Devil Foods Birthday Cake

Compost cookie

Never had the real ones at Momofuku Milk bar but no matter beacause these are amazing.

Peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, potato chips, pretzels....

a very sticky dough is mounded into largish rounds that need to be refrigerated a few hours...

truly delicious, almost toffee-flavored cookies. they were very sweet and i'm wondering if i reduce some of the sugar whether i'd be able to retain the chewyness. It was a tablespoon of corn syrup which i assume contributes to the chewy texture.

Christina Tosi's Compost Cookies

1 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Corn Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1 3/4 cups AP Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/2 cups Your favorite baking ingredients
(Kelly used mini chocolate chips, raisinettes, rollos & cocoa krispies)
1 1/2 cups Your favorite snack foods (chips, pretzels, etc)
(Kelly used goldfish, ritz, & fritos)

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars and corn syrup on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

On a lower speed, add eggs and vanilla to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time the sugar granules will fully dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and your creamed mixture will double in size.

When time is up, on a lower speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix 45-60 sec just until your dough comes together and all remnants of dry ingredients have incorporated. Do not walk away from your mixer during this time or you will risk over mixing the dough. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

On same low speed, add in the hodgepodge of your favorite baking ingredients and mix for 30-45 sec until they evenly mix into the dough. Add in your favorite snack foods last, paddling again on low speed until they are just incorporated.

Using a 6oz ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined sheetpan.

Wrap scooped cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 1 week. DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.

Heat the conventional oven to 400F. (350F in a convection oven)

When the oven reads 400F, arrange your chilled cookie dough balls on a parchment or silpat-lined sheetpan a minimum of 4" apart in any direction.

Bake 9-11 min. While in the oven, the cookies will puff, crackle and spread.

At 9 min the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown towards the center. Leave the cookies in the oven for the additional minutes if these colors don't match up and your cookies stills seem pale and doughy on the surface.

Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan before transferring to a plate or an airtight container or tin for storage. At room temp, cookies will keep fresh 5 days. In the freezer, cookies will keep fresh 1 month.

Yield: 15 6oz cookies

One-pot chicken and rice

1/2 c chopped shallots
3-4 cloves garlic chopped
8 dried mushroom rehydrated and sliced
3/4 lb chicken thighs, cut into 1/2 in pieces
1 1/2 c long grain brown rice, washed

2 c chicken stock (or combination with mushroom soaking liquid)
3 T soy sauce
2 T oyster sauce
1 t sesame oil
pepper
sliced scallions

heat dutch oven with oil. stir fry shallots and garlic until fragrant. Add chicken and mushrooms and cook until rawness of the chicken disappears. add liquid mixture and bring to a boil. stir in rice. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 45 minutes. Take off heat and add scallions. Rest for 10 minutes. mix up mixture.

Black Bean and Espresso Chili

from epicurious
1/2 cup olive oil
5 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup instant espresso powder
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup dried oregano leaves
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/3 cup honey
6 large garlic cloves, minced
7 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
2 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or chili powder
Large pinch of ground cinnamon


Assorted toppings: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, shredded cheese, sliced jalapeños, and shaved bittersweet chocolate

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Mix in espresso powder, 1/4 cup chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook 1 minute. Mix in tomatoes, honey, and garlic. Bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Add beans, 2 cups water, salt, chipotle chili powder, and cinnamon. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until mixture thickens slightly, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Season with salt. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before serving.)

Place toppings in individual condiment bowls. Ladle chili into bowl and serve toppings alongside.

 

Apple cider vinegar english muffins - Take two

This is a combination of the Peter Reinhart english muffin recipe and the apple cider vinegar recipe i found on Foodbeam. the technique is from the Reinhart recipe and the ingredients from Foodbeam.

 

I made sure to divide the dough into 12 portions which turned out perfect sized muffins. 

After grilling them on a pan for 4-5 minutes per side (6 rolls at a time), i put them in a 350 oven for 10 minutes to finish baking the interior. the timing worked perfectly; while the first batch was in the oven, i grilled the second batch (total 10 minutes)

Let rest....

I liked this recipe better than the PR which turned out more like a bun with tight texture. as you can see above, there are relatively large grooves and crags. the flavor was tangy, chewy. i'm still trying to get spongier, chewier, groovy muffin while using whole wheat. Next up i'll try the KA recipe. 

The night before:
2 T unsalted butter, softened
1 T apple cider vinegar
100g live yogurt
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tsp salt
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.

