So one of my favorite foods in possibly the whole entire world is apple butter. For some reason, I had always thought it would be terribly time consuming and complicated to make. Then one day a couple of years ago I found myself with 2 bags of apples going soft and yucky. I figured they were going bad anyway, so why not do an experiment, so I peeled 'em up, whacked them up some and threw them in my crock pot. Many hours and some spices later, I had apple butter! And it was good! Hooray! This might not be the 'right' way to make apple butter, or the way your grandma made it or whatever, but this is the way that works for me, and quite frankly, as long as I am happy with the results, I don't think the 'right' and 'wrong' ways mean shit. So without further ado, here is my "recipe" for apple butter.
Get you a bunch of apples. I usually just get a bag of whatever I can get. As far as I can tell, anything will work. I've used everything except green ones, but that is because I don't like the green ones. Peel them, core them and chop them into roughly equal pieces. I peel mine for one very simple reason. I don't have a food mill, and the idea of picking out apple peel at the end just seems like more work than peeling. So I peel. Throw all your chopped apples in the crock pot. Mine is usually pretty full. They are going to cook down. They are going to cook down A LOT. I set it on low and walk away. Check them every now and then. You want to be able to squish them easily with a fork. This has taken me anywhere from 6 hours to 12 hours. Seems to have something to do with the water content of the apples. When they are all nice and squishy grab your potato masher and smush them all up. Throw in your sugar, starting at about 1/4 c. I suppose if you wanted to use fake sugar you could, but I never have. I don't keep the stuff around. Then dump in some cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and a pinch of ginger. I usually go about 1 tsp of each. Cook for an hour or so, then taste it. Add more spices, or more sugar if you don't think it's sweet enough. Cook until it tastes right. Sorry, I know that's vague, but that's how it works.
When it's done, I let it cool a bit, then put it in some tupperware and either freeze it or stick it in the fridge. If you want to be adventurous and can it, be my guest.
I think I might attempt doing this with pumpkin this fall. Pumpkin butter sounds really good to me. I imagine you could also use the same method for peaches, or pears.
August 31, 2010
August 21, 2010
Birthday cake
So the other night was Sean's moms birthday. Since I had to work all day and wouldn't be able to help Sean cook dinner (which was some sort of Moroccan lemon chicken thing with some mango chutney thrown in. FUCKING AWESOME), I volunteered to make the birthday cake. What I made was this: http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/11/tiramisu-cake. Oh. My. Gawd. Delicious.
Here comes the but...
Now, I don't know about ya'll, but I see baking as a learning process. I make it the way the recipe says to (more or less) then decide what I want to change. This time was no exception. Firstly, I would make twice the icing. I think it could of used more filling, and I use every bit. Secondly, my cake didn't absorb as much of the espresso syrup as I would have liked. I didn't use cake flour, I used all-purpose, which might have contributed to this. Lesson learned, I will pop for the cake flour next time around. My solution for both these problems will be simple - make it into four layers. More filling, more absorbency, and presto, problem solved!
I also started contemplating what this icing would be like on chocolate cake and immediately started drooling.
And here's a teaser for what's going to emerge next from the pastel covered walls of our kitchen:
Here comes the but...
Now, I don't know about ya'll, but I see baking as a learning process. I make it the way the recipe says to (more or less) then decide what I want to change. This time was no exception. Firstly, I would make twice the icing. I think it could of used more filling, and I use every bit. Secondly, my cake didn't absorb as much of the espresso syrup as I would have liked. I didn't use cake flour, I used all-purpose, which might have contributed to this. Lesson learned, I will pop for the cake flour next time around. My solution for both these problems will be simple - make it into four layers. More filling, more absorbency, and presto, problem solved!
I also started contemplating what this icing would be like on chocolate cake and immediately started drooling.
