Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Pound Cake - Cooking Light, April 2007

Sometimes, a woman just wants some cake. And this weekend was one such an occasion. I got April's issue of Cooking Light, and was thrilled to see this new recipe. I've already made clear my love for the Irish Cream. I don't go much for liquers but I cannot pass up a nice glass of Baileys, either to drink or to bake with. So this recipe had my name all over it.

I did make a couple changes. I didn't have mini-chocolate chips so I used regular. When I make this cake again, I would either procure the mini-chips or WAY up the regular chocolate chip proportion. Quite honestly, a quarter of a cup of regular chips was nowhere near enough. Many slices didn't even have one solitary chip in them! And that's just wrong.

The last change I made was to whip up a quick glaze of confectioner's sugar and Baileys. I think I would do it again, as I think that extra touch of sweetness added to the cake. But it certainly isn't a necessity, so feel free to omit if that doesn't appeal. But if you enjoy Irish Cream liquer, or cake, you can not go wrong with this recipe. The creamy sweet interior coupled with a delightful buttery crust - it is an excellent recipe and one that will be repeated in this kitchen.

Chocolate Chip Irish Cream Pound Cake
Category Finalist, Desserts. "This cake is even better on the second day." --Anna Ginsberg, Austin, TX

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
1 teaspoon cake flour
2 3/4 cups cake flour (about 11 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fat-free cream cheese, softened
10 tablespoon butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup Irish cream liqueur
Baking spray with flour
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon flour in a small bowl; toss.

Lightly spoon 2 3/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Place cream cheese and butter in a bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed to blend. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time; beat well after each addition. Beat on high speed 1 minute. With mixer on low, add flour mixture and liqueur alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into a 12-cup Bundt pan coated with baking spray. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over cake.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

CALORIES 308 (30% from fat); FAT 10.1g (sat 5.9g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 5g; CHOLESTEROL 59mg; CALCIUM 60mg; SODIUM 231mg; FIBER 0.6g; IRON 2.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.9g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2007

Believe it or not there has been some cooking going on....

... and hopefully I'll have time to post the fruits of my labors later this week.

But first, I wanted to share one of my favorite snacks. It is simple, it is homely and for me it is the ultimate comfort food. I tend to go through popcorn kicks - I'll get it into my mind to make some and then keep making it over the span of a couple weeks. And then I won't make it again for months on end. Right now I think I've started a new kick. So there will be lots of corn a poppin' round here for the next few weeks.

I stopped making microwave popcorn after the whole trans-fat debacle. I'm not going to pretend I live a virtous trans-fat free life, however I do try to minimize wherever possible. And that seemed an easy place to cut it out. I do know there are trans-fat free brands, but one day I caught Michael Chiarello's Food Network show and watched him make it on the stove in a large pan. It blew me away. No fancy popcorn popper needed. Just a big pot with a lid, a cup of popcorn kernels and little bit of oil and voila! Enough popcorn to keep me snacking for several days. So that has become my modus operandi of late.

Here's my recipe:

Popcorn

1 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 cup oil (canola or other mild oil preferred)
salt to taste

Add oil to large pot (the size you would make a batch of soup in). Allow to heat to a gentle sizzle.
Add popcorn kernels and put lid on. Listen to sizzle, shaking occasionally. As popcorn begins to pop, continue to shake occcasionally.

When popcorn pops become more infrequent (several seconds pass between pops) turn off heat. Allow for final pops, and stir with a large spoon. Add salt or flavoring to taste (chili powder, grated cheese etc) and enjoy.

Yield - I find this proportion makes enough for two generous snacks on the spot plus four sandwich baggies stuffed to the brim for later.

Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta

M. and I like to keep things low-key on Friday nights. We often find ourselves tired and unmotivated, and we typically just stay home and watch a Netflix. This week we branched out and had a few friends to dinner. I had the opportunity to visit a school during the day (in effect a sort-of day off) and thus was more motivated then our typical takeout Friday night fare.

Sometimes when you tinker with a recipe, things go great. This was not one of those times. I subbed rigatoni for penne and I think that altered the sauce to pasta ratio. I also rushed the thickening step in the sauce, so we were left with a thinner sauce with clumps of cheese on pasta that was a touch too big. Now, cheese is cheese and the dish was still good overall. But it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. I will try again and repeat it in the future, with the appropriate ingredients and minus the rushing. After all, how can rich creamy cheesy pasta be wrong?

I forgot to photograph my version of the dish (which is probably a good thing) so I'll just borrow Cooking Light's!

Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta

Cooking Light - November 2006

The nutty flavor of fontina and creaminess of mascarpone create a delicious updated version of mac and cheese. If your supermarket doesn't stock mascarpone cheese, substitute full-fat cream cheese. For a dinner party, bake the pasta in individual gratin dishes for 15 minutes.


1 pound uncooked penne
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
3 cups fat-free milk
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
1/4 cup (2 ounces) mascarpone cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
3 (1-ounce) slices white bread
1 tablespoon butter
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; keep warm.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and milk in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk. Cook 10 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; add cheeses, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir in salt and black pepper. Add cooked pasta, stirring to coat. Spoon pasta mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Tear bread into several pieces. Place bread in a food processor; process until fine crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups.

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Stir in breadcrumbs until well combined. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over pasta mixture. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

CALORIES 423 (30% from fat); FAT 14.3g (sat 8.2g,mono 3.7g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 19.3g; CHOLESTEROL 46mg; CALCIUM 298mg; SODIUM 550mg; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 2.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 54.6g

Chocolate Decadence...

.. light!

As far as I'm concerned, a dessert cannot go wrong with chocolate. But I'm quite particular - chocolate and nuts usually will not do. Pure chocolate only need apply! Yep, I definitely have a sweet tooth, and am always looking for tasty ways to keep it in check. This lighter recipe is one way to fit the bill. Chocolatey, relatively easy to prepare and tasty enough to serve for company. Chocolate Decadence was still tasty despite my baker's error. - I think I undercooked it. Pizza stones are not supposed to affect baking times, but ours seems to. I followed the recipe anyways, and the cake came out quite moussey. Delicious, but more like chocolate mousse in the shape of a cake then the cake intended.

Oh well, I'll just have to make it again to get it right!


Chocolate Decadence
Cooking time: About 40 minutes
Prep time: About 25 minutes, plus at least 8 hours to chill
Notes: For longer storage, wrap airtight and chill 2 days or freeze up to 2 months.

Makes: 12 servings

5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon unsweetened alkaline-treated (Dutch process) or regular cocoa
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup low-fat (1%) milk

1. Place oven rack in the lower third of the oven, and turn heat to 350 [degrees].

2. With a nonstick cooking spray, lightly coat inside rim of an 8-inch-wide, 1 1/2- to 2-inch-deep round cake pan. Line pan bottom with cooking parchment cut to fit.

3. Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl, and set aside.

4. Break 1 egg into a small bowl. Separate remaining egg. Put yolk with whole egg. Put white in a separate, larger bowl, and add the remaining egg white.

5. Add vanilla to the bowl with yolk. Add cream of tartar to egg whites.

6. Combine cocoa, flour, and 2/3 cup sugar in a 1 - to 1 1/2-quart pan. Mixing smoothly with a whisk, gradually add milk. Stir over medium heat until mixture simmers, about 6 minutes; don't scorch. Stir and cook 1 1/2 minutes longer, then pour hot mixture over chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Whisk in whole egg and yolk mixture. Set aside.

7. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar at medium speed until whites hold soft peaks. Beating at high speed, gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, then beat until whites hold stiff but not dry peaks.

8. Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites. Scrape batter into prepared cake pan, and smooth the top.

9. Set cake pan in another pan that is at least 2 inches wider and 2 inches deep. Set pans in oven. Fill outer pan with boiling water to 1/2 the depth of the cake pan. Bake just until center of cake springs back when very gently pressed - it will still be quite gooey inside - about 30 minutes.

10. Lift cake pan from water, and set on a rack to cool. When cake is cool to the touch, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill until thoroughly cold, at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.

11. To release cake, slide a thin knife between rim and cake. Cover pan with a sheet of waxed paper, then invert a flat plate onto paper. Hold pan and plate together and invert; shake gently, if needed, to loosen cake. If cake sticks to pan, place a hot, damp towel on pan bottom for a few minutes; then gently shake pan with plate. Remove pan. Peel off and discard parchment. Invert serving dish onto cake. Supporting with flat plate, turn cake over onto serving dish. Remove flat plate, and discard waxed paper.

12. Cut cake into Wedges with a thin, sharp knife, dipping blade in hot water and wiping clean between cuts. Garnish wedges with raspberries and meringue cream.

Per serving decadence: 153 cal., 34% (52 cal.) from fat; 3.4 g protein; 5.8 g fat (2.9 g sat.); 26 g carbo.; 50 mg sodium; 36 mg chol.

