Apple Pecan Quinoa Muffins

Ugh. Quinoa? Quinoa MUFFINS? Sounds gross. But Trang at work said that these are delicious. I will try before I totally slam them. Link to recipe: http://lemonsandanchovies.com/2012/08/apple-pecan-quinoa-muffins/#.UOJrl3fVqWE

Apple-Pecan Quinoa Muffins

Author: Lemons & Anchovies

Serves: Makes 12 muffins

 

Forget greasy muffins. These muffins are packed with apples and pecans and healthy, too.

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (or your flour of choice)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• ½ cup lightly-packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• ⅔ cup milk (I used nonfat)
• 1 cup chopped apples (about ½ large)
• ½ cup chopped pecans (I used candied pecans for more flavor)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 12-muffin tin (or use cupcake liners; I used a ⅓ cup muffin tin) and set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking soda in a large bowl then stir in the cooked quinoa.
3. In a separate bowl combine the oil, milk and egg then stir into the dry ingredients.
4. Fold in the apples and pecans and spoon the batter into the muffin tin.
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Notes

Substituting the apples and pecans for other fruit and nuts, as well as substituting the whole wheat flour for gluten-free flour, this would make a good base for other flavor combinations.

Strawberry Trifle Cake

Colleague at work gave me this recipe - said it was an extremely simple layer cake recipe (all it is, is assembling). Something I could do with my 2 year old toddler!

> Original recipe makes 1 trifle Change Servings Makes  servings US

> Metric Adjust Recipe (Help)

> 

> 1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

> 

> 3 cups cold milk

> 

> 1 (9 inch) angel food cake, cut in cubes

> 

> 4 bananas, sliced

> 

> 1 (16 ounce) package frozen strawberries, thawed

> 

> 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

> 

> Check All Add to Shopping List .Directions

> 1.Prepare pudding with milk according to package directions. In a

> trifle bowl or other glass serving dish, layer half the cake pieces,

> half the pudding, half the bananas, half the strawberries and half the

> whipped topping. Repeat layers. Cover and chill in refrigerator 4

> hours before serving.

Almond Roca Cream wine

 A recent trip to the Costco in Bellingham resulted in this little find. $4.97 for a bottle of Almond Roca Cream. When I picked it up, I thought, "Oh, this is like Irish Cream! This will be a fantastic addition to a nice cup of coffee or tea. And at $5, what a STEAL!". When I was checking out, I finally noticed it went through as a wine. WTF?! cream and wine? That sounds gross. No wonder it was on clearance. I was really hesitant about trying this. The hubby opened it and we drank it out of a couple of wine glasses. The verdict? Not baaaaad... in fact, it could still go into a tea or coffee and it was just like Irish cream. Whoever is in their marketing department should be fired though. If they hadn't put "cream" and "wine" on the bottle, I'm sure they would have sold a lot more and wouldn't sadly be on clearance at a Costco. It's got quite the alcohol content (14%) and a nice creamy toffee scent to it. Alone it's drinkable although I think paired with a good coffee or Trader Joe's vanilla cinammon tea and you've got a sure winner.

Seriously. When you say "Almond, Chocolate and  Toffee cream", you just want to guzzle it and whip it up in some frosting and have it on cupcakes. But throw "wine" in there and you think of curdling and want to barf. Thank God for bad marketing people otherwise it would have been priced higher and I never would have bought it. This bottle will be finished for sure and totally worth $5.

Raspberry souffles

Voila! Raspberry souffles!

So from my previous post, I had embarked on a quest to make homemade mayonnaise. That uses a lot of egg yolks which leaves you with lots of leftover egg whites! What to make? A quick search on google resulted in: Angel food cake (Nica and Ariana don't eat cake fast enough in this house); pavlovas (already made those a few weeks ago and still have some left);  creme brulee (too much dairy); and souffles. Hmmm. Souffles. Further googling (yes, I just verbed that) demonstrated that I could make a sweet souffle. How delicious did that sound?! The first recipe I came across was a strawberry souffle but strawberries aren't in season and I didn't have any in my house. But further searching landed me on this recipe: Raspberry souffles. I had frozen raspberries to use up in the freezer.

I chose this recipe to follow since it had the world "fool" in it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/foolproofhotraspberr_12919

Can't go wrong if fools can make it, right?

