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Once there was a blog. . . it was a happy blog. . . with many people posting their favorite recipes on it. And, then, one day, everyone disappeared. Ha ha ha ha. . .
Okay, so, here goes nothing. . .
I made it back into the kitchen this week, after an 8 hour day at work, to whip up a batch of pepper jelly. I have been on this preserving kick lately - which must have something to do with some internal clock that we all have that goes "Hey! Summer is passing you by! Soak your veggies in vinegar and sugar and put them away for a cold winter day!" You would swear that I have a garden. . . but no. . . I have been going to the supermarket (not even the produce stand!) in order to buy vegetables for preserving. I don't know why I've been on this culinary kick lately, but I'm going with it. I am still crazy in love with the salsa, and am about to make another batch with all over the leftover jalepenos that I had from this recipe. (Sometimes I'm not so great at figuring out how many items (like tomatoes, bell pepper, etc.) equals 1/2 c. or 2 c. or whatever the recipe calls for, so I always have crazy amounts of leftovers. Anyhow, the recipe is super easy, and pepper jelly is always a hit atop a mound of cream cheese. I don't know what else you would do with it. . . Does anyone have ideas? Because I do have a little stockpile now. . . The helpful hint of the day, though, is to take out your contacts first! I don't care how many times you've washed your hands after having chopped up the peppers. . . it doesn't feel so great. . . stinging, blood shot eyeballs. . . yeah, just take them out.
Okay, so, here goes nothing. . .
I made it back into the kitchen this week, after an 8 hour day at work, to whip up a batch of pepper jelly. I have been on this preserving kick lately - which must have something to do with some internal clock that we all have that goes "Hey! Summer is passing you by! Soak your veggies in vinegar and sugar and put them away for a cold winter day!" You would swear that I have a garden. . . but no. . . I have been going to the supermarket (not even the produce stand!) in order to buy vegetables for preserving. I don't know why I've been on this culinary kick lately, but I'm going with it. I am still crazy in love with the salsa, and am about to make another batch with all over the leftover jalepenos that I had from this recipe. (Sometimes I'm not so great at figuring out how many items (like tomatoes, bell pepper, etc.) equals 1/2 c. or 2 c. or whatever the recipe calls for, so I always have crazy amounts of leftovers. Anyhow, the recipe is super easy, and pepper jelly is always a hit atop a mound of cream cheese. I don't know what else you would do with it. . . Does anyone have ideas? Because I do have a little stockpile now. . . The helpful hint of the day, though, is to take out your contacts first! I don't care how many times you've washed your hands after having chopped up the peppers. . . it doesn't feel so great. . . stinging, blood shot eyeballs. . . yeah, just take them out.
Pepper Jelly
1 bell pepper, chopped fine
4 decent sized jalepenos, chopped fine (about 1/3 c.)
1 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
6 c. sugar
6 oz. Certo (or other brand) liquid pectin
Place peppers in a large pot with vinegar and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and add the pectin. Spoon into 1/2 pint jars. The recipe should make between 6 & 7 jars (i.e. enough to share, if you have to). And, always remember to sterilize your jars properly! Safety first.
The lack of activity on this blog, in no way, coincides with a lack of activity in my kitchen. Seeing as how we all have to eat, I imagine that it's the same for all of you. . . unless everyone in the world has suddenly converted to fast food junkies, which, knowing all of you, seems highly doubtful. Often, I am too lazy to dig out my camera, or things get too messy to even imagine taking a photo. (After all, who wants to take a picture when their hands are covered with raw chicken germs?) Regardless, from time to time, there does come a peaceful, germ free moment in the kitchen when you may pause and ask yourself, why am I not taking a picture of this dish? It looks so beautiful. I went to so much trouble to get to this point, etc. So, I am encouraging you. . . go forth and multiply. . . or, umm, go forth and photograph? I'm trying to make myself cook new recipes every week, and I need ideas! Especially tried and true ideas.
Now, in order to avoid being a hypocrite, I'm posting some photos from last night's salsa endeavor. Before I begin with the recipe, I want to make a special note that when preserving food, you should be cautious, make sure that everything is sterile, and all of that jazz. . . So, start with some clean jars!
