tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-341396762024-03-17T02:14:36.135-07:00Cake or Death?Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.comBlogger287125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-4450578767132567592011-11-08T15:11:00.000-08:002011-11-08T15:15:36.309-08:00I've Moved! Come Visit SugarHero.com<a href="http://www.sugarhero.com"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qymLbfdf6JM/Trm3MDKwMgI/AAAAAAAAAKI/SMLi-BIsUgU/s1600/visit-sugarhero.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qymLbfdf6JM/Trm3MDKwMgI/AAAAAAAAAKI/SMLi-BIsUgU/s400/visit-sugarhero.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672766623286571522" /></a><br /></a><br />Hello old friends! It's been mighty quiet around here lately--that's because the party has moved! Please come visit my brand spankin' new dessert blog: <a href="http://www.sugarhero.com">SugarHero.com</a>!<br /><br />I'm so excited to get back to blogging about desserts, and I do hope you'll join me. If you currently subscribe to this blog via RSS, you can get the new <a href="http://sugarhero.com/feed">SugarHero RSS feed here</a>.<br /><br />Thank you miss you love you kisses!<br />LizElizabeth - SugarHero.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16087540738134818191noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-85656273365711540832011-07-14T21:07:00.000-07:002011-07-15T10:52:31.708-07:00TWD: When Is A Scone Not A Scone?Joining "Why Is A Raven Like A Writing Desk?" in the annals of head-scratching riddles, I present you with this week's installment:<br /><br />"When Is A Scone Not A Scone?"<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t2Oo50gxRCY/Th--i1dEBMI/AAAAAAAAAEc/erC9JxzuTTM/s1600/scones-4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t2Oo50gxRCY/Th--i1dEBMI/AAAAAAAAAEc/erC9JxzuTTM/s400/scones-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629427564910216386" /></a><br />How about...when you give the scone some friends? Like whipped cream, and macerated berries, and, yes, let's throw in some pretty flowered plates. Because a good scone can never have too many friends.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lDDsBVdo7QU/Th-9Vrbg_bI/AAAAAAAAAEU/bB2XGeL3RB0/s1600/scones-5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 342px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lDDsBVdo7QU/Th-9Vrbg_bI/AAAAAAAAAEU/bB2XGeL3RB0/s400/scones-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629426239369444786" /></a><br /><br />If you split your scones in half, and serve them with the aforementioned whipped cream and berries, well, your scone is now officially a shortcake. Ta-daaaa!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-adaME5epyg4/Th-9U01xsJI/AAAAAAAAAEE/nNhJxppf3aE/s1600/scones-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 272px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-adaME5epyg4/Th-9U01xsJI/AAAAAAAAAEE/nNhJxppf3aE/s400/scones-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629426224715640978" /></a><br /><br />My biggest "mistake" in the scone-to-shortcake transformation was cutting the scones too large--I knew I wanted big shortcakes, but once they were baked, they were close to 5" round, which I think we can all admit is pretty hefty. But other than that, these cream scones worked out perfectly as whipped cream and berry delivery devices.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KA-kaWDCf_I/Th-9VEQN0OI/AAAAAAAAAEM/gnVP8ZXfc50/s1600/scones-3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KA-kaWDCf_I/Th-9VEQN0OI/AAAAAAAAAEM/gnVP8ZXfc50/s400/scones-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5629426228853068002" /></a><br /><br />Since I've solved the scone riddle, I'll leave it to the rest of you to figure out the raven-writing desk one. G'luck!Elizabeth - SugarHero.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16087540738134818191noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-3345163145608842011-07-04T14:29:00.000-07:002011-07-04T15:04:11.229-07:00Last-Minute Berry TrifleHappy Fourth of July! I went for a run this morning in the mountains near my house and spent the time thinking about how blessed I feel to live in such a beautiful land. Even when the trail is full of annoying mountain bikers. Even when I kept slipping off the rocks and getting soaked in creek crossings. Even though it was 90 degrees at 8am. Even still...what a place.<br /><br />We're getting together with friends tonight and doing the fireworks thing--I hope you are too! I'm not doing dessert today, but yesterday I did whip up a quick Fourth-themed dessert. We were spontaneously invited to a friend's house for dinner, and when I asked what I could bring, they requested something sweet. Um...I have no problem with that. I had about an hour and a half to make it before we had to be over there for dinner, and in that time I made and baked the cake, cooled it, and assembled the trifle. If you use a cake mix the process will be even faster, but if you have the time (just 90 minutes!) the white chocolate-buttermilk cake recipe I used is ever so much better than a mix.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6TrToX2CO-Q/ThIyso5XrLI/AAAAAAAAABg/KBxJmuCbn4A/s1600/berry-trifle.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 358px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6TrToX2CO-Q/ThIyso5XrLI/AAAAAAAAABg/KBxJmuCbn4A/s400/berry-trifle.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625614627012848818" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(No glamour shots of this one--this was snapped as we ran out the door!</i>)</div><br />Trifles are one of my favorite desserts, because I LOVE moist cake. Love it. So having a dessert that basically involves soaking cake in whipped cream or curd or pastry cream or juicy berries is my idea of heaven. Plus they're infinitely customizable, and pretty low-maintenance to make. If you can throw things in a bowl, you can make trifle.<br /><br />This is probably too late for anyone to make this for the Fourth of July, but summer's just beginning, and berry trifles are the perfect vehicle to show off all that amazing summer produce. So Happy Birthday, America, and happy trifling, everyone else.<br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Best Berry Trifle</span><br /><br />1 recipe white cake, baked in a half-sheet pan (see below for my favorite recipe)<br />2 cups whipped cream<br />1/4 cup sugar<br />vanilla extract or vanilla pods<br />4 cups mixed berries of your choice<br />White chocolate bar, to garnish (optional)<br /><br />To assemble the trifle, make sure the cake is completely cool. Chill a mixing bowl and beaters in the fridge for 15 minutes. While you're waiting for the mixing bowl to chill, chop your berries and toss them with a tablespoon or two of sugar (or more if the berries are very tart.) Let them sit and get juicy.<br /><br />Whip the cream with 2 tbsp of sugar until it forms medium peaks. As you're whipping it, add vanilla extract or the seeds of a vanilla bean to flavor it. Cut the cake into cubes or strips, and place a layer of cake cubes on the bottom of a clear glass bowl. Top with a third of the whipped cream and half of the berries. Add more cake, top with half of the remaining cream and the second half of the berries. Now add a third layer of cake and cover it with the rest of the whipped cream.<br /><br />Top your trifle with whole berries arranged in a pattern. If you want to make chocolate curls, take a white chocolate bar and make sure it's slightly soft. Just sitting in a warm room should be enough, or if you need to, microwave it at 50% power in short 5-second bursts just until it softens a bit. Use a vegetable peeler along the sides of the bar to form curls out of the chocolate. Refrigerate the trifle until ready to serve. It can be made up to 24 hours in advance.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">White Chocolate-Buttermilk Cake</span><br />From Sherry Yard’s <span style="font-style:italic;">Desserts by the Yard</span><br /><br />2 cups cake flour<br />1 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/8 teaspoon slat<br />3 ounces white chocolate<br />1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened<br />1 3/4 cups sugar<br />4 large eggs, separated<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1 cup buttermilk<br /><br /><br />Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F. Spray a 12 x 17" half sheet pan with pan spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Spray the parchment.<br /><br />Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.<br /><br />Melt the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl at 50% power for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Be careful — white chocolate burns easily. Set aside.<br /><br />In a large bowl, beat the butter with 1 1/2 cups of the sugar on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl and beaters and beat for 3 minutes more, until the mixture is light and creamy. Whisk 2 tablespoons of the whipped butter into the melted white chocolate until blended. Scrape this mixture back into the butter and beat on low speed until well blended. Add the egg yolks in 2 additions, scraping the bowl and beaters after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.<br /><br />On low speed, alternating wet and dry ingredients, add the buttermilk and flour mixture in 4 additions, beginning with the buttermilk and ending with the flour. Scrape down the bowl.<br /><br />In a large, clean bowl, and with clean beaters, beat the egg whites on medium speed until they form soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, continuing to beat at medium speed. Beat until the egg whites form stiff, glossy peaks. Fold half the egg whites into the cake batter, then gently fold in the rest.<br /><br />Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating the pans from front to back half way through, until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.<br /><br /></span>Elizabeth - SugarHero.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16087540738134818191noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-10446227229532862302011-06-28T14:41:00.000-07:002011-06-28T15:28:14.205-07:00TWD: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies Go WhoopieBefore we get into any fights and things get awkward around here, let me preface this by saying: there is nothing wrong with a cake cookie per se. Sometimes you might be craving a fluffy, soft dessert, and instead of hassling with cupcake pans and liners, you go with a cakey cookie instead. I get it.<br /><br />But.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreYKm8vWL7FczzjLDD_Rb_CLIGmscr9zewgfZJz8BNeB7XkcW5VvEapYuGZYptaU7ORMEVFLizc-9eojAR9jlg5uduMafcHT5cSvyrgEhqGTqZKnbNXQ0467-A_ZFl6qIerfP7A/s1600/whoopie-pies-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreYKm8vWL7FczzjLDD_Rb_CLIGmscr9zewgfZJz8BNeB7XkcW5VvEapYuGZYptaU7ORMEVFLizc-9eojAR9jlg5uduMafcHT5cSvyrgEhqGTqZKnbNXQ0467-A_ZFl6qIerfP7A/s400/whoopie-pies-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623389353683487346" /></a><br /><br /><strike>Maybe</strike> Undoubtedly this is my own issue, but I can't really get excited about a plain, unadorned cake cookie. These sour cream chocolate cookies were good, and moist, and I loved the hint of cinnamon... but they needed something more. They seemed a little naked. (Embarrassing!) So I decided to add some frosting to the mix, and you know what that means...<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9tRBbM0lAdg/TgpK0QOGvEI/AAAAAAAAAA4/33HIAlXzBN4/s1600/whoopie-pies-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9tRBbM0lAdg/TgpK0QOGvEI/AAAAAAAAAA4/33HIAlXzBN4/s400/whoopie-pies-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623389346293267522" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">It's whoopie pie time, y'all</span>! These cookies made the PERFECT layers for whoopie pies. They held their shape but weren't too hard or dry, and they made such lovely rounded tops for the pies.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-utoEFCvEtlQ/TgpK0i4YfxI/AAAAAAAAABI/36kzRvJIdqU/s1600/whoopie-pies-3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-utoEFCvEtlQ/TgpK0i4YfxI/AAAAAAAAABI/36kzRvJIdqU/s400/whoopie-pies-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623389351302430482" /></a><br />I made a vanilla bean Italian meringue buttercream, with the seeds from two vanilla pods plus vanilla extract. It was vanilla-riffic. I toyed with the thought of adding mint or cinnamon, but decided to be true to classic Whoopie Pie-dom and keep things simple. Piping the filling with a giant rosette tip gave the sides those lovely swirls and made assembly super fast and tidy.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--StF7wnYCls/TgpK1J2XlmI/AAAAAAAAABY/cYuniMyRKxk/s1600/whoopie-pies-5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 356px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--StF7wnYCls/TgpK1J2XlmI/AAAAAAAAABY/cYuniMyRKxk/s400/whoopie-pies-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623389361762965090" /></a>Did you know whoopie pies are having a moment? It's true, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/dining/18whoop.html?pagewanted=1">even the New York Times says so</a> (two years ago.) The article may be dated, but I still think they're happenin'--how else to explain the fact that every time I walk into a bakery or grocery store, I just about trip over a whoopie pie display? For awhile I thought they were going to be "the new cupcake," and although the cupcake craze seems to be hanging on like grim death, whoopie pies are still weaseling their way into our hearts and stomachs slowly but surely. <div><br /></div><div>I don't mind, I like 'em--even if they are even more of a pain to package and eat neatly!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oj3StgKodwc/TgpK02i67eI/AAAAAAAAABQ/1WaO0_n-FVE/s1600/whoopie-pies-4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Oj3StgKodwc/TgpK02i67eI/AAAAAAAAABQ/1WaO0_n-FVE/s400/whoopie-pies-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623389356581121506" /></a>With the addition of frosting, I give these cookies two frosting-smeared thumbs up. For the recipe please visit <a href="http://spikebakes.tumblr.com/post/7000789472/chocolate-sour-cream-cake-cookies">Spike</a>, who had the brilliant idea of sandwiching these with ice cream. Yes please.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Elizabeth - SugarHero.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16087540738134818191noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-75124319213484685252011-06-21T23:52:00.000-07:002011-06-22T00:45:59.492-07:00TWD: Date Nut Loaf<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BJTgjLZ4TzI/TgGRhaL6R4I/AAAAAAAAAAQ/q7YaySA7LNU/s1600/date-bread-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BJTgjLZ4TzI/TgGRhaL6R4I/AAAAAAAAAAQ/q7YaySA7LNU/s400/date-bread-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620933813086078850" /></a>Why yes, don't mind if I do.<div><br /></div><div>Dates are one of those foods that I was convinced I hated, probably because of their visual association with prunes--oh, I'm sorry, <i>dried plums</i>. Yeah, good luck with that rebranding, prune industry. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyhow, I was certain that they were sticky and gooey and gross and I didn't like them. And when I first had dates, I didn't. They were probably a little past their prime, and they were sort of dry and sickly-sweet without a lot of flavor. Life's too short for bad dates, <i>ifyaknowwhatImean</i>.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TZeMrCYu4Xc/TgGRiiZ8Q-I/AAAAAAAAAAo/weXjV1lH4Jo/s1600/date-bread-4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TZeMrCYu4Xc/TgGRiiZ8Q-I/AAAAAAAAAAo/weXjV1lH4Jo/s400/date-bread-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620933832472282082" /></a>But then a marvelous thing happened. I moved to Los Angeles--yep, <a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2011/06/twd-chocolate-biscotti.html">still hung up on this city</a>--and started shopping at a supermarket with a large Armenian food section. And what that means, in addition to a mind-boggling selection of feta cheese and yogurt, is that I was exposed to first-class dates for the first time. These are soft, juicy, hunka hunka burnin' love dates, bursting with flavor and absolutely delicious.</div><div><br /></div><div>I finally understood that "nature's candy" wasn't just a lie made up by my mom to get me to stop mainlining sugar. Nature's candy exists, and it goes by the name of dates.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hTeC1NlioAk/TgGRjGDB8FI/AAAAAAAAAAw/d3TSKSAHTpA/s1600/date-bread-5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 372px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hTeC1NlioAk/TgGRjGDB8FI/AAAAAAAAAAw/d3TSKSAHTpA/s400/date-bread-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620933842039861330" /></a><br />For the most part, I don't do much with my dates. (Sooo many possible ways to go with that sentence. Let's stick to the culinary, shall we?) I tend to eat them plain, as a pre-running snack. If I'm feeling frisky I'll split them and fill them with nut butter for some added flavor and calories. But I haven't baked with them much, until now.