Silky Chocolate Pudding

After almost three years of graduate school, I was delighted to discover that our science library has a huge cookbook collection! One of the first books I checked out was The Essence of Chocolate, a book put out by Scharffen Berger chocolates, one of my most favorite brands of chocolate (though I have to admit that I used Ghirardelli in this recipe because it's what I had on hand!). This pudding is really easy to make and delightfully delicious. The texture is silky smooth, as the name implies, and the flavor is intense and chocolate-y. Some cacao nibs sprinkled on top add some nice texture, but the pudding is equally delicious served plain. The original recipe added vanilla at the end; I forgot, but the pudding was still fantastic so add some as you wish.

Since it's so chocolate-y and rich, this would be a perfect dessert for Valentine's Day, though it's simple enough to make anytime and not so rich that it needs to be saved for a special occasion. In a moment of inspiration, I also discovered that it's a pretty amazing ice cream topping as well. Yum!

Silky Chocolate Pudding (adapted from The Essence of Chocolateby John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg)
Serves 3-4

2 T cornstarch
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 ounces 62% semisweet chocolate (or a combination of semisweet and bittersweet chocolate)
Cacao nibs, to serve (optional)

1. Whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and salt in the top of a double boiler. Slowly whisk in the milk a little bit at a time to avoid forming lumps.

2. Place the mixture over a pan of simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl. After 15-20 minutes, when the pudding begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon, add the chocolate. Continue whisking for 2-4 minutes until the pudding is smooth and thickened.

3. Strain the pudding into a bowl. Serve warm, or cover with plastic wrap (making sure that the plastic wrap touches the top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming) and chill 30 minutes or up to 3 days. The pudding is delicious plain or with some cacao nibs sprinkled on top.

Grapefruit Yogurt Cake

This grapefruit yogurt cake has been adapted by a few bloggers from a recipe of Ina Garten's. I found it on Picky Cook and just had to give it a try since I love yogurt cake and I love grapefruit in baked goods. The result is amazing--awesome grapefruit flavor, perfectly moist from the simple syrup, and topped off with a delicious tangy glaze. The cake is a tad time-consuming since you have to make two glazes, but the results are well worth it. This is the perfect way to enjoy a grapefruit. ;)

Grapefruit Yogurt Cake (adapted from Picky Cook, original here)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
zest of three smallish grapefruits
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the simple syrup:
1 T sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (from the grapefruits above)

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2-4 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (from the grapefruits above)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with soft butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the parchment. Dust the pan with flour.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. In a larger bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, grapefruit zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just incorporated. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it is all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

3. Make the simple syrup while the cake bakes. Pour the grapefruit juice and the sugar into a small pan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

4. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove it from the pan and place on a baking rack set over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the grapefruit-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Allow the cake to cool completely.

5. Make the glaze. Whisk the grapefruit juice and confectioner's sugar together until smooth. Drizzle over the cake.

Playing around with swiss meringue frosting

On Saturday, I posted about a happy hour that I organized with some friends from my PhD program. I came up with new frosting ideas for two of the cupcakes, and both worked out really well. Both are based on this recipe for strawberry buttercream from Martha Stewart. I spent way too long trying to get the original strawberry buttercream recipe to work, which it never did, but the variations below were very tasty. I made a full recipe of the Swiss meringue, divided it it half, and then added in my flavors; you could equally make a full recipe of either flavor by doubling the cream cheese or butter/vanilla bean (to frost about 24 cupcakes) or by making a half recipe of the Swiss meringue (to frost 12 cupcakes)

Swiss Meringue

4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar

Whisk together the egg whites and sugar in the top half of a double boiler. Place over boiling water and whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture feels hot to the touch (about 160 degrees on a candy thermometer), being very careful not to cook the eggs.

Scrape into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk on medium-high speed until voluminous white peaks form and the meringue is completely cool to the touch.

Hummingbird Cakes with Cream Cheese Meringue Frosting

Cream Cheese Meringue Frosting

1/2 recipe Swiss Meringue (see above)
4 oz. (1/2 package) full fat cream cheese

Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature. Cut it into about 6-8 small pieces. With the mixer running, add it to the Swiss meringue one piece at a time, waiting until each addition is completely incorporated before adding the next piece.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

Vanilla Bean Buttercream

1/2 recipe Swiss Meringue (see above)
1 1/2 sticks (12 T) unsalted butter, softened
1 vanilla bean

Cut the butter into small pieces. With the mixer running, add it to the Swiss meringue one piece at a time, waiting until each addition is completely incorporated before adding the next piece.

Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and carefully scrape all the seeds out. Add the seeds to the frosting and beat with the paddle attachment until the frosting is light and fluffy. You can store the frosting in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but bring to room temperature and beat until fluffy before using.

Chocolate Cupcakes (from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook)
I realized that I've never actually posted the recipe for these cupcakes on my blog, even though I make them all the time! They're super easy--just one bowl, no need to soften butter, and they bake up perfectly every time.

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 c plus 2 T cake flour
1 1/4 c Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 1/2 c sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 large whole eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 c milk
1/2 c plus 2 T vegetable oil
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c warm water

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Put the dry ingredients into a big bowl (flours, cocoa, sugar, soda, b. powder, salt). Whisk together; then add the eggs and yolk, milk, oil, vanilla, and water. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.

Divide batter among muffin tins, filling each 2/3 of the way full. Bake about 20 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool slightly, then remove from tins and cool fully. Makes about 24 cupcakes plus a little to spare.

Go America! Happy Hour

I'm in a PhD program in political science, and American politics is my area of study. This past Friday, four of us so-called "Americanists" got together to host an America-themed happy hour for our department. I did a days-worth of baking (fun, but exhausting...I could never be a professional baker!), and we also had American cheeses (including one of my very favorite cheeses, Humboldt Fog), American wine, and American beer. Here's what I baked:

Red, White, and Blue cupcakes
Hummingbird cupcakes with cream cheese meringue frosting (from the American South)
Martha Stewart's Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla bean buttercream (because Martha Stewart is the ultimate American baker/crafter/decorator/etc.)
Sourdough bread (in honor of San Francisco)
Chocolate chip cookies (invented in Massachusetts, and recipe from San Francisco chef Elizabeth Falkner)

All of these had components that I'd made before because I didn't want to screw everything up for a big crowd! So, I've linked to the original recipes in the list above, and I'll post later in the week about the two new frosting recipes I came up with (both based on a Martha Stewart recipe).

Fellow Americanist Peter and I pose with all the goodies; Devin was taking the photo and John was in search of a cutting board.

These Red, White, and Blue cupcakes were a crowd favorite, and they couldn't have been easier to make. First, I baked up a double recipe of Elinor Klivans' quick vanilla cupcakes (you can use 3 whole eggs in place of the egg and egg yolk when doubling the recipe). After they cooled, I whipped up two cups of heavy cream along with sifted powdered sugar to taste until the cream could hold its shape well. I mounded the whipped cream on the cupcakes and topped them off with fresh raspberries and blueberries.

Here are the cupcakes all packed up and ready to go in my trusty cupcake caddy.

Finally, here's a shot of the sunset from the window of our grad lounge...that's San Francisco in the background. I love living in the Bay Area!

Sunflower Bread

This is one of my favorite breads I've made with my sourdough starter. It's nutty, not too dense despite the millet and buckwheat flours, slightly sweet, and absolutely delicious with cheese. Like most of the sourdough breads I've done, the recipe uses both sourdough starter and some commercial yeast, so the rising time is pretty predictable. The final loaf is on the small side (it served five for breakfast along with lots of other food), so if you want a larger loaf, you might want to double the recipe. The bread is pretty heavy on the sunflower seeds, which I liked, but I think you could reduce the amount and still get an excellent loaf.

You can use whatever interesting flours you have on hand to supplement the bread flour. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup millet flour, but let me tell you: if you want some millet flour, just go and buy some. I tried to grind up millet in my food processor, and it took forever to turn into flour. I only managed about 1/4 cup before I gave up, so I supplemented with some buckwheat flour I had on hand, with great results. The original recipe was sort of funny, with a mix of ounces, grams, cups, teaspoons, etc. I just went with the measures given, but if you don't have a scale, just add a large scoop (maybe a scant 1/3 cup-ish) of sourdough starter and adjust for liquid later.

