You Know You Got to Have Friends

Sing along with me......

You know you got to have friends

The feelings oh so strong

You got to have friends

To make that day last long

I had some friends, but they're gone

Something' came and took them away

And from the dusk 'til the dawn

Here is where I'll stay

Standing at the end of the road boys,

Waitin' for my new friends to come

I don't care if I'm hungry or cold

I got to get me some of them

When we made the decision to leave Singapore and move to Tunisia we left a lot of friends behind. I'm so grateful that we live in the day and age of Skype, and email. I'm also grateful that my friends are adventurous and like to travel. That means, I could leave with the assurance that there will be visitors.

We also left Singapore knowing that friends would be headed to Tunisia with us, and that we had dear friends waiting for us there. You feel much more confident having someones hand to hold whether that is a husband, a parent or a friend. The world isn't quite so big and scary with a friend by your side.

Tonight we are gathering with friends to celebrate a birthday, to congratulate each other on a job well done, to mark the beginning of a Merry and Bright Holiday. There will be new friends, old friends, friends who fit your hand like a worn glove, friends who we are just beginning to fold into our lives.

Like the song says.....You know you got to have friends.

For Lauren, Happy Birthday Friend!

Mexican Chocolate Cake

Gourmet | April 2004

For cake 2 sticks unsalted butter ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder ¾ cup water 2 cups granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk 2 tablespoons vanilla 1 teaspoon coffee extract ½ teaspoon almond extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 4 ounces chopped dark chocolate with chilies such as Lindt Au Piment Rouge For glaze ½ stick unsalted butter ½ cup half-and-half ¾ cup confectioners sugar 5 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon salt Make cake: Preheat oven to 350°F and place oven rack in middle of oven. Grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Once melted whisk in cocoa and then add the water and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, coffee and almond extracts. In a medium size bowl sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, then add to the cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined (there may be a few lumps). Stir in the chopped chocolate. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out with a few crumbs clinging to the skewer, 35-45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 20 minutes, then loosen edges with a thin knife and invert onto a plate. Make glaze: Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, stir in half-and-half and confectioners sugar. Add chocolate and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in salt. Cool glaze until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Spoon glaze over top and sides of cooled cake and spread with a small offset spatula or knife to cover completely.

Christmas Cookies

I had not planned to make Christmas cookies this year. Many of  you are now probably calling my husband to inquire as to my well being.

During a typical holiday season I will make dozens of Christmas cookies. But this isn't a typical holiday season and we are having a difficult time summoning up some Holiday Cheer. I chalk it up to just moving and we've yet to find our groove. Maybe it's in one of those boxes we haven't unpacked. So... I am trying to do the things I usually do with the thought "if the body is moving the heart will follow". My friend Julie starting baking yesterday as a way to fill the time as she anxiously waited for her boys to arrive from the States, so I thought I would bake along with her. And so today, since the house is decorated, the candles are burning, and theres a nip in the air, I baked cookies to conjure up the spirit of Christmas past.

In the late 90's I purchased Rose's Christmas Cookies. It has become my Christmas Cookie Bible. I have literally made every single cookie in that book, cover to cover. I did stop myself though at the over the top excess that is a gingerbread replica of the Notre Dame Cathedral. You have to have boundaries people.

I am a huge fan of cookbooks by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Her recipes are PRECISE, foolproof, and utterly delicious. They run the gamut from traditional favorites to cookies that require special equipment and skill. Her cookbooks are like taking a masterclass on baking, you'll learn a lot but you'll also have fun along the way.

This year I only made one from her cookbook, the rest were cookies that I had bookmarked while browsing around the internet.

From left to right: Rose's Crescents, Chocolate Chip Cherry Drops,

Fudge Drops, Halva Flapjacks, and Spiced Molasses Cookies.

Buckle your seatbelt kids, here we go....

To start, Fudge Drops. They are the bites of heaven smack dab in the middle of the platter above. If you closed your eyes you would think you were eating a fudgy brownie.

