Gourmet Cooking Club: Cara, Carrots & Cream Cheese

Since my arrival in NYC, I’ve joined a Gourmet Cooking Club where a bunch of us get together every month and we do a potluck dinner with a theme and at the end of the year we put together a cookbook of all of our recipes. Does life get any better than this? I have found my people.

My first Gourmet Club was last season, which was a picnic in Central Park and I made my signature Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. Technically this was my initiation into the group and the Food Blog definitely gave me some “street cred”. These ladies are hardcore., as in one of them even took lessons at Cordon Bleu. Oh la la!!! They don’t make simple recipes, they don’t use mixes and everything they cook looks like it came from Jean-Georges’ kitchen. We are talking about fresh pizza, homemade fruit tarts, French Toast Casseroles… you get it.

Since my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread initiation, I have had some minor mishaps! Once my Coffee Cake broke and another time my Bubby Lucy cookies turned out limp – I killed a family recipe, brutal.



Tonight’s Gourmet Cooking Club is a “Farm to Table” theme – I wasn’t sure what I was going to make but I knew that I needed to redeem myself. Don’t get me wrong, these girls are great and we’re not competing against each other. This was more of a personal challenge (Oprah Style).



I realized that I’ve never made a real cake, like the one with two layers that you need to ice. I googled, I looked through cookbooks, checked out the archive of Braude Family Recipes and I decided I was going all the way. A standard rule in entertaining is to not make a recipe for the first time when you have guests. Your immediate family (circle of trust), your significant other, your doorman – these people are your trial and error crew – not your guests. Capiche?!



Tonight, I went against this golden rule and decided that I was going to make my first Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing. This recipe came from FineCooking.com. Given that the cake is currently in my fridge – I can't tell you if it is actually good, but you know sometimes when you have that gut feeling. I will let the ladies of the Gourmet Club judge.



I am also recording the cake here, just in case the ride over to 57^th and Lexington isn’t smooth (24 streets and 2 avenues over in a New York cab is risky).



Classic Carrot Layer Cake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

by Abigail Johnson Dodge

Serve twelve to fourteen.

Yields one 9-inch layer cake.

For the cake

1 cup canola, corn, or vegetable oil; more for the pans

2 cups (9 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1-3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

3/4 tsp. table salt

4 large eggs

2-1/2 cups (8-3/4 oz.) lightly packed, finely grated carrots

2 cups packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/2 cup raisins

1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the frosting

1 lb. cream cheese, softened

12 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened

1 lb. (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar

4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 tsp. table salt

Make the cake

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil and flour the sides of two 9x2-inch round cake pans, tapping out any excess flour. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the oil, eggs, carrots, brown sugar, walnuts, raisins, and vanilla on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just blended, about 30 seconds. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed and a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 28 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pans to loosen the cakes, invert them onto the rack, remove the pans, and carefully peel away the parchment. Set the cakes aside to cool completely before frosting.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with the mixer on medium speed until very smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat on medium high until blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Cover the frosting and set aside at room temperature until the layers are completely cool.



Carefully set one cake upside down on a large, flat serving plate. Using a metal spatula, evenly spread about 1-1/2 cups of the frosting over the top of the cake. Top with the remaining cake layer, upside down. Spread a thin layer (about 1/3 cup) of frosting over the entire cake to seal in any crumbs and fill in any gaps between layers. Refrigerate until the frosting is cold and firm, about 20 minutes. Spread the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. The cake is best served slightly chilled or at room temperature. The flavors of this moist cake only improve with time, so feel free to bake and frost the cake up to a few days ahead.

Nutrition information (per serving): (perhaps too much information?)

Calories (kcal): 840; Fat (kcal): 54; Fat Calories (g): 480; Saturated Fat (g): 22; Protein (g): 8; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 20; Carbohydrates (g): 86; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 9; Sodium (mg): 550; Cholesterol (mg): 150; Fiber (g): 2;



Wish me luck! Off to the Gourmet Cooking Club!

Chef Cara

Healthy Baking Goddess Day

This past week, I went to a "Teen Goddess Healthy Baking Night" at Step Up Women's Network.

I got to meet a lot of nice people, bake some new healthy treats and teach the teenaged girls how to bake with a little less fat and still have fun...

Marisa, a Step Up Member and (P)resident Baker from wannahavacookie, came in to show the girls some of her healthy baking tips while networking with other women who could help her promote her new business venture! Mission accomplished- too bad my blog has 5 readers.

We made awesome cherry almond dark chocolate clusters. I don't even like cherries and I kept sneaking them from the fridge last night. My only regret is not taking more when I left.

It's an Ellie Krieger recipe- she has great "luscious recipes for a healthy life" as her cookbook promises...the night of baking inspired me to flip through her book to find some more gems.

