Blueberry Peach Muffins

These turned out great, but could benefit from a little more peach punch. They have this flavor that you can't quite tell what it is, but it's really good. That would be the peach puree. They are super moist and have a great flavor. Part are the blueberries were just perfect, but I think the peach puree adds a little something. The hardest part of this was making the peach puree. Cooking time was like 15m so, pretty much if you have the ingredients there is no excuse for making muffins from mix. Well, never mind, I could probably think of one or two... but you get the point.

Another first in Reckless Cook history. Muffins departed today on a cross country journey to Seattle, to the friend who ingeniously came up with the flavor combination. We'll see if these little guys can hack a trip. They are due to arrive on Wednesday, so we'll see! And I'm pretty sure the UPS guy thought I was absolutely nuts, but that's another point.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup fine-grind cornmeal
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (subtract about 2 tsp worth)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup pureed peaches
• 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 Tbs. granulated sugar mixed with 1 tsp.
    ground cinnamon, 2 tsp vanilla sugar

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Butter 12 standard muffin cups or line them with paper liners. In a bowl, stir together dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Whisk in the milk and butter. Pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about three-fourths full. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly over the tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove and let cool. Makes about 12. I got a full baker's dozen. I sprinkled with turbinado sugar at the end.

Peach Cake with Strawberry Peach Marscapone filling

So I was really excited about this and it didn't turn out as planned. One of the things I needed was peach extract and none was around to find. I have it coming in my King Arthur Flour really big order.  So the cake was a little heavier than I generally like, but turned out very moist with a faint peach flavor and a lovely color. I need to figure out why it's so heavy, but that's a problem for another day.

I did find out that if you can't find super fine sugar or run out while baking, just put some regular sugar in a coffee grinder and grind for about 20 seconds and you're good.

I'll be excited to try this again, with the extract. And a better buttercream. My buttercream was a disaster. In part to it being 92 outside and I was baking with no AC to try and save on electricity. It was fine until the buttercream, it started separating and just wouldn't hang together, I put it in the fridge but it only helped temporarily. The damage was done. Lesson learned, buttercream is cranky.

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons butter, softened (1 stick)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups superfine sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 large egg whites
2 3/4 cups cake flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup pureed peaches

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F, Grease and flour 2 8-inch pans OR butter and line with parchment paper.

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, baking powder, sugar, salt and extracts until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg whites to the butter mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir 1/3 of the flour into the creamed mixture, then half the milk and peach puree. Repeat process, ending with flour. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for about 23 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool completely in pans on wire racks

For filling:

1 cup cold marscapone cheese

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup peach and strawberry puree

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Mix thoroughly. (I use a hand mixer) 

Beef. It's what's for dinner.

Slow cooked, pulled barbecue beef. So unexpectedly good. And oh so easy. It just falls apart and has a great kick. But not burn your mouth off. And the flavor was great.


So... because you are combining garlic with an acid, the garlic will turn blue, like lovely aquamarine color. Not even close to kidding. Don't worry its safe to eat, the good news is because you are cooking the mixture for so long, it breaks down the garlic and the color goes away. Just an FYI. I saw it and was all... my garlic is blue. What. The. hell. WHY is my garlic BLUE?!?! Google saved the day with science. Yep. Science.


I tried to turn this sucker over with tongs with three hours left and it fell apart. Literally just chunks falling.

• 1 large piece of beef, chuck roast ( Used about a 2 to 3 lb piece of meat)
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup hot sauce
• 1+ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1  - 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon all spice
• 1/2 tablespoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 finely diced clove elephant garlic
• 1/2 finely diced yellow onion

Combine in a crock pot/slow cooker. Put on low leave for 10 hours. Take the meat out and put it in a bowl. Spoon some sauce over. Take two forks and shred. I saved some of the sauce in a tupperware. When reheating, pour some of the sauce on the meat and put the top of the meat's tupperware back on and nuke. And you then have meat as moist as it was coming out of the pot for more meals to come.

I was going to make my own buns, but I had the errands trip form hell and didn't have time.

Kardemumma gräddfil våfflor - Cardamom Sour Cream Waffles

Probably the best thing I've eaten. In like a month, or two.


Surprisingly easy to make. They are not kidding the best waffles. So, I'm Swedish, most people can guess from looking at me. And Swedish food often gets a bad rap. I feel like these waffles with pretty much convert people. 


June 6 is Nationaldagen aka Swedish National Day. Fun times all around there, its fantastic people handing out flags, gatherings in all the city squares. Parties, food, etc. Unfortunately I cannot be there this year or host a party, and I haven't seen any celebrations around, so making these waffles is my own little celebration, plus they just sounded good. There maybe meatballs soon. In trying to explain Nationaldagen to a friend and talking about hosting a Nationaldagen became known as meatball day... Oh well. I try.  So there is a belated Meatball Day Dinner in the works. 


There is a waffle day in Sweden - Våffeldagen ( 25 March) Yummmm. I'll need to mark my calendar.


Kardemumma gräddfil våfflor - Cardamom Sour Cream Waffles *

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon salt (I'm very light with salt, so this is a bit of personal preference)
• 1 rounded teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup sour cream (plain yogurt works in a pinch, not the same, but similar idea.)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat a waffle iron until hot.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.

Whisk together remaining ingredients in another bowl, then whisk into flour mixture until just combined.

Lightly brush waffle iron with oil and cook waffles. 

I garnished with cloudberry jam, whipped cream, and powdered sugar. Lingonberry jam would be good as well.


Smaklig måltid!

