Peanut Butter and Julie

Morning Glory Pancakes with Maple Cinnamon Butter

Growing up, I was a figure skater.  That was my chosen sport.  While I was never a threat to be the next Kristi Yamaguchi, I was a decent skater, almost good at times.    I even rocked the requisite Dorothy Hamill haircut for awhile, with which I had hoped to channel her gold medal skills.

Three or four days per week, my mom would pick me up after school, and we would head over to the Princeton Skating Club, where I would practice in one of four areas: precision team, freestyle, ice dancing, or "patch" (This is skate-speak for doing technical maneuvers while skating figure-8's over and over again.  I hated patch.)  The purpose of the latter three classes was to prepare me for tests, which if passed would earn me badges and escalate me to the next level. 

Precision team practice, on the other hand, meant training for the big annual ice skating show, the Oscars of the Princeton Skating Club, if you will.  Well....that's kind of a bad analogy, because there were no awards and we weren't competing for anything, but it's the best that I could do right now. You get the idea.  It was THE skating event of the year, and everyone participated.  The precision team usuallydid a few different numbers, sort of an adolescent "Rockettes On Ice" kind of thing.  Every year, depending on what our very artistic (translation: delusional) coach/choreographer had come up with, we all wore some sort of baubled-shiny-leotardy themed get-up, which usually included a painful headpiece.  I assume that you've seen some of the creations worn by the Taniths and Johnny Weirs of the world?  Ours were much, much worse.  I give you exhibit A below.  I call this "Pink Mouse," by the great seamstress, my Mom.  This was actually one of my least offensive ice-fashion moments.  Photos of the other ones are too embarrassing to show. 

Even though figure skating was such a huge part of my childhood, the sports that I can't seem to get enough of during these Olympic Games have nothing to do with salchows and sequins.  Over the past few weeks, I have become a ski and snowboard team fanatic. 

Shaun White, Bode Miller, Torah Bright, Lindsey Vonn--these names didn't mean much to me prior to Vancouver, but the recent display of their shredding and slalom skills has caused me to sit up and take notice.  All of a sudden, terms like "Super G" and "Backside 180" have worked their way into my vocabulary.  I want to be able to do that McTwisty thing!!  (How much do you wanna bet that McDonalds will be calling Shaun for a sponsorship in the near future?  Well played, Flying Tomato.  Well played.)  Not only are these Olympians incredible athletes, but they all look like they are having so much fun while competing.  Maybe Hannah, Gretchen, and Kelly will just let me hang out with them sometime....polish their snowboards or something. 

Watching all of these competitions occur amid the wintery Canadian backdrop has really made me want to go skiing (and attempt snowboarding.)  We haven't done this since our trip to Jackson Hole last year, which is much too long of a hiatus.  I love skiing because it is such a great workout, but I hardly realize how many calories I'm burning since I'm having so much fun.  I usually end the day famished, and I wake up the same way.  It's a great excuse to have a hearty and carbo-licious breakfast before heading back out to the slopes.....perhaps a breakfast that includes these pancakes.  I enjoy coming up with unique twists on pancakes and waffles, many of which are inspired by my favorite varieties of muffins.  I've done banana-nut, sweet potato praline, and coconut pineapple versions, so I thought that I'd try something inspired by the flavors of a Morning Glory muffin:  apples, carrots, raisins, coconut, and pecans.

These pancakes are indeed hearty, but they are so chock-full of nutritious ingredients that they are healthy too.  Drizzle them with some pure maple syrup, and you've got a breakfast worthy of Olympic gold!  Here are a few extra tips for making these fruit and veggie-filled flapjacks:

• Instead of dicing the apples, you can shred them, but squeeze some of the juice out prior to adding them to the batter.  Otherwise the batter might contain too much liquid.  I tend to leave the apples unpeeled since peeling just creates an extra step.
• You can also omit the apples and use all carrots for a more "carrot cake" approach to these pancakes.
• If you don't have any buttermilk on hand, simply combine 1 cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of vinegar and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.  Add this to the batter in place of buttermilk.
• Instead of topping the pancakes with maple syrup, try drizzling some warm orange blossom honey or sprinkling with powdered sugar.  They're also pretty great all by themselves!

