Tuesdays With Dorie: Madeleines

I am so happy that Tara of Smells Like Home chose a cookie for this week's recipe. I love baking cookies. No, no, I adore baking cookies. In my eyes they are the perfect dessert and snack food. It's not like a cake or brownie where you have to cut a piece off or a cupcake that requires special packaging if you want to take one to go. You see, cookies come in single size servings; no slicing, cutting, or silverware necessary. It's just you and that scrumptious cookie. You can have one after you meal or in between your meals. Cookies are perfect for just about every occasion and I don't think I have ever met a person who doesn't like cookies. Cookies are just perfection, plain and simple.

I was very excited when I saw that the recipe for this week was Madeleines. I have never had a madeleine and the closest I have ever come to one is at the counter as I pay for my Starbucks frapp. I had always assumed that this cookie was crunchier and denser than your regular cookie. I was wrong because this cookie was fluffy, light, and spongy. I made mine in a full size madeleine mold and I am not ashamed to say that I ate 8 of the 12 cookies. I was stunned that I ate so many of them, but I couldn't resist them. This is a cookie I definitely recommend everyone trying. And if I don't convince you, make sure to go to the Tuesdays With Dorie website and look through all of the incredible blogs, I'm sure one of those blogs will lure you.

Traditional Madeleines
Source: Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1⁄2 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3⁄4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Working in a mixer bowl, or in a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines. (For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pans.)

Getting Ready to Bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Or, if you have a nonstick pan (or pans), give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed. Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet.

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don't worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven's heat will take care of that.

Bake large madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, and minis for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any recalcitrant madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature.

If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch(es), making certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pan(s) before baking.

Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioners' sugar.

Makes 12 large or 36 mini cookies

Serving: Serve the cookies when they are only slightly warm or when they reach room temperature, with tea or espresso.

Now you've been as close to one as I was before ;-)

When I Crave Tacos...

...I head to Cactus Club. They seriously have the best tacos I have ever had. I literally crave these tacos for weeks. I remember the first time I had them...it was like I was suddenly back in Miami at my favorite little tacos place. It was obsession, I mean, love at first bite. Cactus Club is also known for their margaritas, and let me just say that Cactus Club is worth going to just for the drinks. Their drinks are reasonably priced and they definitely don't skimp on the liquor. To give you an idea for how frequently we go, the bouncer man knows us and lets us right in (woo hoo for not needing to whip out the ID!!).

We went to Cactus Club on Friday so that the graduate could indulge in her insatiable desire for tacos. We, of course, ordered the Horni Margaritas (my favorite). This drink has the right blend of liquor and juices and it's perfect for the margarita lover (I knew a few, too).

In all my weirdness, I get really excited for the chips and salsa. I say weird because I don't like tomatoes but I like the juice in the salsa. The chips and salsa are good and a great prelude to the meal to come.

We ordered the pork taquitos, which were great. When they brought them out I was telling Alex how they reminded me of flautas. I honestly don't know how to describe what a flauta is; it's like char grilled meat wrapped in a crispy tortilla (I think the difference in name, is a regional thing?). As soon as I bit into this, I think my salivary glands went nuts. It was so good. The rest of the night Alex was patting himself on the back because he made a great selection for the appetizer.

Alex ordered the chimichanga. He loves eating a chimichanga because it's a full meal wrapped in a tortilla. It has meat, rice, beans, and sauce all stuffed into the tortilla. Alex's favorite sauce at Cactus Club is the chipotle adobo sauce.

And now...the moment you have all been waiting for...my tacos!! They are delicious and that's all there is to it!

In all the times that we have gone to Cactus Club we have never ordered dessert. We always end up eating and drinking too much that dessert is the last thing on our minds. My goal is to one day try one of their desserts, but for now I will keep dreaming about their tacos.

I GRADUATED!!

It feels great to have my MS degree! Now I get to take some time off before starting school again in the fall. The graduation ceremony was nice but too long (3 hours) and all the speeches given were incredible. I cannot believe I started this program 2 years ago and now it's over. My husband was there cheering me on as I walked across the stage to pick up my prize and the outpour of love from my families and friends was awesome. I just can't get over the fact that it's over...

PS please excuse the messy house

Technical difficulties

The pictures are kind of screwy right now and I think it has to do with Shutterfly (the hosting site I use). Shutterfly is changing their format and making changes to how you share pictures online. I'm working on getting the pictures fixed and finding a new site to store my pictures at. Stay tuned...

