Apparently I have moxie…

I rejoined the gym. No, I’m not one of those gym bandwagoners who climb on board the beginning of the year. As most who read this blog know, I am one of the weird people who like to work out. But since having moved I had not joined a gym yet. I knew that at the beginning of the year they run deals, and I was waiting around for that. Which I got.

Since it’s I am new to the gym you have your free training sessions that they push on you. I had passed but it was so dead the other day that the trainer told me he was bored and could we please do a fitness test. Fine, whatever. I did the test. His comment was that I was in pretty good shape, quite flexible except in my hamstrings (the curse of a defensive ice hockey player). Today while at the gym he came up and said “you did pretty well on your fitness test, but I could totally get you leaned out.” I laughed at him and told him I ran a baking and dessert blog and that so wasn’t going to happen. To which he dared to say “can’t you switch it over to a healthy living blog, more people are interested in that anyway?”

These were the wrong things to say to me. I whipped around and out I spewed.

“First off people are interested in that because that is what society tells them to. I can assure you that brownies taste a hell of a lot better than celery, plain and simple.

I will never be one of those people sipping on MGD 64. I drink beer because I like how it tastes. If I want to get drunk I take two shots of vodka. I eat something sweet every day. If I go to Denny’s at 1am and order seasoned fries, it’s because I want them. I don’t say, Ugh I feel fat after I eat them. I don’t say I will work out harder tomorrow to burn these off. I just eat them. Because I like them. End of story.

I’m not one of these insecure size 4 girls who are convinced that their life will be better if they are a size zero. I’ve been smaller than this and I’ve been larger than this. My happiness does not depend on that. My happiness doesn’t depend on where I live or what I drive either. So save your crap for some other girl. The key to happiness is surrounding yourself with people who like you for you and not the size of your jeans. My blood pressure last week at the doctor was 112/66. My cholesterol was 117. And my blood sugar is in the normal range.

I’m pretty funny. I’m pretty smart. I’m pretty cute. I’m pretty awesome. And that’s all the pretty I need to be.”

He just stared blankly at me. And then said, “wow, you are really sure of yourself aren’t you?”

I replied, “you don’t know the half of it” and walked away.

On my way out the door he stopped me and said, “I would still love to train someone with your moxie.” I smiled and said, “I already have a trainer thanks, but feel free to join me for a beer sometime.”

So in honor of the trainer who thinks I should change to a healthy living blog (ah, can you imagine…), I offer up French pastry. Which is about as fattening as you can get. Sweet dough. Fat. Pastry Cream. Way fat. Fruit. Hey that’s healthy. Glaze. Not that bad. Streusel. Back to fat. Yeah, this is time consuming and over the top (I actually made it for the holidays) but figured this would be a perfect time to post it.

Apple-Cranberry Tart with Apple Jack Pastry Cream Filling

Sugar Dough

6 TBSP cold, unsalted butter cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1 large egg

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 1/4 cups pastry flour (all-purpose is OK, too)

1 1/2 TBSP baking powder

Put the cubed butter and egg in a mixing bowl and beat them with an electric mixer on medium speed until the butter is in little pieces and the mix looks like scrambled eggs. This will take about 2 minutes. Add the flour and baking powder and continue mixing until the dough comes together and starts to clump. Stop the mixer and dump the bowl onto the counter and knead by hand very gently until the dough holds together. You can use this dough right away or put it into the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

The Custard Base

Pastry Cream

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

62 grams granulated sugar (a bit more than 1/4 cup)

12 grams pastry flour ( 1 1/2 TBSP all-purpose will work OK)

12 grams cornstarch (1 TBSP)

250 grams whole milk (1 cup)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 TBSP Apple Jack or other Apple Brandy

Put the egg, yolk, sugar, flour, and cornstarch in a bowl and whisk until very well blended. You don’t want any lumps. The mixture should be thick and homogenous.

