Deconstructed S'Mores

Hey y'all! I'm in Oklahoma City right now, so I can say that. :-)

It's been pretty quiet around these parts for a while now, but all that is changing in the next few months. My perfectionist-nature has held me back from writing so many blog posts on my favorite recipes these last 6 months. Now that I'm in my last year of medical school, I have a lot more time to blog and do other things I love but have put on the back burner for too long. Move over Ms. If-it's-not-perfect-and-shot-with-my-Nikon-it's-not-going-on-the-blog!! Let's start with my newest creation that I'd love to share with you all: Deconstructed S'mores! I had some OKC friends over for dinner and made one of their favorites. For dessert, I thought I'd pull out something new from my (nonexistent) chef's toque. For those who know me, I LOVE marshmallows! My favorites are toasted burnt marshmallows made over an open fire AND homemade marshmallows (this will be a post for the holidays). I love all things marshmallow, even those Pinwheels that no one seems to buy...

So I made this recipe mainly because I wanted an excuse to eat toasted marshmallows for dessert. I let it get fancy schmancy since it was for company. For the base and the component that brings out the campfire taste, I made the famous chocolatier, Michael Recchiuti's, burnt sugar pot de cremes. I might experiment by adding a little whiskey or even a drop or two of this premium liquid smoke. But honestly, that complex caramel flavor was everything, and I'm afraid of messing it up. Even though this recipe looks super complicated, if you follow the directions-- it's very doable! Now go forth and brûlée, my friends!!

KiwiConfections Deconstructed S'Mores

Makes 7-8 Servings

6 large egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup whole milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

3-4 Graham Crackers

1 package Large Marshmallow

To Make Burnt Sugar Pot de Crèmes

1. Separate egg yolks out while eggs are cold. Cover your bowl of egg yolks and allow to come to room temperature.
2. Heat the oven to 300°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
3. Decide on a pan that you want to use as your bain marie. In a kettle, boil enough water to fill your bain marie pan with a ½ inch of water.*
4. Combine the cream and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; remove from the heat and keep warm. Whisk it while it’s warming up to prevent a film or skin forming on the milk mixture.
5. Combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons of measured water in a medium heavy-bottomed medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has completely dissolved. Continue to cook without stirring, until the mixture turns a dark amber color. Immediately remove from the heat!
6. While whisking, carefully add about 1/2 cup of the warm cream mixture to the caramel (it will bubble up and sputter so be sure to only add a small amount at a time), making sure to whisk the bottom of the pan, until the bubbles subside. Continue to slowly add the cream mixture 1/2 cup at a time while slowly whisking to incorporate it, until all of the mixture has been added; set aside.
7. Whisk the yolks in a small heatproof bowl until blended. While whisking constantly, slowly pour about ½ Cup of the cream mixture into the yolks until combined. Continue to add/whisk ½ Cup of the caramel/milk mixture into the eggs.
8. Pour and evenly divide the custard among the ramekins filling them three-quarters full.
9. Cover each ramekin with aluminum foil. Place each of ramekins into the pan you’ve designated as your bain marie.
10. Being careful not to get any water inside the ramekins, add enough of the boiled water to the bain marie so that the water level reaches ½ inch up the sides of ramekins.*
11. Carefully transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the tops of the custards are darkened in color and almost set, about 30 minutes.* (The entire custard will still jiggle, but it will set as it cools.)
12. Using tongs and being careful not to get any water inside the ramekins, remove each custard from the bain marie to let cool to room temperature.
13. Serve or leave covered with foil and refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, let the custards sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

*I used oval ramekins, which are wide and shallow compared to the classic ramekin which is circular and deep. If you use the circular, deeper ramekins, you’ll need the water level to reach 1 inch up the sides of ramekin. Also, it took about 30-45 minutes for my oval ramekin custards to finish cooking, but the deeper ramekins will mean your custards will take longer to cook (closer to 1 hour).

How to Create Chocolate Pretties

To Assemble Deconstructed S'Mores

1. Crumble up graham crackers
2. Sprinkle crumbled graham crackers on a burnt sugar pot de crème
3. Place 2 marshmallows on top of the crumbled graham crackers
4. Use a culinary torch to brûlée the marshmallows to your preferred level of toastiness
5. Place a chocolate pretty on top!

