Spork or Foon?

Chicken Meatball Sliders

 
 

Sometimes, leftovers create super awesome next day meals, similar to the meatloaf sandwich. Now, is there anything more unappetizing than the sound of a meatloaf sandwich? Not to this girl, there isn't. Until I tried it. Heaven in a leftover sandwich.

A few months back, I posted about chicken meatballs. Now, chicken meatballs are one of my favorite things to make.  Jack loves them and they are much leaner than their beef/pork/veal counterparts, and just as tasty. These were leftover from the meal I posted back then.

And no, I don't mean I just made them 2 months later.  That would be gross.  And slightly dangerous, I presume.

A friend had come over to hang out, see mine and Jack's new place, and meet our dog (I mean, really, who wouldn't want to meet our little Remy?) and I had lots of extra food to get rid of, so I made some of these sliders, hoping they would be ok and that he wouldn't even notice that I was hocking leftovers onto him.  

He didn't. Score. 

But I guess now I ruined that. 

Leftover or fresh from the oven, these sliders are awesome.  Tender meatballs packed with flavor from freshly chopped garlic, sharp parmesan, and lemony parsley, topped with gooey, melted fontina cheese and peppery arugula in between two doughy potato rolls. 

I feel doughy just thinking about it. 

Chicken Meatball Sliders

For the Meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For the Sauce:
1 35-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano, preferably)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

12 mini-potato rolls (or mini hamburger buns)

Fontina Cheese

For the Meatballs: Preheat oven to 350F. Line a two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray well with cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl until just incorporated. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Roll meatballs into 12 balls, approximately 2" in diameter. 

Arrange meatballs approximately 2" apart on baking sheets. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet and keep the oven on. 

For the Sauce: Remove the whole tomatoes from the can.  Reserve the juice for another use.  Roughly chop tomatoes (keep the juices that come out of the tomatoes for the sauce). Set aside. 

Heat 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  When glistening, add garlic and cook until garlic is brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes (and their juices) to pan and let cook for 2 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Add parsley and red pepper.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Set aside until ready to use. 

To Assemble:  Lightly toast the potato rolls. Separately, top chicken meatballs (that are still on the tray) with a small slice of fontina cheese and place in the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the fontina is nice and melted.  Carefully place the meatball on the bottom half of the potato roll, top with 1 tbsp. sauce and a small amount of arugula, and top with the other half of the potato roll. Serve immediately. 

Tiramisu Bread Pudding

 

I had to do a little "From the Archives" bit right here, because I forgot how (excuse my language) FREAKING GOOD this bread pudding is.  I made it a few weeks ago, and seriously, I could not stop eating the leftovers.  I even served it cold to my father, and he said it tastes like ice cream.  OK now, what dessert is so awesome in and of itself and then ALSO tastes like ice cream? This dessert. That's what. 

Let's take a stroll down memory Lane and head back to one year ago, April 21st, 2009 (cue Wayne and Garth from Wayne's World doing their idiosyncratic wipe flashback effect - "Doodooleeloo! Doodooleeloo!"...)

Bread Pudding ranks up there with rice pudding for me.  And when I say "ranks up there", I mean, "YUCK". I have a thing with soggy carbs.  They just shouldn't exist.  As I was growing up, my father used to pour a bowl of Fiber One cereal and let it soak on the counter for a half an hour before eating it every morning. I would walk through the kitchen and gag.  

Those were horrible, horrible memories.

But when I saw that Lauren of Upper East Side Chronicle  (click for recipe) chose bread pudding for this week's TWD, I was open to trying it for two reasons.  First, I am taking from the title of her blog that Lauren lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan (call me Captain Obvious, please. No seriously. Do it.), which holds a special place in my heart, as it was my home for a while and am hoping it will be my home again when I move back to NY in August! Second, If anyone can convert me on a dessert I once hated, it would be Dorie.

I wanted to find a way to enjoy this recipe, just in case this recipe did not change my feelings towards soggy bread pudding.  I have been wanting to try the Cooks Illustrated recipe for Tiramisu since December, and I thought that this would be the perfect time to try it.  

I prepared the custard for Dorie's Chocolate Bread pudding and I already had good feelings about this one, even without the adjustments.  The custard looked thick and rich and I thought there was no way it could possibly not be delicious. 

