Chocolate Meringues

Posted by Mal on May 18, 2012 in All Recipes | 1 comment

My birthday is coming up, which means….

One,  I have to figure out what dessert I will be making for myself.  I am thinking brownie/cookie/coffee ice cream cake?  With hot fudge sauce?  It’ll be in cake form, but not cake at all.  Or maybe Key Lime pie. Good thing I have a few days to decide.   And because it’s my birthday….I might make both.  I only turn 29 once.  Or twice.

And secondly, a birthday as an adult means a trip to the bmv…I had to get tags for my vehicles.  And a new license.  They should decorate the BMV with ‘Happy Birthday” balloons and streamers…because the majority of people in there are probably celebrating a birthday or just recently celebrated one.  They should give you a birthday card when you hand them your hard-earned cash.  They could at least say ‘ Happy Birthday’ when they destroy your driver’s license that has been living peacefully in your wallet for the past four years.  It has seen a lot of purses and squinting inquisitive bar tenders and grocery checkout ladies and waiters and waitresses.  I am assuming that this license probably will not see as many squinting inquisitive eyes as the previous few. Bummer.  My picture this time looks decent and I no longer look naked…

Wanna know my blonde moment for the day?

I wear corrective lenses…or contact lenses for those that aren’t working at the bmv.  Must they call them corrective lenses?  Can’t they just ask, glasses or contacts?  No…corrective, like something is wrong with you that needs correcting…which, yes there is – but no need to point it out.  Geezzz.  But guess what?  In order to take said eye exam, you have to be wearing said ‘corrective lenses’.  I, however, forgot to put mine in…I realized this in the parking lot of the bmv.  At least I didn’t make it inside.  I can’t pass that test without my contacts.  I have tried.  I also can’t read box scores on the TV or read the preview channel or see individual leaves on trees or read road signs, which is the most important reason to wear my contacts…so says my mom.  But she has never mistaken a 3 for an 8 during a baseball game and felt the disappointment when a win turns into a loss…stupid nearsidedness.  Much more disappointment in a loss than missing a turn because you couldn’t read the street name until it was too late…

I didn’t have my contacts in because I had today off…and I was giving the 28 year + 358 day eyes a break, a little breather.  I don’t need to see clearly to bake or to load a dishwasher or to transfer laundry from the washer to the drier.  I have family coming up, so I did a quick spot clean on the house today - I find no reason to really clean when 4 dogs, 2 kids, and 6 adults are invading – plus, they are family – they are forgiving house guests.  Don’t you love how I rationalize not cleaning?

Plus, I figure if I shove food in their faces once they get here…then they won’t notice my lackluster attempt at cleaning.  This usually works.  I have cookies and coffee cake and a pasta dish in the freezer…ready at the go.  And I also made chocolate meringues.  For the ladies.  I am sure the guys will turn their noses…because they are light and crisp and dainty and slightly chewy…not dense and heavy and laden with butter.

Of course I couldn’t just leave chocolate meringues at just chocolate meringues.  No, I added cocao nibs for a roasted chocolate crunch (almost like coffee, but not) and then I did add coffee, in the form of instant espresso powder.  The stuff intensifies chocolate … like only coffee can do.  I like these best alongside a cup of coffee or a glass of milk, or alone, on a saucer…while I watch the Grey’s Anatomy finale.  ( Dear Grey’s people, I don’t like when you kill people off…Love, Mal)

p.s. do not judge my meringues … I stink at making dollops.  My dollops always seem to get larger.  This went from a small and dainty cookie to just large and mildly dainty…a touch awkward.  Like the Brawny man drinking tea with his pinkie in the air. 

Chocolate Meringues

Makes 2–3 dozen (depends on your dollop size)

Ingredients

• 4 Large Egg Whites, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• pinch of salt
• 1 Cup White Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, sifted
• 1 Tablespoon Cocao Nibs, plus extra for topping
• 1 Teaspoon Espresso Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 275°F.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy (use the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer).  Add cream of tartar and salt and increase spread to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form.  Increase speed to high and slowly add sugar and beat until stiff glossy peaks form – about 3 minutes.

With a spatula, gently fold in vanilla, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and cocao nibs.  (if you happen to forget the vanilla, which i have done on occasion, not a big deal, just keep going)  Don’t over mix, fold the ingredients into the meringue, leaving chocolate streaks running through the meringue.

Either using a piping bag (which I didn’t have) or two teaspoons (which I did have), either pipe or dollop meringue onto parchment lined baking sheets.  I made rather large dollops, because I can’t eyeball things.  If using a piping bag, pipe into coils…it makes them look fancy.  Sprinkle extra cocao nibs onto the top of the meringues.  Bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour until they sound hollow to the touch and they lift off the parchment paper with ease.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.

I ate one warm and it was out of this world.  So, feel free to eat them warm, but do not store them until completely cooled, they will get damp and sticky if you do.  Once cool though, store in an airtight container.

Coffee Crumble Cake

Posted by Mal on May 16, 2012 in All Recipes | 1 comment

I have been sitting on this recipe for a few days, but life has been happening, preventing me from sharing it with y’all.  Wanna know a secret?…I visited Texas a few months ago and my goal in life that week was to incorporate y’all into my vocabulary.  It did’t happen, but I did purchase a kick ass pair of cowboy boots.  Fair trade.