Fudge Drops

from King Arthurs Flour

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) butter

1 cup (7 1/4 ounces) sugar


3 large eggs


1 teaspoon espresso powder


1 teaspoon vanilla


1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) All-Purpose Flour


¼ teaspoon baking powder


¼ teaspoon salt


1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate chips, optional

In a double boiler, or in the microwave, gently melt together the chocolate and butter. To avoid heating the chocolate too much and possibly burning it, the best method is to heat till the butter is melted and the chocolate has partially melted, then remove from the heat. Stir till all the chocolate melts.

In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs till they're thoroughly combined. Add the hot melted chocolate, then stir in the remaining ingredients, including the chocolate chips, if you're using them. Refrigerate the batter-like dough for 1 hour, to make it easier to handle.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets, three if you have them.

Drop the cookie dough by tablespoonful’s (about the size of a small ping pong ball) onto the prepared baking sheets. A tablespoon cookie scoop makes this task extremely simple. Leave about 2" between the dough balls, as they'll spread as they bake.

Bake the cookies for 11 to 12 minutes, until their tops are shiny and cracked. They won't crack until the very end, so keep a close eye on them; when they're cracked all the way across the top surface, they're just about done. The point is, you want these baked all the way through, but just barely; additional baking will make them crisp rather than chewy. Remove the cookies from the oven, and top each with a kiss-shaped chocolate, a nonpareil, or a bittersweet chocolate wafer, if desired. Wait 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool. 


Next, Rose's Crescents. They can be a bit fiddly and fragile but the almonds give them a wonderful texture and the cinnamon sugar topping is a nice change of pace from the usual coating of confectioners sugar. I would buy the Christmas Cookie book for this recipe alone. (But now you don't have to because I posted it below)

Rose’s Crescents

From Roses's Christmas Cookies

2/3 cup blanched sliced almonds

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup unsalted butter

1 2/3 cup all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

Topping:

½ cup superfine sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

In a food processor with the metal blade, process the almonds and sugar until the almonds are ground very finely.

Cut the butter into a few pieces and add it with the motor running. Process until smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the flour and sprinkle the salt on top. Pulse in just until the flour is incorporated.

Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press itinto a thick disc, wrap it tightly and refrigerate for 2 hours. Stir together the topping ingredients and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 8 portions. Work with 1 section at a time, keeping the remainder of the dough refrigerated. Knead the dough between floured hands until malleable. Pinch off a portion of the dough and roll it into a ¾ inch round ball. On a lightly floured counter, roll each ball into a cylinder about 3 inches long. Form each cylinder into a crescent shape and place on the cookies sheet.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 10 minutes. While they are still warm lift them from the cookie sheet with a small spatula and gently roll them one at a time in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Finish cooling on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Chip Cherry Drops, because I have been told that chocolate and cherry should play together more often. This is my absolute favorite recipe for Chocolate Chip cookies and I just added 1/2 cup of chopped dried Montmorency cherries.

Chocolate Chip Cherry Drops

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Makes about 18 large cookies.

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour


1/2 teaspoon baking soda


1/2 teaspoon salt


12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm


1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar


1/2 cup granulated sugar


1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk


2 teaspoons vanilla extract


1-1  1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup chopped dried Montmorency cherries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips and dried cherries.

Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.

Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 8-12 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.

The next cookie was a gamble, but I am pleased with how it turned out. I have a friend who loves Halva, a sesame paste candy, and I had wanted to make a cookie that featured either Halva or the deep sesame taste of Halva.  My attempts were epic fails and then I found this recipe. Halva Flapjacks, they are really rich, with a fudge like texture from the Tahini paste. Flapjacks are oat based bar cookies popular in the UK. You will need a scale, and might need to do some math, but don't be afraid, these will be worth your efforts.

Halva Flapjacks

Recipe by Dan Lepard

Tahini has a curious effect when warmed, because it turns sugar and syrup to a fudge-like state. This means that with these oat flapjacks, you can reduce the butter content considerably and still end up with a firm fudge consistency after baking.

