Spork or Foon?

Junior's Tiramisu Cheesecake, Dr. Death, DDR. and my 400th Post!

 

This is my 400th post! That's crazy!!!

I had my wisdom teeth pulled this past Thursday. I hemmed and hawed, whined and moaned to coworkers. I was scared.  I was convinced – convinced I tell you! – that I was going to wake up during the surgery and discover the evil oral surgeon perched over me with the metal shears of death waiting to rip each tooth out from my mouth slowly as his eyes burned with fire and the dental hygienist cackled in the background.

I know. I’m a huge baby. And a drama queen.

But you see, I had a horrible experience at the dentist.  Take a trip down memory lane with me, shall we?

It was 2001. I was studying in London during my fall semester of Junior year.  My best friend, Tara, and I had taken a weekend jaunt to Amsterdam and were slowly wandering around the Van Gogh museum. I was enjoying a Nip hard candy and Starry Night when all of a sudden I felt a crack. Somehow, my tooth had chipped. I thought, either I have really weak teeth or this is the strongest Nip on the face of the planet.

Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t get a dentist appointment to save my life, so I lived the four months in London with a chipped tooth. When I returned to The States, it was no surprise that I needed to have a root canal. From my evil dentist whom I hated.

He was a dentist who I had been going to for years and he was mean. Just straight up mean. I think he had a drinking problem as well (no joke). But I never tried to change dentists, because I was still under the impression that all dentists were evil.   

He was a round, middle aged man, who stood no higher than 5’8”.  His meaty, clumsy hands always fumbled when picking up the equipment.  I still remember the sound of his labored breathing as he worked on my mouth, no doubt causing greater damage on my teeth rather than fixing them (no joke. I’ve learned I need another root canal because he drilled too close to the nerve on a cavity he filled years back. Dr. Death, DDR.

 So I sat in the chair of his dim blue office with chipping paint walls as I gazed up in terror at the fluorescent lights.  He gave me a few shots of Novocain and picked up an instrument. Wait! I thought. Isn’t he supposed to let it set? Nope. Not Dr. Death, DDR. He went straight to work. I winced in pain and made a feeble sound, letting him know I wasn’t comfortable.

“I can still feel it.” I mumbled in my garbled speak that only dentists can understand.

He huffed as if it were the most ridiculous thing in the world that I could still feel it.  He gave me a few more shots of Novocain and waited five minutes, clearly annoyed that I was inconveniencing him because I could feel the drilling IN MY BRAIN.

I’ll spare you the details, but after an hour of screaming and 8 shots of Novocain later, I left his office looking like someone had hit me in the face repeatedly with a baseball bat, or just stuck a softball in my mouth with tears streaming down my face.

So now, whenever I sit in a dentist chair, I start shaking, become short of breath, and tear up a little bit when I think of Dr. Death, DDR.

However, this oral surgeon was anything but.  He was young, handsome, and extremely charismatic. I immediately was shuffled into a back room and received a cat scan. I was confused as they strapped my head to the chair and asked me to close my eyes as the machine whirled around my face. It was the chamber of death and I was going to die by wisdom tooth extraction.  I prayed that it would be a quick end as the anesthesia pulsed through my body and lulled me to sleep.

An hour later, I awoke to my boyfriend entering the room and lightly kissing me on the forehead.

“Did they start yet?” I asked.

He laughed. “Yes, you’re done.” 

We went home and I surprisingly had no pain. I leered a little bit at the sight of my chipmunk cheeks, but otherwise, I was fine. No pain. No aching. Nothing. But I was instructed to take it easy to not aggravate my mouth.

Well, by the weekend, I was going totally stir crazy and I wanted to eat something good. I was sick of jello. I wanted something delicious. I’ve been eyeing this tiramisu cheesecake recipe for weeks now, and I thought this would be the perfect time. Since I bored you with my dentist story, I’ll keep the cheesecake part short. You know, because this is a blog about dentists, not food.

 
I don't know how many of you have ever visited or heard of Junior's Cheesecake, a New York City historical icon in terms of dessert. They have a cookbook out featuring recipes for many of their famous cheesecakes, and this one just popped out of me. Tiramisu. Cheesecake. Two of my favorite things.  But would it be as delicious as it sounds?

YES.

This cheesecake is OUTRAGEOUS. Perfect for any cheesecake lover.  The creamy, coffee cheesecake layer is pure heaven and is topped with a layer of deliciously soft lady fingers that were soaked in a sweet tiramisu syrup made of coffee, rum, and water. The cheesecake is then encircled with more tiramisu syrup-soaked ladyfingers and finally, the entire cheesecake is topped with the most delicious, billowy, sweet mascarpone cream.

OUT. RA. GEOUS. I could have eaten the whole thing. But then I ate an entire pint of Hagen Daaz Dulce De Leche Frozen yogurt, so I couldn’t justify more than a tiny sliver of cheesecake.

Who’s got two thumbs and gains weight when she can’t eat after wisdom tooth surgery? This girl.

