Birds & Brownies

Caramel Apple Snack Cake

2012-08-05T19:08:00.001-04:00

This is one of my favorite cakes for several reasons:

1) It's easy. Really easy.

2) The recipe is so weird. I like weird.

3) It is actually quite healthy (comparatively, anyway)

4) Most importantly, it's SOOOO delicious!

I could eat this whole cake in one sitting.

Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I have eaten about half of it in one sitting before.

No judging.

But seriously, this cake is fabulous, and I don't feel at all bad about eating it because it's mostly just apples and whole wheat flour (okay, and a little sugar). It's perfect for autumn, but I'll take it any time of the year!

Start by peeling and chopping two apples into 1/2 inch pieces. I like a slightly tart apple such as Granny Smith or Braeburn, but any variety will do.

To the apples, add one cup of sugar. Then just let that sit for a while and get all juicy and delicious while you mix up the rest of the cake ingredients.

Into another bowl goes one cup of flour. I like to use whole wheat pastry flour, but you can use white flour, or a combination of both. If you're really adventurous, go grind your own flour like my dad does! It's amazing to think how much we take for granted - like how much work goes into grinding the grain for one cup of flour.

To the flour, add one teaspoon of baking soda...

...one teaspoon of cinnamon...

...and a quarter teaspoon of salt.

Please excuse the blurry picture - photography isn't as easy as it seems!

Mix up your dry ingredients well, and then stir them into the apples. It's going to be very thick and sticky.

Then, whisk an egg, pour it over top, and mix it well. Right now, the batter looks like a lumpy, gluey, unattractive mess. But trust me. It's going to bake up just fine.

Scrape your very strange looking batter into a greased 8"x8" or 7"x9" dish, smoothing out the top so that it's even. This is very important because it will not really spread out when baking.

Pop it into a 375 degree oven and let it bake for 30 minutes or so.

While the cake is baking, let's move on to the real star of this circus - the caramel glaze icing!

Into a saucepan, over medium heat, goes 1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup).

Let's stop and think about this for a second. This is the ONLY fat in the whole cake. A quarter cup. That's pretty crazy! I mean, I'm not Paula Deen or anything, but I appreciate the role fats - and especially butter - have in baking. Such a small amount is kind of strange.

But it works, fantastically, and I'm not one to complain at a recipe that's a little healthier!

Add a cup of brown sugar. Brown sugar, in case you're interested, gets its distinct color and texture from molasses, which is either left in the sugar (it has not been fully refined), or is added back into refined white sugar. I like brown sugar because it has that slightly richer, nutty taste that comes from the molasses, and because it adds a touch more moisture to baked goods.

Add three tablespoons of flour. This is to help the glaze icing thicken to the perfect consistency.

Next comes a half teaspoon of salt, to add depth of flavor...

...and finally, a cup of water. Whisk all the ingredients until they are well combined, and continue to stir occasionally as the mixture heats. Cook it until it gets thick and begins to simmer, and then remove it from the heat.

Once you've taken it off the heat, add a teaspoon of that deliciously ubiquitous flavoring, vanilla. Mmmm, vanilla. Did you know that vanilla beans grow on an orchid plant?

I'm just full of interesting facts today.

By this time, your cake should be done. Doesn't it look about a million and three times better now than it did before it was baked?

Now, pour your hot glaze icing all over the cake. It's going to seep down the sides and into all the little pores and turn this cake into something out of this world.

Holy shnikeys!, as my sister would say.

Before you ask, I have absolutely no clue what a shnikey is.

As tempting as it might be to eat this right now, you should really wait until the glaze icing is set. It will firm up at room temperature, but the process is greatly sped up if you refrigerate it for about an hour.

And that, my friends, is some fiiiine cake. Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Snack Cake

Cake

2 c. chopped apples

1 c. sugar

1 c. white or whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

Glaze Icing

1/2 stick (1/4 c.) butter

1 c. brown sugar

3 Tbl. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. water

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix chopped apples and sugar together, let stand until juice forms. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix into the apples. Add beaten egg and pour into a greased 8"x8" or 7"x9" baking dish. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

While cake is baking, combine butter, brown sugar, flour, salt, and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until well combined, and continue to stir occasionally as it heats. Continue heating until mixture is thick and beginning to simmer. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Pour hot glaze over cake as soon as it is removed from the oven. Refrigerate for at least an hour to set the icing. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

If you liked this post, you'll also enjoy Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bourbon Sauce

Super Secret Spice Mix

2012-07-21T13:00:00.001-04:00

What do you think of the fancy new blog design? I'm pretty happy with it. So I celebrated by eating WAY too much bread, dipped in some olive oil and my super secret spice mix. I was going to call this my super simple secret spice mix, but I thought that might be a little too much alliteration, even for me!

No matter what you call it, this is probably my favorite mix of spices to use on anything from meat, vegetables, eggs, or - my favorite - as a dipping sauce for crusty bread. It's reminiscent of Italian seasoning, but has some other flavors too.

Perhaps it has been a secret until now, but I'm prepared to share my recipe with you lovely folks. Because, really, just look at that picture. Doesn't it make you hungry?

Also, it's very, very easy. Just dump some spices together, and voila! A versatile spice mix has magically appeared. Yum!

Here are the spices I use: salt, oregano, basil, black pepper, parsley, sage, thyme, red pepper flakes, dill, and nutmeg. Quite a collection, don't you think?

If you want to use it as a dipping oil, just put some of the spice mix in a small bowl and pour a good quality olive oil on top. Perfection!

Super Secret Spice Mix

1 T. dried oregano

2 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. dried rubbed sage

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/8 tsp. dried dill weed

pinch nutmeg

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

If you enjoyed this post, you'll also like Perfect Pesto.

Blueberry Tart

2012-07-07T22:02:00.000-04:00

I have this lovely friend. Her name is Emily, and we've known each other since we were six. Now, Em has many, many talents - so many I surely couldn't name them all - but cooking is really not one of them. To her immense credit, though, she's been working on it. She even made muffins from scratch all by herself the other day. I was so proud! :)

Anyway, she was hanging out with me the other day, and so I decided we'd kill two birds with one stone: she could learn how to make a tart, and I would get an assistant. Sounds perfect!

What's really perfect, though, is this tart. It's like a blueberry pie, with all of the goodness of a pie but the elegance of a tart. And it has a secret, too - a few pieces of sweet peach hiding in all those gorgeous blueberries. Along with some ice cream, it makes the perfect cozy summer dessert.

I know I have quite a few posts about tarts, and you might be thinking, "Bird Girl, tarts are way too hard for me!" But now you have no excuse, because if Emily, who finds French Toast a bit on the difficult side, can whip up one with no problems, then you can too!

Blog friends, this is Emily. I told you she was lovely! Say hi. "Hi Emily!"

Emily, these are my faithful readers. They're lovely, too :) "Hi faithful readers!"

Introductions over? Good. Let's bake a tart!

First, we make a tart shell. We've made them before, so I won't post all the steps again. You can use whichever recipe you like, but my personal favorite is my Whole Wheat Tart Shell, which you can find here.

Prebake the tart shell at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until it just starts to firm up, then set aside while you make the filling and crumble topping.

Ah, now is the season for fresh, plump, sweet-tart blueberries. But perhaps you're making this in the winter? In that case, frozen blueberries work just as well. You'll need three heaping cups.

Now for the peaches. Peel and slice up two medium to large, ripe peaches into half-inch cubes. Gently toss them with the blueberries.

Now for something unexpected: a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. The more aged it is, the better. Sounds weird, right? Just trust me. Balsamic has an earthy sweetness that, while too harsh uncooked, makes a perfect pairing to the fruit when heat has rendered it down.

Next add a tablespoon of sugar...

...a teaspoon of vanilla extract...

...and a tablespoon of flour, to help it thicken properly.

Put the fruit aside to let it steep and meld together, while you make the crumble topping. Here Emily is demonstrating the first step: a quarter cup of flour. We used whole-wheat pastry flour, to good effect, but white flour will also work just as well.

To the flour, add a quarter cup of rolled oats (not the instant variety)...

...and a quarter cup of brown sugar.

Just a bit of spice makes it perfect - a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon and an eighth teaspoon of nutmeg. Freshly grated nutmeg really is best, but in a pinch you can use the pre-ground stuff.

Add two tablespoons of melted butter, and mix it all up. It should be, well, crumbly! It is called crumble topping, after all.

Now, all that's left to do is assemble your tart! See, I told you it was easy.

Pour the fruit mixture into your tart crust, making sure it's evenly distributed.

Now, spread the crumble topping as evenly as you can over the fruit, covering all the surfaces.

Pop it in the oven, which should still be at 350 from prebaking your crust, for 30-40 minutes or until the crumble topping is brown and crisped up. Let it cool a little before serving, with ice cream, of course!

Special thanks to Emily for helping me make this delicious tart!

Blueberry Tart
Adapted from Food 52

For the Tart
1 tart crust, unbaked. (Find a recipe here)
3 heaping cups blueberries
2 peaches, peeled and cut into cubes
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon flour (2 if blueberries are frozen)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Crumble Topping
1/4 cup flour (white or whole-wheat)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the tart crust and prebake it for 8-10 minutes or until firmed.

Mix together the rest of the ingredients for the tart. Pour into the shell. Mix together the crumble topping and sprinkle it evenly on top of the fruit. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crumble topping is browned and crispy.

Cool before serving.

Did you like this post? You'll also like Almond Peach Tart.

Whole Wheat Tart Shell

2012-07-07T20:35:00.002-04:00

Whole Wheat Tart Shell
Adapted from "Baking" ed. Carole Clements

3/4 c. white flour and 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. salt
7 T. cold butter, cut into chunks
1 egg yolk
2-3 T. ice water

Sift together flour and salt; cut in butter with a pastry cutter. Add egg yolk and 2 T water. Gather into a ball; if necessary, add the remaining tablespoon of water. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. When chilled, roll out on waxed paper and transfer to a 10" tart pan. Trim the edges, prick the bottom with a fork, and refrigerate until needed.

Bake as directed in your recipe. If blind baking, bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Fried Plantains

2012-06-18T15:33:00.000-04:00

I'll let you in on a little secret - up until yesterday, I had never deep-fried anything in my entire life. Truth be told, I was always a little scared of it. It seems like it would be easy to accidentally deep fry your fingers along with the food, and I like my fingers just how they are, thank you very much.

But the other day at the store, I saw a bunch of fresh plantains.

I can put aside my fear of deep-frying for delicious, delicious plantains. Have you ever had them before? If the answer is "no," you are seriously missing out! Plantains are relatives of the banana, and in fact look very much like oversized, thick-skinned bananas. They are more starchy, however, and taste kind of like a cross between a potato and a banana. Or something like that.

Plantains are actually a staple food in much of Africa and other regions where they fruit year-round. This makes them a reliable source of food, and while they are prepared in many different ways, including steaming, boiling, stewing, baking, and grilling, the most delicious preparation is, of course, deep frying!

