The Best Chocolate Cake Ever!

You want to know a relationship deal breaker? If you start talking about dessert and somehow this wonderful person you thought was so cool suddenly blurts out "Oh, I don't really like chocolate cake." Suddenly a flashing red light goes off, and you're surprised they can't read the "WTF" blinking above your head. I mean, how much can they really enjoy life if they don't like chocolate cake. What are they going to say next "Oh, I'm not really into oxygen." Or the ultimate deal breaker: "I'm a vegan." I don't care how good the sex is, the chocolate cake rule has to be in effect.

Taking that into account, if you need to get your chocolate cake on, then this is absolutely the way to go. I was leafing through the April '10 Bon Appetit and saw the picture, then read the recipe. The cool thing about this one...well, there actually two cool things...is that it uses mayo instead of oil. I've had mayonnaise chocolate cakes before and they invariably are so moist and rich. Then the second thing that said "you must make me" was that the frosting calls for THREE STICKS OF BUTTER!!! Are you fucking kidding me? How could that ever be bad?? Then the best part: my birthday was coming up, and w, who is the baking queen of our house, kindly consented to make this for my dinner. To say that people were swooning would be a gross understatement. Cake this good defies description. Go ahead. Make it. One bite and you'll get it!
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Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
from Bon Appetit

ingredients:
Cake:
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups boiling water
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 1/3 cups mayonnaise (do not use reduced-fat or fat-free)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Special equipment: Three 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high
sides

method:
For cake:
1-Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch-diameter cake pans
with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Combine chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in
medium metal bowl. Add 1 3/4 cups boiling water and whisk until chocolate is
melted and mixture is smooth.

2-Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into another medium bowl. Using
electric mixer, beat both sugars and mayonnaise in large bowl until well
blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended
after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 4 additions
alternately with chocolate mixture in 3 additions, beating until blended
after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Divide
batter among prepared cake pans (about 2 1/3 cups for each).

3-Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 32
minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes. Run small knife around
sides of cakes to loosen. Carefully invert cakes onto racks and let cool
completely.

For frosting:
1-Place chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl; set bowl over saucepan of
simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Carefully
remove bowl from over water; let melted chocolate cool until lukewarm,
stirring occasionally.

2-Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth and creamy.
Sift powdered sugar over butter and beat until well blended, about 2
minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add melted chocolate and beat until well blended
and smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

3-Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over top of cake
layer to edges. Top with second cake layer; spread 3/4 cup frosting over.
Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting decoratively over top
and sides of cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome
and let stand at room temperature. Cut cake into wedges and serve.

The perfect finish: Huckleberry Bundt Cake

At the tail end of our dinner party last night, after the protein fest and the most insane mashed potatoes ever (future posts coming on those two!), we didn't need to be brought to our knees by some super-rich dessert. The only thing keeping my blood flowing at that point was all the red wine we slurped down (sorry for the extra workout this morning, recycling guy). Which is why one of my favorite desserts is a classic bundt cake. Fast, easy, and delicious, this particular version has the perfect crumb and flavor. Plus, if you are fortunate enough to have some huckleberries that you had the brilliant foresight to stock away in early fall lying in wait in your freezer, then all the better (blueberries would also work). If you need one more reason to make this, and assuming your guests didn't wolf it all down, this is also a perfect treat to have with your morning coffee!
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Huckleberry Bundt Cake
from Bon Appétit

Using frozen huckleberries in the batter will keep the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the pan as the cake bakes.
Makes 12 servings.

ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups frozen huckleberries (or blueberries)
Powdered sugar Optional)

method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 10-inch-diameter Bundt pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 2/3 cups sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in orange peel and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Fold in berries. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted near center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.) Transfer cake to plate, sift powdered sugar over if using, and serve.

Berry good!

Ain't that lil' dish 'o dessertiness purty? The better part is it's amazingly delicious and stupidly easy. Got fruit in virtually any combination? Maybe a few dry ingredients? No? Well, get your ass to the store and get some, because this will kill at you next gathering. Sometimes I'm amazed at how the simplest things make the biggest impact. Our friends who were over had their swoon on...as did I. I love hot, crumbly topped fruit desserts, especially if they are blueberry inflected. Based on what I'm seeing at the farmers markets right now, your choices are endless. A little ice cream on top, and it is all there. You can make it ahead of time and reheat at 350* when you're ready to serve. I got the recipe from Darlene over at blazinghotwok, so a big thanks to her! The recipe below is for individual desserts or in one baking pan. I think it is so cool to have this personalized little dish in front of me that I highly recommend you invest in some 8 ounce ramekins!The little berries with their sugar and cornstarch ready to be topped

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Berry Crumble
from blazinghotwok
makes 1 large pie-sized or 6 ramekins

