Happy Go Marni

Today I'm Entering My First Bake-Off: The KCRW Good Food Pie Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:02:00 +0000

Today, for the first time ever, I am entering a pie in a bake-off. I've always wanted to enter food contests...baking ones, not eating ones (too many hot dogs or marshmallows stuffed in my mouth and I think I'd puke). But usually there is some lousy reason it doesn't work out - I find out too last minute or it's too expensive or it requires traveling or something. Actually, I did once try entering a recipe into the Pillsbury Bake-Off, but that didn't go very far, and there was no event where all applicants prepared their recipe and brought it to a judging panel to taste. That was only for the 100 finalists.

When I read that chef Evan Kleiman of Good Food on KCRW (Los Angeles's NPR radio station) was hosting a pie contest, I got really excited. I'm not even a regular pie baker, though I'm also not new to pies. The contest rules said I could enter up to 4 pies, one for each of the 4 categories: fruit and nut; cream, custard, chiffon and mousse; savory; and interpretive pie, one that "defies categorization." I didn't want to overdo my first ever bake-off experience; one pie was plenty. I called up my mom, told her about this contest that was happening on a weekend when she happened to be visiting my sister and me in LA, and we spent a couple nights devising a delicious pie recipe to co-enter! We chose the mousse category.

I won't divulge the recipe until after the contest is over (and only if the pie is not a complete failure or embarrassment to the pie-eating world), but I will say three ingredients that are featured in our pie: Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Bananas. My mom and I each made the pie in our respective kitchens and then reconvened by phone to discuss any modifications we felt were necessary. Last night, with my mom in town, together under one roof, in my Los Angeles kitchen, we prepared the official pie entry. Mother-daughter activities are the best!

A berry pie I made a few years ago. Not the recipe I'm entering in this contest!

I hear there are 150 pies entered. Holy moly that is a lot of pie for the judging panel to taste! I just hope all 150 pies aren't variations on the one my mom and I submitted, you know, with the same three featured flavors. That would be a big bummer. I'm going to think positively and remain calm!

Speaking of judges, take a look at this incredible list of judges!

Mark Peel - Executive Chef & Owner, Campanile
Russ Parsons - Food Editor for the LA Times
Stefan Richter - Chef & Owner, Stefan's at LA Farm; Former Contestant on Bravo's Top Chef (Season 5)
Eric Greenspan - Chef & Owner of The Foundry on Melrose
Elizabeth Belkind - Executive Pastry Chef/Owner of Cake Monkey
Amy Scattergood - Food writer, LA Weekly
Eddie Lin - of the blog DeepEndDining.com and the book Extreme Cuisine
Amelia Saltsman - author of The Santa Monica Farmers Market Cookbook
Pim Techamuanvivit - Food Blogger and author of The Foodie Handbook
Clifford Wright - Noted Chef and Cookbook Author, Co-Founder of the Venice Cooking School

And there you have it! I will keep you posted on my experience. I'm so excited just to take part in it! With my mom by my side co-entering, and my sister there for moral support (and to taste people's yummy pies), it's a Happy Go Marni family affair.

Wish me luck!

State Fair Marbled Banana Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:02:00 +0000

This recipe won top honors at the State Fair of West Virginia in Lewisburg. That's good enough for me as an indicator of deliciousness. I'm picturing a judging panel line-up of old ladies with beehive hairdos and men with bow ties and thick dark-rimmed glasses. I'm sure that's not how it is today, but I prefer that image.

I've made a lot of banana desserts, but this might be the first time I've marbled banana with chocolate. Come to think of it now, it's such a natural thing to do because banana is light in color and works perfectly to contrast the dark color of chocolate. More recipes should suggest this!! The resulting bar not only looks good, but it's a yummy, moist cake, pretty light and airy, and (watch out), could take eating almost the entire tray before you got full. I don't know this from experience, I swear. Hypothetically speaking, of course. Wink Wink.

Marbled Banana Bars
Recipe from Blue Ribbon USA: Prizewinning Recipes From State and County Fairs by Georgia Orcutt and John Margolies.

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Combine the sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed, scraping the bowl several times, until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bananas, egg, and vanilla and continue beating and scraping the bowl until well mixed, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk to blend. Add to the banana mixture and beat on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bowl several times, until the batter is well mixed.

Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the batter and drop it by spoonfuls into the prepared pan, leaving a few spaces. Add the cocoa to the remaining batter in the bowl and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until well mixed. Drop the chocolate batter by spoonfuls into the pan over and around the banana batter. Using a knife, swirl the chocolate batter through the banana batter to make a marbleized pattern. (Do not overswirl.) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely in the pan. Just before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Cut into bars.

Makes about 36 bars.

Step-by-Step in Pictures
Prepare the batter...

Take 1 1/2 cups of the batter out of the bowl...

Drop spoonfuls of that 1 1/2 cups of batter into the baking pan...

To the remaining batter in the bowl, add cocoa powder...
This becomes the chocolate (and dark colored) batter, perfect for marbling...

Drop the chocolate batter by spoonfuls around the yellow batter...

Marbleize the two colors by dragging a knife back and forth across the pan until you have your desired design...

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes...

Voila!

Pumpkin Cheesecake, or The Cheesecake That Almost Burned Down My Home

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +0000

This Paula Deen pumpkin cheesecake is so good. It's creamy and dense and pumpkiny and has a delicious graham cracker crust and is basically everything I'm looking for in an excellent dessert. It's also the recipe that almost burned down my kitchen, and perhaps my entire place. Now that's no fault of Paula Deen's. I was a fool!

When I started this baking project, I was really exhausted. That's mistake number 1. But the specific problem that led to such a close call was that I didn't put the springform pan on a baking sheet when it came time to bake the cheesecake. I put the pan directly onto the oven shelf and set the timer. Mere minutes after it was in the oven, me sitting happily and unaware in the living room trying to catch up on my DVR, I suddenly looked up and saw smoke everywhere. And I mean EVERYWHERE.

What had happened??? I panicked and ran to the kitchen, turned on the oven light, but did not want to open the oven door so I wouldn't release any heat; the cheesecake's structure was still setting. (Looking back, I can't believe I put my cheesecake before the welfare of my home and myself! Ha!) But when I didn't see anything unusual through the glass window of the oven door, I decided I would have to open it up. Sure enough, liquid from the cheesecake was dripping through the cracks in the springform pan and onto the bottom of the oven, creating smoke that the oven's tiny ventilation could not handle. My kitchen was a giant cloud. The smoke alarm went off and in my exhaustion, I thought, OH NO, that's the fire alarm! The firemen are coming! This is embarrassing! And my cheesecake is ruined!

I ran next door to get my neighbor and he helped me turn off the smoke alarm, we opened all the windows, put fans at the windows facing outward to pull the smoke out, and my neighbor bravely stuck his hand in my oven and cleaned the bottom of it with a rag so it would stop producing smoke.

Everything is fine now. The firemen didn't come. My place is not a pile of ashes. I'm safe. The cheesecake was not compromised by having the oven door open for so long to clean the bottom. And I learned a very big lesson about putting springform pans on baking sheets.

This is a cheesecake I'll never forget. But I swear, its incredible, rich taste is memorable, too!

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Recipe by Paula Deen on the Fall Harvest episode of the TV show "Paula's Home Cooking"

Crust
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted salted butter

Filling
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

For filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

To make the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon...

Press together to form a crust...

Press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan (I also pressed the mixture about 1 inch up the sides of the pan...

Your crust is ready to go!

Beat the cream cheese until smooth...

Add pumpkin, eggs, sour cream...

Then add sugar and spices...

Then add flour and vanilla...

Pour the batter over the crust in the pan...

Bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour...

Let cool in the pan, then unlock and release the springform pan sides...

Chill before serving. Yum!

Sweet Vanilla Challah and a Super Cool Round Braid Method

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:01:00 +0000

This vanilla challah is my mom's favorite challah recipe and I love it, too. It's a great one to add chocolate chips to, so I did that for two of the three loaves. Come on, vanilla + chocolate in egg bread? Heaven!!!

This is the challah recipe we served at my sister's August wedding. For the wedding, we shaped the challah into rolls to serve in bread baskets for each table. Perhaps you recall from a previous blog post that my mom and cousin Rachael spent an entire day making hundreds and hundreds of rolls. Yup, they were these Beth Hensperger babies! Hensperger is a bread mastermind, and maybe we're a little biased because she's also a Northern California local. Her book The Bread Bible really is just that to so many people.