And here's the recipe:
2 c. tomatoes (chopped)
1 c. onions (chopped)
1/2 c. bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 c. or more jalepenos (chopped) *
4 cloves of garlic (chopped finely)
a bunch of fresh corriander or about 1 T. dried corriander
1/2 T. salt
1 tsp. white pepper
1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a pot, and cook on medium high heat until the mixture starts to boil. Lower the heat to medium and continue to simmer for 25 minutes. Spoon into jars, leaving about 1/2 inch unfilled at the top of the jar. Being certain to wipe the jars and rims clean, close the jars, and place in boiling water for twenty more minutes. Carefully remove from the water, and allow to cool. More importantly, be sure to follow any manufacturer's directions regarding the sealing of your jars! Safety first.
* I used 1/2 c. of jalepenos and wished that I had used much more. The recipe, as is, is mild at best. If you want to make salsa to give out as gifts, to people who might not like spicy food, this recipe is pretty ideal, but if you're making it for yourself, and you like it hot. . . definitely add more!
Now, in order to avoid being a hypocrite, I'm posting some photos from last night's salsa endeavor. Before I begin with the recipe, I want to make a special note that when preserving food, you should be cautious, make sure that everything is sterile, and all of that jazz. . . So, start with some clean jars!And here's the recipe:
2 c. tomatoes (chopped)
1 c. onions (chopped)
1/2 c. bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 c. or more jalepenos (chopped) *
4 cloves of garlic (chopped finely)
a bunch of fresh corriander or about 1 T. dried corriander
1/2 T. salt
1 tsp. white pepper
1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a pot, and cook on medium high heat until the mixture starts to boil. Lower the heat to medium and continue to simmer for 25 minutes. Spoon into jars, leaving about 1/2 inch unfilled at the top of the jar. Being certain to wipe the jars and rims clean, close the jars, and place in boiling water for twenty more minutes. Carefully remove from the water, and allow to cool. More importantly, be sure to follow any manufacturer's directions regarding the sealing of your jars! Safety first.
* I used 1/2 c. of jalepenos and wished that I had used much more. The recipe, as is, is mild at best. If you want to make salsa to give out as gifts, to people who might not like spicy food, this recipe is pretty ideal, but if you're making it for yourself, and you like it hot. . . definitely add more!
So, I've always thought that one has the right to be lazy on one's own birthday. . . However, I am realistic enough to realize that there is only one way for me to get a non-bakery cake on my birthday, and that is to make it myself. After a long internal struggle (which didn't last more than a few seconds), I came to the ultimate solution. . . a sort of punch bowl cake - without the punch bowl. I tried to look up recipes, but that didn't work out so well, so I improvised and did what I intended to do before I ever looked at the first recipe.
And here it is:
Punch Bowl Cake (sort of)
2 boxes Sara Lee Pound cake (family size, from the freezer section of your local grocer)
1 lb. fresh strawberries
1 lb. frozen strawberries (from the freezer section of your local grocer)
1/3 c. sugar
1 pkg. Jello no bake sugar free cheesecake pudding (because this is SOOO healthy)
2 1/2 c. milk
1 c. cream
1 pkg. cream cheese
Begin by placing the frozen strawberries in a pot. Cook them until the juices pour out, add the sugar and cook a bit longer. Meanwhile, clean and slice the fresh strawberries, and find the biggest bowl that you can.
Remove one pound cake from the package, cut into cubes and dump them into your bowl. In a separate bowl, prepare the cheesecake pudding. Now you are ready to begin layering. Oh! But first you have to mix the fresh strawberries with the cooked strawberries!
So, a layer of pound cake, a layer of cheesecake pudding, a layer of strawberries, a layer of pound cake (that was from the second pound cake, which I guess that I never told you to cube). . . another layer of strawberries. That brings us here:
Then, in a bowl (best to use the one that you made the pudding in and save yourself from washing an extra dish), beat the cream cheese and the cup of cream. Add a little vanilla, and voila - you have the final bit of the cake. Pour that on top of everything, and you're done. I was REALLY tired after a long day at work, so I didn't bother with mixing that bit very well. I figure that I'm not going to cry if I have a lump of cream cheese not completely integrated into the cream.
And there you have it. It's best to let it sit overnight, and let the pound cake soak up all of the strawberry juice and creaminess.
So, Happy Birthday to me, and bon voyage to you, Sarah!
