Spork or Foon?

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!

TWD: Apple Apple Bread Pudding

 

I wasn't going to make this one this week - Jack and I had indulged way too much on our first trip down to Long Beach Island for the summer.  To use the famous saying, I was like a fat kid in a candy store.  And I often know when I shouldn't be eating something, but it's like I have an angel and a devil on my shoulder, and the devil is actually that fat kid saying, "Eat it! What's one bite?" which then turns into three days of indulgence.  

It's not pretty.

What is it about the summer or being at the beach that makes me want to eat bad food?  Burgers. Frozen Margaritas. Elephant Ears. Fudge. Birthday Cake. TWO PIECES! Ugh. I'm so ashamed. 

When I told Jack I was thinking of skipping the recipe, he told me I should make it and bring it into work, as I haven't been blogging that much lately (I really am trying to get back on track. I have so many photos and no write ups about my food!).  Also, the lovely Elizabeth of Cake or Death chose this recipe, so I definitely didn't want to skip out, because I love her and her blog.  Even if the recipe did involve making custard (which I love to have spoonfuls of because the fat kid devil tells me to) and soggy carbs. Now, we all know how I feel about soggy carbs. But then I had some tiramisu bread pudding and was turned into a skeptical bread pudding lover.  Would I be fully turned with this recipe?

Well, let me tell you something. I was actually excited about it. Tender Gala apples, tossed in a sweet caramel sauce dripping with butter.  Complex apple pudding, brimming with notes of nutmeg, cinnamon and clove.  Sweet and creamy vanilla custard. And, of course, bread. Yummy, delicious bread. 

I was so mad that I was not going to allow myself to have more than a bite.  And I shut that inner fat kid up real fast when she suggested that I eat this with a big scoop of ice cream.  Wouldn't the ice cream be so good?

NO. NO IT WOULDN'T.

Aw, who am I kidding. Of course it would.  But I had to stop myself. At just one bite. Stupid willpower. This was good. SO good.  So good that I swore that the one day in my life that I'm not on a diet, I'm going to eat the whole damn thing. With a pint of ice cream. 

TWD: Classic Quick Berry Tart

   
You know the term, "I'd lose my own head if it wasn't attached?"  That was me making this tart. 

I had such high aspirations for this tart.  I was going to make two different tarts - one for me to take to work and one for Jack to take to work.  I wanted to make the classic version with strawberries and blueberries and then a tropical take with a coconut rum pastry cream and kiwis, papaya, and mango. I hit up the fruit stand and $15 later, I walked away with two pints each of strawberries and blueberries, a mango, a papaya, and four kiwis. 

Have I mentioned that I love NYC fruit stands?

Because I think I'm so super good at baking, I decided to double everything up at the same time. I put together two separate pots with the cornstarch, sugar, and egg yolks whisked together.  In one 2-cup measuring cup, I poured in 2 cups of whole milk for the plain tart. In the other, I pour in 1 1/4 cups whole milk and 3/4 cup coconut milk for the tropical tart. Of course, I then realize I don't have a third (and a fourth) heavy bottomed saucepan to boil the milk. So what do I do?  I decide to heat the milk up in the microwave. 

This is where I should have known it was all going to go downhill. Strike one.

The milk didn't heat up. I remember that I had a third saucepan that I rarely use because liquids take forever to come to a boil, but I had no other option. I poured one of the glasses of milk in and turned on the burner. I didn't think anything of the fact that the milk wasn't boiling due to the non-boiling properties of said pot, until, of course, the kitchen began to smell of burnt eggs. Why did it smell like burnt eggs, you ask?  Because I lit the wrong burner and cooked one of my two egg/cornstarch/sugar mixtures.

Strike two. 

I cracked open 6 more eggs (leaving me with a total of 18 egg whites to make lots of my crappy, epic fail macarons with) and made more of the mixture.  

Finally, I finished my two pastry creams (the second of which - the coconut rum version - I slightly overcooked because I left the heat on medium high as I thickened the pastry cream, but saved before it turned to scrambled eggs. Also, I couldn't taste any coconut or rum when it was finished - strike two and three-quarters), and began to slice my fruits.

First, I took out the kiwis. They felt slightly hard, but I convinced myself it was due to the slightly freezing temperatures in New York City today (seriously, May, what's going on?).  Nope. Unripe. Mangoes? Beautifully golden and red on the outside? Unripe. Papaya? Well... I hate papaya.  It always looks so delicious and juicy, but really just tastes like feet.

Finally, I baked my first tart shell to a beautiful golden brown. I put that to the side, washed out my tart pan, and pressed in the second dough. 