So I decided to buck up and make me some plantains, deep-frying fear be darned. And, my dear friends, what did I learn? Two things:

One: Deep-frying is actually not that scary.

Two: Plantains are even more delicious than I remembered!

If you're feeling a little adventurous, go find yourself a couple of these yummy fruits, and let me show you how to fry yourself up a tasty snack! (And we'll avoid frying your fingers in the process.)

This is a no-measure recipe. Don't you love recipes like that? First step: get some plantains. I used two, and it made the perfect amount for six people as an appetizer. I could probably eat them all by myself though!

You want to get plantains that still have some green on them (or are totally green). The more yellow they are, the sweeter and softer they are. It's really a matter of preference, but if you've never made them before I would start by choosing a plantain that is just in the middle of green and yellow. Not too ripe, not too hard.

Peel them just like you would a banana. It might be a little more difficult, since the skins are thicker and tougher, so I find that using a knife to cut some slits is a big help.

Slice the plantains into 1/3 inch slices, a little on the bias (that means at a slant).

Why 1/3 an inch? It seems pretty precise, doesn't it? It just seems to be the perfect thickness for frying plantains. However, if you want really crispy ones I would cut them a little thinner.

Got your pile of plantain slices? Perfect! Now get a large frying pan and put in 1/2 to 1 inch of vegetable or canola oil. Turn on the heat and let the oil warm up. You don't want to add your plantains until the oil is hot, or else they will just soak up the oil and not fry very well.

In order to test if the oil is hot enough, take some tongs and carefully dip the edge of one plantain slice in. If it starts bubbling, the oil is ready. If not, remove and wait a little longer.

Once the oil is hot, put some slices into the pan. Don't crowd the pan, but leave a little space in between each one.

My secret deep-frying weapon? Tongs. They let you put the food in, flip it over, and take it out, all without letting your fingers get too close to the burning hot oil. Pretty nifty, huh?

After about 2 minutes, you can flip them over. They should be golden brown, so if they aren't quite ready, flip them back over and wait a little bit longer. You can see in the picture above that the four slices in the center have been flipped over. See the toasty brown? That's exactly what we're going for here.

Once both sides are nice and browned, remove them and place them on a plate lined with paper towels. That helps soak up any excess oil so that the plantains aren't greasy.

Sprinkle a little sea salt or Kosher salt onto the slices while they are still warm. If you wait until they are cool, the salt won't stick, so take a break before you fry the next batch to salt your freshly fried plantains. Or enlist a helper, like I did!

That's it! Fried plantains are probably one of the easiest things you'll ever make, and one of the most delicious. The insides are soft and warm, and the outsides are crispy and salty. Perfect!

Fried Plantains

Plantains (green or semi-green)
Vegetable or Canola oil
Sea salt or Kosher salt

Peel the plantains and slice into 1/3" thick slices on the bias. Heat up about an inch of oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot, fry plantains in batches, about 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt while still hot.

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Almond Peach Tart with Whole Wheat Crust

2012-06-08T17:17:00.001-04:00

Did you know that almonds and peaches are closely related? It's true! So it's no wonder that they taste so good together. A match made with science!

This almond peach tart is a delicious way to appreciate the season's freshest peaches, which you can find everywhere from farmer's markets to grocery stores this time of year. I've made the recipe a few times already this year, and each time I've gotten rave reviews. It never lasts more than a day!

I also use whole wheat flour in the crust, which gives it a richer taste - and it's more healthy! Whole grains, as you probably know, have a lot of nutritional value, especially when compared to bleached white flour. So this tart, with its whole wheat crust, fresh peaches, and heart-healthy almonds, is almost a health food! Okay, maybe I'm stretching the truth a little here... only a little...

What are you waiting for? Let's get baking!

Start by making the crust. You need a total of 1 1/4 cups of flour, and I make it with half white and half whole wheat flour. If you only have white flour, however, that works as well. You have options!

If you choose to use some whole wheat flour, don't use a hard wheat like red or hard white. Instead, find a pastry flour, like Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Flours like this are made with a wheat called soft white or soft white winter, which makes a finer-grained, softer flour perfect for pastries.

Add a teaspoon of salt, and mix well.

Next comes seven tablespoons of cold butter, cut into small pieces. It's important for the butter to be cold - this is a critical step in a lot of pastry recipes. It allows little bits of butter to stay intact until baking, when they melt and create little "pockets" in the dough. Cold butter = flaky pastry!

You need to cut in the butter. A pastry cutter is the best choice here, but you can use a stuff wire whisk if you find yourself cutter-less. The objective is to cut and work in the butter until the pastry is sort of crumbly.

Add in one egg yolk (sorry, I forgot to take a picture!) and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Then, gather the dough together. If it's still too dry, you can add a little more water. You want the dough to stick together, but not be too sticky. It takes a little practice to get it just right, but this particular dough is pretty forgiving, so don't worry if you're not an expert... yet!

Wrap the dough in waxed paper and stick it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to let it firm up. Use the time to clean up, or... forget cleaning up, I'd rather go read a book :)

Once the dough is chilled, roll it out on some waxed paper until it is about an inch or two larger around than a ten inch tart pan.

Drape the dough (on the wax paper) over the tart pan, and then carefully peel off the paper. Voila! Crust!

Press the dough into the sides, use your rolling pin to cut the edges of the dough off so you have a clean top, and then poke it with a fork. Stick it back in the fridge while you prepare the almond cream and the peaches.

Almond cream? Best thing I've heard all day. Let's make some!

Into a food processor goes 3/4 cup of almonds, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Then, grind up the almonds until they are powdery - but not so much that it turns into paste.

In a separate bowl, microwave 7 tablespoons of butter until it's soft but not liquid. Stir in a quarter cup white sugar and a quarter cup brown sugar. I love the molasses-y flavor of brown sugar - I think it gives a great depth to recipes.

Blend in one egg plus one egg yolk...

...1/2 teaspoon of vanilla...

...and finally, the almond flour. I will warn you, this stuff is addictive! I took one little taste, and seriously considered just eating the whole bowl rather than putting it in the tart. But as you can see from the pretty picture above, I got my act together, licked my fingers off guiltily, and quit eating the ingredients.

I have a real problem here. Cookie dough, almond cream... where will it end? Is there an "Eating Ingredients Anonymous" group around? Because I probably should be a member :)

Spread that delicious, delicious almond cream in your tart shell, and then it's back to the fridge while we prepare the final ingredient, the peaches.

You will need four ripe peaches. Freestone are the best to use because the flesh does not stick to the stone, and therefore makes slicing a lot easier. However, all I had were cling peaches, and with a little careful knife wielding, you can make them work just as well.

Start by setting a pot of water on to boil. It needs to be big enough to fit one peach, submerged, so choose your cookware accordingly! Also, prepare an ice water bath. While the water is boiling, using a sharp knife, make an "X" on the bottom of each peach.

One at a time, dip the peaches into the boiling water using a slotted spoon. Each gets its boiling bath for 20 seconds, and then gets dropped into the ice water.

Bird Girl, you ask, why are you making us boil our peaches?

Just you wait. This next part is magical.

Look at that! Starting with the "X" you made at the top, the skin will now peel cleanly off of the peaches. What did I tell you? Magical!

Slice your peaches into 1/2 inch pieces. Try to keep them intact, because we're going to make them into a pretty pattern on top of our tart.

This fancy little spiral is pretty easy - just make all the peach slices face the same way.

Fill in the outside with more peach slices, and now it's time to pop the tart into the oven! It bakes at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until the pastry crust starts to get a little brown. Then, lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes until the almond cream is set.

Let it cool, and then you can pop it out of the tart pan to serve. How pretty!

Looks pretty, sure. But it tastes even better! Bon appetit!

Almond Peach Tart
Adapted from "Baking" ed. Carole Clements

Crust
1 1/4 c. flour or 3/4 c. white flour and 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. salt
7 T. cold butter, cut into chunks
1 egg yolk
2-3 T. ice water

Filling
4 large peaches
2/3 c. blanched almonds
2 T. flour
7 T. butter, softened
1/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift together flour and salt; cut in butter with a pastry cutter. Add egg yolk and 2 T water. Gather into a ball; if necessary, add the remaining tablespoon of water. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. When chilled, roll out on waxed paper and transfer to a 10" tart pan. Trim the edges, prick the bottom with a fork, and refrigerate until needed.

Place the almonds and flour into a food processor and chop until the mixture resembles a fine powder. In a separate bowl, mix together softened butter and sugars. Add the egg and egg yolk, and the vanilla. Stir in the almond flour. Spread mixture evenly over the bottom of the tart shell and re-refrigerate.

Cut a small "X" on the bottom of each piece, and drop them one at a time into boiling water for 20 seconds. Transfer to an ice bath. Peel the skins off the peaches, using a knife if necessary, and then cut each peach into 1/2" slices.

Arrange peach slices on top of the almond cream in the tart shell. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust starts to brown. Then, lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes or until the almond cream is set. Let cool before serving.

Did you like this post? You'll also enjoy Peachberry Tart!

Tiramisu

2012-05-03T16:11:00.000-04:00

Maybe it's the Italian in my blood, or maybe it's just my love of creamy things and coffee and chocolate. But no matter the reason, tiramisu is my favorite dessert EVER. And that's saying something, folks, because there are a lot of delicious desserts out there that I and my sweet tooth dearly love.

But tiramisu beats them all.

If you've never heard of it, tiramisu is an Italian dessert made with coffee-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, whipped cream, and dusted with cocoa powder. In other words, heaven on a plate. The word literally means "pick-me-up" or, metaphorically speaking, "make me happy."

Original recipes call for mixing the mascarpone with eggs to make a custard-like filling, and spiking it with Marsala wine, which undoubtedly is the best way to do it. Hey, I'm not going to argue with a famous dessert recipe. However, some people in my family (who will remain unnamed because I'm nice like that) kind of freak out where raw eggs are concerned, so I created a variation that is egg-free. I also lighten up the mascarpone with part-skim ricotta, and substitute Kahlua for the Marsala. It's not exactly traditional, but I promise you it is absolutely delicious and very similar to the original.

Well, what are you waiting for? Tie on an apron...


Yes, I have this apron. Be jealous. (Find it here)

...and let's get started!

The first thing you'll need is cheese. Strange, I know, cheese in a dessert? But it's really not that different from, say, cheesecake. Mascarpone is basically Italian cream cheese, and ricotta is similar but lighter. I use an 8-oz container of mascarpone and a 15-oz container of part-skim ricotta. Full-fat ricotta would work really well also, but I wouldn't go for the super low-fat stuff because of texture.

Put the cheeses into a mixing bowl and cream them together, either by hand or with a mixer. I find that a mixer works best because it removes all potential lumps and makes the mixture super creamy.

Add a quarter cup of half-and-half. I thought everyone knew what this was, but apparently not, because the other day, my dad asked for some at a coffee shop and the barista said, "half of what?"

True story.

Half-and-half is a mixture of half milk, half cream. Seems obvious, right? You can buy it in pretty much any grocery store.

A third of a cup of sugar...