And here it is:
Punch Bowl Cake (sort of)
2 boxes Sara Lee Pound cake (family size, from the freezer section of your local grocer)
1 lb. fresh strawberries
1 lb. frozen strawberries (from the freezer section of your local grocer)
1/3 c. sugar
1 pkg. Jello no bake sugar free cheesecake pudding (because this is SOOO healthy)
2 1/2 c. milk
1 c. cream
1 pkg. cream cheese
Begin by placing the frozen strawberries in a pot. Cook them until the juices pour out, add the sugar and cook a bit longer. Meanwhile, clean and slice the fresh strawberries, and find the biggest bowl that you can.
Remove one pound cake from the package, cut into cubes and dump them into your bowl. In a separate bowl, prepare the cheesecake pudding. Now you are ready to begin layering. Oh! But first you have to mix the fresh strawberries with the cooked strawberries!
So, a layer of pound cake, a layer of cheesecake pudding, a layer of strawberries, a layer of pound cake (that was from the second pound cake, which I guess that I never told you to cube). . . another layer of strawberries. That brings us here:
Then, in a bowl (best to use the one that you made the pudding in and save yourself from washing an extra dish), beat the cream cheese and the cup of cream. Add a little vanilla, and voila - you have the final bit of the cake. Pour that on top of everything, and you're done. I was REALLY tired after a long day at work, so I didn't bother with mixing that bit very well. I figure that I'm not going to cry if I have a lump of cream cheese not completely integrated into the cream.
And there you have it. It's best to let it sit overnight, and let the pound cake soak up all of the strawberry juice and creaminess.
So, Happy Birthday to me, and bon voyage to you, Sarah!
I don't have a picture of food. . . don't have a recipe. . . but I do have a link to the most awesome of awesome blogs that boast both. This really is the neatest idea that I've seen lately.
http://www.theydrawandcook.com
In other news, I've tried the Cooks Illustrated Strawberry Ice Box Pie, and it was beyond amazing. I brought it to the annual family reunion, and it was soup by the time that we got there. . . but the bastards ate it all anyway. Ha ha ha ha. . .
Icebox Strawberry Pie
From Cook's Illustrated / Cook's Country - June 2009
Serves 8
In step 1, it is imperative that the cooked strawberry mixture measures 2 cups; any more and the filling will be loose. If your fresh berries aren’t fully ripe, you may want to add extra sugar to taste in step 2. Use your favorite pie dough or use our recipe (related). Chill the heavy cream in step 4 to help it whip more quickly.
Filling
2 pounds frozen strawberries (see related tasting)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 pound fresh strawberries , hulled and sliced thin
1 (9-inch) pie shell , baked and cooled (see note)
Topping
4 ounces cream cheese , softened
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
1. COOK FROZEN BERRIES Cook frozen berries in large saucepan over medium-low heat until berries begin to release juice, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until thick and jamlike, about 25 minutes (mixture should measure 2 cups).
2. ADD GELATIN Combine lemon juice, water, and gelatin in small bowl. Let stand until gelatin is softened and mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir gelatin mixture, sugar, and salt into cooked berry mixture and return to simmer, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
3. ADD FRESH BERRIES Fold fresh berries into filling. Spread evenly in pie shell and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. (Filled pie can be refrigerated for 24 hours.)
4. MAKE TOPPING With electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth, about 30 seconds. With mixer running, add cream and whip until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Serve pie with whipped cream topping.
STEP BY STEP
Don't Make This Mistake
In step 1, be sure to accurately measure the reduced strawberry mixture: You’ll need exactly 2 cups. Scrape the strawberry mixture into a large liquid measuring cup. If it measures more than 2 cups, return it to the pan to cook down. It may seem fussy to stop to measure, but the pie will not set or slice properly if you have more than 2 cups of the strawberry mixture.
MEASURE METICULOUSLY
Icebox Strawberry Pie
With a red filling so bright it hurts, berries big enough to be plums, and poufy whipped cream, diner-style strawberry pies always look inviting. But these no-bake desserts often taste more like plastic than pie. We wondered if better ingredients could deliver a pie that lived up to its looks. Here’s what we discovered:
Test Kitchen Discoveries
* We used 2 pounds of frozen berries (which worked well for cooking and cost less than fresh) and cooked them down in a dry saucepan until they released their juices and the mixture was thick, concentrated, and flavorful.