 

 
 

Tiramisu Cheesecake – Adapted from Junior’s Cheesecake cookbook

1 tablespoon hot water

1 tablespoon instant freeze-dried espresso or coffee

Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese (use only full fat),at room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/4 cornstarch

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup heavy or whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan will aluminum foil,covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.

Stir the water and espresso together in a small cup until dissolved. Put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstrach in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low intil creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl down a couple of times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Add coffee into the cream, add to the cream cheese mixture, and beat just until it's completely blended. Be careful not to overmix! Gently spoon the batter into the springform.

Place in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the springform. Bake until the edges are light brown and the top is light tan, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove the cake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight or for at least 4 hours.

For the Tiramisu Syrup and Ladyfinger Layer:

1 cup hot water

2 tablespoon instant freeze-dried aspresso or coffee

¼ sugar

¼ cup Rum

At least 22 ladyfingers (9 for the layering and 13 for the ring around the edge – I’m sure I used more, though.)

Make the tiramisu syrup. Combine the water and espresso in a small sauce-pan until dissolved. Add the sugar and Kahlua or Rum, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and let simmer, uncovered for 3 minutes, stirring a few times. Top the cold cheesecake (still in the pan) with a layer of ladyfingers,. Transfer the cake to the freezer until completely frozen, at least overnight and/or until ready to assemble.

For the Mascarpone Cream

1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored granulated gelatin

1 tablespoon cold water

1 1/2 cups cold heavy or whipping cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 tbsp rum

One 8- to 10-ounce carton mascarpone cheese

When you're ready to assemble the cake, make the mascarpone cream. Place the gelatin in a heatproof measuring cup, stir in the cold water, and let stand until it swells and thickens. Cook in the microwave on high about 30 seconds or over a pan of simmering water for about 1 minute, until clear and completely melted. In a medium-size bowl, whip the cream with the mixer on high until it thickens and soft peaks just begin to form. With the mixer still running, add the sugar and beat just until the cream stands up in peaks (don't over-mix or the cream will curdle). Beat in the vanilla and rum. Add the melted gelatin all at once and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Gently fold in the mascarpone with a rubber spatula.

Remove the cake from the freezer and let it stand at room temperature about 10 minutes. Release and remove the sides of the springform, then remove the cheesecake from the bottom of the pan. Transfer to a cake plate. To attach the remaining ladyfingers (26 halves) to the outside of the cake, spread a thin layer of the mascarpone cream over the flat split sides of the ladyfingers. Stand them up around the edge of the cake, rounded-side out pressing each one gently in place. Spoon the remaining mascarpone on top of the cake and gently even out with a metal spatula; it will come up almost to the top of the ladyfingers. Since the cheesecake is still very cold, the mascarpone cream will set fast.

For The Topping:

4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate made into Chocolate Curls

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa  powder

To decorate, cover the top of the cake with the chocolate curls, then sprinkle evenly with the cocoa. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until the mascarpone layer is cold and set and the cheesecake layer has defrosted enough to slice easily. Slice with a sharp straight-edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover cake and refrigerate or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

 

Capellini with Fresh Ricotta, Roasted Garlic, Corn and Herbs

Last night, one of my best friends from college texted me asking me for more savory foods on my blog --so this post is for PJ in LA!  Love you!

I often sign up for email communications from my favorite websites, stores, etc., hoping to find some great gem of a deal or a fantastic recipe, but more often than not, I get annoyed at the emails that clog my inbox and delete them in a huff.  Why do they send me so much crap? I think to myself, as I click my mouse or swipe my screen (iPhone users, you understand) to delete the pesky emails, never once reminding myself that it was I who initiated the email communication by signing up for email alerts.

Sometimes, though, an unexpected gem pops up. Like this recipe. Bon Appetit sent out one of their emails featuring recipes and this pasta just jumped out at me.  My eyes fixated on the “Fresh Ricotta”.  Recently, I’ve been wanting to use fresh ricotta in everything, mainly because I now know how to make it from scratch and, even though it’s the easiest thing in the world to make, I always feel so accomplished when I do it. Because I’m making CHEESE. Kind of.

So off I ran to the supermarket to pick up ears of corn, a variety of fresh herbs, and some cappellini, which I have never used before and now I knew why.  Out of the hundreds of varieties of macaroni (pasta), there was only one box of cappellini left.  The box had seen better days (aka, it looked like someone tried to beat the crap out or use it as a whiffle ball bat in a a 5-year old t-ball tournament) so I asked a salesperson for another kind.

“What kind of pasta are you looking for?” he asked, kindly.

“Cappellini.” I told him, my eyes scouring the variety of packed boxes and bags holding an array of different shaped noodles.

“Ha!”  He scoffed. I looked at him, confused.

“Good luck,” he said as he walked away.

Thanks, guy.

I could not find any more boxes and contemplated subbing a thin linguine, but I thought better of it, so battered box it was.

I returned home, roasted some garlic and corn, and began to chop the herbs. The nutty smell of the garlic intensified as time passed, while hints of lemon, pine, fennel and onion wafted through the air as my knife chopped through the dill, parsley and chives.

