tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80514918960117000792024-02-23T05:16:03.833-05:00Mary Mary CulinaryMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-71436798844313646352012-07-27T20:42:00.002-04:002012-07-27T20:42:40.354-04:00The Daring Bakers go Crackers!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A very short and sweet post this month, but I am supposed to start packing for the plane that leaves in 12 hours to take me home. I am/was away in gorgeous Halifax, so I only got one cracker made instead of 2, but it was delicious. I made a twice baked whole wheat cracker with figs, pecans, rosemary and pumpkin seeds. I sort of followed <a href="http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2009/01/27/rosemary-raisin-pecan-crisps/">this link</a>, but used different fruit and flour. That's what I call following a recipe. They were delicious with blue cheese and I'll be making more as soon as it's cool enough to turn the oven on again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7kKwGdu1U6naAeqpS9zC4Z6LORip8Yo7FbG3MZ7_GOts5_GcbUBJUJCG61sKnTEuMjmG95m46hzcxht4uOvnJ_BRKmnbbanysa_cfU-ytiHzgEOlPebEejAtF-cbd1y13ViT1UWfJLs/s1600/DSCN0493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7kKwGdu1U6naAeqpS9zC4Z6LORip8Yo7FbG3MZ7_GOts5_GcbUBJUJCG61sKnTEuMjmG95m46hzcxht4uOvnJ_BRKmnbbanysa_cfU-ytiHzgEOlPebEejAtF-cbd1y13ViT1UWfJLs/s400/DSCN0493.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The colourful buildings of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks Dana for a great challenge!</span></div>
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Blog-checking lines: Our July 2012 Daring Bakers’ Host was Dana McFarland and she challenged us to make homemade crackers! Dana showed us some techniques for making crackers and encouraged to use our creativity to make each cracker our own by using ingredients we love.</div>
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<br /></div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-76366544570758974502012-06-27T00:01:00.000-04:002012-06-27T00:01:00.152-04:00Battenberg Cake for the Jubilee!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This month's Daring Baker challenge was a lot of fun. We made the kind of cake you imagined eating as a little girl at a tea party with your stuffed animals and tea set. It is a very British cake, fitting for one made during the Queen's Jubilee celebrations. Here in Canada, there was plenty of coverage of the Jubilee but we didn't talk about it in school. However in the small town where my mother and brother live, I found a small Jubilee flag in the school playground. It seems that all the kids were given them. I wonder if they all watched on TV and waved their little flags? I have no idea, so let's talk cake.<br />
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The traditional Battenberg has 2 colours and 4 squares, but I decided to make a 9-square cake. I sort of followed the challenge recipe, but was out of almonds, a major ingredient, the day I decided to make this. So, I used freshly grated coconut (I often have a coconut on hand) in the vanilla and chocolate layers and pistachio in the green layer. I didn't use food colouring, but got a nice green because I am very particular about blanching and peeling pistachios so the reddish skins don't discolour anything. It takes forever, but it's a good task when you are listening to the radio or watching TV. I had a small package of marzipan from Ikea, so used that to cover the cake, but I had to roll it quite thin and it was hot and humid so that was a bit tricky. Don't buy marzipan from Ikea--it's cheap but has absolutely no flavour. I kneaded in some almond extract, but that made it even stickier. The cake kept well, but the marzipan all stuck to the plate the next day.</div>
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I baked the cake in a small sheet pan and it was just dumb luck that I got nice squares by dividing each colour into thirds. I really enjoyed all the measuring and trimming and assembling of this cake. I am usually quite slapdash in the kitchen so a bit of precision does me good every once in a while. Which reminds me that I ran out of homemade apricot jam halfway through assembly and had to finish up with homemade orange marmalade. Thanks to Mandy of <a href="http://www.mandymortimer.com/">What the Fruitcake?!</a> for a fantastic challenge, apparently put together quite last minute! Don't you love that blog name? Check out all the wonderful Battenberg cakes at <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">The Daring Kitchen</a> and read the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/sites/default/files/u11/68_Battenberg_Cake_-_DB_June_2012.pdf">challenge PDF</a> for the recipes and the history of the cake and its name.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><strong>Blog-checking lines:</strong><br /><a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/users/mandym" style="color: #aa0012; text-decoration: none;">Mandy</a> of <a href="http://www.mandymortimer.com/" style="color: #aa0012; text-decoration: none;">What The Fruitcake?!</a> came to our rescue last minute to present us with the Battenberg Cake challenge! She highlighted Mary Berry’s techniques and recipes to allow us to create this unique little cake with ease.</span></div>
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Oops--looking at The Daring Kitchen homepage, I realized I had forgotten to post my from-scratch cannelloni 2 weeks ago. I did make it! A triple recipe, in fact, which was just the thing for a stiflingly hot day (I sweat remembering it). Here's a photo:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: meat filling Right: spinach and ricotta. Both with tomato sauce and pesto bechamel. Mmm.</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-62785901272101681682012-06-08T14:31:00.001-04:002012-06-08T14:31:32.884-04:00Banana Chiffon Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEX0SQ8OBh1Pzh7DibZm6LPI0-ZwMY1C0H7LNN_yK3Da7ELvCitSQJ-7-o9oeP3tPvnTZRCPqV4WatBb9ZDwQTcJRCkVn-oLl6PEw2WaeDQmFYqpjKz20Nluzju2qRhtcV93-MCSFHpg/s1600/DSCN0054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEX0SQ8OBh1Pzh7DibZm6LPI0-ZwMY1C0H7LNN_yK3Da7ELvCitSQJ-7-o9oeP3tPvnTZRCPqV4WatBb9ZDwQTcJRCkVn-oLl6PEw2WaeDQmFYqpjKz20Nluzju2qRhtcV93-MCSFHpg/s400/DSCN0054.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you're anything like me, you buy bunches of bananas only to see them all ripen at the same second, so you miss your perfect banana-eating window of opportunity, whatever it is. For me, that window is tiny and complicated by the fact that I only like bananas on cereal or in a peanut butter and banana sandwich. I never eat them on their own. Oh, and I rarely have bread or cereal in the house. So why do I keep buying bananas, you may wonder? To bake with, of course. I think we can all get tired of banana bread, though, no matter how tasty it is. This chiffon cake has all the flavour of banana bread, but is light and airy. It's not as light as a plain sponge cake, but it absolutely melts in your mouth. And it's pretty easy, for something so huge and impressive looking, if I do say so myself.<br />
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I made one at Christmas which I frosted with a thin layer of bittersweet ganache, but cream cheese frosting is my favourite here. Use your standard recipe, but lighten it up by beating in milk until it has a consistency more like whipped cream than dense frosting. I'd give you more precise instructions, but I made this months ago. In February, actually. That's my excuse for the rather grim light in the photos. I do have the cake recipe for you, at least!<br />
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<b>Banana Chiffon Cake</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Source: My mother's <s>kitchen Bible</s> 1960s Purity Flour cookbook</i></span><br />
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2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1½ cups sugar<br />
3 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
½ cup vegetable oil (I used grapeseed)<br />
5 egg yolks<br />
1 cup mashed banana<br />
1 teaspoon lemon zest<br />
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg<br />
¼ cup water<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1 cup egg whites, at room temperature<br />
½ teaspoon cream of tartar<br />
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Your favourite cream cheese frosting, lightened with milk to a soft consistency (or chocolate ganache)<br />
Pistachios to garnish<br />
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<li>Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Make a well in dry ingredients and add oil, egg yolks, banana, lemon zest, nutmeg, water and vanilla and beat until smooth.</li>
<li>Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form.</li>
<li>Gradually fold the batter into the egg whites. Turn into an ungreased tube pan and use a knife to cut through any large air bubbles. Bake for 1 to 1¼ hours, until a tester comes out clean. Invert to cool completely. </li>
<li>Run a thin knife around the pan edge and tube to loosen the cake. Invert onto a serving platter and frost generously. Garnish with pistachios if desired.</li>
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Oh, and guess what? I bought a bunch of bananas the other day...</div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-73923151398133465252012-05-27T23:14:00.001-04:002012-05-27T23:14:44.586-04:00The Daring Bakers Make ChallahRuth of <a href="http://www.mommy-crafts.blogspot.ca/">The Crafts of Mommyhood</a> gave us a great challenge this month. I love challah and braided bread so I had a lot of fun with this, even if I did leave it till the last minute. Since the pulla I made was quite similar to challah, I decided to do a couple of new things with the dough, with varying levels of success. First, the good:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsAcUI4Y4vNwVvo7BsZ56H8YJfeJz4I7_ea-CtKXg6OhPnrzsatuxxlZhCfp50G7MXkTVkMHQqu6_CkEzR9ZzooWDQ3za8E4vG5SIOIeateBI4e0sQ7mStxuUCTnH4FycusKyAK7mlsg/s1600/DSCN0233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcsAcUI4Y4vNwVvo7BsZ56H8YJfeJz4I7_ea-CtKXg6OhPnrzsatuxxlZhCfp50G7MXkTVkMHQqu6_CkEzR9ZzooWDQ3za8E4vG5SIOIeateBI4e0sQ7mStxuUCTnH4FycusKyAK7mlsg/s400/DSCN0233.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I made a braided round loaf using Ruth's very helpful <a href="http://s1075.photobucket.com/albums/w440/tinkrsh/challah%20braiding/?action=view&current=026.mp4">video</a>. It is a 4-strand braid and is a technique I'll use again and again. Here's what it looked like after I baked it. No pictures of it sliced, as I gave this one away, but I haven't heard any complaints yet. </div>
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Next, I decided to do a filled loaf. There had been lots of beautiful ones on the forum, but none of them had rhubarb. Did I tell you that my nephew and I picked 10 pounds of rhubarb at my mother's? And that there's at least that much more for next weekend? Heaven! Here's the Bjorn Borg of rhubarb himself:</div>
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So, what to put with the rhubarb? I decided on pistachio paste, since there had been a can of it lurking in the cupboard for a while. Good idea, but I put way too much of the pistachio paste and roasted rhubarb, because I'm greedy. </div>
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It was impossible to seal the cylinders and even harder to braid them. Oh, and I had six strands to work with! The unrisen braid was leaking rhubarb syrup and by the time it had risen it had popped open in a few places. It wasn't very pretty, but it was delicious. I may try this combination again and exercise a bit of restraint. Or not.</div>
