My friend Donna’s Favorite Oatmeal Cookies

June 17, 2013 · 8 Comments

My friend and hiking partner Donna mentioned that she was going home after our hike to bake her favorite oatmeal cookies, a recipe from Alice Waters.  Donna is a wonderful cook and I remember from previous year’s Christmas cookie exchanges that she always brings delicious cookies.  Donna also happened to give me a copy of  Alice Water’s ‘The Art Of Simple Food’ which has the recipe for these cookies.  Intrigued -I can’t resist a good oatmeal cookie recipe, I went straight home and found the recipe.  I also curiously checked my blog to see how many oatmeal cookie recipes I’ve posted.  Not many, only two recipes for oatmeal cookies came up- Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies and Rolled Tropical Spelt Cookies, the latter one not really an oatmeal cookie.  I would also like to add more chocolate chip cookies recipes.  This past year I seemed to have jumped on the bar cookie bandwagon and neglected one of my favorites -drop cookies, especially the chocolate chip variety.  That’s probably why I shared the Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk recipe-trying to play catch up in my neglected chocolate chip and oatmeal cookie recipe category with a kind of hybrid chocolate oatmeal cookie recipe.

But, that’s all behind me now.  I’m proud to write that I’m back on track with this crispy  oatmeal cookie recipe that was inspired by Donna and of course Alice Waters.  These cookies are very good, definite favorites for the cookie jar, if they last that long.  I plan to share them with my ‘littles’ when they come to visit this week, so for now they are sealed up in airtight containers that probably should have locks on them.

Print
My Friend Donna's Favorite Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup currants
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Zest of 1 medium orange
  • 1&1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon boiling water
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to375F.
  2. Center an oven rack.
  3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  4. Put currants and water in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat until the currants are plumped and water is absorbed, stir in the orange zest-set aside.
  5. Place the rolled oats into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until ground.
  6. Transfer the ground oats to a medium bowl and stir in the flour, salt and cinnamon.
  7. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer cream together the butter and sugars, scraping down a couple of times, until light and fluffy.
  8. In a small bowl mix together the baking soda and boiling water, stir this mixture into the butter mixture.
  9. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
  10. Stir in the dry ingredients and the plumped currants.
  11. Scoop the dough into small 1" balls and place about 2 inches apart on the parchment lined sheets.
  12. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the middle of the cookies are still soft but the edges are dark brown.
  13. Cool on metal racks.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://pattysfood.com/cookies/my-friend-donnas-favorite-oatmeal-cookies/

Filed Under: cookies Tagged With: , , , ,

Strawberry Lemon Lime Bars

June 12, 2013 · 24 Comments

Jammy slices of strawberries nestled into a lemon lime filling supported by an oat-y flavored shortbread crust were a couple of good reasons why I thought it was okay to mess with one of my favorites- Classic Lemon Bars.  Plus the strawberries look pretty- all jammy on top of the lemon lime filling.  The strawberries and lemons came from my visit to the farmer’s market and the lime juice with zest came from the freezer, part of my Key lime stash that I juiced and zested for a rainy day.  While it didn’t really rain yesterday, we had a full day of foggy drizzle with not a blue sky to be seen.  So, on went the oven and in went my strawberry lemon lime bars.
Lemons, limes and strawberries are naturals baked together in these bar cookies.  Next time I would like to try blueberries or maybe a mix of fresh berries on top of these rich citrusy shortbread bar cookies.  The oatmeal in the shortbread crust is another twist on the classic lemon bars but adds a nice oat-y flavor.  I’m also thinking that these bars would make a good addition to a Father’s Day barbecue-now we just need our sunny blue skies to hang around for the weekend.

Print
Strawberry Lemon Lime Bars

Yield: 16 bars

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens and the blog No Recipes.