To make it a bit more like Tiramisu, I cut down the milk to 2 cups, upped the heavy cream to 1 1/4 cups, and added 6 tablespoons dark rum and 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee.  

This would either be brilliant or the worst thing ever to happen to bread pudding.

After cooking and cooling the bread pudding, I tried a taste.

Could it be? That... it is not bad? 

Another bite.  Could it be? That... this is AMAZING?

One more bite.  The bread was custard-y and moist, yet not soggy.  The chocolate flavor was perfection. Hints of rum and coffee found their way through at the end of every taste. 

One more bite.  Finally, I had to force myself not to have another bite because I didn't want to be a Fatty McGee.

Now, let me get something straight.  I do not mean that if you take more than three bites of this dessert, that you would be a Fatty McGee.  It is just that my body does not like to metabolise anything more than a stick of Extra Sugar-Free™ Gum, so I could not have more than three bites, lest I wanted to turn into said Fatty McGee.

I made the tiramisu cream (which was outrageously good) and yet again, Cooks Illustrated proved that pure brilliance emanates from their test kitchen.  The cream was rich and creamy (obvs), yet fluffy and light as air, with a subtle hint of rum. 

And it was PERFECT with the Tiramisu bread pudding. I can't even explain how good this was.  My boyfriend did his happy dance again. I had 2 more bites. Fatty McGee be damned!

Billowly, delicious tiramisu cream enveloped the creamy coffee and chocolate flavored custard in two layers.  I did a Google Search for Tiramisu and the second item that popped up was "Heaven in Your Mouth."

Oh, and this was.  

When I eat something made from Challah bread that is good, I immediately shout "Challaaaaaaah!" (like Holla!!!"), which is something that my friends from college and I always said because one of our roommates, Shira, often kept Challah bread in the house.

Well, this definitely deserves a "Challaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" times twelve.  Seriously. Try this recipe. Check out the other TWDers. Unleash your inner McGee. 

Fatty-less, of course.

Bread Pudding recipe (adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours) 

12 ounces bread (brioche, challah or white), preferably stale

2 cups whole milk

1 1/4 cup heavy cram

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled

6 tablespoons dark rum

3 large eggs

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

 

GETTING READY:

Have a 9-x-13 inch baking pan at hand (a Pyrex pan is perfect here), as well as a roasting pan big enough to hold the baking pan and how water. Line the roasting pan with a double thickness of paper towels

Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. It the bread is stale, put it and the raisins or cherries, if you are using them, into the baking pan. If it is not stale, spread it out on a a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat and bake in a 350-degree-F oven to "stale" it for 10 minutes, then toss into the pan (with the fruit).

Bring the milk and cream just to a boil.

Fill a teakettle with water and put it on to boil; when the water boils, turn off the heat. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, yolks, rum, brewed coffee and sugar together in a bow. Still whisking, slowly drizzle in about one quarter of the hot milk mixture--this will temper, or warm, the eggs so they don't curdle. Whisking all the while slowly pour in the rest of the hot milk. Add the chocolate and whisk it in gently until it is melted and the custard is smooth. Rap the bowl against the counter to pop bubbles that might have formed, then pour the custard over the bread and press the bread gently with the back of a spoon to help cover it with liquid. Leave the pan on the counter, giving the bread the back-of-the-spoon treatment now and then, for 30 minutes.

GETTING READY TO BAKE: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. F.

Slide the pan setup into the oven and very carefully pour enough how water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the pudding pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the pudding is uniformly puffed, the top is dull and dry and a thin knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer the baking pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.

Tiramisu Cream recipe (adapted from Cooks Illustrated)

 

 

4 tbsp dark rum
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 pound mascarpone cheese
¾ cup heavy cream (cold)

In a heat proof bowl set over simmering water, beat yolks at low speed with a hand mixer until just combined.  Add sugar and salt and beat at medium-hgih speed until pale yellow, 1 ½ to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with a rubber spatula once or twice.  Add remaining 4 tablespoons rum and beat at medium speed until just combined, 20 to 30 seconds;  scrape bowl.  Add mascarpone and beat at medium speed until no lumps remain, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down bowl once or twice.  

