Daring Cooks: Chocolate Souffle

Dave and Linda from Monkeyshines in the Kitchen chose Soufflés as our November 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge! Dave and Linda provided two of their own delicious recipes plus a sinfully decadent chocolate soufflé recipe adapted from Gordon Ramsay’s recipe found at the BBC Good Food website.
  
I was so exited when I saw that Novembers challenge would be soufflés! I've always wanted to try making them, but just never got around to it. And I almost had to skip this month's challenge, but decided I would post late so I could take part. 
Making the soufflés was a lot easier then I expected it to be. They came together pretty quickly and there also wasn't as big as a mess as I thought there would be. Would I make them again? Yes, most definitely! I'd try a different kind though next time :)
I loved how light and fluffy they tasted. And the chocolate tasted so good (I used 86% Dark).
Sorry the pictures are terrible...I had to use my phone to take the pics as Martin has the camera as he is in China right now for work.

Chocolate Soufflé 
Serves 4

Ingredients

FOR THE DISHES

2 Tbsp (30 ml) 1 oz (30g) unsalted butter, for greasing
Cocoa powder or finely grated chocolate

FOR THE CREME PATISSERIE

2 tbsp (30 ml) (18 gm) (2/3 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
2 tsp (10 gm) (0.35 oz) caster (superfine) sugar (regular sugar is OK)
½ tsp (4½ gm) (0.15 oz) corn starch (aka cornflour)
1 medium egg yolk
1 medium whole egg
4 Tbsp (60 ml) milk
5 Tbsp (75 ml) heavy cream (or double cream)
3 oz (90gm) good-quality dark chocolate preferably 70+% cocoa solids, broken in pieces
2 Tbsp (30 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
Optional: 2 tsp orange zest or 2 tsp minced chipotle chile en adobo or 1 tsp chipotle chile powder. (The chile version is a Monkeyshines favorite!) Optional: powdered sugar for dusting

FOR THE EGG WHITES

6 medium egg whites
6½ Tbsp (95 ml) 3 oz (90g) superfine/caster sugar (if you don’t have it, regular sugar is OK)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to moderate 375 ˚F/190 ˚C/gas mark 5.
2. Take four 1 cup/~240ml soufflé dishes and brush them completely with softened butter. Tip a little cocoa powder or grated chocolate into each dish, roll the dish around tilting it as you do so it is evenly lined all round.
3. For the crème patisserie, mix the flour, sugar and corn starch into a small bowl. Put egg yolk and whole egg into a medium sized bowl, beat lightly, then beat in half of the flour mixture to give a smooth paste. Tip in the rest of the flour mixture and cocoa powder and mix well.
4. To make the ganache, pour the milk and cream into a pan and bring just to the boil. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and beat until it is melted and smooth with no lumps.
5. Gradually stir hot chocolate ganache into the paste from step 3, and add the orange zest or chile if using. This is your crème patisserie.
6. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks with an electric whisk. Sprinkle in the sugar as you are mixing. Keep whisking to give stiff, firm peaks to give volume to the soufflés.
7. Stir about 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the beaten egg whites into the crème patisserie. Carefully fold in a third of the rest, cutting through the mixture. Fold in another third (take care not to lose the volume), then fold in the rest.
8. Spoon the mixture into the dishes. Run a spoon across the top of each dish so the mixture is completely flat. Take a little time to wipe any splashes off the outside of each dish, or they will burn on while cooking.
9. Bake the soufflés for 15-17 minutes.
10. The soufflés should have risen by about two thirds of their original height and jiggle when moved, but be set on top.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter

I was looking for a way to use up some of my pumpkin puree and some leftover wonton wrappers and was lucky enough to find a recipe that could do just that. This was a simple and easy dish to make and is sure to impress if you make them for guests. I made this for myself as a quick lunch! So go ahead and try it! :)

I'm really excited to be hosting Presto Pasta Nights #184. I've only submitted a few dishes to PPN, but I love seeing all the dishes that other bloggers submit! Every week there is always a bunch of posts that make my mouth water and that I want to make myself! I Can't wait to see all your dishes! :)
This is my entry for Presto Pasta Nights #184.

