Fresh

Boston Cream Pie

2013-04-24T17:51:00.004-04:00

I'm writing this post to say thank you. Thank you for your tweets, your notes, your well wishes and all you have done to support Boston and New England in its hour of need. It means more than you know. Suffice it to say, I’m remarkably proud of the city of Boston, and how everyone responded to the tragic events that unfolded on Patriot’s Day (Marathon Monday) and the days that followed.

As you know, native New Englanders, on the whole, are generally more reserved in their behavior than people from other regions of the United States. As someone on Twitter recently said about New Englanders, “They won’t necessarily bring you a pie when you move in but they’ll be the first people to help you when your car breaks down.” Generally speaking, this is true and it is precisely what we saw last week.

In the face of unspeakable violence, we saw people putting their own lives at risk to help the wounded. We saw people finish a 26 mile marathon only to run another 2 miles to the hospital to donate blood and in one case, perform surgery. We saw people open their homes and businesses to those in who needed shelter. We saw people make the decision to stay inside so that law enforcement could do it’s job.

As most of you know, America got it’s start in Massachusetts. Much of what defines New Englanders as a people comes from the early American struggle. Defining characteristics such as hard work, self-reliance and resiliency shape who we are today. Because of this, we were not for an instant about to give up our way of life over last Monday. On the contrary.

While the events unfolded and the roller coaster of emotions began, I was deeply concerned for friends, neighbors and those in the direct line of violence. Not for one moment was I concerned about the ability of Boston to rebound.

Millions of people around the world think of Boston as their home. Three hundred thousand people commute into the city daily. More than 100 colleges and universities welcome over 250 thousand students from around the world each year. Boston is the largest city in New England and residents all over the region embrace the city as their own. Moreover, 10 million seek out it’s museums and attractions every year and 30 thousand athletes from over 90 countries attended the Boston Marathon this year alone.

In fact, many of you, from as far away as Australia, have written to me to let me know that you went to school here, that you fell in love here or that you spent the best years of your life here. Did anyone really think we were going to let terrorism take that way? Please.

So when you see the phrase ‘Boston Strong', know that it’s about more than regional pride. Know that it’s a testament to the courage and strength every community has when it pulls together with a spirit of kindness and love for the greater good. One quote from Martin Luther King has been circulated a great deal this week, “Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.” Despite whatever political posturing you hear over the coming months, remember that that is true.

In the spirit of the love and compassion that emerged from this tragic event, I hope you join me in donating to The One Fund, set up by the Governor of Massachusetts and the Mayor of Boston, to help the families and victims as they repair and rebuild their lives.

Thanks again for all of your support. See you at next year’s marathon.

Bostonians pour into streets after capture of suspect.

The recipe below is the official dessert of Massachusetts. It was invented at the Parker House in Boston (also where John F. Kennedy proposed to Jackie). It's called a pie because in colonial times there were no cake pans, just pie tins. It also happens to be my all time favorite. I know you'll love it as much as I do.

Boston Cream Pie (Adapted from Chef Bo Friberg)

Cake Base

4 (1/2 c or 120 ml) egg whites
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) half and half
4 c (455 g) cake flour
2 1/4 c (455 g) sugar
3 tsp (16 g) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 g) salt
2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
23 1/2 tbs (340 g) melted unsalted butter
1 whole egg

Grease and flour two 9” or 10" pie pans.

2. Stir together the egg whites and one third of the half and half.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the vanilla, melted butter, remaining 2/3 of half and half and the whole egg.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, Beat at high speed for a 2-3 minutes. Gradually stir in the egg white mixture and mix until combined. Divide between cake pans.

5. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until the cake springs back when you press it lightly with your finger.

When cake cools, remove from cake pans. Level off the tops by cutting of the tops with a serrated knife. Divide each layer in half so you have four layers. Brush each base layer with rum syrup.

Rum Syrup

1/4 c (60 ml) dark rum or Grand Marnier
1/4 c (60 ml) water
2 tbs. sugar

Combine all ingredients. Cook until sugar is dissolved, then simmer gently an additional 2-3 minutes.

Pastry Cream

2 c (273 ml) whole milk
3 tbs (30 g) cornstarch
1/4 c plus 1 tsp (115 g) sugar
a pinch of salt (1 g) salt
2 eggs
2 tsp. (10 ml) vanilla extract
4 tbs (55 g) unsalted butter
1/2 c (120 ml) heavy cream

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the cornstarch, sugar and salt together with a fork until well-blended. Using the whisk attachment, add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.

2. Boil the milk.

3. Slowly add about 1/3 of the hot milk to the egg mixture while whisking rapidly as not to cook the eggs. Pour the tempered mixture back into the pan and stir.

4. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Quickly stir in the vanilla and the butter.

5. Pour into a bowl to cool and cover with waxed paper to prevent skin from forming.

6. When completely cool, whip 1/2 cup of heavy cream until peaks form and fold into the pastry cream. Refrigerate.

Chocolate glaze

3 1/2 c (455 g) dark chocolate
10 tbs (140 g) unsalted butter
1/4 c plus 1 tbs (40 g) cocoa powder
1/4 c (60 ml) rum or grand marinier
3/4 c (180 ml) corn syrup

Make the chocolate glaze after the cake chills. Cool slightly. Add additional corn syrup or alcohol to thin the glaze to your taste.

1. Chop and melt the chocolate. Add the butter and stir until blended.
2. Stir in the cocoa powder. Stir in the corn syrup and alcohol.
If glaze hardens, heat in microwave until desired consistency is achieved.

Sliced, toasted almonds are optional.

Assembly

Level off top of cakes with serrated knife
Divide each cake into 2 layers, making a 4 layer cake
Brush off crumbs
Brush base layers of cake with rum syrup.
Divide pastry/ whipped cream filling between each of the cake base layers
Use an offset spatula to spread the cream filling almost to the edge
Assemble cake
Press down gently so that the cream comes to the sides
Chill until firm
Top with chocolate.
Press toasted almond slices against the sides of the cake
Chill and remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving

Bon Appetit!

Toasted Pecan Maple Syrup Shortbread

2013-04-05T12:16:00.001-04:00

It is officially spring and I couldn’t be happier. I love the transition from the long, cold, snowy days to budding green vegetation and the song of birds. Mother nature is easing us into spring slowly but every day we see a few new signs of life and move closer to soft and temperate fresh air.

I’ve packed away the Easter decorations and put them into storage for next year. All that remains are a few delicious cookies I baked for our holiday guests. I mixed into the cookie dough a bit of local maple syrup and it’s a perfect seasonal touch for a light and scrumptious cookie.

I’m looking forward to completing all sorts of new projects this spring. Each project has it’s own intense learning curve, so it’s taking me a while to get from point A to point B, but I’ll get there.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “In order for one to learn the important lessons of life, one must first overcome a fear each day.” Over time, I’ve found that things go much easier when I trust in myself and the learning process. In fact, I often find the learning process more valuable than the outcome I was trying to achieve in the first place. But that’s just me. How do you deal with challenging projects?

Anyway, I’ll hopefully be able to share some of the projects with you soon. In the meantime, try these cookies. I seem to be a bit obsessed with shortbread cookies lately but they just go so well with a hot cup of tea, I can’t resist.

Toasted Pecan Maple Syrup Shortbread

2 1/4 c (300 g) flour, sifted
17 1/2 tbs (250 g) unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1 egg yolk
1 tsp (4 g) vanilla
2 tsp (8 g) New England maple syrup
1 tsp (4 g) cinnamon
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp (4 g) sugar
1 1/2 c less 2 tbs (160 g) powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
2 c (180 g) toasted pecans, chopped

Preheat over to 350 F (180 C)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment add flour and butter cubes (if you use a paddle attachment, use the lowest speed and do not over mix). Mix on low speed until pea sized particles form. Add egg yolk, vanilla, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, sugar and powdered sugar and stir just until mixed. Add pecans and mix until blended.

Chill dough for 20 minutes. Roll out dough to about 1/2 inch thick on a silicone baking sheet lightly dusted with flour. Cut shapes with your favorite cookie cutter. Place cut cookies on baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are golden.

Cool cookies on a wire rack. Dust with sifted powdered sugar. Sprinkle with colored sugar, if desired.

Bon Appetit!

Dark Chocolate Milk Jam Tart And A Giveaway

2013-03-21T14:32:00.000-04:00

Spring has finally arrived. It won't be long now before the sun is shining and the daffodils are in bloom. As is always the case with this time of the year, we need a little boost to cheer us up and help us usher in the new season.

I've made a Dark Chocolate Milk Jam Tart to help celebrate the arrival of spring and it is beyond delicious. What is milk jam, you ask? It's a very old french recipe. I'll let you read about it here.

This is also the time of year where I usually giveaway some amazing chocolate. It's just my way of saying thank you for being such loyal readers and great friends.

This year I have a wee favor to ask in return. I have linked to a very brief 10 question survey I'm asking you to fill out so I can better understand who reads this blog. If you could take a moment to complete it before entering the giveaway, I'd be most appreciative.

As you can see, I'm giving away a bit more than chocolate this year. Here's what's included:

A giant bar of white Toblerone chocolate

A bag of nougat from Provence, France

A gorgeous keepsake tin of French La Mere Poulard chocolate chip cookies

A 2.2 lb (1 kg) box of Cacao Barry Saint Domingue Origine 70% Chocolate Pistoles (pistoles are small chocolate discs that you can melt and chop easily)

How can you not love this giveaway?

Here's how you can enter to win:

Complete the brief reader survey here. (no worries, I'm not collecting data on you personally, just looking at the aggregate results)
Leave a comment on this post before midnight on Friday April 5, 2013
Make sure your comment links directly to a site where you can be contacted. Otherwise include a Twitter or email address in your comment. Only comments that include this information are eligible to win.
One entry per person.
The winner will be selected at random and contacted on Saturday April 6, 2013
before noon (EST).
Be sure to check your inbox and messages. If no response is received by Monday April 8, 2013 at noon (EST), another winner will be selected.
This giveaway will ship anywhere in the world.

In the meantime, try this Dark Chocolate Milk Jam Tart. It's out of this world.

Dark Chocolate Milk Jam Tart

Pate Sucre (Tart Crust)

1 3/4 c (250 g) flour
9 tbs (125 g) butter, room temperature, diced
1 c less 2 tbs (100 g) powdered sugar
1/4 tsp (1 g) sea salt
1 egg

In the standing bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter into the dry ingredients until pea size particles form.

Switch to the hook attachment and knead the egg into the dry mixture. Just as the mixture loosely comes together and begins to look like dough, pour onto plastic wrap and use plastic wrap to shape the sough into a disk. The less you touch the dough with your hands, the less tough it will be. Refrigerate until manageable. Roll out dough on a lightly floured silicone baking sheet. Fit dough inside an 8" spring form pan or tart pan. Trim edges. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Prick dough all over with fork. Line with foil and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake about 20 minutes until lightly golden. (If sides sink down during baking, carefully press them up with the back of a spoon. ) Cool completely.

Milk Jam

4 1/4 c (1 liter) whole milk
1 c plus 2 tsp (220 g sugar)
1 vanilla pod, split open (you can make this without the vanilla pod)
2 tsp (8 g) vanilla extract
1/2 tsp (4 g) baking soda

You can make this recipe in advance but be sure you're close by while it cooks. You'll have to check on it every 10- 15 minutes for a few hours. The goal is to cook this low and slow. The result is totally worth it.

Place all ingredients in a large 2 liter pot and stir (expect the milk volume to double as it boils).