Ingredients

• 250g/9oz raspberries
• 4 eggs, whites only
• 100g/4oz caster sugar
• juice of half a lemon
• ½ tsp cornflour, lightly dissolved in a few spoonfuls of water

Preparation method

1. First, evenly butter and sugar ovenproof moulds for the souffles and place in the freezer.
   
2. For the coulis, add half of the sugar to the raspberries. Place in a hot pan and cook quickly for 2-3 minutes with a good squeeze of lemon juice.
   
3. Liquidise with a hand blender and pass through a sieve to remove the seeds.
   
4. Place 2 tsp of coulis in the bottom of the souffli dishes and thicken the remaining coulis with the moistened cornflour.
   
5. For the meringue, ensure the whisk and bowl are free from grease by scalding in boiling water.
   
6. Place the egg whites in the bowl and start to whisk.
   

7. 

   mixing the raspberry base and beaten egg whites together

   Gradually add sugar until a smooth soft peak is obtained.
   
8. Add a good squeeze of lemon juice at the end.
   
9. For the souffli, take a third of the meringue and whisk into the thickened coulis.
   
10. Lightly fold in the remaining two thirds. Do this gently so the air is not knocked out of the mix.
    
11. Divide the mix between the dishes.
    
12. Smooth the surface of the souffli and trim edges with your thumb.
    
13. When ready to bake, space out on a tray and bake in a medium to hot oven (180C/350F/Gas 4) for approximately 10-15 minutes depending on the size and dish.
    
14. Dust with icing sugar, place a raspberry on top and serve immediately.
    

The end result were beautiful souffles. I didn't scrape the tops flat so yes, they were lopsided but when they come out all billowy and tall, you want to do a tiny dance (but lightly of course since we're dealing with souffles here).


These were really really sweet so next time I think I'll cut down on the sugar. I froze four of them since it says you can freeze them and then just toss them in the oven to make them lift again so we'll see how that goes tomorrow. The great thing about this is that they're gluten and dairy free so a fantastic dessert for those that have those dietary considerations. I still have more egg whites left so the next adventure will be savoury souffles. Mmmm.

The quest for homemade Mayonnaise

I had a tea date with my friend Carol and I offered to bring the sandwiches. I mulled for days over what kind I would make. I finally decided on cheese and onion; egg salad; smoked salmon with cream cheese; chicken salad and cream cheese and cucumber. Unfortunately, many things worked against me:
1. I didn't have time to prepare the night before
2. Ariana stayed up late so didn't wake up until late so we were 1.5 hours late for our 10:30 date
3. Nica ate all the mayonnaise.

Say what?! ALL the mayonnaise you say? yup. All of it. And it was boxing day so a lot of shops were closed. But have no fear. I had eggs. 5 of them. I had watched loads of youtube videos about making homemade mayonnaise. How hard could it be since I have a fancy new food processor (Merry Christmas to me).

Well, it's hard.

Attempt #1 after watching Gordon Ramsay make it on youtube:
Result: FAIL. I put three egg yolks and a bit of dijon mustard in the food processor. Whirred it for a bit and then added sunflower oil VERRRRRRRRY slowly. The end result was a gross mess. Super runny and it didn't emulsify. Tossed it down the toilet. Figured I must have added the oil too slowly and overwhipped it.

Attempt #2 after watching this guy on youtube:
Result: FAIL again in the food processor. I used up one more egg. Still runny and gross. Tossed it down the toilet.

Attempt #3 after deciding I would hand mix it and use lemon juice instead of mustard to stabilize the yolks initially. I whisked and whisked. The husband at this point had woken up. He tried to give me advice by telling me how it didn't look right and it was too runny and how I should whisk it until it was thicker. Lemme tell you something... NOT helpful! Well, definitely not helpful when I'm down to my last egg, my last bit of sunflower oil and out of time for a lunch date. So I threw it all at him and told him to do it and retreated to my bedroom. Yes, I am that mature. He came in a little while later and you know what? He had beautiful mayonnaise in the bowl. I reluctantly took it and mumbled thanks and went on making my sandwiches (clearly I didn't have any eggs leftover for egg sandwiches so I just used it for the chicken salad instead). The husband tried to tell me that the secret was whisking in the same direction. I thought that was total baloney since it really shouldn't make a difference what direction you whisk it in. Eggs are eggs. At the molecular level it doesn't care which direction it's being beat from.

