tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13550000017485357712024-03-13T02:40:44.783-07:00The Cobbler ClobberBecause you're never too old to play with your foodAllihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-28167294405281671542011-06-13T10:39:00.000-07:002011-06-13T10:39:55.029-07:00Strawberry - White Chocolate Mousse Tart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1eiosBund1pwumCrxxixL-eivwbv9oysdd1357afTNK7CkkUc8YRB1WsbT0hs0YjzhECf2GkOJxnVINN4T16yoxfgUN3CNHd-2vTLLxxkMwDrJM1bxnNNvLkRHGyVPvj0r7nLIKWB-yZ/s1600/DSCN0649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1eiosBund1pwumCrxxixL-eivwbv9oysdd1357afTNK7CkkUc8YRB1WsbT0hs0YjzhECf2GkOJxnVINN4T16yoxfgUN3CNHd-2vTLLxxkMwDrJM1bxnNNvLkRHGyVPvj0r7nLIKWB-yZ/s320/DSCN0649.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Reasons why this post will be short:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 - 12 page paper on community interventions for adjudicated youth</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 - 12 page paper on the effects of parental involvement on the academic achievement of ELL students</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 - powerpoint presentations</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6 - hours of site visits</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 - school counselor interviews with accompanying summaries in the form of papers</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 - wedding showers</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 - baby showers</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1- impending out-of-town wedding that I will be participating in</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 - insane Lego wedding cake that I need to make for another wedding</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 - finals in the six days in between the aforementioned wedding and the aforementioned cake</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3- weeks to do it all</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Reasons why I made this tart:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. My husband is a big fan of white chocolate. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. Strawberries were on sale for a mind-bogglingly cheap price. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. I am a big fan of strawberries. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. We had friends coming over.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Reasons why you should make this tart</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. It looks pretty.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. It is easy to make.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. It is yummy. Very, very yummy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Seriously. What could be better than two pounds of sweet, juicy strawberries nestled on a cloud of vanilla-scented white chocolate mousse, which itself is nestled inside what is essentially an enormous shortbread cookie receptacle of goodness?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's a rhetorical question. Don't try to answer it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That is all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuXleerbzvXlLIK1l00EcnyRy5nMtU766_hEPafiM1indqH7a8246e8H7qtaAeCzWDyax8soFdtDzwY-SxJGJDq8Vo1F7ruDnF5NeaSRlLeDA1pzo6YHjx6C_m73lM89HEOIlFI93YS84/s1600/DSCN0643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuXleerbzvXlLIK1l00EcnyRy5nMtU766_hEPafiM1indqH7a8246e8H7qtaAeCzWDyax8soFdtDzwY-SxJGJDq8Vo1F7ruDnF5NeaSRlLeDA1pzo6YHjx6C_m73lM89HEOIlFI93YS84/s320/DSCN0643.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<strong>Strawberry - White Chocolate Mousse Tart</strong><br />
<br />
<em>Tart Crust</em><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/B0017HZRB2?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Baking: From My Home to Yours</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1px" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theco03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0017HZRB2" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important;" width="1px" /><br />
<br />
1 1/2 cups flour<br />
1/2 cup powdered sugar<br />
9 tablespoons butter (very cold and cut into small pieces)<br />
1 large egg yolk<br />
<br />
Combine flour and powdered sugar in a bowl, stirring to combine. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients (you can do this with your hands) until the mixture resembles wet sand (the pieces of butter should be no larger than a pea). Stir the yolk to break it up, and add a little of the time, stirring it in with a spatula until the dough forms clumps and curds. Knead the dough lightly just to incorporate any dry ingredients.<br />
<br />
Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan. You might want to save a little bit of dough to patch any cracks after the crust is baked. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes before before baking.<br />
<br />
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Butter the shiny side of some aluminum foil and fit the foil tightly against each crust, butter side down. Put the tart pans on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Carefully removie the foil. If the crusts have puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Bake for another 5 minutes until it is firm and golden brown. Cool the crust to room temperature before filling.<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>White Chocolate Mousse Filling</em><br />
<br />
4 egg yolks<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
1 cup whole milk<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1 tablespoon powdered gelatin, sprinkled over 3 tablespoons water<br />
1 cup heavy cream<br />
12 ounces white chocolate<br />
<br />
In a medium bowl, over simmering water, melt the white chocolate until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.<br />
<br />
In large bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until very light. <br />
In a large saucepan, bring milk to boil over medium heat. Slowly pour milk over yolks, whisking quickly constantly so the eggs don't curdle. Pour mixture back into saucepan over medium heat and cook until the mixture coats the back of the spoon, mixing continuously. Add softened gelatin and stir until completely melted into the mixture. Stir in the vanilla. Let cool to room temperature.<br />
<br />
Stir in the white chocolate and mix until thoroughly combined.<br />
<br />
Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold into the cooled white chocolate mixture.<br />
<br />
<em>Strawberry Topping</em><br />
2 pounds strawberries, rinsed and halved.<br />
2 tablespoons lemon juice<br />
2 tablespoons sugar<br />
<br />
Gently toss the berries in the lemon juice and sugar, until evenly coated. Let macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
<em>To Assemble the Tarts</em><br />
<br />
Coat the inside of each tart with some melted chocolate - this will prevent the crust from getting soggy. Let the chocolate harden. Spoon the white chocolate mousse and gently spread it to the edges. Top the tart with strawberries. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-40034155841849673722011-05-31T08:01:00.000-07:002011-05-31T08:02:53.746-07:00Lemon-Raspberry Tarts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiZQXpcOWLM77A2PtK0qmw53NdlMipIA8GVTtMlx2GNKWe_QyLqKCKK6J7raD0c5F6obpTytUbtdUKgLO278AlZQ9MK8cegEgcYncSZBNyCG8OoNKk4zzC1FMr-dsmt6iXX6Xv6DM1pb-/s1600/DSCN0650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiZQXpcOWLM77A2PtK0qmw53NdlMipIA8GVTtMlx2GNKWe_QyLqKCKK6J7raD0c5F6obpTytUbtdUKgLO278AlZQ9MK8cegEgcYncSZBNyCG8OoNKk4zzC1FMr-dsmt6iXX6Xv6DM1pb-/s320/DSCN0650.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When my friend Lauren Carmen San Diego came to visit this spring, she brought the sunshine with her. It was glorious. Summer had given us a sneak preview, and we were determined to make the most of it. We went to the beach and attempted to frolic in the waves, until we realized the water was too cold and we were better off sunbathing. We wore sundresses and flip flops, and in my case, yellow plastic sunglasses. We walked around in the sunshine with ice cream cones in our hands. We went out for Mexican food and ate at a picnic table outside as the sun began to set. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuDmAlKYzjjCy6swXSVDsT4orhK6kS5fxgWMkVuD_tyqeLDwclWWc-qCZIaCweHOTQwWv1TYoImQeqjE845GZF10OF7rnd7zS1zlZ0xmjJnm-iPOFMIqBfLbFBVRlte8BlsaAEHnvy7Kx/s1600/DSCN0654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSuDmAlKYzjjCy6swXSVDsT4orhK6kS5fxgWMkVuD_tyqeLDwclWWc-qCZIaCweHOTQwWv1TYoImQeqjE845GZF10OF7rnd7zS1zlZ0xmjJnm-iPOFMIqBfLbFBVRlte8BlsaAEHnvy7Kx/s320/DSCN0654.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And we ate these lemon-raspberry tarts, which tastes like an edible bowl of crisp buttery goodness filled with summery sunshine. Looking back on it, the lemon cream might be too soft and runny to put into a tart shell, but it is so, so yummy. I had a large bowl of unused lemon cream in a bowl in my fridge, and every 10 minutes or so, I would scoop a huge spoonful of lemon cream straight from the fridge just to satiate my lemony lust. Seriously. It is really, really good.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In short: make these tarts. Or at least make the lemon cream. If you're too lazy to make tart shells, just layer the lemon cream and raspberries in a glass to make a parfait. Actually, that sounds really good. I think I'm going to go do that now.</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmWMt94tb26lPy-6ady48JVemzkKns4bpV0dTlHrxACpbqFnj_8AmWvpqW5bH-TwZA4xt_Jr1RTPJjpNuqiWKptoyiJ-eiRdA2IxvEGijKnABVgCKRShtykv5kn6YWD06a_pgQys5ARCJ/s1600/DSCN0662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmWMt94tb26lPy-6ady48JVemzkKns4bpV0dTlHrxACpbqFnj_8AmWvpqW5bH-TwZA4xt_Jr1RTPJjpNuqiWKptoyiJ-eiRdA2IxvEGijKnABVgCKRShtykv5kn6YWD06a_pgQys5ARCJ/s320/DSCN0662.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<strong>Lemon Raspberry Tarts</strong><br />
<br />
<em>Tart Crust</em><br />
<br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/B0017HZRB2?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Baking: From My Home to Yours</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1px" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theco03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0017HZRB2" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important;" width="1px" /><br />
1 1/2 cups flour<br />
1/2 cup powdered sugar<br />
9 tablespoons butter (very cold and cut into small pieces)<br />
1 large egg yolk<br />
<br />
Combine flour and powdered sugar in a bowl, stirring to combine. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients (you can do this with your hands) until the mixture resembles wet sand (the pieces of butter should be no larger than a pea). Stir the yolk to break it up, and add a little of the time, stirring it in with a spatula until the dough forms clumps and curds. Knead the dough lightly just to incorporate any dry ingredients.<br />
Divide the dough into six portions. Press each portion of dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of 4-inch tart pans. You might want to save a little bit of dough to patch any cracks after the crust is baked. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes before before baking.<br />
<br />
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Butter the shiny side of some aluminum foil and fit the foil tightly against each crust, butter side down. Put the tart pans on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Carefully removie the foil. If the crusts have puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Bake for another 5 minutes until it is firm and golden brown. Cool the crust to room temperature before filling.<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>Lemon Cream</em><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.tarteletteblog.com/2011/03/recipe-gluten-meyer-lemon-creams-meyer.html">Tartelette</a><br />
<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/4 cup cornstarch<br />
zest of one lemon<br />
3 egg yolks<br />
2 cups whole milk<br />
1/2 cup lemon juice<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, and egg yolks until pale. Slowly add the milk and whisk well. Bring the mixture to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan placed over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer til thick. Remove from heat and slowly add lemon juice. Return to medium-low heat and let cool. <br />
<br />
<em>Raspberry Topping</em><br />
<br />
2 pints raspberries<br />
2 tablespoons lemon juice<br />
2 tablespoons sugar<br />
<br />
Gently toss the berries in lemon juice and sugar until evenly coated. Let macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
<em>To Assemble Tarts</em><br />
<br />
Coat the inside of each tart shell with some melted white chocolate. Let the chocolate harden. Divide the lemon cream among the tart shells. Place plastic wrap over the top to prevent skin from forming and refrigerate for at least one hour. <br />
<br />
When ready to serve, top with the raspberries.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-52230290778584695052011-05-23T08:00:00.000-07:002011-05-23T08:00:05.420-07:00Lentil Shepherd's Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswl2IRhH5MMFSuUg0vrdbzwFopGrTZUDjE4uhBScPexPuiyUt0wjqvkU403nsKPjVAbfY1e_05Lwn0qbL4lp91hnAOz9QZ5NBYh4hCs8BZDSvGUIbr_64xSghjx923tyUHVuQVeMAhW-M/s1600/DSCN0623-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswl2IRhH5MMFSuUg0vrdbzwFopGrTZUDjE4uhBScPexPuiyUt0wjqvkU403nsKPjVAbfY1e_05Lwn0qbL4lp91hnAOz9QZ5NBYh4hCs8BZDSvGUIbr_64xSghjx923tyUHVuQVeMAhW-M/s320/DSCN0623-1.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know this may seem shocking, but between the pounds of butter, sugar, and eggs that I go through each week, I occasionally make dishes involving vegetables. Vegetables that are not hidden in muffins. Because as adorable as those floating blob-people were in Wall-E, I do not aspire to be one of them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Despite the fact that this involves 7 - 8 different kinds of vegetables (depending on whether you consider potatoes to be vegetables), it was really, really tasty. It even tasted meaty. I think it was the Worcesterschire sauce. Or the mushrooms. So add the mushrooms, even if you don't like them. David hates mushrooms, and he had no idea they were in there. Though I guess he does, now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This dish is ridiculously filling, so even if it looks like there are four servings, there are actually probably enough servings to last two people an entire week. I am not kidding. As delicious as this was, by the time David and I finished all the leftovers, we never wanted to see another lentil again. So if there are only two of you, and you're not big eaters, do yourself a favor and halve this recipe. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOnlyX0kREc15abbpN-uI7njl2dKvhJB6km-UZqEn2SLePNyd9xVYVdMtmPPE4R7YS_um6aFo7rVPRPfn-j8QrPQYjjkDk0UZJM8pdayeBxN8ULdEnYUIXkcKAWssj3TGFAi6HsknUnnx/s1600/lentil+shepherd+pie+closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOnlyX0kREc15abbpN-uI7njl2dKvhJB6km-UZqEn2SLePNyd9xVYVdMtmPPE4R7YS_um6aFo7rVPRPfn-j8QrPQYjjkDk0UZJM8pdayeBxN8ULdEnYUIXkcKAWssj3TGFAi6HsknUnnx/s320/lentil+shepherd+pie+closeup.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Lentil Shepherd's Pie</strong><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/11984">Ezra Pound Cake</a><br />
<br />
2 teaspoons olive oil <br />
1 onion, chopped finely <br />
4 ounces (1 1/2 cups) shiitake mushrooms, chopped (I used baby bellas.) <br />
1 zucchini, diced small ( 1 1/2 cups) <br />
3 cloves garlic, minced (I skipped this, as I am not a garlic person)<br />
1/2 teaspoon oregano <br />
2 teaspoons thyme <br />
1/2 teaspoon salt <br />
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste <br />
1 cup carrots (about 3), peeled and diced small <br />
3/4 cup du Puy lentils (also called French lentils), rinsed (I used green lentils.) <br />
3 cups vegetable broth <br />
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce <br />
1/2 cup frozen corn <br />
1/2 cup frozen peas <br />
1 recipe Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (recipe below) <br />
<br />
Heat the oil in a 4-quart pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, and saute them until translucent, about 4 minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the mushrooms, zucchini, garlic, tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
Add the carrots, lentils and broth. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring every once in a while.<br />
<br />