Pumpkin Ravioli
Serves 2, adapted from Cook this, not that.
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:
1/2 can pumpkin puree (8oz)
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
pinch of nutmeg
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste
24 wonton wrappers
1 egg white, beaten
2 tbsp butter
sage leaves (Optional)

Directions:
1. Mix pumpkin, vinegar, nutmeg, cheese and salt and pepper together in a bowl.
2. Lay down a wonton wrapper and spoon a small amount of filling onto the wrapper (don't over stuff). Paint the edge on the wonton wrapper with egg white and place another wonton wrapper on top and press the edges together.
3. Cook in salted boiling water for 3 minutes and then drain.
4. Heat butter on medium heat and cook until turning brown (careful not to burn the butter).
5. Add ravioli to brown butter and coat well.
6. Garnish with Parmesan and sage (if using).

Hot and Sour Soup

I love Hot and Sour soup! Seriously! I can't get enough of it. I always order it when it's on the menu, and most of the time I'm hugely disappointed. Too vinegary, too spicy, too bland, too thick, too thin. There are a lot of things that can go wrong with restaurant Hot and Sour soup. That is why I am so happy I've found a recipe that works so well that I can just make it at home whenever I want it.
I've already made it twice in one week! The first time I followed Kevin's recipe from Closet Cooking to the 'T'. But I found it to be a bit too peppery and a bit to spicy for my liking; I like to taste the soup, not have my mouth burn off! So I adapted the recipe bit to make it more to our liking. And wow, what a difference! I can't believe how much of a difference there was between the two versions! Changing a few small things can make this soup taste very different (I added different mushrooms in the second attempt, and wow, it was awesome). And considering how much I love this soup, this is a good thing. So I can change the taste a little every time I make it! I can't really describe this soup in other way other then that I dream about eating this soup all day long. In fact, Martin is away for work in BC this week and I'm kind of happy that I can eat this soup all week long and not have to worry about him getting sick of it! Yes, I'm making it again! And again! :) Anyway, on to the soup!

Hot and Sour Soup
Serves 4, Adapted from Closet Cooking
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup wood ear mushrooms, Sliced (I used a mix of Porchini, Chanterelle, Shiitake, Portabella and Oyster)
1/2 cup dried black mushrooms (Black Fungus), Sliced
8 dried lily buds/flowers, sliced
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (I used Mature Vinegar...not sure if it's the same)
4 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp oil
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound soft tofu, cut into small pieces (half a small package is about right)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
1/2 tsp white pepper, ground
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp chili oil, to taste
1/2 tbsp chili sauce, to taste


Directions:
1. Soak the wood ear mushrooms, black mushrooms, and lilly buds/flowers in boiling water until softened, about 20 minutes.
3. Cover the bamboo shoots in water, bring to a boil, drain and shred.
4. Mix the vinegars, soy sauce, salt and sugar in a bowl.
5. Mix the cornstarch into the water in a bowl.
6. Heat the oil in a large pot.
7. Add the wood ear and black mushrooms, lily buds/flowers and bamboo shoots and saute for a minute.
8. Add the broth and tofu and bring to a boil.
9. Add the vinegar mixture and the cornstarch mixture and stir until it thickens.
10. Pour the eggs into the soup in a thin stream while stirring the soup.

11. Stir in the peppers, oils and chili sauce.

I'll be sharing this with Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen. I'm sure there will be lot's of yummy soups, salads, and sammies to see over there on Sunday :)

Review: Nick and Nat's Uptown 21

When I first heard about Nick and Nat's Uptown 21, I was told that the chef from Hannah's was the chef at Uptown 21. And while I never made it to Hannah's before it closed, I did make it to Hannah's Tapa's. I was in love with Hannah's Tapa's and Martin loved Hannah's so we had high hopes for Uptown 21.