I met her a few weeks back at The Taste of the Upper West Side, where she was enjoying a chilled illy issimo espresso courtesy of yours truly...here she is with her husband, she was as nice as she was on TV.

Ellie Krieger's Cherry Almond Chocolate Clusters
Yields 12 clusters or 24 mini clusters, prep time- 20 minutes
155 calories, 10 grams of fat, only 3 grams of saturated fat (for a regular cluster, not mini)

1 cups almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
6 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

In a medium bowl, toss together the almonds and the cherries. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Microwave chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 20 seconds, repeat 5-6 times until mostly melted. Remove with an oven mitt and stir for a minute to dissolve all lumps.

Stir the fruit-nut mixture into the chocolate. Spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized clusters of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet about 1-inch apart. Put them in the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes. Store and serve at room temperature.

Payard's Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies: KOSHER FOR PASSOVER!

Last year I got to work to find heaven on top of the beverage cooler where all the treats were always stored! My friend, Mara Sherman, brought in the most amazing cookies that she made for Passover. Passover, with little exception, means cardboard tasting, flavorless starchy gunk. I need to point out that these cookies are not good by Passover standards, they are sold at Payard, a famous patisserie on the Upper East Side, all year long. I wanted to make them this week, but work is too crazy and I wanted to get them to you before Passover. I promise if you make these this year, you will have happy campers at your seder table. Chewy, gooey and perfect.

Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies
By Robin Raisfeld & Rob Patronite
Published Apr 13, 2008 in New York Magazine

François Payard’s Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

2 3/4 cups walnut halves
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Spread the walnut halves on a large-rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 9 minutes, until they are golden and fragrant. (1) Let cool slightly, then transfer the walnut halves to a work surface and coarsely chop them. Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and lower temperature to 320. Line two large-rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. (2) In a large bowl, whisk (or combine in an electric mixer on low speed) the confectioners’ sugar with the cocoa powder and salt followed by the chopped walnuts. While whisking (or once you change the speed to medium), add the egg whites and vanilla extract and beat just until the batter is moistened (do not overbeat or it will stiffen). (3) Spoon the batter onto the baking sheets in 12 evenly spaced mounds, and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked; shift the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through to ensure even baking. Slide the parchment paper (with the cookies) onto 2 wire racks. Let cookies cool completely, and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

I hear it's hard to get cookies off parchment- someone recommended dampening the back side of the parchment to get the cookies to slide off!

Mom's Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

This past week we were in Montreal for the holidays. My mom made a beautiful Asian themed dinner for our family friends for Rosh Hashanah! I wonder if Chinese folks make gefilte fish on their new year? Anyway, I digress..

She finished off the dinner with a FIRST TIME dessert that warranted applause.

It looked spectacular and was so amazing it made you second guess Rockaberry's!

Heaven: peanut butter mousse, graham crumble, chocolate topping with peanuts....

Generally, family rule is not to try a virgin dessert for company! She did and it ROCKED the house! She inspired me to make the Barefoot Contessa's brisket for Yom Kippur in NYC this week. I have never made brisket before and am hoping I can pull it off for company! Truth is my mom's meatballs are amazing, but I have become too dependent on them for Jewish holidays, I have to branch out and expand my beef horizons.

It came from a book called "Gatherings: Creative Kosher Cooking From Our Family to Yours" that she bought in the Maimonides gift shop where she volunteers.

For those that love to bake, trust me: do it.

Peanut Butter Mousse Cake

Serves: 16

Prep Time, 20 minutes plus

Freezes Well

Crust

2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs

1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp margarine, melted

Mousse

1 3/4 cups pareve whipping cream

2 cups creamy peanut butter

2 (8 oz) tubs tofutti cream cheese, softened

2 cups icing (confectioner's) sugar

2 Tbsp vanilla

Topping

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup parve whipping cream

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanuts, chopped, to garnish

Preheat oven to 350.

Crust: in a large bowl, combine all crust ingredients. Press into a 10 inch springform pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Set aside.

Mousse: Using an electric or hand held mixer, beat whipping cream until stiff. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, beat together peanut butter and tofutti cream cheese until smooth. Stir in icing (confectioner's) sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Gently fold in beaten whipping cream, a quarter at a time. Pour into baked crust. Refrigerate until set, approx 2 hrs.

Topping: In a medium sized sauce pan, combine sugar and whipping cream, Stir over medium hear until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove cake from fridge and spread topping evenly over filling. Garnish with peanuts.

Refrigerate until cold. Serve chilled. Watch guests as they ooh and awww!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Loaf A-peel

Canada’s official July 1rst moving day has come and gone, with the cardboard boxes, duct tape and the moving trucks finally in the clear, my apartment building has officially gotten that much cooler with the arrival of my new neighbors Eric Choueke and Naomi Rabinovitch.

