Rebel Brandy Balls

Oh, the simple signs of January....

We were pretty proud of our little tree for lasting all the way until the New Year. Can't say our Christmas cookies lasted much longer either. In fact, I think the tree and the cookies disappeared with 2011...

Our beloved stash of holiday treats!

You probably recognize the pink cookies on the left Hershey's kisses hats, but I also want to share another of my cookie exchange contributions. A cookie rebel...  Sour Cherry Chocolate Balls, in the lower right hand corner.  I found this recipe within my Slovakian cookbook's New Year's section so they doubled their holiday duty as a Christmas treat this year.  The recipe called for "preserved sour cherries," however, I used something more special:  homemade Brandied Cherries that have been marinating to sweet drunken perfection since summer! 

Brandied Cherries, aged 6 months.

This recipe requires no baking and few ingredients, but the end result is quite elegant! I especially like how the coconut coating resembles snow. Even though the holidays have come and gone, who doesn't like a sweet memory? In addition, with so little snow fall this year across the nation, perhaps we should start marinating some Brandied Cherries now in order to prepare these Sour Cherry Chocolate Balls as a celebratory treat when the snow finally does come later this spring (fingers are crossed)!

Slovakian Sour Cherry Chocolate Balls

Sour Cherry Chocolate Balls
From "Slovak Cuisine" cookbook
Makes about 2 dozen

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 Tbsp. water

3.5 oz (3.5 squares) semi-sweet bakers chocolate

1 cup ground walnuts

2 Tbsp. rum

Preserved sour cherries, or Brandied Cherries (recipe below)

Shredded coconut

Pour water over sugar and bring to a boil in a small sauce pan, stirring constantly. Turn off heat and then mix in chocolate, walnuts and rum. Tear off a small bit of this chocolate-nut base, indent with your thumb, and top with sour/brandied cherry. Shape it into a small ball and then roll it in the coconut. Place in mini paper cups. Note: If chocolate mixture is too wet to shape, add additional nuts or perhaps a spoonful of all purpose flour. 

Chocolate-nut base.

Brandied Cherries
Yield varies

1 jar with lid, washed and sterilized
Dried, sweetened cherries (cherry-flavored "Crasins" work too)
Brandy of choice

Simply fill your jar 3/4 full with dried cherries. Then pour brandy over the cherries, making sure that the tops of the cherries are covered. Shake 5 times and let marinade in your liquor cabinet for at least 3 months (the longer it marinates the better the flavors that will develop).  Give your jar a good shake every few weeks.  Note: Cherries will expand as they absorb the brandy. You may have to add additional brandy to keep the tops of the cherries covered. Also, the liquid will become a bit cloudy. This is normal but will be less if you refrigerate your jar after the 3 months mark. 

Enjoy the cherries over ice cream and pour the liquid into
cocktails or beer for a tasty twist on happy hour! 

Slovakian Steamed Dumplings with Jam

The holidays are soon approaching! A few weeks ago Joe and I drove south to a dusty, side of the road Christmas tree lot and brought home this dear Fraser Fir. Every time I step threw the front door of the apartment, this tree cheerfully greets me with a pine-scented handshake... 

Trying to squeeze into a self-timed photo equals
awkward posing... !

Its branches are now adorned with strings of white lights that I can't help but turn on every time I'm home. There is something exceedingly calming about the sight of an incandescent evergreen. This glowing symbol of joyful celebrations to come is also a constant reminder to get into the kitchen and bake!  My most recent creation was a special Slovakian treat:  

Steamed Dumplings with Jam!

These sweet yeast dough balls are steamed, not baked, which keeps their exterior pale.  A light brushing with butter plus a sprinkling of ground poppy seeds and powdered sugar allows for a freckled, golden completion. Bite into one and experience a burst of warm jam enveloped in soft bread.  I made these one evening when Joe was working a late shift and stayed up until 1:00 AM to share with him a tall glass of milk and a taste of my first batch of steamed dumplings as a late night snack. He was so happy for a taste of home and I was so happy for his appreciation. 