Tuesdays with Dorie: Florida Pie

Being a Florida girl I had high hopes for this dessert. I've never had key lime pie (I've only eaten the crust) so I was hoping this would be a great introduction to a dessert that is so love and created near my hometown of Miami, FL. Making every bit of the dessert was fun and each of the parts tasted great. I just wasn't a fan of all the parts together. I felt like the coconut cream took away from the tartness of the lime filling. If I had reservations about the coconut cream, there was no doubt that Alex would too. I sat sat there nervously watching Alex as he took his first bite of the dessert and, as I expected, he didn't like it. The coconut cream part of the dessert just didn't do it for him. He liked every other part of the dessert but felt like the coconut cream really took away from the lime flavor. The next time I make this dessert will definitely be without the coconut cream. The good news is that I brought it into work and my manager loved it. What killed the dessert for me, made the dessert for him, so it's really all about preference.

I halved the dessert so make sure to go to Tuesdays with Dorie and check out all the blogs for the full recipe and thanks to Dianne of Dianne's Dishes for selecting this week's dessert.

Florida Pie
Source: Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours

1 4.5-inch graham cracker crust (page 235), fully baked and cooled, or a store-bought crust
½ and 1/6 cups heavy cream
3/4 cups shredded sweetened coconut 2 large eggs, separated
½ of a 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1/4 cup fresh Key (or regular) lime juice (from about 5 regular limes)
1/8 cup of sugar

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment of a silicone mat (I used a springform pan).

Put the cream and 1/2 cup of the coconut in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the cream is reduced by half and the mixture is slightly thickened. Scrape the coconut cream into a bowl and set it aside while you prepare the lime filling.

The players.

Working with a stand mixer, preferable fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl beat the egg yolk at high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the condensed milk. Still on low, add half the lime juice. When it is incorporated, add the remaining juice, again mixing until it is blended. Spread the coconut cream in the bottom if the graham cracker crust, and pour over the lime filling.

Bake the pie for 12 minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes, then freeze the pie for at least 1 hour.

To Finish the Pie with Meringue: Put the 2 egg whites and the sugar in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan and heat over medium-low heat whisking all the while until the whites are hot to the touch. Transfer the whites to a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer in a large bowl, and beat the whites at high speed until they reach room temperature and hold firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining 1/4 cup coconut into the meringue (I omitted).

Spread the meringue over the top of the pie, and run the pie under the boiler until the top of the meringue is golden brown. (Of if you've got a blowtorch, you can use it to brown the meringue). Return the pie to the freezer for another 30 minutes or for us to 3 hours before serving.

I love the lighting in this picture.

You can really see the layers in this picture.

A Look Back and Graduation Cupcakes

There's always a weird combination of mixed emotions when something comes to an end. It's usually happiness and sadness or excitement and anxiety or maybe even a combination. In my particular case I am feeling happy and sad. After what feels like an eternity, which has only really amounted to 2 years, I will be graduating from my masters program. I started this program knowing that it would end, but I didn't expect it to end so quickly. Where have the last 2 years gone? Did I really experience it all and sit through 36 credits worth of classes? Am I more qualified to do anything because of this degree? Who knows. Not like it matters anyway since I will be starting classes for my third degree this upcoming fall (yeah, I like school).

After this semester which not only kicked my butt, but also left me bruised and sucking on my thumb for comfort, I am happy to be done. I cannot wait to walk across that stage and get my degree. Not that I ever plan on doing it, but I like the option of putting "MS" at the end of my name (I personally don't like designations after a name). I am happy to put on that cap and gown and anticipate having that glowing feeling of accomplishment. Nothing feels better than doing something on your own and living your dreams. I am sad because this is the end. I will no longer walk into a class and discuss different issues in child development and bereavement. I am sad because I can no longer use the excuse of "I have a paper to write" to get out of things ("I have a paper to write" sounds so much better than "I am lazy and don't want to do it"). It's just sad to have this chapter of my life over with.

To combat these mixed feelings and the thoughts of how my life will be once August rolls around, I decide to bake some special cupcakes. I finally got to use the cupcake silicone baking mold Christina got me for my birthday. I couldn't think of a more perfect cupcake to make than the one's from Magnolia Bakery in New York (these cupcakes make me happy). I had fun decorating them and, of course, they are decorated in pink and black.

Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes
Source: Allysa Torey's More from Magnolia: Recipes from the World-Famous Bakery and Allysa Toery's Home Kitchen (online here)

Cupcakes
3/4 cups self-rising flour
1/2 and 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Icing
Vanilla Buttercream, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 1 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers. (I used my silicone mold, this yielded 21 stars)

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.

Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 to 3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/8 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

(I've made these cupcakes before and it was too much frosting for me, so I quartered the original recipe amount.)

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. .

The finished cupcakes.

Close-up of my letters

Pancakes!

Breakfast for dinner...does it get any better than that? I don't think so, unless you are about to eat a warm chocolate chip cookie. I had bought buttermilk earlier in the week for the White Chocolate Cupcakes and didn't want it to go to waste, so I decided to make pancakes. These pancakes came out good but they were a little too dense for my taste. I think with some tweaking, this recipe can be great.

Classic Buttermilk Pancakes
Source: Lou Siebert Pappas' Pancakes & Waffles
Makes about fourteen 4-inch pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, separated
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp buttermilk
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Cooking Oil

In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small, deep bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft, glossy speaks form. In another bowl, beat or whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, and butter. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just until combine. Fold in the egg whites.

Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat and grease lightly. For each pancake, spoon or pour about 1/4 cup batter onto the hot griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the edges look dry, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute more.

Serve immediately or transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200 degrees oven. Bake the remaining batter as directed.

Top with butter and syrup and enjoy!

You Must Try This

I needed help figuring out what to do with the chicken thighs I had defrosting and asked for recommendations on the What's Cooking? board. Someone recommended this recipe and it was soo good. Although I only had half the amount of chicken, I used the original amount of spices and honey. The broiler function on my stove scares the crap out of me so it took a little bit longer to make than what the original recipe says. This dish is spicy, so have the water ready. At first you taste the sweetness of the honey and then the spiciness hits you. According to Alex, it's even better the next day.

Spicy Brushed Chicken Thighs
Source: Cooking Light (here)

2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (I used 4 bone-in chicken thighs)
Cooking spray
6 Tbsp honey
2 tsp cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a baking pan with the cooking spray.

Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to the bowl and toss to coat. Place the chicken in the baking pan and bake 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven, turn the chicken over and bake for another 15 minutes.

Combine the honey and vinegar in a small bowl and stir well. Remove chicken from the oven and brush with half of the honey mixture. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven, turn over, and brush with the honey mixture. Bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

The Blue Room

We went to Cambridge again this weekend for dinner. We actually walked to Cambridge and it was pretty amazing. It was such a beautiful day and the walk into Cambridge is beautiful since you walk over the Charles River and get a great view of all of Boston.

The Blue Room is like a 5 minute walk from the Kendall/MIT red line stop. I was a little shocked because it was so dead. Alex and I were the only two souls on the streets. This was a big contrast to all the activity that we were surrounded by when we went to Harvard Square the prior weekend. The restaurant is nestled in what can best be described of as a shopping center. It is a beautiful restaurant with an open kitchen and shades of brown and red. This restaurant has two sides that are divided by the bar; a lively side and a quiet side. When we walked in I was hoping we would get a table on the lively side but instead we were seated on the quiet side. As soon as we sat down Alex asked me, "Do you notice anything?" and I replied "Yeah we are on the old side." I hope I don't offend anyone, but the side we were seated in was definitely an for older crowd. We were the youngest people on that side. This was the side you ask to be seated in if you are a grandparent or if you are taking your adult child out to dinner. This is not the side to be seated at if you are in your mid-twenties and are trying to have a fun night out with your significant other.

Aside from where we were seated we had a great meal. We both ordered the same drink and, while I liked it, Alex could have done without it. The drink was described as a cocktail, but it came in a martini glass. Maybe this is my ignorance speaking, but shouldn't martinis be the only drinks served in martini glasses? The drink was a tequila infused with pineapple and coconut. I love tequila so I enjoyed the drink. Alex is a vodka man, so he wasn't impressed.

For the appetizer we ordered the wood grilled pizza. Apparently the toppings change nightly and on Saturday the toppings were an assortment of vegetables and asiago cheese. Since we aren't big vegetable eaters we asked if the pizza can be made with just cheese to which we were told that it could be made with just cheese and that it was called a "kids pizza." So on top of feeling like the kids in the section we were seated in, we were ordering food made for kids. Awesome! The pizza was great though. The cheese was melted and the crust was charred and grilled to perfection.

