Coconut Dream Pies

Eating or drinking something coconut-flavored--pina coladas, Almond Joy bars, coconut cream pie--always transports me to another place, another time. Usually it's a tropical resort, with friendly island natives catering to my every whim. Sort of like Gilligan's Island, with waiters. And speaking of Gilligan's Island, how is it that Mary Ann was able to whip up those beautiful coconut cream pies without having access to fresh cream? And where did Ginger get all that mascara? Ponder these and other questions while you enjoy these adorable (and delicious) Little Coconut Cream Pies. And don't forget to change into your bikini (I'll be wearing a one-piece with a substantial cover-up, for sure--that way I can eat more pie).

Little Coconut Cream Pies

Makes 6 small pies

Flaky Pie Crust:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks and frozen

3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, frozen

6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Coconut Filling:

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup coconut milk (not cream of coconut)

1 1/2 cups whole milk

4 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

1 3/4 cups sweetened shredded coconut (toast 1/2 cup of it for 7-8 minutes in a 350 degree oven--this is for the garnish)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the dough:

1. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade and pulse on and off until combined. Scatter the butter pieces and the shortening, in large chunks, over the flour mixture. Pulse the machine on and off until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 6 tablespoons of the ice water and process until the mixture just starts to come together. (If the dough seems dry, add the remaining 2 tablespoons water as necessary. Do not allow the dough to form a ball on the blade, or the resulting crust will be tough.)

2. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, divide it in half, and shape each half into a thick disk. Wrap the disks separately in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

Roll out the crusts:

3. Have ready six 5-inch pie pans (not tartlette pans). Lightly flour a large work surface. Allow the dough to soften at room temperature just until it is pliable (about 20 minutes). Place 1 disk on the floured surface and sprinkle some flour over it. Roll the dough from the center out in every direction, flouring the work surface as necessary to prevent sticking. You want a round about 1/8 inch or slightly less thick. Cut out 2 6 1/2-inch circles from the dough and press each circle into a pie pan. Trim the edges of the dough with scissors, leaving about 1/2 inch of overhang. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself, pressing it onto the rim of the pan. Flute the edge by pinching the dough from the outside in a V shape with your thumb and index finger while poking the center of the shape with the index finger of your other hand from the inside. Repeat with the remaining dough and pans, gathering up the scraps and rerolling them as necessary to make 6 pie crusts. If you like, brush the edges of the crust with an egg yolk whisked with a little water.

Bake the crusts:

4. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line each pie crust with a square of lightly buttered aluminum foil, buttered side down, covering the edge of the crust so that it doesn't get too brown. Fill the lined crust with pie weights, dried beans, or raw rice. Bake the pie crusts for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and foil. Prick the bottom of the crust well with a fork and bake the crust for another 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the bottoms are baked through. Cool the pie crusts on a wire rack.

Make the Coconut Filling:

5. In a medium saucepan, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt until well combined. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup of the coconut milk to form a smooth paste. Whisk in the remaining coconut milk and the whole milk. Place over medium heat and bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly. Remove the pan from the heat.

6. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot coconut mixture into the yolks, then return the yolk mixture to the saucepan. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Continue to boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until very thick. Remove from the heat, scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the butter pieces until melted. Whisk in the vanilla and 1 1/4 cups of the untoasted coconut (reserve the remaining 1/2 cup toasted coconut for garnish). Divide the warm filling among the pie crusts and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of each pie filling. Refrigerate the pies for at least 4 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.

Make the Whipped Cream Topping:

7. In an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment or beaters, beat the cream on medium-low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-high and add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat until the cream forms stiff peaks.

8. Scrape the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Pipe rosettes over the chilled pies and sprinkle with the reserved toasted coconut. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

The Tang's All Here

Years ago, buttermilk was what the liquid left over after churning butter was called. It was thick and rich and had little flecks of butter in it. Today buttermilk is made commercially by adding special bacteria (as opposed to random, kitchen-floor-type bacteria) to lowfat or nonfat milk. It gives the milk a thickened consistency and tangy flavor. I can't drink it straight, but I do love the flavor of buttermilk when it's combined with other ingredients. I decided to incorporate it into a subtly flavored lemon ice cream, adding it to the hot custard base just after it's made. The ice cream has a lovely tang, and pairs deliciously with fruit and berries.


Lemon Buttermilk Ice Cream

Makes 2 quarts

1 quart milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup lemon zest (from about 5 medium to large lemons)

2 large egg yolks

1 cup buttermilk

1. Combine the milk, cream and 1 cup of the sugar in a large saucepan. Add the lemon zest and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat.