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GL5wYj78F64/TgGRiR1Gt3I/AAAAAAAAAAg/rEM2TiRJrpc/s1600/date-bread-3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GL5wYj78F64/TgGRiR1Gt3I/AAAAAAAAAAg/rEM2TiRJrpc/s400/date-bread-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620933828022810482" /></a><br />This Date-Nut Loaf was really more like a poundcake than any sort of bread, quick or otherwise. It had a really tight, cakey crumb and a lovely flavor from the vanilla and almond extracts. When they baked, the date pieces almost melted and became little pockets of sweetness scattered throughout the cake, broken up by the crunch of toasted walnuts. </div><div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwTWP6sGgZ4/TgGRh47NFYI/AAAAAAAAAAY/xQuv_ENpFwI/s1600/date-bread-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 282px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZwTWP6sGgZ4/TgGRh47NFYI/AAAAAAAAAAY/xQuv_ENpFwI/s400/date-bread-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620933821337507202" /></a>My favorite way to eat this cake was to cut a thick slice and toast it, then spread it with sweet butter. I imagine this would also be amazing with some fresh ricotta on top, or a little bit of creme fraiche and honey. I can also see this making a killer trifle--the texture is just right for layering with whipped cream, mousse or curd. Full recipe plus pics can be found on <a href="http://popsiclesandsandyfeet.blogspot.com/">Mary's blog</a>.<br /><br /><br /></div>Elizabeth - SugarHero.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16087540738134818191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-50405984770785811592011-06-13T20:51:00.000-07:002011-06-14T00:21:10.983-07:00TWD: Chocolate BiscottiI grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and first moved down to southern California to go to college. I was adamant that northern California (or "NorCal," for the obnoxious) was the superior side of the state, and I would never devolve into a southern California beach bum who wore cutoffs everywhere, read <i>Us Weekly</i> like it was Tolstoy and--worst of all--said "<span style="font-style:italic;">the </span>101" and "<span style="font-style:italic;">the</span> 5" when talking about freeways.<br /><br />Well, against my best predictions, I've lived in southern California for more than 11 years now, with seven of those years spent in Los Angeles itself. I still miss the Bay Area (and have dreams of living there, as soon as I obtain and then kill off a rich great-uncle so I can afford the real estate) but LA now feels like home as well.<br /><br />I get annoyed when people make huge LA generalizations, like it's "so superficial" or "nobody in LA is actually from LA." The very fact that I defend it so stridently gives away my deep love for this crazy, complex, maddening, amazing city.<br /><br />Right about now, you're probably wondering what this has to do with biscotti. Patience, pet.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fVQAsWf_YHTsmCTjVMlBGjIUsVyU5UwdyMScUSSRCqg_c0cO0IBFNGhSu-bUG36ZhuJ1aNTPHJ2pTMxRg_l8jhNjALtzRj67vvlZWo7sgChERmTbJEF7ozLhB8Hiqcrbcmh1-A/s1600/chocolate-biscotti.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fVQAsWf_YHTsmCTjVMlBGjIUsVyU5UwdyMScUSSRCqg_c0cO0IBFNGhSu-bUG36ZhuJ1aNTPHJ2pTMxRg_l8jhNjALtzRj67vvlZWo7sgChERmTbJEF7ozLhB8Hiqcrbcmh1-A/s400/chocolate-biscotti.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617956080512658994" /></a><br /><br />I had a lot to learn when I first moved to LA, and these are things no movie or <span style="font-style:italic;">90210</span> episode will teach you. I learned to always tell distances in minutes, not miles. I learned that no job is worth a soul-crushing commute to the Westside, and that the appropriate attitude during a celebrity sighting is casual disdain. And I learned about LA's seasons.<br /><br />Oh ho ho, people from other parts of the country will sniff that "LA doesn't even <span style="font-style:italic;">have</span> seasons," but they are absolutely wrong. We have Santa Ana season, the time in September and October where the hot winds blow west and whole mountain ranges combust in flames that last for weeks. We have that one freaky week that always happens in January or February where it's suddenly 90 degrees and folks take to sunbathing on the roofs.<br /><br />And, best of all, we have May gray and June gloom, two delicious months when the marine layer hangs over the city like a shroud and doesn't burn off until the afternoon. I'm sure it's baffling and disappointing to tourists who come in the summertime expecting blazing sunshine and instead get overcast gray mornings, but I <span style="font-style:italic;">love</span> it. It's the last pocket of civility before it gets blazing hot for four straight months, and I lap it up like a saucer of milk.<br /><br />We are in the thick of June gloom right now, and every morning when I pad out to our living room and look out the balcony window, I see the San Gabriel mountains obscured by mist and palm trees barely peeking out of the fog. It makes me happy. It makes me want to sit by a fireplace and drink hot chocolate with pillowy whipped cream.<br /><br />And that is why, in the middle of June, when much of the rest of the country is already sweltering, I, a resident of sunny southern California, enjoyed my chocolate biscotti with a big mug of hot cocoa.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTbnPx03Sqj3Q6hRA4JxFV5KmkoTzPuSFc_ffE73dKd2ME69e7Ke6owTx-7K37-N7Wb9pgwoF9bPxZ5OVE1vROEaDGAYt182AyqlAbXduyTb_9RDbQIHzsqO3KkrO0zjYKI8WqQ/s1600/chocolate-biscotti-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 236px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTbnPx03Sqj3Q6hRA4JxFV5KmkoTzPuSFc_ffE73dKd2ME69e7Ke6owTx-7K37-N7Wb9pgwoF9bPxZ5OVE1vROEaDGAYt182AyqlAbXduyTb_9RDbQIHzsqO3KkrO0zjYKI8WqQ/s400/chocolate-biscotti-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617956077002228466" /></a><br /><br />These biscotti were richly chocolatey, with pockets of melted dark chocolate chunks and toasted almonds. They were perfect for dunking in hot chocolate and shoveling from mug to mouth just before they disintegrated from the heat and moisture.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MAUqjVqHQNUZygoLErRadh3W-RvijsUCMgepA0Y269Y31K93NI46tfFnAQJCe4ZyBrh8hviWTn2e3HfUBgq-uE6jj9emXw-ElgimTw93todX2qTKOwNuqdACQ8W47g-racPNKw/s1600/chocolate-biscotti-3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MAUqjVqHQNUZygoLErRadh3W-RvijsUCMgepA0Y269Y31K93NI46tfFnAQJCe4ZyBrh8hviWTn2e3HfUBgq-uE6jj9emXw-ElgimTw93todX2qTKOwNuqdACQ8W47g-racPNKw/s400/chocolate-biscotti-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617956078953983186" /></a><br /><br />But just as June gloom cannot be avoided, so too it cannot last forever. Soon--hopefully not this week, but quite possibly next--it will be sunny and warm when I first wake up, only to get sunnier and warmer with each passing day. Uch--that thought gives me the willies.<br /><br />But even though I can't keep the sun away, I can figure out other ways to keep cool.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwAfjdDDpXUKEApt3m9YddAc6kRwBKE2MNEXHLbd5bJEnqdKsEM8u0KvAqDkBzwCHPstmPoZGRHvpu9egI4IILNvdPFOH3LU0_H3JQF5KGw9e4nrYA2FIYHlkzY7b5QnVnTJGxw/s1600/chocolate-biscotti-4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 258px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwAfjdDDpXUKEApt3m9YddAc6kRwBKE2MNEXHLbd5bJEnqdKsEM8u0KvAqDkBzwCHPstmPoZGRHvpu9egI4IILNvdPFOH3LU0_H3JQF5KGw9e4nrYA2FIYHlkzY7b5QnVnTJGxw/s400/chocolate-biscotti-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617956071238440530" /></a><br /><br />If hot chocolate's not in the cards, these biscotti are also great crumbled over a bowl of ice cream. You're looking at rich, creamy, calorie-riffic Haagen Daaz caramel ice cream with a little biscotti sidekick. Add some fresh berries, and the heat suddenly seems bearable.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzVsxT6YAJqlz-EiZWfKSejMZK8eua1AqGwgt2YglMs9N-vSvUKmxXB4pYiGRtSAl_NnnVkWCHSxotRmBgxpAfNlZ32HiOlMUwHhDAaTVC3r1VC_SIX5dH0KvjS8XEVobXLnwOA/s1600/chocolate-biscotti-5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 366px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzVsxT6YAJqlz-EiZWfKSejMZK8eua1AqGwgt2YglMs9N-vSvUKmxXB4pYiGRtSAl_NnnVkWCHSxotRmBgxpAfNlZ32HiOlMUwHhDAaTVC3r1VC_SIX5dH0KvjS8XEVobXLnwOA/s400/chocolate-biscotti-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617956071763320770" /></a><br /><br />Here's one final thing no one told me about LA: the jacarandas. These stunning trees bloom twice a year and paper our city with a thick layer of purple petals. My street is having a purple party and it makes me happy every time I see it. Oh, Los Angeles.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tERfJu9IH_E1F4Q7C2hdZ09bY12-FmFL5EqEGs00bdAS9BtVIWrnNGJijD9iR98sCEc7Un5AruDymg2cSUByLn3_2mQtpQrwjNa7Hu_kEw6BnfqQrynTYxuhV_eFWIATQfDRtg/s1600/jacarandas-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2tERfJu9IH_E1F4Q7C2hdZ09bY12-FmFL5EqEGs00bdAS9BtVIWrnNGJijD9iR98sCEc7Un5AruDymg2cSUByLn3_2mQtpQrwjNa7Hu_kEw6BnfqQrynTYxuhV_eFWIATQfDRtg/s400/jacarandas-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617956267531296802" /></a><br /><br />Jacque has the chocolate biscotti recipe and some great step-by-step directions on her blog. <a href="http://daisylanecakes.blogspot.com/2011/06/twd-chocolate-biscotti.html">Check it out!</a>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-31554479655447517332011-06-02T21:27:00.000-07:002011-06-02T21:48:55.333-07:00TWD: Caramel Pot de CremeTWD stands for <i>Thursdays</i> with Dorie, right?<br /><br />I have been doing way too much blogging for money and not enough blogging for myself lately, which: a)first world problems, anyone? and b) shut up, me. But it is disappointing and frustrating to have to put my favorite hobby on hold. I can't even remember the last time I baked a recipe I chose myself, just for the pleasure of it. Hopefully that will change soon, but for now, I am shamefully behind in posting things I've made lately. <br /><br />So without further ado, here are some belated shots of this week's TWD recipe, Caramel Pot de Cremes, presented for your viewing pleasure without all that distracting chit-chat I usually throw in there.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDt7Kh_r5A9fbX_pQE6ziuSTvjJPxmPu7y8MJWaHV1A0Drz8XbLzjvQVnwyPITjEOAzrC7SIpsx7PAXWLVRvubcUQD3_AE9v3ZpjjAWk16l4teDrj8ZqTPNBIloZUBFjWbJGVxIg/s1600/caramelpotdecreme4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDt7Kh_r5A9fbX_pQE6ziuSTvjJPxmPu7y8MJWaHV1A0Drz8XbLzjvQVnwyPITjEOAzrC7SIpsx7PAXWLVRvubcUQD3_AE9v3ZpjjAWk16l4teDrj8ZqTPNBIloZUBFjWbJGVxIg/s400/caramelpotdecreme4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613846393017518194" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vHsbfsmnBfXJlXRE3clPjORGYNl78dIvJQC1cbXxWoLi9GzQP1rDoE4Rdvypv8fkIqk4uKX5zVMnSwIE4u_JTKQHy6TAoFDwBXaFL_EkZsWlXqaDXuZ8FBACdvN5ob3B9eifBw/s1600/caramelpotdecreme2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vHsbfsmnBfXJlXRE3clPjORGYNl78dIvJQC1cbXxWoLi9GzQP1rDoE4Rdvypv8fkIqk4uKX5zVMnSwIE4u_JTKQHy6TAoFDwBXaFL_EkZsWlXqaDXuZ8FBACdvN5ob3B9eifBw/s400/caramelpotdecreme2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613846090647309490" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyahDNy3GaKEa9nPgc98-hjCQHXLibs84hpZSO1oZujc1_UTfqozWg4oolBQjtReOu7DYKjoUC9LLuRscGwV-71VU1-9PrvGltEuZUyYg_ICMon8yLZv-3RkktIGH1rrv-4UgAQ/s1600/caramelpotdecreme3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyahDNy3GaKEa9nPgc98-hjCQHXLibs84hpZSO1oZujc1_UTfqozWg4oolBQjtReOu7DYKjoUC9LLuRscGwV-71VU1-9PrvGltEuZUyYg_ICMon8yLZv-3RkktIGH1rrv-4UgAQ/s400/caramelpotdecreme3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613846086326242018" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrvmkaqEQYDdu4sw_m3pGIYs2INfubTkvZ-4lhiDHWIrNgeexqsxX6VtBw9j9gunAc0g39So-9ZDYfN2ByaSC68wl4zl0nL8Rx90xjiazH8lr4Z1DTCSHJ5IYHqRgcZu2ZJGfHQ/s1600/caramelpotdecreme5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrvmkaqEQYDdu4sw_m3pGIYs2INfubTkvZ-4lhiDHWIrNgeexqsxX6VtBw9j9gunAc0g39So-9ZDYfN2ByaSC68wl4zl0nL8Rx90xjiazH8lr4Z1DTCSHJ5IYHqRgcZu2ZJGfHQ/s400/caramelpotdecreme5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613846080018827826" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfB96I397PYGJu5GgatwMwrpvP8SOTN-hdGtqXUasRE3izsBNeuyfTvMK3mNfHBIfPCHHJauvFM3L1s7CDHUJa49enguhAJs03IR1or1tsoQCzws4i4xKPnXNtWlfhZiEFwvYUQ/s1600/caramelpotdecreme6.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfB96I397PYGJu5GgatwMwrpvP8SOTN-hdGtqXUasRE3izsBNeuyfTvMK3mNfHBIfPCHHJauvFM3L1s7CDHUJa49enguhAJs03IR1or1tsoQCzws4i4xKPnXNtWlfhZiEFwvYUQ/s400/caramelpotdecreme6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613846082760648866" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXBarhCHR9fTVUSCN4vE2-8tXfASv-Oud6ADMYAOPGMbp3br7OCPMO7O2QY2oK0PPu24A738AYcNnntIxqP4RhwtbzPRYdrz0aJu8gHSQ9E7fiYMULVeXj9NgCaPVX7B4wu5f8A/s1600/caramelpotdecreme1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXBarhCHR9fTVUSCN4vE2-8tXfASv-Oud6ADMYAOPGMbp3br7OCPMO7O2QY2oK0PPu24A738AYcNnntIxqP4RhwtbzPRYdrz0aJu8gHSQ9E7fiYMULVeXj9NgCaPVX7B4wu5f8A/s400/caramelpotdecreme1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613846077984924210" /></a><br /><br />I know I've posted about these sugar corkscrews before, but in case you've missed it and are interested:<br /><a href="http://candy.about.com/od/hardcandyrecipes/r/sugar_corkscrews.htm">Sugar Corkscrews recipe</a><br /><a href="http://candy.about.com/od/phototutorials/ss/sugar_corkscrews_sbs.htm">Sugar Corkscrews photo tutorial</a><br /><a href="http://video.about.com/candy/Sugar-Corkscrews.htm">Sugar Corkscrews video tutorial</a><br /><br />Really, they're super-simple. I made a half-batch while I waited for the pots de creme to cool enough to shoot. It took 10 minutes and 1/2 cup of sugar, and made me feel all fancy-like. Let me know if you try them!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-32741174296171451412011-05-24T10:20:00.000-07:002011-05-24T15:46:52.473-07:00TWD: Oatmeal Nutmeg SconesGood evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to present a very special Poetry Edition of Tuesdays with Dorie.<br /><br />*polite applause*<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhZO5UlXef8TOm_xWq1eO-q1f3R6sqwSrePRshoRDP_6npDYqLiRKJ771dqIm7GrGxYxKS6mK6RUiOsIyVV6mlaM3R8nEzwuT6LJdSKlGPrjGln2zeqXkDnatdZOT5BaZUFhZQg/s1600/oatmeal-nutmeg-scones-3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhZO5UlXef8TOm_xWq1eO-q1f3R6sqwSrePRshoRDP_6npDYqLiRKJ771dqIm7GrGxYxKS6mK6RUiOsIyVV6mlaM3R8nEzwuT6LJdSKlGPrjGln2zeqXkDnatdZOT5BaZUFhZQg/s400/oatmeal-nutmeg-scones-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610345486839947922" /></a><br /><br />There once was a food called a scone<br />With oatmeal and nutmeg alone<br />In looks it was simple<br />Bumps, crags, and a-dimpled<br />But the taste could make a man moan!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jzDxmmFVw4alqdS2t6WTqDvgBFXfUf70oQ7C7RQC0M5-VaSWQnqawDWgD9It92AruFJIrJccJmjlmzAjV7KfbN0vtdBUVBnzC5jIMtDgM48Qhw0WZi9MP-S_FZEev65jn7s1rw/s1600/oatmeal-nutmeg-scones-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jzDxmmFVw4alqdS2t6WTqDvgBFXfUf70oQ7C7RQC0M5-VaSWQnqawDWgD9It92AruFJIrJccJmjlmzAjV7KfbN0vtdBUVBnzC5jIMtDgM48Qhw0WZi9MP-S_FZEev65jn7s1rw/s400/oatmeal-nutmeg-scones-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610345481969708530" /></a><br /><br />These scones were a treat eaten plain<br />We enjoyed them again and again<br />But we liked them the best<br />When with jam they were dressed<br />Not to gorge ourselves was a real strain.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Rp0VJGDaeTsPMn2duQj7slpKjKs3WJJQDP5tJVmP6Qxfu5FrzA-soTzDBapQTtWZeqkKg4nhdb8Ad5XcQTY2v8k8lscl2X82tYYbBVyDjk0DDcEDs1VFmjMQ0yovpzd50y9Y2A/s1600/oatmeal-nutmeg-scones-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 281px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Rp0VJGDaeTsPMn2duQj7slpKjKs3WJJQDP5tJVmP6Qxfu5FrzA-soTzDBapQTtWZeqkKg4nhdb8Ad5XcQTY2v8k8lscl2X82tYYbBVyDjk0DDcEDs1VFmjMQ0yovpzd50y9Y2A/s400/oatmeal-nutmeg-scones-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610345478363481090" /></a><br /><br />So we come to the end of the post<br />And I truly don't mean to boast<br />The scones were quite good<br />For a non-dessert food<br />Thanks to <a href="http://lifewithawhisk.blogspot.com/2011/05/riff.html">Patricia</a>, our host!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-38578831859275634812011-05-10T13:11:00.000-07:002011-05-11T01:12:53.628-07:00TWD: Brown Sugar Bundt CakeBack in my pre-blogging days, when I was a young idealistic lass, I thought that when I had a food blog, I would bake yummy foods and take pictures of them and write about how yummy they were. My eyes sparkled with naivete and hope.<div><br /></div><div>Ah, foolish youth.<br /><br />Instead, what I mainly write about is bundt cakes, and my lack of success with unmolding them. Seriously.<div><br /><a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2010/04/ballad-of-bad-bundt-pan.html">For reals.</a></div><div><a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2010/04/ballad-of-bad-bundt-pan.html"></a><br /><a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2010/03/tuesdays-with-dorie-coconut-tea-cake.html">I'm not kidding.</a></div><div><a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2010/03/tuesdays-with-dorie-coconut-tea-cake.html"></a><br /><a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2009/11/twd-all-in-one-holiday-bundt-cake.html">This happens all the time.</a></div><div><a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2009/11/twd-all-in-one-holiday-bundt-cake.html"></a><br /><a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2008/11/tuesdays-with-dorie-kugelhopf.html">It's kind of a problem.