Brownie Blitz

Ferry Building: Annual 2nd Fall Harvest Festival
Join Team Recchiuti Oct 15th (5-8p) for Sustainable Happy Hour at the Ferry Building Marketplace. This event kicks-off the 2nd Annual Fall Harvest Festival weekend, with Marketplace shops staying open late and offering Harvest-themed items and organic wine tasting. At the Recchiuti Store, we’ll have hand-molded chocolate pumpkins and raffle tickets to win our bountiful Sharing Box. CUESA, the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture, has organized wine tasting stations throughout the building to promote and educate folks on the benefits organic wine.

The fun continues on Saturday (Oct. 16th) at the Farmers’ Market with Barnyard by the Bay. This free event gives San Francisco city-slickers a chance to mix it up farm-style. It’ll be a hands-on sheep-shearing, apple-pressing, wool-spinning, butter-churning, pumpkin-carving good time. Come and get dirty with the kids. (North side of the building from 9:30am to 1pm)

And finally, a few tickets are left for last year’s sold out Harvest Sunday Supper. This CUESA event is a 3-course family style meal prepared by more than 40 of San Francisco’s favorite chefs working in teams. Cocktails and appetizers (6-7pm) in the Mezzanine Grand Hall will be followed Supper (7-9m) served upstairs. Tickets are available for $150 and benefit CUESA. For more information, or to purchase, please contact Christine@cuesa.org

Business Holiday Gifts
It’s time to start thinking about holiday gifts for clients and employees. Personalize your chocolates with a company logo or message and take advantage of volume discounts. Contact jacky @recchiuticonfections. com for more information. Don’t wait until the last minute!

The November recipe for Tarte Tatin, the Recchiuti Bliss Box and Club Recchiuti.

There are guys you have as friends and guys you have as boyfriends. And then…there are the guys that don’t fit either description. These are the ones who can get away with calling late Friday afternoon with the question, “Got plans tonight?” You’re a speed-dial away from canceling on the girls. “Nothing firm. Why? What’s up?” This is the guy your friends groan at the mention of. When asked what you did last night, you say you stayed at home and caught up on Sex in the City, rather than admit that you saw this guy. He is fun. He is sweet. He just isn’t that into you. Still, you never say no when he calls. When he comes to your house, he’s a spoon-wielding vision with a pint Haagen-Dazs and an excellent knack for personal grooming. This particular night, he places himself on the sofa, being ever so careful not to wrinkle his Prada pants. You come back from the kitchen with THE world’s best chocolate sauce, dim the lights and plaintively yield the remote control. He leans back, licks the spoon clean and cues the machine. As Carrie, Amanda, Miranda and Charlotte flicker to life, you sigh “What a perfect evening.” If only he were into you. Were you hoping for something more? Well, maybe. Were you just as satisfied? Almost.

Michael is fascinated by the play between sweet and savory flavors. It’s this dynamic that has lead to the creation of many of our most popular chocolates. The following recipe is inspired by one such chocolate, Tarragon Grapefruit and by Nancy Silverton’s (La Brea Bakery) version of a classic fall treat. As always, Michael suggests using fresh ingredients, tarragon in this case, whenever possible. Opt for firm, tart apples (e.g. Granny Smith, Pippin or Gravenstein) to make sure your fritters aren’t mushy.

Fritter Dough
2 1/4 tsp		Active Dry Yeast
1 C		Whole Milk
3 1/4 C + 2 T		Flour (all-purpose)
5 yolks		Large Eggs
1/2 C		Granulated Sugar
1 tsp		Tarragon (fresh, minced)
1 T		Vanilla Extract (pure)
1 tsp		Butter (unsalted, melted)
1 tsp		Kosher Salt
Fritter Apples
1/2 stick		Butter (unsalted)
1 whole		Vanilla Bean (split, scraped)
8		Apples (peeled, cubed)
1 tsp		Lemon (zest)
1/4 tsp		Tarragon (fresh, minced)
1/4 C		Granulated Sugar
1 1/4 C		Apple Cider

Method
In a mixing bowl, activate the yeast by pouring 2/3 cups warm milk over it. Let it sit for 2 minutes before adding 2 cups of flour. Do not stir. Place the bowl on the stove (or some place warm), cover with plastic wrap and let stand for about 35 minutes.

Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of milk, tarragon, melted butter, vanilla extract, salt and 1-1/4 cups flour. Mix until fully incorporated then add to the yeast mixture. Use the paddle attachment of an electric mixer to finish mixing the dough. Mix on a low speed for ~30 seconds before turning the speed up to medium for 1 minute. Add 2 T of flour. Mix on low for 30 seconds and on medium for 30 seconds. The dough will still be sticky.

Scrape your dough onto a floured work surface. Clean and coat the mixing bowl with vegetable oil before returning your dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside on the stove (or other warm place) for about 1-1/2 hours. The dough should double in size.

Meanwhile, prepare the apples. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add vanilla bean, scraped seeds and pod. Heat until the butter is bubbling. Add the cubed apples and coat completely Add the tarragon and sugar. Sauté for 4 minutes until the apples are golden-brown and softened. Add the apple cider and reduce over medium to medium-high heat. Be careful not to over cook apples. They should stay firm to the touch. Remove the vanilla bean and spread apples out on a baking sheet to cool.

Stretch the dough out on to a floured surface into a rectangle 2 inches thick. Spread 1/2 of the cooled apples over the dough, fold into thirds; bring the bottom length of the dough up and the top length down, patting and flattening. Scatter the remaining apples, fold into thirds again. Gather dough, tucking under the edges replace into greased bowl. Cover to rise for 30 minutes.

Fill a deep heavy duty saucepan half way up with vegetable oil. Heat oil to 375°.

Place dough on a floured surface and gently roll-out into rectangle 1/2-inch thick; flour as necessary. With a serrated knife, cut dough diagonally, making cut pieces into a triangle. Place triangle fritter dough onto a floured sheet to rest for 5-8 minutes.

With floured hands, pick up dough triangles and drop into hot oil. When cooked to golden brown. Place in a brown paper bag 1/3 filled with granulated sugar. Shake fritter to cover with sugar, remove and serve.