tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53332348625392808802024-02-20T03:05:15.512-08:00insidiously goodBaking: I like it.Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-14965041882652888572014-12-11T21:20:00.002-08:002014-12-11T21:20:49.208-08:00The Most Perfect Brownie EverYes, I know that's a bold statement, but it's entirely true. Entirely! I've spent the last three years perfecting the most amazing brownie recipe ever, and I? I have achieved such perfection.
<p>So, here you go. The most perfect brownie ever:
<p><u>The Best Brownies Ever</u>
<p><i>INGREDIENTS</i>
<p>1 cup all-purpose flour<br>
2 cups sugar<br>
3/4 cup cocoa powder (I like Ghirardelli, Green and Black, or Droste)<br>
1/4 teaspoon salt<br>
1/4 teaspoon baking powder<br>
3 large eggs<br>
1 stick butter, melted<br>
1/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt or sour cream<br>
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (I prefer VB paste)<br>
1 c mini chocolate chips<br>
<p>
Ganache<p>
1 c chopped dark chocolate (you can use Ghirardelli chips)<br>
1/4 to 1/3 c whole milk or heavy whipping cream<br>
1 tsp extract of your choice or 1/4 to 1/3 c jam/preserves (I often use raspberry habanero jelly from Rose City Pepperheads; they ship!)<br>
<p><i>INSTRUCTIONS</i>
<p>Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl in the order in which they're written, minus the mini chocolate chips. Stir, then beat the mixture till smooth. Add in the mini chips and stir just until blended.
<p>Spoon the batter a 9 x 13-inch pan that you've greased with a little butter. Bake the brownies in a preheated 375*F oven for 27 to 33 minutes, or until they're just barely beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let them cool completely.
<p>Once the brownies are completely cooled, make the ganache. You can either heat the chocolate and milk/cream in a double boiler or microwave them together in a glass bowl at 50% in one-minute increments. Stir until melted chocolate and heated milk/cream are smooth. Add in the extract (or 1-2 tsp espresso powder, cinnamon, preserves, jam, etc.) and stir until smooth.
<p>Pour the ganache over the cooled brownies and spread evenly. Let the ganache set at room temperature, and then cover loosely and put in the fridge overnight (or at least 4 hours). The fridge is important! It's what gives the brownies their perfect, fudgy, not-too-moist but not-cakey-either texture. Remove the brownies from the fridge, cut, and serve. NOM!
<p><i>Other variations:</i>
<p>You can also make these beauties with a homemade butterscotch sauce. The difference is you poke holes in the brownies when they come out of the oven. I use the round end of a wooden spoon and make a grid of holes, usually about 5 across the 9" side. And then you make the butterscotch and pour it over the brownies, making sure that plenty of the sticky, sugary goodness oozes into all the holes you've made. Let the brownies reach room temperature, and then pop 'em in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Slice, serve, nom, and die of happiness!
<p><u>Salted Butterscotch Sauce</u>
<p><i>INGREDIENTS</i>
<p>6 tablespoons butter (I usually use salted, but you don't have to)<br>
1 cup brown sugar <br>
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream <br>
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract) <br>
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, for sprinkling<br>
<p><i>INSTRUCTIONS</i>
<p>Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and then add the brown sugar and heavy whipping cream. Stir until the sugary goodness boils. Once everything's reached a boil, let it sit without stirring, and cook for 3 to 3 1/2 minutes. Remove the butterscotch from the heat and stir in the vanilla. You can then either pour it in a jar and let it cool completely before putting the lid on, or you could be awesome and POUR IT ALL OVER THE BROWNIES OMG. And then die of happiness once the brownies are cooled, cut into delicious little squares, and nommed.
<p>Enjoy!
<p><p>Brownie recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/wicked-easy-fudge-brownies-recipe">King Arthur Flour</a>; salted butterscotch sauce from <a href="http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2014/04/salted-butterscotch-brownies/">Crazy for Crust</a>
Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-7789962496927930102013-12-20T21:08:00.000-08:002013-12-20T21:08:17.978-08:00More Coconut Milk Ice CreamYeah, this post is exactly what it says on the tin: more coconut milk ice cream. Why? BECAUSE IT'S AWESOME. <p>
The first one is pumpkin pie coconut milk ice cream. Om nom nom, you guys. Seriously! I can't even tell you how good this is.<p>
<b>Pumpkin Pie Coconut Milk Ice Cream</b><p>
2 12-oz cans coconut milk, refrigerated for a couple of hours<br>
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 c sugar<br>
1 tsp vanilla extract<br>
3/4 c pumpkin puree (you could go up to 1 c, depending on how pumpkiny you want it)<br>
1 to 1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice<p>
Blend the ingredients together until homogenized, then pop into your ice cream maker and freeze. Then, you have two options. 1) Pour into prepared pie crust, cover with plastic wrap so it doesn't get ice crystal-y, stick in the freezer until you're ready for it, and voila! AMAZING. For serious. I don't think I'll ever make regular pumpkin pie again because this is just soooooo good. Or you could always go with option 2) in the last few minutes of freezing, add either gingersnap or graham cracker crumbles (about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup) and some mini chocolate chips for plain ol' pumpkin pie ice cream. This is also ridiculously delicious, and I can highly recommend it. I haven't yet met a person who didn't like it!<p>
Here's another variation: <b>Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream</b><p>
This one's delicious on its own or as a base for other flavor combinations.<p>
2 12-oz cans coconut milk, refrigerated for a couple of hours<br>
1 1/2 c sugar<br>
3/4 c good quality unsweetened cocoa powder<br>
1 tsp vanilla extract<br>
any add-ins you want (chocolate chips and/or nuts, mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, raspberry preserves, Heath Bar pieces, Nutella, mini marshmallows and graham cracker pieces, etc.)<p>
Blend the ingredients together until homogenized in your regular old household blender, then pop into your ice cream maker and freeze. Add in the add-ins (obviously!) in the last couple of minutes of freezing, and then turn out into an airtight container. I usually cover mine with plastic wrap pressed into the ice cream to keep the surface from getting ice crystals, but that's up to you. This stuff keeps nicely for a few days, and the flavor is <i>divine.</i> Give it a try! If you come up with any faaaabulous flavor combinations, don't hesitate to share 'em, okay?<p>
Happy nomming, all!
Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-80790593289056471842013-09-02T18:34:00.002-07:002013-09-02T18:35:56.512-07:00Rosewater Coconut Milk Ice CreamSometimes you just want something a little different. Sometimes you want something you can share with your vegan and lactose-intolerant friends. And sometimes you want all of those things together.
<p>Fear not! For such a thing has arrived. The original recipe is at <a href="http://www.thehungrymouse.com/2013/04/30/3-ingredient-coconut-ice-cream-vegan-no-cook-totally-amazing/">The Hungry Mouse</a>, and it's a fantastic one. It's only got 3 ingredients (5 if you do my version), and it's ready for soft-serve nommification in less than half an hour. What's not to love?!
<p>Nothin' at all, that's what.