"Veggie" Sausage Rolls

I've been vegetarian since age 14. Half of my life, actually. Wow, that's weird to say. Before I turned vegetarian, I loved an appetizer my mother would make for my parents' annual Boxing Day Party. Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated in England on the day after Christmas. According to Wikkipedia, there are many possible reasons for the holiday. I particularly like the tradition that Boxing Day was the day when you "boxed" a gift to give to the people who work for you all year long (for example the postman, milkman etc). You can read more here. But, for whatever reason, Boxing Day is the day we would hold our annual open house cocktail party. Since Americans don't celebrate Boxing Day, my parents found that the party was well attended and so the tradition continued throughout the years.

It wouldn't be Boxing Day without sausage rolls. My mother would cook up sausage, roll out puff pastry dough and line strips of dough with the sausage filling. Next, she would roll over the dough and seal with a little egg wash. The process was simple, quick and the yield made the recipe perfect for a cocktail party as many rolls could be quickly produced at one time. I decided to replicate this with "veggie" sausage filling for our Oscar party last week. It was a success, the rolls were easy to prepare and well received by a non-vegetarian crowd. I don't have a picture since my camera was still held hostage at school, but there's still a piece of puff pastry dough in the freezer - perhaps more rolls will be forthcoming in the weeks to come.

"Veggie" Sausage Rolls

My notes - I found one tube of "veggie sausage" was just about enough for one piece of puff pastry dough. I had a little bit of sausage stuffing left, but I was generous in my application of sausauge to the rolls.

1 roll of "Gimme Lean" or vegetarian sausage
1 piece of puff pastry dough, thawed (boxes typically contain 2 pieces)
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the egg in a small bowl and set aside.

Open sausage packet, and place in small bowl. Stir with a fork.

Unroll pastry. Roll into square/rectangle and cut into long strips about 2 inches wide.

Spread "sausage" down the center of one strip of puff pastry. Paint egg wash along edge of strip and roll over, pressing dry side of pastry into egg wash. Cut into small 1 inch sized pieces and place on cookie sheet. Brush top of pieces with egg wash. Repeat as necessary.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I love the artichoke. Related to the thistle or not, it is one tasty veggie. For most of the year, I rely on the convenience of canned artichoke hearts. Using canned artichokes is quick and easy, and allows me to choose recipes highlighting the ingredient without a moment of hesitation. But artichoke season is coming up ... and I'm getting ready.

To get into the mood for artichokes, I decided to make this dip for a little Oscar soiree we hosted last Sunday. Neither M. nor I are THAT into the Oscars, but it seemed like a good excuse for a little party. I've made this dip many times before. It works well as is, but higher fat cream cheeses can be substituted without affecting the result. I usually add the whole box of frozen spinach, figuring that if a little spinach is good then more is definitely better. Enjoy!


Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip
From Cooking Light Magazine, September 2000

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 (13.5-ounce) package baked tortilla chips (about 16 cups)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and next 6 ingredients (2 tablespoons Parmesan through spinach) in a large bowl, and stir until well-blended. Spoon mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with tortilla chips

Yield: 5 1/2 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup dip and about 6 chips)

CALORIES 148 (30% from fat); FAT 5g (sat 2.9g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 7.7g; CHOLESTEROL 17mg; CALCIUM 164mg; SODIUM 318mg; FIBER 1.5g; IRON 0.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18.3g

Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Parsley Brown Butter

Perusing the aisles at my local market, I saw a packet of gnocchi and picked it up. It was a spontaneous, spur of the moment kind of thought, but I decided to go with it for dinner tonight. I originally thought of a baked gnocchi kind of dish, but then that didn't seem too appealing. I searched for ideas online, and came across this dish which I've actually made in the past. It's healthy, fairly quick (although I definitely spent more than twenty minutes prepping) and tastes much richer then it actually is.

I made a few subs. I don't like to do that the first time I try a recipe, but once I'm more familiar I feel more confident swapping ingredients. I didn't have zucchini so I subbed carrots, and I added a few cloves of garlic when I sauteed my red onion (didn't have shallots either). I was pleased with the resulting dish, the buttery taste shone through and the sweet vegetables harmonized with the gnocchi nicely.

Again, this image is courtesy of Eating Well as my camera continues to be trapped at school during my vacation.

Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Parsley Brown Butter
Eating Well

Thinly sliced ribbons of zucchini and nutty brown butter make for a gourmet supper. Make it a meal: Round out the plate with steamed broccoli rabe sprinkled with parmesan.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 pound fresh or frozen gnocchi
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium shallots, chopped
1 pound zucchini (about 3 small), very thinly sliced lengthwise (see Tip)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook gnocchi according to package instructions until they float, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter is
beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add
shallots and zucchini and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes, salt, nutmeg and pepper and continue cooking, stirring often, until the tomatoes are just starting to break down, 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in Parmesan and parsley. Add gnocchi and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 327 calories; 10 g fat (6 g sat, 0 g mono); 25 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 5 g fiber; 710 mg sodium; 540 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (70% daily value), Vitamin A (35% dv), Calcium (25% dv). Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable. 1 medium-fat meat, 1 fat; 3 Carbohydrate Servings

TIP: To make "ribbon-thin" zucchini, slice lengthwise with a vegetable peeler or on a mandoline slicer.

