Resolutions: One broken, one kept

I never really put much weight in New Year's resolutions. Why would promises I made to myself and/or others on this day be any different than ones made on any other day of the year?

Oddly enough I feel like this year is slightly different.

Maybe it's because I'm one year closer to the big 30 and everything seems to be speeding up and time is starting to fly by faster.

I'm finding that things that I have meant to do have been eluding me more and more each year.

So, with that I have decided to make a few resolutions this year:
1) I will attend hot yoga no less than 3 times a week.
2) I will decrease my sugar intake.
3) I will travel more.
4) I will bake/take pictures/blog more

Alas, as I was driving my oh-so-handsome, sweet, thoughtful and manly K to the airport this morning, that icky lonesome feeling started to sink in. What is good for fixing a lonesome heart?

Chocolate.

And Marzipan.

And Butter.

These should do the trick.


Marzipan Brownies
adapted from The New Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book 12th Edition

Makes: 16 small brownies
Prep:20 mins
Bake:30 mins

Preheat oven to 350° F

1/2 C Butter
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 C Sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 C APF
1/4 tsp baking soda
2/3 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
150g baking marzipan

In medium sauce pan over medium low heat, melt butter and chocolate. Make sure to stir constantly and do not let it come to a bubble. Once completely melted, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile grease an 8x8 pan. Set aside.

Add sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir well until completely incorporated.

Add eggs one at a time, stirring just until combined with a wooden spoon after each addition.
Add vanilla.

In small bowl stir together flour and baking soda. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring just until combine.

Remove 3/4 C of chocolate mixture and set aside.

Add chocolate chips to remaining batter.

Spread evenly in the bottom of the buttered pan.

Roll out marzipan between two sheets of parchment paper, doing the best you can to keep it square and to the size of the pan. I was able to roll mine out to 1/8" thick and just trimmed the edges for it to fit.

Lay out the marzipan onto the batter in the pan and spread the remaining 3/4 C of batter on top.

Bake for 25 mins. I could have baked mine a tad bit longer so you might need to adjust time for your particular oven.


Let it be known, on this 2nd of January 2011, I have kept one resolution (#4) and broken one (#2). But all is not lost. I will be sharing these with my co-workers tomorrow. That is, if I don't eat the entire pan by myself tonight. I am trying to mend a lonesome heart. Can anyone blame me?
Happy New Year.

I like it hot and spicy

So, a time not so long ago, I didn't like spicy stuff.

Tragedy, yes, I know.

But then I started eating Thai food and there was no looking back.

I like it when it's so spicy that it makes your nose run and you break a little sweat. I like it so spicy that you're stomach starts saying, "you're gonna pay for this later" but you're taste buds say, "don't pay attention, this is too good to stop."

Along the way of my spice epiphany I've developed an intense devotion to Indian food, sriracha sauce and red pepper flakes (I use them every opportunity I get).

So, when I came across this jalapeno cheddar scone recipe, I started to salivate, Pavlov's style.

I've been fine tuning my biscuit skills for a certain special someone who, like so many nice boys from the Midwest, craves a good plate of biscuits and gravy from time to time.

I've been slowly stock piling a reserve of things that will help keep this kid around and my biscuit making ability is going to be one of them. Along with being able to parallel park the Audi without scratching the rims, being able to keep up with the boys while snowboarding and making delicious snackies for a packer game Sunday, I think I'll be able to keep him around for a while. Although my ability to kick his ass in beer pong might be a severe strike against me. :)


The first attempt in making these was not so hot. I only used 2 jalapenos and cooked them a little too long. It cooked all the spicy hotness right out of them. I also used a generic yellow sharp cheddar from the grocery store. I cubed it. The cubes didn't keep the cheese in the scones. It just melted and oozed out the side. Along with that, the basic and not so interesting cheese selection left me longing for a more intense deep sharpness that can only be found in a special artisnal cheese that's been aged a little longer than most.

Well, second time around, I hit the everlovin jackpot. I used 3 jalapenos and didn't cook them as long.



I also invested in some 15 month old English white cheddar. By far the best decision I had made all week.


I was going to grate it this time around because I wanted the cheese infused through the whole scone, but in what turned out to be a really fantastic coincidence, this cheese did not want to be grated. It just crumbled into perfectly sized little bits.


The final improvement, and I totally didn't think it would make that big of a difference, was adding the egg wash. I spaced it last time. This time I didn't. And I think they turned out just dreamy.

Light and fluffy, but rich and intense with just a slash of spice and the headiness of the cheese. Killer!


You can pair these with some chili that's been bubbling away all day in the crock pot, or you can be a pig like me and make a meal out of them by eating 3 of them in one sitting. Don't judge. They're really that tasty. Trust me.

