Picture Perfect Passion Phood

Homemade Ice Cream without a Machine

2011-07-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hi there!

I think I'm due for a post. This recipe comes just in time for summer. It's homemade ice cream without a machine! It's quick, it's delicious, and it works! I was a little skeptical at first, but I was able to get two different flavored batches in the freezer in 20 minutes! 20 minutes is definitely record time for me to do anything, ever!

Enjoy!

Homemade Ice Cream without a Machine: Basic Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups of heavy cream

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Add your mix-ins to the condensed milk.

Whip the cream until stiff peaks.

Fold the two together.

Transfer to a large enough container.

Freeze.

That's it!

Vanilla Ice Cream with Sprinkles

To the condensed milk, I added 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of sprinkles. Follow directions basic recipe, above.

Mint M&M, Chocolate Chips, and Walnut Ice Cream

To the condensed milk, I added 1/2 cup of chopped mint M&Ms, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and 1/4 cups of chopped walnuts. Follow directions from basic recipe, above.

Joan’s on Third

2011-02-12T19:17:00.001-08:00

I met up with my friend from high school for breakfast. When a friend tells me that the location will be up to my choosing, I try to choose somewhere we’ve both never been before. This time, I chose Joan’s on Third.

I knew it would be a cute place with a great atmosphere and it did not disappoint. For those who have never been, Joan’s on Third is a few blocks away from The Grove. When walking inside, it appears as though it is only a market place, featuring a refrigerated case filled with cured meats and a variety of cheeses. It also has shelves of spices, rice crispy treats (made with cocoa puffs and fruit loops too!), honey samplers, sticks of marshmallows, and more! After you browse around, you will find menu boards hanging in three locations – one for sandwiches, one for breakfast, and one for drinks. Registers are also scattered around, depending on what you want to order. We went for breakfast, so I went to the breakfast register, which also included orders for the bakery and lattes. I ordered the French toast and Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal.

To take home, I got the Nutella poptart (I might have to make one of my own some day), which had such a delicious pastry crust, and a Cloud. Have you ever had a Cloud? I’ve always seen them around online, but I’ve never had one. Let me tell you, if you like heights of fluffy frosting, this is the dessert for you. If you can’t get your hands on one, here’s a recipe you might try.

After filling up, I went back in to take some photographs of everything I missed. As I suspected, they’re one of the many places that don’t allow photographs to be taken, but I managed to sneak in their Valentine’s Day tablescape before they caught me…such a rebel, right – =). Back to the table, look at all the wonderful goodies…I love all the pinks…there were pink meringues, and pink lemondrops, and gumballs, and brownies…oh my heaven!

After breakfast, we weren’t ready to part ways, so we went The Grove to do a little shopping. It’s been a while since she’s gone to The Grove, so it was perfect! We had a fabulous morning of just girl time. If you’re even in the LA area, make sure to stop by Joan’s on Third.

Cruise to Mexico

2011-01-13T18:21:00.000-08:00

I just returned from a week long cruise to Mexico with my family and sig-o! It was our first time cruising and we were oober excited. Let me just say that starving is nowhere on the itinerary. You can get food any time! The buffet and restaurant is accessible for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Want a midnight snack or any other time snack? No problem – just head to the 24 hour ice cream station or pizza bar. Don’t want to leave your room? No problem – there’s 24 hour complimentary room service! It doesn’t get any better than that for a foodie like me.

When we docked, I began my search for where the locals ate.We found ourselves at El Pollo de Oro (The Golden Chicken). It was located in the city of Cabo San Lucas, about a 10 minute taxi drive from the port. The food was delicious. I had the combination plate with a chicken taco, cheese enchilada, chile relleno, and carne asada. I found a new hot sauce – Valentina! Bye bye Tapatio and Cholula…you’ve been good to me, but it’s time we part ways.

Our cruise line, Carnival Spirit, fed about 2400 people the week we went. To see how this HUGE operation is run, we took a behind the scenes tour of the restaurant’s kitchen…amazing!

Enjoy!

P.S By day 4, my dad needed to have some noodles in his system...any noodles will do...even cup o' noodles!

Last Minute Gifts…Peppermint Bark Cups

2010-12-23T23:08:00.001-08:00

I always prefer to make something for friends and family rather than shop for them. I find it difficult to shop for such a large group of people…how can you possibly know what they all want without asking (I’m big on surprises)? When I make things, I get to do what I love, from the heart, and the gifts usually can’t be bought in stores. Also, I think people appreciate the effort. This year, I made peppermint bark cups. They are super easy and super cute! I was able to watch a 1.5 hour movie on my laptop in the kitchen and make them at the same time. And, I was able to finish making them before the movie was over! This recipe is so easy, I’m not even going to write down a formal recipe because I didn’t really follow a recipe. I just eyeballed everything. Happy holidays!
First, line a mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake liners

Next, melt some chocolate chips (I used nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet) in 15 second intervals in the microwave. Make sure to slightly shake the chips in between the intervals at first, and then, stir them in between intervals after the first 45 seconds. Once the chocolate is nicely melted, scoop some into the pre-lined cups, filling about 1/5 of the cup, to create a nice base layer.
Find some peppermint flavored white chocolate and repeat as above. I originally wanted to find peppermint kisses, which a co-worker had purchased, but I couldn’t find them in the stores, so I opted for the next best thing – Andes peppermint crunch.

Top with crushed candy canes.
Allow the chocolate to set for a few hours. The slower you allow it to cool and set, the better. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Cupcakes

2010-11-29T21:52:00.000-08:00

One of my desserts this Thanksgiving were these sweet potato cupcakes. Once I saw it in my inbox, I bookmarked it immediately and knew that it would be on the menu. This recipe will not disappoint you. It is very aromatic and one bite will say, “the holidays are here!”

~Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Cupcakes and Cream Cheese Frosting adapted from Better Homes and Garden

Note: I used fresh pre-cut sweet potatoes and just microwaved them in 30 second increments until they were soft enough to blend.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 17.2-oz. can vacuum-packed sweet potatoes (unsweetened), mashed
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line twenty four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups; set cups aside.

2. In medium bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. In large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition until combined. Add sweet potatoes and vanilla, beating until combined. Add flour mixture; beat until combined (batter will be thick).

4. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake about 20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on wire rack for 1 minute. Remove from pan and cool completely.

5. Frost or pipe with cream cheese frosting (below) as desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Note: Instead of milk or bourbon, I used vanilla extract.

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup butter, softened

2 tablespoons bourbon or milk

powdered sugar until desired consistency

In large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and 2/3 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add bourbon or milk and beat until combined. Beat in powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, until smooth and of a good piping consistency.

Mediterranean Eggplant and Barley Salad

2010-09-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

We celebrated a friend's birthday a few weeks ago at La Jolla Cove in San Diego. There were about 20 guests and it was potluck style. I was in charge of bringing the salad. My friend expected me to purchase the pre-made salads at Costco and to pick up some bulk dressing.
To tell you the truth, that was my first thought too because I wasn't sure I was going to have enough time to get more creative. In the end though, I decided to suck it up and just do it! I thought of making a Mediterranean salad the cucumbers and feta cheese and the other fixins, but I've already done that in the past. I saw this as an opportunity to try something different.
After consulting my trusty recipe blog, I decided that this Mediterranean eggplant and barley salad would be just the right fit. It had the Mediterranean flavors that I was craving, yet it allowed me to learn new skills, like roasting eggplant and zucchini. This was truly a multi-component and multi-technique (roasting and sauteeing) salad - just what I needed to satisfy my tastebuds and hone more skills in the kitchen.
The salad was greeted with open arms (we arrived a little late =)...) and was a hit!
After the beach, a few of us went to a dessert place called Extraordinary Desserts. I'm sure you've heard of it if you live in Southern California. I've always wanted to go there whenever I was in San Diego, but just never made it. There was a little bit of a line when we got there, but not too bad. We ordered the strawberry shortcake for dine-in and I ordered a lemon napoleon for take-out. It was a cozy place with relatively small tables and lit with candles. To tell you the truth, the desserts were tasty, but I think over half of the appeal comes from the impressive way they present each dessert. They sold a variety of teas and allowed us to sample the aroma.

Mediterranean Eggplant and Barley Salad from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 lb eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 lb zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped scallion (from 1 bunch)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (note: I used 1/8 tsp. and it was plenty spicy; adjust to taste)
1 1/4 cups pearl barley (8 oz)
1 (14-oz) can reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (1 3/4 cups)
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and halved
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion, rinsed and drained if desired
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1. Roast eggplant and zucchini: Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Toss eggplant and zucchini with 5 tablespoons oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl, then spread in 2 oiled large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pans. Roast vegetables in oven, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through baking, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total. Combine vegetables in 1 pan and cool, reserving other pan for cooling barley.

3. Cook barley: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook scallion, cumin, coriander, and cayenne, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add barley and cook, stirring until well coated with oil, 2 minutes more. Add broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all of liquid is absorbed and barley is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Transfer to reserved shallow baking pan and spread to quickly cool, uncovered, to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

4. Make dressing and assemble salad: Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, sugar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 3 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add barley, roasted vegetables, and remaining ingredients to bowl with dressing and toss until combined well. Serve with cheese slices.

Do ahead: Salad can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Return to room temperature before serving.

I ♥ Faces: Beach Fun

2010-08-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

Join in on the fun at

Butterfly Cookie Lollies + Bridal Shower

2010-08-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

My friend May, of 10 years, has gotten married! The wonderful ceremony and reception took place last week, on August 7, 2010. She had informed me of her engagement approximately three months before the date and asked me to be her bridesmaid. I was thrilled! I had never been a bridesmaid and I almost feel like it's every girl's right of passage into womanhood - to be there to support the bride and to make sure she's happy. I was honored to be considered for that kind of responsibility, let alone actually chosen.
I wasn't sure what a bridesmaid's responsibilities were, apart from the maid of honor. Once I asked former bridesmaids, I decided to throw May a bridal shower. I imagined the shower to be elegant for the future bride and simple to create for me. When choosing a venue I wanted the space to already have everything - beautiful linens, decorations, silverware, china, food, gift table, lighting, location - so all I had to create were the favors and the photographs.
I ended up choosing Chado Tea Room in Old Town Pasadena. I had dined there a few times before and I adored it every single time. It's a great "girl's day out" location and you get to enjoy a variety of finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, and of course, tea!
Did I ever mention that May is obsessed with butterflies? For the 10+ years that I've known her, she has always been obsessed with them. Consequently, almost every gift I have ever given her has had the butterfly theme. You would think the girl would get tired of them, but no. Even her wedding had the butterfly theme (in addition to pastel colors theme).
Naturally, I needed to somehow incorporate butterflies into the shower. I hand made her invitation to the shower and closed it with a butterfly. I decided on something simple - cookies - for the favors. I remembered reading a tutorial from Cake Journal on making cookie lollies and decided that it would be perfect. I had butterfly cookie cutters from an Easter set and just needed to pick up some lollipop sticks. Michael's actually has cookie lolly sticks, which are longer and thicker than candy lollipop sticks, but I imagine that regular lolly sticks would work fine as well.
The cookies came out perfectly! The cookie recipe held itself well on the stick and was delicious. I wanted to keep the decoration simple yet planned, so I made a lavender icing outline to complement her pastel theme. As luck would have it, I found sprinkles with butterfly cutouts at Michael's as well. Score!
My gift to May was one I have used before - a homemade cookie mix that creates perfect cookies every time. The cookies aren't too crispy or too soft. They also don't spread very much so you can place them closer together (1-inch apart rather than 2).
All in all, I think the shower was a success. I got compliments on the venue, and all the details. I would definitely enjoy being a bridesmaid again (in fact, I was just asked to be one from another friend...so excited!).

