Pittsburgh Needs Eated.

New Blog.

2010-04-08T14:47:00.003-05:00

I'm working on a new blog.

It will be very similar to this blog, just less Pittsburgh-centric. Be on the lookout for new photos and recipes!

The End.

2009-10-05T19:44:00.002-05:00

I think this was the last pie I made in Pittsburgh. It was the second to last pie I made in Pennsylvania, before I moved to Alabama for a new job. The unexpected opportunity has caused drastic changes in my life. If you told me three months ago that I'd be leaving Pittsburgh, I would have said you were crazy.

So instead of spending my weekends in the Strip, I am spending them visiting places like this:

Given that this blog was meant to be Pittsburgh centric, I think it's time to conclude it. I don't think blogs should go on forever- much has changed since I started this one, and i'm ready for new projects. Should I start a new baking or food related project, I will let you know. Pittsburgh has been good to me, and I will miss it.

CSA Box Equals Less Baking

2009-08-16T20:22:00.004-05:00

There were amazing peaches in my Penn's Corner Farm Alliance CSA box this week. I have included an extra-large photo to convey my extra-large love for them.

Banana Cream Pie

2009-07-31T11:53:00.003-05:00

This pie was fantastic. I ate the first slice right after I assembled the pie. I ate the last slice on Friday at 8:30am after discovering it in the work fridge.

I'm picky about cream and custard pies. In my opinion, they have to taste good, look good, and slice well. Most recipes achieve sliceability with tapioca, cornstarch, or gelatin which, when abused, can ruin the pie's texture and taste.

The custard was so thick I worried that i'd inadvertently doubled the cornstarch. I thought it would taste bland and doughy, but this wasn't the case- brown sugar and cinnamon improved the flavor, and the texture was a nice contrast to the bananas and whipped cream/sour cream topping.

I'm definitely making it again. You can find the recipe here.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2009-07-27T17:26:00.003-05:00

Another pie from Ken Haedrich's book. I thought the filling was a little runny, but that could be because I put too much fruit in. The cornmeal crumble topping, however, was fantastic. I'd put that on top of any pie.

I also made the sweet cherry pie with coconut almond crunch topping. I used a combination of bing cherries and ranier cherries. It was quite good, and I have plans to make it again soon.

I have few complaints about this book. It's been very reliable!

Lemon Chess Pie with Sour Cherries

2009-07-26T07:05:00.006-05:00

Since I bake so often, I usually have treats to give away. I made seven pies last week, and while some of them were for specific people, others were up for grabs. Deciding who to give them to was an interesting process.

I have an unspoken bartering system with people who loan me ingredients. An egg will get them a slice. Two pounds of peaches might get them half the pie, possibly the whole pie if i'm feeling really friendly. It usually depends on how badly I need the ingredient.

I also consider things like, "when was the last time I took a pie to work?" or "when did I last give a pie to [some person]?" Given too frequently, treats cease to be special. If you take a pie to work every day, people will start grumbling on the days you don't bring a pie. I like having a rotation of multiple workplaces and people.

If i'm really undecided, i'll mention my indecision on Facebook or in the company of friends. Whoever expresses the most interest in the pie usually gets the pie. Sometimes my morning commute factors in; if taking two pies to work requires getting them on the 71A during the morning rush, i'll probably pass. Many a pie has gone to a friend who lives nearby, or a friend with a car.

I sent half of this lemon pie to work with a friend, where it was promptly devoured. People came looking for it long after it was gone. I love hearing what happens to baked goods after I give them away. Sometimes I enjoy the stories about the food more than the food itself.

This is a versatile recipe. The original recipe in The Foster's Market Cookbook includes variations for Eggnog Pie and Chocolate Chess Pie. You can also substitute other fresh or dried fruits. I would suggest adding more than 1/2 cup- in this photo, i've used about 3/4 cup of cherries, and I think more would have been better.

Lemon Chess Pie with Sour Cherries
adapted from Sara Foster's The Foster's Market Cookbook

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp all purpose flour
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh sour cherries, pitted
OR 1/2 cup dried cherries, soaked in hot water for 1 hour and drained
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Combine the sugar, cornmeal, and flour in a bowl and stir until blended.

3. Add the eggs to the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth and well blended.

4. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, cream, and vanilla, and mix until well blended.

5. Place the cherries in the bottom of the chilled, unbaked pie crust.

6. Pour the filling on tom of the cherries. Bake 50-55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7.Cool the pie completely on a baking rack before slicing.

Sour Cherry Pie

2009-07-21T08:39:00.002-05:00

The produce store on Murray Avenue had sour cherries for $5 per quart. I bought two and used most of them to make this sour cherry pie from Ken Haedrich's book.

It's the first time i've seen sour cherries in Pittsburgh. I hear you have to order them; I know April from Cookworm ordered a flat from Patty's in Aspinwall. If anyone knows other places to source them, let me know!

I thought making a lattice would be complicated, but it wasn't. The book's clear directions and illustrations made the process simple and fun. I've tried four recipes from this book this week and i've liked them all. Right now I have a strawberry rhubarb pie in the oven- i'll let you know how it turns out.

Lattice-Top Deep-Dish Sour Cherry Pie
adapted from Ken Haedrich's Pie

1 recipe Flaky Pie Pastry

Filling:
6 cups fresh sour cherries, stemmed and pitted
1 1/4 cups + 3 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Glaze:
Milk or light cream
Sugar

1. Roll the disk of pastry into a 13.5 inch circle between two sheets of wax paper. Peel off the top sheet of paper. Invert the pastry over a 9.5 inch deep-dish pie pan, center, and peel off the paper. Gently tuck the pastry into the pan without stretching it. Sculpt the overhang into an upstanding ridge. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

2. Place the cherries in a large bowl. Mix sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl, then stir the mixture into the fruit. Add the lemon juice and zest. Set aside for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400F.

3. On another sheet of wax paper, roll the remaining pastry into a 12x10 inch rectangle. Cut the pastry into 8 lengthwise strips, each 1.25 inches wide. You should have at least 8. Set aside.

4. Turn the filling into the chilled pie shell. Smooth the top of the filling and dot it with the butter. Lay 5 pastry strips vertically across the pie, evenly spaced. Fold back strips 2 and 4 and lay another strip directly across the center of the pie. Unfold the folded strips, then fold back strips 1, 3, and 5. Lay another perpendicular strip across the pie. Unfold the folded strips, then fold up strips 1, 3, and 5 on the other side of the pie. Place another perpendicular strip across the pie, then unfold strips 1, 3, and 5. Trim the strips, then pinch the ends of the strips into the edge of the pastry. Lightly brush the strips with milk and sprinkle the top of the pie with sugar.

5. Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375F and rotate the pie 180 degrees. Just in case, slide a large baking sheet onto the rack below to catch any spills. Bake until the top is golden brown and any visible juices bubble thickly, 35-40 minutes.

6. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 2 hours before serving.

Photo Update

2009-07-20T12:56:00.002-05:00

I've repaired all of the dead photo links, with exception of a few from 07/2007. I've also uploaded a ton of archived photos to flickr. Enjoy, and thanks for your patience with the fix!

Friday Pie-Day

2009-07-19T14:06:00.007-05:00

My friend Emily has this thing called "Friday Pie-Day." It involves making pies on Thursday night and delivering them to work the next morning. She wanted to improve her pie technique (which was excellent to begin with), so we met up in Squirrel Hill and made four pies: two Peach and Sour Cherry with Oatmeal Crumb Topping, and two Mixed Berry Crumb.

We baked for a good five hours, stopping to eat dinner and run to the store for extra flour and cornstarch. While the pies were baking, we watched the latest episode of So You Think You Can Dance. It was a nice change of pace; it's been a while since I baked with a friend, in someone else's kitchen.

Pies aren't an exact science. Eventually, you learn to make them intuitively- adjusting quantities of sugar, water, and thickener as needed, and changing the fillings using what you like or what's on sale.

Learning to make pie has been a process of trial and error. I made the dough by hand, with a stand mixer, and with a food processor. I tried adding vodka and vinegar to my crusts to make them more tender. I tried rolling my crusts directly on the counter, between sheets of plastic wrap, and inside of gallon-sized ziplock bags. I've been making pies for years, and I still think there's more to learn.

If you make enough pies, your personal preferences will take over. For a long time, the only recipe I made was printed on cardboard Crisco wrappers. I made all of my crusts with butter-flavored shortening, because that was what my mother used. Now, I have a preferred arsenal of crust recipes, and several pies that I make repeatedly. I rarely follow recipes exactly.

In the case of last Friday's pies, I reduced the amount of sugar in both recipes. I substituted sour cherries for bing cherries and raspberries for a mixture of rasperries, blackberries, blueberries, and cherries. Both recipes came from Ken Haedrich's Pie. It's a great book, though some of the 300+ recipes are better than others. I'll leave you with the recipe for the Peach and Cherry pie.

Flaky Pie Pastry (for a double crust)
adapted from Ken Haedrich's Pie

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1/2 cup cold water

1. Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse several times to mix. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and pulse the machine 5 or 6 times to cut it in. Fluff the mixture with a fork, lifting it up from the bottom of the bowl. Scatter the shortening over the flour and pulse 5 or 6 times. Fluff the mixture again. Drizzle half of the water over the flour mixture and pulse 5 or 6 times more, until the dough starts to form clumps. Overall, it will look like coarse crumbs. Dump the contents of the processor bowl into a large bowl. Test the pastry by squeezing some of it between your fingers. If it seems a little dry and not quite packable, drizzle a tsp or so of cold water over the pastry and work it in with your fingertips.

2. Using your hands, pack the pastry into 2 balls, making one slightly larger than the other; this larger will be your bottom crust. Knead each ball once or twice, then flatten into 3/4 inch disks on a floured work surface. Wrap the discs in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight before rolling.

Peach and Sour Cherry Pie

Pie dough for a single crust

Filling:
4 cups peeled, pitted, and sliced ripe peaches
2 cups sour cherries, stemmed and pitted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tbsp corn starch
Big pinch of ground nutmeg

Oatmeal Crumb Topping:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick cooking)
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1. If you haven't already, prepare the pie dough and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.

2. On a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the pastry into a 13-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Invert the pastry over a 9.5 inch deep dish pie pan, center, and peel off the paper. Gently tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, and sculpt the overhang into an upstanding ridge. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

3. Combine the peaches, cherries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix well, then set aside for 10 minutes to juice. Preheat the oven to 400F.

4. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir the mixture into the fruit along with the nutmeg. Turn the filling into the chilled pie shell and smooth the top of the fruit with your hands. Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, make the crumb topping. Put the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and pulse several times to mix. Scatter the butter over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Empty the crumbs into a large bowl and rub them between your fingers until you have large, buttery crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

6. Remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375F. Carefully dump the crumbs in the center of the pie, spreading them over the surface with your hands. Tamp them down lightly. Return the pie to the oven, placing it so that the part that faced the back of the oven now faces forward. Just in case, slide a large aluminum foil-lined baking sheet onto the rack below to catch any spills. Continue to bake until the top is dark golden brown and the juices bubble thickly at the edge, 35-40 minutes. If the topping starts to get too dark, loosely cover the pie with tented aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.

7. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 2 hours before serving.

On Yogurt

2009-07-06T09:36:00.004-05:00

An 2004 industry report on the US yogurt market estimated that market value in 2008 would be $5,023 million. Apparently, our country eats a lot of yogurt.

The market is dominated by General Mills and Groupe Danone (Dannon is their US subsidiary), whose yogurts I tend to avoid. The grocery stores I visit have a wide selection, and i've become particular about my choices.

I don't like very sweet yogurt, or yogurt that masquerades as dessert. I don't want to see the words pie or mousse anywhere on the container. It shouldn't have extra digestive aids, vitamin supplements, cooked grains, or anything that needs to be mixed in. Even the president of Fage said mixing ruins the yogurt.

Packaging and branding can be particularly misleading. There are differences between "all-natural" and "organic" yogurts (the latter cannot contain bovine growth hormones). Many premium brands are subsidiaries of larger companies. Rachel's and Horizon Organics are both owned by Dean Foods. Stonyfield Farms and Oikos are both owned by Danone. Chobani is owned by Agro-Farma Inc, who used to manufacture Oikos for Stonyfield.

That said, I choose my yogurt for taste and texture. I tend to stick to low-fat yogurt, as full-fat is a little rich for everyday eating, and non-fat just doesn't taste right. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order:

Plain Yogurts: Seven Stars Farm low-fat, Fage 2% and 0%, Trader Joe's organic low-fat and low-fat kefir, Whole Foods organic low-fat, Wallaby low-fat, Emmi

Flavored Yogurts: Wallaby peach, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, banana-vanilla, Emmi apricot, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, Trader Joe's green tea, vanana, Chobani vanilla bean, honey

I haven't tried making my own yogurt yet, but one of my neighbors recommends Harold Mcgee's recipe. No yogurt maker required- all you need is a heated bowl or thermos.

Further reading:

Anstine, Jeffrey. "Organic and All Natural: Do Consumers Know the Difference?." Journal of Applied Economics & Policy 26, no. 1 (May 2007): 15-28.

"Yogurt in the United States." Yogurt Industry Profile: United States (February 2004): 1.

Berry, Donna. "It's a Jungle Out There." Dairy Foods 110, no. 4 (April 2009): 30-38.

Devil's Food Cake with Espresso Frosting

2009-07-06T06:46:00.002-05:00

It takes a certain level of commitment to make a layer cake. You need time, space, equipment, and ridiculous amounts of butter. You also need patience and a steady hand, if you want a smooth finish and even piping. Most importantly, you need practice.

It is expensive to practice making layer cakes, so I don't make them very often. Still, I like to have a few in my repertoire for birthdays and celebratory occasions. A homemade cake can be much cheaper (and in my opinion, better) than a store-bought cake, and making one can be a fun way to spend an afternoon.

If you're worried about how the cake will look, you can always make a batch of frosting (or mashed potatoes) and practice piping on a cake pan. For this cake, you'll need about 5 cups of frosting. I used an easy recipe for espresso frosting- if you prefer vanilla, you can omit the espresso powder. You can also substitute your favorite buttercream.

The layer cake recipes in The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book are very forgiving, and I recommend them if you like step-by-step photographs and tips. I've also had success with cakes from Tish Boyle's The Cake Book and Flo Braker's The Simple Art of Perfect Baking.

Devil's Food Cake with Espresso Frosting
adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book
For the cake:
1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups boiling water
4oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 tsp instant espresso powder
10 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat to 350F. Grease 3 8-inch round cake pans, then dust with cocoa powder and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the boiling water, chocolate, 1/2 cup cocoa, and instant espresso together until smooth.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

3. With the mixer on low, beat in 1/3 of the dry ingredients followed by 1/2 of the chocolate mixture. Repeat with half of the remaining flour and the remaining chocolate. Beat in the remaining flour until just incorporated.

4. Give the batter a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, smooth the tops, and gently tap the pans on the counter to settle the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 15-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.

5. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cakes, then flip them out onto wire racks. Peel off the parchment and flip cakes right side up. Let cool completely before frosting, about 2 hours.

For the frosting:
4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp table salt
3 tsbp instant espresso powder
4 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Beat the butter, cream, vanilla, salt, and espresso powder together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes.

2. Reduce the speed to medium-low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar, and beat until smooth, 4-6 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, 5-10 minutes.

Lemon-Blueberry Cake

2009-06-28T10:47:00.003-05:00

Blueberries are on sale everywhere, it seems.

This cake was a variation on the Perfect Party Cake from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From my Home to Yours. I added blueberries and a tart lemon curd from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book.

Summer isn't an ideal season for transporting layer cakes. It was about 90 degrees in the car and the piping details started to melt. Luckily, the cake arrived at its final destination in one piece.

My favorite part of this recipe was the lemon curd. I've been pleased with the America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. It has a good balance of sweet and savory recipes for different skill-levels, and I think it would make an excellent gift for the novice baker.

Desserts I Dislike: Clafoutis

2009-06-02T12:19:00.003-05:00

The beautifully photographed clafoutis in Sarah Raven’s In Season convinced me to try the recipe. It was a bad idea. Clafoutis is a dessert that I just don’t like, even when expertly executed.

I’m convinced that Clafoutis (clah-foo-tee) is a dessert whose prevalence is tied to excess or abundance. Unless I happen to have pounds of cherries lying around, I’d rather make any other fruit dessert: a crumble, crisp, cobbler, pie, pandowdy, shortcake, etc. When Pittsburgh cherries cost anywhere from 3.99-7.99 per pound, it seems tragic to waste them on a glorified pancake.

The traditional cherry clafoutis is made with unpitted cherries. I know few people who want to work around pits during dessert. While most recipes (simple mixes of flour, eggs, sugar, and milk) seem designed to highlight the fruit, the low fat content makes them bland and rubbery. I have yet to make a clafoutis recipe that lived up to its promise of “custard-like” texture. If you want custard, why not make a flan?

If you still want to make it, know that Clafoutis is best served shortly after baking, while it’s puffed and warm. I think it’s most attractive when served in individual portions or a cast-iron skillet, preferably with some ice cream or powdered sugar on top.

Does anyone else dislike clafoutis?

NYT Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-05-29T11:44:00.002-05:00

My boss bit into a cookie, looked at it thoughtfully and said, "this might be the best cookie i've ever had." It was good: crunchy at the edges and chewy in the middle, with strong chocolate and butterscotch flavors and a hint of sea-salt.

Are they worth the 36 hours of resting time? I'd say yes, provided that you follow the directions exactly. The ingredients, size, and technique make the cookie.

All-purpose flour will not yield the same results as the combination of cake and bread flours. Since chocolate is the featured flavor, it's important to use good-quality chips/discs/feves. I prefer using thin discs of couverture because they melt nicely and stack well within the cookie. Very large pieces won't distribute evenly. Small pieces aren't as prominent or indulgent (this vs this).

If you like small cookies, I wouldn't recommend using this recipe. You'll lose the crunchy/chewy contrast, and the cookies will be done before they're really golden. The original recipe calls for 99g portions, which were best. Ultimately, I settled for 80g portions because they were a little more manageable for one person.

I recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients and portions. Your cookies will be more consistent, and they'll look uniform and bake evenly. Good cookie sheets and an evenly-heating oven don't hurt either.

This recipe is fairly popular, as is Cook's Illustrated's recipe for "Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies" and Alton Brown's "The Chewy." Personally, i'm still a fan of David Lebovitz's recipe. I'd make any of those recipes, depending on the occasion and audience.

You can find the New York Times recipe here.

Experimental Meringue Roulade

2009-05-14T08:20:00.002-05:00

Meringue is a tricky thing. It gets sticky in humid weather. It weeps when over or under beaten, or when the sugar doesn't dissolve completely. It can be cooked or uncooked, and range in textures from light and fluffy to dense and stiff. And, when prepared badly with poor eggs, it can taste horrible.

Harold Mcgee's entry on egg foams in On Food and Cooking will tell you everything you need to know about when and how to add sugar to egg whites. A basic knowledge of meringue-science can help you know what to expect from a recipe (and know when it's written badly).

I prefer the smooth, marshmallowy texture of cooked meringues. I love the meringue cookies from Tartine- they're crisp on the outside, but chewy in the middle. I love the mountain of meringue on the Lemon Meringue Pie from the LA Times. I can live without the wet, spongy, eggy meringue that tops so many pies.

I also like meringues with texture and flavor contrasts, like vacherins or pavlovas, or meringue based cakes filled with cream and fruit. Jin Patisserie makes a great one filled with mango and strawberries.

I'd hoped this Meringue Roulade from Sarah Raven's In Season would be similar. The original recipe is baked in a half sheet pan and filled and topped with raspberries. I decided to test a half batch in a 9x13 pan, and i'm glad I did because it was enough for 6-8 servings.

The unsweetened whipped cream filling is a nice contrast to the sugary meringue. Without the fruit, however, the finished cake is rather plain. This would be a great recipe to showcase ripe summer fruits.

As much as I liked the concept of this dessert, I'm not I preferred the meringue to a light sponge cake. I also added half a sheet of gelatin to the whipped cream filling to make it slice better and maintain its texture. It worked well, and I recommend adding 1 sheet to the full recipe.

Meringue Roulade with Raspberries
Adapted from Sarah Raven’s In Season

Sunflower oil, for the pan
6 egg whites
1 ½ cups superfine sugar
3 tbsp sliced almonds
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 cups fresh raspberries (or other berries)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a swiss roll baking pan (I used a 13x18 sheet), with parchment paper and brush with oil.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl, until very stiff. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking between each spoonful. Once the sugar has been added, continue whisking until the mixture is thick and glossy.

Spread the meringue mixture into the prepared pan and scatter with the sliced almonds. Place the pan near the top of the preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 325F and continue baking until golden brown. Don’t cook too long, or the meringue will be difficult to roll.

Remove from the oven and turn the cake, almond side down, onto a sheet of wax paper. Peel off the paper and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Whisk the cream until it stands in stiff peaks (if you’re adding gelatin, add it towards the end of whipping) and gently fold in half of the raspberries. Spread the cream and berries over the meringue. Letting the wax paper help you, roll the long side fairly tightly until it is all rolled up. Wrap in parchment paper and chill before serving. Scatter the rest of the berries on top to serve.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

2009-04-26T07:22:00.001-05:00

The first time I visited Kitchen Arts and Letters, I had no idea what I wanted. There were professional cookbooks, vintage cookbooks, international cookbooks, baking books, preserving books- essentially any title a home cook would want.

Feeling lost, I asked an employee to recommend a simple-but-really-good cookbook for everyday use. He handed me Cucina Fresca by Viana La Place and Evan Kleiman and started raving about a marinated wild rice salad. I flipped through the first few chapters and decided it was perfect.

Since then, i've seen the book repeatedly mentioned in print and on the web. It's quickly become one of my favorites. Most of the recipes feature bold, fresh flavors from ingredients like herbs, meats, oils/extracts, and citrus, and techniques like marinating and grilling. I make the herb-stuffed eggplant and this roasted red pepper soup on a fairly regular basis.

Since this soup is so simple, the quality of ingredients used will significantly impact the taste. Homemade chicken stock would taste best, but i've had good results using Swanson and Kitchen Basics brands. I use canned San Marzano tomatoes. While the original recipe says to seed whole canned tomatoes, I think diced tomatoes would taste just as good (and save some time).

I like eating this soup warm, garnished with some grated parmesan and slivered basil.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup
adapted from La Place and Kleiman's Cucina Fresca

4 meaty red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded
2 cups imported italian canned tomatoes, seeded and drained
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
3 cups defatted chicken stck
salt and freshly ground black pepper
basil leaves for garnish
paper thin lemon slices, for garnish

Puree three of the peppers and all of the tomatoes in a food processor or blender until finely textured but not completely smooth. Cut the remaining pepper into thin julienne strips and set aside.

