Pink Buttercream

This pretty dude was resting on my desk when I got to work this morning. Nothing says "Valentine's Day" like a hot pink doughnut! If I'd had the foresight I might have picked up a dozen myself & iced them with a bit, or a lot, of buttercream.

Pink Buttercream, ices one cake or a dozen cookies, cupcake or doughnuts

adapted from Savory Sweet Life

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 c. confectioners sugar, sifted

4 tbsp. milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

8-12 drops pink food coloring

Cream the butter on medium speed in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Change the speed to low & add the confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Increase the speed back to medium & add the vanilla & salt. If the icing is to runny add a bit more confectioners sugar. If it is too thick, add a bit more milk. Add the food coloring a few drops at a time until desired "pinkness" is reached & mix with a spatula. Grab your nearest baked good (think cupcakes, cookies, doughnuts) & ice away!

Maple-Prosciutto Chicken with Brown Sugar Carrots

Can't get the kiddos to eat their veggies? Here's a fail-safe method for ensuring optimal veggie consumption: drench them in brown sugar & butter. I never was a terribly picky eater as a child, but there were one or two things I turned my nose up at (Raw tomatoes, no way! Olives, forget it!!). These sugary carrots were not among my food rivals.

I'd forgotten about these sweet little gems until recently. I was standing in the aisles of Trader Joe's with a giant bag of baby carrots in my hands trying to justify the purchase to myself ... well, I'll never eat this whole bag on my own ... they almost always go bad ... what would I even cook with baby carrots ... brown sugar carrots, of course!

The next dilemma, what on earth to eat with sweet veggies? Well, fried chicken & mashed potatoes are often teamed up with them, but I wanted to dress it up a bit. Adult-ify them, if you will. Crisp, salty-sweet, maple-y prosciutto wrapped chicken turned out to be the perfect partner for these sugary little carrots. Not to mention, if I may say, super yummy!!

Maple-Prosciutto Chicken, for 2
2 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
4 slices prosciutto
1 shallot, minced
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 c. white wine
salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 350F. Meanwhile, wrap the chicken breasts in cellophane & pound them (the back of a heavy skillet works wonders) until they're about 1/2" thick. Heat an oven proof skillet over medium heat and melt the butter.

While the butter melts, wrap the chicken breasts in prosciutto -- two slices of prosciutto per breast should be enough -- & press well. Simply pressing firmly should keep the prosciutto secure on the chicken, but use a tooth pick or two if necessary.

Next, toss in the shallot & a pinch of salt in with the butter. After a minute or so, add 1 tbsp. of the maple syrup. Brown the chicken breasts on each side, about 4 minutes per side. Then transfer the skillet to the oven for 2 - 3 minutes to cook through.

Finally, remove the skillet from the oven & set the chicken aside. De-glaze the pan with white wine & add the remaining syrup. Drizzle over the chicken & serve.


Brown Sugar Carrots, for 2
1/2 lb. baby carrots
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
a pinch of salt

In a medium sauce pan melt the butter. Once melted, toss in the sugar & combine. Then add the carrots & cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 15 minutes.

One year ago: Suprêmes de Volaille aux Champignons & Melanzane alla Parmigiana with Zucchini & Asparagus Crudi

Zebra Cake

I don't remember the first time this ice-box cake landed on the dinner table. All I remember is trying to wrap my young mind around the strange concoction. Was it ice cream? No. Was it some sort of pudding? No, not really. Was is cake? Well, I guess, but this was no ordinary cake. Creamy, cool, chocolaty - almost coconuty & zebra striped to boot, I was in love. How could simple whipped cream & thin chocolate wafers, after just a few hours in the fridge, turn into this!?

I assumed my mother possessed some magical dessert spell book (sometimes I still think she does), but it turns out, this cake has been gracing dinner tables for a better part of the 20th century. Sadly, the Famous Chocolate Wafer's popularity has waned & they're becoming nearly impossible to find in stores. After hitting up three different supermarkets I finally came across a cache of the cookies on the very top shelf of a cookie aisle in a local Albertson's. Not an easy thing to spot for a gal of just 5 feet, but well worth the hunt.