The round braid shape featured in this blog post (which is not from Beth Hensperger's recipe) is perfect for Rosh Hashanah, but it's fun and special to do any time of year. And it's so easy! When I first saw step-by-step photos on the Orthodox Union website, I thought I'd never figure it out. But once it connected for me, I laughed at myself for ever calling it impossible. Hopefully my photo demonstrations show the steps easily enough, but I promise you, if you spend a few extra minutes, you will figure it out and be so happy you did!

Sweet Vanilla Challah
Recipe by Beth Hensperger in The Bread Bible

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
6 1/2 to 7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour
1 3/4 cups hot water
4 large eggs, at room temp, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Vanilla egg glaze
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sugar

In a large bowl or mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Add the hot water, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Beat hard until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, switching to a wooden spoon when necessary if making by hand. Continue beating until the dough is too stiff to stir.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface with the plastic pastry scraper and knead until soft and springy and a layer of blisters shows under the skin, about 4 min. Dust with flour only 1 tablespoon at a time as needed to prevent sticking. The dough needs to be slightly firm for free-form loaves.

If kneading by machine, switch from the paddle to the dough hook and knead for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and springy and springs back when pressed. If desired, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead briefly by hand.

Place dough in a greased deep container. Turn the dough once to coat the top and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Grease or parchment-line 1 or 2 baking sheets or the springform pans. Gently deflate the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Roll each portion out into a smooth, thick strip about 30 inches long, with 1 end 2 to 3 inches wider than the other. Roll to lengthen and taper the thinner end. With the wide end on the work surface, lift the tapered end and wind the rest of the dough around the corner section 2 or 3 times, forming a compact coil. Pinch the end and tuck it under. Place the coils, with the swirl pattern facing up, on the baking sheets or in the springform pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes. Because of the eggs, this loaf does not need to double completely; it will rise enough in the oven.

Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To make the vanilla egg glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, vanilla, and sugar. Beat until well blended. Gently brush the dough surfaces with a thick layer of the glaze. Place the baking sheet or pans on a rack in the center of the oven and bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a deep golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped with your finger. Carefully lift the turbans off the baking sheets with a spatula and transfer to cooling racks. If using the springform pans, release the sides and then carefully remove the turbans from the pan bases. Cool completely before slicing.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Combine the yeast, sugar, salt, 2 cups of flour, and then the hot water, eggs, oil, and vanilla...

Add enough flour to create a dough that comes together and pulls away from the bowl (but don't add too much flour; you can always add more when kneading)...

I kneaded chocolate chips into some of the dough...

Here it is kneaded with chocolate chips. Place the dough in a bowl and cover. Let it rise until doubled...

Here's the plain dough after it's doubled in size. Time to shape into a loaf!

Divide into four strands...

Create a pinwheel out of the four strands, carefully overlapping like a lattice...

Notice there are two strands on each side that work like pairs (and there are four pairs). Take the strand that is "the under," not "the over," and cross it over its pair so that if it was facing down before, now it is facing right (a new direction). It now belongs to a strand from a different pair.

Continue crossing strands over their pairs, alternating clockwise and counterclockwise for each cycle.

Your design is done when the strands can't reach to do another cycle...

Pinch the ends together and them pull them up to the center of the design, then flip the entire dough over so that the underside becomes the top of the challah when baking...

Here's the dough flipped over and ready for its second rising...

Now let's try the exact same process with the chocolate dough!

Divide the dough into four portions...

Roll the four portions into strands...

Create the lattice...

Cross "the under" strand over its pair so it now joins a strand in a different pair. Finish the cycle, then alternate between clockwise and counterclockwise until you can't do anymore cycles...

Pinch the ends together, bring them up and together, then flip the entire dough over and place on a baking sheet...
Here are the two chocolate chip challahs I shaped and then let rise until almost doubled...

When the challahs are almost doubled in size, prepare the vanilla egg glaze by combining the egg yolk, vanilla, and sugar...

Here's your vanilla egg glaze....

Brush the vanilla egg glaze over the loaves...

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. Alternate the trays and turn them front to back. If they start to get dark but aren't done baking, cover with foil until they're baked through...

Tap the underside of the challah and listen for a hollow sound and a feeling of doneness...

Look how big they got because of the eggs in the dough!

Beautiful!

Served at a meal!

Strawberry-Chocolate Cobbler

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:28:00 +0000

This recipe is so amazing I made it two weeks in a row. It calls for 2 cups of whole grain pastry flour, which I don't have, but I used 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup cake flour as a substitute and it worked beautifully. It's quick to put together and tastes incredible. I like that the cobbler part has a chewy bready texture and a rich chocolate flavor. The strawberries keep it refreshing.

One of many nice things about living in California is having strawberries available year-round. My relatives in Ohio are probably lifting their angry fists at me and cursing. They have a few weeks a year of strawberries. That is just not sufficient for my strawberry-loving self! I want to be able to make this cobbler in the cold of winter (Ha! That's funny to say since I live in sunny Los Angeles)!

Jesse Cool, the baker/chef extraordinaire who invented this cobbler recipe, is a name I grew up with in Northern California. My mom made her recipes or talked about her often. She has a well known, delicious restaurant in Menlo Park called the Flea Street Cafe, and more recently she took over the cafe at Stanford University's Cantor Arts Center. Her style is very much about using organic, locally grown, in-season ingredients and promoting sustainable cuisine. My mom has adopted that same philosophy, even joining a CSA, and I'm doing my best to, also (though I'm not quite as disciplined as Jesse or my mom yet). Sorry, it has to be said: Jesse Cool is très cool!

Strawberry-Chocolate Cobbler
Recipe by Jesse Ziff Cool in Your Organic Kitchen: The Essential Guide to Selecting and Cooking Organic Foods

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 cups whole grain pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the butter, cocoa, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a 3-quart glass baking dish (or whatever dish you want). Place in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes to melt the butter. Remove from the oven and stir until well-blended.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and the remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Add the milk and stir until the mixture is smooth. Spoon onto the melted butter mixture, but do not stir.

Sprinkle with the strawberries. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Melt the butter, cocoa, and 1/4 cup sugar in the baking dish by placing in the preheated oven...

Don't let the chocolate burn; instead, take the dish out before the butter has fully melted and stir by hand until all incorporated...

Add milk to the dry ingredient mixture of flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and remaining sugar...

It will be thick and goopy at first but stir until smooth...

Spoon the batter onto the melted butter/cocoa/sugar mixture...

Hull and slice a pint of strawberries...
Sprinkle the strawberries on top of the batter...

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes...

Let the cobbler cool for 15 minutes before serving...

Serve it up and try not to eat the whole cobbler in one night...

Orange Candy Corn Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:03:00 +0000

Halloween is just a few weeks away so as you're planning your monster mash or ghoulish bash or haunted house party, consider making this adorable candy corn-looking cake! Surprisingly easy, super festive and colorful, and tastes yummy. It's basically a butter cake with grated orange peel folded in.

I had this recipe marked to make last year for Halloween and never got around to it, so this is very exciting! 2009 brings it! The candy corn "look" simply comes from food coloring. There's only one batter to make, and part of it becomes the yellow base and the other part becomes orange for the second layer. Then you whip up some buttercream frosting to finish the cake off with a white topping. Just like a candy corn! And fortunately no, there are not chopped up bits of candy corn in the batter. That might look neat, but it also might make me gag. Let's keep the candy corn to the garnish; it's a fun addition, and it's easy to pick off! ;)

Orange Candy Corn Bars
Recipe from Pillsbury's Fall Baking recipe booklet, September 2008

Bars
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted, cooled slightly
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 drops yellow food color
3 drops red food color

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened (do not use margarine)
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Decoration
1/3 cup candy corn (32 candies)

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line bottom and sides of 9-inch square pan with foil, extending foil 2 inches on 2 opposite sides of pan; spray foil with cooking spray.

2. In medium bowl, beat melted 3/4 cup butter, the granulated sugar and orange peel with wooden spoon until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour and baking powder just until mixed. Stir in yellow food color until well mixed. Spread 1 1/2 cups yellow batter in pan. Place pan in freezer about 15 minutes or until batter is slightly firm to the touch.

