dessert overload!

oh wow, it's been a while since i've been here, but the semester is finally over (phew, scrapped by with no sleep and chugging honey tea w/ a splash of lemon. it really works!). but here's a recap of the last 2.5 weeks, and can't really talk about life w/o the sweet stuff right?

goodies from top left clockwise: stollen, maple cookies, biscoff cookies, biscoff scones, and oatmeal and dried cherry cookies

baking is my chance to work out my stress and get away from thinking about school or applications or whatever and just focus on a recipe and making something yummy. so as strange as the quote may seem at first i'm working on trying to notice Now.

but onto tastier things- recipes

• stollen is a German fruit cake (don't think the ones you see in the grocery store) filled with dried fruit (such as cherries like mine) and topped with powdered sugar. it's often made during the Christmas season so i was pretty much on target. one of the volunteers at my museum is the sweetest German lady ever and she's forever trying to feed me and take care of me, so i wanted to bake her something nice. this recipe doesn't actually include the yeast/rising/dough part, which makes it good for those under a time constraint. when i'm a bit sleep deprived i tend to forget things so mine was missing the egg (whoops!) but it was still very tasty. the bread was denser than the stollen the volunteer has fed me, but still really good. maybe i'll give fruit cake a try...haha
• maple cookies: these cookies and the dried cherry oatmeal ones occurred during frantic studying for advanced human nutrition (i used a whole pack of looseleaf paper by the end!). i used grade B (from VT). i had to change the sugar b/c the brown sugar i bought for thanksgiving had mysteriously disappeared...haha. but i had 1/2 c cane sugar as my sugar and got about 3 dozen small cookies (bite sized treats). i wish these cookies were a bit more cookie-like and less cake-like.
• biscoff cookies: biscoff spread is amazinggggg. it's funny how i don't really like sweets or desserts wtih caramel in them (b&j's caramel sutra comes to mind), but the caramel of this spread is rich and creamy (sugar and butter will do that:). there's tons of biscoff cookie recipes, and now i can't find the one i used, but our recipe called for them to be rolled in sugar before baking which i think tops the yum factor.
• biscoff scones: had the jar lying around so might as well put it to good use (although taking a spoon to the jar also sounded like a pretty good idea!). we left the glaze off b/c they were going to get transported to CT and scones always taste better warm so figured the glaze would just melt in funny ways when reheated. i would suggest making two smaller 4" wheels and then cutting b/c as one wheel these scones are way to big for one person to eat a wedge! but the biscoff flavor comes out really well in these scones. perfect with a cup of coffee.
• oatmeal and dried cherry cookies: once again, no brown sugar so for the sugar i used 1/2 c granulated sugar and 1/4 c cane sugar, but i'm sure using the regular sugars called for is fine (i also like my cookies a little less sweet, esp since my dried cherries were sweetened). these cookies are great buttery and crisp in texture. it also has a great sweet/tart flavor. 

happy baking! off to new england for a week or so. happy holidays and hopefully the world doesn't end on the 21st so i can keep baking.

bfast- really fast :)

quick and dirty breakfast egg cup-

all night trying to sleep and all i could think of was making this...clearly i tend to hyperfocus on the randomest things. so when my alarm went off at 6 this morning i got dressed for work and went about preparing this quick, healthy and oh so easy to fiddle with breakfast egg cups

Egg Cups
Makes 5

3 eggs, beaten
1/2 c broccoli, small florets (mine were frozen so i zapped them for a minute in the microwave)
1/2 c black beans (precooked)
dash of spices you like (i used black pepper, garlic and oregano)
optional additions- chopped up ham, pine nuts, other veggies, sun dried tomatoes, shredded cheese, etc. go crazy.

Combine all the ingredients and pour into a well greased (or sprayed) muffin tin. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until the edges are a golden brown.

On top of those additional items, you can always make each egg cup specific to a persons requests by adding in more ingredients to individual cups once they are all scooped out and before going into the oven.

