Kitchen Heals Soul

Crêpes with strawberries and pastry cream

2013-06-18T09:29:00.001-04:00

I used to randomly get breakfast at a big chain breakfast joint. It wasn't glamorous. There were cutouts of watercolor chickens on the walls at every franchise location. If you were familiar with one of these places, then you had basically seen them all. The decor and layout was pretty much always the same.

This was before I became what I like to call a "food snob".

Every time I visited this franchise for breakfast or brunch, I always ordered the same thing: the crêpe with strawberries and pastry cream. The crêpe part was alright and the strawberries were fresh, though never local, even if I visited at the peak of strawberry season in Quebec. The pastry cream was.... fake? Maybe it was from a mix of some sort. Let's just say it was less than amazing, but I was so used to it, I don't think I knew any better.

Sometimes, I'd add a side of bacon to cut through the artificial sweetness of the filling.

My plan of attack or my method for efficiently scarfing down the crêpe was simple: jab the strawberries from the end of the crêpe and eat them, then eat the corresponding section of crêpe and pastry cream. Then, I'd go back to eat a few more strawberries, and then a section of the crêpe.

I scratched my head over what to make with the first of this year's Quebec strawberries. Quebec strawberries are petite and so flavorful. I much prefer to keep them bright and fresh, rather than baking them. I decided on this recipe because I think it's a simple way to feature the strawberries and really let them shine. I was thinking about all the strawberry crêpes that I ate so methodically in the past, but this time around, I wanted to make things right.

This recipe could easily work for either breakfast or dessert. The pastry cream is lighter and less sweet than most because I cut back on the sugar, and made it with skim milk and whole eggs. I couldn't be happier with the results.

Of course, the pastry cream is optional, but highly recommended.

The crêpe recipe I used is one that my mom used to make for me. It might be from an old copy of the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, but I'm not even sure of that.

If you have access to local berries or other fruits, I think you should make this. But remember to always cook your crêpes in a buttered pan. The crispy edges you will get and the nutty flavor are well worth it.

Crêpes with fresh strawberries and pastry cream

Published: June 17th, 2013, Cook time: 20 minutes
Makes ~15 small crêpes

Pastry cream

2 cups (500 mL) skim milk
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, divided
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla

Crêpes

1/2 cup (125 mL) skim milk
1/2 cup (125 mL) water
1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour
2 large eggs

Finishing touches

2 pints (~1 L) fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced and mixed with a touch of sugar to bring out the fruit juices

Start by making the pastry cream ahead of time because it has to cool. Heat the milk on medium heat in a medium saucepan with a sprinkling of the sugar and the split vanilla beans (seeds scraped into the pot).

Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the remaining sugar in a medium bowl til the mixture has lightened in color, then add in the flour and starch, and whisk again to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

When the milk is steaming and almost boiling, pour the hot milk over the eggs, whisking continuously til the mixture is homogeneous. Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan, removing the vanilla beans, and continue whisking constantly until the mixture has thickened and boiled for a good minute.

Transfer to a plastic-wrap lined rimmed sheet, and top with another piece of plastic wrap. Transfer the pan to the fridge and let cool completely.

Prepare the crêpe batter by whisking together all the ingredients.

Cook the crêpes in a buttered, preheated cast-iron pan (or a non-stick pan) on medium-low heat. I cooked mine in a 7 inch pan, yielding smaller crêpes.

When you are ready to eat, top each crêpe with a generous dollop of pastry cream and lots of strawberries, roll it and enjoy.

Rhubarb pudding cake

2013-06-03T22:52:00.001-04:00

I took a break for a few days to visit friends who I basically consider family, and to celebrate as two of them got married. I love that no matter how sporadic our emailing gets or how many kilometers separate us, we still manage to pick up where we left off, and talk for hours and hours, and celebrate wholeheartedly, like we never really parted ways.

Of course, we reunited for a wedding, but we reveled in the opportunity to hang out like old times and have fun. We had sleep-overs. We ate giant scoops of ice cream for dinner and piles of bacon for breakfast. At night, we stayed up late, chatting. We talked about anything and everything that was going on in our lives, what we are up to now and what we are doing next. It was great to see that everybody is doing so well.

This week-end couldn't have fallen at a better time for me because it reminded me of how many people are on my side and want to see me succeed. Instead of judging me for following up a PhD in chemistry with pastry school, and instead of looking at me like I'm insane for now trying to start a food business, they congratulated me for taking risks and for finding my passion.

There were no looks of concern, awkwardness, or disbelief from people I talked to. All I saw on their faces was excitement and support. It's always nice to have friends confirm that your ideas aren't completely crazy, or when they agree that what you want to do next is crazy in a good way. So, I think now more than ever I am excited for what's to come, and I have more faith that I can and will succeed.

If you follow my facebook page, you know that I promised a rhubarb recipe, and here it is finally. I am super excited to share this rhubarb pudding cake with you (loosely adapted from Ricardo magazine, volume 11, number 5). I think this is such an easy and delicious way to showcase rhubarb: a simple homemade rhubarb compote topped with a buckwheat butter cake.

Honestly, this turned out to be one of my all-time favorite desserts that I've shared with you until now. It might become my go-to rhubarb dessert to mark the season every year. The compote is sweet, but still tart and loaded with rhubarb flavor. The buckwheat cake is delightfully nutty. I'd really like to eat this every day, maybe even twice a day (once for breakfast, and once for dessert after dinner). Don't just read this: make it!

Rhubarb pudding cakes

Published: June 3rd, 2013, Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes 6

Rhubarb compote ingredients

150 grams granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
4 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/4" pieces

Buckwheat cake ingredients

40 grams all-purpose flour
40 grams buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
75 grams Stirling unsalted butter, room temperature
75 grams granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
40 mL milk

To make the rhubarb compote

In a medium pot, stir together the sugar and cornstarch with a wooden spoon. Add the chopped rhubarb and toss to coat then heat on medium to release the juices from the fruit, and to thicken the compote, stirring constantly.

When the compote has simmered for at least 5 minutes and the mixture is thickened significantly, take the pot off the heat.

Divide the mixture among 6 ramekins and set them aside while you make the cake batter.

To make the buckwheat cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt in a bowl, and set this aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar for 3 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat well until the batter is smooth.

Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beating the batter just until smooth and all the ingredients are incorporated.

Top the ramekins of compote with the cake batter and bake for about 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake layer comes out clean.

Serve these cakes warm or cold.

My take on Bluth's frozen bananas

2013-05-26T22:28:00.000-04:00

I love everything about Arrested Development. EVERYTHING (well, except when Buster loses his hand because that was freaky). I am, of course, head-over-heals in love with Michael Bluth (played by Jason Bateman). He's so dreamy.

If you don't know the show, you should watch this.

I actually met David Cross (Tobias Fünke, the never-nude on Arrested Development) at a party once, a few years ago. It was at the book launch for The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts.

Go figure, David Cross was surprisingly normal in real life, and I was the freak at the party who asked him to sign my cookbook, which has nothing to do with the character he plays or the television show. He looked confused but I had nothing else that he could sign, so what else could I have done?

One of my favorite Arrested Development episodes is actually the second episode all about the "Bluth's Original Frozen Banana" stand. I think this was the episode that got me hooked with George's love affair with ice cream sandwiches in prison, Tobias crying in the shower, and "There's always money in the banana stand!".

So to celebrate the start of Season 4, I made a take on Bluth's frozen bananas.

I opted to make them bite-sized (which means more chocolate and toppings with each bite). You can spear each banana bite with a popsicle stick, but I lacked the freezer space for this. These are super quick and easy to make, and absolutely delicious. You can make a bunch and store them in the freezer for when you want to serve them. Just let them warm up at room temperature for about 10 minutes before enjoying.

Frozen banana bites

Published: May 26th, 2013, Prep time: 10 minutes
Makes about 30 pieces

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped
170 grams semi-sweet chocolate (I used Cacao Barry Méxique chocolate)
1 tbsp canola oil
4 small bananas, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

Line a rimmed sheet with parchment.

In a dry skillet, toast the shredded coconut on medium heat, stirring constantly. Transfer to a shallow dish to cool.

Place the chopped peanuts in another shallow dish.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave save dish and then stir in the oil. Let the melted chocolate cool a little to thicken the chocolate (makes it easier for the chocolate to adhere to the banana if the chocolate mixture has thickened a little).

Using a popsicle stick (or a fondue fork), dip each banana slice into the chocolate then roll each around in the peanuts or coconut to coat it. Place the coated banana bites on the parchment-lined sheet to cool and set the chocolate.

When all the banana pieces are coated, place the sheet pan in the freezer and freeze for about 2 hours before serving.

Let the pieces warm up slightly at room temperature before eating to thaw the banana pieces.

Store in a container in the freezer.

Maple butter

2013-05-22T22:50:00.001-04:00

I have been thinking about maple butter for quite a long time, possibly months.

Think of the potential here. Pure maple syrup transformed into a delicious paste means you can sandwich it in between two cookies, or spread it on toast for breakfast.

What this also implies is an even more practical way of getting maple syrup into my belly. I can eat it straight with a spoon, without making a drippy mess of my fridge area. Genius.

