1. In a large saucepan melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. This frosts tops and sides of two 8- or 9-inch cake layers. (Halve the recipe to frost a 13x9x2-inch cake.) Cover and store frosted cake in the refrigerator.
somehow, i forgot to take a picture of these amazing pancakes but they are the best thing i've ever eaten for breakfast! i found a basic recipe and then tweaked according to my famous carrot cake. result was to die for!
carrot Cake Pancakes Make the dry and wet mixtures the night before. Soaking carrots will soften them nicely.
• 1 cup all-purpose flour • 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour • 4 teaspoons baking powder • 3 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger • Dash nutmeg • 2 eggs lightly beaten • 2/3 cup packed brown 1 cup milk • 4 cups finely grated carrots • 1 cup chopped roasted pecans • 1 cup drained crushed pineapple • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract Cream Cheese Spread • 8 ounces cream cheese • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar • ½ cup maple syrup • 6 tablespoons milk • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 dash ground cinnamon
In a bowl, combine flour, pecans, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, combine egg, brown sugar, milk, carrots, pineapple, coconut and vanilla; mix well. Stir carrot mixture into dry ingredients until moistened. Pour batter by 1/4 cupful onto a greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on the top of pancake; flip and cook until golden brown. For topping, blend cream cheese, powdered sugar, maple, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve with pancakes.
yes i'm that behind! this time of year i just need to relax and currently that means being too lazy to take pics of my fabulous creations or in this case, just not posting them for a month!
so here you go, my best pecan and apple pie recipe, from thanksgiving! of course with my fave homemade vanilla that i spiked with bourbon :)
divine chocolate pecan pie
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. While oven is preheated you can toast the pecans on a cookie sheet, watch carefully to prevent from burning. Let cool while you are preparing pie shell and filling.
1 homemade pastry shell (if using storebought buy one that is unbaked)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 5 tablespoons ice water
Blend together flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or pulse in a food processor just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.
Turn out dough onto a work surface. Divide dough into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together with pastry scraper. Press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
Pie filling
2 cups pecans, toasted ( I use a mixed of halves and chopped)
6 oz. good quality dark/semi sweet chocolate chopped
3 eggs
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup dark corn syrup
1.5 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
Melt chocolate ina bowl in microwave at 50% power in one minute invervals stirring till melted. Set aside.
Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang under and press against rim of pie plate, then crimp decoratively.
Spread chocolate in bottom of pie shell with back of spoon and let it set 10 minutes or so. Coverwith pecans.
Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, butter and salt in a bowl, then whisk in corn syrup and pour over pecans.
Bake pie until filling is puffed and crust is golden, 50 to 60 minutes. (If pie is browning too fast after 30 minutes, loosely cover with foil.) Cool pie on a rack to warm or room temperature. Serve with whipped cream.
Cooks' note: Pie can be baked 1 day ahead and chilled, uncovered, until cool, then covered. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warm, about 10 minutes.
classic apple pie – adapted from cooks illustrated
pounds tart apples (firm), about 5 medium, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see note)
2 1/2
pounds sweet apples (firm), about 5 medium, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see note)
1
egg white , beaten lightly
Instructions
1.1. For Pastry: Process flour, salt, and sugar together in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Add butter and pulse until butter is size of large peas, about ten 1-second pulses.
2.2. Using fork, mix sour cream and 1/3 cup ice water in small bowl until combined. Add half of sour cream mixture to flour mixture; pulse for three 1-second pulses. Repeat with remaining sour cream mixture. Pinch dough with fingers; if dough is floury, dry, and does not hold together, add 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water and process until dough forms large clumps and no dry flour remains, three to five 1-second pulses.
3.3. Turn dough out onto work surface. Divide dough into 2 balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk; wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until firm but not hard, 1 to 2 hours, before rolling. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Let thoroughly chilled dough stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling.)
4.4. For Pie: Mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, zest, and cinnamon in large bowl; add apples and toss to combine. Transfer apples to Dutch oven (do not wash bowl) and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are tender when poked with fork but still hold their shape, 15 to 20 minutes. (Apples and juices should gently simmer during cooking.) Transfer apples and juices to rimmed baking sheet and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. While apples cool, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place empty rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees.
5.5. Remove 1 disk of dough from refrigerator and roll out between 2 large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. (If dough becomes soft and/or sticky, return to refrigerator until firm.) Remove parchment from one side of dough and flip onto 9-inch pie plate; peel off second layer of parchment. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave dough that overhangs plate in place; refrigerate until dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
6.6. Meanwhile, roll second disk of dough between 2 large sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate, leaving dough between parchment sheets, until firm, about 30 minutes.
7.7. Set large colander over now-empty bowl; transfer cooled apples to colander. Shake colander to drain off as much juice as possible (cooked apples should measure about 8 cups); discard juice. Transfer apples to dough-lined pie plate; sprinkle with lemon juice.
8.8. Remove parchment from one side of remaining dough and flip dough onto apples; peel off second piece of parchment. Pinch edges of top and bottom dough rounds firmly together. Following illustrations 1 through 4, trim and seal edges of dough, then cut four 2-inch slits in top of dough. Brush surface with beaten egg white and sprinkle evenly with remaining teaspoon sugar.
9.9. Set pie on preheated baking sheet; bake until crust is dark golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool at least 1 1/2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.
10.10. Freezing Instructions: We tried two different methods for freezing: (1) fully assembled and ready to go directly from freezer to oven and (2) divided into separate components of crust and cooked apple filling to be thawed, assembled, and baked. Both versions were good, although the reassembled pie was deemed marginally better for its slightly flakier, more evenly browned crust. You'll probably want to choose one method or the other based on how long you expect to keep a pie (or its components) in the freezer.