...and a teaspoon of vanilla. Mix it all together. It should be nice and smooth, although this depends on the ricotta - full fat will be smoother, part-skim will be a bit grainier. It won't make a difference in the finished product.

Cover this and stick it in the fridge while we work on the other layers.

In another bowl, pour a cup of heavy whipping cream, and add a tablespoon of powdered sugar. See how fancy this recipe is? Two kinds of cream, two kinds of sugar... crazy, I know.

More vanilla! Just a half teaspoon this time.

Now beat that cream until it's nice and stiff.

That sounds a little violent, doesn't it? You can't be a pacifist if you like to cook, apparently.

Put your bowl of poor, abused whipped cream into the fridge to chill with the cheese mixture while you prepare the final (and most exciting) layer - the savoiardi.

Isn't that a great word? Savoiardi? It's the Italian word for ladyfingers, but "savoiardi" just sounds so much more elegant. You will need a package, give or take a few cookies. I've made them myself, and they did come out deliciously, but it's overkill for this recipe because it takes so long, and they taste pretty much the same as the storebought version when soaked in coffee and topped with cream.

Sometimes savoiardi can be hard to find, but I can reliably get them at my local natural foods store, and sometimes good old Kroger has them too.

We are going to prepare a boozy coffee soaking mixture for the savoiardi. It's pretty much the best thing ever.

Prepare 2 cups of very strong coffee. No weak coffee for this recipe! I'm talking espresso or nearly that strong. Then pour in a quarter cup of Kahlua. Resist the urge to drink it all before you use it.

Place your savoiardi in a single layer in an ungreased 13x9 baking dish. You might have to get creative to make them fit correctly. Savoiardi tetris!

This is my favorite part: soaking the savoiardi. I don't know why I find it so fun.

You want to put about a tablespoon of coffee/Kahlua mixture onto each cookie, but pour slowly so that it has time to soak in. The savoiardi are very porous, so they quickly drink up all that delicious spiked coffee and start to soften.

Make sure you don't leave any dry spots!

Time to layer! Carefully spread the ricotta/mascarpone mixture over the savoiardi. Try to get it even and smooth, not just for appearances, but so that every bite has the same amount of creamy goodness.

Repeat with the whipped cream.

Finally, place about a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder in a small sifter or sieve. Tap the sieve gently with a finger or spoon so that a dusting of cocoa comes down. Dust the whole thing as evenly as possible. It takes some practice! Don't skimp, though, because this thin layer of cocoa really makes the dessert.

Doesn't it look amazing? I'm always tempted to dig into it right away.

But DON'T DO IT.

As hard as it may be to wait, tiramisu really needs at least 4 hours, preferably more, to rest in the fridge. Some magic voodoo happens in those crucial hours that makes everything meld together into so much more than the sum of its parts.

Holy moly. That's a beautiful, beautiful thing.

I can now die happy.

Tiramisu

Cheese Layer

8 oz mascarpone

15 oz ricotta

1/4 c. half-and-half

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Whipped Cream Layer

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1 T. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Savoiardi Layer

1 package (about 20 cookies) Italian savoiardi (ladyfingers)

2 c. strong coffee

1/4 c. Kahlua

Topping

1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

Cream together mascarpone and ricotta. Add half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Combine ingredients for whipped cream layer. Whip until cream forms semi-stiff peaks. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Mix together coffee and Kahlua. In an ungreased 13x9 pan, place a single layer of savoiardi. Moisten each cookie with approximately 1 Tablespoon of the coffee mixture.

Smoothly spread the cheese mixture on top of the coffee-moistened savoiardi. Top with the whipped cream, spreading evenly.

Using a sifter or small sieve, cover the top with a thin layer of cocoa powder. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

If you liked this post, you may also like Strawberry Oreo Creme Dessert.

Fudge Frosting

2012-04-27T23:42:00.000-04:00

A quick post today for a quick but delicious frosting recipe. This is easy to make in a single saucepan, simple to whip up, and delectable enough for company - or just for yourself and a spoon!

I'm going to go ahead and warn you right now: this is evil frosting. It's made with lots of butter and sugar and chocolate, and it practically begs to be eaten right out of the pot. That's okay with me. That's VERY okay with me. But if it's not okay with you, you might want to check out a different post. A healthy post. Like tofu. Or soup.

Still with me? Awesome. Chocoholics like us are going to rule the earth one day, you know.

Put one stick (1/2 cup) of butter into a saucepan over medium heat. Since the butter's going to eventually melt no matter what, I usually don't bother softening it first. Straight out of the fridge works just fine.

Now splash in six tablespoons of milk, also known as 3/8 cup if you want to get fancy with the fractions. I used nonfat milk because it tricked my brain into thinking I was making something healthy.That's a good trick, don't you think?

Here comes the chocolate! Five tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. If you think five is a little more than you can handle, you could drop down to four.

Whisk everything together nicely, and let the mixture come to a boil, stirring often. It might start to separate, but that's okay, the sugar will bring it all together.

Once the mixture has boiled, remove it from the heat and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Never heard of vanilla powder before? Neither had I until a few weeks ago. It's pretty cool, but mostly I used it just because I'm all out of extract.

Finally, add four cups of powdered sugar, a little at a time, stirring well in between each addition.

Voila! Fudge frosting!

Pour it warm over cake and let it ooze down the sides. Spoon it over ice cream. Eat it with strawberries. Or you know, just grab a spoon and chow down. I won't tell.

Fudge Frosting

1 stick (1/2 c.) butter
6 T milk
5 T cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 c. powdered sugar

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add milk and cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Cook until boiling, stirring often. When the mixture boils, remove from heat and add vanilla. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, stirring between additions.

If not using immediately, you may need to warm the frosting a little and add a bit more milk to create the right consistency.

If you liked this post, you may also like Buttercream Frosting

Johnnycake (Northern Cornbread)

2012-04-22T12:52:00.000-04:00

I'll preface this by saying that real johnnycake is actually more of a flatbread made with cornmeal, rather than this lightly-sweetened cornbread. However, that's the title of the recipe passed down in my family for goodness knows how many generations, and who am I to argue with my ancestors?

This is one of those recipes that needs no augmentation, no experimentation. It may be ancient, but it's perfect exactly as it is. We eat it most often with chili or bean soup, but it's good with anything you like - greens, pork barbeque, fried chicken - you name it.

And while the debate between sweetened and unsweetened cornbread rages on, as a Northern gal, I prefer a little sweetness in mine. No matter how you like your cornbread, I would encourage you to try this recipe, with its dense yet not cloying texture, fluffy crumb, and just the perfect amount of sugar. It will keep for several days - but don't expect it to last that long!

This is also a one-bowl recipe, and is super quick to stir up, so it will be ready in time for dinner! Who says homemade can't be easy?

Start off with a cup each of white flour and yellow cornmeal. I haven't yet tried substituting whole-wheat, but I think it might be delicious, so if you decide to try it, please let me know how it turns out!

Next a teaspoon of salt...

...and a tablespoon of baking powder.

Mix the dry ingredients well, so you make sure everything is combined evenly.

Next, add a quarter cup of white sugar, and a quarter cup of brown sugar, unpacked. Usually in baking recipes you want to pack brown sugar tightly in the cup to ensure a good measurement, but in this case I find that a looser pack - and therefore a bit less sugar - works perfectly.

Add a cup of milk. If you're lactose intolerant, I suspect unsweetened soy or rice milk would also work.

Mix everything up very well, then crack in an egg and stir to combine once again.

Lots of stirring, lots of arm workouts. That seems to be a theme in my kitchen lately.

Add three tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil and mix away.

Finally, three tablespoons of light corn syrup. If you use the same tablespoon you used to measure your oil, the syrup will slide right out of the lightly-greased spoon. Nifty, huh?

I have heard that honey is a good substitute for corn syrup, since it's not really a common ingredient in most people's pantries. However, honey is sweeter than corn syrup so you might want to cut back on the sugar if you go that route.

Don't you like how I keep suggesting all these substitutions? Choices, people. Gotta love 'em. I can't promise anything you change will be quite as delicious as the original though, so consider yourself warned!

Once everything is nice and combined, pour the batter into a greased 7x11 or 9x9 pan, and pop it in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Check it a few times because depending on your oven, you may need to rotate the pan to get an even browning.

Toasty!

Serve warm with beans n' greens, or chili, or whatever floats your boat. I especially love it lightly grilled for breakfast. Just don't forget the butter!

Johnnycake (Northern-style Cornbread)

1 c. flour
1 c. cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
1 T. baking powder
1/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar, unpacked
1 c. milk
1 egg
3 T. vegetable or canola oil
3 T. light corn syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 7x11 or a 9x9 inch pan.

Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder. Add both sugars and mix well. Add milk, stir to combine. Add egg, stir to combine. Add oil and syrup and mix well until no lumps are present. Pour into pan and bake for 20 minutes or until top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into squares to serve.

If you liked this post, you may also like Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bourbon Sauce

Strawberry Oreo Creme Dessert

2012-04-17T15:47:00.000-04:00

It's been so nice this past week, with temperatures in the mid-70s, that I can almost imagine it's already summer! My roommates and I wanted a cool, creamy dessert this weekend in honor of the balmy weather, and so I came up with this not-too-sweet layered confection using strawberries, since they are in season right now.

Considering I was sort of cooking by the seat of my pants, it came out quite splendidly. The only thing I would do differently is to leave out the cinnamon that I dashed in a little too generously, which I have reflected in the recipe below. If you're looking for a springy dessert that is decadent without being too rich and cloying, this is your new best friend - especially since there's absolutely no baking involved!

Start off with 15 oreos, or another similar chocolate sandwich cookie. Eat a few extra for good measure. Throw your fifteen in a plastic bag and seal it up, releasing any trapped air.

Take a rolling pin and smash away! Alternately, you could use a food processor, but this is way more fun, don't you agree?

Toss your oreo crumbles into a 9x9 square pan and press them down lightly with your hand to even them out. Set this aside while we go into BEAT EVERYTHING mode. As you can tell, this is a very therapeutic recipe, with lots of crushing and beating. Also, it's cheaper than therapy, and you get a delicious dessert at the end.

I'm not really seeing a downside here.

In a mixing bowl, pour 1/2 cup of heavy cream and beat it with an electric mixer or a whisk. You want it pretty stiff, so if you're going for the whisk, be prepared.

Whipped cream is one of humankind's greater inventions. I think it tops the lightbulb - sorry Edison.

Once it's all fluffy and delicious, set it in the fridge while you work on the cream cheese layer.

In a separate bowl, beat a package of cream cheese (8 ounces) in a similar fashion. You want it to be nice and smooth.

Once it's smooth, add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla. You can see the cinnamon I added in the picture above - it didn't ruin the dessert by any means, but I wouldn't add it again. If you're a cinnamon junkie, though, be my guest and add about a half teaspoon.

Take your whipped cream out of the fridge and plop about half into the cream cheese mixture. Fold it in to lighten the mixture. Then, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar to the remaining whipped cream.

