Shipping up to Boston

Back in April I had the chance to travel to Boston for work. I was there almost the whole work week and then Mike came out for the weekend to save ticket prices on my return flight.

I stayed out in Cambridge, but got a chance to visit Harvard a couple times, Newbury St, Prudential Building (Top of the Hub restaurant had a wonderful view of the city!)

(Stonework on the Longfellow Bridge)

(Cemetery in Harvard)

(Statue in Boston Common Park)

It mostly rained while I was there, but then the weekend warmed up a bit and we were able to go on the 'Freedom Trail' seeing the historical sites of Paul Revere. We saw the Aquarium out on the warf where we stayed, which was very nice. An octopus woke up during the last 10 minutes of operation and it was mezmorizing!

We got to eat a lot of great seafood and tour some of the older pubs. As we sat in the restaurants and wondered around, we continued to see people with little pastry boxes from a 'Mike's Pastry' shop. So after a quick google map, we decided to go see what all the fuss was about.

The fuss was actually the best Cannoli we have ever had (sorry Chicago). It also happend to be across from the restuarant we visited twice, for their seafood and every day there were lines of people streaming out of the pastry shop. Simply the best stuff!

The restaurant that brought us back a second time was called the 'Daily Catch'. We were told they specialized in Squid Ink Pasta. We found the small eatery, which was no larger than 9 or 10 two person tables, with the kitchen right in the room. (This picture is from the front door and you can see the kitchen in the back)

It was more than well worth the wait. The octopus squid ink pasta was so so amazing! In fact I found an accidental peice of glass in mine and continued to eat it and never even said anything it was so so good and they were working so hard. We had to come back the next day for another pasta dish and pastry for dessert.

Making caramels and hard candies has been something I was never good at. Until we got a candy thermometer. It makes it much easier to watch the temp and get the perfect consistency.

I tried it with these caramels and they turned out so yummy! I love the combination of the sugar and the salt. I used pink peppercorns, lemon flavored sea salt, and Himalayan pink salt.

Pink peppercorns have an almost citrus flavor, you need a bit more of it to taste than the salt. My personal fav is the himalayan rock salt.

Salt and Pepper Caramels

1 C. butter

2 1/4 C. brown sugar

2 C. cream

1 C. light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

rock salt or crushed pepper (2 tbsp of each)

Line an 8x8 baking pan with buttered tin foil so the edges hang over. In a heavy sauce pan, melt butter, add sugar, cream, and syrup. Mix well.

Stir mixture over heat until it is a boil. Lower heat to medium. With a candy thermometer boil mixture at a steady rate until the heat reads 248 degrees (about 40-50 minutes)

Remove pan from heat. Stir in vanilla. Quickly pour caramels into pan. Cool and cut into squares (place in refrigerator to speed up cooling and make for easier cutting, after it comes to room temp)

Press squares into rock salt or crushed pepper until the tops are coated. Wrap each in plastic wrap. Store up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Makes 64 small squares or 30 large.

Self Proclaimed Tiramisu Snobs

In Iowa City, where Mike and I went to college there was a restaurant called the Brown Bottle. It was a dimly light Italian place, with ok food and too high of prices for college kids. But the Tiramisu was amazing.

We'd go out to dinner at different places and then run over to The Brown Bottle for desert. They served the deep chocolate and espresso flavored treat in a large clear wine goblet, pressed up against the sides so you could tell it was individually made. Ever since then we've ooooh-d and ahhhh-d over every desert menu that we see it on, remembering the yummy dish. But it's never been the same. We get all hyped up to taste it and then it turns out in a perfectly layered (undoubtedly frozen) slice, tasting of cream cheese and bad coffee.



So I was really nervous to try making it myself. I'd found some good looking Lady Finger cookies at a local grocery store and figured I'd give it a try. Almost a year later they were still sitting in my cupboard.
We'd just had an amazing dinner with friends who made wonderful Bread Pudding and give us that recipe and one for Tiramisu.
Turns out it's pretty complicated to make from scratch, makes a lot of dishes, and is time consuming. Perfect! Honestly my kind of dish. I figure if it takes a long time to prep and make, it's gotta taste that much better than store bought.
I'm on the lookout for a better serving dish though. This repurposed flower vase just doesn't quite have the effect I'm looking for...



