Labels: recipes, the sweet

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 C). In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter and 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate together over low heat. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.
3. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the eggs and sugar and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Lower the speed to low and beat in the chocolate mixture until well combined.
4. Add the flour and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.
5. Drop 1-1/2 tablespoon portions 2-inches apart onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake for no longer than 13 minutes -- they should be slightly underbaked so the interior stays chewy and soft. Remove the whole sheet of parchment to a cooling rack and cool until just warm and set.

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

1. Melt together the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Set aside.
3. With a mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, honey and eggs on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. The mixture should be lightened and thickened quite a bit.
4. Add the chocolate-butter mixture to the egg mixture. Beat at medium low speed until well combined.
5. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture, and beat at low speed just until combined.
6. Refrigerate the batter for at least 4 hours.
7. When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 F (170 C). Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Roll the dough into 2-inch balls. Roll in the granulated sugar, then the powdered sugar.
9. Bake for 11 - 13 minutes (I bake them at 11 minutes, but I think my oven runs too hot). They should still look a bit gooey inside.
10. Let cool and eat the same day if possible (that's when they are best!)

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

• Samurai Noodle: This place on the side of Uwajimaya totally blew my mind. I loves some noodle soup, but the pork broth seriously Knocked. Me. Out. It was that good -- creamy, salty, tasty tonkotsu broth (not to be confused with tonkatsu, which is pork cutlet). No wonder the place is jammed at all hours of the day. Thanks to my sis for the awesome tip!

• Trophy Cupcakes: Another recommendation from my sis. I am normally not super impressed with cupcake joints because usually their goods seem too sweet. (See this post for my typical opinion). Even though they were sweet, I really liked the cupcakes at Trophy. The price almost made me fall over, so at first I bought two cupcakes (at $2.99 a pop, they'd better be good!), but we gobbled them down so fast that we had to go back for more. The flavor not to miss? S'mores. This one took the cake, so to speak. And I don't even like real s'mores.

• Stumptown Coffee: This one was a tip from my friend Joseph, the best home barista I know. Here you can get the perfect latte. My brother called them "those feather coffees" because of the leaf pattern on top -- which, as I've mentioned before, is the sign that the coffee and milk were worked perfectly. Sigh, I don't find that too often here in NL, so Seattlelites, don't take your great baristas for granted!

Labels: the savory and salty, the sweet, travel

Labels: recipes, the sweet

1. If you are using fresh pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (160 C). Cut the pumpkin into quarters, scooping out the seeds and stringy stuff. Place in a baking dish, cover with foil, and roast for 1 hour or until soft. Scoop out the flesh and measure out 2 cups.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 C). Crush the cookies in a bag or give it a whirl in a food processor until it is completely in crumbs. Using a fork, combine with the butter until all the crumbs are moistened. Press them firmly into a 9-inch springform pan.
3. Bake for 15 minutes, until fragrant. Remove to a cooling rack.
4. Combine the pumpkin with the spices. In a medium saucepan, heat the pumpkin over medium heat, stirring. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until shiny and slightly thickened. Remove and cool to room temperature.
5. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the cream cheese and sugar. With the paddle attachment, mix at low speed for a few seconds until softened a bit. Add the cooled pumpkin and vanilla, mix at low speed for another minute or so. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer running on low, add the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl and combine for another 1-2 minutes.
6. Cover the outside of the springform pan in two layers of aluminium foil, making sure it is secure around the pan -- you don't want water to get in. Pour the cheesecake filling into the springform pan. Set the springform pan into a roasting pan. Set the pan on the oven rack and fill the roasting pan halfway up the sides with very hot tap water.
7. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour. Check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer -- the temperature should be at least 160 degrees F (72 degrees C). If not, bake for 15-20 minutes longer.
8. Turn off the oven and prop the door open with the handle of a wooden spoon. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and the water bath. Run a knife around the cake to make sure it doesn't stick to the sides of the springform pan. Set on a cooling rack until cooled to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
   
9. For the creme fraiche: Combine the creme fraiche, vanilla and sugar. Stir together and refrigerate until you serve the cheesecake.

Labels: recipes, the sweet

1. In a saucepan, stir together the milk, water and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Add the chocolate and cocoa, bring to a boil again, whisking until the chocolate and cocoa are dissolved and the mixture is thickened.
3. Serve in little cups -- a little goes a long way with this hot chocolate!

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

1. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Combine the flour, brown sugar, orange zest and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and cut it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. (Alternatively, use a food processor.) Stir in the egg with a fork, then use your hands to knead the mixture until it resembles, well, a ball of dough. Flatten the dough into a 6-inch disk, wrap in cling wrap and place in refrigerator for at least an hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out 3/4 of the dough between two sheets of cling wrap to about a 13-inch circle (set aside the other 1/4 of the dough for the top of the tart). Set it into the springform pan. Don't worry if it tears; the dough is really forgiving, so just pat it into the bottom and sides of the pan. Scatter the breadcrumbs along the bottom of the tart crust. Place it into the refrigerator while preparing the filling.
3. Core and peel the apples. Divide each apple into 16 slices. (Place the apples in a bowl of ice water so they don't turn brown.) Drain the apple slices and combine with the cornstarch, salt, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
4. Roll out the remaining crust dough into strips to create a lattice-like top. (Don't worry about making it perfect-- it'll sort of 'melt' in the oven anyway.)
5. Place the apple mixture (but make sure not to include the accumulated liquid) into the tart crust and lay the lattice-dough-strips on top.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes. Remove and cool on a cooling rack-- once it's cooled to room temperature, remove the springform sides. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Link:
Crispywaffle: Original post of Appeltaart: apple pie, Dutch stylie

Labels: recipes, the sweet, travel

Villa Olmo, Lake Como

Donatella made us a delicious appletart from a family recipe, among other yummy things to eat.



