the midnight baker

strawberry rhubarb jam and an apology...

2010-06-27T12:03:00.014-04:00

first - the apology. i am sorry about my serious absence on my blog. the quality of the photos i have been trying to take for the website have been very disappointing. they all have this funky 1970's sepia tone quality because of the lack of light in my house. this has definitely put a damper on my blogging. but this will all be remedied soon...

because we are moving a month. to a real house with a killer kitchen. i can't wait. this place was owned by a chef and he re-did the whole kitchen. gas stove. marble counters. and windows! with actual light which is amazing for pictures. i'm so excited. better light = better pics for my blog...

so in preparation for the big move - i have been trying to clean out my freezer. i have a couple of canning projects dwindling in there. a big quart sized container filed with apple/pear juice from the fall that didn't become jelly. and a huge bag of strawberries that never became jam...

on top of that, i have about 15 stalks of rhubarb just languishing in my fridge from the csa through my job. that rhubarb has been sitting and staring at me for over a week. i started to feel a little guilty. so i broke out the canning pot...

i used liquid pectin for this jam. i had some floating around from last year so i decided to give it a try. this is my first time making jam with liquid pectin. it works very well. my jam is really jelled. almost a little to much for me. but i didn't follow any recipe exactly. i modified the one on the pectin box - so that's what ya get. the original recipe was right off the recipe packet in the pectin box...

strawberry rhubarb jam

3 cups crushed strawberries (about 1 1/2 quarts)
1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
6 1/2 cups sugar
a couple of tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

start the boiling water/sterilizing process first. you want to at least have the jars in before you start the jam. keep your water boiling..

the original recipe called for 4 total cups of fruit (2 1/4 cups of strawberries and 1 3/4 cups of rhubarb). i had more strawberries then that so i tweaked it. hull and crush your strawberries 1 layer at a time. i ended with a little more then 3 cups of crushed strawberries and at least a cup of strawberry juice..

then i diced up about 5 smallish stalks of rhubarb. this should give you about a cup and a half. throw fruit into a heavy bottom pot and add the sugar. turn the heat on medium and let the jam come to a boil stirring frequently...

i let the jam cook for about 15 minutes to thicken it (because i added the extra juice). then i added the liquid pectin and continued to stir until the jam came to a boil again. let the jam boil for a full minute and then turn off the heat..

fill up you sterilized jars a 1/4 inch from the top of the rims. wipe the rim with damp cloth. place lids and rings on jar and twist until finger tight (not too tight). slowly lower the jars one by one into the boiling water.

let the jars boil for at least 7 minutes. remove the jar from the pot and set on a dish towel to cool. you should hear the lids pop as the jars cool.

tada! you have canned for the first time and are a hard core pioneer woman. go enjoy that jam.

red velvet cupcakes...

2010-02-17T16:27:00.008-05:00

so i made this new year's resolution to bake less and get back into the gym...

so here i am - up in the gym busting my ass on the elliptical machine on my lunch break. now most days i have my ipod but today i don't. so i turn on the tv attached to the machine and sure enough i end watching food tv while working out. ridiculous right. sweating and drooling at the same time. it is the most exquisite torture...

so i am watching sunny making her grandma's red velvet cake... now valentine's day is right around the corner. which is a perfect excuse to bake guilt free cupcakes. but they are for valentine's day i say. i am going to bring them into work. it is perfectly innocent...

fast forward to later that evening - me making cupcakes at 11pm...

so the cake batter came together pretty easy. the frosting on the other hand - not so much. i really struggled with the traditional cooked frosting. it never got as light and fluffy as the recipe promised. the best i got was thick and opaque frosting-like substance. it tasted delicious on the cupcakes but it wasn't as pretty as i wanted. so i also made some cream cheese frosting to go on the other half of the cupcakes. i will give you both recipes...

here is the cupcake recipe and the original frosting recipe...

red velvet cake

2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 ounces red food coloring
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
pinch salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (optional)

preheat oven to 350 degrees f.

cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. then make a paste out of the red food coloring, cocoa and salt in a small bowl. remove bowl from stand mixer and mix in paste by hand to the creamed butter. stir eggs with buttermilk in a measuring cup. place bowl back in mixer and add egg mix to batter. mix in vinegar and vanilla, and then add flour and baking soda. mix until combined but do not over mix...

grease two layer cake pans or put cupcake liners into two muffin tins. pour batter evenly into pans. bake cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes for layer cakes and 25 minutes for cupcakes.

to make the frosting: heat all ingredients in a medium saucepan. whisk until sauce thickens- about 15 minutes. let cool slightly before using.

so i definitely had some issue with the cooked frosting in this recipe. what i ended up doing was making basic cream cheese frosting for the other half of the cupcakes. here is my basic cream cheese frosting recipe...

cream cheese frosting

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 pound of powder sugar (sifted)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk or half & half

mix the cream cheese and the butter in a mixer with the paddle attachment. add the vanilla. sift the powder sugar. put mixer on low speed and add the powder sugar cup by cup until incorporated. use milk about halfway through to keep the mixture from getting clumpy. i usually double the frosting if i am making a layer cake.

rosemary focaccia...

