Atlanta tastes good

Taste of Atlanta is this weekend. I'm so excited! Even Oprah deemed it worthy of her grace. Moreover, it's right in my backyard. I mean literally. It's across the street from me. And while it's great that it's so convenient, it also means that I'm not going to be going anywhere today as the roads are going to be packed with more people than I have ever seen in my area. I'm not looking forward to that.

This photo, snapped really early this morning, isn't even of the main area down 5th street.

But check this out, there were people in kimonos! (My little point-and-shoot couldn't zoom in well enough. Sorry if it's blurry.)

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Yesterday evening, I had a few people over for dinner and made a Southern-ish meal, pretty simple all-in-all. I wasn't in the mood for anything fancy, so comfort food felt about right. I made chicken & dumplings, mashed sweet potatoes with maple syrup, green beans, and (what was going to be creamed but wasn't) spinach. I also somehow managed to throw out 6 apples I had bought not two hours previously, so the apple pie didn't happen.

I had leftover mashed sweet potatoes, so this morning I made sweet potato waffles. Mmm.

My Hearty and Filling Sweet Potato Waffles

2c flour

pinch of salt

3tbs sugar

3/4tsp baking powder

1c mashed sweet potatoes

2 eggs

1/4c butter, melted

1c milk

Whisk the dry ingredients together, and then do the same with the wet ingredients but in a separate bowl. Mix together. Depending on the potatoes, you may need more milk; your batter should be slightly runny. You will need to spread this batter when you scoop it into your maker since the batter is much thicker than typical waffle batter.

pie in the sky

The title of this post may be a little bit misleading. Pie is not something I think is difficult to make. You can make a pie with a decent crust, and it will taste really great because the filling makes that up for you. The crust doesn't have to be WOW-fantastic, but of course that never hurts.

Ever since I was little, I have wanted to make the perfect biscuits. But I never found a recipe that pleased me. All of the attention biscuits get seems to be an argument over shortening or butter (or both), but the actual recipe never changes much. No matter how many times I made them and how many times I tried new recipes, they always tasted about the same--bland, unimpressive, and dry. Even Alton Brown's biscuits failed me! It was infinitely frustrating that I couldn't even make a biscuit as good as a fast food restaurant, much less one better than a place like Ria's Bluebird here in Atlanta. (By the way, Ria's has the best biscuits in town, hands-down.) The fact that a great biscuit recipe is hard to come by, I think, is highlighted by the fact that the chain of restaurants here in town called The Flying Biscuit doesn't even have that great of biscuits. Disappointing.

So, biscuits have always been my "pie in the sky". Other people have it, but I never will. It seemed like an art lost between my generation's parents and their grandparents. Their grandma always made great biscuits, but with fast food, Bisquick, and Pillsbury taking over, the art was lost to most.

Finally I have found a recipe that I can honestly say I think is as good, if not better, than any I've had in a restaurant! Finally!! I owe Shirley Corriher a big one. Alexandra convinced me to buy Shirley's book, BakeWise. I was dubious at first. It looked overstuffed, which is always ominous for a cookbook. However, the more I read it, the more impressed I become. I recommend this book for sure! The best thing about this recipe? You don't roll out the biscuits... saves a huge headache.

On to her recipe for biscuits!

Southern Biscuits
2c (9oz) White Lily self-rising flour
1/4c sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4c shortening
2/3c heavy cream
1c buttermilk (more if not using White Lily self-rising flour)
1c plain all-purpose flour, for shaping
3 tbs melted butter, for brushing
________
Notes
#1 rule: Do Not Overmix!
#2: her recipe calls for 1/4c of sugar, but I don't think it needs it.
#3: White Lily self-rising flour was used here; it's all over the South, and with its lower protein content, it makes heavenly biscuits. You will need to use more buttermilk if you can't get a hold of it.
#4: Do NOT just scoop the flour out of the bag! This is the number one no-no. You can potentially end up with twice the amount of flour called for. If you have a scale, use it. If you don't, consider buying one. Otherwise, either sift the flour and then measure it (leveling off with a knife), or fluff the flour up inside the bag by scooping and dumping it out repeatedly, and then pour the flour into your measuring cup. This will ensure a light result.

