Ina Garten's Pecan Bars

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

nocoupons1 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
nocoupons
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

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

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

*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

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.