Successful thick mayonnaise!

So a few days later I found myself needing mayonnaise again. I am lazy enough that I wanted to try an appliance to make this stuff so I didn't have to use my arm muscles whisking. The food processor was getting one last chance. I added two eggs and a splash of lemon juice and dijon mustard and watched the processor go. This time I watched it more closely to see if it was actually mixing everything together. And... it wasn't. I have an 11 cup food processor and the blades weren't reaching the yolk/juice/mustard mixture. It was just splashing it around or just beneath the blade. So I tossed in another yolk to see if the slightly larger volume would help the blades grab it. Nope.

Beater Blade

So I scooped everything out of the food processor and put it into my kitchenaid mixer bowl. Used the wire whisk attachment and turned it on. Still not enough volume for the whisk to grab onto the liquid. So I took it off and whisked it by hand while slowly adding the sunflower oil. Much better. By hand seemed to do the trick. When the volume had increased enough, I thought I'd try the stand mixer again. The whisk attachment seemed kind of useless so I used the flat beater instead. Worked beautifully - I could control the whisking speed and it picked up all the mix. I should note that I don't ever use the Kitchenaid flat beater that comes with the stand mixer. I bought this after market beater blade that has silicone sides that help scrape food along the sides of the bowl for thorough mixing and it is worth every penny I spent on it (~$30).

I am definitely going to try this again with my kitchenaid in the future and forget about the food processor. That appliance is awesome, but not for mayonnaise.

Garlic Parmesan pull apart bread

I kept seeing all these post about pull apart bread on Pinterest (damn you, Pinterest) so last night I finally gave in and tried one out since I was making chicken soup for dinner. Here is a recipe for Garlic Parmesan pull apart bread:  http://smells-like-home.com/2012/09/garlic-parmesan-pull-apart-bread/

Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread
source: adapted from Pastry Affair

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) instant yeast
• 1 1/3 cups warm water
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) salted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp dried parsley flakes or 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

The dough after the first proof

Butter, parsley, seasoning, and mmmm garlic!

1. In the bowl of the stand mixer, stir together the yeast and water. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until yeast is somewhat dissolved. Mix in the olive oil, salt, and flour. Using the dough hook, knead the dough for 5 minutes, or until elastic. (Alternatively, you can mix the ingredients in a large bowl then knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is elastic, 7-10 minutes.) Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.   

 2. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, parsley, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic. Set aside.

 
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Ready to go in the oven

4. Gently push the air out of the dough. Tear off a golf ball-size piece of dough, roll in the butter mixture, and place in the bottom of a Bundt pan. Repeat this process until you have one layer of dough balls. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Continue layering the dough balls and cheese until you have 3 layers. (Note: We ended up with only 2 layers but the bread still turned out fine.) Cover the pan with a clean towel or plastic wrap and allow the dough to double in size, 20-30 minutes.

5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bread is golden brown. Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes then invert the pan onto a large serving plate and let the bread fall out of the pan.  Serve hot.

the end result

My notes: Since you have to proof it twice, it actually took a lot longer than I thought it would. But with my Kitchenaid mixer, this recipe was a snap. And fresh out of the oven? Heaven and loveliness. I modified the recipe by putting FOUR (yes, count them FOUR) cloves of garlic because the husband is Romanian and a bigger garlic lover than I (who would have thought it possible, but it is). I also used Trader Joe's romano parmesan instead of fresh because I was too lazy to actually grind it up in the food processor. I'm not sure if I had "Italian seasoning" (it's an Italian spice mix), so for good measure, I threw in a few dashes of Johnny's Garlic spread and seasoning. I use that stuff on EVERYTHING (goes great with roasted potatoes) and available at Costco in of course, Costco-size.

I don't own a bundt pan so I used my tube pan instead. Hopefully I didn't ruin it by spraying Pam all over it. It didn't make three layers of dough, just one and a few balls in the second layer. Still took about 20 minutes to bake.

The end result was a little salty but tasty! It was fun pulling it apart and dipping it into our soup. To store, I put in a plastic bag and knotted the top to seal the air out. Had another piece today and it's still soft and lovely and yes, very garlicky. Will make this again but will consider using another pan instead of the tube pan. Maybe a loaf pan instead?