11.Assembled pies kept well for up to two weeks in the freezer; after that, the texture of the crust and apples suffered. To freeze an assembled pie, follow the recipe all the way through sealing the pie crust, but do not brush with egg wash. Freeze the pie for two to three hours, then wrap it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil, and return it to the freezer. To bake, remove the pie from the freezer, brush it with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, cut slits in the top crust, and place directly on the baking sheet in the preheated oven. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer than normal.
12.For a longer freezer storage time of several months, freeze the crust and apples separately. Freeze individual batches of the cooked, drained apple filling in quart-sized freezer bags (this doubles as a great alternative to canning). Then make the pie dough, shape it into two 4-inch disks, wrap the disks tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and foil, and freeze. When you're ready to make the pie, simply thaw the apples and crust in the refrigerator the night before, assemble as per the recipe instructions, and bake as directed. Of course, you can always just freeze the apples and make the crust fresh the day you bake the pie.
sigh . . .this was such an amazing dinner and i forgot to post this too!
every fall as my work year draws to a close, i start cooking like a mad woman. i don't really get the time throughout the summer to cook what i want to.
i had been craving a good steak and a killer sauce so we invited our friends with a brand new baby over for a great meal. ribeyes with foie gras sauce, roasted fingerlings, roasted brussel sprouts and great bread followed by a rich and buttery french apple walnut tart with homemade ice cream of course - mmmmmmmmmm. . . . fall.
i basically made up this dinner but here is my guestimate of my amazing foie gras sauce.
foie gras sauce
1 large shallot chopped
3 tbsp apple brandy
4 oz. foie gras
1 cup cream
2-4 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
saute shallots in butter then when soft add in apple brandy until evaporated. add in 4 oz foie gras in chunks and saute until very soft. whisk in cream a little bit at a time then cook until reduced a little and able to coat the back of a spoon. add salt and pepper to taste then a little bit of balsamic vinegar to give it some acid. serve with great steaks! french apple walnut tart
i really don't love fruit desserts and especially pie but the super rich almost shortbread like crust and the addition of the walnut filling made me want seconds of this one! you gotta try it! this is basically my favorite tart shell, and walnut fillings rolled into one recipe. definately make the dough and the walnut filling the day before to save some time.
Blend together flour, sugar, salt, butter, and shortening with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with 3 tablespoons ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in food processor) until incorporated.
Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until just incorporated, then test again. (If you overwork mixture, pastry will be tough.)
Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion. Gather dough together with scraper and press into a ball, then flatten into a 6-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
Roll out dough with a floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface and fit into tart pan. if dough is difficult to work with, just press with fingers into tart pan. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang inward and press against side of pan to reinforce edge. Lightly prick bottom and sides with a fork. Chill 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Line tart shell with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of oven until pastry is pale golden along rim, 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake until pale golden all over, 10 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack.
Apple Filling
Cook 1/3 cup sugar in a dry 10 inch skillet over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted into an amber caramel. Tilt skillet and carefully pour in cider and vinegar (caramel will harden and steam vigorously). Simmer over moderately low heat until caramel dissolves, stirring occasionally.
While simmering, cut apples into 1/8 inch thick slices. Add apple slices to hot syrup, tossing gently to coat. Remove from heat and let stand until apples are wilted, 10 minutes.
While apples marinate. Combine walnuts, 3/4 cup sugar, eggs, 1 tablespoon Calvados, vanilla and salt in processor. Blend until soft paste forms. Add 4 tablespoons butter; blend 10 seconds. Chill till ready to use.
Drain apples in a sieve set over a bowl and reserve syrup. Spread walnut filling into bottom of cooked crust. Mound apples slices into tart shell. Dot apples with 1 tbsp butter and sprinkle with ½ tbsp brown sugar. Bake until tart is browned and bubbly 35-45 minutes.
While baking, boil reserved syrup in skillet with calvados and remaining 2 tbsp butter until thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup. Brush over hot tarts.
Serve with ice cream and caramel. I use homemade vanilla with 3 tbsp calvados added in just before freezing.
i'm nearing that time of year when i start to slow down shooting and channel all my photographic energy into the kitchen. i'll have a lot more time to cook and blog. i'd love to share some of my favorites with you but what are your favorites? comment on this post with recipe requests and i'll cook and publish my best version of your faves!
i discovered these pancakes years ago at a breakfast place in venice. they were an instant favorite and i have turned my family and now my great friend steph into fans. if you can't deal with the color or don't like bananas, yellow corn blueberry are a great variation. just substitute the yellow cornmeal for the blue and blueberry for the bananas.
i loved everything about animal! from the casual atmosphere to the beautiful but simple details to the amazing food! its an amazing combination of high end ingredients, simple preparations and mind blowing flavors! i wish i was eating there again tonight and promise you i will be there again soon! especially since the menu changes daily!
thanks to bonnie for organizing such a great night of fun foodies and great food!
if you like meat, make a reservation at animal now!
love the paper menus to set the chill tone
my favorite puppet! and might i say the only sign.
bonnieeric and sarahfries with oxtail sauce the best heirloom salad EVER!petit basque and chorizo whole branzino tomahawk steak with fois gras sauce - omg delish! and proof i am not a vegetarian!
i love to cook. and eat. i love to try new recipes and am on a constant quest to find better and better versions of my favorite dishes. i am a chefs wife. my husband thoroughly supports my kitchen perfection and is my constant guinea pig. my real job is that of a wedding and portrait photographer. wanna see that blog? blog.jsrphotography.com
i live in the burbs with my son, husband, cat and dog.
