A Cake for Celebration and Nerds

The last few weeks have felt rather hectic. Lots of dashing around and frantically trying to get-everything-done, whatever that means.  In the midst of all my self-imposed hustle, though, I was able to help someone celebrate.  And though she said it made her day (probably not as much as receiving her doctoral degree), it made my crazy week better too.

Plus I was able to have some fun in the kitchen.  So it wasn't entirely selfless on my part...but I did enjoy contributing to her festivities.

Our dining room table serves as storage space and cooling counter,
complete with expandable surface.

My roommate and I went on a baking frenzy, making yellow buttermilk cupcakes from scratch (recipe from Martha Stewart Cupcakes) as well as a three layer dark chocolate fudge cake (recipe from Sugar Baby by Gesine Bullock-Prado).  She masterfully produced two icings - whipped vanilla frosting for the cupcakes (recipe also from Martha Stewart Cupcakes) and The Best Chocolate Buttercream frosting (recipe from Joy the Baker Cookbook) - while I played with various candies that would adorn the top of the cake. Have I mentioned my roommate is awesome?

The cake, you see, needed to have a reproduction of the protein structure my friend (the one who was defending her thesis and receiving her doctoral degree) had worked on for many years.  Her lab had a tradition of decorating the cake of the newly-doctor-ified person with their familiar protein structure.  I was following in the tracks of some serious cake decorators, and I feared failure.  Knowing I couldn't pipe frosting with sure skill, I chose candy as my medium.  And even after an hour of cutting and arranging and recutting and rearranging, I still wasn't sure how the structure would emerge.

The next morning, my roommate and I rose early to ice everything.  Then we split transport duties - she the cupcakes, I the cake - and journeyed off to work.  Shortly before the celebration, I arranged my carefully cut candies to form an IgA molecule bound to its receptor at the cell surface.  Yup, I got my nerd on.

A celebration cake for a doctoral degree

My friend loved it.  And so did everyone else.

I thought the cake itself was the star, not it's decoration.  Moist, intensely rich, capable of inducing adult-onset diabetes in less than a slice.  It was the chocoholic's dream my coworkers had requested.

But after my struggles with candy as decorations, I'm definitely enrolling in some cake decorating classes.

By the Book: Chocolate Malted Bread Pudding

Another bread pudding, you say?  Really, you say? You haven't exhausted your cookbook and blog collection of recipes for it?  You haven't grown tired of such a rich and carb-laden dish?

Nope. It helps that I share the products of my kitchen adventures with my family and coworkers.  My pants are grateful for that, as is my wallet.  Jeans are way more expensive than they need to be. Seriously.

Anyway, no, I haven't exhausted bread pudding just yet.  In fact, I have another variation up my sleeve. But I'll wait a few weeks, so we can all work off the carbs from my last few iterations.  But until then, you really should make this.  It's got the unique taste of malt powder partnering nicely--like it usually does--with chocolate.  It's like a Whopper candy, if a Whopper candy were a bread pudding.  Don't worry, I won't explore that idea.  But I will advise you to splash each serving of this with Kahlua or Bailey's.  You'll be glad you did.
Chocolate Malted Bread Pudding
From Joy the Baker Cookbook:  100 Simple and Comforting Recipes by Joy Wilson
Makes one 8-inch dish

Ingredients:
5 loosely packed cups stale challah bread, ripped into chunks
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chunks, finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. malt powder (chocolate flavored, if you have it)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preparation:
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Lightly butter an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Set aside.

If your bread isn't stale, put the bread chunks in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes in the oven.

Place the stale or toasted bread pieces in the buttered baking dish.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk and cream until just barely boiling.  Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolks, sugar, and salt.  While whisking, slowly drizzle the warmed milk mixture into the egg mixture to temper the eggs.  Once the mixture is well combined, add the chocolate chunks, malt powder, and vanilla.  Stir to combine.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the bread chunks.  Make sure most of the bread is submerged and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

Following the rest, cook for 25-30 minutes or until the top looks dry and dull and the pudding is set, not milky and jiggly.  Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before serving.  It's delicious warm with a scoop of ice cream or at room temperature.  Store in the refrigerator for a few days in an airtight container or tightly wrapped.

Notes:
--I had a stale baguette lying around, so I used that and some softer Italian bread in place of challah.  It worked, though I'd imagine the softness of challah or an Italian loaf would be even better.  This is one of those rare instances where I advocate soft bread to crusty bread.

--Semisweet chocolate chips can be used instead of chopping a semisweet bar.  They might not melt quite as nicely, thanks to the stabilizing chemicals used to limit chip melting, but it will totally work. And I won't tell.

