Lavender Macarons with Lemon Honey White Chocolate Ganache

I originally wanted to make this recipe because I have been craving the Macarons from La Patisserie in Austin on Annie St. Not actually having the first clue about French baking, I have been more than reluctant to give French Macarons a try. To add to my reluctance, my friends had tried to make the temperamental cookies, and they ended up hard as rocks; definitely not what I want to eat, much less write a blog about. Somehow, I managed to get the courage to attempt the infamous French cookie.

The process, while it sounds intimidating, is really rather easy, and relatively flexible with the flavours you can add. I kind of made it up, as I couldn't find the exact recipe I wanted online. So I followed a recipe off YouTube from HoneySuckle Catering (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nsanqYnvis) and guesstimated how much lavender to put in the mix. I decided on 1 tablespoon of lavender and about 2 teaspoons worth of lemon zest. I decided this would really balance the lavender and add a nice citrus balance. I figured I couldn’t mess it up too badly by adding flavor, so I took a chance.

The first thing you need to do is sift almond flour and powdered sugar together in a 3/4:1 cup ratio respectively. This yields about 16 cookies which makes 8 macaroons. Next you need to make a meringue using sugar and egg whites by beatings the eggs on high until they form stuff peaks. After that, you want to add some food coloring in the color you choose. For the color I used, you need 2 blue and 4 red drops of food coloring. Finally, we are going to fold the meringue by thirds into the dry mix making 50 total turns. Then cut the tip of a Ziploc bag and pipe 1 1/2 inch circles on to a parchment lined tray and bake at 300 degrees for 17 minutes. To make the ganache, (http://www.marthastewart.com/316714/white-or-dark-chocolate-ganache), simply boil cream and poor over finely cut white chocolate with 1tbsp of lemon juice, the zest of 2 lemons, and 1 tbsp of honey.

The cookies will come out light and fluffy with a lavender smell that will fill your house. It may have been the second most gratifying thing about this recipe. The cookies themselves have what are called "feet" which is basically where the cookie rose during baking. They are smooth and shiny purple circles at this point, waiting for filling. Some will crack, but don't be discouraged, they still taste the same. Only about half of mine came out correctly. After the cookies have cooled, fill them with the ganache and have at them!

The taste of the cookie has a very present lavender taste, almost like a floral version of rosemary. The lemon zest really pulls the whole thing together, so I am really glad I decided to add it. The citrus balanced out the floral taste perfectly. The cookies are not overly sweet, but the ganache is. When put in the middle, it really ties the flavors together, and it tastes like a summers day in your mouth. The sweet white chocolate with the zing of the lemon and the floral sweetness of the honey (I used GoodFlow Honey, a local option from Austin) balanced out the heavily scented cookie. The ganache did need a bit of a thickening agent, so I sifted about 1 cup of powder sugar to firm it up. The cookies are chewy yet crunch from the oven. Take a chance and try it out. You’ll be glad you did.

Coffee Cake: A Delicious End to A Long Day

I decided to make a coffee cake because I was looking to do something that I had never made before. I love to bake, and I knew that a dessert was the ideal thing to make. Because I had never made a cake that used nuts as a very integral ingredient. I was really unsure of how it was going to affect the cake. Was it going to compromise the moistness of the cake? Was it going to affect the texture? This recipe had a middle layer of toasted pecans or walnuts and a streusel on top; it was just meant to be dry... The appeal was in the challenge.

It is not that the recipe was difficult, it just had many aspects that could have gone horribly wrong. The crumb topping was the first thing that I made. I began by melting some butter (real butter not margarine) and adding 1/8 cup of sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon and mixed well. I poured this over pecan halves and roasted them on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes in a 200 degree oven. I slow roasted them because they were previously frozen and I wanted to slowly release the oils in the nuts. Then I chopped them roughly, and began to follow the written recipe leaving out the chocolate chips; my parents did not want the chocolate in them, and I thought it would make a fun plate decoration. I mixed the brown sugar, cinnamon, roasted nuts, and the small amount of flour. I set this aside to mix the dry ingredients for the cake. I mixed the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt together in a small mixing bowl. I set up my KitchenAid mixer (I feel that this is very important in any baking process because it seems to be the only appliance that mixes ingredients to the right consistency), I beat the butter (real butter again, margarine has too much water and will not work as well) until it was softened. I then added the sugar. Mixing until it was light and fluffy was the key to this recipe. It should have the consistency of a buttercream icing (like whipped cream just a bit heavier). Eggs were added one at a time and mixed very well after each. The vanilla extract was next, I always add a little bit more than a recipe calls for because it seems to add a tiny bit more flavor. By simply adding 1/8 of a teaspoon more than the recipe called for, I knew the cake would have a strong, but not overpowering flavor, and it would balance the cinnamon. The dry ingredients are added alternately in three parts with the sour cream. From my experience, sour cream instead of milk (or half milk and half sour cream), will make a cake richer while maintaining an exquisite moisture. In a nine inch spring form pan, greased and lined with parchment paper, I added half of the cake batter. On top of that I added 1/4 of the streusel mixture evenly. Then the rest of the batter, and finally, the rest of the streusel. I baked this at 350 for 35 minutes or until it passed the clean toothpick test.