Add:
375g flour (whole wheat and ap flour)
2tsp easy-blend yeast
100g warm water (1/2 c)

Combine water and yeast and let rest 10 minutes. Add flour and yeast mixture to the wet ingredients. knead with dough hook for 8 minutes. The dough should be tacky, not sticky. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

Ferment at room temp 8-12 hours. Or refrigerate overnight after proofing 1-2 hours.

Wipe the counter with a damp cloth and transfer the dough to the counter.  Roll into a log and divide into 12. Roll into balls allow to proof for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven 350. Place a heavy-bottomed frying pan onto moderate heat spray with oil, then slide the muffins into the pan. Cook for 3 minutes then flip over and cook for a further 4 minutes. The dough will flatten in the pan and spread slightly, then the pieces will puff somewhat. The bottoms should be a rich golden brown; they will brown quickly but will not burn for awhile, so resist the temptation to turn them prematurely or they will fall when you flip them over. transfer the pieces to a sheet pan and place the pan in the oven (don’t wait for the still uncooked pieces, or the ones just out of the pan will cool down and will not respond to the oven stage). Bake for 5 to 8 minutes on the middle shelf in the oven to ensure that the center is baked. Meanwhile, return to the uncooked pieces and cook them, then bake them, as you did the first round.Transfer to a wire rack and get on with the remaining discs of dough.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake -- Two ways

both cakes are based on a basic sour cream coffee cake recipe from Martha Stewart. the first one follows the recipe to the T (except I reduced the sugar to 2/3 c). I ended up just using around half of the filling recipe and since I had about a cup of sour cream left, i decided to make another cake but using oil instead of butter.

i love sour cream cakes; they always produce the most tender, moist cakes. for the oil-based cake, i also substituted a third of the flour for whole wheat white flour.


FOR THE FILLING (halve recipe)
3 tablespoons sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
4 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
FOR THE BATTER
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the filling: Stir together sugar, coffee, and cocoa powder in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Butter a 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt (loaf) pan. Dust with flour, and tap out excess. Make the batter: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with sour cream. Add vanilla, and mix 1 minute.
3. Spread 1/3 of the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with half the filling. Spread another third of the batter on top, followed by the remaining filling. Spread remaining batter over top. Run a thin knife through batter to marbleize.
4. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 38 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes. Invert onto a plate.

Charles Pham Caramel Chicken

Chicken in Caramel Sauce
adapted from SF Gate

Serves 4 to 6
The inspiration for this dish that Charles Phan serves at his Slanted Door restaurant in San Francisco came from a street cart in Vietnam. It's a good example of the great food that is served from street stands throughout that country.

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce (see Note)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dark or regular soy sauce (double/triple)
1 teaspoon slivered ginger (double/triple)1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 small Thai chiles (fresh or dried), broken in half
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 shallot, sliced (double/triple)
1 3/4 pounds skinless, boneless dark-meat chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 pound skinless, boneless white-meat chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
Steamed white rice
Cilantro sprigs for garnish

Combine the brown sugar, water, fish sauce, vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, pepper and chiles in a small bowl. Mix well, and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the shallot and saute until brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken and saute until it is slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half, about 12 to 20 minutes depending on the pot size. Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.
Note: Fish sauce is available in Asian markets and upscale supermarkets.
Per serving: 400 calories, 41 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat (4 g saturated), 131 mg cholesterol, 903 mg sodium, 0 fiber
The secrets: The interplay between the fish sauce and brown sugar creates a complex flavor. The combination of white and dark meat gives interesting texture to the dish.

Whole Wheat English Muffins

English muffins are some of the best stuff to eat. they're perfect for breakfast with a thick layer of PB&J or the perfect compliment for egg whatever way. They're also perfect to have for tuna melts (or more recently sardine and avocado salads) for simple, fast dinners.
I've tried making english muffins before but don't think i was all that happy with the results. So i helplessly have been getting the "Wheat English Muffins" from Whole Foods for all these years. week after week. If there was a recipe to master to save $, this would be it.


after the first rise
These turned out really well and i think with some practice it'll be a keeper. It didn't produce the crags and holes of storebought. I'm going to experiment with a "no-knead"-style dough (with higher hydration and fermentation) or I wonder if using buttermilk instead of the milk (option given in the recipe) would create bigger holes. i substituted half the flour with white whole wheat. These produced huge muffins so next time i'll divide them into 8.
English Muffins
(From The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart)
Makes 6 English muffins -- (these were huge. make 8 muffins next time)