Here's how it went...

The first step is to make a nice yeasty dough. It is just like any regular yeast dough, except it has a bit more sugar in it to give it a slightly saccharin taste.

My sweet dough has risen!
I was creating a "warm environment" by slightly heating
some water in a cooking pot and placing my dough
bowl on top to receive the warm vapor. 

Before getting your hands dirty, prepare the steaming bed. This process is the same as for the Slovakian Steamed Bread Dumplings, except this time I used kitchen string (leftover from Thanksgiving), to secure the tea towel to the cooking pot. Basically, fill a large cooking pot halfway with water, then cover with the towel, and locate another large pot that will balance upside down onto it as "the lid". 

Tie the towel tightly enough to get a flat, strong surface
for the dough balls to rest for cooking.  The pot seen in back
was the lid that covered this covered pot

Back to the dough. Roll it out into about 1/2 inch thickness. My one mistake was rolling it out too thin (I did about 1/4 inch thickness). Then make as many dough circles that you can, which will require you to take the leftover scraps and roll them out again until there is no dough left.  I used a pint glass to stamp my dough, but a round cookie cutter would also do!

Match your dough circles up with a mate and place a small spoonful of your favorite jam onto one of them.  The Slovakian recipe that I was following asked for thick plum jam, however, I used a homemade grape jam that was gifted to Joe by a friend. Frankly, I think any jam would be delicious! Try to avoid jelly, however, since its a bit runnier (and without remnants of real fruit, which I am partial too). 

Cover each jam piece with an empty one and secure the edges together using your fingers. Try to smooth out the edges more than what my pictures show here so that you don't get a rugged looking finished product! Finally, secure the edges once more by cutting the extra dough off the edges, and then let sit on a floured surface to let the dough rise a bit once again.

Once your dough balls look puffy and smooth, bring the water in your towel-covered pot to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to medium and place 3-4 dough balls on the flat towel surface. Cover with the second pot and set your timer to 12 minutes. Whatever you do, do not peek!  The steam must not escape.

Top with melted butter and ground poppy seeds (mixed with a bit of powdered sugar) and serve immediately! I like these dumplings best while warm.  Let extras cool completely before covering with plastic wrap. They keep well, unrefrigerated, for about four days.  

'Tis the season to be baking!  Fa la la la!

Steamed dumplings with grape jam and
poppyseed dusting.

Slovakian Steamed Dumplings with Jam

Adapted from "Slovak Cuisine" cookbook

Makes about 1 dozen large

Leaven:

50 ml milk, warm

2 Tbsp. yeast

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Dumplings:

4 cups (500 g) flour

1 Tbsp. powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

2 egg yolks

150 ml milk

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Jam (plum recommended), for filling

Toppings:

Butter, melted

Poppy seeds, ground

Powdered sugar 

-or-

Ground walnuts 

Powdered sugar

Combine all of the ingredients under "leaven" to make prepare the yeast. Set aside for about 5 minutes to check to make sure that the yeast is alive (foam should form).  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together  the salt, sugar, yolks, lukewarm milk and butter. Then mix in the leaven, and finally begin adding the flour until a soft dough is formed. Knead for 3 minutes and then flip into a slightly greased bowl, cover in a warm place and allow to rise about 1 hour (or until dough has doubled in size). Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out rounds using a cookie cutter or pint glass rim. Place about 1/2 Tbsp. of the firm jam on half of the rounds, cover them with the empty ones. Seal the edges together using finger tips, then cut again with the cutter to remove extra dough. Allow to rise again, about 30-45 minutes. Fill half of a bigger pot with water, tie a tea cloth onto the top to cover securely (see picture above). When water starts to boil, place dumplings on the cotton cloth, cover with a pot that fits the pot filled with water. Steam dumplings for about 12 minutes in small batches as not to overcrowd the dumplings. Transfer the steamed dumplings to a serving dish, brush the tops with melted butter, followed by a sprinkling with the ground poppy seeds mixed with powdered sugar. Best when warm! Enjoy!

