"Bake-lava!" (aka Baklava)

I love Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food: gyros, falafel, hummus, you name it.

But currently, I have been obsessed with baklava. For those who do not know what it is, it is a pastry dish filled with grounded nut mixture and some spices, interspaced between layers upon layers of heavily-buttered phyllo dough. It is topped off with a honey syrup that gets soaked up into the pastry for an uber sweet treat. I love it.

It is a time-consuming process, especially with the layers, but the end product is worth it. Enjoy!

Baklava heaven!

(adapted from "Titli's Busy Kitchen")

makes 32 squares

1 packet phyllo pastry (or 20 sheets)

1-1/2 to 2 sticks melted butter

1 cup pistachios

1 cup almonds

1 cup walnuts or pecans

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1 cup honey

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup water 

juice of 1 lemon

1. Process about 1/4 cup of the pistachios in a food processor until finely grounded. Reserve; this will serve as the garnish.

2. Prepare the filling: combine the rest of the nuts, the sugar, and spices and process until coarsely grounded.

3. Prepare the syrup: add the honey, sugar, water, and lemon juice to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let it cool. (the syrup can be made a day in advance. Just store at room temperature.)

4. Prepare the pastry: coat a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Layer on the first phyllo dough and brush liberally with the melted butter. Layer another phyllo on top and repeat the process until there is a total of 8 layers.

5. Take half of the nut mixture and spread over the top. Use the back of a spoon to press it into the phyllo.

6. Layer on another 8 layers of phyllo dough, remembering to brush each layer with butter.

7. Add the remaining nut mixture to the top.

8. Top the nut mixture with the remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough. Give the top an extra coat of butter.

9. With a sharp knife, score the top of the baklava. You do not need to cut all of the way through; this is just to make sure that the servings are divided evenly.

10. At this point, you can either bake it in the oven, or, if not planning to serve immediately, stick it in the freezer until ready to bake.

11. Bake at 360ºF for 30 minutes. (if it's coming out straight from the freezer, put the baklava in the oven as it is preheating to let it thaw)

12. Cover the baklava with aluminum foil, then bake for an additional 20 minutes.

13. Take it out of the oven, and immediately pour the honey syrup on top.

14. Let the honey syrup soak into the baklava for at least 4 hours. Sprinkle the top with the remaining pistachios before serving.

Because I am oh-so-"clever," I am terming this dish my "bake-lava." Ah, puns...

Happy Eating!

AT&C: Avocado, Toffee, and Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a problem: I love avocados. Well, that's not the main issue, but the fact that I buy more than is necessary (4 for $5! Curse you, Ralph's) leaves me scrambling to use them up before they go bad. And they go bad fast.

I've used avocados in as many recipes as I can: guacamole, sandwiches, quesadillas, pasta, and...

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES?!!

Yes, it works! Because of their neutral flavor and natural fats, avocados are a wonderful substitute for butter in baked goods. Although I did use some butter in this recipe, the addition of the avocado reduced my need for the ingredient by 50 percent. No funky tastes- just pure and wholesome cookies.

AT&C all the way, baby!

(adapted from "The Kitchen Enthusiast")

makes about 40 cookies

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ripe avocado

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup toffee, chopped

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, avocado, brown and granulated sugar until smooth.

2. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and mix well.

3. Mix in the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

4. Use a spatula to mix in the toffee and chocolate chips.

5. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

6. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Use two spoons to scoop out and place the cookie dough on a parchment-lined baking tray. Use your fingertips to flatten the cookie dough slightly. (If the dough still feels sticky, roll the dough in some flour)

7. Bake for 14 minutes. Remove and let cool before serving.

So don't be a testicle: get baking! :D

Blueberry Cobbler, Y'all

Today,

I'm goin' Southern, y'all.

The U.S. South is notorious for its decadent and buttery desserts: red velvet cake, pecan pie, Mississippi mud anything. It's so good, it's naughty.