I made a sauce out of fresh lemon, lemon zest, and mashed roasted garlic.

When the cappellini was ready, I tossed the still warm noodles with the lemon and roasted garlic “sauce” and the citrus scent of lemon infused with the nutty roasted garlic and created a wonderful juxtaposition of light and earthy fragrance.  I added the herbs, greens, roasted corn, and fresh ricotta cheese, and finally, some grated Manchego cheese.

The dish, besides being beautiful, is one of the most interesting, wonderful summer pasta dishes I have ever tasted. The light notes of the lemon really shone through and was the perfect final touch to the dish that was bursting with flavor from the chives, parsley, and dill especially. The corn provided a nice textural surprise, and of course, the cream ricotta was superb and the mixed greens and radicchio provided a wonderful burst of color, and the Manchego cheese added the most perfect finish to the dish, tying all of the flavors together with it's nutty, sharp flavor.

A true gem, indeed.  Keep those emails coming (but not as frequently, please. Thanks.)

Capellini with Fresh Ricotta, Roasted Garlic, Corn and Herbs adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

1 large head of garlic, top 1/2 inch cut off

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 ears of fresh corn with husks

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

8 ounces capellini

2 cups (loosely packed) mixed greens

2 cups torn radicchio leaves

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese (7 to 8 ounces)

1/2 cup finely grated Manchego cheese plus shaved Manchego for

garnish

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place head of garlic on sheet of foil. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil; wrap foil around garlic and crimp to seal tightly. Place garlic and corn on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until corn is tender and garlic is soft, about 25 minutes for corn and 40 minutes for garlic. Cool slightly.

Squeeze garlic out of skins into large bowl; add any oil from foil. Add lemon juice, lemon peel, and 3 tablespoons oil; mash garlic, then whisk mixture. Shuck corn; cut kernels from cob and transfer to same bowl.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Place in medium bowl; toss with 1 tablespoon oil. Using kitchen shears, cut pasta crosswise several times.

Add pasta, greens, radicchio, ricotta, grated Manchego, and herbs to bowl with garlic mixture; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with shaved Parmesan.

Rum Drenched Vanilla Cake with Mixed Berry Compote

 

I've been an enormous slacker on TWD and for that, I apologize to all memebers, especially our fearless leader, Laurie! But now I am back in the game and have some SERIOUS catching up to do.

Wendy, of Pink Stripes, chose the Rum-Drenched Vanilla Cake and for that, I want to hug her. I can't say it enough - Alcohol in desserts is a-ok by me.  I just love the unexpected flavor that pops from spirits.  And now, I'll stop talking about how much I love the combination, for fear that all of my readers will think I actually do have a problem and will hold a virtual intervention.

I made these vanilla cakes one night when Jack and I were hosting several friends for a dinner party. Every so often, we and a few of Jack's college friends and their girlfriends/wives, whom I now consider my own friends and who I love so much, get together and have dinner or do some other fun event together (like our most recent trip to LBI).  I had decided to make several canapes - Shrimp toast, Filet Mignon with a tomato creme fraiche on water crackers, lemon-taragon meatballs with a sweet tomato glaze, and something else that is escaping me - and two desserts - a lemon tart and these rum drenched vanilla cakes.

Everything went off without a hitch, and of course, I did not take any pictures of anything because I was pressed for time and the sun was setting and I refuse - REFUSE - to take photos of my food with flash, no matter how much Jack tells me I am being ridiculous (food bloggers, you understand). The only thing that I didn't work for me were these cakes. I don't know what went wrong, but I blame the perils of New York City kitchens. My stove is the size of half a stove, and it burns at whatever temperature it feels like. Right now, it is burning at about 25 degrees higher than it should be. Items on the lower rack cook well, but items on the top rack really brown quickly, and these were no exception. I tried to rotate the pans from the top to the bottom, and I was rewarded for my efforts of moving the loaf pans with sunken, dense middles.

I decided to quickly make some rum whipped cream and a mixed berry compote, hoping that would easy the disaster that these cakes turned into. Luckily, it did. But I was still not proud of the dish and did not want to serve it to guests. As they started to arrive, I quickly hid the cakes atop my dresser in my bedroom (I live in Manhattan - I don't have much space) and forgot about it.

Hours later, after our bellys were full and we were happily drinking some summery sangria, a friend of walked out of our bedroom after using the bathroom (we have one bathroom in our apartment and it is in our bedroom - Manhattan living at its finest) and exclaimed - do you have a cake on your dresser?!

Good times, indeed.

Needless to say, I think this cake would have been phenomenal if it were not for my missteps.  Thanks to Wendy for an awesome pick!

Click here for the recipe!

Eggs Benedict with Lemony Hollandaise Sauce

I love posting breakfast dishes right before the weekend, because, honestly, who has time to make special breakfast dishes like eggs benedict during the week?