100g unsalted butter


75g brown sugar


200g sweetened condensed milk


75g tahini


50g honey


100g chopped dried dates or figs (I used dried cranberries)


100g chopped walnuts


25g sesame seeds


175g-225g rolled oats

Heat the butter, brown sugar and condensed milk in a saucepan until hot and the sugar dissolved, then remove from the heat and stir in first the tahini and honey, and then the dried fruit, nuts and sesame seeds. Now stir in enough rolled oats until the mixture just holds its shape – the more oats you add to the mix, the firmer the finished flapjack will be.

Line a 20cm or 25cm square cake tin (or similar) with buttered foil and pack the flapjack mixture into the base. Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan-assisted)/350F/gas mark 4 and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the flapjack is just beginning to turn golden on top. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

When warm, cut the flapjack into squares and serve, or store in an airtight container.

And finally....Spiced Molasses Ginger Cookies. The scent of warm spices, a lovely chewy texture, the occasional heat from a bite of crystallized ginger. They remind me of my childhood Christmases. I chilled the dough and wished I hadn't as I like them to spread a bit more.

Spiced Molasses Ginger Cookies

From Epicurious

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

1 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

¼ cup dark molasses

sugar for rolling

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Stir in the crystallized ginger and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Add the egg and molasses and mix well to combine.

On low speed add the flour mixture. Scrape down bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll the dough into balls roughly the size of walnuts. Roll the dough in sugar to heavily coat and then place on baking sheet.

Bake 10 minutes.

Yay me! That was a fast year.

I've been told by a certain someone in my house that the word Blogiversary is dorky. The thought that I would actually make a cake to celebrate said event qualifies as some sort of affliction that may require an intervention. There were whispers to their friends that they weren't sure why I was making a cake. My youngest tried to pass it off as a cake for her half birthday. Right.......Oh how they changed their tune once it was all frosted and set out on the counter.

 I should have just made them watch me eat it, but you know, it was a big cake.

One year ago I started my blog. No scratch that, 3 years ago I started my blog, it was only 1 year ago that I actually wrote something. Now THAT is dorky.

When I started this blog I was certain that only my darling husband and my mom would read it. My inner middle school girl certainly thought this was a bad idea. However, it's been fun. I've met some interesting people (if you can call exchanging comments or emails really meeting), and I challenged myself to do something that I wasn't entirely comfortable with. I found that writing for yourself is much more fun than writing when it is assigned or part of your job. I'm mean what would you rather write about, this Buttermilk Vanilla Layer Cake or about the epidemiology of tuberculosis among South East Asians. I'll leave that for you to decide.

So a big thank you to those of you who are not related to me who stop by here, and an even bigger thank you to my husband who likes to push me into new adventures! I love you and I ate your piece of cake.

This cake is a very old fashioned yellow cake. The cake is soft and moist with a tender crumb but it holds up well to a fudgy frosting. I think it's the perfect thing to make for a birthday or really any dorky event that comes up.

Rich Yellow Buttermilk Cake with Fudge Frosting

For the cake:
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs yolks at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
For the frosting:
1 1/2 pounds semi-sweet chocolate chopped fine
2 cups heavy cream
8 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour 2, 9 inch round baking pans.

Make the cake layers:
In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together the butter, oil, and sugar for 5 minutes on medium speed. Add the egg yolks 2 at a time beating for 20 seconds after each addition. Stir in the vanilla and then scrape down the bowl.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in thirds alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the dry ingredients, completely incorporate the flour after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared cake pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes, then turn the layers out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Make the Fudge Frosting:
Place the chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl, set aside.
In a heavy medium sized saucepan, heat the cream, butter, and sugar over medium high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Immediately pour the cream mixture over the chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes and then stir until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and then let the mixture cool for 30 minutes.
Set the bowl of frosting in a larger bowl of ice water (after it has cooled for 30 minutes). Beat the frosting using an electric mixer until the frosting thickens and becomes lighter in color. Be careful not to overbeat the frosting as it will make the mixture grainy. Finish by folding the frosting together with a wooden spoon.
Assemble the cake:
Place a cake layer on a serving platter, plate or pedestal. Using an offset spatula spread 1 cup of frosting over the top of the first layer.  Top with the second layer. Spread 1 cup of frosting evenly over the top of the second layer. Use the remaining frosting to frost the sides. Decorate as desired.

