Tie-dye muffins

I've never been a huge fan of Valentine's Day, even though I celebrated this year with a special meal and a fantastic guy. There is one part of the holiday that I can't resist, though, and that's pretty food. Normally I don't advocate the use of food coloring because I'm a bit skeptical of eating a chemical substance that will dye your hands for a week, but there are certain times in life where pink and red food is absolutely called for.

A Valentine's breakfast is always a bit better when you add chocolate. This muffin recipe is made with lots of dark chocolate, so it's not overpoweringly sweet and great with your morning coffee. My little twist is a swirl of pink cheesecake filling, adding a bit of tang and some color. I added about a tablespoon of cheesecake to each muffin, which is probably the minimum I'd recommend. If you'd like to make the cheesecake more obvious, you can easily double that amount. Just make sure that the cheesecake is not all on the top, so it doesn't bubble up and brown. Not as pretty as a soft pink center!

Pink Cheesecake Chocolate Muffins
Adapted from Susi's Kochen Und Backen Adventures

Chocolate Chunk Muffin
6 Tbsp (3/4 C) unsalted butter
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 C all-purpose flour
1 C whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 C granulated sugar
1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 C buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Pink cheesecake filling

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/3 C granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Red food coloring (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and line muffin tins with paper liners or nonstick spray.

Beat together all ingredients for cheesecake filling using an electric mixer. Add red food coloring one drop at a time until the mixture is a light pink. Set aside.

Melt the butter and half of the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat, then remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together buttermilk, egg and vanilla in another bowl. Pour the liquid ingredients and melted chocolate into the dry ingredients, and fold in gently and quickly using a spatula. Stir in remaining chopped chocolate.

Place alternating spoonfuls of muffin batter and cheesecake into the muffin tins, starting and ending with muffin batter and filling almost to the top of the well. Trace a spiral into the batter with a knife to swirl the two mixtures. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the top of the muffin springs back when lightly touched.

All gone!

Two in one

I have always loved scones, and I love them even more with Devonshire cream, jam or lemon curd copiously spread over every single bite. Shockingly, I've been straying away from chocolate and embarking on a bit of a lemon kick lately - so I decided to see if the scone and the spread could in fact be united in one delicious package!

Scones are scones because they have very few ingredients that interact in just the right way to get just the right texture. Adding an additional ingredient, especially one like lemon curd, is bound to change the texture. Luckily, the new combination is DELICIOUS (in its own way) and the only major changes were a bit denser texture and almost no rising of the scone. I hesitate to call this a scone; as I was munching on my third of the morning I was compelled to describe it more as a light, crumbly biscuit. Whatever. If you love lemon and a light little bite to start (or end) your day, these are for you! Super easy, super yummy and one of those soul-restoring goodies that I love to have in my repertoire.

Lemon Curd Scones
Adapted from Joy of Baking
Makes 10-12 scones


2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 C cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C heavy cream
1/3 C lemon curd
Raw sugar


Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Blend butter into dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or forks until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Mix together egg, vanilla, cream and lemon curd in a separate bowl, then gradually add to dough. Blend just until combined - don't overmix!

Knead gently a few times and roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into rounds using a cookie cutter or the rim of a drinking glass, then transfer onto prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops of the scones with cream and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until tops are lightly golden brown.

Summer in January

I am very fortunate to say that I live in San Diego - for many reasons, of course, but the weather is undeniably the biggest perk for a weakling like me. Our year runs the spectrum from a blustery 50 degrees to a scorching 85, and seems to disregard typical ideas of "seasons" (whatever those are). I'm writing this wearing a tank top, with a scarf thrown on for a little seasonal flair. 


There are some desserts that just work with certain weather. I can't handle super heavy chocolate or gingerbread-y things in the middle of summer, and a light cake seems inappropriate when you're bundled in front of the TV trying to maintain feeling in your hands. Luckily for me, the weather cooperated with me on this recipe and delivered an amazing 80 degree week in the middle of January so I could enjoy the following light, tender, sugary cookies! 

The main flavors here are buttermilk and lemon, which are nicely refreshing and tangy. Buttermilk, shockingly, contains no butter but is in fact the slightly sour residual milk that remains after butter is churned. If you don't churn your own butter,  commercially produced "cultured buttermilk" is made from fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria. In baked goods,  it tenderizes and adds a little tang from that fermentation process.

