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London: Desserts Edition

Written on June 17, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous, Restaurant Review

Whereas the food in London wasn’t so great, at the end of the day there was always something sweet and delicious offered up, from meringues the size of my head to vegan, gluten-free banoffee trifles from Manna.

This wasn’t the best dessert I had(that’s a little lower down) but it was definitely the prettiest. Layers of gluten-free chocolate cake, caramel sauce, soy pudding, and banana slices. I felt compelled to order this after another restaurant had banoffee pie on their dessert menu that same day and everyone in my party had to ask me what that was. It was also dessert on one of the flights; who knew it was that popular? The chocolate cake in the trifle was delicious, rich, and moist. The pudding, although it had good flavor, also had a strong soy aftertaste. If I tried to recreate this vegan I’d probably use something neutral in flavor for the custard base like cashews.

One thing that was everywhere in England was fudge. It must be the national dessert, because you could get it on any street corner. This brand apparently won awards so I just had to try it, and a chocolate fudge by the same manufacturers. The chocolate fudge wasn’t very chocolaty—I prefer my microwave chocolate fudge—, but the manuka honey fudge was excellent. It had a strong amber flavor to it that made it taste like a soft, butter toffee.

The best dessert I had was from a vegetarian restaurant called saf located at the Kensington Whole Foods. We didn’t eat at the actual restaurant but I grabbed a raw pudding cup from their to-go section. It wasn’t very pretty, but what it lacked in looks it made up for I flavor.

Mmm, doesn’t that look appealing, especially when you know that spirulina and moss are what make that bright green color? As off-putting as it was, I just had to lick the sides of the container clean. It was that good. I will definitely try to make something like this at home, perhaps without the moss.

Even though it wasn’t English, I’d give honorable mention to the chocolate covered vanilla-infused ganache from La Maison Du Chocolat. This came from the confections room at Harrods, which was quite literally a room full of gourmet chocolate stands. I was in heaven. It was hard to choose just one thing but I think I made the right choice with this; the inside was impressively soft and a nice contrast to the chocolate shell. I wanted to stay in that room all day.

Isn’t dessert grand?

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Raw Mini Ganache Tortes

Written on June 2, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Remember the best dessert money can buy? I can’t forget. Ever. One thing I miss horribly about Providence is being a short bus ride away from Wildflour bakery. That’s probably a good thing for my wallet and health but hard on the heart. Since I’m obsessed with their raw ganache dessert it was the first one I wanted to try and recreate. Smooth, rich chocolate that I could call healthy and make any time? How could I say no.

Raw Mini Ganache Tortes

Ingredients for the crust:

1 1/4 cups cashews*
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 cup maple syrup(or agave)
1 Tablespoon coconut oil

Ingredients for the filling:

6oz cacao butter**, melted
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup maple syrup(or agave)
2 Tablespoon coconut oil

*You can use any nuts; these are what I had on hand

**cacao butter is a specialty food product available online and in some grocery stores such as Whole Foods.

For the crust, pulse the cashews in a food processor until they’re finely ground. Add in the cocoa powder, coconut oil, and maple syrup and continue to blend until it forms a dough.

Flatten about a tablespoon of dough into the bottom of regular sized muffin wells.

To make the filling, gently melt the cocoa butter and coconut oil until they’re completely liquid(be careful that the cocoa butter doesn’t boil on you). Mix in the cocoa powder and maple syrup until completely smooth.

Scoop about 1/4 cup of ganache over each crust. Refrigerate until the chocolate has set.

To release them, gently run a sharp knife around the edges of the well until the torte pops out. For the best texture, keep refrigerate until 20 minutes before serving.

These are good. Like, really good. If I weren’t up against the best dessert money can buy they’d probably be my favorite. But I have to admit that Wildflour’s raw ganache is still the best I’ve ever had. It’s also probably cheaper to buy it than to make it with the raw ingredients since cacao butter is a pricey ingredient(although I plan on seeing if unsweetened baker’s chocolate will work in this recipe as well for a cheaper, less-raw alternative). Until I have theirs again I’ll have no problem settling with these.

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Puppy Chow Peanuts

Written on May 25, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

I think it’s safe to say most people’s favorite part about puppy chow is the peanut butter and the chocolate. Why even bother with the rest then? This recipe features the best part about puppy chow–the sweet chocolate peanut butter coating–on top of peanuts for an extra level of nuttiness and crunch.

Puppy Chow Peanuts

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup no-stir peanut butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Method:

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or over a double boiler.
Stir the peanut butter into the melted chocolate to make a smooth and uniform coating.
Pour in the peanuts. Move them around to coat them completely in the peanut butter and chocolate.
Scoop the peanuts into a large sealable bag. Add in the powdered sugar and shake the bag until the peanuts are completely covered.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

If you like these, you might like almond puppy chow.