Ingredients

  • For the Oat-y Shortbread Crust
  • 1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 1 & 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into bits and chilled
  • For the Strawberry Lemon Lime Filling
  • 1 & 1/2 cups halved sliced strawberries
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, to sprinkle on sliced strawberries
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • Zest of small lemon
  • Zest of lime
  • 1/3 cup strained fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup strained fresh lime juice
  • Additional powdered sugar for sifting over the bars

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and center oven rack.
  2. Spray a 9x13 pan with baking spray and line both ways with 2 sheets of aluminum foil, spray again.
  3. Place the flour, oats, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla bean paste in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.
  4. Add the chilled butter and pulse until the butter forms small oatmeal flake like pieces throughout the dry ingredients.
  5. Place the crust from the food processor into the prepared pan and gently but firmly press into the bottom, making as level as possible.
  6. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes while making the filling.
  7. Place the sliced strawberries in a small bowl and sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon sugar, if your berries need more sweetening add more sugar.
  8. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, flour, zests and juices, set aside.
  9. Bake the oat-y shortbread crust for about 25 minutes, it should be light brown on the edges and firm to the touch.
  10. Remove the crust from the oven and scatter the strawberries evenly over the top.
  11. Pour the lemon lime mixture over the strawberries.
  12. Lower the oven temperature and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the top of the bars is firm.
  13. Remove from the oven to a metal rack, cool before cutting into squares and sifting powdered sugar over the top before serving.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://pattysfood.com/dessert/strawberry-lemon-lime-bars/

Filed Under: cookies, dessert Tagged With: , , , , ,

Strawberry & Goat Cheese Tartine with Truffle Honey for French Fridays with Dorie

June 6, 2013 · 31 Comments

This morning on my weekly visit to the Marin county Farmer’s Market at the Civic Center,  I thought -we are so fortunate in Marin County to have one of the best markets in the world right here in our backyard.  Which brings me to this week’s assignment for French Fridays with Dorie, the online cooking group cooking it’s way through Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.  The assigned non-recipe recipe for this Friday was to find ingredients to put together your own strawberry & goat cheese inspired tartine, just like Dorie -who created a market day tartine from her local boulevard Raspail market in Paris.

Finding perfectly ripe sweet strawberries this time of year was no problem, with plenty of stands selling beautiful strawberries.  I also picked up a baguette from my favorite bakery, Della Fattoria and this morning I was good -leaving that beautiful rustic fruit tart behind, still feeling a bit sad about that, however.  I’m going to date myself now but I remember buying Laura Chenel’s Chèvre at the San Rafael market years ago and still miss her soft ripe goat cheese at the market these days.  But, not to worry I picked up a piece of Broncha a blend of goat and cow milk cheese from Achadinha  Farmstead Cheese Company  of Petaluma.  I asked my strawberry vendor if he wanted me to mention him in my post but he said no, he already has too many people bugging him.  So, I included a few pictures of his strawberries in a collage below, including the fraises de Californie boxes for all my french loving friends and a sweet little girl helping with the sample fruit.

Print
Strawberry & Goat Cheese Tartine with Truffle Honey for French Fridays with Dorie

Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.

Ingredients

  • 1 baguette, cut into 1/3" slices
  • Goat Cheese, soft for spreading or semi-soft for sprinkling, about 1 cup
  • 1-2 baskets of ripe strawberries, cut in slices
  • Truffle Honey for drizzling, any honey will do

Instructions

  1. Layer the strawberry slices on the bread, sprinkle with goat cheese and drizzle on the honey to taste.
  2. The baguette can be toasted and if you use soft goat cheese it can should be spread on the baguette before layering on the strawberries.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://pattysfood.com/bread/strawberry-goat-cheese-tartine-with-truffle-honey-for-french-fridays-with-dorie/

Filed Under: bread, french, fruit Tagged With: , , , , ,

Strawberry Lime Upside-down muffins with Lavender Sugar

June 3, 2013 · 21 Comments

Fun with strawberries 101.  First thing- find sweet strawberries, I found mine at the Santa Rosa farmer’s market.  Second thing-find an excuse to take some time to yourself for strawberry recipe development (very important!)  Excuses could include, I’m sick, headache, cramps, backache etc…you get the idea.  Third thing- when everybody is out of the house remove your ripe basket of strawberries from the fridge and, placing your nose over the top of the strawberries, breathe in deeply.   Now, you are ready to have some fun with your fresh berries.  Bakers ready for action will already have a stash of ingredients, like flour, sugar, butter, eggs and a few extras, like lavender or vanilla.  Maybe, lock the doors-just in case.

I know this is crazy talk but sometimes it feels like there is precious little time to focus on doing the things, like baking, that we love.  Especially on the weekends when there is so much going on to distract us from our ovens, recipe books, kitchens and our love of baking, I know I already said that but just really want to make that point.