NOTE: Buttermilk substitute is easy to make! Just add 1 Tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar to 1 C of whole milk and let sit for at least 5 minutes. Voila! Cultured.


Buttermilk Cookies
From Gourmet magazine (2008) by way of Ezra Pound Cake
Makes about 5 dozen cookies


3 C all purpose flour
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 C buttermilk (or milk and lemon juice)

Glaze
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
3 Tbsp buttermilk (or milk and lemon juice)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two baking sheets with parchment. Whisk together flour, lemon zest, baking soda and salt and set aside. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Mix in flour and buttermilk in alternating additions - starting and ending with flour.

Drop tablespoons of dough on the baking sheet, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches between the cookies (they spread!). Bake until cookies are puffed and golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Whisk together all glaze ingredients and pour over cookies while they are still warm. Let cool completely.

Slice and bake

One time when I was eight, I won an Oreo stacking contest in Safeway. I won a t-shirt, and lifelong pride. This post has nothing to do with that other than these cookies are very stackable...

I've recently been intrigued by using cornmeal in baking, after a few lovely encounters with cornmeal scones at my favorite coffee shop. When I stumbled upon this recipe, I thought it looked like the perfect way to experiment. The beauty of these cookies is that you can make them in any size you like, but I enjoyed making them about an inch and a half in diameter like called for in the original recipe. They're not too sweet, and are the perfect refreshing little nibble.

If you'd like to add a little different flavor to the cookie, try soaking the cranberries in rum, brandy, a fruity liqueur... or honey (like I did). Also, make sure you refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Other than that, it's pretty straightforward. Mix, roll, chill, slice and bake. And of course, snack away :)

Lemon Cornmeal Cookies
Adapted from 6 bittersweets

1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/3 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
1/2 C yellow cornmeal
1 1/4 C all purpose flour
2/3 C dried cranberries (about 4 ounces)

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and salt, then egg yolks. Beat in cornmeal, then flour. Stir in cranberries. Knead dough until combined, then divide in half. Use plastic wrap to roll dough into logs 1 1/2 inches in diameter (or whatever size you'd like the cookies to be). Refrigerate for at least two hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice dough log into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and place on baking sheet, reshaping them if necessary.

Bake cookies until golden at edges, about 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool. 

Fluff

Once upon a time, ancient Egyptians used extracts from the roots of the marshmallow plants as a remedy for sore throats. Leave it to the French to whip and sweeten the marshmallow sap to make a squishy confection, which was modified in the late 1800s to use gelatin and egg whites in place of the marshmallow sap.  I love the history involved in the development of foods - and I'm sure that's going to be a question on Jeopardy at some point...

With that said, I've never been a huge fan of marshmallows. Of course, I've never turned down a s'more or three, but the chunks of white, vaguely squishy stuff that you buy at the supermarket have never seemed all that appetizing by themselves. However, I kept seeing marshmallow recipes pop up on food blogs and in magazines - and kept hearing about how amazing the homemade version was. When I found a recipe for marshmallows flavored with Bailey's Irish Cream, the deal was sealed. With my new candy thermometer in hand, I ventured into unfamiliar territory with boiling sugar, corn syrup and gelatin.

The end product was fantastic - light, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth perfection flavored wonderfully with a hint of irish cream. I can't wait to try melting one in my hot chocolate and infusing the flavor into the drink.

Homemade Bailey's Marshmallows 
From My Adventures in Food

Powdered sugar
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/3 C plus 2 Tbsp cold water
1 1/3 C plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 C plus 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
large pinch of salt
9 Tbsp cold water
1 1/2 Tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream

Directions: Prepare an 8x8 baking pan by spraying with nonstick spray and sprinkling powdered sugar over the bottom and sides.

Place gelatin and 1/3 C plus 2 Tbsp cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer and let sit for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and 9 Tbsp cold water in a saucepan. Partially cover and heat over medium until sugar is dissolved. Uncover, attach candy thermometer and bring heat to high. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook without stirring until thermometer reads 250 degrees. When it reaches temperature, turn off the heat and remove the thermometer. Mix the gelatin and water on low and then slowly add the heated syrup. Increase speed to high and mix for 3 minutes.

