I've recently begun to bake in Boulder. I thought I'd start with cookies but 5 batches deep now… I still haven't quite gotten it right… I found this great article on NPR about a women who did a DIY wedding cake for her brothers wedding and made a Alice Water's 1-2-3-4 Cake. Essentially, that's what my vanilla cupcake recipe entails, with a few high altitude modifications (slightly less flour, slightly more liquid, slightly higher temperature) and a little bit of Lisa touch. I also opted not to make frosting and instead made a peach compote type thing with a dollop of whipped cream to top it off. The cake itself is moist, dense and very rick in flavor.
These peaches are special. They are called "Palisade Peaches", and come from the south western corner Colorado. I always thought the best peaches came from California (best peach experience was when Craig Edelman brought me and entire case of white peaches fresh from the farmers market for my birthday) but no, in actuality, CO makes a darn good peach. They are extraordinarily fuzzy compared to any other peach I have ever seen and oh so very juicy, soft and nearly instantly ripe.
In the cake, instead of regular whole milk, I used buttermilk, which gives it such a nice creamy, tangy burst of flavor, a little trick I learned from my friend Jen in grad school. I'll do my best to keep it so that you can make this at sea level too, but here is the original recipe and the NPR article. You'll see I'll add a different value, # @SL, meaning use this amount if you are at sea level!
If you are super lazy, (although I don't really recommend it), canned whipped cream or cool whip would be sufficient as a quick topper.
Oh, and how am I doing you might ask? Ahh, just fine. And yes, I am still unemployed but am one happy camper!!
Vanilla Cupcake with Peach Compote and Whipped Cream
ingredients
cupcake
.75 tsp/2 tsp@SL baking powder
.25 tsp sea salt
1.33 c/1.5 c @SL AP flour , sift then measure
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 c granulated white sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
.5 c buttermilk
peach compote
2 tblspn unsalted butter
3 medium, ripe peaches, diced into .25 inch pieces
pinch of salt
2 tblspn brown sugar
whipped cream
.5 c heavy whipping cream
3 tblspn pwoder sugar
.5 tsp vanilla extract
instructions
cupcake
1. Preheat your oven to 375 (350@SL), prepare cupcake tin.
2. whipped butter and sugar together until creamed and fluffy
3. add one yolk at a time until mixed, add vanilla
4. in a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt
5. alternating between dry, wet, dry, wet, ending in dry combine flour mixture and buttermilk
6. in a metal or copper bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form
7. fold in egg white mixture (by hand) in thirds until all egg whites have been incorporated
8. pour into pan (2/3rd full for standard, 1/2 full for giant sized)
9. bake 20 or so minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
makes 8 giant cupcakes, or 12 standard cupcakes
peach compote
1. melt butter on medium high heat. DO NOT CAUSE THE BUTTER TO BROWN
2. sauté peaches, add salt
3. add brown sugar and cook until peaches are soft and liquid around peaches is bubbly
4. you can also add a splash of amaretto or grand marnier at this point or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
whipped cream
1. first mix sugar and vanilla
2. slowly add in cream until soft peaks form
3. do not over beat or else you will get butter
THE WHOLE CUPCAKE
once the cupcake has been cooled on a wire rack and the compote has been cooled to RT, put the compote on the cupcake and then add a dollop of whipped cream. Voila!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Bailey's Dark Chocolate Gelato
about 8 years ago I developed this amazing love affair with ice cream that spawned into more then I could ever ask for. When I was 17 years old, I got the best job a girl could ask for: scooping ice cream with a bunch of 17 year olds... best part? IN A CASINO. haha! I worked for Ben and Jerry's until my sophomore year of college. Because of that job, I've made some ever lasting friendships and have some of the fondest memories with the people I worked with and hung out with. Much love for my Ben and Jerry's crew!
