Dark Chocolate Pots de Creme with Candied Kumquats

This recipe... oh my. It easily goes into the "top three" of my favorite things I've made (I don't know what the other two are but .. no matter). I've never made, more or less heard of, pots de creme before. Pronounced "poe de krehm" with a throaty sound on the word 'krehm' to make it sound legit, this elegant dessert is like a chocolate mousse, but richer and more dense. Almost custard-like, but not so eggy. Neither pictures or words can give justice to how decadent these were, but I'll proceed anyway after I say that you must, must, must try this dessert. Really, try making it, or ask someone else to make it for you. It's kind of urgent.

Ahh...so luxurious, so creamy, so smoooooth <3

One note: The recipe I used called for candied kumquats to top the pots de creme. This would have been delicious. But me being a total noob figured: "Well I don't have kumquats, but I'm pretty sure those are just tiny oranges. I have Cuties [clementines], which are basically small oranges, so I'll just use those instead!" Turns out kumquats are like.. completely different fruits. They do look like tiny oranges, but they're much different in flavor and fruit-to-peel proportion. When candied, they would have produced a much tastier and better looking candied fruit topping, like so...

-from sprinklebakes.com


Nevertheless, the candied clementine topping wasn't too bad. I just wouldn't have minded them turning out like the ones in that picture above :)
Many people serve pots de creme with a dollop of whipped cream, which can be a nice accompaniment to set off the richness of the chocolate; others are purists and serve it as it is, which I'd totally be down for right now, as I'm currently in somewhat of a hardcore chocolate phase.


I got the recipe from http://www.sprinklebakes.com/ and I wouldn't do anything differently except for actually following the recipe and finding out what kumquats are before attempting to substitute in other random fruits o_O

Chocolate-Orange Pots de Creme
6-8 servings

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons orange extract
Pinch of salt (x2)
6 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream, milk, orange extract, and a pinch of salt just to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in another bowl, then add warm chocolate mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a 1-quart glass measure and cool completely, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.


Divide custard among 6 - 4 oz. ramekins. Bake at 300 degrees in a hot water bath for 30- 35 minutes. Allow ramekins to cool on a wire rack for about an hour. Chill for 2 hours (or overnight) before serving.

Booburi Margaritas

Sitting here in my little dorm room staring into the glow of my computer, my heart aches a little bit as I go through photos from this summer to post here on my blog. The days are getting longer, but still, the sun had already gone down here by five. As much as I'm all for living in the moment, looking at these pictures makes me long for summer evenings. Dinner on the back porch, watching the sun set over the wheat field, sipping on libations, chillin with the fam. The smell of chlorine in my hair, the sizzle of the BBQ makin' magic, the flowers in full bloom, our frog homies croaking at us from the stream, fresh produce from the garden.. so much goodness to take in--so much to be thankful for.

Ahhh...these nights were always the best. Man, summer in general. Good times. So to pay homage to good times: tonight's concoction is going to be blueberry margaritas! Es una fiesta!! Aye aye aye! Not really from scratch, but Jose Cuervo's mix is pretty good. Also, I used Jose Cuervo Especial (Gold) tequila. I doctored it up by blending blueberries and putting them through a fine mesh sieve to get the seeds and other undesireable bits out. They look nice with some whole blueberries thrown in at the end, too.

Mmmm.. so refreshing! Hopefully this summer I won't be so lazy and I'll try making margaritas from scratch. Maybe as an incentive I'll have to host a margarita-off. That would be SO RAD! I hope I don't forget about this idea. If you want in, help me remember and then I can invite you!! :)

Creme de la Creme de la Edguh! Well.. Brulee, actually, but that's no fun.

Creme Brulee. Way more impressive than it sounds, no less delicious. This recipe I made had a rhubarb compote in it.

I kind of screwed it up in a couple different ways, but it still tasted and looked good, so that's why I'm posting about it! And even though this was a fail post, I highly encourage any and all of you to try making creme brulee! It's super fun playing with a blowtorch in the kitchen and the mistakes I made are easily avoidable.

Here's what I did wrong:

1. I didn't bake the original custard long enough. It had developed a skin on top so I thought it was done but the inside was like a custard soup. Tasted good but not what it was supposed to be.
2. Also, I used the wrong kind of sugar. Not on purpose. I just didn't have any caster sugar on hand so I used granulated sugar for the custard and brown sugar for the crackly bit on top. The result of this error wasn't really that evident, but the toffee on top didn't form very evenly and wasn't as snappy as I would have liked.

So.. if you make this recipe, make sure you actually follow the directions; and as much as you want to get your hands on that torch, be patient with the baking process!