</a><br /><br />I got a new bundt pan and the past few attempts have gone swimmingly. I was confident--cocky, even!--that my days of bad bundts were behind me. Smoooooth sailing ahead. You see where this is going?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESB5t_46SlE_n9-R8dk79j6dMdzr_okorCGxPO328hPNjTQV84eJe39u6EakoPC-PP6yez67t1ST8ABvNqpXHibSG44RgrvaGqShx3Z1q_jqvOSR2yv1suW11eW-cjFruw7fFcg/s1600/brown-sugar-bundt-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 346px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESB5t_46SlE_n9-R8dk79j6dMdzr_okorCGxPO328hPNjTQV84eJe39u6EakoPC-PP6yez67t1ST8ABvNqpXHibSG44RgrvaGqShx3Z1q_jqvOSR2yv1suW11eW-cjFruw7fFcg/s400/brown-sugar-bundt-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605357357608415474" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUyQ0IRkP9TJbRC_DOuxB4z0oqweN6r-EKr28UQ0JOVpQrlOEPGZItxniWUGJ9fYVb1A2g47po-xXLGhHbw0pP9fmYHnPcn-yIrIfH9k6uC1s-AGFdcL1pwXJJ07FL70ROgOwqA/s1600/brown-sugar-bundt-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 385px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUyQ0IRkP9TJbRC_DOuxB4z0oqweN6r-EKr28UQ0JOVpQrlOEPGZItxniWUGJ9fYVb1A2g47po-xXLGhHbw0pP9fmYHnPcn-yIrIfH9k6uC1s-AGFdcL1pwXJJ07FL70ROgOwqA/s400/brown-sugar-bundt-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605357355321195314" /></a><br />Weeping. Wailing. Gnashing of teeth.</div><div><br />Honestly, I'm not so young anymore. I don't know that I can take the heartbreak and the emotional rollercoaster of baking bundt cakes. It's exhausting. I'm happy--the batter tastes good! The bundt cake looks beautiful! What could possibly go wrong?! And then--DISASTER. Someone cover this cracked mess with powdered sugar, stat.</div><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikBqN1LqE18vg1KwoP_RmLNr0ahWjEUKcVQNKkOz2fvQZYBVzNdDAbIUeDhgFLX_qarbF89Nt0UsHt6wtHCGtOz0HHx1IRZNMUc5f68hGbYgPxgLku_-gbVZkAHpmI_4E5qafEw/s1600/brown-sugar-bundt-4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikBqN1LqE18vg1KwoP_RmLNr0ahWjEUKcVQNKkOz2fvQZYBVzNdDAbIUeDhgFLX_qarbF89Nt0UsHt6wtHCGtOz0HHx1IRZNMUc5f68hGbYgPxgLku_-gbVZkAHpmI_4E5qafEw/s400/brown-sugar-bundt-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605357361990305794" /></a><br />I am willing to accept some blame. Maybe the cake was a little underbaked, maybe I should have waited a little longer to unmold it. Perhaps. But maybe it's just a sign from the universe that I should never, no never, no NEVER make bundt cakes again.<br /><br />Word.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpimBxU4RjUTd9bLKhLbywd49maUdM3kbJU3vKq_L8TwKI_w5oYKwE02-WgZhyBKPudbGjdgGmoOotCKTwJNFp7LVj9MXa7qaWUeSrGIVOquXMRe3VpQPFgyOAIEeP-SHh6KcVkA/s1600/brown-sugar-bundt-3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpimBxU4RjUTd9bLKhLbywd49maUdM3kbJU3vKq_L8TwKI_w5oYKwE02-WgZhyBKPudbGjdgGmoOotCKTwJNFp7LVj9MXa7qaWUeSrGIVOquXMRe3VpQPFgyOAIEeP-SHh6KcVkA/s400/brown-sugar-bundt-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605357358493584530" /></a><br />Well, this was a pretty good cake to go out on. I nixed the fruit options and instead used ground pecans in the batter, and added mini chocolate chips and toasted pecan chunks as mix-ins. It was nice and moist, although perhaps I should have kept in some fruit for a bit more texture. But it makes a nice, low-key tea cake, assuming you don't have a conniption fit upon trying to unmold it like I did. </div><div><br /></div><div>Want to try your luck at bundt roulette and make this cake? Peggy has the recipe and some lovely pictures over at her blog, <a href="http://pantryrevisited.blogspot.com/2011/05/twd-brown-sugar-bundt-cake.html">Pantry Revistited</a>.<br /><br /></div></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-44255617595268965542011-05-03T11:50:00.000-07:002011-05-03T13:40:31.607-07:00TWD: Chocolate-Orange Marbled Loaf CakeAhhh it feels good to be back in the warm embrace of <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">Tuesdays with Dorie</a>. I've taken more than a few weeks off lately, and although it was necessary, it's so nice to be back in a routine, blogging with some of my favorite people!<div><br /></div><div>Fun fact: this week's recipe, a Marbled Loaf Cake, looks an awful lot like my first TWD post ever, for <a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2008/08/tuesdays-with-dorie-black-and-white.html">Black & White Banana Loaf!</a> I remember that bread being a-mazing, although I do think the pictures have improved around here since then...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtdWC58ps_y6uvs4MBpHfJeU6glcuz-wvYXc5KlPWISiQE1QqlTNyE3veoRxpxbwigneDnK-SRlnz6bSHu5JJWYqXCH_ak32c5wlxJWbLvHZaFRXDU0D-5i3zb4V3ToWYgzAdcQ/s1600/marbled-loaf-cake-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 253px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtdWC58ps_y6uvs4MBpHfJeU6glcuz-wvYXc5KlPWISiQE1QqlTNyE3veoRxpxbwigneDnK-SRlnz6bSHu5JJWYqXCH_ak32c5wlxJWbLvHZaFRXDU0D-5i3zb4V3ToWYgzAdcQ/s400/marbled-loaf-cake-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602564478581478898" /></a><br />I flavored half of the batter chocolate, and added orange oil and orange zest to the other half, to make a subtly scented orange-chocolate loaf. Haters gonna hate, but I'll always love the orange-chocolate combo.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgsxRsymc_16U9IlKNKZ0aB3nzh-DsyXGWiqksfUbCWr-Oxxkq_fBikRiETlgQbUT4adfVbZGdbRSjnfCHX8QloNjQk4WfISoBrRrbvZD_yZ_kZsqR7_5w8DP0exMT9wH1ApzHA/s1600/marbled-loaf-cake-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgsxRsymc_16U9IlKNKZ0aB3nzh-DsyXGWiqksfUbCWr-Oxxkq_fBikRiETlgQbUT4adfVbZGdbRSjnfCHX8QloNjQk4WfISoBrRrbvZD_yZ_kZsqR7_5w8DP0exMT9wH1ApzHA/s400/marbled-loaf-cake-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602564478368897682" /></a>I had too much batter for my loaf pan, so with the extra I made the sweetest little 3" mini loaf. It was actually better than the full-sized one (didn't get as brown and crusty on top) and I wish I'd baked all mini loaves. The tiny tin is from Sur la Table.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-VZ4lZBkYny0mC8Hy75NRMmv1KevyhhTRoVOmhW3QlRjni6F387TWAMTkfKXrcw8T0pQ2gm9W1EfmAyv55h33i_B_yOk5pHva8G-fM0Rklz_SCoM7VvrvIsg9zw4q3RgJ-a2Kg/s1600/marbled-loaf-cake-3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 308px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-VZ4lZBkYny0mC8Hy75NRMmv1KevyhhTRoVOmhW3QlRjni6F387TWAMTkfKXrcw8T0pQ2gm9W1EfmAyv55h33i_B_yOk5pHva8G-fM0Rklz_SCoM7VvrvIsg9zw4q3RgJ-a2Kg/s400/marbled-loaf-cake-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602564484310964418" /></a>This is a soft, fine-crumbed cake that seems perfect for afternoon tea, or a light dessert with maybe a touch of lightly whipped cream and some berries on top. You can find the recipe at Carol's blog, <a href="http://thebakemore.blogspot.com/2011/05/tdw-basic-marbled-load-cake.html">The Bake More</a>.</div><div><br />Thanks also for the well-wishes about my big race last weekend! It was kind of epic. There were high highs and low lows, but overall it was wonderful and I finished feeling great, even though I couldn't stomach all of the chia I'd packed. By the end, I just wanted brownies and Coke. (Which, PS, is a very bad combination. Learn from my mistakes.) </div><div><br /><br /></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-46114508304849617512011-04-29T16:42:00.001-07:002011-04-29T20:25:46.684-07:00Double Coconut Macaroons and Chia GelIf I were to ask you what coconut macaroons and chia gel had in common, you might think it was a trick question. (You might actually think I was making up the concept of "chia gel" entirely, but I assure you--it's a thing. And only tangentially related to the chia pet.)<br /><br />Yes, they're both two-word phrases, and yes, they both contain vowels. But beyond that, they're both goodies that I made yesterday to carry me through my first 50-mile run of the season, happening bright and early tomorrow morning. (!!!)<br /><br />I'll ease you in gently with the macaroons.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeVXeV4snJ8nR0fhjNozuK4TZLH4QNMqF05OF_OYxjwd95ihGgL-An45oCTg0WQBMVG5F2vA84CKXGTIn3R8_SSP-P9p0ly8_wP4VFtp_kSgWeYF69MUTfmHTo1s_TTNZhtz5rg/s1600/double-coconut-macaroons-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeVXeV4snJ8nR0fhjNozuK4TZLH4QNMqF05OF_OYxjwd95ihGgL-An45oCTg0WQBMVG5F2vA84CKXGTIn3R8_SSP-P9p0ly8_wP4VFtp_kSgWeYF69MUTfmHTo1s_TTNZhtz5rg/s400/double-coconut-macaroons-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601155577348619250" /></a><br /><br />I'm definitely a solid food girl when it comes to long-distance running. My stomach can't really handle energy drinks or gels in large quantities, but I can usually eat food without a problem. I enjoy my fair share of gummy bears and peanut M&Ms, but I try to stick to reasonably healthy foods for the most part--PB&Js, potatoes, bananas, etc. I prefer to make my own sweet treats as opposed to eating the ready-made stuff, because I know exactly what goes in them and I can try to make them healthy-ish (while making sure they still contain plenty of chocolate!)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZO4ROCQI4g_JAaPZrQjoWrE834YwFHyqqVxArA-CWLJl-1Ngh8lxWWki1zd7Inp_Yl5tGtZ2xkj7feOk6qf0kwwrvFXH3HERnBS18Zcge9v6I5RKVkxFGtsnw9KDUbx9hTmkegw/s1600/double-coconut-macaroons-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZO4ROCQI4g_JAaPZrQjoWrE834YwFHyqqVxArA-CWLJl-1Ngh8lxWWki1zd7Inp_Yl5tGtZ2xkj7feOk6qf0kwwrvFXH3HERnBS18Zcge9v6I5RKVkxFGtsnw9KDUbx9hTmkegw/s400/double-coconut-macaroons-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601156386727687298" /></a><br /><br />I made a batch of mini Double Coconut Macaroons for my race. Instead of the usual sugar + butter + egg whites holding the coconut together, they get their goo factor from homemade coconut butter (basically just ground coconut) and maple syrup. They have the crisp outer shell and moist interior of the best sorts of macaroons, but with some healthier ingredients. I also added vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, and of course, mini dark chocolate chunks. Put these puppies in a little baggie, and I'm ready to rock the trails!<br /><br />Now let's talk ch-ch-ch-chia.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hv22.com/admin0132846ndcase/blocks/img/uploads/chia-seeds-featured-article.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 510px; height: 480px;" src="http://www.hv22.com/admin0132846ndcase/blocks/img/uploads/chia-seeds-featured-article.jpeg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Chia seeds are native to Mexico and Central America and have been eaten as part of the native diets there for centuries, but it's only in the last few years that they've become the newest trendy "superfood." You can read more about their health benefits from this <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/expert.q.a/04/28/chia.seeds.jampolis/">CNN article</a>, but the short story is that they have lots of fiber, antioxidants, protein, and good fats. I first tried them a few years ago, but at the time I tried adding them to oatmeal and yogurt and wasn't very impressed. It's only in the last year that I've started making a chia gel to eat on my runs, and I've really grown to love it.<br /><br />But I'm not going to lie, chia gel is weird. It starts out like this: a bowl of water, some supplements and flavoring, and the dry seeds.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMukly8H7dpdQBuJV8xulx6EBy9AkvuXnCeEqf_BSNJdzUCKm4ZUM4ZyFWDMAjiA4Na-4bJXEwgEP62yphmWCiLJX6xaI8RlVNhRtmyYZpFUVh_E8i78GsOKi85vItyVFp655lKg/s1600/chia-gel-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 338px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMukly8H7dpdQBuJV8xulx6EBy9AkvuXnCeEqf_BSNJdzUCKm4ZUM4ZyFWDMAjiA4Na-4bJXEwgEP62yphmWCiLJX6xaI8RlVNhRtmyYZpFUVh_E8i78GsOKi85vItyVFp655lKg/s400/chia-gel-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601155563712023890" /></a><br /><br />Give it a little whisky-whisk, let it sit out for a few minutes, and you end up with this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiip2uzjl7vVtK6U-4q9Vu8AVSGzRApRobCtab3w0UowfkiGtVm_vEoT8QOH0An-EHMZWEksPvkQyx9eD_BXLRIn5zdYIbq3Gaq0MxbPeC7bmT1vk5_AX2cEO9BBkfUl-BD5FymzA/s1600/chia-gel-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiip2uzjl7vVtK6U-4q9Vu8AVSGzRApRobCtab3w0UowfkiGtVm_vEoT8QOH0An-EHMZWEksPvkQyx9eD_BXLRIn5zdYIbq3Gaq0MxbPeC7bmT1vk5_AX2cEO9BBkfUl-BD5FymzA/s400/chia-gel-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601155567872054610" /></a><br /><br />The soluble fiber in the seeds causes them to absorb the liquid and soften, and instead of crunchy little seeds you end up with something more gelatinous. I don't even know how to describe it, but they each have sort of a liquid force-field (gummy sack? goopy pouch?) around them:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKw6nQbVh0Gc0N7ytadfUyQDM3iveLF7PbhsdD_Cf0xF17PHOR0L2e_X1TfrA2foTN6M_62IibStJuwLIr5CM9oRWtFF5Byi9rUm5lb-j1LFI3w-oQopyWcwZIoFya1VJHXAmLiA/s1600/chia-gel-3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKw6nQbVh0Gc0N7ytadfUyQDM3iveLF7PbhsdD_Cf0xF17PHOR0L2e_X1TfrA2foTN6M_62IibStJuwLIr5CM9oRWtFF5Byi9rUm5lb-j1LFI3w-oQopyWcwZIoFya1VJHXAmLiA/s400/chia-gel-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601155569557441282" /></a><br />I portion my gel out into little baggies, and suck one down about once an hour or so. Because it contains so much water it helps with nutrition and hydration, and provides lots of energy that seems to release over time, as opposed to the spike and crash of traditional energy gels and drinks.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQ7SGdttEnIme3o4XaYzQUK9XWumzOU50azbLD7fIX_NAManjthTx_FmmajCjqaPgp1HYQ0I2AAs_kaaBAlynQERibkd0Y8H7eqBsXdIP6tdJfljy05UN6oaEmcq3kTZHc7lHoA/s1600/running-fuel.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQ7SGdttEnIme3o4XaYzQUK9XWumzOU50azbLD7fIX_NAManjthTx_FmmajCjqaPgp1HYQ0I2AAs_kaaBAlynQERibkd0Y8H7eqBsXdIP6tdJfljy05UN6oaEmcq3kTZHc7lHoA/s400/running-fuel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601156388861282850" /></a><br /><br />Food is made, gear is packed, pre-race carbo loading is in full effect...I think I'm ready! Hope you all have fabulous weekends, and if you get a hankerin' for macaroons or chia gel, recipes are below.<br /><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Double Coconut Macaroons</span><br />Adapted from <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2011/02/20/detox-blonde-macaroons/">Oh She Glows</a><br /><br />2 2/3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut (to make coconut butter)<br />2 (additional) cups shredded unsweetened coconut<br />3/4 cup pure maple syrup<br />1 vanilla bean<br />1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />1/2 tsp. pure almond extract<br />1/2 tsp. kosher salt<br />1 tsp cinnamon<br />1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chunks or chips (I like the Whole Foods store brand--very dark and flavorful!)<br /><br />1. Preheat the oven to 300F and line a baking sheet with a non-stick mat or parchment. In a food processor, process 2 and 2/3 cups of shredded coconut for about 5-8 minutes until coconut butter forms. You will have to keep scraping down the sides of the bowl. For a coconut butter how-to, see this post. Alternatively, you can use 1 cup of store bought coconut butter.<br /><br />2. Once you have made the coconut butter, mix all ingredients together in a bowl.<br /><br />3. Scoop about 1-2 tbsp of dough onto a baking sheet. You don’t have to leave much room in between as they do not spread out. Bake for 20-28 minutes at 300F. I made minis so mine were done closer to 20 minutes, if you make standard-sized cookies they might take longer. Watch them closely after 22-23 minutes. They're done when they're golden around the edges.<br /><br />4. Allow the macaroons to sit for 25 minutes so they can firm up. If you do not do this, the macaroons will crumble, so this step is crucial! Store in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container. Makes about 22 large or 40-50 small macaroons.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chia Gel</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">yield: 2 cups</span><br /><br />Note: Chia seeds can be easily ordered online from many different websites. Amazon carries them, and I've gotten them for cheap on ebay before. They're also in many health food stores and my local Whole Foods has them in the bulk bin section.<br /><br />2 cups water<br />2 tbsp powdered maca (optional, this is another "superfood" made from a root native to the Andes)<br />Electrolytes (optional, I use Nuun tablets or you could just add your favorite sports drink powder to the water)<br />Any other flavorings (sometimes I add lemon/lime zest, or even Crystal Light)<br />1/3 cup chia seeds<br /><br />Whisk all ingredients together, and let them sit at room temperature until the chia seeds absorb some water and you have a gel. You can add up to 1/2 cup of seeds if you prefer a stiffer gel--mine is slurpable consistency. Portion it out into bags, or gel flasks, or whatever is easiest for you to carry around. I've had it last at least a week, but I can't say with any authority how long it's meant to last. Enjoy!<br /><br /></span>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-44128937896309163462011-04-19T16:15:00.000-07:002011-04-20T22:01:51.055-07:00Easter Parade: Easter Egg Candies & MoreStick a fork in me, I am <span style="font-style:italic;">done</span>.