* Be sure that the reduced berries measure 2 cups exactly; if the mixture measures any more, the filling will be loose.
* Because strawberries are low in pectin, the natural thickener found in citrus fruits and many other plants, we added some lemon juice, which perked up the flavor and tightened the texture of the filling a little. To thicken the filling further, we added a bit of unflavored gelatin, which produced a clean-slicing, not-too-bouncy pie.
* After stirring in the gelatin—which we combined with the lemon juice and water—along with sugar and salt, we then stirred in fresh strawberries off the heat. This gave us the big berry flavor we wanted.
* Diner strawberry pies typically get a squirt of Reddi-wip, but we made our own. We whipped cream cheese into real whipped cream along with vanilla and sugar for a slightly tangy topping that balanced the sweetness of the berries.
* Use our No-Fear Pie Crust recipe or use your own.
No-Fear Pie Crust
From America's Test Kitchen ( Cook's Illustrated) the episode: Easy As Pie
The pastry can be pressed into the pie plate and refrigerated for up to 2 days or double-wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month. Once baked and cooled, the shell can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.
Makes one 9-inch Pie Shell.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), softened but still cool
2 ounces cream cheese , softened but still cool
Instructions
1. Lightly coat 9-inch Pyrex pie plate with cooking spray. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in bowl.
2. With electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese in large bowl, stopping once or twice to scrape down beater and sides of bowl, until completely homogenous, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture and combine on medium-low until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 20 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until dough begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds. Reserve 3 tablespoons of dough. Turn remaining dough onto lightly floured surface, gather into ball, and flatten into 6-inch disk. Transfer disk to greased pie plate.
3. Press dough evenly over bottom of pie plate toward sides, using heel of your hand. Hold plate up to light to ensure that dough is evenly distributed (see photo 1 at left). With your fingertips, continue to work dough over bottom of plate and up sides until evenly distributed.
4. On floured surface, roll reserved dough into 12-inch rope. Divide into three pieces, roll each piece into 8-inch rope, and form fluted edge (photos 2 through 4). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
5. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly prick bottom of crust with fork. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack. (If large bubbles form, wait until crust is fully baked, then gently press on bubbles with kitchen towel. Bubbles will settle as crust cools.)
Step-by-Step
No-Fear Pie Crust
1. Hold the pie plate up to the light to check the thickness of the dough; it should be translucent, not opaque. Pay attention to the curved edges.
2. Roll the reserved dough into three 8-inch ropes. Arrange the ropes around the perimeter of the pie plate, leaving small (about 1-inch) gaps between them.
3. Squeeze the ropes together.
http://www.theydrawandcook.com
In other news, I've tried the Cooks Illustrated Strawberry Ice Box Pie, and it was beyond amazing. I brought it to the annual family reunion, and it was soup by the time that we got there. . . but the bastards ate it all anyway. Ha ha ha ha. . .
Icebox Strawberry Pie
From Cook's Illustrated / Cook's Country - June 2009
Serves 8
In step 1, it is imperative that the cooked strawberry mixture measures 2 cups; any more and the filling will be loose. If your fresh berries aren’t fully ripe, you may want to add extra sugar to taste in step 2. Use your favorite pie dough or use our recipe (related). Chill the heavy cream in step 4 to help it whip more quickly.
Filling
2 pounds frozen strawberries (see related tasting)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 pound fresh strawberries , hulled and sliced thin
1 (9-inch) pie shell , baked and cooled (see note)
Topping
4 ounces cream cheese , softened
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
1. COOK FROZEN BERRIES Cook frozen berries in large saucepan over medium-low heat until berries begin to release juice, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until thick and jamlike, about 25 minutes (mixture should measure 2 cups).
2. ADD GELATIN Combine lemon juice, water, and gelatin in small bowl. Let stand until gelatin is softened and mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir gelatin mixture, sugar, and salt into cooked berry mixture and return to simmer, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
3. ADD FRESH BERRIES Fold fresh berries into filling. Spread evenly in pie shell and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. (Filled pie can be refrigerated for 24 hours.)
