Pure Pastries

Strawberry Shortcake

2010-04-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everybody!!! I hope your day is filled with chocolate, sunshine and family. Unfortunately I will be spending my Easter morning making dessert for 300 people. I did have the chance to celebrate early with my family and we spent the day reminiscing, dying eggs and eating chocolate candy.
One of my family's all time favorite Easter memory involves my lively and precocious little sister. One year she decided all she would eat the entire day was chocolate and carrot sticks. While everyone else sat down for Easter dinner, she helped herself to a chocolate easter bunny and a bundle of carrots. Of course all that sugar left her with an excess of energy and an inexplicable but undeniable urge to perform 100 cartwheels before bedtime. Much to our amazement she completed this task without falling over or running into any walls. In fact, she seemed pretty much unfazed by her feat. Soon thereafter we all went to bed only to be awoken at 2 in the morning by a screaming and very very sick sister. I had the pleasure of sharing a room with her at this point in our lives and unfortunately received the brunt of her sickness at the foot of my bed. The white carpet in our old bedroom retains hints of the orange and chocolate stains to this day. Needless to say, she did not perform her amazing feat of 100 cartwheels in a row again. I believe she is still off carrots and milk chocolate to this day.

I hope she is not angry with me for sharing this story! To make up for it, I want to give her a shout out for her incredible craftiness. She decorated the beautiful easter eggs pictured above. She very carefully cut strips of origami paper and pieced them together in the beautiful patterns you see here. They are absolutely gorgeous.
Well it wouldn't be a holiday dinner without a little dessert right? I made a strawberry shortcake with cream cheese frosting.

Strawberry Shortcake

Orange Chiffon Cake

1 # cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1# sugar
1# 5oz egg yolks
8 fl oz vegetable oil
8 fl oz orange juice
1 Tbs vanilla
1# 5oz egg whites
1 orange, zest

1. Sift the dry ingredients together and mix with 1/3 of sugar.
2. Combine yolks, oil, juice, zest, vanilla in mixer. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into larger bowl and set aside.
3. Whip the whites on medium speed until soft peaks form (you will see white foam). Increase speed and gradually add the remaining sugar. Continue to whip to create a medium peak meringue.
4. Gently fold 1/3 of meringue into yolk mixture to fully combine. Fold in rest of meringue.
5. Divide into 2 greased 9" round pans and bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese

1 stick butter

4 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp almond extract

Mix all ingredients together.

To Assemble Cake:

1. Drizzle each layer of cake with Grand Marnier (optional).

2. Spread half of frosting over bottom layer. Layer with sliced strawberries.

3. Place second layer of cake on top. Spread rest of frosting on top and decorate with sliced strawberries.

Brownies with Strawberry Ice Cream

2010-04-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

What better way to end a barbecue than with homemade brownies a la mode? Since I've been seeing strawberries everywhere lately, I decided to incorporate some into my go to vanilla bean ice cream recipe. This can be d0ne with most fruits and berries, simply macerate them in a little sugar or sauté them for a few minutes to bring out their natural sweetness. Then you simply fold the fruit into the churned ice cream. I'm going to try this recipe with peaches as soon as I start to see them in the store. I love how easy it is to manipulate a basic ice cream recipe and create new flavors. Feel free to alter the following recipe by infusing the cream with a spice or adding different mix-ins. Have fun and be creative!

Brownies

8oz dark chocolate

1 stick butter

3 eggs

1 1/4 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1. Melt butter and chocolate together in microwave.

2. Stir in eggs.

3. Stir in flour, sugar, vanilla, and baking soda.

4. Spread into a greased 13X9 inch baking pan and bake for about 18 minutes at 350 degrees.

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

1 pint strawberries, chopped

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 whole vanilla bean*

2 eggs

3 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1. Sprinkle the first measurement of sugar over the chopped strawberries, mix well. Sauté half of berries in saucepan for 2 minutes. Refrigerate and allow to sit while you prepare the ice cream.

2. Combine milk and cream in saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds into the pan. Add the pod and bring to a boil.

3. Meanwhile, combine the eggs, yolks, and sugar in a bowl.

4. Whisk 1 cup of the boiling liquid into yolk mixture to temper it. Bring the remaining liquid back to a boil and whisk the yolk mixture into the saucepan.

5. Stir the mixture continually for about 2 1/2 minutes on medium heat.

6. Strain liquid into a clean container and place in fridge until chilled.

7. Pour liquid into ice cream maker and churn until thickened about 25-30 minutes. At this point, stir in the strawberries and place in freezer to set.

*Vanilla beans are much more expensive than vanilla extract, but they impart a richer flavor and are definitely worth the splurge when it comes to real homemade ice cream. Save the pod when you strain the ice cream. Simply rinse it off, dry it out and place it in your sugar bowl. Over the course of the next few days your sugar will take on a light vanilla scent and taste. It's a fun and easy way to enhance your morning cup of coffee!

Blood Orange Jalapeño Margaritas

2010-03-31T11:31:00.001-07:00

My sister and I created these margaritas last weekend at a barbecue. They were really fun to serve the quests because they made for lots of funny faces and wild guesses as to the components of the drink. When the ingredients of the margaritas were revealed, everyone was shocked but genuinely impressed that a jalapeño could add so much to the classic margarita. There is no extra sugar added to this recipe, so those of you who have qualms about the over the top sweetness of margaritas might want to give this a try.

You can alter the spice factor of the drink depending on how long you infuse the tequila with the jalapeño. We left it in the tequila for about two hours and the drinks had just a slight heat which was a really nice contrast to the sweetness of the blood oranges. The pink juice of the blood oranges gives a really pretty color to the margarita. If you have trouble finding blood oranges, you can substitute regular oranges. Have fun and enjoy!

Blood Orange Jalapeño Margaritas

makes about 3 drinks

4oz tequila

1 jalapeño

3oz blood orange juice

1oz lime juice

3oz grand marnier

Chop the jalapeño and remove the seeds. Let it sit in the tequila for about 2 hours. Strain the jalapeño. Add rest of ingredients, pour over ice and enjoy!

Snowgaritas!

2010-03-07T16:02:00.001-08:00

Need I say more?

Okay, maybe I do. For my birthday this past weekend, my sisters and my friends all drove up to Idyllwild, CA to play in the snow and celebrate. We had so much fun sledding, building snowmen, cooking big family style meals and playing board games by the fireplace. We were all thrilled when it began snowing upon our arrival at the cabin. Being raised in southern California, we were all quite impressed by the snow and the majestic calm and quiet that settled over the neighborhood (at least until the snow plow came). The snow inspired many fun activities and ideas, one of which where the Snowgaritas. Pretty simple stuff: pack a cup full of freshly fallen snow, add margarita mix and a splash of tequila and you're set!

Cinnamon Doughnuts

2010-02-10T12:34:00.001-08:00

My friends were hosting a Superbowl party on Sunday and had decided to deep fry a turkey. I was asked to bring dessert. Since I had never before used a backyard deep fryer I was inspired to make doughnuts. How fun to be able to commune with nature while baking! I opted for a quick cake-like doughnut rather than a yeast based recipe (I only had about 1 hour before the game started). Of course you don't need a deep fryer to make these little pillows of heaven. Just add a few inches of vegetable oil to a sauce pan and you have a make-shift fryer. Doughnuts are so much fun to make and even more fun to eat! I sifted powdered sugar over mine and served them with a chocolate and a caramel dipping sauce. Feel free to roll them in cinnamon sugar after they come out of the fryer or glaze them with icing. This recipe can be altered to taste by adjusting the extracts and spices. Have fun!

Cinnamon Doughnuts
makes about 30 mini

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla

vegetable oil

1. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Mix wet ingredients together.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix to combine fully. Wrap dough in plastic and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. Liberally flour a flat surface and roll out dough to about 1/2" thickness. Use round cutters to cut out dough and make sure to cut out the center for a classic doughnut shape. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Heat oil to 370 degrees. VERY carefully drop doughnuts into oil one at a time, being careful not to overcrowd. **To safety drop the doughnuts into the oil, touch the dough to the oil then slowly let it go. This technique will prevent the oil from popping back at you.** After a minute or so, use a metal spatula to flip the doughnuts over in the oil. Wait another 30 seconds then carefully remove doughnuts from oil and allow to drain on a paper towel.
6. Serve warm with your choice of toppings.

