Posted By Christina on September 2, 2010

We’re off to Big Sur for a bit to embrace the arrival of fall.  The beauty of the California central coast eases the Texas homesick pain.  Wood-fired pizza and croissants at Big Sur Bakery help as well.  While I’m gone, stop by your local farm stand and pick up some plums.  Even if you don’t think you like plums, I’m betting it’s because you’ve only had grocery store plums.  There ain’t nothin’ like a tree ripened plum this time of year.  If you can spare one of your plums, make these spice cupcakes.  As I was making the plum cardamom glaze, I realized the flavor combination would make a great jam.  I doubled the plum mixture and had the leftovers on toasted 9-grain bread with almond butter.  Enjoy these and y’all have a great weekend! 

Spice Cupcakes with Plum Glaze

For the cupcakes:
7 tablespoons unbleached flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
¼ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

For the glaze:
1 small plum (about 4-5 ounces)
¼ cup sugar
1 green cardamom pod, lightly crushed
½ teaspoon lime juice
2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Begin by preheating the oven to 400°. Place 4 paper liners on the outside edge of a cupcake tin.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together with a mixer.  Add the applesauce and vanilla and beat until well-incorporated.  Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat lightly.  Add 1 tablespoon of milk, followed by the remaining half of the flour mixture; finish with the milk.  Don’t over-beat this mixture.  Divide the mixture between the cupcake papers and bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Set aside while making the glaze.

Now, make the glaze.  Peel, pit and dice the plum.  Add the plum to a small saucepan along with the sugar, lime and cardamom pod.  Bring this mixture to a low boil and cook until the plum pieces fall apart and are easily smashed with a fork (10-15 minutes).  Fish out the cardamom pod, and pass the mixture through a fine sieve to ensure no seeds remain.  Smash the plum pieces with a fork, and let this mixture cool to room temperature.  Brush about 1 teaspoon of the plum cardamom jam on each cupcake before proceeding.  Next, cream together the butter and powdered sugar (starting with the smaller amount of each) in a small bowl.  Add the rest of the plum jam to this mixture and beat very well.  Taste and add additional butter and powdered sugar to taste.  The sweetness and intensity of plums vary greatly, so I’ve left some flexibility to suit your own tastes.  When ready to serve, dunk the cupcakes in the glaze.

Category: Cupcakes | 1 Comment »
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Posted By Christina on August 30, 2010

A buckle is a streusel-topped cake that contains fresh fruit.  My favorite fruit to include in a buckle is plum for its tart and sweet bite.  I added ground ginger to my plum buckle because I can hardly wait for the warm spices of fall.  Ground cinnamon is just as good.  I used diced plums here because I enjoy the chunks of fruit throughout the cake, but  more commonly, the fruit is sliced on top of the batter (but under the streusel) just before baking.  It’s your choice.  I believe buckles get their name because the fruit pieces and streusel ‘buckle’ or crumble into the cake as it bakes.  Whatever the reason, this cake is delicious for a snack or for breakfast.  Enjoy!

Plum Buckle

For the streusel:
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unbleached flour
1 tablespoon finely ground cornmeal
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced

For the cake:
1 small plum (about 5 ounces)
¾ cup unbleached flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg white, from 1 large egg
¼ teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Butter and flour a 6” round cake pan.  In a small bowl, combine all streusel ingredients.  With your fingertips, smear the butter into the streusel. 

Next, pit the plum and dice it into medium dice (leaving the skin on).  In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a medium bowl, stir together with a wooden spoon the softened butter and sugar.  Add the egg white and vanilla.  Use at least 30 strokes to bring this mixture together.  Add half of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk.  Add the remaining dry ingredients followed by the rest of the buttermilk.  Stir in the diced plums gently.  Scrape the batter into the pan and spread it to the edges with a spatula-it might seem dry but it’s fine.  Sprinkle the streusel evenly on top of the batter.  Bake for 38-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Category: Cakes | 5 Comments »
Tags: buckle, cake, fruit, ginger, plum, snack cake, streusel

Posted By Christina on August 26, 2010

When I was in high school, my family went to Manhattan for a summer vacation.  We had such a blast that we repeated the same vacation the next summer too.  Black and White cookies are a classic New York cookie that has a texture more similar to cake than baked cookies.  Each time I eat one of these cookies, it reminds me of seeing Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.  I may or may not sing ‘Music of the Night’ as I bake these cookies…good thing we don’t have any neighbors.