Gently heat the olive oil and garlic. When the garlic releases its fragrance, after about 2 minutes, stir in the pureed pepper and tomato mixture. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Let the soup cool, then cover and chill in the refrigerator. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Tear basil leaves into pieces and scatter over soup. Float a lemon slice in each bowl.

Notes from my Kitchen.

2009-04-08T14:43:00.003-05:00

I re-made this recipe for a dinner party in March. It's one of my favorite citrus desserts, and one of many recipes I find comforting. I love its tart, bright flavor and smooth consistency.

I also remade this savory breakfast bread pudding, with no spinach and extra onions. I made a half-batch, and the reheated leftovers made good breakfasts.

Regarding the Photos.

2009-04-06T10:31:00.001-05:00

All entries from Feb 2007 to Nov 16, 2007 have lost their photographs.

This is because my old image host (ie college) deleted my account. I'll be working on moving the photos to flickr in the near future.

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

2009-04-06T08:41:00.005-05:00

I've probably said this before, but I am a sucker for pretty cookbooks. I like clear instructions, glossy photographs, and appetizing recipes with minimal anecdotal padding.

There is, however, a point when cookbooks make me suspicious. I question how good the recipes are when every other page is a closeup of carrots covered in dirt or bodiless hands shelling peas, picking berries, or slicing potatoes. Many new cookbooks tout the author's credentials so frequently that I feel wary when the only author information is in a teeny paragraph on the last page.

The lure of visual appeal and celebrity makes it easy to overlook excellent titles. I have to remind myself that the modern cookbook is a luxury. We're lucky to have step-by-step instructions, let alone any photographs. I've read recipes from the 1800s that assume you know how to skin and bone a lamb. In many cases, I think the only way to know a cookbook is to start cooking from it. Repeatedly.

I almost returned Sarah Raven's In Season to the library. The recipes looked too simple. They're column-length, like the recipes in Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery (I wonder if both books were designed by the same person).

I tried the "Rhubarb upside-down cake" on a whim, and was pleasantly surprised when the cake turned out perfectly. If other recipes turn out this well, I might buy the book. The content is well balanced and conveniently organized by season and ingredient.

I halved this recipe and baked it in a 6-inch souffle dish. Instead of halving 3 eggs, I used one extremely large fresh egg. I prefer to bake upsidedown cakes in pans lined with parchment, as the fruit gets less mangled on unmolding. I highly recommend this cake. The rhubarb came out perfectly cooked and just sweet enough to mellow the tartness. The cake batter is dense- similar to a cobbler topping.

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
adapted from Sarah Raven's In Season

1 pound rhubarb
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp milk
sliced almonds, toasted
confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Creme fraiche and demerara or raw sugar, to serve

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Cut the rhubarb at an angle into 2-inch slices. Melt the brown sugar and butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Add the orange zest and remove from the heat. Cover the base of the pan with the rhubarb. (Alternately, you can melt the butter/sugar in a pot and pour the mixture into a parchment lined cake pan).

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt, and fold into the mixture. Add the milk and mix well. Spread the batter over the rhubarb with a spatula.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the cake is firm to the touch. Leave to cool for about 20 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.

Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm with creme fraiche or whipped cream. To reheat, put on a large baking sheet, sprinkle with the demerara sugar, and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350F.

Gingerbread Stars with Royal Icing

2009-03-29T07:44:00.004-05:00

I tried Donna Hay's recipe for gingerbread from Modern Classics Book 2. The cookies held their shape well and looked elegant topped with royal icing. I didn't care for the texture, but I liked the recipe enough to consider trying more iced cookies.

This recipe uses Golden Syrup instead of molasses, and the ground ginger flavor is strong and spicy. Here's the cookie recipe, if you care to try it.

I'd suggest finding a more reliable recipe for royal icing- the one in Modern Classics calls for way too much egg white.

Gingerbread Cookies
adapted from Donna Hay's Modern Classics, Book 2
125g butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup golden syrup
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat the oven to 375F. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with electric beaters until light and creamy. Add the golden syrup, flour, ginger, and baking soda and mix to form a smooth dough. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until the dough is firm. Roll out the dough between sheets of wax paper to 1/4 inch thick. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Do not overbake!

Apple Rhubarb Pandowdy

2009-03-23T08:54:00.004-05:00

Spring is here, and i'm feeling a renewed energy for cooking and baking. I've been revisiting old cookbooks, circling recipes I never thought i'd want to make. I've been checking out library cookbooks 30 pounds at a time, exploring topics like seasonal cooking, farmers markets, and kitchen gardens.

Rhubarb will be in season soon, and I'm trying to expand my repertoire ahead of time. I never had rhubarb until two years ago, so I find it particularly exciting. I love the tartness it adds, especially when combined with strawberries, apples, and other sweet fruits.

People have polarized opinions on rhubarb, which I don't find surprising. I really dislike rhubarb in a few cases:

1. The rhubarb flavor gets completely masked by sugar or orange juice/zest
2. The rhubarb is overcooked, stringy, and falling apart
3. The overall texture of the dessert is mushy and liquidy

Many fruit pies, cobblers, and crisps are plagued by similar problems. That said, a seasonal, ripe fruit dessert is heaven, and I think i'm getting the hang of picking desserts that suit my taste.

This pandowdy's flavor was so well balanced that I was willing to overlook the liquidy filling. The fruit is sweetened with maple syrup instead of sugar, and it's topped with a crisp, browned pie crust. The sweetener and spices are subtle, so the filling still tastes tartly of rhubarb and apple. A pandowdy gets its name from the "dowdy-ing" of the pastry crust:

dowdy–adjective
1. not stylish; drab; old-fashioned
2. not neat or tidy; shabby

If you wanted a more attractive dessert, you could bake individual servings in ramekins or teacups. I rather like its homey appearance though. The recipe says to serve this warm, but I also like it chilled, for breakfast. The baking time and quality of ingredients really affect the finished recipe, so try not to overbake!

Apple Rhubarb Pandowdy
adapted from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors

10 oz pie dough (enough to fit a 9 inch pie pan)
4 large gala apples, peeled and cored
1 pound rhubarb
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground clove
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp unsalted butter
cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly butter a 2 quart square or oval baking dish (a 7x11 pyrex works well).

2. Quarter the apples and slice crosswise about 1/4 inch thick. Dice the rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces. If the stalks are very wide, slice them lengthwise in half first. You should have 7-8 cups fruit. Toss the fruit with the spices, flour, and salt, then add the maple syrup and toss thoroughly. Distribute the fruit in the dish and dot with the butter.

3. Roll our the dough about 1/8 inch thick and cut it about 3/4 inch wider than your dish. Lay the dough over the fruit, tucking the edges into the fruit. Bake until the crust is light gold, 30-35 minutes. Lower the heat to 350F.

4. Remove the pandowdy from the oven and slice the crust into 2-inch squares in a crisscross fashion. Using a spatula, gently press down on the crust, allowing the juices to flow up and over it. Don't worry if there isn't much juice. Return the dish to the oven and continue to bake until the crust is really golden and glazed, another 20-30 minutes. Once or twice, brush the juices over the dough. Serve warm with cream or vanilla ice cream.

Buttermilk Loaf Bread

2009-03-17T11:21:00.008-05:00

When I am sick, I like hot soup. I like comforting food that's easy to stomach. But what do you eat when you're homesick, heartsick, or suffering from a bad case of what should I do with my life?

Recipes can provide different kinds of comfort. One might trigger memories of family, holidays, or after-school lunches, while another might just salve a bad day with melted cheese and hot sauce. It's not stess-eating; it's food satisfying an emotional and physical hunger.

These days, i'm hungry for simplicity. My schedule gets hectic, life gets complicated, and I gravitate towards simple recipes with few ingredients. I've been thinking about bread, mostly, and its fundamental role in food culture and history.

This recipe for Buttermilk Bread isn't life-altering, but it's well suited to weekly bread baking. I eat it toasted with a smear of salted butter and homemade preserves. The preserves are simple too- a mix of fruit, raw sugar, and water. I'll post that recipe later.

I'm hoping to try more breads and jams/jellies/conserves/chutneys. It'd be nice to expand my repertoire before summer's here.

Buttermilk American Loaf Bread
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tsp table salt
1 cup buttermilk, cold
1/3 cup boiling water
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp honey
1 package (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast

1. Adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Once oven temperature reaches 200 degrees, maintain heat 10 minutes, then turn off oven heat.

2. Mix flour and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. In 1-quart Pyrex liquid measuring cup, mix cold buttermilk and boiling water together (temperature should be about 110-degrees), add butter, honey, and yeast. Turn machine to low and slowly add liquid. When dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until dough is smooth and satiny, stopping machine two or three times to scrape dough from hook if necessary, about 10 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface; knead to form smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds.

3. Place dough in very lightly oiled bowl, rubbing dough around bowl to lightly coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; place in warm oven until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.

4. Form dough into loaf by gently pressing the dough into a rectangle, one inch thick and no wider than the length of the loaf pan. Next, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn dough seam side up and pinch it closed. Place dough in greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan and press gently so dough touches all four sides of pan.

5. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside in warm spot until dough almost doubles in size, 20 to 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees, placing empty loaf pan on bottom rack. Bring 2 cups water to boil.

6. Remove plastic wrap from loaf pan. Place pan in oven, immediately pouring heated water into empty loaf pan; close oven door. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted at angle from short end just above pan rim into center of loaf reads 195 degrees, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove bread from pan, transfer to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature.

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate.

2009-03-04T10:36:00.004-05:00

I am sick of chocolate. I am still baking with it.

In the past month i've done a good deal of what I call educational baking. Baking for the sake of learning something new- whether it's a technique, a flavor combination, or a cookbook author's style. Here's some of what i've tried:

1. Chocolate Bread from Tessa Kirios's Apples for Jam

2. Chocolate Caramels from Scharffenberger's The Essence of Chocolate

3. Chocolate Souffle Cakes from Sara Foster's Fresh Every Day

4. Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From my Home to Yours

5. Chocolate Wafers (can't remember the cookbook)

6. Milk Chocolate Walnut Bars from Tish Boyle's Chocolate passion

The only recipe i'd make again is #3. I've probably made it 5-6 times already. I wanted to revisit it because the ingredient quantities are similar to those listed for this Gateau de Zoe, though the techniques are slightly different. It's divine, and i'll blog about it eventually.

Large quantities of all the other recipes went in the garbage. I don't want to rant about why they were bad. I'll just say they weren't worth eating. Big time texture and flavor issues.

Savory Breakfast Bread Pudding

2009-03-02T19:37:00.004-05:00

I had people over for brunch on Sunday. My favorite brunch dishes are crowd-pleasers that practically cook themselves: baked oatmeal, yeasted waffles, baked french toast, breakfast strata, or roasted vegetables. Basically anything that can be thrown in a casserole and baked.

Make-ahead dishes let me spend more time socializing than cooking. Plus, everyone gets to eat at the same time, and no one's left waiting for something to finish frying in a skillet.

This time I decided to try a savory bread pudding. Bread puddings aren't an exact science. I usually tweak the recipes I try until I get the product I want. Here are a few of my notes:

Instead of using breakfast sausage, I substituted roasted and diced red peppers that had been dried on paper towels. Other vegetables can be substituted as well, but i'd avoid anything with a lot of liquid. I like thick bread puddings, so I used a large pot rather than a 9x13 pan.

For the bread, I used the "Country White" loaf from Allegro Hearth. It worked well, though a bread with slightly more structure might have been better. I love this bread- i'm pretty sure it's what they use for white toast at Coca Cafe, and it's one of my favorites. I started with a generous 6 cups of bread cubes, then poked more into the assembled dish until it looked like enough to eventually soak up all the liquid.

This is one of the best breakfast recipes i've made in a while. The herbs, mustard, and cheese complement each other well, and the flavors are fresh and bright. It's a rich, comforting dish with crusty golden edges that beg to be scraped out of the pan. I'm hoping to make it again soon, maybe with some asparagus or butternut squash.

Savory Breakfast Bread Pudding
adapted from Sara Foster's Fresh Every Day

2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 pound breakfast or Italian sausage, removed from the casing (or substitute another vegetable)
4 cups spinach leaves, washed and drained (about 6oz or 1 large bunch)
2 1/2 cups whole milk
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 cups 1 1/2 inch cubes day-old country Italian or French bread
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (about 6 oz)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (about 3 oz)
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1. Butter a 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Melt the 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, until soft. Add the sausage and cook 4 minutes, breaking it up into pieces, until it's cooked through (if you want to substitute another raw vegetable, you can add it shortly after the onions, or mix in a cooked vegetable towards the end). Stir in the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from the heat and drain off the liquid.

2. Whisk the milk, eggs, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Add the bread and stir to coat. Stir in the sausage, cheeses, thyme, and rosemary and pour into the prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

3. Preheat the oven to 350F.

4. Twenty minutes before baking, remove the pudding from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Bake the bread pudding for 45-50 minutes, until it is puffy and light golden brown. Remove the pudding from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

Savory Pecan, Parmesan, and Thyme Shortbread

2009-03-01T17:23:00.002-05:00

Since I do more sweet than savory cooking, I tend to overlook cookbooks with few or no dessert recipes. That said, i've found great recipes in general cookbooks, usually by chance. A new item in the Carnegie Library will catch my eye and i'll flip though it. If I find an interesting recipe, i'll jot it down in my journal.

When I noticed this recipe for Savory Pecan, Parmesan and Thyme Shortbread, I thought it'd be a great addition to my current repertoire of small butter cookies. The shortbread are elegant, crisp, and packed with the bold flavors of cheese and fresh herbs.

Like the other shortbread i've made, these become quite bitter when over-baked. Bake the cookies until they're just golden at the edges. In the book, the photographed cookies were quite brown and the given baking time was 20 minutes. This was too long for small cookies, so i'd suggest checking them after 12-13 minutes. I only copied the ingredients and baking time/temperature from the book, so these directions are mostly from memory.

Savory Pecan, Parmesan, and Thyme Shortbread
loosely adapted from Outstanding in the Field by Jim Denevan

8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

With a hand-mixer or spoon, beat the butter until smooth. Add the parmesan cheese and mix until combined. Add the flour, salt, pepper, thyme, and nuts, and mix until a cohesive dough just starts to form. Form the dough into logs or roll to 1/4 inch thickness between two sheets of wax paper. Chill for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the dough into 1/4 inch rounds or cut into shapes and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden colored.

Thrift Store Finds: Enamelware

2009-02-25T12:26:00.005-05:00

On Saturday, I decided to visit the South Hills and Avalon locations of Red White and Blue. It's a thrift store i've used for years to find vintage bakeware, melamine dishes, enamelware, polaroid cameras, roller skates, cheap vases, tablecloths, curtains, clothes arranged by color, and other funky bric-a-brac.

The last time I went there, I found an awesome dish set and a square tube pan. This time, I found some nice pieces of enamelware:

I have a thing for brightly colored enamelware. This pot's yellow lid caught my eye, and several women in the store mentioned they'd looked at it when I headed towards the checkout. The exterior needed some cleaning, but otherwise it looked new. I'll probably use it to make some baked oatmeal this Sunday.

The teapot is brand new and from Japan. It had the original care and cleaning instructions inside! For removing rust and stains/mineral deposits, it suggests boiling water with 2 tbsp baking soda and the juice of half a lemon for 45 minutes. I tried this technique on a badly tea-stained saucepot and it worked fairly well. Martha Stewart has additional guidelines on caring for vintage enamelware here here.

I highly recommend checking out Red White and Blue if you haven't been to one. They are massive!

Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookies

2009-02-23T09:47:00.002-05:00

Some cookies are best small. To be honest, i've never liked the big-as-your-head cookies found in so many bakeries and coffee shops. They often sacrifice good flavor and texture for size. I'm much happier with a good cup of coffee that has some dainty cookies perched on the saucer.

I liked these Sea Salt and Cocoa Shortbreads so much that i've been exploring other recipes for butter cookies. I love the crisp, crumbly texture that comes from proper mixing and the occasional addition of corn starch or gluten-free flours (they contribute to the "shortness" of the cookie).

These Nibby Buckwheat Butter Cookies were highly recommended by several bloggers, so I decided to try them. The original recipe is for slice-and-bake cookies, but I used a star shaped cutter instead. I used to think cut-out cookie required too much labor, but i've been more willing to make them since I started rolling out the soft dough inside of ziplock bags (a tip you can see demonstrated in this post).

I made a half-batch of dough, which still yielded plenty of small cookies. Since I was out of vanilla extract, I used the seeds from half a vanilla bean and saved the pod to make vanilla sugar. I also lightly toasted the cocoa nibs to improve their flavor, and sprinkled a little sea salt over the top of the dough.

The finished cookies are perfect for tea or snacking. They're not too sweet, and they're small enough that most people will happily indulge in a few. You can find Alice Medrich's original recipe here, courtesy of 101 Cookbooks.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2009-02-18T08:36:00.005-05:00

I borrowed Flo Braker's latest cookbook, Baking for all Occasions, a few weeks ago. I didn't get a chance to try many recipes before I had to return it, but I photocopied a few for future testing. The recipes are interesting- many of them have creative names and mix new flavors with old techniques (a streusel topped cake with fresh pineapple and hazelnuts, anyone?)

This recipe for a Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake caught my eye because it's simple, versatile, and yields a large quantity. It's basically a chocolate chip cookie dough that's pressed into a 9x13 pan and sliced into squares. Braker's book includes instructions for turning the same dough into individual cookies or chocolate chip biscotti.

For this recipe, it's important to use well softened butter. The goal is to incorporate as little air into the dough as possible to make the texture more like a cookie than a cake. The texture will also vary greatly with baking time- the cake becomes crunchier the longer you bake it. Nuts and chocolate chips play a big role in flavor, and you'll have very different results depending on what you use.

The finished bars aren't as rich tasting as some blondies or cookies. I'm interested in trying a variation using more brown sugar, or peanut butter. Both could lead to a chewier texture. I like using big pieces of chocolate for a nice visual and textural contrast. I used Nestle chocolate chunks for this batch, but any large chocolate pieces would work well.

These were a huge hit at work, and several people asked for the recipe. Over a few days, the texture improved and the cinnamon flavor became more pronounced. I only used 1/2 tsp cinnamon and the flavor was still quite strong. The bars are great snacks to have on hand and they keep for a relatively long time. I usually line the pan with foil so I can just lift the bars out when they're done.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
adapted from Flo Braker's Baking for all Occasions

2 1/3 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (130 grams) light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon or 1/2 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
2 sticks (225 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups (340 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (115 grams) chopped walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, or a combination
*You can omit the nuts and mix in an additional 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350F. Have ready a 9x13 inch pan.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugars, salt, cinnamon (if using), and baking soda and mix on the lowest speed just until blended. Add the butter and continue to mix until small, moist crumbs form that look similar to streusel, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until the mixture begins to form a cohesive dough. Increase the speed to medium and add the chocolate chips and nuts. Beat just until they are incorporated- 20 to 30 seconds.

3. Spoon dollows of the thick dough evenly over the bottom of the baking pan with a rubber spatula. To distribute the dough evenly, lay a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper over the dough and pat it evenly with your fingertips.

4. Bake the cake until it is golden brown and feels more solid than soft when pressed in the center- 37-40 minutes. Be careful not to overbake- it will firm as it cools. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 30-35 minutes.

5. Slip a thin metal spatula between the cake and the pan and run the spatula along the entire perimeter of the pan. Lift the pan, tilt it slightly, and tap it on a counter to help release the cake. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and lift it out of the pan. Invert so it is right side up and let cool completely.

If serving within 2 days, wrap the cake in foil and store at room temperature. For longer storage, freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature for about 3 hours.To serve, cut the cake into squares, rectanges, or sticks with a sharp knife.

Sea Salt and Cocoa Shortbread

2009-02-06T08:50:00.004-05:00

I think culinary encouragement goes a long way, especially for avid bakers and food bloggers.

You reach a point where the learning curve plateaus and the people you’re feeding assume everything you create will be delicious and beautifully photographed. And believe me, it’s pretty disappointing when you spend hours preparing something, only to have a good friend pick at their plate and say polite things like “it’s okay” or “it’s pretty good” or “I’m just not that hungry.”

Furthermore, there’s a sort of social detachment that comes with increased culinary ability. Suddenly, people don’t want to share their cooking with you, or they preface edible gifts with statements like “I made you these cookies, but you probably won’t like them” or “here is this pastry, but it’s store-bought so you don’t have to eat it.”

So, it can be pretty tough when everything starts to go wrong. I found it very comforting that a bad week in the kitchen had Molly of Orangette on the verge of tears. Her description of failed dough as “oat-and-brown-sugar hummus” is priceless, and probably familiar to more than one baker.

One of the things I love most about food blogs is that sense of shared baking failure that follows a post like Molly’s. Suddenly everyone has a kind word and a story about flipping pancakes onto the floor, cleaning spilled batter out of the oven, or substituting/omitting ingredients with disastrous results. And, in many cases, people will share a fantastic recipe to compensate for the troublesome one.

I, too, have weeks where all recipes fail, and the possibility of baking something great is utterly squashed. I’ve been testing chocolate recipes for an upcoming presentation, and some of them were just terrible! Luckily, these sea salt and shortbread cookies turned out very well. They’re quite rich, and I think they’re best small, maybe served on a saucer alongside some coffee. The crisp, crumbly texture is addictive.

I roll out the soft dough inside of a gallon-sized plastic bag, chill it, and then cut it into shapes. It’s best to leave the bag open while you do this, so air can escape. Dorie Greenspan gives a good description of this technique in Baking From my Home to Yours, which you can view here.

Chocolate Shortbread with Cacao Nibs and Sea Salt
Adapted from Elizabeth Falkner’s recipe in The Essence of Chocolate

1 cup all purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup + 2 tbsp cocoa nibs, crushed with a rolling pin
1 tsp fine or coarse sea salt (I used fleur de sel)
12 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature (don’t use cold butter!)
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Sift the flour and cocoa into a small bowl and whisk to combine. In another bowl, combine the nibs and sea salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the vanilla. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed. Add the remaining flour mixture, stopping as necessary to scrape down the bowl. Once incorporated, mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, or until well combined. Mix in the nibs and salt. (The dough can be refrigerated, well wrapped, for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 2 months).

On a lightly floured board or between two pieces of parchment paper, roll the dough into a square ¼ inch thick. Cut into 1 by 2.5 inch rectangles or other desired shape, and place on the prepared pans about 1 inch apart (they will spread a little).

