3 days and a whole lot of desserts

A few weeks ago I was hired as the official "caterer / baker" for a recruitment event that my sorority held.  What started as a highly organized and well-planned assignment soon turned to total chaos.  Maybe not total chaos - nothing earth-shattering happened - but I was definitely in for a long and labor-intensive few days in the kitchen.

I can't pretend I didn't love it, though.  As I was driving to deliver the final product, I thought to myself, If only this could be my full-time job.  Perhaps one day.

Three days and all the space my parents have in their kitchen and dining room finally resulted in a variety of three adorable desserts: 200 chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies, 100 mini red velvet cupcakes, and 100 fruit pizzas.

Ooh mama - now that's a lotta work!  But it was worth it; from what I hear the desserts were a success!


Keep in mind, if you ever need desserts for a special occasion I'll give you a great deal!


Cheers,






KCK


P.S. Stay tuned - I'll have recipes posted soon!

Strawberry scones with lemon glaze - The ultimate summer scone

I have been in a baking frenzy this past week.  I can't get enough of it.  I believe I have made two batches of my favorite chocolate/butterscotch chip cookies since last Monday.  Usually I have pretty good self-control when we have homemade cookies in the house.  Not the case lately.  Too many cookies on Sunday led to a highly unproductive day.

The cookies are now gone.  Thank God for that.  Tonight I decided to make strawberry scones with a lemon glaze.  What I love about scones is that there are so many creative combinations of flavors you can add.  I recently had an outstanding strawberry peach scone.  Another memorable scone is the blueberry scone with maple glaze at Bread & Chocolate.  It tastes like a blueberry pancake with maple syrup, but better!

I modified PW's maple pecan scone from her cookbook.  I am proud to say that I am promptly blogging about these.  I am waiting for the scones to cool as I type!  Which also means that I have yet to try them. Though I can say that they smell and look quite heavenly.  I will keep you posted on how they taste!


Before I begin, you'll have to forgive my less-than-quality photographs.  I am roughin' it with my iPhone cam - can't find my digital camera charger anywhere!

Strawberry Scones with Lemon Glaze, modified from PW's maple pecan scones


For the scones:

3 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C sugar
5 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 sticks cold butter
3/4 C strawberries, cut in to small pieces
Lemon zest from one lemon
1 large egg
3/4 C heavy whipping cream

For the glaze:


2 C powdered sugar
2 T whole milk
2 T melted butter
1 t lemon extract

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Cut the cold butter in to small pieces, and add to the flour.  Cut the butter in to the flour mixture; meaning, sort of mash the butter cubes in to the flour mixture, for lack of a better explanation.  I usually have to get a little creative.  Last time I used a potato masher.  This time it was even less glamourous - I used beaters manually.  But it worked!  Cut the butter until the mixture resembles crumbs, like wet sand.

Next add your strawberries and lemon zest.  Mix throughout.

Whisk the egg and heavy whipping cream, and add to the dry mixture.  Fold the wet mixture in to the dry one until just combined.

Time to get your hands a little dirty.  Knead the dough slightly, but not too much!  Just to get the major clumps mixed in.

Place half of the dough on to a cutting board.  Form a disk about 8 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches thick.  Cut the disk in to six equal parts as if you are cutting a pizza.  Place each piece on to a greased baking sheet.  Repeat with the second half of the dough.

I would suggest baking in two batches.  I tried to put all twelve scones on to one baking sheet, and the baked in to each other, as you can see.

Bake for about 20 minutes until lightly golden.

Let cool completely.

For the glaze, mix all ingredients until smooth.  Add milk as needed so that the glaze will drizzle evenly on to the scones.  Once the scones are cool, drizzle on a dollop of glaze.  Let glaze harden.

Voila.  Your ultimate summer scone.


What a perfect treat for a warm summer morning!  Pair with a little iced coffee or iced tea and you're bound to have a spectacular day!

Cheers,



KCK

The very best Rhubarb Bread. Ever.

Last weekend I biked to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market and picked up some fresh, local rhubarb to bake with.  Well, the work week flew by, and when Friday rolled around I still hadn't made a delicious rhubarb treat.  I left for the cabin after work on Friday with my fresh rhubarb in tote.  There is nowhere better to bake than amidst the peace and quiet (well maybe not in my family - but at least I'm out of the hustle bustle of the city) up North.

Usually when I arrive at the cabin my first line of business is always to bake.  Perhaps it's just because there is so much more space to do so than in my teeny tiny kitchen at home, which, by the way, only seems to shrink in size by the day.  Only three more weeks in that tiny kitchen and I'll be moving on to a bigger and better space!

