Snowflake Cake

I had a request for a snow themed cake for this weekend, which was nice since I have been seeing so many fun snow themed events on blogs recently and have been thinking I might need to have a party just so I could try some of the ideas.  The cake was a basic white cake from "The Cake Bible" by Rose Levy Beranbaum, with a lemon curd filling, one of my favorite combinations.  The cake was for a small winter party and I was given free reign to come up with the design.  I knew it would be a simple low key gathering so I decided to keep the cake simple as well.  I wanted to do the snowflakes in royal icing on parchment and then transfer them to the cake so they would be consistent in size, but my icing was foamy - too much meringue powder - and the snowflakes didn't firm up properly.  Since I wasn't able to transfer them I just piped them onto the cake.  The icing was firm enough so it didn't run while piping, but I didn't get the consistent look I was hoping for, overall it worked out fine just not the original vision.

Chocolate Pear Cake

I came across Chele's - Chocolate Teapot - blog one day while blog hopping and loved the idea of the We should Cocoa challenge.  The January challenge was perfect, surplus stock or leftovers, and I knew right away that I would be using pears.

My husband's office received a beautiful box of Asian pears just before the holidays and since most of the people in the office were already on vacation most of the pears came home with him.  Lucking the pears weren't super ripe so I didn't have to use them right away and I was able to hunt around to find the perfect recipe.  One of the first recipes I came across was Bittersweet Chocolate and Pear Cake on Smitten Kitchen, her site is wonderful, beautiful pictures and great recipes.  The recipe was similar to the Cranberry Cake I made last month as part of the Cake Slice Bloggers, so for those two reason, I knew it would be a good one.  I marked the recipe and continued looking for ideas, but in my search I kept coming across references to Deb's recipe so I knew it was the one to go with.

Chocolate Pear Cake 

This type of cake is one of my favorites, it has a wonderful crumb, it is moist and not overly sweet, yet it still has a nice sugary crunch.  The flavor/filling can easily be adjusted, so it is a wonderful base recipe to have in your collection.  Deb's recipe has less flour and more baking soda than the cake slice recipe, so even though they are sprinkled on top, the pear and chocolate really get enveloped into the batter providing the perfect distribution of yumminess.  This is the perfect snacking cake, but be careful it disappears quickly, as you will find yourself taking a little sliver every time you walk by.

Chocolate Pear Cake
1 c. Flour
1 Tbs. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
3 Eggs
4 oz. Butter
1/2 c. Sugar
1/4 c. Vanilla Sugar (can substitute with regular sugar)
3 Pears peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
3/4 c. Bittersweet Chocolate pieces

Preheat oven 350.  Prepare 9" springform pan.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together, set aside.
With wish attachment whisk eggs until thick and pale.  The eggs should leave a thick ribbon, this will take about 8-10 minutes with a regular kitchen-aid style mixer.

While eggs are being whisked melt butter until brown.  The butter should become a nice golden brown, with a nutty smell.  Scrape the solids on the bottom of the pan as the butter cooks to ensure even browning.

Once eggs have reached the thick ribbon stage add sugar and beat for a couple of minutes.  Mixing until just incorporated add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the butter, add another 1/3 of the butter, then remaining butter, add remaining flour.  With each addition mix as little as possible, the entire process should take about a minute of mixing time.
Pour batter into prepared pan.  Sprinkle diced pears and chocolate pieces on top.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Cinnamon Rolls

I am always attracted to cinnamon roll recipes, I'm always attracted to cinnamon rolls (my mid section can prove that).  Two years ago I did cinnamon rolls as Christmas gifts, they were fun gifts, but a lot of work, making batch after batch.  Shortly after I had spent weeks and weeks making cinnamon rolls I came across The Pioneer Woman's recipe.  It sounded amazing, but then again she makes everything sound amazing.  I filed the recipe away, but never got around to making them, now I'm wondering why I waited so long.  For the past two years when I wanted cinnamon rolls I stuck to my usual small batch recipe.  Oh what a fool I was.  Spending just a few hours making enough dough for about 5 dozen rolls is definitely the smarter option. Now when I want cinnamon rolls I pull frozen dough out of the freezer the night before and awake the having freshly proofed cinnamon rolls waiting to go in the oven, it's the way life should be.
This past Christmas, I need a few more gifts and was tired of making fudge and cookies, so I turned to the cinnamon rolls.  I was a little hesitant because wasn't sure if I would have enough room to work with such a large batch of dough and I was also a  little skeptical that these would be as easy as Ree said, but she was right, they went together quickly and easily.  Once the dough is made the rolls are made working in small batches, which is really nice because you can do a variety of flavors.  On my first run through with this dough I did just cinnamon rolls.  On my second batch, yes I have already made it twice - making up for lost time - I mixed it up.  I did some cinnamon and keeping the maple theme going I also made some maple walnut using more of my maple sugar stash .  I am now a convert and these will probably be in my freezer at all times, so if you ever need a cinnamon roll, come on over, they are delicious!

