Think Pink! Cranberry Orange Cheesecake Bites

Hooray! It's October, and that means it's time, once again, for The Power of Pink Challenge. I am so glad Jen is hosting this event for another year, as I think it's a great (and fun!) way to remind yourself to stop and think about breast cancer. Do you have a loved one that has been affected by this disease? Maybe you have been affected? Are you doing your monthly self-exams?

I've been slacking a bit on creativity in the kitchen, so this was a very welcome exercise in cooking or baking. I desperately wanted something naturally pink (as opposed to using food coloring, etc), but my first thought when it comes to pink is strawberries. Not only did I use those last year, but October really isn't the height of strawberry season. Two aisles over from the pathetic looking strawberries at the grocery store - the answer was obvious: cranberries!

I absolutely love all things cranberry, and was so excited to come up with something new. Once again, I was stuck on cheesecake this year. I couldn't get it out of my head. I decided to go a different route from last year, and the ideas eventually evolved into these super cute mini cheesecake bites.



This cheesecake is not too dense, but rather has a light, almost whipped (heavenly!) texture. They are packed with cranberry and orange flavor, complimented by a rich oreo cookie crust (how can you go wrong with oreos?), and dipped in creamy white chocolate. The combination of flavors is incredible, and I can't wait to make these again!



Think Pink! Cranberry Orange Cheesecake Bites
Adapted from here and Christine Avanti
Yield: 36 bites

For the cranberry puree:
6 ounces fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (from about 1/2 of a large orange)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in heavy large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and the cranberries start to pop. Allow to cool slightly and transfer to a food processor to (carefully!) puree, or use a hand blender to puree in the pot. Stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer to a bowl, covering with plastic wrap, pressed down on the surface to avoid forming a skin on top of the puree. Refrigerate to cool completely, at least 4 hours. Makes about 1 cup of puree.

For the crust:
1.5 cups crushed oreo cookies (from about 15 oreos)
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar

For the cheesecake filling:
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese (regular or 1/3 less fat), at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon orange zest (from about 1/2 of a large orange)
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1/2 cup sour cream
2/3 cup cranberry puree

For dipping:
30 ounces good quality white chocolate bar, chopped fine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan by lining with a sheet of foil matching the width of the pan, and extending out over two opposites sides of the pan. This will be used to lift the cheesecake out of the pan after it has cooled, for easy slicing. Spray foil and exposed inside edges of pan with baking spray.

To prepare the crust - combine all crust ingredients in a small bowl. Dump out into baking pan and press down into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Bake crust for 8-10 minutes, then remove from oven and place on a wire rack until cheesecake filling is ready.

Beat 8 ounces of cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese and sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs and yolk, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the orange zest and juice, then the sour cream just until it's completely blended. Stir in the cranberry puree until the batter is as uniform or marbled as you like.

Pour batter evenly over partially baked crust. Set pan inside a larger one (my 9x13 pan worked great for my 8x8 pan) and add water to the larger pan, about 1 inch deep. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake cheesecake for 35-40 minutes until set and slightly puffy, or until the center no longer jiggles when the pan is gently shaken. Remove the pan from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours. Cover the pan and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. At this point, you can remove the cheesecake, slice into bars as you see fit, and enjoy them that way. Otherwise - you can carry on and enrobe them in white chocolate!

Slice cheesecake into 36 squares. Place on a parchment lined sheet and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. Over a double boiler, carefully melt white chocolate, taking care not to scorch it. Stir constantly and remove from the heat before all the chocolate is melted - continuing to stir will melt the rest.

Remove a few cheesecake squares at a time from the freezer. Have another parchment lined sheet ready. Working quickly, dip each side of the cheesecake square in white chocolate. I found that with frozen squares, I could hold it with my index finger on top and thumb on the bottom, and rotate all 4 sides through the white chocolate. The coating would harden in just a few seconds, then I could dip the top, and finally the bottom of the squares by holding the sides. The square could then be placed on the parchment lined sheet to finish hardening. If you want to adorn the tops of the squares with something like sanding sugar, have it ready and be prepared to work quickly if you want it to stick! Repeat with remaining squares, rewarming the white chocolate as necessary.