For the filling:
1 ½ lbs (4 to 5 cups) berries (I used raspberries and blueberries)
¾ oz (3 tbs) cornstarch
5 ½ oz (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
2 tbs lemon juice

For the topping:
4 ½ oz (1 cup) all purpose flour
2 3/8 oz (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
2 1/8 oz (1/3 cup packed) brown sugar
pinch of salt
8 oz (1 stick) cold butter, diced
1 5/8 oz (½ cup) quick-cooking or regular rolled oats
1 5/8 oz (1/2 cup) sliced almonds

Begin by making the topping. In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt and butter until you get a coarse mixture. I like to add the oats and pulse a couple of times to break them up a little. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the almonds. Mix in the almonds making clumps (although it will still be pretty loose).

In another large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cornstarch and mix until all the cornstarch is mixed in with the sugar. Add the fruit and lemon juice and carefully mix, trying not to mash the fruit. Transfer the fruit into a large baking dish (or ramekins) and press the topping on. I like to make sure the fruit is completely covered. Bake in a 350F oven (on a sheet pan to catch the juices) until bubbly and the topping is golden.

Serve warm, with a scoop of ice cream.

And I thought I KNEW you!!

You know how devastating it is when you've established a relationship with someone, a person you thought you could trust COMPLETELY, and then there is....an INCIDENT. I had that happen to me recently and I'm struggling to get over it. But since bloggers are supposed to put themselves out there, I'll look at this as cheap therapy. I'm a little uncomfortable talking about him....oh, did I mention it's a man?...but to save others from blindly falling for his charms, here it is......
The "he" in this story is none other than Mark Bittman, he of NYT and Minimalist fame. You know, Mr. "How to Cook Everything". I've had a string of successes following his advice, to the point where I read his baking instructions for this Lemon-Poppyseed pound cake, and even though I couldn't believe he'd bake a loaf cake that long, as in one hour and 15 minutes long, I suspended disbelief, because Mark wouldn't possibly let me down. Surely he made this several times in his own kitchen before committing it to print, right? Or at least one of his assistants who actually did the testing would have said "Excuse me, Mr. Minimalist, maybe we should cut back the oven time on this bad boy because this is one dry motherfucking pound cake." But apparently no one dared question his eminence, although when I put it in the oven I dialed back the timer by ten minutes. Even that didn't save the cake from being slightly dried out with a thicker than desired crusty edge (although truth be told the crusty edge was pretty damn tasty). So here is the corrected version, which I, wiser but with rose colored glasses in pieces on the kitchen floor, present for your enjoyment.....
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Lemon Poppyseed Pound Cake
adapted from "How to Cook Everything"

ingredients:
9 oz. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter softened
1 cup sugar
5 eggs, separated
1-1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 cup poppyseeds

method:
1-Preheat oven to 350*. Butter a 9"x5" loaf pan. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

2- In a mixing bowl cream butter with mixer. Add about half the sugar and combine well. Add rest of sugar and combine. Then beat in egg yolks one at a time. Add dry ingredients and mix in by hand. Add lemon juice and zest. Beat egg whites until they hold soft peaks and fold by hand into butter mixture with the poppyseeds, combining completely.

3-Spread batter into loaf pan. Insert onto middle rack in oven. Bake until toothpick stuck into middle comes out clean. Start checking at around 45 minutes. When done remove from oven and let cool for five minutes. Carefully invert onto plate, then gently turn over once more onto serving dish.
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: things you need to know in Life is Meals!

Not just something you want.

No, if you're like me, it's something you need. I always feel like somewhat of a tool whenever I get the chocolate craving. I'm one of those who LOVES all things cocoa-fied. It almost seems too easy, too unoriginal. But nothing satisfies like a nice, smooth, sensual spoonful of mousse or panna cotta (that's why my experience at Simpatica was so crushing), or even an old-school dish of chocolate pudding. Chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream slathered in Hershey's syrup, dark chocolate bars. You get where I'm going....or maybe where I'm from? That's why this little dish of chocolate mousse from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" is so nice. A quick, all-too-easy dessert to throw together for your next dinner party that will have your friends acting like giddy little kids. We had six people and there was enough left over for everyone to have a small second portion if they want...and they will!
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Chocolate Mousse
from How to Cook Everything

I also topped this with chopped roasted pistachios which added a perfect salty-nutty counterpoint. I got the already roasted and shelled pistachios at Trader Joe's.-bb

ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

method:
1- use a double boiler or a small saucepan over low heat to melt the butter and chocolate together. Just before the chocolate finishes melting, remove it from the stove and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.

2- transfer the chocolate mixture to a bowl and beat in egg yolks with a whisk. Refrigerate.