Zebra Cake or Famous Chocolate Wafer Cake
3 c. heavy cream
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 (9 oz.) packages chocolate wafer cookies, 2 or 3 cookies reserved (for topping)

In a large bowl, beat cream, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Set aside.

Start with three or four cookies & spread a dollop of whipped cream between each, making something like little sandwiches -- think triple, quadruple, quintuple, decker oreos. Lay each cookie "sandwich" on its edge on a large platter. Continue the process, making rows of cookie & whipped cream "sandwiches," until you have a log shape.

Cover the cookie & whipped cream "sandwiches" with a layer of whipped cream, smoothing with a spatula. Crumble 2 or 3 cookies on top. Refrigerate for 4 -6 hours, then serve.

One year ago: Lemon Pepper Pappardelle with Parsnip Ribbons & Capers & Mother's Enchiladas

Toasted Marshmallow Milkshakes

Not to reinforce a girly trope, but I do not do taxes. 1040. 1040EZ. 1040 Schedule C. Schedule M. Form XYZ. If A, then B, on line C, minus line D ... come on! So confusing. After splurging on an accountant last year, Ray & I assumed we could simply follow her steps & do our own taxes this year - thereby saving $300! Sure, there would me much gnashing of teeth, but it seemed worth the 300 bucks. An hour or so in & several forms deep I was lost. My brain was fried & my nerves were frazzled, but Ray decided to plug on ahead. I knew he'd need some serious fuel to keep him afloat in a sea of deductions, calculators & woe. Lo & behold, nothing can make taxes more painless than a toasty marshmallow milkshake. Nothing! Except maybe an accountant.


Toasted Marshmallow Milkshakes, makes 1
adapted from Gourmet & Stand
3 scoops vanilla ice cream (the best you can find!)
1 tbsp. whole milk
I large dollop plain yogurt
5 Kraft Jumbo Jet-Puffed marshmallows
Whipped cream (optional)

Toast marshmallows under a broiler, or, if you're frisky, over a flame (think gas stove) until they just start to blacken evenly (the trick is to make sure it's evenly toasted and dark, but not turned to charcoal).
Put the milk, yogurt, & then ice cream in the blender. Blend carefully, just until you get a "donut"—when you see the shake holding to the sides of the blender with a hollow core. Then add 3 of the toasted marshmallows to the blender, & whirl it just until they're all broken up and distributed evenly. Be careful not to over-blend it, making it too melty.

Pour shake into a glass, top with a dollop of whipped cream, break the last two marshmallows on top, and serve with an extra-wide straw. Repeat if necessary. And it will probably be necessary.

One year ago: Strawberry Thyme Butter Cookies & Rosemary Boursin

Sharp Cheddar & Pear Tart

It was a rookie mistake, I know, but I hoped that baking right on the oven racks would work out just fine. All of my baking sheets were in a box among far too many other boxes & I had a friend's birthday to prep for that evening. Why I packed up the kitchen prior to a baking experiment I'll never know. Minutes after popping these spicy, sweet little tarts into the oven.. plop .... thud... sssss... Half a dozen tarts gone, burned up, in a flash! Luckily, my trusty cast iron skillet was still hanging around the kitchen so I threw the survivors in there & finished baking them off. With a smattering of sharp cheddar on top, they turned out beautifully.

Sharp Cheddar & Pear Tart, for 6 to 12
Adapted from Sunny Anderson
1/4 c. raw sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can pear halves, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar

Preheat the oven to 400F, & once thawed, cut the the puff pastry into 12 equal pieces. Combine the cinnamon & sugar in a bowl & set aside. Brush the pastry with a bit of butter & top it with a slice or two of pear fanned out. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar & a bit more butter. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with cheddar & bake 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar & let cool.

