Texas Chocolate Cake & Giant Double Chocolate Cookies
Posted: January 20, 2012 Filed under: Cakes, Cookies | Tags: cake, chocolate, cookies Leave a commentLast week was the second office birthday of 2012. When the request came in for “Texas Chocolate Cake,” I paused for a moment and scratched my head. Texas chocolate cake? What is that? The only cake I know about involving the name Texas is a sheet cake. Turns out, that is indeed what a Texas chocolate cake is. A little internet research later, and I was ready to make my first sheet cake.
I baked this cake in a 13” x 18” jelly roll pan, and it worked out really well. The cake was dense and fudgy, almost reaching the consistency of a brownie. (When everyone saw it, at first, they all thought it was in fact a very large pan of brownies.)
The cake is frosted while still hot, and then the cake and frosting set together, on the cooling rack, and then in the fridge. Sadly, the pictures I took at the office didn’t turn out so well, so I only have the shot of the whole cake.
Even though this cake could feed 20 some odd mouths, I still felt the need to add a complimentary item. I decided on giant double chocolate cookies, thinking that coupling a Texas chocolate cake with larger than average cookies was a perfect duo.
Both were quite tasty, and the office seemed to enjoy them very much. And so can you!
Texas Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Sweet Tooth
Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate , chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
Chocolate Icing:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup toasted pecans , chopped (I opted for Trader Joe’s cocoa pearls)
For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 18- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Whisk eggs and yolks, vanilla, and sour cream in another bowl until smooth.
Heat chocolate, butter, oil, water, and cocoa in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk chocolate mixture into flour mixture until incorporated. Whisk egg mixture into batter, then pour into prepared baking pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack.
For the icing: About 5 minutes before cake is done, heat butter, cream, cocoa, and corn syrup in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Off heat, whisk in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Spread warm icing evenly over hot cake and sprinkle with pecans (or topping of you choice). Let cake cool to room temperature on wire rack, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until icing is set, about 1 hour longer. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Cut into 3-inch squares. Serve.
Giant Double Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from Annie’s Eats
Makes 12 very large cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1¼ cup sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup dark cocoa powder
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (one 12oz package)
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or just a large bowl if you’re a do-it-with-your-hands person like me), combine the butter and sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed (or with wooden spoon) until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in the cocoa powder until well blended. Add the flour, salt and baking powder to the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead briefly by hand to be sure the ingredients are well combined.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each portion of dough into a ball and flatten just slightly into a disc. Place on the prepared baking sheets, a few inches apart. Bake 16-20 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cheddar Crusted Chicken Tenders
Posted: January 19, 2012 Filed under: Meaty Mains | Tags: cheddar, chicken Leave a commentFor about an hour yesterday, it seemed that Izzy’s stitches were bothering her a bit. She would flop down on her belly and sprawl her legs out behind her, get up, and repeat in various locations inside her cage and pen. It only lasted an hour, so I’m assuming it was just a passing itchy fit. Poor bunny. Is it wrong that I took advantage of her discomfort by taking cute photos of her?
Behind her is her foot, not her tail.
Little paw sticking out!
I know, I can be a bad person sometimes. Let me redeem myself by offering up these tasty chicken tenders you can make at home without the use of a deep fryer.
The dredging mixture.
I don’t eat fast food, nor am I at all a fan of deep fried food, so when I saw this recipe on How Sweet Eats, (love this blog) I knew I was destined to make it one day. I also happened to have a pack of thin boneless chicken tenders in the freezer and a package of finely shredded orange cheddar. Oh yes, it was fate.
Well, I did have to go out and get the buttermilk, but close enough. This dish lived up to all of my expectations. The chicken was moist, and the breading was crisp and cheesy and delicious.
Of course I doused mine in ketchup like I do with most meats (don’t judge me too harshly) and was a very happy girl. Luke ate his plain and was a very happy boy. And with the leftover breading mixture…I made baked onion rings!
Cheddar Crusted Chicken Tenders
Adapted from How Sweet Eats
Makes 2-3 servings
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
3 cups panko bread crumbs
1 cup seasoned regular bread crumbs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4 ounces of cheddar, freshly & finely grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
2-4 hours before serving (or even overnight), add chicken to a baking dish and cover with buttermilk. Let soak.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, flour, salt (quantity should be adjusted to taste given the amount of salty cheese), pepper, mustard and paprika and stir with a spoon. Fold in cheese. Lay a wire rack on a baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray (if you don’t have a rack that fits, just line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat, or grease it with cooking spray).
Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk (it should have a layer of milk around it), and dredge through the breadcrumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Lay on the wire rack and repeat. Before baking, hit each chicken tender with a spray of non-stick spray or mist of olive oil. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then gently flip using kitchen tongs and spray the other side. Bake for 10-12 minutes more, then remove from oven and serve with dips of choice.
The procedure for making baked onion rings is exactly the same as above, only you don’t have to soak the onion slices beforehand. Just cut them up, dip them in buttermilk, dredge them through the breadcrumbs and bake for 10-15 mins at 400 degrees F.
Dark Chocolate Marshmallows
Posted: January 18, 2012 Filed under: Candy | Tags: chocolate, marshmallow Leave a commentIt finally snowed a little bit in Eastern Massachusetts. And then, in the span of one day, it melted and it rained. Oh, New England.
When I was younger, snow was always a happy event. Snow meant school closures, romping with friends, sledding and hot chocolate. Nowadays, snow elicits two reactions from me. Scenario 1: It’s nighttime, and I’m all bundled up in my pjs. “Oh look, snow! It’s so pretty.” And then I return to whatever I was doing.
Scenario 2: It’s the morning of a busy day, “Oh shiz, I have to drive in that mess?! Crap.” Where did the magic go? Maybe one day if I have a yard and a working fireplace, the snow will become my friend once again. I hope so; I really do love winter.
Who doesn’t love a cup of hot cocoa after playing in the snow, or as is the case now, shoveling out the car. And what cup of cocoa is complete without a few choice marshmallows floating listlessly on top? And what if you yourself made those fluffy little clouds with your own two hands (and some kitchen equipment)?
Homemade marshmallows have swept through the food blogging world, leaving a trail of very satisfied people in its wake. I made this batch as Christmas presents for my family. At first glace, they all thought it was fudge. WRONG!
These marshmallows are the opposite of fudge. They are light and airy, while still maintaining a super chocolaty flavor. Amazing. They’re a little less chewy than the store bought variety, and more like an ethereal little bite of heaven. I’m really excited to make other kinds of marshmallows to adorn my cocoa cups. Bring it on winter.
Dark Chocolate Marshmallows
Adapted from U Try.It
1/2 cup cocoa powder, divided
3/4 cup cold water, divided
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 (1/4-ounce) packets unflavored gelatin
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
pinch of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules
Line an 8 by 8-inch baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder on the bottom and the sides of the parchment paper, set aside.
In a microwave safe bowl, add chopped chocolate, salt and instant coffee, heat on high until chocolate is melted. Stop and stir at 30 seconds intervals. When chocolate is melted, stir in 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Set aside to let cool.
In a medium saucepan, add 1/3 cup of the water, the sugar and the corn syrup and heat over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, do not stir the mixture and continue to cook the syrup until it reaches 265 degrees F on the candy thermometer, about 8 to 10 minutes.
While the syrup is cooking, work on the gelatin and egg whites. In a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining cold water and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then heat the gelatin in a microwave for 25 to 30 seconds to liquefy it.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed with a hand mixer until firm. As soon as the syrup reaches 265 degrees F, remove the pan from the heat.
With the mixer on medium low speed, slowly add the syrup to the egg whites. Pouring it between the spinning beater and the sides of the bowl. Add the gelatin and continue to beat for another 3 minutes. When the ingredients are fully incorporated and slightly cooled, beat in the vanilla and chocolate mixture until well combined.
With a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread the mixture into the corners and smooth the surface. Dust the top of the marshmallow with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
Leave it in a cool, dry place to set. It takes about 2 to 3 hours. Once the marshmallow is cooled and set, cut into small pieces with a pair of scissors or a long thin knife.
Cinnamon Vanilla Donuts with Eggnog Glaze
Posted: January 17, 2012 Filed under: Breakfast | Tags: cinnamon, donuts, eggnog, vanilla Leave a commentSo rabbits molt. Apparently, (aka according to the Internet) rabbits do not shed with the seasons like cats and dogs, but rather go through a handful of molting periods a year. My, I am learning so much about these crazy little critters.