Maple butter is kind of a misleading name though, but the name maple cream isn't really much better, in my opinion. There's no cream or butter here. It's just pure maple syrup that has been boiled, cooled and stirred so that the syrup crystallizes in just the right way to give it this spreadable smooth texture.

Whatever you want to call it, this spreadable maple stuff is good. It's really good.

The science behind maple butter is relatively simple. You just boil maple syrup until it reaches 235°F (a.k.a 22–24°F over the boiling point of water). By doing this, you are basically concentrating the sugar, making it easier to crystallize because all the tiny sugar molecules are now really close to each other in the syrup. Icing the concentrated syrup quickly drops its temperature, again another step favoring crystallization (and specifically smaller, finer crystals over bigger, chunky crystals). In the final step, you stir the mixture for a very long time (crystallization is a process, so patience is key here): eventually it will turn opaque/creamy-looking and become maple butter.

I encourage you to sample after cooling the syrup both before and after the long stirring process because the mouth feel is really quite different, and that's how you know it's "done". However, avoid sampling the boiling hot syrup. It may be tempting, but it'll burn you really badly.

Maple butter

Published: May 23rd, 2013, Cook time: 10-ish minutes
Makes 1 large jar (~500 mL)

500 mL maple syrup (I used Grade A, amber syrup from Quebec)
1/4 tsp canola oil (apparently helps prevent the syrup from boiling over)

In a deep saucepan, boil the maple syrup with the oil, until it reaches about 235°F on medium–high heat.

Immediately, transfer the boiled syrup to your stand mixer bowl, and drop the bowl into a big ice bath to cool the syrup down to about 60°F. Then let the syrup warm back up to room temperature.

With the paddle attachment, beat the syrup on low for a very, very long time (like 30 minutes even) until it turns opaque and the color of sesame butter (the texture on your tongue when you sample it will go from syrupy at the beginning of the process to very finely powdery).

Quickly transfer the maple butter to a large jar and store in the fridge.

If the maple butter separates at any point, just give it a good stir before using.

Oatmeal cookies

2013-05-15T17:45:00.001-04:00

My condo teeters between semi-clean and a state much like a bomb went off.
I want to be neat, like really, really neat.
I need to be neat.
I am not neat.
Sucks to be me.
(I know, I know. It's my own fault).

I like to blame the second law of thermodynamics (yes, I'm serious) that basically states everything has a tendency towards entropy. See, it's not my fault! It just happens. Chaos in my condo is easy and it happens naturally in a sense because it requires little to no energy to make it happen and to maintain.

When I'm busy, my energy is directed elsewhere, and what usually happens is I start to clean, but never finish. I end up with the laundry rack permanently ensconced in the middle of my loft, and the vacuum always plugged and at-the-ready for me to get cleaning... eventually... My attempts to clean when I'm busy basically lead to more messiness.

The thing that bugs me about the messiness and disorder is not that it impedes my day-to-day life. There's order in the disorder, I swear. The trouble is that I feel like I am still a child and I just want to grow up. I somehow haven't outgrown the messy-room phase. I long for my dwelling to look like it is inhabited by an adult and not an untidy, way-past-her-teens thirty-something woman. I walk into other people's clean and pristine abodes and I am sad. Why am I so physically incapable of keeping a clean house?

Instead of tidying up, I baked these cookies (adapted from Smitten Kitchen). And, by baking these cookies, I contributed even more to the mess. These cookies come out of the oven as soft, almost cake-y cookies, but become a little chewier as they cool. I baked them in a mini-muffin pan so that they'd all have a nice uniform size because my living conditions may be less than neat, but my muffins must be perfect. I'm funny that way.

At least I have cookies to eat while I stare at the chaos that is my open loft space. Yeah, you can't hide the messiness when you have a loft. It's literally hits you as soon as you walk in. Oh well. I'll grow up one day. Maybe.

Oatmeal cookies

Published: May 15th, 2013, Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes 48 small cookies

115 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter (I used Stirling unsalted butter)
130 grams (2/3 cup) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
95 grams (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
120 grams oats (I used Robin Hood quick oats)

Grease two 24-mini muffin pans. Set aside. Also line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugar for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the egg, and beat again until incorporated.

Add the vanilla, and beat again. Scrape down the bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and oats.

Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl, and mix on low til the dough comes together.

Scoop the dough with a 3/4 oz scoop (~20 g of dough per scoop) and place on the parchment lined sheet (I got exactly 24 scoops of about 20–22 grams). Refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven at 350°F. When the dough is completely chilled, divide each scoop into two using a knife and place each half in a well of greased muffin pan.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown. Let the cookies firm up for a minute or two before, unmolding with the help of a mini offset spatula.

Vanilla bean panna cotta

2013-05-10T12:39:00.000-04:00

The universe kind of punched me in the face this week, and so once again, I found myself vulnerable, crying on the shoulders of friends, emailing/talking to get comfort, support, help, advice. I don't think I'd survive without my friends to talk things out, bitch, complain, vent, rant... My friends help me work through my issues and see the light.

It's hard because at the same time, I am stubbornly independent. I try to do most things by myself. I hate to put people out or ask favors. I know everybody's busy, and everybody has their own lives, their own share of problems to deal with. I hate to burden people with mine on top of everything else, and I hate the vulnerability of thinking that I can't do something on my own. However, when it comes to my emotions and upsets, I have learned that I cannot deal with them alone. For that, I ask for help.

My emotional roller coaster reminds me that I've connected with amazing people over the last 5 or so years. I don't mean to be all sappy, but I can't believe how lucky I am. Sure, the universe has thrown me my share of troubles, and the universe tossed another obstacle at me this week, as though I didn't have enough of them already. But the universe also gave me my people.

Panna cotta is one of those easy desserts that you can throw together all while dealing with a life crisis. It takes about 10 minutes and then you just have to refrigerate it to set and chill til the next day. It can be lighter if made with whole milk, or a combination of milk and cream, and it can be seriously decadent if made with cream only. This vanilla bean panna cotta is lightly sweetened because I served it with some homemade strawberry jam. It's immensely refreshing and the perfect way to enjoy your preserves.

Vanilla bean panna cotta

Published: May 10th, 2013, Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes 4 to 5 servings

1 packet Knox gelatin
63 mL (1/4 cup) water
500 mL (2 cups) cream, or milk, or a combination of both
1 vanilla bean, split in half and scraped
2 tbsp (25 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
homemade jam

Place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over top. Set it aside to bloom while you work on the rest of the recipe.

In a small saucepan, combine the cream and/or milk with the split vanilla beans, being sure to scrape all the seeds into the saucepan. Add the granulated sugar.

Heat the mixture on medium–low until it just begins to steam and is almost about to boil. Take the saucepan off the heat, and whisk in the bloomed gelatin mixture until it has completely dissolved. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before adding the vanilla extract.

Strain the mixture into 4 or 5 small ramekins or glasses, and transfer to the fridge to chill overnight.

Enjoy as is, or top with a dollop or two of your favorite jam.

Chili lime popcorn

2013-05-07T15:58:00.002-04:00

I'm convinced that a bowl of freshly-popped popcorn can make all sorts of miserable situations at least a tiny bit better. When I was at McGill, if it weren't for the middle of the night popcorn breaks with colleagues, I don't think I would have survived. I was miserable most of the time, and I swear the two things that kept me going were popcorn and my labmates. Fine, I didn't love all my labmates. There were a few that were not even worthy of the popcorn that fell on the floor.

I think my late night popcorn snack time at McGill sealed the fate of my relationship with popcorn. For better or for worse, I will always have popcorn.

To satisfy my popcorn cravings, I actually own three different machines, besides a good old stainless steel pot and lid in case all three machines fail. I kid you not. Popcorn-popping is a very serious part of my day and not to be messed with.

I don't know about you, but regardless of the popping method, I always gravitate towards savory/salty toppings. My go-to popcorn topping is obviously melted butter, but recently I've gone fancy, opting for melted whey butter from Stirling Creamery in Ontario. This butter is so good, I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I could probably eat it straight, but of course, I would never do that. Instead, I melt it and drizzle ridiculous amounts of the salty, creamy whey butter all over my popcorn. Popcorn is perfect when it's made as simple as that.

I also like to douse my buttered popcorn in Frank's Red Hot, which yields soggy popcorn that kind of tastes like chicken wings. I know you're thinking it's weird, but trust me, soggy chicken-wing-flavored popcorn is pretty awesome. Just do it and thank me later.

Last but not least, chili lime flavored popcorn. I struggled a lot with how to get this one right. Obviously the easy way to make chili lime popcorn is to just take your buttered popcorn and sprinkled with chili powder, salt, and sprinkle with lime juice. This totally works, but again, this yields damp popcorn. Recently, my new strategy is to omit the lime juice and use citric acid instead. It's a powder, and it's how many chip companies impart that tangy citrus flavor to snacks without the water. It works, and when combined with a little lime zest, lots of chili powder and salt, it's winning.

Chili lime popcorn

Published: May 7th, 2013, Prep time: 2 minutes
Makes 8 cups

8 cups popped popcorn
3 tbsp (or even more) Stirling Creamery whey butter, melted
1 tsp (or more) chili powder
1/2 tsp salt (optional, if you find your popcorn isn't salty enough from the butter)
2 pinches (or more) citric acid or the juice of a lime
1/2 (or more) lime, zested

Toss together the popcorn with all the ingredients and thoroughly mix. Taste it and adjust your seasoning accordingly.

