That Time of Year Again

it's been a busy Birthday Week around here ! 

With everyone's busy schedules, my birthday this year has stretched from just one day to a whole week's worth of celebrating. Here is a brief recap:

On Wednesday the 22nd, I met with my very good friend A for a glass of wine. Which became wine and snacks. Which ended up being wine and snacks and dinner. We started at Boulevard in the Sutton Place Hotel for bubbles. Have I ever mentioned how much I love bubbles? From there we went to Cafe España for wine and charcuterie. They have a great Tempranillo by the glass (as any self respecting Spanish tapas bar should), and cure their own meats in house for salumi. We also has some crispy squid. Yum. Then is was over to a couple doors down and Central Bistro. More wine and bubbles and a squash risotto and chicken saltimbocca. Double yum.

Thursday the 23rd was my official birth day. I was scheduled to work, but it was a slow day, and so I was given the option to head home. But only after a surprise birhtday cake and a song from my friends at work. Once home, it was hot tea, a bubble bath with candles and then I spent some time with a good book curled up on the sofa.

Friday the 24th was another working day, with cocktails after work. And more bubbles.

Saturday, I celebrated with a Birthday Brunch with my family. We decided to do a whole bunch of nibbly things and appetizers and just do some serious grazing from the coffee table in the living room. Stuffed artichokes, baked cauliflower, pan fried crab cakes, brown sugar bacon wrapped potatoes, coconut shrimp....and this cake; which I made for dessert. The cake was two different layers; one chocolate rum, the other butter pecan. The frosting was dutch cocoa Bailey's and the cake was surrounded by wafer cookies with hazelnut creme. The top of the cake had Hagelslag, which is a Dutch food staple that I had growing up. Basically, it's chocolate sprinkles. But these were special chocolate sprinkles. I brought them back with me on my last trip to Amsterdam. Anyhow, just to be cheeky, I wrapped the cake in a pretty pink satin bow. I didn't get very good pictures of it, but here it is none the less. 

Sunday, April 26 was a Birthday Bubbles Brunch at Yew Restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel with a bunch of gal friends. It was a fun event in which friends from different parts of my life (past work, present work, models I've worked with) were able to come together not knowing each other and leave as friends. Oh, and these beautiful roses were a gift, as well as a tea mug that reads "Do what you love" (insert excited hand clapping), and a blank sketchbook (double excited hand clapping).

So, here I am at the end of a fun filled week to celebrate my birthday. There were many beautiful and appreciated gifts, but the best gifts; the ones that will last for years to come are the amazing cirlce of friends and family who helped me celebrate.

Cinnamon Hearts Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

I've said it in the past and I'll say it again . . .I am not a fan of Valentine's Day. It's just not my thing.

However, this Hallmark occasion does give me an excuse to bake cute little treats and decorate them. And so, may I present you with...... Cinnamon Heart Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows!

I have been on a home-made marshmallow kick lately. I made Eggnog Marshmallows right after Christmas. They were amazing, and a great way to use up leftover eggnog. Then I had some limes and WAY too much coconut; which I turned into Lime Pie Toasted Coconut Marshmallows. They were super delicious, and went very quickly when I brought them into work on a slow Sunday shift.

I was going through my baking supplies cupboard (yes, I have a cupboard just for baking supplies), and I came across a small bag of leftover red cinnamon hearts. They were from last year, so I didn't really think they would be that great to eat. Then again, they are sugar, flavouring and food colour so I guess they can't really spoil or go bad. Anyhow, I started thinking about what I could make with old, hard, hot cinnamon flavoured candy while holding a couple in my hand.

Then I had a small brainstorm. What if I could dissolve them in water, and then use the flavoured red water as the liquid in a batch of marshmallows ??? Genius!

The recipe was part experiment, part science. So I guess technically it was a science experiment. Dissolve a solid in a liquid, then apply heat and add that hot liquid to more liquid infused with a gelling agent, then apply friction and incorporate air to turn it into a foam. Easy, right?

