Daring Bakers Do Danish Braid

I wasn't sure I was going to be able to complete the Daring Baker's challenge this month because I've been feeling very tired. My energy levels have been dropping ever since I entered the 3rd trimester, which makes sense considering how big the baby (yeah, the baby NOT me! :P ) is getting. It's difficult to walk around and do things and most importantly, I found out how difficult it is to roll out dough on a counter that is slightly higher than waist high when you have a belly this big! LOL That was fun!

This month's challenge was something was interesting, it was a Danish Braid. Danish dough is in the family of butter-laminated doughs but not as complicated to make as say puff pastry. The recipes for this challenges usually yield large quantities and quite frankly, I hate it because there is just two of us in the house and more often than not we don't finish whatever it is I baked. It hurts me because I put so much work into it but at the same time I realize a person can only have so much of one thing before getting sick of it. As a matter of fact, I still have half of the dough in the fridge because I had to split into two to make it manageable for us. Even then, we haven't finished the braid, there's about a third left.



So, just 3 days before posting day, I decided I was going to go ahead, suck it up, and complete the challenge. I made the dough one day and finished the braid off the next. It was time consuming but not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. I have to say I am not crazy about the dough. I was expecting it to be flakier and it's quite bready. I'm also not crazy about the orange and cardamom in it. To each their own. However, I did love the apple filling and this is what I was making that I had caramelized apples left over from to make the ice cream in the previous post.



I can't say that's there been any Daring Bakers challenge that I have loved but they have all challenged me as a baker in one way or another. I've learned something new with every single one and that's really what it's all about.



To see the recipe, check out the hostess' entry over at Sass & Veracity.

Too Many Apples!

When life hands you extra caramelized apples....make ice cream! In the last couple of days, I've been making something that required I caramelize apples. I had half of the apples left over and I kept wondering what to do with them. I didn't want to throw them away because they were so good but I knew that if I froze them, we'd never eat them and they'd end up in the trash anyway. So, what's a girl to do? Well, a girl's to experiment! I LOVE Haagen Dazs' Caramelized Pear and Toasted Pecan ice cream so I decided to do something similar with the apples, sans nuts.

I took a basic ice cream mix and customized it a little to give it flavor since the apples would go in at the end of churning. The beauty about this mix is that it is not a custard so there is no cooking involved, just mixing. It tastes great and it feels smooth in the mouth. I had never tried an ice cream recipe with no eggs thus no custard but after this one, I think I may just have to make more like that because it is SO easy.



Caramelized Apple Ice Cream

For the apples:

2 Fuji apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 cup (1 fl oz) fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp unsalted butter

Toss all the ingredients except the butter in a bowl to combine. Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color (no more than 6-8 minutes). Add the apple mixture and saute until they are softened and caramelized, approximately 10-15 minutes. The apples should have retained their shape and not fallen apart. Cool completely before using.

For the ice cream:

3 cups whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture reaches 40°F, or overnight. Transfer the mixture to the ice cream churner and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

During the last 5 minutes of churning, add the completely cooled apples to the ice cream mixture. Transfer into a 2 quart freezer safe container and freeze for at least 6 hours before serving.

Makes 2 quarts



For obvious reasons, you will need at least a 2 quart churner. That's the top range of mine and it was spilling over slightly once I added the apples. Depending on the fat content of the cream you use, the ice cream won't freeze hard. I actually used heavy cream which has at least 36% fat and after hours in the freezer, it was still the consistency of soft serve and then it started dripping when we took it outside to photograph but this IS South Florida. There is nothing wrong with that mind you, I don't particularly like hard frozen ice cream.

This actually turned out really good, I dare say it's one of the best, if not the best, ice cream that has come out of my kitchen. I haven't made many but I've made my fair share, even by hand! On that note, this can be done by hand but it's difficult because you'll have to stir the mixture every so often to prevent ice crystals from forming. I do not EVER want to go back there!

Edit: Just now (the day after) I went for some more ice cream. Turns out, it froze just fine and I just didn't give it enough time to freeze yesterday before I tried to scoop it out. So, nevermind the comment about soft serve consistency!

Easy Steak

There is not really much to say about tonight's entry other than it's simple and good. Who doesn't love steak? Well, I guess some people don't but surely, they are not in their right mind (just joking!). More than steak, I love doing very little because I'm lazy. Combine little hands on time with steak and you've got a meal I'm happy to make! It does require advanced planning because of the marinading but hands on time is minimal. Pair the steaks up with mashed potatoes like we did and there you go, simple, filling, and yummy!



