Daring bakers: Honey panna cotta and chocolate florentines

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

The blog has been quiet for a while, but I was finally inspired to do some baking again, especially thanks to the Daring Bakers challenge for February.  This month we were challenged to make some creamy panna cotta and some crunchy florentine cookies.  I think this is a great dessert combination, so I jumped on board and actually made this dessert twice this month!  I was in a bit of a rush to take the photos, so I don’t think they quite do the deliciousness justice, but you’ll get the idea.

For the panna cotta, I went with a somewhat lighter, tangier version and incorporated some yogurt, honey and orange juice.  The sweet and chocolately florentines were a really great pairing–  I even recommend scooping up some panna cotta with a piece of the florentine– yum!

Honey yogurt panna cotta

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Yield: 8 servings

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 envelope (1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup fresh squeeze orange juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Prepare individual ramekins for the panna cotta by applying a non-stick spray and dusting with sugar.  Tap off the extra sugar and set the dishes aside. (Alternatively, serve panna cotta in wine glasses or ramekins without unmolding makes this step unnecessary.)

2. Pour the cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it.  Let it sit for 5 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt, honey, orange juice and vanilla extract.

4.  In a medium saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the cream and bring to a boil.

5.  Remove the cream from the heat and mix in the gelatin. Stir quickly to dissolve.

6.  Pour the cream and gelatin mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the yogurt mixture.  Whisk well until combined.

7. Divide the mixture between the ramekins and chill for at least 4 hours.

8. To unmold from the ramekins, slid a knife around the outside, turn upside and tap out of the ramekin.  Drizzle with honey and zest of orange before serving.

Chocolate florentine cookies

Yield: 2-3 dozen cookies

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1½ cups dark chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.

2.  Melt butter and let it cool slightly.  Add butter to a large bowl.

3.  Add the oats, sugar, flour, milk, corn syrup, vanilla extract and salt to the bowl.  Mix well to incorporate all ingredients.

4.  Drop a tablespoon on to the baking sheet, placing cookies 3 inches apart.

5. Bake for 6-8 minutes, rotating once during baking.

6.  Remove from the oven and let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.  (They will be too fragile to remove from the baking sheet until cooled.)

7.  Once the cookies have cooled completely, melt the chocolate in the microwave or using a double boiler.  Spread the melted chocolate on one cookie and sandwich another cookie on top.  Drizzle more chocolate on top if desired.

Cranberry and chocolate granola bars

Last weekend we visited some good friends who live too far away for my liking.  They are really only about 40 minutes away (without traffic), but it’s just too far.  I’d much rather they lived no more than 10 minutes away, just to be able to stop by and say hello for any occasion.  Instead, it feels more like a special occasion every time we see each other.  Because of that, I usually feel the need to bring some type of treat with me, just to honor the occasion.  We planned on going for a hike last weekend, so I figured granola bars would be perfect for the occasion.  The only problem: these granola bars had to be vegan and legume and nut-free.  Our friends are vegan, and my wife has a legume and nut allergy, which frequently makes them mutually-exclusive when it comes to sharing food.  Creativity is a necessity.  Now, a vegan granola bar is really not a stretch.  But, a legume and nut-free granola bar (what, no peanuts?!)– that’s a little more of a stretch.  Fortunately, we had recently learned that the so-called cashew nut is actually the seed of the fruit of the cashew tree and often not a problem for people with nut allergies.  (Warning:  lots of cashews are processed with other nuts and therefore contaminated with other nut or peanut oils, so I’d be wary of snacking on just any cashews if you have a nut or peanut allergy.)   I found a really great customizable recipe for granola bars over on smitten kitchen and I used seeds as the “nutty” base: cashews and sunflower, to be exact.  I loved the recipe because I hardly had to do any work– just decide on the ingredients I wanted to use, mix them together and bake.  So easy and so delicious!  I really see no reason to buy granola bars at the store again.  I’ll just be making these with whatever ingredients we happen to have on hand.     Cranberry and chocolate granola bars

Yield: 16 square bars

• 1 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup oat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3 oz. dried cranberries
• 3 oz. chocolate chips
• 3 oz. chopped, unsalted cashews
• 2 oz. sunflower seeds
• 2 oz. puffed rice cereal
• 1/3 cup sunflower butter
• 6 tblsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tblsp light corn syrup
• 1 tblsp water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8x8in baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, maple syrup, corn syrup and water.

