Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Matt's Mom gifted us a bit of rhubarb from her garden and, after baking a strawberry rhubarb pie, we decided to try kickpleat's recipe for the best strawberry rhubarb crumble ever. I made three small dishes of it and gave away two - it didn't take us long to polish off the third!

I think the mark of a really good strawberry rhubarb recipe is one that isn't too sweet from the strawberries, or too tart from the rhubarb. There has to be a happy medium. This recipe is pretty dang close. You'll notice olive oil in the ingredients - I've never thought to include olive oil in a sweet recipe, but to be honest, didn't even notice it! Jeannette called for walnuts in her adaptation; I chose to use oats.

strawberry rhubarb crumble
everybody loves sandwiches adapted from smitten kitchen

4 stalks rhubarb, diced
3 cups strawberries, quartered
juice of one small lemon
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch nutmeg

topping:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup oatmeal

Preheat oven to 375F. Add the rhubarb and strawberries to a casserole pan, tossing with the sugar, cornstarch and nutmeg. Squeeze in lemon juice and stir to combine. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine all the topping ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, stir everything until clumps form. Use your hands to scatter the topping evenly over the fruit.

Bake for 45 minutes until the topping is golden and the fruit have created a bubbly sauce. Cool slightly and serve with ice cream.

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Daring Bakers April '09 - Café au Lait Cheesecake

I love being a part of the Daring Bakers. Every month presents a new challenge to test my sanity ability. This month? Cheesecake. Haven't made cheesecake before...but why not offer to bring this month's project to a family gathering! What is wrong with me?!?

It's not a quick dessert, mind you - and it has to be refrigerated overnight before you can serve it so do plan ahead. It does freeze well if you happen to have leftovers as I did (wrapped in a several layers of plastic wrap or wax paper and then sealed in a freezer bag).

This is an incredibly, incredibly rich cheesecake. Slice thinly! The full recipe will serve at minimum, twelve to fourteen people - at minimum. We brought it along as dessert for two Easter dinners, shared some with friends and still had a good-sized portion leftover for our freezer. In addition, I had two cups of filling set aside that I couldn't fit into my crust!

I made the café au lait version and we thought it was delicious - even my mother in law, who shies away from any coffee, tried and enjoyed it.

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake

crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla

cheesecake:
24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla or 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 tablespoon liqueur (optional, choose what will work well with your cheesecake)

***cafe au lait cheesecake with caramel: take 1/4 cup of the heavy cream and heat until very hot. Add 1-2 tablespoons instant espresso or instant coffee; stir to dissolve. Add this to the remainder of cream and use as directed below. Garnish cheesecake with caramel sauce***

Preheat oven to 350F. Set a large pot of water on to boil.

Mix all crust ingredients and press into the base of a large, deep springform pan. If so desired, press crust up the sides of the pan as well. Set aside.

Combine room temperature cream cheese and sugar using a mixer and cream till smooth. Add eggs one at a time and waiting till each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape bowl as needed. Add the cream, vanilla, lemon juice and liquer (if using). Blend till very smooth.

Pour batter into the prepared crust and tap gently several times to bring any air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a large roasting pan or other pan larger than the springform pan and pour the boiling water around the cake pan halfway up the sides. Ensure your cheesecake pan is airtight - wrap it in several layers of foil if necessary. Test prior to filling with crust and batter if unsure.

Bake cheesecake 45-55 minutes or until nearly done. The cake will hold together but have some 'wiggle' in the center. It should not be completely firm yet! Gently close the oven door, turn off the oven and allow the cake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. This will allow the cake to finish baking and the slow cooling will prevent cracking.

After 1 hour, carefully remove the cake from the oven and lift out of the water bath. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve, cut into slices and garnish as desired.

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

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Sauteed Onions & Chicken with Spinach Fettucine

Matt and I, as part of a concentrated effort to drop a few pounds before an upcoming vacation, made this for dinner last week and goodness gracious. It was unbelievably good - and good for us.

The breast of chicken, although just gently seasoned, serves as the perfect vehicle for the onions, which caramelize to candy-like proportions. Plate on top of spinach fettucine and trust me - eating healthy has never been tastier.