3. Meanwhile, add red food color to remaining cake batter in bowl until well mixed. Spread over chilled yellow batter.

4. Bake 47 to 53 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clea. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.

5. In medium bowl, beat 1/2 cup softened butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar until well blended. Beat in milk, vanilla and salt until smooth and spreadable. Spread frosting over bars. To serve, remove bars from pan, using foil to lift. Remove foil. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows; cut each square diagonally in half. Top each triangle with 1 candy corn.

Note: If you want really bright colors, use paste food colors instead of liquid food colors. Just decrease the amount to about half of the liquid food color specified.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Line a pan with foil, then grease it...

Grate an orange...

Combine melted butter, sugar, and orange peel...

Beat in the eggs and add flour and baking powder. It will thicken to this...

Add yellow food coloring...

After spreading part of the yellow batter into the pan, add red food dye to the remaining yellow batter to make orange...

Spread the orange layer over the chilled yellow layer...

Bake for 47 to 53 minutes at 325 degrees F...

Test for doneness with a toothpick...

To make the frosting, whip up the butter (I used a combination of shortening and margarine to make this pareve)...

Beat in the powdered sugar, milk (I used water), vanilla, and salt...

When the cake has cooled completely, spread the frosting on top...

Here's the finished cake! To serve, pull the foil up and out, set the cake on a cutting board, and cut into triangles. Then place one candy corn as garnish on each piece.

Perfect!

Cute, right?

Facing My Fear of Silicone Bakeware

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:05:00 +0000

Wilton's silicone bundt pan -
just like the one I so bravely used

Last night, for the first time ever, I baked a cake in a silicone bundt pan. GASP! Yup, I faced one of my biggest baking fears, bit the bullet, and used a flimsy, flexible, hard-to-keep-lint-out-because-it-sticks-to-the-pan red Wilton silicone pan.

Here's how it started.
I went to a friend's to bake a cake and even brought my conventional metal, fail-proof pan with me. It's heavy-duty, and I've used it enough times to know it does my cakes justice.

But when my friend presented me with her silicone alternative, all feelings of safeness and ease were chucked out the window and a sinking feeling overwhelmed me. Should I use the pan I brought that I know works? Or should I try this wobbly thingamabobber some people swear by but I have yet to trust?

While never having tried it myself, I'm not unfamiliar with silicone bakeware. Between testimonials from friends and plenty of reading on the Internet and in cookbooks, I have valid concerns about the adequacy of said bakeware and what it does to the integrity of my cakes.

Here are just a few things I've heard about silicone bakeware that have freaked me out (NOTE: These are rumors and should not be taken as fact):

It's actually more difficult to remove the cake from the pan and you can't use a knife to cut the cake away because you'll tear the material
Since it's a thinner material than metal, it burns the cake and you have to watch the cooking time carefully
It doesn't produce crusts or edges on your baked goods
It's difficult to wash and dry
Lint sticks to it
It's a challenge to take the cake out of the oven because it's not sturdy. As you're lifting the pan out, you might tear the cake as it wobbles around because it hasn't cooled and set yet.

So now that you see what's been going through my mind, you can appreciate my queasiness when my friend presented me with her silicone bundt pan. At the same time, I was extremely curious to try it and break the ice already. What if it turned out to be earth-shattering, life-changing, and produced amazing cakes? I decided it was worth the risk.

I do have one confession to make.
As with plenty of scary things in life, baby steps are useful and make it easier to handle the challenge you're facing. So instead of diving right in and embracing the silicone pan for all its alleged goodness, I took the supposedly unnecessary measure of greasing and flouring the pan. Please don't mock me!

Williams-Sonoma cast aluminum bundt pan -
still my preferred pan!

The Result
My cake baked evenly in the pan, so that's relief #1. It also didn't stick to the pan one bit: relief #2 (though if you recall my confession, I may have tampered with the test a little). But on the downside, when I inserted a toothpick in the center and it needed about 10 more minutes to bake, it already looked done on the outside. I think it ended up overcooking the outside a little, just as I feared. The solution to that is to cover the cake with foil partway through baking so the outside doesn't burn while you give the inside a chance to finish baking. So while that downside is annoying, it's not a deal-breaker.

I think the biggest problem I have with the pan is its flimsiness. As suspected, it wobbled when I took it out of the oven, even as I took extreme care to keep it still. The super hot cake is in a very fragile state immediately out of the oven, and its structure continues to set during the cooling. I almost broke the cake in half as I lifted it out of the oven because the silicone pan it was in was not supporting its still-setting delicate state.

If I use this pan again, I will absolutely place the pan on a cookie sheet and bake it like that. Not only does using a cookie sheet make it easy to lift the cake out of the oven, but the double thickness of having two pans will help prevent burning on the bottom of the cake. But the key here is if. If I will use this pan again. The fact that every time I use it it's going to give me butterflies is not good! But then again, last night's cake worked out, so maybe I'm panicking over nothing? At least now I can cross "using silicone bakeware" off the list of things to do before I die. Phew!

Have you ever used silicone bakeware? Are you a fan of it? Any disaster stories? Do tell!

Aunt Bertha's Spinach Kugel

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:18:00 +0000

I love kugel. It's a very traditional Ashkenazi Jewish side dish but it comes in so many varieties that it's hard to generalize what it is. Let me try: a (usually) noodle pudding or casserole, made either dairy or non-dairy. Sometimes, it doesn't have noodles at all, but it's still baked in a casserole dish and is sort of "scoopable." I've had some that are really sweet and can practically pass for dessert, and I've had others that are completely savory. If I'm serving one at dinner, I'll typically serve it warm, but kugel is perfectly acceptable to eat at room temperature. My ancestors used to prepare and eat kugel, even when they lived in Eastern Europe centuries ago, and it's really neat that such a tradition continues today.

This spinach kugel is a dairy kugel, though it can be made pareve to serve with meat if you swap out the milk with Mocha Mix and the butter with margarine. The secret to the flavor is using a packet of onion soup mix (Lipton's makes one).

The recipe comes from Bertha Froomkin, who was my bubbe's best friend, and so close to my mom's family growing up that my mom called her "Aunt" Bertha. My mom's mom's (my bubbe's) first name was also Bertha. And in fact, both of their maiden names were Berman. So they were both Bertha Berman. And the story gets better. When Bertha Berman Froomkin went into labor in Youngstown, Ohio, to give birth to her son Michael, my own bubbe, Bertha Berman Aron went into labor in Youngstown, Ohio, with my mom Joyce ready to be born. Bertha and Bertha shared a hospital room and had their kids one day apart! I guess they were true BFFs, attached at the hip even during childbirth!

Aunt Bertha in 1968, visiting my mom's family in Los Altos, CA,
just after they relocated from Youngstown, Ohio

Spinach Kugel
Recipe from "Aunt" Bertha Froomkin

2 (10-oz.) packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained well
1 lb. medium egg noodles, cooked and slightly cooled
2 cups milk, or if making pareve, can use Mocha Mix
6 eggs, beaten
1 - 2 packages onion soup
1/2 lb. melted butter or margarine

Combine cooked noodles with the rest of the ingredients. Spray or grease a 3-quart pan and place noodle mixture in it. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes. Yum.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Boil the noodles till soft...

Add the milk and melted butter...

Add the 6 eggs (I used Egg Beaters)...

Add the onion soup mix (the recipe says 1 or 2 packets; I used one)...

Thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze the water out of it...

Add the spinach to the noodle mixture...

Combine everything...

Spread the kugel mixture in the pan...

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes (I cooked mine longer because I prefer very crispy noodles on top)...

Cookie Comedy

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:02:00 +0000

Poor Cookie Monster!!!!!

The 9-foot Monster Challah

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:30:00 +0000

Baked in early September by Tony Sapia at Gemelli's Bakery near Penn State
Source: Collive.com

Run for your lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most of the time when I want an expensive kitchen item, I either save up money over time (ex. KitchenAid standmixer), or I come to grips with the fact that it's just not practical enough and I'll never own it (ex. juicer). In the case of the 10-foot oven, I haven't come to grips with anything and I still really want it.

Because how else do you expect me to reproduce this 9-foot challah at home?

Source: Collive.com

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Monster oven remains on my wishlist. I'm not budging.

