A Dusting of Sugar

Farewell, Ireland

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:04:00 +0000

I'm kind of overflowing with emotions at the moment, so please excuse me if I'm being incoherent. I can't believe it's over. This time tomorrow I'll be in the car with my mom, incredibly jet-lagged but so happy to be home. My dog will probably get so excited that she'll pee all over herself (and me). Honestly, I'm okay with that.

This experience was so much more fulfilling than I expected. I didn't think I'd make real friends, but just hoped that I'd meet people tolerable enough to travel with so I didn't have to be by myself. I was so wrong. I'm a pretty reserved person most of the time, so...it's rare that I meet people that I click with so fast. And as lucky as I am to have stumbled upon these fantastic relationships, it makes saying goodbye really, really hard. Yesterday I spent a good 30 minutes sobbing uncontrollably. I haven't cried like that in years. But I guess I'm happy I have something so special that it makes me cry.

I don't like to say goodbye because it has such an air of finality to it. And I can't handle that. So I prefer to simply say "talk to you later", or something of that nature. Of course I'll see them again. I'm making it a priority. It's too easy to lose contact but I cannot let that happen. They are far too important to me.

Love you guys.

Peanut Butter Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:59:00 +0000

Of course the weather gets nice when finals time comes around and I have to buckle down and study. I can't complain too much though. The workload compared to my classes at home is significantly lighter. Adjusting back may be a little bit rough. But still, I want to be outside! I...have less than two weeks before I go back to the US. Wow. That just hit me. But you can understand that I want to spend that precious little time as wisely as I can.

As far as I know, these cookies have no bourbon in them.

Spending that time wisely doesn't necessarily mean going on elaborate adventures all the time (though those are nice too). It can mean simply cherishing the moments you have with friends who you likely will not see again for a long time. Sad truths. Aw. Now I've lost my train of thought. Point I was trying to make is to enjoy what you have while you still can.

Making whipped cream in a jar is not as hard as I expected.

Tying into that nicely is Peanut Butter Pie. I don't think I will ever be able to separate them from this. Almost two years ago Jennifer Perillo lost her husband suddenly and unexpectedly. In a gesture both beautiful and heartbreaking, she asked bloggers to make his favorite dessert, peanut butter pie. So to me, it will always be this food filled with love. And making it was a labor of love; I did everything by hand, from whipping the cream to crushing the cookies for the crust. As usual, sharing it, just taking a moment to sit back and enjoy with my friends, was the best part.

Peanut Butter Pie

8 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 - 3/4 cups milk
16 ounces heavy cream

(My crust was really thick, but I like it that way. Adjust accordingly)
24 chocolate sandwich cookies
1/4 melted butter

Crush cookies finely. Place in pie tin (or, like me, a 7x10 rectangle. Work with what you have.) Pour butter over the crumbs and stir until crumbs are evenly moistened. I took some crumbs and saved them for sprinkling on the top. Your call. Pat down into a dense layer with the back of a spoon, your hands, a cup, whatever. Set aside.

Beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon onto crust. Top with reserved crumbs if you wish. Freeze until firm.

Barcelona: To My Parents.

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:33:00 +0000

Sorry again for the short gap in posts. Last week was brutal, but things should return to normal now. I just returned from a wonderful trip to Barcelona, and I have something I'd like to say...

Thank you, mom and dad, for giving me the world. Without your love and support, I have no idea where I would be. Thank you for giving me the chance to travel for a whole semester, though it means maybe you won't get to take a trip of your own. Thank you for making sacrifices for me, for continuing to help me over the years even when I take it for granted (which is too often). I'm so incredibly grateful for everything you have done for me, and I have no idea how to convey that. No matter how heartfelt my words, or how artistic my pictures may be, it can't replace the experience of actually having you here. I try my best but it's just not adequate. But I'll keep trying anyway. Come and experience with me.

You would have loved the Parc Güell. Huge gardens intermingled with the bizarre and whimsical architecture of Gaudi. It was originally supposed to be a housing site, but no one really expressed interest in living there. Only Gaudi and his family ever resided in the park. A wonderful place to take a walk and slow down for a while.

Casa Batlló

The Sagrada Família is absolutely stunning and unlike any other church I've ever seen. Makes you just kind of want to lie on the floor and stare up for a while. I don't think I fully appreciated it when I was here five years ago. So much has changed!

I know you have a soft spot for sangria, dad, so you would have enjoyed this immensely. Sangria was everywhere in Barcelona, in varying degrees of quality, from something like the above picture with slices of lemon and orange in it, to this rather disgusting convenience store variety purchased for less than two euros.

Black pasta! Garlicky cuttlefish goodness.

Fresh coconut and pitahaya (dragon fruit) juice from La Boqueria

Mom, you would have loved La Boqueria. I could have spent hours wandering through, looking at all the amazing fruits and vegetables, chocolates, marzipans...the list goes on.

Spanish tortilla sandwich! So delicious <3

Tapas! Croquettes, patatas bravas, and sausages!

Mm, paella. That rice. So good.

And of course, the beach. I know how much you like walks on the beach. And I do too, even if I did squirm and complain as a child.

Someday, I'm going to give back to you. I promise.

Peanut Butter Fudge

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:26:00 +0000

Oy. Somehow I have three papers due by the end of the week. So much stress! I need to not freak out. But I'm so good at it. I used to be better. Which is not a good thing, being a pro at anxiety. It's been a long time since I cried because I was so overwhelmed by work. And I am not about to let that happen again.

Do not trust them when they say it is American Style. It is not,

When I was younger, as young as like, nine years old, I always had something to worry about. if I wasn't worrying, that was also a cause for worry, because it might have meant that I was forgetting something that I was supposed to be worrying about. But as a consequence I always did really, really well in school. Because not being the best at everything was another reason to worry. I avoided competition and team activities because of how much I worried about losing. Relying on other people was too much of a risk, for them and for me. Yeah, I am aware that isn't a very healthy mentality to have.

Is it worth it to sacrifice my sanity? No way. I learn in college to let go of some of my control issues. Not all of them (it's a work in progress). So I have to figure out how to strike a balance between uh, happiness and having friends and being a normal, functioning human being without feeling like I'm neglecting my work. Sometimes I don't know how to do that. Sometimes stress baking helps, and it helps a lot when it's something you can make in five minutes. Sometimes boiling sugar makes you feel more alive. Hooray for peanut butter fudge!

If all else fails, you can just listen to this guy over and over again.

Peanut Butter Fudge

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup peanut butter

Put sugar and milk in pan and bring to a boil. Boil two and a half minutes. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir just until mixed well.Pour into greased pan (the smaller the pan, the thicker the fudge will be. And 8x8 is pretty good). Cool and cut.

Clementine Beef

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:30:00 +0000

I haven't eaten or made anything especially interesting up until now, which is going to be my excuse for the lack of posting. I feel that I've been doing more impromptu socializing lately, which leaves less time for cooking elaborate things. And sleeping. But it's worth it to have those late night conversations, to visit somewhere new, do some wandering.

I bought a bag of clementines recently. Clementines are my winter/spring fruit that I eat obsessively (apples being the fall fruit and my true love, peaches, being the summer fruit). I usually have no issues eating all of them almost immediately, but this batch, for some reason, ended up being incredibly difficult to peel. So they sat in my room for a while, me glaring at them occasionally, willing their peels off. Hasn't worked out so far.

Since I've eaten all my lemon curd (don't judge), I decided to try my hand at a batch of clementine curd, which turned out very nice, but I still had too many clementines on hand. Unless someone felt like peeling them for me, I was not going to eat them. So I browsed and brainstormed. How else can I use these? And I came across a recipe for clementine beef! The juice and zest is combined with honey and soy sauce, the sweetness balanced out by the kick of chili flakes. You'll definitely enjoy this if you're a fan of orange beef.

Clementine Beef
adapted slightly from daisy's world

3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 pounds tri-tip, skirt or flank steak, cut in thin strips on the bias
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (I ended up using YR Sauce, which is quite similar to Worcester Sauce)
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 tsp crushed chili flakes
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1/3 cup freshly squeezed clementine juice 2 clementines, for zest
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, as needed
3-5 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the lite soy sauce and cornstarch. Add beef strips and mix well. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

To make the sauce, whisk the hoisin, honey, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, clementine juice, and the zest of one clementine until completely combined. Set aside.
In large pan or wok, heat oil on high and brown beef in small batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a platter. Set aside.
Add more oil in the pan, if necessary. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sauce mixture and cook until reduced and thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Add all the beef back into the pan and cook for about 1 minute. Add spinach (or other vegetables) and cook just until spinach is incorporated and beef is heated through. Season with freshly cracked black pepper.
Garnish with more clementine zest. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Lemon Curd

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 17:07:00 +0000

Guys. It's sunny. In Ireland. SUNNY. You can't see me (or maybe you can...?) but I'm basically jumping for joy right now. I don't like heat, but I LOVE the sun. Sometimes I swear that I photosynthesize. Y'know what, if I learned that I was part sunflower, I'd be okay with that. I hate being cooped up in a classroom when it's so glorious outside...but skipping all my classes to frolic around is probably frowned upon.

I don't want to write papers. There's so much of the world I still haven't seen! Heck, there's so much of Dublin I haven't seen. It's making me sad. I should be making the most of the incredible opportunity. I wish I could spend all day exploring the hidden places of the city with my friends, then go somewhere reeeally high up and watch the sunset over the city. And then do some stargazing, staying up too late talking about things that matter. Throw some ice cream in there somewhere and you have my perfect day.

I hope to get that perfect day before I leave, but for now, I'll make some lemon curd. If sunshine was a food, it would be this. It even tastes bright, and goes with pretty much everything. Used as a filling between layers of cake, slathered (I love that word) on a scone, or, as someone wisely suggested to me on my facespace page, mixed in with yogurt. Best idea. Mm. I'm in such a good mood right now I don't even know what to do with myself!

Lemon Curd

from Joy of Baking

3 large eggs

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (do not use the bottled lemon juice)

4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon (4 grams) finely shredded lemon zest

In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate for up to a week.

Kerry!

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 23:13:00 +0000

Hello, hello! I hope all of you had a splendid Easter. I spent mine in Southwest Ireland. It appears to me that Easter is far less commercialized in Ireland than it is in the United States. I saw nary a trace of Peeps or Reeses Eggs (my favorite. I had a dream about them). That's okay with me. If I had to choose...I would pick beautiful mountains and beaches over chocolate. Shocker, I know. Take a look, you'll see why.

This is part of the Ring of Kerry, a beautiful, circular path around the peninsula. Apparently there is a walking route as well. I would have loved to wander all day...

The tiny and adorable town of Dingle. Here we're out on the bay, hunting for Fungie the Dolphin! He is very mysterious, a solitary creature that appeared in 1984 and has been frequenting the bay ever since. Apparently he prefers humans to other dolphins, as he swam in between the boats for as long as we were on the water.

You may be asking yourself "what the heck is that monstrosity?" Well my friends, the answer is a deep fried Cadbury egg. Can't say I've ever eaten anything remotely similar, and I'm still undecided on whether or not it's an experience I'd care to repeat.

Inch Beach. I love an empty beach...stood in the sand for a while with my eyes closed blissfully and my face turned up to the sun.

And here it is folks, Slea Head. Dramatic and breathtaking and so much more than I could imagine. Spent some time running around the hills, getting blown around by the winds. That kind of exhilaration makes me feel like a little kid again.

Killarney National Park. No motor vehicles allowed. Our form of transportation was a horse drawn carriage! Somehow reminds me of parks back home in the Midwest, minus the mountains. Another place I would have loved to stroll through if I had more time.

That's all for now. I would highly, HIGHLY recommend a visit to the Southwest Peninsula if you're in Ireland. A place really bursting with life but somehow tranquil at the same time.

Daring Bakers! Chocolate Avocado Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:50:00 +0000

I'm struggling to find words for this post, for some reason. I guess it sort of mirrors my internal struggle of showing people that I care about them? If you've met me in person (or maybe you can just tell from my internet persona) you know that I'm not physically affectionate at all, and can initially come off as cold and standoffish. I admire from a distance those people who can dish out hugs like nobody's business, but that's not me. I basically need explicit permission from the other party for that sort of thing.

I even have a hard time verbally showing affection at times. I'm of the opinion that oftentimes people throw their words around too carelessly, causing them to lose meaning. There's rarely a time or place to stop a friend in the middle of whatever they're doing, look them dead in the eyes, and tell them how much you care about them without appearing either trite or creepy. I know that I over analyze most of what I say, oftentimes replaying conversations in my head and thinking about different ways that they could have turned out.

So I have two major ways to cope: writing and making food. Paradoxically, sitting in a room alone with a piece of paper or my computer in front of me frequently allows me to feel closer to people than if we were standing in the same room. There's more time to carefully choose my words, construct my messages. Words can build a person up or tear them down, and I really do try to use the gift I have been given responsibly and positively. Making food is less complicated. The simple act of bringing someone some cookies when they're least expecting it, or a loaf of bread when they're having a rough time, brings so much joy. I can't count the number of times I've seen someone's face light up when presented with food I made for them, for no reason other than the fact that I care about them. They'll say, "You made this for me?" or "You're sharing this cake? Giving it away just because?" Yep. But not just because. It's because I like you, I think you're an incredible person and you bring happiness to my life. If you're sitting here reading this, thinking, "She couldn't possibly be talking about me", well, you're wrong. I'm talking to all of you who have shared a meal with me, who have made me laugh or confided in me, indulged in my habit of watching craptastic sci-fi movies, shared your favorite songs and books...and eaten my food. Whether it be in person or through a recipe I've posted. Thank you for letting me share with you.

Ruth from Makey-Cakey was our March 2013 Daring Bakers’ challenge host. She encouraged us all to get experimental in the kitchen and sneak some hidden veggies into our baking, with surprising and delicious results!

For my Daring Bakers post, I knew pretty early on that I wanted to use avocados, because I love them dearly and I had to redeem myself after making a horrible avocado pie. Yeah, I know avocado isn't technically a vegetable, but neither are a lot of things considered veggies, such as peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, etc. This cake doesn't use avocado for flavor, but as a replacement for eggs and most of the fat. It's incredible, I've made it twice in the past few weeks, and absolutely no one thought there was anything weird about it.

Chocolate Avocado Cake

adapted from sugary & buttery

For the cake:
1 cup (120 g) flour
1/2 cu / 60 g ground almonds
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
100g dark chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch of salt
1 avocado, mashed
3/4 or 1 cup / 200 g brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup / 200 ml milk
For the glaze:
100 g dark chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons milk
1-2 teaspoons vanilla

I used a weird shaped pan, like a 7x10, but I think an 8-9 round or square would work fine too. Mix together the flour, almonds, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Then, heat up the milk in a sauce pan on medium heat and add the chopped dark chocolate, the sugar and the butter (or vegetable oil). When the chocolate is melted, pour the mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well. Now add the mashed avocado and the lemon juice.
Fill the batter in the greased cake form and bake on 180°C/350°F for about 25-30 minutes.
When the cake is done, take it out of the form and let it cool down. Then, flip it over on a plate to get the sharp edges of the cake bottom up - it makes the cake look nicer. For the glaze, heat the butter and the milk on medium heat and add the chopped dark chocolate. Once the chocolate is melted and the glaze is shiny and creamy, it's ready to go on the cake. Start in the middle of the cake and carefully push the glaze to the edges until it slightly runs down on the sides.

Spring Break Travels

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:59:00 +0000

Yo homies, it's been too long. It's nice to know that Dublin has become one of my homes. And yes, you can have many homes. Even certain people can function as home...it's being able to experience a certain level of comfort in its/their presence. So welcome home to me. Dublin greeted me with a torrential downpour so my super productive errands day was cut short, since I didn't want to spend more time walking around than I had to. But I ended up so wet that I could feel the water squishing inside my boots. Ew. Anyway, spring break.

This is the Cliffs of Moher near Galway in western Ireland. The weather was especially horrible, which is why it looks so gloomy. But it enhances the creepiness, which is appropriate, considering that this is where Harry and Dumbledore go to look for one of Voldemort's horcruxes. I, unfortunately, didn't find any horcruxes. Or even see a puffin!

Incredibly bizarre. Outside of Limerick, we (not my choice) made a stop in a tiny town of 300 called Moneygall, and the "ancestral home" of President Obama. We sat around in a bar completely covered in Obama memorabilia. Photos, videos, cardboard cutouts. Weird.

Yes! Pulled pork sandwiches in Scotland. I had mine with haggis and apple. Haggis is not as scary as people make it out to be. I mean, I wouldn't eat it all the time (it's kind of unhealthy) but it was pretty salty and tasty.

Edinburgh Castle. It looms over the city...today in more of a friendly way, but in the past I can imagine that it was pretty menacing. Edinburgh was a fairly violent place back in the day

Loch Ness! So beautiful, I couldn't stop smiling. I didn't spot Nessie...she was probably busy doing something important. You know how those lake monsters are.

Add caption

The St. Patrick's Day Parade! It was honestly the strangest parade I have ever attended. Why are Hawaiian shirts Irish? Every float was like this. It was kind of like a bunch of people sat around discussing their nightmares and weirdest dreams they've ever had and made them into a parade.

Pretty sure all I did in Budapest was eat. It's hard not to when everything is so cheap and delicious.

The view from Castle Hill. You can see the Széchenyi Chain Bridge and St. Stephen's Basilica off on the other side.

Climbed alllll the way up inside the tower of the Basilica. It was worth it for the amazing view.

The inside of the Basilica. I could stare at that ceiling all day.

Lángos! Deep fried bread with sour cream and cheese on it. Honestly, what's not to like?

Kürtőskalács, or, since that is impossible to pronounce, chimney cakes. I want to make them so much, it looks like an exciting challenge. But see? I told you all I did in Budapest was eat.

Hope you enjoyed these pictures. We will return to your regularly scheduled program shortly!

Spaghetti Carbonara

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:38:00 +0000

I'm not really sure why I rarely blog the "real" things I eat. I swear, I do eat things beside cake. Sometimes. I think part of it is that when I'm cooking, I'm feeling more "I'm hungry and I don't want to take pictures, I want to eat my dinner" rather than "Oh, what a fun break this is from doing homework". You dig?

And it's not even that I make really boring things for dinner. Some of the more notable meals have been pasta e fagioli, chicken tikka masala, pad thai, and pandan chicken. Oftentimes I even take pictures of my ingredients or process but I just forget to take a picture of the final dish. Or I just don't feel like it. Basically, I just suck, haha.

I've also made spaghetti carbonara before and not posted it, but this time I've made a concerted effort to bring it to you! It's an incredibly easy and tasty meal, and a good way to use up random bits of food from the fridge. Perfect for a college student.

Oh, by the way, today is the start of my spring break, woo! Or, as the Irish kids call it, reading week. I guess this is a period of study for them. For me, it's a period of almost interrupted travel! So I won't be able to post much/at all for the next week or two. But I promise you that when I come back, I'll have all sorts of stories to share. Wish me safe journeys!

Spaghetti Carbonara
adapted slightly from BBC Good Food
serves 2ish

50 grams chopped back bacon (what I used), ham, pancetta, Canadian bacon...not American bacon
50g grated Parmesan
1 large egg
175 grams spaghetti
1 crushed garlic clove
a bit of butter or olive oil for the pan

Cook your spaghetti according to directions on the package. Add a little salt to the water.
While the spaghetti is cooking, fry the meat with the garlic. Drop the butter into a large wide frying pan or wok and, as soon as the butter has melted, tip in the meat and garlic. Leave these to cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is golden and crisp.
Keep the heat under the meat on low.When the pasta is ready, drain it, but leave a bit of pasta water to thin the sauce. I only needed a few tablespoons. In your now empty spaghetti pot, throw the spaghetti back in, plus the bacon/garlic mixture, and the cheese.
Take the pan of spaghetti and meat off the heat. Now quickly crack the egg in, and using the tongs or a long fork, lift up the spaghetti so it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn't scramble, and everything is coated. Add extra pasta cooking water to keep it saucy (several tablespoons should do it). You don't want it wet, just moist. Season with a little salt, if needed.
Use a long-pronged fork to twist the pasta on to the serving plate or bowl. Serve immediately with a little sprinkling of the remaining cheese and a grating of black pepper. If the dish does get a little dry before serving, splash in some more hot pasta water and the glossy sauciness will be revived.

Belgium!

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:43:00 +0000

Sorry for taking so long to post this, I didn't get back until like, midnight on Sunday and I've been hardcore planning for my other upcoming trips! But I'm here now, and I'd love to share some moments from my trip to Belgium with you.

This is a Brussels waffle. There are two (well, three if you include stroopwafels) different types of waffle in Belgium - The Brussels waffle and the Liège waffle. The Brussels waffle is crispier and airier, and always rectangular. They're traditionally leavened with egg whites or yeast. The Liège waffles is denser and sweeter, almost like brioche. They have sugar inside and outside, which caramelizes as it bakes. I just sighed in happiness thinking about them!

Me proudly touching the ugliest tree in Leuven. Glad I can find weirdo things like this, haha.

Whatwhatwhat. Belgian McDonalds has MACARONS. So classy! I had the pistachio one and it was actually quite good. I wish American McDonalds had macarons.

World War II Memorial in Mechelen. Mechelen was a transit camp during the war, and over 25,000 Jewish people/other minorities were deported to Auschwitz and the Heydebreck-Cosel labor camp from Mechelen. Only 1240 of those 25000 survived the war. In the room pictured above, a cacophony of voices reads out the names of the 25000. Being surrounded by all of that sound was incredibly moving.

On a lighter note, this is the Grand Place in Brussels. Home to beautiful architecture and many delicious chocolate shops.

