Tarts and Cakes and Bundts Oh My!

Whew, I can finally breath. and sit. It has been a particularly busy past few weeks, with not a single moment to write a post...or sleep for that matter. I can't complain too much though, I got to spend every waking minute (when I wasn't at one of my two jobs) in the kitchen.

After the success of the tarts I made for my good friend's bridal shower, she apparently had enough confidence in me and my newly acquired baking skills to ask me to provide the dessert table for her wedding reception. I quickly said yes, and then realized what a monumental task this was going to be. It all came together after about two and a half weeks baking and filling the fridge and the freezer full of tart shells, mini bundt cakes, pistachio brittle, and cake pops. It was an amazing learning experience, the bride and groom were extremely appreciative, and all the drunken wedding guests enjoyed the abundance of baked goods when 10:00 rolled around at the reception.

The day after the wedding was spent catching up on sleep, nursing a slight hangover, and actually eating food other than cake and sugar for the first time in about a week. When Monday hit, I was right back at it, baking a three-layer red velvet cake and a dozen cupcakes for my boss's baby shower. I guess almost 700 mini desserts wasn't enough, I just had to get back in the kitchen.

I am going to have to slowly chisel away at all these pictures and recipes that I have accumulated over the past few weeks. I have decided to start at the end of my baking extravaganza and work my way back. The photographer at the wedding was nice enough to stick around and take some pics of the dessert table, so I will wait until I get my hands on some copies to present the table in its entirety here.

But first, the red velvet cake. I was always under the impression that a red velvet cake wasn't really anything special, just a whole lot of red food coloring. Turns out, some buttermilk, cocoa powder, baking soda, and a teensy bit of vinegar can really take an ordinary cake to a new level. This was some of the fluffiest, moist, flavorful cake I have ever had. Topped off with some cream cheese frosting and a big bunch of hydrangeas for decoration (stolen with permission from the wedding), this cake was a big hit at the shower. I had some leftover batter so I threw in a dozen cupcakes for good measure.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

adapted from Patent and the Pantry

Each batch makes 2 thick 9-inch layers, or 3-thinner 9-inch layers, or 1 thick 9-inch layer and 12 cupcakes. I made 2 batches, and ended up with a fairly tall 3 layer cake, with 12 cupcakes on the side.

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 - 1 ounce bottles of red food coloring

1 cup unsalted butter (the recipe called for 1/2 cup, but in my sleep deprived delirium I used double that, but it was freaking delicious so I wouldn't change a thing if I make this again)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon white vinegar

Butter and flour your cake pans and set aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, mix the food coloring and cocoa powder until completely incorporated. Set aside.

In a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer) cream the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat until thoroughly combined, being sure to scrape down the sides. Add the vanilla and the red food coloring-cocoa mixture and beat well to combine. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beat on medium speed until combined, then add 1/2 of the buttermilk, and beat until incorporated. Add another 1/3 of the flour, beat well, then the other half of the buttermilk, scraping down the sides after each addition. Finish with the last 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

In a small bowl, mix the vinegar and baking soda, and immediately add to batter. Mix on high speed for just a few seconds until evenly dispersed, and pour right away into cake pans or lined cupcake pans.

Bake 2 9-inch cakes for about 40 minutes, (less time if you are going with thinner layers, and about 20-25 minutes for the cupcakes) or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the Frosting:

I made a double batch of this frosting and had enough to generously frost a three layer cake and pipe a good amount onto 12 cupcakes, with some leftover.

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

pinch of salt

In a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter, and beat on medium high speed until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and mix until incorporated. Gradually add the sugar, and beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Frost the cake however you fancy, or spread/pipe onto cupcakes. Someday when I get really good at frosting cakes, I will put a step by step tutorial on here. Someday...

I will say though, that I think the best part of making a multi-layer cake, is having to cut the domed tops off each layer so that they lay flat. You then have an excuse to eat cake scraps all afternoon. We wouldn't want them to go to waste now would we?

Grilled Chicken and Veggie Enchiladas

Procrastination has actually paid off. I have been attempting to write this post for about 4 days, but luckily I put it off enough, that it happens to be going up on Cinco de Mayo. Couldn't have planned it better if I had tried.

You HAVE to try these enchiladas. If you make any of the recipes I post here, make this one. Please. Just do it, you wont regret it.