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2 10-Minute Recipes You Must Make

Written on May 24, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Recipe Round-Up

Saturday morning I was a ball of energy. I was excited to be home and have the sun out. I strapped up my laces and ran for 15 miles down back roads, past schools, up hills and through neighborhoods. And I felt really good, too! Until that afternoon when I hit the wall. Hard.

I didn’t feel like cooking. I felt like sitting on the couch and watching Tivoed Food Network pretending they were cooking for me. But then I remembered these two recipes and how easy they were. After 30 minutes in the kitchen I had dinner and dessert; who could say no to that?

Caramelized Onion and Balsamic Vinegar Bean Salad: I think the name says it all. If you like onions you will love this, and I do. The recipe makes a lot so I’ve been eating the leftovers for the past two days and it only gets better.

Espresso Chocolate Bark: I really love chocolate covered espresso beans. This is the closest way I’ve found to make them at home that’s also easy. There’s nothing better than a dessert with a buzz.

So there you go. Don’t let a long day keep you from eating well. Good food is only 10 minutes away.

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Baking Chocolate 101

Written on May 23, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in How To

Last week I got this question on my Outrageous Triple Chocolate Brownies recipe:

“What type of baking chocolate do you recommend for these? I have just been using semi sweet chocolate chips”

I’ve never met chocolate I didn’t like, but some are undoubtedly better than others, to eat and to bake with. Here’s what 2+ years of home baking has taught me:

95% of the time chocolate chips are fine. I use these chocolate chips for my baking all the time. I eat them out of the bag sometimes. Don’t give me that look; who are you, the cops?

However, that other 5% of the time when I’d be baking to really impress someone—say, something for Paula Deen or Bobby Flay—I would look at the other baking chocolate options.

Baking chocolate is available either in the baking aisle or with other specialty products. It usually comes in bar form as Scharffen Berger is in the top photo, but if you’re buying it by the pound it might be in chunk form like above. To use in recipes simply chop the chocolate into smaller sizes like chocolate chips come; this will help the chocolate melt more evenly.

Semi-sweet and bitter-sweet are practically interchangeable, so if you only have one and the recipe calls for the other don’t panic. Bitter-sweet has slightly less sugar so it will have a darker flavor. Don’t, however, interchange unsweetened chocolate with bitter-sweet or semi-sweet since that will throw the recipe’s flavor off entirely.

When a recipe calls for cocoa powder, make sure you’re using pure cocoa powder, which comes unsweetened.

The product on the left already has sugar in it and is better for hot chocolate mixes, whereas the one on the right is what most recipes will call for. Alkalized or dutched cocoa powder has been treated to remove some of the natural bitterness of chocolate. Most recipes are written for dutched cocoa powder but both will work; non-alkalized cocoa powder will have a more pure chocolate flavor.

Ultimately chocolate is chocolate and the best way to know if something’s good for baking is to taste it. You shouldn’t bake with a chocolate you wouldn’t eat. The higher percentage of chocolate that’s in the recipe the more you should consider what flavor it will bring.

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Home

Written on May 22, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Uncategorized

Home is a funny concept. We all know what it feels like, but no one can define it.

It’s not a building with a front lawn and a wood porch.

It’s not where the home fries burn and omelets come out perfectly.

It’s not where you can watch endless hours of crappy Bravo TV reality shows and still feel good about yourself(though that’s about as close as you’ll get).

It’s not about the ice cream maker just begging to be used through Summer.

It’s not about the back roads with hayfields, ice cream stands and cattle.

It’s not where there’s always a stack of cinnamon no-grain pancakes waiting for you in the morning.

It’s not where you can walk down the street and have everybody know your name.

Lady Antebellum says it best: Home is where the ~~chocolate~~ heart is.

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Plant-Based Diet: An Update

Written on May 14, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Running

We’ll get to that in a minute.

Back in April I posted about a plant-based diet to get back into shape after a rough 4 months or so.

And then I fell off the wagon that weekend. I had some excellent chicken dishes at the Elephant Walk and later the best raw dessert from Wildflour Bakery and other stuff I don’t really remember. But I didn’t want to stop trying then so I put on my big boy pants and made a salad.

Lots of them, actually. A typical meal has become vegetables, roasted or sautéed, with some beans or a few eggs. If I cooked an egg any way other than frying it I’m sure that’d be healthier but fried is perfection. Who can argue with that?

Oh an I drink a lot of these, too, “for my health”. They just taste so good.

Anyone, if you asked me I wouldn’t say I feel or look any different. Everyone says “Start a plant-based diet and you’ll suddenly have so much energy.” I’ve never been a bounce-off-the-wall person before and I’m still not.