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Thanks <a href="http://www.mommy-crafts.blogspot.ca/">Ruth</a>! That was fun! You can find all the challenge recipes <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/sites/default/files/u11/67_Challah_-_DB_May_2012.pdf">here</a>. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><strong>Blog-checking lines:</strong> May’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge was pretty twisted – Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to make challah! Using recipes from all over, and tips from “A Taste of Challah,” by Tamar Ansh, she encouraged us to bake beautifully braided breads.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-8655663914322482662012-04-27T08:05:00.001-04:002012-04-27T08:05:13.675-04:00The Daring Bakers Visit ArmeniaWe were challenged to make one or two desserts this month, and I made both, as they sounded so good. I was not familiar with Armenian baking, so I was eager to see what was in store. The first dessert was a simple cake with a crumb base, flavoured with nutmeg and sprinkled with walnuts. I went with cardamom and pistachios instead.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7MnDCz5vvTZczNISM5pMTExaxzMPsfeHMxvR40wEMrZ9nL06pYu_s4BSG6OwJjGh03rruxoW9n72IRUsoXmQFCiyDMVeDTpWIgPBsYCTrf1_jh5GIxXh-1j72svrWG3e-JYgL6LhMP8/s1600/DSCN0130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7MnDCz5vvTZczNISM5pMTExaxzMPsfeHMxvR40wEMrZ9nL06pYu_s4BSG6OwJjGh03rruxoW9n72IRUsoXmQFCiyDMVeDTpWIgPBsYCTrf1_jh5GIxXh-1j72svrWG3e-JYgL6LhMP8/s400/DSCN0130.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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As you can see, the pistachios migrated a long way from the top of the cake. The batter was very liquid and I watched all the nuts get sucked into a vortex in the centre of the cake and disappear. Remember that I haven't got TV reception. The flavour and texture of the cake were good, but it reinforced why I do not like crumb cakes. The base was too rich and sweet and greasy and I ended up cutting it off. I made a second version of this cake, halving the sugar, doubling the egg and mixing all the crumbs with the egg and milk and much preferred the result. The batter was thick, the nuts stayed where they were supposed to, and it baked in the suggested time, unlike the crumb cake, which took much longer for many Daring Bakers. No photo of that one, sorry.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1qPVBUOuZijDqcrrQvx8Ly6kfP6UZ80EF0fQNBkP84bJLvQK77SjwwYd6Y975H3vF5zGLZhESEU1KaQ3LA63LuHEBz0JjJ4h93fRJX5GsZtSHjArXi0HCtzuQUdfcYRqa2pwdjpOWOk/s1600/DSCN0161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1qPVBUOuZijDqcrrQvx8Ly6kfP6UZ80EF0fQNBkP84bJLvQK77SjwwYd6Y975H3vF5zGLZhESEU1KaQ3LA63LuHEBz0JjJ4h93fRJX5GsZtSHjArXi0HCtzuQUdfcYRqa2pwdjpOWOk/s400/DSCN0161.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The second dessert was totally unfamiliar: nazook. A rich, but unsweetened butter and sour cream yeasted pastry wrapped around a rich and buttery filling. I made mine small, so they were crisp but tender. I used mahleb (or mahlab), a spice made from dried cherry pits to flavour the pastry and I used the given recipe for a vanilla filling. The mahleb gave a faint cherry-almond taste. These were delicious with coffee or tea, but again I would reduce the sugar next time. The pastry was amazing though, and so nice to work with. I didn't want to stop kneading it, even though I hate touching sour cream. That stuff is nasty, even if it does do wonders in baking.</div>
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Thanks to Jason of <a href="http://dailycandor.com/">Daily Candor</a> for a great challenge! You can find the full challenge post <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/sites/default/files/u11/66_Nazook___Nutmeg_Cake_-_DB_April_2012.pdf">here</a>, with step-by-step photos and a great video of Jason and his aunt Aida making nazook.</div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><strong><em>Blog-checking lines:</em></strong> The Daring Bakers’ April 2012 challenge, hosted by Jason at Daily Candor, were two Armenian standards: nazook and nutmeg cake. Nazook is a layered yeasted dough pastry with a sweet filling, and nutmeg cake is a fragrant, nutty coffee-style cake.</span></span></i></b></div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-76531981755868354792012-04-21T22:56:00.001-04:002012-05-13T23:26:14.693-04:00Finnish Pulla: Braided and Chocolate SwirledOh, hello. Are you still there? I can hardly blame you if you've up and left. In fact, I left myself for a bit, but I brought you back the most delicious sweet bread with cardamom. This bread has long been one of my favourites, but I can't make it too often, as I find myself wanting to eat it for every meal, dessert and snack. It's a good thing I gave half of it away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYQ3OYZaHz5zHTf_ScCu4bH7h2x1FmURgeOSFnuWVBzhtmPpPL0OmgZ5Uut1zLNwHXKqYAkogbySuz2Q5juUV8EcbbRVux3aFGY7dZ6Tg7KhKt3radZ3kQz8DpZhS-fWzKqmjdFYxCI8/s1600/DSCN0119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYQ3OYZaHz5zHTf_ScCu4bH7h2x1FmURgeOSFnuWVBzhtmPpPL0OmgZ5Uut1zLNwHXKqYAkogbySuz2Q5juUV8EcbbRVux3aFGY7dZ6Tg7KhKt3radZ3kQz8DpZhS-fWzKqmjdFYxCI8/s400/DSCN0119.jpg" width="400" /></a><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="none" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmarymaryculinary.blogspot.com%2F&media=http%3A%2F%2Fmarymaryculinary.blogspot.ca%2F2012%2F04%2Ffinnish-pulla-braided-and-chocolate.html&description=Pulla--Finnish%20cardamom%20sweet%20bread%20in%20a%206-strand%20braid%20with%20pearl%20sugar."><img border="0" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" title="Pin It" /></a></div>
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Here's the baked bread. I used the 6-strand braid, just because. I usually just do a simple 3-strand braid, but wanted the plumper loaf. The technique is easy. I watched <a href="http://www.finecooking.com/videos/braiding-challah.aspx">this video</a>, then found myself repeating the steps aloud as I braided. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_As6Y8reitwfDnbaWR9n_dMRK37EcfW7mkdv2ez-dMo7vFwDCiqQPsrzDnBuVH83QnXVtDO3oTD_CG8fdD69b5dBS2EZ9gMyXnYsMfXi8gaUcMswaX7Zo466ZVZPYmo9CQBDkXiqn7A8/s1600/DSCN0111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_As6Y8reitwfDnbaWR9n_dMRK37EcfW7mkdv2ez-dMo7vFwDCiqQPsrzDnBuVH83QnXVtDO3oTD_CG8fdD69b5dBS2EZ9gMyXnYsMfXi8gaUcMswaX7Zo466ZVZPYmo9CQBDkXiqn7A8/s400/DSCN0111.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's the loaf before the egg wash, pearl sugar and baking. You can see the cardamom in it. I grind it in a mortar and pestle and never have the patience to make it really fine. Also, the cardamom I buy at a local Indian food shop is really powerful and I will reduce it a tad next time. If you're using pre-ground, definitely use the full amount.</div>
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I used half the dough for the braid, but had a bit of marzipan left over, so I filled this loaf with a made-up mixture of marzipan, butter and melted bittersweet chocolate. It was a bit too gloopy and rolling it was a mess, but the end result was pretty tasty. I used chocolate because I actually made this in February for <a href="http://lisamichele.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/bread-baking-day-47-round-up-bread-with-chocolate/">Lisa's Bread Baking with Chocolate pos</a>t, which I think was due by the first of March. Oops.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qN-QIq2XETg1suMSq8n6V5D9GdcG5YLnq5VE30nVS9-S8KC12NRegPKPo-pdOVKw6BiVC6Za03jQdCyl3-mnfUeAd7UG6PKX7NvOGeEDk7P121fAtQ8jG0pP6iuzT8SjMKXRNbMIuQU/s1600/DSCN0125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qN-QIq2XETg1suMSq8n6V5D9GdcG5YLnq5VE30nVS9-S8KC12NRegPKPo-pdOVKw6BiVC6Za03jQdCyl3-mnfUeAd7UG6PKX7NvOGeEDk7P121fAtQ8jG0pP6iuzT8SjMKXRNbMIuQU/s400/DSCN0125.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I used <a href="http://melangerbaking.com/2009/05/03/pulla-finnish-cardamom-bread/">this</a> pulla recipe from Julia at Melanger. The filling was equal parts of butter, marzipan and chocolate (about 100 grams each), but next time I will chop the chocolate instead of melting it. To make the swirl, I rolled the dough in a rectangle, spread it with the filling, then rolled it and cut it lengthwise before twisting it up. Joining the ends was tricky, as it there was chocolate everywhere by this point. It looked like this before baking:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHkdQxrVlDYXTrLuF-TBPa4ycTZXNF5yX1kaCXu_fbKXobX-96F2zwe3xoFJWaPyfe2UOX1-hCebM-EYY_8WcYgk1tyd9ko0oB7KS_6KoSGdr3-UbdrCitz7ZWM0sOnsUba7KHBMB7o0/s1600/DSCN0115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHkdQxrVlDYXTrLuF-TBPa4ycTZXNF5yX1kaCXu_fbKXobX-96F2zwe3xoFJWaPyfe2UOX1-hCebM-EYY_8WcYgk1tyd9ko0oB7KS_6KoSGdr3-UbdrCitz7ZWM0sOnsUba7KHBMB7o0/s320/DSCN0115.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Notice that I cropped off the really messy bit. Anyhow, see you next week with the Daring Bakers reveal. I wish I had made more of this to eat while watching Nadal-Djokovic tomorrow. Sigh.</div>
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</div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-11289071023352939702012-02-27T09:37:00.000-05:002012-02-27T09:37:13.069-05:00The Daring Bakers' Challenge was Quick!!Quick breads, that is. Now what is a quick bread? To me, it's a cake baked in a loaf tin. In my family, if something is baked in a loaf tin, it needs butter slathered on it, no matter if there is already butter in it. This was another challenge that wasn't very challenging, but I made 4 quick breads: pumpkin, lemon-yogurt, banana and Nutella swirl. 2 went to a friend, one was all mine and the last one went to my mother's. I didn't stick around, but I bet she put butter on it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumpkin-spelt loaf</td></tr>
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I based the recipe on <a href="http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/olive-oil-pumkin-bread.aspx">this one</a>, replacing the whole wheat flour with spelt, the olive oil with grapeseed oil, using my own frozen pumpkin puree, and replacing half the cinnamon with ginger. I should really type out the recipe...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOt54z97DpRjuOmuQbeHnA-UJzA1JC6J8Gthil-LsjqDy9ldVu6D_CiURvY3ggpIjJ1H2bJQ7ddW0l29BrhHeSnkcARuNcV8SFOkydCP6DYp_039j6LT7Hhio9YQ0rbobPocNrLGN0nmk/s1600/DSCN0093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOt54z97DpRjuOmuQbeHnA-UJzA1JC6J8Gthil-LsjqDy9ldVu6D_CiURvY3ggpIjJ1H2bJQ7ddW0l29BrhHeSnkcARuNcV8SFOkydCP6DYp_039j6LT7Hhio9YQ0rbobPocNrLGN0nmk/s400/DSCN0093.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lemon-yogurt loaf</td></tr>
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I made this one to take to a friend, so no sliced photos. We had trouble coordinating our schedules, so this sat, wrapped, on my table for 3 or 4 days before I got it delivered. I just unwrapped it and glazed it with a bit of lemon juice and sugar and it was fine. I used <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Yogurt-Cake-with-Marmalade-Glaze-231588">this recipe</a> and pretty much followed it. <div>
Imagine!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Future Nutella swirls?</td></tr>
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I like the yogurt cake linked above so much that I made it again, this time replacing the lemon with vanilla, adding chopped roasted hazelnuts and about half a jar of Nutella. I didn't get the swirls I wanted, as the textures were so different--the batter is quite thin. Next time, I would whisk the Nutella into a portion of the batter for better results.</div>
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The cake itself was delicious. It tasted rich and buttery without any butter. We ate it in thick slices with coffee.</div>