2010-01-31T23:03:00.000-05:00

i love to bake bread on a sunday...

sundays are a lazy day for me. i sleep a little later then usual. then take the dogs for a nice walk. and i just have a nice slow day ahead of me to bake anything i want. i had made a big pot of wedding soup the night before - and you can't fully enjoy a bowl of soup without a slice of bread. so i planned to throw some bread together today...

bread is defiantly on the time consuming end of things but nothing is worth your time more then fresh baked bread. the smell it fills your house with beyond compare. it makes a house feel warm and homey. a fresh baked loaf of bread gives you such an old fashioned sense of accomplishment. you feel so proud just watching it cool on the counter...

so yes, baking bread does take some time - but it is alot of hands off time. and don't be intimidated by the wordy-ness of the recipe. you just throw together the dough, knead it for a bit and then just to wait around for it to rise. focaccia is a very easy bread and it has such a nice texture - very chewy crust with a soft interior. the salt and herbs really add a nice flavor. try it this out on your next lazy sunday...

basic focaccia
about 3 hours for rising time
about 25 minutes of baking

sponge
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105* to 115*F)
3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

dough
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105*-115*F)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt

topping
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
couple of fresh rosemary springs
dried rosemary, thyme and oregano

to make the sponge:
whisk the yeast into the warm water in a large mixing bowl and let it stand about 10 minutes until creamy. stir in the flour. cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise about 45 minutes until very bubbly and has doubled.

to make the dough:
whisk second teaspoon if yeast into cup of warm and let it stand about 5 - 10 minutes until it is creamy. with a wooden spoon, stir the yeast mixture and olive oil into sponge and mix well.

if making the dough by hand:
add salt to flour. whisk in 1 cup of the flour at a time into mix until dough is well blended. knead on a lightly floured surface until soft and velvety, about 8 - 10 minutes.

if you are using a mixer:
add the sponge, dough mixture and olive oil into the mixer with the paddle attachment and blend on low. add the flour and salt and mix for about 2 minutes until everything is thoroughly mixed. change to the dough hook and knead at medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until the dough is soft, velvety and sticky. finish by sprinkling 1 tablespoon of flour on your work surface and kneading the dough briefly until it comes together nicely.

first rise:
please the dough in lightly oiled bowl. cover this tightly with plastic wrap. let it rise 1 hour and 15 minutes until it is doubled.

shaping and second rise:
at this point the dough will be soft and full of air bubbles. flatten it into a well oiled 9 x 13 inch pan or on an oiled 11x 17 inch baking sheet. press it out with oiled hands. if the dough doesn't cover the bottom of your pan, let it rest for 10 minutes and then stretch it again until it reaches the edges. cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour.

baking:
preheat the over to 425*F about 30 minutes before you plan to bake.

dimple the dough with your fingertips leaving little indentations. drizzle olive oil over the dough. sprinkle with coarse salt. tuck little tufts of rosemary into the little indents all over the bread. you can also crush up some dried rosemary, thyme and a little oregano in a mortar & pestle and sprinkle over the top of the bread for a really nice herby taste.

place focaccia on the middle rack in the oven. spray the oven walls and floor with cold water from a spritzer bottle 3 times during the first 10 minutes of baking. bake until the crust is crisp and top is golden - about 20 - 25 minutes.

remove from the pan immediately and cool on a rack. see how long you last waiting for this too cool. we didn't last too long...

oatmeal cream pies...

2009-11-15T01:18:00.004-05:00

so i am way overdue for a post. but i am back with something special...

i found these cookies when i was trolling blogs one night when i was hungry for dinner but to lazy to make it. i really loved how retro these cookies looked. the idea of cute 1970's children with little debbie snacks in their metal lunchboxes. the looked so gooey and tasty. i had to have them...

more importantly then how they look - the recipe for the filling has fluff in it. oh yes. marshmallow fluff. gooey delicious-ness in a plastic tub. a substance that must be kept out of my house unless it has a specific purpose. hehe...

so this my friends is not a cookie for the fainthearted. but the results are well worth it...

i think next time i would double the batch. there is definitely some work involved in making these. the cookies are nice and chewy and the middle is soft and sweet...

make a batch and then bring them to work the next day to get them out of your house. then burn the recipe.

=o)

oatmeal cream pies
adapted from recipe zaar

ingredients

1 cup butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cups rolled oats

cream filling

2 tsp very hot water
1/8 tsp salt
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening (i told you this recipe was old school)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a bowl. cream butter and sugars in a large bowl. beat eggs in one at a time. finally beat in molasses and vanilla.

add to the flour mixture to creamed mixture and beat until just blended then mix in the oats with a wooden spoon.

drop dough by tablespoons (seriously - don’t go bigger than this - they spread out)on parchment lined sheets with plenty of space between. i fit two on a regular sized baking sheet. bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. cookies will look moist or until just starting to brown around the edges - don’t overcook. (10 minutes was perfect for me). let sit on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely...

while the cookies bake prepare the filling... dissolve the salt in the hot water in a small bowl. set aside and allow this to cool...

combine marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl and mix on high until fluffy. the filling never really rises like an egg-white based frosting but you can tell it’s fluffier after 3-4 minutes...

add the cooled salt water and mix well...

spread filling on flat side of one cookie then press 2nd cookie on top...

makes 1 1/2 – 2 dozen

so i'm a slacker...

