Summer Balsamic Peach Pie

My cooking philosophy starts with the Three B's: 

Booze. Balsamic. Beyonce.

These three things are often my secret to deliciousness, particularly when it comes to baking (Another of my favorite B words!).

Booze takes on two roles in my kitchen. I use it to cook and I also use it for cooking. Most of the time, I just get tipsy and the magic happens on its own. Other times, I add a bottle of beer or a splash of wine or a cup of Bailey's Irish Cream to my food and somehow it works out. I'm not an alcoholic! I'm a chef, dammnit!

Balsamic is one of my favorite flavors in the entire world. I love that it goes with both savory and sweet things. I love that you can reduce it and drizzle it over just about anything. I love that a splash of it can completely change the direction of a dish and give it that little something extra.

Beyonce is my Kitchenaid Artisan Series Stand Mixer. I got her as a gift from Boyfriend and I use her two to four times a week for all kinds of things. I named her Beyonce because she's fierce and because the sound she makes kneading bread or mixing cupcake batter or whipping butter is like music to my ears. Cheesy? Maybe. But who doesn't love cheese?

The following recipe uses all Three B's AND is a testament to my own self-development.

I used to hate summer. I hated it with a passion. I hated the sun, I hated the heat, I hated wearing a bathing suit, and I hated sand. While I still hate sand, and while the heat is still not my favorite, I've found it more bearable over that last couple of years. I've developed a love for the bounty of summer fruits and vegetables and I've found the love of my life, who loves every part of me, even when I hate how I look in a bathing suit. 

Boyfriend and I have gone swimming almost every day this summer, I've got a kick-ass tan, and now instead of seeing the sun as a problem, I see it as an advantage. When I walked into the grocery store today, I saw an enormous display of fresh, peak-season, ripe-as-fuck peaches. Of course I decided to make a peach pie....

...with a little BabyBakes twist, of course!

(Adapted from Food Network)




Ingredients:

Pie Crust:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for bench and cutters
• 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed
• coarse white sugar (for topping!)

Filling:

• 6 ripe but firm peaches
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup aged balsamic vinegar
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon or pinch ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 egg

Directions:


For the crust: 

1. In a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt and cold butter.
2. Beat with flat beater attachment until mixture forms pea-sized balls. 
3. Add the ice water to the mixture. Beat just until the mixture rolls itself into a little ball. If the mixture is a bit dry, add more ice water by the tablespoonful until it comes together. 
4. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the mixture evenly in half. 
5. Shape each half into a disk. Do NOT overwork.
6. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. At this point you can keep the wrapped dough in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze for later use.

For the filling: 

1. Peel and cut the peaches into 1/4-inch thick slices and toss with the lemon juice, balsamic, and sugar in a large bowl. 
2. Allow it to marinate (macerate)  for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in another bowl, making sure there are no lumps. 
4. Add the dry mixture to the peaches and mix until well incorporated.

Putting it all together!

1. Flour your rolling pin and roll out 1 pie crust to about a 12-inch round and drape over a 9 1/2-inch fluted pie plate. Roll out the other pie crust to about a 10-inch round, and cut this into 1-inch strips with a fluted pizza cutter.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
3. Stir the flour mixture into the peaches and mix well. Pour the peaches into the pie crust. 
4. Scatter with the pieces of butter. Top with the lattice strips. 
5. Brush away any flour underneath the lattice to make sure it seals well. 
6. Crimp the edges to seal. 
7. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water and brush the lattice and edges with the egg wash.
8. Pop in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, and then lower the heat to 350 degrees F and bake until the crust gets brown, about 50 minutes more. 
9. If the edges brown too fast, cover them with strips of aluminum foil about halfway through baking. 
10. Turn oven off and allow pie to sit in the cooling oven for ten minutes. This will bake off some of the liquid to combat any soupiness!
11. Top with coarse white sugar and cool about 30 minutes before serving.