Store cheesecake bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a up to a week, or well wrapped in the freezer for up to a month.

Think Pink Cheesecake

I am blessed to have two very special women in my life - two very special breast cancer surviving women - my grandmother and a very close friend.  For that reason, October has always been a very special month, as it is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Last year, I sent them some fabulous Kick Cancer's Bum cookies, which I had a blast making and (I hope) they had a blast eating!

This year I wanted to participate in Jen's The Power of Pink Challenge.  Katie had yet another great idea of making mini cheesecakes with a ribbon swirl made of berry puree.  I originally found a recipe for mini cheesecakes (which helped me with timing and temperature), but later realized that I should probably consult my copy of Baking Illustrated, which as been collecting dust on my bookshelf.  I made some adjustments to the first recipe based on the information in Baking Illustrated. The resulting cheesecake is light, with an almost whipped texture, and absolutely delicious.  The hint of strawberry from the incorporated puree is wonderful.

 

Think Pink Cheesecake
Adapted from: Fresh from the Oven / Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes for New York-Style Cheesecake (Juniors) / Baking Illustrated

Yield: 13 mini cheesecakes

For the crust:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  
• 3 tablespoon sugar

For the cheesecake:

• 6 ounces fresh or frozen strawberries
• two 8-ounce packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese (use either full fat or 1/3 less fat Neufchtel), at room temperature
• 2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
  
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  

1. Place the strawberries and 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl and allow berries to macerate for 1-2 hours, then add to a small food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Strain puree to remove seeds.
2. Preheat over to 350 degrees F.  Line 13 standard muffin cups with silicone, foil, parchment, or paper liners.(You can use Reynold's disposable aluminum foil cups if you don't have 2 pans). 
3. Prepare crust by combining graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar in a bowl and stirring to combine.  Press 2 teaspoons of crust mixture into the bottom of each lined muffin cup.  Bake 6 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare filling. Put one package of cream cheese and 1/3 cup of sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs and yolk, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the sour cream just until it's completely blended.
5. Add 1/4 cup of strawberry puree to a small bowl.  Add 1/4 cup of cheesecake batter and stir thoroughly, then add the puree blend to a ziplock bag.
6. Add remaining strawberry puree (about 1/4 cup) to the cheesecake batter and stir thoroughly to blend.
7. Divide the batter among the 13 muffin cups (fill each one almost up to the top). Cut a very small tip off the corner of the plastic bag containing the puree, and gently pipe ribbon shape with puree in the top of each mini cheesecake.
8. Place the muffin tin in a large shallow pan and add hot water until it comes about 1 inch up the sides of the tin. Bake the cakes until set and slightly puffy, about 30 minutes.  Remove the cakes from the water bath, transfer the tin to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours.*Transfer the cake to a container and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.  If there are any cakes left, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.
   
   

Platinum Chef 13: Loaded Tortilla Espanola and Fruit Filled Brie en Croute

I am SO EXCITED to be doing another Platinum Chef challenge. As I near the two year anniversary for my blog, I think back, fondly, on my previous challenges. Getting involved in Platinum Chef was the inspiration for starting a blog of my own. Though I am freakishly only able to create new dishes when locked into 5 randomly chosen ingredients, I have enjoyed cooking and baking for this blog and being able to share recipes and ideas with whoever wants to read. For a trip down memory lane, here is my first Platinum Chef post. Ok, enough mushy stuff (that really belongs it the anniversary post, anyway).

