Honey Cornbread Muffins, and My Thanksgiving Meal

I am sure this post will find most of you in full-force preparation for the big Thanksgiving Day feast - maybe you are doing last minute shopping, fine-tuning your menu with new dishes, or arguing with Aunt Sarah about who's stuffing recipe is better.  Or maybe you aren't a planner, and are just counting down the days and dreaming of golden brown turkeys covered with rich gravy, gooey sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.  Either way, I feel pretty certain that you are awaiting the big day with major anticipation.   

Me?  I am doing none of the above, because I already had my big Thanksgiving meal this past weekend.  Since I wasn't able to head home to be with my family this year, I knew I had to gather together with my San Diego family to eat, drink, and be merry.  For me, Thanksgiving really isn't Thanksgiving unless I am seated at a table, surrounded by people I love, laughing and smiling while I eat warm, filling food.  

My friends were more than happy to accept my invitation for dinner, and for many of them, it would the the first of two Thanksgivings.  Knowing they would be able to have turkey again took some of the pressure off as far as cooking goes, but anyone who knows me, will tell you that I can't help but go all out.  So I brought a little fall spirit inside with festive table decorations, I made the most of the space in my tiny apartment, and I cooked up a storm.  I even got a special Turkey Day Feast meal for my favorite little puppy.  We crowded as many people as could possibly fit around my table, and we dug into the feast.

Here was my Thanksgiving Menu: 

The Best Mini Pumpkin Muffins for Fall

Being from the Midwest, I think I have a soft spot for Fall in my heart.  

When the seasons change, the cool breeze whips through my hair with just enough of a chill to make me feel alive and breathe a little deeper, but not enough to force me to rush back to the warmth of the indoors.  I want to be cozy, but I also don't want to miss a minute of nature's last hurrah.  The scattering of gorgeous leaves on the ground is a treat for the eyes, and is almost always accompanied by the scratching and scurrying sounds of dried leaves blowing across the ground. The combination of rustic, muted colors together with crimson and yellow leaves is always spectacular, and the first arrival of bright orange pumpkins is a cause for celebration.        

So if you are like me, when Fall comes, you want to get outside and soak up the fleeting clean, cool air with hikes, late afternoon picnics, and hayrides.  But at the same time, the urge to warm up indoors beckons.  And naturally, the best way to warm up inside is to bake.  

Lately, my urge to bake has been insatiable - I have definitely baked more in the last three weeks than I have in the last three months combined, and I think that is directly related to the arrival of Fall and the warm comforting flavors it brings with it.  But let me tell you who has totally out-baked me: my sister.  I told you before that she has fallen in love with baking, and that affair just continues to blossom as she has been baking up fantastic sweet treats almost every other day.  And now it is sort of ironic because the tables have turned - she is recommending baking recipes to me instead of the other way around!  

Plum Crumble Bars

Growing up, my grandma and grandpa lived about five blocks away from our house, and they had the best backyard.  They had a big above-ground pool with a great deck, a little sandbox with an awning, a lovely fenced in garden, and both flowering and fruit trees.  The yard wasn't big, but it was wonderful.     

Italian plums.

One of the trees they had the most beautiful pink flowers in the spring, another tree had a trunk and branches that were perfect for climbing, but one of my favorite trees was the plum tree.  It had delicate, thin branches with lush leaves, and the drops of ripening fruit were so temping.  By the time they were ready to pick, the deep purple maroon color belied the green flesh underneath at just a few spots, and the blue waxy sheen was enticing.  When they were barely ripe and tender we could pick them and eat them, but they were more tart than sweet - after a little longer, they were 'over-ripe' but definitely at their sweetest.  My grandma used to slice them up and bake them on a yeast dough as a treat for us, and it was something I looked forward to every year.       

Pale flesh of sliced red plums. 

I have tried to replicate her recipe a few times, with varied success, so in the fall I usually just send up baking plums into simple crumbles or cakes, or I use them for cooking in savory dishes.  Although Italian plums are definitely my favorite (I think it is a combination of taste and size mixed in with a little nostagia), I really love all plums including red and black ones.    

