Buttermilk Pie

When I was a kid family gatherings were the norm.  I am from a large very close family on my Grandma's side and a equally large but not quite as close family on my Grandpa's side.  That being said family gatherings on my Grandpa's side were quite special when they happened.  The had the same concepts as other gatherings, tons of kids running around, special family time and of course the thing that holds everyone together, GREAT FOOD!
     I remember one gathering specifically when I was about eight, surveying the dessert table and seeing a strange creamy pie.  It wasn't fruit or pecan, our standard, it was different.  It was buttermilk! 
     The pie was even more special because my Uncle Robert, my Grandpa's brother, made it.  It was delicious and utterly memorable.
    This pie I made in honor of my Uncle Robert who passed away recently.  I made it in honor of his easy grins, his honest interest in me when I was a kid, and the gentle kind man he was, not even to mention his unforgettable belly laughs.  Please try it, you wont regret it!

Buttermilk Pie
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour, plus a little for dusting
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat eggs slightly and add sugar and flour. Then add melted butter and mix well. Add buttermilk and vanilla and mix.   Dust the unbaked pie shell with a little bit of flour. Pour batter into shell, and then sprinkle a little more flour on top.
Bake at 325 degrees until the custard is set, approximately 1 hour.

Blogiversary and a late daring bakers challenge!

One year ago I embarked on a culinary journey and honestly, had no idea where the year would bring me. Sure, before I blogged I cooked, but blogging has allowed me to flex my culinary muscle and do things I never thought I would be able to!  I joined some cooking groups along the way and have met some amazing people that I feel like my life is richer for knowing. I have chronicled the past year of dishes even though it has been one of the hardest (work wise) years of my life, and I don't plan on stopping now!!!
So if you haven't gotten sick of me waxing poetic on the last year, here is my severely late June Daring Bakers Challenge.
When I made this recipe I was knee deep in strawberries for jam and that served as my inspiration for this project.  Sadly, I only completed one component of the challenge and totally punked out on making my own phyllo dough.  This will however, be completed in the future!
I think this turned into a very creative non traditional approach to a very traditional dessert.

Strawberry Baklava
6 ounces blanched almonds

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

 1 pound phyllo dough

8 ounces clarified unsalted butter, melted

Heat oven to 350.  Place the blanched almonds, sugar and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not creamy.

In a 9x13 pan brush the sides and bottom with butter and then lay out a layer of phyllo dough.  Brush with more butter and repeat this 9 times for a total of ten.  Top with one third of the nut mix spread thinly.  Top with six more layers of phyllo and butter and then remaining nuts. Eight more layers after that and then brush the top with butter.  Bake in the oven for 30  minutes and then remove and cut into squares.  Return to oven for another 30 minutes and then remove from oven and allow to cool for two hours. While it is cooling make your syrup.

Syrup
1/2 cup strawberry puree
1 1/4 cups honey
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
Combine strawberry puree, honey, water and sugar in a pan over medium heat and boil for ten minutes.

After the baklava has cooled for 2 hours, re-cut the entire pan following the same lines as before. Pour the hot syrup evenly over the top of the baklava, allowing it to run into the cuts and around the edges of the pan. Allow the pan to sit, uncovered until completely cool. Cover and store at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to overnight before serving. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.


Blog-checking lines: Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

Ugh, I am a bad bad blogger!!! But in my defense it has been a very busy couple of weeks!! We have been down a manager at work so I have been working crazy weird shifts several times out of the week  and also it was my birthday! (Hopefully I will have a fatty post on that later this week considering we made a FEAST!) And also to add to my list of sad excuses, its spring! Which is a magical time here in the valley! I got my first CSA farm share (spinach, two kinds of lettuce, radishes, and strawberry spread) and finally the strawberries are in SEASON! My oh my.  Today SA and I went to a u-pick place and scored some beautiful berries.  Red, juicy, and ORGANIC.  They taste amazing! This recipe is something that one of my friends and I threw together after hearing about a trader Joe's recipe.  They are delicious and even addictive. I recommend that if you make them you make them for a group so you aren't eating them all by yourself.

please forgive me, I semi-ho'd it!

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Rolls
peanut butter cream cheese frosting
two pieces of bacon cooked until crispy and crumbled
Cinnamon

Cook Cinnamon Rolls according to directions and spread peanut butter cream cheese over top while still hot.  Sprinkle with bacon and cinnamon to taste!


Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 -3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Mix peanut butter and cream cheese together until smooth and add vanilla and powdered sugar one cup at a time until spreading consistency.

Chocolate Marquise : You're fancy, huh?

When I first read about the Daring Bakers Challenge I was flabbergasted.  There were so many steps! So many places to falter and so many ingredients! I'm not going to lie, it took me several days to wrap my head around this recipe in all its egg glory, but once I did, lord help me I have been covering EVERYTHING in rum caramel sauce. (Don't stand still too long I might cover you in it next!)

Dark Chocolate Marquise with raspberry coulis, vanilla bean meringue, rum caramel and lemon scented spiced almonds

Please go to http://thedaringkitchen.com/sites/default/files/u11/55_Chocolate_Marquise_-_DB_May_2011.pdf for the recipe.  The only changes I made was add vanilla beans to the meringue, and rum instead of tequila in the marquise and the caramel.

I served this dish after gumbo and my friends proceeded to make themselves pretty much ill on it.  It was so rich and some of them *might* have eaten two servings.  I wasn't sure what to expect with the marquise but the best way I could describe it is a really rich frozen boozy chocolate pudding. Even after serving double desserts to 6 people and two half people (aka kids) I had a whole pan of the marquise goodness in my freezer and the next week I played around with the leftovers.

This was my take on a rocky road marquise! Toasted Marshmallow, rum caramel, toasted coconut, dark chocolate marquise and peanuts and mini chocolate chips.  SA said the toasted marshmallow was weird but I enjoyed the chewy texture!

Thanks again to Emma and Jenny! This was a fantastic challenge and one I am sure I will keep in the back of my mind when I need a bit fancier of a dessert!

Blog-checking lines: The May 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Emma of CookCraftGrow and Jenny of Purple House Dirt. They chose to challenge everyone to make a Chocolate Marquise. The inspiration for this recipe comes from a dessert they prepared at a restaurant in Seattle.

the marquise massacre!

Strawberry Shortcake Bars

This weekend I bought my first SURE sign of summer, fresh organic strawberries! While it is still a little early for local fruit, these tasted amazing and I couldnt wait to try this recipe I had been eyeing...and of course change it. Ultimatley I added a bit more cream, changed it to bars and drizzed the whole bad mama with some white chocolate.  I think if I would of left the recipe alone it would of made a great breakfast bar.

Strawberry Shortcake Bars
modified from Martha Stewart
2 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter grated
2/3 cup heavy cream + 2 Tablespoons

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.
Press into a greased 9x11 square pan and bake 35-40 minutes.  (Mine took 35ish). Drizzle with melted white chocolate and pink sugar.

Lemon Blueberry Poundcake with Lemon Glaze

When life gives you lemons, make lemon blueberry pound cake! I keep seeing lemon blueberry cakes around the blogosphere and I developed a serious craving! I found and modified this recipe but in the end it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. Deliciously crumby and richly butter filled it satisfied my taste craving however, not my texture craving.  I wanted a moist rich heavy pound cake with a deep lemon flavor and studs of blueberries.  I am going to keep trying but know if you try this recipe, you wont be disappointed by the taste.

Lemon Blueberry Pound cake with Lemon Glaze
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour +1Tbsp.
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened at room temperature
11/2 cup sugar +1 Tbsp.
4 eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 6 cup bundt pan with Pam with flour or a similar product. In a medium bowl, combine 11/2 cup flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment cream the butter. Add 11/2 cup of the sugar and mix. With the mixer running at low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Add the almond extract.
Working in alternating batches, and mixing after each addition, add the dry ingredients and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice to the butter mixture. Mix until just smooth.
In a small bowl combine blueberries and remaining sugar and flour and stir until berries are coated.  Gently fold into batter and pour mixture into prepared pan bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out dry and almost clean 50-60 minutes.
For a glaze I took 1/3 cup lemon juice and mixed it with confectioner's sugar till it was a thick glaze and poured it over the cooled cake.

Ginger Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Ginger

It's amazing to me how a recipe can grow in my head and become much more complex than it has to be.  Our neighborly buddies birthday is this past week and we decided to have a get together at our house for Easter. Neighbor buddy (NB) wanted a carrot cake for his cake and I started over thinking it immediately. Carrot cake with raisins and coconut, Carrot cake with cinnamon swirl, carrot cake with maple mousse (OK that last part might of been me thinking about another project.) In the end I found a nice simple recipe and went with it.  I think it was a good choice.  The cake incredibly moist and flavorful and the icing... oh man the icing.... I could of eaten it all with a spoon!

even on a paper plate it was so good!!!