Put the milk into a 2-quart saucepan and place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

Pour a small amount, about a quarter cup, of the hot milk into the egg/flour/sugar mixture while whisking constantly. You have to keep it moving or the heat from the hot milk will scramble the eggs and make a mess of the custard. When you get that mixed in pour in a little more and keep on whisking. Then pour the now-heated egg/flour/sugar/milk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk and return it to the heat. Keep on whisking and be sure to get into the corners so nothing will stick and burn on the bottom of the pan. As the mixture gets to the boiling point it will become very thick. Keep on whisking and let it boil for 2 minutes. Take it off the heat and add vanilla extract and Apple Jack. Scrape the pastry cream into a bowl. Put a piece of plastic wrap right on the surface of the cream and let it cool to room temperature.

The Fruit

3 Granny Smith apple, diced tiny

2/3 cup fresh cranberries

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

grated zest of one lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/3 cup sugar (to taste, depending on the apples)

Put apples and cranberries in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix and taste. Adjust the seasoning and sweetness to your taste. The flavor needs to lean to the strong side, but not overpowering and for sure not too sweet.

The Glaze

Apricot Glaze

1/4 cup apricot jelly

1 – 2 TBSP Cointreau, Grand Mariner, or orange juice

Heat the jelly over low heat until it melts and liquefies. Add the Cointreau and mix well. Use while still warm.

Streusel:

2 ounces butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Prepare the topping by combining the butter, brown sugar, and flour. Cut in all ingredients with pastry cutter until pea-sized. Set aside,

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll out the pastry and fit it into a tart pan (I used 2 mini (4-inch) ones). Spread a layer of pastry cream over the bottom so it comes about half way up the pan. Arrange the fruit . I use a lazy pile on top method, but feel free to get as fancy as you like. Sprinkle a little granulated sugar over the fruit. Sprinkle streusel topping around the sides of tart. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (27-35 minutes for the mini), until the crust is nicely browned. Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool for just a few minutes. Brush the top with the glaze. Let it cool to almost room temperature before serving.

Adpated from An Amateur Baker in Sidney who adapted it from Dessert Circus by Jacque Tores

Squirrel…

First off, no, there is no squirrel in the cake. I know I was married to a man from Alabama, but road kill never became part of my repertoire (his either).

So it may be hard to believe but I saw the movie UP for the first time last night. I chose not to see it in the theatre because I heard I would cry (for the record, I did, how could you not). I don’t like to cry in public (who does) and so I avoided it. Then I somehow missed it when it came to On Demand. And then it went on a different movie channel. And before you know it I forgot all about it. Then this past weekend I noticed it was coming on and I recorded it for later. I couldn’t sleep last night and I decided to watch it. If you haven’t seen it, do. It’s such a great movie that will run the gamut of emotions for you.

Though the movie is touching and poignant and I may write about that this week, I want to focus on one aspect of the movie, the talking dog. The talking dog, as with all the dogs in the movie are all easily distracted by squirrels (hence the title). At first one might think oh, a talking dog, what a great money maker… and then the thought hits me, I would have to hear my dog talk. And though mostly, like now as I look down at her, she has a blank, vapid look, one might falsely assume she has nothing to say. Now I know she won’t be spouting out sonnets and what not, but I am quite sure on going daily conversations would be as such:

“Why am I so itchy? Ugh, so itchy. Must itch. Ahhh, feels so good to scratch and chew. Stop telling me not to scratch and chew woman, I am scratchy. Don’t you dare put that blue collar on me, aww damn.”

“Feed me. Feed me. Feed me.”

“Why am I eating this dry kibble crap when you are eating whatever that is that smells infinitely better than what this is?’

“What’s that smell? Sniff, sniff? Really, what’s that smell? It’s coming from my butt. Sniff, sniff. Darn, it’s me. I smell like that. Quick, pretend no one saw you sniffing your butt so they won’t know it’s you.”

“Wait, I will not wait. I need to pee now woman. You try and wait. I don’t get to crawl up on that white thing, no, I have to wait for you. So get moving or I will find your shoes and pee in those, maybe poop too.”

“I will shred you from limb to limb you evil man wearing the brown uniform who dare disturb me. Can’t you see I am napping. How dare you disturb me. Are you trying to steal my toys? My bone. Bastard. I will cut you.”

See, clearly her speaking would not be a good thing. For now I like the non-talking neurotic dog that I have.

I’m sure if she could talk she would complain how she never gets any baked goods as well.

This is a simple yogurt cake to use up limes. Moist. Tart. Good. One of my many everyday things I make.