Morning Glory Pancakes with Maple Cinnamon Butter

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup, divided

1 cup finely grated carrots

3/4 cup small-diced apples

1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

1/2 cup golden raisins

3 tablespoons butter, softened

Additional maple syrup for serving

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pecans, baking powder, salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, buttermilk, eggs, oil, and 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup.  Stir in the carrots, apples, coconut, and raisins.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray evenly with nonstick baking spray. Using a 1/4 cup ice-cream scoop, drop batter onto the pan, flattening slightly with the back of a spatula. 

Cook the pancakes for 2-3 minutes, until small bubbles start to form on the top and the edges are cooked.  Flip the pancakes over and cook for 1-2 minutes longer, until the bottoms are lightly browned.  Repeat the process with the remaining batter.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and 3 tablespoons butter.  Serve with the pancakes and additional pure maple syrup.

Triple Butterscotch Heart Cake (and cupcakes!)

When I was growing up, February 14th wasn't significant solely for the fact that it was Valentine's Day.  No, it was also important because it marked the day-before-my-half-birthday.  Half birthdays are a big deal to kids as a whole, but they are an even bigger deal to kids who were born during the summer, at least those who attended Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart during the 80s.

In my third-grade mind, summer birthdays were a sure thing, a sure thing that I wouldn't need to go to school on my special day.  The problem was, I wouldn't get to go to school on my special day, which meant that I wouldn't get to bring cupcakes to class, and have everyone sing "Happy Birth-day dear Ju-lie!", and avoid getting called up to do word problems on the blackboard....because it was my birthday.  Teachers never made you do word problems on your birthday.  That was pretty much the only downside of a summer birthday, but it was a big enough downside to matter.

Fortunately, Sister Magnetti, our Headmistress, was aware of this majorly pressing issue.  Perhaps this was because she too had a summer birthday, and she didn't want us to suffer the way that she had suffered.  I can't say for sure.  Whatever the reason, she instated a rule that allowed any student with a summer birthday to bring cupcakes to school on their half-birthday instead.  There was even a "weekend clause":  If said student's half-birthday falls during a Saturday or Sunday, then the celebration will occur on the following Monday.  I'm telling you, this lady thought of everything.  Yeah, Sister Magnetti was pretty much the bomb....or I guess she was "rad" back then.

So Valentine's week was always a busy one for me.  Not only did I need to fill out Valentine's Day cards for all of the kids in my class, I needed to tape some little conversation hearts to each card (everyone knew that the best Valentines were the bumpy ones--they contained candy too.)  Not only did I need to make cards for my family, but I needed to locate an empty shoebox in my mom's closet, out of which I would fashion a hot pink Valentine receptacle. Well, most times the shoebox would be full, but I'd empty it.....sorry mom. 

Not only did I need to make heart-shaped sugar cookies for (ironically) my Brownie troop, I also needed to make some really yummy cupcakes to bring to school on the 15th.  I'll tell ya, the life of a third grader is nothing if not hectic.   

One year, I brought in those cupcakes that were baked in an ice cream cone, because those were de rigueur with all the hip eight-year-olds.  Unfortunately, they are also impossible to transport, with most of them tipping over by the time I arrived at school.  Other years, we just did (gasp!) boxed cake mix and sprinkles.  It's not like I was serving them to Jacques Torres.  Kids aren't really that discerning when it comes to cupcakes.

It probably won't shock you to know that I no longer celebrate my half-birthday, which usually creeps up on me.  These days, I just try to ignore it, hoping that it will go away.  On the other hand, why not still acknowledge the inevitable with a cupcake?   Or better yet, a cupcake and a cake? 