Red plums, sliced for baking into bars. 

This fall, I was tempted to do something else with with my plums - make crumble bars.  I was inspired by a peach shortbread recipe that I tried from Smitten Kitchen last summer, and though I did like it, the bars didn't have nearly enough fruit for my taste.  Not to mention, her recipe called for browning the butter, and although we can all hail queen Browned Butter, it didn't really do it for me in this recipe and just seemed like a fussy extra step.  Then this year I saw a recipe for peach crumb bars with hazelnut streusel by my friend Dara from Cookin Canuck. The amount of fruit in her bars was definitely up to my standards, but she peeled the peaches before baking (and has a great tutorial on how to do it) and I really didn't want to do that much work this time.  Plus, I love the way the skin of the fruit stains the crumble bars a deep pink color so I wanted to leave them on.

Guest Post: A Smarter Way to Make Brioche

Hey there!  I know by now you probably think I have fallen off the face of the earth, but the reality is that I have disappeared into the black whole known as "My Dissertation."  You think I'm kidding, but it's true.  I finally scheduled my Ph.D. defense for early September, so I am basically working day and night to get everything finished.  Right now, time is not something that I have, and my life has become completely consumed by science.  A sad story, I know.  But instead of cueing the world smallest violin playing the world's saddest song, I decided to bring in some friends to help me pick up the slack so that I can still bring you great recipes and beautiful food.  

Starting today through the middle of September, I will be featuring some guest posts from talented bloggers and wonderful friends.  I am thrilled that the first guest post today is from my good friend Marie, of Meandering Eats, a fellow San Diegian (and scientist!) whom I first met this year when we both attended a photography workshop by Todd and Diane of WORC.  We instantly hit it off, talking non-stop on the drive to and from LA, and we have been happily chatting ever since.  

I am really excited that Marie decided to share a recipe for brioche with you today, partially because I have never made brioche myself so I have something to learn too, but mostly because she brought me a loaf to try.  And it was amazing. Honestly, if it is possible to have bread-envy, I have it right now. Marie's brioche was so much better than any bread I have ever baked.  I told her she could bake four more loaves... and give them all to me. (Who says I have to share?)  But what I really love about this recipe is that Marie shares a smarter way to make brioche, by breaking down the recipe into easy steps that can be completed before and after a normal workday.  So you thought you needed to devote a whole weekend to making bread?  Think again.  And so, without further ado, I will leave you in the very capable hands of expert-bread maker Marie! 

__________________________________

When Amanda asked me to guest post, I jumped at the opportunity, but little did I know I’d face a case of “photographer’s block”. No matter how I photographed this brioche, it didn’t come out quite as I hoped.


Great. It was like being asked to play in the New York Philharmonic and all I could manage was a kazoo.


At the 11th hour, I finally took the images I felt would showcase this lovely brioche recipe and its incredible flexibility. That’s largely thanks to the fact that you can mold the rise times to your schedule. With a busy workweek, I was able to keep the bread rising at home, come home and bake it, then photograph.
Brioche is fantastic at any time, but it’s especially good for breakfast. Pair it with Amanda’s Summer Strawberry Preserves or splurge on a high-end brand of butter. When it begins to stale, use it for French toast. The recipe’s from Baking With Julia, one of my favorite cookbooks by Julia Child and Dorie Greenspan based on the show by the same name. There were many bakers contributing recipes to the book and this one is from Nancy Silverton of the famed La Brea Bakery and Pizzeria Mozza.

The original recipe called for a 30-45 minute rise for the sponge, a 2-hour first rise for the dough, an overnight (at least 4-6 hours) second rise after the dough was deflated from the first rise, and a final two hour rise after the nanterre (the bumpy loaf shape) was formed. And as much as I love baking bread, it can be hard to manage the timing of all of these rises. I found that the dough worked really well if, after the overnight rise, the nanterre was shaped and the loaf pan refrigerated for the day.