Black and White Cookies
  makes 10 cookies

For the cookies:
2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon (packed) lemon zest
¼ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 egg yolk from 1 large egg
¼ cup milk

For the frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
hot water
vanilla extract
2-3 teaspoons cocoa powder
lemon juice (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper, or grease the sheet very well. 

In a medium bowl, beat together with an electric mixer the butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla.  Add the egg yolk and beat to combine.  Place a sifter over the bowl and dump in the flour, salt and baking soda.  Mix lightly before adding the milk all at once.  Beat until just combined–don’t over mix.  Use a tablespoon to make 10 cookies on the baking sheet.  Lightly press the cookies to flatten them out.  Bake for 10 minutes.  You may test for doneness by using a toothpick.  Let sit on the cookie sheet 3-4 minutes before moving the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

In two small bowls, place 1 cup of powdered sugar in each.  Add 2 teaspoons cocoa powder to one of the bowls.  Add hot water to each bowl and stir vigorously with a fork to form a smooth icing.  Start with 3 teaspoons hot water and work your way up to a consistency that’s easy to spread but not too runny.  Add a few drops of vanilla extract to each bowl.  Taste your vanilla icing to see if you would prefer it to have a lemon-y flavor and add lemon juice if you like.  Taste your chocolate icing and add another teaspoon of cocoa powder followed by additional hot water, if a stronger flavor is desired.  Traditionally, these cookies are iced on the bottom but I just can’t bring myself to do it.  On which ever side of the cookie you choose, spread one type of icing on half of the cookie.  Let cookies set in fridge for a few minutes before spreading other half with opposite icing—this prevents icing seepage (if you care about that sort of thing).  These cookies are best eaten within 2 days because they get soft with age, but if you must store them overnight, I recommend a loose layer of plastic wrap and not an airtight container, which makes for soggy cookies.  One more quick thing:  I think these cookies taste best after sitting out for 12 hours or so…something ’bout the icing sinking into the cookie.

Category: Cookies and Bars | 3 Comments »
Tags: black and white, chocolate, Cookies and Bars, icing, New York, vanilla

Posted By Christina on August 22, 2010

Cheesecake is such a rich dessert that a small 4 ½” cake is the perfect serving size for two.  The acidity in honey makes it an ideal ingredient for marinating fruit.  The result is fruit with a meltingly tender texture, almost as if it has been cooked.  And the whiskey just puts it over the top.  My favorite Texas honey comes from an old Austin company called Good Flow—check ‘em out online.

For the filling:
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon lemon zest

For the peaches:
½ of a peeled ripe peach, thinly sliced
1-2 teaspoons Texas honey
1 teaspoon whiskey

First, preheat the oven to 350°.  Lightly grease a 4 ½” spring-form pan with a non-flavored oil (such as canola).  In a food processor, pulverize all crust ingredients.  Press the mixture into the spring-form pan.  Use a small shot glass to pack the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  Pack firmly for best slicing results.  Bake for 7-8 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned.  Reduce oven temperature to 300°.

With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until combined.  Add the flour and continue to beat.  Next, add the egg, lemon zest and salt.  Beat this mixture well, but do not purposefully over beat or you will add too much air to your cheesecake batter, causing it to crack as it cools.  Pour the cheesecake mixture into the crust and bake on a baking sheet for 38-40 minutes, until the center is slightly jiggly but not wet when you lightly touch it.  Leave the cheesecake in the oven, but turn the oven off and prop open the door.  Let sit for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, move the cheesecake to a wire rack to cool another 30 minutes.  Finally, run a knife around the edge of the pan, and then cover with plastic wrap before refrigerating the cake.  All of these steps ensure that your cheesecake will not crack or deflate.  Let the cheesecake chill 5 hours or overnight.  About 30 minutes before you plan to serve it, make the honey-ed peaches.  Toss the peaches with the honey and whiskey.  Let marinate for 30 minutes before pouring this mixture over the cheesecake.  Unmold the cheesecake and serve with two forks.

