Sweet Tooth Haven

French Silk Pie

I first tasted French Silk Pie at a Bob Evan's restaurant when I was a kid.  I can't quite remember if it was a picture of the pie on the menu or an actual pie in a case that I saw, but I knew I wanted to try it.  My sisters weren't interested, but as soon as it came, they wouldn't stop "tasting" it and my dad ended up ordering a second slice.  

Most chocolate pie I see is chocolate cream pie and has a sort of custardy/pudding filling, which is okay, but not for me.  French silk pie is filled with light, creamy, and, well, silky chocolate filling and one of the only pies I like. 

Recently I woke up with a craving for French silk pie, but no idea where to get a slice around here.  I decided to make one for myself.  After comparing several online recipes, I decided to go with Jean Webster's French Silk Pie from Martha Stewart's website.  Delicious!  Exactly what I was craving! 

I also learned a few things:

• You can buy pasteurized eggs or make them yourself if you are serving it to young, elderly, or pregnant folk, or if you are leary of raw egg in your food.  I used some store bought pasteurized eggs, and while the pie tasted fabulous, I think it may be the reason it wasn't as light and fluffy as it could have been.
  
• Sweetened whipped cream is called Chantilly Cream.

One question I have:  How do you make whipped cream (or Chantilly Cream) that lasts more than a few hours?  Unless you know the trick to this, or are eating the whole pie at once, I recommend serving the whipped cream separately and whipping up a separate batch when having leftovers.   I topped the pie last night and this morning my cream was starting to 'melt.' (Yes it was in the refrigerator!)

Homemade Pita

Today I used dough for the European Peasant Bread recipe in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and made small individual sized pitas (also in the book).  I used balls of dough a bit smaller than golf balls rolled out to 1/8 inch thick.  They were in the 500-degree oven on a cast iron pizza pan for 3-4 minutes and puffed up like crazy. 

Ruby Jewel

It was 90-degrees here for two days this week and it wasn't even spring.  When I stopped at the store on my way home from work, the heat had me craving some ice cream.  I found some Ruby Jewel ice cream sandwiches on the bottom shelf of the freezer and decided to try them. 

The flavors sounded so intriguing, I couldn't decide and took home 3 sandwiches: 

• Lemon Cookie with Lavender Honey
• Dark Chocolate Cookie with Fresh Mint
• Cinnamon Chocolate Cookie with Espresso.

A few days later and we've finished them off.  The cookies are pretty big and I ended up cutting each one in half to share (although my boyfriend was not interested in the lemon one).

All three flavors were delicious.  The ice cream was super creamy and the flavor combinations just right. 

The Dark Chocolate Mint was pretty strong and reminded me of Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies.  This one seemed to have a more crunchy cookie than the others and was my boyfriend's favorite.

Lemon Lavender had a softer cookie with a refreshing lemon flavor. The lavender and honey added a subtle something that I found irresistible.

I'm not a coffee drinker, but I usually like coffee flavored ice creams and the Cinnamon Chocolate Espresso sandwich was undeniably good. 

Combine the scrumptious tastes of these treats with the fact that they are handmade and the owner is committed to sustainability and you've got a winner.  I'll be buying these again.

Vegetarian Ceviche

Ceviche is a dish generally made with raw fish or shrimp that is marinated by the acid in lime or lemon juice. I don't eat fish, raw or otherwise.  This is a vegetarian version in which cauliflower substitutes for the fish.  But don't worry, the cauliflower is diced so small and absorbs so many other flavors, it is unrecognizable.  Trust me, I'm not a huge fan, and my carnivore boyfriend loves it.  The idea from this came from  a coworker who  brought in some leftover vegetarian ceviche made by his mother.  Needless to say it was outstanding.   I got impatient waiting for his mother's recipe, so I created my own from what I remember as the ingredients.   With all the fresh veggies, I imagine this would be crazy-good for you if it wasn't eaten with tortilla chips. Get your best chopping knife and get started!

Preparation takes a bit of time, but it's easily made ahead and kept in the fridge.

Makes about 3 cups.

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 3-4 limes depending on juicieness (Lemons work, too.  Or, try a combination.)
• 2 roma tomatoes
• 2-3 serrano chilies (or jalapenos)
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt to taste

Directions:

1.  Separate the cauliflower into florets.  Try to get them uniform in size.

2.  Use raw cauliflower and skip this step!  Or, blanch the cauliflower in boiling, salted water for about 3 minutes.  Immediately drain and place in an ice-water bath to stop cooking.