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Thanks Lis for stepping in and giving us a fun challenge! Here is the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/sites/default/files/u11/64_Quick_Breads_-_DB_Feb_2012.pdf">challenge PDF</a>, though once again I didn't use any of the recipes. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><strong><em>Blog-checking lines:</em></strong> The Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was – Lis! Lisa stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own. She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavor profiles.</span></div>
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</div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-28426397895092771772012-02-14T17:06:00.001-05:002012-02-14T17:06:51.141-05:00Llapingachos and Pupusas: The Daring CooksLate again, that's me. The Daring Cooks' challenge this month was to make patties of some sort. I must admit, I wasn't too enthused at first, as challenges recently have been less than challenging. I kind of like looking for obscure ingredients and making time consuming dishes. Since that wasn't necessary, I challenged myself to make a dish I had enjoyed in Ecuador and another from El Salvador that I have loved for a long time but never eaten. And you know what? I loved the challenge. I would probably never have got to making either of these things without it. So thanks, Lisa and Audax!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxTJ_o8N3pR0EK-2sFm00ZJd3f9tJ9YKBFQvgAuVxy0_RSi5zMHf7rDKyfeA7dI2jcT_cyMVA-04S6OzKxs9RHa9TGq7lyMuyx9LmYglCOTZHNJ-PnLSzyrkl2YKqgPRXmdoZ5-LZ_TE/s1600/DSCN0029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxTJ_o8N3pR0EK-2sFm00ZJd3f9tJ9YKBFQvgAuVxy0_RSi5zMHf7rDKyfeA7dI2jcT_cyMVA-04S6OzKxs9RHa9TGq7lyMuyx9LmYglCOTZHNJ-PnLSzyrkl2YKqgPRXmdoZ5-LZ_TE/s400/DSCN0029.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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First up are the llapingachos. I had these as part of my first meal in Ecuador, in Quito and I also had them when I visited Cuenca. They were not common on the coast, but they really hit the spot on those chilly nights at high altitude. And they were fun to order too. Llapingachos are a kind of mashed potato cake, seasoned and coloured with achiote. Inside is melty cheese and they are topped with an interesting array of toppings. First was a warm peanut sauce with hard-boiled egg, pickled onions, tomato and salsa. You can also see the avocado behind, but it just wouldn't fit on top. Actually the llapingachos I had in Ecuador didn't have the peanut sauce but I quite liked the combination.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_GCZWFtkKUUghJhBjVN1C2j_AluM3deCs1NAz1WV5S4VEPSRQ35muGGIHpyXyAAur9puDIsmu5pBao3X5OZsJUD0bDw0T2pna6DtzGQvY2RiqWIpFi4MdZ2QuwsAotkZJTM12o51ys0/s1600/DSCN0033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_GCZWFtkKUUghJhBjVN1C2j_AluM3deCs1NAz1WV5S4VEPSRQ35muGGIHpyXyAAur9puDIsmu5pBao3X5OZsJUD0bDw0T2pna6DtzGQvY2RiqWIpFi4MdZ2QuwsAotkZJTM12o51ys0/s400/DSCN0033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The melted cheese. Mmm.</td></tr>
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Next up was pupusas, something I've been eating for years. Unfortunately they are hard to find here so I don't have them as often as I'd like. Now that I know how easy they are to make, I think they'll be making many more appearances on the table. Pupusas are masa cakes stuffed with any combination of cheese, beans or meat. The ones in the photo have leftover pulled pork in them, but my favourites were the cheese ones. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaL5a_HHoi4fJ_kDOZnxqbTqQyUR0WY5TWWbd1JpB-SixQK9PgoBR7hhXV8ocrz7tFxA27QduGYXLLWLCJyATwpiq2RfULYSj2AxhDzErRt9kE4jGzADlwLHIT_Gy0z0KbPCC3aWL0lU/s1600/DSCN0085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijaL5a_HHoi4fJ_kDOZnxqbTqQyUR0WY5TWWbd1JpB-SixQK9PgoBR7hhXV8ocrz7tFxA27QduGYXLLWLCJyATwpiq2RfULYSj2AxhDzErRt9kE4jGzADlwLHIT_Gy0z0KbPCC3aWL0lU/s400/DSCN0085.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The pupusas are topped with curtido, a slightly pickled coleslaw. I also like a bit of plain tomato sauce on mine, but I don't know if that's traditional. The ones in the photos are cracked because I refrigerated them overnight before cooking them, but it really should be done last minute. They only take a few minutes to form and 5 minutes a side to cook.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbNJdu9HkWst6CGHEZ2zhfMeOab4HOlaalmJSFSLdUUX95EBDj2hkHsgjNTKftiB9cb78TBPQZa816xQGpLODU2zo_1lW_lJe0RzAroujgSXUW2YV0x-af8k3TJpK7PqdI28-8EWKq3A/s1600/DSCN0087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKbNJdu9HkWst6CGHEZ2zhfMeOab4HOlaalmJSFSLdUUX95EBDj2hkHsgjNTKftiB9cb78TBPQZa816xQGpLODU2zo_1lW_lJe0RzAroujgSXUW2YV0x-af8k3TJpK7PqdI28-8EWKq3A/s400/DSCN0087.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's melty cheese in here too. Can you find it?</td></tr>
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Thanks to Lisa and Audax for a great challenge. Here is the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/sites/default/files/u11/34_Patties_-_DC_Feb_2012.pdf">original challenge pdf</a>, though I didn't use any of the recipes. Click on the names for recipes for <a href="http://laylita.com/recipes/2008/04/07/llapingachos-or-stuffed-potato-patties/">llapingachos</a>, <a href="http://laylita.com/recipes/2008/04/07/salsa-de-mani-or-peanut-sauce/">peanut sauce</a>, <a href="http://2-suitcases.blogspot.com/2011/12/recipe-pupusas-step-by-step.html">pupusas</a> and <a href="http://2-suitcases.blogspot.com/2011/12/recipe-curtido.html">curtido</a>.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><strong>Blog-checking lines:</strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The Daring Cooks’ February 2012 challenge was hosted by Audax & Lis and they chose to present Patties for their ease of construction, ingredients and deliciousness! We were given several recipes, and learned the different types of binders and cooking methods to produce our own tasty patties!</span><br />
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<br /></div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-27632231674534209542012-02-08T22:19:00.000-05:002012-02-08T22:19:00.973-05:00Chocolate Chestnut Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_ji3uqe6u0DtnnEUOpuNU1a96AQ8O-_cfi7e7Dc2U0NJCQSjtfiD5Q1udZXJoIt5uQxvn_UK5iCmaKmd0OdS6243e1KY5YFp0kxbUGbzCk8uJ7Mp-ja3e9UKMWCc48AmZ6JTBM8HquE/s1600/DSCN0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_ji3uqe6u0DtnnEUOpuNU1a96AQ8O-_cfi7e7Dc2U0NJCQSjtfiD5Q1udZXJoIt5uQxvn_UK5iCmaKmd0OdS6243e1KY5YFp0kxbUGbzCk8uJ7Mp-ja3e9UKMWCc48AmZ6JTBM8HquE/s400/DSCN0007.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yup, more chestnuts, and more chocolate too. I think they are a nice pair, much better than chocolate and orange. In previous posts, I seem to have implied that I hate chocolate, but that's not the case. I just don't find it very appealing in bar form. But a cake? Mmm. Oh yes, and I love labour-intensive chestnuts. I am still working on using up the jars of jam and the candied chestnuts. I made these cupcakes one night when some friends came over for dinner. I had planned to make a layer cake filled with the mousse but ran out of time. In fact the cupcakes my guests got didn't look at all like the above. They got the tin of cupcakes, the mixing bowl of mousse and the jar of candied chestnuts in syrup. It was an assemble-your-own kind of evening. I saved this one for the next morning. A single photograph and it became breakfast. Magic.</div>
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<b>Chestnut Mousse</b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Source: The Cake Bible</span></div>
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2 cups whipping cream, chilled</div>
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1 cup sweetened chestnut puree with vanilla</div>
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rum to taste, optional</div>
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<li>Whip cream until soft peaks form, then fold in chestnut puree and rum. Combine well. Whip a bit more if you want stiffer peaks. Keeps chilled for a day or two.</li>
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For the cupcakes, I used half the recipe for the <a href="http://marymaryculinary.blogspot.com/2011/04/german-chocolate-cake.html">German Chocolate Cake</a>, baked for 15-20 minutes at 350. </div>
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To serve, top the cupcakes with the mousse and candied chestnuts, if desired. Makes 12, with a very generous amount of mousse.</div>
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<br /></div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-25369965981807233602012-01-31T07:51:00.002-05:002012-01-31T07:51:23.656-05:00Spice School: A Course in Masala Mischief!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82-nIHmTRLQYgy5lSy2v6ayB8uPURnxejkUpCZULHL_Y7xTqxw-lV2ncUi0v0D4LI7ADo2545aG7g7cJC9rlse0fpXt8-3OodX5kVpGzG6DkdAxKGGUV60Zm67JuQtgbRZ6iqAkNzfkA/s1600/DSCN0044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg82-nIHmTRLQYgy5lSy2v6ayB8uPURnxejkUpCZULHL_Y7xTqxw-lV2ncUi0v0D4LI7ADo2545aG7g7cJC9rlse0fpXt8-3OodX5kVpGzG6DkdAxKGGUV60Zm67JuQtgbRZ6iqAkNzfkA/s400/DSCN0044.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
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Because I need more school in my life I joined Mr P of <a href="http://deliciousdeliciousdelicious.blogspot.com/">Delicious Delicious Delicious</a> and Sanjana of <a href="http://www.korasoi.com/">Ko Rasoi</a> in this exploration of spices and Indian vegetarian cooking. We will post on the last day of the month and if you'd like to join you can find a clear explanation <a href="http://www.korasoi.com:/blog/spice-school">here</a> and a list of the first 4 dishes in the 'curryculum'. I love Indian food, as I may have mentioned <a href="http://marymaryculinary.blogspot.com/2010/04/chickpeas-and-oreos-marymary-cannot.html">here</a> and went on a bit about in my <a href="http://marymaryculinary.blogspot.com/2011/08/daring-cooks-cooked-with-me.html">appam challenge</a>. I love both sweet and savoury spices and one of my favourites is mustard seed. That was the focus this month and I was in as soon as I saw that. Now, some of you may remember that I am not a big fan of potatoes. In fact, they were the only ingredient I had to go out and buy in order to make this dish. I only bought half the specified weight, which was too bad, as this was delicious. I make an exception for curried potatoes. We ate it on rice for some winterlicious carb on carb action. </div>
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Next month: Exploring Carom Seeds with Crispy Potato Bhajia. </div>
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Hmm, more potatoes. I will grow to love them. It's in my genes, somewhere.</div>