Turn heat to med-high and bring the mixture to a gentle boil without stirring. Once you see the milk start to boil and bubble slightly, get ready to turn the heat down. You do not want the milk to over-boil.

Once it’s boiled, turn the heat down to the lowest temperature (that is, until it’s barely simmering). Skim the foam off of the top. Continue to simmer uncovered for around 1.5 – 2.5 hours. Stir and skim every 10-15 minutes. When the mixture starts to look thick and caramel colored, remove from the stove and cool. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Chocolate Filling

1 c (150 g) chopped dark chocolate, 70%
2/3 c (150 ml) cream
1/4 tsp (1 g) sea salt

Melt chocolate in heat proof bowl in microwave. [Do not overcook. I usually set the microwave for 1 minute then remove and stir. If it is not melted, I cook and stir in 10 second intervals. Keep in mind that the residual heat from the bowl will also melt the chocolate.]

Whisk in the cream and salt. Set aside.

Completing the Tart

Fill tart shell two-thrids to half way with milk jam. Chill until firm. Pour chocolate filling on top. Optional: sprinkle with roasted chopped nuts. Chill until firm.

Store in refrigerator. Remove 20-30 minutes before serving.

Note: You do not need large slices of this tart. A small slice is very satisfying.

Bon Appetit!

Overcoming Writer's Block with Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

2013-03-01T12:21:00.002-05:00

Every once in a while I sit down to write something and my mind freezes up completely. I stare at the screen, try to think of something interesting to say and ... nothing. Big. Blank. Screen. A bit of writer’s block, I suppose. Does this ever happen to you?

After putting the cake in the oven, I wondered how other people cope with the big, blank screen. I looked up how some prominent authors have dealt with writer’s block and it turns out a few of them have offered up some pretty good advice.

First, there's the writer of my favorite program, Downton Abbey. I admit, I'm a bit obsessed with Downton. Seriously, how can you not be? Come to think of it, this is the perfect cake to eat while watching the show.

Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey -

“There are days when I realize I'm writing rubbish. But my solution is not to not write. I plan a plot structure, and usually the writer's block passes...One thing I don't believe in is constantly going back over what I've done. Editing my scripts seems to be fruitful only once I've reached the end -- when I have the broad strokes, the big picture. If I'm constantly going over what I wrote last Tuesday, it's difficult to actually finish it...
When I've exhausted my general fizz, I'll write the title of the next scene: "Dining Room, Day." I think it's a mistake to stop working without a clue as to what comes next.”

Here are some nice practical approaches.

Norman Mailer novelist, essayist, journalist -

“A simple rule. If you tell yourself you are going to be at your desk tomorrow, you are by that declaration asking your unconscious to prepare the material. You are, in effect, contracting to pick up such valuables at a given time. Count on me, you are saying to a few forces below: I will be there to write.”

Mark Twain, author and humorist -

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”

Maybe it's a better idea to step away from the screen?

Hilary Mantel, English Author of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies -

“If you get stuck, get away from your desk. Take a walk, take a bath, go to sleep, make a pie, draw, listen to music, meditate, exercise; whatever you do, don’t just stick there scowling at the problem. But don’t make telephone calls or go to a party; if you do, other people’s words will pour in where your lost words should be. Open a gap for them, create a space. Be patient.”

Ernest Hemingway, American author and journalist -

“The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day … you will never be stuck. Always stop while you are going good and don’t think about it or worry about it until you start to write the next day. That way your subconscious will work on it all the time. But if you think about it consciously or worry about it you will kill it and your brain will be tired before you start.”

Sources: Wikipedia, Flavorwire, The Huffington Post

For me, the method I use depends upon what I’m writing. If it’s a blog post, I’ll typically alternate between writing, photography and baking and let my thoughts percolate. For more formal documents, I lock myself in a room and follow an approach similar to Mark Twain. Of course, it’s easier when it’s snowing and I have a chocolate chip pound cake in the oven.

What about you? What keep your creative juices flowing? How do you deal with the big, blank screen?

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

17.5 tbsp (250 g) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 c (250 g) organic powdered sugar
5 eggs
1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
1 1/4 c plus 2 tbs (200 g) flour, sifted
1/2 c chocolate chips (70 g)

Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). Butter and flour 1 large or 4 small loaf pans.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter. Blend in the sugar, then the vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well-incorporated. Mix in the flour and chocolate chips until just blended.

Pour into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 45-50 minutes.

Allow cake to cool completely on a rack, then un-mold.

Note: To prevent the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom, like mine, toss them in flour before adding to the batter.

Bon Appetit!

Coconut and Chocolate Flake Cake

2013-02-01T15:06:00.000-05:00

I’ve read a number of blog posts lately written by young women who are vocal about their battles with confidence and self-esteem. Granted, I don’t consider myself to be old, but I'm no longer twenty and reading their words made me reflect on moments of struggle in my own life and how I worked to improve myself.

I’m pretty sure there is not a person on earth who hasn’t confronted doubt and fear. If Eleanor Rooselvelt said, “Do one thing every day that scares you” and Ralph Walden Emerson wrote, “If I have lost confidence in myself, I have the universe against me,” we can be fairly certain that these emotions are universal.

That said, it does seem that these feelings are particularly paralyzing for women, especially younger women. Not that men don’t experience similar feelings, but they’re generally raised to handle them differently and frankly most haven’t experienced the whole weight of the culture working against them.

Looking back, I realized that when I was in my twenties I would have loved having a strong female role model in my life who could give me advice and help me navigate through the outside world of work, relationships, finance, etc. Sadly, I didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of nice women around me, but they weren’t generally all that confident - even those who were highly educated with decent careers.

On a recent snowy day, I went hiking around Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Ironic, since this where Henry David Thoreau wrote Walden and the now beloved quote “Go with confidence in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”

When I came home, I warmed up with some cake and tea and began to think about what advice I'd give if I were mentoring someone in their twenties now. I’ve never been a huge fan of unsolicited advice but let’s face it, there’s wisdom in learning from the experience of others. Since this blog reaches thousands of women a day, I thought it would be fun if we (that’s right, women and men) could share some insight about overcoming doubt and fear.

What in your life has given you courage? What has propelled you forward? What do you tell yourself when you’re about to do something terrifying? I’m asking because I think there are many people who would love to hear your insight. I’m sure a piece of this Coconut and Chocolate Flake cake will help too.

Coconut and Chocolate Flake Cake

8.5 tbs (125 g) butter, unsalted & room temperature
1 1/4 c (275 g) cane sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp (4 g) vanilla
1/2 c (125 g) whole milk
1 1/2 c (185 g) all purpose flour, sifted
2 tsp (10 g) baking powder
1 1/4 c (70 g) sweetened dried coconut
3/4 c (80 g) good quality dark chocolate, shaved
powdered sugar for dusting
Extra flour and butter for cake tin.

Preheat oven to 350 F (180C). Grease and flour an 8” (20 cm) spring form pan. Set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Throughly mix in the eggs, vanilla and milk. With mixer at low speed, stir in the flour and baking powder. Just before the flour is incorporated fully add the coconut and shaved chocolate.

Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake until the center springs back to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 60-90 minutes, depending upon your oven.

Cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar.

Bon Appetit!

Double Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

2013-01-15T15:54:00.001-05:00

The holidays were fun but after all of the preparation and the vast quantities of food, I’m definitely embracing a fresh start to the new year.

I’m not one for making resolutions but I did decide to increase my commitment to supporting local food producers and artisans in the New England area. Thankfully, we were able to start 2013 off on the right foot by visiting some of the winter farmer’s markets in our neck of the woods.

In the past, there was essentially no local food available where we live during the winter months. You either canned or froze food enough food for your family during the summer or you were stuck with the dead, lifeless and flavorless food that travelled thousands of miles to reach the nearest chain supermarket. Thank goodness things have changed.

Don’t get me wrong, we still enjoy canning and freezing food at the end of the summer. In fact, just last night we defrosted summer peaches and blueberries and used them to make a homemade crostada. That said, it's much nicer to engage in these activities for pleasure and not because there’s no decent alternative.

Farmers in our area take winter farming very seriously. Greenhouses and hydroponic farms are springing up all over the region. Our farmers are selling root vegetables like never before. This means we now have access to local winter lettuce, greens, vegetables - even tomatoes available on the coldest winter days. Meat, cheese and seafood are also local.

What’s really great is how the winter farmer’s markets also include local artisans and craftspeople. Local cheese, chocolate, honey, desserts, wines and specialty foods are plentiful. Local crafts are making a come back too. In fact, some locals are producing such beautiful yarn, I almost want to take up knitting. What a difference it makes on a dreary winter’s day to walk into a room full of color and delicious goodness.

Speaking of delicious goodness, I made some great double chocolate shortbread cookies. I love these cookies for a few reasons. First, you can whip up a batch in no time at all. Second, you don’t have to bake them right away- the dough can sit in the refrigerator for a few days. They’re also easy to pack and easy to freeze. Finally, they’re not overly heavy. They’re perfect with a good cup of coffee or tea. What a great way to start the new year.

What about you? What are you eating in 2013?

Double Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

2 egg yolks
1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
2 tbs (35 g) water
10 tbs.(150 g) unsalted butter
1 c (100 g) powdered sugar
2 1/4 c (300 g) all-purpose flour
1/4 c (35 g) cocoa powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 g) baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 c (100 g) chocolate chips (the measurement here doesn’t need to be exact- add to suit your taste)
pure cane sugar for sprinkling

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together and set aside.

In a small bowl mix the eggs, vanilla and water and set aside.

In a standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Gradually add the egg, vanilla and water mixture until blended.

Add dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Blend in chocolate chips on low speed.

On a silicone baking sheet or piece of parchment or wax paper, use the dough to roll a log with your hands. The length of the log will determine the size of your cookies. Mine was about 15 inches long. Roll the log in cane sugar, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 325. Cut the cookie log into 1/2 inch slices. Lay flat and bake 18-20 minutes. Cool completely before eating. The cookies will taste best when completely cooled.

Special thanks to the Wayland Winter Farmer's Market for the wonderful food and photo opportunities!

Bon Appetit!

Happy New Year

2013-01-02T16:51:00.001-05:00

"We are constantly invited to be who we are."

~ Henry David Thoreau~

Happy New Year, friends. Here's to you.

Vintage Chocolate Cake & a Bit of Christmas in New England

2012-12-24T13:03:00.001-05:00

Here were are in the midst of another holiday season. Cakes and cookies are baked, trees are trimmed and the official celebration of winter has begun. It is a time to eat, rejoice, laugh and sing.

Given what we experience today, it’s hard to believe that Christmas was outright banned in Puritan New England. Considered pagan and materialistic, a large fine was imposed on anyone found to be celebrating the Christmas holiday. If you can imagine, New Englanders didn’t see their first Christmas tree until 1850. This is why it’s all the more amazing that New Englanders wrote many of the Christmas carols we know and love today.

Here are a few things I never knew. Abolitionist Reverend Edmund Hamilton Sears wrote, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear at his church in Wayland, Massachusetts. His poem was set to music in 1850.

In 1857, Reverend John Henry Hopkins Jr., the first Episcopal bishop of Vermont wrote We Three Kings and set the poem to music for a college performance.

If you’ve visited the Trinity Church in Boston, you’re probably familiar with Reverend Phillips Brooks. Reverend Brooks travelled from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve in 1865. Two years later, when reflecting upon the experience, he wrote, Oh Little Town of Bethlehem.