Of course we picked up sweets at this bakery in Citta Alta, Bergamo.



At one of the bakeries in Bergamo, Donatella pointed out a specialty: a giant croissant filled with Nutella. Bon appetito!



Donatella took us to an amazing restaurant the night before we left -- La Colombina, which specializes in la cucina bergamasca, total dishes from Bergamo. Here are casoncelli, the local filled ravioli served with butter, bacon and sage, and risotto with a red wine reduction. Very very rich but really delish. (and also affordable, with the most expensive dish being only 12 euro!)


In season peaches at the neighborhood market near the Mylius home.



The town center of Verona is really compact and walkable. Here is a statue of Berto Barbarani, a famous poet from Verona.


And of course no trip is complete without gelato! Here is the little chica's favorite flavor: yogurt.

Labels: the savory and salty, the sweet, travel

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Reserve 2 small chunks of the butter and set aside (this will be for the streusel).
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour, salt and white granulated sugar. With the paddle attachment and the mixer on low, add the butter one piece at a time. Mix until it looks like wet sand starting to clump together (this is a great tip from Cooks Illustrated -- usually, or rather, always, recipes call for a mixture to resemble "coarse meal" which sometimes seems meaningless.).
3. Measure out half the mixture (about 1-1/4 cup) and set aside for the streusel. Press the rest of the mixture down into the baking pan with your hands, making sure it's as even as possible. Bake the shortbread for 14-15 minutes, until it is lightly brown.
4. In the meantime, combine the remaining flour-butter mixture with the oats, brown sugar, and nuts. Adding the butter you set aside earlier, rub the mixture together with your fingers until it creates large clumps and kind of adheres together, but still looks crumbly.
5. In a small bowl, mash up the raspberries a bit, then add the jam. Test for sweetness/sourness and add the lemon juice if it's too sweet (the lemon also keeps the raspberries a nice bright color). Mash it together. Pour the raspberry mixture over the shortbread and spread with a spatula.
6. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the shortbread and raspberries.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the top is golden brown. Cool on a rack until room temperature or just warm, then cut into squares.

Labels: recipes, the sweet

Last year, I posted a recipe for teacakes because I couldn't find a proper madeleine tin here in Den Haag. I even went to the chi-chi DOK kitchen shop in the Passage (definitely my fave kitchen shop in town) and asked about it: yes, they had silicone baking forms for madeleines as well as non-stick baking tins: neither of which I wanted. Not that you couldn't bake using those: I just feel like the regular tins maybe brown better -- perhaps because you have to properly prep them with butter and flour. (Or maybe it's just because I find them more aesthetically pleasing? Yes, I'm shallow.)

A few weeks ago, I was standing in the baking section at DOK with my friend Deb (who was visiting from Boston), and lo and behold, the regular metal madeleine baking tins were shining at me from a lower shelf. Yay! Deb bought me two of them as a prezzie (thanks Deb!), and I was on my way to baking proper madeleines.

Like the teacakes recipe, these have a mild orange flavor. I adjusted the recipe to add baking powder, which is far from authentic for madeleines. However, I find it easier to deal with because you are not entirely dealing with eggs for all the lift -- I don't have a ton of patience to "carefully fold" the flour into the eggs. With the baking powder, this recipe is a bit more forgiving. And trust me, you won't notice it when you are dipping a madeleine into some tea, a la Proust.

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces butter (170 grams), melted and cooled to room temperature
zest of one orange
3 large eggs
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
powdered sugar (optional, for sprinkling)

1. Prepare the baking tins by buttering liberally, then sprinkling flour and tapping out the excess. Preheat oven to 450 F (220 C).
   
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
3. Combine the butter and orange zest in a medium bowl and set aside.
4. Combine the eggs, egg yolk and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Beat with whisk attachment for 3 minutes on medium high, until mixture is light and airy.
5. Sift the flour mixture into the egg mixture and fold in until it is all combined and there isn't any more dry flour. Spoon out about a quarter of the flour-egg mixture and stir into the butter. Pour the butter mixture back into the flour-egg mixture and fold in.
   
6. Spoon into the baking tins (each shell form should be about 3/4 full). Bake for about 8 minutes, until risen and golden brown.
7. Cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then remove madeleines and cool on a baking rack until just warm. They are delicious with tea or coffee.

Labels: recipes, the sweet

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). In a medium saucepan, combine the rhubarb with 100 grams of the sugar, salt, and the zest and juice of the orange. Heat over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the strawberries, if using.
2. Combine the flour, butter and remaining brown sugar (100 grams) in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the oats and toss it through with your fingers.
3. Spoon the rhubarb mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle the oatmeal mixture over the rhubarb. Bake for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the topping is brown and fragrant.
4. Cool and serve with ice cream.

Links
Crispy Waffle: Yvonne's rhubarb bread
Crispy Waffle: Vanilla ice cream
Crispy Waffle: Quark ice cream

Labels: recipes, the sweet

1. Quarter the strawberries, and take 1/3 of them and mash with a fork. Combine the mashed strawberries with the quartered strawberries and sprinkle with the sugar and salt. Allow to macerate for about a half hour.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (22o C). Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the cold butter. With a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (You can also combine the ingredients in a food processor and give it a whiz for a few seconds.)
3. Whisk together the egg and milk and pour into the flour mixture. Using a spatula, mix until the dough comes together. Turn it out onto a floured surface and flatten out.
4. With a knife, cut into 8 squares. Place the squares on a baking sheet prepped with parchment paper. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with extra sugar.
5. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove and cool on a cooling rack.
6. To serve: Place the biscuits on the serving plates, then split the biscuits lengthwise. Spoon the strawberry mixture on each biscuit and top with the creme fraiche.

Almost gone!