How to make Turkish coffee

2013-05-02T00:04:00.004-04:00

Every time I randomly bump into my cousin R and he is with somebody I haven't met, he points to me and laughs, exclaiming "We're cousins! Can't you tell?". This leads to much confusion. See, R looks Egyptian. I, on the other hand, do not. It's an ongoing joke really, and watching people react to the information is priceless.

I may not seem Egyptian, but a few of my eating habits say otherwise. Cumin is my go-to spice when I'm cooking, or even when I just eat a fresh tomato. Fava beans are comfort food and they are also breakfast, served with eggs. I love nigella seeds, which are not to be confused with black sesame. I like to eat desserts that are soaked in syrup, especially syrup flavored with rose water. OK fine, most of these are common to many countries in that area, but point is, I'm clearly not from, say, Texas.

My latest "Egyptian" habit is Turkish coffee and it's one that I won't be giving up any time soon.

Turkish coffee has changed my life forever. It's made from Arabica beans that are super finely ground. Some also grind in cardamom, which makes Turkish coffee even better in my opinion. In Egypt, the foam on the coffee is called the "wish" (i.e. face) and it is good luck, so making Turkish coffee in the kanaka (a stovetop coffee pot) is ideal because it's really the only way to get that foam. The kanaka is the traditinal method for brewing on the stove, but my aunt taught me that now it is quite common to make it "instant", just by stirring the coffee grinds with boiling water directly in your coffee cup.

However you choose to make it, Turkish coffee is delightful. It is sweet, slightly floral from the cardamom, and not at all bitter so you can enjoy it hot, without milk, and even without any sugar.

Turkish coffee

Published: May 2nd, 2013, Cook time: up to 10 minutes
Makes 1 cup

1–2 tsp finely ground Turkish coffee (a mixture of Arabica and some cardamom)
1–2 tsp granulated sugar (optional)

The "instant" way:

Place coffee grinds and sugar (if using) in a small coffee cup. Top with boiling water.

Stir the mixture, going around 23 times with your spoon (not 19 or 27 times!). Stirring is important so that the coffee grinds hydrate better and sink to the bottom so that you aren't drinking grainy coffee later.

Let the coffee settle for a few minutes and sip while hot.

The "traditional" way in Egypt (please note: this method requires a kanaka):

Place coffee grinds and sugar (if using) in the kanaka. Top with cold water.

Place the kanaka on the stove and heat on low very slowly until the mixture just begins to boil (if it boils too much, you will lose the foam, and possibly your good luck, especially when the coffee erupts out of the pot).

Remove from heat and let sit 1 minute before pouring into a small coffee cup.

Classic peanut butter cookies

2013-04-29T23:02:00.005-04:00

Sometimes I dislike the internet. I love this site called Thought Catalog. It's honest, I like the way it's written, and it makes me laugh. I read this one post that cracked me up, but then it made me think, and I mean really think.

The post is entitled "10 signs you have no life" and it has an image taken from Daria. Automatically I was hooked and it really was hilarious. Unfortunately, it mirrored my life just a little too much as of the first telltale sign. See, not only do I have a semi-permanent pile of crap next to me in my bed at all times (magazines, laptop, iPod, notebook, pen), one night I actually woke up to find almonds and dried cranberries (snacks?) scattered in between the sheets. I think it's safe to say this was a new low in my single life.

Conclusion: I need to go out more, or else that semi-permanent pile of crap (and apparently snacks) "occupying the space where another human being should be" will become more than semi-permanent. I really don't want that.

Of course, I have nothing to wear and a million other stupid reasons to avoid going out. So, excuse me while I stuff my face with peanut butter cookies instead.

This is a typical peanut butter cookie recipe (from my mom's recipe box) but of course I did a little experimenting. I wanted a cookie that was thicker but still chewy and containing natural peanut butter. The key to that is more flour, but keeping the baking time at around 10 to 12 minutes. Any longer, and you will end up with crisper cookies. That's okay. They all taste amazing, and are the perfect excuse to stay home.

Classic peanut butter cookies

Published: April 29th, 2013, Cook time: 10–12 minutes
Makes 21 cookies

115 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
(1/2 cup) natural, unsweetened peanut butter (I like Maranatha brand)
100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
100 grams (1/2 cup) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
125 grams (1 cup) or 188 grams (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, peanut butter, and the sugars for several minutes, starting on low and slowly increasing the speed to medium. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Add the egg, and beat until it is incorporated, then the vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda and salt. For chewy/softer/thin cookies, add 125 grams of flour. For thicker chewy cookies, add 188 grams of flour. Whisk the dry ingredients together then add them to the mixer bowl. Beat until combined.

Scoop the cookie dough with 1.5 tbsp cookie scoop onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, press with a lightly-floured fork to make a criss-cross pattern, and then bake for 10–12 minutes for chewy cookies or for 13–15 minutes for crispier cookies.

Let cool several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Battle of the store-bought dulce de leches

2013-04-25T09:37:00.001-04:00

I seem to have developed the attention span of a gnat. I blame it on the interweb. That's right: I'm saying that the interweb gave me ADD. Or maybe it was my smart phone. My dad says it's cause I'm not using my brain enough, which leads me to argue that my ADD happened because I used my brain too much and now my brain is tired...

In any case, my lack of attention means that if a recipe requires careful stirring for 10 or more minutes, I'm screwed. The interweb will lure me in and take me away from the stirring and attentiveness, and then it smells like fire, and then I've ruined dinner.

Thus the appeal of store-bought dulce de leche.

The thing about cutting corners is that you have to make sure it's worth it. Not all store-bought dulce de leches are made alike. Is the product as good as what you would make from scratch? Could you park your butt on the sofa in front of the tv and eat the dulce de leche straight from the jar with a spoon? Of course, I would ~~NEVER~~ do that!

I compared three brands of dulce de leche that were available at my local supermarket:

Bonne Maman, a brand from France that is known for its jams
Caramella, from Argentina, and one I had high expectations for because of where it's made.
Eagle Brand, from Canada, a brand that is better known for the evaporated and sweetened condensed milks

I dove right into this test without even reading the ingredients. Caramella was the thickest, while Eagle Brand was really too runny. I felt like the Caramella dulce de leche had the best texture: thick and spreadable enough that it would probably make a good cake filling Unfortunately, the Caramella dulce de leche didn't taste great, but it wasn't the worst flavored. Interestingly, the Caramella brand was the only one that contained vanilla, which made it taste artificial and just didn't work on my taste buds.

My least favorite was the Bonne Maman dulce de leche. It had a pudding-cup-like consistency, and it had a tangy taste. Turns out that this dulce de leche is thickened with pectin and contains sodium citrate. My guess the latter is the cause of the "tangy", uncharacteristic flavor. Honestly, Bonne Maman dulce de leche is terrible. I would never buy it again. Sorry, Bonne Maman. I like your jams, but your dulce de leche kind of sucks.

Hands down, between the three, there's only one dulce de leche I'd buy again: Eagle Brand. The flavor was great with a sweet, "natural" flavor: no weird tanginess from sodium citrate and no pectin added. However, it was so thin it would just run off a spoon. In the end, I much preferred the Eagle Brand dulce de leche, even if it was more of a sauce than a spread

My solution to the consistency problem: boil it down, stirring constantly over medium–high heat (don't put it on high because it will catch and burn on the bottom, and if you think you are going to get pulled away from your simmering dulce de leche, best to lower the temperature of the stove or do this step later). In about 8 minutes, with constant stirring, I managed to turn the puddling liquid dulce de leche into a very thick caramel. For a caramel that is more spreadable, I'd probably simmer it for 6 minutes.

Thicker dulce de leche

Published: April 25th, 2013, Cook time: 5–8 minutes
Makes 1 jar

1 can Eagle Brand dulce de leche

Pour the dulce de leche sauce into a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat.

Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil for 5 to 8 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached (if you get to the point where the mixture is bubbling like thick, hot lava, your caramel will be very thick).

Transfer the mixture to a deep bowl and then blitz it with an immersion blender to get rid of any lumps (if you have any), while the mixture is still warm.

Transfer to a jar and store in the fridge.

Maple kouign amann

2013-04-22T22:35:00.001-04:00

Possibly the best homework of my life came from my business coach who sent me out to visit bakeries and cafés, and to eat, drink, and observe pastry shops and their clientèle. It was like a dream come true: eating dessert and justified people-watching, all in the name of research. The goal was to find my muse, or that business that inspired me while helping me come up with a mental image of what my business will look like. Of course, I got side-tracked along the way.

I fell head-over-heals in love.

No, it wasn't a boy who caught my eye and distracted me. Hah! Still looking...

It was a pastry called kouign amann (pronounced kween a-mon). Why? My reason is very simple. ~~I am apparently incapable of finding a boy~~ A kouign amann is a sweet, caramelized, buttery, slightly salty pastry. I love all of those flavors, and if you wrap them into one little pastry package, I'm a goner.

Refrigeration is a key step to making croissant and most layered doughs like this one. Refrigeration allows the butter to harden and chill between folds. Refrigeration ensures you have lots of alternating thin layers of dough and butter, as opposed to a buttery brioche.