I was lucky enough to win a beautiful LeCrueset baking dish over at the Hungry Dog Blog (check her out, its a great read, with wonderful recipes) and as soon as it came in the mail, I was scheming on how quickly I could put it to use, and with what. It took about all of 6 hours before I was piling grilled chicken and veggie enchiladas into the gorgeous blue ceramic dish.


I remembered watching one of my favorite 'celebrity chefs', Tyler Florence, making his ultimate enchiladas on the food network long ago, and decided to dig out the recipe. He calls for buying a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shredding it, but we decided to take things a little farther. For once I can't take credit for making a recipe much more tedious and intensive than it was originally intended (see my day long lasagna-making marathon). When I asked my boyfriend what kind of enchiladas he wanted, he replied with grilled chicken and vegetables. My first thought was YUM! My second thought was crap, its a Monday night and we wont be eating until 10.

Luckily, we were fairly efficient, even with the pack of tecate chilling in the fridge, and ate by about 9:00. It was so worth it though, portabello mushroom caps, sliced zucchini, red and yellow bell peppers, and split whole chickens, all grilled and stirred into the roasted tomatillo green sauce with sauteed onions. These may be the best enchiladas I have ever had, and I have eaten a fair amount of Mexican food in my lifetime. I'm talking a lot of Mexican food. Its kind of a problem actually.


Grilled Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa with Baked Yellow Rice
adapted from Tyler Florence on foodnetwork.com

For the Tomatillo Salsa:

1 1/2 pound fresh husked tomatillos, halved
1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 jalapenos, stemmed and halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime juiced

For the enchiladas:

1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds) cleaned and split into halves
2 small zuchini, sliced on a diagonal into 1/2 inch slices
2 portobello mushroom caps
2 red or yellow bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and halved
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 pound Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
cilantro for garnish
12 small flour tortillas

For Rice:
1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon turmeric
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Prepare grill to cook over indirect heat. If using charcoal, fill a charcoal chimney with about 90 coals, and burn until covered with a light gray ash. Place a aluminum tray in the center of the bottom grate, and pile the hot coals on either side. If using gas, turn on the outer burners and leave the middle burner off. Cover, and let grill preheat for about 5 minutes.

While grill is heating, prepare chicken and vegetables for grill by drizzling them with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. When grill is ready, brush your grill grates with an olive-oil soaked paper towel, and place the chicken skin side down in the middle of the grill over the aluminum tray or off burner. Place the veggies over the direct flame. Check on these every few minutes, as they will char fast over direct heat (but that's the good part right?) they should only take 5-7 minutes on each side. When they are cooked through, remove from grill and set aside.

Grill the chicken for 35-45 minutes until skin is well-browned and crispy. Turn chicken over and grill until breast meat reached 165 degrees, about another 15-20 minutes. Remove from grill, tent with tin foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

While the chicken is grilling feel free to start the roasted tomatillo salsa. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapenos on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil to coat, then season liberally with salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until everything is soft and starting to caramelize. Remove from oven, and place contents of baking sheet, including any juices into a food processor, along with the cilantro, cumin and lime juice, and pulse until chopped very finely and becomes a cohesive sauce.

Chop grilled veggies into bite sizes pieces, and remove and shred (or chop) meat from grilled chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized. Add the cumin and garlic and saute for just a few minutes longer. Add the flour and stir constantly to make sure flour doesn't burn. Slowly add the chicken stock and cook over low heat, stirring until incorporated into flour/onion mixture and sauce thickens. Stir in half of the tomatillo salsa, the chicken, and chopped grilled vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375. Start the rice. In a small sauce pan, combine chicken stock, turmeric, garlic cloves, olive oil, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Place rice in a 13X9 glass baking dish and pour the boiling liquid over the rice. Stir briefly with a fork, cover tightly with tin foil, and bake for one hour.

Pour a bit of the into a 13X9 baking dish to coat the bottom. Pour the remainder onto a large plate and get ready to assemble the enchiladas. Flash one of the tortillas briefly over flame on stove to heat and soften a bit. Place into reserved tomatillo salsa on plate to coat both sides of tortilla. Spoon 1/12th of the chicken/veggie mixture (just eyeball it) and sprinkle with some cheese. Roll up gently and place in baking dish. Repeat with 11 more tortillas, or however many you can squeeze into your dish. If you have any sauce left pour over the top, and sprinkle generously with cheese.