2. In a bowl, whisk the yolks with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar until blended. Whisk about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks. Return this mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture reaches 175°F on an instant-read thermometer (this should happen very quickly). Remove from heat and stir in the buttermilk until blended.

3. Strain the base through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Place bowl in an ice bath and stir until cool. Cover bowl and chill for at least 6 hours.

4. Process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Scrape the ice cream into an airtight container and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

Chocolate Charge

There's something about an individually baked cake that is especially endearing. As a gift, it says that someone baked this whole thing just for you. Not for you to share--this little cake is yours alone for you to enjoy where and when you like. Wrapped in clear cellophane bags and tied with a ribbon, a miniature cake is an ideal way to say 'thank you,' 'I'm sorry', or 'congratulations.' It's amazing how something so simple will generate such a heartfelt reaction in its recipients. These chocolate cakes are the ultimate little gifts. They're packed with chocolate. A good amount of cocoa powder gives them a deep chocolate flavor, while slivers of bittersweet chocolate ratchet up the chocolate intensity. Sometimes I serve them with just a sprinkling of confectioners' sugar, other times I coat them with a rich chocolate glaze. Either way, they're simply delicious.

Individual Chocolate Buttermilk Cakes

Makes 6 individual cakes

Storage: in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Special Equipment: one 6-cake Bundt-lette pan

1 cup (4 oz/114 g) cake flour

1/2 cup (1.6 oz/46 g) Dutch-processed (alkalized) cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks/6 oz/170 g) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups (8.8 oz/250 g) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Kahlua (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces (113 g) finely chopped bittersweet chocolate or 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate morsels Bittersweet

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease the interior of a 6-cake Bundt-lette pan (it's best to use shortening here). Dust the molds with flour and tap out the excess.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed for 2 minutes, until very creamy. Gradually beat in the sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes, until the mixture is well blended and light. At medium speed, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk, Kahlua, and vanilla extract. If your mixer has a splatter shield attachment, attach it now. At low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating it with the buttermilk cream mixture in two additions, and mixing just until blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and stir in the finely chopped chocolate or miniature semisweet morsels. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake molds, dividing it evenly and smoothing the tops.

5. Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan set on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

6. Invert the cakes onto the rack and cool completely.

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter is an American staple. Europeans scoff at our attachment to this sticky brown substance, but, hey, French supermarkets sell quite a bit of Nutella (I should know, because I ate a ton of it when I was a poor culinary student in Paris decades ago), and the Brits dote on their Marmite, after all. God-awful stuff, that Marmite (my mother used to eat it on her toast). Anyhow, I still eat peanut butter now and then, and I love to incorporate it into my desserts, especially with chocolate. But here's one of my favorite pure treats, a classic all-American peanut butter cookie. Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, they are chock-full of chopped peanuts and pure peanut butter flavor. I recommend you bake these on an insulated baking sheet, as directed, to ensure that the cookies don't over-brown on the bottom. If you don't have one, stack two heavy-gauge baking sheets--it will work just as well. And don't forget the ice-cold milk, to accompany them.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes 36 cookies

Storage: in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter (not the all-natural kind), at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

2. In an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter and peanut butter together at medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the granulated and dark brown sugars. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl between additions. Beat in the vanilla extract. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients and chopped peanuts until blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 to 45 minutes, until the dough has firmed up.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an insulated cookie sheet. Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop 9 portions of the chilled dough onto the cookie sheet, spacing them evenly. Using your palm (wet it first, to prevent sticking), flatten each scoop so that each cookie is a 2-inch disc. Using a fork, making a cross-hatch indentation in the center of each cookie. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until they are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center. They will firm up as they cool. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Espresso Buttercream

There are some really pretty cupcake liners available at cake decorating stores these days. The problem is, once you bake cupcakes in them, they lose their color completely or become grease-soaked and unsightly, and the premium price you've paid for them is all for naught. I am happy to say that Reynolds has just come out with a line of colorful, yet tasteful, cupcake liners that look great before and after baking. They're called Reynolds 'Baked For You' Baking Cups, and they were nice enough to send me some samples recently. I baked up a batch of my favorite cupcakes to see how they would hold up in the oven, and I was amazed by the results. The liners remained pretty and vibrant, with no fading or discoloring. This is a great product, period, and it comes in very chic patterns. Chic enough, even, for my fashionably flavored Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Espresso Buttercream. The liners will be available in grocery stores soon, so keep an eye out for them. In the meantime, you can buy them here: http://mybrands.com/Product.aspx?pid=9156.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream

Makes about 30 cupcakes

Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes:

2 2/3 cups (11.3 oz/322 g) all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups (17.5 oz/500 g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1.4 oz/41 g) natural (non-alkalized) cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup (160 ml) sour cream, at room temperature

1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract

10 tablespoons (5 oz/142 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2/3 cup (160 ml) safflower or corn oil

1 1/4 cups (300 ml) ice-cold water

Caramel Espresso Buttercream:

1 1/4 cups (10.5 oz/300 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 1/4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream

1/2 cup (120 ml) light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

2 cups (4 sticks/1 lb/454 g) unsalted butter, slightly softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon (.1 oz/3 g) espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) hot water

Make the cupcakes:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Linetwo cupcakes pans with muffin cups.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the eggs until blended. Whisk in the sour cream and vanilla extract until blended. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix the melted butter and oil together at low speed. Add the cold water and mix to blend. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix at medium-low speed for 1 minute. Add the egg mixture and mix for another minute until well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Scrape the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

5. Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a center cupcake comes out clean. Set the pans on wire racks and cool the cupcakes for 15 minutes.

6. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and cool completely.

Make the buttercream:

7. In medium saucepan, combine the sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, and salt. Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, just until the sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring, and increase the heat to high.

8. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, begin beating the eggs at medium speed while the syrup cooks to the correct temperature. When the sugar syrup reaches 225°F on a candy thermometer, increase the speed of the mixer to high. Continue to cook the sugar syrup until it reaches 238°F on a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat and with the mixer off, immediately pour about 1/4 cup of the hot syrup over the beaten eggs. Beat at high speed until blended, about 10 seconds. Turn the mixer off and add another 1/4 cup syrup. Beat at high speed for another 10 seconds. Repeat this process until all of the syrup is used. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the side of the bowl and continue to beat at medium-high speed until the egg mixture is completely cool, about 5 minutes.

9. At medium speed, beat the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, into the egg mixture. Add the vanilla extract and coffee mixture, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat the buttercream until it is smooth and shiny, about 4 minutes. (The buttercream must be used at room temperature.)

Frost the cupcakes:

10. Scrape the buttercream into pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip and pipe a generous swirl on top of each cupcake.

Little Bitter Things

The other day I changed the pictures in my blog header, and someone asked for the recipe for the cookies on the far right. They're amaretti, or macaroons, Italian style. You would think that the name refers to amore, love, little love, young love, something like that. Far from it: when translated literally, amaretti means "little bitter things," meaning the bitter almonds that are classically used to make them. Almond paste can be purchased in tubes or in cans; use the canned if you want the flavor and texture that the Italians cherish. The egg whites act as a binder and prevent the nuts from releasing too much oil. The result is sublime almond flavor with a memorable crunchy-chewy texture.

Amaretti

Makes 40 cookies

Storage: in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. These cookies are best eaten the day they are made.

Special Equipment: large pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch plain tip (such as Ateco #4)

One 8-ounce can almond paste

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

Coarse sugar, for sprinkling

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Crumble the almond paste into the bowl of an electric mixer and, using the paddle attachment or beaters, beat at low speed for about 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugar and mix until blended (the mixture will still be very crumbly). Add the egg whites, in 4 additions, mixing well after each addition. Increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the batter into a large pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch plain tip (such as Ateco #4). Pipe the batter onto the prepared baking sheets in 1-inch mounds, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Pour some water into a small bowl. Dip a finger into the water and smooth the top of each cookie, eliminating the peak and redipping your finger in the water as necessary. Sprinkle the cookies with coarse sugar and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until they are golden brown and their surfaces are cracked. Carefully turn the parchment paper with the cookies sticking to it upside-down on a work surface and brush it lightly with cold water, avoiding splashing the cookies. Let stand until you are able to pull the cookies easily off the paper, about 1 minute. If they stick, repeat the brushing process until they release. Cool the cookies completely on a wire rack.

Plum Good

Pluots, which look alot like red plums, are a cross between a plum and an apricot (70 percent plum, 30 percent apricot). They are very juicy and very sweet and their juice dribbles down your chin when you eat them. The difference is they have the perfumy, fragrant endnote of apricots. When deciding what to make with these newly acquired farmstand finds, I picked the simplest of cakes: a warm upside-down cake, flavored with crystallized ginger and topped with a simple mascarpone whipped cream. If you can't find pluots, by all means use plums, nectarines or peaches. As long as they're ripe, they'll make it a cake to remember.

