Magic Tricks and Yellow Flowers

Once again I've found myself wrapped up in a project because someone mentioned something to me, I can't even stop myself anymore, it's a sickness I swear. It all started a few weeks ago when I got in my mind the idea for a blog post for the first day of spring. I'd taken some inspiration from the yellow flowers that always bloom around the 21st of March to make something lovely and lemony yellow. But I swear, not a day after I did, and got myself all excited for spring, it started snowing again and it snowed for two more days after that.  Oh well. So I put the blog post on the back burner, and I took these lemon bars over to my mother's house to celebrate the now only symbolic arrival of spring. Upon first bite she proclaimed these lemon bars to be the best she ever had. This of course pleased me to no end, and gave me the big head.

Later that same week I got to talking to my baking teacher and she asked me if maybe I had any gluten-free magic tricks up my sleeve for our cookie class in two weeks. As usual I got sort of flustered, and pink cheeked and made no promises, but on the trip back home I got to thinking about those "best I've ever had" lemon bars and thought that maybe they'd be just the thing to cut to pieces and turn into something new. Back at home I set to work to altering this lemon bar recipe so that it would work gluten-free. It was.... a fairly painful process with many many trips ( 6!) to the garbage can. BUT with a whole lot of patience and a little mad science I  finally managed to produce a miracle just in time for class that was not just good for gluten-free, it was just plain awesome. So here we are, the most amazing lemon butter bars, two ways.

Regardless of the recipe you choose to make here, either gluten-free or the original, the assembly method is the same, and it's pretty simple too. Also, I've listed the recipe in grams because in my experience (which might not be yours) some of the weight amounts for the gluten-free flour blend were so very slight they wouldn't even register on my kitchen scale on the imperial/ U.S. setting, so I've listed the recipe in grams for the sake of accuracy.

Gluten-Free Lemon Butter Bars
Adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Rose's Christmas Cookies 
You can find the original gluten-y recipe here

Shortbread Base - Adapted from Gluten Free On a Shoestring

54 grams Brown Rice Flour
54 grams White Rice Flour
27 grams Tapioca Starch
36 grams Potato Starch
5.4 grams Xanthan Gum
3.6 grams pectin ( I used this kind)

14 grams Powdered Sugar
25 grams granulated Sugar
142 grams Cold Unsalted Butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Lemon Curd Topping

4 large egg yolks ( 74 grams)

150 grams granulated sugar
94 grams lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 1/2 large lemons)
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons (4 grams) lemon zest (finely grated) 
57 grams unsalted butter (softened) 

2 tablespoons(14 grams) powdered sugar for dusting 

For the shortbread base
Add the GF flour mix and the sugars to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine, start adding the butter in small batches to the bowl and pulse until it disappears. Add all the butter and pulse until the dough starts to come together into a ball. Remove the dough from the processor, wrap it in plastic and chill for a few minutes ( 15 in the freezer, 20 ish in the fridge) until it gets firm. While you're waiting, preheat the oven to 325* F.

Line the bottom of a metal 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper that's just long enough so that a little bit of the paper hangs over the sides ( you can use this as a handle to remove the bars from the pan later. It makes life soooo much easier).

Once the shortbread base is chilled and firm, press it into the bottom of the of the parchment lined baking pan and baking in the oven for 25 -30 minutes and the top is lightly golden brown.

While the base is baking, start making the lemon curd topping.

*For the next step you'll need a double boiler, if you're like me and don't have a double boiler laying around you can ghetto rig one by nesting a sauce pot or a skillet over a simmering pot of water.

In the top bowl of a double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, then add the lemon juice ( you have to combine them in this order egg-sugar-lemon juice, because the acid in the lemon will start cooking the egg too soon if you add it first). Cook the lemon curd, whisking constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and starts to resemble the texture of hollandaise. Remove from heat, add the butter, salt and lemon zest and whisk until smooth.

When the shortbread base comes out of the oven, add the lemon curd to the hot base, smoothing it out a little so it's even. Lower the oven temp to 300* and put the lemon bars back in the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then refrigerate the pan for 30 minutes to set the lemon curd completely before cutting into bars. Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!

"Tennessee Flavors"

"Opry Clusters"

A few weeks ago my culinary program had their annual fundraising event called Tennessee Flavors, $50 bought you access to an entire building filled with tasting tables from restaurants, bakeries and breweries all over Nashville.

The culinary students came by before the event to help set up and assist vendors and some of us supernerds showed up early in the morning and stayed all day long helping to prepare desserts for the NSCC tasting table (can you spot my contribution?). I was soooo nervous to work with people I didn't know, baking food for a real event but I got over it pretty quick once I got in the kitchen.

"Mooney Pies"

Flourless Chocolate Brownies

Raspberry Mousse in chocolate cups (left) Chess Squares (right)

At some point during the night all the students got to take a break and sample some of the marvelous food at the tasting tables. I of course couldn't resist and brought my camera.

