Eat Bang Us

My favorite carrot cake had a perfect 1:1 ratio of cake to frosting. That explains why it was my favorite. Rich, dense, moist and flavorful, it was perfection. However, I quickly realized that that much frosting had to be overcompensating for something. That's what fat, sugar, and salt does anyway, right? It adds flavor to the flavorless. So when it came time for me to make my own rendition of this classic cake, I aimed for flavor and moistness in the cake itself, with the frosting as an added bonus. The addition of pumpkin and butternut squash create an earthier flavor and richer texture, plus the addition of classic pumpkin pie spices (ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc) turned up the volume on this autumnal dessert. It ends up becoming the Great Pumpkin Cake, so be sure to have at least a dozen friends around to try it. Enjoy!

Spiced Pumpkin Cake:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tbsp baking soda
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shelled pecans, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
1 cup of finely grated carrots
1 cup grated butternut squash
1 cup of canned, pureed pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside. With a mixer, beat the eggs until frothy and pale. Gradually add the sugars and beat for a few minutes, until the batter is thick. Add the oil in a steady stream and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and pumpkin alternatively and beat on low just until incorporated. Add the veg, pecans, and coconut and mix just to combine. Evenly divide the batter between three greased cake pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 5 -10 minutes invert the cakes onto the wire rack and let them cool completely before frosting.


Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

3 cups unsalted butter, softened
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
pinch of salt
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons canned pureed pumpkin
2-3 cups sweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted
7-8 halved pecans

Directions:

Cream the cream cheese in an electric mixer until light and a little fluffy, add the butter, beating for 1-2 minutes, or until combined. Add the brown sugar, pinch of salt, zest and vanilla extract, and beat until combined. Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar and pumpkin puree alternatively. Turn the mixer on a low speed so it doesn't blow out everywhere.

On a cake platter, place one layer of the cake. Working from the center outward, smooth about a half inch of frosting. Add the second layer, repeat. On the third layer, add a large deal of frosting and working outward push the frosting over the edge, covering the sides. Continue smoothing the frosting until the entire cake is covered. Grab a handful of coconut and gently press into the sides. Continue until the entire cake is covered. Decorate the top with pecans and enjoy!

Classic Almond Biscotti
Ingredients:

4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
1 cup of sugar
3 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups of flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

Preheat the oven at 375 F. Mix together the butter and sugar until they form moist crumbs, clumping together. Add the 3 eggs and mix together until light in color and the mixture forms ribbons when you lift the whisk out of the batter. Add the vanilla and  mix well. Then, add the dry ingredients in batches of about a 1/2 cup at a time. Mix on low until just blended. Add the chopped almonds and mix until just blended.

On a cookie sheet with a silicon pad or parchment paper, place the mixture (which is now a very thick dough). Heavily flour your hands and form the dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches high, and 3 inches wide. It may take up the entire length of the cookie sheet. Brush the beaten egg over the log, then cover with the sliced almonds. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut the loaf into 1/2 inch slices. Place the slices on the cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, flipping once. If the biscotti appear too moist in the center, put them back in the oven for an extra 5 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Tina's English Toffee:

For me, this toffee is the epitome of the Christmas Season (we start badgering Tina to cook it the day after Thanksgiving), and something I look forward to nibbling on every year. Nothing is more depressing than reaching for my family's toffee tin and finding it empty, like a dead Christmas tree in the gutter. So please cook up this toffee until your kitchen is heavy with the scent of butter, sugar, and the holiday spirit.

Ingredients:

1 pound unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing the pans)
2 cups white sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
2 cups dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups milk chocolate, chopped
2 cups finely chopped toasted almonds

Directions:

Melt the butter, sugar, water and salt over a low flame, stirring with a wooden spoon. When the mixture starts to boil, turn the heat up to medium. Meanwhile, grease two cooking pans with butter. After 15-20 minutes, the mixture has reached 305 F. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla, stirring to incorporate. Be careful not to burn yourself or the mixture, but if you do, and I have, run your hand under room temperature water (never cold or hot water) to subside the pain. Immediately take the hot toffee and pour into two greased cooking pans and smooth until evenly coated and about 1/8 or 1/4 inch thick. Put the pans into the fridge to let the toffee cool (this will take several hours, or leave the toffee in over night, uncovered).

