Archives for posts with tag: baked goods

Easy Buttermilk Biscuits with Cinnamon Butter…

December 10, 2011 //
0

After making that cake yesterday, I had a ton of buttermilk left. What in the hell do you do with buttermilk? Soooo, I decided to try my hand at making biscuits this morning. Even though I had a mad hangover, they were actually pretty easy and came out alright for my first time. I did learn a few lessons, however… it is very important to keep the board and the dough floured as it can be sticky, the colder the butter the better so they don’t get sticky, and when baking them they are supposed to touch….which I did not do. All in all, they were pretty tasty and Mike seemed to really enjoy them. Next time, I want to try and add in other ingredients like jalapenos and cheddar! With a bit more practice, I think I can master this and make it a weekend breakfast tradition.

Easy Buttermilk Biscuits:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons ice cold butter
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk

Cinnamon Butter:

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 8 tablespoons butter, softened

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Cut  butter for biscuits into tiny chunks and put in the freezer so it stays cool.

In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until it looks like coarse sand. Add the buttermilk and continue to cut the dough together.

Turn out onto a floured surface and gently bring together. Gently press the dough into a rectangle until it is between 1/2 and 3/4-inch thick. Use a round cutter (I just used a mason jar) that has been floured to cut the biscuits.

Place in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. Remove biscuits from freezer and place on a prepared baking sheet so they are touching each other. Bake for 20 minutes.

While baking, prepare the cinnamon butter. Just mixed softened butter with above ingredients, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.

When golden brown, remove biscuits from the oven and serve with cinnamon butter.

Tags , , , , ,
Categories appetizer, baked goods, breakfast, food and recipes, side dish, vegetarian

Not So Vegan Lemon Blueberry Loaf…

October 22, 2011 //
0

Today our baby Luna is losing her womanhood. Mike took her to the vet this morning to get spayed. It makes me so sad to leave her in a strange place. He said she was crying and shaking when he left her:( Poor baby. The Pasadena ASPCA spays and microchips rescued pit and pit mixes for free! It is such a good program and all the more reason to adopt one of the million abandoned pit bull puppies in the LA area. We have been on the waiting list for a long time, but finally today is her day. She will be so happy to be able to play with the big dogs at the dog park.

Like it was the 50′s or something, Mike came home and asked what was for breakfast. Being the sucker that I am, I baked him this loaf of blueberry goodness with a recipe that I had played around with from the Joy of Baking. The best part about this bread is the lemon glaze…. Sooo good! This was way better than the vegan pumpkin bread  from the other night. We pick Luna up at 4 today, so send our baby good energy for a speedy recovery!

Lemon Blueberry Loaf:

Makes 1 loaf.

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup milk or half and half
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries (can use frozen if needed)

Lemon Glaze:

  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) the bottom and sides of a loaf pan.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of your mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until softened (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and milk (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the 1/4 cup (50 grams) of sugar and the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 30 minutes then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Pierce the hot loaf all over with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then drizzle the top of the loaf with the hot lemon glaze.This bread is best served right away while it is still warm.

Tags , , , , , , ,
Categories breakfast, dessert, food and recipes, fruit, vegetarian

Moist Vegan Pumpkin Bread…

October 17, 2011 //
0

Because I know you all love the word moist…

I went to TJs on my lunch break and everything featured was fall and pumpkin related (my favorite time of year). I originally went in for some vegetable stock and some cheese for a risotto I planned on making tonight, but was a sucka and walked out with a can of pumpkin. When I started gathering my ingredients this afternoon, I had originally intended to make a run of the mill pumpkin bread using my usual recipe for banana bread but substituting pumpkin for the banana. As I was putting the dry ingredients together, I changed my mind and decided to attempt a vegan version. I love vegan baked goods. They always taste a bit richer. This one has no eggs, no butter, no milk… it is all vegetarian, no dairy, and you definitely cannot tell the difference (ok, well maybe a little). Next time I will cut out some of the calories by cutting the oil amount in half and substituting in some applesauce. This turned out so yummy and made the house smell like a dream!