 

 It was an amazing experience, super fun and we had a great turnout. All the food was heavenly and so diverse. I can't wait to do it again! I ended up staying until late into the night after the event to help clean up too and boy did I sleep like a corpse when I got home!

"The Call of Wild Yeast; A Story In Bread Portraits"

I have never been more in love in my entire life.

Last year when I started culinary school, I didn't really know what I was doing it for, just that I had to do it. There wasn't really a clear objective in my mind when I signed up to go, just a very strong feeling pulling me in that direction. Call it silly and superstitious if you want, but sometimes you just have to do what feels right to you.The problem with going off of a feeling though, is that for a while I just felt like I was bumping around, going through the motions sort of waiting around for that next feeling that would point out what the hell I was supposed to do next. All year long I waited and waited, I went to all my classes, kept my grades up and felt pretty much like a fraud. Whenever classmates would ask me what my plans were after school I wouldn't have an answer.

This semester I started my first baking class, it's a required class and was a royal pain to get into. I had to rearrange my work schedule to be able to get up at 7am and drive across town to go and I still have to work all night long just a few hours after class is over. Despite all of that, I have never been happier than when I am in this class.

I feel absolute bliss every moment of the five hour class period; the science, the history, the smells, (even washing the dishes!)... I love it all. It helps of course that the Chef in charge of our class ( despite the hour) speaks passionately and knowledgeably about chemical composition, wild yeasts, and her own personal world travels in such a way as to make note taking unnecessary. 

When I'm not in class I spent nearly every moment thinking and planning and dreaming about recipes and flavors and alternative flours. Every week we're given homework to practice what we made in class and bring in a sample, and every week I go home and make six or seven batches. I have five different butter slicked notebooks (in the kitchen, the bedroom, next to my purse...) filled with scribbles of dreamed up skeleton recipes. Index cards, junk mail envelopes, and old receipts with gluten free flour combination ideas and ratios scrawled over the backs. I even take my expensive camera with me to class! I've never felt so frustrated and exhilarated and utterly consumed by a thing in all my life. 

That feeling I was waiting for, this is it.

I don't know exactly what I'm going to do after this semester is over, or where I'm going to go but I've got the pulling feeling again. 

You must, you must be a baker.

Stay tuned.

"2012 In Pictures" or "It's Over Already?!"

There was a LOT of experimenting in 2012, (It was my first year of college what can I say? Har har har.. *cough*). My first two classes in culinary school were Nutrition, and Sanitation and Safety, which made me VERY aware of just what I was eating and all the ways I could keel over and die from eating...well basically anything.

So in January I went gluten free

Gluten Free Pound Cake

Gluten Free Vegan Cupcakes

Peanut butter fudge chocolate chip pie

and by spring break fear had driven me to become gluten free vegan

White Bean Hummus

Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

But by the time finals came around my stressed out belly couldn't resist becoming carnivorous again

Crunchy Peanut Noodles

In May I visited family in the country, got some old time religion, wore a loud dress and sang gospel songs with my sister. I also made a Dairy Free Blueberry coffee cake that somehow slipped through the cracks and I never posted about.

Dairy Free Blueberry Coffee Cake - Recipe below

In June I was a farmer for a little while, I think the wildlife enjoyed more of my fresh produce than I did but I had fun anyway.

Gardening Adventures

In July I ran my first 10k in 90 degree heat, it was one of my hardest races ever and I've run two half marathons! The upside is that afterwards there was lemonade and pie.

Party Of Special Things To Do

 Skin issues kept me dairy free through August but, I still managed to make some amazingly good pies all summer long, including my dairy free key lime pie that was my most popular post of 2012.

Blueberry Blackberry Pie

Blueberry Peach Cobbler

Dairy Free Key Lime Pie

Peach Pie

Summer Squash Tart

In late August I got my first car(!!!) and took a trip to East Nashville to see the Tomato Art festival

Tomato Art Fest

In October I ran Halloween 5k as a Matador, it was chilly out this time and much MUCH more fun.

Yes he walked the whole race in stilts.

 In early December everyone on the internet was cookie swapping

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

and just last week I finished and passed all my fall culinary classes (all As!) and  made my very first (semi) traditional Chrismahanukwanikka dinner.

Roast chicken, green beans, peanut butter cup pie, pecan pie, biscuits and whipped parsnips

And that was my 2012! Hope 2013 is just as awesome, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

******

Blueberry Best Coffee Cake

Adapted from Betty Crocker ( find the original recipe here)

Crumb Topping

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup caster sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup coconut oil

Coffee Cake

2 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup full fat Soy Milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 egg

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup frozen wild blueberries, thawed and drained of excess juice

Vanilla glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 to 1 1/12 tsp warm water

For the crumb topping

Heat oven to 375°F. Grease bottom and side of 9x3-inch springform pan or 9-inch square pan with shortening or cooking spray. In small bowl, mix  1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup flour and the cinnamon. Cut in coconut oil with fork until crumbly. Set aside.