Links:
Crispywaffle: Strawberry waffles

Labels: recipes, the sweet

Refreshing

Labels: the savory and salty, the sweet, travel

1. It has an egg custard base (hence, the name frozen custard).
2. It has a high butterfat content (it must have at least 10 percent butterfat, like ice cream, although my favorite custard, Kopp's, has 16 percent butterfat).
3. It has low overrun of only 20 percent, while regular ice cream has between 50 to 100 percent overrun (that's a lot of air!). This is due to the special, freaky-looking churner that spits out frozen custard in a giant vanilla or chocolate snake of frozen goodness. It churns more slowly, thereby preventing too much air being churned in.
4. Frozen custard is served at a higher temperature, normally 18 degrees Fahrenheit rather than the 10 degrees Fahrenheit that standard ice cream is served at. This prevents it from numbing your tongue, and because it is so dense, it doesn't seem to melt that quickly. Perfect!

Labels: the sweet, travel

Labels: the chocolatey, the sweet

Labels: recipes, the savory and salty, the sweet

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Butter and flour an 8-inch pan.
2. Melt the butter and chocolate over low heat in a small, heavy saucepan, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in salt, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla. Cool until just warm.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs lightly. Whisk in the chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour and nuts.
4. Pour the batter in the baking pan and bake for 30 minutes, until the top is shiny (you can check whether it's done with a skewer, but crumbs should easily cling to the skewer. Try not to overbake). Cool on a baking rack.

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

Labels: the sweet

1. Combine the oatmeal and buttermilk in a large bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes.
2. In a smaller bowl, combine the sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined. Add to the oatmeal mixture.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Add to the oatmeal mixture and whisk until just combined.
4. Heat a lightly greased pan or griddle over medium heat. Drop batter in 1/4 cup portions and cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook on the other side for a bit longer. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 200 F (90 C) oven.

1. Combine the yogurt, sour cream, brown sugar and vanilla and stir until combined. Taste for sweetness, adding more brown sugar if necessary.
2. Add the banana and serve immediately.
   

Nutella topping
1/4 cup Nutella spread
3 tablespoons boiling water

1. In a medium bowl, combine the Nutella with the water. Whisk quickly until smooth-- the chocolate will seize and will initially look kind of lumpy, but it will smooth out with whisking.
2. Enjoy!

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

Labels: recipes, the sweet

This particular recipe is really easy because all it requires leftover rice; you can use already cooked rice. We always, always have leftover rice, usually sitting in the rice cooker from last night. (Go to any Asian's house. You'll probably find leftover rice from last night in the rice cooker.) One thing I noticed is that this recipe actually works best with room temperature rice. If the rice has been refrigerated overnight, it does not seem to absorb the milk as nicely, and the pudding becomes more soupy. So if you have leftover rice, make sure it is soft and at room temperature. Save the cold rice for fried rice.

If you don't have leftover rice, simply prepare 1 cup of uncooked rice for this recipe, as you would normally cook rice. You can make the below recipe immediately after the rice is cooked, and it'll come out fine.

One thing that makes this pudding extra yummy is that I use a vanilla pod rather than vanilla extract. You get those crunchy little bits of vanilla and a bigger hit of vanilla taste this way.

Rice pudding
makes about 6 servings

Ingredients
2-1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 cups cooked rice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1. In a heavy medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture comes to a simmer. Lower heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened.
3. Serve warm, or refrigerate and serve cold later.

Labels: recipes, the sweet

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Combine the cooled melted butter with the white and brown sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand or hand mixer. Mix at low speed.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat at medium speed until the mixture has turned much lighter and airy. Scrape down the bowl and add the flour mixture. Beat together at low speed only until just combined. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.
5. Drop the dough in one-tablespoon portions onto the baking sheet, leaving a bit of space around each cookie. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes. (Take them out of the oven before they seem fully baked -- leave them on the baking sheet for another 5 minutes out of the oven and they will continue to bake a bit, but still stay chewy later.)
6. Remove to a cooling rack and serve warm and gooey.

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch pie pan, and tap out the excess flour.
2. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Add the sugar and whisk. Add the cream, milk and vanilla. Add the flour and whisk until combined.
3. Arrange the raspberries in the pie pan and pour the batter over it. Sprinkle the almonds over the batter.
4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until puffed. It'll be a little custardy inside, but it's good that way. Serve with creme fraich and powdered sugar.

Links:
NY Times: The Minimalist: Clementines in a Blanket

Labels: recipes, the sweet

Labels: the chocolatey, the savory and salty, the sweet, travel

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C). Butter and flour the molds, generously. This is really important if you are using standard tins, but do it anyway if you are using non-stick because it will still make removal easier.
2. Combine the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat on medium-high until it has tripled in volume and a ribbon forms, about 3 minutes. Beat in the orange zest and salt.
3. Sprinkle one third of the flour over the egg mixture. Gently fold it in until combined. Repeat twice more, with the rest of the flour, being sure to fold as gently as possible.
4. Place the butter in a medium bowl. Stir in one third of the egg/flour mixture. Pour the butter/egg/flour mixture back into the rest of the batter, making sure, once again to fold as gently as possible.
5. Pour immediately into the molds. Bake for 10 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the molds for 5 minutes then remove to a rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
   

Labels: recipes, the sweet, travel

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the egg yolks and the sugar. Beat with whisk attachment over medium speed for 3 minutes or so, until the mixture is lightened and doubled in volume.
2. Heat the milk, cream and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until just steaming. Add the milk mixture in a steady stream into the egg mixture, stirring with a hand whisk the entire time (so the eggs don't curdle).
3. Put the entire egg/milk mixture back into the saucepan and add the lemon zest, if using. Stirring constantly, heat over medium until the mixture reaches 175 degrees. (To use the old kitchen measure-- it'll be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon).
4. Pour through a strainer into a large bowl. Cool for just a couple minutes, then stir in the quark. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until very cold. (I like to leave it overnight or all day, when I can).
5. Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions. Freeze to let it ripen for a couple of hours, then serve with cookies, such as the classic shortbread, below.