4. MAKE TOPPING With electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth, about 30 seconds. With mixer running, add cream and whip until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Serve pie with whipped cream topping.
STEP BY STEP
Don't Make This Mistake
In step 1, be sure to accurately measure the reduced strawberry mixture: You’ll need exactly 2 cups. Scrape the strawberry mixture into a large liquid measuring cup. If it measures more than 2 cups, return it to the pan to cook down. It may seem fussy to stop to measure, but the pie will not set or slice properly if you have more than 2 cups of the strawberry mixture.
MEASURE METICULOUSLY
Icebox Strawberry Pie
With a red filling so bright it hurts, berries big enough to be plums, and poufy whipped cream, diner-style strawberry pies always look inviting. But these no-bake desserts often taste more like plastic than pie. We wondered if better ingredients could deliver a pie that lived up to its looks. Here’s what we discovered:
Test Kitchen Discoveries
* We used 2 pounds of frozen berries (which worked well for cooking and cost less than fresh) and cooked them down in a dry saucepan until they released their juices and the mixture was thick, concentrated, and flavorful.
* Be sure that the reduced berries measure 2 cups exactly; if the mixture measures any more, the filling will be loose.
* Because strawberries are low in pectin, the natural thickener found in citrus fruits and many other plants, we added some lemon juice, which perked up the flavor and tightened the texture of the filling a little. To thicken the filling further, we added a bit of unflavored gelatin, which produced a clean-slicing, not-too-bouncy pie.
* After stirring in the gelatin—which we combined with the lemon juice and water—along with sugar and salt, we then stirred in fresh strawberries off the heat. This gave us the big berry flavor we wanted.
* Diner strawberry pies typically get a squirt of Reddi-wip, but we made our own. We whipped cream cheese into real whipped cream along with vanilla and sugar for a slightly tangy topping that balanced the sweetness of the berries.
* Use our No-Fear Pie Crust recipe or use your own.
No-Fear Pie Crust
From America's Test Kitchen ( Cook's Illustrated) the episode: Easy As Pie
The pastry can be pressed into the pie plate and refrigerated for up to 2 days or double-wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month. Once baked and cooled, the shell can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.
Makes one 9-inch Pie Shell.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), softened but still cool
2 ounces cream cheese , softened but still cool
Instructions
1. Lightly coat 9-inch Pyrex pie plate with cooking spray. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in bowl.
2. With electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese in large bowl, stopping once or twice to scrape down beater and sides of bowl, until completely homogenous, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture and combine on medium-low until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 20 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until dough begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds. Reserve 3 tablespoons of dough. Turn remaining dough onto lightly floured surface, gather into ball, and flatten into 6-inch disk. Transfer disk to greased pie plate.
3. Press dough evenly over bottom of pie plate toward sides, using heel of your hand. Hold plate up to light to ensure that dough is evenly distributed (see photo 1 at left). With your fingertips, continue to work dough over bottom of plate and up sides until evenly distributed.
4. On floured surface, roll reserved dough into 12-inch rope. Divide into three pieces, roll each piece into 8-inch rope, and form fluted edge (photos 2 through 4). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
5. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly prick bottom of crust with fork. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack. (If large bubbles form, wait until crust is fully baked, then gently press on bubbles with kitchen towel. Bubbles will settle as crust cools.)
Step-by-Step
No-Fear Pie Crust
1. Hold the pie plate up to the light to check the thickness of the dough; it should be translucent, not opaque. Pay attention to the curved edges.
2. Roll the reserved dough into three 8-inch ropes. Arrange the ropes around the perimeter of the pie plate, leaving small (about 1-inch) gaps between them.
3. Squeeze the ropes together.
This past weekend was a weekend of double takes. First, I made chocolate cupcakes for the 29th birthday of this blog's founder and eponymous star, Sarah... I followed up Act 1 with an encore of decadent chocolate on chocolate cake for my Bible study. I know, I'm not really exercising my range here. But I don't really care, it's chocolate.
This double duty was matched by the fact that I had Pad Thai not once, but TWICE this weekend. (anyone jealous?) However, I'd like to quote the iconic old Hollywood actress Mae West who once said, "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!" Amen sista. And this weekend was definitely wonderful. Particularly the chocolate cupcakes (IMO)...
