tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37888555605466803962024-02-07T21:18:16.372-05:00tastelyssUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788855560546680396.post-37253733839405735652013-01-22T23:18:00.000-05:002013-01-22T23:21:55.574-05:00Keenly Healthy<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As with every new year's what-to-do-with-your-life list, I've resolved to make better plans on cooking, baking, and eating more healthy. Not that I don't do a mildly decent job at it, but like everything else, it could always be better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, I'm going to be better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Try is a word I like to hang high on a pedestal, covering that "operative" stigma with a more influential "on my way there," or "taking it day by day," or my favorite, "beating those old bad habits instead of dead horses."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm trying to be better with a lot of things in my personal, professional, and creative life. Personally, I'm going to always try to be a better friend, daughter, sister, girlfriend, version of myself, etc. Professionally I think I'm going to plan on taking steps towards my dream job. Note all those auxiliary verbs. The more I insert in the sentence, the more I believe in it . . . maybe. Or I should take it all out and frankly state: "I'm taking steps towards my dream job." Simple. And achievable. Creatively, I want to write more, read more, bake more, create more. Form words, crafts, dreams from daygazing across stilled water and my wildly imaginative mind that's been tamely whimsical in the past year or so. That will not do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, I'm trying.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">With that neat package of enthusiastic attempts at life-making comes the ups and downs. Hit or miss. But you'll never know unless you try. Don't knock it til you try it. I'm full of idioms tonight. Especially with food. Try a new recipe, and it could be a dry crumble of cardboard or a burst of flavors tucked and rolled into a neat little brownie square. I'm an avid believer of trying things at least once.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I found this quinoa carrot loaf online and was intrigued at the addition of one of my favorite grains into one of my favorite go-to all-seasonal loafs. I can just add one ingredient to change the nutritional benefits of something that already tastes so good?! I'm about split halfway when it comes to alternate, healthier versions of things I love to bake. I mostly lean towards the addition of healthy in yummy. I don't think I can ever part with butter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This recipe was very easy. Add cooked quinoa, ground flaxseed, substitute white flour for wheat, and you've got a loaf that's grainfully perfect for breakfast, but delightfully moist and sweet for dessert.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It makes trying a heck of a lot easier.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/8387792281/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="quinoa carrot loaf by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><img alt="quinoa carrot loaf" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8088/8387792281_28809ef90f_c.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Quinoa Carrot Loaf </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From <a href="http://www.bakeaholic.ca/loaf/quinoa-carrot-loaf/" target="_blank">Bakeaholic's</a> site, slightly adapted with substitutions and additions</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I did not have whole wheat, so I used 2 cups all purpose)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup all purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 teaspoon baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1 teaspoon cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1/3 cup ground flaxseed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/3 cup shredded coconut *(preferably unsweetened, but sweetened is okay)</span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup cooked quinoa *(instructions on cooking quinoa below)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup shredded carrots</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup plain yogurt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2 eggs, beaten</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1/3 cup sugar (turbinado would be best, but granulated or even brown is fine)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tablespoons canola oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To cook quinoa:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Quinoa is pretty simple. It's a 1:2 ratio with water, so 1 cup of uncooked quinoa is to 2 cups water. 1/4 uncooked quinoa needs 1/2 cup water to cook.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">First, measure out the needed amount of quinoa. Then, put in a fine meshed sieve and rinse and drain well.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/8387819169/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_6666 by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="IMG_6666" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8360/8387819169_94fb4b9d7b_c.jpg" height="427" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">rinsing quinoa</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Next, toast the quinoa in a saucepan with a splash of oil over medium high heat to dry it off. Stir constantly until golden brown, about 6 minutes. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="quinoa" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8388852768_8c4d902ffa_c.jpg" height="427" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">toasting quinoa</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Add liquid and bring to a boil over medium low heat. Normally, I'd like cooking quinoa with a broth, but since this is used for baking purposes, water is best. Once boiling, simmer and cover until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffed up. You'll see the germ ring popped open -- a great sign.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/8388912322/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_6675 by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_6675" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8230/8388912322_5f9a666874_c.jpg" height="427" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fluffy quinoa</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Now you're ready to put it in a carrot loaf! You can make more quinoa than needed and just reserve the rest for lunch or dinner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To make loaf:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a loaf pan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Peel and shred carrots.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sift dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix carrots, eggs, carrot, yogurt, oil, vanilla, and quinoa.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until just incorporated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Spoon batter into the pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, until a tester inserted comes out clean.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from pan and transferring to a cooling rack.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/8387783887/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_6706 by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="IMG_6706" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8227/8387783887_4d15b43045_c.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here's to health!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788855560546680396.post-61977585498718207122013-01-14T21:44:00.000-05:002013-01-14T21:46:00.842-05:00CPB (chocolate peanut butter)<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy 2013!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Some months after the beginning of last year, I made lofty goals to be more active in my blog. I was inspired by all my favorite bloggers' dedication to their craft, passions, and livelihood revolving around food. By the cookbooks I thumb through and bookmark. By tastespotting.com and all the <a href="http://pinterest.com/lyssy/yummo/" target="_blank">pins</a> from the most easy way to bookmark things I am undoubtedly sometimes too lazy to make. By the color of mangoes, the sweetness of blueberries, the crispness of greens when the season unearths their ripeness. By the thought of cooking, simmering, saucing, and of course, baking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm one year wiser, and now know not to make such promises. Instead, I will make efforts to encapsulate the joy of cooking, because it's not that I didn't cook dozens of new recipes in the last year -- I mean, <i>maple bacon cupcakes</i>? How could I have missed snapping photos of that goodness - I was simply lazy. It's a cruel, stubborn thing that rests in my limbs, keeping fingers from putting my feelings for a certain dish onto the screen. But I'm slowly learning to take control of time management (as if it ever should have been out of my clutch), and refocusing my habits towards ones that make my life, well, better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This past weekend I made chocolate peanut butter ice cream. With peanut butter cookie dough. The peanut butter level is dense, I'm not going to lie. But it's intensely rich, creamy, and a glass of milk is required, no matter how odd ice cream and milk paired together sounds. It's good. So good. The chilled custard was so thick it looked like chocolate pudding, and my cook's logic revealed to me that I could have very well eaten a heaping bowl of the custard as chocolate peanut butter pudding. Logic still insists that I can just let the ice cream melt a bit to be a cold pudding. And my aversion for too-cold foods might make me run with such an idea.