in honour of brains
October 28, 2009 § 6 Comments
In case you didn’t know, approximately 30,000 neuroscientists descended upon Chicago last week for their biggest scientific conference. Wherever I turned there were people in glasses, milling around with laptops and poster tubes. And really, that’s how any good party starts, right?
In all honesty, a large gathering of neuroscientists is actually pretty amusing to watch. This became obvious when I entered the Metra, where dozens of bewildered scientists were trying and failing to figure out public transit. Academic skills do not necessarily translate into the real world. Luckily a passerby took pity on us, and that became the theme of the visit – wherever we went Chicago natives would smile kindly and ask ‘Brain conference?’. Apparently we do not quite blend in with the normal folk.
The point being, brains are very important and useful. In celebration of this fact, I decided to let science inspire my baking! Yes, it is nerdy. I don’t care. Anyhow, one of the symposiums was about nutrition for brain health – this stuff is often kind of flaky, but there’s actual research on it too. I unfortunately could not attend these talks (i.e. I accidentally slept through them), but some of the main contenders were berries and walnuts – clearly the building blocks of something tasty. They also mentioned salmon, but I chose to omit that.
So, despite the lack of concrete evidence, I decided to make blueberry coffee cake – because, well, why not? The recipe is adapted from Rose Beranbaum’s gorgeous new cookbook. She’s very meticulous, and this is reflected in her recipes, but I was in a bit of a rush and not quite so careful. I did however follow the instruction that amused me the most – to take out your cake when it reads 208°F on an instant-read thermometer. How very precise!
Anyhow, this cake is yummy. I think I still slightly prefer my standard coffeecake recipe, which must wait till spring due to its use of rhubarb, but it’s good to branch out. Given that it’s October, this recipe probably would have been better in its original form, with apples rather than blueberries. Even in this dramatically out-of-season rendition, though, it was moist and sweet and perfect with a cup of coffee. Try to show more self-control than I did, and wait until it’s cooled – it really is better that way. And as an extra plus, you can feel good about eating it cause it makes you smart! (results not guaranteed.)
Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake – adapted from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes
Topping:
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped coarse
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter, melted
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
Cake:
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup sour cream, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter
- 6 ounces blueberries, fresh or frozen (about 1 cup – you can use whatever seems sensible)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment, and grease the parchment.
Begin with the topping: mix together walnuts, brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon. Reserve 1/2 cup to use for filling. To the rest, add flour, butter, and vanilla and mix briefly with fork until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes to firm up butter.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, 3 tablespoons sour cream and vanilla until combined.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter and remaining sour cream. Mix on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened, then raise speed to medium and mix for about 2 minutes, until batter comes together. Add egg mixture in two additions, beating for 30 seconds after each.
Scrape 2/3 of batter (approx. 18 ounces) into the cake pan and smooth surface. Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup topping over the batter. Drop the remaining batter overtop and spread it evenly. Sprinkle with blueberries.
Bake for 35 minutes. Break up crumb topping with fingertips so that the largest crumbs are about 1/4-inch balls. Remove the cake from the oven and sprinkle crumbs over top. Return to oven until cake tester comes out clean and cake springs back to the touch. Or you can check with an instant-read thermometer, which should read about 208°F.
a grown-up dinner party
October 15, 2009 § 11 Comments
I decided to finally take my last step into adulthood by having real grown-ups over, for a real dinner party. Frankly, I was surprised it took me so long – I’m well into my twenties, I love to feed people, so why don’t I host stylish and well-executed dinners? Then, five days before the event itself, I realized that I still don’t own any chairs. Thus illustrating one of the many reasons why I do not fall into the category of real grown-ups.
After briefly considering and discarding cardboard boxes as a valid seating option, I turned to Craigslist to save the day. My efforts were somewhat hampered by the fact that I also don’t own a car and can’t go anywhere far away, but eventually chairs were identified and secured, setting the stage for the perfect dinner party. And then I also bought a tablecloth! I am so very classy.
The most important thing though, was of course the food. I settled on what is probably the perfect dinner party dessert: a nearly flourless chocolate cake. It’s simple and stunning, but it’s also best if made a day ahead, saving the mad dash that occurs on the day of. Now, I wasn’t exactly organized to make this ahead of time, but it is theoretically possible. As for the recipe: I’m actually not generally a fan of flourless chocolate cakes, as they’re pretty intense, but this was definitely a good one. The single tablespoon of flour makes it less overwhelmingly dense, but it’s still rich and decadent. Plus, when my friend took his first bite, he started doing a little happy dance – generally a good sign.
Nearly Flourless Chocolate Cake – from Rachel Eats
- 200g butter
- 200g very good quality dark chocolate, chopped
- 250g granulated sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8-inch round cake tin with baking parchment and butter the parchment.
In microwave, melt butter and chocolate. Let cool for a few minutes. Scrape the butter and chocolate into a larger bowl and stir in the sugar.
In separate small bowl, lightly beat one egg and then add it to the other ingredients and stir thoroughly. Again in the separate bowl beat another egg, add it to the mixture and stir in. Repeat until you have added all five eggs. Stir in the flour.