After about 40 minutes, the cake was ready, the top was golden brown and crumbly (just perfect)! It had to cool, so I did not know what it looked like right away. When I took it out of the pan, the sides matched the top, it looked golden brown and I could smell the cinnamon and brown sugar. To serve it, I piped a chantily lace chocolate doily by tempering baking chocolate. Then I spooned some chocolate over the top of a slice. I had hoped it tasted as good as it looked...

The cake was great, it had just the right moisture. The flavor was kind of like a cinnamon roll, just with a cake texture rather than a donut or bread texture. Looking back, the topping was just a little too crumbly for my taste, I wanted it to be more of a coating rather than a dry topping. The next time I make it, I will leave out the flour in the streusel mixture. This should prevent the dry top. My family thought it was great, but then again, they never criticize my cooking.

Click here for the recipe!!!

Grandma's Buttermilk Hotcakes

       Out of all the homemade food creations I have had the pleasure of eating throughout my life; none have left me with as fond of memories as my grandmother’s buttermilk pancakes. If I was ever craving something light and fluffy yet thick and filling, this recipe was always there for me to provide complete satisfaction. These pancakes are made from a recipe that has been passed down from my great great Aunt Gene, making this recipe a family specialty that is at least a hundred years old!  Over the years the recipe has been tweaked and perfected into the most delicious pancake recipe I know. While these pancakes are not too difficult to make, the steps to make them “perfectly” are quite particular and should be followed carefully. I remember many fun mornings when I was younger working alongside my grandma and learning to make beautiful stacks of these pancakes.

       This recipe has taken the definition of “pancake” to a whole new level, and the preciseness of the combination of ingredients is the key. The first step to make these golden brown delights is to mix all dry ingredients into a large bowl and to stir until they become a perfectly homogeneous mixture. Next, crack the eggs in a separate (but equally large) bowl and beat them well, then slowly adding the buttermilk and oil. After the wet and dry ingredients are ready, you must pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir. The combined batter should be mixed until a thick, slightly lumpy texture is achieved.

The pancakes are finally ready for the griddle (or pan!). It should be noted that if you are not using a non-stick cooking surface, a small amount of canola oil should be applied to prevent the pancakes from sticking. Use a 1/3c measuring cup to apply the perfect amount of batter to the 375°F cooking surface. Once bubbles begin to cover the top of the pancake it is time for the moment of truth! Carefully use a spatula (my grandmother uses a metal one) to slide under the pancake then gently flip it onto the other side. After this point, the pancake will be perfectly cooked in about 30 seconds.

       There are a number of ways to top these delicious treats, but I assure you there is no topping that will not taste amazing with these pancakes. I personally enjoy a stack of about 5 or 6 cakes with a quarter inch thick slice of butter between each of them (and one on top of course). I then drizzle Mrs. Butterworth’s Syrup on the top until the entire outside of the stack is moderately covered and there is a small pool around the outside of the stack. My grandparents enjoy their pancakes garnished with various fruit preserves or jellies that have been heated and poured on top of their stacks of pancakes. The traditional topping used by both my grandparents and great great Aunt Gene is a sweet peach preserve made fresh from homegrown peaches. Even though it’s not my favorite, I must admit that it is still a great way to add some sweetness to the soft fluffy cakes.

       Whether you add butter and syrup, peach preserves, or just eat them plain, you’re going to enjoy these pancakes. Every time I make them I can’t believe how such a simple recipe can produce such astonishing results. It’s the unbeatable combination of warm, soft, and fluffy texture that gives this recipe the right to be passed down for over a century without one change.

