Biscotti Break

When you work 80 hours a week, you learn to make the most of every free moment you get, whether it be a 15-minute cat-nap in the call room or a glorious 2-week stretch of vacation. Since I am currently enjoying the latter, I decided to bring back my blog from the dead and remind myself that I DO still have a life outside the hospital!

Today's feature is a sweet treat with a crunch that will help you get through any mundane afternoon. It'll cost up to $2 a piece at your neighborhood coffee shop, but make it at home and you'll have a whole batch for much less. Bring it to work and share... it'll make your next coffee break that much better- guaranteed!

Orange-Chocolate Biscotti
(adapted from Cooking Light- original recipe white chocolate and lemon)

Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp orange zest
1tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (substitute half with hazelnuts or almonds if you really want to jazz it up)

Directions:
1. Combine sugar, zest, extract, eggs in large bowl. Mix (by hand or mixer on medium) until well blended.
2. Combine dry ingredients separately.
3. Add dry ingredients gradually to wet mixture. Beat until well blended.
4. Stir in chocolate chips and/or nuts.
5. Shape into 2 logs, each about 2 1/2 in wide.
6. Bake at 300 deg F for 35 min. Remove and cool 10 min.
7. Slice rolls into about 1/2 in slices. Place cut side down and bake at same temperature for 10-12 min. Turn over and bake additional 10 min on other side.
8. Cool and serve.

*For extra special occasions, coat the bottoms with melted chocolate.

zested.

laying out the logs

gearing up for the 2nd baking cycle

The Nut-house

When it comes to cooking, I owe a lot to my mother, who guided me through those early med school days when I realized that 4 years at an expensive undergrad institution failed to equip me with the skills necessary for survival in a world without meal cards. After about a week of cereal, tuna, and tacos, I made one of the best moves in my life- called home and asked, "how do I cook rice?" And as they say... the rest is history.

One of my mom's (and dad's) favorite foods is nuts; if you open our pantry, you'll be sure to find at least 1 costco-sized bag of walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or cashews on the shelf. Since I'm home this weekend, I decided to pay tribute to the chef who taught me how to cook and join my parents on the nuttier side of life, haha.

Banana Nut Bread
adapted from Cooking Light

-2 cups all purpose flour
-3/4 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-2/3 to 3/4 cup of sugar (add less if your bananas are super, super ripe)
-3 TBS olive oil (**Note: original recipe uses 1/4 cup butter- use if preferred)
-1/3 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
-2 large eggs
-1.5 cups mashed bananas, ripe best (usually about 3)
-1/4 cup pecans, chopped
-1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
-1/4 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix dry ingredients together with whisk- flour, baking soda, salt.
3. In separate bowl, mix oil and sugar together until well blended. (**Note: if using butter, mix melted butter and sugar together, beat with mixer at medium speed).
4. Add eggs, one at a time, to wet mix. Beat well.
5. Add bananas and yogurt. Beat until well blended.
6. Add dry flour mixture to wet mixture. Mix in completely. Try not to over-beat.
7. Gently fold in nuts and raisins.
8. Put batter in buttered 8.5 x 4.5-inch loaf pain. Bake at 350 deg F for 45-50 min. Cool on wire rack.
(**Note: for a crowd-pleasing variation, try with chocolate chips!)

chock full of protein and potassium :)

Beer, Brownies, and Basketball

Spring is officially here, and the only thing better than sunshine, wild flowers, and perfect running weather is college basketball!! When did this love for NCAA begin, you might ask? Um... let's just say it started with a young, impressionable freshman at her first 6th Man game and a point guard who made a couple of clutch 3-pointers resulting in a Stanford win ;).

Anyhow, while searching for a sweet March Madness snack, I stumbled across a recipe for "black and tan" brownies...yes, like the drink. Guinness and chocolate- does such goodness exist??!! Of course, I had to first contact Caroline, the beer connoisseur herself, before attempting to answer the question. With baking ingredients on hand, Guinness Stout resting on the counter, and the WVU- Kentucky game on flat screen in the kitchen, we were ready to go.