Once the toffee has cooled, remove it from the refrigerator and carefully loosen the pieces (you can do this by hand or with a knife). If it cracks, it's not a big deal.

Melt the two types of chocolate over a double boiler, stirring to combine. Once the chocolate has melted, use a spatula to coat one side of the toffee, and then immediately sprinkle heavily with the chopped toasted almonds. This must be done immediately because the cold toffee can cause the chocolate to harden before the almonds can stick. Put the toffee back in the fridge to cool the chocolate. Once it has hardened (it takes about an hour), flip and coat the other side with the chocolate and almonds. You will probably have chocolate and almonds left over, which you can use for more toffee. Let the toffee cool in the fridge until hardened again. When it's ready, take the toffee out, and using your hands crack it into irregular pieces. Bag them or stick them in a tin for your own enjoyment.

My brother Henry and I have officially started a tradition. Well, we've done it twice, so that counts, right?

It's called Pizza Night, and though I make pizza for the fam at least a couple of times a year (or at least whenever Henry badgers me about it), its big moment is on Christmas day.

After presents and breakfast Henry and I make the dough, and while the family is out to the movies, it rises. Everyone picks out their toppings and we stand around the kitchen eating our piping hot pizza. This time around (for the inaugural Christmas Day pizza, click here) I took the leftovers from my Christmas Eve pasta and some inspiration from my favorite Italian Classics. The results were delicious:


NOTE: All of the pizzas use the same dough recipe.


Pizza Dough
For 4 10-12 inch pizzas

3 cups high gluten flour (I use King Arthur's Bread Flour), though All Purpose is fine too.
1 teaspoon yeast (half a pack)
1 3/4 cups warm water (about 70-80 degrees, not too hot or you'll kill the yeast)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Olive oil

In a the bowl of your electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients except for the olive oil. Stir gently to combine. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and on the second highest speed (8 on a Kitchen Aid) knead the dough for 15 minutes, or until it has formed a ball on the hook and has completely pulled away from the sides of the bowl. The best test to see if it's elastic enough is to pull off a tablespoon of dough and stretch it into a square. You should be able to pull it thin enough to see light through it without it tearing. It is tears knead it for another minute. When it's ready, knead on the highest level for an extra two or three minutes. Lightly oil a container with olive oil, add the dough, and cover with a lid (or plastic wrap if using a bowl). Mark or mentally note where the dough is, and note where it should be for it to triple in size. Set aside in a warm spot (on top of the fridge is great) and let it ferment for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until tripled in size.

An hour before making the pizzas set your pizza stone in the center of the oven and crank it up as high it can go for at least an hour.

When the dough is ready, scoop it onto a floured counter (it'll puddle out) and cut into four equal pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 10 minutes. When ready, pick up a piece of dough and stretch at the edges, moving the dough through your hands in a circle. It doesn't have to be perfect, just get it as thin as you can and put it on a flour baking peel or rimless cookie sheet. Add your toppings and bake for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!


Red Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (or pureed if you prefer that texture)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
1  tsp paprika


Bring the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and minced garlic up to heat over a medium flame for about a minute. Stir in the tomatoes, paprika and the fresh oregano and bring to a gentle simmer.


Breakfast Pizza
1 pizza dough recipe (makes 4 small pizzas)

Preheat oven on highest heat with a pizza stone for at least an hour. On one stretched pizza dough on the floured pizza peel (or a floured baking sheet if you don't have one)smooth 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce onto the pizza, covering the whole thing, save a 1/2 inch around the edge. Top with a quarter of the cheese (there should be a lot of space around each slice), hash browns, and bacon. Pop on the pizza stone and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then pull the pizza out and crack the one or two eggs on top of the pizza. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley. Bake for another 5-6 minutes and eat ASAP. Not that that will be a problem. Enjoy!