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/8377897175/" title="chocolate peanut butter ice cream by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><img alt="chocolate peanut butter ice cream" height="212" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8507/8377897175_b331df85b0.jpg" width="320" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/8378972364/" title="chocolate peanut butter ice cream by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><img alt="chocolate peanut butter ice cream" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8471/8378972364_75fbf94215.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If chocolate is baked I can never be tired of it. I think I'll bake brownies and drop in the extra peanut butter cookie dough. If, you know, I don't eat it all first.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The recipe is found on <a href="http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2012/08/buckeye-ice-cream/" target="_blank">Sweet Pea's Kitchen</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/8377893935/" title="chocolate peanut butter ice cream by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="chocolate peanut butter ice cream" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8056/8377893935_4807988365_z.jpg" width="640" />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">See you soon. </span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788855560546680396.post-86897109384796365532012-09-04T00:54:00.000-04:002012-09-04T00:55:24.352-04:00plummet<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Summer is at its final stretch, and I can feel the humidity sticking to me like a desperate wrap of tight silk across bare thighs. It doesn't want to leave as much as I want it to. The season calls forth its last effort force of torrential downpour and blazing heat bundled in the burst of a day. In some places it leaves as soon as it arrives, but lately it hugs the familiarity of rivers and gravel and leaks into lives of the ground.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/7923157718/" title="italian prune plums by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><img alt="italian prune plums" height="212" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8444/7923157718_84d15b3d06_n.jpg" width="320" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/7923158358/" title="plum wedges by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><img alt="plum wedges" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/7923158358_cacb3932ff_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It's been an exciting August, and September is starting off with a delicate sense of newness found in ripening of fruit and the quiet yet bewitching love for a newborn. My niece was born yesterday morning and seeing her tiny frame cradled in my arms filled me with a newer fondness for her and the future she'll inherit in her tiny hands. If I have anything to do about it, she'll inherit a lot of baked treats in her hands soon enough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Through it all, my bones are quaking under my skin, ready to rattle my limbs into reaching for newer things while holding onto the things that have anchored me in summer sea. I always approach new seasons as an explorer would with a rusted compass and a fierce sense of adventure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I approached this recipe similarly, but with whisks and a map of where I hoped I'd end up. The plums were perfectly ripe, and the dough had been sitting for more than a day. I plunged through the forest of doubt and sliced, chopped, and pressed as well as my instincts let me to make it to the end. I'm not a weathered baker like the captain of a mossy vessel whose strength stems from decades of learned skill and a lack of need for direction or order. I'm just a girl who wields her tools as a weapon against not any enemy, but as a way of measuring my own strength in the bigger world I live in.</span><br />
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<c><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/7923155880/" title="unbaked tart by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="unbaked tart" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/7923155880_d44e632205_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></c></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Brioche plum tart is the magical pairing of a soft bread and the sweet tartness of Italian prune plums. Brioche is my favorite of yeasted breads to make (and not mainly because it's the primary yeasted bread I bake), because of its buttery and flaky taste and texture. It's sweet and perfect for breakfast jams or a dense bread pudding. The plums are sliced and tossed in sugar and chopped cocoa covered almonds, giving the tart its texture and hybrid of flavor. After assembly the tart sits out for another half hour to allow for the dough to rise almost out of the pan, a science that makes me marvel in the magic of baking. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/7923154738/" title="brioche plum tart by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><img alt="brioche plum tart" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7923154738_803fa6584d_n.jpg" width="320" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/7923156720/" title="baked tart by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><img alt="baked tart" height="213" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/7923156720_8297e8dd69_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Brioche Plum Tart</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">from <a href="http://doriegreenspan.com/" target="_blank">Dorie Greenspan</a>'s cookbook, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baking-From-My-Home-Yours/dp/0618443363" target="_blank">Baking: From My Home to Yours</a></i>, a birthday present I will forever cherish</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup whole milk, just warm to the touch</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2 cups all purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3 tablespoons sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">pinch of salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2 large eggs, at room temperature</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">about 14 ripe plums, preferably Italian prune plums (I used about 9 or 10)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts, almonds (I used cocoa covered almonds to add in a hint of chocolate)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">3 tablespoons sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup plum jam </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To make brioche:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Put the yeast and warm milk in the bowl of a
stand mixer and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the rest
of the ingredients to the bowl, and fit the mixer with the dough
hook, if you have one. Working on low speed, mix for a minute
or two, just to get the ingredients together. Increase the
mixer speed to medium and beat for 7 – 10 minutes, stopping a few
times to scrape down the bowl and the hook, until the dough is
stretchy and fairly smooth. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and
leave it in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, 30 – 40
minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it
fall with a slap into the bowl. You can loosen the dough with a spatula before lifting. Cover the bowl again with
plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Slap the dough
down in the bowl every 30 minutes until it stops rising, about 2
hours. Leave in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, preferably overnight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To Make The Tart:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Using either a 9-inch metal tart pan
with a removable base or a porcelain baking dish, the kind sometimes
called a quiche pan. Generously butter the pan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Press the chilled dough into the bottom of the pan and up the
sides – don’t worry if it’s not even. Cover the pan
loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While the dough is in the refrigerator, prepare the filling.