I mention this because Izzy has hit one of these periods, strewing little black hairs across the floor and everything she comes into contact with. So I decided to brush her. She didn’t mind the brush, but when she caught sight of it, all she wanted to do was chew on it. Typical Izzy.
I’ve started feeding her little bits of dried papaya to help pass fur she ingests through her system. Needless to say, she’s thrilled by the introduction of a new treat. And no, I don’t mean the brush.
And now I’m going to introduce this treat. Well, it’s a breakfast treat. The treat is that you can eat them freely, knowing these yummy donuts are much healthier than their deep fried cousins, and still tasty-licious.
These guys are a little bit chewier than the other baked donuts I’ve made, and I liked that extra bit of body.
Cinnamon and vanilla are my go to flavors, so this recipe was perfect in my book.
Add on an eggnog glaze (last eggnog recipe this season, I promise!) and some turbinado sugar, and you’ve got one killer most-important-meal-of-the-day.
Cinnamon Vanilla Donuts w/ Eggnog Glaze
Adapted from What Katie’s Baking
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs,beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp applesauce
1 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 325 F. Whisk flour and baking powder in a medium bowl, then combine with sugar.
Beat egg one at a time with milk, oil, applesauce, cinnamon, and vanilla extract until well blended. Then combine with flour mixture. Mix vigorously until well blended.
Lightly spray donut pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into molds up to 2/3 full.
Bake 10 -15 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched and donuts are golden brown.
Remove from oven and let cool down before glazing.
Eggnog Glaze
3 tbsp eggnog
2 cups powdered sugar
Mix the eggnog and sugar together until well blended. If the consistency is too thick for your liking, add a little bit of eggnog and stir again. If too thin, add more powdered sugar and stir. Drizzle on glaze, or dip in donuts. Let glaze set on a baking rack with something underneath to catch runoff. Top with turbinado sugar if desired.
Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars
Posted: January 16, 2012 Filed under: Bar Desserts | Tags: cheesecake, cream cheese, dulce de leche 2 CommentsOur meeting with the catering rep went extremely well. We discussed our vision for the food at our wedding, as it’s obviously very important to me that our guests are fully sated with happy memories and happy bellies at the end of the night. The next step of the process is setting up a taste testing. You can imagine how excited I am for that!
So about these awesome bars. If you’re going to make the dulce de leche from scratch (which is what I do since I have yet to find some at a supermarket near me), you’re going to want to make it well in advance, as it takes about 8 hours to cook and cool. I would recommend making it the day before and letting it chill in the fridge overnight.
Cooking my dulce de leche.
Sweet!
Once that’s done, you’re ready to make these beauties. I love cheesecake but have yet to have an occasion large enough, or a large enough self-justification to make one, so I go the next best thing. Cheesecake bars: cheesecake’s awesome little brother.
You get the taste and texture of cheesecake without the worry of what to do with the other 3 pounds of baked cream cheese. I am so making cheesecake for my birthday this year. That’s a large piece of justification, right?
Anyway, these bars start with a baked graham cracker crust layer, next comes the dulce de leche kissed cheesecake layer, and finally, a topping layer of dulce de leche and sea salt.
Sea salt? Yes, sea salt. This dessert is rich and sweet, and the sea salt helps balance those flavors so it’s not so overwhelming. Sea salt is also great on chocolate chip cookies by the way.
Luke thought these guys were a little too sweet for his liking, so I got them all to myself. I decided to send some to work with him, you know, share the wealth. Maybe you’ll share yours too. But don’t worry, I won’t judge you if you don’t. They are pretty darn tasty after all.
Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars
Adapted from The Merlin Menu
(I halved the recipe and put it in an 8X8 pan)
Crust
2 1/4 cups graham crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 tablespoons melted butter
Filling
3 packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup dulce de leche (see recipe below)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Glaze
2/3 cup dulce de leche
3 tablespoons heavy cream
sea salt or fleur de sel
Combine the crust ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Press into lightly greased (spray Pam is fine) 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool.
In a mixing bowl combine cream cheese and sugar until fully blended. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add dulce de leche and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly. Pour and scrape over crust and spread evenly all the way to the edges of the pan. Bake at 350 for 38 to 42 minutes until filling is puffed, browning, and starting to crack. Remove and let cool.
Heat glaze, combine and spread over baked cream cheese and sprinkle with sea salt and refrigerate for an hour.
Make sure not to overdo the salt. Just a little sprinkling will do.
Dulce de Leche
1-2 14oz cans sweetened condensed milk
Fill a medium size saucepan water until when the can(s) are inserted, they are mostly covered. Remove labeling from the can.
Bring the water to a rapid boil, then lower the heat until the water is at a gentle boil. Insert the can(s) into the water. Make sure to replenish water that is evaporating off every ½ hour or so. Adding another cup each time should be good. After 3 -3½ hours turn off the heat and let the water cool. Do not remove the cans until the water is just warm.
Remove the can(s) from the water and let sit for 30 mins. Open with a can opener and behold the sweet glory. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Extra dulce de leche will stay good for a few weeks and tastes good on practically everything.
Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Posted: January 15, 2012 Filed under: Ice Cream/Frozen Desserts | Tags: ice cream, pumpkin Leave a commentI realize I’ve been talking a lot about Izzy lately because of her recent operation, but I haven’t been posting any pictures of her. I feel this makes me a bad blogger. After all, the pictures are my favorite part of most food blogs. So here are some recent pics of the bun. I’m trying to get a shot of her cute little shaved belly, but she’s sensitive about it. If I get one, I’ll be sure to post it.
Basking in some afternoon sun.
It might be hard to tell, but that piece of hay is actually in her mouth.
Today Luke and I have our first face-to-face meeting with a rep from the catering company we chose for our wedding. We’re also waiting to hear from our wedding planner, who is assigned to us as part of our package with the Crane Estate, our venue. Save the dates are out in the mail too. The ball is rolling here people!
Now on to ice cream. Yes, I realize today’s high in northeastern Massachusetts is 19 degrees. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some tasty ice cream inside, where it’s hopefully warmer.
I’m the type to eat ice cream all year round, especially if it’s a particularly good flavor. Pumpkin pie is Luke’s favorite holiday dessert, so I thought I’d give it a try in ice cream form. It tastes just like pumpkin pie filling. Amazing. Add some whipped cream, and it’s like eating frozen pumpkin pie in a bowl…just without the crust. Which is my least favorite part of pie anyway.
Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Adapted from Arctic Garden Studio
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons rum (optional)
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
Set a mesh strainer over a large bowl.
In a medium saucepan mix the milk, cream, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
Warm the mixture until hot and the edges begin to bubble and foam.
Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl and gradually whisk in about half of the warm spiced milk mixture, stirring constantly.
Scrape the warmed yolks back in to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read between 160º-170ºF.
Immediately pour the mixture through the strainer into the large bowl. Mix in the brown sugar, then let sit until cool. Chill thoroughly, at least 8 hours or overnight.
Whisk in the vanilla, liquor (if using), and pumpkin puree. Press the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Carrot Cake & Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Posted: January 14, 2012 Filed under: Cakes, Cupcakes | Tags: cake, carrots, cream cheese, cupcakes, dulce de leche 3 CommentsLast Friday was the first office birthday of the new year. This time around, we were celebrating three birthdays in one day, but the unanimous decision on the baked good was carrot cake. Fine by me, I love everything about carrot cake.
Oh, except one thing. The physical act of grating the carrots. Every time, without fail, I end up grating off part of a finger. It’s happened every single time I’ve made carrot cake. Maybe I need to give up a little sooner towards the end of the carrot. That’ll make Izzy happy, as she gets all the carrot scraps.
Quick rabbit side note: Izzy’s recovery is going well. She’s moving around a little more, though grooming herself practically all the time. She’s not pulling at her stitches thankfully, and has started eating vegetables and pellets again.
Anyway, I was talking about how much I love carrot cake. I should admit though, that I love pretty much all kinds of cake. Luke, however, has the guts to decide that carrot cake is his favorite. I guess I’ll be making a lot more carrot cakes in the future.
After all, there’s no other cake I’d make for Izzy on her birthday!