Classic Margherita
1 pizza dough recipe (makes 4 small pizzas)
1/2 cup red sauce
8 oz bufala mozzarella (2 balls), sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 16 slices)
1/2 cup basil, chiffonade
Olive oil


Preheat oven on highest heat with a pizza stone for at least an hour. On one stretched pizza dough on the floured pizza peel (or a floured baking sheet if you don't have one)smooth 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce onto the pizza, covering the whole thing, save a 1/2 inch around the edge. Top with a quarter of the cheese (there should be a lot of space around each slice).  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of basil and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 8 minutes. Slice and enjoy!


Herbed Breadsticks
1 pizza dough recipe (makes 10 medium breadsticks)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon oregano, finely chopped
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 cup corn meal, finely ground
Olive oil
1/2 cup butter, melted


When you make the pizza dough, add the garlic and oregano to the mixture, and continue normally.  Preheat oven on highest heat with a pizza stone for at least an hour. 


When the dough is ready, scoop it onto a floured counter (it'll puddle out) and cut into 5 equal pieces, and divide those pieces again. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 10 minutes. When ready, pick up a piece of dough and roll out into logs about 12 inches long.  Roll the logs in the cornmeal and place on the floured baking peel, one at a time.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 8 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown.  Brush with butter and serve. Enjoy!

It's movie night! And what goes better with curling up on the couch than salty, sweet, and totally indulgent snacks? I put together some of my favorites, inspired by my family (like my dad's epic milkshakes), my friends (Christie's Law School study snack - sriracha popcorn), and the concession stand. I hope you enjoy these treats!

 

On today's episode of Food for Thought, I made three very different salads with one vinaigrette.  Once you have the ratio down of 1:3, you can make fresh vinaigrette tailored to your palette any time you want to rustle up a quick salad (I also add my vinaigrettes to pasta, rice, grains, anything that needs a little perking up).  I chose three salads that work in almost any situation: hearty and perfect for lunch or a side,  leafy and easily multiplied for two or four or twelve, and, of course, one involving bacon. These aren't boring "side salads" all sad and wilted, these are fresh, flavorful, and super delicious. Enjoy!

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Arugula, and Pecans

For Meringue
(1 large or 6 small)
4 large egg whites
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
Pinch salt

For Filling



Preheat oven to 275F. Sift the sugar, cream of tartar, and cornstarch. On low mix the whites and salt for 1-2 minutes or until frothy. Go up to medium high, gently adding in the dry ingredients in a stream. Once the meringue is glossy and forming soft peaks (anywhere from 4-10 minutes, depending on your mixer), finish on high speed and add the vanilla. Meanwhile, on a piece of parchment paper, draw your heart shape as a template.  You don't have to do this, but it definitely helped me. Spoon the meringue onto the shape, and spread so it forms a 1/4-1/2 thick layer (thicker for larger pavlovas) and then add more meringue around the edge, forming a border of little peaks. It should be anywhere from 1-3 inches high, depending on how large your pavlova is.

Pop in the oven and turn down the temperature to 250F.  Bake for 30-40 minutes for small pavlovas and 1 hour for a large pavlova.  It should be a slight beigey-pink and definitely NOT toasted. Turn off the heat and crack the oven open.  Let the pavlovas cook to room temperature and remove (this is to prevent cracks and to cook it totally through).  You want it crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

For filling, whip the cream, sugar, vanilla, and rosewater until soft peaks form.  Fold in the raspberries (do more if you like a lot of raspberries).  Mound the whip cream in the middle of the meringue and top with fresh raspberries and pistachios.

NOTE: Do this just before serving since the whipping cream will dissolve the meringue over time.

For a quick raspberry sauce, combine the raspberries and sugar over low heat (add a spoonful of water to get things started) until saucy (about 5-10 minutes).  Let it cool a bit and drizzle over the pavlovas.

