SECRET RECIPE CLUB: CHOC-ORANGE MINI CAKES & A BONUS RECIPE

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets, Secret Recipe Club, Veggies by sallybr

(Reprinted with permission from Adrienne Hedger)

And here we are landing firmly in the month of May. This year is flying by, if you ask me… First Monday of the month means fun. It is Reveal Day for The Secret Recipe Club, that event in which bloggers are paired in secret and cook a recipe from their assigned site. This month I got a food blog that was new to me: Chit Chat Chomp, hosted by Leigh, who blogs from Melbourne, a place I would love to visit one day. Leigh’s site is a thing of beauty, very stylish, elegant, amazing photos, and great prose. Basically, a must-read food blog! She summarizes her approach to cooking in a delightful way:

Recipes inspired by my travels through France, adapted for everyday simplicity and filled to the brim with nutrition. Mostly gluten and refined sugar-free, my recipes lean towards food that inspires, heals and nourishes, but above all else, it’s fresh, organic and simple.

Recipes inspired by my travels through France… She’s got my full attention! In fact, she describes herself as a lover of all things French. You can imagine the smile I opened when I read that line, right? I spent quite a bit of time stalking her blog, but jumped on a recipe right away for a reason I will classify as “The Swedish Effect.” Small parenthesis is needed. We have an undergraduate student from Sweden in our lab called Olivia. She happened to mention that April 15th was her “name day” back home. I was puzzled, but then learned that in Sweden each day of the year is associated with a particular name, as you can see in this site. April 15th is the name day for Olivia (girls) and Oliver (boys). Olivia said that her Grandma always gave her a nice card on that day to celebrate the occasion. So, I thought it would be cool to bake something starting with the letter O and bring to the lab on that day. Orange-Chocolate mini-cakes seemed perfect! Obviously, I jumped on the recipe with no hesitation whatsoever. But, my decision had a small problem associated with it, which led me to make a second recipe for today’s reveal. Read on…

ORANGE-CHOC MINI CAKES
(from Chit Chat Chomp)

Makes 6 mini-cakes

1 orange
1 cup almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp raw cacao powder
1 Tbsp rice malt syrup or raw honey
handful of raw cacao nibs
handful of sunflower seeds (I omitted for lack of sunflower seeds)

Heat oven to 320 F and line a mini cupcake pan with 8 cupcake papers

Place the orange in a pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Allow to cool.

Chop the cooked orange into chunks and place in a blender and blitz until smooth. Add all other ingredients (except cacao nibs and sunflower seeds) to the blender and pulse until combined.

Divide the batter between your cupcake papers, filling close to the top as they will not rise by much, and top with the cacao nibs and sunflower seeds. Pop into the oven for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

ENJOY!

to print the mini-cake recipe, click here

Comments: As Leigh mentioned, the only tricky part of this recipe is to boil the orange. Tricky in the sense that you need to dedicate one hour for that step. Essentially hands-free, though. The smell in the kitchen as the orange simmers…. wonderful! Once the orange is ready and cooled down, the batter will be ready in minutes. Now, let’s talk about the “small problem.” The recipe made six cupcakes, enough for each of our lab members to enjoy, but Phil and I could not have any. In short, I made a recipe for The Secret Recipe Club, but never got to taste it. I had only one way to restore my dignity as a blogger: choose a second recipe from Chit Chat Chomp, and make it too… and that’s what I did, so today you get two recipes instead of one. How’s that for problem solving?

Without further ado… my bonus recipe from Leigh’s great blog:

VEGGIE BREAD
(from Chit Chat Chomp)

1 + 1/2 cup almond meal
3/4 cups arrowroot flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 eggs
1 + 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 large zucchini, grated
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pepitas.

Heat the oven to 325 F and line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the almond meal, arrowroot, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs lightly with the apple cider vinegar. Add zucchini, carrot and cheese and mix well.

Add the egg mix to the dry ingredients. Mix to combine. Pour the dough into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle with pepitas.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top starts turning golden and a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool for five minutes before cutting into slices.

ENJOY!

to print the Veggie Bread recipe, click here

Comments: We loved this bread! It is obviously gluten-free, no regular flour, but the texture reminded me of quick breads, except that this had considerable more moisture. Not too dense like some gluten-free breads turn out. Leigh said it freezes well, but we did not get to test that, in three days it was gone. I enjoyed a slice at lunchtime, and was surprised that Phil did that too, he prefers his bread to be loaded with gluten. This one had so much flavor that the lack of wheat flour was not a big deal. Once it sits in the fridge for a while, the best way to bring it back to life is toasting it… paired with juicy tomatoes, it was out of this world delicious!