And we were not disappointed! One of the first things that stood out about Uptown 21 is that they use seasonal local produce. The second thing that stood out is that they have a daily prix fixe menu.
I fell in love with fixed menus when I was living in the Netherlands; Less choices, but more affordable if you want a 3 course meal. One of the top reasons I love fixed menus is because I often have to try foods that I've never tried, or have not tried in a long time. And Uptown 21 did not disappoint in that sense.

Now, I was hoping to grab the menu to take a picture of it so I would remember what I had eaten, but I forgot to do that (and we were one of the last tables in the restaurant at that point too). So I'll try my best to accurately describe the dishes we ate.
Also, sorry for the quality of the photographs! The lighting was terrible for picture taking so I had to use flash!

First up: Captain Picard’s foie gras bites; Nick’s interpretation of the great French Canadian chef’s foie gras croquettes

The first thing I thought when I read the description was....omg Captain Picard! teeheehee. Sorry, the trekkie in me cannot be contained sometimes. The second thought...oh! Martin Picard! This is going to be awesome! And it was! The fois gras had melted a little since it was deep fried and the texture was amazingly silky. And the sauce! TO DIE FOR! I really had to stop myself from licking the plate (and I obviously could not stop myself from devouring it before taking a picture! Oops!) You can tell it's the chef from Hannah's because of the sauces! This little baby will only set you back $4 to boot! I could go for a few more of these!

Now on to the daily Prix Fixe Menu that we went for. My cousin, Martin and I all went for the 3 courses of 2 apps and a main which is $40. If you did 1 app, a main and a dessert then it would be only $35. Martin's mom went for a main on the regular menu.

First up, the first appetizer:

This appetizer was what I choose. It is a squash carpaccio, blonde frisse with fried onions and a corn and cheese fritter. And again the sauce with it was amazing. I'm pretty sure it had figs in it. The squash was cut so thinly it just felt so light to eat. I think I might be a squash lover now! And the fritter was perfectly fried; not too hard and not too soft. And it just burst with flavour. I could eat this everyday. Seriously, not exaggerating.

This was Martin's first choice. A salted cod spread with toasted bread. He loved it, I however was not a fan since it was very salty and fishy...and I'm not a fan of fish. But any fish or seafood lover would love this!

Next up for our second app:

This is what I choose: Beet salad with aged cheddar and roasted corn. Again, I could eat this everyday! It was a very light salad that was dressed very lightly and full of flavour. Dispite what the picture looks like, this salad was a mountain! I couldn't finish it all so Martin also had some of it.

And Martin's choice was a Morrocan style lamb soup with kale.  I loved it! The lamb had a really nice spice taste and the kale was a great addition of texture. Martin was not really a fan of the kale though.

And now the mains!

 My choice was the braised baby beef shank. And oh was it good! It was so tender and caramelized. It was really just falling off the bone! I'm really sad that I could not eat it all since I had stuffed myself so much with the apps! Oh well, next time I know to take it easy.

Martin got yellow perch a cheese fondue and pureed pumpkin. Martin said it was amazing, but the least amazing out of all the courses. Again, I found it too fishy (but I am not a fish lover).

And yes, on top of all that found my cousin and I shared a dessert: Crème brulée.

Yes, we ate it all before I remember to take a picture! It was to die for. The BEST Crème brulée I have ever had! Can you see all the vanilla seeds in the bottom. I ate as many of them as I could.

And Martin's mom choice a main off of the regular menu: Choucroute Garnis; house smoked sausages, bacon and pork loin chop braised with white wine sauerkraut, potatoes and apples $28.

I did not try this but it smelled delicious! And it was a huge portion! Two people could have eaten that! (there was more of the side in a hot skillet that is not in the picture).


I really hope that I am able to go to Nick and Nat's Uptown 21 more often. I cant wait to see what else they can come up with!

Overall I was blown away by the food. It took a long time to get to the table, but it was worth the wait, and it was a nice change to spend a few hours in the restaurant and not get pushed out. The only thing that I think needs improvement is the service, as a drink order or two was forgotten. But overall I have nothing to complain about!


