Darjeeling Dreams

New Year, with Christmas Cake

2011-12-31T14:25:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe another year has flown by. It has been an incredible year, and for me so much has changed. A year ago, I could not have being right here. In my favorite city, in my dream of a neighborhood, and so many new opportunities. New friends and new joys, tempered by new stresses and worries too. We need those in life, to make the bright moments shine, and our triumphs greater. To remind us of how beautiful life is.
And so, I wish that your New Year is full of happiness, and that if it comes to pass, that you brave the sadness too. May your life be full of dreams and hope. And, like my Christmas-cake-at-New Years, may it be sparkling, scented, and sweet.

Pain d’Epices with Candied Ginger
Spice Mixture
1 gram cardamom
1 gram cinnamon
1 gram nutmeg
1 gram cloves
1 gram black pepper
5 grams candied peel, minced finely (or zest from half an orange)
½ tbsp grated ginger
Cake ingredients
1 ½ cup AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp granulated sugar
½ cup milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tbsp candied ginger, cut into small pieces
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease (or line with parchment paper) a 8 or 9 inch round cake pan. Grind together the cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper. Grate ginger, and mince the candied peel very, very finely (or zest an orange). Combine in small bowl.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey, sugars, milk, and spices (including grated ginger and peel/zest) heat over low flame until combined and the sugar has dissolved. After removing from heat, whisk in eggs. Add this wet mixture to the dry flour mixture, whisk thoroughly until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Place slices/pieces of candied ginger in a pattern over the cake, avoided the ½ inch near the edge. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a tester poked into the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool before removing from pan. Serve with the candied ginger side up.

Some Goodies to usher in the New Year:
This gorgeous Tumblr got me through finals.
I would love to have some of these in my kitchen.
A new magazine. So perfect for long, cozy winter nights.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T12:01:00.000-08:00

First of all, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas - or Happy Holidays. I had not done a thing to celebrate, as my (first law school) finals coincide with the season. No decorations. So to make things more festive, I baked Christmas cookies. There's nothing quite like the smell of the holidays, and sheets of spice, sugar, butter, and flour certainly carry more than a bit of that scent.
I hope that you all are having a marvelous time, and enjoying the gifts of abundant food, loving family and friends, and atmosphere of generosity and cheerful that comes with the season.

(Full recipes to follow shortly)
Sesame Coins
(See HERE for recipe)
I made my own tahini, by grinding 1/2 cup of oven-roasted sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons of water, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, and a pinch of salt in a food processor.

Soft Gingersnaps
Makes 2 dozen (24) cookies
1 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp each ground cloves, cardamom, black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) melted butter
3 tbsp molassas
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup demarrea sugar, for rolling.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cloves, cardamom, pepper, nutmeg, and salt, and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Combine the warm butter, molasses, both sugars, fresh ginger, and the egg in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the flour mixture stir until incorporated. The dough will be soft.

Form the dough into 1 tablespoon balls. Roll the balls in the Demerara sugar and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they puff up and crack on the surface and then begin to deflate in the oven.
Slide the parchment sheets of cookies onto cooling racks or use an offset spatula to transfer the cookies, and cool completely. Stored in an airtight container, gingersnaps keep for several days.

Coffee-Hazelnut Cookies
(See HERE for original recipe) Makes about two dozen cookies
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts (when you roast them, you can remove the skins)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp finely ground coffee
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water/brandy (Alice Medrich uses brandy, I did not have any on hand so I used water)
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter)
24-36 coffee beans, for garnish and flavor.

Butter-Pecan Cookies

Double-Chocolate Cherry Cookies
(see HERE)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder (you can use regular, but the cookies will be a paler brown)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp each vanilla extract, salt
6 ounces dark chocolate chunks/chips
1/4 cup dried cherries
I drop tablespoons of batter instead of 1/4 cup-fulls, and thus reduced the baking time to 10-12 minutes.

Orange-Cardamom Shortbread (Nankhatai)
Not pictured
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cups) softened butter
Zest of one orange
4-5 cardamom pods, seeds only, ground (or 1 tsp ground cardamom)
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare baking sheet by greasing generously with flour and butter, or with parchment paper, or silicon baking sheet. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar, add zest, cardamom, salt. Add flour, mix or kneed until combined.
Form dough into 1 tablespoon balls. Flatten slightly, and place 1/2 inch apart. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until slightly golden.

Whole Wheat Honey Tea Cake

2011-07-31T23:46:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick little note, just because I have been busy preparing for the next chapter of my life, but also because I really must share this little cake with you. Its so good that I just think it might turn into my 'go-to' cake. Simple, flavorful, quick, and best of all, it keeps really well. What's not to love? And here's another reason to love it - its made with a blend of whole wheat and unbleached all-purpose flours.
I have modifying my old recipes to include whole wheat instead of just unbleached all-purpose flour. Of course, its more nutritious. I have always preferred the taste and texture of whole wheat bread to white bread. And it works remarkably well it 'everyday sweets'. I've tried in scones, chocolate chip cookies, and, as you see here, tea time cakes. This one is similar to the Miette honey (and ginger) one from earlier this month, but its more substantial. The butter and cream keep it luscious, despite the hearty, nutty element from the whole wheat. There's only 1/3 the amount of sugar that the Miette recipe calls for, and it bakes up beautifully - really gorgeously actually, all fluffy. I recommend eating the cake with a bit of fruit, or compote, maybe even preserves or a drizzle of honey. Feel free to get creative - its such a basic to-go cake that I imagine it would pair well with many, many fruits and flavors.

Whole Wheat + Honey Tea Cake
1/2 cup AP flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) + 3 tbsp butter, softened
Honey syrup (from Miette recipe)
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp water
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour (grease) a 7.5/8 x 3.5/4 loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, combine flours, cornstarch, sea salt. Whisk in sugar
In another smaller bowl, combine egg yolks, egg, and heavy cream.
Whip butter until it is paler in color. Slowly whip in the dry ingredients. Whisk in the wet mixture, and whisk for 2 minutes (electric/stand mixer) or 3-4 (hand whisking). Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes. Make Miette's honey syrup while it bakes. After removing from oven, poke a few small holes into the loaf using a toothpick. Pour about a tablespoon of the honey mixture over the cake, and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Pour 2 tablespoon of mixture slowly over the cake, making sure the honey syrup absorbs. Allow it to cool for another 5 minutes. Turn cake over, and pour the remaining syrup over the cake. Serve with blackberries or other fruit, or a berry compote made of frozen berries if berries are not in season.

Some lovelies for you:
~ Too pretty to eat off of.
~ Original idea for sweet treats.
~ Great idea for a party...or a lazy afternoon.

Some Scones + A Crumble

2011-07-26T23:24:00.000-07:00

For the record, I am not a morning person. That does not mean that I don't love breakfast. Or morning. There's something a little magical about mornings. Particularly how the air feels cleansed, and the world washed in dew. A new day, a fresh start, a clean slate. That must be why breakfast is thought to be so crucial - it sets the tone for the remainder of the day.
In that spirit, I am going to share with you two breakfast treats. One is an indulgent treat, and the other slightly less so. The creme fraiche scones are full of cream and butter, slightly sweetened. They are amazing with fresh raspberries, but I think they would pair well a compote made of frozen berries. The peach crumble is almost healthy. Its made with one of my newest discoveries: coconut palm sugar. It is an alternative to cane sugar and agave nectar. Don't let that, or its crumbly, reddish brown appearance fool you. Its delicious, tasting not of coconut but instead similar to brown or demerara (raw) sugar, with notes that are reminiscent of maple syrup and caramel. Rather than serving it with ice cream, we had it with chilled plain yogurt. An added bonus: it is very quick and easy to make, especially if you do as I did and make and freeze the crumble portion the night before.

Creme Fraiche Scones
2 1/4 cup flour (1/2 whole wheat pastry flour + 1/2 AP OR all AP flour)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into small cubes and frozen/chilled
1/2 cup creme fraiche
Heavy cream and/or demerara sugar
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt. Add sugar.
Add pieces of cold butter, stir well. The dry mixture will coat the butter.
Add creme fraiche, one tablespoon at a time. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture while adding the liquids, mixing until combined. Knead a little if needed. The mixture will seem dry and crumbly at first, resist the temptation to add extra liquid.
If you have a biscuit cutter, wash and dry your hands and dust them with flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead a few times to gather it into a ball. Roll or pat the dough into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut out the circles, cutting as closely together as possible and keeping the trimmings intact. If you don't have a biscuit, use a straight-sided 1/4 cup measuring cup, or a thin bottle to cut out circles of dough.
Place scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure the scones are at least 1 inch apart. Freeze the prepped scones for at least 30 minutes. Brush with heavy cream and/or sprinkle demerara sugar over the scones.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400°F. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until the edges have just turned golden brown.

Peach Crumble
For oat crumble
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar*
1/2 tsp salt
scant 6 tbsp (1 stick minus 2 tbsp) butter, melted
For peaches
2 lbs peaches
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp mild honey
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine oats, whole wheat flour, coconut palm sugar, salt, and melted butter in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, and flatten into a patty. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Place peaches into the water, two at a time, for about 20 seconds. Remove and place under coldest running water. Peel the skins. Repeat process until all the peaches are peeled. Slice peeled peaches into 8 equal slices. In a medium bowl, combine peach slices with cornstarch and honey.
Butter a 13 * 9 inch baking pan. Fill with peach mixture. Distribute the crumble as evenly as possible over the top of the peaches.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crumble is a deep golden-brown.
*Coconut palm sugar can be found in bulk area at natural food stores, including Whole Foods Market, or online. Can substitute with regular cane sugar.

As you can see, the remodeling is not quite finished. The boy is working on projects that actually pay, and the graphics for my banner have been delayed (boo).

Some lovelies for you:
~ French mini cups. I'd like a set in pink, white, and grey, please.
~ A charming salt cellar.
~ Latest professional food/lifestyle photographer love. Delicious.
~ High tea. Next month.

Honey-Ginger Tea Cake with Peaches

2011-07-10T23:34:00.000-07:00

It is summertime in the Northern hemisphere. It is a time of abundance. There's so much good food in summertime. Zucchini, tomatoes, corn. I just got my hands on my favorite delicate thin French green beans. They appear for a few months in mid-summer, and the brevity of their season makes them more precious. I toss with some almost-burnt shallots and toasted almonds, and those slender green sticks become as addictive as french fries. And lets not forgot summer's abundance of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, apricots, cherries, peaches, plums. Like our ancestors through recorded history, we celebrate with when such bounty is available. Once it was feasts hosted by kings, and now we have get-togethers, picnics, barbeques, bonfires. When we really celebrate, its for a birthday or a wedding. The purpose remains the same: we find unity and pleasure in food.
When we humans get together, it often centers around food. The ancients got it right when they talked of people coming together, sharing a small bond after they'd broke bread together. Isn't it true, that you feel just a bit closer to someone after sharing a meal? You are vulnerable while eating. You also feel pleasure, and a sense of well-being that comes with physical nourishment. Think of how much more intimate a dinner party is than one involving cocktails. There is something private about the act of consuming food. When we share the act of eating with others, we open up to those with whom we break bread. Or with whom we slice cake.

Cakes, especially, are meant to be shared. They are too big to eat by one or two. This one can go almost anywhere. I bet it would be great at a barbeque, especially if you threw those peaches on the grill for a few minutes and got some nice grill marks. It would work well at dinner party. Even though its called a tea cake, I bet it would be nice with a cup of coffee. And it definitely goes with great conversations.
It is difficult to describe it. This cake defies logical, because it is both rich and light. It tastes like a cross between a moist pound cake and an eggy chiffon cake. The texture is better than chiffon or pound cake, more substantial. The honey is added as a syrup. I reduced the amount of sugar by half, and increased the amount of honey by one tablespoon. It was the perfect amount of honey - distinct but not overpowering. And it all absorbed into the cake easily. I also added ginger, because it doesn't get enough attention in summer. And I paired the cake with peaches because honey and ginger just go with peaches. However, it would probably be just as nice with blackberries, apricots, or even mangoes.

Honey-Ginger Tea Cake
Makes one 8 inch loaf cake

Adapted from Miette: Recipes from San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop
Original Recipe HERE
1 1/3 c AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp ground ginger
4 egg yolks
1 large egg
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c sugar
5.5 oz (1/2 cup + 3 tbsp) butter, at room temperature
3 tbsp honey, warmed and thinned with 1 tbsp water, to make a syrup
Tea pairing: Phoenix oolong, preferably one with peach or honey tones. However, this will work with most teas.

P.S. Please ignore the cyber dust...I am remodeling this week :)

Independence, with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet

2011-07-03T23:44:00.000-07:00

I think that the fourth - Independence Day here in the U.S. - is one of my favorite holidays. Its the only truly summer holiday, since neither June nor August has one. Its patriotic and pretty, with that red, white, and blue. It means lots of parties, food, and fireworks. And coincidentally, its my grandparent's wedding anniversary. Its also the day the boy and I met.
And with those events to celebrate, I decided to make a very simple, but extra-special treat. It involves two of my most favorite things: ice cream and berries. I opted to make a vivid red raspberry sorbet, and a comforting and pale vanilla ice cream that would be topped by a few blueberries.

Vanilla Ice Cream
1 cup whole milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Heat the milk, salt, and vanillas (extract, bean) in a saucepan, at the lowest temperature possible for at least 10 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil or simmer. Remove from heat, and allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean, and scrape it into the mixture.
Stir together the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and gradually add warmed milk by the 1/4 cup-full, stirring constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.
Cook over low heat, alternately whisking and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Remove from heat, and whisk vigorously to make sure there are no eggy lumps.
Pour the mixture into the cream, and beat for 2 minutes to combine. Chill the mixture until it is cool - at least 10 minutes. Chill for at least half an hour (you can chill overnight if you want). Prepare in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

Raspberry Sorbet
2 cups of fresh raspberries
1/2 cup caster (or fine) sugar
1 1/3 cup water
In a heavy saucepan, combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Allow it to cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes (or longer). Prepare in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

I partially chose desserts that involve my favorites because this Independence Day, too, will have added meaning to me. Even though the American Dream is not as easy to achieve as it sometimes is made out to be (especially in this economy), the opportunity to strive for it is still there. For me, what I am appreciating is the opportunity to pursue my personal dreams. And that opportunity is not just legal and physical, but social and spiritual. The freedom to be the type of person we want to be. For me, it was to be a lover of words, books, and knowledge. Which leads me to the really, really, REALLY exciting news. I just found out myself. What the really, really, REALLY big news is that - in less than two months' time - I will be starting law school. I thought I was going to be retaking the admissions test this fall, and applying for next fall - but suddenly - those plans changed. I am still in a state of shock. But, it feels like everything before this has lead me to this point.

Lavender + Honey Ice Cream with Laced Honey Cookies

2011-06-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

My mind has been racing with all the possibilities and promises that summer holds. There is so much to do, going to the beach, midnight bonfires, farmer's markets laden with bright fruit. The blogosphere is exploding with watermelon, cherries, rhubarb, and an amazing number of berries. And I love berries. Yet, I give you this - a pale, pale ice cream and delicate gold cookies.
The golden cookies have become a favorite of ours. I love thin snappy little cookies, and these are certainly the thinnest and crispest. The recipe comes from Alice Medrich, and she calls them honey snaps. The prosaic name does not fit. These cookies are too ethereal, too gorgeously lovely. Almost pretty enough to want to weave into a golden-summer lace gown. You'd probably get a little sticky from the honey and sugar, but I am sure the butter would be very moisturizing. Its probably easier - and tastier - to have the cookies to dress up a little bowl of ice cream.
We also love ice cream around here. Ice cream is my first sweet-thing love. The San Francisco area has several excellent ice cream shops that we like. The boy likes Bi-Rite Creamery, for its comforting flavors and very creamy ice cream. My personal favorite is Berkeley's Ici. Their ice cream is rich, obviously custard-based, and the flavors change daily. Flavors such as sour cherry-creme fraiche, rose-vanilla, candied cocoa nib, rosemary candied pine nut, chocolate and salted almond, peach-habanero sorbet, and even, just once, a darjeeling flavor. Last week, they had a lavender-honey flavor. The lavender and the honey were both very subtle, with the lavender a tiny bite of slightly astringent floral-herby flavor, and the sweet mellow honey balancing it exquisitely. I had to try my hand at it, and I believe my recipe is very close.

Lavender-Honey Ice Cream
Note: It is very important to chill the mixture before beating the honey. If the mixture is warm when you add honey, it may curdle.
1 cup whole milk
4 egg yolks
2 tbsp food-grade lavender blossoms
pinch of salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1/4 cup honey
Heat the milk, salt, lavender in a saucepan, at the lowest temperature possible for at least 10 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil or simmer. Remove from heat, and allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture.
Stir together the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and gradually add warmed milk by the 1/4 cup-full, stirring constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.
Cook over low heat, alternately whisking and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Remove from heat, and whisk vigorously to make sure there are no eggy lumps.
Pour the mixture into the cream, and beat for 2 minutes to combine. Chill the mixture until it is cool - at least 10 minutes. Beat in honey. Chill for at least half an hour (you can chill overnight if you want). Prepare in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.
Honey Snaps
From Alice Medrich's Pure Desserts, page 174

P.S. I have some really, really, REALLY exciting news, and an oatmeal dish to share with you. Soon!

Love, and Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

2011-06-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, when I first started making raspberry buttermilk cakes, the boy declared that it was his favorite. Last week, he had surgery on his broken ankle. Because I knew he was not feeling well, I asked him if he wanted this cake. Like so many girlfriends and wives, boyfriends and fathers, mothers and grandmothers, I turned to food. There is a unique magic in food, that we use something that is meant to nourish our bodies to show others that we want to nourish them too. It shows that we care about their physical and emotional well-being. We want to spend time with them, we want to comfort, care, bring a little measure of happiness. And in particular, baked goods, from crusty slices of bread to pretty layer cakes, are meant to be shared and to soothe and comfort.
I made two raspberry buttermilk cakes last week. I really wish I could make a lot more of them, and share them with all of you. Perhaps with good conversation and cups of lovely warm tea. This is a recipe I return to summer after summer. What's more, these are the first market raspberries of the year. Which means that - summer weather is finally here! And how better to celebrate than with cake? Especially this cake. It is homey and complex, just barely sweet yet rich and flavorful. The butter and buttermilk make it luscious, the whole wheat adds depth and texture, and the raspberries contribute bright little bursts of fruity, sometimes tart, sometimes sweet raspberry flavor.

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup cake flour (2/3 cup AP flour, 2 tsp replaced with corn starch)
1 tbsp baking powder
6 tbsp butter, softened
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
zest of 1 lemon
1 generous cup of ripe raspberries
2 tbsp demerara sugar (I used THIS)
Line a 9-inch springform (or 9*3) circular pan with parchment paper and butter sides. Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a medium bowl, combine whole wheat flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, whip together butter and sugar, until the mixture is smooth and pale. Whisk in buttermilk, egg, and lemon zest. Add dry ingredients (flour mixture). Whisk thoroughly, until smooth and homogenous.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle raspberries as evenly as possible over the top of batter. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tbsp of the raw/demerara/namasatoh sugar over the cake. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining 1/2 tbsp of raw sugar. Allow cake to cool for 10-15 minutes prior to removing from pan.
Tea pairing: A hearty black, such as an Assam or Yunnan. I chose a lighter Darjeeling, which works well with the berries.

A few little (ceramic) lovelies for you:
- My favorite new teacup
- Quaint pedestal plate. I'm fascinated with aged, textured wood, what about you?
- This serving ware.
- These cups. And this plate is too pretty, isn't it?

Rainy Days and Sunny Apricot Almond Cream Tart

2011-06-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

Normally, I love it here in Northern California. I am embarrassingly proud and sentimental over it. Whenever I see the San Francisco city skyline, I think my heart swells just a little. There is something glorious about the way hills meet the ocean, the mixture of modern skyscapers and pastel Victorians, how everything looks just a bit more lovely and romantic against grey skies and afternoon fog. The sky feels higher, more distant, and the air here always has a bit of a salt tang. I have lived my entire life within a few miles of that glorious bay.

At the same time, I am not exactly happy with the non-Spring that we are having this year. It has been raining since Saturday. Record-breaking rains. On the positive side, it means our drought is over (we live in a place that is surrounded by water and yet we are always threatened by water shortages). And the effect it is had on the livelihoods of local farmers. Rains that have ruin my favorite strawberries several times. And according to someone at my very favorite orchard, there was a possibility that the hail had damaged the apricots, and there was a good chance we would not have any.
Still, I braved the rain on Saturday and stomped alone through the famous Ferry Building Farmer's Market. For my efforts, I had soaked slippers and a few pounds of beautifully bright peach-gold-blush apricots. These were the most perfumey apricots I had ever smelt - I wish I could bottle their scent. And the taste was exquisite. Distinctly flavored, and sweet with just a touch of tartness where the skin met the tender flesh. After I ate at least a pound of them myself, I opted for a simple dessert in which the apricots would be the star. Something that would allow the apricot to keep its flavor and shape. And what could possibly be more appropriate than a tart? Even though they are decadent, there is something elegant and almost light about them. A bit like summer sunshine.

Since these apricots were very flavorful and strong, I opted for a rich almond frangipane instead of delicate pastry cream. The hearty nutty, roasted effect is further heightened with a brown-butter enhanced crust. The tart tastes warm, and the apricots are almost hidden by the thick nutty pastry cream. And when you bite into them, its as if a small explosion of bright, sunshiny flavor fills your mouth. Its positively addictive.
A few tips: use the very best, fresh apricots you can find. Also, buy raw almonds and roast them in the oven. Not only does this intensify the almond flavor, but it adds a roasted element that offsets the slightly jammy baked apricots.