4.  Add the wet ingredient mixture and the sunflower butter to the dry ingredients and mix well.

5. Press the mixture in to the prepared pan.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until golden brown at the edges.

7.  Remove from the oven and let cool entirely in the pan.  Once cooled, chill in the fridge for 15 minutes before cutting in to squares with a sharp knife.

Yummy granola mix before baking

Notes on these granola bars: I loved the flavor in these granola bars, but I had some trouble with them sticking together as actual bars.  They started to crumble more in to gooey granola, rather than maintain their bar shape.  For the next time, I might try using honey instead of maple syrup, because it seems a bit more gooey.  Also, I think adding more of the sunflower butter would help.  And, if I make a non-vegan version, I might try using butter instead of the oil and maybe adding an egg to help it all stick together.  What is great about this recipe is that you can pretty much do whatever you want, and they are guaranteed to still taste great!

Guest baker: Candied ginger cookies with lemon glaze

As promised, I wanted to share the other cookies we enjoyed this holiday season, courtesy of my baking-apprentice-turned-expert sister.  She selected these cookies and baked them pretty much entirely herself; my supervisory role was limited to reading the ingredients, which I couldn’t even manage to do properly.  So, I can’t claim any credit for the success of these cookies, but I will say that they disappeared the fastest at our holiday gatherings.  They offer a great balance to rich meals– a little spark of ginger and lemon with every bite.  I will most definitely be keeping these in my cookie repertoire.  The recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart, again.

Candied ginger cookies with lemon glaze

Yield: about 4 dozen (depending on cookie cutter size)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (and some for dusting)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp plus a pinch salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped candied ginger
• 1 large egg
• 1 tblsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tblsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tblsp honey
• 5 tblsp plus 1 tsp water

1. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine flour, baking powder and 3/4 tsp salt.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes at a medium-high speed.

3. Add the chopped ginger and beat an additional 2 minutes.

4. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well-combined.

5. Reduce speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture.  Mix until a dough just comes together.

6. Divide dough in half and place on a piece of plastic wrap.  Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour (up to 3 days).

7. When the dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.

8. Place half the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it to 1/4 inch thickness.

9.  Cut out cookies with a cookie cutter (here we used a 2-inch round cutter) and place about 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet. Reroll scraps one time and cut additional cookies.  Chill cookies on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before baking.

10. Bake 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees F, rotating sheets halfway through the baking time.  The edges should become light golden brown.

11. Transfer the cookies on the parchment paper to racks to cool completely.

12.  While the first batch is cooling, repeat baking with the other half of the dough.

13.  To prepare the glaze, combine confectioner’s sugar, lemon zest and juice, honey, water and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl.  Whisk until smooth.

14.  When the cookies are completely cool, place a baking sheet under the cooling racks and drizzle the cookies with glaze using a fork.  Let the cookies stand until the glaze has set, about 20-30 minutes.  The cookies can be stored in an airtight container, with parchment or wax paper between layers, for 3-5 days at room temperature.

Guest baker: Mexican hot chocolate cookies

Today is the first day in 11 days that my house is quiet.  There are no more house guests or meals to prepare or excursions to organize. I’m happy to be coming down from the holiday buzz, especially because I was feeling a bit under the weather this holiday week.  Fortunately, my sister was here to help complete the holiday baking, because I was not going to be able to do it alone.  She is just beginning to delve into baking, so I was happy to supervise as she mixed up our holiday treats.  I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant to give up control in the kitchen.  My sister has been both unsure of her baking in the past, and exhibited some questionable skill, having specialized in the “unicookie”.