By this point, the lentils should be tender, and most of the broth should be absorbed. (If that hasn’t happened, then keep the pot covered and simmer the lentils a while longer. Conversely, if the broth has evaporated and the lentils are not soft, then add a bit of water and simmer.)<br />
<br />
When the lentils are soft, stir in the Worcestershire sauce, corn and peas. Let the mixture sit off the heat for 10 minutes or so for maximum flavor. Taste and adjust the seasonings.<br />
<br />
To Serve: Spoon a cup of Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes into a bowl, and top it with a cup of lentils.<br />
<br />
<strong>Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes</strong><br />
<br />
2 russet potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 pounds) <br />
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets (1 pound, or about 3 cups) <br />
1 tablespoon olive oil <br />
2 to 4 tablespoons vegetable broth <br />
1/2 teaspoon salt <br />
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste <br />
<br />
Place the potatoes in a 4-quart pot, and fill it with enough cold water to cover them, making sure there are about 4 inches of extra water on top (for when you add the cauliflower). Bring the potatoes to a boil.<br />
<br />
Once the water is boiling, add the cauliflower, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender.<br />
<br />
Drain them in a colander, return them to the pot, and use a potato masher to mash them a bit.<br />
<br />
Add the oil, 2 tablespoons of broth, and the salt and pepper. Mash a bit more. Use a fork to make sure all the seasoning are mixed well.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">If needed, add another 2 tablespoons of broth. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Serve warm.</div>Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-79552406330867770332011-05-16T08:00:00.000-07:002011-05-16T08:00:01.072-07:00Carrot Apple Muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0efb41NFxKkWkFH4VlsB8Wm0SpPksSd103Z96g8zQLCZNN6ERRBQK2qHuvbrR0noHG6jwx4RSvp7cmBoGCkTNMRqnkVKx-Fyj-1Z37A_gcEerSa0CWScQ4VWNszir6-evCUjVb5MOv_9K/s1600/DSCN0585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0efb41NFxKkWkFH4VlsB8Wm0SpPksSd103Z96g8zQLCZNN6ERRBQK2qHuvbrR0noHG6jwx4RSvp7cmBoGCkTNMRqnkVKx-Fyj-1Z37A_gcEerSa0CWScQ4VWNszir6-evCUjVb5MOv_9K/s320/DSCN0585.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As much as I love eating desserts (and trust me, I love to eat desserts), I find the process of baking just as enjoyable as the end product. In fact, I often get the urge to bake without even knowing what it is that I want to bake. I usually end up scrounging through my pantry and refrigerator for inspiration. On Thursday night, my refrigerator was pretty bare, but I did end up finding a few carrots and an apple. I figured that between those two ingredients, I could make a delicious and healthy breakfast muffin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While these muffins are delicious fresh out of the oven, I enjoyed them even more the next few mornings, when I toasted them before slathering them in butter and honey. Have you tried toasting muffins before? You should. It's delicious.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some notes: I had shredded the carrots coursely, and I think next time I would shred them more fine - the carrots were still a little crunchy right out of the oven, though they softened after sitting for a couple of days. Also, if you want, you can pack the muffins even more full of healthy goodness by adding dried fruit or nuts.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96auCbEf38aJMVJwb9Az0pzBk2wG1E8WlWe0v-DCQpn-D1w_q8mZc-DQME9rybcqSypYS12kJZKqb0FNSd1_nv3JLrz4L0b2Omi96MFED_BA_CRGO0XJ_iIiiPbA912Z4CVTC6IqE5t3q/s1600/DSCN0591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96auCbEf38aJMVJwb9Az0pzBk2wG1E8WlWe0v-DCQpn-D1w_q8mZc-DQME9rybcqSypYS12kJZKqb0FNSd1_nv3JLrz4L0b2Omi96MFED_BA_CRGO0XJ_iIiiPbA912Z4CVTC6IqE5t3q/s320/DSCN0591.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<strong>Carrot Apple Muffins</strong><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Carrot-Muffins-15101">Gourmet, 1998</a><br />
<br />
1 cup AP flour<br />
1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
2 cups shredded carrots<br />
1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut<br />
3 large eggs<br />
1 cup corn oil<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
1 large apple, shredded<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, Combine flours, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk in both kinds of sugars. Add the carrots and coconut; stir until completely combined.<br />
<br />
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, oil, vanilla, and shredded apples. Add the apple mixture to the carrot mixture and stir until just combined.<br />
<br />
Divide equally between the muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes. <br />
<br />
Cool muffins for 5 minutes in the tin before turning out onto the racks to cool completely. Muffins keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-12789518070187505412011-05-10T10:40:00.000-07:002011-05-10T10:40:23.299-07:00S'mores Cookie Bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_318QcJfCGv472lws_2TM3_7Z5JAzDY6MZS1TVpKImzdou_IDZD2SnHrp_2NEugnyw6MqXTslfDWnHJ5_yRsHXJtp-Voun4OVNuNXfeY157YyWhT7fIn4GhE5i7D-2CcO5t8fjJk28hFo/s1600/DSCN0503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_318QcJfCGv472lws_2TM3_7Z5JAzDY6MZS1TVpKImzdou_IDZD2SnHrp_2NEugnyw6MqXTslfDWnHJ5_yRsHXJtp-Voun4OVNuNXfeY157YyWhT7fIn4GhE5i7D-2CcO5t8fjJk28hFo/s320/DSCN0503.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It pains me to admit this, but I have never been one for the great outdoors. For my family, camping meant going to a cabin in the mountains, complete with electricity, a fully functioning kitchen, and furniture...though I still slept in a sleeping bag, if that counts for anything. During the day, we went hiking in the forests, had picnics in parks, picked plums from trees, and, if we were brave enough, swam in the ice-cold fresh water streams. At night, we retreated back to the cabin, played board games, and made s'mores, not over a campfire, but in the cabin's fireplace. I have to admit, I never got my marshmallow in between the graham crackers and chocolate, as I usually ate my charred, gooey marshmallows straight off the stick I toasted them on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I haven't been camping in a while, in any sense of the word. One day, David and I will go camping for real, with tents and bug spray and the whole sh'bang. But until then, I am content to recreate camping memories with these s'more cookie bars.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These are best when cooled but still slightly warm - if it's still too hot when you slice into it, the filling oozes out, but if you let it cool too much, the chocolate re-hardens. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1yVnqvas14W2QKuUh8GVm5BXkigpiSv0Gw4cqf1T5W1dkf19urQZX3R4Z4LKgLJiOSP4kYZtQcWdIPthlqyuflkRs5G21jNFpG7dTCHTiqgFvGWTgY-wPv5a9YlVUYB5VkM1DQhksAyQ/s1600/DSCN0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1yVnqvas14W2QKuUh8GVm5BXkigpiSv0Gw4cqf1T5W1dkf19urQZX3R4Z4LKgLJiOSP4kYZtQcWdIPthlqyuflkRs5G21jNFpG7dTCHTiqgFvGWTgY-wPv5a9YlVUYB5VkM1DQhksAyQ/s320/DSCN0493.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<strong>S'more Cookie Bars</strong><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://bakingbites.com/2007/08/smore-cookie-bars/">Baking Bites</a><br />
<br />
1 cup butter<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
2 large eggs<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
2 2/3 cups flour<br />
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
4 king-sized chocolate bars<br />
3 cups marshmallow fluff<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs and vanilla.<br />
<br />
In a small bowl, whisk flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until combined. Divide dough in half.<br />
<br />
Press half of the dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over the dough. Spread marshmallow fluff over the chocolate. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff.<br />
<br />
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until lightly browned.<br />
<br />
Cool before cutting into bars.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-27093858381255438162011-04-25T08:00:00.000-07:002011-04-25T08:00:09.620-07:00Blackberry Banana Muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlZiycqKiFrdS9LdFVErOkFHFn0FwY7Z07MiULGqsdMlM-khYvApTDMV41wsVkF3LuqaUefBWhTxVevtjV62c5LEg23rGmu3D8olH47M7055_kB2cfa8hwXXsWHiKJw7M3j8eJ7nYTRgk/s1600/DSCN0462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234px" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlZiycqKiFrdS9LdFVErOkFHFn0FwY7Z07MiULGqsdMlM-khYvApTDMV41wsVkF3LuqaUefBWhTxVevtjV62c5LEg23rGmu3D8olH47M7055_kB2cfa8hwXXsWHiKJw7M3j8eJ7nYTRgk/s320/DSCN0462.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
I cannot study at home. It's impossible. There are way too many distractions. I might want to go back to bed and take a nap. I might pull up a movie on Netflix to watch instantly. I might wander over to the kitchen and spend my entire morning making cookies. <br />
<br />
No, it is much better for me to walk around the corner to my favorite cafe, with its incredibly creamy chai lattes and assortment of brownies. Or one and a half more blocks from there to another amazing cafe, with their on-site roasted coffee, madeleines, and Nutella rolls. Yes, these places are much more conducive to studying.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPD0GAMdtWOsDc5OiwMZnQRueMX8xYyKqXKXilFbdgN5FZltxuyVccPpVkTz8yYPTHpV2KT4ceISKqSlyDm7F5OEmykpwej3BHkEN1IBvpeAb2JjXvydR55xvNihxOYsKK6F0xMO7789X/s1600/DSCN0434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPD0GAMdtWOsDc5OiwMZnQRueMX8xYyKqXKXilFbdgN5FZltxuyVccPpVkTz8yYPTHpV2KT4ceISKqSlyDm7F5OEmykpwej3BHkEN1IBvpeAb2JjXvydR55xvNihxOYsKK6F0xMO7789X/s320/DSCN0434.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
While the second cafe definitely wins out in the breakfast pastry category, their muffins leave something to be desired (and I'm sure this goes for all bakery muffins). I was initially excited to try their Blackberry Banana Muffins, but the muffins weren't very banana-y, and the blackberries had all sunk to the bottom, creating a hole in the middle of the muffin. Fortunately, those two problems are pretty easy to fix, and I set about making my own version of the muffins.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToz7yqgN9P9nzS9OEG96Qj4QD41gj6B5O5_nEybTo0StR00kedc2IpLWPlxGoJUGiCQO-xhD-5XWvjL8Z2MXzHfmoEjPdHBpooHs_F9l7l656y1mSF8GdLuojUM221QpBOyufblT6aC3b/s1600/DSCN0456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToz7yqgN9P9nzS9OEG96Qj4QD41gj6B5O5_nEybTo0StR00kedc2IpLWPlxGoJUGiCQO-xhD-5XWvjL8Z2MXzHfmoEjPdHBpooHs_F9l7l656y1mSF8GdLuojUM221QpBOyufblT6aC3b/s320/DSCN0456.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">These muffins were a success. They were best fresh out of the oven, of course, but they also made a pretty tasty breakfast the following two days. I lightly coated the blackberries in flour before adding them to the muffin batter to prevent them from sinking, and it definitely did the trick - needless to say, muffins are much better when they're whole instead of hollow. The whole wheat flour added a slightly nutty flavor to the muffins, as well as an excuse to eat them for breakfast. I sprinkled the tops of the muffins with turbinado sugar before baking them, and I loved the extra crunch and sweetness it contributed. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Not a fan of blackberries? Neither is David. I substituted the blackberries in half of the muffins for a combination of white and semisweet chocolate chips, and he gave them two big thumbs up.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEw7QFsJWX47rs0GxoYIbY1NWmaVoHOUljKzU4JtFlyObhyphenhyphenWL8WnI3p4GxGtEpgydvC1YDXpGwMR1en2li4mdMR8nXmru0qQcMxI_-W5hahUYEk2hQYsCNcf1Sdllc8DbaPL0Nmh_IzS-/s1600/DSCN0441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEw7QFsJWX47rs0GxoYIbY1NWmaVoHOUljKzU4JtFlyObhyphenhyphenWL8WnI3p4GxGtEpgydvC1YDXpGwMR1en2li4mdMR8nXmru0qQcMxI_-W5hahUYEk2hQYsCNcf1Sdllc8DbaPL0Nmh_IzS-/s320/DSCN0441.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Blackberry Banana Muffins</strong><br />
Makes 12 muffins<br />
<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
3 large bananas<br />
1 large egg, room temperature<br />
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
6 ounces blackberries (defrost if using frozen)<br />
<br />
Turbinado sugar (optional)<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a 12-muffin tin.<br />
<br />
Whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.<br />
<br />
In a medium bowl, mash the bananas. Mix in the egg, melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract. Stir the banana mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined (don't overmix). <br />
<br />
Lightly coat the blackberries in flour and gently fold them into the muffin batter. Divide equally among the muffin tins. Sprinkle each one generously with the turbinado sugar.<br />
<br />
Bake until the tops are pale golden, about 28-32 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-51811546029889728002011-04-18T08:00:00.000-07:002011-04-18T15:04:11.284-07:00Churros con Chocolate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzgbcTjLMJuKy5YLx4BMxOu79h59nk5pF1HCoouPE73oJYDWWZLL3ioqJZ2qJ3i8SjawR8NOTzynsYGuHcOezHgxpcQyJEe7wfiSPpvtVxi5rU4J0HjnDlokFIJ76qtUnujtKCEm5DY4b/s1600/DSCN0385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzgbcTjLMJuKy5YLx4BMxOu79h59nk5pF1HCoouPE73oJYDWWZLL3ioqJZ2qJ3i8SjawR8NOTzynsYGuHcOezHgxpcQyJEe7wfiSPpvtVxi5rU4J0HjnDlokFIJ76qtUnujtKCEm5DY4b/s320/DSCN0385.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
In my junior year of college, I studied abroad in Granada, Spain. From my first day there, I heard about churros con chocolate, but didn't know what they looked like or where to get them. I went to bakeries and asked for churros con chocolate, but they didn't have any. I checked the coffee shops, only to find out that the coffee shops were actually primarily bars. Halfway through my semester, I finally found some at a place called Cafe Futbol. The treat was not, as I had originally suspected, like Mexican churros filled with chocolate. They were more donut-like, smooth instead of rigid, unadorned and accompanied by the thick Spanish hot chocolate that you were supposed to dip it into. It was love at first bite. My friends and I went there about once every other week to eat churros con chocolate, though we started going more and more during finals as we realized that we would soon have to leave everything in Spain behind.<br />
<br />
Once we returned to San Diego, I searched for Spanish restaurants and cafes in the area that might have churros con chocolate, to no avail. It didn't occur to me to try making them myself until three years later, when I was searching for a recipe for my host mom's chorizo lentil soup and stumbled across a recipe for churros con chocolate. I excitedly tried the recipe, trying to improvise and use a cookie press, as I didn't have any large frosting tips. It did not turn out so good.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77O6f30cnzWFBpOInZvmDjWThSvzV_oILq3qBeN4bYvtDdrLklDINKoNPFVU0wuysimIFIPQTW7COuxWFujmfR9nNmIm-NxjfAVzBqAarK_kvmLGgRD_RZaV0p6NpnSoTQp5u1AHXcTL8/s1600/churros.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77O6f30cnzWFBpOInZvmDjWThSvzV_oILq3qBeN4bYvtDdrLklDINKoNPFVU0wuysimIFIPQTW7COuxWFujmfR9nNmIm-NxjfAVzBqAarK_kvmLGgRD_RZaV0p6NpnSoTQp5u1AHXcTL8/s320/churros.bmp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cafe Futbol churros</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4cpT0IKsjnaHkNsE_PJCIHuuAKFp9G8PVRv7Xq5kwqCcTwkvwezxWk-4bezWs3NCQ3HCthd9vfzGR450Dj0WgYnsS-pSunRul0wjZ6sWiHE2nk8udjdoqzJefXxMjpO0SpQSVwJM43od/s1600/DSCN0380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4cpT0IKsjnaHkNsE_PJCIHuuAKFp9G8PVRv7Xq5kwqCcTwkvwezxWk-4bezWs3NCQ3HCthd9vfzGR450Dj0WgYnsS-pSunRul0wjZ6sWiHE2nk8udjdoqzJefXxMjpO0SpQSVwJM43od/s320/DSCN0380.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I shelved the idea in favor of new projects, until a tapas bar opened near my apartment and reminded me of my favorite Spanish treat. I decided to try again, using a different recipe and a large coupler instead of a star tip.<br />
<br />
These churros are smaller, but taste just like I remember - crispy on the outside, soft and custardy on the inside. The hot chocolate is rich and thick - almost like a cross between fudge sauce and pudding. Served together, they're as warm and comforting as cookies and milk.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZPNhGM_pVkbcpNXPpRUbk54yPvXYKQXtAxQq46CmKaqcPeCW0pENeNNKcMcEqXJhBajUK0sAjDE1MJz7COVQoxuiVDHJHYT0m5Qls-7AWST8V31CPh3VeEI1WOn0in783ACCtFgiGPrP/s1600/DSCN0395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZPNhGM_pVkbcpNXPpRUbk54yPvXYKQXtAxQq46CmKaqcPeCW0pENeNNKcMcEqXJhBajUK0sAjDE1MJz7COVQoxuiVDHJHYT0m5Qls-7AWST8V31CPh3VeEI1WOn0in783ACCtFgiGPrP/s320/DSCN0395.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Churros con Chocolate</strong><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/follow-that-food/churros-and-hot-chocolate-recipe/index.html">Chocolateria San Gines, Madrid, Spain</a><br />