Apricot Almond Cream Tart
1 brown-butter shortbread tart crust
(See HERE. Rather than simply melting the butter, add 1/2 tbsp extra butter
and brown it until it smells nutty and is deeply golden-brown in color)
Almond Frangipane (nutty pastry cream)
3.5 ounces whole almonds, roasted at 325°F for 10 minutes
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract (or scrapings of a 1/2 vanilla bean)
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream
8-10 ripe apricot, split in halves with seed removed
Roast almonds. Place into a blender/food processor. Pulse the blender/processor to chop coarsely, then blend, stopping often to redistribute. Stop when the almonds are close to the consistency of a fine cornmeal.
Prepare/bake tart crust. Keep oven at 325°F.
While crust bakes, make almond pastry cream. In a heavy bottom medium saucepan, heat 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream. Slowly pour 1/4 cup heavy cream ONLY into yolk mixture, and whisk mixture while pouring. Use a spatula to get all of the mixture into the pot. Add the ground almonds. Heat over medium heat, while alternatively whisking and scraping the bottom of the pot. Heat until the mixture just begins to bubble, or until it is thick. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream.
Place apricot halves onto the tart crust. Pour (or spread) the almond cream.
Bake the mixture until the almond cream has set and apricots have softened, about 25 minutes.
Tea Pairing: A fruity Darjeeling would work well.

A few little things for you:
This video, about a wonderful (but always crowded) bakery in San Francisco's Mission
This gorgeous photo slideshow of Spring and Japanese cherry blossoms.
This book. For the tea lover and the chef.

An Anniversary, A Giveaway, and A Strawberry Tart

2011-05-30T04:21:00.000-07:00

On the eve of the anniversary of Darjeeling Dreams, I was not sure if it would continue past the year. When I started blogging, I had graduated with my second degree. Somewhere in the future, another degree awaited (and still awaits) me. After writing because I had to, I wanted to write because I wanted to. And I needed a little journal, a place to catalog my favorite photographs and photographers, a small memory book of things I did not want to forget. I soon began to add recipes, because a blog seemed like a nice, tidy way to record and recall them. And those aspects - writing for the joy of it, challenging myself with new recipes, and my budding interest in photography - coalesced into this food, or more accurately, dessert blog format. Creating or modifying recipes, photographing them, telling a story, it is a wonderful creative outlet. Yet, it asks for more confidence than I have. It asks that I put myself out there, little me into the vast cyberworld. I second-guess every post I write, all of the photographs I take, and question every recipe I create or tweak.
And, I can't give up my little site. I have thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience of blogging. Which is why I want to continue blogging. Being able to write, and to write as you want, is lovely. And since I am sharing my dessert making adventures, I am forced to continue experimenting and making new things. So I've stopped making meyer lemon shortbread every week, and discovered how very much I love tarts. Oh, and cupcakes aren't as bad as I thought they were either. As for the photography, I now have a record of my ever-growing interest in photography. If you go back to Friday, June 25, 2010, you can see the first 'real' photograph I ever took. I unwittingly created a photography journal of my efforts. Perhaps best of all are the wonderful people I have 'met' and all of the beautiful, interesting, inspiring sites I've come across. I had hoped that I might meet a few like-minded people, people who find beauty in the everyday, and maybe people who enjoy food. I wish I could give each and every one of you something, but I cannot possibly afford it. So instead, I am going to leave you with a simple and simply delicious strawberry tart. It is definitely the easiest tart I have featured here - the crust comes together quickly, the pastry cream takes no more than 10 minutes over the stove top, and slicing strawberries is the most time-consuming step. And I am also going to leave you with a 'tea and cookies' giveaway.

Strawberry Tart
1 10-inch tart crust (see HERE)
2 baskets of strawberries, preferably Chandler or Seascape
Pastry Cream:
1 cup whole milk
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar, sliced
3 tbsp cornstarch
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
Prepare/bake tart shell.
While tart shell cools, prepare pastry cream. Pour milk into a heavy medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer. In a medium bowl, combine yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla (if using). Slowly pour hot milk by 1/4 cupfuls into yolk mixture, and whisk mixture while pouring. Use a spatula to get all of the mixture into the pot. Heat over medium heat, while alternatively whisking and scraping the bottom of the pot. Heat until the mixture just begins to bubble, or until it is very thick. Allow it to cool thoroughly before spreading evenly over tart shell.
Layer strawberries in desired pattern over the pastry cream. You may sprinkle a bit of sugar over the strawberries if they are not sweet enough. Slice and serve.

And now the tea and cookies giveaway. I got the idea for what to give away from a few of my dearest friends on Twitter. I have discovered it is a very nice way to connect and get to know each other. And because of this, I am allotting extra entries if you follow me on Twitter.
The giveaway includes:
-a copy of Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy: Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies, by Alice Medrich.
-a batch of Fleur d'Oranger Biscotti OR Milk Bar's Blueberries and Cream Cookies (winner can choose)
-a package of Fukamushi Sencha
For each entry, please leave a separate comment. There are three ways to enter:
-leave a comment telling me you'd like to enter
-follow DarjeelingDream on Twitter
-Tweet the following: I entered the tea and cookies giveaway on Darjeeling Dreams {http://tinyurl.com/3d2shsj} @DarjeelingDream
Sorry, since this giveaway includes food items, it is only open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. The giveaway ends at midnight, Tuesday June 7.

Pea + Porcini Risotto with Browned Butter

2011-05-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, you've come to the right place. I've really wanted to share a few luxurious savory dishes for a while now. One of the reasons that I do not is that I rarely use measurements when making dinner. I was taught to cook using approximations, and we did not even have measuring cups or spoons in the house. In Indian cooking, the cook's skill is thought not to rely on recipes, but on in their hands, their hearts, and their heads. To be a good cook, good instinct and experience is thought to be needed. Rather than receiving your mother or grandmother's recipes, one is taught to cook by observation and with years of practice. Most importantly, a person with a kind heart, a generous spirit, with love for both cooking and for those they are cooking for, is the better cook.
For me, I feel like there is so much left to learn in my cooking journey. As someone who cooks, I feel it is important to keep experimenting, to learn new things, to explore. Risotto is a fairly new dish for me. I began making it last winter. I made a cool weather version with Indian-spiced cauliflower, pan roasted with garam masala, and served with those almost-burnt onions found in Indian rice dishes. This spring, I just knew I had to use peas. I've fallen for fresh shelled sugar snaps in a big way. I love the burst of sweet flavor in the fresh ones. Since peas are so delicate, I tried to keep the risotto light as well.
Although risotto's creaminess comes from the building up the starches in the rice, I find that most recipes include generous amounts of butter and cheese. With this recipe, I tried to reduce the amounts of both but to keep it feeling and tasting just as decadent and delicious. The onions are sauteed in a combination of olive oil and a little butter for scent, and the amount of cheese is reduced. The risotto is topped off with luxuriously browned butter, which has more 'oomph' than regular butter. And adding the 'fat' in at the last minute means you can get away with using less of it. The rice base is creamy and rich, the porcinis add heartiness, the bright green of peas and the tart acidic wine (or you can use a smaller amount of lemon juice) balances the richness...and the gorgeous brown butter adds an nutty, almost caramelized note. With this risotto, I still felt like I was eating something sinful.

Pea + Porcini Risotto:
2 3/4 cups broth
1 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp butter + 2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced finely
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 lb (or 1 - 1.25) cup canaroli or arborio rice, unwashed
1/2 cup dry white wine (use a few tablespoons of lemon juice or good-quality vinegar if avoiding alcohol)
1/2 ounce dried porcini, reconstituted at least 1/4 cup hot water (reserve water)
2 tbsp parmesan cheese, shaved
1 cup fresh (or frozen) peas
1/2 tbsp white wine (or substitute 1 tsp lemon juice if avoiding alcohol)
chives, sea salt, pepper
Porcini
For the porcini, reconstitute for at least five minutes in very hot water (just under boiling temperature). Reserve at least 1/4 cup water. Dice porcini into 1/2 inch pieces.
Risotto
Bring the water from the reconstituted porcini, broth and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat a heavy pot over medium heat, then add the olive oil and 1/2 tbsp butter. When butter had melted completely, add onion and saute until soft and slightly browned. Add garlic, saute for another minutes. Add rice and cook, constantly stirring. Add the white wine and cook until it has almost absorbed, there should be a small amount of liquid left (about 2 tbsp)
Start by adding 1/2 cup of the broth-water mixture. Cook and constantly stir at a simmer, until absorbed. Continue this process for approximately 20 minutes, or until rice is al dente, with a slight chewiness in the center. Prior to removing from heat, stir in porcini, salt, pepper. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Allow risotto to cool for a few minutes, stir in cooked peas.
Peas and Browned Butter
While making the risotto, place a medium saucepan of water to boil. When boiling, add about 1 teaspoon of salt, and shelled peas. Cover, allow peas to cook for one and half minutes. Remove from heat immediately, place in colander, and rinse thoroughly in cold water.
To brown butter, place in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until is deeply browned and smell nutty. Remove from heat, add white wine or lemon.
To serve:
Serve with additional salt, pepper, freshly snipped chives, and browned butter.

Carrot Cupcakes

2011-05-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

Like many of our senses, scent and taste can stir many memories. The smell of onions and scallions being fried in ghee (clarified butter), or the sight and taste of a small square of carrot cake bring out particularly strong emotions in me. The former is a vague emotion, a feeling of being safe and comfortable. The latter is stronger, steeped in nostaglia. Carrot cake reminds of a time past, and of an era that lives only in my remembrances.
I grew up with my paternal grandparents. Especially when I was small, they were just as big a part of my life as parents are for most. They took me to school and picked me up, brought pretty dresses, my favorite striped hat and pink sneakers, taught me not to put my elbows on the dinner table and how to tie my shoelaces. They tried to convince me to eat more, and cajoled me with little pastel-frosted cookies and carrot cake. Carrot cake was almost a daily occurance, as my grandfather brought me a little plastic-wrapped piece several times a week. It was always the same: a small rectangle, covered with a layer of cream cheese frosting that I scraped off, a dense burnt sienna and studded with raisins and nuts. And so, when I think of carrot cake, I feel about four years old. The world is sunny and bright, and I am standing before an old-fashioned white tiled counter. My grandfather is in the living room, and my grandmother is still healthy and strong, prepping dinner, with me in the kitchen. It is afternoon, and I have been forced to come inside because the wind and clouds will show up soon.

And although the boy has been asking for carrot cake for months now, I hesitated in making it. I cannot recall having it since childhood. When I finally did, I changed it from the classic cake into cupcakes, small and compact and different in appearance from the cake I was used to. I omitted the raisins, and upped the amount of ginger and added a hint of cardamom. The ginger adds spicy heat, and the cardamom is another element of youth. Somehow, cardamom tastes a bit milky and creamy despite its fire, and so it blends with the dairy-rich cream cheese frosting. Cardamom is like vanilla in Indian cookery - it shows up in most sweets. It even shows up in many savory dishes. These cupcakes are not dense - they are fluffy but still moist. Because of the moistness, they taste better the day after you make them. Which works perfectly for me, because I can eat one every afternoon, again.

Carrot Cupcakes
Makes approximately 16 cupcakes
1 1/2 cups carrots (approximately 12 ounces)
1/4 cup (or more, to taste) walnuts
1 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup canola oil (grapeseed or other mild-flavored would work as well)
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
3/8 cup golden-brown sugar (6 tbsp)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp fresh finely grated ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 - 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grate carrots. Use a baking sheet to toast walnuts for 5-10 minutes, or until slightly darkened. Chop into 1/4 inch pieces. Clean baking sheet, and place 15-16 3-oz baking cups on a flat baking sheet.
Sift together AP flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together oil, butter, and sugars. Whisk in eggs. Add the gingers, nutmeg, cardamom, aand cinnamom. Add the flour mixture. Whisk in carrots and walnuts, and beat until incorporated.
Divide batter evenly among prepared cupcakes liners/pan. You can fill approximately 2 1/2 tbsp of batter in each.
Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes. Frost with cream cheese frosting.
Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), softened
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 vanilla bean
Generous 1 1/2 cup powdered/confectioner's sugar
Beat together butter and cream cheese until the mixture is smooth and pale in color. Scrape the seeds of the half vanilla bean into the frosting, add 1/2 cup of sugar and beat well. Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until smooth.
*I labelled these 'intermediate' not because they are difficult to make, but because they are time-consuming. I used fresh but small carrots, which took a very long time to grate.

Tiramisu + Cupcakes

2011-04-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

Tiramisu is one of those desserts that everyone seems to love. There is something wonderful in the combination of delicate airy ladyfingers soaked in alcohol-spiked espresso, and layered with rich mascarpone custard and thickly dusted with cocoa. When its done right, the creamy, bitter, cake-like layers all blend together in one perfect, seamless whole. The sum is greater than the (albeit great themselves) parts.Now, I have heard so many people say that tiramisu is their favorite dessert. Even the boy, who (tragically) does not like sweets (I know! He even complains about all the butter and sugar I buy!) gets that little gleam in his eye over tiramisu. And yet, it cannot even compare to the popularity of cupcakes. Personally, I had never been a cupcake person. Mentally, I imagine something like wedding cake, in a small, colorfully cutesy form. With a flavorless texture that tasted of cardboard and sawdust, covered up with cloying sweet mounds of stiff buttercream. Instead, I approach the homemade cupcake with the idea that it was merely a miniature cake. Why not make tiramisu a more convenient, hand-holdable dessert as well? That is the idea behind these cupcakes. I turned my normal cupcake base into a lighter and more sponge-like, soaking the very plain vanilla sponge in a strong liquored up espresso, covering it with a light mascarpone-whipped cream topping, and dusting it with some bitter chocolate.

Tiramisu Cupcakes
For 12 3-oz cupcakes:
1 cup AP flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp each baking soda
2 extra-large egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
5 generous tbsp butter, cut into 1/2 - 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean
Mascarpone frosting
8 oz. mascarpone, at room temperature
5/8 cup whipping/heavy cream (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp)
1/4 cup confectioner's/powdered sugar
Coffee-Liquer Syrup
1/3 cup of strong espresso
2 tbsp granulated or caster sugar
2 tbsp of Kahlua, dark rum, marsala wine...
1/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa or grated bitter/semisweet dark chocolate
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 12 3-oz baking cups on a flat baking sheet.
Sift together AP flour, cornstarch, baking powder,and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside. Place egg whites in a large bowl, and add the 1/4 cup of sugar and salt. Mix for 4-5 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. If you hold the bowl upside down, the peaks should hold.
Pour milk into small saucepan. Scrap the vanilla bean, add scraped seeds and vanilla bean pod to the milk. Heat until milk is warm. Immediately add butter and remaining sugar to the mixture. Mix thoroughly until butter has melted.
Using a rubber spatula, alternately fold the dry ingredients and milk-butter into the egg whites, a third at a time. Be careful not to lose the volume of the egg whites.
Divide batter evenly among prepared cupcakes liners/pan. You can fill 2 1/2 to scant 3 tbsp of batter in each.
Bake for approximately 15-18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for at least 10 minutes.
In the meantime, make the mascarpone frosting. In a large, cool bowl, combine 1 cup (8 oz) of mascarpone, 5/8 cup cool heavy cream (or double cream), and 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar. Using a whisk (balloon whisk would be best), beat until the mixture is homogeneous, thick, and still smooth. Be careful not to overwhip: the mixture will lose its smoothness and the taste of the overwhipped cream will overwhelm the mascarpone.
Also, make the coffee-liqueur syrup. Brew coffee/espresso. While it is still bot, combine with sugar and liqueur, and stir until sugar has dissolved.
To assemble: Poke 5-6 holes into cupcakes using a small toothpick. Pour at least 1/2 tbsp of coffee-liqueur syrup over each cupcake. If the cupcakes are not absorbing quickly enough, pour about 1 tsp over each, and wait a few minutes for it to absorb, and then add 1/2+ per cupcake. Allow the cupcakes to rest for an additional 5 minutes.
Divide the mascarpone frosting evenly among cupcakes, and frost as desired. Grate bittersweet/semisweet chocolate over the cupcakes OR sift cocoa powder over each (see NOTE).
NOTE: You can also core the syrup-soaked cupcakes and fill with some of the mascarpone frosting, and top with a thinner mascarpone layer for a more layered, tiramisu-like effect. For 'show', the grated chocolate looks nicer, but adding cocoa powder instead tastes more authentic.

The First Signs of Spring...

2011-04-09T22:15:00.000-07:00

First of all, I'd like to mention that I recently tried my first batch of cake pops. They are meant to be shared, and I made them for a very sweet blogger friend of mine. You can - and I hope do - check out my guest post on the lovely and amazing Indian Simmer. I also really, really recommend looking around, because it is a truly inspirational place.

It is beginning to feel a lot like spring here...finally. Spring is, and always has been, my most favorite season. I even love the light of it, a lovely soft blue/green instead of the rich gold of autumn. It is the season of renewal, of rebirth. It is no wonder that the poets sing of it. Oh, and the flowers...how I wish I brought my camera the day I saw that the dogwood and tulip trees were all-aflower in Berkeley! And now, wisteria everywhere...on porches of the beautifully aged Victorians in Hayes Valley (San Francisco), creeping out of restrictive fences... Everything is so austerely bright.

Spring means strawberries. Real strawberries, fresh and in season, bursting with flavor. To celebrate their arrival, I made strawberry shortcakes. I realize I say this about a lot of things, but I do truly adore strawberries, and always have. While they are in season, I eat some practically every day. Often with yogurt and honey for breakfast or a snack, but sometimes I'll wash a bunch and leave them in a small colander, ready to be eaten through the lazy weekend afternoon. One of the nicest ways to eat them is with a fresh, flaky biscuit and a pouf of whipped cream. The strawberry shortcake, of course.

Strawberry Shortcakes
(adapted, see HERE for original source information)
1 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup butter, cut into cubes + frozen at least 30 minutes
1 large egg
1/4 cup cream
Whipped 'Chantilly' cream and strawberries - see note
Preheat oven to 395°f.
Blend together flour and frozen butter. Combine in a food processor and process for approximately 45 minute. If you don't have a processor, combine flour and butter on cool surface, and use knife or pastry cutter to cut butter into flour.
The mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal.
Mix together the cream and the eggs and then pour into the food processor while pulsing. A soft dough should form within a few seconds. Stir the liquid in with a spatula if you aren't using the food processor. Don't overmix.Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and gently shape into a rectangle approximately 1/2 inch thick. Fold in thirds lengthwise, turn one quarter turn and repeat once more. This gentle folding creates a tender, flaky biscuit.Roll the dough out (or pat out with hands) to about 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick. Cut out your biscuits with whatever shape you like.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops are just golden brown.
NOTE - To Assemble: Slice the desired amount of strawberries - one of those green pint baskets should be more than enough. If you are using the pint basket, sprinkle approximately one tablespoon of sugar over the slices, and allow the mixture to sit for at least 10 minutes. The strawberries will soften and produce a sort of strawberry juice, and this will help meld all the ingredients together.
Chantilly cream is vanilla-flavored whipped cream. In a bowl, combine 1 cup whipping/heavy/double cream, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean scrappings, and 2 - 4 tbsp fine sugar. Whip with a whisk until soft peaks form. Do not overwhip. The cream will whip faster if your bowl and cream are cool/cold, and if have and use a balloon whisk.

Here are a few lovely things I'd love to share:
This photographer
And this one too
This charming bracelet - and its for a great cause

Labneh + A Lebni Tart

2011-04-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

Once I get an idea or a goal in my head, it tends to stay there. I am ~~stubborn~~ determined that way. Blame my grandmother. I flipped through Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert virtually, and the lebni tart stole my heart. It was beautiful - in Medrich's words, like a pristine little white dress. Classic, minimalist, but with a twist, and so, just my style.
All I needed was the lebni. Lebni, or labneh as its sometimes called, is simply a yogurt cheese. Rather than souring or turning milk or cream, labneh begins with yogurt as the base ingredient. I thought it would be easy to find, but after trying various grocery stores, high-end pantries, and even a cheese shop or two - nothing. Given my ~~stubbornness~~ determination, I could not let go of the idea. I had to have the tart. Lucky for me, I found out that it is actually quite easy to make labneh at home. In fact, in the Lebanese culture, it is sometimes made and formed into balls, bathed in olive oil, and then served for breakfast.
Even more lucky for me, I just happened to make the perfect amount of labneh for this tart. However, the best part of this tart was that I got to share with my grandmother. From her comes my stubbornness. My tendency to drink tea at all hours of the day and night. A love of history and of learning. She encouraged my kitchen experiments and passed down her love of sweets. So when she had a bite of this tart, her face, ever so slightly, lit up.

I think I know why. This tart is well-worth the very minimal effort - all it takes is a little planning. The closest dessert to it would perhaps be cheesecake (but its much easier). However, lebni tart is the cheesecake that grew up. It has picked up a light grace and elegant sophistication. It has soul and depth, in that it is tangier yet more complex and creamy and yet shed itself of the thick gumminess of cheesecake.

Labneh Tart:
Adapted from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert, for original see HERE
Tart shell:
1/2 cup/1 stick butter
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp each, vanilla extract and salt
1 cup (4.5 oz) flour
Filling:
3 large eggs
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp honey
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz/1 1/2 cup lebni/labneh (see below)
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt
My variations: I used homemade lebni/labneh. Also, I cut back on the sugar and used a combination of honey and sugar in the tart filling. I found that the filling cooked very quickly, in approximately 12 minutes - this could be because I used an old-fashioned gas oven.
How I made the labneh/lebni: Place 20 oz. of Greek style yogurt in a cheesecloth, and tie the cheesecloth. Place into a colander, and place colander into a large bowl. Leave at room temperature, for 24-48 hours. A whey-like water will slowly drip out. You should have approximately 12 - 13 oz of labneh/lebni leftover (or 1 1/2 cups).
Tea pairing: Creamy desserts work with a variety of teas. Anxi/Iron Goddess of Mercy, formosa, phoenix oolongs would all work, as would a floral Darjeeling.