This challenge brings us 5 ingredients, as always, and is hosted by Workout-then-cook.
Garlic
Mushrooms
Asparagus
Cheese
Strawberries

When I first read the list and saw asparagus, I thought UGH. I HATE asparagus. I almost instantly decided I'd have to hide the asparagus inside of something else. No plain eating asparagus for me. It must be buried to be edible. That negating anything I could come up with that involved strawberries. But garlic, mushrooms, and cheese? No problem! I decided on a loaded Tortilla Espanola, which I have been wanting to make for a long time. The results were fabulous, and my husband, loves eggs and actually likes asparagus, would have eaten the whole thing in one sitting if I let him. Sadly, I discovered that I just don't like asparagus, even when hidden in a potato tortilla. I totally picked mine out.






Loaded Tortilla Espanola

olive oil
3 large white potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1/2 cup diced white onion
2 large white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
7 large asparagus spears, blanched and sliced into 1.5" pieces
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach
10 eggs, lightly beaten
salt and pepper
goat cheese

In a large skillet, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. Add the potato slices, onion and garlic, cook over medium low heat without browning until tender, about 15 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove potato mixture to a large bowl. Wipe out skillet with paper towel, then return to head. Add asparagus and spinach to potato mixture, mix thoroughly. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Add vegetables back to pan, then pour egg mixture over vegetables, shaking pan to ensure all space is filled by eggs. Cook 10-15 minutes, or just until set. Finish in broiler, or use a baking sheet or large plate to flip tortilla over and return to skillet to cook the other side. Serve with goat cheese.


As I said before, this left me with strawberries as the lone ranger. The easiest pairing seemed to be cheese, and as soon as I said that to my husband, we both said, "Brie." We LOVE baked brie and decided to punch it up by filling with fresh fruit and honey. This is easy to throw together, and no real measuring is needed!








Fruit Filled Brie en Croute

~handful of sliced almonds
~honey or agave nectar
~2-3 ripe strawberries, thinly sliced
~1 ripe pear, thinly sliced
~8 ounces brie, rind trimmed and sliced in half
~1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed

Lay out sheet of puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil. Place a small round of sliced almonds in the center and drizzle a little honey. Lay down half of the brie. Layer sliced strawberries, then pear, then drizzle with more honey. Top with remaining half of cheeses. Fold puff pastry up and over the brie, pressing gently to secure. Flip pastry wrapped brie so folds are on the bottom. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Serve with crackers.

Eat to the Beat: Nutella Ice Cream

Your love is better than ice cream
Better than anything else that I've tried
And your love is better than ice cream
Everyone here know how to fight
...
Your love is better than chocolate
Better than anything else that I've tried
Oh love is better than chocolate
Everyone here knows how to cry
This song from Sarah McLachlan was always one of my favorites... namely because I could live off of ice cream, it is my absolute favorite food! The song embodied what I was looking for in a relationship... a love that was better than ice cream. Naturally, I believe I found that in my husband, and this is a timely post as we are nearing our first anniversary!


Still, I wanted to create an ice cream that would be pretty hard to beat... so for this installment of Eat to the Beat, I give you Cinnamon Nutella Ice Cream!
Well, I've just taken it out of the ice cream maker. Oh my. Oh my! This is roll-your-eyes-back-into-your-head good. (gosh, now I feel like a yogurt commercial!) The cinnamon ice cream ALONE is fantastic, but add the nutella and toffee chips... wow. Just wow! Yeah, I could, um, spend more time making coherent sentences but the pull of another bite is too strong and I'm going to give in. Just trust me and make it!



Ice Cream by Sarah McLachlan

Cinnamon Nutella Ice Cream with Hazelnut Toffee Chips
Base ice cream recipe adapted from Doc Wilson, see my note on adjusting fat content here.
If you don't like cinnamon, feel free to omit it, it will still be fabulous!