I had this idea for an upside-down strawberry muffin which could be served as an individual sized upside-down cake for breakfast.  I sprinkled the lavender sugar, which is easy to make at home, on the chopped strawberries and over the top of the muffins before baking.  The lavender sugar topping comes out crunchy on the bottom and serves as a good contrast to the soft baked fruit on top of the upside-down muffins.  I also like my addition of lime zest in the muffin batter which adds a brightness to the baked sweet strawberries on top.

I like taking photos of my baking projects, especially when they include strawberries!  So, I think the fourth thing for strawberry fun 101 is to find a sunny corner in your house and snap a few pics, if for no other reason than to remind yourself of an afternoon well spent in the quiet of your own kitchen.

Print
Strawberry Lime Upside-down muffins with Lavender Sugar

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup organic cane sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 tablespoon lime zest
  • 1 cup strawberries chopped into small pieces
  • For the Lavender Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
  • 4 tablespoons organic cane sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
  2. Spray 12 standard muffin silicone baking cups with baking spray and place on baking sheet.
  3. Make the lavender sugar by pulverizing the lavender and sugar in a food processor, sift to remove pieces of lavender buds, set aside.
  4. Sprinkle the strawberries with about 1 tablespoon lavender sugar, reserve the rest for the topping.
  5. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
  6. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and lime zest.
  7. Whisk in the milk and butter.
  8. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula, being careful not to over mix. The flour should just disappear.
  9. Divide the strawberries into the baking cups, making sure they cover the bottom of each cup.
  10. Spoon the batter over the strawberries, making sure some batter reaches the bottoms of the muffin cups.
  11. Sprinkle the tops with the rest of the lavender sugar.
  12. Place in the oven and bake until lightly browned and firm to the touch.
  13. Cool the muffins on a metal rack, they should easily slide out of the cups.
  14. Serve slightly warm.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://pattysfood.com/muffins/strawberry-lime-upside-down-muffins-with-lavender-sugar/

Filed Under: muffins Tagged With: , , ,

Cherry Almond Bars

May 30, 2013 · 27 Comments

 

It looks like I’m baking my way through the entire Spring section of Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson.  How did that happen?  I’m not exactly sure because it was definitely not something I planned on doing.  This is one of those baking projects that just took on a life of it’s own.  I should mention that I have a thing for rustic fruit desserts.  On the top of the page next to the recipe title, Cherry Almond Bars, I wrote, “I am SO making these!”  Honestly I don’t usually write myself messages in cookbooks.  But, hey -why not!?  It’s nice to receive words of encouragement, even if they are from yourself.

We have a cherry tree in our garden and I’ve shared here that the birds get all our cherries- way before they are ripe, when you don’t feel like competing for them.  This year the cherries on the tree were tiny green balls when we left for vacation and when we came home they had all disappeared.  I actually prefer not knowing the truth about the fate of our cherries.  That’s what farmer’s markets and roadside stands are for -serious cherry growers that are willing to put up a fight to keep their cherries from the birds, at least until they are ripe and can be sold.

I made these cherry almond bars to bring to a picnic lunch with my family over the holiday weekend.  Except for taking the time to pit the cherries, this is a quick and easy recipe that travels well to a picnic.  They are a nice alternative to lemon bars or brownies, especially during cherry season, but frozen cherries could also be used and if they’re already pitted, so much the better.

Print
Cherry Almond Bars

Serving Size: 12 bar cookies

Adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson.

Ingredients

  • For the Cherry Filling
  • 3 cups(18 ounces) cherries, pitted and halved
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • For the crust and topping
  • 1&1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup(4 ounces) sliced almonds
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3/4 cup(6 ounces) cold unsalted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Spray a 9" square metal baking pan with baking spray.
  3. To Make the Cherry Filling
  4. Stir together the cherries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, sea salt, lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Place saucepan over medium-high heat.
  5. Bring to a boil, stir occasionally, cooking for about 1 minute or until thickened.
  6. To Make the Crust and Topping
  7. Place the flour, brown sugar, almonds and salt in the bowl of a food processor, pulse a few times to combine.
  8. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms crumbs.
  9. Add the egg and vanilla, pulse until the mixture comes together and looks slightly moist.
  10. Press two-thirds of this mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan.
  11. Pour in the cherry filling.
  12. Press the remaining crust/topping mixture over the cherry filling.
  13. Bake on a rack centered in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the cherry filling is bubbling and the topping is lightly browned.
  14. Cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into 12 bars.
  15. The bars will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight storage container.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://pattysfood.com/dessert/cherry-almond-bars/

Filed Under: cookies, dessert Tagged With: , ,

Cherry Upside-down Cake

May 28, 2013 · 29 Comments

 

Today is one of those coastal feeling days in the SF Bay Area.  A light breeze is gently pushing a few lingering clouds out of our skies.  The air smells fresh. If you own a blue and white striped tee shirt, it’s the kind of day you might wear it.