Walnut + Semolina Cake with Honey, Cardamom, Cinnamon Syrup

2011-04-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

I've fallen for Middle Eastern food in a big way. Specificially, Lebanese, Turkish, and Syrian cuisines. It is comforting and familiar, in the way that something that one can easily fall in love with often is. For me, it has similarities to Indian food, the spices, the use of many small dishes to make a meal, with some of the light freshness of modern 'California' cuisine. My infatuation started with a delicious memoir, and this line: "Who thinks of such things? What god leant down and whispered in what mortal ear to put walnuts inside an eggplant? And then to eat it with wine? I wanted to cry." And it continued with this book, which is equally beautiful, in its descriptions of Turkey, Turkish food, and photographs that dazzle and awe.
Now, eggplant is certainly not one of favorites. Walnuts would be more like it, which is why this recipe grabbed my attention. I can see why there wasn't a photograph included in the book. These squares of cake are not much to look at, are they? They are plain, crumble easily, not glamorous. Until you bite into one. This so-called cake is closer to bakalava in flavor and richness than it is to fluffy cake. It tastes of butter-toasted walnuts, fiery cinnamon and cardamom, the sweet syrupy honey tempered by the tart touch of lemon, all encased in moist yet crumbly, textured semolina.

Walnut + Semolina Cake with Honey, Cardamom, Cinnamon Syrup
Adapted from Turquoise, see HERE for recipe, I listed the ingredients and modifications
1/3 lb walnuts
1/2 cup/2 sticks butter (I'd imagine you could use ghee or a vegan alternative like Earth Balance)
7 oz Greek-style yogurt (Fage sells a 7 oz container)
3 oz sugar (1/4 cup)
5 oz honey (scant 1/2 cup)
9 oz (approximately 1 1/2 cups) semolina flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
For syrup:
3 tbsp honey
5 oz sugar
2/3 cup water
juice of small lemon
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 stick cinnamom
I increased the cooking time - still 20 minutes prior to application of syrup, but up to 12 minutes post-application. After the 20 minutes, the cake will be underdone - don't worry, it will continue to cook after the syrup has been added. Another tip, something I forgot, if you do make these, I'd recommend freezing them for 20 minutes or so after cooling so the squares will be cleaner.
Tea pairing: A brisk black. I also tried a Moroccan tea - gunpowder green with mint - which worked nicely.

Momofuku/Milk Bar's Blueberries + Cream Cookies

2011-03-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

Just the other day, I was looking at my recipe index, and I realized that I had hardly posted any cookie recipes. Which is a pity, because cookies are wonderful, (usually) very easy to make, they bake quickly, they can be eaten out of hand. And cookies are just so comforting, so sweetly humble and reminiscent of childhood. I actually bake them quite often, and yet I so rarely share the recipes. I should correct that, and I am starting with these.
I made a large batch of these blueberry + cream cookies last week. I baked them late one night, after dinner, and nibbled on about half of one. It was nice - the bottoms were very crisp and almost caramel-like, while the centers were still pillowy. However, I polished off more cookies than I want to admit the next day - they were wonderful by then. The sweetness had somehow mellowed, and all of the flavors came together by then. Which reminds me of another nice aspect of cookies: they taste just as good the next day. Or at any time of day, for that matter.

This recipe looks complex, but rest assured that it is actually quite easy. Its a very basic cookie recipe, except for the milk crumbs. They actually only take a few minutes to make, and while they're toasting in the oven, you can prepare the cookie batter. I also saw the first batch of this year's blueberries at the farmer's market this weekend - and I believe that you can use fresh berries instead of dried.

Blueberries + Cream Cookies
For recipe, see THIS BLOG
My changes: I substituted milk for the glucose - too hard to find, and the cookies were sweet enough already. I increased the amount of blueberries to a full cup. May I also suggest a bit of lemon zest - it would add a nice contrast to the sweet 'cream' crumbs, and the bright flavors of the lemon + blueberry are magical together.

Coconut Carnaroli Kheer (Rice Pudding)

2011-03-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

I have never liked rice pudding. I've had several versions of rice pudding - or kheer, as its called in Hindi. Its ubiquitous at religious ceremonies, made in the morning, left uncovered, and served, cold, mushy, gelatinous, before lunch or dinner. Most children seemed to love it. So much so that relatives gave my mother funny looks, as if she had failed in some motherly duty.
Logically, I would think that I'd like kheer/rice pudding. I love rice - I cannot go more than a day, maybe two, without eating some. You may have noticed that I like creamy, spicy sweets too. As I've grown up, I notice that I, like most people, begin to like foods I could not abide as a child. So many of us bloggers have described the experience: finding a fresher version of a once-despised vegetable, or a new technique for cooking an old-and-disliked dish. Which is why I came around to making my own version of kheer. I cut down the amount of sugar, omitted the raisins, increased the spices, and used coconut milk in addition to regular. Perhaps most significantly, I used carnaroli rice rather than a long-grained one. Carnaroli rice is similar to arborio in that they are both very short grained and starchy, with carnaroli being the shorter and plumper of the two. I believe it was that rice that made the greatest difference, for the resulting dish felt like a revelation. Because of the creamy starchiness, the rice melted into the coconut-flavored cream seamlessly, yet, the plump kernels still retained just a hint of nutty due to the firm inner center. The cream itself was - with just the right consistently, and delicately flavored of coconut, brightened with fiery chai-flavoring spices. I am salivating as I write, and dreaming of making some more right now. And so, as with so many other things, I think I do, after all, like rice pudding.

This recipe is so easy and fool-proof that I wish I had a super-easy label to catergorize it. Its also gluten-free, and I would imagine that you could make it vegan but using almond or soy milk instead of regular.

Coconut Kheer/Rice Pudding
3-4 smaller servings
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup carnaroli rice (use arborio if you cannot find)
2 tbsp sugar, preferably raw
4 cardamom pods, seeds only, crushed
pinch of salt
1 tbsp minced candied ginger (or use 1 inch piece of a ginger if not available - see note)
9-10 ounces of coconut milk (do not use 'lite' - it is simply watered down)
optional: shredded, toasted coconut for serving
In a saucepan, combine the milk, rice, sugar, salt, and cardamom with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and ginger and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is very tender and the liquid is thickened, about 10 minutes.
Let cool slightly, about 5-10 minutes, before spooning into bowls and serving.
Note: If using whole ginger, remove prior to serving.
Tea pairing: Milk, rice, and coconut...I suggest a darjeeling, or possibly a light assam. Or if you like, a cup of masala chai.

Hazelnut Brown-Butter Cake

2011-03-07T12:05:00.000-08:00

Your birthday should be a holiday. It should be recognized by everyone for the special day that it is, and celebrated accordingly. A small holiday, filled with little happinesses. I personally always feel a little tiny shock when the date of my birthday is mentioned as the most ordinary of days. For me, it is most certainly not. Do you feel the same way?
It seems universal to spread the happiness and celebration through the sharing of special food, whether it be a Korean soup, American buttercreamed cake, or that modern tradition of going out to dinner. For me, a cake. When I was three, it was frosted pale blue and yellow, trimmed in roses, and immortalized by my father photographing me stealing bits of frosting with my fingertips. When I was five it was made by my uncle's girlfriend, a deep pink thing decorated with teeny little strawberries and my name written in blue. And on this Saturday birthday, February 26, it was a simple sponge cake of toasted ground hazelnuts and brown butter.
The cake appears simple and humble, but let me assure you that is not. It is magical in its juxtaposition of richness and moistness, yet surprisingly light, almost airy. It tastes complex, adult - and is such a great way to celebrate growing wiser. This cake is made of sophisticated brown butter, which is called beurre noisette, hazelnut butter, by the French. It is a beautiful thing, more intensely aromatic than regular butter, nutty and complex and silky rather than creamy. To dress it in frosting or frills would be akin to dressing a cashmere-wearing sophisticate in tutu. Rather, you may opt for a dignified bit of whipped cream or creme fraiche, but not much more.

Hazelnut Brown Butter Cake
Adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques - Original recipe HERE
5 ounces of hazelnuts (1 heaping cup)
1/2 pound butter (2 sticks), plus extra for greasing the pan
1/2 vanilla bean
1/3 cup AP flour
1 1/8 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar
1 tsp baking powder
6 large egg whites
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°f. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet, and toast for approximately 12 minutes. Place the nuts in a clean tea towel, and rub between palms. The majority of skins should crumble off, and you can leave the more difficult to remove bits for texture.
Cut out a circle of parchment paper and fit in on the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (or a tall 9-inch pan). Brush the bottom with some butter.
Cut the butter into cubes, and place cubes into a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the butter, and place the pod into the saucepan. Cook butter for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it is deeply golden-brown and smells nutty. Remove from heat - it may burn if you leave it on warm range - and remove the vanilla pod. Allow the butter to cool.
In the meantime, grind the toasted hazelnuts. Add in the flour, confectioners' sugar, and baking powder and pulse to combine.
Place the egg whites in large sturdy bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the 1/4 cup of sugar and salt, and mix for 4-5 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. If you hold the bowl upside down, the peaks should hold. If needed, transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl using a rubber spatula.
Alternate folding the dry ingredients and brown butter into the egg whites, a third at a time. Be careful not to lose the volume of the egg whites. Scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the bits of vanilla and brown butter from the saucepan.
Pour batter into your prepared cake pan, and bake for one hour. Cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving platter or cake stand when ready to serve.
Tea pairing: I suggest a darjeeling. The muscatel quality will work well with this cake I believe.

Pear + Almond Frangipane

2011-03-02T00:06:00.000-08:00

In a way, you could say that this is the worst time of year. There is nothing - unless you include a few motley citrus - at the markets. It is that in-between time of year, when you are tired of winter and spring seems so far away. Even the trees and bushes are melancholy, and not producing fruits and flowers. Instead, I have been rediscovering how delicious nuts are and how magical butter becomes when browned.
I have been thinking of the non-edible too. Like this reading nook, and longing for that chest/table made of salvage wood, and a cozy chair. And the utter gorgeousness of the Interior Porn Tumblr, which I could - and have - spent hours looking through. I am anxiously waiting for the arrival of my new mortar & pestle. Wanting a copy of this magazine. And sipping on too many cups of this incredible tea.
And I always think of the edible. Like frangipane. Frangipane is similar to pastry cream, but with ground almonds or hazelnuts adding both texture and flavor. Something of its luscious nubby texture reminds me of a warm winter sweater. It is comfortable and just so good that it tastes familiar. Paired with the last of this winter's pears and a flaky shortbread crust, it makes for an elegant and still cozy treat.

Pear and Almond Frangipane Tarts
Makes one 10-inch tart or 4 4-inch
1 prebaked all-butter pastry crust (follow link for recipe) If preparing smaller tarts, remember to divide pastry among 4 tart pans prior to pre-baking.
For frangipane
6 tbsp unsalted butter, very soft
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp honey
7/8 cup almond, finely ground
1 tbsp AP flour
1 egg
1 egg white
pinch of salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
For pears
3 medium pears, cored and thinly sliced OR 5 seckle pears, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
To serve
1-2 tbsp raw (or granulated) sugar
Prepare your pastry crust and tart molds.
Make sure oven is preheated to 350°f. Prepare frangipane by combining butter, sugar, and honey. Add in ground almonds and flour. Then add egg, egg white and salt, and whisk until very smooth. Gently stir in heavy cream and vanilla. Pour frangipane mixture into prepared tart crust(s).
Top the tart(s) with the pear slices. Sprinkle nutmeg, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges of the frangipane mixture have turned golden-brown. Serve with raw or granulated sugar.
.

'A Man's Cake' - Guinness Chocolate Cake

2011-02-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

Even I cannot believe that I have not posted anything in almost three weeks. A series of minor tragedies and triumphs have gotten in the way - problems with the oven, a flu that's going around...
I meant to make this cake three weeks ago, even bought the guinness for it. I suggested it to the boy while he drove to the store. Chocolate, olive oil and of course, dark Irish beer, with some sort of a sweet-tart whipped frosting. His immediate response? That it sounded like a man's birthday cake. I suppose it is a rather masculine cake. Not frilly, or pretty, but instead - tall, dark, and handsome.
In a way, I am happy that I got to make the cake now, for Valentine's day. The perfect Valentine dessert should be something that can appeal to both sexes, so I wanted to avoid pink, rosewater, swirls of frosting, and general fussiness. Yet, the V-day dessert should be complex, seductive decadent, and a bit mysterious. This cake certainly fits the bill. Topping it off with the cream cheese frosting is a bit like gilding the lily, but its a wonderful combination.

Guinness Chocolate Cake
Makes one 10-inch or tall 9 inch cake
3/4 c. dutch-processed cocoa, sifted
1 cup Guinness or dark Stout beer
12 tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cup sugar, preferably caster/fine
1/2 cup molasses
2 large eggs
1/3 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract AND salt
2 cups AP flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
Cream Cheese 'Frosting'
1 cup (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup heavy cream, cold
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325°f.
In a saucepan, combine cocoa, Guinness, butter, and oil. Over medium-low heat, stir until butter has melted and mixture is homogeneous. Remove from heat, and allow for it to cool for 5-10 minutes. In the meantime, prepare your 9-inch springform pan (or regular 10 inch) by greasing it with butter, and covering the bottom with parchment paper. Also, combine sugar, molasses, eggs, creme fraiche/sour cream, and vanilla in one bowl. In a large bowl, combine salt, flour, and baking powder. Pour approximately half of the molasses mixture and half of the butter-beer mixture into the dry ingredient, and whisk well. Pour the remaining half of the molasses and beer-butter mixture and continue beating, until the mixture is homogeneous. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap pan against a hard surface to remove any air bubbles.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Test for doneness with a cake tester (toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake).
Allow cake to cool thoroughly - at least 15 minutes - before cutting or topping with cream cheese frosting.

Lavender Lemon Yogurt Cake

2011-01-24T21:07:00.000-08:00

Although you'd probably never know it, I've been baking a lot lately. Most of what I have been making is very easy - chocolate chip or blueberry cookies, whip-it-up cakes. Simple, unfussy cakes are my favorite type. You know the type: some people call everyday cakes or those cakes you make on a weekday to cheer yourself up. Having a friend over for tea, or after a simple dinner cake. I like to think of them as whip-it-up cakes: you can throw everything into a big bowl - no creaming of butter and sugar - pour that batter into a pan, and within about half an hour you've got a hot sweet yummy thing, practically begging to be eaten.
At the same time, I have been obsessing over certain flavor combinations lately. Simple ones, like spiking chocolate chip cookies with cinnamon and lots of vanilla, or filling a plain cake with lemon curd and blueberry jam. I have been especially infatuated with Meyer lemons. I do adore meyer lemons, with their tart lemoniness balanced with an unexpected sweetness. O, and I rediscovered how much I like lavender. There was a farm stand at the market this Saturday, with baskets of it. The almost spring-like air was scented with that clean herbal scent. Together, the sunny citrus and floral lavender evoked spring very strongly. And when combined in a easy, dreamy cake, the flavors could cheer up a dull winter day. They might even deceive you into thinking Spring has already arrived.

Lavender Lemon Yogurt Cake
Cake:
1 stick butter
2-3 tbsp lavender (depending on personal taste)
1 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp canola oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsweetened yogurt
zest from a medium (Meyer) lemon
Glaze:
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar
juice of one medium (Meyer) lemon, strained so that it pulp-free

To infuse the butter: To infuse, cut the butter into cubes and place into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the lavender. Once butter has melted, reduce heat to lowest heat setting and cook for 8 minutes. Stir occasionally and do not allow the butter to brown. Remove from heat, allow the butter to cool for 5 minutes. Strain the melted, lavender-scented butter, pressing down on the dried lavender to maximize the amount of butter and the intensity of the lavender flavor.
You should have approximately 6 tbsp of butter remaining.
To make cake: Preheat 350°f.. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
Sift together together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, egg and oil.
Add butter-sugar-egg, yogurt, and lemon zest to dry ingredients, mix until just combined.
Pour batter into cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
While cake is baking, prepare glaze. Combine water and sugar in small pan, bring to a boil, making sure that the sugar is completely dissolved. The liquid should be clear and just a bit thicker than water. Remove from heat, add in lemon juice.
When the cake is thoroughly cooled, brush the syrup liberally onto the cake. The glaze should be thin and should soak into the cake.
Tea pairing: Try an anxi or a formosa oolong.

Walnut Shortbread Sandwiched with Salted Chocolate Ganache

2011-01-17T04:58:00.000-08:00

Walnuts make me think of childhood. Particularly fresh walnuts, still in their crinkly, wood-like shells. I was very small, about six years old, when I had my first walnut. They were a gift from a very kindly neighbor, an older gentlemen who loved children. His grandchildren lived somewhere far away, and he rarely saw them. Every year, he would go off to the country and pick boxfuls of walnuts. He gave us a few boxes, of deliciously fresh nuts. There were other kindly older neighbors. He was not the only kind neighbor we had. There was also the nice older couple next door who gave me stuffed animals, and the house of elderly ladies that shared fresh blueberry pies with us every summer. It was a lovely and safe neighborhood. Perhaps too, it was a lovely and safe world, one in which neighbors got to know one another and felt comfortable allowing their children around.
And so, when I found a little brown bag of wild English walnuts, I felt a bit of nostalgia. I bought them home and marveled at how pretty the little shells were. As you may have noticed, I find little sweet things particularly delicious and mood-brightening. I wanted to use some of those walnuts in a sweet recipe that would highlight their flavor. I've found that nuts work beautifully in shortbread: they add body and balance out the floury sweetness. This walnut version is perhaps one of the best versions I've had yet. The walnuts add a wonderful nutty heartiness. Moreover, the addition of sea salt is heavenly - it draws out the nutty, buttery, chocolatey flavors and yet brings them all together. And did I mention how utterly easy this recipe is - no freezing of dough, no cookie cutters, and start to finish, the whole recipe takes less than half-an-hour.

Walnut Shortbread with Salted Chocolate Ganache
(Makes 12 cookie sandwiches)
Adapted from King Arthur's Flour
Cookies
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1.5 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp golden-brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp bourbon (optional)
1/2 cup AP flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 finely chopped walnuts
Chocolate Ganache
3 tbsp heavy cream
1 generous tsp honey
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate,
(chopped or processed in food processor into crumb-sized bits)
1-2 tsp sea or flake salt
Special equipment: mini madeleine pan
In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, olive oil, sugar, vanilla, and bourbon, until light, fluffy, and creamy. Add the flour, cornstarch, and walnut, and beat well. Refrigerate for 30+ minutes.
After cookie dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375 f. Press one teaspoon of cookie dough into each madeleine mold, pushing the dough so that the sides, top, and bottom are completely filled.
If you don't have a madeleine pan, measure out the dough in tablespoons. Form into balls, and flatten the bottoms slightly.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until browned. While cookies cook, make the ganache. Combine the heavy cream and honey in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until just simmering. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in chocolate bits and salt. Cool until mixture is slightly thickened, whisking occasionally.
To assemble: spread 1/4-1/2 tsp of the chocolate ganache in the center of the half of the cookies. Allow to set for a few minutes, and cover with the other half of cookies.
Tea pairing: A strong brisk black (i.e., Assam, Kennan, Lapsong Souchong), a roasted green tea (hojicha, or a strong Chinese green).

Happy New Year....and Apricot Bread Pudding

2011-01-02T23:43:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe its 2011 already. Its a little exciting, new year, so many possibilities and things to hope and dream for. I hope that it will be a prosperous and wonderful year for all. A year in which the world - and especially the people in it - becomes more happy.
Right now, there is a lot of uncertainty in my life. Which is why I take so many pleasure in the little things. For example, over the last week, I have been indulging in a lot of Green Ecstasy. I am sure that you are thinking all sorts of naughty thoughts of what it could be - some sort of absinthe or exotic cocktail. It is actually quite innocent, just a wickedly good potion of deep-steamed sencha sprinkled with a touch of matcha and sipped warm. The name comes from the fact that is SO green, the most verdant imaginable taste - grassy and marine and practically mossy...
And so, I've been keeping a small bowl of matcha on my counter top, and because its in my sight, sprinkling it on everything. Its slight bitterness provides a great foil to the sweetness of many desserts. And one afternoon, I toasted a piece of brioche, spread it with a little mascarpone, added a generous amount of apricot conserve, some toasted almonds, and sprinkled on that ubiquitous matcha. That combination of flavors worked so well that I knew I had to turn it into a dessert. And thus, this bread pudding was born. It is the first bread pudding recipe I've made, with a simple custard and just a little bread. It is creamy, not soggy, and the tart apricot and strong matcha balance the lusciousness beautifully.

Individual Apricot Bread Pudding with Matcha
Serves eight
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp honey5 1/4-inch thick slices of brioche (approximately 6 oz)
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp mascarpone/cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp Grand Marnier (optional)
1 cup apricot conserves (or apricot preserves, or 8 small fresh apricots)
1 tbsp matcha powder
Preheat oven to 350°f. Place eight 6-oz ramekins in one large (or two smaller) baking dishes.
Melt together butter and honey. Slather onto one side of each slice of brioche. Remove crusts, and cut each slice into approximately 1*1 inch cubes. Set aside. In a large bowl, make custard by whisking together eggs, egg yolks, mascarpone, sugar, and Grand Marnier.
Divide apricot as evenly as possible among ramekins. Arrange brioche over the apricot, so that they just overlap slightly. Cover the brioche layer with the custard, pressing down on the brioche so that it absorbs the custard. Return ramekins to baking dish, and fill dish with water until it reaches half-way up the sides of the ramekins.
Place baking dish in oven, taking care that the water does not splash into the bread puddings. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the bread is puffed up and slightly golden brown, and the custard is set. Let the pudding cool for at least 10 minutes. To serve, run a knife around the edge of the ramekin to loosen and invert quickly onto serving plate. The apricot layer should be facing up now. Sift matcha evenly over each bread pudding serving.