2009-06-05T12:36:00.002-04:00

i have been so busy with setting up my multiple gardens that i really haven't had a chance to update... i know... excuses excuses... but i plan to do some serious blogging this weekend... including garden pics... molasses cookies... homemade oatmeal cream pies... and homemade oreos... cuz i love making cookies... and eating cookies... hahaa...

kate
=o)

plant update - strawberries...

2009-05-04T23:36:00.000-04:00

we planted some strawberries into hanging baskets on our balcony. we planted 3 strawberries in each pot and filled two pots. we hung the baskets on the porch where they will get a lot of sun.

here are the tomatoes on week 5. they are getting big. i'm so excited. i grew my own tomatoes from seeds. and i have started hardening them off - which means you start putting your plants out for a couple hours a day to get them used to outside weather conditions until you transplant them in your garden. you eventually build up to leaving them outside full time - then you throw them in the garden.

soon our community plot is going to open and i can starting digging in the dirt - woohooo...

apple crumb coffee cake...

2009-05-02T01:14:00.001-04:00

so i am sure by now it is well known that i have a baking problem... cookie issues... a pie addiction... and an ever growing waistline from eating all of the goodies i bake... so in an attempt to make something tasty but not super bad for me.

so i tried this very yummy looking coffee cake from one of my favorite blogs - everybody loves sandwiches...

so this cake is not without sugar or butter. but it has alot less then most crumb cake. especially a lot less butter but the oil really give the cake a nice texture. you could try other fruit in there like strawberries or peaches or blueberries. yum.

i had to work this saturday and it was so fucking tasty for breakfast with a big cup of coffee. you know since it was so healthy - i felt throwing a drizzle of icing on it was acceptable...

apple crumb coffee cake...

1 1/2 cup flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 granny smith apple, chopped

crumb topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup walnuts

preheat oven to 400. butter and flour an 8" round cake pan - shaking off any excess flour. make crumb topping in a medium-sized bowl. using your fingers mix in butter until you have pea size crumbs. set aside...

in a large bowl mix together dry ingredients. in a smaller bowl combine egg, milk and oil. add the wet to the dry and mix. add in apples and stir until combined. pour batter into prepared pan and top with crumb mixture. bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. let cool.

prepare a pot of your favorite coffee and go to town...

banana ice cream...

2009-04-30T01:20:00.000-04:00

recently my girlfriend had to have surgery. so i wanted to make as many tasty things for her to eat as possible. this was at the top of the list for her as a must have comfort food. the entire batch was consumed within a few days. she can't stand watching alton brown - but she sure loves eating the food i make after i force her to :)

this ice cream is so good and so easy. there is no need to precook it to make a custard. you just throw the bananas and the ice cream maker bowl into the freezer overnight. the next day you mix everything into a food processor and then let the ice cream maker do all the work. you will thank me later...

banana ice cream...

6 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
mini chocolate chips about 1/2 a bag (optional)
chopped walnuts - about a cup (optional)

peel bananas and put on a cookie sheet. place bananas in freezer and freeze overnight. remove bananas from freezer and allow to thaw for 45 minutes to 1 hour. place in bowl of food processor along with the lemon juice and process for 10 to 15 seconds. add corn syrup and vanilla bean seeds and turn processor on. slowly pour in the heavy cream and process until smooth.

chill mixture in refrigerator until it reaches 40 degrees. then throw into an ice cream maker. stir in any extras like chocolate chips and walnuts. steal a few spoonfuls - then put the ice cream in an air tight container and let harden.

sausage and peppers...

2009-04-27T20:59:00.000-04:00

so my girlie is jewish and loves herself some pork. bacon, pork chops, sausage, pork chops stuffed with sausage - don't worry - we will definitely post that one too. so one of our favorite quickie dinners is sausage and peppers...

this recipe is one i just have messed around with until i got the results i wanted. sausage with lots of peppers and onions in a chunky, thick tomato sauce. throw it all on a crusty roll with some fresh mozzie and you got a hell of a sandwich...

this is also really great for parties. make up a big tray of this and big tray of ziti - and you got enough food to feed 15 people. or like 8-10 italians. i am going to write the recipe with enough for about 4-6 people. half it for 2 people and have some tasty leftovers. double the recipe for a 9x13 tray...

sausage and peppers...