I love anything butterscotch, which is fairly obvious from the composition of this recipe.  Butterscotch cake.  Butterscotch buttercream.  Butterscotch sauce.  Yes, its trademark salty-sweet-creamy flavor is everywhere.  The recipe is incredibly rich. Try to avoid adding up all of the butter in your head--trust me, it's a lot.  My original plan was to only make the heart-shaped cake from this recipe, but I had quite a bit of batter left over, enough to make a dozen cupcakes.  Voila!  Cake for Valentine's Day.  Cupcakes for half-birthday.  You can skip the singing though.  Here are a few extra tips for making this sinful sweet for your sweetie:

• The finished cake will keep for up to two days, covered and chilled in the refrigerator.  Allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to serving.  The cupcakes are best eaten the day that they are prepared.
• If you don't have a heart-shaped pan, you can prepare the cake using a deep eight-inch cake pan.  You can also make a (very tall!) 9-inch cake by dividing the batter among three 9-inch cake pans.  In this case, there will not be enough batter to make cupcakes too.
• If you don't have two ovens, bake the cake first at 325F.  Then raise the temperature to 350F and bake the cupcakes.
• When preparing both the buttercream and the butterscotch sauce, be sure to stir constantly until the brown sugar has dissolved.  Otherwise, the mixtures will have a very grainy texture.
• Consider doubling the butterscotch sauce recipe.  The sauce will keep well, refrigerated, for up to one week, and it will make great ice cream sundaes!!

Triple Butterscotch Heart Cake (and cupcakes!)

Makes enough for 1 heart cake and 12 cupcakes -or- One three-layer 9-inch cake

Ingredients:

For the cake layers

2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) butter, softened

2 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons dark rum

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans

For the butterscotch buttercream

1 pound butter, softened

2 cups dark brown sugar, packed

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoons dark rum

2-2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

For the butterscotch sauce

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

Garnish: 2 cups chopped pecan pieces, lightly toasted

Prepare the cake:  Preheat the oven to 325F degrees (if you have two ovens, preheat the other oven to 350F degrees).  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in th oil until well combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping to scrape down th sides of the bowl as necessary.  Beat in the rum and the vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the batter in two additions, alternating with the sour cream.  Mix in the chopped pecans, and continue to beat at medium speed for one minute more.

Spray a heart-shaped baking pan with nonstick spray and line a 12-cup cupcake tin with paper liners (see notes above for other options.)  Divide the cake batter among the pan and the liners, filling th pan about 2/3 full.  Bake the cake at 325F degrees for 40-50 minutes, until it is golden brown and a cake tester inserted emerges clean.  Bake the cupcakes at 350F degrees for 18-22 minutes, until puffed and golden.  Transfer both the cake and the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the buttercream:  Melt 8 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it turns deep golden brown and fragrant, about 6 minutes.  Add the brown sugar, cream, and salt, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook for 3 minutes longer.  Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat it at high speed until the bowl feels cool to the touch, 8-10 minutes.  Beat in the rum.

With the mixer running on medium speed, add the remaining butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating until incorporated.  Continue to beat the mixture until it is smooth and creamy.  Add enough confectioner's sugar to the mixture to achieve a thick and spreadable consistency.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare the sauce:  Place the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a medium saucepan set over medium heat.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves.  Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove the mixture from the heat and mix in the cream.  Return the saucepan to the heat and cook for 2 minutes more; let cool to lukewarm.

Assemble the cake:  Cut the cake into 3 equal layers using a serrated knife.  Spread one of the cut sides with about 1/4 cup of th butterscotch sauce and top with a layer of buttercream.  Top with the second layer, sauce, and buttercream, followed by the final layer.  Coat the cake with a thin layer of buttercream and then refrigerate for one hour. 

Add a second thicker layer of buttercream to the top and sides of the cake, swirling decoratively on top.  Press the chopped pecans into the sides of the cake.  Chill until ready to serve.

Top the cupcakes with the remaining buttercream, using an offset spatula or a piping bag.  Drizzle the remaining butterscotch sauce over the tops of the cupcakes and sprinkle with any excess chopped pecans.