Challah French Toast

I had a loaf of challah in the freezer I was just waiting to use for french toast. The inherent sweetness of the bread makes it perfect match for the cinnamon, and vanilla egg,  bath it receives. It can be probably the best french toast you have ever had. The only thing that might possibly be better would be brioche.

Breakfast was not limited to french toast. Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice was also on the table. Which was amazing. That juicer was the best unexpected buy ever.

Challah recipe (I stole this from Williams Sonoma Baking Essentials):

ngredients:

• 2 packages (5 tsp.) active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (105° to 115°F)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs, plus 1 egg, beaten, for glaze
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter (or margarine for parve… but make sure to check the margarine! Some have dairy), at room
    temperature
• 1 Tbs. poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

To make the dough by hand, in a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the sugar, 3 eggs, 4 1/2 cups of the flour, the salt and butter until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, working in the remaining flour as necessary to keep the dough from being too sticky, until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not be tempted to add too much flour. The dough should stay soft and will become less sticky with kneading.

To make the dough with a stand mixer, in the 5-quart bowl of a mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar, 3 eggs, 4 1/2 cups of the flour, the salt and butter. Place the bowl on the mixer, attach the dough hook and knead on low speed, working in the remaining flour as necessary to keep the dough from being too sticky, until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not be tempted to add too much flour. The dough should stay soft and will become less sticky with kneading. Remove the dough from the bowl.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 2 hours.

Line a half-sheet pan or rimless baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch down the dough. Using a plastic pastry scraper, scrape the dough out onto a clean work surface. To make a 4-strand braid, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces with a sharp knife or a bench scraper. Using your palms, and starting in the center and working outward, elongate 1 piece by rolling it gently against the work surface with even pressure until you have formed a rope as long as the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces.

Line up the 4 strands in front of you horizontally. Cross the strand farthest from you across the other 3 strands so that it is nearest you. Cross the strand that is now next to it across the other 2 strands away from you. Position the outside strands so that they are away from the center ones, and position the center 2 strands perfectly horizontal. Bring the strand nearest you down between the 2 horizontal strands. Bring the strand farthest from you up and across to the opposite side. Again, bring the strand farthest from you down between the 2 straight strands. Bring the strand nearest you up and across to the opposite side. Starting from the strand nearest you, repeat the braiding until you reach the ends of the ropes. Pinch them together at the top and at the bottom, and tuck the strands under at the ends.

Place the braided loaf on the prepared pan, cover with a dry kitchen towel, and let rise again in a warm, draft-free spot until the loaf doubles in size and is spongy to the touch, 45 to 60 minutes.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350°F.

Brush the braid gently with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the seeds. Bake the braid until it is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Makes 1 large braided loaf.

I have been using this recipe since I was old enough to hold a spoon, so forgive the inexact measurements:

For the bath:

2 large eggs
probably 1/2 a cup of skim milk
tablespoon vanilla extract (when I want to get exotic I'll add a dash of almond extract too)
rounded teaspoon of cinnamon. (cardamom works well too)
Make sure to get both sides of the bread and get 'em nice and coated. Then fry in a fry pan on the stove top or griddle. 

Northwest Comfort Food

Phad Thai has to me one of my favorite meals. Of all times it's up there with chicken teriyaki. The recipe below fed me for lunch for about three days and also I probably had three dinners. 

Phad thai is comfort food. Noodles, tofu, some veggies, noodles. Asian food. You can't really go wrong. I mean, I just ate this stuff for about a week straight... Not entirely sure what that says about me, but I'm just going to go with it.

You can substitute the tofu for chicken, pork, shrimp whatever. I really like tofu. I can eat it raw. Not for everyone, but I never said I was normal.

1/2 lb. dried rice noodles, 1/8" wide (the thin ones work too)
Warm water
1 carton of extra firm tofu
1/4 c. fish sauce
1/4 c. sugar (I usually am fairly light with the sugar.)
2 (BIG) cloves finely chopped garlic
1/4 c.white vinegar
1 tsp. paprika
4 slivered green onions

1/2 red onion1/2 c. peanut oil
2 eggs
3/4 lb. bean sprouts
2 tbsp. ground roast chili (I use chili flakes, and add more because I like the heat)

1/2 tsp. turmeric3/4 c. ground roasted peanuts (peanuts finely chopped)
Lime wedges

Soak noodles 30 minutes until pliable and drain (sometimes it takes longer). Mix sauce (sugar, vinegar, paprika and fish sauce). Set aside. Heat wok, stir fry tofu, add noodles. Add garlic, red onions and sauce. (You can also sauté them with the tofu) Tuck eggs under noodles and add oil as needed. Add sprouts and garnish with green onions, peanuts and lime wedges.

This is what happens when you think too fast

So. Yeah. I have never burned anything before. Like I mean really burn. I'm pretty careful to set a timer and to keep and eye on the clock. Well... I also have left things in the oven, or the oven on to preheat and left to run to the store to get a forgotten ingredient or soda at the market across the street if I am making a pizza. I know my time well and don't dawdle, so what's the harm right? If nothing is going to burn, then no harm no foul?

What pizza normally looks like. 

Yeah no. I had a frozen pizza I had just put in the oven and wanted a diet coke badly. 7-11 has cans for .99 cents. I had this whole debate if I should lock the door to my apartment or not since I was literally just going steps away.

Well I did without thinking and didn't grab my keys. Yes, I got locked out. And with a pizza in the oven with a bake time of 12 minutes. FANTASTIC. So 2 hours and $115 dollars later. The locksmith finally arrives and picks my lock right as my smoke alarm starts going off. Yep he used tools from the hardware store for $20 and was taking his sweet time. The plus is I know my fire alarm not only works, but you can hear it from the street...?

Long story short I ordered a pizza.