Tiramisu

6 egg yolks
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese*
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
2 packages dry lady fingers (3oz each)
½ cup coffee liqueur**
Cocoa powder or shaved chocolate curls

Beat egg yolks and sugar until lemony colored (1-2 minutes), place in top of double boiler a cook 8-10 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Whip 1 ¾ cup of the cream until stiff. Fold in the egg mix. Line bowl with layer of lady fingers and pour the liqueur over them, soaking slightly. Avoid getting the liqueur on the eggs mixture (it soaks into lady fingers well). Cover with eggs mix (1/3) dust with cocoa and repeat layers. Top with sweetened whip cream and garnish with dusting of cocoa or shaved chocolate. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

*Mascarpone cheese substitute: 8 oz cream cheese, 2 Tbls. cream and ¼ cup sour cream blended until smooth.

**Coffee liqueur: Espresso with brandy or Kaluha/Tia Maria.

Sweetened whipped cream: ¾ cup cream, 2 Tbls. powdered sugar and 1/4 tsp vanilla whipped but not too stiff.

Irish Cream Cheesecake

Again, March rolls in filled with baseketball, Corned Beef, and teasing warm weekends. Here in Minnesota we still have piles of snow and I watch with envy as other parts of the country start into spring.

Well I can control the color of some things. Most notably the green cheesecake we made for the upcoming St.Patrick's Day week.



The cheesecake recipe is a simple one, adapted from my sister who made the best cheesecakes growing up in Wisconsin. I added some Irish Cream flavoring and green food coloring in different layers to make a cake which resembles Irish Coffee. I may have to try adding some instant cappachino next year....



Basic Cheesecake
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups graham crackers, crushed
1/4 cup hazelnuts, crushed

2 packages cream cheese, room temp
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp Irish Cream flavoring (or other extract)
2 eggs

Melt butter in a bowl and add sugar, graham crackers and hazelnuts. Make sure there is enough butter to be slightly sticky and press into a spring foam pan.

Mix cream cheese, sugar, and flavoring until smooth in a blender. Add eggs one at a time until well mixed. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until slightly browning at edges and still a little jiggly in the middle. Let cool on counter and chill for atleast 4 hours. Slice and serve.

* I double the cheese mixture and time to bake for a thicker slice.

Faux Cookies

No these are not chocolate chip cookies. I know. They look like it. These little cuties are Orange Currant Polenta Cookies and while that combination may not sound delicious, let me tell you.... it is.

I have firsthand knowledge that both kids and adults will enjoy a handful (or two). They are light, with a little bit of tangy-crunchy-chewiness that suites new years resolutionists with healthy vitamin C and Iron. Make them into bite sizes and enjoy! I won't take responsibility for chocolate lovers dissapointment though.

Ingredients
2 cups dried currants
1/4 tsp orange extract
1/4 cup water
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons coarse polenta (cornmeal)


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, add the currants and water. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain and discard the liquid. Set currents aside.


Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and sugar and beat to combine. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until incorporated together. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix again on low speed until a dough forms.


Once a dough forms add the currants and polenta. Mix together until thoroughly combined. Roll into small 1-inch balls, and arrange on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until slightly golden, 8-12 minutes, at 350 degrees on a non-stick pan. Cool and serve.

Happy (21 Point Buck) Birthday!

My baby brother turned 21! And what else does every young buck need than a deer cake. With 21 antlers ofcourse...

I used the same application for the paint as I did with the Thomas the Train cake, thick food coloring with alcohol for faster evaporation.

When I first made the devil's chocolate cake I forgot to flour the pan, so my not-so-non-stick pans made a destruction of that boxed delight. The second attempt was much better :)

I molded out the fondant and painted on the deer head. I had initially wanted to do 21 antlers, but I couldn't figure out how the heck they would look, so I just did 13. First thing the birthday boy does when he sees the cake is start counting the points. Now that's a true Wisconsinite! So after an explaination of where the A1 antler would go and at which level the D4 (whatever) would start, we got 21 points on there.