We had a wonderful relaxing weekend, enjoying time with both family and friends.  We spent Saturday boating on Clear Lake with family including grandchildren.  Watching the kids tubing behind the boat was so entertaining, especially with grandpa – I haven’t laughed that hard in I don’t remember when.

My grandson Noah celebrated his 8th birthday on Saturday and I made him this cherry upside-down cake, which traveled up to the lake incredibly well.  I was worried it wouldn’t be quite big enough to serve 12 people but with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, it worked out perfectly.

You may have noticed that I had a little fun with my pictures this week.  I found a new photo editing site called PicMonkey where you can add all the special effects you’ve ever dreamed of to your photos…This site offers free online photo editing, which is really all you need, but if you’re feeling over the top creative – they offer a Royale level which costs a few dollars a month.  This upgraded service is for anyone who likes photography and has ever lost themselves in a store like The Paper Source.  I’m  thinking art supplies, rubber stamping, scrapbooking, glue, glitter, ribbons, stencils, paper flowers, embossing-we are talking embellishments here my crafty followers!  Check out PicMonkey, I think you’re really going to like this site.

Print
Cherry Upside-down Cake

Serving Size: 10-12

Adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson.

Ingredients

  • For the Upside-down Caramel Topping
  • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup (5&1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
  • 4 cups (1&1/2 pounds) pitted sweet cherries
  • For the Cake
  • 1 cup spelt flour
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • zest and juice of 1 medium orange
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (7&1/2 ounces) sour cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Spray a 9" square metal pan with baking spray.
  3. To Make the Upside-down Caramel topping
  4. Melt the butter in a medium size sauté pan over medium heat, then stir in the sugar and lemon juice.
  5. Turn the heat up to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil.
  6. It will become foamy and turn a light brown.
  7. Remove it from the heat when the mixture turns a deeper amber color and pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Let it cool for about 10 minutes.
  8. Place the pitted cherries in a single layer on top of the caramel with the pitted sides facing up, so the good sides of the cherries will be on top when you turn the cake out of the pan.
  9. To make the cake
  10. Sift the flours, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.
  11. Place the butter, sugar and orange zest together in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and cream until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
  12. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
  13. Stir in the orange juice and vanilla, the mixture will look curdled.
  14. Stir in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, scrape down the bowl as needed.
  15. The batter should be smooth and thick.
  16. Gently scrape the batter into the prepared pan, evenly covering the cherry layer.
  17. Bake for about 60 minutes, or until the cake is golden browned and springs back when lightly touched on top.
  18. Cool the cake in the metal pan on a cooling rack for about 45 minutes.
  19. Flip the cake out of it's pan by first loosening the sides with a metal knife.
  20. Then place a flat platter over the top of the cake and quickly turn the cake over and it will slide out onto the platter.
  21. This cake can be stored wrapped in plastic for 3 days at room temperature, it also freezes well.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://pattysfood.com/cake/cherry-upside-down-cake/

Filed Under: cake, dessert Tagged With: , , , ,

Cherry Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Scones

May 22, 2013 · 32 Comments

Comfort food.  On the savory side,  I think of mac and cheese, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, meatloaf or chili.  On the sweet side, I delight in apple pie, peach cobbler, strawberry shortcake, lemon bars, brownies, blueberry pound cake or chocolate chip cookies.  Today I’m adding cherry chocolate chip coffee cake scones to my list of comfort foods.  What makes scones comforting?  Well, first of all they should have both butter and cream in the dough, there’s no negotiating on that point.  Second of all, scones need pieces of fruit and/or bits of chocolate.  And last but not least, scones need a crumb topping like the one I’m sharing today.  A crumb topping that breaks apart and sprinkles on top of each crumbly cake-y bite you take of your comforting cherry chocolate scone.  Ah, yes- today I’m adding scones to my list of comfort foods.

