Community Cookbook: Baked Goods from Archestratus’ #CookForUkraine Fundraiser

Restaurants and others in the food industry have started a hashtag, #CookForUkraine, to raise funds for children and families in need.

Local Greenpoint favorite Archestratus has joined the cause and is hosting a bake sale on Sunday, March 6, from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. to benefit Cook for Ukraine.

In advance of the bake sale, two bakers shared their recipes with us. Sarah Goldstone shares her recipe for Nixtamalized Blue Corn Tigelles, and Eliza Crane shares her recipe for Mini Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Olive Oil Cakes.

Nixtamalized Blue Corn Tigelles 

From Sarah Goldstone of family_meal_nyc, a Brooklyn supper club

Ingredients (for 12 tigelles):

• 425 grams nixtamalized corn flour
• 225 grams All Purpose flour (may need more for the dough to become shaggy enough to form into a ball)
• 150 grams lukewarm water
• 150 grams of lukewarm milk
• 25 grams of olive oil
• 5 grams of yeast
• 5 grams of salt (may need a bit more to taste depending on how much additional flour is added)

NOTE:

For this recipe, you can nixtamalize yourself or buy pre-made masa, or nixtamalized corn flour. 

Nixtamalization is a process for the preparation of corn in which the corn is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution, usually limewater, washed, and then hulled.

Nixtamalizing Directions:

When nixtamalizing yourself, use the ratio of 1:100 for pickling lime to corn, i.e. 1 gram pickling lime to 100 grams of corn.

• Simmer the dried field corn with the lime in water in a non reactive pot, like a ceramic one. (This is key or you will damage your cookware until the corn is tender.) Depending on how much corn you are using, this might take between 1 and 2 hours. 

2. Let steep overnight. 

3. The next day, rinse the corn, rubbing it against itself in your hands, and drain. 

4. Blend in a food processor with a touch of salt and a bit of water if needed, and that will be your nixtamalized corn flour. 

Nixtamalized Blue Corn Tigelles Directions:

1. Combine the milk, water, yeast. Let proof for 10 minutes.

2. Mix corn flour, All Purpose flour, salt, and olive oil in a mixing bowl. Add the milk mixture and use a wooden spoon to mix together. Add in extra All Purpose flour until it comes together enough to turn onto a surface. Knead for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth.

3. Put the dough back into the bowl in a ball shape, and let it rest for an hour under a cloth, somewhere warm.

4. Roll dough out onto a floured surface until it is about half an inch thick, and use a cup, ramekin or cookie cutter to cut out circles. Re-roll out scraps until you have used all of your dough.

5. Let your circles rest on a non-stick or floured surface for 1 hour.

6. Using a nonstick (or carbon steel or cast iron) pan on high heat, cook the tigelles on the stove top for about 4 minutes per side. They should puff up and get a bit of charred color on each side.

Mini Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Olive Oil Cakes

Note: This recipe calls for a mini muffin tin. If you don’t have one you could use a regular muffin tin or bake it as one large cake in a bundt pan, loaf tin or 9 inch cake pan. For reference, the adjusted bake time for one large cake is about 30 mins. Adapted from Maialino. Yields 72 mini muffins.

Ingredients for Cakes:

2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups (350g) sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1/8 cup poppy seeds (add more or less to taste)

1 1/3 cups (285g) extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/4 cups (305g) whole milk

3 large eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1/4 cup (60g) fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup (55g) limoncello, Grand Marnier, Aperol, Campari or other liquor

Ingredients for Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 lemons, juiced

3 tablespoons cream 

Dried cornflowers or rose petals for decoration

Cake Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 350° F. Oil, butter, or spray a mini muffin tin. 

2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, powder and poppy seeds. In another bowl, whisk the olive oil, milk, eggs, lemon zest, juice and liquor. Add the dry ingredients; whisk until just combined.

3. Place 1 tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin tin (should come about half way up each hole). Cover the remaining batter and refrigerate.

4. Bake mini muffins until risen in the middle, the top is golden and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean (about 9-10 minutes).

5. Let cool for 5 minutes, use a knife to remove mini cakes from tin and place on cooling rack. Wipe out the tin, re-grease and repeat process until the batter is gone (3-4 times).

Glaze Directions:
While cakes are cooling/baking, make the glaze. 

Note: Store-bought lemon curd could be an easy substitute.

1. In a small saucepan on the stove, whisk the powdered sugar into the lemon juice until smooth. 

2. Turn on the heat, bring to a simmer and let bubble, stirring often, until slightly thickened. 

3. Bring down heat and stir in cream. 

4. Adjust by adding additional lemon or sugar until the desired tartness level. Glaze should coat the back of a spoon. 

Decorating Directions:
1. Dip tops of cooled mini cakes in the glaze and shake lightly to remove excess. 

2. Place dried petal(s) in the middle while the glaze is still setting. 

3. Repeat with remaining cakes, reheating the glaze on the stove if it begins to thicken too much.