Bake for 15 minutes. It is sometimes difficult to tell when these are done- one of the best indications is the smell of baked cookies in the air. When the cookies are nudged, they shouldn’t feel soft, but the bottoms should seem crisp. Avoid over-baking to avoid a bitter flavor.

Remove from the oven and transfer shortbread to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Black and Gold Baking

2009-02-03T10:32:00.007-05:00

Over the weekend, Pittsburgh bakeries, grocery stores, and Eat'n Parks cranked out seemingly enough black and gold sweets to fill a football stadium. Bakery workers in Johnstown worked overtime. By Friday my grocery store was sold out of individually packaged yellow food coloring, and a friend told me she couldn't find yellow sprinkles anywhere.

Despite our local enthusiasm, I don't really associate the super bowl with baking. While many newspapers run a super bowl themed food section, they tend to focus on savory items. All of the Post Gazette's reader recipes were savory, and I noticed that most of my friends/coworkers preferred purchasing Steelers baked goods to making them.

In some cases, it makes sense that savory super bowl fare outshines the sweet; i'd much rather eat wings, pierogies, and sauerkraut than oversized sugar cookies and artificially colored cupcakes. Still, I think some people avoid baking for a crowd because they assume it is difficult and expensive and yields a mediocre product. And sometimes it's hard to resist the novelty of a storebought cake shaped like a football field.

Two days before the super bowl, I felt a rush of Steelers fever and decided to find some simple recipes that would be appetizing, even if I had to spend extra money for the multi-pack of food coloring. I have an aversion to black food coloring, so I picked recipes that used cocoa for color contrast.

I added yellow food coloring to a plain batch of rice krispie treats and to the plain batter in this tried and true recipe for marble cake. The chocolate rice krispie treats are from Lora Brody's Chocolate American Style. The recipe is a simple but potent variation on the traditional one. Be sure to use a good-flavored cocoa as it really impacts the taste. I used dutch-process cocoa from Penzey's.

If you're hungry for more black and gold baking, check out these black and gold pastries from Jean-Marc Chatellier, or the "Steelers Cupcake" flickr results.

Chocolate Cereal Treats
adapted from Lora Brody's Chocolate American Style
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 10oz bag of mini marshmallows
2/3 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
6 cups rice krispies (or 4 cups + 2 cups cheerios)
1/2 cup dried sweet or tart cherries (optional)

Butter a 9x13in pan. In a large saucepan or pot, combine the butter and marshmallows. Cook and stir over low heat, until the marshmallows are almost completely melted. Add the cocoa powder and stir until the mixture is smooth and even-colored. Turn off the heat and stir in the cereal. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and use a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap to smooth the mixture in the pan. Sprinkle the cherries over the cereal and use the paper or plastic to press them in gently.

When fully cooled, turn the contents out of the pan onto a cutting board and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Croissants from Jean-Marc Chatellier

2009-01-30T09:07:00.002-05:00

Last week I stopped by Jean Marc Chatellier to buy pastries for work. I decided on assorted croissants: 2 plain, 2 almond, and 3 chocolate. I was sorely tempted by a tray of freshly made lemon tarts, but I thought they'd be a little much for breakfast.

If you can get to Millvale, the bakery is worth a visit. Not all of the pastries are my favorite, but they are executed with elegance and attention to detail. There's always something interesting to see; on previous visits I've seen Jean-Marc working on exquisite wedding cakes with elaborate florals.

These croissants were quite large. The almond croissant was filled with a pastry cream which was delicious, but not the almond cream I was expecting. Still, $9 dollars for 7 pastries is a bargain, and there are enough varieties for everyone to find something they like.

Reuben's Legendary Apple Pancake

2009-01-26T09:21:00.003-05:00

The first time I made this pancake, I tried to flip in in the pan. I gave the skillet a forceful jerk and the 8-inch pancake, beautifully caramelized, ended up on the floor in pieces- a sticky mess of apples, and raisins, and undercooked batter. It was tragic, really.

The idea of a sugar encrusted apple pancake sounded irresistible, so I was determined to try again. My second attempt was much more successful. While Richard Sax's recipe is fairly simple in terms of ingredients and technique, the execution can be troublesome. I had a few notes on the process:

It's hard getting the batter to cook evenly before the first flip, and it's easy to burn the sugar if the heat is too high. I'd recommend letting the batter sit a while on low heat before trying to pull back the edges and let the uncooked batter flow underneath. I'd also suggest greasing the plate you turn the pancake onto, as the caramel gets very sticky.

The finished product was inexpensive and, in my opinion, worth the trouble. I like the simple, clean flavors. It's best eaten shortly after it's made, but the cold leftovers are still pretty tasty.

You can find the recipe here.

Buckwheat Crepes with Apples and Gruyere

2009-01-24T16:33:00.006-05:00

I found this recipe in the dessert section of Leite's Culinaria. I think it's better suited to breakfast or brunch, but that's negotiable. I love apples in savory contexts like slaws, vegetable mashes, and chutneys. Here, they're combined with Spanish onions, smoked ham, and Gruyere cheese, with a touch of nutmeg and lemon.

Both the crepes and filling can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until needed. It's a great recipe if you're cooking for one or two, or if you want a fancy snack on hand. I loved that the simple components turned into something so sophisticated and subtle.

The filling is quick to assemble and can be made in smaller quantities if needed. It's also quite adaptable: you can use bacon instead of ham, or omit the meat for a less savory variation. I'd love to try adding some thyme or another fresh herb.

I have a few notes: Initially, my batter was too thick and yielded dense, rubbery crepes. I had to add about 1/2 cup more water to get the right consistency. I worried the crepes would be too thick or too plain, but they were well suited to the filling.

Be sure to cook the filling in a large skillet- an 11-inch fry pan comfortably held the half batch in a single layer. A full batch probably won't fit in anything smaller. Also, when filling the crepes, make sure to fold the crepe up before it becomes too brittle. The longer it cooks, the less flexible it will be.

I didn't bother buttering the skillet before cooking each crepe, or brushing the finished crepes with melted butter. They seemed fine as-is, and I enjoyed them thoroughly.

Buckwheat Crepes with Apples and Gruyere
adapted from Marie Simmons's Things Cooks Love

Crepe batter:
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
4 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter
3 yellow onions, cut into 1/8-inch wedges
6 slightly green Golden Delicious apples, quartered, cored, and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch
wedges
2 ounces smoked ham, thinly slivered (optional)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of coarse salt

1 tablespoon salted or unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons, softened
3 cups (12 ounces) coarsely grated Gruyère or Comté cheese

Directions:
Make the crepe batter
1. In a large bowl, stir together the buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt. In a
small bowl, whisk the eggs until well blended; stir in the water and butter.

2. Gradually whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until the batter is smooth.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. The batter should be the consistency of heavy
cream. If it is too thick, whisk in additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Make the filling
1. While the batter is resting, make the filling. In a large skillet, melt the butter
over medium-low heat. Add the onions; increase the heat to medium, and cook,
stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the apples and cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes, until
the apples begin to brown and have softened. Add the ham and sprinkle with the
lemon juice, nutmeg, and salt. Cover and set aside until ready to fill the crepes.

Make and assemble the crepes
1. Heat a 9- to 11-inch crepe pan over medium-low heat until hot enough for a drop
of water to sizzle on contact. Brush the surface of the crepe pan with a thin film of
the melted butter. Blot any excess with the tip of a paper towel. Stir the crepe batter
well with the whisk.

2. Ladle about 1/3 cup of the batter into the heated pan, and simultaneously tilt and
roll the pan from side to side to coat the surface with a thin layer of batter. Cook for
1 minute, or until the edges begin to set. Run the tip of a small narrow rubber
spatula under the edges of the crepe to loosen it from the pan. Use your fingertips to
lift the crepe and quickly flip it over. Cook the other side for 30 seconds, or until the
batter is set into a thin pancake. Do not brown the crepe or cook it until crisp.
Transfer the crepe to a large, round plate. Repeat with the remaining batter,
brushing the pan with more butter if necessary. Stack the crepes as they are made.
You should have 12 crepes. If making ahead, wrap the crepes in plastic wrap or
aluminum foil to prevent drying out. The crepes can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

3. If the crepes have been made ahead, first fill them one at a time by warming each
crepe in the pan over low heat. Otherwise, when the fresh crepe is cooked and still in
the pan, sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the cheese in the center. Top the cheese with a
large spoonful of the warm apple filling, spreading it into a single layer. Fold in two
opposite sides of the circle to cover the filling. Then fold in the remaining two
rounded sides, overlapping slightly, to form a square envelope. With a wide spatula,
lift the crepe from the pan and invert it, so it is seam side down, onto a serving
plate. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm if not serving at once. Fill the
remaining crepes in the same way. Reserve the remaining filling.

4. Just before serving, brush the smooth top of each crepe with a thin film of the
softened butter. Reheat the remaining apple filling and spoon a portion on top of
each crepe. Serve at once.

Salty Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

2009-01-21T10:57:00.001-05:00

Several people have asked for this recipe since I posted the photos in November, so I figured it was time to post it. It yields a thin, very crisp cookie that's good for snacking. Since the dough is heavy on sugar, it's important to wait until the cookies are fully cooled before eating them (unless you're a fan of that tough, stick-to-your teeth texture).

While the sea salt topping is optional, I think it's a great contrast to the sweet cookies. My cookies spread to 3.5-4 inches in diameter (too large for my tastes), so next time i'd divide the dough into smaller portions. I think smaller, uniformly shaped cookies would bake more evenly.

Do avoid overbaking the cookies- they quickly change from perfect to burnt. Golden brown and dark brown cookies have a marked difference in taste. I forgot a batch in the oven and when I finally pulled them out they were carbon...happens to the best of us!

Salty Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
adapted from Cook's Illustrated
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool, about 65 degrees
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350 degrees. Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.

2. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars at medium-low speed until just combined. Increase speed to medium and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. Add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl again. With mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated and smooth, 10 seconds. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oats and mix until well incorporated, 20 seconds. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

3. Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons, then roll between palms into balls. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart, 8 dough balls per sheet. Using fingertips, gently press each dough ball to 3/4-inch thickness. Lightly sprinkle sea salt evenly over flattened dough balls before baking.

4. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are deep golden brown, 13 to 16 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely on sheet.

Strip District Sweets

2009-01-18T09:28:00.004-05:00

Yesterday morning, if you had asked me if I liked caramel corn, I would have said no. I knew two kinds of caramel corn: Cracker Jack, and the kind that comes in a multi-compartmented Christmas tin-the stale, achingly-sweet caramel corn that always ends up contaminated with radioactive orange cheese corn. (Apparently some people like the half-cheese half-caramel option!)

And yet I felt a sudden urge to stop in the Pittsburgh Popcorn Company while I was in the Strip. It took over the space next to Colangelo's (formerly Il Piccolo Forno) that used to sell fancy stationery and ceramics. The owners met working at a popcorn shop in NYC. The interior is cheery and somewhat whimsical. You can watch someone drizzling chocolate over freshly made caramel corn while someone else, perched on a ladder, carefully monitors a giant kettle of popping corn.

I bought a bag of Chocolate Pecan Praline popcorn. This is the sort of sweet i'd rather buy than make myself; caramel corn recipes can be difficult (David Lebovitz has posts on multiple attempts, and Adam Roberts failed 8 times before succeeding), and it is dangerous to have lying around in big quantities. Amanda from Slow Like Honey said it looked like crack in a bag.

I don't see myself buying fancy popcorn regularly, but I did enjoy it (though I wished it had a few pinches of sea-salt thrown in). Good quality chocolate and toasted nuts make such a difference in taste. I also appreciated that the store had Steelers tins and a special "Black and Gold" flavor...I love Pittsburgh for things like that.

After my popcorn adventure I stopped by Enrico Biscotti for a chocolate croissant. Their croissants are some of my favorite in the city, though the plain ones have varied in consistency over the years. They have a nice yeasty flavor and flaky, yielding texture. I like to heat them up in the oven.

Saturday coffee and pastry is one of my favorite habits. I'm usually in the mood for pastries i'd never bake at home, and chocolate croissants definitely fit in that category.

Tuscan Bean Stew with Sausage and Kale

2009-01-06T08:37:00.003-05:00

I did some baking during the holidays, but not much. Some of my favorite items were Pains D'Amande and Bill Granger's Pear Cake with Vanilla Custard (made with apples instead).

Now that the holiday season is over and the weather is less than optimal, i'm in the mood for soup. I've started to cooking huge pots of soup on Sundays. I'll divvy the soup into tupperwares for work and freeze the extra for weeks when i'm too tired to cook (which are often at the moment).

I used this recipe as an opportunity to (finally) buy some sausage from the Parma Sausage Company. It had great flavor, though it made the soup a little rich and I might use less next time. You can buy loose sausage in relatively inexpensive 1.5lb packages. I've made the vegetarian version of this soup as well, which is flavored with extra herbs and porcini mushrooms instead of meat.

I should start baking more once I settle back into work. I've been reading lots of recipes for slice and bake cookies, and i'm looking for an excuse to use the 40% butterfat, not "ultra-pasteurized" Turner's cream from Whole Foods. Too bad I sold the ice cream maker...

Tuscan Bean Stew with Sausage and Cabbage
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Table salt
1 pound dried cannellini beans (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 medium celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
8 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
1/2 medium head savoy cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used kale)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes drained and rinsed
1 sprig fresh oregano leaves
Ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil and sausage in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon until it loses its raw color, about 8 minutes. Transfer sausage to paper towel-lined plate and place in refrigerator. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 16 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, water, bay leaves, and soaked beans. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are almost tender (very center of beans will still be firm), 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Remove pot from oven and stir in greens, sausage, and tomatoes. Return pot to oven and continue to cook until beans and greens are fully tender, 30 to 40 minutes longer.

4. Remove pot from oven and submerge oregano sprig in stew. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves and oregano sprig and season stew with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, use back of spoon to press some beans against side of pot to thicken stew.

Toffee Chocolate Nut Wedges

2008-12-18T09:17:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I feel like the holiday season is an unspoken competition. It can be a competition to give the best food gift, cook the best meal, or distribute the most cookies to the most people. When I go to a holiday party, I feel like it's a competition to make the most talked-about dish and go home with the least leftovers, without upstaging the hostess.

I know the holiday doesn't have to be competetive. Still, as a baker, there's nothing worse than to spend hours working on something elaborate and seasonal only to have no one eat it. Or have someone tell you they wanted to eat it, but they ate too many Candy Cane Joe-Joe's, or one too many pieces of Aunt So-and-So's super wonder fudge bark thing.

To cut back on holiday baking stress, it's good to have a repertoire of quick, impressive, cost-effective recipes. If you, like me, put off most of your holiday baking until the very last minute, you'll love this recipe for Toffee Chocolate Nut Wedges. With minimal effort, these delicious, elegant cookies can be baked and assembled in less than an hour.

Rather than crunchy, like shortbread, these cookies are tender with crisped edges. The toasted nuts add a needed textural contrast to the cookie base and smooth, creamy ganache.

I think these cookies could be even more visually striking with different topping combinations. I had mendiants in mind when I thought of different ingredients to add: cocoa nibs, sea salt, pistachios, almonds, candied orange peel, dried tart cherries, cranberries, and raisins. Even white chocolate with candy cane pieces.

I don't think these cookies would go unnoticed at anyone's party! Even if they did...at least they keep well.

Toffee Chocolate Nut Wedges
adapted from Abigail Johnson Dodge's The Weekend Baker
8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ c dark brown sugar, firmly packed
¼ tsp table salt
1 yolk from large egg
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 c all-purpose flour
5 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp heavy cream
½ c chopped pecans (or walnuts), toasted

Position an oven rack in the middle and preheat to 350F. Lightly grease a 9.5" tart pan with a removable bottom. A pie plate or similarly sized baking pan will work, but you won't get the nice fluted edges.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, dark brown sugar and salt. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat just until combined. Pour in the flour and beat on low speed until the dough begins to clump together. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan, scattering the pieces evenly. Pat the dough into the bottom (not up the sides) of the prepared pan to form an even layer. Bake until the top looks dry and the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 25 to 27 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate with the cream in a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir until smooth. When the crust is baked, transfer the pan to a rack. Pour the warm ganache over the warm crust and spread evenly to within 1/2” of the edge. Scatter the nuts over the ganache and gently press them into the chocolate. Let cool until the chocolate is set, about 4 hours at room temperature or about 2 hours in the refrigerator. Remove the outer ring of the tart pan and cut the “cookie tart” into 16 wedges. Serve the wedges chilled or at room temperature.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

2008-12-11T14:41:00.004-05:00

This is a recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread, but we like to call it Super Chocolate Awesome Bread. These were literally the first words out of my friend's mouth when he took a bite.

It's one of two recipes i've tried from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking- the second one being the Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins, which were also nicknamed Super Chocolate Awesome Muffins. The same friend had already devoured two before I'd had two bites. They were that good.

It's the simplicity of these two recipes that made me want to try them first. Both can be mixed up in practically no time, and they yield beautiful, moist cakes oozing with melting chocolate. The pumpkin bread is quite spicy; several people actually thought it was gingerbread. I'm tempted to try it without the chocolate, as i've been hurting for a good plain pumpkin bread recipe.

For the muffins, I bought already over-ripe bananas from Penn Mac. It's usually a good place to go if you don't want to wait for bananas to ripen. The espresso powder in the batter is a nice, dark complement to the chocolate. The coffee flavor was hard to identify in the final product- I thought it was nicely balanced. You can view a reprint of the recipe here, but the original uses only semisweet chocolate.

Not all of the recipes in this book appeal to me, but I liked these two so much that i'll probably try a few more!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp clove
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (15oz can)
3 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup water, room temperature
1 cup (12 oz) chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350F and position a rack in the middle. Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans or line them with foil or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the oil and pumpkin puree. Add the granulated sugar and whisk to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and water. Mix in the chocolate with a rubber spatula.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix (and don't worry if you see a few small streaks of flour). Divide into the two pans and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then unmold leave to cool completely.

David Lebovitz's Fresh Ginger Cake

2008-11-23T11:22:00.004-05:00

Now that Thanksgiving is over and there's snow on the ground, I'm thinking less about pumpkin and more about cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice, peppermint, rum, cider, hot cocoa, candied citrus peels and nuts, and cranberries.

This simple, spicy cake that was once David Lebovitz's most requested recipe. It's very moist, and the flavor improves with age. My cake domed quite a bit and started to burn, so after it cooled I just sliced off the top and flipped the whole thing over. It made a nice breakfast for several days and I thought it was seasonally appropriate.

The cake was one of my last forays into Richard Sax's Classic Home Desserts (it's titled "East West Ginger Cake" in the book). I also tried the "Rich Soft Spice Cake" and "Hilda's Apple Cake"; both were good, but neither was my favorite from the book. As much as I've enjoyed it, I think it's time to return it to the library.

This recipe is available here.

Sables Korova (World Peace Cookies)

2008-11-23T11:15:00.006-05:00

In the world of food blogging, Pierre Herme's Sables Korova, renamed World Peace Cookies by Dorie Greenspan, are somewhat legendary. If you don't believe me, take a look through the google or flickr results.

Since so many people have described the addictive qualities of these indulgent, chocolate-studded, teasingly salty cookies, i'm going to spend more time talking about making them rather than eating them.

The nice thing about making a widely tried recipe is you can see the differences in others' results. I don't know about you, but I find photographic evidence of cookie diversity very comforting when a recipe doesn't turn out as expected.

I got a little impatient and baked a few cookies before the dough was thoroughly chilled. This batch yielded flat cookies that spread a little strangely. They looked a little like this. The photos above are from day two, when I sliced the well-chilled dough a little thicker.

In addition to temperature and size, ingredient distribution also effects these cookies. I'd suggest using very soft butter; cold butter doesn't incorporate as quickly, or as well. I had to mix my dough longer than i'd have liked, and my finished dough wasn't exactly homogenous. Foodbeam is a good blog for browsing photos and comments on sable technique.

Shaping the dough into logs takes a little practice too- I think this is a case where I would have liked to compress the logs in parchment paper, using the technique on page 185 of The Simple Art of Perfect Baking. I'll upend the dough onto some parchment, gently knead/shape it into a rough log, and then use the parchment and a straight-edged cookie sheet or dough scraper to shape it into a nicer circle.

You can view the recipe here. It's also been printed in Dorie Greenspan's Paris Sweets and Baking From my Home to Yours. The cookies were a hit at work, and I think they'd be an elegant addition to a holiday cookie box. You can freeze the logs ahead of time and bake them as needed.

Pecan Pie and Buttermilk Silk Pie

2008-11-23T10:55:00.010-05:00

Sometimes I get so curious about an unfamiliar recipe that I have to try it. Neither of these recipes appealed to me initially, but I was so pleased with the chunky pear pie that I decided to make the pecan and buttermilk silk pies from Classic Home Desserts.

Sax's Pecan Pie substitutes Golden Syrup and muscovado sugar for corn syrup and refined sugar. Dark rum adds a pleasant richness to the flavor. I can't say i'm a big fan of pecan pie, but this pie was certainly different from others i've had, and i'd make it again if someone requested it.

Buttermilk may seem like an odd ingredient for pie, but in this case it was perfect. The Buttermilk Silk Pie was creamy, sweet, and slightly tangy, with a fluffy texture reminiscent of a light cheesecake. I think a little berry compote would be lovely with this, or maybe a touch of lemon zest. Try not to overbake it or the custard will crack.

I left out an egg yolk, which wasn't a problem. The custard was a little loose on the very bottom (like a pudding cake), but it tasted good.

My trip to Manhattan was nice; my sister and I braved the Union Square Trader Joe's on Wednesday night and pulled off a Thanksgiving dinner in less than 48 hours (not without a little stress). While I thought i'd visit some old favorite places, I ended up trying mostly new ones. Some of my favorites:

Abraco Espresso (fantastic olive oil cake, and possibly the best cortado i've ever had). I also had coffee at Ninth Street Espresso and Joe the Art of Coffee. I preferred Abraco and Joe.

The Japanese style cheesecake at Amai was killer. I tried some muffins and tea cookies, but they weren't to my taste.

The pretzel croissant from City Bakery really is as good as David Lebovitz says...especially warm out of the oven. So wonderfully salty. The gingerbread men are good too.

Little Branch. Amazing cocktails and ambience.

Momofuku Noodle Bar. I could eat six of their pork buns in one go! We also had excellent kim chi stew, and romanesco cauliflower with boquerones.

The calamari tacos and posole from Barrio Chino were delicious. The tacos are very small, so plan to eat something additional if you're hungry.

Pumpkin scones from Alice's Tea Cup were huge, tender and coated with a perfectly burnt, sticky caramel. They made me want to brush all my baked goods with caramel.