--I suspect my use of a baguette instead of challah made my bread pudding a bit more dry than it should've been.  So I added a healthy splash of Kahlua on top of the bread pudding after it came out of the oven. It's delicious and added the moisture I was missing.  Also, I may have a problem...

--Fresh berries are delicious with this. Especially if you're trying to find a reason to eat a bowl of it for breakfast or dessert. Berries are healthy, after all, so it's an excellent excuse.

Just out of the oven

Don't forget to drizzle (or heavily splash) Kahlua on top...

Chocolate and coffee. Always a winning combination.

Root and Cream Cocktail

Let's hearken back to the golden days of childhood. When you could play in the yard all day, swinging as high as you dared (though I wasn't all that daring) in the summer or making the best snowman ever in the winter (complete with carrot nose).  When you had endless energy and always fought against your bedtime (instead of longing for your bed at absurdly early hours).  When you didn't have to pay bills, take care of yourself and your house, and never worried about work or how you looked.  Sound good?  Hmm...sometimes.

Well, there are certainly perks to being an adult.  Like being able to enjoy a good cocktail.  This Root & Cream Cocktail is the perfect blend of reliving a moment of childhood and the marvelous privilege of an alcoholic beverage.  And to make it even better, it's gloriously simple to make.

Real spices and ingredients used to create Root

Remember Root?  It's a certified organic spirit with a flavor like authentic, craft-brewed root beer.  Minus the carbonation, of course, because it is a spirit. Not only does it have a strong, marvelous flavor and is made from certified organic herbs and pure cane sugar, Root has a historical tie as well.  It's formulated from recipes for Root Tea originally given to settlers in the 1700s by Native Americans.  Over generations, the settlers increased the, ah, potency of the tea, until the Temperance Movement prompted a Pennsylvania pharmacist to remove the alcohol and ironically dub the beverage Root Beer.  The company producing Root--Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction--aims to recreate the original, pre-Temperance spirit.

For some Friday Cheer, mix up a Root & Cream Cocktail.  It's only 3 ingredients (and one is optional!), and it will taste exactly like a root beer float.  With a little extra adult kick.  It's the best of childhood and adulthood in a glass.

Since I mentioned root beer float, have you seen what my beloved Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams is serving in their scoop shops?  A Reverse Root Beer Float!  Their newly released flavor, Root Beer, is scooped into a glass and topped with Vanilla Bean Soda (from Dry).  I'm hoping to try one this Sunday when I'm in Columbus to get my certification to be a TRX instructor!


Root and Cream Cocktail
From Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Makes 1 drink

Ingredients:
2 parts Root liquor
4 parts cream soda
maraschino cherry

Preparation:
Combine Root and soda, giving it a brief stir.  Garnish with a cherry. Enjoy!

An adult root beer float, with a cherry on top
on the bottom of the glass
You know I love boozy fruit!

Happy Friday!

By the Book: Donut Bread Pudding with Tennessee Whiskey Sauce

I've previously confessed my love of custards and their bread pudding brethren. Let's take that adoration up a level by swapping the bread in the bread pudding for donuts.  Oh, and let's add some Tennessee whiskey. Because if we're going for excess, let's go all the way, baby!


Donut Bread Pudding with Tennessee Whiskey Sauce
From The Boozy Baker by Lucy Baker
Makes one 8x8 pan

This is one of the cookbooks I've been repeatedly returning to for delicious baked goods. Plus I was very tempted by the over-the-top-ness of having a donut bread pudding.  I mean, bread pudding is rich already...and I'm making it even more rich? Heck, yeah!

A bread pudding made of donuts, drizzled with
a sauce made from Tennessee whiskey

Ingredients:
For the bread pudding:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
8 store bought plain cake donuts
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 1/4 cups heavy cream or whole milk
1/4 cup Tennessee whiskey
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the sauce:
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. Tennessee whiskey
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Preparation:
For the bread pudding:
Butter a 9x9 baking pan. Tear the donuts into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks and add them to the pan.

In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Add the eggs and whisk until blended. Add the heavy cream/whole milk, whiskey, and vanilla; whisky until blended.  Pour the egg mixture over the donuts, pressing down gently on the donuts so they they are entirely submerged. Allow the pudding to stand at room temperature for 1 hour or cover and refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Cover the pan with a piece of aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the custart is set but soft.

For the sauce:
Combine cornstarch and whiskey in a small bowl and whisk until well blended.  In a small saucepan, combine the cream and sugar over high heat, whisking constantly, about 2-3 minutes or until small bubbles begin to form.  Continue to whisk and add the cornstarch-whiskey mixture.  It will bubble vigorously for a moment, but continue whisking until the sauce is blended and thick. Avoid boiling the sauce, as this will negate the thickening effect of the cornstarch.

