Monday, December 27, 2010

eat drink repeat

Well Christmas came and went and Miles and I ate our way through some very delicious meals. 
This year was my first year not at home to help my mom prepare Christmas Eve dinner.  I didn't care at first I mean less work for me but as December went on and the holiday grew closer I had a few moments of melt down.  Tears filled my eyes when I saw a friends advent calendar, that's right tears.  I was a little nervous I may not make it to Christmas without a total breakdown.
Not to fear everything turned out just fine.  I finished classes just in time to have a very glorious day of Christmas shopping in Manhattan filled yummy treats I couldn't pass up and a very exciting run in with a very famous person.  Christmas Eve started with a very delicious and slightly tipsy lunch and was followed but more shopping, a long car ride with 3 hungry people and 2 dogs, and coming home to loads of hugs from the family and really amazing food.  I think I have have been eating every second I have been awake straight though till this moment (coffee and butter cookies are next to me as I type this).
For our post Christmas dinner I was given the task of using up about 16 left over egg whites from the very unbelievably delicious ice cream my mom made for Christmas day dinner, it was the best chocolate ice cream of my life.  The very first thing that came to mind was a pavlova.  Light and fluffy pillows of meringue crisp on the outside chewy on the inside.  We had fresh berries and way to much cream for one house so it was a perfect way to use up the left over ingredients from a very dairy rich holiday. 
 This was my first time making a pavlova but I will be making them all the time this was maybe the easiest dessert I have ever made and one of the most delicious.  I used a combination of recipes I found on the web picking and choosing what I liked from each.  Nigella, Martha, Ina, and one of my favorite blogs ever, all had recipes for chocolate pavlova and chocolate is the way to my heart so its what I went with.  
 I am truly not lying this is the easiest dessert I have EVER made and it was very much enjoyed by all including Miles. If you don't like chocolate add a little vanilla or almond extract to the egg whites instead. No berries no problem add whip cream and cocoa powder still just as delicious. 
 Chocolate Pavlova adapted from herehere, and here.
 serves 8 to 10


12 tablespoons egg whites (egg whites from 6 large eggs)
1 1/2 cups super fine sugar (grind up regular sugar if you don't have super fine)
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 oz. good dark chocolate finely chopped
1 teaspoon balsamic
12 oz berries (I used black berries and blueberries)
a squeeze of lemon 
1 tablespoon or so of sugar
2 cups cream
1 teaspoon vanilla


preheat over to 350 degrees F
trace a 9 inch circle on parchment and place upside down on a rimmed cookie sheet
mix in a a bowl a squeeze of lemon and 1 tablespoon sugar with the berries put aside
mix egg whites in a stand mixer until they have formed silky peaks. 
Slowly mix in sugar one tablespoon at a time until all sugar is mix in and the mixture is stiff and shiny.  This will take about 8 minutes
sprinkle cocoa, chocolate and balsamic vinegar on top of egg whites and sugar fold in very gently until cocoa is evenly mixed in
scoop out into cookie sheet using spatula to form a nice circular disk of meringue 9 inches round.
Place in hot oven and turn temperature down to 300 degrees
Baking for 45 minutes then check outside should be crisp and dry but when pushed in the center there is a bit of give. Turn off oven and let cool in the oven with door ajar.
Whip cream and vanilla 
pile whipped cream on top of the pavlova and top with the berries. 


Wednesday, December 22, 2010

I'm BACK!!!

Hello!  welcome back its been so so long since I last posted.  Life sort of got in the way. 
When I say life got in the way I mean like threw me to the curb and then said get up move on and keeping going and I did just that.  I was in a new city starting a graduate program and found myself homeless.  Not exactly what I had envisioned for my big move to New York but you get what you get.  Lucky for me I had three gentlemen (two human one furry) to take me in for  a few weeks ....err months while I got back on my feet and found myself a  place to call home.  
One of these gents was Miles' cousin Midas they get along like two peas in a pod
Things are now running smoothly and as I come to the close of my first semester of grad school I am happy to report that I have a little teeny tiny small cool contest worthy apartment that I love. It is just the right size to fit me and miles, once its not a disaster I will post before and after photos.  The kitchen is lacking cause well there isn't one, its a sink and a stove but I am making do and have still managed to be able to bake.  My first venture in this little kitchen was a disaster and I thought my baking days were number, but then I made these little bundles of joy known as pumpkin whoopie pies and my confidence in the kitchen was back!
This recipe came from the Baked cookbook which I love.  The recipe are easy and really good and I also like the bakery which I had the pleasure of visiting with this fine lady. The bakery is adorable and has a great selection of treats to chose from.  I didn't have a whoopie pie there but I hear they are delicious.  I know these little gems of pumpkin and cream where amazing.  I probably would have ate every last one of them if I didn't love sharing so much.  I mean really whats the point of baking if you don't share that's the best part. 


PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

CREAM-CHEESE FILLING
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. 
In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. 
Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. 
Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. 
Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. 
Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.
Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. 
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. 
Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. 
Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag or ziploc bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.



Miles is happy we are back to blogging too!