Bake Break, Days 7+8: Showing Up Empty-Handed

Days 7 and 8 have included a lot of events . . . events to which I normally would have brought dessert. It's become a habit of mine, you see, to show up to dinners, meetings, etc. baring some sort of baked confection. This little habit of mine is one that I developed when I moved to Utah.

When a new church starts, there are a lot of potlucks and small gatherings. And when you tell people you bake all day long, it is kind of expected that the thing you'll bring is dessert. When the potlucks stopped, the baking increased. As my love and passion for creating recipes grew, so did this idea I'd created that people expected dessert whenever I showed up some place, even if it was just to someone's house for a chat or to have dinner.

This habit of mine developed into an obsession to never show up anywhere that I'd be getting something out of my interaction without holding some sort of baked good. But, as I have learned, people are probably willing to talk through something with you or have you over for dinner simply because they enjoy spending time with you, and not because they expect you to have brought them cookies. I'm not saying that you can't ever bring cookies to your neighbors again, just that there is a balance between serving others and allowing them to serve you . . . a balance I am myself just working out.

Not being able to bake for the past week has not stopped the dinners, parties, and get-togethers. So, in that time, I have had to try to be okay with allowing others to serve me by inviting me into their homes, with out the presence of a cake box in hand. And, even though the Bake Break will be over in a couple of days, I have a feeling that the discipline of showing up empty-handed will be one that extends far further than the confines of these 10 days.

Pistachio & Raspberry Macarons (Or, If at First you Don't Succeed . . .)

Is there ever a recipe that you want so badly to make but never have any success with it? For me, it was french macarons.

The first time I tried to make macarons, I wasn't careful with how I folded in the egg whites (not surprising since I'm always in a rush). The macarons spread out all over the baking sheet and were completely unusable. The second time, I was a bit more careful. It was in vain: the same thing happened. I blamed the recipe and threw in the towel . . . for about a week.

I couldn't get those stubborn little cookies out of my head. I tried a new recipe and the dainty cookies were lovely when baked. I decided to fill them the next day and kept them in the oven so I didn't have to mess with them until then. Well, I decided to make a cake with a friend the next day and preheated the oven. In about 10 minutes, a smell overwhelmingly like burnt popcorn filled my kitchen. I glared at the oven, dreading what I'd find when I opened the oven. I found dark and crispy little macarons, burnt to a crisp awaiting me. And then that thing happened where you start laughing but you're actually crying, trying to keep it together because I wasn't alone. That was the end of my macaron baking . . . for the time being.

About a month after that, my friend, Becky, emailed me, asking if I'd ever made macarons. I regaled her with the tales of my failed macaron-making, but decided I would try one last time. I don't like to pass up a chance to bake with Becky.

So, we got together, and after a whole lot of recipe tweaking, measurement conversions (a good chance to practice the math you learned in elementary school and probably never use), and a quick trip to get a baking sheet we were lacking, Becky and I had made ourselves a beautiful and delicious batch of perfect pistachio macarons. And for that, I am eternally grateful.

So, the next time you just can't get a recipe right, keep on trying, preferably with a friend, until you're successful. Just remember that old saying: If at first you don't succeed, try, try, (try) again.

Pistachio and Raspberry Macarons
makes about 30-35 sandwich cookies

4 egg whites, aged overnight
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
a few drops green food coloring
1 cup superfine sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup finely ground pistachios
1/2 recipe perfect buttercream frosting (or other frosting that is actually dairy-free)
6 oz fresh raspberries, lightly mashed

 

Photo by Becky Rosenthal of The Vintage Mixer

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone mats (preferable) or parchment paper laid over guides for sizing the cookies.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat aged egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Slowly incorporate the sugar. Quickly mix in a few drops of green food coloring and mix until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, sift together  ground almonds, pistachios, and powdered sugar. Carefully fold in egg white mixture.

Place the mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round tip. Following the guide (see photo above), pipe circles onto the silicone mat or parchment paper laid over the guide. Let rest about 30 minutes, until the top of the macarons are dry. Remove guide before placing pans in the oven.

Bake macarons for about 15 minutes, until the macarons are set and have some nice feet on them. Cool before CAREFULLY removing from the baking sheet.