2 pounds good italian sweet sausage (with fennel if you can find it)
1 cup white or red wine
olive oil
1 large red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
3 cloves of garlic
1 can crushed tomato - 14oz
1 can whole peeled tomato - 28oz
basil
kosher salt
pepper
olive oil
red pepper flakes

nice crusty rolls or italian bread
a ball of fresh mozzarella cheese

cut the sausage into 2-3 inch pieces. put all the sausage in a frying pan over medium high heat. make sure to brown sausage on all sides to really get good flavor going on. you might need to do this in two batches...

while sausage is cooking start cutting up the veggies. slice the onions and peppers into strips. and throw into a bowl. mince the garlic...

once sausage is nice and crispy - add the wine to the pan. scrape all the little brown bits from the bottom of the pan and let this cook for a few minutes on medium heat. pour this all into a bowl and set aside...

add a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil to the pan. once it is hot add the garlic, onions and peppers. let them cook for 5 to 7 minutes to get all nice and cooked. then add the sausage and juices back to pan. cook for another minute to combine. then add crushed tomatoes to pan. open can of whole tomatoes and crush the tomatoes into the pan with your hands. it is always a good meal when your hands get dirty...

also add about a 1/2 cup of the tomato juice - discard the rest. season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes for a little heat. let this cook over medium heat until sauce has thickened. add a handful of torn up basil leaves right before serving...

slice open your roll, pile on a big scoop of sausage and peppers. top with a slice or two of fresh mozzie. grab yourself a bib and go to town. no really, i am serious about the bib - you are gong to get this everywhere. but it is worth it...

(guess who wants some)

lemon lime squares...

2009-04-25T14:04:00.002-04:00

so my friend seth is having a birthday party tomorrow and i want to make him something tasty. his wife said he really likes citrus so i knew i had to bust out this recipe. i love these cookies. they are so light and fresh tasting. the mix of the lemon and the lime gives the cookies such great flavor. and they are really easy to make. bar cookies are really quick and feed a bunch of people. they were a hit at the party.

lemon & lime squares...

for the crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp grated lemon & lime zest
1 stick softened butter

for the filling:
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
confectioners' sugar for dusting
1/4 to 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)

preheat the oven to 350...

make the crust:
in a medium bowl mix together the flour, sugar, and zest. cut in the butter to make a dough the consistency of coarse cornmeal. or make the dough in a food processor mixing the dry ingredients and then pulsing in the butter. press the dough evenly over the bottom of an ungreased 8-inch square dish. bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until it is just beginning to turn golden around the edges...

while the crust is baking make the filling:
in a large bowl beat the eggs, sugar, and lemon & lime juices until light, about 2 to 3 minutes. mix in the flour and beat just until combines. pour the filling over the hot baked crust. bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the filling is set. cool completely on a wire rack. cut into squares using a small sharp knife. sprinkle with powered sugar and sprinkle with coconut. yum...

seedlings for week 4...

2009-04-24T19:34:00.000-04:00

so my squash are gigantic and leggy - the stems are getting pretty long. mental note - you don't need to plant squash seeds 6 weeks ahead. anyway they are going need to be re-potted pretty soon - either into another large pot or into the ground. but it might be too cold for that this soon...

my beans and pea plant are also really tall and are ready to be re-potted too. so i need to figure out what to do with them. i went and bought two long planters about 3 feet long and 6 inches deep. one for the peas and one for the purple green beans. and i replanted them and put one on either side of my balcony...

(evil doyle is protecting my peas...)

chicken and dumplings...

2009-04-24T16:25:00.006-04:00

so remember how we made all that chicken stock last week and put it in the freezer for later. well this is why my friends - so you can make kick ass chicken and dumplings in about a half hour...

now i lived in texas for almost 4 years. and i was under the impression i would get around to learning to make all the tasty home cooking... alas - i didn't learn to make all the biscuits, and fried chicken and pecan pie that made me gain 30 pounds. so of course when i got home - i learned how to make chicken and dumplings my damn self...

the recipe i used is based on tyler florence's recipe on foodtv.com. it got great ratings from most of the people who used it. i have made from start to finish and is delicious. but as i found out - when trying to make the entire thing in one night - the whole process will takes close to 3 or 4 hours making for some very hungry dinner guests...

but no worries. we have previously made frozen chicken soupy goodness at our disposal. for the meat for the stew i just used a store bought roasted chicken. they usually have them in the deli section of most super markets for about $5. this is great because it cuts out a huge step...

chicken and dumplings...
(the quickie version)

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic - minced
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup flour
7 cups chicken stock (use your own frozen or really good store bought)
1/4 cup heavy cream
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
several springs fresh thyme and rosemary

in a dutch oven or deep pot melt butter and heat oil over medium heat. add carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and bay leaves. saute about 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft. stir in the flour to make a roux. continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste. slowly pour in the chicken stock stirring well to prevent clumps. let sauce simmer for about 15 minutes until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon....

while the stew is cooking - pull all the meat off the chicken and set aside. make the batter for the dumplings using the recipe below. carefully drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the dumpling batter into the hot mixture. the dumplings should cover the top of the sauce but should not be touching or crowded. then fold the reserved shredded chicken into the sauce. let the dumplings poach for 10 to 15 minutes until they are firm and puffy. chop up the fresh herbs and sprinkle into stew. season with freshly cracked black pepper...

dig in. then feel too full to leave the couch. awesome...

teaser for zucchini bread...

2009-04-20T01:10:00.003-04:00

i love my friend mattyb... if only for the amazing tastyness of this zucchini bread. oh you have no idea. he pulled this out of his head one summer day when we were hanging out in my garden up in north hero. the boy has skills. it is so moist and damn good for breakfast with a cup of coffee...

i make this alot in the summer when i have a ton of zucchini from the garden. but i have been thinking about this since i planted my zucchini seeds. so i picked some up this week when it was on sale at price chopper...

sadly you are going have to wait and drool - because i am not going to post the recipe until i can coax matty to come and make this with me. seriously worth the wait...

banana caramel cake...