Whole Wheat Honey Bread

2010-02-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

Do you ever crave the sweet smell of freshly baking bread? Growing up my mother baked fresh bread so often that I took that smell for granted. I can now truly appreciate the time and love she put into each and every loaf we shared. Sometimes when my sisters and I arrived home from school she would be pulling out a hot loaf of cinnamon swirl bread from the oven for our afternoon snack. To this day I have yet to taste anything like her cinnamon swirl bread.

Today I opted for something heartier with just a touch of sweetness. This home-style wheat bread has a small amount of honey in the dough. The honey not only works with the yeast in allowing it to expand and rise, but provides for a more rounded flavor in the bread itself. If you have an afternoon free give this recipe a shot. It is very easy and the dough can be shaped into loaf pans or rounds for a more rustic look. This recipe makes 3 loaves, which can be frozen for several weeks.
Whole Wheat Honey Bread
makes 3 loaves

3 cups warm water (110 degrees)
Two 1/4-ounce packages active dry yeast
2/3 cup honey
5 cups white bread flour
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon salt
5 to 6 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1. In a large bowl, mix the water, yeast, and 1/3 cup of the honey together. Add the white bread flour and stir to combine. Allow to sit for 30 minutes, until the dough is big and bubbly.

2. Mix in the melted butter, remaining honey, and the salt. Stir in 2 cups of the whole wheat flour. Add up to 4 more cups of the whole wheat flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add enough flour until the dough is tacky but can be worked with your hands.

3. Flour a surface and knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball but is still sticky to the touch.
4. Grease a large bowl with the vegetable oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

5. Punch the dough down and divide it into 3 loaves. Place the loaves either in greased 8 1/2X4 1/2 inch loaf pans or in rounds on a sheet pan. Allow to rise for another hour.6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Allow the loaves to cool about 30 minutes before slicing.

Baby Steps

2010-01-21T20:37:00.001-08:00

For those looking for ways to help out the Haiti crisis, please check out this t-shirt by Mike Fretto. The shirt is only $15 and 100% of the proceeds will be donated towards Haiti-Partners in Health.

La Provence Patisserie & Cafe

2010-01-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

I went to visit my sister in Los Angeles this past weekend and we stopped by La Provence bakery in Brentwood for brunch Saturday morning. The cafe overlooked the rooftops of the surrounding shops and homes and offered a Parisian ambience. The pastries were delicious and the breakfast items were mouthwatering. We started with a lavender and a cherry amaretto macaron and some coffee and juice. Yum!

The vegetarian eggs benedict were served atop a housemade croissant.
Lindsay couldn't resist a side of pomme frittes and they came served up in traditional newspaper. With a sudoku puzzle no less!
The pink hued sea salt was a big hit at our table. Everything about this patisserie was so well thought out and made for such a perfect morning.
I highly recommend La Provence Patisserie & Cafe if you find yourself in the area.

Bon apetit!

Lavender Truffles

2010-01-06T20:16:00.000-08:00

I am having two very special people over for dinner tomorrow night and had to have something fun to serve for dessert. Since it's still early in the year and most everyone made a new year's resolution to eat healthier I decided to make truffles. One or two dark chocolate truffles are always enough to satisfy me and won't leave you feeling too guilty. These decadent treats are a perfect way to end a meal and pair nicely with champagne!

Truffles are great because they are so easy to make. When stored properly, they last for months. Just keep them in a tightly sealed container and away from extreme heat or cold.

To add an extra element to the truffles, I first infused the cream with lavender. The result is a mild floral accent to the rich depth of the dark chocolate. Definitely worth a try if you are up for it. If not, simply eliminate the lavender.

Lavender Truffles

1/2 # dark chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
cocoa powder

1. Place the cream and lavender in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn of heat and cover. Allow to steep for at least one hour.
2. Strain cream to remove lavender buds. Remeasure cream, adding more if necessary to make one cup. Return to saucepan along with corn syrup. Bring to a boil.
3. Pour boiling cream over chocolate and stir to combine. Place chocolate in fridge and remove every 5 minutes to stir. After about 20-30 minutes, chocolate mixture will begin to set.
4. At this point, pipe small rounds onto sheet pan. Allow to set, uncovered for several hours, or overnight.
5. Once chocolate is set, pick up each individual round and roll into ball with your hands. Place the truffle in a bowl of cocoa powder to coat.
6. Cover and store away from heat and cold. Enjoy!

Peppermint Chocolate Mousse Pie

2009-12-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

The pairing of peppermint and chocolate really puts me in the holiday spirit. It is definitely one of my all time favorite flavor combinations, not to mention my favorite ice cream flavor (mint chocolate chip) and Girl Scout cookie (Thin Mints). So when David hired me to create a dessert for a holiday party he was attending, this pie was born.

Peppermint Chocolate Mousse Pie
Serves about 10

4 cups chocolate cookies
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 stick butter, melted

1 pint heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces dark chocolate
1 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

peppermint candy, crushed

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in food processor and blend until well combined. Press evenly into a 9" pie dish so the crust covers the bottom and sides. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
2. Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring until completely melted. Stir in the peppermint extract. Set aside in a larger bowl and allow to cool to body temperature.
3. Meanwhile, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until medium peaks form (when you pick up the cream on the whisk, it will hold onto the whisk for several seconds before falling back to the bowl).
**It is important not to over whip the cream because you will be folding it into the chocolate.
Both the extra folding action and the chocolate itself will stiffen the cream to the desired
final point for your mousse.
4. Once the chocolate has cooled, add 1/3 of whipped cream and gently fold together with a spatula. After this first batch of cream is completely folded into chocolate, add rest of cream and fold gently to combine.
5. Pipe or spread mousse into prepared crust, decorate with crushed peppermint candy and refrigerate until ready to eat!

Happy holidays to everyone!

Bridal Shower Cupcakes

2009-12-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

One of my oldest and dearest friends just got married this past weekend! She has been my closest friend for over 20 years and I had the privilege of being her Maid of Honor. Of course before the wedding weekend, we had to celebrate her engagement. For her bridal shower, I made a batch of strawberry coconut cupcakes. The pink frosting on top makes for cheerful and festive treats and just happens to match her wedding colors perfectly! This recipe is incredibly moist and wonderfully delicious.

Strawberry Coconut Cupcakes

1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup strawberry puree (I pureed whole strawberries in a blender)
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)

1. Cream the butter and sugar in mixer for several minutes until white and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs one at a time until incorporated.
3. Add half of the dry ingredients, mixing slowly.
4. Add half wet ingredients (strawberry/coconut).
5. Add rest of dry ingredients, then the rest of the wet ingredients.
6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes or until done.

Vanilla Buttercream

9 egg yolks

1/2 cup corn syrup
5 1/2 oz sugar

1# Butter

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
red food color

1. Begin whisking yolks in mixer.
2. Meanwhile, bring corn syrup and sugar to a boil on the stove.
3. Once this is at a boil, slowly pour syrup into yolk mixture (lower speed but keep on). Switch to paddle attachment on mixer, increase speed and allow to fully cool (this will take about 10 minutes).
4. Add butter in pieces, and continue to mix until well blended and mixture becomes shiny in appearance (about 3-5 minutes).
5.Add vanilla extract and red food color.
6. Pipe onto cupcakes and serve at room temperature.

"Anniversary" Apple Muffins

2009-10-24T10:48:00.001-07:00

I love when the weather turns and it finally begins to feel like fall. My friends and I drove up to Julian, CA last weekend to celebrate the season by picking apples from the local orchard. Unfortunately, there was a drought this year which made for very slim pickings. Fortunately for us, the orchard provided barrels of pre-picked apples to supplement our bags of hand-picked ones. Thanks Calico Ranch!

I did find a beautiful apple blossom on our quest and have high hopes for next year's expedition. When I arrived home with my bag of apples and began to think of ideas on how to use them, I realized that my very first blog post was after I went apple picking in Julian last year. Happy almost birthday blog!

