Tiramisu - February Daring Bakers

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

Tiramisu....it really is heaven on a dessert plate. I knew it was complex to make, with all of the numerous components. I knew that it was rich, but had no idea how much cream was involved. This was my first time making any type of cheese. I'm not sure the marscapone came out correctly. It seemed a bit soft, but worked for the recipe. It tasted like a cross between butter and cream cheese.

This challenge came down to the wire for me. I had lofty ambitions of making individual desserts, but that didn't happen. After the macaron marathon of October, I dreaded making the lady fingers. In reality though, the lady finger batter was much less finicky than the macaron batter.

I didn't finish making all the components until late last night. I assembled the tiramisu, threw it in the freezer overnight, and snapped some pictures this afternoon. Luckily, I have lots of friends who like tiramisu and help us eat it all.

I'm being lazy this month. Instead of posting the recipe, you can view it here.

Pink Peppercorn Mahi Mahi with Pineapple Salsa

I've made this dish many times. In fact, this was the last thing I made before going into labor. Since our squirt's arrival was sudden, I had not intended on this being my last meal before giving birth.

This was the first time I've made it using the pink peppercorns. They are slightly milder in flavor than the black peppercorns, although I didn't notice much of a difference. The salsa makes a great topping, or would even work as a side dish.


Pink Peppercorn Mahimahi with Pineapple Salsa
Adapted from myrecipes.com

1 c chopped pineapple
¼ c chopped red onion
2 Tbs sweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbs fresh lime juice
½ small jalepeno pepper, chopped
2 tsp pink freshly ground peppercorns
½ c panko
3 Tbs finely chopped almonds
1 tsp sea salt
½ c light coconut milk
2 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
4 4-oz mahimahi filets
2 Tbs olive oil


Combine first 5 ingredients (pineapple through lime juice) and 1 teaspoon peppercorns in a bowl; set aside.

Combine panko, nuts, remaining 1 teaspoon peppercorns, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Combine milk and soy sauce in another shallow dish. Sprinkle fish with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Dip one side of fish in milk mixture; dredge dipped side in panko mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add fish, crust side down, to pan; cook 3 minutes. Turn fish over, and continue cooking another 3 minutes. Cover skillet and let fish cook until flaky, about 3-4 more minutes. Serve with salsa.

S'mores Bars with Peanut Butter Cups

These bars are one of my new favorites. They're a cinch to throw together. I made them countless times during the holiday season and gave them as gifts. They are very mail-friendly. Hubs has a love-hate relationship with them. We are simultaneously sad when they're all gone, and relieved that we won't turn s'mores-devouring monsters anymore. Try them for yourself, and see how long they stick around.

One note: I experimented a lot with getting the marshmallows perfectly toasted. The broiler method toasts them very evenly. I also had good results with our little kitchen torch, although it was a bit more labor intensive, and required careful watching. The flame was very strong, and I frequently had to blow out marshmallows that accidentally ignited.

S'mores Bars with Peanut Butter Cups
Adapted from Cuisine at Home, Holiday Cookies


1 stick (1/2 c) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c flour
Pinch of salt

15 mini-peanut butter cup candies
2 c mini marshmallows
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13x9 inch baking bap with nonstick spray.

Cream butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer. The mixture will look curdled. Stir in graham cracker crumbs, flour, and salt. Reserve 1/4 c of the mixture.

Press remaining mixture into the pan. The layer will be very thin. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden around the edges. Remove from oven, and set oven to Broil.

Top the hot base with peanut butter cups, marshmallows, and chocolate chips. Press lightly to adhere. Sprinkle the reserved graham cracker mixture in clumps over the top. Broil just until the marshmallows toast - only a minute or two.

Cool bars for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Coat knife with some nonstick spray to keep it from sticking when cutting.

Apple-Braised Pork Pot Roast

I'm pretty busy this week with rehearsals and concerts, so I haven't had time to cook. This recipe is from a few weeks ago.

Pork and apples are a classic pairing - it reminds me of an old "Brady Bunch" episode, where Peter walks around the house lisping, "Pork chops, and apple-shause." I can't remember why he was practicing a funny accent.


There are lots of apples in this recipe - some in the aromatics, and more added later for eating. The apples filled the house with a heavenly sweet scent while the pork slow-cooked. The addition of sweet potatoes and parsnips rounded out the meal. This dish can easily be aapted for the crockpot. Normally I would've cooked it that way, but I had a hankering for the Dutch oven, and used that instead.