<br /><br />Or, for a more Easter-appropriate figure of speech, hard-boil me and <span style="font-style:italic;">dye</span> me. Okay, that one is weird.<br /><br />Belabored metaphors aside, it's been a long couple of <strike>weeks</strike> months in the kitchen. I do love the holidays but I am <i>so</i> excited for a break from intensive candy-making/recipe development. Never have I been so glad there is no such thing as "Mother's Day candy recipes." With the end of the big candy holidays I am looking forward to a little more free time to cook for myself, get this blog up and running again, and--best of all!--launch a <b>huge</b> blog redesign. And not a second too soon. This place is a little dusty.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-24YdVCx8Otx6ShAUNEnQJ3R94WCLz7iZv-5EE59oPVtfTrlOxLy1tP1KKjMOC2RIpXgQSqn0QEmIgumc5tavoJn8IYQHRrO0Sw6x3zWlIu3FLF40wV_6KUtgzB4p1n9ZA1Ezw/s1600/strawberry-crumble-4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-24YdVCx8Otx6ShAUNEnQJ3R94WCLz7iZv-5EE59oPVtfTrlOxLy1tP1KKjMOC2RIpXgQSqn0QEmIgumc5tavoJn8IYQHRrO0Sw6x3zWlIu3FLF40wV_6KUtgzB4p1n9ZA1Ezw/s400/strawberry-crumble-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597438768241985602" /></a><br />So dusty, in fact, I have a bunch of old photos that never made it into blog posts. These were last week's absolutely delicious strawberry-rhubarb double crisps. Sweet, tangy, with a brown sugar crumble studded with candied ginger, they were seriously good. Too bad they're old news!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy87xN_C_DPXueYs10RBVoyjTZXf4HZfM-bSaKsKmBFZ000zRiC-8anJgN6TKkeSYZ5hKPgaVk3kaPiF8RLrDfagxmULMS1_gq1j4aSf2EvnHqDY3RPv3IuCHYXdHlKa_GPwu0nA/s1600/strawberry-crumble-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy87xN_C_DPXueYs10RBVoyjTZXf4HZfM-bSaKsKmBFZ000zRiC-8anJgN6TKkeSYZ5hKPgaVk3kaPiF8RLrDfagxmULMS1_gq1j4aSf2EvnHqDY3RPv3IuCHYXdHlKa_GPwu0nA/s400/strawberry-crumble-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597438763802597170" /></a><br /><br />You know what's<span style="font-style:italic;"> not </span>old news? Passover and Easter goodies! Here are a few things I've made lately that are floating around the internet. Maybe you'll find something to enjoy for your April holiday of choice!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJY3QVaslNd36m56YQvGM-2iL7vM7GSfG4WPGZMb0nxm_d77Mq1fZp-dc6PtZ0Nq3A0SDL5fIhAM6JIC0tqKJ1r4JADsrNgcAt3JzgftQopsWxhDV2hRqn6vCALXOCuHTKyuP_PA/s1600/matzo-toffee-recipe-14.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJY3QVaslNd36m56YQvGM-2iL7vM7GSfG4WPGZMb0nxm_d77Mq1fZp-dc6PtZ0Nq3A0SDL5fIhAM6JIC0tqKJ1r4JADsrNgcAt3JzgftQopsWxhDV2hRqn6vCALXOCuHTKyuP_PA/s400/matzo-toffee-recipe-14.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597885089553089586" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Matzo Toffee for Passover: <a href="http://www.ohnuts.com/blog/2011/04/passover_chocolate_toffee_matz.html">Photo Recipe</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKnYQBjLBVK0nADYF-1gY_sv4qRasipcevWNnYKDpo6uxNqvQLf2cSz9PncEDFtFSBx7IW8_uhc3jN-lNI3-mUHyBPPOxMQ52che8G5ukEsc89PxBHjLaJKHRJVDnSwZwxuVZ3Q/s1600/passover-macaroons-recipe-17.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKnYQBjLBVK0nADYF-1gY_sv4qRasipcevWNnYKDpo6uxNqvQLf2cSz9PncEDFtFSBx7IW8_uhc3jN-lNI3-mUHyBPPOxMQ52che8G5ukEsc89PxBHjLaJKHRJVDnSwZwxuVZ3Q/s400/passover-macaroons-recipe-17.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597885085016002034" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Coconut-Almond Macaroons for Passover: <a href="http://www.ohnuts.com/blog/2011/04/passover_macaroons_recipe_1.html">Photo Recipe</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wQLGkQRXipXJGYNpXuJ4PyN1OKmq9GtLr8qwZz_pZwhLK7p3B5zB9TxGW_lTNW3cCqyJH97eMWVcCnPgQXtrfOStcXIeQ2VUXAfqSk4chbN8Zg7N5k2XsfackI-77b08TFZCag/s1600/easter-basket-cookies-14.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wQLGkQRXipXJGYNpXuJ4PyN1OKmq9GtLr8qwZz_pZwhLK7p3B5zB9TxGW_lTNW3cCqyJH97eMWVcCnPgQXtrfOStcXIeQ2VUXAfqSk4chbN8Zg7N5k2XsfackI-77b08TFZCag/s400/easter-basket-cookies-14.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597885079017846978" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Easter Basket Cookies: <a href="http://www.ohnuts.com/blog/2011/04/easter_basket_cookies.html">Photo Recipe</a></div><div><a href="http://www.ohnuts.com/blog/2011/04/easter_basket_cookies.html"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcuKvtAKAkVajlV4utksGyFF-aY52SDMngiF4u0lOvzK60oV1lczbDgWO5Dea5Bv6IGhOogCc0ny-MgZDnsAaPUe5dx9EkPPFMauSMId_gSo7Kvmv-PYCe1lpPVygFJOIdgkUsw/s1600/easter-egg-cake-pops-11.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcuKvtAKAkVajlV4utksGyFF-aY52SDMngiF4u0lOvzK60oV1lczbDgWO5Dea5Bv6IGhOogCc0ny-MgZDnsAaPUe5dx9EkPPFMauSMId_gSo7Kvmv-PYCe1lpPVygFJOIdgkUsw/s400/easter-egg-cake-pops-11.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597881933251520530" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Easter Egg Cake Pops: <a href="http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/r/Easter-Egg-Cake-Pops.htm">Recipe</a>, <a href="http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/ss/How-To-Make-Easter-Egg-Cake-Pops.htm">Photo Tutorial</a></div></div><div><a href="http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/ss/How-To-Make-Easter-Egg-Cake-Pops.htm"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfD6PrBM-rXVz0ePG5kLBlpXbHlpRG46miQfZwzOzRPoYS0Qh44H1_H9huhFkBDJ9jJ5thJ4_ojK8U9TVtNEk2wRc6PVshyphenhyphenCAu7G3oRp0f-RTHXaDM5AUG39l6ZZJ4y-YuJ38tg/s1600/marshmallow-chicks-group.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfD6PrBM-rXVz0ePG5kLBlpXbHlpRG46miQfZwzOzRPoYS0Qh44H1_H9huhFkBDJ9jJ5thJ4_ojK8U9TVtNEk2wRc6PVshyphenhyphenCAu7G3oRp0f-RTHXaDM5AUG39l6ZZJ4y-YuJ38tg/s400/marshmallow-chicks-group.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597881925610520162" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Marshmallow Chicks: <a href="http://candy.about.com/od/marshmallowrecipes/r/mallowchicks.htm">Recipe</a>, <a href="http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/ss/How-To-Make-Marshmallow-Chicks.htm">Photo Tutorial</a></div></div><div><a href="http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/ss/How-To-Make-Marshmallow-Chicks.htm"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGzJlSw1UYqtDpcw_qFeQVrR_bTAet-zH9M9lW2xcRVnl8ACIzVy7jO1sR4qaJjyRrkTOQpp9XF8cHUwpcI250l27poQYTZE0TNCTHJSJgaTOqtpmYkoKDHYH5AigRWXH81EI5Q/s1600/easter-bunny-truffles-8.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGzJlSw1UYqtDpcw_qFeQVrR_bTAet-zH9M9lW2xcRVnl8ACIzVy7jO1sR4qaJjyRrkTOQpp9XF8cHUwpcI250l27poQYTZE0TNCTHJSJgaTOqtpmYkoKDHYH5AigRWXH81EI5Q/s400/easter-bunny-truffles-8.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597881919250574034" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Easter Bunny Truffles:<a href="http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/r/Easter-Bunny-Truffles.htm"> Recipe</a>, <a href="http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/ss/How-To-Make-Easter-Bunny-Truffles.htm">Photo Tutorial</a></div></div><div><a href="http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/ss/How-To-Make-Easter-Bunny-Truffles.htm"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNoGQ6h-PD21CELS9mhw0ZHmdYSIjjhvIvbcig0vc6waQvOtSjrZy5bIybSCSGx4j8hv_us_JoPVUV-5ZooZODc9kIpzlP_tIbrx3QH5igcE-ykUsAGj6PdJfSzwQqRMmVsLH3A/s1600/easter-basket-candies-9.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNoGQ6h-PD21CELS9mhw0ZHmdYSIjjhvIvbcig0vc6waQvOtSjrZy5bIybSCSGx4j8hv_us_JoPVUV-5ZooZODc9kIpzlP_tIbrx3QH5igcE-ykUsAGj6PdJfSzwQqRMmVsLH3A/s400/easter-basket-candies-9.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597881920626671538" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Easter Basket Candies: <a href="http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/r/Easter-Basket-Candies.htm">Recipe</a>, <a href="http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/ss/How-To-Make-Easter-Basket-Candies.htm">Photo Tutorial</a></div></div><div><a href="http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/ss/How-To-Make-Easter-Basket-Candies.htm"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2881nYYz4L7aB4FNnyif0vL24ZKdAhi7mFbVqqJ3fviPGkpyjPabrTyIAehz4aKMIoxdb96hqrTPMm7NP5RO9Hy54Q0LOWIbP-j_S3Vua6a1Kx6tsv-vI1oib-AroAhaRdMzZrw/s1600/sugaregg_pink.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 363px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2881nYYz4L7aB4FNnyif0vL24ZKdAhi7mFbVqqJ3fviPGkpyjPabrTyIAehz4aKMIoxdb96hqrTPMm7NP5RO9Hy54Q0LOWIbP-j_S3Vua6a1Kx6tsv-vI1oib-AroAhaRdMzZrw/s400/sugaregg_pink.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597895303722994738" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;">Panoramic Sugar Easter Egg: <a href="http://candy.about.com/od/sugarcandy/r/sugar_eggs.htm">Recipe</a>, <a href="http://candy.about.com/od/candybasics/ss/sugar_eggs.htm">Photo Tutorial</a></div></div><div><a href="http://candy.about.com/od/candybasics/ss/sugar_eggs.htm"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOLpypAg1wt-QbstZ_FwFBxdPFJYr8baBFp3oMdGdfwanxrfXTMCEJfnz1n4tc5-IjiBpOHmImznrp5yHLqmFCradqP0lQDc0RlQVM-iH8xdaNK2vxIYmPfSdswCatIlSQ08KNQ/s1600/chocpbegg1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbOLpypAg1wt-QbstZ_FwFBxdPFJYr8baBFp3oMdGdfwanxrfXTMCEJfnz1n4tc5-IjiBpOHmImznrp5yHLqmFCradqP0lQDc0RlQVM-iH8xdaNK2vxIYmPfSdswCatIlSQ08KNQ/s400/chocpbegg1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597895307478711218" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://candy.about.com/od/eastercandyrecipes/tp/easter_egg_recipes.htm">List of a dozen Easter egg candy recipes.</a></div><div><br /></div><br /><b>Happy Passover! Happy Easter! Happy Eight-Hours-Of-Sleep-A-Night!</b></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-12940703189165113742011-04-05T20:21:00.000-07:002011-04-06T00:43:50.925-07:00TWD: Cinnamon Ice Cream TartThis week's TWD recipe, for a Coffee Ice Cream Tart, can be divided into two categories: things I did differently, and things I wish I'd done differently.<br /><br />In the "Things I Did Differently" camp, we have the ice cream itself. Instead of doctoring up store-bought coffee ice cream with ground almonds (??) I made my very favorite recipe for cinnamon ice cream (found below). The ice cream is delicious. I have no regrets. You can keep your ground almonds!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJwxcwsryHZ2e6Kkx-BirE9YxQ4ZY4U8siRCGdB2bIJX4JJzxMv6ceLnU0X8ZtQMupyAUoL9IgJMzJGQGgJlKnPNf2-cctZ0-SlLn_E3gXEZozdQ8iBe1dpZ6f7EgFeQjTvG1dA/s1600/ice-cream-tart-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 327px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicJwxcwsryHZ2e6Kkx-BirE9YxQ4ZY4U8siRCGdB2bIJX4JJzxMv6ceLnU0X8ZtQMupyAUoL9IgJMzJGQGgJlKnPNf2-cctZ0-SlLn_E3gXEZozdQ8iBe1dpZ6f7EgFeQjTvG1dA/s400/ice-cream-tart-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592306809261212658" /></a><br /><br />In the "Things I Wish I'd Done Differently" category, we have...the rest of the tart. Sorry to say, the ice cream was totally the best part of this for me. The crust was way too hard, the almond flavor was too strong, and the layer of melted chocolate between the crust and the ice cream nearly shattered a molar. I was left gnawing on my crust like a crazed rodent. Not a good look. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jkF4TlLaTTqWR6KQ8aDdMQVsp3bA2NQnVLjI-wavyDqDJ0g1wtEcXObrX798hyphenhyphen5nS52c6HK6H2XBt8kJknstlnOHiIQWSe1HYwWAmuF2bdxZCOF41QJiA5JhmCcTjs0CtAcjLA/s1600/ice-cream-tart-3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jkF4TlLaTTqWR6KQ8aDdMQVsp3bA2NQnVLjI-wavyDqDJ0g1wtEcXObrX798hyphenhyphen5nS52c6HK6H2XBt8kJknstlnOHiIQWSe1HYwWAmuF2bdxZCOF41QJiA5JhmCcTjs0CtAcjLA/s400/ice-cream-tart-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592306820784887762" /></a><br /><br />On the bright side, I got to play around with piping some ganache on top, and I also had some candied flowers lying around (yes, I know my life is ridiculous) so I primped the tart for a little photo shoot. "You look maaaahvelous, dahling!" (<a href="http://candy.about.com/od/phototutorials/ss/How-To-Make-Candied-Flowers.htm">Candied Flowers photo tutorial here</a>.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNAU3XVvF-NSysQvnr2dTWIHADM6UnVrfBn4nIVwN9DpLjc3LXFEyV1km_kMl5DoIaHA1KqDOIGq8s2MqmFa9UDup9gZXmWmeYKgpVXTNhSe8lXmtcNquOvzgUPmFLltrTfARDmw/s1600/ice-cream-tart-4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNAU3XVvF-NSysQvnr2dTWIHADM6UnVrfBn4nIVwN9DpLjc3LXFEyV1km_kMl5DoIaHA1KqDOIGq8s2MqmFa9UDup9gZXmWmeYKgpVXTNhSe8lXmtcNquOvzgUPmFLltrTfARDmw/s400/ice-cream-tart-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592306824195096210" /></a><br /><br />So, I'm not in love, but I can't be mad because any recipe that gives me an excuse to make cinnamon ice cream--and then lick said ice cream from inedible tart crust--is okay in my book. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1pBII6R9fQlFArH7_NiYgYzCuWLnTv_W_ARHGJKEFHsH-vqkK3e7gWNisoBerv3_fYFTDHIqpAPBd1B9_gm9TnXSdkFbfKuxyq9ZcZ761stMoIdZKZnmzgh67S0_NObRZW2hDg/s1600/ice-cream-tart-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1pBII6R9fQlFArH7_NiYgYzCuWLnTv_W_ARHGJKEFHsH-vqkK3e7gWNisoBerv3_fYFTDHIqpAPBd1B9_gm9TnXSdkFbfKuxyq9ZcZ761stMoIdZKZnmzgh67S0_NObRZW2hDg/s400/ice-cream-tart-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592306815292349378" /></a><br /><br />For the original recipe, visit Jessica's blog, <a href="http://domesticdeepthought.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-pick-coffee-ice-cream-tart.html?showComment=1302074745647#c498218455691697374">Domestic Deep Thoughts</a>. If I were to make this again, I'd take a cue from Katrina of <a href="http://www.bakingandboys.com/2011/04/fresh-mint-chocolate-chip-ice-cream.html">Baking and Boys</a>! and make a chocolate cookie crust instead. She's a genius, that one.<br /><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kLqX9KOFelykvaazIPH2H7AM78psKqpbwKyhrPuo4YHwsAO6CyOjD0nUopajxwZt8TRglHzJK4V9MKQKwGbJ0Ilhk3rzvxnJlz9MmiqzBV6YbsonJFcT6LOWWMwmnxNGdCvNNg/s1600/cinnamon-ice-cream.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kLqX9KOFelykvaazIPH2H7AM78psKqpbwKyhrPuo4YHwsAO6CyOjD0nUopajxwZt8TRglHzJK4V9MKQKwGbJ0Ilhk3rzvxnJlz9MmiqzBV6YbsonJFcT6LOWWMwmnxNGdCvNNg/s400/cinnamon-ice-cream.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592306806712802450" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Cinnamon Ice Cream</span><br /><br />1 1/2 cups half-and-half<br />1 vanilla bean pod, split in two<br />1 cinnamon stick<br />1 cup white sugar<br />2 eggs, beaten<br />1 cup heavy cream<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br /><br />Place the half-and-half, vanilla bean pod, and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the half-and-half comes to a simmer, take the pan off the heat, cover it with a lid, and let it infuse for at least 30 minutes and up to two hours.<br /><br />When you're ready to proceed, return the pan to medium heat, remove the lid, and whisk in the sugar. When the mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat, and whisk half of the mixture into the eggs. Whisk quickly so that the eggs do not scramble.<br /><br />Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and cook until it reaches 175 degrees F on a candy thermometer, or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.<br /><br />Remove from the heat and pour it through a strainer into a large bowl. This will strain out the vanilla pod, cinnamon stick, and any bits of egg that might have cooked. Whisk in the heavy cream, then add the vanilla extract and cinnamon. Press a layer of cling wrap directly on top and cool in the refrigerator until completely cold.<br /><br />Pour cooled mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.<br /><br />Want to make chocolate bowls like in the photo? <a href="http://candy.about.com/od/phototutorials/ss/How-To-Make-Chocolate-Bowls.htm">Chocolate bowls photo tutorial here</a>.<br /></span>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-17149200400373554022011-03-29T20:11:00.000-07:002011-03-29T22:22:04.245-07:00Oh Yes I Did: Cinnamon Roll Sugar CookiesTwo words: sugar cookies.<br /><br />Two more words: cinnamon rolls.<br /><br />One question: can they be combined?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSZ4PLz_aZzQptMo92cYZy0z3eMeTq9RyCWEJtfxROeHLI7zAPt42Ed297gcwv_64nJb1XMMZDoijmhme_3-6YY9_znTIzHyb11VPGtt-nW3FUEyyE1IqzrpJs22ySyIGDR8Nxw/s1600/cinnamon-roll-cookies-3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSZ4PLz_aZzQptMo92cYZy0z3eMeTq9RyCWEJtfxROeHLI7zAPt42Ed297gcwv_64nJb1XMMZDoijmhme_3-6YY9_znTIzHyb11VPGtt-nW3FUEyyE1IqzrpJs22ySyIGDR8Nxw/s400/cinnamon-roll-cookies-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589733701327940626" /></a><br /><br />Oh, yeahhhhh.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCh-W7KfITmjh353qa9d1_UommVkvqEQlz9zA-saEa95JRPBpLI-FJjduasPjqgAfzsbyLwEGpfBKMu6FZpQsyVYkplTZMZgdwt5H9MwDfIDQXLsAMoGmpBNC_OhqSuZVTWySKw/s1600/cinnamon-roll-cookies-5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCh-W7KfITmjh353qa9d1_UommVkvqEQlz9zA-saEa95JRPBpLI-FJjduasPjqgAfzsbyLwEGpfBKMu6FZpQsyVYkplTZMZgdwt5H9MwDfIDQXLsAMoGmpBNC_OhqSuZVTWySKw/s400/cinnamon-roll-cookies-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589733723630522082" /></a><br /><br />This recipe-slash-BEST-IDEA-EVER comes courtesy of <a href="http://picky-palate.com/2010/02/11/cinnamon-roll-sugar-cookies-yes/">Jenny at Picky Palat</a>e. The second I saw it I bookmarked the page and returned regularly to drool, plan, and plot my way into making these cookies.