3.  Once cauliflower is cool, it's time to chop.  Dice fairly small, less then 1/4 inch is good.  Also try to keep as uniform as possible.   

4.  Place diced cauliflower in a non-reactive bowl (glass, ceramic, stainless).  Add enough lime juice to coat all the cauliflower and pool up in the bottom.  You want it very wet because you'll be adding more to the juice.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

5.  After about 1 1/2 hours, begin preparing the rest of the ingredients.  Collect all the chopped ingredients in a bowl to add at once to the cauliflower.  It's best to chop everything about the same size, with the chilies and garlic being smallest. Prepare yourself!   Don your so-stylish, eye-saving Onion Goggles.   Dice the onion very small (try for about 1/4 inch, or roughly the size of your cauliflower). 

6.  Quarter the tomatoes lengthwise and remove the seeds before dicing.

7.  The easiest way for me to mince chilies:  First cut off the stems.  Cut chili in half lengthwise.  Use a spoon to scrape out seeds and ribs.  Cut matchstick strips lengthwise, then perpendicular.  Wash your hands before touching eyes! 

9.  Chop the cilantro.  Add the onion, tomatoes, chilies, and cilantro to the cauliflower and stir.  Add the crushed garlic and 1/4 teaspoon cumin.  Start with 1 teaspoon salt then add more to your taste.

10.  Place back in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour for best flavor.   This is one of those dishes that is better the longer it sits.

Serve with chips.  Enjoy a healthy, flavorful dip!

Printable Vegetarian Ceviche Recipe (pdf) - NOTE - Skip the blanching to use raw cauliflower.

Move Over Oreos

I usually purchase Joes Joes chocolate and vanilla sandwich cookies from Trader Joe's when I have an Oreo craving.  (I love the vanilla Joe Joes as well!)  The other day I was in Whole Foods and was looking for something sweet when these Late July Vanilla Bean With Green Tea cookies caught my eye.  I purchased an individual snack pack to try them.  I actually bought a whole box today.  They are a bit pricey, but worth it.  Organic cookies that include whole grains and green tea.  At least you get something good for you when you're satisfying a cookie urge.   The Dark Chocolate are  probably worth trying as well. 

An Ode to Trader Joe's

I haven't been around for awhile, but not because I don't care.  When things are hectic at work, my baking and cooking, and generally anything fun suffers.  Enough about me, I saw this today and I just had to share.  If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, you'll know they don't advertise, so this guy created a commercial for them.  If you are not blessed with a TJ's near you, you can email a location request (just choose location request from the drop down menu). 

Time to Stock Up

It's November!  The holidays are coming.  Time to stock up on your baking supplies.  My favorite folks at King Arthur Flour are having free shipping on orders of $75, but only through Sunday.  I tend to jump at their free shipping offers since weight is an issue when you are buying flour and baking mixes. 

King Arthur Flour - online baker's catalogue.

Here's what I'm getting: chocolate for peppermint cups; flour for cinnamon rolls; crumb cake mix, and monkey bread mix because I want to.  Doesn't the monkey bread look delicious?

Coconut Caramel Bars - Homemade Samoas

What do you do when your favorite girl scout cookies run out?  If you're a baker at King Arthur Flour, you come up with your own recipe to recreate the goodness.  The rest of us can benefit from the genius since they are kind enough to share.  I've made these on several occasions and while they are not an exact copy of the Samoa, they are darned good.  Maybe even better.  You be the judge.

There are two versions of the cookie.  The ingredients are the same.  As far as I can tell, the difference lies in the layering.

If you prefer the chocolate on top (the original!):  Ginger's Coconut Caramel Candy Bars.  This is the recipe I follow, simply because it's the one they printed in the catalog years ago.

Or, if you prefer the caramel on top:  Coconut-Caramel Candy Bars

The recipe works with the creamy Merckens Caramel they sell at KAF in a 5 pound (for the serious caramel lover) or 18 oz. block.  I've also made it with the individually wrapped caramels you get at the store.

Before you start, make sure you know how to toast cocount. I really like Let's Go Organic Shredded Coconut.  It's got a super fine shred, and it's organic!  They  have a lite version as well.  I usually mix half reguar/half lite.  I also find this brand at my local Whole Foods Market.

Spanakopita - Spinach Pie

This is a Greek dish of spinach and cheese baked in layers of phyllo (a thin, flaky pastry dough).  The first time I had spanakoptia was in college when my roommate made it.   I loved the flaky crust and the flavor of the filling.  I copied her recipe and fiddled with it over the years. 