 In a separate bowl, beat cream at medium speed until frothy, 1 to 1 ½ minutes.  Increase speed to high and contine to beat until cream holds stiff peaks, 1 to 1 ½ minutes longer.  Using rubber spatula, fold one-third of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain.  

To Assemble

Refrigerate the bread pudding for 1 hour to let it firm up. Cut it in half and place it on a plate. Top with 1/2tiramisu cream and sift 1 tbsp cocoa powder over the top. At this point, you can either put it back in the fridge to let the cream firm up a bit (an hour would be fine) and then top it with the other half of the bread pudding, or just immediately top it with the other half (but the cream will spill out of the sides a bit!).  Top the second half with the remaining tiramisu cream and, again, add 1 tbsp sifted cocoa powder. You can also top it with shaved chocolate.  Refrigerate 6-24 hours.

 

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!

Spring Vegetable Soup

  
I think any cook or chef can agree that we all get excited when spring comes around. Fresh fruits and vegetables start popping up at stores and greenmarkets and shelves and stands are overloaded with a beautiful array of colors and shapes from varying types of produce.  Beautiful, light green stalks of asparagus, full, bright orange carrots, beautiful peas in dark green pods, deliciously red, ripe strawberries spilling out of their baskets - the list goes on and on.  So when I saw this soup when thumbing through Thomas Keller's Bouchon Cookbook, I jumped on the train and headed down to the Union Square Greenmarket. Unfortunately, at the time (2 weeks ago) it was still a little early in the season, so I was only able to get some gorgeous carrots and perfect fingerling potatoes. I headed to the supermarket, got some asparagus, cabbage, leeks, parmesan, prosciutto, shiitaki mushrooms, scallions, and plum tomatoes to finish out the soup. 

I had to replace the fava beans with lima beans. NEVER AGAIN. I hated them when I was young, and I thought to myself, "Well, I'm an adult now. Maybe I won't hate lima beans." WRONG. GROSS. They are disgusting, mushy, bugs of grossness and I'll never consider them again. And they were CANNED, to make matters worse. BLECH.

Besides the lima bean issue, this is an amazing, amazing soup.  It definitely takes more time than any soup than I have ever made before.  First, a tomato confit is prepared by cooking tomatoes sprinkled with fresh thyme, salt and pepper on very low heat for 5 to 6 hours until they are dry.  Later on, I cooked ham with fresh garlic cloves, then added the carrots, leeks, cabbage, chicken broth, and a bouquet garni and finally added a huge chunk of parmesan (yes, a whole chunk) and the potatoes as the soup cooked and developed wonderful flavors. The soup is best when it sits for a day, but I couldn't wait it out.  I blanched some asparagus, and added the asparagus, mushrooms, and scallions and enjoyed the most delicious spring soup that has ever passed these lips. 

Spring Vegetable Soup adapted from the Bouchon Cookbook

For the Soup

1 large carrot

One 2 1/2 inch thick wedge of savoy cabbage

1 small leek

1 to 2 celery stalks

4 to 6 small fingerling potatoes

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

2 Oz. prosciutto (not sliced - but you can use sliced prosciuotto if you have to)

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bouquet Garni

One 1-oz piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

8 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Garnishes

1 pound fava beans, in the pod

16 medium asparagus spears

24 small shiitake mushrooms, cleaned

2 tbsp chopped italian parsley

2 tbsp minced chives

Shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Extra virgin olive oil

For the soup:  You will need 1/2 cup each of the sliced vegetables for the soup.

Peel the carrot and cut away the ends.  Cut it lengthwise in half, then cut each half lengthwise again to give you 4 pieces.  Cut each piece crosswise into 1/4-inch thich slices.  

Remove any dark outer green leaves from the cabbage and reserve for antoher use.  Place the wedge cut side down on a cutting board and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide slices. 

Cut away the dark green leaves and root end of the leek, saving them for the bouquet garni.  Cut the leek lengthwise in half and risne well under cold water. Cut each piece of leek lengthwise in half and hten cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide slices.

Wash and trim the celery. Use a paring knife to pull away the strings, then cut the stalks into 1/4-inch-thich slices.

