Chocolate Chip Cornbread
Posted: 09/17/2013 Filed under: Bread, Breakfast, cakes, desserts, recipes, snacks | Tags: baking, bread, chocolate chip cornbread, cornbread, dessert, recipes 41 Comments
Chocolate Chip Cornbread
It’s September, and son #2 is out of the house again living the high-life as a student in Santa Barbara where he’s studying to be an EMT. It’s a hard program, so let’s all pool our positive thoughts together and send them in his direction. Thanks guys! Anyway, he’s been up there about a month, but he’s coming home this Sunday and we’ve decided to have a little brunch in his honor…cause his mama misses him so much! My parents are coming over, because they too miss him a great deal, and his big brother, son #1 is coming, but he won’t admit how much he misses his younger brother. Ah, kids!
I’m preparing all his favorites; homemade waffles, fresh fruit and crispy bacon. He has requested that I bake this Chocolate Chip Cornbread which he likes toasted and topped with a big slab of butter. I’ve made cornbread a million different ways, but I particularly like this one for breakfast because it’s a little bit sweet and a little bit savory. If you can, it’s a treat to serve it right out of the oven.
Chocolate Chip Cornbread
Chocolate Chip Cornbread
From Bon Appetit
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 3/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs
Directions
- Place the oven rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9″ x 5″ metal loaf pan with cooking spray, or you can use mini loaf pans or muffins tins if you wish. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the milk, oil and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir just until all the ingredients are incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s).
- Bake the cornbread until the top starts to turn a little golden, and when a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. For the 9″ x 5″ pan, bake about 35 minutes. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. The cornbread is best served warm with a little butter.
Chocolate Chip Cornbread
Mama’s Tips:
As with all batters, mix this one just until all ingredients are incorporated. Do not over mix.
Chocolate Chip Cornbread
Recipe: Easy
Blondies
Posted: 08/27/2013 Filed under: chocolate, cookies, desserts, recipes, snacks | Tags: baking, bar cookies, bars, blondies, chocolate shortbread, cookies, recipes 52 Comments
Chocolate Shortbread Blondies with Coconut Topping
So, you’ve been invited to a Labor Day barbecue this weekend. That’s so nice. And the hostess asked if you would bring dessert, but you’re a little baffled right now because you can’t come up with something that’s sorta easy to make but tastes really good, huh? Well, Mama has a suggestion that you might like. It involves all the things I hold dear in life, which is chocolate, brown sugar, coconut and salted nuts. Yes I know, all rolled up into one!
I just can’t get enough of these Blondie Bars, each layer of these bars is delish on their own. You’ve got your chocolate shortbread crust, your creamy sweet Blondie layer, and then it’s all topped off by a chewy coconut macaroon topping. Now how good does this sound?
Your going to line your pan with foil so that when the Blondie’s have finished cooling in the pan, you can lift them out using the edges of the foil so that you can cut them into professional looking bars. To get extra clean cuts, I chilled mine for about 4 hours before cutting.
Chocolate Shortbread Blondies with Coconut Topping
Blondies
From Better Homes & Gardens
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 2/3 cups unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup salted cashews, roughly chopped
Coconut Topping
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
- 3 lightly beaten egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
The Crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13″ x 9″ baking dish with foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray, having the edges extend over the sides about 2 inches so that you’ll be able to lift the finished bars easily from the pan. Whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar and the cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Using your thumbs and forefinger, cut in 1 cup of the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Then mix in the mini chips. Press the mixture evenly into the foil-lined baking dish and bake for 8 minutes until set.
Coconut Topping: Whisk the 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 flour together in a medium bowl. Add the 1 1/4 cups of flaked coconut and toss with your hands coating the coconut with the flour/sugar mixture. Stir in the egg whites and the vanilla until everything is incorporated. Then set aside.
Next, in a medium saucepan, add the brown sugar and 2/3 cup of butter, and over medium heat, stir until the mixture is melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Add the eggs one a a time stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition until combined. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour, the baking power and baking soda. Stir in the nuts. Pour the batter over the crust using a small offset spatula to make it smooth and even. Spoon the coconut topping into small mounds on top of the batter, carefully spreading it to the edges of the pan. Bake for 32-34 minutes until topping starts to lightly brown. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
When cool, using the edges of the foil, lift the Blondies out of the pan and cut into bars.