Peanut Butter Comfort

Tonight was one of those nights where there was a lot of screaming, everyone - big and small - had a tantrum of some sort and by the time the kids were finally asleep I was done, I needed a little pick me up.  There weren't any fresh baked treats in the kitchen and I didn't have the energy to spend a lot of time making something, so I went to my old standbys, peanut butter and chocolate.

I needed something warm and gooey, peanut butter on a spoon wasn't going to cut it.  It was time to go to an old favorite, peanut butter and toast with chocolate chips.  I like to think of this as the first recipe I ever developed.  I started making it for my afternoon snack in elementary school and it has remained my go to comfort food.  It is a classic combination, good at any time day or night, and it can be fixed in a matter of minutes providing a little bit of warmth and comfort when it is needed most.

Kids Cooking - Homemade Pasta

Making pasta is a wonderful activity to do with kids.  The basic ingredients are familiar to kids, yet there are opportunities to introduce new ingredients.  The basic process is easy, yet there are many options for experimentation.  It is an activity that can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.  You can quickly make a batch in the afternoon and enjoy it for dinner that night.  Of, course, as with anything there is room for error, but you can't learn if you don't make mistakes, and making pasta is a great way for kids to experiment, make mistakes and learn.
We first started making pasta with the kids about 2 years, when my oldest got the book The Silver Spoon for Children as a Christmas present.  If you don't have this book, or the adult version The Silver Spoon, you need to go get it, now.  In both books the recipes are just amazing.  The children's book is broken into four sections, each section containing 10-15 recipes, so it isn't overwhelming to look through.  Each recipe gives a little bit of food or Italian history - for example "Tomatoes have only been grown in Italy since the sixteenth century.  At first, people were suspicious of tomatoes because they are related to a poisonous plant called deadly nightshade, but lucky for us, the Italians soon realized how delicious they were."  Who knew, I know I didn't know that and now I have a five year old sharing the information with his teacher.  The recipes are very simple to follow, there are drawings clearly showing each step, while the text is very easy to read and follow.  I also like the portion sizes of the recipes they easily feed a family of 4-5 and seem very manageable.  We have a large collection of children's cookbooks, and this is one of my favorites.  There are many wonderful things about this book and I really recommend it for any young cook in your life.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled program - the pasta.  As I said the basic ingredients - flour and eggs - are familiar to kids and they are two of the best ingredients for playing with in the kitchen.  Kids of all ages love to play with flour, it's messy, but fun and you can't beat the thrill of watching a 5 year old cracking an egg and watching it ooze out of the shell.  When we make pasta we like to make it right on the table, without a bowl.  My kids find this way much more exciting, yes it has been much messier at times, but the adventure for the kids far out weighs the mess.
The assembly process of pasta is very simple.  Measure the flour in the middle of the table (or in a bowl), make a small well in the center and add your eggs.  

Slowly and carefully begin mixing eggs and flour together. You want to bring the flour in slowly from the sides without breaking the walls until the eggs are well coated with flour.

Once the dough begins to form a ball, begin working it with your hands.  Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.  The dough is too big for little kids to knead on their own, so at this point I break the dough into smaller pieces and get helpers.  After each little piece has been worked for a while I put them back into one ball and work until well incorporated.   After the dough is well kneaded, let it rest, then comes the fun - deciding how to shape the pasta.

My kids like to use the pasta machine, but it definitely is not necessary to have, or use one, a rolling pin works just fine.  And even if you do have a roller it is fun to let the kids cut and shape the pasta after it has been rolled thin using the machine.

I recommend making the base dough at least once, and then begin experimenting.  This weekend we tried beet pasta, there was no beet flavor, but the color was pretty and my girls where thrilled to be eating pink food.  They love pasta as it is, but pink pasta was just magical.

To make flavored or "colored" pasta puree your chosen ingredient - spinach, sun dried tomatoes, peppers and now beet are a few of our favorites - and begin working it in once the dough is formed into a loose ball.  As you knead the dough it will become evenly distributed.

Have fun with the pasta, make it as easy or complex as you like.  Weather you do plain or flavored (colored) pasta.  Cut it into strips, fold it into ravioli or just twirl it, it is a lot of fun and a great family activity.

Fresh Pasta Dough
1 3/4 cups Flour
3 Eggs

In large bowl (or right on the table ) measure and sift flour.  Form a well in the middle of the flour and crack eggs into the well.  Using a fork slowly begin whisking the eggs, gently incorporating the flour as you mix.  Once dough is formed into a ball begin kneading until smooth and elastic.  Let dough rest, covered under damp dish towel, for 30 minutes.  Roll dough into thin sheets using a pasta machine or rolling pin, then cut into desired shape.

Butterfinger Cheesecake

This year I took advantage of the day after Halloween candy sales and stocked up on a lot of candy, it is kept in the freezer to keep any temptations at bay.  I pulled out the first bag for New Year's Eve and made a butterfinger cheesecake, and oh yum.  I could live on cream cheese it is just heavenly.  It can be eaten anytime, day or night.  Throw a hunk on a plate pour on some chutney, jam or salsa and you have a wonderful snack, schemer some on a bagel add some lox and you get the best brunch, mix in some sugar and eggs and you get cheesecake, oh cream cheese you sweet, tangy, velvety goodness!  And don't even get me started on my love of butterfingers.