And here's a teaser for what's going to emerge next from the pastel covered walls of our kitchen:
August 4, 2010
Snack food
Once in awhile I post a healthy, low-fat, veggie filled recipe. This is not one of those times. This is one of those foods that you just don't really want to know, but damn it, it tastes good. What delicacy am I whipping up this time? Chex Mix. One of my favorite snack foods ever. The kind you buy in the store is pretty good, but I like making it myself because A) it's hella cheaper, B) I can put in it whatever I want, and C) the kind in the bag is never seasoned enough for me. This "recipe", is more like a description of how I do something that is stupid easy, but people seem to like mine, so I am sharing. Now I know this is nothing special, but I love it, and I like sharing things that make me happy.
Like many things that taste good, this will involve butter. I suppose you could use the fake stuff, but given that I live with a French-ish trained chef, nothing but the real thing ever enters my home. I think I might get left behind if I ever tried to slip fake butter into the cart at the store. So butter. Here's what all you're going to need:
2 sticks of melted butter
1 tbsp garlic powder
heaping tsp seasoned salt
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
some cumin
some chili powder
more salt if you think it's not salty enough, but mine usually is
if you're feeling frisky throw in some hot sauce
Mix all this together in your 4 c pyrex measuring cup you got from your mother. Pour over: approx one box corn chex, half a box wheat chex, most of a box of Spicy Cheez-It's. I usually pour half, then stir it good, then the other half, stir again. You want everything good and coated with the butter-y deliciousness. I usually cook it in my roasting pan, because that's the only thing I have big enough. Sadly, I think Chex mix is the only thing my roasting pan has ever really seen. Bake at 350 until it's all crispy, stirring every 20 minutes or so. It might take awhile. Mine has taken anywhere from 45 minutes to a couple of hours. Stirring is important though, otherwise it gets super crispy on top and is mush on the bottom.
One of my other favorite things about Chex mix is that you can use up stale stuff in it, cause it crisps back up in the oven. For instance, this time I used half a box of stale-ish cereal we had kicking around, and half a bag of stale pretzels that have been in my pantry for god knows how long. And it will be delicious. So the next time you want something salty, make chex mix. You won't regret it. And hey, you don't like my way, make up your own!
Like many things that taste good, this will involve butter. I suppose you could use the fake stuff, but given that I live with a French-ish trained chef, nothing but the real thing ever enters my home. I think I might get left behind if I ever tried to slip fake butter into the cart at the store. So butter. Here's what all you're going to need:
2 sticks of melted butter
1 tbsp garlic powder
heaping tsp seasoned salt
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
some cumin
some chili powder
more salt if you think it's not salty enough, but mine usually is
if you're feeling frisky throw in some hot sauce
Mix all this together in your 4 c pyrex measuring cup you got from your mother. Pour over: approx one box corn chex, half a box wheat chex, most of a box of Spicy Cheez-It's. I usually pour half, then stir it good, then the other half, stir again. You want everything good and coated with the butter-y deliciousness. I usually cook it in my roasting pan, because that's the only thing I have big enough. Sadly, I think Chex mix is the only thing my roasting pan has ever really seen. Bake at 350 until it's all crispy, stirring every 20 minutes or so. It might take awhile. Mine has taken anywhere from 45 minutes to a couple of hours. Stirring is important though, otherwise it gets super crispy on top and is mush on the bottom.
One of my other favorite things about Chex mix is that you can use up stale stuff in it, cause it crisps back up in the oven. For instance, this time I used half a box of stale-ish cereal we had kicking around, and half a bag of stale pretzels that have been in my pantry for god knows how long. And it will be delicious. So the next time you want something salty, make chex mix. You won't regret it. And hey, you don't like my way, make up your own!
August 3, 2010
Chai Cupcakes!
So there has been tons of stuff happening this summer. Wedding showers, baby showers, slip and slides, gardens, baking, re-organizing, and of course working TONS. Sean moved to nights at the restaurant, I've been working close to full time thanks to summer schedules, plus a new weekend gig. Needless to say, we've been keeping super busy! However, it being me, I have found lots of time for baking and knitting. A couple of weeks ago I concocted what might be one of my new favorite desserts. Chai cupcakes. And since it was demanded of me, I shall now share:
Cupcakes:
2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chai spice mix (following)
1/2 c butter at room temp
1 1/4 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 c milk steeped with chai tea
Chai Mix:
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 1/2 tsp cardamom
pinch of nutmeg (optional, I put it in because I mistakenly pulled it off the spice rack and felt like it)
Pre-heat your oven to 350. Heat up your milk and steep with chai teabags (I just microwaved it and threw in 2 tea bags, but do whatever floats your boat.) Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Alternate blending in wet/dry ingredients. If you feel like it makes it a difference, you can sift all the dry stuff together first, but I never do. I throw it in a bowl and whisk/mix with a fork and call it a day. Again, whatever you feel like doing will work. Bake for 15-20 minutes. I found mine usually required the 20 side of things, but I think I have a lazy oven.
In terms of frosting, I did one batch with Honey Cinnamon, and one Honey Cardamom, both with a cream cheese base. I used 8 oz of cream cheese, a couple of tbps of milk, a stick of softened butter, and 1/4 c honey. Blended all this together and get it good and fluffy, then mix in either some of the spice mix leftover from the cake, cardamom (cardamom and some lemon juice was GOOOOOD), or cinnamon. Again, whatever you feel like. Now a note on cream cheese frosting. Most recipes use some god awful quantity of powdered sugar, like 4 cups, or an entire bag, or whatever. Um, yeah. I usually start with something like 1/2 a cup, and I usually stay there. I don't like super sweet frosting, so this is about right for me. Especially when I used the honey, I started light with the sugar and tasted as I went. This had nothing to do with my intense love of cream cheese frosting and my desire to lick the beater the whole time. Nothing at all. If you like it sweet, go ahead and throw in as much sugar as your heart desires.
The spice mix is also good mixed with a can of sweetened condensed milk and used to make chai tea, or in a glass of milk to make a chai latte. Thanks for that one Jess!
Cupcakes:
2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chai spice mix (following)
1/2 c butter at room temp
1 1/4 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 c milk steeped with chai tea
Chai Mix:
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 1/2 tsp cardamom
pinch of nutmeg (optional, I put it in because I mistakenly pulled it off the spice rack and felt like it)
Pre-heat your oven to 350. Heat up your milk and steep with chai teabags (I just microwaved it and threw in 2 tea bags, but do whatever floats your boat.) Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Alternate blending in wet/dry ingredients. If you feel like it makes it a difference, you can sift all the dry stuff together first, but I never do. I throw it in a bowl and whisk/mix with a fork and call it a day. Again, whatever you feel like doing will work. Bake for 15-20 minutes. I found mine usually required the 20 side of things, but I think I have a lazy oven.
In terms of frosting, I did one batch with Honey Cinnamon, and one Honey Cardamom, both with a cream cheese base. I used 8 oz of cream cheese, a couple of tbps of milk, a stick of softened butter, and 1/4 c honey. Blended all this together and get it good and fluffy, then mix in either some of the spice mix leftover from the cake, cardamom (cardamom and some lemon juice was GOOOOOD), or cinnamon. Again, whatever you feel like. Now a note on cream cheese frosting. Most recipes use some god awful quantity of powdered sugar, like 4 cups, or an entire bag, or whatever. Um, yeah. I usually start with something like 1/2 a cup, and I usually stay there. I don't like super sweet frosting, so this is about right for me. Especially when I used the honey, I started light with the sugar and tasted as I went. This had nothing to do with my intense love of cream cheese frosting and my desire to lick the beater the whole time. Nothing at all. If you like it sweet, go ahead and throw in as much sugar as your heart desires.
The spice mix is also good mixed with a can of sweetened condensed milk and used to make chai tea, or in a glass of milk to make a chai latte. Thanks for that one Jess!
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