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlQhVV_q0GBefRSS7SnRX0xOYy6Siq9xs8YVbW82fAaHtMYY5zUedm8Z-TZP88LrFNczEpbIPNgnG7y7AcCxcsMMdC7jmosGiHSVM0DyRBQjmyn0v0zfBgCT0xkthjXtosuEWpA/s1600/cinnamon-roll-cookies-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlQhVV_q0GBefRSS7SnRX0xOYy6Siq9xs8YVbW82fAaHtMYY5zUedm8Z-TZP88LrFNczEpbIPNgnG7y7AcCxcsMMdC7jmosGiHSVM0DyRBQjmyn0v0zfBgCT0xkthjXtosuEWpA/s400/cinnamon-roll-cookies-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589733706085783058" /></a><br /><br />The idea couldn't be simpler. Take some sugar cookie dough and roll it out into a thin-ish sheet. (Mine worked best when it was about 1/4-inch thick.) Spread on some softened butter--I'm sorry, but it must be done--and then sprinkle liberally with brown sugar and cinnamon. Treat these babies like the cinnamon rolls they aspire to be! <br /><br />Roll the dough, slice it into thick rounds, then bake it up. The cookies blossom into soft, sweet rounds with crisp edges and moist middles, with a buttery cinnamon swirl threaded throughout.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwl0S1QyPGQNqOE8XcHp1804MlA_Hb1fyfDVVwzsltKqITFgsXDxJ9xDqH_3nCQ8da_ie-CKdcc0YH75DhYuRSYRHU_S0moCiqiNlJPVXzhPUyseoGfZ0cOUxP389yy7mzXJhpwA/s1600/cinnamon-roll-cookies-4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwl0S1QyPGQNqOE8XcHp1804MlA_Hb1fyfDVVwzsltKqITFgsXDxJ9xDqH_3nCQ8da_ie-CKdcc0YH75DhYuRSYRHU_S0moCiqiNlJPVXzhPUyseoGfZ0cOUxP389yy7mzXJhpwA/s400/cinnamon-roll-cookies-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589733719035182722" /></a><br /><br />And did I mention the finishing touch? A drizzle of cream cheese icing, with a touch of vanilla or lemon, to complete the resemblance to cinnamon rolls, no yeast dough required. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxi8Y6mMkdSOHalEprhRbpVf73W6jFDearQ3zTScjAXkVkWojQmTtXZsJ8omTnQtGzO8KqVPfcHu9v8V2VbTSCq3cFWJXk1c4uEwAqBhVNuNowi7KeJCfJzqPkABPdLuSihuiYg/s1600/cinnamon-roll-cookies-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifxi8Y6mMkdSOHalEprhRbpVf73W6jFDearQ3zTScjAXkVkWojQmTtXZsJ8omTnQtGzO8KqVPfcHu9v8V2VbTSCq3cFWJXk1c4uEwAqBhVNuNowi7KeJCfJzqPkABPdLuSihuiYg/s400/cinnamon-roll-cookies-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589733709924918946" /></a><br /><br />I made these with leftover sugar cookie dough, and it's just about the best use for leftover dough I can imagine. The dough was fairly stiff and meant to be used to make precise cutout cookies. I suspect a soft dough that makes those pillowy round sugar cookies would work even better. If you'd like a recipe for the sugar cookies themselves, I'll refer you to <a href="http://picky-palate.com/2010/02/11/cinnamon-roll-sugar-cookies-yes/">the source at Picky Palate</a> for further enlightenment.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-29371132281132473282011-03-21T22:33:00.000-07:002011-03-22T11:12:15.281-07:00TWD: Honey-Nut Brownies<span style="font-weight:bold;">Things You Should Know About Honey-Nut Brownies</span><br /><br />1. They sound like a delicious breakfast cereal<br />2. They look and taste more like a honey cake than a chocolate brownie<br />3. They are much improved by a thick layer of fudgy chocolate-sour cream frosting<br />4. There is nothing in the world that is not much improved by a thick layer of fudgy chocolate-sour cream frosting<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOoZ-HuyxIXsGV7cyitD1BCHYNzJ_RjHGrhSnhp20ro0_fHVbbis4wlUlpQPKtRmkZMKqw60FyJ4rxQanfUq7eeyeW1mgPIph83jXNON1CXDZVSnlSnDcrEmdtDaSkC8YlLv6gw/s1600/honey-nut-brownies-3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOoZ-HuyxIXsGV7cyitD1BCHYNzJ_RjHGrhSnhp20ro0_fHVbbis4wlUlpQPKtRmkZMKqw60FyJ4rxQanfUq7eeyeW1mgPIph83jXNON1CXDZVSnlSnDcrEmdtDaSkC8YlLv6gw/s400/honey-nut-brownies-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586964500789688786" /></a><br /><br />I think the big problem with these "brownies" was a branding issue. Calling something brownies leads to the expectation of chocolatey delight, whereas these were more of a honey explosion with faint chocolate undertones. Which is not bad, if you enjoy honey cake. Which I...sort of do.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgMjYLv8kVIrNyUO5I24vanRiE4Rb0HiUV-F5j8nVFiBcPLBwfYYFso9mpOi8anhmVwNpjb3_XP98U5bv-2x01KZtZE4HA0hRiGf0PXPQEfgZc_mdeJ-IprhQvLNuHeM2jOTpcA/s1600/honey-nut-brownies-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgMjYLv8kVIrNyUO5I24vanRiE4Rb0HiUV-F5j8nVFiBcPLBwfYYFso9mpOi8anhmVwNpjb3_XP98U5bv-2x01KZtZE4HA0hRiGf0PXPQEfgZc_mdeJ-IprhQvLNuHeM2jOTpcA/s400/honey-nut-brownies-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586964492389271186" /></a><br /><br />In an effort to boost the chocolate flavor, I used only unsweetened chocolate and increased it by 2 oz (50%!). It was only semi-successful, though, and the cake still had a very strong honey flavor. So I brought out the big guns: a thick, fudgy chocolate sour cream frosting, which helped increase the chocolate taste and counteract the overwhelming sweetness. Top it with a pinch of flaky sea salt, and you have a lovely, complex cake that's none too sweet and perfectly moist and rich!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGweh5RMX2ky9ldggC5aekwTpDXhaAOIQOaE7dnWI1KKMlz2rHMh8omDe6qQIMdhqOUj0s6o8tuaLIVHPFAVF6T68WVooK1nTZp6blOOzQEwM71SxwcNL5R8qAVkhMJTm9z6yJ1A/s1600/honey-nut-brownies-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 271px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGweh5RMX2ky9ldggC5aekwTpDXhaAOIQOaE7dnWI1KKMlz2rHMh8omDe6qQIMdhqOUj0s6o8tuaLIVHPFAVF6T68WVooK1nTZp6blOOzQEwM71SxwcNL5R8qAVkhMJTm9z6yJ1A/s400/honey-nut-brownies-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586964484385986066" /></a><br /><br />In the end I'd say it was a fairly successful chocolateish cake, but probably not one I'd repeat on a regular basis, unless it was for a honey lover of the exceptional variety. If you are such a person, the original recipe can be found on the <a href="http://www.mysuzyhomemaker.com/2011/03/honey-nut-brownies.html">Suzy Homemaker blog</a>.<br /><br />If you are only here for the chocolate sour cream frosting (and who could blame you?) here goes:<br /><br />10 oz semi- or bitter-sweet chocolate (chocolate chips will do in a pinch, use better chocolate if you have it)<br />1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br /><br />Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler, and stir until smooth.<br /><br />Whisk in the sour cream and the vanilla until you have a thick frosting.<br /><br />Pour immediately over cake in pan and smooth into an even layer. Let set at room temperature or refrigerate to speed up the process-frosting gets very thick in the refrigerator.<br /><br />Makes enough to frost the top of a 9x13 sheet cake.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-24438101352986125482011-03-17T11:18:00.000-07:002011-03-17T15:33:00.199-07:00Marzipan Brownie TartHappy St. Patrick's Day! To celebrate, we had this festive dessert:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTtYbWWHXJgpSrqUeRIi_3oyQC1I9Eua6WCogrJ0kK_rUUNTvl7kNxETSKYqb6CiCw0iG4_XFGL8DYx3Ju_b1ZSBBJzzS4RKTOnINyifYEe7I5GMWFnpQID7LKJsGjnN2o72AWw/s1600/marzipan-brownie-tart-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTtYbWWHXJgpSrqUeRIi_3oyQC1I9Eua6WCogrJ0kK_rUUNTvl7kNxETSKYqb6CiCw0iG4_XFGL8DYx3Ju_b1ZSBBJzzS4RKTOnINyifYEe7I5GMWFnpQID7LKJsGjnN2o72AWw/s400/marzipan-brownie-tart-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585171873396840498" /></a><br />Okay, so it doesn't look very festive from the outside. Actually, it looks downright plain. Homely. FRUMPY. There, I said it. But it has a surprise inside...<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcduCm7vKnuBPWzU3t1BHCkCcKWCyG5Ix_KbcPEonyO-n21ahekr1DoMwWbadlV9BL0vhtkglG-WrQpfz8p3tLJl8lelMG6M8xqzyrm__cInk9YiEQ_tBz9XaXm6AJ5ndLFVYSMg/s1600/marzipan-brownie-tart-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcduCm7vKnuBPWzU3t1BHCkCcKWCyG5Ix_KbcPEonyO-n21ahekr1DoMwWbadlV9BL0vhtkglG-WrQpfz8p3tLJl8lelMG6M8xqzyrm__cInk9YiEQ_tBz9XaXm6AJ5ndLFVYSMg/s400/marzipan-brownie-tart-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585171869419571858" /></a>A bright green layer of homemade pistachio marzipan! </div><div><br /></div><div>...Wait, come back.</div><div><br /></div><div>What scared you? Was it the green color, or the word "marzipan"? Because I promise, this has no relation to the poisonously powerful almond flavor and uber-sweetness of some aggressive marzipans. No, this is just a simple nut paste made from ground pistachios, powdered sugar, and a little egg. Really. It's amazingly tasty, like eating fresh pistachios with a spoon. Deep breaths. Okay. </div><div><br /></div><div>So paired with this <strike>marzi</strike> <b>pistachio stuff</b> is a chocolate dough that's half brownie, half chocolate tart dough. It's weird, and I was sure I was doing it wrong the whole time I was making it. But it turned out to be perfect--soft enough to meld with the pistachio stuff, but firm enough to hold its shape when removed from the tart pan.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK80T8WTM_Jw7VqRfq4Gfht7Alfwli9gDVOVILostFOPSzcStHHr0JM0R4HnUYOsIA0f1VmKpLwB29LMWl8WFCG99d2ffwY8Yri6gXsP9jqgafrWRrltgsSOirsjUtCtUIGLbIUw/s1600/marzipan-brownie-tart-4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 261px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK80T8WTM_Jw7VqRfq4Gfht7Alfwli9gDVOVILostFOPSzcStHHr0JM0R4HnUYOsIA0f1VmKpLwB29LMWl8WFCG99d2ffwY8Yri6gXsP9jqgafrWRrltgsSOirsjUtCtUIGLbIUw/s400/marzipan-brownie-tart-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585171866588088610" /></a><br />To finish off our green treat, I made my favorite pistachio ice cream and a simple chocolate sauce. Although the tart is moist, it needs something--ice cream, or whipped cream, or maybe creme anglaise--to perk it up. Many, many thanks to <a href="http://marymaryculinary.blogspot.com/2010/12/pistachio-marzipan-brownies.html">Mary Mary Culinary</a> for the tart recipe & inspiration! Find the recipe for the tart, the "pistachio stuff," and the ice cream after the jump.<br /><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJ0eGvQ_QWiCm8JrIxD86Ea2RvIO294uSpvFMA4Bz3qaAuoVEpxd5oizDurtS5HH1SIyudsTov7fcSeW74F_gjOYRo3lZzPcDqehCUh7iY8GYE_AHmmUeEvcHQmMDmEo7IR5ABA/s1600/marzipan-brownie-tart-3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJ0eGvQ_QWiCm8JrIxD86Ea2RvIO294uSpvFMA4Bz3qaAuoVEpxd5oizDurtS5HH1SIyudsTov7fcSeW74F_gjOYRo3lZzPcDqehCUh7iY8GYE_AHmmUeEvcHQmMDmEo7IR5ABA/s400/marzipan-brownie-tart-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585171860412186114" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Marzipan Brownie Tart</span><br /><a href="http://marymaryculinary.blogspot.com/2010/12/pistachio-marzipan-brownies.html">Adapted from Mary Mary Culinary</a><br /><br />9 oz/1⅓ cups all-purpose flour*<br />⅓ cup Dutch-process cocoa<br />½ teaspoon baking powder<br />¼ teaspoon salt<br />7 oz/1 cup brown sugar<br />6 oz/¾ cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed<br />1 egg, well beaten<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Filling</span><br />10½ oz pistachio marzipan (see below)<br />about ½-¾ of a beaten egg (reserve the rest for glazing)<br /><br />1. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and run the food processor until the dough comes together. Try not to eat all the dough. Divide the dough into ⅓ and ⅔ portions, shape in discs, wrap separately in plastic and refrigerate. Chill for one hour. It can be made the day before, but will need to warm up before rolling to prevent it from breaking up.<br />2. Preheat oven to 340℉/170℃ and grease a 9" cake pan, or a 13"x4" tart pan.<br />3. Mix the pistachio paste with enough beaten egg to make a fairly soft, spreadable filling. Set aside. Roll out the larger portion of dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap until it is about 1" larger than your pan on all sides. Make sure there are no creases in the plastic wrap. Use this piece of dough to line the pan, pressing it to the sides of the pan so it doesn't fall inward. Spread the pistachio paste evenly over the dough and fold in the dough edges so they rest on it. Reuse the plastic wrap to roll the smaller piece of dough into an 8½" circle. It should be slightly smaller than the cake pan. Trim it so the edges are neat. Moisten the edges of the dough in the pan and lay the smaller circle on top. Press the edges gently together to seal. Brush with the leftover beaten egg and prick with a fork in several places.<br />4. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Leave to cool in the pan, then transfer carefully to a serving plate. If you can stand it, wrap this and let it sit for a day or two before serving for best flavor.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">*a note about the flour: something is off in these measurements. It calls for 1-1/3 cup/ 9 oz, but 9 oz is much closer to 2 cups. I went with the volume measurement and had a dough that was pretty stick and a bit of a beast to roll out. It worked out fine in the end, and tasted great, but I might add more flour next time to make it easier to work with. If you have a scale, I'd just use 9 oz, and if you don't, I'd try 1-3/4 cup flour instead. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Pistachio marzipan</span><br />10 ounces/283 grams shelled pistachios<br />7 ounces/200 grams granulated sugar<br />2 egg whites<br /><br />1. If you want naturally bright green marzipan, first blanch the pistachios: bring a large pot of water to a boil, add pistachios and blanch for 30 seconds to one minute. Test one by running it under cold water and seeing if the reddish skin comes off easily. If so, drain and rinse with cold water. Now, one by one, squeeze the pistachios to remove the skin. This is what keeps the marzipan bright green. Once they are all skinned, place on a towel-lined baking tray and allow to dry for at least 3 hours. Do not dry in the oven, as the color may fade.<br />2. Combine pistachios and sugar in a food processor and grind as finely as desired.<br />3. Add egg whites and process until well blended. If you didn't blanch the pistachios and the marzipan is a little brown, you can add a drop or two of green food coloring. Scrape into a container and refrigerate or freeze. This keeps well, and is best made in advance.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Pistachio Ice Cream</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">yield: About 3 cups</span><br /><br />1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios<br />3/4 cup sugar<br />2 cups milk (do not use low-fat or nonfat)<br />1/2 teaspoon almond extract<br />4 large egg yolks<br />1 cup whipping cream<br />3/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, toasted, coarsely chopped<br /><br />Finely grind 1 cup pistachios and 1/4 cup sugar in processor. Bring milk and ground pistachio mixture to boil in heavy large saucepan. Remove from heat. Mix in almond extract.<br />Whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Return custard to saucepan. Cook over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes (do not boil). Strain into large bowl. Chill until cold, about 2 hours.<br />Stir 1 cup whipping cream and chopped pistachios into custard. Process mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.<br /><br /></span></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-89886211966733381632011-03-14T23:23:00.000-07:002011-03-16T01:28:05.296-07:00TWD: Citrus Cranberry Sunshine MuffinsCitrus sunshine muffins, you say? I've got your sunshine right here:<div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSd15SBVmt8Evdo6Xfhs-876YZDEP1YXBH4DVpZFOIOkrD5A7Lky7ENwpYLOpCFLegx-DPhAFHPpZmFvO67aLMPKa_qEL4WAmCJdeFYVSuEcx8gJYSi9Vh-ElPh7f-lhyqsIgpeA/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 391px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSd15SBVmt8Evdo6Xfhs-876YZDEP1YXBH4DVpZFOIOkrD5A7Lky7ENwpYLOpCFLegx-DPhAFHPpZmFvO67aLMPKa_qEL4WAmCJdeFYVSuEcx8gJYSi9Vh-ElPh7f-lhyqsIgpeA/s400/Untitled-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584588635263039282" /></a><br />Well, okay, that's not so impressive. But you have to believe me that it's been very sunny and downright <b>hot</b> here the past few days! The perfect weather to pair with these bright and cheery muffins:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BfeBAC2q2cfYfd0rRgMEMjtc1h0wTNjUnFxCkBLNdaQ2Y4W4ekE2w_ewWJHMIt5NPGdvMHp3KYQ2r6udy8vFOVF0d3rjiL1eH04OrYUA_5xurUGoT4_wMcM5a0qHBtIVILWxag/s1600/citrus-sunshine-muffins-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BfeBAC2q2cfYfd0rRgMEMjtc1h0wTNjUnFxCkBLNdaQ2Y4W4ekE2w_ewWJHMIt5NPGdvMHp3KYQ2r6udy8vFOVF0d3rjiL1eH04OrYUA_5xurUGoT4_wMcM5a0qHBtIVILWxag/s400/citrus-sunshine-muffins-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584193179759434994" /></a>I am permanently done with currants since my stint living in England, land o' the currants and custard, so I substituted cranberries in their stead. I used the zest of two oranges and a lemon and although I thought for sure it would result in overwhelming zestiness and general awesomeness, the citrus flavor was still not bold enough for me! Next time I'm chucking in a whole grapefruit and that'll be the end of it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ixxw4Z9uDMB9lC4ffQVM6z2VyTXCP0jB2OAK4nWrvo1N8jLmMM0U4lM42_VG4hWOwCOr9aJv77uOUrBIzCfPzmjunE0aCVJ0EG8y49RYvSfxbB5C0C4Ht5OOfB5YdnUdzWquVQ/s1600/citrus-sunshine-muffins-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ixxw4Z9uDMB9lC4ffQVM6z2VyTXCP0jB2OAK4nWrvo1N8jLmMM0U4lM42_VG4hWOwCOr9aJv77uOUrBIzCfPzmjunE0aCVJ0EG8y49RYvSfxbB5C0C4Ht5OOfB5YdnUdzWquVQ/s400/citrus-sunshine-muffins-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584193177421925234" /></a>I also thought these muffins could use some sexy accessorizing--maybe a little drizzle here, or a streusel topping there? Nothing crazy, but a little something to perk them up. As they were, their flat top and coarse crumb will never get them asked to the homecoming dance. But add a little lippy, lose the glasses, and bam--I've just improved these muffins <i>and</i> told you the plot to <i>She's All That</i> in one short paragraph.