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Author Archives: Kerstin - Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Apple Brie Scones

October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween! After dressing up as Jem, my favorite 80s TV character for the past several years, I decided to fast forward to the 90s this year and go as Angela Chase from My So-Called Life, which is seriously one of the best shows ever! I was a little nervous no one would get my costume, but all the girls immediately squealed in recognition after I directed them to read my shirt. My mom found the skirt in my closet at home and mailed it to me, so I was able to rock some plaid that I actually wore in high school, how fun is that? Too bad she didn’t keep my Doc Martens!

Apolinaras even got into the act this year and dressed up as an internet troll (troll ears, green wig, and a shirt that said “Your blog sucks” – haha). And Shannon was a naked chef – so fun!

I’d like to think Angela’s dad, Graham, would have whipped up these scones during the culinary class he ended up teaching (yes, I remember these things!). They’ve got a lovely light texture and I really enjoyed the contrast of the sweet apple and savory brie.

And as promised, here’s a picture of my lab as the cast of Glee – I was Mr. Shu! Hope everyone had an awesome Halloween!

Apple Brie Scones
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped into small chunks
4 ounces brie, chopped into small chunks

Directions:
Heat oven to 375˚F. Place flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Use a pastry cutter or fork to work butter into the flour until a coarse meal forms. Mix in cream, egg, and vanilla extract until soft dough forms. Knead in apple and brie chunks.

Place dough onto a greased pizza pan and form into an 8-inch circle. Cut the circle into eight wedges and separate the scones on the cookie sheet so they are each at least 1 inch apart. Bake at 375˚F for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes and serve. Makes 8 scones.

Nutrition: 338 calories, 19.1g fat, 1.6g fiber, 7.4g fat per scone
Cost: $0.51 per scone

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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

October 27, 2010

Yep, another cake recipe! I finally broke out the canned pumpkin and the first thing I wanted to do was make pumpkin cupcakes with Nutella cream cheese frosting. I entered these decorated ones in our work Halloween baking contest today and didn’t win the prize (booo!), but our lab came home with the most important trophy – we won for best group costume! We dressed up as the characters from Glee and did a skit with a few song and dance numbers that my labmate and I choreographed – so fun! Anyone want to guess who I was? I’ll try to remember to snag a picture tomorrow to post. I just love Halloween!

These cupcakes were quite tasty. Since pumpkin puree is so watery, I removed some of the liquid by simmering it on the stove for a bit so the flavor would be more concentrated, much like I did with these pumpkin pie truffles. I originally piped the frosting on the cupcakes, but the Nutella flavor was overwhelming the pumpkin, so I removed most of it and frosted them by hand instead with a thinner layer. This is a really yummy flavor combo. Hope you’re all having fun getting ready for Halloween!

p.s. Erica won my Keys to Good Cooking book giveaway – congrats!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Cupcakes:
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup Nutella
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place pumpkin puree in a small nonstick pan and simmer over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, mix together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and sift the mixture into a large bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer in a large bowl until creamed. Add in eggs, vanilla extract, and cooled pumpkin puree, and mix until smooth. Slowly mix in half the sifted flour mixture until smooth. Mix in the buttermilk and then the remaining flour mixture. Line 16 cups of two standard cupcake pans with liners and evenly spoon cupcake batter into the liners, filling cups 3/4 full. Bake cupcakes at 350˚F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer cupcakes to a cooling rack. Cool for 20 minutes or until cupcakes are room temperature.

To make the frosting, add the cream cheese, Nutella, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, scraping down sides of the bowl, as needed, until the frosting is smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes. Makes 16 cupcakes.

Nutrition: 322 calories, 13.4g fat, 1.2g fiber, 3.9g protein per cupcake
Cost: $0.44 per cupcake

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Dark Chocolate Orange Snack Cake

October 23, 2010

When the lovely Shannon invited Elina and I over for an impressive Etiopian feast earlier this week, I thought it would be fun to stick with the theme and bring a dessert we could also eat with our hands. For some reason, I couldn’t get the idea of making a snack cake out of head, even though I’m still not 100% sure what a snack cake actually is – I associate the term with Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Zingers, etc – but figured any sturdy cake we could pick up and enjoy without utensils would fit the bill! I also decided that our snack cake should also be super easy to make, so I whipped up my creation in just one bowl with a spoon (no fancy mixer needed!) and topped it with a simple 2 minute dark chocolate ganache melted in the microwave.

This is a rich and decadent treat that I loaded with three types of chocolate – melted unsweetened chocolate, cocoa powder, and dark chocolate chips. But, it also has a nice contrast of fresh orange flavor bursting through, from both the juice and zest of a few oranges. It’s sinful and super easy to throw together at the last minute. There are definitely more snack cakes in my future!

Dark Chocolate Orange Snack Cake
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Chocolate Orange Snack Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon espresso powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Dark Chocolate Ganache:
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Microwave the butter and unsweetened chocolate in a microwavable bowl at high power until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Place melted mixture in a large bowl and stir in orange juice, vanilla extract, and egg. Mix in sugar and espresso powder, followed by the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir in orange zest and chocolate chips.