Grilled T-Bone Steaks

1 large lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 thin cut T-bone steaks (one per person)

Cut the lemon in half. Squeeze the juice of one half of the lemon into a large zipper-lock bag. Reserve the other half. Add the oil, salt and black pepper. Add the two steaks, press the air out and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the meat and refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours.

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator one hour prior to grilling to bring down to room temperature. Heat a gas grill on high for about 15 minutes (the grates should be close to 500°F). Remove the steaks from the marinade and discard the marinade. Brush the grill grates with oil and place the steaks directly above the heat source. Grill for 3 minutes per side for medium or grill to your liking.

Remove the steaks from the grates and place in a lipped cookie sheet or plate and cover with foil. Let them rest for 5 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle the steaks with the juice from the reserved lemon half before eating.

Serves 2

Simple? I think so! This is a pseud0 bistecca alla florentina but I could not be bothered to grind peppercorns with a mortar and pestle to get them to the cracked but not ground stage. It's still pretty tasty and we got our steaks from Wal Mart so goodness knows they were not the best quality!

Bolognese From Down Under

I got hooked on Donna Hay Magazine last year when I started blogging. They weren't too expensive in the UK but here in the US they are outrageously so, $10 an issue. Thank goodness they are not monthly because I'd be broke. Even at $10, I can't resist the urge to buy it every time the new issues comes in. As a matter of fact, I go to Borders, the place I've seen it, looking for it and my heart sinks to the bottom of my stomach every time I don't see it. The photography and styling is so amazing that's it's hard not to drool over every single picture. That and there's always recipes I want to try.

So far though, I don't recall actually trying any until today. I believe it's the most recent issues that has been imported (38) and as usual, its beautiful. Anyhow, they always have a section like "bake and freeze" and then short orders or what have you and this was one of them. The main recipe was for a basic ragu and then she gave instructions on what to do with it. I would have normally halved the recipe but since we are starting to think about making meals and freezing to make dinners easy once the baby comes, I made the entire ragu recipe and had just over half of it with spaghetti as a bolognese and I'm planning on freezing the remaining ragu to eat later.


I'm not usually a fan of "tomatoey" things but this recipe was so simple and quick that I just had to try it plus we have lots of frozen ground beef in one pound bags (what the recipe calls for) that we needed to use. It turned out great and it was very filling. It's obviously not as good as what I imagine a long simmered ragu would be but it's not too shabby.

Spaghetti Bolognese

1 tablespoon (Australian tbsp so 20 mls or 4 American teaspoons) olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
500 g (1 lbs) beef mince (ground beef)
2 tablespoons (see oil measurement for amounts) tomato paste
3/4 cups (180 ml) beef stock
2 x 400 g (14 1/2 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon (see oil for amount) tomato sauce
sea salt and pepper to taste
500 g (1 lbs) spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions
grated Parmesan

Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened. Add the mince (ground beef) and cook for 10 minutes, breaking up any big lumps with a wooden spoon, or until well browned. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add stock and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the stock has almost evaporated. Add canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes. Divide the spaghetti among four plates and top pour the ragu on top. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan.

Serves 4




It's quick and uncomplicated, especially if you keep all the ingredients at hand. I think for the rest of the ragu, we are gonna go the potato pot pie way.

Happy Father's Day!

I know that I am still pregnant with our first child and so my husband is not technically a father yet but a father to be, however, I wanted to do something special for him today. He loves chocolate and I don't like it so it's not often that he gets to eat chocolate anything, much less cake. I had been wanting to bake and decorate a cake for a while so this was the perfect opportunity.


For some reason, I had a hard time deciding what I wanted the cake to look like. I knew the flavors I wanted and that it had to be covered with buttercream but because roses are not very manly, I was left with few options. To make matters worse, I couldn't put as much effort into it as I would have wanted because I have been feeling very tired lately. This baby is sucking up all my energy and all I want to do is sleep.


I did muster enough energy to finish the cake today and do very simple piping on it. After all, this wasn't a showpiece cake, it was simply a "you are great so here's some chocolate cake" cake. He appreciated it. It was a small cake but still too big for him to eat all by himself so I sent my mom home with almost a quarter of it and they had some here. They all loved it and my mom and grandmother keep insisting I should start making cakes for sale. If only Florida licensed home bakeries!