However, there's a downside to this step when making a kouign amann. Sorry, I have to get nerdy here again. Sugar is hygroscopic and therefore loves to absorb moisture, so the layers of sugar turn to syrup as you refrigerate the dough between folds. This can make working with the dough a little tricky, so be forewarned and use your pastry scraper to help you lift and fold the dough.

I worked with a couple of recipes (one from Gesine Bullock-Prado and one from David Liebovitz). I started with Gesine's, and amicably referred to the pastries as "butter bombs". They were so tasty, but boy were they heavy on the butter, maybe too much so (I can't believe that I, Janice Lawandi, just typed that!). I'm all for using loads of butter, but this was, I think, detrimental to the final pastry.

In this version of the recipe, I used less butter, but kept the maple sugar mixture in the folding. The resulting pastry is light—in a buttered pastry kind of way—maple-y, and with distinct layering. Much better than the original "butter bombs" I made. These are best eaten fresh, but the leftovers, though chewier, have an even better maple flavor.

For laminated doughs like this one, I suggest using a higher fat salted butter, like Stirling European Style Churn 84 butter. Regular butter will work, but the higher fat European style butter will help you achieve better, distinct layering.

Stirling Creamery sent me samples of their various butters to work with and use as I like, but all opinions are my own.

Maple kouign amann

Published: April 22nd, 2013, Cook time: 25–30 minutes
Makes 8

1 3/4 tsp instant yeast
250 mL (1 cup) water, divided
32 grams (1/8 cup) maple syrup
313 grams (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
155 grams salted European-style butter (I used Stirling Churn 84)
150 grams (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
150 grams maple sugar (or finely ground maple flakes)
Pinch of grey sea salt (optional)

Heat half the water and the maple syrup to 110°F in the microwave, then stir in the yeast. Set this aside for about 5 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the flour and the salt. Stir the mixture together then add the bubbly yeast mixture to the bowl along with the rest of the water. Stir to combine on low, then switch to the hook attachment and knead the dough for about 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and just slightly tacky, and the bowl is clean with no dried bits at the bottom. Feel free to adjust the humidity along the way with a sprinkling of water or flour if you feel the dough is too dry or too wet.

Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place (like your oven, turned off but with only the light on) until it has doubled.

Place the butter between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll it into a square (~14x14 cm). Store in the fridge til the dough is ready to use.

Mix together the maple sugar and granulated sugar in a bowl and set it aside.

When the dough has doubled, transfer it onto a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a square, brush off any excess flour, and place the butter block in the middle (as shown in the image above). Fold the corners towards the middle to wrap the butter block with the dough, pinching together the ends and sides to seal in the butter.

Folding: With your rolling pin, pound/roll the dough to a large rectangle and sprinkle it with a ~1/4 cup maple sugar, pressing it in a little. Fold it into thirds (like you fold a letter). Rotate the dough 90°. Roll it again into a rectangle, sprinkle with maple sugar, and fold it into thirds again. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

Sprinkle your work surface with a little maple sugar. Retrieve the dough from the fridge, unwrap it and set it down on your work surface. Repeat the folding sequence again. Then wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for another 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400°F (for a more caramelized pastry bottom, preheat a large baking sheet in the oven set in the middle rack).

Roll the dough out thinly (~1 cm if you can) and cut it into 8 pieces. Gently transfer the dough pieces to a parchment lined tray or a parchment-lined whoopie pie pan. You can pinch opposite corners together or leave them as is. Sprinkle with more maple sugar before baking, and a little sea salt if using.

Set the baking sheet over the preheated sheet on the middle rack in the oven, and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until the pastries are a deep golden brown. Rotate the tray at least once throughout the baking.

Let cool completely before serving.

Adieu les mitaines and a few rhubarb recipes

2013-04-19T10:51:00.000-04:00

With all that has happened this week in Boston and around the world, it seems a little silly to write about putting away my mittens, but I will. The fact is that I have friends that live in Boston, and that work at MIT. I know people who coulda, woulda, shoulda but didn't run in this year's Boston Marathon. All that has happened and is still going on is heartbreaking, frightening, and fresh in all our minds. I do not seek to downplay the tragedy that is, but every moment is precious and I think we can seek a little solace in spring.

Today, I am stowing away my well-worn mittens and my old, salt-stained winter boots. I love them dearly because they are such a comfort in the dead of winter, but I am happy to trade them in for my umbrella, rain boots and, dare I say, my ballet flats and flip-flops.

It’s time. Finally.

I tend to hibernate through the winter because I’m not a huge fan of the freezing temperatures. Sure it’s pretty when the snow falls, but the below-freezing temperatures make it hard to get out and have fun, mittens or no mittens.

When spring arrives, my whole body gets antsy and screams at me to go outside. I look forward to fresh air, and walking home from the gym. I cannot wait to take leisurely strolls to the market, to cook with fiddleheads, to bake with rhubarb, and to enjoy all that spring has to offer.

Adieu les mitaines, or maybe I should say au revoir and ‘til we meet again—preferably in 8 months.

Here are links to three rhubarb recipes from years gone by that are sure to get you excited about spring, if you aren't already. What recipes are you most looking forward to making in spring?

Dark chocolate and roasted rhubarb tart

Rhubarb and raspberry upside down cake

Strawberry rhubarb crumble muffins

Packing essentials

2013-04-16T23:13:00.002-04:00

When I thought up this blog post about how to pack and get ready to travel without losing your head, I hesitated. After all, this doesn't really have anything to do with baking. Plus, who am I to tell you how to pack your bags and do you even care?

Well, I am someone who has packed and traveled a fair bit. I am also a girl who has found herself many a time in a foreign country, missing one thing or another. So, I guess that kind of makes me into somebody who can write to you about how to pack well. Whether or not you want to read about this is another story altogether, but bear with me. I have a few things to share.

The deal breaker came when I traveled to Toronto for the Food Bloggers of Canada 2013 conference. Over the course of the weekend, several people pointed to my coffee- (or tea-) filled travel mug and exclaimed "what a good idea! I didn't even think to bring mine!" And so, I decided to share this post with you.

Here are a few items that I think are essential to packing so that you can enjoy your trip without the disappointment of discovering you forgot something at home.

"Pack this" notepad ($6.75). At first glance, I thought this notepad was ridiculous. Then, I bought it, and it turns out it was one of the best purchases I have ever made. I tend to be a last minute packer (surprise, surprise). So, what I like to do is tick off all the items I need to pack the night before bed, then in the morning, I just follow the list and toss everything into my luggage. The list includes everything from various types of chargers, to travel documents and even pain reliever. It's awesome. Buy one. (image: Amazon)
Pashmina or large scarf ($10–$15). There's nothing worse than being cold and having nothing around to fix that. I often end up cold at some point during my travels, whether by car or by plane, so I always pack a scarf or pashmina to warm me up. Pashmina's are especially useful because they can act as a small blanket. (image: Target)
Water bottle ($32). Bring a water bottle to fill on the other side of security. Because I tend to be a bit of an environmental nut, I almost always have my water bottle on me, even when I'm in the city. Just make sure to buy one with a large opening to make cleaning a breeze, and preferably made of glass or BPA-free plastic. Make sure it's empty before crossing airport security, and fill it up on the other side. (image: lululemon)
Travel mug ($10.50). E and I bought matching San Francisco travel mugs in 2011 from some kitchy tourist shop. Personally, I gravitate towards travel mugs like it, that don't have handles but that have a lid that you can take apart for easy cleaning. This mug might not be the best at retaining heat, but quite frankly, when I'm travelling, I guzzle my beverages because I'm so thirsty. Again, fill it up after you pass airport security. (image: Smith Novelty)
Snacks. I can't stress the importance of packing snacks before heading out. First of all, it's a great way to save TONS of money, and secondly, it's the best way to control what goes in your tummy while you travel so that you can stay healthy. (image: Kitchen Heals Soul)

Do you have any tips or trips on packing? I'd love to hear them!

Toasted maple sesame nuts

2013-04-08T22:47:00.002-04:00

If you travel with me, you know that my purse or carry-on is probably full of food. See there was one time, I had an early morning flight, and I forgot to pack a snack. I picked up a stale, unpalatable, supposedly-almond scone from the only coffee shop open in the airport that early morning. Unfortunately, I found it completely inedible. So, by the time I landed in Chicago, I was famished and very upset.

I was travelling with my family and we hopped in a cab to get to our hotel. We hit traffic, and I was still starving, so much so I had a complete and total meltdown. It was not pretty. I was experiencing hot and cold flashes, and I thought I was going to pass out. Then, I just started bawling. I was just too hungry and I lost it.

Meanwhile, the cab was stuck on the highway in traffic. There was no food in sight. My dad was trying to tell the cabby to take another root and to get us off the highway, but the cabby argued, all this while I was having a crisis in the back. It was quite the dramatic scene.

You are probably thinking that I was a child when this happened but no, I was not: I was in my mid-twenties. That day, we all learned an important lesson. If Jan doesn't have a snack on her or access to food, it can get really ugly really fast. Yikes!

Now I always travel with snacks, usually nuts and dried fruits, with a side of homemade cookies, or veggies and dip (if I'm feeling extra healthy). And, I am happy to report that there have been no more "episodes" in the backseat of a cab since.

