Smitten Kitchen Tiny Chocolate Cake

Well it seems I forgot I had a blog. Thankfully a blogger friend of mine reminded me late this week. And I promised her I would update. 

Truthfully I have not wanted to blog lately. I have been "in a mood" with all the negative inference that comes with that word "mood". 

In the last few months since my last post the following has happened: 

• I mistakenly tried to adopt a dog. Lesson learned I am not ready for that. 
• I learned that while comfortably wrapped in a down blanket I resemble a bald and bearded version of Moana's grandmother. 
• I have continued to foster unhealthy unrequited feeling for others. 
• I have become best friends with my Amazon Echo. I call her "Computer". And know that when watching old episodes of Star Trek she becomes very confused every time Captain Picard speaks. 
• I started the new year off with a nice cold that continues to linger. I fear my neighbor thinks I'm dying. 
• I have invested heavily in a vast selection of creams and lotions (and not for anything fun like alone time) because this dry weather has decided to give me intense all over body itching that I am sure has nothing to do with stress. 
• I maybe dropped my toddler nephew in a snow bank while attempting to teach him how to sled. And before you ask, he's fine. He continues to scream "NO" every time he sees me on FaceTime. 
• I've taken to pretending that Busy Philips and Orlando Soria are speaking directly to me while I watch their Instagram stories. So far I have not started talking back. But that might happen. Soon.  
• I was given a pretty severe Come To Jesus about my career choices in a parking lot by a good friend. I thanked her. 
• I became one with my wing back while watching 4 Harry Potter movies in a row. And ugly crying at the end. Admitting that I am late to the HP game.
• And today I learn that my oven needs to be recalibrated. As you can see by the poorly baked cake that never saw its potential but will still be eaten. 

Not all is lost this year. We've only just begun. A new day is just one sleep away. And I got to have cake for breakfast. One must always ask oneself, "What would Oprah do?". Then make your move. 

Happy baking. I'm going to gym. Maybe.  

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Tiny But Intense Chocolate Cake

RECIPE BY SMITTEN KITCHEN

INGREDIENTS

For cake:

6 tablespoons (85 grams, or 3/4 stick) butter, plus more for pan

4 ounces (115 grams) semisweet chocolate

3 large eggs, separated

1/3 cup (65 grams) light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon fine or flaky sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan 160°C/gas mark 4). Line a 15cm round springform tin with a circle of parchment paper. Generously butter sides of pan and parchment round.

2. In a small saucepan, melt your butter over medium heat, stirring for even cooking. After the butter melts, it will then hiss and spatter a bit as the water cooks off, and then fragrant brown bits will form at the bottom of the saucepan. The whole process will take about 3 mins. Quickly remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it is melted and smooth. Cool the chocolate mixture to lukewarm, a process that can be sped up by trans­ferring the mixture from the hot saucepan to a small bowl set in a puddle of cold or ice water. If quick-cooling the chocolate like this, be sure to stir it every minute or two for even cooling.

3. With an electric mixer, beat egg yolks, brown sugar, and vanilla together until the mixture thickens and takes on a, frankly, kind of icky pale-yellow­ brown color. Slowly beat in the lukewarm chocolate mixture, and a pretty color will return. The mixture will become very thick but will loosen signifi­cantly once we add the egg whites.

4. Wipe clean, wash, and dry your electric beater(s), and beat egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until firm peaks form. Add a pinch of cinnamon, if desired. Stir one-third of egg-white mixture into chocolate mixture. Fold the remaining two-thirds in gently, trying to keep the batter as light as pos­sible. Pour into prepared pan, and bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 min­s, or until it is puffed with a lovely dome on top (which you shouldn't get too attached to) and a tester or skewer comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs attached.

