Cinnamon Swirl Buns

So I made the cinnamon buns. yes. Those cinnamon buns.
What?
You don't know the ones I'm talking about?

I'm talking about the cinnamon buns that had me drooling from the first glance.

Yep. I'm talking about these babies:http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/04/cinnamon-swirl-buns-so-much-news/

I finally made them.

Boy were they good. Muy delicioso.

Granted, anything with cream cheese frosting is bound to be pretty delicious.

Cinnamon Swirl Buns with Cream Cheese Glaze
Adapted SmittenKitchen who adapted it from Molly Wizenberg’s recipe in Bon Appetit, March 2008,

Makes 18 buns.

Dough
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise or instant yeast (from 1 envelope yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Pinch of salt

Glaze
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For dough: Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, about 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add additional 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. (You may also use a KitchenAid’s dough hook for this process.) Form into ball.

Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

For filling: Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt in medium bowl.

Press down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15×11-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cinnamon mixture evenly over butter. Starting at the longer side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, trim ends straight if they are uneven (we baked them in a ramekin, incapable of discarding such deliciousness) cut remaining dough crosswise with thin sharp knife (a good serrated worked well here) into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).

Spray two 9-inch square glass baking dishes (an 8-inch square metal pan worked just fine, too) with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes, though yours, like mine, may take longer. Don’t skimp on the double-rising time.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up.

For glaze: Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: These buns were best the day they were baked. The second day, they were on the tough side. If you anticipate wanting them over a few days, glaze them to order, heating the buns beforehand to soften them up.

Upside-Down Pear Chocolate Cake

So there's this book, it's called Rustic Fruit Desserts. It was featured in Gourmet, it's garnered rave reviews on Amazon. When I saw it at my local library I grabbed it like nobody's business. It's pretty inspiring, really lovely photos, a cornucopia of fruit desserts. The book is divided in 4 sections, spring, summer, fall winter. It had me wishing for summer cherries and berries, but never the less the winter/fall desserts look pretty luscious too.
I made the Upside-Down Pear Chocolate Cake.*
First you make a caramel, which you pour into a buttered pan. Once the caramel has hardened you layer on slices of pear. Over the pears you pour silky chocolate cake batter.
My cake was VERY wet, and though I baked it for an extra five minutes the center still wasn't completely cooked. I didn't really mind this though because the undercooked part took on an almost mouse-like quality.
For whatever reason the cake took on a complex, rummy flavor, which I found pretty delicious.
And here's the killer thing. it has a 1/2 stick of butter. HALF A STICK. TOTAL.
I am not even kidding.

Upside-Down Pear Chocolate Cake
from Rustic Fruit Desserts by Schreiber and Richardson


Fruit Topping:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
3 firm but ripe pear, peeled, cored and each cut into 12 slices (about 1 pound)

Butter a 9-inch baking pan (I used a spring form pan, which worked very well).
To make the fruit topping, put the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan (one with a tight-fitting lid) and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then cover and cook for 2 minutes. (Covering in this way allows steam to wash down the sides of pan, which prevents sugar crystals from forming.) Uncover the saucepan and continue to boil the sugar, gently and slowly swirling the pan as needed to cook the caramel evenly, until it becomes a dark amber color. Occasionally wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Carefully pour the caramel into the prepared pan and allow it to harden. The pan will be very hot from the sugar, so take care in moving it if you need to. Fan the pear slices on top of the caramel in circle around the perimeter, filling in the center with remaining slices.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Cake:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
To make the cake, place the putter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat and melt, stirring occasionally. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together in a bowl of a stand mixer and add the sugar. Transfer the melted chocolate to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and add sugar. Using a a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour and scraping down the dies of the bowl occasionally.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake bounces back slightly when touched. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a plate, leaving the pan on top of the cake for 5 minutes before you remove it. Serve the cake warm topped with ice cream of whipped cream. Wrapped in plastic wrap it will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature.

*Please make this. This cake dressy enough for a sophisticated dinner but informal enough to cut slices while looking for "real food" in the refrigerator.

Lemon Bars

There are certain things I associate with certain people. When I think of my mom I think of irises, and white handmade pottery and lemon bars. My mom loves lemon bars. 