As many of you know, I have been DYING for an ice cream maker attachement for my Kitchen Aid. With the attachment costing $80, I haven't quite made the dive yet. Alternatively, here is my first non ice cream maker making ice cream experience. I found this on David Lebovitz's Blog. I'll call it more of a gelato, because it doesn't quite have the same consistency for ice cream. I made a few modifications, but click on the link for the original concoction. What a tasty treat! It is SO EXTREMELY EASY TO MAKE!! foolish if you can't. And if you like alcohol, why bother with an aperitif if you can have it in your ice cream :) The alcohol used in this recipe is essentially what is preventing the dairy from freezing and the banana gives it a creamy texture.
It's a tasty treat all right!
Bailey's Dark Chocoalte Gelato
ingredients
.25 c semi sweet dark chocolate chips (I used 60% ghirardelli chips)
1 very ripe banana, mashed
5 tblspn heavy cream
1 tblspn water
6 tblspn Bailey's
1 tblspn dark rum
instructions
1. take the mashed banana and mix well with heavy cream, water, Bailey's, and rum. mix until it is no longer chunky. you might want an emulsifying wand to help the process
2. take the chips and melt in the microwave or over double boiler
3. add banana/booze mixture and stir into melted chips (off heat if you used the double boiler). Whisk well, until it is a chocolate sauce.
4. If needed, send the mixture through a sieve or find strainer to eliminate chunks of banana.
5. place in a small metal or plastic container. cover with plastic wrap such that it makes contact with the surface
6. freeze for at least 2-3 hrs.
7. consume!!!
makes a tasty 4-5 medium sized scoops!
As many of you know, I have been DYING for an ice cream maker attachement for my Kitchen Aid. With the attachment costing $80, I haven't quite made the dive yet. Alternatively, here is my first non ice cream maker making ice cream experience. I found this on David Lebovitz's Blog. I'll call it more of a gelato, because it doesn't quite have the same consistency for ice cream. I made a few modifications, but click on the link for the original concoction. What a tasty treat! It is SO EXTREMELY EASY TO MAKE!! foolish if you can't. And if you like alcohol, why bother with an aperitif if you can have it in your ice cream :) The alcohol used in this recipe is essentially what is preventing the dairy from freezing and the banana gives it a creamy texture.
It's a tasty treat all right!
Bailey's Dark Chocoalte Gelato
ingredients
.25 c semi sweet dark chocolate chips (I used 60% ghirardelli chips)
1 very ripe banana, mashed
5 tblspn heavy cream
1 tblspn water
6 tblspn Bailey's
1 tblspn dark rum
instructions
1. take the mashed banana and mix well with heavy cream, water, Bailey's, and rum. mix until it is no longer chunky. you might want an emulsifying wand to help the process
2. take the chips and melt in the microwave or over double boiler
3. add banana/booze mixture and stir into melted chips (off heat if you used the double boiler). Whisk well, until it is a chocolate sauce.
4. If needed, send the mixture through a sieve or find strainer to eliminate chunks of banana.
5. place in a small metal or plastic container. cover with plastic wrap such that it makes contact with the surface
6. freeze for at least 2-3 hrs.
7. consume!!!
makes a tasty 4-5 medium sized scoops!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Pan Seared Mahi Mahi
Oh my goodness I don't even remember the last time I posted was… pre birthday maybe? ::checks blog::, yup June 1st. Okay, so 2 months later, what has happened?
1. I turned 25!
2. I graduated from Rush!
3. I moved out of Chicago
4. I drove across the mid atlantic with my parents back to CT. The most exciting part was probably somewhere in the middle of Ohio, where my car locked itself, with the keys in the ignition. WHAT?? you might say? Well, for some of you that have driven in my Corolla, I have been swearing on my life that my car is possessed and it goes nuts and goes locking wonky. Well, the one time I ever leave the keys in the ignition, the doors locked (windows closed) as my mother and I stood outside stretching it out. Thankfully 45 minutes later and some help from AAA, we are back on the road and make it safe to CT.
5. I had a great time in CT, love my shandrea
6. I met Dan's Mom!
7. Watched THE MOST EPIC FIREWORKS SHOW IN BOSTON EVER. AMAZING!!!
8. Dan met my mom and dad (again)
9. Dan and I began our trip out to CO, with a detour in Hoboken NJ (note to self, never take the GW Bridge, regardless of what time it is) and the Eastern Shore of VA.