I made these toasted maple sesame nuts in preparation for the 1st ever Food Bloggers of Canada conference that I am so very excited to attend (so much so, I packed my snacks almost a week in advance!). The conference is happening this weekend and I cannot wait for all the fun and learning, and the opportunity to meet other Canadian food bloggers and a few of the companies that support/sponsor us. My snacks are ready. Let's go!

Toasted maple sesame nuts

Published: April 8th, 2013, Cook time: 25–30 minutes
Makes 3 generous cups

1 large egg white
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3/4 tsp grey sea salt
3 cups mixed nuts (I used 217 grams almonds and 180 grams pecans)
3 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsp millet seeds

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment and set aside for later.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white til it is frothy, then add the maple syrup, cayenne, pepper, and salt.

Toss in the nuts and seeds, and stir with a wooden spoon til everything is evenly mixed and coated (this takes a few minutes to really get everything evenly coated).

Pour the syrupy nut mixture onto the prepared pan and toast them for 25 to 30 minutes (stirring if needed every 10 minutes or so).

Let cool completely before packing into jars.

Adapted from California Walnuts and La Tartine Gourmande.

Chili cheddar cornbread muffins

2013-04-03T22:45:00.001-04:00

Life lesson #1. If there's a snowstorm spanning from Toronto to Montreal, you probably should postpone your plan to drive to Toronto from Montreal. That's being sensible. I did that two weeks ago. Yay me!

Life lesson #2. If both your headlights are somehow burned out at the same time, and you are halfway home from Toronto, after sunset, you should probably exit and call it a night. Finish the drive in the morning because without headlights, the highway is really, really dark. No really. It's scary how dark it is out there. Do as I say, not as I do. Unfortunately it was so dark, I was too scared to stop when this happened to me last week-end, so I drove home with my hazard lights and high beams. Apparently, I have terrible luck and I'm an idiot who drives at night with no headlights. Seriously stupid. Don't do it.

Life lesson #3. Habaneros are very spicy. They may look pretty and colorful, but they burn. I have burned my lips and my stomach (and sometimes even my eyes and face), playing with habaneros in the kitchen. I just can't use them properly. It always ends badly.

I don't play with habaneros anymore. Now I usually cook with red chili peppers, but still I find every pepper is different: they either taste like nothing or burn your face off, which brings me to the unfortunate potato salad incident.

V and I once made a potato salad with fresh chili in it, and I was on chili pepper duty. I failed. Even though I used a regular chili pepper, the salad was almost inedible it was so spicy. My lips ended up seriously scorched from eating that potato salad. I was obviously banned from chili pepper duty after that incident.

These savory corn muffins are excellent, if I may say so myself. Seriously though, they are moist, full of corn flavor, cheese and spicy hits of chili pepper. Plus they are easy. I ate three almost immediately after they were done baking. Enough said. Now go make these.

Chili cheddar cornbread muffins

Published: April 3rd, 2013, Cook time: 20 minutes
Makes 12 muffins

250 mL (1 cup) buttermilk (warmed in the microwave so it's not fridge cold)
57 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tbsp honey (optional, but the sweetness can be interesting in this muffin)
125 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
160 grams (1 cup) fine cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 red chili peppers, finely chopped
40 grams (~1/2 cup) freshly grated cheddar cheese
45 grams (~1/2 cup) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
50 grams freshly grated mixture of cheddar and Parmesan, for topping the muffins
1 red chili pepper, cut into little rings for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 12-cup muffin pan. Set aside.

In a medium spouted bowl (or cup measure), whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and honey (if using). Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder/soda, and salt.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir (or whisk) them together til the batter is smooth.

Toss in the 40 grams of grated cheddar and 45 grams of Parmesan and stir it into the batter, along with the finely chopped chili pepper.

Divide the batter among the greased muffin pans and top with a sprinkling of mixed grated cheese and a ring or two of chili pepper.

Bake for about 20 minutes.

Mini chocolate babkas

2013-03-25T08:49:00.001-04:00

For me, the first sign of spring in Montreal isn't the budding trees, or the warmer temperatures. Nope. I know it's spring when I see middle-aged men out, proudly hosing down the snow banks on their lawn, trying desperately to get it to melt faster.

OK, fine, it's an incredible waste of water, and really kind of stupid when you think about it. Still, I really find it quite entertaining to watch. And, it's either a good indicator that spring has sprung, or perhaps that many of us at this point are officially done with winter.

In honor of spring and Easter, instead of the usual hot cross buns that I love to make, I decided to try something new: chocolate babka. Babka is basically a buttery brioche bread with layers of cinnamon chocolate or cinnamon sugar. It's delicious and actually pretty easy to make if you have a mixer to do your kneading for you.

Instead of baking a large loaf of babka, I opted to make buns of babka by baking the dough in muffin tins (an idea I stole from Smitten Kitchen). The only problem I had was in the baking time. I honestly think they are a little underbaked, though I followed the directions carefully. I would say mine were a little doughier in the middle than I think they should be (though I'm no babka expert!). Also, as you can see from my photos, they sank in the middle as they cooled, which they probably shouldn't have. Sinking is usually a sign of undercooking in baking.

To verify this, I took the leftover babka dough ends and baked them in mini loaf pans for almost 30 minutes, or basically until they were a deeper brown. The mini loaves are definitely better cooked in the middle than the buns, and they didn't sink as they cooled. Now I know for next time, and so do you!

These chocolate babka are absolutely delicious, and I will definitely be making them again and again. But, please be sure to bake them for a solid 25 to 30 minutes (and not 20 minutes like I did). You will end up with deep brown edges with layers and layers of cinnamony chocolate and soft buttery bread tucked inside. These are a real treat!

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart (I scaled it down, worked in grams instead of cups, changed the sugar amount, and played around with the butter content)
P.S. I also put some streusel topping on half the babkas I baked, and I can't say that the streusel really enhanced the taste much, but if you are a sucker for crumble topping, then by all means, go for it.

Mini chocolate babkas

Published: March 25th, 2013, Cook time: ~30 minutes
Makes 12 buns

For the dough

125 mL (1/2 cup) milk, heated to 110°F
1.5 tsp instant yeast
50 grams (1/4 cup)granulated sugar, plus a pinch to activate the yeast
1 large egg
250 grams (2 cups) all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
75 grams (1/3 cup)unsalted butter, room temperature

For the chocolate filling

250 grams dark chocolate (I used Cacao Barry 58%)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
75 grams unsalted butter, room temperature

For the streusel topping (optional)

25 grams all purpose flour
25 grams granulated sugar
25 grams unsalted butter, cold and chopped into little pieces
1 pinch salt

For the egg wash

1 large egg
1 tsp milk

Prepare the dough

In a small cup, stir together the yeast and the warmed milk. Set aside for 5 minutes (it should become a little frothy. If it doesn't, your yeast might be dead).

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and the sugar, then add the yeast mixture and stir it in well. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour and the salt.

Add the egg mixture to the mixer bowl and beat it in until it is almost completely incorporated, then switch to the dough hook.

Add the butter to the bowl, and knead it in with the dough hook for about 6 minutes or so. The dough should feel slightly tacky when touched but the mixer bowl should be clean with no dry bits.

Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rise til doubled in size (this take about an hour to 1.5 hours).

Rolling the dough and preparing the filling

When the dough has doubled, punch it down then transfer it to a floured surface and roll it to a 13x22 inch rectangle. Let it rest while you prepare the filling.

To make the filling, use a mini food processor to pulse the chocolate and cinnamon until it is powdery with small chunks (the size of mini chocolate chips). Transfer it to a bowl and work in the butter with your hands.

Dump the chocolate filling onto the dough and spread it out thinly and evenly so every inch is pretty much covered.

Roll the dough into a 12-inch long, as tightly as possible, then trim the ends off (you don't have to but I think it's neater this way) and cut the log into 12 pieces.

Grease two muffin pans (or one 12-muffin cup pan) and place the rounds of dough in the greased pans. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again for about 45 minutes until the buns puff a bit.

For the egg wash & streusel (if using)

Prepare the egg wash by mixing the egg with the tablespoon of milk. Brush the buns lightly with the egg wash.

If you want streusel topping, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and work in the butter with your fingertips. Then top each egg washed bun with a mound of streusel before baking.

Baking the buns

Bake the buns in an oven preheated to 350°F for about 30 minutes, until they are a deep brown and spring back when touched.

Let cool before serving (if you can wait that long).

Chocolate cake for one

2013-03-18T10:40:00.001-04:00

Sometimes, late Friday night, all I want is cake. Unfortunately, I don't always have a freshly baked chocolate cake on hand. I know it's shocking, isn't it? And even though I love to bake, I usually lack the willpower to set out to making a whole cake for myself at 10PM on a Friday. Do you blame me?

It's never pretty when I want to eat something in particular that I don't have on hand. I end up heading repeatedly to the kitchen until I've snacked my way into a tummy ache. I go to bed disappointed, my craving unsatisfied, and slightly ashamed when I think back on the number of trips I made to the pantry.

Then I stumbled on a recipe (ironically in the "kids section" of the magazine Ricardo) for a chocolate cake nuked in a mug instead of baked. Interesting. With a little tweaking (more cocoa powder, a pinch of salt, and a longer cooking time), I felt like I was on to something big: a chocolate cake that serves one person and that is ready in under 10 minutes (of which half of that time it has to rest on the counter so that you don't burn your mouth off).