Any whoooo…
So what has taken place since last Friday?  (and in all reality, I could have fit in a quick blog, but the time with the computer off was kind of nice!)
 1) We got a Keurig coffee maker at work – I believe production will go up, or at least the rate at which we gab will increase.  It is a win win.  I made this coffee cake  for the occasion.  More on it later…promise.  I had nothing to do with obtaining said Keurig coffee maker (besides my monetary contribution, which note to self, I still owe) and therefore its purchase had zero impact on my blogging…I am just super excited about the coffee maker.  And I am over caffeinated at the moment…no bigs.  I am counteracting it with wine…

 2)  That last sentence took a few minutes longer to write…I was distracted by a movie preview for ‘Magic Mike’…Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey have that effect on a gal.  At least this one…I just Googled the movie…it is about male strippers.  So, the male version of Striptease?  I don’t know.

3)  And I am back…Friday night = no time for blogging.  Friday nights are to be celebrated. Sooo I was out with good company, drinking good beers.   Having a good time.   Away from the computer.  It was nice.

4) I spent the weekend with my mom - like a good daughter.  There was also family, and food, a long car drive, and motorcycle rides, and spinning (in circles, not the exercise class), and  backyard dance parties and tree planting and napping.
 5) Work came extra early on Monday morning and … yawn.

 6) I am entering into the final week of training/tapering before Sunday’s race.  Tapering sucks, to put it lightly…it messes with your brain.  I am tying my best  to eat right ( I am a stress eater, so I am trying to stear clear of sugar and processed carbs) and get my zzzz’s…oh and no Diet Coke and lots of water…like I said, I am trying…the above mentioned coffee cake is taunting me.  I hide it in the freezer.
 7) The weekend left me exhausted….so Monday afternoon was dedicated to a nap, which was not planned…I woke up with a cold cup of coffee and dusk approaching.  Out of my control.  And the light needed to take a decent photo of the coffee cake was long gone…So I ran and watched Wheel of Fortune.  Real life…

AND HERE WE ARE…IT IS WEDNESDAY ALREADY!!

So let’s get to the coffee cake before something else pops up…like yard work.

Sooo…

I am not a big fan of cake.  This doesn’t stop me from testing this hypothesis each and every time a piece of cake is offered.  Normally, I get 1/3 of the way in and think, man I wish this was brownie or a maybe just a scoop of ice cream.

Coffee cake is the exception to this rule.  When I gobble down a piece of coffee cake, I only think of how I can sneak a second piece without anyone noticing.  Maybe if I distract them with a good story or wait until everyone disperses from the table.  I might even offer to clear the table if that means I am left alone with the leftovers and a fork.  I am not above eating straight from the pan…

Coffee cake is a simple cake…sometimes there is fruit added and other times just a bit of crumble and a cinnamon and sugar ripple.  The one today is resembles more the of the later…With the addition of pecans and chocolate chips.

I adapted this recipe from Joy the Baker, who adapted it from King Arthur.  A moist coffee cake separated with a layer of cinnamon and sugar that is studded with pecans and mini chocolate chips.  And the crumble on top…well its crumble on top – who doesn’t love crumble?

Coffee Crumble Cake

9 x 13 inch pan

Ingredients

Crumble Topping

• 1/2 Cup White Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar, tightly packed
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Stick Butter, melted and cooled

Filling

• 1 Cup Light Brown Sugar, tightly packed
• 1 +1/2 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 + 1/2 teaspoons Espresso Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips (if using regular chips, roughly chop them)
• 1/2 Cup Pecan Halves, roughly chopped

Cake

• 1 + 1/2 Sticks (3/4 cup) Unsalted Butter, softened
• 1 + 1/2 Cups White Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 Large Eggs
• 3 + 3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2 + 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 + 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 Cup SourCream (or 2% Greek Yogurt, I have made this cake with both and each time it turned out great!)
• 1 + 1/4 Cup Whole Milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan.  (or line with parchment paper)

Make the topping first.  In a medium bowl, combine both sugars, salt, flour, and cinnamon.  Mix well.  Stir in melted butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly.  Refrigerate while preparing the filling and cake.

Make the filling.  In another medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, espresso powder, cocoa powder, salt, chocolate chips, and chopped pecans.  Set aside.

Make the cake.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk together sour cream (or yogurt) and whole milk.  OK if lumpy.  Set aside

In a large mixing bowl, beat together softened butter and both sugars until well combined ( a few minutes).  Beat in vanilla.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl after the eggs are added.  Beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the sourcream/milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.  So, it will be 1/3 flour mix, 1/2 s.cream/milk, 1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 s.cream/milk, final 1/3 flour mixture.  Give the final mixture a few stirs by hand with a spatula, making sure everything is mixed evenly.

Spread 1/2 of cake batter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Evenly sprinkle the filling over the cake.  Spread the remaining half of the cake batter over the top of the filling.  Use a butter knife to gently swirl the filling into the cake batter, should only take a few passes.  Remove the crumble from fridge and sprinkle it evenly over the cake.