Now for the strawberries. Cut up half a pound of strawberries into quarters (or more slices, if they're really big). Mix them with a tablespoon of powdered sugar and a teaspoon of lemon juice and let them sit for five minutes.

Assembly time!

Carefully spread the cream cheese mixture over your oreos. It's going to be messy. Little oreo pieces are going to get stuck in the cream cheese. Don't fret, my friends. The earth will not cease to turn on its axis, your dessert will still taste delicious, and all will be well.

Just make sure to even it out smoothly!

Next come the strawberries...

...and finally, the remaining whipped cream. It won't be a thick layer, and some bits of strawberry may poke through, but I think that just makes it look even prettier.

Now comes the hard part: refrigerate for at least an hour. Overnight is even better, although I confess I tried it long before that. As it sits, the cream cheese turns the crunchy oreo layer into a soft cookie base, and the strawberries and cream start to flavor each other, and it's just wonderful.

All I can say is yum!

Strawberry Oreo Creme Dessert

15 chocolate sandwich cookies, such as oreos
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. plus 2 T. powdered sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 tsp. lemon juice

Crush sandwich cookies finely, press into a 9x9 square pan. In a mixing bowl, whip cream until stiff, set aside. In a separate bowl, whip cream cheese until smooth. Add 1/4 c. powdered sugar and vanilla, combine.

Add half of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and combine. Stir a tablespoon of sugar into the remaining cream.

Combine strawberries with the remaining tablespoon of sugar and the lemon juice, let sit for 5 minutes.

Smooth cream cheese mixture over oreos, making sure to even out the layer. Place strawberries on top, and cover with whipped cream, smoothing the layer. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, before serving.

If you liked this post, you may also like Orange Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Cherry Chocolate Bars

2012-04-14T21:05:00.002-04:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you just need to bake something? No? Well I do, perhaps more than I care to admit, and today was one of them. I was tired of studying for finals, tired of the dreary, rainy weather that made me have to cancel my hike with a friend. But baking makes everything better! Trust me on this one.

I had set my mind on making Swedish Almond Bars, but we were all out of almonds. Also I was running low on Swedes, although those are optional. They really improve the flavor though... (insert laughter here).

So I decided it was improvisation time. Oh wait, that happens every day around here because I fail at keeping a well-stocked pantry. But sitting there on the shelf was a lovely bag of dried cherries, just begging to be used. "Eat me!" they cried. You know you're in trouble when the produce starts to talk to you.

I decided to listen to the little voices because, really, cherries and chocolate? What could be a more perfect pairing? Also, cherries and almonds have a similar flavor due to the same chemical, benzaldehyde, present in both cherry stones and almonds. So maybe some cherries would help soothe my almond craving.

Science lesson of the day: Benzaldehyde is cool.

So let's go, people. It's time to make some delicious, delicious science.

First step: melt a stick of butter. All good recipes start with butter, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Mix in a half cup of granulated sugar, a tablespoon of honey, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a quarter teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Forgive the lack of pictures, I was in baking nirvana. It's a lovely place.

Crack in two eggs. If you really want to be like me, accidentally drop the shell in and then proceed to fish it out with a fork.

Next comes a quarter teaspoon of salt, and a cup and a quarter of flour. The dough is going to be pretty stiff, so you have to use a little oomph. Mix that dough! Work those arm muscles!

Now comes the best part - the chocolate and the cherries! You need a half cup of each. I would recommend using dried sour cherries, which you can get at most grocery stores. If you use the really sweet ones, the bars will be overpoweringly sugary. I also roughly chop the cherries before adding them, so they mix in more thoroughly.

Grease a 13x9 pan and pour your batter in. You will have to use a spatula to spread it around. Make sure you get all the corners and spread it evenly, because it is going to be a very thin layer. Don't make this in any smaller of a pan, even if it seems like you don't have much batter, because these bars are quite dense, and a thicker layer won't cook evenly.

Then, sprinkle about a half teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon on top. Complementary flavors, man. It's a beautiful thing.

Bake them in a 325 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. You'll know that they're done when the edges start to look brown and pull away from the sides of the pan, but the top is still lightly colored.

Let them cool for at least 20-30 minutes before you cut them, or else they will fall apart! I like to cut these in pretty diamonds. An easy way to do this is to cut a diagonal slice corner to corner, then evenly slice several parallel lines on either side. Turn the pan and do it all again, and voila! Diamonds!

These turned out fantastically. They are dense but not too rich, with a nice bite from the sour cherries and, of course, chocolate! I set them out in the dining room next to the coffee pot - they are the perfect little treat to have with a nice cup o' joe - and they were gone in the blink of an eye.

Cherry Chocolate Bars

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 T. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. dried sour cherries, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13x9 pan.

Melt butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl. Add sugar, honey, vanilla, and spice or cinnamon. Mix thoroughly and allow to cool a little. Add eggs and beat to combine. Mix in salt and flour, combining well. Add chocolate chips and cherries, mix, and pour into pan.

Sprinkle spice or cinnamon lightly and evenly over top. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are slightly brown and pulling away from the sides of the pan. Let cool before slicing into diamond shapes.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy Thumbprint Cookies

Salted Caramel Cookie Bars

2012-04-07T10:59:00.003-04:00

I was never a fan of caramel when I was younger. It wasn't that I hated it - it was just too bland. One-dimensional. But I changed my tune once I tried this new salted caramel thing that's going around. I bought right into this craze and I'm sold 110%. Salted caramel is legit, folks. If you haven't tried it, you're missing out on one of the most delicious things on this entire planet.

I have about a dozen recipes in my to-bake folder that integrate some form of salted caramel, and I decided this afternoon to try out one for salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars. Doesn't that sound fantastic? Of course I had to make a few revisions of my own, but let me tell you, these things are as good as gold. Better, actually, because you can't eat gold.

So let's make some salted caramel cookie bars! You will not regret the decision to bike all the way to the store to get ingredients. I sure didn't!

Start with twelve tablespoons of butter (that's a stick and a half). Put it in a microwave-safe bowl and zap it until it's nice and melted. Let it cool to room temperature.

Add 3/4 cup of brown sugar and a scant half cup of white sugar. The brown sugar really adds a caramel-y flavor to the cookies, which is good, considering the effect we're going for here. Which is, you know... caramel.

Stir all that up, and add in an egg plus an egg yolk.

Hey look! My nails are back to normal! No more scary black :)

Add in two teaspoons of vanilla extract...

...a half teaspoon of baking soda (mix it well!)...

...and a half teaspoon of salt.

Add in two and an eighth cups of flour, a little at a time, and mix well. If you have an electric mixer, now would be the time to use it. If not, well, you're going to get a good work out. Don't worry, if I can do it, so can you! We'll all have arms as toned as Michelle Obama's if we keep this up!

By the way, you should totally check out this video of Ellen Degeneres (one of my favorite tv people) challenging the First Lady to a push-up contest. While your cookies are baking, perhaps?

Now comes the good part - the part with chocolate! Toss in a cup and a half of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Chocolate makes everything better.

If you can resist taking a spoonful (or three) of the dough, you are a stronger person than I.

Take half the dough and press it into the bottom of a greased 7x10 pan. You're gonna have to get your hands dirty for this one, because you want to make sure you have an even layer and that it gets in all the corners. Don't worry, I won't tell if you lick your fingers!

Now for the caramel layer. This is where Plain Jane cookies turn into something sophisticated. Or maybe just gooey. Either way, I'm all for it.

Start unwrapping! You need about seven ounces of soft caramels. I used three bags of Werther's, but any type of soft caramel will do.

Add two tablespoons of milk or cream, and melt it in the microwave. It takes about 2 minutes, but make sure to take it out and stir it ever 20 seconds or so in order to prevent clumping. When it's done, it should be smooth and creamy.

Spoon it all over your cookie dough layer. Make sure you get it over every bit, especially the corners!

Now comes the sea salt! Two tablespoons sprinkled all over the caramel. It might seem like a lot, but trust me, this is just what the doctor ordered. Well, it's what I ordered, anyway. And that's close enough!

Oooh I have a good idea. Let's put some pecans in there too! Never a bad plan.

Stick the whole thing in the freezer for five minutes. This is to help the caramel set up so it's easier to put the top layer of cookie dough on. Use your time to clean up the kitchen a bit. Or watch that video I told you about. Whichever.

Once the caramel is set, take the rest of the cookie dough and drop it in lumps over top. Spread it out as evenly as you can. There might be some caramel showing through the cracks - don't worry, it won't make a difference.

Pop that beauty in a 325 degree oven for about 25 minutes. When it's done it should be golden brown on the top and starting to pull away from the sides.

Now, as much as you'd like to dig into this right now, you should definitely wait. Because although normal cookies are best hot out of the oven, these are better cooled down. They will still be soft and gooey, but the caramel will be set and not oozing out all over your fingers and the pan and the counter and... you get the picture.

Let it cool for about 15 minutes, and then pop it in the fridge for at least a half hour. It's torture, I know. You can do it. I believe in you.

Once the caramel is entirely set, cut it into small bars and enjoy! I promise you they won't last long. The perfectly cooked chocolate chip cookie layer, the gooey, rich, salted caramel, the bits of crunchy pecans... this turned out to be one of the best things I've baked this year!

Better than gold. Am I right or am I right?

Salted Caramel Cookie Bars
Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Cookie Layers
12 T butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
scant 1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 1/8 c. flour
1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Caramel Layer
7 oz. soft caramels
2 T. milk or cream
2 t. sea salt
1/2 c. pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 7x10 pan.

Melt the butter in the microwave and let cool to room temperature. Add the sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and mix well. Add baking soda and salt. Slowly add flour, mixing well to combine. Stir in chocolate chips. Press half of the mixture into the pan, making sure the layer is even.

In a separate bowl, place caramels and milk or cream. Heat in the microwave about 2 minutes or until melted, stirring every 20 seconds. Pour over the cookie dough layer and spread evenly. Sprinkle sea salt and pecans over top. Place in freezer for 5 minutes or until caramel is slightly set.

Carefully place the rest of the cookie dough on top of the caramel layer and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is lightly browned and the sides are beginning to pull away from the pan.

Let cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Cut into squares when cool and caramel is set.

If you liked this post, you might also like Orange Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Sweet-and-Sour Tofu

2012-04-03T17:38:00.003-04:00

So I have to tell you something about myself: I'm in love with tofu. Really, truly in love. It's not one of those three-month infatuations either, no, this goes back to the tender age of three, when I had a major temper tantrum in the grocery store because my mother wouldn't buy me tofu. True story.

If you're not as enamored as I am with tofu, though, don't worry. This recipe made even my friend Ashley, a self-proclaimed tofu hater and a hugely picky eater, a convert. It's easy and SO delicious, with a quick homemade sweet-and-sour sauce, crisp veggies, and perfectly cooked tofu. I might have eaten the entire batch in two meals... don't tell anyone...

This would be great over any kind of grain - quinoa maybe? But I like rice best (boring and traditional, I know). I had sticky rice on hand, but I think basmati or jasmine rice might be even better. In any case, start whatever base you want boiling in a pot on the back burner, and let's make some tofu!