This cupcake recipe is from the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine (which, as many of you know, serves as my culinary cornerstone, nay, my culinary Bible... sorry Jesus). It's touted by CI as being the "Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake," and needless to say, such bold sweeping claims must be tested and proven in my kitchen before they are to be believed... and I'm happy to announce that this recipe lived up to its name... frickin' ULTIMATE!!
Let's start with the Ganache Filling:
2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/4 heavy cream
1 TBSP confectioners' sug
1. Place chocolate, cream and sugar in medium microwave safe bowl, and heat on high for 20-30 seconds... enough to melt the mixture. Whisk until smooth and put in the fridge for no more than 30 minutes... enough to firm it up.
This double duty was matched by the fact that I had Pad Thai not once, but TWICE this weekend. (anyone jealous?) However, I'd like to quote the iconic old Hollywood actress Mae West who once said, "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!" Amen sista. And this weekend was definitely wonderful. Particularly the chocolate cupcakes (IMO)...
This cupcake recipe is from the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine (which, as many of you know, serves as my culinary cornerstone, nay, my culinary Bible... sorry Jesus). It's touted by CI as being the "Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake," and needless to say, such bold sweeping claims must be tested and proven in my kitchen before they are to be believed... and I'm happy to announce that this recipe lived up to its name... frickin' ULTIMATE!!
Let's start with the Ganache Filling:
2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/4 heavy cream
1 TBSP confectioners' sug
1. Place chocolate, cream and sugar in medium microwave safe bowl, and heat on high for 20-30 seconds... enough to melt the mixture. Whisk until smooth and put in the fridge for no more than 30 minutes... enough to firm it up.
Chocolate Cupcakes:
3 oz of bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/3 cup of cocoa powder (I refuse to use dutch-processed, since they fluff it with all that alkali and make it taste nasty)
3/4 cup of hot coffee
3/4 cup bread flour
3/4 granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking SODA
6 TBSP of veg oil (I subbed it with coconut oil, because it's so much healthier and tastier! made a difference!)
2 large eggs
2 tsp of white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl, pour the hot coffee over the mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in fridge and let it cool completely... 20 mins. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in med. bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled cocoa-chocolate mixture until nice and smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
3 oz of bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/3 cup of cocoa powder (I refuse to use dutch-processed, since they fluff it with all that alkali and make it taste nasty)
3/4 cup of hot coffee
3/4 cup bread flour
3/4 granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking SODA
6 TBSP of veg oil (I subbed it with coconut oil, because it's so much healthier and tastier! made a difference!)
2 large eggs
2 tsp of white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl, pour the hot coffee over the mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in fridge and let it cool completely... 20 mins. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in med. bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into cooled cocoa-chocolate mixture until nice and smooth. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
3. Divide batter evenly among muffin pans... only makes 12! Bummer. Then place one slightly round teaspoon on top of each cupcake... don't worry about pressing it in (like I did), because it will sink! Promise! :-)
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 17-19 minutes until cupcakes are set and are slightly firm to the touch. Let the cupcakes cool for 1 hr (take them out of the muffin tin after about 10 minutes).
.
Swiss Buttercream Chocolate Frosting:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
12 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1 tbsp pieces
6 oz of bittersweet chocolate (melted and cooled to 85-100 degrees)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
.
1. Combine sugar, egg whites and salt in double boiler... allow the water in the double boiler to be simmering. Whisking gently but constantly, hear mixture until slightly thickened, foamy and 150 degrees... 2-3 minutes... give or take.
2. Place ingredients into stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat mixture on medium speed until consistency of shaving cream... don't overwhip! add butter 1 piece at a time until it's smooth and creamy. Frosting make look curdled after half of butter as been added. It will smooth out though. Once all butter is added, add cooled chocolate and vanilla and mix until combined. Increase speed to med-high and beat until light and fluffy... about 30 seconds... Voila!
3. Now it's time to frost those puppies!! Place about 2-3 tablespoons of icing on each cupcake. Using a non-serated knife or metal icing knife thing (technical term, but I need to get one of those!!!), push out frosting from center towards the edge of the cupcake, then smooth out the edges of the cupcake! dazzling darling... simply mauvelous! You can grate some chocolate, make some pretty curls or put Sprinkles on top... but they are ready to be served!