I came up with the idea of both rolling the balls of scone dough in crumb topping and then adding additional crumb topping to their tops before giving each one a gentle loving squeeze around the sides to make wonderful deep cracks in the topping before placing the tray in the oven.  I am so happy with the results that I’m sharing my recipe with you today.

Print
Cherry Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Scones

Yield: 8 scones

Ingredients

  • 1&1/4 cups spelt flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled cut in small pieces
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  • 1 cup pitted halved fresh cherries
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • Crumb Topping
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla powder, optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled cut in small pieces

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Stir together the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
  4. Rub the butter pieces into the flour mixture until the mixture looks like small crumbs.
  5. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, vanilla and lemon peel.
  6. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine using a light hand.
  7. The dough will be very sticky.
  8. Add the cherries and chocolate chips, kneading in gently with your hands, set aside.
  9. Prepare the crumb topping.
  10. Mix together the flour, sugar, vanilla powder and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  11. Rub the butter pieces into the flour until it looks like small crumbs.
  12. Divide the scone dough into 8 balls and roll into the crumb topping to coat.
  13. Place the scone balls on the parchment paper and flatten with the palm of your hand.
  14. Spoon on additional crumb topping, about 1-2 tablespoons, press into the dough.
  15. Gently squeeze the sides of the scones until the crumb topping cracks.
  16. Bake for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned and cake tester comes out clean.
  17. Remove scones from oven and place on metal rack to cool.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://pattysfood.com/scones/cherry-chocolate-chip-coffee-cake-scones/

Filed Under: scones Tagged With: , ,

Spicy Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup for French Fridays with Dorie & Food Revolution Day

May 17, 2013 · 39 Comments

 

Today is my second day home from vacation and I’m running around while trying to get to the giant pile of laundry on top of my washing machine.  Today is also the cook’s recipe choice for  French Fridays with Dorie and Cook & Share Food Revolution Day.  I think Dorie’s spicy Vietnamese chicken noodle soup is just the kind of light but flavorful meal you want to enjoy at home after vacation.  It’s a recipe I’ve wanted to make since joining FFWD and a perfect bowl of wholesome spicy deliciousness that can be shared to celebrate Food Revolution Day.

My garden was quietly producing stalks of fresh Thai basil, mint and cilantro without any idea that a food revolution was brewing on it’s horizon.  As it turned out my herbs would be willing participants in an international movement for awareness of the importance of good wholesome food and essential cooking skills in our communities started by Jaime Oliver who has a passion for teaching cooking from scratch.  Yes, I pressed my fresh herbs into service for a global cooking day to try and raise awareness for the importance of making meals from scratch using fresh ingredients in our own kitchens, including using herbs from our own kitchen garden plots, just like our parents and grandparents.

I also loaded up my spicy Vietnamese chicken soup with loads of fresh bean sprouts, what can I say(?)- besides I love bean sprouts, graduated from high school in 1972 and can remember the Beatles song “talk about a revolution, when you talk about destruction/ don’t you know that you can count me out”…just like it was yesterday.

I also made a red chili oil to swirl on top of my soup using roasted chili paste mixed into toasted sesame oil.  The red chili oil, bean sprouts, chopped raw cashews and fresh herbs are garnishes on top of this soup that should not be missed- just think of your mouth experiencing it’s own taste bud revolution in honor of this important Food Revolution Day.

Print
Spicy Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup for French Fridays with Dorie & Food Revolution Day

Yield: 4 generous bowls of soup

Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.

Ingredients

  • Stems from 1 bunch cilantro
  • 2 points star anise
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon white peppercorns
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
  • 2 dried red chilies (I used crushed jalapeno pepper flakes to taste)
  • Lemongrass, peeled and chopped
  • 6 cup chicken broth
  • 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • Salt (amount varies depending on the sodium content of your chicken broth)
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 5 ounces brown rice Pad Thai noodles
  • 4-6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • Cilantro, Thai basil and mint, torn fresh herbs to taste
  • Bean sprouts
  • Fresh lime wedges
  • Chili oil
  • Cashews, chopped

