tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9634019783347672922024-02-21T06:08:39.128-05:00Earth Muffin BakesLaura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-48807884790455726752009-04-27T16:08:00.003-04:002009-04-27T16:34:24.626-04:00Daring Bakers: Cheesecake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3358/3480366535_032692cb1d_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3358/3480366535_032692cb1d_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I have been absent from the blog and from Daring Bakers for the past couple of months for several reasons, some of which are actually acceptable. Chiefly, because I will finish library school in a matter of weeks and am currently searching for a full time job. When I have more free time and less anxiety, I hope to post with increasing regularity.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Anyway, I couldn't turn down this particular challenge: cheesecake! A treat I savor but have never made in my own kitchen. This particular recipe claimed to be foolproof (immune to cracking and other notorious cheesecake mishaps!) so I launched into the task at around 7:30 last night. Yes, today was the due date. As my friends will tell you, I am nothing if not honest. And consistently absent-minded.<br /><br />I whipped up the cheesecake and a brownie batter simultaneously, layered them into muffin tins, and these little bites came into being. I kept it simple due to the aforementioned stressful factors, and also because I had a wicked cold this weekend and was unenthusiastic at the prospect of a complex cake.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3353/3481175636_064a30053a_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3353/3481175636_064a30053a_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The cheesecake recipe can be found over at <a href="http://jennybakes.blogspot.com/2009/04/daring-bakers-challenge-april-2009.html">Jenny Bakes</a>. I used a tablespoon of Bailey's for the liqueur, and left out the graham cracker crust in favor of a brownie base. The brownie recipe is <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/recipes/sup_brownies.html">Nick Malgieri's</a> (via David Lebovitz) and is my new favorite brownie recipe. I made a half batch with whole wheat flour, which resulted in enough of a base for the cheesecake.<br /><br />I ended up with about 18 mini cheesecakes, and I covered half with raspberry jam. Delicious!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3324/3480448481_603b1aa720_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3324/3480448481_603b1aa720_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.</div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-26646417839247990982009-03-08T13:04:00.001-04:002009-03-08T15:59:04.306-04:00Earth Muffin Family & Friends III: (Double Chocolate Cinnamon) Bread for Noodle<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3310229525_e80930fb5b_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3310229525_e80930fb5b_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I don't have a system for posting here and so I tend to forget you, blog, for weeks on end. This week I also missed the February Daring Bakers challenge (you can see some lovely flourless chocolate cakes and ice cream over at <a href="http://wmpesblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/for-love-of-chocolate.html">A Charmed Life</a> and <a href="http://dad-baker.blogspot.com/2009/02/chocolate-valentino-co-hosting-db.html">Dad ~ Baker & Chef</a>).<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />One thing I don't often forget (although my mother's account may differ marginally) is my family. As previously mentioned, my middle sister Anna, also known as Nanna Noo, Noodlehead, Noodle, and sometimes Noods (not the most appropriate nickname to holler across supermarket aisles, yes, I am speaking from experience) stayed with me for all of January and now I am missing her constant company. She's in her final semester of college, and student teaching, so her life becomes more and more fraught with anxiety with each passing day. I know this because I've been there. Well, without the student teaching.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3356/3177169911_a28c3e5292_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3356/3177169911_a28c3e5292_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I constructed a care package for Noodle, which consisted of a heavily-stickered, reused toaster box, a hastily scribbled letter, and some of this bread, in muffin form. The muffins were the most vital part of the package, which is why I had to deceive the postal worker slightly, and inform her that the contents were not perishable. When they were. And also endure her ridicule upon viewing the heavily-stickered box.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3573/3311059032_0a09e37754_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3573/3311059032_0a09e37754_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Double Chocolate Cinnamon Bread</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />1 1/2 cups milk<br />1 Tbsp. vinegar<br />1/4 cup butter, softened<br />1/4 cup applesauce<br />1 egg, beaten<br />1 banana, mashed<br />1 tsp. instant espresso, dissolved in 2 tsp. hot water<br />2 cups whole wheat flour<br />1 cup oats<br />1/2 cup cocoa<br />2/3 cup brown sugar<br />2 tsp. baking soda<br />1 1/2 tsp. salt<br />2 tsp. cinnamon<br />2 cups chocolate chips<br /><br />1/4 cup butter, softened<br />1/2 cup brown sugar<br />1/2 cup whole wheat flour<br />2 tsp cinnamon<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (400 degrees for muffins).<br />2. Beat sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, until fluffy.<br />3. Add applesauce, mashed banana, egg, milk, espresso and vinegar, one at a time.<br />4. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, and add slowly to wet, mixing only until damp (mixture should remain lumpy).<br />5. Stir in chocolate chips.<br />6. Mix remaining ingredients together to make cinnamon streusel.<br />6. Fill greased mini loaf pans 1/2 way with batter. Sprinkle streusel over batter, and add more batter to fill pans about 3/4 high.<br />7. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf emerges clean (muffins will take 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3510/3311059596_f31f9cd20a_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3510/3311059596_f31f9cd20a_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div></div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-13754495483953566942009-02-12T20:27:00.006-05:002009-02-12T20:49:33.328-05:00Lopsided with Love: Dark Chocolate V-day Cake<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/244/3264077267_3e24e1560a_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/244/3264077267_3e24e1560a_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Valentine's day also happens to be my littlest sister's birthday. And while I no longer really enjoy the merchandising that accompanies this holiday, and rarely celebrate it, you can imagine my profound shock and horror at six years old when she emerged from the womb, hollering indignantly (she has been doing this ever since), on this special day. Where was our table full of chocolates and gifts? (Our parents could get pretty lavish back then.) Why, <span style="font-style: italic;">Julia</span> was the present this year! And so it was for the rest of our childhood. We soon recovered, though, because Julia was a very cute baby.<br /><br />ANYWAY I have been dreaming about this cake for weeks. I mean, the concept of this cake. Dark, moist, simple cake. Sweet, shining icing. Pink against brown. It was an appropriate time of the year to be desirous of this combination. I made it a week in advance because I was so eager.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dark Chocolate V-day Cake</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3376/3264073581_3c870d3244_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3376/3264073581_3c870d3244_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>3 oz. semisweet chocolate<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">1 cup milk<br />1 cup brown sugar<br />3 egg yolks<br />2 egg whites<br />1 1/2 cups flour<br />1/2 cup cocoa<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup butter, softened<br />1/4 cup water<br />1 tsp vanilla<br /><br />1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/251/3264899968_c9e5b6146d_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/251/3264899968_c9e5b6146d_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>2. In a saucepan, melt the chocolate (I used chips), 1 egg yolk, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of the milk, over low heat. Allow to cool.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/237/3264900310_4f289fe941_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/237/3264900310_4f289fe941_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>3. Combine sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3500/3264075091_02481835a7_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3500/3264075091_02481835a7_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Mix until fluffy.<br /><br />4. Add the remaining egg yolks, one at a time.<br /><br />5. Add the cooled chocolate mixture.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3483/3264075309_9c6a700d01_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3483/3264075309_9c6a700d01_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>6. Combine dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, soda, and salt) in a separate bowl.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/245/3264075419_d01e1db485_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/245/3264075419_d01e1db485_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>7. Combine water, the remaining milk, and vanilla.<br /><br />8. Add this mixture to the mixer bowl, alternating with dry ingredients.<br /><br />9. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Fold into the batter.<br /><br />10. Place batter in two greased 8" round pans.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/247/3264901708_dfa27610fe_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/247/3264901708_dfa27610fe_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>11. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/195/3264075841_2ee78f0e12_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/195/3264075841_2ee78f0e12_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pinkish-Red Vanilla Icing</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/191/3264902728_89ea404566_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/191/3264902728_89ea404566_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>1/2 cup butter, softened<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />1 dash salt<br />1/4 cup milk (more if needed)<br />1 lb. powdered sugar<br />1 tube red gel food coloring, and one drop blue coloring<br /><br />1. Beat butter, salt, and vanilla with the whisk attachment on an electric mixer.<br />2. Alternately add the sugar and the milk until icing is thick and smooth.<br />3. Squeeze that ENTIRE tube of food coloring (and a little bit of blue) into the frosting. What a lovely color!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/253/3264077529_abd92a5ffe_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/253/3264077529_abd92a5ffe_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">4. Cover your first layer with frosting, then add the second. Proceed to panic because it's a lopsided mess. Resign yourself to its imperfect beauty, after panic attack has subsided.<br /><br />(Special thanks to my tolerant and helpful assistant/boyfriend).<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/249/3264904974_153d5513df_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/249/3264904974_153d5513df_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Hope your Valentine's day includes something as delicious as this cake!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/237/3264904740_4c8bf74981_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/237/3264904740_4c8bf74981_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-24145757287438761642009-02-09T22:30:00.000-05:002009-02-09T22:33:27.084-05:00Eclair at Soleil<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3487/3192870346_faf1261ce9_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3487/3192870346_faf1261ce9_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The lovely cafe around the corner from my apartment, Soleil, was featured recently in the <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/09/24/a_shadow_in_his_dream/">Boston Globe</a>. While the article is mildly doom-and-gloom, and uses Soleil's owner as sort of a symbol for all small business owners struggling economically, it did serve to alert me to this little place.