Having been in the big apple the weekend that Eric and Naomi moved in, we bumped into each other only a few days later on the street. No standard small talk here, Eric told me straight up that he was already disappointed in me as his neighbor – he said that he expected more from me (picture me in shock) then he went on to list numerous varieties of baked goods that he was expecting to have received as a welcoming gift and that I clearly had not delivered. (now picture me laughing – The chutzpah! Although the little ballubusta in me wanted to plutz)

I told Eric not to worry and promised him that I would deliver, this dessert became top priority and knew right away that my Signature Chocolate Chip Banana Bread would be just the thing to mend this neighborship.


Ingredients:

2 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt
½ cup Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)
¾ cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs Beaten
3-4 over ripe Bananas
½ -1 cup Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350

2. In large bowl combine Flour, Baking Soda.

3. In another bowl cream together the Butter, Sugar and Eggs. Stir in the mashed bananas to the Butter/Sugar/Egg mixture.

4. Combine both mixtures together and add the chocolate chips.


5. Pour the batter into two greased loaf pans and bake for 60-65 minutes. Stick toothpick in center until clean to see if the loafs are ready. Once the loafs are out of the oven, leave them to cool on the counter for 10 minutes.

The great thing about the recipe is that it makes two loafs – one can be kept in the freezer for any unexpected company. Since the gifting of the Chocolate Banana Bread, the Chouekes have given me a second chance at allowing me to be the best neighbor that I can be and they even invited my roommate and I over for a BBQ this past week. Turns out that I’m not the only ballubusta in the building, Naomi makes a mean guacamole and Eric is working on his BBQ skills (he was a bit distraught that he lost three out of six salami slices in the BBQ).

Mario Batali's Orange Olive Oil Cake

In recent months, we have become obsessed with a new neighborhood restaurant called Bar Stuzzichini, an Italian tapas bar with unreal appetizers in the Flatiron district of New York City. We took our authentically Italian friend, Donata, there and she was immediately smitten! We always start our dinner with the "Stuzzichini Misti", which is a choice of 5 appetizers for 2 people for a well-priced $24! Highly recommend the ceci (chickpea) and/or caponata crostini, polpo (grilled octopus), the carciofi (heavenly fried artichokes) and the polpette (meatballs). Everytime I go, I order the grilled tuna with a cool pesto. Many of the people I have taken there love the orecchiette e cavolfiore (little ears with cauliflower and breadcrumbs).

I recently started finishing off my meal with the orange scented olive oil cake and decided to try to replicate at home with Mario Batali's recipe from a cookbook Donata bought me for Christmas a few years ago!

We brought it over to our friends' delicious dinner party last night and it was a very good cake especially when served with vanilla ice cream. It's great for a brunch party or a dessert. Perhaps I am my own worst critic, but I would have preferred it to be more moist and spongy. Please feel free to make suggestions on how I can moisten it up. I saw that Giada has a version with whole milk, more citrus juice and normal, all-purpose flour- I will try that next.

Olive Oil & Orange Cake
Mario Batali's "Simple Italian Food, Recipes from My Two Villages"
Serves 8

6 medium oranges
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 Tbsp baking soda
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
confectioners'/icing sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350. Oil a 9 inch round cake pan.

Remove the zest from the oranges and juice one of them. Set fruit aside for another use. Sift the flour and baking soda together onto a piece of waxed paper.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and salt together with an electric mixer until frothy and light, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the sugar, continuing to mix 2 minutes longer. Add the flour and baking sida gradually to the egg mixture, then mix 1 more minute.

In another bowl, combine the olive oil, orange zest and juice. Using a spoon, stir it into the egg mixture, folding until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Invert onto wire rack.

Cool to room temperature, dust confectioners'/icing sugar onto cake, cut into wedges and serve with vanilla bean ice cream.

My Chanukah Miracle

Last week, we hosted a small Chanukah party for our family. We fried up the annual latkas, made my trustworthy meatballs and roasted cauliflower, one of my favorite new roasted veggies, especially with a bit of curry powder.

At the last minute, I decided to try rugelach, an experiment given that I had never done it before. I generally don't make it a habit to try new recipes on guests, but Tally Abecassis tried them before me and said they were delicious....PLUS they are an Ina Garten recipe, they never fail. Barefoot Contessa outdid herself again, she made these bakery quality rugelach on her "holidays" episode with brisket and chopped liver...been meaning to try her brisket as well. My mother in law and husband had 5 a piece.....

Equipment: baking sheets, parchment paper, rolling pin, KitchenAid

Rugelach
Barefoot Contessa Parties
Makes 48 Cookies

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2-pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 9 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup apricot preserves, pureed in a food processor
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash

Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts.