Reduce speed to low and add Bailey's. Bring speed up to high again and beat for 7 minutes. The mixture will turn shiny and white and greatly increase in volume.
Pour the finished mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle powdered sugar along the edges where the marshmallow meets the pan. Let sit at room temperature for 8 hours. Once it's ready, use a sharp knife coated with powdered sugar to separate the marshmallow from the edge of the pan. Pull out the sheet of marshmallow and place on a cutting board. It will take some wrestling, but the square will reshape itself easily. Cut into squares, and toss each in powdered sugar to keep the edges from sticking.

Throw in hot chocolate, make a Bailey's s'more, or just snack on them plain!

For a toasty morning

Special holiday breakfast with my family can mean only one thing - Haitian french toast. No one knows why it's called "Haitian," other than that orange juice is vaguely tropical...? This Christmas morning, it was the natural choice to bring the holly jolly feeling to our kitchen. The recipe is from a suspiciously small piece of magazine that my mom cut out more than 20 years ago, but it has served us well. Something about the combination of sweet sugar and tangy orange juice works perfectly - and if you use French bread for the toast, you get a nice crispy crust with an almost custardy center. Basically, it's great.




Haitian French Toast
From Sunset Magazine (circa 1989)

1 long loaf of French bread (about 1 lb)
1 C orange juice
1/2 C whipping cream
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 C granulated sugar
Dash of ground nutmeg
Butter/vegetable oil for cooking
Powdered sugar and maple syrup (optional)

Directions: Cut ends off of bread loaf and discard. Cut the rest into 1 1/2 inch thick slices, and let sit out for at least 4 hours or overnight. Combine all ingredients and pour into a baking pan deep enough to hold the liquid. Lay the bread slices in the mixture and flip occasionally until all the mixture is absorbed.

Heat skillet over medium-high heat, and prepare with butter or oil. Lay the toast slices on the hot griddle and cook until slices are richly browned on each side (about 5 minutes). Serve dusted with powdered sugar and maple syrup for maximum effect :)

Christmas granola

In years past, Christmas has always meant a solid week of flour-covered countertops, chocolate under my nails and an oven permanently heated to 375 degrees. In other words, cookie baking. However, in this first year of grown up, working girl life split between northern and southern California, I had to figure out a less time-consuming way to spread holiday cheer. The solution? Granola.

The beauty of granola is that it is so darn versatile. Snack on it out of the bag, eat with milk like cereal, sprinkle on top of yogurt, use as an ice cream topping... you get the idea. You can also put just about anything in it, which makes it perfect for anyone's tastes. I decided on maple-pecan-cranberry and chocolate gingerbread granola for my gift giving this year, but I'm excited to see what other fantastic combinations I can develop.

Once you've decided what to put in it, granola is super easy to make. Mix everything dry together and mix everything liquid together - then combine those two and bake! Done. If you like super chunky granola like me, then don't stir too much during baking. If you like little pieces, stir away to break up the mixture.

Note: The recipe I have posted for the chocolate gingerbread granola is very spicy - just like eating intense gingerbread! I loved to put it on top of vanilla ice cream with some chocolate sauce... But if you're in the mood for something milder, cut the spice quantities in half.

Chocolate Gingerbread Granola
Adapted from How Sweet It Is

2 C rolled oats
1/3 C shredded coconut
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 C honey
1/3 C molasses
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 C chocolate chips, chopped

Directions: Preheat 375 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment.

Combine cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg in a small bowl. Combine oats, coconut, chocolate and salt in a large bowl, then stir in spice mixture. Combine vanilla, honey and molasses in a small bowl and pour over dry mixture. Stir until totally moistened - add honey 1 tsp at a time if needed.
Spread uncooked granola onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. The chocolate will melt and spread over the granola pieces as it cooks. The granola is done when it is golden and toasty - don't let it burn!



Pecan Cranberry Granola
From Healthy Food For Living

1 1/2 C rolled oats
1 1/2 C puffed rice cereal
6 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/4 C pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C chopped pecans
1/2 C dried cranberries

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment.

Whisk together applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Stir together rolled oats and rice cereal in a large bowl, and pour liquid mixture over. Stir to moisten completely, then spread onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 30 minutes, then add chopped pecans and stir to combine. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until granola is golden and crunchy. Stir in dried cranberries and let cool completely.

Happy holidays!