I went back to Chikalicious, which was excellent as always. I had an almond cake with persimmon brulee and vanilla milk sorbet. It was a mostly enjoyable trip and I'd love to go again. There was not enough time/room in my stomach to try Porchetta, and i'm itching to go back to Sfoglia.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday. I am definitely going to eat a little more simply until Christmas.

Pecan Pie
adapted from Richard Sax's Classic Home Desserts
1/2 quantity Basic Pie Dough
1 cup raw cane dark muscovado sugar, turbinado sugar, or light brown sugar
2/3 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup
2 tbsp dark rum
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp table salt
2 cups broken pecan meats

1. Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness and fit it into a 9in pie pan. Trim off excess dough, leaving about a 3/4in overhang. Fold under the edge of the dough, pressing along the rim and forming a high, fluted border. Chill until needed.

2. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, Golden Syrup, rum, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove pan from the heat and set aside to cool until lukewarm, at least 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F with a rack in the lower third.

3. In a small bowl, beat the eggs until creamy. Beat the eggs into the cooled syrup; stir in the vanilla, salt, and pecans. Pour filling into the pie shell.

4. Bake until the filling is set but still slightly wobbly in the center, about 50 minutes. Cool the pie completely on a wire rack.

5. Serve the pie at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Buttermilk Silk Pie
adapted from Richard Sax's Classic Home Desserts
1/2 quantity Basic Pie Dough
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp corn starch
1 large whole egg
3 large egg yolks
6 tbsp butter, melted
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

1. Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness and fit it into a 9in pie pan. Trim off excess dough, leaving about a 3/4in overhang. Fold under the edge of the dough, pressing along the rim and forming a high, fluted border. Chill until needed. Preheat the oven to 350F with a rack in the lower third.

2. Bake the pie shell, gently pricking any air bubbles with a fork until it is partially baked, 8-10 minutes (I would have left mine longer). Cool the pie shell on a wire rack, leave the oven on.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the sugar and corn starch until there are no lumps. Add the egg, egg yolks, melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and salt and mix well. Pour the filling into the partially baked crust.

4. Bake until the surface is a very pale golden color and the custard is set but still slightly wobbly in the center, about 40 minutes. Do not overbake.

5. Cool the pie to room temperature on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature, or slightly chilled.

Cranberry Nut Bread w/ Brown Butter Icing

2008-11-23T10:14:00.003-05:00

I slathered this cranberry nut bread with a generous helping of burnt-butter icing. The rich, crackly glaze was a perfect foil for the tart berries and orange zest. I think the loaf would look exceptionally festive with some chopped sugared nuts on top.

I think this is a great recipe for the holiday season. It's simple, and yields an attractive, portable, delicious product. I ended up making it twice this week; the first time, the bread was done a good twenty minutes before the baking time. The second time, I needed the full hour. I think I was a little haphazard with my flour and liquid measurements. Anyway, the wet mixture will incorporate better if you combine the butter and egg before adding the other ingredients.

I'm off to Manhattan tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving with my sister. I'm planning to visit some of my old favorites (Payard, breakfast at Balthazar, Grom, maybe Cafe Sabarsky, City Bakery, or Lupa) and a few new places (Amai, Barrio Chino, Joe The Art of Coffee, Doughnut Plant). I love walking around aimlessly- I'll often walk over 100 blocks in one go!

I did a ton of baking last week- i've worked my way through some cookie recipes and 5-6 recipes from Classic Home Desserts. I will share soon!

Cranberry Nut Bread
adapted from Cook's Illustrated
1/3 cup orange juice
grated zest from 1 large orange
2/3 cup buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 large egg, beaten lightly
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups cranberries, chopped coarse
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped coarse

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease bottom of 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, or line it with foil or parchment. Stir together orange juice, zest, buttermilk, butter, and egg in small bowl. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in large bowl. Stir liquid ingredients into dry with rubber spatula until just moistened. Gently stir in cranberries and pecans. Do not overmix.

2. Scrape batter into loaf pan and spread with rubber spatula into corners of pan. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees; continue to bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, about 45 minutes longer. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool at least 1 hour before serving. If using icing, glaze the loaf while still warm and let harden at room temperature.

Burnt Butter Icing
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp milk

While the loaf is cooling, heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swiring the pan constantly, until the butter is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the butter to a bowl and whisk in the confectioners' sugar and milk. Pour all of the icing over the cake and spread to cover.

Pittsburgh Eating 11/08

2008-11-19T13:10:00.007-05:00

I'm starting to crave different things now that Pittsburgh's begun the brutal transition from fall to winter. In the baking department, I think about apples, pears, pumpkins, cranberries, toasted nuts, spices, holiday treats, and hot beverages.

I've also noticed a change in what I want to eat outside the apartment. Last weekend I was excited to see Strip District stores stocking my favorite lebkuchen and Bahlsen cookies. I've enjoyed quite a few locally available items, and I thought i'd take a moment to mention a few:

In Mon Aimee Chocolat, my friend Diane described this Caramel Chocolate Nougat (pictured above) as "the most decadent Mars bar you can imagine." It's too intense to eat in one sitting, but I loved the dark, rich nougat studded with almonds and pistachios.

I made several sandwiches on the Parmesan Baguette from Allegro Hearth Bakery. It has great flavor and gets brilliantly golden and crusty when oiled and grilled. Allegro Hearth also has a really nice brioche, if you're looking to make decadent stuffing, french toast, bread pudding, or bostock.

I don't usually tout restaurants, but I've eaten at Dinette three times already. I've tried a few of the pizzas: grilled eggplant with oil-cured olives, escarole with a sunny-up egg, fontina with fingerling potatoes and rosemary, and radicchio with pancetta. The fritto misto was delicious, as were the wines I tried. It's dangerously close by.

I also had a pleasant lunch with a coworker at Baba D's in Oakland. I particularly love the Fool Madamas and the Sleek. The tahini in the Fool Madamas was sublime.

I'd love to hear if you've tried an interesting Pittsburgh food product lately!

Rhode Island Chunky Pear Pie

2008-11-16T22:41:00.011-05:00

My coworkers asked how I made this pie, and I said, "it's pretty simple."

"It's just pears, walnuts and raisins...and some maple syrup. And some orange juice, zest, and cloves. And some tapioca, which I like to grind it in a coffee grinder so it dissolves faster."

When asked about the crust, I said something like: "I make the crust entirely in the food processor. Except I like to pulse the butter and dry ingredients before I add the shortening because it incorporates faster. Sometimes I add the water and knead the dough by hand, smearing it against the counter...and yes there's an egg wash."

I forgot to mention that I often roll the dough on a silpat, and i'll pop it in the freezer if it starts sticking. I core my pears with a mellon baller, and I use frozen shortening and toasted nuts (which I prefer to chop with a serrated knife).

The recipe does look simple on the page, and I think that's a good thing. Too much detail can render a recipe inaccessible. When confronted with a giant text-block, some will assume the recipe is too complicated or time consuming. Thankfully, many cookbooks limit clutter on the page by including seperate sections on techniques and ingredients.

Richard Sax's Classic Home Desserts does a beautiful job of organizing content. It has a good balance of historical and personal anecdotes, techniques, and recipes. It's a really nice multi-purpose baking book that's been extremely reliable so far. I'm really pleased with the variety and consistency of the recipes.

I loved this pear pie. The filling is low on sugar and chunky, not gloopy.If you aren't keen on the orange/clove flavor combination- I think cinnamon and apple cider could be nice substitutions. This pie is great slightly warm, but it will slice best when fully cooled.

Rhode Island Chunky Pear Pie
adapted from Richard Sax's Classic Home Desserts

Pie Dough
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
11 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 1/2 tbsp cold solid vegetable shortening
5 tbsp cold water, plus more as needed

1. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, butter, and shortening in a food processor or in a mixing bowl. Pulse the machine (or cut the ingredients together with two knives) until the mixture is crumbly.

2. Add the water and pulse (or toss with a fork) until the mixture begins to clump together. Gather it into a ball, sprinkling with a few more drops of water, if needed. Divide the dough into two slightly unequal pieces and flatten into discs. Wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

3. Preheat the oven to 425F, with a rack in the lower third. Roll out the larger piece of dough on a lightly floured surface to a large circle 1/8 inch thick. Fit it into a 9.5 inch pie pan. Trim the edge, leaving a 3/4in overhang. Roll out the remaining dough and transfer it to a foil lined baking sheet (or a silicone mat). Chill the doughs while you prepare the filling.

Pear Filling
4 pounds (about 12) ripe pears (preferably Bosc or Anjou)
2 1/2 tbsp orange liqueur, orange juice, or amaretto
2 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2/3 cup walnut pieces
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 tbsp quick cooking tapioca
2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp water, for egg wash

1. Peel, halve, and core the pears; cut into coarse chunks, letting the pieces fall into a large bowl. You should have about 6 cups (*I had -way- more. I only needed about 8-9 pears). Add the orange juice (or liqueur), maple syrup, orange zest, cloves, walnuts, raisins, and tapioca. Toss gently to combine the ingredients. Place the filling in the pie shell, mounding it in the center. Dot with the butter.

2. Brush the edges of the pie crust with egg wash. Loosely drape the remaining dough over the filling. Trim off the excess pastry, leaving a 3/4in border. Turn the edges of the top crust under the edges of the bottom crust, leaving a smooth border on the rim of the pie pan. Crimp or flute the border. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. Make several slashes in the top of the dough.

3. Place the pie on a baking sheet (*I put the sheet in the oven ahead of time). Bake until the crust is golden brown and the juices begin to bubble up, about 50 minutes.

4. Cool the pie on a wire rack. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature.

Pear and Walnut Muffins and Coffee Cake

2008-11-16T18:25:00.003-05:00

I had mixed success with last week's baking.

This recipe for pear and walnut muffins was a hit at work, but i'm not sure i'll make it again. It was more complicated than most quickbread recipes. While whipping cream, separating eggs, and toasting walnuts, I couldn't help thinking that I like muffins to be a quick and not-too-messy project.

The muffins were rather rich for breakfast, but they'd be nice for tea. The tender white cakes are studded with crunchy walnuts and big chunks of canned pear. Whipped cream, orange zest, and ginger give them a delicate flavor.

I also tried the cinnamon swirl buttermilk pound cake from Tish Boyle's The Cake Book, which ripped horribly during unmolding (though I greased and floured the pan). It's not the first time i've had trouble unmolding filled coffee cakes. I'm not sure if I need to allow more cooling time or invest in a non-stick pan. It was also well received, but I found the texture tough and the flavor plain.

This week i'm trying a Rhode Island chunky pear pie and some cookies. I have high hopes for them! I'm hoping I have time to go through some of my Paris photos too. That project has been on the back burner for too long.

Quiche Lorraine

2008-11-10T09:10:00.003-05:00

Here's a fairly simple Quiche Lorraine from Tarts: Sweet and Savory. I'd recommend using your favorite basic shortcrust recipe; the one in the book is fine, but it's a little difficult to make by hand. I also returned the book to the library, so I don't have the recipe (sorry!).

While I enjoyed this, I prefer a thicker quiche. I'd love to be able to emulate the thick, just-cooked spinach and mushroom quiche from Jin Patisserie, or the sage, roasted squash, bacon, and asiago quiche I had a few weeks ago. Sometimes I have trouble getting the crust to cook through without overcooking the filling, and I still haven't found a really consistent crust to use.

I'm getting plenty of crust rolling and shaping practice from these pies and tarts. I tried the Butternut Squash Pie again last night using a crust recipe from Classic Home Desserts by Richard Sax. The crust turned out well, but I undercooked the butternut squash and ended up with a denser, weaker flavored filling than usual. I think i'll get it right next time.

Quiche Lorraine
adapted from Maxine Clark's Tarts: Sweet and Savory

1 blind-baked 9 inch shortcrust
8 oz bacon, chopped, or cubed prosciutto
5 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream or creme fraiche
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese, about 2oz
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a nonstick skillet and saute the bacon or prosciutto until brown and crisp, then drain on paper towels. Sprinkle over the base of the pie crust.

Put the eggs and cream or creme fraiche into a bowl, beat well, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Carefully pour the mixture over the bacon and sprinkle with the Gruyere.

Bake for about 25 minutes until just set, golden brown, and puffy. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pumpkin Muffins x 2

2008-11-09T18:56:00.002-05:00

What autumn would be complete without pumpkin muffins? Certainly not a typical autumn in Pittsburgh, when bakeries, street vendors, workplaces, and Starbuckses are brimming with pumpkin pies, cakes, breads, rolls, scones, and lattes.

Pumpkin desserts seem tied to thoughts of limited availability. They also seem to incite seasonal compulsion; last week I overheard several people saying they were hopelessly addicted to the glazed pumpkin cookies at Eat Unique. I've also seen people chase a venti pumpkin spice latte with a pumpkin cream cheese muffin.

I'm not saying this is a bad thing, or that i'm immune. I quite enjoyed Dozen Bakeshop's baked french toast with pumpkin/cream cheese custard today, and I have plans to try some more pumpkin pie recipes. I do wonder how this phenomenon evolved, and whether it significantly impacts food sales.

As much as I enjoy pumpkin, I haven't found a favorite pumpkin muffin recipe. Before my trip to Paris, I tried two different recipes: one from Belinda Jeffery's Mix and Bake and one from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From my Home to Yours.

I can't say which I liked better, since they were completely different. Jeffery's recipe (pictured in the front) has a rich, cake-like texture, a strong nutmeg flavor, and a delicious cinnamon sugar and walnut topping. Greenspan's recipe is simpler with a more balanced spice blend, but the resulting muffins reminded me more of biscuits than cakes. They'd be good spread with butter or jam.

I will print both below and leave you to decide which you prefer. I'm also planning to try the recipe from Sara Foster's Fresh Every Day. I'd love to know if any of you have recipe recommendations.

Spicy Pumpkin, Pecan, and Maple Muffins
adapted from Belinda Jeffery's Mix and Bake
1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash pulp
1 cup (150g) all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (80g) (I added extra all purpose)
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
120g toasted pecans or walnuts
120g raisins or dried cranberries
2 eggs
1/2 cup (110g) brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup light olive oil (I used melted butter)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

Topping
1/4 cup (55g) sugar
1/4 cup (40g) chopped pecans or walnuts
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat your oven to 200C/350F. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin, or line the cups with paper liners.

2. Combine the flours, baking soda, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl and whisk them to combine. Add the nuts and raisins and toss them about to coat in the flour mixture. Set aside.

3. Lightly whisk the eggs in another bowl, then add the remaining ingredients and the cup of mashed pumpkin. Whisk them together until thoroughly mixed.

4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the pumpkin mixture. Stir them together until just combined; the mixture will be quite loose and sloppy so let them sit for 1 minute to thicken up. Divide the batter among the muffin holes, filling them to the top.

5. For the topping, stir all the ingredients together. Sprinkle the topping mixture thickly over each muffin.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool muffins in the tin on a wire rack for a few minutes, then turn them out onto the rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pumpkin Muffins from Dorie Greenspan

Cinnamon Buns

2008-11-04T12:51:00.002-05:00

I'm still working on a post about my trip. For now, I thought i'd share some of the baking I did beforehand.

I'd been meaning to try this recipe for a while, and i'm really pleased I did. Most of the cinnamon bun recipes i've tried yield rich, danish-like pastries as opposed to fluffy, bread-like ones. The relatively low fat content of the dough makes these buns ideal for topping with sugary glaze or creamy frosting.

I used whole milk, all purpose flour, and lemon extract for the dough. I think bread flour would have been better, and i'm eager to try the buttermilk variation. I encourage you to be very cautious with the lemon extract. The Nielsen-Massey brand is incredibly potent, and I wish i'd cut the amount in half. Most of my friends liked the lemon flavor, but I think I would have preferred vanilla.

I haven't included the fondant glaze from the original recipe; it was a pretty standard combination of confectioners' sugar, warm milk, and lemon extract. Instead, i've added a cream cheese frosting recipe from another blog. These buns are texturally similar to the ones sold at Dozen Bakeshop in Lawrenceville, so if you're a fan i'd try out the recipe.

There's nothing quite like biting into a huge, freshly-baked cinnamon roll. I spent a leisurely afternoon proofing, shaping, and baking the dough, and then end product was incredibly satisfying.

Cinnamon Buns
From Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice
Makes 8-12 large or 12-16 smaller buns

6 1/2 tablespoons (3.25 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 1/2 tablespoons (2.75 ounces) shortening or unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon lemon extract or zest
3 1/2 cups (16 ounces) unbleached bread or all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (.22 ounce) instant yeast
1 1/8 to 1 1/4 cups (9 to 10 ounces) whole milk or buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cinnamon sugar (6 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1. Cream together the sugar, salt, and shortening on medium-high speed in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Whip in the egg and lemon extract until smooth. Then add the flour, yeast, and milk. Mix on low speed until the dough forms a ball. Switch to the dough hook and increase the speed to medium, mixing for approximately 10 minutes, or until the dough is silky and supple, tacky but not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to cover it with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap.

2. Ferment at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.

3. Mist the counter with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, lightly dusting the top of the dough with flour. Roll it into a rectangle about 2/3 inch thick and 14 inches wide by 12 inches long for larger buns, or 18 inches wide by 9 inches long for smaller buns. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the surface of the dough and roll the dough up into a cigar-shaped log, creating a spiral as you roll. With the seam side down, cut the dough into 8 to 12 even pieces, each about 1 3/4 inches thick for larger buns; or 12 to 16 pieces each 1 1/4 inch thick for smaller buns.

4. Line 1 or more sheet pans with baking parchment. Place the buns approximately 1/2 inch apart so that they aren’t touching but are close to one another.

5. Proof at room temperature for 75 to 90 minutes, or until the pieces have grown into one another and have nearly doubled in size. You may also retard the shaped buns in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, pulling the pans out of the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours before baking to allow the dough to proof.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.

7. Bake the buns for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

8. Cool the buns in the pan for about 10 minutes and then glaze the tops. Remove the buns from the pans and place them on a cooling rack. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving.

Cinnamon Bun Glaze
From Molly Wizenberg, Bon Appétit, March 2008

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Back from Paris.

2008-11-03T09:50:00.001-05:00

I am back from Paris. New posts are imminent!

-Lisa

Updated Pittsburgh Eatery Map

2008-10-25T19:00:00.002-05:00

View Larger Map

I've edited my "Places to Eat and Buy Food in Pittsburgh" map. I've added some new places I like and removed some places that closed or changed hands. Remember, this list is personal, not comprehensive.

I leave for Paris tomorrow! We have tons of plans. Here are a few definite ones: We're having lunch at Le Jules Verne and dinners at Le Violon D'Ingres and L'Entredgeu (among other places). We're going to the Salon du Chocolat. We're going to some markets, cookware and serveware stores, and cookbook stores. We're going to Poilane, Pierre Herme, Sadaharu Aoki, Berthillon, Eric Kayser, and however many bakeries/chocolate stores I can cram in.

I'm planning to spend a good chunk of time just walking around. It's supposed to rain, but I don't really mind.

I've behind in the blogging- I have some funny stories about making restaurant reservations in French, and pictures of quiche lorraine, Peter Reinhart's cinnamon rolls, and two kinds of pumpkin muffins.

I will try and take plenty of pictures. See you when i'm back from Paris.

Sour Cream Fudge Cake w/ Peanut Butter Frosting

2008-10-21T09:38:00.005-05:00

What makes a good birthday cake?

When I was a kid, I didn’t want a fancy, elaborate layer cake. I wanted a cake with Gumby on it. I wanted my mother to make the same lemon and german chocolate cake recipes over and over again. I ogled grocery store cakes adorned with neon-colored sugar roses and ballerinas, and I obsessed over a Cinderella cake complete with tired looking buttercream pumpkins and delicate figurines.

The mid-twenties birthday lacks the magic of a childhood birthday. In fact, if you live alone and far from home, birthdays can seem quite selfish. Casual mention your own birthday at work or in public can be misinterpreted as a scheme for free food, swag, and personal validation. Consequently, you get in the habit of either hiding your birth date, or telling anyone who will listen that you want NO gifts, NO parties, and certainly NO cake.

I rarely get cake these days. I’ve had my share of practically non-existent birthdays- the sort of birthday where you’re too busy reheating leftovers and rushing out the door for a five hour rehearsal to think about cakes and singing.

A good birthday cake doesn’t have to look or taste good (though it’s certainly a bonus if it does). In my opinion, birthday cake success is dependent on how, where, when, and with whom the cake is eaten. I asked a number of my friends to recall their favorite birthday cakes, and most of them said the majority of their cakes had been "average." So what makes an average cake spectacular?

My friend Anusha said: I like when it's something that is special for me...I love oreos, so an oreo anything cake is AWESOME. I also like when there's some deep tradition in it-like we got the same cake for YEARS for my sister's birthday."

My friend Peter said while he was on the Atkins Diet, his wife made him a cake out of frozen blueberries and cream. It wasn't exactly a cake, but it was "so completely insane" that he loved it.

One of my best friends turned 25 last week, and since he is worth celebrating I made him a cake. I picked out this Sour Cream Fudge Cake with Peanut Butter frosting from The Cake Book because it looked simple and good. We lit candles, sang, and ate huge, sprinkle-topped slices from the pan. The frosting consistency was a little strange, but nobody noticed.

For me, a good cake should rekindle memories of candles, singing, tradition, family, friends, and childhood wishes. It should reflect its recipient, and be given with the best intentions. I’ll turn a blind eye to stray eggshells, neon-colored frosting, or lopsided layers if a friend takes the time to make me a cake.

Sour Cream Fudge Cake
adapted from Tish Boyle's The Cake Book
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup hot water

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

2. Sift together the cake flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.

3. Put the chocolate in a medium stainless steel bowl and place over a pot of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the bowl from the pot and set aside to cool until tepid.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium high speed until well blended and light. At medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract until blended. Add the chocolate in two additions, mixing until blended. At low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the sour cream in 2 additions and mixing until blended. Add the hot water 1/3 at a time, mixing until blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, stir the batter a few times to ensure it is blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

5. Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack.

6. Frost the top of the cake with peanut butter frosting. Serve the cake from the pan, cutting it into squares and sprinkling with sugared peanuts (or chocolate sprinkles). Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural or low sugar.)
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup whole milk

1. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the peanut butter and butter at medium speed until well blended and smooth, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla and mix until blended. At low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar in 3 additions, alternating it with the milk in 2 additions. Beat at low speed until creamy, about 1 minute.

2. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate.

Buttermilk Pumpkin Pie

2008-10-15T07:51:00.004-05:00

I tried another pie recipe from The Modern Baker. It calls for chopped pecans, which I omitted for budgetary reasons. The crust was something of a disaster; I made two batches and the first was too wet to work with. Next time i'll be more watchful when adding the egg/water mixture.