Ginger Carrot Cake
modified from Martha Stewart
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 pound large carrots, peeled
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300 and grease and flour two round pans. Using the smallest holes (less than 1/4 inch in diameter) of a box grater, grate carrots, yielding 2 1/2 cups(or stick them in your food processor). Place carrots, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar, vegetable oil, and ginger in a large bowl; whisk until well combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until combined. Divide batter between the two cake pans, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the middles comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove pans from oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool, 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack; let stand until completely cool.


Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature
3 bars (8 ounces each) cream cheese room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Pinch of salt
Place butter in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, and beat until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add sugar, orange zest, ginger, vanilla, orange juice and salt, and beat for 2 minutes.

Evie isn't sure if she likes the fondant.(Turns out she does!)

Birthday boy and Evie cute Father/daughter bonding moment over cake!

Ahhh Summmmmer (March Dessert Wars Challenge)

I personally think that March in the Pac Northwest is hell.  It's cold.  It's rainy.  Sometimes it snows.  It is particularly difficult for me when I see pictures of all my friends in Texas. It seems like as soon as February rolls around everyone is posting pictures of beach time, gardens and talking about how they are getting sunburns. Things I can only dream about. 
This cake is the result of my frustrations and while it didn't make it any warmer or even make the sun come out it was wonderful and tasted like my favorite Summer drink a mojito!

This is my submission for the March edition of Dessert Wars, which had a great twist to it.  We were given two columns of ingredients to choose from, one traditional and one not so much.  I choose to include avocado from the "not so much" column and lime and mint from the traditional.

Mojito Pound Cake
recipe modified from joythebaker
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup rum
flesh of 1 1/2 ripe avocados, just over a cup of avocado, mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a bundt pant.
In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside. Set the four eggs out on the counter to come to room temperature while you beat the butter and sugar.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until softened and pliable. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the avocado and beat another minute to incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is thoroughly mixed.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after the addition of each egg. Beat in vanilla extract.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half of the flour mixture, all of the buttermilk, and then the rest of the flour mixture. Beat just until combined.
Divide the dough between the two loaf pans and place in the oven. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. I checked my cakes every ten minutes or so after the 30 minute mark. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Lime Glaze
3 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
8 tablespoons fresh lime juice plus 2 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest (about 6 limes total)
Sift confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Add lime juice; stir until smooth. Stir in lime zest. Use glaze immediately.

Candied Mint Leaves
Mint leaves
egg white
granulated sugar
1 tsp. water
Gently wash flowers and leaves in cool water and blot dry on paper towels.
mix the water with egg white and beat slightly.Carefully dip mint into egg white. Gently dredge with sugar and dry on waxed paper 12 hours or more before using.

March's prize package includes:
Whisk and cupcake necklace from Moon & Star Designs
The Smartshopper Electronic Grocery List Organizer
http://www.beanilla.com/variety-sampler-bean-p-137.html
Lenox Personalized Musical Cupcake
1,000 ideas for Decorating Cupcakes, Cookies & Cakes
Endless Vanilla and Cinnamon Extract
Unlimited Layers: A Recipe for Turning Your Passion into Profits
50 $ Gift certificate to organic valley
Organic Prairie $50 Gift Certificate
Theme Kitchen $50 Gift Certificate
Crepe Pan

Dark Chocolate Meringue Hearts with Caramelized bananas, Marshmallow fluff and Peanut Brittle

"Don't be a stingy little mama
You're 'bout to starve me half to death
Well you can spare a kiss or two and
Still have plenty left..."
  I've had Elvis in my head for the last four days. Its true.  Ive been annoying everyone including myself with my incessant singing of a Big Hunk of Love.  To make matters worse, I have never been an Elvis fan per Se.(My general dislike might stem from the fact that my the only time I was ever in Memphis I couldn't afford to visit Graceland...) Regardless, the king was on my mind when I was thinking about what I would make for this months Dessert Wars Challenge.  Last month I really brought it with my challenge so I knew this month I needed to come up with something to top homemade Nutella.  I brainstormed all month practically and even made a dessert that while was delicious was about as unappealing as well.. a big hunk of love. (BTW, screw you heart inside cupcakes, screw you!). What I came up with was a mouth full of...love. I might even say it got me all shook up.  If I was going to go farther I would say it had me throwing on my blue suede shoes and walking my hound dog and dancing to the jail house rock. (Did you have any doubt I was going to go farther?)
Without further adieu:

 
Dark Chocolate Meringue Hearts
6 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the egg whites in the cleaned bowl, beat at high speed until stiff. This process with take almost 8 minutes. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat. Slowly add the sugar. Remove the beaters and fold in the cocoa powder using a rubber spatula.
Using a piping bag pipe hearts onto the lined tray. Bake on the middle shelf for one hour and then turn off the oven and DON'T open the door for an hour! (DON'T DO IT, even though I know you want to!)
Did you really think I would stop there?

     Dark Chocolate Meringue Hearts with Caramelized Vanilla Bananas, marshmallow fluff , Dark chocolate syrup and Peanut brittle also known as " the Elvis."
     Each bite of this was a little bit of heaven. Seriously. The meringue and the brittle added a bit of crunch to break up the sweet soft texture of the bananas and the fluff and each bite honestly seemed to melt on our mouth.
Caramelized Vanilla Bananas
3 tablespoons sweet unsalted butter
2 bananas, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1/2 cup light rum
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add bananas and saute until they turn brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar and vanilla over the bananas and cook until the sugar melts, about another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour rum into skillet; ignite with a match and let the flames die out pour into meringues and top with a bit of marshmallow fluff, dark chocolate sauce and homemade peanut brittle.
     Thanks again to the wonderful hosts Reeni and Momma Cupcake!
Please see below for the wonderful list of prizes!
p.s. Do you think next month we could have a challenge of something that isn't brown? Taking pictures of brown things sucks my will to live!!!!

The February prize package includes:

Whisk and cupcake necklace from Moon & Star Designs
The Smartshopper Electronic Grocery List Organizer
Beanilla Sampler Pack of Vanilla Beans
Lenox Personalized Musical Cupcake
1,000 ideas for Decorating Cupcakes, Cookies & Cakes
Endless Vanilla and Cinnamon Extract
Unlimited Layers: A Recipe for Turning Your Passion into Profits
Organic Valley $50 Gift Certificate
Organic Prairie $50 Gift Certificate
Theme Kitchen $50 Gift Certificate
BEKA Cookware Crepe Pan









 
 

Daring Bakers Challenge: Panna Cotta and Florentines

First and foremost I LOVED THIS CHALLENGE! It was so fun and inspirational.  The hardest part of this challenge was deciding what flavors and combinations to make!
Originally I wanted to make SA the panna cotta and Florentines for Valentine's day, but life got in the way and I ended up procrastinating on the panna cotta.
The first Florentines I made I ended up opting to skip the chocolate and instead used melted cinnamon chips between the two cookies.  AMAZINGLY good.  Buttery, cinnamony and crunchy, some of my favorite traits in a dessert.

Cinnamon Florentines
2/3 cup (160 ml) (150 gm) (5.3 oz) unsalted butter
2 cups (480 ml) (160 gm) (5 2/3 oz) quick oats
1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) (95 gm) (3⅓ oz) plain (all purpose) flour
1/4 cup (60 ml) dark corn syrup
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1½ cups (360 ml) (250 gm) (9 oz) cinnamon chips
Preheat oven to moderately hot 375°F (190°C) (gas mark 5). Prepare your baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat. To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Drop a tablespoon full, three inches (75 mm) apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula. Bake in preheated oven for 6-8 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets. While the cookies are cooling melt your cinnamon chips until smooth either in the microwave (1 1/2 minutes), or stove top (in a double boiler, or a bowl that fits atop a saucepan filled with a bit of water, being sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl). Peel the cookies from the silpat or parchment and place face down on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax/parchment paper (to keep counters clean). Spread a tablespoon of cinnamon on the bottom/flat side of your cookie, sandwiching another (flat end) cookie atop the cinnamon.

Then we had a little dinner get together.  It was completely on the fly and I just served soup so I decided to really impress with the dessert.  It was time to bust out the panna cotta.
I ended up making a coffee scented cinnamon panna cotta with dulce de leche and white chocolate Florentines.  I wanted them to taste like caramel macchiatos.  I think I succeeded and they were well received by the friends we had over.