<p><b>Rosewater Coconut Milk Ice Cream</b>
<p>2 13-oz cans of full-fat coconut milk (don't get the kind that's already sweetened!)<br>
1 to 1 1/4 c sugar (the original recipe calls for 1 3/4 c sugar, but I found it to be too sweet with that much)<br>
2 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (or 2 tsp vanilla bean paste)<br>
a scant 1/4 tsp rosewater (or no more than a full 1/4 tsp rosewater)<br>
1/2 to 2/3 c dark chocolate chips<br>
<p>1. Start with the coconut milk chilled -- it does make a difference.<br>
2. Pour the coconut milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and rosewater into a blender (or into a large chilled bowl if you're going to use an immersion blender).<br>
3. Blend for a couple of minutes until everything's all frothy and uniform throughout. It should look like glorious, fluffy clouds in liquid form! If glorious, fluffy clouds in liquid form looked like they ought to instead of being water vapor. Ahem.<br>
4. Pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions! If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can do this The Hard Way. The Hungry Mouse has directions if you scroll down her blog entry a bit.<br>
5. In the last 3-5 minutes of freezing, pour in the chocolate chips. When they're evenly incorporated, turn out into an airtight container and finish freezing overnight, or you can do the loaf-pan-and-plastic-wrap method that Hungry Mouse mentions. Either one works nicely.<br>
6. Once the ice cream has frozen through, eat it! And enjoy the delicious, delicious flavors. Let the rosy vanilla hit your tongue first, then marvel as it gives way to a smooth coconut flavor and finally settles into a lightly rose-scented aftertaste that dances on your palate. If you get a chocolate chip in your bite, the richness of that will tantalize your tongue, too. Woo!Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-45041657807398514942013-08-18T20:33:00.002-07:002013-08-18T20:33:23.703-07:00Nutella Cheesecake Ice Cream, Two WaysAyup. Here is the promised Nutella Cheesecake Ice Cream recipe. I tried it two ways (one with the Nutella mixed in the cheesecake base, the other with the Nutella swirled in during the last couple of minutes of the freezing process), and they both turned out uh!mayzing. I couldn't decide which I liked better! So you benefit from the indecision.<br>
<p>Enjoy!<br>
<p><p><b>Nutella Cheesecake Ice Cream</b><br>
<p>
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (you can use Neufchatel if you want a slightly different texture and flavor) <br>
1 1/2 cups cream <br>
1 egg <br>
1 cup sugar <br>
1 1/2 c lowfat milk <br>
3/4 c Nutella<br>
3 Graham crackers, chunked<br>
3/4 c mini or regular chocolate chips and/or chopped hazelnuts (optional for the Nutella-as-part-of-the-base variation)<br>
<p><p>1. Bring the milk to a gentle boil in a saucepan, and then lower heat to a simmer.<br>
2. Beat the cream cheese together with the sugar. (If you're doing the Nutella-as-part-of-the-base variation, here's where you add it in. Be sure to lick the spoon! OM NOM NOM! You can also reduce the sugar by about 1/4 of a cup if you want less sweet ice cream, and you can easily add a teaspoon of vanilla, if you like. It's up to you!)<br>
3. Add the egg to the cream cheese and sugar and mix thoroughly.<br>
4. Remove the milk from the heat and add it to the cream cheese mixture. Stir!<br>
5. Place the new mixture back into the saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk (to minimize any boo!hiss! cream cheese lumps which may be lurking).<br>
6. After a few minutes of stirring, pour the contents of the saucepan into a clean bowl.<br>
7. Add the cream and stir until completely mixed. Sniff. It will smell fantastic.<br>
8. Chill the mixture in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, however long you can wait, until completely cooled.<br>
9. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions for your ice cream maker. In the last few minutes of freezing for the plain cheesecake base, add in the Nutella in small dollops, then the graham cracker chunks. Turn out into an airtight container and finish freezing. For the Nutella-as-part-of-the-base variation, add in the mini chocolate chips, optional hazelnut pieces, and graham cracker chunks in the last couple of minutes of freezing. Turn the soft ice cream out into an airtight container and finish freezing. Feel free to lick the bowl!<br>
<p>I hope you think it's as delicious as I do. If you don't, well, pfft. MORE FOR ME!
Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-17632700174684165042013-08-14T15:10:00.001-07:002013-08-19T15:30:51.531-07:00Fruit Coconut Oatmeal BarsOm nom nom.<br>
<p>Yeah, that's right. That's the sound of toothsome and very satisfying bars being eaten by the handful. These are sweet, decadent, and utterly delicious. They're easy to make vegan and to change up, flavor-wise, to meet any of your dietary or taste needs.<br>
<p>I got the recipe from Everybodylikessandwiches.com, over <a href="http://everybodylikessandwiches.com/2013/04/hello-sweetie-oatmeal-coconut-raspberry-bars/">here,</a> but I made some changes and have experimented with a few different variations, namely blueberry lemon, raspberry, boysenberry, blackberry, and apricot (next time I'm gonna try pineapple. Booyah!). They're all fantastic. I don't think you can go wrong with these. <br>
<p>Anyway, here you go. The recipe I've fiddled with and been using is below.<br>
<p><p><b>Fruit Coconut Oatmeal Bars</b><br>
1 c sweetened or unsweetened coconut ribbons (shredded coconut works well, too; it's what I've been using)<br>
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour<br>
3/4 c unpacked light brown sugar<br>
2 T granulated sugar<br>
1/8 to 1/4 tsp cinnamon<br>
a dash of ground ginger<br>
1/2 c cold salted butter, cut into pieces<br>
1/4 c cold margarine, in pieces (I like Earth Balance)<br>
a generous 1 1/4 c old-fashioned oats<br>
3/4 to 1 c fruit jam or preserves (I tend to go on the 3/4 c side of it; more than that makes these too darned sweet)<br>
1/4 to 1/3 c mini chocolate chips (if desired)<br>
<p><p>1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 9×13″ pan with lightly buttered parchment paper.<br>
<p>2. Dump the sugar, flour, spices, butter, and margarine in a food processor and blend until a dough forms. Dump the dough into a large bowl, add the oats and 3/4 c of the coconut, and knead until everything's combined. <br>
<p>3. Set aside about 2/3 cup of dough to use as a topping. Press the rest of the dough evenly into bottom of the prepared baking pan, and spread the jam evenly over it. Sprinkle first the remaining coconut, the mini chocolate chips, and then the crumbled reserved dough over the jam.<br>
<p>4. Bake in the middle of the oven until it's tasty and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before lifting out and cutting into squares. They're very rich and sweet, so 1 to 1 1/2 inch squares is good. Make sure the bars are completely cooled before you try lifting them out and cutting them! If they're still warm, they'll crumble and flop all over the place, and you'll have to use them as an ice cream topping. OH NOES, THE HORROR. I know. Tell me about it!<br>
<p>5. Nom. Share! Enjoy.<br>
<p><i>Notes:</i> You can easily make these vegan by replacing all the butter with margarine. I'm going to try a recipe using coconut butter and margarine and see how that goes. I'll let you know when I get around to it. You can also make these all-butter, but I find the all-butter version to be entirely too rich. Experimentation has led me to the butter-to-margarine ratio you see above, which I think yields the best taste and texture.<br>
<p>Also, if you want to do other flavors of jam, I recommend zesting a lemon into the dough for the blueberry and boysenberry versions. You can also use white chocolate chips or large dark chocolate chips instead of the mini chocolate chips. Or leave them out entirely, but I think they add depth to the flavor profile, so I'm a fan of leaving 'em in.
Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-60452367670159978652012-10-11T19:00:00.000-07:002012-10-11T19:49:54.115-07:00Pumpkin Fig Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese FrostingYep. That's right. Pumpkin and fig and honey and cinnamon and cream cheese and OMG, THESE ARE THE BEST CUPCAKES EVER! Seriously, everyone who had one told me these are the best things I've ever made.
<p>I think I believe 'em.
<p>Anyway! On to the awesomeness, yes?
<p><b>Pumpkin Fig Cupcakes</b><br>
From <i>Southern Living's Big Book of Cupcakes,</i> the "Pumpkin Patch" recipe, with some very slight modifications
<p>1 ½ c butter, softened<br>
2 ½ c sugar<br>
5 large eggs<br>
1 c canned pumpkin<br>
1 ¾ c all-purpose flour (the original recipe calls for soft wheat, which, pfft)<br>
1 tsp baking powder<br>
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice<br>
¼ tsp salt<br>
2/3 c buttermilk (I used lowfat since it's all the store had, and it worked out great)<br>
1 tsp vanilla<br>
7-8 fresh figs, medium size, chopped (this was the major modification)<br>
<p>Directions for cupcakes:<br>
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. <br>
2. Beat butter and sugar until creamy, but do not shame them. That's totally crossing the line, yo. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add in pumpkin, beating until blended.<br>
3. Combine dry ingredients; add to butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk (begin and end with flour mixture). Mix until just blended after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and the figs, and do a victory dance because these are going to be <i>awesome.</i><br>
4. Line muffin pans with paper baking cups and fill each cup 2/3 full with batter.<br>
5. Bake 18-20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Only stab one cupcake one time; there's no need to treat them like vampires and stake the lot, okay? Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.<br>
6. Taste test one, but I'd let them get cool first. They're very, very moist, and letting them set overnight makes them even more fabulous than nomming them fresh. Their texture is dense and moist, but not in the oh-god-too-much-ugh way. More like the oh-god-this-is-heavenly-I-want-another-one-gimme way. Makes 24 amazing cupcakes.