This pie is relatively light- it uses 6 tbsp of butter in the crust as opposed to 9-16 (and I never use the whole batch) and buttermilk instead of cream or condensed/evaporated milk.

The recipe was for a 10 or 11 inch tart (I can't remember), but I only had a 9.5 inch tart pan. Luckily, the pan was large enough to accommodate the filling.

The pie was pretty good, but I prefer the Butternut Squash Pie I made earlier in the month.

With all the work and vacation planning, I've been a little behind in blogging. Rest assured that i'll give you more recipes soon!

Spiced Apple and Sour Cream Muffins

2008-10-13T10:26:00.004-05:00

These muffins from Kate Zuckerman's The Sweet Life did not last two hours at work. I almost wish i'd saved an extra one for myself. The recipe says to divide the batter evenly among 12 molds, but the batter yielded enough for 14-16. Kate has also made a note of this on her website.

The muffins were tender, nicely-spiced, and studded with moist chunks of sauteed golden delicious apples. The apples I picked up at the Oakland Farmer's Market were fantastic and held their shape well.

I'm trying to ease up on the baking before my trip. Paris in less than two weeks! Here's a map of places/eateries that piqued my interest. I have pages and pages of suggestions from friends/guidebooks/blogs, and i'm trying to narrow them down. I'll be leaving in plenty of unscheduled time too. When I vacation, my favorite thing to do is just walk around and look at things.

View Larger Map

Sour Cream-Apple Pie

2008-10-07T17:39:00.013-05:00

With some teeth-gnashing and trepidation, I've been trying the Carnegie Library's copy of Nick Malgieri's The Modern Baker. This new cookbook focuses on time saving tools and techniques geared towards busy home bakers. Malgieri is an accomplished chef and cookbook author, so I had really high hopes for his latest (given its conceptual similarity to The Weekend Baker).

I've had trouble with some of the recipes, and i'm not sure why. It could be my oven, my technique, or my interpretation of the directions. It could be the writing, the layout, or the original test conditions. It could be the weather. Anyway, here are some of my notes:

The small typeface is hard to read. Granted, I prop my cookbook a few feet away and glance at it periodically, but this is the first time i've misread measurements while cooking.

So far, i've only tried the Raisin Spice Squares, the Irish Soda Muffins, and the Sour Cream-Apple Pie. The raisin squares needed extra baking time, and they weren't to my taste. They had a brownie-like texture, which was distracting given that they don't have chocolate in them. I found the raisin and molasses flavor overwhelming.

The Irish Soda Muffins were quick to assemble, but plain-tasting (I omitted the optional caraway). They'd be nice spread with jam, since they're not too sweet.

The Apple-Sour Cream Pie was phenomenal, despite some technical difficulties. My crust drooped over the edge of the pan on one side, and the streusel sank deep into the custard (which overflowed slightly). The bottom didn't brown as well as I would have liked, probably because it was frozen when I assembled the pie.

Luckily, the finished pie sliced perfectly and everyone loved it. The crust was really interesting- the edges were crunchy, but the bottom was spongy and cake-like. It was a nice complement to the apples and sour cream custard.

I am very curious to hear if any of you have tried recipes from the book and whether or not you've had success. I'm going to try a few more- i'll let you know how it goes. I'm reminded of the experience I had with the Tartine cookbook, where no recipe I tried turned out the way it was supposed to...

I'm going try some more recipes, probably pies for now since the first one was encouraging. This blogger had some positive experiences with the cakes, and has posted some photos.

Butternut Squash Pie

2008-10-06T12:51:00.003-05:00

This weekend, I decided to try David Lebovitz's recipe for Butternut Squash Pie. I bought a large butternut squash in the Strip District and defrosted a big chunk of leftover tart dough.

I really love the Rich Shortcrust Pastry Dough from this post. Even when rolled very thin, it stays flaky, delicate, and crisp. The base recipe is intended for savory tarts, but you can add 2 tbsp confectioners' sugar for sweet ones.

My tart shells were quite shallow; I ended up with enough filling for one 9-inch tart, three 4-inch tarts, and six 4oz ramekins (the original recipe is for one 10-inch pie). I baked the ramekins in a water bath until they were mostly set but slightly wobbly in the middle. They turned out well, though they'd be better with some whipped cream, ice cream, streusel, or sugared nuts sprinkled on top.

I'm not sure I prefer butternut squash pie to pumpkin pie, but it's certainly delicious and fall-appropriate. Like Lebovitz, I prefer this pie chilled (but i've always had an affinity for cold pumpkin pie).

Fall is my favorite season, and i've definitely caught the fall baking bug. You'll be seeing an assortment of apple and pumpkin desserts very soon...

Butternut Squash Pie
adapted from David Lebovitz's Room for Dessert
makes one 10-inch pie

2 pounds butternut squash (for about 2 cups pulp)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extrct
1 tbsp brandy
one 10-inch prebaked pie crust

1. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and rub generously with butter.

2. Slice the squash in half lengthwise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and fibers from the cavity. Place the halves cut side down on the baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, until tender and fully cooked.

3. While the squash is baking, mix together the cream, milk, eggs, sugar, spices, salt, vanilla, and brandy.

4. When the squash is cooked, remove it from the oven and turn the oven down to 375F. Scoop out the squash pulp and add to the other ingredients. Mix until smooth in a food processor or blender.

5. Pour the warm filling into the pre-baked pie shell and bake for 30-35 minutes, until just barely set in the center. (I poured the filling through a strainer).

Whoopie Pies

2008-09-30T13:48:00.004-05:00

I think whoopie pies are rather whimsical. There's something about the fluffy marshmallow filling and bendy, cakelike cookies that makes me wish I liked eating them more than I do. Generally, I make whoopie pies because they elicit ecstatic reactions from other people. Especially if you coat them in sprinkles.

This recipe isn't difficult, but you can get wildly different results if you're not careful with ingredient temperatures. The cookie dough and filling are easiest to make when the butter is quite soft. I think room temperature buttermilk would be optimal as well. Cold butter will make the filling lumpy and the cookies less uniformly shaped.

Three-bite Whoopie Pies
adapted from Abigail Johnson Dodge's The Weekend Baker

For the chocolate wafers:
2 cups (255g) all purpose flour
2/3 cup (57g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp table salt
12 tbsp (170g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (340g) granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

For the vanilla filling:
12 tbsp (170g) unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups (177g) marshmallow fluff (not creme)
3/4 cup (85g) confectioners' sugar
2 oz (57g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla etract
1/4 tsp table salt

1. To make the chocolate wafers, position an oven rack on the middle rung. Preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until well blended. In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium high speed until well blended. Pour in about 2/3 of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until blended. The mixture will look sandy, with small pebbles of dough. Add the buttermilk and continue mixing just until blended. Pour in the remaining flour mixture and mix just until blended.

3. Using a small scoop or 2 tbsp, drop 2 tbsp mounds of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time until the mounds are puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 11 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Using a spatula, lift the cookies from the sheet onto a rack and let cool completely.

4. Prepare the filling while the chocolate wafers are baking. Combine the butter, marshmallow, confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until well blended and smooth.

5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the filling aside until the chocolate wafers are ready to be assembled. If the filling is very soft, refrigerate it, stirring frequently, until it's firm enough to hold its shape.

6. To assemble the pies, arrange half of the cooled wafers, flat side up, on a work surface. Mound about 1.5 tbsp of the filling in the center of each. Top with the remaining wafers and press gently on top until the filling spreads just to the edges. Refrigerate until the filling is firm, about 1 hour, or until ready to serve. The assembled pies will keep in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for 3 months.

David Lebovitz's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-09-28T22:11:00.003-05:00

When I saw this photo, I knew I had to make these cookies. I did a quick Google search for "David Lebovitz's Chocolate Chip Cookies" and found the recipe on Heidi Swanson's blog. It's originally from Lebovitz's The Great Book of Chocolate.

I really like this recipe; it has a good ratio of nuts and chocolate to dough. I took care to use good quality semisweet chocolate and toast the heck out of the walnuts, and I found that the cookies can have a variety of different textures depending on how you bake them.

I shaped half of the dough with a tablespoon scoop. I rolled the remaining dough into a log, chilled it thoroughly, and sliced it into rounds. I think I prefer the slice-and-bake method; the finished cookies were visually striking and crispy. The scooped cookies were substantial, chunky, and a little softer in the middle. Baking time will also affect the texture.

I'm going to make these again with pecans instead of walnuts. I really couldn't be happier with how they turned out!

Crepes with Nutella

2008-09-23T13:30:00.003-05:00

I can never make sense of crepe-making instructions. They say things like "pour the batter into the pan, rotating the pan so a thin layer coats the entire bottom." If you've never made a crepe, it can be hard to picture this process. You might try and execute it, only to find that your pan is too hot, your batter is the wrong consistency, and you haven't poured enough to coat the whole pan.

I also notice that people tend to be very opinionated about crepes. In your effort to learn more, you might ask a friend for advice. They might insist that you buy an expensive, "authentic" crepe pan or (heaven forbid) one of these. They will probably have a strong opinion on how long to cook the crepe, and how brown it should be (if at all).

I think crepe technique is best observed and practiced, not read. Try a few batter recipes until you find one you like and can execute it consistently. I'm partial to David Lebovitz's Buckwheat Crepes. I cook them in a flimsy skillet that cost less than $10, using technical cues from Jacques Pepin and my old catering boss. Since i'm usually cooking for one, I like to make all of the crepes and store them in the freezer for later filling/reheating.

This is one of those moments i'd love to be able to make a video.

How do you cook your crepes?

The Week in Review

2008-09-21T14:57:00.003-05:00

1) I went to the Strip District and bought some vegetables, including a squash that I roasted with garlic, olive oil, sage, salt, and pepper. I also bought a delicious sesame-semolina baguette from Mediterra.

2) I made the Espresso Swirl Brownies from Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies. Do not ignore the step that says to chill them for at least two hours. At room temperature they were a squishy, under-baked mess. Assuming they were ruined, I threw all but one into the garbage. The next morning, the chilled brownie was perfectly edible. That's what I get for trying to bake brownies when I have to rush out the door. They could've used 5-10 more minutes in the oven.

3) I booked tickets to Paris. My aunt and I are going October 26-November 2. Our itinerary is pretty flexible, but i'm pretty sure we'll be visiting the Salon du Chocolat.

I've been digging through books and websites trying to figure out all the places I want to visit/eat! Poilâne, Sadaharu Aoki, Pierre Herme, DOT (vintage kitchenware), Eric Kayser, Du Pain et des Idees, Grom, John-Charles Rochoux, Blé Sucré, pretty much anywhere mentioned on David Lebovitz and Dorie Greenspan's blogs.

In addition to planning, I will also be running and saving money like crazy...

Black Bottom Walnut Praline Bars

2008-09-19T07:11:00.003-05:00

These bars were a big hit at work. They remind me of Abigail Johnson Dodge's Chocolate Chip Brownie Double Deckers from The Weekend Baker, but they're a little more sophisticated. The chocolate layer is richer, and the topping has a stronger butterscotch taste. I used toasted walnuts, but I think I would have preferred pecans.

This is the best brownie variation i've tried in a while. Cook's Illustrated's Triple Chocolate Espresso Brownies were a close second. I like Alice Medrich and Emily Luchetti's brownies well enough, but I still haven't found a recipe I can call my favorite. I can never get the exact texture and flavor i'm looking for.

You can use any half batch of Alice Medrich brownie batter for this recipe. I've included the half-recipe for her unsweetened chocolate, "new classic" brownies.

Black Bottom Pecan Praline Bars
adapted from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet

Brownie Layer
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 cold large egg
1/4 cup all purpose flour

Place the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the skillet. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and salt with a wooden spoon. Add the egg. Stir in the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until the batter is smooth, glossy, and beginning to come away from the sides of the bowl, 1-2 minutes. Proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Praline Layer
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp Baking soda
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 large egg yolk
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
9-inch square baking pan

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
Spread the brownie batter in a thin even layer in the bottom of the lined pan. Set aside.
Mix the flour and baking soda together thoroughly and set aside.
Combine the melted butter, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the egg yolk and vanilla, then the flour mixture, and finally the nuts. Drop spoonfuls all over the top of the brownie batter (they will spread and cover the brownies entirely during baking).
Bake until the edges of the topping are well browned and cracked, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completey in pan on a rack.
Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 25 bars.

Cream Scones with Chocolate Chunks

2008-09-16T20:28:00.002-05:00

Getting ready to bake

Cooling down

If I spent a lot of time thinking about scones, i'd probably write a very long post that explained their many varieties and textures, and the technique needed to make them moist and flaky instead of dry and dense. The truth is, scones aren't my favorite pastries, and in most cases I prefer buying them to making them (I'm particularly fond of the scones from Enrico Biscotti and Jin Patisserie).

Generally, I will bake anything if I have the ingredients, regardless of whether or not I want to eat it. I chose this Alice Medrich recipe because I needed to use up some chocolate and cream. When I sampled one of the finished scones, I was surprised to find that I loved it. I loved the sweet, subtle taste of the cream and the dark contrast of the bittersweet chocolate. It had crispy edges and a moist interior.

Maybe I should give scone recipes some more thought.

Cream Scones with Chocolate Chunks
adapted from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar, plus sugar for sprinkling
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 to 4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp milk or cream for brushing the tops

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425F. Line a baking sheet with a double layer of parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together thoroughly. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Make a well in the center and pour the cream into it. Use a rubber spatula to push the dry ingredients from the sides of the bowl into the well, cutting and turning the mixture just until the dry ingredients are almost entirely moistened and the dough looks rough and shaggy. Gather the dough into a lump and knead it gently against the sides of the bowl five or more times, pressing in the loose pieces, until the dough just holds together (it should not be smooth) and the sides of the bowl are fairly clean.

On a lightly floured surface, pat the dough into an 8.5 inch round about 3/4 inches thick. Cut into 12 wedges. Place them at least 1 inch apart on the lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with cream or milk and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake until the tops are golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Let cool on a rack, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits

2008-09-14T08:34:00.002-05:00

These buttery, crispy-edged biscuits were pleasant on a rainy Friday morning. They're not the most exciting treats in Baking From my Home to Yours, but they're ridiculously easy to make. I think they'd be nice with bacon and eggs.

Now I have some completely unrelated things to mention:

1) I've had some really good food in Pittsburgh lately.
This could be somewhat subjective, but i've enjoyed big slices of pizza from Pizza Sola, shish kebab dinners at Istanbul Grille, cinnamon twists and almond mele next door to La Prima, honeycrisp apples from the farmer's market, and interesting baked goods from Dozen Bakeshop. Dozen had some especially good pumpkin muffins last week.

2) I'm planning a trip to Paris for the end of October.
I'm in the initial stages of planning, but I am pretty sure this will happen. I am ridiculously excited. I've been gathering all my notes/bookmarks on pastry places i'd like to see, and i'm trying to figure out who I know in the city who'd be willing to hang out for an afternoon.

I'm feeling settled into the new apartment too, although I think I need an oven thermometer. I've already over-baked three batches of brownies. I'm going to ease up on the baking this week- I waiting for the library to fill some of my cookbook requests. I'm curious to try Nick Malgieri's new book. It has an intriguing recipe for cheater puff pastry.

Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From my Home to Yours

1 c all-purpose flour
1 c cornmeal
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
6 T cold unsalted butter
1/2 c milk
1/4 pure maple syrup

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
2. Rub butter into the flour mixture with fingers or pastry blender, until butter is in various sizes from pea- to oatmeal flake-size pieces.
3. Add the milk and maple syrup and mix just until dry ingredients are wet. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes at 425 degrees.

Brownies and Mocha Slices

2008-09-13T09:43:00.002-05:00

These days, most of my baking happens in the morning. I take morning photos on the windowsill because it's the only place that gets enough light.

I tried two chocolate recipes because the kitchen is well-stocked with several types of cocoa and chocolate. I went a little overboard in the Strip District last week...

I liked the brownies; they were fudgy without that undercooked, greasy texture that comes with too much butter fat. I ate my them plain, but you can do fancy things with them. The recipe is from A Passion for Ice Cream. Anita at Dessert First has tried some of the recipes- she takes great photos.

The mocha slices are an old favorite that I put in my Christmas cookie box a few years ago. The espresso powder, cocoa nibs and cinnamon give the cookies a dark, fruity flavor that pairs nicely with the cocoa. They're relatively soft and chewy. The original recipe coats the dough-logs with sparkling sugar, but I usually omit it. It also suggests storing the logs in a paper towel roll to hold their shape, which I never do.

I definitely ate my fair share of brownies, but now I'm tiring of chocolate. We'll see what I end up cooking next week.

Brownies
adapted from Emily Luchetti's A Passion for Ice Cream

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
5 ounces (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dutch-process, which worked well.)

To make the brownies: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Melt the chocolates and butter in a double boiler over hot water. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture. Sift together and then stir in the flour, salt, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

Bake until a skewer inserted in the center, comes out fudgy and not dry, about 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan. Place a cutting board on top of the pan. Invert the pan and board. Remove the pan and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Cut and serve.

Mocha Slices
adapted from Martha Stewart Magazine
Makes about 4 dozen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa nibs
Coarse sanding sugar

Sift together flour, cocoa, salt, espresso powder, and cinnamon into a large bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle; mix on medium until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in cocoa nibs.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 2-inch-diameter log (I suggest dividing the dough and making 2 logs- much easier to manage.) Wrap in parchment; transfer to a paper towel tube to hold shape. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap log, and let soften slightly at room temperature, about 5 minutes. Brush with water, then roll in sanding sugar. Cut log into 1/4-inchthick rounds. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake until centers are set, about 10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely. Store in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

Cocoa Nib and Hazelnut Florentines

2008-09-10T08:07:00.002-05:00

It's been about a week since i've posted anything here. It's not that I haven't been baking- I made lemon bars, brownies, coconut chocolate chip cookies, mocha slices, and one or two other things. Unfortunately, most of these recipes turned out to be duds.

The brownie tart from Maxine Clark's Tarts: Sweet and Savory was too sweet and weakly flavored. 4 ounces of 72% chocolate was not enough to cut the 2 cups of sugar and 14 tbsp of butter. The brownies did have an interesting texture though.

The tangy lemon squares from The Weekend Baker tasted good, but they were extremely difficult to serve neatly. The smooth lemon curd topping tasted great, but it was messy and the shortbread crust got a little soggy. Since they were hard to handle, I ate them with a fork. I might try the recipe again with some modifications.

The chocolate chip coconut cookies from Pichet Ong's The Sweet Spot didn't spread much in the oven and had a weird texture. I probably over-measured the flour, but i'm wondering if other bakers have had problems following the weight measurements in this book. It's not the first time i've had weird results.

I think the bad baking and photography mojo is some combination of stress, personal error, and recipe troubles. After all of these frustrating attempts, I decided to make a recipe that always turns out well.

I've posted these florentines on the blog before, but I didn't include the recipe. They are thin, crunchy and elegant. They do spread a lot in the oven, so I suggest erring on the smaller side of 1 tsp while measuring the batter. Keep an eye on the baking time too, as these cookies quickly go from perfect to burnt.

Cocoa Nib Florentines
adapted from Emily Luchetti's A Passion for Ice Cream

2 oz (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
6 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp + 3/4 tsp all purpose flour
1/3 cup (1.5 oz) pistachios (or other nuts), toasted, skinned, and chopped
1/2 cup cocoa nibs

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cream, sugar, flour, the 1/3 cup nuts, and the cocoa nibs. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and comes clean from the bottom of the pan as you stir, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Drop teaspoonsuls of the batter 3.5 inches apart on the prepared pans. The cookies will spread as they bake. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool to room temperature on the pans and then remove them with a metal spatula.

Searching and Content.

2008-09-02T09:24:00.003-05:00

Some of you have asked for a recipe index or an easier way to search this blog. I've added a google toolbar on the left. While it is similar to the search bar at the top of the page, I find it displays the content in a friendlier format (ie you don't have to dig through every post.)

This same result can be achieved by doing any search in google, then adding the text site:http://pghtasted.blogspot.com.

Part of the problem is words like "cookies" "brownies" and "cake" are often included in posts that don't have a recipe attached. With that in mind, I will try and compile a recipe index (for my own use as much as yours.)

I created this blog without much purpose. Now, over a year and a half later, I've been reflecting on what this blog is for and what content i'd like to include. I think it's best for photos, comments on cookbooks, and recipes. I don't want to do restaurant reviews, and I don't want to adapt the enviable literary style of blogs like Orangette.

With most food blogs, I look for interesting photos with recipes to try. Sometimes I look for comments on cookbooks I haven't tried or purchased. I spend much more time reading cookbooks than writing about food, so I think I may try and stick to a recipe-focused approach. We'll see. It's all speculative.

Creamy Eggplant Tarts with Slow Roasted Tomatoes

2008-09-01T15:01:00.002-05:00

I love individual tarts. You don't have to slice them, so none of your guests will be stuck with a sorry, collapsing piece on their plate. They're also easy to shape and unmold, especially if you use rings instead of pans.

This is another recipe from Tarts: Sweet and Savory. The filling is a simple combination of pureed roast eggplant, garlic, spices, and eggs. It's a lighter, relatively inexpensive option that's perfect for summer. Grilled eggplants would taste especially good- the oven never achieves that charred, smoky flavor.

I only have a few notes on this recipe, mostly concerning the tomatoes. The two hour baking time was too long for my oven- I would check the tomatoes after one hour and evaluate how much more time they need. They should be bright red and not completely dried out.

The tart isn't the most attractive one in the book either. A simple garnish of chopped herbs and a drizzle of olive oil go a long way. I might even add a dollop of sour cream or thick greek yogurt in the future.

The original recipe uses a paprika and gruyere pastry dough, but I used leftover shortcrust pastry. The thin, crispy crust was a nice contrast to the creamy filling. Plan on budgeting 2 oz of dough per 4 inch diameter ring or pan.

Creamy Eggplant Tart with Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
adapted from Maxine Clark's Tarts: Sweet and Savory

Paprika and Gruyere Pastry Dough
6 tbsp butter
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 cup freshly grated gruyere cheese
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp ice water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Slow Roasted Tomatoes
1 lb large ripe cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Eggplant Filling
2 medium eggplants
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp dried oregano
3 large eggs, beaten
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tbsp of olive oil, to finish
a baking sheet
a 10x6 inch rectangular tart pan, or 6 4-inch diameter tart rings/pans

To prepare the tomatoes, preheat the oven to 325F. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally and arrange them cut side up on a baking sheet. Put the garlic, oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Spoon or brush over the cut tomatoes. Bake slowly for about 2 hours, checking every now and then. They should be slightly shrunk and still a brilliant red color. If too dark, they will taste bitter. You can use the tomatoes right away or pack them into a container and cover with olive oil.