I call this “lemony”  hollandaise because I had a slight accident and doubled the amount of lemon in  my original recipe. I was a bit worried, but the lemon really shone in this hollandaise sauce and was a nice little flavor surprise.

I decided to use a ham and cheese scone from one of my favorite brunch restaurants in NYC, Alice’s Tea Cup, as the base for this hollandaise.

If you live in New York or if you are ever visiting, you must visit Alice’s Tea Cup for brunch.  There are three locations – 64^th and Lexington, 82^nd and 2^nd, and 74^th and Columbus.  Each location has a slightly different menu, and the 64^th and Lexington location is by far my favorite. However, each of these locations has such a similar charm to them.  The décor is whimsical and charming. As soon as you walk through the doors, you are transported to a wonderland of sorts. For children, fairy wings are available to wear as you enjoy your breakfast, but only after you are sprinkled with a bit of fairy dust to send you on your way.  The countertop is filled with wonderfully decorated cakes and their signature scones – Ham and Cheese, Plain, and the Pumpkin Scone. Ohhhhh the pumpkin scone. I had it once four years ago and have never stopped thinking about it since. However, I do not get it, because I know beneath that beautiful little crust is a calorie bomb waiting to implant itself in my hips. So instead, I tell other people to get it and watch them as they enjoy. J

These scones are the perfect base for a delicate poached egg, where the tender crumb sops up the  golden yellow yolk as it oozes from the broken poached egg.  Topped with a creamy, wonderfully light hollandaise, this is truly a breakfast to be made time and time again.

Eggs Benedict with a Lemony Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

4 egg yolks

1 1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)

Pinch cayenne

Pinch salt

Directions

Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel or glass bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

EGGS BENEDICT 

4 ham and cheese scones 

2 teaspoons white vinegar

4 eggs

Salt and pepper, to taste

Hollandaise sauce

Fill a small saucepan half full of water. Add white vinegar to the cooking water. This will make the egg white cook faster so it does not spread. Bring to a slow boil. Gently break 1 of the eggs into a cup or mug, taking care not to break the egg or yolk, and slowly drop the egg into the water taking care not to break it. Repeat with remaining eggs. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 3 1/2 minutes until the egg white is set and yolk remains soft. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the egg to drain.

To assemble: Top each scone with poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon hollandaise sauce over the eggs.  

Kahlua Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was trolling around on Facebook (that actually sounds so odd and slightly sleazy), doing things people on Facebook do – you know, like looking at vacation photos of people who I haven’t talked to in ten years – when I saw these Kahlua Chocolate Chip cookies on She’s Become Doughmesstic’s site. 

My eyes almost popped out of my head.  Now, we all know that I love putting alcohol in desserts.  I no longer feel like a closet alcoholic when I enter the liquor store and buy those airline bottles of alcohol.  Instead, I walk in with my head held high, and as I plunk my money down on the countertop, I say to the guy behind the countertop with conviction:

“I need it for cooking.”

He answers back with a blank stare, as if he could care less about my closet alcoholism, cooking needs, or my two dollars and nineteen cents. 

But I digress.

When I saw these cookies, I was immediately intrigued. Cookies with a twist. Kahlua. Hazelnut oil. Chocolate chunks filled with caramel. I loved it. 

I decided to make them during a weekend away with friends at my boyfriend’s parent’s incredible beach house.  I try to cook and bake as much as possible when I am here, because… well… just look at this kitchen. 

 
And there are two kitchens like this. I die.

Unfortunately, when at the beach house I am usually short on cooking utensils. Sometimes it terrifies me when people do not have baking necessities like stand mixers and cooling racks.  How do they live like this? I think.  Then I realize not everyone is a crazy baker like me.  However, there is nary a baking sheet to be found in this house. Funnily enough, I also think I am the only one in the history of the house to have ever used either of the ovens.  And they built the house 5 years ago.

I had to be creative. I decided to bake up these cookies in 13 x 9” Pyrex dishes and cool them on a barbeque basket.

Like I said, I had to be creative.

I needed to tweak the recipe a bit, as the supermarket down in Long Beach Island does not have luxuries like hazelnut oil, or even chocolate bars with caramel inside.

Also, a friend of ours has a severe peanut allergy, so I could only use Hershey’s chocolate (something new that I learned). Not that there is anything wrong with Hershey’s, but I’d love to try these with a premium chocolate.  Because these are a premium cookie.  The crisp edges of the cookie give way to a supremely chewy center with flavors laced with the deliciously complex flavor of the coffee liquor.  I was incredibly impressed with this cookie. Oftentimes, it is hard to trace the flavors of a liquor in a baked good, but the Kahlua flavor truly was the star of the cookie.

Oh. And the dough. Don’t you even get me started on that dough.  Dangerous.

Here is the recipe with my revisions, but check out Susan's site for the full on recipe - hazelnut oil, premium chocolate, caramel and all!

Kahlua Chocolate Chip Cookies adaped from She's Becoming Doughmesstic

10  Tablespoons Browned Butter (salted butter)

2 Tablespoons Hazelnut Oil

1/3 cup Dark Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Light Brown sugar

2/3 cup Sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 1/2 Tablespoons Kahlua

2 Bars Hershey’s Dark Chocolate, chopped

2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

Pinch salt

 

Preheat oven to 325 F.