Glorified French Toast

I recently experienced one of those "Hollywood mornings." You know when you sit up from your slumber with unusually voluminous hair, glowing skin, and you're wearing a smile instead of cursing your alarm clock?  I recognize how rare such occasions are and tried my best to preserve this enthusiasm as long as possible. After starting some coffee, I decided to have myself a sort of movie star breakfast. Or rather, something that celebrities might eat in an actual movie!  I call it, Glorified French Toast!  

Homemade whole-wheat banana bread makes
for a great option for Glorified French Toast.

This recipe is fancy but so simple. The only real messes come from making your favorite breakfast bread ahead of time. Or simply go purchase something with flax or chia seeds while wearing your biggest sunglasses if you feel like being extra glam (and don't forget to stop at Starbucks to grab a disposable cup to accessorize with). Lucky for me I had a fresh loaf of homemade banana bread (pictured above) already in-house, so I nixed the paparazzi outing and threw on a pair of heels instead. Ahem... !!

To share with you my recipe for making yourself a glorified morning on demand, just follow these five simple steps.

1. Slice up your favorite breakfast bread.

2. Dip each side of each slice into milk and then beaten eggs.

3. Drop your dipped slices into some hot butter and let sizzle on both sides until toasty.

4. Serve your, now "Glorified," French toast immediately with a dusting of powdered sugar and a side of warm syrup. 

These pictures illustrate the five steps using a
mini loaf of homemade blueberry bread, 
which I prepared earlier this summer.

5. Although it's fun to look movie star while cooking, you don't have to eat like one. Kick off those heels (if you haven't already), grab a fork, and consume your whole plate while reclining on the couch with some cartoons... or Jersey Shore reruns. 

A Berry Sweet Birthday

In addition to usual indulgent celebrations that encompass the Thanksgiving holiday, it was Joe's birthday!  Instead of sticking candles into a pumpkin pie, I tried to make something he would truly love.  This man adores raspberries, with fond memories of picking them from his grandmothers' gardens in Slovakia. So I decided to make those tart little berries into something grand that would separate birthday from holiday. A Double-Decker Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake perhaps?

He liked!

This cake requires patient preparation of many ingredients, but keep in mind that the end result is worth every minute. If you enjoy spending time in the kitchen, this recipe is an excellent way to spend a lazy weekend morning with a fresh pot of coffee.  I have posted the link for the recipe below, but use the following pictures to help guide yourself through the written directions.

Cheesecake Part 1: Making the crust.
You need chocolate wafers and butter. Don't forget your handy dandy food processor! It will make things much much easier.

Simple crust ingredients.

Double layer of aluminum foil surrounds this cheesecake pan. 

Process the cookies into crumbs, then pulse the crumbs with
melted butter until evenly moist.
My batch needed a bit of stirring, as the dry crumbs
hid at the edges of the processor bin. 

Carefully press into the bottom of the pan and bake.
Crust = done.

Cheesecake Part 2: Preparing "the goods."
Real raspberries and white chocolate are the two ingredients that make this recipe so exceptional! To melt your chocolate without burning it, put water in a pan and bring to a simmer. Place a smaller pan containing your chocolate on top of the water and watch it melt to perfection. As for the berries, frozen work just fine! The recipe asks you to process/blend the entire bag, however, you really only need 1/2 cup of the drained output. Therefore, I would recommend only processing half of them, that way you can save the rest for smoothies, or perhaps another cheesecake!

I processed my raspberries while they were still frozen.
They were easier to work with, in my opinion, since there
is less juice slashing and dripping everywhere.

You only need 1/2 cup of blended, drained raspberries.
I'm going to make some raspberry ice cream with the extra berries!