Of course, there’s also the happy tune that we now know as Jingle Bells, which was written by the unemployed wanderer James Lord Pierpont at a boarding house in Medford, Massachusetts. The song was originally entitled One Horse Open Sleigh and describes the sleigh races held on Pleasant Street in old Medford Square.

Much later, in 1948, the orchestral piece Sleigh Ride was written by Cambridge, Massachusetts native, Leroy Anderson, and was recorded by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1949.

If you’re a lover of Christmas bells, the Bevin Brothers Manufacturing Company began making Christmas bells in East Hampton, Connecticut. Sadly, a fire in May 2012, requiring 200 firefighters, completely destroyed the 19th century factory which had been in the family for six generations. No worries. They're still making jingle bells and you can buy them online.

Speaking of bells, of all the Christmas carols written in New England, perhaps the most heart-wrenching is the poem, Christmas Bells by poet and abolitionist Henry Wadsworth Longfellow of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

While preserving a lock of their 7 year old daughter’s hair in wax (customary in the 1800’s), the dress of Henry’s beloved wife Fanny caught fire and engulfed her in flames. Henry threw himself on his wife in an attempt to extinguish the flames, burning his face, neck and arms. She died the next day and was buried on their wedding anniversary. Henry was too badly burned to attend the funeral. A year later, his son suffered a life-threatening injury fighting in the American Civil War.

In deep despair, on December 25, 1864, Henry wrote,

I heard the bells on Christmas Day 
Their old, familiar carols play,
and mild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men! 

As you can imagine, his original writing is a bit different from the lyrics you hear today.

Traditions link us to the past and provide us with a bit of understanding about who we are today. For me, learning a little about history makes the holidays much more fun.

Speaking of fun, you have to make this cake. I call it Vintage Chocolate Cake because it tastes like something I wish someone's grandmother would make. It's a simple recipe and tastes so good that we ate the whole thing in three days.

I also want to mention that the outdoor photographs were taken at the beautiful Crane Estate in Ipswich, Massachusetts on the day of their holiday open house.

Whatever you do, try the cake. And, whatever you're celebrating this season, I hope it's happy, healthful and joyful.

Happy holidays everyone. Peace to you and yours!

Vintage Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 c (165 g) cake flour
1/2 c (60 g) good quality cocoa powder
2 tsp (10 g) baking powder
1 tsp (2 g) salt1/4 c (55 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c (315 g) cane sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
4 oz. melted chocolate, cooled
1 1/2 c (350 ml) milk
2 egg whites
pinch of cream of tartar
1/2 c (95 g) cane sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C)

Grease and flour two 9" cake pans or two 7" spring form pans if you like the cake tall (as pictured).

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in egg yolks, vanilla, and melted chocolate. Stir in milk alternately with dry ingredients. Set aside.

Whisk together egg whites with cream of tartar until a meringue begins to form. Gradually whip in sugar. The mixture will form peaks when you pull the whisk away from the bowl. It will be thick, like a light marshmallow creme. Fold the mixture into the cake batter. Bake until 3-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Once cool, carefully trim off any skin on top and tough edges on sides with a serrated knife. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Chill for up to 3 days.

Vanilla Frosting (you will be making 2 batches over 2 days)

26 tbs (375 g), unsalted butter, slightly softened
2 c (220 g) organic powdered sugar, sifted
3 tbs (45 ml) milk
3 tbs (5 ml) vanilla extract

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter for 5 minutes on medium speed.

Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for about 4 minutes.

Note: I switched to organic powdered sugar this week to avoid GMO beet sugar. I found it to be less sweet than regular powdered sugar and everyone preferred it on this cake.

Bon Appetit!

A Little Bit of Comfort and Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies

2012-12-18T18:06:00.000-05:00

If there's a week when we need comfort, this is the week. Personally, I take great comfort in baking. The whir of beaters, the cracking of eggs, the pouring of chocolate, all engross me to the point where I think of little else but the process in which I’m engaged.

I recently heard a lecture featuring a Julia Child biographer. Apparently, when guests on her program expressed anxiety about being on television, Julia would say, “Think of the food. Focus on the food.”

For me, baking is a form of meditation. It’s methodic. It’s precise. It’s completely engrossing.

I see the act of baking as more important than the act of eating the result. Why? When you bake, you breathe. You focus. Your key ingredients are love and kindness. What could be better than that?

The next time you need to de-stress, I highly recommend making this recipe. Watch the beaters whir. Taste the batter. Smell the aroma of the melting chocolate as the cookies as bake in the oven.

Whether you sandwich delicious ice cream between the cookies or simply eat them warm with a big glass of fresh, local milk, share them with someone you love. You’ll feel better.

In the words of Julia, “Think of the food. Focus on the food.”

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

17 1/2 tbs (250 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c (165 g) dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 c plus 1 tbs (160 g) cane sugar
2 c (285 g) flour
1 egg
1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
1/2 c (50 g) good quality cocoa powder
1 tsp (5 g) baking soda
2 c (200 g) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 355 degrees (180 c). Line baking trays with parchment or silicone baking mat and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients until just blended. Do not over-mix. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Form balls of dough (golf-ball size) and place on cookie sheet about 3 “ apart. Press each cookie gently with the palm of your hand to flatten.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending upon your oven. Do not over-bake. Cool on wire rack.

Notes:

1. The dough can be rolled for into a log for "slice and bake" cookies and refrigerated for up to one week. The "slice and bake" cookies aren't as pretty as the hand-rolled cookies but they taste delicious. Also, after 3 days in the refrigerator, the cookies will become crispier.

2. I have also made these cookies without baking soda (happy accident). These were the cookies I used for ice cream sandwiches because they were a bit chewier and flatter. To make an ice cream sandwich, make or buy your favorite ice cream and soften it slightly. Place a scoop between two cookies and press. You can also roll the edges in your favorite coating (in this case, I used vanilla ice cream and ground-up candy canes). Yes, ice cream in winter. New England is the biggest consumer of ice cream in the country.

3. Finally, if you exclude the chocolate chips, this is a great cookie to grind up and use as the base for a cookie crust in a cheesecake or ice cream cake.

Bon appétit!

Honey-Pecan Banana Bread with Shaved Chocolate

2012-11-30T17:52:00.001-05:00

After a week of heavy holiday food I decided to post a recipe that's a little bit lighter than what many of us have been eating lately. I made up this version of banana bread a little while ago and discovered it's a wonderful late afternoon snack with a cup of hot tea. It's perfectly delightful to nibble on as we make the transition from fall to winter.

As many of you know, I love history. We were fortunate to be able to stop by the Barrett Farm open house in Concord, Massachusetts a few weeks ago.

Back in 1775, the farm's owner, Colonel James Barrett, was stockpiling munitions for the town on his land. Needless to say, the British were not pleased with their American subject. As the British marched into Concord to seize the farm on April 19, 1775, word spread of their impending arrival. The British Regulars were "interrupted" by American farmers and the ensuing battle marked the beginning of the American Revolution. The rest, as they say is history.

Time took its toll and the farmhouse fell into disrepair. Fortunately, local and Federal funds made restoration of the property possible.

I only show you a glimpse of the farmhouse with my photos in case you decide to visit. The artisans did an amazing job, painstakingly restoring historic details. The house, now beautifully preserved, is part of the Minuteman National Park and is open to the everyone.

I don't know about you, but I love decorating. I wish I could pack up the cabinets from this home and put them in my kitchen. The paint and woodwork are simply gorgeous. What is it about old paint colors? (I frequently find myself buying this locally made paint in an attempt to replicate the look.)

After our journey to the farm, it was wonderful to come home and relax with a warm piece of Honey-Pecan Banana Bread with Shaved Chocolate. Sensational. I hope you like it too.

Honey-Pecan Banana Bread with Shaved Chocolate

1/3 c (28g) amarynth flour
1/3 c (28 g) buckwheat flour
2/3 c (56 g) almond flour
2/3 c (87 g) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp (2 g) salt
3/4 tsp (3 g) baking soda
3 over ripe bananas
1/4 c (60 g) yogurt
1/2 c (140 g) local honey
1/4 c (25 g) coconut palm sugar
4 tbs (40 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tsp (8 g) vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/3 c (45 g) good quality chocolate, coarsely shaved or finely chopped
1 cup or a big fistful of pecans, toasted and chopped 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celsius).

Grease and flour bottom and sides of a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan and set aside. 
Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl; set aside. 
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix bananas until fairly smooth. Add yogurt, honey, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla. Mix well.
Add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Fold in pecans and chocolate.
Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top is golden brown.
Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Note: I haven't tried it but I suspect you could use 50% almond flour and 50% all-purpose flour and get a tasty banana bread. I'm mentioning this in case you don't have the fancy flours available to you.

Bon appétit!

Cranberry-Apple Pecan Bars and an Anniversary Giveaway

2012-11-19T15:31:00.000-05:00

Like many of you, I've been rushing around trying to prepare for the holidays. Things have been so hectic, I completely forgot to mark the anniversary of my blog. Would you believe I've been posting to this site for three years? Honestly, where does the time go?

Of course, it's only appropriate that this Thanksgiving I take a moment to thank you for stopping by regularly, for sharing your thoughts and comments and for giving me the motivation to keep this blog up and running. I'm thankful for your friendship.

This seems like a perfect time to post the photos that I took during my last visit to the Coggeshall Farm Museum. If you haven't yet visited, Coggeshall Farm is a beautiful 48- acre property in Bristol, Rhode Island. It's a living history museum that allows you to see what life was like on a New England farm back in 1799.

The people who run the farm make it incredibly inviting. You can explore the grounds at your leisure and observe events and ask questions as you go along. I realize that this may sound odd but they have the "nicest" farm animals I've ever met. They're incredibly calm and gentle. Seriously, how many turkeys allow you get this up-close and personal?

I also completely fell in love with the farm house. There's something about the patina of old paint and a room full of antiques that feels warm and inviting. I can only imagine how cold it was during the winter of 1799, but the house is definitely charming and romantic today.

Needless to say, it's the perfect place to snack on the Cranberry-Apple Pecan Bars I made this week. Not only is this dessert perfect for Thanksgiving, it's one of those desserts that tastes incredible right out of the oven. They taste like heaven, really.

I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual … Oh, how I laugh when I think of my vague indefinite riches. No run on my bank can drain it, for my wealth is not possession but enjoyment.

- Henry David Thoreau

I recently took a ride down to A.D. MakePeace in Wareham, MA to stock up on local cranberries for the winter. You may not be aware of this, but cranberries grow on little shrubs in sandy soil. From September through November, the beds (or bogs, as they're called) are flooded with water. Like magic, the cranberries rise to the top and then a harvester scoops them up for delivery to your store.

Did you know you can tell if a cranberry is fresh by bouncing it on your countertop? Fresh cranberries bounce.

In honor of this holiday season, the anniversary of this blog and you, I'm giving away some wonderful New England cranberry treats. If you want to know what truly fresh cranberry snacks taste like, you'll love this giveaway.

Specifically, I'm giving away a bag of the best, local sweetened, dried cranberries I've ever tasted, plus a bag of chocolate covered cranberries, plus a delicious jar of cranberry vanilla jam. Everything is from locally made. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Here's how you can enter to win:

Leave a comment on this post before midnight on Friday December 7, 2012
Make sure your comment links directly to a site where you can be contacted. Otherwise include a Twitter or email address in your comment. Only comments that include this information are eligible to win.
One entry per person.
The winner will be selected at random and contacted on Saturday December 8, 2012 before noon (EST).
Be sure to check your inbox and messages. If no response is received by Monday December 10, 2012 at noon (EST), another winner will be selected.
This giveaway will ship anywhere in the world.