Happy Holidays, and Gâteau Basque

2010-12-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

How are your holidays going? I hope gloriously, with wonderful memorable moments with family and friends, and a perhaps a few equally gratifying moments to help others. For me, the holidays always involves baking. My mother appointed me household baker before my teens, and the pies, cookies, and cakes have been my responsibility ever since. I don't mind it, I actually rather enjoy the challenge of coming up and creating something that will hopefully bring a smile to someone's face. I often enjoy the making and baking of something more than I enjoy consuming it. The holidays are thus a delightful time for me: lots of people to eat my culinary experiments!
For this holiday, I wanted something that I had not made before. Nothing traditional either - no fruit cake, no gingerbread, no peppermint. Until this week, I don't think I had ever heard of gâteau basque. I found a photograph of a slice of it, and it looked rich and holiday-like with the bright bits of cherry suspended in a pale cream. I discovered that it was from the Pays Basque region of France. But was it a cake, or a tart, or a pie, or something entirely different? It looked like a sort of pie, but was called a cake. Some make the crust quite thick and cake-like, others made it flatter and tart-like. Dorie Greenspan compared it to upscale Pop Tart, and made her crust with regular all-purpose flour. According to Wikipedia, it is a cake of almond flour. Moreover, there were two different traditional fillings - according to NPR and Dorie Greenspan, pastry cream-filled one means that there is crosshatch pattern on top, and a black cherry filled one is decorated a Basque cross — a cross shaped like a rounded pinwheel — baked on the flat top.
The only way to figure out what exactly a gâteau basque was to make one. I searched through dozens of recipes. Coincidentally, I already possessed what I thought was the best recipe: in an 2008 issue of Food & Wine magazine. It came from famed chef Daniel Boulud. The crust is exquisite - more dense and rich than a cake and not as crisp or flaky as a pie or tart one, and faintly reminiscent of very rich shortbread. The recipe I had called for both pastry cream and cherries, so I did not have chose one over the other. I believe the tart cherries provided a great contrast to the luscious sweet pastry cream, making the dessert more elegant and complex. It would be beautiful with a glass of dessert wine, or a cup of strong espresso. Moreover, because it is so rich yet surprisingly light and easy to eat, a perfect ending to a holiday meal. And even though I am still not sure how to categorize it, I can assure you that is a wonderful thing.

Gâteau Basque
Slightly adapted from Food & Wine/Daniel Boulud
2 1/4 cup AP flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
13 tbsp (1 stick + 5 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
2/3 cup almond flour/finely ground almonds
zest from one lemon (preferably a meyer lemon)
Pastry Cream:
Follow THIS LINK to Thomas Keller's Bouchon and the recipe. Starts on page 278.
Cherries:
1 Generous cup of frozen cherries (or fresh, pitted cherries if they are in season)
1/4 cup kiersch or brandy
[or substitute 1 cup cherry preserves and 2 tbsp brandy/kiersch]
You will also need a 9 or 10 inch French-style tart pan with a removable bottom.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt. In a larger bowl, cream together butter and sugar until the mixture is homogeneous and very pale. Beat in egg yolks, egg, and lemon zest. In batches, beat in flour mixture and almond flour.
Scrape the pastry dough out onto a work surface and form it into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, at least 4 hours or overnight. Also, in a sterile jar, mix frozen cherries and brandy/kiersch, or cherry jam and brandy/kiersch.
In the meantime, make pastry cream. It can made it early, covered with plastic wrap and allowed to chill in the refrigerator.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the first disk of dough to a roughly 1/4-inch thickness and cut out a 12-inch round. Slide the round onto a lightly floured baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, roll the second disk out to a 1/4-inch thickness, and cut out a second 12-inch round. Transfer it to a 9 or 10 inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Lightly press the dough onto the bottom and up the side of the pan. Trim off the excess and refrigerate the tart shell until firm, about 10 minutes. The leftover scraps of dough can be used to make cookies (which will need to bake for 15-20 minutes).
Spread the pastry cream in the tart shell in an even layer and dot with the well-drained brandy cherries mixture. Cover the tart with the first round of dough and press gently to seal the edges. Trim off any excess. Brush the tart with the egg wash. Using a fork or skewer, lightly score the top of the tart in a diamond pattern.
Set the tart on a baking sheet and bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 20 minutes. Rotate the tart and transfer it to the upper third of the oven. Bake the tart for about 40 minutes longer, until golden brown on top. Transfer the tart to a large wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Holiday Cheer, with Matcha Cheesecake Swirled Brownies

2010-12-20T19:35:00.000-08:00

It seems to me that there is a segment of the population that dismisses brownies and cheesecake. Its a small segment, of course - after all, who can resist such goodies? Of course, brownies and cheesecake are not exactly healthy. But I ignore such things here, in my bit of internet real estate. I think that all things should be done in moderation - especially dessert. Dessert brings people together, it cheers up dinner parties and get-together - it will be remembered because it has that 'wow' factor. Dinner is expected, dessert is the treat. Plus, no one could possibly remain angry or sad while eating something decadent and sweet. Thus, dessert is a way to bring up your spirits, a lovely way to treat yourself. To indulge in too much of it takes away from the luxurious aspect, makes it too common. For this reason, I prefer desserts in which the portion size is small or variable, to make moderation easier. Brownies are particularly good for this - I like to cut mine into fairly small cubes. However, cheesecake is generally not.
So, I wanted a way to incorporate cheesecake into a smaller, bite-sized dessert. Brownies, and other bar cookies/cakes are particularly humble, and unfortunately, seem to have acquired a reputation for not being sophisticated. And there is just no reason for this. If ice cream and chocolate cake can be fashionable and endlessly reworked and infused with various flavors, so can a brownie. I somehow wanted to fuse matcha tea and cheesecake into a grown-up, high-end brownie. When I did, the boy and I were both pleasantly surprised - the dessert looked elegantly Christmas-like, with its vivid green bits swirled into a chocolate base. The slightly grassy aspect of the matcha makes a great foil to the creamy tangy cheesecake and rich, dense chocolate.
And so, if you are feeling not in the holiday spirit - or just a bit stressed out - I highly recommend cheering up with a little chocolate. Especially brownies. Or cheesecake. Or, like me, both, just combine the two.

Matcha Cheesecake Swirled Brownies
Brownie:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into small cubes
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into very small pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup EACH granulated and golden-brown sugars
2/3 cup AP flour
Matcha Cheesecake Layer:
6 oz. cream cheese, VERY soft
2 tbsp heavy cream
scant 1/4 cup caster (or fine) sugar
1/2 to 1 tbsp matcha* (powdered Japanese green tea)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9*9*2 inch baking pan with parchment paper and use butter to grease the sides. Using a double-boiler or a metal/Pyrex bowl suspended over gently simmering water, melt together the chocolate, butter, and olive oil. Stir constantly using a rubber spatula and remove from heat as soon as everything has melted and combined. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, and whisk in the two sugars into the eggs. Use the rubber spatula to fold the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Sift in flour and cocoa powder, and fold in so that the mixture is just incorporated. Do not overmix, as you want to minimize air bubbles in the brownies. Pour batter into pan.

To make the matcha-cheesecake layer, combine cream cheese, heavy cream, and sugar, and whisk vigorously. Sift in the matcha powder, and fold until just incorporated. Drop spoonfuls of the matcha-cheesecake mixture on top of the brownie layer, and swirl using a large skewer, frosting spatula, or thin-bladed knife. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out with moist crumbs adhering to it.
*If your matcha is very fresh and of good quality, you can use less. If less fresh or less than high quality, you want to use more to achieve the green coloring.

~~P.S. There is still time to enter my giveaway. It is open until 11:59 a.m PST Wednesday December 22. Just leave a comment after the post below stating specifically that you would like to enter.~~

A Giveaway...and some Snappy Gingersnaps

2010-12-14T00:24:00.000-08:00

Yes, I realize that I disappeared for a week and a half. All I can sheepishly say that I was busy. And I return with good things. For starters, I bring treats. A new recipe - for simple but still quite good gingersnaps - and a GIVEAWAY! It is a Darjeeling-themed giveaway with a bit of sweetness and spice added in for good measure.

The giveaway includes:

*A black sealed canister of Mariage Freres Rose d'Himalaya. The canister comes in the Mariage Freres 'gift box', with the company's elegant French seal on both the box and canister. The tea itself is gorgeous - a beautifully reddish Darjeeling that naturally smells and tastes of roses.
*A bottle of Darjeeling Tea Honey. This is one of my favorite honeys - infused very delicately with a hint of tea.
*Two noir chocolate bars from Maison Bouche - the Fleur de Sel (sea salt) and Cardamome et Citron Glacee (cardamom and candied orange peel).
~~How to enter:~~
~~-Leave a comment stating that you are interested in entering the giveaway.~~
~~-For extra entries: I have recently joined Twitter. You may follow me on Twitter, and/or if you tweet about the giveaway. If you chose this option, please let me know in a separate comment.~~
~~Please include a link to your blog/email address/other contact information so that I can contact you should you win.~~
The giveaway ends at 11:59 a.m.. PST on Wednesday, December 22, who will be notified shortly after it ends.

And now, the simple thin, 'snappy' gingersnap recipe:
Gingersnaps
Makes about 30 cookies, or about 15 sandwiches
-1 cup AP flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-pinch each of saffron and nutmeg
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
-6 tbsp of butter, at room temperature
-1/3 cup golden-brown sugar
-2 tbsp molasses
-1 large egg white
In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, saffron, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. In a separate, larger bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add molasses and egg white. Mix together butter-molasses mixture and dry ingredients.
Dust a silicon mat/very clean counterboard (or a pastry board) lightly with flour. Roll the dough into a log with an approximately 2 inch diameter (will be about 6-7 inches long). Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze at least 1 hour (or overnight).
Remove from refrigerator. Leave the dough at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes. Slice off 1/2 inch round, roll to 1/8-1/4 inch flatness, and use approximately 2-inch diameter cookie cutter to cut out shape. Freeze on baking sheet/large plate as you continue to cut. Cover with plastic wrap (or put hardened cookies in a freezer bag), and allow the cut out cookies for freeze for at least 1 hour.
Bake at 350°F. Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with butter. Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until they have turned crisp and darkened in color. Remove and cool thoroughly.
If desired, sandwich with 'cheesecake' like filling, which is 3/4 cup softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup whipping cream, and 1/4 cup powdered sugar whipped together until stiff peaks just form.

Apple-Polenta Cakes

2010-12-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

I must apologize. Yes, this is another simple fruit dessert. Again, it involves apples. How does anyone resist an juicy, sweet, crisp apple? It was an apple that that tempted Eve and supposedly to have lead to the downfall of all humanity. Golden apples cause Atalanta to lose the mythical footrace. One of Hercules' tasks was to fetch those golden apples...the apples that had been a wedding gift to the king of the gods himself. And if apples are prized by gods and devils, how can a mere mortal such as myself resist?
I pick them up by the bagful at farmer's markets. I found the most beautiful variety - the Rome Beauty. It could have been the apple that the Wicked Stepmother used to tempt Snow White - with a glossy crimson skin and a gorgeously translucent white flesh with faint red vein.

I just discovered that they are considered great baking apples. Of course, I had already baked them. Not only did I turn those beauties into part of small, faintly cornbread-like cakes, but I managed to eat three of them in less than twenty-four hours. The cakes themselves are my favorite type - addictive, not overly sweet, with a few flavors that are exquisitely balanced, so none over-power. They work well for breakfast as well as a nice humble after-dinner sweet.

Apple-Polenta Babycakes
Adapted from Gourmet
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp COLD butter
3 Roma Beauty or Gala Apples
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or cinnamon or clove)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup finely-chopped pecans
3/4 cup AP flour
1/2 cup stone-ground polenta (or cornmeal)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5/8 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large egg

Whipped Cheesecake-like Cream-1 cup heavy cream
-1/4 cup creme fraiche* (see HERE for recipe)
-1/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature*
-1/4 cup caster/fine sugar (or more if you prefer)
Put all the ingredients into a cooled mixing bowl. Whisk together briskly until soft peaks form (do not overwhip).
*You can substitute all creme fraiche or all cream cheese if you do not have one of those on hand.

***p.s.. Please check out Brandi's wonderful blog, pizzelle's bakery, for an interview with yours truly. {link}***

Have a Pudding, Cupcake

2010-11-30T13:52:00.000-08:00

(Pudding Individual Cake version)

For the last few holiday seasons, I have been making similar chocolate cupcakes. Its hard to go wrong with chocolate, or cupcakes, how can you possibly go wrong with chocolate cupcakes? These are a go-to party favorite of mine because they are a crowd-pleaser - a higher percentage of cocoa than most chocolate recipes, and fluffed up with olive oil instead of butter. I made masses and masses last year. I gave some to my family, and certain people horded them away. I kept one or two myself, to be eaten with a spoon after being warmed and saturated with cream.

(Cupcake version)

This year, I wondered why I had to wait for a party? I turned those little cupcakes into a sort of pudding cupcake. I baked them in individual ramekins - they are fairly heavy for something that tastes surprisingly light - and poured orange-scented heavy cream and cool mascarpone over those hot little babies. The cream soaks into the aerated cake, and you will need a spoon - no, a fork will not do - to eat these. The individual cakes are more to my taste than the cupcakes, but the cupcakes are more crowd-friendly.

Chocolate Individual Cakes 'Puddinged' with Scented Cream and Cool Mascarpone
Makes 10
1 1/4 cup AP flour, sifted
1/2 c dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp Grand Marnier
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 oz of white chocolate, chopped into small bits.
Preheat oven to 350°f . Generously butter 10 -6 oz ramekins. Make chocolate cake batter by mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt. Separately, mix together the olive oil, milk, eggs, Grand Marnier, and vanilla extract. Fold oil-milk into the dry ingredients, but do not overmix. Pour a scant 1/4 of batter into each ramekin. Sprinkle white chocolate bits over this, and drizzle 1/2 to 1 tbsp of remaining cupcake batter (depending on how much is leftover) over white chocolate, so that some of the white chocolate still peeps through.
Arrange ramekins on a baking sheet, and bake for approximately 25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10+ minutes before serving with cream and cool mascarpone/cream cheese.
Cream mixture + Mascarpone:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar, divided into 2 equal halves
1 tsp orange-blossom water and/or Grand Marnier
1 cup mascarpone/cream cheese
Mix all but 1 tbsp of heavy cream, 1/2 of sugar (2 tbsp), and orange blossom/Grand Marnier together, and serve in a small pitcher/jar, to be poured over warm puddinged cakes. Whip together mascarpone (or cream cheese) and remaining sugar and cream until the mixture has softened, and serve in a small bowl for guests/family/friends to add as desired.

Chocolate-Mascarpone Cupcakes
Makes 12
Chocolate cupcake batter
1 1/4 cup AP flour
1/2 c dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
Mascarpone mixture
3/4 cup mascarpone, at room temperature* (see below)
1 tbsp heavy cream
1 large egg white
1 tbsp Grand Marnier
1 tsp orange blossom water
Preheat oven to 350°f. Line full-sized muffin/cupcake pan with foil or other sturdy cupcake papers. Make chocolate cupcake batter: Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt. Separately, mix together the olive oil, milk, eggs. Fold oil-milk into the dry ingredients, but do not overmix. To make mascarpone mixture, whisk together the mascarpone and heavy cream until well-incorporated. Whisk in egg white, Grand Marnier, and orange blossom water.
To assembly: pour approximately 2 tbsp of chocolate batter into each lined cupcake mold in your pan. Over this, add 1 tbsp of mascarpone mixture, and into the center of this, 1 tbsp of chocolate batter. hen divide the remaining mascarpone mixture between cupcakes (should be approximately 1 generous tbsp), and top off by dividing remaining chocolate cupcake batter between cupcakes.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a cake test inserted into the center comes out clean of chocolate batter. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before removing from pan.
*can substitute 5/8 cup softened cream cheese (10 tbsp) and 2 tbsp of heavy cream for mascarpone and heavy cream.

Apple Brie Walnut Tart

2010-11-26T04:59:00.000-08:00

So, this tart I had been dreaming of making for the last three months turned out well. I am not sure if this is good or bad. Good because I have been looking forward to it and because its always nice to have things turn out well, and bad because I wish I made it earlier. I hope that the apple season is not over yet, because I do not think I can wait until autumn to have it again. It is a delicious and complex concoction. All the flavors in this come through - the buttery rich crust hits you first, the unexpected salty-creamy brie next, the crisp thin apples and a faint bit of honey, and it finishes with the walnut and thyme. Thus, it is not truly a dessert. Perhaps for a lunch or brunch treat on lazy light weekend?
The original inspiration is one of my favorite sandwiches: a few thin Fuji apples slices and some brie on a small walnut roll. I love the combination of apple, nuts, and cheese, but the bread was not quite right. Plus, I am so perfectly enchanted with my newly acquired ability to roll out pastry dough with little fuss and so will use any excuse to make more. Really, I can't recommend making your own pastry strongly enough: after the first few times, it will become much easier. And homemade pastry is worth the effort, it is really is that much better than even the premiere gourmet store stuff. You can simplify the process by breaking it up: for example, I freeze the butter overnight, make the dough before getting dressed in morning and chill it while I dress, and then I am ready to roll it. I press the dough into the pan, cover the whole thing up, and stick it back in the refrigerator until I am ready to make myself the tart (or pie).

Apple Brie Walnut Tart
1 all-butter pastry shell with 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3 tbsp (light) honey
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup chopped walnut (can substitute pecans)
6-7 oz brie, thinly sliced
3-4 small Honeycrisp (or similar crisp-sweet baking apple), coarsely peeled, cored, sliced into 1/8 rounds
1 tsp juice from a lemon (preferably a meyer lemon)
5-7 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
See here for all-butter pastry shell recipe. During the first step of combining flour and salt, add the nutmeg.
While shell is blind-baking: Melt together the honey and butter, set aside. Prep apples by coarsely peeling, coring, and slicing into 1/8 doughnut-shaped rounds, and pour lemon juice over apples. Prep brie by slicing as thinly as possible. Melt together the butter-honey mixture.
Assemble tart: Preheat oven to 395°f. Gently press all but 1 tbsp of the walnut pieces into the prepped shell. Over this, layer brie slices as evenly as possible. Next, layer apple slices in two rows, make sure that the slices overlap in a manner that covers the cored area (see photograph of tart). Sprinkle remaining 1 tbsp of walnut pieces. Then, use a pastry brush to apply the honey-butter mixture. Sprinkle 1/2 of thyme leaves onto the tart. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven. Sprinkle remaining thyme over tart. Allow to cool for 10 - 25 minutes before removing from pan and slicing. This tart is best served warm.

Pain d'Epice with Kumquat-Marmalade Butter

2010-11-21T22:08:00.000-08:00

For those of you celebrating Christmas, do you realize that there are only 33 shopping days left? I certainly had not. I've been distracted with other things, and the holidays just sort of crept up on me. It only hit me when I went to this little gourmet shop, and they had my favorite truffle butter (yum!)...which is a holiday-only thing. To help put myself into the spirit, I decided to make a holiday-ish dessert.
And anyway, I found the first kumquats I've seen this season at the shop. They were still a touch green, but local, fresh, and gloriously tiny and thin-skinned. And certain citruses reminds me of winter and old-fashioned Christmases - there are so many exotic varieties that are available as the weather cools.

Pain d'epice translates loosely to 'spiced bread', or in today's thought, 'gingerbread'. It has a traditional feel - being craggy and dark with a slightly sticky moistness and full of spicy warm. Since it dates back to the Middle Ages and is usually eaten around Christmas or year's end, it is traditional. However, the recipe I used breaks from strict convention, which dictates that it is to be made of rye flour, anise, clove, and nutmeg. Instead, this more cake-like version comes from Suzanne Goin's excellent and beautiful Sunday Supppers at Lucques. It has all-purpose flour, ginger, and lots of honey. And although this is only the second year that I made it, I think it will become a delicious part of the holiday season for me.
Last year, I did not made the kumquat marmalade butter, but instead slathered it with butter and honey. Both ways are delicious, but pairing it with the marmalade butter adds a very Christmas-y element. I suppose the scent of baked goods, of honey and spices and citrus, that is just so exquisitely appropriate for the holidays...and I think it would make a glorious family or friends breakfast treat as well.

Pain d'Epice with Kumquat Marmalade Butter
Very closely adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin
Pain d'Epice
3/8 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp butter
2 cup AP flour (will have to be sifted)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
2 extra-large eggs
1 extra-large egg yolk
1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated ginger (including juice)
Preheat oven to 350°f. Butter a 10-inch loaf pan.
In a saucepan, bring the honey, brown sugar, and water to a boil, stirring frequently. As soon as it boils, remove mixture from heat. Whisk in butter. Slowly sift in 1 cup of the flour, whisking continuously. Set aside.
Sift together remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Separately, whisk together eggs, egg yolk, ginger. Whisk honey mixture into the egg mixture. Slowly fold the remaining dry ingredients into the batter in three parts (be cautious and slow - you don't want the mixture to be lumpy).
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until loaf is firm and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan and slicing.
Slather with kumquat marmalade butter and serve warm (or toasted). If you do not wish to make kumquat-marmalade butter or cannot find kumquats, you can use mix together store-bought marmalade, unsalted butter, and a bit of sugar to replicate the flavor.
Kumquat Marmalade Butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
1/2 lb kumquats
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
scant 1/4 cup confectioner's/powdered sugar
pinch of salt
Make marmalade: In a medium saucepan, bring the cup of sugar and 2 cups of water to boil, making sure that the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the kumquats, and cover the fruit with a piece of parchment to keep submerges. Turn the heat to low, and cook for about 25 minutes, or until kumquats are translucent. Drain the fruit, reserving the sugar syrup. When the kumquats are cool enough to handle (should not be more than 10 minutes), cut them in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut the halves lengthwises into 1/8-inch slices.
Finish the butter: Cream the butter and confectioner's sugar together until light and fluffy. Add all but 3 tablespoons of the chopped candied kumquats, a tablespoon of reserved sugar syrup, and a pinch of salt. Mix to combine, and add more syrup if desired.