Anyway, I found a fantastic rhubarb bread recipe from Taste of Home.  Lately I've been having a hard time finding great bread recipes, but I have finally found a recipe that is most definitely "Bordertown-worthy," if I do say so myself.

Rhubarb Bread, modified from Taste of Home


1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C canola oil
1 egg
3/4 C skim milk
1/4 C half & half
1 T lemon juice
1 t vanilla extract
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 1/2 C chopped, fresh rhubarb
1/2 C pecans

Topping:

1/2 C sugar
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1 T cold butter


Preheat the oven to 350 and spray two loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.

First prepare your buttermilk.  In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine skim milk, half & half, and lemon juice.  Stir and let stand for at least five minutes.

In a large bowl combine brown sugar, oil, and egg.

Mix until well-combined and smooth.  Stir in your vanilla and buttermilk mixture.  Next, add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture - flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix until well-combined and smooth.

Fold your rhubarb pieces and pecans in to the batter.

Pour half of the batter in to one of the loaf pans and the rest in to the other loaf pan.

Don't forget to make to streusel (I almost forgot)!  Combine the three ingredients used for the topping in a medium bowl.

Using your hands, work the butter through the sugar and cinnamon until it resembles wet sand.

Side note:  Every time I have someone take an action shot, I cringe at the sight of my hands - they always look like my grandma's.  Ahhhhhhhhhh!  I'm too young for that!!! 

Back to the matter at hand, spread the streusel mixture so that it covers the surface of both loaves.

Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Voila.  Beautiful.

One whole loaf was gone by morning.

Cheers!

KCK

Chocolate bread

Last week I was catching up on my Twitter feed at work.  I caught a tweet from Two Peas and Their Pod that said something to the extent of, "Early morning baking before it gets too hot!"

What a lovely way to spend your morning!

I haven't baked in quite some time.  It has been hotter than a pistol lately, and our little kitchen and apartment gets far too hot with the oven running.  But Monday morning I woke up early before work to bake fresh chocolate bread.

My favorite coffee shop in college (as if it was years ago...try months ago) was Bordertown, a non-profit coffee shop nestled in the ever-so-scandalous "frat row."  B-town is adorable, brimming with character, and the best part?  They make the BEST fresh baked goods daily!  I have even been able to nab a few of their recipes myself!

Anyway, Bordertown has this incredibly moist and dense chocolate bread.  I'll have to work on getting the recipe, but the food network's recipe sufficed for my early morning baking session.  The bread was quite good, though not as delish as Bordertown's.  The recipe calls for chocolate chips and pecans; I skipped both and added cinnamon.  If you prefer a richer taste, be sure to go for the chocolate chips and pecans.  I actually think I will try that next time.

Chocolate Bread, modified from the Food Network


2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
2 C sugar
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon (optional)
1 1/2 C milk
1 C vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract
2 C semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
1 1/2 C chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 and grease two loaf pans.  In a large mixing bowl, beat all dry ingredients with electric mixer until well-combined.

Add milk, oil, eggs and vanilla and beat until thoroughly mixed.

Pour batter in to two greased loaf pans, and bake for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Now that's a pretty darn easy recipe!  Enjoy!

Cheers,

KCK

Mark's 50th birthday extravaganza

My stepdad Mark recently turned 50.



Here's a pic of the b-day boy himself!  I photoshopped his face on to this macho motorcycle man (Mark owns a Harley) for his birthday card.

For his 50th birthday extravaganza we hosted a large group of family and friends at our cabin.  The weekend will go down as one of the best of the summer - no doubt about it.  Not only did my mom provide phenomenal food, particularly for Mark's birthday dinner, but the weather was absolutely pristine.  We spent tons of time on and in the lake (which, by the way, is the color of my hair because of the iron ore in it), and I successfully water-skiied for the first time since fourth grade!  Supa fun!






My hair is looking particularly smashing in this photo, wouldn't you say?  Yeah, right.  I wish.

I jumped at the chance to provide a "sweets display," as I like to call it, for the celebration.  It was hardly a grandiose display, but everyone definitely indulged, especially me!

Clockwise from top left:  Cake balls,  mini fruit pizzas (recipe soon to come - have to find it!), chocolate-dipped strawberries, and chocolate-marshmallow cookies (recipe also to follow soon).

Simply delightful!

KCK

Fresh turkey burgers with guacamole

I have a few random notes before I get started on the "main dish."