Carrot Cake
Adapted from Cooking Classy
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 cups finely grated carrots*
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of 2 9″ round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease with cooking spray or butter and flour the pans.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, combine vegetable oil, applesauce, eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla. Slowly stir in dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Stir in grated carrots. Divide mixture evenly into 2 prepared cake pans. Bake cakes in preheat oven for 37-39 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes in cake dishes before removing to a wire rack to cool. Flip cakes out of pan and allow to cool on wire rack completely before frosting (once cool I cut about 1/4″ off the tops to even them out before frosting, you’ll notice the centers don’t rise as high as the rest). Flip cakes upside down when frosting with Cream Cheese Frosting. Store cake in airtight container.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whip together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in powdered sugar and mix until well combine.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/ Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Jun Blog & Live Love Pasta
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 cups finely shredded carrots
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standard mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the eggs, milk, vanilla, and both sugars until smooth. Beat in the oil. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix in the carrots.
Divide the batter equally among the lined cupcake cups. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 10 minutes, or until a cake tester or a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the tins and let cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.
For the Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners’ sugar (more or less depending on consistency)
3 tablespoons dulce de leche
Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is smooth. Beat in the dulce de leche.
Spinach & Mushroom Stuffed Shells
Posted: January 13, 2012 Filed under: Veggie Mains | Tags: mushrooms, pasta, ricotta, spinach Leave a commentMy little bundle of bunny love was only gone for about 9 hours. I kept myself busy so as not to notice her absence too much, but every time I walked into the living room, I still almost starting crooning at an empty pen. I dropped her off around 8am, and got a call from the vet at 9:25am saying her surgery was successful. Wow, that was quick. When I had kidney surgery, it took 6 hours! I guess spaying is a pretty basic operation.
I lay a sheet down in her pen last night so she’s more comfortable. She’s just been lounging about looking half asleep, though this morning she’s being a little more lively. She’s also waddling a little from the incision. Definitely adding to her adorable factor. All in all, I’m immensely thrilled that she’s back home safe, and hopefully some of her more annoying behaviors will have been removed along with her uterus.
Ok…food time. One of my New Years resolutions for 2012 is to cook dinner more often. What? Me, the person that practically sleeps in the kitchen doesn’t cook dinner every night? Hey, only robots cook dinner every night. There’s always food to eat for dinner, but I don’t cook it from scratch every night. So I’m going to work on that.
I’m also going to work on getting Luke to eat more veggies. This dinner was a semi-success. I was determined to use up the rest of my thawed spinach…and I might have gone overboard. Fine for me, not so great for Luke. He still ate it and smiled, and took some for lunch the next day.
This dish was all thumbs up from me. Ricotta, parmesan, mushrooms, spinach and pasta shells? Yes, please. I’m pretty sure I ate this for 3 nights straight, and was perfectly content every time. If I make it again, and I hope I do, I’ll use less spinach.
Spinach & Mushroom Stuffed Shells
Adapted from Handle the Heat
Serves 4-6
20 jumbo pasta shells (about half a 12-ounce box)
1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce (or 3 cups homemade sauce)
1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta
2 cups baby spinach, chopped (I used half a bag of frozen spinach)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
8 oz chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated mozzarella (4 ounces)
Set an oven rack to the highest position and heat oven to 400° F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and run under cold water to cool.
Spread the marinara sauce in the bottom of a large broilerproof baking dish.
In a bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, basil, mushrooms, Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spoon the mixture into the shells and place them on top of the sauce. Alternatively, transfer mixture into a large ziploc bag, snip one corner, and pipe filling into shells.
Sprinkle the shells with the mozzarella and bake until heated through, 10 to 12 minutes.
Increase heat to broil. Broil the shells until cheese begins to brown, 2 to 5 minutes.
Gingerbread Pancakes
Posted: January 12, 2012 Filed under: Pancakes | Tags: gingerbread, pancakes Leave a commentMore milk? Check. Pancake time.
I’ve made many different kinds of pancakes in my day, and the list keeps growing. Some of the pancakes I’ve made have been awesome. So I share them with you. Some of them are very much less than awesome, and will not be displayed here. Sometimes when you make non-traditional pancakes, you end up with a runny batter that produces thin, flat, dry pancakes with pockets of intact flour. Extreme sad face.
For me, a good pancake is fluffy, soft and flavorful. And these pancakes are soooo that. I’d made gingerbread pancakes before that didn’t turn out so well, but when I saw that this recipe required the eggs to be separated, with the whites beaten alone and added at the end, I knew the resulting pancakes would be far from my first disappointment.
