02Sep / 2015

Salted Honey Peanut Butter Cookies

I realized that I haven’t posted since the snow melted (literally), but not for lack of cooking nor taking pictures of food! I’m still an avid chef, it’s just that grad school has a way of getting in the way of posts, amongst many other things.

Speaking of which, I’ve been trying to avoid food with added refined sugars (not too strict, when a labmate brought some pineapple cakes from Taiwan how could I say no?) during the weekday to help me deal with work stress. When pressure amps up I tend to let my sugar and caffeine addiction go out the window, leading to massive 4pm slumps and general grumpiness. The office M&Ms machine (automated, since we were formerly a robotics lab) does not help. This is surprisingly harder than it should be, mostly because someone who’s spent the past 4+ years obsessed with baking things decadent and delightful will just not accept a “healthy-ish” tasting agave-sweetened quinoa-flour-sprouted gluten free mumbo-jumbo dessert.

Eating without sugar and flour does wonders for my energy but is torture for my sweet tooth. This is, hands-down, the only dessert recipe I’ve found (so far!) that seriously satisfies real cravings, for Wednesday nights when you just need a cookie or a treat in the lunchbox. It’s a cookie first, and clean eating second

The only (tiny!) roadbump is that I haven’t tried it with natural (unstabilized/no sugar) nut butter yet, so I can’t attest to that. I used Skippy “Natural”.

Salted Honey Peanut Butter Cookies (Makes 18)

[Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen]

These cookies seriously satisfy cravings. Not at all dry or cloying, very moist while still holding its own shape. With or without health intentions, one of my favorite peanut butter cookie recipes

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey or pure maple syrup (I used wildflower organic honey)
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tbs Dutch process cocoa powder
3.5 oz dark chocolate bar coarsely chopped and divided (use your favorite dark chocolate bar and chop it, I used Ghiardehlli 60% Dark as it was on sale. You can omit and it will still be wonderfully rich, it doesn’t need the chocolate chips in case you are really being healthy.)
sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with buttered foil or parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat together peanut butter, honey (or maple syrup), egg, vanilla, baking soda, and salt until smooth and creamy; about 2 minutes. Fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chunks.
Drop tablespoon sized balls of dough onto prepared sheets. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies turn a slight golden brown underneath; do not overbake.
Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes 18 cookies.

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25Apr / 2015

Gin Thyme Lemonade

After months and months of ever-ending snowfall disintegrating into slush the color of dirty tennis sneakers, plus risking getting sucked into unnerving wind tunnels on every corner turn, it seems like Spring has finally landed in Boston!

There’s no time like Winter time to sip on my favorite drink– the Manhattan– and brood, but warmer weather calls for lighter (and more inventive!) imbibing. I’m trying to explore gin-based drinks, and this is a perfectly lemony, floral start. To be fair, I did try substituting bourbon in the base, but gin is the way to go: the pine-y flavor melds perfectly with thyme.

Gin Thyme Lemonade

For the thyme & honey simple syrup:

- 1 cup sugar

- 3 large spoonfuls wildflower honey

- 2 cups water

- 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme

In a small pot, combine all ingredients, and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, constantly stirring so that the sugar dissolves evenly. Cool before using and store in a tightly covered container in the refridgerator. This recipe yields about 12 oz of simple syrup– great for a crowd or future drinks. You can easily halve the recipe (just have a ratio of approx 1 sugar : 2 parts water), substitute all honey for sugar or vice versa, or even maple syrup!

For the cocktails:

- honey-thyme simple syrup, recipe above

- fresh lemon, juiced

- cold gin

- seltzer water, to taste

- large ice cubes

- ribbons of lemon peel, from the very well-washed lemon above

- fresh thyme

This cocktail is based off a gin sour: a 1: 1: 2 ratio of syrup : lemon : gin.

In a highball glass, combine 1 part simple syrup, 1 part fresh lemon juice and 2 parts gin. Mix well and fill glass with ice. Top with seltzer and a strip of lemon peel and a sprig of thyme. Enjoy!