Chicken Caesar Wrap

Since we've moved to Redlands, it's been an amazing culinary adventure in some aspects, and a total pain in the ass in other aspects. While we've been able to try a lot of new things, it's been a challenge to find cheap/quick/easy food when we're busy. One place we have found is a place called Citrus Deli, which happens to be right across the street from our apartment complex. I'll admit, I've only ever had one item from their menu: the Chicken Caesar Wrap. And while I know that this is super boring and I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, I can't help myself. It is just...so...good. I've had many chicken caesar wraps, and theirs is by far the best. At $5, it's also a really good size. However, at $5, I can't have it for lunch three times a week like I've been doing, because $15 a week adds up. So I decided to create my own! This ended up costing me just around $3 per wrap, AND I can be lazy and don't have to leave the house to get it!


(Yields One Chicken Caesar Wrap)

Ingredients:

• Garlic butter, softened
• One large, whole-wheat tortilla or wrap
• 1 heaping cup romaine lettuce, chopped
• Shredded rotisserie chicken, as desired
• 1 small handfull of croutons
• 2-3 tbsp caesar salad dressing
• 1 tbsp parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Spread a thin later of garlic butter on one side of the wrap and bake it for 2 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add romaine, chicken, croutons, dressing, and cheese in a  container with a lid (A ziplock bag will also work). Lid container and shake vigorously to combine.

1. Lay wrap, butter side up, on a plate.
2. Pile salad mixture on the center of the wrap, fold the ends, and then roll it up!
3. Enjoy!

Simple Garlic Butter

It's a really good idea to have a solid and easy garlic butter recipe in your back pocket. Garlic butter is so versatile; You can use it on bread, steaks, wraps, and more. And the best part is that it lasts in the fridge or freezer for a long time (One month after the sell by date in the fridge, or 6-9 months in the freezer)!!


Ingredients:

• 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

• 3-6 cloves of garlic, finely minced

• salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

Directions:

1. Mash ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
2. Store in refrigerator until you're ready to use it!

Note: If you have a food processor, you can skip mincing the garlic and throw all of the ingredients in there!

Cajun Chicken Alfredo

This is probably in my top ten favorite meals. It's so good, I made it twice in one week. Sun-dried tomatoes can be  bit pricey, but don't leave them out! They really make this dish!

(Adapted from Guy Fieri)


Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• Two 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Blackening Spice Rub, recipe follows
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup roughly chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 pound fettuccine
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over very high heat.
4. Dredge the chicken breasts in the Blackening Spice Rub.
5. Place in the cast-iron skillet. Blacken both sides of the chicken, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
6. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and place in the oven until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and slice the chicken into strips on the bias.
8. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. 
9. Add the garlic and lightly brown it, 2 to 3 minutes. 
10. Stir in the wine. Pour in the heavy cream, bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. 
11. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and chicken slices.
12. Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine al dente, according to the package directions. Drain.
13. When the cream sauce is at the desired consistency, stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the sea salt, pepper and pasta.
14. To serve, toss the pasta with the cream sauce and serve on large rimmed plates. Garnish with the green onions and the remaining parmesan.

Blackening Spice Rub:

• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons granulated onion
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Combine the garlic, black pepper, salt cumin, onion, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, paprika and chili powder in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.

PUPdate #1

I know everyone is just DYING to know what the latest news is on our baby Basset! (And by "everyone," I mean my Mamma! It's just easier to post pics on a webpage than to email them!)

So almost two weeks ago, we took the dogs on a short walk and Eleanor had a breathing attack. She was choking, couldn't breathe, foaming at the mouth, and dry heaving. She'd always had a bit of a breathing issue, but we had chalked it up to her being so small and thought nothing of it. This time was different. Boyfriend ran home and got the car while I waited in front of the grocery store across the street. The nearest emergency room was 15 minutes away-- the longest 15 minutes of my life. She sat in my lap, struggling to breathe, while we raced down the freeway. I thought she was going to die.

When we got to the ER, they took her back immediately and put her on oxygen. Long story short, we had to leave her there overnight, I didn't get to sleep until 2am, we had to cough up $300 bucks, and they couldn't tell us anything concrete.

A few vet visits later, and we still know nothing. It's looking like we'll have to take her to a cardiologist in orange county, but we'll know for sure after her check up and bloodwork on Monday. Poor little Bassie.

Oddly enough, she's been back to her normal self, ever since. She's still having a few issues when she over-exherts herself, but overall, it hasn't affected her at all. She's still a little pain in the ass, she eats like a pig, and after all of the time and money spent, we still love her to death and I feel like she's the best decision I've made in a long time.

