Baking on a Budget: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

I believe that, even in a small-scale, personal economic crisis (or a big one), one should indulge every so often. Cookies are simple to bake, lift the spirits and, more importantly, stave off the symptoms of SAD (seasonal affected disorder) and PMS (no explanation necessary, I hope). A homemade cookie is also a treat that potentially will not break the bank.

Last week, I decided to bake chocolate chip cookies that both I and my vegan roommate Ruchi could enjoy. But how to do it on a budget? Vegan baking sometimes requires ingredients that I don't typically have on hand. However, when I Googled "vegan chocolate chip cookies", to my surprise, the first recipe that came up required nothing that I didn't already have on my shelves besides vegan chocolate chips. The recipe, from VegWeb.com (a site that features recipes, forums, coupons, and social networking), was so simple that I almost didn't think the cookies would turn out well. I was happily mistaken.

One of the things that usually turns me off about vegan cookies is the texture. Many vegan cookies are chewy, thick, and fibrous (i.e., they're 'healthy' cookies with lots of bran and oats thrown in for texture). These cookies are soft and the cinnamon gives the impression that they are melting in your mouth.

We shared the cookies at our Diwali party the next day, and everyone agreed that they were fabulous cookies, even before finding out they were vegan!

I think it's very important to follow the preparation instructions to a "T." Especially the part about mixing the oil and sugar together separately before adding it to the dry ingredients. I believe that this is the secret to the soft and delicious texture. I did need to add about 1/2 cup more of flour as the dough was clearly too wet with only 2 cups of flour, so I reflected this in the reprinted recipe below. I used about 1 tsp of ground cinnamon, but you can leave the cinnamon out (I don't really recommend it though: I think the cinnamon is what makes these cookies shine). I also did not use raw sugar, just regular granulated sugar. Some vegans do not use regular granulated sugar because it is processed using bone char. I opted out of purchasing special sugar since my roommate is not particular about what kind of sugar she eats.

Oh, and here's another tip if you have a Trader Joe's near you: their semi-sweet chocolate chips are vegan (i.e., there are no milk products or butter in them) and cost only $1.99 for a 12 oz. bag! Enjoy!

Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Vegweb.com

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
cinnamon to taste (optional)
vegan chocolate or carob chips - put in as many as you like
1 scant cup sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup water

Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. It will work if they're not at room temp but it works MUCH better if they are.

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon. Add the chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix sugar and oil very well. Add the vanilla, and then add the water, mixing well. Add the wet ingredients to the well in the dry ingredients. Mix, being careful not to overwork it. Add more chocolate chips if you so desire. Spoon the dough onto ungreased cookie sheets (about 1 TBSP per cookie).

Bake 8-12 minutes. The cookies are done when they seem a little bit softer then you want them to be. They will harden up some as they cool.

Fruity Booty: What to Do With 25 Pounds of Apples

"I need you to think of what we can do with 25 lbs of apples."

This was the text message I received from Karl last Friday as I was on my way to have one last relaxing day at the pool before really settling in to my law school routine. What followed was a conversation on the phone, somewhat miffed on my part and unrelentingly jubilant on his, about where he had come by a garbage-bag full of apples, just who was going to peel and cut up all those darn things, etc.

Of course, I never really felt too annoyed that he had acquired so much free fruit. He had discovered an apple tree on Duquesne University's campus and simply helped himself.

A couple of days later, we both sat down (I was still pretending to be grudging about my assistance) and started peeling with the intention of making a big pot of applesauce. We had also scored some $1-per-pound strawberries at Stan's in the Strip District of Penn Avenue that were just past their peak (but all the sweeter for it), so we were also planning to make a strawberry-applesauce.

Making apple sauce couldn't be simpler...well, unless you prefer what I call "baby food" applesauce, which has the silky smooth texture. If you like chunky apple sauce, all you need to do is chop up your peeled apples, throw them in a large pot with a few inches of water, and cook away until they are soft. Add a little salt and the spices you like to taste (we added lots of cinnamon and a few pinches of nutmeg) and you are on your way! We used a potato masher to help break down our apples, but some apples, I am told, will simply break down on their own. If you have sweet apples like we did, you probably don't need to add much, if any, sugar. Tarter apples can handle more sugar (Disregard the latter two sentences if you like your applesauce super sweet). We added about 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar, which gave our applesauce a lovely golden brown color.

For the strawberry apple sauce, we sliced up the strawberries and began cooking them down separately from the apples. Then, when the strawberries and apples were soft, we added a few cups of the soft apples to the strawberries. We also added a little brown sugar to this, but I don't think we needed it. No spices necessary either! I must say, of the two, the strawberry applesauce is my favorite. We made buckwheat pancakes the next morning and put the strawberry applesauce on them, and wow, was that delicious!

We also set aside a good number of apples to make an apple cake (recipe courtesy of Karl's mother) and an apple pie. I haven't made the apple pie yet, and I may mix in some apples from the store because, though these apples from Duquesne are as sweet as sweet can be, they are completely devoid of any acidity. For my tastes, a little tartness in an apple pie is absolutely vital. I also felt that the applesauce was a bit lacking for this reason, but it still tasted great. There's nothing like "free" to make something taste better (I'm starting to sound like my sometimes freegan sister!).