Cheddar Jalapeno Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 tbls cold butter, diced
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 eggs, divided
1/4 pound sharp Cheddar cheese shredded or crumbled
3 jalapenos pepper, minced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

I deveined and deseeded the jalapenos before dicing them. If you like the heat, like really like the heat, I would maybe just deseed them, but that's up to you and you're chance taking.
I sauteed them for about 2 minutes in a tablespoon of butter. Not very long and definitely not long enough to make them soft. You're just taking the edge off of them here. If you want the edge-Don't pre-saute them at all. But again, that's all about how much of a risk taker you are. I will not be held responsible for your actions. ;)
Let the jalapenos cool and in a small bowl combined them with the cheddar and toss with a couple of tablespoons of flour to soak up any extra juices.


In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and cut in the butter with a pastry blender until small pea sized pieces start to form. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream and 2 of the eggs and add to the flour, stirring just until blended.
Using a wooden spoon, fold in the jalapenos and cheddar. Don't think you need to be delicate here and you don't have to mix until completely combined because you're now going to turn this combo out onto a well floured surface and kneed for about a minute. Nothing more than that. Just making sure everything is smashed together well.

Pat the dough out into 1/2" disk and either cut into triangles or use a biscuit cutter. Place on a cookie sheet with parchment and brush with an egg wash made of the remaining egg and a tsp of water.


Place on center rack of the preheated oven and bake for about 20 mins.




Serve hot right out of the oven with some butter smeared on top. Delish!

Recharging the battery

I really can not think of a better way to spend a weekend then running errands and puttering around at home.
And, that is exactly what I did today.
Here is just one of the things I did today:


I hope they stay up. I mounted them with 3M command picture mounting strips. I didn't want to put holes in the wall. Cross your fingers for me.

Here's another one of my triumphs:


I just finished taking a crochet class. I'm not very good. I'm proud of this little coaster because I made it completely by following the instructions on a pattern. I had no help at all. Yep, I know that you can totally tell I didn't have any help.

And I was finally able to make pumpkin whoopie pies. I've been meaning to make them for well over a month now and when I would go to make them I was always missing an ingredient. First it was veggie oil. And then it was cream cheese. And then it was ground ginger.
So, I was finally able to get my act together and was home longer than 48 hours in a row.

I have to be honest with you, I've never had a real honest to goodness whoopie pie. But I'm pretty sure I would like them. Cakey chocolately cookie sandwich with a layer of vanilla marshmallow frosting goodness. What is there not to like?
Take that and make it a spicy pumpkin cakey cookie with cream cheese frosting in the center. Get outta here!
Super easy. I made it even easier by using a piping bag to form the little cakes.

It uses 2 full cups of hard packed brown sugar:

I was a little scared by this. But don't be. It's brilliant.
I do kind of wish they were more pumpkiny. Is that a word? I don't think so.
I would reduce the oil a tad and add more pumpkin:



I would also maybe think about adding some more spices. I was thinking adding a tad more ginger and some nutmeg. How did I not add nutmeg? Duh!



I started out by just spooning them out on the cookie sheet but that was taking far too long and they weren't turning out very pretty. So, I busted out the piping bags. You don't necessarily need piping bags. Just use a gallon ziplock bag and fill that sucker up with the batter, zip it closed and snip off the tip. In hind sight this probably would be far less messy than the piping bag:


Threw them in the oven for 12 mins:


And 12 minutes later you have these lovely fluffy cake/cookies.:


You're supposed to wait for them to cool before you frost them. So, that thing called self control. I am somehow lacking a little bit of it:


But I did wait for the rest of them to cool:


That's a horrible picture, you say? And where on earth did the rest of them go, you ask?
Don't worry. They're in the fridge. I swear I did wait for them to cool, but the frosting was a little runny and the tops were sliding off so, I just popped them in the fridge. I swear I did not eat them.
If I had eaten all but 4 of them, I don't know if I would be able to be sitting upright to type right now...

Like that would actually stop me from eating 12 whoopie pies. Please.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies:
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
1/2 tablespoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
Combine the oil and brown sugar. Mix in the pumpkin and eggs, beating well. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix well.
Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cookies cool then make sandwiches from two cookies filled with Whoopie Pie Filling.

Cream Cheese Filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
Spread a heaping teaspoon of filling onto flat side of one cookie; top with flat side of second cookie to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

Tough Week

You ever have a tough week?

Yeah, Me too.

