The Chic Geek

Key Lime Ice Cream

2013-05-21T09:16:00.000-04:00

With the weather beginning to turn warm, I made my first batch of ice cream this year. I decided to do a variation on a favorite dessert, key lime pie, and turn it into a frozen treat.

Key Lime Ice Cream
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup key lime juice
1 tablespoon lime zest

Whisk ingredients together until smooth. Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

my favorite way to enjoy the ice cream was to make them into ice cream sandwiches between two graham crackers and dipping the edges in colorful sprinkles

Maple & Blueberry Crepe Cake

2013-05-13T09:37:00.003-04:00

My dad's birthday was this weekend, and he requested that I make another crepe cake for the occasion. Last year I made a version with layers of lemon curd and vanilla bean pastry cream. This year I thought I'd try something different. I went for a variation on one of his favorite meals, blueberry pancakes and real maple syrup. I made a fresh blueberry jam (my Bread Machine actually has a jam setting so I made the jam in there for ease while I was making the other components of the cake, you could also use your favorite store-bought variety) and infused the pastry cream with maple in a couple ways.

Maple & Blueberry Crepe Cake

Crepes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup lukewarm water
6 large eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together until smooth, let batter rest at room temperature for thirty minutes (or store it in the fridge if you aren't using it right away)

Heat your crepe pan and brush with a light layer of butter. Pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter into the pan, swirl until the surface is covered, cook until the crepe looks dry and then flip. Repeat until all the batter is used.

Maple Pastry Cream

1/2 cup maple sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Mix together sugar, flour and salt until well combined in a large bowl. Add in egg yolks and whisk until the texture is a thick paste. Set aside.

Combine milk and 1/4 cup maple syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until it begins to steam but not simmering or boiling. Remove from heat.

Pour a little of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture and whisk thoroughly to temper the eggs. Then continue to pour the milk into the egg mixture slowly while mixing constantly. Once everything is combined, pour the mixture into the saucepan and return it to the stove over medium heat.

While heating the pastry cream, be sure to whisk constantly, pausing occasionally to check the heat of the cream, once it reaches boiling whisk for just a few seconds more and then remove from heat and pour through a strainer into bowl, using a spatula to help press it through the strainer. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, cover with plastic wrap pressed against the surface of the pastry cream and refrigerate.

Blueberry Jam
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon low sugar pectin
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen; I like the small wild Maine bluberries for this; Wyman's frozen berries are my favorite brand)

Place all ingredients in breadmaker and set to jam setting.

Cake Assembly

Center a crepe on your cake plate and then using an offset spatula, pastry brush, or even a butter knife spread it with a thin, even layer of the pastry cream, then another crepe, then a thin, even layer of jam...repeat this several times and end the cake with a crepe. Depending on the size of the crepes you made (mine were about 8 inches in diameter), each filling layer will be roughly 1-3 tablespoons. Chill cake for at least 4 hours before serving.

Before serving, top the cake with fresh blueberries and powdered sugar.

Chocolate Fluff Cookies

2013-05-07T11:59:00.003-04:00

Mallomars are a favorite cookie of mine, but unfortunately they do not ship these delicious treats during summer months due to the melting factor (I still don't understand this, with modern technology and all), but it makes them a seasonal delicacy for me.

America's Test Kitchen recently posted a recipe for cookies resembling my beloved Mallomar on their feed, so I knew I'd have to try them out. Not exactly the same, but really delicious and absurdly easy to make. My store didn't have the crackers they recommended so I made a substitution (see below).

Oddly enough, this is the first time I had ever eaten fluff. Greg loves fluffernutter sandwiches, so we had some in the cabinet, but it was never a food I wanted to experience, until now.

Chocolate Fluff Cookies (adapted from here)
10 plain McVitties biscuits (originally recommended were Carr's Whole Wheat Crackers)
10 heaping tablespoons marshmallow fluff
1 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray a wire rack with vegetable oil spray and set on top of the parchment. Check that you have enough room in your freezer that you can slide the tray in and out easily.

Spread a heaping tablespoon of fluff on each biscuit and set on wire rack. Transfer rack to freezer and chill until fluff is firm, about 15 minutes.