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15Feb / 2015

Black Sesame Cupcakes with Matcha Buttercream

I’ve been noticing a funny adverse effect all this snow being dumped on the state of Massachusetts is having on me: the more flights get cancelled and the T is shut down (yet again!), the more my previously non-existent wanderlust grows. The fact that a few of my labmates are flying out to the south of Spain for a research project as we speak does not make things any better.

One of my favorite trips I ever took was with my cousin to Tokyo now more than 4 years ago (!). It was an amazing, otherworldly experience (the cleanliness of the subways! the fashion! bright lights!) and above all, foodie heaven. I swear, even the freakin’ sushi from 7-11 was finer quality than most restaurants I’ve had in the states. Everything was so carefully and beautifully prepared.

Unfortunately, a grad student budget doesn’t really allow for much jetsetting. But snow days do give the opportunity for the next best thing: culinary adventures. Here’s to dreaming of warmer days and many happy travels!

Black Sesame Cupcakes with Matcha Buttercream

Yield: 12 cupcakes

This is my take on a culinary journey to Tokyo. The green, grassy, slightly bitter taste of Matcha, my favorite Japanese beverage (and the only tea that’s ever held up to coffee in keeping me awake!) pairs perfectly with the nuttiness and richness of black sesame. Both flavors, because they are on the bitter end of the spectrum, make the often cloying sweetness of cupcakes balanced.

The cake recipe is adapted from molly yeh and boy it is fantastic– 10/10 would make this cake again all by itself and eat it plain, it is that good. So fluffy, so sesame-y– it would be perfect with a cup of tea. The buttercream is a classic one standard just about everywhere, with the addition of green tea, of course.

Black Sesame Cupcakes

1 stick butter, softened
3/4 c white sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
¼ cup ground sesame seeds (we used a mortar and pestle, but a coffee grinder would be awesome or just buy sesame flour; this is measured after grinding!)
2/3 c milk

Preheat oven to 350, and line a muffin tin.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; stir in vanilla.
in a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. add to the butter mixture. stir in milk.
Fill cupcake tin about ¾ full.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until nicely risen and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting!

Matcha Buttercream

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
splash of vanilla
1 tbs matcha
2 cups confectioners sugar
milk

You know the drill: basicall, in a large bowl whip the butter with a hand mixer, a fork, anything really; then beat in the vanilla and matcha and sugar a bit at a time, add some milk to make it nice and fluffy.
Frost.

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11Feb / 2015

Lemon-Rosemary Split Pea Soup

Take everything you know and love (or hate!) about split pea soup and throw it out the window. Far, far, away, into that 5-foot snowbank formerly known as the sidewalk.

This split pea soup is a game changer. It’s everything that classic split pea soup is not: al-dente instead of mushy; vegetarian, instead of ham and bacon-infused; a pretty photogenic yellow instead of grey-green; lemony and bright, but still hearty enough to combat the cold. Best of all, it takes all of 30 minutes, instead of the usual hours of slow-and-low cooking. Don’t get me wrong– I love classic split pea soup: the mushiness, the heaviness, the homeliness. But sometimes, after the third snowstorm in a row, you need a little pick-me-up.

Lemon-Rosemary Split Pea Soup

Serves 4

This soup is the perfect antidote to yet another snowstorm.

Thanks to 101 Cookbooks for the al-dente inspiration!

2 cups yellow split peas, rinsed and picked over
1 large onion, sliced
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 dash dry vermouth (or other dry white wine; I rarely buy white wine but always have vermouth for perfect Manhattans)
a pinch of salt
5 cups water
½ tsp dried rosemary
½ fresh lemon
for serving: sea salt, black pepper, olive oil

Rinse and clean split peas.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep saucepan or pot, sautee onion in the olive oil with a pinch of salt for 2-3 minutes, or just till nicely browned. Add a glug of vermouth, sautee a minute more.
Add the peas, rosemary, and 4-5 cups of water (add more if too much evaporates while cooking).
Bring to a boil and continue on a boil for 20-30 mins, lid propped but half covered so not too much broth evaporates, until peas are al dente. Add a pinch more of salt to taste if needed.
Squeeze lemon into soup and throw it in.
Serve warm bowls of soup, drizzled with olive oil and a crack of fresh pepper and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt.

