St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

Some days you just want to eat something that is absolutely terrible for you, and savor every bite. This is a cake for those types of occasions and my-oh-my is it worth every buttery calorie! When I saw this cake over at Smitten Kitchen, I knew it was completely necessary to make, despite the fact that I'm supposed to be on a diet. It just called to me, "Raaachaaaeel, maaaake meee!" I'm sorry, I had to listen.

I love everything about this sinful delight: the crackly top, the melt-in-your-mouth center, and the way I can gobble up three pieces without thinking twice about it. Okay, maybe I don't totally love that last part since this cake is not exactly healthy, buuut... *shrug* you gotta do what you gotta do, am I right?
I baked this up for a brunch yesterday morning with my extended family and everyone absolutely loved it!

If you need some comfort in the form of gooey goodness, or your looking for something to wow your friends, this cake is for you.

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

recipe from The New York Times

16-20 servings

ingredients:

for the cake:

• 3 tbsp milk, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp warm water
• 1 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

for the topping:

• 3 tbsp + 1 tsp light corn syrup
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup + 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. In a small bowl, combine the milk and water. Add the yeast and whisk gently until dissolved; the mixture should foam slightly.
2. In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter (for the cake), sugar, and salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the egg. Next, alternately add in the flour and milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour, and scraping down the bowl between each addition. Beat on medium speed until the dough forms a smooth mass and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Press the dough into an ungreased 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish that is at least 2 inches deep. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and put in a warm place to rise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Prepare the topping: in a small bowl mix together the corn syrup, water, and vanilla extract.
6. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the egg; beat until combined. Alternately add in the flour and corn syrup mixture, beginning and ending with the flour and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
7. Spoon the topping in large dollops over the risen cake and, using a spatula, gently spread it in an even layer.
8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The cake will rise and fall in waves and have a golden brown top, but still liquid in the center when done. Allow to cool in pan before sprinkling with confectioners' sugar and slicing.

This is NOT a low-cal dessert (But let's be honest, if you are craving something like this cake, then you don't care about the calories; here they are anyway)! 20 servings at about 240 calories each OR 16 servings at around 300 calories each.

Milk Chocolate, Coconut, and Banana Chip Mini Muffins

I whipped these miniature muffins up the night before I took off to Florida so that I would have some goodies to bring my family. I was in the mood for something tropical and saw a can of coconut milk in the pantry, perfect! I didn't have a particular recipe in mind, so I just stuck to the Ratio of 2 parts flour: 2 parts fat: 2 parts liquid: 1 part sugar and came up with these exotic treats. In keeping with the tropical theme, I replaced regular sugar with palm sugar. It's flavor complements coconut in a wonderful way. As for the mix-ins, I knew shredded coconut would obviously be a component, and then I saw banana chips and thought they would add a nice crunch while still sticking to the theme. I'm usually not much of a milk chocolate person, personally preferring super dark chocolate above all else, but I thought that a mellow milk chocolate would fit in nicely with the other ingredients. I topped them with a simple coconut glaze and garnishes of coconut and banana chips.

I think they turned out really delicious and were exactly what I was going for- not super sweet with a tropical flare. Plus, I was pretty proud of myself for just pulling this recipe out of thin air! They ended up being a great way to kick off Spring Break, and received a whole lot of "Mmm's" from family and friends!
By the way, this recipe really doesn't make a lot so you may want to double the recipe (especially if you are making regular-sized muffins).

Milk Chocolate, Coconut, and Banana Chip Mini Muffins

my batter made 17 mini muffins

ingredients:

• 4 ounces whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 4 ounces (4 tbsp or 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 ounces palm sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 tsp coconut extract
• 4 ounces (1/2 cup) lite coconut milk
• 1/4 cup broken banana chips
• 1 1/2 ounces (1/2 a regular bar) milk chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a mini muffin tin, set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the palm sugar and butter for about 3 minutes. Add in the egg and extract and beat until combined (remember to scrape down the sides!).
4. Alternately add the flour mixture and coconut milk to the butter/sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
5. Stir in the banana chips, coconut, and chocolate.
6. Scoop into prepared muffin tins and bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean!
7. Cool in the tray for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool further.
8. *The glaze is optional. I just mixed up a tablespoon or two of the coconut milk with some confectioners' sugar until I got the consistency that I wanted. Then I just topped half of the muffins with a banana chip, and the other half with some unsweetened flaked coconut.

Whole Grain Linguine with Kale, Dried Cranberries, and Pistachio Sauce

This is another recipe that I have had on the back-burner for quite a while, and finally just got around to it. Unfortunately, the original recipe called for pomegranate arils which are now out of season, so I decided to make some alterations! I substituted dried cranberries for the pomegranate; they worked beautifully!

The dish turned out phenomenal! Pistachios are one of my favorite nuts, and I think they really shine in this pasta. The cranberries impart just enough sweetness to counteract the hearty kale.

Try this pasta. Not only is it super easy, but the flavors and textures mingle in your mouth in a glorious fusion of sweet, hearty, salty, and  crunchy (plus it's pretty darn healthy). I don't think you'll be disappointed :).