The Chocolate and Cacao Museum! This man gave a lesson in mostly French about how they make their chocolates. I loved learning more about the process, and getting to try all the different percentages of chocolate (on a side note, eating a small piece of cocoa butter is pleasantly weird).

So there's a small bit of my trip for you! Hope you enjoyed this glimpse. If any of you are traveling to any of the places I happen to go over the course of these months and want some more practical travel advice, I'd be happy to help!

Daring Bakers! - Rosemary Flatbreads

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:23:00 +0000

Sarah from All Our Fingers in the Pie was our February 2013 Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to use our creativity in making our own Crisp Flatbreads and Crackers!

At the beginning of the month, I was fully confident that I wouldn't be able to complete this challenge. Of course I wanted to – I had never made crackers or flatbread before. But it just wasn't feasible to do it in a toaster oven, and I didn't know anyone with a full sized oven. So I resigned myself to defeat and tried to think of new ways to combine chocolate, peanut butter, and oats into no bake cookies.

On my weekend in Northern Ireland, I found out that one of my friends had an oven, and that I could use it whenever I needed! I was really excited, but at the same time, didn't want to impose. Maybe it's silly, but I hate the thought of being a burden to someone. It's something I've always dealt with, though it's gotten better with time. I'm so glad I finally convinced myself that it was okay to go (my guilt assuaged by the fact that I was sharing my baked goods with her).

The flatbreads turned out great. Bread is one of my favorite things to make, and really, nothing can beat a warm piece fresh from the oven. The DB challenge basically gave us free reign to do what we wanted, but I was attracted to this simple flatbread, brushed with egg, salt, and rosemary. I have a feeling that with olive oil and oregano, this would make an awesome thin crust for a pizza. Maybe I'll have to try it out :)

Bring it on, Daring Bakers!


Look at that awesome bubble!!

Rosemary Flatbread

Ingredients:
1 cup (240 ml) warm water (about 110°F/43°C)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (2 ¾ gm) active dry yeast
3 cups (720 ml) (420 gm) (15 oz) all-purpose (plain) flour, plus more for rolling
3 tablespoons (45 ml) of extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) sugar
1 large egg whisked with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water, for egg wash
sea salt, for sprinkling
1/4 cup (60 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) fresh rosemary or thyme

Directions:
Place the water in a medium sized bowl and sprinkle the yeast. Let stand until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, oil, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and the sugar. Stir until a dough forms.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes. Use as much flour as necessary so it is not a sticky dough. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and roll the dough around in the bowl so that it is also lightly oiled on the surface. Cover with saran wrap. Let stand in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4. Divide dough into 16 equal portions and cover with plastic wrap. Roll out each piece to approximately 4"x10" (10cm x 26cm) on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with the egg mixture and sprinkle with sea salt and herbs.
Bake, rotating sheet halfway through baking, until crisp and golden, 18-22 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage and Freezing Instructions/Tips: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month. Prolong the freshness by freezing for up to 3 months.

No Bake Cookies + A Lovely Day

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:44:00 +0000

Arrrrgh, I am so upset I left my camera at home! Guys, today was so unexpectedly exciting! A few weeks back I bought a ticket to attend a lecture on Chinese cooking by Julie O'Neill of Shananigan's Blog. Julie's son and daughter and law live in China, so she has visited many times and has wonderful insight on the importance of food in Chinese family life. After desperately searching for a printer on campus to print off my ticket before hopping on a bus into town (This was a surprisingly difficult task. Also, way to save things til the last minute, Rebecca), I arrived at Cooks Academy. Wistfulness swept over me as I looked over the well stocked demonstration kitchen. I hadn't been able to afford the cooking class on my college student budget, but I was thankful that I at least could go to the lecture.

In other news...here's me being silly on a hill.

Imagine my surprise and pure elation when I found out that somehow, the cooking class and lecture has been combined, and I was going to get to make some Sichuan food! I couldn't stop smiling, and I kid you not, I was almost shaking with excitement. Call me crazy if you want, haha. I spent the next few hours in a spicy, ginger scented heaven, learning proper knife skills and attempting to make nicely pleated dumplings (and mostly failing. Hey, it's an art I haven't get mastered). One of the dishes we prepared is called Fish Fragrant Pork Shreds, and man, was it delicious. Fish fragrant does not mean smells like fish, by the way. I believe it's referring to a way to season fish. Anyway, here's Julie's take on the recipe, for those of you who would like to make it at home ^_^ I feel like I gained so much today, both in new skills and in insight about myself. I still have so much to learn and should never think too highly of myself, because there's always room for improvement.

So, the post I had planned pales in comparison to my exciting day. But I made some cookies yesterday that have many names, but one of them is possibly the most disgusting/amusing name I have ever heard for a food since Kitty Litter Cake (UGH.) - Gorilla Poops. Try and say that with a straight face. Imagine the possibilities for awkward misunderstandings with a name like Gorilla Poops! "Hey, I'm starving, I could go for some Gorilla Poops right about now", or "My mom makes the best Gorilla Poops!". Anyway, these are incredibly easy to make and not at all pooplike, I swear.

So maybe there's a slight resemblance?

No Bake Cookies, or if you prefer, Gorilla Poops
from Six Sisters' Stuff

Mix and bring to a boil:
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 T butter or shortening
- 2 T cocoa
- 1/2 cup milk
Cook for one minute

Take off burner and add:
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)

Mix well until peanut butter is dissolved.

Quickly add 2 cups of quick uncooked oatmeal and mix. Drop from spoon onto wax or foil paper. Let cool before eating.

Belfast and Derry

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 23:07:00 +0000

Hello! Just another non-recipe post about my Ireland adventures. Hope that's okay! If not...um, stop reading, I guess. I'll be back with the foodstuffs soon. Anyway, this past weekend I visited the somewhat mysterious to me land known as Northern Ireland. I went having a vague idea that it was a place filled with tension and divisions, but not much of an impression past that. Northern Ireland is so much more beautiful and complicated than I had ever imagined. Let me show you.

Monument on the Catholic/Irish Nationalist side of Derry. Even the name is controversial...loyalists call it Londonderry and nationalists call it Derry. You'll see roadsigns with the London scratched off and vice versa. To this day, the Protestants and Catholics live on opposite sides of the river.

A fairly traditional Irish breakfast. Finally got to try black pudding, which was...spicier than I expected. All in all, a delightful and calorie laden way to start the day. Huzzah!

The Giant's Causeway! Hexagonal basalt columns bursting out of the ground. It's an incredible place. Wish I could have stayed longer. If you're curious as to why it's called the Giant's Causeway, you can read the Irish legend here

Delicious lamb shank pie at The Crown Bar in Belfast. Meat fell right off the bone. Apparently Anthony Bourdain ate here, which is mildly interesting I suppose.

This is where the Titanic was built! I actually had no idea the Titanic was built in Belfast, or how massive it was. It's difficult to conceptualize that. Standing in the bottom made me feel so small. Also, could not stop humming this.

The peace wall in Belfast, and me writing a message on it. A wall that separates the Catholics and Protestants. Many believe they're still necessary because of potential violence. Nearby residences have cages over their back gardens to protect them from missiles and other projectiles. I hope that someday all of them can be taken down.

It was a truly eye-opening weekend.