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMlhLpefLwuSkSRGvCr2oe1u3zZwo2OrELq9NneX8ZkOrkVkTkjndnAG_-HxC0qldxRvAJVgN1Ruq8auHiAIddKS_h1kp1tRR6RMgZIWfqilPefd-Az5YDTgUVGztfXieEoKJtQ/s1600/citrus-sunshine-muffins-3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMlhLpefLwuSkSRGvCr2oe1u3zZwo2OrELq9NneX8ZkOrkVkTkjndnAG_-HxC0qldxRvAJVgN1Ruq8auHiAIddKS_h1kp1tRR6RMgZIWfqilPefd-Az5YDTgUVGztfXieEoKJtQ/s400/citrus-sunshine-muffins-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584193184794960338" /></a>One last thing--I just have to point out that cute bowl holding the muffins. You can't see it very well in most of the pics, but it's actually a bunny bowl! They were a graduation gift from my aunt, and I think they're just the cutest thing since post-makeover Rachel Leigh Cook in <i>She's All That</i>. Unfortunately they fall into the category of "so lovely I'm afraid to use them every day so I'll put them somewhere safe" so they don't get used as much as I'd like. Until now. Ta-daaa.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UELbSI_ZhWx0HcoZ5kYRTqpVOl9YNBTtTazkqfuKLzpuQKRy3ww1Z2RNbCXqf5D98cTrstrXxNSf5YLMHblaJTi6KRSZFhVSpd7n8yrbkdjRztjt03Oh-ZGuiGk8FVnn6Ku6Vg/s1600/citrus-sunshine-muffins-4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UELbSI_ZhWx0HcoZ5kYRTqpVOl9YNBTtTazkqfuKLzpuQKRy3ww1Z2RNbCXqf5D98cTrstrXxNSf5YLMHblaJTi6KRSZFhVSpd7n8yrbkdjRztjt03Oh-ZGuiGk8FVnn6Ku6Vg/s400/citrus-sunshine-muffins-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584193185567998210" /></a>Want the recipe? Head over to <a href="http://bellabaker.blogspot.com/2011/03/sun.html">Lauryn's blog, Bella Baker</a>, to get it--she also has a $40 CSN giveaway going on right now, if free stuff is your thing. No word on whether CSN stocks bunny bowls. </div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-32671949877694543412011-03-10T13:54:00.000-08:002011-03-10T20:37:26.566-08:00Pink Grapefruit Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeBpQMmzIXhY4GkZ1rhgv4bw1yqebRkSgTCbOQdp9KhtnzWkki-uL5PCjg_wHmmULPM7v3OwWFvHOpb8PkHfMHDZBkmpeHKtglywXuJyddny3RmgxUwwMRBihPA7Quiu-EdN0SQ/s1600/pink-grapefruit-cake-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeBpQMmzIXhY4GkZ1rhgv4bw1yqebRkSgTCbOQdp9KhtnzWkki-uL5PCjg_wHmmULPM7v3OwWFvHOpb8PkHfMHDZBkmpeHKtglywXuJyddny3RmgxUwwMRBihPA7Quiu-EdN0SQ/s400/pink-grapefruit-cake-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582671536294339682" /></a><br />Hey, remember that time <a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2011/02/twd-outrageously-good-orange-chocolate.html">I had all those oranges and grapefruits, and begged for citrus recipes</a>? You guys had some awesome ideas, and I dutifully bookmarked them and printed them and planned on a whopper of a Citrus Month...and then ate almost all of the fruit raw. Grapefruit for breakfast, sometimes two or three oranges per lunch--they were just that good. So unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) very few of the citrus fruits actually made it into baked goods.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzVwXKIrP7SAL1NV7_b2XfCFmCaztOVwaK4aJOHCVWRCgMO8gFQZKJVn0TKyTn8fSLVuBzNpI-agHxaSsPDZYBGewMT9vNIkkyVkhc9KFUAtrX28HqEGwnezsns84ZwXVs8NHmg/s1600/pink-grapefruit-cake-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzVwXKIrP7SAL1NV7_b2XfCFmCaztOVwaK4aJOHCVWRCgMO8gFQZKJVn0TKyTn8fSLVuBzNpI-agHxaSsPDZYBGewMT9vNIkkyVkhc9KFUAtrX28HqEGwnezsns84ZwXVs8NHmg/s400/pink-grapefruit-cake-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582671530597492386" /></a><br />But! I was able to save a few from my ravenous lunch-belly and make a few goodies, like this Pink Grapefruit Cake. I've actually been intending to bake this for over a year now, ever since I first saw it on <a href="http://twopeasandtheirpod.com/pink-grapefruit-yogurt-cake-recipe/">Two Peas and Their Pod</a>. I'm no stranger to baking with oranges or lemons, but pink grapefruit...now that sounded intriguing!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweGoAHefy8ZOMX_pFD_Yqk9fSPc8IVzfu_QqJcXrtxaN6piHAB8dK8yRcP-DW5tZi9Qjsl9AekVrEbjeMTBkjVLgU93ZE5dZ2trMSwBlxZqOMmEl56O1cX9xnyE-7dcecg7_iiQ/s1600/pink-grapefruit-cake-3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweGoAHefy8ZOMX_pFD_Yqk9fSPc8IVzfu_QqJcXrtxaN6piHAB8dK8yRcP-DW5tZi9Qjsl9AekVrEbjeMTBkjVLgU93ZE5dZ2trMSwBlxZqOMmEl56O1cX9xnyE-7dcecg7_iiQ/s400/pink-grapefruit-cake-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582671540293731762" /></a><br />This cake recipe uses grapefruit zest in the batter, and grapefruit juice in a soaking syrup and glaze, so it's full of tart citrus flavor. It also has plenty of greek yogurt to keep it moist and add a little extra tang.<br /><br />It turned out to be a quiet, sweet little thing--not a showy birthday cake, but perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up next to a glass of tea. And, if you happen to nibble on it for breakfast one morning, you won't even feel too guilty--it's just that light and tart and refreshing.<br /><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTWdA1gen49PdrxYmLs0mdC4BFQ44NPoibA7sLlOYxHPX-ZmuK8Uv3zfdyp3qOYd8IKZ3DXsrlZnZtK1XLInF35Bb0M9hrqdF_M3crGsN9x54_5W_jfhndIGPCF9iHJ7Nd6UeiA/s1600/pink-grapefruit-cake-4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 308px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTWdA1gen49PdrxYmLs0mdC4BFQ44NPoibA7sLlOYxHPX-ZmuK8Uv3zfdyp3qOYd8IKZ3DXsrlZnZtK1XLInF35Bb0M9hrqdF_M3crGsN9x54_5W_jfhndIGPCF9iHJ7Nd6UeiA/s400/pink-grapefruit-cake-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582671548903108978" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Pink Grapefruit Yogurt Cake</span><br /><a href="http://twopeasandtheirpod.com/pink-grapefruit-yogurt-cake-recipe/">from Two Peas and Their Pod</a><br /><br />3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt<br />1 cup granulated sugar<br />Zest of 1 1/2 pink grapefruits<br />3 large eggs<br />1 1/2 cups all purpose flour<br />2 teaspoons baking powder<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />1/3 cup canola oil<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Grapefruit Syrup</span> [I doubled this amount]<br />1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice<br />2 T granulated sugar<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Grapefruit Glaze</span> [doubled this and I added about 1/2 tsp of citric acid to make it more tart]<br />1/3 cup powdered sugar<br />2-3 T freshly squeezed grapefruit juice<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Dust lightly with flour too. Set pan aside.<br /><br />In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.<br /><br />In a small bowl, add the grapefruit zest to the sugar. Rub together with your fingers until fragrant. In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, sugar, and zest with large spoon or spatula. Whisk in the eggs-you can do all three at once. Mix until smooth and then add in the vanilla and stir again.<br /><br />Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix just until flour is incorporated.<br /><br />Add the oil and mix well. It might take a minute to get the oil mixed in, but it will.<br /><br />Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until your cake tester comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center.<br /><br />Cool on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes and then remove from the pan. While the cake is cooling make the syrup and glaze.<br /><br />For the syrup, in a small sauce pan add the grapefruit juice and sugar. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.<br /><br />For the glaze, in a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and grapefruit juice. If it is too thick, add more juice, if it is too runny, add more sugar.<br /><br />Poke little holes into the cake with a toothpick. Spoon the grapefruit syrup over the cake and let it soak in. Let the cake cool to room temperature and then add the glaze. Drizzle over the top of the cake.<br /><br /></span>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-70736353756162111832011-03-07T22:52:00.000-08:002011-03-08T11:24:45.189-08:00TWD: Corniest Corn MuffinsIt's a rare day when I post a savory recipe on this here blog. I think this is literally only the 3rd or 4th non-dessert to be posted since this blog started lo these many years ago. And one of the previous times was another <a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2009/01/tuesdays-with-dorie-spicy-cornbread.html">TWD cornbread recipe</a>!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QVG4seEwIXCJBHolCQDp-5Xd_-z08O87Ugt93MD3tcPQidNG5qfXJLQTNPBFQ4968XGfJjESL7OYoc_UGHvez2VJ8baZxcoH7LdNcDDgic4rmszgxs8Ru_8gcsX_DENNg73aow/s1600/corn-muffins-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QVG4seEwIXCJBHolCQDp-5Xd_-z08O87Ugt93MD3tcPQidNG5qfXJLQTNPBFQ4968XGfJjESL7OYoc_UGHvez2VJ8baZxcoH7LdNcDDgic4rmszgxs8Ru_8gcsX_DENNg73aow/s400/corn-muffins-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581771408784042018" /></a>The truth is, I don't have a clearly defined reason for focusing just on desserts. I like cooking all kinds of things. I like eating all kinds of things. I certainly like having a balanced diet where sweets do not comprise 99% of my intake, all blog appearances to the contrary. But for some reason, I most enjoy photographing and writing about desserts, and since I already struggle to carve out time for my personal blog, it always seems to make the most sense to do what's most fun.<div><br /></div><div>With all of that being said, these "Corniest Corn Muffins" we made this week were sort of like a sweet in disguise. The original recipe called for 6 tbsp of sugar for 12 muffins (I only got 10 out of the batch) and I reduced that by half so they wouldn't be too jarringly sweet. I also added chopped thyme and rosemary and used fire-roasted corn from TJ's to make them a little more savory.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvXKLUQOUszdl3J2d6xvOW4FImaG5dY5zpmLw28eFsh84XWsHFMkemhg3GaMzZmL0u0wKnJ79c8rd_bDkC4g8kahvn0TXbe7Tz0SjGQw4V4H3NxK6ZjTbmewC9xsvC7kBKdXS5g/s1600/corn-muffins-3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsvXKLUQOUszdl3J2d6xvOW4FImaG5dY5zpmLw28eFsh84XWsHFMkemhg3GaMzZmL0u0wKnJ79c8rd_bDkC4g8kahvn0TXbe7Tz0SjGQw4V4H3NxK6ZjTbmewC9xsvC7kBKdXS5g/s400/corn-muffins-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581771419142866354" /></a><br />Served with black bean chili, these corn muffins were amazing! Moist inside, with that crispity crackly crust that's so good for dipping in soups. I loved the addition of the fresh herbs, and think next time I might add some grated pepper jack as well. </div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQyAFSJp2jfwAF-fuepyn_p3APX2qMz3TzhqV_A3nHPupVsthKblPCI7PFajqQNxG77qGrv7OE5c6IL8gHdtO34sK9pXxcFkYNuaJxjTgyA490M4sFRwITVh6lL4c2U-UNsyB-A/s1600/corn-muffins-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQyAFSJp2jfwAF-fuepyn_p3APX2qMz3TzhqV_A3nHPupVsthKblPCI7PFajqQNxG77qGrv7OE5c6IL8gHdtO34sK9pXxcFkYNuaJxjTgyA490M4sFRwITVh6lL4c2U-UNsyB-A/s400/corn-muffins-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581771415043728370" /></a>The recipe can be found on<a href="http://jillbuker.blogspot.com/2011/03/twd-corniest-corn-muffins.html"> Jill's blog, My Next Life</a>. And with that, I leave you with the greatest cinematic mention of cornbread, ever.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xnxz3acXM6w?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />P.S. I got a few questions last week on the <a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2011/02/chocolate-pot-de-cremes-cure-for-common.html#comments">Pot de Creme post</a> about where I got those cute little white cups. They're darling, right? Unfortunately I got them at a thrift store a few months ago, so I'm not much use in helping other people find them. I've actually had great luck finding beautiful glassware at various thrift stores for really cheap--each of those white cups was 39 cents each! If anyone is ever in Pasadena, <a href="http://www.actsthrift.org/">Acts Thrift Store</a> on Hill & Locust has the absolute best selection of kitchen stuff in the area!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-67432976128644479832011-03-03T22:48:00.000-08:002011-03-05T19:51:03.577-08:00Mini Chocolate DoughnutsI hope this doesn't make you uncomfortable, but I have to share. In January, we went to New York City, and I had a spiritual experience.<br /><br />I went here, and my life was changed forever:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDTjRTdb7WM_-cRN349wofyEfpKEUQn6Oc-on3V0jGneH1M94jZMSlSxxEjrPLk6qJSzQRS9w1ItR9qzTYkkj7uJMTaeoGj3nL8mBHVEclegP7u3CLlRymhugORsoRD33Q3gZPA/s1600/doughnut-plant-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDTjRTdb7WM_-cRN349wofyEfpKEUQn6Oc-on3V0jGneH1M94jZMSlSxxEjrPLk6qJSzQRS9w1ItR9qzTYkkj7uJMTaeoGj3nL8mBHVEclegP7u3CLlRymhugORsoRD33Q3gZPA/s400/doughnut-plant-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580798064025389634" /></a><br />Prior to my trip to the Doughnut Plant, I was lukewarm on the question of doughnuts. Sure, I'd been known to eat them, but usually under conditions of extreme hunger or boredom or to win a bet.*<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">*That never actually happened. But how great would it be to win money for eating doughnuts?</span><br /><br />Point being, I'd had a lot of mediocre doughnuts, and didn't think, in general, assembly-line fried dough was anything special. But then.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYZ74nXw3EsWr5xYR8vZayG3LIQsxda1PWHxGRqtUViuBKZc0IWDqlUDXp5jppEAvwR86L1wo-ia-z59fPBjHEwgFhs3ZQf3kv2beNSnpY4JiO5f76tsjZ_cfhBKQLOLvODbqBg/s1600/doughnut-plant-4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYZ74nXw3EsWr5xYR8vZayG3LIQsxda1PWHxGRqtUViuBKZc0IWDqlUDXp5jppEAvwR86L1wo-ia-z59fPBjHEwgFhs3ZQf3kv2beNSnpY4JiO5f76tsjZ_cfhBKQLOLvODbqBg/s400/doughnut-plant-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580798070439539346" /></a>These doughnuts, at the Doughnut Plant? They are something special.<br /><br />We actually made two trips to the shop, because the first time we went it looked like this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnCJDfR5BVrrQ0-3wsCEd5h2kO-FV84iJ1bZJdCiRGVBGPtvcHZ4GuVJE9QO1tBAH9x_YFLCmYka0G8LRLt7rUN06wZtBH57Sr2dcwjEpeHxcynf5-QLqX7ox2kfDocxQh_ny4w/s1600/doughnut-plant-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnCJDfR5BVrrQ0-3wsCEd5h2kO-FV84iJ1bZJdCiRGVBGPtvcHZ4GuVJE9QO1tBAH9x_YFLCmYka0G8LRLt7rUN06wZtBH57Sr2dcwjEpeHxcynf5-QLqX7ox2kfDocxQh_ny4w/s400/doughnut-plant-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580802777526819042" /></a><br />MAYDAY MAYDAY. Doughnut Plant is closed on Mondays. Save yourself the heartbreak we experienced and check the days/hours before you go!<br /><br />So after making two trips to the Lower East Side to try these doughnuts, we decided to go big and get a half-dozen flavors. Among those, we tried...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiN-ncpmvT7OOBc6maU9zne6_dS0llbUbPBYG8f3KBnlqAma-IfmIMktQABZZ80Mym3vRFbWDxqYAu1XdIAI5QfacOwrFME1pYKHG7XDVbIBfjYc5PmIw5Efpyp0l2p4h4YliKjQ/s1600/doughnut-plant-6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiN-ncpmvT7OOBc6maU9zne6_dS0llbUbPBYG8f3KBnlqAma-IfmIMktQABZZ80Mym3vRFbWDxqYAu1XdIAI5QfacOwrFME1pYKHG7XDVbIBfjYc5PmIw5Efpyp0l2p4h4YliKjQ/s400/doughnut-plant-6.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580798078993184754" /></a><br />The distinctive <span style="font-weight:bold;">square PB&J</span>, filled with fresh raspberry jam and glazed with a chunky peanut butter glaze, which made Jason moan like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMGkCF8-PBj0oV8inngbsJfARgJ-3vSPGMEuVkfGyqmygpQDJWIz_0A7-UFcWDfr5MP3iWCIB2e9-yxAaO-JaulQiCW8vT6uEy-fI6Z-5-vZ-g5mCo124LW2f262xOspmAA4kTA/s1600/doughnut-plant-5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMGkCF8-PBj0oV8inngbsJfARgJ-3vSPGMEuVkfGyqmygpQDJWIz_0A7-UFcWDfr5MP3iWCIB2e9-yxAaO-JaulQiCW8vT6uEy-fI6Z-5-vZ-g5mCo124LW2f262xOspmAA4kTA/s400/doughnut-plant-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580798074537775682" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzXBLEBJjDW74fUVXoOsjHMK2DMYcxt__7mQ7dM_p4WkKplBtKTmIoa8LEPWTliDfKeTsDOZrlevSUcukLJLT7gRCM4ahkC7uLyZOYl-KSuV-RDV8xXck9WgNYBtCOC0YLVbHGw/s1600/doughnut-plant-8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzXBLEBJjDW74fUVXoOsjHMK2DMYcxt__7mQ7dM_p4WkKplBtKTmIoa8LEPWTliDfKeTsDOZrlevSUcukLJLT7gRCM4ahkC7uLyZOYl-KSuV-RDV8xXck9WgNYBtCOC0YLVbHGw/s400/doughnut-plant-8.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580800399380473826" /></a><br />The <b>Valhrona chocolate doughnut, </b>full of chocolate pastry cream, which made me grin like this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsjYmBmZrKZncRrzf3uOdKK4KtjPnSRNvYVlV8aDb300oqHsegZu81LknBH9gER6K473QQ3G1IaeKbGBg02TvL-ytQOnhfKCmmZpfxADFfjaK-jwXxW5VwHpR0fbwX71CxzQ5rA/s1600/doughnut-plant-11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsjYmBmZrKZncRrzf3uOdKK4KtjPnSRNvYVlV8aDb300oqHsegZu81LknBH9gER6K473QQ3G1IaeKbGBg02TvL-ytQOnhfKCmmZpfxADFfjaK-jwXxW5VwHpR0fbwX71CxzQ5rA/s400/doughnut-plant-11.