Even more so, I have a strong emotional tie to lemon bars. One of my friends was in the hospital, and we bought her some lemon bars, she was very, very ill and never really ate food, only picked at it. I remember watching her pick at the lemon bar, and wanting her to just EAT IT ALREADY. 

Perhaps it's surprising, considering how strongly I feel about lemon bars, that I'd never made them until a few weeks ago, but life works in funny ways, and I finally found the perfect recipe. The one that sang to me. 

The one that seemed just right. 

Lemon Bars on Brown Butter Shortbread

from Tartine

Crust: 

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsalted butter

pine nuts (optional) 1/2 cup

Filling:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup + 2 tbsp lemon juice

grated zest of 1 lemon

6 large whole eggs

1 large egg yolk

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. 

To make crust, sift the confectioners' sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the flour and stir to mix. Add the butter and pine nuts (if using) and beat on low speed until a smooth dough forms. 

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press evenly into the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. It should be about 1/4 inch thick. To help even out the crust use the flat bottom of any type of cup, pressing down firmly. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake the crust until it colors evenly to a deep golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes. Rotate pan 180 degrees if the crust appears to baking unevenly. 

While crust is baking, make the filling: Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add sugar and whisk until blended. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir to dissolve the sugar. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the whole eggs and egg yolk with the salt. Add the eggs to the lemon mixture and whisk until mixed. 

When the crust is ready, pull out the oven rack holding the crust and pour the filling directly into the hot pan. (It's easiest to pour the custard into the pan if the pan is in the oven.) If the crust has come out of the oven and cooled before you have finished making the filling, put it back in for a few minutes so that it is hot when the custard is poured into it. Reduce oven temperature to 300 F and bake just until the center of the custard is no longer wobbly, 30 to 40 minutes. 

Let cool completely on a wire rack, then cover and chill well before cutting. using a sharp knife, cut into 12 squares, or as desired. If you like, dust the tops of the squares with confectioners' sugar. They will keep in an airtight container or well covered in the baking dish in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

Random Failures

My official new goal is to ACTUALLY post. Yeah, I know, remarkable. 

I've had some disappointing food failures lately, the most disgusting involving butterscotch chips and cashews. 

The official new policy is to never, ever do anything with butterscotch chips AGAIN. 

Ever. 

Also I made a cauliflower, this one: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/10/cauliflower-with-almonds-raisins-and-capers/

which is supposed to be cauliflower for non-cauliflower eaters. It wasn't too bad. Not my favorite, but not bad either. Then my Dad smelled it, just smelled it and he started yelling about how much he loathed it and opened all the doors and windows to get rid of "The Smell" because apparently it was making him gag. 

Yep. I know. 

Right now I'm craving savory tarts, such as quiche, also doughnuts. Also Payday candy bars. And nuts. Lots of cashews and stuff. And crisp apples. And french toast. 

I've been a bit sick for the past two days as well as insanely busy and also very impatient with the world, but I'm on this folks. This whole "Blog Thing" is going to happen. 

Maria's Lovey's Food and Wine's Brownies OR the Simplest Brownies Imaginable

Our family friends Maria and Paul are pretty cool people. They moved into a house down the street a few years ago and I watch their house when they're traveling. Maria used to work for a catering company and she has an incredible cookbook collection. She's also an awesome cook, and on Labor Day she and Paul had a party. For dessert they had watermelon and brownies and ice cream. I've never been a hardcore brownie eater, but these brownies.... I melted with delight, they're scrumptious. These brownies are, as my dad would say, all that and a bag of chips. Seriously. 

Maria promised me that the recipe was the simplest thing imaginable and  gave it to me. She also left me with the very important instruction BEAT WITH A WOODEN SPOON, she said she wasn't sure why but those were the directions in the recipe and she's always followed them. I'll tell you why to beat with a wooden spoon. It increases DELICIOUSNESS. 

Maria's Lovey's Brownies from Food and Wine March 1990

8 oz. unsalted butter

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

2 cups sugar

4 eggs at room temp

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease (or line with foil and spray) a 13x9x2 pan.

Melt butter and chopped chocolate in microwave (about 1 1/2 minutes), stir to finish melting chocolate

Add sugar and stir with WOODEN SPOON* until mixed.