Burnt Sugar Pot de Crème Recipe Adapted from Michael Recchiuti

Red Velvet Cake Appreciation Day

Dear reader,

I wish you the happiest Red Velvet Cake Appreciation Day, which as we all know is February 14th. I hope you take the time to make and share this tricked out confection with all those you like, like-like, and even love. Definitely, don't share the scrumptiousness with frenemies-- since we all know that fruit cake is the official cake for those people. You can learn more about the history of red velvet cake here because it's way too extensive for me to summarize. The short version is that the combination of tangy, sweet, and delicately cocoa-y has enchanted Americans for several decades and continues to do so today. I have only taken the time to make this cake for my dearest friends and family. It may be a little work, and you will end up with red dye somewhere you didn't want it, but the final product is unrivaled. I've scoured the internet and made several different recipes, but this one is, without question, the best! There was even a scientific trial performed to demonstrate the recipe's superiority.

Red Velvet Cake

Makes 36 Cupcakes

3 1/2 cups cake flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa + 1 Tablespoon (not Dutch process)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups canola oil

2 1/4 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon red gel food coloring dissolved in 6 tablespoons of water

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cup buttermilk*

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 Cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
   
2. Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.
   
3. Place oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. Turn mixer off and slowly add red food coloring and vanilla.
   
4. Turn mixer on low and allow to mix for 30 seconds.
   
5. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.
   
6. Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.
   
7. Fill cupcake liners up 2/3 of the way full.
   
8. Bake for 20 minutes

*Instead of buying buttermilk, you can also use regular milk with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice stirred in. This will cause the milk to curdle, but don’t worry. Allow this mixture to sit a couple of minutes before using it.

Fluffy Cream Cheese Icing

Makes Enough to Frost 36 Cupcakes

8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temp

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened at room temp

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

4 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar, sifted

1. Place cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat and high speed until fluffy.
2. Beat in vanilla and salt
3. Add the Confectioner’s Sugar in slowly in batches
4. Beat until fluffy
   

Red Velvet Cake Recipe Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

If Cavemen Ate Pies, They'd Eat This One

I've missed this place. Since my last dreamy post consisting of chicken pot pie and cooking nights with friends, things have been a LOT less warm and fuzzy. The last several months consisted of 17 hour study days for board exams, 3:30am wakeups for clinical rotations, and the eating and exercise habits of someone who does not write a food blog. Don't get me wrong-- the first and second years of medical school were my toughest years to date, but now we're a bit more exposed to the real world. By real world, I mean waking up before the sun does and getting home without a shred of energy left in you let alone the motivation to study and cook a gourmet something-or-other (<-- And that's a good day!) But over the last few weeks, I've come to realize that, for me at least, cooking and working out every morning is part of what makes me me. Without dabbling in the kitchen every week, sharing food, and working out regularly I start to lose my sense of self and that feeling of well-being-- aka I become a bit grouchy. This process of becoming a little less human is exacerbated by wearing scrubs 2 sizes too big for you every day, attending physicians who don't know you but already don't like you, and that pesky issue of sleep  lack of sleep. On my way home one day I realized how completely enveloped we are in non-food food that also makes you feel, well, not your best (and decided to take pictures). 

Full disclosure: My bad eating consisted of cafeteria turkey burgers, cookies, dirty chai lattes, sausage biscuits, frozen meals, and occasionally popcorn or cereal for dinner. So the default for those whose health is most vulnerable and those who (in theory) should be setting an example for how to maintain one's health is...the QuesaritoTM! Okay, okay...maybe that's not fair. There is a salad bar in the cafeteria. But try giving iceberg lettuce to a patient's worried family member or a stressed out surgeon or an even more stressed out resident after an involuntary 8 hour fast-- they will throw said lettuce at you! These experiences have made me even more aware of the very real obstacles between every day people and the healthy, whole lives we want to lead. I know that my future blog posts will be heavily influenced by this because I am-- from what I eat to how I fit in some extra physical activity not just to stay healthy but to keep being me. This recipe is something I made recently to remind myself of how much I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. It is great for those of you who love banana cream pie as much as I do but can't justify the refined carbohydrates and saturated fat. This recipe is gluten free and Paleo! Maybe you can make this for that Caveman Labor Day party you have coming up...