The apple cake turned out wonderfully. I got to use my bundt cake pan finally (I have had the darn thing for 5 years and I've never once used it until this week). We put it out for my and my roommate Ruchi's No-Meat-Week potluck/recipe exchange extravaganza, and everyone who made it to dessert (we had a lot of food!) and had a piece of cake really enjoyed it. The cake is moist and just sweet enough. My sister said it needed a glaze of some sort (an optional one was included in the recipe, but I decided against using it at Karl's behest), though I had a slice with vanilla ice cream and thought it tasted just heavenly. I'll definitely be adding that recipe to my collection of keepers, and I hope you will give it a try, too, if you are of the baking bent.

Apple Cake
(from the kitchen of Helen Andersen)

1 & 1/6 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
4 medium-sized apples, sliced fine and roughly chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325˚F.

Mix the oil, sugar, and eggs together, and beat on low speed with electric hand mixer until well-blended. Fold in the apples and chopped nuts. Sift the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, then and stir in to other ingredients, also adding the vanilla. Grease and flour your baking pan(s). Bake in two 9-inch pans for 35-40 minutes, or 1-13x9 inch pan for 45 minutes. You may also bake in a bundt pan for 35-40 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness.

Side Note: I just noticed that Helen's recipe actually says to place your cake batter in a cold oven, set the dial to 325˚F and keep it in there for 45 minutes. I will be trying this method next time!

Glaze (optional)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter with light brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the evaporated milk and allow the mixture to come to a full boil for 5-10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes. Add vanilla and mix well. Frost cake.

Fresh Blueberry Pie

Apparently, my unconscious goal for the summer has been to make a pie per week. I indulged Karl the week before July 4th by making another strawberry rhubarb pie, then he requested that I make an apple pie for a July 4th picnic (very American, right)? Last week was the week of trying something new: blueberry pie made without opening a can of pie filling.

Blueberries were on sale at Giant Eagle for 2 pints for $5 (a pretty good deal considering that they usually run at least $4 per pint), so I figured it was a good time to experiment. I dusted off my trusty pie cookbook, 365 Great Pies You Can Bake (which was only dusty from having recently been floured for rolling out pie dough along with the rest of the kitchen table), and set to work.

I learned something about blueberry pie: blueberries, when cooked, don't taste like much. I kept wondering why the recipe called for lemon juice, lemon zest, and mace (I substituted allspice). Fresh blueberries are so delightful, but you will notice that they are not very acidic like most berries and fruits. I hypothesize that this lack of acidity is what causes the flavor of blueberries to diminish instead of increase when intense heat is applied.

I would certainly be interested to know if there is a trick to "brightening" the flavor of blueberry, or intensifying it. Usually lemon does the trick, but I honestly felt the lemon just blanketed the blueberries and hid their flavor.

Anyway, I obviously wasn't wild about the blueberry pie, because it just tasted far to lemon-y to me. Karl did not agree. I'm pretty sure that he has never met a [fruit] pie he wouldn't eat or rave about, so all's well that ends well.

Next time, I also intend to add a little more flour (I've reflected this in the recipe below) because the juices didn't quite thicken enough.

Any suggestions for my next pie?

Blueberry Pie
Yields 1 9-inch pie

Your favorite double-crust recipe
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1/2 to 1 TBSP for dusting
4 TBSP flour
1 tsp allspice
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 TBSP lemon zest
2 pints fresh blueberries, stems removed
2 TBSP butter, cut up in small pieces

Preheat the oven to 425˚F.

Roll out the bottom crust.

Mix the sugar, flour and allspice together. Add the lemon juice, zest, and blueberries, and gently mix (without crushing the berries) to completely coat the berries. Pour the blueberry mixture into the pie shell.

Dot the top of the blueberry mixture with the cut up butter.

Roll out the top crust. I cut mine into strips to make a lattice-top pie, but you could just cover the top if you like. If you do, remember to poke some holes in the top to vent. Sprinkle the top crust with 1/2 to 1 TBSP of sugar

Bake for 10 minutes at 425˚F, then lower the heat to 350˚F and bake for 30 minutes more.

Baking Frenzy: Lemon Meringue Pie

Thanks for coming back! I know I haven't updated in a few weeks, thanks to law school finals taking over my life, but I never stopped baking! For one thing, I had to finish up the last two installments of the auction's "Month of Pie" lot for the winning bidder. His last two pie choices were cherry and lemon meringue.

I never liked lemon meringue pie growing up. I think the texture of meringue didn't sit well with my untrained palate, and the lemon pudding part was never very lemony. I now know that my mother used a mix for the pudding, and after last week's hugely successful first attempt of my own at making one, I also know that making your own filling from scratch makes an unbeatable lemon meringue pie.

I dug up a recipe from a FoodieView search for lemon meringue pie, and I actually followed it to the letter for once, unless you count doubling it so I could have a "control" pie. I'm not sure what the ginger snaps really added to the final product, so this weekend, when I bake another pie for my mom, I might leave them out.