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08Jan / 2015

New Year, New Egg

I love eggs. I love them as much as about the length of this song, put on a continuous loop for 10 hours:

To me, eggs are an example of perfect design: they are modular, portable, self-contained, cute, plentiful, cheap, and above all, delicious. Eggs also have this magic culinary quality of playing extremely well with others. You can put an egg on just about anything for an instant level-up: cheese sandwich = meh, egg + cheese sandwich = perfection; pizza = standard, pizza topped with egg = heavenly; ramen = good, ramen + perfect soft boiled egg = everything I ever wanted.

It is this last type of egg that I love the most. You know, perfectly coddled, soft boiled perfection that breaks easily with a spoon to reveal molten centers.

Unfortunately, boiling eggs is not as easy as it sounds. In fact, it’s an extremely delicate art: boil them for too long, and you’ll have revolting green-tinged yolks, dry as sawdust; undercook them and the eggs collapse when cracked. Worst of all, it’s almost always impossible to peel. You end up with either bits of shell sticking to the egg or pock-marked whites.

That’s why I avoid boiling altogether, saving the risk of headache and wasting a bucket of water (along with precious eggs). The trick to mastering the art of perfect boiled eggs is not to boil them at all. Steaming eggs is fool-proof: quick, consistent, and efficient. It’s also convenient: I just put a half dozen in the steamer basket of my rice cooker, for some delicious multi-tasking. Here’s how:

Perfect Soft (not) Boiled Eggs

makes 6 eggs, or half a dozen (large or extra large)

poached (hehe) from Serious Eats

This is it, folks. You never have to boil an egg again or pick away shell pieces. Soft boiled eggs are great to store in the fridge for busy weekdays. Add one or two to just about anything for an instant meal: toast, spinach, soup, sauteed greens, mashed potatoes, ramen: sky’s the limit!

Pour 1 inch of water into a pot with steamer insert; bring water to a boil.

When water is boiling, put eggs in steamer basket. Cover lid.

For soft centers steam exactly 6 minutes (remember: 6 minutes, 6 eggs!) or 10 minutes for hard boiled eggs.
Let eggs come to room temperature before peeling. Don’t run them under cold water or in ice or anything like that.

Enjoy warm eggs as a snack, in your ramen, salad, soup, or just about anything else. If not eating immediately, store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Update: Some Notes on Egg Specifics

I used extra large eggs, but the original cook times are for large eggs so both should be OK.

I made varying number of eggs 2 <= n <= 6 and used the same time regardless of egg number (unlike boiling, object increase does not lower temp., at least I don’t think as much).

** A moment of applause for the fact that I made zero egg puns in the above. **

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17Dec / 2014

Dark Chocolate Dipped Rosemary Shortbread with Sea Salt

I love everything about the holidays (minus religion, eradication of native americans, children sitting on the laps of old men, and shopping malls). I love giving gifts and I love eating turkey and I love staying up on New Year’s Eve. But what I love most of all (aside from family and being incredibly thankful) is the opportunity to bake as many cookies as possible in the name of goodwill unto all.

Slice-and-bake cookies are the best of all, because in addition to being adorably retro, if you plan carefully, you’ll have enough cookie dough stashed in the freezer to keep the kitchen continuously perfumed from now till Christmas eve. This, ladies and gents, is what I call true holiday spirit.

Dark Chocolate Dipped Rosemary Shortbread with Sea Salt
Makes about 2 dozen small (1”, bite-size) shortbread cookies

Shortbread cookies are cookies in their purest and most basic form: butter, sugar, flour, salt. As such, they are heavenly, the platonic ideal of cookies. In this version, I add a little rosemary for a sophisticated, savory layer of depth and dip them in dark chocolate for elegant gift giving. You can omit the extra step and the herbs for a wonderful basic shortbread, or add chocolate chips, walnuts, or even funfetti sprinkles. Enjoy!

