The pastry week technical was a Breton pastry called a kouign amann. I’m quite pleased to say I managed to find one to eat at a local place called Prep & Pastry. It’s like a flaky muffin. The folding of the layers makes me think of croissants. The ingredients are surprisingly straightforward, but we’ll see if my technique to create the proper layers is up to snuff.
The Bake
Make the Dough
I nearly messed up straight from the start. I saw to mix all of the ingredients in the mixer, but I was supposed to put in the flour first! The mixer kneaded the bread longer than I usually do, so I think this was a good lesson in kneading. My only concern was the rise. It did rise and there were air bubbles, but this wasn’t like a bread rise where the dough doubles in size.
2. Prep the Butter
I had to buy Amish butter to get a big giant block of butter. I will admit I had fun bashing the butter flat. Thank God for wax paper or this would have been a mess!
3. Creating Layers
The instructions call for 3 “turns”, meaning I fold the layers, roll the dough out long, and then fold again and let cool in the fridge. Doing this creates the layers needed for the pastry.
4. Shaping
This was tough! The butter had become warm and so the dough became sticky. I think I managed a rough approximation of the intended “clover” shape. I don’t think I sprinkled enough sugar on top.
5. The Bake
I started at 30 minutes, checking halfway through to make sure the pastries weren’t browning too quickly.
Final Thoughts
I am shocked this got picked as a technical when there was so much waiting! Without decor or filling, there was nothing to do in between the waits. An hour long prove, followed by multiple half hour chilling. The real contestants only had 3 1/2 hours. So 1 hour bake + 1 hour chilling + 30 minute bake means they were right at the time limit! Since I’m not timing myself, it took me most of the day, but it was worth it for these buttery, flaky morsels.
When you first start cooking and baking, you want to try simple things. But simple doesn’t have to mean boring! For your next work function, party, picinc, whatever, consider putting a new spin on an old classic.
Rice Krispie treats are only three ingredients: marshmallows, butter, and Rice Krispies cereal. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a pot, then remove from heat and stir in the cereal.
Don’t get me wrong, you can still burn the marshmallows if you’re not paying attention, but 3 ingredients and 2 steps isn’t so tough. If you think you can handle it then here are some ways to make them even better!
1.Use a cereal other than Rice Krispies
You can start as easy as Cocoa Krispies or try your other favorites. You may need to adjust measurements. This honeycomb cereal treat used 4 1/2 cups (plus peanuts), but mine ended up much more marshmallowy than the picture on the website.
2. Cut or Mold into Shapes
Use a cookie cutter (stars, hearts, etc) for cute shapes for the holidays. When still warm, rice krispies can be molded into shapes. I’d recommend simple shapes, because sculpting can take some practice! Some of you may have seen my attempt at the #NailedIt challenge:
3. Crush in Your Favorite Cookie
I’ve seen all sorts of added bits of crushed cookies, other cereals, or even potato chips!
4. Add Nutella or Nut Butter
Once the marshmallows and butter are melted, add in 1/3 cup of nutella, peanut butter, or other nut butter. Then stir in the Rice Krispies/cereal of choice.
5. Dip in Chocolate & Add Sprinkles
The dessert blogger Sprinkle for Breakfast has mastered this. She’s made everything from football fields to classy lavender rice krispie treats. You can buy pre-colored chocolate candy melts from many craft stores. Just melt and dip! Add sprinkles before the chocolate cools.
Making tasty treats, contributions to a party, or pretty desserts doesn’t have to be difficult. I highly encourage starting simple with upgrading store-bought or box mix baked goods, then upgrading to simple treats. It’s a great way to build your confidence for bigger projects.
Arizona Restaurant Week brings special menus and special events at local restaurants around the Valley. This year I actually had the chance to enjoy one: a special vegan dinner at Tempe’s Four Peaks Brewery. The menu, designed by a local vegan chef and owner of 24 Carrots, was designed to pair with Four Peaks’ seasonal Pumpkin Porter. I joined my vegan friends for this five-course meal paired with a beer for each course.