To make the pastry dough, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Stir in the paprika, mustard, gruyere, salt, and pepper. Mix the egg with 2 tbsp cold water and mix into the flour for a soft dough. Sprinkle with a little more water if the mixture is too dry.

Knead until smooth, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Use to line the tart pan, then prick the base and chill or freeze for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400F, line with parchment or foil filled with pie weights/dried beans, and blind bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove the weights and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, until dry.

To make the filling, prick the eggplants all over and bake for 45 minutes or until soft. Remove from the oven and let cool. (Or prick each eggplant in 2-3 places and microwave on high for about 12 minutes until soft.)

Turn down the oven to 350. Halve the eggplants and scoop out the flesh into a food processor. Add the garlic, paprika, oregano, eggs, salt, and pepper to taste, then blend until smooth. Pour into the pie crust and bake for about 25 minutes or until set.

Remove from the oven and let cool. Arrange the roasted tomatoes over the surface to cover completely. Sprinkle with the olive oil, or use oil from the jar if you have stored the tomatoes, then serve.

Photos from Weekend Baking

2008-08-31T12:48:00.002-05:00

I was too tired to go out this morning, so I made some slow roasted tomatoes for another tart, and two kinds of cookie dough. Then I took some interior shots of the tart.

The tomatoes are brushed with a mixture of olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Potato and Parmesan Tart with Chives

2008-08-30T20:25:00.003-05:00

Cookbook photos can be dangerous.

I looked at the beautifully photographed potato tart in Tarts: Sweet and Savory and decided I had to make it immediately. I don't think i'm the only one who's aesthetically drawn to recipes. If the photo is pretty enough, I will empty my wallet for special pans or ingredients. I will make a potato tart even though I rarely eat potatoes. Or savory tarts. Or anything that's really heavy on dairy.

Baking on impulse can be successful or unsuccessful. For a while, I thought this tart would be wildly unsuccessful. Part of the problem was my friend Siobhan gave me a casserole dish that looked just like the one in the photo. While the recipe said any 1 quart capacity dish would work, my dish was too small. I had so much filling leftover that I layered it in a separate souffle dish.

The crust created another set of problems. I've blind-baked tarts lined with commercial grade plastic-wrap before; the plastic becomes brittle, but it doesn't lost its shape or affect the taste. Trying this trick with normal plastic wrap was a disaster. The plastic shrunk excessively, and I spent a while picking little bits of it out of the pan. It was frustrating. I had invited two people over for dinner, and I was convinced we'd be stuck with nothing but Caesar Salad.

When I pulled the tart from the oven it looked perfect. Not quite picture-perfect, but certainly close. It warm, comforting, and well-seasoned. The crust was especially flaky and well browned, even on the bottom. I was especially proud because I haven't hand-made tart dough in a long time (usually I use the food processor.)

If you have any interest in trying this recipe, definitely use an 8-inch springform pan. And try not to be so hard on yourself if things start going wrong!

Potato and Parmesan Tart with Chives
adapted from Maxine Clark's Tarts: Sweet and Savory

1 recipe rich shortcrust pastry dough
2 lb new or white potatoes, thinly sliced
4 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 cup freshly chopped chives
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
4 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a deep, 8 inch diameter springform tart pan

Bring the dough to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 400F.

Roll out the dough thinly on a lightly floured work surface. Use the dough to line the pan or dish (this can be a little tricky, so be patient and take your time) then prick the base. Chill or freeze for 15 minutes, then blind bake (lined with foil or parchment filled with pie weights or dried beans) for 10-12 minutes. Remove the weights and bake for another 5-7 minutes. If you are worried about the crust becoming soggy, you can brush it with beaten egg and bake again for another 5-10 minutes, until shiny and dried.

Turn down the oven to 325F. Reserve 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Layer the sliced potatoes and butter in the baked pie crust, seasoning the layers with chives salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 1 cup of the parmesan.

Put the egg and cream into a bowl, beat well, then pour over the potatoes. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the top. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the top is a dark golden brown.

Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan or dish, or serve straight from the dish.

Rich Shortcrust Pastry Dough
2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 tsp salt
9 tsbp unsalted butter, chilled and diced
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp ice water

Sift the flour and salt together into a bowl, then rub in the butter

Mix the egg yolks with the ice water. Add to the flour, mixing lightly with a knife. If it is still too dry, add a little more water 1 tbsp at a time.

Invert the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead lightly with your hands until smooth.

Form the dough into a ball. Flatten slightly an chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Creamy Coconut Cardamom Rice Pudding

2008-08-28T13:22:00.002-05:00

This rice pudding recipe is very different from others i've tried. Cardamom-infused creme anglaise folded into coconut rice creates a thick, decadent pudding that's best served in small portions. I wasn't sure I liked it at first, but the cardamom flavor won me over.

I bruleed the puddings under the broiler, but brulee torch would have been more effective. The burnt topping adds a nice crunch and takes away the fridge-chill.

The recipe makes a rather large quantity, so i'll probably save it for a bigger occasion.

Creamy Coconut Cardamom Rice Pudding
adapted from Kate Zuckerman's The Sweet Life
makes about 6 cups, serves 8-12

Rice:
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp jasmine rice or basmati rice
1/4 cup sugar
1 (13.5 fluid oz) can coconut milk
1 cup whole milk
1/4 tsp salt

Custard:
16 cardamom pods
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
5 egg yolks
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Cook the rice: Preheat the oven to 325F. Place the rice in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Place the rice in a heavy-bottomed medium-sized saucepan with 2 cups cold water. Bring the rice to a boil and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Strain the rice and discard the starchy water. Place the blanched rice back in the pan and add the sugar, coconut milk, milk, and salt. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and cover the pan with aluminum foil or the lid. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the rice expands and absorbs all liquids, 30 minutes. If the pan is not oven proof, transfer the rice to a metal or glass baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. If there is still runny milk in the pan, continue to bake, covered, for another 5 to 10 minutes. When the rice is done, remove it from the oven, leave it covered, and set it aside.

2. Make the custard: While the rice is baking, make the custard. Using the bottom of a small frying pan, crush the cardamom pods to split them open. (*I used a mortar and pestle.) In a heavy saucepan combine the cardamom pods and seeds, 1/2 cup of the sugar, milk, and cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and allow the cardamom to steep for 10 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, egg, and remaining 2 tbsp of sugar and briefly whisk for 1 minute. Using a ladle, slowly whisk some of the hot cream into the egg mixture to warm it. Gradually pour the warmed egg mixture into the hot cream, whisking the cream constantly as you pour.

Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring continuously and scraping the bottom with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and strain the custard to remove the cardamom pods and seeds.

3. Combine the custard and the rice: Scoop the rice into a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot custard over the rice and, using a whisk, slowly whisk until all of the rice granules are dispersed evenly and the mixture is thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla extract. Allow the rice pudding to cool completely. This pudding will keep, refrigerated, for 3 days.

Molasses Spice Cookies

2008-08-24T15:05:00.002-05:00

I strongly believe that gingersnaps and molasses cookies should be enjoyed year-round. While some people save cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves for fall and Christmas recipes, I use them for any occasion. Especially breakfast.

I've tried many kinds of spiced cookies and I definitely have favorites. So, when I tried this Cook's Illustrated recipe, I wasn't expecting much. I just wanted to use up the molasses.

As soon as the cookies came out of the oven, I knew they'd be perfect. They were beautiful: big, sugary, crinkled, and perfectly round. I've tried similar recipes that weren't nearly as consistent- the cookies spread too much, or they looked nothing like they were supposed to. Conversely, these cookies turned out perfectly every time.

I highly recommend this recipe if you like chewy molasses cookies. Don't over bake them, or they will lose their wonderfully chewy texture!

Molasses Spice Cookies
from Cook's Illustrated

Measure the molasses in a liquid measuring cup. If you find that the dough sticks to your palms as you shape the balls, moisten your hands occasionally in a bowl filled with cold water and shake off the excess. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time. If baked two sheets at a time, the cookies started on the bottom rack won’t develop the attractive cracks. The cookies should look slightly raw and underbaked when removed from the oven.

1/3 cup granulated sugar (about 2 1/2 ounces), plus 1/2 cup for dipping
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool
1/3 cup dark brown sugar (about 2 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup molasses (about 6 ounces), light or dark

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1/2 cup sugar for dipping in 8- or 9-inch cake pan.

2. Whisk flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in medium bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.

3. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter with brown and granulated sugars at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add yolk and vanilla; increase speed to medium and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low and add molasses; beat until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping bottom and sides of bowl once with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to lowest setting; add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl down once. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no pockets of flour remain at bottom. Dough will be soft.

4. Using tablespoon measure, scoop heaping tablespoon of dough and roll between palms into 11/2-inch ball; drop ball into cake pan with sugar and repeat to form about 4 balls. Toss balls in sugar to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are browned, still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), about 11 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.

5. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, then use wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack; cool cookies to room temperature.

Banana Cake and Lemon Almond Torta

2008-08-19T22:55:00.003-05:00

One of the best parts of making this Banana Cake from last week's LA Times was eating the cake scraps. The recipe comes from Clementine, a bakery/cafe in Century City. Mom and I had lunch there today. I love their sandwiches and deli salads, but their baked goods can be hit or miss.

My family sets the bar pretty high for pastries. This week I made:

Strawberry tarts with vanilla pastry cream

White nectarines with toasted almonds and custard

Almond biscotti

Glazed buttermilk cookies

Almond and nectarine cakes

Banana bread (twice)

Banana cake with cream cheese frosting

Almond crescents with burnt butter icing

Crepes with peaches and blueberry sauce

Lemon almond torta

I love spoiling my family. It's so much more fun to bake when you have a house full of people to feed.

The Lemon Almond Torta is a recipe from The Traveler's Lunchbox. The lemon curd topping is quite good- next time i'd spread it more evenly though. My large dollops made the cake lumpy.

Crepes with Peaches and Blueberry Sauce

2008-08-16T11:59:00.002-05:00

I like eating plain buckwheat crepes fresh from the pan. Sometimes I spread them with nutella or jam, or top them with a drizzle of maple syrup. I've tried several recipes for crepe batter, and while this one is my favorite, I prefer others for different occasions.

These crepes are flexible and sturdy enough for fresh fruit or cheese fillings. They don't color much- probably because there's little butter in the batter and I don't add much to the pan. A second frying can add color and bring out the cinnamon flavor. If you omit the cinnamon, the crepes can be used with savory fillings.

It took a few tries to figure out how I wanted to serve them. I tried spreading the crepes with cream cheese and greek yogurt. I tried sprinkling them with sugar and lemon juice before adding the peaches. I tried folding them into quarters and rolling them.

I decided I liked rolled crepes with diced peaches and blueberry sauce best. The fruit (especially the peaches) didn't need any accompaniment. The peaches are some of the best i've ever had- they're large, juicy, and very smooth textured. They're extremely ripe and not at all mushy.

It was a very successful breakfast!

Crepes
from Emily Luchetti's A Passion for Desserts

2 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1 cup milk
3/4 cup all purpose flour
6 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk the eggs, water, and milk in a bowl until combined. Sift together and then whisk in the flour, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt. Whisk in the melted butter and vanilla. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Heat a 6 inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat (*I used an 8 inch). Lightly grease the bottom of the pan. Fill a 1/4 cup measure about 3/4 full with the crepe batter and pour it into the pan, rotating the pan so that a thin layer covers the entire bottom. Cook for about 1 1/2 minutes, until lightly browned. Using a knife, loosen a corner of the crepe from the pan. With your fingers, flip the crepe over and cook for another 15 seconds. Place the finished crepe on a plate.

Continue cooking crepes, stacking them, slightly overlapping, on top of each other, until there are at least 12 crepes. It is not necessary to grease the pan after each crepe. Wrap the crepes in plastic wrap until ready to use. Store at room temperature for several hours, but refrigerate overnight. Crepes can be refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for 2 weeks. Defrost for 30 minutes before using.

Blueberry Sauce
1 1/2 pints fresh blueberries
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Combine 1 pint of blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the berries have mostly burst and cooked down, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 pint blueberries, then serve.

Almond Crescents w/ Burnt Butter Icing

2008-08-14T11:27:00.003-05:00

Usually I hate excessive frostings and glazes. They're often overly-sweet and loaded with scary ingredients like shortening and corn syrup. Icing recipes can be bland; they never quite lose their water/milk/egg white/sugar taste, even with the addition of extracts or juices.

This is probably the only time you'll hear me say this: I wish I put more icing on these. The browned-butter icing on these almond crescents looked and tasted fantastic. Mom and I repeatedly stuck our fingers in the container of unused icing for taste-tests. I'm looking forward to using it on other pastries.

I was happy this recipe turned out so well- i've had less success with others from the same book. I had some difficulty rolling out the dough; I suggest chilling it thoroughly and liberally flouring the counter if it sticks.

I seem to bake more every time I visit my family. I think I whipped out two different pastries within twenty-four hours of arriving. Now that I live alone with a tiny kitchen, counter space and enthusiastic tasters are a luxury. There will be plenty of baking before I head back to Pittsburgh.

Almond Crescents with Burnt Butter Icing
adapted from America's Best Lost Recipes
makes 2 crescents, each serving 6

Dough:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 package rapid-rise or instant yeast
1 tsp salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
1/4 cup warm evaporated milk (110 degrees)
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg

Filling:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Burnt Butter Icing:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp milk

1. For the dough: Pulse the flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal. Turn the mixture into a large bowl.

2. Beat the milk, water, sugar, and egg in a medium bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold the milk mixture into the flour mixture, then press against the side of the bowl. (The dough will be sticky.) Divide the dough into two pieces, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

3. For the filling: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir the brown sugar and almonds together in a small bowl.

4. Working with one piece of dough at a time on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 14x9 inch rectangle. Brush the dough with half the melted butter, then sprinkle with half the almond mixture, leaving a 1/4 inch border around the edges. Starting at the long end, roll the dough into an even cylinder and pinch the dough to seal. Form the cylinder into a crescent shape on a prepared baking sheet and, with a paring knife, make cuts around the outside of the ring, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Rotate each piece cut side up. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Cover with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray and let rise until the dough is almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.

5. Adjust two oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake until the crescents are golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating and switching the sheets halfway through baking. Cool on a rack until just warm, at least 40 minutes.

6. For the icing: While the crescents are cooling, heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swiring the pan constantly, until the butter is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the butter to a bowl and whisk in the confectioners' sugar and milk. Drizzle the icing over the crescents. Serve.

Classic Crumb Cake

2008-08-11T13:36:00.002-05:00

Moving has been a good occasion to turn back to one of my favorite cookbooks: The Weekend Baker. It has plenty of recipes for those of us with little space, time, or equipment. I'm definitely hurting in the equipment department: my apron has been doubling as a dish towel, oven mitt, and pot-holder. I'm missing other important things, like silverware.

I decided to make this crumb cake to try out my tiny gas oven. It's easy to make, especially if you have a food scale. It was visually striking; the top browned well and the big crumbs held their shape. It looked like something you'd see at Starbucks.

Considering how easy it was to make, this cake was pretty good. The recipe isn't my favorite, but it's good in a pinch- especially if you're feeding a crowd.

Classic Crumb Cake
adapted from Abigail Johnson Dodge's The Weekend Baker

For the topping:
16 tbsp (227g) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1/2 cup (113g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (170g) firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch table salt
2 2/3 cups (340g) all purpose flour

For the cake:
3 cups (383g) all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups (284g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
12 tbsp (170g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. To make the topping: in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Slide the pan from the heat and add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula, pressing when necessary, until there are no lumps of sugar. Add the flour and mix until well blended and pasty. Set aside.

2. To make the cake: position an oven rack on the middle rung. Heat the oven to 350F/180C degrees. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13in baking pan or dish.

3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well blended. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Whisk until well blended.

4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently stir with a rubber spatula just until blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Break up the topping mixture with your fingers into medium sized pieces and sprinkle evenly over the cake batter to form a generous layer.

5. Bake until the cake springs back lightly when pressed in the center and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Before serving, sift some confectioners' sugar over the top, if desired.

Moving and a Wedding.

2008-08-08T12:26:00.002-05:00

I'm playing cello for a friend's wedding this weekend. While the wedding festivities (and the final stages of moving/unpacking) leave little time for baking, they've created plenty of opportunities for eating good food.

I didn't take any pictures of said food; I was too busy enjoying myself. We brunched on crab canapes, jerk chicken, ceviche, stone fruit salad, caprese salad, fried zucchini blossoms, chicken sandwiches, fantastic ravioli, and champagne at The Cafe at the Frick.

I thought Abay, an Ethiopian restaurant, was a risky choice for the rehearsal dinner, but it was perfect. The staff was obviously excited to host us, and they did a fantastic job picking an assortment of dishes and dealing with guests constantly changing seats. No one seemed to mind the lack of utensils; everyone shared and interacted. The Tikil Gomen and Misir Wat were particularly good.

Both restaurants provided some of the best service i've experienced in a while. They handled large parties, multiple dietary restrictions, and unanticipated delays with ease. Moreover, they were courteous, enthusiastic, and helpful.

This week i'm headed home to Los Angeles again. I've already had several baking requests, so more recipes are forthcoming!

Lenox Almond Biscotti

2008-07-28T15:01:00.003-05:00

Finally, a biscotti recipe I love.

Lenox Almond Biscotti
from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From my Home to Yours

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3/4 cup sliced almonds, blanched or unblanched

GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the cornmeal and whisk again to blend.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed for 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs and continue to beat, scraping down the bowl as needed, for another 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light, smooth and creamy. Beat in the almond extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. You'll have a soft, stick-to-your-fingers dough that will ball up around the paddle or beaters. Scrape down the paddle and bowl, toss in the almonds and mix just to blend.

Scrape half the dough onto one side of the baking sheet. Using your fingers and a rubber spatula or scraper, work the dough into a log about 12 inches long and 1 1¿2 inches wide. The log will be more rectangular than domed, and bumpy, rough and uneven. Form a second log with the remaining dough on the other side of the baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the logs are lightly golden but still soft and springy to the touch. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool the logs on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.

If you turned off the oven, bring it back up to 350 degrees F.

Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the logs to a cutting board and, with a long serrated knife, trim the ends and cut the logs into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet — this time standing them up like a marching band — and slide the sheet back into the oven.

Bake the biscotti for another 15 minutes, or until they are golden and firm. Transfer them to racks and cool to room temperature.

Sbrisolona, revisited.

2008-07-26T15:44:00.003-05:00

Let's pretend, for a moment, that I didn't forget the butter in the refrigerator while making this almond cake. Instead, let's pretend that you asked what would happen, Lisa, if I made your sbrisolona without any butter?

Not much, actually. The finished cake is slightly drier, but not so much so that it loses its chewy, dense consistency. In some ways, this cake turned out better than the previous version; it had better volume and texture, probably because I took more care whipping the eggs and erring on the lighter side of the flour measurement.

The second photo is a white gazpacho from last week's dinner party. The recipe involves cucumbers, almonds, grape juice, bread, and several other ingredients I don't remember. It was really refreshing, and the spicy oil on top was a nice touch.

On another note, I had a lovely dinner at Legume; the peach shortcakes were fantastic. The shortcake itself was something like a biscuit and a very rich piece of shortbread.

I also purchased a dining table. I am going to recover the chairs with this bright, stripey fabric. It has two extra leaves, and i'm going to acquire a few more chairs.

Not much else is new. I move in a week, and by then I should feel ready for some more ambitious baking.

Almond-less Biscotti and Coconut Sticks

2008-07-22T14:58:00.003-05:00

Some of my favorite "biscotti" are just biscotti-shaped butter cookies. I suppose whether or not you like biscotti depends on how you define them. Are Almondinas biscotti? What about Mediterra's decadent chocolate-hazelnut cookies?

I usually associate the term with crunchy, twice-baked cookies that don't involve much butter. I'd say once you make something richer than the biscotti at Enrico's, you're making cookies.

When you read a biscotti recipe, consider the ingredients. Egg whites will make the dough stiffer and crunchier. Egg yolks and butter will contribute to a richer taste and crumbly texture.

I tried two different biscotti recipes last week: Cook's Illustrated's spiced biscotti, and Alice Medrich's almond biscotti (minus the whole almonds). Both recipes omitted butter. One called for 3 eggs, while one called for 2 eggs and 2 yolks. While both recipes insisted the final cookies would be crunchy but not tooth-breaking, I found them slightly too hard.

I much preferred Alice Medrich's coconut sticks, which are very similar to the almond sticks with cocoa nibs I make so frequently. They are once baked, biscotti-shaped cookies that are pleasantly crunchy and rich tasting. I really liked the coconut taste- they reminded me of these macaroons from my childhood, only fancier and more delicate.

I'll leave you with recipes for the almond biscotti and coconut sticks, which are pictured above. If you have a great recipe, let me know. I would love to be able to replicate Mediterra's biscotti...they're pretty amazing.

Almond Biscotti
from Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 tbsp amaretto, or 2 tbsp rum with 1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp anise extract (optional)
1 cup whole almonds, toasted and chopped
Cookie sheet, lined with parchment or greased and floured

Preheat the oven to 300F. Position a rack in the middle of the oven.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork. Set aside.

Whisk the eggs, amaretto, vanilla, and anise extract, if using, in a large bowl until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture and then the almonds. The dough will be thick and sticky. Scrape the dough into a long log shape lengthwise on the cookie sheet. Flour your hands and shape the dough into a long flat loaf about 10 inches long and 5 inches wide.

Bake until firm and dry, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Transfer the loaf carefully to a cutting board. Using a long serrated knife, cut the loaf on the diagonal into slices 1/2 inch wide. Lay the slices, cut side down, on the cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes; turn each cookie over and bake for 15-20 minutes longer, or until the cookies are golden brown. Place the cookie sheet on a rack to cool. Cool the cookies completely before stacking or storing. May be stored, airtight, for several weeks.

Coconut Sticks
from Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies

6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened dried coconut
1 cup + 2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp water
1 or 2 cookie sheets, lined with parchment or greased (I didn't bother greasing or lining them)

Using the back of a large spoon or with an electric mixer, in a medium bowl mix the butter with the sugar and salt until smooth and creamy, not at all fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Mix in the coconut. Add the flour and mix with your fingers, pinching and gathering the mixture until it resembles damp crumbs. Drizzle in the water and continue to mix with your fingers, pinching and gathering the dough until the water seems well distributed. The dough will not form a smooth, cohesive mass; it will be crumbly, but it will stick together when you press it. Turn it out onto a large sheet of foil. Press the dough into a 6x9 inch rectangle a scant 1/2 inch thick. Fold the foil over the rectangle, and wrap the dough airtight. Slide a cookie sheet under the package and refrigerate it for 2 hours or overnight.