My favorite part of the process was making the lemon filling. When you're cooking the solution of water, sugar, cornstarch and salt on the stovetop, it's a milky white soupy liquid right up until it starts to boil. Then it magically transforms into a clear, thick gelatin. If you are using a nonstick saucepan, I highly recommend that you have a good silicon or heat-resistant whisk that is not flimsy. It needs to be able to stir a thick solution. I actually had to switch to my steel whisk after the solution thickened, which is definitely a no-no with nonstick cookware!

One final tip: squeeze your own lemon juice! One lemon should do it, and, really, you need the zest from that lemon or your lemon meringue pie will fall flat (and I am not talking about the meringue). My favorite juicer for citrus is one of these gadgets. They're about $12 on Amazon.com, but I have seen them pretty cheap in other kitchen stores. They make juicing lemons MUCH easier than spraining your wrists on the old fashioned kind.

For tips on how to make a meringue successfully, check out this helpful website at WhatsCookingAmerica.net. Granted, the following recipe creates a much heavier, denser meringue due to the extra sugar and vanilla extract, so don't expect it to be a mile high...but it will taste amazing if you follow the instructions!

Lemon Meringue Pie
Yields 1 9-inch pie

Use your favorite pie crust recipe and pre-bake in a 9-inch pie pan. To blind-bake, line the top of the crust with parchment paper and fill shallowly with dried beans or baking beads. Allow to cool while you make the filling and meringue.

Filling:
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups cold water
4 large egg yolks
1 TBSP lemon zest (one lemon)
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1/4 cup lemon juice (one lemon)
3 ginger snaps, finely crushed

Meringue:
1/3 cup sugar
8 tsp confectioner's sugar
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Sprinkle the crushed ginger snap cookies evenly across the bottom of the pie crust.

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stir the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in the cold water. Bring the mixture to a boil (increase the heat to medium high if necessary), whisking almost constantly. This should take about 5-8 minutes. Once the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium low and allow to cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks well. Add a small amount of the hot sugar solution to the egg yolks while whisking. Repeat several times (this helps to temper the egg yolks so they won't scramble). Slowly pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan, whisking to combine. It is important not to overmix at this point, so cook about another minute while stirring slowly, then remove from the heat.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the lemon zest and the butter. When the butter has melted, stir in the lemon juice until just combined. Pour the mixture into the pie crust shell.

While the mixture is still hot, quickly make the meringue. Mix the sugar and confectioner's sugar in a small bowl. In a large stainless steel bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites on medium speed until they are frothy. Continue beating and add the cream of tartar, then increase the speed to medium high. Beat until the egg whites form firm peaks but still appear shiny and wet. Then gradually (while continuing to beat), add the sugar mixture a tablespoon at a time over the course of 1 minute. I find it helpful to have someone help me at this point so I don't lose control of the bowl or the mixer. After the sugar is completely incorporated, add the vanilla. Beat for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer, until the whites are thick and glossy and form firm peaks. Do not overbeat!

Use a large spoon to drop the meringue in mounds around the edge of the lemon filling, then fill in the center. Use the back of your spoon to spread the meringue around. Make sure the meringue is spread out completely to the edges of the crust so that it forms a complete seal (this will help prevent weeping). Do not allow any part of the pie to be uncovered.

I also recommend using the back of the spoon to form decorative little peaks (or spikes) with the meringue. This not only creates the classic presentation of lemon meringue pie, but serves the useful purpose of indicating when your meringue is perfectly cooked (the peaks bake faster than the rest, so they turn brown more quickly).

Immediately place the pie into the oven for 6-8 minutes, or until the peaks are turning golden brown.

Cool completely before serving. I also recommend keeping the pie in a draft-free, somewhat warm area (above 65˚F), since cold air can cause your meringue to flatten out.

DO NOT REFRIGERATE! Refrigeration is death to meringue. Instead, eat your pie within two days, and you won't have to worry about spoiling.

Baking Frenzy: Pecan Pie

Recently, I donated a baked goods lot to an auction for my law school's public interest law organization. The auction is annually a huge success, and I thought it would be fun to use my skill to help a good cause (and also to give me an excuse to bake more!). Well, my "Month of Pie" was sold for $100! Pretty exciting, but it put me under a lot of pressure to perform. The lot included 4 pies of the winner's choosing, one per week for the month of April.

This week, the second, a pecan pie was requested. I have never made a pecan pie, and I actually couldn't recall ever having eaten one. So I trolled through a bunch of recipes on the internet, read a ton of reviews, and finally selected "Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie", as originally printed in the November 1997 issue of Bon Appétit.

I did make a few changes to the recipe, which are reflected below, since many of the reviews had made comments as to the crust, the insufficient amount of filling, the way-too-long baking time, etc. I made two pies so I could have a control (in case they turned out gross...I wouldn't want to give a bad pie to the auction winner!)...and so Karl and I could eat some pie!

The pie is really quite nice, although I found it really sweet. I think next time I would like to experiment with cutting back on the sugar, and possibly adding some spice (cinnamon or clove). I'd also like to try using molasses, which is probably a more traditional ingredient than corn syrup.

Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie
Yield: 2 9-inch pies

For Two Crusts:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
4-7 TBSP ice cold water

For Filling:
2 cups chopped pecans
2 cups sugar
6 extra large eggs
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 TBSP bourbon
6 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 to 1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Arrange the chopped pecans (not the pecan halves) in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and toast in the oven for 8 or 9 minutes. Be careful not to burn them...if you start to smell roasting nuts before time is up, they are done! Set aside to cool.