Makes 24 – 2″ square bars
Chocolate Shortbread Blondies
Mama’s Tips:
I kept these bars in the fridge to chill and they took on the consistency of candy bars as opposed to a brownie bar. They were quite good.
You don’t necessarily have to cut these bars into 2″ squares, get creative. I cut some of them into 1″ x 3″ bars and others into 1″ squares for a bite-size party treat. To get a good, clean cut with your knife, make sure you chill these first. Use a ruler when measuring these out so all the bars are the same size.
Blondie Bars
Recipe: Easy
My Burger Bible
Posted: 05/21/2013 Filed under: Meat, recipes, Sandwiches | Tags: burgers, grilled onions, grilling, grilling tips, hamburgers, hamburgers on the grill, recipes 65 Comments
Hamburger with Grilled Onions
By now you all know that Mama’s Gotta Bake, and oftentimes Mama’s Gotta Cook, but now that the warm weather has rolled into Southern California…Mama’s Gotta Grill. If you’ve read this blog for any length of time you would think that I live on nothing but cake, cookies and the occasional scoop of ice cream. But if the truth be told, what I’m totally obsessed with is burgers. Oh please, spare me with your turkey, chicken, lamb, salmon and veggie burgers, I’m a purist and it’s nothing but good ‘ol beef burgers for me.
For years I’ve kept a tiny, tattered notebook in the over-stuffed utility drawer in my kitchen. I call it My Burger Bible. Every time I see a tip in the newspaper, the internet, a cookbook, YouTube or the television on how to make a better burger, I write it down in this notebook. So, as summer approaches and you begin to fire up your grills, I thought I would share some of the information I’ve accumulated with you.
Tips for making the best burgers
The Meat
- When it comes to a tasty burger, fat is your friend. Fat will add tons of flavor and moisture to your burger, and it will shrink less. I usually choose a meat mixture with a 70/30 fat ratio. If that sounds too fatty to you, then go with an 80/20.
- Never use frozen or pre-formed patties, that’s just an insult to any decent burger. If you can, have a butcher coarsely grind a combination of chuck and brisket.
- When forming the burgers, use wet hands so that the meat will not stick them. Don’t overwork the meat to form the patties. The less you handle the meat the better, otherwise the resulting burger will be dry and dense.
- Season you burgers with salt right before you’re ready to grill them. Salt takes the moisture right out of the meat and you’ll end up with some pretty dry burgers.
- When you’re cooking a lot of burgers at once on the grill, it helps to weigh and size the patties, this way they will cook uniformly. (Serious Eats)
- Bobby Flay suggests that when you’ve formed your patty, take your thumb and make a well in the center of the burger. This will help it to keep it’s shape. Also, chilling your patties for several hours before cooking will aid in them keeping their shape.
Grilling the Burgers
- You will want to place your burgers on a very hot grill because you want to sear the outside of the burger. Searing the burger seals in the juices.
- When the burger is on the grill, don’t press down on it with a spatula, or you will squeeze the juices right out.
- When the burger is properly seared, it will no longer stick to the grill.
- Like other meats that you grill, let your burgers “rest” for several minutes before serving them, so that the juices will redistribute. (Huffington Post)
The Bun
- My friends, never take bun selection lightly. One must carefully consider bun to burger ratio seriously.
- When forming your patties, make them approximately the same size as your bun. You can make the patty a little bit bigger than the bun, as the patty will shrink a bit on the grill.
- Don’t choose a bun that is too soft because they tend to fall apart if your burger is juicy. However, don’t choose a bun that too hard as the burger will shoot out of it when you take the first bite. My personal favorite is a brioche bun.
Take the pointier end of an egg and use it to make a “well” in the center of the burger. This will help the burger to keep its shape.
So, how does Mama like her burger…simple. I like a little crispy lettuce, fresh tomato, lots of ketchup (yeah, I do!), but most importantly I’ve gotta have the grilled onions. They take 5 minutes to make and my burgers wouldn’t be caught dead without them.
Grilled Onions
Grilled Onions
- Slice 2 large onions thinly, or for best results, slice them on a mandolin (on the thicker setting) for uniform size. Toss the onions with a tablespoon of olive oil, Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and some red pepper flakes until coated.