Apple-Braised Pork Pot Roast
Adapted from Cuisine At Home
February 2010

3-4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast ( I substituted a 4 lb butt roast for this)
3 Tbs chopped fresh sage leaves
3 Tbs minced fresh garlic
1 Tbs Kosher salt
1 Tbs ground black pepper
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

3 small tart apples, such as Rome or Granny Smith
2 medium onions, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 Tbs tomato paste
1/4 c all purpose flour
1 c dry red wine
2 c apple juice or cider
3 fresh sage leaves

6 small tart apples
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 medium parsnips, peeled and diced
Sage leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Trim excess fat from the roast. Using kitchen twine, tie the roast around its circumference, then wrap twine around sides of the roast from bottom to top, tying off twine at top. (I skipped this step with the butt roast)

Combine sage, garlic, 2 tsp of the salt, and 2 tsp of the pepper. Pat pork dry. Using a paring knife, cut 1-inch deep slits into the meat; stuff the sage mixture. Season roast wit
h remaining salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until well browned, 8-10 minutes. Transfer roast to a platter.

Core and dice three apples. In the same pot used to sear the roast, saute the diced apples, onions, and celery in the pan drippings until onions soften, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add tomato paste; stir until it starts to brown on the bottom of the pot. Stir in flour.

Deglaze the pot with the wine, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in cider and sage leaves. Bring liquid to a boil; return seared roast to the pot. Cover, andplace in the oven. Braise for 2 hours.

Remove the pot from the oven. Remove the roast from the pot. Strain the sauce, discarding the diced apples and vegetables. Return sauce and the roast to the pot. cover, and return the roast to the oven.

Cook roast 1 1/2 hours more. Score 6 whole apples around their circumference with a knife, being careful to cut only through the skin. Add apples, sweet potatoes, and parsnips to the pot. Cover, and cook until meat is fork-tender and the potatoes and parsnips are tender, about 30-45 minutes longer.

Transfer roast, apples, and vegetables to a platter. Using a fork, break meat into pieces. Bring sauce to a simmer. Skim off and discard fat. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over meat. Garnish with remaining sage leaves. Serve.

Reuben Sandwiches with Thousand Island Dressing

Every so often, I crave a reuben. I don't give into the craving often, because eating them at a restaurant is usually a big, greasy mess. Making one at home gave me a little more control over the sandwich's size and proportions.

We found a recipe for homemade dressing, and liked that it was yogurt-based, instead of mayonnaise-based. Hubs doesn't "do" mayo. The recipe makes a LOT, so if you're making it just for the sandwiches I recommend halving it. Putting together the sandwich is fairly straight-forward: corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and dressing between slices of rye. We grilled the bread in a pan with a little bit of butter with the corned beef on one slice and the swiss cheese on the other. This warmed up the meat and melted the cheese a bit.


Thousand Island Dressing
Adapted from Alton Brown's recipe
As seen on http://www.foodnetwork.com/


1 c plain yogurt
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs tomato sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp mustard powder
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
½ c finely chopped shallots
1 Tbs sweet relish
1 Tbs finely shopped green olives
½ jalepeno, seeded and ribs removed, finely chopped

In a bowl, combine yogurt through black pepper. Whisk until well blended. Add shallots, relish, olives, and jalepeno and whisk to combine. Chill 1 hour before using.

Maple Biscuits

Happy Valentine's Day! Sunday is a normal teaching day for Hubs, so we had a celebratory breakfast together. I made some maple-flavored biscuits, and sandwiched some bacon in the middle. Everything's better with bacon, right? I also squeezed some tangerines for juice, in honor of the Lunar New Year. We munched on breakfast while watching "Up," which Hubs gave to me for Valentine's Day.


Maple Biscuits

2 c all-purpose flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c butter, cold, and cut into chunks
3 Tbs maple syrup
2/3 c milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter into the mixture with a pastry blender. Mixture should still look crumbly. Form a well in the middle, and pour in the syrup and milk. Mix with a fork until combined.