<p><p><b>Honey Cream Cheese Frosting:</b>
<p>8 oz. cream cheese, cold<br>
2-3 Tbs honey<br>
¼ to ½ tsp cinnamon<br>
2 c powdered sugar<br>
<p>Toss all ingredients into a large, high bowl. Beat with hand mixer or in stand mixer until smooth, making sure not to overbeat. If you do go overboard, your frosting will be sadly floofy and runny. Spoon and spread onto cooled cupcakes. If there isn't enough frosting to your liking or, like me, you've "tested" several spoonfuls and thus are a bit short, mix up another batch. Pile higher on cupcakes and eat the leftovers with a spoon. Try not to drool on yourself; it's unattractive. Om nom nom!
<p>Enjoy!
Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-84195442732415262732012-05-17T09:57:00.000-07:002012-05-17T09:57:19.917-07:00Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies to Die For<body>You guys, these were so good! Minty and chocolaty, soft but not too soft, and totally delicious -- I think these are my new favorites!
<p>Adapted from <a href="http://everybodylikessandwiches.com/2012/05/the-very-best-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-ever/">this recipe</a> over at Everybody Likes Sandwiches.
<p><u>The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever</u>
<p><i>Ingredients:</i>
<p>1 c butter, room temperature
<br>1/2 c white sugar
<br>1 3/4 c light brown sugar, packed
<br>2 eggs
<br>2 tsp vanilla
<br>3 c all-purpose flour
<br>1 tsp baking soda
<br>1/2 t salt
<br>1 1/2 c York Peppermint Patty Pieces (the ones that look like blue and white M&M's)
<p><p><i>Directions:</i>
<p>1. Preheat oven to 360* F. Yeah, I said 360.
<br>2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Or, if you're a lazy bum like I am, just measure them out and let them sit in a bowl, unmixed.
<br>3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, blending well before adding in the second egg. Add in vanilla and mix until incorporated.
<br>4. Slowly add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined, taking care not to overdo it. Add in the York Pieces and stir until just mixed through.
<br>5. Roll dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet that's lined with parchment paper.
<br>6. Bake for 11 minutes until lightly golden but still a bit soft inside. Cool on wire racks.
<br>7. Eat while still warm. Then eat some more when they're cool. Eat as many as you like! Delicious by themselves, with a glass of milk, or while taunting those who don't have minty delicious cookies of their own.</body>Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-74421117389958281672012-04-29T21:48:00.002-07:002012-04-29T21:48:47.502-07:00Citrusy Vegan Goodness<body><p>Yeah, you read that right, kids: citrusy vegan goodness! I've made a variant on <i>Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World</i>'s Lemon Macadamia Cupcakes, and it. is. AWESOME. True story! I mean, I'm not a fan of the macadamia, but I am a fan of the lime and the coconut. Because--seriously now--who isn't? I'm also a fan of the cream cheese frosting, vegan or non-vegan.</p>
<p>But these? These are vegan. The recipe for the cake itself is actually one of the best lemon cupcake recipes I've come across. All the other dairy-and-eggtastic ones I've tried are strangely heavy or dry somehow, but this one stays light and tart and spongy once it's cooled down. Slather some lime cream cheese or lime creme cheez frosting on top, and you've got yourself a little slice of citrusy heaven right there in your hand.</p>
<p>So go on and give 'em a try. I dare you to hate them!</p>
<p><u>Vegan Lemon Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Creme Cheez Frosting</u></p>
<p><i>Ingredients</i></p>
<p>1/3 c canola oil
<br />3/4 c granulated sugar
<br />1/4 c soy yogurt
<br />1/3 c soy milk
<br />1/4 c lemon juice
<br />1 Tbs finely grated lemon zest
<br />1 tsp vanilla extract
<br />1 c plus 2 Tbs flour
<br />1/2 tsp baking powder
<br />1/2 tsp baking soda
<br />1/4 tsp salt
<br />1/2 c flaked or shredded coconut</p>
<p><i>Directions</i></p>
<p><br />1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.
<br />2. In medium bowl, stir together oil, sugar, yogurt, and soy milk. Add lemon juice, zest, and vanilla. Mix.
<br />3. In separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour to liquid in two batches, mixing well after each addition. Add the coconut and stir until well incorporated.
<br />4. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full. Bake 20-22 minutes until a toothpick or knife inserted through the center comes out clean.
<br />5. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting. Makes about a dozen cupcakes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><u>Lime Creme Cheez Frosting</u></p>
<p><i>Ingredients</i></p>
<p><br />1/4 c margarine (nonhydrogenated is good!), softened
<br />1/4 c vegan cream cheese, softened
<br />2 c powdered sugar, sifted
<br />2 tsp coconut rum or coconut milk
<br />1 to 1 1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest</p>
<p><i>Directions</i></p>
<p><i>Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World</i>'s directions say to beat the cream cheese and margarine until well combined. Add sugar in 1/2 c additions. After each addition of sugar, add some coconut rum/coconut milk and beat well. Add lime zest and beat until smooth, creamy, and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.</p>
<p>I'm a lazy bastard, so I usually just throw it all in the bowl together (I make sure it's a deep one; high sides are important for this) and then mix it all at once for a couple-few minutes until it's all smooth and fluffy, and voila! Fabulous, zingy lime creme cheez that goes brilliantly with the tart-yet-sweetly-smooth lemon coconut cupcakes. </p>
<p>For the non cream-cheese version, use 8 oz. of cream cheese (it's got to be cold!) and a couple of tablespoons of butter (room temperature) instead of the margarine and vegan cream cheese. Double the rum/coconut milk and lime zest. It makes a ton of frosting, yeah (enough for a double batch of the recipe above), but this stuff is so good you're going to want to pile it as high as sand dunes and eat it with a spoon. I guarantee it.</p>
<p>Enjoy!</p></body>Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-49898005133069025442011-10-28T20:32:00.000-07:002011-10-31T20:54:22.489-07:00Shortbread is awesome, you guys.Okay, so my new precious happens to be shortbread. My first foray into it was an unmitigated disaster of which we shall never, ever speak. EVER. My second attempt, though, was more ambitious and about twenty different kinds of awesome. SERIOUSLY. I kept taste-testing the finished product and telling myself how ridiculously brilliant I am. And I wasn't even exaggerating!<br /><br />Anyway, here are four different kinds of shortbread I made. I have some fancy ceramic shortbread pans, but nine-inch cake pans (not the dark ones!) would do in a pinch.<br /><br /><u>Basic Shortbread Recipe</u> (from Kingarthurflour.com)<br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />1 c unsalted butter, softened<br />1/2 c granulated sugar<br />2 c flour<br /><br />Directions:<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 325*F.<br />2. Cream the sugar and butter together. Add the flour and mix until it resembles a fine cornmeal. (I start with a wooden spoon for the creaming and the initial flour mixing, and then I just use my hands.) Don't overmix! If you do, your shortbread will be gross and ungood. <br />3. Butter the baking dish, ceramic or otherwise. Press the shortbread dough into the pan evenly.<br />4. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges start to turn a sandy color. Be careful not to overbake! If you do, your shortbread will be (unsurprisingly) gross and ungood.<br />5. Remove to a wire rack to cool in the pan for a good 15 minutes or so, then turn out of the pan to finish cooling. I put a bit of parchment paper over the wire rack so that weird stripes don't get pressed into the bottom of the shortbread, but that's not really a big deal. <br />6. Cut while shortbread is still slightly warm. When the shortbread is completely cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature. It gets better as it ages, and it can last for a week or longer in the right kind of container and at the right temp.<br /><br /><br />But I can never be satisfied with a base recipe, can I? OH, NO. NEVER!<br /><br />So I made four different kinds. The variations are as follows:<br /><br /><u>Lemon Ginger Shortbread</u><br /><br />Add the zest of two lemons and 1/4 c crystallized ginger pieces to the dough. I mixed the zest and ginger pieces in with the sugar and butter so I wouldn't overmix once I added in the flour. It worked great!<br /><br /><br /><u>Cherry Chocolate Chip Shortbread</u><br /><br />Add 1/2 c dried cherries and 1/2 c mini chocolate chips to the dough. Again, I added these to the creamed sugar and butter so the dough wouldn't be overmixed when the flour was added. <br /><br />You could always go with a smaller amount of chocolate chips, if you want, around 1/3 or even 1/4 c. I haven't tried this with the cherries soaked in coconut rum yet, but that's my next experiment. I'll let you know how it goes.<br /><br />Update: It goes awesomely! You just have to be sure to drain the cherries very well so there's no excess moisture to mess up the shortbread dough's texture.