Here are some prep pics...

The recipe came from raspberri cupcakes. (http://raspberricupcakes.blogspot.com/2010/04/rhubarb-and-vanilla-creme-brulee.html)

The tartness of the rhubarb offset the sweetness of the custard very nicely. I will be using this recipe again next time I make creme brulee because the taste was perfect, I just didn't bake it correctly so the consistency was a bit off. It'll be fun experimenting with other flavors as well- maybe lavender?

Rhubarb and Vanilla Crème brûlée
(adapted from Bourke St Bakery creme brulee custard recipe, makes approx 6)
200g fresh rhubarb
100g sugar
zest of one lemon
430ml whipping cream (35% fat)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways
6 egg yolks
70g caster sugar + extra for burning

Stew the rhubarb first; chop rhubarb into 1cm pieces and place in a medium saucepan with lemon zest and sugar. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes until tender and just starting to fall apart. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Place cream in a small saucepan, scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the cream and add the bean. Bring to the boil over high heat. As soon as it boils, remove from the heat and set aside for about 10 minutes.

Place egg yolks in stainless steel bowl and use a whisk to combine. Add sugar and whisk for about 30 seconds, or until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the slightly cooled cream through a fine sieve, discarding the vanilla bean, then pour the cream into the egg yolk mixture, stirring well to combine. Fold in the stewed rhubarb.

Spoon the warm custard mixture into 6 1/2 cup ramekins, until full. Place ramekins in a deep baking tray and pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in oven for about 45 minutes, or until just set.

Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack, then place in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Sprinkle 2 tsp of caster sugar over the top of each ramekin and caramelise with blowtorch. Happy days!

It's black and white

I hate to admit that once in a while I'm one of those people who just can't leave a good thing as it is. I doctor. And on top of that, I usually doctor without having any idea what I'm doing. So one night I made some absolutely delicious, melt-in-your mouth shortbread cookies with a pinch of granulated sugar sprinkled on top for the perfect amount of sweetness. As the story goes, even after tasting them and knowing how good they were, I wanted them to be prettier, to be more snazzy, more flashy!! With my hands twitching as I resisted the urge to reach for the decorating bin in my closet, I finally made a compromise with myself. If I was going to decorate, it had to be with purpose. So with that mindset, I decided to make these tres chic black and white cookies, like the ones you see in coffee shops and cafes.
Here they are before they went on the operating table. Unadulturated, and perfectly fine.

For the 'chic'afication process, I ended up dipping them in dark chocolate and vanilla candy melts. The candy melts were surprisingly tasty and really easy to work with. And of course the dark chocolate was, well.. dark chocolate. Mmmmm <3

And couldn't resist the totes adorbz standard...

So.. yeah, not too bad!!

Here's a Basic Vanilla Shortbread recipe by Ina Garten from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I know I've probably said this already, but don't be afraid to experiment with this recipe. Shortbread dough is probably the most versatile cookie dough out there and there's so many different kinds of mix-ins you can play around with!

This recipe makes about 4 dozen small shortbread.

■3/4 pound (1 1/2 cups or 3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
■1 cup sugar
■1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
■3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
■1/4 teaspoon salt

1.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla.
2.In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together.
3.Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and bring everything together with your hands. Divide dough into four pieces and flatten slightly. Wrap each piece in plastic and chill. Bake at 350 degrees for as long as needed depending on the size of your cookies.

NBD

Check out what came in the mail this week :)

Hey this isn't an electronics blog!! But heyyyy der it's a STRAWBERRY mouse. Fruit. This lil' cutie was five bucks from tinydeal.com with free shipping worldwide. I just couldn't resist! Plus, now I'm totally going to own on Bejeweled Blitz and Ninja Glove. ( http://www.miniclip.com/games/ninja-glove/en/ ).

In other Strawberry Mouse news...

Are you craving summer? Is your skin turning more pale and ghost-like by the minute? Do you scream at the smallest patch of blue in the sky for being such a tease? Well then this recipe is for you!! Okay, I can't guarantee that this dessert will give you your summer fix, but it sure does look tasty and it's not too bad for you either! I can't wait to make this once strawberries start showing up at decent prices in the market. Or once they turn up in SUB.

Here is a Strawberry Mousse recipe as adapted by me from Healthy Indulgences and from Sugar and Everything Nice

Sugar and Everything Nice: ( http://sugareverythingnice.blogspot.com/2009/07/strawberry-mousse.html ).