Classic shortbread
makes 1 8-inch pan of shortbread
The is super buttery, so make sure you use really nice tasting butter, as there's not much else to compete with it.

Ingredients
150 grams (about 10 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Combine the butter, powdered sugar and granulated sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, and not grainy, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Sift the flour and cornstarch over the butter mixture and stir until blended. The dough should be rather dry, but should hold together. Press into an 8-inch baking pan. Using a fork, mark the outlines of your shortbread squares (to make it easier to cut later).
3. Bake for 45 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and cut into squares.

Labels: recipes, the sweet

Labels: the sweet

1. Combine and whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
2. Combine the melted butter and milk. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients.
3. Whisk eggs and vanilla together in a separate small bowl. Add the egg-vanilla mixture to the other mixture, and whisk until well-combined.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge until tomorrow morning. (The batter can rise for 10 to 24 hours.)

1. Prepare waffle iron as usual. Stir the batter to deflate it (it should be puffy and frothy).
2. Add to waffle iron the same way you would other batter, keeping in mind that this batter will rise more than batters that use baking powder instead of yeast.

Labels: recipes, the sweet, waffles

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub the sweet potatoes, arrange in a baking dish and bake for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender enough to put a skewer through easily. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temp.
2. Combine the eggs and sugar in a standing mixer. Beat until lightened in color and a ribbon forms.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk and cream to barely a simmer and slowly pour into the egg mixture, whisking the whole time to prevent the eggs from curdling. Transfer back into the saucepan.
4. Stirring constantly over medium-low heat, bring the mixture to 180 degrees. (It'll be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon). Remove from heat and add the vanilla
5. Peel the sweet potatoes. Add a pinch of salt, and using a sieve or a food processor, make a puree.
6. Strain the custard into the sweet potato puree and make sure it's well combined. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
7. Freeze according to the instructions on your ice cream maker. This ice cream tastes excellent with salted pecans!

Labels: recipes, the sweet

1. Pour the ingredients into a blender and pulse for 20-30 seconds.
2. Top with whipped cream and if you want to go seriously classic, a maraschino cherry.

Chocolate syrup
I really like this chocolate syrup because it is not too sweet, but is still really chocolatey. I find commercial chocolate syrup too sugary. You can also use a tablespoon of this in a cup of hot milk to make quick hot chocolate.

Ingredients
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved and bring to a slight simmer.
2. Add the cocoa and salt and whisk until smooth. Simmer lightly for about 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool to room temperature. Keep in the refrigerator.
   

Links:
Domestic Goddess: Sugar High Friday
Wikipedia: Horlicks
Crispy Waffle: Vanilla bean ice cream
Crispy Waffle: Super chocolatey ice cream
Kopps Frozen Custard

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

• Too much butterfat will taste like, well, butterfat. Some Italian machines, like Simac, Nemox, etc. will churn a super fatty mixture into basically, butter. So a good balance of milk and cream is necessary.
• Custard ice cream bases are soooo much smoother. I do like Philadelphia-style (which basically means eggless ice cream) for a basic vanilla, but in most cases, I prefer a custard that starts with egg yolks. This makes the mixture really smooth, as it is an emulsion you are starting with.
• Sugar does more than just make it sweet. Sugar also helps improve texture-- it prevents the mixture from getting too icy, and lowers the freezing point. If you are like me and are curious about food science, you can get your fill about ice cream science here. Because I live in Holland, I have access to this weird form of sugar called white basterd sugar (yes, it really is called basterd sugar, although spelled differently than, I don't know, Fat Bastard). I guess we can call this Sweet Basterd. So this Sweet Basterd is a sugar that is basically the texture of brown sugar, but white. Because it partially contains inverted sugar syrup, it makes for a 'chewier' ice cream, and this type of sweetener behaves a bit like corn syrup-- it depresses the freezing point even further. (Yes, food science again! I have to experiment with white basterd sugar for other goods that need 'chew', such as brownies. More on this later!)

White basterd sugar-- it looks a bit like shave ice, and it feels exactly like traditional brown sugar.

With these things to remember, I've been working on the perfect custard (for me, at least). I'm not there yet, but I have been able to develop my go-to chocolate ice cream recipe. This is way over the top on the chocolate, but without being too fatty; I use more milk than cream in this recipe. Try it if you want total chocolate flavor without it being too sweet.

I have been making ice cream and then letting it sit in the freezer for 2 hours before we eat it. I think it hardens up too much (our freezer is 15 degrees centigrade) past that point, but 2 hours in, the texture is that perfect chewy, a bit melty, gelato-y texture. (In the picture above, it had been in the freezer for 4-5 hours, so you can see that it has gotten more of that American style hard-scoop texture. But it was still good!)

Super Chocolatey Ice Cream
makes approximately 1 quart

Ingredients
1-3/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa, such as Droste
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup white basterd sugar (if you don't have access to this, substitute 1/3 cup white granulated sugar)
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons vodka (optional)

1. Combine the eggs and the sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is lightened in color, and thickened, about 3 minutes.
2. In a heavy saucepan, bring the milk and salt to a simmer, whisk in the cocoa and simmer until the cocoa is dissolved.
3. Add the milk mixture to the egg mixture slowly, in a steady stream, whisking the whole time -- this tempers the eggs and keeps them from curdling. Place the milk/egg mixture back in the saucepan.
4. Over low heat, stir the mixture constantly, until it reaches 180 degrees F. Pour through a strainer into a clean bowl.
5. Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Bring the cream just barely to a boil in a saucepan and pour it over the chocolate. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until the mixture is totally smooth, with no chocolate pieces.
6. Pour the ganache into the custard. Refrigerate until cold, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to instructions.