Beat in eggs one at a time until mixture is shiny and each egg is incorporated

Add vanilla, flour and salt. Add nuts. 

Bake for 30 minutes and cool completely in pan before cutting. The brownies will be moist and soft in the inside and crusty on top. 

* (Maria's note) Use only a wooden spoon to mix ingredients- don't know why but those were the directions and I have always done it. 

Perfect All-American Chocolate Butter Cake

The CAKE BIBLE. It sounds intimidating. But life is all about conquering fear and freeing yourself from inhibitions right?  So I made a chocolate cake with butter cream frosting. It was pretty damn good. A bit flat perhaps, because we had no cake flour, but still, pretty damn delicious. You should make it. You should eat it. 

It took an afternoon.It's a light chocolate cake. Soft, cakey, and when smeared with buttercream... In brief it lasted a day at my house. That's right, one day. 

Perfect All-American Chocolate Butter Cake

The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons (lightly spooned into cup)

1 liquid cup boiling water

3 large eggs

2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/4 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoons salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl whisk together cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Cool to room temperature. 

In another bowl lightly combine the eggs, 1/4 of the cocoa mixture and vanilla. 

In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and remaining cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed (high speed if using a hand mixer) and beat for 1 1/2 minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides. Gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients. Scrape down the sides. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a spatula. The pans will be about half full. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. Cakes should start to shrink from the sides of pans only after removal from oven.

Let cakes cool in pans on racks for 10 minutes. Loosen sides and invert onto cooling racks. To prevent splitting reinvert so that tops are up. Cool completely before frosting. 

Classic Buttercream

6 large egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 cups unsalted butter, softened

Optional: Liqueur or eau-de-vie of your choice 

Have ready a greased 1-cup heatproof glass measure near the range.

In a bowl beat the yolks with an electric mixer until light in color. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan (Preferable w/non-stick lining.) and heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is boiling. Stop stirring and boil to the soft-ball stage or 238 degrees F. Immediately transfer syrup to the glass measure to stop the cooking

If using an electric hand-held mixer, beat the syrup into the yolks in a steady stream. Avoid getting syrup directly onto beaters. If using a stand mixer, pour a small amount of syrup over the yolks with the mixer turned off. Immediately beat at high speed for 5 seconds. Stop the mixer and add a larger amount of syrup. Beat at high speed for 5 seconds. Continue with rest of syrup. Continue beating until completely cool. 

Gradually beat in the butter and, if desired optional flavoring. Place in an airtight bowl. Bring to room temperature before using. Rebeat if necessary to restore texture. 

Buckwheat pancakes, or Something New

Pancakes. Who doesn't love them? Hot, steaming, right off the griddle, doused in syrup and butter. What could be more delicious? 

Still on my Molly Wizenberg kick I made her buckwheat pancakes. Mostly because I had never had buckwheat. And also because I wanted to try something new. 

I love trying cooking new things. It's probably a bit of a reaction to my parents. I've grown up on three things, rice, beans, and homemade bread. In that order. With some homemade salsa thrown in. I've been pretty darn spoiled by it actually my mom makes some MEAN beans and rice, and what ever you try and tell me, there's ain't nothin' that can compare to homemade bread still warm from the oven. 

But even with food as delicious as this after a while... It get a little tedious. Especially if you eat it every day. That's why I like to try new things, and I know that, if they fail I'll always have my safety foods, rice, beans and homemade bread. 

So make these buckwheat pancakes, for something a little out of the ordinary. 

2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup buckwheat flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

1 large egg, separated

2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda. 

Pour the buttermilk and milk into a medium bowl. Whisk the egg white into the milk mixture. In a small bowl use a fork to beat the yolk with the melted butter. Whisk the yolk mixture into the milk mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once, and whisk until combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be somewhat thick. 

Meanwhile heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Brush the skill with oil. 

Ladle batter in scant 1/4 cupfuls into the skillet, taking care not to crowd them. When the underside of the pancakes is nicely browned and the top starts to bubble and looks set around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes, flip them. Cook until the second side has browned. 1 to 2 minutes more. 

Serve warm, with syrup and and fruit and whipped cream and butter. Lots of butter.