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580800406696850978" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKywwZcqCdhgux485SYPEgO7mXUYElopCernr31aC6J0E9pxBGEZPL2jyN249bDNQpu2Y-0Y8ZLcAVhfaBWovJIzVTjShIgOvl_X0uy4JEIssfHhflYYephkW9PXfwXmccX1fIBw/s1600/doughnut-plant-13.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKywwZcqCdhgux485SYPEgO7mXUYElopCernr31aC6J0E9pxBGEZPL2jyN249bDNQpu2Y-0Y8ZLcAVhfaBWovJIzVTjShIgOvl_X0uy4JEIssfHhflYYephkW9PXfwXmccX1fIBw/s400/doughnut-plant-13.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580800419394080178" /></a>The<b> carrot cake doughnut</b>, packed with carrots, walnuts, raisins, and actual cream cheese frosting in the middle of the doughnut,<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oNkEB9plIxNDyrSlmjeqyFNmX4KB8ZCtHs2ZcT9ce5VNNTwtOA1dfb3W1rXOmn4W1qHX950SXXMnFc_P7O2Ifc4Dl-THKISnOFY4i-Vad_a0ng5MxOZ4jeTtgW92uyvKrnngQw/s1600/doughnut-plant-9.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 341px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oNkEB9plIxNDyrSlmjeqyFNmX4KB8ZCtHs2ZcT9ce5VNNTwtOA1dfb3W1rXOmn4W1qHX950SXXMnFc_P7O2Ifc4Dl-THKISnOFY4i-Vad_a0ng5MxOZ4jeTtgW92uyvKrnngQw/s400/doughnut-plant-9.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580800405356504850" /></a>and the signature <b>creme brulee doughnut</b>, with a crackly, caramelized sugar top and a filling of vanilla pastry cream.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/doughnut-plant-new-york">The Doughnut Plant's</a> gotten a lot of buzz and I'm sure there's going to be a huge backlash soon (Magnolia Bakery anyone?) but for what it's worth, all of our doughnuts were excellent and we seriously considered making the hike across town the next day to pig out on more doughnuts.<br /><br />So after my transformative doughnut experience, I was much more open to doughnuts in my life. And when I was at Sur La Table and saw <a href="http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-670844/Wilton-Doughnut-Pan">this adorable mini doughnut pan</a>, well...it had to be mine.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxWroJtb_TJbj-vCMxY5sUF3HYB22vRHlSQI81KGhh0Ipb-2eMgLHMHHYjDJYWHsocjQVnDl9DttbcPm713av_PIfxQZdM1Knjg19k-GcRcGTvO1qmsFu0BF0aLlsyr5E1TxIHg/s1600/chocolate-doughnuts-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxWroJtb_TJbj-vCMxY5sUF3HYB22vRHlSQI81KGhh0Ipb-2eMgLHMHHYjDJYWHsocjQVnDl9DttbcPm713av_PIfxQZdM1Knjg19k-GcRcGTvO1qmsFu0BF0aLlsyr5E1TxIHg/s400/chocolate-doughnuts-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580806504196421762" /></a>To be sure, the doughnuts you make with this pan aren't "real" doughnuts. They're cake-style, not yeast, and they're baked instead of fried. In taste and texture, they're really more like a doughnut-shaped chocolate cupcake. But what a cute doughnut shape they have!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbosBhjpi1KnU8mSBKL86CWpQPJ_l2xxxLYVma_GACz-Yzk_DZMexz79utafac3gRogd2IaMEhyphenhyphenroGS3djb52xREJ-Z44IGelXJ_0Xt2az0EZMTpri070Tb2EdF14gzHPzntk6A/s1600/chocolate-doughnuts-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 331px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbosBhjpi1KnU8mSBKL86CWpQPJ_l2xxxLYVma_GACz-Yzk_DZMexz79utafac3gRogd2IaMEhyphenhyphenroGS3djb52xREJ-Z44IGelXJ_0Xt2az0EZMTpri070Tb2EdF14gzHPzntk6A/s400/chocolate-doughnuts-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580800421124828674" /></a><br /><br />These mini doughnuts have an intense chocolate taste that's enhanced by the chocolate ganache glaze on top. They're good for two (or possibly three, if you're dainty) bites, and we can say from firsthand experience that they're the perfect sweets for munching on during game or movie nights.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CgcJaqBQHeQ5fAtoB6RaKhMObJYPMg7vg6mO-s-fspLp3CPS8DROlndpV5fLFtI9YFPpE4blkOT7V3TWvQpA1tWAWEwJzMUzEC5WQ6LMWQ0OmanmZgyYoL0HhiZMN4-YZNqaUw/s1600/chocolate-doughnuts-5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CgcJaqBQHeQ5fAtoB6RaKhMObJYPMg7vg6mO-s-fspLp3CPS8DROlndpV5fLFtI9YFPpE4blkOT7V3TWvQpA1tWAWEwJzMUzEC5WQ6LMWQ0OmanmZgyYoL0HhiZMN4-YZNqaUw/s400/chocolate-doughnuts-5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580800771054991634" /></a><br /><br />Okay, so they're not Doughnut Plant doughnuts. But they're still tasty, and they bake in five minutes, and they're a good excuse to go crazy with my sprinkle collection. And isn't that enough?<br /><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7K6ZWoo_gg_uFWbeseIhbwo5ltpwPmfPdvGSfu_vO_nlPx4b_OKKzf0nD_9hTtRTQN02wGB-lmno8HXkyTf8v3PDEJhnIYGn0q8hLdrxAQBa0-pWemaatvtPM4qmosdAyG5lUQ/s1600/chocolate-doughnuts-4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 312px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7K6ZWoo_gg_uFWbeseIhbwo5ltpwPmfPdvGSfu_vO_nlPx4b_OKKzf0nD_9hTtRTQN02wGB-lmno8HXkyTf8v3PDEJhnIYGn0q8hLdrxAQBa0-pWemaatvtPM4qmosdAyG5lUQ/s400/chocolate-doughnuts-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580800768513676322" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chocolate Doughnuts</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">yields: about 4 dozen mini doughnuts<br /></span><br />1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder<br />1 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />2 large eggs<br />3/4 cup granulated sugar<br />1/3 cup buttermilk<br />1.5 tablespoons butter, melted<br /><br />Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a mini doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray.<br /><br />In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.<br /><br />In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, buttermilk, and melted butter.<br /><br />Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Use a pastry bag fitted with a round 1/2" tip to pipe the batter into a thin layer in each doughnut mold. (It will rise a great deal, don't add too much or your doughnuts will puff out of the mold.)<br /><br />Bake for 4-6 minutes, until they spring back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool in the mold for 5 minutes, then gently remove and cool completely.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ganache glaze</span><br />1/2 cup cream<br />1/2 cup chopped chocolate<br /><br />Heat cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour hot cream over the chopped chocolate, and gently whisk to combine. Let ganache cool slightly so that it gets a bit thicker, then dip the tops of the doughnuts in the glaze. If it's getting too cool and thick, you can microwave it briefly to thin it out again. Sprinkle the tops of the doughnuts with sprinkles while the ganache is still wet.<br />1 In a bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, buttermilk, and melted butter to blend. Stir into dry ingredients until well blended. Chill until cold, at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours.<br /></span></div>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-52647613523682982552011-02-28T22:11:00.000-08:002011-02-28T22:56:32.463-08:00Chocolate Pot de Cremes, A Cure For the Common PlagueI am back from the brink. Hallelujah and high-fives all around!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwWEOSl3UyhgrSU5afwiDp8qUFrvvOildd19gc_ImeqAFApR32c-f5zQmzsQDdiDUW-MU8wzhNtizDnLdSeaFo107ZiVsvJOGKIjLAqeOHNifEJTFSc3PoVM7g7GzCpzeWBCgiw/s1600/potdecreme-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwWEOSl3UyhgrSU5afwiDp8qUFrvvOildd19gc_ImeqAFApR32c-f5zQmzsQDdiDUW-MU8wzhNtizDnLdSeaFo107ZiVsvJOGKIjLAqeOHNifEJTFSc3PoVM7g7GzCpzeWBCgiw/s400/potdecreme-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578996364297818146" /></a><br /><br />For the past two weeks I've been suffering from something I not-at-all melodramatically termed "the plague," which also not-at-all resembles the actual plague, either in symptoms or severity.<br /><br />Nevertheless.<br /><br />It was gnarly.<br /><br />My body is recovering, my drugs are doing their job, my husband is no longer forced to listen to me complain for hours at a time and then go to work and read emails with more complaining, and--most importantly--I am feeling like myself again!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQM-_QQgwOuC3Dr5-e6_FnHBXdSRmNwhxKEfM8edGQozDL6Eq1sDswaWmu302K3zc4P2PDMepzKxuGWUq_3UIJ0aRVQkFpOKPkiPAlEO2Y6vk5PvC74wv8iUzu2C9NZddAec0zTQ/s1600/potdecreme-alt3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 355px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQM-_QQgwOuC3Dr5-e6_FnHBXdSRmNwhxKEfM8edGQozDL6Eq1sDswaWmu302K3zc4P2PDMepzKxuGWUq_3UIJ0aRVQkFpOKPkiPAlEO2Y6vk5PvC74wv8iUzu2C9NZddAec0zTQ/s400/potdecreme-alt3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578996384541777778" /></a><br /><br />Today really felt momentous. I had a full day of kitchen work planned, and instead of dragging my feet and moping around and taking breaks to photograph the progression of the plague for posterity, I was happy to be back at work. Singing to my ipod, dancing in my apron and kitchen clogs, doing endless dishes with nary a grumble.<br /><br />Wait, that last part doesn't seem like me at all. Must be the plague talking.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWhSlgSxnFAWwbA6ZbRY6E20lCLOOIFyGTnEN6FZKF4auzInMGRmsO3viEQqhqAiT3MziL6G7jHjN0VPTXEp_jI2JL9TAkrpSSK6zFxVB6DAhClxORUqV8Yqymo1igR0AduCAAA/s1600/potdecreme-4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWhSlgSxnFAWwbA6ZbRY6E20lCLOOIFyGTnEN6FZKF4auzInMGRmsO3viEQqhqAiT3MziL6G7jHjN0VPTXEp_jI2JL9TAkrpSSK6zFxVB6DAhClxORUqV8Yqymo1igR0AduCAAA/s400/potdecreme-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578996379517478322" /></a><br /><br />Honestly, how could I <span style="font-style:italic;">not</span> be happy to be back cooking, when I had these adorable chocolate pot de cremes* to greet me? Pot de creme is like a baked custard--somewhat similar in concept to pudding, but with a smooth, firm texture that comes from being thickened with egg yolks instead of cornstarch or arrowroot. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">*pots de creme? pot des creme? Probably not that last one</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56zSp9CvsAKTpsunVFh-0AvUqPEPOkiShNKNqVM7dMyShTGz_5z_5Leal4W-15NKeQyj4nkQmWtAp9S6izNb-iuc2cRqe0yWflnubyLllOiita4MQkJHI9bGEOfPYJ0Taki0rBA/s1600/potdecreme-3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 253px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56zSp9CvsAKTpsunVFh-0AvUqPEPOkiShNKNqVM7dMyShTGz_5z_5Leal4W-15NKeQyj4nkQmWtAp9S6izNb-iuc2cRqe0yWflnubyLllOiita4MQkJHI9bGEOfPYJ0Taki0rBA/s400/potdecreme-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578996367255936738" /></a><br /><br />I'm not always a custard fan, but something about these little cups hit just the right note. Their petite size means their richness isn't overwhelming, and they were barely sweetened, letting the chocolate flavor really shine through. In fact, my husband asked if there was caramel (!) or peanut butter (!!) mixed in, because they had a depth of flavor you wouldn't expect from a simple chocolate custard. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZcZZCS4FBHCwORMhWNG9MD4vtWx8QPjAcXRTxmv5d8LGB5HwIhtGNBj23Opb4MyoHcBwZvPiRoxG6Zzmy8BXuC83kJfsTO1dcF65aO5RKoxBZ7mIL84ndkMeSWSbiz3f6oStqg/s1600/potdecreme-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZcZZCS4FBHCwORMhWNG9MD4vtWx8QPjAcXRTxmv5d8LGB5HwIhtGNBj23Opb4MyoHcBwZvPiRoxG6Zzmy8BXuC83kJfsTO1dcF65aO5RKoxBZ7mIL84ndkMeSWSbiz3f6oStqg/s400/potdecreme-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578996361431696050" /></a><br /><br />The pot de creme recipe will be on Christine of<a href="http://blackcatcooking.wordpress.com/"> Black Cat Cooking's blog</a>. Make it, bake it, love it. No plague required.Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-58218341070259160102011-02-13T17:26:00.000-08:002011-02-15T18:42:17.327-08:00TWD: Chocolate Oatmeal Drops<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLg_55-paa31xdCDLy2dsqFqRUp6IaIsHmyovWlZkl7YJso5oLiid1eNnGzCOLLVjJJMVlA-DQWOgv8NeXDnrLl11t4PAkwP4bQ8V_ar9v77-Wp46hfl0-B8Muu5p9XHZ2bTX5kg/s1600/chocolate-oatmeal-drops-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 262px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLg_55-paa31xdCDLy2dsqFqRUp6IaIsHmyovWlZkl7YJso5oLiid1eNnGzCOLLVjJJMVlA-DQWOgv8NeXDnrLl11t4PAkwP4bQ8V_ar9v77-Wp46hfl0-B8Muu5p9XHZ2bTX5kg/s400/chocolate-oatmeal-drops-2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573351551183021346" /></a><br /><br />This week's recipe, Chocolate Oatmeal Drops, is a toughie to explain. Imagine cookies with the flavor and texture of brownies. Yum, right? Now mix in...oatmeal. <br /><br />It's weird, it's unexpected, but it actually kind of worked. Much like other unusual couplings--french fries with milkshakes, chocolate with bacon, Taylor Swift with Jake Gyllenhaal--sometimes it's the contrasts that make the pairing work so well.<br /><br />Not so much with Taylor and Jake, though. That was just weird.<br />[Call me, Jake.]<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnsaR80Mlc6L2spvIkw0Y6_gautfvyCOL6ZaKvtZm5T-IqmkUAVCX0XLvX1vl9UF_ppX-luy4CcKn9gOMP6UQjy6MJyRQG8BT_DUZm9V5uBPDh7Cacww4IMyGvqhR5_0SlDagcg/s1600/chocolate-oatmeal-drops-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 278px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnsaR80Mlc6L2spvIkw0Y6_gautfvyCOL6ZaKvtZm5T-IqmkUAVCX0XLvX1vl9UF_ppX-luy4CcKn9gOMP6UQjy6MJyRQG8BT_DUZm9V5uBPDh7Cacww4IMyGvqhR5_0SlDagcg/s400/chocolate-oatmeal-drops-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573351544015937506" /></a><br /><br />Ahem. Back to the cookies! They were rich, and chocolatey, and surprisingly chewy from the oatmeal. They reminded me a bit of those oatmeal no-bake cookies that have oats, chocolate, and peanut butter, and that in turn made me think that these would be awesome with some chopped up Reese's pb cups in them. Am I a baking mastermind? Quite possibly.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqC-tI00Drxfz0fa64xKJRbmbzzhhVB5oWQDisat8x058RyIvNwt1l8WVYcuxMQzaxtUAIPXy49GMDWog4U6oZqdKzfOCNEThAqtFKU3KyqO7-QegserMM7dYoweCeFq8AR4YIRQ/s1600/chocolate-oatmeal-drops-3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqC-tI00Drxfz0fa64xKJRbmbzzhhVB5oWQDisat8x058RyIvNwt1l8WVYcuxMQzaxtUAIPXy49GMDWog4U6oZqdKzfOCNEThAqtFKU3KyqO7-QegserMM7dYoweCeFq8AR4YIRQ/s400/chocolate-oatmeal-drops-3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573351554149081858" /></a><br /><br />Other things I can tell you from experience: these are awesome...<br />1) as dough before being baked <br />2) right out of the oven <br />3) a few hours later <br />4) the next day <br />5) three days after that <br />6) defrosted from the freezer a week later<br /><br />Also, four of them in a baggie fit nicely into a slipper tucked in a suitcase...you know, just in case the rest of you were hoping to travel with these and wanted to know the best way to keep them from crumbling. The ole slipper trick hasn't failed me yet. Bon appetit!Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-65652171966234023442011-02-09T12:19:00.001-08:002011-02-13T17:28:09.215-08:00Salted Fudge Brownies: Happy Valentine's Day to YOUFresh on the heels of the <a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2011/01/salted-caramel-bars.html">salted caramel bars</a>, I'm back with another dessert guaranteed to raise your blood pressure and lower your life expectancy.<br /><br />I promise, they're worth it.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ87uKV_Ykgfu727efVnMvmTDQ9v1SZdMct7kFh6vyQUW4C3Fre02MKLLt76yz2IS_4KyD6ZWAzUo5Z0Kb0_7gUFa25xRHFqBhyeMCGqPG93NtUUzIlAom8Lpcqtf6ewDoAzHepA/s1600/salted-fudgy-brownies-2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 321px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ87uKV_Ykgfu727efVnMvmTDQ9v1SZdMct7kFh6vyQUW4C3Fre02MKLLt76yz2IS_4KyD6ZWAzUo5Z0Kb0_7gUFa25xRHFqBhyeMCGqPG93NtUUzIlAom8Lpcqtf6ewDoAzHepA/s400/salted-fudgy-brownies-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572119181992679186" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Salted Fudge Brownies are my Valentine to those of you who, like me, can never get a brownie fudgy enough. It could be half-raw and oozing in the middle, and I'll think, "It's pretty good…but can't it get more fudgy?!"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvh8ZYGjo5DzM5vbva-8jOQDE8FuvFRSPf-5MQw2FJikFsW4yJHiaYC5MSzmdewa-DOZbUla00lL5u_nnVUDbvI6XdgzCfTbCxDdKl2vxri_ql-JnnyG_JMiFRbZ2GfZ_FIAmVeA/s1600/salted-fudgy-brownies-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvh8ZYGjo5DzM5vbva-8jOQDE8FuvFRSPf-5MQw2FJikFsW4yJHiaYC5MSzmdewa-DOZbUla00lL5u_nnVUDbvI6XdgzCfTbCxDdKl2vxri_ql-JnnyG_JMiFRbZ2GfZ_FIAmVeA/s400/salted-fudgy-brownies-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572119182262560002" border="0" /></a><br /><br />These babies finally answer that question: NO. They cannot possibly be more fudgy. They're decadent and dense and loaded with chocolate flavor. The only thing that saves them from being chocolate overkill is the generous portion of salt in the batter, which cuts through the richness of the chocolate. But the real star is the flaked sea salt on top, that add the occasional crunch and pop of pure salty bliss.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPn6KeOoXQ6uHQQ8yswpDWDxWGrIV6dfPoYKHAvSrBFW03PJmT8pnHJvK0Cv6hv8RM3BF6YOFSNaQHyQOR9GXGuIedApVJPNhJnZpZa80sYh_44jH0-fQ_BdTg2Gt401nC8dcmYg/s1600/salted-fudgy-brownies-3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 349px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPn6KeOoXQ6uHQQ8yswpDWDxWGrIV6dfPoYKHAvSrBFW03PJmT8pnHJvK0Cv6hv8RM3BF6YOFSNaQHyQOR9GXGuIedApVJPNhJnZpZa80sYh_44jH0-fQ_BdTg2Gt401nC8dcmYg/s400/salted-fudgy-brownies-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572119185523899138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I gifted these to a few friends as an early Valentine's present, and I do believe it's the best idea I've ever had. Everyone loved them. Of course, you don’t have to cut them into heart shapes, but if you do, I have it on good authority that the resulting brownie scraps make a delightful mid-morning snack. If you're in to that kind of thing.