Fig Pecan Brown Butter Individual Cakes

2010-11-15T21:20:00.000-08:00

I once mentioned something about the wicked sensuality of figs. Certainly, they are a special fruit. Maybe its the tender blushing flesh - the exposed insides of a fig just seem so utterly naked - or something about the connotation of fig leaves. Both wanton and modest, sacred and profane. Or perhaps its just the taste: so unlike any other fruit or vegetable that I cannot imagine comparing it to another.
It is the very unusual taste that makes them so wonderful for such a wide variety of recipes. I only discovered the fig about three years ago, and even then it was a supermarket fig. Even though it was a little lacking in flavor, it was still enchanting. Up until last week, I've been using figs in savory dishes - their very delicate sweetness offsets other ingredients wonderfully. What changed last week is that I chanced upon small Black Mission figs, fresh from the farm. O, and they were divine. They had a delectable figgy flavor, the perfect amount of sweetness, and were obviously, beautifully tree-ripen. Tomorrow, I'm going back to get some more...
And of course, since the figs were so wonderful, I simply had to transform them into something baked and sweet and comforting. Just the ingredients for these little cakes makes me wish I had some left...figs, honey, cream, brown butter, toasted pecans. You can even double or triple the recipe, and stick unbaked ones in the refrigerator so you can have a warm little cake whenever you need one.

Fig Pecan Brown Butter Cakes
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3 tbsp honey
1 large egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp AP flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup toasted, coarsely ground pecans (To toast: place pecan halves in 325°f oven for 15 minutes)
4 small figs
Cut the butter into small cubes. In a small saucepan, brown the butter until it is nut-brown. Remove from heat immediately. Allow the butter to cool for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare ramekins: use some of the browned butter to grease 4 6-oz ramekins. Cover the bottom of each ramekin with a circular piece of parchment paper that completely covers the bottom.
In a medium bowl, combine browned butter, honey, and heavy cream. In a separate larger bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and pecans. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour the butter-honey mixture. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet with your whisk.
Cut the figs in half. Place two halves in each ramekin. Pour batter over the figs, so that the batter covers each fig half.
Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 325°f. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the surface of the cake springs back when gently pressed. Allow the cakes to cool for approximately 10 minutes before removing from ramekins. Serve with softly whipped cream.

Pear-Ginger-Pecan Everyday Cake

2010-11-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am using pears, and ginger, again. Every season, or every few weeks, it seems that I fall in love with some ingredient. We must be approaching the last of the pears, and I want to use as many as possible before they disappear until next year. The Warren (European) pears I found at the market are about half the size they were in early fall. Despite their small size and abnormal shapes, they are still deliciously sweet and crisp. Plus, with the cold weather coming, there are fewer and fewer fresh local fruits available, and I need to get some vitamin C.
Vitamin C is still particularly important to me because I am still suffering from a cold. Pears are supposed to be a good source for it. Ginger is equally important, as it is considered a possible cure to the common cold in many Asian countries, including China and India. You can put it in tea, of course. A more direct way to use ginger comes from my mother, who would drop some tiny pieces of fresh ginger root into a bit of warmed-up honey to help cure coughs and sore throats.
Being inclined to baking things, I thought I could use some of my pears in cake form, and throw in a little restorative ginger. The following recipe can be made with canned or fresh pears, and it used both fresh and dry ground ginger. After I ate a slice, I realized it really, really needed a bit of nutty crunch, and added pecans to the top of each slice. Since its such a simple, throw-ingredients-together type of cake, it is quite perfect for a sick-day - or any other day that needs a bit of comforting or warming up.

Pear-Ginger-Pecan Cake
1 1/4 cup ap flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp grated/ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter, softened
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup crushed/pureed fresh/canned pear (I used two small fresh pears - if using canned pear, drain puree well before using)
10-12 pecan halves (can be finely chopped and added to batter or used to decorate the cake)
1 tbsp of powdered sugar
Prepare a 9-inch (or 8 x 2) round pan by greasing the sides and covering the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°f.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and grated nutmeg. Set aside. In a smaller bowl, combine sugars, butter, buttermilk, eggs and whisk well. Add the sugar-buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl, whisk well. Fold in pears, fresh ginger, and pecans.
Pour batter in prepped pan. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes (closer to 30 for 9-inch pan).
Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes before inverting pan over a plate to remove cake.

Coconut Laddoos

2010-11-08T14:29:00.001-08:00

On Friday, I made these coconut laddoos. The most difficult part of making them is grating (or scraping away the insides of) the coconut - its a time-consuming process - but it was well-worth the effort. They are similar to a coconut macaron, but require no baking or eggs, are much more moist and taste more coconut-y and more complex because of the addition of cardamom.
Coconut Laddoos
1 fresh coconut, finely grated
Sugar - 1/2 weight of coconut (i.e., for 200 grams of grated coconut, use 100 grams of sugar)
ground cardamom - 1/4 tsp for every 200 grams of coconut
In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine all ingredients. Heat the mixture at medium-high heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon or heat-proof rubber spatula. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture starts to clump together. Form laddoo/sphere-shapes as soon as mixture is cool enough to handle.
I made about 8 2-tbsp-sized laddoos, using one small coconut.

I apologize that this post is so brief - I am just beginning to recover from a severe cold that has been going around in my area.

Pear and Walnut Crema Tart

2010-11-02T16:01:00.001-07:00

Do you ever have something so good that you want to grab everyone you know and tell them "TRY THIS!"? That is how I feel about A-16's walnut crema. Its delicious nutty and rich, with a texture that is similar to hummus. Also like hummus, it is a healthier to satisfy your craving for something creamy and flavorful. And it can be whipped up in practically no time, and stores well in a sealed bottle in a refrigerator. I also have to tell you that you can eat it in a variety of ways - the original recipe calls for the crema to be topped with roasted asparagus and a truffle-spiked sheep's milk - I had mine with haricots vert and slathered onto a slice of levain, and I plan on using it in some sort of pasta dish. I even saved some of it for this pear tart that I have been dreaming of.

Walnut Crema
Adapted from A-16 Food + Wine
salt
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, diced
1 very small garlic clove, minced finely
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add walnuts and cook for 8 - 10 minutes, or until the walnuts are tender through. Reserve 3 tbsp of walnut-water, and drain the walnuts.
In a saute pan, heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. Add shallot and garlic, and a pinch of salt, and cook until golden brown and tender - about 5 minutes.
Combine the shallot mixture, walnuts, and reserved walnut-water in a food processor, and grind until the consistency is similar to that of hummus. Slowly add the 2 tbsp of olive oil.

The tart is a little different than my usual recipe - it can be eaten for dinner with a salad of arugula lightly dressed with some lemony olive oil, or it can be consumed as a sweet - maybe with a lightly sweetened whipped creme fraiche. I had it for lunch with a few little slivers of blue cheese. Also, if you use a a strong vegan cheese and shortening-based pastry crust rather than this buttery one, you can probably adapt it to a vegan diet.
Pear + Walnut Crema Tart
1 all-butter pastry (see HERE the recipe for a 10-inch crust)
Walnut Crema (best if you make it the night before so the flavors grow stronger - recipe above)
2 tbsp of mascarpone/cream cheese
2 large bosc or Warren pears, cored and thinly sliced
4-5 large sprigs of lemon thyme
3-5 walnut halves, chopped into small pieces
1 tbsp of honey for drizzling
2 tbsp of crumbled blue cheese
Preheat oven or broiler to high setting.
Prepare pastry crust. On the warm crust, spread the walnut crema as evenly as possible. Break off small bits (about 1/4 flattened pieces) of the mascarpone/cream cheese with your fingers and distribute over the crust.
Starting at the edge of the tart, arrange the pear slices in a circular pattern, making the pear slices overlap slightly. Make sure the slices completely cover the crust. Sprinkle with lemon thyme leaves and chopped walnuts, and drizzle honey over the pear slices. Broil for about 5 minutes, or until pear slices have turned golden-brown. Remove from oven/broiler, and top with blue cheese crumbles while tart is still hot. Allow to cool for 10+ minutes prior to slicing and serving.

Darjeeling + Rose + Honey + Cardamom + Chocolate Tart

2010-10-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

Inspiration comes from a variety of sources. For example, take the title of my site, 'Darjeeling Dreams'. The 'Dreams' comes from the way that the site serves as a storage unit for photographs and other bits that I find lovely. The 'Darjeeling' part is more complex. It is a reflection of my love for tea, but also that I prefer drinking Darjeeling tea with most desserts. Also, a short while before I created the site, I was standing in line at an ice cream shop and in front of me was a Indian mother and her grown daughter, speaking in an Indian language. One of the flavors at the shop that day was an Darjeeling ice cream, and both were puzzled about what it was. The daughter thought it was some sort of a green tea. Which made me sad - that something wonderful and luxurious that is produced in India is generally exported away. And thus, 'Darjeeling' reflects me in that my ancestry is Asian Indian, but I was born and brought up in foodie and Asian-influenced San Francisco bay area.
Although tea has become very chic and tea shops are become prolific in my area, most of what is consumed comes from Thailand, Taiwan, China, or Japan. Darjeeling is sadly neglected, so much so that I usually order mine from France (from Mariage Freres). Darjeeling tea is often called the 'champagne of teas', as it is bright amber in color, with a flowery scent, light-bodied and has a note of muscatel. The comparison to champagne is doubly-fitting because Darjeelings are among the most expensive and prized teas in the world. The cost varies by origin of the tea, the part of the tea bush that the leaf came from, and by the 'flush', or harvest. The finest are the special-finest-tippy-golden-flowery-orange pekoe (or S.F.T.G.F.O.P. 1), which means that only the small, most tender top-of-the-branch leaf is used - the 'f.o.p.' or flowery orange pekoe, that these are fine golden tips - the 't.g.' , and the '1' indicates that it is the first harvest of the year - the early spring harvest. Another factor to take into account is the estate producing the tea. According to Mariage Freres, there are currently 87 tea estates, and of the ones that I have tried, Margaret's Hope and Castleton are my favorites.
The focal point, the inspiration, of this tart is chocolate tart is Darjeeling tea. Since my site is named for the tea, I've been wanting to use it in a recipe for a while, but the recipe had to be the right one. It had to be special. This tart is most definitely that. I wish I had made it for some sort of occasion. It is perhaps the most indulgent and romantic dessert that I have made yet. Its too rich to keep to yourself, so share it with someone - or someones.

{click on photograph to see larger + more clearly}

For it, I used tea-infused honey and sacrificed some of my Margaret's Hope. Margaret's Hope is very flowery, and just a touch more brisk than Castleton. I paired it with cardamom and just the faintest hint of rose. These flavors were combined into a chocolate tart with a rich buttery crust. If you chose to make the same tart, you can change the flavors easily. For example, you could use caramel instead of honey, omit the rose, use Earl Grey instead of Darjeeling and nutmeg, clove, and/or cloves rather than cardamom, add hazelnuts or walnuts to the tart shell, and you'd have a autumn-appropriate tart.

Darjeeling + Rose + Honey + Cardamom + Chocolate Tart
Shell:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes and frozen for 1+ hour
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp honey
Chocolate filling
12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/4-in bits
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp rosewater
1 cup cream
1.5 tbsp loose Darjeeling (or Oolong or Earl Grey) tea leaves
10 coarsely crushed cardamom pods, and 2 finely crushed (separately)
Make pastry dough: mix together flour and salt on your work surface. Blend in most of the butter (reserve about 6 little cubes in the freezer) with your fingertips or a pastry blender just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps.
Drizzle honey over the mixture. Then, gradually drizzle 2 tbsp ice water over mixture while gently mixing with a fork.
Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn’t hold together, add more ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring until just incorporated, then test again. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, and press into a ball. Wrap disk in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour. In the meantime, prep a circular 10-in or rectangular 14 x 4.5 inch tart pan by brushing melted butter onto the bottom and sides of the pan, and covering the bottom with parchment/wax paper.
When you are ready to roll out the dough, make sure your countertop (or rolling surface) is very, very clean, and flour (rice flour is best, I found) lightly. Flour the rolling pin as well, and reserve a handful of flour. Roll out ball as thinly and evenly as possible. Fold dough in half, and roll out again, keeping the shape rectangular or circular (depending on your tart pan), and as even in thickness as possible, Fit dough into prepped tart pan: press dough against side of pan and leave 1/4 inch above sides. Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice.
Preheat oven to 350°f, and chill prepped pasty dough while the oven heats. Bake for 20+ minutes, or until the sides are set. Turn the oven up to 375°f, remove foil and weights/beans/rice from tart, and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the tart shell is golden and flaky.
Make the chocolate ganache filling: After putting the tart shell in the oven, infuse the cream: combine cream, darjeeling tea leaves, and 10 coarsely crushed cardamom pods in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, remove from heat, and allow the mixture to sit for at least ten minutes. Use a knife or food processor to mince the chocolate. Combine in a large metal/heatproof bowl, add 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp honey, 1/4 tsp rosewater.
After the tart is removed from the oven, strain the cream, pressing down on contents to maximize flavor. Add the 2 well-crushed cardamom pods to the cream. Set up double boiler, or suspend the large heatproof bowl over simmering water. Combine the chocolate and cream mixtures. Whisk until chocolate has just melted and mixture is smooth and remove from heat immediately. Pour into tart shell, and allow the tart to cool in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the chocolate filling is set.

...Have a happy weekend

2010-10-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

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Some beautiful photographs to take into the weekend. These are from alicia griffith's Flickr photostream. They remind me of 'Wuthering Heights'...civilized yet controlled...and strangely compelling and beautiful.

-----
...I will be back on Sunday night/Monday morning with a recipe. In the meantime, I thought I would answer some frequently asked questions.
- Where can I find rosewater/orange blossom water? Rosewater is fairly easy to find, Whole Foods Market carries it, as do most Indian or Middle Eastern stores. Both rosewater and orange blossom can be found at Sur La Table, online at Kalustyan's, or in the San Francisco area (or online) at Boulette's Larder.
- How I do I frost a cake? I am a beginner when it comes to frosting too. The Wilton's videos on YouTube have some great tips.

Black Forest Brownies

2010-10-20T19:36:00.001-07:00

Last night, after I made a tart and roasted and pureed a whole butternut squash, the boy asked if I could make something for him to give to some clients. He wanted something 'plain', because apparently there are people in the world who don't like flowers and spices in their food. We decided to come up with the simplest, most 'non-ethnic' sweet possible. This lead us into a discussion of which would be more appropriate - chocolate chip cookies or brownies. What do you think? Which is more comforting and normal, so to speak?

Since chocolate chip cookies are best if the dough is allowed to rest for 24-36 hours, I decided to make brownies. Ever since I made the black forest gateau, I've been dreaming of hiding cherries in a batch of brownies. Cherries are remarkably beautiful, aren't they? Not only are they a gorgeous, burgundy-wine color, but they are shaped like small slightly too round hearts. If only the bottom formed a point (and they grew in winter), I'm sure we would see a deluge of them at Valentine's day. They are romantic, grown-up, and luscious, with a brighter juiciness and greater sensuality than nice, pretty strawberries. In this case, the cherries blended into the chocolate seamlessly, almost invisibly, and provided a beautiful luscious contrast to the rich chocolate . The brownies were more dense and moist than a layer cake could ever be, with an intense chocolate flavor, as there are eight ounces - half a pound - of bittersweet chocolate, in addition to the standard cocoa powder. I loved them, more than the three or so other brownie recipes I've tried in the past. Which made them worth staying up until three in morning to finish making, I suppose.

Black Forest Brownies
(my own recipe)
14 tbsp butter (2 sticks minus 2 tbsp)
3 tbsp olive oil
8 oz bittersweet chocolate pieces (I used Callebaut's)
3 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1 cup EACH granulated sugar and dark brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup AP flour
1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa
1 cup of frozen sweet cherries, cut into halves
Optional: adding 1-2 tbsp of kirsch to the cherries
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with foil and use butter to grease the foil. Using a double-boiler or a metal/Pyrex bowl suspended over gently simmering water, melt together the chocolate, butter, and olive oil. Stir constantly using a rubber spatula and remove from heat as soon as everything has melted and combined. In a large bowl, whisk the egg, and whisk in the two sugars and vanilla. Use the rubber spatula to fold the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Sift in flour and cocoa powder, and fold in so that the mixture is just incorporated. Gently fold in cherries. Do not overmix, as you want to minimize air bubbles in the brownies. Pour batter into pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is shiny and the brownies feel slightly firm to the touch. Cool thoroughly - 20-30 minutes - before cutting.
Serve with mascarpone whipped cream for a black forest cake effect. Or with a little sea salt, as I did, for a simpler snack.

Blackberry + Champagne Layer Cake

2010-10-18T15:41:00.000-07:00

Even thought the seasons may technically begin on a date determined by the relation of Earth to the sun, they do not always begin at the same time in spirit. Specifically, last week's heatwave was a teasing little snippet of a summer that never came. In the spirit of summer that hadnt the chance to live, and the newborn autumn. Blackberries are a wonderful transitional fruit - berries are always somewhat summer-like, but their dark color and deliciously mellow flavor makes them feel right in the colder weather. Yet, blackberries are fickle - you never know what you'll get - sweet or tart.
I usually eat mine with a honey mascarpone whipped cream. It is a very simple dessert, lovely and fresh, and one of my favorites. This year, I have not been able to find good blackberries. And I was in the mood for making a classic, old-fashioned cake. I wanted to use blackberry flavor in that cake - and to use dark blackberries in contrast to some snowy white frosting. Since the cake was for a party, I decided to use a celebratory drink to flavor a classic white buttermilk cake. And thus, a party cake of champagne and blackberries was born. Next time, I don't want to wait for a party to make this cake - it is lovely enough to make for yourself to enjoy with a cup of tea or maybe even a glass of champagne.

Blackberry Champagne Layer Cake
For cake:
2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp each baking soda, salt
10 tbsp butter (1 stick+ 2 tbsp), softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1/4 cup champagne/sparkling wine
+ 2/3 cup blackberry jam for spreading between layers
Prepare two 9 X 1.5 inch or 8 X 2 inch round cake pan by greasing them with butter and placing a circular cutout of parchment to cover the bottom. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix together sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, set aside. In a large bowl, whip butter until it is noticeably lighter. Add sugar, beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat the buttermilk and egg whites. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-buttermilk mixture and beat until more fluffy. Gently stir in champagne - do not overmix as you want the champagne to retain the bubbles.
Divide evenly to prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

For mascarpone whipped cream
1 1/2 cup whipping/heavy cream
1/2 cup (approximately 6 oz) mascarpone
1/4 cup powdered sugar
optional: 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla extract (I used honey in mine)
Whip together all of the ingredients in a large (preferably cooled metal) bowl, until soft peaks form. If you need to take a break while whipping, place bowl in the freezer during this time - this will help the cream set faster.
To Assemble
Allow cakes to cool for at least 10 minutes remove removing from pan. After removing, allow cakes to cool completely - at least another 15 more minutes. In the meantime, heat the blackberry jam to make it more spreadable. Then, level cakes if necessary. Brush off all crumbs. Beginning with the cake that is to be the bottom layer, spread the 2/3 cup of blackberry jam onto the cake, leaving the 1/4 inch on the edge of the cake clean. Spread a layer of mascarpone whipped cream over the blackberry layer. Carefully place the top layer of cake onto this. Frost the assembled cake with mascarpone whipped cream (I did this by spreading a thin layer of whipped cream over the cake, chilling it to set it, and then finishing with a thicker layer).

Fleur d'Oranger (inspired) Biscotti

2010-10-14T22:25:00.001-07:00

So yeah, I tend to be passionate about what I like. There's a huge range of 'things I like': books, photography, tea, cardigans... My love for all of these ranges in severity. For example, tea and I, we've been in love for years. Perfume and I, on the hand, have short little bursts until I get my hands on a few things...for a perfume person I'm remarkably particular.
Still, one of my most enduring favorites is the limited edition Fleur d'Oranger (2007 edition) by L'Artisan Parfumeur. It was made of what was supposed to be especially wonderful orange blossoms harvested in Tunisia in 2007. I fell in love with the scent. The perfume is a very true-to-life orange blossom, with a slight hint of honeycomb in the drydown. Now, since the scent is sold out, I won't describe it in any further detail. I will say that I like it enough that I wanted to somehow capture the essence of the perfume in something sweet and edible. I'm not sure why biscotti seemed right, but it did. I wanted a version that was heavy on the orange blossom, with bits of almonds and honey. Also, since practically all perfumes contain some alcohol, I added a hint of orange-scented liqueur too.
The biscotti I made is not a perfect reflection of the scent. The cookie is very scented, but this scent and flavor are complex mixtures of orange, alcohol, butter, and of course, sunny, perfumey orange blossoms. It is still quite delicious - the original recipe comes from the esteemed Chez Panisse - and it is lovely, crisp but not hard, and an beautiful cross between rich and buttery and light and crumbly. It is wonderful when dipped into wine or espresso.

Oranger Biscotti
Makes roughly 15 pieces
Adapted from Tartine, and originally from Chez Panisse
Heaping 1/4 cup of sliced almonds
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, very soft
1/4 cup sugar
1.5 tbsp honey
1 large egg
1 - 1.5 tsp orange flower water
1 tsp Grand Marnier
1 tsp orange zest
1 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Extra melted butter and honey for wash (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Toasted the sliced almond on a parchment-covered baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, or until lightly toasted and very slightly tanned.
In a large bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy. Add the honey and egg and beat until smooth. Add the scents: Grand Marnier, orange zest, orange flower water, and beat. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder and mix until just combined. Stir in the toasty almonds.
On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a log of roughly 2 inch diameter. Set the log on the parchment covered baking sheet. Glaze with butter and honey if desired.
Bake the biscotti for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned and set. Cool the biscotti log for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and cut on the diagonal into 1/2 inch slices. Return the slices, cut side down, to the parchment-covered baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are toasted. Cool completely.
The biscotti can be stored for weeks in a airtight container.