Links:
Slate: Which machines whip up the best ice cream?
Crispy Waffle: When life hands you vanilla, make ice cream
UG Dairy Science and Technology: Structure of Ice Cream

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

1. Preparing the shortbread crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees centigrade.) Butter a 9-inch tart pan or springform pan. (If using a springform pan, you can also line the bottom with parchment paper, then butter the parchment paper.) Combine the flour, coconut, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter, and using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk and bring the mixture together with your hand until it forms a ball.
2. Pat the crust in the prepared pan. (It is a soft crumbly crust, so I've found that unless it is refrigerated for several hours, it is almost impossible to roll out.) Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the crust is golden but not totally brown. Set on a cooling rack and cool to room temperature.
3. The caramel: Warm the caramel a little and add a bit of water (if needed) to give it the consistency of honey. Pour the caramel on the cooled shortbread crust and tilt the crust so the caramel covers the entire bottom of the crust. Cool to room temperature.
4. The custard: Bring the coconut milk, milk, shredded coconut, sugar and salt to a slight simmer in a medium saucepan.
5. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch and 1 tablespoon sugar together. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture over the eggs, whisking the entire time (this tempers the eggs).
6. Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan. Stirring with a spoon or whisk, bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 1 full minute. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and butter. Stir until the vanilla is incorporated.
7. Transfer immediately to the pie crust and smooth the surface. Cover with cling wrap directly touching the custard. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
8. The topping: Refrigerate or freeze your mixing bowl and beaters for a half hour or so. Meanwhile, toast the coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
9. Just before serving, place the cream and sugar in the mixing bowl and beat over medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, spread over the top of the tart. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and serve immediately.

Links:
Crispy waffle: Dulce de leche recipe
Crispy waffle: Cajeta recipe

Labels: recipes, the sweet

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut out 2 parchment rounds that will fit in the bottoms of your two 8-inch cake pans. Grease the pans with butter. Place the parchment rounds in the bottoms of the pans, and grease them. Dust the pans with flour and tap out the excess.
2. Mix the cocoa and espresso powder and pour the boiling water and mix until smooth. When it's cooled to room temperature, add the vanilla.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
4. Beat butter in electric mixer set to medium-high speed about 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar and beat until the mixture is fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating one minute after each addition. Scrape down the bowl.
5. With mixer on the lowest speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed immediately by 1/3 of the cocoa mixture; mix until the ingredients are almost incorporated into the batter. Repeat process twice more. Scrape down the bowl and beat for another 30 seconds.
6. Pour the batter evenly divided into the cake pans. Bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool in the pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run knife to loosen cake from pans and invert cakes, peeling off parchment paper. Turn the cakes right side up and cool entirely. Prepare the frosting.

Vanilla bean buttercream:
2 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces

1. Bring a pan of water to a simmer. Combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla bean contents and salt in bowl of standing mixer and set over the simmering water. Whisk constantly to keep the eggs from curdling. Continue whisking until the mixture is foamy and is 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
2. Set the bowl in the stand mixer and beat with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and airy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add butter one piece at a time until each piece is incorporated. (Keep adding the butter, even if it starts looking curdled; it'll correct itself once all the butter is added.)
3. Frost the inside layer of the cake. You can freeze the rest of the buttercream for another recipe. (To thaw, set at room temperature until softened.)
4. Use a paper doily or cut paper into shapes for dusting powdered sugar on the top of the cake.

Links:
SHF 27: Chocolate by Brand
Wikipedia: Droste effect

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Cut a round of parchment paper to fit the removable base. Place in the tart pan and butter the parchment paper as well.
2. Combine the walnuts, almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the lemon zest and process just a bit more, until combined.
3. Turn the mixture into a large bowl and add the flour, allspice and cinnamon. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry knife until it resembles coarse meal. Whisk the egg and vanilla together and add to the flour mixture. Use your hand to combine until the dough comes together.
4. Turn the dough onto some cling wrap and divide into three equal pieces. Combine two of the pieces into a single ball, flatten into a 5-inch disk, wrap in cling wrap and place in the refrigerator.
5. Place the third piece on the tart pan bottom (which is lined in the parchment paper), cover with a piece of cling wrap and roll out the dough until it is the size of the tart pan bottom. Remove the cling wrap and place the tart bottom in the tart pan. Place on a baking sheet, prick holes into the dough with a fork and bake the tart bottom for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. (This prebaking keeps the bottom of the tart from getting soggy when the filling is added.)
6. For the filling, mix together the raspberry preserves with the lemon juice and set aside until needed.
7. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Now to make the sides of the tart. Break off one-third of it and with your hands roll it into a rope about 3/8-inches in diameter. Press it into the sides of the tart pan (the dough is very forgiving) until you have the sides all the way around.
8. Set the remainder of the dough onto parchment paper. Roll the dough into a 9-inch square, approximately. Cut into strips that are 3/4-inches wide. You should have at least 10 strips. (You'll probably have extra just in case.) Slide the parchment paper with the dough on it onto a baking sheet, cover loosely with a sheet of parchment and freeze for 20 minutes.
9. Spread the preserves mixture evenly onto the tart.
10. Take the dough strips out of the freezer and invert. Carefully remove the dough strips as you are making the lattice on the top of the tart. Start with an 'X' in the middle, and alternate the strips around it to create the lattice pattern.
11. Brush with heavy cream. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour and serve with vanilla whipped cream.

