notes from my food diary

This past Sunday I had a chance to go my church annual cookie exchange.  For a long time I’m trying to figure out what kind of cookies I wanted to bring to the party.  As always I wanted to try something that’s different but also something that I enjoy eating.  I found it in this Red Velvet Whoopie Pies with Peppermint Filling.  These bite-sized cookies are more like little cakes with creamy and minty filling because of their soft textures.  The first time I made whoopie pies and I loved them!

Makes about 40 sandwich cookies

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup buttermilk

1 1-ounce bottle red food coloring (2 tablespoons)

Peppermint and Cream Cheese Filling (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper; set aside.  In a large bowl, beat the ½ cup butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add the brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.  Alternately add flour and buttermilk, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.  Stir in red food coloring.

Spoon dough from a rounded measuring teaspoon 2 inches apart onto prepared cookies sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are set.  Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes.  Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

Spread Peppermint and Cream Cheese Filling on flat sides of half of the cookies.  Top with remaining cookies, flat sides down, pressing lightly together.  Serve cookies immediately.

Peppermint and Cream Cheese Filling

In a large bowl, combine two 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened; 3 tablespoons butter, softened; and ½ teaspoon peppermint extract.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium –low to medium speed until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in 3 cups powdered sugar.  Add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make a filling of spreading consistency.

Source:  from Better Homes and Garden Cookies 2009

As plain as it is, almond biscotti could be just the perfect sweet, crunchy treat that your mouth could not deny.  A long time ago, I made biscotti and they turned hard and not very appealing at all.  I decided not to try it again until I found a good recipe.  Just last month during Thanksgiving break, my friend wanted to bake together and suggested we baked biscotti.  The recipe that I wanted to try was from The American Test Kitchen’s: Family Baking Book.  I had a good result from trying their recipes, so I thought their biscotti recipe must be good too.

This almond biscotti could rival biscotti from a bakery!  This is a tender and crumbly biscotti with the right amount of almond flavor and aroma.  I learned that there are two kinds of biscotti, the one made with egg whites are the dry kind that you have to dunk into coffee before eating.  The other one, which is this recipe, is the one made with whole eggs and the texture is softer that you could eat right off the plate.  It seems that the Italian ones are the dry, hard ones but never mind that, I love this softer biscotti better. 

And just for fun purpose, I dipped my biscotti in melted chocolate.  And I had fun—that’s the whole purpose of baking!

Almond Biscotti

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup blanched almonds, toasted and chopped coarsely

2 tablespoons grated fresh orange zest (optional)

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and almond extracts until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds.  Mix in the almonds and zest (if using), until just incorporated.

Press the dough into two 13 by 2-inch loaves on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 3 inches apart.  Bake the loaves until golden and just beginning to crack on top, about 35 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

Let the loaves cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.  Lower the temperature to 325 degrees F.

Transfer the loaves to a cutting board and slice each on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices with a serrated knife.  Lay the slices about 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes, flipping the slices over halfway through baking.  Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving, about 1 hour.

Source:  adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen:  Family Baking Book

Waking up in the morning with the smell of apricot-cream cheese bread in this cold wintry day sounds so comforting.  The texture of the dough is similar to Danish pastry yet this is faster to make and as gratifying as Danish pastry.  Cream cheese combined with homemade apricot preserves truly deserves to be in this wonderful bread because it is such a nice combination, tangy and slightly sweet.  The bread in my photos didn’t have as much glaze as the original recipe because I preferred it that way.  Give this a try, you may soon found that you would have to make it often enough for morning breakfast

Apricot-Cream Cheese Bread

Yield 4 loaves

Dough:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream

2 packages dry yeast (about 4 1/2 teaspoons)

1/2 cup warm water (100 degrees to 110 degrees F)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

2/3 cup apricot preserves

1/4 cup granulated suagr

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla exrtact

To prepare dough:  combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and cool.  Dissolve the yeast in warm water in a large bowl, and let stand 5 minutes.  Stir in sour cream mixture and 2 eggs.  Measure flour and gradually sifted flour into sour cream mixture (dough will be soft and sticky).  Cover dough, and chill 8 hours or overnight.