Overall impressions: takes a bit of effort with the double baking- tan layer first, then the dark- and results in more of a bar than a brownie, but oh so worth it! Lots of different textures, not too sweet, with a hint of chocolate plus the bite of beer all in an aesthetically pleasing two-toned color. Definitely a keeper; a must-try for beer lovers.

Black and Tan Brownies/Bars
(adapted from cooking light)

Tan Layer:
* 6 tablespoons butter, softened
* 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans


Black Brownies:
* 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped (**note: we only had sweetened chocolate chips, so we cut the sugar in this portion to 1/2 cup)
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup Guinness Stout (semi-unfizzed)
* 4.5 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat to 350. Set one rack at lower 1/3 of oven.
2. Prepare tan layer first: Put 6 TBS butter and brown sugar in medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs and vanilla.
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt, mix well.
4. Add dry to wet mixture, beating just until combined. Spread evenly in 13 x 9–inch greased pan. Bake at 350° in lower third of oven for 15 minutes.
5. For black layer: Prepare large skillet with boiling water on stovetop. Place chocolate and 4 tablespoons butter in stovetop safe bowl in skillet. Stir constantly as chocolate mixture melts. When smooth and hot to touch, remove from heat.
6. Then, add sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir well.
7. Add eggs, vanilla, and Guinness. Stir with whisk until well combined.
8. In separate bowl, mix flour and salt. Add this to chocolate mixture, stir to combine.
9. Pour chocolate layer evenly over baked tan layer.
10. Then, bake on center rack at 350° for 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack.


Nice caramel color













feature ingredient... note the super cool bottle opener



















sampling the goods













ready to be shared!

A little cinnamon and sugar to brighten the day

lately, if i were to pick one spice as my favorite, hands down, it'd be cinnamon. strong, but not overbearing, versatile, adding dimension to both the sweet and savory, and best of all, classic, conjuring up memories of the holidays and good times with every whiff. love it.

this week, i finally got the chance to visit mel and baby alexis- already 6 months old! craziness how time flies. it's official, i'm definitely out of the "jie jie" category and now a full-fledged "ah-yi." haha. anyway, being the well-trained chinese girl that i am, i couldn't just show up empty-handed at her door. and since i'm always looking for a chance to bake, what better opportunity than this to make cinnamon buns!

Cinna-Buns
(adapted from KAF)

**notes: i skipped the icing and halved the recipe- yielded 9 rolls. also, these taste best right from the oven. if waiting until the next day, they definitely need to be reheated first.

Dough
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut up
4 1/2 cups regular flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast (regular active dry works fine too- just proof)

Filling
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:
1. Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stirring until cohesive.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, knead for 5 to 8 minutes, until smooth. For those lucky enough to have KA mixer (grrrr...) knead with dough hook, for 4 to 7 minutes at medium speed.
3. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise 60 minutes, until doubled.
4. While waiting for dough to rise, soften up butter for filling. Mix sugar and cinnamon together also.
5. Transfer dough to a lightly greased work surface. Roll it into a 16 x 21-inch rectangle. Spread dough with filling butter. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon mixture liberally and evenly over dough.
6. Roll the dough into a log starting with long end. Cut to about 3/4- 1 inch slices.
7. Place in a lightly greased pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Let the buns rise until they’re nearly doubled, 30-45 min. (be patient!!! this is well worth it!!) Preheat oven to 375.
8. Bake until they’re golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and cool on rack.



cinnamon and sugar. what a combo :)















waiting for that second rise...















perfect afternoon snack with coffee or milk. enjoy!

Baking... with a Vengeance

it's officially february now and winter is still in full swing. :( all this cold, wet, dreary weather (plus some extra time on my hands... gotta love 4th yr, haha) makes me in the mood to bake. below are some sweets (yes, healthy!) to try out for yourself. enjoy!