2¼ cups (10 ounces) unbleached bread flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
½ tablespoon (.25 ounce) granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon (.19 ounce) salt
1¼ teaspoons (.14 ounce) instant yeast
1 tablespoon (.5 ounce) shortening or unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ to 1 cup (6 to 8 ounces) milk or buttermilk, at room temperature
Cornmeal for dusting
1. Stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Stir in (or mix in on low speed with the paddle attachment) the shortening and ¾ cup milk until the ingredients form a ball. If there is still loose flour in the bowl, dribble in some of the remaining ¼ cup milk. The dough should be soft and pliable, not stiff.
2. Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mixing on medium speed with the dough hook). Knead the dough for about 10 minutes (or mix for about 8 minutes), sprinkling in more flour if needed to make a tacky, but not sticky, dough. It should pass the windowpane test and register 77° to 81° degrees F. Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
3. Ferment at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size.
4. Wipe the counter with a damp cloth and transfer the dough to the counter. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces of 3 ounces each. Shape the pieces into boules (or round rolls). Line a sheet pan with baking parchment, mist the parchment lightly with spray oil, and dust with cornmeal. Transfer the balls of dough to the sheet pan, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Mist them lightly with spray oil, sprinkle them loosely with cornmeal, and cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap or a towel.
5. Proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the pieces nearly double in size and swell both up and out.
6. Heat a skillet or flat griddle to medium (350°F if you have a thermometer setting). Also, preheat the oven to 350°F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.
7. Brush the pan or griddle with vegetable oil or mist with spray oil. Uncover the muffin rounds and gently transfer them to the pan, sliding a metal spatula under them and lifting them to the pan. Fill the pan so that the pieces are at least 1 inch apart, not touching. Cover the pieces still on the sheet pan with the plastic wrap or a towel to prevent them from developing a skin. The dough that is being cooked will flatten in the pan and spread slightly, then the pieces will puff somewhat. Cook them for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the bottom of the dough cannot cook any longer without burning. The bottoms should be a rich golden brown; they will brown quickly but will not burn for awhile, so resist the temptation to turn them prematurely or they will fall when you flip them over. Carefully flip the pieces over with the metal spatula and cook on the other side for 5 to 8 minutes in the same manner. Both sides will now be flat. When the dough seems as if it cannot endure any further cooking without burning, transfer the pieces to a sheet pan and place the pan in the oven (don’t wait for the still uncooked pieces, or the ones just out of the pan will cool down and will not respond to the oven stage). Bake for 5 to 8 minutes on the middle shelf in the oven to ensure that the center is baked. Meanwhile, return to the uncooked pieces and cook them, then bake them, as you did the first round.
8. Transfer the baked muffins to a cooling rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing or serving.

Baked Ziti with Spinach and Tomatoes

i hadn't made a baked pasta/casserole dish in ages so after four straight day of pounding snow, i figured it was now or never. this recipe (from epicurious) was quite good and is a keeper, but more for the simplicity and ease in making it. the ingredient list is really short so high quality products are essential (especially the moz and parmesan) as every component stands out. this is an easy, hearty, user-friendly, adaptable recipe for a crowd-pleasing dish.

what would i do differently next time?

- up the sausage (1 pound)
- mix the spinach in to the sauce to wilt it a bit and incorporate it better
- the sauce was good, but next time maybe i'll use a more concentrated tomato sauce



Baked Ziti with Spinach and Tomatoes
adapted from epicurious

3/4 pound hot Italian sausages, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup purchased pesto sauce
10 ounces ziti or penne pasta (about 3 cups), freshly cooked
8 cups ready-to-use spinach leaves (about 2/3 of 10-ounce package)
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

Heat heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until sausage is cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in pesto. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over. Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes.

Hamantaschen

I've always been enamored with hamantaschen ever since my days of spending countless hours at the Hungarian Coffee House in Morningside Heights. it always seemed like the perfect foil to bitter, dark coffee. crumbly, rich, but not too sweet cookie combines perfectly with gooey apricot or raspberry fillings with crunchy seeds. Purim being around the corner, it was the perfect time to make my yearly batch.

This recipe is on the lean side. i was interested in trying it because it used oil instead of butter. I can't say it's my favorite, but it definitely has its place, more of a clean-tasting, neutral cookie, has the taste and consistency of animal crackers. i used raspberry jam for the filling.a very forgiving dough that rolls easily cold can be rerolled like a charm. remember to pinch the corners of the triangle because these guys rise.

I have no idea which is more traditional, these oil-based one or something like the Maida Hatter cookies i made last year. In any case, these were good, easy and simple.