.
Below are examples of the cupcake... this actually a picture of one of my rejects - notice the weird hole (this was the last one to be eaten... which was promptly devoured as I wrote this post!)...
So, for my second post, I promised myself I would do something a little more challenging than my pitiful caramel corn recipe. So, I ventured into the slightly intimidating realm of layered cakes.... On the cover of the most recent issue of The Best of America's Test Kitchen (2010), there is a glorious vision of chocolatey decadence one wouldn't think is humanly possible.... A flourless chocolate cake topped with a silky chocolate mousse then topped with a white chocolate whipped concoction THEN topped with chocolate curls. Behold this glorious vision!
So, last night, my husband and I had invited some friends over for a Bible Study. I figured I would at least attempt to be hospitable by trying to make something for all of us to eat (putting out cheetos like in college seems no longer adequate, I guess unless britney spears was my friend). However, there was like a 60% chance that my creation would have looked more like this...
and less like the angelic vision above. This certainly wouldn't have surprised me, given my penchant for general mediocrity in the kitchen (and in life, really). Alright enough of my grandstanding and self-flagellation, onto the recipe and results.
Alright, get ready, it took me roughly 2 hours to make this dessert (with a few pee breaks, don't worry I washed my hands).
Ingredients
Base Layer
6 TBSP of unsalted butter
7 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (CI says Ghiradelli is the way to go - if you're willing to take out a second mortgage on your house to pay for fancy chocolate then go for it, otherwise Baker's is just fine)
3/4 tsp instant espresso powder
1&1/2 tsp of vanilla
4 large eggs (separate those suckers)
pinch salt [sic] Pinch OF salt, Cook's Illustrated needs to get some copy editors stat
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
Middle Layer
2 TBSP of cocoa powder (Dutch-processed or otherwise, I personally hate Dutch processed CP)
5 TBSP hot water
7 oz of Bittersweet chocolate (chop it up!, anyone else watch Dave Chappelle?)
1&1/2 cups heavy cream
1 TBSP sugar
1/8 tsp of salt
Top Layer
3/4 tsp gelatin
1 TBSP water
6 oz of white chocolate (CHOP IT FINE!)
1&1/2 cups of heavy cream
chocolate shavings.... use a soft chocolate like hershey's bar or something
Alright people its go time... 1. Oven 325 degrees. grease a 9 inch springform pan. Melt butter, chopped up chocolate and espresso powder in double boiler until smooth. remove from heat and let sit 5-6 min. then, whisk in vanilla and egg YOLKS!
2. In your mixer, WHISK (at medium speed) egg whites and salt until frothy (30ish sec). Add 1/2 of brown sugar, beat for 15 seconds, then add remaining and beat on high until soft peaks form. using a whisk, fold 1/3 of foam into chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining with spatula until no streaks remain. Put that puppy in the oven and bake for 13-18 minutes... until center has set. I baked my for 14 minutes in my gas stove. Let the cake cool for at least 1 hour.
Alright, tier 2! Combine cocoa powder and hot water. set aside. Melt chocolate in double boiler. once smooth remove from heat and let sit for 5-6 minutes. Alright, time to clean out the stand mixer, because you need to whisk together the cream, sugar, and salt until it begins to thicken. Increase to high and whip til soft peaks form. Whisk in cocoa powder mixture into chocolate then fold 1/3 of whipped cream into the chocolate (use spatula). then fold in the remaining until no streaks remain. Smooth out the top of the mousse and refrigerate at least 15 minutes... I personally say you should refridgerate for 30 minutes.
Home stretch... final layer.
Sprinkle gelatin over water in small cup. set aside for 5 minutes at least. Place white choc in medium bowl. bring 1/2 cup of cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium high heat. remove from heat and then dump gelatin mixture into cream and stir it all up. then pour the cream/gelatin mixture over the white chocolate and stir that all up (until no lumps, my lumps, my lovely lady lumps, remain). Let that cool for about 8 minutes.
Alright clean out that stand mixer again, because you need to whisk the remaining cream on high. Once you get soft peaks, fold 1/3 of mixture into chocolate. then fold in the rest until no streaks remain. spoon over bittersweet layer and let the cake sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Garnish this with delicious chocolate curls... or in my case, chocolate flecks.