To make the crust, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it is the consistency of cornmeal. Add the water 1 TBSP at a time, using a fork to toss the flour mixture. Only add enough water for the dough to form and stick together. Form the dough into a ball, and cut it in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer until ready to roll out.

To make the filling, mix the sugar, eggs, corn syrup, honey, bourbon, butter, and vanilla extract with a whisk until combined. Make sure the melted butter is not too hot, or the eggs might scramble. Add the toasted chopped pecans to the mixture. Set aside.

Take the crust out of the freezer and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out each half ball into a 12-inch diameter circle. Transfer to pie plates and crimp the crusts decoratively. Give the filling a good last mix, then pour half into each pie crust.

Use the pecan halves to decorate the top of the pie. Gently place them, flat side down, on the top of the pie (they should float). Cover as much of the surface of the pies as you would like.

Bake the pies at 350˚F for about 50 minutes, or until filling is mostly set and only wobbles a little bit when you gently shake the pan. At about 40 minutes, loosely cover the pies with aluminum foil to prevent the crust and pecans from burning. Take out of the oven and cool completely before serving or refrigerating. Garnish with a dollop of freshly whipped cream!

Baking Frenzy: Pizza

This weekend, I made two more loaves of that fantastic Cinnamon Raisin Bread: one for my parents, and one for Karl. It really is an incredible bread!

In addition, I treated my parents to a hot meal Saturday night, the day of the week that dinner in their house consists of leftovers or hot dogs. So, I decided to make them pizza. And since I'm on a baking kick, nothing but a home-made pizza crust would do!

I found a simple recipe on Food Network's website. I didn't use a food processor to make the dough as the recipe mandates: why make an extra mess? I also ignored the fancy-schmancy toppings it suggested. I am in the throes of spring right now, and I'm so excited that I can get some yummy fresh vegetables! I wanted to take advantage of that, so I picked up some crimini mushrooms, baby spinach, a red bell pepper (on sale at Giant Eagle for $1.99/lb! Are you kidding me?), fresh basil, and some tomatoes. So exciting.

I was lazy and bought pizza sauce, though. My sauces never seem to turn out right: always a little bitter. I'll have to see what I can do for next time.

The pizzas turned out great! The crust was soft on the inside and chewy/crisp on the outside. I made two, one with the mushrooms, spinach and bell pepper, and one with tomato & basil (the bomb!). Topped with lots of shredded mozzarella, they were a delight that cannot be gotten from delivery pizza.

A sure sign of success: my dad complimented me, despite the lack of greasy pepperoni or sausage.

Pizza Dough

¼ cup warm water (about 110˚F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
4 cups bread flour
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups cold water
1 TBSP olive oil
Yellow cornmeal, for sprinkling the baking sheet

In a small bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and sugar. Stir with a whisk or a fork to combine. In a large bowl, stir flour and salt with a wire whisk. Add the yeast mixture, cold water, and oil. Mix with a firm spatula or wooden spoon until a ball is formed. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for several minutes until dough is smooth. Allow dough to rest for 2 to 3 minutes, then place dough in oiled bowl. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Punch dough down, then let rise another 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500˚F.

Take dough out of bowl. Divide into 2 even balls. On a lightly floured surface, form two 10 to 14-inch pizza crusts. Place the crusts on pizza stones dusted with cornmeal. Place toppings on the crusts, then place the pizzas in the oven. They can be done separately if you only have one pizza stone. Bake until golden and cheese (if used) is bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Baking Frenzy: Cinnamon Raisin Bread

I think baking bread might be my calling. At least, it's my current obsession. There is something magical about the smell of yeast and getting my hands in the dough during the kneading process, and the heavenly scent of bread baking that really soothes and detoxifies me. This is a very good thing for my stress levels, but maybe not so much for my time management.

Karl bought me a 9x5 inch non-stick loaf pan in exchange for my promise to bake him some delicious breads. I started off with one of his favorites: cinnamon raisin bread. Why should he pay for a mediocre loaf of sugar-fied Pepperidge Farms cinnamon raisin bread when I can lovingly craft a delicious, hearty loaf from scratch?, I thought to myself.

I found this recipe through Project Foodie, a recipe search engine. There were a few changes I had to make to the recipe. For one, it called for way too much milk. I cut it down to 1 cup (instead of 1 cup plus 2 TBSP) and still needed to add about 3/4 cup more flour because the dough was too wet. I also added more raisins than the recipe called for, and used canola oil instead of cooking spray (which can be difficult to remove from nonstick cookware).

The bread turned out gorgeous: it's heavier than it looks, and dense, but somehow it is also light in texture. It makes great toast, and promises to hold up for the better part of a week (if it lasts that long!). I highly recommend it!

Miller’s Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Yields 1 loaf

1 cup raisins
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
2 ½ TBSP unsalted butter
3-to-4 cups bread flour, divided
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 TBSP ground cinnamon
¾ tsp salt
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
canola oil

Place raisins in a small saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Drain well.