(*Or, you can do all of that in a food processor. Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter, chilled and cut into pieces, and pulse until the mixture looks well combined/sandy. Add the water and vanilla and pulse until the mixture begins to look damp. Add the coconut and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together. Turn out onto a piece of foil and continue with the recipe)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Position rack in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

Use a long sharp knife to trim 1 short edge of the dough rectangle. Then cut a slice a scant 3/8 inch wide. Use the knife to transfer the slice to the cookie sheet, placing it cut side up. Cut and transfer each slice, placing them at least 1 inch apart. If some break, just push them back together or bake them broken; they will look and taste great anyway.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies just begin to turn golden at the edges. Rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.

Slide the parchment carefully onto a rack or set the pan itself on a rack to cool. Cool cookies completely before stacking or storing. Cookies are most delicious on the day they are baked (*I disagree). May be stored, airtight, for several days.

Strawberry Trifle

2008-07-20T10:04:00.004-05:00

There are moments when baking is extremely satisfying, and in the case of this strawberry trifle that moment was not when I unveiled it at the dinner party. It was the moment when, having assembled the trifle and put it in the refrigerator, I picked up the bowl of leftover angel-food cake and proceeded to wipe out and eat the contents of the whipped cream and berry covered mixing bowls and utensils that had accumulated on the counter.

I suppose that belongs on the list of indulgent culinary behaviors that are slightly discouraged: licking spatulas, eating raw cookie dough, picking at streusel and the edges of pie crusts, not giving things enough time to cool, etc. It is hard to resist leftover cake, cream, and macerated berries.

Almost everything about this trifle is indulgent. I got the recipe from my neighbor Carol who used to make it every year for her Christmas Eve parties. I've made it for several dinner parties where it usually leads to rave reviews and occasionally stomachaches. This was definitely the case last night- we were already stuffed on milk chocolate-guinness ice cream before the trifle made it out of the fridge.

This is a great recipe for summer that's relatively simple in terms of ingredients and process. The recipe itself is mostly a guideline; I always play around with the amounts of almond or vanilla extracts I use, and I substitute different berries or cake. Giant Eagle had surprisingly good berries on sale this week, so I didn't have any problems.

Carol's Strawberry Trifle
Note: this recipe is pretty loosely adapted because I lost my original copy. I rarely measure anything exactly, and it comes out differently almost every time!

1 large, store-bought angel food cake (about 10 inches, or 2 smaller ones), cut or torn into cubes
3 pints strawberries (I usually use two quarts), sliced or quartered
1.5 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
almond extract
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 pint whipping cream, chilled
vanilla extract

1. In a bowl, mix the strawberries with the granulated sugar and some almond extract. Set aside to macerate.

2. Beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, and 3/4 cup powdered sugar until smooth*. In a separate bowl, beat the whipped cream, adding 3/4 cup powdered sugar and some vanilla extract when it begins to look almost done (firm peaks). Fold the whipped cream gently into the cream cheese mixture.

3. Layer the ingredients in a large bowl or trifle dish, starting with cake, followed by strawberries, then cream. You should be able to make 3 layers. The trifle is best chilled for a while before serving.

*the cream cheese mixture can be lumpy if your ingredients are too cold. You can use a food processor if this is a problem.

Pressed Sandwiches

2008-07-13T18:01:00.003-05:00

I'm watching The Iron Giant in the park with friends tonight. Right now my kitchen is in boxes, so my cooking repertoire is somewhat limited. I decided early on that if I couldn't bake, i'd just make a giant sandwich.

After some coffee and pastry in the Strip District, I bought a ciabatta, fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes from Penn Mac and the Farmer's Market. Using a Martha Stewart recipe as a guide, I assembled this sandwich and weighted it down with a dutch oven and some jelly jars.

I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. It's perfect for picnics and parties. I've posted the original recipe below, but I only used it as a guideline. Here are some of my notes:

I prefer to stir in the parmesan by hand after the remaining pesto ingredients have been food-processed. The garlic can be overpowering, so err on the light side or omit it completely. Lastly, if you choose to use tomatoes, slice them thinly and place them on the thicker half of the bread to prevent the liquid from soaking through.

I'm looking forward to trying other variations!

Pressed Sandwiches
from Martha Stewart Magazine
2 cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper (about 7 ounces)
1 small eggplant (about 8 ounces), cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 zucchini (about 8 ounces), cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 yellow summer squash (about 7 ounces), cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 loaves ciabatta (each about 8 by 10 inches), halved horizontally
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/3 pound thinly sliced prosciutto

Make the pesto: Pulse basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor until combined. With machine running, add 1/2 cup oil in a slow, steady stream. Transfer to a small airtight container, and top with remaining oil. Pesto can be refrigerated overnight.

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. (If you are using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 3 to 4 seconds.) Grill bell pepper, turning with tongs, until blackened all over. Place in a bag, close bag, and steam 15 minutes. Peel pepper, and discard skin.

Lightly brush both sides of eggplant, zucchini, and summer squash with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill, flipping once, until golden brown and soft, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Pull out most of the doughy center of bread, and reserve for another use (such as breadcrumbs). Brush inside of each loaf with oil. Spread pesto over bottom half of each loaf. Top one loaf bottom with grilled vegetables and half the mozzarella; top remaining loaf bottom with prosciutto and remaining mozzarella. Sandwich top and bottom of each loaf, and press firmly.

Tightly wrap each sandwich in plastic, allowing air to release before sealing. Wrap each in parchment paper, and tie with kitchen string. Place sandwiches in refrigerator, and weigh down with a heavy object (such as a Dutch oven). Refrigerate at least 2 hours (or overnight). Slice, and serve.

Raspberry Squares

2008-07-05T18:16:00.002-05:00

I think I prefer these Raspberry Squares to my usual Oatmeal Coconut Raspberry Bars. They're easy to make (the recipe is essentially a large batch of streusel), they slice neatly, and their crispy-yet-chewy texture is fantastic.

I was impatient to eat them. Consequently, all of the photos turned out slightly unfocused. Don't let that deter you from trying the recipe. These cookies would nicely complement some assorted petit fours or tea time sweets. I like to cut them into small 1-1.5 inch squares.

Raspberry Squares
from Cook's Illustrated

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7.5 ounces)
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup granulated sugar (2.3 ounces)
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or almonds, or a combination (I used walnuts)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 12 pieces and softened by still cool
1 cup rasberry preserves

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fold two 16-inch pieces of foil lengthwise to measure 8 inches wide. Fit one sheet in bottom of greased pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan (overhang will help in removal of baked squares). Fit second sheet in pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In bowl of standing mixer, mix flour, oats, sugars, baking soda, salt, and nuts at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at low speed, add butter pieces; continue to beat until mixture is well-blended and resembles wet sand, about 2 minutes.

3. Transfer 2/3 of mixture to prepared pan and use hands to press crumbs evenly into bottom. Bake until starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Using rubber spatula, spread preserves evenly over hot bottom crust; sprinkle remaining oat/nut mixture evenly over preserves. Bake until preserves bubble around edges and top is golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating pan from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 1½ hours, then remove from pan using foil handles. Cut into 1¼- to 1½-inch squares and serve.

Yoghurt and Passionfruit Syrup Cake

2008-07-01T20:40:00.004-05:00

A recent issue of Donna Hay Magazine featured a beautifully photographed spread on passion fruit desserts. The pictures, along with memories of making passion fruit sorbets and chocolate/passion fruit ganache tarts at work, were too much. I needed to bake. It had to be today, and it had to involve passion fruit.

I decided to bake the yoghurt and passion fruit syrup cake. I imagine bakers in Australia and New Zealand are knee deep in passion fruit. Passion fruit must be economical somewhere, otherwise the magazine wouldn't have published so many recipes requiring so much pulp. I hear you can buy it in cans.

Some fruits are ridiculously priced in Pittsburgh stores. Today, I saw fresh figs for 1.60 each. Passion fruits were 1.99 each. I only bought enough for half of the passion fruit syrup recipe, and even then it was painful. On Saturday I will see if the Strip District has better deals.

I split the batter between two loaf pans and glazed one of the finished cakes. It was good; the passion fruit syrup paired well with the moist, light, and tangy cake. I cooked the syrup a little too long, so it was more jammy than syrupy. Some people might not like the seeds, but I don't mind them.

This cake is great with tea. It's simple and elegant, but it's not worth breaking the bank. If you feel compelled to buy passion fruits, I suggest using them for curd or a longer-lasting component. If I find some for a better price, i'll probably try the magazine's cheesecake slice recipe.

Yoghurt and Passionfruit Syrup Cake
adapted from Donna Hay Magazine
yoghurt cake
150g butter, softened
1 cup (220g) caster (superfine) sugar [regular sugar works.]
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup thick Greek-style natural yoghurt [2% is fine.]
2 cups (300g) self-raising flour, sifted [or 2 cups all purpose flour + 1 tbsp baking powder +1 tsp table salt]

passionfruit syrup
1 cup (250ml) passionfruit pulp
1/2 cup (125ml) water
1/2 cup (110g) caster (superfine) sugar

Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. To make the passionfruit syrup, place passionfruit pulp, water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes or until syrupy. Set aside.

Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 10-15 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add yoghurt and beat until well combined. Fold in the flour. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 24cm/9in bundt pan and bake for 35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Remove cake from the tin and place on a serving plate. Spike all over with a thin skewer, drizzle cake with syrup and serve while still warm. Serves 8.

Lemon Bars

2008-06-23T11:23:00.003-05:00

My only copy of this recipe says something like: Make crust, press into pan, bake 15 minutes. Make filling, pour onto crust, spread evenly, bake 20 minutes. Make glaze. Drizzle over lemon filling. Cool and cut into bars.

There's little need for directions when you've made a recipe dozens of times. These lemon bars have been my aunt's signature for years, and I learned to make them from her. I've made them for friends, family, coworkers, roommates, customers, and the occasional random stranger.

I've made these lemon bars so many times that I can't remember if I copied the original recipe correctly. Maybe I forgot some salt or vanilla. I can never remember if "brown sugar" means light or dark. I play around with techniques, ingredients, temperatures, and baking times. The bars always turn out well though.

I can give you some tips: make sure the butter is well combined- large pieces can melt and weaken your crust. Keep an eye on the bars after 13-15 minutes, especially if your oven is hot (I rarely need all 20 minutes). Thicker glaze is better than thinner- if it's too thin, it will soak into the bars instead of hardening into a crisp sugar glaze.

That said, these are easy to make. I think they're simple, elegant, and terribly addictive. To clarify, these aren't the butter-yellow treats most people associate with the term "lemon bars." They consist of a shortbread crust, a sugar/nut filling more typical to pecan bars, and a lemon icing.

Lemon Bars

for the crust:
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
Zest of ½ lemon

for the filling:
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup all purpose flour
Zest of ½ lemon
¼ tsp baking powder
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup walnuts or macadamia nuts, chopped

for the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp lemon juice, more if needed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make the crust. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and lemon zest, then cut in the butter. This can also be done with a food processor. Press the dough into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, zest, and brown sugar. Mix in the eggs, then add the nuts. Pour filling onto the hot crust. Spread evenly and bake for 15-20 minutes, until evenly browned.

Prepare the glaze. Mix together the sugar, butter, and lemon juice. Add more lemon juice until the glaze is pourable, but still quite thick. Drizzle or pipe the glaze over the hot lemon filling. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then cut into bars. The bars keep, ship, and freeze quite well.

Brown Sugar Pound Cake

2008-06-22T09:26:00.003-05:00

Pound cakes are perfect for certain occasions. They're fancier than muffins and don't require any rolling, frosting, decorating, chilling, or glazing. They are extremely portable and they feed a crowd.

I thought half of this recipe would be enough for my friday class, but it turned out to be more popular than I expected. It was devoured before the class even started. I brought the second half the next morning and it went nearly as quickly, though it had to compete with two boxes of donuts.

This poundcake has a unique texture and pronounced brown sugar flavor. It's moist, dense, and smooth with a very crisp upper crust. I omitted the caramel glaze- the cake was rich enough. It's not my favorite poundcake, but it was refreshingly different. If you love dark brown sugar, you'll really like it.

Because it's so moist, this cake doesn't store well. If you plan to store it for more than a day or two, I suggest freezing it. Also, be careful if you're using a tube pan. The batter was rather thin, and it leaked considerably in my oven!

Brown Sugar Pound Cake
adapted from Nancy McDermott's Southern Cakes

For the cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
One 1-pound box dark brown sugar (about 2 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
5 eggs

For the Caramel Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Make the cake
1. Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a fork to mix well. Stir the vanilla into the milk and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter with a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar in 3 batches, and then add all of the white sugar, beating well after each addition. Add the eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition. Add half the flour and then half the milk, beating at low speed only until the flour or milk disappears into the batter. Add in the rest of the flour and then the remaining milk, in the same way.

4. Quickly scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake at 325°F (160°C) for 1 hour and 10 minutes (55 to 60 minutes for loaf pans), or until the cake is nicely browned at the edges, springs back when touched lightly at the center, and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack or a folded kitchen towel for 20 to 30 minutes. Loosen the cake from the pan with a table knife and turn it out onto a wire rack or a plate to cool completely, top side up.

Make the caramel glaze
1. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the butter melts and blends with the brown sugar to make a smooth sauce, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the milk, and let the icing come to a gentle boil.

2. Stir well, remove from the heat, and add the sifted confectioners' sugar and the vanilla. Beat well with a mixer, whisk, or spoon for 1 or 2 minutes, until the glaze thickens and loses a little of its shine.

3. Use at once. If the glaze hardens, stir in 1 or 2 spoonfuls of evaporated milk to soften it.

Strawberries from the Strip District

2008-06-14T11:32:00.002-05:00

I spent my morning in the Strip District with a large cup of coffee and a good dose of leisurely wandering. At five minutes to nine there was a line forming for these gorgeous quarts of fresh strawberries. They sold out shortly after the market opened, so I was happy to nab some. They're pleasantly tart!

I much prefer small strawberries to their large under-ripe counterparts in the grocery store. I use them for tarts, ice cream, or this simple, delicious Strawberry Spaghetti.

Some of the produce looked irresistibly good. I bought several bunches of chard, thyme, parsley, and salad greens. I also picked up some lemon soda to make Tinto de Verano. Then I went home and made some roasted garlic hummus (delicious!) and a green lentil ragout (disappointingly awful!)

I really love the Strip District. If there wasn't homework to be done, I would have stayed longer.

Tall and Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

2008-06-10T19:58:00.002-05:00

Lately, i've been reflecting on change. Instead of reading my usual fantasy novels, i'm reading medical related non-fiction. Instead of using a treadmill, i'm jogging to the track and walking. Instead of baking excessive sweets, i'm making pickles, biscuits, roasted sweet potatoes, and massive pots of brown rice. I'm changing jobs and apartments, and i'm trying to change my outlook on a few things.

I thought baking less often would be strange, but it feels relaxed and natural. I've enjoyed making simple, less time consuming things. I'm sure there will be time for fancier recipes once the summer is over.

These fluffy, tangy biscuits are a favorite of mine. They're popular at home too; i'm pretty sure my brother ate three or four the first time I made them. They reheat well, and if you're pressed for time you can keep the dry ingredient/butter mixture in the refrigerator for a few days and add the buttermilk when you're ready to bake. You can substitute 1/2 cup whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup all purpose flour too, for a different flavor.

I really love buttermilk in baking, if you haven't noticed. I'd love to eat these with a smear of good butter or sour cream.

Buttermilk Biscuits
from Cook's Illustrated

Dough
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups buttermilk cold, preferably low-fat

To Form and Finish Biscuits
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces), distributed in rimmed baking sheet
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Generously spray inside and outside of 1/4 cup dry measure with nonstick cooking spray.

2. For the dough: In food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda to combine, about six 1-second pulses. Scatter butter cubes evenly over dry ingredients; pulse until mixture resembles pebbly, coarse cornmeal, eight to ten 1-second pulses. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add buttermilk to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated (dough will be very wet and slightly lumpy).

3. To form and bake biscuits:Using 1/4 cup dry measure and working quickly, scoop level amount of dough; drop dough from measuring cup into flour on baking sheet (if dough sticks to cup, use small spoon to pull it free). Repeat with remaining dough, forming 12 evenly sized mounds. Dust tops of each piece of dough with flour from baking sheet. With floured hands, gently pick up piece of dough and coat with flour; gently shape dough into rough ball, shake off excess flour, and place in prepared cake pan. Repeat with remaining dough, arranging 9 rounds around perimeter of cake pan and 3 in center. Brush rounds with hot melted butter, taking care not to flatten them. Bake 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees; continue to bake until biscuits are deep golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then invert biscuits from pan onto clean kitchen towel; turn biscuits right-side up and break apart. Cool 5 minutes longer and serve.

Buttermilk Cookies

2008-06-09T08:36:00.002-05:00

I love breakfast. Most days I eat oatmeal, but lately i've channeled my misplaced culinary energy into different breakfast options: whole wheat buttermilk pancakes, cheese omelets with sriracha, yogurt with white peaches and granola, toasted local breads with coffee, and several crepe recipes with jam.

What do these cookies have to do with breakfast? Very little. At the moment, any baking I do is motivated by the contents of my refrigerator. I had some leftover buttermilk and butter, so I plugged "buttermilk cookies" into epicurious and found this recipe.

I didn't care for the buttermilk cookies from America's Best Lost Recipes. These were better- moist and cakey with slightly crunchy edges. They're somewhat like Italian love knots, but less crumbly. I like them with tea.

I added a few drops of lemon extract in lieu of lemon zest. I would have preferred a more pronounced lemon flavor, so next time I may use zest and a lemon glaze.

Buttermilk Cookies
from Gourmet

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
For glaze
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter 2 large baking sheets.
Whisk together flour, zest, baking soda, and salt.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla.
Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in batches at low speed, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until smooth.
Drop level tablespoons of dough about 1 1/2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are puffed and edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes per batch. Cool cookies on sheets 1 minute, then transfer cookies to racks.

Glaze cookies:
Whisk together all glaze ingredients and brush onto tops of warm cookies.
Let stand until cookies are completely cooled and glaze is set.
Cookies are best the day they're made but can be frozen, wrapped well, up to 1 month.

Chocolate Coconut Caramel Cake

2008-05-29T16:07:00.002-05:00

This cake was meant to be a swan song of sorts. Between a full schedule of work and summer classes, there's no time for complex baking projects. I'll be moving soon, so I used up most of my baking ingredients on a multi-component cake. Now I can slowly start packing up the kitchen.

I picked this recipe from Payard's Chocolate Epiphany because the chocolate cake looked extremely simple. It's made with simple ingredients and simple techniques. I'd use it for other layer cakes because it's moist and it has good structure.

I didn't think the directions for this cake were particularly well explained; I wasn't sure what the cooked egg mixture for the mousse was supposed to look like, and I had a lot of trouble with temperatures. The recipe says the caramel glaze should be applied close to body temperature, but even at 80 degrees it was very runny.

I know that restaurants often use cream with a higher fat content. This might have been the problem, but it could have been a problem with my kitchen scale. If you have more success with the glaze, let me know. Mine tasted great, but it was more like a caramel sauce.

The best part was the filling. I loved the combination of rich chocolate mousse and dense, dark caramel. The toasted coconut garnish was also a nice touch.

Chocolate Coconut Caramel Cake
adapted from Payard's Chocolate Epiphany

Caramel Filling
1/4 cup (70g) light corn syrup
2/3 cup (125g) sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (150g) heavy cream, at room temperature (*you can warm it briefly on the stove or in the microwave)
3 tbsp (50g) unsalted butter, at room temperatre, cut into small pieces

Cake
Vegetable cooking spray, for the pan
2 1/3 cups (235g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10g) baking soda
1 2/3 cup (335g) sugar
2 tsp (7g) salt
1 cup (225g) buttermilk
3/4 cup (170g) vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (45g) dutch processed cocoa powder

Chocolate Mousse
1/2 cup (125g) heavy cream
3 oz (82g) 72% chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (62g) whole milk
1/3 cup (62g) sugar
2 large egg yolks

Caramel Glaze
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 1/3 cups (330g) heavy cream, at room temperature
4 oz (120g) milk chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp (30g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (135g) light corn syrup

Garnish
2 cups (150g) unsweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted

Make the caramel filling: Place the corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Pour the sugar over the corn syrup and let the sugar begin to melt. When the mixture begins to turn slightly golden, stir it gently with a wooden spoon to make sure that the sugar dissolves and the caramelization is even. If sugar sticks to the sides of the pan, dip a pastry brush in water and brush the sides. Once the sugar reaches a dark amber color, after 5-10 minutes, add the cream and keep stirring over the heat, to ensure the sugar is completely melted. The sugar mixture will splatter, so be sure to not stand directly in front of the pan when you do this.

Transfer the caramel to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature, then stir in the butter until it is fully incorporated. Place the caramel in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, until it is thick but still spreadable. You can also make this a day ahead. In this case, soften the caramel in the microwave before using in 10 second increments, until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

Make the cake: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350F. Spray a 9inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Cut a 9inch round of parchment paper, place it at the bottom of the pan, and spray it as well. (Use a 9x3 or taller cake pan- 2 inches will be too short).

Sift together the flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt over a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, and eggs, and add them to the dry ingredients. Whisk until the ingredients are just combined.

Place 1/2 cup (125g) water in a small saucepan over medium high heat, and bring to a boil. Whisk in the cocoa powder, and let the mixture return to a boil, constantly whisking. Pour it over the batter, and stir it in with a spatula or wooden spoon. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 30 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the sides slightly pull back from the edges of the pan. Let cool in the pan. (My baking time was 40-45 minutes).

Make the chocolate mousse: Pour the cream in a large bowl and whisk until it holds soft peaks. Set aside. Place the chocolate in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the sugar with the yolks until the mixture turns a pale yellow. Pour a third of the milk into the yolk mixture and whisk until the mixture is well combined. Lower the heat to low. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, and return to the heat. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook the mixture until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon, about 3 minutes.

Pour the mixture over the chocolate, and whip on medium high speed until the mixture is cool, becomes very fluffy, and nearly doubles in volume, 10-15 minutes. With a spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture, and refrigerate until ready to use, at least 15 minutes and up to 2 days.