~4 oz milk (skim, 1%, 2% or whole is fine)
~8 oz heavy cream
~16 oz fat free half and half
~1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
~1 cinnamon stick
~3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
~1/4 cup eggbeaters
~3 tbsp brown sugar
~3 tbsp sugar
~7 oz fat free sweetened condensed milk
~1 cup hazelnut toffee (recipe follows)
~1/2 cup Nutella

Directions:

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk, half-and-half, cream, vanilla, cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon. Whisk occasionally. When the cream mixture reaches a fast simmer (do not boil), remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

Whisk together the egg beaters, sugars, and sweetened condensed milk. Add the cream mixture by straining to catch cinnamon stick and vanilla bean. Chill a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight. Freeze according to ice cream maker directions. In the last 5 minutes of freezing, add hazelnut toffee chips. Place 1/2 of ice cream in container. Add 1/4 cup nutella and swirl gently with a spatula. Add remaining 1/2 of ice cream, and swirl in remaining 1/4 cup of nutella. Mine behaved almost like that magic shell ice cream topping, it started to freeze up and break into bits rather than make a proper swirl, but I am still happy with it! Place in the freezer to cure.

Hazelnut Toffee from About.com

~1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
~1/2 cup granulated sugar
~1 tbsp water
~1.5 tsp light corn syrup
~1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
~3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Set it aside. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it is melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the sugar. Once the sugar is mixed in, add the water and corn syrup and stir until well-incorporated.

Place the pan back on the heat and insert a candy thermometer. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the candy reaches 290 degrees. Watch it carefully near the end, as it can easily burn at high temperatures. Once the candy reaches 290 degrees, remove it from the heat. Stir in the cinnamon and the chopped nuts, and immediately pour the candy onto the prepared baking sheet. Tilt the sheet several times to spread the candy in a thin layer. Allow the toffee to sit at room temperature until it is completely cool.

Place the chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave until melted, stirring after every minute to avoid overheating. Spoon half of the melted chocolate on top of the toffee, and spread it in a thin, even layer over the top. Place the toffee in the refrigerator to set the chocolate for about 15 minutes. Remove the toffee from the refrigerator and lift it from the baking sheet. Flip the toffee over so that the chocolate side is now resting on the bottom of the baking sheet. Spoon the remaining melted chocolate over the top of the toffee and spread it evenly. (If necessary, re-warm the chocolate briefly so that it is spreadable).

Refrigerate the toffee again to set the chocolate. Once set, break the candy into small pieces with your hands. Store the toffee in an airtight container in the refrigerator or in a cool room.

Platinum Chef 9: Apple Pumpkin Chili

I'm BACK! I've been quite busy in the last month preparing for a huge exam. It is OVER now, so I can finally get back in the kitchen and start sharing recipes again. YAY! I also happen to think this is the perfect way to come back... with the Platinum Chef Challenge! I love this event, as it seems to be the only way to get creative juices flowing in the kitchen.

This time, Lisa of Lime in the Coconut chose GREAT ingredients for fall! This round we had to create something with sage, bacon, apples, shallots, and mushrooms. All I have been able to think about since the arrival of fall is CHILI, and I decided that all these ingredients definitely belonged in a chili together. We already have a favorite red chili, so I decided this should go the white chili route. We're a no beef household, so I use either ground turkey or chicken and, for this challenge, turkey bacon (which really is nothing to write home about. I would have much prefered real bacon or some pancetta or something, but alas, those are off the list, too). The flavors really came together nicely in this, and the best part is that it's just an easy throw-together recipe for the crockpot. Love it!

Apple Pumpkin Chili

• 1 pound ground turkey or chicken, browned in a skillet
• 2 cans (15 oz each) white beans, I went for one can northern and one can navy
• 1.5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, cleaned, and sliced
• 4 slices bacon, browned and crumbled or chopped
• one medium shallot, diced
• 1 granny smith apple, diced
• 1/2 of a 14oz can pumpkin puree (about 1 cup)
• 2.5 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon dried sage
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• (optional) equal parts arrowroot or cornstarch and chicken broth, for thickening
• grated gouda cheese, for topping

Combine all except thickener and cheese in a crockpot. Stir to mix ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6. Add thickener if desired and heat on high for a few minutes to thicken sauce. Serve, topping with grated gouda.