Category: Cakes | 10 Comments »
Tags: cheesecake, graham cracker, honey, peaches

Posted By Christina on August 16, 2010

I reckon it’s time for me to share my peach cobbler recipe.  I’ve been waiting until peaches are in season in most parts of the country.  This is a very special dessert.  Serve it with Sunday supper.

For the filling
3 medium ripe peaches (a little less than a 1 pound)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon vanilla

For the batter
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
5 tablespoons unbleached flour
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup half-and-half

Preheat the oven to 350°.  While the oven is pre-heating, place a 3-cup capacity baking dish in the oven with the butter to melt.  Keep an eye on it-don’t let it brown.

Meanwhile, make the filling:  Peel and half the peaches.  Using a spoon, scrape the center of each peach to remove the reddish center-it becomes bitter when baked.  Then  slice each peach into about 8 slices.  Stir together the peaches, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and vanilla together in a bowl and let set while you make the batter.
For the batter:  Whisk together the flour, sugar and baking powder.  Stir in the half-and-half lightly—small lumps are okay.  Spoon this mixture over the melted butter in the baking dish and DO NOT STIR.  Evenly pour the fruit on top.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.  Serve with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream.

Category: Pies and Cobblers | 12 Comments »
Tags: cobbler, peach

Posted By Christina on August 12, 2010

My mom is my recipe tester.  Isn’t that sweet of her?  Even though she doesn’t like to buy special-sized pans that take up space in her already overflowing kitchen, she does it for me.  Thanks, Mom!  Love you! 

My mom testing my recipes benefits you in two ways.  One:  I live in the country and I have a propane stove.  It’s nice to have someone in the city with a regular stove to test my cooking temperatures and times.  Another reason it’s a good idea to get my mom to test my recipes is because she’s the authority on all things Southern.  Although I was born and raised in Texas and didn’t move to northern California until I was 22, there are still some Southern things that have escaped me.  I read the other day about Texans putting shredded cheddar cheese on top of canned peaches and pears.  I’d never heard of such a thing.  I called my mom to confirm and got a resounding “Yes!  It’s delicious!  Try it!”  This was followed up by a call from my dad asking if I was sure I was from Texas.  So maybe I’ve been a little California-ized lately.  But that’s not a bad thing.  Both Texas and California are known for good food.  Texas is known for rich, caloric, and delicious food, while California is known for fresh, local, lighter cuisine.

My mom requested blueberry muffins for two.  And today, I’m giving it to her.  Thanks for everything, Mom.  I hope you enjoy ‘em!

Blueberry Muffins

1/4 cup + 1/3 cup unbleached flour
heaping 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
1 egg white (from 1 large egg)
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/3 cup fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon unbleached flour

Begin by preheating your oven to 400°.  In a standard muffin tin, line 4 muffin cups with liners.

In a small bowl, stir together with a fork the ¼ cup plus 1/3 cup flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.  Set aside.  Now, in a medium bowl, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest.  Beat this mixture very well to incorporate plenty of air into the batter.  I’d say 3 minutes should do the trick.  Next, add the egg white and continue beating.  Then add half of the flour mixture, beating lightly before stirring in half of the buttermilk.  Add the remaining half of the flour mixture followed by the remaining buttermilk.  When this mixture is fully incorporated, stop mixing! Don’t overmix!  Next, toss your clean, dry blueberries with 1 teaspoon of flour, then stir them gently into your batter.  Divide the batter evenly between the muffins cups and bake for 19-22 minutes.  Enjoy!

Category: Breakfast | 5 Comments »
Tags: blueberries, Breakfast, muffin

Posted By Christina on August 9, 2010

Almost every Tex-Mex restaurant has Tres Leches Cake on the dessert menu.  I believe Texans are so enamored of it because it contains sweetened condensed milk.  The Pionner Woman likes to call it the nectar of the South.  I couldn’t agree more.  Tres Leches is a sponge cake drenched in a sweet, creamy sauce made of three milks.  It’s heavenly.  It’s a very strange cake in that it contains no oil or butter.  And I’ve even seen flour-less versions of it that use ground almonds instead. 