Wash the potatoes. Cut away and discard the ends, then cut the remaining potatoes into 1 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the ham skin or fat side down and the garlic and swirl the pan for a few seconds to coat the garlics, then sweat the garlic for a minute or two.  Add the 1/2 cup each carrot, cabbage, leek, turnips, and celery, stir, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add 1 cup potatoes, the bouquet garni, Parmigiano, and stock and bring to a simmer.  Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

MEanwhile, prepare an ice bath.  When the potatoes are tender, pour the soup into a bowl or other container and chill in the ice bath until cold, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (This soup is best refrigerated for a day.)

For the garnishes: Prepare an ice bath.

Shell the fava beans and peel the skins from the beans (peeling the beans before cooking them prevents gases from being trapped between the beans and their skins that could cause discoloration). Remove the small germ at the sideo f each bean. (You should have about 1 cup). Blanch the beans in a large pot of generously salted water for about 5 minutes or until tender.  Using a skimmer, immediately transfer to the ice bath to chill.

Cut away the bottom third of each asparagus spear and sicard. Cut the remaining spears on a sharp bias into pieces about 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. Blanch the asparagus in the boiling water until just tender and trasnfer to the ice bath to chill.  When they are cold, drain the favas and asparagus and spread on paper towels to drain.  Cut off and discard the mushroom stems, then cut the mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

To complete:  If any fat has solidified on the surgace of the soup, remove and discard it. TRansfer the soup to a saucepan, and remove and discard the bouquet garni and Parmigiano.  Remove the ham, cut away any excess fat, and cut into lardons about 1 1/2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick.  Return the lardons to the soup and bring the soup to a boil.

Add the mushrooms to the soup, reduce the heat, and simmer for a minute.  Add the fava beans, aparagus, and remove from heat.  Stir in the parsley and chives, taste the soup, and adjust the seasoning.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each bowl with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil.

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! 

Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

  

Rich. Intense. Indulgent. 

No, I'm not talking about Martin Jerry Bruckheimer. I'm talking about this cake. 

I saw this cake on Doughmesstic and it immediately caught my eye (along with a million other things, but that is for another post).  Bright red strawberries drizzled with a rich dark chocolate atop more and more chocolate. 

Heaven?

Yes, indeed.

This cake may take a bit of time (two days for me, to be exact), but it is well worth the time and effort. Susan, the genius baker/cook/writer, from Doughmesstic adapted the Iconic Junior's Vanilla Cheesecake Recipe and then topped it with a rich chocolate mousse, tossed the whole thing in the freezer, and then frosted it with chocolate ganache.

"How does someone even think of that?" you may ask.

Innovation, I say. And pure brilliance.  I'd like to step into her mind for a few minutes to get some ideas. It would be delicious.

I will warn you, however, not to eat before you eat this cake. For, like, 3 days.  Because it is RICH.  And, of course, I brought this to Easter dinner, where we all stuffed our faces with a delicious shmorgasboard (I just invented my own way of spelling that word and am too lazy to Google it) of lamb, briscuit, rice and peas, macaroni and cheese, various salads, and breads.  And then, of course, I whip out this cake.  After hours and hours of eating.  My stomach was about to implode, so I didn't have any, but everyone else tried the cake and loved it. I mean, LOVED. Excitement filled the air. There were lots of "Mmms" and "Oh WOWs" to be had. This is the cake that dreams are made of, people.  I didn't get a chance to photograph a slice, but let me paint a little picture for you.

Imagine a fluffy cheesecake that looks light as air, flecked with fragrant vanilla beans.  Then, picture a pillowy chocolate mousse resting atop that cheesecake.  Finally, imagine a ribbon of chocolate ganache tugging the outside of that cake, and, if you're lucky, a chocolate covered strawberry adorning the top of that slice. 

Susan,  I heart you. Click here for the recipe.  Then spend some time clicking around the site if you haven't been there already.  You'll be glad you did. 

Tagliatelle with White Truffle Oil, Parmesan, and a Poached Egg

 

This is a fun little dish.  For dinner with friends the other night, I was trying to thing of a fun, easy appetizer and found this recipe on What's Cooking America.  It's a quick, simple dish that is whimsical and delicious. 

What I love about this dish (besides that it is quick to make), is that it is a play on carbonara and has some fun little elements.  I love poached eggs on anything, because I love to plunge my knife in the center of the egg and watch the yellow yolk ooze out of the center, adding luxury to any simple dish.

I also get excited because I am proud of myself for poaching an egg correctly.  I've been doing it for years, and I still get excited.  It's the little things, people.