Today was especially rough. I got to work early. Left late. Didn't take lunch.
Was so keyed up when I got home, I worked out for an hour and so hard that I almost puked...But didn't. Then realized I had NOTHING in the fridge.
Did a quick run to Trader Joe's. Bought $45 worth of all kinds of stuff I didn't need. Came home and had a complete melt down.
Please see below:

I swear that TJ's puts something severely addictive in their spicy hummus. Try it once and you'll find out.
They also have an amazing selection of very reasonable (yes, cheap) wine.
And is that ice in my sauvignon blanc? Yes, Don't judge. Sometimes you can't wait for that bad boy to chill down.
I then proceeded to snorf down a whole dish of TJ's frozen chicken pad thai. Good? Not too shabby and just the right amount to spicy.
Another glass of iced down Sauvy and I was stumbling my ass around my kitchen/living room/bedroom and somehow was able to turn this out:


It's an apple oat cake and it's supposed to have white chocolate chips, but I didn't have any. So just apples. And I still need to frost it. It's a cream cheese frosting. I'm okay with that. It's going to be lovely.

So, at the end of the night, do I feel better?

No.

I miss my boyfriend.

I miss my midwest.

I still have to go to work tomorrow.
And that damn cake isn't going to frost itself.

Life goes on.

Hiatus over

So, I moved halfway across country. I started a new job. I have a new apartment in a brand new city. I took a little more time than I honestly wanted from blogging, but alas.


I was lucky enough to find an apartment with a smashing kitchen. Sparkly brand new stainless steel appliances with a gas stove and a convection oven! Amazing. What's not amazing? The size. It's tiny. Super tiny. And my apartment is a studio. So that means I have to sidestep the bed while I'm cooking and try not to kick the cat while baking, but, that's really nothing all that new and it hasn't stopped me. No siree!



I have to admit that I've made several things in my new kitchen already. i.e. a couple of pans of berry breakfast bars, hand pies, peach shortbread bars and several very tasty dinners.
Did I photograph any of them? No. Am I going to write about them or give you the recipes. Nope.
I didn't find any of them all that interesting.

What I am going to tell you about are the previous things I've made in my sad old used and abused kitchen. I was looking through my photos and realized I had photographed some really lovely nibbles and never bothered sharing them.

I was actually thinking about making this particular recipe again sometime very soon. It's one of my foolproof comfort foods. Ginger Snaps.


My grandmother made them no less than once a week when we came to visit during the summer. They remind me of being little and running through the sprinkler in the back yard. They remind me of playing in the basement with my little sister. They remind me of sliding down the stairs on my butt to come down to the kitchen. They are great cookies to say the least.
Sadly enough, this is not my grandmother's recipe. I have yet to extract the exact recipe from my Aunt, but someday, hopefully soon. Until then, Mrs. Irma S. Rombauer will have to do.

Gingersnaps
Adapted from Joy of Cooking 75th Anniversary

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

In a medium bowl, whisk together the below:

1 1/4 Cups APF
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, beat until fluffy:
6 Tbls unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar


Add and beat until well combined:
1 large egg
1/4 C dark molasses
1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest


Stir in the flour until blended.


Form dough into 3/4" balls. Roll balls in 1/2 C of turbinado/raw sugar and space 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.



Bake cookies one sheet at a time until they have flattened and developed a crinkled surface approx 12 mins.
Let stand briefly, then remove to rack to cool.

Moving...

So, I'm doing it. I have now sold the majority of my possessions and next monday I will start the 3 day expedition out to Seattle.
I'm excited and nervous and worried and delighted and and and ...

I packed up all of my books today, including cook books. Sad. I feel as claustrophobic as they probably do.
I've been living off of this weird diet of things in my pantry I've been trying to use up. I had Macaroni and Cheese for breakfast. Don't Judge.

I finally broke down and did a little grocery shopping today. I need fresh vegetables darn it!

My dad, ever the huntsman that he is, gave me a package of duck awhile back and I really did not have the heart to throw it away or give it away so I'm using it up tonight.

I used Jaime Oliver's steak and guinness pie recipe. http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/steak-guinness-and-cheese-pie-with-a-puf
But obviously instead of steak, I used the ducky ducky ducky. It's in the oven as we speak.
I'm also going to use crescent rolls for the lid instead of puff pastry because Trader Joe's didn't have frozen puff pastry and the thought of making one more stop on the way home just for puff pastry was way too unbearable.

But wait for it, wait for it. Guess what else is packed? Did you guess? Yes, that's right. The camera. Boo. So no pictures this time around, but I will let you know how it turned out and I will make it again (probably the right way) and take pictures of it then. Deal?

You know what I will post? Pictures of the wedding I attended with K last weekend.
His best bud from forever got hitched. It was a really fun time. Maybe a little too fun, if that's possible.


Photo-booths instead of favors are the most brilliant thing ever. Although are slightly dangerous when cocktails are involved.

K's baby girl niece. Most beautiful child ever.

We fight over who gets to hold her. K always wins.

So, with that being said I'm signing out for awhile. Hopefully no longer than 2 weeks, but I promise to have something really fantastic when I do post again. Well, I guess that all depends on the kind of kitchen I end up with too because I don't have an apartment yet. Yes, you heard me correctly.
That's the nervous and worried part.

But things have a way of sorting themselves out and I will be back in no time flat.

Cheers- Liz