2009-04-19T23:11:00.001-04:00

guest blog - my mom-in-law - louann...

there is nothing i love more then baking with people. and my mother in law is visiting this week. so we have been cooking and baking up a storm. this is a recipe she picked out of the martha stewart baking book. all of martha's recipes are pretty intense with alot of steps. it is really long and i had to type it out by hand - i hope you appreciate it...

so louann did the whole project - every ridiculously long martha step. except for the caramel sauce - which i burnt twice. *sigh* so much for my candy making skillz.

we had this delicious cake without the sauce. but it was still really good. especially the frosting. drool. the cake had really good flavor and the bananas in the middle were so tasty. we decide if we were to make this again we would throw a layer of frosting in the middle too...

banana caramel cake...

1 1/2 sticks, plus 3 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed, plus 3 ripe bananas sliced lengthwise for filling
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups plus 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs

mascarpone frosting (recipe follows)
caramel sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9 inch round baking pans, then dust with flour. Set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, stir together mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat 1 1/2 sticks of butter and 1 2/3 cups sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, app. 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 2 parts, beating until combined after each, about 2-3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the banana mixture, being careful not to overmix.

Divide the batter equally between the two prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool on wire rack (in pans still) for about 20 minutes, or until the pans are cool to the touch. Invert pans onto racks and let cake cool completely outside of the pans.

Meanwhile, sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of sugar into a large skillet. Cook over high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until sugar is caramelized. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 3 tbsp butter until melted. Return pan to heat. Add the sliced bananas, cooking until they start to brown. Gently turn bananas so that both sides are browned.

Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Arrange caramelized banana slices on top. Place remaining layer on top. Using a large spatula, spread Mascarpone Frosting over entire cake, swirling to completely cover. Drizzle Caramel Sauce over the top of the cake. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, covered for up to 3 days.

mascarpone frosting...

1 lb mascarpone cheese
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment - beat the mascarpone cheese, cream and confectioner's sugar until medium soft peaks form - 1 to 2 minutes. use immediately.

caramel sauce...

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream

prepare an ice water bath. cook sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat - until it starts to melt around the edges. shake pan to melt remaining sugar. continue to cook about 3 more minutes until sugar turns to an amber color. (this is where i burnt the caramel - twice - aim for two minutes if you are using an electric stove) remove from heat. stirring constantly - add cream in a slow steady stream. place caramel in a bowl in the ice bath and let stand until cool - stirring frequently.

so on top of doing all the baking louann also took all of the pretty photos. everything turned out lovely even though my house still smells like burnt caramel...

a little botanical maintenance...

2009-04-18T17:17:00.001-04:00

so this weekend was so nice out we took the opportunity to repot some plants around the house and plant some of my seedlings...

alot of our house plants were in dire need of larger residences. we put a huge jade plant into a much larger container. we repotted a basil and a thyme plant i got at lowes into to little pots...

our big umbrella plant was put into a 16 inch square pot. we replanted a big rosemary plant i got at the winter farmer's market into a hanging basket...

and i planted all my snap pea seedlings into a long box planter because they were getting so big. i need to get another long planter for my green beans this week...

it was so nice and sunny today. it felt so good to get my hands in some dirt. i can't wait til it warms up enough start digging in my garden...

old fashioned strawberry ice cream...

2009-04-18T12:36:00.002-04:00

i love ice cream. and i love my ice cream maker attachment for my kitchen aid. it fucking rocks. it was a christmas present from my sister because she understands that i am crazy and need to make ice cream at 11pm on a tuesday...

so price chopper had strawberries on sale and i picked up two pounds. and my mother in law is visiting. she had never made homemade ice cream before which is a shame because it is pretty easy to make and so damn tasty. so since we had all those nice strawberries laying around - i had to break it out...

this ice cream turned out so good. i liked using the half & half in place of the cream. some times when you use heavy cream - it can be a little too rich. this was a really creamy and flavorful...

you could throw any kind of berries in here. or probably any kind of fruit. next time i would add a little booze to the fruit to make it fancy. you could use a little chambord (a raspberry flavored liquor), or maybe a splash of schnapps if you want to make peach ice cream. be creative with it...

old-fashioned strawberry ice cream...

2 cups sliced strawberries
3/4 cup sugar
ice water
1 pint half&half
2 large egg yolks

in a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, combine strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar, mash with a fork. smash them up pretty small because you don't want big chunks in the ice cream. this is where i would have added a splash of chambord - booze goes well with everything my friends. set the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice water...

in a medium saucepan, bring the half & half and remaining 1/2 cup sugar to a simmer - stirring occasionally over medium heat. in a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks then gradually whisk in about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture. pour the mixture into a the sauce pan and cook whisking constantly over medium heat until steaming hot and frothy, about 3 minutes...

strain the custard into the bowl of strawberries. let stand whisking occasionally until cool (or throw in he freezer or fridge)...

toss the cooled custard in to your ice cream maker of choice. feel free to sneak a little spoonful at this point. or 2 or 5. then put ice cream into an airtight container to harden. serve in bowls or in a cone to be fancy...

quick note about ice cream makers --> i used a cheap-o walmart one i bought years and years ago. it was 10 dollars or something like that and it worked really well. also you can check out garage sales for old hand crank style ones. but summer is coming my friends and i truly believe you should try making your own ice cream...

my seedlings are huge...