Usually I make spanakopita in a round springform pan so it's easy to get out, then slice it like a pie.  Use any size/shape dish you have.  A 9"square would be great since the phyllo is 9" wide!  For appetizers or finger food a spoonful of filling can be folded up into triangles using strips of phyllo.  Make the filling up to a day ahead, cover and set it in the fridge to let the flavors blend.  Leftovers can be reheated in the oven to keep the shell crispy.

Before you start,

• read my tips for working with phyllo dough. 
• make sure you have a pastry brush.

Ingredients:
phyllo dough - thawed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
2 bunches of fresh spinach (2/3 to  3/4 cup cooked)
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
12 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 TBSP flour
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1 1/2 TBSP fresh oregano, chopped (1 1/4 dried)
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:
1.  For fresh spinach:  Wash spinach and remove stems; do not dry.  Place still damp spinach in a large skillet and cook, stirring over medium-high heat until wilted.  (2-3 minutes)  Do this in batches if your skillet is not large enough.

    

For frozen spinach:  Thaw spinach, check for any stems, go to step 2.

2.  Remove the excess liquid from spinach in one of two ways:  Place in colander and use the back of a spoon to press out liquid, or put spinach in a towel and wring out.

3.  Chop spinach.  You should have 2/3 - 3/4 cups.

4.  Combine the spinach with the rest of the filling ingredients (everything except phyllo and butter).  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  Make up to a day ahead.

5. Prepare  your workspace.  Set phyllo under plastic wrap and a damp towel.  Melt the butter.  Butter the sides and bottom of your pan.  Set the pan close to the phyllo and melted butter.

6.  Work quickly to lightly brush one sheet of dough with melted butter.  Removed the coated sheet and cover the rest.  Fit sheet into your pan,  pressing it into the sides and bottom.  It will overlap the edges of the pan.  Brush with melted butter.  If your dough tears like mine, don't worry, there will be more layers.

7.  Keep adding sheets, working your way around the pan and brushing each with butter until you have made a complete layer.  Then make a second layer.

8.  Spread filling mixture into lined pan.

9.  Brush a sheet of phyllo with butter, fold it in half and place on top of filling.  Brush it with butter.  Repeat this process, laying the next sheet on top the first, but turned 90-degrees.

 

10.  Fold in the phyllo that is hanging over the sides of the pan.  Lift up all the edges, press in and work your way around the pan buttering as you go.

       

11.  Bake at 350-degrees for 45 minutes until the top is golden.

12.  If you used a springform pan, remove the sides after 10 minutes then carefully slide the pie onto a rack to cool.

13.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Present the whole pie at the table, or cut into individual slices.

 

 

For appetizers:

After you brush a sheet with butter, fold it lengthwise.  Place filling at one end and fold triangles (like a flag).  Brush with butter as you go.  Bake on a sheet for 15-20 minutes.

        

A Tale of Two Cakes - A Sweet Tooth Taste Test

If I make a birthday cake or cupcakes I use (gasp) cake mix.  Coffee cake, crumb cake, cheese cake, mousse cake all made by scratch, but I just love a good Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines cake.  (White with chocolate frosting, thanks.)  Yesterday when browsing the updated recipe page at King Arthur Flour, I saw their Golden Vanilla Cake recipe and decided to bake a cake from scratch. First, I would need frosting. 

Looking through some recipes I found an old fashioned caramel frosting (recipe coming soon!).  Along with it was a golden cake recipe copied from somewhere and ignored for years.  The taste test was born.  Two cakes!  The KAF cake versus the mystery recipe. As long as I was making two cakes, why not two frostings?  But to be fair and impartial I would have to pair each cake with each frosting making 4 cakes!  Thinking back, I could have done cupcakes, but my first thought was half old fashioned caramel and half chocolate (Betty Crocker, of course!).  The result:  Two two-layer cakes each with two flavors of frosting.  This is what the first layer looked like:

The finished cakes.  Please ignore my bad photography and messy plates.

The slice views:

Both cakes with caramel frosting.  The biggest difference was the texture of the cake.  Make sure you have a glass of milk.  This is one rich frosting!

The King Arthur Flour recipe:

 

The recipe from my mystery source:

Side by side at a similar angle:

  

Now for chocolate:

King Arthur Flour recipe with chocolate (Betty Crocker) frosting:

 

Mystery source cake with chocolate frosting:

Since you can't taste them, which do you think looks like a better cake?