Preheat the oven to 425F and arrange a rack in your oven 1/3 of the way from the bottom. Spray a 8- or 9-in round cake pan with non-stick spray. (Smaller is better; your biscuits will have less room to spread out while rising, which means taller biscuits.)

In a large mixing bowl, mix the self-rising flour, salt, and sugar if you're using it. I like to use a whisk for this to make sure it is distributed evenly. Work the shortening in with your fingers until the largest lumps are pea-sized. Very gently stir the cream in, and then add the buttermilk, stirring until the mixture resembles cottage cheese. It should be wet, but not soupy. Do not overmix! You will likely need more buttermilk if you aren't using White Lily; I found 1c was perfect.

Spread the regular flour out into a plate. With a medium ice-cream scoop (1 7/8" diameter) or spoon, place a few scoops of dough spaced far apart in the flour. Cover the tops of the mounds with flour, and rotate to cover well. Gingerly shape it into a disc, and place it in the pan. Repeat, placing the biscuits next to one another, scrunched up against the next until all of the dough is used.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Brush with lots of butter, invert them onto a plate, and then flip them back over. Cut with a knife or spatula. Eat them right away!

Has it really been 5 weeks?
What have I done?!

I'm sorry to leave you lacking without food for so long.

In the meantime, I've made a mean lasagna, and spent a lot of time making cheese danishes. And man, were the danishes good. The process was similar to making the croissants, only with two extra turns and some added spices to the dough. Form them, plop some yummy cheese filling in the middle and voila! A most wonderful pastry.

A few evenings before that, I made souffle for the first time. It was a cinch compared to a genoise cake! Don't be afraid to make one. A little bit of cream of tartar in the egg whites and a well-buttered+sugared ramekin with an extra high rim made from tin foil will ensure a perfect result. That, and don't open the oven!

Yes, I know this does not satisfy. I will make things and post pictures. School started back and I've been busy. Then I got in a wreck. Then I didn't make anything for a week (blasphemy!). Hey, if you're busy, you're busy.

I'm taking requests on what my next baked good should be.
edit: The number one contender is opera cake! Speak now or forever hold your peace.

some come, some go

Well, I'm back! Miss me?
No? Well that's okay.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. Today I have made a brown butter tart with raspberries. You can make it with whatever fruit you like, but I like the tartness of the raspberry since it cuts through the sweetness of the tart very well. This is a completely baked tart unlike my previous ones, and it's delicious, nutty, and rich. It's not especially summery, but I've been making lots of autumn-y foods lately, so maybe my mind is trying to tell me something... that it's ready for summer to end, perhaps? It's served best slightly chilled but not frigid. It's not so great warm, to be honest.

I put together this tart using a crust recipe from Baker's Companion, the filling from Bon Appétit, and the streusel I made myself.

It's not much to look at (some powdered sugar would do wonders), especially considering I made too much streusel for this one. I used a full cup of flour and sugar instead of 3/4, so you can't see the berries very well. Whatever! It still tastes delish.

Brown Butter (Raspberry) Tart
Makes one 9-inch tart

Crust:
1 1/4 cups flour (pastry if possible)
1 tsp nonfat, dry milk (optional)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter, chilled
1 egg yolk, cold
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs cold water

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and dry milk. Cut in the butter until the largest pieces are about the size of large peas. Mix the egg yolk, vanilla, and water together, and then stir it into the other ingredients. Roll out the crust and place it in a 9-inch tart pan, and then chill for 30 minutes in the fridge. You may want to chill the mixture some before rolling it out if your ingredients have gotten warm. Bake at 375F for 12 minutes, covered in parchment paper and weighted down. Remove the weights and parchment, and then bake for another 2 minutes. Allow the crust to cool. You may leave the oven on. The entire tart will continue to bake at this temperature.