Making marshmallows at home is not terribly tricky, but it does require attention and timing. First, your liquid to gelatin ratios have to be correct. Too much gelatin and the marshmallows turn gummy and tough; too little and they don't firm up and you have a sort of marshmallow fluff. Second, you really need to whip that hot liquid with a stand mixer. Because it needs to spin for a good ten minutes. Give it the full ten minutes to ensure it triples in volume. And finally, be sure you have a couple of greased rubber spatulas and an off-set spatula close by. Warm marshmallow goo will stick to anything and everything if you don't apply a thin coat of either cooking spray or butter/margarine. I save the paper wrappers that blocks of butter or margarine come in and use those to grease pans, parchment paper and my utensils. I have bag of them in my fridge and just pull out a couple and have them on the counter by my work area to use as needed.

Oh, and you need a candy thermometer. Seriously, you do. The mixture can very quickly go from 235 to 240 to 250 if you're not watching closely . . and then you recipe is hooped. You want to reach 238 to 240 degree F. No higher.

Okay, on to the recipe:

Cinnamon Hearts Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

Ingredients:

20-30 red cinnamon hearts
1/2 cup water
3 envelopes gelatin powder (I use Knox brand)
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups granulated white sugar
3 tbsp white corn syrup

8 oz good quality melting chocolate (dark, milk or white)
pink, red and white sprinkles or decorative trimmings (optional)

Place cinnamon hearts and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. Give it a stir. The water should start to turn colour. Let this sit for about 30 minutes, stirring every so often. You want to dissolve the hearts into the water. Strain out and discard any lumps that don't dissolve.

Place 1/2 warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let this sit for about 30 minutes so the gelatin can bloom.

Lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking pan on the bottom and sides (here is where the wrappers from the butter or margarine come in handy) Cut two pieces of parchment paper 9 inches wide by 11 inches long. Fit these into the pan so that you basically have an overlapping cross with the long ends extending up and over all four sides of the pan. Press the parchment into the greased sides to hold it in place. Lightly grease the parchment.

Place the sugar, dissolved hearts liquid and the corn syrup in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until sugar dissolves. Clip that candy thermometer to side of the pan. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook without stirring until candy thermometer reads 240 degrees F. If needed, use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush down the sides of the pan to avoid crystallization.

Slowly pour the scalding hot syrup mixture into the bloomed gelatin mixture and whisk on low until combined. Increase speed to high and beat until thick and fluffy and mixture triples in volume. This will take about ten minutes, so be sure to give it the full amount of time. The outside of the bowl should be no longer hot and comfortable to touch.

Now you need to work quickly. Using a lightly buttered rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. You are not going to be able to get absolutely everything out of the mixer bowl; it's just so sticky and it cools off too quickly once the main mass of marshmallow goo is removed. Using a buttered offset spatula, try and smooth out the top surface of the mixture, pressing it into the corners. You want to get it as even as possible to have uniform marshmallows, but trust me.....getting it completely even while not getting it to stick to everything else is nearly impossible. Set the pan aside and let it cool to room temperature; about 8 hours (or overnight).

In a heat-proof bowl, melt the chocolate. Lift the block of marshmallow out of the pan using the parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, slice the block into strips about one inch wide and then cut those into one inch pieces. You should end up with a kind of one inch rectangle; about the size of a regular store-bought marshmallow. I usually end up with 80-ish pieces (9 inches by 9 inches in the pan)

Dip each piece into the melted chocolate about half way. Gently stand each piece up on the non-dipped end on a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper. If you dip the "uneven / top side", then the bottom or flatter end will stand up better. If it doesn't, just trim it with a sharp knife. Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle with decorating trimmings. I dip a few, then sprinkle; dip a few more, then sprinkle those. Carefully move the baking sheet into the refrigerator for 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. Here you can see my small army of finished marshmallows. So cute !

Marshmallows will keep in an airtight container for up to five days. These would be so sweet (pun intended) done up in little packages with pretty ribbon for Valentine's gifts for a child's classmates, co-workers or anyone that would appreciate home-made treats.

