How Did Your Thanksgiving Go?

I hope your Thanksgiving went well Julie- and I bet it was nice to not have to worry about the turkey this year. However, I've had your famous turkey before and it seems you have it down to a science! You will have to share what else you had at your friend's house and if you were introduced to any new recipes.

I am thankful for so many things this year, one of them being that this was our first Thanksgiving as a married couple! It was also the first Thanksgiving that we hosted ourselves, but it was a nice introduction to the whole process since there wasn't any pressure to make everything perfect. We had Chris (our nephew) and a couple of friends over to our apartment. Let me tell you, it certainly is a challenge making a complete Thanksgiving meal in the world's tiniest kitchen, but we made it happen!

It was our first time making a turkey, and Daniel volunteered to take on the lead of "makin' the bird." We decided to use Alton Brown's recipe for "The Perfect Roast Turkey" using the brining method. Check out the very funny video of Alton Brown showing how to do it, its worth a watch and a few laughs.

We had a few hiccups along the way... like not having a large enough container to submerge the turkey in the brining liquid (resulting in having to brine it one half at a time) and a smoke filled apartment for some mysterious reason (we still can't figure it out!) that left our eyes watery and red Thanksgiving morning. Thankfully we did not have any guests over yet at that point!

Daniel putting in the "aromatics"

Well, how did it turn out you ask?






I am very proud to say that it was a success!!! It was perfectly cooked , and moist and flavorful. Good job Daniel!

Here is what the rest of our menu looked like:

1. Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage, Apples and Golden Raisins

• I couldn't find any golden raisins, so I used cranberries instead. A very good recipe, but I would recommend using maybe a cup less chicken broth (it was little too soggy at the bottom)

2. Spiced Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar

3. Rose's Baked Artichoke Hearts

• Wow, was this good. A recipe from my good friend Elissa over at The Painted Peach. I think it will become a regular fixture at Thanksgiving from now on.

4. Brussels Sprouts with almonds and lemon juice

5. Garlic and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes

• Daniel insisted on having both this AND the sweet potatoes. Yikes. We made this with a few Yukons and some purple potatoes. Just saute some garlic and dried rosemary in some olive oil and blend in with the potatoes, milk/cream and butter, salt and pepper. Very tasty.

6. Cranberry Sauce

• Of course. We just made the sauce according to the directions on the back of the package but substituted spiced apple cider for water, and added in some cinnamon. I made two batches of this, I LOVE cranberry sauce and it makes great leftovers (turkey and cranberry sandwich anyone? Ice cream topping? Chocolate cake filling?) I have yet to try out making your recipe yet, but maybe next year!

7. Frozen Biscuits from Trader Joe's- these were actually the best pre-made biscuits I think I have ever had. Of course nothing beats out homemade, but these were incredibly flaky and buttery.

8. Last but not least, Pumpkin Pie of course. I decided to use a waistline friendly version from Weight Watchers, and you would never be able to tell the difference!

Here it is all together!

I know, not the most elegant of table settings, but our goal wasn't to be pretty this year. Maybe next time!

Well, we stuffed ourselves silly and then went out to a movie afterwards. I am heading off to the gym now, I think I will need to burn off about 5,000 calories!

Baked Squash Blossoms with Goat Cheese, Chocolate, and Orange

The weekend before I got married, one of my best friends (Elissa, who has an amazing food blog called The Painted Peach) bought me a ticket to come visit her in San Francisco to have a gloriously indulgent weekend in celebration of my last weekend of singledom. I am so lucky to have such a great friend like her, it really was a weekend to remember. One restaurant in particular was especially memorable, called Pizzaiolo. There, I had my first fried squash blossoms. They were so amazing, I could have eaten twenty of them.

When I saw squash blossoms at the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market this morning, I had to get some. I knew I didn't want to fry them since I am trying to get back to being somewhat healthy after a long hiatus of eating and drinking whatever I wanted over the few weeks during my wedding and honeymoon. I also decided to see how they would do as a dessert rather than a savory appetizer. They turned out rather well, though not the most beautiful little things in the world! The goat cheese, orange and chocolate compliment each other nicely. The sugar probably cancels out the trying to be healthier thing, but oh well. Nonetheless, without further adieu...