To serve, scoop the bread pudding--either hot or cold--into a small bowl. Top with warmed whiskey sauce and enjoy!

Note:
Store the pudding and sauce in the refrigerator. You can warm either up in the microwave, if desired.  Just use short increments (20-30 second intervals) and stir the sauce after each increment. Personally, the pudding is delicious cold and warmed sauce will contrast nicely.

Donuts soaking up the custard before cooking

Just out of the oven, golden brown

Don't let it's plain look deceive you.
This whiskey sauce packs quite a potent punch.
Especially if, like me, you're heavy-handed with the whiskey.

A Potato Salad to Meet A Stomach's Demands

I had a hankering for some potato salad.  But not the kind you'd purchase packaged in a plastic tub from the refrigerated section of your local supermarket.  I am utterly terrified of those...tubs.  The potatoes are too smushy, there are unidentifiable items scattered throughout, and the sauce - oh, the sauce! It's downright terrifying. Maybe it's mayonnaise based? Maybe it's rife with chemical stabilizers and absolutely no flavor?  I take the easy route and avoid mass-produced plastic tubs of potato salad all together.

So how am I going to address my stomach's imperious demand for delicious potato salad?  I'll make my own, thank you.  I know my way around a kitchen.  Well, my kitchen at least. And I know I love a hefty wallop of garlic, homemade mayonnaise, and baby Yukon gold potatoes.  Oh, and some lightly blanched green beans for good measure and a bit of crunch.  And what the heck, some pesto I was making for another meal anyway.  I clearly live on the edge.

Here's what I did:

1) Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Drain and allow to cool, then cut into thick slices.
2) Toss the green beans into boiling water for a few minutes.  Immediately put them into an ice bath (cold water + ice) to preserve crispness and a brilliant emerald hue.
3)  Make pesto in the food processor. Super easy. Since I'm only using a few tablespoons of pesto, any extra can get comfortable in the freezer.
4)  Make allioli with extra garlic.  Waver between loving the overwhelmingly potent garlic flavor and hating how it makes me feel like a garlic-breathing dragon for the next day. Decide I love it.
5) Put the veggies in a large bowl.  Mix together enough allioli and pesto to thoroughly coat the veggies.  Stir and take a few judicious tastes.
6) Eat for dinner and lunch the next few days.  Love every minute of breathing garlic and knowing my potato salad is exactly what I wanted.

Allioli (left) and pesto (right), longing to meet
each other

Pesto
my very informal approach to pesto

Ingredients:
A few garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
Several handfuls of fresh basil, washed and dried
A handful or two of walnuts or almonds (or your nut of choice)
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Quality extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:
Combine the garlic, basil, nuts, salt, and pepper in a food processor and pulse until it is a thick, consistently blended paste.  While the food processor is running, slowly drizzle in some olive oil. Pause often to check the consistency of the pesto. I like mine on the thicker side, but add as much olive oil as you need to get your favorite consistency.  Store in an airtight container in the freezer for a few months.

Notes:
--I realize I'm missing pine nuts and parmesan cheese in this recipe.  It's deliberate.  Pine nuts are expensive, so I often use a mix of pine nuts and walnuts or entirely walnuts in most of my pestos.  And though I adore parmesan, I simply didn't have any in the refrigerator when I made this particular batch.  If I had to guess, I would say I probably adored all the parmesan out of the refrigerator and into my tummy earlier that week.

Allioli and pesto mixed together before
adding to the cooked vegetables

Allioli
adapted from In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite by Melissa Clark

Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:
If you want to use a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and salt to make a paste.
If you want to use a cutting board and knife, use the flat side of the knife to mash the garlic and salt on the cutting board until it becomes a paste.  Transfer to a mixing bowl (preferably a glass or metal one).

Whatever you're doing, whisk in the lemon juice, then the egg yolk.  Make sure they're thoroughly combined.  While whisking or pounding constantly, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a thin, steady stream.  Continue whisking/pounding until the oil is fully emulsified.  If it seems too thick, drizzle in a few drops of hot water and mix well.  

Notes:
--Making this aillioli by hand is possible. I promise it is. Your arm may get a bit tired while whisking...but it's not very bad and the allioli is seriously worth it. Plus it means you don't have to clean the food processor or blender, which is not one of my favorite tasks.

--You can increase the amount of garlic you use to 2, even 3 cloves.  But be warned, you'll have intense garlic breath, feeling like you're breathing garlic fire.  If your roommate or significant other doesn't mind, go for it.

--This contains raw egg, so please don't consume this if you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system. Try it with a red wine vinagrette instead!