Round Up: Platinum Chef Challenge 8!

I must apologize for the delay in getting the round-up together. I have no real excuse other than I forgot!

This round of the Platinum Chef Challenge had us creating dishes tofu, eggplant, olives, plums and oats. (You can see mine here.) We had three great entries, and as host of this round I get to select the next host.

First up, we have Cara of Cara's Cravings. I think of Cara as incredibly creative and talented in the kitchen, so I was excited to see that tofu was a new ingredient in her own cooking. Taking inspiration from a favorite seafood dish, she created a mouthwatering Pan-roasted Tofu with Capers, Tomatoes and Olives. The flavor combination here sounds amazing!
For the remaining ingredients, Cara devised what seems to be one of her favorite healthy-meal tricks - turning vegetables into fries! Her Eggplant Fries with Sweet and Spicy Plum Sauce look just like huge steak fries, and the sauce sounds wonderful.

Next we have Catherine of Fresh From Cate's Kitchen. This was her first time participating in Platinum Chef and we are so glad to have her! Cate created a wonderful looking Herbed Eggplant Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing. I've never ventured farther than vinaigrettes when it comes to homemade salad dressing, so her use of tofu to create a healthy version of a creamy dressing is genius to me! This looks so good, I'm ready to dig right in!
For her second recipe, Cate went straight to my heart - I love all things frozen! And let's be honest, a little alcohol makes it that much more enticing! Her Plum and Port Sorbet in Oatmeal-Almond Buttercrunch Cups are SO cute! That sorbet recipe is so simple and looks so good - I can't wait to try it! The cups sound like a very versatile base for adorable little desserts.
The third entry comes from Lisa of Lime in the Coconut. Lisa is another first time participant! I am so excited to see new bloggers joining in. My typical PCC experience is much like Lisa described... as soon as the ingredients are posted, they are ALL I can think about until I settle on my recipes. Lisa also drew inspiration from seafood, using tofu in place of scallops for her Vegetarian Surf & Turf: Grilled Eggplant Steaks served with Panko-Encrusted Tofu "Scallops", Kalamata olive tapenade and a grilled tomato coulis. I love that she grilled the tomatoes and eggplant - making it a great summertime meal. Her presentation is stunning and the flavor combination sounds incredible. (and really, I love panko-crusted-just-about-anything!)
For her second recipe, Lisa chose a Rustic Plum Tart with Ricotta Cheese and Crumb Topping. I love the additions of the ricotta and topping to a traditional simple fruit galette. It really looks like it gives the tart some substance, and what could be better than a cream cheese pie crust! This was a VERY tough decision, but I have chosen Lisa of Lime in the Coconut as the winner of Round 8! I just can't stop staring at that surf and turf - it looks amazing! Congratulations Lisa! Look for the next round appearing in her blog soon.

PCC8 - Plum Squares and Roasted Eggplant with Tofu and Olives

Today I present my entries for Platinum Chef Challenge #8: Plum Squares and Roasted Eggplant with Tofu and Olives. I really enjoyed hosting this round, be sure to look for a wrap up of all the great entries towards the end of the week!

I tried a few different ideas that kind of flopped, and eventually found two great recipes that I was very happy with. The plum squares turned out a little different than I was expecting, but I was really proud of my first attempt at making fruit preserves. They were so good! I chose eggplant as an ingredient because I had never cooked with it before. I had a great time experimenting with it! The final dish came together with great flavor and would be great with either rice (as I served it) or pasta.