Sunflower Bread (adapted from The Art of Handmade Bread by Dan Lepard)
Makes 1 small loaf

1 1/2 cups (200 g) bread flour (80%)
1/4 cup (25 g) millet flour (10%)
1/4 cup (25 g) buckwheat flour (10%)
1 1/2 cups (200 g) sunflower seeds, lightly toasted (80%)
3/4 tsp fine sea salt (2%)
2 1/2 T honey (20%)
3 1/2 oz. white leaven/sourdough starter (40%)
1 tsp instant yeast
6 T (100g) water at 68 degrees (40%)
Half-and-half, for glazing

In a large bowl, combine the flours with the sunflower seeds and salt. In another bowl or pitcher, beat the leaven with the honey, yeast, and water. Pour the liquid in with the dry ingredients and stir well until evenly combined, soft, and sticky. Add more water or flour as needed. Cover and leave for 10 minutes.

Rub 1 tsp oil on the work surface and knead the dough 10 seconds, ending with the dough in a smooth, round ball. Clean and dry the bowl, and rub lightly with oil. Return dough to bowl and leave for 10 minutes. Remove and knead once more on the oiled surface, returning the shape to a smooth, round ball. Place it back in the bowl, cover, and leave 1 hour in a warm place.

Lightly flour your work surface and shape the dough into a ball. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours, until almost doubled in height.

Preheat the oven to 410 degrees. Brush the loaf generously with half-and-half (or milk, or a beaten egg). Cut a deep cross in the center of the loaf. Bake 25 minutes, or until the loaf is a deep golden brown, feels light in weight, and sounds hollow. (If the bread still isn't done after 30 minutes, lower heat to 375 degrees for the remainder of the baking time.) Cool on a wire rack.

Don't forget to check out other awesome yeast-y goodies at YeastSpotting (round-up posted every Friday).

These fabulous photos are courtesy of my friend Jessie.

Campanelle with Vodka Sauce

I bookmarked this recipe for pasta alla vodka from the Pioneer Woman Cooks last month, and I've been craving it ever since! I finally got around to making it, and I'm so glad I did! The vodka sauce is pretty much the best vodka sauce I've ever had. You can really taste the vodka, but it's not overpowering, and overall the dish is creamy and delicious. (Well, it would pretty much have to be considering what goes into it!) I couldn't find the cute ruffly pasta that Ree used in her dish, but I did find some cute campanelle pasta at the store that worked really well.

The pasta is amazing, and even better, it's really easy to make. The sauce cooks up in less time than it takes the water for the pasta to boil and the pasta to cook, so start the pasta first and then the sauce. If you don't time it perfectly, that's fine--you can either turn off the heat under the sauce and then reheat with the pasta once that's cooked, or hold the pasta in your collander (not in the water as you don't want it to overcook) while you wait for the sauce to finish. This makes a great meal with a simple salad and some good bread.

Campanelle with Vodka Sauce (from The Pioneer Woman Cooks, original recipe here)
Serves 4-5

1 pound campanelle pasta (or another favorite pasta)
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup vodka
1 can tomato puree (15 ounces)
1 cup heavy cream
A generous pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve

1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onions and garlic. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until nicely softened.
3. Pour in the vodka. Stir and cook for three minutes until slightly reduced. Add the tomato puree and stir to combine.
4. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Allow to the sauce simmer, being very careful not to overheat. Stir in red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.
5. Add cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing to combine. Splash in a little water if the sauce is too thick. Make sure everything is warmed through, and then serve with more grated Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

Be sure to check out some other delicious pasta recipes at Once Upon a Feast in this week's Presto Pasta Nights round-up, which will be posted this Friday.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

The lemon ricotta cookies from Giada de Laurentiis are soft and delicious. They have an excellent lemon flavor and a perfectly light texture from the ricotta. Giada describes the cookies as being similar to muffin tops, and she's exactly right. The original recipe includes a glaze for the top, but I thought these were plenty sweet enough without it. But if you'd like a slightly dressier, sweeter cookie, go for it by all means (just whisk together some confectioner's sugar with enough lemon juice to make a drizzling consistency). These will keep for a few days, but I think they're best the day they're made. I used Meyer lemons, but I think regular lemons would work just as well.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies (from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada de Laurentiis)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese
Zest of 1-2 lemons (depending how lemony you like your cookies)
3 T freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

4. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough onto the baking sheets using about 2 T for each cookie. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges.