Sweet&Salty

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
(makes 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa

3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 large eggs

3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1/2 cup (4 ounces) sour cream

Directions:

1-Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position;heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin pan (cups have 1/2 cup capacity) with baking cup liners.

2-Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and fully combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

3-Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

4-Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick.

5-Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skwer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean.

6-Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes. (To frost: Mound about 2 tablespoons icing on center of each cupcake. Using icing spatula or butter knife, spread icing to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.)

FUDGE POPSICLES

Makes 4 standard-sized popsicles (3 ounces each) or 6 in my tiny popsicle molds (which were 2 ounces each)

DIRECTIONS:

2 tablespoons (21 grams or 3/4 ounce) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup (67 grams or 2 1/3 ounce) sugar
1 tablespoon (7 grams or 1/4 ounce) cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons (8 grams or 1/4 ounce) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) whole milk
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon (3 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon (7 grams or 1/4 ounce) unsalted butter

INGREDIENTS:

In the bottom of a medium saucepan over very low heat, gently melt the chocolate chips, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, milk and salt and raise heat to medium. Cook mixture, stirring frequently until it thickens, anywhere between 5 minutes (for me) and 10 (suggested in the book). Remove from heat, add vanilla and butter and stir until combined.

Set aside to cool slightly then pour into popsicle molds. Freeze 30 minutes, then insert popsicle sticks. Freeze the rest of the way before serving.

BLACKBERRY RHUBARB CRUMBLE

INGREDIENTS:

For the fruit:
18 ounces fresh blackberries, washed and picked over
1 1/2 pounds fresh rhubarb, rinsed and cut into 1/4-inch thick half moons
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch salt

For the crumble topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dark brown sugar 
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with baking spray.

Toss the blackberries and rhubarb together gently with the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Spread in the prepared baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. Whisk in the brown sugar, breaking up any large clumps. In a small separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and use your hands to mix the eggs into the flour. Squeeze and pinch the mixture together; it will be clumpy, with a loose scree of crumbs at the bottom of the bowl.

Drop the larger, wetter clumps of dough over the fruit. Shake the drier crumbs over top, distributing the douhg evenly over the fruit. Sprinkle the top with the chopped walnuts, then pour the melted butter over everything.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the crumble is baked through. Let sit for about 30 minutes before eating.

AMISH WHITE BREAD

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. warm water (110 degrees)1 c. warm milk (110 degrees)1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. sugar 
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast
6 c. bread flour 

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam. Stir the 1 c. of warm milk in now. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Using the dough hook on a mixer or with a wooden spoon by hand, mix in flour, one cup at a time. Knead until smooth.
Place dough in well oiled bowl; turn to coat top. Let rise about 1 hour.

Punch dough down, knead a few times. Divide dough in half.

Shape into loaves and place into 2 greased 9x5-inch loaf pans. Allow to rise 30 minutes or until dough has risen about 1” above pans.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from pans immediately. Brush the top of the loaves with a little melted butter right after you take them out of the pans so that the crust stays nice and soft.

LAVENDER LEMONADE

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups of water divided
3/4 cup sugar
4 sprigs of lavender (with buds if you’d like)
1 1/2 cups lemon juice
2 cups of ice cubes

DIRECTIONS:

Mix 3 cups of water with the sugar in a pot and bring to a boil on the stove.  Stir to make sure the sugar is melted and add the lavender.  Remove from the heat and let steep for at least 10 mintues (the longer you steep the stronger the lavender flavor).

Pour lemon juice and remaining 1 cup water into a large jug or pitcher.  Strain lavender sugar syrup and pour into the pitcher.  Add ice and mix well.

PASTA WITH TOMATO BLUE CHEESE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

1-½ pound Pasta (angel Hair Or Thin Spaghetti)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole 28-ounce Can Diced Tomatoes, Drained
Dash Of Sugar
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, To Taste
¾ cups Crumbled Blue Cheese
¾ cups Heavy Cream
4 cups Baby Spinach
Half-and-Half, for thinning
Extra Blue Cheese Crumbles, For Garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add minced garlic and cook for a minute. Pour in drained tomatoes. Add sugar, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to low. Stir in crumbled blue cheese. Add cream and stir, then a little splash of half-and-half if sauce is too thick. Cook for a minute or two, tasting and adding more seasonings as needed.

At the very, very, very last minute. toss in spinach. Immediately toss in the cooked and drained pasta. Serve immediately!