In a small sauce pan, brown the butter over medium heat (the butter will be golden brown and have a slightly nutty scent).  Let cool slightly.

When the butter is browned, add to sugars sugars and mix until the butter is fully incorporated.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Add salt, vanilla and Kahlua and mix until fully incorporated. 

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and fold in with a rubber spatula.  Mix only until just combined. 

Add chopped chocolate to the batter. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 15 to 20 minutes.

Place 1” balls of dough on prepared cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until just golden brown, for best results.  Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to fully cool. 

Lime and Coconut Cookies

 

First off, let me say I hate any recipe that has Lime and Coconut in the title.  Mainly because I get that dreaded song stuck in my head.  And because I don’t really know the words to said song, so I just sing an annoying song over and over incorrectly.

“You get the lime in the coconut you make it fall up.”

You make it fall. Up. Seriously. That’s what I think the words are. And I’m still too lazy to Google the correct lyrics.

I made these cookies for my cousin’s baby shower a few weeks back to go along with the two different types of cupcakes. I had grandiose dreams of making little stork cookies and little baby onesie cookies decorated in purple and green.

And then reality hit. I began to have nightmares of my 2,500 cookie bonanza this past Christmas.  I thought of the nervous breakdown I had when recently making a close friend’s wedding cake (which I never blogged about and don’t know if I can because I just can’t relive it. But I must say, I love the girl whom I made this cake for to death and I would do it again if she asked!)

I broke out into a cold sweat. I swore an ulcer was slowly forming wherever ulcers form. I couldn’t do it. Not again. I needed an easy cookie recipe.

I found these lime and coconut cookies on Two Peas in a Pod.  Simple, easy butter cookies speckled with lime zest and toasted coconut.  I could bang out 100 of these cookies in no time. I even had some purple and green sprinkles to sprinkle atop the cookies to really make them pop.

I nervously texted my cousin (the twin sister of the then-mom-to-be) that I could not do anything crazy in regards to the cookies because I just didn’t have the time to do it. She reassured me that it was fine and not to go crazy.  I felt a little bit better, but still slightly disappointed in myself, nonetheless.

Well, once I tasted these cookies, I was disappointed no-more.  The buttery, chewy cookies were as light and air as hints of lime danced atop my tongue.  The coconut lent a wonderfully chewy, slightly crisp pop to the texture, however, did not add much to the flavor.  But these cookies were great, nonetheless. An easy, delicious treat that is perfect for any summer celebration.

When I arrived at my cousin’s house, I arranged the cookies atop her gorgeously decorated dessert table, as my family oohed and aahhed.  My cousin (not the pregnant one) exclaimed at how beautiful she thought the cookies were (she is one of the sweetest people ever and always has a way of making people feel good about themselves). Hungrily, my family reached for cookies as they awaited the arrival of the rest of the bridal shower guests. I had the urge to slap their hands as they swiped a cookie because I always saw people do that in movies and wanted to do that, but then I thought that would be mean. So I refrained. Because I’m nice like that. 

Instead, I watched as they ate the cookies in delight. Many commented that they could not taste the lime (which I agree), but still loved the soft, buttery texture of the cookie.   This recipe is definitely a keepr.

Random side story:  My father, who happened to imbibe in one glass of Dewar’s too many, had a plateful of cookies and then, in his drunken state, tried to eat the duck-shaped confetti that decorated the dishes.

“What the hell kind of sprinkles are these?” He shouted as he spit out pieces of green and purple confetti.

“It’s confetti, Dad.” I said, laughing hysterically as I swapped out the watered down glass of scotch for a piping hot cup of coffee.

That’s my dad, for you.

Lime and Coconut Sugar Cookies adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 4 large limes
3 tbsp lime juice
½ cup toasted coconut
1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix sugar and lime zest with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.  Add butter and, using a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy (about 3 minutes)

 Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and lime juice. Mix until well combined.

Gradually add in the dry ingredients and toasted coconut. Mix until combined. Be sure not to over mix.
Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of cookie dough into balls. Put sugar in a small bowl and roll cookie dough balls in the sugar. Place on lined cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. The cookies will start to crack a little bit.

Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes. Move cookies to a cooling rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

 

Panforte Ice Cream

 

First I must say HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JACK, my boyfriend. I love him so much. He's a cutie.

A few weeks back, I was having some friends over to watch a World Cup match and wanted to find a good dessert to serve.  It was a hot day out and I was longing for a deliciously rich, creamy ice cream. I randomly opened up Dave Lebovitz’s “Perfect Scoop” straight to the Panforte Ice Cream recipe.

Interesting. I thought.  Panforte. I’m intrigued.  A friend who was coming over is a first-generation Italian and I thought this would suite my guests perfectly.

However, I was faced with a slight dilemma.  Panforte is the Italian version of a fruit cake. And fruit cakes are scary enough in their true form. 

