Site Meter Coaching Cooking » Baking

Baking

Rustic Berry Tart

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

berry tartI had blueberries, raspberries, and red currants that needed to be used, so I got online to find a recipe for a tart, thinking to make use of the quiche pan I got when returning one of two salad spinners I received for Christmas. However, the rustic berry tart I found on Eating Well sounded tasty, in addition to being healthier than many other versions. The crust was made partially from whole wheat flour, and there wasn’t too much butter or sugar called for.

final productI followed the recipe rather closely, except for a few things. I didn’t have the pastry flour called for and used brown sugar instead of white. And I found there was no need for the warmed jam because the tart was pretty bubbly, with the juices nearly running over. But my use of the somewhat sour red currants made for an even tart-er tart and not the best thing ever. When I served a slice a couple nights later with some light Häagen-Dazs vanilla bean, it was much yummier indeed. The sweet ice cream made for a nice contrast as it melted over the warm tart.

,

Road-testing: Cupcakes for College

Thursday, September 6th, 2007

There’s nothing quite like the journey of the last child to college. In my case, my little sister (a good 10 years younger than me) is off to Southern California. We both can’t imagine what kind of wacky adventures she’ll have down there. I hope to hear at least a few times from her this coming semester (but I’m not going to hold my breath!). My sister has been, in many gleeful ways, my partner in crime. In her honor, I’m making cupcakes. Ever since my wedding last summer, cupcakes have become the best way to celebrate special events. In my mind, there’s nothing better than getting your very own, mini cake. Sometimes you just don’t want to share!.

This time I decided to road-test the Barefoot Contessa recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting. A lot of time was spent shooing hands away from the dessert platter. That alone told me that this recipe is worth making again and again. The peanut butter frosting was easy to make and it tasted exactly the way you want peanut butter frosting to taste–creamy and chock full of peanut butter goodness. Tip: let the peanut butter frosting sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before you decorate the cupcakes so it reaches a more solid consistency. For frosting decoration, I use a large plastic bag (gallon size) and cut the corner off. This makes it so easy to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes plus you can throw the bag away afterwards.

The cupcakes were pretty simple too. There are two separate bowls of ingredients to mix into the butter-sugar combination. It really helps to have a sturdy, standing mixer like a KitchenAid. The butter-sugar mixture is mixed first then you add in a buttermilk-sour cream-coffee mixture and alternate with the flour-salt-cocoa powder mix. The resulting batter is very smooth and airy. The cupcakes themselves taste very rich (use the best cocoa powder that you can get….I love the Scharffen-Berger cocoa powder).

So we ate the cupcakes and they were enjoyed by all….as you can see!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

Longing for the tropics

Friday, May 4th, 2007

Banana tree

As the weather in California remains ever changeable, I find myself thinking about tropical weather and tropical fruit. Recently, my mom had a banana tree in her yard that bore fruit (but, sadly, this fruit was inedible…).

This got me thinking about bananas and how they remind me of summer and of a great children’s book character named Emily Bartlett (one of Beverly Cleary’s…check her out). Anyway, I decided to find some great banana recipes both sweet and savory. Enjoy them and dream of summer…

For those of you who can still deal with Emeril (okay, yes, clearly I don’t respect him as much as I used to), here’s an Emeril banana recipe catalogue.

I have an endless curiousity about all things French and this blog, Chocolate and Zucchini, has been a favorite of mine for a few years now. Here’s a link to a banana cake, and banana pecan muffins.

I haven’t made this recipe before, but I’ve always adored everything about Bananas Foster. Here’s a link to the famous New Orleans’ restaurant, Brennan’s and their Bananas Foster.

For the obvious, go to bananas.com and check out a few recipes from around the world.

It’s six foot, seven foot, eight foot BUNCH! Daylight come and me wanna go home…

Cupcake Avenger Strikes Again

Monday, April 16th, 2007

Now that I have cupcakes in my baking arsenal, I make them all the time for birthdays and celebrations. They are easy to make if you use a cake mix (and I usually have one or two boxes on hand). Or they can be just as easy with a simple cake recipe. I usually make a buttercream frosting with my standing mixer because the frosting is very stiff and looks great when it is swirled on top of the cupcakes using a cake decorating tip.

Here’s a white buttercream frosting recipe that can be easily transformed into chocolate buttercream. It is very sweet and you can temper that by adding a little milk.

Cupcakes oh my!

White Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter plus 2 tablespoons
1 cup of confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 teaspoons of hot water

Directions:
Take the butter out of the fridge about 2 hours before you start this recipe so the butter is softened. Place the butter (cut into 1-inch pieces) and the sugar in the standing mixer. Mix on low until the mixture is creamy and well-combined. Then add the hot water and the vanilla and mix on a slightly higher speed until the frosting looks smooth.

To frost:
This frosting is easy to work with and it can be piped onto cupcakes or spread using a flat knife. Add sprinkles or sugared flowers or silver sugar balls (see my rant on this one here).

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Use the White Buttercream Frosting recipe above, but add 1 cup of melted semisweet chocolate with the hot water and vanilla and combine until the frosting is a solid, chocolate color.