I decided to make some apple cinnamon muffins this year instead of the classic pie option. I used honey in my recipe, but you can substitute maple syrup for an extra kick. The large proportion of apples to flour in the recipe makes for extremely moist muffins. I pureed the apples in a food processor to be about the size of rice before incorporating them into the batter. If you don't have a food processor, you can simple grate them through a cheese grater or chop them finely. While still warm, I coated the tops of the muffins in cinnamon sugar. Yum yum!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins
makes about 24

2 sticks butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
4 eggs
6 apples, peeled and pureed/grated
2 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple extract (optional)
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (optional, can substitute nutmeg, ginger, allspice, etc.)

1. Mix first four ingredients by hand.
2. Add apples, mix to combine.
3. Add rest of ingredients and mix. Pour into lined cupcake tins, filling about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
4. Dip each muffin into cinnamon sugar to coat the top.
5. Cool and enjoy!

Vegan Banana Bread with Maple Glaze

2009-10-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry I disappeared for so long everyone, but I'm back now!!! Thanks for all the positive feedback, I won't leave you all high and dry for so long ever again :)

This post is a shout out to my sister's roomate, Maire Camille!, who makes the best vegan banana bread in the world! I forgot to get her recipe last time I visited, but have adapted a version of my own here that's pretty yummy too. Basically what happened was I had a bunch of bananas on the cusp of going bad and didn't feel like heading to the grocery store on my day off. I had no eggs or butter in the house, so I made do without. I must say this is a great way to use up those old bananas and everyone should have these ingredients laying around the pantry. The bread is great on it's own, but I happened to have some powdered sugar, soy milk and maple extract on hand so I made a quick glaze for the top. Yum yum!

Vegan Banana Bread
3 old bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (you may also substitute a combo of allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cloves)

1. Mash the bananas with the sugar and oil in a bowl.
2. Add rest of ingredients and stir to combine.
3. Pour into spray coated mold (bundt pan, loaf pan, muffin tins) and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.
4. Unmold loaf and glaze while warm.

Maple Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon soy milk (regular milk works too)
1 tablespoon maple extract

I accidentally deleted all the pictures of took of my bread!!! Oops!

Paulette Macarons

2009-03-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend up in LA visiting Lindsay and exploring a few bakeries. Lindsay recommended her favorite macaron shop, Paulette Patisserie in Beverly Hills. I went by myself today while she was at work and picked out a few interesting flavors for us to try. The storefront is very simple and the presentation of the product is beautiful. The counter top is a rainbow of macarons and the prices here are excellent. The individual macarons are $1.60 each, which is by far the lowest price I've seen macarons going for in America. The flavors range from caribbean chocolate to New Orleans praline to more exotic flavors like jasmine tea and violet cassis. All the macarons can be ordered online to be shipped overnight or picked up at the store.
I purchased four of the flavors and each macaron I tried was incredibly fresh and bursting with flavor. I chose the caramel, coconut, jasmine tea, and violet cassis.
Yum Yum Yum!!! Brings me back to Paris and my very first experience with the delicate and complex cookie that is the french macaron.
The violet cassis was my favorite. The filling consisted of a violet ganache and a black currant jam. Next time I'm in LA I will most definitely visit Paulette again and I hope the raspberry rose macaron is on special that day!

Quick and Easy Pizza Dough

2009-03-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

This recipe is so simple and fast, it takes under 10 minutes to prepare the pizza dough. If you own a food processor, the process is even easier (however the dough may be mixed and kneaded by hand or in a standing mixer).

Once I had mixed the ingredients, I allowed half of the dough to rise at room temperature for use later that evening. I placed the other half of the dough in the fridge to use the next evening. The cold temperature of the fridge causes the dough to rise very slowly, which prevents the dough from spoiling and allows you flexibility. This dough will even keep for 2 days in the fridge.

Pizza Dough

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F.)
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour*, plus more if necessary
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

*If you have cake flour on hand, substitute it for half of the all-purpose flour. This will make for a more delicate crust on your pizza.

Combine the yeast, water, and olive oil in a small bowl and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place flour and salt in food processor and pulse to mix. Slowly stream the yeast mixture into the flour and mix until the dough forms a ball. If the dough feels sticky at this point, add more flour until dough is soft but not sticky.

At this point, transfer dough to a floured surface and knead for a few seconds to form a round, smooth ball. I cut the dough in half at this point and place one half in the fridge, for later use.

Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover with a slightly damp towel. Allow dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Shape dough as desired (I like thin crust) and top with your favorite ingredients. Place pizza in oven for about 20 minutes, or until crust is browning and cheese has melted. I like to crack an egg on top during the last 5 minutes of baking for a little extra flavor. Have fun!

Atomic Fireball

2009-03-05T18:13:00.001-08:00

This dessert is for those with an adventurous palette. It is for those who make a habit of ordering the most obscure, odd, and unique item on the menu because they understand that these are the dishes that capture a chef's true passion, talent, and creativity. These are the dishes you never forget.

Roasted Cinnamon Stick Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
5 cinnamon sticks
1 Tbs ground cinnamon

Roast the cinnamon sticks in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Smash and break up the sticks.

Bring the milk, cream, 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon sticks, and ground cinnamon to a boil. Turn off heat, cover pot with foil and allow mix to infuse for 8 hours or overnight in refrigerator.

Bring mixture to a boil. Meanwhile mix 2/4 cup sugar with eggs and yolks with whisk. Temper the eggs by slowing streaming boiling liquid into eggs while constantly whisking. Return entire mixture to pot and switch to a spatula. Lower heat to medium low and continue to stir mix until it just begins to thicken (about 3 minutes).

Transfer mix to container and place in fridge until cold. Churn in ice cream machine.

Mexican Chocolate Sauce

1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup water
8oz dark chocolate
2 tsp cayenne powder*
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Bring cream and water to a boil and pour over chocolate and spices. Stir until melted and combined. Add more cayenne if you prefer more heat. Keep under refrigeration until ready to use. When ready to use, reheat mixture and pour on top of cinnamon ice cream.

*Make sure your cayenne powder is pure and does not contain any other spices such as garlic powder or salt

**This dessert would not be complete unless it sat on top of my mom's delicious brownies!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream and Candied Kumquats

2009-02-18T16:47:00.000-08:00

The kumquats my sister bought the other day were a little too bitter to eat on their own, so she asked me if I could do something with them. I decided to candy them to bring out their natural sweetness and use them as decoration on cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcakes
from Epicurious
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 whole large egg
1 large egg yolk

In a small bowl whisk together the cocoa powder and the water until the cocoa powder is dissolved and let the mixture cool to room temperature. In a bowl whisk together the flour, the baking soda, and a pinch of salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and the sugar and beat in the whole egg and the egg yolk, beating until the mixture is combined well. Beat in the cocoa mixture alternately with the flour mixture, beating well after each addition, divide the batter among 12 paper-lined 1/2-cup muffin tins, and bake the cupcakes, in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Turn the cupcakes out onto a rack and let them cool completely.

Candied Kumquats

1 pint kumquats
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Bring the water and sugar to a boil and allow to reduce for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the kumquats into slices about 1/4" thick. Add the kumquats to the boiling syrup and allow to boil for about 15-20 minutes until the syrup thickens and the fruit darkens in color.

At this point, drain the kumquats and set aside. Return the drained liquid to the pot and continue to boil for another 5 minutes to further reduce the syrup. Add this back to the candied fruit to preserve it. They will keep for several weeks if covered and under refrigeration.

Orange Buttercream

4oz egg whites
9oz sugar
9oz butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp orange extract

Place the whites and sugar in bowl of mixer set over a pot of boiling water. Whisk this mixture for a few minutes until the sugar is well dissolved and the mixture begins to foam (165 degrees). Remove bowl from pot and place back on standing mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk for about 5 minutes until a stiff meringue forms. At this point, add the butter in pieces and allow to fully incorporate. This process will take a few minutes so be patient. The consistency of the buttercream will change completely after a few minutes and you will notice a difference. At this point add the orange extract and use to decorate your cupcakes.

Lavendar Lemon Bars

2009-01-27T17:51:00.000-08:00

Lavender and lemon pair so nicely so why not combine them in classic lemon squares?