Chocolate Butter Cake with Cookies and Cream filling and Chocolate Buttercream

For the cake:

Grease and line the bottom of two 6 x 2 inch round cake pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

-In a bowl, combine and whisk until there are no lumps:
1/2 cup hot coffee
1/2 cup cocoa powder

-Add and whisk until smooth:
1/2 cup cold water

-On a piece of wax paper, sift together:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

-In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat at high speed until light and fluffy:
4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

-On medium speed, add slowly and cream well:
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the cocoa mixture, into the butter and egg mixture, mixing until smooth.

Pour half of the batter (2 cups) into each of the cake pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes before turning them out of their pans.

For the filling:

-In the bowl of an electric mixer attached with the wire whisk, whip at high speed until stiff:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/8 cup confectioner (powder) sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

-Gently fold in:
10 chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, crushed into medium pieces.


For the buttercream:

3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large egg whites
small pinch of salt
11 oz unsalted butter, softened
3 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, egg whites and salt. Set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture registers 160°F on an instant read thermometer. Return the bowl to the mixer, using the wire whisk attachment, whisk on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form and the mixture is cool, about 10 minutes.

Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium speed, add the butter 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix, scraping the bowl as needed, until the mixture is smooth. Mix in the melted and cooled chocolate and beat until combined.

To assemble the cake:

Using a cake leveler or serrated knife, remove the domes from the cakes if necessary and split each cake into two equal layers for a total of 4. Place the one of the bottom layers on a cake stand or plate and spread some of the filling evenly on it. Place the next layer of cake on top of the filling and spread more filling on it. Repeat until you have used all 4 layers of cake, using one of the bottom layers inverted on the top of the cake for an even top. You will have filling left over.

Spread the buttercream evenly on the top and sides of the cake, smoothing as much as possible. Because of the fresh cream filling, this cake needs to be refrigerated until ready to be consumed. Any leftovers should be refrigerated as well.



This cake is a combination of recipes and I'm told it was delicious. I know the cookies and cream filling was because I did try that. The buttercream is very smooth and soft and does not do well in the heat so refrigeration is key for this cake. It can be taken out of the refrigerator to soften up a bit for about 10 minutes before serving but not much more. A cake this size should feed at least 8 to 10 people with generous portions but definitely more with smaller ones. I still have to figure out what to do with the leftover filling!

If you are really into it, you can pipe a dam for the filling using a #12 piping tip and crumb coat the cake before applying the final icing. This is what I did but it is not at all necessary.

And just because it's Father's Day, here are a few pictures of our baby from the 3D ultrasound session we had a couple of days ago. He has my nose!

Happy Father's Day honey!

Asian Flavors

I was going to write more about this recipe but my mind is on something else at the moment and I can't concentrate enough to write anything worthwhile. However, I still want to share the recipe because it is delicious and fairly easy to make. We just had it for dinner and it will go into the to-be-made-again list.



Sweet and Spicy Pork Chunks

For the pork:
1/3 cup pineapple preserves
1/4 cup chili garlic sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs pork loin, sliced into 12 chunks

For the pineapples:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp sugar
8 rings fresh pineapple (1/2 inch thick)

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Combine the preserves, chili garlic sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, oil and salt in a bowl. Add the pork and marinade for 5 minutes.

Whisk the lime juice, sugar and salt together in a bowl. Add the pineapple rings and toss gently to coat.

Tread 3 pieces of pork on each of four skewers (that have soaked in water for at least 15 minutes if wooden). Reserve the marinade for basting. Grill the pineapple rings on both sides until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side; remove from grill. Grill the pork skewers until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side, basting with the marinade ever minute.

Serve the pork over the grilled pineapples and Coconut Rice.

Serves 4

Coconut Rice

1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/4 cup basmati or other long grain rice.

Bring the broth or water, coconut milk, sugar, salt and pepper flakes to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the rice, boil for 30 seconds, cover, reduce the heat to low. Cook until the rice is tender and liquids have been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Serves 4

The combination of all these flavors is really pleasing, even if you are not necessarily fond of coconut (I'm not). Be careful not to burn the pork, the sugar in the marinade can cause it stick to the grill!

Pork with Apples and Strawberry Shortcake

I don't often post twice in one day but when I posted earlier I didn't realize dinner would turn out so good. I'm trying to get back into the cooking dinner routine because eating out everyday is proving to be very expensive, plus I'd rather have shoes! LOL. Sticking to the meal plans isn't always easy because life happens but it is much better when you have a plan to begin with. What I like the best about having meals planned for say the week, is that I don't have to hear the dreaded question "so, what's for dinner?" and THEN start to figure out what the heck we're gonna do.