<br /><br /><br /><u>Orange Spice Shortbread</u> <br /><br />This one's my favorite so far. Add the zest of one largeish orange, slightly less than 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and a small pinch of ginger. Since this is mostly dry stuff, you could add it in with the flour. To make these even more awesome, when they've cooled, I suggest dipping the bottoms in dark chocolate. <i>Divine!</i><br /><br /><br /><u>Vanilla Shortbread Dipped in Chocolate</u><br /><br />Add 1/2 to 3/4 tsp vanilla extract to the butter and sugar as you cream them together. When everything is cooled and cut into its individual pieces, dip the bottoms in dark chocolate. Om nom nom...<br /><br /><br />So, there you have it: shortbread four ways. I'm going to experiment with the coconut rum cherries and with a maple ginger shortbread over the next week, and if they turn out well, I'll post those recipes, too.<br /><br />Happy baking, all!Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-72667804465249533202011-06-03T18:06:00.000-07:002011-06-03T18:11:59.230-07:00They say it's your birthday ...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> 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Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=" Times New Roman","serif";font-family:";font-size:12pt;" >Okay, so I made some awesome stuff the other day because it was my birthday and that required, you know, CAKE. Not just cake, but copious amounts of it. Thus, CAKE.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >Anyway, these are adapted from recipes I use all the time and would be easy to figure out on your own, but they turned out so nicely I thought I'd share them in their entirety just in case you didn't feel like branching out and doing the experimentation on your own. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" > Aaaaand away we go!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" > First, I made a couple of lemon berry poundcakes. One was lemon raspberry, and one was lemon blueberry. They were both <i>ridiculous.</i> And by <i>ridiculous</i> I mean <i>nomsome to the extreme.</i> I started with my favorite base poundcake recipe and just added a couple of things from there. GENIUS, people. It was absolutely genius.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ><u>Lemon Berry Poundcake</u></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" > <i>Ingredients:</i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >2/3 c butter, softened<br />2 c sugar<br />4 eggs<br />2 c all-purpose flour<br />1/8 tsp baking soda<br />1/8 tsp salt<br />2/3 c sour cream or vanilla yogurt<br />zest of 5 small or 3 large lemons</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >6 oz of a large fresh berry of your choice (like raspberries or blackberries) or 8 or 9 oz of a smaller-ish fresh berry of your choice (like blueberries)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=" Times New Roman","serif";font-family:";font-size:12pt;" > </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ><i>For the glaze:</i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=" Times New Roman","serif";font-family:";font-size:12pt;" >½ c sugar</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=" Times New Roman","serif";font-family:";font-size:12pt;" >¼ c coconut rum<br /><br /><br />Directions:<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 325*F. Lightly butter 9 x 13-in. baking pan.<br />2. Cream butter. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 min. (Or, you know, do it by hand until it's creamy and fluffy.) Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >3. Add lemon zest and vanilla extract; stir until incorporated.<br />4. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, and add alternately with the yogurt or sour cream to the creamed sugar mixture. Beat on low until just blended.<br />4. Add in berries; stir gently until just mixed in. Don't overdo it, though! Otherwise, your poundcake will be all weirdly rubbery and dense in a not-good way.<br />5. Pour into pan and bake for 1 hr and 15 min or until cake tests done. (You can also make muffins, round cakes, or whatever. Baking time will vary, though.) </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >6. Just when you pull the cake out of the oven and put it on a wire rack to start cooling, dump the sugar and coconut rum into a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk briskly until the mixture begins to boil and goes clear (about 5 minutes). Pour it over the cake, making sure to coat the whole top. I usually use a large spoon to pour puddles of glaze over the cake and then stroke the glaze into the cake with the back of the spoon.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >7. You can let the cake cool in the pan if you like before cutting, which is what I do, or you can pop it out of the pan after 15 minutes, let it cool completely, and then do the glaze. But the glaze won't soak in at all the way it does when the cake is hot, and the soaking in is part of what makes this cake so amazing. The top doesn't get sticky or soggy if you glaze it while it's still piping hot—it just gets <i>delicious.</i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >Okay, the second (third? Do the two lemon berry cakes count as one total, or one each? Meh, who cares? They were delicious) thing I made was a ganache-filled chocolate cupcake. And they were total amazeballs, okay? Okay?! So that completely justifies another chocolate ganache cupcake recipe so soon after my other one. NO. REALLY. IT DOES! So stop looking at me like that, will you? Just ... go bake something!<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ><u>Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cupcakes</u></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" > <b>The Chocolate Raspberry Ganache</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=" Times New Roman","serif";font-family:";font-size:12pt;" ><i><i>Ingredients:</i></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=" Times New Roman","serif";font-family:";font-size:12pt;" >4 oz. high-quality dark chocolate (60-72% recommended), in pieces (I used Ghirardelli semisweet chips because they were handy)<br />1/4 c heavy cream</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=" Times New Roman","serif";font-family:";font-size:12pt;" >1/4 c raspberry preserves<br />2 Tbs confectioners' sugar</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style=" Times New Roman","serif";font-family:";font-size:12pt;" > <i>Directions:</i> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >1. Drop the chocolate, cream, raspberry preserves, and powdered sugar in a small glass bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth after you've stirred it a bit.<br />2. Set aside in the fridge to cool (unlike the other ganache I've made for cupcakes, this one is really soft. So I recommend making it 2 hours before you make the batter. Seriously). When the cake batter is poured, drop about 1 tsp of ganache on the top of each cupcake before baking and—<i>this is important</i>—push it down so the top of the ganache dollop is even with the top of the batter. If you don't, the ganache will just run over the top of the cupcake, not sink to the center. Actually, since this ganache is so light and soft, it doesn't really sink at all. That's why you have to refrigerate it and push it down to have it end up in the middle of the baked cupcakes.<br />4. If there's any ganache left over, eat it up with a spoon. NOM!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ><b>The Cupcakes</b><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ><i>Ingredients:</i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >3/4 c boiling water<br />3/4 c high-quality dark cocoa powder (I used Ghirardelli for these, and they turned out great)<br />1 c buttermilk or heavy cream; I used heavy cream this time<br />2 1/2 c flour</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >1/2 <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>tsp cinnamon<br />1 1/2 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 tsp baking powder<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />3/4 c butter, softened<br />2 c sugar<br />4 eggs<br />1 1/2 tsp vanilla<br /><br /><i><i>Directions:</i></i><br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350* F.<br />2. Pour boiling water over cocoa to dissolve; whisk until smooth. Stir in buttermilk and set aside to cool.<br />3. Stir together the dry ingredients (minus the sugar, of course), and set aside. Note: You can leave out the cinnamon, if you like, or drop it down to 1/4 tsp if you want a subtler hint of it in the cupcakes. I really like the way the cinnamon plays off the chocolate cake and the rich raspberry ganache centers, though, so I do recommend it.<br />4. Mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. (You can use an electric mixer, but I usually do this by hand. It seems to work just fine.) Stir in vanilla.<br />4. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture, alternating with the chocolate mixture.<br />5. Pour into paper cup-lined muffin pans (leave a bit of space at the top, but to tell the truth, these won't rise too much), drop 1 tsp. of ganache onto the top of each and push the ganache down a bit, and then bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 30 cupcakes, depending.