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1 stick butter, diced
12 oz (2 packages) raspberries or other fruit

Mix the sugar, eggs, and salt together. Add the flour and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Place the butter in a pan, and melt it over medium heat for 5 or 6 minutes until the water in the butter has mostly evaporated and the butter has turned brown. (If you wish, you may add the extra stick of butter included the streusel recipe at this point and only pour half of the butter into the egg-flour mixture. Since the water will have evaporated, it will be 6.5 tbs of butter, not 8 in the mixture.) However, don't let it burn! Pour the butter into a heat-proof bowl and add the sugar-egg-flour mixture and combine. Arrange the berries however you would like on top of the crust and pour the mixture over it. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Streusel:
1 stick butter, melted and browned
3/4c sugar
3/4c flour
1tsp lemon zest

Whisk the flour, sugar, and zest together in a medium-sized bowl. Pour the brown butter over the mixture. Using a butter knife, form a streusel with the largest pieces about 3/4" - 1" across. After the tart has baked for 30 mins, remove the tart and cover it with the streusel. Return to the oven and bake for 15 more minutes. Place the tart on a rack and allow to cool. You will likely wish to chill it some before you eat it.

let bygones be bygones

This hater of blueberries is going out of town for a few weeks, so I am declaring a hiatus of all things baked.

seventeen-hundreds

[updated to include recipe]

So, I guess I like strawberries. I'm using them frequently to bake pretty ; they just go with so much! Plus, they are about in season, so when I buy them they tend to be deliciously sweet. However, the ones I got this time around for these cupcakes were a bit wanting. As a result, the cake itself wasn't as "I'M SUPER FULL OF STRAWBERRIES!!" as I wanted. Instead, it was a hint of strawberry plus the (better, because I bought some extras later) ones on top with cream cheese icing or chocolate ganache. I filled some of them with strawberry whipped cream as well to round out the flavor.


I was also really tired when I made these (hadn't slept the night before), so my Martha Stewart gene was lacking while I decorated them. I made them for a picnic in which we all came from 300 years ago.

Strawberry Cupcakes
12 tbs butter (1 1/2 sticks)
4 eggs + 2 yolks
2 3/4c cake flour
1/2c milk
1 1/2c sugar
3/4tsp salt
2 1/2tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla extract

2c roughly sliced strawberries
enough sugar to sweeten strawberries to your liking

Preheat the oven to 350F. (Ensure that your ingredients are all room temperature!!)

In a small saucepan, place strawberries and some sugar over medium heat and cover. Once the mixture begins to simmer, reduce heat to low. Cook for ~15 minutes, covered, until the mixture is liquidy. Allow to cool some, and then place the mixture in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, salt baking powder, and vanilla until the mixture is fluffy, appx 5 mins. This will take longer if you are using a hand blender.

dd the eggs to the mixture one by one, beating well after each egg. Slowly blend in one-third of the flour and then the milk. Add another third of the flour and then add the strawberry mixture in slowly. Finally, add the final third of flour. You will likely need to scrape the bowl down several times.

Pour into cupcake/muffin liners, filling up the cups until they are 1/2" from being full. Bake 20-22 mins until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5 mins. Remove them from the muffin pan and allow the cakes to cool completely. Decorate however you like! (I recommend cream cheese frosting or strawberry whipped cream.)

ew

As if Domino's Tuscani Pastas weren't bad enough, now they are serving them bowls of bread. They take the pasta and put it in what looks like enough dough to make a pizza.
So. Gross.


Also, about the focaccia, when I made it, it was good, but it's not quite how I want it, so once I fix the recipe to my liking, I'll have it up here.

skip to my lou

I'm not a morning person and thus not a breakfast person. I mean to say, I rarely wake up in time to eat anything more than something quick and on-the-go like a cup of yogurt. However, like most other people, I love breakfast foods. This morning, I was up early, so I treated myself to pancakes.. mmm. Based on the title, you'd think I used buttermilk, but I didn't. (Oh no!!!)

Some pancake tips:
Let your batter rest for 5 or 10 minutes before putting them on the stove; this lets the flour absorb the liquid more fully and develops the protein structure, leading to a tastier pancake. You can even cover it and place it in the refrigerator overnight if you want so that when you wake up you can just pour 'em onto a hot griddle without the fuss and muss. You'll have a clean kitchen minus one pan. What a lovely morning!