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3475/3192022223_39f31e1e16_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3475/3192022223_39f31e1e16_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Replacing the previous establishment but keeping the same name is a questionable business move, to be sure. I think Soleil Cafe's food is enough to leave an impression on customers, however, and their sun-filled dining area is a peaceful place to read or contemplate life.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3471/3192870066_d52472ae94_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3471/3192870066_d52472ae94_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Did I mention that the eclairs are delicious?<br /><br /><a href="http://soleil-cafe.com/contact.html">Soleil Cafe</a><br /> 1153 Broadway<br />Somerville, MA 02144<br />Phone: 617-625-0082</div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-73811494757727644062009-01-29T21:09:00.004-05:002009-01-29T22:31:13.330-05:00Daring Bakers: Tuiles<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3238019848_feffe7991a_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3238019848_feffe7991a_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Tuiles are cookies that are molded when warm, to resemble roof tiles. The recipe provided this month (you can find it over at <a href="http://bakemyday.blogspot.com/2009/01/hosting-daring-bakers-challenge-tuiles.html">Bake My Day</a>) was incredibly easy. I did not alter it in any way, except to use the batter immediately, rather than letting firm up in the fridge. I filled a pastry bag with batter and drizzled it out onto a greased cookie sheet:<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3362/3238019478_9b04230d76_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3362/3238019478_9b04230d76_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">These actually do need to be molded directly out of the oven. A cooling period of more than 10 to 15 seconds will result in a cookie too stiff, and likely to crack. I did find that placing the cookies back in the oven for a few seconds increased their malleability, but I would recommend baking only 3 or 4 tuiles at a time.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3372/3238019994_b557922658_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3372/3238019994_b557922658_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/3237179471_b71575e725_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/3237179471_b71575e725_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I chose to pair these cookies with a simple mousse, adapted from the filling for last month's Daring Bakers challenge. Light, easy, and tasty!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/3238020354_4c8bf7944f_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/3238020354_4c8bf7944f_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maple Milk Chocolate Mousse</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />2 cups heavy whipping cream<br />2 1/3 tsp. pancake or maple syrup (or, substitute corn syrup and a dash of maple extract)<br />8 oz. milk chocolate, chopped<br /><br />1. Heat 2/3 cup of the heavy cream until boiling.<br />2. Combine syrup and milk chocolate in a bowl. Pour boiling cream over. Wait 30 seconds, then stir.<br />3. Add remainder (1 1/3 cups) of the heavy cream. Stir again.<br />4. Allow mixture to cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, then whip using a whisk or electric mixer.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/3237179313_0c55e0d63f_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/3237179313_0c55e0d63f_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.</div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-47739553829877051332009-01-21T10:35:00.001-05:002009-01-21T10:38:20.265-05:00Some Books You Might Enjoy<div style="text-align: justify;">One of my resolutions for 2009 is simply to keep a record of every book I read this year. I like to keep resolutions simple and easy to achieve! These are two recent food-related reads you might want to pick up.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.kimsunee.com/images/bookcover_l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 276px;" src="http://www.kimsunee.com/images/bookcover_l.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Trail of Crumbs</span>, by Kim Sunée, chronicles the author's abandonment at three years old in Korea, subsequent adoption by American parents, a childhood in New Orleans, and several adult years spent in various European locales. While I felt that Sunée failed to explore the depth of her feelings of being ostracized and homeless, and tended to skimp on dialogue, the images, emotions, and the sense of setting she creates are powerful. Most importantly, the emphasis on food in this memoir is indespensable. Almost every chapter is followed by a recipe. Her Louisiana days are filled with the Cajun masterpieces of her grandfather, school in Sweden evokes memories of warm winter dinners, her accounts of Paris cafes and luxurious, home-cooked meals in Provence define her time in France, and, in exploring her origins, she turns to Korean cuisine, fumbling through recipes with no heritage behind them.<br /><br />The account ends abruptly, after several romances have died and Sunée feels a new chapter in her life has begun. As the author is only in her thirties, I find this more acceptable and less jarring than some readers. However, if you prefer resolutions, in any sense, this is a decidedly disappointing read.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dianaabujaber.com/images/baklava.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.dianaabujaber.com/images/baklava.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Another, more inspiring food memoir is Diana Abu-Jaber's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Language of Baklava. </span>Born to an American mother and a Jordanian father, Abu-Jaber spent her childhood in both countries, and details the influence these experiences, as well as her family members and friends from both cultures, had on her life, gastronomically and otherwise. As with Sunée's memoir, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Language of Baklava </span>is punctuated with recipes, ranging across the culinary spectrum. I found I preferred this book, however, for its sense of family as it relates to food, a concept to which I find it infinitely easier to relate.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />As a child, Abu-Jaber bakes with her Jordanian aunts, eats the meat her uncles have slaughtered, visits her midwesternly sensible American grandmother, and marvels at the many delights food has to offer. She battles with her father, whose traditional values and longing for Bedouin culture drive him to uproot Abu-Jaber and her family several times. There is a longing for home, for several cultures at once, for a place to call one's own, here, but unlike Sunée, Abu-Jaber finds peace in this tug-of-war, perhaps because she can concretely identify her roots. She somehow resolves, or at least comes to term with, the struggles of her youth and adolescence.<br /><br /><br />While the majority of my reading is fiction, I've found that lately I'm craving the truth that accompanies memoirs like these; the contents may be adapted to serve a purpose, but there is undisputable reality in the lives of these authors. Unless you're reading James Frey, I guess.<br /><br />Anyway, I'll keep you updated on any other food memoirs (or other reads) I discover!<br /></div></div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-58470345616923825572009-01-16T10:56:00.005-05:002009-01-16T13:33:54.588-05:00Get Thee to a Creperie<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3435/3192017785_3565d8cb21_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3435/3192017785_3565d8cb21_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>At the (previously reviewed) <a href="http://earthmuffinbakes.blogspot.com/2008/08/test.html">Paris Creperie</a>, the amply pillowed benches, low prices, and tiny space create an atmosphere that is at once cozy and hip. However, the limited amount of seating does tend to make a casual diner feel rushed, and the turnover rate is high.<br /><br />Since moving to Somerville, I have twice frequented Mr. Crepe in Davis Square. The first time, I was unimpressed. The prices were higher, the staff less welcoming, and I felt lost in the dining area, vast in comparison to Paris Creperie's.<br /><br />However, the siren song of the really thin pancakes prevailed, and I returned to Mr. Crepe with a reluctant dining partner.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3325/3192866058_166b36a001_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3325/3192866058_166b36a001_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Reluctant?! You gasp with astonishment. Or, I did. My middle sister Anna is a vegetarian with a love of the familiar. This is a polite way of calling her picky and sheltered, which she is. She's staying with me for the month, an opportunity I intend to exploit to its fullest. I vowed to expand her tastes, at least slightly, by the end of January. We're starting it off small.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3534/3192865630_133a2aa013_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3534/3192865630_133a2aa013_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>To Anna, a savory crepe appeared to be the equivalent of a wrap, which she loathes. I don't blame her, as I've always preferred hearty bread to the soggy timidness of the tortilla's bastard cousin. Sure, the wrap holds fillings in very efficiently, but it performs this duty with very little flavor, and tends to burst after the first bite.<br /><br />At any rate, I explained to the disinclined herbivore that a crepe is nothing like a wrap. And I pushed her through the door of Mr. Crepe. I was aided in this endeavor by the contrast between the frigid winter air outside, and the invitingly warm pancake scent emanating from within.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3347/3192017485_fff88c5fb3_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3347/3192017485_fff88c5fb3_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>We bought three crepes: basil, tomato, spinach and feta cheese (tangy and very filling); brie, apple, grape, and spinach (slightly sweet but surprisingly dinner-like) and one dessert crepe, filled with belgian chocolate, strawberries, bananas, and served with two giant scoops of vanilla ice cream. As soon as we collected the dishes, we realized our mistake. While we consumed the savory crepes, the ice cream accompanying our dessert slowly melted. We eventually elected to switch back and forth!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3369/3192865552_5fd4873bba_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3369/3192865552_5fd4873bba_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Mr. Crepe has a large dining area, a paid wireless connection, and bathrooms. They also serve coffee, espresso, ice cream, and soup. Although the selection of crepes is small, there are many options for a vegetarian (which I am, most of the time) and they do allow some customization. The crepes are larger than others I've eaten, which makes the higher prices (from 5 to 9 dollars each) less irritating. Additionally, I revoke my comment about the staff: I spilled some water by the garbage as I was preparing to leave, and the employees graciously declined my offer to clean it up myself.<br /><br />Yes, something like this happens every time I eat out. Yesterday I dumped a mocha latte all over myself in the hair care aisle of CVS. I had to walk all the way home with my white tights transformed into cow print.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3426/3192866198_8fdc82a10a_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3426/3192866198_8fdc82a10a_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Anyway, I heartily recommend Mr. Crepe!<br /><br />51 Davis Square<br />Somerville, MA 02144<br /> <span id="bizPhone">Phone: (617) 623-0661</span><br /></div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-55538601352499023422008-12-30T19:00:00.003-05:002008-12-30T19:09:00.096-05:00Daring Bakers: French Yule Log<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/3151284183_8c26389a8b_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/3151284183_8c26389a8b_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>For this month's taxing challenge, I was able to acquire the assistance of my favorite second-in-command.