Turn dough onto a floured surface, and knead about 10 times. Form into a ball and roll out to 1-inch thickness. Cut out biscuit into desired shapes, and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until tops are light brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

Jap Chae

This weekend is a bit of a pile-up of holidays. Valentine's Day and the Lunar New Year are both on Sunday, President's Day is Monday, and Mardi Gras is Tuesday. We also have family coming into town this weekend, so we'll be busy hanging out with them.

For the Lunar New Year, I made jap chae. This is a Korean noodle dish. The noodles used are clear glass noodles, made from sweet potato starch. These noodles are insanely long. They come in a tall bag, and are doubled over. Normally, I cut the noodles to make the dish more manageable. However, this is bad luck for the new year, as noodles symbolize longevity. So for this time, I kept the noodles intact. We like our jap chae with lots of veggies, and sometimes forego the meat and make it totally vegetarian.

Jap Chae

12 oz clear glass noodles (made from sweet potato)

¾ lb lean meat (chicken breast, sirloin, pork tenderloin), cut into thin strips
3 Tbs soy sauce, divided
1 Tbs finely chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbs chili-garlic sauce

1 clove garlic, minced
2 carrots, shredded
1 zucchini, slivered (I used a peeler to get fine strips)
½ red onion, cut into slivers
3 oz shitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced
5 green onions, green parts cut into 1-inch strips
3 Tbs vegetable oil

4 Tbs soy sauce
3 Tbs sugar
1 tsp chili-garlic sauce
Sesame oil
Sesame seeds

Cook noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse. Set aside.

Combine meat, 3 Tbs soy sauce, ginger, and chili-garlic sauce in a sealable plastic bag, making sure to coat all the strips of meat. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prep all the vegetables.

Heat 2 Tbs oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinating meat. Cook until meat is done, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate. Heat remaining Tbs of oil in the pan. Add carrots, zucchini, red onion, shitake mushrooms, and green onions. Saute for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from pan and add to plate with meat.

Place 4 Tbs of soy sauce, sugar, and chili-garlic sauce to pan. Stir to combine. Add noodles to pan. Stir to coat and heat through. Return meat and vegetables to pan, and toss to combine. Drizzle sesame oil over the contents of the pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Gumbo is a very personal thing. Everyone has their own version. My sister lived in New Orleans for seven years, and I've talked to many natives about gumbo. You can thicken the gumbo with file, a roux, or okra. Some people say to burn the roux, some say don't burn the roux.


I like my gumbo thickened with a roux. I don't burn it, but I do let it get pretty dark. I also like okra, so I usually throw some in as well. I consulted my sister about de-sliming the okra. She said that her New Orleans friends cook the okra down until it forms a paste, and then add it to the gumbo. I have never tried this. I feel that the slimey-ness would still be in the paste, and therefore in the gumbo. I prefer to pre-cook and then drain the okra. This cuts down the slime factor considerably.


Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Adapted from The Best of New Orleans
By Brooke Dojny

10 oz okra, cut into ¼ inch slices
6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
Black pepper
6 Tbs vegetable oil
¾ lb andouille sausage
½ c flour
1 large onion, chopped
2 green peppers, seeded and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 c chicken stock
4 c water
1 tsp dried thyme
3 bay leaves
1 tsp cayenne
Hot pepper sauce
Salt
4 green onions, thinly sliced

3 c hot cooked rice

Place okra in a medium pot and fill with enough water so that the water line is an inch above the okra. Add ¼ c of vinegar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse well. Set aside.

Pat chicken dry. Season with black pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbs oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring frequently until browned. Remove to paper towels to drain.

Add the chicken to the pan and cook until browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Remove with tongs to a plate. Add remaining vegetable oil to pan. Sprinkle flour over the oil and cook, stirring constantly, for 6-10 minutes. Mixture (roux) will turn a dark reddish brown. Do not let burn. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the okra, chicken stock, and water. Return sausage and chicken to the pan. Add the thyme, bay leaves, and cayenne. Cook, partially covered, over low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

Remove chicken with a slotted spoon. Remove meat from bones and return the meat to the gumbo. Season to taste with hot-pepper sauce and salt. Garnish with green onions, and serve over rice.

Pink Champagne Cake

The first time I saw this recipe, I thought, "It would be perfect for Valentine's Day." Unfortunately, it was in the June issue of a cooking magazine. I've been waiting six months to make this cake.

The recipe was a little wonky. The cake came out perfectly, but the frosting that was included turned into a curdled mess. I would recommend using a whipped cream to frost the cake - something light and not too sweet.