<br />
<em>Churros:</em><br />
8 cups vegetable oil<br />
1 cup water<br />
1/2 cup butter<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 cup flour<br />
3 eggs<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
<br />
Heat oil to 360 degrees Farenheit.<br />
<br />
Heat water, butter, and salt to rolling boil in a 3 quart saucepan. Add flour and stirr vigorously over low heat until it forms a ball (about 1 minute). Remove from heat.<br />
<br />
Beat eggs until smooth, and add to saucepan while continuously stirring mixture.<br />
<br />
Spoon dough into piping bag. Squeeze 4-inch strips into oil. Fry for 3 or 4 minutes until golden brown, turning once halfway through. Drain on paper towels.<br />
<br />
<em>Spanish Hot Chocolate</em><br />
<br />
2 ounces dark chocolate<br />
1 cup milk<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch<br />
2 tablespoons sugar<br />
<br />
Place chocolate and half of milk in saucepan and cook over very low heat, stirring, until chocolate has melted. Dissolve cornstarch and sugar into remaining milk and whisk into the chocolate. Cook on low heat, whisking constantly, until chocolate thickens (it will take about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk til smooth; pour into mugs.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-76351945633896015392011-04-11T11:15:00.000-07:002011-04-11T11:15:14.075-07:00Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6gWZRdM7p0b_rFoyfwUk7wF6YC3UjC1c5eH2xhIK0nehU1oU59Oqm5ZSOCmPNr5CtoQsQY7J_Y6iLQt3z2le0AdVZKEEAzIiliqJ0N9J_hL01vLAJyUo7hS-9wLuFjb83u6aQI5hCN__/s1600/DSCN0364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6gWZRdM7p0b_rFoyfwUk7wF6YC3UjC1c5eH2xhIK0nehU1oU59Oqm5ZSOCmPNr5CtoQsQY7J_Y6iLQt3z2le0AdVZKEEAzIiliqJ0N9J_hL01vLAJyUo7hS-9wLuFjb83u6aQI5hCN__/s320/DSCN0364.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The only compliment/encouragment I ever got from my piano teacher is that I'm very "stick-to-itive". I'm not sure if she thought that was a good or bad thing. At any rate, my stick-to-itiveness came in handy when making this cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread.<br />
<br />
I've never worked with yeast before. I've always been a bit scared, as there are certain things you need to do when yeast is involved, like kneading, rising, and waiting, and those are three things that I am not very good at. Plus, there are so many opportunities for things to go wrong. For example, what if while the dough was rising, I left my apartment to run an errand and got distracted by a butterfly and chased it all around town? The dough would just sit there, and it would keep rising and rising, getting bigger and bigger, until the confines of my apartment complex couldn't contain it anymore, and it would become so big that it gained sentience like The Blob and it would plop its blobby self around the city proclaiming, "Feed me! Glluuurgh!" and it would just completely smother the entirety of California. I do not want to be responsible for the destruction of civilization, no siree. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4Ql8m_OTG1simLRZ9eegpXK_esXqKvK-Ba1S0zL-uwGW3nbKNHq8TXxkhPoxyi3QhyphenhyphenjxIK-1VzK4zirUckoVCtqXbkO9CZljVvA_QximsO2NOjmWll_dl0dCb6OeTqlJxpgo0dUeTLnV/s1600/DSCN0319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4Ql8m_OTG1simLRZ9eegpXK_esXqKvK-Ba1S0zL-uwGW3nbKNHq8TXxkhPoxyi3QhyphenhyphenjxIK-1VzK4zirUckoVCtqXbkO9CZljVvA_QximsO2NOjmWll_dl0dCb6OeTqlJxpgo0dUeTLnV/s320/DSCN0319.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Still, I knew that I had to conquer my fear of screwing up if I ever wanted to eat this cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread. Seriously - how could you not persevere when the end goal is this browned-butter-and-cinnamon-sugar-slathered loaf that you pull apart, sheet by delicious sheet? I love peeling things, like dried glue off of fingernails and sunburnt skin off my shoulder. So this? It's like having a sheet of scratch-and-sniff stickers that you can <em>eat</em>. Plus, if <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKKQH9bNI8w">cats can knead</a>, then I should be able to do it, too. Right?<br />
<br />
As it turns out, maybe not. After letting the dough rise for the first time, I tried kneading the dough, following the instructions given in an eHow article. After a while, I realized that I <em>still</em> had no idea what I was doing. It said to turn the dough, but was I supposed to make a quarter turn? Turn it halfway around? Flip it over? And it said to push the dough forward with the palm of my hand, but how far forward? So confusing! Then I got the brilliant idea of checking YouTube, and found this very helpful video from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWj8oHMPFm0">Epicurious</a>. Note to self - check to see if there's an Epicurious tutorial before trying anything new again. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1p9uc40MpDcacEE2cO1N5hPPgtVoQCSLbQRh_IwK26sN3naQmGDRnbgRtiA7RBExto05wyiwO5iQS90F2dQQP9tH2l8f-9aaLr0UQit5OUU78Ggj_mIWPo90qlr7MKGElIrHIWJWarzyb/s1600/DSCN0323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1p9uc40MpDcacEE2cO1N5hPPgtVoQCSLbQRh_IwK26sN3naQmGDRnbgRtiA7RBExto05wyiwO5iQS90F2dQQP9tH2l8f-9aaLr0UQit5OUU78Ggj_mIWPo90qlr7MKGElIrHIWJWarzyb/s320/DSCN0323.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
As I kneaded the dough, I realized that the dough wasn't becoming elastic, like the tutorial said it would. Then it occured to me that maybe when the instructions told me to let the dough rise somewhere warm, it meant a place more warm and humid than my San Diego living room. And you're probably thinking how I could possibly not notice that the dough hadn't risen, but like I said, I've never done this before! I wasn't sure how it was supposed to look. I was just glad that it hadn't gained sentience yet.<br />
<br />
After reading some internet comment boards, I decided to bring some water to a boil in the microwave, and afterwards, stuck the bowl of dough in with the steaming cup of water, and let it rise for another hour.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9QGoalpiNVNR1lxP-CGLvWRAmZ2i4vKBItcS1ZeYwKInsQAsDgtND_PJ6OUUNyc3-sPNGVEpDUh9YPyzUASsTxy_5NFKIGsSS4WhFsiF8jA3G1k_AhnFwj24pvLnt0zFZSI3G3npg2zB/s1600/DSCN0332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9QGoalpiNVNR1lxP-CGLvWRAmZ2i4vKBItcS1ZeYwKInsQAsDgtND_PJ6OUUNyc3-sPNGVEpDUh9YPyzUASsTxy_5NFKIGsSS4WhFsiF8jA3G1k_AhnFwj24pvLnt0zFZSI3G3npg2zB/s320/DSCN0332.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
So at this point, I had already messed up quite a bit. I might have overkneaded the dough. I added the last of the flour before the dough had a chance to rise. I let the dough sit around for an hour at room temperature. I wasn't sure if I had completely messed it up or not, but I figured I could try going through with the bread anyways, and try again if it didn't turn out.<br />
<br />
I ended up rolling out the dough to 22 inches instead of 20 inches. Instead of having pretty little squares to stack into the pan, I had crooked rectangles. Oh well.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAniOrJd-zqaEkJsWE-r1eGAQq3TgryzWJQahQfbaWLrEKBctfCS16HK4Cn2DgAWlpAXPVhA9OwvJej8lqPotaop6hKLwHzxKaR8Ow0TPSKCifscJ0uwCOdop3r3S4skcw-RhYFgs9tQPc/s1600/DSCN0333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAniOrJd-zqaEkJsWE-r1eGAQq3TgryzWJQahQfbaWLrEKBctfCS16HK4Cn2DgAWlpAXPVhA9OwvJej8lqPotaop6hKLwHzxKaR8Ow0TPSKCifscJ0uwCOdop3r3S4skcw-RhYFgs9tQPc/s320/DSCN0333.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I let it rise again, using the same microwave technique. I got distracted on the phone with my mom and let it rise a little too long. I forgot to preheat the oven. The loaf sat for a while before going in.<br />
<br />
In the end? It tasted the way it was supposed to taste (delicious). Did it look pretty? Not really. Did I care? Definitely not. After all, it's not the outside, but the warm, soft, cinnamony, buttery inside that counts.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiohZ7h9YLtvOeguysn28wj3wrwFQBcRJog_vPF5lqY9nI29E62InjCoqq5xEoHt7OBwXdkfHQqlceJsUQ5mVLskyq3IQDqwhuRcHsMT7d6kOGXMpVSbZ81n1q0k4jJqay88SMEelZfAiQ/s1600/DSCN0371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiohZ7h9YLtvOeguysn28wj3wrwFQBcRJog_vPF5lqY9nI29E62InjCoqq5xEoHt7OBwXdkfHQqlceJsUQ5mVLskyq3IQDqwhuRcHsMT7d6kOGXMpVSbZ81n1q0k4jJqay88SMEelZfAiQ/s320/DSCN0371.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeD0jmXiF1OCJdzZZxLs0u-lBkrV6ZTv830g56Ss1fwwEtwJA3wVluq8w8zLYbudtnkHaxB2kUqSS5tPppyhEQM-kpYesr6h_2gPZeRCvjWLsZIdx-mAnzQIS0VnDRMnsTJ5vaErZ7jgE/s1600/DSCN0355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeD0jmXiF1OCJdzZZxLs0u-lBkrV6ZTv830g56Ss1fwwEtwJA3wVluq8w8zLYbudtnkHaxB2kUqSS5tPppyhEQM-kpYesr6h_2gPZeRCvjWLsZIdx-mAnzQIS0VnDRMnsTJ5vaErZ7jgE/s320/DSCN0355.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread</strong></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Adapted from <a href="http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/03/cinnamon-sugar-pull-apart-bread/">Joy the Baker</a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>Dough</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">2 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons AP flour</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup sugar</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon salt</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">2 ounces unsalted butter (half stick)</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/3 cup whole milk</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup water</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">2 large eggs, room temperature</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>Filling</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup sugar</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">2 teaspoons ground cinnamon</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Whisk together eggs and set aside.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let stand until the temperature of the mixture reduces to 115 - 125 degrees Farenheit.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and mix until the eggs are incorporated. Add 3/4 cup flour and mix with spatula until incorporated. The dough will be sticky.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and let rise until doubled in size, about one hour.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">*The dough can be risen then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you do this, allow the dough to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before continuing to the next step.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Set aside.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Once the dough has risen, transfer to a lightly-floured surface. Deflate the dough and knead the last 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. The dough won't be sticky anymore, and when you poke the dough with your finger, the indentation will stay. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to 12 inches tall and 20 inches long. Use a pastry brush the spread the browned butter across all the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the dough. Yes, it's a lot of sugar. Yes, you should use it all.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Slice the dough vertically into six equally-sized strips. Stack the strips on top of each other. Slice the stack into six again. You'll have six stacks of squares. Layer the dough squares on the loaf pan like dominos. Cover the pan with a kitchen towel and put it in a warm place to rise again for 30-45 minutes, or almost doubled in size.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">While it's rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. When the dough has finished rising, place the loaf in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Remove from the oven and let the loaf rest for 20-30 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the bread and invert it onto a clean plate. Place your serving plate on top of the upside-down loaf and carefully flip it over again, so it's right side up.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The loaf can be wrapped in plastic and kept at room temperature for up to two days. But it probably won't last that long.</div>Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-51119875281986613812011-04-04T12:27:00.000-07:002011-04-04T12:27:13.051-07:00Puppy Cake Pops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGZL3-514_jNwt8WC57KFW-A1B9eAXGv-dx0qQVKz2fOhPWxY_aohWuFoc69DNYUcvol3KrJvE0uLDPgO-yM6yzFORR0OLsRfsR8YLJZ0vPBhITr7yfMYpp8RR19USt62yt6xnV6cHYq0/s1600/DSCN0159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGZL3-514_jNwt8WC57KFW-A1B9eAXGv-dx0qQVKz2fOhPWxY_aohWuFoc69DNYUcvol3KrJvE0uLDPgO-yM6yzFORR0OLsRfsR8YLJZ0vPBhITr7yfMYpp8RR19USt62yt6xnV6cHYq0/s320/DSCN0159.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Remember how in my last post, I mentioned that my sister-in-law asked me to make either an airplane or puppy cake for my nephew's first birthday? And remember how I cut up a 9x13 cake into the shape of a plane, leaving me with quite a bit of scraps and crumbs?<br />
<br />
Well, with the leftover cake scraps, I made some adorable puppy cake pops!<br />
<br />
I mixed the cookies & cream cake crumbs with about 1/4 of a canister of store-bought cream cheese frosting (I have no idea why, but store-bought seems to do a better job of holding them together). I rolled them into quarter-size balls. I dipped the lollipop sticks in candy coating before sticking them into the cake balls so that the cake wouldn't fall off the sticks.<br />
<br />
Once you have your cake pops, here's how you make your puppies:<br />
<br />
<strong>Puppy Cake Pops</strong><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cake-Pops-Tricks-Recipes-Irresistible/dp/0811876373?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Cake Pops</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theco03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0811876373" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Candy-Melts-Peanut-Butter/dp/B00076TPS0?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Peanut butter candy melts</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theco03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00076TPS0" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Dark-Chocolate-Candy-Melts/dp/B0000CFMWG?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Chocolate candy melts</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theco03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0000CFMWG" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Candy-Decorating-Pen-Set/dp/B0019INEVY?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Candy writers</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theco03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0019INEVY" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (dark brown) <br />
Mini M&Ms<br />
Lifesavers (I used the gummi ones, because I didn't want the toddlers to choke on the hard ones)<br />
<br />
<u>Tools</u><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/AmeriColor-Gourmet-Writer-Black-Marker/dp/B002L3RVBA?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Edible ink pen</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theco03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002L3RVBA" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
Sharpie<br />
Clear plastic spoons<br />
Squeeze bottle<br />
Styrofoam block<br />
<br />
Dip the cake pops in melted peanut butter candy coating - dunk straight down, lift staight up, and allow the coating to drip back into the bowl. Stick the pop into the styrofoam block to dry.<br />
<br />
<em>To make the ears:</em><br />
-Draw an elongated tear drop with a Sharpie on the back of the clear plastic spoon.<br />
-Flip spoon over. On the inside of the spoon, trace and fill in the tear drop with either the candy writer of a squeeze bottle filled with melted chocolate candy coating. <br />
- Place in the freezer a few minutes to set<br />
- Remove and pop the ears off the spoon and store in a dry place until ready to use<br />
<br />
<em>To make the nose:</em><br />
- Cut a brown mini M&M in half <br />
OR<br />
- Use a candy writer to draw a nose on wax paper. Let dry and set aside until ready to use.<br />
<br />
<em>To assemble:</em><br />
- Use the candy writer or melted chocolate coating as glue to attach the pieces to the pops.<br />
- Place a drop of chocolate on the back of the pre-made nose and attach to the pop.<br />