Halve and pit the plums, then slice into wedges. Set aside. Toss chopped nuts
with the sugar and set aside. (I actually tossed the plums with the chocolate and sugar to draw out the juices. For a less juicy tart, keep plums and sugars separated.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Remove the tart pan from the fridge and push and press the dough
up the sides of the pan. Spoon the jam onto the dough and
spread it over the bottom. Arrange the plums cut side down in a
concentric circles covering the jam. Scatter over the nut
mixture, and cover the tart lightly with a piece of plastic wrap.
Place the tart on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone
mat and let it rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Meanwhile, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425
degrees F.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Uncover the tart and bake for 20 minutes. Cover it loosely
with a foil tent to prevent the crust from getting too dark, and
continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the fruit juices are
bubbling and the crust is firm and beautifully browned – it will
sound hollow when tapped. Transfer the tart to a rack to cool
for at least 45 minutes before serving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/7923155156/" title="brioche plum tart by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><img alt="brioche plum tart" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/7923155156_76f5ac8825_z.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy September. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788855560546680396.post-64821653105529465822012-06-20T21:54:00.001-04:002012-06-21T01:18:23.398-04:00Berry Confused<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In my younger years, the exchange of Spring and Summer always became concrete by way of longer days, louder trilling of birds as they hummed a collective song about the rise of a new season, and the twinkling of fireflies as they shyly swayed to the cool breeze at dusk. Honeysuckles waited for the hush of the night to sneak tendrils of sweet floral notes down the street to my house. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />It's that same bush where I experienced my first picking of small, but ripened berries. It was late spring, and my mother was walking me to school as she always did each morning for six years. At the end of our street I noticed the stain of violet on the concrete, then looked up at the source and saw thin branches embellished with leaves stretched towards me, offering their berries as a gift of nature, a welcoming gift of the new season. The early morning sunlight strained through the intertwined branches as I picked my first berry. The soft clusters rolled beneath my fingers, malleable to my press and curiosity. My interest followed until I finally placed the berry in my mouth and felt the burst of sweetness across my tastebuds. The fruity flavor coated my tongue like a well-worn blanket perfect for summertime. It was not tart at all. It tasted wonderfully warm, as if the berries captured the early sunlight to rouse my young palate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The next day we came back with a little ziplog baggie and collected the ripest berries for me to eat either to or at school, not only from the tree at the end of the street, but from trees at the corner of the busy street intersection. I had a little less than half left once I entered school. My fingers were stained a deep reddish purple, as if I colored with an inky Jazzberry Jam crayon. For years after I would stop to occasionally pick some berries if they hung low enough, relishing in the fruit that none of my peers seemed to want. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When I was a teenager and adamant about growing my own fruit tree (my mother and grandmother cultivated their own vibrant vegetable garden, so I had to prove my own green thumb), I had my parents buy me a blackberry bush barely grown out of its roots. We planted it in the back, next to my grandmother's butternut squash and my mother's eggplant, and for the rest of spring I watered the tree and awaited summer's harvest.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/7391536514/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="blackberry tart by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img alt="blackberry tart" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8023/7391536514_2093e68eef.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When the first berry emerged, I eagerly picked it and popped it into my mouth, ready to taste the same sweetness as I had previous summers. It was then that I realized that I had mistakenly purchased blackberries when I thought they were the same berries I had been picking as a child. The tartness settled beneath the sweetness, and though the blackberries plumped to be ripe and sweeter, they were not the same berries I remember being so sweet. Similar in shape and size, I had thought the berries I excitedly grew were what I tasted when I was younger, as I had never eaten a blackberry prior to my planting it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Google helped me learn that it was <i>mulberries </i>I picked, not blackberries. Mulberries that grew from trees, not bushes, were red, not blue, had way less seeds than blackberries, and were sweeter. The differences now are easily distinguishable, but as a child I had thought both were one in the same. Eventually the blackberry bush grew too bushy and thorny, and whenever I went outside to pick berries it had seemed that birds and bugs got to them first. It died and I never grew another bush, perhaps out of a failed attempt at growing my favorite berry tree. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've never loved blackberries. They, like raspberries, are always too seedy for my taste to eat as a freshly picked fruit. But pureed or cooked through, they're perfect jams or fruit fillings. Or blackberry sorbet, which is something I will try later this summer. I don't like too much texture getting in the way of the fruit flavor, but the flavor itself is sweet and flavorful, a wonderful accompaniment to summer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Though I'm not a big fan of blackberries, I did make tartlets that feature their subtle sweetness. The berries are locally grown, big and plump with juice and flavor. Embedded on a smooth canvas of creamy honey mascarpone and encased in a crisp tart shell, the tarts are good for capturing what it means for it to finally be summer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The mulberries have gone with the final edge of spring. On my morning walks to work I made sure to stop and pluck the ripest berries from the branches, testing the weight of sweetness and childhood memories on my tongue, letting it all stick to my throat and stain my fingers with the hope that this summer will merit new memories, but most importantly, more berries.</span></div>
