Resuming Where We Left Off

First, I'm not quite sure why I haven't posted in 8 months. Although the timing of the abrupt stoppage was coincidentally around the time when 4th year rotations started. Thinking back, I have been alternating between busy and really really busy ever since rotations began. Work life does suck all the energy outta ya... The last thing I want to do when I finally get home after putting in my 9-10 hours at work is spend more time in the kitchen. 

So, less free time + much less energy = no cooking, and definitely no blogging.

But, I remembered why I started my blog in the first place (outlet source). And right now, I definitely need a distraction and a satisfying project in my life to take my whirling mind off of residency applications. Food + pics always places a warm, fuzzy feeling of accomplishment in me. 

I saw a picture of these individual portions of monkey bread on allrecipes.com (4th or 5th favorit-est website) yesterday. Had all the ingredients. Had a little bit of time. Was and have been craving sweets.  Sooo... I got my lazy butt off of the couch and peeled my eyes away from Big Bang Theory for a moment. Voila! Be warned, these go fast- I can probably eat all 6 in one sitting if I allowed myself!  

Monkey Bread in a Muffin Tin - modified from allrecipes.com 

(makes 6 muffins)

1 12 oz. can biscuit dough

1/4 cup white sugar

1-2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg (optional)

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp. butter

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees F. Line 6 muffin tins with paper liners. 
2. Combine white sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl. Cut each biscuit into quarters, and thoroughly coat each piece of dough in cinnamon-sugar mixture. (Alternately, you can place the cinnamon-sugar in a large ziplock bag, add biscuit dough pieces, then shake to coat.) Place 6-7 pieces of dough in each muffin tin. 
3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter and brown sugar. Bring to a bubbling simmer, stirring constantly, and heat until sugar is dissolved. Spoon mixture evenly over each muffin tin. 
4. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until biscuit dough is lightly springy. 

Banana Crumb Muffins

I whipped up a batch of these banana muffins in under an hour when hanging out with a friend last week.  It's a fast, easy, high-reward recipe. Not only do they taste delicious, but also the smell of fresh muffins wafting out of the oven is better than any store-bought home fragrance! I wrap these up individually in plastic wrap, and grab-and-go as I rush out the door in the mornings, so they can be a perfect morning breakfast for those of us who aren't morning persons.

A few modifications on my part: I don't typically worry too much about fat or caloric content in my baking, but I followed a couple of the tips from other reviewers of this recipe. The healthy additions certainly do not detract from the recipe! Butter (in the batter) can be substituted with vegetable/canola oil or applesauce. Also, I try to use a combination of brown and white sugar instead of all white sugar in the batter.

Banana Crumb Muffins
modified from Allrecipes.com

1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 c. melted butter or canola oil

1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin tins or line with muffin liners. 
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, egg, and 1/3 cup butter (or canola oil). Stir banana mixture into flour mixture until just moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. 
3. In a small bowl, mixture together remaining brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter. Stir until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. 
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.

bon appetit! 

Shortbread Thumbprints

I was searching for my thumbprint cookie recipe on my blog today and came up empty. I can't believe I haven't posted about one of my absolute favorite cookies yet! This cookie is a combination of almond shortbread full of buttery richness plus a bit of sweet fruit jam in the center. They're easy to make and makes the whole house smell wonderful (thanks to the almond extract!). 

This recipe is delicious as is! The only modification I make is to increase the almond extract in the cookie dough to 1 full teaspoonful. Also, when I get lazy I omit making the drizzle and eating the cookies straight out of the oven. 

A few tricks to this cookie: 

• Don't skip out on the almond extract! Substituting vanilla extract for the almond just isn't the same.
• To make perfect circular indentations in each cookie, try using the end of a chapstick tube. Wrap the chapstick tube in plastic wrap and make holes in the center of each cookie! 
• Freeze or refrigerate the cookies prior to making for 10 minutes or so, so the cookie will not spread out or flatten too much in the oven. 
• Spoon the jam or preserves into a small ziplock back, cut off the corner of the bag, and squeeze the jam into the cookie indentations for less mess. 

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

1 cup butter, softened but not melted

2/3 cup white sugar

1 tsp. almond extract

2 cups flour

1/2 cup seedless jam (any flavor you like!)

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3/4 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Mix in 1 tsp. almond extract and flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into small balls (about 1 inch) and place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets. Separate cookies about 2 inches apart. Make a small indentation in the center of each cookie and fill holes with jam. 
3. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned. Remove cookies from oven and cool.
4. In medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over cooled cookies.