Gingerbread Squares (courtesy cooking light)

* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (or plain nonfat yogurt)
* 1/2 cup molasses
* 1/3 cup butter, melted
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, and baking soda, stirring with a whisk.
3. Combine sugar, milk, molasses, butter, and egg in large bowl, stirring with a whisk.
4. Stir in flour mixture. Pour batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.
5. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Fortune Cookies
(courtesy all recipes- fun to make but not sure if it's worth all the effort)

*2 egg whites
*1/4 tsp vanilla extract
*2 pinches of salt
*1/2 cup flour
*4 tablespoons sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a cookie sheet. Write fortunes on strips of paper about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide.
2. Mix egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift flour, salt, and sugar and blend into egg white mixture.
3. Place teaspoonfuls of batter at least 4 in apart. Spread with spoon or tilt sheet to move the batter into round circles about 3 inches in diameter. Make batter as round and even as possible. Be sure it is VERY thin, so that you can almost see the cookie sheet behind it.
(Do not make more than 2 at a time- the cookie has to be really hot to form and once it cools, it's too late)
4. Bake for 5 minutes or until cookie has turned a golden color 1/2 inch wide around the outer edge of the circle. The center will remain pale.

Note: Next steps require FAST movements!!!
5. Remove from oven. Use spatula to flip cookie upside down on plate. Quickly place fortune in middle of cookie and fold cookie in half.
6. Place the folded edge across the rim of a measuring cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into muffin tin to hold their shape until firm.
7. After all cookies made, turn off heat in oven. Place muffin tin with cookies in them back in oven to get more of a golden color.

Memories of Miami

looking through pics the other day, i came across our miami trip from back in december. lol- definitely one train wreck of a vacation, from bed bugs to scary public transpo encounters to car accidents. so much for spontaneity. nevertheless, still had a great time catching up with the former roomie. :)

one of the highlights of our trip was dinner at joe's stone crab- giant crab legs, creamed garlic spinach, grilled tomato with cheese, and of course, the famous key lime pie named for the area. in fact, it was so good, i was inspired to make it.

Key Lime Pie
(courtesy cooking light)

• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup key lime juice (i used the Nellie and Joe's Famous Key West Lime Juice since did not have fresh key limes on hand)
  
• 1 teaspoon grated lime rind
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1 graham cracker crust (can self make or buy pre-made)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Beat eggs and egg whites at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Gradually add juice, rind, and milk to egg mixture, beating until well-blended.

3. Spoon mixture into crust. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until almost set (the center will not be firm but will set up as it chills).

4. Cool pie on a wire rack. Cover loosely, and chill 4 hours. If desired, spread whipped topping evenly over filling (**Note: i'm personally not a whipped cream fan, so i skipped this step. for those who do like whipped cream, i highly recommend making it yourself- add a little sugar to heavy cream and then beat with mixer until whipped cream texture and consistency is achieved).

end result: tart and refreshing, simple to make, and even semi-healthy! hey, who says you can't have it all ;)

now, if only i could be eating it here...

Yay for Vitamin A

spending the 4th of july weekend in SA while everybody else cleared out of town translated into a lot of time to finish moving and settling in, running a gazillion errands, and just straight chillaxin'. so while i still have the time and kitchen all to myself, i decided to do some baking for the friends who helped me move. here goes another food/recipe-related entry (sorry for boring the rest of ya to death... but at least i figured out how to use the camera on my phone!)


Classic Carrot Cake

* 4 eggs
* 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (purists will scorn this healthier modification preferred by me: 3/4
cups oil, 1/2 cup applesauce)
* 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar
* 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, add dash of nutmeg too if you have some lying around)
* 3 cups grated carrots (don't grate too fine or else will be kind of mushy)
* 1/2- 1 cup of nuts/raisins optional

For frosting:

* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat to 350. Beat eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla.
2. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
3. Stir in carrots. Fold in nuts if desired.
4. Bake for 40-50 minutes. If making cupcakes, bake 20 min. Cool completely before icing.
5. To make frosting, just beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

piping hot out of the oven...




















iced with chopped hazelnuts on top... yums!








































i leave you with my still very bare dining room.