The Recipe-Singing Band. Huh?

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 07:04:00 +0000

A band called One Ring Zero has begun a foodie project where they ask chefs for recipes and then they set the recipes to music and perform them word-for-word. Yeah, that's right: verbatim! There's no rhyme. But is there reason? Recipes as lyrics? Sounds strange. But you've got to listen to a couple of these!

Chef Michael Symon of restaurant Lola in Cleveland, who I just watched compete against three culinary students on Iron Chef America, submitted Octopus Salad with Black-Eyed Peas. The band sang the ingredients and instructions to the salad and it came off as a rock song! And no, in case you're wondering, that song title/recipe is not referring to a collaboration with will.i.am.

You can also listen to the polka-inspired "Spaghetti with Sweet 100 Tomatoes," a recipe submitted by Chef Mario Batali. Very clever.

I think my personal favorite is the creepy sounding "Lamb Shanks Roasted in Paper," recipe by Chef Jenny Morris. I can't decide if it sounds more like it belongs at a funeral or at a Jewish wedding. Kind of Klezmer-ish, but haunted, too. Have a listen and let me know how you'd describe this craziness!

Maybe the dish they're eating is going to be in a song?

I couldn't find a video of the guys singing any recipes (maybe that's a work in progress...), but here's a great clip of them in Aviles, Spain, performing "The Natty Blues," complete with accordion, guitar, and really, really neat trumpet. Am I being converted to so-called "ethno-pop"?

Maybe one day I'll be driving to work, listening to the radio, business as usual, and suddenly I'll hear the lyric: "Bring the water to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer, so the water is lightly bubbling." That's when you know the food revolution has taken over the world. :-)

Scientific Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:01:00 +0000

Chocolate crinkle cookies are a classic. Lots of cookbooks include a version, and I have memories of these from when I was a little kid. The difference here is that this recipe was developed by a biochemist! Shirley Corriher, the cookie's mastermind, is a cooking teacher and food scientist from Atlanta, Georgia, and her tips throughout the recipe definitely make me feel like I'm doing each step for a reason.

For example, she recommends rolling each ball of cookie dough into granulated sugar before rolling it into the traditional powdered sugar and her scientific reason is so that the powdered sugar doesn't absorb into the hot-out-of-the-oven cookie and disappear once it cools. The granulated sugar acts as a shield so the powdered sugar stays white and pretty. When I made these cookies, I froze most of them in a plastic freezer bag to serve a week later. I thought for sure the powdered sugar would be gone when the cookies defrosted and the condensation destroyed the nice white coating. But nope! They remained perfectly white post-freezer. Shirley, you're a genius!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Recipe by Shirley Corriher in Bakewise and republished in EveningEdge.com

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons, spooned and leveled, bleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

In a medium bowl, beat together well flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Melt chocolate in the microwave on 50 percent for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for 15 seconds more and stir.

In a mixer with paddle attachment, beat 2 1/2 cups sugar, oil and corn syrup together to blend. Beat in eggs, egg yolk and vanilla. On low, beat in melted chocolate. Add flour mixture and beat in on low.

Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Take out about a quarter of the dough at a time to shape. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 to 2-inch balls. Pour 1/4 cup granulated sugar into one bowl and the confectioners’ sugar in another bowl. Roll each cookie dough ball very lightly in plain sugar first and then very heavily in confectioners’ sugar. By rolling in plain sugar first, the confections’ sugar does not soak in so much and stays on the surface better.

Place release foil (nonstick side up) on a baking sheet. Arrange cookies 2 inches apart. For crisp cookies, bake 12-14 minutes. You can have several sheets of foil covered with cookies ready. When one sheet is done, you can pull off the foil and cookies to a cooling rack. Rinse baking sheet with cold water to cool and then slip the sheet under a foil with cookies and get it right back into the oven.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Mix together the sugar, corn syrup, and oil, then add the eggs and vanilla...

Will look just like this! Thick, yellow, and goopy...

Blend in the melted chocolate...

Add the dry ingredients and the batter will become thick...

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours...

Roll out balls of dough and prepare two bowls, one for granulated, one for powdered sugar...

First roll the ball of dough in granulated sugar...
Then roll the dough in powdered sugar...
Evenly distribute on the baking sheet...

Bake at 325 degrees F until perfectly crackly!

So good! And so pretty!

My Mom Met David Lebovitz, or OMGWTFBBQ!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:55:00 +0000

My mom with David Lebovitz

You may have noticed if you've been following this blog that I am a big fan of David Lebovitz. I've made a bunch of his recipes, including this, this, this, and this. I read his blog. And I follow him on Twitter. You should, too.

So it should come as no surprise that when my mom met the man/pastry genius on Thursday at a talk/book signing hosted by Charles Chocolates in Emeryville, CA, I was jealous. And that was before I saw the above photo. Now I'm just....beside myself!

David, if you're listening, come down to LA so I can shake your hand, or serve you some Maple Walnut Ice Cream from your cookbook. Last time I made it, it was the hit of my dessert party.

Pretty please?

No-Knead Round Challah, Perfect for Rosh Hashanah

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:06:00 +0000

Shana Tova! Happy New Year to my fellow members of the tribe! Rosh Hashanah is here!

I love this Jewish holiday. It's such a joyous celebration spent with family, focusing on new beginnings, a clean slate, second chances, basically, a new year! And the food is fantastic! Besides making everything with apples and honey (I'm not kidding, you can throw those two ingredients into just about anything: pasta, meatloaf, chicken, kugel, salad, cookies, etc...), another tradition is to make a round challah, symbolizing the cycle of a year or the cycle of life (and oh man, there are so many other interpretations!). When I saw this King Arthur Flour no-knead round challah recipe featured in the blog Bakers' Banter and the accompanying gorgeous photos, I had to try it.

The concept of a no-knead challah is interesting, and it's becoming increasingly popular and trendy. I had never tried it before. This specific challah recipe is actually ideal for a busy, working person who can't put together a traditional loaf of bread in the evening after work unless she wants to be up till 1 in the morning. Kneading, plus two rising times, plus baking, means one really late night. But with this recipe, you make the dough, let it rise for about 2 hours, and then it goes into the fridge overnight! You take it out the following night, shape it, let it rise another 90 minutes, and then bake it! A two day process works perfectly for my busy schedule!

As you'll see in my photos, the challah grew A LOT during the rises and baking! More than in the photos from Bakers' Banter. Maybe I have superhero super active yeast. Still, without comparing it to anything, it's a gorgeous, regal loaf. And I'm patting myself on the back for successfully making a yeast bread without kneading it at all. The urge was there but I resisted!

No-Knead Challah
Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Dough
6 3/4 cups or 7 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*
1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
4 large eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
*See step #1, below.

Topping
1 egg (any size) beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
2 to 3 tablespoons sesame seeds or poppy seeds, optional

1. The flour/liquid ratio is important in this recipe. If you measure flour by sprinkling it into your measuring cup, then gently sweeping off the excess, use 7 3/4 cups. If you measure flour by dipping your cup into the canister, then sweeping off the excess, use 6 3/4 cups. Most accurate of all, and guaranteed to give you the best results, if you measure flour by weight, use 33 ounces.

2. To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients, in the order written, in a very large bowl (at least 6 quarts). Stir to make a sticky dough. You can do this in a stand mixer and then transfer to a larger bowl; or simply use a big bowl and spoon (or dough whisk).

3. Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise for 2 hours at cool room temperature.

4. Refrigerate the dough for at least several hours, to chill it and make it easier to work with. It can be refrigerated for up to 4 days before using.

5. When you're ready to make challah, remove the dough from the refrigerator, and scoop out about one-third of the dough (about 21 ounces). Transfer it to a floured work surface; a silicone mat works well here.

6. Divide the dough into three pieces, and shape each piece into a log about 24" long.

7. Braid the logs, pinching the strands together at each end.

8. Lightly grease an 8" x 2" round cake pan. It's important that the pan is at least 2" deep. If it's not use, a 9" round pan. Coil the braid into the pan.

9. Cover the pan, and allow the braid to rise for about 90 minutes, till it's quite puffy. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

10. Uncover the challah, and brush it with the egg/water mixture. Sprinkle with seeds, if desired.

11. Bake the challah for 30 to 35 minutes, till it's golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers at least 190°F.

