blueberry cornmeal cake

Today I woke up promptly at 8:30AM and went straight to Fairway, as I was on Mother's Duty. Of course when I got home, there was still nothing in the fridge and breakfast polished off the rest of the cereal that we had. Don't you ever feel like you shop and spend all that money and then your fridge is bare? My Mom and I bond over this. I'm turning into an old lady, aren't I (I won't even talk about when I put the milk container in the cupboard and the sugar jar in the fridge yesterday). 

Then, I went to Brooklyn for a meeting regarding my summer plans; I'm doing community service for 2 weeks with a program called NY2NO that my sister went on a few summers ago. We'll be helping to run a community garden, canvassing, and generally trying to help rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans. I'm also going to Maine, where I go every year (and love), with my Dad, and to California with my Mom and Kelly. The latter, by the way, will entail a full food documentary. Don't you worry. I'm also going to visit Stanford while I'm there, because, well, I may as well dream, right?

So when I got back home there was a major street fair outside my building which usually I love more than anything, but I had to go inside and study. Instead I went inside and baked. Tada! My procrastination brings you good food. Or brings me good food and you the opportunity to make it. I absolutely love using cornmeal (and FYI, I suspect Big Nick's uses it to dust their pizza. It's addictive), and in this cake, along with the addition of ricotta and yogurt, it makes for a crispy moist, fresh, light summer treat. 

Blueberry Cornmeal Cake
from the Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe via Bon Appetit

 

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 3 cups fresh blueberries

• 
  
  
  
  Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Whisk flour and next 3 ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk oil, eggs, vanilla, and honey in another medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter, 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl until creamy. With mixer running on medium speed, gradually add egg mixture; beat to blend. Beat in flour mixture just to blend. Add ricotta and yogurt; beat on low speed just to blend. Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Scatter 1 1/2 cups blueberries over. Spoon remaining batter over in dollops, then spread to cover blueberries. Scatter remaining blueberries over. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over.
  
  
• 
  
  
  Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.

banana cupcakes

This week, my mom left for Asia on a business trip, and my sister went back up to college after spending a week at home for spring break. I asked my mom to take me with her but unfortunately she saw no upside in "letting me loose" upon the streets of Asia to stare at all of the out-of-the ordinary foods on display (while being alone and English speaking). So I packed my bags and not at all grudgingly headed off to Queens to stay with my dad. We're having quite the time here, eating chicken parm and nutella sandwiches for lunch, and driving to school in the morning (although maybe not so much my dad, since this requires him to leave his house at 7:30). Did I say nutella? Yum. 

While packing a few of my bags I realized I hadn't blogged about a dessert in the longest time; how could this be, I thought; dessert is an essential (and daily) part of my diet! I can't go on giving off the impression that I'm some healthy eater who only eats baked goods in moderation; pshh, no, I cannot. Resolving to waste no more time, I made banana cupcakes with peanut butter frosting and oh, what a mess they made; I spent the following hour trying to clean the banana out of my KitchenAid mixer because it flew (yes, it flew, as the mixer was on high speed) right out of the bowl. Seeing as I was the only one at my house left (and although I love my dessert, I doubted my ability to go through 12 cupcakes in about 4 days- before they go bad), I packed them up and brought them to school because let's face it, ever since bake sales were banned from schools kids want dessert-y deliciousness more than ever. My friends, no sooner than getting on the bus, had eyed the container in my hands and demanded immediate distribution of whatever it was I had made. 

I know I've been sounding like a broken record lately, but I've been on a "recipe roll." These cupcakes were amazing; people I didn't know came up to me in the hallway and told me that they had had a bite of their friend's cupcake, heard I had made it, and had "just wanted to say that it was the best cupcake they've ever had." Us cooks always wave off these remarks, say thank you, and put on a modest face, but you know we know that our food is that darn good. You don't have to tell us twice (and you probably won't be able to, because I wouldn't spare another cupcake). 


Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
from Bon Appetit, April 2010 issue

CUPCAKES

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 very ripe large bananas, peeled
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk

FROSTING

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or freshly ground)
• Chopped lightly salted roasted peanuts (optional)

CUPCAKES

• 
  
  
  Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 12 standard (1/3-cup) muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Mash bananas with fork in another medium bowl until smooth. Mix sour cream and vanilla into bananas.
• 
  
  
  Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with banana-sour cream mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until blended after each addition. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups (generous 1/4 cup for each).
• 
  
  
  Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to rack and let cool completely.

FROSTING

• 
  
  
  Sift powdered sugar into large bowl. Add cream cheese, butter, and peanut butter. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cupcakes, dividing equally. Sprinkle lightly with chopped peanuts, if desired. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

red velvet cake

        My mom turned 50 this week (I had to get permission before posting this) and she did not want any sort of a hoopla. Her first instinct was "NO NO NO" to any sort of friendly gathering of more than 2 people, which soon turned into "well maybe I want to see a friend..." to a day before her birthday "I called a few of my friends to see if they wanted to meet us for dinner." Now, if I had known, I would have planned a hoopla, I really would've. But we had a nice time anyway; my sister, mom and I went out to dinner at Ouest, a French-American restaurant near our house. Of course I was the annoying customer who, after ordering, hurredly called the waiter back just in the nick-of-time to change it. Oh, but did I mention it was gnocchi-short rib-and ricotta delicious? And the creamed spinach with gorgonzola? In my defense, the table was unusually close to the chairs, meaning that I was too close to the spinach for anyone's good. I could have sworn it was saying "emilyy." As vegetables usually do.