I wanted to try to make croutons out of it. Not sautéed because I am afraid they would crumble, it is a very delicate bread. But maybe spraying the croutons with coconut or olive oil then toasting them in the oven. I bet they would turn out amazing on a kicked-up version of Caesar salad, or over a massaged kale concoction. Definitely a bread to play with.

I must say it was not easy to decide on which recipe to make as the bonus. I really wanted to make her Savoury Muffins, not only because the recipe enticed me, but for the write-up about it. You gotta go and read it… it has to do with France… And, if the weather was a little more appropriate, I would love a bowl of her luscious Carrot Soup… Another heavy contender was the Zucchini Noodle with Kale Pesto, which is pretty much my favorite type of meal these days.

Leigh, I loved getting your blog as my assignment this month, and feel sorry I could not taste those cute mini-cupcakes… Thinking back, I should have made a double batch, but I only thought about it after they were all baked and I had no time to boil another orange and start over. It was getting close to bedtime then… oh, well. Such is life!

Please make sure to click on the blue frog sitting patiently at the end of this post, so you can marvel at the posts that my virtual friends from Group A made for their assignments.

Adrienne, thank you again for allowing me to share your cartoon on the blog!
I love your work!

ONE YEAR AGO: In My Kitchen, May 2015

TWO YEARS AGO: P90X3, a Review of Tony Horton’s Latest Fitness Program

THREE YEARS AGO: Pasta and Mussels in Saffron Broth

FOUR YEARS AGO: Triple Chocolate Brownies

FIVE YEARS AGO: Shanghai Soup Dumplings

SIX YEARS AGO: Bite-sized Chocolate Pleasure

16Apr2016

A RETRO DESSERT

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

A couple of days before Easter we still had no idea what to make for our dinner, all we knew is that we would be cooking something together. We ended up with two recipes that are already in the blog: a rack of lamb with cranberry reduction sauce, and a mushroom soufflé. We rarely make dessert for just the two of us, so at first we considered skipping it altogether. Then Phil mentioned that there was one particular dessert he had only enjoyed a few times, always in restaurants and maybe I could try and make it for us. He added “it may be a bit involved, though.” Visions of a six-layer coconut cake flashed in my imagination, but he definitely had something quite unexpected in mind: Baked Alaska! My gosh, the last time I had it I was a teenager in Brazil, so that’s a little more than five years ago (wink, wink)… We had this conversation 24 hours before Easter dinner, so I felt a rush of adrenaline pumping in my veins, and went to work. By work I mean “furiously googling.” I found the perfect recipe in a blog called “Dessert for Two.” How appropriate! It’s a great blog, by the way, make sure to visit… It goes without saying that Baked Alaska doesn’t keep very well, so making a small batch just for the occasion was a must. This was super fun to make and I must say one of the most delicious sweets made in our kitchen. You could of course double or triple the recipe, keeping the amount of meringue unchanged (it made more than needed for two small servings).

INDIVIDUAL BAKED ALASKAS
(from Dessert for Two)

for the cake base:
2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

for assembling the Alaskas:
1 pint ice cream of your choice
3 egg whites
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Heat the oven to 350 F.

Use a 9 x 5″ metal bread loaf pan for this recipe; it needs to have sharp corners. Do not use ceramic bakeware with rounded corners. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Trim it very well to fit perfectly. Do not grease the pan in any way.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and cornstarch twice.

In a separate bowl, combine the granulated sugar and egg. Beat on high-speed until it reaches the consistency of soft whipped cream. This can take anywhere from 5-8 minutes. It will be fluffy and pale yellow with soft, floppy peaks. Melt the butter and milk together in the microwave. Stir in the almond extract

Fold one-third of the flour mixture into the eggs. Take your time and do this carefully until all of the flour mixture is incorporated, adding 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time. Finally, stir in the hot milk and butter mixture all at once and fold in well. Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the pan from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. Then, run a knife along the edges of the pan and invert the cake carefully onto a cooling rack. Gently peel the parchment paper off, but if any more than a thin layer of cake sticks to it, let it cool completely before pulling it off. You can make the sponge cake the day before.