This all took from start to finish about 30 minutes, so totally do able. I'm going to try it w/ some salsa for lunch today. happy eating!

thanksgiving recap

woo, as wonderful as thanksgiving is, i'm thankful it only happens once a year. although i suppose since leftovers drag out for a bit, it's not really one day. but most of the dishes i care about disappear within the first day, so i'm sort of in luck (now if someone could magic the pies out of my house, that would be great!)

the menu for the day. my foodservice class theme meal project seems to have rubbed off onto me. it was all new recipes again this year and i've modified most if not all the recipes to be healthier. the biscuits did not make an appearance (we were feeling unmotivated) and the spinach and artichoke dip didn't get a photo op b/c i was too lazy before it got devoured:)

from top left corner clockwish: rosemary and butter turkey, focaccia stuffing, focaccia stuffing base, apple pie and mississippi sweet potato pie, roasted lemon brussels sprouts, smashed potatoes. we also had a mushroom gravy (that stuff gets better and better everytime). recipes at the end!

the veg's plate (w/o the gravy yet)!


Recipes:

Spinach & Artichoke Dip with baked corn chips modified from here
Makes 5 cups

1 10oz pkgs frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
2 14-oz cans artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 c shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
8 oz light cream cheese, softened and cut in ½” cubes
½ c cannelini beans, pureed
1 c greek yogurt
¼ c grated Parmesan
4 cloves garlic, minced (1 T)
½ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp salt

1 pkg small Corn Tortilla wraps

Chips can be made a day to a few days ahead. Cut the tortillas into eighths and lay out on lined baking sheet. Bake in 350 for about 7 minutes. Flip or toss the wedges and bake for another 7 or until golden brown (the wedges will curl up). Let cool and keep in air tight container.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside half the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. In a large mixing bowl, stir together all remaining ingredients. Spoon mixture into a greased or sprayed 1- ½ to 2 qt baking dish. Sprinkle top w/ remaining cheeses. Bake uncovered for 25-40 minutes or until bubbly and golden.

Smashed Potatoes

serves 8

15 small red potatoes, washed, de-eyed, chopped into even pieces, boiled, water removed and mashed

3 wedges laughing cow garlic cheese

1/2 cauliflower head, microwaved about 5 minutes and pureed

1/2 can cannelini beans, pureed

3/4 c chopped kale

garlic

milk

salt and pepper
Make sure the potatoes are completely mashed, while still warm add other ingredients and spices to taste.

Roasted lemon Brussels sprouts

serves 6

2 lbs Brussels sprouts, washed and quartered

olive oil

garlic, minced

salt and pepper

Canola oil

lemon

Toss Brussels sprouts in all ingredients except lemon and spread out in large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Spray with canola oil (or olive oil. Bake in 350F for 10 minutes. Remove, toss and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with half lemon juice and toss. Serve immediately.

Focaccia Stuffing from here
serves 5
½ loaf focaccia bread, cubed
2 T pine nuts
1 ½ T olive oil
½ small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 dried sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
½ c marinated artichoke hearts, chopped 1 ½ T chopped fresh basil 1 c vegetable stock ½ tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 F. Place cubed bread in a large bowl and set aside.
In a dry skillet, toast pine nuts over medium heat until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the nuts to the bread cubes.

Heat 2 T of oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 5 min. Add garlic and cook for an additional 5 min, stirring often. To the bread bowl, add the onions and garlic, along with the sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, basil, stock, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined well.

*The day before I combined the sauteed onions, garlic, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, salt and pepper and kept it refrigerated. I also toasted the pine nuts in advance so that way on Thanksgiving day all that needed to be done was cubing the bread and tossing everything in basil and stock.
Oil a 3-quart casserole dish and spoon the stuffing into the dish. Spray the stuffing with canola oil. Bake, uncovered for about 20 minutes. Broil for a few minutes until golden.