Chateau Doisy-Vedrines

Mela came back from Bordeau a month ago and of course, she returned with wine. This is a bottle that she shared with me a 2002 Chateau Doisy-Vedrines. When she saw the cork, she said the Grand-Cru stamp meant that it was an excellent vineyard. A quick wiki search returned the following:

"
Grand cru (French for great growth) is a regional wine classification that designates a vineyard known for its favorable reputation in producing wine. Although often used to describe grapes, wine or cognac, the term is not technically a classification of wine quality per se, but is intended to indicate the potential of the vineyard or terroir. It is the highest level of classification of AOC wines from Burgundy or Alsace. The same term is applied to Châteaux in Saint-Émilion, although in that region it has a different meaning and does not represent the top tier of classification. In Burgundy the level immediately below grand cru is known as premier cru, sometimes written as 1er cru.^[6]"

 I don't by any means have a sophisticated enough palate to distinguish what made it a good wine, but it was tasty. Very flavourful and very sweet. Like crazy sweet. Although it smelled like brown sugar, it also had a high alcohol scent and the lines on the glass told me that probably wasn't far from the truth. But it didn't taste like it. The husband said it reminded him of the top of a creme brulee. Mela drank three glasses. It was delicious and I felt honored that she would share it with me. A great wine with an acidic or spicy pairing (I unfortunately only had triple lemon biscuits from TJ's and wasabi seaweed) but it wasn't bad.

Fuzion

 Christmas season = Family time, vacation, work parties and... Secret Santa gift exchanges. This year was a bit ridiculous for me. Since I switched jobs halfway through the year and my new job has a team, a department and building party planning committees, there was a ridiculous amount of holiday festivities.

A safe bet if you're doing a secret santa gift swap with gift stealing is booze. To give or to receive. (Lotto tickets also work well but I find booze to be more instantaneously fulfilling). Anyway, I ended up with this bottle of fuzion. I expect it was under $15 since that was the max amount for our exchange. At two separate gift exchanges it showed up so I figure it must be a pretty decent wine.

Being a blend of Shiraz and Malbec, you'd expect something typically spicy. Surprisingly, it was quite smooth and mellow. An easy to drink wine that would pair well with a steak dinner. I had it on its own and it wasn't 'OHMIGOD, this is AMAZING', but a nice 'I could drink this again'. I might even buy it if I were going to a friends house for dinner. 8 out of 10.

Lemony Lemon Brownies

Damn you, Pinterest. It's visual crack and I can't stop pinning!

A friend Victoria recently pinned a recipe for "lemony lemon brownies". Sounds gross, right? Brownies to me mean chocolate. Don't worry - this recipe doesn't have any of that. It's more a lemon-bar, really. Anyway, wanted to bake something to take to a Christmas party and this recipe seemed super simple.

The original recipe site:
https://sites.google.com/site/beckycharms/cakies/lemony-lemon-brownies

The "Brownie" Batter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour {King Arthur All-Purpose Flour}

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt {Sea Salt}

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Tart Lemon Glaze

1 rounded cup powdered sugar

4 tablespoon lemon juice

8 teaspoons lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease/Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with butter/cooking spray and set aside. 

Zest and juice two small/large lemons; set aside. {whatever you have}

In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Pour into the flour mixture and beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. 

Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before glazing.  Do not overbake, or the bars will be dry. {even with the yummy glaze}

When brownies are cooled completely, make the glaze...sift the powdered sugar, add lemon zest and juice, and whisk together all three ingredients. Spread 1/2 the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula.  Let glaze set.  Spread the remaining glaze over the bars, and let it set.  This glaze does not harden like most.  Cut into bars, and serve!

The batter looked heavenly after it was mixed. I wanted to eat the whole thing! It was like whipped lemon heaven. 

 

Unfortunately, I don't own an 8x8 pan only a 9x9 one and so the end result was kind of thin (like a little over a cm) after about 18 minutes. It didn't rise any. I used a silicone pan which made the brownie/cake tear when I popped it out. The glaze was runny (as warned) and it took about 4 small lemons to make it. Anyway, I used one of those flat scrapers to try and cut it and what a mess that made. I switched to a pizza cutter about 3/4's of the way through and that was a much, much better idea. Less mess and clean cuts!