Pour batter into an 8×8-inch square greased pan and bake at 350˚F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

In a small microwavable bowl, microwave the dark chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream, uncovered, on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Continue stirring until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Spread the ganache over the cake and refrigerate until the ganache is set, about 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares and serve.

Nutrition: 251 calories, 14.8g fat, 2.0g fiber, 2.6g protein per serving
Cost: $0.39 per serving

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Keys to Good Cooking Book Review and Giveaway

October 19, 2010

Remember when I mentioned that I was looking forwarding to reviewing Harold McGee’s new book, Keys to Good Cooking?

Well, I got it a couple weeks ago and have really been enjoying it! The subtitle of the book, “A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes” sums up its premise. McGee has written a wonderful reference guide full of tips that will make every cook a bit more successful in the kitchen. He intends for his readers to simply look up what they need to know before they use a specific ingredient or try a new preparation method, and the book is full of extremely useful information!

For example, in the fruit chapter I learned that plant-ripening fruits (citrus fruits, most berries, grapes, cherries, melons, pineapples, and plums) don’t ripen or develop much more flavor after being picked and should be refrigerated or consumed soon after you purchase them, while delayed-ripening fruits (apricots, avocados, bananas, kiwis, mangos, pears, peaches and nectarines, persimmons, and tomatoes) should be allowed to ripen at room temperature before you eat them. Who knew plums and peaches should be treated differently?!? The book is full of useful tips and I highly recommend it!

And, one of you will find out for yourself how cool the book is because I have a copy to giveaway! To enter to win, just leave a comment on this post letting me know about a great book (cooking related or not!) that you’d recommend I add to my reading list. Entries must be in by Tuesday, October 26 at 11:59pm EST. Good luck!

The fine print: Penguin Press sent me two free copies of this book – one to review and one to giveaway. I received no compensation for this post and all opinions are mine. The winner will be picked with random.org on Wednesday, October 27 and announced shortly thereafter.

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Indian Spiced Salmon with Pineapple Chutney

October 15, 2010

Whenever I buy a pineapple, I’m always reminded of the Hawaiian cruise my family took the summer after I graduated from high school. We went to a luau on the Big Island, kayaked in Kauai, attempted to surf in Maui, and snorkeled everywhere, but my most vivid memory is our stop at Oahu because that’s where we visited the Dole Plantation. I initially wasn’t so excited about this excursion, being a picky eater and all, but when I saw my brother inhale a huge plate of the fresh fruit in about two seconds, I couldn’t help but try a piece off my dad’s plate. I can’t even describe how beyond amazing that pineapple was…but the fact that I immediately joined in the feeding frenzy and wouldn’t stop gorging myself on the fruit until my mom was forced to cut me off, says it all!

Of course, the pineapples available in Boston don’t compare to the ones in Hawaii, but they are still one of my favorite fruits and it’s not rare for me to polish off half a pineapple in one sitting! I recently decided it would be fun to make a pineapple chutney and pair it with a cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne pepper rubbed seared salmon. This was a really flavorful combo and definitely a meal I’ll be repeating – hopefully one day during another Hawaiian vacation!

Indian Spiced Salmon with Pineapple Chutney
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Indian Spiced Salmon:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 7-ounce salmon fillets
1 tablespoon canola oil

Pineapple Chutney:
2 cups finely chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Mix cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt in a small dish. Sprinkle spice rub evenly over salmon fillets and lightly rub it into the fillets. Heat canola oil over medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet and sear the salmon fillets on both sides. Bake salmon for 8 to 10 minutes at 350˚F or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the pineapple chutney by placing chopped pineapple, golden raisins, brown sugar, mustard, lemon juice, and salt in a large nonstick skillet and simmer over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Spoon pineapple chutney over the salmon. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 533 calories, 19.3g fat, 1.8g fiber, 59.9g protein per serving
Cost: $3.50 per serving

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Walnut Chicken Strips with Rosemary Cider Sauce

October 10, 2010

I was a really picky eater growing up, like sort of embarrassingly picky looking back…but I was always up for chicken strips or nuggets. In fact, even if they weren’t on the menu, I’d do my best to find a way to order them. At Chinese restaurants, for example, I would order sweet and sour chicken without the sauce and dip the fried chicken pieces in ketchup – yep, I was that kid. In high school, I always inhaled a plate of chicken tenders with my girlfriends at our favorite hangout, T.G.I. Friday’s. And even though I enjoy just about every kind of cuisine now, I still love chicken strips, and recently decided it was finally about time to make a grown-up version at home!

I coated my chicken strips with ground walnuts and bread crumbs. While they were baking in the oven, I whipped up a fall-inspired dipping sauce with apple cider. I stuck a spring of rosemary in the juice and simmered it on the stove under it reduced a bit. Then I added in some mascarpone cheese and a roux of butter and flour to thicken it up. The sweet sauce complimented the walnut flavor really well! I served the meal with some roasted butternut squash, but I think sweet potato fries would be even better!