- Set your grill to medium-high.
- Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and place on the hot grill. With tongs, spread the onions out over the foil and toss occasionally so all slices cook evenly. Remove from the heat when the onions have begun to caramelize and are softened. About 5-8 minutes. Use immediately.
- Enough for 4-5 burgers.
Grilled Hamburgers
Recipe: Easy
Carrot Zucchini Cake
Posted: 04/12/2013 Filed under: cakes, desserts, recipes, Vegetables | Tags: baking, cake, carrot, carrot zucchini cake, dessert, recipes, zucchini 37 Comments
Carrot Zucchini Cake
I bet you’ve been thinking all this time, all this lady ever seems to post about is chocolate. And that would be a pretty accurate assumption. I really do have some kind of a sick obsession with it, but every now and then I love to mix it up a bit and do something crazy like add vegetables to my baked goods. I know, it sounds nuts. Oh, and speaking of nuts, this Carrot Zucchini Cake is not only chock full of vegetables, but bursting with chopped nuts and raisins. I would almost go so far as too call this health food if it were not for the cream cheese frosting that is slathered all over the top of the cake.
Today I’m packing this cake and other necessary rations for a little picnic at a location I call my “happy place”. It’s where I like to go when I need to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It’s a one hour hike into the Santa Monica mountains to an area they call The Rock Pool. Once there you become acutely aware of how quiet it is. No cell phones ringing, no traffic sounds, just the chirping of birds and the rustling of the wind through the trees, and sometimes the splashing of a few ducks that have taken up residence there.
Right at the edge of this tranquil pool is a battered, old picnic table where my group and I will enjoy our lunch. I figure I will have worked off at least 125 calories making this trek so I won’t feel guilty enjoying a generous portion of the cake. I’m glad I found my happy place. I would love to hear where your is. Let me know.
Carrot Zucchini Cake
Carrot and Zucchini Cake
From Better Homes & Gardens
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots (3 medium)
- 1 cup shredded zucchini
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1/2 cup raisins (I mixed regular & golden together)
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 recipe Citrus-Cream Cheese Frosting
Directions
- This cake is made in a 13 x 9 pan, ungreased. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, you will sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, place the carrots, zucchini, brown sugar, eggs, raisins, walnuts, oil, honey and vanilla. Using a spatula, gently mix the ingredients together. Add the carrot mixture to the flour mixture and combine until all the ingredients are incorporated. Spread the batter into your baking pan.
- Bake for 24-26 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a wire rack before you frost it.
Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 – 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- the zest of one orange
Place these ingredients in a medium sized bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Carrot Zucchini Cake
Recipe: Easy
Chocolate Truffle Brownies
Posted: 08/28/2012 Filed under: cakes, chocolate, desserts, recipes | Tags: baking, brownies, chocolate, chocolate truffle brownies, dessert, mini desserts, recipes 57 Comments
Chocolate Truffle Brownies
What’s the best way for a mother to send her child off to college; with a pan of super-chocolatey brownies of course. I had spent days packing for my son Michael, purchasing him some pots and pans, bedding and laundry detergent, as well as a variety of other items I know he’ll never use. I had filled boxes with every and anything a young man would need for his survival out there in the world. It was as if we were sending him off to the most remote region of the universe, when in reality he was only going an hour away to Santa Barbara. Oh my God, did I pack the electric pencil sharpener?
We loaded two cars and made the quick trip up the Pacific coast to the student housing where he was sharing an apartment with three other guys. I laughed to myself as we entered the apartment. There were three sets of parents unpacking, making beds, setting up tv’s and printers, and stacking a hundred boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese into the pantry closet. The kids all sat in the living room with their cell phones and laptops, laughing and getting to know one another, while the mothers nervously scurried about.
After roughly four hours in that apartment my work there was done, and I could see the look on my son’s face. “Mom, will you just go!” He couldn’t wait to begin his new adventure…without his mama! As my husband and I left, I handed him a tray of my chocolate truffle brownies. He had his pencil sharpener, a year’s supply of black sox, and brownies. Mission complete.
Chocolate Truffle Brownies
Chocolate Truffle Brownies
Bon Appetit, July 2010
- 12 ounces semi-sweet, or bittersweet chocolate ( do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped and divided into half
- 11 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 1″ cubes
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions
- Place the rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 9x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang. This will make it easy to lift your brownies out of the pan when it’s time to cut them. Spray the foil with non-stick vegetable oil spray.