Tagliatelle is cooked to al dente, tossed with parmesan cheese and a little bit of butter and of course, earthy white truffle oil. The recipe calls for two tablespoons, and you are going to have to use two tablespoons. Yes, they are the most expensive two tablespoons you'll ever use in a dish, but you just need to do it.  The flavor will suffer.

Finally, the gills of a large portobello mushroom are "shaved" atop the dish, bearing resemblance to black truffles.  Sure, you could use actual truffles, making you cool and super rich, but for those of us uncool and not super rich people, portobello gills it is. 

The result is a luxurious, creamy pasta with fragrant white truffles, poached eggs, and lots of fun.

And it only takes about 15 minutes to make.
 

Click here for the recipe.

Bouchon's Almond Cake with Strawberry Compote

 


 I apologize to Nancy of Dog Eat the Crumbs.  I am going to be late wit the Swedish Visiting Cake.  Work has been insanely busy since both the hockey and basketball seasons were coming to an end and I've worked until 10 pm almost every night that I started with only Saturday off. Now, I'm not complaining, because my job is totally awesome and I need to pinch myself because of how awesome my job is, but it gives me absolutely no time to bake, cook, or blog.  Now that the seasons are (very sadly) over, I'll have some time to cook again. And finally get around to commenting on the blogs. I have some favorites out there that I have been severely deprived of reading for the past two weeks! My Google Reader weeps for me. 

That said, I am absolutely making the cake, but it will be posted later in the week. And I hope that it is awesome (which is surely will be), because it may be my first thing I take to work to feed the coworkers and I don't want to let them down. Ha.

 

In the place of the Swedish Visiting Cake, I give you Thomas Keller's Almond Cake from the Bouchon Cookbook.  I cannot express how totally awesome this cake is (this post is just filled with awesomeness, isn't it?).  I mean, this cake is INSANELY good.  As in, Jack and I had two friends over for dinner on Saturday night and we almost polished this whole thing off, it's so good.  The cake has a texture unlike any cake I have ever eaten.  It is light and incredibly moist, but a extremely substantial. It almost has a pound cake like texture, but it's different.  For the first time ever, I am lacking words to describe it.  Almond paste and sugar are put together in a mixing bowl and beaten until the paste is crumbly.  Then, chilled, diced butter is added to the mix and beaten for a good five minutes until the mixture is light and airy.  Finally, honey is added, along with eggs, amaretto, and only 1/3 cup of flour.  

The cake is only supposed to be cooked for about 25 minutes, but I had mine in for 35 minutes (and had to tent it with foil so it didn't brown), because my 8" pans are crap. I bought them before I learned how to cook, and they probably were like, $3 each and said "Buy us, we're crap!". So the center of my cake took some time to cook. 

 

Finally, the recipe calls for the cake to be topped with a Strawberry Rhubarb Compote, but I couldn't find Rhubarb (and, although I know it is delicious, it still scares me because it looks like a vegetable) and creme fraiche, but I ended up making some No-Cook Amaretto Ice cream and a Strawberry Compote.  The additions were heaven.  The sweet strawberry compote just melted atop a creamy, almond liquor flavored ice cream and added the perfect textural and flavor contrast to the dish.  But Jack said that the cake was so good that he was actually mad there was compote and ice cream "ruining the cake". 

He's got a way with words. 

And Thomas Keller has a way with recipes.  This man is a god.

Almond Cake with Strawberry Compote adapted from Bouchon Cookbook

Strawberry Compote

2 pounds strawberries, rinsed and hulled

1 lemon

6 tbsp granulated sugar

Almond Cake

Butter and flour (for the pans)

7 oz. almond paste

1/4 cup granulated sugar

8 tbsp (4 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled

2 tbsp honey

3 large eggs

2 tbsp amaretto, plus additional for brushing

1/3 cup all purpose flour, sifted

Kosher salt

1/3 to 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Confectioners' sugar

No-Cook Amaretto Ice Cream

2 cups of half and half

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1 cup of heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

3 tbsp Amaretto 

For the compote:  Select about 2 oz of the smallest strawberries and cut lengthwise into quarters.  These will be added raw to the cooked compote; set aside.