Make the buttercream frosting. Fold in slightly crushed raspberries. Spoon a bit of the frosting onto half of the cookies. Place the other half of the cookie on top. Then do a little happy dance because you've just made the most beautiful and delicious macarons you've ever had :)

Authentic Cannolis You Can Actually Eat!

Since moving to Utah, I've noticed the lack of presence of some beloved pastries that could be found just about everywhere in New York. The heavy population of Italian Americans in New York lends to the ubiquity of delicious treats like cannolis. Now, I'm not saying you can't get a good cannoli in Utah (I hear carlucci's has a pretty kick-butt one), I'm just saying it's less convenient. And I don't know of anywhere that has a gluten-free version. So, I've taken it upon myself to make my own delicious version. Mission: accomplished.

When making something for the first time, it's always best to try it with a friend. My friend, Becky (of The Vintage Mixer) was more than willing to join me. Our shared hunger for new adventures in baking is one the things I love about her! She's posted a gluten-filled version of this cannoli on her page with a lovely variation on the traditional filling. If gluten-free is not something you're interested in, or you just want to mix it up a bit, I urge you to go check it out!

Gluten Free Cannolis
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes about one dozen

1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sweet white wine
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1-2 tablespoons egg white
1 recipe classic cannoli filling (recipe follows)
melted chocolate, if desired
miniature chocolate chips, chopped nuts, powdered sugar, if desired

In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt. With the mixer running on low, add wine and oil. Turn mixer to medium speed and beat until dough comes together.

Lightly flour a clean work surface with some brown rice flour (keep a bit by in case dough sticks). Remove dough from the bowl and knead the dough, by hand, on the work surface for about 5 minutes.

Re-flour the work surface and roll dough out with a rolling pin to the thickness of a dime. Using a 4" round cookie cutter, cut pieces of dough out, re-rolling as needed.

Wrap each piece of dough around a standard (about 1" diameter) cannoli form, overlapping the ends and sealing with a bit of egg white.

Heat about a quart of oil in a medium to large dutch oven over medium heat. Heat to 360-380* degrees F. Drop cannolis into the oil, making sure not to crowd them. Fry about 1 minute, until golden brown. Remove from hot oil and set on a paper towel to drain. Cool.

*Make sure to constantly be checking the temperature of the oil. The shells can easily burn if the oil gets too hot.

Cannoli dough wrapped around forms. Photo by Becky at The Vintage Mixer.

Make the cannoli filling

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese, well-drained (about 24 hours)

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Stir together the first 3 ingredients until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Dip the ends of cannolis in melted chocolate, if desired. Let chocolate set. Using a pastry bag fitted with desired tip, pipe filling into the cannolis. Dip ends in chocolate chips or nuts and dust with some powdered sugar, if desired.

Cannolis will keep no longer than 48 hours, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator. Filling will keep up to a week in a separate container.

Carrot Ginger Muffins

As I write this I am realizing how very often I make/post about muffins and other breakfast pastries. But, it's nice for me to have a food to look forward to eating as my stomach grumbles at work and everything in sight is filled with butter, flour, and ridiculous amounts of processed sugar. It's comforting to know that I have something healthy to eat for the most important meal of the day.

These ginger carrot muffins are not only gluten-free, but also devoid of any butter, and are sweetened naturally by carrots and agave nectar. As a bonus, they are also packed with a lot of flavors and textures, and are super moist!

Carrot Ginger Muffins (gluten-free)
Makes 6 large or 12 regular-sized muffins


2/3 cup canola oil
6 oz shredded carrots
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease 6 large muffin tins, or set up paper liners (like I used) on a baking sheet.*

In a medium bowl, stir together canola oil, carrots, eggs, agave, and vanilla. Set aside

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir into the medium bowl. Stir in walnuts (reserving a few if you wish to sprinkle them on top).

Divide batter evenly between the 6 baking cups. Sprinkle remaining walnuts on top of the muffins, if desired. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn off oven, prop open door, and leave muffins in there for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.


*Note: if you do not have a large muffin tin, you can bake 12 smaller muffins at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Still allow them to sit in the oven for 5 minutes after you've turned it off.