Spelt Salad with White Beans and Artichokes, Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2007

I bought the ingredients for this dish last week. It didn't make it on to the menu for a variety of reasons, but made a stunning debut last night instead. It was quick, delicious and really satisfying. I still think it odd that such a salad was featured in the January/February issue of Cooking Light instead during the summer months, but that doesn't change the fact that I really loved this recipe.

Reading as many cooking and health magazines as I do, I know that grains like spelt are wonderfully healthy and a marvelous addition to one's diet. But, that doesn't change the fact that when I hold the bag in my hand, I have NO idea what to do with it! Following this recipe made for a structured yet easy first experience. I will definitely make this again, both for the ease of preparation and the versatility of the recipe. I could see adding a variety of ingredients (including but not limited to cubed tofu, chickpeas, hearts of palm, bell pepper, carrots, cucumbers etc) and will treat it as a jumping off point for future experimentation.

My changes this time around - I added a chopped clove of garlic, and sauteed the onion and garlic briefly with a little non-stick cooking spray. I personally don't care for raw onion. I used cannellini beans, and I added one tablespoon of lemon flavored olive oil (one tablespoon regular olive oil and one tablespoon lemon flavored olive oil). I also added half a cup of crumbled feta cheese. And I didn't measure the herbs, but grabbed a big handful and chopped from there.
Spelt Salad with White Beans and Artichokes
From Cooking Light

Spelt (also called farro) is a high-protein grain with a mellow nutty flavor, and it provides an alternative to bulgur for those who have wheat allergies. (Bulgur is a good substitute if you do not have spelt for this dish.) It's nice chilled or at room temperature. Include a cluster of red grapes and crusty Italian bread in your bag.

1 1/4 cups uncooked spelt (farro), rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced red onion
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

Combine spelt and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until tender and liquid is absorbed.

Combine cooked spelt, mint, and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well. Cover and store in the refrigerator.


Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 204(29% from fat); FAT 6.5g (sat 0.8g,mono 4g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 7.4g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 40mg; SODIUM 437mg; FIBER 4.9g; IRON 3.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.7g

February Break is a wonderful thing!

The best thing about being a teacher at one of most New York City schools is the week off that comes in the end of February. Rationally, I know that the holiday break wasn't all that long ago. But oh my, was I ever waiting for this vacation with bated breath!

Unfortunately, I left my camera sitting on my desk at school. While I hope to be spending a lot of time in the kitchen this week, my posts will be pictureless. I'm hoping I'll be able to get into the school to get it, but I just don't know if that will be possible. Oh well.

This past weekend M. and I went to Philadelphia. We wanted to get away for just a little bit, and Philadelphia is an easy trip for those of us car-less New Yorkers. We actually took a Greyhound bus, which was quite an experience. All I'll say about that is that it made for some quality people watching.

Highlights of our stay included the Morris House Hotel we stayed in. We also really enjoyed the restaurant we visited for lunch on Saturday called the Tenth Street Pour House, and dinner Saturday night at 20 Manning. Poking around the Reading Terminal Market was also a lot of fun, if a touch crowded around lunchtime on a Saturday.

We're happy to be back, and I'm happy to have some time to get into my kitchen and get cooking. Stay tuned ....

Brrrr!

It is a little bit chilly up here in the Northeast. I'm not complaining; the sixty degree days we experienced in early January were a bit ridiculous for my wintry tastes. But, there's no doubting that winter with icy winds and breathtakingly biting cold has found us now.

And I made a delightful discovery that will make all the wintry days still to come a little bit more bearable. I found Green and Black's Maya Gold Hot Chocolate. Now, I must confess, I'm really a milk chocolate girl. I prefer it. I'm learning to appreciate dark chocolate, but give me a choice and I'm going for the milk. Maya Gold though is fast becoming an exception. There's something about the hint of orange and the spices that make it seem much sweeter than typical dark chocolate. My other Maya Gold experiences have been in bar form; however, once I saw this little canister lurking at my natural foods store, I knew it had to be mine. Within ten minutes of walking in the door, the scene you see above had unfolded on my kitchen counter.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!