Mississippi Sweet Potato Pie modified from here makes 1 pie
4 oz (1 stick) butter, softened, could probably use less of this 2 c baked and mashed Korean sweet potatoes 1/4 c brown sugar 1 5-oz can evaporated milk 3 eggs, beaten 1 tsp cinnamon 1 pie shells, unbaked
Mix butter, potatoes, sugar, and evaporated milk until well blended. Add eggs, and cinnamon; mix well. Pour into the prepared pie shells. Bake in a 350 oven for about 75, until set.

pumpkin goodness

a mini pie

if you don't have a pumpkin pie recipe for thanksgiving yet and want something a little different this year- go for this (i may sing a different tune when i try out a paula chiffon pumpkin recipe, but that's not important right now).

wasn't really feeling in the thanksgiving mood (which is a clear sign of something very wrong!) but after my run this morning i was feeling so much better (now i know, those 5 am runs are completely necessary). but anyway, since i had today off from work and was feeling rejuvenated, baking was in order! this is a recipe merging a much healthier recipe with a not as healthy one, and together it's yummy goodness, totally ready for t-day!

the crust inspiration comes from this fitness blog which i think i actually found from some daily newsletter i get in my inbox. 

regular sized muffin cup

the filling comes from my friday-at-work-and-only-30-minutes-left to do perusal. from foodnetwork.

i had some leftover filling (i made less "crust") and so popped the rest in the microwave for 3 minutes and had instant pumpkin pie filling (my favorite part). not sure what to call this- but i'm going with oat & date pecan maple pumpkin mini pie with maple whipped cream. whoo, that's too long. any suggestions?

Oat, date & Pecan crust Maple Pumpkin Mini Pie w/ Maple Whipped Cream

Makes 12 mini, and 8 muffin cup sized pies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups instant oats

8 large dates, pitted (make sure you take out the seeds, or you'll have my problem and wonder why your food processor sounds like it's dying and then have to dig and search for each partially broken seed)

pinch of salt

~ 1/4 c pecans

1/4 c water

1 c pumpkin puree

1 T all purpose flour

1 T sugar in the raw

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 c heavy cream

1/4 c maple syrup, grade B

1 egg, beaten

Maple whipped cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 c grade B maple syrup (or to taste)

dash of cinnamon

Optional

Top with a toasted pecan

Line muffin pans with paper wrappers. Process the oats, dates salt and pecans. Slowly add in the water until the mixture begins to combine (but not wet sticky!). Form into balls and press into the muffin tins.

For the pumpkin filling, combine all the ingredients except the egg. Taste, add more maple syrup or spices as desired, and then add in the egg. Spoon into the muffin tins and bake at 400 for 15 min (for the little ones) and about 25 min for the larger ones. Place a pan filled with some water in the oven (this way the pies won't crack on top and stay nice and moist).

For the whipped cream, beat the whipping cream on high speed until the mixture thickens. Add the maple syrup and continue to beat until the cream holds firm peaks. Dollop on top of the pies and sprinkle with cinnamon. Top with toasted pecan. 

happy baking!

the bright side of insomnia

there's always a positive spin to anything right. well, here it is, finally updating this baby :D

my mom bought these pre-peeled roasted chestnuts at Costco and since they have no preservatives realized we had to eat them in 7 days and since we're off on a 24 hour road trip we figured chestnut bread. which i couldn't find (anyone have a recipe?) but found this instead- Korean chestnut dessert. or what i'm just calling chestnut rolls. the whole blog is pretty cool.

i did a half recipe and fiddled a bit b/c of the insanity that was trying to get honey out of the bottle. i love that these aren't that sweet and remind me of my cakebites, but your teeth don't cry from the sugar shock (don't get me wrong, cakebites in a flavor i like are no match for my sweet tooth!). 

Korean Chestnut Rolls (adapted from the korean american mommy)
8 oz Galil roasted chestnuts
~3/4 T honey (i had clover)
1 T sesame seeds (i bet these would add a great flavor if toasted!)
dash salt
dash cinnamon
1/4 c pine nuts, toasted and ground coarsely.

Food process the chestnuts. Add the sesame seeds, honey, salt and cinnamon until a meal forms. Shape into balls. Food process the pine nuts (make sure your nuts are cooled before processing) and then roll the balls in the pine nuts. I got about 15 rolls/balls. (balls just sounds awkward...haha).

after seeing this post, all i want is to go out and buy a mini cheesecake pan! sounds and looks adorable! now if only there was a bakery store that was open 24/7. but seriously, peanut butter AND cheesecake. i'm thinking a biscoff version also needs to be tested!

happy baking! and happy weekend! we're off to cleveland to visit s4, which hopefully means some yummy italian food, if not, certainly delicious korean california rolls on the way over!

naners and mountains

s4 is here for a wedding so i dragged her out for hiking (i'm trying to get out as much as possible before school/rain/snow/craziness keeps me away!) but before i took her to see the view above, i made sure to feed her goodies:) 

trying out gluten-free goodies w/ no dairy (my nose is still causing problems) and gluten-free for s4. these are adapted from The Everything Cookbook (have i mentioned how much i love this book?). see below for the full recipe! it came out pretty awesome if i do say so myself. 

but back to the hike, we went to sugarloaf mountain out in dickerson, md which is about an hour from ec. it's privately owned so don't get thrown off by the sign to drive up the mountain to get parking (like catoctin mountain, coming earlier means better chances of getting parking- we got to sugarloaf around 9:30). we took a combination of orange, blue, red, and white to round out to 8 miles or so. we hit the top of the mountain on our first part and then hiked up and down on the second part, and at the speed we were going i was very happy we did the extreme uphill part on the first part! i only fell once, and just to warn you, this place is sandy and has lots of smaller loose rocks and rocks that jut out to trip you or play havoc with your ankles so i definitely wanted hiking boots here. we finished fast enough that we picnicked in the trunk of my car (i wish i had a pic of our asses stuck in the trunk as we ate our food) and then headed back out to get sidetracked a bit:D

an adorable farmer's market on the same road as the mountain. we grabbed some jonagold and mutsu apples. anybody heard of mutsu apples before? or know how to pronounce it? s4 and i think it sounds too much like the dog breed shitzu to be very appealing but they look and taste sort of like granny smith but not quite as tart. we also got a half gallon of apple cider (you can buy cups of cold cider, but it was starting to get really cold so we were craving some hot cider!) 

Gluten-free Banana Pancakes (aka instant delicious bfast)

(adapted from The Everything Cookbook Cornmeal Pancakes)

Makes about 8 cakes (for 3-4 people i would say)

1/2 c instant oats soaked overnight in 1/2 c plain soymilk

1/2 c corn meal

1/4 c instant oats (+about another 1/2 c)

1 T baking powder

~1/2 tsp salt, i was just using a salt grinder w/ sea salt

~1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 c soymilk (i think if this is decreased to just 1/2 c then additional oats don't have to be added, but i will have to test it out)

1 large egg

2 bananas, sliced

Combine the corn meal, 3/4 c dry instant oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and then make a well in the center. In another bowl, beat the egg and soymilk together and then combine with the dry ingredients, adding in the soaked oats as well. Batter should be runny but not overly so (if too runny, go ahead and add more oats or corn meal).

Preheat a buttered skillet over medium-high heat. Cook on the hot griddle, using about 1/4 cup batter per cake. Lightly press banana slices into the top of the poured batter into whatever shape you like. Cook about 1 or 2 minutes on each side; pancakes are ready to run when the tops have broken bubbles on the surface (or you lift an edge and it is golden brown on the underside).