Vegan Pumpkin Bread…

  •  1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one large loaf pan. Toast walnuts. In mixer combine sugars, oil, pumpkin, vanilla, and coconut milk.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon.

Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until all of the flour mixture is gone. Fold in the nuts.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cover with foil tightly. Allow to steam for 10 minutes. Remove foil and turn out onto a cooling rack. Tent lightly with the foil and allow to cool completely. Slice, top with a bit of powdered sugar, and enjoy. This is gonna be so good for breakfast with coffee.

Tags , , , , , ,
Categories breakfast, dessert, food and recipes, vegan, vegetarian

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal…

October 9, 2011 //
0

Yesterday Mike wanted me to make oatmeal for breakfast, but honestly, I was way too hungover from a fun night of celebrating the LA Weekly’s “Best Of” issue and dancing at the neighborhood gay club. A breakfast burrito from Tacos Delta was more in order for me yesterday, so today I thought I would surprise him with this recipe when he woke up this morning. Mike is one to like sweet things for breakfast and I am more of a savory gal. This morning I put this together based on what we had laying around the house and combining a few different recipes I found on the internet. Besides the brown sugar and butter aspect of this dish, we were able to get in some ingredients that were really good for us… blueberries, oats, almonds, and coconut milk make for a power meal. Next time I will use agave to cut out some of the sugar, but unfortunately this time we did not have any. You could also substitute the butter with grape seed oil for a healthier alternative. Its totes easy, delish, and it makes your house smell delightful. Here is what you need:

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal…

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/4- 1/2 cup brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 cup vanilla coconut milk (I used Silk brand) plus more for serving
  • 2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl mix together oats with the rest of the dry ingredients. Add the vanilla, blueberries, butter, coconut milk, and eggs. Mix well ensuring ingredients are well incorporated.

Pour ingredients into a 9×13 baking dish and bake for 40-50 minutes or until top is browned. Cut into squares and serve with a bit more coconut milk. Yummy!

Tags , , , , , ,
Categories breakfast, dessert, food and recipes, fruit, side dish, vegetarian

Blackberry, Nectarine, and Thyme Crostata…

September 14, 2011 //
2

Luna and I had a long morning hiking and playing at the park. She took a nap, and I went to pick up our printed “save the dates” and got some goodies at the farmers market. Of course, there are peaches and nectarines everywhere, so I brought home a big ol’ bag of them. I was inspired by a recipe from Bon Appetit, but they made their “crostata” with a cornmeal crust and did not add lemon or thyme. You all know I don’t like to bake, so I bought a package of store bought pie crusts on my way home. The only other times I have used store bought pie crusts were for making a quiche. It is dangerous now that I know how easy using these are as I love pie and any dessert resembling a pie. The other reason I do not like to bake often is because then I would be tempted to eat the end product! You better believe I am gonna finish every last crumb of these babies. They turned out dee-lish!

Blackberry, Nectarine, and Thyme Crostata

This recipe makes 2 tarts…

  • 2 store bought 9″ pie crusts
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 6 medium nectarines, each pitted and cut into slices
  • 1 1/2-pints blackberries
  • zest of 1 lemon and juice of 1/2 of it
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (plus one teaspoon for whipped cream)
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)
  • 2 tablespoons raw sugar crystals
  • 2 tablespoons peach, fig, or whatever preserves you like
  • 2 cups whipping cream

For the crusts:

In the original recipe, you are supposed to roll the room temperature crusts out to 14 inches and place on a rimless baking sheet lined with parchment paper, but I just sprayed two tart pans with cooking spray and laid the crusts into the pans. Place crusts back into the fridge while you put together the filling. 

For the filling:

Place berries and sliced nectarines into a bowl. Stir in sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla being careful not to smash the berries. Let stand until juices are released, stirring fruit occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Transfer baking sheet with dough to work surface. Let stand 8 minutes to allow dough to soften slightly if too firm to fold.