<br /><br /><br /><b>The Ganache Frosting</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:left" align="left"><span style="Times New Roman","serif"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" ><i><i>Ingredients:</i></i><br /><br />8 oz. high-quality dark chocolate (60-72% is good)<br />1/2 plus 2 Tbs heavy cream (you can go up to 3/4 c heavy cream if you want a much softer frosting, but remember that it won't hold up as well at room temperature)<br /><br /><i><i>Directions:</i></i><br /><br />1. Melt the chocolate and cream in a microwave in 30-second intervals until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth after you've stirred it a bit.<br />2. Dip the top of each cupcake in the ganache and swirl around a bit to completely coat each one with the ganache frosting. Set aside to cool a bit and let the frosting begin to harden a little, then store in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready to eat. Rejoice in the awesomeness of your endeavor.</span></p>Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-91809817140254028482011-01-18T20:39:00.000-08:002011-01-18T21:03:56.184-08:00Too sexy for my kitchenOkay, check this out and try not to flail right out of your chair: orange cranberry cookies with white chocolate chips and a hint of coconut rum.<br /><br />Right? RIGHT?!<br /><br />And they're super easy because I just used the regular old Tollhouse recipe as the base. I mean, ffft, I've made these cookies twice, and they <i>just keep getting better.</i> And I don't like dried fruit or white chocolate in my cookies! Or generally care for white chocolate at all!<br /><br />But enough about the fabulous flavorgasm that is these cookies. On to the recipe!<br /><br /><br /><u>Sexy Orange Cranberry Cookies with White Chocolate Chips</u><br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />1 c butter, softened<br />3/4 c granulated sugar<br />3/4 c brown sugar<br />2 eggs<br />the zest of 2 medium to large oranges<br />2 1/4 c flour<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 tsp ginger<br />1 c dried cranberries<br />1/2 c coconut rum<br />1 c white chocolate chips<br /><br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br /><br />1. Soak the cranberries in the rum overnight. When you're ready to bake, drain the cranberries and set them aside.<br />2. Preheat oven to 375* F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper because parchment paper is awesome.<br />3. Cream together the sugars and the butter. Add eggs and beat until fully incorporated.<br />4. Add the zest; stir until mixed.<br />5. Add in the dry ingredients (from the flour to the ginger). I know the Tollhouse recipe says to add the flour in two stages and whatnot, but screw that. Just do it all at once. It's fine. The dough will seem a bit dry, but that's okay. The rum-soaked cranberries will fix that.<br />6. Add the cranberries and the white chocolate chips. Stir until fully incorporated. But don't overdo it or your cookies will be like leathery hockey pucks. Sadness.<br />7. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the cookie sheets, a dozen cookies per sheet. Bake at 375* for about 10 minutes. You want these to be on the lighter side of done so the subtle flavors all meld together properly and don't get lost if the cookies get really brown and caramelized. Unless that's totally the only way you'll eat cookies, in which case you should totally be my guest!<br />8. Remove from cookie sheet a few minutes after they're out of the oven. Let finish cooling on a wire rack (if you can! I dare you to not eat these morsels of flavorosity right up while they're still warm).Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-19647253929789676312010-07-29T09:47:00.000-07:002010-12-08T11:00:27.837-08:00Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Wasabi Ganache FillingI made Chocolate Wasabi Ganache Cupcakes on Wednesday, and they turned out <i>awesome.</i><br /><br />For the cake itself, I used a recipe off an old Droste cocoa box that's lurking in the pantry, and then I added some wasabi powder to the recipe for Cook's Illustrated's ganache-filled cupcakes from this year's May issue. (I think it was May, anyway.) And for the ganache frosting, I just did a very, very simple chocolate-and-heavy-cream mixture that turned out great. I even took pictures! But then I managed to delete them while attempting to transfer them from my camera to my computer. Oops. You'll just have to make your own to see how gorgeous they are when they're finished.<br /><br /><u>Chocolate Wasabi Ganache Cupcakes</u><br /><br />The Cupcakes<br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />3/4 c boiling water<br />3/4 c high-quality dark cocoa powder<br />1 c buttermilk<br />2 1/2 c flour<br />1 1/2 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 tsp baking powder<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />3/4 c butter, softened<br />2 c sugar<br />4 eggs<br />1 1/2 tsp vanilla<br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350* F.<br />2. Pour boiling water over cocoa to dissolve; whisk until smooth. Stir in buttermilk and set aside to cool.<br />3. Stir together the dry ingredients (minus the sugar, of course), and set aside.<br />4. Mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. (You can use an electric mixer, but I usually do this by hand. It seems to work just fine.) Stir in vanilla.<br />4. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture, alternating with the chocolate mixture.<br />5. Pour into paper cup-lined muffin pans (leave a bit of space at the top, but these won't rise too much), drop 1 tsp. of ganache onto the top of each, and bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 30 cupcakes, depending.<br /><br /><br />The Chocolate Wasabi Ganache<br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br />4 oz. high-quality dark chocolate (60-72% recommended), in pieces<br />1/2 c heavy cream<br />2 Tbs confectioners' sugar<br />1/4-1/2 tsp wasabi powder (I use Ninja Wasabi Powder from New Zealand. Please note that if you use the lesser amount, the wasabi flavor will be subtle, and some people won't be able to taste it. If you use the greater amount, more people will be able to taste it, but the chocolate might take on a strangely stale, chalky flavor -- too much wasabi in chocolate does that. You might do well to split the difference at 3/8 tsp, which is what I used.)<br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br /><br />1. Drop the chocolate, cream, and sugar in a small glass bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth after you've stirred it a bit.<br />2. Add the wasabi powder; stir to incorporate fully (and remember, the wasabi taste will be a bit stronger when the ganache is cool, so if you can't taste the wasabi very much when the ganache is warm, it's probably just perfect).<br />3. Set aside to cool (while you make the cake batter). When the batter is poured, drop about 1 tsp of ganache on the top of each cupcake before baking.<br />4. If there's any ganache left over, eat it up with a spoon. NOM!<br /><br /><br />The Ganache Frosting<br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />8 oz. high-quality dark chocolate (60-72% is good)<br />1/2 plus 2 Tbs heavy cream (you can go up to 3/4 c heavy cream if you want a much softer frosting, but remember that it won't hold up as well at room temperature)<br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br /><br />1. Melt the chocolate and cream in a microwave in 30-second intervals until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth after you've stirred it a bit.<br />2. Dip the top of each cupcake in the ganache and swirl around a bit to completely coat each one with the ganache frosting. Set aside to cool a bit and let the frosting begin to harden a little, then store in an airtight container in the fridge until you're ready to eat. Rejoice in the awesomeness of your endeavor.<br /><br /><br />Note: You can also make these with a chocolate cinnamon, chocolate mint, orange chocolate, or raspberry chocolate ganache filling (and/or frosting, too). Hell, you could make them with pretty much any flavor ganache filling and frosting. In fact, Chocolate Guinness might be awesome, now that I'm thinking about it ...Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-69512983071135502472010-05-08T20:46:00.000-07:002010-05-08T20:53:55.030-07:00Almost Perfect, But Not QuiteFor Mother's Day, I've tried my hand at making lemon ginger green tea ice cream. I'm pretty happy with the recipe, but I do want to try it over again with some fresh ginger instead of powdered. I think that'd make a big difference. Unfortunately, living in the second circle of suburban hell like I do, good quality fresh ginger is a little bit harder to come by than I'd like.<br /><br />Anyway, here you go.<br /><br /><u><u>Lemon Ginger Green Tea Ice Cream</u></u><br /><br /><i><i>Ingredients:</i></i><br /><br />2 eggs<br />2/3 c sugar<br />1 3/4 c milk<br />6 green tea bags<br />2 c heavy whipping cream<br />the zest of 3 large lemons<br />1/2 tsp high-quality vanilla<br />1 1/4 tsp ginger (not fresh; I'm pretty sure you'd want to use less)<br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br /><br />1) Let green tea bags steep in the milk for 3-4 hours. The milk should stay in the fridge so it's cold and doesn't spoil. Remove them when you're ready to start mixing up the ice cream base.<br />2) Whisk together eggs and sugar.<br />3) Add tea-milk; mix thoroughly.<br />4) Add cream; stir.