- Use the edible ink pen to draw the eyes and mouth<br />
- Use glue method to attach the ears and the Lifesaver collars.<br />
- Allow the pops to dry before serving.<br />
<br />
<em>Advice from Alli:</em><br />
- I actually had a very difficult time with the squeeze bottle method - the candy kept solidifying after a couple minutes in the bottle, blocking off the opening. I would recommend trying the candy writers. Try to make the ears thick - mine were too thin, which made it difficult to "glue" them to the pops.<br />
- Do not refrigerate the pops before assembling and decorating. The chocolate "glue" would harden before I got the chance to add the appendages. Furthermore, the condensation on the pops made it hard to draw the eyes and mouth.<br />
- If it's a warm day and you need to transport them somewhere, try putting them in a cooler. The day of the party was very sunny, and the ears and collars ended up melting off the puppies on the way!Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-17953316791738700412011-03-28T08:00:00.000-07:002011-03-28T11:02:32.812-07:00Cookies & Cream Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqfgO3DiI0POloJESt43o0Te67fNZZINYqymGFlnh-wOTrBmpJzR2ZkvaKqbZs-yK-gCxDgObiol4Y6PIW89ZuuusGjRRSv1suTbJjFtgPkfYnxxRyi_5ZIIgDSxozpNY9_6LQ1oKcOv6/s1600/DSCN0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqfgO3DiI0POloJESt43o0Te67fNZZINYqymGFlnh-wOTrBmpJzR2ZkvaKqbZs-yK-gCxDgObiol4Y6PIW89ZuuusGjRRSv1suTbJjFtgPkfYnxxRyi_5ZIIgDSxozpNY9_6LQ1oKcOv6/s320/DSCN0153.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
When my sister-in-law asked me to make a cake for her son's first birthday party, I asked her what kind of cake she wanted, and she said she wanted a plane or a dog. When I clarified that I wanted to know what kind of flavor she wanted, she said that it was up to me.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRyhMjqSvElUETaxbA1Ug7g51q5HmHz06iNLXaCexn7AKvLompjJF0zWWhKcOtjJpFQeLW6_ur12EnJR4iVvDVGe8y9nel-mzTc6JasZX_syA5x0oTVl6AKfh1qIikwQDv9qToX5l_Wr7/s1600/DSCN0156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRyhMjqSvElUETaxbA1Ug7g51q5HmHz06iNLXaCexn7AKvLompjJF0zWWhKcOtjJpFQeLW6_ur12EnJR4iVvDVGe8y9nel-mzTc6JasZX_syA5x0oTVl6AKfh1qIikwQDv9qToX5l_Wr7/s320/DSCN0156.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
My husband and I spent some time debating the merits of vanilla and chocolate until it occured to me that it would be fun to combine them. While marbled cakes are always delicious, I thought that a Chuck-E-Cheese birthday party would be the perfect opportunity to try out something more playful: Cookies & Cream Cake.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGHqkGQfeJzdpt-er75wWK7mvT3N25B5tSXedVfZQTv3jc-PuLhnjTMaoRVEf5V8qUHOdEZobVaZ51VXvwTMb9tLH-4oq2cgMuhy0W1uvO3_G1ELxjVL3AMhjtloG0BMP0nH8L5HEuYp6/s1600/DSCN0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGHqkGQfeJzdpt-er75wWK7mvT3N25B5tSXedVfZQTv3jc-PuLhnjTMaoRVEf5V8qUHOdEZobVaZ51VXvwTMb9tLH-4oq2cgMuhy0W1uvO3_G1ELxjVL3AMhjtloG0BMP0nH8L5HEuYp6/s320/DSCN0148.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
In this cake, crushed Oreos (cream and all) are folded into a vanilla cake batter. When baked, the chocolate cookies soften a bit and the cream melted into the cake. I actually used Trader Joe's Jojos instead of Oreos - I'd like to say that it's because the absence of hydrogenated oil makes it a healthier alternative to Oreos, but that would be like saying that fidgeting is a better form of exercise than watching T.V. The real reason is that there are vanilla bean specks in the Jojo cream, which makes it seem fancier to me - probably because I'm too much of a cheapskate to buy my own vanilla beans. Though adding cookies to cake batter is a small and simple step, it's enough to bump a cake from boring to novel. <br />
<br />
This cake is more dense than cakes made from boxed cake mixes - my husband's family likes their cakes to be "hefty" (in the words of my father-in-law). However, if you like your cakes to be fluffier, you can take your favorite recipe (or vanilla cake mix) and just fold in some cookies. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XDZ0X9Ap0X4VUvTDgcTwiiUtHi74BIBlinLSd1JUsPm7PwEs9ck3Ax2CHdY-iXiVIA4bls9bWoKb1iOLUzfIcf46UGqDhBffo7Vmg-Xdm4XkfvaSozVwy_DsUNwtUv4fwBI9PaF68ipJ/s1600/DSCN0165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XDZ0X9Ap0X4VUvTDgcTwiiUtHi74BIBlinLSd1JUsPm7PwEs9ck3Ax2CHdY-iXiVIA4bls9bWoKb1iOLUzfIcf46UGqDhBffo7Vmg-Xdm4XkfvaSozVwy_DsUNwtUv4fwBI9PaF68ipJ/s320/DSCN0165.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some notes about the pictures: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- If you would like to make an airplane cake, <a href="http://www.wilton.com/idea/Kid-on-Cloud-9-Cake">Wilton</a> has very thorough instructions, as well as stencils for the propeller, wing, and tail. I did not want to buy their paisley pan, so I just cut the cake into the shape with a serrated knife and brushed away the crumbs with a pastry brush. Also, I used light blue for the windows instead of black - there's just too much food coloring involved in making black frosting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">- This slice of cake above is a couple days old, so it looks very dried out. Your cake will look more moist when it is fresh. I just included this so you could see what it looks like with cookie bits in it.</div><br />
<strong>Cookies & Cream Cake</strong><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://bakingbites.com/2006/06/cooking-school-oreo-cupcakes/">Baking Bites</a><br />
<br />
2 1/4 cups flour<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder <br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 1/2 cup sugar<br />
10 tablespoons butter, room temperature<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract <br />
2 eggs, room temperature<br />
3/4 cup whole milk<br />
12 crushed Oreos<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.<br />
<br />
In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time, fully incorporating the first one before adding the next.<br />
<br />
Stir in a third of the flour mixture. Stir in half of the milk. Stir in half of the remaining flour mixture. Stir in the last of the milk. Stir in the last of the flour mixture.<br />
<br />
Bake for 27-32 minutes (depending on your oven and what kind of pan you're using). Let cool.<br />
<br />
<strong>Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting</strong> <br />
(I doubled this to frost and decorate the cake and cookie attachments)<br />
<br />
1/2 cup butter, softened<br />
4 cups powdered sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
<br />
Beat butter until fluffy. Add vanilla, milk, and half of the powdered sugar and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the rest of the powdered sugar a little bit at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.<br />
<br />
(I read that adding the powdered sugar really slowly - a couple tablespoons at a time - helps the frosting to firm up without needing as much sugar. I have yet to test this technique.)Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-74628480385608805432011-03-21T08:00:00.001-07:002011-03-21T17:35:02.989-07:00Coffee Chiffon Cake with Nutella and Bananas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4AnIyVMBNfzdxh4r5qvPSUQTjBvQAOVZ6jzgNjAo7R3Oj2isjeYbb_RN2juTAtvqH0nh9dpgz-mNJe7nI5doQtnWleZNxqhJfhkUL86tYcNSdy157KSSN7J7PQ__MPD03yhel4YFRgRa/s1600/DSCN0268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4AnIyVMBNfzdxh4r5qvPSUQTjBvQAOVZ6jzgNjAo7R3Oj2isjeYbb_RN2juTAtvqH0nh9dpgz-mNJe7nI5doQtnWleZNxqhJfhkUL86tYcNSdy157KSSN7J7PQ__MPD03yhel4YFRgRa/s320/DSCN0268.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My friends invited David and I over for a crepe party on Pancake Day/Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras. Needless to say, I am a fan of any party involving a steady stream of fresh crepes and an extensive topping bar. I had three crepes that night, playing around with combinations of berries, slivered almonds, lemon juice, powdered sugar, freshly whipped cream, and Nutella. It was a delicious, delicious night.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It wasn't until two days later that I realized that I had forgotten to make my favorite: Nutella and bananas.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">What had I been thinking? This was a mistake that had to be rectified as soon as possible. But not with crepes. With cake.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQABfCAve8T-CC3M9mLlt48c7nWnkz86X1_4qv3zVkPbzx_3rQmhJ38jtp0rcxcFiBTSpMr42zN1Yz39uMxFgACAVD72D7MT2mHNQ290CaBe39uWU05fnF0gl8-TwK3_gGBkQJAatvFsjm/s1600/DSCN0247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQABfCAve8T-CC3M9mLlt48c7nWnkz86X1_4qv3zVkPbzx_3rQmhJ38jtp0rcxcFiBTSpMr42zN1Yz39uMxFgACAVD72D7MT2mHNQ290CaBe39uWU05fnF0gl8-TwK3_gGBkQJAatvFsjm/s320/DSCN0247.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I wanted to recreate the experience of eating Nutella and banana crepes, but in the form of a cake. I chose to use thin layers of chiffon cake, for several reasons. Chiffon cakes are a bit on the eggy side, and are usually not very sweet. They're not fluffy or dense or crumbly or buttery - they're airy and light, which means that they can balance out the decadence of three layers of Nutella and bananas. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This cake has a lot going on, so I opted not to frost or top the cake. If you did want a bit of oomph, for presentation purposes, I think it would be wonderful with a light dusting of powdered sugar or swathed in barely-sweetened whipped cream...though if you want top it with another layer of Nutella and bananas, who am I to stop you?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiml_kwTB_WSDQckA8I6DmthoKMKeieMiUT6hS7_ZUYX_aRmeu4Y5gc08eQ92kWRiaqhvI7cuznhIrtMvDPJJtf5zKuImyvK_vx5FI3sjdK460EFKRLKQ88TM1-E_mtKmn91CimCR5ASs63/s1600/DSCN0302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiml_kwTB_WSDQckA8I6DmthoKMKeieMiUT6hS7_ZUYX_aRmeu4Y5gc08eQ92kWRiaqhvI7cuznhIrtMvDPJJtf5zKuImyvK_vx5FI3sjdK460EFKRLKQ88TM1-E_mtKmn91CimCR5ASs63/s320/DSCN0302.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><strong>Coffee Chiffon Cake with Nutella and Bananas</strong><br />
<em>Chiffon cake recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mixed-Berry-Chiffon-Cake-with-Almond-Cream-Cheese-Frosting-106656">Bon Appetit, June 2002</a></em><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>1 1/2 cups cake flour<br />
1 1/4 cups sugar<br />
1 tablespoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 cup strong coffee, lukewarm<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
5 large eggs, separated<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla extract.<br />
<br />
Nutella<br />
4 bananas, sliced about 1/4 inch thick<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Farenheit. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Sift flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the coffee into the dry ingredients until just combined. Beat in oil, egg yolks, and vanilla extract.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVvgKMcvgGPoRcPkSmNv0fBaaYOyVAMl-lmxxMUsd-8qsBzjbY_auRPAnA9NiskoiwArC4EOo4oF09yyYFwZMzvbXlK098vFJyQx9q9Qszuh5kCnuNZvXXDhUHZAd946eVOQ8WVAK1Qpo/s1600/DSCN0246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVvgKMcvgGPoRcPkSmNv0fBaaYOyVAMl-lmxxMUsd-8qsBzjbY_auRPAnA9NiskoiwArC4EOo4oF09yyYFwZMzvbXlK098vFJyQx9q9Qszuh5kCnuNZvXXDhUHZAd946eVOQ8WVAK1Qpo/s200/DSCN0246.JPG" width="200" /></a>Using clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in three additions.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Bake 30 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool pans on wire cooling racks for ten minutes. Cut around the cakes and turn out onto racks to cool completely.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Once the cakes are completely cooled, cut each cake in half with a serrated knife or cake cutter. Place one layer on your serving plate. Spread an even layer of Nutella onto the cake (make sure to go all the way to the edges) and top with bananas. Put another layer of cake on top of it and repeat until your cake is finished.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-8093427004048428352011-03-14T08:00:00.000-07:002011-03-16T10:20:11.404-07:00Rolled Sugar Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJetXejFBmapi0_vomdYod2Ot-aETw_xXg0jcTDEVn74M1mUcZHkOt0QvZBvc-2wVxJt_iQWG8fi__PowdBaO7EfSaL_t5ts7rMlm66m1mYY4eDPJUo1GZTmjGdtd9dBW8gzeEAvgqg8Om/s1600/DSCN0240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJetXejFBmapi0_vomdYod2Ot-aETw_xXg0jcTDEVn74M1mUcZHkOt0QvZBvc-2wVxJt_iQWG8fi__PowdBaO7EfSaL_t5ts7rMlm66m1mYY4eDPJUo1GZTmjGdtd9dBW8gzeEAvgqg8Om/s320/DSCN0240.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
While I love experimenting with new flavors, I also think that classics are classics for a reason. The gooey comfort of a chocolate chip cookie, the crisp buttery goodness of shortbreads, the creamy vanilla flavor of sugar cookies...yup, there are many reasons that we return to the classics again and again.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2CcN0-4b5x-niLMvoz2MpIY5jDZEqQGoP-_4fMX6gAdx-krOn5CH-8ZZ2y4TLns8FhcmB81vu1IoNLdrXcb5uySE9ZWSLRGTDd_kkcoxvf03e9r0eKGcH9DcLR4Y3fAQST3Y8B8a45ng/s1600/DSCN0167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2CcN0-4b5x-niLMvoz2MpIY5jDZEqQGoP-_4fMX6gAdx-krOn5CH-8ZZ2y4TLns8FhcmB81vu1IoNLdrXcb5uySE9ZWSLRGTDd_kkcoxvf03e9r0eKGcH9DcLR4Y3fAQST3Y8B8a45ng/s320/DSCN0167.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It's really quick to make the dough, and as it needs to be chilled ahead of time, it's really easy to do different parts during several pockets of precious free time. For example, I spent 15 minutes making the dough one day, another 15 rolling and cutting it the next day, and another 10 minutes just popping it into the oven and baking it later that evening. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWCejSnCCY1XehO72YG00abjecwSGRxRsKrzLNqbbZnsCCHjTCD_KCpH5lCC1VIGncS53wW8SHFgfN3uiug13Tn9xuBP2SL7riaRk4r3O8tSLNYo8rw5OlxBfqZQg4ZDteVxjmM_C3b9I/s1600/DSCN0178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiWCejSnCCY1XehO72YG00abjecwSGRxRsKrzLNqbbZnsCCHjTCD_KCpH5lCC1VIGncS53wW8SHFgfN3uiug13Tn9xuBP2SL7riaRk4r3O8tSLNYo8rw5OlxBfqZQg4ZDteVxjmM_C3b9I/s320/DSCN0178.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is probably my favorite sugar cookie recipe - it uses all butter (I hate shortening) and is really easy to roll out. I think it has the perfect crisp-outside-chewy-inside texture - I'm not a fan of the cakey grocery store sugar cookies. I like it better after it's been sitting around for a couple of days, as it gets softer as time goes by. I actually transcribed the recipe while watching Martha Stewart (which is weird, because I <em>never</em> watch it). It's actually pretty entertaining, as her guest was just enamored by Martha and Martha wasn't really interested in her guest's stories of how much she loves her work. I thought it was kind of funny. I love Martha's recipes, but I can't be the only one who finds her a bit abrasive, right? <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBIbBDCKhBlod4_AC3vwvkItHD0FEhth2RjwGoAWKWuBvagTaREmvJLYWaE2Ekbm_s56DsUh-ab18L7FUdmwB-F9v5ZAC_tZa2q9b5pb_W_Tjp960wjsH1Zz0QN8LY1QlqRCYpIYQwX_R/s1600/DSCN0224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBIbBDCKhBlod4_AC3vwvkItHD0FEhth2RjwGoAWKWuBvagTaREmvJLYWaE2Ekbm_s56DsUh-ab18L7FUdmwB-F9v5ZAC_tZa2q9b5pb_W_Tjp960wjsH1Zz0QN8LY1QlqRCYpIYQwX_R/s320/DSCN0224.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Rolled Sugar Cookies</strong><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/article/cooking-school-perfect-sugar-cookies-and-royal-icing">Martha Stewart</a><br />
<br />
2 cups flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 cup unsalted butter<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />
2 tablespoons milk<br />
<br />
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and milk. Add the flour mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. <br />
<br />
Divide the dough into two disks, cover in plastic wrap, and chill for at least an hour or up to three days.<br />
<br />
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.<br />
<br />
Flour your rolling area and rolling pin. Roll the dough until 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters, occasionally dipping them in flour to avoid sticking. Try to cut out as much as possible at one time, as the dough gets tougher each time you re-roll it.<br />
<br />
Bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Transfer to wire racks to cool.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-76626095372937837442011-03-07T21:43:00.000-08:002011-03-07T21:43:36.501-08:00Cascaron (Bitsu-Bitsu)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpUXmBPCSMYPFRz7B9F9rKKgotEna9QZgzMCOfLxeVRmXbdR4-dTfSEkIpR1cZuXJLNC2GgGWflA8zE3jjULncHVRAnrowQ4kscXcWSVH_vyHOurJiakLIAUrVJF3b3H30EAZbV4qT5gK/s1600/DSCN0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidpUXmBPCSMYPFRz7B9F9rKKgotEna9QZgzMCOfLxeVRmXbdR4-dTfSEkIpR1cZuXJLNC2GgGWflA8zE3jjULncHVRAnrowQ4kscXcWSVH_vyHOurJiakLIAUrVJF3b3H30EAZbV4qT5gK/s320/DSCN0140.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Cascaron is a Filipino dessert that my mom often made for get-togethers when I was growing up. It's fairly simple to make, though I had a hard time figuring out how to make it for myself as my mom never uses a recipe, and most of her instructions to me were pretty vague. For example:<br />
<br />
Me: How much coconut milk am I supposed to add?<br />
Mom: Oh, you know, you want to put enough, but you don't want to put too much.<br />
<br />
Me: How long am I supposed to cook it?<br />
Mom: Oh, I don't know - just be sure to take it out before it explodes.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mCjM61nVksNoYqvO85I4OqMNZomvXZeyIXAgwU1QtasvIWX00XE_saPvMOdwjD-3hmnLNMkHmyQLwZlbL0jnIcmzu7CmmT3auT7aMhpcwfFT1cjD5W69v5nCQWjR_LT2e9_zQ51jabyB/s1600/DSCN0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4mCjM61nVksNoYqvO85I4OqMNZomvXZeyIXAgwU1QtasvIWX00XE_saPvMOdwjD-3hmnLNMkHmyQLwZlbL0jnIcmzu7CmmT3auT7aMhpcwfFT1cjD5W69v5nCQWjR_LT2e9_zQ51jabyB/s320/DSCN0144.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I eventually figured out that the dough should be similar to cookie dough and that if you cook the dough in medium-high heat until the outsides are golden brown, the insides should be sufficiently cooked. Thankfully, cascaron is pretty forgiving, and you don't need the exact measurements required in most baking.<br />
<br />
So by now, you're probably wondering, "What the heck is cascaron?" The best way I can explain them is to say that they are like fried coconut mochi balls. And now you're probably wondering what mochi is. Mochi is a Japanese cake, traditionally made by pounding rice into a paste and molding it, but can now be made with mochiko flour, which can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores. Most people have had it in the context of mochi ice cream, and if you live in Southern California, you've probably seen it as a topping option in most frozen yogurt shops. It's hard to describe the texture, but I'd say it's denser than a marshmallow, but lighter than gummies, but even then, that doesn't fully capture the essence of mochi. I guess you'll just have to try it for yourself! :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMd_CwczUNfNqY5389kKVq3lhoM6A6gFDEksW045CH9EoXBpHXLMZakw6419a_-EYNsMKZ_d8lzA65WKAs3IwPrbJlG8_b2MX3QFHLveEM1h1vGCeRCfoHha4SgtL2a4icHuxe-D8xLn1T/s1600/DSCN0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMd_CwczUNfNqY5389kKVq3lhoM6A6gFDEksW045CH9EoXBpHXLMZakw6419a_-EYNsMKZ_d8lzA65WKAs3IwPrbJlG8_b2MX3QFHLveEM1h1vGCeRCfoHha4SgtL2a4icHuxe-D8xLn1T/s320/DSCN0136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Cascaron</strong><br />
<br />
Vegetable oil<br />
1 box mochiko flour (it will look like <span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mochiko-Sweet-Flour-1-Pound-Packages/dp/B000LLXBKY?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">this</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theco03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000LLXBKY" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important;" width="1" /></span>)<br />
1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk (I like <span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chaokah-Chaokoh-Coconut-Milk-13-5-Ounce/dp/B00473PVVO?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Chaokoh brand </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theco03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B00473PVVO" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important;" width="1" /></span>best)<br />
1/2 - 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut<br />
2/3 cup light brown sugar<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
<br />
In a wok or wide pot, pour vegetable oil until it's about 3-4 inches deep. Set the stove to medium-high heat.<br />
<br />
Line a pan, tray, or large plate with paper towels<br />
<br />
Combine the mochiko and shredded coconut in a large bowl. Slowly add the coconut milk - you might not need the entire can - and mix until it's the consistency of cookie dough. If you use the full 1 cup of coconut, you might need to add more liquid - in that case, add some water to the empty coconut milk can, swirl it around a bit so it picks up some of the leftover traces of milk, and slowly add more water to the dough.<br />
<br />
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and fry it in the oil until golden brown. Don't overcrowd the cascaron - they expand as they cook. The balls might start to crack, which is okay, just make sure to take them out before they explode ;) When done, transfer to paper towels to cool.<br />
<br />
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook until it reaches the soft boil stage. You can test whether it's ready by placing a drop of syrup in cold water - if it retains its shape and is soft, then it's ready.<br />
<br />
Place the cascaron in a pan or tray lined with wax paper (I recommend a 9x13 pan). Drizzle the syrup evenly over the cascaron, and gently stir them around so that they're fully coated.<br />
<br />
Note: I tried to do this in a bowl, and it didn't work out to well - the syrup hardened before I could finish mixing them.<br />
<br />
Let cool before eating.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-77326852123814204472010-11-16T12:37:00.000-08:002010-11-16T12:37:56.720-08:00Brown Butter Apple Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ771azgszTQAyjCEKoz-ztg4jovc-EB2hIkM7gCagQ3rwlZ16YUqZHoLdLwh6oC1lQ5wdpTW5ZnM6dKMMWAOTlqdQGt53LKUqr9JGsvPKG6OA8dESgpCxXjezSHEK7YM8jqS5c5IYMrrM/s1600/SAM_1861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ771azgszTQAyjCEKoz-ztg4jovc-EB2hIkM7gCagQ3rwlZ16YUqZHoLdLwh6oC1lQ5wdpTW5ZnM6dKMMWAOTlqdQGt53LKUqr9JGsvPKG6OA8dESgpCxXjezSHEK7YM8jqS5c5IYMrrM/s320/SAM_1861.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Every year, come autumn, my obsession with apples hits me like a ton of bricks. Last fall, my friends knew that if they came over, they would be greeted with apples in some form of baked good - apple chai cake, apple pie cookies, apple pear crisps, apple oat muffins...my experimentations were endless. More often than not, though, I fell back on apple chai cake and made it for every potluck, party, and holiday celebration I went to. While I will always love apple chai cake and I have very fond memories of our time together, I felt suffocated in our monogomous relationship and decided that I wanted to play the field a little bit. Don't worry - apple chai cake let me know that it will always be around if I need something reliable I can depend on.<br />
<br />
But enough about apple chai cake. <em>This</em> cake involves a cake batter made with brown butter and infused with maple syrup, layered in a loaf pan with chunks of cinnamon-coated apples. It has the most amazingly tender crumb, and a deep, toasty flavor, thanks to the brown butter (and for all my talk about my apple obsession, probably 25% of my posts involve brown butter. How's that for an obsession?). <br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD32nbFmY4uTKQhZZq2hFeXAZxm3QcS9CAY9zyGQ05w6Z8IJhQuAwA4MDm8A47lwE0IzYYPar7IMBEFO18nAHH_D3Oq2nfkJdxrFMdTVSbMyfDaEUseOXe4z7CSifPajJ8P1AWMRfjLfrc/s1600/SAM_1848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD32nbFmY4uTKQhZZq2hFeXAZxm3QcS9CAY9zyGQ05w6Z8IJhQuAwA4MDm8A47lwE0IzYYPar7IMBEFO18nAHH_D3Oq2nfkJdxrFMdTVSbMyfDaEUseOXe4z7CSifPajJ8P1AWMRfjLfrc/s320/SAM_1848.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I made the cake in a loaf pan because I wanted something small that David and I could keep all to ourselves. However, if you want to share, I suspect that the recipe could be doubled and baked in a 9x13 pan. The recipe does not make a lot of batter - in fact, when you slide your pan in the oven, you'll probably think that it will bake into the flattest cake in the history of ever. But have no fear - even though the batter is sticky and dense, it rises beautifully up around the apples and results in the aforementioned tender crumb. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKoWNRsGDDKalqNuVOT0bnVVDWS71RTCKspBSc56zSBqnbM4m6uN6fH8REbGpnCEEQt2tJT4iSwkey-1r3V9ZGT1S3OcFsbOAVK0M4u2nhIfi8mmQmK3aOOi0F_ctUrcS1vYRGU47BmFNL/s1600/SAM_1886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKoWNRsGDDKalqNuVOT0bnVVDWS71RTCKspBSc56zSBqnbM4m6uN6fH8REbGpnCEEQt2tJT4iSwkey-1r3V9ZGT1S3OcFsbOAVK0M4u2nhIfi8mmQmK3aOOi0F_ctUrcS1vYRGU47BmFNL/s320/SAM_1886.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Brown Butter Apple Cake</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3 apples</div>2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar<br />
<br />
1 1/4 cups flour, sifted (sift <em>before</em> measuring!)<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter<br />
3/4 cup sugar<br />
1/8 cup maple syrup<br />
1/8 cup milk<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
2 eggs<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan.<br />
<br />
Brown the butter in a small saucepan - click <a href="http://cobblerclobber.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-to-brown-butter.html">here for a tutorial</a>. Set aside to cool.<br />
<br />
Peel, core, and chop apples into 1-inch chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.<br />
<br />
Whisk together the brown butter, sugar, maple syrup, milk, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir in eggs one at a time.<br />
<br />
Pour half of the batter into the loaf pan. Scatter half of the apples over the batter. Pour the rest of the batter over the apples, and top with the rest of the apples - drizzle the juices from the apples over the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-24622611755256589122010-11-02T10:06:00.000-07:002010-11-02T10:06:51.705-07:00Chocolate Crinkle Cookies<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh8hVKZVpvprKTbaeMmKPyQXzJ5FNHrjx267k8-byWU48NFoOmX1zEvmbaPtN_xxFNLNja3d4Nhyphenhyphenf7vmtoIb0yy4FWcBVyWOKtW8FPpTfxpXw4s3HT4bNVCaMp7Dw15P_e_L8sBBkHKe2/s1600/SAM_1807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh8hVKZVpvprKTbaeMmKPyQXzJ5FNHrjx267k8-byWU48NFoOmX1zEvmbaPtN_xxFNLNja3d4Nhyphenhyphenf7vmtoIb0yy4FWcBVyWOKtW8FPpTfxpXw4s3HT4bNVCaMp7Dw15P_e_L8sBBkHKe2/s320/SAM_1807.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">These are pretty much brownies in the form of a cookie. I love making these because the dough is extremely simple to make and one recipe makes a huge batch of cookies. While these cookies are fantastic as-is, I think next time I'll try stirring in some mini chocolate chips for extra chocolate-y gooey goodness.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't remember where I got this recipe from - I found it in a pile of index cards tucked away in an envelope in a cabinet above our sink. I tend to write down recipes on scrap pieces of paper and leave them lying around the house for David to find and and eventually put away, until I want to make the recipe again and tear the house apart looking for it. I think I need a better recipe filing system. Chocolate Crinkle Cookies seems like one of those universal cookies that everyone makes, like sugar cookies or shortbread cookies, where there's a basic recipe that everyone uses, so I might not need to give anyone credit for this, but just in case: if this recipe looks identical to one in a cookbook, website, or blog, let me know so I can give the creator credit.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWB26meqMD6OkIw2r5scjWGOB8rMNqQU_Iq2LzfhNjkv8N3buYSnqLd97npJmR9vsG0i-w5K2dRS6eYj9pRPb4Kfa_OVQ-uimdj7irY-glY1qIMNhm0AIGzv-BxgG8dY3IgQAZ0RbD8BF/s1600/SAM_1800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWB26meqMD6OkIw2r5scjWGOB8rMNqQU_Iq2LzfhNjkv8N3buYSnqLd97npJmR9vsG0i-w5K2dRS6eYj9pRPb4Kfa_OVQ-uimdj7irY-glY1qIMNhm0AIGzv-BxgG8dY3IgQAZ0RbD8BF/s320/SAM_1800.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Chocolate Crinkle Cookies</strong></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder</div>2 cups white sugar<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
4 eggs<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar<br />
<br />
In a medium bowl, whisk the cocoa powder, white sugar, and vegetable oil together. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours.<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Scoop the dough with a tablespoon, and roll into balls with your palms. It helps to lightly oil your palms with vegetable oil, so that the dough doesn't stick to your hands so much. Word to the wise - do not spray your hands with Pam, because you'll definitely be able to taste it in the finished product. Roll each ball of dough in powdered sugar before placing them onto the prepared cookie sheets. <br />
<br />
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-64772283502302090292010-10-22T10:39:00.000-07:002010-10-22T10:49:45.316-07:00Double Apple Bundt Cake<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8xmAkAPgVUsKxcTgFj4u2cllmb5owwWo0HWuj9CPWTyXSurIayRvGKRXaT_8k3ZQ2aNK_91ER9hIEiHLSe6U4Gm978cp9BtjA-qW5PhDKyPPFMKmMynFSlFnpb2LbqKg8mus5Gz4kELv/s1600/SAM_1841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8xmAkAPgVUsKxcTgFj4u2cllmb5owwWo0HWuj9CPWTyXSurIayRvGKRXaT_8k3ZQ2aNK_91ER9hIEiHLSe6U4Gm978cp9BtjA-qW5PhDKyPPFMKmMynFSlFnpb2LbqKg8mus5Gz4kELv/s320/SAM_1841.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I love fall. Even though the leaves here don't change color, it still feels different - the dropping temperatures, the morning mist, the smell of wet pavement, the promise of pumpkin-spice lattes, the Christmas decorations that go up in stores the moment Halloween ends - every moment feels festive.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfcG0XxbSyf3i_JRQJnp6XRRIT9aX17E6IsoFmGSM5vLJQaDz84pWFJmXw82YJen71znug3OBsniLarFWu1_RwbZDdGHJicuUZNeNb-qZGHXAg94-dbkXAAHXvqs5k_f9dGwbo9lANDW7/s1600/SAM_1829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxfcG0XxbSyf3i_JRQJnp6XRRIT9aX17E6IsoFmGSM5vLJQaDz84pWFJmXw82YJen71znug3OBsniLarFWu1_RwbZDdGHJicuUZNeNb-qZGHXAg94-dbkXAAHXvqs5k_f9dGwbo9lANDW7/s320/SAM_1829.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I think part of it also has to do with the anticipation of holidays that involve being in community with each other, whether it's going door-to-door, as with trick-or-treating and Christmas caroling, or gathering around the dinner table for a ridiculously heavy meal. And this cake is perfect for any occasion or visit that may arise: it's quick and easy (in other words, perfect for my busy grad school schedule), feeds a small crowd, and with it's assortment of spices and the inclusion of apples in two incarnations, it <em>tastes</em> like autumn. As a bonus, it tastes better the day after it's baked (though it's very tasty the day of, too).</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YcaqX7gEHQ85GTT7xx_2FfjSBooxZTdVIcjruB-HeesbTXzuftfE3-QCmbUPW-8gGkF2pYrJUqrkH300aIbvNm0D_MjZmgK2RAY63KMrZyZ5gRKwZ0156-Mwmx40kKEd_ys2BaUN_bSr/s1600/SAM_1836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YcaqX7gEHQ85GTT7xx_2FfjSBooxZTdVIcjruB-HeesbTXzuftfE3-QCmbUPW-8gGkF2pYrJUqrkH300aIbvNm0D_MjZmgK2RAY63KMrZyZ5gRKwZ0156-Mwmx40kKEd_ys2BaUN_bSr/s320/SAM_1836.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This cake includes fresh, shredded apples and apple butter - the recipe says that either plain or spiced apple butter is fine. I used an apple butter that was spiced with cinnamon and cloves, and I loved the extra flavor it gave the cake. The shredded apples kind of melted into the cake, so you couldn't really tell they were in there, which disappointed me a little - I thought there would be small bits of apple in each bite. Still, though, I can't complain - after all, this cake makes it possible to get the cinnamon-apple goodness of homemade apple pie in a fraction of the time.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITW20UwOfQbWWttlq3osKCXg-AEjRvahFSe7Nv3U8ab1kQ9D870GzZHo-lw7QJf5tcHkhKegSOxKO_Ib07PNp77_d-PJ2W_uFgvFBM6_XT12aZA3DCuePpgOFCfiwWMbC9oVSnvMwGzKP/s1600/SAM_1838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITW20UwOfQbWWttlq3osKCXg-AEjRvahFSe7Nv3U8ab1kQ9D870GzZHo-lw7QJf5tcHkhKegSOxKO_Ib07PNp77_d-PJ2W_uFgvFBM6_XT12aZA3DCuePpgOFCfiwWMbC9oVSnvMwGzKP/s320/SAM_1838.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Double Apple Bundt Cake</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/0618443363?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Dorie Greenspan</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theco03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0618443363" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important;" width="1" /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 cups flour</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 teaspoons baking powder</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/2 teapoon baking soda</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/4 teaspoon freshly grated (or ground) nutmeg</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/4 teaspoon ground ginger</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1/4 teaspoon salt</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 1/2 cups sugar</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 large eggs</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1 cup store-bought apple butter (I used Tropical brand)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2 medium apples, peeled, cored and grated</div>1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Butter and flour a 9- to 10-inch Bundt pan (unless it's silicone - then there's no need).<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed with a hand mixer, scraping the bowl as needed, for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth, thick and pale. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the apple butter. Add the grated apple and mix to completely blend. Don't worry if the batter looks curdled - that's normal. Add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the pecans.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top of the batter with the spatula. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding and cooling the cake to room temperature.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Dust with powdered sugar before serving.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Store at room temperature. Wrap well with plastic. </div>Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-27586081875854558582010-10-17T12:52:00.000-07:002011-03-10T13:06:22.259-08:00Wedding Cake Part 3: Putting it TogetherWhen preparing to make this cake, I got advice from lots of how-to articles, blog posts, comments on blog posts, and a friend of a friend. I kind of picked and chose the bits of instruction that was most convenient from each one.<br />