I’ve never had an issue with vegan food (except vegan cheese – yuck). However, I don’t think I ever would have thought that a vegan meal could be so flavorful, so unique, and so incredible.
The Space
We were brought to a small area set aside for the special event, toward the back of Four Peaks’ dining area near the large brewery vats. Guests were seated at long tables decorated with a cute fall theme. We were all pleased at the effort made to make this event special, even going so far as to change Four Peaks’ usual aesthetic.
The Menu
First Course
The first course was a vegan version of a classic Indian street food called pani puri. The chef brought a piece of her Indian heritage, masterfully combining vegan choices with the brewery by using beer as the base for the “water” poured into the puff. This was an incredibly fun way to start a meal. Everyone enjoyed the new experience. The light, hollow puff is tapped to open a hole. The potato based filling is then stuffed, and the fizzy and spicy sauce is poured in and over. The powerful mix of flavors and textures made a strong impression on our palates and set high expectations for the rest of the meal.
It was paired with the Wow Wheat wheatbier. It seemed almost unnecessary due to the beer in the sauce, but it was the best tasting beer next to the porter.
Second Course
A light salad followed, perhaps less exciting than the starter, but delicious nonetheless. This salad of earthy salad based mostly in kale was lightened by citrus and fall fruits, counteracting the bitterness of kale. It was dressed with the perfect amount of dressing, imparting flavor consistently without drowning the individual flavors of each component. I would have only left out the chamomile flower. Though the chef described it as edible, it carried an overwhelming perfumed flavor out of place from the salad.
This was paired with a Raj IPA. I don’t particularly enjoy IPAs, but I noticed most of the table didn’t finish the entire drink.
Third Course
As I mentioned before, I’m generally cautious of anything vegan that is said to have “cheese” in it. However, instead of fake cheese this dish was made primarily with coconut milk and pumpkin to create the creamy texture of a cheese sauce. There was the slightest hint of spice, most prominent in the “beef” mixed with spicy peppers. At this point we were getting full, but no one was willing to put their fork down or stop themselves from finishing the food on their plate.
This course featured the star beer. The pumpkin porter is a dark beer suited to the sweet addition of the pumpkin. I’ve been looking for it at every grocery store because it was so delicious.
Fourth Course
I can only describe this dish as sorcery. To take a piece of mushroom, bread it and season it to the point that it is indistinguishable from meat, is pure skill. The breading was crisp and light. The mushroom was not too dense and the flavor was savory like fried chicken. However, the waffle was so dense it was hard to cut and chew. I have no idea how the chef made the “hunny” on it, but the sweetness was the perfect complement.
This course was paired with the Chai-PA. Again, I don’t care for IPA but the chai spices added to this were nice. I would not think to pair chai with “chikun” and waffles!
Fifth Course
Just when I thought I couldn’t eat another bite, they bring out the piece de resistance, a beautiful slice of chocolate cake. The cake was perfectly moist. The frosting by itself tasted strongly of vegetable oil, but was sweetened to complement the rich cake. Paired with the crunch from sweet candied pecans and a hint of pumpkin caramel, we devoured this amazing dessert.
Porters go amazingly well with dessert. This last beer was the Double Pumpkin Porter. When I asked what the difference was, I was told this had a higher alcohol content.
Final Thoughts
My vegan friends were happy to find a vegan meal worthy of the hype for Restaurant Week. I was along for the ride and enjoying every bite. If Four Peaks ever does another event like this, I highly encourage vegans and non-vegans alike to attend. In the meantime, the chef has her own restaurant in the Valley – 24 Carrots in Tempe. I’ll definitely be visiting in the future!
Things have been busy preparing for interview season! I’m finally getting enough free time to get back in the kitchen and try new recipes.