<br /><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: georgia;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/3152148134_b19e21ec5b_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/3152148134_b19e21ec5b_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is my littlest sister Julia. She is patient, calming and helpful. In the kitchen, anyway. And I was extremely fortunate to have her; I wouldn't recommend this recipe to any single baker!<br /><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;">This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux. They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand</strong>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3105/3151283037_6aec21a2f4_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3105/3151283037_6aec21a2f4_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Of the many options provided by Hilda and Marion, I selected a milk chocolate whipped cream for the base of the log, with a chocolate <span style="font-size:100%;">crème brulée insert, a coconut crisp layer, and a dark chocolate ganache and almond dacquoise layer at the bottom. The layers were covered with a dark chocolate icing.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3200/3152114704_a7a85922cc_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3200/3152114704_a7a85922cc_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">I won't repost the recipe here (you can find it at <a href="http://saffronandblueberry.blogspot.com/2008/12/hosting-daring-bakers-december.html">Saffron & Blueberry</a>), but for those overwhelmed by the complex nature of this concoction, I'll detail the process I used, which covered the span of two days. First, I put together the </span><span style="font-size:100%;">crème brulée and baked it in the oven. Meanwhile, I mixed the milk chocolate whipped cream and placed it in the refrigerator to cool. I used a toaster oven to toast the coconut for the crisp layer, and mixed the rest of it</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, spreading it between wax paper to harden. I also baked the almond dacquoise in the toaster oven (multi-tasking!). When the </span><span style="font-size:100%;">crème brulée finished baking, I placed it in the fridge for one hour. When it had hardened, I whipped the milk chocolate cream and assembled the first part of the log. I allowed it to freeze for several hours, then mixed the dark chocolate ganache and added it, along with the almond dacquoise layer. The next day, I removed the frozen log from the freezer and covered it with the dark chocolate icing. This may sound daunting, but it's fairly enjoyable and fast-paced with two people. The most difficult part, by far, was the waiting!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/3152115176_6064a571d1_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/3152115176_6064a571d1_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;">My favorite portions of the log were the milk chocolate whipped cream and the dark chocolate icing. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> I will most definitely use these again. I also enjoyed the coconut crisp layer, for which I used white chocolate, coconut, and crushed Special K! This would be a great candy by itself.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Due to my own impatience and lack of a proper pan, this is not the most immaculate of yule logs, but this in no way affected the taste!<br /></div></div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-32997653708974501832008-12-04T17:30:00.001-05:002008-12-04T17:34:52.844-05:00Another Berry Recipe: Multigrain Chocolate Raspberry Muffins<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3156/2847673036_b2df3fd729_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3156/2847673036_b2df3fd729_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This will be my third iteration of a recipe involving chocolate and berries. Although I'm attempting to diversify my baking repertoire, my choices are severely limited by money, time, and the tastes of those who consume my recipes. Additionally, I am fond of experimenting with whole grains.<br /><br />One of my favorite ingredients is Bob's Red Mill <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/product.php?productid=3507&cat=110&page=1">8 grain hot cereal</a>. The price on their site is $3.45, but it's often on sale at Shaw's, and I make porridge with it on cold mornings, and put it in so many of my baked goods. If you can't find this, any hot cereal or grain will do, including plain oats.<br /><br />The frozen raspberries in this recipe are also relatively cheap, and an amazing way to remind one of summer. Which seems, by the way, too far gone to remember. I suggest you eat these warm out of the oven to avoid contemplating the fact that we have 5 MONTHS left of these dismal weather conditions. Those of us who live in the Northeast, that is.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3022/2846839887_09c99ce317_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3022/2846839887_09c99ce317_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Whole Grain Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Muffins</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />3/4 cup milk<br />1/4 cup butter, melted<br />1 egg, beaten<br />1 cup whole wheat pastry flour<br />3/4 cup 8 grain hot cereal<br />1/3 cup turbinado sugar<br />2 1/2 tsp. baking powder<br />3/4 tsp. salt<br />1 cup chips<br /><br />1 package frozen raspberries<br />8 oz. chopped dark chocolate<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.<br />2. Combine milk, butter, and egg.<br />3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, sugar, powder, and salt.<br />4. Add dry ingredients to wet, mixing just until moist. (Leave it lumpy!)<br />5. Fold in chips and raspberries.<br />6. Divide batter into greased muffin tins. Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (apart from some gooey, delicious melted chocolate).<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3181/2846839467_48b1b5b232_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3181/2846839467_48b1b5b232_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-31713311067351129632008-11-29T22:20:00.000-05:002008-11-29T23:08:17.917-05:00Daring Bakers: Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/3069098511_6ba4fa823d_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/3069098511_6ba4fa823d_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I decided to prepare this month's Daring Bakers challenge while I was home for Thanksgiving break. This way, I had several more assistants, and many more mouths to feed!<br /><br />While I enjoyed making and consuming this recipe, its richness demanded minuscule portions. I don't usually remark on a cake being too sweet, this one <span style="font-style: italic;">seriously</span> meant business. If I were to make this another time, I might frost between the cake layers with a lighter, whipped cream icing, and cover it in the caramelized butter frosting, which was very intense (albeit in a good way).<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/3069098883_6c1cf1e31c_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/3069098883_6c1cf1e31c_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This month's hosts include <a href="http://culinarycuriosity.blogspot.com/">Dolores</a>, <a href="http://blondieandbrownie.blogspot.com/">Alex</a>, <a href="http://forayintofood.blogspot.com/">Jenny</a>, and gluten-free expert <a href="http://glutenagogo.blogspot.com/"> Natalie</a>. The recipe comes from Shuna Fish Lydon at <a href="http://eggbeater.typepad.com/">Eggbeater</a>.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Caramel Cake</span><br /><br />10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature<br />1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar<br />1/2 teaspoon kosher salt<br />1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)<br />2 each eggs, at room temperature<br />splash vanilla extract<br />2 Cups all-purpose flour<br />1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />1 cup milk, at room temperature<br /><br />1.Preheat oven to 350F<br />2. Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan. (I used a 9 x 15 inch jelly roll pan)<br />3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.<br />4. Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.<br />5. Sift flour and baking powder.<br />6. Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}<br />7. Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.<br />8. Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it (In the jelly roll pan, this cake needed 20 - 25 minutes to bake).<br /><br />Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/3069924888_74cc4c5227_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/3069924888_74cc4c5227_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Caramel Syrup</span><br /><br />2 cups sugar<br />1/2 cup water<br />1 cup water (for "stopping" the caramelization process)<br /><br />1. In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.<br />2. When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back.<br />3. Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}<br /><br />Note: For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/3069094971_1144076c90_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/3069094971_1144076c90_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Caramelized Butter Frosting</span><br /><br />12 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted<br />4-6 tablespoons heavy cream<br />2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup<br />Kosher or sea salt to taste<br /><br />1. Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.<br />2. Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.<br />3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner's sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner's sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.<br /><br />Note: Caramelized butter frosting will keep in fridge for up to a month.<br />To smooth out from cold, microwave a bit, then mix with paddle attachment until smooth and light.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3277/3069095369_c90084c6c7_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3277/3069095369_c90084c6c7_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>For decoration, I drizzled the top of my cake with melted bittersweet chocolate.<br /><br />Thanks, Daring Bakers, for another delicious recipe! Check the rest of the blogs out at <a href="http://daringbakersblogroll.blogspot.com/">http://daringbakersblogroll.blogspot.com/</a>.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/3069935914_ecbbb601a2_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/3069935914_ecbbb601a2_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-48611180226768326672008-11-24T19:00:00.000-05:002008-11-24T20:31:43.451-05:00Baked Chocolate Doughnuts<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3166/3056491041_bd1c2b6c7c_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3166/3056491041_bd1c2b6c7c_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>As previously mentioned, last weekend my friend <a href="http://makemethod.vox.com/">Ashley</a> and I bought a huge (1 lb.) chunk of bittersweet Callebaut couverture chocolate at Whole Foods. Our intention was to create chocolate lava muffins! but a busy weekend and several filling meals obstructed this plan. Instead, I chopped the block (roughly) in half on Sunday morning, and we went our separate ways.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Ashley made this amazing (looking) <a href="http://makemethod.vox.com/library/post/pain-au-chocolat-vegan.html">Pain au Chocolat</a>, while I gradually agonized over recipes for a week. On Saturday morning, I had finally decided on chocolate baked yeast doughnuts.<br /><br />I have a confession to make. These did not turn out as well as I had hoped. However, I'm writing about them since (a) I think you ought to be aware of my failures, (b) the pictures look yummy! and (c) most of all, I think these have promise, and plan to make them again with several alterations, of which I will make note.