Fifteen minutes later, I looked at the clock timer, which I never set. Great, I thought. A burnt tart dough. Strike three and three quarters. I'm so bad, I'm over-striking out. 

I approximated that I put the tart in roughly 12 minutes earlier, so I set the timer for 13 more minutes.  12 minutes later, I worried about the tart that I thought was burning in the oven, so I ran to the oven door and whipped it open, apprehensive that I would be greeted by a dark brown, crumbly mess. Instead, I was greeted by... an empty oven.

I looked around, utterly confused.  Did I take the tart out of the oven? I checked the kitchen counter. No tart there. I opened the oven again, thinking I missed it. Empty. 

I was seriously stunned. "Jack," I yelled out. "Did you eat my tart shell?"

"What?" he asked, confused?

"Did you take my tart shell out of the oven and eat it?"

"Yes," he answered sarcastically.  "Because that's what I do. Eat hot tart shells straight from the oven."

A lightbulb went off.  I never put the tart in!  I placed it in the freezer to firm up the dough a bit after pressing it into the pan. I laughed to myself. Typical Teanna. 

So no tropical fruit tart for me.  Nor was this a quick tart by any means. In fact, it took me two hours of frustration and confusion, but all for my own faults. I'm sure that this tart is very quick. And easy. But I can assure you, it's really tasty. A great summer tart to make in a pinch. 

Unless you're me, of course.

Check out Cooking with Christine for the recipe and don't forget to check out the rest of TWD for more tarts! 

TWD: Chockablock Cookies

 

 

I made the recipe on time! For the first time since I started my new job!  HOLLA!

I was nervous about this recipe for two reasons:  the mix of fruit in the cookies (gross) and nuts in the cookies (gross).  I'm a purist.  The only thing that should be in a cookie is a chip of the chocolate kind. Or some kind of a delicious filling. Or jam. 

OK, I'm getting carried away. 

I was scared of the dried fruit in the cookies because dried fruit in cookies is gross and dried fruit with chocolate in cookies is super gross. I also omitted the molasses because I was all out and didn't feel like walking two blocks to the supermarket. LAZY. 

However, I did get an idea.  I have a huge tub of dried cranberries and a bag of white chocolate chips. Well, those two pair perfectly, so I tried it out. 

Thankfully, I read the P & Q and l learned that I could sub honey and brown sugar for the molasses. So my changes were - nuts, weird dried apricots and figs, molasses out; honey, brown sugar, and white chocolate chips in.  I also did a version with just coconut and chocolate, because I love me some coconut and chocolate.

The cookies were good, but I have a feeling they will be better the next day. I was a bit disappointed with the lack of flavor from the coconut, but it did add a nice texture.  I did, however, LOVE the white chocolate and cranberry cookies. As Larry David would say, they were "Prettyyyyyy, prettyyyyyy good."  Soft, chewy, with sweet, subtle hints of honey, complex sweetness from the brown sugar, chewy, delicious cranberries, and lovely white chocolate chips.  I almost wished I had pistachios to complete the substitutions, but then I thought better of it, as I didn't want any nuts messing up my cookies. Grossness.

I swear, I'll grow up soon. 

Check out Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet for the REAL recipe and check out the rest of TWD!

TWD: Swedish Visiting Cake

 OK So I know these aren't the biscuits that were assigned for this week and, instead, this is last week's assignment, the Swedish Visiting Cake chosen by Nancy of Dogs Eat the Crumbs.  I finally made this dish and now must apologize Melissa of A Love at First Bite to for not completing the Sweet Cream biscuits (which I am actually going to make tonight and hopefully post tomorrow.  I hope. Oh, how I hope.)

I totally feel like the class slacker. It's almost as if I'm suffering from a bad case of senioritis and I'm spending all of my time doing make-up assignments in order to grauate.  Except I'm not graduating from anything. So this is just depressing.

Also, I have so many posts to catch up on and read, which I have started attacking, but I am nowhere near close. I've got many more delicious posts from my favorite bloggers (all of you!) that I am chugging through.  But please, if you do take one note of advice from ever reading this blog, let it be this: Don't read blogs while hungry right before you have to go to a meeting.  Your stomach will growl. You will be embarrased. That is all.
 

I feel even worse slacking on making this recipe because it takes, oh, all of about 5 minutes to put together. No joke.  Five minutes, one bowl, great, GREAT taste. Remember that Thomas Keller Almond Cake I posted about last week?  That took 30 minutes to make and needed to be made with care.  Dorie's cake? Add zest to sugar, whisk in some eggs and extract, add melted butter and flour. Combine. Put in oven. Done.