Combine chocolate and vegetable oil in a bowl, microwave until melted and smooth.

One at a time, lift fluff topped biscuits with a fork or spatula and spoon chocolate over the top until covered smoothly. Transfer back to wire rack. Once all cookies are coated, put the tray back into the freezer until chocolate is firm. Serve immediately or store in fridge until serving.

Have a geeky weekend!

2013-05-03T09:19:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday everyone! Do y'all have anything fun in store for the weekend? Tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day, which is a fabulous nerdy 'holiday'. Publishers put together specials comics to give away for free on the first Saturday in May. Many comic shops also bring in the creators, artists, writers, etc. involved in the comics, which makes for a really fun day. Greg and I will be visiting a few different shops around the area.

If you love comics, or even if you haven't picked one up since you were a kid, take a little time to stop by your local comic shop on Saturday and see what's out there. You can visit the Free Comic Book Day website here and find local participating shops.

A guide to Free Comic Book Day
An interview with David Petersen, creator of Mouse Guard
Free Comic Book Day cheat sheet
What is Free Comic Book Day?
Free Comic Book Day checklist

What your coffee says about you

2013-05-01T13:00:00.002-04:00

I ran across this great little infographic on Dog House Diaries, and being the coffee lover that I am, had to share it.

What's your favorite variety of coffee (iced coffee is my personal favorite); do you agree with its sentiments?

via

Sriracha Salt

2013-04-29T09:26:00.002-04:00

We go through a lot of Sriracha in our home, it tastes amazing on basically everything from noodles to meats to eggs. I've seen that you can buy Sriracha salt on amazon, but I figured I'd make my own, which is so easy to do. It adds a little extra oomph as a finishing touch to your dish.

Sriracha Salt
1/2 cup coarse grain sea salt
2 tablespoons Sriracha

Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.

Combine salt and Sriracha in a bowl and mix until combined. Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet, and spread into an even layer. Let dry at room temperature until no longer moist (this took about 36 hours for me), raking through it with a fork a couple of times during the drying process.

Memorium

2013-04-22T08:54:00.000-04:00

After a really emotional and difficult week in Boston, we all found some solace in the capture of the second suspect in the Marathon bombing. This weekend was filled with beautiful spring weather, and Greg and I went downtown to see how things look; there were little memorials set up at all different parts of the end of the marathon route, and a huge one at the end of where all the barricades currently are filled with flowers and notes of hope and strength.

Sports teams unite

2013-04-17T17:37:00.001-04:00

I am in awe and touched by of all the wonderful Boston tributes that so many teams have put together.

via Chicago Tribune

via The New Yorker

Sweet Caroline played at ballparks across the country
Yankee Stadium stands united
The Colts are Patriots Strong
Lots of love from fans and players

A moment for Boston

2013-04-16T10:00:00.003-04:00

Yesterday at work I was following headlines to see the progress of the Boston Marathon, which is basically a holiday in the city. Boston is always bustling and full of excitement on Marathon Monday. The weather was perfect. Then I started seeing tweets popping into my feed about explosions at the finish line and the day took a nosedive from there. I cannot believe such horrors could strike so close to home.

Thankfully my friends and family in Boston are all safe and accounted for. But my thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost people, and those who are recovering from horrific injuries.

via

29 reasons to love Boston

13 examples of people being amazing yesterday
Conan, Ellen, Jimmy, and Craig express sorrow
Amazing acts of kindness
Recovering emotionally from a disaster
How to help, how to find information

How Arnold Palmers orders....an Arnold Palmer

2013-04-10T14:20:00.000-04:00

The Arnold Palmer (aka the 'half and half') is one of my favorite drinks; half iced tea, and half lemonade. So refreshing, and not overly sweet (and the grown-up version, the "Arnold Pummeler" with sweet tea vodka and lemonade is pretty darn good too). But how does golfing legend Arnold Palmer order his namesake drink? Steve Politi finds out:

"[Politi] chased Kelsey, the waitress serving Arnold Palmer yesterday, back to the bar where she was putting in another drink order.

“How did Arnie order his drink?”