About Coaching Cooking

What's for dinner? Better yet, who has a good recipe for a favorite dish? Coaching Cooking provides recipes, cooking techniques, and foodie stories by someone who cares about food and about eating well. Expect to find information on delicious dishes and intriguing information about the world of cuisine including food trends, unusual ingredients, and fresh cooking ideas. Find inspiration for the next delectable feast!

Coaching Cooking Author(s)
    » Farley

Blogging Flair

free hit counter

Food, Cooking & Wine Channel Posts

  • Home made cookbook
    I have a new book for you. Not the pub book – that's still wherever it managed to hide itself. (It won't hide forever, I promise.) No, my new book is something quite different. In fact, [...]
  • Wrap-n-Mat
    My kids aren’t school age and one of them isn’t eating solid foods but that didn’t stop me from buying three Wrap-n-Mats for back to school. The Wrap-n-Mat is a reusable sandwich wrapper. [...]
  • Limited Edition Perrier Bottles in Malta
    Perrier is a popular bottled water, especially in Europe. This Limited Edition release is in Malta only and is just the bottle decor with the regular sparkling Perrier water inside. There are [...]
  • Prohibition Banquet, Prizes! (thinking ahead to October)
    Today is an announcement day, because I haven't had one for far too long and you will start thinking that life is all about excitement and interest. Or ought that to say that you may lose the [...]
  • Cooking with Chicken
    Sesame Chicken Salad Serves: 6 1 package vermicelli 6 tbs. rice wine vinegar 1/3 cup light soy sauce 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tbs. grated fresh ginger (to remove the peel from fresh ginger, [...]
  • Two Very Healthy Salads
    #1: Tofu and Green Bean Salad with Soy Dressing Serves: 4 1 14 to 16 oz. tofu 5 tbs. soy sauce 2 tbs. Asian sesame oil 2 tbs. sake 1 tsp. rice vinegar 1 tsp. chili paste with garlic 2 [...]
  • Mars Candy Products to Support Breast Cancer Research
    Mars candy will be releasing limited edition candies that are pink and they will be donating a minimum of $1 million to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  The pink candies will be available for [...]
  • Pubs, beer and much merriment
    Dear Pub Book, you know you were supposed to be at my desk tonight, so why aren't you where I left you? I can't write about you if you refuse to make an appearance. When you come back, talk to [...]
  • Round Up For Tasting (and Reading) Pleasures
    The fourth round-up post of the will not be a long one, and for that, I can't help feeling a little guilty. Since, I had to switch blogs midstream and was rather depressed over the circumstances at [...]
  • Oregon Wine and Reading Plans
    We just got off the train from Eugene, Oregon. When we arrived at the Amtrak station last night to check our luggage, I almost had a heart attack when the ticket agent told us we couldn't check our [...]

Hot Off The Press

  • Dreaming of adventures on Canyon Rd? Meet me at the Compound Restaurant
    [caption id="attachment_973" align="alignnone" width="167" caption="Photo by Mary MacIntyre"][/caption] Love to walk down Canyon Road and soak in Santa Fe Art scene? This time of year the Canyon [...]
  • Living in my Shoes
    I've given you lots of information on me.  And, depending on who is reading, I may have given you way more information than necessary.  But since today is my birthday, and I have one [...]
  • Sugar isn't the (only) badguy!
    Old rules need not apply! It's no surprise that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider Diabetes a full blown epidemic in the USA. They predict that one in three Americans born in [...]
  • Maced tailgater out of jail on $2,000 bail
    Tyrone Calvin Graham-Jones was released Thursday morning from the Isabella County Jail on $2,000 bail, after a non-running preliminary examination. Graham-Jones had been in police custody since he [...]
  • McCain's Sarah-ndipity ...
    Well, whaddya think?? After watchin' the RNC the past coupla nights (when the main-eventers had their say), I'm not really all that impressed with McCain's running mate, Mrs. (Gov., whatever) Sarah [...]
  • Interview with Return Author Shobhan Bantwal on The Forbidden Daughter
    Hello and welcome back to Fiction Scribe, Ms. Bantwal! List five things you feel define you as a person. Active Imagination Family Career Passion for reading and writing Appreciation of [...]
  • Tread Lightly
    As you may or may not know, my local newspaper ran an interview with me in this past Monday's paper.  It was actually on the front page.  So, as I continue to write in various places, I [...]
  • Razorbacks host home meet
    The Arkansas Razorback women's cross country team will open the season with a 4K run at the Arkansas Dual, Fri., Sept. 5, at Fayetteville's Agri Park. [...]
  • Video:CSI New York ‘Veritas’ Promo(5×1)
    Here's our first promo of CSI:NY's fifth season. Episode details are HERE. CSI Triva tidbit Veritas means truth is honesty and truthfulness in Latin. In Roman mythology, Veritas [...]
  • Diversity group discusses hate crime bill
    A recent diversity presentation highlighted the concept that intent is more important than damage in hate crimes. A discussion Thursday in the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium involved new [...]