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You can find the recipe on <a href="http://www.korasoi.com/blog/">KO Rasoi</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-59268074482552442992012-01-28T10:18:00.002-05:002012-01-28T10:18:49.343-05:00Chestnut Lamingtons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYutxYA93ZRP3T-rzcBnK7HtOA3MoXFeQCNjUvwCQ2lBJhXViHy94fcHmyW7qdR_VOTusoqsoHlXgPEssD34Qy3Tk-12B9xU-87WEapTzhorU35nViU73_zv_2i1xVkq7LwGxO1eck30/s1600/DSCN0037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYutxYA93ZRP3T-rzcBnK7HtOA3MoXFeQCNjUvwCQ2lBJhXViHy94fcHmyW7qdR_VOTusoqsoHlXgPEssD34Qy3Tk-12B9xU-87WEapTzhorU35nViU73_zv_2i1xVkq7LwGxO1eck30/s400/DSCN0037.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Happy Australia Day! I can't believe I missed it even though we are 16 hours behind. I guess I was too busy watching tennis. Rafa! Mr P over at <a href="http://deliciousdeliciousdelicious.blogspot.com/">Delicious Delicious Delicious</a> is hosting Reinvent the Lamington again this year. Well, it's his invention, so I'm not sure who else would host it. Anyway, I look at the amazing creations every year and I come up with lots of ideas, but I've never actually participated before. After leaving a comment over at DDD, I got a reply strongly urging me to get some lamingtons made. And so I did. Nothing earth-shattering over here, but at least I found a good use for my homemade candied chestnuts and chestnut jam.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsYghPLfwUoZrtT-1DpLwVVORGXTYxe7GZ6pJkFe8ED-1N2I4ZrTBNvHH0RAsqyw7woW5rOmMzimgmuiHA2mbO4xMt5d4-MclGKOX9Bh0f51_fudqFnc29T_7KkGy7mRrV-grlLN2RhI/s1600/DSCN0043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsYghPLfwUoZrtT-1DpLwVVORGXTYxe7GZ6pJkFe8ED-1N2I4ZrTBNvHH0RAsqyw7woW5rOmMzimgmuiHA2mbO4xMt5d4-MclGKOX9Bh0f51_fudqFnc29T_7KkGy7mRrV-grlLN2RhI/s400/DSCN0043.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yes, I made my own candied chestnuts and chestnut jam last fall. It was a dangerous combination of gorgeous autumn produce, sporadic employment and temporary insanity after returning from Ecuador. It was a good thing I wasn't working, as the chestnut jam took all day to make and the candied chestnuts took about 4 days. By that time I couldn't be arsed to blog about them or even take photos. In fact, I couldn't even eat the stuff as it just tasted like too much effort for 5 small jars. The candied chestnuts, which never softened enough, have been taking up valuable real estate in the fridge and the jam has been languishing on the counter. I gave 2 jars away at Christmas and nobody knows what to do with it. So, I made some chocolate and chestnut mousse cupcakes last week and now lamingtons. If you have any other ideas, please let me know. I have 2 jars left. And no, I'm not sending it to you unless you pay the postage. Sporadically employed, remember?<br />
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I made ⁴/₇ of <a href="http://www.mowielicious.com/home/2010/01/lamingtons.html">this recipe</a> for the cake and ½ the glaze recipe for 9 lamingtons. Instead of chestnut, you can leave them unfilled or use another jam. Roll them in the traditional coconut or nuts instead of chestnuts. I also made some with coconut and a lovely raspberry cassis jam that a friend made. Too bad I ate them/gave them away before getting photos--they were the prettier of the lams.Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-13156592807129940302012-01-21T11:39:00.001-05:002012-01-21T11:39:25.755-05:00Mexican Chocolate Streusel Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBh7Zzz1tJn3ywQo9Vr8K2LXrpUk9tPZxqX8h1Y1FRliYVYJO0_jJ1AbBGRX9ULLXGLrGyP-gQN15xnNIq2Vvktu15VDUZrbhNT4bpIbRJXi0D134DSCMH1l0RJc5ZMy34hmKNsTcV2M/s1600/DSCN9982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBh7Zzz1tJn3ywQo9Vr8K2LXrpUk9tPZxqX8h1Y1FRliYVYJO0_jJ1AbBGRX9ULLXGLrGyP-gQN15xnNIq2Vvktu15VDUZrbhNT4bpIbRJXi0D134DSCMH1l0RJc5ZMy34hmKNsTcV2M/s400/DSCN9982.jpg" width="331" /></a></div>
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After making the atole in the previous post, I was left with almost a whole package of Ibarra chocolate. I looked in my Mexican cookbooks for ideas and found this cake. I think Rick Bayless makes amazing Mexican food, but I don't think he's much of a baker. This cake was good hot out of the oven (you can see above that I helped myself to the middle piece), but I found it very firm when it was cool. It reminded me of those snack cake mixes I used to beg my mother to buy as a child and then never ate once they had cooled off. Why a boxed mix? I thought I was deprived with all the homemade food we had. Silly me. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvAv55seNwIVY53JJzNmSEDpfEnoGodiac34N7dVmQoYQ9SDWhruBEWhyphenhyphenqz3cpow5tGzSF_LXWg7GKaTazRj_2wdx-v8qBNrhlgg2uzvdemVNK6XWLFZ_6kVoSXOI91uxyne3vs1sjWc/s1600/DSCN9989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvAv55seNwIVY53JJzNmSEDpfEnoGodiac34N7dVmQoYQ9SDWhruBEWhyphenhyphenqz3cpow5tGzSF_LXWg7GKaTazRj_2wdx-v8qBNrhlgg2uzvdemVNK6XWLFZ_6kVoSXOI91uxyne3vs1sjWc/s400/DSCN9989.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Anyway, if you have nostalgia for the snack cakes of yore, this is for you. It's not extremely chocolaty and the streusel is not too streusely. Hmm, I'm not a big fan of either chocolate or streusel. This poor cake never stood a chance. </div>
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<b>Mexican Chocolate Streusel Cake</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from Mexico One Plate at a Time, Rick Bayless et al</span><br />
Makes one 9"x13" cake (I made a half recipe in an 8" pan)<br />
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One 18-19 ounce (510-540 gram) package Mexican chocolate, such as Abuelita or Ibarra, coarsely chopped<br />
<i>For the streusel topping:</i><br />
1 large egg yolk<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
7 tablespoons (3½ oz/100g) unsalted butter, softened<br />
⅔ cup (3 oz/85 g) all-purpose flour<br />
⅔ cup sliced almonds<br />
<i>For the cake:</i><br />
1¾ cups (8 oz/227 g) all-purpose flour<br />
1¼ teaspoons baking powder<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
8 oz/227 g cream cheese, at room temperature<br />
8 oz/227 g unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
4 large eggs, at room temperature<br />
1 teaspoon almond extract<br />
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<li>In a food processor, pulse half the chocolate until it is like breadcrumbs. Set aside in a bowl. Add the remainder of the chocolate and process it to breadcrumb consistency. Add salt, butter and flour and pulse until just combined. It should be crumbly, not a paste. Add almonds and pulse just to mix in.</li>
<li>Preheat oven to 350℉/175℃. Grease baking pan. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder.</li>
<li>Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well blended after each one. Scrape bowl and beat in almond extract.</li>
<li>Add flour mixture and mix in on low speed until almost thoroughly combined. Add remaining chocolate and mix gently.</li>
<li>Scrape batter into prepared pan and level it. Sprinkle streusel on top, breaking it up as you do so.</li>
<li>Bake 35-40 minutes, until springy, the edges have just begun to pull away from the edges of the pan and a tester comes out clean. Cool slightly on a wire rack and serve warm. Apparently it keeps, well-wrapped for a few days, but I found it very firm the next day. Eat this right out of the oven!</li>
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<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-75173219242199082342012-01-14T10:35:00.000-05:002012-01-14T10:35:25.990-05:00The Daring Cooks Make Tamales!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHog991DKfTpF2v-H5_r9Nu-DOxcyCYIP0jEEDk_uEggy7AULMJHHZjzvGGja2s8A07msEg6ARFPKqb17k9jruMTqxTxjKjj8ju56dA60LWKMSqXPk-of7y41QstNGrXHyOQiWeu53rs/s1600/DSCN9971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHog991DKfTpF2v-H5_r9Nu-DOxcyCYIP0jEEDk_uEggy7AULMJHHZjzvGGja2s8A07msEg6ARFPKqb17k9jruMTqxTxjKjj8ju56dA60LWKMSqXPk-of7y41QstNGrXHyOQiWeu53rs/s400/DSCN9971.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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My favourite memory of my first trip to Mexico was learning to cook many special dishes. I stayed for a month, with a former student in Queretaro. In the evenings, I helped her to plan her lessons in English, as she was also a teacher, but I had the days to myself. I did a lot of wandering around on my own and her mother and sister took me to different markets and restaurants, gathering ingredients and being invited into the kitchen. It was hilarious, because neither of them spoke any English and I didn't know much Spanish. We were all comfortable in the kitchen, though. I really must do a post on some of those dishes, but right now we need to talk tamales!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5plIun0bipjIJN5SJr1ZPvJkfJGuM3t93QfYwTSyLOTQWbm18q8iuDxnblAR-ZAcqd_nzlm3TalWKQCJNuMhRIQToZubhCBGCX0NGXYjhdUd5jl9pa0KvrmtuSKrofnPB_eb2snIb3bM/s1600/DSCN9964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5plIun0bipjIJN5SJr1ZPvJkfJGuM3t93QfYwTSyLOTQWbm18q8iuDxnblAR-ZAcqd_nzlm3TalWKQCJNuMhRIQToZubhCBGCX0NGXYjhdUd5jl9pa0KvrmtuSKrofnPB_eb2snIb3bM/s400/DSCN9964.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This was just about the best cooking challenge I could imagine. I had been wanting to make tamales for a long time, and in fact had had a bag of masa for tamales in my freezer for ages for just that purpose. I almost chose them for my own Daring Cooks' challenge but went Indian instead. The only thing holding me back was ... sheer laziness. I had heard that they were a lot of work and as you can see by my sparse posting here I just wasn't in a blogging mood. Maranda's challenge was just the kick in the pants I needed. I made two varieties: the ones above are pork cooked in guajillo chile salsa and wrapped in banana leaves. Below are chicken in a green chile and tomatillo salsa and wrapped in corn husks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIBNb7RbwsZ2mkIcUO7ay1qUrEfahHuzJQYGOgGb3hPZSUJbWrfZdb0CSeK0XMR5jperj14rAyGzX1c__iHdft5uMJyKztE-Si5YZUdktTKGRv5Bcw14Efg_1H4gwQ6ccU0TzmIqUk2A/s1600/DSCN9856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIBNb7RbwsZ2mkIcUO7ay1qUrEfahHuzJQYGOgGb3hPZSUJbWrfZdb0CSeK0XMR5jperj14rAyGzX1c__iHdft5uMJyKztE-Si5YZUdktTKGRv5Bcw14Efg_1H4gwQ6ccU0TzmIqUk2A/s400/DSCN9856.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I much preferred the chicken ones. The corn husks were easier to work with than the banana leaves and the filling was far tastier. I think I got a dud batch of guajillo chiles, because the filling was bland. I ended up spicing up the remaining sauce with a couple of chipotles in adobo and that did the trick--wish I had thought of that when filling them. So, were they a ton of work? I don't think so. I spaced out the making of the filling and preparing the wrappers, then was able to wrap and tie about 25 corn and 18 banana tamales in the time it took to watch 1 episode of Mad Men. That Don Draper sure does make time fly. Then I steamed them and gave some away and froze the rest.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfp0FBV40SH3FK5Qgg7CDh78rAabo4PgEQcigxRj6gCyggXTv97RQOOoMFpOQ09rCROCbGj8N0MmDktFqwS_3zXc5ONTVq2AJRoDNY8wcabcRs08Jlxm3NETQkYqgf7DWmZF3NVgUpbM/s1600/DSCN9973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfp0FBV40SH3FK5Qgg7CDh78rAabo4PgEQcigxRj6gCyggXTv97RQOOoMFpOQ09rCROCbGj8N0MmDktFqwS_3zXc5ONTVq2AJRoDNY8wcabcRs08Jlxm3NETQkYqgf7DWmZF3NVgUpbM/s320/DSCN9973.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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That cup in the back is one I got in Queretaro just before I left. It is my Mexican hot chocolate cup (I have many dishes that are only used for one specific food). I tried my hand at atole to accompany the tamales, as it is traditional. Atole is like hot chocolate thickened with corn masa. It's as thick as heavy cream, but made with a mixture of water, milk, masa and Mexican chocolate. I never liked it before, as it has a distinct corny flavour, but I added a dash of almond extract and ended up drinking 2 cups instead of eating the plate you see above. It was astonishingly good. Here's the recipe:</div>
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<b>Chocolate Atole</b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from Rick Bayless</span></div>
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⅔ cup masa harina mixed with ½ cup warm water</div>
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8 ounces chopped Mexican chocolate (Abuelita or Ibarra)</div>
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3 cups water</div>
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3½ cups milk</div>
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1 teaspoon almond extract, optional</div>