Lime Icebox Pie

Coloring inside the lines was never for me. Perched at the sun bleached yellow formica table in my great-grandmother's kitchen I would scribble wildly, weaving in & out of well marked boundaries. Disney princesses, kittens & crossword puzzles wound up a dizzying array of Crayola's color cannon. Wild Strawberry & Macaroni & Cheese (Predictors of my future food obsession? Possibly? Okay, that's a stretch.) wound up in frayed nubs the quickest. While I busily set about deconstructing stacks of newsprint, my great-grandmother, or Mama as we called her, would hold court in front of the stove. Most often her time would result in one of three treats: chicken 'n' dumplings, homemade (warm!) chocolate pudding or lemon icebox pie. I can't claim that I have a favorite of the three, that just would be fair, but I will say that that pie pops up in my kitchen today more often than I can count. I have the recipe forever etched in my mind along with an emergency stash of Eagle Brand condensed milk.

When searching for a key lime pie recipe earlier this summer, I fell back on Mama's classic lemon icebox pie. Why not try it with lime? My suspicions proved true; it worked. With an extra egg yolk in tow this pie is rich, creamy & almost custard like with a bright citrus kick.

Head on over to Poor Girl Gourmet for the rest of my guest post & the full recipe. Here's the link!

Fourth of July Feast: Triple Berry Crumble

Chanel No19, chamomile, Laurie Anderson, linen, Car Talk, cats, Mollie Katzen cookbooks, Woody Allen, wildflowers, Pear's soap & Laura Ingalls Wilder, of Little House on the Prairie fame, all remind me of my mother. Among other foodstuffs, this crumble reminds me of my mom too. My mom, the champion of deserts, often whipped this crumble up after Sunday suppers. In the morning she'd meander the garden picking whichever fruit was in season at the moment & voilà, dessert! In keeping with the whole red-white-n-blue thing, I decided to use berries, blueberries, raspberries & strawberries to be specific. As for the white, well what better white edible than vanilla ice-cream?

Triple Berry Crumble, for 6 - 8

3/4 c. blue berries

1 c. strawberries, sliced

3/4 c. raspberries

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. butter, softened

1 c. flour

1/2 c. oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350F. In an oven safe dish, combine all the berries. Fold the flour, sugar, butter, oats & cinnamon together with a fork (or your fingers!) until well combined. Top the berries with the crumble mixture. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.

Vena Cava's Graveyard Flan

I just couldn't resist sharing Lisa's (half of the CFDA winning line Vena Cava) recipe for what she's dubbed "graveyard flan." Here's what Lisa had to say:

"My first foray for a dinner party last week- was the graveyard flan (pictured above). Future plans include a cake with a scale model of my apartment on top made from dollhouse furniture, and next up, a La Brea Tar Pit themed black custard with sinking dinosaurs and woolly mammoths."

I can't wait to see Tar Pit custard. Sounds like gooey goodness.

Graveyard Flan, for aproximately 12*

3/4 c. white sugar

4 eggs

1 3/4 c. water- or you can use juice or whatever you want really

14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

A 9" pan

Any pan bigger than the 9" pan for a water bath

A platter

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a heavy pan over medium heat, melt the sugar.

This is a weird process that feels like witchcraft- it takes about 8 or so minutes, and all of the sudden the granules turn to goo- just make sure to keep stirring.

Pour that into an ungreased 9" pan and coat it- do this quickly as the sugar hardens really fast.

Beat the eggs in a seperate bowl and stir in water or juice.

Add condensed milk, vanilla, salt- and pour this into the coated pan.

Set that 9" pan into another bigger pan with at least 1 1/2" of water into it to make a bath.

The bath is what prevents the eggs from cooking too fast and ensures that edges dont get burnt and gross. Cook for about 55-65 minutes. A knife should come out clean when stuck into the middle.

Cool it and refrigerate.

Loosen the sides with a knife, and flip it upside down onto another platter.

Put tiny gravestones on top (not optional) and blueberries (optional)

To read more of the Vena Cava girls' musings, check out their blog VIVA VENA CAVA.