3- beat the egg whites with half the sugar until they hold stiff peaks but are not dry. Set aside. Beat the cream with the remaining sugar and vanilla until it holds soft peaks.

4- stir a couple of spoonfuls of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it a bit, then fold in the remaining whites thoroughly but gently. Fold in the cream and refrigerate until chilled. If you are in a hurry, divide the mousse among six cups; it will chill much faster. Serve within a day or two of making.

A VERY happy ending!

I told you there'd be a part three to my "babysitting" story. To me, any good story needs a happy ending, and since my particular story ends with me slathering spoonfuls of Denise's sensually satisfying crème caramel into my mouth that was honestly THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD, this is nothing less than a deliriously delicious denouement. Like a good crème brulée, crème caramel is perhaps one of the most abused desserts. Rarely does it transcend the "just okay" category, and with all things custard being one of my favorite ways to clog my arteries, I have had uncountable disappointments. Last Saturday "just okay" wasn't an option. These ramekins of creamy delight didn't even glance in that direction and rocketed directly into the rarified "oh-my-fucking-god" category. D&K, this was a crazy finish to an amazing dinner...thanks....I've never felt so well-cared for! Although next time if you could arrange a driver home.........
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The verbiage is all Denise. She said I could edit it, but when it's so fun, I wouldn't dare!-bb
Creme Caramel for 6
(all the recipes I found were for 4...but seriously, why would you just make 4?)
(I combined a few recipes by erring on the side of a richer custard...mmmm, eggyolk...though less sweet. Egads...it was still plenty sweet. From what I can tell this is a VERY forgiving dish since ingredients and techniques vary wildly online.)

Caramel:
- 1 c sugar
- 4 T water

Custard:
- 3 c milk (any combo will work as far as I can tell so use whatever you have / want. I used 1 c whipping cream and 2 c lowfat milk)
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch salt
- 2 eggs plus 6 egg yolks, beaten

Caramel:
Put a frying pan on medium heat. When hot add 1 c sugar and enough water to moisten the sugar. Swirl / stir as it melts to ensure all the sugar is wet. In about 5 minutes it will start to bubble; stir / swirl to brown evenly all over, and when it reaches a nice caramel color, remove from heat. (Depending on the heat retention of your pan it will keep cooking, so take it off the heat / keep swirling accordingly.)

Evenly distribute the caramel among 6 ramekins. (Next time I'd try a squirt of Pam...or a heavier pan for my bain marie...because while there was plenty of liquid caramel, there was also a thick sheet of candy stuck to the bottom.)

Custard
While your sugar's carmelizing, break and beat eggs into a large bowl. Add 1/4 c sugar to the eggs and whisk until frothy and color lightens.

Heat the milk/cream combo, add vanilla, remaining 1/4 c sugar and salt, stirring until it comes to a boil. (Unsure of the logic of half the sugar in the milk and half in the eggs. Some recipes put it all in the egg; whip a bit longer.)

Slowly pour the milk mixture though a sieve into the eggs, starting with just a little to temper the eggs. Once the egg mixture is warm you can add the rest of the hot milk quickly. Stir, divide between the ramekins.

Place the ramekins into a pan with hot water 2/3 up the ramekins, bake for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees, checking and rotating the bain marie halfway through the cooking time. Remove when custards are jiggly but set. Remove from the hot bath, cool, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight.

To serve, run a knife around the outside and invert on a plate. I pulled mine from the fridge a few hours ahead and put the ramekins back in a hot bath so the custard wouldn't be ice cold.

(I used 6 1 c ramekins, but use whatever you have, adjusting cooking time based on how deep / shallow your cups are.)
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: little effort, high reward Indian-style with this amazing Goan Shrimp Curry!

Cookie Love

As I said in the post about the marvel that was the Pumpkin Carrot Cake, w does most of the baking around our kitchen. To which I am most grateful. Fatter, but still grateful. Her blueberry scones are the stuff of breakfast legend. Her regular pumpkin cake is awe inspiring. And I'm not saying this just to get her to bake more desserts. She sees right through my rather lame manipulations. Her oeuvre is dinner party tested and approved. And now comes these stupidly delicious ginger spice cookies. There is no one who doesn't like ginger spice cookies. If they don't, then they haven't had these ginger spice cookies. You will not...I repeat, WILL NOT...be able to eat just one of these!
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Ginger Spice Cookies
from epicurious
yield: Makes about 30

ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coarsely chopped crystallized ginger
1 cup (lightly packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
Sugar

method:
Combine first 6 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Mix in crystallized ginger. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, shortening and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and molasses and beat until blended. Add flour mixture and mix just until blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 2 baking sheets. Spoon sugar in thick layer onto small plate. Using wet hands, form dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll in sugar to coat completely. Place balls on prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies until cracked on top but still soft to touch, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 1 minute. Carefully transfer to racks and cool. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Dinner party, part 4: Having my cake and eating it!