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<ol>
<li>Combine masa, chocolate and 3 cups water in a blender, blend until smooth. Place in a saucepan with the milk and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Thin with milk or water if it's too thick. Add almond extract (cinnamon would be good here, or rum).</li>
<li>Strain into cups, or for frothy atole, strain into the rinsed blender and blend before pouring into mugs. </li>
</ol>
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Thanks so much to Maranda of <a href="http://mannadonn.blogspot.com/">Jolts & Jollies</a> for such a fun challenge! You can see all the beautiful results on the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Kitchen homepage</a>. Click <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/sites/default/files/u11/33_Tamales_-_DC_Jan_2012.pdf">here</a> for the full challenge pdf with recipes, links and photos. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><em>Blog-checking lines:</em> Maranda of Jolts & Jollies was our January 2012 Daring Cooks hostess with the mostess! Maranda challenged us to make traditional Mexican Tamales as our first challenge of the year!</span></div>
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<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-2923068839775899532011-12-22T22:36:00.000-05:002011-12-23T13:46:17.534-05:00Tourtière, French-Canadian Meat Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMUnyJQRj2tL80Z1CwD1OVgEl7YO-JRgwYhKabK1viesnxMO7TRgD9c4sljOh_7LIlaLNdVip0mdzAXkkKZ4HBMQagVXfmDMxOnh6q3mpox1fvE4G1Dgk1WqxmmqciEjWcYrLM5QEa0k/s1600/DSCN9901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMUnyJQRj2tL80Z1CwD1OVgEl7YO-JRgwYhKabK1viesnxMO7TRgD9c4sljOh_7LIlaLNdVip0mdzAXkkKZ4HBMQagVXfmDMxOnh6q3mpox1fvE4G1Dgk1WqxmmqciEjWcYrLM5QEa0k/s400/DSCN9901.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Every year I bake huge amounts for the holidays, but I never make the same things. I may repeat a cookie or two, but I like to change it up. Even the decorated sugar cookies I make come from a different recipe every time (this year's recipe was a keeper, though I doubt I'll be able to find it again next year). You may be wondering just where the cookie posts have been. I've made at least 6 kinds of cookies but not managed to get photos. Most of them were boxed up and gifted as soon as they cooled. You've probably had enough cookies by now anyway, right?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DJI0vxr6FhyphenhyphenQ71u8mo7iUnZv084U1TgidseGZRKneTQ2-j4MZOffJ-Hx95a5DoOwTr_94lSVffuMfSixzhGgWLFwnNnJ8sIsWA7Tbt7T8LFsVIQTHGJgqBVSUCkP1fg3j3h4vqkstyI/s1600/DSCN9895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DJI0vxr6FhyphenhyphenQ71u8mo7iUnZv084U1TgidseGZRKneTQ2-j4MZOffJ-Hx95a5DoOwTr_94lSVffuMfSixzhGgWLFwnNnJ8sIsWA7Tbt7T8LFsVIQTHGJgqBVSUCkP1fg3j3h4vqkstyI/s400/DSCN9895.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, how about something a little lighter? Well, not exactly light, but to me it's not Christmas without it. Tourtière is a French-Canadian meat pie that is always served at Christmastime, usually Christmas Eve. There are many variations, using different types of meat, including wild game but I always make mine with pork. The pie is rich but not fatty, spiced and incredibly savoury. Tourtière is best served with something acidic like a chutney or homemade ketchup or beet relish in my case. Actually I don't like anything at all on it, just some of my homemade coleslaw on the side. I'll be sharing this pie with my family on Christmas Eve, and may even make another one for Christmas Day. It's so much better than turkey, trust me.<br />
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<b>Tourtière</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Source: <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/recipes/tourtire/article362109/">Lucy Waverman, The Globe and Mail</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Makes 1 double-crust pie</span><br />
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Crust for a double-crust pie: lard is traditional, but I used <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/pie-crust-102-all-butter-really-flaky-pie-dough/">this</a> butter one<br />
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2 tablespoons oil<br />
3 cups chopped onions<br />
1 kilogram/2 pounds ground pork<br />
3 cloves garlic, finely minced<br />
½ teaspoon ground allspice (I used 2 allspice berries, ground)<br />
¼ teaspoon ground cloves (I used 2 whole cloves, ground)<br />
generous ¼ teaspoon cayenne<br />
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg<br />
2 teaspoons dried savoury<br />
1 teaspoon dried thyme<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
salt and pepper<br />
1 cup beef or chicken broth<br />
2-3 tablespoons oatmeal<br />
<ol>
<li>Saute onions over medium heat until softened and brown. Increase heat and add pork, breaking it up and sauteing until no longer pink. Add garlic and all spices and saute for another few minutes, stirring and continuing to break up the pork. Drain fat if necessary. Add broth and oatmeal and simmer, covered for 45 minutes, until thick. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Cool.</li>
<li>Preheat oven to 450℉. Roll out half of pastry and line a 9" deep pie plate. Fill with meat mixture and top with crust. Flute edges and make slits in pastry for steam to escape. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375℉ and bake for another 35-45 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool slightly before cutting and serving. Serve warm or cold.</li>
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<br />Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-77802634680216074902011-12-16T10:14:00.001-05:002011-12-16T10:14:38.140-05:00The Daring Cooks Make Char Siu Bao!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocpBOZlnOcELYvJoEXnMOfjq_DPamYpIj-kSwfPcx7s_a1TBCY5cP1x-HKLxO2OxavCpJWIQtLpSCqp1i3W2GcrWD0Yk-SdduOJ6K6c4okgCbxXSvTAZV21vOZHaYIyP2k_GfZDWV3SE/s1600/DSCN9838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocpBOZlnOcELYvJoEXnMOfjq_DPamYpIj-kSwfPcx7s_a1TBCY5cP1x-HKLxO2OxavCpJWIQtLpSCqp1i3W2GcrWD0Yk-SdduOJ6K6c4okgCbxXSvTAZV21vOZHaYIyP2k_GfZDWV3SE/s400/DSCN9838.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Do you know that saying 'A day late and a dollar short'? I think that's my motto. I seem incapable of getting anything done on time. Completely done is more accurate. This challenge was made and it was only the photo (and the dreaded write-up) that were missing (for the third challenge in a row). So, what do you get? A short post and a photo of a 4-day-old steamed bun. Merry Christmas!</div>
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I love barbequed pork and steamed buns, but I had few of the ingredients to make these. So, I went over to a friend's place. She has a cupboard full of Chinese cooking ingredients and has taken cooking classes in Beijing. In fact, she had made this exact dish there. Unable to follow a recipe to the letter, I combined a few different recipes to make the marinade for the pork. The most interesting ingredient was fermented tofu marinated in rice vinegar and ground red rice. We didn't need any food colouring with this, and you can see that the pork was quite pink. I assure you that it was cooked. I also used pork shoulder, as tenderloin can be dry, being the boneless skinless chicken breast of the pig world. The picture above is of the very end piece, which was fattier than the rest. The meat had a great texture and flavour. For the buns, we boiled the marinade as a sauce, adding a bit more of this and that to make it delicious. </div>
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This was a fun and tasty challenge, and it really wasn't that much work, so I urge you to try it. Thanks Sara of <a href="http://bellyrumbles.com/2011/12/char-sui-bao-recipe-daring-cooks-challenge/">Belly Rumbles</a>! Check out what the rest of the Daring Cooks made in the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">slideshow</a>. Find the full challenge and recipe pdf <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/sites/default/files/u11/32_Cha_Sui___Cha_Sui_Bao_-_DC_Dec_2011.pdf">here</a>.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Our Daring Cooks’ December 2011 hostess is Sara from Belly Rumbles! Sara chose awesome Char Sui Bao as our challenge, where we made the buns, Char Sui, and filling from scratch – delicious!</span></div>
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<br /></div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-43105652171122280002011-12-07T20:20:00.001-05:002011-12-07T21:25:48.027-05:00Nutty as...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBwEoMApVKYXZczGXxejEF6Yo2KhDnTvEc8yvivz1oGDEvnxDj-9ax_NlvtqkjRgQdMhDNyCo3-eWnJVRcKW_jUYTmnE687t8n6aBDrtMclK8BOFa90Lw9OV9xGaSB1dtls9kN-G-wao/s1600/DSCN9801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBwEoMApVKYXZczGXxejEF6Yo2KhDnTvEc8yvivz1oGDEvnxDj-9ax_NlvtqkjRgQdMhDNyCo3-eWnJVRcKW_jUYTmnE687t8n6aBDrtMclK8BOFa90Lw9OV9xGaSB1dtls9kN-G-wao/s400/DSCN9801.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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How would you finish that title? Fruitcake, right? I couldn't bring myself to put fruitcake in the title, because I am a lifelong and vocal fruitcake basher. I can't stand the stuff, but not so much because it's like a brick, but because it has raisins in it. Raisins, and nasty artificially dyed 'fruit'. Since when are cherries bright green? Blech. Nuts and booze and nice dried fruit are just fine with me, however. So, when I saw this cake I thought I'd give it a try. I wasn't sure, though, so it took a few years for it to make the move from bookmarked to baked. And another month and a bit to make the move from baked to blogged (and eaten), but at least I was bathing it in Amaretto for that month. The results were surprisingly good. I cut into one to share some with a friend and found myself unable to stop taking another thin slice, and another and then maybe just one more. Make it now and it'll be fab over the holidays.<br />
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Oh, I forgot the almost-best part: it's called Dowager Duchess Fruitcake! I think I saved it for the name alone. It's full of candied orange peel and almonds, but there is cake too, reminiscent of pound cake. The original recipe called for sherry, which sounded too dowager-y and dowdy to me. I used rum, then doused it with Amaretto, about ⅓ cup for each cake over a month, making it potent and tasty too. I won't get up on a fruitcakey soapbox and try to convince you that this is the fruitcake that will erase all your bad fruitcake memories like so many well-meaning folks have done to me, but I will say that I like it very much indeed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9O75y2rk9QO2nRFSb6nBwLw2JNBI-XXj6fmRotqSQYpboa0nniADMiueSRUDcNIIGYsI7UKOxZLQF4q2QECuMXSt1_koDWXQRqzRakNADVuyuXOUauT4XwkXZz1Ng602nxrhYjn8ZWgo/s1600/DSCN9711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9O75y2rk9QO2nRFSb6nBwLw2JNBI-XXj6fmRotqSQYpboa0nniADMiueSRUDcNIIGYsI7UKOxZLQF4q2QECuMXSt1_koDWXQRqzRakNADVuyuXOUauT4XwkXZz1Ng602nxrhYjn8ZWgo/s400/DSCN9711.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<b>Dowager Duchess Fruitcake</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Slightly adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/354028/dowager-duchess-fruitcake?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/holiday-sweet-bread-and-fruitcake-recipes">Martha Stewart</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Makes 2-9" loaves, apparently, but it wouldn't fit in my loaf pan. I made 2-6" cakes instead from a half recipe</span><br />
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1 pound/454 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