When your rice has 30 minutes left, put the enchiladas in the oven and bake for the remainder of the hour (30 more minutes) until cheese in gooey and delicious. Serve with rice and additional salsa, and if you want to get real naughty, sour cream and guacamole.


I am always an advocate for getting a little naughty with your food ;-)

Sometimes You Just Need a Salad.

Sometimes, after all the noodles and rice and pork and chicken, you just need some green. Lonely Planet told us it would be in our best interest to stay away from salad greens and other potentially washed-with-tap-water uncooked food while on vacation in Cambodia and Thailand. Not wanting to risk the effects of a stomach bug while 30 meters underwater, I figure it was best to play it safe and not risk it.

By the time I got home, all I was craving was an obnoxiously huge salad. Like the kind they serve at restaurants as your entree, and when they set it in front of you, you think there is no way you are ever going to eat it all, but you do anyway, cause you know, it's mostly lettuce right? Right? What was I talking about again?

Oh yeah, so I made this salad, and it hit the spot. Roasted red beets, creamy refreshing avocado, tangy goat cheese, pistachios, fresh spring greens, all topped with an orange-mustard vinaigrette. It was almost my perfect salad. I had an apple out and ready to cut, but my salad was growing to gargantuan proportions so I left it out. I wish I had cut it into matchsticks and put it in to add another more crunchy/crisp element since the salad was pretty creamy all around.

The funny thing is, is that if you knew the teenager version of me, you would be astounded at me now proclaiming my craving for a salad. I wouldn't touch lettuce up until sophomore/junior year of college (and that wasn't that long ago folks). Ah, how times and tastes have changed. I sure am glad they did, because this, ladies and gentlemen, is pretty close to salad perfection in my opinion.

Roasted Beet and Avocado Salad with Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette
makes one gigantic salad

Two things about this salad. First, the measurements are not important here. Pile the toppings on until your stomach says enough, and mix the dressing according to how your taste buds like it. Second, most people roast beets whole, then peel and chop. This is all fine a dandy, but I prefer mine in nice crispy and caramelized bite sized pieces. I accomplish this by taking the outer skin off by cutting the beet in half, then slicing the skin off with a sharp knife. Think about peeling sweet potatoes, or ginger, or a pineapple for that matter, same principle, just on a smaller scale. Cube, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, then cook for maximum roasted surface area.
2-3 red beets, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 avocado diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1 oz crumbled goat cheese
1/2 apple, cored and cut into thin matchsticks
big handful of mixed greens, or whatever kind of lettuce you like
1/4 cup olive oil + extra for tossing with beets
juice of one orange
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Toss diced beets with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15-25 minutes, until caramelized and cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a seal-able container (such as a Ziploc or mason jar), mix olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, mustard, and salt and pepper. Close tightly and shake the crap out of it until the dressing has emulsified.

Plate your greens, and top with, in no particular order, the beets, avocado, apple, goat cheese, pistachios, and drizzle on your dressing. Go ahead and eat the whole damn thing, cause its mostly lettuce right? Just humor me and say "right Bria". Thank you.

Some Khmer Cookin

I knew when I returned from my trip that it would be back to reality very quickly, but oh what a weird reality it has turned out to be. This morning I found myself back at my old design job. As my plane landed in Chicago last week, and my blackberry starting loading all the emails I had been avoiding, I received a request for some contract work at the product design firm that I had been laid off from last fall. It's like I have actually traveled back in time...I am just sitting at a different desk.

Except that last night I found myself meeting with my good friend to discuss the dessert table at her wedding, which I will be designing and baking myself. Scary huh? I am also training this week for my oh-so-exciting promotion from hostess to server (big money, big money).

So, reality stomped on me hard this week, and Thailand and Cambodia seem like a distant memory. Luckily I was able to find the time to take a step back, amidst all the craziness, and have a quiet night at home, with a (loose) recreation of one of my favorite Khmer dishes, fried ginger with pork. It was a fleeting moment I fear, but it was nice to relive such an amazing vacation, even only for an hour or two, through such a delicious meal.