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/7391526784/" title="blackberry tart by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img alt="blackberry tart" height="333" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8150/7391526784_083d9bb2fa.jpg" width="500" /></span></a></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788855560546680396.post-5334713425554398572012-05-29T22:55:00.001-04:002012-06-21T01:09:31.129-04:00pb&c<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm sitting here eating an acorn squash stuffed with wild rice, chicken, and quinoa when I wish I was eating a square (or 4) of peanut butter truffle brownies. I also wish I was eating the risotto stuffed acorn squash I had also made, but that is gone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />After a series of unfortunate events at work that led to an early dismissal for everyone, I immediately changed into more comfortable summer-ready clothes and warmed up my would-be lunch. I would rather be eating a corn and black bean salsa, or even lavender lemonade, which are more worthy of this summer heat, but I'm quite the lazy gal and will willingly warm up leftovers to eat with a side of Cheez-its. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />It's that kind of day.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/7256075666/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="peanut butter truffle brownies by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img alt="peanut butter truffle brownies" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7079/7256075666_c7c0ee1e0f_z.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But it's also the kind of day where I dream about eating brownies I really should not be dreaming about. Especially since I just baked a batch of ganache-dipped lavender shortbread cookies yesterday. There are other things to focus on, but I like to dwell on the past, which involved a hearty amount of chocolate and peanut butter all sandwiched into the best brownie ever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />I like chocolate cake bases to be dense. And the best way to accomplish that is to layer them with fillings and frostings and then letting it all sit in the fridge to chill for a couple hours to overnight. The crumb condenses and it adds a richer flavor. Or, it could be that all cakes I've liked dense were chocolate cakes. I proudly admit my love affair with chocolate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />Peanut butter truffle brownies are simply brownies topped with a layer of fluffy and rich peanut butter ganache which is then covered with a layer of peanut butter chocolate ganache. Going with the peanut butter theme, yeah? Let it sit for hours and you have a dense brownie with layers that melt in your mouth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />You definitely want to cut these up into small squares. They might stick to your teeth after they've already stuck their flavor onto your taste buds, testing your willpower.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />Maybe you shouldn't make these if you're trying to build up endurance for resisting sugar, chocolate, peanut butter, or just things that taste too good for their good. My resistance includes pushing it all on my boyfriend, coworkers, family, and friends, making sure to leave some for me. Soooooooooooome, I should say (as many as there are o's).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">recipe via <a href="http://somekitchenstories.com/2012/02/12/peanut-butter-truffle-brownies/" target="_blank">Some Kitchen Stories</a><br />Brownies:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 Cup of butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 Cups of sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3 Eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3 Teaspoons of vanilla</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2/3 Cup of cocoa powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 Cup of all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">½ Teaspoon of salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">½ Teaspoon of baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />Peanut Butter Layer:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">½ Cup of butter, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">½ Cup of creamy peanut butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 Cups of powdered sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2-3 Teaspoons of milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />Peanut Butter Ganache Layer:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">¼ Cup of creamy peanut butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 Cups of semisweet chocolate chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">¼ Cup of butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 TBsps of heavy whipping cream</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Directions:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13 metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom, letting the ends extend slightly over the sides.Butter the parchment paper.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. Remove from heat and add the sugar. Stir to combine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5. Mix in cocoa, baking powder and salt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">6. Add flour. Stir until just combined.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">7. Pour mixture into prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">8. Remove pan and let cool completely on a rack. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">9. While the brownies cool, make the peanut butter filling; fix a stand mixer with paddle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">attachment or use an electric mixer. Combine the peanut butter ingredients in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy and spreadable (toss in 2 teaspoons of milk. If it’s not spreadable, add one more teaspoon).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">10. Take the cooled brownies and spread an even layer of peanut butter. Place in the refrigerator until filling is set, about 30 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">11. While the filling sets, make the ganache; take a small saucepan and a glass or heatproof</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">bowl. Simmer water and place the bowl over the saucepan. Melt the ganache ingredients together and stir to combine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">12. Take the chilled brownies and pour the ganache over the top. Spread gently. Chill until set.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">13. When ready to serve, lift the brownies out of the pan using the ends of the parchment paper.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/7256086870/" title="peanut butter truffle brownies by Lyssa O, on Flickr"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img alt="peanut butter truffle brownies" height="426" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7241/7256086870_0cf362e026_c.jpg" width="640" /></span></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788855560546680396.post-54114356920639626952012-05-23T12:05:00.004-04:002012-06-21T01:00:56.030-04:00tear-a-me-sue<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