Arrange fruit in evenly in the center of both crusts. Sprinkle with thyme. Brush 2-inch border of dough with egg glaze. Lift about 2 inches of dough border and pinch to form vertical seam. Continue around tart, pinching seam every 2 inches to form standing border. Fold border down over fruit. Brush folded border with egg glaze; sprinkle with raw sugar.

Place tarts in the oven. Bake until crust is golden brown and fruit filling is bubbling at edges, about 55 minutes. While tarts are baking, whip cream with vanilla until it forms stiff peaks.

Remove tarts from oven; slide large metal spatula under tart to loosen from parchment or pan. Brush fruit with preserves. Slide tart onto rack. Cool 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream and more thyme leaves.

Tags , , , ,
Categories breakfast, dessert, food and recipes, fruit, vegetarian

Paula’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake…

September 4, 2011 //
0


Baking is just not my thing. I def don’t enjoy it like I do cooking. It is the precise measurements that drive me nuts. Since it is Mike’s birthday, and this is one of his favorites, I decided to give the old Pineapple Upside Down Cake a shot for his little get together. This is a recipe that I pulled from the one and only Paula Dean y’all, so you know this sucker is gonna be good. Yeah, this cake has a stick and a half of butter in it… what!?!

This was actually easier than it looks. The only thing that I had trouble with was the smoke alarm. I thought the fire department was going to come. The butter and sugar overflowed from the pans into the oven. Man, burnt sugar can really cause a raucous. I was worried that this just wasn’t going to turn out but besides almost smoking out my dog and burning down the house, it came out just perfect. So ensure you set the cake pans on cookie sheets or foil to avoid what happened to me. Here is what you need:

Pineapple Upside Down Cake:

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 3 cups cake flour, plus more for pan
  • 1 cup butter, softened, plus 1/2 cup, melted
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups whole buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
  • 2 (20-ounce) cans pineapple slices in juice, drained well (reserve 2 tablespoons juice for frosting)
  • 1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained well
  • 2 tbsp. myers rum
  • Pineapple Buttercream Frosting, recipe follows
  • Chopped pecans, for garnish, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and coat with flour.

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating until fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and set aside.

In a small bowl, add the 3 cups of flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Divide the brown sugar evenly into each pan. Pour the melted butter equally over the brown sugar. Arrange the pineapple slices and cherries over the brown sugar. Reserve remaining pineapple slices and cherries for another use.

Pour equal amounts of batter over the fruit and bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto wire racks or plates to cool completely.

Carefully remove the pan. I was shocked at how easy it slid out. Because of the burning sugar incident, I was a little scared to see what lurked beneath the cake! Once semi cooled, poor 1 tbsp. of myers rum over each cake and let it soak in.

To assemble the cake, carefully arrange 1 cake layer, pineapple side up, on a cake plate. Carefully stack the remaining cake layer, pineapple side up, over the first layer. Make the pineapple buttercream frosting.

Pineapple Buttercream Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons reserved pineapple juice
  • 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Add butter, sugar, and juice to the bowl. Beat all the ingredients until well combined. I added a touch more pineapple juice for a more intense flavor.

Place wax paper underneath the cake in order to keep the cake plate clean. Frost the sides of the cake with Pineapple Buttercream Frosting. Press chopped pecans into sides of cake, if desired. Because Mike loves coconut so much, I toasted some and added in with the pecans.

When finished, remove wax paper. Ok, so maybe I can bake. I think this cake came out very pretty and it will go nicely with the coconut ice cream my pal Mitch made! Hope he likes it! Happy Birthday to my boo!!!

Tags , , , ,
Categories dessert, food and recipes, fruit, vegetarian

Island Menu | Buttermilk Doughnuts made with Callington Mill Flour

August 14, 2011 //
0

Island Menu | Buttermilk Doughnuts made with Callington Mill Flour.  I love this blog and this recipe looks so delicious. Wish I was into baking more!