Instructions

  1. Put cilantro stems, star anise, lemongrass, ginger, dried chiles, garlic coriander seeds, and peppercorns in a square of cheesecloth and tie bundle together. Add to a stock pot or dutch oven. Add onion, then pour in chicken stock and coconut milk. Season with 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, brown sugar, and a generous pinch of salt and bring to boil.
  2. Lower to a simmer, slide in the chicken breast, cover the pot and poach the chicken gently for 15-20 minutes or until cooked. Transfer chicken to bowl to cool, turn off heat to soup and keep covered. Cook the noodles according to the package. Once the chicken is cool, shred it with your fingers (a fork can help with this). Bring the soup to a boil again, then lower to a simmer and stir in chicken and noodles. Add more fish sauce, lime juice and salt to taste. Serve in bowls with fresh herbs, bean sprouts, chili oil and cashews.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://pattysfood.com/french/spicy-vietnamese-chicken-noodle-soup-for-french-fridays-with-dorie-food-revolution-day/

Filed Under: french, Soup Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lemon Buttermilk Rhubarb Bundt Cakelets

May 6, 2013 · 36 Comments

Are you ever tempted to purchase a somewhat useful but mostly cute ‘novelty’ cake pan?

If my lemon buttermilk rhubarb bundt cakelets aren’t tempting enough to get you thinking mini cakes, consider these excerpts from the Williams-Sonoma site describing the Nordic Ware Mini Bundt Pans they offer for sale- “Bake up six perfectly sculpted little cakes with this cleverly designed pan; just pour in your favorite batter and bake” or this description of a mini mini Nordic Ware bundt pan that can be used “to create an irresistible assortment of 30 desserts, all at once”. After reading those descriptions I was feeling tempted and thinking that I just may need to add another cake pan to my collection.

I could go on with more really cute pans from Nordic Ware that I think I need but my husband just told me that I need to conserve, I’m not sure exactly what he meant but I think it means- no more cute fun baking pans.

Nordic Ware did celebrate it’s 65th anniversary a few years back by re-issuing a popular pan and I’m sure you guessed it was-”an adorable platinum anniversary bundtlette pan”-love that word-bundtlette, which sounds to me like some type of cozy blanket wrapped around a sweet newborn baby.  The Platinum Anniversary Bundtlette Pan is still available on their site for $50 plus shipping.  Nordic Ware makes other products, such as cookware and other types of kitchen accessories but it’s their bakeware that certain consumers (who shall remain nameless) have been known to create extra cabinet space in their basements or garages to store.

So, I thought I would just make a harmless perusal of the bakeware on the Nordic Ware site while still on a high from the  baking success of my Bundt pan cakelets, another word I like just as much or more than bundtlettes.  So, what pan did I find that I may have to sneak into my house or close to the inside of my house.  Well, how cute(?) is the Bundt Duet Pan, which bakes two mini bundt cakes, a kind of his and hers cake pan.  Or the Platinum Rose Bundt Pan, I’ve always been smitten with rose shaped bundt cakes.

As good as rhubarb is paired with strawberries, it’s also pretty good baked in a bundt cake flavored with buttermilk and lemon.  I found this cake recipe in a favorite baking book, Rustic Fruit Desserts- a collection of old-timey fruit desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson.  My first attempt at this cake recipe I used a large 10″ bundt pan and we loved it.  I had planned to re-make it using berries next time instead of rhubarb.  But then time passed and rhubarb season rolled around again.   I remembered my stashed away mini bundt pans and how good this cake is made with rhubarb, so once again I went with the rhubarb.  The only change I made to this recipe was to add buttermilk to the lemony glaze which was inspired by Valerie, an an accomplished cake baker @une gamine dans la cuisine.

Print
Lemon Buttermilk Rhubarb Bundt Cakelets

Yield: 8 cakelets or 1 10-cup Bundt pan

Adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson. Buttermilk glaze adapted from une gamine dans la cuisine.