On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle (rolling out dough is hell!). Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges—cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

Enjoy! They are delicious.

Berries in Bronxville

Chris, Karina, Lisa and I
Berry Crumble

Todd, Jorge, Adam, Steve, Josh and Lee

About two years ago, Lisa, a friend from my old job, and her husband, Steve, hosted a bunch of friends from work to a beautiful dinner party. She set a high standard for entertaining; great food and a beautiful table. Two years have past and many dinner parties later, the inevitable has happened. Chris and Josh sold out and moved to Pelham. Three months ago, Karina and Jorge off to Bronxville. Now, Lisa and Steve are moving to a suburb of Boston. The last 4 stand strong. Todd and Adam are safe for a little while longer.


Our diverse crew is headed to the burbs and even worse, they are trying to PUSH the burbs on anyone who will listen. Our friends, Karina and Jorge, have become real estate agents. "Why do you live in the city? If you lived in the burbs, Lee could be closer to golf, you could have a big kitchen and Lee could still lie on the couch all day!"A great pitch, but not so fast....Although, the stench from grilling in my apartment is getting old.


Last night, Karina and Jorge had a lovely party to say goodbye to Lisa & Steve. Karina made a beef tenderloin with olive oil and rosemary that was cooked to perfection. Along side, she served a fabulous spring mix salad with pine nuts and pears and Persian rice with cherries (mmm... for those Venezuelan Persian friends!).

Earlier yesterday, my 9-year old niece, Stacie, and I baked a berry crumble for dessert. I first made this over two years ago for a bridal shower to rave reviews and haven't made it in a long time. It's easy to make and is a perfect summer dessert with vanilla ice cream and/or some whipped cream! It looks so good in this picture thanks to Todd, who taught me that you don't take pictures of your food with a flash. Ooops.

Mixed Berry Creme Fraiche Crumble
FoodNetwork.com, Serves 8

4 cups mixed berries (I used 3 packages of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup creme fraiche*
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup melted butter

*If you can't find creme fraiche, you can substitute 1 cup of creme fraiche with 1/2 cup each of sour cream and whipping cream; or 1 cup whipping cream and 3 tablespoons buttermilk; cover and let stand 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 375. Mix together the berries, flour and sugar and pour into a 8 x 8 baking dish. Spread the creme fraiche over the top of the berries evenly. Mix together the brown sugar, flour and salt. Mix in the melted butter. Top the creme fraiche with this mixture. Bake for 35 minutes or until topping is golden brown (the recipe calls for 25 minutes, but it doesn't bake enough in 25 minutes...).

Bon Appetit!

Key Lime Bars sponsored by FedEx

First of all, I apologize for my blogging frequency. The good news is I am too busy with my new gig to cook as often and to blog...maybe, I have more of a life now? Amy- try to resist. I also don't have time for pretty photos, but read the comments (READ: co-workers insert how much you liked my key lime bars) and you will see I am not messing around.

Anyway, Lee and I were in Florida last month for Grandma's 90th Bday. My aunt Beth and uncle Jack hosted a beautiful dinner at their house. Aunt Beth made beautiful floral arrangements, set a gorgeous table with tasty food and had a chocolate fountain (I got it to work!). She made a delicious key lime pie from Joe's Stone Crab. It was my first time enjoying key lime pie with real key limes. Within 24 hours, aunt Beth had stopped by Publix to pick up a bag of key limes that I could take back to New York. Somewhere between the front desk of the Marriott and my room, my limes faded into oblivion. Maybe someone wanted to make a pie, hope they didn't choke on it. Thieves! Make a long story short: a couple of days later, a FedEx arrived with a bag of key limes and a pack of Knorr's vegetable soup mix (I liked her dip recipe!). Aunt Beth was determined to get me my limes and when she is determined, stay out of her way, she will make it happen!

What was I to do with these key limes? I wanted to try something new and am very loyal to my own key lime pie recipe. A few weeks went by and I started getting scared that I was going to waste all the effort that had been invested in getting me my limes. At the prompting of Beatus and Bernstein, I was forced into action. Beatus told me she had had enough of my almond macaroons and Bernstein told me that he thought I was all talk. To the kitchen I went.

As mentioned in my last post, I just got a subscription to cooksillustrated.com and found this recipe online. So far, they are 2 for 2. Initially, I wasn't thrilled about paying $24.95 for an annual membership for something that should be free. However, if I look at ROI, this might not be such a bad idea considering I pay more than that for each cookbook and haven't opened many of them!

I tweaked the recipe by changing the crust from animal crackers to Keebler graham crackers.

The result was a tart bar with buttery sugary crust. Perfect for a summer treat and would look great on a plate with my lemon bars- a little lemon and lime!