Baked Squash Blossoms with Goat Cheese, Chocolate, and Orange

5 oz. goat cheese, fresh chevre (the best you can find)
½ cup powdered sugar
1 egg white
10 squash blossoms
1 whole egg, beaten with a tablespoon of water
2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped into tiny pieces
Orange zest from 1 orange
Orange juice from 1 orange
Brown sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350. Combine cheese, powdered sugar, egg white, chocolate, orange zest, and orange juice. Using a pastry tube or a Ziploc bag with a corner cut off, squeeze the goat cheese mixture into the squash blossoms, twist the petals closed and place on a greased cookie sheet. In a small bowl, beat egg with water and then brush each blossom with the egg wash. Sprinkle each blossom with brown sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp. Enjoy!

P.S. I had some left over goat cheese mixture, so I mixed it with some cut up plums and baked it in a dish along side the squash blossoms and then chilled it. Turned out to be a really nice treat later on.

A Perfect Breakfast

What do you get when you combine baked polenta slices layered with melted fontina cheese and a fresh tomato slice, and a dutch baby sprinkled with orange sugar, all the while listening to Nick Drake? A lazy Saturday morning and a perfect breakfast, that's what. If you aren't convinced yet, then just ask my soon-to-be husband. While scarfing it down in about 5 minutes, I think I might have heard him mumble something like "OMG, I die." Just kidding, that would only have happened if Rachel Zoe was my fiance. eeeeew! But really, it was pretty darn near a perfect breakfast. No joke.

Dutch Baby with Orange Sugar

adapted from Gourmet April 2009

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoon grated orange zest (I used all of the zest from a large orange, about 3tbs)
  
• 3 large eggs at room temperature 30 minutes (I ran them under warm water)
  
• 2/3 cup whole milk at room temperature (I used skim and it was fine)
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 stick butter, cut into pieces

Put skillet on middle rack of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.

Stir together sugar and zest with a fork in a small bowl until evenly combined, and set aside.

Beat eggs with an electric mixer or hand mixer at high speed until pale and frothy, then beat in milk, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and continue to beat until smooth, about 1 minute more (batter will be thin).

Add butter to hot skillet and melt, swirling to coat (don't burn yourself!). Add batter and immediately return skillet to oven. Bake until puffed and golden-brown, 18 to 25 minutes.

While the dutch baby is baking, slice up some pre-made polenta (I got mine from Trader Joe's) and layer on some shredded fontina cheese, a tomato slice, some more cheese, and then sprinkle with paprika. Place them on a baking tray, and slide them into the oven with the Dutch baby. The two should be done at about the same time.

Serve immediately, and sprinkle the dutch baby with a generous amount of orange sugar. Slice up the orange you used for the zest and place it on the plate if you like.

*I wish I had pictures, but my camera broke (again)!!! You can trust me though, this was one memorable breakfast.

Citrus Rice Pudding

I have a thing for homemade pudding (not out of the box either). So I have been trying out a few different methods, and I think this is the one I will be sticking with and working out the kinks until it gets to exactly the way I want it. If you like rice pudding at all, then you need to try this method; baking it slowly in the oven as opposed to over the stove top lends to and amazing consistency where the rice just melts in your mouth, and the citrus peel infuses itself throughout and absorbs the sugar so it is easily edible. Next time I think I might try making it with coconut milk.

Citrus Rice Pudding
adapted from More Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin

2 citrus fruits of a different variety (lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, lime, etc)
1/2 cup white rice, jasmine or Basmati
4 cups whole milk
7 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs pure vanilla extract
2 Tbs rum (optional)

Preheat the oven to 250F. Peel the citrus with a vegetable peeler and cut the peel into very fine short strips. Be sure not to get any of the pith with the peel, otherwise it will make the pudding somewhat bitter. As you can see I accidentally got a little pith in mine.


Mix the peel, rice, sugar, milk, vanilla, and rum (optional) in an ovenproof dish. Put in the oven and cook uncovered for about 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 45 minutes or so. By the way, it will make your kitchen smell heavenly. If you use skim or low fat milk, you may want to keep it in there longer.

It will thicken considerably as it cools. It's great straight out of the oven, or cooled in the fridge.