I feel like this post needs some sort of prologue before it jumps into the actual food part, just because it's been so long since I've personally written about food. More like, more than a year long. Ouch. Of all things I wanted to keep consistent in my life, keeping up with a blog was one of the biggest. <i>This</i> blog. My namesake. Not really, but part of my name is in part of the blog name. Kind of works.<br />
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I'll try to keep it updated! I'm becoming more and more encouraged and inspired by the blogs I read daily, as well as the filtered sunlight and warming days reminding me of how sweet it is to be able to share a passion with others.</div>
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Without further ado, let me tell you about tiramisu. It's one of my favorite Italian desserts, juuuust behind gelato (But tiramisu gelato brings it up. Way up), and above cannolis. Chocolate, mascarpone, and coffee is a combination that relies on its blending of heavy flavor with the lightness of cream and soaked lady fingers. Amazing, is what it is. And just like it lends its flavor to gelato, it also lends its ingredients and people-pleasing qualities to cupcakes.</div>
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Like this:</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/6893100120/in/photostream/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7045/6893100120_258487e4db_c.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div>
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How can you resist those wonderful layers of coffee-marsala-soaked butter cake sitting on an unbelievably fluffy bed of mascarpone? Let me tell you, it's impossible. Not the most delicate of desserts, so even if your lady fingers are as dainty as they come (as in, you wear a size 4 ring which I did not even know existed with my size 7 fingers. And I thought <i>they</i> were dainty), you will need to daintily hold a fork and daintily bring it to your mouth. Daintily chewing and making lady like noises of culinary contentment are optional. </div>
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I am not ashamed to admit I eat these with my hands like a product of an uncultured society where learned table manners do not extend past Do Not Get a Majority of Your Food on You or Do Not Burp Without a Proper Response (i.e. giggling). Good thing I eat these alone. But this is such a fun party dessert that it's warranted to be a cupcake eaten in a fine group of people (you might not want me there) where everyone converses over the fantastic quality of the cupcake and how posh it makes you all feel. </div>
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When in fact it just makes you feel really, really glad you decided to eat it. With lady fingers or not. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002165@N03/6960001000/in/photostream" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhxHaSOoV3etcB54V21z181eanlnPmymguvmg8229iT2tUvUpmU7zptKWCPqTdikX5C6wsDYIKS58OPyCcugZyxSN3OpuQW02QQ_4nn0lJJi0qtHpvEBtTj69YY1ksWq5YkTzpmF0eogA/s640/tiramisu+2.2.jpg" width="505" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788855560546680396.post-40041985596351541672011-04-16T19:52:00.004-04:002012-06-21T01:01:34.956-04:00Cinnamon Glazed Nuts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX4cfsSFG8edYiaR1FhEE6gKI_5TRoMAzRQA6TIhZcmfHrB2CtAbns9wHqdexpqwnvPRFdWmAB2DcJsxdnYynD_27raCytCSvmvqLyP1ztG9iCGwigfuaOs-Eo_WAJPFCVGzNNnT4ejp0/s1600/IMG_2061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVX4cfsSFG8edYiaR1FhEE6gKI_5TRoMAzRQA6TIhZcmfHrB2CtAbns9wHqdexpqwnvPRFdWmAB2DcJsxdnYynD_27raCytCSvmvqLyP1ztG9iCGwigfuaOs-Eo_WAJPFCVGzNNnT4ejp0/s400/IMG_2061.jpg" width="400" /> </a></span></div>
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I volunteered for a an international children's festival today, and aside from an overcast day and crazy wind swirling from an incoming tornado (getting its storms right now--eep!), it was nice! Though, I didn't get the chance to walk and check out the other booths--well, I <i>did</i>, but only to find the Philippines booth I was scheduled to volunteer for. My classmate and I got food and I had to seriously refrain myself from buying jerk chicken or kettle corn (which I had promised to buy myself before I left, but by the time I did the booth was gone which made me very, very sad) or about five other international foods. The blocked off street just smelled <i>so good</i>. We ended up getting pad thai, which I will never complain about. I love pad thai. </div>
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My classmate also bought cinnamon glazed pecans, and when I tried some I was immediately hooked . . . but I was not about to spend $4 on a small paper wrapped package of nuts. Naturally, when I came home today I looked up a recipe for cinnamon glazed almonds and found one. Then made wayyyyy more than I would have gotten had I paid the $4. This is quadruple the amount for the same price. </div>
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I love sweetened nuts, whether they're baked or roasted. The bad thing is that they're addicting. I'm eating some as I type this post. You bite into the softness of the baked pecans and almonds through the crunchiness of the glaze, and throughout there's a subtle cinnamon-y sweetness. They're especially good served warm. </div>
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<b>Cinnamon Glazed Nuts </b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Yields about 4 cups of nuts</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></div>
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1/3 cup unsalted butter</div>
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2 egg whites, at room temperature</div>
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Pinch of salt</div>
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1 cup sugar</div>
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3 cups whole natural almonds, or any whole or half nuts (I used 1 1/2 cups almonds, and 1 1/2 cups pecans)</div>
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4 teaspoons cinnamon </div>
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1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees</div>
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2. Place butter in a 13" x 9" pan; place in oven to melt butter, about 10 minutes</div>
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3. Meanwhile, beat egg whites with salt until frothy; gradually add sugar, beating to stiff peaks</div>
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4. Gently fold in nuts and cinnamon</div>
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5. Pour nut mixture onto pan and toss with butter, making sure to evenly coat all nuts</div>
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6. Bake about 40 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes until nuts are crisp</div>
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7. Serve warm or at room temperature </div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788855560546680396.post-89214496691050954222011-02-27T21:38:00.025-05:002012-06-21T01:01:46.259-04:00Chocolate Stout Cake<div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The week of my twenty-first birthday I excitedly celebrated the legality of my American right to drink by buying my first alcoholic beverage--a case of beer. To put in a cake. Yes, not to drink, but to use. <br />