Lemon-Glazed King Cake

Most foodies have some sort of a culinary bucket list, one that is comprised of meals at their dream restaurants, ingredients that they want to try, and recipes that they want to attempt.  So what if dinner at the French Laundry costs them an entire week's salary?  It's still probably on every single list.  And in our minds, the price is totally justified because, well, because it's The French Laundry for Pete's sake!  I mean, when else will you be served nineteen courses, each one more impressive than the next, and most of which contain several ounces of truffles or gold leaf or a combination of the two?  If you calculate the cost per course, then it's really not so steep....right?

Other items on these tasty to-do lists might include adventurous foods to try, a la Anthony Bourdain.  Actually, he'd probably take one look at my list, crumble it up, and light it with his cigarette, seeing as my "adventurous" foods are probably the ones that he devours on a daily basis.  Sometimes these experiences create new favorites....other times, not so much.   I don't recommend sea urchin.  I'll just leave it at that.

Recipes that we want to attempt might include the famed Italian Timpano from the foodie flick Big Night, a four-foot tall croquembouche tower surrounded by spun sugar, or even the perfect Coq au Vin.  Some might be on the list for their Mt. Everest-like level of difficulty, while others are there "just because."  One such item that has been waiting patiently on my list is a traditional Mardi Gras King Cake.  For the past three years of writing this blog, I have intended to create one of these cakes for a Mardi Gras-themed post, but every year the holiday manages to sneak up on me, and my opportunity is gone.  It must be all of that culinary hubbub associated with the Super Bowl that leaves poor, unappreciated Mardi Gras without a blog post to call its own.

BUT NOT THIS YEAR!!!  Geaux Saints!!  Who dat foodie posting a combined Super Bowl/Mardi Gras recipe?  (Yeah, it's me.)

Disclaimer:  Being a Patriots fan, I'm actually impartial to the outcome of the game, but the New Orleans tie-in was perfectly timed for this post, so I snagged the opportunity.

I was originally going to attempt to be extra clever and creative with this post by taking the concept of a King Cake and turning it into something else, such as "King Cake Eclairs."   Then I decided that some foods are just not meant to be messed with, especially ones that hail from a city as steeped in tradition as New Orleans.  I mean, I wouldn't want some strange voodoo hex to be placed upon me as a result of a "New and Improved King CUP-Cakes!!" post.  No, I'll just stick with the original, thank you very much.

That said, I did throw in a few culinary twists and turns that still maintained the integrity of the time-honored King Cake while, as Paula Abdul would say, making it my own.  I decided to perk up the dough by adding orange zest, cinnamon, and the under-appreciated spice cardamom.  Rather than coat the cake with a flavorless powdered sugar glaze, I opted for an easy tart lemon option, which made a world of difference in the flavor department.  Perhaps you can serve this at your Big Game party for a little half time treat.  Whoever gets the slice with the almond in it gets to clean up afterward.  Laissez les bons temps rouler! Here are a few extra tips for making this mah-velous Mardi Gras treat:

• The dough can be started one day in advance.  Once the dough has risen the initial hour, it can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours, covered.
• The cake is definitely best eaten within one day of preparation, ideally the same day that it is prepared.  Be sure to keep it tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature to prevent it from drying out.
• Feel free to play around with the filling recipe, depending on what you have on hand.  Finely chopped almonds or pecans, candied citron, dried cranberries or cherries, and raisins are all good options.
• Instead of braiding the dough, you can also roll it up jelly-roll style.  After rolling the dough to the 24X10-inch rectangle, brush it with the melted butter and sprinkle the filling on top.  Tightly roll the dough and then bring the ends of the roll together, pinching to seal.

Lemon-Glazed King Cake

Makes one cake (12-16 servings)

Ingredients:

For the dough

1/2 cup whole milk

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar

3 1/2 cups flour

6 ounces butter, softened

4 large eggs

Zest from one orange

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 whole almond or large dried bean

For the glaze

2 large egg whites

1 pound confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Green, yellow/gold, and purple decorative sugars

Prepare the dough: In a small saucepan, heat the milk to about 110F degrees.  Pour the milk into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the surface.  Add 1 teaspoon of the sugar and stir to combine.  Set the mixture aside until the yeast is foamy, 10 minutes.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the remaining sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Add the yeast mixture and mix for 1 minute.  Add an egg and mix thoroughly; follow with a third of the flour.  Repeat with the remaining eggs and flour.  Add the orange zest, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt, and continue to mix on low speed for 7-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, and it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  If the dough is too soft, add up to 1/2 cup of flour.