I used skim milk in the recipe because that's what I happened to have and it turned out a bit more runny than I would have liked. I think next time I will use a milk with a higher percentage of fat (or coconut milk like I already mentioned). My citrus strips were a bit too thick for my liking, so I ended up picking out a lot of the big ones. I wonder how zest would work instead of the peel. Cinnamon might be a nice addition to the recipe as well, but the flavor is great simply as it is. Let me know if you try this out and tell me what works for you!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Pancakes

One of my favorite meals as a kid was a grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Our Grammy made these for us kids quite often and would always use her homemade blackberry jam. The blackberries were always from Oregon, which are quite arguably the best blackberries you will find anywhere. Living in DC, I don't have access to Oregon Blackberries, nor do I have the skill or knowledge to make homemade jam (anyone have some advice on how to get started with homemade jam making?) Every once in a while I will still make grilled PB and J sandwiches, if you have never had one i highly recommend it. This morning I was rummaging around the cupboards trying to think of something to make for breakfast: how about PB and J pancakes?

Ingredients:
makes about 8-10 pancakes

1 1/2 cup flour
2 Tbs and 2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy)
1/2 cup jam or jelly of your choice

Directions:

Measure out peanut butter into a medium bowl. Pour 1 1/4 cup boiling water over peanut butter and slowly stir until peanut butter dissolves. Add egg and oil and whisk well. Measure out dry ingredients on top of the peanut butter mixture, and mix dry ingredients together, then stir into the peanut butter mixture just until barely blended. Swirl in the jam or jelly, but do not completely incorporate, you want to keep the jam in swirls as much as possible:
If the jam or jelly you are using is too stiff, you may want to heat it up a little in the microwave or mix it with a little bit of hot water before swirling it in. Let batter sit for 5 minutes.

Lightly oil a large griddle or skillet and place on medium low heat.

You can tell if your skillet or griddle is hot enough by flicking a drop or two of water on its surface. The water should skitter around and quickly evaporate if the pan is hot enough.

Roughly measure out 1/4 cup batter onto hot skillet and cook pancake for about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes on each side. Turn when bubbles form and continue cooking until golden brown.

Serve immediately topped with jelly or keep warm on a baking sheet in a 200° F oven until all pancakes are cooked. You can also top with maple syrup and butter if you prefer.

This is a great breakfast to make with kids! (just be careful when handling boiling water of course). Goes well with a side of bacon or fried egg.

Chocolate Chip and Molasses Quick Bread

OK, let me confess something to you all. I had the best of intentions this holiday season and was going to send all of my near and dear loved ones a homemade gift this year. It wasn't going to be anything fancy, but the busyness of the season got the better of me. Maybe next year...

Anyway, the basic idea of what I was going to make was a "bread in a jar." I bought a bunch of glass mason jars and was planning on layering all of the dry ingredients in the jar so it would look kind of like those glass jars with different colors of sand layered in. I would then print out the directions on a pretty card and tie it to the neck of the jar with some ribbon.

I did however, get around to making the bread to test out the recipe. The recipe calls for oatmeal, molasses, chocolate chips, and pecans but the best thing about this recipe is you can mix and match the ingredients to your liking. Say for instance, if you really like the combination of dried cherries and chocolate and you do not like nuts, you could do that instead. If you don't like molasses, substitute brown sugar.



Chocolate Chip and Molasses Quick Bread:
adapted from Sunset Magazine

2 cups flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup miniature chocolate chips
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter

In a large bowl, quickly mix together dry ingredients. In a small bowl, mix together buttermilk, eggs, butter and molasses. Stir wet mixture into dry mixture just until barely moistened (batter will be lumpy). Now mix in the chocolate chips and pecans (or whatever you want), but be careful not to over mix.

Scrape batter into a non-stick 9 by 5 loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes at 350F. You will know when its done when inserting a wooden skewer in the middle comes out clean.

Chocolate Apple Cider Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Oh, I love my new camera. Now I can take semi decent photos of food!

As promised, here are the Chocolate Apple Cider Cupcakes. Guess what else? An easy Apple Cider Marshmallow Frosting recipe. The cupcake recipe is of course based on Martha Stewart's One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes recipe from her Baking Handbook. The frosting is an improvisational recipe made with what I already had on hand in the kitchen. Can't skip the frosting; after all, everyone knows the best part of a cupcake is the frosting. Want to know what the somewhat wacky secret ingredient is? When you make these, you might want to keep this part a secret since it doesn't sound too sophisticated: Spiced Apple Cider Instant Drink Mix. Yep, you read that right.