The flavor of the lavender in this recipe is very subtle and really enhances the dessert. I have adapted the recipe by adding lemon zest and eliminating the coconut oil (substituting it with a little water and extra butter). It is a very simple and basic recipe and very refreshing.

Lavender Lemon Bars
Adapted from All Recipes

2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons dried lavender buds
3/4 cup butter, soft
2 cups flour
pinch salt
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
Zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried lavender buds

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x12 inch baking dish.
Make lavender sugar by blending the sugar and 2 teaspoons lavender buds in a blender; blend until the lavender is powdered.
Blend together with an electric mixer 1/4 cup of the lavender sugar, butter, 2 cups flour, zest of 1 lemon, water and salt in a bowl until a dough forms; press into the bottom of the prepared dish.
Bake in the preheated oven until the top begins to turn golden brown; about 15 minutes.
While the dough bakes, mix together the remaining lavender sugar, 1/4 cup flour, eggs, lemon juice, lemon extract, zest of 1 lemon and 1/2 teaspoon lavender buds; pour over the baked crust and return to the oven to bake until the center is set, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely and dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Thanks for the beautiful plates Kate!

Bite

2009-01-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

Caroline and I treated ourselves to Champagne Happy Hour last night at Bite in Hillcrest, San Diego. The happy hour at Bite is so reasonably priced and offers an interesting selection of champagne cocktails as well as small plates ranging from $2-$4. There are cozy and inviting couches and arm chairs in front of a fireplace, which is where we made ourselves comfortable.

Having been to the champagne happy hour once before, I recommended my favorite of the selections and my sister and I both ordered Bite's Classic Champage Cocktail. This cocktail is infused with cardamom, bitters and a sugar cube to finish. It is such an incredible combination of flavors that I usually stick with this choice, although there are several other wonderful options. I have also tried Bite's rose syrup infused champagne cocktail as well as their elderflower syrup infused one, both are good and very different. They offer passionfruit and raspberry bellinis as well.

My sister and I decided to try one of their desserts and shared the warm cream cheese bread pudding which was topped with a buttermilk blueberry sorbet. I usually don't enjoy bread pudding, but this one has definitely changed my opinion of them altogether. The sorbet was really interesting and fresh and the pudding itself was satisfying and creamy. There was a crust of caramelized sugar on the bottom of the bread pudding which added the perfect crunch and texture to the dish. Yummy!

Bite's Champagne Happy Hour is every single day from 5-7pm and worth a try if you are in the Hillcrest area! Caroline and I are lucky we only live a few blocks away and we will definitely be back soon.

Mellow Yellow Cupcakes

2009-01-16T14:52:00.000-08:00

I'm just mad about saffron...
In remembrance of our trip to Las Vegas and our spectacular viewing of the amazing Love Cirque du Soleil show, and in celebration of her birthday, I made Rachel Orange Chiffon Cupcakes with Saffron Buttercream.

I spoke about my love of using saffron in desserts and how special and rare this spice is in my Saffron Apple Tart post. I just adore honoring this delicate spice by allowing it to truly shine on it's own in a recipe. My Saffron Buttercream is rich and creamy and affords the saffron threads a place to shine. The soft flavor of the saffron compliments the light orange chiffon cake but would also pair beautifully with a pistachio or pear cake.

While this buttercream might seem a little daunting, I promise it is really very simple and almost impossible to mess up. The egg yolks add such richness and flavor to the buttercream and are fully cooked in the process so there is no risk. The recipe can be easily adapted by omitting the saffron and adding vanilla (or any other extract). Give it a try, it is a thousand times better than a plain butter and powdered sugar buttercream and just as easy.

Saffron Buttercream

9 egg yolks

1/2 cup corn syrup
5 1/2 oz sugar
1/4 tsp saffron threads (finely chopped)

1# Butter

1. Begin whisking yolks in mixer.
2. Meanwhile, bring corn syrup, sugar, and saffron to a boil on the stove.
3. Once this is at a boil, slowly pour syrup into yolk mixture (lower speed but keep on). Switch to paddle attachment on mixer, increase speed and allow to fully cool (this will take about 10 minutes).
4. Add butter in pieces, and continue to mix until well blended and mixture becomes shiny in appearance (about 3-5 minutes).
5. Refrigerate until ready to use. Before using, beat with paddle attachment until shiny and soft.

The Orange Chiffon Cupcakes are made from the same batter I used to make the cake in my Acai Mousse Tart.

Orange Chiffon Cupcakes

1 # cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1# sugar
1# 5oz egg yolks
8 fl oz vegetable oil
8 fl oz orange juice
1 Tbs vanilla
1# 5oz egg whites
1 orange, zest

1. Sift the dry ingredients together and mix with 1/3 of sugar.
2. Combine yolks, oil, juice, zest, vanilla in mixer. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into larger bowl and set aside.
3. Whip the whites on medium speed until soft peaks form (you will see white foam). Increase speed and gradually add the remaining sugar. Continue to whip to create a medium peak meringue.
4. Gently fold 1/3 of meringue into yolk mixture to fully combine. Fold in rest of meringue.
5. Divide into lined cupcake molds and bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Allow to cool, and frost with buttercream. I decorated the top with chocolate shavings and kumquat slices.

Happy birthday Miss Rachel!!! (I realize this posting is a little late, but now you can have the recipe as a special bonus gift, surprise!)

Azucar!

2009-01-16T14:33:00.000-08:00

For those of you who love tropical fruit, bright colors and Cuban beats, this bakery is for you. Azucar in Ocean Beach, San Diego is friendly and lively, offering a refreshing take on traditional French pastries. A Cuban style patisserie, Azucar offers a variety of options from breakfast pastries (scones, danishes, muffins) to cupcakes (coconut, red velvet, pumpkin) to intricate individual desserts.

This was my second visit, and I will definitely be back for more. My friends and I tried two of their desserts, the Varadero and the Key Lime Tart.

The Varadero (pictured below) is a white chocolate mouse filled with fresh bananas and a white chocolate coconut cake center. Very flavorful and refreshing on a hot day.
The Key Lime Tart has a graham cracker crust and an intense lime custard filling. It packs a punch so the creme fraiche on top adds a nice balance to the tartness of the lime.
During a prior visit, I tasted the Diablo (dark chocolate mousse with chocolate cake) and the Divina (white chocolate cake, passionfruit curd, and vanilla meringue and my favorite!!!). We also had a guava cream cheese danish, which was very unique.

The service here is very friendly and the atmosphere inviting. Azucar has only been open for a few months, so go lend your support by purchasing a special treat!

Jin Patisserie Los Angeles

2009-01-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

I didn't even bother taking pictures of the chocolates Kate and I tried at Jin Patisserie. We went there hoping to try their famous macarons, but were disappointed by how stale and unappealing they appeared in the pastry case.

When you visit the website for Jin Patisserie you are presented with beautiful photos of pastries, chocolates, and macarons. When you step into the patisserie, however, you will most likely be disappointed by the lackluster presentation of product. Not only were the pastries themselves dissapointing, the staff was unfriendly and borderline rude.

Kate and I were shoved aside by one assistant and asked to move by another. Not one greeted us with a hello or as much as a smile.

Considering we had driven 2 hours from San Diego, we decided to give the chocolates a shot since they at least sounded exciting. The woman who begrudgingly helped us offered no suggestions or greeting, so we were left to our own devices. Kate chose an Earl Grey tea infused chocolate, and I chose a Jasmine chocolate (I love florals!). We both were excited to try a mango basil chocolate.

We took our chocolates and left the shop in a hurry. The adorable Abbot Kinney Blvd where the shop is located in Venice was much more appealing. The street is lined with unique and varied shops, as well as bars and cafes.

We happened upon a small wine shop and with a mutual affinity towards wine walked in without hesitation. The shop is called El Vino and is located at 1142 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice, CA.

As you walk in, you are immediately greeted warmly by the young owner, who built the wine racks and shelves by hand (and lets you know he lost 20 lbs doing so). The display of wines and wine paraphernalia is lovely, as is the warm lighting and soft music playing in the background. Kate and I were enjoying looking at all the unique labels of the diverse wine selection when we noticed a $12 champagne tasting sign. Just what we needed after a long drive!