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3152/3057328414_e94548de04_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3152/3057328414_e94548de04_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Baked Chocolate Doughnuts</span><br />Adapted from Heidi's <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001561.html">recipe</a> at <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/">101 cookbooks</a><br /><br />1 1/3 cups warm milk, 95 to 105 degrees<br />1 packet instant yeast (if you want to use active yeast, dissolve it in 1/3 cup of the warm milk first)<br />2 tablespoons butter, melted<br />2/3 cup sugar<br />2 eggs<br />3 cups flour (the original recipe calls for 5 cups. I cut it down to 4 because I was adding some cocoa powder. This was TOO MUCH FLOUR. So I'm reducing it to 3 cups here, and more can be added if necessary.)<br />3/4 cups cocoa powder<br />2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted. (I put the chocolate in the microwave for 20 seconds, removed, and stirred until smooth.)<br />1 teaspoon salt<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3146/3057328212_c5d9999285_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3146/3057328212_c5d9999285_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together. Add milk, eggs, and melted, cooled chocolate.<br />2. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, salt, and instant yeast) in a separate container. Gradually add to wet ingredients, stirring by hand, until fully combined.<br />3. Beat the mixture with the dough hook attachment of an electric mixer, on medium, for several minutes. Add more flour if too wet, more warm milk if too dry. Ideally the dough should "pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and eventually become supple and smooth."<br />4. Place the dough into a warm, buttered bowl. Allow to rise for 1 hour. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP:</span> I think I've said this before, but my favorite place to let dough rise is in the microwave. I put a damp towel in for thirty seconds, then remove. One dry towel goes over the dough, and the damp, warm towel goes on top of that. Then I put the whole container into the microwave and UNPLUG IT because you never know who might mess with it accidentally.)<br />5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Roll out until 1/2 inch thick. Cut the doughnuts! I do not have a fancy doughnut cutter, so my assistant and I used a glass and an empty cream soda bottle.<br />6. Allow the doughnuts to rise for 1 more hour (I use the same method as the first time).<br />7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the doughnuts for 7 minutes or so. They should be slightly under-cooked! I also baked the doughnut holes for about 3 minutes each.<br />8. Glaze. I used Alton Brown's <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocolate-doughnut-glaze-recipe/index.html">chocolate glaze</a> recipe, substituting 1 Tbsp honey for the corn syrup, and it was delicious! Beware, though, it will make twice as much as necessary and you will be continually tempted to stick your finger in it, eat it with a spoon, pour it over fruit...<p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3274/3056491197_df186e353f_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3274/3056491197_df186e353f_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>As I mentioned above, I think the problem with my doughnuts was too much flour. Next time, I will start low and work my way up. I'm also going to try adding slightly more butter and sugar, to increase the richness of the dough. I will let you know how that goes!<br /></p></div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-45307671720621761122008-11-19T18:00:00.000-05:002008-11-21T09:57:11.199-05:00Basics Part II: Chocolate Cake<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2033/2332282138_817a130f51.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2033/2332282138_817a130f51.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I have several recipes for chocolate cake filed away, some from family, others from blogs, still others I've created on my own, or adapted. I discovered this particular recipe when I was searching for a simple and easy way to make chocolate cake: no buttermilk, no beaten egg whites, and no difficult methods. I was living in an apartment I hated, with no electric mixer or quality measuring tools. My need for dessert was pressing. This cake saved me.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />I originally baked this in an 8-inch square pan, and drizzled it with a simple glaze. Most of the pieces I cut went straight into the freezer. This, I reasoned, would prevent me from consuming the entire cake in one sitting. As it turns out (lamentably), this perfect concoction is also delicious frozen. I may have to fashion it into <a href="http://bakerella.blogspot.com/2008/01/dont-lick-bite.html">cakesicles</a> one day soon.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2182/2331453833_c80a5cf879.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2182/2331453833_c80a5cf879.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Perfectly Simple Chocolate Cake</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The recipe I give here is with sour cream chocolate frosting, as pictured.</span><br /><br />1 cup flour (all purpose or whole wheat pastry)<br />1 cup sugar (white or turbinado)<br />1/4 cup butter or margarine (I use Earth Balance)<br />1/2 cup buttermilk<br />1/4 cup coffee (optional--if you omit the coffee, use 3/4 cup buttermilk)<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />1 egg<br />2 oz. unsweetened chocolate<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />2. Melt the chocolate in a pan with the butter. Let cool.<br />3. Combine sugar, coffee, and buttermilk.<br />4. Add egg and vanilla, then chocolate mixture.<br />5. Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt) together and add slowly.<br />6. Pour batter into greased 8" square pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until toothpick/knife inserted into center comes out clean<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting</span><br /><br />1/3 cup butter<br />3 oz. unsweetened chocolate<br />1/2 cup sour cream <span style="font-weight: bold;">(TIP: I usually use fat-free for this, and find that it tastes just as good! This goes for most dairy--milk, yogurt, or sour cream--found in recipes.)</span><br />2 tsp. vanilla<br />2-3 cups powdered sugar<br /><br />1. Melt butter and chocolate in saucepan over low heat. Allow mixture to cool.<br />2. Stir in sour cream and vanilla.<br />3. Slowly add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until frosting is smooth and spreadable.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2331453731_6f4e8123ba.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2331453731_6f4e8123ba.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Over at <a href="http://makemethod.vox.com/">Method</a>, my friend Ashley has made some gorgeous vegan <a href="http://makemethodhttp//vox.com/library/post/pain-au-chocolat-vegan.html">Pain Au Chocolat</a> (chocolate croissants) with one half of a big hunk of bittersweet chocolate we purchased this weekend. Check them out, and stay tuned for my own recipe (coming this weekend)!</div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-33745785338112747482008-11-10T23:00:00.000-05:002008-11-10T20:32:54.287-05:00Earth Muffin Family & Friends II: Deep Dish Veggie Pizza<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2069/2190612117_e648f6a0e5_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2069/2190612117_e648f6a0e5_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>All right, so I missed the Daring Bakers challenge last month (Pizza Napoletana, hosted by <a href="http://rosas-yummy-yums.blogspot.com/">Rosa</a>). To compensate for my ineptitude, I thought I'd share another pizza recipe with you. This is an oft-requested family classic, and one of my father's specialties.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1017/761432202_6f642d5d04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1017/761432202_6f642d5d04.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">The majority of my favorite memories with my father (also known as "Papa Earth") involve food: licking a sample of his frosting from the beater while he made one of us a birthday cake, or being instructed in the art of some trivial food preparation, such as the proper construction of a lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise sandwich. It seemed to me, as a child, that he would often deliberately leave partially-prepared food out to tempt us. The plate of shredded mozzarella, or the bowl of resting cookie dough, would taunt us from its hallowed place on the counter, and if we dipped our fingers into these forbidden stores, Dad would always materialize suddenly, shouting "GET outta there!"<br /><br />Now, of course, he feeds a little scrap of almost EVERYTHING to our dog, a relatively new addition to the family, whom everyone spoils. Their relationship is one of ever-increasing intensity; sometimes I think my father's scorn hurts Apollo's little canine heart more than it ever did ours.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/2660052708_60487c6351.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/2660052708_60487c6351.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">Everyone who knows my family is familiar with the (in?)famous "Daddy Cookies," a recipe handed down from his mother, and a Sunday afternoon tradition at our house since I was little. Dad calls these his "spiritual observance," only half-joking when he admits to not feeling at peace if he cannot make them. I will save those for another post.<br /><br />Though less well-known, his pizza recipe is just as mind-blowingly good. Once, while visiting, I created a somewhat healthier version, a whole grain, deep-dish concoction full of vegetables. Luckily, Dad is always ready to try something new, standing over my shoulder and providing (sometimes unheeded) suggestions until I have to swat him away with whatever kitchen utensil is most handy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Deep Dish Veggie Pizza </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Part 1: Whole Wheat Pizza Crust</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2131/2190609667_fd1bf25d35_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2131/2190609667_fd1bf25d35_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">To make this less heavy, I tried using whole wheat pastry flour, which is just made from white wheat instead of red. Because it's meant for lighter baked goods, it doesn't develop gluten as well, so that might not have been the best choice for holding all of the vegetables in this recipe. Regular whole wheat flour would be just as tasty, and probably more structurally sound.<br /><br />1 package active dry yeast<br />3/4 cup water<br />1 tsp sugar<br />2 cups whole wheat flour<br />3 Tbsp olive oil<br /><br />1. Dissolve yeast in water with sugar, mix in flour & oil.<br />2. Knead for 5 minutes or so. Let rise for 1-2 hours.<br />3. After first rise, spread into greased pan (I used Pam, in a 9" cake pan). Use the tongs of a fork to pierce the bottom of the crust. Cover with towel and allow to rise for approximately 15 minutes.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Part 2: Veggies</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2141/2191395560_3fe003b0c2_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2141/2191395560_3fe003b0c2_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">1/2 zucchini<br />1/2 yellow squash<br />1 carrot<br />7 brussel sprouts<br />10 green beans<br />1/2 head of broccoli<br />10 cherry tomatoes<br />1/2 bag fresh spinach<br /><br />1. Peel vegetables if necessary, and dice.<br />2. Steam all but tomatoes, and spinach. I cooked the spinach separately, with some water, and left the tomatoes raw. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP: </span>When you're baking something in the oven, you might want to leave the vegetable components slightly undercooked, or "al dente," so they don't become mushy in the final dish.)<br />3. Mix vegetables, and add spices as desired. (I used basil, salt and pepper.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Part 3: Sauce</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2325/2190609913_93b51ffed5_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2325/2190609913_93b51ffed5_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the part that's really up to you. I flip-flop between preferring a chunky and a smooth sauce. Dad usually goes with smooth, and he's agreed to share his super-secret sauce recipe with you.