It's here part 2

If you've been following along you know that 6 months ago we packed up all of our belongings in Singapore for our move to Tunisia. Ok, to be truthful we didn't pack a thing. The school hired a moving company to pack everything, we just sort of watched. For the past several months our stuff has made the long voyage from the Straits of Malacca, through the Indian Ocean to the Arabian Sea and then I'm not really sure where it went, but eventually it arrived in Tunisia.  Finally, last Wednesday afternoon, we were given the great news that our shipment would be delivered to our house the next morning. That in and of itself is a glorious sentence to write. Witnessing the arrival of our container in front of our house was nothing short of rainbows, unicorns, and Christmas all rolled into one ridiculously happy morning.

The driver of this rig is my hero. 

He moved this giant container down our tiny lane like a boss!

See that large red shrub?

That is our neighbors Poinsettia tree. 

A tree! Gorgeous!

The fastest, nicest, dare I say, BEST movers we've ever worked with!

Part of the 168 boxes that needed to be unpacked.

Not bad for an afternoons work. 

If you've never had the pleasure of having a moving company handle your move, I'm sorry. I hate moving so I am quite happy to have someone do all the packing for me. You do need to be watchful though or you'll end up with some strange things being packed that you really don't want, like your garbage for instance. I had a friend who wasn't watching as her kitchen was being packed and the movers just wrapped up her full garbage can. It sat in a cargo container in the Saudi Arabian heat for months until it was delivered to her new home.

I don't think that was a very fun discovery to make. 

We had a few surprises, nothing smelly thank goodness. Apparently we owned 5 cans of silly string and a slinky which was packed and shipped halfway around the world. Hmmm. I could also tell that I had decision fatigue at a certain point in the move. How else can you explain a box filled with used candles, half full bottles of nail polish, and game pieces that belong to a game we no longer own.

We got a lot done this weekend, nearly every box is empty and we are just now trying to organize the house. This is the part that I love and loathe. I love it because this is when the house really starts to feel like a home. We have art work that we picked out when we were on holiday in Vietnam, the girls Christmas stockings to hang, our own mattresses to sleep on. I loathe it because I put things away in very clever places and then never remember where that might be and, at some point I become overwhelmed and think it would be easier to set the remaining unpacked boxes on fire and give them a Viking funeral. 

Sunday felt like a day to celebrate! I had purchased a gorgeous Brioche at my favorite boulangerie on Saturday with the idea that I would make French Toast for breakfast Sunday morning. I decided to make a baked French Toast, sort of like a bread pudding. Actually, exactly like a bread pudding except not as sweet. Before baking it, I slathered a mixture of melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon over the top. This baked up beautifully, it was souffle like and the brown sugar topping was very crisp in places like the top of a creme brulee with the added bonus of little pools of buttery caramel dotted throughout.

Creme Brulee Baked French Toast

Creme Brulee Baked French Toast

1 large Brioche, approximately 11/2-2 pounds cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

8 eggs

3 cups half and half

pinch of salt

1 cup of butter

1 cup of dark brown sugar

2 tablespoon of corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place all the bread in a large bowl. In a medium size mixing bowl mix together until well blended the sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, eggs, half and half and a pinch of salt. Gently stir together and set aside for 2 hours or overnight. This allows the bread to soak up all the custard. When you are ready to bake the French toast, spoon the bread mixture evenly into a greased 9X13 inch baking dish.

In a small saucepan melt the butter, over medium high heat, with the brown sugar, corn syrup, and cinnamon. Cook this mixture until the butter and sugar are melted together and the sugar is no longer grainy, about 5-8 minutes. Carefully pour this evenly over the top of the bread mixture. Sprinkle with the pecans and bake for 30 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned.

Serve with maple syrup.