(I also like being carded. I have a tendency of looking a lot younger than I am (I blame my short stature), a fact that I will appreciate when I'm 30 and <i>still</i> carded.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I think I had come across this recipe a couple weeks before turning the big two-one and knew that I was going to make it the minute I could buy beer. The recipe calls for stout beer, and luckily Guinness was suggested otherwise I would have been standing in the chill box of the grocery store shivering & staring at cases of beer and would have eventually asked somebody for identification of this so-called 'stout beer.' With the excess beer this has also made me partial to stout beer (not that I've tried much else). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Since then I've made this cake about three times (it's not exactly your everyday chocolate cake . . . the denseness is only for the serious of serious chocoholics) and has declared it be my absolute favorite chocolate cake in the world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I wasn't kidding about this being for avid chocolate fans. Three (tall! The cakes rose to the top of each pan!) layers of moist cake separated by an abundant layer of chocolate ganache. This cake is really best after it's been chilled (I chill mine overnight and usually don't eat it until later the next day), because the layers have had time to sit and compact to allow for a density to form. It's not too sweet, and the beer lends for a subtle hint of roasted coffee-like taste. Unless you know the taste of stout beer, the beer is completely overlooked. This beer is definitely not physically stout; I measured it and it assembled to be an impressive 10 inches. Thinly slice the cake or you'll end up sharing more than you'd like.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfklnen899V_WWcq0yuc9jelq380zrwM0fmWkVS5EqxkfvV9hH0myrNDJUlb5Iihv5tOf9djn8qrKbPZC65KKY2O9LRqFwAxcdzSDAgyamXFuz_8BKJDgNu7sWE5QhMSF9pVBs-6CvjHeu/s1600/guinness+cake2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfklnen899V_WWcq0yuc9jelq380zrwM0fmWkVS5EqxkfvV9hH0myrNDJUlb5Iihv5tOf9djn8qrKbPZC65KKY2O9LRqFwAxcdzSDAgyamXFuz_8BKJDgNu7sWE5QhMSF9pVBs-6CvjHeu/s400/guinness+cake2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chocolate Stout Cake</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">from: <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Stout-Cake-107105">Epicurious<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">makes one 8-inch layer cake</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ingredients</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cake:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">2 cups stout (such as Guinness)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch processed)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">4 cups all purpose flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">4 cups sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">4 large eggs</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Icing:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Directions:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For cake:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.</span><style type="text/css">
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For Icing:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Assembly:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over layer. Top with second layer. Spread 2/3 icing over second layer. Top with third layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788855560546680396.post-42806034042291419722011-02-20T21:33:00.005-05:002012-06-20T21:59:48.492-04:00Heart Tarts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguM4iTcqQVXFyUlQM7fQEV1wk2ZHzGV_nMa5JuHGAyxhfMLNHxTCaXa4tlWLo4Ba2i44YrOQ1ev8bcMgf0pZIt_JflxeOZ767ZjjHMq8Ja5lW-9gkxRTWuMyGjPCK8p2iATp7xaTQD6wKx/s1600/heart+trio+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguM4iTcqQVXFyUlQM7fQEV1wk2ZHzGV_nMa5JuHGAyxhfMLNHxTCaXa4tlWLo4Ba2i44YrOQ1ev8bcMgf0pZIt_JflxeOZ767ZjjHMq8Ja5lW-9gkxRTWuMyGjPCK8p2iATp7xaTQD6wKx/s400/heart+trio+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Happy Six-Days-After-Valentine's-Day! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I actually did make these on Valentine's Day (or maybe the day after) (or maybe <i>two</i> days after. Hm) but they did not make it up here on time. Well, it's better late than never! Don't worry, no Valentine of mine missed out on desserts of love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I love the crust; the cream cheese and butter mix well to make a tender, buttery, almost shortbread like crust. You can substitute any nuts you like for the walnuts, or you can use a different filling altogether. This filling reminds me of pecan pie without well, pecans. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">What makes this such a cute recipe is that it suggests baking these in heart-shaped muffins, and I have them on hand! It's always such a delight to find usable baking tools in my kitchen; it saves the time and money of going out and buying them. I actually found the heart tins before I found the recipe, so it was especially great when I came across this recipe. I haven't used them for anything else <i>but</i> this recipe. It's like they're meant to be. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRb7Mcg5JhUuoqF3T46Vyfa5UZkjQihdwRBQpPraXzH03-pOrx75eROh0xb-q42hjEdW8emeoFiRGh5cWkC2org_AY9gndBfjUBbYyQ5t07gUZtE5pgx7dZtc9U0DxLNpttJ75-G26YZq3/s1600/heart+tins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRb7Mcg5JhUuoqF3T46Vyfa5UZkjQihdwRBQpPraXzH03-pOrx75eROh0xb-q42hjEdW8emeoFiRGh5cWkC2org_AY9gndBfjUBbYyQ5t07gUZtE5pgx7dZtc9U0DxLNpttJ75-G26YZq3/s400/heart+tins.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This is a sweet gift for your own sweet one. You know how the saying goes: the best way to a person's heart is through his/her stomach. That's always the best way to <i>my</i> heart. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Heart Tarts</b></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">from: <i><a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Heart-of-My-Heart-Tarts">Taste of Home</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">yields 8 servings</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened<br />1/2 cup butter, softened<br />1 cup all-purpose flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Filling:</b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 egg<br />3/4 cup packed brown sugar<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />2/3 cup chopped walnuts</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Directions:</b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy; beat in flour until blended. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Shape dough into eight balls; press onto the bottom and up the sides of greased heart-shaped or regular muffin cups. In a small bowl, beat egg. Beat in brown sugar and vanilla until blended. Stir in walnuts. Spoon into cups. <br />