Thank goodness, cause it didn't last long.....

Peachy

Yes it's fall. But I'm still hanging onto the last of summer here in Minnesota. It seems we've gotten the warmest months right here at the end.
Hot, blustery days (yes that's a word) followed by storms and oppresive humidity. Lovely.
So with all this warm weather, it doesn't quite 'feel' like fall yet. When my in-laws came into town last weekend, I just couldn't bring myself to make my normal Apple Pie. Too fall too soon. I'll hang onto summer.


Peaches. mummm.... there were some beautiful peaches in the store which I thought would go well with the raspberries we got in our CSA cache that week.
My mom said she'd been going through a bunch and canning them into pie filling by blanching them. So I tried that. OMG she was right! The skins just slide right off and they are so easy to slice up.
Just boil the peaches in water for about 5 minutes and then dump into ice water to let cool.

They turn out just right, baked slightly without falling apart.

Slice them up, mix with tapioca filling, sugar and a little lemon juice, then stuff them in a pie. Sprinkle some raspberries on top and cover with your favorite pie recipe.

And hold onto summer.

Happy (Thomas the Train) Birthday!

The scene: A dappled sun filled park with pavilion, playground, fields, and a pond.
The players: One happy four year boy, one excited younger brother, one beautiful baby princess, a dozen friends and their various guardians.
The plot: A Thomas the Train birthday party.

Me: "Can I make the birthday cake?!?!?"
B: "OMG, are you nuts? I would so rather have you make something than buy something from a store!"
Me: "Consider it done."


The plan: A sculpted Thomas the Train with three additional box cars, or tenders as I have learned. That equals four cars, numbered 1-4, for four year old Ethan's b-day. Place on a liquorish/pretzel track with graham cracker and coconut landscaping.

Four weeks before the party I made a test cake; it was a fish with a Canadian flag, made for the hubby's work trip to said Can-aid-ia. It was my first try at fondant. I figured if I watched enough 'Ace of Cakes' I'd get the general idea. I learned a lot about what not to do. Don't let it dry out. Don't add too much milk. Don't roll it out too thin. Don't use too much frosting. Don't rush. Do not use liquid coloring for red, it turns out pink. I highly recommend doing a small practice cake with sculpting if you are planning on trying this.

Two days before the big party I started prepping the butter cream frosting. I made a double batch, guessing on the amount based on mr. fish. The day before I got all my cakes baked, carved, butter creamed, and covered with the mass amounts of fondant I also made that day. I made way too much! Better more, than not enough. I started with the easiest shape first, the boxcar, and worked my way up to the more difficult pieces. Painting the face on Thomas was my favorite part. Just add a smidge of vodka to coloring gel to make a paint consistency; don't worry the alcohol will evaporate, 'Ace of Cakes' said so.

The morning of, I literally had to drag myself out of bed from a Saturday night GNO and start doing the final decorations. A little detail here, a little frosting piping there. Opps! missed the 'h' in birthday. Redo.

Carefully transferred the cakes onto the large decorated tag board with crushed graham crakers and green colored coconut for grass. Nervously drove to the park. Why are there so many bumps and turns in the road? I've never even noticed how many potholes and hills there are. Worst case disasters are going through my head at this point. All the cars piled up in a cakey-messy heap in the back seat. Thomas' face fallen and smashed on the tracks. No fix if that happens.

After a slight miscommunication in location we made it to the park. The party was great! Kids running around in semi-organized fun, a nice spread of pasta salads, sandwiches, and chips, an absolutely perfect sunny day. The cake was a big hit. When it came time to dish it out (after a impromptu game of hide-and-go-seek with the birthday boy) all the kids screamed for Thomas. They wanted a piece of that train. Poor Thomas, he never saw it coming. At one point I looked over to see Ethan devouring the face with help from dad, so happy.

The end.

How to make a Thomas the Train Birthday Cake

(estimating 2 days prior for proper drying and setup steps)

Day1 - Bake cakes, let cool. Make frosting. Carve cakes and frost. Let chill overnight.