Coffee scented Cinnamon Panna Cotta

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon (one packet)  unflavored powdered gelatin
3 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
8 coffee beans or 1 tsp. instant coffee granules

Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta). Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
Pour the milk and coffee beans or granules into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes.
Next, add the cream,cinnamon, sugar, and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn't boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin.
Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Add garnishes and serve.
For the panna cotta I simply layered it with a layer of dulce de leche at the bottom, panna cotta and then more dulce de leche on top. For homemade dulce de leche please use this recipe.






Blog-checking lines: The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

Pecan Pie Muffins

SA and I are trying to cut back on our spending so of course one of the first places to feel the crunch is our grocery budget. Grant it we live like two foodies who have no kids.  That being said, its probably a good place to cut back a smidgen.  I was a good girl.  I went to the store the other day and only spent $50.62 on seven days worth of food for us.  What does that mean? Well for one, less meat. (Not a bad thing!) and for two less of a budget for snack type things.  So far this has been fine and I have just made homemade hummus and carrot sticks, but tonight the sweet attack came over me.  Some days you just need that little sweet bite.  SA could go forever without anything except for ice cream but I love decadent tooth achingly sweet treats and one of my favorites is pecan pie.  Tonight, however, SA and I were on snow watch 2011 and indulging in a do nothing night watching Serenity and nerding out at its space opera wonderfulness and I had no time for what I was craving: Pecan Pie.
A quick google had me making these delightful gems and then reveling in both their simplicity and DELICIOUSNESS. Omg. I never thought a muffin could taste like a pie.  It's like two wonderful things rolled into one!
and as a side note:  These muffins taste even better while watching Serenity/Firefly.

Pecan Pie Muffins

delightfully borrowed and modified from food.com

1 cup chopped pecans

1cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Pour into paper lined muffin tins and cook for approximately 15 minutes.

Will the Real Nutella please stand up?!

     "Reeni from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice and Christine of The Cupcake Bandits have created a progressive blogger competition with a monthly winner who will go head to head at the end of the year (December) to secure the position of ULTIMATE DESSERT WARRIOR and win a grand prize package. Each month we will be challenged with a theme ingredient and/or a specific dessert to bake." How could I not join in with this goodness?
     This month we were challenged to use a ingredient I find near and dear to my heart, Nutella.  To be honest I didn't have Nutella until I was 26,when I went to Italy on a holiday.  The friend that I was travelling with and I planned out our entire trip and stayed in many hostels along the way.  Breakfast was usually available in the morning and consisted of some sort of baked good with little packets of Nutella.  I was hooked.  One of the first things I did after I got home was buy a big jar of it and proceed to cover everything in its hazelnutty goodness.  Now, several years later my passion for Nutella has waned a little but I still enjoy it every once and awhile.  The first thing I thought when I read the challenge was think: homemade nutella and finally today I got a chance to make some.... but I didn't just stop there! 
     I got to thinking earlier today that if hazelnuts and chocolate could marry together in such a perfect symphony then how would dark chocolate and almonds? Or what about white chocolate and pecans furthermore...what about other things you can melt...for instance...butterscotch...and cashews.
Yes, my mind was like a runaway carriage, and I decided to enjoy it for the wild ride it was going to be!
I didn't start with homemade nutella, I was too excited about the other blends in my mind. I started with the wildest in my opinion, Cashew and Butterscotch butter...or ButterCash as SA started calling it.
Definitely a taste explosion, it was a creamy mix of golden sweet caramelly cashewy slightly salty goodness that melted on our tongues.

ButterCash
1 cup toasted cashews
4 ounces butterscotch chips, melted
1/2 split vanilla bean
a few drops, vegetable oil (optional)

Add cashews to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it becomes a smooth peanut butter-like consistency. Add the melted butterscotch and vanilla. Process until smooth and well-mixed. Add vegetable oil one drop at a time, and pulse to a smooth, spreadable consistency, if necessary.

       Next I spied almonds and couldn't help but think a nice milk chocolate.  It wasn't bad.  Although it was the spread with the least amount of flavor it was still pretty good.  I think next time I try it I will try making it with white chocolate and almonds. 

Milk Chocolate & Toasted Almond Spread
1 cup blanched and toasted almonds
4 ounces milk chocolate, melted
2 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 split vanilla bean
a few drops, vegetable oil
Add almonds to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it becomes a smooth peanut butter-like consistency. Add the melted chocolate, cocoa, sugar and vanilla. Process until smooth and well-mixed. Add vegetable oil one drop at a time, and pulse to a smooth, spreadable consistency, if necessary.