Vanilla Sugar Cookie adapted from Cake Journal

200 grams of sugar OR 100 grams sugar and 100 grams of confectioners sugar (I used the latter)
2 large egg
1 tsp of vanilla
450 grams of all-purpose flour, sifted
200 grams of unsalted butter, diced
Extra flour for kneading and rolling

1. In a bowl or in the kitchen mixer with paddle attachment, mix the two types of sugar, vanilla and the egg. Add the flour and the butter and keep mixing just until the dough comes together.

2. Knead the dough lightly by hand on your flour dusted kitchen counter and wrap it well in cling film and put it in a plastic bag. Chill the dough for 2 hours.

3. Bake in a 325F preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.

To make the cookie lollies, follow the step-by-step instructions from Cake Journal

Template for the invitation can be found here

Strawberry and Banana Muffin

2010-07-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a hankering for a sweet muffin in the middle of the night? Well, not so much middle of the night, but pretty late into the evening, say around 9pm? When it's a tiny bit too early to hit the sack, but too late to drag yourself off the couch, into the car, and to the store for just one market leftover muffin? That was the kind of evening I experienced when I made these.
I was perusing this recipe on one of my most frequented blogs at around 9pm. I saw the ingredients and realized I, for once, had all the ingredients (no substitutions)! Upon further analysis, I even noticed how little of each ingredient I needed. That is, instead of making a whole dozen muffins or more (let's face it, I did just want ONE), I would only be making six! That's enough for possibly a second helping tonight and another one for breakfast in the morning and for any sticky fingers that may make their way to the cake pedestal.
The recipe was so condensed, it wasn't even worth taking out a mixer! I put it all together in an individual soup bowl. Can you believe it? Minimal clean up can be added to the list. You gotta love it. Once out of the oven, my craving was satisfied with the sweet flavor and aroma of strawberry and banana and the fluffiness of a wonderful muffin.

Strawberry Banana Muffins adapted from une-deuxsenses

3/4 cup chopped strawberries

2 tbsn. agave

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 banana, mashed

2 tbsn. applesauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 6 muffin tins with paper liners, spray the paper liners with non stick spray (this MUST be done or else they stick to the liners like crazy), set aside.

2. In a small bowl combine the chopped strawberries and agave, let sit.

3. In the meantime, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl combine the mashed banana, egg, applesauce and vanilla.

4. Add the dry mixture to the banana mixture. Mix with a fork until just combined. Fold in the strawberry mixture then spoon into the muffin tin, filling to the top as they don't rise much.

5. Bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.Enjoy!

Mini Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

2010-06-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

I have been recovering from the summer flu this whole week. It started Sunday night and every night I would think that I would feel a lot better the next morning after a good night's rest, but I was wrong 4 out of 5 times. Many, many pills and 10 gallons of fluid later, I'm finally feeling better today and I will be back on my feet this Monday 100% and fully productive.
Did I ever mention that I'm going back to school? I'm pursuing a M.S. in Food Science at Chapman University! I was supposed to begin in the fall, but I decided to start early with summer school. I'm taking a class entitled Food Flavors on Saturdays. It's an interesting, yet unconventional class and allows me to apply my chemistry background to my liking.
It's such an exciting time in my life right now. Some of the most important people in my life are beginning new chapters in their lives as well. This fall my sig-o is going to Pharmacy school at USC and my sister just graduated high school and will be continuing her education NYU in the fall!
I recently found this blog "HowDoesShe". It's a blog collaboration of three mothers who love crafting and cooking. When I saw these mini lemon meringue cupcakes on their site, I knew I had to make them. I love all things sour and tangy, among other flavors. These were just my cup of tea. After making them, I only wished I made them the full size cupcake.

Enjoy and stay healthy!

Mini Lemon Meringue Cupcakes adapted from HowDoesShe

Cupcake
1½ cups flour ½ teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt ½ cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened 1-2/3 cups sugar, plus more for decorating

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°. Line mini-muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk and lemon juice.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup sugar and the lemon peel and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the 2 eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, scraping down the sides between additions. On low speed, beat in a third of the dry ingredients, then a third of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat, alternating ingredients, until the batter is smooth.

3. Spoon the batter into each liner, about three-quarters full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

Lemon Curd 3 lemons 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature 4 extra-large eggs 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons) 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:

1. Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

2. Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

3. Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

Meringue

4 egg whites
6 tbsp. white sugar

Directions:

1. In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.

Assembly

Spread the lemon curd on the baked cakes. If you like, you could inject the curd straight into the cake with a piping bag and a medium sized tip. Pipe the meringue onto the cake. Place the assembled cakes on a cookie sheet and place under the broiler until the meringue has browned slightly.

Ina Garten's Pecan Bars

2010-05-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have had my share of favorites on the Food Network since I began watching it over a decade ago. Every year I have a different favorite show/cook/chef. My taste changes as the host changes lifestyle/personality or the cinematography changes or the style of cooking changes. The one person whom has been my favorite from the absolute beginning is...you guessed it...Ina Garten.
Her personality is just darling. I love how the show is set in her home, I love her kitchen supplies, her pantry, the relationship she has with Jeffrey, her garden...I'm not a stalker, I swear! It's really funny, I'm not vigilant by any means (though I am working on it), but when it comes to her show, I notice just about everything from the background to the foreground. I digress. One Sunday morning or afternoon, I was watching an episode of Barefoot Contessa. She was making a packed lunch to have with one of her friends who owns a flower shop. The main course was a seared salmon, which will be shared with you later, and a these pecan bars.
(the sis wanted to share the limelight)
Ina made making the bars look so easy and so fun that I had to try it. Well, it was easy and it was fun, but it was also time consuming having their different components. However, it is completely worth it. The recipe yields over two dozen! More if you cut them into bite size pieces. I brought them to work and never had I received so many compliments in one day over something I baked. They were gone before I knew it, regardless of the amount I brought in. Magic! They even keep really well in the freezer for weeks. When you want to use them, just bring them out to thaw for about 10 minutes. Just lovely.
Pecan Bars adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Crust

1 1/4 pounds unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping

1 pound unsalted butter
1 cup good honey
3 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 pounds pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions:

*For an extra touch, melt some bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler (or a bowl fitted over simmering water - make sure the bowl isn't touching the water). Dip the bars in the chocolate and place on parchment paper until set. You can also place them in the freezer for about 5 min-10min. to help the chocolate set quicker.*

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. For the crust, beat the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until light, approximately 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the batter with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Press the dough evenly into an ungreased 18 by 12 by 1-inch baking sheet, making an edge around the outside. It will be very sticky; sprinkle the dough and your hands lightly with flour. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Allow to cool.

3. For the topping, combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, and zests in a large, heavy- bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted, using a wooden spoon to stir. Raise the heat and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and pecans. Pour over the crust, trying not to get the filling between the crust and the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Cut into bars and serve.

Vanilla with Chocolate Buttercream Whoopie Pie

2010-04-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for all things fluffy and cream filled. This is why when I saw this book at The Paper Source (I was returning something and ended up buying more...sigh). I had to have it and I had to have it right then. No, I did not want to amazon it or print out a Borders coupon or a Barnes and Noble coupon. I had to buy it right then. I blame it on this gene mutation I have that prevents me from resisting instant gratification.
I took the book home and flipped through it again and again before deciding which recipe to try out first. Instead of the conventional whoopie pie which calls for chocolate cake/cookie and a marshmallow cream filling, I opted for its yang, instead.
They turned out great! No "oooops" this time. They are just the right size and possess just the right amount of sugar to satisfy that sweet tooth fix that is so necessary at the end of a hard-working day.
More to come from this book. It's a keeper.

Vanilla with Chocolate Butttercream Whoopie Pie adapted from Whoopie Pies

Vanilla Whoopie
makes 48 two-inch cakes (24 whoopies)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tbsp. vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

3. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening, and both sugars until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the buttermilk and beat until combined.

4. In a measuring cup, combine the milk, baking soda, and vinegar. Add the milk mixture to the batter along with the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Add the vanilla and beat on medium for about 2 minutes until completely combined.

5. Using a spoon, drop about 1 tbsp. of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the cakes begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream adapted from Whoopie Pies

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tbsp. heavy (whipping) cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt

1. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and butter, starting on low and increasing to medium speed, until the mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt and beat on high until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Assembling

1. To the flat side of 24 cakes, pipe or spread the filling generously.

2. Place the flat side of the "naked" cakes on top of the chocolate filling, completing the whoopie!

Almond Biscotti

2010-04-06T18:38:00.001-07:00

Hello friends. It's nice to be back. Instead of going through the ins and outs of why I was gone for so long (backing up my hard drive, planning my future, the days are too short, yadiyadiyah), let's just dive right in and enjoy some biscotti with a cup of tea!
A friend of mine once told me that there's nothing like a homemade biscotti. Until now, I have only had those store bought, cellophane covered ones. Naturally, I thought they were supposed to be dry as a bone, cardboard-like,and supposed to hurt the roof of your mouth when you bite into them. I've got news for you! They aren't supposed to taste like that. Nope, not homemade ones.
Homemade ones have so much flavor and are satisfyingly dense, but not to the point where they will cause you pain. I suggest making a double batch not only because it is time intensive, but because they will disappear way before they are completely cool. Enjoy these with your morning coffee, as a mid-morning snack, as an afternoon snack, a midnight snack, or a light dessert. Be aware, though; if you're not careful, it can quickly become a heavy dessert =).

Almond Biscotti adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Note: I omitted the orange liquer. Mainly because I haven't cooked with any kind of liquer before and I wasn't sure I was ready for such an investment. I just used the juice from the orange where I got my zest instead.

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup whole almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped or sliced almonds
1 large egg white for the wash

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Mix sugar, melted butter, 3 eggs, vanilla extract, orange liquer and zest in large bowl. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir with wooden spoon until well blended. Mix in almonds.

2. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each dough half into 13 1/2-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush over top and sides of each dough log.

3. Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 30 minutes. Cool logs completely on sheet on rack, about 25 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

4. Transfer logs to work surface; discard parchment paper. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake until just beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-11T20:57:00.001-08:00

*Photo from SteamyKitchen*
I know it's been a while since my last post. The truth is, I have plenty to write about, but the photos are sitting on my memory card in my camera. I'm in the middle of backing up my hard drive to two different sources so I hesitate putting any new data on my laptop. No worries, I'm almost done. I just need to fill two more discs and recheck that everything was transferred. This whole process will take a few more days. Until then, please excuse me while I borrow material from another source for Valentine's Day.

I found a great tutorial from one of the blogs I follow everyday - SteamyKitchen. She has a little slide show video with narration for making cupcake pops that I found to be very helpful (originally adapted from bakerella). She also notes a very helpful time saving technique! I love the video and the photos of her little boys. It's all so very cute. What are you waiting for? Check it out! Happy Valentine's Day.

In My Opinon, the Best Chocolate Cake

2010-01-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

I have been having cravings for chocolate cake lately. Instead of driving to any bakery or market to pick up some dry or over frosted cake, I have had a hankering for making my own. All I wanted to do was make chocolate cake for the past few weeks. I just had to find the time to do so. One day, I was so motivated, I did it! I was exhausted after I was finished and forgot to cover it after cooling. I came downstairs in the morning to a visually perfect cake, but very dry. Making the cut through the first few centimeters was like cutting cardboard. Penetration in the cake was a little softer, but I could tell that this was not the cake I wanted to make. I microwaved it for a few seconds, which helped, but it did not satisfy my desire. First attempt - FAIL

A couple days later, I tried again, this time with a different recipe. The flavor of the first cake was fine, but I wanted something a tad richer. This time, the cake was absolutely perfect! It was so incredibly moist and had just the right amount of chocolatey goodness. I paired it with a new frosting recipe - brown sugar buttercream. All my taste testers said the buttercream resembled just plain ol' butter, but I beg to differ. Once it reached room temperature, I was able to taste a hint of caramel in a very creamy texture. That's just my palate, though. I might add a little more sugar next time.

Anyone who loves chocolate must try this cake recipe and pair it with any kind of frosting you like. It is even delicious alone. With my left over batter, I made little bundt frost-less chocolate cakes that were perfect for my morning breakfast.

Mile-High Devil's Food Cake adapted from Sky High Irresistable Triple -Layer Cakes

This is the recipe exactly from the book. I made just a square one layer cake and used the left over batter for mini bundts. This recipe would be great in cupcake pans or round pans and used in a layer cake.

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch process
1 1/4 cup hot water
3 cups packed light brown sugar
2 2/3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (9 oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup cold water

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and grease the paper.

2. Place the cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Add the hot water and whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

3. In a large mixer bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, blend to mix. Add the butter and dissolved cocoa and beat briefly to blend. Then raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla and cold water until blended. Add this liquid to the batter in 3 additions, scraping down the sides well and mixing only to incorporate between additions. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared cake pans.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, with just a few crumbs sticking to the pick. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liner, and let cool completely.

6. Assemble cake as desired.

Brown Sugar Buttercream adapted from Sky High Irresistable Triple -Layer Cakes

5 egg whites
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 pound (16 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. Place the egg whites in a large mixer bowl and set aside.

2. In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Then bring to a boil and cook without stirring until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, 238 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

3. Begin beating the egg whites with the electric mixer set on medium-low speed. Gradually pour in the sugar syrup in a slow, steady stream, taking care not to hit the beaters. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the meringue cools to body temperature.

4. With the mixer on medium-low, add the butter 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. When all the butter has been added, raise the speed to medium and beat until the frosting almost appears to separate. Continue beating, and it will suddenly come together, looking like smooth whipped butter.

New Toys

2009-12-30T18:02:00.000-08:00

I have been so blessed this season by friends, family and my sig-o! Their gifts to me this Christmas all coordinated and provided me with an entirely new kitchen! For the longest time my kitchen has been stocked with plastic cups and measuring spoons and teflon coated pots and pans. I can never bring myself to buy everything at once to upgrade my kitchen as it deserves, so I like to buy things one piece at a time and slowly upgrade, one piece at a time. Thanks to all of the people in my life, though, I have been able to upgrade all at once!

It started with a friend at a secret santa party. She got me stainless steel measuring cups and spoons! Yay, no more plastic. Say bye bye to paint peeling off and hello to ENGRAVED labels!

Then, on my way to my annual trip to Las Vegas, we stopped by the Williams-Sonoma Outlet and my mother surprised me with a Lagostina set, an Emeril Legasse pot, a pasta cooker/vegetable steamer and a Le Creuset! I've been wanting a Le Creuset for such a long time. Every time I believe I'm ready to purchase one, I get to the store, look at the price tag and reconsider. Thanks to mother, she made the decision very easy this time around. My kitchen is now stocked with bright and shiny pots and pans. No more scraped off non-stick coating!

On Christmas day, my sig-o handed me many little packages. From him, I received a heavy duty kitchen scale, a spoon rest, spoon clips, and a shootsac (another one of those things that I have dearly wanted, but can never bring myself to purchase).

In essence, I received a new kitchen for Christmas! All items to be replaced will be going in the donation pile. I feel truly blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. Happy Holidays!

Christmas Gifts for Friends

2009-12-25T10:29:00.001-08:00

I usually try to give away gifts that have a homemade touch. It gives me a chance to challenge my creativity while spending as little time as possible stuck in traffic and trying to find parking at shopping centers. This year, to all friends whom I needed to ship gifts to, I decided to make cookie mixes. I originally got the idea from bakerella a few months ago. To add my own touch to the gifts, I used my recent interest in digital scrapbooking to my advantage. For the mixes, I layered my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and substituted holiday m&m's for the chocolate chips in canisters purchased from The Container Store. I covered the canisters with tissue paper and adorned with ribbon. I used my digital scrapbooking supplies to add on a tag and directions. This gift is a great idea for gifts all year round. I suspect this will not be the last time I will be making this.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Turkey Day Countdown - Prep Day 2 - Fill Pies

2009-11-26T09:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I wish you all wonderful memories with your families and delicious phoods in your tummies.

The desserts on my table this year will be apple pie, pumpkin pie, and sweet potato pie.

Because I don't like to serve anything I haven't tested out myself, I made miniature versions of the pies with some set aside filling.

Apple Pie - Filling adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Crust recipe can be found here

Apple Filling

5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1⁄2-inch chunks
3⁄4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1⁄4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract2 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

1. Stir together the apples, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice and vanilla.

2. Let stand, stirring once or twice, for 20 minutes.

3. Spoon the apples and all the juices from the bowl into the pie shell, mounding the fruit slightly.

4. Fill the pre-baked (15 minutes) pie shell and top the apples with slabs of butter.

5. Cover the pie with rolled out pie crust. Cut slits on the top crust for steam to exit.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the crust gets golden brown.

Pumpkin Pie - filling adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree
1 cup packed (7 oz) dark brown sugar
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup whole milk
4 large eggs

Directions

1. Combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves. Transfer to a medium saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat, stirring constatnly, until thick and shiny, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the cream and milk, return to a simmer briefly, then remove from the heat.

2. Whisk the eggs and slowly add the hot pumpkin mixutre.

3. Pour the filling into the pre-baked (15 minutes) crust. Bake at 400 degrees until the filling is puffed and lightly cracked around the edges and the center jiggles slightly when shaken, about 25 minutes.

4. Let the pie cool on a wire rack until the filling has set, about 2 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes), peeled and chopped into a 1/2-inch dice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpoe flour
3/4 cup full- or lowfat buttermilk

Directions

1. Pour 1 1/2 inches of water into a 3-quart stock part with a strainer basket suspended over it and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, cover and steam until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Place the steamed sweet potatoes in a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Mash them into a smooth puree with a fork or potato masher. Add the butter, lemon juice if using, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula after each addition.

2. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a whisk, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until they’re a creamy lemon-yellow color, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the egg mixture to the sweet potato mixture and stir until the eggs are thoroughly incorporated and the filling is a consistent bright orange color. Add the flour a little at a time, stirring after each addition until thoroughly incorporated. Add the buttermilk and again stir until smooth and even.

3. With a cleaned whisk (or electric hand mixer), whisk the egg whites to soft peaks in a clean, dry bowl. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the sweet potato-buttermilk mixture until thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture into the prebaked crust and bake at 400 degrees on the middle rack of the oven until the center is firm and set, 35 to 40 minutes.

4. Remove the pie from the oven and cool completely on a rack. Serve at room temperature.

Turkey Day Countdown - Prep Day 1 - Pie Crusts

2009-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

I've been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my family since I was about 10 years old. At that time, I cooked everything except for the the turkey. The big bird seeemed intimidating so I just had my parents buy it pre-cooked. Back then, I would get up early in the morning the day of and wouldn't stop cooking and cleaning until half an hour before dinner was to be served. Oh, how lovely it was to have so much energy.

I cooked my first turkey my first year in college. Everyone was saying how easy it was, so I decided to give it a go. It was a success and I have been cooking the complete meal ever since. I have tried many techniques and I believe that I found a keeper. My next endeavor, a while from now, will be a deep fried turkey, saved for when I have enough guts and gizzards.

I have a friend who cooked Thanksgiving dinner for her family as well and she gave me a tip that never crossed my mind - pre-plan and prep work. Oh yeah! Why didn't I think of that? She explained what she was going to do three days ahead, two days ahead, and one day ahead - again, why didn't I think of that? I tried it one year, beginning a few days before turkey day and it worked out so beautifully. There was no stress or shall I say very little stress and I actually was able to take my time and enjoy the process. I also found myself having spare time to take a breather here and there. On the day of, all I had to do was assemble, minus cooking the bird. What a tip to be THANKFUL for. This year will be no different. I am pre-prepping everything, beginning with today - the pie crusts. Tomorrow I will fill the crusts and bake the pies. Wednesday will be left for chopping and dicing and brining. Thursday will be left for everything else.

I believe I will be making three pies this year - apple, pumpkin, and sweet potato. I try to incorporate new items every year, while keeping some of the traditional items. This year's winner is sweet potato. I'll let you know how it goes.

Pumpkin Goat Cheese Cheesecake

2009-11-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

As promised, I have tried another daring recipe where the star is none other than pumpkin! I wanted to make this since I saw it . I knew that my sissy would love it and the goat cheese aspect especially intrigued me.
The one time I tried goat cheese was about seven years ago. It did not suit my palate at the time so I figured it is about time I give it another chance. I was pleasantly surprised this time around. It definitely gave the ordinary pumpkin cheesecake another dimension.
The crust wasn't so bad either. I ran out of graham crackers, but I saw that I had sugar cones in my excuse for a pantry and I figured it would be a great substititue. I was right. It made the crust hold together stronger than usual and gave it an unexpected delicious flavor and texture. I loved how the recipients of my tasters tried to guess the ingredient (secret's out).
I apologize for the lack of finish product photograph...it didn't last long enough for its own shoot. What I have though, at the end of the post, is a photo directly from the website, just to give an idea.