Heat milk over low heat in a small, heavy saucepan to between 100°F and 110°F. Remove from heat. Add butter to pan, and stir until butter melts.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine 2 ¾ cups flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ¾ tsp salt, and yeast in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add the warm milk mixture and eggs to flour mixture, and stir until a soft dough forms. Add more flour, ¼ cup at a time, if necessary (you don’t want the dough to be very wet). Add raisins. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes). Add enough of remaining flour, 1 TBSP at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated lightly coated with canola oil, turning to coat top. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts. I like to put the bowl on top of the stove and turn the oven on to about 200˚F, since my apartment is not that warm. Allow the dough to rise 1 hour or until doubled in size. To test if dough is ready, gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough. Punch dough down, then fold the sides into the center. Cover and let rest 5 minutes.

Roll dough into a 14x7-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll up rectangle tightly, starting with a short edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets. Pinch seam and ends to seal. Place roll, seam side down, in a 9x5-inch loaf pan lightly coated with canola oil. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until loaf is browned on bottom and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Baking Frenzy: Cinnamon Pecan Cheesecake Bars

While shopping in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, Karl and I stopped in Penzey's Spices to ogle (and smell!) the myriad spice offerings. While there, Karl bought me a jar of their Sweet Curry Powder (thank you!), and I picked up a copy of their free catalog, which contained a few recipes. One of the recipes in the circular was for Cinnamon Pecan Cheesecake Bars. I had some leftover pecans from making Banana Nut Bread a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to give it a try. Besides, how can you go wrong with a cheesecake bar with a shortbread base?

YUM! That's all I have to say, really. I may eventually adapt this for a full cheesecake recipe. It literally tastes like a cinnamon roll cheesecake. Added bonus: you can use Neufschatel instead of cream cheese to at least pretend its not that bad for you!

Cinnamon Pecan Cheesecake Bars

Crumble Topping:
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 TBSP butter
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup pecans, chopped

Shortbread Base:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt

Filling:
2 8-oz. blocks Neufschatel (light cream cheese), softened to room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350˚ F.

To make the crumble topping, mix the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Using your hands, cut the flour mixture into the butter until crumbly. Mix in the vanilla extract and the pecans. Set aside.

Next, make the bar base. Beat the sugar and butter together with an electric hand mixer until fluffy. Beat in the egg. Gently mix in the flour and the salt. Grease a 9x13 inch glass baking pan, and press the shortbread mixture into the bottom. Bake in the 350˚F oven for about 15 minutes. While it's baking, make the filling.

Beat the Neufschatel with sugar until creamy. Then beat in the eggs until smooth. Pour over the baked bar base. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the filling, then put in the oven for another 25 minutes. Turn off the oven, and leave the oven door open with the bars inside for about 15 minutes, then remove, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.

Use a sharp knife to cut into squares (or just eat it voraciously out of the pan with a spoon!).

Baking Frenzy: Challah

Yesterday, while reading my usual run of Epicurious food blogs (the Epi-logs), I came across one that recommended three different recipe search sites, one of which was Project Foodie. I tested it out by searching for Challah recipes since I have been wanting to try making my own bread. I quickly found a recipe that satisfied me, and I wasted no time in trying it out.

Baking bread from scratch is so satisfying. There is something very comforting about the whole process of bringing together all the ingredients, then using your hands to knead and shape and punch the dough. I also enjoy the scent of the yeast as the dough rises, and, of course, the heavenly aroma of bread baking in a hot oven.

Challah is a traditional Jewish egg bread, usually consisting of three or six strands of dough braided together before baking. The finished product looks absolutely beautiful. I braided my loaf of challah with three strands: the six-strand braid looks a little complex to me (though I do want to try it some time).

I adapted the recipe I found on ProjectFoodie.com to make one loaf of challah instead of two, since I don't actually eat that much bread. I think next time I'll go ahead and make two loaves, and give the extra away as a gift: what could be a lovelier gift than a hand-crafted loaf of fresh bread?

Challah
Adapted from a recipe from "Secrets of a Jewish Baker" by George Greenstein

1/2 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast (3/4 TBSP)
1/2 egg, lightly beaten (use other half to brush loaf before baking)
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/8 cup canola oil
1/8 cup plus 3/4 tsp sugar
2 to 2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
Canola oil, for coating bowl
Cornmeal, for dusting baking pan

In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and allow to soften for about a minute or two. Add the 1/2 egg, egg yolks, oil, sugar, 2 cups of the flour, and the salt. Stir until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, adding more flour, a little bit at a time if the dough is sticky or very soft. The dough should be firm. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic and the gluten is well developed (5 to 10 minutes). When you push down, the dough should feel firm and push back.

Transfer to an oiled bowl. Turn to coat, and let rise, covered with a towel or plastic wrap, until tripled in volume (30 to 40 minutes). Punch down the dough (using your fist), then fold the outside edges into the center. Cover and allow to rise for 15 more minutes.

Punch down the dough again and, on a very lightly floured work surface, use your palms to roll the dough into a rope about 12 inches long. Cut it into 3 equal pieces, then roll them out to 8 or 9 inches each. Braid the three ropes by pressing the ends together, then braiding as you would hair. Tuck the ends under after you braid.

Transfer the challah to a cornmeal-dusted baking pan. Place in a warm, draft-free area, preferably enclosed, and allow the braided loaf to rise until doubled in size (about 20-30 minutes). You can preheat the oven to 350˚F at this point.