Key Lime Bars

Cooks Illustrated July 2006, Makes 16 2-inch bars

If you aren't lucky enough to have aunt Beth send you Key limes, use regular (Persian) limes. Do not use bottled lime juice. Grate the zest from the limes before juicing them, avoiding the bitter white pith that lies just beneath the outermost skin. The optional coconut garnish adds textural interest and tames the lime flavor for those who find it too intense. I am not a coconut fan, so left it off. The recipe can be doubled and baked in a 13- by 9-inch baking pan (I will do this next time I bring these to work!); you will need a double layer of extra-wide foil for the pan (each sheet about 20 inches in length) and should increase the baking times by a minute or two.

Crust
5 ounces Keebler graham crackers (recipe calls for animal crackers)
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (light or dark)
Pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly

Filling
2 ounces cream cheese , room temperature (YES, I ATE CHEESE!)
1 tablespoon grated lime zest , minced
Pinch table salt
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice , either Key lime or regular

Garnish (optional)
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut , toasted until golden and crisp

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Place foil in a 8 x 8 pan and let foil hang over the sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. TO MAKE THE CRUST: In workbowl of food processor, pulse graham crackers until broken down, about ten 1-second pulses; process crumbs until evenly fine, about 10 seconds (you should have about 1 1/4 cups crumbs). Add brown sugar and salt; process to combine, ten to twelve 1-second pulses (if large sugar lumps remain, break them apart with fingers). Drizzle butter over crumbs and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter, about ten 1-second pulses. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling. Do not turn off oven.

3. TO MAKE THE FILLING: While crust cools, in medium bowl, stir cream cheese, zest, and salt with rubber spatula until softened, creamy, and thoroughly combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk vigorously until incorporated and no lumps of cream cheese remain; whisk in egg yolk. Add lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will thicken slightly).

4. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Pour filling into crust; spread to corners and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.5. Loosen edges with paring knife and lift bars from baking pan using foil extensions; cut bars into 16 squares. Sprinkle with toasted coconut, if using, and serve.

Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 2 days; crust will soften slightly. Let bars stand at room temperature about 15 minutes before serving.

Almond Macaroons

A big thanks to Melissa at work for offering me one of her mother's almond macaroons. It was so good that I asked for the recipe on the spot. By day's end, there was a post-it waiting on my monitor with how to find the recipe. These macaroons are incredibly simple to make and taste great, hard on the outside with a surprisingly chewy center. They were a big hit at the dinner party we went to last night. Even though they are Kosher for Passover, they taste amazing. There is no matzo meal or quintessential Passover ingredients, it just so happens that you are allowed to eat all the ingredients on Passover. All that being said, make them anytime! They will be part of my Passovers and other holidays for years to come! Thanks Mrs. Tischler!

Almond Macaroons (Cook's Illustrated)

Makes 2 dozen cookies

Macaroons need to be baked on parchment paper. They stick to an ungreased sheet and spread on a greased one (mine spread and they tasted great!!).

3 cups blanched slivered almonds (12 oz), measured without packing or shaking the cup

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup large egg whites, plus 1 tablespoon (from about 3 eggs)

1 tsp almond extract

1. Set racks in upper-middle and lower-middle levels of oven and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Turn almonds into food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade and process for one minute. Add sugar and process 15 more seconds. Add whites and extract and process until the paste wads around the blade. Scrape sides and corners of workbowl with spatula; process until a stiff, but cohesive, malleable paste forms, about 5 seconds longer. If mixture is crumbly or dry, turn machine back on and add water by drops through the feeder tube until the right consistency is reached.

3. Allowing a scant 2 Tbsp of paste for each macaroon, form a dozen cookies on each paper-lined sheet, spacing cookies 1.5 inches apart. Roll into 1 inch balls with your palm.

4. Bake macaroons, switching cookie sheet positions midway through baking, until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. If overbaked, macaroons will dry out rather quickly when stored. Leave macaroons on papers until completely cooled or else they may tear. They can be stored in an airtight container for at least 4 days or frozen up to a month.

Enjoy!

On the 2nd day of Chanukah

This year, my mom & dad were in for Chanukah and we hosted a small party here for Lee's mom's b-day and Chanukah. My mom outdid herself with her annual potato latkas and a classic cake from our childhood.
The kids and adults ran for seconds on the once a year delicacy!

Easy Potato Latkas
Norene Gilletz's "Pleasures of Your Processor"
(yields 2 dozen)

4 medium potatoes, pared (she recommended Yukon gold or yellow flesh)
1 onion
2 eggs
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
oil for frying

Cut potatoes in chunks and onion in half. Place in a processor (with a steel knife) with eggs and process until pureed- 20 to 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients except oil and process a few seconds longer to blend into a smooth mixture. Pour oil to about 1/8" depth in a large skillet. When hot, drop in potato mixture by large spoonfuls to form pancakes. Brown well on both sides. Drain well on paper towels.