The French man who poured our champagne (reminded me of a pirate) was incredibly knowledgeable and shared personal stories with us about the makers of the wines we were tasting. Our first sparkling wine was actually a pear/apple cider from France. The pears and apples were grown organically and harvested from 300 year old trees (which we were presented pictures of). Kate purchased a bottle of the apple cider by the same label.

Our second was a Cava from Spain, and our third a champagne from Reims. We paired each with one chocolate from the patisserie. What a perfect marriage and happy coincidence!

As for the chocolates, the earl grey one was unmemorable and strange (hazelnut and tea?). The jasmine was perfect with the champage, and the mango basil was incredible.

I would not recommend the Jin Patisserie to anyone, but I would definitely suggest a stop at El Vino wine shop. Considering I don't live in Los Angeles anymore, I regret that I won't be able to frequent the shop. I did however put down my sister Lindsay's name on their emailing list. Surprise Lindsay! I think you will thank me. :)

Roasted Fall Vegetables in Chedder Crust

2008-12-30T16:11:00.000-08:00

I received two beautiful new tart pans from my parents for Christmas from Sur la Table, one square and one rectanlge. I decided to try this recipe from Eating Well magazine, which is actually a savory tart rather than a sweet one. It was very easy and quick. For those of you that love goat cheese, this recipe is definitely for you.

There were a few minor technical difficulties along the way (the electricity went out for about an hour while the tart was in the oven), but the tart turned out really well. The cheddar crust is crumbly and satisfying. The tart served as our main course and we all left the table feeling full.

While I made the crust in a food processor, it should work just as well by hand. You can use two knifes or a fork to cut the butter into the other ingredients until you reach a good consistency. I have made a few minor changes to a couple of ingredients. This recipe can be altered to suit your tastes by changing the vegetables used or substituting a pesto or sundried tomato spread for the olive tapenade. You can also substitute feta cheese for the goat cheese.

Filling:
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, coarsely chopped and rinsed
1 pound small broccoli florets, trimmed and cut in half
2 small or 1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 thinly sliced red onion
1 head garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/3 cup black olive tapenade
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

Crust:
1 1/4 cups All-Purpose flour
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cornmeal
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons ice water

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. To prepare filling: Spread leeks, broccoli (or Brussels sprouts), fennel and onion in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet along with the unpeeled head of garlic. Season the vegetables with rosemary, salt and pepper. Drizzle oil over the vegetables and garlic and toss to coat.
3. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife and the garlic is soft, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, set aside the garlic, and toss the vegetables with vinegar. Let cool.
4. To prepare crust: Coat an 8-by-12-inch rectangular or 11-inch round removable-bottom tart pan with cooking spray.
5. Place flour, Cheddar and cornmeal in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add butter one piece at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until incorporated. Add oil and water and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Turn the dough out into the prepared pan (it will be crumbly), spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom and all the way up the sides to form a crust. Refrigerate until ready to bake.
6. When the vegetables are done, reduce oven temperature to 350°. Bake the crust until set but not browned, about 15 minutes.
7. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet. Spread tapenade over the bottom of the crust. Top with the roasted vegetables. Cut off the top of the garlic and squeeze out the cloves onto the vegetables. Sprinkle with goat cheese.
8. Bake the tart until the edges of the crust are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing the pan sides and cutting into squares.

Orange Blossom Ice Cream

2008-12-18T17:00:00.000-08:00

This recipe is so simple, quick and easy. It really came into being due to the insane holiday crowds. The grocery store I was at was completely out of cream and I was unwilling to fight the crowds at yet another store. I was therefore faced with a dilemma: forgo the ice cream or make do without cream.

Needless to say I decided to give it a shot with just whole milk, and it in fact turned out great! I made the recipe in a really small quantity, but you can simply double it to produce more ice cream.

It really tastes so amazing, I have to admit I licked the churn bowl of the ice cream machine clean. Don't tell please.

Orange Blossom Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange blossom water

Heat the milk, vanilla, orange blossom, and half of the sugar in a saucepan. Meanwhile, whisk the yolks and rest of sugar slowly but continuously. Once the milk begins to boil, slowly stream about 3/4 cup into the yolks all the while whisking.

Place the saucepan with the rest of the milk back on the stovetop. Slowly stream the yolk mixture into the saucepan, whisking to incorporate. Switch to a spatula or wooden spoon and continue stirring for about 2-3 minutes or until mixture reaches 185 degrees.

Transfer ice cream base to container and allow to cool in fridge.

Churn ice cream in mixer and enjoy!

Update:
I failed to mention above that the reason I made the ice cream was for Amy's birthday! Happy birthday Amy!!! Those of you that read my blog will remember that Amy was in fact the person who introduced me to orange blossom water and brought me a bottom each of rose water and orange blossom water which I used to make my flavored macaroons.

Pumpkin Muffins with Maple Glaze

2008-12-14T10:53:00.000-08:00

Delicious, moist, adorable, easy and pumpkin!

You don't even need a stand mixer for this recipe, although I did use mine. You can mix all the ingredients by hand, being careful not to over mix once you add the flour at the end. This will ensure light and airy muffins.

Pumpkin Muffins

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 can (one pound) pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray Bundt muffin molds very well with non-stick spray (if you are using regular muffin tins, you may line with muffin cups or spray).

In mixer or bowl, mix the eggs until well blended. Mix in the sugar. Add the oil in a steady stream, mixing all the while, until the batter is thick and smooth.

Mix in the pumpkin, vanilla, spices and salt. Add the baking soda and baking powder. Stir in thoroughly.

Stir in the flour until just blended.

Pour the batter into the molds (about 3/4 full) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. If you are baking muffins in smaller cupcake molds, they will cook quicker, so check them around 15 to 20 minutes.

Invert muffins onto cooling rack and allow to cool.

Maple Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons maple extract
1 tablespoon milk or water

Mix all ingredients, adding more powdered sugar to thicken if necessary. Once muffins are completely cooled, spoon glaze over top of each and allow to set.

Vegan Nog

2008-12-07T20:38:00.000-08:00

I love Silk's seasonal soymilks, and my all time favorite is their version of eggnog. Growing up I was the only person in my family who even liked eggnog and now that I can drink it guilt free as both a vegetarian and a health conscious adult (except when it comes to dessert where I accept no impostors), I'm thrilled. In comparison to dairy based eggnog, Silk's version is far healthier.

This evening my mother and I decided to put my version of eggnog to the ultimate test by adding a little bourbon. We weren't sure how it would fare in comparison to the classic version of eggnog, but figured a little bourbon never hurt anybody. The verdict:

Me: "this is amazing"

Mom: "it's so thin"

We both finished our glasses, however, and I for one will make this again. I would strongly suggest this drink to anyone searching for a healthier substitute for a classic eggnog and to those wanting to get the party started by drinking several glasses of nog (this is a more difficult feat with classic eggnog due to it's heaviness and thickness).

My version of nog won't leave you feeling guilty or bloated, but will still afford you a taste of the holidays and a trip down memory lane.

Happy holidays!

Eggless-Nog

8oz Nog Soymilk
1 1/2 oz bourbon, brandy, or rum
dash of nutmeg

Granola Bars

2008-12-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

As someone who works the 5am shift at the bakery every day, I take my lunch break around 9 o'clock in the morning. At this point in my day I am starving, but never really in the mood for anything other than a granola bar. I started checking the ingredients more closely on the bars I had been buying, and many use high-fructose corn syrup as well as preservatives. As a vegetarian, I usually go for the granola bar with the most protein and vitamins, but these of course tend to have more preservatives and ingredients I am not familiar with.

I then remembered my first position as a baker.

At my first job, I was responsible for baking all the granola (loose and bars), which was then sold retail, wholesale, and at local farmer's markets. As you can imagine, I baked at least a hundred pounds of granola per week, and more during the holidays.

I decided to start baking my own granola bars for work so that I would know exactly what went into them and could control the amount of sugar used. I wanted a bar that would keep me full throughout the day and provide me with a good amount of protein.