Kaya

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:19:00 +0000

(I have a cold...so I'm currently writing my post like this):

Happy Pancake Day! For some reason, instead of Mardi Gras or Carnivale, in Ireland, they have Pancake Tuesday. Apparently this is a thing in many cultures, but I had no idea. If I had the means to make a King Cake (So gaudy! So beautiful!) I totally would be all over that, but unfortunately, not go. Unless I make a really tiny one...anyway, pancakes.

When they say pancakes in Ireland, they usually mean crepes or something similar. I do not consider that a pancake, but crepes definitely have their place! Also, I am not very good at making them. It's on my list. Pancakes are a very easy thing to make anywhere, since the ingredients are readily available and an oven is not required!

You might be wondering what all these weird pictures are and what the heck kaya is and how it is at all relevant. Well I'll tell you! I just like to ramble, that's all. Last week while wandering the Asian Market, I came across an ingredient I've been searching for for a very long time: pandan leaves. You better believe I snatched up those leaves as fast as I could. Mm, okay, I'm trying to figure out how to describe pandan. In many parts of southeast Asia, the leaves are used to add a wonderful aroma to both sweet and savory dishes. It's hard to describe the smell...simultaneously floral, piney, nutty...almost vanilla but not quite?

I wasn't feeling quite ambitious enough to tackle pandan crepes, but I realized that kaya would make an excellent topping for pancakes! Kaya is a coconut jam made with eggs, coconut, sugar, and pandan leaves. It has the consistency of lemon curd and is excellent spread on pretty much anything. Normally, kaya takes hours of constant stirring, but I found a recipe for quick kaya, and it turned out great. Pancakes slathered with butter and kaya made for a super rich, almost dessert like breakfast this morning. Try it out! If you can't find fresh pandan leaves, you can substitute something like this (but seriously, go on an ingredient adventure. Never know what you'll find!)

Quick Kaya

from Kitchen Tigress

6 tbsp sugar (90 g) If you want, you can use half palm sugar, half white sugar
200 ml undiluted fresh coconut milk
4 pandan leaves, cut in halves or third and knotted

4 egg yolks (make sure there's no egg white at all)

Cook 3 tbsp sugar in a pot over medium-high heat till light brown, swirling slowly. Reduce heat to low. Keep swirling till sugar is medium-brown. Add coconut milk (beware of steam), remaining 3 tbsp sugar and pandan leaves. Increase heat to high. Stir till sugar is melted and coconut milk is just starting to simmer gently. Turn off heat. Instead of caramelizing 3 tbsp white sugar, you could just put 45 g roughly chopped palm sugar in the pot, then add the coconut milk and 3 tbsp white sugar, and bring everything to a gentle simmer.

Slowly stir half of coconut milk into egg yolks. Next, pour all of egg mixture into remaining coconut milk in one go. Over medium-low heat, cook combined mixture till slightly thickened. Reduce heat to low. Continue stirring till mixture is thick enough to coat spoon thickly. Taste (ideally with a piece of bread) and add more sugar if necessary. Discard pandan leaves. Transfer to a bowl or bottle. Leave till completely cool. Cover and refrigerate. May be stored up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving if you want a softer, squidgy consistency.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:40:00 +0000

I am grateful for this internet age, where friends and family in any part of the world can hear about my travels and I'm able to keep up with what's going on at home. It eliminates a lot of culture shock transitions and homesickness. But right now, if my shift my eyes up from my computer to the bulletin board behind it, I'm greeted with letters and pictures from my loved ones. And there's almost nothing I cherish more than that.

I mean, someone cares enough about me to sit down, shut the computer and actually handwrite something to me (sometimes even draw a picture, haha). How neat is that? That's pretty neat.

Seriously, I really appreciate it. A physical, tangible reminder of a human connection. Can't get lost on the interwebs. These are what I'll remember years from now when I look back on this trip.

If I could mail you some peanut butter chocolate oat bars across the sea I would, but for now, make them for yourself and think about me! They're incredibly easy to whip up and are perfect to satisfy a raging chocolate craving that comes out of nowhere around 8 pm. Not that I'd know anything about that....

Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Bars

1 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup peanut butter

(side note - I didn't use these exact measurements. Cups aren't a measurement here, everything is done by weight. Which is so much more accurate! So I messed around with my scale and tried to figure out how much each of these would weigh. Anyway, carry on)

Grease a 9x9 inch square pan.
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and vanilla. Mix in the oats. Cook over low heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until ingredients are well blended. Press half of mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Reserve the other half for topping.
Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture over the crust in the pan, and spread evenly with a knife or the back of a spoon.
Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate layer, pressing in gently. Cover, and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before cutting into bars.

Cork!

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:21:00 +0000

Man, I've seriously got to get baking. I just ate like, straight nutella. Not something I usually make a habit of doing. I'm trapped in this (not so vicious) cycle of being like, hey, I want to bake, aw man, don't really have enough baking chocolate, do I, oh well, I guess I'll just eat the chocolate...no! Ain't makin' no sense. Anyway. I'll try and post an actual recipe for you soon.

I spent this past weekend in Cork County. It was lovely to get to see a bit more of Ireland. Here are a few of my highlights.

My delicious toasted ham and cheese!

I seriously could have spent all day in the English Market in Cork City. So many beautiful, fresh ingredients. I would have loved to take some meat back with me to Dublin, but in practice, that would have been a terrible idea. Sigh.

This is Mizen Head, the most southwestern point in Ireland. Probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. One of my roommates described being there as almost a religious experience, and I'd have to agree. Hard to put into words, you know? Another place I would have liked to stay for a long period of time. I would love waking up and being able to go outside and just write and contemplate with this landscape greeting me.

SUCH delicious hot chocolate at Jo's Cafe in Kinsale. Barely sweet and made with fresh milk and pure chocolate. That's it. Also, I love how there's unsweetened cream on so many things here.

Warm Fish Chili Salad at Fishy Fishy Cafe, also in Kinsale. Love that name! I immediately knew that I wanted to splurge on a meal here. I haven't had a lot of fresh fish in Ireland, and this place was well known for it. The chef actually worked at the Huntington Hotel in San Francisco for a while, which is where I stayed this summer. Coincidence! Anyway, this meal was great not only because the fish was cooked to perfection and balanced out really well with the sweet chili sauce, but because I got to have a quiet, relaxing meal with my roommate, spent getting to know each other a bit better.

Yeah, I kissed the dang rock. I don't think my "gab" is any better than it ever was, but you'll have to let me know.

Daring Bakers - Speculaas!

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 21:47:00 +0000

Francijn of Koken in de Brouwerij was our January 2013 Daring Bakers’ Hostess and she challenged us to make the traditional Dutch pastry, Gevulde Speculaas from scratch! That includes making our own spice mix, almond paste and dough! Delicious!

Since nothing is ever open on campus on Sundays anyway, I decided to find a cafe in town settle down and do some reading in. Y'know, cup of tea, some Charles Dickens, typical day in my classy, classy life. I hopped off the bus and wandered into Fixx (they make beautiful latte art, by the way), reveling in the rare opportunity to have the sun shine so bright I had to squint.


Apologies for the bad phone pictures.

The day was so full of possibility! The whole city was at my disposal. But then...the cloudless sky mysteriously disappeared and down came the rain. I hunched over, hands in my pockets. It was bound to pass soon. But it just came harder. And harder. I ran, looking desperately for shelter. Anywhere would do. I finally spotted a SPAR and burst inside. One of the guys working there looked at me with pity and handed me some paper towels, but they weren't enough to even dry my sleeve. I squeezed my hair out on the floormat, ordered a steamer from their coffee stand, and sat down with a stack of napkins, trying in vain to dry myself out.