A Year of Pretty - December 03, 2014

Today would be a great day to just cuddle up, stay inside, read a book and drink hot cocoa.

Full article can be found on BHG.com - 8 Rules for Smart Splurges

A Year of Pretty - February 15, 2014

Ahhhh, the day after Valentine's Day. The day when all chocolates and roses are at least half price and restaurants still have their special "Surf and Turf for 2".

Admit it. At least once you have waited until the day after to pick up that big box of treats for your sweetie. Or two days after, when the roses are still good, but now you can buy twice as many for the same obscene price and look like a super hero?

My parents actually have an agreement. No flowers of candy on Valentine's Day. Then three days later they spoil each other. Anyone who comes to the house (my Oma especially) thinks my dad went all out for my mom. Truth is, my mom prefers it this way. She doesn't really like my dad spending all kinds of money on her, specifically on flowers that are over priced and shipped in from South America. He still wants to spoil her, but he saves money...she still gets treats, she shares them with him; everyone is happy.

So even if you didn't get a box of chocolates on Valentine's Day (or double the amount the next day), here is my Valentine's Day gift to you...a day after and just as yummy.

Design Inspiration - part 4

 

brought to you by the lovely folks at design seeds.

Rum Balls for Valentine's Day

My mom loves rum balls. So the other day I thought I would pick some up from the local bakery as a Valentine’s gift for her. Oh My Word…..EXPENSIVE ! Yes, I know they are hand made in house. But at $3.50 each, I decided to pass.

Two nights later I decided to bake a chocolate cake. It was beautiful, it was moist. It was in a ring form pan. I turned the pan upside down too early, and the cake split in the center. Half stayed in the pan, the other half was on the cooling rack. Rather than despair, my immediate thought was “hey…I know, I’ll make rum balls.” So I left the cake to finish cooling completely, then put both halves on a plate, wrapped it and put it in the refrigerator.

The next day I took the cake out and let it come to room temperature. Then I crumbled the cake into a bowl and added dark rum. Don’t know how much; just kept adding rum a little at a time until the cake began to hold together when pressed into balls. Then I rolled the moistened crumb mixture into bite sized balls and set them aside.

Next I got out a couple shallow bowls and put my decorating finishes in each. One for powdered sugar mixed with cocoa powder, another for the traditional chocolate sprinkles, another for pastel and one more for rainbow sprinkles.

I discovered there is a trick to making the different coatings stick. For the powdered mixture, I could just roll the ball in the bowl to coat them, and then place them in the mini paper cups. But for the sprinkles I had to find a way to make them stick. I found the best way was to lightly brush the outside of each ball with a bit of the rum, and then roll it around in the bowl with the sprinkles. A bit tedious, but it got the job done.

I have a few candy and chocolate boxes I’ve saved. I find they are perfect for when giving a treat gift; you don’t have to worry about getting your container back and the packaging can be recycled by the recipient. So after placing each rum ball in a mini paper cup, I arranged them in a gold Godiva chocolate box. Tied the box with a pretty red bow and stored it in the refrigerator until the next day.

When mom got the box, she was confused, because a box of chocolates is not something I would normally give her. So when she opened it, she was delightfully surprised.

And for the next couple days I had to smile whenever I heard her say to a guest “Want a rum ball? My daughter made them for me”. It’s nice to have a gift appreciated, but even nicer to know it’s so well received that the recipient wants to share it with others.

And that’s the spirit of giving.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Chukar Cherries

It’s no secret that I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate. One of my favorite ways to enjoy this treat is when it is used to cover other yummy things like dried fruits such as apricots, blueberries and cherries. So imagine my delight when my mom and I came across Chukar Cherries in the Pike’s Place Market in Seattle.

Based in Prosser, WA, Chukar Cherries began in 1988 from a family cherry orchard and uses no preservatives, no sulfites and no gluten. Essentially, their mandate is nothing artificial. Not only does Chukar Cherries specialize in chocolate covered cherries, but also in mixed nuts and dried fruit mixed which incorporate . . .cherries.