A comparison? Well, these are pretty much EXACTLY THE SAME CAKE.  The textures are slightly different, with Keller's being slightly more delicate, but overall?  If you need to make a cake in a pinch that people will love you for? All Dorie, all the time my friends.  It's a lesson we all need to learn.

Thanks to Nancy for this great choice! Click here for the recipe, and check out the rest of the TWD non-slackers in the universe! 

TWD: Coconut Tea Cake

 

I had this post all ready to go yesterday, but I couldn't post it because I couldn't take a picture of my food. Why, you ask?  Well, the reliable weatherman stated that yesterday would be clear skies. Did we have clear skies? Noooooo.  So I couldn't take a photo before I left for work.

I decided to make this cake this week, as opposed to last week, because I wanted to make it for Easter.

Did I make it for Easter?

Noooooooo.

Does that ever happen to you? You have grandiose dreams of making tons of food and desserts, only to make... nothing?

Well, I did make something. A fantastic cheesecake/chocolate mousse cake concoction that I saw on Doughmesstic. But that was made the day prior. 

Here is how I envisioned it:  

I wake up on a beautiful Easter Sunday morning.  I lace up my sneakers and go running outdoors, savoring the spring smells that waft through the air. I return home and, after a refreshing shower, head to church to give props to Jesus (I'm normally not a church-goer, but with the recent passing of my grandmother, I wanted to attend). After giving due props to Jesus, I go get a haircut and a manicure to beautify myself before my first day of work, return home and quickly bake up this Coconut Tea Cake and make another Samoa Tart (which my father has been begging me for since he ate the last one... by himself).  I arrive to my Aunt's house, three cakes in tow, all before 3 pm.

Here is how it actually happened:

I woke up groggy and disheveled. I eat a leftover hamburger for breakfast. A LEFTOVER HAMBURGER. With cheese. I intend to go running outside, but instead, hit the treadmill because I don't feel like going running outside. I take a quick shower and then play Call of Duty 2 on X-Box and curse how difficult these new-fangled video games are.  "Who can beat these complicated games these days?!" I shout!  "And why do they have to look so real? It's freaking me out." I quickly get ready for church, arrive 5 minutes late and almost cut off the Priest as he is about to make his entrance down the aisle. I grumble about the pain in my knees each time we have to kneel in the pew and wonder how everyone always knows exactly what to say in response to the Priest and make funny faces at the 2-year old girl who keeps staring at me two pews ahead. As church is over, I curse to myself (yes, in my head, in church. I'm so bad). "CRAP! It's already 1:30! I can't make any cakes!"  I rush home, do my hair, and rush out of my parent's house (I went to church with them), forgetting the one actual cake I made, only to realize it when I arrive at my Aunt's house 30 minutes later. Luckily, my brother likes to arrive fashionably late (read: 1 hour late) and was able to bring the cake (although it was a little worse for wear after the transportation). 

So I made the cake last night... at 10 pm. I couldn't do anything pretty to it, like I wanted to. I had visions of candied blood oranges, but the reality was... just a Bundt cake.  But I actually loved this cake. I know many bloggers thought it was quite dry, but mine was incredibly moist and light. I omitted the coconut, as I didn't want that texture in the cake, and added a ton of orange zest, which decorated the cake with beautiful little orange flecks throughout it's light yellow interior and flavored the cake beautifully.  What I loved most, however, was the sugary crust around the cake. All in all, this one was definitely a winner for me. 

I guess it's ok that I forgot to make it for Easter. More for me, right?

Check out Carmen of Carmen Cooks for the recipe!

TWD: Mocha-Walnut Marbled Bundt Cake

  
If I thought yesterday was a short post, today is even shorter. It's been a crazy week - I got a new job (remember I said I was working on a huge project for something I really, really wanted?  Well, it was the job - working in Sports Marketing.) and my grandmother (whom I was very close with) passed away - both on the same day.  Talk about a wave of emotions.

So this morning, I am attending my grandmother's funeral.  

I chose to make this bundt cake instead of the coconut tea cake this week, as I wanted to save the tea cake for Easter. I've never been a bundt cake fan (sorry, Mary of The Food Librarian!), but I loved this bundt cake. Moist, flecked with finely ground walnuts, and flavored with a delicious duo of vanilla and mocha. Check out Erin of When In Doubt... Leave it at 350 (I always do that and think of her blog) for the recipe and click here to see what the rest of TWD baked up.

My grandmother would have loved this bundt cake.  She loved food.  I guess I got it from her.

My pretty little grandma. 

 

TWD: Dulce De Leche Duos

 

Do any of you watch 30 Rock?  If so, you'll know about Liz Lemon's claim to fame "Deal breakers".  Basically, Liz Lemon finds things that are dealbreakers in relationships and she'll say, "That's a deal breaker!"