2 pounds 4 ounces/1 kilogram candied orange peel, cut in 1 cm pieces (I made my own, but you can buy it too)<br />
15 ounces/425 grams whole blanched almonds<br />
2½ cups sugar<br />
5 large eggs<br />
3 tablespoons Amaretto or rum, plus extra for soaking<br />
4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
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<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 300℉/150℃. Line cake pans with buttered parchment paper. Combine orange peel and almonds in a large bowl and set aside.</li>
<li>In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping bowl after each addition. Add Amaretto/rum. </li>
<li>Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour a cup at a time, beating only until combined. Fold in orange peel/almond mixture.</li>
<li>Divide batter amongst pans. You can fill to the top as it doesn't rise. Bake until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 1 to 1¼ hours. Remove from oven and douse each cake with 2-3 tablespoons Amaretto, depending on size of cakes. Let cool completely on rack.</li>
<li>Remove cakes from pans and discard parchment. Wrap in cheesecloth and store in a tin in a cool, dark place for 1 month, dousing them with Amaretto (1-2 tablespoons) once a week. I alternated soaking the top and bottom and turned the cakes every week.</li>
<li>Slice thinly to serve.</li>
</ol>
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<b><br /></b>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-22782255565053281742011-11-27T00:00:00.000-05:002011-11-27T00:00:01.755-05:00Coconut Grapefruit Sans Rival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQZVGcbNwNg7uZvN7zNJnaDNRuvc-U1iA1dwLsa8VdaNapvHQAH_oSF4V5TXBqonVdZINkCt5daADLVkxxE0DAMLpsHpO5-nSjzA4hricW8rqB4NjZ_EbKCLrWwutnjMIDMAapwiOUZI/s1600/DSCN9770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQZVGcbNwNg7uZvN7zNJnaDNRuvc-U1iA1dwLsa8VdaNapvHQAH_oSF4V5TXBqonVdZINkCt5daADLVkxxE0DAMLpsHpO5-nSjzA4hricW8rqB4NjZ_EbKCLrWwutnjMIDMAapwiOUZI/s400/DSCN9770.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Do you sometimes have trouble paying attention when you are baking? I have trouble paying attention at the best of times, but making this dessert was more difficult than it needed to be because I was in space cadet mode. I blame it on all the kindergarten I taught this week--many little kids and their snowsuits and winter accessories turn my brain to mush. I only decided to make this dessert at the last minute, as I was worried it would be too rich and too sweet (it is basically buttered meringue, after all). To balance the sweetness a bit, I made a grapefruit curd to add to the buttercream. I reduced the grapefruit juice by half, which meant that the curd was a bit too bitter on its own, but it was perfect in the buttercream: difficult to identify, but encouraging another taste to figure out the mystery ingredient. Too bad I only had pink grapefruits--red ones would have made for a prettier frosting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ckqWZOxuyP6hG8hX1OG53b5QqNPwxxLw-PCFXW4Xorty612BjBJvpc3c3ex9O0wggrZRIR2mVLhPChY5yURw8thYxjT6-Qg57CQxBrS8dTje45iCTN4QTyBr1bhrDAPQB6tSDHXfqNA/s1600/DSCN9783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ckqWZOxuyP6hG8hX1OG53b5QqNPwxxLw-PCFXW4Xorty612BjBJvpc3c3ex9O0wggrZRIR2mVLhPChY5yURw8thYxjT6-Qg57CQxBrS8dTje45iCTN4QTyBr1bhrDAPQB6tSDHXfqNA/s320/DSCN9783.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I made a small version of this, using 5 eggs in total: 2 for the curd, 3 whites for the dacquoise and 3 yolks for the buttercream. The original recipe calls for 10 egg whites and 5 yolks for 12 servings, but I got 8 servings from my mini version (13x13x6.5cm). Instead of baking it in pans, I traced a paper CD envelope onto the foil using a chopstick. I wanted to pipe the meringue mixture, but I got two, yes two, yolks in the meringue so it wasn't the most durable stuff. I started out well, separating the first egg neatly. Then, who knows what happened, but I cracked the next egg with such force and flung it in the bowl before noticing that I had mixed yolks and whites, and the yolk was broken. Oops. I scooped it out and did the very same thing with the next egg. This yolk was really broken up and I was unable to remove it all from the whites. I considered pitching the whole thing but I was out of eggs. So, with a few choice words, I started beating the whites anyway. It worked rather well, and I got fairly stiff peaks. So, I folded in a pile of unsweetened coconut and that's when I got a bit worried. Rather than manhandle (Maryhandle?) it any more by putting it in a piping bag, I quickly spread it with a palette knife, got it in the oven and hoped for the best. It was fine, so don't panic about a tiny bit of yolk in your egg whites!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxovedkAnYdNfw1-iuldb-kNhCDWz9xspvucY5dZAboH9bd0cRZ-w8cR2yiUnTjfWlmjW8BIpekzogfD5tEhAvyOElN5huvvNSdQYkbgDn4L3jyoFTyQSqqp-2cHK7xd5vPcDH_h3paI/s1600/DSCN9773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxovedkAnYdNfw1-iuldb-kNhCDWz9xspvucY5dZAboH9bd0cRZ-w8cR2yiUnTjfWlmjW8BIpekzogfD5tEhAvyOElN5huvvNSdQYkbgDn4L3jyoFTyQSqqp-2cHK7xd5vPcDH_h3paI/s400/DSCN9773.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I halved this piece to make 2 servings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The French buttercream was easy to make, and not as fussy as the meringue one I usually choose. I always find that moment when you are beating the butter in and it finally comes together a bit off-putting. It's when the bowl of beaten yolks (or whites) begins to look exactly like a bowl of beaten butter. That's when I start to calculate just how much butter will be in every piece and how many pieces I am likely to eat. 2 tablespoons, in case you were wondering, and totally worth a brisk walk or ten. I'll always choose real buttercream over that nasty, gritty powdered sugar stuff.<br />
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Putting it together was easy enough, except that the kitchen was quite warm by this time and frosting each layer pushed the ones below off kilter. I eventually got it somewhat straight, so I just left it alone, intending to fix it up the next day. That didn't happen. Instead, I added a few flakes of fresh coconut and dug in. I don't think my Sans Rival is going to rival any of the beauties you'll find on the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Kitchen</a>, but it tasted great! Thanks to <a href="http://www.munchiemusings.net/">Catherine</a> for a fun challenge. Now, what to do with the extra buttercream and grapefruit curd???<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/sites/default/files/u11/61_Filipino_Desserts_-_DB_Nov_2011.pdf">Full challenge PDF with photos and recipes.</a><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Blog-checking lines: Catherine of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><a href="http://www.munchiemusings.net/" style="color: #aa0012; text-decoration: none;">Munchie Musings</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">was our November Daring Bakers’ host and she challenged us to make a traditional Filipino dessert – the delicious Sans Rival cake! And for those of us who wanted to try an additional Filipino dessert, Catherine also gave us a bonus recipe for Bibingka which comes from her friend Jun of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><a href="http://blog.junbelen.com/" style="color: #aa0012; text-decoration: none;">Jun-blog</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">.</span>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-66055516360375069962011-11-18T13:38:00.000-05:002011-11-18T13:38:22.080-05:00Oatmeal, Coconut and Macadamia Nut Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxSHtGktJbQWQo6Tl5cThcfZ1D6M4U7f3YpDtYlG-mc7f63-aie_4YriZHmSxQfWT-Rv_sQTVa3UMzq7O3IsyehHvAgRO8TzqlgfOrHoCcUH2gFI1SMsHwEuiHRA2tEXPPOY4jAM6Jhw/s1600/DSCN9713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxSHtGktJbQWQo6Tl5cThcfZ1D6M4U7f3YpDtYlG-mc7f63-aie_4YriZHmSxQfWT-Rv_sQTVa3UMzq7O3IsyehHvAgRO8TzqlgfOrHoCcUH2gFI1SMsHwEuiHRA2tEXPPOY4jAM6Jhw/s400/DSCN9713.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Do you bake to create something new? To recreate a taste memory? To use up a surplus of ingredients? Or just because you need something sweet? I bake for all of those reasons, but this recipe is one in a series of cookies I've been making over the past few years trying to recreate a teenage indulgence. I was never a mall rat, but whenever I did go I would pick up a cookie at a famous cookie franchise. It was called Mrs. something or other... They were huge and chewy with a centre verging on raw. I loved them and could make one last all day. Like I said, they were huge. This chain sold lots of cookies but this one was my favourite for a number of reasons: it did not contain chocolate; it had coconut; and macadamia nuts. Oh and I did I mention the size? It does matter.<br />
A few years ago I was at a mall and went to pick one up only to find they had been discontinued for years! Like I said, I'm not a big shopper. I was disappointed so I set out to make them myself. Over the years I've taken a few cracks at the recipe, but my results have always been too cakey or too crisp. Sometimes the cookie didn't spread at all, other times it spread all over the place. I even tried to adapt a few ANZAC biscuits recipes, as they are full of oats and coconut, but they weren't quite right either. My most recent attempt is the first I have been mostly happy with. It's almost thick enough and chewy--almost too chewy. I used golden syrup instead of white sugar along with old-fashioned rolled oats and shredded coconut, but will try quick oats and flaked coconut next time. And maybe change the ratio of flour to coconut/oats to give me exactly what I'm looking for. That said, these were delicious and if you're a cookie dough monster like me you'll love them raw or baked.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRAtKOEBLxq1-EhqTvX7bK80icmr0PSb9H2DIf6vowsR6I8DhdBqsWTwmwROWllf6DTmsg5D9aal6JLETYmPJiuSjU3nnPtwRAe9WMQCRc1Gm3i4_8We5jLAIKGmSbpXB0uDkOh4c1Rs/s1600/DSCN9716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRAtKOEBLxq1-EhqTvX7bK80icmr0PSb9H2DIf6vowsR6I8DhdBqsWTwmwROWllf6DTmsg5D9aal6JLETYmPJiuSjU3nnPtwRAe9WMQCRc1Gm3i4_8We5jLAIKGmSbpXB0uDkOh4c1Rs/s400/DSCN9716.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><b>Oatmeal Coconut and Macadamia Nut Cookies</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted from Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunchy by Alice Medrich</span><br />
2 cups rolled oats<br />
¼ cup water<br />
5.625 ounces/1¼ cups all-purpose flour<br />
½ teaspoon baking soda<br />
pinch freshly grated nutmeg<br />
8 ounces/1 cup unsalted butter<br />
5.25 ounces/¾ cup packed light brown sugar<br />
¼ cup golden syrup<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
1 large egg<br />
1 cup roasted, salted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped<br />
1 cup sweetened coconut<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Place the oats in a bowl and sprinkle with the water, stirring to combine. Set aside. Whisk the flour, baking soda and nutmeg together in a medium bowl.</li>
<li>Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Take off the stove and add the sugar, syrup, vanilla and salt and stir well. Add the egg and beat in. Add the flour mixture, oats, nuts and coconut and stir just until combined.</li>
<li>Cover the dough and let it stand at room temperature for a couple of hours, or ideally overnight in the fridge. This helps to moisten the oats thoroughly.</li>
<li>Preheat oven to 350℉. Line baking sheets with ungreased parchment. Scoop 2 level tablespoons of dough for each cookie and flatten into a small hockey puck shape. Bake 10-12 minutes, just until cookies are golden on the edge. Slide parchment and cookies onto a rack to cool. Store airtight.</li>