Don't forget to Tweet about @freshnewengland too! Every tweet about this post is an additional chance to win.

Cranberry-Apple Pecan Bars

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C)

Crust

16 tbs (125 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c (100 g) sugar
1 tsp (3 g) vanilla extract
2 c (265 g) all-purpose flour

In a bowl of a stand mixture fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Mix in the flour until just blended. using your hands, press the dough into the base and 3/4 of the way up the sides of a 6X6” square pan. Chill for 20 minutes.

Cranberry filling

3/4 c (125 g) fresh cranberries
1/2 c (80 g) sugar
1/8 c water

In a small saucepan, bring ingredients to boil then simmer until cranberries pop and mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Apple filling

5 medium apples, peeled and sliced
6 tbs (95 g) butter, diced
1/2 c (80 g) dark brown sugar
1/4 c (30 g) powdered sugar

Toss ingredients together. Set aside.

Topping

1 c (100 g) pecans, lightly toasted
2/3 c (90 g) all-purpose flour
2/3 c (65 g) oatmeal flakes
9 tbs. (100 g) unsalted butter
2 tsp (6 g) cinnamon
2 tbs. (20 g) brown sugar

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until crumbly.

To make the bars

Remove the crust from the refrigerator. Using an offset spatula, spread the cranberry filling over the base of the crust.

Layer the apples over the cranberry mixture so they overlap. Make sure the apples rest on top of the cranberry mixture.

Sprinkle the topping over the apples until the entire square is covered in crumble.

Using the base of a wooden spoon, push the sides of the crust down to meet the top of the crumble. The crust and the crumble should be even.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, depending upon your oven. You’ll know it’s done, when the top gets brown and bubbly.

Bon appétit!

A New Look, A Few Thoughts and Buttermilk Spice Cake with Sugared Plums

2012-11-01T22:54:00.002-04:00

Change is difficult for us to manage. A new boss breezes into an office ready to innovate and is met with skepticism and distrust because things will be different for employees. A spouse walks through the front door and is upset to find the living room rearranged. Despite the fact that the room looks better, he or she wasn’t consulted and as a result, doesn’t feel comfortable in the new space. On a cool, rainy night you sit down at your favorite restaurant and order your usual meal. Instead of enjoying the meal, you discover the chef changed the recipe and it’s just not as enjoyable as usual.

Change is hard when it’s thrust upon us because it takes us out of comfort zone and strips us of our perceived control. Even self-inflicted change presents challenges. Anyone who has tried to lose weight, quit a bad habit or improve their self-esteem knows how hard it is to modify personal thoughts and behaviors.

Change is a process. We need time to adjust.

As you're well aware, our friends and neighbors on the East Coast of the United States were hit with a devastating storm earlier this week. On Monday people had heat, water and electricity. On Monday night, there was none. On Monday morning people woke up in their homes. By the end of the day, many of their homes were gone. The change from the known to the unknown was sudden, jarring and painful. Please know that all of you who bore the brunt of storm are in our thoughts and prayers.

We were in the path of the storm but comparatively speaking, our community was spared from the hurricane’s impact. Despite this, we felt the need to walk around our town after the storm to see if anything was different. We felt the need to drive to the places we know and love to make sure they’re still standing. This weekend, in fact, we’ll drive to the seashore to see the damage, simply because we need wrap our minds around what happened. It amazes me how much we define ourselves by the spaces in which we live and how unsettling it is to see those spaces and places altered and changed.

I suppose this is why we’re drawn to old, historic places. They’re stable. They endure. I don’t know if you’ve heard of the Trustees of the Reservations but their properties are among some of our favorite places to visit in New England. Their mission is to preserve and protect the irreplaceable and natural treasures of Massachusetts and protect they do. They have 25,000 acres of some of the most beautiful and historic properties in the New England area. All are open to the public. I highly recommend spending time at their locations.

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to attend the Trustees open-house at Moraine Farm in Beverly, Massachusetts, a 275 acre country estate designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. It’s such a beautiful place to explore. The farmland has been in continous operation since the 1800’s and it’s gorgeous. I especially loved the sweeping walkways and grand old trees. Old places like Moraine Farm bring a feeling of stability, a feeling of comfort, a feeling of forever - something we all need right now.

On the way home we stopped at an orchard and picked up some fall plums. I wanted to make a spice cake with my antique cake mold and thought the plums would be a perfect accompaniment. I was right.

Before the storm, I wrapped up the work on the main page of my blog re-design. I haven't finished every page but I decided to share it with you today because this particular change is constructive and positive. I hope you like it as much as I do.

When you settle in to make this spice cake, which I know you will love, think about what we can do together to help the our friends and neighbors who have lost so much this week. It’s true, North-Easterners tend to be determined and resourceful but hurricane devastation of this magnitude takes its toll on even the most resilient among us. The East coast will rebound but change takes time and a lot of patience.

It would also help if you could join me in making a donation to one of the following organizations:

The Red Cross

Feeding America

Americares

Thanks, as always, for stopping by. It’s wonderful to have you here again.

Buttermilk Spice Cake (from The Culinary Craft, 1984)

2 1/2 c (270 g) cake flour
1 tsp (5 g) baking powder
1 tsp (5 g) baking soda
1 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (3 g) ginger
1/2 tsp (3 g) cloves
1/4 tsp (1 g) nutmeg
1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
1/2 c (112 g) butter
1 c (188 g) sugar
1/2 c (80 g) brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp (5 g) vanilla
1 1/4 c buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans, several mini-pans or one specialty cake pan.

Sift the cake flour. Measure the cake flour. Add the spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift again. It’s necessary to sift it twice or the cake will be too dense and heavy.

Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the granulated sugar until lemon colored. Beat in the brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating throughly after each edition. Mix in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add one third of the dry ingredients to the mixture. Alternate with 1/3 of the buttermilk until both are completely incorporated.

Pour into prepared pans and bake 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the layers comes out clean. Baking time will vary depending on your oven and the size of the pans you use. Cool completely and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Decorative Sugar Plums

Lightly brush the lower half of fresh plums with a bit of corn syrup and roll in sugar. Place around cake.

Bon Appetit!

Hazelnut Butter Toffee-Chocolate Chip Cookies and a Giveaway

2012-10-15T15:33:00.001-04:00

If you’re reading this post, you’re probably a cookbook lover like me. I rarely feature cookbooks on this blog but I couldn’t resist giving away a copy of Cannelle et Vanille’s brand new book, Small Plates and Sweet Treats.

For those you who follow Aran’s work, her new book is everything you hoped it would be. It’s packed with beautiful and vibrant pictures, interesting stories and unique recipes. The photographs are remarkably appealing and are filled with color and light.

It’s hard to believe it was four years ago when I first stumbled across Aran’s beautiful blog. I remember making her recipes and being thrilled when each recipe, one after the other, yielded delectable results.

Later, I embarked on making her vanilla bean macarons. If you’ve ever tried making macarons, you know how frustrating the process can be. Macaron’s are inherently difficult to make and the results are affected by a myriad of factors ranging from humidity in the room to the degree of mixing.

I certainly remember my first attempts at making them. They were flat. They were uncooked in the middle. They didn’t have feet. After numerous attempts, they seemed utterly impossible to make.

Enter Aran. She was kind enough to guide me through the process, step-by-step, until I finally got them right. Needless to say, I’ve been making the macaron recipe with great success ever since.

It's clear from Aran's blog that she has a tremendous zest for living and a passion for her work. This is why it comes as no surprise to me that her book is so enjoyable to read.

In fact, one of the things I like best about her book is the array of light, fresh and seasonal recipes. There’s nothing better than heading to the farm for local ingredients and being able to assemble them into an exquisite meal.

Another great aspect of the book is the wonderful assortment of sweet treats. Just this last week, I whipped up a batch of her Hazelnut Butter Toffee-Chocolate Chip Cookies and took them along for a late afternoon walk on the beach. Delicious.

I know you’re going to love her new book as much as I do. It’s one of those cookbooks you’ll want to keep on your kitchen shelf forever.

Here's how you can enter to win:

Leave a comment on this post before midnight on Friday October 26, 2012
Make sure your comment links directly to a site where you can be contacted. Otherwise include a Twitter or email address in your comment. Only comments that include this information are eligible to win.
One entry per person.
The winner will be selected at random and contacted on Saturday October 27, 2012 before noon (EST).
Be sure to check your inbox and messages. If no response is received by Monday October 29, 2012 at noon (EST), another winner will be selected.
This giveaway will ship anywhere in the world.

Don't forget to Tweet about @freshnewengland too! Every tweet about this post is an additional chance to win.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hazelnut Butter Toffee-Chocolate Chip Cookies

8 tbs (110 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 c plus 2 tbs (125 g) light brown sugar
1/4 c (50 g) natural cane sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, at room temperature
1 cup (140 g) superfine brown rice flour
1/3 c (55g) potato starch
1/3 c (40 g) tapioca starch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c (70 g) chopped Hazelnut Butter Toffee (recipe below)
1/2 c 90 g mini semisweet chocolate chips

In the bowl of a standing mixer, mix together brown sugar and cane sugar with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and the egg. Mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the superfine brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until it comes together. Add the chopped hazelnut butter toffee and chocolate chips, mix until well-combined.

Scrape the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper; it will be sticky. With the help of the parchment paper, shape the dough into a round log which is about 13 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Roll parchment around the log and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C) Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Cut the cookie log into 1/2 inch-thick disks. Place them on the baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before lifting them. Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Note: There are a few reasons my cookies look different from those in the book. I used dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar. I used chopped and shaved chocolate instead of chocolate chips. Also, I chilled the dough but scooped out rounded teaspoonfuls instead of forming the cookie log.

Hazelnut Butter Toffee

1/4 c (45 g) hazelnuts

1/3 c (70 g) natural cane sugar

4 tbs (55 g) unsalted butter

2 tbs water

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Toast for 5-7 minutes or until golden. Place together inside a cloth towel while still warm and rub them together to remove their skins. Reserve.

Combine sugar, butter, 2 tbs. water and salt in a small saucepan. Cook on medium-high heat stirring until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Stop stirring and cook until a candy thermometer reads 300 F (150 C). Add the toasted hazelnuts and stir. Pour the toffee onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Let it cool completely.

Coarsely chop the toffee. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Bon appétit!

Fall Raspberry Pie

2012-09-28T11:19:00.000-04:00

I was driving down the street the last week when I saw, wedged into the ground, a small hand-painted sign that read "raspberries." The crooked red arrow on the sign pointed to the right. I turned right. About a mile down the road there was another sign wedged into the ground that read "raspberries." This sign also pointed to the right, so I turned right again. I drove and drove, past acres of farms and cottages searching for the next sign. Just when I was about to give up, another sign appeared.

I made my way down the long, curvy driveway. Dust kicked up around the car. When I finally made it to the end, there stood a little house with an old rickety stand in front. I got out of the car, looked around and saw no one. Finally, I caught a glimpse of yet another tiny sign. This one said, "ring the bell." I did. Shortly thereafter, a lovely gray- haired women came out clutching a tray full beautiful, freshly-picked, red raspberries. I was in the right place.

Needless to say, I completely forgot about why I went out in the first place and rushed home with the boxes of raspberries in hand. I gently washed and dried each one, tasting a few as I went along.

These berries were destined for pie.

While the pie was in the oven, I set out for a walk.

The sun faded in and out. Some roses were in bloom, others were taking their last breath. Rabbits darted in and out of the bushes, completely unafraid of my presence.

As dusk set in, I knew it was time to head back - for the pie.