Pink Champagne Cake
Adapted from Cuisine At Home
June 2009

2 ½ c sifted cake flour
1 Tbs baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ½ sticks butter, softened
2 c sugar
¾ c brut sparkling wine (I used Freixenet cava)
¼ c milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 drops red food coloring
6 egg whites

Whipped Cream Frosting:
½ tsp unflavored gelatin
1 Tbs cold water
1 c heavy cream
¼ c powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and coat with nonstick spray. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together until mixture is light and fluffy. Combine the sparkling wine, milk, vanilla, and food coloring in a small bowl.

Add flour and wine mixtures in batches, alternating, and combining well after each addition. Begin and end with the dry mixture.

Beat egg whites in a separate bowl with clean beaters until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold egg whites into the cake batter in 3 batches, stopping as soon as the whites are incorporated. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center has only one or two crumbs, about 30 minutes. Cook cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely. Assemble with desired filling.

For the frosting:
Sprinkle gelatin into water in a small saucepan. Let mixture sit for a few minutes, then gently warm over low heat until the gelatin dissolves. Cool to room temperature.

Beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Beat in powdered sugar. Add gelatin mixture, and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread onto tops and sides of the cake. Refrigerate cake 1 hour with a large bowl over the top to protect frosting. If you don’t have that much room in the fridge, carefully wrap with plastic wrap so that the wrap only lightly touches the top of the cake. You can fix the top before serving by making a swirl pattern in the frosting.

World Nutella Day, 2010

Happy World Nutella Day! This event is hosted by Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso. This is my second year participating. Wow, my blog sure has developed since then.

WND almost snuck by without incident. We have been incredibly busy this week with rehearsals for a concert tomorrow night. The performance is over an hour away, so we've been getting home at 11:00 every night. I almost didn't make anything with nutella, but at the last minute, threw together some cupcakes late last night. Hubs ate two while they were still warm, oozing with a nutella frosting.

Hope you all enjoy your weekend, and eat some nutella! :o)



Cupcakes with Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting
Adapted from “Black and White Chocolate Cake”
By Dorie Greenspan
From Baking From My Home To Yours


2 c cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ¼ sticks (10 Tbs) butter, softened
1 c sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ c whole milk


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with liners. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix only enough for ingredients to become incorporated.

Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups, filling until about 2/3 full. Bake for about 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes clean. Remove from oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.

Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting:
¾ c butter, softened
¼ c chocolate hazelnut spread
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs milk
3 c powdered sugar

Blend all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Adjust consistency by adjusting with a little more milk if too stiff, or a little more powdered sugar if too runny. Frost and decorate cupcakes as desired.

Spicy Orange Beef

As a new mom, I'm perfecting the art of speed-shopping. Whether the squirt is with me or I'm alone, I find myself with a ten minute window to dash into the supermarket, gather all the items, and get checked out at the register. Most often this occurs on my way home from work, and I have to hurry in order to relieve my husband of baby-duty before he leaves for work. It was on one such mad dash that I accidentally picked up blood oranges instead of navel. The result became a stunning garnish to this spicy orange beef.

This is a great weeknight meal. Once the ingredients are prepped, it comes together very quickly. It is very similar to the orange chicken recipe, minus the deep frying. I was afraid that the orange marmalade would make the sauce too cloying, but the other ingredients toned down the sweetness.


Spicy Orange Beef
Adapted from allrecipes.com

4 Tbs vegetable oil
1 lb round or sirloin beef, thinly sliced (I used cubed beef, which worked fine)
Peel of 1 orange, cut into slivers
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 Tbs cornstarch
1 c beef broth
¼ c soy sauce
¼ c sherry
½ c orange marmalade
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 oranges, peeled and sectioned (use peel from one orange for above amount)
3 scallions, light green and green parts sliced

In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 Tbs of oil over medium-high heat. Add beef strips, and stir fry until browned, about 4 minutes. Remove beef from pan and drain on paper towels.

Heat remaining oil in the pan. Add in orange peel, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry for 1 minute.

In a medium bowl, combine cornstarch, broth, soy sauce, sherry, marmalade, and red pepper flakes. Pour into the pan. Stir constantly until sauce has thickened. Add beef back to the pan and stir to coat. Remove from heat, garnish with oranges and scallions, and serve.