ULTIMATE UMAMI BURGER

Don’t be afraid of the fish sauce. Understand the crucial umami factor that fish sauce brings to food and it will become your best pantry friend. So often, the powerful, pungent punch of fish sauce can be intimidating to cooks who aren’t familiar with it’s marinading magic.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs Ground Beef
1 1/2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce (for more daring, savory depth, use 2 tablespoons)
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
Hamburger buns
condiments of your choice

DIRECTIONS:

In bowl, combine all ingredients together.

Allow to marinade for about 20 minutes.

Gently form meat into a balls, then flatten into a patties. Cook on a skillet or grill. (1/2 patties on a med./high grill take about 3 min. per side for med. rare burger.  Heat temp., thickness, etc. all affect cooking times)

CHOCOLATE ROLL CAKE

Cake layer:
6 ounces semisweet bittersweet chocolate, chopped or 1 cup semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons strong coffee
6 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, divided

Filling:
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
2 to 3 tablespoons powdered sugar (use more if you prefer a sweeter filling)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 to 2 tablespoons liqueur of your choice, such as Grand Marnier

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or oil a 10-by-15-inch shallow baking or jellyroll pan. Line the bottom lengthwise with a piece of waxed or parchment paper that extends up the short sides one inch.

Melt chocolate with water or coffee in a small saucepan over very low heat until it is 75 percent melted. Remove from heat and stir until the remaining chocolate is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

Beat egg yolks with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to beat until yolks are pale and ribbony. Gently stir the chocolate into the yolk mixture.

In a clean bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites with salt until they hold stiff peaks. Stir 1/4 of egg white mixture into the chocolate-yolk mixture to lighten it. Fold the remaining whites into the cake batter in three additions. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until cake layer feels dry (but very soft) to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. It will still seem a little underbaked.

Transfer to a cooling rack and cover the top with a light damp towel or two layers of damp paper towels for 10 minutes. Gently remove towels; don’t fuss if they have a bit of cake stuck to them. Run a knife around the edges of the cake. Sift one tablespoon cocoa over the top of the cake and cover the cake with a thin tea or flour sack towel [Updated, see Note above] that is a little longer than the pan. Place the back of a baking sheet or a large flat tray over the towel and invert the cake and paper onto it. Gently peel back the parchment or waxed paper that lined the pan. Sift the remaining tablespoon of cocoa powder over the top of the cake (that was, one minute ago, the underside). Using the towel underneath to help lift and roll the cake, roll the cake from short end to short end with the towel inside. Let cool completely, encased in its towel.

Once cool, beat heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Get your serving plate ready and place it near your cake roll. Gently unroll chocolate cake and remove tea towel. [Try to get the tea towel to the hamper without touching anything, as it is saturated with smudgy cocoa and trust me, can mess up a white kitchen fast.] Spread whipped cream filling evenly over cake. Gently use waxed or parchment paper once again to reroll cake. Place on serving platter, seam side down.

If you’re fancier than us, you can now garnish it with shaved white or dark chocolate or even a drizzle of each, melted; raspberries are pretty too. Serve immediately in 1-inch thick slices or refrigerate until needed. This cake is best to serve on the first day it is made. It’s still delicious after that, but the whipped cream filling does begin to deflate a little into the cake spiral.

QUICK AND EASY NUTELLA AND FRUIT TURNOVERS

Store-bought Pepperidge Farm puff pastry and Nutella, two pantry staples, combine with fresh fruit and sea salt — essential to balance the sweetness and enhance the flavor. Use any fruit that looks good at the market but is not overly watery; good choices include bananas, strawberries, kiwi, mango, pears, apples. Serves 4; can be doubled.

INGREDIENTS:

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted according to package directions
2-3 Tbsp flour
1 small jar of Nutella (you’ll use half of it)
Sliced fruit: 1 banana, apple, pear, mango, or 4 large strawberries
Sea salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat (silicone mat) or parchment paper, and set aside.

Unfold the puff pastry. Sprinkle your countertop with flour, and roll out the puff pastry to a square. With a sharp knife, cut the square into 4 equal pieces.

Spread the inside of each piece of pastry with Nutella, making sure to stay 1/2 inch away from the edge all the way around. Layer slices of fruit on one side of the piece, and sprinkle with sea salt. (Don’t forget the salt; it brings out the flavors of the fruit.)

With a pastry brush, paint the edge of the pastry with the beaten egg. Fold the top over to meet the bottom, and press to seal. Use the tines of a fork to seal all the way around. Then, paint the top with the egg wash. Poke a hole in the top with a sharp knife, to allow the steam to escape while baking.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and pleasantly browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.