When I got back, I poured myself a cup of tea and waited for the pie to cool. Unable to wait any longer, I finally took a bite. One thing became immediately clear. Taking the right turn was the best decision I could have made that day.

I sometimes find it funny the lengths I will go to for good food. So, of course, this leads me to ask about you. Is this something you would do? Do you ever go out of your way to find good food and delicious treats?

You'll want to get your hands on some raspberries and make this pie. It's absolutely delcious.

Raspberry Pie

2 pints fresh raspberries, mixed with sugar to taste
2 g (1/2 tsp) corn starch mixed with 2 tbs. water
1 pie crust recipe found here

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 c)

Divide the pie dough into two pieces and wrap each piece in cellophane. Chill for 20 minutes.

Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out each disc of dough on a lightly floured surface. Line two 4" pie plates or one 8" pie plate with one of the discs of dough. Add the cornstarch mixed with water to to the sugar coated raspberries and mix gently. Pour in the raspberries. Baked for 45-60 minutes or until the pie is golden and bubbly. Be sure to keep an eye on smaller sized pies. They will be done sooner. Cool and serve.

Bon appétit!

Coconut Cupcakes with Marshmallow Creme and the Last Days of Summer

2012-09-17T21:04:00.001-04:00

I know. You were hoping for an autumn in New England post with apples, pumpkins and dark, moody skies. The truth is, the weather has been remarkably beautiful here. It's mostly sunny and temperate, especially compared with July and August.

Summer officially ends this Saturday. I love fall but I'm not quite ready to don wool and boots when it's 75 degrees and sunny outside. There will be plenty of time to rug up over the upcoming weeks...and months...and months. For now, I just want to enjoy the beauty of the few remaining days of summer.

Speaking of summer, we did take your vacation ideas. We packed up the car, ventured out and rented a beach house on Cape Cod.

Renting a beach house on Cape Cod has become a favorite pastime of ours. Surf-washed washed seacoasts, romantic byways, weather-worn homes and delicious seafood, how can you not breathe easier and unwind?

There's also something about vacationing just off-season that's wonderful too. The beaches are quiet, the air is a bit cooler and everything is still open for enjoyment.

My favorite spot on all of Cape Cod is the National Seashore. There are so many different beaches with hidden, picturesque areas. Our favorite beach is actually one where you park uphill, climb down hill, walk a mile past the fiddler crabs and turn left past the second sand dune on your right.

True, it's not something easily done with a car load of children. No worries, though. Should you decide to visit, most the beaches have ample parking and/ or shuttles to get you where you want to be.

Needless to say, I couldn't set out for a beach holiday without some homemade goodies. I'm not much for baking on vacation (gasp, I know) but I did manage to whip up a batch of simple coconut cupcakes with marshmallow creme. They're perfect for that late afternoon craving on a long, lazy days.

If you don't live here, I do hope you come by and visit some day. New England is a great paradise for the rest-seeker and adventure-lover alike.

At the very least, thank you for indulging my need to wring every last drop out of summer with my photographs. I promise, I will write more frequently. And, stay tuned. Autumnal posts are coming soon.

Coconut Cupcakes

121 g (9 1/3 tbs) unsalted butter, softened
16 g (1 1/3 tbs) vegetable shortening, softened
305 g (1 1/2 c) sugar
3 large eggs
256 g (2 1/4 c) cake flour, sifted
13 g (2 1/2 tsp) baking powder
3 g (1 tsp) salt
250 ml (1 c) whole milk
4 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract
4 g (1 tsp) coconut extract

1 recipe for marshmallow creme
sweetened, dried coconut for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter, vegetable shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Thoroughly beat in 3 eggs.

Sift together dry ingredients. Set aside. Stir together milk, vanilla and coconut extracts. Set aside. Stir in the dry and wet ingredients alternately beginning with the milk. To finish, beat for about 35 seconds on high.

Insert cupcake liners into muffin tins. Fill liner 3/4 full. Do not open the oven before 15 minutes.

Bake 20-24 minutes until the cupcake springs back to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Baking time will vary depending on your oven and the size of the cupcake liner you choose. Keep an eye on them.

Once cool, frost with marshmallow creme and sprinkle with coconut.

Bon Appetit!

Summer Fruit Desserts: Cherry Pastry and Red Currant Financiers

2012-08-15T16:16:00.000-04:00

Where did the time go? I last remember eagerly awaiting summer and now it seems the sun is setting a bit earlier each night.

I’ve been buried under a pile of books, papers, forms and slide shows in an effort to ‘catch up’ or ‘get ahead’ or whatever absurd, defensive, “please tell me it’s not nine o’clock already” expression we use to justify missing the key, important moments of our lives.

A little sea side hamlet with beaches and cottages is where I should be. Rest and relaxation are needed - at minimum a few vacation days.

In an attempt to tune my mind and mood to simpler pleasures, I reach for the red fruits and begin to bake.

It’s quiet here. The sky is overcast for the first day in quite a long time.

I make cherry filled pastry and red currant financiers and sit down with a cup of tea.

Resolved: That it is desirable for me to be on vacation for at least two weeks.

Scratch that. It's unrealistic. Would be nice though.

How about one week? One I should be able to manage.

hmmm... What if I can only get a day?

I need your help.

If you had one day to celebrate summer in the most meaningful way possible, what would you do?

Where would you go?

Who would you spend it with?

What would you eat?

Tell me about your idea of the perfect summer day and I'll share some recipes with you. You'll get incredibly delicious snacks and I'll get some ideas for how to spend my day off. Sounds like a fair trade to me. Wouldn't you agree?

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”
― Henry James

Cherry Breakfast Pastry

1 recipe puff pastry, rolled into sheets (I recommend bakery bought or the recipe in the book Baking with Julia, written by Dorie Greenspan)

160 g (1 c) good quality cherry jam
1 egg mixed with 8 g (1 tbs) milk
10 cherries, washed, dried, halved and pitted

Icing (optional)

60 g (1/2 c) powdered sugar
50 g (1/4 c) water
10 g (2 tsp) organic corn syrup

Stir ingredients together. Heat in microwave for 15 seconds. Stir again. Repeat until you have a smooth consistency. If you like the icing to be thinner, gradually mix in additional water.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 C)

Cut puff pastry into 6"X6" (13cm X 13 cm) squares. Place a heaping spoon full of cherry jam in the center and using a knife, spread the jam out slightly.

Cut each pastry square at the corners and fold over to create a pinwheel effect. Leave some space in the center to add cherries.

Brush with egg mixture.

Bake 10-15 minutes until puffed and golden. While pastry is hot, apply glaze using a spoon and a quick, back and forth motion. Place fresh, halved cherries in the center. Cool completely before eating.

Red Currant Financiers

125 g (1 1/2 c. less 1 tsp) almond flour, meal
125 g (1 c plus 1 1/2 tsp) confectioners sugar
75 g (1/2 c plus 1 tsp) flour
3 egg whites
100 g (7 tbs) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract
a handful of red currants, washed and dried (you can add as many or as few as you like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C)

Combine flour, sugar and almond powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix until combined. Add egg whites, vanilla and butter. Mix until combined. Gently fold in currants. Fill desired pans 1/3-1/2 full (mine were 2x3 in size). The less batter you add the less fluffy the cake will be. It will also take less time to cook so keep an eye on the cakes in the oven while they're baking.

Bake about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack before eating. Optional- dust with powdered sugar.

Bon appetit!

Pink Peony Cake, Garden Parties and Summer Reading

2012-07-10T16:05:00.001-04:00

There’s something about the combination of peonies, cakes and garden parties that I find irresistible. Perhaps they’re appealing because we’ve spent the better part of the last two weeks broiling in the sun without a breath of wind stirring. Or, perhaps I like them because their elegance and simplicity conjures up romantic ideas of summertime in days gone by.

Sweeping lawns, hammocks, lemonade, ocean breezes, time with loved ones, a stack of great books and slice pink peony cake is my idea of heaven. We don’t happen to have the sweeping lawn or the ocean breeze but thankfully a short drive in New England takes us to places like here and here.

Summer is flying by and I’m still compiling my summer reading list from our own library, our town library and our local book shop. I’m hopelessly a non-fiction reader and this definitely conflicts with the mental relaxation that’s supposed to accompany lazy summer days.

Churchill by Paul Johnson, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and a listen to Historic Conversations with Jacqueline Kennedy will start next week and undoubtedly something heavy and historic will follow. I have to make room for some non-fiction, hopefully a classic novel and maybe something lighter or retro.

For all the time we spend on the internet, it seems wise to periodically tune out of the digital world and sit back in a big wicker chair with a glass of something cold and icy and a beautifully bound, thoughtfully written old book.

I mustn't forget the cake. It’s a classic white cake, tinted to match the garden flowers with a big peony on top. The cake is simple to make and makes a perfect addition to your next summer feast. It’s also a perfect dessert to curl up with in your cozy chair or hammock while flipping through the pages of your favorite novel. What are you reading this summer? Any favorites or recommendations? Here's to a wonderful summer full of friends, lazy days and pink peony cake.

Pink Peony Cake

Pink Cake (adapted from Sweetapolita)

150 g or 5 egg whites, room temperature
180 ml (3/4 c whole milk)
9 g (2 1/4 tsp) vanilla extract
315 g (2 3/4 c) cake flour, sifted
350 g (1 3/4 c) sugar
19.5 g (1 tbs plus 1 tsp) baking powder
pinch of salt
170 g (12 tbs) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
pink food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).

Butter and flour four 6.5 inch wide by 4 inch high spring form pans.

In a small bowl mix the egg whites, 1/4 c milk and vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients on low speed.

Add the butter and the remaining 1/2 c of milk and mix on low speed until moistened. Increase to medium speed for 90 seconds.

Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the egg mixture in thirds, beating about 15 seconds after each addition.

Divide the batter into 4 bowls, and color each batter a different shade of pink. Do not over mix when blending because you do not want a tough cake.

Bake each cake 20-30 minutes (depending upon your oven) or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. After 15 minutes remove the spring form pans and cool completely.

Using a serrated knife, carefully slice off the tough skin on the top and sides of each cake, being careful to maintain its shape. I do this so I don't have tough bites of cake.

Slice each cake horizontally. Brush off the crumbs completely. You should have 8 slices of cake total (two of each shade of pink). Stack the slices so that you have two cakes, 4 layers each, of graduated colors. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Vanilla Frosting (you will be making 2 batches over 2 days)

375 g (26 tbs. butter), slightly softened
220 g (2 c) powdered sugar, sifted
45 ml (3 tbs) milk
5 ml (3 tbs) vanilla extract

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed.

Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 6 minutes.

Assembly

Remove unfrosted cake stacks from the refrigerator. Starting with the bottom layer, brush off the crumbs with a pastry brush. Add a large dollop of frosting and carefully spread over the top of the surface layer with a long straight spatula similar to this. Place the next layer of cake on top and repeat. Repeat again for the third layer and place the fourth layer on top. Do this for each cake, taking care not to get crumbs in the frosting. (Wipe your knife on paper towels frequently to keep it clean).

Now frost the entire outside surface of each cake with frosting. The goal here is to use the edge of the spatula to have a relatively thin, smooth layer of frosting that's not full of crumbs. A few crumbs are ok but if you have too many, you won't be able to cover them later. This is the crumb layer. It will be easier to do this if you have a turntable for the cake or if you place the cake on an upside down plate fitted over the base of a round bowl (this will allow you to turn the bowl and thereby turning the cake).