But then something funny happened this week. Tuesday I casually ran 10 miles in just under 1 hour 24 minutes. That same course took me over 5 minutes longer a month before. Then, 2 days later, I ran it again in 1 hour 25 minutes, like I do this every day. I don’t. Or I didn’t, but now I do? And I’ve been increasing the weights I lift, too, so I must be doing something right.

That’s not to say I eat perfectly by any means. I eat chocolate all too often. I have honey by the spoonful when I’m bored or stressed. And I eat giant slices of vegan/gluten-free pound cake from Wildflour when I’m done with exams. It’s vegan so there must be plants in there somewhere. But progress is progress, and this is an update, not an end.

And now I’m off to run. I hope I don’t run too fast and taste cake. Or maybe I do.

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Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Filled Strawberries

Written on May 9, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Sometimes covering things in chocolate just isn’t enough.

That’s when you add peanut butter.

I made these on Mother’s Day, even though I had seen my mom Saturday and wasn’t going to see her Sunday. What can I say? I’m not going for son of the year award. Since there’s nothing with chocolate that can’t be better with peanut butter, I figured these would work, and they did! And they’re just as simple to make as the original, too.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Filled Strawberries

Ingredients:

Strawberries
No-stir peanut butter
Chocolate

Cut the strawberries in half.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave or double-boiler.

Put about a teaspoon on one side of each strawberry and sandwich it lightly with the other.

Gently roll the strawberry in chocolate, being sure to cover it all around about 3/4 of the way up.

Put the strawberries on a sheet of wax paper and refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened. Serve at room temperature.

These are a little messy, but oh-so worth it. The peanut butter adds just enough flavor to pair well with the chocolate. This will teach fruit to ever try and be healthy again.

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Mini Raw Cheesecake With Chocolate Shortbread Crust

Written on May 2, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Most of the time I like no fuss desserts: A ~~bar~~ piece of chocolate, 5 a spoonful of peanut butter, leftover frosting eaten with a spoon—you know, something simple. But once and a while I like making something unique with complimenting flavors and textures, the sort of thing you’d buy at a bakery. These were surprisingly simple for how impressive they came out. The cookie crust could be eaten on its own and really brings the dessert to a new level. It’s more rich than it is sweet. And since it’s raw and mini, you can eat about 5 and feel good about it, or at least think that.

Mini Raw Cheesecake With Chocolate Shortbread Crust

Ingredients(Makes 7 mini cheesecakes)

For the crust:

3 Tablespoons almond butter
3 Tablespoons coconut butter, semi-softened
1 Tablespoon agave nectar
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder

For the filling:

1 1/4 cups cashews, soaked in water for 3-4 hours
1/4 cup coconut oil
4 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional: Fruit, nuts, or chocolate shavings for topping

Line a cupcake tray with paper liners. Make the crust by mixing together all of the crust ingredients and separating it into 7 equal portions. Flatten each into a disk and place it into the bottom of the paper liners. Refrigerate the chocolate bases while making the filling.

To make the filling, drain the cashews from their water. Add all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Scoop the filling evenly into the paper liners and level each. Place them in the refrigerator to harden until ready to be served.

I think I’ll have another.

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7 Obsessions

Written on May 1, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous

I signed up to get an account on Pinterest this week but I’m still on the waiting list. I’m pretty sure I could have made an appointment with and seen my old orthodontist by this point. I figured I’ll just share my obsessions here until I get an account.

Raw desserts. Even better if they contain cocoa powder. Ever since starting a plant-based diet I’ve convinced myself if it’s made of nuts and agave it’s practically health food. Please don’t argue with me; I have nothing to back that up with.

Chickpeas. It’s not just the curry. I don’t remember the last proper meal that I ate without them. Send help. Or an industrial sized can of chickpeas.

The Royal Wedding. I don’t care that it’s over; I still want to talk about it. I’ll watch any television program that talks about it. In fact, I bet 60 Minutes will do a report on it and can’t wait to hear what Andy Rooney has to say. Plus, we still have the Royal Honeymoon, Royal Baby-making, and Royal 401k to track. Oh wait, they’re rich. And British. Scratch that last one.

Chocolate. Always chocolate.

Doctor Who. Holy intensity, Batman. I’ve watched one episode so far and this already looks like the best season yet. Except I can only remember half of it—I wonder why? If you ever feel compelled to email me about fictional alien conspiracy theories, please do. That’s what the Contact page is for, after all. Just no spoilers.

Adele. She’s the best thing to come out of the UK since Doctor Who and the Royal Wedding. If you haven’t listened to her 21 album yet, don’t; you’ll never stop.

Kombucha. I know some people are freaked out by this drink but I just love it. It’s probably because I don’t drink alcohol so it’s the closest thing to a buzz I’m getting that’s not a haircut. The long, stringy bacteria thingy(a technical term) is my favorite part.

What do you love lately?

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