic wrap being careful not to disturb the surface, then refrigerate until firm – 2 hours or overnight.

Serve chilled, topped with fresh chopped dill and scattered capers along side baguette.