</ol>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-81820050235028733242011-11-11T21:01:00.000-05:002011-11-11T21:01:14.368-05:00Almond Torte<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnVdGIkaVoe3-cSsLIL1RdVq6g_4PllmF69fW9Z0wviH96FlpccMpuZnnYxTnCvK_p9qaxaP0NN_kCQ2Pc2_W3uXPhLB5MofYTrVHeb11uPSip0qdHx81KwJWST-mngyUsHWbOX1TLxM/s1600/DSCN9706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnVdGIkaVoe3-cSsLIL1RdVq6g_4PllmF69fW9Z0wviH96FlpccMpuZnnYxTnCvK_p9qaxaP0NN_kCQ2Pc2_W3uXPhLB5MofYTrVHeb11uPSip0qdHx81KwJWST-mngyUsHWbOX1TLxM/s400/DSCN9706.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Over 2 weeks have passed since my last post, but I am still having trouble getting into a blogging frame of mind. I find it really hard to find anything I want to bake, much less write about (I hate writing) and it doesn't help that it's getting dark at 4pm and I can't take photos. I haven't even been baking much, which means I probably should see the doctor. So, complaining aside, what's been on the menu? Lots of spicy food and this one lonely cake. I made it when a friend was coming for dinner. It was the perfect end to a simple meal, no adornment needed. If you like to gild the lily, raspberry coulis, candied sour cherries or any fresh or cooked fruit would make a wonderful accompaniment. This recipe is from a cookbook I've had since I was a teen, and I've been making almost that long, though I had forgotten about it for a few years. I simplified it by making the whole thing in a food processor, and I won't go back to the mixer for this cake, as the food processor does a much better job of breaking up the almond paste anyway. Yes, almond paste. Aren't you glad you kept reading? Try it--it's a moist and tasty cake, and a good keeper too.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguEveQDoxtiN89xxSXRlYDTfFwoR-PdWULCcE5jWWSGBlY0twwWB74qZhpphE6OflV1DefEguNmdhzXs5BGvylaPi4C9a4vIKWdhKtJSUYB1fDog9lDZFsz3Wz8NPN4gXzjKKQvFTbCc/s1600/DSCN9710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguEveQDoxtiN89xxSXRlYDTfFwoR-PdWULCcE5jWWSGBlY0twwWB74qZhpphE6OflV1DefEguNmdhzXs5BGvylaPi4C9a4vIKWdhKtJSUYB1fDog9lDZFsz3Wz8NPN4gXzjKKQvFTbCc/s400/DSCN9710.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><b>Almond Torte</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Cooking A to Z</span><br />
1¼ cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
pinch salt<br />
1 package almond paste (7 oz/200 grams)<br />
¾ cup sugar<br />
¾ cup unsalted butter<br />
4 eggs<br />
½ teaspoon almond extract<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly grease bottom of a 9" cake pan; line with parchment. Grease sides of pan and parchment and dust with flour. Combine dry ingredients and set aside.</li>
<li>Crumble almond paste into bowl of a food processor, add sugar and pulse until it looks like fine crumbs. Add butter and process until it is well creamed. Add eggs, one at a time, processing until each is well mixed before adding another. Add almond extract with the last egg. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add flour mixture and pulse a few times, until just combined. </li>
<li>Scrape batter into pan and bake until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Start checking after 40 minutes, though it could take up to 50. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove and cool right-side up on a rack.</li>
</ol>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-603771951193568552011-10-27T00:01:00.000-04:002011-10-27T00:01:01.609-04:00The Daring Bakers Make Povitica (Walnut Swirl Bread)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCg-vVKvgj0bSSBzIEs3Cs6DnkvcTC1A6WjJNohZ-S4P4GR5jLoxEOeMeJJeyri22qSqrEd6g31O8axQYysA8t5wy8z03d_DBfpI9AQzQD3iPYbCK6mYWCMzQFwyK5CKe2h5DGKJYYcE/s1600/DSCN9660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMCg-vVKvgj0bSSBzIEs3Cs6DnkvcTC1A6WjJNohZ-S4P4GR5jLoxEOeMeJJeyri22qSqrEd6g31O8axQYysA8t5wy8z03d_DBfpI9AQzQD3iPYbCK6mYWCMzQFwyK5CKe2h5DGKJYYcE/s400/DSCN9660.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was so happy to get back into the swing of participating in Daring Kitchen challenges after missing a few! This recipe was just the kick in the pants I needed, though those pants may not fit for long if I keep picking at this bread. It is completely addictive, and I find myself wanting a slice at breakfast time, with tea in the afternoon and for dessert too. It's also a lot of fun to play with: by unraveling the spirals as I eat I can make a slice of this last for a long time. Not long enough, though: I offered about ⅔ of the loaf to a friend, but we haven't managed to meet up yet, and I am sorry to say that I started in on her share of the bread this afternoon. I plan to make another of these soon, so she may have to wait for that!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Complete challenge and recipe in this handy <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/sites/default/files/u11/60_Povitica_-_DB_Oct_2011.pdf">PDF</a>. Make this and you'll be a hero. Thank you to Jenni of <a href="http://thegingeredwhisk.blogspot.com/">The Gingered Whisk</a> for a fantastic challenge! See some of the other beauties in the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Kitchen slideshow</a> (not sideshow). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #442200; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><em>Blog-checking lines:</em> The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk. Povitica is a traditional Eastern European Dessert Bread that is as lovely to look at as it is to eat!</span></div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-14137107788183681372011-10-23T17:46:00.000-04:002011-10-23T17:46:01.291-04:00Pumpkin Flan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Z4bqfAFGDpo2L2gT2ssEE3aTynHcjM77MPBf5TnEIlDMXl42KbkDDDd7-8YgJoJIcnefrdlV0nCbvuRf3grsRudLRDDaIaOR67ql6sZ4qSxFRK6pgMzZTuu24BNweJgDlCi3P4bgg6U/s1600/DSCN9651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Z4bqfAFGDpo2L2gT2ssEE3aTynHcjM77MPBf5TnEIlDMXl42KbkDDDd7-8YgJoJIcnefrdlV0nCbvuRf3grsRudLRDDaIaOR67ql6sZ4qSxFRK6pgMzZTuu24BNweJgDlCi3P4bgg6U/s400/DSCN9651.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Right after I got home from Ecuador, I took my nephew up to my aunt and uncle's farm to get some pumpkins. We had different goals, James and I, but we both came home happy. He got a pumpkin 'big enough to fit Poppy (his sister) in', as well as some quality time admiring the tractors. I scored 15 pie pumpkins. My plan was to make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, but we were missing something crucial, though I can't remember what it was now. That left me with a cooked pumpkin, so I brought it home and got to work. I made a pumpkin loaf, which was delicious, but got eaten before the camera-computer issue got fixed. Then I made this, which is just like pumpkin pie filling without the crust, and with a caramel sauce. It's smooth, creamy, dense and pumpkiny. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Pumpkin Flan</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Serves 8 according to the recipe, but I think it's enough for at least 12--it's quite rich</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Adapted from Gourmet Today</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 cups sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 cup heavy cream</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1½ cups whole milk</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5 large eggs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 large egg yolk</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">15 ounces pumpkin puree (I used fresh, but this is equivalent to one can)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tablespoons dark rum</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 teaspoon ground cinnamon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 teaspoon ground ginger</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">¼ teaspoon salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">a handful of pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2-quart/liter souffle or round casserole dish (I used small ramekins)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Preheat oven to 350℉.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Caramel:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heat 1 cup sugar with ¼ cup water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, brushing down the edges of the pan with a wet brush to rinse away any sugar crystals. Boil until it is a dark amber colour, then immediately pour into dish or dishes and swirl to distribute evenly. Set aside while you make the flan.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Flan:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bring the cream and milk to a simmer in a heavy saucepan over medium heat (I used the same saucepan, and didn't bother to wash it--the hardened caramel with dissolve). Whisk the eggs, yolk and remaining sugar together until well blended. Add the pumpkin, rum, vanilla, spices and salt and whisk. Add the hot cream mixture in a stream while whisking. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pushing mixture with a spatula to force it through. Pour custard into caramel lined dish or dishes. Place into a large roasting pan, place pan in preheated oven and then pour boiling water to come at least halfway up sides of dish. Bake until flan is golden brown on top (small ones won't brown as much) and a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 1¼ hours. Transfer dish to a rack to cool. Once cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, overnight is even better. The longer it sits, the more caramel dissolves, giving more sauce.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To serve:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Run a thin knife around the edges of the flan to loosen it. Shake the dish gently until the flan moves freely in dish. Invert a large platter deep enough to catch the caramel sauce over the dish and, holding them tightly together, quickly invert and turn flan out on platter. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds just before serving.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">See you on Thursday with the Daring Bakers' reveal!</div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-75890816516494796682011-10-17T12:02:00.000-04:002011-10-17T12:02:35.700-04:00I'm back, with Rarotongan Coconut Rolls<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tF2HiUXWfSW97JqHpS_WKL4x8F9kl9A-dgZ4gnQZUbr1LBlXUFTwinhu7mo5i6bEzZe0FS039GbzxEB0l54ObS__v0j2QRHvVq2IPLsFP7F4fe9A0Fz8yN4DcqA3rWKNVoG1kwq4HA4/s1600/DSCN8969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tF2HiUXWfSW97JqHpS_WKL4x8F9kl9A-dgZ4gnQZUbr1LBlXUFTwinhu7mo5i6bEzZe0FS039GbzxEB0l54ObS__v0j2QRHvVq2IPLsFP7F4fe9A0Fz8yN4DcqA3rWKNVoG1kwq4HA4/s400/DSCN8969.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coconut bun with very special sauce</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Hello! Is anyone out there? I have been back in Canada for 2 weeks now and am finally getting around to posting something. Unfortunately it's something I made before I left, but I am still having computer problems. I have a new hard drive, but iPhoto is not working properly, meaning no new photos, and no photos from Ecuador. Since returning, I haven't baked much, worked much or done much of anything. I just want to jump back on a plane (preferably without any airports involved) and be somewhere else, away from everyday responsibilities. That's not happening right this minute, so I'll post this and then head back to the computer shop so that I can share the results of pumpkinfest 2011. Brace yourselves.