Also, try using pastry flour. You can usually find a small-ish bag of pastry flour at your grocery store, so you won't end up with gobs of it lying around that you never use. It makes pancakes lighter and fluffier. I like using it because I love a crispy pancake, but it seems like every time I make them crispy, the inside is tough. Pastry flour gives me a crispy cake with an inside that melts in my mouth if I happen to sneak one directly off the griddle. Once it cools, though, it may not steal the old M&Ms slogan, but it's darn tasty and noticeably more delicate than using all-purpose.

Coming Soon: Focaccia

welcome to your morning

Croissants are ubiquitous in the US, appearing throughout supermarkets and in bakeries everywhere. Even Starbucks always has croissants, whether plain or filled (mostly with chocolate). The following recipe does not make your typical, soggy, overly chewy, squished croissant. There is so much wrong with most croissants that it hurts me to think that people actually enjoy eating them! If your croissant does not have a slightly (or not so slightly) crispy exterior with a tender, decadent interior that makes you weep a little (or is that just me?) when you eat it with jam or your favorite spread/condiment, then your croissant should not be consumed! (I like parentheses today.)

Sorry for the lackluster photograph; most of them had already been eaten, and the pictures were taken in haste. This was the prettiest one I had left. The previously eaten ones were much nicer! I will post another when I make some more.

Do not feel overwhelmed by the length of this recipe; I made it very wordy during the dough-turning stage to prevent any confusion. It is actually very simple but isn't the easiest thing to describe without pictures.


Once again from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion:
Croissants
This recipe will make 24 croissants. The dough responds well to being refrigerated after prepared (up to 3 days) or even frozen (up to three months). When thawing, allow the dough to rest at room temperature for four hours or leave in the fridge overnight. Then, feel free to proceed and roll and form the croissants. This dough can also be used to make delicious danishes.

Dough:
2 large eggs plus enough warm water to make 2c liquid
1/3c sugar
5 1/2 to 6c all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1/2c nonfat dry milk (optional, but yummier)
1 scant tbs salt
1 tsp vanilla extract (if making danishes or sweet filled croissants)
2tbs butter, melted

Butter:
1 3/4c (3 3/4 sticks) slightly chilled butter
1/2c all-purpose flour
flour for sprinkling

Beat eggs with water until blended and pour into a large mixing bowl. Add 1 tbs of the sugar, 3c of the flour, and the yeast. Mix until well blended. Cover and set aside at room temperature. In a separate mixing bowl, blend together 2 1/2c of the remaining flour, the rest of the sugar, the dry milk, and the salt. Set aside.

Now, mix the butter and 1/2c flour until they're smooth and well blended. Lightly flour a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper, place the butter-flour mixture on it, and pat into an 8-inch square. Cover the butter and place it in the fridge on a flat surface for at least 30 mins. (The added flour helps the butter to keep its shape while rolling.)

Back to the dough. The yeast should have gotten to work and made the sponge bubbly and expanded by now. Give it a stir and blend in the vanilla if you're using it for the recipe as well as the melted butter. Stir in the flour-milk-salt mixture, mixing until you have a soft but kneadable dough. I suggest letting the dough rest for 20 mins at room temp at this point if you have the time. It will help the dough be less sticky when kneading and help you resist the temptation to add too much flour.

Sprinkle flour on your kneading surface, turn out the dough, and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until it's bouncy and elastic. Resist the temptation to add too much flour! Your croissants will not taste nearly as good. If it's sticking to your hands, keep your work surface well-floured, and you may even use some baking spray on your hands. As you knead, it will become less and less sticky. Also, once the dough goes in the fridge, it will be less sticky and makes it easier to roll out, so don't fret too much. You can always add more flour, but you can't take it out! Wrap the dough loosely, and refrigerate it for at least 30 mins.

Now for the time-consuming part of the recipe: making the turns. You will be giving the dough a total of four turns, which means rolling out dough-wrapped butter, folding it in thirds, rotating 90 degrees such that it looks like a book about to be opened, and rolling again. Here are more detailed instructions:

Flour your work surface. Roll it into a 12"x12" square. Place the butter square in the center of the dough, at a 45-degree angle so that it looks like a diamond on top of a square. Fold the flaps of dough over the dough until they meet in the middle. Pinch and seal. Use a little water if needed. Ensure there aren't any air bubbles and that the corners have enough dough around them.