Sauteed Chicken With Caramelized Onions
ChangeOne by Reader's Digest
Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs medium onions
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 to 5 ounces each)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Cut onions into 6 wedges each. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Coat skillet with cooking spray. Add 2 tsp olive oil and heat over medium high heat for about 30 seconds. Add chicken and saute until browned, about 3 minutes on each side; transfer to plate.

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining oil. Saute onions, 1 tbsp sugar and remaining salt and pepper until onions turn golden brown and caramelize, about 8 minutes. Stir frequently, breaking onions apart as they cook. Add broth and boil until it evaporates, about 2 minutes.

Stir in rosemary, thyme and remaining sugar. Return chicken to skillet and sprinkle with vinegar. Cook uncovered until juices of chicken run clear, about 4 minutes.

Divide into 4 portions. One serving equals one chicken breast half topped with about 1/2 cup onions and served over 2/3 cup spinach fettucine.
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Salted White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

The Bear, Matt, and I are in the midst of colds with hacking coughs and sinus issues but we're trying not to let that dampen our Christmas spirits too much!

When a recipe gets mentioned on more than one blog, you know you have to try it - and I thought it would be a perfect gift for my Mom. I made a batch of these crispy, sweet and salty cookies yesterday, packaged them up and gave them to her last night at our family Christmas gathering.

They're really good. I'm not a big white chocolate fan but combined with the oats and the sprinkling of coarse salt...magic.

Crispy Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies
Smitten Kitchen who adapted from Cook's Illustrated

1 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
14 tbsp (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats 6 oz good quality white chocolate
flaky sea salt or kosher for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat butter and sugars till light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth.

Gradually add oats and white chocolate and mix until well incorporated.

Divide dough into 2 tbsp portions for each cookie and roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using fingertips, gently press down each ball to about 3/4 inch thickness.

Sprinkle a bit of sea or kosher salt on each cookie and bake until cookies are a deep golden brown, about 13-16 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack to cool.

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.


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How To Have A Great First Birthday Party

Yikes, what a picture-forgive my early attempts at food photography! Re posting so that The Kitchn visitors aren't disappointed by a broken link.

The Lego (or building block) cakes: it's embarrassingly easy, I promise.

All you need is a couple of basic cakes (baked from a box or your own homemade), enough frosting (again, from a store bought tub or homemade) tinted with food coloring in traditional lego colors (red, blue, yellow, etc) and large marshmallows (sliced in half).

Cut the cakes into building block shapes (squares and rectangles). Frost. Using a toothpick or skewer to hold the marshmallow half, frost each with appropriate frosting color and carefully place each frosted marshmallow half on the cakes.

Annnnd...done!

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Daring Bakers July '08 - Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream

So I've joined ranks with the Daring Bakers. July's challenge, my first attempt, was this frightening gateau (er, cake) with multiple components (a genoise, buttercream, praline paste, sugar syrup, apricot glaze, and a ganache glaze). The recipe was chosen and hosted by Chris at Mele Cotte.

This is a lengthy project. I made the buttercream, sugar syrup and praline paste in the three days prior, and spent five hours for the cake baking/assembly and piping. I do suggest planning ahead unless you have an entire day to devote to this gateau.

This is a very sweet cake, but quite good overall. The texture of the cake is somewhat crumbly but doesn't fall to pieces when sliced. The praline buttercream is evil. Evil meaning if I hadn't been so nervous about not being able to complete the challenge I would have eaten it up with a spoon. Or my fingers. The apricot glaze wasn't noticeable to my inexperienced palate and I was somewhat disappointed in that; I had been looking forward to the apricot-chocolate combination.

I'm looking forward to next month with a bit of trepidation but my thoughts are, if I can make a cake like this, I should be able to conquer the next challenge!

Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream
Great Cakes by Carol Walter

1 Filbert Genoise
1 recipe sugar syrup, flavored with dark rum
1 recipe Praline Buttercream
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
1 recipe Apricot Glaze
1 recipe Ganache Glaze, prepared just before using
3 tablespoons filberts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Filbert Genoise
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2/3 cup cake flour, unsifted
2 tablespoons cornstarch
7 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar, divided 1/4 and 3/4 cups
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
5 large egg whites
1/4 cup warm, clarified butter

Position rack in the lower part of the oven and preheat to 350F. Grease and flour a 10x2 inch round cake pan. Using a food processor, process nuts, cake flour, and cornstarch for about 30 seconds. Then, pulse the mixture about 10 times to get a fine, powdery mixture. You’ll know the nuts are ready when they begin to gather together around the sides of the bowl. While you want to make sure there aren’t any large pieces, don’t over-process. Set aside.