Pumpkin Goat Cheese Cheesecake adapted from delish.com

3-5 sugar cones
1/3 cup(s) dark brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon(s) fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/4 cup(s) butter, melted
2 tablespoon(s) butter, melted, combine with above
8 ounce(s) goat cheese
1 1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar
2 package(s) (16 ounces) cream cheese
1 1/4 cup(s) pumpkin puree, solid pack
1 cup(s) sour cream
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Process the sugar cones, brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt together in a food processor. Stir in the butter and pat the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Beat the goat cheese and sugar together using an electric mixer set on low speed. Add the cream cheese and beat for one more minute. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to beat on low speed for 20 minutes or until the mixture is very smooth. Transfer the batter to the prepared springform pan and bake in the middle of the oven until set, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours until cake is completely set. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Pumpkin and Cauliflower Casserole

2009-10-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

It is my favorite time of year. Not necessarily because of the weather, but because of all the holidays coming up. I love all the food and crafts and the spirit of the season. Oh yes, this is also my favorite time of year to bake. If I could only bake for one quarter, it would be during the last quarter of the year. I am the most adventurous with baked goods during this time and am willing to try new things.
Usually, in preceding years, I cook for Thanksgiving and bake the rest of my time away. This year, in honor of this blog, I am going to do more than just bake. I am going to cook more and try new recipes related to the season. I'm so excited!
The first recipe I decided to try is a pumpkin cauliflower casserole. Talk about chock full of vitamins. I honestly have never eaten fresh pumpkin (unless you count pumpkin pie made from canned pumpkins), let alone cook with one. And I mean cook with one. That's peel, seed, slice, and chop the pumpkin until it's good and ready. For this recipe, I researched a little bit and found that using pie pumpkins are the best for recipes. Although I also found that jack-o-lantern pumpkins are fine for recipes as well, they are not as flavorful as pie pumpkins. Believe me, you will want to find pie pumpkins. They are smaller (about the size of a human head) and much more easier to manage.
Once I prepped the pumpkin chunks, the rest was a cake walk. The end result was very delicious. The goat cheese that I didn't think I would like, blended with the casserole very well. It was creamy, slightly sweet, and savory. All that in just one dish! This is definitely a recipe that you must try.

Tips on prepping a pumpkin
*Note: this is only the way I did it and the way I think makes the most sense due to the denseness of the pumpkin.

1) Cut off the stem straight across
2) Slice the pumpkin in half from the top of the pumpkin, down
3) Seed the pumpkin
4) Cut each half of the pumpkin in half, lengthwise and repeat with each quarter slice
5) Cut each slice into chunks, about a 1 inch cube
6) Peel each cube by simply cutting off the peel

Pumpkin and Cauliflower Casserole adapted from Delish

1 cup(s) fresh, whole-wheat bread crumbs
1/2 cup(s) hulled and roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon(s) dried thyme leaves
3/4 cup(s) crumbled goat cheese
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pounds) pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and quartered
1 head(s) cauliflower, quartered
2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
2 clove(s) garlic, minced
2 teaspoon(s) mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
1 teaspoon(s) cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground pepper
1 1/2 cup(s) half-and-half

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 1 1/2-quart casserole or baking dish and set aside.

2. Slice the pumpkin quarters into 1/8-inch-thick pieces and repeat with the cauliflower quarters.

3. Combine flour, garlic, mustard seeds, salt, cumin seeds, pepper, and remaining thyme in a small bowl.

4. Spread 1/3 of the pumpkin in the bottom of casserole and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the flour mixture.

5. Repeat with 1/2 of the cauliflower and 2 teaspoons of flour. Continue layering with the remaining pumpkin, cauliflower, and flour, finishing with pumpkin on top.

6. Pour the half-and-half over the entire casserole, place on a baking sheet, and bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes.

Topping

1. Combine the bread crumbs, pumpkin seeds, butter, and half the thyme in a medium bowl, stir in the goat cheese, and set aside.

2. After initial 30 minutes of baking, sprinkle bread-crumb mixture over casserole. Return it to oven and bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 more minutes. Serve hot.

Pesto Potato Salad with Green Beans

2009-10-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I am not a big fan of potato salad. I enjoy my mayo in very small portions, like thinly spread on a slice of bread for a sandwich, and...that's about it. Having spoonfuls of chunks of potato drenched in mayo is just not my cup of tea.
The only potato salad that I have ever enjoyed was an Armenian recipe, which I have yet to find. It was not drenched in mayo, but complemented nicely with a light lemon sauce and cilantro. Yummy!
Pesto, on the other hand, I love! I love it in sandwiches, in my pastas, on my pizza, and now, in my potato salad.
When I was going through my daily run through of blogs, I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen. It was late in the afternoon and I was hungry. When this recipe came across the page, I knew that I had to make it and I had to make it fast. I confirmed with the sissy and she agreed that I had to make it. We left for the store in a matter of seconds.
After coming home and an hour later, voila!
This potato salad is unlike any I've ever tasted. The pesto was not salty like the ones on pizzas and pastas. The green beans were tender and added a very mild flavor. Best of all, it can be eaten hot or cold.
Pesto Potato Salad with Green Beans adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Note: To add a special alteration, I used hazelnuts instead of pine nuts. It was a fine choice, if I do say so myself.

4 pounds small Yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes, quartered
1 pound green beans, cut into one-inch segments
1 to 2 small garlic cloves, peeled
2 bunches of basil (about one ounce each)
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons (or more to taste) mild vinegar, such as champagne, white wine or a white balsamic
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Parmesan cheese to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add beans; cook for four minutes longer. Drain well and let cool, then transfer potatoes and beans to a large bowl.

2. Discard the stems from the basil and wash and dry the leaves. Puree them in a food processor with garlic, drizzling in enough olive oil that it gets saucy. Season the pesto with salt and pepper.

3. Toss the beans and potatoes with pesto.

4. Stir in vinegar, pine nuts and season with salt, pepper and/or additional vinegar to taste.

5. Finally, shave some wide flecks of parmesan over the salad with a vegetable peeler.

Sig-O Cooks Dinner!

2009-09-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

The sig-o has been working on weeks to perfect this recipe. He decided to surprise me with it for one of our date nights. Let me tell you, it was muy impresivo. For someone who's never had pork chops, I think he nailed it! I know what you're thinking, "You've never had pork chops?" Yeah, well, did I mention I was vegetarian for six years, and before that, I was a steak and fish kind of gal. Now that we're all over the shock, back to the pork chops. They were delicious. They were so flavorful, delicious, and juicy. His side dishes weren't too shabby either. The brocolli was just right. They were tender, slightly crisp, not too soggy, and not completely raw. That's hard to do, my friends. The pasta was great. As a recent graduate from college, he has become a master of al dente pasta and tomato sauce.
For dessert, my wonderful sig-o ran out to the store to pick up a tub of vanilla bean ice cream, while I stayed behind and finished my dinner (I'm a very slow eater).

Brown Butter Raspberry Tart

2009-09-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

When I think of pie crusts, the first thought that comes into my mind is how difficult they are to handle. They are sticky no matter how much flour I use and they never roll so nicely around a rolling pin like on the FoodNetwork. Actually, those days ended a few months ago when I found the perfect recipe that has just the right consistency and bakes beautifully .
Even though I am now at a level where I can handle pie crusts and I believe I have found the perfect recipe, my countless arduous experiences still leave a negative imprint in my memories. It's gotten so bad to the point where, even though I love to bake pies, I only bake them during the holidays, when I can make large batches of pie crust dough at once, and make several pies at the same time.When I came across this brown butter raspberry tart recipe, I was tempted to try it, but my immediate thought and reflexes caused me to cringe at the thought of making the crust. Once again, I had bulk berries, so I took a deep breath and decided to suck it up and give it a go. I am so glad I did. The crust was so unbelievely simple and gave me no trouble at all. After the crust, which was a no brainer, the rest was a cake walk. This recipe was so remarkably easy that I made it twice! Now that's a no brainer.

Brown Butter Raspaberry Tart adpated from epicurious.com

Crust:

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
2 6-ounce containers fresh raspberries

Directions

For the crust:
1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F.

2. Using rubber spatula or fork, mix melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl.

3. Add flour and salt and stir until incorporated.

4. Transfer the dough to 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto sides and bottom of pan.

5. Bake crust until golden, about 18 minutes (crust will puff slightly while baking). Transfer crust to rack and cool in pan. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:
1. Whisk sugar, eggs, and salt in medium bowl to blend.

2. Add flour and vanilla; whisk until smooth.

3. Cook butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until deep nutty brown (do not burn), stirring often, about 6 minutes. Immediately pour browned butter into glass measuring cup.

4. Gradually whisk browned butter into sugar-egg mixture; whisk until well blended.

5. Arrange raspberries, pointed side up and close together in concentric circles, in bottom of cooled crust. '

6. Carefully pour browned butter mixture evenly over berries.

7. Place tart on rimmed baking sheet. Bake tart until filling is puffed and golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

8. Cool tart completely in pan on rack.

9. Remove tart pan sides. Place tart on platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

Summer Fruit Salad

2009-09-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

With all the baking that I do, I get more than my fair share of sugar and flour into my body. Considering that my exercise regime consists of walking to and from my car while running errands, and walking around the lab at work, I probably have excess sugar lingering around in my body.
As said in a previous post, it has been really difficult to bake these days because of the summer heat. The recent heat wave in LA didn't help either. The thought of heating up the house with the oven and countering the central air conditioner just didn't seem sound.
No worries, though; with the end of summer looming and fall and winter approaching (my favorite times of the year to bake), I will be baking again in no time!
I decided to make something healthy and heat friendly for a change. Upon a recent trip to Costco, I purchased my favorite bulk fruits and decided to make a fruit salad. Fruit salads are refreshing, nutritious, and contain plenty of natural sugars to satisfy my sweet tooth. Best of all, they are completely versatile!

There will be no recipe for this post because I don't know who's allergic to what and because you should use your favorite fruits anyway. Just chop, toss and enjoy!

31st Month Anniversary and Counting

2009-08-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, the sig-o and I celebrated our 31st month anniversary. When I tell people about our monthly anniversaries, the usual reaction is, "You still celebrate monthly anniversaries?". Well, yes, sort of. We usually acknowledge, but not necessarily celebrate, to be exact. It all depends on our schedule for that particular week whether we celebrate or not.
For this month's anniversary, the stars aligned. We got off work at around the same time, we weren't completely swamped, and we had a gift certificate to dine from a list of restaurants! Can you ask for anything more?
To make it more convenient for me, the sig-o drove from Brea to me in LA and we decided to pick a restaurant in Glendale. We chose Damon's Steak House, which turned out to be the perfect choice. It was local, not too fancy where it is uncomfortable, and it was delicious!
Since I became a non-vegetarian, I have been reluctant to consuming beef. I have no trouble with any other animal, but beef just didn't appeal. Well, since we were at a steak house, I decided to give it a go. I opted on the prime rib, medium rare (brave, no? The medium rare was recommended by the sig-o). Ironically, the carnivore who loves the finest cuts of beef that I was sitting next to wanted to order fish! The grilled salmon filet, if I remember correctly. That sounded equally as yummy so we decided to go with our choices and split the plates.
I'm an appetizer kind of girl...hello potato skins. The meals came with soup and salad. For the salad, the waitress recommended the house french dressing, tossed at our table. Everything was delicious and filling, but unfortunately, we did not have room for dessert.
It was the perfect evening for an anniversary, filled with good conversation, good eats, and good company.

Koshary

2009-08-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pastimes is trying new restaurants. I love to try new cuisines and would love to travel all over the world one day and just eat my heart out. Until then, I will have to make due with what I have.

As you know, I started working at a new company last week. That weekend, I was invited to a party at one of the co-workers' home. It was an event for all of the co-workers and everyone was encouraged to bring a dish. I brought Pad Thai and Thai iced tea from the family restaurant. The host of the party was Russian and he had provided many Russian and Mediterranean dishes.
Another co-worker is Egyptian and he brought an Egyptian dish that his wife had made. I had never tried Egyptian food and I didn't even know what the staples to Egyptian dishes entailed. This dish, Koshary, as I would come to learn, changed everything. It was uniquely presented in a bowl with many meticulously placed layers and two of the many carbs that I would not be able to live without - pasta and rice (does it get any better than that?)!
Once I served myself a healthy helping, I was instructed to pour a grayish brown spicy liquid and mix. I thought the dish would be delicious enough without anything extra, but I had to listen to a native. So poured and mixed I did. I took the bite and was blown away! My tastebuds were delighted. It had a tomato sauce, none like I've ever tasted. It was not a marinara sauce that you put on pasta and it certainly wasn't a tomato sauce you serve on enchiladas. It was tangy and spicy, yet not overwhelming, you know what I mean? (maybe after this recipe you will). And the combination of pasta and rice was heavenly.
The Monday after, I was craving this dish. I asked my co-worker what it was called, "Koshary", he said and googling I went. I sorted through close to a dozen recipes before I chose a recipe that I felt was authentic and closest to what I had tried. I certainly found the winner. I didn't ask a native, but I thought it tasted pretty darn close to what I had had that weekend.
Koshary slightly modified and adapted from Hans at answers.yahoo.com

Note: I catered this recipe to the one I had at the party. I omitted the vermicelli noodies, fried onions and chickpeas. Though there are two sauces available, I chose the one that I thought would taste most like the one I had.

Pasta
Use the smallest "Penne" you can find for this recipe, the perfect pasta is called "Ditanlini", which is a short straight tube no longer than 1/4 inch. Boil the pasta, seive it and mix it with 1 table spoon of oil and 1/2 tsp salt.

Rice (1 1/2 cup) with Vermicelli noodles(1/4 cup)
In a pot, stir fry the Vermicelli in 1 spoon of oil until dark brown, add the washed rice, stir for two minutes. Add 2 cups of boiling water, salt and paper. put on very low heat and cover for 20 minutes.

Boiled lentils (1 cup) -can be prepared the day before and heated in the microwave before serving. Use Black or green whole lentils for this recipe. Boil the lentils in 4 cups of water, strain and season with salt and peper.

Tomato Sauce with Garlic - can be prepared the day before and heated before serving
Stir-fry 1 minced onion with two garlic cloves in a pot with one spoon of oil. When yellow, add two cans of whole tomatoes or 1 KG of fresh ripe tomatoes cut to small pieces. Add a cup of water and simmer for 15 minutes. Blend the sauce until smooth and put back on heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Salt + pepper

Fried onions - can be prepared the day before.
This is the most anoying part of making a Koshary, because of the smell that fills the house when frying the onions. You may find in a Chinese Deli ready fried onions that can serve well for this recipe. just mix 1 cup of it with 1 spoon oil, 3 spoons water and 1/2 tsp salt. microwave for 2 minutes and here you go.

If you want to be authentic (recommended) cut two large onions very small, season with 1/2 tsp of salt and mix well to separate the onion. Fry in the widest pan you have in 1/4 cup of hot oil , keep stiring until very dark brown. Almost black. Pick the now fluffy and crunchy fried onions to absorbent paper. Don't get rid of the remaining oil - see my tips

Chickpeas - the easiest part of the recipe -
buy a can of chickpeas, open it and rinse it under running water!!!!

Hot paprika Sauce - can be prepared the day before no heating needed.
heat 3 spoons of oil in a small pan, remove from heat, mix two spoons of hot Paprika , add 3 spoons of tomatoe sauce which you already prepared. serve in a small bowl on the side

Garlic Lemon Sauce - again ..prepare the day before...
Mix 3 minced garlic cloves with 1/8 cup white viniger, 1 big lemon juice, 1 tsp cumin powder and 1 tsp coriander powder.

Assembly:
From Bottom up

1 Pasta
2 Rice with Vermicelli noodles
3 Boild lentils
4 Tomato Sauce with GArlic
5 Fried onions
6 Chickpeas

Tips:
Do not use Olive oil for this recipe, it will change the taste
Use the oil you used for frying the onions to mix with the Pasta.

Serving: Scoop onto a dish and drizzle one of the sauces over the dish. Combine and enjoy.

Beginnings and Blueberry Buckles

2009-08-07T23:53:00.000-07:00

I haven't baked practically all summer. The reason is simple, really. When the oven is on, my entire house feels like Southeast Asia. Frankly, I just don't like to be in the kitchen while my clothes are clinging to me, my hair is sticking to my forehead, and sweat beads are stinging my eyes.
So, for probably an entire month, I have barely touched the stove, let alone the oven. Sure, I would get urges while at work in an air-conditioned laboratory, but once I leave work, and the sun's rays touch my skin, the urge ceases before I can say "preheat".
Thankfully, this week in Los Angeles, the heat seemed to be subsiding. It's only been around the upper 70s/lower 80s this week, which is delightful compared to the upwards of 90s we've been having in the recent weeks.
This week I also started a new position at a new company. Everyone here is so friendly and so welcoming. On Monday, my co-workers took me out to lunch, on Thursday, the V.P. (my boss) took me out to lunch, and I was also invited to join a softball league (poor things - they don't know my lack of athletic skills. I made it clear that I will be there to capture photographs from the bleachers) and I got invited to a bbq this weekend. How awesome is that - to come into a company where everyone is so benevolent!
Now...because of the ceasing heat, because everyone was so memorably kind, because I just got a new job, and because it was going to be Friday, I decided to bake! I had plenty of bulk berries that needed to be used up and this was my opportunity. I went through my recipe books, looking for something that would be nice for a Friday breakfast treat and found these - blueberry buckles. I had never heard of them before so I thought, why not? It turns out they are so named because they tend to buckle down (no pun intended) during the baking process due to the dense batter. The way to get around this is by making the batter stiff, which this recipe certainly does (then, of course it's not a buckle cake anymore, but still delicious nonetheless).

Blueberry Buckle adapted from "The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book"

Steusel Topping

1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz.) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed (3 1/2 oz.) light brown sugar
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

Cake

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz.) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
10 tbsp. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (4 2/3 oz.) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. grated fresh lemon zest
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups (20 oz.) fresh blueberries

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. For the streusel topping: Whisk the flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Beat in the butter with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture resembles moist crumbs, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. For the cake: In a small bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder together. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt and lemon zest together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat in the vanilla.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated, about 20 seconds (the batter will be extremely thick and heavy). Gently fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter. Bake the buckle until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, about 55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

6. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes (the cake will fall slightly as it cools). Run a small knife around the edge of the cake and flip it out onto a large plate (not the serving platter). Peel off the parchment, flip the cake right side up onto a serving platter, and let cool until just warm or to room temperature, at least 1 hour, before serving.

Summer Vacation and Food Adventures

2009-08-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

I spent the last two weekends on mini vacations. The first weekend was in Las Vegas with a friend who turned 21 and the last weekend, I was in San Diego with my sister and sig-o. It was a long awaited vacation for my sister and a good time for us to spend some sister bonding time.

Las Vegas was great! I am proud to say that I was lucky this time around and came home with more in my pocket than I left with. I also came home with more in my stomach than I left with.

San Diego was awesome as well! I came home with a huge sunburn on my back and a mind full of memories...and again, a stomach full.

I made sure to have as many eatery adventures as possible while I was away and I would like to now share with you my adventure - picture book style.

Enjoy!

Vanilla Meringues

2009-07-23T22:24:00.001-07:00

What are you doing this weekend? I am headed to Las Vegas! I'm so excited because I just purchased a new lens and I can't wait to test it out.

While I'm off melting (literally) in sin city, I want to leave you with these light meringues. By light, I mean their delicacy, and their melt in your mouth trait. I've wanted to make these babies ever since I was a little girl, but I was always intimidated. There's something about smooth, white, and fluffy things that just get to me. I mean it, everything from my "marshmallow" comforter (goose down) to bunnies, to fluffy frosting. I just love it all!

Anyway, after biting the bullet, I soon found out how easy it was to make these. They are easy to transport and keep fresh and will satisfy that hankering for sugar feeling at around 3:00pm to help get you through the rest of your day. Please enjoy and have a wonderful weekend! Wish me luck!

Vanilla Meringues adapted from Cake Love

Note: There is a very very fine line between underbaked and overbaked. Because the baking time is not very much, I would suggest sitting in front of the oven and staring as they take shape until they are done.

4 large egg whites
6 oz. (3/4 cup) extra-fine granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
3 oz. (3/4 cup) confectioners' sugar
1 oz. + 2 tbsp. (5 tbsp.) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. vanilla powder

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Set the rack in the middle of the oven.

2. Line a sheet pan with parchment or a nonstick silicone baking mat.

3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment, whip the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form.

4. With the mixer still on high speed, slowly add the sugar and whip for 15 seconds to incorporate. Add the vanilla extract and reduce the mixer speed to medium for about 15 seconds to stabilize the meringue.

5. Stop the mixer and remove the bowl. Tap the wire whip on the side of the mixer bowl to remove all the meringue. Fold the dry ingredients into the meringue in 3 additions using a rubber spatula, working gently to avoid deflating the meringue.

6. Fill a pastry bag or ziploc freezer bag, fitted with a piping tip, with the meringue.

7. Pipe the meringues onto the lined sheet pan about 1 inch apart to allow for spreading.

8. Bake for about 7-9 min. ( I only took about 5 min.) or until they appear dry and slightly brown.

9. Remove the pan from the oven and cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes on a flat, heat-resistant surface or a wire rack.

10. Once the meringues are cooled, gently slide an offset metal spatula under each one to release from the pan.

They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Fourth of July Weekend

2009-07-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

This is way over due, but so worth blogging about. This is what I did for Fourth of July (try not to drool too much).

Disneyland Resort's Cafe Orleans

Appetizer - Pommes Frites (traditional French-fried potatoes tossed with Parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley, served with a Cajun spice remoulade)

Before

After

Main Course - Creole Ratatouille (A N'awlins twist on a French favorite! Savory vegetable ragout, with eggplant, red onion, bell pepper, squash, zucchini, and fresh garlic - seasoned to perfection and served with corn cakes topped with grana padano cheese)
Main Course for sig-o - Mardi Gras Chicken Sandwich (Succulent chicken breast, marinated in olve oil and Cajun spices, then lightly blackened. Nestled on a toasted multi-grain roll with avocado giardinere relish, crisp lettuce and tomatoes. Served with tossed, tender greens)
Dessert - "Mickey"- shaped Beignets (Topped with powdered sugar and served with raspberry coulis and vanilla-bean creme anglaise)
Porto's Bakery in a Burbank, CA (they also have a Glendale location). It's a wonderful Cuban bakery with delicious desserts and tasty sandwiches and smoothies and coffees.

Great American Bake Sale Recipe # 2: Sugar Cookies

2009-07-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

One of the very first recipes I learned to bake (at 9 yrs. old) was a sugar cookie. In my young little eyes, I found them to be the best cookie to start with. They were simple, non-intimidating, versatile and very easy to work with. You could cut them into any shape and for the most part, the way they went in the oven was the way they would come out of the oven (at 9 yrs. old that's all you care about).

To me, a sugar cookie is one of those quick fixes that make a bad day good and a sugar craving go away. I know that some people can't stand the taste of these delightful creations and that the sound of the word "sugar cookie" makes them cringe, but I am here to speak up for all the sugar cookies in the world. I love sugar cookies and I'm proud of it! I love how they can be easily decorated and the fun shapes that can be created when you have neat cookie cutters. I love the way they smell coming out of the oven and how their nostalgic they are during the holidays. I love...I'm sorry, am I getting side tracked? Anyway, did I confess my love of sugar cookies?

With all of that off my chest, I could not, with good conscience, leave them out of the bake sale, now could I? I knew you would agree with me.

For the most part, they had a huge contribution in the bake sale - if memory serves me correctly, I believe they were 75% gone by the time the sale was over. Not too shabby, huh?

Sugar Cookies adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

If you've had a bad experience with sugar cookies, please give them another chance and try this recipe. If these don't convince you, I won't ever mention it again.

2 cups (14 oz.) sugar
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 oz.) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
14 tbsp. (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread 1/2 cup of the sugar in a shallow dish for rolling. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.

3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Give the dough a few final stirs with a rubber spatula to make sure it is well combined.

4. Roll 2 tbsp. dough into balls with wet hands, the roll in the sugar to coat. Lay the balls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 in. apart. Flatten the cookies to 3/4 in. thickness with the buttered and sugared bottom of a drinking glass. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the flattened tops.

5. Bake the cookies, one sheet a t a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 10 to 12 min., rotating each baking sheet halfway through baking.

6. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 min., then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Graduation #3: Sig-O's graduation/Red Velvet Cupcakes

2009-06-29T23:00:00.001-07:00

This is the third and last graduation of the graduation season. This is certainly not the least significant graduation, mind you (not that there is a least). My sig-o was graduating! Yep. With two majors and a minor (management). He's going to be displaying two, count them, TWO diplomas in his future office - one in biology and the other in chemistry. I was so happy for him. What a wonderful day I was able to meet most of his immediate family and enjoy two meals with them. I enjoyed getting to know his young cousins and his younger brother.
Since his graduation, about two weeks ago, he has landed a job at the same company I work in, which is such blessing, considering the state of the current economy. We aren't in the same location, however, but we're only about 4 miles apart.

To celebrate this event of my wonderful sig-o who is always there for me and who can almost solve all of my problems, I had to bake something equally as wonderful. I decided to bake a classic red velvet cupcakes recipe with cream cheese buttercream frosting. I chose these because I knew they would not be too sweet, just in case not everyone has as much of a sweet tooth as I do. For a little extra touch, I made some cupcake toppers with a photograph I took of him at Disneyland, complete with graduation cap and ears!
Congratulations again, my dear sig-o!

Red Velvet Cupcakes adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 oz.) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. natural cocoa powder (not Dutched-processed)
2 tbsp. red food coloring
12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz.) sugar

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 12-cup muffin tins or line with cupcake liners.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla together. In a small box, mix the cocoa and red food coloring together to a smooth paste.

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture and the remaining buttermilk mixture. Beat in the remaining flour mixture until just combined. Beat in the cocoa mixture until the batter is uniform.

4. Give the batter a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined.

5. Pour each cupcake cup 2/3 full. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 15-20 minutes, switching and rotating the tins halfway through baking.

6. Let the cupcakes cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting adapted from Sky High

Note: By the time I finished making the frosting, it was slightly soft. I had to chill it in the freezer for a few minutes before I was able to use it on the cupcakes.

12 oz. cream cheese, slighly chilled
1 stick plus 6 tbsp. (7 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar sifted after measuring
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
3 egg whites

1. Place the cream cheese in a mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until slightly fluffy and smooth. Add the butter 1 to 2 tbsp. at a time, mixing until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla and mix until fluffy. Set this aside at room temperature while the buttercream is prepared.

2. To prepare the buttercream, combine the granulated sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, 238 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

3. Meanwhile, put the egg whites in a mixer bowl and have the mixer set up and ready to go. When the syrup is ready, turn the mixer to medium-low and begin mixxing the egg whites. Slowly add the hot syrup to the whites, taking care not to pour it directly onto the beaters, or it may splash. When all of the syrup is incorporated, raise the speed to medium-high and beat until the egg white mixture has cooled to body temperature and a stiff meringue forms.

4. With the mixer on low speed, begin adding the cream cheese mixture by the spoonful. When all is incorporated, raise the speed to medium and whip until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.

5. Pipe or spread onto completely cooled cupcakes.

I ♥ Faces. Let's Hear it for the Boys

2009-06-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

Since I've started this blog, I have learned so much about photography. Photography used to be a main hobby of mine when I was in high school, but since then, it's been put on the back burner. Now, since I've graduated and have some time after work, I have picked it back up again, along with a few other hobbies (this blog).

I came across this blog, I ♥ Faces a few months ago and I've been addicted. It contains great tutorials and features wonderful amateur and professional photographers from all over. The blog focuses on capturing moments purely through faces (hence, I ♥ faces). They have weekly photography contests, varying in themes, and a kids category and an adults category.

This week, I have decided to enter (my very first time!). The theme is "Let's Hear it for the Boys" (very appropriate for the recent Father's Day). For my entry, I will be entering a portrait shot of my sig-o, which I am very proud of (and so is he, but he doesn't want anyone to know). This was taken on a whim at Disneyland one afternoon, and I just love it!

Be sure to head on over to www.iheartfaces.com to check out all of the beautiful face entries this week!

Great American Bake Sale Recipe #1: Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-06-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

For the Great American Bake Sale I had a few weeks ago, I had to make up my mind about what to bake. Now, I tend to be very ambitious and think that I have more time than I really do. I also think that I'm a faster worker than I really am and almost never anticipate that anything will go wrong. Of course, with work occupying most of my time, I have very little time, I am a slow worker, and something goes wrong (or shall I say, something unexpected happens) almost every time I bake. Well, this time was no different. Even something as simple as chocolate chip cookies somehow made my heart drop at least once during the process of production.
I decided to make six different items (if I am counting correctly) for the bake sale. Looking back, I wonder how I pulled it off, but I did. Let the record show, however, I did not go without help. For the sake of time, a few days before the bake sale, I decided to make all the cookie dough. I rolled them into balls, placed them on a cookie sheet, froze them, and then transferred them to a zip lock bag and froze them until I wanted to use them. The night before the bake sale, I simply took them out of the freezer, and baked them without thawing them, which turned out just fine. Before getting to that "just fine" stage, let me mention that I was not the one doing the baking. I was instructing my sig-o, who I thought was attentive and careful, to perform the steps above (take out of the freezer, put on cookie sheet, bake). He looked at the balls, looked at me and said, "Wow, these are fool proof". He spoke too soon. You see, he spaced the dough balls on the cookie sheet just fine, with my approval, and placed the sheet in the oven at the right temperature and time and everything. When he took them out, I told him to transfer the cookies from the sheet to the cooling rack with a spatula. I turned my back and then I heard "Ooops" or was it "Uh-oh". I cringed and slowly turned around. He was in the process of transfering the cookies to the cooling wrack, but some how managed to miss and the cookie went sliding down the rack, in between the wire. Cookie 1, goodbye. After he learned not to do that, the rest of the batch went fine.
If I were to poll 10 people of the five top items that should be in a bake sale, I think undboutedly chocolate chip cookies would be in one of those five, everytime. In other words, a bake sale would not be complete without chocolate chip cookies (I seemed to overlook that it would not be complete without rice crispy treats either, which a customer so kindly pointed out, but seeing that it is not one of my most favorite dessert items, it didn't even cross my mind) so that is the first recipe that I will start out with.

I have made plenty of chocolate chip cookies during my baking days, using numerous recipes, and add-ins, and such, but this recipe trumps them all. It was delicious and soft and chewy, just the way I like it.

Chocolate Chip Cookies adpated from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 2/3 oz.) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
12 tbls. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed (7 oz.) light brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (9 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

3. In a large bowl, beat teh melted butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in teh egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined, scrpaing down the bowl and beaters as needed.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined.

5. Mix in the chips until incorporated.

6. Working with 2 tbls. of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on a baking sheet, spread about 2 inches apart.

7. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

8. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Glaze

2009-06-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

I bought a few cake baking books a few weeks ago. Like every recipe book I ever get, I thumbed through each page slowly, admiring the photos, reading the tips, and ingredients. I feel like I picked the cream of the crop with these books. They are so helpful and they cover so many of my questions. Did I mention that I love these books? I was excited to try them all! Yep. All! The problem was, where do I start? I needed a sign. Something to let me know that it is the right recipe to begin my adventures with these books with.
Then, I hear a voice yelling from downstairs saying, "Is anyone going to eat these bananas? I'm going to throw them out! Why doesn't anyone eat fruit? I buy them for you to eat, not to look at!" I rush down the stairs and take a look at these bananas. To my delight, they were completely black. Now, I cannot let these perfectly black, sweet, and oh so ripe bananas go to waste, now could I? I had to use them in some kind of cake recipe. I was able to quickly recall a recipe for cupcakes that required bananas and chocolate chips, which of course the combination of these two cannot go wrong. I reserve the bananas for the next day and make sure I have all the ingredients I need.
They turned out delicious. The banana flavor was not overpowering and there was just the right amount of chocolate chips. For the topping, I figured something with peanut butter would accommodate the banana and chocolate flavor very well. I looked at what I had in the refrigerator and came up with the glaze below. For the garnish, I picked up a bag of dried bananas, which I think adorned the little creations very nicely.
Banana - Chocolate Chip Cake adapted from Sky High

To make this into a cake, please take note of the italicized text below.

Note: If you cannot find Chinese five-spice, simply increase the cinnamon to 1 1/2 tsp.