Anyway,  I decided to combine these two luscious treats for our New Year's eve dessert.  It was a great cake and a nice way to end 2010.  I didn't plan very well and made the cake late in the afternoon, so my cooking time conflicted with dinner prep.  I had to rush the amount of time it was in the oven and wound up with a sunken cake with a giant crack in the middle.   It wasn't pretty, but it still tasted good, probably because of all the candy I put on top.  There was a great deal of discussion on how to best incorporate the butterfinger,  but after much debate decided to go for the trifecta.  Medium sized pieces sprinkled on the bottom, finely chopped pieces mixed into the batter and some more medium chopped pieces sprinkled on top.  The pieces I put in the cake melted and left just a hint of flavor, while the pieces on top gave a nice crunch, which contrasted nicely with creaminess of the cake.

For the crust  I used a standard, ground Nabisco Chocolate Wafers mixed with a little melted butter.  I baked the crust for a few minutes and then while the crust was still hot I sprinkled some candy over the bottom.  There are thousands of  cheesecake recipes, but I like to keep it simple - cream cheese, sugar, and  eggs.  Sometimes I do add heavy cream or sour cream for an added creaminess or tang.  And if I'm adding a liquid flavoring, like a jam or liquor, I will add a little flour to help bind everything and give it support.  For the most part tho,  I like to keep the base as "pure" as possible so I can really get that yummy cream cheese taste and texture.

If you have never made a cheese cake or if it has been awhile go ahead and do it.  It is a nice light way to start the New Year (ha, ha, ha) and they are always well received.  Weather you make a sweet or savory cake there are a couple of things you want to keep in mind.  One, always bring your ingredients up to room temperature before you begin mixing everything together.  Cream cheese is best when it hasn't been over mixed and having things at temperature allows them to mix together easier.  You want it smooth and creamy, over beating it can make your cake tough and ugly.  Second, you need to give your cake time.  This is the one I usually forget - like I did on New Year's.  Cheesecakes need time they like to cook slowly and then cool slowly, and then they like to have a little time to rest before they meet their audience.  But because they like to  take their time getting prepared that means you get to take your time eating.  No need to rush, sit back and enjoy all that sweet creamy goodness.

Butterfinger Cheesecake
Crust:
  2 c. crushed Chocolate Wafer Cookies
  4 Tbs. Butter, melted

Cake:
  2 lbs. Regular Cream Cheese
  1 1/2 c. Sugar
  4 Eggs
  1 bag fun size Butterfinger Candy Bars finely chop half the bars and roughly chop remaining half

Preheat oven 325.  For the crust combine crushed cookies and butter.  Press into 9 or 10 inch springform pan.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with some of the finely chopped candy.  Cool.
Preheat oven 400.  In mixer combine cream cheese and sugar.  Mix until blended and smooth.  Scrape down bowl. Lightly whisk eggs together then add to cream cheese.  Beat until just combined, do not over mix.  Scrape down bowl and gently fold in remaining finely chopped candy.  Pour into crust lined pan.  Bake at 400 degree oven for 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 250 degrees and continue to bake 60 minutes or until just barely set, edges will look slightly dry and firm middle will move slightly.  Turn off the oven, leaving door slightly ajar, let cake cool in oven for 1 hour.  Remove from oven and let cool completely, then chill.   Just before serving top with melted chocolate and remaining roughly chopped candy bars.

Happy New Year!

We had a filling, yet quiet New Year celebration.  Early in the day we had family and friends over and enjoyed a delicious meal.  Everyone left around 6:00 to catch flights back home or get to other celebrations and since we ate so much, so early it was a struggle to stay up and ring in the New Year, but Marshall and I managed to just make it.  Since we were feeding a large number we wanted to keep our menu simple so we went with a New York strip roast (we got the roast at Costco and it was beautiful, they have wonderful meats), roasted potatoes and green beans.  This tends to be our go to menu when we need to serve a lot of people and while I always worry that it is not enough, it is always well received.  Marshall and I did not agree on the prep of the beef.  I wanted a simple salt and pepper rub, while Marshall wanted to kick things up a little.  After much debate and the fact he was fixing the meat, we kicked it up.
The rub consisted of coarse salt, peppercorn, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, onion powder and garlic, mashed in a mortar.  Oil was used to bind it all together and we then put a thick coating covering the entire piece of meat.  After about 2 hours in the oven our 14lb roast came out a perfect medium rare.  We kept the potatoes simple, just a quick toss in olive oil some salt and pepper and tossed them in the oven.  Green beans were also equally simple.  Some day I will learn not to stress just because the meal we are serving is basic, and I will just enjoy the process,  they really are the best meals.
Hope you all had a wonderful New Year.  I am looking forward to a great year with hopes of continued development of this little blog and meeting more of you out there in the blogosphere.   Happy 2011!!