Once both cakes are frosted, place them in the refrigerator overnight until the frosting is cold and hard.

Make the frosting again. Remove the cakes from the refrigerator and frost each cake with a thick layer. Top each cake with a pink peony.

Bon appetit!

Brown Sugar Chocolate Mousse Cake, Julia Child's 100th Birthday and a Giveaway

2012-06-08T14:00:00.000-04:00

When a person with admirable qualities inspires stories that are passed down through generations, they are called a legend. This year, I’d like you to join me in celebrating the 100th birthday of the legendary chef, Julia Child.

Many of you know Julia Child as the wildly popular star of the 1963 television program, The French Chef and co-author of the culinary classic, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Though she was a French-trained chef and prolific writer, what made her a legend most was her knack for educating, entertaining and inspiring countless Americans to drop their frozen dinners and pick up a whisk, a pan, a knife and a spoon and get cooking.

At a time in America when garlic was considered an exotic ingredient and iceberg lettuce reigned supreme, Julia Child burst onto the stage telling American housewives to demand quality ingredients from their supermarkets, to experiment with flavor and to see cooking as a joy rather than a chore.

It was, in fact, not her culinary technique and training that propelled her to fame but rather her occasional awkwardness in the kitchen, her self-deprecating humor and her general conveyance of the idea that the most important thing was not to be a master chef but to have fun with fresh ingredients and experience the true pleasure of food. In Julia's words, "“You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.”

As written in Hamming it Up in the Haute Cuisine (Life Magazine, October, 1966),

“To the millions of faithful followers who joyfully tune in on her half-hour program every week, Mrs. Child seems quite a person herself, offering considerably more than wizardry in haute cuisine. ...she is a delightfully incorrigible ham...She samples sauces by sticking a finger in and shamelessly licking it - and occasionally spills the whole mess and has to start over. If she drops an ingredient on the floor, she’ll pick it up, dust it off, toss it into the pot and confide to the camera “After all you’re alone in the kitchen and no one can see you.”

One reader of the 1966 Life story responded,

“Thank you for finally publishing something on that delightful 6-foot pixie Julia Child. Everyone seems to have a feeling of trusting friendship for Julia. We visited Boston this summer and I had every intention of phoning her just to tell her how much I loved her. My husband, who is more reserved than I, appealed to my dignity and talked me out of it. - Laura S. Ruelberg, Highland Park, Ill.

It’s the feeling of trusting friendship that stays with us when we remember Julia Child. I remember watching The French Chef and laughing out loud when hands would suddenly appear from behind the counter to take away Julia’s dirty dishes.

I gained confidence from watching Julia, knowing it okay and normal to make mistakes when cooking and baking. In fact, I learned that the mistakes were often delicious new inventions. I also admired Julia for writing her first book in her 40’s, hosting The French Chef in her 50’s and starring in and producing Baking with Julia in her 80’s.

It’s worth noting that Julia Child and her beloved husband Paul spent the better part of their lives in New England with homes in Cambridge, MA and in Maine. Just today, I strolled past Julia’s old house (yes, that is her house in the picture), bordering Harvard University and retraced her footsteps to her neighborhood gourmet market, Savenor's.

I laughed thinking about some of our similarities - how we both live in Victorian homes, how we both have 1950’s cabinets and blue walls in our kitchens and how our husbands converted our dining rooms into photography studios. How could I not, then, when asked by the agency representing Julia’s publisher (Knopf), write a post featuring one of her favorite recipes - her divine chocolate mousse.

In fact, as a tribute to Julia, I decided to update and relaunch my website, Fresh New England - a guide to finding the best and freshest local food in the New England area. When I started the website, there was no comprehensive guide to local food in New England - anywhere.

I’m pleased to say that year by year my database grows by leaps and bounds and there is more incredible regional food sources here in New England than there ever before. I suspect Julia would be pleased.

In honor of Julia’s 100th birthday I give you the recipe for a wonderful brown sugar chocolate mousse cake, a major update to the Fresh New England website (something to bookmark and explore on your next visit) and, an incredible giveaway which includes:

- A copy of Julia's cookbook: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

- An assortment of sensational high quality foods made right here in New England and contributed by their amazing producers which includes:

- A gift box of Homemade Chocolate Brownies from Sweet and Simple

- Two bags of Kenyan AA Kahindu Estate Coffee from Chilmark Coffee Company

- A $25 gift certificate to Vianne Chocolat online

- A sampler case of Late July Organic Chips

- A copy of the cookbook: New England Cooking by Brooke Dojny and provided by The Harvard Common Press

And from Julia’s neighborhood in Cambridge, MA, I’m also including:

- A canvas shopping bag from Julia’s favorite neighborhood market, Savenor's

- A coffee mug from Julia’s neighbor Harvard University

- A bag of Harvard Square’s L.A. Burdick’s Ecuadorian Dark Chocolate Hot Chocolate Mix (or perhaps Frozen Hot Chocolate) with a mini-whisk

Entering to win this incredible assortment of goodies is easy. Here’s how you can win:

Leave a comment on this post before midnight on Friday June 22, 2012
Make sure your comment links directly to a site where you can be contacted. Otherwise include a Twitter or email address. Only comments that include this information are eligible to win.
One entry per person.
The winner will be selected at random and contacted on Saturday June 23, 2012 before noon (EST).
Be sure to check your inbox, messages or comments. If no response is received by June 25 at noon (EST), another winner will be selected.
This giveaway will ship anywhere in the world.

Tweet about this post and the updated Fresh New England (add #JC100 to the end of your your tweet) for additional chances to win!

Brown Sugar Chocolate Mousse Cake made with Julia Child's Chocolate Mousse

This scrumptious cake is made of 3 key components: Julia Child's Mousseline au Chocolat from Mastering the Art, a Chocolate Cookie Crumb Base and a Brown Sugar Chocolate Cake. I make the mousse last so it's easier to pour and chill.

Chocolate Cookie Crumb Base

166 g (about 5 large) egg whites
138 g (3/4 c) sugar
80 g or (2/3 c) powdered sugar
34 g or (1/4 c +1 tbs) cocoa powder
78 g (1 c) almond powder
34 g (3 tbs) half and half
12 g (1 tbs) sugar
1 pinch of cream of tartar
20 g (2 tbs) Grand Marnier

Preheat the oven to 275°F (135°C)

In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Egg whites should be glossy and fold over a bit at the top when you pull the whisk away.

In a separate bowl mix the sugar, powdered sugar cocoa powder and almond powder. Mix in half and half. Add a few spoonfuls of beaten egg white to the dry mixture and stir. Fold in the remaining egg white until there are no particles of unblended egg white in the finished batter.

Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto a silpat lined cookie sheet or buttered parchment paper. Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cookie comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. Grind up in food processor with 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier.

Brown Sugar Chocolate Cake

30 g (1/3 c) cocoa powder
80 mL (1/4 c) water
150 g (about 1 c) good quality dark chocolate, chopped and melted
150 g (11 tbs) butter, creamed
300 g (1 1/3 c) brown sugar
125 g (1 1/2 c) almond powder
4 large eggs separated
pinch of cream of tartar
extra butter for greasing pan

Preheat the oven to 320 F (160°C). Generously butter a 9 x 11 pan and dust with cocoa powder

In a large bowl, mix the cocoa powder with the water until blended. Stir in the chocolate, butter, sugar almond powder and lastly the egg yolks.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but not dry.
Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture until well blended. Pour batter into pan. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Watch closely as baking times will vary considerably depending upon your oven.

Cool on wire rack. Cut out cake circles using a 3 inch ring mold and set aside.

Mousseline au Chocolat (from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle Simone Beck, vol. 1 , p. 604)

4 egg yolks

3/4 c sugar

1/4 cup orange liqueur

A pan of not quite simmering water

A basin of cold water

6 oz semi sweet chocolate (I recommend a good quality chocolate like Valrohna or Callebaut)

4 tbs strong coffee

6 oz or 1 1/2 stick softened unsalted butter

4 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 tbs granulated sugar

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until mixture is thick, pale yellow and falls back upon itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon.

Beat in the orange liqueur.

Set mixing bowl over the not quite simmering water and continue to beat for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is foamy and too hot for your finger.

Beat over cold water for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is cool again and forms the ribbon. It will have the consistency of mayonnaise.

Melt chocolate with coffee over hot water. Remove from heat and beat in the butter- bits at a time to make a smooth cream. Beat the chocolate into the egg yolks and sugar.

Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.

Stir one fourth of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the rest.

(I had to double the recipe and add 1.5 sheets of melted gelatin to stiffen the consistency for the cake. You might want to try the recipe first to see what you think. It's really personal preference. You can also find an alternative mousse recipe in grams here.)

Assembly

In the bottom of a 3" ring mold, pack down a layer of cookie crumb. Layer mousse with cake rounds- finishing with a cake round. Carefully remove mold. Repeat until you have used all of your ingredients. My ingredients made 8 three inch cakes. Chill until firm. Frost cakes with mousse and decorate with chocolate decorations, berries or shaved chocolate. Freeze up to 3 days or until ready to eat.

Bon appetit!

Glorious Lemon Cake

2012-05-16T17:04:00.000-04:00

Like many of you, I spend too much time during the day in front of a computer. I've been through countless computer chairs to improve ergonomics and still not a day goes by when I don't have computer-related pain of some sort or another. This is why I love photo shoots outside in the fresh air. It's also why I invested in my new iPad. I'm actually dictating this blog post in the middle of an apple orchard. It's amazing.

Needless to say, I've become a bit of an ipad addict. It's great to have the freedom to work wherever and whenever I want. I know a lot of you are tech savvy so I have to ask - what are your favorite apps? I thought maybe if we pooled our collective resources we might save time and identify a few valuable tools to help make our days a bit easier or at least a bit more fun.

These are the apps that I'm using regularly:

Snapseed for iPad photo editing

Photo transfer app for sending pictures between my iPad and desktop

Living earth for the alarm clock and for keeping track of the weather conditions around the globe

Words that burn for exploring and listening to beautiful poetry

Flipboard for keeping up with news and RSS feeds

Penultimate for handwritten notes

And of course timer to make ensure that I take frequent breaks at the computer.

It would be great if you'd post your personal favorites in the comments below. Also, I'm in need of a good Twitter app if you know of one.

Now onto the cake. It's easy to make and the results are simply remarkable. The cake is moist, rich and full of flavor. How can you go wrong with lemon curd baked into a cake. I know you're going to love it.

Glorious Lemon Cake (revised by Melissa, revised again by me. original recipe is lost.)

Lemon Curd

115 g (8 tbs) unsalted butter, softened

310 g (1.5 cups plus 1 tbs) sugar

4 large eggs

250 ml (1 c) lemon juice

2 sheets gelatin

Soften gelatin sheets by placing in a pan of water for 5 minutes.

In bowl of stand mixture fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs. Mix in lemon juice.

Remove gelatin from water and squeeze out excess. Microwave 3-5 seconds in small bowl until melted. Set aside.

Cook lemon mixture in medium sauce pan over low heat whisking frequently for the first 5 minutes and then constantly (5-10 minutes). When mixture is hot, add gelatin and continue to whisk until mixture thickens. Strain, cool, and refrigerate.

Cake Batter

60g (2/3 c) sliced almonds  

50 g. 3 tbs. butter, softened for greasing pan

75 g (1.5 c less 1 tbs) almond powder, lightly toasted in oven
125 g (1 c) all-purpose flour, sifted 
5 g (1 tsp) baking powder 
pinch of salt
115 g ( 8 tbs) unsalted butter, softened
200g (1 c) sugar 
4 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract 
4 g (1 tsp) almond extract 
3 large eggs
powdered sugar, for dusting cake

Preheat oven to 350 F (180C).

