Classic Banana Bundt Cake by Dorie Greenspan

As I mentioned in the this week's Tuesdays With Dorie post (which I posted earlier today), I had an inkling that I was going to struggle with the creme brulee recipe. In all honesty, I didn't struggle. It just didn't come out the way I had wanted it to. Oh well, it happens! So, over the weekend I experimented with Dorie's Classic Banana Bundt Cake as a back-up to the creme brulee--in case it went haywire. The recipe came from Dorie's cookbook, Baking From My Home to Yours.

I happened to have some extremely ripe bananas to use for the recipe, all of which I mashed up and added to the fluffy batter. There was so much batter, I was afraid it wasn't going to fit into the bundt pan!

It was an early Sunday morning when I made this cake, so invited my family over to share a few slices of the cake with me before going to church. The cake was an instant hit and I have to admit that I had more than one slice. In fact, I've had a slice for breakfast every morning since then--and there's still enough for two more slices! Here's a picture of my grandma enjoying her slice of banana cake!

If you're bonkers for bananas, you definitely need to try this recipe! It is so moist and the sour cream truly accentuates the flavor of the bananas. The recipe can be found on page 190 of Dori's book.

Tuesdays With Dorie: Creme Brulee

Well you guys, it wasn't a total disaster! Looking at these photos you wouldn't know that what happened actually happened. The picture above is what the cremes looked like as I set them out too cool. But let me start at the beginning. Mari of Mevrouw Cupcake picked this week's recipe challenge and let me tell you, I was nervous. It's one of my favorite dessert picks at Italian restaurants, but I never imagined myself making it, especially since it called for using a blow torch. I was able to find a Chef's Torch at Ross for about $13.00. The package came with 4 rammekins too, so it was a steal (although I didn't use the rammekins this time around). I could have used the broiler method to carmelize the sugar, but I wanted the challenge.

The cremes were so easy to prepare. There were only 5 or 6 ingredients and the only substitution I made was the 2% milk for whole milk, which is where I suspect I went wrong. Anyway, I baked the cremes for 60 minutes at 200 degrees and when I removed them from the oven, the centers didn't seem to be completely set. Then again, I didn't know what I was really looking for as far as a "set center", so I cooled them to room temperature (picture below) and then put them in the refrigerator overnight thinking they'd firm a little bit into the texture I'm so familiar with.

And I thought they had. Until I did the carmelizing today. The Chef's Torch was actually real easy to use despite my fears. It was really fun too. So I heated the sugar until I got some really nice color on the cremes. And then I got my spoon out and tapped through the crunchy sugar crust.......

And creme soup everywhere! I wasn't too disappointed though. The creme tasted delicious. Now I have 5 more servings that I don't want to serve to anyone. Oh well, more for me! I'll be able to get more practice with the torch! So, if you're reading this and have any ideas for how I can do this next time (which I will), feel free to comment and clue me in! And thanks, Mari, for helping me to get over my creme brulee-making fears! If you want the recipe, then hop on over to her beautifully colored blog!

Funny, it's almost as if I was prepared to fumble this week's challenge. Over the weekend, I had some extremely ripe bananas that I had to get rid of. So I pulled out Dorie's cookbook and pulled out a recipe for a banana cake. I'll be posting it later on, so stay tuned!

Barefoot Bloggers: Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

Chelle of Brown Eyed Baker chose this week's recipe--Ina's Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup! This is my first Barefoot Blogger assignment and I was especially excited. I really do love mushrooms, so it was perfect. I actually made the soup over the weekend and was surprised to find that everyone enjoyed it. I was only able to reserve about two cups or so as leftovers, which a friend and I indulged in earlier this week. Yummy!

The recipe called for a couple types of mushrooms, but I wasn't able to get my hands on either porcini or cremini mushrooms. So I just bought the typical packaged mushrooms you can find at any grocery store and they worked just as well. After all, the fact that I still had the shiitake and portobello mushrooms still made it wild, right? Here's a picture of all the mushrooms I had:

I've seen leeks before but hadn't used them in a recipe until now. Like an idiot, I got ahead of myself while reading the recipe and mistakenly mixed the leeks into the broth.

Lucky for me, I still had enough leeks left to saute the mushroom caps with later on. And it actually wasn't too bad a mistake after all. I think I enhanced the flavor of the broth in the process!

While this was cooking, I took a small taste of the mixture and it was delicious! Maybe it was the good Riesling white wine I used (I accumulated a good collection of wines at our housewarming party). I actually saved all the vegetables from the broth and ate them later on as well. It was wonderful!

As I mentioned earlier, I served this at a dinner party I had last weekend and it was a hit. The only picture I got of a family member was of my brother, Jon. He liked the soup too, although the first thing he said after his first spoonful was, "hey, where's the meat in here?" So typical. It was actually kind of cool that evening too, so it was nice addition to the dinner table. If you're interested in trying it, you should! Here's the recipe (taken from the Food Network website):

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms

5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms

5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 carrot, chopped

1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup half-and-half 1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Serves 5 to 6.