This mystery cake haunts many-a-holiday-celebration.  Guests turn up their noses in disgust as they scornfully look down at the brick-like cake.  Nauseating bits of candied fruit create a craggly landscape atop the dense spice cake, and, if you’re really unlucky, your gracious host would have thrown in a handful of nuts.  A question that will always be the subject of trivia at any party: “If the cake is soaked in alcohol, why is it always so dry?” And, in my opinion, no cake should have a shelf-life that could span years.

That is the scariest thought of all.

Fruitcake should be served on Halloween.  Want to scare away all of the pesky trick-or-treaters who happily traipse up and down the street as they ring your doorbell and greet you with a melodious “Trick or Treat”?  Open the door slowly and hand them each a piece of last year’s fruit cake. 

Boo!

However, I do love the deep and fragrant notes of cloves, cinnamon, and freshly grated nutmeg and longed to try them in ice cream form.   However, I was a little bit thrown off at the not-so-excited reaction of my Italian friend.

“What are you making for dessert?” he asked.

“Panforte Ice Cream.”  I said, nervously.

Silence.

“Have you ever had panforte?” I asked, stupidly.

“Yeahhhh.” He said, timidly. I was unnerved by the way he drew out the word.  I convinced myself he was going to hate it. “But never as ice cream.”

Wonderful scents of wafted through the air as the warmed spices infused into the half-and-half and only became more fragrant when mixed with the eggs and thickened into creamy custard, leaving me longing for crisp, fall air in the suffocating heat of July. I became even more eager to try the ice cream as I mixed the custard with the final bits of heavy cream and watched as a steady stream of amber honey created ribbons throughout the custard.

After what seemed like hours (it was really only 30 minutes), I churned the ice cream and added chunks of Ghirardelli chocolate and sliced toasted almonds.

But chocolate is not in fruitcake, you say? Nope. But chocolate makes everything better.

But there are no candied fruits in this, you say?  Damn right there are no candied fruits.  I don’t want that stuff messing up my ice cream.

 I ran through an arsenal of spoons as I tasted the ice cream at various stages of churning.  And when I say various stages, I mean every 2 minutes. 

Oh, it must be colder. Let me taste.

SO GOOD.

Oh, it looks thicker. I must try it.

SO GOOD.

Nope. Not thicker. Need to eat it again.

SO GOOD.

Finally, the ice cream was ready. After a bit of time in the freezer (about 20 minutes, nowhere near long enough for the ice cream to set), my guests requested the ice cream

“Ok, but it’s not done.”  I explained.

I don’t even think they heard me. Everyone grabbed a spoon and plunged it into the somewhat melted ice cream.

“Wow that is SO good.” Someone yelled in between bites.

“This is incredible.” Someone else said.

“It tastes like a cannoli! I want the whole thing!”

I was relieved.  I have overcome the curse of the fruitcake.  The solution: Don’t add fruit and turn it into ice cream.

Panforte Ice Cream adapted from David Lebovitz's Perfect Scoop

1 cup half and half

⅔ cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 cups heavy cream

4 large egg yolks

3 Tbsp honey

8 oz. premium dark chocolate, chopped

2 tbsp rum

½ cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

 

Warm the half-and-half, sugar, and spices in a medium saucepan. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Rewarm the spice-infused mixture. Pour the cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer over top. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warmed mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the mixture back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium-low to medium heat with a spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Don’t rush this step, it may take 10 minutes or so. If you hurry it along, you may be having a little breakfast (scrambled eggs) with your ice cream. Pour the custard through the strainer into the cream. Discard the cinnamon stick. Stir the custard until cool over an ice bath. While it’s cooling, warm the honey in a small saucepan, then stir it into the custard.

Chill the mixture throughly in the refrigerator. Even though you’re about to pour it into your frozen ice cream maker, the chilling step is actually very important for the final texture. Give it at least a few hours in the fridge. When cold, freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the citrus peel and almonds.

 

Harry Potter's Butterbeer!!!

I know it’s been a while and I promise I will be better about posting! A month! A month! What’s wrong with me?

Work has been crazy and working for two different sports teams is even crazier. Wonderfully, fantastically crazy, but crazy nonetheless.

So sometimes I like to sit back and unwind with a nice, cold butterbeer.

(Record scratching)

You read that correctly. A butterbeer.

As in the concoction that could lower the inhibitions of many a wizard, witch, and mudblood? The drink that can leave an innocent house-elf somewhat drunk upon imbibing said beverage? The longed-after beverage for many an excited Hogwarts student on a special trip outside of school grounds at The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmead?

That’s the one.

Funnily enough, my boyfriend could easily be thought of as what Harry Potter would look like at the ripe old age of 29 years old and happily married to Ginny Weasely, maybe will little redheaded, bespectacled wizards and witches running around at their feet as they enjoy a life of wedded bliss.

Sure. Jack could easily be mistaken for an older Harry, minus the whole lightning-bolt-etched-into-his-forehead thing. And the whole being-in-love-with-Ginny-Weasley-thing.