<br /><br />1 can tomato sauce<br />sugar<br />salt<br />pepper<br />oregano<br />basil<br />onion powder<br />garlic powder<br />parmesan cheese<br /><br />1. Add varying amounts of ingredients to taste. This sounds daunting, but I start by adding a dash of each, then tasting. You can't go wrong by starting small and working your way up. The nice thing about this recipe is that, for those of us who don't regularly cook, onion and garlic powders are cheaper, less perishable alternatives to buying onion and garlic whole, which tend to go bad if you don't use all of them. That said, I do advise you to buy garlic, which keeps longer, because it increases the deliciousness of almost all foods by 40-60%! I made that statistic up but you get the idea.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Part 4: The actual pizza!</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2311/2190611343_8e2bcd30e0_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2311/2190611343_8e2bcd30e0_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded<br />1/2 cup ricotta cheese<br /><br />1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.<br />2. Pre-bake the crust for roughly 5 minutes.<br />3. Fill the crust with sauce, vegetables, and cheese, in whatever order you desire.<br />4. Bake for 6-8 minutes.<br /><br />Enjoy!</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2281/2190611909_62cb778dfe_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2281/2190611909_62cb778dfe_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div></div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-36373702840406836622008-10-15T10:56:00.000-04:002008-10-15T11:56:30.596-04:00Earth Muffin Family & Friends: White Chocolate Berry Blondies with Jen<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3032/2940113468_00b866e8e8_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3032/2940113468_00b866e8e8_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>So here I am again with the berries! This weekend some of my oldest friends descended upon Boston, and I needed (/used this as an excuse) to bake something delicious. My first concoction was mocha frosted cookies, but they are the subject of a future post.<br /><br />My best friend of fourteen (gah!) years, Jen, arrived late Thursday night. As we leisurely awoke Friday morning, she declared that she wanted to do "whatever you normally do" on days like this. I was slightly ashamed to admit to my usually active and busy friend that this entailed reading in bed and a bowl of oatmeal. And, obviously, BAKING. So we set about trying to find a recipe that was easy, enjoyable, and would feed the rest of the girls.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3239/2939260729_879023fd09_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3239/2939260729_879023fd09_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Success! Jen says: "this recipe combines two of my favorite things: raspberries and white chocolate."<br /><br />Although the term "blondie" led me to believe these would be as chewy and dense as chocolate brownies, they are in fact more like cake, or quick bread. They are also inexplicably remniscient of cheesecake. In an amazing way.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3050/2940113592_9dbae8c266_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3050/2940113592_9dbae8c266_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">White Chocolate Berry Blondies</span><br />Seriously adapted from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/White-Chocolate-Blondies/Detail.aspx">this recipe</a><br /><br />16 oz. (1 1/3 bags) white chocolate chips<br />2 tbsp. vanilla extract<br /> 1/2 cup butter<br />1/2 cup shortening<br />2 1/2 cups flour<br />4 eggs<br />1 1/2 teaspoon salt<br />2/3 cup white sugar<br /><br />1 bag mixed frozen berries<br />2 Tbsp sugar<br />1/4 cup slivered almonds<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />2. Melt the shortening, butter, and white chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly.<br />3. Mix the eggs and sugar together.<br />4. Combine flour and salt, and add slowly to egg mixture.<br />5. Finally, mix in cooled white chocolate, in small amounts.<br />6. Pour batter into a 9 x 13 in. pan. This might also be good as muffins!<br />7. Bake the batter for 15 minutes, or until the sides of the pan have firmed up.<br />8. Meanwhile, combine the frozen berries with sugar.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />9. Remove the pan from the oven, and sprinkle berry mixture over the batter. Return to oven. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP: </span>Allowing the batter to cook for several minutes keeps the berries from sinking. If you wanted to mix the berries in entirely, you might try coating them with flour (in a ziploc bag) before incorporating them. This will help them to stay suspended in the batter.)<br />10. Bake for another 45 minutes or so, checking occasionally. The blondies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.<br />11. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and let them cool! They taste 11 times better when they've cooled.<br /><br />Personally, I am an edge person. Others, like Jen, prefer the middle pieces:<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/2940113692_05f4498f90_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/2940113692_05f4498f90_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-33210346574024383022008-10-03T22:58:00.000-04:002008-10-03T23:45:21.378-04:00Missed Opportunities<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/2911309452_14c444322f_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/2911309452_14c444322f_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I've only resided in my current city--Somerville, Massachusetts, for around three months. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that one of our claims to fame is the invention of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshmallow_creme">Marshmallow Fluff</a>!<br /><br />My experience with this confection is limited to several consecutive Christmases of making fudge for all of my friends in high school. This practice became cumbersome in terms of packaging and delivery, and caused a distressing amount of contention, especially among the non-recipients.<br /><br />This was over five years ago and am I still dwelling on it? AFFIRMATIVE.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">There is a Marshmallow Fluff festival here in Somerville! Actually, the proper title is the "What the Fluff" festival. I learned that the festivities included a cooking contest, and I immediately began to devise a recipe to enter. I had a leftover sweet potato in the refrigerator, and I decided to combine these ingredients with another New England favorite: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoopie_pie">whoopie pies</a>.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Unfortunately, the day of the festival, it rained. And on the rain date (the following day), it also rained. They still held it (you "can't stop the fluff!") but I could not muster up the strength to drag myself out of bed. It may have had something to do with the fact that I was engrossed in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anathem">new book</a>, or that I would have been forced to ride my bike three miles in the downpour to actually attend the contest.<br /><br />What the fluff! I brought these to work, instead. After eating half of them myself.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/2910462933_407a414d87_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/2910462933_407a414d87_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chocolate Covered Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Marshmallow Fluff Filling</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sweet Potato Cookie</span><br />Adapted from a pumpkin cookie recipe in Martha Stewart's <span style="font-style: italic;">Cookies</span><br /><br />1 1/2 c. flour<br />1/2 tsp. baking powder<br />1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />3/4 tsp. salt<br />1 tsp. cinnamon<br />3/4 tsp. ginger<br />1/2 tsp. nutmeg<br />6 Tbsp. butter (3/4 stick)<br />1 1/8 c. brown sugar<br />1 egg<br />3/4 c. cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (NO sugar or milk--just mashed potatoes)<br />1/2 c. evaporated milk<br />1/2 tsp. vanilla<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.<br />2. Whisk dry ingredients together.<br />3. Combine butter and sugar. Beat until fluffy.<br />4. Add egg, sweet potato, milk, and vanilla one at a time,<br />5. Add dry ingredients, gradually.<br />6. Spoon batter onto lightly greased cookie sheet. It will be very wet; this is okay!<br />7. Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookie. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP: </span>When making sandwich cookies such as these, it's vital to make them all the same size! You want them to match up. I learned this the hard way...)<br />8. Allow to cool as you mix filling!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3259/2911309518_29d0ba5873_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3259/2911309518_29d0ba5873_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marshmallow Filling</span><br /><br />1 7-oz. jar of Marshmallow Fluff<br />3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter<br />1 1/2 tsp. vanilla<br />2-3 cups powdered sugar<br /><br />1. Whip fluff and butter together until creamy. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP:</span> I greased my fingers and the spoon before I attempted to extract the fluff from the jar. This made it about 5 times easier.)<br />2. Add vanilla, and sugar 1/2 cup at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Frosting should be very stiff.<br />3. Spread on the bottom of one cookie. Sandwich another cookie on top.<br />4. Place sandwiched cookies in the refrigerator on a cookie sheet to set.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chocolate Coating</span><br />This recipe made enough to coat about 2/3 of the whoopie pies. I liked the taste of the plain ones, too, but if you want to cover them all, you can multiply the recipe by 1.5.<br /><br />1 12-oz. bag of chocolate chips<br />1 Tbsp vegetable oil<br /><br />1. Heat the vegetable oil in the bottom of a medium pot.<br />2. Add the chips and stir over medium heat, until smooth.<br />3. Remove your whoopie pies from the fridge, dip in chocolate, and place on cookie sheet. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP:</span> you may want to use your finger to smooth the chocolate coating on top, once you've placed the pie on the cookie sheet.)<br />4. Place in refrigerator to set. I found it easier to keep these refrigerated the whole time, actually.<br /><br />Here is an example without chocolate coating (equally delicious!):<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3093/2911309740_bcf9625fc3_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3093/2911309740_bcf9625fc3_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-86004488203917750672008-09-27T12:46:00.000-04:002008-09-27T13:38:48.580-04:00My First Daring Bakers Challenge - Lavash Crackers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3254/2892051147_a7d5cfd1ee_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3254/2892051147_a7d5cfd1ee_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This is my first month with the Daring Bakers, a group which agrees to all bake the same recipe and post on the same day. This month's recipe, provided by <a href="http://shellyfish.wordpress.com/">Shel</a> and <a href="http://glutenagogo.blogspot.com/">Natalie</a> was for lavash crackers. This recipe required about half the work of bread, and was absolutely delicious! We were also permitted to concoct our own topping or dip, so I scrounged around my refrigerator for this week's leftovers, and came up with some beans and diced tomatoes, which became a tangy salsa, a perfectly healthy companion for these crackers.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/2892889476_8b4ee91ac4_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/2892889476_8b4ee91ac4_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Here is the recipe. For a gluten-free version, you can look to either of the hosts' blogs.<br /><br /><strong>Lavash Crackers </strong><br />From <span style="font-style: italic;">The Bread Baker's Apprentice</span> by Peter Reinhart<br />(makes 1 sheet pan of crackers)<br /><br />1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1/2 tsp instant yeast<br />1 Tb agave syrup or sugar (I used sugar<br />1 Tb vegetable oil<br />1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb water, at room temperature (I used 1/2 cup)<br />Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings (I used poppy and caraway)<br /><br />1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.