5. To serve, let cool on rack for 10 mins - it will immediately begin to sink in the middle - then run a knife around the cake to make sure it's not stuck to the pan, and release the springform sides. Let it cool the rest of the way on its base. Once it's cool, flip out onto a plate or second rack, remove parchment round (if it's stuck) from the bottom, and flip cake back onto a small plate. To serve, beat whipping cream with granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Dust cake with icing sugar and dollop with whipped cream and berries.

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FOR MORE CAKE SHHENANIGANS CHECK OUT THESE PREVIOUS BLOG POSTS

YET ANOTHER FAILED CHOCOLATE CAKE - I SWEAR I KNOW HOW TO MAKE A CAKE

POPPING MY CRAWFISH CHERRY IN BOSTON

EXTENDING DIPLOMATIC WARM FUZZIES WITH A BATTENBERG CAKE

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Slow Cooker Pear Apple Butter

Pear Apple Butter

Pretty low key weekend here at the bachelor pad. So low key that I basically just had a brunch for one in my underwear that consisted of some oyster crackers dipped in Pear Apple Butter that I recently slow cookered up while watching The Goonies. 

"Jeez mister. You're even hungrier than I am" - Chunk

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Slow Cooker Pear Apple Butter

RECIPIE FROM MARTHA STEWART

MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 pounds Bartlett or Anjou Pears (about 5)

2 1/2 pounds McIntosh or Gala Apples (about 5)

1 Cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar

1/2 teaspoon coarse Salt

1 Cinnamon Stick

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel, quarter, and core pears and apples. In a food processor, finely grate fruit (in batches, if necessary), then transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in dark-brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook on high, 4 hours.

2. Remove cinnamon stick and reserve. Transfer mixture to processor (in batches, if necessary) and process until smooth. Return to slow cooker, along with cinnamon stick, and cook on high, uncovered, until mixture is thick and browned, 4 hours. Discard cinnamon stick and let mixture cool. Transfer to airtight containers and refrigerate, up to 3 weeks, or freeze, up to 3 months.

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FOR MORE THINGS APPLES AND MY LIFE CHECK OUT THESE BLOGS POSTS

MORE TRADITIONAL APPLE BUTTER

APPLESAUCE BY WAY OF THE SLOW COOKER AND THE EXORCIST

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH AND SUSPICIOUS MOLES THAT TURN OUT TO BE MELTED CHOCOLATE

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Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Well it's been a few days since I've been here. My apologies to all three readers. It has been a busy few weeks. You see two sets of good friends were getting married. And because I can't keep my nose out of anyone's damn business I was involved in both. That coupled with my already debilitating Netflix and boxed wine addition just took up too much of my time. 

So now that both weddings are done and I'm in between series I thought I would take some time back in the kitchen to center myself. After cleaning up the empty Trader Joe Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup wrappers from a rough night of 3 am naked snacking I got to baking some basic bitch pumpkin bread. However this pumpkin bread is vegan. I am not vegan but due to a recent request I had some vegan sugar left in my pantry. And I'm not about to waste that expensive shit. 

If all goes well I should be back next week. Here's hoping for a fun filled week. 

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Vegan Pumpkin Bread

INGREDIENTS

1 15-ounce can (1 3/4 cups) pumpkin puree

1/2 cup melted refined coconut oil

3 tablespoons white vinegar

3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt

1 tablespoon Chinese Five Spice

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

For Topping:

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat with cooking spray and line with parchment paper one 6-cup loaf pan. Set aside.

2. In medium sized bowl mix together flour, Chinese Five Spice, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoons baking soda. Set aside.

3. In separate large bowl mix together pumpkin puree, coconut oil, salt, white vinegar and 3/4 teaspoons baking soda.

4. Add dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture. Stir until fully incorporated. Spoon into prepared loaf pan.

5. In small bowl mix together topping ingredients and evenly spread over batter in pan. Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 60-75 minutes. Turning after 30 minutes for even baking. Test with toothpick and remove from oven when toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on cooling rack.

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Disappearing Brownies

This weekend was one of those weekends that I had little to no desire to cook. So naturally I baked. And baked enough to make sure I didn't have to cook. There is nothing wrong with brownies or cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is a holiday weekend afterall. 