My game plan:


Evening: Make dough, first rise, place in the fridge overnight (needs about 3 1/2 hours, with 30 minutes of that active preparation).


Next morning: Divide dough into segments, place in loaf pan, refrigerate, go to work.


Following evening: Come home from work, take dough out, give it a final rise, and bake.


With this plan, the brioche can be made as a side for dinner or saved for breakfast the following morning.

Simple Oat and Brown Sugar Scones

I've had a lot on my mind lately.  Everyday when I open my eyes first thing in the morning, ideas start racing across my brain, rushing ahead, trying to reach the forefront first.  Sometimes it seems like I can barely remember those days of waking up in a pleasant fog, hearing the birds chirping outside. 


And yet...  Despite the whirling vortex that I sometimes am unable to calm, thoughts of good food and good times eating food always surface just above the turbulence.  Take these scones for instance.  Ever since seeing Isabelle's lovely blossom-shaped Lemon Ginger Scones, I have been dreaming of making my own.  Scones have outcompeted work, working out, and sometimes even sleep.  They have almost won out over the start of cherry season and Game of Thrones... but not quite.  (Please, I have my priorities people.)   I have made different versions of scones at least 4 times now in as many days.  You might think that sounds over the top, but when I decide to do something I do it right.      

Simple ingredients for simple scones.

At first I wanted scones with fruit in them.  As I mentioned, I am overjoyed with the start of cherry season, but I also had some lingering strawberries I needed to bake or eat before they kicked the bucket.  But then I abandoned both those ideas when I realized I would much rather eat a well-flavored non-fruit scone and slather it with fruit jam.  I wanted a simple scone, nothing fancy. 

Scone dough just after kneading together for just a minute.

Scone dough on a well-floured board.

Sweet Spring Sandwich Cookies, and Food Blogger Bake Sale

So I have been thinking about cookies a lot.  Well actually not just cookies, I have been thinking about candies, and marshmallows, and cupcakes... really all sorts of baked goods and treats.  I have had cookies on the brain because I have been brainstorming what would be the perfect cookie to have at a bake sale.  

The Food Blogger Bake Sale is a national event that was started last year by Gaby of What's Gaby Cooking to benefit Share Our Strength and their efforts to end childhood hunger.  Check out the Share our Strength website for more information on this cause, and to see how last year's bake sales across the country raised more than $1 million dollars.  


This year, the Food Blogger Bake Sale will take place on Saturday, May 14th in cities all across the country.  If you don't live in the greater San Diego area, visit Gaby's site for a list of cities and states that are hosting bake sales to find a location near you.  If you are lucky enough to live in sunny San Diego, then you can come satiate your sweet tooth and support the cause by coming to our Bake Sale!


The San Diego Food Blogger Bake Sale is organized by my lovely friend Marie of Meandering Eats, and a whole bunch of other amazing food bloggers are participating.  Due to a previously planned event, my smiling face won't be there to greet you, BUT I will be sending delicious baked goodies to the sale.  After hearing all the treats other bakers will be making, trust me - You do not want to miss this.  So here are the details: 

Date:

Saturday, May 14th 2011

Time:

10AM-2PM

Place: 

Great News! Discount Cookware and School
Pacific Plaza
1788 Garnet Avenue

San Diego, CA 92109

What to bring:

A smile!

Dollar bills - all treats will be priced on the dollar! 

Hope you can make it to the event, if you have any pertinent questions or would like to participate or donate, don't hesitate to contact me directly by email.

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter... Best-Ever Brownies?

If it is possible to hate a particular dessert, I could easily say that I loathe dry brownies.  They lure you in with the promise of chewy chocolate and a tight, dense crumb, only to leave you disappointed with a brown mass that seems to immediately fall to pieces when you bite into it.  Come on brownie, lets get a little resilience here.  Now I realize that some of you might condemn me for detesting any dessert with almighty chocolate as the main ingredient, but at the risk of prompting shouts of sacrilege, I will say it again: To me, a dry brownie is not even worth one single bite. 