HOW TO MAKE:

In a medium bowl, cream together:

1 stick (½ cup) sweet cream butter, softened
¼ tsp salt (if butter is not salted)
¼ cup powdered sugar

Stir in:

1 cup AP flour (King Arthur)
1 tsp crushed rosemary (*dried, if using fresh, triple amount)

Just to combine.

Cut two sheets of plastic wrap, and divide dough in half. Shape each dough ball into a squared-off log of 1” diameter. Seal ends, and stick it in the freezer until firm or up to a month (!!).

When you’re ready to bake:

Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment.
Slice logs into ½ inch rounds and space on sheet 1 inch apart
Bake 10-12 minutes, until very lightly browned around edges only.
Cool on the sheet for 5 min, and transfer to a wire rack for further cooling.

For chocolate coating:

Melt 1 cup dark chocolate chips over a double boiler, and dip cookies (cooled) on the diagonal.
Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Let cool in the fridge (or vestibule) until chocolate is firm.

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14Nov / 2014

Homemade Whiskey Gingers

Whiskey gingers are one of my all-time favorite drinks, right behind a classic Manhattan. It says “I’m feeling classy, but also a little bubbly, too”. Somewhere between “let me smoke this cigar alone in the study” and swing dancing in a polka-dot dress. At least that’s how I picture it in my head.

Some people call this Jack-and-Ginger but I’m not a fan of Jack Daniels, it has too much of a distinct sickly-sweet taste for the lightness of ginger. I’m a huge fan of Knob Creek Bourbon but just about anything you like to drink is good. Bourbon lends itself perfectly to sweet things but I bet this would be nice with Rye as well. I used Maker’s Mark here.

Homemade Whiskey Gingers

adapted from a Beautiful Mess

Makes: enough for a good time

The key to this recipe lies in the homemade ginger syrup. I can’t believe I never made simple syrups before; the freshness is 100x better than Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer you get elsewhere and dirt cheap too. The leftover’s great mixed with club soda for the best ginger ale you ever had in your life.

1 liter of club soda
ice cubes (we don’t want no stinkin’ crushed ice! bigger cubes are better)
good drinking bourbon (I don’t know how much you limit yourself to so I’ll leave this open ended.)
1 cup water
2 cups sugar (and extra if you wanna make candied ginger)
1 really big gingerroot

For the ginger syrup:

Peel the ginger root and slice half of it super thinly, and grate the rest. Grating the ginger makes all the great (ha ha) flavor come out but also makes the syrup (and thus your drink) a bit murky-looking, which is fine by me. If this bothers you, either strain it, or slice all the ginger and cook it for longer.
In a pot mix sugar, water. Over medium heat stir until sugar dissolves. Add ginger and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
Cool slightly; strain syrup, reserving ginger slices and store in fridge for up to a month (it won’t last that long).
Coat the remaining ginger slices in sugar and lay out to dry. Now you have candied ginger! Yey!

Time to make the drinks:

I confess I never measure things when I make drinks. I just eyeball it. So it went something like this:
- Pour 1 shot of Maker’s into your glass
- Mix with 2 shots syrup
- Put big ice cubes in it
- Pour enough club soda to fill the glass. I always use Old Fashioned glasses because that’s all I drink. You should probably use a Highball glass.
The end!
Seriously, just make it something like 1:2:4 Whiskey: syrup: soda and you should be good.
Or ask your friends who bartend for their advice, but you can’t go wrong.

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27Oct / 2014

Mexican Chocolate Cinnamon Swirly Buns

Everyone will like you if you come bearing hot (cinnamon) buns.

There are tiny kitchen challenges, and then there are really tiny kitchen challenges.

Case in point: my gentleman caller’s lovely but miniscule shoebox in Soho. We call it the space cabin, but there’s probably more counter space in space.

Only in New York.