Skillet Apple Cake

2010-10-12T00:36:00.001-07:00

Here in Northern California, we don't have the beautiful and dramatic changing of the leaves, the weather instead shifts from very warm days to cool ones. The sun hangs a little lower in the sky, the light become mellow and golden. Everything becomes golden-brown - the dried grasses on the hills, the leaves piling up in the rain gutters. Markets fill with fall-colored produce, all red, golden, and burnt orange. Crisp little apples, juicy pears, hideously gorgeous kabocha squash. I dream of making a sugar pie pumpkin fondue.
The other day, I walked down to the farmer's market and found a gorgeous assortment of apples. I particularly love nutty green-gold mutsu, sweet winesaps, and crisp tart honeycrisps. This cake was the perfect use for a few of those apples. It is topped off with layer of apple slices, so that it resembles a tart. Like a French-style apple tart, the fruit caramelize just slightly while the cake bakes. Unlike a tart, however, its very humble and comforting, and smacks of family and lazy golden afternoons. It smells of butter, fruit, and cinnamon, and it is just about perfect with a cup of tea or a glass of milk.

Skillet Apple Cake
-3 tbsp sugar + 1/4 cup sugar
-1 cup all-purpose flour
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-1 egg
-2 tbsp whole milk
-4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter, softened
-2 tbsp olive oil
-2-3 Golden Delicious, Golden Supreme, or Mutsu apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat the bottom of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with olive oil. Coat the pan with 1 tbsp of the sugar.
Sift together flour, salt, baking powder. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, milk, olive oil.
In a larger bowl, cream together the butter and 1/4 cup of sugar. Stir in the flour mixture, then the milk-egg mixture. Spread the batter into the prepared skillet, using a rubber spatula.
Starting at the edge of the cake, arrange the apple slices in a circular pattern, making the apple slices overlap slightly. Make sure the slices completely cover the cake batter. Mix together the remaining 2 tbsp of sugar and cinnamon. Sift as evenly as possible over the apple slices.
Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool for at least 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a thin knife or spatula. To remove, cover the pan with a large pan, and turn the plate-pan over so the cake fall into the pan. Cover the plate with another plate, and invert again so that the cake is right-side-up.

Ispahan Cupcakes [Lychee-Rose Cupcakes with Raspberry Meringue Buttercream]

2010-09-29T04:28:00.000-07:00

Over the past weekend, I became obsessed with all things Pierre Herme. Well, actually, it began with an obsession with all things Isapahan. Isapahan is a flavor combination developed by Herme. He initially developed as a macaron for the famed Laduree. It is supposedly Laduree's most popular flavor, and Herme has since developed a cake, ice cream, jam, and even a limited edition charm utilizing the sweetly pretty combination of lychee, rose, and raspberries.
I felt that I had to hunt down some lychees. Apparently, they are out of season, and even finding a canned version took me into the depths of Chinatown - deep into an area that lacked signage in English. My can of lychees contained over a pound of the fruit. Which is why I had a Isapahan weekend - I needed to do something with it. The outer skins of the lychees had been removed, and once naked, they resemble a shell-less scallop. They were the prettiest, most pale peach-pink color, almost white, and similar to a sea scallop in texture and size. Straight out of the can, they were briny and reminded me of jackfruit. After a few rinses, I could appreciate their firm texture and delicate syrupy sweetness. I initially had ice cream in mind, but I decided to make cupcakes that night (and a lychee-rose ice cream swirled with raspberry coulis the next day).
The boy didn't expect to eat any, he adamantly said that he did not like cupcakes. However, in the end, we both ate several, and declared them to be the bestest cupcakes I had ever made.

I give you this photograph of a bitten cupcake to display the crumb - not too dry and flavorlessly fluffy, but not overly dense and heavy. The three flavors - lychee, raspberry, and rose-water - are exquisite together. I expected something sweet, fruity, and all-out-girly. What I got was a delicate sweetness, a light fruitiness, and a combination that was much more sexy-cocktail-dress than frilly tutu. This is a serious deliciously grown-up cupcake that is still a bit on the feminine side.
{P.S. This was my very first attempt with a frosting bag and tip...and the only tip I own is too small for the effect I was trying to achieve).
Isapahan Cupcakes
Inspired by THESE and THESE, which were inspired HIM
Makes approximately 18-20 cupcakes
Lychee-Rose Cupcakes:
1 cup + 2 tbsp cake flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
5/8 cup whole milk
2 egg whites
10 medium lychees, well-drained and pureed in a blender/food processor
1/2 cup sugar
3/8 cup butter (6 tbsp), very soft
1/2 tsp rose water (Mine is a very strong variety, feel free to adjust)
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.
Whisk together milk, egg whites, and lychees in a medium bowl.
In a larger bowl, beat together butter and sugar until very, very pale, approximately 3 minutes on medium-high if using an electric beater. Add in rose-water, then add one-half of the milk mixture, still beating. Beat in the remaining milk mixture, then beat this wet mixture and the dry ingredients together. Beat until mixture is homogeneous and airy.
Use 2 oz. souffle/nut/tasting cups. Place on a baking sheet. Fill each cup about 1/2 full (you can go just a little over instead of under). Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a cake test inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool for approximately 10 minutes.
Raspberry Meringue Buttercream
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home To Yours
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg whites
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, very soft
3 tbsp raspberry puree (see here for a recipe on making your own)
Put the sugar and egg whites in a large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water (or use a double boiler) and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny, slightly opaque and white. Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6 to 10 minutes. During this time, the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again. On medium speed, gradually beat in the raspberry puree. You should have a deeply pink , smooth buttercream.
P.P.S. I shall be a bit busy until October 10, due to a certain big exam. Which is why the photography section has been missing.

Living Life + Lemon Tart

2010-09-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a lot of reasons as to why people are delighted by that slight chill in the night air. You might have already guessed that a few of my reasons might revolve around food. One particular foodie delight that I have been missing this summer is the Meyer lemon. I have several cookbooks that were written by California-based chefs. Every one of those includes a recipe or a bit about the Meyer lemon. Many California food-types grow them at home. Mentioning them confers instantaneous foodie status.
In this case, I think they are worth the hype. Meyer lemons are so delicious. They are actually not a lemon at all, but instead are a combination of mandarin orange and lime. This makes them far juicer than a standard lemon, and more sour and sweet than one too. They are fine-skinned, not as porous as a regular lemon, and so perfect for zesting. All of these qualities mean that they are much nicer for desserts. Lucky for me, my parents have one prolific Meyer lemon tree. It produces fruit and flowers all year 'round, but the zest and the flesh are inferior during the warm summer months. These are the first good-quality lemons of this season.

In addition to have half a dozen lovely lemons, I have a new French tart pan. It even has sticker on the bottom declares that it was "Made in France" (yes, simple things like that make me smile). The pan is one of those old-fashioned metal ones, with knife-sharp edges that are help with the crust. Its been sitting on my dining table for two weeks, and I've been trying to think of the perfect tart to inaugurate my latest kitchen addition. When I discovered to those lemons, I knew a thin little tart was the right use for my little golden horde. You can also use regular lemons for this tart, I am sure, but I would increase the amount of sugar in the curd by a tablespoon or two. The pine nuts are the wonderfully mellow yet hearty accent for the sharp lemon, but I think chopped pistachios or hazelnuts might work well too.
Meyer Lemon Tart
{All-butter pastry dough + Lemon Curd + pine nuts}
Shell:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes and frozen for 1+ hour
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Curd:
1/2 lemon juice (approximately 3.5 small Meyer lemons)
2 tbsp lemon zest
4 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
+ 2 tbsp of pine nuts for tart
Make pastry dough: mix together flour, sugar, and salt on your work surface. Blend in most of the butter (reserve about 6 little cubes in the freezer) with your fingertips or a pastry blender just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps.
Gradually drizzle 2 tbsp ice water over mixture while gently mixing with a fork.
Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn’t hold together, add more ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring until just incorporated, then test again. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, and press into a ball. Wrap disk in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
While dough is chilling, make lemon curd. Bring a medium/large saucepan of water to a simmer. Suspend a heatproof bowl over this, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Combine lemon juice and zest, egg yolks, eggs, and sugar in the bowl. Stir constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula (7 to 10 minutes).
Remove from heat, add cubes of butter. Refrigerate.
Make tart: Preheat oven to 350°f. Prepare your 10-inch tart pan: line the botton with a circular piece of parchment paper and butter the sides.
When you are ready to roll out the dough, make sure your countertop (or rolling surface) is very very clean, and flour lightly. Flour the rolling pin as well, and reserve a handful of flour. Roll out ball as thinly and evenly as possible. Spread three of the cold butter cubes onto one half. Fold dough in half, and roll out again, keeping the shape as circular and even in thickness as possible, making a 13-inch circle. Fit dough into prepped tart pan: press dough against side of pan and leave 1/4 inch above sides.
Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or with dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, or until side is set. Remove foil and weights, and press pine nuts into crust (don't put the nuts on the sides). Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden.
Remove the tart; and turn up the oven temperature to 475°f. Fill tart shell with lemon curd, smoothing top. Bake for approximately 3-5 minutes, or until the top is gently golden-brown.
Cool thoroughly, about half an hour, before serving.

Marzipan Pistachio Spring Rolls + Paris = Tokyo

2010-09-05T23:52:00.000-07:00

Along with Paris, Tokyo is the other great, sophisticated city which I would like to visit. Both cities are places I am dying to eat in and shop my way through. I cannot wait to have a cup of tea in either city. There is a similarity to both traditional Japanese and French culture: both value aesthetics, ceremony, and elegance. Its not at all surprising that both cultures have produced admirable pastry chefs and bakers. There are a few chefs whose work I would love to sample in both Japan and France.
One such chef is Japanese: Hidemi Sugino. He has trained in France and works in Japan now, and thus brings elements of both cultures to his cuisine. I was truly excited to find one Hidemi Sugino book, 'The Dessert Book' is written in English and Japanese. The book is not available in the U.S., and I had to order it from Japan. The shipping costs were higher than the actual book itself. However, the book is gorgeous, with incredibly unique recipes and breath-taking photography.
I was so disappointed that the the first recipe I chose was a failure. I blame myself and the bad English translation. The book is full of misspellings and missing information. For example, the spring rolls I chose to make did not have a baking time. Not to mention, they were supposed to be "Moroccan style" and ended being as sweet as store-bought bakalava. You know the kind: the honeyed sweetness hits the back of your throat and you feel as if you've been dipped in sugar. This is why I cut down the amount of marzipan by half and increased the amount of pistachios, using coarsely-ground pistachios instead of pistachio paste as the original recipe called for. I ended up with something that was crunchy and addictive, just as a spring roll should be, but with a delicate and unexpected sweetness.
It goes beautifully with saffron-orange blossom ice cream if you want a more complete and presentable dessert.

Marzipan Pistachio Spring Rolls
Makes a dozen rolls:
-3 ounces of pistachios, ground
-pinch of salt
-1 tsp water
-4 ounces of marzipan paste
-6 egg roll sheets, cut into half lengthwise
-egg or water for brushing
-butter or oil for brushing
-1 tbsp honey
-5-6 additional pistachios, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 325 °f. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
Combine the ground pistachio, salt, water, and marzipan paste in a food chopper or processor, making sure that the mixture is fairly homogeneous. Divide the sticky batter into 12 roughly even parts. Roll between the palms of your hands to form logs that are 1/2-1 inch shorter than length of egg roll sheets. Place each log on each egg roll sheet half, and roll loosely. Brush egg or water on edges to seal.
Lay on prepared baking sheet, leaving approximately 1/2 inch space between each. Brush with butter or oil. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden-brown on edges. Toward the end, check to make sure filling has not oozed out.
Once the rolls are cool enough to handle, dip the ends into the honey. If honey is not soft enough for dipping, you can microwave for a few seconds. After dipping, roll the honeyed end in the extra chopped pistachios.

Pistachio-Crusted Shortbread + Saffron-Orange Blossom Ice Cream = Appreciating Everything

2010-08-30T02:29:00.000-07:00

Do you ever notice how beautiful food is? Its such an intrinsic part of our lives that we often forget to look at it. Pause for a moment and observe what a beautiful shape an ordinary egg has, or what how beautifully colored raspberries and blueberries are. It is quite amazing, that such small wondrous beauty is available to so many, that something so functional is beautiful to so many of our senses.
For example, I've failed to appreciate how lovely pistachios are. I think there are a few stashed away in every room of my little loft - my cat has noticed what carryable, rattling toys they make, and she especially loves to keep me up by swatting and chasing them at three in the morning - but I never noticed their peculiar magic. I believe pistachios are the prettiest, most girlish of all nuts, with their mauve-fuchsia skins and spring green flesh. I snapped several photographs of those pistachios because they were so similar to the food-grade rosebuds I use sometimes - in both shape and color... As for their taste, I can't really describe them...they taste like a nut, like an almond or a cashew does, but a little green, very faintly herbal, and smoother and more mellow than an almond or cashew.

Pistachio-Crusted Shortbread
makes approximately 2 dozen cookies
-1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
-1/4 cup sugar
-pinch of salt
-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
-2 tbsp rice flour
-1/4 cup pistachios, chopped in a mini food chopper or food processor
Beat together the butter and sugar. Incorporate flours and salt until just combined. Roll into a log with a diameter of about 1 inch. Sprinkle pistachio pieces on a clean surface, and roll log in the crumbs until the log is covered in pieces.
Wrap with plastic wrap and freeze for one hour. During the first 15 minutes of freezing, rotate the log to ensure that the cookie log with not be flattenend on the side it was lying on.
Unwrap the roll, and cut into slices of 1/4 inch. Place on a parchment-covered (or greased) baking sheet. Put cookie-covered baking sheet in the freezer for approximately 20 more minutes.
In the meantime, preheat oven to 325 degrees f. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until just golden-brown.
Allow the cookies to cool to room temperature before removing from baking sheet.
~
And of course, it must have already occurred to you that food is also quite lovely in terms of scent as well as sight and taste. What inspired me to use a pistachio for food is this ice cream. I really liked the thought of using saffron to flavor ice cream - something of the warm golden color of saffron reminds me of the custard-like ice cream base. Not to mention that saffron goes exquisitely well with orange blossom. Orange blossom, or neroli, is a gorgeous scent...so gorgeous that is a very common addition to perfume. Orange blossom water, which I used to flavor this ice cream, is what is left after the best bit of the scent is reserved for perfumery...it comes from 'second pressing' of the blossoms, you could say...and its a beautiful addition to food and dessert. Not to mention that floral taste of the blossom water cuts through the this rich and very creamy ice cream in a way that is just heavenly.
When I paired these pistachio-crusted cookies with the saffron orange-blossom and little glasses of cool Moroccan mint tea, the boy said the look of everything reminded him of the little 'sweets' tables laid out at Middle Eastern weddings. Which made me smile.
Saffron + Orange Blossom Ice Cream
1 cup milk
  A pinch of salt
1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp crumbled saffron strands
1/8 tsp orange-blossom water
6 egg yolks  
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
Heat the milk, salt, sugar, saffron in a saucepan, at the lowest temperature possible for at least 10 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil or simmer.
Stir together the egg yolks in a bowl and gradually add some of the warmed milk, stirring constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.
Strain the custard into the heavy cream, and beat to combine. Chill for 10 minutes. Then, beat the custard for on low speed for 2 minutes (or beat with whisk for about 3 minutes). Chill for another 10 minutes. Then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

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Taste

Stranded

Sonnets/Unrealities XI
The above photographs - or more correctly, Polaroids, which fall into a distinct category of their own - are from the supremely talented Charlene W. She has a gorgeous collection of work, of just the type that I enjoy...with cozy yet lovely photographs that give you an impression of peace and beauty....
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Creme Fraiche Ice Cream + Caramel-Praline Pecan Cakes + Wonderment

2010-08-25T23:36:00.000-07:00

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Is there anything that amazes you so much that seeing it again is a little like seeing it for the first time? Your mind refuses to accept that it was as beautiful as you remembered, and you sort of forget...
This is how I feel about Lauren Treece's work. I always feel a bit of astonishment and shock at how utterly enchanting and beautiful her pieces are, how they evoke fairytales and wonderment...
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What is new in my kitchen this week is an ice cream maker. I am amazed that I lived so long without it. I LOVE ice cream, in the way that most people love chocolate or boy bands. I've waited in hour-long lines for a little tiny scoop. There have been points in my life when I've eaten ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If my mother allowed these periods to last more than a day, who knows what could have happened. Not even working at a Dairy Queen over Winter Break diminished my ~~obsession~~ love.
I've already made two types of ice cream with it. I started off with David Lebovitz's Vanilla Ice Cream (link to recipe here). It is delicious, the vanilla grabs you by the throat and the rich creaminess takes you to heaven.
But...what I really wanted to make my beloved creme fraiche ice cream. Creme fraiche is one of my current obsessions. Many people compare it to sour cream. However, sour cream is most commonly used to offset bolder flavors, and it is more one-dimensional and just plain sour. On the other hand, creme fraiche is tangy, rich, almost nutty, and can be the central focus of a dish. I had been dreaming of turning into an ice cream for months now.
So I waited impatiently for two days while my creme fraiche was being made by nature, and then I hopped to it. My first thought upon tasting the finished product was: CHEESECAKE! It tastes like a light, cool, more tangy - a summer version - of cheesecake.
Creme Fraiche Ice Cream
(Custard base adapted from David Lebovitz's vanilla ice cream recipe)
1 cup milk
A pinch of salt
1/2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks  
2 cup creme fraiche*
Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Do not allow the mixture to boil or simmer.
Stir together the egg yolks in a bowl and gradually add some of the warmed milk, stirring constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Strain the custard into the creme fraiche, and beat with a whisk to combine. Chill thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.
*To make your own creme fraiche, stir together 2 cups of heavy cream and 2 tbsp of buttermilk. Leave the mixture in a warm place (your kitchen counter should be fine) for 36-48 hours, stirring every 6 hours or so. Refrigerate after desired thickness has been reached.

After I made the ice cream, I wanted something to pair with it. I tried gingersnaps, but wasn't completely happy with the recipe. Then, I thought of bananas - I've been working on making a satisfying roasted banana mini-cake recipe, but I had no bananas. Instead, I thought of my holiday cheesecake (caramel praline pecan one)...and I used those flavors in a mini cake. It was rich yet mellow, and best of all, it went wonderfully with the ice cream.
Caramel Praline-Pecan Cakes:
Makes 4 individual cakes
(my own recipe)
Pecan Pralines:
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 tsp butter
2 tbsp golden-brown sugar
1 tbsp cream
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 375°f. Combine all of the ingredients, so that the pecans are coated with the other ingredients. Place on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until pecans are toasted. Half of this mixture will be used for the cake, reserve the remainder for decorating the cakes.
For caramel:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp + 1/4 cup water
Combine the sugar and 2 tbsp water in a small saucepan. Stir until sugar has dissolved, and wash down any sugar crystals from the side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water (I'd recommend keeping a small bowl of ice water next to the stove). Boil without stirring, swirling pan occasionally to ensure that the caramel colors evenly, until it is a dark amber color.
Remove from heat, and in a thin stream, pour the remaining 1/4 cup of water. The mixture may bubble. Remove from heat, allow it to cool. You should have just over 1/4 of caramel.
For Cake:
1/4 cup caramel
3 tbsp melted butter
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp granulated white sugar
1/4 cup of praline pecans, finely chopped
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the butter into the caramel. Whisk in the egg yolk and heavy cream. In a separate larger bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, sugars. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour the butter-caramel mixture. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients with the wet with your whisk. Fold in the pecans with a rubber spatula (or a fork).
Butter or grease four 6-ounce ramekins. Use the bottom of a ramekin to measure the diameter of your ramekins, and trace the outline on a piece of parchment paper. Cut your parchment, staying inside in the traced circle, and repeat three additional times. Use these to the line the bottom of each ramekin. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into each prepared ramekin.
I chilled the ramekins overnight, covering each with plastic wrap.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 325°f. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the surface of the cake springs back when gently pressed. Allow the cakes to cool for approximately 10 minutes before removing from ramekins.
Serve cakes topped with one-two pecan halves, and any leftover caramel you may have (caramel will keep overnight).

P.S...If you click on the 'recipes' tab directly under my blog title, there is a list of links to all the recipes I've featured.

Cardamom and Saffron Creme Brulee + Poetic Loveliness

2010-08-23T01:04:00.000-07:00

les fleurs

wakening
Chant du Matin
These photographs are from © keico....a very, very lovely photographer whose work I have admired for some time now. With such beautiful and poetic pieces as the ones above, how can I not admire?
These are just a small snippet from her Flickr page, her WEBSITE is full of equally captivating images.
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Do you ever feel like all female-focused magazines talk about is how to land a guy? What to wear, what to say, and what they say. And of course, what to cook for him. One magazine I read somewhere recommended making lemon-flavored roasted chicken to get 'him' to propose. In my opinion, anyone who proposes to a girl just because she roasted him a chicken is not really worth marrying. Even cookbooks do this: one old cookbook I have recommended making crème brûlée because apparently its supposed to be the ultimate guy dessert (and that particular recipe was terrible and fussy).