For example, Liz goes on a talkshow and doles out advice to audience members. "You have sexually transmitted crazy mouth! Deal breaker!" she tells one woman.

Well, Liz finally gets a book deal, which then turns into a TV deal and Liz imagines herself as a star as she sings, "I'm a STAR! I'm on TOP! Somebody bring me some HAAAAAAM!"

Well, these cookies are what I call "Diet breakers".  And my version of the song goes, "I love these!  These are great! Somebody roll me out of HEEEEERE!!!"

Really.  I mean, just really.  These cookies are dangerous. Soft and chewy dulce de leche cookeis (DULCE DE LECHE COOKIES) filled with more creamy dulce de leche and then sandwiched with another soft and chewy dulce de leche cookie (DULCE DE LECHE COOKIE!).

Heaven. Sublime. Diet breaker.

Check out Jodie of Beansy Loves Cake for the amazing (AMAZING!!) recipe.

TWD: Soft Raspberry and Chocolate Tart

 
I have to apologize to all the TWDers for this late post.  I have been working tirelessly on a very important (and totally awesome) project for something that I really, really want. And when I say tirelessly, I mean three-to-four-hours-of-sleep-a-night-and-then-living-at-my-desk tirelessly.  But if I get said thing that I really, really want, I'm going to go all Johnny Weir style and dress up in sequins and do triple luxes or whatever they are called. 

So yeah, I'm tired. And this post will be short (FINALLY! A Short post! You're all probably thinking, "Yeah, right."  And you're all probably right).

This was a tasty tart but maybe not my favorite.  And I HATE saying bad things about anything Dorie creates, or anything any fellow blogger picks, or any dessert in general, because really, that's just blasphemy. I don't have anything bad to say, per say, it just wasn't my favorite.  But it was still warm when I had a bite, so I'm going to give it a second bite when it cools down. 

The crust, as always, was tasty.  And chocolate and raspberries are a winning combination.  But I think the filling was a bit too soft in my opinion.  I was hoping for a more truffle-like texture, but I think the use of the eggs gave it the texture it has.

I did, however, LOVE the cocoa whipped cream that I made to top this tart.  I'm going to make it all of the time and use it as a pillow.

Mmm... sleep. 

Wow. I'm tired.  I don't even know what I'm writing right now. My mind is so jumbled that I just realized I actually titled this "Soft Raserry and Pear Tart" (actually spelled Raserry). Yes, it is St. Patrick's Day. No, I am not drunk.

Check out Rachelle of Mommy I'm Hungry for what I'm sure is actually a delicious tart that I'll love in an hour or two from now. Or after a nap. 

Seriously, go look at the photo on her page. WOW. 

And check out the rest of TWD! 

 

TWD: Samoas Coconut Custard Tart

 
I remember memories of my childhood where I wished I was a Girl Scout.  Not because I wanted to wear the earth tone brown uniforms adorned with tens of merit badges awarding me for such accomplishments as successful knot tying, mind you, but because I wanted to sell Girl Scout Cookies.  I wanted to be the type of door - to - door sales girl that people were thrilled to see, as I toted around a bag filled with green boxes decorated with photos of smiling girls and delicious cookies.  Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Lemon Cream, even the boring Shortbreads were the items beloved by all, but my favorite were Samoas.  The chewy cookies covered in caramel and toasted coconut and drizzled with chocolate were a cookie-lover's dream.  

Unfortunately, as a child, I was... how do you say it nicely? Fat.  And if I was allowed boxes of cookies, you'd be sure that I'd eat them all and the only thing I'd have to show for it would be plenty of empty boxes and a hefty bill to the Girl Scouts.  

 

Maybe it was a better thing that I wasn't a Girl Scout. 

You can imagine the wheels that were turning when I decided to turn this coconut tart into a giant Samoa Cookie.  I recently saw a post on Baking Bites linking to YumSugar's take on Samoas, turning them into an ice cream treat.  I knew that Dorie's creamy coconut tart would have been a perfect drawing board to turn them into my favorite childhood treat.  

Instead of the Sweet Tart Dough, I used Dorie's Chocolate Tart Dough.  I kept the rest of the recipe the same, but I drizzled the top with both chocolate and dulce de leche atop the tart. 

 

This tart was HEAVEN.  Do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight heaven.  The rich chocolate tart was the perfect vessel for the creamy, crunchy coconut custard, the pillowy whipped cream, and the delectable duo of caramel and chocolate. Incredible. And a fun little take on a classic cookie. 

Check out Beryl of Cinemon Girl for the recipe and check out the rest of TWD for more tarts! 

 

Mmmm... messy, delicious tart.