This strange picture illustrates what you should do with your tofu before cooking it, in order to remove excess water. Take a block of extra-firm tofu and sandwich it between several sheets of paper towel, and top it with some heavy objects, like cans (or in my case, syrup and dishsoap). This helps to press some of the extra water out and make it less likely to fall apart.

Leave it like this while you prep the sauce and veggies, causing everyone who wanders into the kitchen to give you very strange looks. That poor girl. Not only does she eat tofu, but she squishes it with syrup and soap beforehand.

They don't know what they're missing!

In a small saucepan, combine 1/3 cup vinegar (rice wine or apple cider), four tablespoons of brown sugar, and a teaspoon of soy sauce. Cook it on medium until it starts to simmer. Then, make a slurry of 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and 4 teaspoons of water, and slowly pour it in while stirring. This should thicken up the sauce almost immediately.

Once the sauce has thickened, add in 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard powder. Let it simmer for another minute or so, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Now, chop up some veggies. A half cup of baby carrots, a cup of broccoli florets, and a stalk of celery. Feel free to improvise and use up what's in your fridge if you haven't got these particular things on hand.

Saute the vegetables in a few teaspoons of olive oil until they're cooked, but still a little crisp. Then put them aside. It's time for the tofu!

Cut up the tofu into 1-inch blocks. Then, heat up some olive oil in a skillet, and drop in the tofu. You want enough oil to barely cover the bottom - but no less, because it's important to crisp up the tofu properly. Cook, turning the tofu over every so often, until it's golden brown on all sides. Be patient! It takes a little while to get a good crust, but it's worth it.

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Dump them on some paper towels to blot of any excess oil. Fried things are delicious, but I abhor grease.

Abhor... that's a good word. Might be my new word of the week.

Ahem. Sorry.

Toss the veggies back into the skillet, and, on low, combine them with the sauce and tofu. Cook until heated through, and you're done! Serve over rice or your preferred grain. Actually I just ate it plain the second day, and that was pretty delicious too.

Sweet-and-Sour Tofu

1/3 c. rice wine or apple cider vinegar
4 T. brown sugar
1 t. soy sauce
2 t. cornstarch
4 t. water
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. mustard powder
1 package extra-firm tofu
1 c. broccoli florets
1/2 c. baby carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
Olive oil, for sauteing

Remove tofu from packaging and sandwich between several layers of paper towels. Top with heavy objects such as cans and let this sit while you prepare the sauce and vegetables.

In a small saucepan, mix together vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. Cook until simmering. Separately, combine cornstarch and water, mixing until smooth. Pour into sauce mixture, stirring continuously. When the mixture has thickened, add the garlic, ginger, and mustard. Cook another 2 minutes; remove from heat.

In a nonstick skillet, saute vegetables with a small amount of olive oil until cooked through but still slightly crisp. Remove from skillet.

Cut up the tofu into 1-inch cubes. Cover the bottom of the skillet with olive oil and heat through before adding tofu. Cook 5-7 minutes per side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Return vegetables and tofu to skillet, cover with sauce and cook on low until heated through. Serve over rice.

If you liked this post, you might also like Wonton Soup

The Perfect Egg Sandwich (Vegetarian!)

2012-04-01T13:19:00.002-04:00

I love egg sandwiches. I don't know what it is about them, but every weekend I crave them for breakfast (or brunch, depending on when I get up!) It seems pretty easy, right? Crack an egg, slap it between a few slices of bread, you're good. But a perfect egg sandwich is complex. Crispy bread, unctuous egg, savory sausage, and creamy, rich cheese. All melded together to make something so much greater than the sum of its parts.

Okay I'll stop now before I start to wax even more eloquent... I told you, I love eggs! Lots of protein, you know.

I've recently found a vegetarian sausage that I absolutely love - Morningstar sausage patties. They are so delicious, and they add the perfect touch to this sandwich with their blend of spices. Plus, they're organic! I also use regular sausage sometimes, but I'm trying to be more health- and environment-conscious, so I've been eating more like a vegetarian when I can. Feel free to choose your own favorite vegetarian or carnivorous option.

The first step is, obviously, to cook the egg. I like to use a non-stick skillet so that I only need a little bit of butter or olive oil. Make sure your pan is warmed up before you drop the egg in, and then break the yolk up.

Drop your sausage patty in the skillet opposite your nicely cooking egg, which you have sprinkled with some pepper. Mmmm, pepper.

When your egg is done on one side, flip it over to the other. I like mine really well done, so you can see it's a little bit toasty brown, but if you like yours less cooked, just adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Once your egg is done, take it out of the skillet and set it aside. I like to chop up my sausage a little bit to make it spread out better on the sandwich, and also let it brown better on all sides.

Take the sausage out once it's done. Now it's time for the assembly - this sandwich is put together much like a good grilled cheese (because who doesn't love that?!). I like to melt a little butter in the skillet and then swirl my pieces of bread around in it. I find that gets the best coverage while minimizing the amount of butter you need to use. Do use real butter if you have it, because it gives the best flavor.

The type of bread is key. You want a fairly thin slice, so that it doesn't overpower the egg and sausage flavors. My favorite breads are whole wheat, but since I don't buy the groceries here at school, I have to make do - and I have to say, plain white sandwich bread works quite well.

Turn your heat on medium, and place your first piece of bread butter-side down in the skillet. This is important, folks! My grandfather once tried to make a grilled cheese sandwich with the butter-side up, and he gained the eternal status of "awful cook." Well, maybe more than that one incident contributed in his case, but still, you don't want to chance that, do you?

Here's the line-up: cheese, egg, sausage, and more cheese. Sounds pretty delicious, right?

I like shredded cheese because I can easily control the amount, and my favorite to use is sharp cheddar, but it's totally up to you. Even a plain slice of plastic-wrapped American cheese (sans plastic, of course) would work just fine.

Cook for about 5 minutes per side, but watch it carefully because it may cook faster or slower depending on the heat of your stove. If you find that the cheese is not melting well, turn off the heat and put a pot lid over the skillet. The steam from the hot sandwich will stay in, instead of escaping, and help to make an ooey-gooey masterpiece.

And there you have it! A delicious, protein-rich breakfast sandwich that will stick with you for hours. I hope to bring you some more baking recipes soon, but for now, make yourself a good breakfast - it's the most important meal of the day!

The Perfect Egg Sandwich

2 pieces of thin sandwich bread
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 Morningstar sausage patty
1 egg
1 T. butter
pepper, to taste

Put a small pat of butter in a non-stick skillet and turn the heat on to medium. After the butter has melted, crack the egg in and break the yolk with a fork. Season with pepper to taste. Place the sausage patty at the other end of the skillet. Flip egg over after about a minute, depending on how well done you prefer. Remove egg from skillet when fully cooked. Break up the sausage and ensure all sides are browned well. Remove.

Melt the rest of the butter in the skillet and carefully dip one side of each piece of bread into it until well coated. Assemble the sandwich in the skillet with bread (butter-side down), half of the cheese, the egg, sausage, the rest of the cheese, and the other slice of bread (butter-side up). Cook 2 minutes per side on medium or until golden brown. Cover with a pot lid if the cheese is not melting well.

If you liked this post, you might also like Easy Breakfast Quiches

Crab Cakes on a Dime

2012-03-26T16:03:00.002-04:00

Ah, crab cakes. Decadent, savory, with all the salty-sweet flavors of the sea. I'm pretty much addicted to them, but I rarely eat them because of how expensive they are. Either you spend $20 a pound buying crab to make them yourself, or you spend $15 for two tiny cakes at a restaurant. No matter which you choose, you're spending big bucks on something I could wolf down in two seconds. Sometimes I just have to splurge, but other times, when the craving hits, something a little more economic might be just what I need.

Enter imitation crab. Listen, folks, don't knock it 'till you've tried it. It may not be real crab, but it's made with real fish, and it's pretty darn tasty. If they use it at upscale Japanese sushi bars, it's good enough for me! My grandmother and I tried using it in crab cakes one day a few summers ago, and we were shocked at how delicious they were! No, they won't taste exactly like real crab cakes, but they are very, very good and will cost you a lot less. Rejoice, penny-pinchers, frugalistas, and poor college kids! Crab cakes are at long last accessible.

By all means, use real crabmeat if you can. Nothing beats real crab cakes. But don't be afraid to break out the imitation crustacean (see what I did there?) and roll with it. You'll be pleasantly surprised, I promise!

A large package of imitation crab (or about a pound of crabmeat) goes into a bowl along with some breadcrumbs. Make sure to shred up the meat a little if you bought chunk style instead of flake (oops!).

Crack in an egg to help bind it together. Eggs are amazing!

Drop in a heaping tablespoon of mayo. This is actually sour cream, because I was all out of mayonnaise. It will work just fine, but mayo gives a better flavor so I would suggest using it if at all possible.

Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. All seafood is improved by adding lemon. I'm pretty sure it's a law of nature, like gravity.

Sorry for the scary black glitter nails. I was feeling experimental this week :)

Add in some spices. I used dill, cumin, parsley (not shown), and lemon pepper, but whatever takes your fancy will be just fine. Old Bay, of course, is a staple and would have been great in my crab cakes... if I'd had some around... which I didn't...

Form them into flattened cakes and slip them into the refrigerator for a half hour or so (use the freezer if you're short on time). This allows them to firm up so they don't fall apart so easily in the pan. It's worth the extra step, unless you want crab-crumbles instead of nicely formed cakes!

While your cakes are chillin' like villains, whip up a little sauce to go on top. You could make a quick traditional remoulade (sour cream, ketchup, horseradish, pickle relish) or you could put together something a little different, like my mango-dill sauce. I'm crazy like that, I know.

By the way, did you know "chillin' like a villain" comes from a Batman cartoon? Mr. Freeze, appropriately, delivers the witty line. Random factoid for the day.

Once your villains have been chilled enough (no, I'm never getting sick of that line, sorry), heat a little olive oil in a skillet and pan-fry those delicious crab cakes until golden brown on both sides. One to two minutes should do the trick.

Plate them next to some rice pilaf and veggies, top with your sauce, and you are well on your way to frugal Nirvana. Yum!

Tomorrow morning, substitute the leftovers for the Canadian bacon on your Eggs Benedict. Sigh with happiness. Repeat.

Crab Cakes (Real or Otherwise)

Crab Cakes

1 large package of imitation crab or 1 lb. crabmeat

1/4 cup fine breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 heaping T. mayonnaise

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 t. dill weed

1 t. cumin

1 t. lemon pepper

2 t. parsley

2 t. Old Bay seasoning

olive oil, for pan-frying

Mango-Dill Sauce

1/2 c. sour cream

2 t. lemon juice

2 T. mango juice

1 T. dill weed

1 t. black pepper

1 t. sugar or to taste

Mix all ingredients for cakes together, ensuring that the mixture is well-combined. Form into patties and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to firm.

While the cakes are in the fridge, mix together ingredients for mango-dill sauce, adding more sugar to taste if necessary.

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet. Fry cakes about 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving.