I need not have worried though.  She has moved well beyond the unicookie, and no longer feels the need to watch the development of every baked good in the oven.  She did a superb job making these mexican hot chocolate cookies (and some other cookies, which will be the subject of the next blog post).  I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart’s Holiday Cookies .  I had made them previously, and felt like the chocolate flavor needed to be enhanced a bit, so I added chocolate chips to the mix.  I also liked the idea of a sugared crunch on the outside, but the mixture in the original recipe didn’t deliver as I’d hoped.  So, I opted to add the cinnamon and chile directly to the cookie batter and crust the cookies with some raw turbinado sugar for a sweet crunch.  I was really happy with the texture of these cookies– perfectly chewy on the inside, with just a bit of crunch on the outside.  They also have an addictive combination of chocolate and chile, where the spicy kick builds up as you eat through the cookie.  Fortunately for me, we still have a few leftover, despite all the visitors.  I just need to keep them away from everyone else, including one fat cat.  Thanks to my sister for making some truly delicious treats for the holidays.  

Mexican hot chocolate cookies

Yields 2-3 dozen

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground chipotle chiles (or other chiles)
• 1 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup raw turbinado sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats and set aside. (The texture of these cookies turns out much better on a baking sheet without rims on all sides.)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and chile powder.

3. Using a handheld or standing mixer, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until it is pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

4.  Add eggs one a time and beat to combine in to mixture.

5.  Turn down the mixer speed and slowly add the dry ingredient mixture, beating until just combined.

6. Add the chocolate chips and fold in to the batter using a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.

7.  Add the turbinado sugar to a small bowl.  Using a tablespoon, remove dough from the mixture and form approximately 1 inch balls by rolling in your hands.  Roll these in the sugar on all sides.  Place on the prepared baking sheets, 3 inches apart.

8.  Bake at 400 degrees F approximately 10 minutes, or until the cookies begin to crack on the top.

9.  Remove from the oven, and keep on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack for cooling.  The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for at least one week.

Toffee apple cake with cinnamon whipped cream

I made this cake for Thanksgiving last year, and it has probably been the most discussed menu item from our Thanksgiving last year (with the possible exception of my sweet potato pucks, a.k.a., biscuits).  It has been discussed so often, I had no option but to make it again this year.  So, this cake was the first menu item that I planned for this year’s Thanksgiving.  Despite this advance planning, we planned so many other menu items, that no one had any room for apple cake.  Seriously!  No one had any room!  Who knew such a thing could happen at Thanksgiving?  I do think this was partly my fault, as the other dessert I prepared was both generous and tasty and had a shorter shelf life than the cake, so everyone enjoyed that instead (it should also make an appearance on the blog one of these days).  Amazingly, I was not sad that no one had any cake on Thanksgiving.  Why? Mostly because this cake is the best thing to happen to breakfast since toasted bread.  Seriously.  A slice of this moist and crusty cake is the perfect way to start a morning sugar high to amp you up for holiday shopping.  Somewhat miraculously, we were able to make this cake last a whole week, and I finally enjoyed the last piece this evening. It doesn’t disappoint after dinner either.

This recipe is from Lara Atkins and was published in Food&Wine.  I follow her recipe pretty closely, although I did make some alterations in the suggested cake accessories.  She recommends topping the cake with a toffee sauce and some carmelized apples.  Although I love this toffee sauce (and I’ve previously discussed its use as the perfect dipping sauce  for cinnamon-sugar doughdrops) and carmelized apples, this cake is very  moist and a bit on the sweet side, so I found that adding more sugary toppings not really necessary.  Instead, I whipped up some cinnamon cream that was not too sweet and found this to be a great complement.

Check out that toffee crust.