10. We blazed across country from VA --> Indy --> Boulder in just 2 days. Missouri was the best because at Chick fil a, they looked like they never saw an asian in their entire life! ha!
11. I moved to Boulder, CO.
So what am I doing now you might ask me? Well, really I've been catching up on a lot of sleep. a lot. I'd say MONTHS worth. I've also been quite busy with the "job hunting" business, which, well is slow going, but going. Lots of hiking and biking and movie watching and really just enjoying everything there is to love about summer. I tried baking cookies once. They turned out mediocre at best. This high altitude baking, ::sigh:: well… I guess I have to start over! Other tasty things I have made have included no bake cheese cake, grilled stuffed zucchini, citrus brown sugar glazed salmon, stuffed chicken thighs, and things of the like.... sorry I haven't blogged them!
And today, what will we be focusing on? Ahh, the irony is that I am landlocked and I will be blogging about fish! Mahi mahi is not too steaky of a fish, not too flakey, just a nice in between. You might frequently see it in fish tacos too. Sear it in bacon fat and topped with caramelized onions? Suuureeee. If you are like me and don't frequently cook bacon, I suggest just going to a local butcher or Whole Foods, where they sell bacon in the deli/meat case and buy 2 or 3 slices. you want the nice thick kind. I used the applewood smoked. The scent of applewood smoked in the pan is enough just to eat bacon for dinner, let alone topping it on some pan seared fish that was seared in the bacons drippings. Don't worry about over cooking the bacon. I always loved the texture the crispy adds to the fish. Some bits might even be burnt looking by the end of the cooking process but sooooo good.
Other things: I've been trying to perfect the art of literally cooking for 2. Its hard, but I have been able to do it… sort of. This last dinner cooking round, was perfect. Nothing left over and perfectly satiated. I'm only going to blog about the protein part. Wilting spinach in garlic butter seems pretty self explanatory, and mashed potatoes, well they aren't really anything special. Minced fresh rosemary, fresh minced garlic, butter, and heavy whipping cream all whipped together with some boiled Idaho Potatoes and salt in a kitchen aid mixer.
TIP: you'll have to cube up the bacon into bits. since it is a fatty piece of meat, throw it in the freezer for 15 minutes before you start cooking. The cold will firm up the fat and make it much easier to chop up
One more thing.... from now on, my cooking times might be longer, baking times might be higher.... due the fact that I am at a little bit of a high elevation, so for times and temperature, please use your common sense... if it looks done, and is starting to burn, mayyyybeee it just might be done!
Pan Seared Mahi Mahi topped with Carmelized Onion & Bacon Crisps
ingredients
.75 lbs mahi mahi, portioned
2 strips of applewood smoked bacon (thick),
.5 sweet onion, thinly sliced
s&p to taste
instructions
1. take your bacon and cut it in half length wise, then cut the other way to cube it up
2. heat up pan to medium high heat
3. toss in bacon and cook until greeeassyyy (ie fat is rendered and meaty bits begin to crisp up)
4. toss in onion, sauté until onions become slightly browned, season mahi mahi with S&P
5. put in mahi mahi on top of the onion and bacon to sear, 5-7 min
6. flip and sear other side, 5-7 min
7. it will be cooked once it starts to be flaky or reach internal temperature (at the thickest part) of 145F.
8. serve topped with caramelized onion and bacon
nom nom!
.75 lbs of fish is enough for 2 portions. + sides
1. I turned 25!
2. I graduated from Rush!
3. I moved out of Chicago
4. I drove across the mid atlantic with my parents back to CT. The most exciting part was probably somewhere in the middle of Ohio, where my car locked itself, with the keys in the ignition. WHAT?? you might say? Well, for some of you that have driven in my Corolla, I have been swearing on my life that my car is possessed and it goes nuts and goes locking wonky. Well, the one time I ever leave the keys in the ignition, the doors locked (windows closed) as my mother and I stood outside stretching it out. Thankfully 45 minutes later and some help from AAA, we are back on the road and make it safe to CT.