If you liked this post, you might also like Tomato Tart

Cardinals and Titmice and Chickadees, Oh My!

2012-03-20T12:19:00.002-04:00

My camera isn't very good, but I had to share a few pictures of birds I've caught enjoying the two new feeders my roommate and I put up. They hang on a tree conveniently in view of my window, so I can study and watch birds at the same time! (Or procrastinate, more like...) The bigger birds, like this gorgeous female cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), prefer my roommate's feeder, which has a flat, steady tray.

Others, like this colorful little tufted titmouse (Baelophus bicolor), are small enough to take advantage of my sturdy tube feeder. Don't they seem to have very large eyes? I've been getting a bigger variety of birds lately, I think because I switched seed. The mix I'm currently using is a little more expensive, but it has peanuts and dried fruit, as well as the normal mix of sunflower seeds, niger, millet, etc. The high-fat peanuts and delicious fruit seems to attract even more birds!

Finally, a little black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), my favorite songbird! There have been two or three hanging around, but they're so hard to capture on camera because they are so fast! We've also spotted a bunch of house sparrows and one very fat mourning dove.

Maybe someday I'll get a better camera so I can share some decent pictures of my feathered friends!

If you liked this post, you might also like Welcome to the Aviary

A Long Delay and Cheater Cake

2012-03-17T16:48:00.003-04:00

Let me begin by saying that I am woefully ashamed of myself. I haven't posted anything to Birds & Brownies for nearly 6 months, and to anyone who actually reads this blog, I'm very, very sorry. Life is a little crazy! I've been applying to grad schools, trying to get through senior year, navigating some choppy seas in the relationship department... it's been a wild ride.

Baking and birdwatching have been a little low on the priority list lately. But life is calming down a little and I'm starting to get the itch to make some delicious food again! Being at school, opportunities to cook - and available ingredients - are a little thin, but I've been trying to get back into the swing of things. I found the perfect excuse to bake a cake the other day when I decided the cast of the play I'm currently in, Vinegar Tom, needed a pick-me-up after a grueling week of rehearsal. What's better to lift spirits than a sunny lemon cake?

I was on a tight schedule, though, and didn't think I could whip up a homemade cake before rehearsal, so I resorted to a box. I know, it's shameful, but a busy college girl's gotta do what she can. To make up for the sadness of boxed cake, I threw in some extra ingredients to see if I could perk up an otherwise boring cake. And you know what? It totally worked. My fellow cast members, the director, and the crew gobbled it up in no time.

So if you're a busy gal (or guy) like me, and you need a little something to take to a potluck, a friend's house, or a club meeting, don't feel too bad about using that cake mix you have stashed in the deepest recesses of your cupboard. Give it a few tweaks, and they'll never know you didn't make it from scratch!

Here's what you need - a boxed cake mix, some fruit, and yogurt. I chose lemon cake mix, grapefruit, and orange yogurt, but I think any combo would be delicious. What about lemon-blueberry? Or vanilla-peach? Chocolate-cherry? The possibilities are pretty much endless.

Look at those fancy glitter nails :)

Toss that dry mix in a bowl and mix in some fruit juice instead of the water or milk the recipe calls for. Beat in the required number of eggs (for the mix I chose, I used 1 1/3 cups liquid and three eggs).

Here's the fantastic part - substitute flavored yogurt for the oil called for on the box. Voila! Healthy! I did this on a whim, and it actually made the cake even more moist and flavorful. Genius! I'm doing this for all my cakes now.

Pour a quarter of the batter into each of two greased 9" cake pans (or half of the batter into a 13x9"), and then arrange some slices of fruit on top. Pour the remaining batter on top and put some more fruit on that, too. More fruit = more smiles!

Slide those beauties in the oven at the suggested temperature. While they're baking, let's whip up some glaze.

Why buy canned frosting (do you have any idea how many preservatives there are in that stuff?) when you could make a quick, light and moist glaze? Start with about a cup of powdered sugar and add some liquid of your choice - I used a mix of lemon and grapefruit juices, but any juice, milk, or even water will work. You don't need to measure, just put in a little, stir, and add more until the glaze is fairly thin and runny.

As soon as the cakes are done, poke some holes in them with a fork and drizzle your glaze all over the top. Make sure you get some everywhere. It will soak into the cake and make it extra-scrumptious. Sounds like a Willy Wonka term, doesn't it?

Let them cool before you flip them out of the pan. That's it! Serve to your favorite people. Earn brownie points. Win at life.

"Cheater" Cake

Cake

1 box cake mix, any flavor

Eggs, number as required by box

Fruit juice, milk, etc; amount as required by box

1 1/2 - 2 cups fruit, sliced

Yogurt, amount as required to replace oil

Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar

Fruit juice, milk, etc.

Preheat oven to temperature as directed. Prepare the cake as directed on the box, substituting fruit juice or other liquid for the water, and substituting yogurt for the oil. Pour part of the batter into greased cake pans and arrange half the fruit on top. Add the rest of the batter, top with remaining fruit. Bake for the time required on the box.

For the glaze, mix powdered sugar with enough liquid to make a fairly thin product. As soon as cakes are out of the oven, poke a few holes in them with a fork and drizzle the glaze all over, making sure to cover all areas. Let cool before removing from pan.

If you liked this post, you might also like Pound Cake

Pound Cake

2011-09-12T12:48:00.000-04:00

This week, I was given the all-important job of taking care of the "boys" - my wonderful brother and father. With my mother at work an hour away, and my sister already back at college - I don't return for another week! - it was I alone who was left to feed the army.

And let me tell you, my teenage brother alone eats as much as an army. Maybe more!

So when it came to deciding upon a dessert that would last them more than a day and a half - no small feat, considering my brother's appetite - the choice was simple: pound cake. That glorious concoction of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. Lots of butter and eggs.

Sure, you can get Sara Lee's buttery boxed pound cake, and I'll grant you, it tastes pretty good. But absolutely nothing compares to the glories of freshly baked pound cake, with its richness from the butter and egg yolks, yet a tall stature and even crumb from the addition of whipped egg yolks. Yummmm...

I suppose the traditional way to make pound cake is in a loaf pan, but for as long as I can remember, we've always made this recipe, handed down from an Aunt Grace - who surely has a couple "greats" in front of that title - in a bundt pan. Considering how high this cake rises, it's probably a good idea for you, too.

Grease and flour the pan, or, if you like, use sugar instead of flour. I usually do that with cakes because it prevents flour's chalky look on the outside of the cake when you turn it out.

Into a mixing bowl goes two sticks of butter. Hey, I never said this was health food! It's good food, which is not always the same thing.

I mean, think about donuts...

Anyway, follow up all that buttery bliss with 2 1/2 cups of sugar. Cream it until it's nice and combined

Now, six egg yolks. Yeah, that's a half a dozen. It's for the good of humanity.

If you're a little nervous about separating eggs, don't worry - and don't go out and buy some fancy separator that will end up gathering dust in your drawer. Just crack the egg, and slide the yolk back and forth between the two halves of the shell while the white slithers out into a collecting bowl. It gets a lot easier with practice.

Add two teaspoons of vanilla, and beat it all until it's fluffy.

Sprinkle in 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Then, alternate pouring in three cups of flour with a cup of buttermilk.

If you're all out of buttermilk, as I usually am, you don't have to panic, or run to the store and waste ridiculously expensive gas. Just add a teaspoon of vinegar (white or apple cider) per cup of skim milk, and let it set for five minutes. It will start to look all curdled, but that's actually what you want.

Now, take those six egg whites left over from earlier, and whip them up until they hold stiff peaks. It usually takes 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer, so be patient.

Take a spatula and gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Read: don't mix vigorously! That would kind of ruin the whole point of beating the whites first, which is to add lightness. Otherwise you're going to have a little dense brick of a cake, which is not Good Eats, as Alton Brown would say.

Pour it into your pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Bake it at 350 degrees for 50-70 minutes. This really depends on your oven, so watch it closely. The top will get quite brown, but it isn't done until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Heavenly angels are singing and playing harps and trumpets and sousaphones. If you could smell through your computer, you'd be drooling on the keyboard.

And if you really want to make this the best dessert you've ever eaten...

Love at first bite!

Aunt Grace's Pound Cake

1 c. (2 sticks) butter
2 1/2 c. sugar
6 eggs, separated
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. flour
1 c. buttermilk

Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle in baking soda and salt. Alternately add flour and buttermilk. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until stiff, and fold into batter. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 50-70 minutes or until a knife stuck in the center comes out clean. Cool for 20 minutes before unmolding.

Tomato Tart

2011-09-02T07:28:00.001-04:00

Didn't I tell you that I was going to make more tarts this summer? What can I say, I love my new tart pan! After making a sweet and creamy dessert tart, it was time to try something a little more savory. This tomato tart fit the bill and made for a delicious dinner. We had it with steak salad, but it's definitely hearty enough to stand on its own, too.

Tomatoes, to me, are synonymous with summer. Those wan, insipid hothouse tomatoes you can buy at the grocery in the winter aren't even worthy of the name. No, I want a huge, juicy, homegrown tomato, bursting with flavor. I absolutely stuff myself with them while they're in season, and have found lots of ways to prepare them inventively. But using them in a tart was new to me, so of course I had to try it.

As always, no matter what recipe they come in, summer's tomatoes don't disappoint. The crust on this tart is so flavorful and crisp, and the tomatoes pair perfectly with the cheeses and pesto. A perfect summer meal! It's like distilling all the flavors of summer - tomatoes, basil, fresh farmer's cheeses, parsley - into one delicious bite.

Start by slicing up some fresh tomatoes. Sprinkle them lightly with salt and set them in a colander to drain, so that they won't make the tart soggy.

Soggy tarts are gross. So avoid them!

Okay, now on to the dough.

Mix together a cup of flour, 3/4 cup cornmeal, a teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Then cut in a stick of butter. Once you break out the entire stick of butter, there's no turning back...

Roll it out on waxed paper until it's bigger than your tart pan (or pie pan, if you're using that instead). Then, just carefully transfer the dough to the pan and press it into the edges. Cut any excess off the top.

Poke some holes in the bottom and cover it with tin foil. Blind bake it (i.e. without filling) at 350 degrees for 20 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered.

If you have a lot of extra dough from the edges, you can roll it out thin and cut it into little crackers to bake on a separate sheet. They're really good sprinkled with a little salt.

While your crust is baking, you can mix the cheese for the filling. This tart is really easy to make, you just have to do a little layering.

One cup of ricotta cheese (low fat or full fat both work well) combined with 1/3 cup goat cheese. If you're not a huge goat cheese fan, you could probably just put in some more ricotta, but I personally love that slightly tangy flavor that melds so well with the tomatoes.

Once your crust is baked, and has cooled a bit, spread the ricotta/goat cheese filling in the bottom, as evenly as possible.

Turn the oven up to 375 degrees, before you forget, and I forget, and we're stuck with an oven that's 25 degrees too cold to finish up our delicious tart!

Spread a quarter cup of pesto on top of the cheese. You can use store-bought pesto, but you can also use my sister's easy pesto recipe if you have some fresh basil lying around (see Perfect Pesto).