Ingredients

  • For the Cake
  • 2 & 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons(for rhubarb) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter
  • 1 & 3/4 cups sugar
  • Zest of 1 lemon, I used a Meyer lemon
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon oil
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 lb rhubarb (3 cups), trimmed and thinly sliced
  • For the Lemon Buttermilk Glaze
  • 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, plus more as needed
  • 1 & 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 1 &1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Spray mini Bundt cakelet pans, I made 8 mini cakes or this recipe makes a 10-cup Bundt pan for one large cake.
  3. To make the Cakelets
  4. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
  5. In the bowl of a standing mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together for about 4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
  6. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed, stir in the lemon oil.
  7. Stir the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour.
  8. The batter will be thick.
  9. Toss the rhubarb slices with the 2 tablespoons of flour and fold half the rhubarb into the batter.
  10. Scrape the batter into the cake pans and sprinkle the remaining rhubarb on top.
  11. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown on edges and the top springs back when pressed.
  12. Cool the cakes in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, remove from the molds and continue cooling on a metal rack, placed over a baking pan.
  13. To make the Lemon Buttermilk Glaze
  14. Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, buttermilk and butter together in a medium bowl.
  15. The mixture should be thick, add additional powdered sugar if needed.
  16. Spread the glaze over the cakes as soon as you remove them from the pan.
  17. Covered cakes will last up to 4 days at room temperature.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://pattysfood.com/cake/lemon-buttermilk-rhubarb-bundt-cakelets/

Filed Under: cake, dessert Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins with Rhubarb Conserve

April 29, 2013 · 28 Comments

Strawberries and rhubarb do make a great pie filling but they also pair wonderfully in these muffins, especially with the addition of your own homemade rhubarb conserve.  Rhubarb conserve is jammy sweet with a concentrated tangy rhubarb flavor to it.   When it’s in season I can’t get enough rhubarb and one of my favorite ways to enjoy it is in a conserve which can be added to the batter of baked goods like these muffins.  I also spread the rhubarb conserve on my strawberry rhubarb muffins when they are warm right out of the oven.  But, don’t stop there, spoon rhubarb conserve on toast, brioche, croissants, into tartlet shells or use as a sauce on vanilla ice cream with sliced strawberries.  I picked up more rhubarb over the weekend and I’m making another batch of conserve this afternoon while I can still find the rhubarb stalks in my market.

Strawberry season is just starting here in the Bay Area with most of the sweet ripe berries coming up from Southern California, like the berries from San Diego I bought last week at the farmer’s market.  Now is the time to combine strawberries and rhubarb in your baking while the strawberries can benefit from the sugar added to the rhubarb for sweetness.

Rhubarb season runs from January, for the hot house grown rhubarb, all the way into Summer months for the field grown rhubarb which we do grow in California.  However, most of our rhubarb comes from Washington and Oregon where this cool weather loving crop thrives.  The main reason we may not be able to find rhubarb in our markets is due to it’s dwindling popularity.  There just isn’t that much rhubarb grown compared to earlier years when it was more popular with consumers.  I read that San Leandro in Alameda County had a rhubarb belt that consisted of more than 1300 acres, but that was before 1940.

When I see the familiar red stocks of rhubarb in the market in early Spring, I think of rhubarb with strawberries and buy a big bag.  Then I hope that the next time I go the market I find rhubarb again and plan on buying another bag before it disappears and I have to wait until next Spring.

Print
Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins with Rhubarb Conserve

Yield: 24 muffins plus 2 cups Rhubarb Conserve

Recipe adapted from Cooking from the Garden- best recipes of Kitchen Gardener.

Ingredients

  • 3 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 4 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking spice, Penzeys brand
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 & 1/4 cups whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup Rhubarb Conserve (recipe follows)
  • 3 cups chopped strawberries
  • 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger chips
  • For the Rhubarb Conserve
  • 4 cups diced rhubarb
  • 1 & 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/2 orange, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (optional but very good)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
  2. Line 2 -12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
  3. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  4. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, milk, vanilla and balsamic vinegar.
  5. Stir in the Rhubarb Conserve, chopped strawberries, ginger and wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, gently mixing until just combined.
  6. Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin tins using an ice cream scoop.
  7. Bake for about 22-25 minutes, until the middle springs back when gently pressed-rotate the pans half way through baking.
  8. Cool on metal racks.
  9. To Make the Rhubarb Conserve
  10. Place the rhubarb, sugar, orange juice and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan over a medium low heat.
  11. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens, about 20 minutes.
  12. Remove the rhubarb mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla paste, cool.
  13. The conserve can be kept in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://pattysfood.com/muffins/strawberry-rhubarb-muffins-with-rhubarb-conserve/

Filed Under: muffins, sweet preserves Tagged With: , ,
« Older Posts