Toffee apple cake

Yields 10-12 slices

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3 medium Gala apples ( or other baking apples, such as 2 large Granny Smith apples)—peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Butter and flour a 9-inch springform tube pan. *

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking soda.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and granulated sugar.  Continue whisking and add the eggs one at a time.

4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Add the diced apples and fold in to the batter.

5.  Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake at 325 degrees F for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in to the cake comes out clean.

6.  During the last 15 minutes of baking, prepare the toffee glaze for the cake.  In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar and heavy cream. While stirring, bring to a boil.

7.  Once the glaze has started to boil, remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

8. Remove the cake from the oven and let cook slightly. Do not take it out of the pan.

9. Place the cake in the pan on a rimmed baking sheet.  Poke the top of the cake with a toothpick and pour the hot glaze over the cake.  Allow the glaze to seep in to the cake for at least two hours.

10.  Release the cake from the pan, slice and serve with cinnamon whipped cream. The cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.

*I did not have the best pan option for this and baked it in a 9-inch bundt pan.  This worked ok, but I think a tube cake pan would work better.

Cinnamon whipped cream

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In the bowl of a standing mixer, mix the cream, sugar and cinnamon at a moderate speed with the whisk attachment until the cream forms soft peaks.  Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Daring bakers’ challenge: Roasted vegetable crostata

The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

This was my first challenge with the Daring Bakers and I found it quite inspiring. I had so many ideas for the fillings for my crostata.  In fact, I planned to make multiple crostate, but instead I ended up make two versions of the same crostata, mostly because it was so delicious.  I started with a savory version of the pasta frolla and topped it with a mix of roasted root vegetables and winter squashes.  And a bit of cheese and bacon, of course.

First, there was the individual size roasted vegetable crostata.  And then, there was the bite-sized versions served as appetizers at Thanksgiving.

I modified the pasta frolla recipe slightly to make a savory version of the crostata: I eliminated the sugar and added a bit more salt and some fresh thyme.  I baked 6 4-inch tarts with this dough, although the recipe should also work for one 9-inch tart pan with more for a lattice or other decorative top. I’ve inlcluded both the recipe for the pasta frolla and also the roasted vegetables.  Here they are:

Savory pasta frolla

• 1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 8 tblsp cold, unsalted butter
• 1 egg and 1 egg yolk
• 1 tblsp lemon zest
• 1 tblsp fresh thyme

1.  In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt.

2.  Add the cold, unsalted butter to the flour mixture in either small pieces, or grate frozen butter in to the flour using a grater.  Cut the butter in to the flour using a pastry blender or two knives, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Of course, you could also do this with a food processor.)

3.  Lightly beat the egg and egg yolk in a small bowl.

4. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture.  Add the eggs, lemon zest and thyme.

5.  Using a fork, mix the eggs in to the flour mixture until just incorporated.

6. Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead gently until it comes together in to a ball.

7. Shape the dough in to a disc and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill in the fridge for two hours to overnight.

8.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a floured surface (or keeping it on the plastic wrap), roll out the dough in a circle approximately 1/8th of an inch thick.

9.  For use with the 4-inch tart pans, use a sharp knife to cut out pieces of dough at least 1 inch wider in diameter then the tart pan.

10.  Transfer the dough pieces to the tart pans and gently press in to the pan.  Use a sharp knife to cut off an excess dough hanging over the edges of the tart pans. Prick the bottom of the tart with a fork in many places.

11.  Blind bake the tarts before baking with the filling:  Line the tarts with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice.

12.  Bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes.

13.  Remove from the oven and remove the parchment paper and pie weights.  Sprinkle with shredded fontina cheese and place roasted vegetables (recipe below) in tart.  Top with bacon and more shredded fontina.

14. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the tarts turn light brown and the cheese is melted.

15. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Roasted winter vegetables

• 2 medium sweet potatoes*
• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 medium dumpling squash
• 2 turnips
• 3 yukon gold potatoes
• 3 leeks
• fresh thyme
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
• 4 strips cooked and chopped bacon

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Slice the leeks and chop all of the vegetables into 1/4-1/2 inch cubes.