The finished salad, already packed
for lunch the next day

Tequila Thyme Lemonade

Have you ever asked yourself:  What can I do with this bottle of tequila aside from making margaritas?  Please don't get me wrong. Margaritas are marvelous creatures. Truly they are. And there are very few things better for easing the tensions of the workweek than a well-made margarita.  But my bottle of tequila just begs for something more.

Enter Tequila Thyme Lemonade.  It uses tequila, it's delicious and refreshing, and it's incredibly easy to make.  It's also easy to make delicious at home, which cannot always be said for margaritas.  And lest you believe lemonade-based drinks are solely appropriate for summer days and sipping on the porch, I say you're wrong.  This beverage can be enjoyed year-round.

Tequila Thyme Lemonade
Barely adapted from We Are Not Martha (get the original recipe here) 
Makes 1 drink

After making a pitcher of lemonade by hand earlier this year, I decided to take the, uh, semi-homade route for this recipe. So I purchased a bottle of lemonade (made with lemon juice and a low amount of sugar), then read the original recipe.  Which didn't ask for lemonade. It called for muddling lemon wedges with a bit of sugar and thyme. Oops on my part.  But I already had the lemonade....so I figured I'd make the best of it and make the tequila thyme lemonade.  It worked really well, though if you find most commercial lemonades too sweet, try We Are Not Martha's original recipe.

Ingredients:
6 oz. lemonade
3 oz. silver agave tequila
2 oz. thyme simple syrup (directions below)

Preparation:
Make the thyme simple syrup:
Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat, throw in several springs of fresh thyme, put the lid on the pot and allow it to sit for 10 - 15 minutes.  Discard the thyme and store the syrup in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Make the drink:

Combine all the ingredients in a glass.  Give it a stir to mix. Enjoy!

Happy Friday!!!

By the Book: Banana Bourbon Bread Pudding

I'm a sucker for anything with the consistency of custard.  Creme brulee? Flan? Curd? Pastry cream? Yes, yes, yes, and yes, please!  I am aware there are people out there who don't enjoy the texture of custard.  I respect their opinion.  I vaguely understand what they mean (for me, it's one-chew-too-many of lettuce).  But I just can't understand their dislike of custard.  It's creamy, it's rich, it's got some oomph, and it's delicious on its own or playing a role in a dish.

Bread puddings fall within the category of recipe containing a form of custard.  They're also a fantastic way to use up bread, especially when you've shoved it to the back of your refrigerator and, uh, lost track of it for a bit.  Roughly torn pieces of bread soak up a rich mixture of eggs and cream that, when baked, become a bread-containing custard.  Perfect hot or cold.  Though, if you're like me, you can't be bothered to take the time to transfer a serving of bread pudding into another dish and warm it up.  Instead, you dig in with a spoon, devouring it directly out of the refrigerator.  Shhh, don't tell!

This version of bread pudding from Joy the Baker has two additional ingredients to send this variation over the edge -- bananas and bourbon.  If you're feeling really frisky, add some chocolate.  Keep in mind that chunks of chocolate (chopped from a bar of baking chocolate) will melt more than chocolate chips, which contain stabilizers to maintain chip shape during baking.  But they're both chocolate, and therefore both delicious in any form.

Those are a few cherries in the upper left corner.
Don't mind them. They were tasty, but, honestly
this bread pudding is better without them.

Banana Bourbon Bread Pudding
From Joy the Baker Cookbook:  100 Simple and Comforting Recipes by Joy Wilson
Makes one 8-inch pan

Ingredients:
1 stale baguette (about 10 oz.)
2 mashed bananas (about 2/3 cup)
2 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
5 large eggs
3 tbsp. bourbon
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
cinnamon or vanilla sugar
2 sliced bananas, for topping

Preparation:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Farenheit.  Butter an 8-inch square baking dish and set aside.

Tear or cut the stale baguette into small and large chunks.  If your baguette isn't stale, toast the pieces on a sheet pan in the oven for 5-7 minutes.  Put the baguette pieces into the baking dish and add the mashed bananas. Use your hands to mix the mashed bananas with the torn bread, so that the banana is even distributed among the bread chunks.

In a  medium saucepan over low heat, combine milk, sugar, and salt. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the milk is warm. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisky eggs.  While whisking, drizzle in the warm milk mixture until it is all added and well mixed.  Stir in the bourbon and vanilla.

Pour the milk mixture over the torn bread.  Press the bread into the liquid so that all the bread is at least moistened.  Allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes before baking.

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until bread is browned and the liquid is no longer jiggly (though the bread should still look moist). Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.  If desired, top with cinnamon sugar and fresh sliced bananas.

Store the bread pudding, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  You can briefly microwave it before serving, though it's just as delicious cold.

Vive la custard!