As I’m sure I’ve made clear, when it comes to dessert I’m a huge cake guy. Not to limit myself though, because honestly when to comes to dessert I’m a huge dessert guy. w does most of the baking in these parts, and she indulges my cake fetish quite regularly. For the perfect ending to our dinner party last week she pulled this recipe off of, of all places, the Libby’s Pumpkin website. This cake was, even through the fog of far too many bottles of wine, incredible. Topped with the maple cream cheese frosting from Leite’s Culinaria (this is frosting, btw, that will have you asking your significant other to shed their clothes so you can spread it on their bodies and lick it off. It’s sexxxy!), it is almost not to be believed. So good, that when one of our guests asked for some to go, I almost said no, and then when I saw the next day that she had walked out and left it in our fridge I was actually giggling with glee. Not the slightest feeling of “oh, maybe I should call Kate and let her know”. Just me going “oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!” Sorry Kate, but I dig this cake….

Out of the oven, waiting to be frosted in sin!

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Pumpkin Carrot Cake
Adapted from Libby’s
Yields - 12 servings

ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
1-1/4 cup (about 3 medium) carrots, grated
1 1/4 cups nuts, chopped, divided

Frosting
Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
method:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease two 9-inch-round cake pans.

COMBINE flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Combine milk and lemon juice in liquid measuring cup (mixture will appear curdled).

BEAT eggs, pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, pineapple, carrots and milk mixture in large mixer bowl; mix well. Gradually add flour mixture; beat until combined. Stir in coconut and 1 cup nuts. Pour into prepared cake pans.

BAKE for 35-40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 15 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

MAKE THE FROSTING
In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. To assemble the cake, frost the top of one cake, place the other cake on top. Frost the sides and top, swirling decoratively. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to set up frosting.

FROST between layers, on sides and top of cake with frosting. Garnish with remaining nuts if desired. Store in refrigerator.

pic top left from Libby's
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: watch out, they're coming for you!

Laying down a bundt!

I don't know what it is about the bundt cake, but I loves me some of this old school goodness! I do know it is partly that I am "likes to eat cake guy" when it comes to dessert. Also, all things round have always appealed to me (and I have no idea what that's about!). Maybe it's the versatility...almost all bundts are not only good for dessert, but usually they're made with something that goes down so well with morning coffee, too. I do know they are really freakin' easy, and the perfect dessert to lay down when you're involved with more complicated entrées. And how about the fact that everybody loves them?

At least everybody loved this deliciously moist pumpkin bundt I got off the epicurious site and served up with Sunday's amazing lamb stew. Plus, you know you'll be jamming down plenty of pumpkin pie come the holidays, so why not get a different, and dare I say equally, delicious take on autumns best dessert flavoring with this roundly satisfying cake. I did a light glaze on it, but I think next time I would leave off the glaze and just dust some powdered sugar on it, or do the classic pie thing and dollop some whipped cream on top. If you wake up a little slow the night after your dinner party, this and a cup of coffee is the perfect antidote to self-abuse!
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Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake
adapted from epicurious.com

makes 12 servings.

ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing bundt pan
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15-oz can; not pie filling)
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs

Special equipment: a 10-inch nonstick bundt pan (3 qt)

method:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bundt pan generously, then dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Whisk together flour (2 1/4 cups), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together pumpkin, 3/4 cup buttermilk, and vanilla in another bowl.

Beat butter (1 1/2 sticks) and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, then add eggs and beat 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour and pumpkin mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.

Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, then bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes, then invert rack over cake and reinvert cake onto rack. Cool 10 minutes more.
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One year ago today: one of my favorite things in the world... Penne alla Vodka Pasta

Food multitasking: Wild Blueberry Cake

I love food multitasking. How many things can you make that go from dessert after dinner to the perfect morning coffee accompaniment? That's right, not that many. Although who hasn't indulged in that slice of chocolate cake the next morning? Wow, is anything better and more decadent than that?! Okay, this isn't that decadent, but it is darn good. And way easy. I saw this recipe in a recent New York Times Magazine, and even though we don't have those supposedly "special" Maine blueberries they call for, our fabulous Oregon blueberries take a back seat to no berry! And with the season running late this year, it is still possible to find these beautifully ripe mini-orbs of goodness at the Farmer's Market. This cake was delicious, the almond flour giving it a slight nuttiness, the texture moist and crumbly, and the sugar you sprinkle on top right before cooking gives it a perfect snappy crust. It takes no time at all to put together, and if you're tempted by that second piece after dinner...and you will be....resist, because your morning coffee is just a good night's sleep away!
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Wild-Blueberry Cake
by Nancy Harmon Jenkins/NYT Magazine

ingredients:
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup plus 1 ½ tablespoons flour, plus more for flouring the pan
½ cup slivered blanched almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons whole or nonfat plain yogurt
1/3 cup whole or nonfat milk
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen low- bush, wild blueberries (see note).

method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square cake pan with butter. Dust the pan with flour, shaking out excess. Set the pan in the freezer.