<br /><br />2. Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the "windowpane test" and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.<br /><br />3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).<br /><br />4. Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.<br /><br />5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.<br /><br />6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).<br /><br />7. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/2892051585_b6eb407da5_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/2892051585_b6eb407da5_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bean Tomato Salsa</span><br /><br />1/2 14 oz. can black beans<br />1/2 can kidney beans<br />1/2 can cannellini beans<br />1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (unsalted)<br />1/2 tsp. salt<br />1 tsp. black pepper<br />1 tsp. cinnamon<br />1 tsp. apple cider vinegar (lemon or lime juice might work well, also)<br /><br />1. Combine all ingredients in saucepan and heat through.<br />2. Mash salsa to desired consistency with a fork.<br />3. Use a strainer to drain excess liquid, and allow to cool.<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVy-vgHSEM0XinnK_cpHhlUs_NheozTbo0utZI0BlJa60ty_hd8eqHPA4JqSCK8lFopjk69MJa37KBvnCRhWKvzGfH667rW1GUYXPAQ_Im_vRmkZXoLvN_7hL1RKL7Sc-to8mLVbSxqV4/s1600-h/silueta2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVy-vgHSEM0XinnK_cpHhlUs_NheozTbo0utZI0BlJa60ty_hd8eqHPA4JqSCK8lFopjk69MJa37KBvnCRhWKvzGfH667rW1GUYXPAQ_Im_vRmkZXoLvN_7hL1RKL7Sc-to8mLVbSxqV4/s200/silueta2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250752396062884674" border="0" /></a>Check out the Daring Bakers <a href="http://daringbakersblogroll.blogspot.com/">blogroll</a> for more!<br /></div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-69251756536232937062008-09-22T23:44:00.000-04:002008-09-24T12:51:51.341-04:00Rise and Shine...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3115/2877547530_afe64a3f6e_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3115/2877547530_afe64a3f6e_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This is not a recipe for those unfathomable "morning people." I've been continually baffled by anyone who professes an affinity for a particular time of day. They all have their moments, certainly, but I find that a great morning or evening is something I'm never able to predict.<br /><br />When I was in school, my family devised several methods for rousing each other on those dark winter mornings. I remember well being dragged brutally down the stairs by my younger sister, still feebly feigning sleep. And my mother occasionally skipped from room to room, switching on lights, singing: "rise and shine, and give me your glory, glory," a song which I believe she had modified to suit her secular purposes. I may also have lived through a phase of playing Marley's "Get up, Stand up" every single day. This was a trend generally regarded with malice.<br /><br />Hey! The morning after I made these gingerbread cupcakes with Neufchâtel cheese icing, I woke up early (on a day off!) to photograph them! Cupcakes for breakfast (with apple tea) are exceedingly effective motivation.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3082/2876715385_b5262aaa44_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3082/2876715385_b5262aaa44_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>As you can see, some of the cupcakes had raisins and apples mixed in. I kept about half plain for those with more discerning tastebuds, although CERTAIN (nine-year-old) people could only manage to lick off the frosting. I hope you never endure the agony that is throwing away your own homemade cupcake, sadly made bare by the caresses of a capricious tongue.<br /><br />I also hope you never have to write that sentence.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/2876715845_b42736bc1e_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/2876715845_b42736bc1e_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gingerbread (Apple Raisin) Cupcakes</span><br />(Makes 16-24 cupcakes, depending on additions)<br /><br /> 1/2 cup brown sugar<br /> 1/2 cup butter<br /> 1 egg, beaten<br /> 1 cup molasses<br /> 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (<span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP: </span>I know I always use this. I've discovered that it works well with baked goods that are darker in color and flavor, particularly spice cakes or ones that contain cinnamon. You won't see me [although I've definitely tried] using wheat flour in lighter recipes like yellow cake or sugar cookies. In these cupcakes, even the pickiest of eaters couldn't taste the whole grains, so go for it!)<br /> 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />2 tsp. ground cinnamon<br />2 tsp. ground ginger<br />1 tsp. ground cloves<br />1 tsp. salt<br /> 1 cup warm milk<br /><br />If you'd like to add apples/raisins:<br /><br />2 apples, chopped<br />1 cup raisins<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.<br />2. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, and spices).<br />3. Add the butter in small pieces, and mix.<br />4. Add, one at a time: egg, molasses, brown sugar, and milk, beating after each addition.<br />5. If using apple and raisin, fold in.<br />6. Bake in greased or papered muffin tins for 10-15 minutes. These will bake fast, particularly if they're plain, so be sure to check! They are done when the outside is slightly darkened, and a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Neufchâtel cheese icing</span>:<br /><br />1 package Neufchâtel cheese (<span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP:</span> You can substitute the familiar cream cheese here, but [American] Neufchâtel tastes similar, and is lower in fat and usually available at the same price.)<br />1 stick (1/2 cup) butter<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />2 tbsp milk<br />2-3 cups confectioners’ sugar<br /><br />1. Whip butter and cheese together with a whisk (or the whisk attachment on your electric mixer).<br />2. Add milk and vanilla.<br />3. Add confectioner's sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Frosting should stand up in stiff peaks, but still be spreadable.<br />4. Frost and decorate cupcakes! (I used raisins. Chopped nuts would be nice!)<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3290/2876714761_c297bef8b6_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3290/2876714761_c297bef8b6_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This cupcake entry is part of Sugar High Friday, hosted this month by Fanny, of <a href="http://www.foodbeam.com/">foodbeam</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.foodbeam.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/cupcakelogo.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.foodbeam.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/cupcakelogo.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-15730689039451726092008-09-16T20:25:00.000-04:002008-09-24T13:39:16.767-04:00Presidential Race Tartelettes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/2846840889_7021eb8dab_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/2846840889_7021eb8dab_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I would estimate that I spend up to one third of my waking hours on the computer each day, and one of the most engrossing ways in which I procrastinate or avoid impending work, not including this blog (which, it appears, I have not been very engrossed in at all recently), is reading news and political blogs. This isn't really any more enjoyable than actually completing my work; in fact, it is ultimately <span style="font-style: italic;">less</span> so, because my sense of a looming catastrophe is made even more strong, and I achieve no feeling of accomplishment from fretting over politics. Sometimes we all need a break. This recipe is a break from my break. I don't get much done. Have you noticed?<br /><br />The title of this post is a stretch, I'll admit, but! These berry tartelettes feature red and blue berries, coexisting peacefully, and making everyone happy. While we watch speech after speech of politicians claiming to have our best interests in mind, these delicious desserts are just WAITING to please.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3202/2847673560_120358a888_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3202/2847673560_120358a888_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div>I baked these over a month ago, and I know that berries like these are no longer in season, and some of us might be disgusted by the artificial, overpriced fruits in the produce section nowadays. The good news is that I'm almost certain that frozen mixed berries would serve just as well!<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Also, I will be honest with you--I did not intend, originally, to make tartelettes. I wanted to make turnovers. However, as usually occurs in my kitchen, mistakes were made. I miscalculated how my many changes to this recipe would factor in to the consistency of the dough. And so, I pressed it into muffin tins, filled it with berries, and voila! Still delicious, if slightly less beautiful (than the turnovers, which were hypothetical, anyway).<br /><br />Nothing is perfect. Except Tina Fey's Palin impression.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3134/2846840971_b43a01ea52_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3134/2846840971_b43a01ea52_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rustic Chocolate Berry Tartelettes</span><br /><span>(These are whole grain, and vegan, too!)</span><br /><br />2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour<br />1 cup Earth Balance, chilled<br />1/2 cup shortening, chilled<br />2 tsp. salt<br />1 cup cocoa<br />1/2 cup sugar (I used turbinado)<br />1 cup ice water<br /><br />1/2 pint raspberries<br />1/2 pint blackberries<br />1 pint blueberries<br />(OR 3 cups frozen mixed berries)<br />3 tbsp. sugar<br /><br />1. Mix the berries with sugar in a bowl, and place in the refrigerator. This is called "macerating!"<br />2. Combine flour, salt, cocoa, and sugar.<br />3. Cut small pieces of the Earth Balance and shortening in with knives, a pastry cutter, or your fingers. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP: </span>For any pastry or biscuit dough, the fat needs to be super cold to keep it from melting. I put my EB & shortening in the freezer for a few minutes beforehand! Also, you can use cold water to keep your fingers cold if you're using them to mix.) I have heard that a food processor works for this, but unfortunately I do not own one.<br />4. When your mixture is a coarse meal with pea-sized chunks, begin to pour ice water (by the tablespoon) into the bowl, kneading until a dough is formed. You may not use all of the water.<br />5. Cut the dough ball into two equal parts. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.<br />6. Meanwhile, grease a muffin tin. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.<br />7. Unwrap the dough and roll it out on a floured surface. Cut into squares, and press into muffin tins. Fill with berry mixture.<br />8. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.<br />9. Allow to cool COMPLETELY (several hours) before removing from the muffin tin. Alternatively, you could bake these in individual molds, and eat them warm straight from the molds.<br /><br />This makes about 12 tartelettes (enough to fill a muffin tin) if you taste-test the dough, as I did!<br /></div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-41732415306346752032008-09-02T19:23:00.000-04:002008-09-03T20:24:33.690-04:00Indian in Davis Square<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2164/2733458831_993ddcc8c2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2164/2733458831_993ddcc8c2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">My experience with Indian cuisine is severely limited, I'm afraid to admit. Before this year, I'd only eaten at 2 or 3 Indian restaurants, and only from buffets. I'm from a small town, and went to college in a small town, where any type of ethnic cuisine was always at least a 30 minute drive away. My relocation to a big city has been overwhelming in multiple ways, not least of which is the availability of a stunning array of dining options. I'm just beginning to explore Davis Square in Somerville, just a mile from my new apartment, and one place that caught my eye was </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://www.divabistro.com/index.htm">Diva Indian Bistro</a>.