Paleo Banana Pudding Pie

Serves 12

Almond Meal Pie Crust:

2 Cups Almond Flour

¼ Teaspoon Salt

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

1 Egg

1. Preheat your oven to 350°
2. Place the first 2 ingredients in the food processor and pulse to combine
3. Add the oil and egg and pulse until it forms a ball of dough
4. Press the dough into a pie dish or tart pan
5. Bake the crust for 10 minutes
6. Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool completely before filling

 Banana Chia Seed Pudding:

2 Cups Reduced Sugar Vanilla Almond Milk

1 Very ripe banana, chopped up

3 Tablespoons Honey*

3 Medjool Dates, pitted

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

¼ teaspoon Salt

6 Tablespoons Chia Seeds

2 bananas for garnishing

1. Put all the ingredients in the blender except for the chia seeds. Blend until smooth
2. Add the chia seeds and pulse the mixture once or twice to just incorporate the chia seeds
3. Pour mixture into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour
4. Pour the thickened chia pudding into a cooled pie crust and chill the pie in the refrigerator for an additional hour
5. Garnish with sliced bananas right before serving or cover with saran wrap immediately if you are not serving the pie right away

*You can replace the honey with pure maple syrup for increased sweetness or you can increase the amount of honey if you’d like it to be sweeter.

Crust Recipe from http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-pie-crust/

Photo Credits: KiwiConfections

Pick Me Up

No, I don't mean pick ME up... I mean Tiramisu-- Italian for 'pick me up.' Every now and then a friend or classmate or random person will ask me about my thoughts on the latest and greatest fad diet...everything from the new millennium's Atkins diet to the hot-off-the-presses Paleo diet. As a disclaimer, I must first say that my humble opinion holds very little weight compared to the health and happiness you receive from following any of these diets. But...since this is my humble blog, I'll share my humble opinion anyway. Did you know that Italy has been ranked as one of the healthiest countries in the world countless times? In fact, last year Italy was ranked 2nd healthiest country in the world by Bloomberg. Despite this, the birthplace of the ice cream cone has stayed relatively steeped in its unapologetic love affair with delicious food. Real food, mind you. Yes, Italy is famous for its pasta, pizza and gelato...but you often walk to get to these places and since it's impractical to load up on a lot of food on a grocery trip (on account of the little streets, little cars to match, and lack of Costco's), many Italians make several trips to the grocery store in a single week and cook fresh foods for themselves. Italy does not consistently make it into the top 5 list of healthiest countries in the world because its people are at the whim of every fad diet. In fact, it's because Italians don't deprive themselves of things like tiramisu that they don't need the extra "pick me up" from a juice cleanse or a bee pollen shot. I don't think it's a coincidence that Italy is home to both Prada and the Pope because it illustrates nicely the need for some balance in life. Enjoying simple pleasures in life and making healthy choices seem to lead to a longer life..ask Greece, France, Australia, or Italy if you don't believe me.

Kiwi Confections Tiramisu

Serves 15

6 egg yolks

¾ Cup White Sugar

2/3 Cup Milk

1 ¼ Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pound mascarpone cheese

3 ½ Cups strong coffee (at room temperature)

1/3 Cup rum

1 ½ packages (7 ounces) Savoiardi Lady Fingers*

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

1. Brew your coffee and allow it to cool to room temperature.
2. Add egg yolk and sugar to a medium saucepan. Whisk the two together until well blended and cook over medium heat being sure to stir constantly. Allow the mixture to come to a boil for a full minute continuing to whisk. Remove the custard from heat and allow it to cool.
   
3. Transfer the custard to a heat-safe bowl and place saran wrap on the custard to prevent a film from forming. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
   
   
   
4. With the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream with vanilla until soft peaks form.
5. Whisk the mascarpone cheese into the yolk mixture.
6. Combine the coffee and rum together. Dip each lady finger in the coffee mixture until mostly soaked through. You don’t want the lady fingers to be breaking apart.
7. Arrange the soaked ladyfingers in the bottom of a 9x13 inch dish. Spread the mascarpone mixture on top of the ladyfingers and some of the whipped cream on top of that. Repeat these layers once more.
8. Sift cocoa powder on top of the tiramisu. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. 
   

*To make this recipe gluten free, substitute regular lady fingers with two 5.3 oz. packages of Schar gluten free lady fingers. Remember that gluten free lady fingers take a bit longer to soak and also soak up more liquid.

Photo Credits: KiwiConfections

Cake Celebrity

I suppose I've faced my first true test of balancing blogging with medical school...and according to my stats for the last couple of weeks, I think I failed. I may be able to redeem myself though! After all, I think the recipe for Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi's wedding cake or Jennifer Aniston's birthday cake deserves a little a lot of extra credit. I can't claim to have worked undercover at the Sweet Lady Jane Bakery, but I can say that I think I've perfected the recipe for the ketogenic celebrities' favorite carb splurge. Ever since I started making it, the triple berry cake has become the cake my friends and family request most often...so it's sort of a celebrity itself. Yes, this cake is a little labor intensive...but consider it a labor of love because that's what this cake tastes like-- joyful, unadulterated love.