[I wanted to capture the crème brûlée while the sugar was still bubbling]
Even if its a bit old-fashioned and basic, and even if I am just a female, crème brûlée is still one of my favorite desserts. Of course, I love all things dairy, and crème brûlée is the penultimate creamy, luscious, dairy-rich dessert. Its consistency is softer than a regular custard, which makes it taste as if its melting in your mouth. And of course, there's that wonderful glass-fragile, hard burnt-caramel crust, that adds a little zing to each bite.
The first good crème brûlée I remember eating was infused with saffron and cardamom. Cardamom is fiery and highly aromatic...but whenever I smell or taste it, I think of cool milk. It reminds me too of childhood, of prayers and helping my mom remove the little black seeds from the pods, and their smell seemed to pervade everything. Even today, cardamom makes me feel warm and safe, and the smell of it brings to mind early mornings and very clean spaces. It is perhaps my very favorite spice. Saffron is fairly high up there in spices that I like, and the golden tint it leaves behind makes this particular dessert look even more rich and luxurious.
Not to mention, it is fairly easy to make. Maybe there is some enchantment in it, after all.
Cardamom + Saffron Infused Crème Brûlée
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup + 3 tbsp sugar, separated
10 cardamom pods, crushed
4 good-sized strands of saffron, crumbled
1 vanilla bean, split in half length-wise
6 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
Put the cream, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla bean halves, crushed cardamom, and crumbled saffron in a medium saucepan. Heat the mixture until warm, but do not allow it to boil.
Allow the spices to infuse the mixture: cover the saucepan and set aside for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 350°f. Set six 6 ounce ramekins in a deep baking pan. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl.
Add the pinch of salt to the cream mixture and reheat it. Very slowly, pour the egg yolks into the warm cream mixture, whisking constantly. Heat over very low heat, while stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula. Then, strain the mixture using a mesh strainer.
Divide the mixture into your ramekins. Fill the pan with warm water; the water level should be about half-way up the ramekins. Cover with foil, and carefully transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, until the custard have barely set and are still jiggly.
Carefully remove pan from the oven, remove foil (reserve for later) and allow the custard to cool in the water bath for 5-10 minutes. Then, remove them from the water bath and allow to cool to room temperature. Be a little greener: cut the reserved foil into 6 squares and use to cover each ramekin. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
When ready to serve, sprinkle each ramekin with 1/2 tbsp (1 1/2 tsp) of sugar, and caramelize the sugar using a butane torch. Place ramekin in the middle of a large plate. Wave the tip of the flame over the sugar until the sugar begins melting. Rotate the plate while doing this to ensure that each custard caramelizes evenly, until the sugar is a amber-brown and thoroughly caramelized.

Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake = A Fairytale Vision

2010-08-16T01:51:00.000-07:00

(Untitled) Passiflore
(untitled)
From what I understand, a Polaroid emulsion lift is when a Polaroid is soaked in liquid until the top layer comes off, and can be transferred to another surface. There are photographers who specialize in this lovely dreamy medium, and perhaps the best example I've come across is Corrinero. There is something beautiful otherworldly and hyper-real about her work
Website

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How can anyone resist this cake? It is perhaps the most idealized embodiment of 'cake' I've ever made. It reminds me a bit of the cakes I made when I was young: it's a snowy white, with a fluffy crumb and it requires using a mixer and every mixing bowl in your kitchen. Yet, it is worth the fuss and time: this cake is so chipper and cheery, and pretty but not intimidating. Even the name, "The Perfect Party Cake" smacks of cuteness and birthday parties and invites happiness. And oh, did I tell you that it is lemon-flavored and involves raspberries, and so has that wonderfully luscious tart-sweet effect? Its perfectly not-too-sweet, and has the most delicate, beautiful buttercream. And I don't even like frosting! This one has converted me.
You don't have to wait for a party to make it. It would just perfect if you have a little time on your hands, and you need a little pick me up...or a tea party. Its SO worth planning a tea party around.

Perfect Party Cake
Adapted very slightly from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home To Yours
For the Cake:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole buttermilk (or milk)
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
For the Buttercream:
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, softened (make sure its VERY soft)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
For Finishing:
1 cup seedless raspberry preserves, stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-x-2-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.
To Make The Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.
Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the tough – and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.)
To Make the Buttercream: Put the sugar and egg whites in a large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water (or use a double boiler) and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny, slightly opaque and white. Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6 to 10 minutes. During this time, the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again. On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more. You should have a shiny, smooth, velvety buttercream. [Mine was a pale lemon-yellow, because I use a very yellow butter but it should be white.]
To Assemble the Cake: Using a sharp, serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Spread it with one third of the preserves. Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream. Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with the third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream left over). Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top.
Also, the original recipe calls for shredded coconut to be pressed into the frosting. I omitted this step because I am not a fan of the texture of dried coconut.

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I've just begun to label my recipe posts "easy" or "intermediate"to indicate how difficult each is to make.
I have also updated the link labelled 'tea' on my link bar...it has brewing instructions, and tea resources.

Raspberry Financiers + Polaroid Love

2010-08-13T01:42:00.001-07:00

*Blue* & *love*

Leakage *
The above Polaroids are from *Luna*. I love how she can make an everything object, a flower, a slice of the sea, look so magical. As one of her Flickr testimonials attests, she is everything that Polaroid photographer should be.

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I posted a recipe for financiers way back, during 'phase one' my blog, and this is virtually the same recipe, except that I lowered the baking temperature. I cannot understand why they are not more popular, because they are very easy to make, yet sound frightfully elegant and ever-so-French. What inspiring my making these financiers was a quote that screamed at me from Thomas Keller's tome-like Bouchon "...the butter drips down your chin as you eat it, its a really good financier." A mental picture of a person with the expression of a gleeful mischievous child pops into my head. From what I recall, financiers are named for their sinful richness, they call to mind wealthy bankers. You're definitely going to need to grab a cup of tea or good black coffee (espresso maybe) when you eat this. I was not kidding when I said 'sinful', because its all magnificent butter and sweetness, and almost too much to handle.

Raspberry financier
(my own recipe)
6 tbsp of unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp almonds
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 scant cup sugar (caster or confectioner's)
1/4 tsp salt
2 egg whites
12 raspberries (or you can use 1/4 cup raspberry jam or another semi-tart fruit)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees f, and grease a financier/madeleine/muffin pan (or and line a muffin/cupcake pan with 4x4 squares of parchment paper, as shown).
Grind your almond using a blender. Pulse the blender to chop coarsely, then blend, stopping often to redistribute. Stop when the almonds are close to the consistency of a fine cornmeal.
Melt butter in a saucepan, then continue cooking until nut-brown in color and faintly nutty in scent. Transfer into a bowl, and add vanilla extract.
In a separate, larger bowl, combine ground almonds, flour, sugar, and salt.
Whisk eggs. Whisk until well incorporated.
Whisk the melted butter-vanilla mixture into the egg-flour mixture.
Pour two tablespoons of batter into each madeleine/muffin mold.
Place a raspberry in the center of each financier.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until just barely golden-brown on the edges.
Makes 12 financiers.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes + Everyday Beauty

2010-08-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

Dreams

Wednesday Windowsill
Today's photographs from the lovely RainingSheep. Her images are beautiful, dreamy, and focus on beauty in the every day. Especially in the form of lovely Polaroid images.
Her blog is particularly wonderful as well.
Book

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[the tomatoes about 1/3 through the roasting process]
I have been waiting all year for this. This summer alone, I have been asking for it on a weekly basis. Today, when we drove into Berkeley, I practically ran out of the car and down the two blocks just so I could make sure I could get my hands on these before they sold out - the first of the season of the VERY BEST tomatoes I've ever tasted. Just don't tell my mom I said that, she'd probably never speak to me again ('cause she grows her own tomatoes).
Tomatoes from Dirty Girl Produce are - seriously - the best. I don't even like
tomatoes but I've been longing for these since last autumn. They are incredible: naturally sweet and fairly mellow, and bursting with smooth tomato flavor. And I don't normally even like tomatoes and I especially do not like tomato-based pasta sauces. Still, I worship these so much that I picked up eight pounds of them. All for this.
[WARNING: this involves using an oven for HOURS]
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes in Penne Pasta
Feeds approximately 3 (can easily be doubled)
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes...
-2 lbs tomatoes
-1/4 cup olive oil
-6-7 sprigs of thyme
-fleur de sel and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 250 degrees f. Begin by using a small paring knife to halve each tomato lengthwise, and using the tip of the knife to remove the seeds. Drizzle about 1 tbsp of olive oil over the bottom of the pan. [I used a 13*9*2 Pyrex glass dish available cheaply at most large grocery stores]. Place all of the tomato halves into a baking pan. Drizzle remaining oil over tomatoes, and place a few thyme leaves on each thyme half. Sprinkle with a little fleur de sel and pepper. Roast for one hour. Turn up the heat to 275 degrees f and roast for another hour. Turn up the oven to 300 degrees f and roast for another hour.
Wait for the tomatoes to cool before removing the skins. I slow-roasted about 7 1/2 pounds of tomatoes. Most of the skinless tomatoes when into a 3/4 liter Weck jar, and I used a some of leftover olive oil (maybe a tablespoon of so) to help preserve it. I guessed that this would work because it uses the same principals as Indian achar (pickles, which my mom makes at home yearly)...if you dry something out and pack it in oil, it should last longer.
The 'uncanned' tomatoes went into dinner:
...in Penne Pasta
-1/2 lb penne pasta
-2 Italian sausages, thinly sliced (Optional - I used Tofurky Italian Sausage)
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-1 tsp dried oregano (well, at least I still think my parent's oregano is the best)
-1/2 tsp red chili flakes
-table salt to taste
-a few sprigs of Italian parsley, minced
-To serve: 1-2 oz shaved parmesano reggiano
While the tomatoes cool, prepare penne pasta according to package directions, and brown the italian sausage if using. Coarsely chop the tomatoes if needed. Then, put the raw minced garlic, dried oregano, chili flakes, salt, tomatoes, and penne pasta into a medium saucepan and combine over medium heat for approximately 2 minutes. Add Italian parsley. Serve with a few shavings of parmesano-reggiano on top.

Blueberry Pies = Summer Memories

2010-08-04T00:03:00.001-07:00

Still

(untitled)

(untitled)
The dreamy images above are the work of Laura Evans. There is a lovely almost-watercolor-like quality in her photographs, the colors are beautifully muted and softened, like gorgeously aging film photographs...
You can also buy prints here, and of course she has a Flickr page.

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It seems that I have entirely too many posts that begin, end, or mention something about what I ate, or did not eat, as a child. There is something about food and childhood that is just irrevocably connected in most people's minds, including my own. We find comfort in the food we ate as in childhood, in things that are sweet or fried or bring up happy memories and make us subconsciously think of the days when our parents would always be able to protect us from the bad things in the universe.
Ever since I succeeded in making a half-decent pie, I've been longing to make a blueberry one as blueberry is the first type ever had. When I was very small, there were a few nice older women that lived about two houses away from mine. Every year, they would use their fresh blueberries to make pies. My family was the lucky recipient of at least two of those delicious pies. Back then, a homemade pie was an impossibly wonderful thing. Now, it is just a simple matter of getting my hands on some fresh in-season fruit. Considering that I go at least two farmer's markets a week, this has not been a trouble this summer. Once you have the perfect pie dough in your repertoire, making pies will be as easy as...pie.

Every single all-butter pie dough recipe I've come across has the same proportions of butter and all-purpose flour. Every one of them has introduced these magical, super-buttery proportions as being unique and fantastic. The first time I saw one myself, I fell for the hype, but I've come across at least five similar ones. I am here to tell you not to be fooled, a super-flaky all-butter pastry (versus adding shorting, or horror of all horrors LARD (because I have never eaten pork, I would never use lard)) is easy to achieve.
What makes the different versions different technique used to ensure flakiness. I would argue that you should use mine, because I found it remarkably easy, fool-proof even. There's no fancy equipment involved, no food processor needed or marble pastry board for coldness, no magically icy hands. I use this technique for everything - scones, pastry, biscuits, shortcakes...

The trick to a good pastry dough is, of course, to make sure that your butter is very cold and does not mesh completely into the flour. When you roll out the dough, you should be able to see a few tiny spots of yellow butter. I achieve this by cutting the dough into very small cubes and freezing it thoroughly.
The filling for this pie is very very easy. If you can find excellent, fresh fruit, it needs little enhancement. I based the filling on the blueberry compote I made a few weeks ago, and added a little cornstarch for thickening the mixture.

Blueberry Pie
All-Butter Pastry Dough
-2 sticks/1 cup of unsalted cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes and frozen for 1+ hour(s)
-2.5 cups of flour
-1 tsp salt
-1 tbsp sugar
-1/3 cup cool water
Blueberry filling
6 cups blueberries (fresh is vastly preferred, but you can use frozen if needed)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cornstarch
1/2 tbsp lemon juice (or better still 1 tbsp lemon zest)
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
Cover the surface you will be using with parchment paper (or use a pastry board, if you have one and your kitchen has enough space to store things like that)
Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt on the surface. Blend in most of the butter (reserve about 6 little cubes in the freezer) with your fingertips or a pastry blender just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps.
Gradually drizzle 1/3 cup ice water over mixture while gently mixing with a fork.
Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn’t hold together, add more ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring until just incorporated, then test again. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, and press into a ball. Divide in half and form into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
When you are ready to roll out the dough, make sure your countertop (or rolling surface) is very very clean, and flour lightly. Also, preheat oven to 425 degrees f. Flour the rolling pin as well, and reserve a handful of flour. Roll out one of the balls as thinly and evenly as possible. Spread three of the cold butter cubes onto one half. Fold dough in half, and roll out again, keeping the shape as circular and even in thickness as possible. Reserve in refrigerator while repeating the steps to roll out the second sheet. Make sure that the second piece is over 11 inches in diameter.
Trim the dough to fit your pie pan. I used a 9-inch pan, so I fitted the bottom circle of dough and trimmed the edges while it was in the pan. Leave the second piece on a piece of parchment paper, and chill in the refrigerator while making the pie filling.
For the filling, simply wash the blueberries, and toss with the flour, cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice/zest, vanilla, and nutmeg.
Remove the dough-covered pie pan from the refrigerator. Fill gently, so as not to break the berries, with the blueberry mixture. Remove the other piece of pastry from the refrigerator, and trim the edges so that it is a circle with a diameter of 11 inches. Score the pastry as you wish (I make 3 inch stashes that divided the pie into quarters, and then 2 inch stashes between those markings).
[At this point, you can add an egg wash to deepened the color of the crust if you'd like).
Bake at 425 degrees f for 20 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees f, and bake for another 30-45 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling out of the pie and the mixture is thickened.
Chill for at least one hour prior to serving.
I served my blueberry pie with whipped creme fraiche. I've been longing to serve something with creme fraiche, cause I just love the stuff. Creme fraiche ice cream is one of my favorite flavors, so I already knew I'd like a slightly sweetened dessert-ready version of the upscale sour cream. A little tartness would be an welcome complement to the sweet fresh blueberry pie. You can even use this as a cake frosting, in place of whipped cream frosting for example.

Coconut Flans + Polaroid Pretties

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

Magnolia 2

you could never have dreamed
The Key
The above polaroids are from sʞɹoʍʇɐʞ. The beautiful subjects and the muted colors caught my eye. Everything is softened and just begin to fade, but in the loveliest way possible.
You can also purchase her books here.

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(2 peaches poached for 10 minutes in 2 parts water, 1 part wine, and 1 vanilla bean)

I have eaten flans several times, always at potlucks. I found that it always seems to be one of the first things to go. It works well because it can be made the night before. Plus, flan, which is basically a type of custard can also be made made of pantry ingredients, that would keep and so the dish can be whipped up at short notice. It is much less time-consuming than say, a pie with homemade pastry and fresh fruit.
The first time I tried to make one myself, straight from a recipe I found somewhere, it was a depressing failure. It was an orange flan, and the citrus curdled the milk just slightly and it was far too sweet. I experimented and came up with this version. It is a fairly basic custard, to which I simply added a bit of coconut. The coconut was very nice because the coconut and vanilla layer rose to the top, and formed an almost sponge-cake bottom for the creamy eggy custard.
Plus, it went well with last night's dinner (Thai green curry with a paste so pungent that my eyes watered while I made it).
Coconut Flans
1 tbsp water
1/4 sugar
2 extra-large eggs
3/4 cup/6 oz evaporated milk
6 tbsp/7 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/2 dried shredded coconut
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds only
optional: 2 tbsp dark rum
Set aside 4 ramekins in a baking pan large enough to hold them without touching each other, and preheat oven to 300 degrees f.
First, make the caramel: In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil without stirring, swirling pan occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until dark amber, about 5 minutes.
Pour 1 to 1.5 teaspoons in each of the ramekins. It will harden quickly, don't worry about this, as the caramel will melt and spread while the flan is baking.
Place the eggs, evaporated milk, condensed milk, dried coconut and vanilla bean scrapings (and rum if using) in a blender. Blend on high for about a minute.
Divide the mixture between the four ramekins. Fill the baking pan with water, until the water comes up to the half-way each ramekin. Bake for about an hour, until set. After removing carefully from oven, allow the custard to cool in the water for about 20 minutes. Remove from water, and chill in a refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
To serve, carefully run a thin knife around edge of ramekin. Invert ramekin over serving plate, and pour out. The caramel will be top.

Earl Grey Cupcakes with Orange-Scented Buttercream + Being Pretty in Pink

2010-07-28T23:27:00.000-07:00

Milk & Co.
Summer Book
Cheese Cake
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Today's dreamy photographs are from uccia♥photography. It is full of beautiful shades of color, an exquisite depth, and her work is just unmistakably original and special.
Moreover, not only is she a gifted photographer, she can cook. If you speak Italian and like to cook, she has an utterly gorgeous blog.

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Before last week, I had infused butter with garlic and herbs for savory foods. I had not thought of making sweet little things using the technique, but it was such an exciting realization that I've been dreaming of what I can make with it. Practically every dessert that I've ever written about includes butter. I have never been much of a sweet tooth - pretty remarkable for someone with a sweet-focused blog - but I think that I have a butter tongue. Its the butter in desserts that I like. Well, I could live off of dairy products in general. I even went through phrases (back in junior high) of eating ice cream three times a day, and another in which I'd finish half-gallons of frozen yogurt in two days.
What better than to combine my love of dairy with my enamorement with tea? I've always loved cooking with tea, it makes me feel like a more dedicated tea lover - as if drinking five more cups of the stuff didn't do this already - and it makes feel clever and creative. This particular version of a tea cupcake is fairly simple: a strong black tea with a orange-scented buttercream frosting. There are many more possibilities for tea-infused cupcakes: darjeeling-infused with rose-water replacing the orange, sencha-infused and topped with a raspberry, chai-infused with a simple buttercream and a bit of crystalized ginger...
The tea cupcake is very similar to the lavender ones from last week. The two noticeable differences are the frosting (buttercream rather than a sort of cream cheese), and the size and shape of the cupcakes. I have spent the past few weeks looking for a way to make cupcakes with straight rather than flared sides, because I think that they are more modern and elegant in appearance. I finally found the solution: small pleated waxed-paper cups. They are the same type of cup your dentist would offer for rinsing, or someone might use to serve nuts or small appetizers at a party. I chose cups with a two-ounce capacity. I've decided to call these cupcakes "small" to distinguish between these and last's 'miniatures', and I've even translated the name into French to make them sound better. 'Cause everything sounds better and more fancy, when you say it in French.

Small Tea Cupcakes with Orange-Scented Buttercream (Petit Gâteau du Thé avec le Crème de Beurre)
Makes about 20 little cupcakes
Cupcakes:
-13 tbsp butter
-6 slightly over-filled tbsp of black tea (Earl Grey would work well)
-1/2 cup sugar
-2 medium egg
-1/4 cup milk
-1 cup flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
Frosting:
-3/4 (1.5 sticks) cup butter, softened
-3/4 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar
-3/4 cup milk
-3 tbsp sifted organic all-purpose flour
-1/4 tsp orange blossom water (or 1/2 tsp finely minced orange zest)
optional: 1/4 vanilla bean, scrapings only
Decoration (optional): a few large tea leaves
To infuse the butter: Begin by infusing the butter with tea leaves. To do this, cut the butter into cubes and place into a small saucepan over medium-heat. Add the tea leaves. Once butter has melted, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally and do not allow the butter to brown or boil. Remove from heat, allow the butter to cool for 10 minutes. Strain the melted, tea-scented butter, pressing down on the tea leaves to maximize the amount of butter and the intensity of the flavor. You should have just over 1/2 cup of butter remaining.
Bring the butter to room temperature (you can speed up the process by sticking the butter in the refrigerator for about 1/2 hour, but you will have to stir it every 5-10 minutes).
While the butter is cooling, make the frosting: Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the flavoring(s) [orange/orange blossom water/vanilla] and set aside. In the meantime, beat flour into the milk in a small saucepan (you can use the same one you used for infusing the butter, this would add a very faint tea taste to the buttercream also). Heat on medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Remove from heat as soon it begins to boil. Keep stirring for a minute or two, until slightly cool. Bring to room temperature (this should not take too long). Beat the flour-milk mixture into the butter-sugar mixture, and whip thoroughly. Cool in refrigerator while the cupcakes are baking.
To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 325 degree f. Beat together the infused butter and sugar. Add the egg and milk. In a separate smaller bowl, combine salt, baking powder, and flour. Add this mixture to the butter-sugar-egg mixture.
Use 2 oz. souffle/nut/tasting cups. Place on a baking sheet. Fill each cup about 1/2 full (you can go just a little over instead of under). Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a cake test inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool for approximately 10 minutes. During this time, remove the frosting from the refrigerator and allow to soften slightly. Smooth frosting over each one, use a butter knife/cheese spreader to level to the frosting with the top of the cupcake cup.
Decorate as you wish, I prefer using something that looks a bit 'natural', such as the tea leaves.