Heavily grease the inside of a 9" spring form pan with 3 tbs. of soft butter. Press half of the sliced almonds against the sides of the pan about 2/3 of the way up.

In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients. Set aside.

In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat until nearly white, about 3 minutes. Mix in extracts.

Pour dry ingredients into butter and mixture and mix on low. Before mixture comes together, add eggs and mix on low until smooth.

Pour cake batter into pan and smooth top with an offset spatula.

Dollop lemon curd over the top center of the cake (it will spread out as it cooks) leaving a 1/2 inch edge around the perimeter. Sprinkle remaining sliced almonds over the top. Dust with powdered sugar.

Bake 40-50 minutes until sides spring back to the touch and the center has firmed up. A toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Note: Do keep an eye on the cake while baking. Your oven may take more or less time to cook the cake.

Cool on a wire rack. Remove spring form edge. Dust with powdered sugar.

Best when eaten within 2 days but the cake will keep for about 5 days.

Bon Appetit!

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Scones

2012-04-23T14:42:00.000-04:00

"Here's the shirt and the sales receipt. Bring it up to the cashier and ask for a refund." "My steak is tough, will you tell the waiter and ask for something else?" "Please ring the door bell so I have an excuse to get off the phone with your Aunt Eva."

Moments like this were common for me when I was a kid. At 8 or 9 years old, I had to return items, sending back food and tell adults it was time to go. Because some adults around me were uncomfortable saying the word "no", I got a lot of practice saying no for them.

I understand that saying no makes a lot of people uncomfortable. One of my closest friends in graduate school was terrified to say no to anyone. When I asked her why, she said she felt horrible letting others down. Another friend avails herself to everyone, at any hour, no matter how exhausted she is or how inconvenient the request. I've even heard a few people on Twitter saying how they can't stand to say no and are exhausted as a result - especially around the holidays.

I think saying no is like anything else. It requires practice. Through trial and error, I've come up with a few strategies that have been helpful for me. I thought I'd share them here in hopes that you find them helpful as well. Here goes...

I rarely respond to requests in the moment. I typically thank a person for asking me to do something and get back to them after I've had time to consider how their request might impact me.

I don't feel bad about saying no. Saying no to a request simply means saying I've decided to say yes to myself. How can that be bad?

I find it's sometimes better to negotiate instead of saying no. For example, I might say " Y won't work for me but I could do "X". Would that work for you?"

I don't offer a lot of explanations for why I'm saying no. My reasons are my business and there's no need to open them up to the scrutiny of others. However, if providing a reason can help me and the other person come to a better solution or outcome, I might give some insight into what I'm thinking so we can come up with a solution together.

I don't say yes when I mean to say no. This ultimately leads to unpleasant situations.

I respect others feelings and I expect them to respect mine.

That's what works for me, what works for you?

Of course, every circumstance is different and saying no in one situation can be very different from saying no in another. Given all the stress it causes people, I sometimes wonder if we overestimate the importance of our yes in the eyes of others. What do you think?

Once again, I've gotten carried away with my thoughts. Must be the effect of eating Dark Chocolate Raspberry Scones under a magnificent magnolia tree. And by the way, the scones are delicious.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Scones

468 g (4 c) all purpose flour
102 g (1/2 c) sugar
20 g (2 tbs) Coconut Palm Sugar
14 g (1 tbs) baking powder
4 g (1/2 tsp) baking soda
a pinch of salt
340 g (1.5 c) unsalted butter, slightly softened and chopped
1 large egg
250 ml (1 c) buttermilk
1 g (1/4 tsp) almond extract
4 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract
160 g (1 c) good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 pint raspberries (about 20 berries), clean and dry
Buttermilk for brushing tops of scones
Raw sugar and sliced almonds for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (176 c). Line 2 large cookie sheets with silpat or parchment paper.

Place dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add butter and mix on low speed until the butter is incorporated and appears to be the size of small peas.

In a separate bowl mix egg, buttermilk and extracts. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until combined. Add dark chocolate and mix until blended.

Sprinkle counter with flour. (I placed a silpat on the counter to minimize sticking.) The dough is quite sticky so be prepared to wash your hands frequently. Remove slightly less than 1/3 of the dough from the mixing bowl. Place on counter and form into an approximately 5x5 inch square. The square should be about 1 inch high. Make six indentations in the dough with your finger. Place one raspberry in each indentation. Remove a bit of additional dough from the bowl and use it to make a layer that covers but does not destroy the raspberries. Once covered, pat down the dough a bit to make sure you the piece is unified. Your final block of dough should be about 1.5 inches high.

Using a bench knife, cut the square in half diagonally. Cut the square diagonally again. Cut diagonally again to make 6 triangles. Using an offset spatula, place scones on the prepared baking sheet leaving at least an inch between scones for expansion. Brush each scone with buttermilk, sprinkle with sugar and top with sliced almonds. Repeat with remaining 2/3 of the dough.

Bake approximately 25-30 minutes. Rotate pans front to back and top to bottom after 15 minutes. Cook until lightly golden brown. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. The scones taste best when served the same day but can be kept refrigerated in a sealed container for several days. They can also be reheated gently in the oven or for about 20 seconds in a microwave set to a low temperature.

Bon appetit!

Farms, Beaches and Cream Puffs Filled with Chocolate Mousse

2012-04-02T14:55:00.005-04:00

I'm very fortunate. My husband makes cream puffs. He makes cream puffs filled with chocolate mousse. He bakes them early in the morning and the house is filled with the aroma of melted chocolate and the smell of freshly baked pate a choux.

How bad is it to eat a cream puff for breakfast? I usually eat a healthy breakfast but sometimes I can't resist - especially when accompanied by a cup of good quality tea and great conversation. A little indiscretion now and then is okay with cream puffs. Am I right?

On our day off we carefully packed the cream puffs in containers and headed out for some fun. Last week we had record temperatures of 80 degrees and it was beautiful outside. Everything was beginning to bloom and there was not a cloud in the sky.

We stopped by a lovely farm near the ocean. They had a farm store with a wonderful assortment of food and gifts. I've never seen so many dried flowers or beautiful dried floral arrangements before. They were even drying artichokes. I couldn't leave without buying a spring wreath and some homemade bread. Once we had what we needed, we headed back to the car and continued on our journey. The cream puffs sat quietly in the cooler.

There was a line of cars waiting to get into the beach parking lot. We waited patiently - windows down and summer music playing.

It was great to walk on the warm sand again, without shoes and to have a picnic lunch. I must admit, it was quite a treat to eat cream puffs on the beach.

The days are getting longer and we stayed at the beach until the sun began to set. After the long ride home, it was great to kick off our shoes, brush of the sand ... and enjoy yet another cream puff. All in all it was a perfect day.

Cream Puffs (Pate a Choux)

(from Bo Friberg, The Professional Pastry Chef)

115 g (4 oz) cake flour

155 g (5.5 oz) bread flour

480 ml (1 pint) water

170 g (6 oz) unsalted butter

2.5 g (1/2 tsp) salt

480 ml (1 pint) eggs

1 g (1/4 tsp) ammonium carbonate

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (219 c)

Sift the flours together and set aside on a sheet of baking paper.

Heat the water, butter and salt to a full boil, so that the fat is not just floating on the top but is dispersed throughout the liquid.

Form the ends of the baking paper (from the sifted flours) into a pouring spout. Then, using a heavy wooden spoon, stir the flour into the liquid, adding it as fast as it can be absorbed. Avoid adding all of the flour at once, as this can make the paste lumpy.

Cook, stirring constantly and breaking up the inevitable lumps by pressing them against the side of the pan with the back of the spoon, until the mixture forms a mass and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the paste to a mixer bowl. Let the paste cool slightly so the eggs will not cook when they are added.

Mix in the eggs, two at a time, using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer on low or medium speed. After the first few eggs are incorporated, add the ammonium carbonate. Add as many eggs as the paste can absorb and still hold its shape when piped.

Pipe the paste into 2-3 inch balls.

Bake at 425 (219 c) until fully puffed and starting to show some color, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 (190 c) and bake about 10 minutes longer, depending upon size.

Let the pastry cool at room temperature. Do not try to accelerate cooling in the freezer or the cream puffs will collapse.

Slice and fill with chocolate mousse.

Note: Making pate choux requires a lot of heavy mixing by hand.

Chocolate Mousse

160 g (1 c) good quality dark chocolate, chopped

500 ml (2 c) heavy cream

1.5 sheets gelatin

Place the dark chocolate in a bowl and melt it over a double boiler. Remove the bowl from the heat when the chocolate is melted and let it cool slightly. Alternatively, you can place the chopped chocolate in a glass or ceramic bowl and microwave for about 1 minute. Check it frequently and stir after a minute. Allow the residual heat of the bowl to melt some of the chocolate to prevent scorching.

In the meantime, whip the cream to soft peak. Melt gelatin in microwave for about 5 seconds and pour into bowl slowly while cream is whipping. Pour a third of the whipped cream into the chocolate and mix quickly and thoroughly. Fold remaining whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Pipe into cream puffs, glaze and chill.

Chocolate Glaze

(adapted from Bo Friberg, The Professional Pastry Chef)

228 g (6 oz) good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped

70 g (2.5 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature

20 g (2.5 tbs) good quality cocoa powder

30 ml (1/8 c) Grand Marnier

127 g (4.5 oz) light corn syrup

Melt chocolate in the microwave for about 1 minute. Add the butter and stir until the butter is fully incorporated.

Stir the cocoa powder into the Grand Marnier and mix until smooth. Add the corn syrup and stir into the chocolate mixture. Glaze cream puffs.

Leftover glaze can be stored in a covered container and reheated when ready to use on other desserts.

Cream puffs are best when eaten fresh but can be stored in the refrigerator with filling for 2-3 days.

P.S. If you want to see a more seasonal day in New England, you can check out my new post on Freshness and Light. (Be sure to give the sound a minute to load before pressing play.)

Bon Appetit!

Early Spring and Raspberry Almond Cake

2012-03-10T18:42:00.001-05:00

I love the changing seasons here in New England. No matter what time of year it is, beauty and scenery are plentiful. The longest and most difficult season for me, however, is winter. Don't get me wrong, I love the first snow of the year and I can't imagine Christmas without hot chocolate, a lit fireplace and a chill in the air.

Yet, winter after mid-January seems interminable to me. The days are short and dark, getting from point A to point B becomes a challenge - without fail I get sick. The lack of light and the restricted movement always wears me down. Not this year.

This year the New England winter is on track to be the second warmest on record with the lowest snowfall in recorded history. I don't ever remember having it so easy during wintertime. New Years Day we walked on the beach. This week, temperatures are supposed to hit nearly 70 degrees (21c). The result? Spring is early.

While I enjoy the warmer weather, I'm deeply concerned about the impact of climate change. After all, the cold days of winter help along our autumn leaves, our apples, our cranberries, our maple syrup and our incredibly rich soil for planting. I'd much rather endure winter than risk losing the essence of New England to ever increasing temperatures.

For fun, I walked around photographing some signs of early spring. Half of the pictures you see on this blog post were taken on March 9, 2012. The other half were taken on April 15, 2011. The position of the light, the colors, the flowers - the same. Incredible. Have you noticed any changes where you are?

For now, I'm enjoying the easy, warmer weather. As I write this, I'm sitting on the porch with a cup of darjeeling tea and a slice of raspberry almond cake. Delicious.