Chocolate Apple Cider Cupcakes
makes 2 dozen

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 packets (0.74 oz each) of Spiced Apple Cider instant drink mix
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups water

Heat oven to 350F. In a large bowl (use an electric mixer if you have one), sir together flour, cocoa powder, apple cider mix, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the eggs and yolk, milk, oil, vanilla, and warm water. Beat until smooth and evenly combined, about three minutes.

Spray 2 standard muffin/cupcake pans with non stick cooking spray, or preferably line them with paper liners. Divide batter evenly among the paper liners filling each to about 2/3 full. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Let cool completely.



Apple Cider Marshmallow Frosting

2 egg whites
6 Tbsp. cold water
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 cup miniature marshmallows
2 packets (0.74 oz each) spiced apple cider instance drink mix

Combine all ingredients, except marshmallows and vanilla in a double broiler blending thoroughly over very rapidly boiling water. Beat vigorously with a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks begin to form (about 7 minutes). Slowly beat in marshmallows until melted and add in vanilla. Frost cupcakes immediately. I sprinkled mine with cinnamon and red sugar.

Enjoy!

Almond Sugar Cookies

I had an urge to get all cutesy and decorate some sugar cookies. I got the candy corn originally so i could make the cookies look like these Pillsbury Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies but my cookies ended up being too small to fit the design, so I came up with this instead.

I got the cookie recipe from The Splendid Table, but substituted the vanilla extract for almond extract to add an alternative flavor. The chocolate frosting on top is Nutella, and as you can see for some cookies I used sliced almonds.

Pomegranate Muffins

So, I wanted to make muffins but with a little twist. Pomegranates are in season right now, and they are really juicy and red. A little tip when picking out a pomegranate: The uglier, the better. For some reason the ugliest ones are the reddest and juiciest.

These got good reviews by some friends who happened to be over, and I thought they were pretty good too. Try them out if you are tired of the same old blueberry muffins!



Pomegranate Muffins
adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook
makes one dozen

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 or 1 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds and juice
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Spray or grease your muffin tin, set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and set aside.

In another medium bowl, beat melted butter and sugar vigorously until light and fluffy. Use an electric mixer if you have one. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well combined, then mix in the vanilla.

Now add the flour mixture to the egg and butter mixture, gently mixing just until combined and then slowly add milk (don't over mix). Fold in the pomegranate seeds and juice.

Divide batter evenly between muffin tin cups, lined with paper cups if you prefer.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until muffins are a light golden brown. Let cool for about ten minutes.

Toasted Coconut Pumpkin Pancakes

Tired of pumpkin yet? I hope not, because I can't get enough of it. Most of you have probably had pumpkin pancakes before, but have you had it with toasted coconut? It adds a great texture and a nice little crunch. The pancake recipe itself is low fat and fairly healthy, especially if you use nonfat milk or whole wheat flour instead of white.



Ingredients:

1 cup flour
2/3 cup toasted shredded coconut
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 large egg
1 Tbs canola or vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1/3 cup pumpkin puree


Directions:

Evenly spread shredded coconut on a cookie sheet. Place in oven and set to broil. Broil for about 10-15 minutes or until coconut is evenly toasted and a medium golden brown. You will need to keep a close eye on it and stir often to ensure even toasting and to make sure it doesn't burn. Set aside and let cool.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, coconut, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. In a small bowl, beat together egg, oil, milk, and pumpkin. Add the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Let sit for five minutes.

Meanwhile, get your pancake griddle or skillet hot over medium-low heat, sprayed with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto middle of skillet. Turn over when it batter is bubbly and edges appear to be cooked (2-3 minutes). Cook for about 1 1/2 minutes on the other side, and serve immediately.

Try spreading cream cheese and pumpkin butter over the top, or just use butter and syrup. Yummmm!!!!!

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin bread to me is just one of those breads that warms the soul. This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. Make this bread and your neighbors will smell it and break down your door. No need to buy baked goods from Starbucks when you have a recipe like this up your sleeve!


Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 buttermilk

Directions:
Heat oven to 350F and grease two loaf pans with non stick spray or butter. In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and all of the spices.

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree and sugars. Martha suggests using an electric mixer on medium for 2 to 3 minutes, but I just mixed it by hand until well combined. Add the eggs and oil and mix until combined. Add half the flour and mix just until barely combined. Add the buttermilk, then add the flour and mix just until combined.

Divide the batter between the two loaf pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Place loaf pans on a cookie sheet and bake for 55-60 minutes, rotating the pans 180 degrees half way through. When knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, bread is done. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Of course it can be enjoyed right away, but the next day the flavors will have combined more completely.

No-Knead Sourdough Bread (1st attempt)

As promised, here is the sourdough bread I made. This is my very first attempt at homemade sourdough bread, it wasn't perfect but turned out pretty well! Give it a try and let me know if you can come up with some improved techniques.

Many of you have probably heard about the New York Times article on No Knead Bread, adapted from a recipe by Jim Lahey. The basic idea is that you let time do the work for you rather than the traditional method of kneading and rising. I thought this would be a great recipe to try out with my sourdough starter, and an added bonus is that I would not have to use any additional yeast since its already in the starter.

I used an adapted recipe from Sourdoughs International. The bread turned out to have a great sourdough flavor, but it wasn't light and fluffy enough for me. I think some of the problem may have been the temperature in which it was rising (may have been too warm) which inhibits the wild yeast and makes it leven poorly. The other complaint I have is that the dough was really wet, sticky and difficult to work with. Don't get me wrong, the bread will definitely be completely gobbled up within a couple days- I just think the recipe and my technique could use some improvement.


No-Knead Sourdough Bread
makes one loaf

Ingredients:
1 cup sourdough starter
3 cups flour (I used white, but I am sure whole wheat would be really good)
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Measure out your sourdough starter the night before, or a few hours before you start so as to make the starter fully active.

In a large bowl lightly combine all ingredients (do not use a metal bowl). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a safe place which is preferably between 70-75F for 12-18 hours.

After this proofing period, the dough will be very sticky. Sprinkle a work surface with flour and transfer dough to the surface, and sprinkle dough with additional flour. Let rest for about 15 minutes.

While handling as little as possible and using additional flour (no more than 1/4 cup) form dough into a rough ball and then place directly into your greased baking container (I used a loaf pan). Cover with a cotton towel and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours or until it doubles in size.

Place in an unheated oven and then turn the oven on to 450F. The recipe I used calls for it to be baked for 1 hour and 10 minutes, which I found to be too long. Maybe you could try baking it for 45 minutes and then checking it. It will be done with the crust is a light golden brown.

The Donnie Darko

Happy Halloween!

Here is a tasty little Halloween themed beverage I concocted in the spirit of one of my most favorite Halloween themed movies, Donnie Darko. I'm not sure it has much to do with the actual movie, but it's quite a decadent alcoholic beverage you could have any time of year. If you like chocolate and dulce de leche, then this one is for you.


The Donnie Darko
serves 1

1 oz. vodka
1 oz. dulche de leche liqueur
1 oz. half and half
chocolate syrup
chocolate caramel candy for garnish (optional)

In a margarita or martini glass, drizzle chocolate syrup around the inside of the glass. Place ice cubes inside a martini mixer and pour in vodka, liqueur, and half and half. Shake about 5-6 times. Drain liquid into glass and place optional garnish on the rim.

Meet Mr. Bubbles, the Sourdough Starter

Mr. Bubbles

Making a sourdough starter is so amazingly easy, it's pretty much idiot proof. You just have to make sure to "feed" it once a day for the first few days. After that, you mostly just need to tend to it once a week. It's kind of like a pet that you keep in the fridge. I already have one sitting in my fridge, I named him Mr. Bubbles (feel free to make fun of me).

In a couple of days I will post a sourdough bread recipe that I am currently working on. Before that, I thought it might be useful for some of you to learn a little about the process.

Here is what you do:

Mix together one cup of flour with one cup of warm water. Pour into a wide mouthed jar or other container. Avoid using a metal container, because it can affect the starter in an adverse way. Make sure there is a way for air to circulate in the container. I used a mason jar and punctured a hole in the lid with a nail. Put aside and keep at room temperature.