Foodie Fails
The cold brew I tried to make using milk instead of water actually turned to be okay when I poured it into black coffee. I also tried making my cold brew with fancy glacier bottled water to see if it made a big change in flavor. I’m excited to see what else my coffee book can teach me about making better cold brew at home
Slutty Brownies:These 6 layer slutty brownies from TikTok were supposed to be made with cookie butter but I used peanut butter instead. Apparently peanut butter has a boiling point? They boiled over and made a mess. The brownies were edible and people like them. Maybe next time I’ll switch the PB and nutella layers.
Around the World
Escites: I used a recipe from NY Times. It’s basically elote but off the cob. I could have eaten the entire bowl.
Foodie Media
Currently watching: The newest season of GBBO
Currently Reading: Books on the medical school interview
European Cake Week ended with a Hungarian cake known as a dobos torte. Created in the late 1800’s, it is a sponge cake layered with chocolate buttercream and then topped with caramel. The sides of the cake have been traditionally coated with ground nuts. The bakers were asked to make a “contemporary” version with at least two tiers. In addition, the bakers were instructed to focus on caramel/sugar work for decoration.
The Plan
For me, “contemporary” here is referring primarily to the appearance, especially considering the emphasize on sugar work. I’ll be using this recipe from Food52 for the sponge and frosting (mmm coffee). However I also included ideas from this baker in regard to decor. I’m actually most worried about the sugar work, as hot sugar can be dangerous and result in burns. I’ve also struggled with caramel in the past…
The Bake
The Sponge
These European cakes have such weird batters! The egg whites were whipped separately from the batter containing a ton of egg yolks. The egg whites were folded into the thick batter. Thankfully this made it east to spread in the pans.
2. The Bake
The first few sponges were difficult. I tried greasing the pan and dusting with flour, which worked much better than parchment paper. The sponge tasted good, but I actually think my “thin” layer wasn’t thin enough so I ended up with only a few layers instead of the 12 I expected.
3. The Buttercream
Oh gosh. I have never struggled so badly with a buttercream. Buttercream is not my friend but I got impatient. I didn’t wait for the chocolate/coffee mix to cool enough. It was a whole 30 minutes and it was still hot! I tried putting in the butter and it melted. Adding more butter managed to make it slightly less liquid, but essentially I poured the frosting onto the cake.
4. The Assembly
With thick layers and liquid buttercream, let’s just say the assembly was a disaster. I think the image speaks for itself.
5. Decoration
I hoped to make pretty sugar work. I have no idea how brittle gets cut into pretty triangles… The brittle took forever to make and it was still a little chewy. I’m not 100% if I messed up or maybe it was just more humid that day? I was so exhausted I gave up on spinning sugar.
Final Thoughts
My husband and I tried this. It went better than the Princess cake but it was still a hot mess. He called it the cake equivalent of someone who wasn’t pretty but had a “good personality.” The buttercream had a nice coffee flavor mingled with the chocolate. The sponge was very light and sweet. Together it was nice, but it was hard to eat. Props to me for managing some semblance of layers!
Week 6 focused on European cakes, so Mary Berry chose a Swedish cake for the technical challenge. It is a cake with sponge, pastry cream, and whipped cream in a dome that is then covered in marzipan (usually green in color). It got the nickname “princess cake” because three Swedish princess were said to be fond of the cake.
Most of the components are made from scratch, including the cake, jam, and the marzipan. I was a little worried about making the marzipan smooth on the outside.
The Bake
The Custard
I had two worries. The eggs I got at the store had dark yolks, which would throw off the color. Second, my vanilla beans have gotten hard on the outside so I was afraid I’d miss pieces when I pulled them from the milk.
2. The Jam
There was no mention of straining out the seeds. I overboiled the jam for a moment and I didn’t have “jam sugar”. My jam was quite loose…
3. The Cake
After the cake got into the oven I took it out to cool. The top collapsed. Also how does anyone get three layers out of these tiny cakes?!
4. The Marzipan
Oh gosh… I had pretty slivered almonds but not enough so I ended up using regular almonds. I hated the taste of this and the color was all wrong.
5. Assembly & Decor
I think this is the first time I’ve ever realized I didn’t have anything to present. Mistake after mistake after mistake. I can cope with a little ugly, but as I started the bottom layer, I realized my custard wasn’t set. It didn’t trap the jam and everything flooded out.