Because I hold this opinion, brownies in general don't rank high on my list of favorite chocolate desserts, or high on my list of desserts in general; however, when I opened my mailbox a few months ago to find the February issue of Bon Appetit, I was immediately awestruck by the gorgeous dark chocolate brownies gracing the cover.  The visual alone set off immediate chocolate cravings, but then Bon Appetit piqued my interest even more with the huge text proclamining "BEST-EVER BROWNIES."


Wow Bon Appetit, that is a pretty bold statement to make.  

Both the delectable photo and the 'best-ever' proclamation broke down my initial brownie barriers, so it was only natural that I check out the recipe - and that was where Bon Appetit upped the ante even more.  You see, they had an entire feature section devoted to chocolate desserts penned by none other than the lovely Alice Medrich.  For those of you not familiar, Alice is an author, baker, and chocolatier that has been affectionately called 'The First Lady of Chocolate.'  Is it not appropriate then, that a recipe by her should be deemed 'Best-Ever Brownies?'  As if I wasn't convinced enough already, I scanned over the recipe and realized that these brownies were a one-pot recipe.  Done.  I was sold. 

Citrus Palmiers for Frosting for the Cause

Hi friends!  I am really excited to share with you that I am guest posting today over at Frosting for the Cause! 

For those of you not familiar with the project, Frosting for the Cause is organized by Paula of Vanilla Bean Baker, and she has brought together a group of 365 bloggers and bakers to share their recipes and their stories of how cancer has touched their lives.  As part of the project, we also pledge to donate $25 to 
the American Cancer Society to help find cures for cancers affecting women world-wide.  After the year is finished, this project will have raised an astonishing $9,125 dollars to support cancer research from the bloggers alone!!!  In addition, we will also donate our baked goods to our local women's hospice or hospital, to bring smiles to the faces of those suffering from this horrible disease.


Head on over to the Frosting for the Cause site to read about how cancer has touched my life, and about how one very brave woman inspired my decision to purse a career in medical research.  At one point or another, cancer will touch everyone's life; I hope that my story, and those shared by hundreds of other women, will raise your awareness and make you take a moment to think about donating even a small amount to help find a cure.  You can donate directly to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and keep in mind that every little bit counts.  

The recipe I chose to share for my guest post is a classic French palmier, brightened up with happy notes of citrus.  This recipe is extremely easy to make, and it produces beautiful heart shaped cookies that are sure to bring a smile to the face of anyone who eats one.  I am sharing the recipe here, but please don't forget to read the whole post (and see more photos!) over on the Frosting for the Cause site.  

Thanks for your support!

Swedish Cinnamon Butterhorns (Kanelbullar)

Doesn't this look like the perfect weekend breakfast?  Warm cinnamon and sugar rolls, straight out of the oven, a little bit of sweet fruit, and a warm cup of coffee... All enjoyed while relaxing in your pajamas with the morning paper or your favorite magazine.  Yes, that is my idea of a perfect weekend breakfast.  Of course, I would like these butterhorns any day for breakfast, but I find the weekends allow for the time needed to savor a simple European sweet bread such as this. 

Swedish Cinnamon Butterhorns, or Kanelbullar, are the Scandinavian equivalent of the American cinnamon roll.  Translated, Kanelbullar literally means cinnamon (kanel) bun (bullar or bulle), and it is an appropriate name since these are delicately spiced with cinnamon and less sweet than their American cousins.  These breads can be shaped in a spiral like a traditional cinnamon roll, or in a crescent like the ones I have here.  While almost all American cinnamon rolls are topped with a sticky sweet glaze, Kanelbullar can stand on its own or it can be dressed up with a little powdered sugar or a traditional glaze.

I first made these rolls almost four years ago now, when I decided that I would impress my Norwegian boyfriend with my baking prowess.  (Not that I had a lot of baking prowess four years ago, I think I was blinded by love.)  He was returning home from a summer trip to Norway, and I wanted to surprise him with something I knew he would appreciate so I headed to the library and checked out The Great Scandinavian Baking Book.  I figured if an authentic recipe was to be had, I would find it there.  