<br />
Note: Blogger is being kind of wonky at the moment, so there are certain pictures that I wanted to show you that didn't get on here. I'll hopefully come back and add them later.<br />
<br />
<strong>Assembling the Cake</strong><br />
<br />
1. White Chocolate Shavings<br />
I used a pound of Callebaut white chocolate to make shavings to cover the cake. At first, the shavings were very skinny and looked like toothpicks. It took me a while to figure out how to make the big rose-petal-like shavings - as it turned out, the chocolate was too cold. I warmed the edges of the chocolate with my hands before shaving off a thin sliver of chocolate with a kitchen knife - I was worried that warming them using a method other than body heat would result in too-soft or melted chocolate. I ended up liking the combination of large and small shavings on the cake.<br />
<br />
<br />
2. Cake boards<br />
<br />
The top cake tier sat on a round cake board that was slightly smaller than its bottom. The bottom tier sat on a cake board that was slightly larger. In hindsight, it would have been a good idea to check with the bride and groom to see if they would be providing a cake stand, but as it was, I sat the bottom cake board directly on the table and covered the parts that jutted out with icing and white chocolate shavings.<br />
<br />
3. Wooden and plastic dowels<br />
<br />
I inserted four wooden dowels into the bottom tier before setting the top tier on it - this prevents the cake from collapsing into itself. I first inserted a dowel into the bottom tier, marked it about 1/8 inch from the top of the cake, and removed it from the cake. I then cut all four dowels at the mark. I used wooden dowels, and they were very, very difficult to cut. I unfortunately couldn't find plastic dowels, but I heard that plastic straws could also work in a pinch.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lMyiM8gua2k6FjX9iT7ZTSUb3Yjo2zgGPOdiQiI089HEzZm5875p3wuvHSxehQlDXi2GPh8ZR_d9CzqSGtin86nok2UwRNBiyC9MFACpi6tTST_Aul75ZQc6WsG4xZWC_N-yPYz0xuuB/s1600/SAM_1668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lMyiM8gua2k6FjX9iT7ZTSUb3Yjo2zgGPOdiQiI089HEzZm5875p3wuvHSxehQlDXi2GPh8ZR_d9CzqSGtin86nok2UwRNBiyC9MFACpi6tTST_Aul75ZQc6WsG4xZWC_N-yPYz0xuuB/s320/SAM_1668.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Cake Assembly Kit</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I assembled the cake at the reception site - luckily, both tiers fit side-by-side inside my cake carrier. I knew that the frosting would definitely get messed up during transportation, so I brought a kit with me so I could make all necessary repairs. I brought piping tips, piping/ziploc bags, paper towels, an offset spatula, a butter knife (which is what I usually use to repair small sections of cake), scissors, extra icing, and a really big spatula, which I used to lift the top tier from the cake carrier to the top of the cake. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After stacking the two tiers, I frosted over the damaged parts and piped little pearls in between the tiers (to cover the small gap) and at the bottom of the cake (to cover the board). Then I covered the whole thing in white chocolate shavings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmCKyb4djtADvHo6-KbuzOwB5H4Ud6onRMUmkHohH2aXVpWxFrEY4UCbq36Qv76SugOm2ve_TF5hsiTE5xjSITr45koiFGLMSUbk7ISBAnBWZPkQTR-nBff9cJ6Q4vsSNdDPYtW50eSVo/s1600/SAM_1676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmCKyb4djtADvHo6-KbuzOwB5H4Ud6onRMUmkHohH2aXVpWxFrEY4UCbq36Qv76SugOm2ve_TF5hsiTE5xjSITr45koiFGLMSUbk7ISBAnBWZPkQTR-nBff9cJ6Q4vsSNdDPYtW50eSVo/s320/SAM_1676.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aiQ_oQw2_2TxxjVsgu51EKQ81To0lC99zlYprTyTP8IMuKyFrRiv-Pwsqc9WuUO98b87hJDyKRMmEImnTZgSB5aIRzl_THg-BAkRbZZwpmceCXcjbTpmdknm-45xx0d-4m8M4TEvvvzY/s1600/SAM_1678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aiQ_oQw2_2TxxjVsgu51EKQ81To0lC99zlYprTyTP8IMuKyFrRiv-Pwsqc9WuUO98b87hJDyKRMmEImnTZgSB5aIRzl_THg-BAkRbZZwpmceCXcjbTpmdknm-45xx0d-4m8M4TEvvvzY/s320/SAM_1678.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGrNCnCEgZe9mui3p2IMJDR7XpeLOyh4xJg6aBzn_XuejvT3Z0u6Yp91ezgYeGkZ9kkAOAVxAuEOasJOVKkF76EdUxOmuZqm2Biw02G3pG45ZAhNEoMKwK_Qdrod9oDzl9LaSUjGwKEB_/s1600/SAM_1681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGrNCnCEgZe9mui3p2IMJDR7XpeLOyh4xJg6aBzn_XuejvT3Z0u6Yp91ezgYeGkZ9kkAOAVxAuEOasJOVKkF76EdUxOmuZqm2Biw02G3pG45ZAhNEoMKwK_Qdrod9oDzl9LaSUjGwKEB_/s320/SAM_1681.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5Xdvb1wI9JmDOhhnUGZN64arbyiTynAySTD_9EN1PR8NfRZ41aVfT_VAxnWV9_qXgzauTT3yGbwJeN5AN9birCwiCJfsEsRVkfEgDGc_YeUaqRUMT3a-YE8_J5GgaO7SHIeFKy9EOBVw/s1600/SAM_1726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5Xdvb1wI9JmDOhhnUGZN64arbyiTynAySTD_9EN1PR8NfRZ41aVfT_VAxnWV9_qXgzauTT3yGbwJeN5AN9birCwiCJfsEsRVkfEgDGc_YeUaqRUMT3a-YE8_J5GgaO7SHIeFKy9EOBVw/s320/SAM_1726.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-85209408692897050082010-09-18T17:22:00.000-07:002010-09-18T17:22:53.786-07:00Wedding Cake: Part Two - The Frosting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEOA4uXr0jJCea1AbYrYdfEDWCMpeZRooXa5PIx1LaGEWapvMht-7XAcjr0kmjP9x8Nz5HpWjZmdj7O6E-BLc2obGwLfbyTcvL2301Q6bTHjafGASouG3jgjxugxqIok2B6pwnfi2bnIt/s1600/SAM_1658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEOA4uXr0jJCea1AbYrYdfEDWCMpeZRooXa5PIx1LaGEWapvMht-7XAcjr0kmjP9x8Nz5HpWjZmdj7O6E-BLc2obGwLfbyTcvL2301Q6bTHjafGASouG3jgjxugxqIok2B6pwnfi2bnIt/s320/SAM_1658.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Holy cow, is this post way overdue. But! I have an excuse: school and work has been kicking my butt. Fortunately, I am now on a part-time work schedule, so juggling everything should be more manageable from now on. <br />
<br />
But enough about me. On to the frosting! <br />
<br />
As I mentioned before, I made a white chocolate cream cheese frosting, as the groom is a big fan of white chocolate. When making the frosting, it is very important that all of the ingredients are at room temperature. If the cream cheese and butter are too cold, the white chocolate will harden into chunks. If the white chocolate is too warm, it will melt the cream cheese and butter.<br />
<br />
Instead of making a separate batch of frosting for the strawberry filling, I simply mixed some strawberry puree into some reserved white chocolate frosting. It ended up being very tasty.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJJVroKko8F0e2GytDvw7JZS5JMuPL8qEjA-WwTJAOIRtok-LHCwR_ZutZdOAdq30w0cC9XpNM4xoj02AuL98cO3PvjZeOr2GGCjKEM_I-RmzrM1k3bd_wDWUaPXMCPesErnlwSIOLxF6/s1600/SAM_1636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJJVroKko8F0e2GytDvw7JZS5JMuPL8qEjA-WwTJAOIRtok-LHCwR_ZutZdOAdq30w0cC9XpNM4xoj02AuL98cO3PvjZeOr2GGCjKEM_I-RmzrM1k3bd_wDWUaPXMCPesErnlwSIOLxF6/s320/SAM_1636.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3d3sHSSg4Sfjxs4DFt6fr4VPNiBUe0bh_T8ZIfeZBnmTmz4TjbnPQakftGqeD8zm57dDBC8ivpKaoIAusMzcnhXAxrBgo6u5L_jKBBq4cYUDHoXCbeVsF-IX9Mc4PfVqGme8C3kkxTuP5/s1600/SAM_1639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3d3sHSSg4Sfjxs4DFt6fr4VPNiBUe0bh_T8ZIfeZBnmTmz4TjbnPQakftGqeD8zm57dDBC8ivpKaoIAusMzcnhXAxrBgo6u5L_jKBBq4cYUDHoXCbeVsF-IX9Mc4PfVqGme8C3kkxTuP5/s320/SAM_1639.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I chose to use white chocolate chips in the frosting, figuring that the same oils (which are used instead of cocoa butter) that help the chips retain their shape when baked would give the frosting added stability. I'm not sure if success of the frosting could be attributed to the chocolate chips, as I haven't tried making the frosting with real white chocolate, but as written, this frosting holds up amazingly well. I wouldn't recommend chilling the frosting in the fridge, as it will become way too hard to spread and could possibly curdle if you try to beat it afterwards.<br />
<br />
I love this frosting because it's very creamy and not too sweet. The cream cheese flavor is very mellow and allows the vanilla notes of the white chocolate to shine. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJQK8sf5_Bpiqtwdtj3yEp2Iw2Q-rlc3FLEkWkDK_8sME1dS9SIQR6DqCv3HXXyv5SdzSFKB0wL4wZrZe6Us_SvRdkrg3ZuVG36JVYAQL0qE-PTZHMp64czTWqN2I-vl00t7I-obXNXdg/s1600/SAM_1645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJQK8sf5_Bpiqtwdtj3yEp2Iw2Q-rlc3FLEkWkDK_8sME1dS9SIQR6DqCv3HXXyv5SdzSFKB0wL4wZrZe6Us_SvRdkrg3ZuVG36JVYAQL0qE-PTZHMp64czTWqN2I-vl00t7I-obXNXdg/s320/SAM_1645.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOjtC91q5w5-yJoV3LehdSLMgu0fAKxldhLLVmWE8T04yi5xxqnCdxaIkld1yi9UiZJ5RYSme9-hatslPYdi6_swK56Dl3wk_Z3Ht7O1yMToYNE8UL2WLzMfsMOzii5Dc-I1m3V2aBMdO/s1600/SAM_1654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOjtC91q5w5-yJoV3LehdSLMgu0fAKxldhLLVmWE8T04yi5xxqnCdxaIkld1yi9UiZJ5RYSme9-hatslPYdi6_swK56Dl3wk_Z3Ht7O1yMToYNE8UL2WLzMfsMOzii5Dc-I1m3V2aBMdO/s320/SAM_1654.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<strong>White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting</strong><br />
<br />
28 ounces (3 1/2 blocks) cream cheese, softened<br />
26 tablespoons (3 sticks + 2 tablespoons) butter, softened<br />
24 ounces white chocolate chips<br />
4 cups powdered sugar<br />
<br />
Melt the white chocolate chips, using either a double-boiler or a microwave. If using the microwave method, stir the chocolate well after each 15-second interval. Let cool to room temperature.<br />
<br />
Beat the cream cheese and butter until well-combined and fluffy. Add the white chocolate and beat until thoroughly combined. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Set aside two cups of the frosting for the strawberry filling.<br />
<br />
<strong>Strawberry White Chocolate Frosting</strong><br />
<br />
2 cups white chocolate cream cheese frosting<br />
1/4 cup strawberry puree<br />
<br />
Mix the puree into the frosting until thoroughly combined.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-90018503421162068742010-09-06T18:52:00.000-07:002010-09-06T19:15:19.687-07:00Wedding Cake: Part One - The Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVqpC_6kvby_NhyvKXSS6jt6eiSN0fk9gO0-uMU-NCssF3naTjg-18JLdRXLmCHhPHXRpPn9jJpzk7-1m2SmItnPZAGbqsnVFw6IwDX7u7jK_bZRRfJkhWs6tabLt0ODmUC2hPdKhgG5H/s1600/SAM_1726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTVqpC_6kvby_NhyvKXSS6jt6eiSN0fk9gO0-uMU-NCssF3naTjg-18JLdRXLmCHhPHXRpPn9jJpzk7-1m2SmItnPZAGbqsnVFw6IwDX7u7jK_bZRRfJkhWs6tabLt0ODmUC2hPdKhgG5H/s320/SAM_1726.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Well, friends, I did it. I made a wedding cake. Granted, it was small, but it was a wedding cake nonetheless. And let me tell you, I did a LOT of research, even making a practice tier the week before.<br />
<br />
The bride and groom sent me a picture of a six-inch cake perched on top of an 8-inch cake, swathed in white buttercream that had been swirled and swooped. They told me that they wanted the cake to be in those dimensions, but covered in white chocolate shavings. The bride told me that she likes chocolate and raspberry and that the groom likes white chocolate and strawberry. I decided to make a chocolate cake with white chocolate cream cheese frosting. In between the cake layers, I spread a thin layer raspberry preserves and a thick layer of strawberry white chocolate buttercream. Then, I coated the whole thing in almost a pound of Callebaut white chocolate shavings.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrxoEbVqNHJxWdNgy7P8852uQbdUvhexCgjlf4nYsB38abHwtQbYL3KWQzZo-5h2pOGi0_ufn9oBAvXgKvp3ewcTrfsAhW4hIcQtVgCieeyKxBc9NZQAvhiq5qgjsX1YoyMMwv1Lny56C/s1600/SAM_1616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrxoEbVqNHJxWdNgy7P8852uQbdUvhexCgjlf4nYsB38abHwtQbYL3KWQzZo-5h2pOGi0_ufn9oBAvXgKvp3ewcTrfsAhW4hIcQtVgCieeyKxBc9NZQAvhiq5qgjsX1YoyMMwv1Lny56C/s320/SAM_1616.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eR12VpbWAPpC_Ous2u8_m1GyCrjiEuHNNNmYPRSXfvNXEOH1J6QGPtgHcn1PZU3F9os7WxvByClGDgoc0s1V-VSkDzNzZ7X_RgFiZ1xG-NRyv7grfQjSIgUlS3O-0PxcJbmq-0kKeLBO/s1600/SAM_1617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eR12VpbWAPpC_Ous2u8_m1GyCrjiEuHNNNmYPRSXfvNXEOH1J6QGPtgHcn1PZU3F9os7WxvByClGDgoc0s1V-VSkDzNzZ7X_RgFiZ1xG-NRyv7grfQjSIgUlS3O-0PxcJbmq-0kKeLBO/s320/SAM_1617.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It turned out <em>great</em>. I was surprised at how smoothly everything went, though I think that most of it could be attributed to the cake recipe I chose. During my two weeks of research, I read Smitten Kitchen's blog posts about her experience making a wedding cake, and she <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/project-wedding-cake-the-cake-is-baked/">highly recommended</a> a Chocolate Butter Cake recipe from the Sky High cookbook. When I did my trial run, I tightly wrapped the cakes and left them in the fridge for two days. Then I covered it in frosting and served it to my husband and friend, and we were delighted to find that the cake hadn't dried out a bit. Then, the cake sat on the table for 5 days, at the end of which the cake was still insanely moist, dense, and fudgy. Furthermore, the batter is insanely quick and easy to make. Also! In the middle of my cake-making marathon, I ran out of wax paper with which to line the bottom of the pan, so I made sure to grease the pan well and prayed that the bottom wouldn't stick. Unfortunately, a couple chunks of cake stayed stuck to the bottom of the pan when I turned the cake over. However, I took the pieces of cake, stuck them back in their respective gaps, tightly wrapped the cakes and prayed that the chunks would miraculously glue itself back in the cake, and you know what? It did!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXhn7PVDKRiGd2K_9VLSGsSWPnVYOKR2fZ-gjdacBtWbLbSTnPGXDWz2-EX4aG9gwzNMSH7zZwtfvkrrG_8rJ_fDV777DQ64vQD7EWCrhMbOnWClGnRk7l1G5o7D7ChyphenhyphenFTWGb31vtYjqv/s1600/SAM_1621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXhn7PVDKRiGd2K_9VLSGsSWPnVYOKR2fZ-gjdacBtWbLbSTnPGXDWz2-EX4aG9gwzNMSH7zZwtfvkrrG_8rJ_fDV777DQ64vQD7EWCrhMbOnWClGnRk7l1G5o7D7ChyphenhyphenFTWGb31vtYjqv/s320/SAM_1621.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlxioWJZOJ9SSzdQM52WP2R5GfAUgozS5xJ9j8PYk5AGXzZvqP6WJ6bCwq85wlXqQgdM7ZnSwTREhsMgcl7jbPNIIwETky1TaHTR0Z7V-LCeIYRjRL34SF8728e5yS2cQ3HWVtmOF7FhB/s1600/SAM_1640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlxioWJZOJ9SSzdQM52WP2R5GfAUgozS5xJ9j8PYk5AGXzZvqP6WJ6bCwq85wlXqQgdM7ZnSwTREhsMgcl7jbPNIIwETky1TaHTR0Z7V-LCeIYRjRL34SF8728e5yS2cQ3HWVtmOF7FhB/s320/SAM_1640.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Because I'm still pretty tired from a weekend of cake-making (and because I have quite a bit of homework to catch up on), I'm dividing my experience into three parts, the first of which is the cake recipe.<br />
<br />
<strong>Chocolate Butter Cake</strong><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sky-High-Irresistible-Triple-Layer-Cakes/dp/0811854485?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes</a><br />
Makes a 3-layer 8-inch round cake and a 3-layer 6-inch round cake<br />