<br />5) Add lemon zest, vanilla, and ginger. Stir.<br />6) Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to directions. Don't forget to taste-test!<br />7) Remove from ice cream maker and turn out into airtight containers. Finish freezing completely.<br />7) Enjoy with abandon! Makes about one quart, give or take.Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-19572689506423902342009-11-26T09:28:00.000-08:002009-11-26T11:48:01.074-08:00I'm thankful for wasabi powderIt's been a while, hasn't it? Unfortunately, I haven't made much that was exciting or shareable until now. Sad, eh?<br /><br />Whatever. Hooray for Thanksgiving 2009!<br /><br />So for part of dessert tonight, I've made chocolate wasabi ice cream.<br /><br />Yeah. You read that right. Chocolate wasabi ice cream. I got the idea after eating at Wagamama in Cambridge last June. They had this fantastic chocolate wasabi cake, and I loved the subtle zing of the wasabi with the smooth richness of the chocolate. It was a total winner of a combo. I mean, I like more traditional spicy chocolate flavor combos, too, but those are always a hot spice. Wasabi hits the top notes of the spicy spectrum, so you don't get the heated burn that exists with pepper-based spiced chocolate. And wasabi goes beautifully with a good chocolate. Trust me.<br /><br />Anyway, without further ado, here's the recipe.<br /><br /><u>Chocolate Wasabi Ice Cream</u><br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />2 eggs<br />2/3 c sugar<br />1 3/4 c milk<br />2 c heavy whipping cream<br />12 oz. high-quality dark chocolate (62-70% is best), melted<br />1 tsp high-quality vanilla extract<br />3/4 to 1 tsp wasabi powder (I used <a href="http://www.ninjawasabi.com/foodgrade.html">Ninja Wasabi Powder</a>; if you have a better source for wasabi, omg share!)<br /><br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br /><br />1) Melt chocolate. Stir in sugar and wasabi powder. 3/4 tsp will be more subtle; 1 tsp will be stronger. If you use more than 1 tsp, though, your ice cream will taste weird, not interesting and delicious. And if you have a very sensitive palate, you could easily get away with 1/2 tsp of wasabi powder. After all, the zing shouldn't overpower the chocolate; it should complement it.<br /><br />2) Add milk and eggs; mix thoroughly.<br /><br />3) Add cream; stir.<br /><br />4) Add vanilla. Stir some more.<br /><br />5) Once mixture is completely cooled, pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to directions. Make certain to steal little spoonfuls as the ice cream begins to thicken and freeze. Feel free to make little happy noises as you taste-test.<br /><br />6) Remove from ice cream maker and turn out into airtight containers. Finish freezing completely.<br /><br />7) Serve. Enjoy. Serve some more. Enjoy some more. Makes one quart.Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-29197531682743984062009-07-04T18:10:00.000-07:002009-07-04T18:24:10.162-07:00Holiday ChickenHappy 4th, my fellow Americans!<br /><br />I bring you a delicious and simple chicken recipe, which is what I made for the fam tonight. It's awesome.<br /><br />I don't remember where I got the original recipe (sorry!), but I'm pretty sure it was from some magazine. Yeah, that really helps, doesn't it?<br /><br />Anyway, enjoy!<br /><br /><u>Lemon and Pepper Chicken</u><br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />1 whole chicken<br />5 medium-to-large lemons<br />1 Tbs olive oil or room temperature butter<br />kosher or sea salt, to taste<br />freshly ground black pepper, to taste<br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br /><br />1. Preheat your oven to 400F. Pull the giblets out of your chicken (poor chicken!) and feed to the dog. Wash your naked, empty chicken inside and out with cold water, then let it drain, butt-side down, in a colander or similar thingie.<br /><br />2. While you're waiting for your naked, empty chicken to finish draining and warm up to room temperature, juice three of your lemons.<br /><br />3. Pour lemon juice all over your chicken, inside and out. Give it a lovely little lemon juice bath! It deserves some TLC before you pop it in the oven. Follow the lemon juice bath with a lovely moisturizing massage with the butter or olive oil (outside only; the chicken doesn't need any inside).<br /><br />4. Salt and pepper all over the place, top and bottom. Fork your two remaining lemons (by which I mean stab your two remaining lemons with a fork), then stuff them inside the chicken's inside.<br /><br />5. Put the lemon-stuffed birdie in a roasting pan (boob-side down), lower the oven's temp to 350F, and bake your bird--uncovered--for 15-20 minutes.<br /><br />6. Remove from the oven, flip the chicken (use wooden spoons or tongs or something like that), and put it back in the oven for another 35-40 minutes, after which time you should check it for doneness. If it's still not ready (fussy chicken!), bake it until it is.<br /><br />7. Let your poor, hardworking chicken rest for a few minutes (it's totally earned it by this point!) before carving it and serving it with some lovely veggies and potatoes. Nom nom nom, my friends! Nom nom nom.Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-17872895714906088972009-06-05T19:52:00.000-07:002009-06-05T19:58:17.568-07:00Ice Cream, Times TwoMy parents are going to some sort of dinner party thing tomorrow night. This is big; my parents don't go over to other people's houses (or have people over) that often. They generally only feed family.<br /><br />Anyway, since it's too warm for my mom to make truffles, I offered to make them dessert.<br /><br />And darlings, <i>it is good</i>.<br /><br />Behold! I give you the wonders of Chocolate Guinness Ice Cream and Lemon Ice Cream:<br /><br /><u>Chocolate Guinness Ice Cream</u><br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />2 eggs<br />2/3 c sugar<br />1 3/4 c milk<br />2 c heavy whipping cream<br />12 oz. high-quality dark chocolate (62-70% is best), melted<br />2 Tbs Guinness (you can do up to 3 or 4, but more than that will totally overpower the chocolate and may thin the ice cream base too much)<br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br /><br />1) Melt chocolate. Stir in sugar. <br />2) Add milk and eggs; mix thoroughly.<br />3) Add cream; stir.<br />4) Add Guinness.<br />5) Once mixture is completely cooled, pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to directions. Make certain to steal little spoonfuls as the ice cream begins to thicken and freeze. If there's someone else in the room, taunt them as you do so.<br />6) Remove from ice cream maker and turn out into airtight containers. Finish freezing completely.<br />7) Serve. Enjoy. Serve some more. Makes one quart.<br /><br /><br /><u>Lemon Ice Cream</u><br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />2 eggs<br />2/3 c sugar<br />1 3/4 c milk<br />2 c heavy whipping cream<br />the zest of 3 large lemons<br />1/2 tsp high-quality vanilla<br />1/2 tsp lemon juice<br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br /><br />1) Whisk together eggs and sugar. <br />2) Add milk; mix thoroughly.<br />3) Add cream; stir.<br />4) Add lemon zest, vanilla, and lemon juice. Stir.<br />5) Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to directions. Don't forget to taste-test!<br />6) Remove from ice cream maker and turn out into airtight containers. Finish freezing completely.<br />7) Nom nom nom... Makes one quart.Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-90580342236400963752009-05-11T19:29:00.000-07:002009-05-11T20:00:49.664-07:00Yes, I Like Booze and Chocolate. WHY DO YOU ASK?I don't like beer.<br /><br />For drinking, that is. I love it in food, particularly baked goods-type food. And yeah, I know; Guinness isn't beer. It's <b>Guinness</b>. But still! It's a malty beverage; it sort of counts.<br /><br />I've made this cake several times over the last few weeks. I love it to bits, and it only gets better if you let it age for a day or two. I also like it best when it's unfrosted, though a simple chocolate ganache or coconut rum cream cheese frosting work beautifully, too.<br /><br />Adapted from Nigella Lawson, I give you:<br /><br /><u>Chocolate Guinness Cake</u><br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />1 c Guinness stout<br />1 stick unsalted butter<br />3/4 c cocoa powder (the darker and higher quality, the more delicious the cake)<br />2 c granulated sugar (Lawson calls for superfine; regular granulated works just as well)<br />3/4 c sour cream (or plain/Greek style yogurt works well, too)<br />2 eggs<br />1 tsp vanilla (Lawson calls for 1 Tbs; I don't use that much)<br />2 c all-purpose flour<br />1 tsp baking soda (Lawson calls for 2 1/2 tsp; I think that's waaaaay too much)<br />1 c chocolate chips (optional - I like this option Very Much)<br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br />1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch cake pan. (Lawson says to use a springform with parchment paper, but meh. I use a regular cake pan and am generous with the butter; it works fine.)<br />2. Microwave butter and Guinness until butter is mostly melted; whisk until butter is completely melted and incorporated with Guinness. (Lawson calls for a saucepan, but again with the meh.) Whisk in cocoa powder and sugar.