“He leaned over and said, ‘I’ll have a Mr. Palmer.’ Then he winked,” Kesley said."

via

7 year old cancer patient's 69-yard touchdown

2013-04-08T10:17:00.001-04:00

Jack Hoffman, a 7 year old brain cancer patient, and a diehard Nebraska fan was given a unique opportunity this weekend. He scored a 69 yard touchdown during the Huskers' spring game. After which he was hoisted in the air by the team in celebration. A truly touching moment to see:

via

A-Z Crayons

2013-04-03T14:18:00.003-04:00

Artist Diem Chau has an amazing knack for turning everyday items into tiny yet extremely intricate pieces of art. I am completely enthralled with her crayon alphabet carvings (pencils are another medium that she transforms into fabulous carvings). Just amazing

via

Happy Easter!

2013-03-31T08:37:00.000-04:00

Hope all those who celebrate it have a lovely Easter.

via (and for those who don't get the reference, it's a katamari)

Passover Biscotti

2013-03-28T09:30:00.001-04:00

Another goodie transformed into a Passover treat. Coffee's perfect dunking companion, biscotti. You can really add in any sort of mix in to these (dried fruits, different types of nuts, citrus zest...), be creative!

Passover Biscotti
3/4 cup matzoh cake meal
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
optional: extra chocolate for dipping and drizzling over the biscotti

Preheat oven to 325. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

Mix together cake meal, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream together butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add in cake meal mixture and stir until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips and almonds.

Shape dough into a flat, rectangular loaf measuring approximately 12 x 4 inches. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, or until comfortable to the touch without burning yourself. Using a long, sharp knife, cut into pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Turn the cookies onto their sides (with a cut side up), and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Flip biscotti and then cook for a last 5 minutes. Let cool completely and drizzle with chocolate, if desired.

Matzoh Trash Bars

2013-03-27T13:55:00.002-04:00

Desserts can be super tricky at Passover. The inability to use flour (and so many other things) makes the whole thing complicated, and substitutions can create a sub-par result. There have definitely been some very good ones, but I am always looking for something new.

This is a based off of the White Trash Bars I made pretty recently. While I was making them I had the epiphany that it would work well with matzoh, so I had to give it a go!

Matzoh Trash Bars
1/2 box of matzoh
1/2 teaspoon salt (if your matzoh is unsalted)
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cup toffee bits (check the ingredients to be sure they meet your Passover standards, since everyone keeps it a little differently)
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 pan.

Crush matzoh into very small pieces (I put mine in a plastic bag and went over them a few time with a rolling pin) . Stir together with toffee bits, salt (if needed), and condensed milk until thoroughly combined. Pour into prepared pan and press into an even layer.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove from oven and let sit for a couple of minutes, then sprinkle chocolate over the top and let sit until melty, then spread into an even layer over the bars. Let cool completely before cutting into them.

Chag Semeach

2013-03-25T10:44:00.000-04:00

Sundown tonight begins the week-long holiday of Passover. This means lots of food and family, and an overall celebratory feeling. For the next week there are lots of dietary restrictions, but there are also lots of special yummy things that are enjoyed at this time of year.

One of my favorite parts of the Seder (the dinner which begins the holiday, where we read the story of Passover), is when we say 'dayenu' or 'it would have been enough.' This section focuses on how many miracles occurred, and how if just one had happened, it would have been enough. I love this focus on being content with what happens, and overjoy of so many wonderful things happening. It's a really uplifting message.

Choosing the Right Seat

2013-03-22T09:24:00.000-04:00

Alex Cornell recently created an amazing chart of different table scenarios and where your best seat might be in each instance. There truly is a lot of strategy involved when trying to sit at a dinner party; study up!

via

Coffee & Cream Cookies

2013-03-20T09:55:00.000-04:00

I pretty much enjoy anything that tastes of coffee, so these cookies are basically a slam dunk for me. They're incredibly delicious and hard to stop eating.

Coffee & Cream Cookies (from here, with a couple tiny changes)
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
2 Tbs. ground coffee (not instant)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips

In a bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, coffee, baking soda and salt, set aside.