After about 24 hours, you will need to "feed" the starter: throw out half the starter, and mix in half a cup of warm water and a half cup of flour. Set aside for another 24 hours and repeat. After 3-5 days, your starter should be bubbly and yeasty smelling which means its ready to use; at this point you can begin keeping it in your refrigerator.

Your starter will keep for as long as you continue to feed it once a week or so, and also after every time you make something with it in order to replenish it.

If you want more details on how to make a sourdough starter, John Ross over at Sourdough Baking has lots of additional information and advice.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Chocolate Chips

I have been wanting to make this cake for a while now, it just sounds so interesting. Olive oil in a cake? One time when I was in high school a friend of mine and I wanted to make chocolate chip cookies but we didn't have any regular vegetable or canola oil. We did have olive oil however, so we used that instead. Needless to say the cookies turned out....interesting. I tried one bite and couldn't bring myself to eat anymore (ick!). For some reason, olive oil works very well in this cake and is the star ingredient along with the lemon. The recipe is adapted from Gourmet magazine. It is a very rustic, light, and airy cake; just barely sweet enough to be considered dessert.



Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Chocolate Chips
serves 8

Ingredients:
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 cup flour (use cake flour if you have it)
5 egg yolks
4 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 1/2 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F, making sure the rack is in the middle position of the oven. Grease a 9 inch spring form pan, or a 9 cake inch cake pan.

Whisk together lemon zest, salt and flour. Set aside.

Beat together egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a large bowl until thick and pale, about three minutes. Drizzle in olive oil and lemon juice while slowly stirring just until combined, the mixture will appear to be slightly separated. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture just until combined (do not beat).

Beat egg whites in a large bowl until foamy. Add 1/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, and beat until mixture just begins to hold soft peaks.

Gently fold in one third of whites into yolk mixture. Then fold in rest of egg whites and chocolate chips very gently.

Pour batter into greased pan and gently rap against the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle top with remaining sugar. Bake 45 minutes or until puffed and golden and a knife or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for about 10 minutes, then remove. Cool cake to room temperature. At this point you can top the cake however you like- powdered sugar, berries, lemon curd, frosting, or leave it plain. I chose to spread some lemon curd I had from Trader Joe's and then sprinkled powdered sugar on top.

Enjoy with tea, as breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Carmel Sea Salt Brownies

One of my co-workers had his last day of work this week and is at this moment driving himself and all his belongings from D.C. to Aspen, Colorado. I thought he might need some brownies to accompany him on a long drive.

Now, these are definitely NOT my mother's brownies. I thought it was a possibility these might give her a run for her money, but nope. This recipe is supposedly adapted from a brownie recipe made at Mari's New York. I have never had one of her brownies, but have read they are to die for. I am not sure the brownies I made reached that status, but they are pretty good.


Caramel Sea Salt Brownies

2 sticks unsalted butter
8 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 large eggs
2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup caramel warmed (I used a jar of Smucker's Caramel Sauce
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease an 11 x 9 casserole pan. Line with parchment; grease again.

In a small bowl sift flour and add the salt, mix together

Over double boiler, melt butter. Once melted, add chocolate and stir until melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla together until fluffy and light in color. Add the chocolate and mix until combined. Gently fold in the flour.

Pour half the batter into pan and spread evenly. Pour half the caramel sauce over batter and spread evenly. Pour the remaining batter over caramel and spread evenly. Drizzle remaining caramel sauce over top, in one continuous back and forth pattern. With toothpick or knife, drag tip through top caramel and batter layer making same back and forth pattern but going the other way. Bake for 20 minutes, turn pan and bake for 15 minutes more.

Remove from oven and sprinkle sea salt on top. When cool, cut into squares or bars. Enjoy!

Ricotta Plum Pie with Lavender and Honey

Sunday is farmer's market day in my neighborhood. The weather in D.C. has been unbelievably sunny, crisp, and gorgeous lately; and the vendors at the market are selling the last of their summer harvest. I took advantage of the last of this season's plums and also bought some amazing fresh whole milk ricotta cheese from Keswick Creamery.

I made up this recipe on the fly as an experiment. I wasn't sure if lavender and plums go together, nor have I ever made anything with lavender before. The result is an unusual combination that works well together. Fresh figs could easily be substituted for the plums.