The rain finally let up enough for me to escape to the bus stop and finally get home, but I learned to never go out in Dublin without being prepared for any sort of weather. Thanks to the workers at SPAR for being so kind to me. I love Irish people.

This was one of the last recipes I made before I left the US for my extended stay in Ireland. I loved that it was unique and new to me but still easy enough to pull off in a short amount of time. Homemade almond paste is sandwiched between layers of spicy speculaas. Nom. I hope I can get creative enough to participate in the next challenge even though I don't have an oven. When there's a will, there's a way.

Speculaas

Recipe Speculaas Spices
Speculaas spices can be bought in a store. But it's more fun to make your own mixture, so that you can adjust the flavor. Here is a representative recipe from the extensive Dutch tradition.
Mandatory:
cinnamon 40 to 60 % of the total amount
ground cloves 1 or 2 parts
mace ½ or 1 part
ginger ½ or 1 part
Optional:
white pepper ½ or 1 part
cardamom ½ or 1 part
coriander ½ or 1 part
anise ½ or 1 part
nutmeg 1 or 2 parts
A convenient way to mix the spices is as follows:
Take at least 1 or 2 teaspoons of ground cloves, ½ or 1 teaspoon of mace and ½ or 1 teaspoon of ginger.
Add to taste ½ or 1 teaspoon of white pepper, ½ or 1 teaspoon of cardamom, ½ or 1 teaspoon of coriander, ½ or 1 teaspoon of anise, and 1 or 2 teaspoons of nutmeg. Measure or weigh the amount of spices you have now, and add an equal amount of cinnamon.

Recipe Almond Paste
As we are going to make stuffed speculaas, we will need almond paste. You can buy it in a store, but homemade almond paste tastes better.
Ingredients:
7/8 cup (210 ml)(125 gm)(4½ oz) raw almonds (or 1-1/3 cups (320 ml)(125 gm) (4½ oz) ground almonds)
5/8 cup (150 ml) (125 grams) (4½ oz) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (3 gm) lemon zest

If the raw almonds still have their brown skins, remove them as follows (totally didn't do this, oops!). Bring water to a boil, add the almonds, cook them for one minute, drain immediately and let cool for a few minutes. Rub them between your fingers to remove the skins.
Grind the almonds for one or two minutes in a food processor, until you see nothing but very small pieces. (Or skip this step if you use ground almonds.)
Add the sugar, and grind for another one or two minutes. It must be very fine after this step.
Add the egg and let the food processor combine it - if it is powerful enough. Otherwise you will have to combine it with your fingers.
Store the almond paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Although the flavor gets better as days pass by, it is not wise to store the paste for too long, as it contains a raw egg. For the same reason you should not eat the paste unbaked.

Recipe Speculaas Dough
Ingredients:
1¾ cups (250 gm) (9 oz) all purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) baking powder
¾ cup (150 grams) (5-1/3 oz) brown sugar, firmly packed
a pinch salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) speculaas spices
3/4 cup (1½ stick) (175 gm) (6 oz) unsalted butter

Directions:
Put flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl.
Cut the butter in dices and add.
Knead until smooth.
Feel free to add a little milk if the dough is too dry.
Wrap in clingfoil and put in the refrigerator for two hours.
You can choose to make the dough a few days in advance, just like the almond paste, that will benefit the flavor. Freezing is no problem.

Assembly
1. Grease the pan (I used a 9x9).
2. Preheat the oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas 4
3. Divide the dough into two portions.
4. Roll out both portions on a lightly floured surface, until they are exactly as big as the baking pan.
5. Put one of the layers in the pan and press it lightly to fill the bottom.
6. Lightly beat the egg with a teaspoon cold water.
7. Smear 1/3 of the egg over the dough in the pan.
8. Roll out the almond paste between two sheets of clingfoil, until it is exactly as big as the pan, and put it on the dough in the pan. (If you chose to make the paste soft, you can smear the paste instead of rolling it.)
9. Press the paste lightly down to fit in the pan, and smear the next 1/3 of the egg over it.
10. Now put the second layer of dough on top of the paste, press it lightly, and make as smooth as possible.
11. Smear the last 1/3 of the egg over the dough.
12. Decorate the pastry with the almonds.
13. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven.
14. Let cool completely in the pan, then cut it in portions as you like.

Oreo Truffles

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 16:07:00 +0000

Life is moving so fast and I almost feel like I'm having a difficult time keeping up, but in a way I've never really experienced before. Every day there is a new party downtown, or an international student event, or day trip. I've been trying my best to attend everything I can, sort of against my nature. Today I started to feel it get to me.

I've spent the last week or so walking through the constant drizzle (my attempts to avoid puddles futile) to classes, the bus stop, friends' apartments...back and forth. I've enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, I'm just not used to it. My incredibly strong sense of introversion causes me to tire out in social situations at a faster rate than many other people. But instead of retreating to my room like I normally would when I feel that I've had enough, I've been forcing myself to stay out, sacrificing my alone time, but other things like proper nutrition as well (promise I'm getting back on track).

Today, even though I still have the feeling that I let my friends down, I decided not to go into the city to visit museums. It sounded like my ideal sort of day, but I knew that if I went I would be doing my body and mind a disservice. My anxiety was beginning to bubble up, and I couldn't let that control me. I'm currently sitting in my kitchen with a pot of pasta e fagioli simmering on the stove behind me. My mind is at ease. I think I made a good call.

I made these oreo truffles in a spare moment during the week. They really do only take minutes to prepare, and they're surprisingly awesome. I can see myself making them again soon.

Oreo Truffles

36 Oreos or something similar

8 oz cream cheese

16 oz melted semisweet chocolate

If you have a food processor, pull it out and grind the Oreos until they become find crumbs. Otherwise, crush them by hand. Mix in the cream cheese until no white streaks remain. Roll the mixture into balls. I froze mine on a foil lined baking sheet before dipping in chocolate, but it's your call. Dip each ball into the melted chocolate and place on parchment or foil lined sheet. Refrigerate until firm.

Rice Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 21:13:00 +0000

Whew, what a week. From pub crawling to shivering on the beaches of Bray, I have been going out of my way to be much more social than is typical of me. Meeting new people from all over the world is fantastic, but I accidentally slept for 12 hours Saturday night, which I guess was my body's way of telling me to reign it in a bit? But there's no time for that! Classes have just begun, and next weekend I'll be taking a weekend trip to Cork (by the way, can we pause and think about how it's almost February? Sheesh). Time flies, and I have to do my best to keep up!

This is Wicklow Jail. It was cold and kinda spooky.

I've been surprisingly less homesick than I thought I would. Being able to Skype, facebook chat, and use Google Hangouts to make phone calls has been really helpful. It's kind of astounding that only 5 years ago I went to Europe and was totally fine without internet access, and the only way to call home was with a phone card that may or may not work with the temperamental Italian telephone at the front desk of a hotel.

One thing I do miss? The oven. Oh man, I really, really do. But I'm trying my best here. The other night I made some rice pudding to relax. It turned out suuuuuper thick and creamy, which I attribute to the use of a bit of Irish cream. Country of magical dairy. This pudding is only slightly sweet, and best eaten hot, since when refrigerated, it becomes a solid chunk. Still delicious as a late night snack though!