Khmer Fried Ginger with Pork and Spicy Soy Sauce

adapted from Hot Sour Salty Sweet

1/2-1 pound boneless pork chop, sliced thinly
1/2 pound ginger, preferably young, peeled and cut into very fine matchsticks

1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

8 oz. can/container of sliced bamboo shoots
3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons oyster sauce (they didn't have fish sauce in my grocery store, but if you can find it, use that instead with a little sugar to balance out the flavor)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3-4 scallions, green and white parts sliced thinly

In a wok (or a large skillet, I do not yet own a wok) heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the garlic and fry for about 20-30 seconds, stirring continuously. Add the meat, and stir-fry until it starts to brown on all sides, about 5-6 minutes. Add the ginger, bell pepper, bamboo shoots, oyster sauce, and soy sauce, and fry until everything is cooked through and tender, stirring constantly, about 4-5 more minutes.

I served this with brown rice and some spicy soy sauce (which is nothing more than a few slices a jalapeno and red pepper flakes soaking in some soy sauce) but any kind of rice, or even rice noodles would work.

It definitely wasn't exactly like the fried ginger we had in cambodia, but it was delicious in its own right and I would absolutely make it again. If only we could be staring at centuries-old temples or sitting on a beach while eating it. I guess the back deck and 65 degree weather will have to cut it for now.

Back in Chicago and Ready to get in the Kitchen

Well I am back. Sigh...

I just returned from two and a half weeks on the other side of the world. Two and a half weeks spent hiking ancient Buddhist and Hindu temples in Cambodia, riding around in tuk-tuks and eating some serious street food in crazy Bangkok, and tooling around 30 meters underwater with stingrays and schools of giant barracuda while scuba diving in Koh Tao, Thailand.

Oh and did I mention the food? I am not sure if you know this or not, (my guess is yes) but I LOVE thai food. I learned on this trip that I also love khmer (cambodian) food, which I had never had before. There are a lot of similarities between the two, so it came no surprise to me that I would be a pretty happy camper for the duration of our stay. And boy was my tummy a happy camper.

There were so many amazing meals its hard to pick just a few. Between the traditional khmer food in Cambodia, stir-fried red ants in Siem Reap (not my favorite, but interesting to say the least), chinatown's finest street food in bangkok, and life-changing green curry on the beach in Koh Tao, the food was incredible.

Plus I got to eat pad thai for breakfast without feeling guilty.

We had a personal 'chef' cook a meal just for us in a tiny village 100 kilometers outside of the city while staying overnight in a open-air stilted hut (by chef I mean an adorable teeny cambodian woman originally from the village we were staying in).

This quiet, giggly girl cooked in near-darkness as the sun set, before the car-battery generator kicked in, with merely a wok, some pre-steamed rice, and a fire.

We had fried ginger with pork, coconut curry soup, amazing fresh cut fried potatoes, and delicious fruit plates filled with mangos, rambutons, and bannanas for dessert.

It was some of the best food we had on this trip.

Plus this was our view during every meal, so you know, that helped.

The meals matched the solitude and quiet of the distant and more un-touristed temples that we pretty much had all to ourselves that weekend.

It was one thing seeing the enormous and beautiful Angkor Wat temples with upwards of a thousand other people talking too loud and snapping almost constant pictures, but it was truly another to witness a simple yet gorgeous temple with only the sounds of roosters crowing in the background.

We headed on to Bangkok and engaged in some serious street food. We headed straight for chinatown and promptly got lost. After not eating for almost 8 hours while wandering down unfamiliar streets and hovering around street food vendors trying to figure out how and what to order, we finally found our way and scored ourselves some interesting and delicious food.

Bird's nest soup, stir-fried noodles with chicken, soy sauce, and chilies, and a fried mussels and oysters egg-pancake-thingy were all successfully ordered by pointing at someone's plate and holding up the number two with our fingers.

Bangkok was such a crazy, HOT city filled at the time with much turmoil from the red-shirt protestors, camped out by the thousands in the center of the city. We luckily left before things started erring on the violent side, but it was an amazing and humbling experience to see that many people so dedicated to a change. Many of them had been living and sleeping there for weeks, sacrificing jobs and family, to try and restore a democratic government.

Our last stop was in Koh Tao, Thailand. We ate breakfast on the beach every morning, grilled fresh fish while watching the amazing sunsets, and were treated to what was the best curry I have ever had in my entire life.

I didn't really take many pictures of the food on while on the island, I was usually too excited to dig in than to get my camera out and snap some photos. Thats okay though, the visions of those meals will dance around my head at night like sugarplums for many years to come.

Plus I was too busy taking pictures of the live fish not on my plate.