12. Remove from the oven, and carefully turn out of the pan onto a rack to cool.

Yield: one 9" round braid. The entire recipe will make 3 loaves.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Combine all ingredients for the dough into a mixing bowl...

Mix until a sticky mass forms...

Place in a bowl, cover, and let rise about 2 hours...

Here's the dough after 2 hours of rising...

Then place in the fridge overnight...

Next night, take the dough out of the fridge and divide into 3 portions...

Roll out each of the braid strands to 24 inches long...

To braid, I start from the center and work out from both ends. This ensures the braid will be evenly-thick, rather than thick at one end and tapered at the other.

There's nice even braiding...

Transfer the braid to a well-greased round pan...

Cover and let rise until puffy, about 90 minutes...

Just before baking, add the egg wash and sesame or poppy seeds...

Bake for at least 35 minutes...

Gorgeous loaf hot out of the oven!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:04:00 +0000

I'm a big time fan of a blog called The Chocolate Peanut Butter Gallery. It is anything and everything devoted to that amazing combo. My favorite ice cream flavor at Baskin Robbins is Peanut Butter 'n Chocolate. My favorite candy from Charles Chocolates is the Peanut Butterfly (chocolate enrobing a peanut butter filling). Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were always my favorite Halloween candy as a child. When I go to Crumbs Bake Shop in Beverly Hills, the only cupcake I ever order is the Peanut Butter Cup. I hold a very special place in my heart for chocolate combined with peanut butter. And more to the point, I have a major weakness for it.

These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars come from a Chocolatier Magazine cookbook. Say no more! They are chewy and gooey and peanutbuttery and exactly what I, as a chocolate peanut butter worshiper, am looking for. If you belong to that camp, too, then indulge yourself and make these. They are incredibly easy to prepare and use basic ingredients you're bound to have handy.

Sure, the saying goes, "Everything in moderation." It's a good rule to live by, so fine, I don't plan to die from a chocolate peanut butter overdose. But a temporary food coma works for me.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
Recipe by Mary Goodbody and the editors of Chocolatier Magazine in Glorious Chocolate

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup extra-chunky peanut butter
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces (about 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil so that the foil extends 2 inches beyond two opposite sides of the pan. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of the foil-lined pan.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer set at medium-high speed, beat the peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar for 2 to 3 minutes or until well combined. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Sir in the chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake the brownies. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Using the two ends of the foil as handles, lift the bars out of the pan. Leaving the bars on the foil, cool on the wire rack for at least 2 hours. Invert the bars onto a plate and carefully peel off the foil. Invert again onto a smooth surface and cut into 12 bars. Store the bars in an airtight container.

Yield: 12 bars.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl...

In a mixing bowl, cream the peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar together...

It will look like this delicious batter (which tastes amazing but I promise it's worth continuing on with the recipe!)...

Add the eggs and vanilla...

Now the batter is becoming more goopy and ribbony...

Fold in the dry ingredients (do not overmix)...

The batter will become thick...

Stir in the chocolate chips...

Spread the batter into a greased, foil-lined pan...

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes (my speedy gonzalez oven required only 22 minutes)

And here you go!

Full of peanut butter flavor! And the chocolate chips stay soft and melty!

Chocolate Chunk Vanilla Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:03:00 +0000

I absolutely love these muffins. I made them for the morning of my sister's wedding one week ago. All the bridesmaids would be over, getting themselves beautiful, and my mom and I thought it would be fun to have a little spread of yummy treats. So these muffins were prepared, along with banana chocolate chip cake, individual cups of yogurt, fresh fruit, trail mix, and mimosas. It was lovely!

I wouldn't normally make something called vanilla muffins because it sounds too plain. Sorta like how I never make yellow cake because chocolate cake is always going to be better. :-) But something about Carole Walter's recipe lured me in. Plus, I got to add fancy Valrhona dark chocolate chunks into the batter. These muffins are perfect in both texture and taste. Never question Carole Walter!

Chocolate Chunk Vanilla Muffins
Recipe by Carole Walter in Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins, and More

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned in and leveled
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly firm
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (3.5 ounce) bar fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, such as Lindt, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 to 4 tablespoons sparking sugar, optional

1. Position the rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper or foil cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

3. Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces and place in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla and mix on medium speed until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute.

4. Add the granulated sugar in four additions and mix for 1 minute longer. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, and mix for another minute.

5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream, dividing the dry ingredients into two parts, starting and ending with the flour. Mix just until blended after each addition. When the bowl is removed from the mixer, fold in the chocolate chunks using an oversize rubber spatula.

6. Portion the batter into the prepared pan using a no.16 ice cream scoop (1/4-cup capacity). Sprinkle the top of each muffin with about 1/4 teaspoon of the sparking sugar.

7. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and the tops are springy to the touch. To ensure even baking, toward the end of baking time, rotate the pans top to bottom and front to back. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool.

Storage: Store at room temperature, tightly wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to 3 days. These muffins may be frozen.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Combine the dry ingredients, then set aside...

Mix the butter and vanilla until smooth and light in color...
Add the sugar and then the eggs...
Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, ending with dry...

Chop the chocolate with a sharp knife...

You want 1/4-inch chunks...

Fold the chocolate chunks into the batter...

Stop folding as soon as the chocolate is combined...

Distribute evenly in muffin tins...

Bake at 375 degrees F for 23-25 minutes (10-13 minutes if making mini muffins)...

Yum!

My Mom, Pastry Chef in the Making

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:45:00 +0000

My mom on her very first day apprenticing, about a year ago.
She doesn't look nervous at all!

This coming Sunday, my sister Beth gets married to the love of her life Evan in Woodside, California. My mom has been the main wedding planner and since I know a lot of the nitty gritty details, I cannot wait to see how it all comes together on the big day. It just so happens that my mom retired a little over a year ago from a successful career in physical therapy and later therapy services management. Not waiting long to jump right into her next adventure, she joined the baking team at an amazing bakery in Sunnyvale called Sugar Butter Flour and began apprenticing. She was already an incredible baker, but things are a little different in a commercial kitchen. One time she told me she had to crack 112 eggs! And just yesterday she made 41 cakes. Imagine multiplying a recipe by 16. Be careful to carry the 1 and do your math right!

Well, I just have to share with you something very special she is doing for Beth's wedding. Over the weekend, she and my cousin Rachael spent the day in the bakery kitchen and made about 500 challah rolls to be served with the dinner, and then yesterday my mom baked cake layers that will become the wedding cake. Hopefully, I will get around to posting some of those photos. Having my mom, and cousin, too, personally prepare some of the wedding food is one of the most unique contributions I can think of.

So this is my shout-out to my mom. I am so proud of you for taking on an apprenticeship at a fine baking establishment and putting your education to use for Beth's wedding! You never cease to amaze me.

And thank you, Rachael, for your help with the challah rolls!

The Search for the Best Brownie on Earth is Over

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 07:07:00 +0000

I have been on a quest for years to find the best brownie. May sound silly, but I bet every home baker has that same quest without even realizing it. In other words, you make a brownie recipe, decide, eh, could be better, and choose a different recipe next time. Sounds familiar, right? Why would you make the same recipe again if you don't think it's perfect? It's not like brownie recipes are hard to come by. And since I am a baker, my test kitchen is particularly frequently in use. I say all that to say, I've tried a LOT of brownie recipes in my lifetime. Similar to that all-American classic chocolate chip cookie, finding the perfect brownie is a momentous occasion. It's a very big deal. It means no more searching for recipes to test. It means bragging rights that you've discovered the best there is. And it also means a new standard for brownies you didn't know existed but now that you know, you'll be a far pickier eater moving forward.

I am about to reveal to you what I believe is unequivocally, hands down the best brownie, bar none (pun intended! ha!). I suppose you could be grateful to me for all the time I'm saving you, but somehow, I don't think you'll be able to call this the best without first having tried a dozen so-so recipes. I challenge you to go through your cookbooks, make some of the brownies out of them, and then come back to this blog post and make this recipe. Your thank you will be a lot more sincere.

It's worth pointing out, too, that this is a very subjective topic. I must have some chutzpah to call this the best brownie. Who do I think I am? Some people prefer their brownies fudgy, some chewy, some cakey, some dark chocolate, some not so dark, some rich, some less chocolaty, and of course there are those who fight over the edge pieces because they enjoy the crisp sides with the softer center. So to clarify my calling this the Best Brownie on Earth, that is a true statement for me and probably others who like rich, dark, chocolaty, fudgy brownies.