Nick and Nat's Uptown 21's rating is:  5/5

Nick & Nat's Uptown21
21 King Street North, Waterloo, ON
(519-883-1100)
http://www.uptown21.ca/

Penne Carbonara

We had no idea what to make for dinner last night. No idea at all. So Martin suggested that we make pasta. I agreed that that might be a good idea. It was really hot and humid outside last night so we were not going to be making any epic meals that night. Then Martin looked in the fridge and said: Carbonara? I said YES!!!
Now, if you know me you'll know why I said YES so quickly. The reason? BACON! I love bacon! :)

I also remembered that I haven't participated in Presto Pasta Nights in a while, so I thought this you be a great opportunity to submit a meal again. This weeks Presto Pasta Nights is being hosted by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast. Can't wait to see all the other submissions! There are always great recipes to be found :)

Penne Carbonara
Serves 2
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped
6 slices bacon, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1 1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Sweat the onions, garlic and shallots over medium heat. Add bacon when the onion mixture is almost done.
2. Put a pot of salted water on the stove and boil (You want the pasta to cook while you finish the sauce).
3. Increase heat to medium-high to fry the mixture for about 1 minute, then lower heat so that the fat on the bacon will melt.
4. Increase back to medium high to fry again (By doing this everything will cook evenly and nothing should burn).
5. Deglaze pan with white wine to get all the yummy brown bits at the bottom of the pan.
6. Cook pasta in boiled water according to the packages instructions.
7. Add sour cream and stir well to combine.
8. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Grate in some Parmesan and mix well.
9. Drain pasta and add to the finished sauce. Toss to coat pasta.
10. Grate more Parmesan on top and add more pepper to garnish.

Buskers, Burrito Bowls and Beer

 Here in Waterloo, ON we have a street festival every year. It's the Busker Carnival! It's an international street performers festival and it's always guaranteed fun! I had a little bit of time by myself so I decided to stop by on my way to get groceries for my dinner.

Bob was hilarious! And very talented! He put on a great show and really got the crowd going. There were also a few scary moments:

He was juggling knives while doing that! Craziness! I wish I would have had more time to see some other performers too, but I was getting hungry and headed to the grocery store instead.

 

I wanted to make a dinner that would require a bit more time then I usually have since I had the day off work. I saw Burritos Bowls on Closet Cooking and knew that I had to make them! They were a lot of work since I had to make so many different recipes, but it was so worth it! The rice was tangy and fresh tasting and the Pico de Gallo was so good! Nice and spicy! I didn't want to buy tequila just for this recipe so I used some of the pre-cooked chicken I had in the freezer and heated it up with lime juice and cumin. Though if I made this again I would just skip the chicken all together since the jalapano spiced black beans were more then enough :) And again, just the right amount of heat! Yum!
And of course a nice cold beer is a great way to end a hot day:

Mango Summer Rolls and Thai Green Curry

I really wasn't in the mood for cooking on the day I made these. Really, I wasn't. But then I flipped through a cookbook of mine and it was love a first sight. I had to make these. Luckily there really isn't much cooking involved (since when I made these it was still pretty hot and humid outside). Though there are a lot of other steps that don't involve cooking ;)

This dinner was pretty much like eating at a restaurant. We could have paid a bunch of $$$ for this. Yes, it was that good. And I had left overs the next day and they were just as good, if not better.

The Summer Rolls were perfect. Not too much vermicelli, a nice burst of cilantro, the sweetness of the mango and the crunch of the cucumbers and peanuts made for the perfect combination. And the dipping sauce was nice and tangy. Perfect for a summer's day.

And the Thai Green Curry was also fantastic. Very fresh tasting and lot's of sauce to soak the rice in! I also loved that the red peppers were still slightly crunchy (nothing is worse then soggy red peppers!). I made it with tofu this time, but next time I would try it with chicken. I think maybe letting the sauce soak into the tofu more would make the tofu taste a bit better. I'll have to keep experimenting with it.