Grandma's Buttermilk Hotcakes

2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 c buttermilk

2 eggs

4 Tbsps. Canola oil

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

I find all my recipes for dinner on Pinterest and lately I have been searching for dinners that include cooking chicken breasts. I came across a recipe called Crispy Cheddar Chicken and it immediately grabbed my attention. The picture posted made it look so delicious yet simple. Once I read the recipe I realized I had done something like this before but the breading came prepackaged. I decided to do this recipe because it had me try a few new things, like using Ritz crackers on my chicken. Reading the recipe it looked easy enough if I just followed the steps. The only part that I thought might have been difficult was getting both the cheese and crushed crackers to stay on the chicken as the breading. Nonetheless chicken covered and baked with cheese sounded amazing to me.  Step one was to cut the chicken into 3 tenders. Next I dipped the chicken pieces in milk, then shredded cheese, and finally our crushed up Ritz crackers. As I predicted, the cheese would not stay on when I would try to put the crackers on, but as I read down the recipe, it said not to worry about it. The recipe called for a pan to be sprayed with cooking spray before I laid the chicken down, but I decided to lay foil down instead.  I knew the chicken would make a mess and stick to it made the clean up process easier by laying down foil. The recipe said to sprinkle dried parsley on the chicken, but my sister is allergic to parsley so I had to leave it out. I covered my pan in foil and popped it in the 400 degree oven for 35 minutes. While the chicken was baking I started on the sauce. I poured a can of cream of chicken soup in a small pot, added 2 tablespoons of sour cream, and 2 tablespoons of butter, and heated it up until it all melted together. When there was 25 minutes left on the oven I uncovered my chicken and put it back in for 10 more minutes. When it was done the chicken came out golden brown with a few dark spots here and there, but the chicken was nice and juicy on the inside. You could smell the Ritz crackers and see the melted cheese all over the chicken and pan. I could tell it was going to be scrumptious. I laid out three pieces for each of my family members and poured the sauce on the chicken and told them to eat up. Everybody loved it! They would not stop complementing me on how delicious it was. I did cut the cooking time short by 10 or 15 minutes to keep the chicken moist, but the chicken was cooked thoroughly. The sauce tasted way better than I expected. I did not think its flavor would complement the crispy cheddar chicken the way it did. My favorite part was the melted cheese on the bottom of the pan. It may not have been crispy but it was delicious! Other than the cooking time the recipe was perfect. My family was already asking me to make it again! Feeding a family of 10 is hard to do, especially when you have picky eaters. This recipe was enjoyed by all of us and I will definitely be cooking it again. I highly recommend it to beginner cookers mostly because it is so simple but flavorful.

You can find the recipe at http://jamiecooksitup.net/2011/10/crispy-cheddar-chicken/

Chinese Food In The House!

           Chinese food is probably my second favorite food, but for some reason I have never tried to cook it. I always wanted to try and make Chinese food at home but thought there were a lot of ingredients into making Chinese food, but there isn’t.  I started out looking on Pinterest for different types of recipes until I finally found the right one. I was going to try to make homemade beef stir-fry.

When I eat Chinese food I usually go with some kind of chicken, but for this post I decided to try a beef recipe. I went to the store to pick out the perfect flank steak that I was going to use in my stir-fry. I also grabbed a bag of carrots, sweet peas, broccoli (which I added to the recipe), and the seasoning that I needed to make this meal. I started off by cutting the steak into strips as the recipes says. Then I added it all into a pan with olive oil and the seasoning as well as the onions and a glove of garlic. I let that cook for about 15 minutes. In a separate pan I cooked the carrots, sweet peas, and the broccoli until they were softened along with a glove of garlic and about one tablespoon of soy sauce. When both the beef and the vegetables were done I added them together with another tablespoon of soy sauce and let it simmer together for about 10 minutes. As it was all simmering together I could really started smelling all the seasonings and soy coming together make a heavenly smell.

The appearance of the final product looked just like something I would receive if I had gone to a restaurant and ordered the same time. It had the perfect amount of color from the carrots to the sweet peas and broccoli. As I took my first bite I was super impressed with myself when it came to the meat. It was cooked just perfect; it was so tender that I could cut it with my fork.  For the broccoli I had to use a frozen steam bag because the broccoli at the store just didn’t look right to me, so it was an alright texture. I always prefer fresh vegetables when I cook. The carrots were perfect to my liking. I like my carrots to have a little crunch but to still be soft but not too soft. The sweet peas were a little crunchy than when I have had them at a restaurant but still wasn’t a bad taste. I actually like that there was a little crunch in the mixture.