But I admit, making such a bold claim puts it all on the line for me. You might try out this recipe, completely disagree with my superlative of a title, hate the brownie, never trust my judgment again, and never return to Happy Go Marni. I hope that's not the case, in fact, I'm confident after one bite you'll love me forever, but I'm willing to take that risk. Yes, this is the recipe on which I've decided to gamble away my credibility.

The recipe comes from the Tartine cookbook. Tartine is an amazing bakery in San Francisco. Funnily enough, my dad, who has had the Tartine brownie both made in my kitchen and made at the bakery, thinks mine is better (which is saying a lot!). That's probably because the brownie recipe in the Tartine cookbook is not exactly the same as what they sell in the bakery. That, or I do a better job at following their recipe than even they do. Ok, or maybe it's because he's my biased dad. :-)

You'll notice that the recipe calls for a ton of chocolate...and by a ton, I mean a pound. That's right, a whole pound for one 9x13-inch pan. Don't skimp and think you can skip a few ounces. And please don't waste your time on cheap grocery store brands. The chocolate you choose for the recipe ends up defining the brownie. Last time I made these, I spent about $15 on Valrhona chocolate. Only the best for dear old Dad!

Whenever I visit my parents in the Bay Area, I try to whip up a batch to give them. Living near SF, they can have the bakery's version whenever they want, but it's not every day they get the cookbook version specially delivered from L.A.

So without further ado, here's the recipe to this earth-shattering, life-changing brownie. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Updated: I really must give credit where credit is due. A huge shout out and thank you to my Uncle Gary and Aunt Francie who gave me the Tartine cookbook as a birthday present a few years ago. Muah! You two have made my life a whole lot sweeter!

The Best Brownie on Earth
Recipe by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson in Tartine

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
2 cups light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping (optional)
2 cups nuts such as walnut or pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. If the heat from the butter does not fully melt the chocolate, put the pan back over the heat for 10 seconds and stir until melted. Set aside to cool.

Sift the flour into a small mixing bowl. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until the mixture thickens and becomes pale in color and falls from the beater in a wide ribbon that folds back on itself and slowly dissolves on the surface, 4 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, use a mixing bowl and a whisk to beat the ingredients until the mixture falls from the whisk in a wide ribbon. Using a rubber spatula, fold the cooled chocolate into the egg mixture. Add the flour and fold it in quickly but gently with the rubber spatula so that you don't deflate the air that's been incorporated into the eggs.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and smooth the top with the spatula. If you are using nuts, evenly distribute them across the batter. Bake until the top looks slightly cracked and feels soft to the touch, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 squares, or size desired. The brownies will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 week.

Kitchen Notes: You can't use a cake tester to judge doneness for these brownies. Becaues the batter has a high percentage of chocolate, the tester comes out wet even if the brownies are done.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Melt the butter...

Break up a pound of bittersweet chocolate...

Melt the chocolate with the butter...

In a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar, salt, and vanilla...

Sift the flour and set aside...

Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg/sugar mixture...

Combine...

Gently fold in the flour...

Batter is ready for the oven!

Notice I left a quarter of the pan nut-less for my anti-nut sister...

Best brownie on Planet Earth!

The Recipe for Blogger Prom 2009: Lots of Cheese and Hard Work

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:55:00 +0000

Ericka of City Elf and me

It was about 2 months ago that I received an email from Caroline of Caroline on Crack and Esther of e*star LA, two fun, well known Los Angeles bloggers, asking me to join them on a quest to create an unforgettable Blogger Prom on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. I agreed, still not exactly sure what Blogger Prom even was! They recruited a couple of other wonderful bloggers, and the 8 of us became the Blogger Prom Committee...

Caroline of Caroline on Crack
Esther of e*star LA
H.C. of LA and OC Foodventures
Lindsay of LAist
Marni of Happy Go Marni
Maya of Shop Eat Sleep
Natalie of The Liquid Muse
Tara of When Tara Met Blog

The entire Blogger Prom Committee
L to R: Caroline, Natalie, Tara, Marni, Esther, H.C., Lindsay, Maya

Our mission was to organize an event that would bring together Los Angeles bloggers from every genre: food, tech, lifestyle, fashion, and everything in between. These are people we follow online but often have never had the chance to meet in person. The Andaz West Hollywood, a newly renovated hotel on the Sunset Strip with amazing views of Los Angeles, agreed to open their rooftop to us for the occasion. The venue was set, but we still had a lot more work to do!

View from the rooftop of the Andaz West Hollywood Hotel

We immediately built a Blogger Prom blog and set out to create an exclusive invite list and seek sponsors. We were overwhelmed by the responses. Trying to get 200 bloggers to attend this event turned out to be so easy that we had a waitlist! And because of the golden opportunity this became for brands of all sorts, being able to show off their products to a Who's Who of influential, talkative bloggers, sponsorship was also not a challenge.

In fact, we ended up turning down companies right and left because we could have had hundreds and that would have just been messy! Still, we kept enough that there were dozens of raffle prizes - everything from a $100 gourmet chocolate assortment from Charles Chocolates (YUM!) to a 6 game assortment of Wii games by EA (fun!!) to restaurant gift certificates to tickets to the Hollywood Bowl to a $300 gift basket of booze from The Edison in Downtown and so much more. And let's not forget the beloved, coveted goody bag that every attendee would receive at the end of the evening. Raffle prize winner or not, no one went home empty-handed. The bag contained chips, booze, free food coupons, a t-shirt, lube, ear plugs, hair products, granola bars, a Goldstar poster and a lot more. A big THANK YOU to the generous sponsors.

Over-stuffed goody bags for all!

We had liquor sponsors and one of our very own Blogger Prom Committee members, Natalie of The Liquid Muse, even concocted a signature cocktail for the evening. We had an official prom photographer Claire Barrett, whose work is amazing! We required cheesy prom attire, encouraging 80s era since that's as cheesy as you can get, and we were strictly enforcing that dress code at the door. The 8 of us committee members divided up the shifts for the evening so someone was always checking people in at the door, handling the raffle, giving out goody bags, etc... And after putting so much thought into every detail of the night, it was a big success! We are so pleased with the turnout, the outfits, the venue, the food, prizes, goody bags, and most importantly, the smiles on everyone's faces. They all seemed to be having a great time. Many asked us if we'd be doing this again next year because they for sure want to be on the list. I don't know what next year has in store, but as for 2009, yeah, I think we can safely say, "Mission accomplished."

Maya of Shop Eat Sleep receives her corsage from friend Chris

I went for the poofiest sleeves I could find

My friend David with the Cheese Impresario Barrie Lynn
who matches cheese to cocktails

Cheesecake pops from Pure Cheesecakes

Silamith, the liquor rep for Martin Millers Gin and Caroline of Caroline on Crack

To read some of the Blogger Prom coverage, take a look at these links:

BlogHer, "Blogger Prom 2009 in Los Angeles"
Caroline on Crack, "Blogger Prom 2009: Backstory and Wrap-Up"
LA Weekly, "We Hit It…Blogger Prom, That Is"
Lalawag, "Bloggers Just Wanna Have Fu-un"
Food Woolf, "Getting To Know You at LA’s Blogger Prom"
Franklin Avenue, "Scenes from a Blogger Prom"
Kevin Eats, "Blogger Prom (West Hollywood, CA)"
Nadine Jolie, "Jolie, the Prom Queen"
Shop Eat Sleep, "Blogger Prom was Awesome"
When Tara Met Blog, "Blogger Prom 2009"
and for hundreds of photos, the Blogger Prom Flickr Group Pool

Plum Blueberry Upside-Down Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:32:00 +0000

This is a good ROI cake. You put little effort in, and you get big returns. Isn't that the way all baking should be? :) I say this because it's really an easy cake to make, and yet it looks so impressive and difficult when you present it to your guests. Now that's bang for your buck!