Cut the remaining larger berries in halves or quarters so that the pieces are about the same size. (You should have about 2 1/2 cups).  Place them in a medium saucepan.

Use a Microplane or a fine grater to zest the lemon.  Add 1 teaspoon of zest to the pan. Squeeze 1 tbsp of juice from the lemon and add to the pan.  Add the sugar and stir to coat the fruit.

Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often to dissolve the sugar.  By the time the sugar has dissolved, the fruit will have released a lot of juice.  Boil for about 2-3 minutes to reduce the liquid somewhat, then reduce the heat and simmer for another 2 minutes, or until the strawberries are soft.  

Remove from heat and stir in the reserved strawberries.  Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in a covered container until cold. 

For the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Butter and flour four 4-by-1 3/4-inch-high miniature springform pans or butter the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan and butter and flour its sides. Line the bottom of the 8-inch pan, if using, with parchment paper; this isn't necessary with the small pans.

Place the almond paste and sugar in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in another large bowl if using a handheld mixer. Begin to cream the mixture on low speed to break up the almond paste, then increase the speed for medium about 2 minutes, or until the paste is broken into fine particles.  Add the butter and mix for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture is light in color and airy; stop the machine and scrape down the sides as necessary.  It is important to mix long enough or the cake will have a dense texture. Mix in the honey, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until each one is fully incorporated before adding the next.  Add the amaretto, flour, and a pinch of salt and mix just to combine.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan(s) and smooth the top. Bake the small cakes for about 15 minutes, the large one for about 25 minutes, or until the cake is golden and springs back when pressed. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

Unmold the small cakes or invert the large cake onto the rack and remove the parchment paper, and invert the cake again so the top is once again facing upward. Brush the top of the cake(s) with amaretto and sprinkle with the toasted almonds. Dust with confectioners' sugar (the cakes can be stored, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to 2 days).

For the Ice Cream: Mix together the first five ingredients until combined, making sure the condensed milk is well blended with the other liquids. Chill until cold.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze accordingly.  Add the amaretto close to the end of churning. 

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!

Glazed Fresh Strawberry Tart with Champage Sabayon

 

I'm back!

Last week was a bit hectic due to the passing of my grandmother and preparing for a new job at the same time. But I'm slowly getting a grip on things and getting ready for this new change in my life.

I also want to thank everyone for your kind words regarding the passing of my grandmother.  It was so sweet to receive such beautiful messages from everyone.  What a great community we have, huh? 

I'm writing this as I have my morning coffee and prepare my things because I'M GOING TO WORK TODAY!

I feel like Ross in the Friends episode where he is getting married to Emily and he runs around screaming "I'M GETTING MARRIED TODAY! WOO HOO! I'M GETTING MARRIED ... TODAY!"  I, however, will not be leaving the room only for my best friend and sister to reveal themselves as having slept together the night before. Mainly because I don't have a sister.

Anyway.

Lately, I've been reaching for one of my many cookbooks that I never use (seriously, I have over 40 cookbooks, yet I usually only refer to 3 or 4 of them). I grabbed Dede Wilson's Unforgettable Desserts, a mouthwatering compilation of showstopping dessert recipes.  A few months back, I attended a food Demo with Dede herself and the folks at Driscoll's Berries (many of Dede's desserts call for fresh fruits) and was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book.  As I flipped through the pages, I couldn't wait for the spring and summer to roll around so I could take advantage of the fresh (and cheap) fruits to make the desserts. And now, fruit and vegetable carts on the street corners in Manhattan are now selling strawberries for 2 pints for $3.00, so I often feel as if I hit the jackpot each time I purchase the pints of blazingly red, ripe strawberries. Holla!

 

Well, this dessert is the perfect dessert to highlight these fresh, spring strawberries.  Strawberries are placed in full form in a crisp, buttery tart shell, as more strawberries are cooked down to create a deliciously sweet glaze that really makes the red color pop.  Pistachios, the strawberry's nutty pair, add a bit of crunch and color contrast, and a topped with a deliciously light and bubbly (from the champagne) sabayon (which I made for the first time and will make again and again because WOW is it good!). Unfortunately, I did not photograph the sabayon on the tart, as I served it at night and the camera flash is a food's worst enemy.

Make this tart.  It is an absolutely show-stopper and it just screams spring.

 

Check out Driscoll's website for the recipe!