I’d kick her ass.

Last week, as Jack and I were sitting at home relaxing after a long day at work, Jack exclaimed as if he had just remembered that he had a long-lost gem sitting in his bag. He reached into his leather messenger bag and from it, pulled out a folded piece of newspaper.

“Gabby gave this to me. You have to make this.” He informed me as he handed me the slightly crinkled paper.

I grabbed it from his hand, slightly inquisitive. Very often, I get handed recipes with exclamations of “You have to make this!” or “I thought you would like this!” It always gives me a bit of a warm, fuzzy feeling that someone thinks of me when they see a recipe and asks me to try it. And then I get nervous because I think I’m going to screw it up, let everyone down, and then be accused of being a culinary fraud.

Such is life.

I unfolded the piece of paper as my eye immediately jumped to a photo of a beer mug filled with a light, caramel liquid and topped with a by a frothy, whipped cloud of cream.

Then, the headline jumped out at me.

Butter Beer.

“Really?!” I exclaimed. “No way! This is awesome! I am definitely making this. Can I keep this?”

“No.” Jack answered matter-of-factly. “She wants the recipe back.”

Ah, well. You can win them all. I immediately jotted down the recipe and my excitement deflated slightly.

Butter? Heavy cream? Is this a children’s drink or a death concoction invented by Paula Deen to clog my arteries?

“I don’t know how I feel about drinking melted butter.” I told Jack.

“It’ll be delicious.” He reassured me.

It didn’t work.

After a few days of hemming and hawing, I decided to go for it. I ran to the supermarket and picked up the necessary ingredients. Heavy cream. Butter. I then reached the soda aisle and balked.

Do I go for diet cream soda or regular?

I hemmed and hawed. But the diet cream soda has no calories. The regular has 190 calories. 190 calories!

Wait. I thought to myself. You’re about to drink melted butter and heavy cream. If you’re going to do it, you may as well go all out. I picked up the regular soda.

As I returned home, I finally read through the recipe in its entirety. Ohhhh. I thought to myself. Heavy cream, butter and brown sugar. So I’m making caramel. And then drinking it. That’s better, right?

Right?

After the caramel cooled, I poured it into the beer mug and mixed it with a little bit of the cream soda. The light, tan color of the cream soda magically (like in Harry Potter! No? No?) transformed into a rich, magnificent amber. I topped it with the remainder of the soda and listened as the froth billowed above the edge of the glass. I topped it with a bit of caramel whipped cream and walked over proudly to Jack.

This is going to be SO good. I told him excitedly.

“Can I have it?” He asked confused, as I placed the glass on the floor.

“No, I have to photograph it.”

“Right. Silly me.” He answered back dryly as he went back to reading his Wall Street Journal.

After I finished photographing the beer, I handed Jack the drink and watched him as he took his first sip. He looked at me, whipped cream dotting the tip of his nose and said:

“WOW. This is SO good. It tastes like a Root Beer Float!” (Jack’s favorite dessert/drink).

Yes, this drink is pure magic.

Butterbeer adapted from The Daily Record

1 cup light or dark brown sugar

2 tbsp water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cider vinegar

3/4 cup heavy cream, divided

2 tsp rum

6 tbsp butter

Four 12 oz bottles cream soda

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar and water. Bring to  a gentle boil and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reads 240 on a candy thermometer

Stir in the butter, salt, vinegar and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the rum extract.

In a medium bowl, combine 2 tbsp of the brown sugar mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Use an electric mixture to beat until it reaches soft peaks.

To serve, divide the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses (about 1/4 cup per glass) add 1/4 cup cream soda to each glass, then stir to combine.  Fill each glass nearly to the top with additional cream soda, then spoon the whipped cream on top.

 

Baby Shower Cupcakes - Lemon Buttermilk Vanilla Bean Filled with Raspberry Jam and topped with Cream Cheese Frosting

 

WOW. I has been a LONG time since I have blogged.  I have to say, it's hard to work hard and have a blog. When do I have time to cook? When do I have time to photograph before the sun goes down?  More importantly, when do I have time to actually EAT anything besides a nutritional bar. 

It makes me nervous for my busy season. Which is nine months long. Ten if playoffs are involved.

But I digress.

Let me introduce to you these magically wonderful cucpakes.  My cousin is having what is sure to be one of the most beautiful babies on the planet, and her twin sister, who has the other most beautiful baby on the planet, threw her a baby shower and asked if I could provide the desserts for 50 guests. 

I must admit, although I was excited, I was slightly nervous.  I knew that with my newly crazy schedule, fitting in baking would be difficult. But I love these two girls like they were my own sisters and I would slave through endless sleepless nights to give them the cupcakes of their dreams.

I know I'm being dramatic, but hey, that's me.

Unfortunately, the week before, I also had to make a wedding cake to feed 200 people.  In my apartment in Manhattan. With a stove that doesn't fit a pan larger than 13". Let's just say that it was the most traumatic day of my life.  Tears were shed. Nervous breakdowns were had. Boyfriends were yelled at. And red velvet cake still stains the walls of the kitchen. But it all worked out in the end, and I think I made a pretty decent wedding cake.