Miniature Lavender Cupcakes with Honeyed Frosting + My Favorite Photography Book

2010-07-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

Rue des Ecoles

A Whiter Shade of Pale

Emilie79 is one of my favorite photographers. She has a great eye, and works in my most beloved medium: polaroid photography. It is her work that propelled my interest in the Polaroids.
A few months ago, I found out about her book, and purchased it immediately. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is a beautiful book of 120 pages, each with a lovely Polaroid photograph, each section organized by the type of camera (i.e., SX-70, Polaroid 180) and film used.
If you are interested in purchasing your own copy, you can contact Emilie79 directly through Flickrmail.
{You can also see my previous post about her here}

------
I decided to make lavender cupcakes for two reasons: one, I've never liked lavender flavors or scents, and I wanted to try something homemade that involved it, and second, because I wanted something pretty to eat. I just wish I could change the name. The word 'mini' is so overused, it brings to mind those tiny dogs that women carry in the purses. Anyway, it doesn't aptly describe these teeny-tiny little bites. The paper baking cups used to bake them are about the size of a chocolate-truffle holder. You can eat them in a single bite, or two, but not any more.
Mini Lavender Cupcakes with Honey-Mascarpone frosting
Makes 36 bite-sized cupcakes
Cupcakes:
-7 tbsp butter
-3 1/2 tbsp dried lavender
-1/4 cup sugar
-1 medium egg (don't use extra-large or the cupcakes will be too tough and eggy)
-2 tbsp milk
-1/2 cup flour
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp salt
Frosting:
-1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, softened (also see note)
-6 oz mascarpone at room temperature, strained to remove excess liquid (or use the same amount of cream cheese)
-1/2 cup of powdered sugar
-2 tbsp mild-flavored honey
Decoration: a few tsp of fleur de sel and a tbsp of dried lavender flowers

To infuse the butter: Begin by infusing the butter with the lavender. To do this, cut the butter into cubes and place into a small saucepan over medium-heat. Add the lavender. Once butter has melted, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and do not allow the butter to brown. Remove from heat, allow the butter to cool for 5 minutes. Strain the melted, lavender-scented butter, pressing down on the dried lavender to maximize the amount of butter and the intensity of the lavender flavor. You should have over 1/4 cup of butter remaining. You should also have a heavenly kitchen scented with warm butter and clean lavender. Inhale. Enjoy.
Bring the butter to room temperature (you can speed up the process by sticking the butter in the refrigerator for about 1/2 hour, but you will have to stir it every 5-10 minutes).
While the butter is cooling, make the frosting: Beat together the butter, mascarpone, and powdered sugar until fluffy. Add honey and beat until smooth. If it is too soft, you can refrigerate while the infused butter is cooling.
To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 325 degree f. Beat together the lavender-infused butter and sugar. Add the egg and milk. In a separate smaller bowl, combine salt, baking powder, and flour. Add this mixture to the butter-sugar-egg mixture.
Use 2 very small (1 inch diameter) paper baking cups per cupcake (see here, I used the 0.7 oz ones). Spoon 1 tsp of batter into each double cupcake paper. Place the filled cupcake paper cups onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a cake test inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool for approximately 10 minutes. Then, smooth frosting over each one, use a butter knife/cheese spreader to level to the frosting with the top of the cupcake paper cup. Sprinkle about 5 lavender blossoms and a few grains of fleur de sel over each one.
Note: You can also use lavender-infused butter (or store-bought lavender-infused honey) for the frosting. For butter infusion, use approximately 1 tbsp of dried lavender per 2 tbsp of butter.
Also note that the lavender-fleur de sel topped ones have a more complex and concentrated lavender taste than the candy-flower cupcakes. The fleur de sel truly heightens all of the flavors.

p.s. I DID enjoy the lavender cupcakes, and I liked the ones with lavender on top better than the candy-flower topped ones. I liked them so much that I ate eight - yes eight in one sitting!

Girls and Glamour

2010-07-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

this girl's no good for me and you, and she hurts me too

Rabbit Heart

Sometimes I wish for falling

Today's photographs are from a truly lovely and enchanting photographer, the girl who tamed the tiger. They are beautiful, dreamy, and make me happy to be a girl. Her work shows the beauty in all things girlish and delicate and dreamy.
Please check out more of her work:
Flickr photostream
Shop
Blog

I shall post a recipe soon.

Honey-Caramel Peach pie

2010-07-12T00:22:00.000-07:00

-
-

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Today's photographs are the beautiful work of Flickr photostream of Eilween (also her website). They are amazing, dreamy works...beautifully colored, great depth, exotic locations and comfortably homey subjects.

*

I used to think that only certain people could make pie pastry. You know the type: people whose mothers, or at least their grandmother, made pies that everyone praised and talked of. This wise baker would pass their secret recipes down to the next generation of 'legendary family baker'. They would be chosen for their quiet competence in the kitchen, and because she had the right hands for pastry: cold, dry, and soft. This baker could whip out perfectly circular golden pie crusts, and show-off with lattice crusts and fancy little decorative bits. During the holidays, cooling pies would fill their window sills of their home, and later be eaten by an impressed and grateful modern-day Norman-Rockwell family.
Now I did not have this, I do not think I ever ate pie as a child. No one in my family can make a proper pie crust. My own hands certainly are not cold, and I cannot roll out an even perfect circle of dough (ask my mother - she has spent years laughing at the vaguely squarish, crooked shapes of the flatbread I made). Still, I persevered with the crust, trying more than three recipes of pastry. They were all heavy and pale, even though some were from high-end bakers, and others from more approachable sources. None worked out. Until this Saturday, when I made this...
Honey-Caramel Peach Pie
Adapted (by me) from this Gourmet magazine recipe
3 lb fresh peaches
2.5 tbsp cornstarch
1.5 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup (very mild) honey
2 tbsp water
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp milk
Pastry dough (see below)
Cut an X in bottom of each peach, then blanch peaches in batches in boiling water 15 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking. Peel peaches and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges. Toss peaches well with cornstarch, flour, and salt in a large bowl.
Put a foil-lined large baking sheet in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
Bring 1/2 cup sugar, honey, and water to a boil in a 1 1/2- to 2-qt heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil without stirring, swirling pan occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until dark amber, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and add butter, swirling pan until butter is melted. Pour over fruit and toss (caramel may harden slightly but will melt in oven).
Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Chill shell while rolling out remaining dough.
Roll out remaining piece of dough into an 11-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin.
Transfer filling to pie shell, mounding it. Cover pie with pastry round. Trim with kitchen shears, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges together, then crimp decoratively. Brush top all over with some of milk. Cut 3 steam vents in top crust with a paring knife.
Bake pie on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Continue to bake until crust is golden-brown and filling is bubbling, about 50 minutes more. Cool pie to room temperature, about 3 hours.

I think the secret to perfect pastry lies in the copious amounts of very, very cold butter. Rather than relying on magically cold hands, I chopped and froze it. This is my own method for achieving flakiness, and I use it for scones, biscuits, pastry...it works in practically everything.

Pastry Dough (adapted from Gourmet magazine)
2.5 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes and frozen for 1+ hour(s)
Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 1/3 cup ice water over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn’t hold together, add more ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, and press into a ball. Divide in half and form into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

meyer lemon and honeyed scones

2010-07-08T14:14:00.001-07:00

Secret Message...

White Room

Today's photographs are from Chris deBlock, (also here), a clearly talented ~~photographer~~ artist. Most of her is in my current favorite format: Polaroids. Check out her portfolio, all of her work is really beautiful.

(scone, honey with honeycomb, gong fu teapot, tuocha tea)
I love mornings, I like the way the world looks when it is still cloudy and cool. It feels young somehow, as if the world is reborn with the dawn. Maybe that is why breakfast is such a great meal, it is supposed to make you reborn and revitalized and give you energy for the rest of the day. Too bad mornings and breakfast mean getting out of bed a little earlier.
BUT, this morning, I actually woke up and made a nutritionally unsubstantial breakfast. Maybe it was a little lacking in the health department (and isn't practically everything that I write about lacking in that respect?), but it cheered up me up immensely. It was a dreamy, milky, crumbly, lemon-sunny breakfast. As a bonus, its a super-duper quick-and-easy recipe. In fact, it was so easy that I cannot remember why I have not made it for a few months now.
Plus, it goes perfectly with a cup of oolong or a nice darjeeling.

Meyer Lemon and Honey Scones:
makes 12-15 scones (depending on size of scones)
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds only
8 tablespoons of frozen/chilled butter (one stick), plus 1 tbsp of softened butter
chopped into pea-sized bits and frozen OR frozen then chopped into pea-sized bits in blender/food processor
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup heavy cream
zest from 1 meyer lemon (or regular lemon)
2 tbsp honey

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 395 degrees f.
Mix together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt).
Add in lemon zest, vanilla and pieces of cold butter, stir well. The dry mixture will coat the butter.
Add in buttermilk and cream, one tablespoon at a time. Kneed the mixture while adding the liquids, mixing until combined. The mixture will seem dry at first, resist the temptation to add extra liquid
If you have a biscuit cutter, wash and dry your hands and dust them with flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead a few times to gather it into a ball. Roll or pat the dough into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut out the circles, cutting as closely together as possible and keeping the trimmings intact. If you don't have a biscuit, use a straight-sided 1/4 cup measuring cup, or a thin bottle to cut out circles of dough.
Place scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet (the parchment is vital, as it will absorb the frozen butter as the butter melts in the oven). Make sure the scones are at least 1 inch apart.
Brush the tops with softened butter and honey .
Place in oven, bake for approximately 12-15 minutes, and the surface is cracked. You should be able to see nooks and crannies, where the butter has melted away.
Allow the scones to cool for approximately 10 minutes before consuming.

Paris and fig tagliatelli

2010-07-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

These beautiful Parisian polaroids are the work of the lovely and skilled Lauren Beacham. Her collection is primarily Polaroid photography, all beautiful, dreamy, delicate images. Her portfolio speaks for itself, so go check out it.

Also, her shop.

***

There is something slightly seductive and wicked about figs. Perhaps its the taste, or the way a fig's dark fragile skin hides the pink pulpy flesh, or a certain mysterious exotic quality. A most suggestive fruit, no?
I would rather cook with them than eat them raw and straight. In the following recipe, figs which are further enhanced with red chilis and basil, which add Thai influences to an otherwise simple and modern dish.
Fig and Chili Tagliatelli
Originally from BBC Food (I discovered it here)
6 oz. tagliatelli (I use Ciprani's egg tagliatelli)
6 very ripe black figs
1-2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
pinch of dried red chili flakes
scant 1/2 c heavy cream
salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 lemon, juice only
1/2 bunch basil
To serve: another pinch of red chili flakes, or fresh/dried red chili strips; a few more basil leaves; 2 oz. parmesano reggiano, shaved using a vegetable peeler or cheese slicer

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and drop in the pasta. Cook according to package directions.
Meanwhile, remove the stems from the figs and chop into quarters and then eighths.
Gently heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan, then add the garlic and lightly fry until golden.
Add a pinch of dried chili and the chopped figs. Gently fry for about one to two minutes.
Add the cream and lower the heat, bringing the sauce to a simmer.
Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
Add a few basil leaves and stir to combine.
Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, tossing to combine and coat the pasta.
Correct the seasoning, if needed, and divide among four serving bowls.
Garnish with strips of the grilled chili, a few more basil leaves and shavings of cheese.
(My adaption serves 2 adults)

Austerly Bright + Blue

2010-07-02T00:02:00.000-07:00

berrylove

♡

positive.

right track.

I know they are not Polaroids, but these images are so ethereal and dreamy that they bring to mind Polaroid photography. Like Polaroids, they have tints of an austerely bright blue, a delicate blurring and softening of the edges, and a sort of nostalgically elegant quality. These are the work of the exquisite, amazing Thea.xox .
Though I shouldn't take credit for finding her beautiful photostream all by myself. I first saw one of her works on one of my favorite new blog discoveries, See Me Everywhere.

to eat a flower

2010-06-30T11:19:00.001-07:00

Gather Light

14/52

Have a nice

6/52 Thanks!
Today's photographs are the work of +akane+ (also here). Her photographs are truly enchanting; she works in multiple mediums and there is a great deal of variety in her work. I think that we use the word "talented" too frequently today, we thus cheapen it - but in this case, it is truly apt and then some.

p.s. I just received my first Polaroid camera in the mail this week - a SX 70 to begin with. In its honor, this week is about photographers and not food (though I'll still try to include as much food photography as I can).

Whispering Daydream...

2010-06-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

Love Toast Morning

I don't Talk to Owls. Owls are Stupid.

These photographs are from Nyree Rose, a young and multi-talented photographer. Not only does she take beautifully dreamy images, but she also has her own beautiful Etsy shop. The shop is full of lovely delicate dresses and bows.

Liquid Sunshine = Orange Polenta Cake

2010-06-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

(She didn't touch the cake)

I have thought about ordering Ottolenghi: The Cookbook - and my frustration at not being able to find it - so much that I could swear I've already written about it. I first saw it in the February 2009 issue of Gourmet magazine. I have since read about it, seen it on other blogs, or somehow am constantly being reminded of it. Don't you just hate that, that frustration of not being able to have something that should be entirely attainable but just isn't? Luckily, I was finally able to track it down on the Amazon UK site, and now I am waiting for it to be shipped.
What grabbed my interest about this particular cookbook were the pretty photographs that accompanied the Gourmet article. What kept my interest was the story behind the food shop. It was started by a Palestinian and an Israeli, both chefs. They met in London, and quickly became friends. Eventually, they were able to open their own food shop together. Within a few years, they became wildly successful, in that they write an article in a UK paper, have one cookbook, and I believe their second cookbook will be published soon.
Their food sounds interesting, complex with many ingredients brought together in unconventional ways and pairings. This cake, adapted by Gourmet from the cookbook, is an example of that. It does involve many ingredients and steps (not to mention that I personally find making caramel to be my sweet-making nemesis), but it will "create tiny storms in the mouth" (Gourmet). It has a unique, almost crunchy texture and lots of flavor.
Orange-Polenta Cake
Adapted from Gourmet magazine from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, and further adapted by ME

(when it came out of the oven)
I hope that your weekend is full of sunshine and happiness.

god of small things

2010-06-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

Tea
...something I might, in other people's opinion, have too much of.
Oatmeal
Breakfast
...something I don't have enough of.
The above photographs are from Louveciennes Flickr photostream. I think they are beautiful, very professional in their clean crispness and gorgeous contrasts between muted and glowing colors...full of lovely little breakfasts and homey objects and a sense of peace and happiness.

p.s. Today's title comes from one of my favorite books. Have you read it, and if so, what did you think of it?

...Have a happy weekend

2010-06-18T17:19:00.001-07:00

The nicest way to say "happy weekend" that I could think of: leaving you with these lovely peaceful photographs to contemplate. I hope that your weekend will be as beautiful and as these:

Another Year, Another Jar

Being Blue

Black Magic
They are the work of a talented photographer, Leslie*Thompson, and you can buy her prints here. I love the way she finds beauty and color in everyday objects, making the viewer appreciate what they may have overlooked previously.

Emilie79 + Daydreamers...

2010-06-16T01:29:00.000-07:00

After years of obsessively viewing and mentally collecting images, I realized that there is one genre of this art that captivates me like no other. A type of film that appears to captures moments and impressions, instead of a clear or crisp image. Everything becomes soft, and sometimes even glows. Light is captured, as it never has before or since. I am referring to the polaroid. The photographer's equivalent of 8mm film, and just like super-8, a dying art. For polaroid film is no longer being manufactured. I believe that the only way in which polaroid photography can be saved is through the use and appreciation of this art. Despite the increasing difficult in acquiring polaroid film, I hope that polaroid photography will continue to grow.
One of the most amazing photographers that I have come across is Emilie79. I have never seen anything quite like her pieces. There is an intimacy about the photographs, and the words that she adds to them. Light permeates the pieces, everything glows. Take a look for yourself, for the above collage is based upon her photography.
It features Emilie79 Don't you know..., November is Coming, Image of you, Rue Soufflot; ~KIM~ Stamen, the banner from Daydream Lily (more about this beauty later), and graphics from viking.no (via fffound).

Also see HERE for more on Emilie79

The Magic of Cupcakes

2010-06-10T23:29:00.000-07:00

Quietly

Saturday Morning in the Kitchen

Saturday Afternoon Treats

One of my big motivations for baking at home is that making your own sweet oven-baked things is just so homey. Baked goods are comforting, and the smell of them, the warmth that comes from having the oven on...its unlike anything else. It is exactly why real estate agents recommend baking chocolate chip cookies and leaving them during home showing. Even for me, someone whose mother did not bake, they evoke baking. I have the feeling I am not the only one.
Which is why I share with you these lovely photographs. They reflect the process of baking...of making the goodies, of waiting for them to cool, and of finally enjoying them. Which reminds me, last weekend I made a very special cheesecake, and I must share the recipe this week.

The photographs are from ddot, who has a lovely and interesting Flickr stream - full of variety. Yet, her blog is even more beautiful, in the lovely layout and words that accompany each image.

Untitled

2010-06-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

I do not know the source of the two lovely photographs on the left-hand side, scroll down for more information about other photgraphs. Found via Polyvore.com.
Together by Partheleon
I really hope that I see more from this photographer, for this piece is lovely, in concept and execution.
I'm drowning for your love by *whimsical A really amazing young photographer.

Midnight Tea and Toast

2010-06-08T23:52:00.000-07:00

Pancakes

Brownies

After Breakfast

This is but a small selection of the lovely photographs of Simple Photos. It is difficult for me to be very descriptive about her photostream, as her work is widely varied, and very original.
This artist also has a shop which I will check out...right after I grab a snack, because her delicious photos have made me hungry.

Nothing like a midnight snack to help you study, I suppose. Naturally, the snack is to be accompanied by my current-favorite-tea-in-the-whole-while-world, Hika Sencha from Samovar Tea Lounge. It is thick, toasty, and creamy, with a very full mouth feel. At the same time, it is still fresh and sweet. Reminiscent of a green tea tart.

Home is always a beautiful place

2010-06-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

(I own the very same bowl)

Hello, Dahlia
Elevenses
A Few of my Favorite Things
Tea should be taken in solitude

One of the very first photographs that I fell in love with is Cinnamon. Take a look at
Cinnamon's Flickr photostream, and its easy to see why. Not only exquisitely balanced and beautifully composed, but they are varied in coloring and style. I think that this is a quality that is missing in many photographers.

Also, judging from the rest of the stream, she is a SF Bay Area photographer, and I cannot help but have a secret extra little fondness for a local. I think that there is something special here, something in the light, in the blending of green and grey, or the distinctive golden hills and blue-grey ocean.
You can purchase her photo action pack here

Electric Feel

2010-06-06T01:41:00.000-07:00

fizzy dream

mademoiselle rêve

summer is cold without you

b is for blurry morning

Photography is generally a representative art form, I believe. True to life, one might saw. If this is true, polaroids are the impressionist take on this form. They are not as realistic, but instead they capture moments, glimpses into a person, a family, or a life. There is a sense of that the viewer is seeing something personal, something almost private. Perhaps there is a hidden significance in the shades, in the paleness, in the electric greens and blues.
One of the Polaroid photographers that I most enjoy is mironabside. Her work is further personalized with typed or written words, and she captures her subjects in seemingly unaware moments...

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Rather than offering a recipe today, I will offer places that the lazy dessert-eater can visit in San Francisco. I have only been to a handful of bakeries about the city, so please feel free to add more to my list. I feel that amateur bakers, and everyone else, should visit professional places sometimes, just so they can feel intimidated and inspired.
Miette: Several locations, lovely little candies, and the sweetest-looking confiseries that I have ever seen. I recommend the salty-sweet walnut shortbread, delicate lemon shortbread and the spicy gingerbread cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (if you like cupcakes). They have very unique macarons. Instead, they are in natural colors, with a unique texture.
My current favorite.
Kara's Cupcakes, which I found via Food Gal. A beautiful, feminine pink shop, that specializes in cupcakes alone. The girl at the counter recommended the meyer lemon, which is a plain white cupcake with lemony frosting and filled with lemon curd.
I am not the biggest fan of cupcakes, so I don't think I'll be a consistent customer.
Boulangerie/Bay Bread also has several locations. They have beautiful macarons, traditional ones. I've tried all the flavors, and prefer the orange blossom, raspberry, and vanilla.
Plus, they have more than just dessert. The mini brie sandwich on their walnut bread is delicious.
Tartine - I bought their book before I visited the crowded shop. Everything looks so gorgeous that it is hard to pick just one item. You could go in at three in the afternoon, and there would be a line out the door. Yet, even though its probably the most "reputable" and loved of these four places, it is the one I visit the least.

Untitled

2010-06-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Le Chant de la Pluie

Isoletto
Aren't these lovely? Like traveling into a soft fairytale world, one that is just a little nicer than our own. Both pieces by EtherealWinter (link to her wonderful DeviantART page).

Another world for me: Paris.
This is a collage that I made a while ago. I do not know any of the original sources of the photographs, so if anyone does...please let me know.

No recipe today. I only made old things that I had already written about, apple cake and the financiers again.
AND...I received a lovely award from Heart-Shaped Morning!

jeu sur la luminosite

2010-06-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

Nausee

Le Ligne Propre

Le Monologue du Client

Jeu Sur La Luminosite

Photos by Alice Lemarin, known as Moumine on DeviantART. Her work is reminiscent of Caravaggio in the way that she manipulates darkness and lightness, as if carving in light. There are more exquisite images on her website (link above).

The comforts of home...

2010-06-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

"Ah! There's nothing like staying home for real comfort." ~Jane Austen Emma

The Never Ending Story & Coffee

To one who has been long in city pent,
’Tis very sweet to look into the fair
And open face of heaven,—to breathe a prayer
Full in the smile of the blue firmament.
Who is more happy, when, with hearts content,
Fatigued he sinks into some pleasant lair
Of wavy grass, and reads a debonair
And gentle tale of love and languishment?
Returning home at evening, with an ear
Catching the notes of Philomel,—an eye
Watching the sailing cloudlet’s bright career,
He mourns that day so soon has glided by:
E’en like the passage of an angel’s tear
That falls through the clear ether silently.
-John Keats

~Beside the Curtain~
“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.”
~Yummy~

All photographs are the work of Lorena Arance, also here for prints. The images are beautiful and unique and perfect that they speak for themselves.

Untitled, Coffee + flowers in vase photographs by the fabulous Lorena Arance,
Center image by Nicholas Haggard
I love this collage perhaps most of all my collages.