Even though the holiday season is over, that doesn’t mean we can’t reprise gingerbread. As far as I’m concerned, it’s timeless.
As a quick note, Izzy is being spayed today! She’ll be at the vet until tomorrow afternoon. I miss her already!
Gingerbread Pancakes
Adapted From Cake Student
2 tsp fresh ginger minced (I used ground since fresh ginger is a little strong for me)
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
dash of salt
1 cup milk
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup molasses
Heat up your pancake griddle or frying pan to medium low.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, spices, salt) and the ginger.
Separate the eggs, place egg whites in your electric mixer bowl or just a separate bowl if using a hand mixer, the yolks in a small bowl. Beat the egg whites until foamy and fairly stiff.
In the egg yolk bowl, stir in the milk and molasses.
Add the yolk mixture to the dry mixture. Finally fold in the egg whites.
Add some oil to the griddle, drop on spoonfuls of the batter. It’s ready to flip when you see bubbles in the middle of the pancake and its golden on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes on each side.
Caramel Apple Tartlets
Posted: January 10, 2012 Filed under: Pies/Tarts | Tags: apple, caramel, tart Leave a comment
Ok, so maybe I made these tartlets because I had some caramel sauce just begging to be used. Sometimes I plan things out like that. And by that I mean most of the time. I’m a compulsive planner. If only I could let my life slide by nonchalantly like a caramel drizzle, but alas, it is not so.
So I committed an act of premeditated deliciousness. I thought these tartlets would be like little caramel apple bits in a pie shell, but they weren’t. They were better. Where the caramel used to coat apples is thick and chewy, after being baked in these tartlets, the caramel becomes soft and subtle, lending its flavors to the tart without overpowering.
And the crust. Oh the crust. Almondy heaven. For some reason I love all almond-flavored baked goods, but I don’t actually enjoy eating the nut plain. This almond scented crust made my kitchen smell heavenly. I wish I could have infused it into wax and turned it into a candle.
Basically, I love each of the components of this tart a lot on their own, and all together, well, there are no words really. Just photos. Look at the photos. Then make these tartlets.
Caramel Apple Tartlets
Adapted from The Pastry Affair
Makes 8 tartlets or 1 9” tart
Tart Dough
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
In a food processor, blend the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and process until well mixed. Add in the almonds, salt, vanilla extract, and egg and process again. Scrape around the bowl if necessary. Add the flour and pulse just until the dough forms a ball. The dough will be the consistency of very soft and sticky cookie dough.
Remove the dough from the bowl, shape into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Chill in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight to firm up the dough.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
When chilled until firm, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is 1/8-inch thick (you may have to wait a few minutes for the dough to soften). Cut out rounds of dough to fit the tartlet pans (alternatively, if you are making a large, single tart, roll out the dough and cut a large circle to fit the tart pan). Press the dough carefully into the pans; be careful not the stretch the dough! Stab the bottom several times with a fork so the dough will not rise in the oven.
Bake the tart shells for 15-18 minutes, or until they are lightly colored and the shell feels dry to the touch. Let cool completely before filling.
Orange Citrus Caramel (I used my homemade caramel sauce instead)
Yields 1 1/2 cups
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream, warmed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 orange)
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water. Scrape down sides of pan and let sugar boil, without stirring, until sugar reaches a golden amber color (if using a candy thermometer, this happens somewhere between 325F to 350F). Remove sugar from heat and allow to rest for a full minute before pouring in warmed heavy cream. Whisk vigorously to incorporate cream (caramel will bubble up violently so be very careful!). Whisk in orange juice and salt.
To store, keep refrigerated in an air-tight container.
Apple Filling (Note: You will have to 1 1/2 this recipe for a 9-inch tart)
4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest (I used lemon)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
In a medium bowl, combine apples, orange juice, orange zest, and cinnamon.
To Assemble:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Spoon apples into baked and cooled tart shells (apples will cook down while baking so pile them high). Pour caramel over each tart until it reaches the rim of the shell. Place tarts on a parchment lined baking sheet (do not skip this!) and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until apples are tender. Allow to cool for 15 minutes on pan before attempting to move them (the caramel needs to harden up slightly or the tarts will crumble under your fingers).
Serve slightly warmed, with a dollop of whipped cream if desired.
Note: I halved the entire recipe and got 4 tartlets.
Bashfulbao 