2. On a baking sheet, roast the almonds in the oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool and pulse them to a coarse grit in a food processor. Add 1 cup of the flour, the baking powder and sea salt and continue processing to a fine grit.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape the sides. Beat in the egg, vanilla and orange zest. Stir the yogurt into the milk and then beat it into the batter.

4. Fold the flour mixture into the batter until combined. Toss blueberries with the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons flour and fold them into the batter.

5. Transfer the batter to the chilled pan. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon sugar on top. Bake in the oven until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a cake rack. Serves 8. Adapted from Nancy Harmon Jenkins.

NOTE: Wyman’s frozen wild blueberries are available at most Whole Foods Markets and health-food stores. When using frozen blueberries, do not let them thaw.

Your next dinner party: part 3- Time for dessert!

So, are you still hungry? Everyone pleasure centers are probably screaming for mercy, but this is America you guys. More is better, right? Two superlative inducing courses down, one super seasonal dessert left. Plus you did put that bottle of Moscato d'Asti in the fridge to chill didn't you? Good, I knew you would.
So how to finish to make sure that everyone has a meal they'll never forget (as if the memory of that lamb isn't burned permanently into their cerebellums)? Especially when bellies may be busting around the table. Maybe taking it down a notch with something light and fresh is the deal. Well, assuming you have access to the bushels of fresh peaches flooding markets everywhere this time of year, and are grabbing the last of the seasons fresh blueberries, then you are good to go with maybe the easiest (you can even make this while everyone is digesting all that lamb), best dessert you'll have this summer, and I guarantee you'll pull it out again and again. At the market last week found the most incredible, luscious white peaches that were perfect for this. The peaches and blueberries, lightly coated with the balsamic glaze, just burst in your mouth with bright, sweet flavor. This was another epicurious find that with a glass of that most addictive of Italian dessert wines, Moscato d'Asti from Italy's Piedmont region, is almost too good. And in case your already thinking "More wine? OMG!" then moscato is the perfect choice. Lightly fizzy, low in alcohol (usually just 5%), with a delicate sweet, spicy, floral character, if you haven't ever tried one, YOU MUST! If you have, then I know you're already nodding your heads in agreement. As far as producers of this magical elixir to look for, I've had almost all of them, and there usually isn't a huge difference. It seems, remarkably, that they're all good!

So there it is. The perfect dinner party, in order and ready to. The only question: whose lucky enough to be on your invite list?!
* * * * * *
Balsamic Blueberries and Peaches
adapted from epicurious

ingredients:
3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 cups blueberries (about 1 lb)
1 lb peaches or nectarines, sliced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

method:
Boil 3 tablespoons sugar with vinegar, and 1 cup blueberries in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Combine remaining 2 cups blueberries with peach slices in a large bowl. Toss with hot blueberry syrup and black pepper, then add sugar to taste. Let stand, tossing occasionally, 30 minutes.
*Cooks note: Vary sugar depending how sweet and ripe your fruit is.
Makes 4 servings.

Blueberry pie love!

Do you see that picture? Do you have any idea of the huge love you'll get for dropping that down on the table in front of your guests? I mean look at it. It's like a Gourmet Magazine cover shot! Best of all, it's not only crazy delicious but it's a pretty bulletproof recipe, seeing as how it comes from Cook's Illustrated. I think before they publish recipes they make like 1,500 of whatever it is. Okay, maybe not 1,500, but you know what I'm saying.


The pie, right before the egg wash application and oven insertion!

So anyway, this is yet another recipe we...well, w (aka "she who bakes") did it...for our friends Denise's birthday dinner. This is like the fourth post from that dinner. Man, everything was so insanely good. Wow! Anyway, we needed dessert, and blueberries were coming on strong at the market, and w had this recipe rolling around in her head for a few weeks, so it was on! It turned out perfectly. Not only to look at, but to eat. The flavors were excellent, the berries bursting with that sweet-tart flavor, the crust buttery and flaky. The pie held together beautifully, and unusually the pectin was mostly replaced with grated apple, which was a brilliant concept and added its own dimension of flavor. Throw a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream alongside and let the dessert love flow!
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Blueberry Pie

from Cook's Illustrated: "This recipe was developed using fresh blueberries, but unthawed frozen blueberries (our favorite brands are Wyman’s and Cascadian Farm) will work as well. In step 4, cook half the frozen berries over medium-high heat, without mashing, until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, 12 to 15 minutes. Grind the tapioca to a powder in a spice grinder or mini food processor. If using pearl tapioca, reduce the amount to 5 teaspoons. Vodka is essential to the texture of the crust and imparts no flavor; do not substitute."
Makes one 9-inch pie

ingredients:
Foolproof Pie Dough
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces), plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup vegetable shortening , cold, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup vodka , cold (see note)
1/4 cup cold water