<br /><br />The Boston Globe's only complaint regarding this restaurant is unreliable service. I have some advice for anyone wishing to avoid this particular nuisance: eat at 4:30 in the afternoon on a Sunday. The dining staff just mills around your table, ready to fill your every need. This was not actually a planned strategy on my part; my Sunday schedule (by which I mean "what time I roll out of bed") can be strange.<br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">So! I ordered the vegetable pakoras (pictured) and Shahi Navratan Korma, "nine different fresh garden vegetables cooked in a creamy sauce w/ almonds, cashews, raisins and spices."</span> The pakoras were crisp and served with a tangy sauce. The main dish, served with rice, was amazing. I have no photo with which to present you, (a) because the ingredients are combined in a such a way that a picture would not be altogether enticing--the whole dish is really only one color--and (b) because I was busy eating. This dish was amazing. I love any combination of cashews with vegetables, and this was no exception. The raisins became plump and sweeter when cooked, and were a sweet surprise in almost every bite. The portion is also larger than sufficient, and (I think) Indian food, particularly curries like this one, make great leftovers.<br /><br />My omnivore dinner date ordered chicken naan and the Tandoori chicken and was also noticeably pleased.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3293/2734288020_a9c664f3dc_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3293/2734288020_a9c664f3dc_o.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <span style=";font-family:GillSans,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >246 Elm Street<br />Somerville, MA 02144<br />(617) 629–4963</span>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-11980947782083563052008-08-27T12:25:00.000-04:002008-08-29T13:07:24.780-04:00Basics Part I: Yellow Cake<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3081/2721963870_0e98f75302.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3081/2721963870_0e98f75302.jpg" border="0" /></a>For most of my life, I've turned my nose up at the idea of vanilla cake. Maybe I'd simply associated it with cake mixes, with the infinite parade of brightly frosted birthday sheet cake monstrosities of my youth. And, as a chocoholic born and raised, I'm of the opinion that there is NEVER a superior alternative to chocolate.<br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br />However, I do occasionally accept requests from one of my innumerable admirers, and recently I baked a "confetti" cake, using this <a href="http://bakingbites.com/2005/10/happy-birthday-to-me/">Yellow Sheet Cake recipe</a> from <a href="http://www.bakingbites.com/">Baking Bites</a>, and mixing in a cup of sprinkles before baking. The cake itself was divine; the buttercream icing I attempted, not so much.<br /><br />And so, true to form, I hastily made the cake again, this time in the form of cupcakes, and added--what else?--chocolate.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/2721964844_2e2e39c083.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/2721964844_2e2e39c083.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The most interesting thing about this cake recipe is the method in which it is mixed. From Baking Bites:<br /><br /><div style="PADDING-RIGHT: 8%; PADDING-LEFT: 8%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0%; PADDING-TOP: 0%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-size:85%;">"Beating the butter into the dry ingredients gives the finished cake a beautiful and tender crumb, inhibiting gluten development by creating a protective coating of fat around the flour. Beating the flour/butter mixture with some of the eggs gives the remaining gluten a chance to develop and incorporate air into the cake."</span><br /></div></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">This is by far the lightest, fluffiest cake I have ever made without buttermilk. It has become my designated, go-to vanilla cake recipe.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3193/2721964424_915a02f854.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3193/2721964424_915a02f854.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><a style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" href="http://bakingbites.com/2005/10/happy-birthday-to-me/">Yellow Sheet Cake</a> recipe from Baking Bites. I adapted this only in that I made two 8-inch round cakes, or 24 cupcakes, as opposed to one 9 x 13 cake.<br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Simple Chocolate Frosting<br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span></span></span></span></span><br />2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate<br />1/2 cup butter<br />6 tablespoons milk<br />3 cups confectioners' sugar<br />1/2 cup cocoa<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">1. In a saucepan, melt the butter and baking chocolate. Let cool.<br />2. Combine with milk, vanilla, and cocoa in an electric mixer (a handheld one is fine, as well).<br />3. Add confectioners' sugar (1/2 cup at a time).<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">TIP: </span>You may need to adjust the amount of sugar or milk. The frosting should be spreadable but hold its shape easily when applied.<br /></div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3204/2721138551_f0aed08f62.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3204/2721138551_f0aed08f62.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />PS: I have been on vacation these past couple of weeks. I hope to post once a week from now on!Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-67874119440710549602008-08-04T21:16:00.000-04:002008-08-27T10:06:52.608-04:00Martha Stewart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3195/2733457891_979fb32574.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3195/2733457891_979fb32574.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I am in the process of forming my own definitive cookbook collection. This means that I own about 15-20 cookbooks, half of which are truly useful. The other half are gifts or hand-me-downs or book sale purchases that are pretty to look at, but haven't provided me with any solid recipes. Among the good ones I own: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Vegetarian-Meatless/dp/0764524836/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217900843&sr=8-1">How to Cook Everything Vegetarian</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Cooking-75th-Anniversary-2006/dp/0743246268/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217900890&sr=8-1">The Joy of Cooking </a>(a battered 1964 edition), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-Simple-Suppers-Weeknight/dp/0609609122/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217900925&sr=8-1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Moosewood's</span> Simple Suppers</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Food-Lovers-Tiptionary-Shortcuts/dp/0060935707/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217900959&sr=8-1">The New Food Lover's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Tiptionary</span></a>.<br /><br />Books I still want to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">aquire</span>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Super-Natural-Cooking-Incorporate-Ingredients/dp/1587612755/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217901009&sr=8-1">Heidi Swanson's cookbook</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cake-Bible-Rose-Levy-Beranbaum/dp/0688044026/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217901037&sr=8-1">The Cake Bible</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/0618443363/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217901069&sr=8-1">Baking from My Home to Yours</a>.<br /><br />This post is about Martha Stewart! I have been desirous of her book, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewarts-Cookies-Stewart-Magazine/dp/0307394549/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217901100&sr=8-1">Martha Stewart's Cookies</a>," for so long, and have dropped so many hints, that my mother finally bought it for my birthday. I am in love with Martha's system of organization, and the beautiful pictures that accompany each recipe. While I'm not crazy about her level of perfectionism (I.E., "beat the eggs in electric mixer on medium until pale, or 4 minutes,"), these are some amazing recipes. This is the first one that I attempted, slightly revised.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3234/2734287108_82c44d1f79.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3234/2734287108_82c44d1f79.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Double Chocolate Brownies</span><br />Adapted from<span style="font-style: italic;"> Martha Stewart's Cookies</span><br /><br />6 Tbsp butter<br />6 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped<br />1/2 cup unsweetened, Dutch-process cocoa powder<br />3/4 cup flour<br />1/4 tsp baking powder<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />1 cup sugar<br />2 large eggs<br />2 tsp vanilla extract<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />2. Butter an 8-inch round cake tin. The original recipe calls for a square pan, but I wanted a sort of brownie-cake I could cut into slices.<br />3. Melt butter, chocolate, and cocoa powder in a pan. (<span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP: </span>I find that, when melting chocolate for baking purposes, it's sufficient to use a little butter and just melt it over a burner or in the microwave. The butter keeps it from scorching. Martha wants you to use a double boiler, or a "heatproof bowl over simmering water." In my opinion, this is totally unnecessary. As long as you keep stirring and make sure the butter has coated the pan, you'll be fine.)<br />4. Beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla together. Add cooled chocolate mixture.<br />5. Mix the dry ingredients with a whisk or fork. Add to the rest of the batter.<br />6. Spread the batter evenly into pan. Bake approximately 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife comes out with a few crumbs, but not wet. Allow to cool, and slice!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2733458341_cc2a08b3db.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2733458341_cc2a08b3db.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Here's another <span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP</span>: when you're making something like brownies, where the chocolate is the most important factor, use the best quality ingredients. Baker's chocolate will suffice if you're experiencing a major craving, but I would opt for something like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Scharffen</span> Berger, if possible. This goes for the butter and eggs, as well. You want to use fresh, good quality ingredients. Trust me. When I was in Mexico, I was persuaded to buy a giant glass bottle of pure vanilla extract. It has lasted me over a year and half, and has an incredible taste. I wish I could carry it everywhere with me. Anyway, the better your ingredients, the better the final product. This seems so simple, but I'm always forgetting it...<br /><br />Next up on the brownie front: finding the best <span style="font-style: italic;">vegan</span> brownie recipe out there!<br /></div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-69669576592181024322008-07-28T21:38:00.000-04:002008-09-03T20:25:08.302-04:00Crepe Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_EJdDjAqXEaYwifNVmT1yFtcAueUni-QLUS_UJpWjtppyG4jdnO9mxk73ZofgDwUqWDA5XoZfVnEN7mBV7XNa8vtFLZ5DeDezDEmHxfG53zHFrOt7o6ybaymRWgeFhSSlWm5PBwexhs/s1600-h/2359240633_d09ea25253_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_EJdDjAqXEaYwifNVmT1yFtcAueUni-QLUS_UJpWjtppyG4jdnO9mxk73ZofgDwUqWDA5XoZfVnEN7mBV7XNa8vtFLZ5DeDezDEmHxfG53zHFrOt7o6ybaymRWgeFhSSlWm5PBwexhs/s400/2359240633_d09ea25253_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230730907367772866" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="http://www.paris-creperie.com/index.html">Paris Creperie</a> is an adorable, snug hole-in-the-wall on Harvard Street in Coolidge Corner. When I lived in Brookline, I frequented this place quite regularly, always bringing any out-of-town guests there for a treat.