4. Put the vegetables in to a 9×13 inch baking dish.  Toss the vegetables with olive oil to coat all of the vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper and fresh thyme.

5.  Roast vegetables in the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until they are tender and appear roasted, with browned edges.

6. Following the blind baking of the tart shells, sprinkle them with the fontina cheese and fill the shells with the vegetables, chopped bacon, and a bit more fontina on top.    Bake for additional time as described above.

*I have made these with many combinations of winter vegetables, mostly lots of root veggies and squash.  Pick your favorites!  Also, for a richer flavor, feel free to roast the vegetables with the bacon.

Notes on this crostata: I found the recipe for pasta frolla to be quite straightforward and made a perfectly buttery and flakey crust that can support a lot of hearty fillings.  In one version that I made, I ended up adding a tiny bit of water by wetting my hands when kneading the dough, just to get it to stick together a bit.  But, this wasn’t necessary for the second batch I made.  I also attempted a new trick for making this crust– to cut the butter in to the flour, I tried grating frozen butter in to the flour and then taking my pastry blender to it.  I have to say, I really loved this technique.  Although grating the butter is a bit of a pain, it was so much easier and faster to incorporate the butter.  I will definitely be using this technique in the future for all of my pie crusts, scones, and biscuits.  Now go check out the other Daring Baker’s crostate!

Orange-scented panna cotta with pomegranate arils

The blog has been quiet for the past couple weeks.  I don’t really have any good excuses.  Just lots of busy-ness lately.   Fortunately for me, part of that busy-ness has involved hanging out with good friends and sharing delicious meals together.  We had a couple of friends over not too long ago for a small dinner party and I wanted to whip up a tasty, farmer’s market-inspired dessert.  There was one small twist: it had to be low in carbohydrates.  What??!!   My baker’s head was spinning a little bit… what can I make with no flour and minimal added sugar that is still elegant and doesn’t scream “low carb dessert”?  After one deep breath, I realized this wasn’t as much of a challenge as I was making it out to be and there had to be good ideas out there.  Hmmm…what about panna cotta?  I had never made panna cotta before, but a quick Google search revealed that it is super easy and can be prepared well ahead of time, perfect for a dinner party. I had picked up an orange and a couple of pomegranates at the farmer’s market (where I was kindly informed that the most ripe ones look the worst- brownish, and almost cracking). I also had a perfectly fragrant vanilla bean that I had picked up at a spice farm in Costa Rica earlier this year, and I was just waiting for the best recipe to showcase its flavor.  I took David Lebovitz’s Perfect Panna Cotta recipe, cut it in half to serve 4 people, and added a few small twists.  Here’s what I used:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1/4 of the one shown, or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• 1 packet powdered gelatin (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 3 tblsp cold water
• 3 tblsp fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 1/2 tblsp orange zest
• 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
• 1 tblsp sugar

1. Heat the heavy cream and 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar.

2. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the mixture from the heat.  Add the vanilla bean seeds (cut in half lengthwise and scrap them from inside) and the vanilla bean pod in to the mixture.  Add 1/2 tblsp of orange zest.  Cover and let steep for 30 minutes.

4. Remove the vanilla bean pod from the mixture.  Add three tblsp orange juice and stir to mix. Place the mixture back on the heat to warm it slightly.

5.  Add the cold water to a medium-sized bowl.  Add the gelatin powder to the water and stir quickly to mix.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

6.  Add the warm cream mixture to the gelatin and mix to completely dissolve the gelatin.

7.  Pour the mixture in to martini glasses, wine glasses or molds.  Chill for 2-4 hours.

8.  In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

9. Remove the arils (seeds) from the pomegranate.  (This can be done by cutting it in half and tapping them out in to a bowl of water.  The arils should sink and the membrane will float.  I found this easier to type than to do.)

10. Place the arils in  small baking dish and sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until the arils have slightly darkened and look sticky.