Healthy Indulgences: ( http://healthyindulgences.blogspot.com/2009/07/easy-sugar-free-strawberry-mousse-low.html )

.................................................................... -Photo from Healthy Indulgences

Strawberry Mousse

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1 tablespoon water
8 oz (210g) strawberries, pureed
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup (190ml) heavy cream

Method:

1) Prepare the strawberry mousse: sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small bowl and set aside to bloom (soften).

2) In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, stir together the strawberries and sugar just until hot.

3) Add the gelatin and stir until it is completely melted. Let cool to room temperature.

4) In the meantime, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Once the strawberries are at the right temperature, carefully fold the whipped cream into the fruit base.

5) Pour into serving bowls and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

• For a more stiff mousse that you can pipe into bowls for a pretty presentation, follow these directions after soaking the gelatin:
  
  Place the strawberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in a saucepan over medium low heat, and add the sweetener and water and cook, breaking up with your spatula. Stir until dissolved. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the strawberries have slightly thickened. Add the gelatin to the pan, and stir until it is completely melted. Puree in a blender or food processor. Let cool to room temperature. Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks with a hand mixer, and beat in vanilla and extra sweetener to taste. Once the strawberries are cooled, carefully fold the whipped cream into the fruit puree. Pipe mixture into serving bowls, and chill for at least an hour.

Blackberry Frozen Yoghurt

Really can't go wrong with these ingredients..


Way stoked on our new Cuisinart ice cream maker. Action shot!




I'll just come right out and say it. This recipe gets a 5/10. Seeing what was going into this frozen yoghurt, I really couldn't see anything going wrong. But then again, I was totes noobsky, having just "received" the ice cream maker "for my birthday" (it was really just for the fam and was going to stay at the house). But that ended up being a good thing; I wouldn't have the time or space for it here, and the gifting process was still just as exciting!
Anyway, for some reason I just couldn't get this to the right consistency. It just didn't get hard enough after churning and churning and churning, and eventually the ice in the mixing bowl melted and it was too late. On top of that it was preeeetty tart. This was probably due to the use of greek yoghurt instead of cream. But that's what makes it frozen yoghurt and not ice cream. So I guess I just need to experiment some more...

Conclusion: I don't think I'd use this recipe again. It just didn't hit me. So this is one of those "warning don't use these combinations and proportions of ingredients" posts.

Purple Cow Frozen Yogurt (Frozen Yogurt base previously published in David Lebovitz’s book Perfect Scoop as discovered on Heidi Swanson’s website 101 Cookbooks).

3 cups Greek-style yogurt (Note: I used Fage)
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups blackberries (or black raspberries, if you can find them)
4 ounces of white Ghirardelli chocolate, chopped
4 ounces of dark Ghirardelli chocolate, chopped

Mix together the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Puree the blackberries in a food processor and than strain through a fine mesh sieve to separate the liquid from the seeds. Stir 1 tablespoon of sugar into the berry puree and also refrigerate for 1 hour.

Thoroughly combine the frozen yogurt base with the berry puree and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Don’t be like me and actually read them. Stir in the chocolate chunks by hand at the end of the freezing process. Finally package in a tightly sealed container and leave in your freezer until completely frozen. Serve and make-up with anyone you may have offended during the cooking process.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Are you a fan of all things chocolate peanut butter? One of thooooose people, eh?

Me too :D

These cookies came from a highly esteemed source that I will NOT share with you because it's top secret and too good for all of you.
Just kidding, it came from the back of the Reese's peanut butter chip bag.
I usually trust the recipes on the bags of most cooking items. I mean, why post a recipe that's going to make your product taste really bad, making you lose all of your consumers? Huh? No reason, that's why. So they're usually good, although once in a while I like to doctor them up a bit.

However, these babies don't need no docta. Just a massive set of teeth to sink into their faces followed with a bath of stomach acids (and all the other woes of digestion). "That's no way to treat a baby!!" Yes, but these are chocolate peanut butter babies so they're just going to have to recognize their place in this world and accept their fate.

I don't have a bag of Reese's peanut butter chips buuuut I did find the recipe online :)
So here it is, in all of its moist n' chewy glory:

Skill Level:Beginner
Prep Time:15 Minutes
Cook Time:12 min

Ingredients
1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips

Directions
1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch jelly-roll pan.


2 Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually blend into butter mixture. Stir in peanut butter chips. (Batter will be stiff.) Spread batter in prepared pan.


3 Bake 20 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into bars. About 4 dozen bars.

• One tip: chill the dough before baking if you like your cookies thicker/taller, don't chill if you like them thinner/.. um.. shorter? Yes.
• And don't forget the salt! That's what puts these over the top. Salty-sweet combo FTW.