Day2 - Make fondant and roll out to cover cakes. Let chill overnight. Prep all the serving decorations. Make Thomas face.

Day3 (day of party) - Place onto final serving tray. Decorate with frosting and candy within 2 hrs of the party.

Cake Instructions:
Use box cakes, do not make your own. There is a science to this and they have it down.
Cook to instructions and let cool completely. For box cars and Thomas cut in half and reattach layers with medium consistency icing (this way the inside will have frosting too) I used one bread pan for each of the cars and two for Thomas to have enough height and extra pieces for carving.

Square off sides with serrated knife (bread knife) or carve to correct shape for Thomas. (In the coal car I also made an indent on the top which later was filled with smashed oreo cookies for coal)
Cover final shape with frosting and let sit in refrigerator for at least 2 hrs to chill or overnight. Roll out colored fondant and cover shapes, taking care to not rip the fondant (just past back together with water if you do) Layer any colors, attaching with water to stick. Cut out shapes and place for more decorating with a sharp knife. Let chill again for at least 2 hrs or overnight.

Place onto final serving tray. With thin consistency frosting, decorate the cars and fill in any breaks. Be sure to do this as your last step and either keep in a cool location or serve within the next couple of hours as the frosting will dry out or things may melt if the weather is too warm (just like any cake :) )

Thomas Face Instructions:
Roll out a sheet of white fondant and cut into a round shape, the size that you will need to fill in your sculpted cake (make sure to measure) Using coloring gel, water down with some Vodka (it will evaporate, don't worry) paint the circle to resemble Thomas' face. Let dry out over night, may need to help it along by placing in a 200 degree oven to dry out. Do this slowly, allowing for a lot of time because it will crack if you go too face or still be wet if you don't let it dry out completely. I suggest cutting out a back up just in case and practicing on paper before you paint if you are not comfortable.
Alternitive is to scan out edible paper and attach to the cake or non edible attached to cardboard and just don't let anyone eat it.

Fondant Instructions:
(most can be found at a grocery store or in the cake specialist isle at a craft store like Michael's)

1 Tbsp of unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup of cold water
1 tsp of almond extract
1/2 cup of light corn syrup (If a corn syrup is not available, you can substitute it with a sugar syrup made with 1-1/4 cups sugar and 1/3 cup water, boiled together until syrupy)
1 Tbsp of glycerin (some recipes say it’s optional, believe me, it’s a must)
2 lbs confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp of white vegetable shortening

Directions:
Sprinkle the gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let it rest for 2 minutes to soften
Place the bowl in a microwave for 30 seconds on High, until the gelatin dissolves
Add the Almond extract

Add the corn syrup and the glycerin and stir until the mixture is smooth and clear (if the mixture is not turning smooth and clear, microwave it for an additional 15 to 20 seconds on high and stir again)
Sift 1 1/2 pounds of the sugar into a large bowl
Make a hole in the sugar and pour the liquid mixture to it
Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes sticky
Sift some of the remaining 1/2 pound of sugar onto a smooth work surface and add as much of the remaining sugar as the mixture will take
Knead the fondant, adding a little more sugar if necessary, to form a smooth, pliable mass
Rub the vegetable shortening on your thumbs and knead it into the fondant
Wrap the fondant in plastic wrap and place it in a tightly sealed container to prevent it from drying out
If the icing dries out and harden it can often be revived by popping it into a microwave oven for a few seconds and then kneading it back to life
TIP: use coloring Gel, not drops and the color will be truer (especially for red and black) To make white add 1/4 tsp of Cream of Tartar

Butter Cream Icing Instructions:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk
Makes: About 3 cups of icing.
I used a triple batch with different colors and some left over. Make a large batch and color as needed.

(Medium Consistency)
In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla.
Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.
Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.
For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.
For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.

Backyard Grocery Store

A trip home to my parents recently involved some berry picking. My mom has a wonderful garden set up this summer. There is everything from raspberries and blueberries, to red onions and pole beans. She has pumpkins and grapes, herbs and hot peppers. It's like having a grocery store in your own backyard! So jealous... you can see the greenhouse and beds here in the late winter before any work has been done...