Lemon Zest Sugar Cookies with Citrus Blueberry Reduction & Bluth Bananas

I'm not a Californian. The beach, the pleasant weather, the cool sunshine, they don't do much for me. I know, it's unusual for California not to warm your heart, everyone loves the Golden State, right? California Girls, wine country, Hollywood, surfin' what's not to like? Well, I'm not entirely sure, it just don't really love it. But you know what (& I'll say this in a whisper) I'm starting to. That's not to say that Texas, the land of sweltering sun, cold beers, pine trees, cattle, swimmin' holes, tacos & rolling thunderstorms isn't where my heart lies, but California is growing on me -- a little bit. I guess that's what a perfect beachside picnic will do for you.

Everyone grabbed their favorite goodies & gathered beachside for an early dinner. Smoked chipotle sausages, white beans, crisp salads, tart cookie sandwiches, fried chicken, fluffy angel food cake with strawberries, red wine, frozen bananas & of course, courtesy of the Texans, cold beer, were shared. We snacked till the sun went down & that California evening chill set in. Shane & Laura (two of my painter pals in attendance -- check out their websites) were nice enough to share their sweet desert recipes with Cloves & Cream.

Lemon Zest Sugar Cookies with Citrus Blueberry Reduction, makes about 15

Courtesy of Shane Tolbert

Cookies:

1 16 oz. package store bought sugar cookie dough (or your favorite home-made)

1 lemon, zested

Reduction:

1/2 pint blueberries, crushed
2 small limes, zested
1/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. honey
1 large lemon, juiced

Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix the lemon zest into the dough then roll into small balls (about the size of a gum ball). Flatten to 1/4" thick (the diameter should be about the size of a quarter). Bake for 10-12 mins or til golden brown.

Meanwhile, add all ingredients to a pot & bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and reduce for 45 minutes adding a bit of water if necessary. After 45 mins transfer the reduction to a bowl and refrigerate till firm (let come to room temperature prior to refrigeration). The reduction should chill for at least an hour.

Once baked, transfer cookies to a cooking rack. After the cookies have cooled & the reduction has thickened, sandwich the cookies with dollop of blueberry reduction & refrigerate until serving.

Bluth Bananas, makes 16 bananas

Courtesy of Laura Krifka

8 bananas, peeled & halved
1 12 oz. bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. powdered sugar
3 - 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
milk as needed

16 kebab skewers or popsicle sticks

Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper. Heat butter in small pot on low to medium heat, then add chocolate chips, stirring regularly. Careful not to let the chocolate burn (because you cant get the burn taste out ever!). If it starts to get too thick add milk as needed. Stir in powdered sugar.

When chocolate is completely melted, skewer the bananas & dip them in chocolate. Place bananas on the sheet of wax paper, place in the freezer for at least 1 1/2 hours, for the chocolate to fully harden, leave in longer if you want the bananas completely freeze.

Blackberry Bergamot Mousse

Homecomings, jobs-well-done & birthdays meant your desert of choice. Chocolate mousse was always my request. There are even photos of me proudly smeared with the stuff. This much loved recipe made numerous appearances (& still does) at our dinner table. Incredibly rich, velvety smooth & intensely chocolate-y I always imagined this dish as effortlessly elegant. Something seemed very chic, very oo-la-la to me. Maybe it's the name, "mousse," sounds a bit fancy, no? Whatever the source of this dessert's chicness, it's a perfect summer treat.

Blackberry Bergamot Mousse, for six

2 earl grey tea bags

3/4 c. milk

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tbsp. strong coffee

6 black berries

2 eggs

Steep the tea bags in the milk over medium-high heat. Heat the milk until scalding* but not boiling. Meanwhile, toss the chips, coffee & eggs in the blender. Pour the milk/tea mixture over the chips just before it boils. Blend for 2 minutes.

Pour into tea cups, ramekins or other small dishes & chill for at least 6 hours (over night is best). Top with a black berry & serve.