Roasted Eggplant with Tofu and Olives

~1 small eggplant
~about 1 tbsp olive oil
~3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
~1/3 cup diced onion
~12 oz firm or extra firm tofu, chopped into cubes
~about 20 kalamata olives, chopped
~1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (I used homemade ones!)
~1/2 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
~1/2 cup white wine
~1/2 cup chicken broth
~1/2 tsp chili powder
~1 tsp dried thyme
~1/2 tsp dried oregano
~1/2 tsp coriander
~pepper to taste
~juice of 1/2 of a lemon

Dice the eggplant into 1" cubes. Place in a colander in the sink and salt well. Let drain for one hour, then rinse the eggplant well and dry by pressing between paper towels. Prepare a pan (jelly roll works fine) with a little olive oil or cooking spray. Place eggplant on pan in a single layer and roast at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, until golden.

When eggplant is done, heat olive oil in a large pan. Saute garlic and onions 1-2 minutes, until onion softens. Add tofu, olives, sundried tomatoes, and artichokes to the pan and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add white wine, allow to reduce by half. Add chicken broth and spices, allow to reduce by half, stirring to coat other ingredients. Add eggplant and toss to coat and heat the eggplant through. Add lemon juice, toss to combine. Service over rice or pasta.

Plum Squares
Makes 16 squares

For the plum preserves:
~12oz plums (about 3)
~4oz of cherries (about 10) (or an additional 4 oz plum)
~2 tsp lemon juice
~5 Tbsp sugar
~1/8 cup water
~pinch salt
~1/2 tsp vanilla

For the bottom crust:
~1 1/4 cup flour
~3/4 cup oats
~1/4 cup brown sugar
~1/4 cup white sugar
~1/2 tsp cinnamon
~1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
~1/8 tsp baking soda
~1/8 tsp salt
~8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces

For the upper crust:
~1/2 cup oats
~1/2 cup brown sugar
~1/4 cup flour
~1/2 tsp cinnamon
~1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
~4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

To make the plum preserves: Wash and pitt the plums and cherries. Quarter the plums and halve the cherries. Combine with other ingredients in a saucepan and cook for about 45 minutes, until fruit is soft. Blend into a puree with a blender, food processor, or immersion blender. Set aside to cool slightly.

To make the squares: Make the bottom crust by combining the flour, oats, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Whisk to mix thoroughly. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter, until there are pea sized bits. (Alternately, use a food processor). Press into an 8x8 pan that has been prepared with a baking spray or lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the top crust. Combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter, until there are pea sized bits. (Alternately, use a food processor).

When the bottom crust is done, spread the plum preserves over the bottom crust. Sprinkle the top crust over the plum preserves. Place back in the oven for 30 minutes more. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut squares once fully cool.

Eat to the Beat, Round 2

The amazing Elly from Elly Says Opa! has graciously turned her blogging event, Eat to the Beat, into a quarterly event. I was SO glad to hear she would be continuing it (see my first entry here). There is just so much music to go around, there'd be plenty of material for event after event.

A few weeks ago, I popped into my favorite local liquor store, and noticed a vendor with a little tasting table set up. Never one to pass up a free tasting, I stopped by to see what he was offering. His first words were, "Would you like a rose mimosa?" That was just about all I needed to hear! He went on and on about this wonderful rose nectar that has been made the same way since the 1200s and blahblahblah. I was way more interested in the yummy bubbly than his very detailed account of his product (oops). I bought two bottles of rose nectar and continued on my way. I got to thinking about what I could do for the next round of Eat to the Beat (as the deadline rapidly approached) and I decided I wanted to use the rose nectar in something other than a rose mimosa. Instantly, the 80s hair band memories sprung to the front of my mind, and all I could think about was...



So... what to do with my rose nectar? Two lines from the main chorus became my inspiration.