     The Hazelnuts were my last prey tonight and I have to admit, now that I have made homemade nutella, I'm not sure that I will go back to the store bought stuff.  The only complaint that I have is the homemade stuff isn't quite as smooth but I think that adds character.  The next time I make it I will process it through the blender once I get everything added together in the food processor.  This was our second favorite of the night and I am super excited to use it to finish my project for the month!

Homemade Hazelnut Chocolate Spread
1 cup shelled, toasted hazelnuts, skins removed
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 tablespoon cocoa
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 split vanilla bean
a few drops, vegetable oil (optional)
Add hazelnuts to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it becomes a smooth peanut butter-like consistency. Add the melted chocolate, cocoa, sugar and vanilla. Process until smooth and well-mixed. Add vegetable oil one drop at a time, and pulse to a smooth, spreadable consistency, if necessary.


     Clearly, SA and I couldn't eat all these delectable nut butters by ourselves so I did what I had been obsessing over for the past couple of  weeks... Made a NUTELLA TIRAMISU. Yeah, I did that and it was AMAZING! I am submitting this as my January submission to DESSERT WARS and I am crossing my fingers to win this amazing prize packages:

The Most Wonderful List of PRIZES!

-Whisk and cupcake necklace from Moon & Star Designs
-The Smartshopper Electronic Grocery List Organizer
-Beanilla Sampler Pack of Vanilla Beans
-Lenox Personalized Musical Cupcake
-1,000 ideas for Decorating Cupcakes, Cookies & Cakes
-Endless Vanilla and Cinnamon Extract
-Unlimited Layers: A Recipe for Turning Your Passion into Profits
-$50 Gift Certificate to Theme Kitchen
-$50 Coupon Redeemable for Organic Valley Products
-$50 Coupon Redeemable for Organic Prairie Products


Now with out further adieu:

Nutella Tiramisu
adapted from a Giada De Laurentis recipe
6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
2 tablespoon hazelnut Kahlua
1/4 cup homemade Nutella
24 packaged ladyfingers
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream

     In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of espresso and the nutella and mix until thoroughly combined and transfer to another bowl.
     In a small shallow dish, add remaining espresso and 1 tablespoon of the hazelnut Kahlua. Dip each ladyfinger into espresso mixture for only 5 seconds. Letting the ladyfingers soak too long will cause them to fall apart. Place the soaked ladyfinger on the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch baking dish, breaking them in half if necessary in order to fit the bottom.
Spread evenly 1/2 of the mascarpone/nutella mixture over the ladyfingers. Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with remaining mascarpone/nutella mixture.
With an electric hand mixer or stand mixer combine heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and remaining hazelnut Kahlua. Whip until soft peaks form and spread over top of dessert.
Cover tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours. Before serving sprinkle with dark chocolate cocoa and chopped hazelnuts.


Special thanks to Reeni and Christine for this special adventure. I loved it and can't wait for more!












November Daring Cooks Challenge: Souffles!

My first daring chefs challenge was quite scary:
SOUFFLES!
But they fall! They are difficult! I only have small ramekins!  I'M SCARED! These were all thoughts going thru my head when I saw what the challenge was to be (should I accept it).  In the end I persevered and learned that it was actually quite easy and something I will be adding to my repertoire more often.
     This was a perfect recipe for the SA and I, it made three nice size souffles so there was one for each of us and one that we just so happened to share with two hungry pirate princesses and their parents.

Chocolate Mint Souffles
2 eggs

1 teaspoon plus 4 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 tablespoons  Cocoa
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Dash salt
1/3 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
1/8 teaspoon mint extract

Separate eggs. Place whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place yolks in another bowl; set aside.


Coat two 10-oz. ramekins or custard cups with cooking spray and lightly sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar; place on a baking sheet and set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate chips and extract until chips are melted. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; return all to the bowl, stirring constantly. Cool slightly.
Beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. With a spatula, fold a fourth of the egg whites into chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain. Fold in remaining egg whites until combined.
Transfer to prepared ramekins. Bake at 375° for 18-22 minutes or until tops are puffed and centers are almost set.

A spooky pirate princess waiting for a bite of souffle!