Roll this square into a 20"x10" rectangle. You may want to use a ruler or yardstick to verify the size. When the dough is the right size, use a pastry brush to dust the flour off the top of the dough.

Fold the long section into thirds over one another as you would fold a letter, lining up the sides and corners of dough very carefully. You may use a little bit of water to keep the edges from slipping when rolling again. Rotate the dough such that the opening of the top fold is facing right, like a book about to be opened. Roll out the dough again and complete another fold. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in your refrigerator at least 30 mins to allow the dough and butter to firm up. You have completed two turns. Repeat the turning process twice more, and then place in the fridge again for at least 30 mins.

Roll out the dough one final time into a manageable size, say 8"x12", and cut in half with a pizza roller or sharp knife. Roll one half of the dough into a 12"x18" rectangle and trim the edges. Cut the dough in thirds lengthwise, and in half across the middle. Cut these smaller 9"x4" rectangles diagonally into two triangles, and then cut a half-inch notch in the center of the short side. You should have 12 triangles. Roll these up starting with the notched center and the bend the ends into the familiar crescent shape. Be sure to rotate the ends forward. Also make sure that the dough's tip is tucked under the roll, stretching a little if you need to.

Place these on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let proof for until doubled in size (20-30 mins using instant yeast). During that time, preheat the oven to 425F. Once fully risen, brush with an egg wash (1 egg+1tsb water, beaten) and place in the oven for 18-22 mins. They will turn a deep golden brown, even where the layers of dough overlap. Try not to underbake the croissants; the insides will be moist and spongy.

Tada! Fresh croissants. You can pat yourself on the back now.

I'm proud of you for reading this far; as a reward I'll let you in on a secret. If you're extra lazy, buy some puff pastry from your grocery store. Thaw it in the fridge, roll it out--think between 1/4" and 1/8" thick--, cut, and shape in the same manner as described above. The croissants will be puffier than the above bread baker's croissants to the point that they kinda shatter when you pull them apart. They won't be as good as made from homemade puff pastry (the above recipe is puff dough, which is studier and a little chewier), but are a much better option than the Pillsbury or store-brand croissants if you want something quick and easy.

Parties of a Cakely Proportion

Clearly, I am a lover of all things sweet and baked. So I decided, why not have a party where that's all you eat?! I mean, other than the obvious and eventual sugar crash and stomach sick from too much sweet food, it sounded like a wonderful idea. This weekend, it happened!

For it, I made a genoise cake, which is a bit like a really fluffy American yellow cake. Europe and Japan loves this type of cake--light, airy, and dry. To help it keep its moisture, I slathered the layers in a glaze of 1c water, 1c sugar, and 2tbs triple sec. The actual recipe comes from my new favorite cookbook! You can see this cake which was decorated with strawberries and whipped cream in the bottom right corner of the picture. The picture was taken early in the evening before everyone had arrived; the pickings here are sparse compared to the end result!


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Be sure to have all ingredients at room temperature for this recipe! The key is to have a light hand and to not rush the folding process or you will end up with a dense, unpleasant cake.

Genoise Cake (from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion)
6 eggs and 1 egg yolk
3/4c superfine sugar
1/8tsp salt (1 pinch)
3/4c flour
1tbs cornstarch
4tbs unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Place the eggs, 1/2c of the sugar, and salt in a baine marie, whisking until sugar dissolves and the mixture is just warm to the touch. Do not let the eggs scramble! If the eggs reach a temperature higher than 110F, your eggs will become a very sweet dish of scrambled eggs. Begin beating the eggs at medium-high. You will do this until the eggs triple in volume, and when lifting the beaters/whisk, the eggs fall in a thick, luscious ribbon and are slowly reabsorbed into the mixture. If you are using a stand mixer, this can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes. A hand mixer will take considerably longer. If you choose to mix by hand, I pity you, but you will have some nice guns to show for it!

While the eggs are beating, whisk the flour, cornstarch, and 1/4c of sugar together, creating a bit of a dust storm in your kitchen. (You want this mixture to be light and airy because you will be folding it into the eggs, which are prone to falling.) Once egg mixture has increased significantly in volume and has become a light yellow color, using a large whisk, beging folding the flour mixture in. Add the flour in thirds. Pour 1/3 of your batter into a medium-sized bowl containing the butter and vanilla mixed together. Stir until uniform to lighten the butter-and-vanilla mixture. Fold in the rest of the batter.

