Lamala

Alsatian bakeries are already selling “L’agneau de Pâques,” often known in Alsace as
Osterlammele, Lamala or Lammele. It is traditionally baked in a lamb-shaped clay mold made in the Lower Rhine town of Soufflenheim. The cake is a rich egg batter, that is a kind of pound cake. The cake is usually generously dusted with powdered sugar and given to children the morning of Easter. It is to symbolize purity and innocence. If you don’t have access to an antique split mold, with a wire to hold the pieces together, you can get metal molds at local cooking stores. The clay molds are really expensive and the metal molds are a good alternative. Below is a fun link.

http://www.myelsass.com/blog/en/

This is a really easy cake. It can be served sliced, with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Fore the cake:

3 1/2 ounces of clarified butter
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch
4 eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 tablespoon of honey

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Treat your mold as recommended by the manufacture. Now sift the cornstarch and the flour on some parchment paper. Combine the whole eggs, sugar, vanilla and the honey in a mixer. Place the bowl of the mixer over a double boiler. The water in the double boiler should be at a boil. But the mixing bowl should not be touching the water. Using a hand whisk or a hand mixer, mix until the mixture reaches 165 degrees. The clarified butter must be at 105 degrees. Now hand fold in the flour mixture and clarified butter in batches. Being careful not to collapse the volume.

Now pour the batter into your prepared mold. Bake for about 25 minutes. Unmold onto a wire rack. When cool dust with powder sugar. Often the neck of the lamb will have a bow with a small bell tied to it. You can make a chocolate version by replacing the cornstarch with cocoa powder.

Calling all children !

Chicken Pot Pie

A quick skip on puff pastry makes this a easy make ahead meal. This recipe will make quite a few little pies,that you can stick in the freezer. You have to use chicken thighs for this recipe. I add grated parmigiana reggiano to the bechamel and the top of the crust. Bake these little pies in the bottom third of a 375 degree oven.

Quick Puff Pastry

2 1/2 cups of AP Flour
1 1/4 teaspoons of kosher salt
2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
5 tablespoons of ice cold water.

Place the flour, salt and butter into a food processor. Buzz for a minute and then add in the cold water. Shape into flat disks and refrigerate.

Filling

1 cup of Yukon gold potatoes diced
1 1/4 cups of carrots diced
1 small box of sliced mushrooms
1/2 of a large onion diced
1 1/4 cups of diced celery
2 cups of diced cooked chicken thighs
3 bay leaves
several long peppers or 24 regular black pepper corns
3 thyme sprigs and tarragon sprigs
3/4 cup of frozen peas

Note:  Long pepper's flavor closely resembles regular black pepper. It has a hotter taste with sweet and somewhat earthy, gingery undertones.

Bechamel

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
4 tablespoons of AP flour
2 cups of 2% milk
1 cup of cream
2 chicken bullion cubes
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
freshly grated nutmeg to taste
a handful of fresh parsley minced
1/4 cup of parmigiana

Roll out the chilled dough and place in the vessel of your choice. Chill again in the refrigerator. Put the potatoes, carrots, onion, bay leaves, long peppers, thyme in a large sauce pan of water. Cook for 8 minutes and then add the celery. Cook for a minute or two more. Now drain and remove the peppers, and herbs. Set aside.

For the bechamel place the butter and garlic into a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and toast for a minute or two. Now add the flour and toast again for three minutes. You need to have the heat a little lower, so the flour will not get any color. Now add the cream and milk whisking all the time. Add the bullion, mushrooms and rest of the bechamel ingredients. Check for seasoning. You will now add the chicken and vegetables to the filling mix. Allow to cool completely.

Preheat you oven to 375  degrees.

When the filling has cooled you can add it to your prepared pie shells. Cover the filling with a top crust, brushed with a beaten egg and topped with parmigiana.

Bake in the lower third of the oven for about 50 minutes.