                            

Mango Summer Rolls

Serves 4, Adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 mango, peeled and sliced (like matchsticks)

1/2 cucumber, sliced (like matchsticks)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro (Feel free to obmit if you don't like cilantro)

4 oz thin rice noodles (vermicelle)

1/4 roasted salted peanuts, chopped

1 package rice wrappers (You probably won't need all of them)

Directions:

1. Boil water in a pot and turn off heat once it comes to a boil. Add rice noodles and let them soak for 10 minutes stirring once in a while.

2. Drain the noodles and run them under cold water.

3. Fill a large pan with hot water and place rice wrapper 1 or 2 at a time until pliable (takes about 30 seconds).

4. Remove rice wrapper from water and pat dry with paper towel (they are less mushy and last longer in the fridge if you do this).

5. In the lower part of the wrapper place about 2 tbsp of the rice noodles, 1 tsp of peanuts, 5-6 slices of mango, 5-6 slices of cucumber and 3-4 cilantro leaves.

6. Fold the left and right sides of the wrapper over the filling and then roll the wrapper up.

7. Repeat until you run out of filling.

Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tsp Asian chili oil (Or peanut oil with red pepper flakes)

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped

3 tsp sugar

Directions:

1. Mix together and chill.

Green Thai Curry

Serves 4, Adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

For chili paste:

4 jalapanos, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup boiling water

2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed

1 tsp cumin seeds

5 white peppercorns

1 tbsp lemon grass (fresh or from a tube if fresh is not available)

1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 cup fresh cilantro

2 tsp lime zest

2 shallots, chopped

For the curry:

5 tbsp peanut oil

1 block of firm tofu, pressed and cut into triangles (or you can use chicken)

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 can of coconut milk

2 tbsp maple syrup

juice of 1 lime

1/2 fresh basil (Thai basil if you can find it)

To make chili paste:

Directions:

1. Place the jalapanos in a bowl and cover with the boiling water and soak for 15 minutes.

2. Toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns over medium heat for about 2 minutes.

3. Use a food processor or mortar and pestle to grind the spices into a powder. 

4.Add the rest of the ingredients (including the water the jalapanos are soaking in) to the food processor or use a blender and grind into a paste.

To make the curry:

1. Heat 2 tbsp of peanut oil and cook the tofu over medium-high heat until golden on both sides. Put aside on a plate.

2. Heat 2 tbsp of peanut oil and saute the red pepper and onions until slightly tender. Set aside.

3. Preheat a sauce pan and cook chili paste for a few minutes while stirring. Add the coconut milk and heat up over low-medium heat while stirring.

4. Bring to a boil and add maple syrup.

5. Add tofu, red peppers and onions to the curry and cook for 5 minutes.

6. Add basil and let sit off of heat for about 5 minutes.

7. Serve with Jasmine rice.

Daring Bakers: Ice Cream Petit Fours

"The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”."

I was really excited to try making ice cream again, since my last attempt was a little bit of a failure. I was also really excited to try making pound cake, since I'd never made it before!
I'm happy to report that the ice cream was a huge success! It was super creamy and had a great vanilla flavour! And it stayed frozen like ice cream is supposed to! :)

Unfortunately the pound cake was a COMPLETE FAILURE! :( When I took it out of the oven and stuck a toothpick in it it seemed to be done (and I had left it in for the recommended amount of time). But as the cake cooled I quickly realized that the middle was still uncooked! I really didn't have the time to start from scratch again so I quickly put it back in the oven and hoped for the best. But of course the cake came out WAY TOO DRY! :( I was really disappointed. But I continued on like a trooper and finished the Petit Fours anyway!
I tried one of the finished Petit Fours and the cake was terrible! So I decided to salvage the ice cream and throw away the cake.

The cake looked very sad sitting there in an abandoned pile. But I have to admit...the little ice cream blocks are pretty darn cute! :) So it was all worth it in the end.