Before baking, brush the eggwash over the loaf. Be careful not to allow the excess egg to collect in the crevices of the braided dough. Do two egg washes, allowing the first coat to dry for a couple of minutes before brushing on the second coat.

Bake about 35 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven until the loaf has a rich mahogany color. When tapped lightly, the loaf should emit a hollow sound on the bottom with your fingertips.

Allow to cool before attempting to slice it!

Party Bites: Spinach Parmesan Balls

When bringing food to a cocktail party, you have to keep in mind a couple of things: the food should be easy to eat (ideally, finger food or food on a toothpick) and it should pose no major threat to fancy clothing (or the host's floor!).

I almost always consider the simplicity factor: how else will I find time to spruce up my appearance for the party?

Ariel had a great party Saturday night, to which I brought a virgin recipe: Spinach Parmesan Balls. I found it on the Food Network website.

It received pretty great reviews at the party! Samantha even asked me for the recipe (always a high compliment). So, the recipe follows. I substituted butter for margarine, which didn't seem to cause the balls to suffer (no surprise there).

The Food Network recipe recommends using latex gloves when mixing and handling the mixture (probably due to the raw eggs), but I didn't. I don't really have a phobia with handling gooey stuff (it actually feels good to me). As long as you give your hands a good wash afterward (and don't lick your fingers), you'll be fine.

Spinach Parmesan Balls
Recipe courtesy of Dan Smith and Steve McDonaugh of the Food Network show "Party Line with the Hearty Boys"

2 10-oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
5 eggs
2 small onions, minced
10 TBSP butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 3/4 cups Italian-style bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.

Squeeze the excess water from the spinach by wrapping it in an old towel (or a couple of heavy-duty paper towels will work), then put it in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well by hand (this part is fun! It feels really nice to get your hands in all that goo. But be sure to wash your hands well afterward).

Form the mixture into 1-inch balls, either by hand or with a small ice cream scoop. Place the balls closely together on a baking sheet.

Cook in the top half of the oven until firm to the touch, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, and then transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

Yields about 35 balls, depending on how big you make them.

Valentine's Day Extravaganza: Plum Tart

Today is the day! Karl and I will be celebrating the Dia de Amor in high fashion this evening (since the middle of the week didn't work for us). Instead of going to a fancy restaurant, we decided it would be more special to stay home and cook up some of our favorite foods that we don't get very often. Ok, so that just means lamb and a fancier-than-usual bottle of wine. The other trimmings are red potatoes, brussell sprouts, and green beans. Yum! I can't wait!

For dessert, I wanted to do something special, so a couple of weeks ago, I asked Karl what he'd like, and he said "How about a plum tart?"

So, I got out my trusty "365 Great Pies You Can Bake" cookbook (which hasn't failed me yet), and found a recipe. I baked it this morning, and, as you can see from the photos, it is just beautiful!

I did make a few changes to the recipe: first, I used Grand Marnier instead of brandy, since I had Grand Marnier on hand. Second, the ratio of graham cracker crumbs to butter was a bit off in the recipe, so I added about a cup of graham cracker crumbs so the crust wouldn't be soggy. And third, the recipe called for 2 TBSP butter for the filling, but never specified at what point to add it...so I just left it out. I imagine the butter was supposed to be dotted over the top of the tart, but I wasn't sure. I doubt it will make too much of a difference.

I can't wait to have a slice tonight after Karl and I have indulged in Burgundy-Pepper-marinated leg of lamb (from Trader Joe's at $5.99/lb) and a hopefully delicious French wine (2005 Domaine des Ouches Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley, $17.99). I will update later when I have had a chance to taste the tart. Judging from the heavenly aromas, I won't have any complaints!

Update: The plum tart was delightful. Next time, I won't use a graham cracker crust, although it certainly is a delicious complement to the plums. The problem is that the crust simply doesn't hold up as a tart shell. So, maybe I just need to figure out how to make a more compact crust that will hold up. Karl and I ended up eating more of a cobbler than a tart since the crust just didn't hold up.

I also will probably make sure the plums are a few days riper. It's kind of hard this time of year to get good plums, but I think a hint more sweetness would have been delicious with the tartness of the underripe plums. So maybe adding a little bit of sugar to less-ripe plums would work, too. Still, a GREAT tart that I will be making again.

Plum Tart

Crust:
3 cups graham cracker crumbs, finely crushed
3/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 cups plums, sliced thinly (about 7 good sized plums)
3/4 cup apricot jam
2 TBSP Grand Marnier or brandy
1/3 cups hazelnuts, chopped coarsely

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and the butter, and press tightly into an ungreased tart pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
Cool completely.
Arrange plum slices in tight, concentric circles in the tart shell. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the apricot jam and Grand Marnier until it just begins to bubble. Drizzle the hot jam mixture over the plums. Sprinkle the nuts on top of the tart. Bake in 375˚F oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve lukewarm.

Note: Don't refrigerate this tart: apparently, it doesn't hold up well in the refrigerator.