I feel like this is everyone's favorite dish at Thanksgiving.  Yeah, the turkey is the centerpiece, and stuffing is pretty awesome, but let's be real. Yams. Sweet potatoes.  They're a vegetable that kind of tastes like dessert, but somehow manages to stay savory.  Like a chocolate covered pretzels or something. Mmmm...chocolate covered pretzels.

Yams are officially my cousin Erica's domain.  Every year she plans something wonderful, and this year is no different.  Inspired by a side we had at a family dinner a few weeks back, she's making vanilla scented yams with marshmallow on top.  I asked her to send me the recipe so I could write a post about them before Thanksgiving (and get a sneak peek at the goods) and was floored by how simple it was.  You literally boil yams, puree in your ingredients, and toast some marshmallow.  Boom. Done. Thanksgiving. 

I was making a small batch anyway and when the versatility of the recipe dawned on me, I went a little crazy.  Apple Cinnamon Maple Yams and Classic Candied Yams with pumpkin pie spices and a crunchy pecan brown sugar crumble.  Each has their own little twist, and they will all hit that candied yam sweet spot.

I also got a little fancy and added a recipe for homemade maple marshmallow that is delicious in hot chocolate and on top of the yams.  But if it's too much of a bother, feel free to use store bought marshmallows.  Happy Thanksgiving!






















Erica's Vanilla-Scented Yams with Marshmallow

1.5 vanilla beans
8-9 medium sized yams, peeled and quartered
1 lb or 4 sticks of butter
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh minced Rosemary or Thyme

Scrape the vanilla beans and reserve the shell and the seeds. Add the shells and the yams in a large pot, cover with cool water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the yams are fork tender. Puree in a food processor with the butter and scraped vanilla, salt, pepper, and herbs. Spoon into a baking dish and dollop on the marshmallow. Broil for about 1 minute or until the marshmallows are toasted. Keep an eye on it! They burn quickly!

Maple Marshmallow
About 1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 ½ envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup room temperature water
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup hot water (about 115 degrees)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, pour in the ½ cup of water and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let it stand for about 10 minutes.

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, hot water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240 degrees, about 12 minutes. A word to the wise, this happens very very quickly. While I turned around to tidy up, the entire batch jumped to 275 and burned, so once the thermometer reads 200, keep a close watch, and take it off the heat when it reaches 230. The thermometer should still creep up to 240 after that. Remove the pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

With the standing mixer beat the mixture on high speed until white, thick and nearly tripled in volume, about 6 minutes if using standing mixer. In a large bowl separately beat the egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla and maple syrup into sugar mixture until it is just combined (about 2 minutes). Dollop onto the yams before they set.

If you want to save the marshmallow for later...
Pour the mixture into a greased baking pan covered with powdered sugar and sift ¼ cup powdered sugar evenly over top. Let the marshmallow set uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to 1 day.

Apple Maple Cinnamon Yams with Maple Marshmallow

8-9 medium sized yams, peeled and quartered
1 lb or 4 sticks of butter
Salt and pepper
1 cup apple sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup

2 cups Fresh maple marshmallow (see above) or mini jet puffed marshmallows.

Put the yams in a large pot, cover with cool water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the yams are fork tender. Puree in a food processor with the butter and cinnamon, syrup, apple sauce, salt, and pepper. Spoon into a baking dish and dollop on the marshmallow. Broil for about 1 minute or until the marshmallows are toasted. Keep an eye on it! They burn quickly!

Classic Candied Yams

8-9 medium sized yams, peeled and quartered
1 lb or 4 sticks of butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 oz (4 tablespoons) butter, cut into small chunks

Preheat oven to 400F. Put the yams in a large pot, cover with cool water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the yams are fork tender. Puree in a food processor with the butter and spices, salt, and pepper. Spoon into a baking dish, sprinkles with pecans and brown sugar, and dot with butter. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the brown sugar has started to melt.