I got this recipe from a friend and coworker years ago. She and her husband made their money operating gas stations and car washes in suburban Minneapolis. She was always good for a story about a family getting trapped in a broken car wash one Sunday after church. 

She called these blondies, "Disappearing Brownies", because, "I put them out and they are gone before I get one."

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Butterscotch Chips

1/2 Cup Butter

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

2/3 C Brown Sugar

2 t Baking Powder

1/2 t Salt

1 t Vanilla

2 eggs

2 Cups Mini Marshmallows

2 Cups Milk Chocolate Chips

1/4-1/2 C Chopped Nuts (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 baking dish with aluminum foil. Spray with pan

In microwave safe bowl or in small saucepan over medium heat, melt together butterscotch chips and butter. Set aside.

In medium sized bowl mix together by hand flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla and eggs. MIxture will be dry.

Add in melted butterscotch mixture.

Add in marshmallows, chocolate chips, and nuts if desired.

Using back of rubber spatula press mixture evening throughout baking dish.

Place baking dish on middle rack in preheated oven. Bake 30-35 mins. Brownies will appear to be underbaked and a little wobbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in pan.

Personal preference - best served cold.

Failed Chocolate Cake

Earlier this week I found myself late one evening sharing a bottle of wine with two friends on the rooftop of the orginal Reynolds Tobacco Company. Not our normal hang out. However, the two of them had recently severed ties with boyfriends. And I'm just dead inside. 

As we waxed poetic of what we thought were brighter days in our past I was sent a gentle reminder from our dear friends at Facebook that it had been six years since my first blog post.

Which naturally got me thinking.  

I started this blog at the advice of a roommate living with me under the guise of romantic relationship. It was intended to be a means to showcase my then career of food styling. Shortly after the birth of my blog, that living situation changed along with my career. In order to prove people wrong I kept the blog going. In hindsight I've allowed this blog to cause me great grief. Never enough followers. Never the right content. Never enough time to dedicate to it. It has also been an excellent outlet. A means to bake through my emotions. Journal, as you will, in a way that I would never put pen to paper. It has been with me through various moves, multiple career changes, zero loves, some emotional eating, and some emotional pooping (we all do it). 

I looked back at the first post and realized that all involved were no longer in my life. As a true believer that some friends are meant to come and go, I am comfortable with this. As a true believer in change making us better, stronger, smarter, I am comfortable with this. As an owner of an iPhone 6 I am totally uncomfortable with the horrid image of that first cake. All joking aside I stand by my blog as it has changed along with me. I am happier with my content. I am happier with my photography. I am still happy with my three readers. Thank you Mom.  

I am nowhere near where I wanted to be when I started this blog. But I don't consider myself off course. Not even detoured. Just simply rolling with the punches, good and bad. 

In honor of this sixth anniversary I decided to remake the Rosemary Ginger Chocolate Cake with ganache from that fateful day in 2011. So I woke up this morning and got to baking. 

And 20 minutes after being placed in the oven I got a whiff of that not so pleasant smell of something burning. Upon inquiry I found my cakes were bubbling over and not doing what I expected. Initially I was angry. As I stood there altering my day mentally to account for the time needed to clean an oven, I realized that this cake is exactly what I needed. A reminder that sometimes things just don't work out. But as long as you have friends willing to split a bottle of bubbly on the roof of the Reynolds Tobacco Building, while sketching out our next plan of attack on life, all is good. 

Plus I just stood in my underwear and ate what boiled down to gooey fudge like cake straight out of pan while watching Star Trek. Best Saturday morning ever.  

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FOR MORE ON CAKE AND MY FIRST EVER BLOG POST CLICK BELOW!!!

ROSEMARY GINGER CHOCOLATE CAKE

MY LOVE OF SOURDOUGH AND COCO CHANEL

AND EVERY DAY WE BE TRIFLLIN' 

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