 

The husband said it was tasty and my 2 year old toddler kept sneaking in and taking them. The people are the party I went to gave it high reviews too. Next time I make it I'd like to try and find a smaller pan.

Update March 3 2013: I've made this three more times since my initial attempt. I use my rectangular baking pan lined with parchment paper which works a lot better. Especially since I can just lift the parchment and put into a re-purposed chocolate tin. 

The first time I took it to a friend's house for her Oscars party. Either the lemons weren't super fresh or I stored them too close to a squash or used a knife that I had used to make squash soup (which I admit I made that same day), because it had a squashy flavour about it. Or maybe it was just the piece I got? One guy couldn't stop eating them. Nica said the last time I made them the bars were better.

The second time I took them into work. Weren't bad. I think I still overcooked them by a minute but the frosting really saved it. I selectively gave them out so had leftovers and when Nica and I ate them a couple of drunken nights later they were AWESOME. 

The third time I made them I used Trader Joe's gluten-free flour which you can use "cup for cup like real flour".  I wasn't sure of the chemistry of everything because after beating the butter, flour, sugar and salt, the resulting mixture was more solid and moist than crumbly like it normally is with regular flour. And after adding the lemon and egg mixture, it wasn't fluffy and creamy and almost looked like the lemon curdled. But I baked it anyway and it turned out super moist!  Thumbs up gluten-free recipe and in fact, I think I almost prefer it to the regular flour kind. Upping the rating from 8.5 to 9 out of 10. 

So my tips with this recipe?
* Use parchment paper to line whatever you're baking it in. Easier to transfer out of the pan (and clean), easier to hold in the glaze and easier to cut.
* Use a pizza cutter to slice the cake.
*  I used a KitchenAid mixer to mix everything. Probably not a tip since I'm sure you can still use an electric beater. I just wanted to point out that you don't HAVE to.
* You will need 6 (small) lemons to make this recipe and you will have leftover juice that you can freeze in ice cube trays for future use. 2 lemons for the cake, 4 lemons for the icing.

This is a super simple recipe that I can even get my toddler involved in. The hardest part is getting the rind off the lemons.

Ultimate meringue recipe

Going to a dinner tomorrow night and I can't have dairy and my sister can't have gluten. What to make?!!!

Meringue to the rescue! Trying this recipe out tonight: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2445/ultimate-meringue

I googled the conversion between grams and cups for the caster sugar and icing sugar but I might just break out my digital scale to make sure.

• 4 large organic egg whites , at room temperature
• 115g caster sugar (a little over 1/2 cup)
• 115g icing sugar (a little over 1 cup)

1. Preheat the oven to fan 100C/ conventional 110C/gas 1⁄4. Line 2 baking sheets with Bake-O-Glide non-stick liner or parchment paper (meringue can stick on greaseproof paper and foil).
2. Tip the 4 large egg whites into a large clean mixing bowl (not plastic). Beat them on medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture resembles a fluffy cloud and stands up in stiff peaks when the blades are lifted.
3. Now turn the speed up and start to add 115g caster sugar, a dessertspoonful at a time. Continue beating for 3-4 seconds between each addition. It's important to add the sugar slowly at this stage as it helps prevent the meringue from weeping later. However, don't over-beat. When ready, the mixture should be thick and glossy.
4. Sift one third of the 115g icing sugar over the mixture, then gently fold it in with a big metal spoon or rubber spatula. Continue to sift and fold in the remaining icing sugar a third at a time. Again, don't over-mix. The mixture should now look smooth and billowy, almost like a snow drift.
5. Scoop up a heaped dessertspoonful of the mixture. Using another dessertspoon, ease it on to the baking sheet to make an oval shape (pic 3). Or just drop them in rough rounds, if you prefer. Bake for 1 1⁄2-1 3⁄4 hours in a fan oven, 1 1⁄4 hours in a conventional or gas oven, until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath and are a pale coffee colour. Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack. (The meringues will now keep in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for a month.) Serve two meringues sandwiched together with a generous dollop of softly whipped double cream.