There was also the additional challenge of being in the apartment of someone who until last week survived solely on takeout from Seamless. No icing sugar, no cake pan, no rolling pin, and definitely no yeast, only some leftover ingredients from last visit’s pancake production.

Exhibit A: the Manhattanite’s rolling pin

One thing we did have was this amazing Mexican chocolate that I am now completely addicted to: it’s like crunchy sugar granules mixed in with dark chocolate and cinnamon– heaven. Ironically, the Mexican chocolate also did not come from the resident Mexican. (Sometimes my life doesn’t make much sense but it’s all tasty.)

But I had a craving for the perfect Sunday morning: cinnamon buns, coffee; and no one could stop me. So I made do.

Mexican Chocolate Cinnamon Swirly Buns

Makes 12 swirly buns

This recipe was an attempt at quick no-yeast cinnamon rolls but I didn’t have a cake pan, so I made them in a muffin tin. They didn’t turn out like soft fluffy cinnabuns at all– but rather deliciously sugary biscuits with a crunchy top and moist center. It’s likely my oven was all whack and thus the crunchy tops but I promise they’ll be tasty no matter how accurate your temperature is. Next time i’ll probably go get more supplies to attempt the real deal but these biscuits were perfect with a cup of café au lait and friendship.

Dough

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup milk

Filling

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 bars Mexican chocolate (usually they have this to make hot chocolate with), roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease a muffin tin.
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Cut in softened butter, stir in milk; knead lightly to form a soft dough.
Meanwhile, mix butter, sugar and cinnamon for filling.
Drop a teaspoon of filling mix at the bottom of each muffin cup (I might skip this step next time because it sort of sticks and burns).
Roll out dough on a lightly floured into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
Spread the remaining filling on the rolled out dough. Sprinkle the chocolate.
Roll up the rectangle, with a sharp knife slice into 12 rolls. Place each swirly-side up in a muffin cup.
Bake for 20-25 min at 400°F, or till lightly browned on top.
Serve warm with coffee and love.

The best part of cinnamon buns: Filling!

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14Sep / 2014

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cream Scones

I can’t believe I never thought about doing this– simply substitute the heavy cream in a traditional cream scone recipe with coconut cream, and voila! Vegan cream scone, 100% as fluffy and light as the original.

In fact, I think it’s even tastier– the coconut milk lends a hint of subtle sweetness and makes it creamy without being cloying. It doesn’t taste coconutt-y outright, and you wouldn’t know it’s vegan unless you asked.

To make the whole process simpler, I made them as drop scones and it was perfect. Less than 30 minutes from craving to reward, great for hungry Sunday mornings, when you’ve been dreaming of donuts and that oatmeal just looks cruel.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cream Scones
Makes 6 big scones
Adapted from Art of Dessert

2 cups AP flour
⅓ cup sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t cinnamon
½ t salt
1 ¼ cup canned coconut milk
1 cup chocolate chips
sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. In a mixing boil, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Pour in coconut milk; gently mix to form a dough; stir in chocolate chips.
4. Drop large scoops (¼ cupfuls) onto a greased baking sheet 2 inches apart.
5. Bake 15-20 min, or until golden brown. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container after it’s completely cooled. Reheat in toaster oven.

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13Sep / 2014

A number of things

A number of things have occurred since we last spoke.
I’ve moved from the Greatest City in the World

to one that’s not half bad.

I’m a student again,
and also a research assistant at a pretty exciting place.

Most notably, my new home comes with the dreamiest kitchen you’ve ever met:

which means, I’ll be cooking a lot…
especially since it’s my favorite way of dealing with stress.

Ciao!

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← Older posts

Pika Chews

Salted Honey Peanut Butter Cookies

Gin Thyme Lemonade

Black Sesame Cupcakes with Matcha Buttercream

Lemon-Rosemary Split Pea Soup

New Year, New Egg

Dark Chocolate Dipped Rosemary Shortbread with Sea Salt

Homemade Whiskey Gingers

Mexican Chocolate Cinnamon Swirly Buns

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cream Scones

A number of things

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