- Combine 6 ounces of the chocolate, and the butter in a medium microwave safe bowl. Start microwaving at 25 seconds, then stir, then 20 seconds and stir until the mixture is smooth and melted. Cool the chocolate mixture for 10 minutes.
- Whisk sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt in large bowl to blend. Then whisk in the chocolate mixture. Stir in flour, then chopped walnuts.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the brownies until a tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 26-28 minutes. Transfer pan to a cooling rack and let the brownies cool completely.
- When brownies are cooled, bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Place remaining chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the heated cream over the chocolate. Let it stand for 5 minutes then whisk until smooth.
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the brownies in the pan and spread evenly to cover completely. A small off-set spatula works well for this.
- Let stand at cool room temperature until topping is set, about 4 hours.
- Using the overhang foil as an aid, lift the brownies from the pan and fold down the edges.
- You can now cut the brownies into squares, 1″x 3″ bars, or into 1″x 1″ squares.
Chocolate Truffle Brownies
Mama’s Tips:
Using better quality chocolate will yield better tasting brownies. Use the best you can afford.
When the brownies have cooled, place them in the refrigerator for an hour for easier cutting.
I like to keep my chocolate truffle brownies in the refrigerator as they turn to a fudge-like consistency. At room temperature they remain more cake-like.
Recipe: Easy
Cherry Shortbread Cookies
Posted: 05/29/2012 Filed under: cookies, desserts, recipes | Tags: baking, cherry, cookies, recipes, shortbread 22 Comments
Cherry Shortbread Cookies
Though I like to think I have a sophisticated palate, if the truth be told, my favorite thing in the entire world to eat is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. On two slices of very fresh white bread, with a big glass of milk, it’s heaven. Admit it, you like it too. It makes this middle-aged woman feel eight years-old. And who doesn’t want to feel like a kid again. I’m always looking for ways to elevate this most common of sandwiches. I’ve tried creamy peanut butter, organic peanut butter, 9-grain bread and even the addition of bananas. But none of these other options have sent my beloved sandwich into the stratosphere. Until I tampered with the jelly component that is.
A restaurant just opened in my neighborhood called La Pain Quotidien. It’s owned by a Belgian company with locations actually, all over the world. They have restaurants throughout the US and in places like Austrailia, London, Moscow, Kuwait and Turkey, just to name a few. I like the look and concept of this operation. It’s casual dining; soups, salads, sandwiches, but the thrust of their business is their selection of homemade breads. Within these restaurants they do sell a wide array of other packaged, gourmet products. When I set my eyes upon this jar of preserves it was as if there was a glow around it, as if it had a little halo hovering above it.
When I arrived home with my new find, I quickly made my way to the kitchen and whipped out the Wonder bread to give these preserves a test drive. This my friends was the holy grail of preserves. Not too tart, not too sweet and loaded with big chunks of Morello cherries. I had to find another venue where this glorious concoction could shine. Jam Shortbread cookies seemed like an obvious place to start, and they did turn out quite well. In the coming months it will be my mission to find other ways to let this product shine.
Le Pain Quotidien Morello Cherry Preserves
Cherry Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 10 1/2 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- Le Pain Quotidien Morello Cherry Preserves, or any jam you like
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Add butter; using your fingertips, rub in butter until coarse meal forms. In another bowl, whisk egg and egg yolk together and add to flour mixture, stir just to blend.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into little balls. Place on baking sheets spacing 2″ apart. Make an indentation in each ball and fill with jam.
- Bake cookies until golden, 12-14 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Cherry Shortbread Cookies
Mama’s tips: To bring eggs to room temperature quickly; place eggs in a bowl of warm water and let sit for 5 minutes.
Recipe: Easy
Lemon Pudding Cakes
Posted: 04/12/2012 Filed under: cakes, desserts, Lemon, recipes | Tags: baking, cake, dessert, lemon, lemon pudding cake, pudding, recipes 36 Comments
Lemon Pudding Cake
What a great night; I’ve got the fluffy slippers on, two-hours of American Idol ahead of me, and just out-of-the oven lemon pudding cakes. It doesn’t get any better than this. I remember the times when a fun evening was heading out to a disco (now I’m dating myself) and dancing the night away to Donna Summer songs. Oh, how times have changed…for me, at least. My life is very simple now. Just give me a little Ryan Seacrest and a sugary dessert, and I’m a very happy camper.