I tried the one that I cut open for the photo here and the cake was actually not bad! I guess some parts of the cake were not too dry...
My ice cream layer was thicker than it should have been, so it kind of bulged out of the sides and made the Petit Fours look like leaning towers...but it still tasted good! I loved the chocolate on the outside, though next time I would like the chocolate to be a little thinner.

Note:
The pound cake calls for cake flour. You can make 1 cup of cake flour by placing 2 tablespoons of corn starch in a 1 cup measure, and filling to the top with all purpose flour.

 Ice Cream Petit Fours:
(Printable Recipe)


Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:
1 cup (250ml) whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (165g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise OR 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (500ml) heavy (approx 35% butterfat) cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams. Scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean with a paring knife and add to the milk, along with the bean pod. Cover, remove from heat, and let infuse for an hour. (If you do not have a vanilla bean, simply heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams, then let cool to room temperature.)
2. Set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2 litre) bowl inside a large bowl partially filled with water and ice. Put a strainer on top of the smaller bowl and pour in the cream.
3. In another bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks together. Reheat the milk in the medium saucepan until warmed, and then gradually pour ¼ cup warmed milk into the yolks, constantly whisking to keep the eggs from scrambling. Once the yolks are warmed, scrape the yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan of warmed milk and cook over low heat. Stir constantly and scrape the bottom with a spatula until the mixture thickens into a custard which thinly coats the back of the spatula.
4. Strain the custard into the heavy cream and stir the mixture until cooled. Add the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon [5ml] if you are using a vanilla bean; 3 teaspoons [15ml] if you are not using a vanilla bean) and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.
5. Remove the vanilla bean and freeze in an ice cream maker. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make it without a machine. See instructions from David Lebovitz: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/07/making_ice_crea_1.html

Brown Butter Pound Cake

Ingredients:
19 tablespoons (9.5 oz) (275g) unsalted (sweet) butter
2 cups (200g) sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring) (See “Note” section for cake flour substitution)
1 teaspoon (5g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
1/3 (75g) cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C and put a rack in the center. Butter and flour a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan.
2. Place the butter in a 10” (25cm) skillet over medium heat. Brown the butter until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty. (Don’t take your eyes off the butter in case it burns.) Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes.
3. Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Beat the brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and then the vanilla extract.
5. Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.
6. Scrape the batter into the greased and floured 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and rap the pan on the counter. Bake until golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
7. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and invert right-side-up onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:
9 ounces (250g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (250 ml) heavy (approx 35% butterfat) cream
1 1/2 tablespoons (32g) light corn syrup, Golden syrup, or agave nectar
2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract

Directions:  
Stir the heavy cream and light corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add the dark chocolate. Let sit 30 seconds, then stir to completely melt the chocolate. Stir in the vanilla and let cool until tepid before glazing the petit fours.

Assembly Instructions 

1. Line a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) pan with plastic wrap, so that no sides of the pan are exposed and so there is some extra plastic wrap hanging off the sides. Spread 1 ¾ to 2 cups (450ml to 500ml) ice cream into the pan. Cover with more plastic wrap and freeze several hours.
2. Once the brown butter pound cake has completely cooled, level the top with a cake leveler or a serrated knife. Then split the cake in half horizontally to form two thin layers.
3. Unwrap the frozen ice cream. Flip out onto one of the layers of cake and top with the second layer of cake. Wrap well in plastic wrap and return to the freezer overnight.
4. Make the chocolate glaze (see above.)
5. While the glaze cools, trim ¾” (2cm) off each side of the ice cream cake to leave a perfectly square 7.5” (19cm) ice cream cake. Cut the cake into twenty five petit fours, each 1.5”x1.5” (4cmx4cm).
6. Glaze the petit fours one at a time: place a petit four on a fork and spoon chocolate glaze over it.
7. Place the petit fours on a parchment-lined baking sheet and return to the freezer for one hour.