2009-04-17T00:27:00.001-04:00

well some of them anyway... it is week 3 since we planted the seeds... the got big pretty fast... the squash, pumpkins, green beans and snap peas have grown pretty large...

i am going to have to re-pot the green beans and the peas really soon... maybe this weekend... i wonder if it is warm enough outside to keep them alive...

toby is enjoying the nice weather...

chicken soup...

2009-04-14T02:30:00.000-04:00

living in vermont - you eat a lot of soup. it is so cold here for so long you just crave warm filling soupy goodness. i love hot bowl of soup with a hunk of bread or a nice salad. there is nothing better. and the secret to making good soup is good stock. homemade chicken stock makes everything taste so much better.

i really like the idea of making soup. it is so cheap to cook up a big pot. it is made from a bunch of leftovers and bones and scraps. it is really such a simple way to stretch a bunch of food out longer. and it fills the house with the most amazing smell. it is incredible comforting.

i try to use as many leftovers for this as i can. i use the carcass of the chicken from the previous roasted chicken recipe. i also like to save veggie clippings by throwing them into a ziploc bag and then tossing the bag into the freezer. i save things like celery tops, potato peels, carrot tops, onions tops and skins, pieces of tomato and zucchini. anything that doesn't have too strong of a flavor - like broccoli or asparagus. when i am ready to make soup i can just add them to the pot along with the veggies.

chicken soup...

1 chicken carcass or one whole cut up chicken
2 onions
2 stalks celery
3 carrots - peeled
1 tomato
7 or 8 crushed garlic cloves
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
several sprigs of thyme
several springs of rosemary
several sprigs of flat left parsley
or handful of any other kind of herb you want to add

get yourself a big ass pot. seriously. take the leftover chicken and remove any giblets or lemon. put the chicken in the pot and scrape all the tasty seasonings and stuff from the bottom of the pan into the pot. if you are not using a left over chicken, just throw all the cut up chicken straight in there instead. fill the pot with water about 3/4 of the way.

add veggies, garlic, seasoning and any other junk you want to throw in there. this is pretty much up to you. i really like thyme & rosemary but season your soup with whatever you like.

so let all this come to a boil. you can throw a lid on this to make it go faster. then let the soup simmer uncovered for a few hours. drool at smell while waiting.

after the soup is done, you should let it cool. if it is winter just throw that big ass pot on the porch over night to chill. or toss it in the fridge for the night. you need to let the soup cool before you can strain it.

the next morning - scrape the hardened fat off the top of the soup and discard it. using a slotted soup - fish out the chicken and put it in a separate bowl. then scoop out the veggies and stuff and toss them.

strain the soup by using a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth into another pot. or you can strain soup directly into tupperware containers to go into the freezer. discard all the leftover junk from the stock. then shred any leftover chicken and add if you like.

this freezes well. which is why you so much of it. this recipe will make alot of soup. several containers worth. so make it - toss in the freezer. and you will have enough soup to last you for a while. and you will thank me later.

chocolate covered marshmallows...

2009-04-10T10:45:00.010-04:00

so first a warning... you will eat these until you become sick... and even with a stomach ache... you will contemplate eating yet another one... they are that good... so you should make some... hehehe...

originally the plan was to make homemade peeps from the homemade marshmallows... i tried rolling a few in the colored sugar and i wasn't impressed... so a suggestion was made by the girlie to dip them in chocolate... well... that was a damn fine suggestion...

i have made a few homemade marshmallow recipes at this point... this time i used alton brown's recipe...

this recipe rocks and it makes delicious, fluffy marshmallows... the texture is just right and using the powered sugar/cornstarch comb is great... make these... seriously...

marshmallows

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water - divided
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
nonstick spray
2 bags chocolate chips for baking (or bars of chocolate)

place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. have the whisk attachment standing by.

(a little story. don't try to make marshmallows using a cheap-o hand mixer unless that is the last thing you want to make with it. apparently their motors like burn out at high speeds for 12 minutes - lame. anyway use a stand mixer to make marshmallows.)

in a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. while the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

when ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. reserve the rest for later. allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. this is the part where i used the cookie cutters. i was looking for little tiny ones. i ended up with one big bunny and one big duckie. cut the marshmallows one by one and then lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

covering the marshmallows in chocolate was pretty simple but definitely messy. i just melted some hershey's chocolate chips. i don't have a double boiler so i faked one by using two saucepans - one slightly larger then the other. i filled the larger one about halfway with water and brought it to a boil. then i added the chocolate to the smaller pot and placed it in the water. lower the heat to medium then just stir the chocolate until it melts...

i know you can melt chocolate in the microwave but i always burn it. plus i like this method because you can occasionally put the chocolate back in the water if it starts to get thick. or add more chocolate if you need it. i liked using the chips cuz they melted fast. but you can of course use the bars.

anyway. just tap off some of the extra sugar and toss the marshmellow into the chocolate. flip it around to make sure that it is covered and then pick up with a fork. scrap extra chocolate off fork by dragging on edge of bowl. place marshmallow on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. toss in fridge to harden.

so these tasted awesome. the chocolate coating did get a little melty if left out of the fridge too long. i think maybe next time i will try the chocolate melts from the candy store instead of straight chocolate for a harden coating.

but in the end... you don't care there is chocolate on your fingers... you are just sad that you hand is now empty...

so go grab another one...

seeds at week 2...