This chocolate cake is easy. All the ingredients are measured directly into a mug and mixed with a fork. It's microwaved instead of baked in the oven, so it cooks really quickly. When it's ready to eat, it's still warm, and the chocolate chips are all gooey and melty. This is the perfect solution to a Friday night craving for chocolate cake.

Of course, if you don't have a microwave, you're flat out of luck. Sorry.

Chocolate cake for one

Published: March 18th, 2013, Cook time: ~1 minute 45 seconds
Makes 1

26 grams (3 tbsp) all-purpose flour
10 grams (4 tsp) cocoa powder (I used Cacao Barry)
30 grams (2 tbsp) light brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
46 grams (3 tbsp) milk
14 grams (1 tbsp) canola oil
A few drops vanilla extract
10 chocolate chips

In a microwavable mug (make sure that it has a 1-cup capacity, ~250 mL), stir together with a fork the flour, cocoa, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.

Measure the milk, oil and vanilla into the mug, and stir again until there are virtually no more lumps (be sure to scrape the bottom edges to make sure there are no flour pockets).

Top with chocolate chips.

Place the mug in the microwave, and cook on high for 1 to 2 minutes (mine took 1 minute 45 seconds). The cake will puff up right to the edge of the mug as it cooks, and when it's done, it'll begin to settle down again. The surface will appear drier too.

Carefully take the mug out of the microwave (it's hot!) and let the cake sit for 5 minutes before diving in with spoon.

Glazed carrot cake

2013-03-11T08:54:00.001-04:00

Sometimes, I find blog props in the garbage. I am being very serious.

Take this white spray-painted table top. I rescued it from the dumpster in my building.

I had been meaning to "make one" for years, but obviously was too lazy to get myself to Home Depot to purchase the necessary supplies. So, the table top never got made. Then last week, I noticed that my parking spot neighbors, two spots over, had put down at the foot of their spot a big plastic sheet and had left a spray-painted piece of plywood to dry. I eyed it enviously and then I walked away. I wanted it, but it wasn't mine to take.

Luck would have it that, a couple days later, the piece of plywood appeared in the dumpster. So, I pulled it out and brought it up to my apartment. As usual, when I find a treasure like this tossed away, I get very excited. I think about all the pretty photos I can take with it and all the money I saved by "rescuing" the item from the garbage.

Of course, dumpster-diving for blog props doesn't always work out. My balcony is proof of that where you will find a graveyard of bits of old disintegrating fences and a door of some sort. I also found these in the trash, walking down my street, and proudly ~~carried~~ dragged them up to my apartment and out onto the balcony. Sadly, when I went to dismantle them to build them into a table top, I found that I didn't quite have the strength or the proper equipment to deal with the stubborn, rusty nails and screws. The fence bits and the door were rejected outside, never to be used.

Since the universe was kind enough to provide me with a proper white table top, I guess I am finally ready to part ways with my failed attempts at craftiness. Then, it would be significantly less obvious that I belong on the show Hoarders. Unfortunately, I now have to drag the bits and pieces down to the dumpster. I should probably do this at night when nobody's around to judge my junk problem.

This carrot cake recipe was adapted from the French magazine Saveurs (May 2012, page 79). The original recipe was entitled "carrot blondies", but it actually yielded carrot cake. That's okay because it turned out to be a really nice snacking cake, moist and flavorful. I tweaked the spices and the add-ins, opting for crystallized ginger and walnuts. The only issue I had was with the glaze, but that was my own fault. When I read the glaze recipe, I misread "2 cuillères à café de jus de citron vert" (2 tsp) for "2 cuillères à soupe de jus de citron vert" (2 tbsp). I ended up with a runny glaze that mostly just ran off the cake, but the bit that soaked in gave a nice citrus hit. I added a second layer of thicker glaze later on.

As with most recipes from France, no pan size is suggested. I find this rather curious. Are French women born knowing exactly what pan size they need to use for each recipe? Is there some rule or formula I don't know about? All this to say that I used an 8-inch square metal pan, so my squares are thicker than those pictured in the magazine.

Glazed carrot cake

Published: March 9th, 2013, Cook time: ~40 minutes
Makes 9 squares

Carrot cake ingredients

90 grams white chocolate (I used Cacao Barry Blanc Satin)
120 grams unsalted butter
120 grams raw granulated cane sugar
2 large eggs
150 grams all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
40 grams chopped walnuts
30 grams chopped crystallized ginger
60 grams shredded carrot
1 tbsp grated orange zest

Glaze #1 ingredients—the runny glaze

90 grams icing sugar
2 tbsp lime juice

Glaze #2 ingredients—the thick glaze

180 grams icing sugar
2 tsp lime juice
1 large egg white

Garnish (optional)

zest of orange, lemon, and lime

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8x8-inch square metal pan with parchment and set aside.

Melt together the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl in the microwave (power level 4 or 5, NOT high!) or over a double boiler. Set aside to cool slightly, stirring occasionally.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar until they have thickened and lightened in color (this takes a good 2 minutes or more). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the melted chocolate mixture to the mixer, and beat it in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and spices. Drop them into the mixer bowl, and beat them in on low until they are just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the grated carrot, chopped nuts, ginger and grated orange zest, then mix them in on low.

Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and bake it for about 35–40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

Whisk together the ingredients of glaze #1, then pour them over the cake set on a drip rack over a rimmed sheet pan.

Let the glaze seep in for about 45 minutes, then whisk together the ingredients of glaze #2 and pour it over the cake.

Sprinkle the zests over the glaze and let it set a full hour at least before cutting to serve.

Butterscotch pudding

2013-03-05T14:37:00.004-05:00

How do you feel about pudding? Love it? Hate it? I get the impression that everybody likes pudding, but I'm actually not quite sure how I feel about the dessert. Growing up, we didn't eat pudding. We never went to school with a pudding cup in our lunchboxes. I usually had apple sauce instead of pudding, or yogurt, specifically the fruit-on-the-bottom kind that is so hard to find lately. We never had pudding and I don't remember ever being upset over it's absence in my lunchbox.

Pudding is one of those foods that I wanted to eat, just as all the other kids were, but then when faced with a cup of the stuff, it kind of grossed me out. I think it was the texture of the pudding in pudding cups. I was the same way with jello. I remember a couple times, I got my mom to buy a box of jello mix, then she'd make it, and it would sit, untouched, in the fridge. Again, jello was one of those foods that, in theory, I wanted to like/eat like my friends did but, in practice, it just wasn't as tasty as I expected. Plus it's freakishly jiggly and the bright, unnatural colors freak me out. That stuff belongs in a lab, not on my dessert spoon.

True to temptation, I saw the butterscotch pudding in this month's Bon Appétit magazine, and immediately wanted to give pudding one more chance. After all, the homemade kind can't be anything like store-bought pudding. I was right. I guess I'm a pudding snob and only eat it when it's homemade.

This is nothing like pudding-cup style pudding. This recipe is obviously tongue-coatingly richer because it is made with whole milk, lots of cream and browned butter (my favorite of all butters). It's also thicker from the combined power of egg yolks and cornstarch. This recipe yields a pudding with a mellow butterscotch flavor that I really enjoyed. I expected it to be overly sweet, but it isn't, especially if you add a dollop of crème fraîche. I served this dessert with homemade gingersnaps, but you could crumble graham crackers over top, or even just sprinkle generously with graham cracker crumbs.

Butterscotch pudding

Published: March 5th, 2013, Cook time: ~15 minutes
Makes 9 servings but feel free to halve the recipe to make less!

58 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
150 grams (3/4 cup) light brown sugar
625 mL (2 1/2 cups) heavy cream
250 mL (1 cup) whole milk (3.25% fat)
1 tablespoon scotch (I actually used Jack Daniel's whiskey)
1/4 tsp salt
6 large egg yolks
29 grams (1/4 cup) cornstarch
3 tbsp granulated sugar
crème fraîche and gingersnaps to serve (optional but highly recommended!)

Place the butter in a medium saucepan, then scrape the vanilla bean seeds and add them to the pan along with the bean. Swirl the pan, over medium-high, until the butter browns and smells nutty. Pull the pan off the heat.

Add the brown sugar, milk, heavy cream, whiskey, and the salt to the saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat together the yolks, cornstarch and granulated sugar until it has lightened in color a little.

When the cream mixture is steamy and just about to boil, take it off the heat and pour it over the yolk mixture, whisking the yolks as you pour. When all the cream mixture is whisked into the yolk mixture, strain it back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, with constant whisking til the mixture begins to boil.

Boil the mixture for 1 full minute, whisking constantly, then remove from heat. Blitz the mixture with a handblender to smooth it out (this isn't absolutely necessary but ensures a silky smooth texture).

Divide the pudding between 9 small jars or ramekins (I used 125 mL mason jars). I placed plastic wrap over the surface of each to avoid "pudding skin" but you don't have to. Refrigerate for several hours to chill completely, or overnight.

Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche and crumbled gingersnaps.

Matcha tea loaf cakes

2013-02-25T22:54:00.001-05:00

I resolve most of my life's dilemmas with lists of pros and cons, and baking. I have debated many an issue this way. As I examined whether or not to switch PhD supervisors after my first year at McGill, I was in the cupcake phase of my baking as I debated between new supervisor and old supervisor, and even the renewed dilemma of McGill vs University of Toronto. Later, when I questioned whether to continue with my lab projects or to make the jump into a writing career, I worked through this time of my life with all sorts of layer cakes and a list entitled "post-doc vs medical writer". This is how I make big life decisions.