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/3 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick (4 ounces) plus 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
2 ripe but firm bananas, thinly sliced (for cakes)
3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (omit for cupcakes)
Caramel drizzle (see below; omit for cupcakes)
Dried banana chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with liners, butter and flour the tins, or spray with non-stick cooking spray. For cakes, butter the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans or coat with vegetable cooking spray. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Place the flour, 1 1/3 cups sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, five-spice powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on low, blend well, about 1 minute. Add the butter and mashed bananas and beat until well blended. Raise the mixer speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

3. Combine the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Add to the batter in 3 additions, scraping the bowl well and beating just until blended after each addition. Finally, fold in half of the chocolate chips by hand. Fill each cup 2/3 full. For cakes, divide the batter among the 3 prepared cake pans. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top.

4. Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For cakes, bake the cake layers for 25-28 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes, then invert to unmold onto wire racks. For cakes, carefully peel off the paper liners and let cool completely before filling and frosting.

Glaze for cupcakes:

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tblsp. smooth, unsalted peanut butter
2 tblsp. unsalted butter

Microwave in 10 second increments until melted and smooth, stirring after 30 seconds.

Caramel drizzle for cake

1 cup prepared thick caramel squce
3 tbsp. dark rum

Put the caramel sauce in a small heavy saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring, just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the rum. Let cool to room temperature before using.

Filling for cake

In a large chilled bowl with chilled beaters, whip the cream with the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar until stiff.

Assembly:

For cake: To assemble the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the caramel drizzle and spread it thinly but evenly over the whole layer. Arrange about half the banana slices on top in a single layer. Cover the bananas with 1 cup of the whipped cream, spreading it evenly over the layer. Repeat with the second layer, adding more caramel, bananas, and cream. Place the final cake layer on top and coat it with 2 to 3 tablespoons of caramel; reserve the remaining caramel to serve with the cake slices. Top with the remaining whipped cream and spread it evenly over the entire layer. Decorate the top with chocolate chips and a few more banana slices.

For cupcakes, make the glaze in a wide mouth, slightly deep bowl. Dip the cupcakes into the glaze, taking care to cover as much area as desired. Quickly garnish with dried banana chips before glaze hardens.

May's Graduation Cake

2009-06-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

Graduation #2 and counting. My friend, May, just graduated with a Bachelor's in Human Development. She is now on her way to becoming an elementary school teacher.
I have known May since high school and we've come a long way since then. She is one of the kindest and most caring people I know. She is also excellent at crafts; her detail and creativity is impeccable and flawless. We have seen each other go through so much and we have grown into our own together. I know that she will be an excellent teacher and I can't wait to see her do great things.
May was having a dinner party after her graduation and I decided to bake her a mini cake. It was about time I tried a new cake recipe and this was the perfect opportunity. This was also the first time I attempted to work with fondant. Because she's going to be a teacher, I figured I would decorate the cake accordingly. Well, Duff won't be hiring me any time soon, but I don't think my attempt was a complete failure either.
The day of the graduation was definitely hectic. I woke up early in the morning to bake the cake, make the filling and the frosting. As I was walking out the door to attend the ceremony, I was still assembling the cake itself. Once the ceremony was over, I still had a little bit of time before the dinner party. After pictures and taking my sister to a friend's house, I ran back home to begin making items out of the fondant and finish the assembly.
Hectic? Yes. But, completely worth it. I loved the cake's flavor, along with its lemon curd filling. Fondant was also fun to play with. I always loved playing with play-doh as a little girl and this was not only like play-doh, it was edible!

I found this recipe from Art of Dessert, a blog that I have been following for the past couple of months.

Vanilla Butter cake adapted from Art of Dessert

I used a lasagna pan for this cake, which I had to adjust the time for. I began checking the cake at 25 minutes and then kept checking every five minutes until it was done.

If you're making cupcakes, I would fill the cups 2/3 full and then baking for 15 -20 minutes.

1 1/2 cups butter, softened to room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Grease and flour two 8-inch or 9-inch pans.

3. Beat together butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs one at a time then pour in vanilla extract.

4. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

5. Alternately add the flour mixture and milk.

6. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

7. Cool completely in the pan before inverting the cake onto a cooling rack.

Lemon Curd adapted from Art of Dessert

1 tbsp. unflavored gelatin with 3 tbsp. water
3/4 cup lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the water. Set aside.

2. Mix together lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, sugar and butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken.

3. Remove from heat then add the unflavored gelatin. Mix until gelatin is dissolved completely.

4. Refrigerate for a few hours before using.

Hybrid buttercream frosting adapted from Art of Dessert

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup warm milk
1/4 cup cold whipping cream
red and black food coloring (gel or paste works best)

1. Beat the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract at low speed until combined.

2. Slowly add the warm milk. It will separate at first, but don't worry - give it a few minutes and it will start coming back together. Increase the speed a little to whip it up a bit.

3. Slowly pour in the cold whipping cream. Whip for a few more minutes and it should start to look smooth. It may curdle or separate again when you pour in the whipping cream, but give it some time and it will smooth out again.

For cake assembly

1. Have all the layers ready before beginning assembly.

2. Fill each layer except for one layer with the lemon curd.

3. Stack the layers on top of each other, with the unfilled layer being the top layer.

4. Apply a thin crumb coating (to set all the crumbs into the cake) by mixing a little bit of water with a portion of the frosting.

5. Frost the entire cake with the left over, undiluted frosting.

6. You could decorate the cake to your taste by leaving it the way it is, tinting some frosting, or taking a stab at fondant.

Enjoy!

Great American Bake Sale

2009-05-31T23:43:00.001-07:00

Brace yourself. It's a long one! I decided earlier this spring to put on a bake sale to support Share Our Strength. They are an organization that helps fight against childhood hunger by donating proceeds to after-school programs and summer feeding programs in local neighborhoods.

I chose the location - my generous friend's house in Redondo Beach! Katie and I work in the same company and she welcomed the idea - bless her heart! Once I chose the location, I had about three weeks until the actual bake sale day. Being the sporadic procrastinator that I am, I chose this event to wait until the last week to prepare everything (posters, labels, promotion, items for sale).

The week leading up to the Saturday of the event, I got very little sleep. My week was full of late nights cutting and pasting paper, baking prep, and designing. I had decided early on to make the event donations only, so I didn't have to worry about pricing each item. Each night was a different item - poster (check), cookie dough and pre-baked brownies (check), cupcake filling (check), cupcakes (check), toppings (check), cookie bag labels (check).
Finally, the day before the event came. After a week full of sunshine, Friday had to be the quintessential May gray. WHY??? It's ok...this is LA; temperatures change all the time - one day it's sunny and the next it's raining. Maybe, just maybe, tomorrow will be a beautiful day for a bake sale at the beach. Nope. It was gray pretty much until the end of the bake sale. There was a little condensation in the morning, but thank heavens that subsided. The rest of the day was chilly and overcast, but surprisingly, that didn't stop the foot traffic, even though we were in a residentail neighborhood.
Overall, considering the weather conditions, considering the quiet residential neighborhood, considering the average 4-5 hours of sleep I got each night, considering my aching, almost feverish body by the end of the event, we did really well - 50% over my goal! That made all the hardship just melt away. It was an amazing, rewarding, and fulfilling day.
For this event, I baked chocolate chip cookies; sugar cookies; brownies; vanilla cupcakes with vanilla pastry cream, topped with a strawberry; yellow cake with mango mousse filling, topped with ginger-lime creme; and chocolate cupcakes, filled with white chocolate mousse, and topped with sour cream chocolate almond frosting. We also offerred made to order sandwiches for those without a sweet tooth. All the recipes will be shared in due time (patience is a virtue).
There was absolutely no stinkin' way I could have pulled this off on my own. I had loads and loads of help. I would now like to take the time to thank each and everyone who helped.
Katie - thank you for loaning me your kitchen, front yard, sidewalk, and topless table. Also, thank you for offering to put up the signs for me around the neighborhood - it saved me so much time. Lastly, thank you for your suggestions and promotion of the event.
Sig-O - thank you for your words of encouragement and your support. Thank you for staying up with me to help me finish the last minute preparations. Thank you for helping me set-up and tear-down the event. Thank you for doing my shopping and being the short order cook. I definitely wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you there by my side. Whenever I had a problem, I new that you were the one to turn to.

May - thank you for your beautiful greeting cards. Your attention to detail is impecable and I always enjoy your work. Also, thank you for taking time out of your busy day and driving out of your way to make it to the event. Lastly, thank you for staying until the end to help with clean-up.

Amy - thank you for baking such delicious and popular no-sugar added banana cookies and chocolate chip, marshmallow cookies. Thank you for driving that whole hour just to be at the event. Thank you for staying for most of the event, even though you had another event to go to. It was great seeing you again and catching up.
Sister - thanks for being the tongs girl and serving each delicate cake with care. Thanks for keeping us entertained and for sharing in this event with me.
Stephanie, Pru, Patrick, and Lawrence - thank you so much for donating even though you knew you couldn't make it. Your donations helped me meet my goal that much quicker. Knowing that you supported the cause really meant a lot to me.

Of course, the customers! Thank you so much for your support and for trusting in a local neighborhood sale. You were all so hospitable and I enjoyed visiting with every one of you. Without you, this wouldn't have been the success that it was.

Katie's Graduation Cupcakes

2009-05-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season of graduations! If you've been out of the house over the recent weeks, you may have noticed that every window display have similar themed displays: grads, graduations, etc. Well, I certainly have my share of commencements to attend this year, with great pride of course. I, myself, graduated last year, which was a bittersweet event simply because it meant that because I was at my own ceremony, I couldnt' be at my friends'. Well, thank goodness for those who took their time. I will get to attend three, count them, 1-2-3! graduations and I will be taking the liberty of providing the desserts for every single one of them.
The first diploma will be granted to Katie, with a Bachelor's in business management. I am particularly proud of Katie because she has accomplished so much for herself. She's able to put herself through school while working two jobs and having a social life. She never let any circumstances hold her back from reaching her goal. She plans to achieve an MBA in the near future and go into marketing.
For her graduation party, I kept the theme of the condiment cups, which I so much enjoy using. The cake was my, now redundant, vanilla buttermilk cake, and a traditional buttercream frosting. I had some candied confetti left over from a previous project and this was the perfect time to break them out. As you can see, I did not need very much of it. I still have plenty left over from the little salsa container it is kept in to be used in the future.
I've been dying to make some kind of flags to label my cupcakes ever since...oh, so long ago. Every time I wanted to make them, I some how ran out of time so only the unadorned guest of honor got to arrive. Not this time! I'd waited long enough to make flags and this time it was going to make its shining debut. I was able to finish them quickly because my sister unobjectively typed up the text and helped me assemble these dainty labels. Like an assembly line, I cut the strips of text and construction paper and passed it along the "conveyer belt" to my sister for gluing around the toothpick. Fifteen minutes later...Ta-da!
You don't actually think I came up with this particular design on my own, do you? Well, you would be correct. Find the instructions below.