Bake cake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cake cool for 20 to 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Tip:  If using a glass pan (which retains heat very well) I would line pan with parchment paper, leaving extra overhang on the ends.  And once cake has cooled for about 10 minutes, lift cake out of pan and place on cooling rack.  If left in pan, the cake will continue to bake. 

This cake was still very moist on day 4 and was even better if warmed quickly in the microwave.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Blackberry + Lemon Waffles

Posted by Mal on May 11, 2012 in All Recipes | 5 comments

Guess what is less than 10 days away?

26.2 miles.  My first.  I haven’t spoken much about this race since I signed up for it, just a few short months ago.  Man, 4 months ago, 16 weeks of training felt like an eternity…but it flew!  Like, seriously, the days, weeks, and months sprouted wings and flew!

Each week, I have slowly increased my mileage and I have been quite the stickler about my training schedule.  My days have been planned around when and where I will run.  I have scheduled my runs around work.  And I have scheduled my time with friends and family around running.  It has taken quite the priority in my life.  If I was going to do this…I wasn’t gonna mess around.  And I haven’t.  So, for my first marathon, I think I will be as prepared as I can be.  The unknown is what I find to be so frightening/anxiety-inducing.  I don’t know how my legs will feel at mile 22.  Or what my digestive track will be thinking at 24.  Or how mentally stable I will be at mile 23.  I have read and received tons of advise, but each person has a different experience…and so, I wonder/fret/worry what mine will be.  I keep visualizing awesomeness.

While on my long runs ( twenty being the furthest), I have learned a bit about what my body needs before, during, and after a good 3+ hour run.  I bought a fuel belt (think fanny pack for runners) that holds two water bottles, for ya know, hydration and a small pouch for keys and a few dollars.  It is dorky, I love it.  Gel packs or GU are great fuel for the road.  I found I need 1 pack every 5 to 7 miles.  My favorites include Jet Blackberry and Cherry Limeade.  Quick question?  Does anyone eat the mint chocolate or pb?  YUCK!  I found that frozen peas are best for icing my knees post run.  I prefer to listen to podcasts over music…they keep my attention longer.  I drone out music and concentrate on the pain in my right big toe or the tightness in my quads.  Joy the Baker and The Because Show are my favorite.  They make me laugh.  It is easier to do anything when you are laughing.   An old Indian’s hat (free from Opening Day) is my head-gear/sun protection…because I sweat like a monster and sweat burns when it hits my eye balls and I wanna keep my skin cancer free for as long as possible.  Kind of a big deal.  And my favorite night before carb dinner?  Waffles.

I am not sure if carb loading actually works, but I am not one to argue.  I mean, someone is actually giving me the go ahead to eat carbs, guilt free.  I would be crazy to argue.  And I am not crazy.  Maybe a little, I am running 26.2 miles by choice.  And my big purchase last week was a twenty-dollar waffle maker that made me immensely happy, one because it was cheap and two, because it made waffles that tasted like a million bucks.  I am not sure what I will register for if I ever get married.  Is it rude to just ask for money?

Any who…waffles.  Blackberry and lemon waffles.  I know, another blackberry and lemon recipe?  Yep.  I am in a bit of a phase right now.  It’s cool.  I don’t think blackberries and lemons will ever go out of style.  These filled me up without weighing me down.  The lemon, refreshing… the blackberries, sweet.  The texture light and fluffy and with a nice crisp exterior…just the way I like them.  And while I added maple syrup, because I can’t resist pure maple syrup, it wasn’t exactly necessary.  But then again, I needed the carbs :)

These are weekend waffles…make ‘em for fellow runners or fellow non-runners – we all love waffles!  And we all need waffles from time to time.  Race or no race.

Blackberry + Lemon Waffles

Makes 2 Belgian Style Round Waffles

Ingredients

• 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 egg, separated
• 1 Cup Buttermilk, well shaken
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 3 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
• 1+1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, grated
• about 1 Cup Fresh Blackberries (2 handfuls)

Preheat waffle iron according to manufactures directions.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Measure brown sugar and lemon zest out onto a clean, flat surface and with the back of the spoon, rub the zest into the sugar.  This will release all of the flavor/oil from the lemon zest.  Add the lemon zest/brown sugar mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together egg yolk, buttermilk, and melted butter.  Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Mix just until everything is incorporated, do not over mix.  It will be lumpy, this is good.  Set aside.

Using a hand or stand mixer, beat the egg white until soft peaks form.  (since it is just one egg white, this won’t take long.)  Once soft peaks form, gently fold egg whites into the waffle batter.  Again, fold just until everything is combined.  Do not over mix.  Lumpy is alright. (over mixing causes a tough/chewy final product).

Pour batter into your preheated greased waffle maker and sprinkle a small handful of fresh blackberries evenly over batter.  Close lid and cook waffles according to your waffle makers directions.

Top with extra fresh blackberries, butter, and maple syrup.

Can be stored in the freezer, once completely cooled.  Pop them in the toaster or oven at 350°F for about 5-7 minutes until warmed through and crispy on the outside.