Rice Pudding

580ml milk ( I used a mixture of milk and cream)
1 tsp vanilla paste (or extract, or a bean, whatever you have)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sugar
4 tbs basmati rice
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

In a pan, heat the milk. As the milk heats, split down in the middle vanilla pod, scrape the seeds and add to the warming milk. Just as the milk comes to the boil, turn off the heat.
In a large, wide saucepan, melt butter with sugar. As soon as the butter is melted and bubbling, add the rice and stir for 1 minute. Begin adding the milk to the rice, one ladle full at a time. Cook over medium-low heat, being careful not to scorch the rice. Stir constantly. As the milk is absorbed, add another ladle full of milk and continue cooking the rice, continue with adding milk.
After about 20-25 minutes, taste the rice. If it’s plump and soft, then you know it’s cooked. If not, continue adding milk and cooking until the rice is done. If you need more milk, warm up some more, sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve hot.

First Impressions...

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:59:00 +0000

Hello friends. It has been a long, long ten days since I have last spoken to all of you lovely people. I have since arrived in Dublin, and spent the past week going on all sorts of adventures with my mom.

I love my moooom!

Would you like to see some other pictures? Yes? If you insist.

Pretty, right? I love Dublin so far. People are incredibly friendly, helpful, and have a really dry sense of humor, which I can totally roll with. I'd almost call the city cozy. I already have found some favorite places and little shops, like the Chester Beatty Library, Avoca, and Queen of Tarts.
I am enamored with the food...fluffy scones with clotted cream, milky cups of tea...more scones. We'll talk about scones more in a second. Let me show you where I'm living:


Sorry for the mess, I'm still getting settled.

Nice, right? Everything is brand new. But do you notice anything about the kitchen? Like...the lack of OVEN? That's right guys...the baker has no oven. Sigh. Double sigh. I know I can survive, but I can't make any meals except on the stovetop, and...no cakes, no cookies, bars, breads...no scones. I can't try and perfect my Irish scone! I'm sad, I won't lie about that. But I'll obviously make due. I'll just have to be a little more creative. If any of you have recipes for no bake desserts, I'd love to have them, seriously, leave them in the comments.

This'll be an interesting semester.

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 22:17:00 +0000

Oh my gosh guys, I'm almost there. Almost in Dublin. And alternating between incredibly nervous and incredibly excited. Hopefully the nerves will subside. It's just that...having to say those last goodbyes to friends, packing up all my clothes into two gallon ziploc bags (and body-slamming all the air out of them), looking around my kitchen and knowing that soon enough, I will have none of the convenience I'm used to...things are real.

What if I get to Ireland and my kitchen is a disaster? What if I'm suuuuuuper awkward around new people and everyone is like "Nah, I'll pass on talking to that one". What if I get sad and I want to talk to someone from home but it's the middle of the night there? Breathe. It will be okay. Hopefully it will be not just okay, but fantastic.

I made these for a get together my sister had a few days after Christmas. I was not present (I was at Les Mis with my parents, and did not shed a single tear. Perhaps there is something wrong with me) for their reception, but I think it was a positive one. I've been wanting to try this recipe forever, and well, this seemed like as good an occasion as any. Sweet, buttery caramel is paired with sea salt to create an intriguing and incredibly awesome cupcake. I decided to go without the filling and the caramel halos cause I was running low on sugar and time, but feel free to go for it if you're feeling brave :)

Salted Caramel Cupcakes
from Sprinkle Bakes

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with papers. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Cream butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add vanilla. Mix and scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about halfway full. Bake for about 25 minutes. When done, transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick salted butter
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth. Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable.

In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel. Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes). Mixture should be ready to use without refrigeration. If your caramel was too hot when added, it will cause your icing to be runny. If this happens refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Daring Bakers - Panettone!

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 16:49:00 +0000

The December 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by the talented Marcellina of Marcellina in Cucina. Marcellina challenged us to create our own custom Panettone, a traditional Italian holiday bread!

Oy, I almost forgot to post this, which would have been a shame, because a lot of work went into it! It hit me last night, but I was tooooo tired. All this lounging, you know, it's a lot of work.

I kind of internally cringed when I heard the challenge this month was Panettone (which I have an incredibly difficult time spelling, by the way). To me, it's basically a small step up from fruitcake in terms of deliciousness, fruitcake being at all bottom of the hierarchy of baked goods. I. Do. Not. Like. Dead. Fruit. Unless it's in the hands of Ned the Piemaker (swoon)

Chocolate and nuts is more my speed. So instead of candied citrus I used almonds, hazelnuts, and chocolate. Oh yeah. It's still not my favorite thing in the world, but I really enjoyed making this bread and have a greater appreciation for the work that goes into it. Know that this is not something you can whip up on a whim...it takes planning and many hours. PS: There's an optional almondy topping you can make, but I decided to go without, and use the extra egg whites to make these gluten free cookies for my sister. Everyone wins.

Chocolate and Nut Panettone (makes two large)

Ingredients
Sponge
1 satchel (2¼ teaspoons) (7 gm) active dry yeast
1/3 cup (80 ml) warm water
½ cup (70 gm) unbleached all purpose flour
First Dough
1 satchel (2¼ teaspoons) (7 gm) active dry yeast
3 tablespoons (45 ml) warm water
2 large eggs, at room temp
1¼ cup (175 gm) unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour
¼ cup (55 gm) (2 oz) sugar
½ cup (1 stick) (115 gm) unsalted butter, at room temp
Second dough
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
2/3 cup (150 gm) (5-2/3 oz) sugar
3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) salt
1 cup (2 sticks) (225 gm) unsalted butter, at room temp
3 cups (420 gm) (15 oz) unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour; plus up to (2/3 cup) 100 gm for kneading
Filling and final dough
1½ cups (250 gm) (9 oz) almonds and hazelnuts, chopped and toasted
½ cup (75 gm) (2-2/3 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
2 to 3 tablespoons (30-45 ml) (15-25 gm) unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour

Sponge

Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl and allow to stand until creamy. That’s about 10 minutes or so. Mix in the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to double in size, about 20-30 minutes.

First Dough
By hand:

Mix the yeast and water in a large bowl and allow to stand until creamy. Again, about 10 minutes or so
Mix in the sponge and beat well with a wooden spoon
Stir in the eggs, flour and sugar.
Mix in the butter well
This should only take about 5 – 6 minutes
Cover with plastic wrap and allow double in size, about 1 – 1 ¼ hours

By Mixer:

In the mixer bowl, mix together the yeast and water and allow to stand until creamy. Again, about 10 minutes or so
With the paddle attached mix in the sponge, eggs, flour, and sugar.
Add in the butter and mix for 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and even. Cover with plastic wrap and allow double in size, about 1 – 1 ¼ hours

Second dough
By Hand:

Be sure to have your dough in a large bowl as above.
With a wooden spoon mix in eggs, egg yolk, sugar, honey, vanilla, essences/extracts and salt.
Mix in the butter.
Then add the flour. Stir until smooth.
At this stage the dough will seem a little too soft, like cookie dough.
Turn it out and knead it on a well-floured surface until it sort of holds its shape. Don’t knead in too much flour but you may need as much as 2/3 cup (100 gm). Be careful the excess flour will affect the finished product.