The overplayed Vanilla Buttermilk Cake, adapted from Smitten Kitchen

3 3/4 cups cake flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups plus 1/3 cup buttermilk
5 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners or, if you would like to go without the liners, grease the pans with shortening, butter, or non-stick cooking spray

2. Combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and 1 1/4 cup of the buttermilk. Mix on low speed briefly to blend; then raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and the remaining 1/3 cup buttermilk until well blended. Pour one-third of the egg mixture into the cake batter at a time, folding it in completely after each addition.

4. Fill the cups 2/3 full with the batter.

5. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Buttercream adapted from Wilton

I actually modified this recipe a little bit. From experience, I feel that the amount of confectioners' sugar makes the buttercream very dry. This time, I wanted to achieve a smooth and soft topping. To adjust for this, I omitted the milk and simply added the sugar one tablespoon at a time. The result was a less concentrated, silky smooth frosting, reminicent of a sweet meringue.

If you've never tried buttercream before, try this recipe excactly and see how you like it.

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

(Medium Consistency)

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.

Flags adapted from Une-Deuxsenses

I stumbled upon this blog a few weeks ago and I've been following it ever since. The uniqueness of her blog comes from sharing all of her interests on one site.

A Little Revamping and Michelle's Baby Shower Cupcakes

2009-05-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

My dear followers, if you've been with me from the beginning, you may have noticed that my recent posts have strayed away from my original "mission statement". Consequently, it is now time for me to revamp to my CURRENT purpose.
The intent of this blog will be to share to you my journey as I venture and explore the world of baking. I anticipate some sprinkles of cooking and other tidbits of my life, but there will probably be more oven usage than anything else. I simply get inspired to bake more than I get inspired to do anything else. My creativity, the little I have of it, usually channels toward improving cakes, cupcakes, etc.
With that said, take a look at Michelle's baby shower cupcakes.
Michelle, a co-worker, was about to leave for maternity leave and the department threw a baby shower for her little girl that was about to grace us with her presence in a few weeks. It was a potluck shower and I saw it as an opportunity to bake something (doesn't everyone see it that way?).

I baked cupcakes, but instead of using regular liners, I used condiment cups that you could find at a fast food restaurant (no, I did not raid fast food restaurants for these cups). I found that they held well and I was able to make a good amount at the same time, because, unlike cupcake pans, I was able to bake as many cups as I could fit on a cookie sheet at a time. They were not limited by a pan. I just needed to fill and pop in the oven.

I used my favorite vanilla buttermilk cake (I promise, new recipes soon) recipe and a swiss buttercream frosting. I tinted the frosting pink and used a star tip for the piping.

Vanilla buttermilk cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

3 3/4 cups cake flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups plus 1/3 cup buttermilk
5 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners or, if you would like to go without the liners, grease the pans with shortening, butter, or non-stick cooking spray

Whisk egg whites and sugar together in a big metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk occasionally until you can’t feel the sugar granules when you rub the mixture between your fingers.

Transfer mixture into the mixer and whip until it turns white and about doubles in size. (Here’s a tip: when you transfer to the mixer, make sure you wipe the condensation off the bottom of the bowl so that no water gets into the egg whites. This can keep them from whipping up properly.)

Add the vanilla.

Finally, add the butter a stick at a time and whip, whip, whip.

I tinted the frosting with a few drops of red food coloring. You could do the same with food coloring gel or powder. Just add the tiniest amount of coloring incrementally, until the desired color is achieved, making sure to allow for a complete mixture after each addition.

Anne-Marie's Birthday Cake

2009-05-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

It was our (my sig-o and I) friend's, Anne-Marie, birthday. She was holding the celebration at a club in Downtown L.A. I decided to bake her a miniature cake to commemorate the occasion. I had high hopes of how it was going to turn out. I ended up throwing the initial batch away because of a leveling mishap. In a fury of disappointment and anger, I stormed half way up the stairs (despite the comfort my sig-o tried to console me with) and then decided to come back down to try it again. I had extra batter and knew that if I didn't at least try again, I would be in a foul mood for the rest of the night, which would be no fun for anyone.
It turns out the second time was the charm! Everything from the cakes to the frosting and decorating turned out the way I wanted and I was a happy camper. That is until we got to the club. Being my naive self and not clubbing very often, I quickly found out from the bouncer that they didn't allow any food in the club (why didn't I think of that?). Because it was downtown and we had parked our car a few blocks away to avoid paying unnecessary parking fees, I refused to put the cake back in the car. With no other choice, my miniature cake gift was left outside on a ledge with the bouncer all night long. I am pleased to say that by the end of the night, the cake was fine and left with its rightful owner to be devoured as a hangover food.
For the cake, I chose one of my favorite cake recipes. For the frosting, I bittersweetly admit that it was from a can. With limited time after coming home from work and still having to get ready for the event, I was unable to make the cake and the frosting all in the same evening.
Vanilla Buttermilk Cake adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Her recipe is for a larger cake. For a smaller cake like mine, simply halve or quarter all of the ingredients. I simply made the batter as is and saved the extra batter for future emergencies like this one.

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

4. Bake for 26 to 28 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Turn the layers out onto wire racks by placing a rack on top of a pan, inverting it, and lifting off the pan. Peel off the paper liners and let cool completely. When the layers have cooled, place a cardboard cake board on top of a layer, invert again, and lift off the rack. To make the layers easier to handle, wrap them on their boards completely in plastic, so they don’t dry out, and refrigerate them.

Chocolate frosting from Duncan Hines

To make the frosting easily spreadable, I microwaved the entire can and checked on it every ten seconds until I achieved the desired consistency.

Restart Your Heart Cupcakes

2009-05-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month I was hired to bake 30 cupcakes for a reception at Brimmer Street Theatre Company. The company was presenting a very neat play that I had seen the week prior. The setting of the play, Restart Your Heart, was at a wedding reception. Understandably, the client wanted cupcakes that had a wedding theme. He simply said, "white cake and white frosting". My mind ran wild with the vague description until I finally came up with what you see here.

This was my first attempt at making roses from buttercream, or roses at all, for that matter. It took me about 2-3 hours of practice before I finally felt confident enough to present them.
With the help of my sig-o, we carefully and strategically arranged them in the car, placing them on the floor of the back seat and schooching the passenger seat back to secure them in place. I drove carefully and delivered them with a nervous mindset. He had not seen them and I had not told him what I was planning to do. My only hope was that he liked them and realized how much time (2 days of practicing) I put into them because in the end, that's all that matters - that the customer is happy and I had something to do with it. He looked at them and said, "They're works of art!". With that said, my anxiety and exhaustion melted away.

Easter Goodies

2009-04-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since Easter, but I figured better late than never!

I don't really have set traditions when it comes to Easter. Every year it's always something different. Whether it's an egg hunt, dying eggs, or dinner, it's always played by ear (no pun intended). This year, I decided to pass out Easter goodies to friends.

Let me first just say that I had no idea how much effort it was going to take to assemble these packages. I thought at the most it would take three days, one day for each different item. Nope. The boxes themselves involved slowly exacto knifing every curve and angle to achieve optimum precision. Then, the cards. Same comment as above, in relation to the cutting, but this time, the paper sizes needed to match exactly and the glue had to be applied just right to reach the goal of smoothness and perfect attachment. Now, the cookies definitely took a lot of time. I kept getting interrupted so I couldn't just finish the cookies and icing in one day. I had to stretch it out for a series of days. Luckily, sugar cookies keep well.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed every minute of assembling these packages. I would do it again. It's just fun doing something you enjoy for people that you care about. I only wish I was there to see the looks on everyone's face when they received these packages in the mail...it had to have been a good response, right?

700 Cupcake Project

2009-04-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

It's here! A new post after a very long, involuntary hiatus. Much has gone on in the last couple of weeks. I can't wait to be able to share with you, so stay tuned.
Among the many events, I had the honor of baking 700 cupcakes to donate to an event put on by Giving Children Hope. After the confirmation of this opportunity, I proceeded to freak out! You see, when I found out that they would like 700, I was in shock. I expected maybe a couple hundred, but never anything like this. I spent about a month having anxiety about what I potentially have gotten myself into. Knowing that as a full-time worker, I would not be able to bake 700 cupcakes in one day, I knew that I would need to bake the cupcakes in advance. I then worried about where and how I was going to store these cupcakes. Then, thoughts wandered to which recipe I was going to use. Then, how was I going to use my lack of creativity to my advantage and make these cupcakes something I was proud of? Then, when was I going to bake all of these? Between work and night classes, I hardly have the time to eat and get myself to bed at a decent hour, let alone bake 700 cupcakes. I put myself on organized mode and made myself a calendar, where I proceeded to map out everyday of the ending weeks of March and the first few weeks of April. I had it written down when I would get supplies, when I was going to bake, when I was going to make frosting, and when I was going to decorate.
As for storage, my sig-o graciously volunteered his mini dorm room refrigerator, which from experience can be set to be so cold that it would actually freeze anything that is put into it. I had planned to put all the cupcakes in the mini fridge, but as more and more cupcakes accumulated, I was running out of room for them. In the end, I moved all the space taking beverages (milk, juice, water) from the in-home fridge to the mini fridge. Then, all of my cupcakes fit neatly on top of cookie sheets in the in-home fridge.
After one month of planning and freaking out, two weeks of baking, gathering supplies, and yards and yards of saran wrap later, I have what you see here. Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention. Throughout the whole process I was worried about how I was going to transport these minis to the event that was 45 minutes away from me. I had plenty of ideas, but a friend who owns a pizza parlor gave me the advice of using pizza boxes. My sig-o volunteered to pick up 5 boxes from Costco and was successful! Yay sig-o! Unbelievably, 5 boxes were not enough so I found some like-pizza boxes at work that people had not needed and reused them (think green).
As for the recipe, I turned to one of my favorite blogs, smitten kitchen. The frosting, I used a recipe of equal parts of shortening and butter, double vanilla extract and as much or as little powdered sugar to get your desired consitency.
The day finally came and I packed up the large boxes carefully in my car and slowly drove the 5 minutes of freeway. When I dropped them off, I received positive feedback. At the actual event, I received positive feedback. All in all, I would say it was a success!
I was so elated to be able to contribute to this event. It was not only about pulling out my checkbook and contributing. It was about me putting my heart and soul into what I love to do and using it to contribute to what I belive in. Would I do it again? YES! Because of this experience, I now know what to do and what not to do. The next time I attempt a similar task, I will be more prepared and more efficient.

More soon

2009-04-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hello!!! Is anyone still out there? For those who have not given up checking regularly, you may have noticed that pictureperfectpassionphood hasn't been updated recently. With perfectly good reason, mind you. First of all, my laptop charger was held hostage last week - my sig-o had broken his laptop and he needed to borrow mine until he bought a new one. I finally got my charger back, but now the camera that I use has been taken to Costa Rica with my sister! Some timing huh? I promise that I have been working on quite a few projects that I would like to share. Stay tuned! All will reveal itself in due time.