And it's not just presentation that wins people over; it's taste. This cake is a perfect summer treat with fresh fruit from the farmer's market, and has a shocking, totally-out-of-character-for-Marni non-chocolate personality. You can swap out other fruit for the ones called for in the recipe, which gives this cat of a cake 9 lives! In fact, I did just that. In the cookbook, the title is Plum Huckleberry Upside-Down Cake, but come on folks, huckleberries aren't exactly everyday produce. So out they went and blueberries were happily invited to the party. David Lebovitz is the inventor and mastermind behind this amazing recipe and if you've been following my blog for awhile, you know that I'd practically take a bullet for the guy (does it have to hurt, though?).

Plum Blueberry Upside-Down Cake
Recipe by David Lebovitz in Room for Dessert
One 9-inch round cake or 10-inch square cake; 10-12 servings

The plum blueberry topping:
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup (4 ounces) blueberries
6 to 8 medium plums (about 1 pound)

The cake:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

1. To make the plum blueberry topping: Melt the butter in a 9-inch round cake pan or a 10-inch square cake pan, directly on the stove top, over low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar is thoroughly moistened. Remove from the heat and cool briefly.

2. Sprinkle half of the blueberries evenly over the moistened brown sugar. Cut the plums in half, remove the pits, and cut the plum halves into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the plum slices over the blueberries in concentric, overlapping circles, or just scatter them evenly. Strew the rest of the blueberries on top of the plum slices.

3. To make the cake: Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

4. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes in a standing electric mixer. Stop the mixer once and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure the butter is completely incorporated. Add the vanilla.

5. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until completely incorporated.

6. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix half of the flour mixture into the batter. Stir the milk into the batter, add the remaining dry ingredients, and stir just until smooth; do not overmix. The batter will be quite thick.

7. Carefully spread the batter over the fruit in the cake pan, smoothing with a spatula. Bake the upside-down cake for about 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Let the cake stand at least 20 minutes before unmolding. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Invert a serving plate over the cake and carefully flip over both cake and plate simultaneously. Lift off the cake pan and scrape any fruit that may have stuck to the pan back onto the cake - or enjoy it yourself. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Variation: Make the topping with 6 medium apricots instead of plums, and substitute 1 cup of any kind of berries (except strawberries) for the blueberries.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Melt the butter directly into the pan over a burner.

Add the brown sugar and stir to moisten...

Sprinkle half the blueberries on top...

Slice about 1 lb. of plums...

Place the plum slices in concentric circles, then sprinkle with the remaining blueberries...

To make the cake batter, cream the butter and sugar, then add the vanilla, eggs, and half the dry ingredients...
Add milk, and then add the remaining half of the dry ingredients...
Dollop the batter on top of the fruit in the pan...

Spread the batter evenly over the fruit, then bake at 350 degrees F for about an hour...

The top will be golden brown when done and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean...

Serve this beauty!

The Kitchen Table: A Winning Kosher Experience in Mountain View

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:31:00 +0000

Living in Los Angeles, I have quite a selection of Kosher restaurants at my fingertips, ranging from fast food to Jewish deli and all the way up the scale to steakhouses. But it's a funny thing how I eat at just one Kosher restaurant in Mountain View, California, and I suddenly realize Los Angeles doesn't have it all.

I'm talking about The Kitchen Table, a new Kosher establishment on the popular Castro Street in downtown Mountain View (just south of Stanford University and a little north of San Jose). I ate here with my parents and sister for Father's Day. My mom secured a reservation, which the restaurant staff tell me is a smart thing to do as tables, which in my opinion aren't so limited, apparently still fill up. The decor inside is sophisticated but with personality as crystal chandeliers and abstract metal artwork are juxtaposed with old black and white photographs of families sitting at their kitchen tables. But Father's Day brought lots of sunshine and good weather and so we opted to eat outdoors on the front patio where lots of cheerful green shrubs separate you from the busy street.

Photographs of families at their kitchen tables cover a wall of the restaurant

The staff are incredibly gregarious. Our waitress Suzanne was fun, honest, and attentive. A co-owner also greeted us at our table. We felt loved. And the feelings are mutual!

My dad with our waitress Suzanne

But ambiance and waitstaff aside, the menu is the real kicker! Prices are very reasonable and the dishes are so creative! Scanning the menu I was drooling. The lunch menu includes a Chipotle BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich, Knish of the Day, Hand-Cut Yam Fries, Tuna Ceviche with Fried Plantain Chips and Spicy Avocado Relish, Chicken & Matzo Ball Soup, Lamb BLT, Dry Aged Tuscan Salami with Dijon on a Crispy Baguette, House Cured Pastrami Sandwich, and lots more. Dinner includes many of the same items as lunch, but also entrees such as Honey, Thyme & White Wine Glazed Salmon, Tamarind Mango Braised Duck Leg, Masala Spiced Lamb Kabob, and Boneless Rib-Eye Steak.

House Cured Pastrami Sandwich

Salami Potato Knish with Rocket Salad

3 eggs, Hash Latkes, and Lamb Bacon with Whole Wheat Toast

Chocolate Babka with Fresh Fruit

Tunisian Shakshouka

Homemade Grilled Pita Wedges

Since we ate at 10am on a Sunday, we ordered from a small brunch menu of just 5 choices, though we had no trouble finding many things we wanted. In the future, hopefully they'll add one or two more breakfasty items like Challah French Toast and Blueberry Pancakes. I selected the Tunisian Shakshouka, consisting of three eggs in a tomato sausage sauce and a side of homemade pita wedges. My sister's and dad's meals included lamb bacon, and so I was fortunate enough to try a bite. Wow, that alone was worth the trip! My mom ordered chocolate babka, fresh fruit, and a salami potato knish. Presentation and taste were all on point. Even my coffee came with a mandelbrot cookie on a sleek white saucer.

Father's Day Brunch Menu

Coffee and Mandelbrot

Very soon, The Kitchen Table will be offering Shabbat take-out. Now that's something I wish more Los Angeles Kosher restaurants did! I came to this place with no expectations and practically no information about it - just an open mind. It turned out to be a perfect 10 of an experience. I am deeply and madly in love.

Details:
The Kitchen Table
142 Castro Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 390-9388
Lunch/Dinner/Sunday Brunch/Take-Out/Catering

Joyce's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:04:00 +0000

I am in love with this oatmeal cake. I've never made it before and I had no idea how oatmealy it would turn out. But you actually can't tell there's oatmeal in it! That's because you pour boiling water over the oats before adding them to the batter, and so they become soft and soggy and un-oatmeal-like. I also changed up the recipe slightly by using chocolate chips instead of the dried fruit the recipe calls for. Chocolate makes anything better. Duh. Forgive me for skipping the Broiled Topping. It sounds delicious, and I've included the recipe in this post, but I just didn't feel the cake needed the topping and I didn't want the added calories.

I was first drawn to the recipe because of its name: Joyce's Oatmeal Cake. My mom's name is Joyce, and as she is my baking inspiration and the one who got me into this hobby in the first place, I felt it was a sign that I have to make this recipe.

The 9x13 Pan Cookbook is really fun because every single recipe uses the same pan. And it happens to be one of my favorite pans. It serves enough people and it's easy because you just pour the batter into the pan and when done, slice to serve. It's a much bigger pain to shape drop cookies individually and place them evenly apart on a cookie sheet. Low maintenance is key! Also, this cookbook, which visually is half the height of most cookbooks, is part of the Nitty Gritty Cookbooks family. I love Nitty Gritty! How much? Let me count the ways.....I own 26 Nitty Gritty cookbooks!

Joyce's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake
Recipe by Barbara Karoff in The 9x13 Pan Cookbook
Serves 10-12

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped dates or raisins (I used chocolate chips instead!)

Pour water over oats and let stand. Cream sugars with butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; mix well. Combine flour, salt, soda, baking powder and cinnamon; add to creamed mixture. Stir in dates (or chocolate!). Add oatmeal and water. Batter will be quite thick. Spoon it into a buttered 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until it tests done. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Broiled Topping
2/3 cup chopped nuts
2/3 cup flaked coconut
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons milk or cream

Combine all topping ingredients in a saucepan over low heat just to melt sugar and butter. Do not cook. Spread on baked cake and place under the broiler, about 4 inches from heat, until brown and bubbly.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Pour boiling water over the rolled oats...

Cream the sugars with the butter until fluffy...

Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl...

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture...

Add chocolate chips...

Add oatmeal and water mixture...

Pour into 9x13" pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 35 minutes...