*These can be frozen. To reheat, place them on a ungreased foil lined cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake uncovered at 450 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes, until crisp & hot. Serve with apple sauce. These would make great party appetizers, you can make 5 dozen mini latkas and place a dollop of creme fraiche on top.

Every year at our birthday parties, we would have a vanilla cake with a creamy icing. I always preferred white cake to chocolate cake and always will. She updated the "Betty Crocker's Silver White cake" with Magnolia bakery icing...it was luscious. On our wedding day, my mom gave this recipe to the baker and our wedding cake tasted like my old bday cakes...YUM.

Betty Crocker's Silver White Cake

TIME: Bake layers 30 to 35 minutes, square or oblong 35 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

INSTRUCIONS FOR LARGE CAKE (TWO 9" LAYER CAKE PANS OR ONE 13" X 9" PAN)

Grease and generously flour pan.
Sift together:
2 7/8 cups sifted Softasilk Flour or 2 2/3 cups sifted Gold Medal flour
1 7/8 cups sifted sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Add:
2/3 cups soft shortening
1 1/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons flavoring
Beat 2 minutes.
Add 5 egg whites.
Beat 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pans. Bake until cake tests done. Cool. Finish with desired filling and frosting. When this cake is iced, it looks like a cake that could have been in a 1950s style bakery front, especially in a pretty pastel color.
Advice from mom: Place a round 9 inch parchment paper round, buttered on both sides, at the bottom of the pans. She also learned how to ice a cake from watching Martha...so watch her :)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SMALL CAKE(TWO 8" LAYER CAKE PANS OR 9" SQUARE PAN)

Follow all the instructions above, but change the quantities to the following:
2 1/4 cups sifted Softasilk flour or 2 1/8 cups Gold Medal flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup soft shortening
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons flavoring
4 egg whites

An excuse to eat apple crostata

I'm a Canadian married to an American and we're living in the US. Although I don't like turkey, I love the premise of Thanksgiving and the fact that the week is cut short on Wednesday...these Americans do it right.
Here's another great one from Barefoot Contessa Parties!
I'm not her publicist, just a big fan....This is the second time I have made this rustic apple crostata and you only have to make the crust once. It went over very well both times! A perfect Thanksgiving dessert last night.

Apple Crostata- Serves 6
Barefoot Contessa Parties!

Needed equipment: rolling pin, food processor, baking sheet, microplane zester and some bowls

For the pastry (makes enough for 2 tarts!)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 lb very cold unsalted butter, diced

For the filling (1 tart)
1 1/2 lbs McIntosh, Empire or Macoun apples (3 apples)
1/4 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice (I didn't have it and skipped it)
4 Tbsp cold unsalted butter (1/2 stick), diced

For the pastry, place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Unplug food processor and take out the blade. Add the butter and toss quickly with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Replug the food processor and put the blade back, pulse 12-15 times or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add 1/4 cup of ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board and form 2 disks. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate one of the disks for at least an hour. Freeze the rest of the pastry to use for your next masterpiece!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

For the filling, peel, core and quarter the apples. Cut each quarter into 3 chunks. Toss the chunks with the orange zest. Cover the tart dough with apple chunks, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon, and allspice into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on apples. Gently fold the border over the apples, pleating it to make a circle.

Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Let the tart cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to carefully transfer it to a wire rack.

Bon Appetit!

Talia's Bridal Shower & "Oh My" Key Lime Pie

They say practice makes perfect....we are getting better at throwing these bridal showers every time....Today was Talia's bridal shower. The five bridesmaids combined efforts to make it all happen. The cream colored roses, accented with pink, were floating in gorgeous, modern glass vases thanks to Nicki. Anyone who reads this should ask Nicki to be a bridesmaid, she can save you a lot of money at your wedding...her new nickname is the "45 minute florist". The ladies were entertained with a game by Corryn (that she impressively conducted off her Blackberry). Jodi made beautiful invites and organized to get a makeup artist from the Giorgio Armani counter @ Saks to come do a "teaching demonstration" on the bride. Naomi kept everyone coming back for more of her peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and bought the bride her new makeup brush set. As for me, as you may have guessed, I made Magnolia cupcakes and Nigella's key lime pie. It was great to have Talia's mom in from Ottawa, Darren's mom in from Montreal and Jodi, the maid of honor, in from Toronto for the festivities!

Since I have already blogged about the cupcakes, here's the recipe to a Farber approved (Andre, Darren & Bob) key lime pie. In celebration of Nigella Lawson's debut on Food TV (Sundays at 1 pm), my timing couldn't be better. Love this dessert cause you can make it and freeze it and then whip it out to serve...It does require a lot of equipment, but it's easy to make, so don't be shy!