Whole Grain Linguine with Kale, Dried Cranberries, and Pistachio Sauce

recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks

serves 4

ingredients:

• 8 ounces whole grain linguine
• 2/3 cup pistachios, toasted
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch of lacinato kale, washed, de-stemmed, and chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. While the water is heating, make the pistachio sauce by pureeing half of the pistachios, garlic, salt, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Set aside.
3. When the water is boiling, cook the pasta per the package instructions. At the last second, add in the kale and then drain right away and rinse under cold water. Spin in a salad spinner to fully dry the pasta/kale.
4. Toss the pasta and kale with the pistachio sauce and 1/2 of the dried cranberries. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Top with the remaining dried cranberries and pistachios and serve!

4 servings at about 495 calories each 

Red Wine Sangria a la Bobby Flay

Yesterday was an absolutely gorgeous day in Seattle; today- not so much :(. Sorry that it's been so long since my last post, but school has been absolutely crazy these past few weeks as the quarter ends. The good news is that I'm almost done! I finished my last paper last night, and the last thing I have is a final tomorrow morning; then Mikey and I are off to Florida to visit friends and family :D!
I'm not someone who really drinks much at all, but I do enjoy the occasional cocktail and the such. I recently had some less-than-stellar sangria at a tex-mex restaurant and was rather disappointed. I had wanted something loaded with fruit, and instead received a small ($6!) glass of the stuff with one small orange slice, and a tiny lime wedge.
The sad excuse for sangria left me unsatisfied and I knew I had to take matters into my own hands, so I decided to attempt to make some of my own.
I generally don't much care for Bobby Flay, but there are a few things I trust him completely on: grilling, sauces, and cocktails. Plus, I had heard good things about his Sangria recipe so I thought it'd be a good one to try-out.
This sangria turned out phenomenal! It was super fruity (what I had been craving!), but not too sweet. Don't even think about skipping the 24 hours in the fridge or you'll be very sorry. The flavors need time to mellow and meld. This was a perfect treat for someone who has been longing for summer, and of course this would make a great cocktail at a outdoor Barbecue or Grill-out. YES, all you crazy northerners, there is a difference. You have to actually be eating/making something that is Barbecued to call it a Barbecue, ha ha.

Fruity Red Wine Sangria

recipe from here
makes about 4ish servings


A word to the wise, I used a TON of fruit in mine (because I like it that way). You may want to cut what I put in mine in half if you aren't into an equal ratio of liquid to fruit, ha ha.

ingredients:

• 1 bottle red Spanish table wine
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup triple sec
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• 1/4 cup simple syrup, or more if you'd like (this is simply equal parts of sugar and water that has been heated until the sugar dissolves and then cooled; if you're über lazy, I know they sell it at Trader Joe's)
• orange slices (I used 1 blood orange and 1 Cara Cara orange)
• apple slices (I used 1 Fuji apple)
• blackberries (I used about 6 ounces)

1. Mix all of the ingredients together and put into the fridge in a tightly sealed container for at least 24 hours before serving.

Moroccan Carrot and Goat Cheese Sandwich with Green Olive Tapenade

Spring is in the air! Out here in Seattle it's warming up (or rather trying to), the cherry blossoms are blooming, daffodils are sprouting up everywhere you look, and and in the past couple of weeks I think I've seen the sun more times than not. I'm getting excited!

In honor of the approaching spring, I decided to make a great picnic-y sandwich that is even better when enjoyed out in the warm(ish) rays of the sun.
I've been holding onto the recipe for quite a while; ever since I saw it on Love and Olive Oil I knew it was a sandwich for me. I'm happy to report that I was oh-so-right. This sandwich is certainly unique, with a flavor combo that is out-of-this-world! I love the way the sweet-yet-spicy kick of the carrots blends with the tangy, creamy goat cheese. Then, you get this wonderful saltiness imparted by the olive tapenade that really just brings everything over-the-top!
So, go grab a blanket, spread it on the lawn outside, and whip up a few of these sandwiches to share with a few good friends in the nice weather... or at least open a window or something :).

Moroccan Carrot and Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Green Olive Tapenade

recipe slightly adapted from here

I, of course, cheated and used some pre-made tapenade in my version as many reviewers said to do and I'm quite glad I saved myself the extra work. I am certain there was no flavor-loss (and hey, you have less to screw up, right?). I made up the entire batch of carrots and just kept the extras in a tupperware in the fridge to pull out and eat at my leisure.

ingredients:

• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs carrots, sliced
• green olive tapenade
• soft goat cheese
• pumpernickel bread

1. Whisk together the honey, lemon juice, spices, salt, and olive oil in a large bowl.
2. Cook the carrot slices in a pot of boiling, salted water for approximately 45 seconds, until crisp-tender. Drain well and then immediately toss with the dressing. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, then cover and pop in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours.
3. To assemble the sandwich(es), spread one slice of bread with tapenade, and smear the other slice with some goat cheese. Layer the carrot slices onto the goat cheese and put the two slices together. Enjoy!  Simple. Easy. Delicious.

Each sandwich is about 580 calories when you use 1/8 of the carrot mixture and 1 oz. each of the goat cheese and olive tapenade on two slices of pumpernickel bread.