...and then here in early spring when the lettuce is just coming up. The berry patch is in the upper right corner.

But the raspberries needed to be cut back my grandpa said. And the blueberries where full on drooping with purple bunches. So I decided to try out a Clafoutis I'd seen online. Eventhough I can't pronouce this French dessert, for my first try it turned out pretty yummy. It's a nice eggy flavor and I just love raspberries!

Since the weekend also involved a bluberry bush adventure, (basically searching all over the Coulee region for some onsale) I might be able to make my own.

Some day I'll have a grocery store in my backyard. We'll start with the dessert section for now.

Raspberry and Blueberry Clafoutis
*addapted from the post by Posie Gets Cozy

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup raspberries
1/2 cup bluberries Confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 10 by 3 by 1 1⁄2-inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar.

Beat the eggs and the 1⁄3 cup of granulated sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Slowly mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash and dry the berries. Pour berries into the bottom of the dish, spreading out evenly. Pour the batter over the berries and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

Smells like Florida

"It smells like Florida." Words spoken often by my younger brother whenever the summer heat and humidity reminded him of our yearly trips to Casey Key, FL. Growing up we would take off a couple weeks in March and fly down to spend the 1/2 month in a time share on the beach. The first day usually was filled with grocery shopping, claiming the best room in the house, and breaking in your beach feet by walking up and down looking for sharks teeth. Over the years we must have brought back hundreds of sharks teeth. They fill jars and bottles in my parents house and there is still a conch filled lamp in my old bedroom.

I think we started going to Florida for the space shuttle launches. My parents went to high school with Mark Lee, a then astronaut who was able to get us access to view the launches from the nearest point allowed. We'd drive out to a sandy peninsula, park alongside the road, and pull out the lawn chairs. Surrounded by water and signs that said "No swimming allowed, crocodile infested waters" we'd wait for the countdown with the other special access observers. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.... We have lift off! The ground would shake with the force of the shuttle bursting upwards, trailed by fluffy white clouds. Even after we stopped going to the launches, we still travelled to Florida in March. It was a great event to look forward to in the spring semester when wet sloppy snow and cold mornings were the daily forecast.


There are many memories from those trips.
The little wood stilt shack on the beach that leaned more to the left every year.
Surviving the small off shore hurricane where they evacuated us from the peninsula, dad grabbing at flying deck chairs trying to get them into the garage, me being semi-delusional from a weird illness I was sure was Red Tide.
All the crazy animals washed up on the beach after the storm. Those gross black snakes that would slither along the white house and freak my mom out. The Doberman Pincher guard dogs that chased my brother and sister after they got too close to the Mob neighbor's mansion. Charlie the Crane (who I'm sure was a different Crane every year) walking on the deck. Picking up free old loaves of bread from the store and throwing the crumbs into the air for the seagulls to dive and catch.
Mud pies and sand castles. Lobster dinners and the time our uncle visited and was red as a Lobster from falling asleep in the sun. Orange groves and fresh squeezed juice.
But I never remember any key limes.

Key Lime Filling

4 eggs

1 can evaporated milk

1/2 cup key lime juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together and pour over pre-baked crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when tested.

Graham Cracker Crust

8 graham crackers

4 tbsp butter

Crush crackers up and mix with melted butter. Press into pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until slightly brown.

Fall is Coming

It's turning into Fall here, I swear! The weather has turned from sweltering 100+ degree heat to balmy high 60's days. And even though Fall is my favorite season I'm missing summer already.

We've been on a bit of a dessert kick lately. Thinking ahead to the apple season has me wishing it was already here. I'll usually make a bunch of pies up from the apple orchard we visit. My mom has a nice trick of using Tapioca grains to make the filling thick without being starchy. It's a great thickener to have on hand.


Apple Pie Filling
6 large apples, peeled and sliced thin
2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Tapioca

Mix all together in a bowl and add to premade pie crust. Bake to instructions. Top with caramel.