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEUn15iMiEQKZzqoU-8HjgYfBGFhqNaV1LQ3gojJYind2rSN4i0H7JRmsNUIxRws4JCy9NligjwZSzq4Iz92JriO41jjud0gfjmX36levpUijQQrSPS2FZ75pcBz9ngRoHmKFN-xPqLg/s1600/DSCN8958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEUn15iMiEQKZzqoU-8HjgYfBGFhqNaV1LQ3gojJYind2rSN4i0H7JRmsNUIxRws4JCy9NligjwZSzq4Iz92JriO41jjud0gfjmX36levpUijQQrSPS2FZ75pcBz9ngRoHmKFN-xPqLg/s400/DSCN8958.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to rise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I have had this recipe bookmarked for ages and finally got around to making it in a fit of baking before I kissed my stove goodbye for 6 weeks. My family and I are huge fans of coconut, and my nephew likes to help too. While trying to entertain him at my mother's non-childproofed house, we gave him a coconut and a hammer. What followed was hilarious, with James chasing the coconut around the garage and swinging the hammer with abandon. I know, not safe, but nobody lost an eye, the kid was entertained and I got enough coconut to make these buns. Win-win, no?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLBlrXdlm2BtOvWdcbvfjR1Nh3NZx5A_X_JZjrqvYlPp1TfceGgnaaZEFU1nQ_ceW0ko4I91aw2T_uGSJ347HegasblmBmjoi1L6-oxhd70baFPiWWekfGWFgiGDUu-21cyy7Tt6omRE/s1600/DSCN8959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLBlrXdlm2BtOvWdcbvfjR1Nh3NZx5A_X_JZjrqvYlPp1TfceGgnaaZEFU1nQ_ceW0ko4I91aw2T_uGSJ347HegasblmBmjoi1L6-oxhd70baFPiWWekfGWFgiGDUu-21cyy7Tt6omRE/s400/DSCN8959.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barely risen, hoping the oven spring will sort that out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Not exactly. More lose-win. I loved the coconut sauce and could see myself eating it on just about anything. I left it at my mother's and she was contemplating pouring it over ice cream. The buns, though, were a bit of a disappointment. They did not have the texture of yeast buns, but seemed more like bad biscuits or scones: heavy, with a dense crumb. I proofed the yeast, but they just did not rise much and the amount of liquid called for did not even make crumbs, much less a kneadable dough. There were comments noting this on the original recipe, so I can't say I wasn't warned. I'll be making these again, but using a different yeast dough recipe. Maybe <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/pani-popo-samoan-coconut-buns-recipe">this one</a> from King Arthur Flour?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfqHcyh9qISzvkXbnC7WjaIJi7-OUrZAPm1GaUJCc4hDSnmQKJ31z1NMCWj6PZzg3bnOcyQB7QpsxBKZTWbm2jZ25axLu7Yk71uW9MaLDE9gZhdvXv6015FrV3Am9FvDR8zYdubKPlZM/s1600/DSCN8962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlfqHcyh9qISzvkXbnC7WjaIJi7-OUrZAPm1GaUJCc4hDSnmQKJ31z1NMCWj6PZzg3bnOcyQB7QpsxBKZTWbm2jZ25axLu7Yk71uW9MaLDE9gZhdvXv6015FrV3Am9FvDR8zYdubKPlZM/s400/DSCN8962.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked, slightly risen, but look at that sauce!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Here's the link to the <a href="http://peasepudding.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/rarotongan-coconut-rolls/#comment-2651">original recipe</a>, from the lovely blog <a href="http://peasepudding.wordpress.com/">Pease Pudding</a>.Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-39379314844103675052011-09-29T10:22:00.000-04:002011-09-29T10:22:00.289-04:00This Year's Raspberry Cream Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYCQCnxaekBoGDlIAUdZTj_4i-fDRq8UktdIbnL2t8Jf8LxCoSMmItRky7z3GOlWdN3wOnzPiOZ6anu2hQHJoEDKn2mzOUsH-M1OT8XdGEB4Z5q5kHZXOWHDgkg47S9m7Xp47cPAcriQ/s1600/DSCN8833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGYCQCnxaekBoGDlIAUdZTj_4i-fDRq8UktdIbnL2t8Jf8LxCoSMmItRky7z3GOlWdN3wOnzPiOZ6anu2hQHJoEDKn2mzOUsH-M1OT8XdGEB4Z5q5kHZXOWHDgkg47S9m7Xp47cPAcriQ/s400/DSCN8833.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>My family loves raspberry cream cake, and we used to get delicious ones at a local bakery. The last one we got was overpriced and underwhelming, so we've sworn off them and I occasionally remember to make one, usually when local raspberries are in season. I used to want to recreate that bakery cake, but I always end up making something completely different. That's okay, because I can still remember the other cake fondly while I'm gorging on raspberries, cake and cream. This one was exactly like the fraisier I made for the July Daring Bakers' challenge. Okay, not exactly. I used raspberries, skipped the almond paste and soaking syrup, and added lots of lemon zest to the cake batter. The verdict? Delicious.<br />
Here's the link to <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/sites/default/files/u11/57_Fresh_Fraisiers-DB_July_2011.pdf">that recipe</a> because I'm far too lazy to type it up.<br />
:)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_byiKGfJY-uKgdQ6mpkGkNM9cJJY0Z_MI3fiGyqqrBZb7pvYhK7Q1tMCIOnpXKztRjgokcid_gqSlMe4bJFOgMQP9Q0gcCgXPUf7YTp1pTcoACca1qkrz_d7KgYqr2968PKMN6UoDAgo/s1600/DSCN8838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_byiKGfJY-uKgdQ6mpkGkNM9cJJY0Z_MI3fiGyqqrBZb7pvYhK7Q1tMCIOnpXKztRjgokcid_gqSlMe4bJFOgMQP9Q0gcCgXPUf7YTp1pTcoACca1qkrz_d7KgYqr2968PKMN6UoDAgo/s400/DSCN8838.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
Update: I am still not home! I'm enjoying my last week in Ecuador, and thinking of all the things I'll miss and making plans to return. I know my last post said I was on my way, but that was a mix-up on my part. I had lots of auto posts scheduled but the death of my computer while I was here buggered that up a bit. Anyway, enjoy some cake and I'll see you in a week or so!</div>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-74878916741181171692011-09-22T10:08:00.002-04:002011-09-22T10:08:00.825-04:00Raspberry and Honey CranachanThis is my last auto-scheduled post, and I should be on a plane home by the time this is posted. I can't wait to get back to my own kitchen to bake up some Thanksgiving goodies!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPXIsKL5vOgs4U_C589zjVF2gsuPSaqcWgnbmKM2_NDUwIYta7AjzpvdBrr_MoRu5Gk1ex9stNZzAZ6EwY79lYbtZDOsVra1wSGt2QPlohY8wAYgKUO4ZnyXrj8QDA0X5ittYp5LpBFI/s1600/DSCN8670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPXIsKL5vOgs4U_C589zjVF2gsuPSaqcWgnbmKM2_NDUwIYta7AjzpvdBrr_MoRu5Gk1ex9stNZzAZ6EwY79lYbtZDOsVra1wSGt2QPlohY8wAYgKUO4ZnyXrj8QDA0X5ittYp5LpBFI/s400/DSCN8670.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used red and golden raspberries, along with tayberries</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Funny name, isn't it? Now, if I was one of those bloggers that did tons of research into how foods got their names, I'd have a story to tell. But I'm not that person. What I can tell you is that this dessert is Scottish and delicious. When I went to Edinburgh for work, this was one of the things on my to-do list. I wasn't sure how to pronounce it, but I knew that any combination of raspberries, cream, whisky and oats was bound to be amazing. I tried it in a few places just to confirm, because I do believe in some kinds of research. I even ate this combination atop hot oatmeal at a very cool spot at the Edinburgh Farmers' Market called <a href="http://www.stoatsporridgebars.co.uk/">Stoats Oats</a>. It was a porridge bar where you could get any number of interesting toppings on your bowl of oatmeal. It was July, but freezing and pouring rain, so this was a Saturday morning treat. Here's the <a href="http://www.stoatsporridgebars.co.uk/cranachan-recipe.php">link</a> to the breakfast dish, but I recommend you have the dessert version. This would also be delicious with stewed rhubarb (of course!) or other berries or cherries in season.<br />
<br />
<b>Raspberry and Honey Cranachan</b><br />
<i>Source: River Cottage Every Day</i><br />
Serves 4<br />
50 grams rolled oats<br />
2 tablespoons whisky<br />
250 ml double or whipping cream<br />
2 tablespoons honey<br />
250 grams raspberries<br />
<ol><li>Warm a small frying pan over low heat. Add rolled oats and stir until they are golden and toasted. Watch carefully as they burn easily. Transfer to a plate to cool.</li>
<li>Stir the whisky and cream together and whisk until it holds soft peaks. Lightly crush a few of the raspberries so their juices run. I didn't crush them enough, so my cream was pale and full of whole berries. Not as pretty, but tasty. Fold all the raspberries, honey and oats into the cream, spoon into small glasses or bowls and serve immediately.</li>
</ol>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8051491896011700079.post-5625644667528497802011-09-15T10:24:00.000-04:002011-09-15T10:24:00.091-04:00Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzPJqbuQD79m7Bpv4ksHgiq0Kv-qBWfdg5GLFIo5gD63BzqkQkszmeU0WvVjRcuNGoWqEg_LEbm0HeO_vDRsHusqxtC152BTu1ZytscNuwwithOJWhXPVJl3KLk6qMGoz0MWjog-Xspg/s1600/DSCN8754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzPJqbuQD79m7Bpv4ksHgiq0Kv-qBWfdg5GLFIo5gD63BzqkQkszmeU0WvVjRcuNGoWqEg_LEbm0HeO_vDRsHusqxtC152BTu1ZytscNuwwithOJWhXPVJl3KLk6qMGoz0MWjog-Xspg/s400/DSCN8754.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I love making ice cream, but I don't love eating it. I blame it on my brother. He hit me in the face with a Coke bottle when I was about 7 or 8 and broke my front tooth. It was so sensitive and I still think about it whenever I eat ice cream. So, when I make ice cream, I play with it a bit, and love making ice cream sandwiches. These ones are thin brownies. Brownies are cake's first cousin. Cake is my favourite thing to make. All that cancels out phantom tooth pain. Enjoy! I used the cherry ripple ice cream to fill these, but you could use any flavour you like. I'm thinking coconut for next time...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcQvyRCPVjx0namEN0yy2_ANsiNaIFBXoZlaJA5z5L9RRuCgBBuj5w4AGtoiQ751R1L8-x5LZkdKSVQZUnzdCg27vltKzZVbE8N7Y_yQbKZNa1-xV-0eIOqLkWFJWz_5cEoeNzHRAW7E/s1600/DSCN8757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcQvyRCPVjx0namEN0yy2_ANsiNaIFBXoZlaJA5z5L9RRuCgBBuj5w4AGtoiQ751R1L8-x5LZkdKSVQZUnzdCg27vltKzZVbE8N7Y_yQbKZNa1-xV-0eIOqLkWFJWz_5cEoeNzHRAW7E/s400/DSCN8757.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>From Chatelaine Magazine, August 2011</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Makes 16</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">84 grams/3 squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">⅓ cup unsalted butter, cubed</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">¼ teaspoon salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">¼ teaspoon vanilla</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 eggs</div><div style="text-align: left;">¼ cup all-purpose flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 litres ice cream of your choice</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><ol><li>Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a rimmed 11"x17" baking sheet and line with parchment. Melt butter and chocolate together in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring. Remove from heat. </li>
<li>Stir salt, sugar and vanilla into chocolate mixture, then whisk in eggs one at a time, until blended. Gently stir in flour, just until combined. Scrape onto prepared baking sheet and level with an offset spatula to make a thin, even layer.</li>
<li>Bake in centre of oven until brownie appears shiny and is firm, but slightly undercooked, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan on rack. </li>
<li>Run knife around pan edges to loosen, then cut brownie in half lengthways, making 2 long rectangles. Peel off parchment and place one brownie top-side down on work surface. Now, if you were clever, you froze your ice cream in a shallow rectangular container. I wasn't, so I sliced mine 1" thick and laid the slices on the brownie and sandwiched it with the other, top-side up. Wrap in plastic and freeze for a few hours, until very firm.</li>
<li>Unwrap and trim edges if desired, then cut into 16 rectangular bars. </li>
</ol>Maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10273294553240391802noreply@blogger.com16