Scrape the mixture into the lined tin. Bake just until the top is dry and cracking, but the centre of the cake still wobbles slightly, about 25 minutes. Keep a close eye after 20 minutes and be careful not to overbake.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin, about 2 hours. Gently invert it on to a wire tray and then revert it on to the serving plate. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.
Pie for breakfast
October 12, 2009 § 9 Comments
Pumpkin pie is one of my absolute favourite things about fall. It reminds me of Thanksgiving and fireplaces, and also it’s ridiculously delicious. But sadly, I cannot really eat pie every day. So when a coworker handed me this recipe for pumpkin pie oatmeal, I got very excited. Pie for breakfast! Somehow I resisted the urge to top it with whipped cream.
This is a warm and very dense sort of breakfast, so it’s perfect for a chilly morning. I actually heavily adapted the recipe from its original form, including tossing in a handful of pecans. It’s hugely improved by the nuts, since otherwise the thick texture gets a little overwhelming. I tend to go a little heavy on the spices, but you should certainly taste and adjust according to what you like best.
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Serves 2-3
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 3/4 cup milk
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- scant 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
Heat oats, milk and salt in a pot until the mixture arrives at a simmer. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until oats have thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in brown sugar, pumpkin, and all spices to taste. Cook on low until pumpkin is heated through.
Stew for the ice age
October 9, 2009 § 6 Comments
My office is officially the coldest place on earth. Winter has come early to the area immediately around my desk, and my typing speed has noticeably slowed due to the numbness of my fingers. In fact, the temperature is now extreme enough that I’m starting to think this an elaborate experiment designed to test the limits of human endurance. Am I exaggerating? Perhaps. At any rate, the frigid temperatures have set off my cravings for hearty food. Which is why instead of making the tart I had planned, I made stew.
Specifically, curried red lentil and swiss chard stew, with chickpeas. It was a really speedy recipe, and it turned out exactly like what I was craving, warmly spiced and comforting. I honestly was surprised at how tasty it was. This is clearly not in the same vein as recipes posted earlier – I think this stew currently feels like the kid who didn’t get picked in gym class – but I had to include it, despite the ugliness of my night-time photos. It’s just perfect. And ridiculously healthy. How often does that happen?
Curried Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Stew with Chickpeas – adapted from Epicurious
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4-5 teaspoons curry powder (varies with your curry powder and preference)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- approximately 40 oz vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 large bunch or 2 small bunches Swiss chard, tough stalks removed, coarsely chopped (about 12 cups)
- 2 cups red lentils
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
- Salt to taste
- Plain yogurt
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until golden, about 10-15 minutes. Add garlic; sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds. Mix in curry, garam masala, and cayenne. Add broth and chard. Increase heat; bring to boil. Add lentils and chickpeas; reduce heat to medium.
Cover; simmer until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed. Divide stew among bowls. Top with yogurt.
Early-morning scones
October 4, 2009 § 3 Comments
I am not one of those fortunate souls known as ‘morning people’. It takes a full hour after I get out of bed before I’m ready to interact with the world. Anyone who has to deal with me before then is greeted with blank stares, and attempts at speaking that generally come out as something like ‘hmmpghghh’.
This is why morning baking rarely occurs at my house. I would love to fill the house with buttery pastries and warm muffins and cinnamon buns… mmmm…. but at any rate, all I can usually manage is to pour myself a bowl of cereal. Baking is for once my brain has turned on.
But today was different! Not that I magically became an early riser, but rather that I slept past noon. I awoke bright-eyed and eager to make lemon-blueberry scones. And then promptly did.
I was a little nervous about the recipe – it’s super important not to overwork scones – but these turned out very tender and light, just like they were supposed to. They’re very buttery but not very sweet, so if you like sugary morning treats, I would add a tablespoon of sugar. As it was, I liked them perfectly the way they are, but I would definitely use the glaze. I glazed only half to see which was better, and there was a clear winner. The glazed scones were still moist and lightly crisp, but the topping was just a little sweeter, and made for a nice contrast.
This recipe only takes a few minutes to put together, and bakes quickly as well, so it really is well suited to everyday morning baking. However, I can’t pretend that I would ever get my act together enough to make scones before going to work, so I won’t preach to anyone else. But if you’re more put-together than me – as most people tend to be – this is a great way to start the day!
Lemon-blueberry scones – from The New Best Recipe
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a lower-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen, but not thawed)
- 1 cup heavy cream
Glaze:
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Preheat oven to 425°F.
In large bowl or in food processor, whisk (or pulse) together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
If making by hand: using two knives, a pastry blender, or your fingertips, quickly cut in the butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps. If using a food processor: distribute butter over dry ingredients. Process with 12 one-second pulses, then transfer to large bowl. Add blueberries and mix in quickly.
Stir in heavy cream with a spatula or fork until a dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
Turn out onto countertop and knead by hand just until the dough comes together in a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds.
Press dough into an 8-inch cake pan, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut into 8 wedges and place on ungreased baking sheet. For glaze, brush tops with cream and then sprinkle with sugar.
Bake until the scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, and serve.
Note: there are two key things here: one is to make sure your butter stays cold, and the other is not to overwork the dough. The first is easier if you use a food processor, because it’s quick and nothing has time to melt, but the second is easier by hand (which I did), where you can be more gentle. It’s not tricky though, just keep those in mind and you’ll have the perfect scones!
one cake two cake 