Key Lime Pie (How To Be A Domestic Goddess, Nigella Lawson)
*Use a 9 inch springform pan, a food processor and an electric mixer*

For the Crust
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp (or 7 oz) graham crackers
scant 1/4 cup softened, unsalted butter

For the Filling
5 large egg yolks
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
zest of 3 limes
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp lime juice (of 4-5 limes)
3 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put graham crackers and butter in a food processor and blitz until it's all reduced to oily crumbs. Press these into the pan, lining the bottom and going a little way up the sides and chill while you continue.

Use your stand mixer or a handheld mixer to beat egg yolks until thick, add the can of condensed milk, grated zest and the lime juice. Whisk the egg whites separately until soft peaks form, then gently fold into the yolk mixture. Pour into the lined pan and bake for 25 minutes, when the filling should be firm. I also whipped 1/2 pint of heavy cream and iced the top and decorated with limes. Leave to cool on a rack before unmolding and chill well. You can keep this in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to serve.

Hope everyone had fun today !
Naomi- would you like to guest blog your cookies ?

Razzmatazz

The recipe for these razzmatazz bars was sent to me by my friend, Talia. It originates from Nestle, clearly a recipe created to sell more Nestle white morsels....I am a victim of corporate marketing. After my friends at work sent me off to get married in May with bags full of gifts from Williams Sonoma, I felt like I needed to give them a return on their investment. I brought these bars to work on Wednesday for a National Accounts meeting and they razzled and dazzled my friends at work. Their comments may have been relative next to the cafeteria food.

Razzmatazz Bars (makes 16 bars)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

2 cups (12 oz package) of Nestle Tollhouse Premier white morsels, divided

2 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and sugar a 9 inch square baking pan. Melt butter in medium, microwave safe bowl on high (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Add 1 cup of morsels, let stand and do not stir.

Beat eggs in your stand mixer until foamy. Add sugar; beat until light lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in morsel-butter mixture. Add flour, salt and almond extract; mix at low speed until combined. Spread 2/3 batter into the pan.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Remove from oven to wire rack.

Heat jam in small, microwave-safe bowl on high (100%) power for 30 seconds; stir. Spread jam over warm crust. Stir remaining morsels into remaining batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter over jam. Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars, take to office and make new friends at work !

These bars are very rich, full of white chocolate and the taste of raspberry jam with a slight almond infusion.

Philippe & Le Clafouti

This summer, more than any other summer, every single food magazine is blessing their covers with gorgeous fruity pies, cobblers and grunts. I have clipped a good 10 recipes that I want to try, but being mindful of my waist line, I have to take it easy :) As I flipped through Bon Appetit in June, I saw a beautiful picture of a cherry almond clafouti. Not only had I never tasted a clafouti before, I had no clue what it was. Last summer when we were in Paris & Nice, I was more focused on creme brulee and tarte aux pommes, oh yeah and gateaux de chocolat...you get the picture.
I asked my French trainer, Philippe, if he ever ate clafouti....I got a mouthful about his mother making it when he was a child and how good it was....Apparently, clafouti is what the real French eat at home and doesn't find its place on many dessert menus at restaurants. So, I invited him for dinner and decided to make clafouti, not knowing what I was really making.

Clafouti is a french dessert that, as Bon Appetit promises, tastes like a "cross between a pancake and a custard". Cherries are the most traditional fruit to use, but it was my first time eating cherries and I have to say I think I like berries better...so next time, I will be making strawberry clafouti. A famous French food blogger, Clotilde Desouliers, of "Chocolate and Zucchini", has a strawberry recipe, it will be my next conquest. Cherries are a pain to pit and their red juice runs onto everything! This dessert reminds me of eating slightly undercooked pancakes, it has the consistency of a doughy cookie. You should try it on a night you are eating rustic French food!

Philippe ate more than 1/2 of the clafouti and I thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Ironic that he always tells me to eat fish, but when I invite him to dinner, he tells me: "no fish for dinner, I get hungry." Yeah, you and ME both! So, I made him chicken after being told beef is too hefty for night....and he ate 3 servings of chicken, asparagus, sweet potatoes and 1/2 the clafouti.

One happy trainer ...and one LUCKY BASTARD ! I don't know many women who could devour half a pie and 3 chicken breasts for dinner and still look good!

Cherry Almond Clafouti (Bon Appetit June 2006)
6 servings

1/2 cup whole almonds (about 2 oz)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 tbsp plus 1/2 cup sugar
8 oz dark sweet cherries, pitted & halved (about 2 cups)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp almond extract
pinch of salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour
powdered sugar

Blend almonds in processor until ground, but not pasty. Transfer to a small saucepan; add milk and bring to simmer. Remove from heat; let steep 30 minutes. Pour through fine strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids in strainers.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter 10 inch diameter pie dish, sprinkle with 1 tbsp of sugar. Scatter cherries evenly over bottom of dish.

Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, almond extracts, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Add strained almond milk & beat to blend. Sift flour into egg mixture and beat until smooth. Pour mixture over cherries. Bake until set and knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.

This can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Lightly dust clafouti with powdered sugar & serve.

Bon Appetit!

Lemon Bars on the North Fork

It would appear that I stalk the Barefoot Contessa. Lately, it seems she is really my "go to" chef. When my friend from work, Sam, told me about his wife, Lisa's yummy lemon bars, I was intrigued. I'm not much of a lemon curd kind of girl, but I trust Sam's taste and it was a safe call since Ina has no bad recipes. I was so excited to whip out my new white Artisan KitchenAid mixer that my mom & dad bought me on E-Bay for my shower! I made these lemon bars to take out to Lee's CEO's house in Southold on the Eastern end of Long Island for his annual 4th of July party. We hung out all day on a beautiful patio overlooking the water and ate yummy hot dogs for lunch and 1 lb lobsters for dinner ! When I got to dessert, I found my lemon bars on the buffet, VICTORY ! Amongst all the chaos, my lemon bars found their spot among many berry cheese pies. Thanks to Lisa & Sam for a great recommendation !

Lemon Bars

For the crust
1/2 lb unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/8 tsp kosher salt

For the filling
6 extra large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup all purpose flour

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (the white flat one). Combine the flour and salt, and, with the mixer on low, add the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well floured board and roll into a ball.
Flatten the dough with floured hands and press into a 9 x 13 x 2 inch deep baking sheet, building up a 1/2 inch edge on all sides. Chill. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles (makes 40 triangles or 20 squares) and dust with sifted confectioners' sugar (this is icing sugar if you're Canadian).

My favorite tool for this recipe is the Microplane Zester, a $10 tool that is so easy to use.
It zests limes & lemons, minces ginger and garlic, etc....If you have a juicer, use it...I didn't, but I will use it next time.

The crust is so yummy.

Sinful MMM Moltens

MMM good. This is my favorite recipe of all time. Talia & Corryn like to make fun of me...they say that I think everything is delicious.

Promise me you will try them, they are easy and VERY impressive. I impress myself over and over again !

I recommend using Scharfenberg 70% bittersweet-go cheap and you'll taste the difference.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

5 oz bittersweet chocolate

10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

Prehear oven to 450. Butter 6 3/4 cup ramekins. Stir chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat until melted. Cool slightly. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in large bowl to blend. Whisk in sugar, then chocolate mixture and flower. Pour batter into ramekins.

You can keep these in the fridge for a day, if you do, bake for 14 minutes- WATCH them after 11 minutes.

If you bake them right away, 11 minutes.

Let me know how they turn out !

Bridal Shower Bliss

For those who know me, you know I have a few food related weaknesses. Ok, actually a lot of weaknesses when it comes time to dessert. Aside from Rockaberry Apple Crumb pie (if you are in Montreal, you must got to Rockaberry's !), creme brulee, key lime pie and chocolate molten cakes, I also have a soft spot for Magnolia Bakery. This small bakery on the corner of West 12th and Bleecker in the West Village is a "must stop" if you're in NY. Magnolia has the best cupcakes, period. Their luscious icing melts in your mouth.....anyway, let's keep this clean. Knowing about this weakness, my sister, Cara, and my mother, Lisa, made a "create your own cupcake" station at my bridal shower last weekend. Lisa thought the 28 yr old ladies would be too mature for this...not so ! The ladies were behaving as though they were unleashed at a Barney's sale....So for all those Montreal ladies who just want a piece of the heaven that is Magnolia, here we go...

Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes

Cupcakes

1 & ½ cups of self rising flour
1 & ¼ cups of all purpose flour
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter softened
2 cups of sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line 2 twelve cup muffin tins with cupcake papers
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 three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla
With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat
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 ¾ full
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake, comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes
Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing
Ice with vanilla butter cream.

Makes about two dozen cupcakes

Note: If you’d like to make a layered cake instead of cupcakes, divide the batter between two nine inch round cake pans and bake the layers for 30-40 minutes.

Vanilla Butter Cream Icing

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter softened
6-8 cups of confectioners’ sugar
½ cup of milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl
Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and the vanilla
On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy (about 3-5 minutes). Be sure to do it for this amount of time to achieve desired creamy texture.

Gradually add the remaining sugar, one cup at a time beating well after each addition (about two 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 a air tight container for up to 3 days. This makes enough for 1 two layer, nine inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes.

Make sure to keep the icing at room temperature, do not put it in the fridge, as it will harden.

Enjoy !!! YUM.