In the following recipe, I used barely any sugar and relied upon honey as the binding agent. I used three types of whole nuts and dried cranberries. To add a little extra flavor, I used orange extract, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.

Another important ingredient I added was wheat germ. Wheat germ not only has more protein and iron than can be found in most meats, it is also is rich with vitamins. It doesn't change the texture or taste of the granola at all, in fact, it blends right in.

Granola Bars

2 cups oats
3/4 cup wheat germ
1 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup pistachios
3/4 cup pepitas

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tsp orange extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon

8oz dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl and spread out on two sheet pans. Bake for 15 minutes, turning ingredients with a spatula about every 5 minutes so they don't burn.
Meanwhile, bring the next 5 ingredients to a simmer over low heat. Once the nuts and oats are toasted, transfer them to a large bowl and add the dried cranberries. Pour the sauce over and mix well.Line a glass pan (I used a 10"X6" but you can use a larger or smaller depending on the desired size of bar). First spray pan well with non-stick spray, then cut a piece of parchment or wax paper to fit across the pan with two of the sides hanging over (see picture).

Pour granola into pan and spread out with spoon. Using a piece of parchment paper that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, press granola into pan. This step is very important for a "tight" bar. Make sure that the granola is even and well pressed down.Bake for 30 minutes, turning pan halfway through. Allow to cool for at least 2 hours so it has time to fully set.Now comes the more difficult part. To cut the bars, place the granola on a cutting board and use a good bread knife (serrated). I cut my bars into 8 pieces, but you can cut them smaller or larger. If kept in an airtight container, these bars should last for several weeks.

This recipe of course can be adapted to suit your tastes. You can use any type of nut or dried fruit you desire. You can also add some chocolate chips or use different extracts or spices to flavor the bars themselves. Have fun with it and enjoy!

Maple Leaf Cookies

2008-11-25T20:58:00.000-08:00

I love maple and wanted to create a recipe that incorporates this flavor and celebrates the season. I found these cookie cutters at my mom's house this past weekend and decided to make maple flavored cookies in the shape of maple leaves. I used brown sugar in the recipe to enrich the maple flavor. You can also add a little maple syrup instead of maple extract, although this won't have as intense of a flavor.

I iced the cookies with a simple recipe, flavored with the maple extract. I use a little bit of corn syrup in the icing to ensure the cookies have a nice glossy shine to them. The cookies will stay shiny and beautiful and they taste amazing.

The dough can be made ahead and kept in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.

Maple Leaf Cookies

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons maple extract
1/4 cup maple syrup (optional)

1. In mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in maple syrup, extract and egg yolk until mixture is well combined.
3. Sift together salt and flour. Mix into dough until just incorporated (do not overmix).
4. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Dough may also be made ahead and frozen.

5. Preheat oven to 350°F.
6. Divide dough in half. Keeping one half chilled, lightly flour other half and on a lightly floured surface gently pound with a rolling pin to soften. Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick and with a maple-leaf cookie cutter cut out cookies. Continue with rest of dough.
7.Arrange cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment.
8. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes until edges begin to brown. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

Maple Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 tablespoons maple extract

Mix all ingredients adding more corn syrup if too thick. Spread over cookies and allow icing to fully set. Cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.

Pecan Pie

2008-11-24T12:16:00.001-08:00

For my pecan pie this year I used Pierre Herme's recipe for sweet tart dough from his book Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme. This dough adds a lot of flavor to the pie and offers a cookie-like crust with a buttery crumble to it. I am also planning to use it for my pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving.

To get the best texture in your pie crust, it is important to work the dough as little as possible. This means that when mixing in the flour, you only want to mix until the flour is just blended into the dough. If the dough is still crumbly and dry, pour the mix onto a floured surface and mix it gently by hand to incorporate all the flour.

It is also very important to let the dough "rest" in the fridge for at least 2 hours (best results for 24 hours) before rolling it out. This provides the flour in the dough time to relax and prevents the dough from shrinking in the oven when you bake your pie. See my Saffron Apple Tart entry for tips on how to line a tart shell.

My sister received these adorable mini pie cutters from Crate and Barrel for her birthday this year, and I used them to decorate the top of my pecan pie. Just cut out shapes when you line your tart pan and reserve to decorate the top of the pie before baking.

Sweet Tart Dough
Makes 3 10" Tarts

2 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup almond powder or finely ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Mix butter on low speed in standing mixer until very smooth.
2. Add the powdered sugar, almond flour, salt, vanilla and eggs and mix until smooth, do not raise speed.
3. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Place dough on floured surface and finish mixing by hand. Wrap dough and place in fridge for at least 2 hours.
4. Line a 10" tart pan and allow to rest in fridge for at least an hour.

Pecan Pie

Makes 10" Pie

1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

5 eggs

3oz butter, melted

1# pecans

1. Mix first 4 ingredients well, scraping sides of bowl to ensure mixture is well blended.
2. Add eggs and mix well.
3. Add butter and mix.
4. Mix in pecans by hand and pour mixture into prelined tart shell.
5. Decorate with precut pie dough shapes.

5. Bake at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes.

Acai Mousse Tart with Acai Mirror Glaze

2008-11-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

Inspired to create a glittery, shiny, light reflecting dessert for this month's Sugar High Friday, I knew right away I would use some sort of mirror glaze. This month's theme, All That Glitters, allowed me the opportunity to work with a berry I have never personally used before in my desserts and have rarely seen at bakeries around town. It just so happens that this month is also my sister Caroline's birthday and she absolutely loves acai berries.

The acai berry is incredibly nutritious and not only is it the highest antioxidant fruit, the sustainable harvesting of it helps preserve the Amazon rain forest. It is definitely less sweet than your typical berry and has a dark berry/cocoa flavor to it. For this reason, I chose to cut the flavor a bit with some pomegranate and blueberry in my mousse.

You can find acai in juice form and frozen puree form at your grocery store. I used Sambazon puree and juices as well as Bossa Nova juice throughout my recipes. Sambazon offers acai puree, which worked great for creating my mousse. Bossa Nova offered a pure acai juice, which helped to create my mirror glaze.

Since acai is a relatively recently discovered fruit, I could not find any dessert recipes using it. I decided to adapt a couple of recipes and things turned out pretty well.

I started with my pre-baked sweet dough tart crust, then filled it with a white chocolate ganache with crushed pistachios. I then added the acai mousse, inside of which is a orange chiffon cake and topped it all off with an acai mirror glaze.

The flavors paired very nicely and the sweetness of the white chocolate ganache helped since the mousse itself was not actually overly sweet (due to the acai). It seems like a lot of steps to put together, but the whole process can be easily spread over several days (which is in fact what I did).

I first built the mousse and cake layer, then froze it for a day. Then I prebaked the tart shell and filled it with the ganache to set. I then glazed the mousse and set it on top of the ganache to defrost. My sister loved her birthday cake and I hope you will too!

Orange Chiffon Cake
Makes 2 cakes (8" each)

1 # cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1# sugar
1# 5oz egg yolks
8 fl oz vegetable oil
8 fl oz orange juice
1 Tbs vanilla
1# 5oz egg whites
1 orange, zest

1. Sift the dry ingredients together and mix with 1/3 of sugar.
2. Combine yolks, oil, juice, zest, vanilla in mixer. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into larger bowl and set aside.
3. Whip the whites on medium speed until soft peaks form (you will see white foam). Increase speed and gradually add the remaining sugar. Continue to whip to create a medium peak meringue.
4. Gently fold 1/3 of meringue into yolk mixture to fully combine. Fold in rest of meringue.
5. Divide into two lined cake pans and bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes.
6. Allow cakes to cool completely, then cut the top off of one cake.
7. Brush cake with a simple syrup infused with Cointreau (boil 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water then add 1 tablespoon Cointreau)
8. Place in fridge or freezer until ready to use.

*In this tart I only use one of the cakes. You can wrap and freeze the second cake to use at another time.

White Chocolate Ganache with Crushed Pistachios

1/2 cup pistachios, ground
1/2 # white chocolate
1/2 cup cream

1. Bring cream to a boil then pour over chocolate. Stir to fully combine and melt the chocolate.
2. Add pistachios and mix well.
3. Pour into prebaked tart shell and spread evenly. Allow to set in fridge.