Tonight's meal included pork and apples, a combination that has come to be a favorite of mine. They just go so well together and because you are eating fruit, it makes you feel like you are being healthy...never mind all the cream in the sauce!



Pork Chops with Apple Cream Sauce

4 pork chops, boneless
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups hard apple cider (regular cider for the European folks)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 medium red apple, unpeeled, chopped
Hot cooked brown and wild rice

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the pork chops in hot oil about 3 minutes per side or until browned. Add the cider, lemon juice and rosemary. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the pork is done.

Remove the pork from the skillet; set aside and keep warm. Set the heat under the skillet to high and let the cider mixture reduce to about half. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cream. Reduce the heat medium low and add the cornstarch and cream mixture to the cider. Cook and stir until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Return the pork chops to the skillet. Heat about 2 minutes.

Serve the pork with sauce spooned over the top. Top with apples and serve with the rice.

Serves 4

I know it doesn't look like much but it was really good. The pork works great with the apples and the rice works well with the sauce. It's a great combination and will definitely go into the to-be-made-again list.

I had dinner planned but in the middle of the afternoon, I remembered that I had some strawberries in the fridge that needed to be used and set out to find something to do with them. I searched for strawberry shortcake in a few of my books when it occurred to me look in Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan. As usual, she does not disappoint. Not only was there a recipe for it in the book, but it was the best darned strawberry shortcake I have ever had. Even my husband, who always finds flaws in everything, said "Don't change a thing in this recipe, it is perfect the way it is". I couldn't believe my ears but he said it!



Tender Shortcakes

For the biscuits

4 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

For the filling

Berries (about 1/2 cup per shortcake), hulled and sliced if using strawberries
sugar
a splash of Chambord
lightly sweetened softly whipped cream

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You'll have pea-sized pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces in between, and that's just right.

Pour the cream over the dry ingredients and toss and gently turn the ingredients with a fork until you've got very soft dough. When the dough comes together (note: I found out I needed more cream), you'll probably still have dry ingredients at the bottom of the bowl - just use a spatula or your hands to mix and knead the dough until it's evenly blended. Don't overdo it; it's better to have a few dry spots than an overworked dough. Even with all the flour mixed in, the dough will be soft and sticky.

Spoon about 1/3 cup of dough for each shortcake onto the baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches of space between the mounds of dough. Pat each mound down until it is between 3/4 and 1 inch high. (The shortcakes can be made to this point and frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bake without defrosting - just add at least 5 more minutes to the oven time.)

If you have more dough, repeat, cooling the baking sheet first.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the sheet from front to back at the midway point, until the shortcakes are puffed and give just a bit when prodded. Pull the sheet from the oven and transfer the shortcakes to a cooling rack.

To make the filling, put the berries in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar to taste and a splash of Chambord. Mix with a spoon and let sit for about 10 minutes, until they are juicy.

The cakes are tender and really fragile, so go easy on them. Use a serrated knife and not much pressure to cut each cake in half horizontally. Put the bottom halves on plates, top with the berries - make sure to include some of the sweet juices - and spoon over some whipped cream. Put the tops on the shortcakes or lean them against the cream. If you decide to go for the open-faced shortcakes, you'll get two textures, moist and tender.

The only change I made was adding the Chambord, which Dorie does not call for. I love Chambord and I love how it enhances the taste of berries. It is not necessary though and you can leave it out. I bet some balsamic vinegar or even just good vanilla extract would be just as good.

I only made half of the recipe and we still have 3 shortcakes hanging around. I think I have my midnight munchies secured!

The Virgin Run

I mentioned a few days ago that I had ordered a bread machine on sale. It's the Breadman Pro 2lbs machine. It arrived late yesterday but I immediately wanted to try it out. It was too late to make bread for the same day so I tried the delayed start function instead and had fresh bread from breakfast this morning. I dreamed about the darn thing and when I was half-awake around 7:30am, I could smell the bread from upstairs. Nothing quite like waking up to that smell.


The bread itself wasn't anything special but that is not the point. It was a very simple white bread and it was just my guinea pig for a first run. The machine did its thing overnight and the bread was perfectly baked by 7:30am. The loaf was not as tall as other bread machine loaves, which is actually good in my opinion. They weren't long either so they are perfect for just the two of us, there won't be much bread going to waste, if any.


I'm very much looking forward to trying many more recipes and waking up to fresh bread frequently. I don't think my husband will complain :)