I planned the exit of these little cakes from the oven at approximately 7:25pm, so that they could have a little time to cool down before the evening’s fun began at 8. The pudding cakes are especially good right from the oven because they’re a little cake-y on the outside, with a warm pudding center on the inside, and a sugary crust on the top. It’s a total warm-and-cozy dessert.
Lemon Pudding Cake
Lemon Pudding Cake
From Real Simple Magazine
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- turbinado (raw sugar) or a coarse sugar
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place six, 4-ounce ramekins inside a large roasting pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment, whisk together the egg yolks and butter until combined. Whisk in the milk and lemon zest and juice. Add the sugar mixture to the lemon mixture and whisk until smooth. Transfer this mixture to another bowl and completely clean and dry the mixer bowl.
- Using the electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt on medium-high until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. In three additions, gently fold the egg whites into the lemon-sugar mixture.
- Divide the pudding mixture among the ramekins. Sprinkle the tops of the puddings with the coarse sugar. Now, add hot water to the roasting pan so that the water comes half-way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the tops are golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.
Lemon Pudding Cake
Recipe: Intermediate
Chocolate Brioche
Posted: 03/20/2012 Filed under: Bread, Breakfast, recipes | Tags: baking, bread, brioche, chocolate, chocolate brioche, recipes 34 Comments
Chocolate Brioche
I come from a long line of bread eaters. We’re a hearty group and we can make a meal out of bread. Meat, fish and vegetables are nice, but really we’re quite satisfied with just bread. Maybe it’s my Eastern European ancestry that makes me appreciate what one can do with a little bit of yeast and some flour. You see, we’re simple folk. I love a loaf fresh out of the oven, slathered in butter or with a dollop of marmalade. Pita, naan, ciabatta or tortillas, call it what you will, it’s all good to me. I think it’s funny, all these people nowadays cutting bread out of their diet, well that’s just plain crazy to me.
I know some people are intimidated when they see yeast in a recipe. One of my favorite books, “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day” has taken the trauma out of bread making. If you have the slightest interest in making your own bread, and trust me you should, then I highly recommend this book to you.
One of the best recipes in the book is their chocolate brioche. It’s a rich, eggy bread, golden on the outside with bittersweet chocolate ganache swirled on the inside. It was today’s breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nothing wrong with that, right?
Chocolate Brioche
From Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day
Brioche Dough
- 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher salt
- 8 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 sticks unsalted butter, melted, plus butter for greasing the pan
- 7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- Egg wash, (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water)
- You can make this dough using a spoon, a large food processor or an electric mixer. I made it in the bowl of my electric mixer.
- Mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey and melted butter with the water in the bowl.
- Using the dough hook, mix in the flour until it’s all incorporated.
- When all the flour has been incorporated, cover the bowl, (not airtight) and allow it to rest at room temperature for 2 hours. After the initial rise, chill the dough as it will be easier to work with. This amount of dough will make four -1 pound loaves, so keep the dough refrigerated in a lidded container and use over the next five days.
- 1/4 pound good quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- granulated sugar for sprinkling on top
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a microwave in 15 second increments until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the butter, stirring until incorporated.
- In another little bowl, stir the cocoa powder and the corn syrup together and mix until smooth. Add to the chocolate mixture.
- Lightly butter a 9 x 4 x 3-inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and with a serrated knife, cut off a one-pound piece. I use my digital scale to weigh it. Dust that piece with more flour and shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Using a rolling-pin, roll out the ball into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle, dusting with flour as needed.
- Spread 1/2 cup of the ganache over the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Starting at the short end, roll up the dough and seal the bare edges.
- Tuck the loose ends underneath, elongate the dough into an oval and place it into your loaf pan.
- Let the dough rest for 1 1/2 hours in a draft-free spot.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Using a pastry brush, paint the top crust with the egg white and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.
- Bake the brioche for 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the sugar is caramelized.
- Remove from the pan and cool slightly. Reheat the remaining ganache, then drizzle it over the top of the loaf.