Make the caramel glaze: Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. When the sugar begins to turn slightly golden, gently stir it with a wooden spoon to make sure that the sugar dissolves and the caramelization is even. If sugar sticks to the side of the pan, dip a pastry brush in water and brush the sides. When the caramel turns a light caramel color, add the cream and keep stirring over the heat, to ensure that the sugar is completely melted. The mixture will splatter, so do not stand directly in front of the pan. Remove from the heat, and stir in the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup. The glaze should be warm, close to body temperature, when you pour it over the cake. If it cools down too much, transfer it to a microwave safe bowl and reheat it in the microwave in 10 second increments until it's pourable.

Assemble the cake: Line a baking sheet with wax paper, and place a wire cooling rack on top of the paper. Unmold the cake. If necessary, trip the top of the cake w/ a serrated knife to make it flat. Cut it horizontally into two even layers. Place the top layer of the cake in front of you on a 9 inch cardboard cake round. Spread all of the caramel filling over the cake, then spread the chocolate mousse over the caramel. Place the bottom layer of the cake, bottom side up, over the mousse. This will ensure that the surface of the cake is smooth, which will make its coating easier.

Without removing the cake board, transfer the cake to the cooling rack and pour the caramel glaze over the cake. Use an offset spatula that is larger than the diameter of the cake to help the glaze flow down over the sides. The whole cake should be coated. Without removing it from the rack, refrigerate it for 30-60 minutes, until the glaze has set up. It will feel sticky, but will be thicker and firmer.

Place the coconut on a piece of wax paper. With a large serving spatula, carefully remove the cake, still on the board, from the rack and place it in the center of your left hand (or right if you are left handed) over the paper. With the over hand, scoop up the coconut and press it on the sides of the cake. When the cake is coated all the way around, place it on a serving platter. Refrigerate the cake until you are ready to serve it, up to 1 day. Remove the cake from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.

Yeasted Waffles

2008-05-27T16:22:00.002-05:00

Of all the waffles i've made from scratch, these were my favorite. They were extremely crunchy, buttery, and slightly sour from the yeast. I dipped them in syrup. I dipped them in coffee. I slathered them with the last of my Nutella.

Since I was only cooking for two, I ended up with a gallon sized plastic bag stuffed with leftover waffles. I've been reheating them in the toaster, which works perfectly well if you don't mind the occasional burnt edges.

I'm working on a doozy of a cake (chocolate, caramel filling, chocolate mousse filling, milk chocolate caramel glaze...) for my friends who come over for Top Chef. I'm hoping it will turn out well; I definitely charred some candied orange peels yesterday and spilled chocolate cake batter inside the oven...

Someone asked for the rhubarb compote recipe I used. I can't remember where I found it, but it involved rhubarb, sugar, and orange juice and zest.

Yeasted Waffles
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

The batter must be made 12 to 24 hours in advance. If you want to keep waffles warm, place them on a wire rack set above a baking sheet, cover them with a clean kitchen towel, and place the baking sheet in a 200-degree oven. When the final waffle is in the iron, remove the towel to allow the waffles to crisp for a few minutes. (They are better fresh though). You can also freeze cooked waffles and reheat them in the toaster on a very low setting.

1 3/4 cups whole milk , or low-fat milk, or skim milk
8 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 8 pieces
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat milk and butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until butter is melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool milk/butter mixture until warm to touch. Meanwhile, whisk flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in large bowl to combine. Gradually whisk warm milk/butter mixture into flour mixture; continue to whisk until batter is smooth. In small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla until combined, then add egg mixture to batter and whisk until incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 12 and up to 24 hours.

2. Following manufacturer’s instructions, heat waffle iron; remove waffle batter from refrigerator when waffle iron is hot (batter will be foamy and doubled in size). Whisk batter to recombine (batter will deflate). Bake waffles according to manufacturer’s instructions (use about ½ cup for 7-inch round iron and about 1 cup for 9-inch square iron). Serve waffles immediately or hold in low temperature oven.

Afternoon Chocolate Cake

2008-05-22T13:35:00.002-05:00

I made some fantastic rhubarb-orange compote and quick pickles last week, but neither photographed very well. The natural lighting has been lousy, and my roommate's lovely table that so many of you commented on was loaded into a car bound for Buck's County, PA. I'm keeping my eye on craigslist for a new one.

I picked up Payard's Chocolate Epiphany from the library yesterday. I really like it so far; it lists very accurate gram measurements and strikes a good balance between simple and complex recipes.

This Afternoon Chocolate Cake only requires five ingredients and 23 minutes. Given my current lack of time and enthusiasm for baking, it seemed like a great starting point. It's a thin, dense chocolate cake that's something like fudge or a very dense brownie. Its texture depends significantly on temperature. It's great with ice cream or coffee.

The recipe suggests cooling this cake for 2-3 hours before serving. After about two hours it was somewhat like a warm brownie. After a day in the refrigerator, it had a more solid, fudgy texture. I'd like to try adding some toasted pecans, or infusing the butter with spices like cardamom and white pepper.

I'm looking forward to trying some other recipes from the book. It looks really promising.

Charlie's Afternoon Chocolate Cake
adapted from Payard's Chocolate Epiphany

10 tbsp (150g) unsalted butter
8 oz (250g) 60% chocolate, chopped
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (125g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (75g) all purpose flour
9 inch round cake pan or springform pan

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Spray the sides and bottom of a 9in round cake pan with cooking spray. Dust it with flour, shaking off the excess, and set aside.

Bring the butter to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir a couple of times to prevent it from burning. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate to the pan. Stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Add the flour and mix well. Add the chocolate to the batter and stir until the mixture is just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven to 300F and bake for an additional 8 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan. Unmold and serve. This cake may be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to a month.

Queen of the Hash Browns.

2008-05-18T14:40:00.003-05:00

This morning, I couldn't remember if i'd ever eaten hashbrowns. I've had my fair share of breakfast potatoes and frozen, packaged potato products like tater tots, but I have little recollection of hashbrowns beyond rehydrating gigantic cartons of dried potato shreds to fry for a summer camp.

I frequently ignore potato recipes. Baked, mashed, or gratineed, they've never struck me as intensely flavorful or interesting. I think of potatoes and I think heavy: dense potato salads, side dishes laden with butter and cream, or extra carbs that people want to avoid. Of course there are some exceptions; I love roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic.

On a whim, I decided to try this recipe for hashbrowns. Ruth Reichl really touts hashbrowns in Garlic and Sapphires. I was tempted by the process of a crispy potato cake that required few ingredients and little labor.

I loved these hashbrowns. They tasted just like I imagined they should: hot, crunchy, and well seasoned. Sometimes I forget how good the simplest recipes can be. Salt, pepper, and good butter go a long way. Since these hashbrowns cost less than a dollar to make, i'll definitely make them again soon.

Cooking hashbrowns is easy; as long as you heat the butter enough, you can ignore them until they're really, really brown and crispy. You'll smell it if they're burning. This recipe calls for 1 pound of potatoes for a 10-inch skillet; however, I used one large russet in an 8-inch skillet. Next time, I think i'll add some chives, scallions, or cheese.

Classic Hash Browns
adapted from Cook's Illustrated
serves 4

To prevent potatoes from turning brown, grate them just before cooking.

1 pound high-starch potatoes such as russets or Idahos, peeled, washed, dried, grated coarse, and squeezed dry in a dish towel (1 1/2 cups loosely packed grated potatoes)
1/4 teaspoon table salt
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter

1. Toss fully dried grated potatoes with salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

2. Meanwhile, heat half the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it just starts to brown, then scatter potatoes evenly over entire pan bottom. Using a wide spatula, firmly press potatoes to flatten; reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until dark golden brown and crisp, 7 to 8 minutes.

3. Invert hash browns, browned side up, onto a large plate; add remaining butter to pan. Once butter has melted, slide hash browns back into pan. Continue to cook over medium heat until remaining side is dark golden brown and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes longer.

4. Fold the potato round in half; cook about 1 minute longer. Slide hash browns onto plate or cutting board, cut into wedges, and serve immediately.

Carrot Cupcakes w/ Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

2008-05-16T14:58:00.002-05:00

I've gone through rather pronounced baking phases this year. Some involve a specific ingredient (bananas, semolina) and others involve a specific technique or cookbook.

At the moment I think i'm in baking limbo. I've been uninspired. I'm baking less frequently and i'm unfocused. I am impatient for the end of this strange, rainy, in-between season.

I have repeated a few recipes: cardamom poundcakes, granola, and these little carrot honey cakes with orange cream cheese frosting. I'm hosting a brunch on Sunday and i'll be repeating David Leite's baked french toast along with some steel cut oatmeal.

I'm really looking forward to the summer. There was some fantastic looking rhubarb at the food co-op today, so I bought a pound. I'll probably make a compote. Tomorrow i'm planning to visit the farmers' market in the Strip District and make some pickles.

Maybe the imminent influx of cherries, berries, peaches, and tomatoes will pull me out of this slump!

Cardamom Pound Cake

2008-05-08T11:09:00.003-05:00

"You might have to make another one of these before you go."

That was my mom's verdict on this rich, warmly spiced pound cake. It's a simple recipe that I highly recommend to anyone who likes cardamom. I like it lightly toasted with black coffee, but it'd be great with fruit compote or ice cream as well.

I love how much my family and neighbors enjoy my baking. I made another Cardamom Crumb Cake and caught different people (myself included) picking at the streusel all day. I made granola, a flan, a breakfast bread pudding, two kinds of cookies, and an apple-raspberry crisp. Today i'm going to try and whip out a cheesecake before I start packing for my return to Pittsburgh.

On a side note, I much prefer David Leite's Baked French Toast to the Breakfast Bread Pudding in Fresh Every Day. The texture was pretty unfortunate.

Sour Cream Cardamom Pound Cake
adapted from Sara Foster's Fresh Every Day
makes 1 10-inch tube or bundt, or 2 9x5 inch loaf pans

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering the pan
3 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Butter a 10 inch tube pan or bundt pan (or 2 9 inch loaf pans) and dust lightly with flour. You can also line the pans with foil or parchment paper.

2. Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.

3. In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and cardamom together with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, and stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time.

4. Add a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix in half of the sour cream. Repeat, alternating between the flour mixture and sour cream and ending with the flour until all the ingredients are combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition and mix only until all the ingredients are incorporated and no flour is visible.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan(s) with a rubber spatula and smooth to even out the top. Bake the cake on the center rack of the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then turn the cake out of the pan onto a baking rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature. This cake will keep, tightly wrapped in plastic, for several days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Herbed Angel Biscuits

2008-05-06T19:05:00.002-05:00

I dressed up these biscuits with fresh herbs from the Santa Monica Farmers' Market. I'm not entirely sure what I used; I think it was a mixture of parsley, thyme, and marjoram. They had crisp exteriors and fluffy, flaky insides. The herb flavor was subtle and paired nicely with chicken and soup.

Herbed Angel Biscuits
adapted from Sara Foster's Fresh Every Day
makes 12-15 2.5inch biscuits

1 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
3 cups self rising flour, or 3 cups all purpose flour mixed with 2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
8 tbsp (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces, plus more for buttering the baking sheet
1 cup well shaken buttermilk
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
about 2 tbsp minced herbs, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Lightly butter a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.

2. Stir the yeast and sugar together in a small bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup of warm water. Set the bowl in a warm place for about 5 minutes, until the mixture bubbles and doubles in volume.

3. Meanwhile, stir the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the shortening and the cold butter pieces and cut them into the flour with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the fresh herbs, if using.

4. Add the buttermilk to the yeast and stir to combine. Pour the buttermilk-yeast mixture into the flour-butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough just starts to stick together. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it forms a ball. Do not add more flour than is needed to keep the dough from sticking and do not mix or work the dough any more than is necessary to bring it together.

5. Roll the dough about 3/4 inch thick and cut with a 2.5 inch biscuit cutter, leaving as little space between each cut as possible. If the dough sticks to the cutter, dip the cutter in flour. (I shaped the dough into a square and cut it with a dough scraper).

6. Place the biscuits on the baking sheet. If you want the sides to be soft, arrange the biscuits with their sides touching. If you want the sides to be crispy, leave 1 inch between the biscuits. Lightly brush the tops with melted butter and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Los Angeles Eating.

2008-05-05T18:56:00.002-05:00

I had a full day of driving today and by the time I got home it was a little dark for photography. I settled for dark photos because I wanted to sample all of these pastries with my mom as soon as possible.

I wanted to try some new bakeries and restaurants during this trip, so I took some cues from Potatomato. It's a great blog with photos from many Los Angeles area restaurants. Here are some of the places I went:

Clementine is an upscale deli where you order at the counter, take a number, and find a table. It was insanely crowded (the lunch rush is usually from 12-2pm) but the food was great. Some of the flavor combinations were really interesting: red onions pickled with ginger and citrus, roasted tomato mayo, caper and anchovy vinaigrette...I was too full to try any pastries. I hear they are good.

I had lunch at Joe's again. It was a little disappointing. Maybe it was an off day, or maybe they're still recovering from a recent chef change. Joe's is near Jin Patisserie which i'm also hoping to visit again this trip.

I finally went to Patisserie Chantilly in Lomita. It was fantastic! I tried a few pastries, and my favorite was a tart cheesecake with candied citrus and a shortbread crust. It's two doors down from a great place for udon noodles. I can't remember the name but it was fabulous. I had wakame udon.

Today, after a visit to UCLA I stopped at Paulette Macarons. I preferred the macarons that had caramel filling rather than buttercream (salted caramel and New Orleans praline were amazing!) The macarons were soft and slightly cakelike- spongy rather than crispy.

I also stopped at Boule. I've read some mixed reviews of this place, but I liked it. The canele, fleur de sel caramel eclair, and croissant were fantastic. The nougat was so-so.

I also had dinners at Darya (great Persian food) and Pine Tree Korean BBQ (a family favorite. I love the little side dishes).

I think that's everywhere I went!

Apple Rum Raisin Bread

2008-04-28T15:09:00.002-05:00

I own all of Sara Foster's cookbooks. I like that they have a variety of simple, fresh-tasting recipes. I made this Apple Rum Raisin Bread to go along with sunday's brunch. The original recipe is doubled, and calls for a combination of raisins and currants.

This isn't my favorite quick bread yesterday, but it was an interesting change. I like rum in baking, and the homey flavor of cinnamon, cardamom, and apples. I think this loaf is best on the second day; it's a little difficult to slice neatly when it's fresh from the oven.

Apple Rum Raisin Bread
adapted from Sara Foster's The Foster's Market Cookbook
makes one 9x5 inch loaf

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnmon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp canola or safflower oil
6 tbsp dark rum
1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 granny smith or other tart aples, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
1 cup raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Grease and lightly flour one 9x5 inch loaf pan and set aside.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl and stir to mix.
4. Cream together the sugar, eggs, oil, rum, and vanilla in a separate bowl with an electric mixer.
5. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir just until the dry ingredients are moist and blended. Do not overmix.
6. Put the apples in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse several times; you should have about 2 cups processed apples. Add the apples and raisins to the batter and mix until just blended. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
7. Bake 1-1 1/4 hours, until the bread has risen, the top is slightly cracked, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (note: this is a very dense, moist loaf.)
8. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm or place on a baking tray to cool.

Vegetarian Sweet Potato Hash

2008-04-27T13:04:00.002-05:00

Dan hosted a brunch in Bloomfield this morning. Since he was making french toast, I decided to bring something savory. I decided to use a Sara Foster hash recipe and make it vegetarian friendly. I have posted the original recipe below, but I will warn you that I barely followed it.

I woke up early and prepped the ingredients with an unfortunately dull chef's knife. I was doubling the recipe and noticed that my skillet was way too small, so I decided to cook the components separately.

I cooked the onions and peppers and transferred them to a large roasting pan. I should have added more oil; there wasn't enough when I added the veggie sausage and it sortof crusted on the bottom of the pan. Everything was overheated and scorching.

Dismayed, I switched skillets and left that one to soak. I cooked the potatoes, which didn't brown nearly as nicely on the non-stick surface. In the end, I put it under the broiler until everything looked crisp and brown.

I guess I haven't sauteed anything in a very long time. I usually stick to roasting, broiling, and boiling. Everything turned out okay though! The hash was a delicious, lighter alternative to typical brunch dishes. I'm glad I made it, even though the cooking process was a little frenetic.

The brunch was great. There was challah french toast, granola and yogurt, fruit salad, vegetarian bloody marys (sans vodka), potatoes, apple rum raisin bread, lemon cookies, lemon madeleines, a frittata, orange juice, homemade gingerale, and coffee.

Vegetarian Sweet Potato Hash
adapted from Sara Foster's The Foster's Market Cookbook
serves 4

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 pound vegetarian sausage (or skinless cooked turkey breast)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 large eggs
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1. Place the diced potatoes in a saucepan and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the potatoes are just barely tender; they should still be firm and hold their shape. Drain well and set aside.

2. Heat the butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 4-5 mins, until light brown.

3. Add the potatoes and cook 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are crispy. Add the remaining olive oil and the soysage/meat/etc. Season with salt and pepper and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

4. Make four 3-inch holes in the hash and break an egg into each hole. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 4-5 minutes, until the eggs are cooked to the desired degree of doneness. Sprinkle with the chives, parsley and additional salt and pepper, if desired. Use a spatula to divide into portions and serve immediately.

Variations: Use chicken, smoked turkey, smoked trout, or sausage. Substitute red potatoes, yukon gold, or other potatoes and try other peppers instead of bell peppers.

Melting Chocolate Cookie Tartlets

2008-04-25T07:38:00.003-05:00

I've been working through some untried recipes in Bittersweet. I had some tartlet crusts in the freezer and I filled them with this chocolate/nut meringue mixture.

I like this filling; it's easy to assemble, intensely chocolate flavored, and studded with chopped pecans. It doesn't have that crunchy, chalky meringue texture. I had extra filling left over, so I scooped piles onto a cookie sheet and baked them. This worked fine, and I enjoyed eating the cookies.

Next time I think i'll pipe the filling into the tart shells. I might put more filling in too; it has structure, so there's no danger of spilling.

Melting Chocolate Cookie Tartlets
adapted from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet

For the crust:
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour

For the filling:
6oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (50-62%. For 64-66%, use 5 oz)
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnutes

Eight 4in tartlet pans, or 10 3.5in tartlet pans. (I used 12 very small tartlet tins and still had filling left over)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F.

To make the crust: Mix the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour and mix just until well blended. Don't worry if the dough seems too soft. Divide the dough into 8-10 equal pieces. Press one piece of dough very thinly and evenly across the bottom and up the sides of each tartlet pan. Place the pans on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a deep golden brown.

While the crusts are baking, make the filling: Melt the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set in a wide skillet of barely simmering water, or in the microwave. Remove from the heat and stir until completely melted.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form when you lift the beaters. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Pour the nuts and all of the warm chocolate over the egg whites and fold with a rubber spatula until the color of the batter is uniform.

As soon as the tartlet crusts are ready, divide the filling equally among them. Make sure the batter touches the crust around all the edges. Return to the oven and bake the filling until it is dry or slightly cracked on top, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.

To unmold, use the point of a paring knife to loosen one edge of the crust from the pan, then tip the tarts into your hand. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations: Fold in 2 oz of crystallized ginger, finely chopped; 4 oz moist prunes, chopped into 1/4in pieces; 4 oz candied chestnuts, chopped. You can also substitute other nuts, like pine nuts.

Green Tea Cookies w/ Cocoa Nibs

2008-04-24T06:40:00.002-05:00

This recipe for Almond Sticks with Cocoa Nibs is one of my favorites. I sent a batch to my sister this week and made a second batch for myself. On a whim, I added a half tablespoon of matcha powder and cut the cookies smaller than usual. I loved the bright green color, but you couldn't really taste the green tea. It was very subtle.

On the bright side, I want to try more variations. I think citrus extract and zest, or instant espresso powder could be good.

My friend Dan recently tried the Foster's granola recipe, so I decided to make it again too.

It was more candy-like than I remembered, which isn't to say I don't like it. I just want to re-iterate that this granola is best eaten in small quantities. I like it for snacking and topping yogurt and desserts. Andy insists that it's wonderful with coffee ice cream.

I've also tried a few savory recipes lately: Molly Stevens's Braised Green Cabbage and James Beard's Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. Both were quite good and easy to prepare.

I don't have any ambitious baking plans for the rest of the week; i'm doing some spring cleaning before I head to Los Angeles on Sunday.

Tiger Cake

2008-04-22T08:46:00.003-05:00

How cool is this cake?!

I rarely notice this recipe when I leaf through Bittersweet. I think the page sticks. Or maybe, subconsciously, I think that marble cake tastes boring.

This is a recipe worth looking at. It's moist, easy to prepare, and more complex than typical recipes. Given the simplicity of the cake, I suggest using good cocoa, spices, and oil. I enjoy it lightly toasted, with coffee. I've been toasting everything these days...banana bread, muffins cut in half, you name it.

I felt childishly enthusiastic while making this. I loved the way the outside and inside looked. The individual slices had character; I think the one in the bottom photo looks like a bird! Other pieces reminded me of ships, tulips, and smiling faces.

The quantity is awesome too. I think I have enough cake to take to every class this week! I am confident it will be a hit.

Tiger Cake
adapted from Alice Medrich's Bittersweet

1/2 cup natural process cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup water

3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup flavorful extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp finely ground white pepper
5 cold large eggs
1 cup cold milk

A 10-12 cup tube or bundt pan, or two 6 cup loaf pans.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour the cake pan or line the loaf pans with parchment.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, and water until well blended.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt thoroughly and sift together onto a piece of paper. Set aside.

In a large mixer bowl (preferably fitted with the whisk attachment) beat the sugar, oil, vanilla, and pepper until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to beat until the mixture is thick and pale, 3-5 minutes. Stop the mixer and add 1/3 of the flour mixture*. Beat on low speed until just blended. Stop the mixer and add half the milk. Beat just until it is blended. Repeat with another third of the flour, the remaining milk, and then the remaining flour.

Pour 3 cups of batter into another bowl and stir in the cocoa mixture. Pour 1/3 of the plain batter into the prepared tube pan (or divide it between the loaf pans) and top with 1/3 of the chocolate batter. Repeat with the remaining batters. Don't worry about marbling the batters- that happens during the baking**

Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes for either the tube or loaf pans. Cool the cake in the pan(s) on a rack for about 15 minutes. Slide a thin knife around the sides of the pan(s) to release the cake. Invert the pan(s) and invert again, setting the cake right side up on a rack to cool completely.***

*I find it helps to fold the dry ingredients a few times with a spatula between additions.
**Don't try too hard when layering the batters. I just plopped big piles of batter in the pan and they came out beautifully.
***If you are using a tube pan, it can be hard to invert the cake. I used an offset spatula to release the cake from the sides and bottom of the pan, then I used two large, flat, icing spatulas to lift the cake from the removable portion of the pan and set it on a rack.