Blueberry Filling
6 cups fresh blueberries (about 30 ounces) (see note)
1 Granny Smith apple , peeled and grated on large holes of box grater
2 teaspoons grated zest and 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
3/4 cup sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca , ground (see note)
Pinch table salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 large egg , lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water

method:
1. For The Pie Dough: Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds; dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour. Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into 2 even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

3. Remove 1 disk of dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave dough that overhangs plate in place; refrigerate while preparing filling until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.

4. For The Filling: Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on oven rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Place 3 cups berries in medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Using potato masher, mash berries several times to release juices. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and mashing occasionally, until about half of berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly.

5. Place grated apple in clean kitchen towel and wring dry. Transfer apple to large bowl. Add cooked berries, remaining 3 cups uncooked berries, lemon zest, juice, sugar, tapioca, and salt; toss to combine. Transfer mixture to dough-lined pie plate and scatter butter pieces over filling.

6. Roll out second disk of dough on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to 11-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Using 1 1/4-inch round biscuit cutter, cut round from center of dough. Cut another 6 rounds from dough, 1 1/2 inches from edge of center hole and equally spaced around center hole. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll over pie, leaving at least 1/2-inch overhang on each side.

7. Using kitchen shears, trim bottom layer of overhanging dough, leaving 1/2-inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so that edge of fold is flush with outer rim of pie plate. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with tines of fork to seal. Brush top and edges of pie with egg mixture. If dough is very soft, chill in freezer for 10 minutes.

8. Place pie on heated baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack; cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.

Chocolate Mousse...deliciously cliché!

Does everyone have a sweet tooth like mine? God, I hope not, or all you'll see are these obese, sugar-laden bodies lurching down your street, glazed over eyes searching out that next sugar fix. Any morsel of chocolate dropped by some careless child. Begging old ladies for that linty piece of hard candy they all carry in the pockets of their wooly sweaters....ewww, wait, that goes too far...sorry. But I think you get my point, and the other night we had just the thing that would give any sugar...or chocolate...junkie their fix. Don't be giving me any of your "how cliché" sass either, because well-made chocolate mousse never disappoints. Especially when it is this easy, and this good. It seriously took less than 25 minutes start to finish, not counting a little fridge time to set all that chocolatey goodness up. This was a recipe from NY Times food columnist Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything", which is becoming one of our go-to resources for good, quick, well-thought out recipe ideas. So far he's pretty much batting a hundred, and I'd recommend this as must-have for any cooking library. The mousse itself was perfectly light, decadently rich with the perfect chocolate hit, and each bite was accompanied by much moaning and eyes-rolling-to-the-back-of-the-head satisfaction. You need more than that? Go ask grandma for some hard candy!
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Chocolate Mousse
from How to Cook Everything

ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

method:
1- use a double boiler or a small saucepan over low heat to melt the butter and chocolate together. Just before the chocolate finishes melting, remove it from the stove and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.

2- transfer the chocolate mixture to a bowl and beat in egg yolks with a whisk. Refrigerate.

3- beat the egg whites with half the sugar until they hold stiff peaks but are not dry. Set aside. Beat the cream with the remaining sugar and vanilla until it holds soft peaks.

4- stir a couple of spoonfuls of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it a bit, then fold in the remaining whites thoroughly but gently. Fold in the cream and refrigerate until chilled. If you are in a hurry, divide the mousse among six cups; it will chill much faster. Serve within a day or two of making.

When the pressure is on, lay down a Bundt!

As I've stated before in previous posts, I'm a big "cake guy" when it come to desserts. And as I've also made clear, I'm very fortunate because w is a "likes to make cake" girl, and her layer cakes kick ass. But last Monday we were having friends over for dinner (check out the crazy good bolognese recipe that was the entree in a post tomorrow...or Saturday) and she was working, so any cakiness, or any other dessert, was up to me. For some reason...hunger, low blood sugar, old-school yearnings....I'd been having thoughts of bundt cakes lately. I love the idea of the bundt cake in all its self-contained cooking goodness. Pour the batter in the pan, slide into the oven, pull it out, done. Especially when the above mentioned bolognese was cooking for several hours on the stove and there were other details to attend to (like making sure there was enough gin to get me through the evening), I needed it fast and easy. I checked out some cookbooks...nothing. Went online to epicurious...jackpot! I found this recipe for blueberry-buttermilk bundt cake. I didn't have blueberries, but I did have a stash of last fall's huckleberries at the ready, so this was it. Too easy, and with a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top, quite lovely to look at if you ask me. And yeah, pretty freaking good too. Plus this would also make a great brunch cake with coffee, too. Ease, versatility, old-school appeal, and deliciousness....that's my kind of multi-tasking!