They also make all kinds of other gourmet treats such as Curried Cherry Chutney (trying saying that a few times fast!), and Peach Cherry Salsa, as well as a variety of fruit fillings and preserves. All the items feature beautiful and well thought out packaging (always something I’m attracted to)such as reuseable baskets, jars and tins and are perfect for gift giving. Perfect for Valentine's Day. My favourite is the Grand Assortment, which has Amaretto Rainiers, Classic Dark, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, and Black Forest cherries . . . all in dark chocolate.

. . . Hello Yummm!

TuTu Chic

As a designer and a lover of pretty fabrics, I have always been intrigued by tutus and the world of ballet couture. While the stiff and formal performance tutu demands a certain amount of respect (it's construction being formidable), the longer bell-shaped tea-length tutu is graceful and romantic. Think of all those Sugar Plum Fairies in The Nutcracker, or the myriad of swans in Swan Lake.

TutusChic is based in Palo Alto, CA and will be featured in Martha Stewart's Wedding Magazine Spring 2011 issue.

The creations of a former professional dancer turned designer, the tutus are constructed with the dancer's body and movements in mind. However, this does not exclude a non-dancer from purhasing one to wear around the house while vacuuming . . .

Have a look at this beautiful long tutu skirt in chocolate and cream by TutusChic. The skirt is composed of four layers of cream tulle topped with a light and frothy layer of chocolate tulle. The waist band is a decadent caramel chocolate satin.

This tutu skirt would be wonderful for attending a late spring or summer wedding celebration. Or for sipping tea and nibbling on petite sandwiches and enjoying strawberries with cream in the garden. Or walking along the beautiful shops in Paris. See how it has been paired with a long sleeve henley style shirt and a pair of flip-flops in the photo shown right. (model photos appear courtesy of Lucy Snowe Photography).

What I'm saying is that tutus are not just for attending the ballet. Nor are pointe shoes required.

E is for Éclairs . . .

Mmmm . . .choux pastry, cream and chocolate.

I don’t make these often because my figure does not approve of the calories. Accept by way of adding to the waistline? yes . . .approve? not so much.

The French éclair is thought to have originated in France during the 19th century and quickly gained popularity due to its shape and ease to handle. Some food historians attribute its beginnings to the French chef Antonin Carême (1784 – 1833). The first recorded English – language recipe appears in the Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Mrs. D.A. Lincoln, which was published in 1884.

A traditional éclair is made with choux pastry dough, baked and then filled with a cream of some sort and topped with confectioner’s sugar, icing or chocolate. The dough is piped into an oblong shape with a pastry bag (make the shapes round and they become profiteroles) and baked until crisp on the outside and hollow on the inside. Once cool, the pastry is then either sliced in half or injected (remember, the pastry is hollow inside) with a pastry crème. Most common fillings are a coffee or chocolate (or both . . . making it mocha) pastry crème, though other fillings include vanilla custard, fresh whipped cream or chiboust crème. I’ve also had these filled with pistachio or chestnut custard. The top is either dusted with confectioner’s sugar, or glazed with chocolate. Sometimes the top is iced with caramel, but then the dessert magically morphs into a bâton de Jacob.

Éclair is French for "lightning," though the connection is obscure.

Ingredients (for 20 éclairs):

Éclair Pastry Dough:
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup water
4 oz. butter
1 cup flour
5 eggs
2 tsp. granulated Sugar
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.

In a pot, mix water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil. Once butter has completely melted, take the pot off the heat and slowly pour in the flour, stirring constantly.

Put the pot back on the heat and continue to work it with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring and kneading with spoon until the dough dries out and stops sticking to the sides of the pot.

Take the pot off the heat (I know, on the heat, off the heat, . . .enough already!) Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring energetically. You must work quickly.

Transfer the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a medium sized round or fluted tip. The size of your tip will determine the size of the éclair . . .bigger tip, bigger éclair. Squeeze out "finger-sized" éclairs onto prepared baking sheet, well-spaced apart to give them room to expand while baking.