Scrape the dough from the bowl and lightly knead to form into a ball.  Butter or oil the inside of a medium size bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, turning to coat with the butter.  Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

When the dough has risen, turn it out of the bowl, punch it down, and knead it lightly to form a ball.  Put the dough back in the bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours. 

Form the cake:  Flour a clean work surface.  Roll the dough into a 10 by 20-inch rectangle, keeping the thickness consistent throughout.  Cut the dough lengthwise into 3 strips.  Paint each strip of the dough with the melted butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border clean along the length of each strip.  Reserve any leftover butter.  Sprinkle the strips with the brown sugar and cinnamon.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Fold each strip over lengthwise toward the clean edges to enclose the cinnamon sugar, and pinch the seam to seal the dough closed.  Snugly braid the three pieces together.  Transfer the braid to the baking sheet and form the braid into a wreath, pressing the ends together.  Cover the wreath with a clean towel and set aside to rise for 40 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

Brush the cake with the reserved melted butter and bake for 18 minutes, until golden brown.  Cover the cake loosely with foil and continue to bake for 20-25 minutes more, until baked through.  Keep the cake on the baking sheet and allow to cool completely.  After the cake has cooled, carefully tuck the almond into the underside of the cake.

Prepare the glaze:  Place the egg whites and the confectioner's sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on low speed until combined.  Add the corn syrup, vanilla, and lemon juice, and continue to mix until smooth, adding more lemon juice if necessary to achieve your desired glaze consistency.

Drizzle the glaze over the cake, spreading with an offset spatula to coat.  Cover with alternating colored sugars, and allow to set before serving.

Tropical Bliss Granola is Here!!

 
YAWN.......I am exhausted.  This whole start-up-one-woman-granola-business stuff takes an enormous amount of time and energy. 

Oh, believe me, I'm definitely not complaining.  I've recently started selling in a third Whole Foods location, easily the busiest location in Las Vegas.  On most weekends, I'll head over to at least one of the stores, armed with my 3'X2' folding table, tablecloth, and lots and lots of samples.  Apparently, Whole Foods shoppers love samples.  As soon as I set out plastic cups of Sweet Citrus and Maple Blueberry granola in neat little pyramids, an entire group of ravenous women in yogawear and husbands who have lost their wives descend upon my table and grab every last crumb.  Some even try to return for seconds, incognito.  That's O.K. folks, sample away.  It's a huge compliment.

The good news is that the granola is selling very well.  Even those unwilling samplers, the ones that give me a look that says "Yes, I'll grab a sample, but don't EVEN try to sell me anything", have retraced their steps back to my table and purchased a bag.  It's a great feeling :)

People always ask me which flavor is more popular.  Hmmm.....tough call.  That depends on the day, location, direction of the wind, stock market....in other words, it's a draw.  Some days are all about the maple, while others solely Sweet Citrus.  You just never can tell.

Of course, some people buy both flavors because they just cannot decide (bummer!)  And now, I've gone and made this decision even more difficult with the launch of my third flavor: TROPICAL BLISS GRANOLA!!!

Good name, no?  There really wasn't any other name that we could call this flavor, what with the fresh banana puree, crunchy cashews, toasty shredded coconut, and tart dried pineapple contained in each and every scrumptiously blissful bite.  Like the bag says, if you close your eyes and take a bite, you're not in the kitchen anymore.  You're transported to an exotic island locale--no passport (and embarrassing passport photo) required.

While Tropical Bliss will not be in Las Vegas Whole Foods Markets for about one week, you, yes you, can order some today via my Paypal store or on Amazon.com.  As a special Paypal February special, if your order is $25 or more, I will throw in a complimentary bag of the Tropical Bliss.  Blissful indeed!!

Oh, and for you Maple Blueberry fans, the 16 oz. bag is on its way...........(to be continued.)