At three months old, Ellie weighs 16 pounds and her earspan is now at 21 inches!

As for Toby, he turned four years old and he's been the best big brother a baby basset could have!

Our little freckle-bellied sunbather in action!

Good weather = lounging weather!

"Do I HAVE to use the doggie door? Cant you just open the people door?"

 AUNT KINNY IS FINALLY HERE! It was love at first sight!

Nappin' buddies!!

Nap time at the Murphaliel's!

The border at Ellie's vet has a picture of her on it!

Patio-ing!

Dogsitting the notorious Charlie Ryan/Rousseau!

"Oh, hiiiii guyyys!!"

On the way to dad's for his birthday dinner. They both just had to be in my lap...simultaneously.

My favorite furry brown pibby!

Chocolate Bourbon Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

I'm a stress baker. This quarter at school is killing me and my personal life has not been going great.

After a 4 AM shift at work, a 3-hour dentist visit, and an intense/frustrating heart-to-heart with my roomie/best friend, I couldn't wait for Boyfriend to come home. Unfortunately he's a busy man and he wouldn't be home until 9:30. To fill the void that he left while he was at work and school, I decided to make bourbon-infused cupcakes since he's a huge bourbon fan.

Interestingly enough, the recipe I got from allisoneats* was a play on the Smitten Kitchen's chocolate stout cupcakes which I've made many times before! I tweaked it a bit, of course, but it worked out beautifully!

*If you like a denser cupcake, like I do, use my recipe. If you prefer a fluffier, lighter cake, follow Alison's recipe!

Chocolate Bourbon Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

Make caramel sauce FIRST (recipe below) and allow it to cool in the refrigerator for one hour, or at room temperature for four hours. You can also make it a day in advance.

For The Caramel Sauce (using Ina Garten’s Caramel Sauce recipe):

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, warm (Believe it or not, one of the biggest mistakes people make in the art of caramel sauce is adding cold cream to hot sugar-- it's dangerous and it can affect the chemistry of the recipe. You can heat it in the microwave or over the stove.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix the water and granulated sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. DO NOT STIR. 
2. Increase the heat to medium and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a warm chestnut brown (about 350°F on a candy thermometer), about 5 to 7 minutes. Again, DO NOT STIR. Stirring causes crystals to form and your caramel will come out grainy. (The first time I tried caramel, I made 9 attempts before I realized this. Be careful – the mixture is extremely hot! )
3. Watch the mixture very carefully at the end, as it will go from caramel to burnt very quickly.
4. Turn off the heat. Stand back to avoid splattering and slowly add the cream and ½ tsp of vanilla. The cream will bubble violently and the caramel will solidify.
5. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. 
6. Allow to cool at room temperature for four hour or in the fridge for one hour. It will thicken as it sits.

For The Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

1 cup bourbon

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons milk

coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two muffin pans with paper liners.
2. Bring the bourbon and butter to a simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
3. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. 
4. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. 
5. Add bourbon-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. 
6. Add flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. 
7. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
8. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake 20-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

For The Frosting:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks-softened)
• 3-4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce (using recipe above!)
• coarsely chopped chocolate
• Coarse sea salt

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter. Beat in the confectioners sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.
2. Mix in the caramel sauce. (If too thin, add more sugar or a little flour to keep it from getting too sweet.)
3. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and use remaining caramel to drizzle on top.
4. Sprinkle lightly with chopped chocolate and sea salt.

Doggie Birthday Parties!!

I am not even ashamed to admit that I celebrate my pets' birthdays. In fact, I've been doing it for most of my life. Here's a picture of my brother and I celebrating our basset hound, Lucy's, birthday when we were wee ones! ( Clearly we are more interested in  this event than Lucy is!)

This post is a little late, but my number one boy turned four years old on March 19th, and since Boyfriend and I are in our first apartment together in a new city with a fresh start, I felt it completely necessary to make this birthday extra special!

Not only did we make him a special Doggie Birthday Cake, but he and Eleanor got special dinners and one of Toby's doggie pals even came over for cake!