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The walls are lined with pillow-covered benches, and there is a hefty supply of magazines for all tastes. One of my favorite features was the tiny bathroom, tucked away in the back of the prep area. To use it, one has to navigate through the maze of employees and supplies, but the behind-the-scenes view is worth the awkward trek.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtCLXCTzaX5jQp8JS_Vuvc3rkJGD4yOXatP5F3iIPFH3hlwxy2qKPFQ0M0Q7I5lvNURdO5jYgC8IwAS2ALjWjmN2-1o1jY0f6UFiEOZTJEw9sILoiirENg_VuBHVtCgASoB7Wk067rGw/s1600-h/2359240901_33a478fcd4_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghtCLXCTzaX5jQp8JS_Vuvc3rkJGD4yOXatP5F3iIPFH3hlwxy2qKPFQ0M0Q7I5lvNURdO5jYgC8IwAS2ALjWjmN2-1o1jY0f6UFiEOZTJEw9sILoiirENg_VuBHVtCgASoB7Wk067rGw/s400/2359240901_33a478fcd4_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230730668801945762" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ham, egg, and cheese crepe.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsLSPSGo417HUrUrVFYHC3FwvUKRHEtOi_BTeAAxETtUjqYjWQ-sKQVoeALRt7d-Tnx-Y8G5PORRWXeib80XmeBchzjtrdYhIEBMW0CtnZ9JvEiCy0q7nPzWFA0ItTlTt9SqW4Sw_CzA/s1600-h/2360077390_b07ae307c5_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLsLSPSGo417HUrUrVFYHC3FwvUKRHEtOi_BTeAAxETtUjqYjWQ-sKQVoeALRt7d-Tnx-Y8G5PORRWXeib80XmeBchzjtrdYhIEBMW0CtnZ9JvEiCy0q7nPzWFA0ItTlTt9SqW4Sw_CzA/s400/2360077390_b07ae307c5_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230730426337320690" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I usually have the "Quirky Albuquerque," which consists of mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and Gruyere cheese.<br /><br />They have an amazingly inexpensive menu of smoothies, ranging from the fruity to achingly sweet (the Nutella frozen hot chocolate is my favorite!) Also essential are the dessert crepes -- a friend exclaimed of the brown sugar crepe, " it's what pancakes are supposed to taste like but never do!"<br /><br />Although their website provides directions to a location on Cambridge Street in Boston, I think that particular venue is closed. The one I review here is at:<br /><br /> 278 Harvard St<br /></div> Brookline, MA 02446<br /> <span class="phone">Phone: <span class="phone">(617) 232-1770<br /></span></span>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-17451974870270473642008-07-25T13:02:00.000-04:002008-08-04T11:45:44.521-04:00Christmas in July<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qoKvXkmZZXC2cvlgqM8duciHcpDUVTgmjqIs-AXH5s4RTNyNtq4m9xWSzwoqM-2jp5CHwtZtZv3RDPq9vPCOyDDLQ-6CtYmKGYoV5iQAXd_klE2lSr6A7XIm-MUOWyq1HsqcGIKZnAQ/s1600-h/310923290_7c41b2c2f1_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qoKvXkmZZXC2cvlgqM8duciHcpDUVTgmjqIs-AXH5s4RTNyNtq4m9xWSzwoqM-2jp5CHwtZtZv3RDPq9vPCOyDDLQ-6CtYmKGYoV5iQAXd_klE2lSr6A7XIm-MUOWyq1HsqcGIKZnAQ/s400/310923290_7c41b2c2f1_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230681574546397186" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">These muffins are an old favorite, made in the throes of an all-nighter I pulled during my senior year. I was attempting to draw connections between Freud and Shaffer's <span style="font-style: italic;">Amadeus</span>, and the baked goods that emerged from this frenzy were far superior to the other product: a half-assed paper. Oh well.<br /><br />On the upside, this recipe won a contest! Here is the proof: <a href="http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/src/12_realepic/favourite-chocolate-recipe-A12days/">http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/src/12_realepic/favourite-chocolate-recipe-A12days/</a><br /><br />They are also a nice change during the hot summer months, reminiscent of the holiday season while still being light and easy to mix up.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chocolate Mint ("Candy-Cane") Muffins</span><br /><br />This makes 12 little muffins or ten big.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP: </span>If you leave some muffin cups empty, put a little water in them. This protects the pan from burning or warping.<br /><br />3/4 c. milk<br />1 egg<br />1/4 cup butter<br /><br />1/2 cup cocoa<br />1/3 cup brown sugar<br />1/4 cup white sugar<br />1/4 tsp baking soda<br />2 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />3/4 tsp salt<br />2 tsp instant espresso powder (optional but highly preferred--particularly when you need to stay up until 5 AM!)<br />1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour<br /><br />1 cup mint chocolate chips. (I used two different kinds of Andes pieces, white & red and green & chocolate.)<br /><br />1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.<br />2. Mix the dry ingredients with a fork or whisk.<br />3. Melt the butter and mix in the egg and milk, adding the wet to the dry and mixing just until everything is damp. This is sort of my life motto: muffins are meant to be lumpy! That is the muffin method.<br />4. Spray the muffin pan with Pam, or grease with Crisco.<br />5. Bake for around 20 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean.<br /><br />Yes, I ultimately graduated, and I received in the way of prizes some Hotel Chocolat Pink Champagne Truffles (although I'm not a fan of alcohol in chocolates) and a beautiful cookbook with measurements entirely metric, by weight! I have to procure a kitchen scale.<br /></div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-45597092650629081182008-07-17T23:32:00.000-04:002008-08-04T11:46:25.158-04:00Nutty and Natural<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1337/1386397133_989713b7c3_b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1337/1386397133_989713b7c3_b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I tend to prefer more "natural" ingredients, although if I need to bake, I will use whatever's on hand. I most often have Earth Balance (a vegan butter substitute) in my fridge for other uses, so that goes into a lot of the baked goods that I make. Likewise, I love to use turbinado or other natural or organic sugars, because they have an interesting crunch and a deeper flavor. These cookies have extra sugar sprinkled on top.<br /><br />Natural Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate-Chunk Cookies<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />1 c. Earth Balance (or just butter, margarine, or crisco)<br />1 c. turbinado sugar (these would work with brown sugar, as well)<br />1/2 c. white sugar<br />1 1/2 tsp. vanilla<br />2 eggs, 1 egg yolk<br /><br />1 1/2 c. flour<br />1/2 c. whole oats<br />1 tsp. baking soda<br />1 1/2 tsp. salt<br /><br />2 semi-sweet chocolate bars, chopped. (I used Scharffen Berger because there was a sign at Trader Joe's that said "chop up for chocolate chunk cookies!" which sounded good to me. It is my favorite brand of chocolate to bake with but fairly expensive.)<br />1/2 cup pecans<br /><br />1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees<br />2. Cream butter ("buttery spread") and sugar, add eggs and vanilla.<br />3. Mix dry ingredients separately, then incorporate.<br />4. Stir in chopped chocolate and pecans.<br />5. Scoop dough onto cookie sheet. <span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP: </span>I use two regular spoons, sprayed with Pam if the dough is extra sticky, to scoop. This keeps my hands clean (because you know I will eat anything left on my fingers).<br />6. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over each cookie.<br />7. Bake @ 375 for 13 minutes.<br /><br />Makes 2-3 dozen cookies.<br /></div>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-963401978334767292.post-1252108085060241152008-07-12T17:07:00.000-04:002008-08-04T12:23:41.119-04:00Healthier Challah<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeEXVxG5LpUrE8QUcxnRqx6wS4Stzotuh4Zrrd4sk0vm50-1k4ydTrF7ROwoEirchW4sbflC2lr5hl3sAITyMK8jI0ioASBJ819aCbVk-ZBnWa_iRvNlmfpJcfGSGaeU4ImNqxf08cXQ/s1600-h/challah2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeEXVxG5LpUrE8QUcxnRqx6wS4Stzotuh4Zrrd4sk0vm50-1k4ydTrF7ROwoEirchW4sbflC2lr5hl3sAITyMK8jI0ioASBJ819aCbVk-ZBnWa_iRvNlmfpJcfGSGaeU4ImNqxf08cXQ/s400/challah2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230696271257649074" border="0" /></a>Being the absent-minded and neglectful Earth Muffin that I am, I originally baked this Challah Bread, a traditional Jewish food, during Passover, or Pesach, when real Jewish people (not me) aren't permitted to eat leavened bread. But, I'm not too keen on baking Matzah, and this is a bread I remember eating frequently during my childhood. When my mom stayed home with us (she and my father took turns over the years), she would often bake bread, and this was always my favorite. </div><div> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">I wanted to change recipe a little bit, to make it whole wheat and have a little bit more nutritional value. I think I succeeded brilliantly, if I may say so, for two reasons. The taste did not suffer whatsoever from my additions, and, surprise--the boyfriend ate it! And I don't think it's just because I forced him, either: he went back for seconds to dip in our homemade pasta sauce. The egg in challah makes it rich and chewy, but it also means you should keep this in the fridge after you've made it.<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbZRl6n2eodzIYE8-d29lCviaeGuJl605xWPvq-BJTW0UptFp3ozoSMELN9OyvC9kcc0BTWGVXMnrnKSspC3-9t-UGTE8zmYcwEdsrZg38S0Sa-AlRt48LMk3qeM9w7OweUy6nd8EyGk/s1600-h/challah1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbZRl6n2eodzIYE8-d29lCviaeGuJl605xWPvq-BJTW0UptFp3ozoSMELN9OyvC9kcc0BTWGVXMnrnKSspC3-9t-UGTE8zmYcwEdsrZg38S0Sa-AlRt48LMk3qeM9w7OweUy6nd8EyGk/s400/challah1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230696492068052770" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Whole Grain Challah Bread</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span> </div><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>This recipe is written for those who need in-depth instructions. If you've baked yeasted bread and know what you're doing, you can probably skip some of the details!</i></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><p style="text-align: justify;">1 Tbsp. salt<br />1/2 cup honey<br />1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />1 cup boiling water<br />1/2 cup cold water<br />2 packages yeast, dissolved in 1/3 cup warm water.<br />4 eggs, beaten<br />5 cups whole wheat flour<br />1 cup multigrain hot cereal (or multigrain flour; I use Bob's Red Mill)<br />1/2 cup soy protein powder (NOT the flavored kind!)<br />1/2 cup flaxseed meal</p><p style="text-align: justify;">1. Make sure the yeast is dissolved in warm water. Test the water on your wrist: too hot will kill the yeast, and too cold won't let it bloom.<br />2. Mix the salt, honey, and oil.<br />3. Add to this both the hot and cold water.<br />4. Add the yeast mixture after it has cooled slightly.<br />5. Add the beaten eggs, reserving about 1 Tbsp. for later.<br />6. Gradually add the dry ingredients. Start with the multigrain cereal, protein powder, and flaxseed. You may not need all of the flour. Stir after each cup of flour, until the mixture is too stiff to stir and can be kneaded.<br />7. Spread the remaining flour on a countertop. Knead the bread into the flour (use more if necessary) for about 7 minutes, or until it has become less sticky and is slightly elastic.<br />8. Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel.<br />9. Let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. <span style="font-weight: bold;">TIP: </span>I like to use the inside of the microwave or an oven that has been warmed for a couple of minutes, then turned off. Not too hot! Just warm.<br />10. Remove dough onto floured surface. Separate into 10 balls of equal size. Roll each of the balls into a snake shape. Now, braid five snakes into one loaf, and five into the other. Pinch the ends together.<br />11. Let rise, covered with a towel, for 45 minutes.Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees, for approximately 25 to 30 minutes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQCjMKrK0PT3iRvj0QI1hv2Gf0TlsyKiDHsf7QkhujCcw0eiuhKf0EXnzni3L8dtPKK3-jLvhdemladq_iTYCe44uet-2Mde9T74Ew1X2IzBaKALJDyuUbb-XYbtf4-Sy-DOoGHAk9OU/s1600-h/challah3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQCjMKrK0PT3iRvj0QI1hv2Gf0TlsyKiDHsf7QkhujCcw0eiuhKf0EXnzni3L8dtPKK3-jLvhdemladq_iTYCe44uet-2Mde9T74Ew1X2IzBaKALJDyuUbb-XYbtf4-Sy-DOoGHAk9OU/s400/challah3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230698110045593218" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">12. Enjoy your challah warm with butter (or earth balance) & jam!</p>Laura H-Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18255701683098237784noreply@blogger.com1