Scoop two perfect spheres of the sorbet by using an ice cream scoop. Level off the surface of the sorbet with the scoop to make a flat bottom. Move the sorbet scoops to cupcake liners (or parchment paper) and freeze until very firm.

To assemble, use the edges of your ice cream scoop to cut out perfect-sized rounds of sponge cake. Top each cake round with one of the sorbet scoops. Place back in the freezer. Next, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl on high-speed until soft peaks start to form. Stream in the sugar and beat until combined. Don’t beat the egg whites past the point of soft peaks. When ready to serve, pipe the egg whites (or use a spoon) over the sorbet mounds. Use a fork to make ridges in the egg whites.

Using a culinary torch, brûlée the egg whites and serve the dessert immediately.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I never imagined I would re-visit a cake that is pretty much like a genoise, my nemesis. And, to make matters worse, this one was baked in a tiny loaf pan. But, I must say it all went flawlessly, which worries me a little. Next time I bake a cake, I will pay my dues to the universe, obviously. I wish I had more pictures of the whole process, including the drawing of circles in parchment paper to cut the base, but things were a bit frantic as they always are when I’m around cake batter.

When I make these again (and I definitely will), I might omit or reduce the almond extract because I felt it was too prominent in the final cake. However it is quite possible that the smell of the extract was too vivid in my mind. It is so potent! Phil did not feel the same way at all, he thought the cake was perfect. Still, I would like to try a little bit of Fiori di Sicilia instead of almond just for a change. As to the ice cream component, I went with two different flavors that we shared: the first Alaska made with Dulce de Leche because to me that is the flavor numero uno in the known universe. And the second one was White Chocolate-Raspberry-Truffle. I know. Your knees just got a bit weak, right? Mine too…

The contrast of slightly warm and toasted meringue, cold ice cream, with the base of the cake is a complete feast, perfect way to end a romantic meal, if you ask me. Plus, it is a reasonably small portion that will not make you sit down at the sofa, tilt your head back and start snoring, possibly drooling. Nope. The rest of your evening will be safe…

ONE YEAR AGO: Cauliflower Tortillas: Going low-carb and loving it!

TWO YEARS AGO: Clementines in Cinnamon Syrup

THREE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2013

FOUR YEARS AGO: Thrilling Moments (CROISSANTS!)

FIVE YEARS AGO: Maple-Oatmeal Sourdough Bread

SIX YEARS AGO: Pork Trinity: coffee, mushrooms, and curry

3Apr2016

SECRET RECIPE CLUB: CHICKEN KORMA & A BONUS RECIPE

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets, Poultry, Secret Recipe Club by sallybr

Another month begins, a favorite of mine because April means winter is OVER! I survived another meteorological ordeal, and must confess it wasn’t that bad. HA! Am I getting tougher or what? The first Monday of the month brings Reveal Day of Group A from The Secret Recipe Club, so here I am to divulge which blog was my assignment. Drum roll, please…. I got the amazing Thyme for Cooking blog, hosted by Katie. Now, for a shocking statement: I would cook ANY of her recipes, each and every one appealed to me. She is one eclectic cook, having lived in several countries (Ireland, Andorra & France), but not only that, her writing captivates you. I opened a huge smile when I read her About page, and stumbled on this simple paragraph:

From learning about French paperwork (exhausting) to French chickens (of course they come with feet, Duh!) it’s a constant, often / usually entertaining challenge.

Well, I love France, don’t even think I don’t. But until you face the convoluted French bureaucracy, you’ll know nothing about paperwork hell. Unless of course, you’ve lived in Brazil… Those two beautiful countries could compete to see which bureaucracy would drive a foreigner crazy first. I have a tough time deciding the “winner.” But, I digress… Her site kept me glued to the computer for many hours on many evenings. I blamed it for preventing me from sitting down with Phil to watch the news. “Are you coming, Sally?” “I can’t… I can’t… I have Thyme for Cooking, so No Thyme for News.” Just to give you an idea of her level of sophistication, she’s got 9 recipes for cornish hens. Nine. I almost lost my mind trying to decide what to cook, here is a very short list: Ham, Spinach and Avocado Clafoutis…. Shrimp and Spinach Pie... Chicken with Chickpeas and Preserved Lemon…. Zucchini-Courgette Gratin... Chicken with Tarragon Cream… Slow-cooker Coq au Vin... (almost made it for this reveal day, as I also got a slow-cooker recently). And so many more, I simply had to stop bookmarking them. I had no choice but to make two, one savory, one sweet. For savory I went with her Chicken Korma, and for dessert (well, not quite, I made it one week later), her Absolute Best Brownies.