I will certainly use this recipe again. I was very happy with the way that the stir-fry came out. I would probably add a little more seasoning and soy sauce the next time to really give the flavoring a boost. Going into this recipe I didn’t think it was going to be easy, but it was. The next time my family comes into town I will have to make it for them to see what they think about it. If you like Chinese food or any kind of stir-fry, then I would certainly recommend you trying this recipe!

http://momsdish.com/recipe/438/best-beef-stir-fry-recipe

A Twist on the Baked Potato

I was started on a gluten-free diet about a month ago, to help control my Chron’s disease, an auto-immune disease where the immune system attacks the lining in the gastro-intestinal tract, and causes inflammation, ulcers, fissures, and lots of other painful things. When starting on this diet, I was so lost and confused; I had no idea how to cook things that didn’t contain bread. Sitting down one day, googling recipes and what I could and could not eat, I came across a recipe called “Baked Potato Casserole.” Learning I could still eat potatoes (and French fries) was probably one of the biggest highlights of that week. Looking over the recipe, I thought “wow, I can actually do this one, I think.” I was intimidated only because I had never had to cut gluten from my diet, and I had never cooked intentionally without it. The recipe itself was not as intimidating as the lifestyle.

Shockingly, the cooking process went smoothly. It begins with dicing four potatoes and covering the entire pan with diced potatoes. The next step was cutting up raw chicken, seasoned with sea salt and pepper, and spreading it evenly on top of the potatoes. Then, after the chicken is in the pan, you spread cooked and crumbled bacon, and cheese all over the top. After that is done, I repeated adding potatoes, then more bacon and cheese, and chives on top for a little bit extra flavor. Thankfully, the recipe was pretty self-explanatory, so for someone who had very little experience in the kitchen, it was fairly easy to make. The hardest part was cutting up the potatoes. It took me a while to get the hang of dicing them, mainly because I had never really diced potatoes much less cut them up, so it was a little tricky for me. After about two potatoes, I finally got on a roll, and cutting up the last two potatoes wasn’t as hard. I put it in the oven for an hour, and covered the top with foil. After an hour, I removed the foil and let it cook for another 30 minutes, or until the cheese was completely melted. I didn't use paprika, garlic powder, or hot sauce because a plethora of spices makes my stomach hurt, so I decided to skip the spices and keep it as bland, yet still tasty, as possible. 

The finished appearance resembled a casserole (shocking, I know). Layering the bacon and cheese on top gave the meal a cooked look, with the cheese melted over the potatoes. I think without that extra layer of cheese on top, it would look unfinished and uncooked. Honestly, I did not think it would look as good as it did. It was my first time really cooking this meal, and I was sure I was going to somehow screw it up. The layers added depth to the look, and made it look larger than it really was. Having two layers of potatoes allowed for the chicken to not get burned and still have a moist and rich flavor.  The entire house smelled like a loaded baked potato, one of my favorite foods. It smelled so good, I was excited to try it and see if it tasted as good as a real loaded baked potato. Well, it did. The potatoes were soft, yet still had a thickness to them where they were able to retain their diced shape. The chicken, although it could use more seasoning, was soft and tender, and had a decent taste. The cheese was melted over the potatoes, chicken, and bacon, so it was like every bite had cheese somewhere on it. The bacon was cooked fairly crispy before placing it in the oven, but afterwards it was a little bit softer and cooked into the potato. The chives were only on top, and were just for an extra flavor. I wasn’t a big fan of the chives, and I don’t think it would make a difference if they were there or not. I ended up just picking them off because I didn’t really like them.

I would definitely make this recipe again, and I have. I love the way it tastes, and it is one of my favorite gluten-free recipes. 

Online recipe: http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/bb/f3/27/bbf327f4d4f6334ff1ae9763c169e6ef.jpg

New Meat For Me

Trying new recipes is something that I have always enjoyed doing, whether alone, with friends, or family, experimenting and getting something delicious as an outcome is simply spectacular to me. This time, I decided to make something special over the weekend for my boyfriend. Knowing his love for lamb, my mom and decided to dapple in a food area we were unfamiliar with; lamb chops. Since we were unaware of what to do with such a meat, we kept it very simple for the first try! Researching several recipes on Pinterest, we decided on Lamb Chops with Garlic and Olive Oil. It sounded simple and tasty so I decided it would be the one to be judged. Initially, we looked at some recipes that were a bit more involved but I was interested in this one so we could really taste the meat and quality of lamb chops with a simple flavor and preparation.