In the end, next time I will make this pie just as is but without the lavender. If you are feeling adventurous though, I would definitely give the lavender a try!

P.S. One of these days I will post a detailed tutorial on how to make this pie crust. It's an amazing pie crust and is pretty easy to handle; another one of those reliable recipes that has been passed on in our family.



Ricotta Plum Pie with Lavender and Honey
Serves 8

Ingredients:

Filling:
1 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 tsp. dried lavender
2 egg yolks
3 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Fruit and Topping:
6 or 7 plums, sliced (8 slices per plum)
2 Tbs. white sugar
2 or 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 or 3 Tbs. honey

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbs. cold water


Directions:

With a fork, mix together flour, oil and salt until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle cold water over mixture. Combine the water and flour/oil mixture just until barely incorporated. After the point where you add the water, mix as little as possible. The less you mix, the more flaky the crust will be. Form into a ball, you should be able to see white ribbons in the dough where the oil and water are immiscible (I just learned this word). Set aside.

Heat oven to 400F. To make the filling, place ricotta, egg yolk, honey and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and whisk until evenly combined. Add dried lavender and whisk again until well combined.

Now form the crust. To do this place plastic wrap flat down on a damp counter. Place the ball of pie dough in the middle and flatten a little. Place anther piece of plastic wrap over dough. With a rolling pin, roll out dough into a circle slightly larger than the pie pan. Place dough into pie pan; roll edges and pinch with fingers to make a ruffled edge. Spoon ricotta mixture onto the pie shell and even out with the back of a spoon or spatula.

Gently mix together sliced plums and white sugar, let sit for 5 or 10 minutes. Neatly arrange the plums on top of the filling in a circular pattern, or however you see fit. Drizzle honey and lemon juice over plums.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the crust is a light golden color. Let cool completely before serving. Goes well with a cup of tea or coffee!



UPDATE: Julie had a brilliant suggestion for next time: simmering the lavender in the honey and then straining it out so that there would be the lavender essence but not the lavender bits in the filling.

Apple Cinnamon Bread

You probably have everything needed to make this bread already in your kitchen. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, see my note below. This recipe produces a sweet and spicy bread that is slightly chewy (in a good way). While it was baking I went for a nice walk in Rock Creek Park to check out the beautiful autumn leaves, fall is so beautiful in D.C. It was nice to come home after walking in the crispy weather to a warm apartment filled with the smell of apples and cinnamon.


Apple Cinnamon Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk*
1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 apple, peeled and chopped into small pieces

Topping:
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2-2/3 cup brown sugar (enough to make mixture crumbly)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350F. Mix together buttermilk*, sour cream or yogurt, oil, brown sugar, and apple until well combined. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and stir with a wooden spoon until wet and dry ingredients are completely incorporated.

Pour evenly into a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the top of the batter and lightly swirl with a knife.

Bake for about an hour or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Enjoy!

*If you don't have any buttermilk on hand (I didn't), simply make your own. All you do is pour 1 Tbs. of apple or white vinegar, or lemon juice into a 1 cup liquid measuring cup and then fill the rest of it with milk. Let sit for about 5 minutes or until it curdles, and now you have buttermilk. Also, this could easily be turned into a vegan bread by substituting the milk with soy or almond milk, and using soy yogurt instead of dairy yogurt.

Lemon Ginger Cake

A dear friend of mine had a birthday recently, and there is little I love more than making a cake for someone, especially a friend who has seen me through a lot of life's ups and downs. She doesn't have a huge sweet tooth, and is known for passing up the dessert tray at a restaurant and opting for buffalo wings instead. I am not sure how it's possible that we are still great friends given this disparity of respective weaknesses, but we are. Truth is stranger than fiction, folks. That said, she actually liked this cake (or so she said).
(BTW- we are only letting her pretend she is still 27, don't tell her we know)

The cake itself is not terribly sweet, but very good. The frosting is quite tangy and sweet, and I will probably keep it up my sleeve as a trusty go-to frosting.

Lemon Ginger Cake

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbs. lemon zest
1 Tbs. fresh ginger, grated
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest and ginger. Beat for one minute.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.

Divide batter between two round cake pans, don't forget to grease or spray the pans with cooking spray first. There will be batter left over which is great for making cupcakes (see cupcake photo at the end of this post). Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Cool completely at room temperature.

