Archive for April, 2009

Bulls Eye!

Posted by Candace on Monday, April 27th, 2009

The daring baker challenge this month was cheesecake.  We were given total creative freedom in this challenge, which I love!  The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge. 

I ended up using a slightly different recipe, as I prefer to add sour cream instead of heavy cream to my cheesecake.  Also, I wanted to make the bulls eye design that results from two different colored batters.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a pic before I cut into it… duh!  But it still looks really cool with the layers.  Lastly, I always bake my cheesecake at a low temperature (325 degrees) in a waterbath. I detest overcooked cheesecake!


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April 27th, 2009 by Candace / Filed under Bakery, Daring Bakers, Sweet Tooth / 43 Critiques

Making Curds and Whey

Posted by Candace on Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

I’ve always been a lover of cheese… every kind of cheese.  From the stinky stuff in French restaurants to the most mild mozzarella.  I found this recipe recently to make cheese at home and knew I had to try it.  I didn’t even know you could make cheese at home with such simple ingredients.  All you need for this recipe is buttermilk, milk and salt, no chemicals, rennet or anything else.  I used organic whole milk, but you can also make it with 1% or 2%.  So easy and amazingly delicious.  To fancy it up, I browned the cheese in a dry non-stick pan and it made a perfect appetizer.  It is also just as yummy eaten plain.

The recipe said salt was an optional item , but I think it is really necessary.  I only added a generous pinch of fleur de sel and it was extremely bland before brining.  It was fine after brining, but the exterior is definitely saltier than the interior when you brine.  The texture is similar to Queso Blanco.  It has a nice bite and mild flavor.  Next time I’m going to experiment with some smoked sea salt and maybe even herbs.  It was so easy, I see myself making fresh cheese at home on a regular basis.

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April 23rd, 2009 by Candace / Filed under Vegetarian / 9 Critiques

Blondies Have More Fun

Posted by Candace on Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Its been a long time since I’ve made blondies.  Years and years.  I don’t understand why, though. They are SO easy and so tasty.  Even more, my hubby loves the simplicity of them.  Believe it or not, he doesn’t like the fancy cookies I make, and begs me to make “regular” cookies.  So I’ve vowed to make more blondies in the future.  The original recipe called for macadamia nuts, but my grocery store only carried salted macadamia nuts.  Way too salty for a cookie, even when rinsed. Been there, done that.  I found unsalted cashews and am so happy I did.  They were a great flavor in the cookie… just as good as macadamia nuts.  So you can use either one in the recipe.

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April 15th, 2009 by Candace / Filed under Bakery, Sweet Tooth / 11 Critiques

Bacon and Eggs

Posted by Candace on Monday, April 6th, 2009

I love Pasta Alla Carbonara. It is one of my favorite things to eat when I’m in a good Italian Restaurant. When we were in Rome last year, I had Carbonara almost every day.  I had try all of the different restaurant’s versions! Research purposes, you know??  I’ve noticed many people who make Carbonara add cream and make it almost like an Alfredo. Not me… Eggs and cheese are the only thickening agent I use, along with pasta water. I’ve found that adding a couple egg yolks in addition to the whole eggs makes for a creamier sauce.

Another thing I’ve found (by trial and error) are to toss the egg mixture and hot pasta in a metal bowl instead of the pasta pot. You’re less likely to end up with scrambled egg carbonara, which is not good. I think the pasta is hot enough to cook the eggs, but if you freak out about slightly cooked eggs, do your mixing in the pasta pot.  However, be prepared for bits of completely cooked egg.   Lastly, I add peas, which makes me feel better, like I added a bit of green healthiness to a rich dish. If you don’t like peas, by all means, leave them out.  Also, I cheaped out at the grocery store and bought low sodium bacon instead of the pancetta.  Either one will work, but the pancetta has a better flavor.

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April 6th, 2009 by Candace / Filed under Dinner, Italian / 17 Critiques