Lime Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. plain whole-milk yogurt

1 1/3 granulated sugar, divided

3 extra-large eggs

2 tsp. grated lime zest

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 TBSP. freshly squeezed lime juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan(I used 3 mini pans). Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lime zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes(about 35 in the mini pans), or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lime juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Adapted from Ina Garten

Random acts of kindness…

Today I received a large (think dozens and dozens…almost the kind you would see at a funeral or wedding size) bouquet of white roses. Which the average female would have loved to receive. Except me. #1 they came from a guy I already let know I wasn’t interested in. I’m not playing hard to get. I don’t play anything. If you let me know you are interested and I tell you I am not, I’m not. I’m pretty transparent that way. #2 I don’t like roses. I like cabbage roses, but not traditional roses. And they make my allergies go insane.

So I could have kept them. I could have thrown the out. Instead I thought of my mother. My mom used to volunteer at the Assisted Living Center (you know them as the old folks home) when my grandmother stayed in one. She went every day. She would often drag me, mostly in the summers to help her run Bingo. She would read the numbers in English and I would follow in Spanish (this was Phoenix after all). But I remember how sad she would be for the people who day in and day out had no visitors. So I thought, clearly we have an assisted living place around here. We do. Several.

So down I went with my white rose extravaganza to find a woman who never gets visitors. I told the nurses what I was doing. I asked if there were any females who never got visitors. Sadly that number was higher than I had wanted to hear. So I asked who could carry on full conversations. And I got A. In a walked with my large bouquet and sat them down in front of her. Of course, she had the do I know her look on her face, which I told her she did not (then she asked me if I was from one of those do gooder churches and I loved her immediately). I told her no church, just had some spare roses and that I was just stopping by to wish her a happy Thursday. She smiled super big. I sat down and had a chat with A. A very nice woman, who just happens to be a retired school teacher, and so we had lots to talk about. On my way out, I asked the nurses if A was diabetic or anything that would not allow her to have sweets. They said no. But told me that she loved oatmeal raisin cookies. I go back in two weeks, cookies in hand. I think the movie UP is giving me a soft spot for seniors.

Now though these cookies were made even before I went. These of course are not oatmeal raisin, but they do have oatmeal in it, and I found it kind of ironic that I had made those the day before. This is the time of year when they sell the Christmas candy cheap, which means Almond Roca (which can be pricey) goes on sale, as long as it was in a gift pack type thing. So I bought some. Chopped it up and put it in cookies. It is super important that you grease the heck out of your cookie pans. The toffee when it melts will stick to pan…big time. If you let it cool completely they are a much easier to remove from pan. But as much as they are kind of a pain, they are really yummy.

Mocha-Almond Roca Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 cup dark brown sugar, loosely packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. instant coffee (I used Starbucks Via)

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups oatmeal (old fashioned or quick)

1 ½ cups Almond Roca, roughly chopped



Heat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.

Add eggs, instant coffee, and vanilla; beat well.

Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.

Add oats and Almond Roca; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a super greased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes (my oven was running more on the 10 minute side) or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Adapted from Quaker Oats

My love of Panera Bread…

The first time I went to Panera Bread it was to meet my wedding invitation maker. She had suggested the place as a neutral place (location wise) to meet. I had just planned on getting an iced tea, as I had already eaten lunch. But when I got there the smell of bread (and the free samples) told me different. Over in the case sat this lumpy, raisin studded, glazed covered muffin like creation that they were calling a Cobblestone (see above). I asked what it was and they told me it was basically like a cinnamon roll, but with some apples chopped up in it, and of course, not in roll shape. Oh my, had to try that. Big, big mistake. As to this day, I cannot go to Panera without getting one. Usually to go, but there is one in a bag going home. Though I won’t lie, I usually break into it before I make it home.

When I mentioned to my invitation designer how good the Cobblestone was, she replied, “oh yes, everything is good here, if you love soup, you will love their French Onion in a bread bowl.” You know what. She’s right. That is pretty much my go to item when I go there. I get the chips as the side and take those home. The bread bowl is the perfect bowl for French Onion as when you get to the bottom the bread is all gooey and soaked with the French onion soup. It’s fantastic.