<br />
4 cups cake flour<br />
4 cups sugar<br />
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
4 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
4 sticks (one pound) salted butter, room temperature<br />
2 cups buttermilk<br />
4 eggs<br />
2 cups freshly-brewed coffee<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Grease cake pans, line bottom with wax paper, and butter it. Lightly coat with cocoa powder.<br />
<br />
In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and cinnamon. Blend on low for 30 seconds. Add butter and buttermilk. Blend on low until moistened. Raise speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Make sure to mix way at the bottom of the bowl, to ensure that no bits of dry ingredients sneak away unmixed.<br />
<br />
Whisk coffee and eggs together. Add the coffee mixture to the batter in three additions, scraping down sides of bowls and beating only until blended after each addition.<br />
<br />
Divide batter among pans: each 6-inch layer gets 2 cups and each 8-inch layer gets 3 1/2 cups. Bake the 6-inch layers for 25-30 minutes and the 8-inch layers for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Carefully turn them out on wire racks and let them cook completely. Remove paper liners when cool.<br />
<br />
If assembling cakes later, tightly wrap the cake layers in 2 (or 3) layers of cling wrap and store in the refrigerator.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-91569427111501762602010-08-23T22:45:00.000-07:002010-08-23T22:48:05.650-07:00Strawberry Mini Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6mkd0St8HakeOX71B5j_s3C7lIajniEHTE8MIihlFt-nDlO2KKtszdtpD-7GTFje5zraQ8C3ZsTBGp9KYiMh8OU9xvl4pPBG5IDwjlapyraPgvUQxDBZ-5UFRXTSJMjYPAQzJWDD6bfE/s1600/SAM_1599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6mkd0St8HakeOX71B5j_s3C7lIajniEHTE8MIihlFt-nDlO2KKtszdtpD-7GTFje5zraQ8C3ZsTBGp9KYiMh8OU9xvl4pPBG5IDwjlapyraPgvUQxDBZ-5UFRXTSJMjYPAQzJWDD6bfE/s320/SAM_1599.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I honestly don't know where my head has been lately.<br />
<br />
There's been a lot of changes going on lately. First of all, I'm going back to school! I'll be getting my Masters in Education with an emphasis in school counseling, and I'm very excited. Secondly, I quit my job! I'm in the midst of my last week of work, and while it will feel weird to not be working (actually, I will soon be working for free as an intern at schools), I'm looking forward to this transition. Lastly, I am on my way to becoming a domestic goddess. This whole loss-of-income thing has been freaking me out, and I've been budgeting, creating spreadsheets, uncluttering, rearranging furniture, menu-planning, scanning weekly sale ads, and clipping coupons like crazy. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirklHA8R_CnfPIPw0bZiDR_sAscV9DIdhe90UcAdjNKyxVPoybX_EaaoJdhdL8fNyjY2ZOVZAtq61SG43C2vtav4SZgyO7SKAfS43IUnxHWR7sj_2GT24FEhRggTznpGwYs7lRT1giJHqY/s1600/SAM_1583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirklHA8R_CnfPIPw0bZiDR_sAscV9DIdhe90UcAdjNKyxVPoybX_EaaoJdhdL8fNyjY2ZOVZAtq61SG43C2vtav4SZgyO7SKAfS43IUnxHWR7sj_2GT24FEhRggTznpGwYs7lRT1giJHqY/s320/SAM_1583.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Unfortunately, this newfound household organization has caused some disorganization in other areas of my life, namely in my ability to keep track of recipes, especially since I scribble recipes and measurements on Post-it notes as they enter my head. I spent half an hour tonight searching high and low for my recipe for these Strawberry Mini Cupcakes, to no avail, then figured, heck, I created this recipe, so I should be able to remember it, right? Thank goodness my previously organized self had typed the recipe into a rough draft, because I don't think I would have gotten it right. I probably should have checked my list of drafts before I tore the apartment apart. By the way, if this post seems a little, oh, I don't know...<em>rushed? </em>It's probably because I've gotten back into "school-mode" and I've been creating imaginary deadlines for myself, because if I don't blog about these cupcakes tonight, it probably won't get done for another three weeks, due to the fact that I'm making a wedding cake. By the way, did I mention that I'm making a wedding cake for the weekend after my first week of school? If in the coming weeks it seems that I've dropped off the face of the earth, that is why. That will also be why this post will probably make no sense, because really, proofreading? What is that? And who has time for it?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLakADKKUioUJ8DM9wxcIGf6yPqxZZ36ZbtN9MpavkfCZG92HONSmhX8iMm9VVt6zoLu-cOhyxqejSBKR_FMhBAeChpSYJirsRNFjqkAkM4cLJ3871MhF6OSJkpnf8s6xpFi1U2pulYvKN/s1600/SAM_1587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLakADKKUioUJ8DM9wxcIGf6yPqxZZ36ZbtN9MpavkfCZG92HONSmhX8iMm9VVt6zoLu-cOhyxqejSBKR_FMhBAeChpSYJirsRNFjqkAkM4cLJ3871MhF6OSJkpnf8s6xpFi1U2pulYvKN/s320/SAM_1587.JPG" /></a></div><br />
But in all seriousness, these mini cupcakes are awesome. Sometimes, strawberry-flavored treats can taste artificial, but these were made with ripe summer berries, and the proof is definitely in the pudding...err, cupcake. They're not too sweet, so you can go crazy with the strawberry buttercream. I had eaten 1/4 of the cupcakes before I got to the frosting stage, and I didn't quite have enough to pile the frosting high on all of them, the way shown in the pictures - I had to smear a thin layer on the last few. The recipe as written would probably be enough to smear a healthy layer of frosting on all cupcakes, but if you want to pile the frosting high, you'll have to double it. Which, you know what? Do it. After all, what's a cupcake without frosting?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BO20CTy1NxZc-Hcs3ND6-bfWCzZbKnPZfNKZkUwIKDaxNlBjwNNZoFPYW7xcJNYjr6GLo09J00TWr2FlljpM-afRd7H5Sonbfwbf30HOu9Rpa4aKu2GWfIholoq_xgEYQjJ8QEGMjLVP/s1600/SAM_1601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1BO20CTy1NxZc-Hcs3ND6-bfWCzZbKnPZfNKZkUwIKDaxNlBjwNNZoFPYW7xcJNYjr6GLo09J00TWr2FlljpM-afRd7H5Sonbfwbf30HOu9Rpa4aKu2GWfIholoq_xgEYQjJ8QEGMjLVP/s320/SAM_1601.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Strawberry Mini Cupcakes</strong><br />
Makes 18-20 cupcakes<br />
<br />
3/4 cup flour<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
3/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened<br />
1/3 cup pureed strawberries<br />
1 egg<br />
1/8 cup milk<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Line a mini muffin pan.<br />
<br />
Cream the butter and sugar together until combined. Stir in the pureed strawberries until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda, and add half of the mixture into the strawberry batter. Stir until combined. Add the egg and milk into the batter; stir until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and stir until combined.<br />
<br />
Divide the batter into the mini cupcake liners, filling each one about 3/4 full. Bake for 15 minutes.<br />
<br />
<strong>Strawberry Buttercream Frosting</strong><br />
<br />
1/4 (1/2 stick) cup butter, room temperature<br />
3 tablespoons strawberry puree<br />
3/4 - 1 cup powdered sugar<br />
<br />
Stir together the butter and strawberry puree until combined. Beating continuously, slowly add powdered sugar until the frosting reaches your desired consistency. Spread onto the top of your cupcakes.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-44239120700880862732010-08-19T22:01:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:11:12.388-07:00Hawaiian-Style Fried RiceNo, there's no pineapple or ham.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdTC0s3r5wIv3xInBrJdohxF4YG308oMWHlrpd3NsP8E5VjCGAvIC0D6pbFy5w_Yi8Rwiax-sDbWW4Dmrs9QpLADGRkGXbLX2aEcBYQdxo7rRyeI1wCJYRjSDJpmB8IbhBExupnsRJ7NE/s1600/SAM_1578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdTC0s3r5wIv3xInBrJdohxF4YG308oMWHlrpd3NsP8E5VjCGAvIC0D6pbFy5w_Yi8Rwiax-sDbWW4Dmrs9QpLADGRkGXbLX2aEcBYQdxo7rRyeI1wCJYRjSDJpmB8IbhBExupnsRJ7NE/s320/SAM_1578.JPG" /></a></div><br />
What's your favorite comfort food? Usually the words "comfort food" conjures up images of pot roast, mac and cheese, and apple pie. I've found that my favorite comfort foods are very different from that of my friends who grew up on the "mainland." I seek chicken katsu, breaded in panko and fried until golden brown. Banana lumpia, crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, and coated in sticky melted sugar. And best of all, my mom's fried rice, which she made many Sunday mornings for breakfast. Yes, breakfast.<br />
<br />
Fried rice is one of those dishes that everyone in Hawaii claims that their parents make best. I'm no exception. I was thinking about it a couple months ago, when I was making fried rice for dinner (my mom always finds it odd when I make it for dinner instead of breakfast) for my friend, Lauren Carmen San Diego, who interestingly enough, claims that I make the best fried rice. I omitted the veggies I usually add (because Lauren hates veggies), and it occurred to me that maybe everyone likes their parents' fried rice best because their parents only included the things they like. For example, my uncle always made his with onions and chives, which I abhorred, while my mom made hers with Spanish chorizo, which I love. All this to say that fried rice is so extremely customizable, and as long as you include things that you love and omit things that you hate, you're going to love it.<br />
<br />
I will say that there is one thing that will take your fried rice from good to great: <strong>BACON. </strong>This is what makes fried rice "Hawaiian-style," because nobody in Hawaii makes their fried rice without bacon (that I know of, at least). Sure, if you're a vegetarian or you don't eat pork, you don't have to add it, but oh my goodness, you are missing out on the salty, smoky flavor that it imparts on the rest of the ingredients. In fact, my mom always drained the bacon renderings, added the rest of the ingredients, then <em>drizzled a couple tablespoons back into the wok</em>. I always thought that the secret ingredient was the oyster sauce, but I ran out once and just used soy sauce with a pinch of garlic salt and ground ginger, and I didn't even notice the difference.<br />
<br />
Fried rice is a great way to use up the leftovers in your fridge. The last time I made it, I added the last bits of meat from a leftover rotisserie chicken, the last of my arugula, and about 1/3 of a cup of corn left from a dinner party with friends. My mom likes to go all-out - we once ate fried rice with leftover steak and shrimp. It was glorious. While adding leftover meat and vegetables is optional, using leftover rice is essential. Using rice that has gotten a little hard makes it easier to mix with the rest of the ingredients, and not to worry, it softens during the cooking process. Conversely, using just-cooked rice will result in mushy fried rice, and trust me - nobody likes mushy fried rice. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmo_6EEM5rOkjf5Vmk1AvkmQTLLPdH_U505q7L2CVpa3cqHRax6ROQTt4DCJmiN2FFUt1zY-OXh_3igqI72WkMJm6_GpEbp2paCB2ncz4lEPMLDBbyIymgdtR8SWSeLdA1bdQc3C9Y6wu/s1600/SAM_1574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmo_6EEM5rOkjf5Vmk1AvkmQTLLPdH_U505q7L2CVpa3cqHRax6ROQTt4DCJmiN2FFUt1zY-OXh_3igqI72WkMJm6_GpEbp2paCB2ncz4lEPMLDBbyIymgdtR8SWSeLdA1bdQc3C9Y6wu/s320/SAM_1574.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I like a 1:1 rice to meat/vegetable ratio, but if you like your fried rice with more, well, rice, feel free to make that adjustment. The recipe below isn't necessarily my favorite version - it's just the version I have pictures of. Again, adjustments and substitutions are encouraged. (For the record, my favorite version involves bacon, Spanish chorizo, julienned carrots and celery, and a fried egg on top. Yes, it's very healthy.) I never use a recipe, so these are approximations.<br />
<br />
<strong>Hawaiian-Style Fried Rice</strong><br />
Serves 4, or, spread out over a couple of days, one very hungry Alli<br />
<br />
3 cups leftover cooked rice, cold<br />
1 package bacon, coursely chopped<br />
2/3 cup shredded leftover rotisserie chicken<br />
2/3 cup julienned carrots<br />
4 ounces arugula<br />
1/3 cup corn<br />
3 tablespoons oyster sauce<br />
5 tablespoons soy sauce<br />
<br />
Heat a wok to medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until very crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to another bowl and scoop out as much of the bacon renderings as you can (though leave a couple teaspoons in the wok to cook the rest of the stuff in).<br />
<br />
Add the carrots to the wok and cook for three minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken, corn, and arugula. Cook until the chicken is heated through and the arugula is barely wilted. Add the bacon back in. Add the rice - the cold rice will have stuck together, so crumble it with your hands over the meat and vegetables. Stir well - make sure that the meat and vegetables are evenly distributed throughout the rice. Drizzle a couple tablespoons of the bacon fat back over the rice and stir well, until evenly distributed.<br />
<br />
In a small bowl, mix together the oyster sauce and soy sauce. Spoon the mixture over the fried rice a little at a time, stirring well and tasting in between, to make sure you don't add too much of the soy sauce mixture. When it's flavored to your liking, the fried rice is done.<br />
<br />
For maximum presentation points and tastiness, tightly pack the fried rice into a small bowl and unmold onto a plate. Drape a sunny-side-up egg on top. Yum!Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-48328146085442173032010-08-16T08:28:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:10:59.895-07:00Brown Butter Plum Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkT0lhJEnM4N1fUWoOX1QWE5e9hnhArvSsJkXM3JKXZmO-J148e1PHWy6nz6wI9z2lzFzXriG5v-wJ1RK0GtqVSq00FeBy5CcxRKFcXJvL-nx2haWjQAKiHbTtMOSHMgPajEZFX1vWaso/s1600/SAM_1556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkT0lhJEnM4N1fUWoOX1QWE5e9hnhArvSsJkXM3JKXZmO-J148e1PHWy6nz6wI9z2lzFzXriG5v-wJ1RK0GtqVSq00FeBy5CcxRKFcXJvL-nx2haWjQAKiHbTtMOSHMgPajEZFX1vWaso/s320/SAM_1556.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The past few Thursdays, the moment I arrive at the farmers market, I gravitate towards the same stand to buy a basket of their insanely good plums. I've never finished a basket, but this week, I had decided to make Dorie Greenspan's Dimply Plum Cake. It had been on my list of things to make for about a year, and I had only been waiting for plums to be in season.<br />
<br />
However, when I saw that Elissa of <a href="http://17andbaking.com/">17 and Baking</a> had chosen brown butter as the <a href="http://17andbaking.com/2010/08/01/announcing-sugar-high-fridays-browned-butter/">theme of this month's Sugar High Friday</a>, I knew that I wanted to 1) participate, and 2) make a dessert somehow involving both plums and brown butter.<br />
<br />
My idea came to me pretty quicky: a Plum Upside-Down Brown Butter Pecan Cake. For obvious reasons, I've shortened the name. <br />
<br />
I don't mean to brag, but this was a delicious cake. The cake was tender and moist. and the ground pecans really highlighted the nutty notes of the brown butter without overpowering it. The plums added a touch of tartness to an otherwise sweet cake, and the bright red slices looked very pretty embedded into the top of the cake (especially if you wait for it to cool completely before unmolding it, unlike me, who lost all the plums in the center of the cake and futilely tried to make it look nice again). I think the cake would be amazing with apple or pear slices in the fall, but I also think that it would be the perfect simple everyday cake without the fruit, topped only with a dusting of powdered sugar.<br />
<br />
I stored the cake in the fridge overnight, and was pleased to find that the cake was still moist the next morning, if a tad bit denser. However, as it warmed to room temperature, the cake regained its tender crumb.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqGujHAhuqBvwiWuXvST0kpGJB7lfxcQipQH6vwSF4B7eMQ399gzMJVj9mPqMszhyphenhyphenHhHjo_XSNnPxMZPuyOS0-QVftGGUZuO41Ol3auu558L4HfWc83EyCYFZuZVJh7C3rxk1vDF609_W/s1600/SAM_1565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqGujHAhuqBvwiWuXvST0kpGJB7lfxcQipQH6vwSF4B7eMQ399gzMJVj9mPqMszhyphenhyphenHhHjo_XSNnPxMZPuyOS0-QVftGGUZuO41Ol3auu558L4HfWc83EyCYFZuZVJh7C3rxk1vDF609_W/s320/SAM_1565.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Brown Butter Plum Cake </strong>(or Plum Upside-Down Brown Butter Pecan Cake)<br />
<br />
10 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1/2 cup ground pecans (about a heaping 1/2 cup of pecan halves)<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons brown sugar, divided<br />
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