Yarn Bombs, Cheese and a Wedding!

I found another Yarn Bomb a while ago...just haven't had time to make any blog posts lately. I also saw a bunch of new Yarn Bombs at Waterloo Town Square, so I'll try to get some pics of those new ones soon. Every time I see a new one it makes me smile :)

Also quite a while ago now, Martin attempted to make some paneer cheese at home. It was successful for the most part, we'll just need to work on the seasoning next time as it was a bit bland tasting. Overall it was a pretty successful day though since we also made homemade pickles and I was also doing my first Daring Cooks challenge of making pierogies :)

And last but certainly not least, the wedding!

Some good friends of ours were married and of course we had an amazing time! The wedding itself was short and sweet and the reception was a blast. It was also great that the weather was nice since the ceremony was outdoors. We got to hang out with some of our best friends and I'm very happy for the Bride and Groom! Here is some of the celebrating that took place:

My hair :)

And we ended the night by getting pizza and going to Ethel's, though by this point I really couldn't drink anymore!

Now all the fun aside, I've been so busy with cooking, cleaning, reading, having fun and working that I just haven't had time to blog as much as I would like. I still have a bunch of things I need catch up on, so expect more posts this week :)

Daring Cooks': Pierogies

"The August 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by LizG of Bits n’ Bites and Anula of Anula’s Kitchen. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make pierogi from scratch and an optional challenge to provide one filling that best represents their locale."

This was my first daring cooks' challenge and it was a challenge I really enjoyed! I made two types of pierogies: potato and mushroom and potato with sauerkraut, bacon, and cheese.
Though it was a lot of work, I would definitely make pierogies again. Not only did we enjoy our pierogies on the night that we made them, but we also froze a bunch of extra ones and have been enjoying them for quick dinners as well.

Next time I would mix the potato mixture more to make it more to make it more smooth. And I would also season the mixture more.

Out of the two, I preferred the Potato, sauerkraut, bacon and cheese one the best. It just seemed to have more flavours and a better balance of flavours; salty, sour, and creamy.
I sauted the pierogies with onions and bacon and served the them with sour cream. Delish!

Here is the recipes I used:
 
Dough


Ingredients:

2 to 2 1/2 cups (300 to 375 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
About 1 cup lukewarm water (I used about 1/2 cup)

Directions:

1. Place 2 cups flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center.
2. Break the egg into it, add the salt and a little lukewarm at a time.
3. Mix the dough together, kneading well and adding more flour or water as necessary.
4. Cover the dough with a towel. Let it rest 20 minutes.

Here is what I used for the fillings:

Potato, sauerkraut, bacon and cheese

Ingredients: 

3 big potatoes, cooked & mashed  
1 cup  cottage cheese, drained    
1 onion, diced & sauteed in butter until clear
6 slices of streaky bacon, diced and fried till crispy
1/4 cup sauerkraut, rinsed
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 egg yolk (from medium egg)
1 tbsp butter, melted    
1/4  tsp salt    

Potato and Mushroom 

Ingredients:
3 big potatoes, cooked & mashed
1 package of crimini mushrooms (225g), chopped
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 egg yolk (from medium egg)
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt



Directions:


1. Combine all the ingredients for the filling into a bowl and mix.
2. Cover and set aside in the fridge until you have to use it.

Assembly:

1. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out thinly and cut with a round or glass. (I used my pasta machine to get the dough super thin! And the rolling went much quicker with a pasta machine!)
2. Spoon a teaspoon of the filling into the middle of each circle.
3. Fold dough in half and pinch edges together and use a fork to crimp the edges.
4. Gather scraps, re-roll and fill. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cooking:
1. Cook the fresh or frozen pierogies by adding them to boiling salted water and waiting until until they float and cook them for 5 minutes more after they started floating.
2. Then remove them with a slotted spoon and fry them in butter, onions and bacon.


I froze the extra pierogies without boiling them. They are cooked the same way as the fresh pierogies :) I will definitely be making more pierogies in the future!