Celebratory Cheesecake

It was Ben's birthday this week, which warranted something special! The cake itself was an easy decision as he prefers cheesecake. I used Chantal's New York Cheesecake recipe, which is my go-to, proven cheesecake recipe. The recipe produces one HUGE, weighty, calorific cheesecake, probably due to the 4 packages of cream cheese and 1 cup of sour cream it contains. This time around, I made 1 batch of the cheesecake mixture and divided the mixture between 12 mini cupcakes (baked in a regular muffin tin) and a large 9-inch cheesecake. As you can tell, there was just enough batter to go-around.

For the mini cheesecakes, I used muffin liners and pressed a small scoop of the graham cracker crumb crust into each muffin tin. Then I filled each muffin 3/4 full with cheesecake mixture and baked at the 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Easy peasy! (Tip: For even more easy-ness, instead of making a graham cracker crust, just use a Nilla wafer as the crust for each mini cheesecake.)

Cheesecake baking tips:

• Use ingredients that are at room temperature. 
• Do not over-beat cream cheese mixture as this will incorporate air into the batter, which causes the sunken, collapsed cheesecake syndrome. 
• Use a water bath when baking cheesecakes. Wrap the springform pan in aluminum foil (to prevent water getting into the pan), then place pan in large baking tray filled up halfway with hot water. 
• Bake until the center of the cheesecake is slightly wobbly to prevent overbaking/browning of the cheesecake. 
• Patience! Allow the cheesecake to cool in oven with the heat turned off for a few hours to prevent sinking cheesecakes.

New York Cheesecake
15 grahams crackers, crushed
2 tbsp. butter, melted

4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup flour, sifted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine crushed graham crackers and melted butter, then press mixture onto bottom of springform pan.
3. In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, then eggs one at a time until just incorporated. Mix in sour cream, vanilla extract, and flour until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pan. 
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until cheesecake is solid except with a jiggly center. Turn oven off and let cheesecake cool in oven for 5-6 hours (or overnight). Chill in refrigerator before serving. 
5. Decorating cheesecake ideas: 
1. Arrange sliced fruit on top of cheesecake and brush with sugar syrup glaze
2. Drizzle chocolate over cheesecake
3. Chocolate ganache topping

Cheesecake Base

Cutting the fruit toppings!

The finished look!

The view from up top

molten chocolate lava cakes

I was on total chocolate craze last month. Hmm... it aligned perfectly with exam schedules, coincidence? Then as if it was meant to be, I discovered this chocolate lava cake recipe from foodwishes.blogspot.com. As if the universe was telling me to eat more chocolate! For those who have never had molten chocolate lava cakes, you have been missing out! The recipe utilized ingredients I already had and consisted only of 3 steps! Easy and delicious! You can be having your own chocolate lava cakes in a short 60 minutes! What are you waiting for? :)

As an aside, I love foodwishes.blogspot.com! The blogger makes video recipes, so you can see every step in action. It's perfect for those of us who don't quite know what "stiff peaks" or "curdled mixture" looks like.

So far, I have baked this cake 3 times. The first time it was absolute perfection, with the gooey chocolate-y inside. However, the second time, I was impatient and under-baked the cake; needless to say, it completely collapsed once I slid it out of the ramekin. Ben ate the molten chocolate all the same, when do you pass on molten warm gooey chocolate?! And the third time, I used metal muffin tins rather than ramekins and the cakes turned out overbaked. I guess I'm still working on my timing. Ideally, the cakes are done when the center of each cake is a bit jiggly, indicating the creamy, not-completely-baked insides. So, take the listed baking time as a suggestion... baking times can vary depending on your oven and the type of baking pan you used (metal or ceramic).

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
5 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. sugar
3.5 oz. dark chocolate
3 tbsp. flour
4 tsp. cocoa powder
A pinch of salt
1/8 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Butter 4 small ramekins, and set aside. Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until mixture is light and foamy. 
2. Melt dark chocolate and butter in microwave until just melted (20-30 seconds). Stir chocolate into egg mixture. Sift cocoa powder, flour, and salt into mixture. Fill ramekins with mixture. 
3. Cover ramekins with ceramic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 
4. Place ramekins in deep baking dish, and fill baking dish halfway with hot water. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven, run a knife along outside of the cake to detach cake from ramekin, and turn upside down to remove cake from ramekins. Dust with powder sugar prior to serving. 