<br />3. Add in sour cream and vanilla; whisk until thoroughly mixed. Add in eggs. Mix like a mad mixy thing. Woot. (Lawson has you do the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla together in a separate bowl and then pour into the cocoa-stout mixture. Again, MEH.)<br />4. Whisk in flour and baking soda. And add the chocolate chips, should you decide to go that route.<br />5. Pour into pan. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour (check at the 45-minute mark). Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack.<br />6. When the cake is cold, get it out of the pan using your favorite method. (I like to run a plastic fork around the edges and then tip it upside down.) <br />7. If you want to frost it, frost it. Otherwise, slice and eat. Slice more. Aaaand maybe just a smidge more. Undo the top button of your jeans and beach yourself on the couch for a while so you can digest.<br /><br />Enjoy!Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-51169754952829893092009-02-22T09:44:00.000-08:002009-02-22T09:49:49.247-08:00More Pancakey GoodnessI made these this morning. I'm a huge fan of honey and cinnamon in chocolate, but I don't actually like the taste of either honey or cinnamon alone. Together, though, they're a lovely combination. Anyway, it's raining like the dickens, and warm, slightly sweet pancakes are exactly what the grayness of the outdoors called for.<br /><br />So, without further ado:<br /><br /><u>Honey Cinnamon Pancakes</u><br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />Your favorite base pancake recipe (mix or from scratch) plus the wet stuff it calls for (For our purposes here, I'm using a recipe that calls for about 2 cups of dry ingredients)<br />1/4 c honey<br />1/2 to 3/4 tsp cinnamon (you can go up to 1 tsp cinnamon if you loooove it, but remember that you don’t want to overpower the honey. We're interested in sweet harmony here, not bashing tastebuds over the head and dumping them in a back alley somewhere)<br />1/4 c plain lowfat or nonfat yogurt<br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br /><br />1. Heat the milk for the pancakes over the stove or in the microwave. You don’t want it to boil, but you want it hotter than lukewarm (to help the honey dissolve properly; otherwise, you’re going to be whisking for a goodly while and still end up with pockets of honey in your batter. You don’t want that. They’ll burn on your griddle. Not that something like that has ever, uh, happened to me or anything…).<br />2. Add in the honey; whisk.<br />3. Add in the rest of the ingredients (flour, etc. or pancake mix; eggs, yogurt, cinnamon). Whisk.<br />4. Pour batter onto the griddle! The pancakes will likely be a bit thinner than regular, but that’s okay. Slightly crepe-like pancakes aren’t a bad thing. You can stack more of them on your plate, for one, and they double as desserty goodness at a later time, for another.<br />5. Serve with butter, syrup, and sliced bananas. Or with a cream spread, syrup, and sliced bananas. If you have leftovers, they make a great base for a tower of fruit and whipped cream for dessert!Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-67017650631021080212009-01-02T17:41:00.000-08:002009-01-02T17:53:42.540-08:00Gooey, Chocolatey GoodnessSo my Christmas desserts were a whole lot of FAIL with some NOT A SUCCESS sprinkled on top, right? (I used a new recipe for the most delicious-looking torte, and it turned out to be absolutely disgusting. I mean, seriously - <i>it was awful.</i>) And I have a reputation to think about, so New Year's was my chance to redeem myself. And boy, did I.<br /><br />I used the recipe below. I've added in a few of my notes and observations, mostly because I think I'd like to do things a bit differently the next time I make these. They were good, but I think they can be even <i>better,</i> you know?<br /><br /><u>Hot Fudge Chocolate Cakes</u><br />From the December 2008 issue of <i>Cooking Light</i><br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />3/4 c flour<br />2/3 c unsweetened cocoa<br />5 tsp instant espresso powder<br />1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />1/4 c unsalted butter, softened<br />2/3 c granulated sugar<br />2/3 c brown sugar, packed<br />1 c egg substitute (or 4 eggs, if you prefer)<br />1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />2.6 oz of dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa), finely chopped (note: I'd actually use coarsely chopped chocolate next time; it'd make the pockets of dark, gooey, melty YUM even better)<br />2 Tbs powdered sugar<br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br />1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Or, you know, just throw them all in a bowl together. GENTLY. Which is what I did. Because I don't hold with that sifting crap unless it's for a really good reason. These aren't a fancy cake or anything, so sifting can go suck it.<br />2. Place the butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed 1 minute. (As we all know, I don't use a mixer most of the time. This was no exception. Mixing by hand was fine; it just took a couple minutes longer.) Add sugars, beating until well blended (about 5 mins). Add egg substitute and vanilla, beating until well blended. Fold flour mixture into egg mixture; fold in chocolate. Divide batter evenky among 10 4-ounce ramekins; arrange on a jelly-roll pan. (I used 8 ramekins, and everything turned out juuuust fine.) Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or up to 4 days.<br />3. Preheat oven to 350*F.<br />4. Let ramekins stand at room temp. for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake at 350* for 21 minutes or until cakes are puffy and slightly crusty in top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; serve immediately. Makes 10 servings. Note: You can bake these for 3 minutes less for even more deliciously gooey cakes - and then serve them with ice cream or whipped cream on top.Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-54441339391600680692008-12-31T11:50:00.000-08:002008-12-31T13:45:30.001-08:00Eggnog Cake. Rich and Nutmeggy Delicious!Yeah, yeah. Oh look! Another baking recipe to do with eggnog. Well, 'tis still the damned season, so suck it up and enjoy. And really -- this is an <i>excellent</i> cake. Really excellent.<br /><br /><u>Eggnog Cake</u><br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />1/2 c butter, softened<br />1 1/2 c sugar<br />1 1/4 c eggnog (yes, you read that right)<br />1 1/2 c all-purpose flour<br />1/8 tsp baking soda<br />1/8 tsp salt<br />dash of nutmeg<br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 325*. Coat and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan. Or, if you're lazy as hell like I am, line it with foil and then coat the foil. Muahahaha. Fewer dishes to wash for the win!<br />2. Cream butter. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Or you can just be hardcore and stir by hand, which is what I do. Add eggnog 1/2 a cup at a time, stirring or beating (whichever you prefer) after each addition.<br />3. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, and add to the eggnog mixture. Throw in the dash of nutmeg. Beat on low until just blended. Or, you know, stir until just blended.<br />4. Pour into pan and bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until cake tests done. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing the cake to a wire rack to cool completely. You can glaze the cake with a rum glaze (yummmmm!) or frost it with a cream cheese or vanilla buttercream frosting. Or you can serve it warm with plain or rum whipped cream and/or ice cream. Your choice!<br /><br />Enjoy, and Happy New Year, you guys!Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-26897035609307995882008-12-23T13:15:00.001-08:002008-12-23T13:27:59.757-08:00Moar Pumpkin!'Tis the season, you know?<br /><br />The following recipe is one I use quite frequently during the holiday season. The cake is delicious warm with melted butter, whipped cream, or ice cream; it's also good served cold on its own or with whipped cream or ice cream. It also travels pretty well. I've sent it across the country, and it arrived in good shape and didn't taste scary even after the trip. Score!<br /><br /><u>Pumpkin Cake</u><br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br />2 c sugar <br />1 c plain or vanilla yogurt <br />4 large eggs <br />2 c flour <br />2 tsp baking soda <br />2 tsp ground cinnamon <br />1/2 teaspoon ground ginger <br />1/8 tsp ground nutmeg<br />1 tsp baking powder <br />1/2 teaspoon salt <br />2 c pumpkin puree or cooked mashed pumpkin <br />1/4 c brown sugar to sprinkle on top of the batter before baking<br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br />1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine wet ingredients (minus pumpkin) in a large mixing bowl; mix well. <br />2. Add in sugar; stir.<br />3. Sift remaining dry ingredients into a separate bowl; stir into wet mixture, beating well. (I don't actually sift because I'm laaazy. I just dump it all on top of the wet stuff and stir until it's no longer lumpy, and my cakes turn out just fine. So you can skip the sifting if you want.)<br />4. Stir in pumpkin puree. <br />5. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of batter. Bake at 350° F for 40-50 minutes.