Bake for 10 minutes. Then turn oven down to 385°F and bake another 10-12 minutes with the oven door open. Remove from oven and transfer from baking sheet onto cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

Voilà! Step 1 complete

Chocolate Cream Filling:
6 oz. Unsweetened Baking Chocolate, chopped
1 cup Milk
4 Egg Yolks
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup Flour

Melt and milk in a pot and allow to mixture to come to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until it turns pale and light, almost whitens. Slowly add the flour, stirring. Slowly add chocolate and milk, stirring until homogenous (that means well blended).

Return pot to heat and bring mixture to a slow boil, stirring constantly until cream thickens and becomes smooth. Remove pot from heat and allow to cool.

Fit a pastry bag fitted with a long narrow round tip (the elongated narrow tip will allow you to piece the hollow pastry without causing a huge hole in the side. Fill pastry bag with cooled chocolate cream and begin filling the éclairs. Work slowly, you don’t want to have an éclair explosion on your hands. You will begin to feel when the pastry is full. If you don’t want to fill them with a pastry bag, you can cut the éclairs in half and just spoon the cream into the centers like a sandwich.

Et alors! Step 2 is complete.

Chocolate Icing:
5 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate
2 oz. Butter
1/4 cup Water

Melt chocolate with water in a small pot over a low heat. Add butter while whisking. Continue whisking until shiny and smooth.

Remove from heat. Spread a thin layer over each éclair, using an offset spatula or small butter knife. Allow icing to cool and firm on éclairs

Et enfin, c’est fini!

Dare you to eat just one. . . .okay, have one more

Mmmmmm . . . . . muffins !

One of my favourite things to do on a Sunday morning (besides sleeping) is to bake. Usually, it’s something quite simple like scones of muffins. The benefit is that we get to enjoy these fresh baked goodies with a lazy morning cup of tea.

The recipe I use for muffins is very simple and quite flexible. These muffins stay quite moist because they incorporate yogurt, though I have used sour cream in a pinch.

For a lighter, fluffier muffin, I add the baking powder and baking soda to the egg/yogurt/melted butter mixture instead of the traditional route of sifting it with the dry ingredients (sifting? Who has time for sifting?) The baking powder and soda cause a chemical reaction with the cultures in the yogurt and cause it to froth . . think grade 5 science project with the home made volcano.

I like this recipe because you can really use your imagination when it comes to the add-ins. This past Sunday I made two batches; one with dried blueberries and the other with chopped fresh cranberries. I also like to throw in a handful of either oat bran or wheat germ for a bit of a nutty texture and for added fibre. The end results were Blueberry Oat Bran and Cranberry Wheat Germ . . . and a very good grab-and-go breakfast for my daily train commute.

I can’t remember where this recipe came from and over the years I have made several changes. From memory, the ratios I use are:

½ cup melted butter
1 large egg
1 cup yogurt (I like French Vanilla, Pineapple or Field Berry)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda

Mix all the above ingredients in a medium sized bowl until well incorporated. Set aside, mixture should become frothy.

In a large bowl, stir together:
2 cup all purpose flour (you can substitute ½ cup whole wheat flour)
¾ cup sugar

I toss my add-in (diced apple, dried fruits, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, left over candied Christmas cherries) into the dry ingredients before forming a well and pouring the butter/egg/yogurt mix into the center. Gently fold together until just combined. Too much mixing and the muffins won’t rinse as nicely and will be tough and riddled with tunnels.

Spoon into prepared muffin tins, about ¾ full. I use silicone ones because they are flexible and easy to pop the muffins out without using muffin papers or having to grease the tins; and washing them afterwards is much easier.

Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees. I wait about five minutes before removing them from the pans. If I remove them right away I find they are too soft and the bottoms get grid marks from the cooling rack. If I leave them in the pans too long, they start to sweat.

Once out of the pan, I usually have one hot with a little butter or soft cream cheese. The rest I let cool before storing in a large plastic freezer bag. I keep the bag in the refrigerator for easy snacks when I’m rushing around, or throw it in the freezer for later.