All that's left to do is to arrange your beautiful tomatoes on top. You can see that I used a few green ones too, which will give a little bite.

Sprinkle two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese on top, along with some freshly ground pepper.

Then, just pop it into the oven for about 30 minutes.

When your tart comes out all steaming and fragrant from the oven, chop up a fistful of parsley and sprinkle it generously over the top. Carry your beautiful and delicious concoction out to a rousing applause from your very hungry guests!

Eat it outside in the cool summer evening air, and it will taste even better. I swear it's true!

Tomato Tart
Adapted from Food Network and Prevention magazine

Parmesan-Cornmeal Crust
1 c. flour
3/4 c. cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter

Tomato, Ricotta, and Goat Cheese filling
1 c. ricotta cheese (full or low fat)
1/3 c. goat cheese
1/4 c. pesto (see Perfect Pesto)
4-5 large tomatoes, sliced and salted to remove moisture
2 T. Parmesan cheese, grated
pepper to taste
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

For the crust, mix together flour, cornmeal, salt, and Parmesan. Cut in butter. Form into a ball and roll out between sheets of waxed paper until it is slightly larger than a 9" or 10" tart pan. Transfer to pan and press into sides, cutting off excess. Prick the bottom with a fork, cover with tin foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes.

Let cool at least 15 minutes before filling. Raise temperature of oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the filling, mix together ricotta and goat cheese and spread in bottom of tart shell. Spread pesto on top. Layer tomatoes evenly, then sprinkle with Parmesan and pepper. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until tomatoes have begun to brown at the edges. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

If you liked this post, you might also like Peachberry Tart

Perfect Pesto

2011-08-29T21:13:00.001-04:00

Use this pesto recipe for my Tomato Tart, for any other recipe involving pesto, or just for snacking! Freeze any extra in ice cube trays so that you have fresh, basil-y pesto even in the winter.

2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil, as needed

Combine the basil, garlic, pine nuts, cheese, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Stream in olive oil until the pesto has the desired texture.

Guest Post! Wonton Soup

2011-08-21T13:02:00.000-04:00

I may love to bake, but the real chef in the family is my sister. I'm firmly convinced that she can cook anything and make it taste absolutely fabulous. So when she volunteered to guest post for Birds & Brownies, I was delighted! I would highly recommend that you try her very delicious version of wonton soup.

- The Bird Girl

Hello to all Birds and Brownies readers! Let me introduce myself. I'm the bird girl's sister, I'm in my 20's, and I study chemistry. Being a chef, I love the way that chemistry and cooking intertwine!

However, I should warn you, this post will be a little different that what you normally see on this blog. I am a chef, and not a baker, so I HATE TO MEASURE! I prefer to cook by the seat of my pants, so to speak, throwing together whatever looks good. Surprisingly, the things I make usually turn out quite delicious! I will do my best to turn this wonton soup experiment into a recipe you can recreate (just remember, a pinch is a correct unit of measure!).

I'm not a huge Chinese takeout fan, but I do occasionally enjoy that wonton soup every Chinese restaurant seems to have - chicken broth base, pork or beef wontons, and a few scattered scallions. Why couldn't I make the same soup, only better?

So here you will find my very own wonton soup recipe. Feel free to substitute or change the recipe as you wish; there's never a penalty for culinary exploration!

I made the broth first, and let all the ingredients simmer together while I prepped the wontons.

I added slices of ginger, scallions, and garlic to a pot with chicken broth and water, put in a few generous dashes of soy sauce, a little red wine vinegar, a little balsamic vinegar, pinches of salt, pepper, and sugar, and sauteed shiitake mushrooms.

That's it! All of the ingredients simmered together for at least half an hour, and I added more sugar to taste to balance out the tangyness of the vinegars. Delicious! And much more interesting that the takeout version.

To make the wonton filling, I made a vinaigrette using soy sauce, Dijon mustard, finely chopped sauteed shiitakes, microplaned ginger, and garlic. Then I added salt and pepper, and a pound of ground pork. I would recommend also trying a mixture of ground beef and ground pork, and maybe throwing in some breadcrumbs and an egg to lighten the mixture a little.

Then I wrapped up about a tablespoon of filling in each store-bought wonton wrapper, as you can see above.

Rather than cook all of the wontons at once, I just boiled as many as were needed for one meal in the broth, for about six minutes. I ended up putting the broth and wontons in the refrigerator separately, and boiled more the next day for lunch - but I did have to add a bit more water to the broth to keep the same consistency as the day before.

I finished by scooping a few wontons into each bowl, covering with broth, and sprinkling more fresh scallions on top!

The soup is rich and complex, a very Umami dish due to the shiitakes and soy in both the broth and wontons. Please please please try this the next time you're tempted to reach for that takeout menu!

Best of all, it didn't take too long - the most time intensive step is wrapping the wontons, and with a couple hands to help out, you'll have this soup done in no time. Try it out, and let me know how you liked it!

Wonton Soup

For the broth:
Two cartons low sodium chicken broth
4oz. (1/2 package) fresh shiitake mushrooms
1 in. fresh gingerroot, sliced into thin rounds
3-4 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Dash red wine vinegar
Dash balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Wontons:
One package small square wonton wrappers
One lb. ground pork
4oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic
3/4 in. piece of fresh gingerroot
Salt and pepper

Sautee half of the package of shiitakes with two cloves of garlic, minced. Add to a large saucepan with the chicken broth, vinegars, soy sauce, ginger, the white parts of the scallions, and a cup of water. Bring to a simmer, and leave on the stove while you prepare the wontons.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 Tbsp soy and the Dijon, and microplane (or very finely chop) the garlic and ginger. Saute the other half of the shiitakes, roughly chop, and add to the vinegrette along with the pork. Mix thoroughly.

Place about a tablespoon of the meat mixture into the center of each wonton. Wet the edges of the wonton with water, and fold two opposite sides together, to form a triangle. Make sure all of the edges are well sealed. Take the two furthest edges of the triangle and press together underneath the wonton.

Bring the broth to a boil, and drop up to 12 wontons at a time into the broth. Boil for at least 6 minutes. Remove, place in bowls, and cover with broth. Sprinkle the chopped green parts of the scallions on top of each bowl, and serve immediately.

Broth and wontons can be stored separately in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Orange Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

2011-08-16T21:45:00.000-04:00

For my sister's 20th birthday, she asked for a cheesecake, just like last year. But while last year's version was plain with raspberry sauce, this time she wanted orange and chocolate. So, I thought, how can I really pump up the flavor while still maintaining the pure flavor of our tried-and-true cheesecake recipe?

Well folks, I think we have a winner, because this cheesecake was amazing! It's not too difficult to make, nor does it require any strange equipment (besides a springform pan, which every baker should own). It doesn't have to be fancy, but it tastes great, which is the most important thing. My sister gave it two thumbs up, and I hope you will agree!

So let's begin by making the crust. Please don't be tempted to use a "boughten" (as my grandmother says) crust, because it's just not worth it. It's so easy to make a homemade crust, and it tastes a gazillion times better.

You need two cups of graham cracker crumbs. That's approximately 25 square crackers, crushed. Of course you can easily do it in your food processor, but I find it much less messy, and more therapeutic, to just put them in a plastic bag and smash the heck out of them with a rolling pin.

Pour your crunched, processed, smashed, or crushed crumbs into a bowl and add 1/3 cup of sugar.

Now the flavor-boosting can begin. Toss in the zest of 1 1/2 oranges and a few drops of orange oil, if you have it. This is going to take this crust from ordinary to spectacular in about two seconds flat. Citrus zest tends to do things like that. It's just so... zesty!

Forgive the pun. I've spent way too much time with my friend Liz lately.

Make sure you break up any clumps of zest when you mix it up, because you want it to be evenly distributed across the whole crust.

Pour in a few tablespoons of melted butter and mix it all up until it's crumbly. It will not feel like a dough, but rather like moist crumbs... because it is moist crumbs...

Pour it into a 9" springform pan and press it into the bottom and sides.

See how it's pretty even along the entire bottom, and it goes most of the way up the sides? That's what you want. It doesn't have to be perfect, but you don't want some pieces to get huge thick crusts and some to get none at all.

Here's a trick to avoid overly thick crust along the edges: use a small cup to press down in the thickest areas. It spreads the weight more evenly.

Set the crust aside for now, while you make the filling.

Get three bricks (8 ounces each) of softened cream cheese and toss them into a stand mixer or mixing bowl. A stand mixer works a lot better than either a hand mixer or a whisk, but either of those will work too if you find yourself a little short in the stand mixer department. It's a common problem - those things are expensive!

Whip them up until they are fluffy and smooth. No lumps in my cheesecake, thank you very much.

Add a cup of sugar, two teaspoons of vanilla extract, and a quarter cup of orange juice. Use fresh juice - you've already zested some oranges, after all, and you may as well use them up.

Mix 'er up again. If you feel like doing a taste test, be my guest. I can personally vouch for the yumminess.

Plop in three eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each one.

Why must you add eggs one at a time? I always wondered about that. Kitchen Savvy has the answer: it's so that the eggs can emulsify better with the fats in the batter, just like when you're making mayonnaise.

Now we add the secret ingredient - sour cream. One cup of it mixed right in. It lightens the batter and adds a freshness that is altogether pleasing. Cheesecake is very rich, but with the addition of sour cream it isn't so heavy anymore.

The final ingredient is 2/3 cup of mini, semisweet chocolate chips. If you must use the larger ones, it will still come out well, but I've always liked the tiny ones better in cheesecake. They don't interrupt the creaminess as much as a big chip would.

Carefully pour your batter into the crust, smoothing the top evenly. Pop it into a 350 degree oven for 60-70 minutes or until it's a little golden on top.

When it's done, turn the oven off but leave the cake inside with the oven door cracked a bit. This is a really important step because it allows the inside to finish cooking, and it cools the cake down slowly to avoid too many cracks. Cheesecake is all about slow cooling, so leave it there for an hour.

When time's up, take it out of the oven and let it sit on the counter for another hour. Then, and only then, are you allowed to put it into the fridge. Ideally you should chill it anywhere from four to twenty-four hours, but a good two hours will do in a pinch. Cheesecake, like revenge, is best served cold.

But we're not big on revenge here at Birds & Brownies. Cheesecake is so much better.

While you're patiently, or not so patiently, waiting for your cake to cool, let's make a rustic little topping.

Chocolate chips. Orange zest. Orange juice. Nuke it for 20 seconds or so. (That's microwave, for those of you not in the know).

Spread it out on some waxed paper and let it cool. I stuck mine in the freezer for about ten minutes.

Then, just chop it up. If you're ambitious, or not very busy, you could even make orange-chocolate curls.

Tastes just like those chocolate oranges you get around Christmas.

By now your cheesecake should be cooled to just about the right temperature. Take it out of the fridge and slice that baby up!

Doesn't that look pretty? With the crumbly, orange-infused crust and the little chocolate chunks on top, it could win an ribbon at the fair just for looks.