Raspberry Almond Cake

250 g (18 tbs) unsalted butter, softened

150 g sugar (3/4 c)

50 g coconut palm sugar (1/4 cup)

4 large eggs

4 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract

200 g (1 1/3 c) almond flour

100 g (3/4 c) flour

10 g (2 tsp) baking powder

1 box/ pint fresh raspberries

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 7X9 baking pan or similar size baking pan. Alternatively, you can line a muffin pan with muffin cups).

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flours. Pour mixture into buttered pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Insert berries into the batter in rows. (If using muffin cups, insert one berry per muffin cup)

Bake for 30-40 minutes depending upon pan size and oven. Remove when inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

(Notes: You can eliminate the coconut palm sugar and use all white sugar. I happen to like the extra richness the coconut palm sugar provides which is why I include it. I have also made this recipe without the baking powder and without the raspberries. It makes a buttery dense and more European tasting cake that's lovely with whipped cream, fruit and/ or a cup of tea.)

Also, congratulations to Allison at A Tasteful Garden - for winning the chocolate giveaway. Let us know which flavor you like best.

Bon appetit!

World's Best Vanilla Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Ganache Frosting and a Giveaway

2012-02-26T14:05:00.006-05:00

First, allow me to thank you for the incredible comments you left on my last blog post. I was impressed by your thoughtful responses and it's clear the subject resonated with a great many of you. Thank you also for the incredible number of emails you sent. I learned a great deal from your insights and know others did as well.

On a related note, my husband picked up a book (on CD) this week that neither of us have been unable to put down. I recall the book had a tremendous impact on own my mother and I assumed when I picked it up I'd be reading about her generation. I was stunned at how relevant the book is today in 2012 - for women and men, at home and at work.

I must say, I'm not sure I would have fully grasped the message at an earlier point in my life but currently both my husband and I are finding it quite compelling and it's raised some wonderful discussions in my house. If you are up for some self-reflection, I highly recommend the book.

Now, let's have some chocolate.

Just a few short weeks ago we headed up to Je t'aime en Chocolat, Montreal's first chocolate show at Marche Bonsecours. It was wonderful. There were demonstrations, tastings, chocolate sculptures, chocolate fashion shows - even dresses made out of meringue. Incredible, really. With the temperature at 6 degrees (-14 c) outside it was nice to be eating chocolate while warm and toasty indoors.

When we finally made it home, I decided to make something a bit lighter than the dark chocolate truffles and mousse that we ate up north. I opted instead for making vanilla cupcakes with milk chocolate frosting (if you can call that lighter). I decided to decorate them with the sugar buttons we bought at our favorite patisserie.

While we were in Montreal, I also picked picked up a delicious assortment of chocolate bars with flavors including coconut, ginger, milk caramel, orange chocolate, to name a few.

In total, I bought 10 incredible chocolate bars from all over the world. I want one of you to have this amazing collection of chocolate bars so I'm giving them away to a lucky winner.

Here's how you can enter to win:

Leave a comment on this post before midnight on Friday March 9, 2012
Make sure your comment links directly to a site where you can be contacted. Otherwise include a Twitter or email address in your email address. Only comments that include this information are eligible to win.
One entry per person.
The winner will be selected at random and contacted on Saturday March 10, 2012 before noon (EST).
Be sure to check your inbox, messages or comments. If no response is received by March 12 at noon (EST), another winner will be selected.
This giveaway will ship anywhere in the world.

Don't forget to Tweet about @freshnewengland too! Every tweet about this post is an additional chance to win.

While you wait to hear who wins, I recommend trying these cupcakes. I labored over the recipe and made about 10 different versions until I got it right. You will love them. Enjoy!

World's Best Vanilla Cupcake

121 g (9 1/3 tbs) unsalted butter, softened

16 g (1 1/3 tbs) vegetable shortening, softened

305 g (1 1/2 c) sugar

3 large eggs

256 g (2 1/4 c) cake flour, sifted

13 g (2 1/2 tsp) baking powder

3 g (1 tsp) salt

250 ml (1 c) whole milk

6 g (1 1/2 tsp) vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter, vegetable shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Thoroughly beat in 3 eggs.

Sift together dry ingredients. Set aside. Stir together milk and vanilla. Set aside. Stir in the dry and wet ingredients alternately beginning with the milk. To finish, beat for about 35 seconds on high.

Insert cupcake liners into muffin tins. Fill liner 3/4 full. Do not open the oven before 15 minutes.

Bake 20-24 minutes until the cupcake springs back to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Baking time will vary depending on your oven and the size of the cupcake liner you choose. Keep an eye on them.

Milk Chocolate Ganache Frosting

305 g (10 1/2 oz) good quality milk chocolate such as Callebaut or Valrohna, finely chopped

320 ml (1 1/3 cups) heavy cream

78 ml (1/3) cup corn syrup (you can reduce this amount down to 2bs. if you find it too sweet)

4 g (1 tsp) vanilla

340 g (3 sticks butter) softened

178 g (1 1/2 cups) powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate carefully. I place it in a bowl and put it in the microwave for about 1 minute. You don't want the chocolate to completely melt in the microwave because milk chocolate burns easily. Instead, after 45 seconds, take it out and stir it until the residual heat from the bowl melts as much of the remaining chocolate as possible. Repeat in 15 second intervals until the chocolate is melted. Then mix the cream, corn syrup and vanilla in a small pan and bring to a boil. Stir into melted chocolate. Cool to room temperature.

Beat butter on high with paddle attachment for 1 minute until creamy. On low speed add powdered sugar and blend. Add the melted chocolate mixture and beat with whisk attachment until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until spreadable about 45 minutes to 2 hours. Frost cupcakes.

Note: You can adjust the frosting to your taste. If you find milk chocolate too sweet as a stand alone flavor, try stirring in an additional 1/2 cup melted dark chocolate. If after chilling the frosting for a few hours, you decide you want the frosting to be more firm, you can beat in more powdered sugar.

Bon Appetit!

Almond Fudge Brownies with Raspberry Ice Cream

2012-01-25T12:50:00.003-05:00

Lately I’ve been thinking about wisdom - the good sense in judgement that one gets from accumulated experience, especially from aging. I’m certainly not old, mind you, but I do hope I’m somewhat more astute than I was at an earlier age.

Just for fun, I searched the internet for books written about wisdom and was not surprised to find that a double standard applies to the sexes. To sum up, men who are wise learn from mistakes and work to improve their skills, their intellect and their lot in life. Women who are wise strive to be better mothers, better wives and even ‘goddesses.’

Almost everything mentioned about wisdom as it relates to women applies to engaging in some activity external to the inner-self. One book went went so far as to say, “a wise woman learns to love her body, even her feet.” This is pretty much the part where I started to choke on my almond fudge brownie. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for self-empowerment, but I’m pretty sure a pedicure isn’t going to get me there.

Then I stumbled upon these statistics from the US Census Bureau:

Women in the United States represent over half of the population
American women have passed men in gaining advanced college degrees and bachelor's degrees
One quarter of all women in the United States are victims of domestic violence
Women make only 77 cents for every dollar that men earn for the same work
Forty percent of women who head families live in poverty
One in five women are without health care
The largest segment of Americans living in poverty are elderly women

Obviously, many factors influence these outcomes. At minimum, the weight of the culture works against women and in some countries the statistics are dire.

If male wisdom is rooted in self-development and female wisdom is rooted in self-sacrifice, the results of the latter don’t seem all that promising to me. In fact, all of this reading makes me reflect on my own life and ask what I can do to put it on an even stronger trajectory. 

That said, I’m curious about what wisdom you have to share. What have you done for yourself to strengthen who you are and where you’re going?

I also have another question for you. If you could go back in time and offer your younger self at least one piece of wisdom, what would it be? I’m eager hear and I’m sure others are too. After all, a wise person learns from the experience of others.

While you’re thinking about it, sit down and enjoy an almond fudge brownie with raspberry ice cream. It may not make you wise but the flavor combination will surely make you smile.

Almond Fudge Brownies

35 g (1/3 c) cocoa powder

80 ml (1/3 c) hot water

70 g (2/3 c) good quality milk chocolate, chopped

80 g (3/4 c) good quality dark chocolate, chopped

150 g unsalted butter (10 1/2 tbs) butter

260 g (1 and 2/3 c) brown sugar

125 g (1 c. plus 1.5 tbs) almond powder

4 eggs separated

1 pinch cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 355 degrees (180 Celsius). Throughly butter glass baking dish. I used a 7.5 X 9.5 x 3 inch square Pyrex dish.

Mix hot water and cocoa together until blended. Set aside.

Place butter and chopped chocolate in a bowl together and melt (just over a 1 minute in the microwave) and stir.

In a mixing bowl combine the cocoa and water mixture with the melted chocolate and butter mixture, the brown sugar, the flour and the egg yolks. Stir until blended with a sturdy wooden spoon.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. The egg whites should stand firm when the whisk is pulled away but remain shiny and flop over a bit at the top. (Note: Do not beat until dry. Also,increase mixer speed gradually while beating the whites.)

Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Pour into a buttered pan and bake until firm, about 45-55 minutes. Keep an eye on it though, as oven times do vary. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached. Cool on a wire rack. Slice and let sit uncovered for 4 or 5 hours. The texture will firm up as they sit. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Raspberry Ice Cream

3 egg yolks

205 g (1 c) sugar

120 g (1/2 c) water

1 pint of fresh red raspberries (the more you add, the stronger the flavor)

pinch of salt

1/2 g (1/8 tsp) xanthan gum (keeps the ice cream creamy when freezing)

16 g (1 tbs) lemon juice

475 ml (2 c) half and half

Puree raspberries and strain to remove seeds.

Place egg yolk in a food processor or blender and set aside. Combine the sugar and water and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Briefly bring the syrup to a boil. With the blender or food processor running on high speed, gradually pour the hot syrup mixture into the egg yolks. (use the feed tube or the opening in to blender cover). Process about 3 minutes until thick and pale yellow. Add to this mixture,the raspberry puree, salt, xanthan gum and lemon juice and blend. Blend in the heavy cream and chill. Process in ice cream machine and freeze.

Bon appetit!

Meringue Clouds

2011-12-30T14:30:00.006-05:00

May you have a joyous, healthy, and peaceful New Year. Thank you all for your friendship and support. It's meant the world to me. And be sure to check out the latest interview with me and a few fabulous food bloggers here. Cheers to you and yours.

Meringue Clouds

250 ml (1 c) egg whites

1 pinch cream of tartar

205 g (1 c) sugar

255 g (2 c) powdered sugar, sifted

2 drops blue food coloring

Preheat oven to 200 degrees (100 Celsius). Line three baking sheets with Silpat or well buttered parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat egg whites with cream of tartar at low speed. Gradually increase speed to medium until the mixer gets white and frothy. Increase speed to medium high. Slowly add sugar and beat until whites are stiff but shiny. (The egg whites should flop over a bit at the top when you pull the whisk away). Remove bowl from mixer. Gently fold in powdered sugar with rubber spatula.

With a large spoon mound 2/3 of the meringue into balls on the baking sheet. They should be about 3 inches high and have some space between them. Pulling up on the spoon will help you create a swirly effect on the outer surface. For the remaining meringue fold in 1-2 drops blue food coloring. Use the blue meringue to make more mounds on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 1 and 1/2 hours - 2 hours. Place the handle of a wooden spoon in the door to hold it slightly ajar during the baking process. Keep an eye on the meringue. If it browns too quickly, lower the temperature a bit. Cool on a wire rack.

Bon Appetit!