CHICKEN KORMA WITH APRICOTS AND ALMONDS
(slightly adapted from Thyme for Cooking)

3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into slices 3 pieces
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 shallot, chopped
1 piece of ginger, about 1/2 inch long, finely minced
1 tbs olive oil
2 bay leaves
5 cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1 inch of a cinnamon stick
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp tomato paste
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
3oz (90gr) dried apricots, cut in half
1/2 cup chicken stock

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and stir-fry 10 seconds. Add shallot and fry until tender and starting to brown. Reduce heat to medium, add ginger, cumin, coriander and stir-fry 2 minutes longer. Add tomato paste and stir well to combine.

Add chicken pieces, ground almonds, chicken stock and heat to simmering. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add yogurt to chicken and stir well to combine. Add apricots, cover and simmer for 10 minutes longer.

Serve over white rice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: We loved this recipe! The magical ingredient is definitely cardamon. Every time I open the bottle of cardamon pods I get mesmerized by the smell. The delicate taste they impair to any dish, savory or sweet, is hard to beat. The ground almonds (or almond meal, depending on what is available to you) give the sauce extra body and make it feel substantial and filling. Finally, the apricots bring the bit of sweetness and a pleasant chewy texture. Three chicken breasts were enough for our dinner and lunch a couple of days later. I should add that the sauce was even more flavorful the second time around, although the texture of the meat was better right after cooking. Overall, this korma is not spicy, just very aromatic. We enjoyed it over white rice with snap peas alongside. Delicious dinner!

Just make sure you don’t bite into the cloves! Find them and put them aside…

And now, for the bonus recipe:

ABSOLUTE BEST BROWNIES
(from Thyme for Cooking)

for the brownie:
6 tbs butter, plus a bit more for the pan
8oz dark chocolate, in chunks
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped

for the glaze:
4oz (120gr) dark chocolate, in chunks
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line the inside of an 8-inch square pan with 2 lengths of foil, laying them perpendicular to each other and folding the edges over to form handles. Lightly butter the foil.

In a medium saucepan melt the butter over low heat, add the chocolate. Stir constantly until melted.
Remove pan from heat, add sugar, vanilla and stir well. Add eggs and beat well with a medium-size wooden spoon.
Add the flour and beat vigorously for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Better should be shiny and smooth. Stir in the nuts, and pour the batter into the pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. The center should be almost set. Do not over-bake. Cool brownies completely in the pan. As the brownie cools, make the glaze by heating the cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the chocolate and stir until just melted.

Lift the brownies out of the pan and loosen the foil on the sides and bottom. Transfer to a plate. Pour the glaze over the top and smooth to the edges. When the glaze is cool, cut into small squares and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: You will find this to be a very popular recipe (original from David Lebovitz). Many bloggers have made it, not always successfully, in the sense that for some these did not turn out as “absolute best.” Well, it is all in the technique. For this recipe to work its magic you absolutely MUST beat the batter for at least a full minute, probably two minutes is better. I considered adding the batter to a KitchenAid but ended up beating by hand. Good workout for the right arm, I can tell you that… The brownies turned out great, I think the walnuts worked perfectly well with the chocolate, but if you do a google search you’ll find that the basic recipe can be adapted to all sorts of add-ons, one that seems quite popular is mint. Just crush some mint candy and add to the batter after you beat it into submission. I took the brownies to our department on a foggy and a bit chilly Monday morning. They made many colleagues forget the Monday blues.

Katie, I will be a faithful follower of your blog, and hope you had as much joy with your assignment this month as I had with mine…

For my readers, make sure to click on the blue extra-terrestrial looking frog at the end of this post, so you can marvel at the productions of my fellow secret recipe friends.

ONE YEAR AGO: Josey Baker’s Olive Bread

TWO YEARS AGO: Almonds, A Cookbook Review

THREE YEAR AGO: Pomegranate-Molasses Glazed Carrots

FOUR YEARS AGO: Codruta’s Rolled Oat Sourdough Bread

FIVE YEARS AGO: Roasted Corn and Tomato Risotto

SIX YEARS AGO: Light Rye Bread

7Mar2016

SIXTEEN SWEET YEARS!