2009-04-09T02:10:00.002-04:00

so vermont is cold and gray again... just to remind us that it's vermont... but my seeds are rocking... they are really sprouting like crazy... i have two trays set up in my living room and one in my spare/craft/computer/guestroom...

the latter is not doing so good... barely anything sprouted... so i moved them to the window in the living room... hopefully that will help...

my house is just filled with plants right now... i am just day dreaming about my gardening... damn i can't wait...

oven roasted chicken & vegetables...

2009-04-08T11:45:00.002-04:00

so i am learning all kinds of things this week with the start of this blog...

1. there is shitty light in my kitchen for taking photos
2. i am a messy cook - which also makes photographing my process interesting
3. i really need to learn me some photo shop...

tonight i am making a roast chicken... it is based off of martha's perfect roast chicken recipe...

i found this recipe when i first moved out on my own... and it is one i use over and over again... this recipe is great for a few reasons... it is pretty easy to make... about 15 minutes of prep and then you just have to baste it occasionally...

also you can really play with the recipe... you can use any herbs you want - thyme, rosemary, parsley, marjoram, oregano, basil whatever you have lying around... or instead of lemons you can use other citrus... like an orange... and then maybe add some honey to the butter to baste the chicken... mmmm... once you get the recipe down you can get creative with it...

another cool this is this recipe also makes a bunch of food for pretty cheap... roasters are always on sale for 99 cents a pound. the 6 pound chicken and the veggies will feed at least 4 people with leftovers... need to stretch it further... add a few more veggies and then cook a bag of egg noodles... feed another 2 people for 2 more bucks... sweet...

stick around for later this week and i am going to make chicken stock with the leftovers... check me out cooking on a budget... =o)

roast chicken

roasting chicken (6-7 pounds will feed 4 people)
2 tbsp butter
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 large onion or two medium
1 lemon
4 or 5 cloves of garlic
a handful of fresh herbs like thyme rosemary, parsley whatever
a little wine or chicken stock for bottom of pan

take the chicken out and let it rest on the counter for 20 mins. preheat oven to 425 degrees. remove the bag of guts from the chicken cavity. rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. tuck the wing tips under the body. rub inside cavity with salt and pepper.

slice up onion into the bottom of a roasting pan (or a 9 x 13 pan). place chicken in pan on top of onions. cut lemon in half. put half in chicken cavity. slice the rest and put a few slices under skin of breast. smash the garlic cloves. put a few in cavity of chicken and few in dish. take half the herbs and put in chicken cavity. put a couple springs under chicken skin with lemon. sprinkle rest on and around chicken. use kitchen twine to tie the legs of the chicken together. if you don't have twine - that's cool - i have know idea why i do this other then martha told me too...

throw a little wine or chicken stock in bottom of pan. if you have neither just add a little water to prevent burning. melt the butter in a little dish with a few scraps of the herbs. brush the melted butter all over the chicken. sprinkle chicken all over with salt and pepper and throw the whole thing in the oven.

the chicken will need to roast for about an hour and a half. in order to test if the chicken is done - you can use a meat thermometer. the breast should read 180* and the thigh 190*. if you don't have a meat thermometer get one. in the meantime, the juices of the chicken should run clear when you cut between the thigh and the body. but seriously, get a meat thermometer, its like 5 bucks.

(psst - if you wanna make soup with me this week... keep the carcass of the chicken... just throw tinfoil over it and stick it in the fridge for the night...

so the roasted veggies are pretty easy... it is just a bunch of chopping... this recipe is great for cleaning out some of those veggies that have been lurking in your refrigerator drawer for a while... you can pretty much throw anything in this... i always at least start with potatoes, onion and carrots... but some sliced zucchini is great in here. so is yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper... this recipe will feed about 4 people. just add a few more veggies to feed more...

roasted vegetables

3 carrots
1 onion
2 stalks of celery
5 or 6 potatoes
1 sweet potato
3 cloves of garlic
kosher salt
fresh pepper
olive oil
rosemary
thyme

preheat oven to 425 - same temp as chicken. grab a 9 x 13 inch pan. peel and chop all veggies into pieces. (psst - if you wanna make soup with me later this week... throw all the veggie scraps in a ziplock baggie and toss in the freezer)... toss all the veggies into pan. mince up garlic - add to veggies. add about two tbsp of oil, salt, pepper and herbs. stir until evenly coated. cook in oven for around 45 minutes. make sure to stir a few times with a spatula and loosen from bottom of pan. serve with the chicken.

planning...