You can pour/spoon this batter into a springform pan (30 to 35 mins baking time), 8" or 9" baking pans (20-25 mins; you must bake these all at once or the batter will be no good), or a jelly roll pan (14-18 mins). Do not open the oven while baking or the cake is prone to falling! The cake is done when the sides have pulled away from the pan. A cake tester is not needed.

It's not summer, but it's mighty warm

Despite the fact that it snowed two days ago (in April?!), it had been getting pretty hot. One day it had already hit 80, and tomorrow it should be in the mid-70s. So, while I think of key lime pie being something to eat to cool off in summertime, I think spring in Atlanta is often warm enough to go ahead and gobble one down. This recipe is based on my mother's; I know what she uses, but I don't know how much exactly, so I made this one. I don't like meringue on my key lime pie seeing as I'm allergic to it, so if you'd like to use the whites from the three eggs, 1/4tsp cream of tartar, and 1/4c sugar, go for it. Just put the meringue on when you bake the pie, and it will come out with beautiful brown and tan streaks. Key lime pie is simple, delicious, and refreshing. It is one of my favorite desserts. If you cannot find key limes, you may juice regular limes and a little bit of lemon to mimic the sourness of key limes, but it will not taste quite the same. Just don't use bottled lime juice.
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Key Lime Pie
8oz shortbread cookies, ground
1/2c macadamia nuts, ground
1 tsp sugar
2tbs butter, melted
3 egg yolks
1 14oz can condensed milk
1/2c + large splash key lime juice (if you like it extra sour, which I do!)
1c heavy whipping cream
2tsp powdered sugar

If you wish to buy your own pie crust, bake it for 10 mins before baking the pie if not pre-baked. Otherwise, this shortbread macadamia nut crust is delicious.

Mix together the shortbread cookies, macadamia nuts, and sugar. Add the melted butter, and stir with a fork. Distribute into a pie pan, and bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Remove the crust and allow it to cool completely.

To prepare the filling, beat the egg yolks until light yellow and thick; this may take some time if done by hand, and it is very worth your while. Stir in the condensed milk until fully incorporated. Add the lime juice and mix well. Pour the mixture into the crust. Bake for 15 minutes.

While baking, whip up the whipping cream to either soft or hard peaks (whichever you prefer) and add sugar. Let cool, and spread over the top, making swirls and peaks. Place in refrigerator to chill at least 3 hours.

Tarte, part deux

So, my sister is pregnant, and apparently kiwi is good for women that are soon to give birth. So being myself, I decided that just eating straight fruit is meh. Thus another tart was born (and no, I really didn't intend on the pun.) I love blackberries, so I had to put some on there; I saw some juicy-looking strawberries and added those too. I used Gran Marnier rather than kirsch, and it actually was a bit flat. I need to try yet another liqueur to see if it's a good middle of the two. Perhaps I can just add a little less kirsch, and it won't overpower the flavor of the custard quite so much. At least it's easy to make...

sukiyaki ga suki

(So, I know this is a baking blog, but Japanese food is too good to pass up.)

Mm, sukiyaki is so very tasty and simple. Chop up some vegetables, get yourself some thinly-sliced meat, and you've got a substantial, filling dinner! After Alexandra showed me this wonderful youtube channel, I started craving some Japanese food. Instead of going out for it, I decided to make my own. After all, isn't that what Francis is encouraging me to do?

Sukiyaki sauce:
2 parts sake
1 part mirin
1 part soy sauce
sugar to taste

Suggested vegetables/fillers: Beef, tofu (seared, fried, etc), napa cabbage, spinach, shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, green onions, konnyaku, udon, komatsuna, mustard greens, shungiku, soba noodles. Basically anything that doesn't take too long to cook can be thrown in.

Clearly there's lots of variety to be had. Get yourself a pan, add some meat, pour some of the sauce over it. Cook the meat a little. Add veggies. Add more sauce. Simmer! Cover! Eat when ready. Quick. Yummy. So tasty. Delectable. Wonderful. Did I mention yummy? And easy?