Now, there are many variations of this cake to be had.  I’ve had delicious versions of this cake that contained Mexican vanilla.  While tasty, I feel that it competes with the milk flavor.  But if vanilla is your thing, by all means, stir some in!  I’ve also had versions that contained cinnamon in the batter.  I left it out of this recipe to stay true to the original, but I wouldn’t mind a bit if you added ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon.  Most folks prefer this cake frosted with whipped cream, but I’m not a big fan of whipped cream in general so I serve it on the side.  And finally, to many people, it’s not Tres Leches unless there’s a neon red Maraschino cherry on top.  Feel free to garnish.

Tres Leches Cake

For the cake
½ cup unbleached flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg, separated
pinch of cream of tartar
½ cup sugar
¼ cup half and half

For the milk sauce
½ cup half and half
2/3 cup sweetened, condensed milk

First, preheat your oven to 350°.  Grease a 6” cake pan with butter.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.  Set aside.  In a medium glass bowl with scrupulously clean beaters, beat the egg white with a pinch of cream of tartar until soft peaks form.  Tilt the bowl to help get it going if necessary.  Once soft peaks form, slowly stream in the sugar while beating continuously.  Next, beat in the egg yolk.  Now, turn off the beaters and switch to a rubber spatula.  Fold in one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the half-and-half.  Repeat, finishing with the flour mixture.  Scrape this mixture into the cake pan and level it with the spatula.  Bake for 22 minutes.  The cake is done when it pulls away from the edges of the pan and has a golden brown crust.  Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.  Next, invert the cake onto a serving plate that has a lip to catch the milk sauce.  In a measuring cup, stir together the half-and-half and the sweetened condensed milk.  Using a toothpick, make holes all over the cake.  Pour the condensed milk mixture on the cake slowly.  Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.  Serve with whipped cream and Maraschino cherries, if desired.

Category: Cakes | 7 Comments »
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Posted By Christina on August 2, 2010

Scotcheroos are a glorified and sweeter version of Rice Krispy Treats.  It’s the Southern way to take something delicious and make it even richer.  It’s what we do best.  Some might call it excess, and many find our desserts too sweet.  I’m reminded of the time I brought a California boyfriend home to Texas for a visit.  My mom proudly served him a slice of homemade red velvet cake.  He took one bite, and then proceeded to scrape the overly sweet cream cheese icing off the cake.  The rest of us stood there in shock with our jaws on the floor—the perfect position to scoop the icing off his plate and into our mouths.

These days, I must admit my palate has changed to a more Northern California level of sweetness.  I now see that fruit and cheese is a great dessert, and I also take advantage of an opportunity to ‘health-ify’ a recipe if I can.  I’ve taken that liberty with this dessert and used brown rice syrup instead of the traditional corn syrup.  I also replaced the Rice Krispies with organic brown rice crisps, which can be found in the natural food sections of your grocery store.  If you wish to make this recipe with its original components, fine by me. 

This recipe has a simple ratio to remember, making it easy to scale up or scale down:  all components are in a 1:6 ratio with the cereal.  The classic recipe calls for 6 cups of cereal and 1 cup of everything else.  I scaled it down for a small loaf pan. 

Scotcheroos

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/3 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, your choice)
2 cups brown rice crisps (here is the brand I used)
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup butterscotch morsels
butter for greasing loaf pan

Begin by measuring out the chocolate chips and butterscotch morsels and placing them in a small microwave-safe bowl.  You’ll thank me later when your  measuring cup is too sticky to do this.

Next, butter a 9” x 5” loaf pan.  In a medium bowl, add the cereal and set aside.  In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt the sugar and brown rice syrup.  Swirl the pan as it melts and bubbles to ensure the sugar granules are completely dissolved.  Turn off the heat, then stir in the peanut butter.  Once the peanut butter is thoroughly incorporated, pour this mixture of the rice cereal.  Stir like the dickens to evenly coat the cereal.  Press the cereal in an even layer into the loaf pan.  Now, melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch morsels in the microwave in 30 second intervals.  Pour this over the cereal and let set before slicing and serving.