To prepare filling:  combine preserves and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed until mixture is well blended.

Divide dough into 4 equal portions.  Turn each portion out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 4 or 5 times.  Roll each portion into a 12×8-inch rectangle.  Spread one-fourth of filling over each portion, leaving a 1/2-inch border.  Starting at a long side, carefully roll up each portion jelly-roll style, and pinch seam and ends to seal.

Place 2 loaves on each of 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray.  Cut 4 (1/4-inch deep) "X"s in top of each loaf with scissors.  Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 25 minutes or until doulbed in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.

Place 1 baking sheet in over (cover remaining loaves to keep from drying).  Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Repeat procedures with remaining loaves.  Cool loaves slightly.

To prepare glaze:  combine powdered sugar, milk , and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, stirring with a whisk.  Drizzle warm loaves with glaze.

Source:  adapted from the Best of Cooking Light

Seems like December is here, the weather is getting colder, the trees are bare, and it gets darker so quickly by four o’clock in the afternoon.  There has been a dry spell here in Oregon but the temperature dips to teens today.  Even the highs stay in around 30’s though with plenty of sun.  I try to keep active outdoor but sometimes it’s a little hard when the cold nips my skin and the wind keeps blowing hard. 

My son’s school would be out in another a week and a half and my parents are coming sometime next week.  I’m happy they’re going to come over, holiday season is not cheery without people who love you.  Our Christmas is tree is finally up, the house is ready inside and out, and our spirit is high.  

With that in mind, I want to share with you what I made for the Christmas.  I’ve wanting to do a panforte for a long time and finally this year I made a chocolate panforte.  This type of Italian fruitcake is ready to be eaten not long after it’s made and it’s not too heavy on dried fruits or nuts.  I enjoy nibble on a small slice of the cake and hope that my parents will enjoy this too when they are here.

This recipe is also posted on ThinkSpain guide December edition.

Chocolate Panforte

Makes 1 nine-inch cake

4 ounces whole hazelnuts (3/4 cup)

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for greasing pan

3 ounces dried cherries (1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons brandy

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped (3/4 cup)

1 1/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (1/4 cup)

1 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2/3 cup honey

2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon Dutch-process cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet.  Toast in the oven until fragrant and skins are beginning to split, about 10 minutes.  Rub warm nuts in a clean towel to remove skins.  Set nuts aside.

Reduce oven to 300°F.  Butter a 9-inch springform pan.  Line bottom with parchment paper; butter parchment paper, and set aside.

Combine cherries, brandy, and chocolates in a medium bowl; set aside.  Sift 1 cup flour and ½ teaspoon cinnamon into a small bowl.

Combine honey and sugar in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook 2 minutes.  Combine with dried-fruit mixture.  Fold in flour mixture.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

With a small metal spatula, press mixture to form a level layer.  In a small bowl, combine remaining ½ tablespoon flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and the cocoa.  Sift over cake batter.

Bake until set, about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, and let cool completely.  Gently brush off flour coating before serving.  Keep in an airtight container up to 1 week in room temperature.

Source:  adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Christmas Cookbook

My son really loves doughnuts.  Every time we go somewhere where doughnuts are on display he will ask me to buy some for him.  But I don’t like making doughnuts too often.  I basically hate frying them, besides the temptation is too much when we have too many doughnuts at too many times.  So when I saw recipes in Vegetarian Times about baked doughnuts, I tried them right away.  I do have the pan needed for the recipes and I tried both regular and chocolate recipes.  But before you get too excited, I found that baked doughnuts are not the same with fried doughnuts.  Never ever will.  If you like fried doughnuts, stick with them.  Though baked doughnuts a bit healthier than the fried ones, they don’t have the feel of fried doughs in your mouth.  These are more like small cakes, the chocolate ones were a bit dry to my taste.  I wasn’t too disappointed in making them because my son still enjoyed the treats I made for him and the frosting he made  

So here are the pictures of baked doughnuts, they are simply feasts for your eyes only.  If you are still interested in making them, the recipes can be found here for French Toast Baked Doughnuts and here for Devil’s Food Baked Doughnuts.