Final Thoughts
This was more like a Nailed It challenge than a GBBO challenge… The cake was a disaster. The marzipan was the wronng color and tasted like dirt. The cake fell apart and tasted funny. I was so proud of my rose until I saw Mary Berry’s delicate thin fondant rose. The custard didn’t set, but it tasted okay with the jam. We threw this in the trash and I stabbed the marzipan with a butter knife.
It’s a good thing I wasn’t making this for any princesses..
This week has been a week of “procrasti-baking”. I’m applying to medical school and I’ve been avoiding the essays like the plague. I’ve been getting my house in order – cleaning, organizing, and cooking. Mess and clutter adds to my stress, but I know it’s also a bit of a way to ignore my other work.
Recipes/Experiments
Mermaid Mimosa: My first sort-of cocktail. I really need to get a cocktail making kit so I know how much I’m actually putting in. Very blue, not bad tasting.
Pepper Lunch: A trend from TikTok. It seems to be a popular take-out lunch from a restaurant (possibly in Japan?) Needed more pepper.
Foodie Fails
I watched a TikTok video where someone took a mostly empty jar of Nutella, filled it with heavy cream, shook it, and froze it to make Nutella ice cream. Did not work for me. Maybe I should have melted the Nutella?
Around the World
Ramen “Bokumbap”: Bokumbap is fried rice. This recipe added Shin ramen (a Korean brand). Super tasty and easy to make!
Korean Corn Cheese: a cheesy corn dip that’s a popular bar food in Korea. I even got to use my new countertop oven.
Foodie Media
Currently watching: MasterChef (I’m on Season 11)
Currently Reading: Brew
I’m into the recipe part of this book. Hoping to try out some techniques and recipes soon.
Restaurants Tried
The Lola: Sunday brunch had a line out the door! Love their birthday celebration (Hint: it involves fireworks)
Chicken & Waffles
Steve’s Espresso: an eclectic coffee shop full of artsy types. They seem to be purists about certain coffees. I enjoyed iced French press coffee.
I filled another notebook. There are two others floating around my house, but I thought I’d share the best and worst of the recipes scribbled among the to-do lists and wedding plans. Some of these may have been shared in m
Please note some recipes aren’t online so I can only share where I found them!
Recipes to Highlight:
Cardamom Orange Sugar Cookies: I made these for a Christmas cookie box and they nearly rivaled my famous ginger molasses cookies.
Aquafaba Meringues from NYT Cooking: You would never guess these are vegan.
Two Vinegar Chicken from NYT Cooking: Served over polenta, this vinegary chicken has a bold, acidic flavor.
BBQ Chicken Legs: These chicken drums were super easy to cook in a slow cooker with a sweet and tangy bourbon barbeque sauce.
Tomato Soup Cake: I know it sounds weird but it doesn’t taste like tomato at all. I found this because of a TikTok and it did not disappoint.
Spicy Asparagus: This amazing Korean woman shares recipes from her Korean home-cooking. Her whole channel is amazing.
Costco Copycat Muffins: These use a package of jello pudding and boxed cake mix to make super moist and rich muffins (honestly they’re really like small cakes). They almost didn’t make it to the potluck.
Foodie Fails:
Churro Lava Cakes: Not sure if this was an issue with the recipe or just a simple failure of execution. I made four of these cakes for the Great British Bake Through. There was definitely no lava in these lava cakes.
Mint Julep Part One: Another Great British Bake Through challenge, only this time I failed this one and chose a different recipe. The crust was smooshy and awful and the filling never set. Never make this pie.
Pane di Pasqua: Though it made a pretty Easter centerpiece, I don’t think I kneaded it enough, which made the dough thick. Despite baking it longer than suggested it was still raw inside.
There is another notebook in my kitchen right now mixed with all sorts of things. Let’s see how long it takes before I fill it.