               

The cooking process was nice and simple; just the way I like it! The recipe had five ingredients: olive oil, garlic, salt, fresh-ground black pepper, and eight lamb rib chops. The recipe said it would feed four people, considering we had six to feed, we added a few extra chops to the recipe giving eleven total to cook. Amazingly, the recipe only had two steps. Prepare the meat and cook the meat. It said the lamb could be cooked either on the grill or in the oven under the broiler. For ease of cooking, we decided to use the broiler. Once everything but the lamb was combined, you coated the lamb chops in the mixture and they were ready to cook. Even though we had a few extra pieces of meat, the mixture still had enough to coat all eleven of the chops. After that, it was time to cook. The recipe said to cook on one side for five minutes, then to baste the remaining mixture onto the chops. After that, it was time to turn them over, and cook until done which took about five minutes. That was it! It was a very simple and easy to follow recipe that held true to the instructions. Altogether, it took about twenty minutes from start to finish to prepare and cook them.

Two of the lamb chops, once cooled off.

Given that the recipe provided a picture of the projected outcome, we had something to base ours off of. Remarkably, the ones we cooked looked just like the pictures, except the actual chops were just a little smaller. Nevertheless, they looked just a delicious! Once I saw the appearance, I knew we were in for a treat. The meat was the perfect amount of brown on the outside but still juicy and tender looking. Since we did not know how to cook lamb, we trusted the recipe for the right amount of doneness, and it was cooked to our liking. When we cut into the meat, it was slightly pink in the middle but hot throughout giving it the best flavor one could ask for in meat. Having a texture much like a ribeye steak but a flavor all to its own, the lamb was a great choice. For my family, my boyfriend, and myself the lamb was perfect. The seasoning was subtle yet pronounced, the cook time was just right, and the appearance made for a delicious dinner. The possibility of making this recipe is very high for me. As the recipe offered variations of the original recipe, next time I make it I will try adding some of the additional spices or using a different cut for another adventure!

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lamb-chops-with-garlic-and-olive-oil

A New Type of Spaghetti

          The first time I went to the grocery store and bout spaghetti squash, I didn’t even know what it was. I just thought it was a regular squash but bigger. I tried it for the first time about a week ago and I loved it! It is taste just like a regular squash but in a spaghetti form. A lot of people have talked about how they started to buy the squash and substitute it instead of the pasta in their spaghetti. It sounded like a healthier choice so I thought why not give it a try.

            How I cooked the spaghetti squash was from a recipe that my friend had been using to cook his. I started out by washing the spaghetti squash real good. The spaghetti squash had a rubbery texted just as the regular squash does. Then I cut it in two half’s right down the middle, then I placed the two half’s on a cookie sheet with the skin side touching the cookie sheet. It was really easy to cut unlike some other vegetables that I have cooked. Also the inside of the spaghetti squash didn’t look much different in the inside then the regular squash besides that the middle was hallow. I then took some Bertolli extra virgin olive oil and rubbed the squash down. I then added pepper and garlic sea salt all over. I flipped the squash over to where the skin was now facing up and put it in the oven at 450 degrees for 40 minutes. After its done cooking remove it out of the oven and flip squash over again. Take a fork and start scrapping the sides of the squash and then you will start to see where it gets the spaghetti squash name. The squash looks exactly like thin noodles, and also taste just as good.

            Now for the best part, adding the spaghetti meat sauce. I start off by browning some ground turkey meat, adding a little fresh garlic and chopped onions to the meat. After the meat has cooked and simmered with the onions and garlic, I begin to add two cans on tomato sauce and one can of tomato paste. Sometimes I will added a spaghetti-seasoning packet or just season it sauce with different herbs and spices. This time I just used a spaghetti-seasoning packet. After all that has simmered together for about 10 minutes I pour it over the spaghetti squash and it’s ready to eat.

            I would defiantly recommend for someone who has never eaten or heard of spaghetti squash to give it a try. Not only was it delicious but a healthier choice instead of using some kind of pasta. I honestly didn’t think I would like it at fist because I am a texted person and different types of texture freak me out. But the spaghetti squash with the meat sauce was amazing. It did have a different texture than noodles but it wasn’t a bad texture. I will for sure use spaghetti squash again instead of pasta for my spaghetti.