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Bake at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing from pan to a wire rack. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRbDX0BAb4Q7rMfMRIs57LjQUneBFEZQvi2YuLHY7_K2clpDxP-bdoyTeFxsBLNfQ1zLgwa9jCulCthHRurefl4-49Z7Ae5IR2BLyzZ0JIwn0TghLhd2w2eBQBq-_mBH7QsY21QeedoWF/s1600/heart+tarts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRbDX0BAb4Q7rMfMRIs57LjQUneBFEZQvi2YuLHY7_K2clpDxP-bdoyTeFxsBLNfQ1zLgwa9jCulCthHRurefl4-49Z7Ae5IR2BLyzZ0JIwn0TghLhd2w2eBQBq-_mBH7QsY21QeedoWF/s400/heart+tarts.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788855560546680396.post-14176399645639300422011-02-09T09:57:00.011-05:002011-03-01T08:38:15.598-05:00Ultra-Thin Chocolate Chunk Cookies<style type="text/css">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's Cookie Week. Well, Cookie Week should occur 52 times a year (every week for those who abhor math just as much as I do), but I've been on a cookie kick this particular week and have already baked two kinds of cookies with two more hitting the counter with the undeniable waft of buttery, chocolaty, green tea-y (yes, I made green tea cookies; green tea </span><i style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">sablés</i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, in fact) aromatic perfection.</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Saturday actually started Cookie Week. All it took was a visit from about 5 of my cousins with demands of being fed and well, my golden heart and hostess/cousinly duty can't turn them away.</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I love baking for others. I love the expectation of having something sweet ready for people when they come to my house and getting enjoyment from fulfilling their expectations. I think that's also why I love my huge family so much--they're so amazingly wonderful and would eat anything I bake and claim it as tasty, even if it wasn't my best batch (but, um, that's not to say I feed them anything bad).</span></span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IroxoCjW5c_N6PDNC8yL2wb_k1c3W653KV9rFsilg70vWnrq4xIwCyJcvAUak5S-QXQ0DCEhXigfRyiugEQkNx0pZTAYP8bTkIODabGlWRTSXSPZSa5PWm0Ehr9i2z1qLvf0KF49zocs/s1600/IMG_1378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IroxoCjW5c_N6PDNC8yL2wb_k1c3W653KV9rFsilg70vWnrq4xIwCyJcvAUak5S-QXQ0DCEhXigfRyiugEQkNx0pZTAYP8bTkIODabGlWRTSXSPZSa5PWm0Ehr9i2z1qLvf0KF49zocs/s400/IMG_1378.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjD0a4ysQD0XG0BmeiAhgJjot-WGt7NayhSL3QAf70z68Phd8fO2_lxO_BdUN2OlTGYR969F-qnj0ewMSDPEkaPOzVOkx2uY_Ed9zXAgz6lt42Zr-tz5UHwWvHWL4sDQ6qx2yjuSr4qrq/s1600/IMG_1377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjD0a4ysQD0XG0BmeiAhgJjot-WGt7NayhSL3QAf70z68Phd8fO2_lxO_BdUN2OlTGYR969F-qnj0ewMSDPEkaPOzVOkx2uY_Ed9zXAgz6lt42Zr-tz5UHwWvHWL4sDQ6qx2yjuSr4qrq/s400/IMG_1377.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is my favorite cookie dough to eat (which implies that I eat all cookie dough batter I make. And I do. I think my body is immune to raw egg after doing so for 10 years). For one, it's the safest cookie dough since it has no eggs. The sweetness from the sugars and corn syrup blend with the melted butter and offer a darker, sweet, buttery flavor that slowly settles on the tongue without too much of a saccharine taste, and the oats offer substance to the batter.</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The only bad thing about this recipe is that there isn't enough cookie dough; once I ate nearly half of the cookies before they even went into the oven.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</style> </div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ultra-Thin Chocolate Chunk Cookies</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Essence-Chocolate-Recipes-Baking-Cooking/dp/1401302386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297262797&sr=8-1"><i>The Essence of Chocolate</i></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Makes about 2 dozen cookies </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients: </span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">1¼ cups all-purpose flour</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">½ teaspoon baking soda</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">½ cup quick cooking oats </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">¼ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon light corn syrup</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 tablespoons whole milk </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">½ teaspoon salt</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks or about 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Directions: </span></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Position the racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two cookie sheets with silicone mats or aluminum foil. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">In a bowl, stir together the flour and baking soda. Set aside. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter and oats. Whisk in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, milk, and salt. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. If the dough is warm from the butter, wait until it cools before stirring in the chocolate chunks. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Using a cookie scoop, or a tablespoon, drop cookies onto baking sheet, spacing them wide apart, about 2 inches in between each cookie. The cookies will spread out while baking. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cookies are well browned and not at all shiny in the center, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFqWqPO5HavEKBPixciFfP-UmM9Er7xEkTSryXLkvK1TpV4TS4o5qRGbSv7vJu74Cu1ddES5NIUSXibNvfyAdU6wb0IGVxMRHYUo0SDucPILO98AWZZa8qe7Tm29pjaa8cgVDLQKFJ6GI/s1600/IMG_1391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFqWqPO5HavEKBPixciFfP-UmM9Er7xEkTSryXLkvK1TpV4TS4o5qRGbSv7vJu74Cu1ddES5NIUSXibNvfyAdU6wb0IGVxMRHYUo0SDucPILO98AWZZa8qe7Tm29pjaa8cgVDLQKFJ6GI/s640/IMG_1391.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are also very good with a nice cup of tea on your mother's china. Or on your own. </td></tr>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3788855560546680396.post-52854873336465621832011-01-30T21:58:00.020-05:002011-02-10T09:21:00.175-05:00Chocolate Scoop-Away Torte<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tveY96gVIizc2ZQ7y3Oc3RqttbROHmlPSUzlw-9Cn585ydUfweAzCPXaxHmyXaixs-knNWDwY97y8g_aijmq-7D3titrK6vvsICWrsTDDnEy5wYjj8ZvUBFkUiOhoqDIpkbcY1XCgbWe/s1600/IMG_1293.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568196638785660242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tveY96gVIizc2ZQ7y3Oc3RqttbROHmlPSUzlw-9Cn585ydUfweAzCPXaxHmyXaixs-knNWDwY97y8g_aijmq-7D3titrK6vvsICWrsTDDnEy5wYjj8ZvUBFkUiOhoqDIpkbcY1XCgbWe/s400/IMG_1293.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ21xKCISn9A5l4tU_tTaVJt8nn8XJNRhSFCflNVknpvWhkLufHPjSkoz_zZYDYizNDgAFNw_zl9O9RazWpnx3xfr8AM6ju4i4CW-xMvnaWy74A0uMy_LVmLA7SyoOK58sAtYo_T4FTT6g/s1600/IMG_1293.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</a></span> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I love chocolate. More so, I love chocolate torte. I had first made this dessert 3 years ago, and I think I made it about five more times in the next six months. I honestly think the last time I made this was two years ago. What! It's like I had exhausted all my love for this torte in a short amount of time. But no matter; it will always be in my top five chocolate desserts.</span><br />