I haven’t been as active in the kitchen lately. Between work and my school applications I’ve been unmotivated. The physician I work for will be gone for most of the month of July. I’m hoping that will help restore my routine. It’s time to start meal prepping again.
Recipes/Experiments
Sweet & Salty Rice Krispies: Rice krispies with crumbled potato chips. Next time I think I need a sturdier chip.
Copycat Costco Muffins: Tweaking a box of cake mix and adding jello was supposed to make muffins similar to the ones from Costco. They weren’t really like Costco’s but they were super moist and delicious.
Foodie Fails
The cold brew I tried to make using milk instead of water actually turned to be okay when I poured it into black cofffee. I’m excited to see what my coffee book can teach me about making better cold brew at home
Slutty Brownies:These 6 layer slutty brownies from TikTok were supposed to be made with cookie butter but I used peanut butter instead. Apparently peanut butter has a boiling point? They boiled over and made a mess. The brownies were edible and people like them. Maybe next time I’ll switch the PB and nutella layers.
Around the World
Beef & Broccoli: I made my first recipe from Jet Tila’s cookbook “101 Asian Dishes to Make Before You Die”. With all these trips to the Asian markets have stocked my pantry with everything I need.
Foodie Media
Currently watching: MasterChef (I’m on Season 7)
Currently Reading: Brew
I’m almost done reading this! Currently debating on whether I should buy some different coffee makers like a Moka pot and Chemex.
Restaurants Tried
Kick Ass Coffee of Hawaii – I finally tried one of their signature lattes.
We are officially halfway! Week 6 is themed after European cakes, which puts me at a bit of a disadvantage as an American. I’m not familiar with yeast-leavened cakes from Europe. Fortunately examples were provided in the episode, which made research a little easier. The cakes should at least be inspired by a traditional European cake and must be leavened with yeast. Working with yeast doesn’t bother me, but I’m not sure how these should taste. This feels more like a technical challenge than a signature.
The Plan
I had to do some research to figure out what types of European cakes were leavened with yeast. It was between an Austrian kugelhopf and a baba au rhum. A rum baba/baba au rhum is soaked in syrup made with rum. Ultimately I decided on a baba au rhum, as it is traditionally set on fire! I thought it would be fun to try flambee for a little pizzazz. I used Melissa Clark’s recipe from NY Times Cooking. I especially liked that she switched traditional raisins for chocolate.
The Bake
The Dough
It is so strange to me to start a cake with yeast. It goes against my muscle memory. I got the yeast to foam nicely. After adding in the other ingredients, I ended up with a wet dough.
2. The Rise
A yeasted dough means proofing. The half of the dough went into a bundt pan, followed by the chocolate, then the rest of the dough. I usually proof in my oven, where I can be sure it won’t be disturbed.
3. The Bake
I greased the pan like crazy. If the pan got caught anywhere I was afraid it wouldn’t rise. I also didn’t want trouble pulling it out of the pan. Messy exterior means messy presentation.
I baked it until I could see a nice rise and a golden brown bottom. It looked and smelled like bread!
4. The Syrup
I boiled cinnamon sticks with orange, dark rum, sugar, etc. The instructions said to pour the rum syrup over the cake several times until there was a little syrup left. This involved pouring it over the cake on a cake rack over a sheet pan. Then I had to move the cake, pour the syrup back into a bowl, and repeat. I kept going, probably pouring over about 6 times. I was worried the cake would get soggy.
I chickened out on the fire. Sorry!
Final Result
The best aspect of this cake was the rise. I don’t think it was too densely textured. Unfortunately like the tiramisu, I failed the soak the cake enough. However, where the rum was I could definitely taste a difference in the cake. That syrup was sweet and delicious. Also, the tunnel of chocolate sort of failed. It was thin and lopsided, so I could barely taste any chocolate.
In regard to presentation it was a little plain. I’m not quite sure how to dress up this cake. It doesn’t seem like it would be tasty with frosting. Maybe a little chocolate work would have dressed it up and brought out the rest of the chocolate.
What do you think? Would I get to stay another week? Let me know in the comments!
Foodie Learns to Cook 