<br /><br />Happy early Valentine's Day, Fudge-o-holics!<br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><br />Salted Fudge Brownies<br /><br />6 oz (1.5 sticks) Butter<br />2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped<br />1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder<br />2 cups sugar<br />3 whole eggs, room temperature<br />1 cup all-purpose flour<br />1/2 tsp fine sea salt<br />1/2 tsp large-flaked sea salt<br /><br />1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Press a piece of foil inside a 9x9 pan, and spray the foil with cooking spray.<br /><br />2. Melt the butter with the unsweetened chocolate in the microwave, stirring occasionally, until the butter and chocolate are entirely melted. Whisk to combine. <br /><br />3. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk until they're incorporated. At this point the mixture will look grainy and not very appetizing. Add the eggs one at a time, being sure to whisk well after each addition. With each egg added, the mixture will get smoother and shinier, and after all 3 have been added and the batter has been well-mixed, the graininess should be gone.<br /><br />4. Add the vanilla extract, then stir in the flour and fine sea salt until any dry streaks disappear. <br /><br />5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the remaining large-flaked sea salt over the top of the brownies.<br /><br />6. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the edge is set but the center is still a bit soft and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out coated with a little of the batter. Cool at room temperature in the pan for about an hour, then refrigerate just until they are firm. Lift the brownies from the pan and remove foil. Cut the brownies into 12 or 16 squares, or use a cookie cutter to make shapes.<br /></span>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-11959959151043570012011-02-07T20:59:00.000-08:002011-02-07T21:54:51.826-08:00TWD: Outrageously Good Orange-Chocolate Bread PuddingFew things make my heart pitter-patter more than bread pudding. Done properly, it's one of my top 5 favorite desserts. (Done wrong, it's borderline inedible, but I don't like to think about such scary things so close to bedtime.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggD3pm8X7rl3Fdf4g5N_s5yJG9vXx2TOpIebzrDEKiSESeFrSF2Cb9jqNfLRS9rjahU5CLxASH477LbJZ2tbSrrOh6GkylcUaRi7G-8yjFrNU_SwU_z8dLQvLk6w5sgX3btGXt8g/s1600/choc-orange-bread-pudding-4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggD3pm8X7rl3Fdf4g5N_s5yJG9vXx2TOpIebzrDEKiSESeFrSF2Cb9jqNfLRS9rjahU5CLxASH477LbJZ2tbSrrOh6GkylcUaRi7G-8yjFrNU_SwU_z8dLQvLk6w5sgX3btGXt8g/s400/choc-orange-bread-pudding-4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571179869383896258" border="0" /></a><br />This week's TWD recipe was for Bourbon Bread Pudding, but being a teetotaler, I made a few necessary adjustments. Since my "Bourbon Bread Pudding" didn't contain any alcohol, I figured it needed a new, more accurate name. How about...<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Bourbon-less Bread Pudding</span><br />or<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Bread Pudding That Bourbon Forgot</span><br />or<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bread Pudding: The Prohibition Years</span><br />or<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't Tell Dorie The Pudding Has No Bourbon</span><br />or<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Are you There, Bourbon? It's Me, Bread Pudding</span><br /><br />Don't get me wrong, those are all <span style="font-style: italic;">great</span> options, but I like it by this title best of all:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Outrageously Good Orange-Chocolate Bread Pudding</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFc79GoGTCAxqc4UPxHzVt8f2dGHcxYa7sQ3jWvLCVX1e6uBgZc1htqSzX6Xf-nLY5kTWRARE71ExmS8vFibQ1Yxu54hp58RxEV8c2PcDpxfF0Q4f3aamiufc9s65KjAHyiHX0uQ/s1600/choc-orange-bread-pudding-3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFc79GoGTCAxqc4UPxHzVt8f2dGHcxYa7sQ3jWvLCVX1e6uBgZc1htqSzX6Xf-nLY5kTWRARE71ExmS8vFibQ1Yxu54hp58RxEV8c2PcDpxfF0Q4f3aamiufc9s65KjAHyiHX0uQ/s400/choc-orange-bread-pudding-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571179863900300706" border="0" /></a><br />Instead of making a plain bread pudding (yawn) I infused the cream with the rind of one orange overnight, to make sure orange flavor permeated every bite of the pudding. For the bread I used stale challah, which might just be my favorite yet. I've used brioche, croissants, and cinnamon raisin bread to good success in the past, but the challah had the best texture and flavor, I think, and it stayed nicely moist throughout the baking. Holla for challah!<br /><br />Here's my other secret weapon:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIY0ER8YEuxTxOUF2wYFt0sw2R8uBLbwDNxkh7BcF_Sv8D4bUQMkhW6Id9-ShIazQtl2UB1rvzF1_9DLD3u7CM9DfdQ5KhF2p7KFeJPstDY4OAYJMS7R3312jASVNN1tkGSUOIOA/s1600/choc-orange-bread-pudding-2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIY0ER8YEuxTxOUF2wYFt0sw2R8uBLbwDNxkh7BcF_Sv8D4bUQMkhW6Id9-ShIazQtl2UB1rvzF1_9DLD3u7CM9DfdQ5KhF2p7KFeJPstDY4OAYJMS7R3312jASVNN1tkGSUOIOA/s400/choc-orange-bread-pudding-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571179860732138258" border="0" /></a><br />I chopped up strips of freshly <a href="http://candy.about.com/od/fruitcandy/r/candied_peel.htm">candied orange peel</a> and added them, along with a big handful of bittersweet chocolate chunks, to the bread-and-custard mixture. The orange peel softened during the baking, so I had large pockets of juicy orange peel and melted, gooey chocolate studded throughout the pudding. Chocolate, orange, rich custard, crunchy crust of bread on top? I'm calling this<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />America's Next Top Bread Pudding<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCL1vKEor37gWNZTZGq0JdDUpQ6CK_3qbDpK9fvMoy5wc5saYNDuhwc_YUhQfcyo5QS_yoYBbeP7YXVnSJN9NHNEV4oyi0cH2dhrmvkukicAuRYqlXYQxNYwNIhJWU5pp9O0VAEA/s1600/choc-orange-bread-pudding-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCL1vKEor37gWNZTZGq0JdDUpQ6CK_3qbDpK9fvMoy5wc5saYNDuhwc_YUhQfcyo5QS_yoYBbeP7YXVnSJN9NHNEV4oyi0cH2dhrmvkukicAuRYqlXYQxNYwNIhJWU5pp9O0VAEA/s400/choc-orange-bread-pudding-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571179852664496178" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The hungry hungry husband is out of town, so I forced myself to make a half batch in little baby ramekins, because a whole batch of bread pudding + unsupervised me = serious trouble.<br /><br />You know what else is trouble?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2Gq36ITpdrqwDgrvWlA442ciu4otwcBqBH2aw4RkTsSsOLBoti_kTIZDOte2EqzYezeP1phho8eaVXbWnI1mL8mdQsqTHo94jLBIj7LcqI05Nd5u4lPpELH65__oiUHBEHZaQQ/s1600/oranges.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2Gq36ITpdrqwDgrvWlA442ciu4otwcBqBH2aw4RkTsSsOLBoti_kTIZDOte2EqzYezeP1phho8eaVXbWnI1mL8mdQsqTHo94jLBIj7LcqI05Nd5u4lPpELH65__oiUHBEHZaQQ/s400/oranges.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571184649185023586" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The ginooooormous mound of oranges and grapefruit I have shoved in my (perilously overloaded) refrigerator! SEND CITRUS RECIPES STAT.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSGjyui8s6sLET_PA-Ojdhse7YSPBGd5zZoNPPDC8eYeVywJjpMvNM9s869hX-Xe86BkF2_mxhLtdiHwPAZqHJmuwSFC20WSljgWTvmneWr5rFBxZbSU-Kieoxncv3J17g6qXm9w/s1600/condensed+milk.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSGjyui8s6sLET_PA-Ojdhse7YSPBGd5zZoNPPDC8eYeVywJjpMvNM9s869hX-Xe86BkF2_mxhLtdiHwPAZqHJmuwSFC20WSljgWTvmneWr5rFBxZbSU-Kieoxncv3J17g6qXm9w/s400/condensed+milk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571184659456831506" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Okay, so the condensed milk has nothing to do with bread pudding, bourbon, oranges, or silly pop culture references. I just also happen to have a ridiculous amount of condensed milk as well (oh my poor fridge) and am soliciting condensed milk recipes too. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Q: Are you a bread pudding fan?</span> If so, what's your favorite variation? And if not--come over! This bread pudding'll convince you.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Q: Any ideas for yummy orange/grapefruit/condensed milk recipes?</span> (Definitely not all at the same time.) Aside from key lime pie, that is...Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34139676.post-39830994576192749382011-02-05T12:07:00.000-08:002011-02-05T15:27:27.019-08:00Nutella Semifreddo for World Nutella DayMy Google Reader was a thing of beauty this morning: dozens of new posts from my <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/02/homemade-nutella-recipe-chocolate-hazelnut-spread/">favorite food blogs</a>, bursting with <a href="http://www.bakingandboys.com/2011/01/nutella-truffle-chocolate-chip-hazelnut.html">delicious Nutella recipes</a> in honor of <a href="http://www.nutelladay.com/">World Nutella Day</a>. <span style="font-style: italic;">It's the most wonderful time of the year</span>...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkUwVby5k3hVSXGiH-jsQDOQaxhoUukwKoi8bnzFYjyITgoYTdFMRLWwUZOE0vCfocfH33roMHpVjjGDsdDq09iKS7c_g8gj8vUFEeJQoPr3qQY2mU5FOkQ65xoktLyzjFyzXUw/s800/World_Nutella_Day_Final_m.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 429px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkUwVby5k3hVSXGiH-jsQDOQaxhoUukwKoi8bnzFYjyITgoYTdFMRLWwUZOE0vCfocfH33roMHpVjjGDsdDq09iKS7c_g8gj8vUFEeJQoPr3qQY2mU5FOkQ65xoktLyzjFyzXUw/s800/World_Nutella_Day_Final_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I've already featured two different types of <a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2011/02/world-nutella-day-its-coming.html">homemade nutella</a>, and <a href="http://cake0rdeath.blogspot.com/2011/02/four-ingredient-nutella-cupcakes.html">four-ingredient Nutella cupcakes</a>, but trust me when I tell you, I've saved the best for last.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOYyBZmapod7U7PsGVOCRBOlu3x56KcLlwilzv_a8Kr1zLvXgWnblov9NT2Hj-QdCEcVuHJKmgp5UwJ3ehnKw21y0qsHJHutH-84Ag60heEZ1YieRlNHvajgVZ50QJZYSWoRSTQ/s1600/nutella-semifreddo-2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 276px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOYyBZmapod7U7PsGVOCRBOlu3x56KcLlwilzv_a8Kr1zLvXgWnblov9NT2Hj-QdCEcVuHJKmgp5UwJ3ehnKw21y0qsHJHutH-84Ag60heEZ1YieRlNHvajgVZ50QJZYSWoRSTQ/s400/nutella-semifreddo-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570343766818940162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nutella Semifreddo is perhaps the best thing I've eaten so far this year</span>. This may not seem like an earth-shattering statement, but in the last month I've created 16 new recipes for the <a href="http://candy.about.com/">candy site</a>, made multiple baked goods for this here blog, and eaten my way through the patisseries of Boston and New York.<br /><br />(Also, I have vowed to start eating well aaaaaaany day now...just as soon as I find a diet that endorses Nutella and full-fat cheese.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvgiCcdRuknqMZVvwnC2YMtHdkvVQ8M4Mt9jHEq8wnSF7s-tTmmr3Hvw1ueFxS8ne0KrGZQyI3C_ZKLFaxkU2E78wdgFKIH0taztpWgNjDVM0Tz_yWsHnYBx_5Kvo3aXcEiYRow/s1600/nutella-semifreddo-5.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAvgiCcdRuknqMZVvwnC2YMtHdkvVQ8M4Mt9jHEq8wnSF7s-tTmmr3Hvw1ueFxS8ne0KrGZQyI3C_ZKLFaxkU2E78wdgFKIH0taztpWgNjDVM0Tz_yWsHnYBx_5Kvo3aXcEiYRow/s400/nutella-semifreddo-5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570343778308108994" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Semifreddo, if you're not familiar with it, is an Italian word that means "half-frozen" and it can refer to any number of desserts, most of them in the sorbet/frozen mousse/ice cream tart category. This Nutella Semifreddo is perhaps most similar in taste and texture to a frozen mousse. Slightly warm and liquid Nutella is stirred into well-beaten eggs, then soft whipped cream is folded into this mixture to lighten the texture and round out the flavor. The final touch is stirring in shaved dark chocolate and chopped toasted pistachios, for pockets of bittersweet crunch sprinkled throughout.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqunMABg0kfKyFPZQaCg9bOP-IxmvUxIZakIYwSHUD75Tk3a0gQQ8HII8Di9NWSTLjvtmKOFQt2wHkycVs-cy9-Y5E_eYAtc3X1wNQCm9ovFO5n9i72ECyClpCa9WgaNJL091CfA/s1600/nutella-semifreddo-4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqunMABg0kfKyFPZQaCg9bOP-IxmvUxIZakIYwSHUD75Tk3a0gQQ8HII8Di9NWSTLjvtmKOFQt2wHkycVs-cy9-Y5E_eYAtc3X1wNQCm9ovFO5n9i72ECyClpCa9WgaNJL091CfA/s400/nutella-semifreddo-4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570343773558544674" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This semifreddo can be made in a loafpan and served in slices (easy way) or spooned into individual glasses or serving dishes (bonus credit). I liked it best after it had sat out of the freezer for about five minutes. The edges start to soften, the way good ice cream gets melty along the edges, but the rest of the dessert holds its body when you put it in your mouth, silky-smooth and lighter than air, where it ever so gently melts with your body heat until all that's left is the taste of chocolate and hazelnuts coating your tongue.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLIl5aQv7MMRC1m-27RHPoi0P7ILeGMrr4mI2MxHy8VTj7GUJN1ruggEX_GPtNvohybEYpaPRbPU5AaMvtZRWmPl1Uxk8aaw_Uob_CWrFqqeVJUULM9HgDOcmSWMs57cy8jUMDA/s1600/nutella-semifreddo-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLIl5aQv7MMRC1m-27RHPoi0P7ILeGMrr4mI2MxHy8VTj7GUJN1ruggEX_GPtNvohybEYpaPRbPU5AaMvtZRWmPl1Uxk8aaw_Uob_CWrFqqeVJUULM9HgDOcmSWMs57cy8jUMDA/s400/nutella-semifreddo-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570343762659912674" border="0" /></a><br /><br />If you like mousse, you'll love semifreddo.<br />If you like ice cream, you'll love semifreddo.<br />If you like Nutella, you'll love semifreddo.<br />If you don't like any of these, you've probably come to my blog by mistake because you meant to type Death of Cake but got Cake or Death instead. I'm sorry. It happens. Perhaps some semifreddo will make you feel better.<br /><br /><span id="fullpost"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1o2ncRx04aC6bcP3B6L6b_p1MnZ9B0kiTAraIcbcrVnEfd2h6EIi_JlNegRKQiBOa5L5aWNM0FqlQuUDA9P0ovXCxTC9Cnt5EuPjIDa67Wn6QEjLzVM9UaAHNgy4eNOeios0IDw/s1600/nutella-semifreddo-3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1o2ncRx04aC6bcP3B6L6b_p1MnZ9B0kiTAraIcbcrVnEfd2h6EIi_JlNegRKQiBOa5L5aWNM0FqlQuUDA9P0ovXCxTC9Cnt5EuPjIDa67Wn6QEjLzVM9UaAHNgy4eNOeios0IDw/s400/nutella-semifreddo-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570343770145191042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chocolate Nutella Semifreddo</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Adapted from <a href="http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com/2010/02/chocolate-nutella-semifreddo-for-world.html">More Than Burnt Toast</a></span><br /><br />4 large eggs, room temperature<br />1/4 cup granulated sugar<br />1 13 ounce (400 gram) jar Nutella<br />1 cup heavy cream<br />1 tablespoon chocolate or hazelnut liqueur, or vanilla extract<br />4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, shaved<br />2/3 cup roasted pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped<br />Chocolate curls, for decoration<br /><br />*****************<br />Line a mold of your choice with plastic wrap, taking care to leave about a 3 inch length hanging over the edge. I recommend a loaf pan about 8x4, or you can use individual serving cups and not worry about the plastic lining.<br /><br />Gently whip the cream until it holds soft peaks. Be careful not to overwhip and cause the cream to break or become grainy.<br /><br />Heat the Nutella in the microwave for about 20-25 seconds to soften it up. Set aside.<br /><br />Place eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk until the eggs are warm, about 2 minutes.<br /><br />Place the bowl in a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip the eggs on high speed until pale and tripled in volume, about 5 minutes.<br /><br />Add the softened Nutella and the chocolate or hazelnut liqueur, or the vanilla extract, to the egg mixture and mix on low speed until blended.<br /><br />Gently fold in the whipped cream, half of the shaved chocolate and 1/2 cup of the chopped nuts.<br />Scrape mixture into the mold and spread evenly, or spoon into the individual serving cups. Top with the remaining shaved chocolate. Cover the top of mold with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.<br /><br />When you are ready to serve, unmold the semifreddo and flip it upside-down. Cut it into slices and top them with a few curls of chocolate and the remaining chopped nuts. Like ice cream, this would be bonkers with a warm chocolate (or chocolate-hazelnut?) sauce and/or whipped cream. But it's pretty epic just the way it is.</span>Lizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16573263170801071815noreply@blogger.com14