Put the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, and beat until thick and light in color, about 3-4 minutes on med-high speed. Slowly, add 3/4 cup of sugar. It is best to do so by adding a tablespoon at a time, taking about 3 minutes for this step. When finished, the mixture should be ribbony. Blend in the vanilla and grated lemon rind. Remove and set aside.

Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl of the electric mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed, until soft peaks. Increase to med-high speed and slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, over 15-20 seconds or so. Continue to beat for another half a minute. Add the yolk mixture to the whites and whisk for 1 minute.

Pour the warm butter in a liquid measure cup (or a spouted container). Use deep bottomed bowl and work quickly! Put the nut meal in a mesh strainer (or use your hand – working quickly) and sprinkle it in about 2 tablespoons at a time – folding it carefully for about 40 folds. Be sure to exclude any large chunks/pieces of nuts. Again, work quickly and carefully as to not deflate the mixture.

When all but about 2 tablespoons of nut meal remain, quickly and steadily pour the warm butter over the batter. Then, with the remaining nut meal, fold the batter to incorporate, about 13 or so folds. With a rubber spatula, transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with the spatula or back of a spoon. If collected butter remains at the bottom of the bowl, do not add it to the batter! It will impede the cake rising while baking.

Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it is springy to the touch and it separates itself from the side of the pan. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Invert onto a cake rack sprayed with nonstick coating, removing the pan. Cool the cake completely. If not using the cake right away, wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap, then in a plastic bag, then in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If freezing, wrap in foil, then the bag and use within 2-3 months.

Sugar Syrup
Makes 1 cup, good for one 10-inch cake – split into 3 layers

1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum or orange flavored liqueur

In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the liqueur. Cool slightly before using on the cake. Can be made in advance.

Praline Buttercream
1 recipe Swiss Buttercream
1/3 cup praline paste
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons rum (optional)

Blend 1/2 cup buttercream into the paste, then add to the remaining buttercream. Whip briefly on med-low speed to combine. Blend in rum.

Swiss Buttercream
4 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, slightly firm
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or liqueur of your choice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place the egg whites in a large bowl of a electric mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until the whites are foamy and they begin to thicken (just before the soft peak stage). Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Then, whisk in the sugar by adding 1-2 tablespoon of sugar at a time over a minutes time. Continue beating 2-3 minutes or until the whites are warm (about 120 degrees) and the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should look thick and like whipped marshmallows. Remove from pan and with either the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and sugar on med-high until its a thick, cool meringue – about 5-7 minutes. Do not overbeat. Set aside.

Place the butter in a separate clean mixing bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium speed for 40-60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. Do not overbeat or the butter will become too soft.

On med-low speed, blend the meringue into the butter, about 1-2 tablespoons at a time, over 1 minute. Add the liqueur and vanilla and mix for 30-45 seconds longer, until thick and creamy. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before using. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to 6 months. If freezing, store in 2 - 16 ounce plastic containers and thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for several hours.

Praline Paste
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinless
2/3 cup sugar

Line a jelly roll pan with parchment and lightly butter. Put the sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet. Heat on low flame for about 10-20 min until the sugar melts around the edges. Do not stir the sugar. Swirl the pan if necessary to prevent the melted sugar from burning. Brush the sides of the pan with water to remove sugar crystals. If the sugar in the center does not melt, stir briefly.

When the sugar is completely melted and caramel in color, remove from heat. Stir in the nuts with a wooden spoon and separate the clusters. Return to low heat and stir to coat the nuts on all sides. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble. Extremely hot mixture!

Then onto the parchment lined sheet and spread as evenly as possible. As it cools, it will harden into brittle. Break the candied nuts into pieces and place them in the food processor. Pulse into a medium-fine crunch or process until the brittle turns into a powder. To make paste, process for several minutes. Store in an airtight container and store in a cook dry place. Do not refrigerate.