Strawberry layer cake with whipped strawberry frosting

There's a lady at work who makes AMAZING cakes. I'm going to nickname her the cake lady. She brought one in the other day for someone's birthday and it was delicious - strawberry cake! It wasn't super light and had a heavy texture about it but I thought the strawberry taste might be a hit with kids. She forwarded me the recipe and here it is. Who would have thought - jello in a cake mix!

Yield: One 3-layer, 8-inch round cake

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1-3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
• 1 (85 g) package strawberry flavored gelatin (such as Jell-O)
• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 3 cups (300 g) sifted cake & pastry flour
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon (5 g) salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) strawberry puree made from frozen strawberries (puree itself should be closer to room temp, not frozen or icy)

For the Frosting:

• 3 sticks + 2 tablespoons (375 g) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
• 4 cups sifted (500 g) confectioners' sugar (icing, powdered), sifted
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) milk
• 1-1/2 teaspoon (7.5 ml) pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) strawberry puree made from frozen strawberries (if you want the frosting seed-free, you can put the puree through a sieve before adding to frosting)

Instructions

For the Cake:

1. If you're making your own strawberry puree, remove frozen strawberries (about 2 handfuls) from freezer and place in a single layer in a flat dish to thaw slightly. Place into food processor and puree the strawberries until smooth. Stir to ensure it is nice and smooth and not icy. Measure out 1/4 cup for cake and 3 tablespoons for frosting, and freeze the remaining puree for another use.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter, line with parchment, and flour three round 8-inch pans, tapping out the excess. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir the milk, strawberry puree, and the vanilla. Set aside. Sift and whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl, and set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar, gelatin, and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with spatula.
6. Add the wet & dry ingredients to the creamed mixture by alternating--beginning and ending with dry ingredients and mixing just enough after each addition to incorporate, but not over-mix.
7. Divide the batter in three, spreading it evenly with a small offset palette knife. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh each pan filled with batter, to ensure 3 even layers. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center. Be so careful to not over-bake. Check cakes at 20 minutes, but not before, and once you feel it's almost ready, set the timer for 2 minute intervals. Let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides with a small metal spatula, and invert onto greased wire racks. Gently turn cakes back up, so the tops are up and cool completely.
8. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Best eaten day one.

For the Frosting:

9. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed (I use "4" on my KitchenAid). Butter will become very pale & creamy.
10. Add remaining ingredients, except strawberry puree, and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 6 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy and fluffy. Add strawberry puree (can be cool, but not frozen or icy) and mix until incorporated.

Assembly of the Strawberry Layer Cake with Whipped Strawberry Frosting:

11. Place a cake layer face-up on cake plate or 8" round thin cake board. Place 1 cup of frosting on top, and spread evenly with a small offset palette knife.
12. Repeat until you come to final layer and place final layer, face-down. Place a generous scoop of frosting on top, spreading evenly with a small offset palette knife and working your way down the sides until you have a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake. Use a bench scraper to achieve very smooth sides. Chill until set, about 30 minutes.
13. Remove from refrigerator and cover with a final layer of frosting. Finish with any decorations of choice, or frosting borders.

NOTES:

** The icing on my cake was slightly different from this recipe.  I added a brick of white bakers chocolate to the Frosting recipe.  Melt the chocolate in the microwave (should take about 45 seconds).  Allow it to cool down but not harden.  Make the frosting as per instructions and the gradually add the white chocolate in.  Mix well.  This frosting will be soft, but once refrigerated it will be stiff.

** You may need to double the recipe for cupcakes as this cake does not really rise.  Usually you would fill the cupcake tins ¾ full.  For this recipe, fill the cupcake cups closer to the top. 

Your icing color will look pale pink like this.  To add color, use gel paste coloring.  If you use the liquid coloring, you may need to add a bit more icing sugar to the frosting.

Chewy Chcolate Chip Cookies

Here's a chewy chocolate chip recipe that Trang gave me: http://www.freestylefarm.ca/2011/04/03/the-best-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies/

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

A perfect balance of crispy & chewy cookies, yields 3-4 dozen depending on how big you make them.