Every rose has it's thorn
Just like every night has it's dawn

Dawn, to me, brings to mind oranges and orange juice. First stop: Morning Rose Madeleines! These weren't quite as rose-y as I would have liked, but they were every bit as yummy as a madeleine should be!
______________________________________________________________
Morning Rose Madeleines
Adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
Yield: 12 Madeleines

~1 cup all-purpose flour
~1 teaspoon baking powder
~Pinch of salt
~½ cup sugar
~Grated zest of 1/2 an orange
~2 large eggs, at room temperature
~2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
~1/4 cup rose nectar (such as Sence)
~¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the glaze:
~1/4 cup milk
~Powdered sugar
~15-20 drops of orange extract

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Working in a mixer bowl, or in a large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and rose nectar. With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines. (For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pans.)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Or, if you have a nonstick pan (or pans), give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed. Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet.

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don't worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven's heat will take care of that. Bake large madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, and minis for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any reluctant madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature. If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch(es), making certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pan(s) before baking.

To make the glaze, combine the milk, powdered sugar, and orange extract and mix well. Dip warm madeleines in the glaze, or drizzle about 1 Tablespoon over each madeleine. Allow the glaze to set and the madeleines to finish cooling before serving.
___________________________________________________________

I was happy with the madeleines (maybe not as rose-y as I'd like, but darn tasty), but I couldn't stop thinking about that message. Every rose has it's thorn. What's my rose? What's it's thorn? Right now, my rose is baking. I love it, love spending every weekend trying new recipes, new techniques, living to tell about it... and bring the goodies to work. That's where that thorn part comes in. Baking 2 or 3 different baked goods every weekend is not conducive to a slim waistline (hence, if you've been reading, my 2 week divorce from sugar). I pass it all off to my workers (no doubt I am a rose and thorn to them for the same reason!) to lessen the blow, but I certainly take my Quality Control duties quite seriously. I decided to go for one more recipe...Every Rose Has It's Thorn Cupcakes (nice long name, eh?). So....What is your rose? And it's thorn?

Once again, the rose flavor hides behind the orange, so maybe next time I'll skip the zest in the cupcake batter. But, these are SO light and airy and wonderful!

Every Rose Has It's Thorn Cupcakes
Adapted from Orange Chiffon Cupcakes, from Cupcakes!, by Elinor Klivans
Yield: 12 cupcakes (Note: I wanted 18, so increased the recipe accordingly, and wound up with 28 cupcakes... so I'm leaving the recipe as a 12 cupcake yield)

~1 and 1/2 cups of cake flour
~1 cup of sugar
~1 teaspoon of baking powder
~1/4 teaspoon of salt
~1/3 cup of canola or corn oil
~4 large eggs, separated
~1/3 cup water
~1 and 1/2 teaspoons of grated orange zest
~1/4 cup of rose nectar
~1 teaspoon vanilla extract
~1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Sift the cake flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Use a spoon to make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and put the oil, egg yolks, water, orange zest, rose nectar, and vanilla extract in the well. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the mixture until it is smooth and thick, about 3 minutes.

In another bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until the whites are foamy and the cream of tartar is dissolves. Beat on high speed until the egg whites look shiny and smooth and the beaters for mines in the mixture; if you stop the mixer and lift the beaters, the whites should cling to the beaters. Slowly beat in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, about a tablespoon at a time, then beat for another minute after you get all the sugar incorporated. Stir about 1/3 of the beaten egg mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Then, with a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining egg white mixture. Folding over and over until no white streaks remain.

Wohoo! No over-beaten egg whites!

For easy pouring, transfer the batter to a pitcher with a lip. Using about 1/2 cup for each, pour the batter into the cps. The batter will come just to the top of each cup. Do not smooth the tops, let the batter remain in fluffy mounds. Bake for about 35 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. The cupcakes will rise about 1/2 inch above the top of each cup.

This actually didn't work out so nicely and I resorted back to scooping with the spatula after this photo. And yes, that's a gravy boat.

Carefully loosen the cupcakes from the pan, cool on a wire rack until completely cooled, about 45 minutes. I used a simple buttercream icing with a few drops of orange extract added, to taste.

They looked so beautiful! (I will spare your eyes (and their embarrasment) by not showing what happened next... total shriveling!)