Tuesdays With Dorie: Dimply Plum Cake (for real this time)

I'm technically not late...when I removed the cake from the oven, it was 11:50 p.m. In any case, most of you saw my previous Dimply Plum Cake post where I featured the Peach/Basil version of this week's recipe challenge. I didn't want anyone to think I was copping out on the original recipe. I just had a huge test to prepare for. I took the test today and it totally knocked the wind out of me that I almost have no business baking a cake this late. What happens when it's late and you're tired? Yeah, silly things. Like accidentally dropping half an egg shell into the batter. Sure did. I did my best to get it all out, but if someone happens to feel a little crunch (or two, or three...) well.....my bad! I just didn't want all those ingredients to go to waste, you know? Looking at this picture, you wouldn't know anything had been dropped into the batter.

Anyway, I also had to bake the cake tonight because the plums I bought over the weekend were about to go bad. Now I've never used cardamom in any recipe before, but it smelled so good! When I took the cake out of the oven, the scent of the cardamom permeated the kitchen and my mouth was watering! This is what it looked like when I set it out to cool. You'll notice that I still didn't need as much fruit as the recipe recommended and the plums give the cake a nicer color.

I don't exactly know what happened during the transfer process. By the time the cake reached the plate, it had cracked around the edges, but you would never notice. I took the effort to make sure no one would notice by taking a semi-aerial photo of the cake. How did I do?

After slicing a small portion of the cake for myself, I decided that plum beats peaches, hands down.

The plums are tart, but subtly so. I think the cardamom does a great job of evening that out. The breaded part of this cake was so much more moist than the peach version too. Maybe that's just a baker error! So this wraps up yet another TWD week. Again, this recipe is featured on Michelle's blog--Bake-en! Enjoy!

Tuesdays With Dorie: Dimply Plum Cake

This week's TWD recipe challenge was chosen by Michelle of Bake-en. Her blog features this one-of-a-kind recipe that you'll find family members and friends begging you for more! I actually did the peach/lemon zest/basil variation on the original recipe (as recommended by Dorie Greenspan herself!) only because I got stuck with about 2 dozen peaches that my mom brought over from a friend's house. Since they were so ripe, I had to get rid of them...and fast!

This cake was so easy to make and had a unique flavor. The combination of lemon zest, basil and peaches made me nervous, but it ended up being more delicious than I thought--not to mention, the cake was just about the cutest thing I've seen! This is what the cake looked like before I slipped it into the oven. Even then, it looked really good!

Because the peaches I used were fairly large, I only had to use 4 and a 1/2 of them. This is what it looked like after I removed it from the oven and cooled it completely. I was ready to eat it right then and there, but remembered that I had to wait on company to arrive. Good thing I'm a caring and considerate person :)

The picture at the start of this post shows some plums that I fully intend to make the original recipe with. I intended to bake it tonight, but I got home from class a lot later than anticipated and am too tired to do it. What's worse is that I should be studying for a finance exam, but whatever, I'd take food blogging over that any day! I'll post the pictures of the actual plum cake soon though!

At any rate, the guests (particularly my mom) loved the cake and I've received requests (also from mom) to make more. Ask and she will receive!

So if you're interested in making this beauty of a cake, take a sneek peek at Michelle's blog. You won't regret it! Next week's recipe? Creme Brulee! I'm so nervous about it. I've never done it before, but that's the whole purpose of joining this group--to expand my baking horizons. Now I have to get my hands on a mini blow torch. Hmmmmm......Michelle + chef's torch can't possibly amount to anything good. Wish me luck!

Getting "Pampered" with Antonette Mendoza...the Remix!

If you keep up with my personal/family blog, you will have read that I had a pretty busy weekend. Part of the reason why is because I hosted a Pampered Chef party on Antonette's behalf. Just so you know, I am a huge fan of Pampered Chef. I've had the privilege of knowing a good handful of consultants, most of whom were either close friends or spouses of a few officers I've met in my military career. So I have a considerable collection of Pampered Chef items, all of which I consider to be my most valuable kitchen items, aside from Rosie the Kitchenaid Mixer, of course!

A whole gang of us ladies congregated at my house to concoct some of the most tasty Pampered Chef recipes. Charisse--Antonette's sister--invited her friend and neighbor, Stephanie, to join in the fun. She claims that she hardly ever cooks, but you wouldn't have been able to tell the way she whipped up the delicious bruschetta! Here she is with Antonette:


Pampered Chef is very creative with recipes and they're so easy to make. If you love hamburgers or cheeseburgers, then you'll love the salad that Antonette put together here. I've provided the recipe below and not only did it make enough to feed an entire battalion, it was so delicious! It's also the perfect substitute to grilling actual hamburgers....seriously!

Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad

(adapted from the Pampered Chef Season's Best Recipe Collection: Spring/Summer 2008)

4 sesame seed hamburger bun tops

1 small red onion, divided

2 plum tomatoes

3/4 lb. 95% lean ground beef

1/2 cup finely diced dill pickles

3/4 cup ketchup

1 tbsp yellow mustard

8 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice bun tops into 1/4 inch strips. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove to cooling rack and cool completely.
2. Slice half the onion crosswise into thin rings. Remove and discard stems from tomatoes; cut tomatoes into quarters lengthwise and slide crosswise. Set onions and tomatoes aside.
3. Cook ground beef over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes until no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles. Chop remaining onion. Finely dice pickles. In bowl, combine chopped onion, pickles, ketchup and mustard. Add cooked ground beef and mix well.
4. To serve, arrange lettuce on large serving platter. Spoon beef mixture over lettuce. Top with cheese, tomatoes, and sliced onion. Arrange hamburger bun croutons around edge of platter. Serve immediately.

Yields 6 servings

Surprisingly enough, you didn't really need salad dressing for this, because the ketchup, mustard, and pickle mixture gives it the right amount of flavor. However, afterwards I thought it would have been perfect to serve it with Thousand Island Dressing. Maybe then it can be called Deluxe Big Mac Salad!

Charisse experimented with a salmon cake recipe. Those delectable salmon cakes were arranged on the platter that you see below. It's another simple Pampered Chef recipe that will seriously make your mouth water. And the sauce that accompanied it--to die for! I've also provided the recipe below:

Salmon Cakes with Cool Lime Sauce

(adapted from The Pampered Chef: It's Good For You Cookbook)

Sauce:

1 lime

1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

Salmon Cakes:

2 cans (each 6 oz.) skinless, boneless pink salmon packed in water, drained and flaked

1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions with tops

1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro

3/4 cup unseasoned dry break crumbs, divided

1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise

1 egg white

1. For sauce, zest lime to measure 2 teaspoons zest. Juice lime to measure 2 teaspoons juice. In small bowl, combine lime zest, juice, mayonnaise and sour cream; mix well. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. For salmon cakes, drain salmon. Place in small colander and flake (a fork will do this quite well). Finely chop bell pepper and thinly slice green onions. Add bell pepper, green onions, snipped cilantro, 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, mayonnaise, and egg white to salmon. Mix well.
3. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of bread crumbs onto bottom of a shallow dish or plate. Scoop salmon mixture over bread crumbs and flatten with back of scoop to 1/2 inch thickness. Turn to coat evenly with bread crumbs.
4. Heat 12-in skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook salmon cakes 6-8 minutes or until golden brown, carefully turning once. Serve with sauce.

Yields 8 Servings.

And there you have it! Two easy recipes to Wow! your friends with. That same day, I did my cooking/baking homework assignments for the week, which I'll show in a new post after this. My Tuesdays With Dorie assignment was a Dimply Plum Cake and my Barefoot Bloggers assignment was a Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup, so stay tuned!

Tuesdays With Dorie: Chocolate Chunkers

And were they ever so chunky! This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe challenge was so nicely chosen by Claudia of Fool for Food. If you take a peek at her blog, you'll be able to find the recipe for these delicious cookies. This is my third week with TWD and all three weeks have been cookie recipes. These cookies are, by far, my favorite cookie to date! And why? Because I am a total chocoholic and this cookie had so much chocolate in it! Yummy!

Charisse (above on right), as you probably met in earlier posts, wanted to take some cookies to her co-workers this week, which was perfect! I didn't want to get stuck eating tons of cookies during the week. After all, I've been doing that for the past two weeks! After eating a few of them, however, I kinda wish I hadn't sent about two dozen of the cookies with her. Because today, I was craving them and I didn't have any. Even my mom complained that we hadn't baked her enough. Now there's a learned lesson....keep more for us and less for others! Nah, just kidding. We'll just have to bake more now, won't we?

Anyway, the recipe called for four kinds of chocolate, which you see below. For the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate we used the Ghiradelli brand and used baking squares for the white chocolate and Nestle's Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips.

The cookies are called Chocolate Chunkers for a reason! In addition to all those chocolate chunks, we had to add raisins and toasted pecans! So the batter ended up being sooooooooo, well, chunky, and looked like this. It definitely made for an easy transfer to the baking sheets though. At least we thought so!

And after a few minutes, we had the most delicious chocolate cookies I've ever had in my life! Now I'm not a huge fan of raisins, but it made such a nice accompaniment to the chocolate and pecans. Even more so, I didn't think that all that chocolate made the cookie so overwhelmingly chocolatey. Does that even make sense? They were just so perfect, gooey, and soft--and went so nicely with my glass of milk.

Since I'm busy with classes during the week, we usually do the TWD baking on Sundays after church. So today, Charisse sent me a text message saying the cookies were a huge hit at her office. My mom even asked if I could make them this weekend. I have to admit--I might be making them tomorrow! They're just that great. So, Claudia, thanks for choosing this cookie recipe, although I probably won't be thanking you weeks from now after I've gained ten pounds making and eating them over and over again!

I'm very much looking forward to next week. I think I'm ready to move on from cookies and on to something else. Next week's Dimply Plum Cake looks like just the recipe I need to take on! So bring it!