Labels: recipes, the sweet

Labels: recipes, the sweet

1. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Combine the flour, brown sugar, orange zest and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and cut it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. (Alternatively, use a food processor.) Stir in the egg with a fork, then use your hands to knead the mixture until it resembles, well, a ball of dough. Flatten the dough into a 6-inch disk, wrap in cling wrap and place in refrigerator for at least an hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out 3/4 of the dough between two sheets of cling wrap to about a 13-inch circle (set aside the other 1/4 of the dough for the top of the tart). Set it into the springform pan. Don't worry if it tears; the dough is really forgiving, so just pat it into the bottom and sides of the pan. Scatter the breadcrumbs along the bottom of the tart crust. Place it into the refrigerator while preparing the filling.
3. Core and peel the apples. Divide each apple into 16 slices. (Place the apples in a bowl of ice water so they don't turn brown.) Drain the apple slices and combine with the cornstarch, salt, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
4. Roll out the remaining crust dough into strips to create a lattice-like top. (Don't worry about making it perfect-- it'll sort of 'melt' in the oven anyway.)
5. Place the apple mixture (but make sure not to include the accumulated liquid) into the tart crust and lay the lattice-dough-strips on top.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes. Remove and cool on a cooling rack-- once it's cooled to room temperature, remove the springform sides. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Labels: recipes, the sweet

1. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter and stir in the cocoa and espresso powder until it forms a smooth paste. Let sit for 15 minutes to cool.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, salt, remaining butter and chocolate paste. Mix on high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping down sides when necessary. Add yolks and vanilla and mix at medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
3. Run mixer at low and add flour in three additions, making sure mixture is combined before adding next addition, and scraping down bowl between additions.
4. Turn dough onto counter and divide into 3 four-inch disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough disk to 1/8-inch thick between cling wrap (on the bottom) and a sheet of parchment paper (on the top). (Alternatively, you can roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper, but I find this impossible to keep from sliding around on the counter top.) Turn the rolled-out dough over, so the parchment paper is on the bottom and the cling wrap is on the top. Peel off the cling wrap and cut the dough into shapes using cookie cutters. If you want to add walnuts (as I've done-- it's an easy way to decorate the cookie), place on the cookies before baking.
6. Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for 8-10 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Make sure not to overbake-- do not let the cookies become too dark on the edges. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. When cool you can glaze or decorate with melted white chocolate.

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

1. Quarter the strawberries, and take 1/3 of them and mash with a fork. Combine the mashed strawberries with the quartered strawberries and sprinkle with the sugar and salt. Allow to macerate for about a half hour.
2. Preheat your waffle iron. Prepare the waffles as directed and keep warm in a 200-degree oven.
3. Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer. Mix on low speed until bubbles form, then raise the speed to medium-high. The cream will start leaving a path. Continue mixing until the cream is light and airy, but make sure not to mix too long or you'll end up with butter.
4. Plate the waffles and top with the strawberries and whipped cream.

Easiest dessert ever!

Labels: recipes, the sweet, waffles

1. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Lift out 1 tablespoon of the egg white and transfer to the egg yolk. Add vanilla to the egg yolk and whisk until combined. (Set aside the remaining egg white in the fridge-- you will use it later to 'seal' the crust.)
2. Combine the walnuts and powdered sugar in a food processor and grind until well-combined. Add the flour and salt and process until combined. Add the cold butter until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.
3. Add the egg yolk mixture to the food processor and run until the dough forms a ball.
4. Remove and shape into a 6-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, lightly flour two large sheets of cling wrap. Set the dough disk on one sheet, then cover with the other. Roll out dough with a rolling pin into a 13-inch sheet. Set on a baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes.
6. Remove dough from freezer and peel off top layer of cling wrap. Overturn into a greased 9-inch tart pan. This dough is really forgiving, so just pat it into the pan and use the scraps that hang over the edges to make sure the crust is solid without holes or patches. Refrigerate crust in tart pan for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place refrigerated tart pan on a baking sheet. Set a piece of foil in the crust and place pie weights in it, distributing evenly. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
8. Remove the tart shell from the oven and cool the whole thing, baking sheet and all on a cooling rack. Brush the inside of the tart shell with the reserved egg white from earlier.

For the cajeta and walnut filling:

1. You should have approximately 1-1/2 cups of cajeta. Either let it sit at room temperature for a half hour or so, or heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften it a bit. Add the 1 cup of toasted walnuts.
2. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell, spreading evenly.

For the chocolate ganache:

1. Whisk the egg yolk with the one tablespoon of cream. Set aside.
2. Place the milk and 1/4-cup cream in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
3. Remove from heat and add the chocolate and butter. Cover for 2 minutes. Use a spatula to stir the contents until you have a smooth chocolate mixture.
4. Stir in the egg yolk mixture until smooth.
5. Pour the mixture over the caramel filling in the tart shell, covering the whole thing.
6. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and bake for 25 minutes until the filling is still shiny and a bit wobbly.
7. Arrange the salted toasted walnut halves around the perimeter of the tart.
8. Cool on a cooling rack for 30 minutes, then refrigerate, uncovered, for 3 hours.

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Have rack in the center of the oven.
2. Butter a 2-quart souffle dish with the 1 tablespoon butter. Make sure the butter covers every surface. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon sugar over the entire inner surface and rim of the dish. Place the dish in the refrigerator while you prepare everything else.
3. Melt the chocolate with the 4 tablespoons butter in a double boiler over low heat. Remove from heat and add the Grand Marnier, salt and vanilla. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to just warm.
4. In a standing mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar at medium speed for about 3-4 minutes, until pale yellow and a bit thick. Stir into the chocolate mixture.
5. Clean out the mixer bowl (really well) and beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat on high until it forms stiff, but not dry peaks.
6. Stir one-fourth of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the rest. Then transfer to the prepared souffle dish.
7. Bake until the souffle has risen and the center is moist but set, about 25 to 28 minutes. (You can check this by inserting a wooden skewer in the side at a 45 degree angle, and it should come out not wet, but with moist chocolate clinging to it.
8. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top if you like, and serve immediately.