Loving myself some chocolate! 

It's A Cream Puff Day

Oh, cream puffs! How I adore you. Especially after I realized that I can make and eat a dozen without having to break the bank at Beard Papa's!

The Beaverton Uwajimaya recently opened a new Beard Papa's (first in Oregon, I believe). Of course, I had to try them! Unfortunately, this brand-new Beard Papa's was still working out some chinks and the service was a bit haphazard. For example, the girl making the cream puffs for the customers in front of me was quite generous with the cream; but when my turn came, a different girl took over and she was more efficient, but less crowd-pleasing. The joy of enjoying my cream puff was a bit diminished when my cream puff was only half-filled.

Of course always looking for a silver lining, the affront to my cream puff inspired me to try my hand at making my own. A quick Allrecipes search landed a seemingly easy cream puff recipe. Yet, when I read the reviews, I became fearful of deflating cream puffs (a common problem with the recipe apparently). I read a few more articles and watched a video on making cream puffs before setting out.

The result? Beautiful, decadent cream puffs! I fear for my waistline... now that I have easy access to cream puff-ery! The vanilla pudding cream makes the cream puff recipe really easy, but the taste is not quite Beard Papa's worthy. Maybe it's because I substituted milk for the heavy cream. Next time, I will try filling up the cream puff shells with a pastry cream recipe (used in making fruit tarts) for additional indulgence.

Cream Puffs 
--modified from Allrecipes.com--

2 (3.5oz) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs

Directions:

1. Whisk together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream, and milk in large bowl for about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture into a gallon-size ziplock bag. Refrigerate to set.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. In a saucepan, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until mixture forms a ball. Transfer dough to a large mixing bowl and let cool for a few minutes. Using an electric mixture, beat in eggs one at a time. Beat until dough is tacky and elastic. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. 
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Turn off oven and use a toothpick to poke a hole in each cream puff. Leave cream puff shells in oven for additional 5 minutes to prevent deflating. 
5. Remove cream puff shells from oven and let cool. Snip a small corner in ziplock bag containing pudding mixture and then fill each cream puff shell with pudding mixture. 

Some additional tips: 

• Use any pudding flavor you want. Next time, I will try chocolate! Experiment :).
• The dough was very very sticky! I got really messy and dough was everywhere! Next time, I might scoop all the dough into a large ziplock bag, cut a corner of the bag, and pipe the dough onto the baking sheets. 
• Use a ziplock bag (or pastry bag if you have one) to squeeze in cream filling into each cream puff.

Dropping batter by 2 tablespoonfuls!
I like my cream puffs big!

Cream Cheese Frosting (with Red Velvet Cupcakes)

One thing that you should know about me is that I'm a hoarder. Yep, my pantry and fridge and freezer are stocked full at all times. I dislike throwing away food, so I'll refrigerate or freeze food as long as I can. Hoarding isn't as great as it sound... When it comes around to spring cleaning, I always end up throwing away lots of freezer-burned mystery meat or expired cans.

One hoarded item was a box of red velvet cupcake mix. I probably should have made the cupcakes when I first received the mix (as a birthday gift) a few years back... But I wanted to save it for a "special" occasion; when the opportunity and the time never coincided, the mix got shoved to the back of my pantry. I found this a few weeks back, aaaand, well, cake mix can't really go bad, right? I finally made these Sprinkles (think it's a famous cupcake shop?) Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, and they still tasted pretty darn good. Bomb-dot-com good!

The cincher was the cream cheese frosting. The instructions for cream cheese frosting that came along with the mix is a definite keeper. Not too sweet with enough cream cheese flavor that shines through. One problem I had was that my frosting was too runny even after adding the required amount of powdered sugar. The solution? More powder sugar! I added 1/4 cup more powder sugar at a time, beating well after each addition. Also, I tasted the frosting (yummy!) after each addition, in order to avoid overly sweet frosting. I was trying achieve the perfect nirvana in terms of frosting: a stiffer frosting that also isn't sickeningly sweet. The original recipe is below, add more powder sugar at your pleasure!


Cream Cheese Frosting

8oz cold cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter, firm but not cold
1/8 tsp. salt
3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, and salt on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy (about 2 to 3 minutes).
2. Reduce speed to low, and gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until incorporated. Add vanillla.
3. If frosting is too thick: add milk 1 tsp. at a time until frosting is at a spreadable consistency.
4. If frosting is too thin: add additional powder sugar 1/4 cup at a time until frosting is at spreadable consistency.