So I decided to pay homage to the wonderful South with my take on the classic cobbler. You can make it with any fruit- fresh or frozen- but I chose to use blueberries. So whip out that apron, take that butter out, and flex your baking biceps. 'Cause we're makin' some blueberry cobbler, y'all.

(adapted from AllRecipes.com)

Serves: 6

1 box fresh or frozen blueberries (I frozen fresh blueberries, then let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

juice of 1 small lemon

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon flour

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1-3/4 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

pinch of salt

5 tablespoons butter, cold

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons turbinado sugar

pinch of ground cinnamon

1. Grease a baking dish with cooking spray, then place blueberries inside. Add vanilla and lemon juice, and mix together. Add in the 3/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of flour, and melted butter.

2. In a separate bowl, stir the 1-3/4 cups of flour, baking powder, and the 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Use your hands to rub in the cold butter into the flour, until the mixture forms a crumbly dough. 

3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture (basically, make a hole in the center of the bowl) and add in the milk. Use a spatula to stir until moistened, the batter resembling that of pancake mix. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow for it to rest for 10 minutes to thicken.

4. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spoon the batter over the blueberries, allowing the blueberries to peek out. Mix together cinnamon and turbinado sugar, then sprinkle on top.

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the dough comes out clean. Serve warm or cold.

Happy Baking! :)

A Quartet of Desserts #allout!

It's been a while since I have last posted. Lately, I have been experimenting with cooking, and, with a job and school, I haven't had as much time to bake. That, and the fact that I didn't want to overload on sugar foods.

BUT TOO LATE FOR THAT.

Another day in the kitchen: the smell of butter, nuts, vanilla, and Nutella permeating and intermingling with one another. Making four very different pastries reminded me both of how tiring baking is and how much I have missed it.

From left: butterscotch cupcake with maple syrup frosting, Nutella cookies, Linzer cookies, Finska kakor

1. Butterscotch Cupcakes with Maple Syrup Frosting (adapted from "Bake Me Blush")

(yields half a dozen cupcakes)

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.

2. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract. 

3. Add in the flour and mix until just incorporated. Use a spatula to fold in the butterscotch chips.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with liners, and fill each about three-quarters full. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until center comes out cleanly. Cool completely before frosting (which I did not, resulting in melting frosting and a mess!)

For the maple syrup frosting:

about 2 tablespoons maple syrup (I just eyeballed it in)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter

Cream butter and maple syrup together. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, and mix until the frosting holds stiff peaks (not broken or too liquid-like).

2. Nutella White Chocolate Chip Craisin Cookies

(yields about 20 cookies)

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 heaping tablespoons Nutella

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup Craisins

1. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt together. 

2. In a separate bowl, beat butter and Nutella. Add in the egg and vanilla.

3. Slowly add in the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.

4. Stir in the white chocolate chips and Craisins by using a spatula.

5. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Roll tablespoon amounts of the dough between the palms of your hand and place them at least an inch apart from each other.

6. Bake for about 10 minutes. Let them cool completely before serving.

3. Linzer Cookies

 (see my "Going Nuts on Pecan Wednesday" for the cookie recipe. However, in this post, I used blueberry jam for the filling)

Blueberry jam (this is probably not the correct way to make jam, but it turned out all right, anyway)

about 1 cup fresh blueberries

about 1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons corn starch

In a saucepan, stir together blueberries and sugar. Heat on medium to medium-high, and cook until the sugar dissolves and the blueberries begin to break down, about 15 to 20 minutes. Use a spatula to help break the berries. Add in salt and corn starch. Remove from heat, and strain into a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and overnight for several hours or overnight.

4. Finska Kakor (aka "Finnish Cakes")

(yields 20 two to three-inch bars)

1/2 cup almonds

5 tablespoons sugar

2 cups flour

1 1/2 sticks butter or margarine, softened

2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 tsp almond extract)

1 egg white

1. Use a food processor to process almonds and one tablespoon of the sugar until finely chopped. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine flour, butter, vanilla extract, egg white, and the rest of the sugar. Mix until all ingredients are just incorporated. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Take out the dough and roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper, until about one-inch thick. Press almond mixture into the dough.