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

1. Preheat the waffle iron while you set about making the batter.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks with the melted butter in a small bowl (make sure the butter is cooled enough that it won't curdle the yolks). Whisk the egg whites into the buttermilk. Pour the butter/yolks into the buttermilk mixture and whisk well.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Ladle into your waffle iron as directed.
6. Enjoy!

Crispy buttermilk waffles

Links:
Crispy Waffle: Waffle Disaster! (with my favorite waffle recipe included)
Good Eats Fan Page: The Waffle Truth episode guide

Labels: recipes, the sweet, waffles

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottoms of two loaf pans with parchment paper.
2. Combine the ingredients for the streusel topping, mashing it together with a fork until it resembles breadcrumbs. Set aside.
3. Combine the wet ingredients: buttermilk, oil and egg and whisk together with a fork.
4. Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Pour in the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the rhubarb and walnuts.
5. Pour into the two loaf pans and sprinkle with the streusel topping (there is a lot of the topping, but use all of it because this is what makes a crispy crust on top.)
6. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool in the pans.

The resulting bread is more like a moist, sweet cake with a crispy crunch from the cinnamon topping. When served warm it is delicious with excellent vanilla ice cream.

Labels: recipes, the sweet

Yeah I know, terrible terrible title! But I couldn't help myself. So I apologize anyway. Sorry!

Having found cupcake wrappers at the British expat store (of course it took me a while because they call it 'muffin cases', how un-American of them!) I've been psyched to start working on cupcakes again. This baking frenzy was spurred a few weeks ago when I was asked, by a fellow Seattlelite, which cupcake at Cupcake Royale was my favorite. As always when I'm talking with Seattlelites, I had to apologetically confess that actually, no, I didn't eat cupcakes at Cupcake Royale anymore because the level of sweetness makes me incredibly sick. I am always met with a totally incredulous look, and I always feel bad about this admission because let me tell ya, Seattlelites love themselves some Cupcake Royale. The problem is that in Seattle, Cupcake Royale is the only game in town; I think there needs to be some friendly competition in that space!

That said, I actually like their cake part of the cupcake quite a bit: it's got that crispy top 'lip' that is special about cupcakes as opposed to regular cakes. The part that I can't deal with is the frosting: it is truly, stickily, sickeningly sweet. I found out that it is what is known as 'American buttercream' or for those who are sticklers about accuracy, an American butter frosting (since it doesn't involve the creaming of eggs and butter that a classic buttercream has). An American buttercream consists of butter, flavoring such as vanilla or chocolate or whatever, and copious amounts of powdered sugar to give it a creamy consistency and sweet taste. Too sweet, in my opinion. But, I know there are people out there who like it, and who've grown up on American cakes and frostings. I actually have a beautiful mother who loves to bake, so we grew up either eating her cakes, or cakes she bought at Filipino bakeries. The taste in Filipino desserts is far less sweet than the typical American dessert, so preference is basically, (literally) a matter of taste.

I made a batch of yellow cupcakes and gave them two different frosting treatments: a chocolate American buttercream, and a classic chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream. I prefer eating the meringue buttercream because you can more easily control the sugar, as the texture is not dependent on the amount of sugar used, as it is in an American buttercream. But honestly, the butter + powdered sugar method is incredibly easy and worth doing if you don't have the time to do a classic buttercream (and don't mind copious amounts of powdered sugar.)

The cake I made is a favorite: you'll find it's the easiest recipe there is (I based it on a recipe from Cooks Illustrated), and it's great especially for a meringue buttercream because the icing gives you a use for the egg whites you would otherwise discard. Also, if you fill the cups up enough you will get that crispy 'lip' on the edges of the cupcakes. Delish!

Vanilla Cupcakes
makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the oven rack in the middle position. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake wrappers.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar until light colored and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the egg, egg yolks and vanilla and beat at medium speed until thoroughly incorporated.
5. Add the sour cream and beat until incorporated.
6. Add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.
7. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
8. Remove and cool to room temperature on a rack, about 45 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the frosting of your choice.

1. In a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add chocolate and stir until just combined with a rubber spatula.
3. Add milk, vanilla and sugar. Beat at medium speed until just combined. (be careful not to overbeat).
4. Frost the cupcakes with an offset spatula.

Cupcakes with chocolate American buttercream

Buttercream 2: Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This buttercream is definitely more of a pain in the neck to make, but it has its advantages over the easy recipe above: it has a super creamy texture that you can't achieve with confectioners' sugar, it can be adjusted for sweetness while still maintaining its creamy texture, and it doesn't get crusty like a confectioners' sugar icing. Also, it actually uses less butter because it gets a lot of volume from the egg whites. All in all, I think, worth the trouble.

Ingredients
1/4 cup fine granulated sugar
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cups) butter
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted in a double boiler and cooled to room temperature

1. Combine the sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar and water in the stainless steel bowl of an electric mixer (i.e. your KitchenAid bowl). Bring a large pan of water to simmer, making sure that the water is a the same height as the egg whites in your stainless bowl. Set the bowl in the pan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Be really careful not to curdle the egg whites-- simply remove the bowl from the heat for a bit if it feels like that's happening. Also, you'll know when it's getting close to 160 degrees; the mixture will be getting ultra foamy, like the top of a latte. (A really good latte that is-- one of those kinds where it has a leaf-pattern on top, you know what I'm talking about.)
2. Remove the bowl to your stand mixer and beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes, until the mixture holds glossy, marshmallowy peaks. Remove the meringue to another bowl.
3. In the standing mixer, beat half the butter and one-third of the meringue until well combined. Continue to add the remaining two-thirds of the meringue a dollop at a time. The mixture may look scarily curdled at this point; adding the remaining butter a tablespoon at a time will smooth things out. (Basically, just keep adding a bit of butter at a time until the curdling corrects itself.)
4. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the melted chocolate until well-combined.
5. Frost the cupcakes using an offset spatula.