Here are a few of the night's highlights:

1. I made Toby a very special dinner made up of some old steak and chicken that was in our freezer. It was so weird! First of all, I didn't season any of it at all and I didn't have to pay any attention to the way I cooked it (I just had to make sure I didn't burn it!). Second of all, I don't think I've ever even SEEN steak and chicken in the same pan before!!

2. We gave the doggies their meat mixture over  a bed of white rice. To say that they were ecstatic would be an understatement....

3. That handsome gentleman in the background is our friends' King Charles Spaniel, Charlie. He came over for cake...

....which apparently was too delicious for Toby to eat in a normal fashion. This is an action shot of him literally trying to swallow his slice whole!!!

Happy Birthday, Toby! Mama, Mattsweo, and Ellie Bear Love You!!

(Toby looks just about as thrilled as Lucy did, dontcha think?)

(I read somewhere that dogs sees shades of blue and yellow the most intensely, so I went with those colors so Tobo could really experience his birthday!)

Toasted Caramel Pot de Creme (Custard)

I got this really sweet cook book from Boyfriend's mom for Christmas. It's a book of recipe from a San Francisco bakery called Miette. It's full of recipes for pastries, cookies, candies, and other sweet treats, which have so far really been a test of my skill. I've really been in need of a challenge in the kitchen. 

This is not to say that I am particularly skilled. In fact, my skill level is intermediate at best. I'm still a rather new home cook so I've spent a lot of time with trial and error so far!

This recipe was no different. I've made it five times total, and I have burned and seized countless batches of caramel (In fact, the pictures from this batch are the result of NINE failed attempts at melting sugar before I found the secret!) 

Hopefully I have encountered and mitigated all potential roadblocks for this recipe. I also tweaked it a bit and I believe I made it better =]

The final result was positively magical. I could eat custard every day.


Toasted Caramel Pot de Creme

(Adapted from Miette: Recipes from San Franciscos Most Charming Pastry Shop and Michael Recchiuti)



Ingredients:

• 3 ounces milk chocolate, roughly chopped (I used Swiss Milk Chocolate from IKEA!)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 6 large egg yolks
• Water
• Whipped Cream for garnish
• Grated Chocolate for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Bring a large saucepan or kettle full of water to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat; keep the water at a simmer. 
3. Lay a kitchen towel (Or doubled-up paper towels) in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Arrange 6 (6-ounce) ramekins 1/2 inch apart on the towel. Set aside. 
4. Fill a small bowl with water and have a pastry brush ready.
5. Combine the cream and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; remove from the heat, set aside, and cover to keep it warm
6. Combine the sugar, 2 tablespoons of water, and lemon juice in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan (make sure to use a saucepan between 2 1/2 and 3 quarts in size) and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until it is combined well and the sugar begins to dissolve. DO NOT CONTINUE TO STIR IT. This will agitate your sugar and cause it to seize.
7.  Continue to cook the sugar, without stirring. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush away any sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the pan. Cook until the mixture turns a dark amber color, about 4 to 6 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, as it may brown very rapidly. Immediately remove it from heat.
8. While whisking gently, very carefully add about 1/2 cup of the warm cream mixture to the caramel (it will bubble up and sputter so be sure to only add a small amount at a time), making sure to whisk the bottom of the pan, until the bubbles subside. Continue to slowly add the cream mixture 1/2 cup at a time while slowly whisking to incorporate it, until all of the mixture has been added; set aside.
9. Whisk the yolks in a small heatproof bowl until blended. While whisking constantly but not too vigorously, slowly pour about 1 cup of the cream mixture into the yolks until combined. Pour the cream-egg mixture back into the saucepan and whisk to combine. Add the chocolate and gently whisk until it’s melted and evenly combined.
10. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large measuring cup or a bowl with a spout and pour in the custard. Remove the strainer and evenly divide the strained custard among the ramekins filling them three-quarters full.
11. Being careful not to get any water inside the ramekins, add enough of the simmering water to the roasting pan so that it reaches 1 inch up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the tops of the custards are darkened in color and almost set, about 1 hour. (The entire custard will still jiggle, but it will set as it cools. If it is overcooked, the custard will cool to a rubbery consistency)
12. Using tongs and being careful not to get any water inside the ramekins, carefully transfer each custard to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. 

1. Serve or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, let the custards sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
2. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and grated chocolate.