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Blueberry-Buttermilk Bundt Cake
Bon Appétit

Using frozen blueberries in the batter will keep the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the pan as the cake bakes.
Makes 12 servings.

ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups frozen blueberries (or huckleberries if you're fortunate enough to have some!)
Powdered sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 10-inch-diameter Bundt pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 2/3 cups sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in orange peel and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Fold in blueberries. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted near center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.) Transfer cake to plate, sift powdered sugar over, and serve.

Sweetly Satisfying

Every delicious dining experience event needs an equally delicious finish. In this case the wildly good turducken that was consumed for our Christmas dinner was the main event, and this excellent, and easy Pear-Ginger Crisp proved more than up to the task of following that over-the-top entrée.

After so much intense savory goodness for dinner, you don't want to be staring down at some heavy, too sweet dessert course wondering where in hell you're going to fit it in. Loosen your belt? Dang, you did that halfway through dinner. Stick it in your pocket for later...hmmmm....nah, too messy, and who wants pocket lint all over their dessert? Ack! That's why this sweet, but not too, and freshly seasonal crisp is perfect. Pears, ginger, with that zingy and lightening bit of lemon zest and its crisply browned topping are the deal. If you can, and you should, add some vanilla bean ice cream, then you'll find out what a sweet finish is all about! Yet another easy, fast, and crowd pleasing dessert that will have your friends singing your praises. And isn't that why we do these things??!
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Ginger Pear Crisp

6 pears, peeled and sliced. Preferably three each of two different types of pear.
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
Topping:
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss first seven ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into a buttered baking dish. Melt butter in small saucepan, then using a fork combine it and the remaining five ingredients in a bowl. Spoon topping across pears. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Savory starts and sweet finishes!

So we had these people over Sunday who were there to chow down on some rocking good, home-style meatloaf (see post below) during our anti-turkey dinner party, but you can't just throw some slabs of meat down on the plate with a couple of sides and call it good. Well, maybe you can, but not in our world. Besides, the more courses we serve, the more good bottles of wine we can open! With that in mind, both w and I came up with our own value-added contributions to go with the Good Eats Meatloaf....a before and after course...to keep the party going.

I love good soup, and am always on the lookout for something different, interesting, and if it's easy, especially on a night when people are coming over, all the better. This recipe from the New York Times' food writer Mark Bittman seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I've never had, much less made, an apple soup, but the combination of apple and fennel sounded too intriguing to pass up. This was also incredibly easy to put together, and with a couple of modifications to the original recipe, way delicious!

In the soup...warm, silky smooth goodness!








w was in charge of the after diner portion of our night of over-indulgence, and she had her eye on a very seasonal pumpkin mousse. When it comes to dessert, I've already stated that I am a huge "cake guy". But then there really aren't too many desserts that I won't get with. Being a fan of all sweet things served in ramekins, though, this one sounded too good....and it was! Not too heavy, with that light, fluffy, um....moussey texture. It was a perfect finish to the evening, especially served with a big ginger cookie.

Pumpkin mousse....like pudding, only better!









These were both fantastic, and again, SO easy. Big wow factor with minimal effort....the perfect dinner party equation!

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Apple-Fennel Soup
adapted from Mark Bittman

ingredients:
3 apples (Granny Smith, Winesap, Cameo or Cortland)
1 medium-size fennel bulb, stems removed, diced
1 shallot, sliced
2 small inner stems celery, with leaves
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1 2/3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 oz. sweet Italian sausage

method:
1. Peel and core 2 1/2 apples and place in 3-quart saucepan with fennel, shallot, celery, stock, wine, salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes, until all are tender.

2. Meanwhile, core and finely dice remaining half apple, toss with half the lemon juice, cover tightly or seal in a sandwich bag and set aside.

3. Put sausage into small skillet, crumble and brown until slightly crisp. Remove from pan and set aside.

4. Purée contents of saucepan in a blender; return to pot. Whisk in remaining lemon juice, cream and mustard. Bring to a simmer, check seasonings and serve, with diced apple and a few bits of crumbled sausage, garnishing each portion.

Yield: 6 servings.