Cheesecake Part 3: Creaming the cream cheese

Cream cheese is the heart and soul of cheesecake. This recipe requires 4-8 oz. boxes of the stuff. I tried substituting half with the "1/3 less fat" variety.  The texture was still thick and creamy (sometimes lesser fat products can screw up things in ways you never expect).  Other ingredients are as shown below, such as flour, sugar, whipping cream, eggs, and vanilla and almond extracts.  First, a basic sweet cream cheese batter is prepared, followed by separation into two bowls for the two layers of flavors.

A large bowl is needed to make the basic filling batter
using all of the ingredients EXCEPT almond extract.

Carefully portion 2 1/4 cups of the basic creamy batter
to a second large bowl.

Now that the basic batter is in two bowls, it is time to stir in "the goods" to create two separate flavors that will become unique cake layers: white chocolate and raspberry.

The melted white chocolate was stirred into the batter on the
left, while the pressed raspberries PLUS the almond extract
were stirred into the batter on the right. 

Cheesecake Part 4: Bake the cake

The flavors are baked separately, all while resting the cheesecake pan in a water bath. I used my turkey roasting pan for this. First batter up: raspberry! Then for the home run, the white chocolate mixture is poured ontop and baked to perfection. 

The raspberry layer bakes about 50 min, followed
by the white chocolate layer, which bakes another 30 min.

Let this cake sit for a bit to set, then refrigerate for at least
4 hours before diving in with a knife!
For this reason, this cake is wonderful to prepare ahead of time.

Cheesecake Part 5: Grabbing a berry sweet slice.
This part needs no further explanations...

Double-decker Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake

For the full recipe, click HERE.

Italy Part 31: Mission Complete

Something magical happened this week:  Monday I went for a pleasant jog in 80 degree weather - sun screen, shorts and all. Then, unexpectedly, Tuesday evening I was slipping and shivering out to my car after knocking off work. To my amazement, the sidewalks were covered with wet snow. Tree branches were gracefully stretching down to touch their roots, balancing heavy white masses. Dogs on leashes were happily sniffing their covered territory with white noses.  I guess I should start checking the weather before leaving the house in the morning! 

Cheesman Park after Denver's first snow fall of 2011.

Radishes made for fancy snowman buttons.

Second to snow, another magical thing happened this week: I completed my Italian cooking challenge!  Can you hear the confetti poppers and whistles?!  It took a total of four months to make 75 recipes, not to mention countless hours dancing around my kitchen banging on pots and pans, ventures into new neighborhoods hunting for exotic ingredients, many inquisitive or delighted looks from my husband as he surveyed the table of my latest creations.  And, of course, many treasured minutes (or hours) at the table tasting and laughing.  When I began this culinary journey, I desired for a challenging kitchen regimen that would spit me out as a better cook.  I wanted a reason to play with new ingredients, learn new preparation techniques, talk with local butchers and farmers... basically, dirty my apron on a regular basis. Mission accomplished.  

So without further ado, let me illustrate for you the lengthy (but completely worth-it) method for making Italian Panettone bread... the final recipe of the challenge.

Step 1: Intoxicate some fruit.

Sultanas, candied orange peels, and lemon-orange
zest were drizzled with rum.

Step 2: Butter  up some sweet batter.

"Sponging" the dough with yeast, butter and sugars. 

Two, 1-hr rising sessions separated with lots of kneading
produced a velvety and elastic dough ready for baking.
The fruit was folded and kneaded into the dough before
being dropped into the baking pan. 

Step 3:  Grow your dough!

After 45 minutes, I opened my oven's door
to find a golden loaf of Panettone sprouting
from the dimensions of the baking pan. 

Traditional Italian Panettone.

So, how did this girl celebrate?  She exchanged her apron for ski pants and chased the snow up into the mountains!  As it turns out, a thick slice of Panettone makes for a perfect pre-ski breakfast (paired with a hot cup of caffeine, oh course)!  This fruity rum bread may have been the last recipe, but I'm keeping it bookmarked as my favorite.

Heading to Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort.
Loveland Pass will only be open a few more weeks. 

A curious cook at play!