Baking Frenzy: Banana Nut Bread

I don't know why, but I just have to bake lately! Sara says it is the cold weather, but I think it might be a big stress reliever. I have been anxious lately about many things (e.g., jobs...), and when I bake, all that stress goes away for a little while. So, bake I must: it's a better addiction than heroin, I suppose.

Yesterday being Valentine's Day, I had the perfect excuse to bake. Since Karl and I are somewhat busy during the week, we are celebrating the Day this Sunday. I'll be making a plum tart Sunday to follow up a lamb dinner. However, for the actual Valentine's Day, I wanted to do something simple that would let Karl know just how much I do love him. I wracked my brains, and came up with that simple delight: banana nut bread.

I didn't have a tried and true recipe, so I googled "best banana nut bread." The first entry was my winner!

I had a minor setback after I'd gone to the store for bananas and pecans when I realized my loaf pan was missing from the ranks of pots and pans in my cupboards. I'm not sure where the two loaf pans I had disappeared to, but I then had to decide whether to make banana nut muffins, banana nut bundt cake, or banana nut squares. I settled on the latter (using an 8x8-inch square Pyrex dish). The baking time actually turned out to be about the same (50 minutes), though I thought it would take less time in a square dish than in a loaf pan.

Banana bread smells absolutely heavenly as it bakes, regardless of how it turns out. I highly recommend it as an air freshener. And for a Valentine's Day bonus, according to this article from MedicineNet.com, the aroma of banana nut bread is an aphrodisiac for women! If you find it necessary to have an aphrodisiac for men, your best bet is pumpkin pie.

I added a teaspoon of vanilla to the recipe, since I love vanilla. And one additional recipe note: the recipe list calls for baking powder, while the instructions reference "soda". I used baking soda and the bread was great. Next time I'll try powder and see if things turn out differently.

The bread turned out lovely. Moist and not-too-sweet. If I had it to do over again, I probably would use riper bananas (over-ripe). Since I baked spur of the moment, my bananas were just ripe: not ideal for baking. Still, everything turned out well, and Karl enjoyed a warm slice with butter after dinner. Yum!

Happy Valentine's Day (a day late I know)!

Old-Fashioned Banana Nut Bread
This is an Old-Fashioned Banana Nut Bread recipe taken from the
Breakfast and Brunch volume of the Oxmoor House Southern Heritage Cookbook Library.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (4 medium, ripe to over-ripe)
1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Cream butter in a medium mixing bowl; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, flour, soda [sic], salt, bananas, and pecans; mix well. Pour batter into a well-greased 9x5x3 loafpan. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan, remove bread from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack. Slice and serve. Makes 1 loaf.

Coffee-Frosted Chocolate Cake

Tuesday, I had to bake. I really wanted to try making a cake from scratch, so I pulled out a random cookbook from our collection and flipped to the dessert section. The cookbook I was using was 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes, by Sue Spitler and Linda R. Yoakam. The recipe: Coffee-frosted Chocolate Cake.

Unfortunately, I was almost out of unsweetened cocoa powder, and the weather on Tuesday was pretty miserable. I didn't feel like trekking a mile to the grocery store through wet, icy snow; nor did I feel like scraping the 4-5 inches of snow and ice from my car to make the journey on slick, congested roads full of panicky drivers. Since the CVS right across the street from my apartment didn't carry cocoa powder, I almost gave up. But then I decided that the need to bake was strong: so I bought a bar of Lindt 85% dark chocolate, which I melted down as a supplement to the 2 TBSP of cocoa powder that I did have.

The results were lackluster, in my opinion. The cake was kind of dry (i.e., required lots of milk for washing down), even with the addition of the melted chocolate. Luckily, I was helped in eating most of it by my friends at Tuesday night coffee at Oh Yeah!. They all seemed to enjoy it, so maybe I'm just picky.

Eventually, I want to make the most delectable cake on the planet. I'm just not sure how to go about experimenting. So hopefully I'll find a good cookbook that will help me along a little.

I've adapted the recipe's instructions to be a little more enlightening.


Coffee-Frosted Chocolate Cake

Cake:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk

Frosting:
1 TBSP instant coffee granules
1 TBSP hot water
2 cups confectioner's sugar
2-3 TBSP milk

Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter with an electric handmixer until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract (if substituting melted chocolate, add that in as well, making sure it's not too hot), and mix until incorporated.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Slowly mix with a spatula about 1/3 of the flour mixture with the wet ingredients. Then mix in 1/3 cup of milk. Repeat this alternating process until all the dry ingredients and milk are just incorporated. Do not over-mix.

Divide the batter between two 8-inch round cake pans that are greased and floured. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean. Cool completely (on wire racks if you like).

To make the frosting, dissolve the coffee in the hot water. Using an electric handmixer, slowly add the confectioner's sugar, then add enough milk to smooth out the consistency.

Frost the cake with the frosting (or just drizzle it on, like I did because I used too much coffee).

Cookbook Baking: Caramel Apple Cake

I have been looking forward to baking this cake since I went through my cookbooks early this week seeking out potential recipes to use to fulfill my new year's resolution to actually use cookbooks instead of just collecting them.

I received Paula Deen's Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook several years ago as a gift from my college roommate, Meg. I tried a couple of the recipes from it, but they all seemed so sinfully fatty (Paula loves the mayo and the butter) that I didn't really go back to it. You simply cannot eat like that every day unless you are a marathon runner...and even then, I doubt that your arteries could stand up to the 3 jars of mayo and 10 pounds of butter per week that Paula wants to feed you.