Wet Ingredients:

• ½ cup (or one stick) Melted Unsalted Butter
• ¼ cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• ½ tsp Salt
  
• 1 cup Chocolate Chips (semi-sweet)
• 1½ cup Oatmeal

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Combined melted butter, oil and sugar in a medium size bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until smooth and glossy.
2. Add whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon (sprinkle and distribute evenly) into wet mixture, and mix well. You should probably combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl first before adding, but this works too.
3. Add oatmeal and chocolate chips, and cut into the dough mixture.
4. Use two teaspoons to make ping-pong size balls, and drop onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Leave room in between for cookies to spread.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, ovens vary, so keep an eye and look for browning around the outside edge. A lighter brown cookie (slighter under done) for a chewier cookie, an darker brown for a crispier cookie. They will be very soft straightout of the oven, let them cool a bit to crisp up before handling or they will break.

December 23, 2012 update: I finally had time to bake these. Not bad... but not the best ever. I took them out early so they'd be chewy. Husband said they were fine but something was missing or... just not quite right. The search for the perfect cookie will continue.

Asian Coleslaw Recipe

It's always nice when you work with colleagues who have healthy habits and good recipes. Trang has given me two more to try. The first is an Asian coleslaw and the other is a chewy chocolate chip cookie.

Here's the slaw recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/asian-coleslaw/detail.aspx?scale=5&ismetric=0

I'm always on the hunt for a good dressing that integrates peanut butter. She substitutes the three tablespoons of vegetable oil with one vegetable oil and two tablespoons of water to cut down on the fat. She says it's makes it a little runnier, but still tasty.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons and 1-1/2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

2-1/4 teaspoons minced garlic 2-1/2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage 1 cup shredded napa cabbage 1 red bell peppers, thinly sliced 1 carrots, julienned 3 green onions, chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

You have scaled this recipe's ingredients to yield a new amount (5). The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield (10).

1.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic.

2.

In a large bowl, mix the green cabbage, red cabbage, napa cabbage, red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro. Toss with the peanut butter mixture just before serving. Update December 23, 2012: I meant to write my review of this when I made it a few weeks ago. OHMIGOD it's delicious! I am a stickler for keeping to an original recipe so it took me a couple days to collect all the ingredients, but the dressing was ridiculously good. I always find myself in stores looking for a good peanut butter satay sauce and nothing ever lives up. But this? Totally hits the spot for the sweet and salty combination. It would be great with satays and salads.

Trang's Brownie Recipe

It's funny how some things come full circle. Years ago I worked on an IT project with some folks who went their separate ways as the project wound down. The IT world is small though and somehow some of us all came together again, this time in operational positions.

Two of the girls I worked with, Trang and Victoria, now work with me and Victoria is home of many of the recent recipes I've posted. When I gushed about a brownie recipe, she reminded me that Trang had one of the best. I scratched my head. I couldn't remember this. She said Trang had brought it in once and our PM, who usually never eats sweets, couldn't stop. So I asked Trang for the recipe and here it is! I can't wait to try it out. She says it's a "Best of Bridge" recipe.

Fantastic Fudge Brownies
Brownies:
1 cup butter (=250 ml)
2 cups sugar ( = 500 ml)
1/4 cup cocoa powder (= 60ml)
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp, vanilla (= 5 ml)
1 cup flour (250 ml)
1 cup chopped walnuts of pecans (250 ml)

Icing
2 cups icing sugar (500 ml)
2 tbsp butter (30 ml)
2 tbsp cocoa powder (30ml)
2 tbsp boiling water (30ml)
2 tsp vanilla (10 ml)

To make brownies: cream together butter, sugar and cocoa powder. Mix in beaten eggs and vanilla. Add flour and stir. Fold in nuts. Bake in a greased 9x13" pan at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Top will appear to be underdone (falls in middle) but don't overcook. Should be moist and chewy.

To make icing: beat all ingredients together while brownies are baking. Pour on top as soon as brownies come out of oven. it will melt into a shiny glaze.

Apothic Red

This is a food and WINE blog... so where's the wine, you ask? Good point. I haven't reviewed wines for so long which doesn't by any means mean that I haven't been drinking it... just bad at reviewing and posting!

I have to credit Andrea for introducing me to this next wine - Apothic Red. It retails for about $20 in BC Liquor stores and half the price down in the States. Yes, I know. We get ripped off.