First,  as a VERY belated birthday gift for my stepmom Debbie, I took her out for lunch at Lucia's in Uptown.  We were lucky enough to go on one of the few nice days we have had this summer, so we ate on Lucia's lovely and quaint patio.  It's like a little slice of Europe.

I ordered the fish cakes with spring pea hash, baby carrots and lemon-caper aioli.  I can still taste the fish cakes melting in my mouth.  What I loved most about Lucia's was the freshness.  Each bite was a burst of fresh flavor - as if the veggies were hand-picked in the backyard and the fish freshly caught.  Another great part about Lucia's is that the menu varies depending on what is in season locally.

Secondly, Emily and I have been discussing recently that it is so hard to get "restaurant flavor" in home cooking.  My mom seems to have mastered it, but Emily and me, not so much.  Most meals we cook seem to lack some serious flavor.

Last week, however, I invited my mom and Blair (my youngest sister [17]) over for fresh turkey burgers.  I am proud to say that Emily deemed them "restaurant-worthy."  I'm not really sure I would go that far, but they were very good, and I would most definitely make them again.  One down side, however, was that while grilling them on my George Foreman, my apartment smelled like wet dog.  Don't let that deter you;  I assure you that it was worth it in the end.  And the smell?  Nothing a little incense can't cure.  I also made fresh guacamole as a fix-in for my turkey burgers.  I'd say the guac is what made them taste "restaurant-worthy."

So sorry - I don't have any photos for this post!

Turkey Burgers, adapted from Food Network Magazine


1 large portobello mushroom cap
1 T coarsely chopped shallot
3 T dried parsley
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 C grated Gouda
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 t Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Use a spoon to scrape out the guts inside the cap of the portobello mushroom.  Cut the mushroom cap in to cubes, and transfer to a food processor.  I used a manual chopper, which worked just as well.  Add the chopped shallot and pulse until chopped.

Transfer the mushroom mixture to a large bowl.  Add the turkey, Gouda, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, 1 t salt, ground pepper and parsley.  Mix with a wooden spoon until well-combined.

I put two turkey patties on to the George Foreman at a time.  I formed the meat in to balls then flattened them in to patties.  I think they cooked for about eight minutes or so.  If you poke at them with a fork you should be able to tell whether or not they are done.  The tops will become brown, and the juice should run clear.

Here is my "secret" recipe for the very best guacamole:

1 ripe avocado, mashed
1 clove garlic, pressed
A little chopped red onion
A little chopped tomato
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Freshly squeezed lime juice

Mix everything together and enjoy with turkey burgers and tortilla chips!



KCK

Lucia's sea salt chocolate cookie - Cookie one of the top ten local cookies

I haven't been blogging lately, as I am sure many of you are aware of.

So here's the deal:

I just graduated from college and am now working full-time,  which is totally great, and I am really ecstatic about my new job.  I am realizing, though, which may seem completely obvious, that work takes up a lot of time!  I guess it just feels that way because I am in one place for a large portion of my day as opposed to running here and there for class / work.

As a result I have a bit lame on the hobby front.

Since work started about four weeks ago I admit that I have only baked twice, though I have cooked a few times (nothing spectacular, unfortunately).  This weekend I made white chocolate and chocolate chip cookies with kosher salt, which is the best way to make cookies.  A little sweet and a little salty - nothin' better.  I also made homemade granola, which is delicious.  I have to say that I may become a granola snob.  Now that I've had homemade I'm not sure I'll be able to go back to store-bought.

So that's that.

Today at work I decided that it would be a great night to start on Dara's list of top ten best local cookies (see my previous post).  Naturally I wanted the sea salt chocolate cookie from Lucia's.  Anything containing sea salt and chocolate / caramel has to be good.  And Lucia's adorable website would have sold me if ever I was on the fence about which cookie to try first.

And let me tell you - it is a great night to have a good cookie.  It's pouring rain, and I am cozied up under a blanket on my big comfy chair, eating (or having ate) a yummy cookie with milk, and blogging - finally.

Now on to the cookie.

Delicious.  Dark cocoa, but still sweet, not too sweet.  The sea salt is definitely noticeable.  And it's not just salty.  You can taste the sea, like the smell of the ocean, but it is not overbearing.  The cocoa is definitely stronger than the salt.  Soft but not doughy.  Just the right amount of crispiness on the edges.  Emily said, "I think it's slightly awesome."  And I would have to agree.

Also,  I just discovered this awesome new local foodie blog fresh tart.  Check it out!

Cheers!



KCK