By Mixer:

With the paddle mix in thoroughly the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, honey, vanilla, essences/extracts, and salt.
Mix in the butter until smooth.
Add the flour and slowly incorporate.
At this stage the dough will seem a little too soft, like cookie dough.
Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead for about 2 minutes. Turn out the dough and knead it on a well-floured surface until it sort of holds its shape.
Don’t knead in too much flour but you may need as much as 2/3 cup (100 gm). Be careful the excess flour will affect the finished product.

First Rise

Oil a large bowl lightly, plop in your dough and cover with plastic wrap
Now we need to let it rise until it has tripled in size. There are two ways to go about this.

Rise in a warm place for 2 – 4 hours
Or find a cool spot (64°F -68°F) (18°C – 20°C) and rise overnight
Or rise for 2 hours on your kitchen bench then slow the rise down and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Filling and Final Rise:

Combine all filling ingredients and mix well.
Divide dough in half and press out one portion into an oval shape
Sprinkle 1/4 of the filling over the dough and roll up into a log
Press out again into an oval shape and sprinkle over another quarter of the filling
Roll into a log shape again.
Repeat with the second portion of dough
Shape each into a ball and slip into your prepared pans, panettone papers or homemade panettone papers.
Cut an X into the top of each panettone and allow to double in size.
Rising time will vary according to method of first rise. If it has been in the refrigerator it could take 4 hours or more. If it has been rising on the kitchen bench in a warm place it should be doubled in about 2 hours.

Baking

When you think your dough has only about 30 minutes left to rise preheat your oven to moderately hot 400°F/200°C/gas mark 6 and adjust your oven racks
Just before baking carefully (don’t deflate it!) cut the X into the dough again and place in a knob of butter.
Place your panettone in the oven and bake for 10 minutes
Reduce the heat to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4 and bake for another 10 minutes
Reduce the heat again to moderate 325°F/160°C/gas mark 3 and bake for 30 minutes until the tops are well browned and a skewer inserted into the panettone comes out clean.
Cooling your panettone is also important. If you have use papers (commercial or homemade) lie your panettone on their side cushioned with rolled up towels. Turn gently as they cool. If you have used pans cool in the pans for 30 minutes then remove and cushion with towels.
Panettone can also be cooled suspended. How to do this? Firstly you need to use papers (commercial or homemade), insert clean knitting needles into the bottom of the panettone in a X shape. Flip over and support the knitting needles on the edges of a large saucepan with the panettone suspended within the saucepan. Yep, a lot of trouble and I didn’t really find that much difference – maybe I took too long to insert the needles.

OPTIONAL!

Almond Glaze for Panettone

Ingredients
1 cup (140 gm) (5 oz) whole blanched almonds
1 cup (125 gm) (4 ½ oz) confectioners' (icing) sugar
2 tablespoons (18 gm) (2/3 oz) whole wheat flour
3 large egg whites
3 tablespoons (45 ml) good quality extra virgin olive oil
Few drops of almond essence, to your taste
Pearl sugar, flaked almonds or course sugar to decorate
During the final rise, prepare the almond glaze. Process almond, confectioners’ sugar and flour until the nuts are finely chopped and well blended. Mix in the egg whites, oil and essence. Process to combine. It is meant to be thick and glue like. All is well! When the panettone are well risen carefully spread half the mixture over the top. Don’t worry about spreading it to the edges, in fact keep well away from the edges because the glaze will melt and spread. Bake as per the panettone recipe above.

Zuccotto

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 23:02:00 +0000

Merry Christmas, friends! I hope your holidays have been filled with love and family and relaxation and delicious foods. I've basically been on a rotation of sleeping, reading, playing this game, and eating. We did our Italian, scaled down version of Feast of the Seven Fishes last night, and it was quite tasty. Lobster and clams are kind of a rarity in the midwest.

A while back OXO sent me some strange tiny measuring beakers for small amounts of liquids. I've been deliberating about how to use them for a while, and then remembered thatI've been wanting to make this super cute dessert called Zuccotto for a while. Zuccotto means little pumpkin in Italian, which is adorable, and it's traditionally a chilled, hemispherical dealie made with cake, ice cream, and brandy. The version I found used pound cake, chocolate, amaretto, and almond whipped cream, which is a is a little more my speed. The amaretto and almond extract were perfect in my measuring beakers, and made me feel like I was doing science things instead of just baking.

It turned out beautiful, like a little, perfect cake igloo! D'aw. It was a little too boozy for my tastes, but delicious nonetheless.

But I've gotta go. It's time to eat more food! And then maybe take a nap.

Zuccotto
From Baked Bree

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) pound cake (you can make one or buy one, no judging)
1/4 cup amaretto
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds (toasted)
cocoa powder for dusting

Coat a large bowl (1 1/2 quarts) with cooking spray. Cover the cooking spray with plastic wrap and let the wrap hang over the edges. Slice the pound cake into thin slices, and cover the bowl with the pound cake. Save some slices for the top. Brush the cake with amaretto.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Let cool.
Meanwhile, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until thickened. Fold half of the cream into the chocolate mixture.
Spread the chocolate mixture on top of the pound cake.
Add the sliced almonds and almond extract to the remaining whipped cream. Fold gently until combined.
Add the almond whipped cream on top of the chocolate mixture.
Cover the top of the zuccotto with the remaining pound cake slices.
Chill for 3 hours, or overnight. Unmold onto a cake plate or platter.
Dust with cocoa powder and slice.

Pretzel Bunnies

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 01:34:00 +0000

I'm moving out.

It makes me a little panicky to see empty space in the corner where my futon was, to see my life neatly (well, maybe not so neatly) packed up into boxes. New chapter's beginning soon. Just have to get through this darn accounting final first. If you need someone to do a balance sheet or income statement for you...I'm your gal. Y'know, if you're not into letting professionals handle that sort of thing for you.

Some of my friends who had been away all semester stopped by on Saturday, and it just felt so right to have them back. Telling amazing stories about their experiences, discussing everything from Nicaraguan government to Cabin in the Woods.
I missed these late nights. But as soon as everyone returns, I'll be gone. But I can't miss my own adventures because I'm too busy thinking about the ones happening at home.

If I was a better storyteller, I'd be able to find a way to connect these pretzel bunnies with the above ideas. But...not quite there yet. But these cute lil' buns are a great way to use up that last egg, that bit of flour, you get the idea.

I'll be back home, baking up a storm for the next couple weeks. But after that, changes are coming. I'm getting closer to coming to terms with the fact that this is real.

Pretzel Bunnies
by Kirbie's Cravings

3/4 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoons salt
1 1/8 tsp active dry yeast
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 ounce unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup baking soda
1 egg yolk

1. Combine the warm water, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Add the flour and butter and using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl, and place the dough in a glass bowl oiled with vegetable oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
2. Take a chunk of dough about the size of a ping pong ball and roll into an oval shape. Repeat with remaining dough.
3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Using a large sauce pan, fill with water. Bring the water to a boil and add the baking soda.
4. Place the pretzels into the boiling water for 30 seconds, a few at a time. Make sure to gently place in and don't let the dough roll around too much in order to preserve the oval shape and so the dough doesn't get too wrinkled or bubbled. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Place pretzels on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat mat.
5. Using kitchen shears, cut two ears. Beat one egg yolk. Brush the top of each pretzel bunny with the beaten egg yolk. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 8 minutes. Add eyes with edible marker or food coloring after pretzels have cooled.