But it tastes good too!

I wasn't expecting this, but the addition of orange juice in the batter lightened the texture a little. It was a nice change from my normally dense cheesecake, and of course the brightness of all that orange flavor was fantastic along with the chocolate! This recipe's a good one, folks - easy, pretty, and delicious.

Bon appetit!

Orange Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Crust
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. melted butter
zest of 1 1/2 oranges
2-3 drops orange oil, optional

Cheesecake
3 - 8oz. bricks cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. orange juice
3 eggs
1 c. sour cream
2/3 c. mini chocolate chips

Topping
1/4 c. chocolate chips
zest of 1/2 orange
1 T. orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the crust ingredients and press into a 9-inch springform pan, making sure that the crust is even along the bottom and up the sides.

In a bowl or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the sugar, vanilla, and orange juice and mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, combining after each addition. Fold in the sour cream and chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the crust and bake for 60-70 minutes or until slightly golden on top. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside with the door cracked for one hour. Then remove the cake and let cool on the counter for another hour. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

For the topping, mix together chocolate chips, orange zest, and orange juice and microwave for 20 seconds. Mix well and spread thickly onto a piece of waxed paper. Let set until hard, or refrigerate. Chop into rough pieces or shave off curls. Put on top of cheesecake when ready to serve.

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bourbon Sauce

2011-08-12T16:09:00.000-04:00

Bread pudding is really not a summery sort of food. But today I was thinking about what I wanted to make for dessert, and the thought of rich, custardy bread pudding with sweet, creamy sauce just wouldn't get out of my head. Before I even realized it, I was surfing for recipes! And oh my, was I not sorry at all that I decided to make this.

The great thing about bread pudding is that if you have some stale bread, an egg or two, and some kind of dairy, you can make it easily. You don't need crazy ingredients or fancy tools to make a really comforting, delicious dessert. Just like Grandma used to make!

This recipe makes only two servings, which is nice if there aren't too many people hanging around your house and you don't want leftovers. But don't worry, it's easy to double (or triple, or quadruple, or...).

So here's what you need to do. Yes, right now.

Get three or four slices of bread. Whatever you have on hand is fine. If it's already stale, that's perfect (don't you just love a recipe that calls for already stale bread?) but if not, lightly toast it first.

Chop it up into small, even cubes.

Divide the bread cubes up between two greased ramekins, or baking dishes of any kind. Luckily I found these cute little oval saucers hiding behind the bowls in my cabinet, but if you're not so fortunate, anything heat-proof and small works just fine.

Add about 1/8 cup raisins, if you feel like it. I like the golden ones best.

In a separate bowl, mix together 1 egg, 2/3 cup milk, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. Whisk it up well so the sugar dissolves nicely.

Grate in a little nutmeg. I didn't measure it, but it probably ended up being like a sixteenth of a teaspoon. So if you happen to have a sixteenth-teaspoon measure, feel free to use it.

By the way, that picture was particularly tricky to take. I just thought you should know that. The things I do for my readers... :)

Pour an even amount of the custard mixture into each ramekin. Push down the bread a little with a fork or spoon so that it all gets coated and soaked in the custard.

Let it soak and get all delicious for 10 or 15 minutes while the oven is preheating to 325 degrees.

Place the dishes on top of a baking sheet (just in case anything drips over the side) and bake for 30-40 minutes or until they are puffy and slightly golden brown. While your pudding is baking, make the vanilla bourbon sauce.

In a small saucepan, mix together 2/3 cup milk (I used whole milk so the sauce was creamy), 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon of flour, and 3 tablespoons of brown sugar. Stir it constantly until it boils and then remove it from the heat.

Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 2 teaspoons of whiskey or bourbon. If you're serving this to kids and you want to forgo the alcohol, the sauce will still be very good.

But trust me, you want to add the alcohol.

By now, your puddings should be done. Put them on a rack to cool for a few minutes. Then, run a knife along the sides to loosen them, and flip them onto plates.

Pour the sauce all over the bread puddings. Don't be shy about it either - the more the better! Bread pudding is great on its own, but the vanilla bourbon sauce takes it over the top and makes it absolutely marvelous.

Creamy, comforting, simple, and amazing. Everything a dessert should be!

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bourbon Sauce
Adapted from Dessert For Two and Moms Who Think
Serves Two

Pudding
3-4 pieces stale or lightly toasted bread
1/8 c. raisins (optional)
1 egg
2/3 c. milk
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg

Sauce
2/3 c. whole milk
2 T. butter
1 T. flour
3 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. whiskey or bourbon (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut bread into small cubes and place into two greased ramekins along with raisins, if using. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour over bread cubes. Let the puddings sit for 10-15 minutes. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until puffy and light brown on the edges. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

While the puddings are baking, make the sauce. Mix together milk, butter, flour, and brown sugar in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat until it boils, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla and alcohol, if using.

Serve puddings with sauce while both are still warm.

Dive-Bombing Bluebirds

2011-08-10T16:26:00.000-04:00

Everyone loves bluebirds. Or at least, everyone I've ever met. They're very pretty, with an attractive song, and they will happily nest close to your home if you provide them with a site. Of course, one could argue that there are many other underappreciated songbirds that are far more interesting, but for the sake of this post let's just focus on the admittedly beautiful Eastern Bluebird, America's darling.


Sialia sialis, the Eastern Bluebird

Sadly, this is not my own photo, but rather was borrowed from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website. If you love birds, go to this site, because it is amazing.

Okay, I'm done with my shameless promotions.

Isn't the male bluebird spectacular? With that striking sapphire back, wings and tail; and the rust-red waistcoat, he's absolutely gorgeous. It's no wonder that everyone loves him. His mate is a little more plain, but still quite beautiful, especially considering that most female songbirds are very drab.

But bluebirds aren't just another pretty pair of wings. They are fierce little buggers when it comes to protecting their babies. And by fierce, I mean that they will attack things many times their own size. Like me.

I had the dubious pleasure of being attacked several times by a bluebird papa this summer, as I was keeping notes on a nest laid in our backyard bluebird house. The clutch of five eggs was avidly guarded by both parents, but it was the father who continually dive-bombed my head every time I got closer than ten feet away from his offspring.

Which brings us to this video. Please excuse the poor quality due to my pathetic camera, and the somewhat questionable voiceover talents.

Update: my video has failed to load. I will continue in my attempts to put it up for your viewing pleasure. Please visit these sites to see additional examples of bluebird dive-bombing activity: Pussy Cat at the Blue Bird Cafe and Bluebird Attack on a Squirrel.

As you can see (and hear, from the swoosh of air), the bluebird was getting pretty close to me. I have my doubts that he would have actually accosted me physically, but he was doing his darnedest to scare me away.

If you listen closely, you can also hear some interesting clicks, sounding almost like sonar, which the bird is making as he flies towards me. I was very interested in these sounds, since they were separate from the usual "chips" - the warning call most songbirds use. I found an informal source that says it is produced by the birds clicking their beaks. Additionally, this bluebird enthusiast says that many bluebird pairs do not attempt to defend their nest. The few that do, like my dive-bombing friends, are more successful in nesting.

So, what's the moral of this tale? Well, not only are bluebirds beautiful, but they're also good parents (or some of them are, anyway). By threatening intruders that may harm their nest, as well as possible cuckolds (other species that may lay their eggs into another bird's nest), they increase their offspring's chances of survival.

Easy Breakfast Quiches

2011-08-04T11:36:00.000-04:00

A few days ago, there was a breakfast-baking extravaganza at our house. My mother had an important meeting and was providing breakfast for everyone at her workplace, so the whole family helped her prepare. I was put in charge of quiches, and I thought, what a great opportunity to photograph and post this great recipe that we've been making for years!

These aren't truly quiches, since they don't have a pastry crust, but they are very similar and a lot easier to make. We love to make them in the evening, so in the morning, a few minutes of warming up are all that stand between us and a yummy, protein-rich breakfast.

These are so quick and simple to make that they'll soon become your new favorite breakfast food. Cut into slices like pie and popped in the toaster or microwave, one quiche can feed a whole family for two or maybe even three mornings. Take a few minutes to make one tonight, and you'll be happy when breakfast rolls around!

The first step is to take the crusts off of four or five pieces of bread. Thinner bread is better, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Don't throw away those crusts... throw them out in your yard or garden for the birds, of course!

Then arrange the bread in a 9 inch pie pan with fairly deep sides. Try to fill most of the holes if you can, by tearing pieces off of an extra slice and fitting them in like a puzzle.

Crack 9 eggs into a large bowl and whisk them up well with a fork.

Sometimes I think it's strange that I spend all day out in the aviary fretting over the fate of junco eggs, and then come home and make quiches with chicken eggs... life is strange like that.

Pour in a quarter cup of milk...

...and some pepper, to taste.

Now for the interesting ingredients. We made three different quiches - cheese & chive, sausage & mushroom, and squash & bacon. Feel free to experiment with your personal favorites, though. I think a spinach, red pepper, and feta quiche would be delicious. Or maybe bacon, apple, and brie. Be creative! That's why baking is so much fun - you get to use your imagination.

Here's the cheese and chive mixture, with a half cup of shredded sharp cheddar and four freshly snipped chives.

Or how about this one: a third of a pound of cooked breakfast sausage, and a half pint of sauteed baby portabella mushrooms.

And this beauty has a large zucchini (this one is clearly yellow, but a green zucchini would be great, too), sliced and sauteed, and four crumbled strips of bacon.

Carefully pour the egg mixture over the bread in your pie pan. Make sure that it gets spread out evenly, and that, if the bread floats up a bit, you push it back to the bottom again.

Bake that baby at 325 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until it's almost cooked through. If you're not sure, stick a blunt knife in the center, and if it is not too runny, you're good.

Then put some delicious cheese on top. About a half cup of some kind that melts well - cheddar is usually my choice.

Just for the record, I love cheese. I really, really love cheese.

Bake it for 5-10 more minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. That's it!

Now that's a complete breakfast. If you're a mom or dad with lots of hungry mouths to feed (and I know how you feel, although my hungry mouths belong to baby birds), this is an easy way to give your kids a good, healthy breakfast. If you're a college student (which I also understand, considering I am a college student), you really need to eat breakfast, and this is a simple way to do it. And if you're entertaining, this quiche takes less than ten minutes to put together and is great for breakfast or lunch.

Baking for breakfast. It's a great idea!

Easy Breakfast Quiche

4-5 pieces of bread, decrusted
9 eggs
1/4 cup milk
Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cheese, such as cheddar

Arrange the bread on the bottom of a greased 9-inch pie pan. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and pepper. Add any of the following ingredient pairs, or other additional ingredients as desired:

Cheese & Chive
1/2 cup cheese
4 fresh chives, snipped

Sausage & Mushroom
1/3 lb. sausage, cooked and crumbled
1/2 pint mushrooms, chopped and sauteed

Squash & Bacon
1 medium zucchini, sliced and sauteed
4 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled

Pour the egg mixture over the bread and bake at 325 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over top and bake for another 5-10 minutes.