# # # # # # # #

Pumpkin Mousse
recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman/FoodTV

ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Ginger snaps, for garnish

method:
Combine pumpkin, 1 cup cream, sugar and spice in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Cool fully.

Whip remaining heavy cream and vanilla to soft peaks and fold into cooled pumpkin mixture. Pour into a serving dish and crumble the ginger snaps over top before serving.

Having my cake....

We're all different kinds of guys (or girls). You know what I mean. There's "Corvette guy" who is making up for some sort of shortcoming. There's "softball guy", that 35-year-old loser who owns his own softball bat who swears that if his high school baseball coach hadn't fucked him over he'd be batting 3rd for the Red Sox. When it comes to food, there's "scared to eat girl" who swears that food is out to get her; "bad date guy" who complains...loudly...about not being able to get a baked potato at Babbo in NY.

Basically all kinds of people are out there. Especially when it comes to food. Me, I obviously am "will eat anything and lots of it guy". But when it comes to dessert, I am definitely "layer cake guy". I love all desserts. My sweet tooth knows no limits. Especially cakes. Maybe it's all those homey associations I make from the smell of my mom's baking cakes wafting through the house. Wanting to be the one to lick the frosting off the beater blades. Luckily for me w is "likes to bake cakes girl", and the following bit of baked deliciousness has quickly shot to the top of my cakes-to-eat-for-my-last-meal list. I saw this fabulous pumpkin cake on one of my favorite food sites, Leite's Culinaria. I showed it to w and she said, "Hm, maybe I'll make it." I replied, channeling Montgomery Burns, "EXCELLENT"!

We've had it twice now, the most recent last Sunday with friends, and this cake kills! The cakey part is moist and pumpkiney, and the maple cream cheese frosting is completely out of control. Holy shit, it is a childhood dream come true! We've had some leftover frosting in the fridge, and I've been dipping my finger into it and eating it that way. Yeah, that good!! So if you're ever invited to a cake smackdown, may I suggest the clicking on this link!

One note: w has found that mixing the cake batter by hand makes for a more airy, less dense cake, which for this recipe we both prefer. A little more work, but well worth the effort!
*photo in upper left courtesy of Leite's Culinaria

A spicy start and sweet finish!

Okay...enough being selfish and self-indulgent. The blog-vacation is over! It's time to get some new food news up here at Eat.Drink.Think., because it's not like I've been going hungry these past couple of weeks. Last night was case in point. Mom's birthday dinner (btw- HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM...I love you!), where the main course was my famously perfect rotisserie roast chicken, along with a side of chopped Caprese salad, and a decadent creamy polenta with mascarpone which is as rich and wonderfully sinful as it sounds!
But my sharing moment today has to do with our pre-dinner cocktail snack and our dessert, both of which were awesome uses of some of the seasons best fresh produce. For our app, we had a great guacamole, which was one of the best versions of this standard dish I've ever had. Inspired by a recipe from Saveur Magazine, this is, as they called it, the World's Best Guacamole. Instead of mushing up the avocado this recipe preserves it in a more chunky form, making it much more interesting texturally. Plus it gives me a chance to use my heavyweight mortar and pestle (I bought the 9" by the way...size matters!), which if you don't have one is a must, not only for your kitchen, but for your own peace of mind.
Then after all the wonderful flavors that were mom's birthday feast, we finished with w's now signature seasonal treat, blueberries and peaches in a balsamic syrup. Fabulous fresh flavors, and this never fails to get raves, I promise. Both these recipes are way too easy, and will absolutely rock your next dinner party!

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The World's Greatest Guacamole
adapted from Saveur Magazine

Ingredients
3 medium hass avocados (firmly ripe)
3 tablespoons finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons packed chopped cilantro
4 tablespoons chopped tomatoes
1 tablesppon chopped jalapeno
1 teaspoon salt

1-In large mortar or molcajete, grind salt, one tablespoon onion, one tablespoon cilantro, and jalapeno into a paste.
2-Half avocados, carefully remove pit, and score each half four times both directions being careful not to cut through peel. Then scoop out meat from each half into mortar and carefully fold into paste, keeping avocado as intact as possible.
3-Fold in remaining ingredients, mix well, season with more salt of necessary, and serve! ********************
Balsamic Blueberries and Peaches
adapted from epicurious

Ingredients
3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 cups blueberries (about 1 lb)
1 lb peaches or nectarines, sliced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

Boil 3 tablespoons sugar with vinegar, and 1 cup blueberries in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Combine remaining 2 cups blueberries with peach slices in a large bowl. Toss with hot blueberry syrup and black pepper, then add sugar to taste. Let stand, tossing occasionally, 30 minutes.
*Cooks note: Vary sugar depending how sweet and ripe your fruit is.
Makes 4 servings.