Category: Cookies and Bars | 10 Comments »
Tags: butterscotch, chocolate, no bake, rice krispy treats

Posted By Christina on July 29, 2010

Are y’all tired of no-bake desserts yet?  I promise I’m almost done.  I’m actually starting to miss the taste of oven-roasted food.  And I’m dying to bake a pie.  I think my oven may be starting to miss me too. 

So I have an intense chocolate-peanut butter craving about twice a week.  Oh, you too?  Well this dessert is perfect.  All you need is a microwave and 15 minutes.  It’s especially fun to make when your honey is sweating outside grilling dinner for you (because you couldn’t imagine turning on the oven and heating up the house just for dinner).  I adapated this recipe to serve two from the Bible (also known as Southern Living).

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

2 graham cracker sheets
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup peanut butter
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces bitter sweet chocolate, chopped

Crush graham crackers in a medium bowl with a pastry cutter.  Alternatively, you can use a food processor.  Add the powdered sugar to the graham cracker crumbs and stir to combine.  Melt the butter and peanut butter together in a small bowl in the microwave.  Add the vanilla to this mixture before pouring it over the graham cracker crumb mixture.  Blend this mixture very well until a stiff dough forms.  Take the time to ensure all the powdered sugar is incorporated into the dough.  Press this mixture firmly in the bottom of a 9” x 5” x 3” loaf pan.  Ensure the crust is even and flat.  Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals.  Pour the chocolate over the crust and leave on the counter until set.  Use a knife to cut the squares into small serving pieces.  These are VERY rich.

Category: Cookies and Bars | 4 Comments »
Tags: chocolate, no bake, peanut butter

Posted By Christina on July 26, 2010

As promised, here’s another no-bake dessert!  The only heat required here is to melt the butter, which in my house, can be done on the counter in about 10 minutes.  I’m really trying to use my oven as little as possible this summer.  The reason is we live in the country and we use propane for power.  I love my propane oven in the winter because it heats up the house nicely, but it does the same thing in the summer.  We’ve been surviving on salads and ice cream.  The calorie balance works out nicely:  low-cal dinner + high-fat dessert = no weight change.

Blackberry Ice Cream Pie

3 ounces (about 13) Famous chocolate wafers
2 tablespoons butter, melted
6 ounces fresh blackberries (1 heaping cup)
2 tablespoons sugar
juice of half a lime (plus ½ teaspoon)
¾ cup half and half
½ cup sweetened, condensed milk
½ cup low-fat buttermilk

First, make the crust by adding the chocolate wafers and melted butter into the bowl of a food processor.  Process until very finely ground.  Dump the chocolate crumbs into a 7” metal pie tin.  Pack the crumbs onto the bottom of the pie tin first by using a small glass or a measuring cup.  Then press the crumbs up the sides of the pan.  Pack the crust very tightly to ensure a clean pie slice.  Store the crust in the freezer until ready to fill it.

Next, make the ice cream.  Add the blackberries, sugar and the juice of half a lime into a small bowl.  Let the berries macerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour.  Once time is up, place a small mesh strainer over a clean bowl and press the berries through the strainer.  Press very hard to extract as much juice as possible.  Don’t forget to scrape the bottom of the strainer for the last remaining juice.  To the blackberry juice, add all remaining ingredients (half and half, condensed milk, buttermilk, and ½ teaspoon lime juice).  Beat together with a wire whisk, and then chill for at least 2 hours before churning in your ice cream maker.  Follow your manufacturer’s instructions for churning time (mine took 25 minutes).  After the ice cream has churned, put it back in the freezer for about 30 minutes to slightly firm up.  Then press it into the frozen chocolate crust.  Use the back of a metal spoon dipped in warm water to smooth the surface of the pie.  You will have some ice cream left over–lucky you!  Freeze this mixture for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.  Garnish with whipped cream, chocolate chards, and fresh blackberries, if desired.  For a slideshow on how to make chocolate chards, go to Bon Appetit.  I used 1 ounce of semi-sweet chocolate chips to make these chards.

Category: Pies and Cobblers | 5 Comments »
Tags: blackberry, chocolate, ice cream, ice cream pie, no bake, pie