That picture above isn't the most glorious. It was last minute, forced upon me by Lauren and Micah. I had picked up the pan and the food had all moved so it wasn't as regal. OH NOES. I'm sure you'll forgive me.

I also made some strawberry daifuku. I've always wanted to try it, and now I have it. Yummers.
I love Japanese food. mmmm daifuku.

Mmmm. Food.

The Merchant of Venice

I dunno. If I were the merchant of Venice, I wouldn't have demanded a pound of flesh. Why insist upon that when you can have yummy pound cake instead? At least pound cake has some sort of use! What was he going to do with his pound of flesh anyway? Not like he was gonna eat it... What's the point in that?

This is my favorite pound cake. I've been working on the recipe a while, and I think I finally got it how I like. The outside is crusty and slightly crisp, and the inside is crumbly but moist. If you want extra flavor, up the amount of vanilla extract. As listed in this recipe, it makes a good base for something like strawberries+cake. (I mean, you can use blueberries if you want, but why ruin a perfectly good cake?!) But if you plan on just eating the cake alone, I would add a little extra something.
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Pound Cake
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c sugar
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 c milk
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
3 eggs
1/2 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the sour cream and milk. Mix together. Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add the flour to the liquid mixture alternating with eggs, beating in each egg one at a time. Add vanilla.

Pour into a prepared loaf pan. Bake 50 mins to an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

raspberries are too pricey

But they're oh so yummy! I had been taken to this Swiss bakery somewhere in Norcross I think, and I bought a most exquisite pastry from this French lady. I decided to see if I could imitate it! That's a long way to drive. So yesterday, I made a most tasty raspberry tart. If I just cook the custard a little longer next time, I daresay mine is better than hers. However, I didn't have my actual camera with me before it was promptly devoured. Enjoy the wonderful camera phone picture that is so blurry you have no idea what's up!


A good quality picture would have looked like this one that I blantantly stole from the intarwebs.
On to the recipe!
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Tarte aux Framboises
1lb raspberries
1 pastry dough
3 egg yolks
2 c milk
½ c + 2 tbs sugar
1/3 c + 1 tbs flour
2 tbs butter
1 vanilla bean, split (or vanilla extract if not available)
1 tsp kirsch or other cherry/raspberry liqueur
1 c whipping cream
Powdered sugar

Place pasty dough in a tart pan and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Sprinkle some sugar on the dough so that it caramelizes and does not absorb the pastry cream added later. Bake another 5 minutes.

Beat the yolks with the sugar. Add the flour slowly, mixing well. Carefully heat the cream and vanilla together until the flavor is transferred. Temper the egg mixture, and then add the rest of the milk to the egg while continuing to stir. Be careful not to overheat the egg and let it scramble.

Place the mixture in a saucepan, add the kirsch, and cook over low heat for a few moments. Remove from heat at first signs of boiling, add in the butter and stir. Reserve the mixture. Allow to cool.

Fill a sink with water and ice cubes. Place a chilled bowl into the water. Fill with the cream and whisk until whipped. Sweeten to liking. Alternatively, you may use a stand mixer, but be sure that the whipped cream remains cold.

Gently fold the pastry cream in with the whipped cream.

Pour the cream over the dough and arrange the raspberries to your liking. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

talk of the town

The brioche turned out loverly. I ended up with three pieces I had shaped that were too small for the mold. I took the three of them and placed them in the larger pan; I was very pleased with the result. I like it especially because you can bake it all at once, but it splits evenly among multiple people and becomes a nice time saver if you don't have enough brioche pans.

On to the recipe! This one came from my favorite bakery in Boston, Flour. Admittedly, I haven't been to a ton of bakeries there, but I know from their food that I would be hard-pressed to find one I liked more. Plus, the atmosphere was a nice retreat from the chilly winter. They are publishing a cookbook eventually, and I can't wait to get it. If anyone wants to buy me a present... ;)
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2 1/2 cups high-gluten flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-ounce yeast
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup ice water
5 eggs
11 ounces butter, softened

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients except for the butter, and beat on low with dough hook for 10 minutes. Add the softened butter and knead for another 20 minutes until dough slaps on the side of the bowl.