This dessert is called a <span style="font-style: italic;">torte</span> because of its lack of flour. The density and flavor of the chocolate is contrasted with the lightness of whipped egg whites. The result is an incredibly soft yet dense torte that literally melts in your mouth yet gives such a powerful flavor on the tongue. Seriously, one scoop of this torte is all you need for the entire day. A tablespoon scoop, and that's pushing it. This is good to make every so often; when I discovered its power to make even the strongest fall down to their knees I made it too much thus losing its value. Just kidding. I still value this dessert even when I haven't had it in years. It's <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> good that it stays in my palate.<br />
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This particular recipe is called a Scoop-Away because I forgot to bake this in a springform pan; I used a 9x2 inch round cake pan. Actually, the cake won't stick to the sides with adequate buttering, but I'm also very lazy and decided that it'd be funner to just scoop out the torte. Unless I'm serving this to people deserving of presentation, I'm all for taking the elegance out of the equation and leaving just plain <span style="font-style: italic;">yum. </span><br />
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The only thing missing is whipped cream. <br />
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</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hBpasPHhz0fZspHMo6S9VAP4VuvOkefxH5VUNmEOLk3JjzBNNmbgCzsvax0d_RF-xywKfOHD4Us205qOmDH1x5ID2OT8bEyGCJY_JGt5kEolTo_2Qq8U0ZABArED0fY-UOe15jzyOdHh/s1600/IMG_1295.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568196771878141154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hBpasPHhz0fZspHMo6S9VAP4VuvOkefxH5VUNmEOLk3JjzBNNmbgCzsvax0d_RF-xywKfOHD4Us205qOmDH1x5ID2OT8bEyGCJY_JGt5kEolTo_2Qq8U0ZABArED0fY-UOe15jzyOdHh/s400/IMG_1295.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 180%; font-weight: bold;">Chocolate Torte</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Adapted from <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateTorte.html">joyofbaking.com</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">6 large eggs, separated</span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces</span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">9 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped</span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup granulated white sugar, divided</span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ganache: (Optional) </b></span> </div><div style="font-family: arial; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">Note</span><span style="font-size: small;">: I halved the recipe and since I couldn't remove the sides of the pan I removed the cracked crust and spooned the ganache over the cake. </span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped</span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">3/4 cup heavy whipping cream </span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 tablespoons unsalted butter </span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 tablespoon or brandy (optional)</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Directions:</b></span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3788855560546680396&postID=5285487333646562183" name="KonaLink2"></a><span style="font-size: small;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter a 9 x 3 inch (23 x 8 cm) springform pan or spray with a nonstick cooking spray. <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Separate the eggs while still cold, placing the egg whites in one bowl and the egg yolks in another bowl. Cover both with plastic wrap and bring to room temperature (about 30 minutes).</span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Meanwhile, melt the butter and chocolate in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3788855560546680396&postID=5285487333646562183" name="KonaLink3"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3788855560546680396&postID=5285487333646562183" name="KonaLink4"></a>Place egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer. Beat on medium high speed until thick and lemon-colored, about 3-5 minutes. (The eggs should have tripled in volume, look thick and soft, and when you lift the beater the mixture falls back into the bowl in a slow ribbon.) Beat in the vanilla extract and melted chocolate mixture.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3788855560546680396&postID=5285487333646562183" name="KonaLink5"></a>In a clean bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula or whisk, fold a small amount of whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten the batter. Add the remaining egg whites, folding just until incorporated. Do not over mix or the batter will deflate.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3788855560546680396&postID=5285487333646562183" name="KonaLink6"></a>Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake the cake for about 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. (During baking the surface of the cake will form a crust which will collapse when the cake is removed from the oven.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. The top of the cake will have become hard with a cracked surface and lots of crumbs. Serve with softly whipped cream.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3788855560546680396&postID=5285487333646562183" name="KonaLink7"></a>Note: If covering the torte with ganache, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a few hours or up to a few days.</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ganache</b>: </span></div><div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3788855560546680396&postID=5285487333646562183" name="KonaLink8"></a><span style="font-size: small;">Place the chopped chocolate in a stainless steel bowl. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. If desired, add the liqueur.Remove torte from refrigerator and brush any loose crumbs from the cake. Place on a wire rack, top of the cake facing down (so now the bottom of the cake is facing up).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Put the wire rack on a baking sheet. In this way if the chocolate ganache drips it will fall on the baking sheet, which makes clean up easier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Assemble:</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Pour the ganache into the center of the cake. Spread the ganache with a spatula, using big strokes to push the ganache over the sides of the cake to create an even coating. If there are any bare spots on the sides of cake, cover with ganache.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, until ganache has hardened slightly. </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2