When I was trying to choose a recipe from this book to use, I figured I'd better stick to the desserts, since those are supposed to be an indulgence. The very first recipe in the book's dessert section even seemed healthy...sort of. So, that's what I baked: Caramel Apple Cake.

Notes on the recipe: I am not impressed with Paula Deen's recipe structure. For one thing, it doesn't tell you anything about what the consistency of the cake batter should be. My cake batter turned out pretty thick, almost like a cookie dough. I kept checking the recipe to make sure I hadn't put too much flour in. If she had simply made a note that this cake batter wasn't as typically runny as most cake batters, I wouldn't have been so nervous.

In general, the recipe seems a little too bare bones. My cake turned out fine, but if I had been a beginner, I might have had to guess on a few too many things. Granted, this is a fairly simple recipe, so minor blunders probably wouldn't affect the outcome too much. Little things bug me though, like failing to specify whether the 2 cups of brown sugar should be tightly packed, lightly packed, or loosely packed or whether the apples should be peeled before dicing.

I also modified the recipe slightly by using two 9-inch round cake pans instead of a 13x9 inch cake pan. I didn't want to have one huge cake: I like to share the love, so I made two smaller ones. This decreased the baking time by quite a bit. My cakes were finished after 36 minutes, so if you do the same modification, keep that in mind.

I'll update when I've actually tasted the cake: I'm waiting for Karl to finish grading papers!

UPDATE: Oh, my word.
This is the most sinfully delicious cake I have ever eaten.
Karl and I had a piece for breakfast this morning, since last night we were both too full and too tired to eat any. I heated it up in the oven for about 10 minutes (on 250˚F) to get the caramel a little soft.
This cake melts in your mouth, literally. Karl said it tasted just like a caramel apple from a state fair (minus the hardness). It's really, really, really rich, but simply amazing. I will definitely be making this again.


Caramel Apple Cake
from Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cooking by Paula H. Deen

Cake:
3 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups apples, diced (fresh or canned)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Cream the sugar, eggs, and oil until smooth. Add the flour, then mix in the apples, walnuts, and vanilla. Spread into a lightly greased 13x9 inch cake pan and bake for 45-60 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Poke holes in the top of the cake, and pour the topping over it while warm.

Caramel Topping
3/4 lb butter (3 sticks)
2 cups brown sugar
1/4 milk

Mix all ingredients over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes. Pour immediately over warm cake.

Chocolate Cheesecake

Last month, I made a chocolate cheesecake for my friend Samantha's birthday. I adapted an Emeril recipe that I found on foodnetwork.com (a go-to for recipe ideas!).

Sadly, I broke my hand mixer while beating the cream cheese smooth, so that was the last cheesecake I have made in a while! That mixer lasted for a good long time, though! It was threatening to break when my mom gave it to me in college (so she could get a new one), but it was still operational, so I kept using it until it just didn't work...which turned out to be 4 years later!

This cheesecake was a big hit with my friends, and it's really easy to make as long as you have some key kitchn paraphernalia: a hand mixer and a springform pan. I would not recommend mixing a cheesecake batter by hand, although it certain is possible to achieve a delicious result. However, it is quite difficult to get the lumps out of the cream cheese, and your arm will get really tired really fast. It's better to invest in a cheap hand mixer (I believe you can get one at convenience stores, grocery stores, department stores, and kitchen stores for prices starting at around $8).

Here is my version of Emeril's New York Style Chocolate Cheesecake

2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1 cup, plus 1 TBSP sugar
3 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
2-1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 TBSP all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 cup low-fat sour cream
8 oz semisweet chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 350˚F if using a silver springform pan or 325˚F if using a dark nonstick springform pan.

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan with butter or non-stick spray. In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, 1 TBSP of sugar, and the melted butter. Mix well with a fork until the mixture is well blended. Using your hands, press all of the mixture into the bottom and one inch up the sides of the greased springform pan. If the mixture won't stick together when you press it firmly, try adding a little more melted butter until it sticks.

In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer (or a stand mixer if you are lucky enough to have one), combine the softened cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and vanilla extract and beat until light and creamy. Add the flour to the cream cheese mixture and beat on medium speed until just smooth. Then, in a double boiler over medium high heat, melt the chocolate morsels until smooth. Allow the chocolate to cool for a couple of minutes, but while still liquid, add it along with the sour cream to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well.

Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until just blended. Do not over-mix!! This is very important if you want to have a light, tender texture for your cheesecake.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the center is almost set (i.e., it jiggles just a little bit if you shake the pan gently). If you are worried about cracking, you can bake your cheesecake in a water bath, but remember to line the outside of the springform pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent water from seeping into the pan.

When the cheesecake comes out of the oven, run a sharp, narrow knife around the rim of the pan (but don't release the spring yet. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely before removing the rim of the pan. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving. Garnish with whatever you want! I used M&M's, which was a hit, but you could use fresh berries, chocolate syrup, mint, or whipped cream. Whatever you like with chocolate will be a perfect garnish for this cheesecake.

Enjoy!