2009-04-07T12:41:00.004-04:00

so this week i have alot of food projects planned... my in-laws are coming to visit this weekend for passover/easter... and i am in a cooking/baking frenzy...

i went grocery shopping last night.. big step one... the rest of my week is plotted out as so...

tuesday - roast a chicken and veggies for dinner & make marshmallow for homemade peeps (going to be using alton's recipe)

wednesday - making chicken stock from chicken carcass and finishing peeps and cleaning

thursday - making pork tenderloin for dinner and red velvet cupcakes for work... planning to bring in some business cards and put em out with the cupcakes =o)

friday - making quesodillas for dinner and then making gravy (tomato sauce)and lemon/lime squares

saturday - making the lasagna, overnight cinnamon rolls (another alton recipe), and set up the no knead bread for tomorrow - the recipes from this great site bread and honey...

sunday - make the banana cream pie and salad... then eat until unable to move from couch for several hours...

okay... looking at this list... i think i look a little crazy... but i admit i have a problem... and that is the first step... hahaha...

kate
=o)

first sprouts...

2009-04-06T09:20:00.001-04:00

woohooo.... some of my seeds have sprouted... my chamomile seedlings have little tiny green shoots coming up from them... so excited... spring spring spring...

kate
=o)

and so it's spring...

2009-04-05T17:51:00.000-04:00

and so spring has finally started up here in cold ass vermont... its about damn time... the week was beautiful and sunny... and then the weekend hit and it dropped to 30 and we got flurries... got to love it... so instead i stayed inside and bake and planted some seedlings...

i decided to make apple crumb pie... because i had a bunch of apples sitting in the fruit basket just lingering... originally i had the idea of making apple butter... but there is just something so relaxing about making pie... rolling out the dough... cutting up all the fruit... the smell that fills the house when the pie is baking... and its sunday... i love baking on a sunday...

so i use a mix of all different kinds of apples... make sure you definitely throw a few granny smith in there... the tartness of the apples is delicious in the baked pie... i also used a crisco based pie crust recipe... which i will include below... feel free to sub a butter pie crust - like this one... it is really your preference... i like the flakyness of the crisco crust...

apple crumb pie

6 - 8 apples (granny smith, macintosh, whatever)
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg (otpional)
sqeeze of lime or lemon juice
2 tsbp butter
crust for bottom of pie (recipe below)
crumbs for top of pie (recipe below)

preheat oven to 400 degrees f.
roll out 1 pie crust and place in a pie dish. combine apples, sugar, flour, and spices in a large bowl. put the apple mixture in the pie dish. dot the top with the butter. top with crumb mixture and press down slightly to stick to apples.

bake for 50-60 minutes until the crumbs are golden and juice are bubbling up from pie.

pie crust

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup of crisco (i like the to use the sticks - easy to measure)
5 tsbp ice water (seriously - add ice - not just cold)

mix dry ingredients in a bowl. add the crisco and mix into small pea size crumbs... then add the water tsbp by tsbp to the dough comes together. take half the dough and roll out in between two piece of waxed paper to about a 9-10 inch circle. use a pie dish as a reference. once the dough large enough lay it into pie pan. no need to pre-bake. press the other half into a small disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and throw in the fridge for later. or half the recipe.

crumb topping

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnomin
8 tsbp butter (leave out for a bit to soften)

mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. cut butter into dry ingedients until size of small crumbs.

i actually ended up making this pie during the day... contrary to my new blog name... but this way we get to have pre-dinner pie... aren't you jealous...

kate
=o)

gardening season begins...

2009-04-02T00:32:00.000-04:00

i love gardening... almost as much as i love eating all the tasty stuff you can grow... like tomatoes from the garden... drool... where was i?...

last summer we were living out in the champlain islands... we had a large yard with several raised beds we had built ourselves... we have since moved to the city of burlington and we are living in a condo with a small balcony and no backyard... but i can't get through a summer with out digging in the dirt...

this year i actually will have two gardens... i am going to be having a community garden space in the intervale... which will be my personal plot... and i am going to be participating in a community shared garden with a group of people from the condo complex... it is still in the planning stages... but as of right now it is looking like 1 big community plot worked on by the group where all the work and reward will be shared... and i will be tricking out my balcony too...

it is going to be interesting working in a community garden environment... i have only gardened on my own property before... i am really excited at the idea of sharing the experience of gardening with other people... and helping teach new people how amazing having your own garden can be...

this year i am starting my own seeds... this is the first time i have started seeds indoors... a friend and i bought potting soil, several plastic starter trays and seeds... and went to town...

here is what we planted so far:
8 brandywine tomatoes
8 black cherry tomatoes
8 mixed italian eggplants
8 zuchini
8 yellow squash
8 mixed pepper plants
4 cucumber
4 moon and stars watermelon
8 pumpkin
12 snap peas
12 purple peas
6 basil
3 conflower
3 chamomile
and some flowers too

i would love to plant more... but there is limited surface area to be had in my tiny apartment... so this will have to do... plus... i can always buy more plants once the season is in full swing...

kate
=o)