Fluffy Vanilla Bean Cake

Serves 15

5 Large Egg Whites, at room temperature

1 Whole Egg

1 Cup Milk, preferably 2% or whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 Cups cake flour, sifted

1 vanilla bean, split in half and scraped*

2 Cups sugar

1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen and cut into 24 even pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease, flour, and line two 8-inch baking pans.
2. In a medium bowl, stir the egg whites, whole egg, and ¼ of the milk. Stir in the vanilla and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients (including the vanilla bean) together on low speed for 30 seconds.
4. Add the butter one piece at a time, about every 10 seconds. Continue to mix on low until the mixture is a fine crumbly texture. Add the rest of the milk, and mix on low for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg mixture in 3 separate batches, mixing until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. The batter should be homogenous. Fold once or twice to ensure everything at the bottom of the bowl is incorporated.
5. Divide the batter in two, spreading it evenly in the cake pans.
6. Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs when inserted into the center, about 30 minutes. However, check the cake at 20 minutes to be sure you’re not over baking.
7. Let cool on racks for 10 minutes before loosening the sides carefully. Gently turn the cakes out and allow it to cool further.

*place the leftover pods in your sugar container to make vanilla sugar, or steep them in your black tea.

 Vanilla Cake Recipe Adapted from: Sweetapolita

Nush’s Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Serves 20

2 sticks of Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

8 Cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1/3 Cup milk, preferably 2% or whole milk, room temperature

1/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Directions

1. In the bowl of a kitchen aid stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip the butter for 4 minutes at medium high speed. This will make your butter cream and incorporate quite a bit of air. Add salt and vanilla and continue to whip for another minute.
2. Add in the confectioners’ sugar cup by cup. Be sure to start out at a slow speed to prevent your kitchen from looking like a winter wonderland. Slowly increase the speed to medium high and whip until all the powdered sugar is incorporated. Turn the mixer off before you add the next cup of sugar and repeat the process.
3. When the mixture starts to become stiff (this will happen before all the sugar has been added), add in the 1/3 Cup of milk. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and whip the frosting for 1 minute or until the frosting is homogeneous.
4. Continue to add in the rest of the sugar.
5. Lastly, add the heavy whipping cream. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and whip at medium speed for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl  and whip at medium-high speed for another 20 seconds. Be careful not to over whip your frosting after the heavy whipping cream has been added. Over whipping will cause the heavy whipping cream to turn into butter and cause the frosting to be heavier instead of lighter. What you want is to whip the cream into a whipped cream texture that ends up making the most fluffy, divine buttercream frosting that's worthy of naming after yourself...

*By replacing ½ Cup of the powdered sugar with Ghirardelli cocoa powder, you’ve got a delicious cocoa buttercream. You can also add some vanilla bean to take your vanilla buttercream to the next level of fancy.

Nush’s Buttercream Frosting Recipe ©KiwiConfections

Whipped Cream

Serves 15

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream, kept refrigerated until ready to use

1 Tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place a perfectly clean and completely dry metal mixing bowl and the whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes.
2. Attach the frozen metal mixing bowl and whisk attachment to your stand mixer.
3. Take the whipping cream out of the fridge and add it to the metal mixing bowl. Start out whipping at low-medium speed for 30 seconds. Add in the sugar and vanilla.
4. Gradually increase the speed, and whip at a higher speed for another 30 seconds or until soft peaks form. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and whip at high speed for 5-10 seconds—be careful not to over whip thus turning your heavy whipping cream into butter.

To Assemble the Triple Berry Cake

1. Chop up 5 washed strawberries, 10 washed raspberries, and 10 washed blackberries. Lay the berries on a paper towel to absorb excess water.
2. Use a large knife to make sure the top surface of both cake layers are even and flat. (Save those cake scraps for eating with the left over frosting)
3. Place one cake layer on the cake stand.
4. Place half the whipped cream on top of the bottom cake layer. Arrange the berries on top of the whipped cream. Place the last half of the whipped cream on top of the berries.
5. Place the second cake layer on top of the berry/whipped cream layer.
6. Spread the buttercream frosting around the cake. Even out the frosting with a large straight-edged spatula.
7. Color ½ Cup of the buttercream with green food coloring and use a frosting tip to draw vines and leaves on the top and sides of the cake.
8. Slice a few strawberries in half length wise. Wash and dry some additional blackberries and raspberries. Make sure all the berries are completely dry (especially the cut sides).
9. Arrange the berries around the perimeter of the cake (cut side down). Use the green icing to create additional leaves or branches in respect to the berries.
10. Keep the cake refrigerated until about 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Photo Credits: KiwiConfections