11.  When ready to serve the panna cotta, remove from the fridge and divide the arils between the four desserts, and top with the remaining orange zest.

Notes on these desserts: These turned out creamy and decadent and elegant, especially served in a martini glass.  And yet, they were so easy!  The only thing I would have changed was to add more pomegranate.  I thought the contrast in textures was great, and the flavors melded well together, but the dessert became a bit too rich for me without a little bit of pomegranate in every bite.  However, I was the only one at the table who thought this… so maybe the ratio of pomegranate to cream is good for most people.  I also think serving it with raw pomegranate arils would be just as tasty and probably more beautiful.

My only technical challenge was that all of the vanilla bean seeds sank to the bottom before the panna cotta was able to solidify.  If anyone has any tips on how to prevent this from happening, I would love to know so I can keep my vanilla bean evenly distributed (as much fun as it was to have a coating of vanilla bean seeds at the bottom of the glass).

Banana pumpkin loaf with chocolate chips

I’m a huge fan of banana bread.  Well, actually, I’m a huge fan of homemade banana bread.  I’m not sure why, but I find that most coffee shops and grocery stores seem to specialize in dry, artificially flavored banana breads.  It is so easy to make a moist, tasty banana bread full of sweet banana flavor, I’ve just opted to only consume homemade banana breads.  The one not-so-secret tip that I’ve found makes a huge difference is to use really, ripe bananas– and I mean, REALLY ripe, overly ripe in fact.  When I have some bananas sitting on my counter that are accumulating more and more brown spots, to the point where their only purpose seems to be attracting fruit flies, I just pop them in the freezer.  I leave them there until I am ready to make the banana bread, which could be months later.  The day before I make it, I thaw the bananas in a bowl in in the fridge (the bowl is important because they will let off a lot of liquid).  When I’m ready to use them, I peel them and place them in a new bowl.  They are slimy and brown and all-around unappetizing, but so sweet and add the perfect amount of moisture to the banana bread, you won’t regret using them.

My favorite recipe for banana bread is Mom’s Banana Bread from Cooking Light.  I don’t follow all of their suggestions for making a light version of banana bread, although I have a feeling this would be just as delicious.  Here, I’ve also spiced it up just a bit for fall by adding some pumpkin.  Oh, and of course, there were also some chocolate chips.  Here’s what I used:

• 2 ripe bananas (approx. 2/3 cup mashed)
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter (softened), plus more for buttering pan
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinammon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 8 oz. chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until well-mixed.

3.  Add mashed bananas, pumpkin, milk, sour cream and egg whites.  Beat well.

4. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinammon and nutmeg.  Add flour mixture to wet ingredients in the mixer and beat until just blended.

5.  Add chocolate chips (if desired), and mix well.

6.  Pour batter in to greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the loaf comes out clean.

7. Remove from the loaf pan and let cool on a cooling rack before serving.

Notes on this loaf: As much as I professed my love of bananas above, I’m not that huge a fan of pumpkin.  BUT, I loved the subtle pumpkin flavor in this bread.  I thought it really complemented the banana.  I couldn’t stop eating just the batter for this bread. I had even decided to add the chocolate chips to mask a bit of the pumpkin flavor, but I’m actually sad that I did that.  Imagine that!!  Although the chocolate was very tasty, the banana and pumpkin flavors would have been more prominent without the chocolate, and the bread would have seemed more appropriate for breakfast, rather than dessert.  It didn’t really matter though– I enjoyed it any time of day.

Almond joy bark

This Halloween, I’ve been inspired by the many examples of chocolate bark made with Halloween candy, like this one here, and this other one here.  Every year for Christmas, I usually make a couple of batches of peppermint bark, and it is soooo good, I needed to extend the usefulness of that recipe to more holidays. So, I thought about many varieties of Halloween bark, but it seemed best just to turn one of my favorite Halloween candies in to it’s own bark. Fortunately for me, I seemed to know a lot of kids that despised coconut (my sister included) back when I was still trick-or-treating, so I was able to trade my boring Three Musketeers and Hershey’s bars for Mounds and Almond Joys.    Here’s what I used to transform one of my favorite Halloween treats, the Almond Joy bar, into some tasty bark:

• 120z. white chocolate
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup crushed slivered almonds
• 6oz. dark or semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup toasted coconut
• 8 mini Almond Joy bars, chopped in to quarters (optional)

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or (carefully!) in the microwave.