Hamantaschen
adapted from LA Times

Servings: About 3 dozen
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar (i used 2/3 c)
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Cognac or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups (13.8 ounces) unbleached flour, plus additional for rolling out
About 1/2 cup Nutella (about 1/2 c raspberry jam)

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat eggs until lemon-colored. Beat in sugar, oil and Cognac. Gradually stir in the baking powder and flour, mixing on low speed until a soft dough is formed. Add an additional tablespoon or two of flour if necessary.

2. Using a rubber spatula, transfer the dough to a large piece of waxed or parchment paper and form it into a fat cylinder shape. Close up the corners and chill until firm, at least 2 to 3 hours (can be chilled overnight).

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees, and line 2 to 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

4. Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Put 1 section on a lightly floured surface, and chill the others. Knead lightly just until the dough is smooth enough to roll out. Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll out the dough to a scant one-fourth-inch thick.

5. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or a glass with a thin rim, cut rounds, and place them on the prepared cookie sheets. Place a rounded half-teaspoon of Nutella in the center of each. Pinch the sides together to form a triangle, leaving the filling exposed in the center. Pick up scraps and form another ball. Repeat until all dough is used.

6. Transfer to the prepared cookie sheet, spacing the cookies about an inch apart on the sheet and bake until just lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Each cookie: 106 calories; 2 grams protein; 15 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 12 mg. cholesterol; 6 grams sugar; 33 mg. sodium.

Roast Chicken with Winter Vegetables

Chicken and ginger simmered in caramel sauce (ga kho gung)

Chicken and ginger simmered in caramel sauce
adapted from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen -- Andrea Nguyen
1 2/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, well trimmed and cut into 1 in chunks
Chubby 2 in piece fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
3 T caramel sauce
2 T fish sauce
1/4 t salt

1. In a small saucepan, combine the chicken, ginger, caramel sauce, fish sauce, salt, and water and stir to distribute everything evenly. Cover and bring to a strong simmer over medium heat. Stir again to break up the chicken pieces and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Fragrant plumes of steam will shoot from under the lid and the content will boil vigorously. The sauce will increase in volume as the chicken releases its juices. If the content threaten to boil over or the lid rattles, lower the heat.

2. After the 10 minutes, uncover and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce reduces and the color deapens to a rich reddish brown. Remove from the heat, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

3. Taste the sauce and adjust the flavor with extra fish sauce, if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with scallion, and serve immediately.

Almond olive oil cake

i love olive oil cakes. they're easy to prepare, no advanced planning, but result in a great homey cake cake with great grassy/fruity flavor and texture. a perfect tea/breakfast cake. the "glaze" turned out to be more of a frosting since i didn't add enough milk / lemon juice to thin out the consistency. but can't say that detracted from the results. crackly, crunch top gave it another textural dimension.

this is a definitely a favorite. nothing fancy but just plain awesome.

Torta di Mandorla (Moist Almond Cake)

adapted from Gina DePalma via Serious Eats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup blanched or natural almond flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Grated zest of 1 medium lemon or 1/4 a medium orange

1/2 cup orange juice

For the Glaze:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

3 tablespoons whole milk

A few drops of fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced, blanched almonds, toasted and cooled

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt to thoroughly combine them and set aside.
3. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk them lightly to break up the yolks. Add the sugar to the bowl and whisk it in thoroughly in both directions for about 30 seconds. Add the olive oil and whisk until the mixture is a bit lighter in color and has thickened slightly, about 45 seconds. Whisk in the extracts and zest, followed by the orange juice.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk until they are thoroughly combined; continue whisking until you have a smooth, emulsified batter, about 30 more seconds.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake the cake for 30 to 45 minutes, rotating the cake pan halfway through the cooking time to ensure even browning. The cake is done when it has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan, springs back lightly when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Allow the cake to cool for ten minutes in the pan, then gently remove it from the pan and allow it cool completely on a rack.
7. While the cake cools, make the glaze. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small, heavy saucepan. When the bubbles subside, lower the heat and watch the butter carefully, swirling it in the pan occasionally to distribute the heat. When the butter begins to turn a light tan color and smells slightly nutty, turn off the heat and let the butter sit. It will continue to darken as it sits.
8. While the butter cools, sift the confectioner's sugar into a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk until completely smooth but thick, then slowly whisk in the butter. Taste the glaze and add a few drops of lemon juice to balance the sweetness. Stir in the toasted almonds. Spread the almonds and glaze onto the top and sides of the cake and let it sit until set and dry.

Mapa Tofu

my favorite mapa tofu made with beef and kochu jang.