But the Cake Boss I am not.

Needless to say, I was not thrilled about baking. Ever again. Until the next day when my cousin told me the number would now be closer to 65 people.

Kill me now.

As a side note, I know if my cousin Desi reads this blog, she will be worried for my well-being and stress levels.  Desi, I love you, and you know me. I stress over everything.  It's a DiMicco trait.

Back to the post. Normally, I would have prepared my recipes and done my shopping weeks before, but I was delaying. I didn't have it in me.  Friday night, I finally pulled it together, chose my recipes, went shopping, and truged into my kitchen to prepare. At 10 pm, I finally started baking. I baked 100 cookies and called it a night. The next morning, at 6:00 am sharp, I baked off 75 cupcakes.

 

The worst part of it all?  Packing it all up and trudging to my car, parked what seemed like miles away (it was 3 blocks) and drove the hour drive to Long Island.

The cupcakes looked pretty, but it wasn't until I set them up in the cute little cupcake stands, sprinkled them with purple and green edible decorations, and topped them with rattles held up by clothespins (another great idea by my cousin), and surrounded them with lime cookies sprinkled with purple and green sprinkles that I was truly excited.  The vibrant purple and green tops popped against the bright yellow setting.

How was the taste? Well, I'm not sure. After two solid weeks of large baking projects, I could't stomach anymore frosting.  But people raved about them. So I took a small bite. I LOVED these cupakes. The sunny lemon flavor really shined through in the tender cake and the raspberry jam added a wonderfully cool and smooth texture and sweet tart flavor. And of course, no one can go wrong with cream cheese icing.

Of course, there were also cocoa cupcakes topped with a salted caramel buttercream, which I'll post about tomorrow.

I'm back.  Miss me? :)

Ooh. Wow. I think that's the first time I've used a "smiley face" in my posts. Don't know if I'll do that again.

Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting - adapted from Cheeky Kitchen

Makes 18 cupcakes

1 pound(s) of butter (2 lbs)

4 eggs (8 eggs)

Zest of 1 lemon

1 vanilla bean, seeded

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cup(s) of flour

3/4 cup(s) of buttermilk

Frosting 
12 ounces cold cream cheese 
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, firm but not cold 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1 1/2 pounds (1 1/2 boxes) powdered sugar, sifted 
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, cream together 2 sticks of butter, eggs, and the remaining granulated sugar until very light a fluffy.

To the creamed mixture, add lemon zest, vanilla bean seeds (discard pod), salt, baking powder, flour and buttermilk.

Beat batter together just until well mixed. Be careful to not overbeat the mixture!

Spoon batter into a standard-sized muffin tin which has been lined with paper cupcake liners

Bake cupcakes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or just until the centers have set and spring back to the light touch.

Frosting 

Combine butter, salt, and cream cheese in mixer and beat on medium speed 2-3 minutes. 

Add sugar until just incorporated. Don’t over mix. It should be thick but not fluffy. 

Add vanilla. If necessary, add milk to thin.

 

Homemade Ricotta Revisited

 
 

I blogged about Homemade Ricotta about a year ago. I do realize I have been revisiting many recipes lately, but frankly, it's fun to go back and try something I made a year ago now that I understand cooking and baking better than I did in the past.  Also, I'm super busy. 

Hey, at least I'm honest.

Here is what I said at the time:

I first learned about the wonders of fresh ricotta cheese after attempting a scrambled egg recipe in Bon Appetit Magazine that called for the egg to be cooked at a very low heat, scrambling constantly, and finished off with a tablespoon of fresh ricotta cheese.  

I was confused.  Eggs and ricotta cheese? Really?  I had to try it.  But it was imperative that I get fresh ricotta cheese.  So I headed over to the Dupont Circle Farmers Market in Washington, DC and in search of my cheese.  Luckily, I was able to have a taste at the stand.

It was a whole new world. I never knew that ricotta cheese was not lumpy, curdled, watered-down goopy goo!  It was light! And creamy! And probably could work in scrambled eggs!

Well, this ricotta did work very well in scrambled eggs. But, frankly, it's delicious on it's own. When I last made it, I burned the crap out of it, because I didn't realize that the curds had already formed. So instead of letting it cook for just two or three minutes, as the recipe states, I turned the heat up to high and cooked it for an hour. When I ate it, it actually tasted like what I would imagine fire to taste like were I to eat it. If burned could be a noun, this is what I tasted like. Like burned. 

See. This is why I revisit recipes.

This time, I was much more careful to not burn my ricotta. And it came out perfectly. Light. Fluffy. Creamy. And so much better than that stuff at the supermarket. 

Except, this time, I scraped the bottom of the pan, so little brown bits of slightly overcooked cheese made their way into the cheese. 

You can't win them all. Next time, it'll be perfect. It won't have brown bits and it won't taste like burned. Click here for the recipe.