Acai Mousse

1/2 cup water
13g gelatin (powder)

3oz sugar
2oz water

500g Acai puree (thawed) *if you can't find puree, you can also use acai juice

10oz cream

1. Whip cream to soft peaks and set aside in fridge.
2. Whisk first measure of water with gelatin and allow to set for about 2 minutes.
3. Bring sugar and water to a boil, then remove from heat. Immediately mix in gelatin.
4. Combine this mixture with acai puree in a large bowl, stirring to combine.
5. Allow mixture to cool completely and just start to set. It is important to stir this mixture constantly so that you don't end up with acai jello. This is made much easier by having an ice bath ready. Have a larger bowl full of ice and water to place the acai mixture bowl inside. Continue to stir.
6. Once mixture has just started to gel, gently fold in the whipped cream.
7. Line the bottom of a 10" springform pan with plastic wrap. Pour 1/2 of acai mousse into bottom.
8. Place prepared cake (brushed with syrup) into center of mousse and press down.
9. Pour remainder of acai mousse on top and place in freezer to set.

Acai Mirror Glaze

10oz Acai juice
1 pkg gelatin

1. Mix ingredients in saucepan over low heat for about 25 seconds to just dissolve the gelatin.
2. Pour on top of frozen mousse (still inside of springform pan). Return to fridge to set.

3. Once mirror glaze has set, remove (still frozen) mousse from springform pan and place on top of tart shell (prefilled with ganache).
4. Allow mousse to fully defrost before serving.

Chocolate Caramel Bars

2008-11-17T10:32:00.001-08:00

My sister found an old pile of recipes we had cut out from Bon Appetit magazine and we decided to try this one. We were both drawn to the sea salt flakes on top of the chocolate glaze and were excited to see how it enhanced the flavor of the caramel center.

The full recipe can be found on epicurious. The sea salt on top is essential to this dessert and just a few flakes will alter the dish dramatically. The salt balances the sweetness of the caramel and offers a pleasing complexity to this simple bar.

Chocolate Lavender Ice Cream

2008-11-13T18:39:00.000-08:00

It's probably pretty obvious by now that I adore floral extracts and use them frequently in my desserts. Lavender is a favorite of mine and pairs so perfectly with chocolate that I couldn't resist testing out an ice cream that marries both. When used in moderation, lavender can transform a dish. I will never forget the lavender french fries I ate with Kate at Blue Boheme in Kensington.

I use dried lavender buds to infuse the milk in this ice cream recipe. You should be able to find dried lavender at your grocery store, and I actually found mine amongst the mexican spices section.

The following recipe is very simple. I used 72% Valrhona chocolate in my version, and because of this did not want to dilute the complex flavors of the chocolate with any eggs. Valrhona chocolate is considered to be the best chocolate in the world and it is also the most expensive. However, it is available at Trader Joe's for a very fair price. I believe this recipe works very well and results in an incredibly rich and fulfilling ice cream with a silky mouthfeel.

Chocolate Lavender Ice Cream

3 cups whole milk

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tbs lavender buds, dried

8 oz chocolate

1. Bring the milk, sugar, and lavender to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow the lavender to infuse the milk for at least 20 minutes.

2. Bring the milk back to a boil and add the chocolate. Stir to melt.

3. Allow the mixture to cool completely in the fridge before churning in an ice cream maker.

I have to apologize for the lack of pictures. This ice cream was so good that we ate it all before I remembered to take any pictures.

Rose and Orange Blossom Macaroons

2008-11-13T18:38:00.000-08:00

My adoration of French macaroons began two summers ago while visiting my sister, Lindsay, in Paris. We made a habit of opting out of the breakfast our hostel provided each morning and instead visiting the local patisserie for a pastry or more often than not a pistachio macaroon.

I have yet to find a macaroon in America that compares to those from Paris, although I believe the following recipe comes close. The mark of a good macaroon is a paper thin crust that breaks apart with the slightest touch and encases a soft and dense almond center. If made correctly, you will see a distinct and rough border around the bottom of the macaroon and a smooth dome top. The cookies are usually sandwiched with either jam, pastry cream, or chocolate.

My sister and I visited Laduree Patisserie on the Champs Elysees and had the opportunity to taste their macaroons. Macaroons come in a variety of colors and flavors and can be very dramatic when displayed.

Macaroons are extremely delicate and are best enjoyed fresh the day they are made, although will last about a day in the fridge. You can freeze macaroons before sandwiching them, although I would only recommend this method if used for decoration.

I decided to try to replicate the rose macaroon I had tasted on my trip to Vegas. My friend, Amy, has just given me bottles of rose water and orange blossom water so I decided to test out both these in my recipe today.

French Macaroon

1/2# Sugar

1 1/2 oz Water

3 1/2 oz Egg Whites

8 3/4oz Almond Powder

8 3/4oz Powdered Sugar

3 1/2oz Egg Whites

1. Sift the almond powder and powdered sugar together and mix with the first measurement of egg whites. This mixture with be very thick and dry at first, but will come together in a nice paste.

2. In a small pot with a candy thermometer attached to the side, bring the sugar and water to 248 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Begin whisking the second measurement of egg whites when the sugar reaches 238 degrees Fahrenheit so that the whites will be at stiff peaks by the time the sugar is at the desired temperature.

4. Once the sugar reaches 248 degrees, begin slowly pouring into the whites (continuing to whisk in mixer). Continue mixing until the meringue is shiny in appearance.

5. Fold the meringue into the almond powder mixture in three stages. The first fold will lighten the paste and decrease deflation of the egg whites with the second and third fold.

6. At this stage I separated my batch into two bowls to add my food color. I dyed the first batch orange (orange blossom) and the second pink (rose water).

7. Pipe small quarter sized rounds on parchment paper that has been sprayed. It is important that the macaroons are identical in size so that you may later sandwich them. Make sure to leave space between the piped macaroons to allow for spreading.

8. This next step will ensure that your macaroons have the desired crust and the rough border on the bottom. It is also the easiest step. Allow the piped macaroons to "rest" for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. Leave them at room temperature during this time.

9. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 15 minutes or until their is a distinct crust on the bottom when turned over. Allow to cool

Pastry Cream

3 1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

9 egg yolks

6oz butter

2 Tbs Orange Blossom Water

1/2 tsp Orange extract

or

1 1/2 Tbs Rose Water

1. Combine sugar with the milk over heat and bring to a boil.

2. In bowl, whisk together yolks and cornstarch.

3. Once milk comes to a boil, temper egg mixture with heated milk mixture. Pour a small amount of hot milk over yolks while whisking to incorporate. Add more milk and continue to whisk.

4. Bring the rest of milk mixture to a boil, then add the egg mixture, stirring constantly to avoid clumps. Mixture will thicken and begin to bubble when ready.

5. Remove from heat, add butter and stir to combine. Add flavorings.

5. Pour mixture into a bowl and immediately cover with plastic wrap touching the pastry cream. Place in fridge to solidify.

Once the pastry cream has cooled, pipe between two macaroons and sandwich them together. Yum!

Peace, Love and Chocolate: Vosges Haut-Chocolat

2008-11-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

Curry powder, balsamic vinegar, wasabi and...chocolate?

Vosges Haut-Chocolat Las Vegas is located in Ceasars Palace. This was our first stop upon arriving in town and definitely started the weekend off with a bang. Katrina Markoff started her specialty gourmet chocolate company in 1998 in Chicago. She began traveling the world to discover and blend new diverse spices with chocolate. Her motto is peace, love, and chocolate and her company focuses on being green and donates a percentage of profits to improving conditions for women throughout the world.

At her Las Vegas location, we were welcomed into the store with chocolate offerings and unlimited samples of their various truffles and chocolate bars. The salesclerks were helpful and knowledgeable and allowed us to taste freely.

My favorite truffle was the Naga made from sweet Indian curry powder, coconut milk, and milk chocolate. This is actually Katrina's first ever truffle and by far the best. There is just enough spiciness to offset the sweetness of the milk chocolate and coconut milk. The light dusting of the curry powder on top of the truffle adds a brilliant color, which is echoed throughout her collection of truffles.