Mix together sugars and melted, cooled butter until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla and stir until combined. Pour in the flour mixture and stir until well incorporated. Fold in white chocolate chips.

Refrigerate dough for at least an hour before baking.

Preheat oven to 325

Scoop dough and roll into balls (I did mine with a couple tablespoons of dough in each for larger cookies.

Bake for about 10-13 minutes.

Maple Sugaring Tour

2013-03-18T09:22:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Greg and I headed up to Topsfield to go on a maple sugaring tour, yesterday was the last day of the sugaring season around here so it was then or waiting until next year. Though parts of the tour seemed to be kind of geared towards the kiddos in the group, we still had fun and learned a lot about the maple syrup process, and it was a lovely day to walk in the woods (with hats and gloves).

our tour guide in front of a sugar maple tree

a bucket for collecting the sap

a bucket full of sap

heading into the sugar house where the sap gets turned into syrup

the syrup maker showing us the nearly finished product, it was so steamy in the sugar house from all the sap being boiled down into syrup, and it smelled amazing in there from the wood fire and the maple

bottles of syrup in the shack, and samples of the different grades

we ended the tour with a syrup toast

then we headed into the barn to warm up by the fire for a bit and had hot dogs that had been cooked in maple sap

Happy Pi Day!

2013-03-14T10:45:00.003-04:00

Happy Pi Day (March 14 = 3.14) everyone! Will you be celebrating by making a delicious pie? Or perhaps with some math?

via

Coffee Cake

2013-03-12T10:00:00.000-04:00

Cake for breakfast is an awesome thing, especially if it's a more...socially acceptable type of breakfast cake. Which coffee cake is! This one comes together so quickly (perfect for a weekend morning) and has the most delicious crunchy streusel topping, and a moist, tender crumb. It's amazing with coffee (of course), or just on its own.

This recipe makes two cakes (perfect if you need to take someone a baked good, or with a bit of math, you can 1/2 the recipe).

Coffee Cake (from America's Test Kitchen Feed)
topping:
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped coarse (optional)

cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1¾ cups sour cream
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour two nine inch cake pans.

topping:
Combine the topping ingredients together in a bowl, working the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingers until the mixture resembles wet sand. Stir in the nuts (if using) and set aside.

cake:
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugars, cooled butter, and eggs until smooth. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and fold gently until just combined. Divide batter into the prepared pans and evenly top with the streusel.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes (until an inserted toothpick shows just a few crumbs), rotating the pans halfway through.

Pantone Pairings

2013-03-08T09:40:00.001-05:00

I am in love with Pantone Pairings, a site that features photos of food as pantone colors. Prints are coming soon, and I know I'll be ordering some for my kitchen, though it will be really hard to choose which ones, since they're all pretty amazing. See all the pairings here.

via

Julia's Kitchen

2013-03-06T10:41:00.000-05:00

I've been in Washington, D.C. for the past four days for a conference for work. While I was exceedingly busy and barely had time to sleep, let alone sightsee, I did (miraculously) find myself with a couple free hours on my last morning there. So I headed over to the Smithsonian Museum of American history to go visit something I've been wanting to see for many years: Julia Child's kitchen.

It was a really well done exhibit, filled with lots of things from Julia's life, and the kitchen itself had a clear wall (that once held pans) so you could look into the full kitchen, and there will little nooks so you could step a little further in to see more and feel like you were inside of Julia's kitchen. It was such an amazing experience for me. I really didn't want to leave.

Portraiture a la Renaissance Paintings

2013-03-04T09:27:00.000-05:00

Bill Gekas, like any good dad who's a photographer, takes lot of pictures of his daughter. These portraits have a bit of a twist as their style is inspired by Renaissance paintings, and he really nails the palette, lighting, and overall emotion of the paintings in these photos. See all of the portraits here.

via

Mad Men for Banana Republic

2013-02-28T09:19:00.000-05:00

Banana Republic has launched another line inspired by Mad Men. This one is very mod and looks like it was taken straight from Megan Draper's closet. It features great colors and bold, graphic prints, a very different look compared to the previous two Mad Men lines.

via

Mad Men starts back up on April 7 with a two hour premiere, I cannot wait!