Lemon Ginger Frosting:

2 tsp. lemon zest
4 Tbs. melted butter
3-4 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp. salt

Whisk together lemon zest, butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, lemon juice, ginger and salt until the mixture starts to stiffen. Add more powdered sugar until the frosting seems thick enough to stick to the cake.

After the cake has cooled completely, top one of the cake rounds with frosting. Place other cake round on top, and then frost the rest of the cake. I decorated mine with candied ginger and fruit jellies from Trader Joe's.


Here is a picture of the cupcakes. I took these to work, and there wasn't a crumb left after 11 AM.

Donuts!

"Donuts. Is there anything they can't do?" -Homer Simpson

When I first got the idea to make donuts from scratch, my eyes almost popped out of my head. I love anything even remotely kitchy.

I was warned they would take commitment. These aren't something you can just stir up in a bowl and stick on the skillet.... I think I underestimated that warning as I was up until one in the morning making these puppies.

They were pretty good, but I definitely learned a few things:

1. I need a candy thermometer.
2. I need a round pastry cutter set.
3. I'm 95% sure that its better to fry these at a lower temperature than the recipe calls for and to take them out of the oil well before you think they are done, otherwise they turn out dry and chewy instead of soft and melt in your mouth.
4. Only make as much as can be consumed or given away in one day,
5. These are a great gift to give to someone who needs a little happiness in their day.

I got the idea and the glazes from the amazing Joy the Baker. I did not use an electric mixer for the donuts, as I do not have one yet. I didn't find it to be a problem though, I just vigorously mixed the dough with my hands when the recipe called for it to be mixed for 3 minutes (kind of a bicep work out). Also, I think what was even better than the donuts themselves were the donut holes. I dropped them immediately from the oil into a bowl of cinnamon and sugar and rolled them around. I took the donuts and the holes to work, and the holes were first to go. Just as an FYI-These are not super sweet like the kind you buy at a grocery store bakery or Krispy Kreme. They taste more like a slightly sweet fry bread with a touch of cinnamon.

Though these were very good, I think next time I will try out these from Peanut Butter and Julie.

P.S. I know the picture isn't of the highest quality, I had to take it with my cell phone. Don't worry, I am working on getting my broken camera fixed.


Gourmet, December 2006

makes 1 dozen doughnuts

1 (1/4-oz) package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons warm water (105–115°F)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for sprinkling and rolling out dough
1 cup whole milk at room temperature
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
About 10 cups vegetable oil for deep frying

Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

Mix together flour, milk, butter, yolks, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and yeast mixture in mixer at low speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes more.

Scrape dough down side of bowl (all around) into center, then sprinkle lightly with flour (to keep a crust from forming). Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Alternatively, let dough rise in bowl in refrigerator 8 to 12 hours.)

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round (1/2 inch thick). Cut out as many rounds as possible with 3-inch cutter, then cut a hole in center of each round with 1-inch cutter and transfer doughnuts to a lightly floured large baking sheet. Cover doughnuts with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes (45 minutes if dough was cold when cutting out doughnuts). Do not reroll scraps.

Heat 2 1/2 inches oil in a deep 4-quart heavy pot until it registers 350°F on thermometer. Fry doughnuts, 2 at a time, turning occasionally with a wire or mesh skimmer or a slotted spoon, until puffed and golden brown, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain. (Return oil to 350°F between batches.)

I also fried the doughnut holes for about 1 minute and them tossed them in powdered sugar and cinnamon sugar straight out of the hot grease.

Chocolate Glaze

recipe from Alton Brown

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk, warmed
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Combine butter, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla in medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until butter is melted. Decrease the heat to low, add the chocolate, and whisk until melted. Turn off heat, add the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Place the mixture over a bowl of warm water and dip the doughnuts immediately. Allow glaze to set for 30 minutes before serving.

Maple Glaze

Bon Appetit November 1995

You might consider doubling this recipe and drizzling it on everything you know and love.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons whipping cream
6 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted

Melt butter with maple syrup and cream in heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Cool glaze until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Dip doughnuts into glaze or drizzle glaze over doughnuts.

These glazes are really tasty, I ended up having left over glaze and used it as an ice cream topper.