I next tried the Balsamico truffle which was filled with a 12-year-aged balsamic vinegar and topped with hazelnuts. This truffle was enrobed in dark chocolate which paired wonderfully with the tangy vinegar.

The above Viola is topped with a candied violet flower petal and is beautiful to behold.

We next tasted the Budapest truffle, which is topped with sweet Hungarian paprika and encased in dark chocolate. Incredibly curious and different.

I tasted a milk chocolate truffle filled with a sweet potato and brown sugar center and enrobed with milk chocolate. This truffle was much too sweet for my tastes.

The Red Fire truffle just makes sense. For those of you who enjoy Mexican Mole, this truffle should satisfy you. It is made from Mexican ancho & chipotle chillies with Ceylon cinnamon and dark chocolate.

This chocolate shop is an experience to remember and an inspiration. I plan to attempt these flavor pairings in my own kitchen in the near future.

Although I was not able to try their ice cream flavors, I hope to test one in particular very soon. Curry ice cream made from coconut milk! Maybe I will even try a chocolate ice cream infused with ancho chili peppers. Why not?

Vegas Round 2: Francois Payard Patisserie

2008-11-13T18:34:00.000-08:00

Our next stop in Vegas was to visit Francois Payard's Patisserie & Bistro in Ceasar's Palace. Chef Payard offers an assortment of pastries as well as ice creams and chocolates. You can even order freshly made crepes! His patisserie is warm and inviting, dimly lit and whimsical in decor. In the center is a clock tower adorned with chocolate sculptures turning along with the rotation of the clock dials.

Chef Payard's desserts are exciting and visually astounding. Most importantly the ingredients and flavors maintain a perfect balance while still offering some intriguing combinations for the customer.

I chose to try the Cendrillon and the Sweet Relief. The Cendrillon consisted of pumpkin mousse, cranberry marmalade, ginger and cinnamon. I couldn't resist this dessert as it was adorned with small orange macaroons! The pumpkin mousse was not overpowering in flavor and quite light in texture. The cranberry marmalade in the center offered a nice burst of flavor to offset the mousse itself.

The Sweet Relief was simply decorated, but the construction of the dessert itself intrigued me. I could not figure out how Chef Payard had encased the dessert so perfectly in the swiss meringue. Had he dipped it? Piped it? I had to cut it open to investigate.

This second dessert consisted of a mango mousse with a pinapple souffle. Inside were pieces of roasted pineapple and the entire pastry of course was covered with swiss meringue.

The tropical fruit flavors were a nice change of pace. The pineapple pieces inside the mango mousse added an exciting element of surprise to the dessert. The sweetness of the meringue offset the tartness and acidity of the fruit. Overall this dessert was well balanced and extremely satisfying.

I recommend enjoying a double espresso at the fountain outside the patisserie after you have tasted your pastries. The espresso here is wonderful.

Every time I see a picture of Chef Payard he is so sincerely happy. It is clear he truly loves what he does and wants you to enjoy it as much as he does. His cookbooks are unpretentious and cater to the homebaker. I recommend his Simply Sensational Desserts.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-13T18:33:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween everyone! Last night I carved pumpkins with some friends and with all the seeds we accrued from 4 large pumpkins I had to try out a few pumpkin seed recipes! I tested 2 savory recipes; one made with red pepper flakes and the other with curry powder. In the end, the seeds tasted the best when mixed in a bowl together so all the seasonings combined. However, I realize not everyone enjoys curry powder and it is most certainly an option in this recipe.

You may also add other seasonings of your choice. I added my favorite Mexican seasoned salt,
Tajin. Tajin can be tricky to find, usually located at specialty food stores, but can also be ordered online. I have actually seen it at Target before as well. This seasoning salt goes with anything from sweet mangos to cucumbers to guacamole to soup.

Spicy Curry Pumpkin Seeds

pumpkin seeds, fresh

olive oil

salt

pepper

red pepper flakes

curry powder

Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Thoroughly rinse your fresh pumpkin seeds and remove any excess pulp that remains. Dry on a towel then transfer to a bowl. Drizzle seeds with olive oil and sprinkle seasonings on top to taste. Mix seeds with spices then spread out on a baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray (may also line with aluminum foil then spray). Bake seeds for 1 hour at 275 degrees Fahrenheit turning seeds with spatula every 15 minutes to cook evenly. Cool and enjoy!

What Happened in Vegas...

2008-11-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

I decided calories don't count if they are accrued while conducting research.

Only three of the countless pastry shops I visited during my weekend in Vegas stood out from the others as innovative, fresh and inspiring. Jean-Philippe Patisserie at the Bellagio, Francois Payard Patisserie at Ceasar's Palace, and Vosges Haut-Chocolat at Ceasar's Palace.

As you walk into Jean-Philippe's Patisserie at the Bellagio you are greeted by a beautiful glass sculpture which also functions as the world's largest chocolate fountain. Chocolate is literally pouring from the ceiling in various forms and hues. If this doesn't catch your eye and draw you in, the bright and vibrant colors from the pastry case should do the trick.

The first pastry I tasted at Jean-Philippe's Patisserie was his Rose Macaroon. This dessert was composed of fresh raspberries and rose infused pastry cream sandwiched between two almond macaroons and topped with a sugared rose petal.

This was by far the best dessert I tasted all weekend and quite possibly the best I have ever tasted.

It was infused with just enough rose to enhance and compliment the tartness of the raspberries and the sweet nuttiness of the macaroon. The macaroon was perfectly baked; a soft and chewy center surrounded by a paper thin crust. The colors and textures of this pastry added to the overall affect and experience when cutting into this wonderful piece of art.

The second dessert I tasted at the Bellagio was Jean-Philippe's Chocobanana. This dessert was composed of a hazelnut crust, chocolate mousse, and caramelized bananas. It was beautifully presented and the flavors and textures worked wonderfully together.

Although I wasn't able to taste another bite, the following pictures are of a few of the other pastries available at the patisserie.

Saffron Apple Tart

2008-11-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

This Sunday morning I went apple picking with a few friends in Julian, CA. I had never had the opportunity to taste an apple this fresh and was pleasantly surprised to find a noticeable difference in the complexity of flavor of these Julian apples to those found in a grocery store. Since it was the last weekend the orchard was open to the public, all the reachable branches had been picked over, forcing us to climb the trees to reach the prime apples up top. Even so, it took us less than an hour to pick about 30 pounds of apples. I am now on a mission to test out several apple centered recipes this week to best enjoy our abundance of apples before they fade.

I'll first start with a classic apple dessert, with a twist. In this recipe for Apple Tart, I infuse the apples with saffron. Saffron is one of my favorite spices to use. It adds such subtle depth and richness to a dish, not to mention beautiful color. Although saffron is the most expensive spice, a very small amount will make all the difference in the world. For example, in this recipe we only use an 1/8 teaspoon of saffron threads. Trader Joe's now sells saffron at an extremely affordable rate.

Sweet Dough

Makes enough for 2 10'" Tarts

4 cups bread flour

2 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature

3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

Mix butter on low speed in standing mixer until very smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth, do not raise speed. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Place dough on floured surface and finish mixing by hand. Wrap dough and place in fridge for at least an hour. This allows the flour in the dough to rest and makes for a more delicate tart shell.

After dough has rested, roll into a circle about 1/4" thick on a floured surface . Gently wrap dough around rolling pin and place on top of the tart pan. Press dough into groves of tart pan and around bottom edges. Roll pin over top to cut off excess dough. Reserve this excess dough in fridge for later use. Allow lined tart pan to rest in fridge while you prepare the apples.

Saffron Apple Tart

Enough for 10" tart

1 1/2# apples

6 Tbs butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp saffron

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp saffron

Peel, core, and cut the apples into even slices. Melt the butter then add the apple slices. Pour the dry ingredients on top and mix. Heat mixture over low heat for about 8 minutes or until the apples are just becoming tender. This process allows the saffron flavors to infuse the apples before the baking process begins.

Pour the apples into the pre-lined tart shell. Roll out reserved excess sweet dough and cut into strips. Weave the strips on top of the tart. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour, or until crust is browned. Enjoy!