Here's a link to their website: http://www.apothic.com/wine.html

Essentially, in lamen's terms, Apothic is a shit mix of varieties. But a GOOD shitmix. It has Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blended together for this smooth, chocolately velvet taste. Fantastic smooth finish. None of that gross dryness or tannins on your tongue afterwards. You should probably let it breathe a few minutes before drinking but I had bought one of those Vinturi wine decanters and none of us could taste the difference. Maybe I wasn't drunk enough but this wine sure had me reaching for my glass a lot!

Anyway, all in all a great wine. Sophisticated label, worth the price range (even at $20) and a bargain if half the price.

Home made granola bars

My sister Jen came over the other day with her kids and father-in-law after we visited the pumpkin patch. She also brought cinnamon buns (which we promptly consumed by Nica) and homemade granola. Now normally I detest granola. I find it way too chewy and dry and... healthy (Lord forbid). But I took one bite of hers and I couldn't stop! I asked for piece after piece until it was all gone (sorry kids).

Surprisingly, Ariana who normally eats everything didn't like it even though it had raisins and it was sweet. Must have been the texture.

Here is the recipe that I can't wait to try out:

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/gluten_free_chewy_honey_nut_snack_bars.php

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (60 mL) almond butter or natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) liquid honey
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) cinnamon
• 2/3 cup (150 mL) gluten-free large-flake rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped dates
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) hulled unsalted sunflower seeds
• 1 egg white

Preparation

In saucepan, bring almond butter, honey, brown sugar, oil, salt and cinnamon to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in bowl, combine rolled oats, pecans, dates and sunflower seeds; set aside.

Whisk egg white into honey mixture; fold in oat mixture until evenly coated. Press firmly into parchment paper–lined or greased foil-lined 8-inch (2 L) square cake pan.

Bake in 325°F (160°C) oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Cut into bars.

Lemon Blueberry Cake

Going to a girlfriend's house tomorrow and I've been dying to make some moist lemon blueberry cake. Victoria (again), had this recipe to share. Going to try this one and another one I found on Allrecipes.com. We'll see how they compare! I think Victoria's will be quite moist because she has sour cream in it (and I love baking breads and cakes with sour cream because it makes them super moist). I'm not a fan of those crumbly cakes. Anyway, stay tuned for results!

Lemon Blueberry Cake:

2 ¼ cup fresh blueberries

16 tbsp (2 sticks) softened butter

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

3 eggs

3 cups flour

1 cup sour cream

1 ½ tsp baking soda

Glaze:

2 cups icing sugar

½ cup fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F. butter/line a 10 inch tube pan

Freeze blueberries, this will keep the berries from sinking to the bottom of the cake

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar, lemon zest at high speed unti light in colour. Add lemon juice, eggs, and 1 cup of flour. Mix at medium speed until the batter is smooth and well blended.

Add sour cream, another cup of flour, and the baking soda. Mix at low speed until no traces of flour remain.

Combine frozen blueberries with remaining cup of flour. Fold this mixture into the batter, which should feel very thick.

Spoon dough into the prepared tube pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Let the cake cool completely before removing it from its pan.

Glaze: Mix together confectioners sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over the cake.

October 5th update: 
Made the loaf last night - Ariana helped! We did have one egg fatality. 

Baking notes:
Instead of one big loaf, made four mini loaves and some mini cupcakes too. I think my icing sugar was too old or maybe I didn't whip it enough because it had lumps in it and was really runny. I've given one loaf to Ariana's daycare (with the glaze in a separate container) and will take one to my mom's tonight as well as Julie's. Nica and Ariana both ate some this morning for breakfast and Nica originally gave it an 8.5 out of 10 but upped it to 9 out of 10 when he couldn't come up with why. He said he really liked the lemon-y taste. Ariana on her first taste test, picked out all the blueberries so all I saw on the floor were lemon crumbles.

 I forgot to add the baking soda when adding the flour the second time and only folded the baking soda in, instead of mixing it thoroughly. Not sure what affect this has had on the results, but it seems ok so far. I used pastry flour instead of all-purpose which should helped give it a lighter texture (versus heavy loaf). Seemed to work pretty well. 

I have no idea how cake shops do it, but I'm trying to figure out how they get a soft top to their loaves. This one, when finally baked, has a hardened top.  Maybe it's just how my oven works?