<br /><br />I suppose you could forgo the brown sugar and frost this bad boy with cream cheese frosting, but that seems like it'd be a bit much, you know? So I don't recommend that. Like I said, I like this cake with whipped cream, ice cream, or just on its own. But there's no accounting for taste, so you do as you like. I won't know the difference. Oh no, I won't.<br /><br />Enjoy!Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-48155548288204474292008-12-22T19:18:00.000-08:002008-12-31T12:04:01.558-08:00Pumpkiny GoodnessRiiiight. So I had the most awesome friend visit this weekend, and she loooooves pumpkin. She's also one of those people who "only likes plain pancakes." Yeah, I've heard that about a million times before. EVERYONE WHO'S EVER TOLD ME THAT CHANGES THEIR TUNE ONCE THEY'VE TRIED MY PANCAKES. She was totally a good sport about me being an ass about that, and thankfully, the pumpkin pancakes met with her approval. Hooray!<br /><br />So I thought I'd share the recipe.<br /><br /><u>Pumpkin Pancakes</u><br /><br /><i>Directions and Ingredients:</i><br /><br />Gather the ingredients to make your favorite base pancake recipe (the sort that uses about 2 c of dry ingredients, 1 c milk, and 2 eggs). To this recipe, add the following:<br /><br />1/2 c pumpkin<br />1/4 c sugar (you can throw in a couple tablespoons more if you'd like sweeter pancakes and a couple-few tablespoons less if you prefer less sweet pancakes -- I'd personally go the less sweet route)<br />1/3 c plain or vanilla yogurt<br />1/2 tsp cinnamon (more if you prefer)<br />1/4 tsp ginger (use a little bit less if you prefer)<br />a pinch of nutmeg<br /><br />Mix your pancakes as normal. If the mixture is a little bit too runny, add more yogurt.<br /><br />Pour batter on the griddle (I usually do a little under 1/4 of a cup of batter for each pancake). Now, pay attention. This is the important part: I tend to like slightly lighter, more golden-brown pancakes for my regular stacks. With these, you have to let them get a little more done. They <i>stick,</i> okay? -- it doesn't matter how nonstick your griddle is. I found this out the hard way, you see. So before you try flipping them, wait until the edges are dry and some of the bubbles forming in the batter take a short moment to fill in when they pop. If you don't, you'll end up with really ugly (but delicious) pancakes. And your houseguest will rag on you for daring to serve her UGLY PANCAKES. o.o She wouldn't be wrong, either.<br /><br />Serve fresh off the griddle with melted butter and maple syrup. They're also good cold the next day -- with some whipped cream and syrup. Mmm, desserty goodness for breakfast...<br /><br />Enjoy! And happy holidays to all!Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-109766734651405312008-12-22T19:00:00.000-08:002008-12-22T19:17:22.685-08:00Something Not CakeTonight for dinner, we had porcupine balls. My mom used to make these during the cold months when I was a kid. She'd use white rice, garlic salt, ground beef, and Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup. These days, I make them with different ingredients -- it's healthier that way, you know? But they still taste great, and they're still an excellent comfort food. Very filling, too! And they make good leftovers.<br /><br /><u>Porcupine Balls</u><br /><br /><i>Ingredients:</i><br /><br />1 lb lean ground turkey breast<br />1 egg<br />2-3 cloves garlic, minced<br />1/4 c minced yellow onion<br />1/2 c cooked brown rice<br />2 tsp olive oil<br />salt and pepper to taste<br />16 oz. creamy tomato soup<br /><br /><i>Directions:</i><br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350* F. <br />2. Saute the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes. <br />3. Meanwhile, dump the ground turkey, egg, brown rice, and some salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. When the garlic and onion are done, add them to the bowl. Use your hands (don't wuss out!) to mix the ingredients together.<br />4. Mold the mixture into largeish balls and place them in a 9x9-inch pan as you finish them. It's okay if they're all friendly and touch each other. A food orgy is encouraged under these circumstances!<br />5. Pour half of the creamy tomato soup over the porcupine balls. Cover with foil. (You can poke some holes in the foil. I usually do, but that's because I'm a bit violent and bloodthirsty, and I like stabbing my dinner.)<br />6. Bake for about an hour.<br />7. Remove pan from the oven when the hour is up. Take off the foil. The porcupine balls will often end up filling the pan with a lot of juice and fat, which isn't very tasty. I usually drain that off and then cover them with the remaining creamy tomato soup, and then I put the foil back on top. You can throw them back into the oven for another few minutes, but they'll heat the soup through and cool off enough to eat all at the same time if you just let them be for about 5 minutes. That's what I'd do.<br />8. Serve and enjoy! We had ours with steamed squash and broccoli tonight. Mmmm. And the little bits of rice, turkey, and tomato left on your plate after you've demolished one or two are delicious if you coax them onto a small dinner roll.Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-73900624254648616162008-12-06T07:52:00.000-08:002008-12-06T08:00:57.229-08:00'Tis the Season to Be Noggy...I made these for my parents last weekend, and they were as excellent as I remembered them being the first time I made them. Neither of my parents likes eggnog, but then, I find that many people don't. It's usually a question of texture, not taste. So even if someone screws up her face at the mention of eggnog pancakes, try to talk her into it anyway. Chances are she'll end up being dead pleased by a plateful of these beauties!<br /><br /><u>Eggnog Pancakes</u><br /><br />(They're perfect for leftover holiday Nog!)<br /><br />1) Your favorite base pancake recipe. Make as normal, except:<br /><br />2) Substitute eggnog for the eggs (1/4 c eggnog equals 1 egg, so if your base recipe calls for 2 eggs, use 1/2 c of eggnog instead) and <br /><br />3) Substitute eggnog for 2/3 of the milk called for in the recipe (so if the recipe calls for 1 c of milk, use 2/3 c eggnog and 1/3 c milk)<br /><br />4) You may also wish to add an extra pinch of nutmeg to the batter, but <i>don’t overdo it.</i> These pancakes taste better when the flavor is more subtle. <br /><br />5) If the batter is too thick, add more milk, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until the batter reaches the desired consistency. You want the batter to be on the thicker side, though. It makes the pancakes fluffier and more deeelicious.<br /><br />6) When you cook the pancakes, you want them to be on the lighter side. They'll puff and fluff up more than regular pancakes because of the eggy goodness. This is to be expected and encouraged. Feel free to give them a little love as they cook! If you like darker pancakes, go ahead, but be warned that the darker outside will change the flavor and may slightly overpower the eggnoggy centers.<br /><br />7) Serve in a gorgeous stack, lightly treated with melting butter and gently kissed with maple syrup. Or however it is you like to eat your pancakes. These are moist and flavorful enough that you don't need any window-dressing, but should you choose to add to them, butter and maple syrup don't hurt. You can also serve a stack of these with maple syrup and a dollop of whipped cream. Decadent and delicious!Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5333234862539280880.post-79147211085538229992008-09-14T13:05:00.000-07:002008-09-14T13:16:24.035-07:00I could eat these every day...As we all know, I am ever on the prowl for the perfect pancake. I'm getting closer every time I try out something new or revamp a tried-and-true favorite.<br /><br />This morning, I made vanilla pancakes. They were very simple and incredibly delicious. They actually, factually <i>melted in my mouth</i>. Truly! I know people say that stuff melts in their mouths, but these pancakes really did. SO GOOD, PEOPLE. So very, very good.<br /><br /><b><u>Vanilla Pancakes</u></b><br /><br /><u>Ingredients:</u><br /><br />Your favorite base pancake recipe and whatever it calls for (I like Bisquick, damn it), enough to make a little over a dozen pancakes - substitute heavy cream for 3/4 of the milk (if the recipe calls for 1 cup of milk, use 3/4 c of heavy cream and 1/4 c milk)<br />2 Tbs sugar<br />2 tsp vanilla (use a high-quality vanilla, or the taste will be overbearing and fake rather than subtle)<br /><br /><u>Directions:</u><br /><br />Make the pancake batter according to your recipe's directions, remembering to substitute heavy cream for 3/4ths of the milk called for in your recipe. Add the vanilla and the sugar; whisk until smooth. The batter should be slightly thicker than normal, but it shouldn't be so thick that it won't pour out of a cup and onto the griddle. You can always thin it out with a couple of tablespoons of milk at a time, whisking between each addition to check the consistency.<br /><br />Pour batter onto griddle. These pancakes will cook a little more slowly than regular pancakes, and they're best when they're only a very light color. I served mine with a dollop of unsweetened coconut rum whipped cream and maple syrup, and they were <i>divine</i>. In fact, they were so good I'm making them again next weekend. Maybe I'll even try throwing a couple of mini morsels in there to see how that works. Heh.Dabshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04094107256415335999noreply@blogger.com0