3.  When the chocolate is melted and smooth, add the almond extract and mix well.  Add the crushed almond slivers and mix well.

4.  Pour the melted chocolate mixture on to the prepared baking sheet and spread it using a spatula so that it is about 1/8 inch thick.  (This will most likely cover about 1/2 to 2/3 of the baking sheet.  It doesn’t have to cover the whole thing– just try to make it rectangular.  And, of course, it’s ok if the edges are messy.)

5.  Put the baking sheet in the fridge and let cool for 1 hour.

6.  In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  When it is ready, toast the coconut on a baking sheet for approximately 5-8 minutes.

7.  After the white chocolate layer has cooled, prepare the dark chocolate ganache.  Heat the heavy cream until just boiling.  Pour the cream over the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl and stir consistently until the chocolate is completely melted, smooth and shiny.

8. Add the toasted coconut to the chocolate and mix well.  Pour the melted chocolate over the white chocolate layer and evenly spread using a spatula.

9. If desired, placed the chopped Almond Joy bars on to the melted chocolate layer.  Place in the fridge and let cool for up to one hour. 

10.  When ready to serve, chop the bark into squares with a sharp knife.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.  If stacking bark pieces on top of each other, cover each layer with parchment or wax paper.

Notes on this bark: I was quite happy with how this turned out.  There are many options in terms of how you combine the chocolate layers and the almonds and coconut.  I think the use of coconut extract would also be a good option instead of the almond extract.  I usually don’t add as much cream to the dark chocolate as I did in this recipe (in order to have a harder ganache), but I liked the softer texture of this ganache for this particular bark.  It makes it quite reminiscent of an actual candy bar. I highly recommend trying it!

Apple cinnamon oatmeal scones

It was a rainy weekend here in the Bay Area.  What better way to spend it than lounging in a comfy chair, drinking tea and watching the rain drip down the window?  Sounds lovely, but somewhat sadly,  that’s not how I spent my weekend. Even so, I still made some scones that would complete this little daydream of mine, and enjoyed them perfectly well on the go from one place to another.  I used a variation of Martha Stewart’s scone recipe as a base, and then spiced it up a bit.   Here’s what you need for these comforting fall treats:

• 3/4 cup peeled and diced apples (2 small or 1 large)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 6 tblsp granulated sugar
• 1 tblsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 8 tblsp chilled, unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup half-and half, plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons raw turbinado sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper and set aside.

2. Peel and dice the apples in to bite-sized pieces, approximating 3/4 cup total.  Place in a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and mix well.  Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, 5 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, baking powder and salt.

4.  Cut the chilled butter in to small pieces and add to the dry ingredients.  Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter in to the flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.

5.  Stir in 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon half-and-half until just moistened.  Add the apples and mix until they are evenly distributed.

6. Transfer the dough to a light-floured surface.  Knead the dough a few times, and then pat it in to an approximately 1-inch thick round. 

7. Using a dough scraper or sharp knife, cut the round in to 8 sections. Transfer the pieces to the lined baking sheet.  Brush the tops with the remaining half-and-half.  Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

8. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack.

Notes on these scones: I think these turned out quite well, and there are very few changes I would consider making to the recipe.  Some things I might tweak for next time would be to add more oats.  Or maybe to incorporate a toasted oat topping, instead of the sugar crystals, just to highlight the oat flavor a tiny bit more.  It might also be possible to get away with using less butter, but I didn’t want to risk it for this particular batch…maybe next time. Or maybe not.