Apricot Glaze
Good for one 10-inch cake

2/3 cup thick apricot preserves
1 tabelspoon water

In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and preserves to a slow boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the saucepan, add water as needed. Remove from heat and, using a strainer, press the mixture through the mesh and discard any remnants. With a pastry brush, apply the glaze onto the cake while the cake is still warm. If the glaze is too thick, thin to a preferred consistency with drops of water.

Ganache Glaze
Makes about 1 cup, enough to cover the top and sides of a 9 or 10 inch layer or tube cake

Ganache can take on many forms. While warm – great fudge sauce. While cool or lukewarm – semisweet glaze. Slightly chilled – can be whipped into a filling/frosting. Cold & solid – the base of candied chocolate truffles.

6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
6 ounces heavy cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or dark Jamaican rum (optional)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 - 1 teaspoon hot water, if needed

Blend vanilla and liqueur/rum together and set aside. Break the chocolate into 1-inch pieces and place in the basket of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside. Heat the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan, on low, until it reached a gentle boil.

Once to the gently boil, immediately and carefully pour over the chocolate. Leave it alone for one minute, then slowly stir and mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Carefully blend in vanilla mixture. If the surface seems oily, add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon hot water. The glaze will thicken, but should still be pourable. If it doesn’t thicken, refrigerate for about 5 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t get too cold!

Assembling Cake

Cut a cardboard disk slightly smaller than the cake. Divide the cake into 3 layers and place the first layer top-side down on the disk. Using a pastry brush, moisten the layer with 3-4 tablespoons of warm sugar syrup. Measure out 1 cup of praline buttercream and set aside. Spread the bottom layer with a 1/4 inch thickness of the remaining buttercream. Cover with 1/2 of the whipped cream, leaving 1/4 inch border around the edge of the cake.

Place the middle layer over the first, brush with sugar syrup, spreading with buttercream. Cover with the remaining whipped cream.

Moisten the cut side of the third layer with additional sugar syrup and place cut side down on the cake. Gently, press the sides of the cake to align the layers. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Lift the cake by sliding your palm under the cardboard. Holding a serrated or very sharp night with an 8-inch blade held parallel to the sides of the cake, trim the sides so that they are perfectly straight. Cut a slight bevel at the top to help the glaze drip over the edge. Brush the top and sides of the cake with warm apricot glaze, sealing the cut areas completely. Chill while you prepare the ganache.

Place a rack over a large shallow pan to catch the ganache drippings. Remove the gateau from the refrigerator and put it the rack. With a metal spatula in hand, and holding the saucepan about 10 inches above the cake, pour the ganache onto the cake’s center. Move the spatula over the top of the ganache about 4 times to get a smooth and mirror-like appearance. The ganache should cover the top and run down the sides of the cake.

When the ganache has been poured and is coating the cake, lift one side of the rack and bang it once on the counter to help spread the ganache evenly and break any air bubbles. (Work fast before setting starts.) Patch any bare spots on the sides with a smaller spatula, but do not touch the top after the “bang”.

Let the cake stand at least 15 minutes to set after glazing.

To garnish the cake, fit a 12 – 14 inch pastry bag with a #114 large leaf tip. Fill the bag with the reserved praline cream. Starting ½ inch from the outer edge of the cake, position the pastry tube at a 90 degree angle with the top almost touching the top of the cake. Apply pressure to the pastry bag, moving it slightly toward the center of the cake.

As the buttercream flows on the cake, reverse the movement backward toward the edge of the cake and finish by pulling the bag again to the center. Stop applying pressure and press the bag downward, then quickly pull the tip up to break the flow of frosting.

Repeat, making 12 leaves evenly spaced around the surface of the cake. Make a second row of leaves on the top of the first row, moving the pastry bag about 3/4 inch closer to the center. The leaves should overlap. Make a 3rd row, moving closer and closer to the center. Add a 4th row if you have the room. But, leave a 2 inch space in the center for a chopped filbert garnish.

Refrigerate uncovered for 3-4 hours to allow the cake to set. Remove the cake from the refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving. Leftover cake can be covered with foil and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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