Place in a container and cover well.　Proof in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

Shape, cover, proof for several hours at warm room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Egg wash and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. (Brioche is done when interior temperature reaches 200 degrees F.)

shocked

Well, my intention was to make brioche dough last night, proof it overnight, and then shape the dough and bake it this morning. However, that didn't happen because I fell asleep too early. Instead, I got up early this morning and began to make the dough. When I cracked the eggs, I was rather surprised. The yolks were the most wonderful orange! I haven't seen eggs as pretty outside of Europe. While I know the color won't impact taste significantly-- and certainly not in a dough--, it's still nice because it's obvious that the farmer takes great care in raising their chickens. So at the very least, they're excellent quality, woo! That never hurt anyone. What's even more surprising is that they came from Publix! I saw this nice carton on the shelf and thought to myself, "Self, that is a pretty carton. You should buy those eggs instead of the styrofoam-packed ones." I didn't have a clue that the eggs would be so pretty. Well, I'm glad I'm a sucker for nice packaging. Oh, I forgot to mention. They're from "The Country Hen". So if you find them and buy them, may your eggs be as lovely as mine.

The brioche dough is in the fridge. Here's to hoping it turns out beautifully (and tastes decent as well).

whoops

So it's been a while since my last post, but I had good reasons! But now I'm back to my normal baking self. Today, I made a Sour Cream Apple Cheesecake that Alexandra makes. However, I forgot to take a picture! But I can assure you it was quite pretty and even more delicious. One day I will make another and I shall include a picture then. For now, I hope the recipe suffices!
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9x3" cake

Apple Layer
6 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
3 ounces unsalted butter (3/4 stick)
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 3½ whole 5x2½ inch graham
crackers), processed in a food processor
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ounces (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake
2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat the over to 350 degrees F. Prepare one 9x3-inch pan with
cooking spray and parchment paper. To make the sautéed apples, melt
the butter in a large sauté pan. Add the apple slices and toss to
coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften, 1
to 2 minutes. Add the sugar and continue to cook; the sugar will melt
and being to caramelize, with about 5 minutes cooking time. (May take
longer) Remove from heat and stir in the cinnamon; set aside and cool
until room temperature. You may do this step one day ahead. Store in
an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring completely to room
temperature before using.

To make the crust, place the crumbs in a small bowl. Add the sugar and
cinnamon. Blend them briefly with a fork. Pour the melted butter over
the dry ingredients and toss together to blend thoroughly. Pat evenly
into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 7 minutes. Remove from
the oven and cool pan on a rack. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees.

Meanwhile, to make the cheesecake, place the cream cheese in your
mixing bowl and use a flat paddle to beat the cream cheese until
smooth on a medium-high speed. Add the sugar gradually and beat until
light and fluffy. Scrape the mixture down several times during the
mixing--it will probably fill up the entire mixing bowl. This will
take about 5 minutes of beating at a high speed.

Beat in the vanilla and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well
after each addition. Beat until well blended and smooth, scraping down
once or twice. Fold the sour cream in by hand with a few broad strokes
of a large rubber spatula.

To assemble, scrape the apple mixture onto the crust and spread to
cover the entire surface. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the
apples so that the fruit remains in an even layer, under the
cheesecake batter. Smooth the top of the batter with an offset
spatula.

Check that the oven temperature has dropped to 325 degrees. If it is
still high, prop the oven door open for a few minutes. Place the pan
in a larger pan filled with 1 inch of hot water, or however much is
enough to make it come even with the cheesecake when placed in the
water. Bake about 1 hour 10 minutes, until the edges are barely tinged
with color and the cake center, when shaken very gently, is still
soft. Leave the door closed and turn off the oven; the cake cools in
the oven and continues to cook slowly. After 1 hour, prop open the
oven door to release remaining heat (do not open all the way,
however). Let the cake cool inside until the oven is completely cool.

Cover the cake top with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, still
in the pan. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat. Serve chilled.

comenzamos

So, I like food. I definitely like to bake. I don't bake enough. So now I've got this thing to motivate me to bake more regularly. I'ma put pictures here of what I make and maybe some descriptions or whatever other miscellany I choose.

Critiques are cool; critics are not. I'm no pro!