Voila! My latest creation. (My springform pan was too big, so my layers aren't as big as the picture above, but it still tasted delicious and everyone liked it. Hurray for my ego!) Sarah - a slice of this will be waiting for you on your doorstep tonight... along with Lars and the Real Girl. Thanks for letting me borrow... official review: quirky, weird, likeable.
So, last night, my husband and I had invited some friends over for a Bible Study. I figured I would at least attempt to be hospitable by trying to make something for all of us to eat (putting out cheetos like in college seems no longer adequate, I guess unless britney spears was my friend). However, there was like a 60% chance that my creation would have looked more like this...
and less like the angelic vision above. This certainly wouldn't have surprised me, given my penchant for general mediocrity in the kitchen (and in life, really). Alright enough of my grandstanding and self-flagellation, onto the recipe and results.
Alright, get ready, it took me roughly 2 hours to make this dessert (with a few pee breaks, don't worry I washed my hands).
Ingredients
Base Layer
6 TBSP of unsalted butter
7 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (CI says Ghiradelli is the way to go - if you're willing to take out a second mortgage on your house to pay for fancy chocolate then go for it, otherwise Baker's is just fine)
3/4 tsp instant espresso powder
1&1/2 tsp of vanilla
4 large eggs (separate those suckers)
pinch salt [sic] Pinch OF salt, Cook's Illustrated needs to get some copy editors stat
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
Middle Layer
2 TBSP of cocoa powder (Dutch-processed or otherwise, I personally hate Dutch processed CP)
5 TBSP hot water
7 oz of Bittersweet chocolate (chop it up!, anyone else watch Dave Chappelle?)
1&1/2 cups heavy cream
1 TBSP sugar
1/8 tsp of salt
Top Layer
3/4 tsp gelatin
1 TBSP water
6 oz of white chocolate (CHOP IT FINE!)
1&1/2 cups of heavy cream
chocolate shavings.... use a soft chocolate like hershey's bar or something
Alright people its go time... 1. Oven 325 degrees. grease a 9 inch springform pan. Melt butter, chopped up chocolate and espresso powder in double boiler until smooth. remove from heat and let sit 5-6 min. then, whisk in vanilla and egg YOLKS!
2. In your mixer, WHISK (at medium speed) egg whites and salt until frothy (30ish sec). Add 1/2 of brown sugar, beat for 15 seconds, then add remaining and beat on high until soft peaks form. using a whisk, fold 1/3 of foam into chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining with spatula until no streaks remain. Put that puppy in the oven and bake for 13-18 minutes... until center has set. I baked my for 14 minutes in my gas stove. Let the cake cool for at least 1 hour.
Alright, tier 2! Combine cocoa powder and hot water. set aside. Melt chocolate in double boiler. once smooth remove from heat and let sit for 5-6 minutes. Alright, time to clean out the stand mixer, because you need to whisk together the cream, sugar, and salt until it begins to thicken. Increase to high and whip til soft peaks form. Whisk in cocoa powder mixture into chocolate then fold 1/3 of whipped cream into the chocolate (use spatula). then fold in the remaining until no streaks remain. Smooth out the top of the mousse and refrigerate at least 15 minutes... I personally say you should refridgerate for 30 minutes.
Home stretch... final layer.
Sprinkle gelatin over water in small cup. set aside for 5 minutes at least. Place white choc in medium bowl. bring 1/2 cup of cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium high heat. remove from heat and then dump gelatin mixture into cream and stir it all up. then pour the cream/gelatin mixture over the white chocolate and stir that all up (until no lumps, my lumps, my lovely lady lumps, remain). Let that cool for about 8 minutes.
Alright clean out that stand mixer again, because you need to whisk the remaining cream on high. Once you get soft peaks, fold 1/3 of mixture into chocolate. then fold in the rest until no streaks remain. spoon over bittersweet layer and let the cake sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Garnish this with delicious chocolate curls... or in my case, chocolate flecks.
Voila! My latest creation. (My springform pan was too big, so my layers aren't as big as the picture above, but it still tasted delicious and everyone liked it. Hurray for my ego!) Sarah - a slice of this will be waiting for you on your doorstep tonight... along with Lars and the Real Girl. Thanks for letting me borrow... official review: quirky, weird, likeable.