Despite the refined onion-slicing, egg-whipping, and squid-gutting skills that I have acquired, there was an additional outcome to completing this challenge. Something more valuable than any of the delicious recipes that I prepared.  I gained my creativity back... Something that I had pushed to the corners of my brain for years to make room for incoming data required for surviving university classes is now pulsing through my daily thoughts. I see the world around me in color again. Everything is so beautiful...  even the slushy, muddy mess that will remain in my entry way until spring.

Thank you for joining throughout my culinary tour of Italy!  Stay tuned for many more food-inspired stories to come!  Ciao Italia! 

Land of 10,000 Memories

It has been nearly two weeks since I boarded a plane at Denver International Airport to swoop into Minneapolis where I spent a marvelous 10 days with my family, best friends from High School, and attended my college roommate's wedding.  Coming home to Minnesota doesn't happen often enough, and that is why, no matter what the circumstances, each visit is treated like a vacation. This usually includes napping on the back porch with the pets, sharing grand meals hot off Dad's grill, partaking in daily "Surly" happy hours, and making custard runs to Adele's. As special as visits home are, this trip was even more so since Joe, Lindsay and Antonio flew into town on Friday for the wedding, followed by Joe's family on Saturday for a joint family reunion. The gregarious tone set for the week was further accentuated by persistent warm and sunny weather!  Here are some photos to showcase some of my favorite memories from my early October visit to The Land of 10,000 Lakes. Oofta, yah you betcha!

View of the nation's only Basilica from
Joe's Garage Restaurant off of Hennepin
Avenue in downtown Minneapolis.
Note my family's table to the back right.

My brilliant brother, Mike!
He was able to join us for brunch/lunch before
hitting the books again.

My Dad and I drink a like.
For the record, this was the best Bloody Mary
I've ever encountered!  The secret ingredient included
some sort of spicy infused vodka.  A beer chaser is a must.

One of many trips to the best homemade custard shop in the cities!
Adele's custard located in Excelsior near Lake Minnetonka.

I've been a loyal fan for nearly 12 years now. 

The classic custard pooper.   This fresh vanilla
went into our half gallon of Caramel Cashew.
My mom makes a monthly visit to pick up Bear Paw.

The many local trails near my neighborhood
beckoned me to take a few afternoon rides.

Evenings on Lake Riley, located just a few minutes

away from our Chanhassen home. Maggie, my old puppy,

still rejoices with any opportunity to chase squirrels

and take a dip in the calm lake waters.

Key's famous caramel rolls from their restaurant
located within the oldest bar in Minneapolis.

Megan, Simon, me working together to pick a peck of apples!
Minnetonka Orchards in Minnetrista, MN.

Apple season... one of my favorites!

Kramarczuk's is a must when in the Minneapolis
neighbhorhood (or not)! Although they are famous for their
homemade meats and imported cheeses, we took home bags of
baked goods: kolache!  We were even able to snag three of their
best selling lemon variety, as well as traditional poppy
seed and cheese filled varieties.

Allyce, Simon, and Megan.

Getting happy at the Happy Gnome Bar,
St. Paul, MN.

My mom and I had a "girl's day out" lunch at the French Meadow
Bakery, famously known for being a favorite of Scarlette Johansson.

We split the Rachel Reuben, "firecracker" spicy coleslaw,
and french meadow salad with their famous whole grain bread.
Oh, and a few beers, too :)

Antonio, Lindsay, Joe, and Me.
Full of pozole and ready for a night out on the town! 

The stunning bride braving the strong evening wind.

I love this candid picture.

Congratulations Katie and Mike!!

The ceremony was held at the iconic Minneapolis
Cathedral in downtown St. Paul. 

The final days were spent in a house full of love and laughter.
Family at its finest!

Joe and I returned home (thank you Lazar Family!) with a bag full
of gourmet Wisconsin cheeses and sausages, which we couldn't help
but consume immediately! A tasty remembrance of our time
together and many more to come.