Test for doneness with a toothpick...

So moist. Perfect for breakfast or any time of day!

Kiss My Bundt Bakery Has Classes!

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:18:00 +0000

You know all about the national, if not international, cupcake craze, I'm sure. But individual-sized gourmet, creative treats are also found in the form of donuts and even mini bundt cakes! Sadly, I live 400 miles from my new obsession, Psycho Donuts in Campbell, CA. But fortunately I live just around the corner from Kiss My Bundt Bakery in Los Angeles! And these treats look, smell, and taste amazing.

Kiss My Bundt Bakery sells bundts in mini, a-little-larger-than-mini, and full size. The price is right, too, at $2.50, $4.50, and $32 respectively. Among the many flavors are:

7-Up Pound Cake
Bailey's Irish Cream Cake
Chocolate Cabernet Aphrodisiac Cake
Chocolate Mint Cake
Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake
Strawberry Lemonade Cake
Red Velvet Cake
Peanut Butter Bundt Cake
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Pina Colada Cake
and a LOT more!!!

But besides going to the bakery and purchasing a treat for now or later, Kiss My Bundt Bakery also hosts baking classes and tasting sessions! I am dying at the thought of this! Isn't it every sweet tooth's dream to go behind the glass display cases at a bakery and be able to work in the kitchen there? I want to see where the magic happens!

Currently, I am aware of four events you should check out:

Bundt Cake Baking and Wine Tasting on Friday, June 12th at 7pm
Hands-on Intro to Baking Class on Sunday, June 14th at 5:30pm
Introduction to Cake Frostings Class on Friday, June 19th at 7pm
Cake Tasting on Saturday, June 20th at 8pm

Remember the scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding that, in my opinion, reintroduced bundts to today's generation? Here ya go...

And for true bundt-a-holics, follow Kiss My Bundt Bakery on Twitter at @KissMyBundt.

The Details:
Kiss My Bundt Bakery
8104 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Cross Street: Crescent Heights Blvd.
Phone: (323) 655-0559

Ice Cream Sundaes with Homemade Philadelphia-Style Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Fri, 22 May 2009 07:04:00 +0000

It's a great feeling to have people over and be able to offer them homemade everything. You watch as your guests' jaws drop open when they request something like ketchup and you can say, "No problem, I just whipped up a batch last night."

My mom is the perfect example of this. Her pantry and fridge are chock full of homemade goodness. It's practically an obsession. If she needs a loaf of bread, she makes the absurd decision to start a loaf right then because that's less work than running to the store. Since when is homemade bread less work than, well, pretty much anything?

If my mom needs mayonnaise, she makes her own, again, to avoid going to the grocery store. Ok, and also because she's scared of storebought mayo for health reasons. She makes her own jam, too, and usually from fruits in her backyard. During fig season last year, she had quite the field day of canning. Doing all this at home is certainly not the faster, more convenient method, but to my mom, it's a no-brainer.

If my mom needs vanilla ice cream for hot fudge sundaes (and that need arises frequently!), she might just take a David Lebovitz recipe and do it herself. It's not that hard to do and it tastes a million times better than anything you can buy at the market. And it goes without saying, the hot fudge will be homemade, too. In fact, the only things that aren't homemade in that sundae are the sprinkles, although I wouldn't put it past her to figure out how to make sprinkles next.

I'm not a homemade-ist to the same extreme as my mom, but I get where she's coming from, and I feel that same need every once in awhile to opt out of the grocery store and do it the old-fashioned way. And when it comes to hot fudge sundaes, sprinkles really are the only forgivable storebought item.

This vanilla ice cream recipe is ridiculously easy because it's Philadelphia-style, meaning it does not contain eggs like the more challenging and time-intensive custard or French method. If you can master this vanilla recipe, and I promise you you can, then you pretty much have a base for a million other flavors. Add chocolate chips in the last few minutes of churning and you have chocolate chip ice cream. Swirl fudge in and drop pieces of brownie in the last few minutes of churning and yep, you've got vanilla fudge brownie ice cream. You get the idea; the sky's the limit. But first thing's first: master this recipe. You'll never buy vanilla ice cream again.

Vanilla Ice Cream, Philadelphia-Style
Recipe by David Lebovitz in The Perfect Scoop

3 cups heavy cream, or 2 cups heavy cream and 1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour 1 cup of the cream into a medium saucepan and add the sugar and salt. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan and add the pod to the pot. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 cups cream (or the remaining 1 cup cream and the milk) and the vanilla extract.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. When ready to churn, remove the vanilla bean, rinsing and reserving it for another use, and then freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Makes about 1 quart (1 liter).

Chocolate Cream Dream Pie, AKA Leave Your Man at Home Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Marni) — Mon, 11 May 2009 07:31:00 +0000

I recently hosted a girls' night with a couple of girlfriends. We watched Waitress, that very feminist, female-empowering (read: awesometastic) movie with creative pie recipes woven into the storyline. Main character Jenna, played by Keri Russell, makes pies for a living, but what's unique about her pies is that her life experiences often drive the kinds of pies she makes.

Here are a couple of examples:

Jenna finds out she's pregnant and names a pie, "I Don't Want Earl's Baby" Pie. It's a pie made of egg and brie cheese with a smoked ham center.
"Baby Screaming Its Head Off in the Middle of the Night and Ruining My Life" Pie: New York-style cheesecake, brandy-brushed and topped with pecans and nutmeg.
"Earl Murders Me Because I'm Having an Affair" Pie: smashed blackberries and raspberries in a chocolate crust.
"I Can't Have No Affair Because It's Wrong and I Don't Want Earl to Kill Me" Pie: Vanilla custard with banana. Hold the banana.
"Pregnant Miserable Self-Pitying Loser" Pie: Lumpy oatmeal with fruitcake mashed in. Flambeed.

That list is probably only half the pies Jenna invents during the movie. What could be more appropriate during this pie-themed Girls' Night than for me to make a pie, too. I chose a Dorie Greenspan chocolate pudding pie recipe with a graham cracker crust. Dorie calls it "Chocolate Cream Dream" Pie. It's quite a cute name, but in honor of the film, I had to rename it "Leave Your Man at Home" Pie. After all, this is girls' night. And I wrote the word P-I-E on the top with chocolate chips, you know, in case anyone thought we were eating, um, baked alaska? It was the perfect pie to get us in Waitress mood.

Chocolate Cream Dream Pie
Recipe by Dorie Greenspan in Sweet Times

1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla

Bring milk and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, flour, and cornstarch together by hand until thick, smooth, and pale. Very gradually add the hot milk, whisking constantly. Pour this mixture through a strainer and back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until the cream thickens and one bubble comes to the top and pops, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and blend in the chocolate and vanilla. Scrape the cream into a clean bowl, lay a sheet of plastic wrap against the top of the cream, and chill for at least 1 hour. The cream can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.

The Crust
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs (from 11 double crackers)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar (Dorie calls for 2/3 cup shredded or flaked coconut but I've replaced that with sugar)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl or a food processor, mix together the crumbs, melted butter, and sugar until uniformly moistened. Press mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie plate, bringing crust up to top of plate around the sides. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a rack. Crust can be made ahead, covered, and refrigerated for 2 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 1 month.

Topping
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whip cream until it holds soft peaks. With a rubber spatula, fold in the sugar and vanilla.

Assembly
Fill the crust with the chocolate and top with whipped cream. Refrigerate up to 3 hours.

Step-by-Step in Pictures

Combine egg yolks, flour, and cornstarch...

Whisk together till light yellow and thick...

Pour the hot milk-sugar mixture into the egg mixture slowly while whisking in order to temper the eggs (you don't want omelet like I tend to do!), then strain the mixture through a sieve back into the saucepan...

Cook until the milk-egg mixture thickens, remove from heat, and add vanilla and chocolate...

When it resembles chocolate pudding, transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly across the surface of the pudding (to avoid a skin forming), then refrigerate...

To make the crust, blend together graham crackers, melted butter, and sugar...

Press into a pie pan and bake for 5-8 minutes at 350 degrees F...

To assemble, fill the pie crust with the pudding...

Whip up the heavy cream...

Fold in the confectioners sugar and vanilla...

Spread on top of the pudding, then refrigerate the pie until you're ready to serve...

You've got pie!

"Leave Your Man at Home" Pie!