We spent 6 days scuba diving on the island, coming home with our beginner and advanced certification (up to 30 meters), logging 10 dives, and seeing some of the most beautiful landscapes and marine life I have ever seen.

We were only supposed to do the beginner course, but with the prospect of spending 2 more days diving, and enticed by a night dive and shipwreck dive, we just couldn't pass it up.

We are hooked and have already started plotting our next diving adventures.

One last stop at burger king (yeah I know, I caved) in South Korea, we were on our way back to cold chicago, and back to reality. I got a little depressed when we left Thailand and the temperature was 40 degrees Celsius and as we landed our captain told us the current temperature was 37 degrees Fahrenheit.

Jet lag is still killing me right now, but I am so looking forward to getting back into the kitchen this weekend to try and recreate some of the best food memories of the trip, so I can relive these experiences at the drop of a hat, and the switch of a gas burner.

More Macarons and a 22 Hour Plane Ride

Tomorrow I am going on vacation. A long vacation. Two and a half weeks to be exact. Cambodia and Thailand here I come. Ancient ruins, beautiful landscapes, scuba diving, amazing food, and 100-degree weather are all in my very near future. Oh, and a 22 hour plane trip. Ugh. Hope Korea Airlines is well stocked with those cute little mini bottles of wine.

Before I go, I wanted to share the last of the three desserts I made for the wedding shower festivities. A third try at macaron making has put me even closer to the finish line of macaron-mastery.

In this version, ground dried raspberries were blended into the batter and vanilla beans were added to the buttercream. It was a delicious combination and one that I would make again in an instant. Once more, I shall defer you to the master of macarons herself for the recipe, but I assure you, I am getting close to my own version and will shout it from the rooftops (and post it here) when I do finally nail it down.

I look forward to getting back and firing up the stove and sharing some pictures with you, but until then: râat-dtree sà-wàt (goodnight) and chum riep leah (goodbye).

And Now For Something Completely Different.

Okay, not completely different (I may have been watching a leeetle too much Monty Python as of late). But it is definitely on the opposite side of the spectrum than the other dessert I made for the bridal shower I attended this weekend, the chocolate raspberry truffle tart. While the chocolate tart was deep, rich, thick, and gooey, this lime coconut macadamia pie is light, citrus-y, tart, and refreshing. This is my kind of dessert, not too rich, with bright flavors and a crumbly, not-too-sweet crust.

It is also extremely easy to put together when you make the original 9-inch round pie. Unfortunately when I transferred it into individual tart form, they didn't hold up very well. The filling soaked into the crust, softening it too much to stand on its own. When I tried to lift them off the pan, I ended up with little lime pie piles. They still tasted incredible, but weren't so pretty, especially sitting next to the cute little pink-ribbon embellished chocolate tarts.

I have made this recipe many times before in a 9-inch pie tin and it works beautifully. The key is keeping the pie or tart in a vessel so it will stay intact when the crust softens. I plan on trying these out again with more of a pie-type crust, because they are so delicious, and would be perfect for a summer party.

Coconut Macadamia Lime Tarts

recipe from epicurious.com

For the crust:
35 vanilla wafer cookies (about 5 ounces)
1/3 cup dry-roasted macadamia nuts (about 2 ounces)
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
1 15-ounce can cream of coconut (such as Coco López, look in the liquor department)
2/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
3 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

To finish:
3/4 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 lime, thinly sliced into rounds
Additional powdered sugar

In a food processor, pulse the vanilla wafers and macadamia nuts until finely ground. Add the coconut and pulse a few times just to chop a bit. Pour mixture into medium bowl and mix in the melted butter, stirring to incorporate evenly. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan (or 5 inch tartlet pans if you feel like living on the edge) and bake for about 20 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Pour three tablespoons cold water into a small metal bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, until the gelatin has softened. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the cream of coconut, lime juice, and lime zest and set aside.

Place the bowl with the gelatin over a small saucepan of simmering water, and whisk until gelatin has dissolved into the water. Whisk gelatin into the cream of coconut mixture, and pour into prepared crust.

Chill for at least 4 hours, until filling has set.

In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, whisk the whipping cream and powdered sugar on medium-might speed until light and fluffy and stiff peaks form. Spoon or pipe onto pie, and garnish with lime slices. Then try not to eat the entire pie in one sitting.

I think I am going to go dig a lime macadamia nut pie pile out of the fridge right now...