Cupcakes with chocolate swiss meringue buttercream

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

1. Combine all ingredients (including the beans and their pulp) in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Attach a frying or candy thermometer to inside of pan. (see note below) Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to 170 degrees F. (Note: do not let it boil.) Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove the hull of the vanilla bean, pour mixture into lidded container and refrigerate mixture overnight to mellow flavors and texture.
2. Freeze mixture in ice cream freezer according to unit's instructions. The mixture will not freeze hard in the machine. Once the volume has increased by 1/2 to 3/4 times, and reached a soft serve consistency, spoon the mixture back into a lidded container and harden in the freezer at least 1 hour before serving.

Labels: recipes, the sweet

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Stir together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Combine the melted butter and cooking oil.
4. Beat the butter/oil and sugars at low speed in an electric mixer until combined. Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined, at low speed.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts until just combined.
6. Drop the dough by the tablespoon on the cookie sheet, leaving about 2-inches space between the dough. Flatten the doughballs slightly in the center with your fingertips or the back of the tablespoon.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are golden brown at the center, medium brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and cool on the cookie sheets, transferring to a wire rack once cooled.

Flat and chewy (and chocolatey)

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

I mean, the junk was off. It could have been a number of things: maybe it was the eyeballing of the actual amount of goat milk instead of actually, like, measuring it. Maybe it was the half cup of sugar and handful of baking soda thrown in at the end. Who knows. But anyway, it was wrong enough that after a sleepless night of Cajeta Nightmares, I had to set things right.

Not Quite Cajeta
I call this Not Quite Cajeta because I didn't have any goat milk laying around the kitchen so I used good old-fashioned whole milk from a cow. And it turned out really nice anyway, with a really smooth texture. You should come out with about 3/4 cup of caramel at the end, which is delicioso on top of ice cream, or, what do you know? Waffles of course.

Ingredients
2 cups of whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1-1/2 teaspoon water
pinch of salt

1. Place the milk, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Once it boils, take it off the heat and stir in the diluted baking soda—make sure to be ready to stir it down; it will bubble up and threaten to boil over the edge of the pan. Set it back on the burner over medium heat and keep stirring.
3. This next step takes forever, but if you've ever made risotto, you'll know what I'm talking about. Basically just stir the mixture over medium heat for about 35 minutes. Stir stir stir stir. And it'll threaten to boil over every now and then but just lift it off the burner until it settles down, dammit! and stir stir stir some more. Towards the end of about 35 minutes, a wonderful alchemy will take place and you'll start getting a golden color. It'll still be bubbly but thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
4. Once it looks sort of pudding-like, reduce the heat a bit, but keep stirring. After 5-10 minutes it will be the color of butterscotch and the thickness of something like Nutella spread. At this point, you can take it off the heat.
5. Let it cool a little, add a half-teaspoon of your favorite rum or liqueur (I added Grand Marnier) and thin it with warm water until you have about 3/4 cups. According to Rick, you can keep this in the fridge for up to a month (but you and I both know it won't last that long.)

Azucar!


Regular old milk as it looks when you first place it in the saucepan with the cinnamon


After adding the baking soda. You may have to remove the pan from heat to prevent it from boiling over.


This is what it should look like after about a half hour of simmering and stirring


Now when it tries to boil over, it'll look shiny and thick, rather than foamy


Now it's pretty much done...


The finished product, after adding some booze and water.

Labels: recipes, the sweet

Labels: recipes, the sweet

Because Valentine's Day puts chocolate on everyone's mind (and because Food TV shoves Chocolate Obsession Week at us this time of year), here's my recipe for Little Outrageous Brownies. I call them Little Outrageous Brownies because I had to adjust Ina Garten's (Barefoot Contessa) recipe for Outrageous Brownies. No wonder she's gained weight-- who makes a 13 x 18 sheet pan of brownies?! So given most people's appetites, I've been working to get this recipe down to a normal-sized 8 x 8 inch pan.

This is my favorite brownie recipe so far (and believe me, I've tried a lot!). This one finally gives you that nice crackly top that you usually only get with commercial brownie mix because it has a healthy dose of baking powder-- something that is often missing from homemade brownie recipes. This also calls for a bit of instant espresso, which does wonders for bringing out the taste of the chocolate. The great thing about brownies, including these ones, is that you don't really need a super-high-quality chocolate for it (except use some great chocolate for the chips). And I made it even easier than Ina's recipe by replacing the unsweetened chocolate with additional bittersweet. Eet smakkelijke!

Yummy crackly top

Little Outrageous Brownies
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

7 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I like Ghirardelli double chocolate chips)
3/4 cup butter (yes it's a lot, so what)
2/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (plus 1 tbsp for tossing nuts and chocolate chips in)
1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup chopped roasted pecans (yeah, it's a pain, but do roast them-- it tastes much better!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat, or over a double-boiler. Cool until just warm. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar and espresso. Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture while whisking. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into the egg/chocolate mixture until well-blended. Toss the nuts and chocolate chips in the 1 tablespoon of flour (this will keep them from settling to the bottom of the brownies) and add to the chocolate mixture. Scrape out the mixture into a nice little 8 x 8 pan.

Bake for about 24 minutes, just, just until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a bits of chocolate clinging to it. Let cool, cut into squares and serve with excellent vanilla ice cream. :)

Labels: recipes, the chocolatey, the sweet

Labels: recipes, the sweet, waffles