Recipe: Intermediate
Roasted Pineapple
Posted: 03/12/2012 Filed under: desserts, fruit, recipes | Tags: Bon Appetit, dessert, fruit dessert, pineapple, pineapple dessert, pistachios, recipes, roasted fruit, roasted pineapaple 18 Comments
Roasted Pineapple
When someone says the word dessert, I automatically think of chocolate. In my mind at least, it’s not dessert unless it is chocolate. But alas, everyone is different and not everyone’s taste buds respond to the same thing.
This weekend I’m hosting a birthday dinner at my house for a good friend. As I was planning the menu he informed me that he doesn’t like chocolate, and could I come up with a fruit dessert instead. Fruit, really… This would be a challenge, but Mama is not one to back down from a challenge. I was leafing through one of the many food publications that I have, and found this recipe for Roasted Pineapple with Honey and Pistachios in Bon Appetit Magazine. Truthfully, I haven’t really roasted a lot of fruit in my day. I love roasting vegetables as the roasting process brings out the natural sweetness in produce, and allows the vegetable’s flavor to remain simple and unencumbered.
I did a test run on this recipe today and fell in love with the results. The pineapple became tender and sweet as it caramelized, the creme fraiche added a tart contrast while the nuts brought a little bit of added crunch to the dish. I thought it tasted perfect! Hello fruit, goodbye chocolate. Well, maybe just this once.
Roasted Pineapple
From Bon Appetit Magazine
- 1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 medium, ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
- 1/4 cup creme fraiche or yogurt
- 1/3 cup, unsalted pistacios, rough chopped
- 2 tablespoons torn fresh mint leaves
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and then line your baking sheet with parchment paper. If you don’t, you’ll have a nasty mess to clean up from the burnt sugar. Whisk the first three ingredients together in a medium bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Place the pineapple slices in a 8″ baking dish and pour the marinade over the slices, tossing to coat. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Place the pineapple slices, one flat side down on your baking sheet and save the marinade.
- Roast your pineapple for 15 minutes. Turn the slices and brush with your reserved marinade several times and roast until tender and caramelized, another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle the remaining marinade over and let slices cool.
- Divide pineapple slices among your plates. Spoon the creme fraiche, yogurt or even vanilla ice cream over the pineapple and garnish with the nuts and mint. Serves 4
Cherry Walnut Biscotti
Posted: 03/06/2012 Filed under: cookies, desserts, recipes | Tags: baking, biscotti, cherry walnut biscotti, cookies, dessert, recipes 10 Comments
I’m really excited that I’ll be participating in the 2012 Los Angeles Foodbloggers Bake Sale on April 28th. This year it’s being hosted by my new friend Chung-Ah Rhee from Damn Delicious. The bake sale is being held at BLD Restaurant, located at 7450 Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles from 11:30-2:00 pm. The proceeds will benefit the No Kid Hungry Campaign. What could be a better cause than that. Last year the sale brought in $25,000, but this year they’re goal is $50,000.
I haven’t really decided what I’ll be baking for the sale, but I thought I would definitely do these Cherry Walnut Biscotti. They’re a big favorite of my friend Carol, who was recently out here on a business trip from Philadelphia. I made a batch just for her, but between the two of us they were gone in about an hour. I doubt she’s going to like me telling you this, but she’ll never find out.
Cherry Walnut Biscotti
From Williams Sonoma
- 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature*
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on high-speed until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the sugar and continue beating for about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat on low speed just until blended. Mix in walnuts, cherries and orange zest until evenly distributed. The batter will be very soft.
- Turn the batter out onto a generously floured work surface and divide in half. With well-floured hands, transfer one half to a baking sheet and shape into a log 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Repeat with the other half of batter on the next baking sheet.
- Bake the logs until the edges are golden, about 25-30 minutes. Place pan on wire rack and let logs cool for about 10 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs (I gently transferred my log to a cutting board) 1/2 inch wide. Carefully turn the slices on the side back onto the baking sheet and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Let the biscotti cool completely on the pans. Store in airtight containers.
I really hope that if you’re in the neighborhood on April 28th, you’ll come out and support the bake sale. A lot of the best food bloggers in Los Angeles are participating, so you know all the goodies are going to be good!
Recipe: Easy
Mama's Gotta Bake 