Warm Pluot Upside-Down Cake

Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 10

Storage: refrigerated, loosely covered, for up to 3 days

Brown Sugar Ginger Pluot Topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3 medium-size ripe Pluots, cut in half, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch wedges

2 tablespoons finely minced crystallized ginger

Cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup whole milk

Mascarpone Cream:

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup mascarpone cream

Make the topping:

1. Put the butter chunks in a 9-inch round cake pan and place the pan over low heat. When the butter is melted, stir in the brown sugar until mostly blended (the brown sugar will not completely absorb the butter). Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

2. Arrange a circle of the plum wedges, overlapping them slightly, around the outer edge of the pan, on top of the brown sugar mixture. Arrange another circle of wedges in the center, covering the brown sugar topping completely. Sprinkle the minced ginger over the plum slices.

Make the cake batter:

3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt. Whisk until well blended.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is lightened in texture and color. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. At low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the milk in two additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix just until blended. Spoon the batter in large dollops over the plums. Smooth the batter into an even layer. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched. Set the pan on a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.

5. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan. Using pot holders, very carefully invert the cake onto a cake plate or platter.

Make the Mascarpone Cream:

6. Whip ingredients together at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Serving:

7. Cut a slice of the warm or room temperature cake and serve it with a quenelle of Mascarpone Cream on top.

Chai Chill

I love Indian food, probably because it’s infused with layers of flavor from so many fragrant spices. So it’s not wonder that one of my favorite teas is a Chai spice blend. Though you can make your own, I order my blend from Upton Tea Imports in Hopkinton, MA. Upton only sells loose teas (teabags are apparently too low-end for them), and I’ve never been disappointed by any of their products—they are exceptional. They even print your name on the tins of teas you order (just in case you forget who you are). The Chai blend is a combination of black tea and the following spices: allspice, black pepper cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mace, star anise, fennel and bay leaf. Chai is traditionally made by simmering tea and spices in highly sweetened milk. When it’s too hot for hot tea, though, I like to make a Chai shake. To do this, I make a strongly brewed tea, chill it, and blend it with vanilla ice cream and some finely chopped crystallized ginger. Though I haven’t tried it, my guess is that this would also work well with frozen yogurt.

Chai Chill

Makes 1 serving

1 tablespoon loose Chai tea or 1 Chai teabag

2/3 cup boiling water

1 cup vanilla ice cream

2 teaspoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

1. Place the tea or teabag in a heatproof cup or mug and add the boiling water. Let steep for 15 minutes. Strain the tea (or remove the bag) and place the cup in the freezer for about 45 minutes, until chilled.

2. Measure out 1/2 cup of the chilled tea concentrate and pour it into a blender jar. Add the ice cream and ginger and process until smooth. Serve immediately.

West-Indian Hot Sauce, Inspired by Cindy

Cindy List is my hair stylist, and she is not only talented in the beauty department, she is also an exceptional baker and cook. Cindy is known for making her own Caribbean-style hot sauce, which I tasted one day at Crown, the NYC salon where she works. It was the best hot sauce that has ever touched my tongue, hands down, and I immediately high-tailed it to the kitchen to try and concoct my own. Cindy is a purist, and only uses local ingredients for her sauce (she even grows her own peppers!). I am less of a purist (read: lazy), and make allowances for imported fruit and peppers in my sauce. The recipe below is for a medium-hot sauce. Feel free to use your own combination of peppers to get the result you’re looking for. Use all habanero or Scotch Bonnet peppers if you’re a hardcore heat freak, or milder peppers, like jalapenos, if you’re a Scoville lightweight. This sauce is great with everything. Cindy even puts it in her smoothies (purists can be a little weird sometimes).
(P.S. to get a haircut from Cindy, visit her at www.crownhairnyc.com. It’ll change your life, and she might even give you some hot sauce...)

West-Indian Hot Sauce

Makes about 3 cups

1 mango

1 red onion, peeled and cut into chunks

1 garlic clove

2 habanero peppers, cut into chunks

1 red cherry pepper, cut into chunks

1 Anaheim chili, cut into chunks

1 jalapeno pepper, cut into chunks

2 dried red peppers

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Combine the mango flesh, onion, garlic clove, peppers, ginger, mustard, spices and honey in a blender. Process, adding the water gradually, until it is smooth. Add the vinegar and salt and process until blended. The sauce will keep, stored in an airtight jar in the refrigerator, for up to 6 weeks.