4. Cut dough into two to three-inch strips and place them about 1/2 inch apart on the baking tray.

5. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Salted Caramel Tart!

I try to avoid bragging, but I'll say this once:

I make a mean salted caramel.

Sugar, whipping cream, butter, and sea salt: just chuck 'em in, and you get heaven! Add an uber buttery crust to the mix, and it's out of this world.

♫♫ Stellar. ♫♫

Salted Caramel Tart (inspired by OnePotChef)

Ingredients

For crust:

1 cup flour

1 egg yolk

6-7 tablespoons chilled butter

1 tablespoon chilled water

1. In a food processor, process the flour and butter until incorporated. Add in the egg yolk and process again. If the dough still seems coarse and crumbly, add the chilled water. Process until the dough forms and is smooth.

2. On a lightly-floured surface, kneed the dough until elastic. Wrap it into plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper, until at least 8 to 9 inches in diameter. Place a 7-inch tart tin, bottom facing up, on top of the dough, and cut the dough slightly over the edges of the tin.

4. Grease the tin and transfer the dough. Mold the dough into the shape of the tin. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top and weigh it down with pie weights or uncooked rice.

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and rice and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

For the caramel filling:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup whipping cream

4-5 tablespoons butter

a pinch of sea salt

1. Melt the sugar over medium-high heat. It will turn a deep, amber color.

2. Turn off the heat and add in the whipping cream. Do not worry if the sugar solidifies. Reheat the sugar mixture until it starts to bubble, or reach 226ºF on a candy thermometer. Add in the sea salt.

3. Take the caramel off the heat and add the butter. Stir to melt.

4. Pour the caramel onto the crust and refrigerator for about 3-4 hours. Let the tart come to room temperature before serving.

"Cair-ah-mel" or "cahr-mel:" 

how do YOU say your caramel?

New and Improved: Strawberry Cupcakes with Avocado Buttercream Frosting

New and improved version of strawberry cupcakes!

And yes, I got to try one!

The recipe can be found under the June 2013 tab.

Happy eating!

Spam Musubi

I know what you're thinking:

Isn't this a baking blog?!!

Well...yes.

But in honor of National Canned Luncheon Meat Day (which took place July 6th), I decided to try my hand at making spam musubi, because

I LOVE SPAM MUSUBI.

There's something about it: the savory flavors of canned meat and nori and the slight sweetness from the rice (once you add the sugar and rice vinegar and all) coming together to produce an orgasmic slice of heaven. I pay tribute to the Creator of spam and the Creator of spam musubi. Thank you.

(adapted from The Starving Artist)

1 can Spam, sliced lengthwise

2 cups white rice, cooked and cooled

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon salt

2-3 sheets nori

1. Stir the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt together. Add into the cooled rice and mix well.

2. Pan fry the sliced Spam in a skillet, cooking each side for about 5 minutes or until the Spam is slightly browned.

3. Use a rice mold to shape the spam musubi. (I didn't have one, so I made a crude version: take the emptied Spam can and cut out the bottom. I used a can opener to accomplish this. But it's still really difficult. I think I'll invest in a rice mold.)

4. Wet your hands and place some rice into the rice mold. Flatten it out into a 1/2 inch layer. Place a slice of Spam over it, and add another layer of rice on top. Carefully remove the rice mold. You will have a perfect rectangle-shaped piece of spam musubi.

5. Cut the nori sheet in half (or in thirds, depending on the length of your spam musubi. Place the spam musubi in the center of the nori and wrap around it. Use some water to seal it together.

Whether you eat it for snack or as part of a meal, spam musubi will satisfy your craving for all things umami-flavored.

Happy Eating!