I still spend a lot of time wondering what my heart wants, as opposed to what my head thinks. Are the pros and cons reflecting that? I don't know why, but listening to my heart seems like the hardest exercise. My brain screams at me, but what does my heart have to say?

From my brief attempts at introspection, and trying to find a job in an existing bakery and then worrying about opening my nameless bakery instead, I have felt incredibly vulnerable, and even like what I do and bake just isn't good enough. I think my heart misses the times when I was in charge, at the top of my game and fully aware of what to do, how to troubleshoot a situation, and where to go next.

It has taken me a very long time to realize this.

I don't exactly know where I'm going with this, but I'm always glad to have simple recipes like this matcha tea cake recipe. One thing is for sure: I'll keep baking as I work through the ups and downs, and the pros and cons. It's how I get through the difficult times.

This recipe was adapted from the July 2011 issue of Olive magazine. I used all-purpose instead of self-raising flour, so I compensated by adding baking powder and salt to the dry ingredients. I also added a full teaspoon of vanilla extract and specifically used ground almonds (original recipe did not specify). I really enjoyed the sweet matcha tea flavor of these loaves, and would definitely make them again. I literally threw them together at the end of the day and loved the result!

Matcha tea loaf cakes

Published: February 25th, 2013, Cook time: About 20 minutes
Makes 8 mini loaves

140 grams all-purpose flour
85 grams ground almonds
2 tsp matcha tea powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
175 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
175 grams granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
60 mL whole milk

Preheat the oven the 325°F. Prepare mini loaf pans by greasing them. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, matcha, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugars for a few minutes, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed with a spatula. Add the vanilla and beat the mixture again.

Add the whisked dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Give the mixture a couple more stirs with the spatula to make sure everything is evenly incorporated, then divide the batter among the prepared loaf pans.

Bake the cakes for about 20 or so minutes, and take them out of the oven when a cake tester inserted in the center of one of them comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely.

Yellow butter cake

2013-02-20T01:12:00.000-05:00

Let's face it: I am a total nerd at heart. I can't even try to hide it. My inner-nerd is always revealed, one way or another. I used to be ashamed of my nerdiness but now I understand that it's a part of who I am.

My vanilla sablé comparison reminded me just how nerdy I can be. I loved doing the math and setting up "the experiment". I filled out my kitchen notebook like it was my lab book at McGill with the ingredients, amounts, and directions for each recipe. I took notes along the way, when the cookies were baked, and when I sampled the "products" to compare them. At the end of the page, I drew a conclusion. I documented the process with photos. My sablé post was a true experiment. I loved it and I found the whole process so incredibly satisfying. So I embraced my inner-nerd and repeated it all, this time comparing yellow butter cake recipes.

It took me a lot of time to choose what recipes to compare. In the end, I settled on recipes that contained the same ingredients: butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, salt, and milk. Only one recipe (#6) was different. Here are the cake recipes I tested:

Martha Stewart Weddings basic yellow cake—traditional creaming method (made with cake flour)
1-2-3-4 yellow cake (adapted from here)—very similar to cake #1 but has 1 1/4 tsp more baking powder; also made with a traditional creaming method (made with cake flour)
High-ratio yellow butter cake—a reversed method where all the dry ingredients and the sugar are first mixed with the butter and some of the liquid, before adding the rest (made with cake flour)
Zilla's cake—this is my grandmother's basic sponge cake recipe that we use for trifles, made by beating the eggs with the sugar to a ribbon, then stirring in the flour alternately with the warm milk/melted butter mixture. It's a family favorite and I was curious to see how it compared. (made with all-purpose flour)
Ricardo's basic vanilla cake—very similar to #1 but has 1/3 tsp more baking powder (made with all purpose flour)
Shirley Corriher's magnificent moist golden cake—another reversed method cake, but made with butter, oil and cream in the batter, as well as buttermilk instead of regular milk (made with cake flour)

I can't believe how different these six cakes were when I pulled them out of the oven. Yet the cakes were all so similar, with just a few grams of one ingredient or another that differed between them.
Cakes #1, #4 and #6 were the most different of all. Cake #1 was just like a pound cake. It was denser than the others, but not right for layer cakes. It was the cake that was the most domed also. On the other hand, cakes #4 and #6 baked flat, which to me is a good thing. However, cake #6 (with the oil, buttermilk and cream) was greasy. It had a fluffier, lighter texture, but it left grease on my hands when I sampled it. Cake #4 had a really nice spongy and airy feel, as expected, and it's definitely perfect for a trifle, but not what I was looking for. It's still my go-to sponge cake recipe.
Cake #2 had a good texture and was very flavorful, but I just didn't like its flavor. Interestingly, it also sank a little in the middle (apparently this is a sign of over-leavening, which also affects flavor).

Picking between #3 and #5 was difficult. They were so similar. In the end, I felt #3 had a few less air bubbles and a more even texture and appearance, so I picked it, but really, both were great. My inner-nerd is satisfied once again.

For information on butter vs margarine vs oil vs shortening, check out this blog post from Half Baked on the subject.

Yellow butter cake

Published: February 20th, 2013, Cook time: 35 minutes
Makes one 8-inch cake (can be split between 2 pans)

200 grams cake flour
200 grams granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
115 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
125 mL milk (3.25%fat), divided
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8-inch pan by greasing and flouring it, then lining it with a parchment round. Set aside for later.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the dry ingredients.

Beat in the butter til the flour mixture forms a sandy texture. Then add half the milk, and beat the mixture til it's smooth (about 1 minute)

Meanwhile, combine the other half of the milk with the other wet ingredients (eggs and vanilla) in a large glass cup measure (or bowl with a pouring spout).

Add half the liquid mixture to the mixer bowl, and beat for about 20 seconds, then add the rest, and beat again for 20 more seconds on medium.

Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and smooth it with an offset spatula. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles.

Bake the cake til a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean (about 35 minutes).

Cool for 15 minutes before flipping the cake out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Vanilla marshmallows

2013-02-10T22:46:00.001-05:00

This is not another Valentine's day post, mainly because I don't have a valentine to talk about. I haven't dated in awhile. I don't know if it's a lack of effort on my part. Or maybe I can blame the men in this city. Who knows. I can honestly say it's been ages since I've even had a crush on somebody. Oh well. I'm going to quickly change the subject now.

I am still, and will always be, a sucker for anything heart-shaped.

I will continue to make cute heart-shaped confections, valentine or no valentine.

They say that the shorter the ingredient list, the harder it is to master. It's true. Ganache is deceptively simple with only two ingredients, yet to achieve that perfect emulsion can be quite challenging. Meringue is made from egg whites, sugar, and water, and it too is one of the more difficult recipes to master and get just right every time.

I think marshmallows fall into this category as well.

I made these marshmallows from egg whites, gelatin, sugar, corn syrup, water, and vanilla. They worked, as you can see from the photos, but they weren't perfect (mine were a little wet on the bottom until I dumped them in icing sugar and cornstarch). And, of course, before having mastered the "marshmallow" techniques, I advanced to trying to replace the gelatin. That people was a fail! I substituted agar agar for the gelatin. Turns out agar agar cannot be used to make proper marshmallows because it can't support their structure. It pays to read. (I read about this the next day after the agar experiment). My gelatin-free marshmallows looked, tasted, and smelled like marshmallows, but they were too fragile. They were not marshmallows.

This recipe is adapted from David Lebovitz. If you are anti-gelatin (which is understandable), I'll save you the trouble and disappointment: don't use agar agar. Just don't bother. Try something else. Apparently carrageenan is a good one to try (though I have yet to test it).

Vanilla marshmallows

Published: February 10th, 2013, Cook time: ~10 minutes
Makes 1 quarter sheet pan of marshmallows

140 grams corn starch
140 grams icing sugar
2 envelopes Knox gelatin
125 mL + 80 mL cold water
200 grams granulated sugar
100 grams light corn syrup
4 large egg whites
1 pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla extract

Sift together the cornstarch and icing sugar into a bowl and set aside for later.
In a small cup, sprinkle the gelatin over 125 mL of water. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, place the 80 mL of water, followed by the granulated sugar and corn syrup. Attach your candy thermometer to the saucepan, making sure that the tip of the probe is not touching the bottom of the pan. Begin heating the syrup over medium–high heat.
Place the egg whites with a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat them on low til frothy.
When the syrup boils, increase the mixer speed to high until the whites form stiff peaks.
When the syrup reaches 245°F, take the saucepan off the heat and remove the thermometer, and then slowly pour the syrup down the side of the mixer bowl and over the whites, with the mixer running on low, being sure to not hit the beaters with the syrup.
When the syrup is all added, increase the mixer speed to medium–high. Meanwhile, add the bloomed gelatin mixture to the saucepan and melt it over very low heat til the solution is clear, then add the dissolved gelatin to the mixer bowl, along with the vanilla.
Beat the marshmallow mixture until it is cold.
Dust a parchment-lined rimmed quarter sheet pan with half the icing sugar mixture prepared earlier, then pour the marshmallow mixture on top and smooth it.
Let the marshmallows dry for several hours before cutting them (with well oiled scissors or oiled cookie cutters). Immediately toss the marshmallows in the powdered sugar mixture before storing.