5. I had a great time in CT, love my shandrea
6. I met Dan's Mom!
7. Watched THE MOST EPIC FIREWORKS SHOW IN BOSTON EVER. AMAZING!!!
8. Dan met my mom and dad (again)
9. Dan and I began our trip out to CO, with a detour in Hoboken NJ (note to self, never take the GW Bridge, regardless of what time it is) and the Eastern Shore of VA.
10. We blazed across country from VA --> Indy --> Boulder in just 2 days. Missouri was the best because at Chick fil a, they looked like they never saw an asian in their entire life! ha!
11. I moved to Boulder, CO.
So what am I doing now you might ask me? Well, really I've been catching up on a lot of sleep. a lot. I'd say MONTHS worth. I've also been quite busy with the "job hunting" business, which, well is slow going, but going. Lots of hiking and biking and movie watching and really just enjoying everything there is to love about summer. I tried baking cookies once. They turned out mediocre at best. This high altitude baking, ::sigh:: well… I guess I have to start over! Other tasty things I have made have included no bake cheese cake, grilled stuffed zucchini, citrus brown sugar glazed salmon, stuffed chicken thighs, and things of the like.... sorry I haven't blogged them!
And today, what will we be focusing on? Ahh, the irony is that I am landlocked and I will be blogging about fish! Mahi mahi is not too steaky of a fish, not too flakey, just a nice in between. You might frequently see it in fish tacos too. Sear it in bacon fat and topped with caramelized onions? Suuureeee. If you are like me and don't frequently cook bacon, I suggest just going to a local butcher or Whole Foods, where they sell bacon in the deli/meat case and buy 2 or 3 slices. you want the nice thick kind. I used the applewood smoked. The scent of applewood smoked in the pan is enough just to eat bacon for dinner, let alone topping it on some pan seared fish that was seared in the bacons drippings. Don't worry about over cooking the bacon. I always loved the texture the crispy adds to the fish. Some bits might even be burnt looking by the end of the cooking process but sooooo good.
Other things: I've been trying to perfect the art of literally cooking for 2. Its hard, but I have been able to do it… sort of. This last dinner cooking round, was perfect. Nothing left over and perfectly satiated. I'm only going to blog about the protein part. Wilting spinach in garlic butter seems pretty self explanatory, and mashed potatoes, well they aren't really anything special. Minced fresh rosemary, fresh minced garlic, butter, and heavy whipping cream all whipped together with some boiled Idaho Potatoes and salt in a kitchen aid mixer.
TIP: you'll have to cube up the bacon into bits. since it is a fatty piece of meat, throw it in the freezer for 15 minutes before you start cooking. The cold will firm up the fat and make it much easier to chop up
One more thing.... from now on, my cooking times might be longer, baking times might be higher.... due the fact that I am at a little bit of a high elevation, so for times and temperature, please use your common sense... if it looks done, and is starting to burn, mayyyybeee it just might be done!
Pan Seared Mahi Mahi topped with Carmelized Onion & Bacon Crisps
ingredients
.75 lbs mahi mahi, portioned
2 strips of applewood smoked bacon (thick),
.5 sweet onion, thinly sliced
s&p to taste
instructions
1. take your bacon and cut it in half length wise, then cut the other way to cube it up
2. heat up pan to medium high heat
3. toss in bacon and cook until greeeassyyy (ie fat is rendered and meaty bits begin to crisp up)
4. toss in onion, sauté until onions become slightly browned, season mahi mahi with S&P
5. put in mahi mahi on top of the onion and bacon to sear, 5-7 min
6. flip and sear other side, 5-7 min
7. it will be cooked once it starts to be flaky or reach internal temperature (at the thickest part) of 145F.
8. serve topped with caramelized onion and bacon
nom nom!
.75 lbs of fish is enough for 2 portions. + sides
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