Wednesday, January 30, 2008

My boyfriend, is a sock rocker!

YAY!!! Josh is the bestest boyfriend in all the land!!! Look at the wonderful present he got for me for beginning Culinary School!!!


Before... loverly vintage 70's avocado green.... Wonderful and faithful, but missing something....



After! AWESOME!



If you want to trick out your KitchenAid Mixer, head over here

http://flameka.com/default.aspx

and visit the nice people at Flameka.com. They have all kinds of wonderful decals to put on your mixer. =) You can find the perfect set of flames to go with your mixer. You will experience pure joy!

Thank you Josh, thank you!!! This is the best present EVER!!!

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Thanksgiving food - super late!

All righty, so I have my camera, I have the cable, and I have the new computer. Now, I can post all the pictures that have been clogging up the ye olde memory carde. =) So here, super late is the thanksgiving fun!

Let's kick it off with Cranberry Bars.... This recipe is from the November 2007 Issue of Gourmet
Cranberry Bars - Makes 12 bars

The stuff
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (not thawed if frozen, 3/4 lb)
1/4 cup water
Confectioners sugar for dusting

What to do, what to do
preheat oven to 350 with the rack in the middle
Line a 9-inch square baking pan with crisscrossed sheets of foil, leaving an overhang on 2 opposite sides, then butter foil.
Blend butter, flour, salt, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a food processor until mixture begins to clump together. Press into bottom of pan.
Bake until pale golden and sides begin to pull away from pan, 25 to 30 minutes
While crust is baking, cook cranberries, remaining 2/3 cup granulated sugar, and water in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until berries burst, 6 to 8 minutes.
Pour cranberries over crust and bake until edge is golden, about 25 minutes.
Sift confectioners sugar over top and cool completely in pan on a rack. Lift out of pan using foil overhang and cut into 12 squares, then sift more confectioners sugar over top.



Yours will look better since you will remember to take the picture AFTER you remove them from the foil... You are so good, aren't you?? :)

Then came these cookies that I can't find the recipe for now... but they are chocolate chip, orange and cranberry.... It's a shame I can't find the recipe, I'd like to make them again.



And now for my favorite one of the day.... Apple Walnut Torte. Oh goodness yum!

Also from the November 2007 issue of Gourmet

The stoof!
2 sticks unsalted butter, well softened, divided
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 lb tart apples (I used Granny Smith)
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baling soda
3/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups walnuts coarsely chopped, toasted
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pure almond extract
3 tablespoons apple jelly (or if you are like me and can't find apple jelly that is without MINT in it, get yourself some apricot instead... thanks Lisa for talking to me for like an hour in the grocery store while my brain was near exploding)
Equipment - a 9 by 3 inch round cake pan or a 9 inch springform pan wrapped in foil.

Preheat oven to 350 with rack in the middle
butter pan and fit a round of parchment paper in bottom. Butter parchment then flour pan.
Spread 1/2 stick butter thickly on bottom of a 12 inch heavy skillet and sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar evenly over butter. Arrange apples, cut sides down, over sugar and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Cook over medium heat, turning apples occasionally, until sugar is caramelized and apples are tender and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Arrange apples, cut sides down in concentric circles in bottom of cake pan, then pour over any carmel from skillet.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt.
Pulse walnuts with remaining cup sugar in a food processor until finely ground
Beat remaining 1 1/2 sticks butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add walnut sugar and beat until just combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in extracts. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined (batter will be thick)
Dollop batter over apples and spread evenly. Bake until torte just begins to pull away from side of pan and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool torte in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Put rack over torte, then invert torte onto rack. Melt jelly in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring.
Brush apples generously with jelly and cool torte completely, 1 to 1/2 hours.



Serve with Calvados Whipping Cream


Or if you are like me and couldn't find apple brandy....

1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon maple extract
2 tsp sugar

beat until it holds soft peaks