        After dinner, the celebration was postponed until the next day, when our family made a trip (or a once-every-decade pilgrimage) into the city to visit us. My aunt, uncle, 3 cousins (one of whom would like me to take note that, it was a "great day for a great day," If that means anything to anyone for some reason or other), and grandparents came over for dinner. My mom made 3lbs of baked ziti, which turned out to be more pasta than needed for an Italian family of 11 people. Who were hungry. It was delicious; even my Grandma, who normally won't eat anything anyone else makes, snuck a bite of pasta before it came out of the oven. She couldn't resist- I think my mom deserves a medal. And not to shift the focus away from the birthday girl, but I made some kick-butt broccoli rabe with sausage. I'll take a medal as well.

        Oh, but the cake. I swooned for the cake. Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting; I had made it before, but this time, it turned out magically. I had always thought that cake flour was not a necessary ingredient- how different could it be from regular flour, right? Wrong. It makes the texture just right. It was incredibly moist, velvetly, smooth, not too sweet, not too decadent, and just perfect enough to convert cake haters. And oh, did it ever. - I used to be one of them. I hate dry cake, and only until recently did I see the light that is red velvet. I hope you can too.

Red Velvet Cake

From The Confetti Cakes Cookbook via Smitten Kitchen

kelly's birthday, revisited

Although the summer is only half over with a month left still, I can't help but think, the summer is half over. For countless reasons, such as the inconsistent weather (which has still yet to be hot enough to be normal for this time of year), and my unchanging pile of homework that has yet to be completed, this summer has been flying by.
Though some things haven't changed much this year; my annual trip to southern Maine with "the fam", and weekend trips to the Catskills to visit the streams, and my favorite pancake house, I am eating my way through new places, and of course, recipes. Next week, I'm heading off to South Carolina for a week to relax and enjoy the beach for the last time this summer. A girl has to soak up that sun while she can, doesn't she?
Speaking of new recipes, my sister Kelly's birthday just passed, and with no objections, I was left to make the cake. With very specific instructions, I was told to make a yellow cake with vanilla icing. This was my perfect opportunity to try Cook's Illustrated new yellow cake recipe. Easy enough, it satisfied around the table, along with Magnolia Bakery's Fluffy Vanilla Frosting recipe. The not too-sweet cake went perfectly with Magnolia's icing (which, as one would imagine, had more than enough sugar to feed a family). I thought it moist, flavorful, and delicious; the family seemed to concur.

hazelnut brown butter cake

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday- though most kids would probably prefer Christmas. But when you think about it, where has the Christmas spirit gone? My sister and I are too old to set cookies out on the table (after we caught our parents eating them, our spirit began to go downhill), we don't put up many decorations around the house, and we no longer dare to lay out our light up village houses in the fear that our cat will devour the artificial snow- covered figurines. But really, we're not that unique. What children don't leave out requests for Santa Clause's photo ID these days?
But see, Thanksgiving requires no let downs, or wondering if you'll wake up with coal in your stocking. Instead, I always visit my family, and in a nutshell, eat a colossal meal. You know, the kind where there is a serious amount of food, and you eat way too much because you know, when you're back to eating a plain old PB&J for lunch tomorrow, that you'll regret leaving that once a year thanksgiving taste behind? So you see, this thanksgiving was another chance to contribute to the table. What to make? Oh, that could take days, even weeks, to choose.

I think I flipped through over 15 cookbooks, and was unable to find even inspiration. With only two days left until thanksgiving, I could have slapped myself on the head- I hadn't checked Smitten Kitchen. After taking a quick browse through the listed recipes, I found the recipe for a hazelnut brown butter cake. Despite how much I hate peeling hazelnuts, my feelings could not tarnish the outcome of this cake. It was good.
Hazelnut Brown Butter Cake
From SmittenKitchen
Adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques

5 ounces (about one heaping cup) hazelnuts, blanched to remove dark skins
1/2 pound unsalted butter (plus 1 tablespoon melted extra for greasing the pan)
1/2 vanilla bean
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting the cake
1/3 cups all purpose flour
5 extra large (or 6 large) egg whites
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 300ºF.
Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet, and toast 12 to 15 minutes, until they're golden brown and smell nutty. Let them cool.

Cut out a circle of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of a 10 inch round cake pan.
Brush the pan with a little melted butter and line the bottom with the paper.

Place the rest of the butter ina medium saucepan. Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise down the center, and using a paring knife to scrape the seeds and pulp onto the butter. To make sure not to lose any of the seeds, run your vanilla coated knife through the butter. Add the vanilla pod to the pan, and cook the butter until the butter browns and smells nutty (about 6 to 8 minutes). It helps to frequently scrape the solids off the bottom of the pan in the last couple minutes to ensure even browning. Set aside to cool. Remove the vanilla pod and discard.

Grind the hazelnuts with the confectioners' sugar in a food processor until they're finely ground. Add the flour and pulse to combine. Transfer to a large bowl.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Add the granulated sugar and mix on high speed 4 to 5 minutes, until the mixture forms very still peaks. When you turn the whisk upside down, the peaks should hold. Transfer the whites to a large mixing bowl.

Alternate folding the dry ingredients and the brown butter into the egg whites, a third at a time. Remember to scrap the bottom of the brown butter pan with a rubber spatula to get all of the little brown bits.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour**.
Cool on a rack 30 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan, and invert the cake onto a plate. Peel off the paper, and turn the cake back over onto a serving platter. Sprinkle it with powdered sugar or chocolate Ganache (below)

**My cake was ready at 30 minutes so keep an eye on it (SmittenKitchen's was done at 40)

Draping Ganache for 10-inch Cake

4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occassionally. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

devil's food cake

My sister's birthday just passed and for it, she wanted chocolate cake. "Any type, as long as it tastes good." I got this recipe from the magnolia bakery cookbook and it made a gigantic 3 layer cake with tons of icing. It was quite the labor of love. 

But mostly just labor.