Vanilla sablés

2013-02-04T12:12:00.004-05:00

This last week has been all about recipe testing. Trying new recipes, changing up the order of ingredients, finding "the" recipes and methods that yield the texture and taste that I am looking for. It's seriously a lot of fun! I love comparing recipes and seeing for myself what an extra yolk will do to the flavor of a vanilla sablé recipe, or what replacing the icing sugar with granulated sugar does to the texture.

Of course, the "downside" is the number of cookies I end up making to do all these tests. And, if you happen to go to the gym with me, you will end up cornered in the locker room and swayed into following up your sweaty efforts with a cookie taste test that will annihilate all the efforts from that grueling bootcamp class (Sorry gym buddies! I love you!).

In the search of my favorite vanilla sablé recipe, I tested 4 different recipes:

Dorie Greenspan recipe #1, featuring both granulated and powdered sugar
Dorie Greenspan recipe #2 from her Beurre et Sel bakery, featuring a slightly different ration of granulated and powdered sugar, but also an extra yolk
My own recipe, based on Dorie's second recipe, but in mine I eliminated the powdered sugar and replaced it with granulated sugar
Patrice Demers' (one of Montreal's top pastry chefs) recipe that features only granulated sugar, more yolks, baking powder, and a very different mixing method to make the dough

The gym girls preferred recipe #4, though K commented that it tasted eggy. Very true. Recipe #4 has more yolks. They liked the look of the #4 cookie as well, which is funny because I didn't like its look at all. Their choice: 4 > 3 > 2 > 1. #4 was the clear winner.

I also subjected my family to the same taste test. For them, #4 wasn't the winner. My family could tell apart the cookies made with a mix of granulated and icing sugar, from those made with just granulated sugar. The remark: the cookies made with icing sugar were more tender, and perhaps more like a shortbread. The results again were mixed, and there wasn't a clear winner, though once again, #1 was the loser. #2 and #3 were tied. 2 ~ 3 > 4 > 1

What do I think? Well, I didn't like #4. I found it too eggy. I didn't like it's look, and it was obvious that the egg yolks made it yellower, spread more, and I suspect the baking powder made it brown a little more than the others. I did appreciate the fact that #4 had a more "sablé" (sandy) texture though.

I honestly preferred #3, which was my recipe. I didn't like the extra tenderness from the icing sugar in #1 and #2. I didn't really like the look and taste of #4. I preferred the taste and texture of #3 so that's the recipe I'm sharing with you (the other three recipes are available online at the links I provided above).

Vanilla sablés

Published: February 4th, 2013, Cook time: 15–20 minutes
Makes about a dozen cookies

115 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg yolk
75 grams granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
140 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
Handful coarse cane sugar or sanding sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, salt, and sugar.
Add the yolk and beat, scraping down the sides as needed, then add the vanilla.
Add the flour and mix just until combined.
Turn out the dough on a worksurface and form a log with ~2 inch diameter (you can roll it in coarse raw cane sugar or sanding sugar to give your cookies a crunchy sugary edge), then wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the log into 1/4 inch slices and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for about 15–20 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn golden. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Chocolate sesame pots de crème

2013-01-28T23:39:00.001-05:00

It's a good thing that there's chocolate in this post because I need to get serious here. Fear has reared its ugly head into my brainstorming and planning my nameless bakery. I know I'm not working fast enough or moving forward at even a decent pace, but my feet are dragging.

The problem is that I've been thinking. I've been thinking a lot. The question I keep coming back to is just how many cakes and cookies would I have to sell to afford the rental of a kitchen space or a store front, on top of the cost of living? These are important, scary thoughts that lead to panic and doubt. Recently, I'm often on the cusp of breathing into a paper bag. I kid you not. Thus the need for copious, ridiculous amounts of chocolate.

My fear is genuine and with reason. I have no husband or partner bringing in an income to cover the home bills for those years where I am making very little and have invested everything into a small business. So, you know what? It's just plain scary.

Just think about it. It's scary.

My nameless bakery is going to happen, but it's scary!

When I brought up this point with my business coach, he looked at me like I was an alien from outer space. I couldn't read why I got that look, but it was definitely a puzzled and confused look he was sending my way.

I've been left wondering again.

Am I over-thinking this? Most definitely, but how can I not think and rethink and re-rethink?

Maybe my doubts are just more ways for my inner self to avoid facing my dream. I think this is what my business coach thinks. I need to just do it. I guess I will figure things out as I go. I guess the numbers will be less scary when I start guesstimating what the numbers should look like for year 1, 2, 3, etc.

It's a good thing there's chocolate.

To inspire me as I think about my nameless bakery, I baked these pots de crème, adapted from Aran Goyoaga's gorgeous new book. I could spend hours just looking at her book (or at her blog for that matter). I want to live in it. I want to eat everything in it. However, given the level of crisis at hand, I opted to start with one of her more chocolaty recipes.

The original recipe was made with hazelnut butter, but given I'm allergic to hazelnuts, I substituted it with sesame butter. Chocolate and sesame work really well together, but I think the coconut milk used to prepare the custard came through more than the sesame. That being said, I'd still make this again because they were super chocolaty and luxuriously smooth. Perfect temporary fix for those moments of panic.

Disclosure: I was provided with a free copy of Small Plates Sweet Treats to review, but my opinions in this post are my own.

Chocolate sesame pots de crème

Published: January 28th, 2013, Cook time: 40 minutes
Makes 6 ramekins

500 mL coconut milk (I prefer Thai Kitchen for its flavor)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
50 grams raw coconut sugar
2 tbsp sesame butter (tahini)
60 grams milk chocolate (I used Cacao Barry 40%)
60 grams dark chocolate (I used Cacao Barry 58%)
toastsed sesame seeds for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, vanilla bean/seeds, and stir over medium heat until it simmers.

Meanshiile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, coconut sugar and sesame butter (try to get whisk out the lumps).

Combine the chocolates in another medium bowl.

When the milk mixture is steamy, pour the hot milk over the chocolate. Let it sit 1 minute, then whisk it slowly until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth, then pour this mixture over the whisked egg mixture to temper them.

Strain the mixture into a large, 4 cup measuring cup or a bowl with a spout preferably. Then divide the chocolate custard between 6 ramekins.

Place the ramekins in a deep roasting pan and fill the pan with hot water so that it reaches halfway up the ramekins.

Bake the custards for 40 minutes or until the centers are completely set. Cool to room temperature before serving topped with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.

Winter fruit compote

2013-01-20T22:05:00.001-05:00

Me and the slow cooker, I'm not sure we get along. Don't get me wrong, it's great. It works perfectly fine and does what it's supposed to do, but even so, I'm not sure I'm a slow cooker kind of gal.

When V and I first tested out my new Crock-Pot, it worked well, but boy was it torture having to wait for our meal to be ready in 5 hours. I can see why the slow cooker is made for busy families, and not people lounging at home lazily on a Sunday. It makes no sense if you are at home doing nothing on a lazy Sunday. The delicious mealtime reward is seriously delayed. You put all the ingredients together in the Crock-Pot and start it probably way later than you should have (slow cooker recipes take hours, people, so get going early!). Then you wait. And you wait. And you wait some more.

I think that cooking a meal in a slow cooker is an exercise in patience. I fail the test almost every time. I am too impatient. V and I broke all the rules the first time we used the Crock-Pot. We kept opening the lid to check inside because we were curious and hungry. We'd stir periodically. We definitely overfilled the pot too the first time. It still worked.

When I think of slow cooker recipes, I think of winter. I came up with this breakfast idea when the temperatures outside dropped suddenly, and my breakfast of granola and cold yogurt with frozen berries just wasn't as tempting any more. Who wants to eat frozen berries on a cold winter morning? I used the slow cooker to rehydrate a bunch of dried fruits in a light syrup with a few spices, but you could also do this in a regular pot on the stove. Served warm over some hot oatmeal, it's just perfect for a tummy-warming breakfast on a chilly morning. This fruit compote is also great served over vanilla ice cream. Yeah, that's right: I won't eat cold yogurt and frozen berries in the dead of winter, but I will eat ice cream.

Disclosure: I was provided with a free Crock-Pot brand slow cooker to test out, with the purpose of writing a recipe for it. All opinions stated within are my own.

Winter fruit compote

Published: January 20th, 2013, Cook time: 4 hours
Makes about 5 cups

750 mL water
100–200 grams (1/2–1 cup) granulated sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
500 grams unsweetened/plain dried fruits (I used apples, pears, cranberries, apricots, prunes)
2 cinnamon sticks
5 star anise
1 pinch ground cloves
1 orange, zested
1 lemon, zested
cooked oatmeal to serve (or vanilla ice cream)

In the Crock-Pot (I used this model), stir together the water and the sugar with a wooden spoon.

Drop in all the dried fruits, the spices, and zests, and stir to combine.

Place the lid on the slow cooker and set it to high.

Let the mixture cook for about 4 hours or until you are ready to serve it (my Crock-Pot switches to a "warm" setting when time is up so you could even set it overnight for a warm breakfast).

Serve the warm compote over cooked oatmeal for breakfast or over vanilla ice cream for dessert.