Of course, when I paged through the cookbook, the problem ended up being that I found too many great recipes and had trouble choosing!  I finally landed on these Kanelbullar which seemed easy to make and didn't have any bells or whistles to trip me up.  I got it right on the first try, and when my boyfriend arrived from the airport he promptly ate four of them.  I suppose that means they got the seal of approval.

Blood Orange and Pomegranate Cupcakes

Life has been busy these days.  Between getting sick, entertaining visiting friends, and working long hours to prepare for a big presentation at work, I feel like February has flown by.  Winter is quickly coming to a close and spring is right around the corner.  But, winter isn't over yet, and that means that here in San Diego, beautiful citrus is still plentiful.   

At the markets, local farmers are still sharing sweet Cara Cara oranges, large Ruby Red and Oro Blanco grapefruits, and popular Meyer Lemons.   But it's the tart Blood Oranges that I really can't resist.  

From the outside, blood oranges look just like any other orange.  You might be lucky enough to spy an blood orange by a slight blush on the rind, but not always.  Usually the dimpled skin the color of late-afternoon sun belies the crimson flesh that is characteristic of this citrus.  I am powerless to resist the hidden beauty of the blood orange, so when I decided to create a cupcake for the POM Wonderful cupcake contest, there was no question that I wanted to work blood oranges into  my recipe.  

Best Italian Flatbread

Sometimes I get annoyed when people say they made the BEST chocolate cake or the BEST short ribs or even the BEST soup.  Soup?  Seriously people?  There are so many small nuances in most recipes (especially soup) that no two people will ever make it the same way twice.  Take bread for instance.  Even precisely measured flour, exact rising times, and a perfectly calibrated oven will not ensure my Best Italian Flatbread is the BEST for you.  Everyone cooks differently and personally, and especially with bread you have to feel the dough in a very personal way (and no I am not trying to dirty here).   Yet, all these things considered, I am willing to go out a limb for this bread and say it is the best for me and I hope it will be the best for you.


Let me tell you why.  

1.) A few simple ingredients combine in a way that is so much more than the sum of their parts.  And when I say 'simple' ingredients, I am really not kidding: flour, salt, italian herbs, and olive oil.  And of course, yeast.  With the exception of yeast, I am quite certain you already have these ingredients in your pantry.  (At least I hope you do.)  

Bacon and Blue Cheese Cake

So after talking about cooking for family in my last post, I thought I would share a recipe that I made for a recent early morning birthday party where there were lots of young families.  My good friend Ana's daughter Karolina just turned two years old (yesterday actually!) and we celebrated her birthday at the park this past Sunday.  The skies were a beautiful blue, and the weather was perfect for all the little ones to run around and play while the adults sampled a fantastic spread of brunch-type foods, including chocolate filled crescent rolls, ham and spinach quiche, blueberry scones, and this bacon and blue cheese cake.  


If you were worried, this "cake" was not the one meant for the birthday girl.  I hope it is clear that this cake is squarely planted in the realm of adult-food, and not exactly the type of fare that a two-year old wants to dig her cute, chubby little fingers into.  (And for those curious minds out there, I'll tell you that the actual birthday cake was really awesome; it was rich chocolate cake with blue frosting and a Nemo-esque underwater scene made with gummy fish, sharks, and octopus.  Little Karolina was fearless as she reached right in and grabbed the octopus by the tentacles and devoured it.  I'd like to think that if someone made me a cake like that, I would do the same.)        


This cake is definitely adult-food because it has all these ingredients here: 

  
Oh no, your eyes are not deceiving you.  This cake has eggs, flour, blue cheese, parmesan cheese, green onions, and bacon.  BACON.  I know that as you read through this little list you got pretty excited, but I probably could have just told you that it had bacon and you would have been sold.  I can say that I definitely was, because ever since reading The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz, I have been looking for an excuse to make this cake.  Lucky for me Karolina's early morning birthday party provided me with the perfect opportunity.