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets, General by sallybr

Seasons may change, weather blows, but you still leave a mark on me!

Our song…

Photograph king, watches you go
Fashions may change, heaven knows,
but you still leave a stain on me
Supplement queen,
your colours may fade
Seasons may change, weather blows, but you still leave a
mark on me

Wrong-negative fades-never the twain, reckless and tame

I like the beat of your drum
I like to look in your eyes
I like to look thru your things
I’d like to beat on your drum

I like the smell of your flesh
I like the dirt that you dish
I like the clothes that you wear
I’d like to beat on your drum

Disco brat-follow the pack
Watching you peel, heaven knows, prison can’t hold all
this greedy intention

Vanity’s child-picture you now
Music may change-hi-di-ho keen to follow your nose

Wrong-love out of tune
Sweet is the night,
bright light destroys me

I like the beat of your drum
I like to look in your eyes
I like to look thru your things
I’d like to beat on your drum

I like the smell of your flesh
I like the dirt that you dish
I like the clothes that you wear
I’d like to beat on your drum

May we always be the perfect match!

Thomas Keller Bouchons au Chocolat & Whipped Cream

For the recipe, click here.

(comments are shutdown for this post)

6Mar2016

SECRET RECIPE CLUB: OVERNIGHT COFFEE CAKE

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets, Secret Recipe Club by sallybr

Here I am to share with you my second participation in Group A of The Secret Recipe Club, the monthly event in which two food bloggers are paired in secret, and pick a recipe to cook and blog about exactly at the same time of Reveal Day. I’d been a member for over 4 years with Group D, and loved every minute of it! This month’s assignment was the blog Bcmom’s Kitchen, hosted by Anna. I love the quote she’s got on the front page to describe her kitchen:

Where towels are for drying, and the white spoons don’t go in the tomato sauce!

Clearly, we have a lot in common, as I can be very protective of my kitchen towels. Just ask Phil… Come to think of it, I don’t own any white spoons, but if I did, they would never be allowed near a tomato, a beet, or a raspberry. Apart from keeping her kitchen pristine, Anna is a busy bee, and focuses on recipes that are easy to bring to the table and also delicious. Pretty much the way I cook most of the time. I bookmarked A LOT of recipes from her site, including her Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese, her Apple Bread with Pecans and Dried Cranberries (wow!), her Rum Raisin Ice Cream (I absolutely must make this when the weather is right), her Snickerdoodle Bars (because anything Snickerdoodle makes my heart miss a beat), and her Crockpot Beef Carnitas Tacos (if you did not guess yet, the Bewitching Kitchen recently welcomed a slow cooker). But, in the end I could not stop thinking about her Overnight Coffee Cake, perfect for making departmental colleagues happy!

And now that the Reveal Day took place, can you believe that Anna got my blog? So we pretty much exchanged sites this month! She picked a favorite recipe of mine, and composed a wonderful write up! Check it out here… Thank YOU, Anna!

OVERNIGHT COFFEE CAKE
(from Bcmom’s Kitchen)

for cake:
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

for topping:
2 bananas, sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Stir in buttermilk. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into butter/sugar mixture and mix well.

Spread batter into greased 13×9″ pan. Mix all ingredients for topping and reserve. Spread the slices of bananas over the batter, and sprinkle the topping all over the surface. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Here is what Anna had to say about the cake:

I’ve been making this coffee cake for a long time. It’s so convenient – mix it up the day or night before, refrigerate it overnight, and bake it in the morning. Warm fresh-baked coffee cake for breakfast or brunch. What could be better than that?

Well, I sign below. And of course, her improvement to the basic by adding bananas on top was a strike of genius… As usual, this type of goodie is not easy to take a picture, but trust me, the taste is out of this world delicious! The bananas pretty much melt on top, forming a gooey entity with the sugar, but then the nuts add that pleasant crunch and next thing you know, the universe is smiling at you… What better way to start the day?

This cake is a perfect complement to a cup of coffee or tea, either one will do. Our colleagues seemed to love it, as only crumbs were left over the platter when I went back to the mail room around 10am that morning. It always gives me a wonderful feeling when that happens… a sort of “sweet mission accomplished.”

Anna, I loved to “meet” you through SRC this month, and hope you had a lot of fun stalking your assigned blog too. For those interested in what my fellow secreters cooked up, please click on the blue frog at the end of this post, and have a blast!