Walnut Chicken Strips with Rosemary Cider Sauce
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Walnut Chicken Strips:
1 1/2 cups walnuts, pulsed in the food processor until finely ground
3/4 cup bread crumbs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into strips (I had 4-5 per chicken breast)
3 eggs, beaten

Rosemary Cider Sauce:
1 cup apple cider
1 small sprig of rosemary
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
To make the chicken strips, heat oven to 350˚F. Mix ground walnuts, bread crumbs, and salt in a shallow pan. Put the flour in a shallow dish and lightly dredge both sides of the chicken in it. Place the beaten eggs in another shallow dish and dredge both sides of the flour coated chicken in the egg mixture; place chicken in the walnut mixture and coat well on all sides. Place coated chicken strips in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish and bake at 350˚F for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center.

Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the apple cider and rosemary sprig in a small pan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Strain mixture into a small bowl and whisk in mascarpone cheese until smooth. Heat butter over medium high heat in a small pan until melted. Whisk in flour until smooth and cook one minute or until mixture starts to brown. Add in apple cider mascarpone cheese mixture and salt and whisk until smooth. Heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture thickens, whisking constantly. Serve sauce with chicken strips. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: 591 calories, 33.2g fat, 2.7g fiber, 47.3g protein per serving
Cost: $1.58 per serving

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Fiesta Potato Pie

October 6, 2010

I think casseroles, like meatloaf, tend to get a bad rap, which is sad because not all casseroles contain “cream of whatever” soup – many are quite delicious! It’s been chilly, rainy, and depressing in Boston lately so I decided to cheer myself up by making a savory Mexican pie featuring a mashed potato crust. This is definitely my kind of casserole! I’ve made this crust before and was really excited about whipping it up again and finally using up the remainder of my instant mashed potatoes (edited to add – I mentioned this in my first post about this crust, but since I’ve been getting so many questions about the use of instant dehydrated potato flakes, I wanted to let you know that I bought them just for this recipe so I would be able to control the moisture level of the potatoes – I wanted them to be able to hold their shape in the pan. If anyone tries this with regular potatoes though, please let me know, maybe if they’re too wet you could add a bit of flour like you do with gnocchi to thicken them up!).

I filled the browned crust with layers of spiced ground turkey and cheddar cheese. This is definitely not the most beautiful dish, but it’s tasty, hearty, and super easy to throw together. It definitely hit the spot!

Fiesta Potato Pie
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 cups dehydrated mashed potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes)
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Mix potato flakes, water, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until smooth. Press dough into a greased 10-inch greased tart pan with a removable bottom and bake at 350˚F for 40 to 45 minutes or until potato crust is golden brown and cooked through. Push down with the back of a spoon, if needed.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat canola oil over medium high heat in a very large nonstick skillet. Add onions and peppers and sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until tender; add garlic and saute one additional minute. Add ground turkey to the skillet and break into small pieces with the back of a spoon; saute until meat is no cooked through and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add in chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and stir until well mixed, about 1 more minute. Add in diced tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes.

Heat oven broiler. Place half the ground turkey mixture in the cooked potato pie crust, followed by the half the shredded cheese, and the remaining half of the ground turkey mixture. Top evenly with remaining shredded cheese. Broil for 2 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and pie is warmed through. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 463 calories, 30.7g fat, 2.7g fiber, 24.7g protein per serving
Cost: $1.35 per serving

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Apple Cardamom Crumble Muffins

October 2, 2010

Crisp air, gorgeous boots, warm layers, acorn and butternut squash, pumpkin spice lattes, and pumpkin beer all mean one thing – autumn is here! Fall has always been my favorite season for the aforementioned reasons and the fact that my birthday is in September and I always loved heading back to school when I was younger. This year I was especially ready for the season change because it’s so much easier jogging outside in cool weather! In fact, I ran the Somerville Homeless Coalition 5K with my friends Allison and Libby from lab this morning (it was their very first 5K and they rocked it – yay!) and I’m sure the cooler temperature contributed to my PR of 26:00, which is 8:23 per mile! We had such a great time and are hoping to make this an annual lab tradition and convince more people to run next year.

Apple picking is also a fun fall New England tradition and although we haven’t gone quite yet, I recently whipped up these yummy muffins to celebrate the season change. I mixed shredded apples in a yummy sour cream batter with a healthy dose of cinnamon, cardamom, and toasted pecans, and then sprinkled a lovely almond crumble on top. I can’t wait to go apple picking and make these again!

Apple Cardamom Crumble Muffins
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Crumble Topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Muffins:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 apples, peeled, cored, and shredded (about 2 cups)
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. Line 20 cups of two muffin pans with liners.

To make the crumble topping, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, almond meal, and flour in a small bowl.

To make the muffins, mix the flour, cinnamon, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until creamed; mix in the sour cream, eggs, vanilla extract, and shredded apples. Slowly mix in the flour mixture and pecans.

Scoop muffin batter evenly into the 20 prepared muffin cups. Top muffins evenly with the crumble topping. Bake at 350˚F for 20 to 25 minutes or a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Makes 20 muffins.

Nutrition: 224 calories, 14.5g fat, 1.4g fiber, 3.0g protein per muffin
Cost: $0.56 per muffin

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