In large bowl, stir together all coffee cake ingredients except  wild blueberries; beat with spoon 30 seconds. Fold in blueberries. Spread batter in pan. Sprinkle with topping.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove side of pan.

In small bowl, mix all glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle ( add more water if it's too thick). Drizzle over warm coffee cake.

Makes 9 servings

"Comfort Carbs and Cookie Bombs" Or " Warning May Contain Nuts"

I haven't had a lot of time for blogging lately, what with getting eaten alive by culinary school, but I knew before the semester even started that when the Food Blogger Cookie Swap came around again I would have to make time for it. What I didn't know when I made these plans, was;
 1) that all the deadlines would fall smack in the middle of my GIANT stressful finals
 2) just how soothing it would be to bake and mail cookies after 20 straight weeks of having my cooking ( technique, appearance and taste) scrutinized by teachers, classmates and family members
3) Just what a life saver receiving three dozen cookies in the mail would be when I'm having a finals week meltdown ( Angela, Melissa, and Kristina THANK YOU!) COMFORT CARBS FTW!

This is my second year participating in the Food Blogger Cookie Swap and despite my currently chaotic life, I enjoyed participating this year just as much as I did the first. It really is a lot of fun to connect with other food bloggers outside of the internet and actually get to taste what other foodies are cooking up. There's an element of food blogging that despite it's roots in home and family is still kind of cold, but getting to send and receive things in the mail, it makes me feel a little less like a blogger and a little more like what I want to be in the future; a professional baker connecting with people over a shared love of delicious noms. I think a lot of other participants feel that way too. When I look at the packages that I received (and just like last year gobbled up too ravenously to bother taking pictures) and I look at the care and attention to detail that each one of my matches took to box up their cookies in cute little tins, add ribbons and and notes and meticulously designed business cards, I see that intense love for the food they made and the intense desire to share that love. It's pretty awesome.

As for my cookies, well this recipe is a bit of a wild card, they're Caramel Apple Cider cookies, flavored with Alpine spiced cider mix and filled with Kraft caramels. I love these crazy cookies because they're kind of a showstopper, even though the basic skeletal idea seems like they'd be a bit on the Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade side since they rely heavily on prepacked ingredients, the end result is so satisfying you won't mind the steps that got you there.They have a homey cinnamon taste similar to a snicker doodle, but the subtle cider flavor and the ooey gooey caramel center elevates this cookie to a dessert experience that stands on it's own.

My biggest problem was getting swept away with the process. There's something sooo therapeutic about working with your hands when you know that you've got other more pressing things to do, like write papers and study for tests, and these cookies have a lot of active hands on time. There's butter browning, cookie forming, caramel squishing ( and caramel making, if you're the kind of personal talented enough to make your own caramels), which is a kind of a lot for cookies. I for some reason, just wouldn't tire. Even though I had other things to do I sort of kept on baking more and more of these cookies. I may or may not have made 9 dozen, cookie bombed my family members once I'd sent out my three dozen food blogger swap boxes, and eaten the rest for dinner. Don't judge me, it's finals week.

If you want to learn more about the Food Blogger Cookie Swap or would like to participate next year, you can read all about it here.

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

recipe adapted from The Cooking Photographer

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

3/4 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

6 pouches Alpine Spiced Cider drink mix (original, not sugar free)

1 bag Kraft Caramels

1. Brown the butter. Heat two sticks of butter in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat until the butter melts and the milk solids start to turn brown and the butter smells nutty, remove from heat.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine browned butter, caster sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, Alpine Cider mix and cinnamon and whisk to combine. Set the whole mixture in the refrigerator to cool for 15 minutes or until the butter starts to become solid again. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

3.  While the butter is cooling, get your caramel station ready. Unwrap enough caramels for your first few batches of cookies and squash them slightly either with your thumbs or the bottom of a mug. It doesn't take much, but flattening them out helps the cookies spread better in the oven.

4. Once the butter mixture sets up, remove it from the fridge and whisk until the butter and sugar start to get fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time.

5. Add the salt, baking soda and flour to the butter mixture and stir to combine.

6. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper ( do NOT skip this step you will be sad when you have to scrub caramel off your sheet pans).

7. Take a flattened caramel and wrap it with just enough cookie dough to cover the candy all the way around, try to keep the dough to caramel ratio to about 50/50.

8. Place the dough balls on your parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes, until very lightly browned ( they don't get very dark). Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes or so and then move them to a cooling rack. If they're particularly gooey set them on the cooling rack bottom side up.

9. Serve warm OR enjoy later warmed for just a minute in a toaster oven or the microwave.

 Makes 3 dozen cookies