8 small or 4 medium plums, cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick.<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.<br />
<br />
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and cook until it becomes amber in color (click here for a tutorial on how to brown butter). Pour most of it into a bowl or glass measuring cup and set aside to cool - leave a couple tablespoons of browned butter in the pot. Add the plum slices and 3 tablespoons brown sugar, and toss until completely coated. Arrange the plum slices in the bottom of the cake pan in concentric circles.<br />
<br />
In a food processor, grind the pecans, adding a tablespoon or so of flour so that it doesn't become a nut butter. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ground pecans, baking powder, granulated sugar, and a 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Whisk to combine.<br />
<br />
In a measuring cup, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and cooled brown butter until combined. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour the cake batter into the pan, gently spreading it evenly over the plums.<br />
<br />
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes, then invert the cake onto a plate. If some of the plum slices stick to the cake pan, just arrange them onto the cake again.<br />
<br />
Keep refrigerated up to 3 days.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-54580120560899795832010-08-13T11:27:00.000-07:002010-08-13T12:34:10.633-07:00Salted Caramel Brownies<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-s5JvgTgMB5tik5VW8qXxkhjbyIn4apI9kKpzx-93T9CXABXCnJUnw9RVai0v_2g5kOVgh3eUmVvUjNpoBUVK1RHSBYjtnEa8LQNPcQ0YBJuRAq6xUGqq1CVjxeqyFferZHf2qCCnlBZ/s1600/SAM_1489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-s5JvgTgMB5tik5VW8qXxkhjbyIn4apI9kKpzx-93T9CXABXCnJUnw9RVai0v_2g5kOVgh3eUmVvUjNpoBUVK1RHSBYjtnEa8LQNPcQ0YBJuRAq6xUGqq1CVjxeqyFferZHf2qCCnlBZ/s320/SAM_1489.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is probably the best mistake I've ever made.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These were supposed to be Salted Caramel <em>Swirl</em> Brownies. But, as it is apt to do, the caramel sauce liquified in the heat of the oven. To be honest, I had a feeling it wouldn't swirl (though I hoped it would magically defy science), and I luckily thought to use unsalted butter as a precaution. As you can see in the picture above, all the caramel rose to the top of the brownies, forming a pool of sticky goodness on the surface and infusing the brownie batter with its glorious burnt sugar flavor on the way. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These brownies came out perfectly. While they are a bit of a melty mess right out of the oven, once they cool, they are dense, fudgy, amazingly chocolate-y, and in the words of David, "fantastilicious". The edges were a bit crispier than they normally would be, due to the caramel bubbling up around the edges, but David and I enjoyed it. I kept the brownies in the fridge to keep the caramel firm, and I have to say, these brownies were amazing on the second day, straight out of the fridge. On the third day, David said, "These brownies get better every day. Like wine, or something." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRLac0YYPp2o4_T1AG6biqZ9Z313zpksWHuXrWEd9aMBEWg7pHwmKUcIoFfFQ6TcgizP1LQs9z96M1qUxO6hD0b1yau4g_v8qNK-VJVinfz4uIVcqwEE3o9B3UlvZRUUbAms1zhegdJdd/s1600/SAM_1514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlRLac0YYPp2o4_T1AG6biqZ9Z313zpksWHuXrWEd9aMBEWg7pHwmKUcIoFfFQ6TcgizP1LQs9z96M1qUxO6hD0b1yau4g_v8qNK-VJVinfz4uIVcqwEE3o9B3UlvZRUUbAms1zhegdJdd/s320/SAM_1514.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong>Salted Caramel Brownies</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;">Adapted from <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2006/06/dulce_de_leche.html">David Lebovitz</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">6 large eggs</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 cups sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 teaspoons vanilla extract</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 cups flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 cups <a href="http://cobblerclobber.blogspot.com/2010/08/salted-caramel-sauce.html">salted caramel sauce</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Line a 9x13 inch with a long sheet of aluminum foil that covers the bottom and reaches up the sides. Grease the bottom and sides of the foil with a bit of butter or non-stick spray.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly over very low heat until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar, vanilla, then the flour. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Drop one-third of the caramel, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter, then drag a knife through to swirl it slightly. Spread the remaining brownie batter over, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining caramel in dollops over the top of the brownie batter. Use a knife to swirl the caramel slightly.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.</div>Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-66901246307612293712010-08-11T10:20:00.000-07:002010-08-11T21:31:36.686-07:00Salted Caramel Sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MZMTBFAJ36yYZbpIcztggaUeClo__uuoSRMRqL4DRpkTRs2A172Cbj6HFoICVObGIeK4NWMwIuftY6-x1r49jpjDSYvSK1plwkuFXHlzBxdcfcxlSTEWQfC7j7pb9mxiHbQKHiCWyK77/s1600/SAM_1480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MZMTBFAJ36yYZbpIcztggaUeClo__uuoSRMRqL4DRpkTRs2A172Cbj6HFoICVObGIeK4NWMwIuftY6-x1r49jpjDSYvSK1plwkuFXHlzBxdcfcxlSTEWQfC7j7pb9mxiHbQKHiCWyK77/s320/SAM_1480.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I love salted caramel. Love it. I can't even wax poetic about it, because it reduces me to a blabbering idiot.<br />
<br />
I made a salted caramel sauce. I have plans for it. Yummy plans. But you'll have to wait til the next post to see what those plans are.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQ8mjtEAYOPrVIDzhdqWWp9rxZryWYeE2teakw7Q4_nVl1io8-iUz5E_XQQh79-G1tG3IFbaVKzQTG3wB4RAoTUZwFHEkXRIls0eQNKVCPwuzbaPyIIQ3OAFtyq41a_JV8OxHhlIZdKMw/s1600/SAM_1471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSQ8mjtEAYOPrVIDzhdqWWp9rxZryWYeE2teakw7Q4_nVl1io8-iUz5E_XQQh79-G1tG3IFbaVKzQTG3wB4RAoTUZwFHEkXRIls0eQNKVCPwuzbaPyIIQ3OAFtyq41a_JV8OxHhlIZdKMw/s320/SAM_1471.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I made a double recipe of the sauce. I wanted to have enough to pour over ice cream. Yum. But first I need to buy ice cream. I might just eat the sauce straight out of its container with a spoon.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-W7AHSKz8vxCIzh2XDtsO2FIXVGiceFeRFmcqQnedeGE6cjyz2L1xB62fq_w0cx0JmtjsJvZsLlHfyVAJ84BG54Oqln0yqzsF57KU1eGb0J5MW5FqbbVs1UA-HwQT83UyNqPmaFKSEcBR/s1600/SAM_1483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-W7AHSKz8vxCIzh2XDtsO2FIXVGiceFeRFmcqQnedeGE6cjyz2L1xB62fq_w0cx0JmtjsJvZsLlHfyVAJ84BG54Oqln0yqzsF57KU1eGb0J5MW5FqbbVs1UA-HwQT83UyNqPmaFKSEcBR/s320/SAM_1483.JPG" /></a></div><br />
But in all seriousness, I highly recommend measuring all the ingredients and having them ready to go before you start making the sauce, because caramel demands your utmost attention. I've forgotten to pre-measure my ingredients before, and it has resulted in burnt caramel, which besides the whole inedible caramel thing, also involves layers of burnt sugar on the bottom on your saucepan, so trust me on this: burnt caramel = no bueno.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhiNfuaTxaSqeoMfnw8ZpWFmtrOaCjQGhpz2BcX5qsh6Jz8ad_484Wim-CYxX2ere9Ry-nK8m8c_IaaaVEn5KJFdjLhc2FYU9_rcO7rP3ydCBYAX9uC8B6L7QEI8b1gZ_NzXbpqszy9K0/s1600/SAM_1463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhiNfuaTxaSqeoMfnw8ZpWFmtrOaCjQGhpz2BcX5qsh6Jz8ad_484Wim-CYxX2ere9Ry-nK8m8c_IaaaVEn5KJFdjLhc2FYU9_rcO7rP3ydCBYAX9uC8B6L7QEI8b1gZ_NzXbpqszy9K0/s320/SAM_1463.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The best utensil to use when making caramel is a wooden spoon. It doesn't conduct heat, which prevents crystallization, and sugar doesn't stick to it as much as it would to metal utensils. (I don't remember where I learned that. Probably from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Good-Eats-Early-Alton-Brown/dp/1584797959?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Alton Brown</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theco03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1584797959" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important;" width="1" />). Most caramel sauce recipes tell you to let the sugar boil without disturbing it. When I have done this, it has resulted in burnt caramel. However, when you stir continuously, the sugar takes forever to turn into caramel. I recommend frequently (but not continuously) scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, just to make sure the sugar doesn't get stuck to the bottom and burn. One more tip, courtesy of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baked-Frontiers-Baking-Matt-Lewis/dp/1584797215?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Baked cookbook</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theco03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1584797215" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important;" width="1" />: When you're done with the sauce, boil some water in the pot with your utensils inside - it will dissolve the sticky, stuck-on sugar. It will make clean-up way easier. You're welcome.<br />
<br />
<strong>Salted Caramel Sauce</strong><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/salted-caramel-sauce">Food and Wine</a><br />
(Makes 3 cups of caramel)<br />
<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
2 tablespoons light corn syrup<br />
1 1/2 cup heavy cream<br />
8 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />
3 teaspoons flaky sea salt (The recipe recommends a grey salt, such as Maldon, but my dad gave me some Hawaiian salt the last time I visited. Don't use table salt! It's way too strong!)<br />
<br />
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, and corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil. Using a wet pastry brush, wash down crysals on the side of the pan. Boil over high heat, frequently scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until it turns a deep amber color, about 6 minutes (it took me about 15, but I was very worried about burning it). Remove the saucepan from heat and carefully whisk in cream, butter, and salt. The caramel will probably seize when you stir in the cream, but just keep stirring (return the pot to low heat if necessary) and the clumps will eventually dissolve. Let caramel cool to room temperature.<br />
<br />
The caramel can be refrigerated for up to two weeks. Rewarm the sauce before serving.Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1355000001748535771.post-80348961274267661442010-08-09T22:06:00.000-07:002010-08-09T22:06:52.434-07:00Cherry Plum Pecan Crisp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzeed9_UBtNPw1rzdaDdd5ViUl0iO3G7ZA96Yuew0sW1j2QxDKQDwZQd3GJ2ePjAhYL4Cmtunyg1w1TsUjiWPlmf7BPU9-TurAwvM4vklLZ3t3a5Jhn92wKRWSCUT5NbU3rkhyphenhypheneX3WuW2/s1600/SAM_1419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzeed9_UBtNPw1rzdaDdd5ViUl0iO3G7ZA96Yuew0sW1j2QxDKQDwZQd3GJ2ePjAhYL4Cmtunyg1w1TsUjiWPlmf7BPU9-TurAwvM4vklLZ3t3a5Jhn92wKRWSCUT5NbU3rkhyphenhypheneX3WuW2/s320/SAM_1419.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It seems that I spent all winter making mental lists of all the treats I would make this summer, all involving some combination of cherries, berries, and plums. However, I usually end up eating them all before I get the chance to experiment with them. The fruit this season have been so sweet and perfect, that it seemed like a crime to do anything but eat them just the way they are.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeVZtg5B-YSQ9VWcv-wviBGMJIy6ULKSpBdfMfQyeYMfw6kbsgIP12GWjc9iimGIK6tkK65W-txGIGh2lmUL5nmufHWL7dFuBSGI0Xe8Dgpv0qnMDIyqHfmq9ADH6kDmcDuuNQmrxX0RA/s1600/SAM_1395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeVZtg5B-YSQ9VWcv-wviBGMJIy6ULKSpBdfMfQyeYMfw6kbsgIP12GWjc9iimGIK6tkK65W-txGIGh2lmUL5nmufHWL7dFuBSGI0Xe8Dgpv0qnMDIyqHfmq9ADH6kDmcDuuNQmrxX0RA/s320/SAM_1395.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF00XO5fwGfHizTkb_mdGDSMD-qkc1SNRwTQCMrHZmHM8ic-8jGLN_z_4FR_6T8kglyMK0Za9mf45fzg67_LLIv-kQPPUt1gjWq0bt5_RHYH5Evd453-W42hWhT94OMKmOnJmrKU-gZFIj/s1600/SAM_1405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF00XO5fwGfHizTkb_mdGDSMD-qkc1SNRwTQCMrHZmHM8ic-8jGLN_z_4FR_6T8kglyMK0Za9mf45fzg67_LLIv-kQPPUt1gjWq0bt5_RHYH5Evd453-W42hWhT94OMKmOnJmrKU-gZFIj/s320/SAM_1405.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I noticed yesterday that I had a carton of cherries on the brink of going bad. Wanting to use them, I decided to make a cherry crisp. I've heard of people using paper clips or chopsticks to pit cherries, but I couldn't figure it out. I ended up cutting each cherry in half around the pit and prying them out. It seemed to work fine, but if I ever come across a recipe that necessitates leaving the cherry whole, I might have to invest in one of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oxo-1071499-Grips-Cherry-Pitter/dp/B000NQ925K?ie=UTF8&tag=theco03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">these</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=theco03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000NQ925K" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px! important; padding-left: 0px! important; padding-right: 0px! important; padding-top: 0px! important;" width="1" />.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhariFeLVnLbkPdtHwUUeBxHlXoYa6xZiDKcMpM2qXbta9MlaGrhZuBaCwzms9SB3ObacgP2Pd0LdTI1bg747_tmBM5fAMMH-hT4QNlTUd4uE2-X9RUP5GWxQ0PmQFASYCoTtisV2qs8i/s1600/SAM_1436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhariFeLVnLbkPdtHwUUeBxHlXoYa6xZiDKcMpM2qXbta9MlaGrhZuBaCwzms9SB3ObacgP2Pd0LdTI1bg747_tmBM5fAMMH-hT4QNlTUd4uE2-X9RUP5GWxQ0PmQFASYCoTtisV2qs8i/s320/SAM_1436.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I didn't quite have enough cherries for even a little individual crisp, so I supplemented them with a couple of tiny plums that I had gotten at the farmers market last week. I made a topping using some pecans that my friend gave me this weekend, and the combination of the sweet cherries, the slightly tart plums, and the nutty, crunchy pecan topping made me wish that summer would last forever.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made a lot of topping because I wanted to have some crunch in each bite. If you like your crisps with a higher fruit to topping ratio, you can halve the topping quantities. I made the crisp in a 16-ounce ramekin, though I think that dividing them between two 8-ounce ramekins would make for a really cute presentation. You <em>could</em> share with a friend/roommate/significant other...but I chose to eat mine all by myself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHE0lgutVCIYfKzLRUleIS-SYPG3tp3QanZ9_Aninx976aL7FMKzeRd1E1BJPNhttXICwG-dSLOyxDwCbwstVrs2dEIUPBG50MZ2gAcBLFgS7QB9IRDW4lAS_k3vzicmcRdfVTdoFspVLM/s1600/SAM_1454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHE0lgutVCIYfKzLRUleIS-SYPG3tp3QanZ9_Aninx976aL7FMKzeRd1E1BJPNhttXICwG-dSLOyxDwCbwstVrs2dEIUPBG50MZ2gAcBLFgS7QB9IRDW4lAS_k3vzicmcRdfVTdoFspVLM/s320/SAM_1454.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Cherry Plum Pecan Crisp</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>Filling</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup cherries, pitted and halved</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 small (or one large) plum, pitted and sliced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 teaspoons cornstarch</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tablespoons brown sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a 16-ounce ramekin. Toss gently until the fruit is evenly coated.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>Topping</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/8 cup pecan halves</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tablespoons flour</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tablespoons brown sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into pieces</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Combine the pecans, flour, and brown sugar in a food processor. Pulse until the most of the pecans are ground, with a few larger pieces. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand and the pieces of butter are no larger than a pea.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sprinkle the topping over the filling. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges. Let cool slightly; serve warm.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Allihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01795996264790160649noreply@blogger.com1