As an added bonus, they brought us mini crab cakes. It was compliments of the chef since it was our first time dining at The Blue Room. I love restaurants that do this because it makes the dining experience so much more enjoyable. I also feel that it exudes a certain amount of confidence and that these restaurants are really concerned with building a clientèle that will come back again and again.

Alex order the Cassoulet and thought it was great. At first he thought he wasn't served enough but any dish that contains pork, duck, sausage, beans, and bread crumbs is sure to fill. Note: this picture doesn't do the dish justice.

I ordered the shrimp and chorizo skewers and OMG they were delicious. They shrimp and chorizo were marinated in a spicy lemon sauce that was to die for. If it wasn't completely inappropriate I probably would have licked my plate dry. It came with a fried yucca that was pretty good too (good considering I don't like yucca).

We were intrigued by the dessert that was supposed to be a cream cheese flan on a graham cracker crust. While the dessert was very good it had the consistency more of a cheesecake than a flan.

The Blue Room was a great restaurant with great food...just make sure to get seated on the lively side! ;-)

Tuesdays With Dorie: Peanut Butter Torte

Apparently Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food got together with my husband and chose this week's recipe. If ever there were a recipe that I would expect Alex to pick out of Dorie's book it would be this one. The man has an indescribable passion for peanut butter and seeing the picture alone in Dorie's book would make him want it. Seriously, his love of peanut butter is amazing. I think the man feels bad for all those people that are allergic to peanut butter and peanut products...no wait...he feels bad for all the peanut butter and peanut products that aren't getting eaten by those people allergic to the stuff and he feels the need to eat all of it to make up for what they aren't eating. I like peanut butter but I'm more a fan of it on bread with jelly or on a banana or an apple. For whatever reason peanut butter in desserts just doesn't get me going like it does with Alex. That's why I say Elizabeth and Alex picked this recipe out together because chances are pretty good that I wouldn't have picked the recipe out by myself. I would definitely need Alex to persuade me into making that.

Note: if you know anything about my Kahlua cupcakes, you know it doesn't take much for Alex to persuade me. The man makes me swoon and my knees buckle...how can say no when you can barely hold yourself up?

Anyway, forget that whole thing about Alex and my knees. Let's focus on the recipe. It was a really good dessert. I think Dorie was confused when she said it was 6-8 servings. I think cutting that torte up into 6-8 pieces would send someone into the sugar rush of their lives. The torte is very rich and very sweet. The addition of cinnamon and nutmeg add a whole new dimension to the flavor of the filling. In my opinion, the longer the torte sits in the fridge the better.

Don't forget to go to the Tuesdays With Dorie website and check out all the great blogs.

Peanut Butter Torte
Source: Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours

1 1⁄4 cup finely chopped salted peanuts (for the filling, crunch and topping)
2 tsp sugar
1⁄2 tsp instant espresso powder (or finely ground instant coffee)
1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1⁄2 cup mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate)
24 Oreo cookies, finely crumbed or ground in a food processor or blender
1⁄2 stick (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt
2 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1 1⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1⁄2 cup salted peanut butter – crunchy or smooth (not natural; I use Skippy)
2 Tbsp whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped

Getting ready: center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch Springform pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

Toss 1⁄2 cup of the chopped peanuts, the sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chops together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Put the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in another small bowl and stir with a fork just until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan (they should go up about 2 inches on the sides). Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in 1⁄4 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Crape the cream into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Wipe out (do not wash) the bowl, fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment if you have one, or continue with the hand mixer, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, 1⁄4 cup of the chopped peanuts and the milk.

Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about one quarter of the whipped cream, just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream.

Scrape the mouse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.

To Finish The Torte: put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan.

Bring the remaining 1⁄2 cup cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and , working with a a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and glossy.

Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing it with a metal icing spatula. (I put the ganache in the fridge for 5-10 minutes just to help it harden some before pouring it over the torte) Scatter the remaining 1⁄2 cup peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, about 20 minutes.

I think I overdid it with the nuts

When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the Springform pan; it’s easiest to warm the pan with a hairdryer, and then remove the sides, but you can also wrap a kitchen towel damped with hot water around the pan and leave it there for 10 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I saved you a slice :)