Tags , , , , ,
Categories breakfast, dessert, food and recipes, lifestyle

Summer Fruit Crisp…

August 13, 2011 //
0

I love to make a good fruit crisp in the summer time and it happens to be one of Mike’s favorites. There are so many delicious fruits to choose from at the markets right now. Here we used a mixture of nectarines and various berries but you can used whatever looks fresh that day. You can serve with either a scoop of your favorite ice cream or homemade whipped cream. Here is what you need:

Summer Fruit Crisp:

Topping…

  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • a pinch of salt
  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter

Filling…

  • 5 ripe nectarines, pitted and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh mixed berries cleaned and sliced
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp. unbleached flour
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp. rum or vanilla

For the Topping

Preheat oven to 375 F. Toast the almonds until you start to smell them and are slightly more brown. Chop the almonds to a medium to fine consistency. Combine the flour, the sugars, the salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the chilled butter in pieces and mix with your fingers to right consistency. Add the nuts and mix until the flour mixture holds together. Put aside. (The topping can be prepared up to a week in advance and refrigerated).

For the Crisp

Mix the fruit in a medium-sized bowl and then add the sugar, lemon, and rum. Taste and adjust for sweetness. No need to make it too sweet as the fruit is sweet enough. Dust the flour over the mixture and stir gently. Add topping to top of the fruit. Lightly pack it down.

Place a cookie sheet on the middle rack of the oven (to catch any overflow juices) and put the crisp dish on top. Bake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the fruit juices are thickened and bubbling.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. 

Tags , , , , ,
Categories breakfast, dessert, food and recipes, fruit, side dish, vegetarian

Baked Eggs and Avocado Toast…

August 7, 2011 //
0

One thing that I look forward to most on the weekends is cooking a delicious breakfast. We love to hang out on the back deck, enjoy the morning light, drink coffee, and just enjoy each other along with some good food (in our PJs of course). I was inspired by a breakfast I had recently at Cafe Gitane in the Jane Hotel in the meatpacking district in NYC. They served this delicious avocado toast just on wheat bread and sprinkled it with crushed red pepper and lemon juice. It was so simple and delicious. Mike and I mash up avocados often for toast, but have never thought to really spice it up and serve as a main event. At Gitane, I also ordered baked eggs that were covered in basil, a tomato sauce, and some delicous Italian sausages. I have never really baked eggs before, so thought I would give it a try. I did not have sausages or a tomato sauce laying around the house, so I took the idea and improvised. We did more of a mediterranean style version.

Avocado Toast for Two:

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1 large jalapeno seeded and chopped
  • Juice of 1 lemon or lime
  • bit of grated onion
  • bit of minced garlic
  • sliced cherry tomatoes
  • pinch of salt
  • toasted bread of your choice (we toasted up a nice baguette and it was delicious)

Just mash the avocados with jalapeno, citrus juice, onion, and garlic. Spread on toast and top with cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with a bit of salt. YUUUMMM!!!

Mediterranean Baked Eggs:

  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 6-8 eggs (depending on how many you are cooking for and how large your baking pan is)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • about 1/4 cup feta cheese or to your liking…i say bring on the cheese!
  • a handful of kalmata olives pitted and sliced
  • a handful of basil torn
  • a sprig of fresh oregano
  • 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half and or one half of a sauteed sliced red pepper for color and flavor
  • salt and pepper
  • crushed red pepper flakes

Start by buttering a baking dish. (It would be cuter to do this as individual servings in ramekins for a brunch, but it was too much trouble for me to dig them out at the time). Drop in the eggs one by one next to each other being careful not to break the yokes. Drizzle cream over the eggs and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Top the eggs with feta, olives, basil, oregano, and tomatoes or peppers. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until the yokes are done to your liking. This is quick and can be done in around 15-30 minutes. In my opinion, they are better soft to medium so you have some yummy yoke to dunk your toast into! You can really do this with any ingredients you have around the house. It is so easy and makes for a great presentation. Imagine placing this in the center of the table and having your pals go at it with a bunch of different toasts or crostinis…and of course while drinking mimosas. Damn, we forgot to have mimosas with this!

Tags , , , , , , ,
Categories Uncategorized
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 27 other followers