*these are amazing if you like a bit of texture to your pancakes! not gritty, but still some more crunch to them, but still really soft from the soaked oats i think.

some adorable squash at the farmer's market!

fall strolling

i apparently have 2 hiking speeds: speed walking and jogging. the concept of strolling and soaking in your surroundings is lost on me. sure, i can get to an overlook and ooh and aah and sit for 5 minutes but then i zip right along again. but that's not the point- the whole idea of my hike was to just get away. ever get that antsy feeling where you just want to get away from yourself but then have to settle with just being by yourself. it's not so bad. rather relaxing and all sorts of chances to just be you. it was one of those weeks where nothing was going right, so being outside and active was just the sort of cure-all i needed.

Chimney Rock, my favorite part of the loop

i picked catoctin mountain state park b/c i  remember liking it back when i was little. their website has all their trail maps (read: for free!) and parking at the park is free as well (woot woot). i got there around 9 am and there were only about 3 cars parked at the visitor center (visitor center not only has free maps, but water fountains and bathrooms!) so all around i was a happy camper. i asked the park ranger at the desk where i should start to take the 8 mile loop. i picked the longest hike b/c i figured i'd get to see everything and i wanted to be away for as long as possible. he pointed the way and even gave me a hint about the trail signs. for those of you who want to go hike the 8 mile loop or hike catoctin mt in general here are some things i found out:

Blue Ridge Summit Overlook,
this is where I started seeing lots of other hikers

- no sign will mention the blue ridge summit overlook, just go towards hog rock if you are coming from thurmont vista
- go early on the weekend, parking gets crazy
- none of the trails are marked with trail names or blazes (athough they are very well maintained so hard to get lost...although there was the one time when i was trying to find chimney rock...)
- on the 8 mile loop you take the handicap access trail to cunningham falls and there is no way out to the falls without climbing over the observation deck fence (it's fun, trust me, just know that you will have to do some spidermany kind of moves to get back onto the observation deck, or you can just keep walking down the water until the platform opens up, but where's the adventure in that!)

Cunningham Falls

- you have to park somewhere else to take the lower or cliff trail
- i started towards chimney rock and ended at cunningham falls, i don't know if it was b/c it got more crowded or b/c i like big views better, but i much preferred chimney rock.

now, back to whole speed walking thing. i always walk fast. it's just the way i move. maybe it's b/c i had tall friends growing up and had to keep up w/ them but i enjoy racing up terrain. the 8 mi loop said it takes 4 hours and 45 min, adding on the mile-mile and a half i got lost on, it took me 3.5 hours to do it. and i spent a a little bit of time at every point of interest (some more than others when there were too many people).

Thurmont Vista, there was a pretty sweet bench here,
except it was really narrow

since it was still early early afternoon i wanted to check out cat rock (the description says "beautiful overlook" so i knew i had to check it out since i was already there. so i drove to another parking lot by park headquarters, squeezed into a grassy "parking" space and hiked up the 1.4 miles up. it ends at a sign post that says "cat rock- 1546 ft" (i'm not entirely sure about the exact number but it was in that range) and there was NO other sign. i had no idea where to look for this view. all the other trails had signs that pointed the rock formation to climb to get the view so i looked around and started going up this huge rock structure to the right of the sign and then got stuck on how to get to the top. luckily, met another hiker who was familiar with the overlook and he pointed out the route to take through the rocks. hint: go a little past the sign and climb up. it takes a bit of leveraging but the view is totally worth it! oh, and the hike says it takes 2 hours round trip, it took me an hour and i spent a while at the top until i got too cold to stay up there.

Cat Rock Overlook, the view I almost missed,
and boy was it high up and windy to get this shot

*just as an fyi, these pictures are not in order of how i hiked to them. the actual order i went was: chimney rock, wolf rock, thurmont vista, blue ridge summit, hog rock and cunningham falls. but i took some artistic pleasure in ordering them the way i wanted. i also didn't include pics of wolf rock or hog rock b/c that would be picture overload:)