I have never had a bad thing at Panera. So when they contacted me and asked me if I had any interest in working with them in a blogger program, I of course yes. I mean, I already tell people I love it for free, why not for free Panera food and some compensation (in case you haven’t guessed, I received a gift card to cover the cost of my meal as well as compensation for the post…but my love of Panera is all mine!). It’s my favorite place to suggest going to people when we can’t decide where to go as they have a range of menu items. Even back when I was lifestyle changing (cough, cough…dieting) I could easily eat there. My go to staple with that was their Low Fat Chicken Noodle Soup, which hardly taste low fat and an apple for a side. Throw in a diet soda or water and you are good to go.

They have yummy salads and sandwiches as well. I love me the BBQ chicken salad. They have a strawberry one that I believe is only out in the summer that was super yummy as well. Right now they are featuring a Thai Chopped Chicken Salad. If I am having a sandwich, you will find me eating the Turkey Artichoke Panini (no tomato). They take spinach artichoke dip and make that into a spread. Oh my. To see the menu and more info about Panera Bread, visit Panera Bread.com.

Since moving I now live considerable closer to Panera. Which is a good thing. What about you? Do you have a Panera near you? Is there something you that you love that you think I should trying?

Today I… Organized My Pantry!

Today I… Organized My Pantry!:

This one has been a long time coming.

And, perhaps this is TMI, but this particular purge/organize was even more important because we seem to have developed an infestation of pantry moths. These little buggers seem to love dried chiles, chocolate and nuts of any kind, and I have to say, it’s pretty amazing the sealed storage they seem to be able to make their way into. Anyone else have these? If so, how did you get rid of them? I’ve heard bay leaves help.

Today I… Ate Breakfast

Today I… Ate Breakfast:

Big deal right? For me, it actually is. I’ve never been a breakfast person. I have this notion that I feel more hungry during the day when I do than when I just have a latte. So once again, as has happened in many a January past, I have decided to take up the healthy breakfast banner and see how it suits me. Chances are, by mid-February, I’ll be back to my breakfast skipping days. But, for now, I’m indulging today in the yogurt I made yesterday topped with some Kashi nuggets and the huckleberry calamondin marmalade from a few weeks ago.

This yogurt was made from Fresh Breeze 2% milk, with Grace Farms yogurt as a starter, and it has a really nice tang and texture. To make your own, start with the milk of your choice (ideally not ultra-pasteurized) and a starter of your favorite plain yogurt. Heat the milk to 185F, and then let it cool to at least 120F. Stir in some of the plain yogurt (1/4 cup yogurt to every 1 quart of milk), and pour it into sterilized glass jars. Let sit in a yogurt maker, or in a cooler with a heating pad until it thickens and there is some whey sitting on top… usually about 9 or 10 hours. Then chill.

What do you eat for breakfast?

PS: In case you haven’t noticed, I’m trying a new thing here. It’s sort of a 365 project… a little something to keep me from pushing off blog posts until they are practically edited novels. Instead, I’ll be sharing little glimpses as a way for me to celebrate the little satisfactions of life. I won’t kid myself that I’ll be blogging every day… like breakfast, I’m not sure it will stick when life starts getting crazy. But you never know unless you try!

Whole Wheat Doughnuts with Honey Glaze

Whole Wheat Doughnuts with Honey Glaze:

I’ve been thinking about whole grain doughnuts lately. I’m not crazy enough to think that adding some whole grains turns a doughnut into a health food. A doughnut, even one with healthier grain, is still mostly about sugar and oil. But I’ve been playing around with whole grain baking in general, and thought, why not doughnuts? The complexity of flavor and texture that makes recipes breads (like those in “Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours”) more interesting should make doughnuts equally intriguing.

Today, I started simply. I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for 50% (by weight) of the all purpose flour in my Chai cake doughnut recipe (“Doughnuts”) topped with a honey glaze. Wow. The whole wheat pastry flour adds a lovely nutty flavor, but the doughnuts are still light and fluffy with a subtle and pleasing crispness to the crust. I’m quite sure you could make the same recipe with 100% whole wheat pastry flour for even more wheaty flavor.

Next I’ll be trying whole wheat raised doughnuts, buckwheat cake doughnuts and maybe something really crazy like chocolate pumpernickel!

What is your favorite whole grain to bake with?